Chachi Tales

How many of us can say we got a massage from a Hall of Famer?  Not a Hall of Fame masseuse either (is there a HOF for masseuses?).  Chuck got a massage from Joe Morgan, a Hall of Fame baseball player.
As far as massages go, it definitely was not a Hall of Fame massage.  It was more like a cup of coffee.  Nonetheless, it was officially logged in as a massage.
Chuck was eating in the pressbox at Dodger Stadium and Joe Morgan walked in.  While Morgan wasn't very talkative on the field that day, he acknowledged Chuck's greeting with a two-handed grab of Chuck's shoulders.  He squeezed a bit and rubbed a bit (all occurring in a matter of seconds, but time enough).
Chuck and Morgan exchanged pleasantries before Morgan moved on to the next group of reporters.  It should be noted that Morgan did not massage any other reporter there that day.
Chuck uttered his usual "We're all professionals", while making sure I logged in his HOFer massage.  Now I am taking it one step further and putting up here for everyone to know.  Congrats Chuck.

Joe Morgan and Chuck Gekas in Los Angeles, CA-June 2008.

Happy Birthday Chuck

Today's blog is dedicated to Chuck "Chachi" Gekas, who is celebrating his birthday.  Chuck and I share an interesting history.
While I was in DePaul, Chuck worked for the Chicago Sun-Times with my sister.  I saw him a few times, but didn't know him until about 10 years later when he joined Lerner Newspapers, where I was already employed.
Chuck has been like a brother to me.  He's part mentor, part cohort, but he is all friend.  He's seen me at my best and at my worst and he is always there for me.
Chuck is a genuine good guy.  Sure he is as petty as it gets.  His competitiveness is off the charts.  He'll toss out a "burn a calorie", "Clums" or "smallbrain" quicker than you can respond, but it is all done in fun.
I hope Chuck has a great day today.  I am sure he will be celebrating with his family.  Happy birthday, Chuck.  I wish you the best and I am happy and proud to count you as a friend.

Chuck Gekas and me in Lincolnwood, IL-Late 1990's.

GT's John and Louie or ESPN's Joe Morgan?

Over the last few years, I have interviewed many sports personalities. A couple years ago at Dodger Stadium, ESPN's Joe Morgan gave us a very short answer as he walked by us. Later, he talked to us much more at length while in the Pressbox (and presumably off the record).
I have no problems with Morgan (except I still think Ryne Sandberg was just as good). Everyone has the right to (politely) refuse an interview request (no matter how brief). I also give applause to Morgan for talking to us in the Pressbox, because there he is really free to be left alone.

Morgan is a Hall of Famer and a top broadcaster on ESPN. When he is around, everyone knows it. He commands respect. Baseball people willingly (eagerly) talk to him. While Louie and I were at Citi Field last month, Joe Girardi talked to Morgan at length during batting practice.Global Traveler, Louie and I don't quite command that respect...yet! While we did get a few good interviews from people like Mick Kelleher and Tony Pena, we also were turned down by many Yankees. Some of the others (like Brian Cashman and Girardi) cruised right by us . I don't blame them, GT isn't ESPN.

Some day GT will have the respect that ESPN has (hey GT is 25 years younger). Some day I might command some of the attention that Morgan does (okay, this one is a stretch). My point is, despite not being HOFers or being associated with one of the leaders in sports coverage, we do pretty well...and we have a lot of fun!

Interviews:2008

Here is the complete listing and linkage for all of my 2008 interviews.

I interviewed Rick Monday right outside the Dodgers' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. We talked mostly about when he saved the U.S. flag from being burned. I wrote a piece about that for Global Traveler magazine's website. That GT piece was read by David Stein on Sporting News Radio.To hear the Rick Monday interview click hereTo hear David Stein read my piece click here


For another piece on GT's website, I interviewed wrestling personalities Al Snow, Terri Runnels and Scott Taylor separately at Wizard World in Rosemont, IL in August of 2008. We talked about travel, their current life and their future plans.To hear the Al Snow interview click hereTo hear the Terri Runnels interview click hereTo hear the Scott Taylor interview click here


I interviewed Mike Easler and Larry Bowa together during batting practice at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Easler talked about his favorite city, while Bowa wasn't quite as decisive about his. I also helped Bowa with fielding practice, although that is not part of the interview.To hear the Easler and Bowa interview click here


I interviewed Hall of Fame broadcaster Peter Gammons of ESPN on the field at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. It was long before the game started and there were only a handful of people even there. We discussed his favorite cities.To hear the Peter Gammons interview click here


The last interview I got at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008 was with Ryan Dempster. Dempster had an unbelievable season after converting back to a starting pitcher after being a reliever for several years. Dempster was very loose and seemed happy to talk for a bit.
To hear the Ryan Dempster interview click here


I interviewed ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Miller gave me over 3 minutes of his time, which is quite a lot for an unscheduled interview. He talked freely about a number of his favorite cities.To hear the Jon Miller interview click here


I interviewed Hall of Famer Joe Morgan right as he headed into the dugout moments before the game at Dodger Stadium in June of 2008. Morgan only had about 30 seconds, but I logged in another Hall of Famer!To hear the Joe Morgan interview click here

Doing some research for another GT website piece, I attended a couple of TNA wrestling events in the Chicago area. At the fanfest, i was able to interview Christy Hemme, Lance Rock and Jimmy Rave (collectively known as the Rock N Roll Infection). We talked about travel and the expansion of TNA.To hear the Christy Hemme, Rock and Rave interview click here


At the Walk for Hope 2008, in Glenview, IL, I interviewed actress Andrea Evans for a GT online piece. Evans discussed her return to tv's One Life to Live, her commitment to Walk for Hope, her partnership with Lather and her future plans.To hear the Andrea Evans interview click here