Wrestlers from the U.S., Bulgaria and Poland met with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley late Tuesday morning at City Hall.

CHICAGO, Ill. - T.C. Dantzler has seen Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's face so many times it feels like he almost knows him personally.

So it was exciting for Dantzler, from nearby Harvey, Ill., when he and wrestlers from the United States, Bulgaria and Poland received an opportunity to meet with Daley late Tuesday morning at City Hall in downtown Chicago.

"It was great for me," said Dantzler, a five-time U.S. World Team member. "I've only seen the Mayor on TV, so when he first walked up to the podium all I could do was start laughing. For me to go downtown and finally meet the Mayor - I've been seeing him on TV since about 1988 - it was great."

Daley, Chicago's Mayor since 1989, gave a short speech to the wrestlers participating in Tuesday night's Chicago Cup. Daley then posed for numerous photographs with wrestlers and coaches.

The visit with Daley was part of a busy and fun-filled day for the wrestlers and coaches in the hours leading up to the dual meet at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

After driving downtown to meet The Mayor, the teams boarded a bus and took a short tour through downtown Chicago. The tour went past the Sears Tour and down Michigan Avenue just a few blocks from Lake Michigan.

The team followed by stopping at the ESPN Zone for lunch.

Following lunch, the teams were given game cards that enabled them to spend about an hour playing games for free in the upstairs area of the ESPN Zone. Among the games being played were free-throw shooting, football throwing, miniature bowling, air hockey and simulated boxing. Arcade-style games like stock-car racing, motorcycle racing and snowmobile riding also captured the attention of the athletes.

An interesting matchup in air hockey involved a pair of Olympic champions. 1984 Olympic champion and USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser battled Bulgarian legend Armen Nazarian, who owns two Olympic gold medals and three World titles

Fraser lost the first game to Nazarian, but rebounded.

"I swept him in the last two games," Fraser said, flashing a smile.

U.S. women's wrestler Marcie Van Dusen made the circuit around the ESPN Zone as she battled Poland's Anna Zwirydowska in a variety of games. The two were scheduled to wrestle on Tuesday night.

"I pretty much killed her in everything," Van Dusen said.

"Yes, she did," Zwirydowska nodded as her and Van Dusen shared a laugh.

Past World champion Dremiel Byers showed off his arm strength in trying to fire a football through the holes in two moving targets.

"I think Dremiel's trying to break that thing," Dantzler said, shaking his head. "You don't have to throw it as hard as you can, just put it through there."

Dantzler claimed supremacy over a number of teammates in the games played at the ESPN Zone.

"I've eaten at the ESPN Zone before, but I've never come upstairs to play all the games," Dantzler said. "It was good to beat Harry Lester in a few games and just let him know who is boss. I beat Harry in the football game and I beat Willie (Madison) in the air hockey game. I just showed the young guys what time it was - it was a great feeling. And I beat Mary Kelly in air hockey too, so I was just making my rounds."

Did the charismatic Dantzler lose any games to anyone?

"No comment," he said with a smile.

The Greco-Roman team from Bulgaria and the women's freestyle team from Poland got their money's worth at the ESPN Zone, trying nearly every game in the massive upstairs play room.

"Oh yeah, they were having a great time," Dantzler said. "It looks like this is something they've never been exposed to in their countries. They were having a lot of fun, that's for sure."

Having an opportunity to come back home to compete in Chicago has meant a lot to Dantzler.

"It's been a great trip already, but I can't wait for the dual tonight," he said. "I have over 100 family and friends coming to watch me wrestle. It's going to be a great time to put on a show."