Player Access Survey: Autographs

[Shadowhawk]

"stalking out" maybe just means they are a huge fan and this is their one chance to see them. Doug is making big assumptions, so I am doing the same. Blowing people off just because you are on "your own time" is bull. He isn't on his own time anyway. He'd have a point if they were filming his house and bothering him at the end of his driveway. He's in a PUBLIC PLACE for crying out loud. Deal with it like an adult and be grateful that somebody even knows who the heck you are.

You are certainly making assumptions. You don't know enough about what happened to declare that Baldwin is.

As for the poll question, my personal opinion is that a player should never be too busy to sign an autograph for a kid. Adults who want autographs for themselves should wait for designated autograph sessions and not bug players for one in public (though I don't see anything wrong with saying hello to someone like Baldwin if you see him in public and wish him luck on Sunday, stuff like that.)

 

[MrCarey]

I think there is a time and a place. Like those events where they are specifically signing things. I think acknowledgement of them is enough, because hey, who doesn't want to say hi to these guys and throw out a "Go Hawks!"? No need to make them have to deal with fans hounding them wherever they go. Just seems like a big pain in the ass, and a real fan would give them their privacy (outside of the, "Whoa, man, you're Doug Baldwin! Have a great game!") ya know?

 

[Bigpumpkin]

I received Jim Zorn's sig on a football at a charity event some 30+ years ago. Unfortunately, is has virtually disappeared over time. "Things" don't last that long here....neither does a player's career. IMO...players should make themselves available to sign articles for the general public....it is part of the job for which they are highly reimbursed..

 

[chris98251]

Playing football is their job, attending team events and public events, they get paid to put themselves on a football feiled and represent the team at functions and not do stuff that smears their teams or the NFL, they have no control over thier likeness and images while under contract or association with the league when it comes to the NFL and team marketing. Personal time and working or living away from those situations are something they can and should be able to call the shots on.

 

[tacomahawk]

I agree, the player should have every right to call the shots regarding autographs. A simple no sorry should be enough, and is enough to stop people from hounding them. There are always exceptions to the rule, and you will have rude fans and rude players. I am not calling Doug rude, and we definitely don't have the whole story. I personally love spending time with the players, and getting autographs when it is the right time and place. As I discussed in the other Doug thread, taking my daughters to events and training camp to meet the players has been some of my fondest memories of watching them grow up. I would never sell anything, as it would be selling a precious memory of a sunny day, or a cold night waiting outside.

 

[SharkHawk]

I'm no celebrity, but I've taught thousands of kids. I never go anywhere in public without being stopped and talked to death by some family. Literally every time. The store, a restaurant, whatever. Always, I will see somebody that has to tell me a big long story. They don't ask for a 3 second autograph. They take a half-hour of my time, and I always thank them and assure they pass on a hello to the rest of their family and am grateful that somebody cares enough about me to remember and knows that I care enough about them that they update me on what is going on.

This is apples and oragnes, bruh. Those people stop you and talk to you because at some level, you've had a personal relationship with them or their family members. You've had an impact on their lives and I'm sure some of your students have had an impact on yours.

Fans, collectors, and re-sellers that don't have any personal relationship with an athlete taking up 10 seconds or 10 minutes can really add up considering how many of them there are. And they don't even know them, they simply know of them.

Not really, because "fans" (aka fanatics) feel they have a personal connection with players. Many of them consider them friends, especially if they communicate via twitter, facebook, etc.

For a celebrity to continue to have a good relationship with fans, then maybe they should be thankful for those who actually give a crap about their life.

If Doug Baldwin wants to make himself the autograph police, then more power to him. But calling people out for giving a crap about who he is really sounds lame. Do you seriously think autograph hounds are stalking Doug Baldwin? That's paranoia. A Doug Baldwin autograph would be worth less than a standard card on eBay because it's considered defaced when a "common" is signed. Sorry, but it's true.

Do I like him? Sure. I think he was a good player his rookie year, who really dropped off last year. But he need not worry about me approaching him in public. I wouldn't want him to have to jump to punch me in the face for having the audacity to thank him for playing a kid's game for a living and asking him to sign a piece of paper that might make my kid's day. Choose your heroes wisely. Doug need not worry about adulation coming his way from me. He might cry about it on Twitter.

 

[SharkHawk]

"stalking out" maybe just means they are a huge fan and this is their one chance to see them. Doug is making big assumptions, so I am doing the same. Blowing people off just because you are on "your own time" is bull. He isn't on his own time anyway. He'd have a point if they were filming his house and bothering him at the end of his driveway. He's in a PUBLIC PLACE for crying out loud. Deal with it like an adult and be grateful that somebody even knows who the heck you are.

You are certainly making assumptions. You don't know enough about what happened to declare that Baldwin is.

As for the poll question, my personal opinion is that a player should never be too busy to sign an autograph for a kid. Adults who want autographs for themselves should wait for designated autograph sessions and not bug players for one in public (though I don't see anything wrong with saying hello to someone like Baldwin if you see him in public and wish him luck on Sunday, stuff like that.)

I don't know enough about the isolated situation, but I do know that Doug comes off as an ass posting about it on Twitter like he's Miley Cyrus. If he has a problem with an individual then man up and tell them to leave him alone. Team security is never more than a stone's throw if he is at a team function either.

He's not a celebrity worldwide. He's an average football player on a good team that was about 3 seconds from losing his roster spot and being shipped off, but is now posting to his minions that he is somehow having it rough because somebody bothered him for an autograph. An autograph. Seriously? BUT BUT BUT... he was EATING!!! Who CARES? He can eat in his room. He can surround himself with an entourage and sit behind velvet ropes. He can't be a somebody and want to be anonymous. He'll be anonymous soon enough, and he'll look back and wonder why he was such a dork if his career is anything like 99% of the rest of professional athletes. Sounds like he's a bit high on the 'brand' that is Doug Baldwin. It just makes him sound a little bit like Warren Sapp and Charles Barkley, and that's fine... but those guys are hall of famers. Doug Baldwin is our third option at punt returns and went undrafted, even by his own college coach. So yeah... enjoy.

 

[TheHawkster]

I gave a problem asking for autographs period.
I'll just pay for it at an nfl auction.

In public, a simple nod is just fine.

 

[chris98251]

Shark, I think the argument is more about infringement of personal time and space rather then just autographs in general, the problem when a player or celebrity says no is he is labeled an ass, if the story said he was pissed at a kid then I could sympathized your position more, but since we seem to collectively think it was a recognizable autograph agent looking to make a buck I can't do that. It would be great if there could be a clarification so all our opinions would be more focused instead of generalized.