Chance encounters with current/former Bill players. Did it change your opinion of them?

[Orlando Tim]

Almost 20 years ago Thurman Thomas was playing in a coed softball league in Orlando as my opponent. At end of game I walked over, in my Bills hat, and told him how much I enjoyed watching him play back in the 90's. He politely shook my hand and basically ran to his car to get away from me. My favorite non Bill meeting was when I was looking for a new house and while in model home Dominique Wilkins walks in asking about amenities. That was when I realized that sign out front of neighborhood was not current and the starting price was $1.2 million not $200k

[Bills!Win!]

Probably 20 years ago Terrence McGee had an autograph signing at some type of store in Rochester. I was last in line and at the very end he let me sit next to him and take a picture. I was only like 15 so I didn’t really know what to say. He was also kind of calm and quiet but really cool.

 

To this day autographs mean nothing to me because I think pictures with players are way cooler 

 

the coolest part is it was a chance encounter. We didn’t know he would be there that day 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Bills!Win!

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Orlando Tim said:

Almost 20 years ago Thurman Thomas was playing in a coed softball league in Orlando as my opponent. At end of game I walked over, in my Bills hat, and told him how much I enjoyed watching him play back in the 90's. He politely shook my hand and basically ran to his car to get away from me. My favorite non Bill meeting was when I was looking for a new house and while in model home Dominique Wilkins walks in asking about amenities. That was when I realized that sign out front of neighborhood was not current and the starting price was $1.2 million not $200k

 

How many did you buy?    😋

[Bricks]

Ryan Fitzpatrick hit me with a golf ball at Oak Hill.  Positioned perfectly I was.   Nice guy....

[todd]

Carwell Gardner. Played darts at the Park Bench in Rochester with him one night. I lived on Argyle St at the time. It was a Tuesday so not busy. He was there with a girl I had been talking to for a few weeks and wanted to date. I gave up on that idea.  Found out a few years later she was actually still interested and was bummed I never asked her out. 

 

super nice guy. When we were playing and I introduced myself, he just said “Carwell”. I said, “I know who you are, man. Just messing with you.” I think he respected that and we hung out playing darts for an hour or two. BTW - he didn’t drink any alcohol. I initially beat him, but every beer I got a little worse, and he laughed at me about it. Fun night.

[Kwai San]

2 hours ago, jayg said:

Jim Kelly in Richmond,  VA in 1991.  Let's just say he wasn't very nice and I'll leave it that.

 

Thats a bummer......I was actually fortunate enough to be invited to Jim's house after one of the games while Bruce, Thurman, Biscuit, Tally, Kent, Andre, and I think Tasker was there too along with some others. Brains a little fuzzy as it was many moons and many brain cells ago.  Actually ran into Andre and Tally a few weeks later at Bathtub Bill's Bar in Rochester and they remembered me!  I was shocked.

 

Was surprised to see then all busting balls when Burman did the Bills recap.  It was hilarious.  Jim was very gracious, Bruce was nice, Thurman a wee bit standoffish but hey he didn't know me.

 

Many years later I ran into Tasker while I was a Marshall at the LPGA and he was golfing with Jim Boeheim and I forgot who the pro was.  UBER SUPER competitive dude.  UBER!!!  THAT was funny as all get out.

 

Used to go to a weekly taping that Robb Riddick used to do in Rochester, On Lexington and Mt Read, place is long gone but met a chatted with many players and team personnel.  I always wanted to meet Marv.  That woulda been a hoot.

[Chris from Rochester]

Met Andre Reed about 20 years ago. He was a complete D-bag. Marshawn Lynch was also a jerk. Lee Evans was a very nice guy and so was Poz

[The Jokeman]

I met Jim Kelly and an autograph signing. He wasn't all that nice and he was giving away fake autograph black and white photos of himself. Needless to say I soured on Kelly in my youth.

 

I met Frank Reich at the Buffalo airport when was picking up my mom. Genuine nice guy.

 

I met Steve Christie at a cousin's wedding again a nice guy.

 

I talked to Arthur Moates and Chris Palmer through work and both conversations.  I also talked to Ryan Denney's wife via work and she seemed sweet. 

[Nextmanup]

1 hour ago, mrags said:

Brian Moorman

Jim Kelly

Andre Reed

 

all absolute @$$holes. I wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire. 

Whenever you hear only side of a story like this, I often wonder what the other side of the story is, and if the version we are hearing is actually the "right" one.

 

Don't get me wrong mrags, I'll side with you on this one.  

 

But I just wonder about some of these.  Some fans out there are freaking crazy, really weird, or just abnormal people, and I can see a famous person trying to get far away from them once they catch a whiff of it! I'm with the famous person in that situation.

 

Now, if a fan is polite and straight forward, but the famous person is just an a-hole, well, that's different.

 

We heard that story up-thread about Nate Odomes shafting a kid 3 times inside a half hour!  Hard to think the kid was the wrong party in that exchange!

 

 

 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I saw Rex Ryan at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.  He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”  I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.  The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.  When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

[Buffalo716]

5 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

Whenever you hear only side of a story like this, I often wonder what the other side of the story is, and if the version we are hearing is actually the "right" one.

 

Don't get me wrong mrags, I'll side with you on this one.  

 

But I just wonder about some of these.  Some fans out there are freaking crazy, really weird, or just abnormal people, and I can see a famous person trying to get far away from them once they catch a whiff of it! I'm with the famous person in that situation.

 

Now, if a fan is polite and straight forward, but the famous person is just an a-hole, well, that's different.

 

We heard that story up-thread about Nate Odomes shafting a kid 3 times inside a half hour!  Hard to think the kid was the wrong party in that exchange!

 

 

 

It really probably depends what day you catch them on

 

I met Andre Reed when I was a teen and I can also say he gave me the cold shoulder… I just wanted to tell him how great a football player he was

 

And he basically gave me the cold shoulder

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

It really probably depends what day you catch them on

 

I met Andre Reed when I was a teen and I can also say he gave me the cold shoulder… I just wanted to tell him how great a football player he was

 

And he basically gave me the cold shoulder

Don't feel badly. That's just the way he treats people, even when he comes out to a Bills Backers meeting.

 

 

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

My wife once owned a bookstore, Marv came and did a book signing. Mark Kelso came with his AFC Championship rings. He had to leave early, said I could keep the rings overnight…but me wife wouldn’t let me…..

[boater]

I'm not very good with faces. Compound that with those faces being buried in a helmet, and I'm done for. Tom Brady could pass me on the street and I wouldn't even notice.

 

FWIW... a friend of mine had an Ed Oliver experience at Dave & Busters. It was very positive and made him an Ed Oliver jersey owner. There's a lot to be said about being humble and having basic manners.

[Dan Darragh]

Ran into Marv Levy on the street in Buffalo in 2016 (he was in town for the opening game and Bruce Smith number retirement.

 

Right there in the moment, without hesitation, I said "There's no place I'd rather be than right here, right now."  I'm probably not the first person who ever did that to him but I was so proud of myself for thinking to say it.

 

Got a nice selfie with him.

[Utah John]

In 1980 I was a grad student at the University of Wyoming, and UW grad Conrad Dobler was there for a public event of some kind.  He had signed with the Bills, who needed him because they'd traded Joe DeLamielleure to the Browns, which was a trade Joe D requested to get away from the Bills HC at the time, Chuck Knox.

 

I talked to Dobler, told him I was a Bills fan, and asked if he knew what the reason for Joe D wanting to be traded was.  He was very nice, saying that sometimes people just rub each other the wrong way.  He didn't act at all like his reputation would have indicated.  (You young'uns on the board should look up what Dobler was accused of by other players.)

 

As far as I know, Dobler is the only Wyoming player to be a Bill.  Oh, wait ....

[NC-billsfan!]

Went to a Bills game and my brother about 10 years ago. We also brought our young sons. Around 10 and 12 years old. We had tickets for the M and T suite. When boarding the plane (obviously we were in Bills gear) Joe  DeLamielleure Was sitting in first class. As we walked by he looked at my son and said “ do you know who I am.” My son did not speak. I whispered in his ear but he was still frozen. We fist bumped and said thanks. When we got off the plane my son said “ I know who you are now.” He told me son and nephew to come over and he told us dads to snap some pics. Good guy, down to earth and he initiated all contact.

At the game in the suite we asked if my son could have a pic with Andre Reed. Let’s say I’m not a fan.

[Buffalo716]

7 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Don't feel badly. That's just the way he treats people, even when he comes out to a Bills Backers meeting.

 

 

Yea I don’t take it personal, even if it upset me as a teen 

 

I’ve met plenty of bills players and some were chill and some were indifferent… in the drought era some even refused to admit they were bills players lol 

 

I met Cyrus Kouandijo and he told me he was a ballerina 

[prissythecat]

31 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

I met Jim Kelly and an autograph signing. He wasn't all that nice and he was giving away fake autograph black and white photos of himself. Needless to say I soured on Kelly in my youth.

 

I met Frank Reich at the Buffalo airport when was picking up my mom. Genuine nice guy.

 

I met Steve Christie at a cousin's wedding again a nice guy.

 

I talked to Arthur Moates and Chris Palmer through work and both conversations.  I also talked to Ryan Denney's wife via work and she seemed sweet. 

 

3 hours ago, jayg said:

Jim Kelly in Richmond,  VA in 1991.  Let's just say he wasn't very nice and I'll leave it that.

 

Not surprising as I believe pretty much anyone who met him around the time of his playing days would have gotten this impression.   Guy was known for being not so gracious then .     I met him after he had been treated for cancer and seemed a bit more down to earth. 

[Airseven]

I was around Andre Reed at a sports bar in NYC. He was annoying.