The Most Famous Person You've Ever Seen/Met In Person..?

Richard Branson, walking down the street in London after the premier of Harry Potter.

Drank beer with Air Supply

Linford Christie and Seb Coe (seen/heard speeches)

Roger Bannister- met and talked to.

Jon Snow/Michael Portillo as well I guess for the non-sporting Brits and also Teddy Sheringham.

David Bedford and Ian Stewart.

I've hugged Muhammad Ali. Top that, suckahs.

i ran about 6 miles with Don Kardong.

I've met Seb Coe after a pre-Olympics bid luncheon in London: he signed my book ... I warmed-up with Carl Lewis prior to an 800 metre race at Tropical Park in Miami (we ran a stride on the back straight as he was preparing for a 100 metres race) ... I nearly collided with Jude Law on Hampstead Heath on Christmas holiday (early morning run; he and Sienna were taking thier baby for a walk near the duck pond on the east side of the Heath) .... I've met Sonia O'Sullivan a few times at my local Starbucks in Kingston-Upon-Thames (where I also said hello to Craig Mottram) ....

... and I saw Madonna once comming out of a restaurant in Chelsea ... but that was a *long* time ago ...

Martin

I had a date with Jose Canseco during his rookie year while the A's were at spring training in Phoenix. I worked at the hotel where the team stayed. (yes I'm female). I was in the hotel elevator with Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth. They are both pretty short.

skylon wrote:

I've hugged Muhammad Ali. Top that, suckahs.

I think my date with Jose Canseco tops that. And I'm not going to spill any dirt.

Nelson Mandela: he awarded the medals at Comrades '97, I was pretty close. Definitely the greatest huma being I have been in the presence of.

My list includes Bill Clinton, Robert Redford, Brooke Shields, and a few other "real world" celebs, as well as track folks from Roger Bannister to Geb (a bunch, including Herb Elliott, Kip Keino, Jim Ryun, Al Oerter, Billy Mills, Derek Clayton, etc.)

Other famous people would rank "higher" in my eyes than Jose Canseco (Nelson Mandela is great), but having a date with a celeb, even one who turned out to be a jerk has put the bar high for this thread. Anyone else have a date/dinner/drinks with a famous person? And being a guest at a banquet honoring them doesn't count.

Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon.

In October 1984, after the 1984 LA Olympic Games, I went to El Paso for 15K race called 'Run against crime' sponsored by Nike. After the race, Rodolfo Gomez invited me along with his running group to a country dinner organized by Nike to the elite runners outside the city of El Paso. There, I met to Carlos Lopes the Gold medallist in Marathon. I shaked his hand and talked for about 3 minutes (in Spansih)

not sure the definition of famous person, but to me it would be someone who the general public would know. with that in mind:

mark mcguire--almost hit my sister with his red corvette in '89 as we were walking out of the A's game. we talked for a few min, i was in 2nd grade.

bobby knight--met him during an A's game. signed an autograph for me, was pretty cool too. after that, he was rushed by people, and security escorted them away...i was the only person during the game to get the autograph.

have friends in the NFL (sprinters from my track team), but they're not widely known.)

i know there's more, just cant think of any.

my dad met chuck norris about 10 years ago in a book store, and they talked for a long time.

my mom went to HS and was friends with Tom Hanks (skyline HS, in oakland, ca).

not the most famous person i've ever met, but one of the funnier encounters was meeting the dude who plays Dangle on reno 911. and i met him at a morrissey show. he's a fan in real life, not just on the show. he was drunk.

juamarti wrote: There, I met to Carlos Lopes the Gold medallist in Marathon. I shaked his hand and talked for about 3 minutes (in Spansih)

Your Spanish must be pretty bad, because Lopes was Portuguese...

saw dave grohl at the rehoboth beach board walk in delaware.

i unknowingly ran with meb during my sophomore year of cross country and had michael stember tell me that my form sucked when i was doing drills

Seen: Bill Clinton (while president)

Met: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)

Runner: Dick Beardsley