Share a time you met a famous athlete...

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by packs

Haha nice. It was weird "competing" with an athlete but like you I was at a low stakes table. I don't know what Worthy did the rest of the night but I think the whole table was glad he did it elsewhere.

I play a little blackjack too (but mostly poker) and there is nothing more frustrating that someone who doesn't know how to play and keeps taking the dealer's bust card.

[ocjack]

Late 80's, my wife and I were attending a business conference in Hawaii. We were staying at the same hotel as most of the players in that weekend's Pro-Bowl. Saw many players coming and going from the hotel, but kept it to a nod or head-shake.

One day, we were sitting at a table in the outside bar area with some friends. My wife noticed several people coming over to the table next to ours and asking to take a picture with the person sitting there. My wife asked me why they were doing that. I explained, that was Walter Payton and he was a record-breaking football player. My wife, not being shy, started a conversation across tables, telling him how nice it was that he was so friendly with all the people coming up to him and how it couldn't be easy being constantly interrupted. He thanked her and they had a brief conversation. One part I remembered, was he told her that he had a choice in these situations - he could sit in his room and stare at the walls or he could go outside and make some fans happy. He chose to make some fans happy. Just a truly nice guy who passed too soon.

[Steve D]

Back in the late 1970s, I was with my parents (I was around 15-16 years old) at a shopping mall department store in San Diego County. I looked over at, IIRC a jewelry counter, and saw Rollie Fingers standing there, maybe 15-20 feet away.

Also, at either the 2013 or 2015 National in Chicago; I was at Gibson's Steakhouse, and Mike Eruzione and a couple of his 1980 Olympic teammates came in and sat at the table right next to me.

Steve

[ClementeFanOh]

Piggybacking off Steve- I think that National was 2014 Chicago. I took my son to Gibson's Steakhouse after the show and we sat 20 feet away from Bobby Hull! I had to explain how cool the "Golden Jet" is, and how revered he is in Chicago. My son asked if we should get an autograph and I said "Nah, just let him eat". Our waiter said we just missed Phil Esposito too. Trent King

[DHogan]

I shook hands with Phil Rizzuto as he was walking through a banquet hall before an autograph show.