When people meet me they always ask 4 questions & tell me a story. Q How tall are you? I tell them 7ft. Did you play basketball? Yes. Where did you play? Villanova. Were you on THAT team? Yes I was. They then proceed to tell me where they were and who they were with the night Villanova upset the Mighty Georgetown Hoyas April 1st 1985.
I’ve heard literally hundreds of stories, but this one might be the best:
I met Tug Mcgraw and Fred Lynn years ago at a Sunoco event . They nicknamed me "Strike Zone" due to my XL strike zone. Tug says he could strike me out in 3 pitches. That’s not saying much Tug I’m 7 feet tall and not that good. The good natured ribbing goes on for a bit before Fred Lynn laughs ands says let’s get a beer. I’m thinking this is great I’m going to get to talk Yankees vs Redsox with 1975 ROY/MVP Fred Lynn.
We get to the bar and he immediately starts to ask if I played. I told him about Nova vs Gtown he gets very excited and like a lot of people he tells me where he was that nite. Fred was playing for the Baltimore Orioles and was roomates with Cal Ripkin Jr in Spring Training. He and Cal had a friendly wager on the game. Fred said he and Cal had money laid out all over the bed and picked Georgetown…Ripkin had Nova. I mention that Patrick Ewing doesn't like to talk about that game. Fred says, “I know the feeling, I have games I don't like to talk about”. I say, “you don't mean the Bucky F-ing Dent game do ya Fred?” Which prompts Fred to say, “oh man you’re a Yankee fan too? Get this guy a beer.” Great guy we hung out for hours talking family, hoops and Yanks v Sox.
But that’s not the end of the story. Fast forward 20 plus years and I’m front row at GTown vs Nova in DC. I see a very familiar figure heading down the steps to where we are sitting, it’s Cal Ripken!
He takes his seat right behind me. I introduced myself and asked him to verify a story. As I’m telling him the story, the smile on his face grows bigger and bigger, then he says “I took all Fred’s money, Chuck!” and high 5’s me. Cal is a big hoops fan and we were chatting hoops and Nova Bball. We were sitting behind the Nova bench, so everytime the camera found Coach Wright, you also saw me and Cal chatting.
One of my former teammates took a picture of his TV and told me to stop bothering Ripken. I said you should text him he’s talking to me asking questions about Jay and the program! 😂😂😂 Can’t make this stuff up!
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