My original post was rushed because I sent it from on the plane. So me and Mrs. Thabeet were standing at the gate to board the plane. I look to my immediate left, like 2 feet away from me, and think I see Steve. I remember he grew up in the DC area and went to school in Maryland so I knew it'd be him. Anyway, I go "Mr. Steve Francis?" and he looks over to me with a weak smile and says, "yeah." We shook hands and I mentioned how big a fan I was but from his body language I got the feeling that he was either tired, high, or just didn't care to talk. I let him be but a few seconds later my wife tells me to ask him if I can take a pic with him. When I asked, he faintly replied with a "naah, man" and something else. Then 15-20 seconds later, he asked me if I lived in Houston and then proceeded to tell me that he lives somewhere on Voss. When we walked up to have our boarding passes scanned, the gate attendant got annoyed with him because his boarding group had yet to be called. My thoughts: He looked very old (not as bad as in recent All-Star Game Press Conference picture) but still old. He had this huge bags beneath his eyes which looked as if they were filled with fluid and overall his face looked very puffy. My wife did snap a pic of his back. As for people hating on BWI, its not bad at all. There are 3 major airports serving the DC Area. Reagan is basically right in DC, Dulles is far as hell in Northern Virginia, and BWI obviously is in Maryland. It's a real hassle getting to Dulles so many people flying in and out of DC take BWI, especially because of direct train service.
Yeah he probably doesn't want to think or talk about hoops since that part of his life is over. Really nice guy though the couple of times I met him.
IAD is fighting to stay competitive, but BWI is the major league hub in the area - all the airlines are price-throttling IAD and DCA (and RIC and ORF) to push fliers to go through BWI. Makes my frequent trips to the Old Dominion fairly pricey or inconvenient. I personally wouldn't call any of the 3 "ritzy" It's rinky dink, but DCA is great for putting you spitting distance from the National Mall. Dulles is less than ten minutes from where my best friend lives, so I go through there plenty, too.
I never was a fan of Steve Francis, but I feel bad for him now. He is rapidly deteriorating. All the money in the world does not guarantee success or happiness. Just seems like he is on the same road as Mike Tyson, and unfortunately, many others. Drugs promise you heaven, but take you straight to hell.
