Tim Howard Book Signing 6/3/15

I'm back home for the summer, and this one should be a great one. I had not gotten an autograph in person in over a month, so I figured I'd look for a good opportunity to get an autograph.

Online, I saw that one of the world's best soccer goalkeepers, Tim Howard, was doing a book signing at a Barnes & Noble in New York City. I had some free time, so I figured I'd go and see what I could do. You probably remember Howard from his record setting performance at last year's World Cup in Brazil. Since that performance, he has gained the nickname of the 'Secretary of Defense.'

After an LIRR ride into the city and a subway ride to 53rd and Lexington, I was standing outside the Barnes & Noble at Citigroup Center. I was a couple hours early to the signing as I wanted to make sure I got a spot in line.

I told the woman at the door I was there for the Tim Howard book signing and she told me to head to the cashier to purchase books. I saw online that no outside items were allowed at the signing, so I pretty much had to buy a copy of Howard's new book, The Keeper.

There were three versions available; a hardcover, a soft cover, and a young readers' version. After asking the woman behind the counter how many books Howard would sign per person, I decided to buy two. The woman told me he would sign all the books I bought. I got the hardcover and the softcover.

Then, I got a snack in the cafe and headed toward the upstairs part of the store where the signing would take place. I had about two hours to kill and two fresh books in my bag, so I figured I'd read one. Until the signing started, I got about 80 pages into Howard's book, which I have enjoyed so far.

I was about seventh in line for thee public signing. But before the signing, he would be doing a program for local school kids who took a field trip to meet Howard. After a couple hours of waiting and reading, Howard emerged to cheers from the line that formed.

During the program, Howard met each kid and handed them all signed books. After taking a group photo with all the kids, the public signing began.

I was told no posed photography would be allowed during the signing. So I made a deal with the person behind me in line that we would take photos of each other with Howard and send them to each other later.

After the kid in front of me managed to get his goalie glove signed by Howard, the Barnes & Noble employees ushered me to the table. I handed my two books to one of the employees, and shook Howard's hand after approaching the table.

While he signed my two books, I asked him about potentially playing in the US in the future. He said he wouldn't mind it, then I thanked him for coming out and took some photos of the person behind me meeting her idol. Here are a couple of photos that person took of me meeting Howard. I was politely told to get out of the way, so I went back downstairs and texted a couple of my friends that I just met Tim Howard.

                 Here are the two books Howard signed for me: 

Overall, the signing was very well run. I enjoyed myself and got to meet a world class athlete. I don't usually pay for autographs, but I made an exception for this one. The book is a great one, and I'd recommend it. Hopefully, I will get back to that Barnes & Noble for a signing later this summer.

That's it for this entry. Thanks for reading!

My Last Game at Nassau Coliseum 4/19/15

Before this season started, I said that if the New York Islanders made the playoffs, I would come home from Albany to go to a playoff game. I've never been to an NHL playoff game, and I didn't want to live my life without going to one at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Islanders had a successful regular season, and while they didn't get home ice advantage for their first round series against the Washington Capitals, they did get a home game at a time I could attend: Sunday April 19 at noon.

Autographs were the last thing on my mind for this game, but I always come prepared just in case I see somebody.

The game itself was an amazing one. It was everything I could have asked for my first (and last) playoff game at Nassau Coliseum. In case you don't know what happened, here's how the game ended.


After the game, I didn't have my voice for a few days.

But during the game, something cool happened. At the second intermission, I went to go use the bathroom, which can be a difficult and time consuming task at the Coliseum, which may be one of the reasons they are leaving. Instead of trying to find one on the concourse, which is impossible during an intermission, I headed down to the lower lobby.

The lower lobby is where I've met many Isladner greats by the MSG studio. This season alone, I've met legends Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Denis Potvin. But since this game was televised live nationally on NBC, there was no show at the studio today.

While in line for the men's room, I noticed someone familiar walking toward me. After someone took a selfie with him, I realized it was Islander great Clark Gillies. I had left my bag with my sharpies and stuff to get signed at my seat, so the only option I had was to go for a photo. I went to ask for it, but he said he would be right back before walking down a VIP tunnel.

A few minutes later, Gillies emerged and was walking through the crowd quickly. After signing an autograph for someone else, I took my phone out and went next to him for a selfie. He smiled and I took the photo on the right. I think he was sitting in the stands and had to go to the bathroom at the intermission. Since his name is in the rafters, he can do whatever he wants. I got his autograph a few times before, so I wasn't upset about missing out on the chance for the autograph. It isn't the greatest selfie, but it is a selfie with a Hall of Famer, so I won't complain.

That was a pretty cool moment, and another one happened at the end of the game. As everyone was leaving, I was in no rush. I just sat in my seat and absorbed the Nassau Coliseum atmosphere one last time. When I finally left my seat, I walked down toward the concourse to go outside.

Once I entered the concourse, I noticed a group of people just standing around. After walking toward that area, I noticed it was another Islander legend, Bob Nystrom. Nystrom isn't in the Hall of Fame, but he scored the greatest goal in Islanders history to give them their first Stanley Cup in 1980.

Unlike Gillies, Nystrom was in no rush. He was shaking every hand and taking every photo with anyone who asked. I brought a puck with me and asked him to sign it. He signed it, but my silver sharpie was dead and the autograph is barely visible, as you can see on the right. He then used my sharpie to sign a woman's hoodie and a couple tickets, which came out better than my puck.

Since the puck came out bad, I wanted to get another autograph. Nystrom was still busy taking pictures so I had a minute to dig out an Islanders team logo sheet from my bag. I previously got Rick Bowness and Butch Goring to sign the sheet with a black sharpie. I had no black sharpie with me, and I grabbed the first one I could find out of my bag. That one turned out to be orange, which was fine because it's an Islanders color. Nystrom signed the logo sheet with the orange sharpie, adding the third signature to my sheet.


Before Nystrom left, I took a selfie with him and thanked him for his time. That photo turned out to be the final one I ever took inside Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. A selfie with the man who helped put the Islanders on the hockey map.

That's all for this entry. Thanks for reading. Farewell Nassau Coliseum. 

Celebrities on Campus: Dave Coulier

If you don't know already, I'm a SUNY Albany student. At SUNY Albany, well-known celebrities rarely come to campus. So therefore, on-campus autographs are hard to come by. Last year, well known Broadway actress Carolee Carmello came to campus, and I got her autograph. You can read about that HERE. However, a recent opportunity arose, and I took full advantage of it.

As a child growing up, I watched Full House reruns on ABC Family on Nick at Nite all the time. My family even has multiple seasons of it on DVD. So when I found out that Dave Coulier (aka Joey Gladstone) was going to be doing stand-up comedy on campus, I was thrilled.

Coulier's comedy event was scheduled for right after the annual homecoming football game, which was a perfect time for me. A half hour before the event was scheduled to start, I made sure to grab an aisle seat in the middle of the ballroom where the event was going to take place. Here are a couple good pictures I took of Coulier during his event.

In the photo on the right, Coulier had called a student on stage to take a video for Twitter. Here is the result. 

Sheri, it worked! Sort of... @Sherijoy0531 LIVE @UAlbanySA - sorry it is sideways! :) https://t.co/xhH358vLCc #cutitout
— Dave Coulier (@DaveCoulier) October 12, 2014

If only it wasn't sideways. Oh well. The show itself was hilarious. Coulier made many Full House references, talked about Bob Saget and John Stamos. He also made a whole bunch of sports jokes, including some about A-Rod. The show was as funny as I hoped it would be and was probably one of the highlights of my school year so far.

I had heard there was going to be a meet and greet after the show, but that turned out to be just a rumor. However, since the event took place right in the middle of campus, I had a guess as to where Coulier would be going. After the show ended, Coulier took photos with some of the programming people who organized the event.

Since I am familiar with my college's campus, I had a good idea as to where he would be leaving. So, I grabbed a seat within eye sight of the stairs leading to the exit door. After many nervous minutes waiting by the door, I heard a noise at the top of the step. A few seconds later, Coulier and a couple of the programming people walked down the stairs.

Upon seeing me, one of the programming people jokingly said, "Oh, there's only one stalker tonight." While I thought Coulier might just walk past me, he laughed at her joke and came over to me.

"Look at you coming prepared with the Full House pictures," Coulier said as I handed him my sharpie and thanked him for the hilarious show. He beautifully signed the two photos I had printed out. When he signed one of him and Mr. Woodchuck, hemarked that he is doing a new bit with Mr. Woodchuck coming out online. HERE is the new bit, it's funny. Below are the pictures Coulier signed for me.

After signing for me, I handed my new iPhone 6 to the programming woman and took a picture with Coulier. My eyes are slightly closed, but that's ok.

After taking the picture, I shook his hand, then took a picture of him and someone else who happened to be in the room. Shortly after that, he left, continuing his tour across the country.

Hopefully UAlbany can get some other good celebrities to come to campus. I enjoy getting a not sports autograph when I get the chance. That's all I have for this entry. Thanks for reading and good luck graphing.

Recent Islanders Mail Successes

It's been a while since I posted about some mail successes that I've gotten. If you are wondering, I have a subscription to StarTiger, which has many addresses of celebrities, not just athletes. I've had it for a few years, and it is worth every penny. I've gotten a bunch of autographs in the mail since I last posted about it. A lot of them have came from former New York Islanders, so I am bunching all of those into one entry.

Starting off with some Islanders related people, I got 4 cards signed by a defenseman who played with both the Islanders and Rangers, Vladimar Malakhov. He also played for a few other teams, including the 1992 Unified Team that won the Gold Medal in Albertville.

The Architect, Bill Torrey signed an autograph card and a custom photo I printed out. He was President of the Florida Panthers for a few years, and is still living in Florida. He added his Hall of Fame inscription from when he was inducted in 1995.

Another person whose banner resides high over the Nassau Coliseum ice is Head Coach Al Arbour. He was the coach for all 4 Islanders Stanley Cup teams, and is one of the greatest coaches in hockey history. He even came back and coached the Isles to a win in his 1500th career game in 2007. (I was there, it was awesome.)  I mailed him an autograph card and two 4x6 photos, all of which he signed with his Hall of Fame inscription. He signed the autograph card on the back and added the date, which is something I haven't seen before.

 A more recent Islander and current Florida Panther, Brad Boyes signed some cards that I sent him. I mailed them to the Panthers arena, and they came back signed in less than a month.











A known fighter during his NHL career, Ken Baumgartner signed three cards in the mail for me. This one was a very quick success as well, taking about three weeks.

The last person for this entry is another recent Islander, Brian Rolston. I met him as well as all of the 2011-12 Islanders at an event a few years ago. I took a photo with him and Marty Reasoner, and after finding his address, I mailed it to him. He signed that photo, as well as another photo and a card.

 That's everything for this entry! Good luck graphing!

Top 10 Autographs of 2013

Happy New Year to all. May 2014 be filled with happy memories and joy just like 2013 was. Here are my top 10 autographs I've gotten in 2013.

I'm basing these on the following criteria.

• How good the person is. (All Star, Hall of Famer, etc.)
• How much the person means to me. 
• How I got the autograph. (Through the mail, in person, etc.) 
• Any story behind getting the autograph. 

Now with that, lets begin the countdown. 

10. Micheal Haley NHL Forward with Islanders and Rangers 

Ever since he started the famous brawl between the Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011, Haley was one of my favorite players. Now, he is on the Rangers playing for their minor league team in Hartford. He was great when I met him in Albany in October. He signed a bunch of items for me and took a picture with me then. He's a great guy and I hope he gets another shot in the NHL soon. Although his NHL stats aren't too outstanding, he is somebody I've wanted to meet for a while. That's why he is on this list at #13. 

9. Jason Taylor NFL Defensive Lineman
When Jason Taylor stared working at ESPN following his retirement from the NFL, I figured I would have a chance at getting his autograph. Over the summer, I wrote about getting his autograph in the mail. Taylor should be in the Hall of Fame whenever he is eligible, without a question. He is one of the top defensive linemen in football history, and his autograph is on I am proud to have in my collection.

8. Brandon Phillips Cincinnati Reds All Star 2nd Baseman

Back in May, I went to a Mets game against the Reds at Citi Field. As you can see in the video, Phillips signed autograps for a while. He signed a ball for me that day. He is a great personality, and one of the top fan pleasers in the MLB. 

7. Josh Hamilton MLB All Star for Rangers and Angels
 Just a week ago, I was happy to look through the mail and find that Josh Hamilton signed a car I sent to him in September. Hamilton usually gets all of his fan mail and tries to get it back in time for Christmas season. He tweets about his fan mail often during the late December period, as you can see HERE. If you want to try and get his autograph write to Josh Hamilton at the Angels' stadium and he probably will write back in December. He is a very humble man, and his book is a must read if you haven't read it yet.


6. David Tyree New York Giants Super Bowl Hero
Without a question, David Tyree's CATCH in Super Bowl 42 was the greatest moment of his career. In June, I went to an autograph signing he had at a local sporting goods store. He arrived an hour late, but once he showed up he was generous and signed for everybody. HERE is a video I took of him signing, and HERE is my blog entry from that day.

5. Dick Vitale Basketball Hall of Famer
Who doesn't love Dick Vitale? He has been at ESPN for over 35 years, was a former NBA coach, and is one of the most loved people in the game of basketball. In 2008, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport. Back in May, I mailed him a couple photos to try and get them signed. Not even two weeks later, I opened up my envelope to find my photos signed as well as a contact card signed by Dickie V himself.

4. Adam Greenberg MLB Player, Inspirational Story

If you haven't hear of Adam Greenberg, click HERE to hear his story. Shortly after that, a campaign was launched to get Greenberg an at bat in the big leagues. In October 2012, Greenberg got another at bat, striking out against eventual Cy Young award winner RA Dickey. He went to spring training in 2013 with the Orioles, and I mailed him some stuff to sign then. I tweeted to him multiple times, and he responded. I found his rookie card from 2005 with the Cubs. I sent that to him as well as a few photos, and he signed everything to me. If you wonder why he is on this list, it's because he is an inspiration to people to never give up on your dream, even when obstacles happen. If you want his autograph, tweet to him, he will probably give you a response. 

3. Ryan Strome New York Islanders Forward

Ever since the Islanders drafted Ryan Strome in 2011, there has been hype surrounding him. He made an amazing move in a shootout in prospects camp just months after that. I met him in Albany in November while he was playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He signed a bunch of stuff for me then, and you can read about that HERE. Just a few weeks after I met him, Strome was finally called up to the Islanders and is still playing there now. He has a bright career ahead of him, and I'm happy I met him. 

2. Curtis Granderson MLB All Star 

At the end of November, I wrote about getting Curtis Granderson's autograph in the mail. In that entry, I said that I hope he goes somewhere where he doesn't kill the Mets. Since then, it looks like he took my advice. If he turns into the next Jason Bay, he could kill the Mets. But I'm happy Granderson signed with my team, and can't wait to see him in the blue and orange. I'm even happier that I have his autograph to add to my collection. If you want to follow him on twitter or like him on Facebook, his information is on the bottom of the picture. I hope he continues to send these pictures out, but hopefully he'll wear a Mets jersey in the next ones. 

1. Matt Harvey Mets All Star Pitcher
Toward the end of August, I got 2013 All Star Game starter Matt Harvey's autograph at Citi Field. Feel free to check out my blog entry from that day HERE. Harvey recently had Tommy John surgery which should keep him out of the lineup during the 2014 season. Hopefully he'll be back and better than ever when he comes back. I wish him best of luck in his recovery. He was kind when I met him, signing for everybody. HERE is a video I took of Harvey signing. He is number one on this list because he is a good player, good guy, and I'm happy I've met him in person.


I will have another Albany Devils autograph recap when they played the Bridgeport Sound Tigers soon. Until then, good luck graphing and have a happy 2014!!

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! 

More Mail and a Special Delivery

The mail just keeps coming in as my summer rolls on. I also got something very special and unique, which you can see at the end of this entry.


Current Arizona Diamondback and former Oakland A's pitcher, Brad Ziegler, signed the card I sent.

Former New York Mets first baseman and current Seattle Mariners bullpen catcher, Jason Phillips, signed all of my cards. I mailed them to the care of the Mariners in Seattle and they came back quite quickly.



Current Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter signed my cards from when he was the manager of the Texas Rangers. I mailed these straight to Camden Yards and was not disappointed. If you want to get a better view of any of the autographs, feel free to click on any of the pictures posted on this entry.




The last autograph I got in the mail for this entry is Rob Blake. Blake is a former Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings great who played in six all star games, as well as a Stanley Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist.

Lastly, the unique item I got. I entered a contest from Autograph University for a Phil Jackson signed book. A few days after entering, I received an email from AutographU's founder, Matt Raymond, saying that I was the winner of the contest. Shortly thereafter, the book arrived in the mail. I am now the proud owner of a signed first edition of Phil Jackson's newest book, Eleven Rings. Special thanks to Matt and AutographU for everything and I highly recommend their website for autograph collecting advice.





That's all for now. Best of luck graphing and have a great summer!