Michigan Autograph Collectors
I am heading to the Basketball game tonight and since we have row 1 seats I was going to try and get a few autos after the game(they come out of the tunnel 15-20 mins after games). Anyway I have been collecting Michigan signatures since I was a kid. Now that I am pushing 30 I feel odd about it. Am I pathetic?
I have been watching Michigan so long that when I watch I do feel like a kid. Just a big fan. Its just been a neat thing to collect. I have posted some of my autos on my blog in the past and I have gone to many fan days(gettting MS paint signed). I just don't want to come off as a creepy Ebay dude. I guess I am just gauging others thoughts on this. I don't want to to be that guy.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:07 PM ^
December 11th, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^
Lol was wondering why a giant panda was in the student section this weekend against Arkansas.
CBS' camera always tried to find it; they had it as the background for a fade-in from a time out in the 2nd half.
To OP: it's just a little creepy from student-athletes due to the entire "we're not paid but you can make money off of our sh*t" thing. Always ask to personalize it; more likely that you are getting for yourself rather than making $ off it.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^
I felt weird about it the moment the idea was introduced to me as a young child. Perhaps that's just me though.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:48 PM ^
Agreed. The concept of tracking someone else down so they can write their name on my stuff has always come off as odd to me.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:11 PM ^
I stopped collecting autographs from celebrities when I was in high school. Now, I just collect photos of me with them.
BTW, I don't see anything wrong with asking players for autographs. I did see something wrong with people carrying around bags of footballs at the bowl game for players to sign so that they could try to sell them on ebay.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^
Before the message boards and such, I had to rely on The Wolverine publication in the mail. I think I was getting those around 1993-1998 or so.
I was late teens / early 20's and I was a card collector / autograph collector.
I'd get them signed at spring games and some I would send a self addressed stamped envelope and ask them to sign them and send them back. Got tons of really good ones.
Brady signed like 4 covers of The Wolverine and sent some Pats stickers and schedules and stuff. Used to be neat.
Haven't done that in years but I don't consider it creepy.
Good luck, have fun and Go Blue
December 11th, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
By the time these kids get done with media responsibilities and exit the tunnel it's probably 10:30 at the earliest, at which point they have homework to get done (they are 18-22 year old students), studying for exams to do (it is finals week), and fine college girls to mack on (because who wouldn't?). Signing an autograph for you is probably not something they would like to be doing.
You are 30 years old. I would just give it a rest.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:51 PM ^
Trust me I don't hang around until 10:30. Almost the whole team came out after the Duke game in 09 like 20 mins after the game ended. They just mingled with people and just signed really. But I do get your point.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^
Age doesnt matter. Ask for the autograph, if they want to do it they will if not then they dont. I'm sure the collection is outstanding. As long as your bedroom doesnt look like this....if it does, that is creepy.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:37 PM ^
I think that Bacon's book talked about sketchy autograph hounds. I think that if you are sincere, you can differentiate yourself from a sketchy 40-something hanging out in the Schembechler Hall parking lot.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
December 11th, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^
I'm not telling you what to do either way - who am I to judge? All I know is that I always feel strange just talking to a "celebrity" in general. I ran into Juwan Howard a few years back and said "Go Blue" to him and felt like a complete dork afterwards. He was, of course, really cool and appeared to be somewhat happy to hear the phrase but I still felt weird. I can't imagine going up to someone and asking for an autograph. Maybe a current or past POTUS but not an athlete or celebrity.
December 11th, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^
December 11th, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^
I personally would rather have my picture with the athletes, but I'm not as old as you so that may not be weird yet for a few more years
December 11th, 2012 at 3:09 PM ^
the notion of collecting autographs struck me as more than a little weird, regardless whether it was a sports figure or a movie star.
I might make an exception if Kate Upton signed her bra for me.
December 11th, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^
In the back of your head, if you even think you may be wrong, or creepy, you probably are.
My opinion if you are significantly older than the person you ask an autograph for, it is odd.
December 11th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
I was a ball boy during the sophomore season of the fab five (I think I was like 8 or 9 y.o. at the time), so the whole pure awesomeness of autographs wore off at a real early age for me. Like other's have stated, I've turned to photo's of myself with celebrities instead. If it happens to be at a concert/event they're performing at, then yeah, I'll get my ticket stub signed as well, but I don't go out of my way just to get their autograph.
On a related note, when my wife and I moved back to Ann Arbor last year, we were at the S.o.S off of Maple when Mike Martin walked in. As soon as I non-chalantly told my wife who it was, she ran right over to him to get an autograph, after I reassured here that it wouldn't be weird at all to do so. There's really not a darn thing wrong with wanting an autograph and a lot of these probably expect plenty of these requests to come from a lot of people older than them.
December 11th, 2012 at 5:22 PM ^
Don,
Let's each sign one of her breasts; she'll understand we're not photogenic people once we explain.
December 11th, 2012 at 5:55 PM ^
When I was at Michigan, sometimes I'd get delusions of grandeur and think the people waiting outside my lecture halls were waiting for my autograph. Then I realized they probably just wanted to go to class.
They're college kids. Let them be college kids without having to write their name on your crap.
December 11th, 2012 at 9:04 PM ^
The only time I ever bother to get players to sign things are at scheduled fan days or open house.
I see the eBay whores with 5 mini helmets and/or programs in their arms hounding players after football games and it just makes me want to gag. At least when I get my block M flag signed, it's for my own enjoyment and collecting.
December 11th, 2012 at 7:11 PM ^
December 11th, 2012 at 9:06 PM ^
Devin doesn't sign anything period unless it's at fan day. Seeing him reject ebay whores after the game vs northwestern was hilarious.
December 11th, 2012 at 9:45 PM ^
The problem with this is you are only adding fuel to the fire for the eBay sellers. It only gives the sellers a greater reason to hound for autographs after games, practices, or at hotels. Also, be careful on eBay. There are more fakes out there than authentic autographs.
December 11th, 2012 at 8:30 PM ^
I wish I was cool enough to have people ask for my autograph. I wouldn't think they'd be too offended.
December 11th, 2012 at 10:40 PM ^
I was early 40's when i met Bo & he signed his Bo with Mitch Albom book for me.
Bo was all class and treated me very well.