My Autograph Bonanza!!! Taj Gibson, Dan Hampton, Jimmy Butler, Richard Dent, Lee Smith and Ron Kittle

On Saturday August 27th, 2011, my dad and I took a trip down to the AllState Arena for the best autograph signing I have ever been to to date. It was a Goodwill function where if you donated some items such as clothes or household items you would receive a wristband to receive one players autograph. I selected to get Taj Gibson because he plays for my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls. Dan Hampton, Ron Kittle and Taj Gibson were there from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and Jimmy Butler, Richard Dent and Lee Smith were there from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. I waited in line for Taj Gibson as my dad and I were the first in line at about 8:00 a.m. that morning. We arrived at the AllState Arena at 7:30 and waited for them to open up. After waiting in line for about an hour and chit chatting with various people in the line, Ron Kittle arrived and no one was in his line. A lady that worked for Goodwill came over and said we could all get his autograph seeing he was there and Taj Gibson was not, plus no one was in Kittle's line. So everyone got autographs from Mr. Kittle, after I got my baseball and a picture signed, along with a picture with Ron Kittle, I went back and waited for Taj Gibson to get there. I was expecting a ton more people to be down at this function, but there was barely anybody. I waited and my dad and I not only got Taj Gibson, but we got Dan Hampton as well. With the very low amount of people there, we got to go through each of the lines very quickly and got numerous autographs from each player. They were signing these very nice 8 x 10 glossy photos which are never really given out at signings. After getting all of those signings I went and talked to Taj Gibson seeing no one was around him and he was just on his phone. I went over and I talked to his agent and I got Taj Gibson's agent's phone number and e-mail address so I can contact him for an interview for The Xavierite paper that I write for. I was so excited and I told my dad let's wait for everyone else to get here so we could get more autographs. We waited and 104.3 FM radio was there with Eddie and Jobo, I went over and got their autographs as well as a picture with them. We then waited and we again got multiple autographs from Richard Dent, Lee Smith and Jimmy Butler because of the low amount of people there. We ended up leaving with twenty-eight different items signed by those six players. I also left with contact information for a Taj Gibson interview and we also got two free Ron Santo books that they were giving away. It was the best birthday gift I could have ever asked for, my birthday was on the 28th and it was just amazing!! What an autograph signing, I'm not quite sure any other autograph signings will top this one. Here are some of the pictures from the event!!

 Taj Gibson

 Ron Kittle

 Dan Hampton

 Eddie and Jobo

Jimmy Butler

 Lee Smith

Richard Dent

Meeting Carlos Marmol of the Chicago Cubs

On Thursday August 18th, 2011, my dad, girlfriend and myself all went to meet Carlos Marmol, the closer for the Chicago Cubs. It was a big advertised event so the fact that there was about 100 people an hour before he was going to be there was to be expected. We got in line and waited for about 15-20 minutes to get an autograph from him. He seemed very cocky though because he had a hat on and sunglasses and would not allow any pictures with him. I was unaware that Carlos did not speak good English so he had an interpreter there with him to translate different things. My girlfriend went up first and she had her batting helmet signed and then I went and had a picture signed for my brother and my dad got a baseball for me signed by him. We then went outside and, I looked at the baseball and it had somehow gotten smudged and smeared accidentally and I had to run back in and buy another baseball and get back in line. There was a guy in the line saying that they had cut off the line because he was leaving at 7 p.m. which was only 15 minutes from then so of course I was not happy. Next thing you know a lady that worked at Sports Authority came by and said that they had confirmed that Carlos was going to stay until 8 instead of 7 so I was able to get my baseball signed after the accident that occurred. I left there a happy man, I also got a picture of my girlfriend, Carlos and myself. It was my 34th autograph signing that I have been to and my 64th autograph into my collection.

Meeting Fergie Jenkins

On Sunday August 14th, 2011, my girlfriend and I went to meet Hall of Fame Cubs pitcher, Fergie Jenkins. It was a last minute signing that I had just found out about once I had gotten home from a weekend away at Springfield for the State Fair. The signing was at a grand opening for the new Sports Authority in Orland Hills. We showed up at around 4:45 and he wasn't signing until 6:00, we were only about 25th in line at that time so we knew we would get his autograph. He actually arrived at the signing fifteen minutes early which is extremely rare when it comes to autograph signings, normally everyone is at least fifteen to twenty minutes late. We got through the line pretty quickly and I had a picture signed for my brother and my girlfriend had a baseball for me signed. We then got back in line and got all the way through the line a second time and I had another baseball signed and my girlfriend got my Cubs hat signed for me too. We took a picture with him and then we left after that. It was a great signing because not only did he show up twice, but we got four different items signed by him. That was autograph number sixty-three for me and it was the thirty-third autograph singing that I have been to. The next signing for me will be on Thursday right back at Sports Authority for current Chicago Cubs closer, Carlos Marmol.
 

Autograph Signings

One of the biggest things I love doing is going to various autograph signings. I have met many people over the past year or so, including current and former Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and even some of the 1985 Chicago Bears. I have personally been to 33 different autograph signings and I have 61 autographs total, that I have either bought or someone else went to a signing for me and gave me the autograph. Some of the best players that I have met include, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Scottie Pippen, Luol Deng, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. I love going to all of these various signings and it will be a great thing to one day tell a child of mine, that I have met so many different famous people. The most recent signing I went to was at Dick's Sporting Goods on July 31st, where Stacey King and Scottie Pippen were going to signing. Dick's opened at 9 a.m. and I showed up at 8:30, Scottie Pippen wasn't scheduled to be there until 1 p.m. I waited outside in a line of about 75 people at that time and received a wristband to be guaranteed a Scottie Pippen autograph. It was a really really happy moment for me because Scottie Pippen is such a legendary player and most recently a Hall of Famer! We weren't able to line up until about 11:30 which we did and Scottie ended up showing at around 1:30. After Scottie got done, Stacey King came and everyone with his wristband got to get his autograph. I was able to get his autograph as well and meet one of the best broadcasters I know. Scottie Pippen was the 60th autograph that I have in my collection which made it even more special because I wanted to get somebody really good for number 60. I cannot wait to see who will be added to my collection in the future.