Johngy Talks to Peter Gammons

For my first interview as a credentialed member of the press at Dodger Stadium, I interviewed Peter Gammons.  Landing a Hall of Fame broadcaster is a great way to get started.

Chuck Gekas and I were so excited, yet not really prepared for the experience.  We did not even have a video cam.  We relied on an audio recorder and still shots.  We probably looked like goofs, but we had fun and we have progressed a lot since then.

The interview itself was rather primitive, too.  I worked the Global Traveler angle and discussed travel with Gammons.  It would be easy now to look back and think I wasted a great opportunity with Gammons.  I could have asked him so many more interesting questions.  In our defense, we were rookies and we were sticking with the GT theme which got us into the park.

Gammons was very obliging.  In fact, he talked to us several times after our interview.  He is an interesting guy.

While I would love the opportunity to do another interview with Gammons, I would not change that first experience for anything.  That whole day was one of the most exciting times in my life.

That interview can be found at Johngy Talks to Peter Gammons (not a very creative title, but very descriptive).  Maybe someday I will have a sequel to put up with that first one.

Peter Gammons and me in Los Angeles, CA-Summer 2008.

Interviews:2008

Here is the complete listing and linkage for all of my 2008 interviews.

I interviewed Rick Monday right outside the Dodgers' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. We talked mostly about when he saved the U.S. flag from being burned. I wrote a piece about that for Global Traveler magazine's website. That GT piece was read by David Stein on Sporting News Radio.To hear the Rick Monday interview click hereTo hear David Stein read my piece click here


For another piece on GT's website, I interviewed wrestling personalities Al Snow, Terri Runnels and Scott Taylor separately at Wizard World in Rosemont, IL in August of 2008. We talked about travel, their current life and their future plans.To hear the Al Snow interview click hereTo hear the Terri Runnels interview click hereTo hear the Scott Taylor interview click here


I interviewed Mike Easler and Larry Bowa together during batting practice at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Easler talked about his favorite city, while Bowa wasn't quite as decisive about his. I also helped Bowa with fielding practice, although that is not part of the interview.To hear the Easler and Bowa interview click here


I interviewed Hall of Fame broadcaster Peter Gammons of ESPN on the field at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. It was long before the game started and there were only a handful of people even there. We discussed his favorite cities.To hear the Peter Gammons interview click here


The last interview I got at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008 was with Ryan Dempster. Dempster had an unbelievable season after converting back to a starting pitcher after being a reliever for several years. Dempster was very loose and seemed happy to talk for a bit.
To hear the Ryan Dempster interview click here


I interviewed ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Miller gave me over 3 minutes of his time, which is quite a lot for an unscheduled interview. He talked freely about a number of his favorite cities.To hear the Jon Miller interview click here


I interviewed Hall of Famer Joe Morgan right as he headed into the dugout moments before the game at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Morgan only had about 30 seconds, but I logged in another Hall of Famer!To hear the Joe Morgan interview click here

Doing some research for another GT website piece, I attended a couple of TNA wrestling events in the Chicago area. At the fanfest, i was able to interview Christy Hemme, Lance Rock and Jimmy Rave (collectively known as the Rock N Roll Infection). We talked about travel and the expansion of TNA.To hear the Christy Hemme, Rock and Rave interview click here


At the Walk for Hope 2008, in Glenview, IL, I interviewed actress Andrea Evans for a GT online piece. Evans discussed her return to tv's One Life to Live, her commitment to Walk for Hope, her partnership with Lather and her future plans.To hear the Andrea Evans interview click here