Autograph after an interview?

yeah, that is a little extreme.

 

Talk about someone not worth losing your beat over. :-\

 

Autographs are not my thing.

It's seriously unprofessional in the business to ask for one.

And I agree that grown men who ask others to sign some item are complete and utter losers and likely pederasts at best.

That's why I hire wide-eyed, innocent young kids to get all the crap signed for me. Much more efficient.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of radical extremist ...

 

I think in some cases, it's OK to ask for an autograph as an adult. Let's say that as a kid, you got some guy to throw you a ball at a game or you caught a home run, and that player became a big star, I don't see anything wrong with getting that player to sign it. It's a piece of your childhood and it's fun to re-live a fond memory. Also, if you want to give your son or daughter a special birthday present or something. I can't see crushing a little kid in the way Billy described.

Now, with that being said, people over the age of 20 that continually seek out autographs of every good player they can get or say that so-and-so is their all-time favorite, that just comes off as stupid and foolish. It doesn't make that person morally bankrupt as Mr. Monday would like you to think, but the autograph hound should be able to find better things to do with his or her time.

And don't get me going on the guy that collects baseballs from every game he goes to...

 

When I was in college, my sportswriter friend got a piece of paper signed by the opposing team's QB.

The QB was no good. It's just that the two shared the same first and last name and my friend found this neat.

 

I would ask Sidd Finch for his autograph.

That's about it.

 

Don't ever do it ever. Does not matter if you do coverage of sports or entertainment. Your a journalist and like I read in a book at one time or another you stop being a fan because you got access other people could just dream about. Also it makes you and your paper look bad.

 

I love reading this. In the journalism world it is so frowned upon, but in radio, it's pretty common to have a picture taken with a musician after you've done an interview or show with that person. It's also pretty common to get autographs after all that. I know a radio guy who has most of his house decorated with entertainment memorabilia that has been signed by the various individuals he's interviewed for shows.

I worked at a television station in a community that one of the bachelor's was from. He came on the news every Wed. after the show and then most of the newsroom would go over to his restaurant and drink with him after the news was over. I never even questioned it, until I started working in print. It's pretty unethical in print.

I also worked at the college network level where the broadcasters travelled with the teams because they were essentially working for the university and promoted their team in broadcasts, but I know a few print guys who travel with the team on their charters for various games throughout the year. Is that unethical?

 

Of course not. Back in the day the writers just boozed it up with the players, helped to hide their peccadilloes from the public and basically created and fostered the notion that professional athletes were so much better than everybody else.

In other words, few people, if anyone, would ask for an athlete's autograph today if not for our illustrious predecessors whom we revere. Isn't it ironic? Doncha think?

 

You were supposed to come back with "It's like ray-eee-aaaaaain, on your wedding day......"

 

DECENT AUTOGRAPH: