[killer_carlson]

My step dad and I went into the golf dome to hit some balls one winter and I noticed the young guy at the next stall had a wicked set of clubs. I noticed the clubs because he had set them up wrong and they were encroaching onto our stall. then I realized it was Pavel Brendl, fresh off of his million dollar contract with the rangers and being back in Calgary after his draft year. He was in the stall behind us. He noticed that I noticed who he was and I gave him a polite nod. he smiled, nodded back. My stepdad didn't seem to care too much - he was a golf nut and that would have interrupted hitting balls.

He wasn't a very good golfer quite frankly. he swung pretty hard but you could tell he was new at it. It also helps explain his inexperience in where he put his bag.

In any event, in a moment that is still stuck in my brain (like time slowed down), pavel leaned forward to get something out of his bag. At the same time my step dad was working on his backswing for his new big bertha driver. Just as Brendle bent down, the long backswing went back and forward, and missed Brendle's face by mere centemeters. I still don't know how it didn't clunk him square in the head. I was shocked. Brendle didn't even notice because he was wearing a ball cap and didn't see it swing by his face or feel the breeze from the swing. My stepdad didn't notice either.

All I could think of was the headlines that the highest draftpick ever to come out of the Hitmen and a new millionaire hockey prospect had his career ruined because he lost an eye or broke his jaw at the golf dome. I just sat down in stunned silence for a few minutes watching the two of them hit balls, completely oblivious to the carnage that they both narrowly missed.

I've run into other flames/celebrities other times out and about, and I find a polite nod gets a better reaction than going up to them. they need their free time as well and to spend time with their friends and families.