Obtaining auto's in non-sports setting

[7nohitter]

Hi All,

I'd love to hear stories about meeting players/getting autographs in a non standard setting. Here's what I mean:

When I was younger I worked for a grocery chain the metrowest Boston area. One time I was pricing something and a guy asks me where the bathroom is, I turn around to show him and it's KC Jones!

Also, working at the store afforded me the opportunity to get the 'graphs of: Danny Darwin, Jeff Reardon, Roger Clemens, Lee Smith, Rich Gedman, Dennis Eckersley, Oil Can Boyd and Fred Smerlas (Bills/Patriots)...a few others that I forget.

Andrew

[Scott Garner]

Waiting tables in Southern California (Orange County) during the 1970's and early 1980's was a very good place to meet sports stars and Hollywood actors.

Here are a few that I remember waiting on in Newport Beach, CA and getting a few autographs along the way:

OJ Simpson and Nichole Brown Simpson (OJ's 40th birthday!)-
A large party of about 20 people. A regular who's who of celebrities! Marcus Allen was one in attendance.

Carl Yaz- Definitely on the hunt for women in spite of being married.

Eric Dickerson and his twin brother- Asshole NEVER tipped and I waited on him 2-3 times! Yikes.

John Candy- Quiet guy, but became more animated when I recognized him.

Jerry Reuss- Nice guy, great pitcher for the LA Dodgers.

Reggie Jackson- I met him at a restaurant/ bar in Newport Beach the night he got his 1/1 Porsche stolen! Always was a nice guy when I spoke to him in public, despite rumors otherwise.

Don Baylor, BIG nice guy. Had a massive Mr. T starter set (lots of gold chains around his neck)

John Madden- Massive guy & taller than I expected, reddish hair, huge eyebrows and had a cigar hanging out of his mouth

Brent Musberger- I waited on him the same night as John Madden. None of the other guys from the football broadcasting crew wanted to sit with Brent. Everyone else sat at a separate table??

General Chuck Yeager- SUPER nice guy! Excellent, engaging speaker. He spoke to me for 5-10 minutes at the end of the night and gave me an autographed copy of his autobiography that he signed in front of me. Cool guy!

Lou Ferrigno- The Incredible Hulk! He ate a meal designed to feed 3-4 people by himself! You have to fuel that fire when you're as big as that guy! BTW, he leaves the green makeup at home when he's out in public...

Dianne Carroll - Beautiful gal, nice person.

Shelly Hack - Charlies Angel's & model. Tall good looking blond- very nice IP.

James Brolin (Marcus Welby, MD Actor) and his father- James Brolin was a younger clone of his dad. Nice guy.

Sylvester Stallone Actor. He was Rocky!! Yo, Adrian! I actually met him playing golf in Newport Beach, CA. He played 18 holes of Army golf (left, right, left, right) in the group in front of me. He was a nice guy when I spoke with him following round. He was joined by two blond young things and piled into a fancy custom Mercedes. Hey, he's ****ing Stallone, man! What did you expect?? Nice guy, pretty quiet and surprisingly short (maybe 5'8). In the movies he always appears taller, IMHO.

[bender07]

When I worked in Disney World, I got to meet/interact with Greg Maddux, Andy Pettitte and London Fletcher. It took me a second with Maddux; he looks like such an average dude. Pettitte was much taller than I expected.

Non sports include, Rosie O'Donnell, Jason Alexander, Markie Post, Harrison Ford and Christina Aguilera. Rosie was doing her show next to the ride I worked at and definitley gave off that "no one is allowed to look at me" vibe. This was the height Christina's fame and she was a total B. Tiny too. We couldn't ask for autographs but some fun memories.

[Exhibitman]

Best one for me was Eric Idle, who I met in a bookstore here in L.A. I have been a die-hard Python fan since I was a kid, so this was better than meeting one of the Beatles for me. Of course I was so nervous I turned into one of the Gumbys when I tried to speak...

Over the years also met/got sigs from: Sylvester Stallone, Roger Moore, Johnny Carson, Ricardo Montalban, Cheech and Chong, Christie Brinkley, Gene Kelly, Gene Hackman, Ray Bolger. Met others I didn't ask for sigs: Jason Alexander, Jeff Garlin, Wayne Knight, Dustin Hoffman, Forest Whitaker, Joe Pantoliano, Raquel Welch, Steve Carrel, Ashton Kutcher. Many character actors I recognized but couldn't name. Basically, you go to restaurants in L.A. a lot and you will encounter your share...

ETA: I did get Idle's autograph and had an artist friend make it into a custom card:

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by bender07

Non sports include, Rosie O'Donnell, Jason Alexander, Markie Post, Harrison Ford and Christina Aguilera. Rosie was doing her show next to the ride I worked at and definitley gave off that "no one is allowed to look at me" vibe.

I read somewhere, a long time ago, that Rosie wouldn't sign autographs for adults because she thought the idea of grownups collecting autographs was immature - of course, it was okay for HER to collect all kinds of children's toys. Wonder if she still has that attitude today.

[RTK]

Back in the 80's and 90's I was big fan of the CART/Champcar Indy racing series. I attended 4-5 races a year including one at The Milwaukee Mile. At the time the race was sponsored by Miller Beer and Robin Yount, who was newly retired, was a spokesman for Miller at the event. I would spend three days at the track watching practice, qualifying and the race on Sunday. I had seen Yount on Friday walking around but didn't bother him because I didn't have anything appropriate for him to sign. Saturday morning I was getting ready to head to the track, I grabbed an MLB ball I had, plus a ticket stub from the game I attended when he got his 3000th hit along with a certificate they gave out and a commemorative Yount book the Brewers had published. I didn't chase him down or stalk him Saturday, I was busy taking photos of the action. My buddy Jim and I were having a beer in the infield after the day's events were over, probably about 5:00 pm or so when my buddy Jim said, "Hey' there's Robin Yount" he was walking nearby in the infield. My friend asked Yount if he'd come over and sign a couple things. He came over, signed the stuff, we offered him a beer, Miller of course, but he said he had to do a sponsor thing otherwise he would. My friend Jim joked with him that he could still hit 260, and asked why he retired but he said his legs were shot and he just couldn't do it anymore to his expectations. It was a great day all around and I wish Robin would have had that beer with us.

[whitehse]

I worked for 7 years in Major League baseball and the city I worked in saw many Hollywood stars as well as politicians and athletes coming through the gates. I was awestruck very early on but quickly got used to seeing these people walk by and honestly, after awhile I had come to realize these people were just people and found myself no longer putting them on the celebrity pedastal. I do have one story of "meeting" a Hollywood and Broadway star that I still laugh about.

I live in an area of Southern Wisconsin that draws HUGE amounts of Chicago area residents as a vacation/summer home destination. John Mahoney, who played Kelsey Grammer's dad on Frasier (as well as had roles on Broadway and in movies) has a small cottage on a lake up here that is tucked way back off a road that is rarely traveled. This happened to be a road I used to travel home each night and frequently I would be the only one on the road. Mr. Mahoney's home was right at a sharp bend in the road and one day I came around that bend, perhaps a bit too quickly and I almost ran the white haired actor down as he was taking out his garbage. The garbage cans were across the road from his house and when I realized I almost hit the man, I stopped and apologized. He laughed that laugh I had seen him do on Frasier many times and said it was OK and we both went on our way. I do see him around town occasionally and the locals leave him alone, even while he is grabbing a quick bite at the Panera not far from his home.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I was at Braves spring training about 10 years ago and met Greg Maddux. He was doing a lunch for the braves high ups and wearing street clothes. He walked out of the lunch and over to the ball park for a game. I was 17 and the only person who recognized him. He was very nice and signed a ball for me.

[David Atkatz]

One sees/meets famous people quite often in NYC. But a New Yorker never bothers them, and never asks for autographs.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

One sees/meets famous people quite often in NYC. But a New Yorker never bothers them, and never asks for autographs.

+1

My girlfriend and I go to New York a few times a year and we always see someone who is in the public eye and no one ever bothers them.

One time we were staying at the Swiss Hotel in NYC and we had breakfast next to Christopher Lloyd. I looked at him and he knew I knew who he was; I gave him a respectful glance. After he finished his breakfast, he walked by us, gave me a respectful nod as to say "Thank you for not interrupting my breakfast."

[MooseDog]

My mom worked as a nurse in the only private hospital in Oakland (at that time) so they would get some of the more well-known (and well-off) people passing through there.

As a baseball-loving kid, you can only imagine my glee when she'd come home with something like this:

[almostdone]

I met HOFer Ralph Kiner in a restaurant in NYC when I was a kid. Got him to sign the only thing I had with me, a Mets magazine. (Ball was obtained TTM last year).
Drew

[canjond]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

One sees/meets famous people quite often in NYC. But a New Yorker never bothers them, and never asks for autographs.

A few months back, a a couple of co-workers and myself went over to the lower east side after work to grab a drink. It was a very small place, and the only other person in the bar was a guy siting on my right. After a bit, I caught a look at the guy and realized it was Jason Statham. He saw I recognized him and extended his hand (guy's got a firm grip!) and said hello. He then proceeded to shoot the sh*t with us for the next hour. Never once did we ask for an autograph - rather, it was simply a few guys telling stories at the bar.

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by canjond

A few months back, a a couple of co-workers and myself went over to the lower east side after work to grab a drink. It was a very small place, and the only other person in the bar was a guy siting on my right. After a bit, I caught a look at the guy and realized it was Jason Statham. He saw I recognized him and extended his hand (guy's got a firm grip!) and said hello. He then proceeded to shoot the sh*t with us for the next hour. Never once did we ask for an autograph - rather, it was simply a few guys telling stories at the bar.

Very Cool!

[MooseDog]

My ex-sister-in-law likes to tell a story about how she and her (now ex-husband, but not my brother) got a once in a lifetime chance to play Pebble Beach. They were enjoying the view of the ocean from the clubhouse when after a bit a group of men sat down and got really loud.

She recognized one of the men in the group but didn't say anything. After a while the group got up to leave and the man she recognized came over to their table and apologized if they were bothering them.

My ESIL smiled at him and said...

"Oh, no need to apologize for that, but you DO need to apologize for going into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee!"

He laughed hard and they shook hands with Reggie Jackson and that was that.

No autographs but a great story to tell forever.

[Bestdj777]

I have yet to run into any major league athletes but met two or three political figures when I lived in DC.

The first was Justice Scalia, who I met at a school function. He was nice enough--signed a copy of the Constitution for me, chatted a bit, etc.--but, he refused to pose for a picture. He did not mind if we stood next to him and got our pictures taken but would not actually pose. I saw Justice Ginsberg on a couple of occasions but unfortunately never got the chance to talk with her.

The second was Senator McCain. I ran into him on the street after his bid for presidency. I had the opportunity to shake his hand, meet with him very briefly, and get a picture with him. He seemed like he was incredibly busy, so I tried not to take up much of his time. But, he was really gracious.

I've since moved to NYC. I don't have a good eye for celebrities and have only encountered one since moving here, and he happens to live in my building. Apparently there are a handful of others that frequent the building, but I have not recognized them and probably would not bother them even if I did.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

One sees/meets famous people quite often in NYC. But a New Yorker never bothers them, and never asks for autographs.

I could name 200 celebrity & athletes I have run into.... Doctor J (Sahara Hotel Las Vegas 1980's), Wilt (1980's Gladstones-Malibu) (Magic-1989 at an empty Gladstones at closing time after playoff game with 2 girls, 1 on each arm, limping out. He talked with us four drunk kids for 5 minutes talking about his injury and the game we missed that night due to a retreat we were on in College. We snuck out to go drinkin! Kareem (walking in Westwood (when that was fashionable 1980's) Shaq-sat next to him at a Clippers game- Charles Barkley- met after Clippers game. Larry Bird In skybox bathroom at Staples Clippers Pacers game.

You get the point...I could go on on, but that's just a partial list in the Basketball section.

I would NEVER ruin the moment by asking for an autograph.....though I did sit next to Casey Stengel at Dodger Stadium in 1971. He signed my program 3 times Sadly, that's the only program I can't find today from the 1970's. If any one finds a dodger program with 3 Casey Stengel ramblings like to Charles from Charles Casey Stengel. To chuck, good luck Casey Stengel and just plain ole Casey Stengel, please let me know.

[Exhibitman]

I once took this guy's deposition:

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

One sees/meets famous people quite often in NYC. But a New Yorker never bothers them, and never asks for autographs.

On one hand I can appreciate this. You see people all the time and yawn, no big deal. However, the biggest and most aggressive autograph hounds I have ever met are New Yorkers. I guess we can start with Mike Wehrman who had someone film him while he got people in the 1990’s and Nate Sanders, who had his dad drive him around when he was too young to drive.

Personally, too many to list, but one good story. I was in Sydney, Australia during the 2000 Olympics. I had rented a condo a block from Darling Harbour (correct spelling downunder) which had the venues for many of the indoor sports (volleyball, judo, weightlifting etc.). It was also where all of the out of country radio stations broadcast from as there was this special building set up which was a series of small radio booths. I hung around that area for most of three weeks and bumped into quite a few competitors along with past Olympians like Matt Biondi and Bart Connor. One night I was walking with a friend and we recognized Evander Holyfield. I asked him for an autograph and he said no, but I will pose for a photo. I would have liked the autograph, but at least he was pleasant.

[David Atkatz]

Would you have recognized him if he didn't have his name embroidered on his shirt?

And of course the big autograph-hounds work in NY (and LA.) That's where the celebs are. But the vast majority of native New Yorkers leave celebs alone. It's the culture here. Not because seeing one is a "big yawn." (It's not.) It's out of respect for the celeb.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

Would you have recognized him if he didn't have his name embroidered on his shirt?

And of course the big autograph-hounds work in NY (and LA.) That's where the celebs are. But the vast majority of native New Yorkers leave celebs alone. It's the culture here. Not because seeing one is a "big yawn." (It's not.) It's out of respect for the celeb.

Yes, the person with him was almost blocking the view and we recognized his from too far away to read the shirt.

I appreciate what you mean. You see people all the time, you leave them alone. It can be the same down here in D.C. You go out to eat at a decent restaurant and inevitably there is a Senator, Congressman, Cabinet head, S.C. Justice eating there. In that setting I leave them alone. In the settings where it is more expected, events at National Press Club and the such, I ask and have no qualms doing so.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I bet Buster Douglas was parting hard after that win.

[Deertick]

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

I bet Buster Douglas was parting hard after that win.

To be fair, I only think he stopped during the fight. I'm pretty sure I was witness to a good portion of his purse being spent.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Deertick

To be fair, I only think he stopped during the fight. I'm pretty sure I was witness to a good portion of his purse being spent.

Hope it was on some good stuff.