Six Degrees of FOFC

[mrsimperless]

I have often been intrigued by the idea of six degrees of separation. It seems somewhat exciting that you could link yourself to famous people fairly easily. (Yes, I'm easily excited.) It got me to wondering how close some of us FOFCers might be "related". I'm sure there are some of us who are related through just one or two "degrees" and we'd probably be very surprised to discover it. I tried to think of a way that I could turn this into a forum game, but I suck at that kind of stuff. So I decided to just post the celebrities that I can link myself to fairly easily. Most of these are linked through my girlfriend or a friend. I am a loser and personally know no celebrities.

If you can link to any of my celebrities go ahead and do so and then post some of your own. Maybe we can link up all of FOFC through our very own celebrity network.

Trista (The bachelorette) - was my girlfriend's friend in college. (She has pictures with her in them)

Reggie Miller - Is a friend of my girlfriend's ex-boyfriend.

Kenny Irwin (deceased NASCAR driver) - dated a friend in college

Ryan Newman (NASCAR driver) - went to Purdue and was friends with a friend of mine

Jeff George - he went to my high school and his mom was friends with the mother of one of my friends growing up

Brian Evans (former IU b-ball player) - dated my girlfriend's friend in college. We also spotted him at a restaurant a couple of months ago.

[Airhog]

My best friend is directly related to bobby knight.

My girlfriends parents are good friends with someone who is good friends with race car driver mark martin.

[Kodos]

Calbert Cheaney spiked a volleyball on my foot.

Reggie Miller stole my seat in an Indianapolis bar.

Mike Dumas (safety in the NFL) was in one of my sociology classes.

My fiance knew actress Gretchen Mol when she was younger.

I have a trout in my ... swimming pool.

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by Airhog
My best friend is directly related to bobby knight.

My girlfriends parents are good friends with someone who is good friends with race car driver mark martin.

My in-laws live in the same fly-in community as Mark Martin (and Mike Skinner).

[RPI-Fan]

My dad had Joey Juneau in one of his classes in college.

He also had the nephew of one of the owners of the Carvel Ice Cream company in a class.

Joe Juneau helped my friend's family build a barn years ago. (late 80's).

[TroyF]

I've met John Elway a few times. My best friend had a 30 minute conversation with Tiger Woods once.

I've met almost all of the television media in OKC (which probably means Cam and I are pretty close)

I've met Bucc and Mizzou, so anyone on this board who has met them instantly is with two degrees of me.

I figure that between Elway and Woods, I've pretty much got the United States pretty well covered.

TroyF

[Bee]

I played 2 seasons of Division I football at WVU (ok, I sat on the bench ) so I've come into contact with quite a few NFL players.

I have a cousin who played with Vick at VA Tech. I've met Vick once when I went down to visit my cousin.

Outside of football, my wife briefly dated John Malkovich before I met her (I don't hold it against her). I think they went out two or three times.

I also have a good friend who was in a couple of "B" grade movies (Zombie stuff) and had a bit part in "The Last Temptation of Christ". He's now producing "off" broadway shows in NYC. So I could link myself to quite a few people through him.

[FishFan]

I've caught passes from Rex Grossman.

I've played golf with Bobby Knight.

I've dined and wined with Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher.

Curtis Strange called me an asshole and told me to fuck off.

I've served beer to Jermaine O'Neal (w/o checking his ID).

I failed miserably trying to guard former Hoosiers, A.J. Guyton and Jared Jeffries, in pickup games.

I spilled a beer on Peyton Manning.

I bumped into Dominic Rhodes in a bar

[JHandley]

Originally posted by TroyF
My best friend had a 30 minute conversation with Tiger Woods once.

I fixed Tiger's laptop when he was staying in our hotel in Seattle.

Side note about Tiger. His bio (http://golfnews.augustachronicle.com/bios/bio184.shtml) says he is in the neighborhood of 6'1"-6'2". The only way he's 6'2" is if he's in 4 inch platform shoes. I'm about 5'9" and he's maybe an inch or two taller than I am.

[VPI97]

I played high school ball against Billy Wagner (Astros)

I had a friend in college who was a Virginia Tech cheerleader...I met Jim Druckenmiller (QB - 1st round draft choice) and Brad Clontz (former MLB reliever) when she was dating them.

My cousin, Chad Beasley, was a starting DT for VT and is now a backup OT for the Browns. My uncle, Tom Beasley, is a member of the VT Hall of Fame and has 4 Super Bowl rings from his time with the Steelers and Redskins.

I had a couple of classes with Antonio Freeman in college.

I've had beers with a number of pro wrestlers...(including Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Disco Inferno, and a host of other WCW guys)

[FishFan]

Originally posted by VPI97
I played high school ball against Billy Wagner (Astros)

That reminds me...

I caught a line drive off the bat of Scott Rolen that broke two bones in my glove hand.

[Radii]

I played basketball with Donald Williams(Final Four MVP when UNC won the national title in 1993) when he was a senior in High School in Garner, NC. I imagine I can link myself to all my Tar Heel childhood heros in 6 steps through that, Jordan included of course.

Went to Campbell Basketball camp in the late 1980s and had training sessions from Chris Corchiani, Rick Fox, King Rice, and Bobby Hurley, and George Lynch. Tons of NBA links there as well.

[Draft Dodger]

people I've spoken to through my job...

John Tesh
Jimmy Kimmel
Gene Shalit
Greta Van Sustren
and some guy who makes gay porn DVDs

[sabotai]

I dated a girl once (a long time ago) that had a cousin who roadied for Green Day.

My ex-girlfriend's sister's boss lives next door to Bon Jovi (note: I also spotted Bon Jovi in the crowd at a Poison concert....my gf made me go.)

A girl I know is close friends with Philip Anselmo

[Buccaneer]

Radii, no need for 6 steps.

I had Michael Jordan in a summer class I TA'd for (yes, I told him he was a slacker).

Helped Brad Daugherty in a couple of geography classes.

Knew the student rep who coordinated the, ahem, welcoming committee when Jeff Lebo visited the campus during the recruiting period.

Shot hoops with Kellen Winslow.

Met scores of sports stars in the early 1980s when I was working card/autograph shows (Marcus Allen particularly).

Talked with James Burke (Connections) for a few minutes.

Knew Sean Salisbury at HS when he was a freshmen and I was a senior.

Had a colleague whose sister dated Larry Mullens Jr in Ireland.

[RPI-Fan]

Talked with James Burke (Connections) for a few minutes.

Aside from that fitting quite well with this topic, I'm curious as to what type of guy he was? Did he just have story after story after story, or was he pretty 'normal'?

[heybrad]

Off the top of my head...

I was friends in Junior High with Damion Easley (formerly of the Tigers... not sure where he's playing now)
I was an invited guest of Jimmy Kimmel to the premiere taping of the Man Show and the after party. I had an all access pass (backstage) and which led to meeting Adam Corolla, multiple Juggies and at the after party I spoke with Bobcat Goldwait.

[Honolulu_Blue]

My uncle's (through marriage) brother is Kevin Costner's best friend.

A girl I work with dated Billy Zane (actor) for a while.

[TLK]

Here we go-

-My friends ex-girlfriend "blew" the lead singer of the Ataris, who I also met this weekend at the Warped Tour

-I had an run-in with Charlie Batch while working at the EMU Rec Center

-I met Edwin McCain at a concert where he was the opener. I ran into him in the bathroom, where I shook his hand directly after I had used the urinal

-I met Derek Grant, drummer of Alkaline Trio, in the lobby of the hotel we were staying at in Cleveland at 4:30 in the morning

[FrogMan]

I dropped the puck for quite a few face-offs between Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin.

I separated a fight between John Kordic and a no-name (okay, I just picked up is gloves and stick, the fight was over )

This and a few more happened when I was a linesman at the Quebec Nordiques' training camp (early 90s).

FM

[Draft Dodger]

forgot - I work with the brother of Phil Bourque (ex NHLer...won a Cup with the Penguins).
also, I work with a guy whose wife is somehow related to Keith Tkachuck

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by FrogMan
I dropped the puck for quite a few face-offs between Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin.

you are officially now my favorite FOFC poster.

[Ryche]

My 5th grade teacher was Jesse Ventura's brother-in-law.

My mother-in-law is close friends with Ragnar (which means nothing except to Vikings fans)

And I've at least met pretty much every Republican politician in Minnesota.

[sony]

Originally posted by FishFan
I've caught passes from Rex Grossman.

I've played golf with Bobby Knight.

I've dined and wined with Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher.

Curtis Strange called me an asshole and told me to fuck off.

I've served beer to Jermaine O'Neal (w/o checking his ID).

I failed miserably trying to guard former Hoosiers, A.J. Guyton and Jared Jeffries, in pickup games.

I spilled a beer on Peyton Manning.

I bumped into Dominic Rhodes in a bar

This is hilarious!! Especiially the Curtis Strange incident.

[Buccaneer]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Aside from that fitting quite well with this topic, I'm curious as to what type of guy he was? Did he just have story after story after story, or was he pretty 'normal'?

Very, very funny and an excellent speaker. Quite charismatic too, one that you hang onto every word. He seems to really love to be doing what he does/did. I told him how much I loved his first series (usual celebrity chit-chat) and wondered if he still had that 70s-style biege suit. He laughed. By the way, the original Connections is my most proud possession in our DVD collection. (Hey, is that rap or just bad poetry?)

[mrsimperless]

Originally posted by sony
This is hilarious!! Especiially the Curtis Strange incident.

Yeah, a story like that is begging for details.

[Vince]

Pat Burrell went to my high school.

Troy Aikman grabbed my mom's ass at an airport once.

My dad grew up as really good friends with Kevin Pollack (A few Good Men, The Usual Suspects). I've hung out with him often, and my dad has been on the set with him more than a few times.

I grew up with the Tillman boys (you might have seen them on the ESPY's a few weeks ago...Pat Tillman was a Safety for the Arizona Cardinals before walking out on a multi-million dollar contract to become an Army Ranger). Richard, the guy that accepted Pat and Kevin's award, is my age, and we played sports together all through childhood.

My roommate played basketball against Gilbert Arenas often in high school. According to him, Arenas wasn't nearly the rounded player he is now back in the day, although he still balled my roommate's ass up

John Elway's twin sister was the mother of a student at the school my mom teaches at. Sadly she died of cancer last year.

My dad used to be in a band (he's a drummer) and he's opened for the following people (whom I've met): Pat Travers, Starship, Styx, Montrose, Rascal Flats. There's others I'm not remembering...but he also got me backstage at a Dave Matthews Concert once...that was pretty cool

Wow...I didn't realize I had quite the spread I do

[Draft Dodger]

"Troy Aikman grabbed my mom's ass at an airport once"

this can't be true. Troy Aikman is gay.

[thesloppy]

I played golf with Tim Allen and Alice Cooper...at the same time.

I chatted with Bob Seger at my aunt & uncle's wedding.

Pops was a roadie for Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and the MC5.

Rusty Hilger (4th rate QB for the Lions in late 80s) slept on my aunt's couch and ate her food for a season.

Hung out and shot the proverbial sh*t with Vinnie Johnson (the Microwave of the Pistons Bad Boy era) during a Wings game.

Steve Yzermans dogs mauled my uncle's golden retriever.

Sat accross from Joey Harrington on my most recent flight back home to Portland from Detroit. Gabbed a little....super shy kid.

My uncle is a Detroit DJ (Ken Calvert) and has met just about every 'classic rock' celebrity you can think of, as well as a million sports figures during his talkshow days.

[clintl]

I interviewed Ray Bradbury.

My brother and sister-in-law met Joe Montana, and have a picture of both of them with him.

In college, I knew the son of NFL defensive coordinator Floyd Peters.

A friend of mine played a round of golf with Willie McCovey.

One of my good friends once worked for Steven Spielberg (providing one of the voices for the animated film Balto).

The same friend is a member of a traveling theater company that once had another member who went to school with Heather Locklear.

I have met and corresponded with ex-Dream Syndicate front man Steve Wynn, whose band opened for R.E.M. on one of its tours in the '80s.

The wife of my 4th grade teacher was one of Karen Valentine's high school teachers.

The father-in-law of another good friend of mine won an Oscar for his work on Patton, which starred George C. Scott.

[Sloan]

I've fixed computers for Kirk Gibson and Sarah Mclachlan.

I accidentally pushed Kid Rock down in a bar one night.

I rollerbladed over the foot of Flozell Adams.

[SackAttack]

I graded one of Kyle Boller's chemistry exams in high school. Also played some pickup football with him in junior high.

I met Don Cheadle at the local Best Buy while working there.

A couple of the original Power Rangers used to live on my street.

My uncle wrote a screenplay that was later read by Tom Hanks.

And, finally, I met and had a brief conversation with Dodger manager Jim Tracy.

[Hammer755]

Michael Jordan tried to steal my date... you may have read about it.

[Buccaneer]

I forgot to mention my in-laws. My wife's parents and her sister's family have lived in the north part of Palm Beach Co. for a long time. They have met and know most all of the celebrities living in the Jupiter area. These include Greg Norman, Joe Namath, Perry Como, Frank Gifford, Burt Reynolds and others, including some of the famous St. Louis Cardinals as they trained there (like Tony LaRussa).

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by thesloppy
Pops was a roadie for Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and the MC5.

man... he must have some serious stories to tell!

[cthomer5000]

I know a ton of people who are good friends with actor Danny Tamborelli. He's the young Pete from the Adventures of Pete & Pete... best show ever BTW.

Another really good friend went to high school with Tara Reid.

I refused to pay Pat Wilson of Weezer after his side project (the Special Goodness), cut their set very short at a concert I produced at Rutgers. I got into a fairly serious argument with him and his 2 other band mates (one being ex-Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh). We eventually settled and I (well, the organization I was acting on behalf of) paid them about 3/5ths of the originally agreed upon amount. I still have 2 working Pat Wilson email addresses in my address book.

[WussGawd]

My brushes with fame:

Former NHL/WHA Center & Head Coach Rob Ftorek once asked my dad for an offseason job. He also spoke to my boy scout troop based on a request of my dad, showing us his silver medal (he was a member of the '72 US Olympic Team that won the Silver in Sapporo Japan) it was quite a thrill at age 11. He's a great, unassuming guy, soft-spoken, and friendly.

A place I used to work at was frequented by the following:

The late Senator/Presidential Candidate Barry Goldwater (he was as down home a guy as you'd ever want to meet. A great man, even if I did disagree with much of his politics).

Willie Mays

Gar Heard

My wife spoke at some length with Ichiro a couple of years ago. He bought a Cadillac at a dealership here in Phoenix during spring training where my wife does some MIS work. This was his rookie season, before he became quite as big a story as he was during the year.

My dad's business (pest control) had among its clients:

Glen Campbell
Amanda Blake
the local ABC-TV affiliate, where he once met, and got an autograph signed for me from the late Howard Cosell (a man we both admired).

In my own encounters, I've spoken with the following:

The business manager of Darren Woodson

Two people who worked for me in another job reserved cars for:
MJ
Keanu Reeves
Shane Stant (This one was in Detroit for the trip when the guy went medieval on Nancy Kerrigan's kneecap on behalf of Tonya Harding).

[Ben E Lou]

Hmmmm.....

Well, I know Glenn Hubbard, first base coach of the Braves, so I'm sure there are tons of current MLB players and coaches in that line.

I also know Mack Strong, the Seahawks' long-time fullback, so there's plenty of NFL contacts in that line. (We grew up in the same neighborhood. He's two years younger than me, so I ended up driving him to school pretty much every day my Jr and Sr year.)

Bebo Norman, who was a performer at this years' Dove Awards, (the highest awards in Christian music), is a long-time friend. He now knows all the big boys in the bidness such as Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman, etc. I'm sure there's some crossover into pop as well.

The bass player on my CD, Byron House, played bass on some major acts' projects, including the stuff by Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Jr and The Dixie Chicks, among others.

Hall of Fame tackle Tony Munoz visited a Young Life camp while I was there, and I had a 30-minute conversation with him.

I've also had an extended conversation with Craig Ehlo (one of Jordan's famous dunks was over him).

Steve Largent served my table at a Young Life staff conference. He is on the local Board of Directors in his home town, and they volunteered to come and serve us for a conference.

....and ten years from now, I'll be able to say I knew Thomas Brown back since he was just a sophomore in high school.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by SkyDog
....and ten years from now, I'll be able to say I knew Thomas Brown back since he was just a sophomore in high school.

I was browsing your post, thinking..."when is he going to mention that RB he keeps pimping".

[Nyarlahotep]

I've met tons of musicians at concerts and promotions.

Like Bucc, I met a bunch of athletes when working sports card/ autograph shows (mine were in the early 90's though)

Got yelled at by Skip Holtz for trying to shoot my friend with a pellet gun.

Got dunked on by Shawn Kemp in high school.

Probably have some more I haven't thought of, but my memory sucks.

[damnMikeBrown]

Originally posted by Kodos

Mike Dumas (safety in the NFL) was in one of my sociology classes.

I hung out with Dumas at one of our fraternity parties. I was with him for a while, and quite honestly, don't remember a single thing about him. He was quite non-descript. Oh, he was a lot smaller than I thought an NFL safety would be.

Hall of Fame tackle Tony Munoz visited a Young Life camp while I was there, and I had a 30-minute conversation with him.

He lived in my neighborhood & I saw & spoke with him a few times. Used to run up at our HS track a good bit.

I played HS ball with/against a bunch of Div I scholarship types, so probably some links there, especially into the Big 10.

Played HS ball with a guy who's Dad won 3 or 4 Super Bowl rings with the Dolphins in their early 70's run. His name was Cruzan, was a T for them.

Played Jr. High football with Adam Hyzdu, who then turned traitor & went to Moeller. He's playing for the Pirates now. He could throw 80+mph in the 8th grade.

I rode with Greg Lemond (cyclist), who was a very nice guy.

Raced against many US pros (cycling), so there's that link. Missed Armstrong by one year up at Super Week.

Dated a ball-girl (insert joke here) for the ATP Tennis tournament in Cincinnati.

Edit: I forgot my retail experience.

Paul O'Neil, Dave Parker and Tim Krumrie. Krumrie was the fiery DT of the Bengals that so gruesomely broke his leg in the Super Bowl. Sold him some Oakleys. He lost his old pair on the highway, riding his Harley. He has a huge ass colliflaur(sp) ear frm wrestling I guess.

O'Neil was nice. His wife was AWESOME. She was an engaging conversationalist. I'd stopped into the bike shop(bicycle) as I was doing a long ride. It was maybe a month before they reported to spring training, his last one with the Yankees. I joked with him, saying he looked alot like Paul O'Neil. . . I didn't recognise him at first, but I knew he was somebody. He's like 6'6" with a 28" waist and broad shoulders. He asked me the fastest I'd ever been on my bike and acted suitably impressed when I told him They bought their kids some bikes.

Parker I met in passing. He sat there & was talking to one of the guys for well over an hour though, just shooting the shit at the bike shop.

[Samdari]

The night of the 1996 NBA draft, Donovan McNabb greeted me at the sports bar I had chosen to watch the draft. We spent about 5 minutes debating the draft. I assured him Kobe Bryant would be a bust, and John Wallace (the TRUE mvp of the 96 NCAA tourney) would be the star of the draft. I nailed that one!

[FishFan]

Originally posted by mrsimperless
Yeah, a story like that is begging for details.

This was several years ago at a major down in Louisville (Valhalla Golf Course, I think). Anyway, I was drunk off my ass and we were following Strange's group at the time. Not sure who he was with, but oafter one of his drives, his ball ended up in a divot. I yell out, "Hey, Curtis! That's a might Strange lie you have there!" He responded by saying something like, "Will someone shut that asshole up?" I responded, "Well it is, isn't it?" Then, he told me to fuck off. Really not that funny, but taken out of context it sounds cool.

[FishFan]

Originally posted by damnMikeBrown
[b]Played HS ball with a guy who's Dad won 3 or 4 Super Bowl rings with the Dolphins in their early 70's run. His name was Cruzan, was a T for them.

I met this same Dolphin at a charity golf event in Bloomington, IN. Even got to try on his '72 undefeated Super Bowl ring (it was a little loose to say the least). I want to say his first name is Doug.

[damnMikeBrown]

He was a very cool guy when it came to the trying on of rings. I slept over at his house one night, after I got a speeding ticket of 90+ mph with his son in the car. .. At any rate, it was pretty much standard fare for every visitor to go see the rings & try them on if they wanted to. A lot of people, I'd think, wouldn't want anybody to touch them. He was very generous about letting all the kids see 'em. I suppose for this very reason, to give us something to think kindly upon now that we're older.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
I was browsing your post, thinking..."when is he going to mention that RB he keeps pimping".

Hey, I couldn't help it. When I made that post, I had JUST walked in the door from watching football practice. We've gotten a new kid who moved here from Oklahoma who looks like he'll be good enough to start in the secondary as a sophomore , which means that Thomas is working almost exclusively with the offense. Right now the defense is ahead of the offense, except for that ridiculously fast tailback who kept all the observers amazed this evenin', and kept the defense honest.

....besides, in a few years you'll all feel like insiders since you knew about him before the rest of the country.

[PineTar]

My grandparents lived next to Chris Berman's in-laws.

One of the guys I roomed with in college is a nephew of 70's era Dolphins DE Vern Den Herder.

I went to junior high school & played ball with the son of Mariners hitting coach Lamar Johnson.

My old boss went to college w/ Chris Farley and at least one of his brothers.

A high school classmate, Ted (Theodore) Witcher is the screenwriter for the film Love Jones.

[Buccaneer]

One of our longtime posters has a well-known PGA golfer as his in-law, but I forget who. He told some great stories a while back. Anyone remember who it was?

[Swaggs]

Hasn't anyone here ever met Trent Green?

[JeeberD]

I went to high school with a guy named Ray Brust. He went to Oregon on a football scholarship and player either tight end or fullback (or maybe both) for them. So he played with Joey Harrington, and that leads to loads of other people...

John Elway, LaPhonso Ellis, and Scott Hastings all came through the drive-thru of the Burger King I worked at in high school.

I have waited on Dat Nguyen, Ron Stone, Derek Ross, and Larry Allen at OG.

I saw Denver mayor Wellington Webb at the Bellagio in Vegas (with a woman who wasn't his wife).

Former UTEP and current Puerto Rican national team basketball player Sharif Fajardo was my suite-mate at UTEP.