Anyone else attending their favorite team's training camps?

I have been to 4 sessions of the Texans and its pretty cool.I got to see Brain Cushing get pushed around the other day and I also got to see his new Mohawk in person.All in all I had a decent time.I also get in line for the autographs they have every day.Some of the players I have gotten have been pretty cool to meet.I was able to get Demeco Ryans, Brain Cushing, Mario Williams and about 43 other guys.I am pretty impressed with how a lot of these guys act.A lot of them are nice as hell and more than willing to talk with you.Its pretty badass considering while they are signing they are dripping sweat because they just got out of practice and were not even allowed to hit the showers.I guess they have to do the autograph signing and then go to a team meeting and then hit the showers.

Also Bruce Matthews is an awesome cat as well.He will sign for just about everybody.I was lucky enough to get him on a 1991 upper deck card and he put the inscription HOF 07 on it.A pretty nice gesture.All in all I can say it has been a lot better with the athletes here than with a lot of the baseball guys I have gotten before.These guys actually look like they enjoy it.

Nice. I might make the drive to Latrobe to see the Steelers, even though I don't like them. I think Im' only like 45 minutes away. It would give me something to do, and there's a few guys I wouldn't mind seeing.

I wish, but if they're still practicing next week i'll give it a shot.

Card Magnet said:

Nice. I might make the drive to Latrobe to see the Steelers, even though I don't like them. I think Im' only like 45 minutes away. It would give me something to do, and there's a few guys I wouldn't mind seeing.

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Where do you live?

One more thing, i'm sure everyone is excited to watch the Bengals training camp on HBO. ::facepalm::

mstng99tim said:

Card Magnet said:

Nice. I might make the drive to Latrobe to see the Steelers, even though I don't like them. I think Im' only like 45 minutes away. It would give me something to do, and there's a few guys I wouldn't mind seeing.

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Where do you live?

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Ever hear of Johnstown PA?

Card Magnet said:

mstng99tim said:

[quote="Card Magnet":2yvmy74a]Nice. I might make the drive to Latrobe to see the Steelers, even though I don't like them. I think Im' only like 45 minutes away. It would give me something to do, and there's a few guys I wouldn't mind seeing.

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Where do you live?

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Ever hear of Johnstown PA?[/quote:2yvmy74a]

Of course, I got hammered up there a few times at UPJ!!!

I'll say the only bad thing is a lot of the people in line for autographs are pretty much a-holes.They will cut and try to get multiple things signed even though you are only allowed one.Its pretty sad.Worse than children.But I can't say that about the players.

mstng99tim said:

Card Magnet said:

mstng99tim said:

[quote="Card Magnet":2ecsc2ho]Nice. I might make the drive to Latrobe to see the Steelers, even though I don't like them. I think Im' only like 45 minutes away. It would give me something to do, and there's a few guys I wouldn't mind seeing.

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Where do you live?

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Ever hear of Johnstown PA?

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Of course, I got hammered up there a few times at UPJ!!![/quote:2ecsc2ho]
Haha, you and me both.

I'll probably hit up the Vikings camp sometime next week. Heck, I lived one block from camp for four years.

I've been to two Pats practices so far. Back when they first opened it up to the public, I would go and the crowds were tiny, so after practice you could talk to the guys for awhile who were signing autographs. It's much different now though, where every practice draws at least 5,000 and it's impossible to ever get close. I liked talking to the guys more than getting their autographs, so now that that's out of the question, I don't even get in line. The practices are real fun though.

I wish I had the free time, but with the PGA Championship next week and wedding/honeymoon in November, I am cleaned out of vacation time. But next year I will be back in GB. :mrgreen:

Now that Harvin is signed, I'm definitely going to try to sneak down to Mankato to see the Vikings. I want to find out the day they have set aside for the linebackers to sign autographs, so I can take my Greenway jersey down there.

just got home from a week long training camp road trip. hit the falcons, bengals, titans, panthers and jags. the bengals were one of the best and the titans by far are the worst. i got like 40 players including palmer, benson, etc in one practice then went to the titans that afternoon, only 5 players were scheduled to sign and if they werent on the board, they normally wont sign. ?!?!?!WTF?!?!?! way to build a fan base. if i werent so crafty, i wouldnt have ended up with as many autos there as i did the other 4 camps.

stay tuned for me complete recap of all 5 camps i visited...if you care, lol

the1mcjensen said:

just got home from a week long training camp road trip. hit the falcons, bengals, titans, panthers and jags. the bengals were one of the best and the titans by far are the worst. i got like 40 players including palmer, benson, etc in one practice then went to the titans that afternoon, only 5 players were scheduled to sign and if they werent on the board, they normally wont sign. ?!?!?!WTF?!?!?! way to build a fan base. if i werent so crafty, i wouldnt have ended up with as many autos there as i did the other 4 camps.

stay tuned for me complete recap of all 5 camps i visited...if you care, lol

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I have to say that blows.Sorry you went through the effort.I mean...the Training camp is all about your fans.This is where the true fans come out.Not during the season when everyone is interested.They should be a little more grateful and understanding.Yesterday we were there from 6 in the morning for a practice that started at 7 in the evening.But at least it was fruitful.

I was able to get 19 guys yesterday including:
Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky, Rex Groosman, Owen Daniels, Kevin Walters, Jacoby Jones, and James Casey.I was lucky enough to get Andre twice which is supposedly a big no-no when they are signing.I got him on my team ball and also my Texans Mini helmet.

The one bad thing that happened was James Casey was chatting it up with some people at the VIP tent so they rushed us through the line and I never had a chance to get him during the regular auto session.So we gave him hell from the barrier that seperates us from the players walking back to the locker room and he stopped and signed for like 20 minutes.

All in all I did pretty well as far as autographs go.Got well over 60 of the Texans and was pretty much able to get all of the good or star players(defense and offense).

predatorkj said:

the1mcjensen said:

just got home from a week long training camp road trip. hit the falcons, bengals, titans, panthers and jags. the bengals were one of the best and the titans by far are the worst. i got like 40 players including palmer, benson, etc in one practice then went to the titans that afternoon, only 5 players were scheduled to sign and if they werent on the board, they normally wont sign. ?!?!?!WTF?!?!?! way to build a fan base. if i werent so crafty, i wouldnt have ended up with as many autos there as i did the other 4 camps.

stay tuned for me complete recap of all 5 camps i visited...if you care, lol

Click to expand...

I have to say that blows.Sorry you went through the effort.I mean...the Training camp is all about your fans.This is where the true fans come out.Not during the season when everyone is interested.They should be a little more grateful and understanding.Yesterday we were there from 6 in the morning for a practice that started at 7 in the evening.But at least it was fruitful.

I was able to get 19 guys yesterday including:
Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky, Rex Groosman, Owen Daniels, Kevin Walters, Jacoby Jones, and James Casey.I was lucky enough to get Andre twice which is supposedly a big no-no when they are signing.I got him on my team ball and also my Texans Mini helmet.

The one bad thing that happened was James Casey was chatting it up with some people at the VIP tent so they rushed us through the line and I never had a chance to get him during the regular auto session.So we gave him hell from the barrier that seperates us from the players walking back to the locker room and he stopped and signed for like 20 minutes.

All in all I did pretty well as far as autographs go.Got well over 60 of the Texans and was pretty much able to get all of the good or star players(defense and offense).

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No it's not. It's all about getting ready for the season. They let everyone in for free, what more do you want?

KandKCards said:

predatorkj said:

the1mcjensen said:

just got home from a week long training camp road trip. hit the falcons, bengals, titans, panthers and jags. the bengals were one of the best and the titans by far are the worst. i got like 40 players including palmer, benson, etc in one practice then went to the titans that afternoon, only 5 players were scheduled to sign and if they werent on the board, they normally wont sign. ?!?!?!WTF?!?!?! way to build a fan base. if i werent so crafty, i wouldnt have ended up with as many autos there as i did the other 4 camps.

stay tuned for me complete recap of all 5 camps i visited...if you care, lol

Click to expand...

I have to say that blows.Sorry you went through the effort.I mean...the Training camp is all about your fans.This is where the true fans come out.Not during the season when everyone is interested.They should be a little more grateful and understanding.Yesterday we were there from 6 in the morning for a practice that started at 7 in the evening.But at least it was fruitful.

I was able to get 19 guys yesterday including:
Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky, Rex Groosman, Owen Daniels, Kevin Walters, Jacoby Jones, and James Casey.I was lucky enough to get Andre twice which is supposedly a big no-no when they are signing.I got him on my team ball and also my Texans Mini helmet.

The one bad thing that happened was James Casey was chatting it up with some people at the VIP tent so they rushed us through the line and I never had a chance to get him during the regular auto session.So we gave him hell from the barrier that seperates us from the players walking back to the locker room and he stopped and signed for like 20 minutes.

All in all I did pretty well as far as autographs go.Got well over 60 of the Texans and was pretty much able to get all of the good or star players(defense and offense).

Click to expand...

No it's not. It's all about getting ready for the season. They let everyone in for free, what more do you want?

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Hey...sorry you feel that way.Its no use in arguing the point.I won't change my mind.I was simply saying that the autograph sessions and the open practices they have are for the fans and that was based on what they say themselves let alone how I feel.This isn't like a game.It takes a true fan to wait several hours in a line to get in and watch a practice.Most people aren't that diehard.I am guessing you don't know what its like to wait in a line for more than 12 hours just to get into a practice/auto session?I suppose the next thing you will do is tell me one of two things...either I am a ******* for waiting so long in line or nobody forced em to be there.You'd probably be right on both accounts.But nothing you say or do will discount that all those people out there just waiting to get in to see these guys and get their autographs are all fans.Even if you are a dealer there isn't a player at that camp(the Texans anyway) that could sign something for you valuable enough to make it worth the money and time it takes to attend one of these things.So by simple logic...people attending this kind of stuff are real fans.