Autograph collector Johnny Hudson has racked up moments with Joe Montana, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He longed to add Ed Marinaro to that list.
So when he heard the former Vikings running back and “Hill Street Blues” star was doing a series of meet-and-greets this past weekend in the Twin Cities, he booked a flight from his Atlanta home for his inaugural visit to Minnesota.
“I’ve been wanting to meet him since the early ’80s, but it’s not like I can google him and go to his house,” said Hudson, 61, who arrived early at Mahtomedi‘s Dugout Bar on Saturday, armed with a bagful of precious items, including a 1971 copy of Football Roundup magazine with Cornell University standout Marinaro on the cover. “People don’t understand my hobby. They ask me, ‘How much do you spend on that?’ Well, how much do you spend on beer? I’ve never had alcohol in my life. I don’t have kids. Who’s going to marry me? This is just something I enjoy.”
Hudson got his signatures — and a whole lot more.
When Marinaro, 74, arrived at the Dugout, sporting a long coat and a mop of white hair, he shuffled on his bad leg over to the bar, ordered a beer in a plastic cup, and shook hands with patrons on stools.
For the next two hours, he regaled those in line at the merchandise table with self-deprecating tales from his playing days, like how he didn’t score a touchdown until the last game of his rookie season.
He shared anecdotes from his time in Hollywood, how he auditioned twice for the role of Tony Soprano on ‘The Sopranos” and was in contention to play mobster Ralphie Cifaretto, a role that would end up winning Joe Pantoliano an Emmy.
He also signed a lot of memorabilia from “Blue Mountain State,” the 2010-13 cable comedy that introduced him to a younger fan base. A reboot is in the works.