What I do for this blog
July 31, 2008 @ 7:45 a.m. by Joannaby joanna
Because of you guys, because I wanted to put this on the blog, I ran down Ricky Ross in the Wal-Mart parking lot last night.
Yep. I’m a dork. I’d never met him, but I’ve heard plenty about him. Most of it from Bob Lutz, my longtime co-worker, who has talked about him so much over the years that I figured Ricky Ross was really a god. Bob has waxed poetic about how good of a player Ricky Ross is (he’s someone you have to use both names, don’t you think?) and I wanted to meet one of the few people that have ever gotten Bob talking like that.
So my husband pointed him out last night as we parked at Wal-Mart and I called out his name, introduced myself, told him that I had to meet him because Bob talks about him. I didn’t even feel like an idiot. Although I think I should have.
I also ran into Taylor McIntosh while getting a buttload of school supplies last night (does my son really need a ream of colored copy paper — it’s $4 for 125 pages!). Anyway, if you don’t remember McIntosh, she played at Heights when the Falcons first started their dynasty that they have going on now. She was an All-State player and one of the first kids in the area that had that impressive athleticism and versatility. She went on to KU where she played until graduating this spring. She’s now going to pharmacy school at KU. She always was a smart one.
So now I have to find out, did you ever go out of your way to meet someone? Or is it just me? I haven’t asked for autographs since I was in high school — just not something you do in this business! — but is there someone you sought out for one? Let me know.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:02 am
I used to drive 3 or 4 blocks out of my way to buy beer from Don Calhoun. Does that count?
And no your son does not need all that paper. (or 25 pencils 15 pens and 6 boxes of kleenex.) But they put it all in a pool and every kid in class gets to use it. (that way the kids that don’t get any new stuff can have new stuff without extorting it from your kid.)
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July 31st, 2008 at 11:12 am
I played against Ricky, he is a basketball god and the one person I always talk about being in my opinion being not only one of the best to ever step on a court here in Wichita, but a player before his time a tall guard who could shoot the lights out that should have had a long NBA gig.
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July 31st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Definitely tracked down Adrian Griffin at Furniture on Consignment about six years ago. He was buying furniture for his mom and signed a couple of autographs. Top five fave Wichita athletes, ever.
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July 31st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Ricky Ross was hands down the best player ever to play in the city league! A man among boys! Joanna….what did he say?
I’ve never had the occasion to track down a famous athlete.
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July 31st, 2008 at 6:48 pm
did ross play in the nba? if not why?
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July 31st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
shocker528 — Ross was very nice. I mean, he’s got this crazy woman coming up to him in the Wal-Mart parking lot and he didn’t even blink. He did kind of smile when I mentioned Bob Lutz’s name.
As for his backstory, I really can’t remember what it is. It was waaay before my time.
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Yes, I kind of smile when I hear Bob Lutz’s name — actually it’s more of a snicker.
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August 1st, 2008 at 12:09 am
this may cause some criticism because there has been alot of talk about him lately but i went out of my way to meet Perry Ellis. It was after the first of the East-Southeast games last year (Adonis Gantt’s four point play? remember?) this was when all the buzz was starting and i just had to talk to him. I came up to him in the WSU parking lot where he was walking with a few of his friends and asked him what he thought of the game and what high school he was going to.
Now that i look back on it, i feel embarrassed for running down an 8th grader like i was a 6th grade girl. but if he blossoms out to what everyone suspects him to be, ill have a great story 10 years from now
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