In honor of the all Jordan Weekend, will post one of my brushes with him.

Jordan would leave via Gate 3 1/2 at the Old Barn. That was the gate to players/media/etc lot on the West end of the stadium. When Jordan would leave they only let him out and anyone he was with. Even some of the other players had to wait a few minutes. It was like the point at which MJ said NO more signing, hellos, picture, etc. So when he left walked out nobody was out there to bother him.

I got to park in the lot a few times and one of those nights, I got to park close enough to the door that when MJ left he had to walk past my Jeep. I got out of the door way before he left, because that day I cleaned out an old office space and the tenant left an old Huffy Backboard and rim with the facsimile Autograph.

You know MJ is about to walk out because the flow of people stops from the door and 2 of his personal security guys stand outside the door waiting for him.

Then I had the brilliant idea to ask him to sign the backboard. I search the jeep and my briefcase and I find a sharpie, open the hatch and here comes MJ....as I say Hey Mike, can you sign this?

He walks over laughing...looks at it and says "I guess I already did" as he takes the pen...crosses out the Facsimile and signs his name...asks me where I got it...I tell him..he says..."See ya next game"...I say thanks...and faint...

Still in my vault of collectibles. Gotta get back in there one day and do something with that crap.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Media pass

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Media pass for whom?

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Obviously, Julie Swieca.

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Don't take it personally.

Same story as Biggie, my old man got tickets from somewhere me and a buddy went.
So driving around looking for 3 1/2 get in and park my peice of shit olds right next to jump 23.
So I got as close as his car.

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https://www.backroadspubandgrill.com

i saw him zip southward down sheridan down by loyola once, roughly the same stretch of road where i saw tom thayer carry on like a pimp.

i was hanging out on the sheridan road mid-street divider right @ the loyola redline stop with a cool middleaged veteran who was properly zonked out from doing some pretty serious shit abroad in his lifetime. he was to the point where he let his hair grow out and he found solace in living a life of poverty on the streets holding up a sign for cash, cuz like, as he told me the whole "american dream" didn't appeal to him and he wanted to live a "real" life as opposed to a "plastic" one; i understood exactly what he was talking about. i ended up smoking a couple'a joints with him right there on sheridan (the cops evidently knew him and honked and waved as we sat there puffing away. he had all of their respect) and yadda yadda yadda.

so at point a real slick blacked out BMW (black, black aftermarket rims, and tinted windows) pulls up, and you see the window roll down and the silhouette of a slick big beefy shavedhead/bald guy extend his hand out and slap a $50 on the veteran dude, and it hit me so i belted out: OMFG IT'S TOM THAYER!!! he proceeded raise his fist out of the window in acknowledgement and peel out as the light turned green, the custom notre dame license plates sealing the deal that, indeed, that was the bears broadcaster who famously wanted to give it to kyle orton.

the jordan story was just some sort of lamborghini or testarossa or something being around the area and people yelling OMFG THAT'S MICHAEL JORDAN and like thayer he took the fuck off, but without that big pimpin (dah dah dahdahdahdah dah dah) exchange. i was on the other side of the street almost a 1/2 block down, but i was still able to hear the ambient yelling and see the car zip off into the horizon.

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Me, from the guy in your avatar

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I didn't know you had a career in media at one point.

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Bernstein: Oy. You're one of those adult autograph seekers. I despise you and your kind. Vermin!!! Vermin I say!!!

Big Fan: Fuck You Bernstein, it was MJ.

Bernstein:

CSFMB:

When I was a kid me and my friend walked over to gate 3.5 to try for MJ's autograph after a Sunday afternoon game. Got Horace Grant. But it was like Big Fan said, they cleared out everybody when MJ was ready exit. It was still a thrill to watch MJ leave.

That is pretty cool that Walt Williams Neck hooked you up with a media pass. Neat story, bro.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Was way better than a career in media!

Show up one drinking night and I will regale you with stories. It was the best times and it was the BESTEST of times!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I don't drink, but I do want to make it to a board event one of these days! I'll be in Florida for the first week of March, maybe after that.

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Had beers with MJ's limo driver at Holiday a few times. He showed up there one night with Chelios and Kristy Swanson whom the married with 4 kids Chelios was trying his best to get in her drawers. Had to tell them to move as they were interfering ( 2 minutes) with my pool shot. Good times man.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

So you used a media pass and while doing so you solicited an athlete for autographs.

Charming.

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Friend of the family was head of security at the Stadium and he took my brother and me in through Gate 3 1/2 a few hours before the games and let us rebound for the team. MJ gave my brother $100 for rebounding for him once, then we went up and sat in the camera baskets that used to hang over the 1st balcony.

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Friend of the family used to be in charge of security at Soldier Field.

Used to walk the the field from end to end watching the games with other sports stars.

I just can't bring myself to watch a game from the seats there.

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Bougie.

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Oh, the unthinkable, to destroy the sanctity of the media pass...I might have even cheered

Was given the media pass just to get into the Stadium when I got there and would get tickets later.

No wonder why you are out of a job.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Was a big Jordan fan growing up but never got to see him on the basketball court. I did some caddying for a
few years at The Merit Club out in Libertyville and saw him on the course a number of times although I never
carried his bag. Saw quite a few famous people out there. Closest I got to him was probably 15 feet after a
loop in the caddy area.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Rozner lost his job?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Really easy to see why you hate Jerry Reinsdorf, bigfan!!

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Be careful.

Challenging the carefully crafted delusions of others can be very dangerous to them.

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Hung out @ a small party for a mutual friend one night in '90. Once the crowd outside got blocked out(that he'd been amazingly polite to), he relaxed and seemed like a really good, if not reserved guy. Really reserved until a friend of mine decided to talk about his old college games. Jordan lit his ass up, everyone laughed hard & I never, ever heard those stories again.

I even got offered a bj from a drunk chick who wanted me to bring her into the private area. Thanks Mike.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

A looper...a caddy...a jock.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Bad chiropractor. #Truth

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GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

That was you that said I hate Jerry...or did you forget that?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Around the summer of 2000 I was invited by a client to play golf at Bob O'Link GC in Highland Park, which is just about the most anti-PC club out there (Butler National has open arms compared to this place). I was sitting in the lounge a few minutes before others in my group arrived and noticed the guy at the table next to me was MJ. He politely asked if he could change the channel on the TV because he wanted to see how his friend was playing (turned out to be Tiger). Just as I was about to get up the nerve to strike up a conversation, in rolled Bob O'Links' most famous member, Da Coach, and Jordan left.

MJ was in the foursome ahead of us, and my recollection was that the ball exploded off his club with very little apparent effort, but the accuracy wasn't there. He was poking out of the trees a lot.

Later I heard that Jordan had bought memberships to half a dozen premier clubs in the area -- I guess even the old crusty guys liked having MJ as a member.

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