OT - the way it was

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I worked after school and weekends in their mail room (they were one of the first car dealerships to use a direct mailer program).

All the talk about brushes with greatness, and THIS is the line that intrigues me most.

Among other parts of my day job, I support an online sales website, so the pioneering of direct mail -- the precursor -- intrigues me. Mark, what did the dealership sell via mail? I can't imagine cars were on the menu.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by bainsey

All the talk about brushes with greatness, and THIS is the line that intrigues me most.

Among other parts of my day job, I support an online sales website, so the pioneering of direct mail -- the precursor -- intrigues me. Mark, what did the dealership sell via mail? I can't imagine cars were on the menu.

It was a monthly newsletter to all their customers. Each newsletter was specific to that customer, i.e.: letting them know when it was about time to trade, keeping track of when they might have a kid who was now old enough to get a car, etc. This was based on information they gathered when they first dealt with the customer. My stepfather owned an ad agency and he developed this program and the car dealer (Bauer Buick in Harvey, Illinois) was a client of his. He got me the mailroom job. After a short time of using this program, he got together with the dealership owner and they found some IBM computer dudes to computerize the program (remember, this was in the late 60s) and sell it to car dealerships across the nation. The computer dudes were living in Portland and in order to form the company properly, my family moved here. The company is Poorman-Douglas Corporation, named after the two computer guys.

[justacoach]

I once shook hands with J. Dallas Shirley. Haven't washed that hand since. My oldest brother roomed with Ronnie Nunn in college. As a point guard, he practiced great ref mechanics. My 2nd oldest brother roomed with the original Walt Szczerbiak, and, I can spell his name without looking it up. His son goes by 'Wally' for simplicity. Had the pleasure of watching young John Guthrie as assistant coach of my brothers' team before he escaped to Univ Georgia and thence to become SEC Head of Basketball officials.
Sorta fortuitous I got into officiating, albeit late in life. Can't help but think destiny finally found me .
Those of you who know me may justifiably think differently!!!

Happy Easter and Pesach

[grunewar]

I had an "In" as a young kid, and met many that I couldn't appreciate fully until later in life - Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, Moses Malone, Clyde Frazier, and baseball ump Frank Pulli were my favorites. Once at 13 or 14, I even had my picture taken at the table at the Phila, Spectrum before a game with famed NBA referee Mendy Rudolph. Who knew?

As for now....well, I've met and shook hands with the last three Presidents (not sports related, but I am honored in that regard).

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by grunewar

As for now....well, I've met and shook hands with the last three Presidents (not sports related, but I am honored in that regard).

I had dinner a few times with Jimmy Carter and my parents told me that just before my fourth birthday, I had dinner with Adlai Stevenson. I had an uncle who was personal friends with him and he threw a fund-raising dinner for him a few months before his first presidential election. Of course my family attended and the then-governor came over to our table, shook my hand and patted me on the head.

[Sharpshooternes]

I met Karl Malone at a truck stop once. I guess he liked to do a little trucking. He was there with his big rig and he took a minute to sign some baseball caps, nice guy.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Sharpshooternes

I met Karl Malone at a truck stop once. I guess he liked to do a little trucking.

Was it a mail truck?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Sharpshooternes

I met Karl Malone at a truck stop once. I guess he liked to do a little trucking.

[theboys]

My younger son's team played at YBOA Nationals a couple of years ago. Shaq's son's team was in our pool. We lost a close one to them, and my son had a pretty good game. Shaq made it a point to talk to the boys' coach afterward, and spent a few minutes with my son. The next day, they played right after us. While our game was going on, Shaq's son's team came into the gym. Shaq sat down beside me and spent the next 10-15 minutes just having a "dad stuff" conversation. After our game he spent a few minutes with my son, and had his picture taken with the team. During the next NBA season, when the Celtics came to Atlanta, I got tickets for my two sons to attend the game. Shaq spotted them when he came out for warm-ups and told them to wait for him after the game. They did, and he came out and spent about 10 minutes talking to them.