Catching Up With the Chicago Bliss

The Chicago Bliss have clinched a playoff spot by way of their 49-34 victory over the Atlanta Steam last Saturday. The Bliss are 3-0 with one game remaining in the regular season.

I have been in and out with the Bliss, but I always support the team. I'd like to do more coverage, but the poers that be in the LFL don't seem to want my contributions. Still, I keep up with the team and I wish them well.

As I have written many times, the women of the Bliss (and all of the LFL) are passionate, hard-working, excellent athletes. The league gets a bad rap sometimes for the uniforms (and it is their own fault, but their own decision, too), but do not underestimate the level of play. This is real football. These women play just as hard as anyone I have ever seen.

It's no surprise that the Bliss are 3-0 this season. The coaching staff, led by Keith Hac, is the best prepared and knowledgeable staff in the l:FL. I have been around the team for many years at games, in practices and even in lockerrooms and I see how the coaches handle every part of the game from the first tryout to the final buzzer of the championship game.

The Bliss have one more game. On Saturday, August 11, the Bliss will host the Omaha Heart at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. A win by the Bliss will put them at 4-0 in a tie with the Nashville Knights, who they will face in the Eastern Conference Championship game on Saturday, August 25 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

Check out LFLUS.com for more info and updates on the Bliss and the LFL. The Eastern and Western Conference Championship games will be played on the same day and tickets are on sale now. You get both games for one low price. That's a lot of great football action for a great price. You might even see me there.

Dave Mills, Ryan Andrews, Chris Van Stone and me in Northbrook, IL-December 2017.

Waiting For the 2016 Chicago Bliss

The Chicago Bliss season is almost here.  In just over a month, the Bliss will start their climb back to the top of the Legends Football League mountain, after losing in the championship game last season.

Last season, the Bliss looked to be the favorites to win the lFL championship.  The theme of the season was "threepeat."  Everywhere you went around the Bliss, you held up three fingers as a sign of the commitment to the goal.  It wasn't arrogance or overconfidence, it was focus.

Unfortunately, the Seattle Mist were the better team on that day and they knocked off the two time defending champions.  Coach Hac and the rest of the team immediately started planning for 2016.

The picture below is one of my all time favorites.  I am surrounded by key members of the Bliss family.  Coaches Ryan Andrews and Myron Knox are the bookends.  Part-time coaches Matt Cihi and Liz Beck sandwich me.  We were all flashing the "3" sign.  Things looked promising.

In the end, the title doesn't change the fact that I have loved covering this team.  I have made new friends and wonderful memories.  I still get chills thinking of being on the field for their second championship.

It's easy to dismiss the Bliss as a lingerie show.  I challenge anyone to go to a game and watch these ladies play football, real football.  Then, stick around after the game and talk to them and see their dedication.

Your first opportunity in Chicago is July 2.  Check out LFLUS.com for more updates and ticket info.  You can also find regular coverage right here.

Ryan Andrews, Matt Cihi, me, Liz Beck and Myron Knox in Bridgeview, IL-May 2015.

Friendly Encounters: Jim Strong, John Witte, Dana Dixon and Ryan Andrews

Friendly Encounters is a weekly series about friends who have met celebrities.

This Friendly Encounter is a hodgepodge of worlds colliding.  The Chicago Bliss, Johngy's Beat, Resistance Pro and a photographer friend combined for a fun night.
The Chicago Bliss "invaded" RPro in the summer of 2014.  That was one of the most fun nights I ever had at RPro.  It was also a bit surreal.  I am happy to have had a hand in putting those two great organizations together.
Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews showed his support by arriving in Johngy gear.  Long-time convention colleague, photographer Jim Strong also wore the Johngy shirt.  That's a lot of orange and a lot of Johngy.  I snapped the photo below, which also included Assistant Coach John Witte and Bliss player Dana Dixon.
These are good people and I am proud to call them friends.  These are also people who have become friends with each other.  Worlds colliding, worlds meshing.

Jim Strong, Dana Dixon, John Witte and Ryan Andrews in Willowbrook, IL-July 2014.

On the Beat with the Chicago Bliss at Practice

We just attended our first Chicago Bliss practice of the season and we came back with three interviews.  Many more will be coming as the season nears and all throughout, but for now, we have Deena Fagiano, Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews and Head Coach Keith Hac.

Deena flies a bit under the radar on the team.  On a team with a Ferrari, a Rockstar and several other stars, it is easy to see how some of the players don't get enough credit.  When any team wins consecutive titles, it is tough to spread the credit around enough to everyone.

Deena certainly contributed a lot to both titles.  She does steady work on the line, along with adding an occasional rush or reception.

Coach Andrews talked to us about the season opener against Atlanta, the quest for the threepeat and more.  Biggs is always good for a little entertainment, but that doesn;t get in the way of his focus in coaching.

As always, everything on the Bliss goes through Coach Hac.  I love talking football with Hac.  He makes it all seem so simple.  He breaks down everything to its basic elements.  Maybe that is why he has been so successful.

Enjoy the interviews, then head over to LFLUS.com to learn more about the Bliss and to get ticket info.  The home opener is April 25.  I'll be there and I'll be reporting back here all season.
Also, check out my debut coverage of the Bliss for Tru School Sports at Introducing the Chicago Bliss.

On the Beat with Asst. Coach Ryan Andrews and Bridget McDonnell of the Chicago Bliss

I love it when worlds collide.  I love a good partnership.  I love one group supporting another's event.  Saturday night at Resistance Pro's "Animals" was an excellent example of all of this.

One week prior to the 2015 Chicago Bliss tryouts, Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews and second year player Bridget McDonnell were in attendance to support the new era of RPro.  This partnership goes back almost a year, when the Bliss first started appearing at RPro events.

Coach Biggs and BMac have been two of th most regular supporters at RPro events.  There is even rumors that Biggs wants a shot at the tag team titles (a rumor that Biggs probably started).

It's always good to see my Bliss friends.  It's even better to talk football with them.  After the night of wrestling, I sat down with both to talk about the upcoming Bliss season and the tryouts.

I really appreciate Biggs and BMac giving their time and talking about the two time Legends Football League champs.  I encourage everyone to check out the Bliss Facebook page to learn more about the Bliss and the tryouts on Saturday, January 24.  In the meantime, check out the interview below.

On the Beat at Resistance Pro's "The Mob Rules"

Every Resistance Pro Wrestling show is a fun event, but "The Mob Rules" was a special night and not because of the wrestling.  This night belonged to Emily Anne Lundvall.
Emily is a friend of RPro and a Special Olympian.  She recently won gold and silver medals and the folks at RPro decided to honor her with a special award presentation.  The applause for Emily rivaled that of any wrestler and brought chills to everyone there.  It truly was a wonderful night.

I was proud to get interviews with Kathy Lundvall, Emily's mother, and Aaron Hirthe, Emily's coach.  Each spoke of what this all means to them and Emily.

I got my first interview with "Simply Sexy" Shawn Blaze, a relative newcomer to RPro.  Hopefully this is the first of many as he climbs the RPro ladder.

Marshe Rockett has been climbing the RPro ladder for a while and he is poised near the top.  Special Correspondent Jonathan McMahon interviewed Mr. M80.

I also finally got an interview with "The Inspiration" Brady Pierce.  The strong, quiet member of Body Magic seems to have a bright future at RPro and we discussed plenty of topics.

RPro's very own Eric St. Vaughn took over the interview duties and landed Chicago Bliss coaches John Witte and Ryan Andrews, along with Bliss star Dana Lorraine.  The RPro-Bliss connection has been a fun one for all.  We are looking forward to celebrating their next LFL title at a future RPro show.

Lastly, I got a special interview with Justin King of King Cobra.  Justin gave me a rare calm look at his career to this point.  All was going well, until his brother Head Referee Robert King appeared.  Then things got real interesting.
I hope you enjoy these videos.  I hope you come to "The Real Thing" this Sunday.  You will not be disappointed!

On the Beat with Chicago Bliss Asst. Coach Ryan Andrews: 2014 WWE MITB Predictions

Chicago Bliss Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews is an interesting guy.  For those lucky enough to know him (or at least follow him on Facebook), we know he is capable of tossing out tidbits of philosophy, random musings and more.

At this week's practice, we decided to switch gears a little bit and talk to him about Money in the Bank 2014, the WWE's upcoming event.  From talking to him and seeing him at Resistance Pro Wrestling events, we learned that Andrews is a knowledgeable wrestling fan.  The fans (or at least I) want to know his predictions for MITB 2014.

I have to say that some of his predictions and thoughts surprised me.  I am curious as to how accurate his predictions will be.  We will find out Sunday night.

Coach Andrews also gave us his thoughts on the upcoming Bliss game in Las Vegas.  It is short and to the point and we love it.  Check it out and check out the Bliss!

On the Beat with Chicago Bliss Assistant Coaches Ryan Andrews and John Witte

Assistant Coaches John Witte and Ryan Andrews are two of the unsung heroes of the Chicago Bliss.  They each have specific responsibilities, but each goes well beyond those "assigned" duties.  Basically, they do whatever is needed to help the Bliss en route to another title.

I really like Ryan and John (don't tell them that...I will never hear the end of it).  They are good guys, good coaches and just simply good for the team.  They are also good interviews.

Prior to their recent season opener, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing both at the same time.  Handling these heavy hitter was no easy task (especially when they tried smashing me (twice).  It's all part of the fun of this team.

I enjoyed this interview immensely.  It represents all things good with the Bliss.  Here are two knowledgeable coaches having fun with the beat reporter.  It's not all a joke, though.  Their intensity comes through as they speak of the game.  There is no fooling around there.  Then when the interview ends, right back to the smashing.

They have a time to play and a time to be serious.  Once that whistle blew, the entire team got really serious and played one great game against the Los Angeles Temptation.

Thank you to Coach Andrews and Coach Witte for your time and consideration.  Congrats on win #1 and good luck as you prepare for the second game (which is on Friday, June 13 at the Sears Centre).  As usual, after you watch the interview, I highly encourage everyone to check out the Bliss.

On the Beat with Chicago Bliss Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews

At the Chicago Bliss practice last week, we got our first interview with Chicago Bliss Assistant Coach Ryan Andrews.  Coach Andrews is part of the excellent coaching staff assembled by Head Coach Keith Hac.

Actually, Andrews was one of the first peole I met at the first Bliss practice.  He has been extremely helpful to JohngysBeat.com in identifying players, getting players for interviews and plenty of other things.  I owe Coach Andrews thanks for all of his help.

As much as he has helped us, he helps the Bliss more.  He is a valuable asset to Coach Hac's staff.  I see the work he does on and off the field.  Like the other coaches, he works tirelessly in a job that is too often thankless.  Still, I know the Bliss players appreciate his efforts, even when he is chiding them for poor execution or other such offenses.

In our interview, we talked about how he got started with the Bliss, his thoughts on the new season and more.  There is even a quick imitation of the "superfan," as Coach Andrews attempts to predict the score for this Saturday's season opener in Milwaukee against the Chill