CyberErik's Success Thread- just starting out, feedback and help welcome!

[aspoe093]

only success thread I really look forward to

[cyberer]

I got out graphing last night- had a rather unique opportunity. Ron Jaworski has a radio show every week at the golf course he co-owns in south jersey. He has a rotating list of football guests.

Well the guest last night was Joe Flacco! A South jersey native who was home for the ravens bye week. And he co-owns the course with Jaworski so he decided to do the show.

I decided to go and got there 90 minutes early- it was already a zoo. I got a table with a buddy near the bar and the stage where the show would be.

Jaworski showed up an hour early and was a class act as always. He went around greeting each table, taking selfies and signing and talking to people. I knocked out the photo I brought for him at that point.







Over the hour leading up to the show it went from a zoo to a circus. Hundreds of people filed in. All the usual suspects out of the woodwork.

Finally, Flacco rolled in about 20 minutes early. He greeted a few tables of people that he knew in the audience but was not signing.

My buddy got up to try to get a selfie with him and I followed. Suddenly he started signing a few things for the table he was standing at. My buddy and I tried to get over to him but we couldn't get our items in. He had a giant bodyguard who was boxing people out.

After signing 4-5 graphs he told the bodyguard it was enough. So I predicted where he would go (to a reserved table over by the stage) and made my way over there before he got there. Sure enough he came right over and sat down with the bodyguard between him and the crowd. For 1-2 minutes he wasn't signing and just drank his beer. But after that he told the bodyguard to start taking items and handing them to him.

As I said I was the first person over to the table, but I was immediately bum rushed and people reached around me and pushed me into the bodyguard. The guard kept yelling at me and I'm like "dude, do you see these arms wrapped around me? I'm here first trying to get my stuff in and people are bum rushing me into you." Even still he kept taking other peoples' items like 5-6 times.

After I reminded him again that I was here first, he finally took my item, and handed it to Joe. Joe said "this is the last one." He took his time, looked at my photo for 1-2 seconds, and picked the best place to sign it. Bodyguard passed it back. It came out awesome.

But I still had an SI cover, so I decided to stay standing next to the stage. In the meantime the crowd had turned into a sea of people surrounding the stage and I was still towards the front.

Flacco and Jaws got on the air with Sal Paolantonio and talked for a good long time- maybe a 45 minute segment. Finally, a commercial break came.

I figured that they would line everyone up and take items in an orderly fashion then usher people out.

Instead, the bodyguard just stood there taking items at random again and didn't make anyone move. The people behind didn't get anything as the people up front kept trying to double and triple dip.

I got my SI cover done by reaching and handing it to the bodyguard. Again, Joe took his time with it and signed it really nicely.

I got my SI done and got out as fast as I could to let people in front of me. Even still, he maybe signed 10-20 graphs total for 100+ people there, and many of those were double dipped as described above.

Here are the Flaccos that I got. They came out great.



I immediately left and hung out on the patio deck to escape the hysteria. I figured once he finished the show he would stay and try to get everyone.

My buddy got him on a fullsize helmet for his helmet collection.



Right as the show ended, I looked across the patio and I'm like to my buddy "oh crap, it's Joe Flacco!" he was trying to sneak out on the patio deck. He heard me say his name and immediately darted back inside.

Suddenly, out the side door of the bar came a sea of 20 graphers sprinting towards the deck trying to chase him out.

Turns out, he left the entire room full of people after the show and barely signed any. Pretty crappy.

They proceeded to chase him around the complex for the next 20 minutes. He eventually went out of the restaurant into a private office building nearby to sign for the employees. He came out and the crowd had encircled the door waiting for him. It was a sight to behold, all these people sprinting in the dark around the golf course.

He came out the door, signed 1 or 2 but was getting bum rushed and was like "guys it's enough" and stopped signing. He started walking to his car with the bodyguard. People were begging and hassling him to sign he kept saying no no no.

I was standing nearby and I decided to try something. I'm like "Joe can I take a selfie?"

He says "Yeah of course!" He posed for me and couldn't have been nicer. Right in front of the graphers that he was refusing. Funny stuff.



They chased him all the way to the car but he wouldn't do it.

I'm very fortunate to have done as well as I did with my buddy, but people unloaded on me on facebook on a philly graphing group later for people like me that "pushed women and kids out of the way" and "wouldn't get out of the way."

Jealous people be jealous and bad graphers be bad.

I'm thrilled with the success nonetheless, and no women or children were pushed in the making of this post- you have my word.

[cyberer]

P.S. I finished mounting up my embiid 12"x12" custom floorboard from last week. Very pleased with the end result.

[PackerBum9786]

Awesome Flacco story!

I'm very fortunate to have done as well as I did with my buddy, but people unloaded on me on facebook on a philly graphing group later for people like me that "pushed women and kids out of the way" and "wouldn't get out of the way."

Jealous people be jealous and bad graphers be bad.

I'm thrilled with the success nonetheless, and no women or children were pushed in the making of this post- you have my word.

I deal with that stuff a lot when I go to the Packers Training camps. I take the time to show up way early and get into solid spots then people with their kids show up 5 minutes before players arrive and get pissy because we are already there.

Now don't get me wrong I like helping kids because that is a quick way to get a player to you because there are kids around but, parents or other people shouldn't get upset with you because you took the initiative to show up early for the better graphing spot.

[Atlantaman]

Awesome story and that Embiid came out great!

[cyberer]

Awesome Flacco story!



I deal with that stuff a lot when I go to the Packers Training camps. I take the time to show up way early and get into solid spots then people with their kids show up 5 minutes before players arrive and get pissy because we are already there.

Now don't get me wrong I like helping kids because that is a quick way to get a player to you because there are kids around but, parents or other people shouldn't get upset with you because you took the initiative to show up early for the better graphing spot.

Yeah some people are just jealous of people that are able to graph in space or get there super early and know how to get the best spots. Sometimes unfortunately these guys are so tough to get that life isn't simple "let's all just line up and make sure everyone gets one." You have to use your position when you can.

I just hate that I get all the flak after, but I guess I ask for it by going out on a limb.

Awesome story and that Embiid came out great!

Thanks! I was happy with it!

only success thread I really look forward to

Thanks man!

[cyberer]

Went back to Jaworski's show tonight- another great headliner guest- former Saint Marques Colston!

I got there early I had heard good things about his signing habits so I had 4 8x10s. I waited outside the venue for him to come.

He showed up about 5 minutes early so I prepared to ask him. I was the only grapher there. However when he got out of his car, he had his young son and daughter that he was carrying and his wife with him. When he walked past me I said "I was going to ask you to sign but I see it's a bad time bc you're with your family."

And he said "Yeah sort of."

And I said "Will you take care of me inside?"

And he said "Yeah, thanks for understanding."

So I waited until there was a commercial break then approached the stage. There were only maybe 5-6 graphers there as opposed to 100+ for flacco last week.

People were knocking colston out with multiples, the guy in front of me got a jersey and 5-6 crappy blurry computer paper photos, so I didn't feel too bad giving him all 4 of mine.

I asked him to sign the stack and he said yes and did it. He even added a "whodat!" inscription where I asked him. I didn't ask for a superbowl inscription on the others since he took his time to sign so many and there were kids behind me in line (I had offered to let them go in front of me but they said to go ahead).






He also let me take a selfie with him.





The Whodat photo is for the PC but the rest are for sale if anyone is interested.

I've always loved that Saints superbowl team and always loved Colston as a player. Having such a great career as an unheralded guy out of hofstra!

He is also possibly regarded as one of the best players ever to have never made a pro bowl.

[aspoe093]

Love the Who Dat photo! Congrats

[cyberer]

Love the Who Dat photo! Congrats

Thanks!

I got out graphing this weekend and did pretty well, with some ups and downs.

I was visiting my brother in Baltimore, so we figured why not put in a ton of time and graph the steelers!

So turns out I actually ended up staying in the team hotel for my visit, which obviously worked well. They weren't letting non-guests graph.

The team arrived and no one signed off the bus. The place was setup with a whole separate hallway/convention center with a service elevator that was all inaccessible. So no one "had" to come out in the lobby unless they wanted to go out.

But for whatever reason shortly after checkin Antonio Brown took the normal elevators down. I called him over (I was front and center at the elevator).

He came over, but to my horror he took a silver marker and signed for the kid to my left, and then the kid to his left, moving away from me. He turned back to me and handed me the silver marker. I held out my helmet and said please sign it. He tried to hand back the marker again. I wouldn't take it I kept motioning for the helmet. He said no again. Finally, I had to take the marker because it was clear he wasn't doing it. He signed 2 out of the 15 ppl there.

Turns out, the kid he skipped over me for had snapchatted antonio earlier and asked him and he said yeah, so that's why he went right for the kid(s).

But there was more to come. About 15 minutes later he emerged from the back area and walked past us again, said no multiple times. He went out front and waited for a car with the security guy from the hotel.

Myself and 3 others followed him outside to the hotel driveway circle. We asked him again, he said no. The security guy told us to leave. We kept asking, he kept saying no.

Finally I asked if I could take a selfie he said yeah, so I leaned in to take a selfie. My plan was to put my helmet in his bread basket after the selfie.



But someone beat me to it. Right after my selfie, another guy jumped in my way and showed antonio his back, which was a jersey. He asked him to sign it. Brown signed the jersey right on the guys back while he was still wearing it.

I think "great! he's signing!"

I hand him my helmet then, he said no.

I said "cmon man, you signed for him after taking my picture? That's not cool." he said no.

I said please I've never gotten you before, it would make my night. He said no.

I said please please please please- the security guy started laughing at my pleases. But he took the helmet and did it, and gave me THE GOOD SIG. I was shocked bc he was annoyed with me figured I'd get the crap AB only.

He was just a weird, cranky dude. He kept giving people weird eyes, like paranoid eyes or crazy person eyes. IDK what his deal is exactly. He wasn't entirely mean or entirely nice. Just weird.





My brother went out there right after I got him and tried, but he couldn't get him to budge. He kept saying no. Apparently he looked down at my brother's chest, which was the logo of an Eagles' shirt he was wearing. So I can't say for sure but he may have snubbed my brother bc of the Eagles gear.

So we kept waiting, and Villanueva, the former army ranger and former Eagle offensive lineman came out and stopped for a selfie.



Shortly after that, Dan Rooney came over and started signing. I feel bad for him but he loves the fans and loves football. I was shocked he was still traveling. He looks very ill, and essentially has a really bad hunch back.

He came over and tried to sign my steelers card, but he couldn't see where it was and he signed my FOLDER from CVS with my photos in it.



I asked him if he could sign my card instead and pointed to where it was.

He said "You gotta be prepared when I come over!"

I wasn't about to tell him "I was prepared but you missed my card!" So instead I just apologized and thanked him for his autograph and his patience. I made a cut from it at least and got the card signed nonetheless (he kind of missed that as well, but mostly got it).



Right after that we had our first major screwup of the weekend. Apparently James Harrison went out the side door and signed 2 autographs but we missed him. We may have gotten him. Oh well, can't win em all.

Shortly thereafter I slayed a white whale of sorts. I have never had the chance to go for him, but for the longest time I have wanted an autograph of Mike Munchak- he's from my hometown (Scranton), went to high school with my mom and uncle, and is in the NFL HOF.

Well he is the OL coach of the steelers and he came down shortly thereafter. I called him over and told him about the high school and town connection and he was very friendly and gracious. He signed my football with HOF inscription. If I had remembered he was on the team I would have brought an 8x10 or something but I forgot so I had to have him sign my "emergency football."





But it wasn't all happy re: Munchak. As soon as I got Munchak, I checked my phone and my brother said "COME OUTSIDE NOW!"

I ran out but it was too late- leveon bell came out and got in a car but signed for all 5 people there on the way out and took a selfie with my brother (don't have a pic of the selfie, but I have a pic of his graph).




I missed him.

But I decided to wait it out. I waited for about 2 hours for him to return, and return he did. He walked back to the same door, and stopped and BANGED IT OUT.

I crushed him for 2 and a selfie (I ran out of stuff). A kid's dad got him for a sheet of 6 cards. People got inscriptions and stuff. He was awesome.





That was it- Bell came back just in time for curfew so that was the end of graphing that night.

Sunday Morning:

I got up early and camped in the lobby at the off chance we saw someone. We saw James Harrison but he ran off before we could ask him. Shortly after he came back out with security and got in a shuttle to the stadium, but they told us he would not sign on gameday.

So that was that. Soon the buses arrived. We weren't "allowed" out near the bus, but I snuck outside nearby and just sat on the patio of the hotel.

I waited for one person: Ben.

Ben didn't show himself once on Saturday. He took only the service elevator and stayed in the back area. He didn't come out once.

Finally, he came out. I walked over so I was right in front of him when he came down the hotel steps to the bus. I said "Ben, do you have time to sign just one?" I was the only one there- one on one.

He paused a minute next to me, and I got my hopes up. But then he said "actually I don't have time- I'm superstitious and don't sign on gamedays." And he was gone. He didn't turn back around when I asked for a selfie.

Sucks, but at least I got my good shot at him.

The security guy came out then to throw me out since I had asked a player, so I went back inside.

But, over the next half hour or so, the whole 5-6 person lobby crowd went out by the bus, and the guy didn't seem to care so I went back out.

My brother came out then and was trying to get antonio brown. A little kid's mom had snapchatted brown and he had read it, so they were hopeful that they could call him over.

He came out right as the bus was leaving. We called him, he paused and nodded. But then he kept walking and got on the bus. And the team was gone.

Still had a pretty epic weekend with AB84 (despite his being moody), the Leveon rackfest, and the HOF/white whale Munchak, to say nothing of Rooney. But it just missed being a grand slam with Ben.

[walker066]

I got out graphing last night- had a rather unique opportunity. Ron Jaworski has a radio show every week at the golf course he co-owns in south jersey. He has a rotating list of football guests.

Well the guest last night was Joe Flacco! A South jersey native who was home for the ravens bye week. And he co-owns the course with Jaworski so he decided to do the show.

I decided to go and got there 90 minutes early- it was already a zoo. I got a table with a buddy near the bar and the stage where the show would be.

Jaworski showed up an hour early and was a class act as always. He went around greeting each table, taking selfies and signing and talking to people. I knocked out the photo I brought for him at that point.







Over the hour leading up to the show it went from a zoo to a circus. Hundreds of people filed in. All the usual suspects out of the woodwork.

Finally, Flacco rolled in about 20 minutes early. He greeted a few tables of people that he knew in the audience but was not signing.

My buddy got up to try to get a selfie with him and I followed. Suddenly he started signing a few things for the table he was standing at. My buddy and I tried to get over to him but we couldn't get our items in. He had a giant bodyguard who was boxing people out.

After signing 4-5 graphs he told the bodyguard it was enough. So I predicted where he would go (to a reserved table over by the stage) and made my way over there before he got there. Sure enough he came right over and sat down with the bodyguard between him and the crowd. For 1-2 minutes he wasn't signing and just drank his beer. But after that he told the bodyguard to start taking items and handing them to him.

As I said I was the first person over to the table, but I was immediately bum rushed and people reached around me and pushed me into the bodyguard. The guard kept yelling at me and I'm like "dude, do you see these arms wrapped around me? I'm here first trying to get my stuff in and people are bum rushing me into you." Even still he kept taking other peoples' items like 5-6 times.

After I reminded him again that I was here first, he finally took my item, and handed it to Joe. Joe said "this is the last one." He took his time, looked at my photo for 1-2 seconds, and picked the best place to sign it. Bodyguard passed it back. It came out awesome.

But I still had an SI cover, so I decided to stay standing next to the stage. In the meantime the crowd had turned into a sea of people surrounding the stage and I was still towards the front.

Flacco and Jaws got on the air with Sal Paolantonio and talked for a good long time- maybe a 45 minute segment. Finally, a commercial break came.

I figured that they would line everyone up and take items in an orderly fashion then usher people out.

Instead, the bodyguard just stood there taking items at random again and didn't make anyone move. The people behind didn't get anything as the people up front kept trying to double and triple dip.

I got my SI cover done by reaching and handing it to the bodyguard. Again, Joe took his time with it and signed it really nicely.

I got my SI done and got out as fast as I could to let people in front of me. Even still, he maybe signed 10-20 graphs total for 100+ people there, and many of those were double dipped as described above.

Here are the Flaccos that I got. They came out great.



I immediately left and hung out on the patio deck to escape the hysteria. I figured once he finished the show he would stay and try to get everyone.

My buddy got him on a fullsize helmet for his helmet collection.



Right as the show ended, I looked across the patio and I'm like to my buddy "oh crap, it's Joe Flacco!" he was trying to sneak out on the patio deck. He heard me say his name and immediately darted back inside.

Suddenly, out the side door of the bar came a sea of 20 graphers sprinting towards the deck trying to chase him out.

Turns out, he left the entire room full of people after the show and barely signed any. Pretty crappy.

They proceeded to chase him around the complex for the next 20 minutes. He eventually went out of the restaurant into a private office building nearby to sign for the employees. He came out and the crowd had encircled the door waiting for him. It was a sight to behold, all these people sprinting in the dark around the golf course.

He came out the door, signed 1 or 2 but was getting bum rushed and was like "guys it's enough" and stopped signing. He started walking to his car with the bodyguard. People were begging and hassling him to sign he kept saying no no no.

I was standing nearby and I decided to try something. I'm like "Joe can I take a selfie?"

He says "Yeah of course!" He posed for me and couldn't have been nicer. Right in front of the graphers that he was refusing. Funny stuff.



They chased him all the way to the car but he wouldn't do it.

I'm very fortunate to have done as well as I did with my buddy, but people unloaded on me on facebook on a philly graphing group later for people like me that "pushed women and kids out of the way" and "wouldn't get out of the way."

Jealous people be jealous and bad graphers be bad.

I'm thrilled with the success nonetheless, and no women or children were pushed in the making of this post- you have my word.

Awesome Flacco. I have heard numerous times he can be a jerk. I work for a local bank in Delaware and some are well connected to University of Delaware, some huge donors. We asked for an autograph for an auction that benefits local charities, and he turned down multiple requests. Glad to see he has lightened up...