AHL- Apolyton Hockey League 08/09 (II): Game On

[Asher]

I've got Iginla's autograph on a programme from the game. He didn't charge me a dime for it and he even smilied graciously as he signed it in 1998.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Maybe the Blackhawks could offer you some goalie help...

What Kipper for 'bulin straight up ?????



No Sutter pretty much has to hope Kipper comes back to good/great status-- He is committed too much for too long a period to back out now

[snoopy369]

I was thinking more like Huet for Iginla

[Asher]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I was thinking more like Huet for Iginla

Throw in Duncan Keith and you've got a deal.

[notyoueither]

He was one of many fans who paid the $6 to get into the Edmonton sports collectibles show, where Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano sat at a table and signed their names for $25 a pop.

[Asher]

Doesn't matter. They're Oilers' players representing the organization. There should be organizational rules about this kind of thing.

I've never heard of other teams charging for autographs...

[Asher]

Fact: Ovechkin and Phaneuf are BFF.

It may surprise some people to learn that Calgary D Dion Phaneuf and Washington LW Alex Ovechkin are pals.

"I called him last night to ask him about a good place to go — but I don't go," Ovechkin, beaming, said after the Caps' morning skate. "We're good friends. We see each other. We talk to each other. We go out with each other.

"We've known each other since we were younger. Right now, we play in the same league. He's a good guy."

And a guy who likes to make his presence felt on the ice."Well, he's tough," said Ovechkin. "He's got tremendous skill. It's a big challenge for me to play against one of the best D in the league.

"Probably, today, he's going to try to hit me. But I'm ready."

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Asher
Doesn't matter. They're Oilers' players representing the organization. There should be organizational rules about this kind of thing.

I've never heard of other teams charging for autographs...

It happens in other sports, usually stars. Not usually on a 'team' level, and not usually at the game (though certain *******s have been known to even at that point ). At a collectibles show it's more common, in baseball at least (they're basically paying for the appearance fee). If Iginla had been invited to the convention he'd have been paid an appearance fee, these guys just were offered paid autographs instead. Stupid, yes. Greedy, perhaps, though probably just as much greed on the part of the convention (using them to boost ticket sales without boosting ticket cost or cost to the convention).

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
Doesn't matter. They're Oilers' players representing the organization. There should be organizational rules about this kind of thing.

I've never heard of other teams charging for autographs...

The team wasn't involved in the event under discussion, and there's no way teams can stop this sort of thing. The players are not slaves. Cogliano has his own deal with the company that ran the event.

Check this out. You could get your very own Ovechkin autograph, in person, for only $79. Scroll around. You can get several Wings players, Heatley, etc.

http://www.frozenpond.com/xcart/customer/help.php?section=publicity#caps

These guys have Price and the Kostitsyns.

http://ajsportsworld.com/signings

The team has its own functions, like at malls, where all the players are there signing for fans as well as the normal lines of people getting autographs before and after games.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by snoopy369


It happens in other sports, usually stars. Not usually on a 'team' level, and not usually at the game (though certain *******s have been known to even at that point ). At a collectibles show it's more common, in baseball at least (they're basically paying for the appearance fee). If Iginla had been invited to the convention he'd have been paid an appearance fee, these guys just were offered paid autographs instead. Stupid, yes. Greedy, perhaps, though probably just as much greed on the part of the convention (using them to boost ticket sales without boosting ticket cost or cost to the convention).

The players were not collecting for the autographs. It was more like the appearance fee.

The Sun article is really bad. Trash, much like the rest of the paper too often.

This explains things a bit better.

http://goingfivehole.blogspot.com/2008/10/yes-autographs-arent-always-free.html

Yesterday morning I came across a story in the Edmonton Sun about Oiler fans in an uproar because they were being charged at a collectibles show for autographs from Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano.

As a person who worked in the sports memorabilia industry for one of the bigger name companies, this story completely baffles me.

People got upset that they were being charged for autographs, despite the advertisements clearly stating the $25 charge? A caller to the Team 1260 Edmonton this evening stated that he saw an ad for the show in a local newspaper, so I can only assume here people themselves heard about the show and assumed free autographs because it was a player appearing in public.

Those screen caps are from the Bossa Productions website, a company that hosts many collectible shows annually. Cogliano was at the signing on behalf of AJ Sports World, an Ontario-based memorabilia company that the Oilers forward is exclusive to. Being an exclusive in the memorabilia world means that the player can only sign items on the behalf of the company it's partnered with.

AJ Sports World is a big name in the industry, specifically to hockey along with Frozen Pond. Both have store fronts that sell memorabilia, souvenirs, as well as host in-store player appearances, where, yes, fees are charged for autographs. Want a Carey Price to sign your 8x10? That will cost you $59. Need Ray Bourque signed your Bruins team stick? You'll need $79. Wishing Martin Brodeur could sign your 2003 Stanley Cup puck? Fork over $159.

Like I said before: sports is a business.

This is the first time I've heard such a large outcry about autograph fees. During my time in the business, I heard all the time from customers who'd complain about the prices and spout off the typical lines about their high salaries, how they should be for free, and so on.

What people forget is that sports has become a business. A big business.

While seeing Andrew Cogliano out on the street and asking for an autograph will not cost you $25, inside of a business setting, it's completely different. Players are paid for their appearance time and for most athletes, there's a certain number of autographs that need to be signed as part of the contract. The autographs count whether it's sold as an actual ticket to a customer or kept for the store to add to their inventory for sale. I don't know the specifics of AJ Sport World's deal with Cogliano, but this is typical for most signings. It costs money to get the players to the appearance as well as their time, especially as busy as it gets during the season.

Let's not forget that not every autograph given is reserved for fans. I would imagine many of the autographs that Cogliano and Gagner signed were for other memorabilia dealers who will later go on to sell those same autographs for profit, whether for their own companies or on eBay.

"Tom Henderson", a commenter on the Globe and Mail's article on the subject said, "It's not as if they are turning away kids at these events. Autograph shows are mostly the domain of persons interested in increasing the value of their collectable items. The show is selling people the opportunity to get their rookie cards and such signed. This supposedly increased the value of the items. Its a business event not a sporting event."

The article in the Sun was also poorly researched, as evidenced by this tidbit:

"It's not clear where the money was going, but several people working the event - who didn't want to be identified - confirmed that it wasn't for charity.

Cogliano said the signing was part of his contract with AJ Sportsworld, but declined to comment further after being told not to talk to the media.

Gagner, looking at the table in front of him and slumping his shoulders when asked why they're charging fans, declined to answer."

The littlest bit of research on memorabilia signings would tell anyone how these things work. Purposely putting Cogliano and Gagner in tough positions and painting AJ Sports World as the "bad guy" at the same time shows the lack of knowledge on the subject. Of course, the writer throws in quotes from an angry patron talking about "the kids", yet doesn't note that the $6 entry fee will allow these kids the ability to purchase packs of hockey cards, minus the gum nowadays, that will run them much more than any "kid" can afford these days.

Fans complain all the time about autograph fees, but for every collectibles show that charges for an autograph, there's plenty of charity and team sponsored events that allow fans to get an autograph from their favorite player for free. The entire idea of a collectibles show is for vendors to sell their merchandise and for collectors to buy/sell/trade their items. Like I said, it's a business setting all around, dollars being exchanged, like the $6 it would have cost you to enter the show in the first place.

As the demand for players has increased, so has appearance fees and memorabilia costs. I know of one former baseball player who charges $15,000 just to show up, then receives a percentage of each autograph sold. I've seen the $600 price tag of a Derek Jeter signed 16x20 photo, unframed of course. That'll cost you an extra $200-300. I understand the disgust that some fans have towards it all, but it's a reality and the market is there for high priced signatures.

Sports memorabilia has become a billion dollar industry. Everyone wants a piece of athletes to help make them a profit. With that comes a cost and that cost will always be thrown into the lap of consumers and fans.

Click the link to see the images posted.

[Asher]

Still rubs me the wrong way and the players should not be signing with douchebag organizations like that. They really should show some class there by picking classy organizations to whore themselves to.

[Flubber]

Good effort by the Flames tonight-- Way better team defense and Kipper made good stops on the few good chances he faced. The goal was an unfortunate deflection off a skate only 4 minutes in.

The first period also featured a 9 minute powerplay opportunity for the Caps and they failed to score. Great penalty kill but I was shocked not to see the Caps just simplify and shoot more often.

Ovechkin? Didn't do much but still got an assist

The Dome was relatively quiet-- it was almost like people were tentative

[Asher]

BTW, Followup on the Oilers vs Bloggers thing...the Oilers PR manager has confirmed the content was the problem of the "liveblog" the guy was doing from the pressbox. He was critical of the play of Stortini and he used the f-word in his blog to describe it, which apparently is what prompted the demand to delete the liveblog and get out of the pressbox.

[Kontiki]

Man, Turco is really stinking it up so far.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kontiki
Man, Turco is really stinking it up so far.

I have to believe he snaps out of it and he and Dallas start playing better.



Nabokov has had a few tough ones as well but at least he mainly wins (7-6 shootougt win over PHilly last night!!)


Meanwhile Chicago and Edmonton both seem to have an embarrassing wealth of goaltending.

Chicago-- according to sources, playing 'bulin was part of what got savard fired yet Quenville had him out there again and he gets a shutout. The coach is quite diplomatic in NOT naming a number one and I expect we may see themboth a lot unless a clear number one emerges by their play. It does seem to be too much to have both those guys at the salaries they make.

Edmonton-- I didn't see their game with Chicago but Rollie was cited as their best player on the night. Add in Garon who seems to be their number one plus a rookie that was too good to send down and its a 3 way conumdrum. I mean, Rollie may have played well last night but when does he get in a game again? I have to figure its Garon again next game?

Both situations seem to cry out for a trade. Edmonton would likely be willing to unload Rolosen if they could get a decent offer. The key might be that they need him to shine in a few games AND have a team really get a goalie issue and need a short term solution.

Chicago? Tough one there. I cannot see them trading Huet since he was the big signing -- 'bulin ?? although his recent play has been great, he still IS the guy that they seemed to want to just leave and go away to Russia so I don't know how much value they can get-- IN a cap world it just seems like a LOT to have two guys that are making number one goalie type money. But perhaps with all their young/cheap stars, Chicago can afford this luxury.