It was great! Dave Flemming is as great a host as he is a broadcaster. I understand that he provided the experience on his own. My neice, Andrea, told me that it was the "best day of her life." She was very serious about that as, in addition to knowing all the batters' slugging averages and all the pitchers' ERAs, she has a big crush on Mr. Flemming. I can't go along with the "best day of my life" or my wife would kill me, but the experience certainly exceeded my expectations. It was an unexpected bonus that Dave invited four of us; all of us (my wife, Leslie; my brother, Steve: and Andrea) are inveterate Giants' fans. To have spoken with Dave, Jon Miller, and Kruk and Kuip AND to have gotten their autographs was the best!
I have already written to Dave to thank him. Thank you to the folks at KNBR for helping to make this happen. If KNBR does the BASHOF auction again next year, I'll bid again.
Take care,
Jim
Dear KNBR,
Several months ago, in a moment of temporary insanity while listening to KNBR on the radio, I made the decision to bid on one of the items in the KNBR sports auction. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.....
Initially, I set my sights on the Sharks package, as hockey is probably my favorite sport, and my son is a huge Joe Thornton fan. When the auction started, there wasn't much bidding, and I thought it might go for the opening bid. Then the bidding picked up, and I had to make a crucial decision...was I willing to go up to $10K? It seemed like an enormous sum, but then again, it was going to charity, so I decided to go for it, and I was the high bidder.
Then the Warriors game with Mr. T came up, and Tom was talking about sitting in the front row, and then going into the locker room to meet the players. I said to myself...."This is your opportunity to have a Jack Nicholson moment!" Even though I had just committed to the Sharks package, I called in and once again bid $10K in the last minute.
At this point, I thought I was done for the evening....but I kept listening as the Warriors, Niners, and Giants competed to out do each other with their fantasy packages. I must admit that being a judge for the Gold Rush sounded tempting, but the Warriors package started sounding better and better, and when Stephen Jackson called in an added lunch for four with him, I decided to throw my hat into the ring with a bid in the mid-20K level. I thought this bid was safe, and that no one would be insane enough to outbid me....but outbid I was.....As the final minutes approached, I convinced myself that the money would be going to a great cause - San Francisco youth sports - and that the Warriors package would just be the icing on the cake for doing something good for kids and the community. I made the fatal phone called and somehow forced myself to say $50K...It was a good thing my wife wasn't around! As time ticked down, I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to win, or was hoping that someone would outbid me in the last seconds. Someone actually came in with a higher bid, and I remember Ralph Barbieri saying on the radio, "Oh, that guy who bid 50 is going to be pissed....or maybe not." I quickly called in to find out my fate. It turned out that the last bidder could not be verified, so I scored a hattrick - the Sharks package, the Tom Tolbert/Warriors package, and the Warriors fantasy package - all for the measily cost of a Mercedes! We then got in our car and drove down to the Acme Chophouse to pay, only to get caught in Critical Mass on Stockton Street. Fortunately, we made it without any altercations.
I'm sure that people listening on the radio must have thought that whoever would bid these sums must be crazy. What I would say to them is I'm not crazy. I have been very fortunate to be successful in my career, and a few years ago I decided that I was in a position to become more philanthropic. Consequently, I viewed bidding on the KNBR auction items as a way to both fulfill my philanthropic objective and have some unique sports experiences as the icing on the cake. I would never spend this much money on myself, but giving the money to charity and getting to participate in these events was a win/win.
My one fear was that sometimes it turns out that what you actually get falls far short of what was advertised. I had won charity auctions in the past and been disappointed, and I was wondering what my experience would be with KNBR and the Sharks and the Warriors? It turned out that my experience could not have been better. All three teams, the gang at KNBR, the Sharks, and the Warriors came through with flying colors, and my sons and I had some of the best times of our lives!
The Sharks game was tremendous. Drew Remenda was a wonderful pre-game tour guide, and sitting on the glass was an amazing experience. My sons' Zamboni ride is now immortalized on Youtube. The Sharks were great about facilitating my son and his friend meeting all the players and the coaches after the game, which the Sharks won in dramatic fashion with three goals in the third period. The Sharks players were receptive to the kids and more than happy to autograph their hockey sticks. We've got some wonderful pictures with Thornton, Nabby, and the rest of the boys in teal!
I thought the Sharks game would be hard to top, but then I had yet to meet Mr. T. What a wonderful human being. Mr. T is the greatest. He is definitely on my A-team! Right away, Tom established a rapport with my younger son Michael, and then had an engaging conversation as they watched the game in front row floor seats. The game itself was a tale of two halves, with the Warriors falling behind the Wizards by 24 points, only to make a dramatic comeback and take the lead with 56 seconds to go, finally winning by three points. The highlight, though, was post game, when Tom took us into the press conference, the coaches room, where we met Don Nelson, and then the locker room. Everybody at the Oracle Arena loves Tom Tolbert - the fans, the security guards, Frankin Mieuli, Thunder, the coaches, the players, and probably the cheerleaders. Tom can open any door and get in anywhere. He introduced us to all the players, who were very friendly and willing to take pictures. I'll never forget when Stephen Jackson asked a locker room attendant to give him a pair of his basketball shoes, which he then signed and gave to my son, causing an ear-to-ear smile. You cannot associate a price tag with these kinds of experiences. My son will always remember Stephen Jackson's big smile and his generous gesture....and next we get to have lunch with him!
The grand finale, of course, was the Celtics-Warriors game. Once again, the Warriors' Ray Ritter came through like an all-star. The hospitality extended by the entire Warriors organization and the caterers was phenomenal. I had guests coming in from Los Angeles and as far away as New York City. I had a 5'4" Celtics fan, and the 7'2" center from my son's high school basketball team. Everyone had a unforgetable time...and what a dramatic finish with Baron coming through with 0.3 seconds left to win the game. Even the Celtics fans in our suite were excited for the Warriors. The opportunity for my sons and their friends to sit in Mr. Cohan's floor seats was incredible...Of course, now I may have spoiled them for life. After the game, the Warriors organization came though once again, presenting us with the Celtics jerseys, and then bringing us down to the court for pictures with Stephen Jackson, Monte Ellis, and Baron Davis. The game ball, signed by BD, now sits in our trophy case....and BD and Monte Ellis have inspired both my sons. They and their friends will be talking about this game for months.
I cannot speak highly enough about my KNBR auction experience. It was everything that was advertised, and more. The people at KNBR bent over backwards to accomodate us and make sure we had a great time. Drew Remenda and Tommy Tolbert have a magical way about them, especially with kids who love sports. The Sharks and the Warriors organizations rolled out the red carpet. Not everybody can afford to bid as I did in the KNBR charity auction, but if you bid and win, you will have a great time, while supporting a great cause. The Sharks and Warriors brought a smile to my sons' faces, and I hope the money that was raised by KNBR will help the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame bring smiles to the faces of the many children who participate in San Francisco youth sports.
