Jet Nut Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Saw Ali once on the 42nd street, the Lincoln building across from Grand Central. He was coming out of his lawyers office and I was heading to see his lawyer, who was one of my many clients in that building. Just watching the crowd mob him with rock star status was very cool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirorob Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 13 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said: Of course. I'll try to keep it short, lol. My Dad went to a Mets fantasy camp in '85. He co-owned a travel agency with my Mom. Thru that experience he made some connections and ended up helping out with the B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team) Dinner and Baseball Writer's Dinner for years. He worked his way up with the Baseball Writer's event to where he was the right-hand man for Phil Pepe. Through all of that, we had the good fortune to meet tons of athletes through these 2 events plus many others. We went to Cooperstown about every year and my Dad always received credentials to the Otesaga Hotel where all the players stayed. A few years back, Phil Pepe passed, so my Dad took over as the event manager for the dinner. Crazy that a non-writer, some travel agent from Jersey who now lives in Raleigh, was entrusted with running the dinner that for so long was operated entirely by the writers. A writer in Florida once heard a story about my Dad and decided to write about it. The link to the article no longer works but I have a copy of it saved in a word doc: That's not post of the week. That is the post of the MF decade! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 13 minutes ago, Jet Nut said: Saw Ali once on the 42nd street, the Lincoln building across from Grand Central. He was coming out of his lawyers office and I was heading to see his lawyer, who was one of my many clients in that building. Just watching the crowd mob him with rock star status was very cool. There's something about heavyweight champs that are special when you meet them. And Ali has a special brand of stardom AMONG that group. It's crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Just now, Jetsfan80 said: There's something about heavyweight champs that are special when you meet them. And Ali has a special brand of stardom AMONG that group. It's crazy. OMG, I totally agree. I have met quite a number of sports stars, not all HOFs but a fair number as I used to do photo work for Teddy Atlas and his foundation. But Heavyweight Champs are on a different level, Ali brings it up 100 levels. Even just being close to him on the street and not actually meeting him puts it up there with Namath territory. I met Chuck Wepner at a 9/11 charity event and he was the nicest guy ever. After talking with him for some time he asked me to keep his wife company while he went off to take care of something. She was just as nice and told one story after another about Ali. How Ali would send Wepner money whenever he heard through the grapevine that Wepner was in need. That Ali did it for everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgb Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 All you fools talking about schlubs like Muhammad Ali. Mickey Mantle. Casey Stengel. I spent a night drinking with the inventor of the “slumpbuster,” dangnubbit! Seriously, cool thread and stories, folks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20andOut Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Dave Winfield (jerk) , Wade Boggs, Willie Mays, Ali 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 9 hours ago, jgb said: The best combination is to be rich and anonymous. Yep. And that's possible for a lot more people than one would think. Though I will say anonymous people who become rich on inheritance/trust funds have it even "worse" than famous people in the spotlight. Many never have to work for a thing in their lives, and that can easily corrupt your character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebuzzardman Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 3 hours ago, Charlie Brown said: Walt Frazier was my basketball Idol growing up and he became and was my client several years back. Now that was sweet... "Idolizing and then advising!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Jet Nut said: Clyde was one I idolized back in the day. How is he in person? Besides the coolest guy in the room? Clyde was and is a GREAT person! Also what I learned is just how competitive he is EVEN Then/Now! Walt was the type of person who would play people in the NBA right now if he could and try and take them down! He just kept saying "you have to believe in yourself and don't let anything stop you!!", he would say that to me all the time he just has an incredible sense of belief. I realize as I type this that I take that from him to this day. Also he was and is such a celebrity people would just yell his name as we walked down the street and he would be so relaxed with it. Doesn't Drink and is still in excellent shape! I wore number 10 when I played for my team in high school and I could never imagine being around him and him being like a friend for awhile. Still one the Greatest Things of my Life! Thanks for asking!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge4Tide Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 35 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said: Yep. And that's possible for a lot more people than one would think. Though I will say anonymous people who become rich on inheritance/trust funds have it even "worse" than famous people in the spotlight. Many never have to work for a thing in their lives, and that can easily corrupt your character. Bill Murray once said: "If someone offers you the chance to be rich and famous, ask them if you can just be rich" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 36 minutes ago, Charlie Brown said: Clyde was and is a GREAT person! Also what I learned is just how competitive he is EVEN Then/Now! Walt was the type of person who would play people in the NBA right now if he could and try and take them down! He just kept saying "you have to believe in yourself and don't let anything stop you!!", he would say that to me all the time he just has an incredible sense of belief. I realize as I type this that I take that from him to this day. Also he was and is such a celebrity people would just yell his name as we walked down the street and he would be so relaxed with it. Doesn't Drink and is still in excellent shape! I wore number 10 when I played for my team in high school and I could never imagine being around him and him being like a friend for awhile. Still one the Greatest Things of my Life! Thanks for asking!!! Thats a great story CB, happy that you got to not only meet but to have a relationship with an idol of yours. I'm actually jealous of you and happy all at the sam time! ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Went to the Hall of Fame game in Canton when the NYG were playing KC. Lamar Hunt was inducted that year. Got to meet him and got his autograph along with HOF Ace Parker, super nice, (who died a few years back at 101 ! RIP ) . Bud Adams, Oilers owner at the time, was there and I got his autograph. Real down to earth guy. Howard Cosell walked by but he was too important to sign anything. "Catch ya later" was his answer. Met Lenny Dawson and Buck Bucannon too , they were still playing, during the induction ceremony. Out here (Buffalo) the wife and I have met Jim Kelly and Andre Reed. Reed was one of her favorites. Let's just say after meeting him he's no longer one She waited 4 hours to meet him, he was 3 hours late. She had her Reed throwback jersey ($150) for him to sign. Said he would do it the next day in Batavia for $25. He did sign a bottle of his BBQ sauce for $15. Total DBag who puts a $$ on ANYTHING he does towards the fans. Guess he forgot it's those fans who got him to where he is. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Jet Nut said: Thats a great story CB, happy that you got to not only meet but to have a relationship with an idol of yours. I'm actually jealous of you and happy all at the sam time! ? Hmmmm well all I can say and mean this as well is that you and folks like you helped me heal when I was taking care of my late mother who passed from her long and painful battle with lung cancer. Your comments and others out here and their likes and insights are what kept me sane and that is as important to me as anyone I’ve met and so I truly appreciate this forum more than anyone could ever dream! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 1 minute ago, Charlie Brown said: Hmmmm well all I can say and mean this as well is that you and folks like you helped me heal when I was taking care of my late mother who passed from her long and painful battle with lung cancer. Your comments and others out here and their likes and insights are what kept me sane and that is as important to me as anyone I’ve met and so I truly appreciate this forum more than anyone could ever dream! Its amazing that regardless of what it is being said and how its framed in the confines of a message board how therapeutic it can be. I had a year of pure hell, almost all of it spent in a hospital, heavily medicated not knowing what the future would be, if it were to be and reading posts here was my therapy in so many ways. I'm still here and still a pain in the balls though. 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 About 10 years ago I took one of my daughter to Springfield Mall in Virginia in a snowstorm to get a jersey signed by Alex Ovechkin. Not the most articulate fella but very warm smile and happily posed with my then 10 year old daughter at the time with the signed jersey. Pretty rough looking dude but has a warm presence. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets723 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 10 minutes ago, The Crusher said: About 10 years ago I took one of my daughter to Springfield Mall in Virginia in a snowstorm to get a jersey signed by Alex Ovechkin. Not the most articulate fella but very warm smile and happily posed with my then 10 year old daughter at the time with the signed jersey. Pretty rough looking dude but has a warm presence. That’s great. As a Ranger fan I hate guy but man what a player. Glad it was a nice experience for your daughter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 22 minutes ago, Jets723 said: That’s great. As a Ranger fan I hate guy but man what a player. Glad it was a nice experience for your daughter She’s away at school but that framed jersey still in her room. Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brown Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Jet Nut said: Its amazing that regardless of what it is being said and how its framed in the confines of a message board how therapeutic it can be. I had a year of pure hell, almost all of it spent in a hospital, heavily medicated not knowing what the future would be, if it were to be and reading posts here was my therapy in so many ways. I'm still here and still a pain in the balls though. All I can say is I’m a better person for you having pulled yourself out of that hospital and expanding my football knowledge my friend...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trotter Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Was with a couple of guys in AC and going down the escalator to get our car. One of the guys turns around and sees Lawrence Taylor about 20 steps back. He says hey LT but Taylor puts up his hand and says not tonight fellas. So no issue and we let it go. Waiting for the car LT is standing next to us and no one else is there. We don't say anything and as part of the wall a door opens up and out walks a lady. LT takes her arm and walks out the door to a waiting limo. He looks back at us and says have a nice night fella's. My buddy looks at LT and says you too. Taylor smiles and says Oh I will. Met Kevin Green when he was our coach in Bed Bath and Beyond. No one had a clue as to who he was. Not a hall of famer but the nicest guy I met was Gastineau. Was in the Jets store at the stadium and they announce Mark is signing autographs. I turn around and he is standing there with one security guard by himself. I walk up and thank him for his time on the field as a Jet. Honestly, I thought he was going to cry as he got a bit emotional and bear hugs me. Honest to God I could not breathe. Guy is unbelievably strong. He let's me go and I simply ask if he was willing to put the pads on and go out. We could have used him. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUM-KNEE Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Jet Nut said: Its amazing that regardless of what it is being said and how its framed in the confines of a message board how therapeutic it can be. I had a year of pure hell, almost all of it spent in a hospital, heavily medicated not knowing what the future would be, if it were to be and reading posts here was my therapy in so many ways. I'm still here and still a pain in the balls though. Well Im glad youre still here Nut. Your posts give me a chuckle more often than not. (in a good way) LOL 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 4 hours ago, Charlie Brown said: All I can say is I’m a better person for you having pulled yourself out of that hospital and expanding my football knowledge my friend...... Thanks so much CB, its appreciated more than you know my friend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 2 hours ago, BUM-KNEE said: Well Im glad youre still here Nut. Your posts give me a chuckle more often than not. (in a good way) LOL Thank you, same here. I figure I need another 40 or so years if I'm ever going to celebrate a championship 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King P Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 Oh yeah, I forgot about meeting Winky Wright last year. I forgot that he recently made the HOF. He was 1 of the reasons I started boxing myself 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Mostro Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 On 1/14/2020 at 8:28 AM, Sarge4Tide said: Casey Stengel? Tell us more! Moved Los Angeles as a kid and always went to every Mets game at Dodger Stadium. My pops aways got field boxes so I could collect autographs before the games. Casey was exactly as you'd expect - crusty. When I got his autograph he dropped my pen, which fell through the slats in the dugout floor. So, he gave me his pen from a Bank or Savings & Loan In Glendale where he was on the Board Of Directors. He was somehow able to retrieve my pen from the dugout floor and gruffly insisted I return his pen with words to effect " Hey kid, give me my pen back -- mine is better". A true Casey moment. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgb Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 14 hours ago, Jet Nut said: Thank you, same here. I figure I need another 40 or so years if I'm ever going to celebrate a championship Me celebrating our next SB Chanpionship. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Jet Posted January 15, 2020 Share Posted January 15, 2020 19 hours ago, Jet Nut said: Its amazing that regardless of what it is being said and how its framed in the confines of a message board how therapeutic it can be. I had a year of pure hell, almost all of it spent in a hospital, heavily medicated not knowing what the future would be, if it were to be and reading posts here was my therapy in so many ways. I'm still here and still a pain in the balls though. I'm so glad you're here with us JN. Love your "glass is half full" outlook my friend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jetsfan80 Posted January 16, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2020 On 1/14/2020 at 12:46 PM, chirorob said: That's not post of the week. That is the post of the MF decade! On 1/13/2020 at 11:51 PM, David Harris said: Jetsfan80 - that is sick man!!! - thanks for sharing, great read! What a cool thing to be a part of. You’re Dad = badass ? 2 more tidbits you guys might appreciate. If you go to Sandy Koufax's Wikipedia page and scroll down, you'll find the picture below. My Dad is circled, in his customary spot on/behind the dais at the event, lol. Also, my wife was on the dais as one of the ladies handing out the trophies to the players at last year's dinner, which was awesome. A couple pictures of her, one on the dais, one before the event holding de Grom's Cy Young Award: 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirorob Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 9 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said: 2 more tidbits you guys might appreciate. If you go to Sandy Koufax's Wikipedia page and scroll down, you'll find the picture below. My Dad is circled, in his customary spot on/behind the dais at the event, lol. Also, my wife was on the dais as one of the ladies handing out the trophies to the players at last year's dinner, which was awesome. A couple pictures of her, one on the dais, one before the event holding de Grom's Cy Young Award: Now your're just showing off...... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammagen Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 Joe Namath 2x , Don Shula (did not like him pompous ahole... met on a flight to Orlando when the flashlight outshined the star. My wife calls me with updates he asks me and then says his sources say about the game.....while I am sitting behind him) Joe was nice, Dan Marino (jerk would not acknowledge a hello from a kid) and believe it or not one the nicest foot ball person I have met is Ray Lucas., also Matt Snell is a super guy. Had drinks with Wesly Walker and Marty Lyons in Florida as well both nice guys as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighPitch Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 My wife worked at raymond james stadium. She was assigned to wait on someone in some suite for the super bowl. Turns out, its Art Modell. He was alone and asked that she stopped working and sit to watch the super bowl with him which she did. He was very nice and not creepy. They drank and watched the whole game without disruption. No, she didnt blow him not HOF people but I had kyle clifton in my cab once. Then i took mike munchak to the airport. Then i picked up johnny johnson at the garden city hotel. I did blow johnny. He told me i had beautiful eyes and it was on 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I met Roger Staubach on a flight from Dallas to NY. He was sitting across the aisle from me and his wife was sitting at the window next to me. I asked him if he would like to switch seats, which of course he did. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then I left him alone. Nice guy. I also stood at the adjacent urinal to Don Shula's in Miami airport. Needless to say, no words (or glances) were exchanged no matter how hard he tried to get my attention. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirorob Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 20 minutes ago, Green DNA said: I met Roger Staubach on a flight from Dallas to NY. He was sitting across the aisle from me and his wife was sitting at the window next to me. I asked him if he would like to switch seats, which of course he did. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then I left him alone. Nice guy. I also stood at the adjacent urinal to Don Shula's in Miami airport. Needless to say, no words (or glances) were exchanged no matter how hard he tried to get my attention. Not me, but a good friend of mine ran a center that worked with a lot of ex cowboys. Everyone, and I mean everyone, LOVES Roger Staubach. Everything I have ever heard, he is a nice and genuine as a human being can be. Everyone, and I mean everyone who worked there said Tony Dorsett was an a$$hole. Not an HOF yet, but DeMarcus Ware. Right next to my office, a patient comes in, his kid is standing next door at the Tom Thumb selling candy bars to raise money for something. Kid is wearing a Ware jersey. Demarcus walks buy, gives the kids $100 for the candy bar, and signs the kid's jersey with a sharpie (I don't know why he carried a sharpie with him, other than for signing). That kid runs back into the office, almost crying with joy at what DeMarcus had just done for him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Nut Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Me with B Langer in Boca Raton. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kleckineau Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Does Jenna Jameson count? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets0712 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Met Don Shula at an ESPN held luncheon. Went up to him and stuck an autographed JETS football signed by the Super Bowl III team. For him to sign as well. He told me to get lostSent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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