Worst Fan Fest Experiences

[gingi79]

I've always straddled the line on athletes as signers. I am in the minority that feels they don't owe fans anything nor do I believe we pay their salaries. They don't want to sign for kids, good. eBay and scumbag spoiled brats have used and manipulated athletes to make money off of them. However.......

If an athlete goes to a fan fest, book signing or autograph show, they are PAID to sign. All of these stories tell me that some of these washed up, easily forgotten and over rated people should be outed as the obnoxious pompous ass munches they are.

How often do you have an incredible opportunity to re-live your glory years and interact with real fans who just want a handshake and a memento from their favorite player?

Harmon Killebrew should run a clinic that all athletes must attend on how to act at a signing. Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, these men are much more talented than the bozos we hear about and yet they acted like I was doing THEM a favor talking football and asking for their autograph. They both thanked me for my support, offered smiles, handshakes and genuine appreciation.

Keep the stories coming, I'm keeping a list of douches I won't ever pay to meet or collect. Add these award winners to my pet peeve list:
a) Collectors who sell fake stuff
b) People whose names rhyme with Moo Hampson and
c) People who believe they need to get into physical or verbally abusive altercations with rival fans to "defend their team".

[sox83cubs84]

"Moo Hampson"? LMAO! Not too much mystery there.

Dave Miedema

[Masimen]

I've always straddled the line on athletes as signers. I am in the minority that feels they don't owe fans anything nor do I believe we pay their salaries. They don't want to sign for kids, good. eBay and scumbag spoiled brats have used and manipulated athletes to make money off of them. However.......

If an athlete goes to a fan fest, book signing or autograph show, they are PAID to sign. All of these stories tell me that some of these washed up, easily forgotten and over rated people should be outed as the obnoxious pompous ass munches they are.

How often do you have an incredible opportunity to re-live your glory years and interact with real fans who just want a handshake and a memento from their favorite player?

Harmon Killebrew should run a clinic that all athletes must attend on how to act at a signing. Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, these men are much more talented than the bozos we hear about and yet they acted like I was doing THEM a favor talking football and asking for their autograph. They both thanked me for my support, offered smiles, handshakes and genuine appreciation.

Keep the stories coming, I'm keeping a list of douches I won't ever pay to meet or collect. Add these award winners to my pet peeve list:
a) Collectors who sell fake stuff
b) People whose names rhyme with Moo Hampson and
c) People who believe they need to get into physical or verbally abusive altercations with rival fans to "defend their team".

I am pretty much with you in the thinking that athletes don't owe is autographs when they aren't being paid to do so at a show. However I have to respectfully disagree with you on the "nor do I believe we pay their salaries statement" The fans absolutely do pay the salaries of the athletes. Obviously we aren't writing their checks, but if there are no fans there are no salaries.

[OaklandAsFan]

I think that while at their respective place of work (stadium, arena, rink whatever) they should take a few minutes to sign some graphs for people however, hotels or airports or anywhere else outside their place of work they should be left alone or not expected to do anything IMHO.

I watched some jerk actually chase Wayne Gretzky into a bathroom during a Giants spring training game a couple of years ago. The sad part is that Wayne was happily signing for people as he walked around the stadium so there was no reason for it.

[sox83cubs84]

At one of the Chicago hotels in the mid-1970s, some idiot approached Bob Stinson, a backup catcher with an abrasive way about him, as he was doing #1 in a hotel bathroom urinal. The guy asked Stinson, who responded "Sure. Wanna hold my p--ck for me?"

Dave Miedema

[xpress34]

I am pretty much with you in the thinking that athletes don't owe is autographs when they aren't being paid to do so at a show. However I have to respectfully disagree with you on the "nor do I believe we pay their salaries statement" The fans absolutely do pay the salaries of the athletes. Obviously we aren't writing their checks, but if there are no fans there are no salaries.

+1 - I have personally stated many times to friends that the 'Owners' aren't paying these guys out of the 'Goodness of their Hearts'... we as fans buy the tickets, the gear, the swag AND we pay the taxes that build their 'offices'...

- Smitty

[xpress34]

Worst Fan Fest experience??? EVERY one of the Rockies since they started having it at Coors Field.

Why? Because if you don't have the dough to be a Season Ticket Holder, in the Rockies eyes you are NOT a fan and you cannot get tickets to attend.

They should rename it Season Ticket Holder Fest because most of the REAL Rockies Fans I know don't have Season Tickets, but they scrape up what they can to attend as many games as possible as well as buying gear, etc. and they are NOT invited.

The majority of Season Tickets at Coors Field (like many venues) are 'Corporate Tickets' which will be given to clients, etc and no one from those companies will likely even use their Fan Fest opportunity.

On a side bar - when it comes to whether Athletes 'owe' fans anything... I agree they don't owe me anything (signature, ball, bat, etc) but I do expect to at least be treated like another human being - not like I'm beneath them as many athletes come off.

Prime example - a guy I thought was a good guy (until I met him) - Todd Zeile. While working for Nike doing Loss Prevention, Ziele come in on a comp (free shopping for Nike athletes) while in town with the Cardinals. He has an Iguana or something with him and it's freaking out some of the 'regular people' customers. A female Manager came up and politely asked him to remove the animal from the store. Zeile turns to her and says, 'Do you know who the F&%K I am? I pay your God D@#NED Salary!' We had to ask him to leave the store - and fill out a report with Nike Corporate Athlete Accounts. Nike banned him from the stores for a years or something like that.

I guarantee you Phil Knight was rolling on the floor when he heard Zeile's comment about paying our salaries!

What an ASS!!!

- Smitty

[spartanservitto]

My friend got Lebron after a camp or something, Lebron pullled out his own sharpie.... it was a dry erase pen.... all the autographs he signed for the kids were disappearing, my friend had to spray his photo so the auto would stay.

I've hated him ever since... making an effort to destroy the autographs you give away at a camp. Amazing.

-Tony

[Shipp_96]

Not a fan fest, but I paid top dollar years ago in Napa, CA to go to the Charles Woodson Charity Golf event. Keep in mind, HE is holding the event. It was on like a Tuesday, and was hot as b@lls up there. So, there are TONS of Raider and football legends there, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Jim Plunkett, etc...all of these guys were nice in signing (especially Jerry Rice, the greatest player ever!)

The LAST one to come in is Chucky Woodson. It just so happens, as fate would have it, I am sitting on a bench outside the golf store and a nice young lady starts chatting with me. It was none other than Charles girlfriend (who he may or may not still be with). She goes on to tell me most of the players are easy to approach, and I should not hesitate to ask for autos, since why else would I be there with the handful of other fans that shelled out big money. Long story short, Charlie gets off his golf cart with some Bay Area rapper, E-60 or some crap. So, two children with a Dad, a middle age guy and myself approach Chucky. THAT'S IT...at HIS charity event! Why does he start cursing under his breath and tugging his golf hat to his eyes at the sight of us, then mutters "here we go with this s#!t". I am amazed. One of the little kids hands him a pict of him and Brady in the "tuck rule" game, and he says "Naw, I'm not signing that bulls#!t". If I were the Father, I would have punched him out.

I hear now that Mr. '09 DPOY is in Green Bay, he has matured. OK, once from Michigan, always an @ss, but maybe I'm wrong. Regardless, I am a Steelers fan, so to he!! with Chucky Woodson.

[ConRyl]

Charles Woodson has actually turned into one of the nicest players for the Packers, his first couple years in Green Bay he was a p**ck but he now signs pretty much anything at training camp and is a really cool guy.