re: Who is the nicest pro athlete you've ever met

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I can't believe how far along we are and not one mention of the coolest cat in sports, Chuck Finley.

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When Chuck got called up to the Angels I was working Ranger games. If I remember correctly, Gene Ponti was working for The Ouachita Citizen & knew I was working Ranger games. They contacted me about interviewing Chuck when they played there. Chuck was very nice. I interviewed him after the game, and the article in the Citizen was the first byline I ever got. It was a big deal for me because I was just scoring the game, doing in-game phone updates & helped an editor write game recaps back then. I wasn't used to going into the locker rooms at that point in my media career.

The next day I walked down in the stands behind the Angels dugout and thanked him for the interview before the game. His parents were in the stands so he introduced me as the guy that interviewed him for the Citizen. They were so excited for Chuck, but so was I. Everyone from North Louisiana was excited for him

They came to Arlington every time the Angels played there, whether Chuck pitched, or not. I know that because I went down and said hi to them every time the Angels came through. His dad invited me to come over to the team hotel bar after I met them the first time. It was a weeknight & I hadn't planned to stay out, so I declined, but the next year when they came in I was ready.

I only worked Ranger games for five years. I worked a game and then hung out with Chuck's dad at the bar twice. Chuck was sitting with his parents the first time I went. I had one drink, thanked them for inviting me and told them goodbye.

The 2nd time I went was three months after Tawny had their first son. She brought the baby down from their room to show him to everyone. Chuck introduced me to her before they took the baby back to their room. While I was meeting Tawny and the baby, a girl came up and hit on Chuck. When I got back to the table, I told Mr. Finley about the girls hitting on Chuck. He told me about girls doing that all the time while he was sitting at the table with he and his wife.

I think Chuck's mom was up in their room helping with the baby that night. I never saw her. Because it was just Mr. Finley and I at the table, I stayed for a couple of hours and never saw Chuck again. I don't think Mr. Finley saw him much more than I did that night. I can only imagine how much busier Chucks life got once he started dating in that rock star realm. The craziness that comes with being a pro athlete would probably be more than most could handle.

That’s a bummer about George Brett

Walked into airport bar in Detroit and Magic Johnson came in shortly after me. He was very similar personality wise to Shaq, He signed every autograph, posed for every picture and clowned and told stories for probably 30 minutes until he left for his flight.

Doctor J

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Doctor J

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Some friends and I approached him and George McGinnis after a Hawks game in a restaurant (we were kids) We asked Dr J who was better and he pointed to McGinnis...very classy guy.

Did you go to Upper St Clair?

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Did you go to Upper St Clair?

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Kirk Ferentz did and while not an athlete but coach, Kirk is a real genuine dude. I have ran into him a couple times around Iowa City and he has been super nice and personable every encounter. That whole racial episode was a bunch of BS. Those losers couldn't follow simple rules and cried about it... I guess statistics and stereotypes exist for a reason.

Mike Shannon was a DUDE . I was at his restaurant in StL in 2011 when the Cards were going for the World Series and he walked in the bar and he bought everyone in there drinks and talked to everybody. Could not have been nicer or funnier.


The man could drink.

So did my wife. She was friends with him from Pittsburgh.