Sunday, January 16, 2022

have i told you my jeff gordon story?

i don't think i have. 

about 14 years ago, i was in indianapolis for work. i was checking out of my hotel at the front desk. no, there were no hotel apps back then, although i probably didn't have to go to the front desk to check out. i chose to do so, however, because i wanted to dispute the rate they had charged me for my room.

as i was explaining myself to the attendant, she looked past me and said "i will be right with you mr. gordon." i glanced and saw that she was talking to jeff gordon, the nascar driver. i realized at that moment that i could have asked to have all charges waived and she would have said "ok" - she was that determined to be the one to help the guy.

i finished my business quickly and, since i figured gordon was in town for a race, i said hello and wished him luck. by this time there were some other nascar folks in the lobby, but i didn't recognize any of them. one guy was wearing a jimmie johnson team shirt. i don't know anything about nascar, but i recognized gordon and knew johnson's name.

many years later, i added this 2009 press pass fusion card of gordon
to my "meaningful and just because" mini-collection to represent this chance encounter.

based on his reaction to me, i think gordon was surprised that i didn't ask him to sign anything as i was carrying a clipboard at the time, but i really didn't think of it at the time. when i got to the office and relayed my story, i was roundly admonished for not having him sign something. i told them i just figured it was a common occurrence to see him around indy. that's when they started throwing office supplies at me.

10 comments:

  1. I have to admit that I had never heard of Jeff Gordon until this post.

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    1. he was kind of a big deal back in the day.

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  2. I know the name, but unless someone pointed him out, I wouldn't have recognized him.

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    1. i don't know for sure because the desk attendant addressed him by name, but i am fairly confident i would have recognized him regardless. he was all over commercials back then.

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  3. Don't watch Nascar... but I know Jeff Gordon. That's cool that you had a chance encounter with a legend. My most famous chance encounter was Evgeni Nabokov (Sharks goalie back in the day).

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    1. i'd like to hear that story!

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    2. Lol. If I wrote a post, I'd be lucky to get 50 views... so I'll just tell you here. My friend and I were at Pinkberry eating yogurt when he walked in with his kids. I'm not even sure if I recognized him, but my friend is a huge hockey fan. I think she saw him and pointed it out to me. The sat down next to us, but we didn't say anything to him since he was with his kids.

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    3. if i didn't post things that didn't get 50 views i would have no blog. good on you for not bugging him when he was with his kids.

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