Saw a pro football player today and how strange it is to ....................

SanctionII

realize that he was not that big and physically impressive in person wearing street clothes.

I am tall (6'6") and not the bean pole I was as a college kid. Except for the offensive and defensive linemen (who can be very tall and also very wide), most football players in street clothes look just about like everyone else (except they are in great physical shape compared to Joe six pack).

The above observation is not accurate when one sees professional basketball players (male and female). Those persons are so tall (and many times very thin) that they can not disappear in a crowded room.

perkdog

Well I am only 5'8 180 but I stood next to Jim Rice at Dunkin Donuts a few years back and lemme tell you he was GINORMOUS, he shook my hand and my arm was almost taken off.

But the fact that you are 6 foot 6 ofcourse they are not going to be that big to you.. I meen you must tower over a bunch of them.

SanctionII

perkdog

I do tower over most people, but when I go to an NBA game and go down to the floor during pre game shootaround to watch the players warm up, I feel like I am a dwarf. Patrick Ewing, Hakeem the Dream, Manute Bol, Shawn Bradley, David Robinson, Shaq, Yao Ming, now those are smoe tall humans.

perkdog

UMMM Yes... your talking about some 7 footers LOL

pandrews

yeah i took a piss beside keenan mcardell at the airport one time and he's smaller than i thought..

that doesnt sound right, i know..

stevek

While at Penn State I was at a fraternity party and John Cappalletti who had graduated some years before, was there. That SOB looked like he was chiseled in stone. Real good guy and we briefly talked a little football but I quickly backed off because of course he was at the party for the women, and so was I for that matter - LOL. I know for sure I wouldn't want to try to tackle him on a football field - I know I'd be the loser - LOL.

Bosox1976

I used to play Rugby with Richard Tardits, ex-Patriots LB (and former all-time SEC sacks leader). He wasn't much bigger than anybody else on the team (symbolic of the pre-steroid days, I guess), but every muscle seemed just a little bit bigger. Slightly bigger calves, thighs, chest, pipes, etc.

Add up a whole body of 10-20% larger muscles and add in speed and he could hit like a locomotive. Boy, could he close on you fast and hard.

Rode in the elevator with some UFC stars at Mandalay Bay last year, including Couture - same thing. Not huge guys, but bigger than usual necks, hands, shoulders, etc. You could tell that they were hard dudes.

Barndog

<< <i>yeah i took a piss beside keenan mcardell at the airport one time and he's smaller than i thought..

that doesnt sound right, i know.. >>



what was your eye angle ?

onlyanumber

Sanction--which player did you have a brush of greatness with?

Stingray

Saw Barry Sanders at a local Best Buy a year or so ago. Did not really look that big, though he has been out of football for a while and he was not that tall anyhow. Just did not look like someone who would have played pro ball.

rajah424

Rode an elevator with Willie Shoemaker once, hugh forearms. Did have to push the buttons for him though.

SanctionII

onlyanumber:

I did not catch his name. He and the shop owner were talking about the Raiders (he is on the team and how the preseason is going). He is black, about 6'1", slim in the hips and legs but very wide in the shoulder and torso. Definitely a bruiser.

Years ago I played pickup basketball in Denver, Colo. at a rec center. Cullen Bryant of LA Rams fame was playing some ball with us. What a stud. His waist must have been about 32" while his chest must have been about 52", all muscle. His arms were so big one bicep would block out the sun. He was faster and quick that any other player on the floor, including all of the small, fast point guards. No one, even if they had the courage to paly tight defense on him, could slow the guy down, much less stop him.

IrishMike

Several years ago I was at the SEMA show in Vegas because one of my clients sponsored Scott Brayton (deceased Indy driver) and I met Reggie Jackson. Now I was 5'11" at the time and I looked down on him. I was shocked how small he really is.

thegemmintman

I saw Laveranues Coles walk right past me. He was wearing very bag sweats on so it was tough to tell anything, but he didn't look like much.

SanctionII

IrishMike:

23-24 years ago I was clubbing at the Bobby McGee's in Newport Beach, Cal. and making small talk with a lovely young woman. I went to get a drink and when I came back Mr. October (Reggie Jackson) had taken my place and was putting the full court press on the young woman seeking companionship for the night. I also was shocked at how short old Reggie is. He looked 5'7" at best, though he still had big arms. I never got to say another word to the young woman that evening. However, as I hung around and listened to her and Reggie talking, she started talking to him about religion and going to church with her. Do not know if he left the club with her that night, but I thought it a little funny that she would go to a night club and talk about religion and church to guys trying to find companionship for the evening.

Dave99B

I've seen many Seahawks around Seattle, mainly in resturants, and bars. All have been really nice, and very approachable. But ba-jesus those dudes are large, and in fantastic shape! Holy crap! Even Josh Brown looks like he could kick some serious ass (no pun intended).

I saw Jay Buhner at Nordstoms a few years back, when he was in his final year with the Mariners. Not imposing at all. I walked over and said Hi. He was sort of busy, looking at sweaters, so just patted him on the back as I walked away, wishing him well in his final year. My gawd...it was like patting a cinder block! The guy was a rock!

I saw 6'10" Randy Johnson get out of his car and pump his own gas at an Arco station about 10 years ago. The dude was gigantic. He had a scowl on his face so I didn't bother him.

Last spring in Scottsdale, AZ I stawked Barry Bonds around for awhile in an upscale mall. Very fun. His spring training game had been rained out, so I guess he was killing time. He had two bodyguards who walked behind him the entire time. The dudes looked like they were "carrying". Barry was HUGE. Not so much tall, but wide. Massive shoulders. I guess drugs will do that, eh?

Dave

dontippet

Saw Ric Flair at a St. Louis Marriott a few years back. He had a sportscoat on. I was unimpressed by his size, but he was very friendly. You could tell that he wanted to make eye contact and greet everyone he could. Very nice first impression.

interchanges

Ran into Mark Price (Cavaliers guard) in an airport once.
Funny, he always seemed so short amongst all those NBA'ers.
He was really tall. Friendly too. I reminded him of when he sank a shot against the Pistons at the buzzer, he got this far away look in his eyes and was like..............."Oh yeah! Yeah, I remember that"

joestalin

I once saw Andy Reid at Dunkin Donuts and went back to my card to stuff 12 pillows into my shirt. I came back and stood next to him
and looked like slim jim after a month long fast!

Dude is impressive! "Chicks dig the gut man" he said to me.

JS

alpemomo

Commie boy again with the Andy Reid hating....

I wonder if Andy Reid is related to Keven Reid? Is he your dad, brother, uncle or long lost cousin?

zef204

Barry Sanders was in the restaurant I was working at about 4 years ago. I was shocked that I was taller than he was as I am only 5'8. I know he was listed at that height too, but I was clearly taller than him.

Publius

I was in Denver last year to see the Seahawks destroy the Donkos, I was staying at the same hotel as the Hawks and I was surprised how small they were.

Im 6'5", 270#, I came down to a bar in the hotel one night wearing a bunch of Seahawk stuff, in the floor below was the pre game Seahawk conference, there were a ton of autograph seekers at the bottom of the escalator, I had a bunch of people ask me for my autograph before a dad asked who I was. Once they figured out I was a nobody, the gig was up

Anyway, there are 3 kids out there with my autograph on their Seahawk team calender.

joe