97.1 the Ticket Sports Fan Fest

[bob2009]

I went to this show today at Rock Financial Showplace. As you would expect from a free event, It bordered on mass chaos. Nice job bringing in some pretty good guests. However, their "system" was to release only 200 tickets for each signer...which guaranteed you an autograph. They did this an hour before each respective signing. So for instance, they started to release the tickets for the 12pm signing at 11. However, if you had received a ticket for a signer that was to sign at 11, you were already in line waiting for that autograph at 11. So unless you came with an army of people and divided & conquered, it was next to impossible to get very many autographs. Some of the guests signed fast enough to allow for non ticket holders to get in line after all the ticket holders went through, but this was hit or miss. McCarty and Maltby signed quickly enough that they signed for many non-ticket holders, so that was pretty good. But it would have been nice to know this process going in so you could plan a little better.

Other than the annoying "system", the event was an ok way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon. For whatever reason, the organizers felt the need to have lots of scantily clad women walking around in modified "official's outfits", which included virtually-painted on hot pants and knee high socks. Some of these ladies were fairly questionable as to their age, I might add. I was slightly offended by this tactic, but I managed to fight my way through my outrage and focus on the autographs

I ended up with Mickey Redmond, Darren McCarty & Kirk Maltby, so I can't complain too much, and it was free, after all. Hopefully they get it a little more organized next year, because it's a good idea at a sort of ho-hum time of year.

[Los Gatos]

My family and I got home this evening from Novi after a nice day yesterday at Sportsfest and spending today in my childhood neighborhood. We even got to walk through the house I grew up in, which I hadn't been inside since 1996 when my parents sold it! As crazy as it seems, I hadn't been in southeast Michigan since 2001, so it was a great time even aside from the event.

Anyway, I had a blast at Sportsfest. I scored a major autograph haul which I'll post in the "Received" thread. It was fun running into my friend Kevin who posts on this site occasionally, and who I first met in Lakeland at Spring Training 3 years ago. It was crowed and a little chaotic, for sure. The autograph process was a bit convoluted, but once I got a handle on it, I was able to meet and get autographs from all 17 players with considerable help from my family in the morning and later from a non-collector friend who joined me.

In all, it was very well run for a first-time event. The 4 teams were very well represented by extremely friendly players, great merchandise and activities and equally friendly staffers. It was well worth the trip from Chicago and I will definitely be back next year if they do it again.

I can't say enough about how nice the players were - each and every one of them. Highlights included Charlie Sanders playing pacifier tug-o-war with my 2-year-old daughter, talking with John Long about my family's season ticket years at the Silverdome, talking with Scott Lusader about Jim Walewander from their days as roommates and talking with Zack Follett about a video I'd recently seen that he made from the California Bears stadium. Zack actually wore his Lions jersey yesterday, which I thought was very cool and unique for an autograph signing. It was very apparent that the players enjoyed being there and interacting with the fans. I'm a Tigers fan to the core, but this event rekindled my affection for the Lions, Pistons and Red Wings, as well.

[slim pickens]

[Los Gatos]

Ha! That video caught me for a split second at 1:12 in the lower right corner of the screen with the blue backpack over my shoulder.

I found another (below) with my family and I entering the event. From 1:32 - 1:43, here come my son, wife (holding our daughter) and me in the Tiger hat pushing the stroller with a dazed look on my face. We had just been waiting in line outside in 30-something degree weather for more than 2 hours before the doors opened in order to get Calvin Johnson tickets.

YouTube - 97.1 The Ticket SportsFest