General Forum

Sat at a table next to Carlos Lee at a BBQ resteraunt in Wharton, Texas one afternoon.  Found out that he was raising cattle on his farm nearby and stopped in quite often.  Also took some pics of my wife and one of her friends with Craig Ehlo, Jim Peterson, Hank McDowell and one other Houston Rocket (can't remember his name) in a bar in the late 80's or early 90's.

Jeff

I worked with Kelvin Upshaw for a while 2 years ago. He played for the Celtics, and a couple other NBA teams. Was going to get him to sign some of his cards, but never could find my extras from the sets he's in in time. Really cool guy.

The only one where I had real contact was when I was in high school in the mid 90s. It was Thanksgiving Day and I was working at a Burger King. We were not that busy and I was working the drive thru. Took an order and when they pulled forward to pay I realized it was Steve Young. Pretty cool considering I was a big 9ers fan at the time. I wish I had asked for his autograph. Funny thing was that I saw Jon Lovitz that same night. 

I do have a couple others where I saw them but didn't speak to them.

I once saw Joe Namath at a McDonalds when I was a kid.

I once sat behind Steve Garvey at a movie theater.

I've got a few:

• Supermarkets seem popular. One of my first jobs was at a local grocery store. Ruben Sierra came through one time. A few times a I bagged Jim Sundberg's groceries and loaded them into his Volvo.
• My investment advisor is a guy that used to play in the Phillies organization (never made the majors though
• My wife had lunch with Lee Roy Jordan a few times because he was a client of the small tax accountant firm she worked for (he also sent over some signed stuff)
• There's a place called Dutch's Hamburgers just off campus of TCU in Fort Worth. It's a favorite of Andy Dalton and it seems like he's in there nearly every time I go there.
• I met former Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Jared Retkofsky at a Chick-Fil-A
• In the "before they were famous" file, I played youth baseball with former Expos pitcher Matt Blank
• When my sister was in high school, she dated the son of Doyle Alxander
• I had an unusual experience with Scott Bankhead. He was with the Mariners and they were playing the Rangers and my buddy and I decided to just yell his name at him the entire game. We had to leave before the game ended and yelled at him one more time to tell him we were leaving. He came out of the dugout, looked up, and then waved at us.

Since someone else mentioned a "before they were famous" - I played little league baseball and went to school with former NFL QB Glenn Foley (he was 2 years behind me in school, his brother was in my class).

I went to Texas one to watch a Cowboys game and ran into Tony Dorsett, while at the game I went the bathroom and my back to my seat ran into Ray Nitsche. While I live I went bowling and bowled with Ed Simmons. I've worked with Mike Nelms father. That's my story

I went to Texas one to watch a Cowboys game and ran into Tony Dorsett, while at the game I went the bathroom and my back to my seat ran into Ray Nitsche. While I live I went bowling and bowled with Ed Simmons. I've worked with Mike Nelms father. That's my story

Sorry I have a bad habit of double posting

I have a few:

1.  As a kid, I was on an airplane with Wayman Tisdale.  He gave me his autograph.  I've seen other athletes and teams around downtown Indianapolis and at Indianapolis Airport.  Austin Croshere, Popeye Jones, the entire Michigan State basketball team all come to mind.

2.  I was behind Meyers Leonard in line at McDonald's once when he was in high school and his team had just played a game.  He was seven feet tall even then!

3.  WWE wrestlers Jack Swagger, MVP, and Chris Masters, and referee Mike Chioda were at Buffalo Wild Wings after a wrestling show once.

4.  The best was when I lived in LA.  I was at the Hollywood & Highland complex beside the Chinese Theater one night.  For some reason I decided to go into the big fancy hotel just behind it.  It was NBA All-Star Weekend and the game was at Staples that year.  And there must have been some sort of event involving some of the great legends of the game.  As I walked into the lobby, I saw Dr. J at the front desk.  Then I looked to the right and saw some more tall men in the hotel bar.  I wandered in and there was Bill Russell, Bob Lanier, and Dave Bing.  Probably others that I didn't see, or just didn't recognize.  I actually shook hands with Mr. Russell and talked to him a minute.  As an adult, I don't ask people for autographs when they are on their free time, but it was cool to see them and meet the great Bill Russell.

5. Others through work, but that's work so it doesn't count.

Bill Russell probably wouldn't have given it to you anyway if everything I've read is true...he was the first professional athlete to charge for signatures that I'm aware of. The fact that you got to talk to him is pretty amazing to me.

I've never met any athletes outside of an athletic competiton. The Harlem Globetrotters team bus passed us on the interstate one year, before the age where I had my camera with me at all times (before I had ever heard of a digital camera, actually- 1990s). Also saw a minor-league Hockey team bus on the interstate, It was back in 2003 and I can't remember the team anymore, I think they were based in Erie. Again, they were going the other direction and while I did have a digital camera with me by the time I even thought to turn it on they were long gone.

The Globetrotters did several shows at my school, and I got to meet Curly Neal among others...but I remember him the most.

Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley were friends of my great-grandfather and used to come to the house for dinner but that was long before I was born. My mom remembers it though. She also had lunch with Joe Namath when the team used to practice in Peekskill, NY, her hometown. We have a slide of him from that time, which I believe she took.