[CBFF] this years convention...

[Jim Ferolie]

Maybe so, but at least at training camp there is some football to watch. And 
EVERYONE is there (except Lance Briggs, probably).

Training camp rocks. I've been so bummed since they moved it to Olivet. 
Platteville was a 1-hour drive from Davenport and a 45-minute drive from 
Verona. Sigh.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jan van der Laan" <dutchjan_61nl at yahoo.co.uk>


> Teri,
>
> expect the same mob of autograph hunters at training camp.
> On my first (and so far only) visit to trainingcamp in 2005 it was the 
> same each practice.
> Hunting all over the place, shouting, yelling for players to come over to 
> sign.
> Obnoxious in some cases.
>
> Jan
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: mom2iancal <senzigx4 at charter.net>
> To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
> Sent: Tuesday, 3 April, 2007 5:25:58 PM
> Subject: [CBFF] this years convention...
>
>
> Convention was a bit of a disappointment this year.  The disorganization 
> of the autograph sessions was at an all time high...well I only have last 
> year to compare it to, but it was horrible compared to last year!!!  We 
> were told by several security people (not hotel security, but workers 
> hired for the convention) that doors to line up for autograph sessions 
> wouldn't open until 9:00.  (sessions started at 9:30)...hotel people 
> didn't get that memo apparantly and people were allowed to camp out in 
> line.  There were several lines that had already been cut off by  8:00am 
> on saturday.  So we ended up not even trying to get any that day.  Last 
> year they cut the lines off at 300 people, this year (with a sold out 
> convention) they reduced the number to 200....   The lines were 
> disorganized, people were fighting, lots of angry fans...even on sunday it 
> was horrible!!!  We talked to a couple of guys who had gotten in a line 
> Saturday morning that had Fred Miller listed...well he showed
> up late and a lot of people who wanted his autograph were out of luck.  My 
> brother ran into him outside the hotel so he got his autograph, but we 
> weren't there so out of luck again. LOL
>
> Saturday we ended up going to a break out session with JA, phillips and 
> lovie.  My son liked that a lot and even got up and asked Lovie a 
> question, so that was the hi-lite of the convention for him.  He tried for 
> Lovie's autograph, but lovie only signed a handful of autographs and then 
> scooted out to have his pix takend with some lady and her baby...she had 
> gotten up and showed pix from the last couple of conventions of Lovie and 
> her when she was pregnant, then last year with the little girl and wanted 
> another one this year.  He did get Jerry Angelop and Ted Phillips, though 
> Phillips was a bit of a jerk I thought.   Angelo was signing and being 
> pretty friendly, but then said "last one" and signed something from a 
> grown up.  Then a kid next to my son and I said "Come on Jerry, we're just 
> kids here..." so he did sign that boys hat and my son's football.
>
> Sunday autograph session wasn't any better.  My son and I got in line  a 
> little before  8:00 on sunday and it was already a mob scene.  We asked a 
> worker where the end of the line was, she walked us to it and said here 
> you go....well she was wrong and we had people swearing at us!!  another 
> guy who had been led to the same end of the line as I was, stepped in and 
> helped us out and we found the correct end of the line.
>
> Ian wanted his Steve McMichael card signed, so that was our plan to go to 
> his stage first.  Well that stage was cut off at 200 people by about 
> 8:30-8:45.  So we picked another stage...mostly old timers.  the only 
> younger players there were Antonio Garay and Dvoracek but he had gotten 
> their autographs at a kids only session.  So he picked a line with Ronni 
> Bull, Calvin Thomas and Kris Haines...of course he was clueless as to who 
> any of them were.  By the time we got those autographs, the Idoneje line 
> for 11:30 was closed as was another one he wanted so he said "forget it, 
> Mom...it's not worth it"  Not the experience I was hoping for for him, but 
> that's okay. He still had fun.
>
> He also really wanted his Richard Dent and Gayle Sayers cards signed, but 
> you had to win on a scratch off ticket to get those.  OR you had to buy 
> something in order to get their autograph...or, if you were lucky run into 
> them in the lobby which, of course, we didn't.
>
> I doubt we'll go back to the convention next year, though.  We'll plan our 
> next trip to the city and just do some more museums and sightseeing with 
> the kids.  We're thinking of planning a trip to training camp instead....
>
>
> Teri
>
>
>
> ~A Morning  Without Coffee is Sleep~
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