# Ask the Guy Who Stared at Bill Walton's Back for Three Hours **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986 "2006-03-19T10:28:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/1 "2006-03-19T10:28:49Z")
Yes, Bill Walton was two rows directly in front of me at a concert tonight, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned. The Guy Who Stared at Bill Walton’s Back for Three Hours is ready to take your questions. He knows all and says all, so ask away. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/2 "2006-03-19T10:53:57Z")
Was it hairy? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/3 "2006-03-19T10:58:48Z")
Who was playing at the concert? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/4 "2006-03-19T10:59:49Z")
Judging by the rest of him, I’d say it’s likely. But lucky for me, he was wearing (what else?) a tie-dye Grateful Dead shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/5 "2006-03-19T11:01:04Z")
The first response was to **neuroman** , of course. > [@Caprese](#): > > Who was playing at the concert? The Allman Brothers. He picked a good show, too- it was probably the best I’ve seen them play. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/6 "2006-03-19T11:09:37Z")
**Marley** Sorry for the slight hijack, but is Dicky Betts back with the Allman Bros? (Saw them way back in the 70’s; love Gregg’s singing.) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/7 "2006-03-19T14:24:15Z")
Any dandruff? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/8 "2006-03-19T14:43:40Z")
Did he talk with whomever he was with endlessly throughout the concert? I met him backstage at the only Dead concert I ever attended (sorry, not a fan) and he really wanted to geek out about the whole happening. [hijack] I respect him as a basketball player but find his announcing to be overwrought, tedious and off-puttingly bombastic. YMMV. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/9 "2006-03-19T16:28:36Z")
Who’s Bill Walton? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/10 "2006-03-19T17:21:00Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Who’s Bill Walton? Thank you. I’m wondering, too. (It’s a nice cave, dammit. Really.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/11 "2006-03-19T22:12:43Z")
> [@Caprese](#): > > **Marley** > Sorry for the slight hijack, but is Dicky Betts back with the Allman Bros? No problem. But no, Dickey is still with his own band. That ship has sailed. > [@WordMan](#): > > Did he talk with whomever he was with endlessly throughout the concert? I met him backstage at the only Dead concert I ever attended (sorry, not a fan) and he really wanted to geek out about the whole happening. Not that I could see. He did talk to anybody who approached him before the show and signed some autographs. Maybe I assumed the median age on the board is higher than it is. 😉 Bill Walton is an NBA Hall of Famer who played from 1974 to 1987, and these days he’s an announcer for ESPN. He’s a notorious Deadhead, I think he went to about 600 of their shows. Standing behind him was a unique experience because he’s 6’11" tall - and I’m 5’6 1/2". ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/12 "2006-03-19T23:39:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Maybe I assumed the median age on the board is higher than it is. 😉 I don’t think it’s an age thing. I’m 46 and had no idea either. I _do_ know who the Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts are, tho. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/13 "2006-03-19T23:49:33Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > I don’t think it’s an age thing. I’m 46 and had no idea either. I _do_ know who the Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts are, tho. 😉 Well, that’s more important. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/14 "2006-03-19T23:57:12Z")
I’m 48 and hadn’t a clue who he was either. (I’ve seen the Allman Brothers, though.) 🙂 Did he know all the words and sing along, loudly while dancing in place? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/15 "2006-03-20T00:05:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No problem. But no, Dickey is still with his own band. That ship has sailed. I like Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes a lot, but it’s just not the Allman brothers without Betts. I saw them a few years ago with both Betts and Haynes on guitar - they were amazing. I don’t really have a question for you. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/16 "2006-03-20T01:01:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No problem. But no, Dickey is still with his own band. That ship has sailed. > > Not that I could see. He did talk to anybody who approached him before the show and signed some autographs. > > Maybe I assumed the median age on the board is higher than it is. 😉 Bill Walton is an NBA Hall of Famer who played from 1974 to 1987, and these days he’s an announcer for ESPN. He’s a notorious Deadhead, I think he went to about 600 of their shows. Standing behind him was a unique experience because he’s 6’11" tall - and I’m 5’6 1/2". God, I though he was the Walmart guy. I was soooo confused! :o ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/17 "2006-03-20T01:11:27Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > God, I though he was the Walmart guy. I was soooo confused! :o That mistake was hoorrrrrrrrrrrible! The worst I’ve ever _seen_ on this board! You know, it occurs to me that doing a Bill Walton impression in a thread full of people asking who Bill Walton is is a bad idea. Anyway, [this is Bill Walton.](http://www.billwalton.com/) ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/18 "2006-03-20T03:09:12Z")
Did he move to the music? Does Bill Walton have a good sense of rhythm? How 'bout the encore beg? Did he hold up a lighter and holler for more? Did he keep checking his cellphone for supersecret ESPN updates? Inquiring minds, and all… ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/19 "2006-03-20T03:12:54Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > God, I though he was the Walmart guy. I was soooo confused! :o If the Walmart Guy was a Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers fan, this would be an entirely different economy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986/20 "2006-03-20T03:17:16Z")
He wasn’t a big groover, actually. He didn’t shake it too much, he mostly stood and watched. But a couple of times, when he got really into the music, he’d raise his arms and wave his fingers. I know he did that at the end of Mountain Jam. With his arms out, he could’ve blocked out the Sun. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-stared-at-bill-waltons-back-for-three-hours/348986.md?page=2)