Storytime with Bob Hanson: Meeting Bill Belichick

The following is the gospel of Bob Hanson:

So I was at the same bar as Bill Belichick last night.

As a person who lives and dies with the Patriots every Sunday, this made me very excited. It's funny that this is the kind of thing that gets a person excited. It makes sense that Bill Belichick has to eat and drink. He's a person just like you or me. I live and work in Washington, D.C., so we'll oftentimes see important policymakers and journalists. The previous night I had been at a Kennedy School of Government event that featured Obama's head speechwriter. I also work in the same building that the produce PTI and Around the Horn, so we'll see Michael Wilbon walking into or out of the building every few weeks and once saw Bob Ryan. But my excitement at those events pales in comparison to my excitement of seeing Belichick.

It's funny the reaction that seeing a famous person has on people. I guess in LA, where they see celebrities all the time, there is some sort of code to be cool about it (I don't believe this for a second; I think they are desensitized, not cool). But in most places, people start to act a little bit insane. He was at a booth sitting with a blond woman (younger than him, but not young) that was in people's line of site only if they stood at the top of a set of stairs. People started hovering in that area, taking pictures with their cell phones, and generally gawking. I can't say that I didn't do my fair share of gawking but I don't think I was out of line (you'll have to get Kristin's reaction to see if I actually wasn't a creeper). I honestly wanted to sit down with him to thank him for the great years he has given us as the Patriots' coach. But I at least wasn't so creepy that I'd ruin his date with the good-looking blond, so I abstained.

I got it in my head, though, that I would shake his hand as he walked out. When I saw him get up to leave the bar, I shot up to the top of the stairs of the establishment (we were at the Tombs, a Georgetown bar that is entirely underground) and waited just outside to meet him. Another guy had the same idea, only he wanted a picture. He talked me into trying to take a picture of him with Belichick, which I asked him to reciprocate. Then we heard Belichick's trademark, gravely voice coming up the stairs. As he turned the corner we were waiting right there to meet him. The other guy was a little bit dumbfounded, but I said, "Coach Belichick, I just wanted to shake your hand and wanted to know if you would take a picture with us." He shook my hand, thought for a second, and politely declined to take a picture. I tried to pass off my card (I have no idea why I did this, it's a stupid DC thing) but he declined that as well. I said, "That's fine, thanks again," and I grabbed his hand and shook it again.

That was the end of my encounter with Bill Belichick. I can say his handshake was firm but not overly strong. I didn't think until the next morning about how it was funny that I shook hands (twice) with Belichick considering all the criticism and troubles he's had over the years regarding them (his handshakes with Parcells, Mangini, and Dungy all go significant attention every game). I went back down to the bar and texted just about everybody I know that I had just touched Bill Belichick. Twice.

On the scale of personal famous person encounters, this was up there but not the best. I got to shake hands and briefly meet Barack Obama backstage at a rally he did in 2006 for the Sheldon Whitehouse campaign (the advantage of being a political staffer). That was interesting in that he seemed generally interested in shaking hands and meeting me even though he knew I was a peon working for a guy who wasn't even a sure thing to make it into the Senate. That, however, wasn't even the greatest celebrity moment of the campaign. One day I got to have a beer with David Ortiz at his house due to my connection to the campaign. That story, however, will have to wait for another day.

Picks:

INDIANAPOLIS over NY Jets -8
NEW ORLEANS over Minnesota -3.5

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Steve here again. Wow, I don't think I can possibly top that story, or the list of celebrities that Bob has hobnobbed with. So instead, I'll just give my football picks for this weekend:

Indy over Jets
Saints over Minnesota

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Kristin says: Creeper, no not really. Glowing with wide-eyed excitement and smiling like the Patriots had just won a big playoff game - yes. I must admit, it did give a small thrill and nicely enhance an already festive party atmosphere (a great 'gift' for our friend from Boston on his 24th birthday). I did however feel no need to go stare at him like many of the other patrons, and I almost felt sorry for him except that he seemed be unfazed and happily enjoying his date. I was slightly annoyed that Bob ditched me entirely for almost two hours to stand at the ready while he waited for Belichick to finish his meal, but at least after all that he had the guts to really shake his hand - I was thinking it might have been all talk.

Finally, I'm not sure what Belichick was doing in a DC college bar instead of an private corner of an expensive restaurant, but it makes him seem like a grounded famous person (and a nice one, he didn't complain or brush Bob off, and we heard he tipped the hostess on the way out).

As for my picks, after seeing people dancing in the stands I'm back on the Saints train, and I just don't respect the Jets enough to think they can beat out the Colts.

INDIANAPOLIS over NY Jets -8
NEW ORLEANS over Minnesota -3.5

Now your girl TV update: One Tree Hill and Vampire Diaries restarted this week. I think One Tree Hill had a nice natural ending point at the end of last season, and I think they keep making the show out of habit and don't really care if they keep their viewers. Now half-way through the season, they still have not shown Payton or Lucas, and I am getting tired of waiting. Please bring them back! This is even though Lucas is a whiny, blabby, self-absorbed momma's boy, and the same words could be used to describe Payton except that she has more of the girl-angst talk about punk rock but not be actually musical dark-twisties going on (due to lack of mommas).... DON'T have them FINALLY get married and then take them away from me!!! Bringing in new characters will NOT continue to distract me, and I don't really care about them.

The big reveal on Vampire Diaries was that the main character is ADOPTED, dun dun duhhh. Now they will be able to trace her back as a relative of her vampire boyfriend's first love - the vampire that turned him. I pray that they stick to the "vampires can't have children" thing and don't make her the secret love-child descendant of her own boyfriend - considering they have slept together now.

The other reveal was that her vampire boyfriend is the one that saved her from the car crash that killed her adoptive parents - before the two characters even met. This second reveal kind of annoyed me, because it was painfully obvious once he started talking since she had always said she didn't know how she escaped the wreck. However, I have to admit I cried a bit when he described how her adoptive father wouldn't let himself be saved first and made sure his daughter was first pulled from the car. However, honestly, guys - never tell you girlfriend this - she can't handle it, let her think she was the only one possible to save - not that her parents could have lived if it wasn't for her.

Last note - Ooooooooooh! I am sooo excited you like Project Runway! Bob got pretty into the second season, which I think was by far the best. He doesn't really watch with me anymore. This week they kept Ping, the girl I complained about last week, after she sent her model down the runway in a skirt so badly sewn together they called it an ass-flap. I think they are keeping her for the intrigue, but she will be gone within the next two weeks. Have you watched any of the model after show? Models are generally annoying (except for Heidi) so I haven't added it to the TiVo yet.

The picture of Bill and his girlfriend comes from this Sports Illustrated gallery of a college football game. Advanced apology to Kristin for not having more pictures, but I'm finishing this up from the catacombs of the Dunkin' Donuts Center, so I don't have time to add them right this second.