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Close Brushes with Fame Thread

Sold groceries to a few Carolina Panthers during my time at the Piper Glen Harris Teeter in high school. I remember Sam Mills, Wesley Walls (potato chips and a case of Coors Light), and Norberto Garrido. Best was Kevin Greene, who pulled up to the express lane with a huge cart full of groceries. I obviously wasn't going to tell him he was in the wrong place, so started scanning his stuff and asked if he had a VIC card. He pulls out this little man-clutch and starts digging into it, finally finding one as I was just finishing up scanning everything. On a $100+ purchase he saved $0.10. He said, "well that was certainly worth it"
 
I took my son to Chicago last year for his birthday. On the flight home to Charlotte, we sat with Kareem Abdul Jabaar and Ron Rivera in first class. My son had no idea who Kareem was, but he asked Rivera if we were going to win the Super Bowl this year and he winked at him and said "you bet."

My son has no fear - he'll talk to anyone.
 
I met prominent OGBoards poster PhDeac once at an FSU football game and came across his number (listed as PhDeac) a couple months back
 
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Waited table for Maya Angelou at Lucky 32
Saw Biz Markie in an airport (don't remember which airport)
Saw Michael Buffer in the restroom at the Aloha Bowl
Lived in an apartment building with bunch of Royals players. One was backup catcher Brayan Pena, and i think the other was ex big time Braves prospect Wilson Betemit. Neither very famous i guess, but they were talking in spanish about my dog in the elevator.
Various hanging out with Timmy D, Rodney, growing up playing Y ball with CP3. Went to Muggsy camp as a kid. Remember Dell hanging around a bit, so I'm sure Steph was there playing too.
Fishing next to Alex Smith and his family at this children's farm.
Wife sat next to Mahomes on a KC flight but she had no idea who he was until after.
 
the long and short of it is that I've shot pool with Muggsy Bogues and ridden in an elevator with Ralph Sampson
 
ITK said:
James Harden wanted to carry some computers for me when he was a freshman at ASU. I told him I was a pro, and could handle it myself. I carry computers around campus all the time and up until recently he was the only person who ever offered to help.

Also I got misdelivered a new blackberry for Herb Sendek one time and I had to bring it back to him.

My cat has a 1 page spread in the November 2018 issue of Phoenix magazine.
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Of course he did, you're cute and he's a smart guy. :)
 
- While bussing tables at a hotel restaurant the summer before my freshman year at Wake, I jokingly asked Robert Plant if Puffy Daddy would be at his concert with Jimmy Page that evening.
- Thought I was unexpectedly and weirdly getting hit on on a flight from Detroit to DC when the woman seated next to me asked me if I liked Stevie Wonder. I said yes, if nothing else to see where that was headed, and then she directed my attention to Stevie sitting in the row in front of us across the aisle.
- Wolf Blitzer wound up in the row behind me in coach on a shuttle flight from DC to NYC.
- I was seated next to Ashley and future Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a wedding reception in 2004. I undoubtedly drank a beer in his presence.
- First trip to NYC with my wife, and she wonders aloud jokingly if we'll see someone famous. Less than 5 minutes later she sees Alan Alda getting into a cab. I mistakenly believed he was deceased.
- Was totally convinced I was seated next to Glenn Frey at a restaurant in Napa. Turns out I was wrong.
- Shook Coach Ditka's hand at his namesake steakhouse in Naples, FL as we were leaving.
- The summer before I started 7th grade, while eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Northern Virginia, John Riggins was at the table next to us completely blitzed, groping waitresses, and being loud and obnoxious. The very next week he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 
drank beer at mac’s club deuce in south beach while sitting two people away from keith richards
 
Shook MJ's hand, spoke briefly, and got his autograph at a local golf club. Barkley was way nicer/cooler and had a beer with my dad.
Saw Julius Peppers and Todd Gurley last May at the Miami airport (Julius flying to Charlotte). Took a picture of my fiance and him and spoke briefly.
Hung out at a club with Greg Hardy - his lady friend (unsure if it was the infamous one) was good friends with a co-worker of mine and they invited us into their VIP section. He was an incredibly nice guy, albeit pretty drunk/high on who knows what.
Saw and had a beer with Pat McCrory at the beloved Selwyn pub right before he lost in 2016.
 
Beginning as a student at Wake and continuing through 2015, I worked in athletics, including time in collegiate athletics, with the Panthers and in NASCAR, so tons of encounters with athletes.

-Jr year at Wake, working a baseball game. Its about 40 degrees and raining, and we are still playing. Literally only people in the stadium are the teams, umpires and us in the press box. All of a sudden a head pops up among the bleachers, looks to the press box and smiles before heading to the press box. Its Duncan (also in his Jr year). Asks if he can sit with us and my boss says on this day all fans in attendance get to sit in the press box. He watches 4-5 innings and then stands up and says "Well, got to go meet with an agent."
-Spend the summer and ensuing season of 1996 working with the Panthers. Eating pizza alone at the training table one night during camp while watching the 1996 Olympics and Sam Mills and Lamar Latham sit down right next to me and strike up a conversation. The three of us sit there and watch the women's gymnastic team win the gold medal.
-Sr year at Wake, working a women's soccer game keeping the clock, back when their wasn't really a stadium, but some bleachers. Clock operator has to sit in the far corner of the stadium (maybe 10 feet from the field), near where people walk into the bleachers area (a fence separates the field and the bleachers). Suddenly hear someone ask if they can sit in the empty seat next to me. Look up and it is Duncan. Tell him he can sit wherever he pleases as far as I am concerned. We watch the rest of the game together. (Had a lot of encounters with him, but these two were the most unique as they weren't basketball related).
-Sr year at Wake and travel to Charlotte to work all Panther home games. It was my job after the game to help get players off the field so that media don't stop them. Third game of the season, Panthers beat 49ers (at that time the Panthers were in the NFC West) to improve to 3-0. Next day, reading USA Today story about the game and notice a picture of Kevin Greene right before he walked into the tunnel after the game. He has stopped and has his arms raised as the crowd goes nuts. I am next to him and it looks like I am patting him on the back. In reality, I am trying to push him into the tunnel as he is so late getting off the field. My boss also sees the picture and gets a copy from the AP photographer that took it and has Greene sign it. Just me and a future NFL Hall of Famer "celebrating" a win.
-Working in NASCAR Busch Series in 2005 and during driver introductions, was asked to run and get something for my driver, who is getting ready to be introduced. Turn too quickly and slam into Denny Hamlin so hard he starts to go to the ground. I catch him and apologize before rushing off. Next year, he is on the Cup level and wins Rookie of the Year.

There are more, but these are off the top of my head.
 
PM please. said:
- While bussing tables at a hotel restaurant the summer before my freshman year at Wake, I jokingly asked Robert Plant if Puffy Daddy would be at his concert with Jimmy Page that evening.
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There's a strong chance that we worked at the same place at the same time. I remember being off that night though. If this was in Winston.
 
Spent 5 mins in line beside Stephen Colbert at a Starbucks in Mount Pleasant, SC on a Saturday morning. I had to go into work and he was up early to work on his boat. Like an idiot I went in to shake his hand after getting up the nerve to introduce myself as a big fan, he had a cast at the time (which was part of his schtick on the show) and gave me a fist bump instead. Couldn't have been a nicer guy. I worked for the state government, so we riffed on that for a min or two. I wouldn't have pulled the trigger and said anything if I didn't see the NJ license he pulled out with his credit card (back when places would ask you do that).

I also saw Timmy D in the arcade of the Pizza Hut on Reynolda (I grew up in the neighborhood behind that shopping center) at least a dozen times.

The craziest encounter I have had, was hanging out with the Mountain from GOT once afternoon when I lived in Austin. I went to the "Startup Olympics", which was a bunch of drinking oriented games where startups competed with each other because a few of my friends were competing, and they had hired the Bodybuilder actor to make an appearance.

A female friend starts chatting him up, they talk for a while, and then we head back to my buddy's place to continue the day drinking. We ordered pizza, so when there is a knock at the door we think nothing of it, but its turns out to be the Mountain and his manager. Turns out our friend had invited him to hang out with us afterwards, and he took her up on the offer. Dude hung out with us for about two hours, drank some beers, ate some pizza, told some stories. and let us take (non-drinking) pics with him. Pretty cool guy.
 
BillBrasky said:
Spent 5 mins in line beside Stephen Colbert at a Starbucks in Mount Pleasant, SC on a Saturday morning. I had to go into work and he was up early to work on his boat. Like an idiot I went in to shake his hand after getting up the nerve to introduce myself as a big fan, he had a cast at the time (which was part of his schtick on the show) and gave me a fist bump instead. Couldn't have been a nicer guy. I worked for the state government, so we riffed on that for a min or two. I wouldn't have pulled the trigger and said anything if I didn't see the NJ license he pulled out with his credit card (back when places would ask you do that).

I also saw Timmy D in the arcade of the Pizza Hut on Reynolda (I grew up in the neighborhood behind that shopping center) at least a dozen times.

The craziest encounter I have had, was hanging out with the Mountain from GOT once afternoon when I lived in Austin. I went to the "Startup Olympics", which was a bunch of drinking oriented games where startups competed with each other because a few of my friends were competing, and they had hired the Bodybuilder actor to make an appearance.

A female friend starts chatting him up, they talk for a while, and then we head back to my buddy's place to continue the day drinking. We ordered pizza, so when there is a knock at the door we think nothing of it, but its turns out to be the Mountain and his manager. Turns out our friend had invited him to hang out with us afterwards, and he took her up on the offer. Dude hung out with us for about two hours, drank some beers, ate some pizza, told some stories. and let us take (non-drinking) pics with him. Pretty cool guy.
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Did the Mountain plow said female friend? Is she still alive?
 
Lunch with Elizabeth McGovern @ 1984; shared a cab with Norby Walters @ 1992
 
wakephan09 said:
There's a strong chance that we worked at the same place at the same time. I remember being off that night though. If this was in Winston.
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Virginia Beach. Hotel had an agreement with the amphitheater in town for acts to stay there, so everyone from the summer was through. Also briefly talked to Fred Schneider from the B-52's at the same place. I did not see him, but O.D.B. was also staying there and had ordered somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000 in champagne the night before, and the next day was arrested for trying to steal a $50 pair of shoes from Sneaker Stadium near the big mall in town.
 
Met Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli in the Southwest baggage check line at RDU in around 2011 or so. Asked them about coaching Desmond Clark and got a photo.

Met CP3 in Johnson dorm when I was a freshman back in Fall 2005. He autographed the WFU hat I wore throughout high school (which has now, unfortunately, faded).
 
Met Pete Rose and got his autograph.

Met Billy Beane and got a copy of Moneyball. Maybe the best speaker I've ever heard.
 
tigerswood said:
Did the Mountain plow said female friend? Is she still alive?
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I don't believe he did. She was the ultimate tease. She's also more of an acquaintance than a friend, as she kept one of my buddies similarly wrapped around her finger for far too long. She was the stereotypical scene-ster chick, really into yoga, somehow didn't really have a job and traveled all the time. She apparently had a secret sugar daddy in another city which she kept on the DL.
 
BillBrasky said:
I don't believe he did. She was the ultimate tease. She's also more of an acquaintance than a friend, as she kept one of my buddies similarly wrapped around her finger for far too long. She was the stereotypical scene-ster chick, really into yoga, somehow didn't really have a job and traveled all the time. She apparently had a secret sugar daddy in another city which she kept on the DL.
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Women, man
 
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