Several years ago I was eating dinner with my buddy Jeff at Jock & Jills Sports Grill at Galleria in Atlanta. It was my first time there and we picked it for dinner because of its convenient location, but little did we know our night was just getting started. As we were eating our dinner a guy slid into our booth and just introduced himself as "Craig" (he looked so familiar). He talked to us for a couple minutes and said he had free tickets to tonight's Braves game if we wanted to go. We fully expected to just be handed two tickets and hear "have a good time guys, enjoy the company seats." Instead, he said he had a party bus parked outside and get on ASAP because we were about to leave!
So we got on the bus and so did Craig and off to Turner Field we went with about 6 other people. Honestly I don't remember much about the game, but I do remember how we sincerely felt like special guests the whole time. Craig even went to the press box and got us the huge printed data packages they give reporters and broadcasters (which I still have today), but other than that he was just there as a fan that night, sitting in the stands like everyone else. You normally think of Craig as a basketball guy first (and for his crazy suits, although he was dressed quite normal that night), but he was also huge in baseball. I didn't know until yesterday he was even reporting on the field the night Hank Aaron broke the home run record. It was a delightful night that I did nothing to deserve and I had to pinch myself a few times for the dumb luck that found me watching a baseball game with the Craig Sager.
Later we came to find out Jock and Jills was owned by Craig Sager and most of the people with us were his family and/or workers at the bar. Craig gave us a story and experience I'll remember for the rest of my life, but I guess kindness like this to perfect strangers was totally in line with who he was. Thanks Craig, may you rest in peace as you make heaven a bit more colorful.
