Athletes You Have Met

[Stark]

I've really only met two professional athletes, and neither of them are superstar Hall of Fame candidates.


I met Chris Shelton at a Mudhens game like six years ago. I told him good luck for the game, he said thanks, then he signed a ball I got from batting practice for me. He hit a walk-off grand slam that night. I'm still awaiting his gratitude for being his good luck charm.

I also met David DeJesus when he was on the Royals. He tossed me a ball after a game and asked if I wanted it signed. I said yes, but there was nothing to write with around at the time, so I just said thanks and left.

 

[KB]

I met Robert Smith after he retired from the NFL, used to come in and pick up dry cleaning at place up in Powell that I worked at. Knew who he was after I checked his ID when he used a credit card (store policy) Nice guy, very low key at that point in life

I just talked to him like he was normal person, I don't recall a time when he ever tried to state or insinuate who he was as an athlete when I was speaking with him.

Also, don't know if you'd called them athletes in the general term but I've met a bunch of PBA bowlers and have bowled with them.

Walter Ray Williams, Brian Voss and many others including Pete and Dick Weber. The Weber's are a friend of grandparents and have been for a long, long time. Grandfather use to bowl with Dick, who is a funny ass guy...called my Grandfather once and left a message in a bad Australian accent while he was waiting for them to fly down there....


Extra side note that most won't believe

My aunt's best friend has been a lead assistant for Tiger Woods for the last decade...I've never met him but I do know the assistant makes way to much money and signed an NDA so the fam doesn't press the person for more than they are willing give out themsevles.

 

[Mazer]

I took my wife to the Four Seasons in Austin, TX for our 5 year wedding anniversary. We drove all Texas hill country on a Saturday and ended up getting back to the hotel pretty late. We hopped into the elevator as it was closing to go up to our room, and there were two black dudes and a couple of scantily clad chicks with thick booties in the elevator.

I immediately thought, "Man, that one guy looks just like Deion Sanders only smaller." My wife (not a sports fan) knew the name but had no idea what he looked like. As you guess, based on the topic of the thread here, it was Deion. He was just with his huge-ass body guard which made him look smaller.

The ride on the elevator was funny. They had obviously been drinking or something and were cutting up in the elevator. My wife and I were exhausted from the long day and didn't say anything. On the way out of the elevator, Deion said something about "Those white people didn't know what to make of us." :chuckles: It was pretty funny.

The next day I asked the concierge chic if Deion Sanders was staying there, and she confirmed it was him and he was in town to buy part of the Arena Football League team in Austin. So I met the greatest cover cornerback of all time in an elevator with hardly anyone else around and didn't say a single word to him. :chuckles:

 

[MoFlo]

Off the top of my head before I go to sleep:

When I was younger, I met "Joey" Belle, Doug Jones, Greg Swindell, and I believe a few others at various card shows.

I met LeBron a few years back at a book signing in Akron.

Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Virgil at various signings. Eve & Maria after a WWE show at the Q drool

Mo Williams, Josh Cribbs, Ahtyba Rubin, Braylon, Sandy Alomar at various points.

I met many athletes while working at Circuit City in Garfield. Off the top of my head: Lance Allred, Travis Hafner, Ryan Garko, J.J (before his rookie year started). One of my co-workers went up to Allred, asked if he needed help a couple times, and thought he was a rude asshole when he didn't answer him :chuckles:

I'll post more tomorrow when I can think more :chuckles:

 

[I LOVE YOU ABBY]

I've met a lot of pro athletes, mostly thanks to my dad being a journalist and getting extra press credentials to all sorts of sporting events growing up. I can't even pay to go to Cavs games anymore after getting in free to sit on the floor and take photos.

I met most of the Indians from the late 90's into the early 2000's. I met Charles Nagy like 8 different times. That dude seemed to be at every media event or youth camp. Good, down to earth guy. Coco Crisp is my favorite ball player and I got a chance to talk to him. We ended up following him to the ballpark that day, he drove a red mustang convertible.

Big names that I talked to..Ray Allen, Anderson Varejao, Gloria James :chuckles:

Most of the big name athletes I only manage to say "good luck" to. I was standing next to Gloria James in the tunnel before one of the Cavs home games that I was taking pics at, and LeBron and Mo came over to give her a kiss. LeBron gave me an evil look, like a "what the hell are you doing down here and standing right next to my mom for?" look.

 

[TheAdmin]

I've met several but my favorite of all time was Robert Parrish. When I shook hands with him his fingers damn near wrapped around my hand twice.

 

[AMC]

I met Austin Carr a couple years back after a Cavs game. Will always be one of my favorite Cavs on and off the court, great dude.

I also walked past Sasha Pavlovic at Great Northern Mall back in '08. He was with a chick the same height as him and he had one of the nicest SUVs I have ever seen. :chuckles:

 

[gourimoko]

Met LeBron James numerous times (around the time he was drafted and a little thereafter). I had a rather detailed conversation and picture taken with Austin Carr at "The Seafood Place" on Cedar Rd. My little brother knows Big Z fairly well, and I've met him more than once.

I've met a lot of the Tribe from the 90's when I was younger... Uhh... I'm sure I'm missing someone, but can't really think... Overall, only really cool experience I had was when I talked with Austin Carr.. He was waiting on his order, and even after he got it, he didn't mind talking to me at length (talked for over 30 minutes) about the Cavs, his love for the city, and our chance at a championship (2009). Dude was extremely down to Earth and really seemed a lot like one of my uncles, that's how cool he was. The guy you see on TV, I swear, that's him for real.. He's probably not the most knowledgeable guy when it comes to the NBA, but he obviously loves the game and the team and it shows.

LeBron, even as a teenager, was obviously a punk... He was riding around Euclid with a setout we all knew. Dude's talent prevented him being a normal person I think. He lives in a fantasy world... At least, that's my impression of him from almost 10 years ago.

 

[cavfanintexas]

Bowled on the same team in a classic league with Mike Durbin before he turn Pro it was Long time ago but I think it was Bainbridge lanes or Roseland lanes.

 

[BimboColesHair]

Friends with Zoltan Mesko, the Patriots punter. We went to high school together, played football and basketball together, and grew up in the same neighborhood. James Posey went to our high school and played for the guy who was still coaching varsity basketball when I played. He would come in and talk to us every time he played in Cleveland. I was Jordan Mabin's QB when we played youth football in the NTYF, went to Northwestern and was on the Browns practice squad for a bit. Met Dr. J when the All-Star game came to Cleveland and they had the 50 greatest players there, nicest pro athlete ever IMO. Also saw Dikembe Mutombo that same day, had an entourage of about 20 body guards and when we asked him for an autograph he gave us the finger wag...douche. I also have Ozzie Newsome's autograph and apparently met him when I was really young according to my dad, but I don't remember.

 

[DJTJ]

I met Omar in Tower City food court last week. :chuckles:

 

[The Oi]

Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming in Dallas at a high end restaurant that I cannot remember the name of. They walked in while we were having lunch and a couple drinks and I cannot overstate the massiveness of Yao. He's so cartoonishly large that we were actually laughing.

Dirk and Nash were all over Dallas when I was in college and used to eat at this awesome restaurant Cafe Brazil late, late at night after games. They'd also show up to bars near my school to make out with hot college chicks.

Ray Nitzchke and Joe Frazier at a conference of some kind when I was a kid. Got a pic weang Ray's Super Bowl ring.

Latroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer and some other future Twins when they played minor league ball in Ft Wayne. Just basic kid shit, hanging out at the fence and asking stupid questions.

Bob Trumpy and Tom Watson at TPC Sawgrass when I was a kid. My dad disliked Trumpy and said he was always anti-Browns. :chuckles:

 

[Phills14]

I've met many athletes over the years but the coolest experience I ever had was the 1997 NBA all-star game. My family has had season tickets to the Cavs since they started in 1970. Since we are long time ticket holders we were invited to an all-star event with the 50 greatest players of all time. It was a cocktail party for like 400 people at the rock and roll hall of fame. I got to talk to Oscar Robertson for a while. He was willing to give me an autograph but did not want to stop because if he did he'd get swarmed by people so we walked and he signed my ticket. We talked briefly, he was very nice. I also approached a group of Bill Walton, Bill Russell and Robert Parish talking. Walton and Parish signed but Russell did not. He notoriously does not sign autographs but was so graceful in declining the invitation. I was hanging around DrJ for a while but he refused to sign anything which was disappointing.

There were others that I can't remember but I had probably 15 autographs on that piece of paper. Unfortunately for me, my mom threw the paper away by mistake so I can't remember who else I saw and got autographs from.

 

[MattyFos.]

Carlos Baerga :spin:

Doc Gooden- this mother fucker. It was after an Indians/Tigers game in Detroit. Me, my dad and brother were walking from the stadium. He was in a vehicle sitting in traffic so I thought "Hell, he's in no hurry. Maybe I can ask for an autograph" I walk up to the car and I'm like Mr. Gooden, can I get an autograph? He says sorry kid. I'm I a hurry. Can't right now... I walk away as he sits in this piece of shit beater not moving.

Kosta Koufus, CJ McCollom- Ran into Kosta last summer around town. He has a dime who happens to be like 5'1". But I went to middle school with him and CJ's older brother Errick. So I met CJ like 12 years ago.

Campy Russell- at a Cavs game. Actually the first game after the Mo/Baron trade. Campy's hands are as big as my chest.

Willie Mcginest- Last summer around Canton. He was in town for HOF stuff.

Donovan McNabb and Darnell Dawkins- They were at a work function in June signing autographs and taking pictures.

 

[ssopata]

Andre Thornton and Larvell Blanks lived in my apartment complex their first seasons with the Tribe. Became friends with the children who were close to my age.

Met and drank w/ Nagy at the Little Bar

drank w/ Pio Sagapolutele at By George's on Monday nights

when I worked at The Ritz saw most of the NBA teams that stayed there. Helped out with Security when teams left for the bus. Rode elevator with Jordan and Rodman (Rodman hopped on to walk out "un-noticed as MJ would get mobbed)

Saw Shaq in the lobby with the largest fur coat known to man

**edit didn't meet a player but got to escort Devean George's finace at the time when he was with the Lakers, down to the lobby to get a cab over to the Gund. Let's just say that George was not only lucky getting to play with the Lakers at that time.