Most fans just don't get it, when it comes to expecting autographs, pictures and their supposed entitlement to the time of the athletes. I'm not saying that athletes don't have an obligation to sign autographs and pose for those fuzzy, warm fan pictures. The problem is that fans feel athletes should do so anytime they ask. That would be like people walking into your office while you're trying to work and asking for your autograph. It would be ill timed and disruptive to your job. Ball players have to prepare for their job like I have to and you do too. The problem is the fans don't understand when the player says "no" or "he doesn't have the time" or just ignores the request and continues preparing for his job. Which do you think would make the athlete happier? Knowing he still has his job because he prepared and performed well or knowing even though he's been cut, he still signed every autograph? I think you know the answer.
The other thing that bothers athletes about signing autographs is the lack of appreciation for the autographs the athletes do sign. Athletes could sign 99 autographs, but the one person that doesn't get an autograph, goes away mad. Countless times I've heard people castigate athletes because they were one of the ones who didn't get an autograph. And believe me, they can say some pretty ugly things. Interestingly, the athlete was good enough that they wanted the autograph in the first place, yet they are quick to slam him. Fans can be thoughtless about their timing. Athletes should have the right to privacy and personal time, just like the fans. Athletes can be out with friends and family, shopping, or having dinner and people come up and ask for an autograph or a picture. I've even seen fans ask the athlete to leave their family and come over and say hi to their family and friends. And, even if they beg off politely, I've seen them go away cursing and complaining. It's a no win situation.
When Mark McGwire was with he A's, he faced a situation where he was with a teammate having a beer at a bar before dinner and a fan came up and demanded that McGwire talk with him and his friend. McGwire politely declined. The fan went down to the end of the bar, but forced McGwire and his teammate to leave by loudly complaining and taunting him. He was faced with a no win situation and the potential of a physical confrontation with the fan. No one deserves to have their lives controlled by others that way. NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell never signed autographs. He once told me that the value of a person isn't in his signature on a piece of paper or some piece of sports merchandise. He was so adamant about it that even when people tried to get his signature by sending a donation by check to Russell's charity, he wouldn't endorse it with his signature on the back. Now Russell may have carried it to an extreme, but the essence of his actions are right on the mark. It's just a name on a piece of paper. Signing autographs has nothing to do with dollars and how much athletes make. Money doesn't dictate that an athlete has to give autographs. Fans should appreciate the players performance, not his name on a piece of paper.
I feel better now.
I'm Ron Barr.
Agree or Disagree with this Column
Go to Ron's General Bulletin Board
Read Ron's Archived Commentaries