Off Topic: Have You Ever Met Anyone Famous?

Mike Huckabee was my seatmate in 1st class on my way to Tout Wars that year

My uncle was a scout for the Ottawa Senators and a good friend’s uncle played in the NHL for like eighteen years, so I’ve met Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, Rick Nash, lots of hockey guys. Played golf with Clay Guida.

I met Claude Giroux the friday before new years a couple weeks ago. It was at a bar called Ladder 15 in Philly. His entire family was there because the Winter Classic was in town.

I had to kick L C Greenwood out of a parking spot when I was a valet at Mountaineer casino in WV.

I met Andrew McCutchen, Nyjer Morgan, and Jeff Karstens at a charity autograph signing. It was maybe 3 weeks after Cutch made his debut for Pittsburgh. Nyjer will always be one of my favorite people. He seemed happier to meet me than I was him.

I met Paul Bearer, manager of the Undertaker. He’s the uncle of a lifelong friend. I was disappointed he didn’t actually talk in the high-pitched voice or carry the urn around with him.

I was golfing with some friends in Roseau, MN a couple of years ago and Dustin Byfuglien was fresh off of winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks and golfer there too. He was nice and asked to pass through, which we happily allowed. I still don’t know to this day how he didn’t turn the golf ball into a white dust cloud with the way he hit it so hard. My only close experience with a sports celebrity in my life.

I meet random ball players and celebrities all the time. Most recently Bobby Abreu. During the season most out of town ball players stay at a hotel down the street but whenever there is a nationally televised game the stations crew that carries the game stays there. I never approach anyone unless the situation presents itself but I’m in Valet and have parked numerous celebrities cars. Kenny Loggins, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamossa to name a few but since I’m a huge baseball fan those guys are much more memorable. Joe Morgan, Orel Hershiser, John Miller, Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe, Eric Karros… When the Angels hosted the allstar game I met Frank Robinson and Gary Thorne.

My good buddies are the main bartenders at goat hill tavern in Newport beach which was a regular hangout for lots of angels players and random out of town ball players. After any random home game you could catch any one of jered weaver, john lackey, scot shields, mike napoli, jeff mathis… I’ve met joba chamberlain and cc sabathia in there. Last year when the red sox were in town I saw lackey sitting with Beckett, buccholz, weaver and mathis.

My favorite celebrity meeting was definitely Tom Hanks though. I work for FedEx and I worked on the set of the film Castaway. He is super cool and everything you would think he would be character and personality wise. Him and Orel Hershiser for sure. Orel is super cool and loves to talk baseball although I’ve talked more poker with him then anything. I’ve parked his car numerous times and usually ask him how his year is going in poker. I haven’t seen him since last april though.

… tito ortiz was the wrestling coach at my high school. I’ve met quite a few time since he coached a friend if mine and we live in the same town. Actually, living in Huntington Beach you meet a lot of random celebrities. I met Bill Ward recently at the grocery store. He was the drummer for Black Sabbath. A guy I work with sees him at his weekly AA meetings.

I used to have a class with Blake Hawksworth (RP for the Cardinals) in Community College before he decided to sign with St. Louis. That’s the only athlete that I can think of. A good friend of mine was a star at a mid-major college in basketball and now plays overseas professionally.

The other day I saw “E” from Entourage at a bar and he was being a total douchebag in front of everyone. It’s not a myth that a lot of famous people believe they are better than you. Though some are nice. Michael McDonald (Stewart from MadTV) was super nice.