Brushes With Greatness!

[bigalcal]

After watching the sweater of Larry Robinson hoisted to the rafters last night of the Bell Centre I dug thru my archives and found this photo. I met him when I lived in Banff in the'80's. He was attending the Team Canada training camp for the '84 Canada Cup. I was moonlighting from my bartending jod as a pedicab driver.

Has any body else had brushes with greatness?

[lonefisher]

I once saw the man and woman from Ballooner Landing at market mall....... does that count

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Don't have a picture, but i met Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes on halloween after a concert at Mac Hall. He's strongly considered the 'new Bob Dylan', and one of the best songwriters i've ever heard....he was pretty coked out though haha..

[SanJuanWorm]

Me and Paris Hilton were gettin er done.

[Taco]

Me and Paris Hilton were gettin er done.

 

So that was you in the video..... you've put on a coupla pounds since.

[CDone]

After watching the sweater of Larry Robinson hoisted to the rafters last night of the Bell Centre I dug thru my archives and found this photo. I met him when I lived in Banff in the'80's. He was attending the Team Canada training camp for the '84 Canada Cup. I was moonlighting from my bartending jod as a pedicab driver.

Has any body else had brushes with greatness?

Where did you bar tend? I was in Banff from 79' to 86. Met lots of semi-famous folk in Banff, lots of hockey players and skiers.

 

Colin

[bulltrout]

jack dennis, mike lawson, gary lafontaine, ray whitney, barry mitchell and bret hart...that's all i got...first three were at a fishing/tying convention here in lethbridge some years back...my stepdad is good friends with whitney's dad, floyd (they met at a policing workshop) and so our families became good friends...met barry just last month at the oldman TU meeting...and i met bret at a hitmen/hurricanes game when i was 10...

[Guest bigbadbrent]

my friend lost in an arm wrestle with Phaneuf at the bar last year haha

[Carlodabroads]

Met Alice Cooper in Maui just randomly at a mall when I was 14. My friend and I had him sign our shirts. He was quite short but a cool dude for sure.

 

in 2001 I was on my way home from Costa Rica. they frequently ask for volunteers to give up their seats after they do their calcs for weight restrictions. I always offer, and usuallly get $$$$ vouchers for the airline and a fancy shack to stay for the night. Anyway I met Dave Coulier - the blond guy from Full house, at the hotel lobby. I had a good chat and he and his wife asked me to join them for dinner. Nice folks, but greatness....I dont think so.

 

Got backstage once a warped tour in Van and met the likes of Fishbone, Rocket from the crypt, and My idols at the time NOFX. all cause my lady and I were in line for beer outside the show at a pub. the guy behind me was from the USA, I told him he should try some of the local beers, granville island, shaftsbury etc, and I ended up buying him one for some odd reason(karma I guess). turned out he was the promoter and didnt like my tale of how we were having a beer while we about to draft up a plan to sneak into the concert. He liked the beer though and said "rather than sneaking in, try taking these all access passes!"

[ladystrange]

i have a picture with princess diana 85 or 86 i think. ray charles, the nylons (before paul and marc died), michael j fox, have a picture with jim nabours (sp?) carol burnett, darcy rhoda, paul baxter is my 2nd or 3rd cousin, worked at the saddledome next to the conference room in 2000 - 01 met most of the team, coaches and scouts, bob from seasame street, diana ross - danced with her on stage in 82 or 83, tiger williams (went to school with his son also), guy lafleur, lou pasaguila (sp? bc lions kicker)

 

there are a few more, but i dont remember at the moment

[Nick0Danger]

I worked at the NHL Draft, when it was in calgary. Meet all sorts of people, of course my brother in law who is completely sports inept, missed his chance to get Guy Lafleur autograph for his dad, who is a HUGE montreal fan. Was totally an awesome day

 

Oh and ive Fished with MAX

[reevesr1]

Hey, I fished with Max too! And "The King of Swing".

 

I also met and talked to Gordy Howe for about 15 minutes a couple of years ago. Talked about golfing and fishing in Texas when he played with the Aero's before he started telling the old Hockey Stories. It was really cool to look at the faces of the Canadian guys gathered around the table. Rapture might not be too strong a word?

 

On my first trip to Canada to visit my then girlfriend, now wife, I went out with her sister and her boyfriend. The boyfriend was Gord Miller, who was then a 20 yr old broadcaster in Edmonton. I sit down at a table with them and a couple of other guys. The other guys were Dave Semenko and Dave Lumley. They were introduced to me like I should know who they were. I'm like "how's it going guys?" Just oblivious. Only through conversation do I figure out they played for the Oilers. I don't remember them buying me any beer though. Cheap bastards. Easy to call them that from a distance!

[flyangler]

I've worked on professional athletes in baseball, football, hockey, figure skating and soccer as well as actors, actresses and politicians. They were all guaranteed confidentiality.

[Weedy1]

I don't remember them buying me any beer though.

 

That's because Peter Puck and Sather had most of the team on a $5.00/week allowance back then otherwise they would have all been cocaine freaks. It wasn't hard to meet an Oiler back then, just had to hit any pub on Calgary trail.

 

I've met most of those dynasty boys. They all went to the same pubs I used to hang out at. Had to take Dave Hunter home drunk to his wife one night, man was that a show!

 

I think my most memorable encounter with fame was with Wilt Chamberlain at the 1978 Commonwealth games. He walked right into me while I was bent down tying up my shoe. He was extremely apologetic. I didn’t have a clue who he was until I found out in the news he was in town. Wasn’t much into BB back then.

[birchy]

Gordie Howe elbowed me in the chin when I was a kid. Nuff said.

 

All mine are hockey players.. met most of the 1987 Team Canada in person.. Gretzky, Mess, Anderson, Coffey, Yzerman.. didn't meet Lemieux.

 

Also met Bobby Hull and Paul Henderson..

 

More recently.. chatted with Martin Gelinas in a Tim Hortons.. Dean McAmmond in the Dome parking lot. Theo Fleury in Walmart.. what a mess that guy is!

[Inconnu]

Ron MacLean used to camp at our house/farm on the odd weekend when I was a kid....we were around the same age. Our Dads used to work together in Victoria.

[ladystrange]

oh yeah, forgot about the skaters...

 

peggy flemming, dorothy hamil, talher cranston (sp on both accounts), scott hamilton, the japanese american figure skater that won a gold in singles awhile back - yamaguchi??, and silver girl calgary 88 canadian. the skaters were not my thing, that was my mom, i just happened to be dragged around because she skated with most of the professionals that are between 55 - 65 now back in the 60's.

[kritofr]

When I worked at Hanson's I had the pleasure of meeting several interesting people who wandered into the shop while they were staying at the Pallisor hotel

Tom Selleck was a frequent shopper when he was in town,

George Bush Sr. came in with his whole entourage of security when he was up here to float the bow with another guide (and Peter Pocklington)

John Goodman and John Cusack meandered into the shop.

Met Andy Garcia when one of the guides for Hanson's took him out for an afternoon

and I guided Robert Duval for a great afternoon. Man, he had some stories.............

[dryfly]

I swear, but could be wrong, that I've seen Bono on the Bow a few times.

[EvilWeevil]

I slept with a girl who slept with the drummer from the headstones oh and she lived with Pamela anderson for awhile to lol yup thats about it for me oh just wait when I was young i used to throw rocks at chad kroeger of nickel back I sure showed him lol

[Fisherwoman]

Hi Byron Ritchie was one of my clients, he's a good guy.

[Rick]

Back in the 70's I was running across the lawn at Heritage Park ( Calgary) making a delivery while a private function was happening. Very suddenly I was taken down by four guys in suits. When I got a chance to look up I saw, not 10 feet from me, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau in a horse drawn carriage. Thank God they didn't have tasers back then. Never did get an apology either. Mind you, I can only imagine what they thought seeing me running straight for the Prime Minister with a cardboard box in my arms. Too funny. Rick.

[ladystrange]

Back in the 70's I was running across the lawn at Heritage Park ( Calgary) making a delivery while a private function was happening. Very suddenly I was taken down by four guys in suits. When I got a chance to look up I saw, not 10 feet from me, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau in a horse drawn carriage. Thank God they didn't have tasers back then. Never did get an apology either. Mind you, I can only imagine what they thought seeing me running straight for the Prime Minister with a cardboard box in my arms. Too funny. Rick.

 

 

 

LMAO, that's a good one. humm, there is some crazy guy dressed in a strange uniform, in a mad dash heading straight for the PM. what could be in that box?!?!?

[Weedy1]

I met this guy stealing flowers in Mongolia then reported him to the authorities.

 

[Nick0Danger]

Hey, I fished with Max too! And "The King of Swing".

 

I also met and talked to Gordy Howe for about 15 minutes a couple of years ago. Talked about golfing and fishing in Texas when he played with the Aero's before he started telling the old Hockey Stories. It was really cool to look at the faces of the Canadian guys gathered around the table. Rapture might not be too strong a word?

 

On my first trip to Canada to visit my then girlfriend, now wife, I went out with her sister and her boyfriend. The boyfriend was Gord Miller, who was then a 20 yr old broadcaster in Edmonton. I sit down at a table with them and a couple of other guys. The other guys were Dave Semenko and Dave Lumley. They were introduced to me like I should know who they were. I'm like "how's it going guys?" Just oblivious. Only through conversation do I figure out they played for the Oilers. I don't remember them buying me any beer though. Cheap bastards. Easy to call them that from a distance!

 

Speaking of Dave Semenko, My father, my father in law, and my wifes uncle, all fought Dave Semenko. My father also fought my father in law and wifes uncle. All they have to say is Dave Semenko, has fist's like bricks.