I have been fortunate in my jobs over the years to get to meet or run in to or whatever, famous people and/or celebrities. I get asked all the time about being starstruck and surprisingly, it has only happened twice to me.
The first is that if you grew up in Nashville in the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s, chances are you watched the Ralph Emery Show every morning. Everyone I know did and one of the singers and stars of that show was Tom Grant. I happened to meet Tom Grant years later when I became a sportscaster and he said he was a big fan of me because I was different and made him laugh. I just stared at him and said, “My God, you’re Tom Grant.” Absolutely star struck by Tom Grant and to this day, I still am. We have became great friends over the years and he is as wonderful as you hoped a star would be.
The second is a football player who if you just say his nickname, they will know who you are talking about. The Snake. That’s right, Ken Stabler. Back in 1993, I was working at a honky-tonk called The Wrangler. That bar had the biggest lines on Friday and Saturday and at that time, no one went downtown. Zero. Zilch. No one. Everyone came to The Wrangler, singers, actors, and athletes.
One Saturday night, I was up working the door and this man walks in, dressed to the nines. He motions me over and says, “Hey, I have Ken Stabler in my car with a few friends. Any chance we can skip the line and let him in.” I took a step back and said, “Sure, bring him on in.” 100% did not believe this man at all. I told another guy up front with me what he just told me and we both laughed. An hour later, in walks the driver and oh my lord, Ken Stabler. I stared at him as if I had seen a ghost but better than that, I had seen a snake.
He sat at the back bar and signed autographs all night long. He was absolutely fantastic. Nice to everyone around and left a huge tip for the waitresses and the bartender. No one had a camera phone back then but that is okay, that moment and evening is burnt into my memory.
Fast forward about twelve years later, I was a sportscaster at WKRN and the Snake was calling football games for Alabama. The Tide was in Nashville to take on Vandy. I usually get to the press box about two hours ahead of the game and enjoy the quiet and eat the meal they have set out for the media.
I get off the elevator, put my belongings down and go to eat. I grab my food, sit down and there are also a few other people getting food as well. I am reading some notes from the game and a guy says, “Mind if I join you?” I look up and OH MY GOSH, it is Ken Stabler. “Yes, please sit down.” He does and we start talking about the game and I didn’t bring up that night at The Wrangler, I just wanted to talk football.
The lunch that day was spaghetti and The Snake asks me a question as he is taking his first bite of food. He misses his mouth completely and the spaghetti goes straight down his shirt and he didn’t even flinch. The biggest noodles I have ever seen, along with sauce, was just sitting on his shirt. I was in a panic. Do I tell the only second person in my life I have ever been star struck that he had a party happening on his shirt? Or do I completely act as if it never happened and continue on? I was mentally paralyzed.
Now my mind is wrapped on how do I tell him that he has all this food on his shirt. “Excuse me, Snake, but the train didn’t quite make it into the station,” or, “Excuse me, Snake, but are you saving that for later?” Guess which one I did? Neither. I carried on a conversation with Ken Stabler with all this food on his shirt. About five minutes later, someone from the media team from Alabama walked by him and said, “Snake, what’s happening on your shirt?” He looked down and mustered some very funny curse words and looked at me and said, “I am sorry about that,” and continued talking about playing for John Madden. If the Snake didn’t care, then this star struck sports anchor didn’t care either.
Someone asked me if I got his autograph and I don’t do that because it is an unwritten rule not to do that if you are in that situation. I got something far better than his signature from him, time. I got time and that lives forever.
