I wasn't around last week when Cam Newton signed $125 autographs at Southpark. The story still resonates, for some reason. You can read about it in our newspaper daily in Letters to the Editor or The Buzz.
If people want to pay $125 for a signature, have at it. But I think autographs, for adults, are dumb.
If I ran sports, fans would not be allowed to ask anybody younger than they are for an autograph. I know -- poor Mark Martin.
Charles Barkley was walking out of Charlotte Coliseum one night after a Charlotte Hornets game and pointed to the group waiting for an autograph.
He asked: Would you walk into the middle of that group?
If there were kids, they had long been shoved aside. It was adults, some but not all foaming at the mouths, waiting for an athlete to walk their way.
I don't understand the appeal. Does an autograph connect you to the signer even though he or she probably has signed thousands of others? Do you look at the autograph when you're alone and feel good or show it off to your friends and feel cool?
Autographs are great for kids. Kids are entitled to idolize athletes.
One of my idols was, and is, Muhammad Ali. He was the guest of honor at a Charlotte fundraiser for Parkinson's disease, and one of the organizers asked me if I wanted his autograph.
I admit that I paused for a second or two.
Then I said, no thanks.
If every adult did, athletes would be much freer with their signatures because the recipients of those signatures would be kids.
I agree with the article.
Posted by: David | July 19, 2012 at 12:56 PM
"Carder" if he leaves over something like that.. I say good riddance and "don't let the door it ya". lol
Posted by: BB | July 19, 2012 at 12:56 PM
SCAM NEWTON IS BACK!!!
Posted by: Shane | July 19, 2012 at 01:06 PM
Newton is the most overrated player. Bet his numbers are cut in half this year.
Posted by: Shane | July 19, 2012 at 01:10 PM
gotta get mines
Posted by: Stankonya | July 19, 2012 at 01:18 PM
Tom,
If you don't like to collect autographs, that's fine... leave us to it. I respect your not wanting to get them. I will say, however, that you were pretty dumb not to get Ali's autograph when it was offered to you. Greatest boxer of all time.
Posted by: appstategrad2008 | July 19, 2012 at 01:20 PM
"BB" You are obviously not a Panthers fan
Posted by: CARDER | July 19, 2012 at 01:28 PM
I am 33 years old. Last panthers training camp i got steve smiths autograph on a football. it took me years to finally get him to sign it because he doesnt like signing for adults. he is one of my favorite players of all time. Then i was at a panthers game last year sitting by a handicapped kid that asked how he could get smiths autograph. that kid got my smitty ball for christmas. i don't see anything wrong with getting an autograph as an adult. you never know who it will end up with anyways. and being around athletes you admire can make you feel like a kid again sometimes.
Posted by: Tom | July 19, 2012 at 01:29 PM
I'm sure there are also plenty of folks who think a grown man being paid to write opinion pieces on sports when a game isn't even being played as pretty dumb too!
Fortunately, we aren't allowed to prohibit things that we personally think are "dumb"!
Posted by: John | July 19, 2012 at 01:32 PM
This is a seriously silly article. As you said if their is a market for then why can't he do it? Are you mad that no one would recognize you in an empty parking lot?
Posted by: Josephine Carter | July 19, 2012 at 01:41 PM
Sweet Jesus Tom; can you please move to a new topic.
Can you really not write about something pressing or more than this dang autograph session. I think its been covered and this is just lazy. You made your point, it was national news ...great job now move on for God's sake!
Posted by: RoyalsMan | July 19, 2012 at 01:44 PM
Adults seeking autographs are LOSERS. Get a life. And Jay-Z said that men over 30 shouldn't be wearing sports jerseys.
Posted by: John | July 19, 2012 at 01:45 PM
Cam is the man! Period. He is the face of Charlotte since being drafted #1. I did not pay for his autograph, but I would. Get it cheap while you can. In 20 years, you'll wish you had.
Posted by: Bruce | July 19, 2012 at 01:48 PM
Badly opinionized article Tom.
Posted by: Jtoom | July 19, 2012 at 01:48 PM
$125.00 to prove an athlete from Auburn can actually write his own name is cheap.
Posted by: RonJeremyTheHedgeHog | July 19, 2012 at 02:11 PM
I got him to autpgraph my LAPTOP
Posted by: TudeDude | July 19, 2012 at 02:16 PM
"I couldn't disagree more. I got Derek Jeters autograph his rookie year. Am now 31 years old and still look at it everyday as it's on display at my house. Along with my Gerald Wallace signed jersey that's framed. There's these things called man caves that autographed memorablilia goes great in."
Do you TOSS OFF while you look at these signatures you got from a couple of dudes that could really care less about you or your man cave?
Posted by: TudeDude | July 19, 2012 at 02:20 PM
I love Charlotte, but it is one of the lamest sports markets. I only say that because of the media. This is such a non issue in most parts of the country. It is really unbelievable this story still has legs.
Posted by: WILLBLOGFORMONEY | July 19, 2012 at 02:20 PM
I've got a Charlotte Hornets baseball cap signed by Muggsy Bogues. What am I bid?
Posted by: Earl Daggenhart | July 19, 2012 at 02:26 PM
Earl if you'll take it in trade, I'll let you come over to my house and fuck my Sister.
Posted by: RonJeremyTheHedgeHog | July 19, 2012 at 02:34 PM
He would have to pay me to take his autograph. What a Joke
Posted by: wbirt | July 19, 2012 at 02:36 PM
It's like what George Carlin said about Collecting baseball cards. When you are a kid, it's ok, since they are your favorite players or idols. But as an adult you are collecting pictures of other men.
Posted by: Bo | July 19, 2012 at 02:49 PM
Why do we seek autographs? Because we watch sports and it reminds us of joy and excitement, and it takes us away in the moment. As we grow older those moments come far less often than we had as a child, so in the mind of sports we are all kids and want to get lost in the moment. That autograph can mean as much to some adults as a tree full of presents on Christmas morning to a child.
Posted by: amstam | July 19, 2012 at 02:53 PM
Once again, Tom shows how out of touch with sports and fans he is. Some people collect cars, some collect watches, some collect autographs and sports memorabilia. Tom collects a paycheck to spew lousy columns. If he doesn't do it, it's not cool and is dumb, kids.
Posted by: Charliebrown | July 19, 2012 at 02:57 PM
Why anyone would ever want someones autograph has always made me wonder, what is that person thinking?? But I would love to meet Brees, Tebow, Rodgers, Newton, etc and shake their hand and talk to them, but asking anyone for their autograph would make me feel and look a little childish. It is great for the kids though.
Posted by: Joel | July 19, 2012 at 03:08 PM