Super Bowl week is hitting Dallas. I've been to two Super Bowl weeks (only to the game once) and the NFL Experience is awesome.
The card shows are cool and so is the NFL Experience. If you're in the Dallas area, definitely check it out and bring the following in your backpack:
Lee Roy Jordan made a rare autograph appearance last month. He couldn't have been nicer and was proud to show his Super Bowl VI ring.
Jordan became the 13th autograph on my Cowboys Super Bowl VI helmet (pictured here).
NFL has CXL their EXP.
I've gone to two NFL Experiences and both have been great times. There are a ton of games, free autographs, cool interactive experiences with players, and Topps hosts a huge card show in the middle of it all.
Unfortunately, fans headed to south Florida won't be experiencing any of that this year. As previously announced last May, the NFL canceled the event for this year's Super Bowl. I believe it's the first time in 18 years they will not have it. There is usually still a ton of events around the host city, cook-offs, fireworks, parades and parties.
I think the cancellation is due to the economic impacts of the corporate sponsors (although the league has laid-off several people this year). It's a huge expense for Samsung, Direct TV and others.
Hopefully the league will add it back next year when the Super Bowl is in Jerry's World.
No more NFL Super Bowl Experience?! Fans in south Florida (home of his year's big game) must be upset over this.
The Beckett Blog reported this week the Super Bowl Experience for XLIV (44 if you're not Roman) has been canceled!
I've been to two of the SB Experiences and they are awesome. The Topps Card show is good, the autograph pavilion is run like a 3-ring circus most of the time, but the autographs are free, and there is so much to do there. I have picked up quite a few autographs at the shows including Todd McFarlane, Larry Johnson, Braylon Edwards, Chad Johnson, Roy Williams, and Archie Manning (pictured here in Arizona).
I emailed the NFL on Tuesday to get confirmation that the card show and Experience was canceled. I'll add to this post once I get a reply.
The Chicago Sun Times March show has changed the autograph signing time for Mike Ditka to Sunday, March 22. Da Coach was scheduled for Friday and that meant there was no way for me to get him. Now this new autograph time opens the door to that possibility!
The NFL Experience kicks off this Jan. 24 in Tampa for Super Bowl 43.
If you're in the area, check it out. There's a huge card show, events, autograph sessions. I've been to two of these - Super Bowl 40 in Detroit, MI and Super Bowl 42 in Glendale, AZ.
This year, I noticed they have a text message system to find out where players are appearing. Last year, it was tough to find out when Topps, Burger King, Samsung, etc had players. I picked up some great autographs and it only cost admission to the experience: Archie Manning, Roy Williams (def), Todd McFarlane and a few others.
To get the alerts, text "NFLX" to "Tampa" (82672).
Sure, Todd McFarlane's autograph is easy to get, but what about Jake's?!
I'm not a huge Todd McFarlane sports figures collector anymore, but I still admire Todd's art and creativity.
Well, Tony Dorsett lived up to his reputation as a difficult autograph person.
For the second straight time, while getting his autograph, TD thought it was more important to take phone calls than to display common courtesy. I guess its another case of a pampered athlete doing whatever he wants.
During Sunday's CSA Show in Chantilly, VA, Dorsett took a phone call while he was signing the item of the person in front of me in line and he continued his chatty-cathy conversation when it was my turn.
Dorsett first did this to me in Canton at a Mounted Memories Show. TD was signing my Cowboys HOF helmet with one hand and held his cell phone to his ear with the other hand. This time he discovered the Blue Tooth technology.
But at least I added him to my Super Bowl XII helmet. My list of names on this helmet now includes:
If you find these rings on eBay - don't bid!
A $2Million smash-and-grab at a Mass. jeweler took off with some of the NY Giants staff members Super Bowl rings. Isn't any coincidence this happened in New England?
More...
If you're looking for NY football Giants autographs, you can expect to pay a little more.
After their Super Bowl 42 upset victory, NY Giants autographs are in greater demand and you can expect to see more of them on the autograph circuit. The Triumph Football (un)Spectacular show in NJ has quite a few Giants lined up... inlcuding Eli Manning.
Expect inscription charges to go higher considering most will want, "SB XLII Champs" or "SB XLII MVP" in Eli Manning's case. A quick look at the Triumph site has Eli's inscription charge of $75. That's much higher than before but I was surprised it wasn't higher. Brother Peyton's autograph inscription charge a year ago was double that amount at a Mounted Memories show last March.
Question: What do good commercials, community involvement and two Super Bowl winning QB sons do to the Archie's autograph value?
Answer: Quite a bit!
I thought about this while at the Super Bowl Experience in Phoenix a week or so ago. I heard Archie was signing at the Burger King booth so I grabbed a spot in line. After seeing the line get huge in a matter of minutes I began to ask myself why it was such a huge line.
Archie was a good player, kind of exciting, and stayed out of trouble. But should he be commanding this kind of reception in an autograph line?
I'll admit, if Peyton or Eli never played in the NFL. . . I probably wouldn't know much about Archie Manning and probably wouldn't have jumped in line to get his autograph.
Is there another father in sports that has this same situation?
Ken Griffey Sr? The late Bobby Bonds?
The score doesn't have to be one-sided to be considered the worst Super Bowl loss in the history of the game. Last week's poll question was about the Patriots' loss to the Giants in Super Bowl 42.
Super Bowl XX was bad for New England the Bills' 52-17 loss to Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII was huge too. But I think this loss by New England is the biggest loss of them all.
Why? I think it's easy to see if you just look at the teams and statistics on paper. The #1 team in NFL history, the only 18-0 team was playing a team who barely made the playoffs. And the team that barely made the playoffs won. Now, I'm not taking anything away from the Giants, their fans, or their accomplishment. It's a great win for them, but I think it's a bigger loss for the Patriots.
I reserve the right to change my mind next year. For example, if New England wins XLIII, then this year's loss isn't that bad. But if they start to slip, like other teams have after losing a Super Bowl (Bills, Chargers, Raiders, etc.), then I don't think there is any doubt that this is the biggest Super Bowl loss in history.
I waited a week before writing about the Super Bowl because I wanted the whole experience to sink in a bit.
My impressions of the event are the same as they were 7 minutes after it ended.
The Super Bowl is more than a game, it's a life event. And people who don't get that, have never witnessed a Super Bowl with families cheering their favorite team in the league's biggest game.
I can't remember the last time I saw that many familes standing together with arms around each other hugging, smiling, laughing, crying, and posing for pictures. I saw father/sons, brothers, husbands/wives, fathers/daughters, and 3-generation fans celebrating together.
A father/son sat in front of me (Giants fans) during the game. Immediately after the game ended, the son ran from his seat. He came back 5 minutes later with NY Giants Super Bowl Champion hats and t-shirts! I was more than happy to take a picture of them together in the new championship gear.
Sports is more than remember how many interceptions Steve Grogan threw during New England's last Super Bowl loss. It's a moment when families come together, put aside their differences, and put their arms around each other.
I scored a couple of nice autographs last week at the NFL Super Bowl Experience (despite the poor Topps showing).
The only one I got at the Topps autograph pavilion was Todd McFarlane. I knew he was going to be there because his booth and website said he was scheduled for 2:00 pm.
I came prepared with a baseball and the first Spiderman comic that he did. They both look awesome and he was really cool. It's hard to tell on the baseball I have pictured here, but he added, "HOF NEVER!" with his signature.
The Burger King booth was awesome. I got Roy Williams (of the Cowboys) on a Dallas mini-helmet and on an Oklahoma mini-helmet. He barely noticed my existance when signing the items and signed "Williams" as William$." Classy.
I also got Archie Manning at the BK Booth to sign a Saints mini-helmet with "GEAUX SAINTS" inscription. At the Airforce Booth I got Braylon Edwards and Chad Johnson signing 8x10s. Edwards seemed cool to everyone but Chad Johnson couldn't wait to get out.
Overall I think they are good autos - worth the price of admission.
Sprint did a great job all week getting fans in the Phoenix area excited for the Super Bowl (although it didn't take much).
They hosted sever "VIP" functions during the week:
Q: How do you get to be a Sprint VIP?
A: Log on to your account online... that's it!
I went to the Elway/Smith forum. It was awesome - like you were sitting in the living room talking sports two great NFL players. John Elway came across very personable, friendly and was very honest with his answers. Emiit came across as pompus, aloof and a little too proud of himself. But it was still great to hear him speak.
The event was hosted by the NFL Network and the audience of 200 was able to ask about 10 questions.
The best audience question was for John Elway, "John, if ABC approached you to do 'Dancing with the Stars' would you do it?" Emmitt just put his head down and John said, "no way."
The Sprint/Nextel CEO was there to start the forum. He provided the line of the night. When testing his mic he asked, "can you hear me now?" Whoops, wrong cell company!
The forum concluded with one fan winning 2 tickets to the Super Bowl! It pays to pay your cell phone bill!
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