I MET TJ HOUSHMANDZADEH!!!!
My FAVORITE Bengals player, TJ Houshmandzadeh, was signing autographs at a local sports shop right down Colerain Avenue, which is only about 5 miles from my house. I, of course, HAD to go.
I switched shifts w/ a co-worker so I could get out at 4:30, thinking that that'd give me adequate time to get to meet up w/ my sister at my house, get changed, and get to the shop. Well, it did, only there were about 1500 people already there!
So, first, he was about 30 minutes late getting there, and second, we were AT FIRST told that the cutoff would be about 3 groups of people ahead of me. We were told we "might" be able to get an autograph. Well, we decided to stick to it, since we had nothing else to do, and tough out the overcast, but relatively nice, weather :)
3 HOURS into it, we are about 2 lines from the door to the store (so about another hour's wait) when one of the bodyguards comes out and goes over to the last person in line, which is about 300-400 people behind us. He talks to her for a while, and walks away, going to talk to others in line. I walk over to him and ask what's up, and he says that tentatively, TJ said he'd sign everyone in line, up to that last person in line. So, WE'RE SAFE! :)
And, as stated, an hour later, we were about 8 people from the door to the store, when we see the bodyguard come out again, and make a "cutoff" sign w/ his hands... I looked at him and said, "Are you KIDDING ME?!" He says, "I'm afraid so. He's walking out at 9:30, so he has 2 minutes." I nearly cry! Well, the cop letting everyone in, just keeps letting people in...INCLUDING US!!!! So there we were, IN THE STORE (it's a very small store, btw), when a lady from the back room, where Housh is, comes running out saying "Hey! We need to cut that door off! There's noone at the door!" Well, the lady behind us was like "Yes there is, the cop's letting us in." So, basically about 10 people behind me made it into the store, and were therefore guaranteed a signature... SO WE JUST BARELY MADE IT!!!
I would have absolutely CRIED if I didn't make in there, after waiting for 4 hours. I feel bad for those who didn't make it, but most of them had shown up over an hour after we did!
Yes... I still can't believe I STOOD in line (THE WHOLE TIME!) for 4 hours just for an autograph. But, hell, Housh is my man!!! He's my most favorite player, and this adventure was SO worth it! He signed a Houshmandzadeh t-shirt of mine, and a novelty football I bought at the shop. And I of course got pictures, and Melissa was able to capture one of TJ actually signing my shirt :) (ps: I was still wearing it... but I had him sign the back where his name was... so no naughty thoughts there!)
THANK YOU TJ!!! YOU JUST MADE ME THE HAPPIEST SPORTS FAN OUT THERE!
Oh yeah...and LET'S KICK CAROLINA'S ARSE ON SUNDAY!!!!
WHO DEY!!!
I switched shifts w/ a co-worker so I could get out at 4:30, thinking that that'd give me adequate time to get to meet up w/ my sister at my house, get changed, and get to the shop. Well, it did, only there were about 1500 people already there!
So, first, he was about 30 minutes late getting there, and second, we were AT FIRST told that the cutoff would be about 3 groups of people ahead of me. We were told we "might" be able to get an autograph. Well, we decided to stick to it, since we had nothing else to do, and tough out the overcast, but relatively nice, weather :)
3 HOURS into it, we are about 2 lines from the door to the store (so about another hour's wait) when one of the bodyguards comes out and goes over to the last person in line, which is about 300-400 people behind us. He talks to her for a while, and walks away, going to talk to others in line. I walk over to him and ask what's up, and he says that tentatively, TJ said he'd sign everyone in line, up to that last person in line. So, WE'RE SAFE! :)
And, as stated, an hour later, we were about 8 people from the door to the store, when we see the bodyguard come out again, and make a "cutoff" sign w/ his hands... I looked at him and said, "Are you KIDDING ME?!" He says, "I'm afraid so. He's walking out at 9:30, so he has 2 minutes." I nearly cry! Well, the cop letting everyone in, just keeps letting people in...INCLUDING US!!!! So there we were, IN THE STORE (it's a very small store, btw), when a lady from the back room, where Housh is, comes running out saying "Hey! We need to cut that door off! There's noone at the door!" Well, the lady behind us was like "Yes there is, the cop's letting us in." So, basically about 10 people behind me made it into the store, and were therefore guaranteed a signature... SO WE JUST BARELY MADE IT!!!
I would have absolutely CRIED if I didn't make in there, after waiting for 4 hours. I feel bad for those who didn't make it, but most of them had shown up over an hour after we did!
Yes... I still can't believe I STOOD in line (THE WHOLE TIME!) for 4 hours just for an autograph. But, hell, Housh is my man!!! He's my most favorite player, and this adventure was SO worth it! He signed a Houshmandzadeh t-shirt of mine, and a novelty football I bought at the shop. And I of course got pictures, and Melissa was able to capture one of TJ actually signing my shirt :) (ps: I was still wearing it... but I had him sign the back where his name was... so no naughty thoughts there!)
THANK YOU TJ!!! YOU JUST MADE ME THE HAPPIEST SPORTS FAN OUT THERE!
Oh yeah...and LET'S KICK CAROLINA'S ARSE ON SUNDAY!!!!
WHO DEY!!!