One time when my son was about 7 or so, I bought some front row seats at Yankee Stadium, on the 3rd base line. So Ron Guidry comes by and my son gets his autograph and Reggie Jackson comes over and starts bullshitting with him. Now, many other players from the Yankees were signing that day, but do you think Reggie would give out ONE autograph? No way. The arrogant prick was like 3' away from kids of all ages screaming their lungs out, and the fucking jerk wouldn't sign one thing. He just walked away with the kids screaming at his back. "Reggie... Reggie... please Reggie." To this day I can't stand the fucking guy. Reggie Jackson is an asshole in my book, always will be.
And what is he saying that is not true? Seems pretty spot on to me. A lot of the whining after losses, homers, and just general acting on this board seems extremely childish all too often. This is by far the most immature of all the boards I've followed, and that is saying a lot when you're comparing it to canadian hockey fans or online poker players. It is very unfortunate, but the apologists in this thread make it pretty evident...
When I was 9 years old I went up to Montreal to see the Expos, on a little road trip with my family. Vlad Guerrero was my favorite player, and we had seats right to the right of the dugout close to rightfield. He was stretching, and bullshitting with a few of his teammates, and I was in shock he was right there so I went down to the front row by the railing and called his name (granted he didn't speak much english, I yelled "VLAAAAD" should atleast know that's him.) and he still didn't turn around.. When he finally turned around he looked and just walked into the dugout. I was like, wtf. Other Expos were signing with no problem. I got over it. He is still one of my favorite non Mets players. It sucked at the time, but he's a pro athlete, and shit happens. Now don't get me wrong, it sucks what happened to raidersuck's son, it really does, and it makes him look like a primadonna, hot-shit, i'm bigger than life kindof person. I hope that he didn't see him, or something like that.
If you're talking about adults pursuing autographs, I totally agree. Who gives a flying fuck. But my daughter teaches 1st Grade. So every year on Veteran's Day, she invites me to the school to do a talk about veterans. I'm a Vietnam Veteran, so I keep it light and don't go into details because I don't want to scare them with horror stories.... next thing you know the principal will be getting a phone call from some irate parent claiming their kid can't sleep at night. So I stick to telling stateside stories about jumping out of perfectly good airplanes with the 82nd Airborne Division, for example. But I'm a hero of sorts, I guess, in their eyes. And sometimes they actually ask me for an autograph. And of course, I'm like, "WTF do they want my autograph for?" But I'll tell you what, if it makes some kid happy and he goes home showing his parents or whatever, it makes me feel good to. I can't imagine not giving a kid an autograph in one-on-one circumstances.
Glad some people with actual sense of things off the field showed up in this thread and saved it from all the mindless apologists. Was really discouraging for a while.
For one thing, the NFL and its advertisers don't give two shits about the under 18 demographic. So let's not get crazy with the 'it's for the kids' stuff. Virility pills, beer ads, the Janet Jackson fiasco...let me know when Justin Beeber is doing the halftime show. It's a double standard because athletes are merely entertainers, the same as actors, but nobody expects actors to be these pillars of society. Why should so much more be expected of athletes? Because kids happen to watch? Because fans imagine that they'd do it differently if they were athletes making a living getting paid a fortune playing a game that they'd gladly trade the drudgery of their jobs to be able to do, and get upset with athletes that aren't totally fan friendly? So they want to be knee deep in a murder rap? Probably not, if any of them even know about it. My point with this is that kids don't really care whether or not their favorite player is a douche on a personal level. All they want is to be there themselves one day, making the big play. So, parents shouldn't ever direct their kids to be just like their favorite athlete, only to play like them.
As someone that is an avid autograph collector let me tell you this. Most QBs like starting pitchers in baseball will never sign on gameday. It's like a superstition type thing. It's a guys right not to sign. Getting angry and huffy after a guy says no doesn't help either. If you say "sorry to bother you" or show some class they may actually have a change of heart. Look I wasn't there so I have no idea how it went down and I'm not making an assumption you were a dick to him. For the most part Mark Sanchez has been pretty friendly to fans since he was drafted. Also still a really good signer. Remember he had a terrible game and everyone is allowed to have a "Bad Day". To make him out to be an egotistical prick after one run in with the guy isn't fair at all because he is far from it. If you choose not to be a fan of his because he didn't sign an autograph for you is crazy. Honestly I could go on for an hour on this topic but here is my two cents.
Actually, Mr. Electric is wrong. Your kid isn't a dick. You are. For encouraging your son to believe there is something of inherent value in a complete stranger's signature on a meaningless piece of paper to the point where you'd have the little tyke interrupt said stranger minding his own business in private. Add to that the fact that said stranger was just getting off a pretty tough shift at the office. Where is it written that famous people have to sit still for that kind of stupidity? Mark Sanchez has every right to be left alone if that's what he wants. You're lucky the little guy didn't get the back of his hand going back there a second tiime.
You, and your kid, are not entitled to autographs. Athletes, especially after a loss, have the right to quiet time. Athletes that feel like signing autographs will make it pretty obvious. Bothering a person that obviously wanted to be alone was rude. Rather than ranting on here about Sanchez being a dick, how about explaining some of that to your kid?
SO many things wrong with this post. You represent the common poster on this forum -- possessing either a horrible reading comprehension or just reading what they want to read instead of the actual truth. Then to bash a poster because they view things differently! This board amazes me -- whatever i guess -- this is just a message board after all.
I'm not here to advocate or defend how Mark Sanchez acted. I wasn't in the player's parking lot and I don't know all the circumstances surrounding the situation. What I can tell you, as a Parent, the terrible talk about Kids in this thread is appalling. Obviously, no one that has had children would or should react in this manner. Only when you have a Child someone will then understand that you will protect your Child till the death.
Your kid sounds polite, and alot of polite kids are shy, maybe your kid thought he spoke up but didnt really speak loud enough, that is a possibility.
please ban clowns who insist other people get banned. What are you, like 10 years old? Its a message board. If you dont like people having their opinions, then why are you even here?
Thats how a lot of people here are sadly. We are all Jets fans yet some of these people treat others like they are dreaded Pats or Fins fans.
I'm guessing he didn't hear him and or was very upset over the loss, but Sanchez has been beyond cool when it comes to autographs at every single Minicamp, OTA and Training Camp practice that I've been too. Thousands of people asking for his autograph and he signs for almost everyone, as well as takes some pictures with kids, too. He loves the kids, actually, and signs everything for the kids first. I'd take it as he didn't hear him and that's what I'd explain to your son.