On the Beat with Tammy Sytch

Tammy Sytch is a long time friend of Johngy's Beat.  Tammy first appeared on the wrestling scene in the early 90's and became the WWE's original (and best to date) diva!  In 2011, Tammy was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Tammy had one of the longest fan lines at Wizard World, but she still took time to talk to us about the Hall of Fame and her upcoming appearances.  On September 30, Tammy will be at the Brass City Brawl II in Waterbury (CT).  On October 8, Tammy will be at Legends of the Ring XIII in Monroe (NJ).  On November 11 and 12, Tammy will be at the Big Event in Queens (NY).

Before all of those appearances, this Saturday, August 20, Tammy will be at the Clash at the Cove in South Bend (IN).  Joining Tammy will be Hacksaw Duggan and Greg Valentine.  This promises to be a great event.

After you watch my interview with Tammy, please check out Tammy Sytch online, Tammy's Facebook page and Tammy's Ebay store.  We really appreciate Tammy for the interview and for always being so nice.

On the Beat with James C. Burns

We had an absolute blast at the recent Wizard World convention near Chicago (IL).  We talked to so many celebrities and guests.  Over the next several weeks, we will be featuring the many interviews we got with the celebrities who were there.

Matt Parker (Executive Producer for Johngy's Beat) landed an interview with James C. Burns.  The veteran actor has an impressive resume, including a roles in Transformers and on tv's Burn Notice, among many others.  He also played the lead character in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops, a role which used his voice, his facial expressions and his full body movements.  Matt talked to Burns about all of this in the interview below.

We really appreciate James C. Burns for giving us his time and consideration.  After you watch Matt's interview with James, please check out JamesCBurns.com for more info on him.

In Houston

When covering a major league baseball game, the journey to the field can take you through many twists and turns down hallways and through areas normally not seen by the average fan.  I never get tired of that moment when we finally reach the end and we see the pristine field right in front of us.  It is quite a majestic sight.
Matt tried to capture that journey in the short video below.  I hope it gives a little glimpse into the journey a reporter would take to the field from the concourse area.

In Houston

Matt, Scott and I make an annual baseball trip to Houston.  At least one of the days in Houston, we will be visiting Kenny and Ziggy's Deli.  This deli would be in the Hall of Fame, if delicatessens had a Hall of Fame.

Its history goes back to the 1920's when Ziggy's grandfather opened a deli in New York.  Actually it was the first deli on Broadway.  Fast forward 70 years and Kenny joined Ziggy in opening a deli in Houston.

As you can tell, I love Kenny and Ziggy's.  I once reviewed it for Global Traveler magazine.  It was the first (and only) deli reviewed by GT.  It's not just me though.  Scott and Matt also love the place.  It is always on our list when we visit Houston.  I have had a lot of turkey sandwiches in my life, but none better than one from Kenny and Ziggy's.

Below is a picture of Scott and his sandwich.  Look at the size of that monster!  It is not only huge, it is incredibly fresh and tasty.

Scott Parker in Houston, TX-December 2010.

Friendly Encounter In Houston

This is a regular series about my friends who hav met celebs.

I am starting a Houston theme with a Friendly Encounter which happened in Minute Maid Park in Houston (TX).  This encounter stars one of the most famous characters ever.  He is beloved by millions and I am pretty sure he even has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
The star in question is not my nephew Matt, although he fits most of that description.  (I don't think he has a star yet, though).  That doesn't mean Matt takes a backseat to Mickey.  Matt simply hasn't been around as long.  There is little doubt that someday, Matt will be the bigger of the two.  Until then, let's just call this a double celebrity Friendly Encounter.
Matt posed with the magnificent mouse while we were at an Astros game last season.  Just look at that photo.  You know it has to be framed and up on the wall at his parent's home (Yes, they love Mickey Mouse that much!).  Oh just kidding, they love Matt, too.

Matt Parker and Mickey Mouse in Houston, TX-August 2010.

Celeb Jersey Cards #65 Dario Franchitti & Bryan Caswell

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs. I am featuring two Astros in honor of my upcoming trip to Houston.

Race car driver Dario Franchitti was born in Scotland, but is of Italian descent. Franchitti has been racing for over twenty years.  He is married to Ashley Judd.  None of this explains why he was wearing an Astros jersey.  His last win was in Fort Worth (TX), but that would be closer to the Rangers.  I listed him at SS, because as a racer few things are more important than short stops (sorry).

Bryan Caswell is a native Houstonian and chef/owner of Reef, a fantastic restaurant located in Houston.  Caswell put on a #51 Wandy Rodriguez jersey for his pitch.  Of course he got a strike.  He is used to hitting the plate!

Hopping Around With Son of Froggy

Who is the Son of Froggy?  (For that matter, who is Froggy?)  Of course, I know, but if you want to know, you need to check out Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In.  Heck, even if you don't need to know exactly who Son of Froggy is, you should still check out Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In, because it is loaded with all sorts of fun.

Chiller Drive-In is described as the perfect popcorn eatin' tv.  It's got everything including retro tv commercials, music videos and entertaining skits performed by various members of the crew (including Son of Froggy).

Earlier this year at the Motor City Comic Con, I talked with Wolfman Mac himself.  Wolfman Mac gave us some insight into the show past, present and future.

I also met several other of the show's stars, including Son of Froggy.  While I didn't get to chat with the amphibian star, I did get to take a picture with him.

Son of Froggy, Wolfman Mac and the rest of the crew do a great job.  Check out the show if you can.  Either way, check out the website for some good fun.

Son of Froggy and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

At Wizard World in Chicago

I have met Al Snow several times.  I even interviewed Snow at Wizard World in 2008.  Snow is always a treat at these conventions.
Aside from being a successful wrestler, Snow has been doing some acting.  In fact, he was in Hell House (2009) with Kayla Perkins who I recently interviewed).  Snow is funny, articulate and fan-friendly.  He is everything you want in a celebrity convention guest.
Snow is exactly the kind of celebrity you will find at Wizard World.  Wizard World holds conventions in many cities each year.  If one is near you, don't miss it.  I will be at Wizard World in Rosemont (Chicago) akk four days this weekend.  I look forward to this event every year.
Wizard World is one of the best such conventions.  There are quality celebrity guests, tons of vendor tables many activities and much more.  In addition to all of that good stuff, the staff (from top to bottom) is helpful and friendly.

Al Snow and me at Wizard World in Rosemont, IL-August 2008.

Paying Homage to the Aquaman Shrine

I am a huge fan of Aquaman, but I have to admit I am probably not the biggest fan.  That honor goes to Rob Kelly, Creator/Editor-in-Chief of the Aquaman Shrine.  The Aquaman Shrine is overflowing with everything Aquaman, including products, merchandise, artwork, reproductions and anything else you could possibly imagine related to Aquaman.  The site is amazing and I could spend hours daily just roaming around the various sections.
I wrote to Rob and applied for Friends of Aquaman (F.O.A.M.) based on my coverage of Aquaman here on my site.  To my pleasant surprise, Rob emailed back pretty quickly and presented me with my official certificate confirming me as an official FOAM member.  I couldn't be any prouder!

Mickie James is Hardcore Country

Mickie James made her wrestling debut in an indy group.  She later wrestled for the WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.  She has held the championship belt everywhere she has wrestled, including being the current Women's champ of TNA.

Mickie is what I like in women's wrestling.  She actually wrestles!  She's not simply eye candy (which real wrestling fans ignore anyway).  Mickie cuts a good promo, has good moves and generally puts on a solid show.

When we met her at the Motor City Comic Con, she was promoting her cd Strangers & Angels, but she wasn't obnoxious about it.  I am not a huge country fan, but I liked the cd, especially the title track (Strangers & Angels).

Mickie is getting ready to head back into the studio to work on a new project.  On Mickie's Kickstarter page, she announced a special offer.for fans to pre-order the cd and to have a chance at some other cool goodies. Check out Mickie's short video to learn more about her special offer or check out her Kickstarter page.

You don't have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy Mickie's music.  I am proof you don't even have to be a country music fan either.  Check out her first cd Strangers and Angels to get a sampling and then go to her page to learn more about her new project.  You won't be disappointed.

 Mickie James and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular feature about friends who have met celebs.

Sometimes there are very interesting blogs out there, yet I seem to be late to the party in finding them.  Such is the case with my latest blog find, Number 5 Type Collection.  Matthew Glidden is the creative force behind this blog which promises to look at baseball card sets from 1880-1980, one card set at a time.
One of my favorite parts of his site is when he highlights a card from a minor league issue from the 1970's.  These minor league cards feature a lot of the players I grew up watching, like Richard Barnes and Gary Woods.  Unlike now, these cards were pretty much hard to get regional issues.  Often, I didn't even know they existed or had never seen an image of the card.  There is a lot of other interesting stuff, too.  It is definitely worth checking out.
Matthew also made a photo contribution.  Matthew shared a celebrity encounter he had with Isabella Rossellini. 
Actress and model Isabella Rossellini came to Harvard in late April to present her recent short film projects. In one of them ("Animals Distract Me"), she portrays both herself and the bearded Charles Darwin. The attached picture shows us stroking imaginary beards.
I like Isabella.  I like the picture.  I like Matthew's site.  Check it out and see for yourself!

Isabella Rossellini and Matthew Glidden in Massachusetts-April 2011.

Celeb Jersey Cards #64 Josh Duhamel & James Van Der Beek

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs.  Once again, we go to the left coast for some Celebrity Dodgers.

Actor Josh Duhamel went from Pine Valley to Vegas and married a Black Eyed Pea.  He was a football player at Minot State University, but he showed off his baseball skills at a Dodgers charity event.  The action below looks like a second baseman turning the double play, but it also looks like he is on the pitching mound.  I'll move past my confusion and give him points for wearing the Dodgers cap on his Celebrity Jersey Card.

Fellow actor James Van Der Beek played a quarterback in Varsity Blues.  His father was a minor league pitcher in the Dodgers organization.  Van Der Beek never played pro ball, but he did play for the Dodgers in a charity event.  He gets points for the Dodgers cap, but I wonder if the #3 has any significance.  I doubt it is for current Dodgers utilityman Ronnie Belliard.  It could be for his father, but I doubt a pitcher wore #3.  Maybe it is for Dodgers legend Willie Davis.  Either way, I see Van Der Beek as a shortstop.

Seasons in the Sun

I'm taking a break from waxing nostalgic on my softball adventures to bring you baseball-related stuff which is really cool.  While I take nothing away from the fun I have had playing softball, baseball is a game for kids and today I am featuring two of my favorites.
Louie coached his sons' little league team this Spring.  The Rangers played excellent fundamental baseball and made it to the championship game against the Giants (Isn't that a cool baseball coincidence?)
Peter was the starting pitcher and pitched great.  Christopher batted second and made an awesome catch at third base.  The boys played solid games and had a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, the Rangers lost to the Giants (much like in pro baseball).  I am sure Louie, his sons and the rest of their family would have liked the victory, but that isn't the main point.
Peter and Christopher were joined by their cousin Andrew on the team.  Many members of Louie's family and friends of all came out to support the kids.  It was pretty cool to witness.  This is what baseball is.  This is the meaning of kids' sports.  Family.  Friends.  Fun.

Peter throws the first pitch in Lincolnwood, IL-June 2011.

Christopher awaits a pitch in his first at bat in Lincolnwood, IL-June 2011.

Johngy and Marie

A while ago, I wrote about meeting "Donny Osmond" at my hotel in Las Vegas.  Donny was doing a show there.  Joining Donny was his sister Marie Osmond.
I met Marie much the same way I met Donny.  Marie was looking quite thin.  She was really quiet, but eagerly posed with me for the photo.  I felt a little underdressed, but Marie just smiled and didn't complain.
Hmm...this sounds like the ideal woman.  Beautiful.  Eager to please.  No complaining.  Very quiet.  Then again, what the heck would she be doing with me?!!  Only in Vegas!

Me and Marie Osmond in Las Vegas, NV-March 2011.

Mike Lookinland Loves Johngy's Beat

As I have previously written, I have met Mike Lookinland a couple of times.  Earlier this year at the Motor City Comic Con, Lookinland recognized me from a previous convention.  I have had some celebs remember me from other cons before, but usually it is after meeting them several times.  I had only met Lookinland once and it had been at least a year and in a different city.
We talked to Lookinland about doing these conventions and he expressed an interest in doing more.  He enjoyed meeting the fans and seeing his old Brady Bunch mates.  At the MCCC, Susan Olsen was the only other Brady.  They showed a normal sibling relationship by drawing on each other's 8x10's.
After talking to Lookinland for a bit, we asked him if he would do a promo for Johngy's Beat and he agreed.  That promo can be seen below and also has taken its rightful place in the "Testimonials" section on the right.

Gypsy Queen, Mike Squires & The Writer's Journey

The Gypsy Queen baseball card series is modeled after the 1887 N174 set bearing the same name.  Topps revived the look for a set of cards in 2011.  Virtual card makers everywhere jumped at the chance to make their own versions of Gypsy Queen cards for their special players.
For me, that special player is Mike Squires (as everyone knows).  Unfortunately, I don't have the skill set to make a Gypsy Queen card of Spanky, but fortunately Jason Carter of The Writer's Journey possesses these skills and he produced a Gypsy Queen Mike Squires card for me.
This isn't the first special request Jason made for me.  A while back, he created a Bill Plummer card using the 2009 Topps design.  Plummer became part of his series of 2009 Topps Reds Legends.  Perhaps Bill Plummer wasn't a star, but he should qualify as a legend (and he is a member of my Backup Catcher Hall of Fame.
Before the Plummer creation, Jason made a Mike Squires card on a 1986 Topps design.  While my PhotoShop skills have improved since then, I am still nowhere near his level and couldn't have created the Gypsy Queen Squires card.  It's a thing of beauty!
I really appreciate Jason's efforts, The Writer's Journey and his Reds Fest reports.  His site has all sorts of interesting thoughts, pictures and more.  It's one of my daily stops and it should be one of yours, too.

A Gypsy Queen Mike Squires card from Jason of The Writer's Journey.

On the Beat with Dead Lantern

While at the Days of the Dead convention, I ran into the guys behind the Dead Lantern site and movies.  Exactly what is Dead Lantern?
Dead Lantern is a horror blog based in Lincoln (NE).  They have a weekly horror podcast, the Splattercast, which has had over 100 episodes.  In their own words, "They love horror movies and they love telling us what they think of them."
Mat and Deejay were excited to be at Days of the Dead and more excited to talk about Outpost Doom, their latest dvd.  They gave me a quick recap along with some humor.
You can check out the Dead Lantern site or the Facebook page for more info.  They also have a Dead Lantern store, where you can purchase a cool Dead Lantern tshirt or the Outpost Doom dvd.
Recently, I contacted Mat who gave me an update, "We are beginning a monthly web series that begins on Halloween. We actually filmed one of the installments at Days of the Dead. The series is called Shivers Down Your Spine and that will be available for free on Dead Lantern."
Finally, I just found out they will be at Wizard World in Chicago next week.  Hopefully, we will meet up and get another update from them in person!

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series about friends who have met celebs.

Last month when I was doing early research for my coverage of the Days of the Dead convention, Harley Mk was one of the first attendees to answer my plea for help.  I saw her in her costume and assumed she did it for the convention, but quickly learned it was more than that for her.  Harley Mk is a cosplayer (a person who dons a specific costume to represent a character or idea).  I'll let her explain a bit further.
Harleymk has been a Harley Quinn cosplayer for 7 years, and was the first Harley ever on Youtube, I started doing videos on there back in 2006. My bf Steven aka DeadlyJokerious on Youtube was one of the first on Youtube to do videos of Heath Ledger version of The Joker. We take our cosplaying and acting to heart.
I have seen a lot of attendees dress in a lot of ways over the years at conventions, but Harley MK and Deadly Jokerious were different.  They weren't just dressing up.  You could tell they were dedicated and serious.
Although they took their cosplaying seriously, they still had a lot of fun at Days of the Dead.  They were asked for as many photos by fans as some celebs were.  Even the celebs got into their act, such as actor Bill Moseley who clowned around a bit with Harley Mk.
I appreciate Harley Mk's assistance and encourage you to check out her Youtube page, her deviant art page, her films site and also Deadly Jokerious's Youtube page.  Also, Wednesday is her birthday...so I am sending an early Happy Birthday her way!

Harley Mk and Bill Moseley in Indianapolis, IN-July 2011.

Seasons in the Sun

It is almost August and there is no sign that the Dogs will field a softball team this year.  This could be the first time since 1990 that I don't play at least one game.  It was a good run if that is so.
Back in the mid-90's, I was the captain of our team at Lerner Newspapers.  In other words, I spent way too much time chasing down people to field a team every week.  During the eight year run, I played every position except 1st base, before finally settling in as the team's main pitcher.
When taking the mound, I decided to try to unsettle the opposing batters by donning face paint.  I know, it was not too original (basically, I copied the Road Warriors and Sting of wrestling fame), but it did startle a few batters (and umpires).
As the season wore on and it got hotter, the face paint seemed much less fun, but I made the commitment to wear it until we made the playoffs.  Fortunately, that promise had an expiration date of that year, since we never made the playoffs and I would still be wearing facepaint.
By the way, that lump on my left cheek is actually a softball earring (worn just in case the facepaint wasn't enough).  Hmmm maybe I am seeing why we never really won much!

A facepainted me in Skokie, IL-Mid 1990's.

Celeb Jersey Cards #63 Mark Wahlberg & Kevin Bacon

This is a regular series which combines my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebs.  The season is about 2/3 over and the two teams leading their leagues are the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox.

When we last saw Boston area native Mark Wahlberg, he was sporting a Philadelphia Eagles jersey for his role as Vince Papale in Invincible.  Today, Wahlberg is showing his true colors while tossing out the first pitch at Fenway.  While I was a big fan of Papale, this is a much more fitting Celebrity Jersey Card for Wahlberg.

One degree of separation away from Mark Wahlberg is Kevin Bacon.  They are connected by Jennifer Aniston, who starred with Wahlberg in Rock Star and with Bacon in Picture Perfect.   Bacon is a native Philadelphian and he donned the Phillies jersey when he performed the National Anthem with his brothers.