OT - famous people you've randomly seen in public

Was next to huge (huge show) in line for porta potty at soccer in the sand in grand haven last summer.

Steph Curry (shook his hand after he played against WMU)

Muhammad Ali (used to play against his grandson in HS)

Mitch McGary (current girlfriend used to hang out with him)

I shook Bill Cosby's hand once but I don't remember what happened after that

I spent a lot of time in New York City on business in the mid-80s. So, I saw my share of celebrities in the city, but two were pretty strange people to run into. I was in the elevator at the NY Hilton and in walks Liberace and his entourage. Weird little guy. One day I was in Bloomingdales because I forgot to bring some black dress socks and I look to my right and there was Soupy Sales.

Yesterday at lunch.

Joe Biden

I saw Winkler walking along a street in London in 2006.  

Gary Busey.

I took a piss at a urinal next to former Red Wing Doug Brown.

Didn't have the guts to give him a spelling quiz.

The girlfriend and I went to go see Jurassic World a few weeks back in Atlanta, and Kevin Hart was sitting in the row right in front of us. Must've had an entourage of at least 20 people there, and of course, they all ate on his dime. And it was a nice Buckhead AMC Dine-In theater, too.

Not that he couldn't afford it.

In saugatuck with a big stogie and a cocktail

Not sure if it's totally "random" because it was during the 2005 Final Four weekend in St. Louis, but he was just hanging in the Hyatt lobby bar with a small entourage but otherwise not making a big deal about himself. I approached him and told him I'd buy him a drink if I could have his autograph and he told me I didn't need to, then graciously signed the back of my game ticket. 

My dad was pushing me in a stroller down State St and he and Bo nodded to each other as they crossed paths. I've seen a couple famous people, but that's my favorite famous person.

Kevin Garnett in a store in the village years ago. Richard Jefferson his rookie year at the NBA store Mick Foley attended basketball game at my school when I was in college

Barry Sanders hit on my girlfriend at a restaurant we used to work at while he was waiting for his food.  I sat there and watched the whole thing from the bar.  I met him several times there, he was usually alone but once came in with his brother. 

I met a lot of famous sports people in those days.  Once I caught Denny McClain stealing Cokes from my bar, and when I confronted him he sneered "I dont have to pay" and then waddled away.

Eric Hipple drank 28 shots of tequila at a Lions golf outing once.  Herman Moore used to come in several restaurants that I used to work at for takeout food.  He was a great guy to talk to and always tipped well.  Lions DT Tracy Scroggins was the biggest a-hole I ever had to deal with at the bar.  Sullen, never acknowledge me, never tipped and always tried to walk away without paying.  Sat across from Drew Henson at a Metro airport bar in 08 after he got cut by the Lions.

Others I met from my days tending bar in the 90s: Jack Nickalus, Rod Stewart, Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis (total asshole to me), Arnold Schwartzenegger, Cindy Crawford, Wesley Snipes, Charlie Sheen (coked out at a party, got some good stories about him). 

Once I met Robert Plant in a bar and had a beer with him chatting.  He is a totally chilled, down to earth and affable guy. 

Set up some audio gear at Hans Zimmers house in Malibu, also set up some gear at Napster founder Shawn Fannings house in Silicon Valley and talked to him about music for awhile.

Ran in to some minor celebs out here in LA but none worth mentioning.  Sat across from Chandler from the TV show Friends at the grill in the basement of the Beverly Hills hotel.  The cook thought I was Billy Baldwin so I made up some pretend projects that I was working on to entertain him.

Was on a plane once with Adam Corolla NY to LA. 

Got Anthony Carter's autograph when I was a little kid after the Michigan Spring game.  He was walking alone and I ran up to him with a program and a pen.  The pen didnt write so I said "hold on.." and I ran all the way back to the car to get another pen and ran back.  He actually waited for me.

Russell Davis from Bar Rescue. Ran into him as he was plastered at a college bar in Middle Tennessee. I took a shot with him and then he did the fire trick across the bar -- while being incredibly intoxicated.

Allen Jackson at high school basketball game. His daughter's team played our high school girls and he just sat at the top of the stands without a worry in the world -- until about 100 people bombarded him for autographs.

in 91'.

On the flight back from Atlanta after the MBB championship game a couple years ago I sat next Hubie Brown. Was an amazing 3.5 hours. He was incredible. Learned more about basketball and the inside dirt of the NBA than in the previous 30+ years combined.

I saw JD Martinez at Ronin in Royal Oak the Thursday before last (after a win I might add).

Also saw Matt Stafford at J. Alexander's in West Bloomfield a couple years back.  I yelled STAFFFORDDDD as he was walking out, and he gave me a fist pump.  I'm a tool.  I know.

as I just seen the comedian Carrot Top in a parking lot on Friday afternoon here in a suburb of LV. He was walking into Sports Authority and I was next door so I decided to go there and just shake his hand. He had on a tank top and is still pretty ripped for a 50 year old guy but nothing like he used to look like either.

Ran into the actor Christopher Rich in a parking lot. He played the ex-husband on the TV sitcom Reba, a show my wife really liked. Asked him if he was Reba's husband from the show (not knowing his real name). He was real cool and seemed to get more of a kick out of the whole thing than I did. When I told him how much my wife loved the show he had me call her up and then joked with her on the phone. He also gave me autographed photo to take home to her.

My wife once seen Flavor Flav at the bank buying a ton of money orders and took a picture with him. I was walking thru a casino once and was next to poker player Daniel Negreanu and made small talk with him for about 30 seconds.

In the San Antonio airport

That's not his real name (Bolo Leung) but after Bloodsport I think he semi-officially became Chong Li. Although in Enter the Dragon he is referred to as Bolo. Guess they couldn't even come up with a name for him. Saw him at a Dim Sum restaurant in LA. He couldn't wait for the carts to be brought to him so he just walked around grabbing what he wanted as he pleased. Not surpsingly, nobody tried to stop him.

For my line of work, I meet all of the guys who work for ESPN and other TV, radio programs. It just comes with the type of PR work I do. 

Seal team 3 while I was training. Got a hang loose in return from one of em.

I got to meet Richard Petty at a nascar event. Real friendly guy.

Met Joe Cada, the 2009 wsop main event winner from UofM in Vegas. Quiet but really humble and nice guy .

I'm from New York, so this has happened a few times..

Magic Johnson. At the Victory Tour. Funny story. My mother didn't realize who he was and told him to "sit the fuck down" after he decided to stand for a while. He actually did, though my mother was horrified when I told her who'd she'd yelled at.

Darryl Strawberry. At MSG for something. I can't remember.

Don King. At a supermarket where I worked in the early 90s before getting my shit together. The dude is vociferous and huge. Bigger than you think...

At the same supermarket:

Halle Berry. Mind-blowingly beautiful. And so sweet. I love her.

Francis Ford Coppola. He was wearing his fishing hat.

Bonnie Franklin (Valerie Bertinelli's mom on "One Day at a Time"). Baseball cap pulled down low, trying desperately not to be noticed. But who the hell knew who she was at that point (the early 90s) besides me? Strange woman...

Out and about:

Fred Armison: staring at his Blackberry and looking baffled.

Bernie Sanders. I live in his adopted hometown and this is common here. I also have a personal connection with him.

Patrick Leahy. At Mostly Mozart. He was with his wife, I was with a woman I was dating at the time (which is why I was at Mostly Mozart--though I do like Mozart well enough).

Shoelace! At UM.

I'm sure there are a couple more I'm forgetting.

 

I was at Cedar Point in 04 or 05 and some of the Pistons were there. Sheed, Tayshaun, Rip and Ben. Dont' know how they fit on some of the rides. 

I was at a Wendy's once and golfer Woody Austin was there with his famly. 

Lebron James at Detroit metro airport in 2007

Seen a bunch at Sundance Film Festival, but my favorite was in Santa Monica, CA seeing Larry David buying food at a grass-fed burger chain called Burger Lounge. He was hiding in back by the cooks, got a big bag of burgers, and walked out, making a glance toward me that conveyed "Please don't say anything to me," like only Larry can.