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maltbyrocks18

a holmstrom encounter wuss out

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I think it would have been okay, if yuo were right next to him, to say hi or something, but asking for an autograph or trying to start a conversation would have been inappropriate. Smiling and nodding and saying something like "Mr. Holmstrom" wouldn't have been obtrusive.

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tonite i took the girlfriend out to the movies, me and her were sitting in line, for tickets at amc 20 in livonia, when i heard some english being demolished. And it clicked in my head instantly with a certain swedish red wing in my head. i swung my head back to see no other but tomas holmstrom, with what must of been his 3 children in line directly behind me. he was wearing what looked to be a winter hat with the zorro zetterburg z on the front..(hmmm) but anyway, most fans i would assume would react with a hey homer! mr.holmstrom! or anything! but not me. i was speechless. i grabbed my girlfriend pacing back and forth whispered, its homer its homer!! she just laughed and said so do something about it. and while awkwardly looking at him even to the point where he must of known exactly what was going on, i still didnt say a word. minutes later i got in to the theatre and homer and his children went to the concession stand. i found a pen and paper to get ready to ask for his autograph and waited till he was checked out. half way towards him i froze again, looking like a fool, and chickened out for the second time. although this left my girlfriend rolliing on the grown laughing, i felt some what mixed on how to feel about not bothering him. although 70% of me was just plain to chicken to say a word, the other 30 felt like a dick to bother him trying to take his kids out for fun with the little time he gets. no one else when up to him, so i believe me leaving him alone prevented a chain reaction of tons of people.

so what i was wondering is....

as fans, does anyone else freeze up like i do??

and also.....

do you feel there are situations where when you spot a player in public it is better to let the player be and enjoy him self with out being mobbed by fans??

I saw Holmstrom at PF Chang in Livonia/Novi last year and freaked out. My co workers had no idea who he was. He was taking one of his kids to the potty. He must have been on potty duty that day. He took awhile!! LOL Him and his family walked out with us and I just said hello to him and good luck in tonight game. He smiled at me and said thanks and seemed shocked I recognized him.

A hello to them is fine in public. I wouldn't feel right bothering them when they are with their family.

I have seen other players at the Joe and can't say anything. I met Stevie at the fan fest and could barely get any words out.

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The only time i have ever met any of the guys not in a meet and great type of situation was when I got in back stage at the parade. It was really easy to walk right up to everyone and talk because everyone of them were all in a good mood and well drinking.

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He was taking his kids to the movies. The guy has a right no be bothered.

Yes and no. I agree that it would wrong to mob the guy and maybe freak out his kids. But I don't see anything wrong with being friendly. If you saw a random person on the street and said hi, would that be wrong since you were "bothering" them?

By the way, sometime last year I met Rick Nash here on campus. He was standing outside a building, probably before giving some speech to a bunch of people who thought they were gonna meet the point guard of the Phoenix Suns. I said hi, but he probably didn't care for the fact I was wearing a Wings jersey and hat.

Edited by Hockeytown Red Wings

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Definitely appropriate to leave him be with his kids but at the same time I know I would have probably walked up to him and said hi or shook his hand or something. No pictures or autographs though, that's a bit inappropriate. But I see no harm in saying hello to a great Red Wing

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Whats he doing at AMC 20???? Emagine Novi is where its at!!!

Thats cool you at least got to see him. next time don't worry a simple hi is fine... after all we are all humans (i think) its a nice gesture.

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I would have said where the hell have you been man, you have been sorely missed on the top line. Stop playing with your damn kids and get to work!

Just kidding, but if it were me I would have said hey Homer I've modeled my style of play after yours, great job out there! I don't see how that is "bothersome" in fact I think he would appreciate it.

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Oddly enough when I lived in Detroit I saw Homer at Max & Erma's @ 12 Oaks... I also wussed out, but he looked like he was really enjoying himself.

Then I saw Kenny @ the Starbucks on Haggerty between 7 & 8 mile in Livonia... said nothing at all. Uwe Krupp was also spotted there a few times with a pretty hot chick while he was trying to collect a paycheck from the Wings.

Then I saw Babs at Red Robin on Six Mile in Livonia with his family... that time I almost took a pic with my phone but couldn't do it. His wife said thanks for not doing it.

I also met Bob Probert in a Hooters in St. Louis (Chicago days), with a couple of Blues players. Had a waitress have him sign a menu for me. He was really nice about it.

The best encounter I had was when I met Gordie and Ted Lindsay at a Jet's Pizza in Dearborn. They were there signing stuff (no charge by the way)... I was like 16 or 17 years old and I walked up and handed Gordie and Ted a poster I got from Olympia when I was 5 years old. They signed it and I never said a word... Gordie said, "Hey kid, aren't you gonna' say hello?" He and Ted laughed and shook my hand while I had this goofy giant smile on my face and I said, "Hey."

By the way, I think you did the right thing... these guys don't want to be hounded in public.

Edited by scotzman

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You did the right thing... particularly given he was with his kids. The most I would have done was a smile and a "Hi". A simple "Thanks for bringing the Cup back!" would have been cool too. If he wanted to engage in conversation, then let him decide. I had a nice conversation with Paul Newman at the Michigan 500 when I was working as a photographer this way.

The only Red Wing I've approached has been Dallas Drake. He was coaching his daughter's team at a local hockey tournament in September where my son was playing too and I had had a nice chance conversation with his wife the evening before. She mentioned that her husband doesn't mind the attention, so I waited until after one of games and asked if he'd sign my SC hat. I thought "what are the odds of that happening again", so I quickly asked and didn't pester him after I said "Thank you!" He was happy to oblige. But I still felt a little "weird" about it. You're not alone.

Edited by Gizmo

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Met Babcock in Columbus. He was standing in the lobby of the hotel. I passed him and said hi and he was super friendly, even allowing for a picture. While in public I don't know if I would feel comfortable doing that, but since I was a wings fan at an away game, I thought, what the hell. He was very talkative and greatful. Awesome experience.

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ive had the great chance of having chelios walk by my car one day this summer shortly after his knee surgery. and of all places he was in dundee, MI coming out of a random pharmacy. I noticed walking to my car after dinner in that area that a bentley was parked next to my car with a great looking girl in his passenger seat. As i was pulling out, here comes chelli limping and had a nice "chelli" look on his face. I was kind of freaking out and wanted to say something but froze up and kick myself for it. he then followed behind me for a couple miles on his way back to I-75.

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When the whole accident happened with Konstantinov and the others, I went to the Beaumont Hospital they were at (I think it was in Royal Oak, not sure, it's been a while and I had moved out of Michigan shortly after) with my brothers and mother to leave them a get well card. We spotted a couple Wings fans there and there was a big book with a bunch of 'get well' notes from all the fans. On our way out I saw Shanny, McCarty, Drapes and a few others coming out of an elevator and I felt my heart racing. I just remember telling my mother "they're Red Wings players!", although her only reaction was "Oh really? That's nice" to me it was something I will remember for as long as I can. It was my only chance to ever get an autograph from a Red Wings player but I didn't do it out of respect because it would've felt wrong asking for an autograph in such a moment and place, since they were there to visit their injured team mates, not to sign stuff for random kids.

But I think it's the memory that matters most!

Now that I think of it, it was a pretty classy move on my part for such a young fan at the time :P

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I think you did the right thing by not asking for autograph with his kids there. Saying hello would have been Ok, but I know I probably would have frozen up as well.

I had a similar situation this year on the Victory parade day. My friend and I were eating at Andiamo's in the Rencen and in walked Scotty Bowman and his family. We debated going up to him and saying Hi and get an autograph. I snapped a picture with my crapy cell phone camera. You can barely tell its him. We never said hello or anything but it was just cool that he was there.

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