Autograph Adventures: Eric Decker

If you have been following this blog for the last little while, than you may remember the David Tyree Autograph Signing I went to last year at a Sports Authority. This year, they and another signing at the same exact Sports Authority, as well as many others throughout the New York/New Jersey area. This year, the signing was for current Jets receiver and former Bronco, Eric Decker.

The signing was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m, and I arrived with my friend at about 11:45. Unlike last year when the line was pretty short, the line was very long this year, even an hour before the signing was going to start. We were probably 80-100 people deep in the line by the time the signing started. Decker arrived right on time and began singing as soon as he sat down. Wristbands were given out to indicate who would be getting an autograph. I'm pretty sure the first 200 people got wristbands, but I could be wrong.

After about a half hour of waiting, my friend and I approached Decker. My friend got his mini-helmet  signed. I handed Decker a photo of him in a Jets uniform that I printed out earlier in the day. He quickly signed it in black sharpie and handed it back to me. I handed my camera to one of the Sports Authority people in hopes of taking a picture with Decker, but all I got is what you can see on the left. I shook Decker's hand, and then was forced out.

The signing itself was almost too organized. There were about a dozen employees within 10 feet of Decker, and there were strict rules. The most interesting of which was that you can't take a selfie with the athlete. I don't get the motivation for that, but it is what it is. Here is the photo I got Decker to sign. I'll be at another signing later this week, it should be fun.  Thanks for reading!

Recent Autograph Tales

I didn't know whether or not to make this an autograph adventure. There were definitely an adventure involved in getting some autographs you will see later in this entry. But, I'll start with some of the through the mail autographs I've gotten recently.

In early September, I had seen that Mets outfielder Eric Young Jr. tweeted that he signs his fan mail. Knowing that, I sent two 4x6 photos to Citi Field. About a month later, I was happy to open my mail and find these inside. As you can see on the photo to the left, Young had written some sort of inscription that I haven't seen before. It looked to read #R2BI the first time I looked at it. Confused, I sent a tweet to @EYJr to ask what it said. To my delight, he favorited, retweeted, then responded to my tweet as you can see below. If you look at some of the pictures he has posted on his account, you see that he has written that inscription before and constantly tweets about his interactions with fans. 

Former Braves catcher Greg Olson signed a card and a photo for me. I really like the picture of him that I found online after a quick search for his name. 

Now it's time for the autograph adventures part of this blog entry.

As I might have mentioned in an earlier blog entry, I am currently a SUNY Albany student. A few weeks ago, I was working in my room at night. Suddenly, one of my friends told me that there was a reception going on for a famous Broadway actress named Carolee Carmello, who happens to be a UAlbany graduate. She had performed a concert on campus and there was a reception in her honor following. My friend went on to show me the autographs he got, as well as a picture he took with her. I looked it up, and luckily for me, the reception was still going on.

I grabbed a sharpie, brought my autograph book, and went to where the reception was being held. I wasn't allowed to go where the reception was because I didn't have a ticket, so I waited in the lobby of the building near where the only exit was. After about 20 minutes of waiting, Carmello walked down to the lobby where I was. I went up to her, and told her that I was sorry for missing the performance and asked her if she could sign some things for me. She was happy to sign something that I ended up giving away as a gift, as well as a program for me. I found a stack of programs on a table in the lobby and figured it would be better than my autograph book. While she had my sharpie, a few other people showed up wanting autographs, and she was happy to oblige anyone that asked. Before I left, I took a picture with her, shook her hand, and thanked her for everything. She thanked me for coming and I went back to my room to thank my friend for letting me know about the event.

Thanks for reading! Best of luck graphing! 

Autograph Adventures: Aberdeen Ironbirds

As a student at the University at Albany, I have access to a wide variety of sports teams. Recently, I attended a couple of Tri-City ValleyCats games. The ValleyCats are the Short-Season Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros.  The most recent game I attended was a playoff matchup against the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Baltimore Orioles affiliate.

I got to the game as soon as the gates opened. I had printed out an Orioles logo on a large piece of photo paper. I had also printed out a basic Orioles 4x6 photo and a 4x6 photo of Zach Britton. Britton was rehabbing with the IronBirds, but unfortunately he wasn't at the game.

Chace Sisco                                                                 Chance Sisco

Trey Mancini

Trey Mancini

Hunter Harvey, the Orioles' 1st round pick in the 2013 draft, was scheduled to pitch in the game. Some of the other people graphing at the game informed me that Bryan Harvey, Hunter's father and a former MLB All-Star, was in attendance. After someone pointed him out to me, I walked over to Bryan, and he signed a page in my autograph book. A nearby usher was confused as to why people were asking Bryan to sign things. Bryan's response to that was, "I was a big leaguer." Classic response. 

As I always do, I brought my glove with me to this game. The ValleyCats have a policy where fans can enter and exit the stadium as much as they want, as long as they get their hand stamped by an usher first. During the game, I just stood in the area behind home plate, waiting for my chance to try and get a ball. It would come. 

Foul Ball I got in the 5th inning 

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Hunter Harvey was pitching to Yonathan Mejia of the ValleyCats. Early in the at bat, Mejia fouled off a pitch. The ball ended up flying out of the small Joseph L Bruno Stadium and going into the parking lot on the third base side. As soon as I saw the ball go out of the park, I was running full speed toward where I thought the ball would go. When I reached the parking lot, I saw that nobody else was there. Suddenly, I noticed a small speck on the pavement about 100 feet away from where I was. I sprinted in that direction, and found the ball lying on the ground right next to a car tire. I am pretty sure the ball bounced, hit the car tire, and came to rest right there. It was a beauty too, perfectly rubbed up with mud. I took the photo on the right as soon as I went back into the stadium. 

That alone made my night, as I have never been able to get my hands on a game foul ball from a major league stadium, so getting the foul ball felt good. Later on, in the 8th inning, I was still standing in the same spot. In the top of the 8th inning, ValleyCats closer Gonzalo Sanudo was pitching to Jared Breen. Early in the count, Breen fouled off a pitch that went out of the stadium on the first base side. Once again, I was running to the direction of where I thought the ball was going to be. After looking for a couple minutes, I gave up and decided to go back into the stadium. As I was walking back in, I heard a ruffle in a tree near the side of the stadium. I looked up to see that Breen had hit another ball out of the stadium. This one hit a tree, and was coming straight to me. The ball hit the tree, bounced off the pavement, and then I caught it in my glove before it could go past me. I took a photo of the tree from the spot where I caught the ball after the game. Just like that I had actually caught a foul ball, and gotten my second one of the night. I took a (slightly blurry) photo of that ball when I came back into the stadium as well. 

I had gotten two foul balls during the game, and I was happy to say the least, as you can see in the photo below. 

After the game, I hung around the IronBirds clubhouse and got pretty much the entire time to finish signing my photo paper. I also got former big leaguers Alan Mills (Pitching Coach) and Matt Merullo (Manager) to sign a Orioles 4x6 logo photo that I printed. Mills quoted different verses of the bible on both autographs I also got Hunter Harvey to sign it as he may be in the big leagues one day in the near future. 

Here is the big photo paper I got signed by almost everyone. 

Here is a list in no particular order of everyone that signed it. 

Coaches- Matt Merullo, Alan Mills, 

15- Paco Figueroa

Players: 

30-Steven Brault  16-Garret Cortright 

33-Donnie Hunt  23-Hunter Harvey

26-Michael Joseph  56-Dylan Rheault

13-Austin Urban   12-Sebastian Vader

21-Jimmy Yacabonis  19-Jack Graham

35-Chance Sisco  9-Jared Breen

2-Jeff Kemp  34-Ronarsy Ledesma

51-Trey Mancini 10-Tanner Rust

6-Hector Veloz  53-Conor Bierfeldt

17-Manny Hernandez 

28-Mike Yastrzemski 

If I missed anyone let me know! I think I got everyone. Best of luck graphing! 

Autograph Adventures: New York Jets 2011

With the NFL preseason back in full swing and the regular season fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share one of my better autograph stories. I had the opportunity to attend the New York Jets game against the Sand Diego Chargers on October 23, 2011 at MetLife Stadium. I went to the game with my friend, who has Jets season tickets. The only reason I could go was because his parents couldn't go, and my father and I jumped at the opportunity to see a live NFL game.

The day of the game, we all arrived in New Jersey around 10am to tailgate. We threw around a football for a while, had some food and drinks, and also took some ridiculous pictures. Maybe if Revis was still on the Jets now, this picture would be more appropriate. Around 11, with not much food left, we all decided it would be a good time to head into the stadium. I wans't planning on getting autographs going into the day, but I always bring a sharpie with me just in case.

Here's a big tip for autograph collectors, especially sports collectors. When you are going to a game, always bring a pen and blank paper or something generic that you can get signed by anyone. You never know who you are going to run into at these games. 

I usually have my autograph book with me, but I decided to leave it at home for the game. Upon walking into the stadium, I was given a roster sheet with all the players for both teams listed on it in various orders. I quickly shoved it in my pocket without even thinking. We had tickets about 20 rows behind the end zone where the Jets tunnel was. Since there were players warming up, we decided to walk down to the front row to get a little closer to the action.


Within five minutes of getting down to the front row, we noticed a player signing autographs right in front of us. Before I even knew who it was, I got out my roster sheet and sharpie and got them signed. I figured out who it was by looking at the tattoo that he had on his right arm. It was Matt Slauson, current Chicago Bears guard. He signed for a few fans that were lined up along the wall, then went back to getting ready. HERE is a video I took of him signing.

As Slauson was signing, another Jet was also signing for everybody. After asking someone standing near me, I found out that it was Dustin Keller, one of my favorite players, as well as a favorite target of Mark Sanchez during his time as a Jet. I brought a blank white filler card, that you get in packs of cards sometimes, instead of a jersey or autograph card. I got Keller to sign that, as well as the lineup sheet. He wanted to personalize the white card, which I had no problem with. HERE is a video of my friend and I getting autographs of him. If there was anyone that wanted an autograph, Keller was more than happy to oblige. Keller easily signed for 40 people, and I wish him the best in his recovery after suffering a gruesome knee injury while playing for the Dolphins this preseason.

My friend was wearing a jersey of Sione Po'uha, the big defensive lineman for the Jets. When we saw him warming up right in front of us, we waved and made hand motions asking if he could come over and sign, as he was wearing headphones and couldn't hear us. See what happened next below.

To say the least, my friend was thrilled to get his jersey signed. I was just as thrilled to have gotten his autograph. In the video, you can hear me mention Po'uha's YouTube channel. I watched it during the NFL lockout, and it is always great to see what a player's personal life is like.

After Po'uha, another Jet came over to sign, and I had no idea who it was until after he signed. He quickly went down the line and signed for everybody. After looking at his signature, which you can see at the bottom of this entry, I discovered it was #94, Marcus Dixon.

When Dixon was done signing, rookie Muhammad Wilkerson was walking toward the tunnel after finishing his warm ups. Without even asking, Wilkerson walked right over to my friend and I and started signing. He signed for everyone down the line on his way into the locker room. Check him out in the video below.


Next, Jamaal Westerman came and signed for everyone very quickly. His signature is very small  and almost unrecognizable because there isn't a number on it. Luckily, someone near me identified him for me. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture or video of him. Joe McKnight was the next person to come over and sign, and he is pictured on the right. He also signed for everyone quickly before going into the locker room. Like Po'uha and a few other Jets, McKnight was wearing headphones and couldn't really be talked to. HERE is a video of him signing for my friend and I.

Unfortunately for me, Revis ran straight to the locker room without signing for anyone, so my jersey would remain unsigned. However, the other Jets cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, was kind enough to stop and sign for everyone. He stayed in one spot the whole time he signed. I had to reach out as far as I could, and I was lucky to get Cromartie to sign the other side of the blank white card Keller had signed earlier. Cromartie would be the last Jets player whose autograph I got. However, he would not be the last autograph I got.

Even though there were no more players left on the field, we didn't feel the need to go back to our regular seats quite yet. A random Jets employee, I don't exactly know who it is, started playing catch with fans near the tunnel and was slowly making his way towards us. See what happened by clicking play below. If anyone can tell me who that employee is, I would be very grateful. The ball had the word 'Jets' stitched into it, meaning it may have been one of the game balls that was used. It was great to touch a piece of the action, even if only for a few seconds.


The latest notable thing that happened before the game was something that I never would have expected to happen. Someone else was making his way down the line, signing for fans and taking pictures. Immediately, I recognized him from TV. It was none other than Jimmy Fallon. He was signing footballs and any other stuff people had on them. When he came toward me, well, just watch the video.

I got all the Jets to sign the Jets side of the roster sheet. I got Jimmy to sign the Chargers side of the sheet. Toward the end of the video, I ask for a picture with him, and he was kind enough to oblige. Here is the result. His face is priceless. It was totally unexpected, and everyone was thrilled to see him. Jimmy's face was shown on the scoreboards throughout the game to pump up the crowd. It seemed to work as the Jets went on to beat the Chargers 27-21. Plaxico Burress caught three touchdowns and Kyle Wilson made his first career interception.


Here are all the autographs I got at this game.

Dustin Keller

Antonio Cromartie

Various New York Jets

Jimmy Fallon

Thanks for reading. Good luck graphing. I will have a great entry up by the end of the week. I am going to a few baseball games and am hoping to get some cool stuff. 

Autograph Adventures: David Tyree

This story goes back to last week, June 8. I went to a local Sports Authority to look for a new pair of sneakers. After buying a pair that I liked,  I noticed a sign on the way out that caught my attention. I later called the Sports Authority to confirm the date and time, and they even told me that it was a free signing. If you don't remember David Tyree, click HERE and watch a video that should jog your memory. That helmet catch would prove to be the last one Tyree ever made in the NFL. He later played for the Baltimore Ravens, appearing on mostly special teams. Tyree's career ended after he signed a one day contract with the Giants to retire with the team that he won a Super Bowl with.



Now, fast forward to the day of the signing. As you can see on the flyer, the signing was scheduled to start at 1pm. I arrived around noon to be about sixth in line. On the right, you can see what it looked like at the front of the line. I had brought a 5x7 photo with me to get signed, and since I was with my father, there was one more autograph to be had. The Sports Authority had set up a rack of Giants mini-helmets and Giants footballs, but I ended up settling with a NFL Autograph Mini Football.

Then the waiting began. From what I've seen, athletes aren't usually to these signings. 1pm came and went. Then at around 1:15, a person from Sports Authority said Tyree would be there in 20 minutes. 20 minutes later, and there was still no sign of Tyree. Eventually it was 2pm, and people in line were starting to get restless. Finally, at long last, David Tyree came in the store around 2:20 pm. With his son sitting on his lap, he started signing away for everyone. I approached him about five minutes into the signing. He had black and silver sharpies on the table, so I brought my own blue sharpie, as black tends to fade quicker than blue. I gave him the ball first, and asked him to inscribe it with the year that he won the Super Bowl, and he signed it perfectly. I asked to take a photo with him when he finished signing my photo, and the result was the photo you can see on the top part of this paragraph. His eyes are closed, but I guess that makes it more worthwhile, as it is a hilarious experience. Before leaving, I took a video of him signing which you can see below.


Here are photos of the two autographs I got from David Tyree.





That's all for this autograph adventure. Thanks for reading. Happy Fathers Day! Good luck graphing!

Autograph Adventures: Albany Devils

As a student at SUNY Albany, I have a card that gets me on the Capital District Transit Authority bus for absolutely free. The bus goes downtown, right to the Times Union Center, home arena of the American Hockey League's Albany Devils. They are the minor-league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. As a college student, I could get tickets for only $10 on most game nights.

During the NHL lockout, I went to a game in early November just to scope out the arena and watch some hockey for the first time in months. Overall, the Times Union Center is a beautiful, state of the art, and overall gorgeous arena.  When the arena is hosting the Devils, average attendance is between 3,500 to 4,000 people, largely because most of the upper level is covered off, giving everyone on the lower level a feeling that they are right on top of the action.  When the upper level is open for seating, there can be a maximum capacity of over 14,000 people.

The first autograph I got was at that game in early November, when the Devils were hosting the Adirondack Panthoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. I was sitting near the tunnel where the Devils would enter and exit the ice. Well before the game, assistant coach and former NHL player  Tommy Albelin was walking to the bench to watch warmups. I asked him if he could sign, and he politely stopped and signed my roster sheet for me, as I wasn't prepared with anything else. That was the only autograph I got that night.

I did attend a few other Albany Devils games, but there wasn't too much happening until I attended a game on February 17 between the Devils and the Binghamton Senators, AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. The Devils were advertising a free post-game team autograph session, so I couldn't refuse a $10 ticket and free bus rides.

I arrived at the arena well before the 3pm puck drop, and had a seat near the tunnel of the visiting Senators. Well before the game, Steve Stirling went to the bench to time his clock with the clock on the arena's scoreboard. I have fond memories of Steve Stirling, as he was head coach of the New York Islanders, my favorite team, when I was growing up on Long Island. Now a Binghamton assistant coach, Stirling had no problem signing a page in my autograph book as he was leaving the bench to go back into the locker room. I also told him that I had met him almost a decade earlier when he was the Islanders coach, and I was in the Islanders Booster Club, to which he said, "That's a long time ago."

That was the only autograph I would get before the game. During the game, I went down to the team store and bought a program for only $2. The program had small pictures of just about everyone on the roster, so that would be a good item to get signed. For the autograph signing, I had only printed out a few basic 4x6 photos. I made two Albany Devils logo cards and one New Jersey Devils logo card. I also printed out a photo of new Devil Andrei Loktionov, as he was on the Kings roster last year when they won the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately for me, but good for Loktionov, he got called up to the New Jersey Devils about two hours before the game was scheduled to begin, so meeting him will have to wait for another time.


After the game, I went over to the table that would have the players with the most NHL experience. Cam Janssen and team captain Jay Leach would be there, with a couple other players that hadn't played in the NHL up to that point. Leach got pulled from the signing at the last second, but I still felt good to be at the front of the line for one of the most popular tables. I got Janssen (#25) to sign the New Jersey photo as well as one of the Albany Devils photos. He was also kind enough to take a picture with me.


I also got a picture with Matt Anderson, who had made his NHL debut at age 30 just a few weeks before this game. He signed a puck for me, as well as the program and the New Jersey Devils logo picture. He got his first NHL point in his 2nd career game, a loss to the Islanders. We won't be seeing too much more of Matt, as he is signed to play in the KHL in Russia for the 2013-14 season.

Tim Sestito signed the other puck I had brought with me. Here is a video I took of him signing. He also
played in the NHL this season. I got him to sign my program and New Jersey Devils photo also. Alexander Urbom was the last one to sign my NJ Devils photo. His signature is #6 on the photo, as you can see on the right.

 I kept wandering around the concourse, and eventually made it through and got everyone that was there signing in about 20 minutes. The session was 45 minutes long, so I made sure I got everyone before leaving the building.  Of the autographs I got, a few players ended up making their NHL debuts later on in the season. These players are goalies Keith Kinkaid (#35), and Jeff Frazee (#31). Other players on that list are Eric Gelinas (#24), and Harri Pesonen (#18), who has a great signature. More former NHL players that were on the Devils roster at the time were Steve Zalewski (#15) and Scott Parse (#20).


Here are the rest of my autographs on the day. I scanned the two Albany Devils photos and the two pages in the yearbook that have all the signatures. Click on them if you want to get a better look.

It was a great experience to meet the team, and as well as being very cheap, it was plenty of fun too. You never know, one of these guys that I didn't mention could end up being a big star in the NHL in no time. I'll post more of these stories up from time to time.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.