Sometimes those of us living in Hawaii bump into celebrities and atheletes, either on or off the job.
I've had the pleasure of talking to terrific people like Bette Midler, Kirk Hammett from Metallica, and an assortment of past sitcom stars.
I've met stoned rock stars - all the Red Hot Chili Peppers - and plain weird rock stars like Michael Jackson.
Then there are the atheletes. I've run into Ichiro Suzuki three times now, and can honestly say he's a class act. Cliff Robinson is cool; Gary Payton too.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of jerk atheletes out there too.
Case in point:
A close friend of mine has a younger brother working his way through college as a room-service waiter at one of the best resorts here in the islands. He played football in high school and his idol was Jerry Rice. Well, one day during the Pro Bowl week, Rice and his wife check-in at the resort and order room service. My friend's brother is terribly excited because he's going to meet his idol. He knocks on the door, the door opens, and.............Jerry Rice and his wife immediately start yelling in his face about how long the food took (it wasn't long at all) and how terrible an indication this is of the service at this world-class resort, blah, blah, blah. Worst of all, Jerry Rice starts throwing in the "Do you know who I am?" phrase over and over. No tip, no thank you, just a get the hell out of here and a slamming door.
Needless to say, he is no longer a Jerry Rice fan.
Same resort: Deion Sanders shows up at the resort's finest restaurant without a reservation and a posse of buddies. (Keep in mind, now, this is the Ordained Minister Deion Sanders). They demand entry with the "Do you know who I am?" phrase, and the manager gives in. Well, Deion and Co. have brought their own bottles of alcohol, and spend several hours barking out orders to the wait staff for more ice and glasses, disturbing other patrons, being loud and obnoxious. They never ordered any food or other drinks, made a mess of their surroundings, and didn't tip a penny.
When I was in Phoenix, Michael Jordan, prior to stepping into a limo, told the doorman who was holding the limo door open for him, "Hey man, when are you going to get a REAL job?"
Vinny del Negro is so cheap he doesn't like to even pay the $3 valet charge around town, let alone tip. Scottie Pippen's nickname is No-tippin' Pippen. Tiger Woods shorts waitresses in Vegas.
Thankfully, there are some genuinely nice guys in sports like Ichiro. Emmitt Smith also has a reputation in the islands as a terrific person.
What is it with these jerk atheletes? Feel free to post your own experiences, good and bad.
I've had the pleasure of talking to terrific people like Bette Midler, Kirk Hammett from Metallica, and an assortment of past sitcom stars.
I've met stoned rock stars - all the Red Hot Chili Peppers - and plain weird rock stars like Michael Jackson.
Then there are the atheletes. I've run into Ichiro Suzuki three times now, and can honestly say he's a class act. Cliff Robinson is cool; Gary Payton too.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of jerk atheletes out there too.
Case in point:
A close friend of mine has a younger brother working his way through college as a room-service waiter at one of the best resorts here in the islands. He played football in high school and his idol was Jerry Rice. Well, one day during the Pro Bowl week, Rice and his wife check-in at the resort and order room service. My friend's brother is terribly excited because he's going to meet his idol. He knocks on the door, the door opens, and.............Jerry Rice and his wife immediately start yelling in his face about how long the food took (it wasn't long at all) and how terrible an indication this is of the service at this world-class resort, blah, blah, blah. Worst of all, Jerry Rice starts throwing in the "Do you know who I am?" phrase over and over. No tip, no thank you, just a get the hell out of here and a slamming door.
Needless to say, he is no longer a Jerry Rice fan.
Same resort: Deion Sanders shows up at the resort's finest restaurant without a reservation and a posse of buddies. (Keep in mind, now, this is the Ordained Minister Deion Sanders). They demand entry with the "Do you know who I am?" phrase, and the manager gives in. Well, Deion and Co. have brought their own bottles of alcohol, and spend several hours barking out orders to the wait staff for more ice and glasses, disturbing other patrons, being loud and obnoxious. They never ordered any food or other drinks, made a mess of their surroundings, and didn't tip a penny.
When I was in Phoenix, Michael Jordan, prior to stepping into a limo, told the doorman who was holding the limo door open for him, "Hey man, when are you going to get a REAL job?"
Vinny del Negro is so cheap he doesn't like to even pay the $3 valet charge around town, let alone tip. Scottie Pippen's nickname is No-tippin' Pippen. Tiger Woods shorts waitresses in Vegas.
Thankfully, there are some genuinely nice guys in sports like Ichiro. Emmitt Smith also has a reputation in the islands as a terrific person.
What is it with these jerk atheletes? Feel free to post your own experiences, good and bad.
