OT - MGoBloggers random encounters with celebrities

Went to an MSU basketball game in 2001 and Magic Johnson was sitting a few rows behind us.  I was 14 and with my parents (MSU grads).  He was signing autographs during halftime so I decided I'd go up there and ask for one.  He asked me "What's your name?", to which I replied "Alex".  He said "Ellis?", I said "No, Alex".  He said "Elvis?", "no, Alex".  "Alice?", "No, Alex".  "You gotta spell that for me, man" "A-L-E-X".  "Oh, Alex.  Got it".

When working for a restaurant in Birmingham, I got to make a sandwich for my childhood hero, Brendan Shanahan.  Made a salad for Darren McCarty, sandwich for Joey Harrington, waited on Todd Jones' family's table.  Also, Jean-Claude Van Damme's trainer would come in looking super European and thinking he was the shit.

Trey Anastasio (of Phish) - He's best buds with my middle school jazz band teacher.  The teacher promised us a surprise one day, and I walked into the classroom, met the guy, and then asked my friend "so what's the surprise?" right in front of Trey.  Oops.

Bill Cosby - Ran outside after ushering a show to say a quick hello as he was heading to his car. Some other guy was badgering him for an autograph so I just left it as a "thanks for the show" sort of thing.

New England Patriots Players - Attended Zoltan Mesko's karaoke event and got to meet quite a few players.  Also realized that I'm terrible at recognizing faces and didn't know any of them without helmets and jerseys anyway, but oh well.  Gronkowski stood out because he's kind of a d'bag...  Jerod Mayo is pretty cool though.  Zoltan is really nice, as you would expect. Tom Brady didn't show up apparently because his singing is bad enough to get him on youtube in a very bad way.

Tim Thomas - At the above event in Boston, at one point they tried to auction off a signed Tim Thomas picture.  This was right after he said he wanted to take the season off, so it got booed off the stage very quickly.  Turns out Timmy was right behind me. He looked a little bewildered, but overall on an even keel about it.  I said, "ouch, man," to which he shrugged and we both went back to watching people drop $2500 to dance with Gronk.

'Marvelous' Marvin Haggler - My family was at a camp's pool in NH one day, and it turns out my brother, sister and I were swimming around right next to him.  He spent most of the time snorkeling around, but was gracious enough to sign a few things for us that his agent (who was with him) had ready. Very nice guy from what I remember.

Carrie Ann Inaba (Judge on Dancing with the Stars) - I was at the USA Dance National (Ballroom Dance) Championships, and she was serving as an honorary judge.  It was early in the morning and she had just gotten done with some makeup, but she didn't seem too busy so my partner and I went over to say hi. We asked for a picture, and some of the USA Dance big-wigs were ready to say no, but then she pushed them out of the way and complimented us on the jive we'd just finished.  Probably the most pleasant celebrity experience I've ever had.

Now one people might actually give a damn about...

Nick Lachey and Bo Schembechler - The year before Bo died, Nick and Bo filmed a little segment at the Big House with a small contingent of the marching band.  I wasn't good enough to be in that group, but I did get asked along to be a photographer.  In the end I got to chill out with Nick and Bo while the band filmed a few things.  I even got Nick to sign a copy of The Victors, a paper that's still in Revelli Hall somewhere I think.  Both were very nice guys overall, though during what little conversation I got to make with the two, I found out that Nick really is a USC fan and had little interest in being there, and Bo managed to slide in a kind of crass remark about women that I unfortunately don't remember.  Nick also had incredibly blue eyes... like, in a "that's not natural" kind of way.

I was a bellhop and would meet all of the tour buses that would come to the Castle in Charlevoix. Bob Dylan tipped me 100 Canadian. The SNL guitarist was touring with Bob that year and that guy was cool (GE Smith I think) I went home and said mom I carried luggage for some Bob Dylan guy. She lost it and I went to my room to listen to Metallica. His manager gave me tickets, so I went to his concert (which was atrocious since he can't sing). The good thing is a talented band followed; White Snake with Steve Vai!! I got fired after hanging out with Tom from Cinderella. He invited me to hang out just to be nice to a punk with a mullet that played guitar. It was a good year for me. I wish I was 17 again.

Sat next to Anna Kournikova at a Wings game. Our seats for a few seasons were right next to the Fedorov family. I was about 13, it was awesome. Also met OJ post-trial about the same time. He was in a hotel lobby totally hammered, asked for an autograph and he messed up his name, flipped the paper over and got it right on the second try.

I met the chick who played begging ass Felicia in Friday when I worked at Office Depot in Tarzana, Ca in the early 2000s. She confirmed it was her and admitted it was her claim to fame and wished they'd make a sequel with the original cast. Oddly, she looked as though she was still in character waiting for that moment.

I met Miguel Nunez from Juwana Mann at that store as well. Dude had the nerve to ask me for a discount then played it off as a joke when I said no. He said he was still spending Return of the Living Dead money. He was a tool.

Oh, and I met Dewayne Pattmon's family at Disneyland a few years back. I was wearing Steve Breaston's 2005 Rose Bowl jersey and I guess it caught Dewayne's beither's eye because Dewayne wore number 15 as well. I told him I remember Dewayne playing for Michigan then had the privilege of meeting his wife and mother.

So yeah, I know it's a star studded list. Basically a who's who in Hollywood right?Lol

with my friend once to her Uncle's house. Turned out to be Tom Izzo's house.

Once, when I was 12, we were going to a Tigers game. We had to pick up our tickets on the way. My Uncle stopped to get the tickets...from Kirk Gibson.

Years ago, I was waiting in line with my date to see a film at an independent movie theater in Manhattan. I was teaching a class at Columbia at the time, and we were discussing the finer points of the film we were about to screen. I am something of an authority on film and media; naturally, I was being boisterous about my opinions. A strange, nebbish Jewish man and his out-of-his-league date interrupted me just as I mentioned the theories of Marshall McLuhan. This little Jewish fellow informed me that McLuhan had been standing beside me during my entire rant. Here's the god's honest truth; McLuhan was a total dick in person. He told me, "You know nothing of my work." I was mortified. Word to the wise... Never meet your academic/cultural heroes. They will disappoint you.

I've had the fortune to have several pretty cool celebrity experiences. I have drank beer with Ben Harper, I've shared food with Stephen Colbert. I've had nice run ins with Bill Murray to Jack Johnson to name a couple more.

But the most interesting and personal one for me was meeting Barry Sanders in 1999. It was Joe D's last home game as a Piston, and I went to the game with a few friends. One of the guys I was with had a cousin who was an usher at the Palace. Our seats were awful, literally last row in the nosebleeds. But my one friend had lower level seats, a few rows behind the backboards. Needless to say, we fanagled our way court side and watched the second half there. After the game, our friend's cousin took us out on the court for bit and through the private entrance for the players and staff. I met Iverson, Grant Hill, Stackhouse, Jed Buechler.

Barry Sanders was back there as well, and I ended up going over to say hi. He is my favorite professional athlete of all time, and it was a great honor. He was very pleasant. Short but jacked (of course).

But he gave me one of those limp wristed, dead fish handsakes. You know the ones. Where the barely grip you hand and kind of loosely flail their arm in a wavy motion. It was off-pudding to say the least. It's just strange to me why anyone shakes hands like that, and you defintely don't expect it from a Hall of Fame NFL running back.

 

Also, I guarded Dugan Fife in a pickup game in Bellaire, Michigan one day. I think I was 16 at the time and playing JV. He schooled me hard, but I stroked three triples in his face and he was impressed. He told us about the Fab Five a bit. Said Jalen was a jokester, Webber was really quiet and polite. Said Juwan was kind of a jerk though.

I was on a layover in Nashville and got a beer at the bar.  I thought the person sitting next to me looked familiar but it took two drunk dudes slobbering all over themselves asking for a picture to confirm it was the (at the time) Titans coach.  I asked him if he was ready for training camp to start, it was mid July, and he said he was but would have preferred another week of fly fishing in Montana with his son.  Being an avid fly fisherman myself, this led to 20 minutes of fishing talk.  Overall seemed like a nice guy.

 

When I was 10, I went to Dr. Tucker's basketball camp. I met Andre Rison, Tommy Hearns, and The Big O, Oscar Robertson. All three were extremely nice and I got to play in a pickup game with the Big O. Talk about being on cloud nine. Me and a couple of buddies ran into Jamie Foxx at a club in Toronto. He gave us some good natured ribbing because we sat down in the section that turned out to be the VIP.

My floor in South Quad was known for problems my freshman year.  We ended up having the largest damage charge of any group at the end of the year.  Apparently our RA was under a lot of pressure to get us under control.  She also had some type of relationship with Tim Biakabutuka.  One Saturday night my roommate threw a trash can through the sixth floor restroom window.  As I was standing there checking out the damage (laughing) Tim walks in, grabs me by the shirt and starts yelling.  He essentially says he knows I know who broke the window and he is going to kick my ass of I don’t tell him.

My first thought is run.  I quickly determine that is not an option so I proceeded to claim ignorance and do my best to talk my way out of the situation.  After a minute or so he leaves telling me if I find out who did it I better tell the RA.  Nothing against Tim in this story.  He was right; I did know who broke the window.  We were the assholes in the story by causing problems for the RA, who was always nice to us, and Tim was just trying to protect his friend.

 

bourbon (several rounds) with Mike Wallace at a Capitol Hill bar in 1987. Fucking incredible guy.  Asked a hundred questions to me - where are you in school, what are you doing in DC, talked about his commencement address in A2.   Will never forget that afternoon. 

Was playing pool one night at Rick's and Jeff Daniels was there with a couple guys to see Duke Tomato.  He sent my buddy and I a couple pitchers because he thought our taunting of the other two players was top-notch. Then asked us over to his table and we told off-color jokes for an hour.  My buddy killed him with a Polack joke I still tell. 

Sat by Kate Upton at the Ohio game last year.  She's spectacular. My son bird-dogged her all afternoon.

Hung out with William Peterson (actor) and Ken Margerum (WR/Bears) at a Mexican place in Chicago one night.  They drank my wallet empty, but Margerum left his charcoal cashmere sportcoat at the bar which I grabbed. My sister knew him and mentioned it to him, but I honestly never had a chance to get it back to him.  Still have it, wear it once in a blue moon. 

When I lived in LA, went to a party at Susan Sarandon's house in Topanga one night with a friend who was in the business.  Pre-Tim Robbins.  Shook hands with so many celebs it was unreal - Stewart Copeland, Dyan Cannon, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, and others. 

 

 

I just remembered a few from summer jobs.

I worked for a summer in Washington DC at a museum and saw Owen Wilson and Loretta Switt ("Hot Lips" Hoolihan on M*A*S*H*). She was super low-key and nice. We weren't allowed to go near Owen Wilson.

Last summer I worked at a resort in the mountains out west. Steve Young came in with his charitable foundation (the Forever Young Foundation). He was taking pictures with people who walked up to him, but I couldn't since I was on the clock and he didn't come over to where I was working.

On another day, I was working in a section where I was by myself, but there was a lull in the crowd. A group of attractive women came up to use the attraction I was working, and after I gave them the operating instructions I asked if they had any questions. One of them asked about good local restaurants and I gave her a few recommendations. Then I realized she looked familiar and I said something like, "You look familiar." She responded, "Hi, I'm Blake Lively." Then she asked if I could take a photo of her and her friends, which I was more than happy to do. She was very nice and personable, and pretty damn hot.

Darrell played  President Clinton, Sean Connery and Regis on SNL.I saw him in NYC coming out of store in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater. I wasn't going to say anything it just happend. He shook my hand said thanks for watching. Asked if I wanted a piture I said sure.

I shook hands with Arnold Palmer back around '96 or '97.

I touched Mickey Stanley's gym shoe during a charity basketball game at my school  He was inbounding the ball right in front of me.  I slid my foot and touched the back of his shoe.  I was 12 at the time.

I met Dick Vitale once. Also happened to see Marcus Vick at a mall near VT once. 

When I was young I went to a Clyde Drexler basketball camp. One day his friend, Akeem Olajuwon stopped by. I shook his hand and at the time had no clue who this Akeem guy was.

A friend of mine works in the hotel industry and a few years ago became friends with a bodyguard for Motley Crue when the band was staying at his hotel.  He hooked up the Crue and their security detail with low rates on some suites in his hotel.  Ever since then, this security guard, who happens to be a former offensive lineman for Ohio, hits him up whenever the band he is touring with comes through town.  

A few years ago he was touring with Them Crooked Vultures and got us into the show for free and back into what I guess is a "green room" after the show.  TCV was a supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stoneage) and, rock legend John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.  I talked to JPJ for about 10 minutes and took a picture with him.  I didn't want to badger him with questions about Zeppelin becuase I just assume he hears that from everyone.  We just talked about the custom basses he had made for him for that tour.  Nice guy.  He's really aged well considering how bad some of the other rock stars from the 70's look.  I didn't talk to Josh Homme, but he seemed like kind of a dick but he was pretty drunk.  Grohl was surrounded by a horde of people all night so I didn't even bother to try and talk to him.  

The security guy has turned out to be an awesome hook up.  In addition to that show I've seen Motley & Godsmack for free and he also got us into see Foo Fighters at the Metro in Wrigleyville the night before they headlined Lollapalooza last year.  

  I talked to Jeff Corwin (then had a show on Animal Planet--now has one on the Food Network) several years ago after a talk he gave at the local college.  He already had a master's degree and mentioned how he was considering dropping out of television for several years to  pursue a Ph.D. I had enough battle scars and knew others as well that had been put through the wringer, that I pointed out unless he could find a program with a really cool and secure major professor and committee, there was a good liklihood that his professors would be jealous of his television accomplishments and take it out on him or treat him as an interloper when they found out he wanted to leave academia and go back to television.  He had discussed an especially harrowing experience with a snake during his talk, and I pointed out I had heard stories of doctoral committees that would make dealing with that snake seem like child's play. Since he wanted to go back to television after his Ph.D., I suggested that he think long and hard about how much gain a Ph.D. would give him in his television career, especially since it would mean dropping out of television for 3- 4 years.

I met Jerry Stackhouse one summer, either '00 or '01, when he stopped at the harbor I worked at. He was polite and modest, tipped well, and clearly just wanted to keep to himself. I will give him props for driving his boat -- a 50' Hatteras-- himself, pulling up nicely to the fuel dock. Unfortunately, the townspeople found out he was there and drove him off with their gawking, asking for his time or autographs, etc.

and only 2 upvotes, just doesn't seem right.

So upvote #3 from me, thanks for starting something I liked a lot. This is the sort of thing that brings me back to mgoblog every day.