Meeting Caleb Hanie, Steve McMichael and Earl Bennett

It has been a long time since I have written a blog so I figured I would go ahead and catch everyone up with my most recent autograph signing. I went with my dad back on October 29, to go meet Caleb Hanie and Earl Bennett of the current Chicago Bears as well as Steve McMichael of the 85' Bears. There were a lot of signings this day, but I wanted to get Hanie and Bennett for sure seeing I have never met them before. I actually already had Steve McMichael's autograph from a previous signing that my brother got for me. I got up early that morning and I was only planning on going to meet Earl Bennett, when I decided that we should try to get more than just Bennett. I woke my dad up and said lets get going over to this signing for Hanie. We got there at about ten o'clock in the morning and we were the second and third people there. Hanie wasn't there until 11, so we waited about an hour for him to arrive. It was at a Mitsubishi dealership in Countryside, so very close to my house. They had a lot of food there, as well as little footballs and candy for everyone that was there. He showed up and we got a couple of autographs for myself, my brother and my girlfriend. I always try to get my girlfriend an autograph whenever I go to a signing because I like adding to her collection that she has going. We then headed out to where Earl Bennett was going to be in Naperville. I told my dad, "Hey, I think Steve McMichael is signing over in Woodridge, we can stop by." We stopped at the Sam's Club in Woodridge and I had nothing for him to sign, so we just went in to say hello. We walked over to where McMichael was and there was not one person there in the line for an autograph. I thought that was really crazy that no one was even there for him. He ended up signing this piece of paper for me and I shook his hand and left. We walked around Sam's Club and they had so many free samples to give away, it was amazing. My dad and I both tasted this chocolate vodka liquer which was pretty intense and then we also got some brownies there as well. We left Sam's Club and headed off to Naperville. We finally arrived a little after noon at Dick's Sporting Goods and there were a considerable amount of people there for the grand opening of Dick's. We waited there for about twenty minutes, and we went up and met Earl Bennett. He was a really cool guy and was asking us about the other autographs on the ball that we had and where we met his teammates at. After getting an autograph and a picture we left and headed back towards home. I actually had to go and cut grass after this at my aunt's and grandparents house. And then after that I went to bowling for my league in which we won all three games that we played and are now in second place. This was an action packed day for me and I cannot wait to go to more signings. I can see my 50th autograph signing coming up!

                                   

Meeting Corey Crawford

I have not written a blog post recently so I decided it was time to catch up on writing about my most recent signing event. I went to meet Corey Crawford, the goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks, back on September 27th. I have previously been to two other Blackhawks signings including Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook. Both of those signings that I went to were so packed that I just turned around and left the signing. I really hate when that happens because everytime I go to a signing I want to get an autograph, not drive all the way there and leave empty handed. This signing was at Carson's in Orland Park Mall. My dad and I showed up at 3:45. They were handing out wristbands to the first 350 people starting at 4:30. The signing was scheduled for 5:00 and I was super glad that it wasn't slammed like my previous two Blackhawks signings. My dad and I both received wristbands after we each had to donate some article of clothing because this was another Goodwill event. We waited for a very short time as Mr. Crawford showed up about twenty minutes early. When we got up there, my dad got a puck signed for me and then I got my Blackhawks mini helmet signed. I was extremely happy when I left this signing because this was my first Blackhawks signing event. This was also the 40th autograph signing that I have been to. I cannot wait to see who my next signing will be!

Meeting Dan Hampton

This was the second time that I had met Dan Hampton and the third time overall that I have gotten his autograph. The first one my brother had to get for me because it was at a liquor store and I was not old enough to get in at the time. This may have been my 42nd autograph signing that I have been to, but it was a first time for me. I brought my girlfriend's cousin Hayli with me and it was her first signing that she had ever been to. We showed up at about 11:00 and he was going to be there at noon. I always like to show up early becuase you never know how many people are going to be there. We waited for a while and he showed up at like 12:05. He signed just about everything people brought in, meaning like twenty things per person it seemed like. We got up there and he signed Hayli's football really nice with hall of fame and super bowl 20 and everything it looked great. The first time for me though, was I was having him sign a picture of me with him which turned out really cool! I enjoyed doing that because it is rare to meet a sports player more than one time and for him to sign that picture the second time around. It was a fun time and I'm glad that Hayli came with me. I cannot wait to get back out there and get some more signings when I go to meet Dave Bolland on Tuesday.

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.