Famous people you have seen up close and where was it?

Donate To GopherHole
I was around a lot of current and former MLB players when I was working in minor league baseball. Was invited to a private dinner event with Harmon Killebrew once. That was incredible, he really was a nice guy. Been around others like Ryne Sandberg, Tony Gwynn, Joe Torre, and Billy Beane. Shared an elevator with Ken Rosenthal from Fox MLB broadcasts once at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas. He really is short. Lots of current MLBers like Buxton, Sano, Mike Trout, a good amount of the Royals team that won the WS a few years ago, lots of others. Some are nice guys, some are real jerks.
 

People talking about sports figures, I forgot one from a while back;

I got a chance to play 27 holes of golf one time with just me and Matt Blair, the old Vikings LB. Not a terrible player, but certainly can't play to his handicap. Talking to him I got the impression that because he played so many charity events, scrambles, etc that he doesn't get to putt and work on the short game much. Terrible putter and short game. Kind of fun to play just me and him though.
 

Took a leak next to Chris Doleman in the dome.

1) No, I did not get stage fright.

2) No, I did not ask for an autograph.
 

A few UFC guys. Vladimir Matyushenko, Antoni Hardonk, Fabricio Werdum one time. Snowman Jeff Monson. Sat in a bar south of Long Beach Can't remember the town it was. The locals said I was sitting next to Cameron Diaz's dad. Not sure if that was true.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
I was in a Holiday off 55 in Plymouth on a Sunday morning. There was a line of close to 10 people. That's actually a lot for a Holiday, with only one clerk. I waited patiently, and when it was finally my turn, Sid Hartman stepped right in front of me, flopped down a Sunday paper, paid and walked off.

Part of me thinks he's just an old confused guy, who probably didn't realize he'd cut in line. Part of me thinks he's just a dick, and has been doing that since the 1940's.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing he's a dick. He did the same thing to me at Walgreens off 100 and Duluth about 15 years ago.
 


I met Tito Ortiz at a Las Vegas convention, before the UFC/MMA got really big. I did not really know much about him at the time. He was really nice.
 

Went jogging with James Carville one day. I was in New Orleans on business, and went for a jog and happened to be running right next to Carville, just him and me for about five miles. Talked all about New Orleans and Tulane (he was a professor there at the time) and nothing about politics. When he made his last loop around the park and was going to quit, he told me thanks for not talking politics for the jog. Really funny guy, it was great talking with him. You don't see him on TV much these days, but when you do, pay attention. His last big appearance is when he wanted to get BIden as the candidate instead of Bernie. Carville is great at politics and has a lot of influence in the Dem party.
 
Last edited:

When I was about 20 years old, we heard about a party at Dr. John Najarian's south Minneapolis house. We went there and the entire family was there, and they had an 8 foot long sub sandwich there, that was cut up in pieces to eat. We did not know them, but we were hungry kids, their family was really nice. We ate and left. That was a really nice thing to do for a bunch of hungry kids.
RIP Dr. Najarian.
 

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
Beautiful Girls is a classic.
Click to expand...
I just noticed Matt Dillon/Bird is wearing a Husker Du t-shirt in the breakfast scene after plowing snow all night in the beginning of the movie.

Even more of a classic.
 



Probably a lot, but most I can't think of at the moment. A few I can remember:

Not me, but my wife and her friends had dinner with the Pohlads at their home.

Dick Bremer and his family in the row in front of us at the Children's Theatre.

Brian Setzer in line to see Midnight Oil at First Avenue. (Short dude)

Got a hug from Matt Wilson at his show in Winona last January. And I'm always seeing John Munson around town different places; great guy.

Sid Hatmann at Byerly's in Golden Valley.

Meat Sauce at a haunted hayride a few years ago. (Is he a celebrity?)

I'll think of more.
 

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I was just told today that Jose Canseco is buying the house right next to mine, like right over the masonry wall from me. House is being built now. Funny thing is, literally yesterday I saw two people out there looking around, surveying the landscape and it crossed my mind to go out and open up the swim spa, all 4 speakers, crank up some Metallica and get into the spa naked, let the new neighbors know what they might be in for. Probably a sound decision not to do that, in retrospect.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
I was in a Holiday off 55 in Plymouth on a Sunday morning. There was a line of close to 10 people. That's actually a lot for a Holiday, with only one clerk. I waited patiently, and when it was finally my turn, Sid Hartman stepped right in front of me, flopped down a Sunday paper, paid and walked off.

Part of me thinks he's just an old confused guy, who probably didn't realize he'd cut in line. Part of me thinks he's just a dick, and has been doing that since the 1940's.
Click to expand...
The most shocking thing about this is Sid paying for a Sunday paper.....
 




I had lunch w/ Sid once and got a shout out on his radio show. He had strange table manners, to put it kindly.
I met Christian Laettner briefly--a total dick.
I met Luc Longley briefly--great guy.
Several years ago my wife and daughter were standing in line for several minutes next to Tom Hanks at a fancy fast food restaurant LA. My wife was too shy (scared) to strike up a conversation with Hanks so she tried to get my daughter's attention about the superstar next to them by furiously mimicking the actor eating the piece of corn in the movie "Big." After a while Hanks noticed this crazy woman next him and very politely turned to my wife and asked, "How are you?" All my wife could manage in response was "Fine, thanks." A couple of minutes later his food arrived and he was gone. My wife had 6-8 minutes next to the biggest star in Hollywood and all she managed was "Fine, thanks." Oh well.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I was just told today that Jose Canseco is buying the house right next to mine, like right over the masonry wall from me. House is being built now. Funny thing is, literally yesterday I saw two people out there looking around, surveying the landscape and it crossed my mind to go out and open up the swim spa, all 4 speakers, crank up some Metallica and get into the spa naked, let the new neighbors know what they might be in for. Probably a sound decision not to do that, in retrospect.
Click to expand...

Oh man, you MUST and I mean MUST party with Jose at some point. Invest in some good cuban cigars or old scotch to butter him up - be ready with questions galore. Madonna, McGwire, steroids, ARod, the list goes on. I cannot wait for the updates.

Go Ogee Oglethorpe's New Neighbor!!
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I was just told today that Jose Canseco is buying the house right next to mine, like right over the masonry wall from me. House is being built now. Funny thing is, literally yesterday I saw two people out there looking around, surveying the landscape and it crossed my mind to go out and open up the swim spa, all 4 speakers, crank up some Metallica and get into the spa naked, let the new neighbors know what they might be in for. Probably a sound decision not to do that, in retrospect.
Click to expand...
Jose Canseco is one of the most interesting follows for me on Twitter-prepare for an interesting ride Ogee!
 

coolhandgopher said:
Jose Canseco is one of the most interesting follows for me on Twitter-prepare for an interesting ride Ogee!
Click to expand...
The funny thing is, the first thing I thought about when I was told was the image of having that ball bounce off his head in the outfield and into the stands for a home run. I guess of all the things that can haunt a guy and hang with you, there could be a lot worse.

I guess he's been trying his hand at fighting/boxing/MMA and the guys at the project today that follow that stuff said he just got his ass handed to him in a fight recently?
 

BleedGopher said:
Oh man, you MUST and I mean MUST party with Jose at some point. Invest in some good cuban cigars or old scotch to butter him up - be ready with questions galore. Madonna, McGwire, steroids, ARod, the list goes on. I cannot wait for the updates.

Go Ogee Oglethorpe's New Neighbor!!
Click to expand...
I'll make every effort! We'll have to make sure tikited goes over and introduces himself the next time he pitches a tent in my backyard for a weekend in LV again.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
The funny thing is, the first thing I thought about when I was told was the image of having that ball bounce off his head in the outfield and into the stands for a home run. I guess of all the things that can haunt a guy and hang with you, there could be a lot worse.

I guess he's been trying his hand at fighting/boxing/MMA and the guys at the project today that follow that stuff said he just got his ass handed to him in a fight recently?
Click to expand...
Well, let's put it this way-Michael Spinks lasted longer against Tyson than Canseco lasted in his MMA debut.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I'll make every effort! We'll have to make sure tikited goes over and introduces himself the next time he pitches a tent in my backyard for a weekend in LV again.
Click to expand...
I will be sure to bring up Kirk Gibson. 😉
 



jamiche said:
I had lunch w/ Sid once and got a shout out on his radio show. He had strange table manners, to put it kindly.
I met Christian Laettner briefly--a total dick.
I met Luc Longley briefly--great guy.
Several years ago my wife and daughter were standing in line for several minutes next to Tom Hanks at a fancy fast food restaurant LA. My wife was too shy (scared) to strike up a conversation with Hanks so she tried to get my daughter's attention about the superstar next to them by furiously mimicking the actor eating the piece of corn in the movie "Big." After a while Hanks noticed this crazy woman next him and very politely turned to my wife and asked, "How are you?" All my wife could manage in response was "Fine, thanks." A couple of minutes later his food arrived and he was gone. My wife had 6-8 minutes next to the biggest star in Hollywood and all she managed was "Fine, thanks." Oh well.
Click to expand...
I would have said "OMG it's Kip from Bosom Buddies!!!"
 
Last edited:

BleedGopher said:
Oh man, you MUST and I mean MUST party with Jose at some point. Invest in some good cuban cigars or old scotch to butter him up - be ready with questions galore. Madonna, McGwire, steroids, ARod, the list goes on. I cannot wait for the updates.

Go Ogee Oglethorpe's New Neighbor!!
Click to expand...
More importantly- what’s it like to be involved in the greatest Simpsons episode of all time?
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I was just told today that Jose Canseco is buying the house right next to mine, like right over the masonry wall from me. House is being built now. Funny thing is, literally yesterday I saw two people out there looking around, surveying the landscape and it crossed my mind to go out and open up the swim spa, all 4 speakers, crank up some Metallica and get into the spa naked, let the new neighbors know what they might be in for. Probably a sound decision not to do that, in retrospect.
Click to expand...

It's more likely that's what YOU'RE in for. Jose is a party animal!

Fun ice breaker when you meet him: Ask him if it's true his balls are super tiny, like his ex-wife claims?

tiny grapes.jpg
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
The funny thing is, the first thing I thought about when I was told was the image of having that ball bounce off his head in the outfield and into the stands for a home run. I guess of all the things that can haunt a guy and hang with you, there could be a lot worse.

I guess he's been trying his hand at fighting/boxing/MMA and the guys at the project today that follow that stuff said he just got his ass handed to him in a fight recently?
Click to expand...

He fought to a 3 round draw vs Danny Bonaduce a while back, so I'm a little skeptical of his skills. However, in this re-enactment video he did of a bar fight he had in Miami, his brother sounds pretty badass. :)

 

coolhandgopher said:
Jose Canseco is one of the most interesting follows for me on Twitter-prepare for an interesting ride Ogee!
Click to expand...
Well, my local source now says Jose has backed out of the purchase; it was mutual, but the owner said he was difficult (shocker). I have to say, I think I'm happy he's not going to be my neighbor. I wonder where he's living now? A friend said he's at the golf course around the corner all the time so he can't be shacking up too far away now. Not my problem anymore!
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom