Celeb Jersey Cards #97 Alayna Gallo & Merissa Haddad

This is a regular series which attempts to combine my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebrities.  We take a short break from our Express coverage, but we stay with the hockey theme.

Alayna Gallo is used to being on stage, not on ice.  Still, she looked perfectly comfortable shooting the puck during an intermission at a Hawks game a while back.  Despite being a Philly girl (and playing a Jersey girl), Gallo says she fell in love with Chicago while performing here in Jersey Boys.  I don't know the significance of her #22 jersey.  Perhaps it was for then Hawks winger Troy Brouwer.  Maybe it was for longtime Hawks favorite Grant Mulvey?  I guess that doesn't matter really.  Besides, she looks better in the #22 sweater than either of those or anyone else who wore it!

Coincidentally, fellow Jersey Boys star Merissa Haddad also is wearing a different number that Troy Brouwer once wore.  Is there a connection?  I don't know.  What I do know is that Haddad won "LA's Next Great Stage Star" a few years back.  Much like Gallo, Haddad is a very talented performer.  Also much like Gallo, Haddad wears her Hawks jersey well.  The pair make an impressive Celebrity Jersey Cards duo!

On the Beat with Steve Martinson

Obviously, the right coach is important in building a team, especially a team in its first year of existence.  The Chicago Express have a great coach in Steve Martinson.
Martinson played 15 years of pro hockey, seeing time in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota North Stars.  He is now in his 15th season of coaching.  In the previous 14 years, Martinson has lead his team to the playoffs 13 times, while winning 6 championships.  Those are impressive numbers.
Martinson seems to be a perfect fit for the Express.  With about two weeks left in the season, the Express is in the playoff picture.  This has been a successful season for the expansion Express and Martinson deserves a great deal of credit.
We had the privilege of talking to Martinson after a recent Express practice.  We discussed coaching a new franchise, his playing career, his future and more.  Martinson gave some interesting answers.
We really appreciate Coach Martinson giving us a bit of his time.  We also thank Bob Mills, Director of Media Relations for facilitating the interview.
After you watch the interview below, be sure to go to ChicagoExpressHockey.com.  You can also check out the Express Facebook page and follow the Express on twitter.

On the Beat with Bob Mills of the Chicago Express

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about attending my first Chicago Express game.  A few days ago, Matt and I attended a team practice and talked to a few members of the Express organization.
The Express are the ECHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  They play in the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates (IL) and are currently only 3 points out of second place in their division (and only 9 out of first).
My experience with the Express started with Bob Mills, Director of Media Relations.  Bob was very helpful in assisting us with our interview with John Wroblewski coach of the Gwinnett Gladiators (and my namesake), as well as helping us in getting an insider's look at the Sears Centre before an Express game (for an online piece for Global Traveler which can be found here).
A few days ago, Bob met us at an Express practice.  We had up close seats as Coach Steve Martinson worked with the players on fundamentals and game-situations.  The team skated through specific drills and had a few scrimmages.
It was interesting to see how hard these players worked.  They were in action pretty much for almost two straight hours (with a couple short water breaks).  These young players were definitely hustling.
At the end of practice, we got interviews with a few members of the organization.  We decided to start with Bob to get a little insight into the franchise goals.  We discussed some aspects of being a new franchise, their target audience and what it meant to have one of the Express players getting called up to the NHL.
After you watch the interview below, be sure to go to ChicagoExpressHockey.com.  You can also check out the Express Facebook page and follow the Express on twitter.

Lee Arenberg is No Phoney

Lee Arenberg has had a lengthy and successful acting career.  His role on Seinfeld is enough on its own to secure him a fan following, especially at celebrity conventions.  Of course, that could probably also be said of his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
In the world of celebrity conventions, landing a role in a big franchise, like either of those, is a golden ticket.  You are always in demand for collectors of that franchise, as well as other fans from your other work.
Despite that notoriety, Arenberg is very down-to-earth.  If anything, he is too humble.  He spoke of his place in life, as opposed to teachers etc.  He talked about fame and giving back.
On Seinfeld, Arenberg played Mike in two episodes.  On one, Mike was an inept bookie.  On the other, Mike and George fight for a parking spot and Mike and Jerry fight over being a phoney.
He was so cool and talkative, that we asked him to do a promo for Johngy's Beat.  He agreed and that promo is permanently secured in the right column of this site.
It was a real pleasure talking to Arenberg.  I hope to see him again at a con in the future.

Lee Arenberg and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

Friendly Encounters:Fran Meets Richard Chamberlain

This is a weekly series about fiends who have met celebs.

I have known Fran Gallagher for about 27 years.  Fran is the Publisher of Global Traveler magazine, the best business travel publication!  More importantly, Fran is a great friend.
Fran and Global Traveler are celebrating eight full years of producing the best travel magazine in the business.  Congrats to Fran and everyone else at GT (including me, I guess).
Over the years, Fran has hosted many company events which have had celebrity guests of honor. One year, the celebrity was actor Richard Chamberlain.  Fran recalls the day...
"It was about zero degrees the day of this event and we were expecting a low turn out, but everybody wanted to meet Richard. Nice guy and great in My Fair Lady on Broadway!"
I love this picture.  It is vintage Fran, in mid-laugh (and fortunately it wasn't at my expense!).

Fran Gallagher and Richard Chamberlain in New York, NY-Mid 1990's.

Johngy's Take...Kiss and the Hall of Fame

This is a very sporadic series in which I spout off about probably very trivial things, which somehow really interest me.  Today, I am shining the Johngy spotlight on Kiss and the Hall of Fame debate.
Kiss is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which is in Cleveland (OH), but I am not necessarily talking about that actual Hall.  That actual HOF is more of a music museum.
I pose the Kiss question in the theoretical sense.  Is Kiss a Hall of Fame band?  This question arose amongst my friends during one of our poker nights.
The skeptics (and they aren't anti-Kiss, just against them as HOFers) said "no" based mostly on the gimmickry of Kiss.  They claim that without the makeup, Kiss would never have had anywhere near the success they had.
They also say that the songs of Kiss don't have real staying power.  You definitely pop in a Beatles cd on a long road trip, but would you ever put in a Kiss cd now?
The pro-Kiss side points to their 28 gold albums (the most of any American band ever).  Their world wide record sales exceed 100 million.
If their makeup is a major reason for their success (and the pro side isn't acknowledging that), they should still get full credit for being the first (or first majorly successful) musical act to do it.  Don't a lot of musical acts have gimmicks.  Kiss just had a very tangible one.
I am not quite sure about the staying power.  I might not have Kiss cd's in my regular rotation, but I usually stop when I find a Kiss song on the radio.  I love Paul McCartney, but there are several of his cd's I haven't played in years.
As you can guess, I am of the mindset that Kiss is a Hall of Fame band.  They would not be a first ballot type of Hall of Famer (like a Mickey Mantle), but they would definitely be in my Hall.
If you know my friends and I, you'll know that this debate will rage on forever.
One of my childhood friends would certainly be on my side of this debate.  Milena Matic is a very talented artist and Kiss is one of her favorite bands.  She painted the pieces below on vinyl albums to hang in her home.
How cool are they?!
They are just a small example of the great work Milena does.  I have a few pieces of Milena's in my home and I love them.  Check out Milena's work at MojiExpressions.biz and also "like" Milena's Facebook page!  Her art is definitely Hall of Fame calibre!

Individual painted vinyl Kiss albums by Milena Matic-2011.

Celeb Jersey Cards #96 Barbie Blank & Hulk Hogan

This is a regular series which attempts to combine my passion for trading cards with my interest in celebrities. When I find a picture of a celebrity wearing a sports jersey, I put them on what would have been their Topps rookie card.  Today, I am highlighting wrestling past and present.

Barbie Blank is better known in the wrestling world as Kelly Kelly.  Yes, that is her ring name, not a typo on my part.  Transitioning from modelling to wrestling, Blank has worked hard on her in-ring work.  She was ranked #15 on PWI's top female wrestlers of 2011.  Blank has worn a few jerseys to the ring, but the only picture I found is of her getting a face buster from Beth Phoenix (aka the Glamazon).  It is a great action shot though.  At least she is wearing the Blackhawks jersey!

Hulk Hogan has appeared here twice before in a Tampa Bay Rays jersey and a Denver Broncos jersey.  All he needs now is an NBA jersey to complete the Grand Slam of Celebrity Jersey Cards.  For his NHL Jersey Card, Hogan goes with his Tampa roots.  Age and wrestling took their toll on Hulk's body, but he would have been an intimidating force on defense.  I just wouldn't want to see the Nasty Boys as his wingers.

 

Cuzz Buzz:Joyce Hyser

Cuzz Gekas is back again, filling in for Johngy.  Cuzz is developing quite a cult-following.  Strangers recognize him on the streets and ask him, "What's the buzz, Cuzz?"  Cuzz-mania is starting to run wild.
In May of 2011, Cuzz joined Johngy at the Motor City Comic Con, where they met Joyce Hyser.  At this point, we turn it over to Cuzz.
The comedy movie “Just One of the Guys” was released in 1985. It starred Joyce Hyser as a high school student who poses as a boy in the hopes of being taken more seriously as a journalist. Although the movie had modest box office results, it became somewhat of a cult classic and can often be seen on the USA or TBS networks as a late night movie. It was also ranked as one of the “50 Best High School Movies” by Entertainment Weekly. Johngy and I met Joyce at the 2011 Motor City Comic Con and we talked about the success of the movie as well as her current endeavors. Joyce stated she is currently working on a sequel to the original titled “Just One of the Dads” where she will reprise her role. She seemed genuinely appreciative of her fans and the notoriety the original film has brought her. It will be great to see Joyce on the screen again even if she will be posing as a “Dad”.

The staff at Johngy's Beat appreciates Cuzz's effort in stepping in for Johngy.  Johngy, however, will be very upset that he missed out on the chance to discuss his big crush on Joyce Hyser.

Cuzz, Joyce Hyser and me in Novi, MI-May 2011.

Big Money, Big Poppa Pump and Loose Change

Scott Steiner has had an interesting career.  At the University of Michigan, wrestling at 190 pounds, he was a four-time NCAA Division I qualifier, earning All-American honors as a senior.  He then entered the world of pro wrestling.
At first, Scott formed a tag team with his brother Rick (already a wrestling vet).  The Steiner Brothers held tag titles twelve times.  At this point, Scott was amazing.  He combined strength, speed and athleticism like few others.
As the years passed, Scott wrestled in more singles matches and won three major heavyweight titles.  By this time, he had bulked up and slowed down quite a bit.  Scotty Steiner had morphed into Big Poppa Pump.
Oddly, as he got older and bigger, one of his monikers was 'The Genetic Freak'.  I think the name fit him better in his earlier career.
At a recent PCW Wrestling event, Matt and I got to meet Scott.  In a blatant attempt to kiss up to Steiner, I donned my Michigan hat.  Steiner appreciated my maize and blue fandom.
Once again I have to congratulate PCW fro a great time.  The wrestling action is solid and Steiner was another in a long line of great talent they bring in for meet-and-greet sessions.

Matt Parker, Scott Steiner and me in Midlothian, IL-December 2011.

Freddy Krueger Vs. Johngy

He might have sliced and diced a bunch of people in the Nightmare movie series, but I stood toe-to-toe with Freddy Krueger and gave him my best.  Okay, I must admit, his bladed gloves weren't real blades, but I'd still hate to get poked in the eye with one of those finer-blades.
Anyway, I encountered Freddy on the strip of Las Vegas.  Freddy is just one of the many great costumed characters you see along the strip.  Most will pose with you for free (especially after I dropped a Johngy's Beat business card on them), but a tip (even just $1) is always welcome and will usually result in a funner picture.
Freddy decided he wanted to throw fists with the Johngy.  I am so proud of this photo.  As a completely untrained boxer, my hand-foot work is always off.  In this photo though, you can see I clearly connected with my power=packed right hand and my right foot is forward (with the follow through).  This is textbook.
On the other hand, if you really study the picture, I might have just thrown a right jab, in which case my footwork is still fine, but my strategy is wrong.  I have little lefty power, so jabbing with the right to follow with a left would be pointless.
Hmm pointless.  Pointless.  I am thinking there is a greater meaning here.  Pointless indeed.

Freddy Krueger and me in Las Vegas, NV-March 2011.