GunnerBill Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Never met a Bill.... but of sports stars in general..... Lewis Hamilton the Formula 1 driver was a complete tool. I am not a big fan of F1 but used to casually root for him as a Brit. Now I passionately root for everyone but him.
machine gun kelly Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Andre Reed is world class (good). I agree. He was a guest judge at a team building event for a chili kick off years ago when I was at a medical device company. My team came up to him and basically stated I was the biggest Bills fan in the whole company so he came over, took pics with me, and then I asked him would it be ok to call my two sons back on the East Coast (we were in Beverly Hills). We called my boys and he talked to them for five minutes or so. All in all, he was one of the nicest athletes I've ever met, and really appreciated him.
BigPappy Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 London Fletcher. I met him at a Bill's pre Camp dinner where the players were signing autographs. The guy is a class 1 Grade A narcissistic douche. Every time his highlight reel came up on the big TV screen, he stopped signing and watched his own highlight reel. Even as he was talking to people. About every 5 minutes the line for his autograph stopped moving for a good 2 minutes while he watched. BigPappy
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Met Jim Kelly at a Bills game when I saw him at his tailgate party. He had a very dry sense of humour and said he wouldnt sign an autograph for me since I was wearing #13 and not #12 and then walked away. He came back after making himself a drink and then signed my hat and took a pic with me so I was very happy. Met Takeo Spikes at a strip club in Niagara Falls, Ontario and he was a nice guy. Not a Bill but I met John Murphy and he was a total CBF
hondo in seattle Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 This thread makes me laugh. I get more of an impression of what the posters are like than I do of the players... I think this is probably true. I've personally never met any Bill. I once met a 49er TE when I accidentally stepped on his foot. He was cool. Met Jaws once years ago - he was apparently a friend of my HS football coach. Also cool. But I'm surprised at how many have had contact with Bills and ex NFL players. Where do you guys hang out??? I more or less never meet guys from the NFL. Maybe I just have poor facial recognition skills because, except for a small handful, I wouldn't recognize them if I did see them.
DallasBillsFan1 Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I met Jerry Hughes very recently. Super nice dude. Humble and grounded. Excited for 2015 season.
Webster Guy Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I had all good experiences. Lived upstairs from Shane Conlans gf on summer street so I ran into him a lot. Super nice, kinda spaced out, not a ton of charisma. Spiller at Canandaigua lake bar a few years back. I blew his cover by pointing him out to a bunch of people which later I guess was uncool, but he seemed to enjoy the attention so far from home. Great guy. My favorite was Leodis at training camp three years ago. rippin hot day, players were all shot from practice, hurrying to the lockers, and everyone ignored the kids wanting autographs, literally heads down walking right past the crowds. McKelvin looks around, grabs Levitre and says "lets do some good" They stood there on the pavement for the longest time signing everyones stuff. Moorman was the only other one who cared enough to show the kids some love. My son still wears his signed Leodis hat and it reminds me of that cool gesture on that hot day. It doesnt hurt that he turned into an awesome cb either.
Kirby Jackson Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) I haven't read all of these but as a general rule if you are an adult seeking a picture or an autograph you annoy and make players uncomfortable. If you interrupt them at a restaurant or bar they are going to be annoyed. They may be nice, they may be rude but they are all looking at you the same 100% of the time. They are asking themselves, "Why does this 45 year-old man want me to sign his program?" It is usually because you are going to sell it & make money off of them or display it (equally as creepy to them). For the most part players are nice guys (especially in an environment where they are comfortable). They don't like to be in situations where they are like zoo animals & everyone is circled around them begging for autographs. If they miss somebody that guy thinks that said player is a jerk. If you want to see players in their environments and at their best get involved with charitable endeavors that they are passionate about (not some sponsor event that they are forced to be at because someone made them). Edited July 13, 2015 by Kirby Jackson
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I dont think thats true for everyone. Whats wrong with an adult wanting an autograph from a player who plays for their favorite team? I collect autographs especially Bills players CBF
Kirby Jackson Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) I dont think thats true for everyone. Whats wrong with an adult wanting an autograph from a player who plays for their favorite team? I collect autographs especially Bills players CBF I'm just telling you from the other side. They hate it. I'm not saying that a lot of people don't collect them but I've never met a a player that enjoyed that (they don't mind doing it for kids). It is like pulling teeth to get them to do it (even at events for player fan interaction). The 1st question is always "how long do I have to do this for?" There is always a handler too that has to be the bad guy (a role that I played a thousand times). You basically have to lie & act like there is somewhere the player has to go but basically their required time is up. It can be a little different in less formal environments but they still don't like being bothered. Again, they may sign & even be nice about it but it is not something that they like to do. The teams often have to pay players (or incentivize them) to get them to sign autographs. When I was in New Orleans we gave Chris Paul 2 floor seats for the season ($50k) in exchange for signing 150 jerseys and 2 appearances with the VIP clients. So for about 2 1/2 hours of his time that was the deal. Edited July 13, 2015 by Kirby Jackson
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I'm just telling you from the other side. They hate it. I'm not saying that a lot of people don't collect them but I've never met a a player that enjoyed that (they don't mind doing it for kids). It is like pulling teeth to get them to do it (even at events for player fan interaction). The 1st question is always "how long do I have to do this for?" There is always a handler too that has to be the bad guy (a role that I played a thousand times). You basically have to lie & act like there is somewhere the player has to go but basically their required time is up. It can be a little different in less formal environments but they still don't like being bothered. Again, they may sign & even be nice about it but it is not something that they like to do. The teams often have to pay players (or incentivize them) to get them to sign autographs. When I was in New Orleans we gave Chris Paul 2 floor seats for the season ($50k) in exchange for signing 150 jerseys and 2 appearances with the VIP clients. So for about 2 1/2 hours of his time that was the deal. Wow. I guess you have a point I just figured that if they dont like signing autographs they should look at the profession they signed up for where they are admired by fans CBF
Kirby Jackson Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) Wow. I guess you have a point I just figured that if they dont like signing autographs they should look at the profession they signed up for where they are admired by fans CBF The flip side of it is that it is one of the "negatives" that comes with your $5M contract. I'm not saying that I feel sorry for them but I get it. They are contractually obligated (at least in the NBA) to do a certain number of appearances. It was 2 full team events & I don't remember how many individual ones (maybe like 2 but I don't remember that part). Teams meet & discuss (and departments fight for) who they are going to use where. One full team appearance was always the big ST event & the other was the auction. The revenue generating departments (ticket sales & sponsorship) typically had more access to the star players. You could always try to cut back door deals too but I don't think that you could use cash b/c of the CBA. You could pay them in tickets & stuff (under the table anyways). Edited July 13, 2015 by Kirby Jackson
fergie's ire Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 The only player I ever met was one Kirby Jackson at a Montgomery Ward opening in Watertown, NY. Even though it was one of those autograph signing events, and he was in the middle of rehabbing (a knee, I think), he was very friendly and gracious. I was one of those handlers he speaks of and was put in a bad situation because the people running the event posted the wrong time in certain places and he was gracious enough to stay longer because of the mixup and saved the store (and me) from having to face some pissed off members of the public. Very nice guy.
Kirby Jackson Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 The only player I ever met was one Kirby Jackson at a Montgomery Ward opening in Watertown, NY. Even though it was one of those autograph signing events, and he was in the middle of rehabbing (a knee, I think), he was very friendly and gracious. I was one of those handlers he speaks of and was put in a bad situation because the people running the event posted the wrong time in certain places and he was gracious enough to stay longer because of the mixup and saved the store (and me) from having to face some pissed off members of the public. Very nice guy.Nice!!
KD in CA Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I haven't read all of these but as a general rule if you are an adult seeking a picture or an autograph you annoy and make players uncomfortable. If you interrupt them at a restaurant or bar they are going to be annoyed. I'm sure that would annoy me if I was the celebrity. I don't understand the appeal of bothering someone I don't know just because they are famous but my wife tends to get star struck on the few occasions we've seen famous people. A couple years ago I had to talk her down when she wanted to say something to the actress Julia Stiles who was having dinner at the next table in Wellfleet MA.
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I agree 100% about not bothering a celeb when they are eating or out with their family but I dont see the problem with an adult asking for an autograph if they see them in public. I have a Kelly jersey and if I saw him at a Bills game I would ask him to sign it CBF
justnzane Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I know it is semi-blasphemous, but Jim Kelly. He dated my cousin back in the 80's before Jill. I won't go into details, but he left a very sour opinion among my family. Thurman was cool when drinking back in the day (signed my cards, as I was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night as my mom was tending the bar), but was my buddy's boss and a dick to him.
Lurker Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) I just figured that if they don't like signing autographs they should look at the profession they signed up for where they are admired by fans That's bupkis, IMO. While a certain segment of the fan base may think "it's the players job" to sign autographs, it's not really. Their job is the time they spend on the field, court or rink. Anything else they do is discretionary, unless the employer requires it. The sense of fan entitlement to their time is what many players object to when they come off as "less than enthused" about a request to sign something, pose for a picture or chat like an old friend when it's not in a team-sanctioned setting. Or in a world where it's not atypical for '...I'm a big fan of yours' to make money off their 'memorabilia'... That so many players are gracious and friendly is actually remarkable. That some aren't, not so much... Edited July 13, 2015 by Lurker
Very wide right Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Steve Tasker is a nice guy, worked with Lynch on a professional basis, the guy was ALL business and on the quiet side.Not a player but have dealt with Rex frequently in the past months and the guy and his wife are quiet and nice but that guy has lost WAY too much weight.Hope he is OK.
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 That's bupkis, IMO. While a certain segment of the fan base may think "it's the players job" to sign autographs, it's not really. Their job is the time they spend on the field, court or rink. Anything else they do is discretionary, unless the employer requires it. The sense of fan entitlement to their time is what many players object to when they come off as "less than enthused" about a request to sign something, pose for a picture or chat like an old friend when it's not in a team-sanctioned setting. Or in a world where it's not atypical for '...I'm a big fan of yours' to make money off their 'memorabilia'... That so many players are gracious and friendly is actually remarkable. That some aren't, not so much... I agree I restated my opinion saying that I understand that when they are doing something private like eating or with their family and then used Kelly as an example that if I saw him at his tailgate party at the stadium I would ask him to sign my jersey CBF
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