Off-Topic Forum

Last night I attended the Brewers game and had the opportunity to meet one of my all time favorite players, Robin Yount.  

It was Star Wars themed night at the game and there was plenty of marketing for that aspect of the game, but only through some word of mouth did I had heard Robin Yount was at the stadium promoting bottles of Robin-Ade (his lemonade in which the proceeds go to charity). Sure enough - if you purchased a $3 bottle of the Robin-Ade or donated any money to the charity he gave everyone a few moments and opportunity to take a picture with him.

Granted the entire interaction was about 20-30 seconds, it was great to meet him after being a fan for so long!  He was very friendly and pleasant.  I was estatic to meet him and glad I got the chance and that he was so friendly after who knows how many people came through.

Anyone else out there ever get a chance to meet their childhood favorites?

I was attending an Edmonton Oilers vs Boston Bruins game the year after Bill Ranford had been traded back to Boston, I had season tickets way back then and they happened to be located by the stairwell (yes stairwell) to the pressboxes, this is where all the players went to watch the game if not dressed. Bill was injured at the time and suddenly my buddy elbows me and there he was with security heading for the stairwell. Another person seated there happened to have a pen so I book it over and acting all five year old-ish I babble some crap about being his biggest fan, blah blah blah. LOL He graciously stopped and took the pen and signed my Ranford jersey on the crest. The jersey has never been washed since. The only reason I even had the jersey was the season before they had tried doing a home and away concept where two seperate halves were sewn togethor vertically and it was a huge flop. It was now on DEEP clearance as well since he no longer played there. (Personally its hideous but it was affordable.) He was very accomodating and polite and for the minute or so we talked I honestly can say it was great. =)

I've actually had mixed results...I met a sprint car driver who I had always liked after a race one night and he acted like it was more of a bother to sign an autograph, despite the fact that they opened the gates specifically to allow for autograph seekers. The same night I got a "cool" out of Steve Kinser when I had him sign a windsheild for a plastic model I was building of his Cup car...something everyone in racing knows is a bit of a sore subject with him, or was, back in the 1990s when it happened. (I met him in 2008...and I still have not finished the model yet!)

I don't wish to get political but I became friends with one of my all-time favorite NASCAR drivers on Facebook, and during this past election he posted some stuff that I found reprehensible. I actually kind of wish that I hadn't become friends with him because in this case I would have been happier in ignorance. He's still on my list of favorites here but the fan aspect isn't there like it once was, and I don't see any way for that to be restored.

Another driver who I always considered myself a fan of, but not a super fan, was really nice to me. and I became a super fan that day. Terry McCarl, the sprint car driver. With my health problems I can't really travel much so I have not met many people in sports or elsewhere, for that matter. I've never met an NBA player, even though I'm related to one of them. I've never met any NHL players, and I don't think I've met any baseball or football players, but I'm so short on knowledge of those sports one could be my next door neighbor and I wouldn't know. (Except for the fact that I'm guessing they don't live in slums, LOL!

Good to hear the great interactions.  

I bet those were interesting hockey seats to have at times!  I did meet a couple of the Blackhawks prospects once in which I think I had similar babble about nothing.  That was also coupled with my son just running around like a maniac at the same time as my likely incoherent babble!  I have to think they were rolling their eyes internally and probably outwardly after.

It is bummer the one didn't go so well for you Billy. I know there a few other folks (players or artists, etc) which I'm a huge fan of but I am fearful (for lack of better word) if I ever do meet them and it's not friendly, it would be disappointing given how much I enjoy their work.  

THe only experience I have of truly meeting one of my "idols" was John Wetton (music, not sports - all my sports guys were brief encounters that if they were 30 seconds, I'm sure I'm over exaggerating the length of time). A most amazing person, even though he was having many personal issues at the time (this was 2002), but he was more than willing to chat with me for more than an hour, 1 on 1. When he passed away earlier this year, it was a very tough day/week/time since. He was a very genuine person, who was talented beyond belief. To talk music with him was like doing so with any of the greats.

Living in Buffalo is a special treat.  A lot of the players end up loving the town and moving in.  It is small enough where you see them around doing every day things, like going to Target or the grocery store.  I have met Jim Kelly a bunch of times and used to see Ryan Miller and a bunch of the Sabres having lunch at a local restaurant on game days.  I live a couple houses down from a Buffalo Hall of Famer and will see him out jogging and stuff, usually a casual, "hi, nice day isn't it?" is exchanged.  I've run into Scotty Bowman at the airport and my father has done work for a couple of the sports guys, as he works construction on homes.  Needless to say, since all my heroes are Buffalo sports people, I have seen them a lot.  Mostly positive experiences, but I will say, Jim Kelly is my all time favorite and he is always more than friendly if you run into him and will always spare some time to have a casual chat.  He has a special relationship with the city and it is a main reason why this city loves him so much!

I've had a few actually.  And one who was someone I had never heard of before I met him, but definitely know who he is now and chase his cards as much as I can afford to.  I live in the same town Drew Bledsoe grew up in (Walla Walla, WA), and his dad and my mom used to teach together at the high school.  Both of them taught summer school as well, and every now and then Drew would come with his dad, and I would go with my mom.  With neither of us being in summer school we couldn't be in the classrooms with them, so a lot of the times, we would go outside and play catch.  Of course that was back when Bledsoe was still in high school and I was in middle school.  However, I have run into him many times since as well. 

When I was going to community college, I used to drive over to the nearest "big city" (which was actually 3 different cities all melded together) to watch Monday Night Football at a bar sponsored by the radio station I listened to at the time.  One of the times they happened to get Clint Didier to show up.  For those who don't know who he is, he was a tight end in the 80's who played for the Redskins and Packers, and won 2 Super Bowl rings with the Redskins.  He was such a nice and down to earth guy.  He actually ended up coming to the MNF 3 weeks in a row, and each time he mingled with everybody, but the table I was at, was the table he was seated at all 3 weeks, so my friends and I got to spend a lot of time with him.  One of the coolest things about him was that even though he had 2 Super Bowl rings (which everyone there were completely obssessed with), he also had 2 Washington State championship rings from coaching for Connell high school (including 1 from when his son was on the team), and he valued those rings more than the Super Bowl rings.

Robin Yount is my favorite baseball player of all time.  I was lucky enough to get to meet him in 2012 during Spring Training.  He was great with all the fans.