Awkward Encounters w/ Famous People

[NFBuck]

A couple years back ('09, I think?) gameday was at the AF Academy. As part of the "festivities", Herbstreit and Desmond Howard were taking a flight in some F-16s. They came brussling through the weather/base operations section here on Peterson AFB, visiting with people along the way. A guy that works in our building is a fellow Buckeye, so he pointed out to Herbstreit that I was a Buckeye as well. Herbie, to his credit, made an effort to come over and chat, thanking me for my service and just asking my connections to tOSU. We talked for a bit, the Pixie Howard threw in some light hearted trash talk and they were on their way. Now, as anybody here can easily see by my post history in his thread, I am not a Herbie fan. Not even a little bit. I can say he's a very pleasant guy, same for Howard, but the whole thing was awkward because, well, I just don't like him.


p.s. both Herbie and Howard utilized their barf bags on the flights.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I saw Nick...uh...Jessica Simpson's ex, in a generic Waffle House in VA. I didn't talk to him because he's a douche. I was installing fence at the time and working with my older brother. The waitress asked if we were with the band. I said yes.

 

[buxfan4life]

Not really awkward for me, but for two college-age chicks it sure was.

I was on my way home to South Florida from a trip to Yellowstone a couple of years ago and my return flight had 2 layovers, one in Salt Lake City and the other in LA. While on the LA layover (4 freaking hours), I notice this big, blonde, well dressed but sloppy guy saunter up to the gate desk and thought he looked familiar. As soon as I heard him talk I knew it was Ron White. He sounded hammered, slurring his words and such, but seemed to be in a happy mood. Once he got squared away at the desk, he came over to the area where all the seats were, and looked around for a spot. He saw these two college age chicks and went directly to the empty seats next to them. I sat there listening to what was going on while I acted like I was reading and it was really hard not to laugh. Dude was throwing game their way as hard as he could, but these two were not taking. He eventually realizes they aren't receptive to his advances, and promptly throws his head back and falls asleep, snoring. Laughing, I look at the two girls and they look back giggling and making the international sign for pot smoking and pointed at him. Guess he smelled like a thai stick.

He was on my flight and was passed out in First Class when I walked through back to my peasant seat. I guess he was performing at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL that weekend.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

When I was about 10, we had our end of the season Little League awards banquet and Bob Feller was the speaker. Afterwards he signed autographs. I finally got up for my turn and handed him my certificate for him to sign. He signed his name really big right in the middle and I just stood there for a second frowning at him. My dad (who grew up idolizing Feller) gave me the look of death. I couldn't help it...I was pissed that he could've signed anywhere but instead he signed right in the middle, thereby ruining the hard earned certificate. Ah to be 10 again...LOL!

 

[ochre]

I once stood about 2 feet away from Ted Turner. One of us was on a mule.

 

[NFBuck]

I saw Nick...uh...Jessica Simpson's ex, in a generic Waffle House in VA. I didn't talk to him because he's a douche. I was installing fence at the time and working with my older brother. The waitress asked if we were with the band. I said yes.

Did you ask for a blumpkin?

 

[Buckeye Maniac]

When I was about 10, we had our end of the season Little League awards banquet and Bob Feller was the speaker. Afterwards he signed autographs. I finally got up for my turn and handed him my certificate for him to sign. He signed his name really big right in the middle and I just stood there for a second frowning at him. My dad (who grew up idolizing Feller) gave me the look of death. I couldn't help it...I was pissed that he could've signed anywhere but instead he signed right in the middle, thereby ruining the hard earned certificate. Ah to be 10 again...LOL!

At the 98(?) Spring Game, back when they still allowed people to go around on the track and get autographs from players not in the game, I was waiting in line to get Winfield's autograph, it got to be my turn, and I started handing him my penant, and one of the coaches came over and dragged him back to the sideline. I was not happy. On the plus side, I did end up getting Tyson Walter's autograph that day, and we all know what a great guy he is.

 

[Muck]

When I was at Edson Range, one of the other coaches would spend his weekends up in LA. He claimed his family was close to that of Lou Diamond Phillips and that he was partying with Lou. The opinion on this ran the usual gamut; "cool!", "ok", "so?", "he's full of shit" etc.

Anyways one week he says that Lou wants to have a BBQ and we're all invited. So after the last relay is done qualifying on Fri, a bunch of us head up to LA. Finally we end up NW of the city in the Santa Monica mountains & pull into the driveway of a large ranch style house. Surprisingly Lou Diamond Phillips actually appears from inside the house. He's shirtless, barefoot, wearing cut off jean shorts, has tongs in one hand and a beer in the other.

"Guys, beer's in the cooler and steaks are on the grill, make yourself at home."

Lou turns out to be a gracious host, fun to talk to & a general all around cool dude.

As it's starting to get dark other people start to show up for the party. Mostly the usual Hollywood types that nobody knows (or cares) anything about (agents, producers, writers etc) and who you really don't want to hear drone on about various projects. There were some actual celebrities scattered around...I definitely recall Kiefer Sutherland & Emilio Estevez along with a few other actors who were big at the time like Peter DeLuise.

Somehow Tori Spelling decided that I was the guy she wanted to talk to. Sounds good right? No. You know the drunk chick at the bar who's babbling nonsense and won't leave you alone? The one who you fully expect to throw up on your shoes at any moment? Yeah, that was Tori Spelling. Not just drunk but throwing off the crazy vibe like nobody's business. I wanted nothing to do with her & was actively trying to avoid her at the party.

...which is how I ended up out front of the house arguing with her when the police arrived. Apparently there was a complaint called in by a neighbor. I have to give it the officers, they were the most polite cops I have ever encountered. Apologies were given on both sides and promises made to keep the noise down. As the officers got in their cars and drove off I looked across the street to see a disheveled older man in his bathrobe standing in his driveway and staring daggers at me...

It was David Lander aka Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

yeah nobody is going to top that

 

[BUCKYLE]

Did you ask for a blumpkin?

I was afraid he'd say yes.

 

[NFBuck]

I was afraid he'd say yes.

Well played, sir.

 

[AJHawkfan]

Not awkward, necessarily, but a story nonetheless.......

My wife and I were in Cleveland for the weekend a few years ago, and doing some shopping at the Tower City Center. We were in JCrew and heard some commotion out in the mall. I looked up and saw Dick Vitale walking into the store. He walked in and sat down on the men's courtesy sofa that some stores have. I walked over and took the spot on the far end from him. He glanced up at me when I was sitting down, so I struck up a conversation. I pretended not to know who he was, just shooing the shit with him like he was any guy on the street. We talked about a variety of topics, while our wives shopped. He and his wife were going to the Indians game that evening. (It was going to be chilly that night, so his wife wanted a sweater.) I explained that we were hoping to go, but it was sold out and we weren't able to get tickets. He got on his phone and called someone, asking if there was any way he could get two more tix. He was sorry to tell me that he wasn't able to get us seats. I thanked him for trying and wished him well. He can be a royal ass-hat on TV, but he is very polite and reserved in real life. His TV persona is more like that of a professional wrestler......

I had a much more awkward exchange with Justin Zwick while he was playing, but me thinks it be best if I not describe that here.......

 

[Brewtus]

A buddy had an extra ticket to a charity event about 10 years ago and asked me if I wanted to tag along - free food and open bar for a few hours. Of course I accepted, put on the best suit I owned and was impressed with the setup when we got there: very classy event, everyone's decked out in tux's, suits and evening gowns, all high-end liquor, catered by Wolfgang Puck's company, etc. So after a few hours we're pretty lit and trying some new hors d'oeuvres that are being passed around. I bite into one and tell my buddy, "this one tastes like shit, take a pass". I see his eyes open wide and then notice that Wolfgang Puck is standing right next to me, looks straight at me and smiles. I slowly finish swallowing his shitty hors d'oeuvre and say "I assume you probably overheard what I just said". He was very nice about it and said something about everyone has different tastes which is why he likes making a large variety of food for events like this. Then he quickly dismisses himself and starts mingling with other guests. So I've had the dubious honor of telling Wolfgang Puck that his food tastes like shit.

 

[buxfan4life]

So I've had the dubious honor of telling Wolfgang Puck that his food tastes like shit.

And you would be dead on. Ate as his place in Vegas once, left hungry because the "flatbread pizza" I had was horrible and I couldn't stomach more than 3 bites. Ugh.

 

[bigdog3300]

I used to work in So Cal and my company is based in Hartford, CT....since I would come back to visit NE Ohio quite often and flew out of LAX a couple times a month, I got to see quite a few celebrities. I'm that person that usually tries to come up with something clever (aren't we all?) so I've had a few good run-in's....

On a layover in Chicago I'm waiting to board and a man with a Bermuda hat and glasses, long hair, shaggy facial hair walks up with a blonde and then enters the plane alone. Everyone is already feisty and for some reason I'm surrounded by dozens of people who don't speak English, so I'm not having a great day. I'm finally standing in line to get to my seat when in first class I see the man, the myth, the legend, William H. Macy. Now I'm a huge fan of his, especially from The Cooler and I had just seen The Lincoln Lawyer with my fiancee who was so sad when he died. She was with me but always is too shy to say anything so the line starts moving and I'm about to walk past and we make eye contact and I say "Big fan....sorry that you died" thinking this was a witty remark and I'd walk past and be able to laugh about it. Of course, as fate has it, the line halts and I'm stuck side by side with him, he replies just "thanks", since he's a classy guy.

In LAX at one of those magazine shops I'm walking around with my fiancee again and I turn the corner and there is Duff (can't remember his last name, dude from Food TV/Ace of Cakes). I say the same thing in a somewhat loud voice to my fiancee who replies, "Who?", as he hears and looks over, looks dejected, and continues searching for a magazine.

Lastly while waiting to board (same trip as above) the flight was overbooked and they were asking for volunteers to take a different flight and get a travel voucher. Once the stakes went up I decided (since I'm cheap) that I should take it. Of course I'm too slow and miss it and the person in front of me gets the last one, so as we are ready to turn around I say to her "Just our luck..." I bump into this behemoth behind me wearing white Nikes, jeans, a dark blue tie dyed shirt and blue bandana who replies in his scruffy voice, "Better luck next time". Usually, when I have time, I'd think of something unclever to say back but being rushed and in the moment all I can do is look up and say, "Muscle America!" to Hulk Hogan. I have no clue what in the world Muscle America means to him or anyone else but for some reason that's all that came up to me. He gave me the NWO Hogan smirk and I walked away with an encounter from a God.