Sports Degrees of Separation

[GatorHunter]

I Met Deion Sanders at a Gas Station Years ago.

Met Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Jay Glazer, and Michael Strahan in 2009 when they put on a show in Afghainstan.

Not Sports related, but a old high school friend is now married to Travis Tritt.

[the_fan]

I'm cousins with a member of the 2011 Bruins.

[sc49erfan15]

Former Virginia Tech basketball player Bobby Stevens was my high school's basketball coach and my 9th grade physical science teacher. He hit a shot to win the 1973 NIT over Notre Dame. VT won the NIT in 4 games by a combined total of 5 points that year.

At a club in Charlotte this summer, NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer knocked a beer out of my hand and bought me another one.

My mom's cousin raced World of Outlaws for around 20 years. My uncle also worked on a NASCAR Busch Series pit crew a few times in the late '80s-early '90s, but you've never heard of the driver (Dave Rezendes) unless, of course, you followed the Busch Series during that time.

[tBBP]

Former Virginia Tech basketball player Bobby Stevens was my high school's basketball coach and my 9th grade physical science teacher. He hit a shot to win the 1973 NIT over Notre Dame. VT won the NIT in 4 games by a combined total of 5 points that year.

At a club in Charlotte this summer, NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer knocked a beer out of my hand and bought me another one.

My mom's cousin raced World of Outlaws for around 20 years. My uncle also worked on a NASCAR Busch Series pit crew a few times in the late '80s-early '90s, but you've never heard of the driver (Dave Rezendes) unless, of course, you followed the Busch Series during that time.

This reminds me...one night I was out at the Matrix, a club in Station Square in Pittsburgh (back when it was still good). I'm sitting at a table, minding my lonesome, sipping my drink, taking in the evening, scoping the honies...when up walks this huge entourage of big men...but up front was one guy who, though pretty daggone muscular, was also about my size. He claimed he and his crew had that table, as well as that whole section, "reserved". I figure "hell, who was I to argue with a bunch of men who look like they just broke out of cell block C?", so I got on up and moved on.

The front man in that crew? None other than one Barry Bonds. I promise I'm not making this up.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

All-Pro punter Brian Moorman gave me detention. He was serving as a substitute high school teacher, probably in 2000 or early 2001, when I skipped his class to work on a newspaper article.

That's pretty awesome.

Brian Gionta graduated two years ahead of me from my high school. His younger brother Steve was two years after me -- he was supposed to be better, but has been in the minors for a while now.

I interned with the Washington Wizards a while back -- none of the players are friends, but I met a few.

[HedleyLamarr]

Non-Hawks and Thrashers-related....

When the Final Four was in Atlanta in 2002, Larry Eustachy and Bob Huggins were at the bar of the restaurant we were at, and overheard their conversation about hitting up the Cheetah later on that evening...

[jrodsep]

I live in Puerto Rico and I have three:

1. An client of mine (I work at a bank) was a trainer with the New York Mets from 1991 to 2011. So he basically knew all of the Mets players during that time.

2. I have met and talked to Roberto Hernandez, former all-star closer for the White Sox and he also played for the Giants and Rays.

3. My second cousin was a starter for the 1992 Puerto Rico Olympic Basketball Team and that team played against the Dream Team. And lost badly......

[WJMorris3]

Went to school with soon to be Olympic basketball star Andrew Sullivan, and got to see Dajuan Wagner, Al Harrington, and the late Eddie Griffin. Also, I know (at least acquaintance-wise) current Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford, current Villanova starting quarterback Dustin Thomas, current Wagner forward Josh Thompson, and Marist freshman guard Isaiah Morton.

[sc49erfan15]

I should add that Clint Bowyer knocked the beer out of my hand accidentally, if that wasn't already implied by the fact that he bought me another one. Dude was on the scrawny side, anyway.

Not Sports related, but a old high school friend is now married to Travis Tritt.

Was she T-R-O-U-B-L-E?

[Don]

Oh I forgot to add, Tubby Smith used to coach basketball at a high school in my county (hes from here), and Scott Hall (the wrestler) went to that school too, and so did I at one point.

[Funky Bunky]

I'm related to a certain player of a certain team in a certain sport....

[BrianVlietDesign]

I've met and/or knew several people in professional sports. But, my all-time favorite was Mr. Johnny Unitas. Back in 1999 or 2000, I was an adament Tennessee Titans fan while my dad was and still is a season ticket holders of the Ravens. With that said, he wanted an autograph from Baltimore's most beloved athlete at a local Richmond sports convention. Well, we came to the event late and Johnny U was about to close up shop until we got there and my dad was able to get in. I was wearing a Titans jersey with my dad wearing his Ravens stuff and we got some signatures and such. Johnny Unitas then commented on my Titans jersey and asked me why I wasn't a Ravens fan. I had told him that I was an Oilers fan for years beforehand and I wanted to continue to follow them. Well, Johnny U was joking around with me about it and I don't even remember what he said. Keep in mind I was like 9 or 10. Well, a few months later when the season started, my family and I were up at a Ravens game where they were actually going to play the Titans and Johnny Unitas was walking outside of the stadium with some people around him. And before my dad could say hello, Johnny Unitas stopped with his eyes wide open and pointed at me and said, "You! I remember you with the Titans jersey!". He was joking around with me again and so on and so forth. It hilarious, though, from what I recollect. He then got to talking to my family and I a little more and he said good-bye to me. That was actually the last time I saw him. By the time 2001 came around, I started becoming more of a Ravens fan while I still had love for the Titans. When he died in 2003, I was heartbroken. He was such a nice and wonderful man. He truly cared about the city of Baltimore and its fans. I'll always remember him for what he did and the significance that man made to them in their hearts. There is a statue of Johnny Unitas in his passing pose during the 1958 Championship Game sitting outside of the entrance into M&T Bank Stadium and to this day, fans and especially myself always touch the cleat of the statue and thank him for the memories before every game.

[YessSir32]

My grandpa used to make engines for NASCAR cars.

He knew Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson when they were teenagers. He also is close to Kyle Busch's agent and had made a few engines for him.

[knnhrvy16]

Oh, duh! I just remembered this one.

My family and I went to an Applebee's at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City about four or so years ago, and sat at a table directly to the left of Mehmet Okur and his family. His daughter, who I'd guess was about two years old, dropped her bottle and it rolled to my feet. I had the honors of giving Memo his daughter's bottle back to him

Funny thing is, my grandpa was visiting us from Houston at the time and ate with us. After we left the Applebee's, we told him who was sitting by us, but you could tell it wasn't quite registering to him. Finally about ten minutes later, we walked by the ESA (I still call it the Delta Center though ) and pointed to the large picture of Memo on the side of the Arena. My mom said "THAT'S Memo, dad", and my grandpa went "Ohhhh! WOW!!" as he looked up to the picture. Definetely a great time

[oddball]

I'm not sure how this works... as far as degrees of separation, but DT Filli Moala of the Indianapolis Colts. I go to church with his family, and know his sister and she taught Sunday School today. When not in season he comes all the time. If I really wanted to meet the guy, I could. I'm just not gaga over professional athletes. I think it's cool and all, and I enjoy watching them, but truthfully if I had the chance to meet most athletes I wouldn't talk to them about their sport, with the exception of hearing stories from Richard Petty or David Pearson in NASCAR.

[BigBubba]

I'm cousins with a member of the 2011 Bruins.

Tremendous explanation with great detail, execution, and a simple yet thoroughly told.

Could you enlighten us just a bit?

[DDR]

Bubba Ray Dudley once told me to go eff myself.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Bubba Ray Dudley once told me to go eff myself.

I rode an elevator with Big Bossman, SWAT version.

[Shumway]

Bubba Ray Dudley once told me to go eff myself.

I rode an elevator with Big Bossman, SWAT version.

I walked around a mall with Virgil for about a half hour. He was signing autographs during a sports card show, and apparently I was the only person to actually stop and chat for a while. Really cool dude.

Which reminds me, I actually ran into Jerry Lawler about a month ago. He was signing autographs at a Lancaster Barnstormers' minor league baseball games earlier in the evening, but he went out to a bar that night for drinks. As I was on my way back from the bathroom, I stopped, tapped him on the arm, and then shook his hand. I was really, really drunk, but hey, I met Jerry Lawler (and totally interrupted the conversation he was having with someone ).

Another wrestling encounter....my dad works with the brother of "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman.

I could list another dozen or so, but none of them are really that exciting.

[LetsGoOakland9]

I once rode in an elevator with Ron Artest, my friend asked him why he went into the stands in Detroit and he just said "I dont know"