Autograph after an interview?

Bucknutty · May 6, 2007

What about purchasing autographed memorabilia? I have a sports writer friend who likes to buy autographed 8 x 10s of teams and players he has covered to decorate his basement with. He doesn't ask for the autographs himself...most of them he gets off of eBay.

How "bad" is this?

Write-brained · May 6, 2007

Bucknutty said:

What about purchasing autographed memorabilia? I have a sports writer friend who likes to buy autographed 8 x 10s of teams and players he has covered to decorate his basement with. He doesn't ask for the autographs himself...most of them he gets off of eBay.

How "bad" is this?
Click to expand...

I don't think that's bad. It's not the collecting that's a problem for journalists. It's the asking. They're supposed to be neutral. Getting an autograph from someone you cover makes you look like a sycophant.

Oz · May 6, 2007

Taylee said:

First World Series I covered was 1991 when Minnesota beat Atlanta. After game 5 in Atlanta, interviews were over and most of the media were standing around when one print guy whips out a baseball and asks for Kirby Puckett's autograph. This set off a flurry of media guys, both print and broadcast, getting autographs on baseballs, programs, anything. I'd been in the biz only a few years and was stunned by this. Talked to a co-worker in the Braves lockerroom and said the same thing happened. These weren't just small-town guys. I saw some of the biggest names in the biz asking for autographs.

I was one of the few guys who didn't take part in the impromptu session. I still use this as an example of how not to act.
Click to expand...

I can't believe that. I mean, I'm not doubting your story, I'm just shaking my head reading that. Wow.

PhilaYank36 · May 6, 2007

Yeah, that is pretty pathetic. Hands down. Autographs should primarily be for kids and teens who are able to get their favorite player to sign a ball or their card at a game or some chance encounter so they have a cool story to tell. Reporters who do it are abusing a tremendous priviledge.

SoCalDude · May 6, 2007

Best reaction I've seen from a player:
NL clubhouse at the 1982 All-Star Game in Montreal, the day before the game. A clown with a media credential around his neck and a tape recorder approaches a St. Louis Cardinal.
"Ozzie, can I have your autograph?"
"I'm Lonnie, you still want it?"

chazp · May 6, 2007

SoCalDude said:

Best reaction I've seen from a player:
NL clubhouse at the 1982 All-Star Game in Montreal, the day before the game. A clown with a media credential around his neck and a tape recorder approaches a St. Louis Cardinal.
"Ozzie, can I have your autograph?"
"I'm Lonnie, you still want it?"
Click to expand...

LOL, stolen ID I assume.

standman · May 6, 2007

I asked an athlete for one once because a charity I was part of was having an sports auction. Went back and forth in my head about it and decided if it would raise money for a worthy cause it was worth it.

Flying Headbutt · May 6, 2007

Simon_Cowbell said:

I just got out of the clink on bail after being charged with child molestation!

...........

Back to my twiddling of kids.
Click to expand...

Uhhhh, what??

Double J · May 6, 2007

chazp said:

Colton said:

True story, and if I hadn't seen in myself, I wouldn't believe it. Jordan's first game back in Cleveland after giving up baseball. After the game, we surround him for the post-mortem. Anyway, a suburban daily had sent their Browns guy over to do the Jordan sider. After the 15-minute session, the guy, who had been kneeling in front of Jordan, tosses his notebook in his lap and says, "Can I have your autograph?" It was pathetic. Jordan just shook his head, scribbled his name and threw the notebook back in the writer's lap.

Now, flash forward, it's summertime at The Jake. Same writer goes into the pressbox using his credential and into the dining room and grabs a few hot dogs -- then takes them out to his kids, who are there watching the game with him in the stands. Paper's baseball beat guy raises holy hell back at the office.

The guy is STILL the same paper's Browns beat guy, too.
Click to expand...

Threadjack of my own thread: I was covering a 1AA football game six years back and during a timeout in the third quarter, I have to go to the can. As I came back, I notice another writer at the buffet table where we had our meal at halftime. He was putting cookies in napkins and stuffing them in his pants pockets. It looked like he took a dozen cookies or so for later. Don't know if his paper ever found out.
Click to expand...

Remember, he works in journalism - maybe he couldn't afford groceries?

Write-brained · May 6, 2007

Double J said:

chazp said:

Colton said:

True story, and if I hadn't seen in myself, I wouldn't believe it. Jordan's first game back in Cleveland after giving up baseball. After the game, we surround him for the post-mortem. Anyway, a suburban daily had sent their Browns guy over to do the Jordan sider. After the 15-minute session, the guy, who had been kneeling in front of Jordan, tosses his notebook in his lap and says, "Can I have your autograph?" It was pathetic. Jordan just shook his head, scribbled his name and threw the notebook back in the writer's lap.

Now, flash forward, it's summertime at The Jake. Same writer goes into the pressbox using his credential and into the dining room and grabs a few hot dogs -- then takes them out to his kids, who are there watching the game with him in the stands. Paper's baseball beat guy raises holy hell back at the office.

The guy is STILL the same paper's Browns beat guy, too.
Click to expand...

Threadjack of my own thread: I was covering a 1AA football game six years back and during a timeout in the third quarter, I have to go to the can. As I came back, I notice another writer at the buffet table where we had our meal at halftime. He was putting cookies in napkins and stuffing them in his pants pockets. It looked like he took a dozen cookies or so for later. Don't know if his paper ever found out.
Click to expand...

Remember, he works in journalism - maybe he couldn't afford groceries?
Click to expand...

What's funny about that is I've seen people do this and they're usually the richest people in the room ... millionaires ... I guess you can't just be sometimes-cheap.

playthrough · May 6, 2007

standman said:

I asked an athlete for one once because a charity I was part of was having an sports auction. Went back and forth in my head about it and decided if it would raise money for a worthy cause it was worth it.
Click to expand...

I've wondered about this. I help run a scholarship golf tournament for my college's j-school (in memory of a journalist classmate who died while I was in school), and it wouldn't hurt our raffle to have some signed sports stuff. I just can't bring myself to use my connections for that.

Flying Headbutt · May 6, 2007

When it comes to charitable things, can't you work with team's PR departments and lay everything out for them that way?

Log in or Sign up

Autograph after an interview?

Bucknutty Member

Write-brained Guest

Oz Well-Known Member

PhilaYank36 Guest

SoCalDude Active Member

chazp Active Member

standman Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Double J Active Member

Write-brained Guest

playthrough Moderator Staff Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Autograph after an interview?

Bucknutty Member

Write-brained Guest

Oz Well-Known Member

PhilaYank36 Guest

SoCalDude Active Member

chazp Active Member

standman Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Double J Active Member

Write-brained Guest

playthrough Moderator Staff Member

Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches