Friendly Encounters

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

Last week, I featured Joshua Kohl with Bill Russell a Dodgers legend.  This week, I am featuring another blogger friend with a Dodgers prospect.
It's been a little while since Evan Chavez appeared here.  Evan is a New Mexico Fan and that is the name of his site.  Evan lives in New Mexico, the home of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the AAA farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Evan is a huge Dodgers fan and his site reflects that.  There is a lot of interesting Dodgers stuff along with excellent coverage of the Isotopes.
Earlier this year, when the Dodgers recalled Josh Lindblom, Evan wrote a great post covering Lindblom's rise to the majors.  He included a picture of when he met Lindblom.
If you're a baseball fan (especially a Dodgers fan), check out Evan's site.  You will not be disappointed.

Josh Lindblom and Evan Chavez in Albuquerque, NM-May2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

Joshua Kohl of the DodgerBobble site has appeared here a couple times.  He has been seen with Tommy LaSorda (legendary Dodgers manager) and Billy Ashley (a one time hot Dodgers prospect).  Today, Josh will be shown meeting Bill Russell, a long time part of the Dodgers organization.
Josh's DodgerBobble site is full of all sorts of great Dodgers stuff, especially bobbleheads and player appearances.  Josh is a great fan and likes meeting Dodgers players past and present.  He always posts a great report with nice pictures of the meetings.  Such was the case when he recently met Bill Russell, one-fourth of the legendary Dodgers infield of the 70's.
I always liked Russell. Russell had nearly 2000 hits (1926) all with the Dodgers.  I am not sure of the exact rank, but I think that is pretty high for a player with only one team.  I would have loved to have Russell playing on either side of Chicago, yet he was the fourth best infielder in the great Dodgers infield of the 70's.   He later had a stint at managing the team.
You can read Josh's full report on meeting Russell here.  Don't stop there though.  Check out the rest of his blog.  It's full of great baseball stuff, especially Dodgers stuff.

Joshua Kohl and Bill Russell in Sherman Oaks, CA-May 2011.

Friendly Encounters

This is a regular series featuring my friends who have met celebs.

Global Traveler magazine Publisher Fran Gallagher has had many opportunities to meet celebrities over the years.  I have even been with him at some of those events.  Unfortunately, I was not there for his most recent celebrity encounter.
A couple months ago, Fran attended a benefit dinner for the Richie Ashburn-Harry Kalas Foundation.  There were many former and current Phillies in attendance.  Basically, this is a Phillies fan's dream and Fran certainly has become a Phillies fan.
Oh I rib Fran for jumping on the bandwagon and for his lack of knowledge, but I have to admit, he is learning quickly and he is a loyal supporter.  Fortunately, he is also a loyal supporter of Johngy's Beat (see promo videos on the right).  Fran made sure to get his picture taken with Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and former pitcher Ricky Bottalico.  Actually, I think Fran squeezed himself into the picture, but I would have done the same.  Global Traveler is the best source for business and travel news, but you won't see a lot of sports or celebrity coverage in it.  That's why Fran sends his celebrity encounters to Johngy's Beat!

Carlos Ruiz, Ricky Bottalico and Fran Gallagher in Philadelphia, PA-May 2011.

Friendly Encounters

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

Brian over at 30-Year Old Cardboard is a great baseball fan.  He writes an interesting blog, because he has a passion for the game and the players.  Recently, Brian wrote a very poignant piece about Hall of Famer Gary Carter, who recently announced he was suffering from inoperable brain tumors.  That piece can be found here.
Carter was always the player I didn't want to like, but did.  He replaced Barry Foote (one of my childhood favorites) and earned my initial scorn.  Then he played for the hated New York Mets and won a Series with them, while my Cubs watched from their homes.  Finally he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, while one of my all-time favorites Ted Simmons barely got noticed on the ballot.
None of this is Carter's fault.  I never disliked him, I just didn't want to like him.  He was a great player and deserved all of the praise he got.  The truth is I would have loved to have Carter play at Wrigley, instead of the dozens of catchers the Cubs trotted out during his career (including the aforementioned Foote).
So while I never really cheered for Carter during his career, I am cheering for him now.  I am also joining Brian's crusade and sending a card to him for Carter.  It's the least I can do and I encourage you to do the same.

Gary Carter and Brian-Summer 2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

Matt Parker is my nephew and a frequent subject of Friendly Encounters.  Matt is always looking for Friendly Encounters opportunities.
Recently Matt attended a WSCR broadcast as part of their "Who Needs Two?" promotion featuring Dan Bernstein and Terry Boers.  The nearby Chicago bar was pretty crowded, so Matt didn't really get to interact with the broadcasters.  He did manage to talk to show producer Herb Lawrence, a Score veteran.
Matt asked Herb for a picture (always looking for the FE photo-op...good job Big Money).  Herb seemed somewhat surprised that Matt would want a picture with him.  Herb is certainly no slouch.  He's a beloved Score personality.  Besides, there are no small stars as far as Johngy's Beat goes.

Herb Lawrence and Matt Parker in Chicago, IL-Spring 2011.

Friendly Encounters

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

We have seen my sister Nancy with a horse, an M&M mascot and even a stone carving in effort to get exposure here in Friendly Encounters.  She is almost shameless.  I applaud her effort and reward her by running the photos.  She has taken it one step further however.  Now she has involved her friends.
On a trip to Saugatuck (MI), Nancy and her friends saw this lime green guy outside of Hoopdee Scootee, a store for "unique gifts, clothing and collectibles".  I could not get any info on what exactly the lime green guy is, but oddly it isn't even the strangest part of the picture.
Look above him.  There are a pair of legs hanging out of the second floor window.  What is up with that?
This picture baffles and amuses me at the same time.  Nancy wins again, because I just had to run this picture.  She has yet to meet a human celebrity, yet she has made multiple appearances in Friendly Encounters.  She's lucky I love her like a sister.

Nancy Blais, MaryAnn, Vicki and a lime green man in Saugatuck, MI-July 2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

Last week, when I was looking for some help with the Chiller Theater event in NJ, Mikey Hersh was one of the first to offer to share his photos and stories.  He wrote about meeting Ace Frehley of Kiss.
Mikey went to the latest Chiller Theater event and sent a report my way.  I will let Mikey take it from here...
I have a bunch of movie lists with the most important one being the list of the Top 100 Movies I Enjoy. Number Five on that list is the 1984 classic, Revenge Of The Nerds. I will take the Nerds four pack (Nerds, Nerds In Paradise, The Next Generation, & Nerds In Love) over the Harry Potter series any day of the week. Thanks to watching Revenge Of The Nerds for the first time when I was seven years old, I learned my first new dirty words including a term for female pubic hair and a word that starts with d and ends with g. I also got my first taste of what to expect when I grew up and would go to college thinking panty raids and belching contests were the norm. I was fortunate to have met Robert Carradine (Lewis) and Curtis Armstrong (Booger) at the last April Chiller show. This time around, I could get my Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise poster 80% complete by meeting Larry B. Scott (Lamar) and Andrew Cassese (Wormser).
Poor Larry B. Scott! He portrayed the most feminine pansy in the history of movies, and most people expect him to be just like Lamar in real life with the limp wrist. Guess what, everyone? Larry is not gay, well at least not gay in the homosexual way, but gay in the real happy way. (Conversation Highlights: Doing those cheesy dance scenes in Nerds IV in order to attract the in the closet but obviously gay butler was a real blast for him. The reason for having very little screen time in The Karate Kid was because he was filming Revenge Of The Nerds at the same time and was traveling back and forth from Arizona to California. He enjoyed filming Space Camp and knowing the cast from Space Camp all moved on to bigger and better things. Larry kept shouting "Nerds here!! Get your nerds here!" to entice more people to come visit him, and how could anybody resist the chance to meet a Tri-Lamb? He thought about marketing Nerds javelins to bring to the show and sell but it would have cost a fortune to produce and ship. The rumored next generation Nerds movie is actually a done deal. Larry told me it's already in the can, but doesn't know if it will ever see the light of day. It had better never get released or I will protest and boycott just like I have done so for Larry B. Scott's other remade movie, The Karate Kid)
Andrew Cassese arrived a little bit late because he got stuck in traffic coming back from New York City after doing some voice over work.  I wasn't sure what he was going to look like since the last photo I saw of him was in an issue of Maxim for a Revenge Of The Nerds reunion feature and he looked awful.  This time around, he looked more like an older version of how he looked in Revenge Of The Nerds II.  He was very laid back, but a really nice guy and appreciative of our love for his work in the first two Nerds movies.  (Conversation Highlights: He also had caught wind of the remake of Revenge Of The Nerds script and was shocked that it wasn't a train wreck.  When asked why he didn't appear in the courtroom scene at the end of Revenge Of The Nerds III, he said that nobody even told him about it, and would have done it if asked.  Since he aged between the first two Nerds movies to the point of nonrecognition, he figured most people just assumed it was him even though it was character actor Sean Whalen instead.  Andrew told us he doesn't do much in front of the camera anymore, but does a lot of voice-over work that we probably knew but didn't recognize as being his voice.  The reason he looked so different and unshaven in the Maxim Nerds feature was because he was doing a play at the time and wasn't allowed to shave.)
Like Mikey, I also loved the Nerds movies.  Great stuff.  Great stuff, too, from Mikey.  I appreciate Mikey sharing his experience here and to future reports from him.  In the meantime, check out his site MisenPOPic, for even more great stuff!

Mikey Hersh, Andrew Cassese, Larry B. Scott and Scott in Parsippany, NJ-May 2011.

At the Motor City Comic Con

This is a special series about my friends meeting celebs at the Motor City Comic Con.

In doing research for Global Traveler about the Motor City Comic Con, I came across a man known as J.J. Conquergood.  Conquergood is an MCCC veteran and was willing to share one of his stories for the good of all.
This year will be my third Motor City Con. Usually four of us travel an hour from Canada just to go. I attend mainly for the Star Wars actors. The first year I met Carrie Fisher. Last year it was Daniel Logan and Ray Park. Ray was an awesome guy, we talked about the hat i was wearing and how he bought a back pack from the same company. Then we talked about Canada, the guy was a real chatterbox. For the comics side I really look forward to meeting the Star Wars artists/writers. Because of my friend, we actually got to have dinner with Stan Sakai last year. I attend Fan Expo in Toronto every year as well, although it is much bigger, the Motor City Con seems to attract the same level of talent without the massive lineups you experience at the bigger cons.
As always, I appreciate Conquergood sharing his experience with Johngy's Beat.   Hopefully, I will run into him at the 2011 MCCC.

 J.J. Conquergood and Richard LeParmentier in Novi, MI-May 2009.

At the Motor City Comic Con

This is a special series about my friends meeting celebs at the Motor City Comic Con.

One of the great things about the Motor City Comic Con is the attendees are often as entertaining as the celebrity guests.  I have met several "Superheroes", characters from Star Wars and other creatures.  Usually the costumed attendees are very willing to pose for pictures.

Leave it to JayHawk Evans to run into some angry Storm Troopers (are there any pleasant Storm Troopers?).  I don't know what Evans did to incur their wrath on this day, but having known him for years, I can certainly understand their response.

Fortunately it all ended well as the Storm Troopers let Evans go and he was free to spread his unique cheer elsewhere.

JayHawk Evans surrendering to Storm Troopers in Novi, MI-May 2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

Today I am featuring a new friend.  Actually, a group of new friends.  I haven't met any of them yet, but I am familiar with their work and I will be meeting them at the Motor City Comic Con in a few weeks.  I was doing research for upcoming pieces on the MCCC when I came across their latest effort.
It all started in 2000, when a group of comic book publishers got together and created the Hero Initiative, the first federally chartered not-for-profit organization to provide financial help to comic book creators in need.  Since then, the Hero Initiative has raised over $400,000 to benefit comic creators and their families.
At the 2010 Motor City Comic Con, Josh Warner's wife brought some piggy banks left over from a shower.  Josh, Sean Forney and Steph Forney drew comic characters on tem with regular Sharpies.  By mid-Saturday, the dozen or so piggy banks were all sold.
I'll let Steph take it from here...
After seeing how popular they were with comic fans we decided to order moreof them to work on and sold them to raise money for a good friend and artistJosh Medors at a benefit that we held for him at a local comic shop, Packrat Comics, in Hilliard, Ohio.We organized the event with the shop and the Hero Initiative and created agroup/facebook page called Help For Heroes: Benefit for Hero Initiative. Stephand Sean drew characters on several piggy banks for the event and sold them toraise money for the event along with a silent auction, live wrestling, andlocal artists. Following that we have been taking them to most shows to help raise some extra money to help out Medors with medical expenses. Westarted calling them Super Pigs and the name stuck. Wecontinue to work in conjunction with Hero Initiative and all the money weraise is ear-marked for Josh Medors to help with his chemotreatment and other cancer-related expenses. They have been great in helping usget started and help raise money for Josh during his 3 year fight against arare form of spinal cancer.  Whenever we have an idea or need some help, HeroInitiative is always there for our fellow artists. Hopefully we will continueto work with them, promote their cause, and raise money for Josh's fight.
I am really looking forward to meeting Sean, Steoph and Josh at this year's MCCC.  Of course, I will support the cause by purchasing an Aquaman pig!  It's a great cause and the pigs look really cool.

Sean Forney and Chewbacca at the Steel City Comic Con in Pittsburgh, PA-March 2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

The latest blog I have just found is the Sports Daddy, a blog written by Mookie Anderson, who states he created the blog to hone his web skills and write about sports.  He has turned it into an interesting blend of sports and family, with a definite (but not over-the top) Minnesota flavor.
I asked Mookie to share something for this site and he responded with a couple stories and a picture.  I'll let him take it from here.

MA:I was in a movie, briefly, called Overnight Delivery.  It was filmed back in 1994 in the Twin Cities and starred a young, future Oscar winning actress Reese Witherspoon, along with Paul Rudd.  I was an extra who was called back to shoot two different specialty scenes in that comedy.  One role was as a bouncer in a strip bar.  The other was a waiter in a diner.  They didn't use either, so my work is on the cutting room floor somewhere out in Hollywood.  The fun thing is I got to eat and chat with both actors on the set.  Rudd was a great person to chat to.  I had just finished up a part as Big Jule in Guys and Dolls at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul and he told me a lot about his experiences on the stage.
"In movies, it's a lot of hurry up and wait.  You can never tell how good a movie will be when you film it.  Once it's done filming,many other people have a hand in its final format, making changes and editing the scenes.  You never know what scenes or takes they will use or how the final version will look.  Then once it comes out, you have to wait to see if the critics will like it.  The process can take months.  On stage, the feedback is instantaneous.  The crowd reaction tells you immediately."
Gordon Lightfoot's drummer is married to an old friend of mine and in 1993 I got a backstage pass.  I remember asking him the question I I always wanted to ask a musician,  "have you ever written a song and just knew it would be a hit?".
He said point blank, "It's tough to know, but when we wrote Sundown, we just had a good feeling that it would chart.  There are of course surprises.  The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, for example, we wrote that song not knowing it would be the one that we are most known for.  It was intended to be an album filler.  It caught us all by surprise when it became so popular."

Now that is an excellent tale, but I am not surprised.  The Sports Daddy doesn't disappoint.  Check out the Sports Daddy website and see for yourself!

Gordon Lightfoot and Mookie Anderson in MN-1993.

Friendly Encounters

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

I first met Scott Beatty about 15 years ago at AU Sports.  After several years, Scott went to do some other business and I didn't see him for a few years (except for one random encounter at a July 4th celebration in Evanston a couple years back).  A few months ago, Scott returned to AU.
As many of you know, former AU owner Steve Gold passed away earlier this year., but AU Sports will continue to be the best trading card and memorabilia store.  Scott is running things and Dave Zeman is back.  There is a nice buzz around the store. 
While AU has had several great guests in for autograph signings, Scott ventured away from AU to Naperville to meet WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Joe Laurinaitis, also known as Animal, one-half of the Road Warriors.  Joe is also the father of star linebacker James Laurinaitis of the St. Louis Rams.
Scott went to meet Laurinaitis, get his book signed and see a screening of the Road Warriors dvd.  Laurinaitis was great, according to Scott.  He was eager to pose for photos and to sign additional items (something which is often frowned upon, but is very appreciated by collectors).
Scott was pretty eager to meet Animal, too.  In fact, I am pretty sure he was tempted to don the face paint and make a pitch to form the Road Warriors 2011.  I am sure Scott could hold his own in the ring, but the real question is what ring name would he use?  I am also sure his friends might have a few suggestions.
Scott is a good guy and I know he will do well with AU and longtime AU patrons are happy.  To keep up with the happenings at AU, check out the AU Facebook page or stop in at the store.

Joe Laurinaitis and Scott Beatty in Naperville, IL-April 2011.

Friendly Encounters

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

When we last saw my old Sacred Heart classmate Mary Jovanovich Brazzale, she was posing with Bill Wennington (a former Bull who was wearing a Blackhawks jersey).  Mary went from posing with an NBA champion to posing with an NHL champ when she got a picture with Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks.
Mary and her family are huge Blackhawks fans.  If she isn't at the game, she is probably watching it somewhere.
I always enjoy Mary's Blackhawks-related posts on Facebook.  Hopefully, in a few weeks, she will be posting another picture of her husband with the Stanley Cup, like she did last year.
I also always enjoy pictures from my old classmates.  I am hoping for more classmates to appear here, but I am pretty sure that Mary will make more appearances.  She seems to meet a lot of the players.  What is her secret?  Even with my press passes, I have a hard time meeting as many players.

 Mary Jovanovich Brazzale and Jonathan Toews in Chicago, IL-Early 2011.

Friendly Encounters

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

Back several years, I asked my friend Hass to join me at a celeb convention in Rosemont.  It's always easier to have another person to take the pictures instead of asking the next person in line (who is preparing to have his own stuff signed).
I didn't realize at the time that Hass was a fan of Battlestar Galactica, which was the theme of the show.  I was not a fan of the show, but I liked several of the actors for other roles and I was interested in other non-Battlestar guests.
Anyway, Hass was pretty excited to meet some of the stars.  I have to admit, for his first such convention, he was rather impressive.  He showed a great appreciation for the star, without going overboard.  He asked interesting questions, without being too trivial.  It was fun watching him have fun.
When he came across Herb Jefferson Jr. I acted as his photographer.  Pictured below were two pretty big dudes.  Of course, neither was looking to brawl, but Hass and Herb looked like they could jump into a wrestling ring and handle any opponent.
Hass did a great job of snapping my pictures, but I think it was more enjoyable watching him interact with the stars of one of his favorite shows.  Either way, it was a great time.

Hassan and Herb Jefferson Jr. in Rosemont, IL-Early 00's.

Friendly Encounters

This is a series dedicated to my friends meeting celebrities.

When we last featured Rob Mackowiak, it was in a post with Steve of White Sox Cards.  They went to Oak Lawn Community High School together.  Today, I am featuring Mackowiak with two friends of mine, both named Scott.
Pork is my brother-in-law and Swede is his long-time friend (and my not-quite as long time friend).  I met Swede through Pork.  Both Scotts share a passion for beating me (and they have done it often...too often actually).  Pork has won more than his fair share of bets with me, while Swede has dominated me in the highly respected Boone Fantasy League.  Both trends have slightly turned in my favor of late, but I'll say that quietly so as not to incur the famous and highly effective Swede Curse (I'm still reeling from the effects of one particular curse placed upon me in Houston a few years back).
This last winter, Pork and Swede joined a bunch of their friends in Mexico for a wedding.  Also at the wedding was Mackowiak, a friend of the bride's family.  By all accounts, Mackowiak was just a regular nice guy.   The Scotts got a chance to talk baseball and have a good time with Mackowiak, but we all know their main goal was to land right here in Friendly Encounters.

 Scott Parker, Rob Mackowiak and Scott Olofsson in Mexico-Winter 2010.

Friendly Encounters

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

In one of our first attempts to gain access to a pressbox, we failed (but just barely) to work our magic at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.  As we were walking away, we were already planning on how to make the next attempt a success (and we have achieved that goal).
Suddenly Chuck (ever the eagle eye) looked up and noticed Bert Blyleven walking towards the pressbox.  While we might not have been fully accredited press members, we were armed with our baseball knowledge and street smarts.
Translation...I called out to Mr. Blyleven and Chuck immediately threw out a few of his stats and Chuck's belief that Blyleven deserved Hall of Fame status (which he did gain this year).  Although rushed, Blyleven couldn't have been nicer, posing for pictures with both of us separately.
Three years later, we would meet Blyleven again, but this time actually as press members in the Twins pressbox.  We were talking to Jack Morris (a Twins broadcaster who also arguably belongs in the HOF).  We did greet Blyleven (we're all professionals here), but we stuck with the interview with Morris (press etiquette).
With Blyleven's HOF induction, the picture below features two Hall of Famers in my humble opinion).

Chuck Gekas and Bert Blyleven at the HHH Dome in Minneapolis, MN-June 2007.

Friendly Encounters

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

I have written about Brian Applebaum meeting Marlins legend Jeff Conine. Brian's site is 30 Year Old Cardboard and it is well worth the trip there.  Brian is a lot of things (baseball fan, father, card collector, Andre Dawson fan, former Chicagoan, Marlins loyalist) and all of them contribute to this being an excellent site.
Recently, Brian and family attended Marlins FanFest 2011.  I absolutely loved his summary.  This was Americana at its best.  Simply beautiful.  Father and sons, baseball fan generations.  Brian's love for his family and his love for baseball.  The kids loving the baseball until they see the amusement rides!  This is awesome.  This piece just made me feel good about life!
If Brian is reading this, I was saving the best for last.  Brian met Andre Dawson again.  Dawson is Brian's favorite player of all time.  Topping that off, he also met one of my all time favorites Jeff Conine.  Brian totally enjoyed this experience.  It's always great when the favorites you meet treat you well.
I appreciate Brian sharing his pictures here.  He had other pictures of the event which are worth seeing.  I also simply appreciate the blog itself.  I am glad Brian is enjoying it and I certainly know I am!

Jeff Conine, Brian and sons and Andre Dawson in Miami, FL-January 2011.

Friendly Encounters

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

Fran Gallagher probably thinks he should be the celebrity featured in a "Friendly Encounter".  As Publisher of the world famous Global Traveler magazine, Gallagher has gained a bit of notoriety (especially on GT's website), but even though he is a great friend, I still can't call him a celebrity.  Still, I can feature him here though, because he has met a bunch of celebs over the years.
Today, I am running the story on him meeting actress Joan Collins, who Fran described as "a real piece of work".  It seems Fran made a deal for Collins to light the Plazas Hotel's Christmas tree in exchange for Collins getting an extra night in her suite.  Collins no-showed the tree-lighting and used the limo that was provided for airport transfer to shop around NYC.
I have to give credit to Fran though.  When she checked out, he told the hotel to charge her credit card, which they did.  Fran later heard from an angry Collins via a phone call, but he didn't back down.  Apparently the Dynasty diva had met her match!

Fran Gallagher and Joan Collins in New York, NY-Mid 1990's.

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.

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.