This was probably the most up-and-down graphing event to date, or at least so it seems. I met a guy outside who was from Atlanta who was looking for info (what side to stand on for the Thunder). We chatted a bit about graphing habits and you know it's for real when you are both on 101! He was looking to get Collison and hoping to have him sign his jersey and/or selfie that he printed out (I later learned his name was Zach). To start things off, I got the idea from Josh (from 101) and Shane to take a peek at the Thunder side to get KD if he was out and then quickly run to the opposing team's side to graph everyone else. Going in, I knew that Tony Parker and Tim Duncan would be resting (and therefore not playing tonight). Kawhi Leonard was hurt, so the best I could hope for was a Manu Ginobili. I looked out on the court and saw what looked like KD from behind so I got excited and decided to wait it out. On the Spurs side, only Kyle Anderson was out and I figured it would be safe to wait for KD. It turned out that it wasn't actually KD but Serge Ibaka, and to be fair, I only identified him from behind (how many other guys are that tall and look similar from behind?) He comes off rather quickly and I'm scrambling, but he signs for the guy in front of me who rips off his sunset jersey for him to sign. I wait for him to get to me next so I can ask him for a pic, but he goes to the other side and doesn't quite come back. He loops around after getting the opposite side, but stops a few people short of coming back to me and another opportunity is lost. I scan the court again and I think it's only Nazr Mohammed out there so I rush back to the Spurs side and find a decent, but not prime spot. Kyle Anderson is coming off now so I'm scrambling again, but by the time I pull his photo out, he's long gone. Rats! Kevin Martin came by next and signed one for everyone although his signature is pretty much chicken scratch. Behind Nemanja Bjelica, Martin's signature leaves much to be desired. I can't complain though, I kind of like him as a player. A lady in a Spurs jacket came by next and I guess people recognized her because she stopped to sign for people. The older lady behind me recognized my deer-in-the-headlights look and told me it was the "lady coach," the first female coach in the NBA (Becky Hammon). Okay, cool, a free autograph, why not? She signed all the Spurs stuff that people presented, but I noticed she skipped the kid to my right who only had a program (also, no pen). Did she skip him because of the lack of pen, or that he was holding a program? Remember my shoot-around question (#1)? Here's another piece of damning evidence for the casebook. I was wondering when it would happen again considering it had been a while, but Anthony Morrow stopped by and signed for us. I thought about asking him for a pic, but the angle I was standing at was weird (and I hadn't yet thought about crouching down to adjust that angle discrepancy). I also didn't really want to ask the Asian girl to my left to do it for me, though in retrospect she may have been a better option than the older lady behind me that I did end up asking. Speaking of Asian girls, or Asian fans in general, there were a crap ton of them there. There are no Asian Spurs players so far as I can tell, so I really don't know how to explain it. The girl also kept asking me (pointing to pictures in the program) if the player signing was the one she was pointing to. She was probably from out of town. Nick Collison came by next, and honestly I was thinking to myself, I wanted to mentally will Collison to come by our side (since every so often the Thunder are actually shooting on the visitor's side of the court, as they were today). He must have felt my Jedi powers because he did come by (and I secretly felt bad for Zach!) Karma was not kind to me however, and I really should have held out a photo so that I wouldn't go away empty-handed. Collison was nice enough to oblige my request for a pic, but the older lady didn't know how to use my camera (push the button hard, and hold it until you hear the shutter) and the photo didn't take! I'm definitely going to buy playoff tickets now, if only to graph the Thunder and get some selfies. Also, it's probably time to buy a new camera. Nothing wrong with my current one, it's just not bueno for taking selfies. Am I even in focus? Is the angle right? I can't tell. My iPhone (4!!!) is so old that the app loads slowly and the picture quality is meh. I don't want to bring a guest anymore, but I also don't want to ask a stranger to take my pic again. Even though she was kind enough to take pics on her phone and let me email them to myself, some of them didn't come out very well. The whole bottom of my face is cut off on one of them! I knew Boris Diaw would be super nice so I decided to ask him for a pic in addition to him signing my photo. I also didn't want a repeat of what happened with Collison (getting nothing). This is the selfie that is missing the bottom of my face. Oh well! David West was next and he came off about the same time as Patty Mills (I mean, one right behind the other) so I had both of my photos out, one on each side of my foam board. David was seriously looking like he would skip me, and given his questionable signing habits, he might have, had the kid next to me actually had a pen. David had stepped from the girls to my left directly to the kid to my right. Realizing the kid didnt have a Sharpie, he saw mine and signed it first before signing for the kid, using my pen. Score one for me! Every so often it pays off when the kids don't have a Sharpie and you're sandwiched in between them! Patty Mills was next and signed one for everyone. I'm glad he used my gold Staedtler, because the photo I printed for him was pretty nice but was really dark. Andre Miller was last but he didn't sign for anyone. He didn't have to because he ran out of time and I think he might have pulled a Novak anyway if we hadn't gotten kicked out of the section due to time constraints. Anderson 0/1 Collison 0/0 tried for a selfie but not his fault the pic didn't take Diaw 1/1 + half selfie Hammon 1/1 Ibaka 0/1 Miller 0/1 Mills 1/1 Morrow 1/1 West 1/1 All in all, this was not a bad game but there were things about it that could have gone better. Not having any of the big name players come out puts a damper on the whole outing, but I'll take that over them coming out and declining or skipping me any day. The next game on the docket is the Lakers game next month. There is sure to be a gigantic crowd so I won't be attempting the Thunder because I need to secure a good spot to wait for Kobe to not come out. If he signs, I'd be surprised, but I'm tempering my expectations as usual. Until next time, J.R.
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There aren't too many people attempting to graph the Portland Trail Blazers tonight so there were plenty of spots to graph from and I got front row again. The lack of people was odd considering there was a decent-sized line outside waiting to come in, but I assume they were either going for the home team or to get food. Kevin Durant signed on the other side which was great for those guys. I might try going down to the Thunder side upon arrival to see if any big-name players are out, but not for a big-name opponent. I believe Durant signed for me at the last Portland home game as well. Damian Lillard was already out on the court when I got there, but the first guy to walk past was Meyers Leonard and it was just me, Charlie, and Pocky. He signed for all of us (one per, he said), in the marker of our choosing and went on his way. After he finished practicing, he came out and signed for Josh (Meyers asked him what his name was: "Hey Meyers, can you sign one for me?" "Sure, what's your name?") and walked off. He didn't sign for anyone else as far as I could tell -- the side I used to go on was skipped over completely. After Meyers signed, there was an extremely long lull in signing. Shane was over on the Thunder side and was texting me that he got Anthony Morrow and Randy Foye after Durant. I started worrying that this would be all I would get. Lillard finished practicing but sat down on the bench to chat for what seemed like an eternity. My fellow graphers were concerned they'd all come off the court at once and skip everyone. Chris Kaman and Damian Lillard both came off the court at almost the exact same time. Fortunately I always carry two foam boards, so I had one in each hand and ready to go. I knew Kaman probably wouldn't sign based on the reports I heard from his last visit through town (he quit signing), but when he picked up a Sharpie to sign for Charlie I got a little bit excited. He skipped everyone else but he may have signed for a few more kids down the line on the other side as he walked down. It's a shame that Kaman only signs for kids -- adults can be fans, too! Lillard was much nicer and signed for everyone. He seemed to be in a good mood and answered questions about his music and whether he'd be cutting a new track soon. Not yet, but if you haven't heard "Soldier of the Game," check it out! Maurice Harkless was the only player that ran off and didn't sign for anyone. He seemed to be in a big hurry but he definitely had enough time to sign for all of us waiting for him. Al-Farouq Aminu and Gerald Henderson were the last two guys on the court and I knew Henderson would be hard to get based on what the other guys around me were saying. I also didn't have anything for him, save my team logo photo. As expected, Aminu was the only one of the pair to sign, but he only signed autographs and declined photo ops. Aminu 1/1 Harkless 0/1 Henderson 0/1 Kaman 0/1 Leonard 1/1 Lillard 1/1 Plumlee 0/1 This was a mixed-bag game for sure. I was pleasantly surprised to get Lillard, but there were a lot of smaller-name players who don't sign. I don't know if I'd graph Portland again (okay, maybe once or twice for Lillard). As I told Shane, any time the Trail Blazers are in town, I'd probably graph the Thunder. I was able to snag a cheap ticket from the venue! for the Lakers game, so I'll be attempting to get Kobe (but half the state will probably be there). Only two games left in the season for me, the next being the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. I'm not sure if Tim Duncan will be healthy/playing, but his 'graph is the one I want most, followed by Tony Parker. I bought a swingman for Parker off eBay and hopefully it'll be here before the game. I've also finally purchased a shadowbox frame for my Steph Curry jersey so I'll be posting that when it's here and done. Until next time, J.R. Heads up, fair warning: although this is a family-friendly blog, this entry is rated PG-13 for mild, possibly vulgar language. Proceed at your own risk. Surprisingly, the grapher turnout was low at the Minnesota Timberwolves game and there wasn't really any pushing except n00bs trying to get whichever player happened to walk by. I suspect it was because the T-Wolves have already come to town this season, but some of the usual hounds were in attendance. Again, some of the newer graphers game unprepared, notably the father/son who I saw in line at the Clippers game. I kind of give this one a pass, even though it's frowned upon to graph unprepared -- only because the dad was nice about it and not at all pushy (physically or verbally) about borrowing my Sharpie. Upon arrival, the first thing I do after staking out a position is to see who's out on the court and pull out their photos from my portfolio. I've started using an art portfolio to hold my photos now. This is something I started doing since the last game versus the Clippers and it's been working all right so far. The folder is lighter and less obnoxious than the Priority Mail envelopes I've been using. It also looks nicer and makes me look less like a dealer, I think. The plastic sleeves are a nice touch and add extra protection from the elements, something the PM envelopes were lacking. I had another n00b moment tonight, which reminded me that although I have logged quite a few hours of in-person graphing, even the best of us can have a n00b moment. When I first arrived, Nemanja Bjelica, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and a fourth player were practicing on the court. I didn't know who that fourth player was. Neither did the guys around me. They thought he was Adreian Payne, but to myself, I didn't think so. Payne is bald but this guy wasn't. Someone else said it was Gorgui Dieng -- it wasn't because he came out later (spoiler alert)! Right now I'm still not sure who he was, but if I had to guess it was probably Greg Smith. If you're thinking, "who?" then you and I are in the same boat. An honest mistake for sure. I didn't get anything from him but I'm pretty sure he would have skipped me considering he only signed one and I had Dieng's photo out. Thanks for not embarrassing me! I love this section I graph from. It's so much better than the old one. And although tonight I was in the prime spot (front row) again, getting videos is tough (as discussed in the last blog entry). Most notably, the video I got of Bjelica featured a very prominent, very obvious, ball scratch. Yeah, that's right -- I got a video of Nemanja Bjelica scratching his balls. He did sign for everyone there, but his autograph leaves a lot to be desired. When Zach LaVine was practicing his shots, the young mom behind me asked a neighbor, "Who's LaVine? Is he the white guy?" No, the "white guy" is Bjelica. Did she really just say that? SMH. Based on LaVine's current star trajectory (though he's not peaked yet), I wasn't sure if he would sign. I heard he can be hit or miss, that he prefers not to sign, and at the All-Star break, he only signed when his mom was around to make him. Yesterday was his 21st birthday and he appeared to be in a good mood tonight. He signed my sweet shot of him slow-mo dunking. Great times were had by all! Tayshaun Prince signed for everyone except the kid and his dad on my left because they were fumbling with their cards. Ricky Rubio looked like he would do the same, but ended up skipping my side of the stands. I really think that dealer-looking guy that I hereby dub "Pocky" had the best position to graph from, which is right at the corner where the player has to turn (and in doing so, may make incidental eye contact). I do believe he got Rubio. Somewhere between Prince and Rubio, we noticed Andrew Wiggins had disappeared, presumably through another tunnel (not the home side). The real Gorgui Dieng appeared and signed for everyone, but Shabazz Muhammad skipped my side of the stands. To be fair, Shabazz was the last guy off the court and didn't have time to get to me (though the question remains if he actually would sign if given the time). I don't comment much on the games (there are other blogs that do it better), but I do want to say a couple things. First off, I've gained so much more respect for Enes Kanter tonight. He played defense, tipped in some shots, and had an all-around good game. Why doesn't he get more minutes? And secondly, why does Kyle Singler get to play so much? I mean seriously, take a shot every time he fouls. Bjelica 1/1 Dieng 1/1 Lavine 1/1 Muhammad 0/1 Prince 1/1 Rubio 0/1 Smith? 0/1 Wiggins 0/1 Overall, this was not a bad game graph-wise though I've had better. There are only two scheduled games left for me, the next being the Trail Blazers game on Monday. I am watching Lakers ticket prices and they are over $100 each. It doesn't seem like I'll be able to go to that one considering the price and that the only guys who would sign are Lou Williams, Anthony Brown, and Jordan Clarkson. Of course there will be a giant crowd waiting for Kobe Bryant because that will be his last game in Thunder Town, but I'll keep it real and say he probably won't come out and sign. Until next time, J.R. I wasn't sure what to expect from the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. With Blake Griffin out because of a broken hand (Google it for more info), I didn't expect him to be out at the shootaround much less in the arena. I either hadn't been to a game in a while or just had a massive brain fart, but I couldn't remember the optimal time for game arrival. I ended up arriving at 6:15 or so, for a 7:00 door opening. Surprisingly, there weren't that many people there (just the graphers and a few first-timers), but upon closer inspection of the graphers, most of them looked like they were kids headed for the Thunder side. Really? I saw this at the Warriors game too. Unless it's your first (or first few times), why wouldn't you graph the opposing team? It was rows deep on the Thunder side once I got settled, and if I had to guess, it was probably to welcome old-new Thunder player Nazr Mohammed. Once inside, the players came off in rapid-fire succession and absolutely signed up a storm. The first couple of players were in and out in ten minutes (7:10pm) -- Jamal Crawford and Chris Paul. I sort of felt sorry, if only for a little bit, for the people who arrived late due to circumstances beyond their control and missed Chris Paul. The first guy to sign was Crawford and some guys behind me got skipped early on but when one of them yelled out that it was his buddy's birthday, Crawford stopped and came back. I don't know if it really was his birthday or if this strategy would fly with a bigger-name star, but it might be something to file away in my back pocket. I had a prime spot this time, same as at the Magic game. Getting videos is harder because the camera is much more obvious than when you're standing up high on the opposite section, so I've taken to setting it down on the surface directly in front of the guard rail. It provides a decent view if the player is on the opposite side, but once he gets to your side you get basically, well, a crotch video. No bueno. But at least you're less likely to get skipped, right? During this entire experience, I don't think we saw any players come out from the tunnel; rather, we just saw them magically appear on the court. Yes, I do realize there are multiple entrances, but it seemed like all the players did that tonight. At least they knew which tunnel to go down in order to get back to the locker room? DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Johnson, and Jeff Green came out at different times and signed, in that order. They were all really nice about it, even Green, who blew everyone off at the Grizzlies game back in January. Sam Cassell, who is known for being a strict 1per, signed for a few people up front on the opposite side before walking away. Someone from my side of the stands called out to him, and he stopped for a second to look back, but ultimately kept on walking. Boo! The biggest surprise of the night, was when Austin Rivers skipped me. He signed tickets (pieces of paper tickets) and programs for the other people directly around me but wouldn't sign my photo. I've never had that kind of experience before. Usually there is no comment or expression, just a quick move down the line passing me, e.g. Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler. Austin looked at it, kind of pointed at it, and said he wouldn't sign it. I don't know what it was about it that he didn't like. It was a New Orleans Pelicans photo, similar to the other items you've seen me get signed. It wasn't like it was a shot of him getting scored on. As tempting as it is to bad mouth him for not signing, I realize people do have their off days, and this could be one of them. I'll try him again next time but I may bring something else just in case. Cassell 0/1 Crawford 1/1 Green 1/1 Johnson 1/1 Jordan 1/1 Paul 1/1 Rivers 0/1 Overall, this was surprisingly a good signing team. Save Rivers, who would have signed had I presented something else, everyone who came out signed. I don't get much of a break as the next game is Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Such is the life of a grapher! I'd like to get Rubio but I'd settle for back-to-back Slam Dunk champ Zach LaVine. Until next time, J.R. |
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