The summer doldrums of hockey. The I met a player thread.

[BUFtoNCfan]

On 7/25/2023 at 11:03 PM, KC Scouts said:

Gilbert Perrault, Rick Martin, Lindy Ruff.....know Patrick Kaleta and Patrick Kane very well (many stories - but that is for another time)

Lived on same street with several Buffalo Bills players and coaches, Antoine Smith - great guy would play catch in the street with my kids.      Fred Graves (Bills receivers coach in Wade Phillips era - yep met Wade too). Graves used to host a street party/BBQ got to meet Eric Moulds (physical specimen) and Peerless Price (nice guy)

Sat next to Jim Harbaugh waiting for a plane in San Diego (nice guy)

Josh Allen lives a block away,  saw him this past Sunday morning

However....by far....the most famous athlete.....Joe Montana  

I managed to get tickets for 2005 USC v Notre Dame famously known as the "Bush Push" game where Matt Leinart pushed Reggie Bush across the goal line with 3 seconds to go for the win. Actually, it was tickets to the game, the coaches luncheon and the pep rally on Friday night, also managed to get into the Notre Dame Hockey game on Friday evening as well. Anyway, My brother and I were checking into the Inn at St Mary's across the street from the campus and as we turned away from the front desk Joe Montana was walking down the stairway from the mezzanine. As God as my witness, he walked right up to us, introduced himself (like we didn't know who he was 😆), shook our hands and struck up a conversation for a few minutes and wished us a good evening and a great weekend. Well, I don't think we wiped the look of astonishment from our faces the whole weekend. What an amazing guy!.... it gets better... on Friday at the coaches luncheon the luminary that sat at our table was none other than Jerry Tarkanian "Tark the Shark" (he was freaking hilarious) and Chris Berman came by to say hello to our table . The next morning the breakfast buffet at the Inn included helping Regis Philbin work the waffle maker so he could get back to his table next to us with his friends Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. I've lived 55+ years and have never had a weekend like that and probably never will again.

I have a hard time seeing Phil Donahue, Marlow Thomas and Regis Philbin at a hotel buffet They have insane money. If  I had that kind of money, if I stayed at a hotel, it certainly wouldn’t have a buffet. just saying.

[FrenchConnection44]

Well … I’ve met a ton of athletes serendipitously in my life. 

I used to live in townhouses in Williamsville. There was a nicer set across the parking lot from ours and several athletes lived there in the 1970s. Bob McAdoo lived directly across from me (drove one of those Lincoln Continentals with the spare tire holder shaped into the rear trunk). Saw him all the time. Actually went into his townhouse a time or two. He came out to play street football a couple of times and was awesome. He could throw a football a country mile. My friends and I walked off one throw and it was close to 75 yards. He also once leaped over the trunk of a car when playing touch football with us. Super nice to all the kids. 

Ernie DiGregorio also lives in that same complex and met him a couple of times. 

Best moment was one winter eve we were playing street hockey and Rick Martin (who also loved there but we didn’t see him much) and Rene Robert walked out. Martin walked up and just grabbed my stick out of my hand and took a couple of shots. Then they walked off and we just stood in shock. 

I saw OJ a lot in a grocery store nearby. Always with a different woman (he lived close to Williamsville East where I went to high school). I knew some girls who smoked weed with him in his house (wild story but they weren’t the type to lie about that). 

Also met Reggie McKenzie who lived in an apt complex near a friend. 

My dad once campaigned for Jack Kemp and he took me to Jack’s office to meet him. I used to have an autographed photo of Kemp. Sad that it has been lost.

Got JD Hill’s autograph at a Bills practice when they were in camp in Niagara Falls. He just kept walking in his spikes and said, “Don’t let me step on you.” It was larger than life for me. 

I also met Merlin Olsen at Eastern Hills mall in, I want to say 68 or 69. I moved in LA from age 3-6 (born in Buffalo moved to CA At age 1, then back at age 6), so I was a Rams fan at the time and knew who he was (had posters of him and Deacon Jones on my wall). Rams were in town for a preseason game and he wasn’t playing. He was just walking around about 11 am. My friends and I were hanging out and I saw him. They had no idea who he was. I ran up to him and shook his hand. Incredibly kind person. I told him I hoped they beat the Bills and he said, “You should root for your home team where you live.” Never forgot that. 

Once in Atlanta we went to a Celtics-Hawks game with a couple of friends in the early 80s - we were in college in Tampa and one friend lived in ATL - and after we were hanging out in the Omni mall. The arena, the mall, and hotel weee all connected. Next thing we know, there’s Kevin McHale walking through with a trainer. Went up and shook his hand. He was HUGE. We turned around and there was then entire Celtics team walking to their hotel. Bird. Tiny Archibald. Parrish. We were totally awestruck. 

Met Phil Mickelson at a Masters Practice round in 1993. He wasn’t a superstar yet (though he had won a pro tourney as an amateur and I knew who he was). Walked by. Super friendly. 

When I lived in Tampa and went to college at USF in the 80s I worked as an assistant manager at a sporting goods store and a lot of athletes would come in to buy shoes. Usually right when it opened or right at close to avoid fans. I chatted with Freddy Solomon (then WR for the 49ers) multiple times at the opening. He was really cool. Would stay for 15-20 minutes and chat when the mall was dead. Was into politics (I was an Econ major and had my BA and about to get my MA so we had lots to chat about). Also met Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield (they  are cousins as I recall). Sold several shoes to Doc. He also was very friendly. Sheffield not so much. He was a jerk, frankly. 

Also lived in the Czech Relpublic from 1990-92 (I’ve lived everywhere for various reasons, lol) and my best friend there would get us onto the best tennis courts in town - huge sport there obviously - and we were in the locker room and dressing right next to me was Jan Kodes, the 1968 Wimbledon champion. Had no idea it was him but my friend told me. Also met a few non athletes but known figures there in the CR - David Rockefeller was one. 

Last one. I lived for a couple of years in Atlanta in the late 80s after I graduated and was a huge Dan Marino fan (started when I watched him playing for Pitt. Enamored of his throwing motion). The Dolphins came up to ATL in the preseason and held some scrimmages as teams often do. I went to the facility to see him practice. Players and coaches were much more accessible to fans then. Anyway, I was walking up some stairs of one of the buildings and, lo and behold, Don Shula is walking down same stairs with security and a couple of coaches. I had a black marker for autographs at the time and asked him for his. He was intense and super intimidating. He would not stop going down the stairs but obliged to do so. I tried to hand him the marker and accidentally wrote a streak on his hand!!! He stopped and glared! Signed his name and walked off. I huddled in the fetal position for a few minutes, lol. But it cracked me up after.