Best & Worst Experience Meeting An Athlete

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Can't do a thread like this w/o mentioning boxers. Some of the absolute friendliest, nicest down to earth guys you will ever hope to meet. I've been to a few HOF related events and some other times too, so I've met quite a few. Some highlights:

--Ali: always good stories about the GOAT. I met him before his diagnosis but it was clear he wasn't well. He didn't say much but he stayed at a show for hours beyond his scheduled appearance to make sure everyone got a signature. Really impressed me; only other athlete of his stature I've ever heard of doing that was Babe Ruth.

While perhaps not as big a name overall as Ali and Ruth, Richard Petty was known for decades for how willing he was to sign. Racers on the whole are much like boxers for how down to earth and fan friendly they are, but so much of Petty's reputation was that he wasn't just the best driver; he was also amazing when it came to signing autographs for hours and hours.