Now, I ain't no name-dropper or nuthin' and could really care less 'bout people that are, after all, meetin' celebrities ain't really that bigga deal.  Like mostuvya, we all have met people of note in our lives and even tho' it's kinda cool, it ain't all that life changin' or nuthin'..Matter-a-fack, out of all the famous sports celebrities I've met....I have yet to even ask one for an autograph...not that there's anything wrong with askin' em.  In fact, in a way, I kinda wish I would have now...You know, E-Bay and all...cha-ching!

     I can honestly say that every famous person I ever met has been a random meeting...right place atda right time.  In my lifetime, the best place I found to meet 'em was in bars...and since I spent a large part of my free time in saloons..back-inda-day, ya gotta figger my margin and odds for meetin' 'em anywhere else, were 'bout as long as Roger Clemen's comin' out smellin' like a rose after the last year or so.  But this ain't about a-holes.

     Back inda mid-80's, Da Stevo useta hang-out inna kinda upscale country-western bar, and even tho' some uvya might call that an oxymoron, lotsa folks with upscale dollars useta come in there.  One night, I found myself talkin' to a latina girl who looked like she was havin' a lotta fun...I asked her if she was married and she said, " Yes."  I then made a request to her to "Git rid of him" and she said, "You might wanna take that up with him", and pointed to a guy standin' behind me.  I turned around and my eyes were face-to-face with the tip of a necktie onna nicely-pressed dress-shirt and sharp jacket wrapped around both.  I raised my head up to see what giant might be wearin' this ensemble, and sure 'nuff:

     Yup...Rudy T....Nearly, pi*sin' in my boots, I quickly stuck my hand out and said, "RUDY!..Whatya drinkin'?.."   He shook my hand, and with a smile on his face, he accepted a Miller-Lite, if memory serves me correck'ly.  Knowin' I'd dodged a bullet after hittin' on his ol'lady..Me n' that cat spent a cupla hrs buyin' each other beers and talkin' sports and whatever else came to our minds.

   Makin' a long story short, Rudy Tomjanovich, is truly one of the most genuine people I have ever met and I'm not really even sure if he knows or cares that he's famous.  Matter of fact, when he took over the Rockets reign as interim head-coach, a few years later, after Don Cheney resigned, It wasn't even a job he lobbied for...As I remember, he did so reluctantly..and that ain't bad ferra nice guy that led the Rockets to back-to-back championships and coined the phrase: "Never underestimate the heart of a champion..."

     After we both decided to git up from our barstools, me, to make the rounds, and Rudy, to share a dance with his wife,  he extended a compliment to me that I'll never forget. "Steve, I gotta tellya, It's been nice to talk to someone that obviously knows what he's talkin' 'bout and I thoroughly enjoyed talkin' withya.." ...Better'n an autograph...ainnit?

     Even if that guy wasn't Rudy T...No way his wife woulda "got rid of him..."

 Here's toya, Rudy...one of the nice guys....

Note: The only autograph I considered even payin for, was at one of those shows they put on where celeb's show up...I coulda gotta signed pic with me standin' by Ken Osmond...You 'member him...Eddie Haskell of "Leave it to Beaver" fame...might still do it one uv these days...

(Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh)