David Bote - Chicago Cubs

1) David Bote #13 is an infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

2) David made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on April 21, 2018. Bote has filled in for the injured 3B Kris Bryant for much of the 2018 season.

3) Bote hit a pinch hit, two-out, two-strike ninth inning walk-off grand slam on August 12, 2018 against the Washington Nationals, which had not been done since 1979.

Photo credit / Getty Images

J: What's your favorite baseball memory?

David Bote: My major league debut.

J's Follow Up: Making it to Major League Baseball is probably the most special moment for most players. I feel like it would have been the grand slam if it wasn't his debut.

D: What is the toughest team you've ever played against?

David Bote: Honestly, I have no idea who was the toughest.

D's Follow Up: The guy right next to him was laughing and said the Chicago White Sox, probably because they beat them before he came to see us. I think the St. Louis Cardinals, Brewers, Dodgers, and Yankees are tough teams.

Photo credit / Christian Peterson Getty Images

On Sunday, September 23rd, we drove out to Bergie's Sports Card Dugout in Highland Park to meet Chicago Cubs rookie phenom #13 David Bote. Bergie's Dugout was filled with Cubs fans on a Sunday night at 6:30 to meet the Cubs young superstar. The event was sold out with more than 155 tickets sold and we were lucky to have one of them.

David and the Cubs had just defeated the Chicago White Sox a few hours before and he still made his way out to Highland Park to meet with fans. The boys and I had a fun night hanging with other Cubs fans and asking David a few questions. We hope David continues to make a big impact on the Cubs down the stretch and guides them to the top of the division and another World Series title in 2018!

Dennis Rodman - Chicago Bulls

1) Dennis Rodman is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

2) Dennis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and finished out his NBA career with 5 NBA championships (2 with the Detroit Pistons and 3 with the Chicago Bulls) and led the league in rebounding for an astounding seven seasons in a row from 1992-1998.

3) Dennis Rodman is know as "The Worm," a nickname given to him by his mother as he twisted and turned like a worm while playing pinball as a child.

J: What is your favorite memory of your time with the Chicago Bulls?

Dennis Rodman: Probably winning the three championships with the Bulls.

J's Follow Up: I don't think there's anything better than that. Winning a championship is a special thing that doesn't happen often. I bet playing for the Bulls was his favorite.

Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler/ Getty Images

J: What was your favorite part about becoming a professional wrestler?

Dennis Rodman: Wrestling with Hulk Hogan against the Macho Man at Sturgis. That was fun.

J's Follow Up: That sounds fun. I'm gonna try and see if I can find a way to watch it. I like Macho Man for sure and I'd like to meet Hulk Hogan and ask him if he remembers wrestling in that match.

D: Who is the toughest player you've ever played against?

Dennis Rodman: Probably Shaquille O'Neal.

D's Follow Up: Shaq is a really big guy and he was really good at basketball. He blocked shots and dunked a lot.

D: Did this move hurt when you saved the ball?

Dennis Rodman: No, that didn't hurt. I practiced that move a lot in practice, so no it didn't hurt.

D's Follow Up: That would hurt me for sure. It looks like he was playing really hard.

On Sunday August 19th, we made the short trip to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills to meet Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis "The Worm" Rodman. My Fan Cave, located on the lower level near JC Penney, hosted the signing with the NBA great and our entire family got to take part in the fun. There were over 100 in attendance to meet one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

We were ticket number three and we were VIP for the afternoon, which meant we got to take a posed picture and also receive an autograph from "The Worm." By basketball terms, Dennis was of average height at 6' 7", but when we came face to face, he was larger than life and towered over the four of us. Dennis was upbeat throughout the event and happy to answer the boys' questions. 

Danny was up first and forgot his original question...then the next time up Dennis asked him if he remembered his first question. The two laughed about it and we all thought it was a cool moment between them. Jordan loves wrestling and wanted to make sure he asked him about his time in the WCW. We recently watched his match against Karl Malone and Jordan was mesmerized. 

Of course, we were not surprised by his response when he said Shaq was the toughest player he ever played against. At 7' 1" and 326 pounds, Shaq was one of the most physically dominating and imposing players to ever play the game. It was always entertaining to watch the two of them go head to head.

It was a rare appearance in Chicago for Dennis and we were so fortunate to meet him so close to home. The '96, '97, and '98 Bulls were my favorite teams of all time and I'm grateful to have been there with my family to meet one of my favorite players of all time.

Marcus Childers - NIU Huskies

1) Marcus Childers is the starting quarterback for the Northern Illinois University Huskies football team who play in the Mid-American Conference.

2) Marcus was selected as the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2017 by league coaches.

3) Marcus Childers attended Adairsville High School in Adairsville, Georgia where he passed for more than 1,000 yards and ran for over 1,500 yards in two seasons as starting quarterback. Marcus also led the Adairsville Tigers to the most points in a season in school history with 499 points in 12 games. 

Photo credit Sean King/ Shaw Media

J: What other sports did you play besides football in high school?

Marcus Childers: I played everything. Basketball, baseball, track. I just wanted to show coaches that I was versatile.

J's Follow Up: He's so good at football because he played all those sports in high school.

D: Who is the toughest college team you have played so far?

Marcus Childers: Probably Duke to open up last season but I would say Toledo is a close second.

J's Follow Up: I think Duke and Toledo are both really good. I think Toledo will probably the hardest game this year too but Utah and Iowa are good.

D: What is your favorite vegetable?

Marcus Childers: Broccoli.

D's Follow Up: Broccoli is my second favorite veggie behind carrots. Almost all players say they love broccoli.

On Saturday, August 4th, the boys and I made our way back to Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb for NIU's family day and the first practice of summer camp. While at camp, the boys and I hoped to go face to face with our favorite college QB who runs the show for our favorite college football team, the NIU Huskies. 

Photo credit Kurt Steiss/ The Toledo Blade

We waited in line in hopes to talk to Marcus, take a photo, and J and D were hoping he would sign the cleats that they had just purchased at the first ever NIU gear sale. The cleats are just like the ones that the Huskies wear during practice or on game days. Sure enough, the boys were able to get up close and personal with the redshirt sophomore QB who will help lead the Huskies into Kinnick Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes to kick off the 2018 season. Marcus was friendly, signed their cleats, and happy to answer their questions. They talked about him all the way home.

It feels like we've waited forever for football to be back and we are so excited that the day has finally arrived. We look forward to cheering Marcus Childers and his teammates on and we hope they can knock off the Hawkeyes from the Big Ten in their season opener. We'll see Marcus in person next week at Huskie Stadium as our Huskies battle Utah in the home opener. These Huskie Pup Club members will hope to high five Marcus before the game and I'm sure they'll be on the lookout for him after the game to say hi. Thanks to Marcus for the cool experience and we wish him a great season ahead!