Friendly Encounters

This is a series dedicated to my friends meeting celebrities.

The last time I featured Joshua Kohl of DodgerBobble he was pictured with Tommy LaSorda.  That makes two Dodgers legends.  LaSorda was the long-time manager and personality and Kohl is the creator of DodgerBobble, a fantastic site "dedicated to the Los Angeles Dodgers, bobbleheads and baseball".  Both of them just scream "Dodgers"!
A few weeks ago, Kohl and his family attended Dodgers Night at a Los Angeles Kings game.  New Manager Don Mattingly dropped the first puck (and donned a Kings jersey for a future Celebrity Jersey Card post here).
Also in attendance was Billy Ashley, a one-time hot prospect for the Dodgers.  Ashley played parts of six seasons with the Dodgers, but never achieved the predicted stardom.
I love the idea of mixing sports like hockey and baseball.  I think it's great marketing and great fun.  Thanks for Joshua for sharing this and check out his site when you get a chance.

Joshua Kohl and Billy Ashley in Los Angeles, CA-January 2011.

Celeb Jersey Cards Reader Contributions

Today is a special edition of Celebrity Jersey Cards.  I am featuring Celebrity Jersey Card creations of two fellow bloggers.

First up is a creation of Bob Lemke, a bubblegum card enthusiast and the former editor and publisher of many magazines and books at Krause Publications.  Currently he is the editor of the vintage card sections of the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards.  He also has a great blog, simply entitled Bob Lemke's Blog.
I have been a fan of Carl Weathers since Rocky.  I had been trying to find any photo of Weathers from his time playing pro football.  Lemke found those pictures and has created three cards.  The one below features Weathers from his time with the Oakland Raiders.  Lemke also produced a card of Weathers with the British Columbia Lions and a 1955 All American style card featuring Weathers playing for San Diego State.
Lemke is a master at custom card creations, but that's not the only thing you'll find on his blog.  It's loaded with lots of great sports stuff.

Next up is a card sent to me by Greg Frisenda, a vintage Star Wars toy collector and a Howard Stern fan.  Greg produced the Gary Dell'Abate card below as an offshoot of his usual card creations.  As a vintage Star Wars toy collector, he re-cards figures on cardbacks that he creates, a concept familiar to me thanks to JayHawk Evans.
Previously, I showcased a Dell'Abate jersey card that I created, but that was from a different day.  Greg's card perfectly captures the moment when Dell'Abate's ceremonial first pitch went awry (way, way awry).

Celeb Jersey Cards #41 Rob Lowe & Mario Lopez

Celebrity Rookie Cards is now Celebrity Jersey Cards.  The name fits better and pulls together my interest in celebrities and my love of trading cards.

The Dodgers are a popular choice for a lot of celebrities, because of their success and their location.  In addition to ceremonial first pitches, there have been celebrity softball games at Dodger Stadium.  That is the source of the first Celebrity Jersey Card today, which features actor Rob Lowe.  Lowe's career certainly has been filled with hits and misses, but my guess is a hit during this at bat.  Lowe would have been a nice platoon catcher as Steve Yeager's career ended and Mike Scoscia's career started.

Mario Lopez is young enough to still be playing, however his Celebrity Rookie Card is from 1985.  These things only happen in the land of Celebrity Jersey Cards (and other virtual card creations by my fellow bloggers).  Lopez is clearly athletic and could have easily handled the rigors of playing shortstop.  Don't tell me that back in the day, he couldn't have beaten out Dave Anderson (or at least stole some playing time from him).

Lisa Lutz and the Spellman Family

I have never met Lisa Lutz, but she is on my list of people I'd like to meet.  Lutz is one of my favorite authors.
Her novels have featured the slightly quirky Spellmans, a family of Private Investigators.  Each book has various members of the family working on mysteries of varying degrees of importance and humor.  The books are full of witty and sarcastic banter between the family and their circle of friends.
The latest news is that the Spellmans might find themselves on our televisions in the future.  Also, Lutz has been busy working on a different mystery novel with David Hayward entitled Heads You Lose, which is scheduled for release in April.
I look forward to each new work by Lutz.  I also look forward to eventually meeting her and posting that right here.

On the Beat With George Dierberger-Part 2

Yesterday, I featured most of a Q&A session I had with George Dierberger.  Today, I am writng about just one question from the session.  First a bit of background though.
Dierberger played for three seasons (1977-1979) with the Wisconsin Rapids Twins. He caught 28, 43 and 121 games during the three seasons.  The second season, Rick Stelmaszek joined the club as the manager and actually caught 23 games.
Stelmaszek might have talked about this back then, but I was young and don't remember.  I have been left to wonder why he would be appearing in games, despite being at the end of his playing career.  It would seem more important to have the young catchers (like Dierberger) play.  I asked Dierberger about this and here was his response.

GD-Stelly was a peach. About 1/2 way through the year I was hurt in a freak accident. The other catcher was hurt and Stelly had to fill in. It was very painful for him because he was a triple a/big league catcher. The farm director, George Brophy made him catch at the "A" level. He handled it as well as can be expected but he had nothing to prove and everything to lose.

Of course, that makes total sense.  Stelmaszek was three years removed from his last big league appearance.  It didn't make sense that he would take away games from younger catchers trying to make their way.  This is an interesting story and a new info nugget in the Rick Stelmaszek saga.
I really appreciate George Dierberger for humoring me and answering my questions.  I also appreciate him being nice to me as a teenager who was excited to meet ballplayers.

On the Beat With George Dierberger-Part 1

As I have written many times before, Rick Stelmaszek joined the Wisconsin Rapids Twins as a Manager in 1978.  My family drove up north to see a few games.  Rick introduced me to a few of the players, including George Dierberger, who was in his second year of pro ball (and his second year with the WR Twins).

Recently, I located and contacted Dierberger and asked him a few questions.  He sits on the Stillwater Area School District School Board.

Q-Your last year was your best year.  Why did you leave baseball?

GD-I had a contract dispute with George Brophy. I had a great year and all he wanted to pay me was $600 a month. I felt that I deserved at least $900. I had a triple A contract and most likely was headed to AA. I also asked him what my chances were for the big leagues and he said that I "might" be a back-up in 5 years. I finished my degree and went to work at 3M for the same salary as a rookie big leaguer. About $22,000 a year. That was before free agency....How times have changed!

Q-How did it feel when you first saw yourself on a WR Twins baseball card and when you were first asked for an autograph?

GD-I felt unworthy. It was strange to be asked for an autograph. I never felt like I was anything special.

Q-Several future Twins stars (Gaetti, Hrbek, Eisenreich) played at WR the year after you left.  Did you have any contact with them back then and have you kept in contact with any former teammates?

GD-I run into Hrbek now and again and I see Paul Molitor occasionally. He was a teammate at the U. of Minnesota.

Q-How did you transition to the business world after leaving baseball?

GD-I started at 3M in customer service and worked my way through sales, marketing, international and finally into running a few businesses. I received my first graduate degree in 1989 and another in 1996. I then worked on my doctorate for 6 years and was awarded that in 2006. Education is a passion of mine and I love to read. I feel like I am never quite finished as a final product.

Q-You have accomplished a lot post-baseball.  What part of your career gets you as excited as being on a field?

GD-Two things, launching a new business and teaching at the college level. I enjoy the students and the interaction with them as the "light bulb" goes on after they grasp a concept or an idea.  I always considered myself a bit of a coach on the field (catchers perspective) and that translates will into being a teacher.

Q-Do you follow the Twins now?

GD-Yes, I love watching Joe Mauer hit and the way the Twins play the game. If you have a chance to read "Moneyball" pick it up.....it is a great read.

Q-What is your favorite vacation destination?

GD-Somewhere warm in the winter (Florida) and I love the northeast in the Spring and Summer. Vermont and Maine are two favorites.

George Dierberger then and now (right photo courtesy of Stillwater Public Schools).

Old Times at the Chicago Stadium

Thirty years ago today, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-4 at the old Chicago Stadium.  The crowd numbered 14395 and I was one of them.
We got to the game early and I took some pregame pictures of the players skating.  During the game, I occasionally moved closer for a better picture of in-game action.  Of course, "better" is a relative term considering the cameras of the day.  Still, I was excited to have pictures of my Blackhawks.
In the picture below, if you strain your eyes, you can see a ref, four Maple Leafs and two Blackhawks.  For the Leafs, #23 is Dave Farrish and #19 is Bill Derlago.  For the Hawks, #10 is Reg Kerr and #8 is Terry Ruskowski.  Kerr is not wearing a helmet, as was his choice back then.
I am surprised that I did not keep track of who the other two Leafs are.  Yes, I am usually that obsessed with details.
As always, I love this old pictures.  The pictures are never clear and sharp, but the memories of my youthful sports fandom are.

The Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, IL-February 22, 1981.

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

I first got to know Ross Forman through his work with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.  Ross was instrumental in getting press credentials for me at TNA's Bound For Glory pay-per-view event in October of 2008.
Through our communication, I found out we shared an interest in Marathon running.  Ross has an interesting blog, Ross:Running a Marathon, covering his Marathon experiences.
Recently, Ross completed the Miami Half-Marathon, his 3rd Half-Marathon to go with 10 completed full Marathons. Topping it off, he accomplished all of that in just over 3 years!  As I have covered before, I have participated in 20 Marathons, completing 12-ish (I am not sure), but that covered a 15 year period.  Ross is putting up impressive numbers and he shows no signs of stopping.
In early April, Ross will be running in the Tel Aviv Marathon.  In Marathon running, I always try to take out as many variables as possible, so I can concentrate on the task at hand.  I have traveled to New York and Boston, but that's a short trip compared to Tel Aviv.  Still, my money is on Ross.  He is intense and committed.
As always, Ross will be updating his blog with thoughts and info leading up to the 26.2 miles of running in Egypt.  As always, I'll be following his journey and wishing him luck. 

Jay Lethal and Ross Forman-Late 2000's.

Celeb Jersey Cards #40 Richard Gere & Danny DeVito

Celebrity Rookie Cards is now Celebrity Jersey Cards.  The name fits better and pulls together my interest in celebrities and my love of trading cards.

Actor Richard Gere is seen behind a batting cage at Spring Training in 2010.  I believe he just took some bp with the team and did not actually get in the game.  His gray hair might be kind of odd for an active player (apologies to Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry), but those such notions are suspended for Celebrity Jersey Cards.

With the Phillies outstanding rotation set for 2011, they don't need another pitcher.  On the other hand, Danny DeVito isn't that much older than Jamie Moyer.  Hey, at least I resisted the urge to list him as a shortstop!  I am assuming it was because of his role on tv's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, that he was asked to throw out a first pitch in Philly.  It's also why he got on a Celebrity Jersey Card!

Happy Birthday Sam

Lots of loved ones celebrated birthdays this week and all are special in their own way.  Today is my niece Sam's turn.  Sam is as special as it gets.
As documented here before, I didn't spend enough time with her in her younger days.  Ironically, I started getting closer to her once her family moved to Houston (TX) several years ago.  I am so grateful that she allowed me back in her life.
She's such a great person.  We share a passion for sandwiches from Texadelphia.  I have enjoyed watching her play volleyball.  We have even occasionally ganged up on my other sister (her aunt) Nancy in some good-natured ribbing.  I really have enjoyed watching her grow into a beautiful young adult.
Today is her time to shine.  Happy birthday Sam.  I love you lots!

Sam Parker and me in Mokena, IL-December 2010.

Autograph Tales:Diversity 5

The Nitro Girls were an unexpected success.  Under the reign of Eric Bischoff, Kim Page formed the Nitro Girls in WCW in 1997 as a dance group to entertain the fans during commercial breaks.  They became hugely popular.
Like a lot of things in WCW at the time, success brought on greed and lead to overexposure.  The Nitro Girls were given storylines or brought into other storylines.  They feuded amongst themselves, too.
In 2001, five of the Nitro Girls (Chae An, Melissa Bellin, Sharmell Sullivan, Teri Byrne and Vanessa Sanchez) released a one cd single under the group name Diversity 5.
The group was not well received outside of the wrestling world.  Their lowlight was being voted off a reality tv show in late 2002.  I believe this was the last anyone heard of Diversity 5.
I got the cd single from Teri Byrne (aka Fyre) at some point during their time together.  I was happier about getting the five autographs than I was about getting the music.  I must admit though, the song wasn't bad.

On the Beat With Gus Gerard

Gus Gerard played 7 seasons in the ABA/NBA.  He made the ABA All-Rookie team and later made the 1976 ABA All-Star game.  Gerard retired after the 1980-81 season with the San Antonio Spurs, leaving with a career average of 8.4 ppg.  He was born in Uniontown (PA) and remains a big Steelers fan.  He was originally drafted by the NBA's Portland Trailblazers, but signed with the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis instead.
While he accomplished a lot on the basketball court, he is accomplishing even more now off the court.  After overcoming his own drug problems, Gerard became a licensed chemical dependency counselor.

I contacted Gerard and he was gracious enough to answer my questions.

Q-How did it feel to see yourself on a basketball card and to sign your first autograph?
GG-I remember thinking of all the cards I used to have and never thought that I would someday be on a card. I still get people send me them to sign and return, it was great.

Q-Which team did you enjoy the most as a player?
GG-Kansas City Kings and Denver Nuggets.

Q-Do you keep in contact with any former teammates?
GG-Yes at retired players meetings and a lot live in Houston.

Q-You have accomplished so much, have turned your life around and are helping so many. What's next for you?
GG-My passion is to speak to H.S., college, and others who suffer from the disease of addiction, telling my personal story of recovery and giving them hope.  Next is just to continue to do what I'm doing now, helping others.

Q-Where was/is your favorite city to visit?
GG-Boston, San Diego, and San Antonio.

Q-You have done so much on and off the court. Have you ever considered writing a book?

GG-Not really, but I've some people tell me I should.

A final important message from Gerard:
If anyone needs help for themselves or others, please go to www.directionsofrecovery.com. I would be glad to talk to them or guide them to a place they can get treatment.

Happy Birthday Louie

I first met Louie Atsaves in late 1987 at Lerner Newspapers.  I was hired as part-time help, while he was already a veteran, despite being in high school.  We ended up working together at Lerner for the next 17 years.  After our departure, we continued the partnership by going full-time with our own full-time publication distribution company.
Louie really has been more than a great friend.  He is like a brother to me.  His family has always made me feel welcome, whether it was his birth family or his marriage family.
We have worked countless hours together, through good and bad.  We have laughed a lot and have always had a good time and we continue to do so, especially with our work for Global Traveler.  I could go on and on, but sometimes simplicity is better.
Happy birthday Louie.  I hope it is a great one.  You're a great friend and deserve the best.

Louie Atsaves and me in New York, NY-Mid 2000's.

Capt. James Lovell Salutes Literacy

This recurring series spotlights the Literacy ad series I ran while at Lerner Newspapers.

I always thought the NIE ad series was out of this world, but I was never more accurate than when Capt. James Lovell appeared in the ad series.  Lovell helped propel the ads into another stratosphere.   . 
Okay, I'll stop the bad jokes (for now).  Actually, Capt. Lovell was our most serious celebrity to appear in the series.  He was the first of only three people to fly to the moon twice and the first American to fly into space four times.
I contacted Lovell through Lovell's, the restaurant he owns in Lake Forest (IL).   He quickly got on board and our graphics department produced a beautiful ad, which also advertised Lovell's book, Lost Moon.
I was really proud of this ad. While I had previously gotten a pretty impressive selection of local celebrities, Capt. Lovell was truly a historic figure and there he was in my NIE ad in Lerner Newspapers.
Each of the celebrity spokespeople in these ads was special.  Each was chosen for specific reasons and believe it or not, I actually turned down a few celebrities who I didn't think were a good fit.  For the previously stated reasons, Lovell holds a very special place in my mind.

The world and its adventures are expanded when you are literate.  Through books you can explore all sorts of exotic places; even the moon without leaving the comfort of your armchair.
--Capt. James Lovell as quoted in the NIE ad series in 2004

TNA Knockout and FCW Diva News

At TNA's "Against All Odds" PPV on Sunday night (February 13, 2011), the champion Madison Rayne took on Mickie James in a Last Knockout Standing match.
Mickie went after the loaded glove, and actually got it.



But that was ruined when Tara interfered, the ref got distracted and Madison laid Mickie out with brass knuckles that she had hidden in her boot.
Always carry a back up.



In (kinda) WWE Diva news, Aksana and AJ Lee beat the debuting Raquel Diaz (Shaul Guerrero) and Naomi Night at a FCW show in Gainesville, Florida on February 12th, 2011.
Maxine was the special referee and Shaul's mother Vickie Guerrero saw fit to interfere in the match and cost Shaul and Naomi the match.

And here is the FCW Diva match in full, posted by DanTheCannon on YouTube:





TNA Knockout and FCW Diva News, posted to http://beautiful-wrestling.blogspot.com/ on February 15th, 2011

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

When we last saw Todd Newville, he was pictured with Oscar Gamble, an excellent former major leaguer, made even more famous by his memorable afro.  Newville is the man behind Baseball Todd's Dugout, an excellent site with a tagline of "Welcome to my little corner of cyberspace devoted to baseball greats."  Newville's site delivers as promised.
Today, I am featuring Newville with Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in baseball history and a former teammate of Gamble.  In 1973, Blomberg drew a walk in his first appearance as a designated hitter for the New York Yankees.  That at bat propelled Blomberg into baseball history.
Unfortunately, Blomberg's career was slowed by injuries.  He eventually signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent, but he did very little in Chicago.
Recently, Blomberg released his autobiography entitled Designated Hebrew.  It's a good look at an interesting life.  I learned quite a bit more about Blomberg and gained a new perspective on him.  It is certainly worth a read, as is Baseball Todd's Dugout!

Todd Newville and Ron Blomberg in Duluth, GA-June 2003.

An Early Valentine Video

I know it is a day early, but I wanted to put up this video today for a couple reasons.  First, although tomorrow is Valentine's Day, it is also Friendly Encounters day and that shall not take a backseat to a Hallmark holiday.  Second, I'm not sure it would be fair to Valentine's Day (even though it is low in the hierarchy of holidays) to link this video to the holiday.
Anyway, the Evil Zebra should take the credit (or blame) for this, as he did a similar video first.  After seeing it, I just had to do something with my friends.  I won't name the specific friends (trying to protect the innocent).
The video still makes me laugh (although you might feel more like crying).  It's just absurd.
Okay, that's enough introduction/apologies.  Check it out for yourself.

Happy Birthday JayHawk

Jason Fleigel (aka JayHawk Evans) started at Lerner Newspapers when he was a young pup.  He was a smart kid, with a smart mouth.  He also turned into a good friend along the way.
Whether he was tinkering with Lerner's dinosaur of a computer system or performing yeoman duty on the audits, Jason was always on the top of his game.  He never really got the credit he deserved at Lerner. His post-Lerner career has been much more lucrative.
Over the years, I have probably been hard on him a bit much, but hopefully he knows what I think of him.  JayHawk is a good guy and I am better for knowing him and I am not just talking about his pc expertise (although that certainly sweetens the pot).
Happy birthday JayHawk.  May your mayo jar be overflowing!

Jason Fleigel and me at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI-May 2009.

Celeb Jersey Cards #39 Queen Latifah and Eva Longoria

Celebrity Rookie Cards is now Celebrity Jersey Cards.  The name fits better and pulls together my interest in celebrities and my love of trading cards.

Dana Owens was born in Newark (NJ) and grew up to be the Queen of hip-hop known as Queen Latifah.  She has stayed close to her Jersey roots and it is fitting that she is wearing a New Jersey Nets jersey for her appearance on Celebrity Jersey Cards.

In a bit of ABA symmetry, my next card features a desperate housewife in a San Antonio Spurs jersey.  Eva Longoria grew up in Texas, but her first Celebrity Jersey Card probably has more to do with her ex-husband Tony Parker who played for the Spurs.  Now that the marriage has ended, I wonder if we will still see her wearing the black and silver.

Dan Cortese and Background Noise

A while back, one of my friends was a huge fan of Dan Cortese.  When she found out that he would be at a Cubs game, we had to go to see him.  This was a switch, as I was usually the one dragging people with me to see various celebrities.

Cortese has had a lengthy career, starting with his time on MTV.  Since then, he has appeared on my different tv shows, with his role as Tony the mimbo on Seinfeld being one of his most notable.

I love this picture of Cortese.  At first glance, it is a simple shot of Cortese signing autographs for fans at Wrigley Field.  I have learned many things from fellow bloggers and one thing is to look deeper into the picture.

First and foremost, Cortese is wearing a Cubs jersey.  You know what that means!  Yes, a Cortese Celebrity Jersey Card will be forthcoming at some point.

Next is the young woman standing next to Cortese.  Is she his "security"?  I am guessing she is an employee of the Cubs who was assigned to Cortese.  She looks completely disinterested.  She is also wearing a helmet, although I wonder if it is an official batting helmet or just one of those plastic replicas.  Why she would be wearing either is anyone's guess.

Finally, if you look closely over Cortese's left shoulder, you will see a member of the Cubs wearing uniform #36.  While I am not sure exactly when this picture was taken, I can narrow it down to a couple players.  Mike Morgan and Dave Swartzbaugh.

Morgan is my guess as he played much more than Swartzbaugh, who only was with the Cubs for short stints in April and September.  Since it appears to be a warm summer day, Swartzbaugh was probably in the minors at the time.

My friend was happy about seeing Cortese and I was happy to be at a Cubs game.  Years later, I am happy to be able to write about Cortese and everything else in this photo.

Dan Cortese in Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL-Mid 1990's.

Gotta Love the Kish

Samoans have a rich history in pro wrestling. The Anoa'i family is probably the biggest, most successful and best-known Samoan family. Previously, I have written about Matt Anoa'i (who hoisted me on his shoulders at an event). Today, I am featuring his cousin Solofa Fatu Jr (aka Rikishi).
Solofa has had a long and successful career. Most notably, in the WWE he has been a tag team champ three times and the Intercontinental champ once. His two oldest sons currently wrestle as Jimmy and Jey Uso for the WWE.
He was in a great mood when JayHawk and I met him at Wizard World. We talked about his career and his sons.
I'm feeling pretty old seeing sons of wrestlers I grew up watching. I didn't mention this to Solofa, because I didn't want to incur his wrath and be the recipient of a stinkface (his signature move...and no, I am not going to describe it).

Me, Solofa Fatu and JayHawk Evans in Rosemont, IL-August 2010.

The Power of the Green Lantern

The Green Lantern is an interesting Superhero in that there are a number of Green Lanterns.  I don't profess to understand the entire concept, but I now there have been several different incarnations and there are several Green Lanterns existing together.

I usually meet Superheros at the Motor City Comic Con, but this time, I met Green Lantern at Wizard World.  It seems Superheroes like to hang out at conventions.  That makes sense, since there are so many Superhero fans in attendance.

This Green Lantern was especially fan friendly, as he always made sure to pose on the right side of each fan.  This way, his power ring would be visible in the picture.  If only all celebrities were that crowd-pleasing!

The Green Lantern and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2010.

Taylor Wilde Calls It Quits

Former TNA Knockout, Taylor Wilde has called it quits.
Taylor (whose real name is Shantelle Larissa Malawski) was born on January 26, 1986 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
She was trained by Rob "El Fuego" Etcheverria (Squared Circle Training) and Bill DeMott (Deep South Wrestling)
Taylor made her pro wrestling debut in June 2003 at the age of seventeen under the name Shantelle Taylor and was featured on the Discovery Channel's documentary Slam Bam in 2004.
Also on that show was Tiana Ringer, and you may recall when Taylor (Shantelle) hit Tiana with a cross body press, Tiana botched it and got a concussion.
After that, Taylor went on to work for wrestling promotions like Shimmer Women Athletes, Blood Sweat and Ears, Pure Wrestling Association and Twin Wrestling Entertainment among others.
She even spent some time in Mexico as a luchadora and went on a three show tour of South Africa.

In 2006, Taylor was signed by the WWE and sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) and then Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).
For awhile, she wrestled masked as San-Eye.
She was released by the WWE on August 13, 2007, and decided to devote her time not to wrestling, but to a college degree.

But that didn't last long as she soon had a tryout match for TNA Wrestling and on May 8th, 2008, was signed to a contract.
In TNA she held both the TNA Women's Knockout Championship (once) and the TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship (twice, once with Sarita and once with Hamada).
Doing that made Taylor the first wrestler to hold both the belts.

On December 29th, 2010, Taylor confirmed that she had left TNA and on January 10th, 2011, she announced that she was leaving wrestling.
She had her retirement match on February 5, 2011, at a ChickFight and Pro Wrestling Revolution promotion in San Francisco, California and she lost her retirement match to another former TNA Knockout, Alissa Flash (Cheerleader Melissa).

Besides saying that she will be working on her psychology studies, she will also be marrying her boyfriend Oliver Mitchell.






Taylor Wilde Calls It Quits, posted to http://beautiful-wrestling.blogspot.com/ on February 8th, 2011

Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebs.

My family loves this site and I am sure they all read it daily.  Every one of them is always on the lookout for a Friendly Encounter.  My nephew Matt Parker is the king of Friendly Encounters, but today, I am featuring his parents, Jean and Scott.
Jean and Scott are real global travelers (sorry, cheap plug for one of my employers, Global Traveler magazine, the industry's #1 source for travel and business information).  One of their 2010 excursions brought them to southern Illinois, where they encountered the Man of Steel, Superman.
Regular readers might say that this is a stretch and usually only Nancy gets away with stretching the definition of meeting a "celebrity".  That is probably true, but it's my site and I set (and blur) the rules.  Therefore the picture qualifies.  Besides, how often can you get a picture with a Superhero who is twice your size?  The only thing better would have been if it was Aquaman!

Jean and Scott Parker with Superman in southern, IL-Summer 2010.

Celeb Rookie Cards #38 Troy Aikman & Kurt Warner

They aren't perfect, but hopefully they are getting better and are enjoyable.  In either case, they are Celebrity Rookie Cards, my attempt to join the world of virtual card creations.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  In honor of the big game, I am presenting two of the greatest Super Bowl quarterbacks.
Troy Aikman enjoyed a 12 year career with the Dallas Cowboys which included 3 Super Bowl victories and one league MVP award and concluded with a Hall of Fame induction.  These days, Aikman often wears a different jersey.  As part-owner of the San Diego Padres, Aikman can wear the Padres jersey any time he wants.

Near the end of Aikman's career, Kurt Warner jumped from the Arena Football League to NFL stardom.  Warner was a two time NFL MVP, while leading two different teams to the Super Bowl.  He retired after the 2009 season as a sure lock for eventual Hall of Fame induction.  After leading the Arizona Cardinals to their first Super Bowl, he was invited to throw out a first pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  That pitch landed him here, on Celebrity Rookie Cards.

Ron Siemers had the Blues

I first met Ron Siemers in the Spring of 1996, my first year in the very prestigious Boone League (the premier fantasy baseball league). Ron is a Minnesotan, but not a Minnesota sports fan.  His sports allegiance still belongs to Chicago...well most of Chicago.
Ron has a strong dislike for the Cubs.  Despite this, Ron is a knowledgeable sports fan.  He's also a great guy.
In the Boone League, I have finished last more times than I care to remember (although league historian Scott O. could probably get the exact number).  Ron has never given me too much crap over it...wait a minute.  He gives me crap every chance he gets.  I have had very few chances to really give it back and this is one of them!
Ron lost a friendly wager to a buddy of his.  The best sports bets do not involve cash.  As I have written here before, I have lost a few 'jersey' bets in my lifetime.  Ron's lost wager involved him donning the beautiful blue of the Chicago Cubs.
Like a true good loser, Ron wore it proudly.  He even went one step further and sent the picture to several of us who wouldn't even have known about this bet.  Now that is a good loser!
What you see below is a rarity.  Ron is usually a happy guy, always smiling and laughing.  I guess you can call this a case of the blues and Johngy's Beat is here to report it!
Thanks for sharing this goes to Ron.  I'll see you in March, when I enter the draft room as the reigning Boone League champ.

Ron Siemers in Cubs blue in Minnesota-October 2010.

Linda Blair Still Spins My Head

I have met Linda Blair several times and she is always great.  She always seems to give her fans her full attention as they meet, not just a quick signature and move on to the next one.
Blair always has part of her booth devoted to her cause, the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, an organization devoted to the loving care and rescue of animals in Los Angeles.  Blair usually has special offers in which the proceeds go to the WorldHeart Foundation.  She also has the offers at a reasonable price, which gets plenty of positive responses from her fans.
Meeting someone like Blair is always special.  Blair was one of the first actresses I grew up with.  It' was so satisfying to meet her years later and see that she is so dedicated to animals and so genuinely pleasant.

Linda Blair and me in Rosemont, IL-Spring 2010.

WWE Diva Torrie Wilson and Diva Trim

You probably know that before former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson was...well a WWE Diva, she was a fitness competitor.
She placed third in the very first fitness competition she entered and went on to win the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998.
And also in 1998, Torrie took part in the Women's Tri-Fitness Championships, and placing first in the Grace and Physique round, also doing very well in the Fitness Routine and Obstacle Course.

Of course in 1999, she showed up on World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Samantha, then switched to her real name.
And then in 2001 she went to the WWE as part of the Invasion storyline.

But the reason I mentioned the fitness thing is that Torrie has now released a new supplemental fat burner targeted towards women and it's called Diva Trim.



And I think Torrie is her own best advertisement because she still looks amazing.
You can check out Diva Trim at the website here http://divatrim.net./


I mean c'mon...look at her!

I wonder if the possible side effects include hanging out with Victoria and Candice Michelle, carrying small dogs and hitting people with chairs?

Bruno Sammartino from Abruzzi

Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers of the 1960's and 70's. Sammartino held the WWWF (now WWE) championship for over 11 years during the course of his two reigns.
Sammartino relied on a mat-oriented style, but he was also a great brawler. He was very charismatic and was a huge favorite in the New York area. His "gimmick" was just himself, no frills, just Bruno.
Sammartino has been very critical of Vince McMahon, the WWE and wrestling in general. Despite this stance, he's one of those guys who still commands respect.
I first met Sammartino in the hallway at the hotel hosting a wrestlers reunion. We talked for a bit and I felt like I had just talked to one of the older Italian guys in the neighborhood of my youth. I basically walked in with him and we went to his area, where we talked a bit more.
Like I have written before about today's fans, most of the crowd was more interested in younger stars. Admittedly, Sammartino's own actions have pushed him away from the wrestling scene, but a man like this should still hold a place of honor on the wrestling scene. The man was wrestling's biggest draw for nearly 20 years. He almost was wrestling.
We discussed Italian food and Abruzzi (his birth place and that of my ancestors, too) and then I thanked him for his time. He grabbed my hand strongly and thanked me. The man was pure class.

Bruno Sammartino and me in St. Pete, FL-January 2005.

Big Money Beats Johngy

Yesterday, I wrote about beating my nephew in a game of Plinko at the Texans game.  In all fairness, today I am presenting Matt beating me in a three game series on a bowling video game.
Scott, Matt and I spent the day hurting our necks following every football game on tv at Woodrow's in Houston (and hurt our brains by making a bunch of silly Coke bets on those games).  As if that wasn't enough, Matt challenged me to a little video bowling.  I should have smelled a trap!
Matt beat me cleanly in all three of the games, to win five Cokes total from me.  While the games were fairly close, I don't think Matt ever really was worried.

Matt Parker celebrates his bowling victory in Houston, TX-December 2010.

Johngy Beats Big Money

On our last trip to Houston, Matt and I did battle in a Plinko game at the Houston Texans game.  The concept of Plinko is to drop a disk along the wall and hope that it bounces its' way into the big value slots at the bottom.
In this case, the game was scored like a football game.  We each had 4 chances (quarters) and the points below were 7 for a touchdown, 3 for a field goal or 0.
The first short video shows one of my "touchdowns".  The second video shows the end result.  Aside from beating my nephew, I love how the end frame of each video looks, especially the second.  The first showing me in a power move and the second showing my victory stance and Matt's sad expression.  Oh that is priceless to me!