Your Brush with Greatness/Fame

The V4MSU thread over at the other board has sort of devolved into people talking about running into famous people. It reminded me of the old Letterman segment "Brush with Greatness". Thought maybe we could do a thread here and see who has good stories.

I'll start with a brush with a famous person I had back in 1981. I was in Hawaii on break and flying from Maui to Kauai. My seatmate on the little Hawaiian Air plane was Polly Bergen:



She was still looking pretty good back then (age 50ish) and I had some thoughts of inviting her to share a fat one with me but in the end only said "Hi" and played it cool the rest of the flight.

Nothin huge for me.

Met lots of baseball players over the years through travel ball/going to games. The Tigers A affiliate is close to my house in GR so I've seen plenty of prospects over the years. Most notable would be Maybin, met him, and Trout, who I saw play but didn't meet.

Alexei Ramirez was my favorite player I met. Was in Chicago and went to a Sox/Tigers game at US Cellular Field with front row seats down the line. He was talking to fans and I had him sign a ball and we had a decently long conversation in Spanish. Hate the Sox, loved Alexei.

Got into that little spat with Cook as I've said before and also talked with Geiger/Price at Rama one time when he was with a mutual friend.

Not a personal story but a funny one nonetheless: my friend was at Torch Lake for the 4th this year and a lot of MSU athletes were as well. She's pretty hot and really flirtatious, so after a lot of drinks she went and chilled with them. Made out with DV and Forbes licked chocolate syrup off her nipples, according to her. I believe it

Oh and I lived with OTPT (MSU message board mod) for a year.

Tim Wakefield wrote:

Oh and I lived with OTPT (MSU message board mod) for a year.

oh yeah, well I lived with SparkyRules and had Blanch crash on our couch one night

good thread..

from a sports standpoint, I spent the weekend once with Joe Greene - a long jumper out of Ohio State who was the NCAA champion in 1990 (I believe) and went on to win the bronze in the '92 Olympics in Barcelona and silver medal in the '96 Olympics in Atlanta. We shared a mutual friend and Joe and I both stayed with him one weekend in Knoxville, TN to just hang out. Not every day you get to hang out with a two-time Olympic medalist.

And I'm not sure what constitutes a "brush" with fame.. I've met and hung out with a ton of musicians that most folks here haven't heard of but are household names within certain music circles.. and are much more impressive to me than movie, TV or sports folks.

Magic Johnson, Patti LuPone. The weirdest and most unexpected I saw Woody Allen and his wife in Beverly Hills. They walked in front of my car at the Beverly Wilshire.

Ran into Steve Fisher at the boarding gate on flight from SD back to Detroit in about 1998. I should have punched him in the face.

Ran into Simon Cowell at the boarding gate in Minneapolis making a connection from SeaTac to Detroit the day after the great blackout. I should have punched him in the face.

My best one probably happened when I bumped into Gordie Howe in 1990 at Eaton Center mall. Basically got to talk to the guy for about 20 minutes one on one because he was there for a book signing and the place was empty because it had just opened.

Floyd Robertson wrote:Ran into Steve Fisher at the boarding gate on flight from SD back to Detroit in about 1998. I should have punched him in the face.

Ran into Simon Cowell at the boarding gate in Minneapolis making a connection from SeaTac to Detroit the day after the great blackout. I should have punched him in the face.

My best one probably happened when I bumped into Gordie Howe in 1990 at Eaton Center mall. Basically got to talk to the guy for about 20 minutes one on one because he was there for a book signing and the place was empty because it had just opened.

You should have punched Gordie in the face. 1/3rd of the way to a Gordie Howe hat trick

Floyd Robertson wrote:

My best one probably happened when I bumped into Gordie Howe in 1990 at Eaton Center mall. Basically got to talk to the guy for about 20 minutes one on one because he was there for a book signing and the place was empty because it had just opened.

did anyone get punched in the face?

also, I saw Jesse Jackson once in O'Hare.. I boarded the same flight with Joe Theisman in DC.. Dick Vitale once asked me to watch his bag in the Cincinnati Airport while he went to get a bagel or something.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:also, I saw Jesse Jackson once in O'Hare.. I boarded the same flight with Joe Theisman in DC.. Dick Vitale once asked me to watch his bag in the Cincinnati Airport while he went to get a bagel or something.

You reminded me of another one, I saw Don King at La Guardia.

Kid from Kid N Play bummed a smoke off of me in the Atlanta airport back in the 90s.

I played craps with Richard Golden once.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I played craps with Richard Golden once.

Did he have his sexy specs on?

I delivered a restored Kawasaki Triple to Robert Foxworth - famous for a few things. Played Chase on Falcon Crest, appeared in some Star Trek episodes and was married to Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha on Bewitched for you younguns). He was very nice, his garage was in the Hollywood Hills just off Sunset and was the ultimate mancave. Kind of eerie part was that his address was on Benedict Canyon drive, just down the hill from 10050 Cielo Dr. (Let's see who gets that reference w/o google).

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I played craps with Richard Golden once.

craps with Dick Golden..

LooseGoose wrote:I delivered a restored Kawasaki Triple to Robert Foxworth - famous for a few things. Played Chase on Falcon Crest, appeared in some Star Trek episodes and was married to Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha on Bewitched for you younguns). He was very nice, his garage was in the Hollywood Hills just off Sunset and was the ultimate mancave. Kind of eerie part was that his address was on Benedict Canyon drive, just down the hill from 10050 Cielo Dr. (Let's see who gets that reference w/o google).

I looked it up, just to confirm my suspicion. Turns out I was right.

David Gilbert, lead singer of the Rockets spent most of 1 summer in the mid 80's crashing in my guest room. Went to Chicago Blues Festival with me in 86 & 87. Crazy, talented, haunted man - still one of the most interesting people I've ever met and got to know.

Rocket to the crypt

Sat next to Pat Swilling in 219B row 11 at a Wings game after he signed with the Lions. Felt bad for him because he barely fit in the seat. His wife was hawt.

Used to see Whitney at Publix or the gas station every now and then.

She was a mess.

When I was 20 I installed cable for Chris Osgood. Didn't realize it till I got home and put two and two together when I was going through my worksheets at the end of the day and saw the check his wife wrote to Comcast. Dan Florek took me and my wife out to dinner (with a group) with Ice T and his wife once.
Marc Maron, Desmond Howard, David Cho, Kate Rothschild, Kevin Spacey, Scott Weiland, that drummer from the Roots that I can't remember his name but I smoked with in the stairwell of the studio before he had to be at work at Rockefeller (he got told he couldn't smoke in their stairwells anymore).

Worked with Beyoncé, Corey Monteith (heh....), Jay Electronica, Erika Badu, The Edge, Steve Lilywhite, and prolly more I'll remember later.

LooseGoose wrote:I delivered a restored Kawasaki Triple to Robert Foxworth - famous for a few things. Played Chase on Falcon Crest, appeared in some Star Trek episodes and was married to Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha on Bewitched for you younguns). He was very nice, his garage was in the Hollywood Hills just off Sunset and was the ultimate mancave. Kind of eerie part was that his address was on Benedict Canyon drive, just down the hill from 10050 Cielo Dr. (Let's see who gets that reference w/o google).

Tate residence.

xsanguine wrote:When I was 20 I installed cable for Chris Osgood. Didn't realize it till I got home and put two and two together when I was going through my worksheets at the end of the day and saw the check his wife wrote to Comcast. Dan Florek took me and my wife out to dinner (with a group) with Ice T and his wife once.
Marc Maron, Desmond Howard, David Cho, Kate Rothschild, Kevin Spacey, Scott Weiland, that drummer from the Roots that I can't remember his name but I smoked with in the stairwell of the studio before he had to be at work at Rockefeller (he got told he couldn't smoke in their stairwells anymore).

Worked with Beyoncé , Corey Monteith (heh....), Jay Electronica, Erika Badu, The Edge, Steve Lilywhite, and prolly more I'll remember later.

is she as frightening and scary as she seemed during the Super Bowl?

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

xsanguine wrote:When I was 20 I installed cable for Chris Osgood. Didn't realize it till I got home and put two and two together when I was going through my worksheets at the end of the day and saw the check his wife wrote to Comcast. Dan Florek took me and my wife out to dinner (with a group) with Ice T and his wife once.
Marc Maron, Desmond Howard, David Cho, Kate Rothschild, Kevin Spacey, Scott Weiland, that drummer from the Roots that I can't remember his name but I smoked with in the stairwell of the studio before he had to be at work at Rockefeller (he got told he couldn't smoke in their stairwells anymore).

Worked with Beyoncé , Corey Monteith (heh....), Jay Electronica, Erika Badu, The Edge, Steve Lilywhite, and prolly more I'll remember later.

is she as frightening and scary as she seemed during the Super Bowl?

I love Beyoncé. She's a doll.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:I delivered a restored Kawasaki Triple to Robert Foxworth - famous for a few things. Played Chase on Falcon Crest, appeared in some Star Trek episodes and was married to Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha on Bewitched for you younguns). He was very nice, his garage was in the Hollywood Hills just off Sunset and was the ultimate mancave. Kind of eerie part was that his address was on Benedict Canyon drive, just down the hill from 10050 Cielo Dr. (Let's see who gets that reference w/o google).

I looked it up, just to confirm my suspicion. Turns out I was right.

Was driving through Hollywood with a friend and he slowed down his car and told us to look over at this fountain. He goes see that fountain? Yes.
That's where the manson family washed the blood off after the LaBianca murders.

Gave me the creeps.

xsanguine wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:is she as frightening and scary as she seemed during the Super Bowl?

I love Beyoncé. She's a doll.

granted, I don't really have an eye for talent but gyrating around like a Lansing city school dance team while lip-syncing to god only knows what isn't my thing.

She didn't strike me as the smartest person in the room but neither am I, so who am I kidding? I care more about how people treat others and she gets high marks there from me.

Was never stimulated by her music, either... Well, she just showed up to sing but you know what I mean.

CORNER BLITZ wrote:

Tim Wakefield wrote:

Oh and I lived with OTPT (MSU message board mod) for a year.

oh yeah, well I lived with SparkyRules and had Blanch crash on our couch one night

Didn't I crash on some walk on football players bed instead? Question: did he ever wash his sheets again?

Did shots with Mateen at the spotted dog in Cleveland once. Then hooked him up with some hotties. Never got a thanks for that :-(

Blanch32 wrote:Did shots with Mateen at the spotted dog in Cleveland once. Then hooked him up with some hotties. Never got a thanks for that :-(

Lol

Blanch32 wrote:Did shots with Mateen at the spotted dog in Cleveland once. Then hooked him up with some hotties. Never got a thanks for that :-(

At least he didn't send you bill for the penicillin he likely needed after your 'intro', so that was big of him.

I was at a house party on Spartan Street in the winter of 1988 and Carlton Valentine showed up. He had found a Michigan flag somewhere. I rifled through the closet and found some lighter fluid.

We took the Michigan flag out into the street and set it on fire.

Good times.

Other personal interactions: Graham Nash, Mick Foley, Roger Daltrey, and Charles Barkley.

Twitter interactions: Kevin Smith, Mick Foley, David Crosby, Artie Lange

Met Trent Reznor before a concert in Clarkston at DTE. Quiet, but a very personable and great guy.

I was on WWF RAW back in 1999 when it was at Van Andel. I was going to the concessions to grab some water when all of a sudden I felt a huge shove to get out of someone's way. Hardcore Holly pushed me out of his way, he was chasing someone. The cameras followed them, and the next Monday, clear as day, I saw myself on TV. Pretty cool.

Who is Polly Bergen?

Was in a band sophomore year in Holden hall.  We used to practice in the dorm room.  Blake Ezor used to hang out with us a lot.  One day he brought Andre Rison, Mark Ingram, and Lorenzo White over to watch us practice.

Have seen in airports:

George Stephanopoulos
Jamie Lee Curtis
Michael Madsen
Fred Willard
Some giant wrestler and his wrestler bimbo wife/girlfriend (i looked it up at the time but can't remember their names).

Favorite Airplane story was after watching a walking dead marathon to and from San Francisco, getting off the plane I noticed Carl and family were de-planing from the first class cabin and I let them go first.

Used to live next door the Michael Barrett the baseball player.  One of the nicest guys I've known.  Very humble and a great neighbor when he was home.

Have seen Jane Fonda in the Orvis store here in Atlanta

That's all I can remember at the moment.

NigelUno wrote:Who is Polly Bergen?
About the right time frame I believe, and the correct tense is 'was'

Is this you and her, Goose?

Dr. Strangelove wrote:I was at a house party on Spartan Street in the winter of 1988 and Carlton Valentine showed up. He had found a Michigan flag somewhere. I rifled through the closet and found some lighter fluid.

We took the Michigan flag out into the street and set it on fire.

Good times.

That story never gets old.

SeeRockCity wrote:Was in a band sophomore year in Holden hall.  We used to practice in the dorm room.  Blake Ezor used to hang out with us a lot.  One day he brought Andre Rison, Mark Ingram, and Lorenzo White over to watch us practice.

Have seen in airports:

George Stephanopoulos
Jamie Lee Curtis
Michael Madsen
Fred Willard
Some giant wrestler and his wrestler bimbo wife/girlfriend (i looked it up at the time but can't remember their names).

Favorite Airplane story was after watching a walking dead marathon to and from San Francisco, getting off the plane I noticed Carl and family were de-planing from the first class cabin and I let them go first.

Used to live next door the Michael Barrett the baseball player.  One of the nicest guys I've known.  Very humble and a great neighbor when he was home.

Have seen Jane Fonda in the Orvis store here in Atlanta

That's all I can remember at the moment.

Ha.  Was at Atlanta Fish Market with the wife years ago.  The wife kept blabbing about the lady behind me (in the next booth) wearing sunglasses and how she thought she recognized her.  Thought she was a movie star.

Then I saw Ted walking towards us.  I was like...oh...it's Jane Fonda.

Kid used to go up to Barrett Baseball for pitching. Michael's a good guy.

Shakira, tiny and hot as hell
Oprah, huge bitch
Garth Brooks, nice and a real dude, kind of guy you want to drink with
Tim Russert, nice guy RIP
James Carville, weird looking but loves to talk sports
Dan Snyder, complete asshole
U2, nice guys, Bono was just "there" kind of by himself
Billy Corgan(hell all of the original Pumpkins) cool as fuck
Chris Chelios, met him in line for the above Pumpkins concert. Tickets were sold out and he was trying to score lol
Kevin Hart, small...but funny and cool
Cobi Jones, US Soccer team, and Tommy Davidson: They used to hang out at the same club we would hit in DC in the early 2000s. Tommy would randomly do his impressions and bits from his act and In Living Color....dude was fucking hilarious, you have not lived until you have seen a short black dude transform into a T-Rex and proceed to trn the VIP section into his own Jurassic Park.

I.B. Fine wrote:

NigelUno wrote:Who is Polly Bergen?
About the right time frame I believe, and the correct tense is 'was'

Is this you and her, Goose?      

lol, damn that's close!!