Brushes with fame . . . .

~~ J.P. Batista~~

~~~Annie (right, withOUT her blue wig to go with Miriam's--Sounders colors, ya know) with her friends and Seattle Sounders goalie Kasey Keller~~~

Last week while visiting on the phone, I told Annie about meeting J.P. Batista and getting his autograph. Now, Annie and I knew who we were talking about, but for other readers who may not be diehard ZAGS fans, J.P. is probably not a household word.

There he was standing by the curb at Spokane Airport when I dropped Willie off for his flight back to Boise. We both recognized him instantly, and I called him over to the car.

J.P. is from Brazil, and he graduated from Gonzaga a few years ago after enjoying a stellar career as one of our beloved Zags. He was always my favorite and I told him so while digging through my purse to find a piece of paper for him to sign. He will remain one of my all-time favorites too, especially after meeting him.

He's soft-spoken and sweet, to say the least. He signed the back of a check deposit slip with his name and number "J.P. Batista, No. 13," and I went on my way---thrilled and impressed. By the way, he's playing basketball in France now.

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After telling Annie about J.P., she told me about her photo op with Kasey Keller. She knew I had no idea who he was, so she explained that he's somewhat famous in the soccer world. And, maybe that's an understatement.

Annie bought season tickets to the Seattle Sounders long before they ever played their first game. She never misses a match, and a few weeks ago, I've featured a photo of Annie and Drew Carey, one of the franchise owners.

Well, since Kasey Keller wasn't exactly a household word here in Sandpoint, I looked him up and can definitely see why it's kinda neat to have one's photo taken with him. Just read the information about him below:

16 years playing in three of Europe’s top-flight leagues: English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga
Named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year an unprecedented three times (1997, 1999 and 2005)
Coach Sigi Schmid: "Kasey is arguably the top goalkeeper that the United States has ever produced. He should be the steady rock of our defense."
Professional Experience
2007-08: Signed a one-year deal with Fulham, returning for a third stint in Premier League. Appeared in 13 games and was the winning keeper in four of the final five matches as Cottagers avoided relegation.
2004-07: Moved to Germany in winter of 2005 to play with Borussia Mönchengladbach, posting seven clean sheets in the second half of the 2004-05 campaign, including four in the last five league matches to secure a place in Bundesliga for another season.
2005-06: Recorded four shutouts in the first half of the 2005-06 season, helping to elevate the club to top half of the table.
2006-07: Selected by teammates as captain, only the second American to captain a top level German club (Claudio Reyna).
2001-04: Returned to England’s top flight with Tottenham. 2001-02: Played in six league matches with one shutout.
2002-03: Played every minute of league action, posting six shutouts in a ninth-place finish.
2003-04: Loaned one month to Southampton, helping club avoid relegation. Finished season with Spurs and earned club Player of the Month for October and November.
1999-2001: Played for Rayo Vallecano of top Spanish league La Liga. 1999-00 helped the newly promoted Rayo finish in the top half of the table.
2000-01: Appeared in 23 league matches, posting a 4-12-7 record. Totaled four shutouts in first four rounds of the UEFA Cup, advancing to the quarterfinals.
1996-99: Transferred to Leicester City and was central to success in the English Premier League and winning the 1997 League Cup in first year with club.
1997-98: Recorded 15 shutouts, leading club to a tenth-place finish in the Premiership.
1998-99: Started 45 games for the Foxes, allowing just 43 goals in 36 regular season games, a goals-against average of 1.19.
1992-96: Signed by the England’s Millwall, made his professional debut in the First Division on May 2, 1992. Started 51 consecutive matches in the 1992-93 season, registering 16 clean sheets, conceding only 53 goals and voted team Player of the Year by club supporters. Played last game on 5/5/96, making 202 overall appearances for the Lions.
College
Helped lead the University of Portland to the final four of the NCAA Division I tournament in 1988 as a freshman. A third team All-American in 1988 and first team All-American in 1990. A top vote getter in balloting for both the 1990 Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club Award. Established career record of 40 shutouts in 82 games and owns the top three season totals, including top mark of 13 in 1988. Earned Western Soccer League MVP honor playing for FC Portland in summer of 1989, with 8 shutouts and 4 goals allowed in 10 regular season games.

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Looks like Kasey's done all right for himself, and I'm glad to know something about him after seeing Annie's photo.

It's always fun to have a brush with famous folks, especially when they're nice people, like J.P. and Kasey.