Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

[ZubCat81]

Just curious if any of you have any interesting personal stories with your own interaction with a big-time sports personality. I have a couple as I was thinking about them on a long drive home tonight. Long drive with a few memorable chuckles. Always a good thing.

[laker]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

Talked with a number of them at coaching clinics.

Bob Knight- 1982- he was signing books in the Twin Cities after a one man clinic. He just took what you gave him, signed an item and handed it back without comment. I was in line and just stuck out my hand and thanked him for being there because I learned a lot. He looked surprised- shook my hand and asked if I would like him to sign my notebook. Still have it today.

Lute Olson- 1989- he had spoken at a Nike clinic- I asked him a specific question afterwards and he drew up the situation for me. While he was doing it he looked up and smiled at me. I don't know if you ever saw Tony Curtis in The Great Race but every time he would smile you would see a twinkle in his eye. I swear it was the same for Lute. No wonder he could recruit so well.

Hubie Brown was one of the best speakers that I met. He was asked a question about the previous speaker- Paul Whitehead- and his Loyola Marymont fast break. Brown had been writing furiously during Paul's talk. He gave four ways to slow it down just off of what he had heard. He also said to not let your ego get in the way of copying what someone else does against you. He told me, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that your way is the only way. Sometimes the other guy has a better plan. Don't be afraid to use it."

There were a number of others that I met in person. Some I was very impressed with- others it made me wonder how they were as successful as they were because they didn't move the dial much.

[BuffaloChip]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

I've told these stories on here before.

1975. I was 23 running a business in Hereford Texas. With my uncle visiting his mother in Mt. Dora, Florida in January. We played golf every day. One morning we went to a golf course about 20 miles from Mr. Dora (near Orlando). It was a development that had permanent trailers set up on lots around the course. My Uncle Mark and I had a 7 am tee time, the first of the day. We were on the putting green when another cart came charging up. I grew up in Eastern Oklahoma. Baseball was my game. Mickey Mantle was my boyhood hero. I was a diehard Yankee in a sea of Cardinal fans. As a kid, we used to go to KC each summer when the Yanks played the A's. My grandparents lived in Gardener, Kansas. I instantly recognized the newcomer. I went to my uncle and said "Hey, that's Mickey Mantle!" Just then the starter called us to the first tee. Mantle followed us and asked if he could play along. Naturally, we said yes and we introduced ourselves. My Uncle lived in Tulsa and Mantle knew where I had grown up, a couple hours from from his home, Pitcher, Oklahoma.

Well, we played 18. The Mick was a monster off of the tee. The rest of his game was only fair. I played well. Shot a 76. MM had a 79. Mu uncle shot an 84. It was a great day. After our round he bought us sandwiches and a few beers in the clubhouse. He was an investor in the development. He was very down-to-earth. We all hit it off and it was a comfortable round. I'll never forget the first hole. I was nervous as hell. It was a short par 4, about 320 yards. I hit it into the right rough about 275 yards. Hit a nice wedge about 20 feet and two putted for a par. Mantle his this huge hook about 10 yards short and to the left of the green. He pitched on and three putted from about 35 feet. Winning the first hole settled me down. It was a great day. A beautiful day. Sheer happenstance.

Incident 2. It was spring 2002. My daughter's AAU team was playing in a tournament in Lubbock. We were waiting for a table at Orlando's. The place was crowded. In walked Bobby Knight. He was with two friends and was waiting for a table as well. I told my daughter, dressed in her West Texas Heat uniform, to go say hello. She did. And Knight proceeded to talk with her for 10 minutes. 10 minutes. Unbelievable! He focused on her and made her feel like the most important person in the world. We all got seated. During the meal Knight came by and told us what a nice daughter we had, and wished her luck today. You can say what you want about Knight, but he will forever be top shelf to me.

[kccatfan]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

I've told these stories on here before.

1975. I was 23 running a business in Hereford Texas. With my uncle visiting his mother in Mt. Dora, Florida in January. We played golf every day. One morning we went to a golf course about 20 miles from Mr. Dora (near Orlando). It was a development that had permanent trailers set up on lots around the course. My Uncle Mark and I had a 7 am tee time, the first of the day. We were on the putting green when another cart came charging up. I grew up in Eastern Oklahoma. Baseball was my game. Mickey Mantle was my boyhood hero. I was a diehard Yankee in a sea of Cardinal fans. As a kid, we used to go to KC each summer when the Yanks played the A's. My grandparents lived in Gardener, Kansas. I instantly recognized the newcomer. I went to my uncle and said "Hey, that's Mickey Mantle!" Just then the starter called us to the first tee. Mantle followed us and asked if he could play along. Naturally, we said yes and we introduced ourselves. My Uncle lived in Tulsa and Mantle knew where I had grown up, a couple hours from from his home, Pitcher, Oklahoma.

Well, we played 18. The Mick was a monster off of the tee. The rest of his game was only fair. I played well. Shot a 76. MM had a 79. Mu uncle shot an 84. It was a great day. After our round he bought us sandwiches and a few beers in the clubhouse. He was an investor in the development. He was very down-to-earth. We all hit it off and it was a comfortable round. I'll never forget the first hole. I was nervous as hell. It was a short par 4, about 320 yards. I hit it into the right rough about 275 yards. Hit a nice wedge about 20 feet and two putted for a par. Mantle his this huge hook about 10 yards short and to the left of the green. He pitched on and three putted from about 35 feet. Winning the first hole settled me down. It was a great day. A beautiful day. Sheer happenstance.

Incident 2. It was spring 2002. My daughter's AAU team was playing in a tournament in Lubbock. We were waiting for a table at Orlando's. The place was crowded. In walked Bobby Knight. He was with two friends and was waiting for a table as well. I told my daughter, dressed in her West Texas Heat uniform, to go say hello. She did. And Knight proceeded to talk with her for 10 minutes. 10 minutes. Unbelievable! He focused on her and made her feel like the most important person in the world. We all got seated. During the meal Knight came by and told us what a nice daughter we had, and wished her luck today. You can say what you want about Knight, but he will forever be top shelf to me.

Every bit of this post is amazing. Few people can say they played a round of golf with Mickey Mantle. Awesome.

[BuffaloChip]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

Every bit of this post is amazing. Few people can say they played a round of golf with Mickey Mantle. Awesome.

Like I said, sheer happenstance. Right time, right place. One-in-a-million.

[Go-Rilla]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

It's not the biggest name in the sports world, but it's my favorite story involving a sports personality.

I'm a die-hard, lifelong Royals fan. We were flying back to KC from our honeymoon, the night before the 2014 Wild Card game (two which we had tickets), and we had a stop in Phoenix.
We're getting ready to board the flight to KC and I noticed Mike Sweeney sitting nearby. He was one of the few bright spots of some of the awful Royals teams of my youth. I even named a dog after him when I was young.
I knew he had to be going back for the game. Sure enough, he gets on the plane early and is seated as we walk past.
I wait until he looks up and I say "Go Royals." He gets a big smile, slaps me on my leg as I walk past and says "GO ROYALS!"

I knew it had to be a good sign for the next night.

[GreenwoodBearcat]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

When I was drafted in 1989 by the KC Royals, I got to spend a lot of time with Brett Saberhagen, George Brett, Mark Gubicza etc, as they were always hanging around the minor league players and fields and even in the locker rooms. Even got to pitch in the AAA game against the Cincy Reds against Barry Larkin, who proceded to put a large dent in the 375 sign in left center off me. Then I decided that Chris Sabo needed some chin music and I beaned him. Oh well, it was just a slow moving curve ball that wouldn't have put a dent in a stick of butter. That was basically my descent back down to Single A...

[Brandon]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

When I was drafted in 1989 by the KC Royals, I got to spend a lot of time with Brett Saberhagen, George Brett, Mark Gubicza etc, as they were always hanging around the minor league players and fields and even in the locker rooms. Even got to pitch in the AAA game against the Cincy Reds against Barry Larkin, who proceded to put a large dent in the 375 sign in left center off me. Then I decided that Chris Sabo needed some chin music and I beaned him. Oh well, it was just a slow moving curve ball that wouldn't have put a dent in a stick of butter. That was basically my descent back down to Single A...

Still an awesome story.

[KleShreen]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

Not me, but my mom nearly ran Bobby Allison over in a crosswalk when she was younger. Close enough to killing a NASCAR legend that he pounded on her hood and yelled at her and kept walking. She was turning right and her light was red, so she stopped and then started turning but Bobby Allison had started crossing the street since he had a walk signal and she didn't see him.

[MEAN GREEN MACHINE]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

Just curious if any of you have any interesting personal stories with your own interaction with a big-time sports personality. I have a couple as I was thinking about them on a long drive home tonight. Long drive with a few memorable chuckles. Always a good thing.

I gave Dennis Eckersly and Mike Torres a ride summer of 80 when I worked for a rent a car place at the airport. Pales in comparison though to when you kicked Iowa Hawkeyes basketball star Bobby Hansen ass in pop a shot or the time your girlfriend sweet talked Bobby Knight into letting you watch a closed Indiana practice:)

[BuffaloChip]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

I posted about my Mickey Mantle golf round earlier. I forgot to post about my encounter with Dandy Don Meredith.

My wife and I were staying at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM. (We've spent at least a year and a half in Santa Fe since we married 40 years ago. She's from NM. My wife inherited a house there, which has been a leased property for years). It was late April, 2002 or 2003 (I'm not sure now of the year). A Thursday morning. My wife went shopping on the Plaza. I went to the French Bakery Shop & Restaurant downstairs on the street in the La Fonda. I ordered a coffee and sat down alone. In a corner table right next to me I instantly recognized Don Meredith. I said hello. I asked him if he'd been to Mount Vernon (Texas) lately. He laughed and said no, it had been awhile. I said I was from Hereford, Texas and was a lifelong Cowboy fan. Told him I'd watched my first Cowboy game as an 8 year old in Poteau, Okla, 1960 on CBS. Eddie LaBaron was the QB. He said he'd been through Hereford on US 60 many times. He moved to my table. We chatted for about 30 minutes discussing Texas HS football and the Cowboys. It turned out we had a friend in common. One of my two best boyhood friends, Boyd Robertson from Poteau, Okla, had stage managed MNFB while Meredith was doing it with Cosell and Gifford. He said Boyd was the best stage manager he'd ever had. After sharing our second cup of coffee, he excused himself and left for an appointment.

If you watched him on Monday Night Football you got the same guy in person. Down to earth, affable, friendly, a Texan's Texan thru and thru.

My friend, Boyd, also stage managed Chick Hearn and the Lakers, before becoming Vin Scully's stage manager in 1989 till Scully retired from the booth a couple years ago. Nearly 30 years doing Dodger baseball. Now Boyd's a guy that met everyone. He could write a book about sports figures he met, knew, played golf with, dined with, were friends with , etc.!!!. Boyd and I played ball together all thru our growing up years. You can google "Boyd Robertson baseball" for a couple interesting stories on his career. We have dinner together whenever I get to LA.

[BuffaloChip]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

When I was drafted in 1989 by the KC Royals, I got to spend a lot of time with Brett Saberhagen, George Brett, Mark Gubicza etc, as they were always hanging around the minor league players and fields and even in the locker rooms. Even got to pitch in the AAA game against the Cincy Reds against Barry Larkin, who proceded to put a large dent in the 375 sign in left center off me. Then I decided that Chris Sabo needed some chin music and I beaned him. Oh well, it was just a slow moving curve ball that wouldn't have put a dent in a stick of butter. That was basically my descent back down to Single A...

Lucky, lucky you! Except for the "descent."

[northwest missouri state]

[Bigsix98]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

I pissed next to Nick Collison (He actually pissed next to me) once when I was around 12 yrs old also saw 2003 AL Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa buying furniture at Nebraska Furniture Mart

[Brandon]

Re: Personal Story About YOUR Interaction With A Big Sports Personality

Talked to Tom Landry.
Dealt cards to any number of celebrities, including Paul Rudd.
Ate pizza with Laker at Jake's.