Sports Figures You Have Met

[RockaFowler]

I thought it might be kind of cute for people to tell everyone who they have met in the Sports World. Plus, this lull between Football and Baseball games is getting kind of rough right now!!


I've met Joe Dimaggio

That's me on the right. It was a golf tournament in Naples, FL. It was at this same event that I met Bob Griese, Billy Martin (loved him) and Joe Garagiola. I still remember this day even though I was only 8 years old :)


Also after the 1997 World Series, I met most of the remaining Marlins (there weren't many left after that team was disbanded). I met Craig Counsell and Livan Hernandez at a Comcast luncheon. It was pretty cool.

[joeybee12]

1. Martina Navratilova...that's it...n/t

[El Supremo]

21. I served her once.

When I was a waiter in Dallas about 1977. She lived in Dallas - I think.

[joeybee12]

30. Yeah, she lived there for quite some time...

that's where she met Judy Something, the woman she had a long-time affair with that ended messily.

[wilt the stilt]

2. Stan Musial

Ron Behagen Dave Bing, Mark Lemke, Greg McMichael,

[Auggie]

3. Ronnie Lott,

Keena Turner and Harris Barton of the 49ers.

Chris Mullin, Nate Thurmond and Franklin Mueli (former owner) of the Golden State Warriors

Duke Sims (catcher), Cleveland Indians

Evonne Goolagong

[joeybee12]

4. I take it back...I also met Susie Chapstick...nt

[Goblinmonger]

5. I've met a lot of the Packers

because I live 45 miles away from Green Bay and they do a lot of signings. Gilbert Brown, Jordy Nelson, Nick Barnett, Donald Driver come to mind immediately. Those are the ones I talked to. I was within spitting distance of a lot more but didn't actually have them acknowledge my existence.

I ran into Jack Del Rio at the Mall of America when he was with the Vikings.

[flvegan]

6. Living in Tampa has afforded me the chance to meet quite a few.

Current and former members of the Bucs, Lightning and Rays, as well as a number of Yankees. I've also met more pro-wrestlers than I can remember at various gyms I've gone to over the years. Most remarkable experiences include working out next to Lex Lugar (many years ago) and The Big Show (a couple years ago). I also caught Hulk Hogan on his way out a few years ago.

[Poiuyt]

7. Many in football and track

I was once taking pictures at a fundraiser headlined by Bob Hope and the Packer and Bear brass back in the 80's. I found Hope talking to Mike Ditka and Packer Coach Lindy Infante so I went up and asked them if I could get a picture of the three of them. Ditka and Infante started hemming and hawing like they didn't want to be bothered, but then Bob Hope said, "Well, I'd like one." Then Ditka and Infante were all accommodating!

When I was younger, I was snubbed by Paul Hornung. He was at a telethon on WBAY in Green Bay at a time when my mother was a reporter. He was sitting in the control booth with his feet up on the console when my sister and I went up for his autograph. He said he was too busy, but then someone whispered in his ear that our mom worked for the station. He then called us over. Mom was livid.

We had a better experience with Bart Starr. He was speaking at our church youth group. He demanded a speaking fee, but at the end of the evening, he took the money and donated it back to the group.

I've also met Jim Taylor, Max McGee, Fuzzy Thurston, and James Lofton from the Packers.

Hank Aaron (very polite) Ed Matthews, Del Crandel from the Milwaukee Braves.

From the world of track and running I've met Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Jim Spivey, and my idol from high school track, Mark Winzenreid. I didn't meet, but I stood right next to Tommy Smith of the Olympic black glove fame. He must have been 6'3" with an inseam of 60". He was really built for sprinting.

When I was in college, I ran in a cross country race with David Wottle, the guy that won the Olympic Gold medal in the 800 meters while wearing a golf cap. I remember coming into the chute and looking over and seeing Wottle in his sweats laughing with his friends. How far behind could I have been!

[era veteran]

8. Al McGuire, Dave Cowens, Adolph Rupp (gave me a ride

hitchhiking in !971) Joe Hall, Rick Pitino, Eddie Sutton ( almost hit me in his van at a liquor store), Dan Issel, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, shitloads of UK basketball players( favorites Tayshawn Prince, Patrick Sparks, Gerald Fitch,Larry Stamper) George Blanda, Babe Parreli, Clem Haskins and probably more. I have been in bar, nightclub, hotel, and restaurant business for over 30 years. I see a lot.

[era veteran]

24. more

Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, a young Jack Nicholas, Julius Boros, Tom Watson, & slamin' Sammy Snead, my Boy Scout Troop (160, Augusta Ga.) parked cars at the Augusta National for the Masters in '65 &'66. They had day passes then that people would give you if they left early so we got to get in. Tubby Smith too.

[trotsky]

9. I met Daunte Culpepper in a Walgreen's.

He was getting a sports drink of some sort. Seemed like a real down-to-earth guy. That was in his first full year as a starter for the Vikes.

I met Matt Blair (former Vikings linebacker) at a charity basketball game years ago.

Oh yeah and I met Kirby Puckett too, at an autograph signing event. :)

[1gobluedem]

10. Al Kaline

And George Kell when they were broadcasting Tigers' games. Lem Barney. Magic Johnson (we were both in high school). Jim Harbaugh when he played at Michigan (also Bubba Paris who took my umbrella out of my hand his (and my) freshman year, explaining he couldn't get wet because he was starting the next day and proceeded to walk me home under my umbrella). Rick Porcello and Dontrelle Willis at a Tigers Winter Caravan VIP event (plus Dave Dombrowski who PROMISED they would never trade Curtis Granderson, grrrr). Kirk Gibson (not impressed). Bo Schembechler. Many, many University of Michigan football, basketball, and hockey players.

Edited to add Charlie Batch.

[RockaFowler]

11. I met Gibby, too

He's friends of my cousin Henry. I always liked him. I got to meet a lot of the 84 Tigers. Sweet Lou & Alan Trammel were just wonderful guys. And of course Chet Lemon. I got to play catch with him. He was so cute.

[JonLP24]

12. Chris Dishman

is the only one I significantly met. He was at the swimming pool years ago with my Grandma's apartment she used to live in, in Tempe. He was visiting an Arena League Football player friend that lived there.

Other than him I met a bunch a Cardinals player at an off-season kind of thing for season ticket holders. We got to tour Sun Devil Stadium, meet the players, and get autographs. I got Jake Plummer, Lomas Brown, Frank Sanders, Rob Moore, Aeneas Williams, Kevin Butler, and others. At the time it was difficult to locate the players I wanted autographs from but I got most of the ones I wanted.

[charlie and algernon]

13. Mario, Michael, and Marco Andretti

as well as a bunch of other racers from the old CART Indy Car racing series.
Michael Waltrip from NASCAR and probably a couple others.

Also saw Roger Penske a couple times, but never actually met him or shook his hand.

[HuckleB]

22. Man, I forgot about all the guys I met at USAC races, as a kid.

Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Rick Mears, Al and Bobby Unser, Johnny Rutherford... (I have a program that had a pictorial that showed my dad, who was a firefighter, carrying a fire extinguisher and chasing a burning Johnny Rutherford down the track at Milwaukee, and Johnny signed it for me a couple years later.)

[trumad]

14. Many

Marino
Shula
Tom Landry
Muhammad Ali

for starters...

[El Supremo]

19. I met Tom Landry in the voting line.

He lived near me. BTW, he was a Republican.

[Scurrilous]

43. Jerry Glanville went for a ride on my BIL's boat.

We pulled up behind the Miami Omni for gas and Glanville was hanging out (Saturday before the game) w/ some of his players and asst. coaches.

He asked us if they could go for a ride (it was a nice offshore power boat), so we took them for a spin around Biscayne Bay.

Later we got a package in the mail w/ Houston Oiler (the team he coached at the time) tee shirts and caps.

Nice guy. :thumbsup:

I also met Jim Jensen (Dolphin 3rd string QB) when he dated my sister. :P

Met Don Shula at my church and got his autograph. Still have it.

[TZ]

15. Brian Mitchell and Art Monk

Brian Mitchell was signing autographs at a local mall where my mom was working- I only got to talk to him briefly - about the very impressive SB ring he was wearing. Art Monk I met after a charity basketball game for my Junior High School. He was REALLY nice- I was pretty young but I was amazed at how long he was willing to hang around after the game to sign stuff for us... :)

[JonLP24]

16. That reminds me

"The Fridge" came to speak at my middle school along with some other players--I think Arena. I didn't meet him one-on-one but he passed around his Super Bowl ring in the crowd with all of us and when I was examining it. I was able to fit 3 fingers in there comfortably!

[TZ]

27. lol. Those rings are HUGE!!

I have teeny-tiny hands--I might have been able to put FOUR fingers in there if I tried. Those diamonds were also sunglass worthy. Amazing.:wow:

[madinmaryland]

17. Johnny Unitas, at the Colts training camp in 1971 in Westminster, MD.

[SpiralHawk]

18. I had the Celtics Bill Russell in my cab once

Took him to North Station - where the Garden was - long ago

Talk about sullen - And no tip whatsoever

I loved him as a player and coach, but as a human being I felt he was just totally judging me by the color of my skin -- and of course that feels like shit Totally giving off toxic vibes

It cuts all ways, Bill - Get a clue Judge me by the content of my character, not the color of my skin

[HuckleB]

20. Rollie Fingers, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Walter Davis...

Walter Davis worked out at the gym I went to in high school, while he was recovering from an injury. He actually trusted me to spot him a few times. That was quite a thrill for a high school kid.

[Condem]

23. Jay Wright, coach of the Villanova Wildcats, was a HS bud.

Dan Pugh (you know him better as Dan Patrick) was a fraternity brother at UD. Jon Gruden was a freshman when I was a senior. Zach Johnson is religious but really a good dude. Too many Iowa Hawkeyes to mention.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. Bunches Of Cubs And Bears

Cubs: Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, Ken Holtzman. . .

Bears: Virgil Livers, Gale Sayers, Johnny Morris, Doug Buffone, Dan Hampton, Jay Hilgenberg, Otis WIlson, Dick Gordon, Jim Miller, Jim McMahon, and Tom Thayer (on many occasions because his older sister was my babysitter).

Bulls: Not as lucky. Only have met Bob Love, years after he was done playing and B.J Armstrong.
GAC

[a la izquierda]

26. I met Barry Switzer, on line, at 7-11

He's a nice old guy. And a Democrat, too. I had Sam Bradford in class for about two weeks before I had to transfer to another class. My friend got to teach him for the rest of that semester-smart as hell, that kid. My friends and I bought him a drink the night he signed his contract.
I've met several pro BMX guys.

[El Supremo]

33. Was he carrying a concealed firearm?

[a la izquierda]

34. um, i doubt it?

he looked like he was about to go golfing.

[El Supremo]

35. Don't you remember?

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/02/sports/football-coach-switzer-explains-it-all-cowboys-guns-and-jones.html

[a la izquierda]

36. i was 20, a junior at rutgers...

and didn't care about football :)

[Capt. America]

28. none :(

[Dulcinea]

29. Franco Harris.

I met him in the Pittsburgh airport when I was 7 years old. He was very gracious & signed an autograph for me. He was so big I was a little scared!

And I said "hi" to Joe Paterno plenty of times on campus when I was an undergrad at Penn State.

[SargeUNN]

31. I grew up with Walter Payton

Walter and I played together as children and in Jan. 1970 we became high school classmates. I also knew several Southern Miss football players that moved on to the NFL among which was Louis Lipps, Reggie Collier.

[Ganja Ninja]

32. Gordie Howe opened the door for me a O'Hare airport.

It was back in 1972. I was just coming back form my first leave after navy boot camp. I had my sea bag up on my shoulder and was making my way out to the buses when someone I couldn't see opened the door for me. When I stepped outside and set my bag down I heard someone shout "Hey Gordie!" So I turned around and it was Gordie Howe holding the door.

[Broken_Hero]

37. Not many, -edit

Scott Pollard, Kirk Heinrich, and Dale Ellis.

I bumped into Pollard, literally at the movie theater in Lawrence. My girl friend and I were watching Fools Rush In, and after the movie we walked out and I was talking to my girl about the movie, and I bumped into Pollards chest. I'm 6'4, and I was looking directly in his chest, its not every day I come across someone substantially taller than me. I look up and there he was, chops and all.

Met Heinrich at the Backyard Burger, I believe in spring of 2003, he was eating dinner with his dad.

I met Dale Ellis summer of 95. I was a bag boy at the grocery store, I asked dude(wasn't even looking at customer) if he wanted paper/plastic, he said plastic. I bag his few items and I look up, and again I'm looking into someone's chest, I look up, and bam, Dale Ellis...He was a Supersonic at the time, he was in town doing a basketball camp for young kids. I got his autograph, I had him sign a paper bag.


ETA:I forgot one, Steve Wallace, former tackle for the 49ers. Him, and a handful of other former Niners came to Juneau for a Firefighters vs. Pro's basketball tourney. After the game, the Niners did an autograph session, I got his autograph, and ended up giving the card to my Uncle for Xmas, because he loved the Niners, and at the time I couldn't stand them. :)

[radiclib]

38. Back in the late '80s

I used to interview big league ballplayers at Fenway Park for a local cable access station. Since we were essentially nobodies and the Red Sox were usually swamped by local media, we would try to get a few minutes on camera with visiting players and coaches. I won't mention those who were rude assholes (too many), but my two definite favorites were Sparky Anderson, who could not have been more affable and generous, and Curt Flood (RIP), who was actually one of the warmest, most forthcoming individuals I've ever met. There were some others who were pretty cool, like Bill Lee and Jimmy Piersall (who was so nuts he made Lee look normal), but I'll never forget Sparky and Curt for the great material they provided and the consideration they showed us lowly hacks.

[Awsi Dooger]

39. Lots of them when I was a student at USC

I used to irritate plenty of athletes with my sports columns in the Daily Trojan.

Let's see, some of the most famous ones were:

* Ronnie Lott
* Marcus Allen
* Dennis Smith
* Roy Foster
* John Robinson
* Karch Kiraly (UCLA)

In Miami and Las Vegas I've met:

* Bob Griese
* Ted Hendricks
* Muhammad Ali
* George Foreman
* Evander Holyfield
* Ferdie Pacheco
* Jimmy Johnson

The last name was one of the memorable ones. I saw JJ at Caesar's Palace in maybe '86. It was at night in the sportsbook. No one else seemed to recognize him. He was early in his tenure with the Canes. We chatted for 5-10 minutes and finally he asked me how long I was staying in Las Vegas. I blurted out, "Two weeks." He was astonished. "Two weeks? You're going to stay here for two weeks?" He was glaring at me like I fumbled five straight times. For some reason I didn't want to tell him I had been living in Las Vegas for two years already, and no plans to leave.

I told that story to several friends and it became a running joke. JJ obviously became famous, and I stayed in Las Vegas year after year. Some of my closest friends would see JJ on TV and ask me, "How's that two weeks going?" :rofl:

[cherokeeprogressive]

40. Grew up with Mark Portugal n/t

[H2O Man]

41. Quite a few.

My uncle used to get us into the Yankees' locker room when they played in Cooperstown in the early 1960s. I've met quite a few baseball and football players over the years. But, of course, my favorite sport is boxing.

Ali. Rubin Carter. Carmen Basilio. George Foreman. Joe and Marvis Frazier. Chuck Wepner. Mike Nixon and Mike Rossman. Teddy Atlas. And over one hundred more.

[backwoodsbob]

42. met Barry Sanders

biggest thighs I have ever seen.His thighs were as big as my chest.

Edit:

The wife used to babysit Ammad Bradshaw

[Elwood P Dowd]

44. Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Billy Hitchcock (Braves Mgr 1966-67),

Mickey Mantle (autograph), William Andrews (Falcon All-Pro RB in 1980s), Henry Aaron, Pat Dye, Shug Jordan, Vince Dooley, Bear Bryant, Joe Namath, Leroy Jordan, Dizzy Dean, Pat Sullivan, Frank Thomas, Bo Schembechler (visiting an Auburn spring practice in 1984), and a few others.