Do you know/live near any famous athletes?

[jolly_roger]

I met Matthias Sammer once at a soccer tournament when I still played it as a kid. Since you probably never heard of him in the USA: he was the European footballer of the year in '96, won 5 national championships, the European championship and the Champions League.

Besides that I was in same class as the nephew of Bernd Stange, the former head coach for world dominating soccer nations like East Germany, Oman, Iraq and Belarus  

[Celtics17]

I live close to one of the Spinks boxers. Can't remember ifi it's Leon or Michael though. The last I heard he lived in Republic Missouri. The guy Tolliver in the league now I am pretty sure went to my old high school, Kickapoo. BTW Brad Pitt went to school there too at the same time as me.

[Larry Pistol]

I'd say the coolest athlete I've ever met/lived next to was Bob Cousy. He used to live like 10 houses down from me one the same street in  Worcester, MA. Guy is the man.

Also, I met Adalius Thomas at TF Green Airport in Providence, RI the first year we signed him. Not the greatest, especially since he was terrible for us, but still that was pretty cool.

And finally I never met him, but my uncle met Big Papi. My uncle is a state cop and one of his friends somehow managed to land a job as a body guard for Papi one night in Worcester. My uncle said he was one of the greatest people he has ever met, just full of life. Anyway, I got a signed baseball out of it, pretty cool.

[FLCeltsFan]

When I lived in South Florida I lived near Gary Carter (Mets Catcher), Jack Nichlaus, and Greg Norman.   Greg Norman is a Celtics fan and a nice guy.  He saw me wearing a Celtics shirt at one school function that he was attending and came over to me to talk Celtics.  Jack Nichlaus is a jerk. His kids went to a school in the same district as the school I taught at and he would totally ignore people who would say hello to him and would not even acknowledge them.  After one softball game, his daughter refused to shake hands with our team after we beat them. She just turned and walked away.  Gary Carter was a great guy and volunteered at the local private schools to help out with their teams and always had time to talk to kids and parents when he was at school events.  

[35Lewis]

In my version of the Hangover I somehow ended up partying one night with Tony Battie and Milt Palacio.  Oh wait, the title said famous.

I did talk to Bruce Smith in an airport in Virginia back in the day....he was a beast of a man but moreso because he is a famous athlete and I was sixteen.

Other than chance meetings with several athletes and a couple of pickup games with guys like Donny Marshall and Travis Knight, I really can't say that I know any of these people. 

It would be cool to really know a guy that is famous that you had their number in your phone as long as it didn't become like the Peter Griffin/James Woods relationship.

[CDawg834]

Last fall my friend and I wandered into a Boston shopping plaza on Stuart Street, and as we were walking in, Big Baby Davis was walking out.  He stopped and chatted and took a pic with two girls nearby, and my friend shook his hand.  

More importantly, he was dressed in gym shorts and a neon green Looney Tunes T-Shirt.

[FLCeltsFan]

In my version of the Hangover I somehow ended up partying one night with Tony Battie and Milt Palacio.  Oh wait, the title said famous.

I did talk to Bruce Smith in an airport in Virginia back in the day....he was a beast of a man but moreso because he is a famous athlete and I was sixteen.

Other than chance meetings with several athletes and a couple of pickup games with guys like Donny Marshall and Travis Knight, I really can't say that I know any of these people. 

It would be cool to really know a guy that is famous that you had their number in your phone as long as it didn't become like the Peter Griffin/James Woods relationship.

Tony Battie is famous, if for nothing else than the fact that he probably saved Paul Pierce's life by rushing him to the hospital after he was stabbed. 

[blake]

I am family friends with Wes Welker.  Haven't talked to him in years though.

[Potapenko Boxout]

Live in Waltham if you want to run into current celtics players. i went to Bentley and ran into Walter McCarty, James posey, EHouse, Antoine, and Pierce at random points.

[Roy Hobbs]

My cousin (Jeff Locke) was picked in the second round of the MLB draft, and is currently pitching in Double A.

[RAcker]

Bart Starr is still around here as are several other Bama greats.  As for Auburn guys, Bo Jackson is still here some of the time although I think he makes his home primarily in Chicago now.

Alabama's current defensive stud, Marcel Darius, visits his uncle down the street from time to time. Word is he'll leave for the NFL following this season as a high draft pick which in my mind will make him famous.

[WeMadeIt17]

Live in south florida so I met the Golden bear outside of a resturaunt, At the Celtics game went up and met Cornbread maxwell. So that was pretty cool. When I was younger we went and saw the white sox play spring ball in sarasota, so I met Harold Baines, Frank Thomas, Albert Belle. Then I ran around the bases and slapped all their hands. That was pretty cool.

[Scott]

While not a famous athlete, I grew up in the same in village as the former British Prime Minister John Major.  While he was in office, he arranged a charity cricket match at the local green.  They let us out of school so we could attend and we got to meet English sport icons Gary Lineker, Jimmy Greaves, and Ian Botham.

[JSD]

I'm currently living and grew up in Wilmington across the street Ristuccia, practice facility of the Boston Bruins.

I've seen Bruins throughout my life, Cam Neely pulled out behind me the other day. It's cool, I normally  beep and wave.

[barefacedmonk]

While not a famous athlete, I grew up in the same in village as the former British Prime Minister John Major.  While he was in office, he arranged a charity cricket match at the local green.  They let us out of school so we could attend and we got to meet English sport icons Gary Lineker, Jimmy Greaves, and Ian Botham.

Its Sir Ian Botham now..  

You're lucky you got to meet him...he is probably the best English cricketer of all time.