I work with a guy that is the brother-in-law of one of Highlands Coordinators...pretty much on top of my list.

I was on a plane on Tuesday with big Don Shula. I noticed him after a couple of "is that really him" glances sitting at the gate at the Northern Kentucky Greater Cincinnati Airport - the big 'ol Superbowl ring was the giveaway. On the suggestion of Jim Schue, I decided to casually ask how the steakhouse biz was treating him. He made it clear that he wasn't interested in chit-chatting.

I was on a plane on Tuesday with big Don Shula. I noticed him after a couple of "is that really him" glances sitting at the gate at the Northern Kentucky Greater Cincinnati Airport - the big 'ol Superbowl ring was the giveaway. On the suggestion of Jim Schue, I decided to casually ask how the steakhouse biz was treating him. He made it clear that he wasn't interested in chit-chatting.

 

 

Should have asked: Are your 72 Dolphins really that big of dorks that they celebrate when the last team loses?

Should have asked: Are your 72 Dolphins really that big of dorks that they celebrate when the last team loses?

 

That was the line of questioning that FKYW suggested. Maybe I should have gone with his idea instead.

Met Cawood Ledford at a gas pump in Bowling Green, KY.

Ate dinner in a room with Joe Pa, Mac Brown, Tressell etc. Ran into Urban Myer in the parking lot. Chris Carter + Corey Dillon at a bar different times. Getting on an elevator in Dallas and this guy about blinded me with the diamonds in his huge belt buckle...Jerry Jones. Saw Herschal Walker at airport in Dallas this Spring he looks like he could still run the rock.

 

Favorite is this one. At the Donut Hole in Destin Florida. My dad who will be 70 this year lights up like a Christmas Tree. He whispers don't be obvious but I think Bart Starr is sitting behind you. It looks like he has a championship ring on. Sure enough it was him with his wife and 2 friends. Dad was shaking he was so excited. We didn't bother them. About 20 min later they got up to leave and my wife said to his wife "excuse me is that Bart Starr?" She said "why yes it is Bart come here". He walked over with their friends and introduced himself. My wife was so excited to shake hands she knocked a whole Coke right in my lap! Red faced I shook hands with him laughing. I bet he stayed there and talked to us a good solid 10 min at least. Just an incredibly humble guy. My son was about 2 then. Got a great picture of Bart, Dad, son and me. Can't say enough what a great guy he was. I'll try to dig up the pic.

This does not really count but.....

A good friend of mine just returned from Disney World and saw Tom Cruise and daughter Suri.

Bump in to Mike Leake frequently at First Watch in the RiverCenter - Covington.

 

Several Reds and Bengals are regulars.

While handling services for his brother-in-law I had the pleasure of meeting George Clooney. Very warm and friendly guy...Also back when I was 13 years old I got to shake hands with Casey Stengel at the 1970 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles.

Also got to go backstage and meet Stevie Ray Vaughn at Riverbend many years ago.

Met Cawood Ledford at a gas pump in Bowling Green, KY.

That is one man I always wanted to me. I still miss the voice. RIP.

Got a chance to meet General Paul Tibbetts (he was a Colonel in WWII).

 

He was the pilot of the Enola Gay B-29.

Got a chance to meet General Paul Tibbetts (he was a Colonel in WWII).

 

He was the pilot of the Enola Gay B-29.

 

In Bob Greene's book, Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War, Greene descibes how shocked he was when Paul Tibbetts drove up to the interview driving a Toyota.

Without telling you what I do I can say that because of my job I've worked with some celebrity athletes.

 

John McEnroe and Guillermo Vilas

 

Darell Dawkins

 

George Gervin

 

Isiah Thomas

 

Darrell Griffith (who I consider a friend. Saw him in a grocery store a few night ago and we shared a hug)

 

Denny Crum knows me by name and has bragged about my weight loss to his wife.

 

I worked with Steve Mariucci well before his NFL coaching career.

 

I've shaken hands with Dick Vitale, Tom Jackson and several other network announcers.

 

I got to meet Dennis DeYoung, the former lead singer of my favorite band Styx, at a college basketball game.

 

And my best celebrity story, I got very drunk once with the former mayor of Louisville, William Stansbury (God rest his soul).

 

I've also met or spoken to Patrick Ewing, Dana Kirk, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Howard Schnellenberger, Bill Curry, Joe Hall, Ron Cooper, Bobby Pitrino, Steve Kragthorp and others.

I guess this belongs in this thread too....

 

True story...I ran into Lenny Kravitz at Guestroom Records here in Louisville last Wednesday.

I got a retweet from John Fay once.

 

I once got Tony Kornheiser to laugh at an email I sent him for his ESPN radio show.