Hi from cheesy Bobby wearing his fake Olympic medal ....

Okay so this category got on a roll, because I came across the Versace ad with Dan O'Brien (1 Olympic Gold Medal), which I had pulled out of a Vanity Fair magazine many years ago. Let me just match that up with an autograph and then I found the other beefcake photo in my files of him. 

Then said to myself, “don't I also have Carl Lewis?” (9 Olympic Gold Medals) Oh, yes I do!  Boy he was all over the press in the '80s. Magazines, great photos, endorsements - but they wouldn't put him on the Wheaties box because his sexuality was in so much question.  Which is why Coke rescinded their offer and Nike dropped him. We've come a long way since then. Or not. I guess it's complicated. 

It is noted on the back that this index card of Carl was signed in person in Boston in 1980, but I'm going to put this autograph into the dubious category. It simply doesn't match the way that his L goes into the E at the very bottom, as in all of his in-person and inscribed examples.  I'll keep it anyway, just in case. 

Michael Johnson (4 Gold Medals) and that whole doping scandal made for good press at the time of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But his relay team member who actually DID the doping, really suffered, committing suicide in 2010.  "Slaying the Dragon" isn't full of juice or detailed Olympic stories; it's more of large-font motivational tome with some biographical tidbits. Personally, I think Michael Johnson is due a good in-depth biography.  Carl Lewis too, for that matter. 

Going back to simpler times before sexuality and doping were even topics, I also have the autograph of Tom Courtney (2 Gold Medals) who just did his business without the press breathing down his neck and landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1955. 

And then there's Bruce Jenner (1 Gold Medal). He and Caitlyn have his/her/their own page if you want to check it out 

https://www.bobbyatgloss.com/celebrity-list/jenner%2C-bruce?ref=Jenner%2C+Bruce

Mitch Gaylord (1 Gold Medal) became a teen idol, poster boy, Soloflex spokesperson and even appeared in a movie “American Anthem”.  Now, THAT is riding the 15 minutes! 

Poor Nancy Kerrigan (1 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal) will always be known for getting whacked in the knee by Tonya Harding.   

Bart Conner (2 Gold Medals) and Amanda Beard (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze Medal) were able to cash in on their sex appeal.  Bart later married fellow medalist Nadia Comaneci (5 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze Medal). Nadia looks a far cry today from the time she was in the world spotlight. She looks great, but I'm 100% sure I wouldn't recognize her on the street.

Tim Daggett (1 Gold, 1 Bronze) wrote a book detailing his triumphs and serious medical injuries and mishaps. 

And Greg Louganis (4 Gold, 1 Silver Medal) experienced super-fame with his book, HIV revelation, Speedo endorsement and even a TV movie starring Mario Lopez. (More on Mario separately) 

Then we move on to the medalists that became movie stars!

Herman Brix (1 Silver Medal) aka Bruce Bennett starred as Tarzan and he played Joan Crawford's husband in "Mildred Pierce".

Sonja Henie (3 Gold Medals) - I've got a lot to say about Sonja Henie, her biography, her jewelry and her haunted skating rink in the upper floor of a house owned by Connie Stevens (in which Connie stored her clothes). We'll get back to the Ice Queen later.

Buster Crabbe (1 Gold, 1 Bronze Medal) - And boy do I have a lot to share about Buster Crabbe. Most notably how he ratted me out when I was making phone calls to celebrities and charging them to any phone number that didn't answer. (Yes, you could do that back in the day). When all the calls were tracked down to the phone booth I was using IN THE SAN BRUNO POLICE STATION (what chutzpah), the phone company contacted the numbers on the calls that had been improperly charged and asked the recipients if they knew anybody in San Bruno. Gilbert Roland's daughter (Gyl), Peter Duchin and Buster Crabbe all remembered my name. My parents got a huge phone bill and I got a one-way trip down the staircase of our family home. Ouch, dad!

I'll talk more about Buster later and share the other pix ("Flash Gordon") that I have signed by him. But take a close look at his note and price list for autographs. Oh, the good old days.

Was I talking about Olympic medals ....???  The Allman Brothers sang a song about me.