Disastrous brush with a celebrity?

I was a decathlete in college. From Oregon. So of course an all-time hero was Dan O'Brien, current US record holder in the Decathlon, former world record holder, and all around badass (according to his PR's). In high school, before leaving for college my track coach had given me an autographed poster of Dan O'Brien. It was in my room back home. Anyways, I had the good fortune to run into Mr. O'Brien at a bar in Indianapolis during the 2007 US Championships. I was 21 and drunk. These were the early days of my drinking career wherein simply getting into a bar still qualified as cool and as such I had that giddy drunk rush going. Someone pointed out that O'Brien was at the bar, so my bumbling ass went over and introduced myself, but before I did, I said to myself, whatever you do, don't tell him about the poster in your room. So we're talking track for five minutes, until there's a lull in the conversation, and not wanting to lose my chance to shoot the breeze with O'Brien, I blurt out: I HAVE YOUR POSTER IN MY BEDROOM. Obviously he thought that was weird. I was kicking myself for saying that, but mercifully, I thought of a new topic of conversation.

I did my first college indoor heptathlon in 2005. In 2003 the NCAA switched from hosting an indoor pentathlon at indoor championships to the current heptathlon format it currently runs. Knowing this fact, I wondered if Dan O'Brien ever competed in the indoor heptathlon or if in his day he stuck exclusively to the indoor pentathlon. So I asked him, "have you ever done an indoor heptathlon?" His response... "Yes, actually I have the world record in that event." With that, I put my tail between my legs and left, thoroughly embarrassed.

quote

Such celebrity encounters are often hoped for and always thrilling, but they are at least half-expected in circumstances like a public concert.

...

Turning a corner, we came face to face with a man who is probably the most popular postal employee in our town.

...

“The guy. The one from the recycling center.”

\quote

LMAO

dean moriarty wrote:

When my mother was a little kid, she got into an elevator with Wilt Chamberlain, and her little brother screamed when he saw Wilt because he was so big. Supposedly, he thought it was funny.

He fucked her, didn't he?

I like a band called Dinosaur Jr a lot. Anyway, I was wearing their shirt at the store and a guy comes up to me and compliments the shirt. Jack White. We talked a while and actually walked down the street to a music shop and jammed. I was on drums and he was on guitar. He then invited me to play in a show with him that night. Just an awesome experience. But when we played Seven Nation Army, a very simple song for drummers, I came in off-beat. Very embarrassing. We're friends now though and I've had several opportunities to jam with him. He's asked me if I've ever wanted to try to break into music for real, but it's just not for me now because I'm older.

That was a beautiful piece of writing. Someone else in this thread mentioned Updike in an unrelated but funny instance. If I had to relate a style I would say his, or DeLillo. Great stuff. Keep at it.

Uhh, we're talking about celebrities.

Amazing all the negative encounters with swarthy "celebrities",by deer in the headlights ,caucosoids.

Deekay wrote:

That was a beautiful piece of writing. Someone else in this thread mentioned Updike in an unrelated but funny instance. If I had to relate a style I would say his, or DeLillo. Great stuff. Keep at it.

It was a great short piece. But studying rhetoric would help this writer strengthen his/her work significantly. Sentence variation and length were no issue. Wordiness got to me somewhat, and voice lacked. Rhetoricians always skillfully apply voice to all writing. Still, it was good.

God I'm jealous. That is so awesome

Who?

Hipster wrote:

I like a band called Dinosaur Jr a lot. Anyway, I was wearing their shirt at the store and a guy comes up to me and compliments the shirt. Jack White. We talked a while and actually walked down the street to a music shop and jammed. I was on drums and he was on guitar. He then invited me to play in a show with him that night. Just an awesome experience. But when we played Seven Nation Army, a very simple song for drummers, I came in off-beat. Very embarrassing. We're friends now though and I've had several opportunities to jam with him. He's asked me if I've ever wanted to try to break into music for real, but it's just not for me now because I'm older.

If this is a real story, then that is amazing. He is a powerful enough man to literally get you into the music industry. That is amazing. I have friends who are very good musicians in their own right who would literally kill for the experience you described. Did he mean get you into the industry as an actual musician or on the management/public relations/business side of things?

I met this girl at Fred 62 in LA in Los Feliz. She was cute and I had no idea who she was. We hit it off and hung out a few times. She told me she was an actress the first time I met her. Then the second time that she was on Battlestar Galactica. Then the third time she said she was Boomer, which was of course very cool, but I didn't care and we hung out more.

One day she was giving me a ride home and as she dropped me off I took a picture of her to associate with her phone number when she called. It was totally innocent, but I wasn't thinking. She freaked. I could see it in her eyes. Of course I didn't think that she has to deal with TMZ and paparazzi all the time, and I ruined a perfectly cool friendship over that.

I called her to apologize during the last World Cup when her team, the Italians did so well, but she never called back.

JerseyJuke wrote:

....Apparently, Harry signed a dollar bill and sent it to my friend with an obscenity laced note.

Good stuff. Only from Harry.

Well if Harry Groves is going to be considered a "celebrity", then I've got tons of disastrous brushes with a celebrity. Since I ran for that crazy SOB. God love him.

In the late 90's my girl friend was working at an upscale gym in La Jolla CA. One night they were having their year end party at the gym and after having a few I headed upstairs to "drop the kids off."

When I exited the stall I headed to the sinks and standing in front of me was this naked black guy washing his hands in one of the two sinks. From the back he looks like one of my roommates, same hair and build (not many black guys in this hood). But he has a couple tats on his shoulder that my roommate didn't. As I am walking toward the sink I am still trying to process how my roommate would come to be standing naked in the bathroom of this gym. At the last minute I realize it is not my roommate and just opt for a head bob in the reflection in the mirror.

As I am walking down the stairs to rejoin the party I am now trying to figure out why a random dude is standing naked in the gym bathroom after hours. I meet up with my girl friend and she asks where I have been. I tell her upstairs in the bathroom. She asks did I see Lenny Kravitz, he came in to take a steam before his concert?

Ohhh. Glad I didn't smack his ass like I would have my roommate.

I have a Jennifer Aniston run-in story. It began so well, and ended so badly, where do I begin!?

I was working on a show that she was a part of, and figured when she showed up she'd have like a team of people swarming around her. Not only did she not have a team around her, I didnt even notice the first day she got there. So I'm going into the office kitchen, and there's this fine female bending over looking in the refridgerator. I'm trying hard not to stare, but I just can't help myself. I move by her to get a glass for some water, and she whips around unexpectedly, not realizing I was there, and one inch from my face says "HI!". We chatted for a bit, she showed me pictures of her dog, it was nice. But some jealous fly-on-the-wall person must have seen our greeting and within hours there was a widespread rumor that I hit on Jennifer Aniston and she smacked me in the mouth! Needless to say, I got alot of crazy looks after that from people.

I do kinda wonder what it would have been like if she did slap me, haha, but alas it didnt happen.

The Kravitz story reminds me:

In the early 80's, Bill Walton, frustrated by foot injuries, took a hiatus to attend law school (mine). One afternoon, I pop into the restroom adjacent to the main book locker area and there he is, stark, changing for intramurals. I quickly move by but the instant impression is: not an ounce of fat spread over the 6'11", 270 pounds of muscle.

I guess he figured if he could play intramural he might as well go back to the NBA because he departed school shortly afterward. I don't think he ever needed the J.D.

malmo wrote:

In college I managed swimming pools during the Summer. One of the kids was Martin Lawrence. One day I kicked him out of the pool for rough-housing and on the way out he told me he was going to get his brother and his brother was going to kick my ass.

I looked Martin in the eye and told him, "You go get your brother right now. When I tell him about all of the wrongdoin' you been doin at the pool today, he and I are both going to kick your ass!"

1) You're reading comp is not so good...Martin Lawrence was NOT a celebrity when this took place. Fail # 1

2) This is not disastrous, only a pathetic attempt to make a wimpy distance runner seem tuff. Fail # 2

Dang... wrote:

If this is a real story, then that is amazing. He is a powerful enough man to literally get you into the music industry. That is amazing. I have friends who are very good musicians in their own right who would literally kill for the experience you described. Did he mean get you into the industry as an actual musician or on the management/public relations/business side of things?

He's meant as a musician. I played a few of my own pieces for him and he has said I have material good enough for a real album. Of course, by no means do I think I'm on a level anywhere near him or many other musicians out there. I know of a lot of better musicians than me who haven't broken in. He does have the ability though.

On the same note, I wouldn't want to take advantage of a situation to that extent. I'm glad I've had opportunities to play and talk music with him. I could never really do the whole music thing. Touring and facing pressures from all aspects of the industry would get to me quickly. I'm satisfied with the experiences I've had. Other people can be famous.

kadsjfklasj wrote:

1) You're reading comp is not so good...Martin Lawrence was NOT a celebrity when this took place. Fail # 1

2) This is not disastrous, only a pathetic attempt to make a wimpy distance runner seem tuff. Fail # 2

I can't quite determine if it's the extreme amount of courage that it took you to post as "kadsjfklasj" or the fact that you even bothered to post at all that makes you the definitive example of what is pathetic and wimpy.

malmo wrote:

kadsjfklasj wrote:

1) You're reading comp is not so good...Martin Lawrence was NOT a celebrity when this took place. Fail # 1

2) This is not disastrous, only a pathetic attempt to make a wimpy distance runner seem tuff. Fail # 2

I can't quite determine if it's the extreme amount of courage that it took you to post as "kadsjfklasj" or the fact that you even bothered to post at all that makes you the definitive example of what is pathetic and wimpy.

Hahaha....