So I managed to hook up with Marquette basketball coach Tom Crean yesterday at the Garden, during his late-morning shootout before a game against St. John's. I've been told I am a dead ringer for Crean, and actually have found it creepy watching him on the sidelines during television broadcasts.
For a look-a-likes freak like myself, it's like looking in the mirror.
Anyway, it turns out Crean has known about the look-a-like situation for quite some time. When ESPN's Tom Rinaldi made the comparison on Cold Pizza last year, Crean saw it and has been aware of my presence ever since.
It wasn't until yesterday that we finally met face-to-amazingly-similar-face.
Newsday editor Dave W., a frequent contributor to our look-a-likes section (he gave us - and you - the Neil Best/Uncle Leo call), arranged to have video shot of our meeting, and Katie Strang made the trek to the Garden with her trusty camera to witness this historic event. Even she was mortified by the resemblance.
And so was Best, who witnessed the event firsthand after a mind-numbing visit to the Boomer & Carton show and before a lunch with some media muckety-muck from the Garden. Best is constantly amazed at the Crean resemblance, and he had what seemed to be an out-of-body experience seeing it live and in person.
Crean's players were amused, too. They kept looking over and giggling to one another when they saw me. Very strange. Very funny.
After the shootout was over, Crean and I spoke for about half an hour, and he was - as expected - an engaging figure.
Turns out we have something else in common besides identical looks; Crean is a football nut, too. And get this: He's married to Ravens coach John Harbaugh's sister! That would be former Colts and Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh's sister, too.
Small world. Very, very small world.
We'll be back in a bit to go over a few more details of our meeting - including a hilarious look-a-likes interlude during ESPN2's broadcast of the game - during the day.
In the meantime, we'll keep you posted on the various goings-on at the NFL Scouting Combine. After last night's victory over St. John's, Crean will probably have a few minutes to peek in on the blog to catch up on football news, too.
Comments (7)
where's the video, coach?
COOOOOOOOOOAAAAAACCCCCHHHH!!!!!!!
I dunno, Bob. Crean is a dead ringer for Dwight Schrute from "The Office." You might not want to lump yourself in with that group.
You might want to get DNA tests... You could be long-lost identical twins separated at birth!
Hey Bob, Did you guys 'drop trou' to get a complete picture of the resemblance? Or was it limited to a handshake and polite conversation? Funny post, very entertaining. I'm looking forward to the epilog.
I kinda always thought you were a dead ringer for Stephen Root.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm536976128/nm0740535
Put the resemblance to the ultimate(?) test.
Sneak through airport security as him. Then leave and have him go through as himself.
And there's your lead-in as Newsday's new "True Watchdog" reporter when you expose yet another glaring weakness in airport security..
You win a Pulitzer and Best is out of a job.
It's a win win!!
Richie G:
In answer to your question ... uh ... no.
B N G:
You are a cruel man.
Islander505:
Brilliant!