Experiences meeting pro athletes

[winghaz]

Some of the athletes I have met:

Phil Rizzutto: Very nice guy. Seems like the guy next door.

Phil Jackson: When I told him I was from North Dakota, he really smiled. Then when I told him I had worked in Williston, N.D., where he went to high school, he really opened up and we had a great visit.

Jim Kaat: Smooth. And a nice guy.

Terry Bradshaw: He wasn't feeling well at the time, but that wouldn't stop him from talking.

Johnny Blanchard (third-string catcher for the Yankees in the early '60s): Super nice. I understand he had alcohol problems later on, but I never guessed back then.

Rich Gossage: A real jerk. No personality at all.

Andy Kosko (baseball player in the 1960s): One of the best. He was playing for the Yankees when we met, and I was a kid. My dad went up to him and told him we were from Bismarck, N.D., where he won the Northern League triple crown in 1964 with the Bismarck-Mandan Pards. Kosko goes, "Oh, wow, that's where I had my best year." We visited for quite a while, and he even bought me a candy bar. It was a Snickers. A memory I won't ever forget.

[-kj]

Funny thing happened at the Minnesota Thunder v Colorado Rapids match tonight. You see, a bunch of us crazy supporters stand (sit? what's that?) right behind the visitors' bench and yell, sing, etc. At half time, I went to get a drink. As I got down to the front of the section to head across to get a drink, one of the Colorado players, Mike Petke, happened to be at the rail heading to the tunnel for the locker room. He got my attention, leaned over, and said... and I quote... no kidding...

"You guys are f***ing awesome."

No, serious, that's exactly what he said. Well, minus the editing.

[Audiodrama]

Um, I worked at Fenway for the 2002-2003 seasons, so I basically knew the whole team on a first-name basis. They're all wicked nice guys.......except Jerry Remy. He's an ass. Maybe I'll tell the story if you beg.

[Stampman]

Mine have been mostly good ones--as a kid we often had CFL players as substitute teachers, and we lived near a few as well.

I also got several autographs before a CFL all star game--and was very impressed by the way Garney Henley treated us kids--he was my favorite non-Stampeder player from then on...

I've met Morris Lukowich--former NHLer--nice guy--funny, but I don't know him well--he probably wouldn't remmeber meeting me.

I saw Mike Vernon at a concert and at the time the Flames' media guide had him listed as 5'8"--well let's just say that was an exaggeration.

If wrestlers count I've encountered Bad News Allen--who became Bad News Brown, Honky Tonk Wayne-who became Honky Tonk Man, Steve Disalvo, and Chris Benoit.

I'll probably think of more later...

[FiddySicks]

Ok, so I know this is WAY old but I had an experience that I just simply had to share. And unfortunately it's far from a good experience.

So I had always heard that Johnny Bench was an enormous a$$hole, but despite I was always a fan. Unfortunately he was a bit before my time, but seeing highlights of him with the Reds and hearing stories of how good he was always appealed to me. About six months ago I found a Johnny Bench Reds home pullover on sale at a sports store in the Reno mall, and with the Reds having had one of the greatest looks of all time and with Bench being one of my favorite players I had to pick it up. So this week is the week of the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament that is held annually here in Lake Tahoe, and luckily enough for me Johnny Bench was playing in it this year. So I went there with the intent to meet Johnny Bench, and if I was lucky enough, have him sign my jersey. I'm a pretty big autograph collector and have a ton of signed memoribilia. I've never understood the point of buying signed merchandise though, and find selling it even more worthless. I find it's fun to get the autographs yourself and creates many interesting stories. And on top of that the Bench jersey would have definately been the gem of my collection. So anyway, I go to the tournament excited to meet Bench and hoping for the best with the jersey. I wasn't counting on getting it signed though. A lot of guys have contracts that prevent them from signing memorabilia such as jerseys, or they simply don't want to sign something that could potentially increase so much in value. While I don't quite see why they would care one way or the other (if they don't have a contract that would prevent it) if someone else's stuff is increased in value by them scribbling on it, I still respect their views on it. It would be nice to get Peyton Manning to sign my authentic Colts Super Bowl 41 jersey though So I wait around on the 17th tee basically all day yesterday, which is the final day of practice for the actual tournament which started today, waiting for just Bench to show up. I passed up on many autographs just so I could get Bench, including passing on following Ladanian Tomlinson to the 18th to get him to sign my jersey, which he was doing with no issue. So finally after about two hours of waiting around, Bench finally shows up. He tees off of 17 and walks down to his cart while the rest of his party tees off. Since he has some down time, and since theres ABSOLUTELY nobody around him, I walk over to say hi and see if I could have any luck. I tell him that I am a big fan and that I thought he was one of the best players i've ever seen, then I ask if there was any way he could sign my jersey. He takes my pen and tosses it in the sand trap. I was definately a little stunned, and then he says to me, I quote, "I dont sign stupid :censored: for a$$holes who are just gonna turn around and sell it on E Bay. FU*K OFF!!!!" Needless to say I was absolutely flabbergasted. I was, for one of the first times in my life, completely and utterly speachless. Number one, i've never been treated like that by anyone let alone someone who I looked up to. And number two, I had no plans to resell his autograph anyway, and even if I was, he's an old washed up former catcher with bad knees. The shirt was probably worth less autographed than it was not signed. And had he turned me down in a civilized manner that would have been the end of that. Had he said "Sorry, my contract won't let me" or "No, I dont sign items such as jerseys" or even just a simple "No" it would have been perfectly suitable, and I would still be a fan. I just simply don't get it. So many celebs are so worried that someone else is gonna try to make a quick buck off of them, that they forget the reason why their stuff is so valuable in the first place. It's because people admire them so much. They are amazing at what they do and how they do and millions of people would give a limb to have half the talent they have. Yet they just can't seem to get past the fact that there are still people out there that are truely fans, and who aren't trying to screw them over. Autograph values are one thing, and can be very important, but even more worthwhile is fan appreciation. Johnny Bench's autograph value may have stayed a 16th of a percent higher yesterday, but he just made a very big fan of his turn a complete and total 180.

[puckhead42]

Virginia Squires...ABA...... autographs.. Julius Erving...George.(Ice Man) Gervin...Ray Scott.....many more they were really nice guys....the Doc even shook my hand and asked me some questions about where I played ball...I was 11 years old at the time......Wilt Chamberlain.... when he was coaching San Diego I asked for an autograph ......told me to get the hell out of his way........he was my Idol after that....John Candelaria Salem Pirates... Carolina league.....before he moved up to the bigs......My best experience was with Willie Strargell.....the year he was inducted to the HOF....met him on the street in Cooperstown...I asked him for his autograph...he told me he just finished an autograph session and he didnt want to sign where we could be seen because fans had to pay....so I named the players I could remember from the Pirates series win over Baltimore in I think it was 1971....Blass...Sanguillien...etc...and his eyes lit up and he said...lets walk around the corner......he signed the same ball I had with me that Candelaria signed .....we talked for about 15 minutes....what a heck of a nice man.....It was a sad day for me when he passed away....

[whalersjets]

Um, I worked at Fenway for the 2002-2003 seasons, so I basically knew the whole team on a first-name basis. They're all wicked nice guys.......except Jerry Remy. He's an ass. Maybe I'll tell the story if you beg.

I know your post is from 2005, but I agree with you about Jerry Remy. For a guy thats so beloved for some reason, he's an f'ing ass.

[Don]

ive met a bunch of Caps players at the practices. the only one i really got to talk to was Olie, and he is a very nice guy. i got to talk to Peter Bondra when i was a kid, he was my idol and i got to tell him so. he was very gracious and signed a bunch of stuff for me. i know at practices he had ducked out as to not get mobbed but he had 3 kids at home, who can blame him? and as much as i hate Jagr i watched him after a practice when we had him and alot of kids mobbed him and he stopped and signed for every kid till there was none left, and that i respect about him. my wife worked at the Pepsi Center when she was younger, she didnt get to know the players as she couldnt mingle per company policy, but her merch cart was right at the section Patrick Roys family would sit and his youngest son loved the hell out of her.

[MattF]

I once rode in an elevator with Michael Kay(Yankees play-by-play guy), and Derek Jeter. They were both nice.

Oh, and I ran into Harold Reynolds(literally) at the Little League World Series.

[sscrunner06]

My experiences with meeting pro athletes have all been great. In 2002, I went to a party for Brett Favre's celebrity golf tournament at a casino in Gulfport, MS. I met Brett Favre, Michael Strahan, Matt Hasselbeck, Brad Johnson, Bill Schroeder, and I even sat at the same table with Bart Starr. They were all great guys...every one of them talked with me, signed autographs, even took pictures. It was an amazing night!

I also met Morgan Ensberg at an Astros game in 2005. Again, he was great...signed autographs all the way down the baseline. It's a shame to hear that some of y'all have had bad experiences, but all of mine so far have been really great experiences.

[EvelethMN]

I met Shjon Podein when he brought the Stanley Cup to a bar near the University of MN campus...should have asked him why he brought it there if he attended Minnesota-Duluth. Seemed like a nice guy; didn't even bat an eye when I had my pic taken with him and the Cup while wearing my Flames jersey!

[OnWis97]

My highlight came in Orlando at Twins spring training when I was about 11 in the 1980s. My parents and I were roaming around Tinker Field long before the Twins were supposed to be around, apparently. We were in a batting cage (not sure we were supposed to be there) and Tony Oliva (the hitting coach at the time and an almost-HOFer) came over. I had some cards, including his, and he signed it and cracked a lot of jokes with his very thick accent. He spend a couple minutes with us. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Then we were leaving the batting cage and he said "hey" and tossed me a ball. That was pretty cool.

I was able to briefly meet Barry Sanders at the NFL experience when the Super Bowl was in Minnesota. My friend and I shook his hand and he politely smiled. He had an agent or someone that said "no autographs."

I was able to chat for a minute with Paul Molitor at County Stadium in the late '80s. My aunt claimed to kind of know him and I asked him if it was true (it was). That was the extent of that.

[RyanMcD29]

Does being friends with some D-I and D-III college lacrosse players count?

EDIT: Derr it said pro athletes. Well none yet. Maybe I'll get to meet some at batting practice at Shea this summer

[gmat]

My only real experience with meeting athletes happened when I was 11-12 years old. My family had relocated to Kansas City from New York for a couple of years and we had season tickets to the Royals two rows behind the visitor?s dugout. Well we were there for fan appreciation day and it so happened that the Yankees were playing. Mind you this is when the Royals were good with Brett, Quisenberry, Black, Willie Wilson, etc.. and the Yankees were on the decline. Anyway being a Yankees fans we went on the field and met the Yankees. You could see the Royals players were visibly upset that we were paying no attention to them.

The next year when the Yankees came to town we went to the game and then went to a Bar-B-Que place, the Long Branch Saloon that happened to be owned by Lou Pinella after the game. When we got there, all the Yankees were there and most of them actually remember us, and pretty much the whole team, Willie Randolph, Ken Griffey, The Gator, Sweat Lou, Billy Martin and many more, signed one of the menus for me, which I still have to this day framed and hanging on my wall. They treated me and my family with the utmost respect and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

[Luigi74]

I played craps with Mike Ditka at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas a few years ago he was the coolest person you could ever meet, also after I hit a few numbers and made everyone at the table some money some guy gave everyone cigars and Ditka busted out his lighter and lit mine.

[njmeadowlanders]

I was at a driving range in Roseland, NJ a couple of years ago and who appears on the mat to the right of me? Martin Brodeur. I'm a NYR fan, but I just said a quick "Hey Marty" as I was leaving and he said "Hey" back.

I also saw Scott Stevens at a Borders in Livingston, NJ in the outdoors section of the store fwiw...

My dad accidentially bumped into Jason Kidd at a pharmacy in NYC a couple of years ago (literally) and he was like excuse me and Kidd just muttered something in a po'ed tone according to him...again--fwiw...

[Brass]

I've met a lot of AHL players up in Springfield. Zach Parise might be one of the biggest ones. He graciously signed an index card for me and literally chatted with me for about 5 minutes outside before he boarded the bus. Great guy. Same day I met Dean McAmmond. I offered him an index card to sign and he politely said "I can'ts ignt hose, too easy to copy and such." so I said ok, and he signed my player sheet instead. I think that was the best way to handle the situation, on his part. Honestly, he looked filled with regret when he said he couldn't sign it, but signed the player sheet with ease.I met Ari Ahonen that day as well. I offered him index cards, but he dropped them. I went to pick them up, and he said in a thick European accent, "You didn't do it, I did. Sorry. Here, lemme sign more."

I have met some real a-holes though. One was Gregg Naumenko. This was at the Hartford Civic Center, where the back-up goalie sits right where the visiting team exits, so you're basically surrounded by fans. I, jokingly, leaned over and said "Hey, how much you want for that jersey, haha." to which he responded "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, get away from me." I leaved and said "Wow, big words from a career AHL back-up." Also, Pascal Pelletier of the Providence Bruins was pretty lame. Never seen the guy smile, and when I asked him for a quick autograph, he hawed and dropped his bags on the ground and made the situation out to be a like an all-day event.

Overall though, AHL guys are great. Future stars and really nice guys.

Also, every year I go to the New England Patriots training camp, and honestly, I love it! I've never had a problem with any of the players (except Doug Flutie who thinks he's better than Tom Brady.) Randall Gay was a great guy, who even gave me his practice jersey AND he signed a football for me and about 200 fans. Rodney Harrison was great too. He signed for just about everyone in attendence. Tom Brady didn't sign for everyone, but was great with the smaller kids. Deion Branch is also hysterical. Whenever someone asked for his autograph, he would do the Lil' Jon, "YEAAAAHHHH!!!!!"

[I Am A Flaming Douche Bag]

I've met the whole Toronto Blue Jays team (during Delgados last season) and lets say some guys are great and some are not.

Reed Johnson is the coolest and most down to earth athlete I have ever met. We talked for a bit and then we got a picture. Then like 20 minutes after he left he came out from the clubhouse and gave me his bat that he used in the last game. He signed it and shook my hand. Best of all, he hit a home run to lead off the game the same night.

Josh Towers is another great guy. He talked to me in the dugout for a bit and then he signed a baseball and some other stuff I had on me. He shook my hand and we got a picture as well.

Now, Eric Hinske isnt the nicest guy. He wouldnt sign autographs or take pictures with anyone. I managed to get his autograph but he didnt say a word to me.

Carlos Delgado isnt a people person either, he didnt even come over to the section where I was.

[rc49ers]

I met Barry Bonds at my cousin's little league game,his son Nickoli was playing and I went up to him,He was huge,I asked him for an autograph and he signed a little league ball,I was like wow maybe he isnt such an ass,Still Have the ball and now have seen him numerous times since.

[LEWJ]

As some of you may remember I went to Cleveland last september for a game thanks to a contest I won at sherwin williams :]]

It included 4 2nd row tickets and 1 on-field pass.

I don't know if you'd classify this as "Meeting" the players but I "shook hands" and got autographs from eric wedge [manager], fausto carmona, jason davis, hector luna, cliff lee, casey blake, ryan garko, and grady sizemore. To my suprise grady sizemore was [i guess you could say,] the most "impolite." Every one of them had a smile on, put their arm around u for a picture, and shook hands, everyone of em but grady sizemore. I guess it's his way of dealing with being the most popular baseball player in cleveland. Haha. I guess looks can be decieving?

I'd have to say the most friendly people were probably the manager eric wedge and pitcher jason davis.

My parents met Julius Erving once on a plane. They told me it looked like he was trying to "conceal his identity" [as any big-name star would probably do], but they realized it was him, so they went up to him, trying to keep the attention off of them, and got his autograph. Sad part is, they lost the autograph :[[

OK, they didn't really meet him, but they exchanged a few words, they told me he's not a bad guy at all.