The Never Mets:Nancy Benoit

Nancy Toffoloni was known by several names in wrestling (Fallen Angel, Robin Greene, Woman, Nancy Sullivan and Nancy Benoit). While the name changed, her character was fairly consistent throughout her career.
Nancy's character of 'Woman' was unique for women in the world of pro wrestling. Woman was in charge. Woman did not acquiesce to authority or to men either. Woman was excellent on the mic, but she didn't speak volumes.
Nancy was not a plastic bimbo. She didn't appear to have undergone any surgical age-defying procedures (or at least not much if any). Nancy relied more on a look (or a movement or a few words), instead of her looks to cement her place in wrestling.
I was a fan of hers when I first started watching wrestling. Back in my autograph-collecting days, I tried for years to get a signature from her. At one point, Georgie Makropoulos (from WrestlingFigs.com) sent me a signed Woman photo, when I enlisted her help in my quest.
Years later, I was unsuccessful in my attempts to meet Nancy. JayHawk Evans and I went to two of the Brian Pillman Memorial Shows. At one of the shows, Nancy was sick and at the other, her son Daniel was sick. Therefore she missed both shows.
Nancy met her death in the tragic and well-publicized murder-suicide at the hands of husband wrestler Chris Benoit. Nancy had pretty much left the wrestling scene and was seemingly enjoying family life. It was a shocking and sickening story.

The Never Mets:Ray Rayner

Ray Rayner was a Chicago children's television institution in the 60's and 70's. Whether as Oliver O. Oliver on Bozo's Circus or as himself on Ray Rayner and His Friends, Rayner endeared himself to parents and children.
Rayner is fondly remembered for his do-it-yourself projects (which were never quite as good as Chauncey's attempts), the jelly bean counting contest, his interaction with Chelveston the Duck and his 2 billed baseball cap (1 side for each Chicago team, as he showed highlights from the games). Rayner also lip-synched to classic old tunes, visited Lester Fisher at the Lincoln Park Zoo and read fan mail with Cuddly Dudley (the dog puppet voiced by Roy Brown aka Cooky the Clown). Rayner also was famous for pinning notes to his brightly colored jumpsuits (sort of a precursor to post-it notes).

Rayner's show was definitely aimed at children, but was also enjoyable for adults. Rayner managed to entertain everyone without appearing to 'try' to entertain them.
I never knew that Rayner was a POW during World War II. In fact, he helped prepare the escape route which was depicted in The Great Escape. Rayner was moved to another camp before the escape actually happened.
I really wanted Rayner to appear in one of the NIE ads. I sent him a couple requests and was on the verge of trying to call him when I heard the news of his death on 1/21/04. Rayner's death truly saddened me. It was like a piece of my childhood was gone.

Ray Rayner with Chelveston the Duck, a puppy from the Animal Cruelty Society and Cuddly Dudley.

The Never Mets:Pete Maravich

Another in a series of celebs I wanted to meet, but never did.

Pete Maravich was one of the flashiest, most exciting basketball players ever. Maravich's father Press taught him at an early age. Maravich's practice sessions are legendary. Pete attended LSU, which was coached by the elder Maravich.
At LSU, Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game, leading the NCAA in scoring 3 straight years, while twice being named College Player of the Year. Upon entering the NBA, Maravich did not slow down. He was named to the All-Rookie team in 1971 and was a 5 time NBA All-Star during his 10 year career. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team and had his jersey retired by the Utah Jazz (formerly of New Orleans), the New Orleans Hornets (although he never played for them) and the Louisiana SuperDome.
As great as he was, I believe Maravich did not get the credit he deserved. He played in the pre-3 point era and the pre-ESPN era. Many of his shots were deep enough to be 3's and many of his moves were magical enough to be highlights on ESPN. Unfortunately, neither existed and Maravich is often considered to have been ahead of the times.
Late in 1987, I sent a few cards to Maravich, hoping he would sign one. On January 5, 1988, I received all 4 cards signed, along with a short note written by Pistol Pete on his wife's stationary. How do I possibly remember the date? Just hours after opening the envelope which contained those signed cards, I was eating dinner with my family and watching tv. The sportscaster came on and sadly announced that Pete Maravich had died while playing in a pick-up game of basketball.

I was both saddened by his untimely and premature death at the age of 40 and shocked by the fact that I had just received his autograph earlier that day. I definitely had some of the last autographs that Maravich ever signed.

Pete Maravich's signed 1977-78 Topps card (one of his last autographs).

The Never Mets?

Someone recently asked me who I wish I could have met, but no longer can. The parameters were simple. The person had to be somewhat attainable (by Johngy's Beat standards...no Presidents, Kings, reclusive billionaires). The person had to be alive and well during my collecting career (no George Washington, no Babe Ruth, not even Janis Joplin).
That list would be interesting, but one person immediately comes to mind. Brian 'Spinner' Spencer.
Spencer was a player in the NHL from 1969 through 1979. After playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Islanders, the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, he officially retired after playing for the minor league Hershey Bears.
As far as I knew, his story ended there and he was just another of my favorite players who had retired and was probably living in Canada getting on with his life. We didn't have the internet and its' websites to keep us updated on former players.
When I was at DePaul, I did some part-time research for The Autograph Review, a small magazine for autograph collectors. In the pre-internet days, this research consisted of going to the Chicago Public Library and scouring phone books for former players.
I found a listing for Spencer in British Columbia, sent off a letter and attempted to call the number later that week. Nobody answered the phone (everyone didn't have answering machines then either).
A few weeks later, I received a call at home. The person identified himself as being with the FBI. He asked me what my interest in Spencer was. After I explained I just wanted him to sign a hockey card, he told me to stop any attempts at contacting him. He explained that Spencer was wanted on charges of kidnapping and murder and was facing the death penalty. He asked me a few more questions and thanked me for my time.
I later learned that Spencer's world involved a lot of drugs and violence. He was acquitted of those charges however and committed himself to changing his life. He moved to Florida to start fresh.
Unfortunately, shortly after he moved, he was robbed at gunpoint allegedly while trying to purchase cocaine. He was shot and killed just months before his 40th birthday.
I later read the book, Gross Misconduct, and learned a lot more about the short and tragic life of Spencer. It is a fascinating book, which thoroughly delves into Spencer's life.
One major sad aspect was the relationship Brian had with his father, whose life also ended tragically and senselessly.
On the night of his NHL debut, his father was killed during a standoff with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The elder Spencer had gone to a local tv station and held the staff at gunpoint until they switched games to show the Leafs (Brian's team) instead of the Canucks.
It seems that Brian Spencer's entire life was up and down. Sadly, it ended before he could manage to escape his demons.
I would have loved to met him because of his hockey abilities and performances. However, talking to him about life outside of hockey might have proven to be more interesting.