Geezer Query - Who are most distant past sports legends you've actually seen play in the flesh?

[DeusxMac]

Gordie Howe

Al Kaline

Howard Cassady

Meadowlark Lemon

[Blankity Blank]

hal wrote:
I saw Lionel Hampton in concert in 1980

I filled the empty spot in a double date for a friend. Never thought to ask where we were going, just figured I was doing him a favor.

The night of we piled into his car and ended up at the St. Francis hotel (San Francisco).

Opening act? Richard Pryor.

Headliner? James Brown.

Talk about falling bassackward into gold...

[msglee]

Johnny Unitas 1933 - 2002

[Cary]

Blankity Blank wrote:
Oh what the heck. Watched on TV counts too.

My list

• Willie Mays (The 'Say Hey' Kid)
  
• Elgin Baylor
  
• Oscar Robinson
  
• Jerry West (Zeke from Cabin Creek)
  
• Wilt Chamberlain (The Dipper [He hated The Stilt])
  
• Rosey Grier
  
• Pete Maravich
  
• Connie Hawkins
  
• Nate Archibald
  
• Walt Frazier
  
• The Harlem Golbetrotters (Meadow Lark Lemon, Curly Neal vintage)
  
• Calvin Murphy (All 5'9" of him, and Texas State Men's Baton Twirling Champion)
  
• Earl "The Pearl" Monroe [Fall back baby!)
  
• Rollie Fingers
  
• John Havlicek
  
• Kareem Abduhl-Jabbar (nee Lew Alcindor for his first two years with the Milwaukee Bucks)
  
• Len Dawson
  
• Jan Stenerud
  
• Charles Barkley
  
• Magic Johnson
  
• Larry Bird
  
  That's all I can pluck from the fog of time right now :biggrin:

All those, and:
Juan Marichal
Orlando Cepeda
Willie McCovey
Roberto Clemente
Ernie Banks
Mickey Mantle
Reggie Jackson
Catfish Hunter
Tom Seaver
Jerry Koosman
Nolan Ryan (on the Mets - Shea Stadium)
Joe Namath
Lawrence Taylor
Walter Payton
Roger Staubach
Julius Erving
Hank Aaron
Dave Debusschere
Bill Bradley
Willis Reed
Steve Carlton
Mike Schmidt
Johnny Bench and the rest of the Big Red Machine
Don Drysdale
Marcus Allen
Ray Guy
Terry Bradshaw
Mean Joe Green and the Iron Curtain
Franco Harris
Lynn Swann
OJ Simpson
Earl Campbell
Bo Jackson
Joe Montana
Jerry Rice
Bruce Jenner
Marc Spitz

And Joey Heatherton in the Perfect Sleeper commercials…

I’m sure I’m missing many…

[Harbourmaster]

I saw plenty of my Dodger heros play during the 60's at Dodger Stadium.

But for more personal encounters I have these. While I was in Junior high my oldest sister used to babysit for Roman Gabriel and Jack Reynolds families and the two men would often come to our house to either pick her up or drop her off and of course I made a nuisance of myself. . In my Junior year of high school (Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach...1976) it was not uncommon to see Joe Willie Namath walking laps in the lane next to me in the shallow pool while we were doing after school workouts for Water Polo. As has already been mentioned here Blair Field was used as a practice facility for the Rams at that time and our school was right across the street.

also... In the early 80s I was dating a young lady who worked at the Hot Dog On A Stick that was on the boardwalk in Santa Monica. It was adjacent to the Sand Volleyball courts there, and a frequent player was Wilt Chamberlain. He would usually arrive in either his Rolls Royce or a VW Rabbit! Being a VW fan I asked him one day why he liked the little rabbit and he said that it was one of the few vehicles in which the drivers seat would move far enough back to accommodate him comfortably.... like the Rolls!

[Speedy]

The Globetrotters in 1967 in my high school gym.

[vision63]

Whoever played baseball, basketball, boxed and football in the 60's, I saw 'em.

[Blankity Blank]

Saddest celebrity sighting - I caught a glimpse of Gary Coleman when he was working as a security guard at Fox Hills Mall in Culver City.

[vision63]

Blankity Blank wrote:
Saddest celebrity sighting - I caught a glimpse of Gary Coleman when he was working as a security guard at Fox Hills Mall in Culver City.

My man was putting in work to pay the bills. I applauded him for it.

[Lux Interior]

vision63 wrote:
Whoever played baseball, basketball, boxed and football in the 60's, I saw 'em.

I don't think even Bo Jackson did all of those sports!