My wrestling BFFs

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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June 8 is National Best Friends Day. Many of the friendships I have today were created from my ties to pro wrestling. Here's a look at some of those friendships through the years.

Chad Smart and I met in 2004 when I moved to southern Illinois. I've highlighted the WrestleMania trips we've been on since 2006. We've also attended Monday Night Raws, Ring of Honor shows, indy shows and Chikara Pro shows together. He's even been a part of a Pro Wrestling Collision show and traveled from California last summer to see a Stride Pro Wrestling show. Our fandom together was part of what lead to the My 1-2-3 Cents blog. He's also a frequent guest on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast. We'll have another '6 Cents' episode soon.

Heath Hatton first entered my life in 2010. He was a young upstart in indy wrestling and appeared on News 3 This Morning to promote a match he going to be in. During the interview, he called me Kevin Cheeseburger. It wasn't until the following year that we'd meet again in All American Pro Wrestling. Hatton was one of the most popular stars there and in Pro Wrestling Collision. Once those companies folded there was a break. We reconnected through mutual friends and then in 2016 when he started Stride Pro Wrestling, I was honored when he asked me to be the ring announcer for the company. More than two years later, the friendship remains strong and he put enough faith in me to get into the ring and wrestle.

Lane Austin and I crossed paths in Stride Pro Wrestling. He is the promotion's senior referee. We've bonded outside the ring too, although some of my favorite memories are us chatting in between guys coming to the ring. He's been through a lot lately and I'm glad he's on the mend. I appreciate his love and respect for the business and getting the chance to catch up with him backstage or after a show at dinner is always a treat.

Chris Hagstrom brought me into the AAPW fold in 2011 when he became the executive producer for AAPW: Collision. The show aired bi-weekly on WSIL TV and online. I can't thank him enough for that opportunity and the traveling we did together. Adam Testa and Aaron Heller quickly entered the fold too as we coined the term "The Brain Trust" for the group. So many good times at Steak 'n Shake and on the air when we launched From the Rafters Radio. 

Weston White has been a traveling companion on more than one occasion for  WWE shows. In 2012, we went to the Royal Rumble together in St. Louis. My son went with us too. Then in 2017, we joined forces again at Money in the Bank (along with his FIL and members of the Stride roster). Weston whipped up on me in the newsroom (where we worked together) several times while he was here. From putting in me in the Sharpshooter to the Torture Rack, I have many fond memories of our time together.

Last but not least, Tom Harness. We were friends before I exposed him to my world of pro wrestling. He has completely embraced it and even got involved in the action recently. He scaled the steel cage at Stride Goes Steel and whacked my opponent Roger Matheus with a broom. He withstood a chokeslam and power slam from the Mad Viking. I appreciate his willingness to go all in on something that I care so much about.

Thank you to all these men for joining me in my pro wrestling fandom. I have so many amazing memories and each of these guys has been a large part of my fandom.

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Shock and ow! My experience with a taser

Ow!!!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Thanks to TimeHop and Facebook Memories I was reminded that on November 30, 2010, I had the most shocking experience of my lifetime. I was tased live on News 3 This Morning on WSIL-TV. To this day I still get asked questions about the experience and told by people who saw it, they laugh every time they rewatch it.

So let's start at the beginning. Producer Weston White (Dub Dub) had approached my co-anchor Emily Eddington and I about doing a segment on tasers to explain how and why police use the devices. Some of our colleagues had done taped segments on tasers, but this would be a much more detailed account of the use because we were live and could take as much time as we wanted. The segment would end with me on the receiving end of the jolt. 

I agreed and we contacted Chuck Doan who is a police training specialist. After meeting with Chuck prior to the segment, my trust in him grew and I knew that I'd be in good hands. That morning Emily interviewed Chuck as I laid on a mat on the floor. He attached several clips to me and soon had the taser to Emily. Watch the video, you can tell she is not wanting to pull the trigger and my shouts of agony didn't help her anxiety during the segment.

Close up of the taser

Before the zapping started, I was reminded it would last five seconds, no matter if Emily released the trigger. Five seconds does not sound like a long time, but when that much electricity is coursing through veins, it seems like an eternity. I was fearful of two things that day, peeing in my pants and cussing on live TV. I'm proud to say I did neither.

I've been asked if it hurt. I don't know that painful is the right word to use. It's still hard for me to articulate the feeling it was. Imagine putting your tongue on a 9-volt battery or touching an electric fence. It's like that only much more intense and you don't get any relief like you do when you pull away immediately. After the experience, I was helped up and continued on with the rest of the newscast, which was only a few minutes. We did have a plan in place if I was not able to continue, but I'm thankful that was not the case.

I'm proud of what our team did that day. We gave some really important information about tasers and we also entertained people in the process. To my knowledge, we're also the first (and only) station in this market to do a tasering live on the air. Most are recorded and the curse words bleeped out.

So if you're ever in a situation where police ask you to stop what you're doing or they'll use a taser, my advice is simple. Listen. Stop what you're doing. In the real world, you'll likely be hit by a couple of barbs and the jolt will drop you to the ground.

Why Nerd Shirts Rule Every Thursday

It's hard to see, but it's the Golden Girls on my shirt

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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If we're friends on Facebook or you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know for the last 18 months (0r so) we've instituted a tradition at work called Nerd Shirt Thursday.  Now former News 3 This Morning producer Weston White is the brains behind the idea.  It's quite simple, each week we wear a "nerd" shirt and share it with the world.  Pretty much anything pop culture related is accepted.  

In the beginning nearly everyone on the morning crew participated.  But then as people moved on and others had worn and re worn shirts, the tradition dwindled to myself and a guy simply known as Sweeney.  There are more than 50 pics in my Facebook album and I'm wearing a different shirt in most of them.  In recent weeks I've had to start over, but we find different props or settings to make the pics fun (including a guest spot by Dr. Sheldon Cooper).

Nerd Shirt Thursday has become one of the highlights of my week.  I love seeing what others (usually just Sweeney now) are going to wear and hearing the comments from those who view the pics.  We've even had a guest on the morning show ask to participate.  I've included a handful here for your viewing pleasure.  If you start a Nerd Shirt tradition at your work, use the hash tag #NerdShirtThursday and spread the awesomeness. 

Promoting My 1-2-3 Cents

Special guests Tom Harness & Dr. Sheldon Cooper

D'oh!

Smurfy

Happy birthday Stone Cold Steve Austin

I dig the Mr. Rogers shirt

Tickle me Kevin 

A super day

All by myself with Dr. Who

Bill & Ted meet a Mr. Spock
(Shirt courtesy: Tom Harness)

Ohhhhh yeahhhh!

A friend gave us a Star Wars background

Even on the road I participate

Forgot my shirt, but had Hulk Hogan socks ready to go!

The Nerd Behind Nerd Shirt Thursday

Nerd Shirt Thursday

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This is a long overdue entry, as we've been doing Nerd Shirt Thursday at my work for about six months now.  It's a concept (now former) News 3 This Morning producer Weston "Dub Dub" White came up with.  The premise is simple.  Each Thursday coworkers are encouraged to wear a "nerd" shirt to work.  Because I can't wear tshirts on the air, I always wear mine under my shirt and tie.  After the show each week, we take a pic to share with the world.

Weston as Capt. America

So what's a nerd shirt?  Pretty much anything with a comic book character, movie, or pop culture reference.  The rules aren't too strict, but the nerdier the better, especially if you can accessorize.  It's something that has gained momentum in the newsroom and my Facebook friends wait each week to see who will be featured on our chests next.  As I mentioned Weston came up with the idea and we've carried it out in the weeks since his departure from WSIL.  I'm going to use the rest of this blog to talk more about my friend.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 2011

I met Weston when he joined News 3 This Morning in July 2010.  It didn't take long to become friends, especially after he professed his love for wrestling and The Simpsons.  He came into the job already "getting it."  He's a natural writer and understands the facets involved in putting together a newscast.  I remember my coanchor Emily Eddington and I came up with a list of things to help ease him into the position, but we never even gave it to him.  He already understood what to do, and this was his first TV gig.

Wrasslin' 

I literally laughed every day that Weston was at work.  Many times it was a loud belly laugh that produced tears.  Sometimes this happened on the air, depending on what he was saying in our ear pieces.  Of course when the work was done, there was always a little time for horseplay.  As I mentioned, he too is a wrestling fan and more than once I found myself getting picked up and flung around the room.  I'd be interested to see if there are any other producer/anchor combos like this in newsrooms across America.

The Shopping Ninja

It wasn't just behind the scenes that we had the fun.  Weston brought new ideas that made for great television as well.  In 2011 he found someone willing to come in and instruct Emily on how to zap me with a taser live on the air.  It's still one of the most memorable moments of my career.  He's dressed like "The Shopping Ninja" in preparation for Black Friday and was the brain child behind "The Morning News Anchor Challenge", a good concept, but unfortunately ended up getting shelved after three days.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

He created a cartoon character named Humphrey, started doing "Wrestling Banana Art", and even dressed like me for Halloween one year.  Weston is a unique guy, an outstanding producer, and even better friend.  This blog merely scratches the surface.  You can see from the pics, that we always had a good time.  I miss him, but I know he's doing well in the next chapter of his life.  Thanks for the memories Dub Dub.