Brushes with greatness - your chance to brag

[Hawg73]

Many of us have encountered celebrities in our lives and would like to share the experience with others or maybe just to brag about it a little. Here is your chance.

I saw a similar thread on ChiefsPlanet, but have always liked to bring this topic up us as a conversation starter so don't feel like I'm ripping anybody off. There are no rules, but encountering a celeb when they were not being paid to be one, like an autograph session, is worth more style points. Extra credit is given for personal conversations or lovemaking sessions.

Feel free to include Patriots or other athletes or celebs of any kind, like I said no rules.

Ok, I'll start with:

I was in a bookstore at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree one day when I happened to bump into (literally) none other than the king of popular horror books and movies Stephen King. I apologized for walking into him and then realized who he was.

He was sporting a Red Sox jacket and was with his family just shopping for books like anybody else. I never bothered him for an autograph or anything as I was a little embarassed to have jostled him.

He is taller than you would think and not quite as bizarre looking. I think he mugs for the camera a bit. His wife Tabby is scarier looking than he is.

[bideau]

Good thread...I've had several.

My wife and I honeymooned at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda the same week that Kevin McHale was also honeymooning at that hotel (June 26, 1982). We were waiting for the elevator. When the doors opened, out stepped McHale. Of course my jaw dropped as I was speechless. As he walked away, some guy says to me, "Wow, he's tall. Bet he plays basketball." I looked at him as asked if he had ever heard of the Celtics. He gave me a befuddled look at I just walked away shaking my head. We crossed paths many times that week. BTW, his wife barely went up to his armpits. Quite an amusing site.

About 7-8 years ago, a friend of ours invited us to go to an ice skating recital in Franklin to watch her daughter. Iwas sitting in the stands and in walk Steve Grogan who sits down right next to me. He was there to watch his son who was also in the recital.

My wife and I used to do grocery shopping at the same store and same night as Pat Harlow. He was a very big man!!

Several days after Pete Carroll was fired, I brought my daughter to the local high school gym for a basketball game. In the front row was Pete himself watching his son play. It was interesting because he was pretty much left to himself. I guess people didn't know what to say to a man who had just been fired.

[pookie]

- I played golf w/ Stanley Morgan a couple of times in Memphis.... Actually, it was at the Memphis Nat'l Golf Club in Collierville, TN where Stanley is a member. This was around the '98/'99 timeframe when my buddy Jonny was the food and beverage manager at the course clubhouse. He signed my throwback jersey for me, gave autographed rookie cards, a custom "Stanley Morgan" Nike golf bag and other paraphanelia to Jonny. Stan is a great guy and even better - a scratch golfer. Plus he didn't mind talking about the old days in N.E. But he's a die hard Tennessee fan all the way. But one thing we always noticed about Stan, regardless of how generous he was to Jonny and I, was that he was one cheap bastid! Never left a tip and always wanted stuff for free. Maybe that's what happens when you become rich and famous, then have to start working in the real world all over again. He currently runs Mid South Sports something or other... Basically he manages athletes and was managing Robert Edwards at the time of the Honolulu debacle.

- Nothing too exciting here, but as Hawg would call it... I "ran into" Vincent Brown at the Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro, Ma, while shopping for cassettes in Sears. That guy was one of the most imposing humans you ever want to stand next to. Just huge, but a very nice and quiet guy. He signed my AC/DC cassette that I was buying at the time.

- Cam Neely signed my baby boy Cameron (actually his little B's sleeper). This was an honor as little Cam was named after big Cam.

- Then my favorite! I was good friends with the owner of a happenin' bar and grill in Memphis called the East End Grill. Well, this owner friend of mine, let's call him Christian, went to school with Darius Rucker (aka Hootie from Hootie and the Blowfish). Every year Christian had a kick a$$ golf tourney with all the regular drunks from the bar and his waitresses in bikini's cooling us off by spraying us and themselves with ice water. One year, he got Darius to come and it was friggin' great. I played 18 holes with Hootie for Chrissakes. His bass player caddied for him, carrying his bag and smoking joints.... it was priceless. Darius is also a very, very good golfer and due to him being in our foursome, we won the tourney and I walked outta there with a fabulous Sambuca patio umbrella, of all things. Later that evening, Christian hosted a nicey nice post tourney gala at his nicey nice pad. Lo and behold, up pulls the limo and out steps Darius and his bass player who was smoking a joint. The party was just great. My brother and I sat and drank w/ Darius. He is a down to earth dude and he's funny as hell too. Sometimes it was hard for him to sit and be "one of the guys enjoying a beer" because the chicks were all over him. It was actually very annoying watching these girls make asses of themselves and I felt bad for the guy.... but then I got over it really quick thinking about his payday vs mine and which one of these girls would land in his limo! His bass player was hilarious! He had a bunch of girls on him as well and he sat back in the "walking garden", smoking joints. A fun night indeed.

[Hawg73]

Alice,

The bragging part was kind of kiddingly suggested. I know they are regular folks and generally just leave people be, but it is still interesting to encounter famous types.

Well, Robert Penn Warren. I am impressed (never heard of him but I'm sure he is major), no wonder you sound so literate.

Looks like the Camster really gets around, I am humbled by Pookies golf stories, Hootie too. He is probably the only guy around with an AC/DC cassette signed by the Undertaker. You too, Bideau very impressive.

I did work a celebrity golf tournament last Summer down the Cape and met Mayor Menino, Lenny Clarke and a host of hockey guys including Mike Eruzione and every other BU guy that ever played pro hockey. I wished I was more of a hockey fan so I could have recognized some of those guys. It was embarrassing to have to ask which one in the fivesome was a celebrity, but I think they are probably relieved that I wasn't sucking up to them.

I had to ask Matt Damon to help out in various ways and he was very accomodating and polite and couldn't do enough for us. Jeez, this guy had a ton of chicks checking him out. He appears to weigh about 135 in person.

Now I'm remembering tons of these things. I had almost forgotten about the tournament. Then there was the time.....

[freak]

Shook hands with President Clinton in the Oval Office.

I don't think much of the man, but it is kinda cool to have been in that room, for even as brief as the experience was (maybe 20 seconds at most).

Got a picture of it, and got a video as well from some connections.

[pookie]

Originally posted by Hawg73

Well, Robert Penn Warren. I am impressed (never heard of him but I'm sure he is major), no wonder you sound so literate.


:LOL: I was going to say something very similar, but probably more sarcastic..... Robert Penn Warren....never heard of him, but he sure sounds important. I bet if I were more of a cultured man and not the village idiot, I'd know this fellow.

Freak got in the oval office man.....shook hands with the Prez. That's much better than hanging with Hootie and the stoned bass player or sweltering on a Memphis golf course with Stanley Morgan.

[freak]

Originally posted by pookie
Freak got in the oval office man.....shook hands with the Prez. That's much better than hanging with Hootie and the stoned bass player or sweltering on a Memphis golf course with Stanley Morgan.

Debateable.

[SamBam39]

Thanksgiving 2001 my family went back home to Massachusetts to have dinner with my parents. My mother decides that she is not going to cook this year, instead we dine out. Reservations are made at the Windsor House in Duxbury. We show up and sit down for what turns out to be a very nice meal. My wife gets up to use the facilities and when she returns she tells us the Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and their families are dining in the other room.

So the best I can do with my "brush with celebrity" is to claim I had Thanksgiving dinner with Aerosmith! ;)

[pookie]

Originally posted by SamBam39
Thanksgiving 2001 my family went back home to Massachusetts to have dinner with my parents. My mother decides that she is not going to cook this year, instead we dine out. Reservations are made at the Windsor House in Duxbury. We show up and sit down for what turns out to be a very nice meal. My wife gets up to use the facilities and when she returns she tells us the Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and their families are dining in the other room.

So the best I can do with my "brush with celebrity" is to claim I had Thanksgiving dinner with Aerosmith! ;)

That's cool.... Did Tyler get up and start singing "Dude, I like the Gravy"?

[bruschifan1]

I've had tons of Patriots encounters (with pictoral evidence to prove it! http://www.patriotworld.com/MrsB/Encounters.htm but coolest by far was having My Main Man Tedy Bruschi come to my classroom and spend the morning with us!! It's a day I'll never forget.

I see Patriots all the time at the bar that we go to and also in the stores along Rt. 1. But I never whip out the Sharpie or ask for pics at that time as I don't interfere with their personal lives.

[bideau]

Originally posted by bruschifan1
I've had tons of Patriots encounters (with pictoral evidence to prove it! http://www.patriotworld.com/MrsB/Encounters.htm but coolest by far was having My Main Man Tedy Bruschi come to my classroom and spend the morning with us!! It's a day I'll never forget.


First of all, Happy Birthday. Next year is the big one!!

Nice web site. I noticed your friends with the great Zip. I should have made the Bruschi Backers connection. I enjoy reading his site during the season and I love the closeups of him and his dog that they put up on the big board every game. I enjoyed browsing your site and checking out all the pics. Have a great birthday today.

[bruschifan1]

Originally posted by bideau
First of all, Happy Birthday. Next year is the big one!!

Nice web site. I noticed your friends with the great Zip. I should have made the Bruschi Backers connection. I enjoy reading his site during the season and I love the closeups of him and his dog that they put up on the big board every game. I enjoyed browsing your site and checking out all the pics. Have a great birthday today.

Thanks Bideau! Zip is a dear friend of mine and is an awesome guy! I miss seeing him since the season is over, but we still chat online daily.

As for the "big one"... YIKES... I'm not ready for that! I'm having a hard enough time believing that I'm not still 27 with babies.... I guess age really is only a number cuz I don't feel like an old lady quite yet!

[pookie]

Originally posted by bruschifan1
I've had tons of Patriots encounters (with pictoral evidence to prove it! http://www.patriotworld.com/MrsB/Encounters.htm but coolest by far was having My Main Man Tedy Bruschi come to my classroom and spend the morning with us!! It's a day I'll never forget.

I see Patriots all the time at the bar that we go to and also in the stores along Rt. 1. But I never whip out the Sharpie or ask for pics at that time as I don't interfere with their personal lives.

Bideau is right, that's a great web site! I particularly liked browsing through the tailgating pics, there's some funny stuff in there..... Like the Packers pregame party... the group photo with the 2 Packer fans in it and one of your wild looking Pats fan buddies about to dump a beer over their heads!!

By the way...... Nice tattoo!!

[bruschifan1]

Originally posted by pookie
Bideau is right, that's a great web site! I particularly liked browsing through the tailgating pics, there's some funny stuff in there..... Like the Packers pregame party... the group photo with the 2 Packer fans in it and one of your wild looking Pats fan buddies about to dump a beer over their heads!!

By the way...... Nice tattoo!!

We do have a helluva time at out tailgate!! And all are welcome so if you're ever inclined... join us!

I love my Tat..... too!!:thumb:

[Peg]

All very impressive... Gosh, I don't think that I have ever met anyone famous. I've shaken hands with a couple of Governors, but that's not terribly impressive. The landlord of my office complex and his son (my friend) have a great photo of them and George W in their office, that I am envious of...
I have some famous sorority sisters though: Ashley Judd and Jane Pauley, to name a couple... Does that count? :)
p.s.--Hawg--didn't you meet Drew Bledsoe on a cruise last year?

[pookie]

I forgot about this one. It's not really a Brush with greatness, just watching greatness get hauled off in a cruiser.

- My friends and I watched the day that the cops came to Robert Parish's condo in North Attleboro, hauling him away for his whole marijuana incident. It was kind of comical. The Chief came out, led by the NAPD and was trying to hide his face and head with the cuffs on him. We're all standing there thinking "Duh....Ummm Chief, how many 7 foot tall African American guys do you think we having living in this little town?" We felt bad for him, but the whole thing blew over pretty quickly anyway.

I would generally have to agree with Alice on the issue of celebrity. A chance encounter with someone famous is to accomplishment what fame is to greatness. I don't think it is a term that should be bandied about to describe someone who has achieved fame by wearing a revealing dress at the Academy Awards. True greatness is not found in a cup size. The word should be reserved for someone who has contributed to humanity as a whole. Our society has a poor choice of heroes.

While I don't seek out celebrities, I haven't been entirely able to avoid them either. Perhaps the time I am most proud of is that I once made Meryl Streep's kids cry. They deserved it and given the chance, I would do it again. :D




(Has anyone noticed that our spell checker is sometimes wrong?)

[pookie]

Originally posted by NoRespect
While I don't seek out celebrities, I haven't been entirely able to avoid them either. Perhaps the time I am most proud of is that I once made Meryl Streep's kids cry. They deserved it and given the chance, I would do it again. :D


Ok.... I have to know.... How on earth did you make Meryl Streep's children cry, ya big meanie?

Adn theyre's nuthing rong with the spell cheker.

[dropKickMurphy]

Originally posted by NoRespect
...Perhaps the time I am most proud of is that I once made Meryl Streep's kids cry....

Does this have anything to do with "Sophie's Choice?"

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Were there lawsuits involved?? (I hope. I hope.)

And does Meryl play the victim or the heavy in this? Was it a comedy or was it a drama? I like her playing the heavy in light comedy although she's known for light victims in heavy dramas.



"It all started" about ten years ago....

Shortly after getting out of college I used to teach skiing part-time to support the habit. On this day I was assigned to teach a children’s beginner lesson. There were about ten or twelve children between the ages of seven and nine and all had skied before. I began by getting to know them and making up a class list. As a glanced at one little girl, she replied with her name, “Gracie.” When prompted for her for last name she stated it “Street.” Or so I thought. There was something proud -- in hindsight -- about how she said it, as if she was accustomed to people recognizing her name. I didn't. The next girl turned out to be her older sister “Mamie.” Odd names I can remember thinking....

A little while later while I was going through the obligatory safety instruction before riding the lift, one little girl says innocently “they’re on the chair.” Not sure who “they” were I paused mid-sentence. Another boy took up the cause and began pointing above and behind me. Turning to look over my shoulder I saw the two girls looking innocently down at us. Knowing that neither one had ever seen a chair lift before visions of litigation flashed through my mind. I noted the chair number and passed it on to the attendant with instructions to stop it at the top. We then cut to the front of the the ski school line and followed the two escapees who were apprehended at the top.

This was only the beginning of a very long morning. There were numerous incidents such as this with them manipulating the other children and attempting to ditch the class. My class consisted of mostly some Midwestern farm children who were polite but unsophisticated. The two girls found the cultural differences ripe for parody and not only mocked their accents and language but actually did impersonations. Again, in hindsight they were quite good at it. Had I known the full story, I would probably been able to turn their identity to my advantage.

Before long one of the other girls in the class was crying and several others were close too it and all the children were fighting. This had been going on for some time when finally I had had enough. I read the two girls the riot act, touched on all of the days events and told them that of all the children I had had the pleasure of teaching their behavior had been without exception the least redeeming. At which point both girls burst into tears.

At lunch I mentioned my good fortune and was overheard by a friend of mine who had had them in her class the day before. We commiserated and in the afternoon they were “magically” transferred to another unsuspecting teacher. At the end of the day, she approached me again and said “do you know who those two kids were?” I looked puzzled to which she said: “Meryl Streep’s kids.” Suddenly, all the pieces just fell into place and I started laughing, "Streeeep, of course!" And then the realization of the true significance of the moment hit me. I turned to everyone in the locker room and stated, “I made Meryl Streep’s kids cry!” With my hands above my head.


(So apparently Meryl sought me out to have a "conversation" with me and had to be prevented from doing so by some administrator. To this day I wish that she had been allowed to speak with me. I remember someone asking me what I would have told her and I said something like, "Look, just because you ARE Meryl Streep doesn't mean you can BUY me off with....thank you. Lovely children. Same time tomorrow?)

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Mon Dieu!

How could I have forgotten.

I actually dated Mike Chicklis in college once or twice. Mostly it consisted of going to a couple of theatre parties together, getting wasted and hanging out. At least what I remember of it.

He was a very nice guy. He looked 45 at the age of 20. In fact, the new, trimmed-down Chicklis looks much younger than he did at 20.


No offense but -- Who? ( Proving that I really don't follow Entertainment Tonight.) How do we KNOW that you actually DATED this Chicklis fellow? Perhaps you were in an elevator with him and you just THOUGHT it was a date....:D Does he know it was a date?

[Hawg73]

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Mon Dieu!

How could I have forgotten.

I actually dated Mike Chicklis in college once or twice. Mostly it consisted of going to a couple of theatre parties together, getting wasted and hanging out. At least what I remember of it.

He was a very nice guy. He looked 45 at the age of 20. In fact, the new, trimmed-down Chicklis looks much younger than he did at 20.

OMG!!! That is great. I absolutely love The Shield ! I've heard him on Dennis and Callahan a few times and he is just a local guy that made it big. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy from what I could tell from listening to him. I'm not sure if this isn't more impressive than Freak meeting Slick Willie in the oval office but it's close.

Weird thing is, I happen to know that you are not the only woman on this site who has dated a cast member of that show. I'll let Peg tell the story since I think she mentioned it here before so I'm not blowing her cover by bringing it up.

[Hawg73]

Originally posted by NoRespect
"(So apparently Meryl sought me out to have a "conversation" with me and had to be prevented from doing so by some administrator. To this day I wish that she had been allowed to speak with me. I remember someone asking me what I would have told her and I said something like, "Look, just because you ARE Meryl Streep doesn't mean you can BUY me off with....thank you. Lovely children. Same time tomorrow?)

A great tale. I'm surprised you didn't administer corporal punishment to the spoiled little brats.

Remind me to tell you the story of when I quacked at Teddy Kennedy on the Potomac river.

Originally posted by Hawg73
Remind me to tell you the story of when I quacked at Teddy Kennedy on the Potomac river.

Consider yourself reminded. Was alcohol involved or just ducks? Did he quack back?

[pookie]

Originally posted by Hawg73
A great tale. I'm surprised you didn't administer corporal punishment to the spoiled little brats.

Remind me to tell you the story of when I quacked at Teddy Kennedy on the Potomac river.

Yes, NR. I too am relieved that you didn't go "Madeline Toogood on the little monsters. Madeline Toogood is the woman (and I use that term loosely) that was caught on video outside of a JC Penney (I think it was Penney's) delivering a closed fist beating to the head of her 4 year old daughter that would have made Clubber Lang jealous. Needless to say, she got busted and I hope she's some really big girl's beotch in the big house.

But now when my boys act up or get out of hand, I say "Don't make me go Madeline on you".

Originally posted by FallingAlice
He was a pretty typical male theatre major.

You mean those crazy, womanizing, Gilbert & Sullivan loving, HMS pinafore kind of guys? :thailor:

I think when he realized he wasn't going to score that sort of ended it.

No offense but I think if he was a typical male theatre major he was more likely to be writing the score. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

[bideau]

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Oh sure, there's that 10-20% of men in the theatre who are gay -- just like -- Ahhhhemmmm -- 10-20% of all professional football players.

But most men in the arts have the same predilections as you, Hawg, Pookie and Undertaker. In fact, because of the "Gay" reputation, because appearance is everything and because there's so much money involved in the "Industry," homophobia is pretty rampant in the acting profession.


Since my son is a drama major at Syracuse, I have some insight into this. He tells me that approximately 50% of male drama majors are gay. Within the inner circle of the drama world, being gay is mostly accepted. If an actor or stage hand is homophobic, this is not the industry to be in. They will be washed out quickly because there's no time (or money) to deal with any type of prejudice. The homophobia comes from the media and general public If a gay actor ascends to some semblance of notoriey, the "Industry" will do everything in its power to hide this for fear of the reaction.

In general, those in the industry will protect each other. They all want to make it big and no one can afford to get caught up in a "gay" controversy. And those that try to "out" someone will be blackballed as trouble makers.

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Funny but I knew someone was going to pick up on that. And I knew it would be you.

Trivia quiz -- name me one New England Patriot player who has his degree in theatre arts.

I have to agree with Bideau on this one. Your math is off. As for Tom Cruise, the reason he hasn't come out is not out of fear of being ostracized by the terribly homophobic THEATRE scene (irony warning) but that his career as a credible leading man will be shot.

I hope this isn't going to turn into another one of those heated "who's better at football: theatre-majors or nursing majors" debates....

"Okay. Name the player who stared in the Pirates of Penzance while playing middle linebacker in college." Like that question hasn't been asked a thousand times.

It isn't Brady: Organizational Studies. Usually it is either a kicker or a QB. ( Nedney must have been a drama queen in college.) They say the offensive line is usually home to the smartest players on the team. Damian Woody? Sociology. Not Andruzzi, Liberal Arts. Not Ted Johnson which is surprising given his love of romance novels, Communications. Hmmmm. This is a tricky one Alice. Not Antowain, Kinesiology (Advanced Stretching.) David Givens...thought he was a lock considering his brother went to Yale and he went to ND. Givens was actually a Design major. Close but no cigar.

Okay, I give up. Short of working my way through the whole roster I will have to admit I just don't know. Who is it Alice? Who among the Patriots can not only play football but can also star in Brigadoon? I'm dying to know.... :D

[bruschifan1]

Ok... this one is killing me! I know Matt Light has done some acting in commercials.... so that's my guess.

Karen... (who played Dulcinea in high school......)

Ok.... scratch that... he played OT in college!,,,,,,

uhhhhh.... Larry Izzo??

[SamBam39]

OK...another brush (or near brush) with greatness. Flashback circa 1974-75. i am now a high school student (Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, Home of the Panthers!!!!) My father is working as an auctioneer for an antique car sale. Many prime vintage vehicles are being offered for sale. So I am working at the auction helping my father and who comes in to view the cars? Dave Cowens!!!! He stays for a while and bids on a couple of cars. I got his picture standing next to one of the cars. Nice guy. Didn't actually buy any of them but he bid up to $35,000 on a '56 Buick Convertible! :)

Originally posted by bruschifan1
Ok... this one is killing me! I know Matt Light has done some acting in commercials.... so that's my guess.

uhhhhh.... Larry Izzo??


Yeah, can't go wrong with special teams and linebackers -- Izzo's a good guess. :) However, Light doesn't really strike me as the acting sort, not with all the holding calls. Unless he was accustomed to playing the role of the heavy. My money is on Je 'Rod Cherry. That's a stage name.

Either that or recently signed FB Micheal Malan who played at Brown University. Theatre arts is a favorite with those touchy-feely Ivy Leaguers..... :D


Dave Cowens. Not bad Sam.

[pookie]

Oh ya.... I got to meet and shake hands with Red Aurbach and Tommy Lasorda while working as the Telecom grunt at Balfour (the ring and trophy maker). That was when Lasorda was all skinny (was it Slimfast commercials he did?) and MAN did he ever look emaciated up close and personal!!! Yuk!

[Peg]

Oh, my Gawd, Hawg!! :)
I hadn't even thought of the fact that Kenneth Johnson of "The Shield" is an old boyfriend of mine! :)
Of course, he was known as "Kenny" back then and I do believe that he was the first boy that I ever kissed! :)
That was long before he was famous, but he was ALWAYS A BABE!! (He was a great athlete, as well.) He played football at UConn and we used to train/run together during our college summers... He always did our long-distance running in workboots and then when we did our sprints, he put on sneakers and flew like the wind. I was pretty quick myself, but I didn't mind his pulling ahead of me, as he has a pretty fabulous behind! :)
It was kind of funny when I was at my 20th high school reunion last summer and several people came up to me and mentioned that Kenny had made it big on some new t.v. series. I think that they were wondering if I was still in touch with him or not...I think that my Mom is still in touch with his Mom, so maybe I shall look up ol' K.J.!!... :)
Thanks for the memory nudge, Hawg! It is not like me to forget about such things... Maybe I'm getting a little senile in my old age... Speaking of old age: don't you & Tiger get another year older in about one month and a day's time?!... Where has Tige been, lately, anyways?!
So, Alice--What say we look up our old beaus?! :)

[freak]

FYI,

I am a double major, with history and theatre secondary education.

There is a reason they are called stereotypes. The stereotypes certainly would not apply to the theatre department at UNH. Although they're all obsessed with sex, both the guys and the girls.

Interesting note.......RENT is a musical that is often embraced by the gay community. I've never saw it as championing any such cause. It just happens to use a section of society (East Village), to tell the story. As such, several the characters in the show are homosexual.

Funnily enough, there were only two homosexual actors in the original cast of RENT, and one of them played the straight lead.

Answer: Terrell Buckley

Although technically, he won't be a Patriot once free agency starts.

[freak]

And the Big XII holds up their high academic standards.

Rick Lyle majored in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at Missouri.

and......

Vinatieri, an esteemed graduate of South Dakota State, with a degree in Fitness & Wellness.

Originally posted by freak
And the Big XII holds up their high academic standards.

Rick Lyle majored in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at Missouri.

and......

Vinatieri, an esteemed graduate of South Dakota State, with a degree in Fitness & Wellness.


I noticed that too. Parks and Tourism??? :D I was wondering why there weren't more Recreation majors. That was always a staple of football teams everywhere. The most popular majors by far were sociology, communications and kinesiology. I guess there is a reason that the Wonderlic is still the standardized test of choice of the NFL.

[Hawg73]

Don't forget the killer class schedule of former Pat Andy Katzenmoyer. In his final year at Ohio State his only three courses were allegedly:

1. Music appreciation
2. Golf
3. Safe Sex

So basically he could play golf all day while listening to tunes and then spend some time in the wrapper with a friend (of course using a condom) and get his academic requirements taken care of.

I can't remember where I read that, maybe SI, but it is supposed to be factual. Seems unbelievable.

[Peg]

Well Hawg, ya never know... :)
I took a class at UVM that we commonly called, "Sex Class."
Its technical term was "Human Relations & Sexuality." It sounded like a "gut" course, but it was actually rather umm, err, RIGOROUS!! The lectures were GREAT fun and VERY entertaining, but the exams were based upon the text book, which was very biological and scientific... (Thank goodness I was a science major!) Fortunately, I realized this early in the course and chose to blow off the lectures, in order to practice speeches for my Public Speaking class and only studied the text. I got an "A" in the class and that qualified me to become a "Sex Class T.A." = a sex group discussion leader... It was great fun and I really enjoyed getting others to "open up" about their sexuality... I think that it is a skill that has helped me in "real life." Truly!... Madly!... Deeply!... :)

Originally posted by FallingAlice
And Bideau & NoRespect, I'm not disagreeing with you about the nature of the homophobia. In fact, we're on the same page.... That being said, those actors who aren't gay go OUT of their way to prove that they are H-E-T-E-R-O-S-E-X-U-A-L. With all Capital letters. Underlined. Bold Type.


First, let me say that the only reason I engaged in this conversation is that you grooved me a fast ball that I couldn't resist. :) I am not homophobic, nor am I remotely concerned that sexual preference represents a problem in the entertainment industry. Actually I would argue that the arts are a logical outlet for any entity that is seeking empowerment and acceptance. I seek out humor, and humor requires tension as does a plot or an aesthetic composition. Otherwise we would be happy with Garfield cartoons.

Second, I can't speak for UNH or any particular theatre program but there are reasons that people get into certain professions that do align nicely along political lines. Behind every stereotype is an element of truth. Is the reason it is difficult to overcome a stereotype because they are generally groundless or because they are true more often than they are not?

There are more gay men and women in theatre than construction management. More in the arts in general than criminal science. More in journalism or health care than economics. And of course there are exceptions to prove the rule.

The example you use of men going out of their way to distance themselves from the perception of homosexuality being pervasive in theatre is the primary mechanism of homophobia. The word itself is a misnomer. Fear is at the root of homophobia but not a fear of acceptance as much as a fear of a loss of opportunity.

[bideau]

Originally posted by NoRespect
The example you use of men going out of their way to distance themselves from the perception of homosexuality being pervasive in theatre is the primary mechanism of homophobia. The word itself is a misnomer. Fear is at the root of homophobia but not a fear of acceptance as much as a fear of a loss of opportunity.

I know this thread was never intended to become a discussion of homophobia, but I do want to add a couple more observations.

Homophobia is very rampant in this country...but its selective. There have been numerous examples for women coming out (Degeneres, Navratilova, O'Donnell, etc) and not missing a beat. In fact, these women have been celebrated for their "courage" in putting it out there for everyone to see.

Gay men have not only been reviled, but in many cases risk loss of income and physical harm. An accusation will bring out big gun defenses. Witness the Mike Piazza fiasco. Why did he have to go to such great lengths to prove he's not gay? Because his career would be over. Same would be true for Tom Cruise and other athletes and actors who've been labeled.

As NR states, the reason is fear. Irrational fear. Most women are not fearful or threatened by lesbians. Men certainly aren't and in fact lesbianism is a fixture in the porn industry. But men are very fearful of gays. Why? Because men are predatory by nature. Our first instinct when meeting a woman is to assess her attractiveness and availability. The assumption is that gay men are doing the same thing, but to men. The thought of being the hunted rather than the hunter is very unsettling.

I know, lots of psychological bull crap. Its just my opinion. Why do I feel strongly about this? Because a member of my family is gay. I've seen his fear and his isolation. Very few family members know, although most suspect. He's afraid of the rejection he'll get if he comes out. I see the pain of him keeping most of who he is a secret from family members who will "pray for his redemption".

Enough rambling. It's time to get back to football matters.

[Ballbustah]

I bumped into old man McDonough about 10 years ago at the 600 club. I had never met him before but it was like talking to someone I had known for a long time.

I met Bob Stanley at the Wenham golf coarse. I had been drinking and told him it was Gedman's fault. He just stared at me like he was going to knock my lights out.

[pookie]

Originally posted by Ballbustah
I had been drinking and told him it was Gedman's fault. He just stared at me like he was going to knock my lights out.


:LOL:
That's beautiful ballbustah......

[bruschifan1]

[i]

I met Bob Stanley at the Wenham golf coarse. I had been drinking and told him it was Gedman's fault. He just stared at me like he was going to knock my lights out. [/B]

Poor Buckner took the heat all these years... and it WAS Gedman's fault.... It never should have gotten that far!

[pookie]

Originally posted by bruschifan1
Poor Buckner took the heat all these years... and it WAS Gedman's fault.... It never should have gotten that far!

Oh make no mistake Mrs B, ole Billy Buckner deserved all the heat he got. He stole our dreams with one routine grounder.

He tried to jump in front of a bus, but it went between his legs.
:lame:

That being said, the game shouldn't have gotten to that point anyway.... but, oh well.

:Redsox:

[Phobia]

I've met Austin a few times. That's about it for me.

Actually, I've met almost all the Chiefs HOF players through a Chiefs related Charity I manage. www.37forever.org

Haven't met too many current Chiefs. Our events are always during the season and the active players are a little distracted. It's a sacrifice we're willing to make because it affords many of our out of town volunteers to go to KC and take in a game whilst contributing to the wellbeing of the charity.

[Spirit of 76]

Originally posted by freak
Shook hands with President Clinton in the Oval Office.

I don't think much of the man, but it is kinda cool to have been in that room, for even as brief as the experience was (maybe 20 seconds at most).

Got a picture of it, and got a video as well from some connections.

Freak was it still the Oval Office or had it been dubbed the Oral Office by then?

[freak]

Oh it would definitely be the post "stain" Oval Office. Late second term.

[Flagg the Wanderer]

How about infamous?

Remember Gary Sampson? The guy who killed three people in Massachusetts and NH before getting caught in Vermont?

He killed my dad's best friend in my house, where he arrived about half an hour after my wife and I, and my best friend, left the house. Does that count?

And Tex spent a long time talking with (and eventually kissing) Katie Holmes. That's probably more on point for this thread.

[BizarroAnnihilus]

Wow, Flagg....that's creepy.

I forgot about this thread and don't think I've posted my brushes (though admittedly, most of them aren't 'great').

Celebrity musicians I've met/brushed - mostly when I was a District Manager for The Musicland Group (Sam Goody, Suncoast, Media Play, etc.)

1. Toni Braxton sat on my lap while singing a song at an MLG convention (right after her first LP was released). Nobody knew who she was at the time, but she became famous, so that counts, right? This was before the long hair.

2. At the same convention met and briefly conversed with Pat Benetar (who is very short), Brian Wilson (who was very weird) and Joe Satriani. Got my picture taken with Janice Pennington (from the Price is Right, right after her Playboy spread). I passed on the opportunity to meet Richard Simmons and don't much regret it.

3. Took the band 'Blessed Union of Souls' to 4 of my stores in Indiana to promote their CD when it first came out. They were cool dudes, though perhaps not considered too famous (especially now).

4. When I was still living in Montana and working as a clerk in Musicland I met three celebrities who came shopping in our store: Hank Williams Jr (who half owns a bar with Jimmy Buffet near where I grew up), Huey Lewis (the News was not with him) and Andy McDowell (who looks very plain when not in makeup). She owns a ranch near Flathead Lake.

5. At another convention got to briefly meet and talk to Bruce Campbell (of the Evil Dead movies). One of the guys I work with actually brought a chainsaw and had him sign it. He was probably the coolest celebrity I've ever met.

6. In the creepy department (which I had forgotten about until Flagg mentioned it), I played little league base ball with Rick Tabish's (http://www.truthinjustice.org/murphy-tabish.htm) brother, though I never met Rick.

7. Oh yeah, I touched Nina Hartley's boob once. Really.

[mgoblue101415]

Met Dennis Rodman in a club bathroom. It was pretty much a unisex washroom(well it was because the women's washroom line was always an hour, so several women always used the men's, myself included) in a club in Chicago. I was waiting in line and the door to one of the stalls started to open so I stepped over and literally bumped into Rodman walking out... um... putting himself away. Anyway... He was actually very nice and apologized for bumping into me. Then later we were up at the bar at the same time (a friend of mine had a club VIP pass so we always hung out in the VIP room) and he recognized me from the bathroom, apologized again and bought me a drink. He was actually a nice guy (unlike some of the "VIP" jerks that we bumped into there). I think Rodman's "freak show" was pretty much more "show" than anything.


Used to bump into Mark Grace all the time out at the bars. Cocky, but funny.


I met Jalen Rose at the Taste of Chicago back in 93. We were both in line for these stupid lemonade things. Of course me, being the huge Wolverines fan that I am.... Let me tell ya.. One of the greatest moments in my life. Talked to him, got his autograph... He was a really sweet guy. Signed a bunch of autographs. Course, keep in mind, he was still just a college player. Well, not JUST a college player, he was part of the Fab 5 after all, but this was before he got to the NBA.


Plenty of Walter Payton stories. My cousin went to the same high school as Jarrett Payton and I was sitting a couple rows in back of Walter and Connie at a school talent show. Then there were plenty of times we bumped into him around town at restaurants and stuff. Speaking of... I've met Ditka a few times at his restaurant.
Favorite Walter story... I had friends that lived in the same area as him. So one day I'm driving along and this black SAAB starts to take a left into a driveway, right in front of me. I slam on my breaks hard, and I'm bitching about the jerk. The guy gives a little "sorry" wave then waves for me to go ahead, which of course he should have. I start to drive again, I realize the house is Walter's. As I get up next to Walter's car he rolls down his window and puts his hand out for me to stop. He apologized and asked if I was okay. He was very nice about it and it was WALTER, so how could I really be pissed at the guy?


This story isn't mine, it's a friend's, but it's just so cool I have to tell it. A friend of mine lived in Florida for a while and while she was out one night with a couple of our friends who'd gone down to visit, they bump into this large group celebrating one of the guy's birthday. My friend is one of those people who where ever she goes, she ends up making friends with everyone there, so they start chatting with the birthday boy. He finally introduces himself and she doesn't believe him. So they get into this argument. He doesn't believe she's really Jim Thorpe's great-granddaughter. And she doesn't believe he's really LT. The REAL LT, not Tomlinson. Yes, my friend got to party with LT. And no, she does not do drugs. They just hung out at the club with him and his group for the rest of the night.

[Ballbustah]

When I was in my 20’s I used to drive Grey Market European cars from New Jersey to Marblehead. They were DOT’d and ready to go. Porsches, Mercedes, Ferrari’s ect…
This one time I was driving a Lamborghini Countach up to Marblehead when I came across Bill Murray. He was outside looking over his car… a Mazeratti(sp) when he saw me inside and made some kind of remark about me. The sales guys that were hanging around him all laughed. His wife was inside and was calling him inside the sales office. As he was coming inside I moved over to the door and had a pleasant conversation with him. Those were the days when he was on Saturday Night Live.

Several years later I saw him at my mother in laws church in Tappan NY. I struck up a conversation with him and he remembered me from several years ago. He remembered that I was driving a Lamborghini and thought I must be a rich bastard. I told him I was a mule transporting the car.

That Lamborghini did 170mph on the mass pike. I remember I could not even look at the speedometer to see how fast I was going… I had a passenger look for me.

[spiderman]

Most recently I was in the Bahamas and the rapper Chingy was at the hotel bar. I had no idea who he was at the time, but he was surrounded by a huge posse, so a local Bahamian told me he was the rapper Chingy. I had to wait until we got home and then asked my wife's younger sister who is "with it", who he was.

Last year I sat in Paul Stewart's luxury box during the playoffs. Bob Sweeney was there and Gary Doak. There were all really awesome guys.

About 2 years ago I was at the Comedy Connection to see Dane Cook, and I got a chance to talk to him at Backstage after the show. My brother's friend is a comedian so my brother has hung out with him a couple of times. Then afterwards I saw Joe Rogan, who was doing a show the next night outside on the steps of Quincy Market. I talked with him for a bit. Dane Cook is a really cool guy, unfortunately I can't say the same for Joe Rogan. I could tell the fame has totally gone to his head.

Does former Mayor Ray Flynn count? I drink at the same bar as his brother, and he comes in from time to time. I guess to Southie he's just a regular guy, but to others he might be considered "great" since he was Ambassador to the Vatican and all.

When I was a kid my neighbor dated Marvin Hagler's son, so we used to see him once and while.

I've run into the drummer from Aerosmith, Joe Perry, and Steven Tyler at various times around the South Shore.

[kirjtc2]

A couple somewhat-nerdy ones:

A few years ago I met Alex Trebek in Ottawa. He was in town for the Canadian Geography Bee. He's just like he is on the show - nice, but a bit arrogant.

Back around 1998, before he became the Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin (then the minister of finance) was at my old high school for one of those choreographed Q&A sessions. They gave me a question on rising tuition and scholarships and I asked it to him. He gave one of his canned answers. I still think he's a slimy pr*ck. :4321:

My brother still thinks he saw Shaquille O'Neal at the Bangor Mall about 10 years ago.

JPK

[The*Big*Lebowski]

I have had a couple of brushes. Most notably:

Steven Tyler
About 5 or 6 years ago I was working for a friend of mine doing some landscaping/mason work. We were subcontracted to do some work on Steven Tylers house in Marshfield. He has big Iron gates at the end of his driveway and you need to enter the code to get through. The gates stay about maybe 10 or 12 seconds before closing again. On the other side of the gate is a button you can hit to have them stay open as long as you need. On this day i was pulling a large trailer with some of our heavier equipment on it, and the turn is kind of tight to begin with. One of the other guys working with me was supposed to go in after I entered the code and hit the button. So I enter the code and begin pulling through slowly when all of a sudden the gates begin to close. They clip the trailer (which isn't even halfway through) and I can hear the hydraulics starting to strain. Figuring I can't make it any worse, I gun the engine to try and get the trailer through quickly. Big mistake! I tore one entire gate completely off of its hinges. It clangs to the ground making a sound louder than any concert Aerosmith has ever played.

Turns out the guy that was supposed to hit the button and keep the gates open decided he would take a piss first. About 3 minutes after the gate hits the ground Steven Tyler comes out of his house to see wtf happened. This is how I get to meet Steven Tyler, by destroying some of his property, haha. He was really cool about it and was actually laughing his ass off after we explained what happened. Luckily we were able to tell him a welder was already on the way to repair the gate, so that might have softened the blow.


Gil and Gino!
My brother in law is good friends with the board op for BCN that does the Patriots broadcasts. Every once in awhile I get to sit in the booth, behind Gil and Gino, and watch a quarter or 2 from the broadcast palace. (it is in fact, tiny). Gino is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and everytime I've been around him he has been talking football. The last time I was there Gil was all pissed off about not having a bun or mustard for his hotdog. lol. He literally has about 3 minutes to eat something during halftime, so it was funny to watch him try and suck down a hot dog with 30 seconds left until the second half.

I also met Dennis Johnson one time when I worked in a south shore nightclub. He signed a dollar for me (I didn't ask for it). I am not big on asking people for their autographs.

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Oh, I forgot a couple, though they aren't that big of a deal.

I met Robert Parrish when I was just a tyke. After the meeting, my dad asked me what I thought, and I said he had skinny knees.

And I was working in the Reagan Building in DC, and I bumped into Tom Ridge coming out of the bathroom.

[spiderman]

It's funny that this thread was resurrected today of all days. I just saw the World Series trophy at lunch. Doug Mirabelli was there.


:D

[Ballbustah]

I met Bird and Parish at the old Garden.
We were up in one of the old luxery boxes and were late leaving.
We just happened to walk by where the players exit the locker room.
My buddy walked up to Parish and said.. "Chief you guys can really do it this year ." He then turned around and saw Larry. He said..."Larry you guys can really do it this year."

Larry said "Oh yeah"
My buddy had a stunned look on his face. He couldn't believe he just meant Larry and the Chief.

[Bruschi 3:16]

I met George W. Bush in the early nineties when he was owner of the Texas Rangers. Of course if I knew he'd be president someday, I would have kicked him right in the balls, anyways.

About 2am down in Dallas, I was in a Winn-Dixie supermarket buying something and of course at that time of the night, there's no one in the store. I was in line, and I turned behind and John Cougar Mellencamp was standing there buying a pack of cigarettes.

I also saw Ted Danson in Smokey Bones restaurant in Cambridge a handful of times in the mid-nineties.

[patsRmyboys]

Hawg or any MOD: If you want to put my "brush with greatness" into this thread, feel free...it's from the "off topic but pretty cool" thread

[Undertaker #59]

That thread has kind of gotten out of control with grammar lessons, so if you would like to just repost your brush in here, that would be fine.

[dchester]

Originally posted by Annihilus
7. Oh yeah, I touched Nina Hartley's boob once. Really. So fess up Anni. Are you leading a double life making adult films?
:cool:
________
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[freak]

Originally posted by bideau
Since my son is a drama major at Syracuse, I have some insight into this. He tells me that approximately 50% of male drama majors are gay. Within the inner circle of the drama world, being gay is mostly accepted.

Even though I'm way behind the curve, I'll add another perspective of a theatre major....myself.

At UNH, in a department of over 120, I can only think of a handful of gay theatre majors.....all male. Being an openly gay male in the theatre department is not even blinked at. I only know one openly lesbian in the department (a tech), although that is almost certainly not the case. Percentage? 50% sounds like the exception to me, and may be a result of your son's location. At UNH, I could probably count on two hands (or less) the openly gay majors. As with your son, being gay is widely accepted in the UNH dept.

Even though the summer theatre I worked at this year was in NH, the actors are drawn from all over, primarily the Southeast Theatre Conference (SETC) and Northeast Theatre Conference (NETC). 5 of the 9 male actors were gay, while only 1 of 6 male techs were. If any of the females were lesbian, it was not known.

[bideau]

Originally posted by freak
Even though I'm way behind the curve, I'll add another perspective of a theatre major....myself.

At UNH, in a department of over 120, I can only think of a handful of gay theatre majors.....all male. Being an openly gay male in the theatre department is not even blinked at. I only know one openly lesbian in the department (a tech), although that is almost certainly not the case. Percentage? 50% sounds like the exception to me, and may be a result of your son's location. At UNH, I could probably count on two hands (or less) the openly gay majors. As with your son, being gay is widely accepted in the UNH dept.

Even though the summer theatre I worked at this year was in NH, the actors are drawn from all over, primarily the Southeast Theatre Conference (SETC) and Northeast Theatre Conference (NETC). 5 of the 9 male actors were gay, while only 1 of 6 male techs were. If any of the females were lesbian, it was not known.

I had forgotten about this discussion. Maybe you're correct that location may have something to do with the disparity in ratios. BTW, my son has gone to the NETC auditions before and landed a job from them. He plans on going to them this spring.

Now, back to brushes with greatness. I don't have any to add (put mine on the 1st page way back when). Anyone else?

[freak]

Yeah, my bad for getting off topic.

Other than what I posted way back, I really don't have anything new. Maybe Moses Pendleton, but most people may not know who he is. He's the artistic director and choreographer of Momix, a well known dance company.

Also, last year UNH hosted a Democratic Presidential debate, on ABC. I worked crew with the ABC people, and Ted Koppel was one of the moderators. Didn't actually "meet" him, but we had to wait offstage for him to "compose" his closing remarks for broadcast. And I doubt whether he's a brush "with greatness."

[BizarroAnnihilus]

Originally posted by freak
Yeah, my bad for getting off topic.

Other than what I posted way back, I really don't have anything new. Maybe Moses Pendleton, but most people may not know who he is. He's the artistic director and choreographer of Momix, a well known dance company.

Also, last year UNH hosted a Democratic Presidential debate, on ABC. I worked crew with the ABC people, and Ted Koppel was one of the moderators. Didn't actually "meet" him, but we had to wait offstage for him to "compose" his closing remarks for broadcast. And I doubt whether he's a brush "with greatness."

Hey freak - Didn't want to create a new thread for this - but I saw your UNH logo and realized that's who my boys are playing today (I went to school at the University of Montana).

Small world, eh?

[bideau]

Originally posted by Annihilus
Hey freak - Didn't want to create a new thread for this - but I saw your UNH logo and realized that's who my boys are playing today (I went to school at the University of Montana).

Small world, eh?

The UNH QB, Ricky Santos, is from my hometown (Bellingham) and graduated with my daughter. Teriffic athlete. Led the school to three state championships in football, one state championship in basketball and the state finals in baseball.

[HOF]

I was challenged to a fight by Rat Scabies!

[PatsFanDan]

Damn.....I had my picture taken with Nina Hartley at a strip club in South Hadley but she didn't let me touch her boob. I guess I should have paid more money.

My high school baseball coach pitched for the Houston Astros back in the late 60's, does that count?

Probably the closest I have come to any other celebrity.....Joe Perry from Aerosmith sat behind my wife and I at a Bruins game about 4 years ago. Now I like Aerosmith but honestly I was more interested in the game while my wife spent the afternoon trying to figure out if it was really Joe. She finally asked the woman he was with when he went to the restroom "Is that Joe?" and the woman confirmed it. Exciting times!!

[freak]

Originally posted by Annihilus
Hey freak - Didn't want to create a new thread for this - but I saw your UNH logo and realized that's who my boys are playing today (I went to school at the University of Montana).

Small world, eh?

I'm actually a BC football fan. I follow UNH hockey. But as the schools team, I hope they do well, especially since I gotta be at the games.

Congrats to Montana. IMO, UNH overachieved this year. Their defense has always been their problem. They've simply outscored many teams this year, and seemed to come up with a big defensive play when needed (INT, etc). For most UNH fans, this season fulfilled your wildest dreams; that is, unless people got their hopes up, especially after beating Georgia Southern.

Although, I can't wait to see how good Santos is in 3 years. His #1 WR, David Ball (broke ankle against Southern) is a soph, so those two will be teaming up for another two years. They could be rewriting some record books.

[ItsGood_ItsGood]

When I was in school I worked at a place in Kenmore Square. One Tuesday, in that way that only non-busy, irresponsible youth can, I went out for a beer after work with a few grownups from the office.

The fellas and I started to notice a white haired guy at the bar who was (unsuccessfully) hitting on some girls. When one at my table suggested heading across the square to visit our co-worker, Hal, to smoke a bone at his place, the guy turned around and said "That sounds like a good idea." I then realized he was former Ron Burgundy type sportscaster turned drunken wash out Bob Gamere.

Soon Bob joined us. In no time we were sharing booze and sports trivia. We brought him with us to Hal's apartment, and Hal said to him "Gee, Bob, you had a pretty nice career for yourself before you got hammered and smashed into that tree back in the 70s." Hysterics.

Bob then led us on a merry night of barhopping, cutting lines and getting us in cover charge free. The night finally ended at 2AM. A week or so later, one in our party bumped into the former "Candlepins for Cash" star, who immediately asked him "Hey, where's [ItsGood_ItsGood] tonight?!!!" my proudest moment.