biggest "claim to fame" as a sports or entertainment fan, what's yours?

[ampaholic]

Nope, just one Ampie - you're counting "that guy" - i.e. hvsteve1 - twice.

Beatles - hvsteve1 - Mosca --> 1 degree of separation.


Steve - please tell us that you still have that tape - You didn't lose it or toss it out.....

I don't think so Pjie - there are three "persons" and two gaps or "separations" thus this is "two" degrees of separation.

In the common 6 degree figure here you'll notice six seperations between SEVEN persons - I wasn't counting hvsteve1 twice I was counting the gaps :whoopie:

 

[puppymommo]

Johnny Depp

My claim to fame is that I once was two degrees of separation from the great Johnny Depp.

In 1995 I conducted a wedding at the Diamond Head home of Richard Grieco who was living in Hawaii filming the short-lived TV show Marker. Grieco was in the 1980s series 21 Jump Street, which starred...Johnny Depp!

Just watched him tonight in the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

 

[pjrose]

I don't think so Pjie - there are three "persons" and two gaps or "separations" thus this is "two" degrees of separation.

In the common 6 degree figure here you'll notice six seperations between SEVEN persons - I wasn't counting hvsteve1 twice I was counting the gaps :whoopie:

Gotcha - I thought the count was of people not gaps, but the diagram clarified it for me. Thanks

Amazing what one can learn from TUGgers

 

[dioxide45]

I shook Bobby Hull's hand once. I have also touched Lord Stanley's Cup. Well not the real one, they do have some that they send around for show. For a Canadian, that is still a pretty big deal.

 

[Karen G]

Any number of you 'just regular' people have met me. Some even on purpose. That oughtta be enough celebrity sighting for anyone.

Jim

Count me in that select group!

My other claim to fame is thatI won $300 for disco dancing on the LV Hilton stage about four years ago. I was at a live gameshow called the "$250,000 Gameshow Spectacular" or something like that that played for several weeks. It was a compilation of many different games that had been tv game shows. I was one of three contestants picked for the next game, which turned out to be the Gong Show, and we each had to dance to "Stayin' Alive". The other two people were "gonged" but I wasn't and so I won the $300.

Also, I was an extra in an airport scene on the tv show "Dallas" about 32 yrs. ago.

 

[pjrose]

Count me in that select group!

My other claim to fame is thatI won $300 for disco dancing on the LV Hilton stage about four years ago. I was at a live gameshow called the "$250,000 Gameshow Spectacular" or something like that that played for several weeks. It was a compilation of many different games that had been tv game shows. I was one of three contestants picked for the next game, which turned out to be the Gong Show, and we each had to dance to "Stayin' Alive". The other two people were "gonged" but I wasn't and so I won the $300.

Also, I was an extra in an airport scene on the tv show "Dallas" about 32 yrs. ago.

Woo Hoo, Karen, you rock for all three of those!

 

[dukebigtom]

I made a half court shot at the Philadelphia Spectrum (home of the 76ers). Got high fives from all the players including Doctor J. Still have a large framed picture hanging in my office that was sent to me by the
76ers of me releasing the shot from half court. Perfect follow through, ball in the air and nothing but net!!!!

Years earlier as a high school center on our basketball team, I stood next to Wilt Chamberlain, talked to him for a few minutes and discreetly picked up his paper cup from which he had been drinking water after the game. Kept it for years.

I also ran into Dr. J. on the golf course (he was representing Coke at the time. I had him autograph a few things.

I have an autographed Mike Schmidt bat given to me personally from him in the Phillies locker room.

I received a hockey stick autographed by the entire Philadelphia Flyers Team as a gift from the Flyers front office for some group sales I used to do and as it turns out, it was the last autgraph given by Pelle Lindbergh, arguably one of the best goalies of our time.

BigTom

 

[Pens_Fan]

We are season ticket holders of the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators.

As season ticket holders we get to go to meet and greets with the players. Many of the players that I have talked to in Binghamton have gone on to nice careers in the NHL (e.g. Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Chris Kelly, etc.)

 

[hvsteve1]

Nope, just one Ampie - you're counting "that guy" - i.e. hvsteve1 - twice.

Beatles - hvsteve1 - Mosca --> 1 degree of separation.


Steve - please tell us that you still have that tape - You didn't lose it or toss it out.....

The tape is on a small, 3-inch reel. I'm thinking of having it dubbed at a local sound studio if I can find it.

For you old-timers who can remember him, I also once emceed a benefit starring Tex Ritter (yeah, John's father) and had to pick him up at the airport. I also had to drive Hank Williams, Jr. from the airport when I produced a benefit with him and he showed up for the matinee without his band as they were en route by bus. I worked as a country DJ when country was big in the Northeast back in the late 60's and you never met a nicer bunch of performers. I had great stories about Faron Young, Del Reeves, Slim Whitman, Jim Ed Brown, Dottie West, Bill Parker, etc., but nobody I ever met in my career was nicer than Eddy Arnold.

 

[shagnut]

I've met a lot of wrestlers over the years but the best story I have is sitting with Rocky Johnson(Rocky's Daddy) . We hit it off and he took us to lumch the next day. We exchanged phone #'s and still stay in touch. shaggy

 

[theo]

My own 15 (seconds) of fame...

In the late 1980's, Boston Celtics star Larry Bird "authored" (...with considerable help from Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Ryan) an autobiographical book entitled Drive. Upon its' release, a book signing / publicity event was conducted at the Copley Plaza hotel in Boston.

I happened to be working nearby in downtown Boston on that particular day and went over to the event at lunch time. By sheer coincidence, the local TV stations were shooting their "event coverage" footage just as I was passing through the line in front of the seated Larry Bird. Bird shook my hand, offered a few friendly words, signed my book and handed it back to me. I (...probably unlike Larry Bird) had been completely unaware of the camera's presence.

When this bit of film footage was aired on the sports news later that evening, several friends who immediately recognized me called me to ask in amazement about my "hobnobbing" with Larry Bird.
My "hobnobbing" was actually all of 10-15 seconds long, but they were nonetheless envious...

 

[jlr10]

The closest we got was the final performance by Michael Crawford in Phantom in LA. As we were walking in people were calling out outrageous offers for our tickets but we decided we would rather see the show- and found it worth it from our 5th row center seats

 

[bullroc3]

Encounter with Jeff Gordon

I am a volunteer fire fighter from NEPA. I have a friend who had two sons, one of which had developed cancer. He often brought him to the fire station. He and I shared a common bond - our favorite NASCAR driver was Jeff Gordon. I would kid him about being on a first name basis with Jeff.

His cancer became worse. He was granted a Make-A-Wish trip to Phoenix International Speedway in April of 2007. He was accompanied by his mother and older brother both of whom I knew well. They arrived several days before the race and his brother called me to tell me they were there enjoying the area and the weather. They met up with Jeff on Thursday, April 19, 2007 in afternoon just before the competition for the pole. While there with him, Travis, the brother, told Jeff that he had a friend in PA that claimed he was on a first name basis with him!! As the conversation proceeded, Jeff told him to dial him up so that he could talk to him. As I was visiting with my son at home, the phone rings. I knew it was Travis by the sound of his voice. I held the receiver away to tell my wife that "Phoenix Arizona was on the phone again". As I put the receiver back up to my ear, a voice from the other end said, "Do you know who this is"? I said "Travis?" but the voice came back, "NO, It's Jeff Gordon." I then recognized the voice. I replied, "You have to be kidding" to which he replied, "It really is." We chatted for a brief moment, wished him luck and hung up. What an experience. Later, he went out and won the pole for the race.

Upon their return, the boys gave me a picture of Jeff on the phone talking to me. Adam passed later that year.

 

[Larry]

I met Mark Mcguire in Cabo as I was checking in for a timeshare vacation and he was checking out and waiting for a limo to take him to the airport. I spoke to him for about 15 minutes and he was great. During the week I met people who saw him at the pool during the week and they said he was huge. (Muscles, is what they were talking about).Guess those steroids really worked?

I also figured that if the resort was good enough for Mark it was good enough for me.

I also met Steve Garvey at the airport in Hawaii and told him that I grew up in Brooklyn and continued being a huge Dodger fan for many years after they moved to LA including all of the years that he played first base for LA. He was very gracious and we talked baseball for about ten minutes before we had to go to our gates for boarding.

 

[UWSurfer]

I work at a place which has a high number of celebrities who come through and have met many, but my favorite was a chance encounter with Ella Fitzgerald on the street & her doing a duet with my son on the spot.

I had picked him up from pre-school and we stopped at a newsstand to nab a magazine I wanted. The newsstand was a structure with parking behind it and we came from the parking lot. As we walked up there was a limo parked along the curb in front, and a man in a suit sort of looming about. A few seconds later the elderly Fitzgerald and us had come together and she made contact with my cute as a button, blonde 3-1/2 y/o and asked him his name. She then proceeds to engage him and asks if he knows the "muffin man song" and proceeds to sing to him & with him in her very distinct voice. It was just magic which took maybe 30 seconds but has lasted in my memories for the past 20 years.

Later in his late teen years he played in some garage bands and I got to drop on the other players that my son has sung with Ella Fitzgerald. Too bad most of them didn't know who she was right then.

 

[Elan]

I played blackjack with "Little Al" Unser in Vegas about 15 years ago. I wasn't positive it was him, as he was sitting across the table and I had consumed a few too many adult beverages. I nudged my buddy, and asked him discretely "Isn't that Al Unser Jr?". My friend didn't know (not a race fan). Then I noticed the big ring on his finger. The one given to Indy 500 winners.

We ended up chatting a bit. Seemed to be a very nice guy.

 

[MuranoJo]

I met Tennessee Ernie Ford on a late flight from Seattle to Boise many years ago.
It was a small plane, with not too many aboard and many of the passengers were having photos taken with him in the aisle.

He had a cabin fairly close to Boise and was returning to visit that area. At that time he was pretty frail (I believe he passed away in '91).

Remember the 'Sixteen Tons' song?

 

[Big Matt]

Both of these were very random, but happened to me about 20 years apart.

When I was a student in college (biology) I spent seven weeks on the island of Montserrat in the West Indes. Air Studios of London had a large studio there and performers came there to record. I evidently just missed Paul McCartney in the airport, and saw Luther Vandross at the pool, but my real claim to fame was that I played tennis with two members of the band Rush. One of them wasn't the lead singer (Geddy Lee), but I did meet the drummer Neal Peart. They were neither interesting or aloof. They were just normal guys from Canada.

Also, I was flying home from Atlanta to DC and sat on a flight with the lead singer for Molly Hatchet. It wasn't the original guy, so I don't know if it counts or not, but either way he was high as a kite. It was an interesting two hours.