Hello Mr. _____________, glad to meet you.

Yesterday, while visiting a friend at John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek, CA...that just had a baby, I ran into John Madden.
He is an enormous man and as nice as can be.

Not knowing WHY he was leaving a hospital, I certainly wasn't going to ask for a signature or for a picture.
I did say hello Mr. Madden and he took the time to say hello and extend his hand to shake mine.
BTW, he was wearing his Superbowl ring.

Anyways.......

That got me thinking about other athletes that I have met AWAY from sports related venues....places where you would not expect to run into someone....

The others were John Elway (about 15 years ago) at a 7-11 near Denver, basketball stiff Duane Caswell (Center for the Kings years ago)....that I ran into at a RiteAid in Sacramento, and golfer Craig Stadler who I ran into at a casino in Las Vegas last year.

Anyone else meet any athletes away from sports venues?

I did not meet him personally, but I was in the waiting room at a clinic with Larry Nance.

I saw Jimmy Kleinsasser at the airport, although I did not realize it was him right away so I didn't actually meet him.

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

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I did not meet him personally, but I was in the waiting room at a clinic with Larry Nance.

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The CLINIC huh???
Did you happen to see Ron Mexico also??
;D

I ran into Ricky Williams a couple of times around town when he was living here.

I was in a Bully's sports bar a few years back watching the Vikes (can't remember who they were playing), and this big guy in a Hawaiian shirt starts up a conversation with me.
At one point, he mentioned he used to play for the Vikings, and I was, to say the least, duly impressed and a lot more interested in his opinions.
LOL

It was Brent Boyd.....he was on the O-line (Guard) from '80 - '86.
Not too much to say on his career, as he was injured alot, but he had some pretty good insight into the game and the Vikes themselves.

I bartended at South Beach Night Clun in Minneapolis during 2001-2003. I would meet and serve Vikings players all the time. I also meet several Twins players. Not to mention anytime there was a hip hop show in town all the rappers and would cometo the club after there show. Prince would also frequent the VIP room several times. The WWE would always ne in there. Mainly X-PAC/Sean Waltman and whoever he had with him.
I have some great memories of that place. My one regarding Mr.Moss was he used to just stand upstairs with the others wearing a nike hat and really not say a word all night. I rarely saw him mingeling with the crowd, he seemed really reserved. On a negative note he was a horrible tipper, so was Daunte. Mitch Berger loved to throw money around though. He was always there with my favorite player Jimmy K. Fun Times.

"purpleFavreEaters" wrote:

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I bartended at South Beach Night Clun in Minneapolis during 2001-2003. I would meet and serve Vikings players all the time. I also meet several Twins players. Not to mention anytime there was a hip hop show in town all the rappers and would cometo the club after there show. Prince would also frequent the VIP room several times. The WWE would always ne in there. Mainly X-PAC/Sean Waltman and whoever he had with him.
I have some great memories of that place. My one regarding Mr.Moss was he used to just stand upstairs with the others wearing a nike hat and really not say a word all night. I rarely saw him mingeling with the crowd, he seemed really reserved. On a negative note he was a horrible tipper, so was Daunte. Mitch Berger loved to throw money around though. He was always there with my favorite player Jimmy K. Fun Times.

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Sounds like a great time!
It is amazing sometimes to hear about these folks that are horrible tippers.
They dont have to throw money around like PacMan does to strippers....but when they dont even tip as well as the common patron.....give me a break!
::)

I ran into Chuck Foreman at Walmart in Winona, MN. He must of been there to set up a autograph signing.

He was going to be there on Saturday, which I didn't know about until I asked at the service desk, but I bumped into him on Friday.

My son had a Little League Appreciation Night a couple of years ago with the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA Team of the Phillies).
They divided up the kids and sent them out to the different positions for the national anthem.
My son went to first base.

Two weeks later that first baseman was called up to the "show" and went on to become the National League Rookie of the Year . . . and then hit 60 home runs the next year (last season).
His name?
Philladelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard.

Okay, so it's not exactly away from the sport . . . and it wasn't me, but still a cool story.