Tim Bradley

Today I decided to make a trip to Downtown LA for the Donaire vs. Nishioaka Boxing press conference. I wanted to meet Nonito Donaire and Brandon Rios. Donaire is expected to be the next #1 P4P fighter in the world. He is from the same part of the Philippines as Manny Pacquiao. Donaire aka the Filipino Flash and Brandon Bam Bam Rios are both trained by Robert Garcia. I had the opportunity to meet Garcia at the Alvarez-Lopez presser a few months back. The day started off bad I couldn't find the usual Everlast gloves I buy for autographs anywhere. I also woke up late to make things worse. So I had to settle for a knockoff brand gloves I found in Downtown. Then when I get there I found out it was a private press conference and the security at the Millenium Bitmoore Hotel rudely kicked non guests out. So I decided to stick around to see if I could meet the boxers after the presser. While waiting guess who happens to show up at the hotel, none other then the champ himself Timothy Bradley. He was a great guy and signed for a few fans waiting outside and posed for some pictures. He even personalized the gloves with our names, for Ebayers it sucked but for me was great! He also added "desert storm" and "WBC champ". He was another class act. He said he was at the hotel to meet with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to discuss his next fight. Arum at the time was hosting the Donaire press conference inside the hotel.The press conference took too long and I ran out of time. I left without meeting Donaire, hopefully he will do a public appearance coming up before the fight at the Home Depot Center. The picture below came out nice, except for my weird facial expressions. It looks like I was angry and happy at the same time (lol). The camera took forever to flash.

Power 106

 

 

My mom got me started in my autograph signings. In the early 90s, my mom was a big fan of the radio station Power 106(105.9 fm). She made alot of friends of the Power 106 employees that were on and off air. They invited her to the station in Burbank numerous times. They would hook her up from time to time with promotions and give-a-ways. When I was little she would take me to many Power 106 events, which included movie premieres and concerts. My mom would take me to meet all the Power 106 hosts and Djs. She made friends of many of the greats like Big Boy, Tito, Kool Aid, The Baker Boys, Joey Boy and Johnny 5 and many others. I started collecting autographs from them. Lately my mom hasn't had the best of health, so hasn't made it out to many Power 106 events, but when she does the old timers remember her. Just recently Big Boy had a book signing at the Paramount Walmart. The same Walmart where I met LL Cool J years earlier. He was happy to see her, they shared stories and reminisced. 

 

 

 

 

Flashback Friday

LL Cool J

 

 

 

Years Back, I had the opportunity to meet the Hip Hop Legend LL Cool J. He was doing a book signing at the Paramount Walmart. He had been out of the public eye for a while and this event was held right before he made his comeback. So there was not a big turnout. But I thought the impact he had on pop culture in the 80s and 90s would draw in a descent size crowd. To my surprise there was almost nobody in the line to meet him. I actually went through the line a couple times. The signing was free you just had to buy a copy of his children's book, which was like 15 bucks. He was another class act. He is one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met. He kept calling me the And1 kid (because of my t shirt). I was able to get a copy of his book signed and some promotional flyers. This was the early days of my collecting, so I didn't think to have him sign an album or something. Still he is one of my favorite artist of all time, so any item with a signature is fine by me. Sidenote: The body guard had to join in the picture with his stylish shades (lol).

Douche Bag of the Month

August

Hope Solo

I made a trip out to the Barnes and Nobles at the Grove. This was my first trip back to The grove since my run in with Mario Lopez (Douchebag). I was hoping this time around would be better. Hope Solo is one of the best female athletes and just returned to the states with a Gold Medal. Plus she is pretty hot, well at least she appears to be hot on tv. I was surprised to find out she is not that great looking in person. She has a man-ly body. She was more ripped then her body guards. Her face looked shiny and makeup was terrible. But she is an athlete not a model, so by athletic standards she is descent looking. She was not very personable and she was busy talking to her friends that were sitting off to the side. She refused to sign outside items, only her books. Many athletes and celebrities do this, so I was not surprised. I did bring a soccer ball just in case. What I didn't like was that she signed for a couple people after the book signing , then said she was in a hurry and left. She actually told me "I don't sign balls in the store". This was two minutes after signing 3 soccer balls for other people waiting. I would have been less upset if she wouldn't have lied. Maybe she thought I was going to sell it on Ebay. The ironic part was I am a fan/collector, one of the guys she signed a ball for was an Ebayer. I left the bookstore disappointed. Me and my cousin decided to go back into the B&N to go to star bucks. When we got off the elevator,we ran into Hope Solo standing there chit chatting. This pissed me off. I said the myself "in a hurry huh?" I was so mad I returned her book right in front of her. (LOL) The best part about this trip was I got to meet rapper 2 Chainz.

2 Chainz...Truuu

Yesterday, I was driving in Hollywood down Fairfax when I noticed a long line forming in front of the Pink✚ Dolphin clothing store. I seen a giant sign with a picture of rapper Rick Ro$$. He is not my favorite nor would I consider myself a big fan, but I do enjoy his music. So I decided to stop and see if he was actually there. I was actually on my way to a Hope Solo signing at the Grove, which was down the street. I had some time to kill, so I dropped my cousin off in front of the Pink Dolphin store while I found parking. To my surprise my cousin called me and said it was 2 Chainz making an appearance. 2 Chainz is one of my new favorite artist. He was there promoting his new album. To meet him you had to buy a copy of his album, which was 15 bucks. The line wasn't too bad and it went by fast. 2chainz was pretty intimidating, he looks alot bigger and buffer in person. He didn't seem to friendly and was on his phone texting for most of the signing, but when it was my turn he was very nice. He even inscribed "I Love" on the Cd. I'm not sure what the significance of the inscription, but was pretty cool nonetheless. The overall experience was great. I also became an instant fan of the Pink Dolphin clothing line. They are named after a rare species of Dolphins so they make their clothes in limited supply. Side note: I typically drive fast so normally I wouldn't have noticed the line, but I had slowed down to show my cousin Canters Restaurant where I had my run in with Pauly D (Douchebag). Canters is located directly across the street from Pink Dolphin.

T.O. Show returns

Terrell Owens returns to the NFL. Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks have inked the seasoned vet to a one year deal. But in no way does that mean he has a secure spot on the team. T.O. better stay quiet and produce on the field if he wants to last longer with his new team then Chad Johnson did in Miami. (I have mixed feelings about the release of Ocho, but that's for a whole other post). Yesterday Owens looked pretty bad in his Seattle debut. He had some dropped passes and just flat out looked rusty. He better work hard and stay focused. I wish him the best. I actually had an opportunity to meet T.O. at the Westfield mall. This was a couple years back. He teamed up with Millions of Milkshakes for a charity event. If you bought a Terrell Owens Shake you able to meet Owens and get a photo-op. There were no autographs allowed, but still a nice opportunity to meet statistically one of the best WR in NFL history. He was a great guy and the shake was amazing. Not bad for an event that cost me 4 bucks.  Is he Hall of Fame worthy, we'll just have to wait and see. Side note: the Seattle Seahawks jerseys look great. Nike did an excellent job.

 

Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner has been in the news lately for calling out Usain Bolt. Jenner publicly told TMZ that Bolt is not "the greatest athlete of all time". Jenner went on to say that Bolt is only the best sprinter and that he can't pole vault. Bruce Jenner won the Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. The decathlon was Jenner's specialty. Jenner said that the decathletes are the best athletes and Usain would be "terrible" at the decathlon. The world is still waiting for a response from Usain Bolt. And we still don't know how genuine Jenner's statements were. Either way Bruce is an Olympic great and people should respect his opinion.


A few years back I made a trip out to Frank and Sons in the City of Industry to meet Bruce Jenner. This was a paid event, which I typically stay away from, but there was some pretty big names at this event. Jennie Fitch, Reggie Jackson, and Bruce Jenner were the three I was most excited to see. At the time I did not have enough money to mett all 3. So I was faced with a tough desicion. In the end I chose to meet Bruce Jenner. I had him sign a replica USA jersey.

Drew League Basketball

Today I made a trip out to the "Hood" to watch some Drew League action in person. The Drew League is America's premiere Pro-Am basketball tournament. It is the West Coast version of Rucker Park. Entrance to the game was free so even if I didnt end up getting autographs there was no downside. I took a basketball just in case. This was my first trip to the Drew League so I didnt know what to expect. And again I was not prepared for the unbelievable opportunity to meet some big names. I had heard that Kobe and Lebron made appearances last year but I figured that was once in a lifetime, plus most of the best NBA players are in London for the Olympics. But by far this event was no disapointment. It was the semi conference finals so there were two games. After the games were over it was time to try to get some pictures and autographs from some of the players. I was able to meet and get autographs from: The Game, Metta World Peace, John Wall, Demar Derozan, Josh Childress, Austin Daye, Taj Gibson, Casper Ware, dorell wright. Also in attendance: Rudy Gay, Ty Lawson, Jordan Hamilton, Cutinio Mobley, Jr Smith, Tyreke Evans. Mikey Thompson. The players were in a rush to get out of the gym, but they all stopped and signed for the fans. Overall this was a a great experience. Me and my friend Tre had a blast meeting all the players. As a CSULB student, I was excited to meet our Point Guard Casper Ware.





Metta World Peace cooling down in front of the fan after the game.

My friend Tre and John Wall

Me and Casper Ware!

Bye Bye Bynum

Breaking News: Blockbuster Trade involving 4 teams was completed tonight. This trade will send Dwight Howard to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum to the 76ers. The Magics will get Aaron Afflalo and Denver receives Andre Igoudala. At first glance every team came out a winner in the mega deal. Next offseason will tell more about the winners and losers of this trade. Bynum and Howard are rumored to be prepared to hit free agency next July. But for this upcoming the Lakers on Paper have the best team in the NBA.  Lakers potential Starting Lineup: 1. Nash 2. Kobe 3. MWP 4. Gasol 5. Howard. The Lakers will still need some help off the bench, but the starting lineup should have no problem carrying this team to the Finals.

I had the opportunity to meet two of the players involved in this trade. A few years back I met Afflao and Kevin Love at the Upper Deck store in Huntington Beach. This was a paid signing, but as a UCLA basketball fan it was worth it. I had Afflalo sign a basketball. A couple years back after the Lakers won the title I met Andrew Bynum at a Coamerica Bank. The Laker girls and the Championship trophy were also on hand. This was a free event and as usual there was a long line. I wish both of these guys the best of luck with their new teams.



Andrew Bynum

Aaron Afflalo



Upcoming Appearance

TODAY!

Lee Dewyze

Today at L.A. Live at 4:30pm American Idol winner Lee Dewyze will make an appearance. He will be performing new songs from his upcoming album. He will also be talking to KIIS FM radio station. The performance will be right in front of Wolfgang Pucks at L.A. Live right across the street from the Staples Center in Downtown LA.  Follow Lee Dewyze on twitter @LeeDewyze for more info.

I actually had the honor to meet Lee at an charity event at the Westfield Mall in Culver City. He partnered up with Millions of Milkshakes to raise money. I took my grandma to meet him, because a few weeks prior she was telling me about a guy on American Idol who she was amazed by. I did some research and found out it was Lee and then the hunt for a signing was on. As luck would have it, I found out about this signing a few days later. My grandma is a diehard Elvis fan, so somehow every conversation ends up about Elvis. The event turned out great. We had a great time, Lee Dewyze another true class-act. He even entertained a lengthy conversation with my grandma about, you guessed it, Elvis! (lol). Westfield Mall always puts on great events.

Me and Lee

Me and my Grandma(Nanny) lol

Luuuuuukeeee Walton

 

A few years ago, I made a trip out to the OC Joey's Smokin Barbeque to meet my favorite Laker of all time Luke Walton. The Waltons are co-owners of the San Diego native franchise. The food was great and Luke was another class-act. I had him sign a Spalding basketball. I arrived about an hour early and was surprised to find out I was the first one there. I know Luke wasn't the most productive Laker, but he was still a Laker. It's sad to see the way his career turned out. He has battle injury after injury. I wish him the best. I still rooted for hime last year in Cleveland.

Brandon Jennings

The other day I made a trip out to Rowley Park in Gardena, where Milwaukee Bucks star Brandon Jennings was hosting a flag-football game. Jennings has made it big, but has not forgotten where he has come from. BJ and UnderArmour renovated the basketball courts where he started playing in Garden, Ca. He still makes trips back to his hometown and interacts with the community. Jennings and Golden State Warriors star Dorell Wright faced off in this flag-football game. The game was pretty intense. Jennings came up with big plays at wide receiver and safety. While Dorell Wright had a so-so game at QB and safety. Brandon Jennings team won a close competitive game. Me and my friend both had a couple basketballs we had Jennings sign. He just won so he was in a good mood. Wright on the other hand was not happy with losing so we gave him his space. During the game Wright threw an incomplete pass that landed right by my feet. So I picked it up and was getting ready to throw it back to D-Wright who was standing about 25 yards away. I thought to myself I better make a perfect pass in front of the 30 people in attendance. I got off a descent throw if I do say so myself. (LOL). Another cool moment happened when one of Wrights players was running to the endzone and pulled a Desean Jackson (dropping the ball before they get to the endzone in a early celebration attempt). Me and my friend had a perfect view of the endzone line. We could clearly see he dropped the ball well before the endzone. Brandon Jennings came running over to us asking us "was he out. was he out!?".  We hesitated then responded "yea, he was out"

Dorell Wright (blue shorts)

Brandon Jennings

Maurice Jones-Drew

Last year I made a trip out to the Dick's Sporting Goods store in El Segundo. The Gatorade Pro G-Series were hosting an event with MJD. This was a free signing, so I arrived early to beat the crowd. There was a good size line when I got there, but overall not as many people showed up as I thought there would be considering he is a local. There were plenty of Gatorade give aways. They also provided a professional photographer to take your photos with MJD. MJD was a class act. He was friendly and signed whatever item you brought. It was later limited to one item per person to speed the line up. I purchased a Jaguars Autograph white panel football at Dick's to get signed.



GTSM San Jose

A couple years back I decided to make a trip out to San Jose to attend the GT Sports Marketing event. They host several events across the country every year. GTSM always gets the biggest names in sports. This show caught my eye due to the fact Dan Marino was one of the headliners. I usually stay away from signings were you have to pay, because there are so many free signings out there. But I was definitely willing to pay to meet #13.  The one advantage to going to signings where you have to pay is the lines are shorter. Not in the case though. Having 49 HOF'ers at one show drew a big crowd. I've been a huge Dan Marino/Dolphins fan for many years. I'm a rare Miami fan in SoCal, but I think the movie Ace Ventura had alot to do with it. Me and my Dad made it into a weekend in the bay area. We spent one day at the event and the other sight-seeing through San Fransisco. My two goals were to meet Dan Marino and the other wasto see the house from the show Full House (lol). The event and the whole weekend turned out great. I met Marino and had him sign a F/S Helmet. While I was there I also couldn't pass up on meeting HOF'ers Jim Brown and Eric Dickerson. I had them both sign footballs. All three guys were all down to earth. Marino was Great and Dickerson carried a conversation with me for a while. Jim Brown was alittle grumpy but hey that's just Jim Brown. I do regret not paying to meet Don Shula. But I was already reaching deep into the pockets and still needed to pay for the flight home. We actually saw Jim Brown at the airport. It was alittle sad to see him at the airport and nobody recognized him and he was flying SouthWest. But then again he probably was happy not to be bothered. I recommend the GTSM events to all collectors, just be prepared to fork over a pretty penny.

Dan Marino

Jim Brown

Eric Dickerson