The 2014 FIFA World Cup Month of Glorious Insanity

Memories of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are still vivid in the minds of soccer fans around the globe. In no particular order of remembrance, Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 with an extra time goal, the endless blare of the plastic horns called vuvuzelas drove a billion TV viewers to the brink of suicide, and the official song was Waka Waka which was performed at the closing ceremony by Columbian Superstar Shakira. (Bet you forgot that one.)

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the World Cup with play beginning on June 12th in Brazil. 32 teams will grind their way through the most intense playoff format in professional sports until the final two teams meet on July 13th in the championship game. Spain, Brazil, England, Argentina and perennial powerhouse Germany are the early favorites but, as in all sports, hope springs eternal for fans of every team. However it goes, the world will have soccer on the brain for the next six weeks.

Which brings me to American professional soccer, the MLS. This week one of the most storied players in MLS history, Landon Donovan, was snubbed by the US Men’s National Team. No World Cup for Landon. Predictably, American soccer fans are outraged and not just because he’s the beloved elder statesman of American professional soccer. It is a popularly held belief that Landon Donovan is still one of the better players in the US with a ton of experience on the international stage. The guy has scored more points in international play that any American player. Ever. But this is World Cup soccer and US coach Jurgen Klinsmann has ice water in his veins. He loves and respects Landon but thinks he’s past his prime. Maybe so, we'll just have to wait and see. So now Donavan will be watching from the sidelines with another elder statesman and former LA Galaxy teammate, David Beckham.

Landon Donovan & David Beckham Autographed 8x10 Photo    

The Walk Off is Now the Balk Off

During a recent MLB baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians an interesting and rare phenomenon occurred - a walk off balk. I’m guessing that most casual baseball fans have probably never seen a balk during a major league game. The common definition of a balk is when the pitcher makes an “illegal” motion like starting but not completing a pitching motion or faking a throw to first. (There are actually thirteen different ways you can be busted for a balk. I know, right?) It’s typically not a big deal but the penalty for a balk is the advancement of a runner, which in the case of the Tigers and Indians was a very big deal.

After 5 hours and 16 minutes, in the 13^th inning, with the score 10-10 and the bases loaded, Detroit reliever Al Albuquerque stared down from the mound at Ryan Raburn. Albuquerque went into his set position and then he did it, he moved his leg and glove and then stopped. Boom! A balk! Game over. What was left of the 20,000 in attendance at Progressive Field went bonkers. The Tigers couldn’t even argue the call. So there it was, an official walk off balk. The walk off balk is so rare they hardly keep stats on it. I’ve been to a lot of games in my life and really don't remember seeing any balks, much less a walk off balk.

Anyway, all of this got me thinking about the players and the teams I used to watch when I was a kid. I started with minor league team Richmond Virginians (saw Brooks Robinson there!) and eventually ended up in Cleveland Municipal Stadium watching the Indians do their thing. The Cleveland teams were mostly lousy during those years but the teams in their division were always entertaining. The Tigers, the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox were always on our list to see and root against. We hated the Yankees.

My two favorite players from that era were Al Kaline of the Tigers and Rocky Calavito of the Indians. Both were great players, and both bona fide characters. Cleveland Stadium was so huge and the crowds so small, we never had a problem getting on the rail during batting practice. We would yak with the players, get baseballs signed and listen to them tell dirty jokes. It was every thirteen year olds dream. We never thought of any of those balls as signed baseball memorabilia because we played with them. Yep, its hard to believe these days but playing with an autographed baseball was a cool thing to do. Al and Rocky told us so.

Rocky Colavito Hand Signed Baseball

Al Kaline Autographed Baseball Bat 

What to get the Father who has everything? Part 3

What do you get the Father who has everything? If he’s Sports Fan Dad, it’s your lucky day because there is only one answer. The perfect Fathers Day gift is, of course, autographed sports memorabilia. Signedsports memorabilia is the easiest and best category to shop in because you can spend $50 or $5000 and the reaction from your dad will be the same – “Wow! I love it!”

Father’s Day and Sports have run parallel paths of popularity during the past hundred years.

According to legend Father’s Day was first officially observed in the early 1900’s somewhere in the hills of West Virginia as part of a religious service. From there it slowly spread to the rest of the country like warm molasses. It wasn’t long after that when the first Fathers Day 20% Off Sale was observed. A lot of terrible ties were bought. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Fathers Day a thing, practically making it mandatory to get the old man a gift.

According to baseball legend, the game was first played in 1791 somewhere in the hills of Massachusetts as part of a religious service. Ha, just kidding. Now, you might think to yourself, 1791 and 1908 are hardly parallel paths. But wait, while the game started early it didn’t really get going professionally until the early 1900’s when leagues were formed, money changed hands, the World Series was played, and the first baseball was signed. It probably wasn’t long after the first World Series was played in 1903 that the first Fathers Day 30% Off Sale was observed.

Sports Fan Dad is everywhere. He has a favorite team. He has a favorite player. He even has favorite teams and players to hate. This guy is emotional about sports. (Not much else, but definitely sports.) He loves it so much he dresses in team gear, dresses his kids in team gear, takes them to the game in his team logo emblazoned SUV, and then retires to his team logo lined man cave when he gets home. And get this, this guy lives in every country on the planet. Sports Fan Dad is universal. All hail Sports Fan Guy!

So, having used baseball in my story, you’re probably thinking, yeah, autographed baseball memorabilia. But you would be wrong! In an effort to be timely, it’s going to be signed basketball memorabilia today. C’mon, it’s the NBA playoffs! Ordinarily I would show something from a big market team like the Lakers or Heat or Nets. But I’m changing it up a little and going down market – all the way to Indiana and the Pacers! Check out this Team Signed Indiana Pacers Jersey signed by Andrew Bynum, C.J. Watson, Chris Copeland, David West, Donald Sloan, Evan Turner, George Hill, Ian Mahinmi, Lance Stephenson, Lavoy Allen, Luis Scola, Paul George, Rasual Butler, Roy Hibbert, Solomon Hill and Head Coach Frank Vogel. Its rare. Its cool.

Indiana Pacers 2013-14 Team Autographed Jersey

What do you get the Father who has everything? Part 2

In my last post I asked the question; what kind of Fathers Day gift will make the old man say “Wow?” My answer was not direct. (In my own defense, it’s rare when Americans answer a question directly. It’s a cultural thing. If you don’t believe me, pay attention to the answers you get during one day of routine questions. Its ridiculous.) The answer is not simple because it depends on the kind of guy your father is. The first gift suggestion, the AutographedChampaign Bottle, was for the money guy dad. Unique, over the top, expensive, autographed entertainment memorabilia really sends a message.

So what about our next dad, the rocker dad? My next Fathers Day gift suggestion is specifically for the rocker dad. This guy was really hitting his stride in the 70’s and 80’s, single, partying his ass off, going to concerts, driving an old beater car, and not a worry in the world. The soundtrack to this young man’s amazing life of freedom was the FM radio rock that was blaring from that old Chevy. Bands like Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and Bruce Springsteen were telling it like it was.

Guess what happened to rocker dad? Time! Oh no! Work, wives, kids, house payments, braces, vet bills, etc., etc. etc. What a bummer. He’s now a good citizen, doing everything that was expected of him. That’s why he’s now “secret” rocker dad. “Secret” rocker dad had to go underground. It sneaks out sometimes; he still listens to the old FM rock soundtrack of his youth and he still reminisces in quieter moments. But he’ll never forget that crazy Eddie Money concert he saw in 1979 when he woke up in a strange place with people he didn’t know and Two Tickets to Paradise still swirling in his mind. He’ll never forget the WHO concert that he and his buddies drove 14 hours to see and ended up so close to the stage that they couldn’t hear for two days. This is your rocker dad. Autographed music memorabilia is the gift for him. These are the gifts that will make rocker dad says Wow!

Roger Daltry Autographed Microphne

Eddie Money Autographed Microphone

What Do You Get the Father Who Has Everything? Part 1

It’s the age-old question for men and women with successful fathers, what kind of gift do you get the old man for Fathers Day? He’s already bought all the stuff he wants. He doesn’t want another tie and he has all the electronic toys he’ll ever want. You can get him tickets to a game or you can take him to dinner. But dang, anybody can do that. And on top of all that, fathers often profess that they don’t want anything.

So, what do we do? We either give up or we look for something that’s so off the wall, so unusual and so interesting that when its opened everybody stops talking. Yep, we’re looking for a super-special, one-of-a-kind item that will make the man who has everything say "Wow."

Lets start with the guy who fancies himself a genius at making money. Maybe he's a banker, maybe a real estate tycoon, maybe a stock broker. Whatever it is, its about the money. So, what says money more than a bottle of expensive champaign, right? Well, how about a champaign bottle signed by the cast of WOLF OF WALL STREET?! Exactly! Its pretty much the coolest thing ever. 

This full size Dom Perignon Bottle has been personally hand signed by WOLF OF WALL STREET cast including Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi and Jean Dujardin. Its crazy: Check it out:

The Wolf of Wall Street Cast Autographed Dom Perignon Bottle 

The Wolf of Wall Street Cast Autographed Dom Perignon Bottle 

Boxing Legend Larry Holmes and Marmalade Blew My Mind

As a guy of a certain age, I became interested in professional boxing during the golden age of heavyweights, the 1970’s and early 80’s. Back then it was mostly known as Prizefighting, which I think is cool as heck, and fighters fought championship fights for 15 rounds. 15 rounds! Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier got everyone’s attention but it was the supporting cast of characters that drove the sport to levels of popularity that today’s boxing fans couldn’t imagine. Among this talented group were George Foreman, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Earnie Shavers, Trevor Berbick and one of my personal favorites, Larry Holmes.

Larry Holmes Autographed Signed Everlast Boxing Glove

Larry Holmes was big and fast and probably had the most wicked left jab in boxing history. He came into his own in 1978 when he beat WBC champ Ken Norton in a 15 round split decision that changed everything for Holmes. (Years later in an interview he was asked “Who hit you harder? Ali or Tyson?” He responded “Neither. Kenny Norton hit me so hard that it still hurts.”)

Larry Holmes retained his heavyweight crown for 5 years and went 48-0. That’s right, he fought the baddest of the bad 48 times and never lost. He ended up 69-6 and was the second longest reigning heavyweight champ after Joe Louis. Wow.

But you know why I like this guy the most? Today, in 2014, he’s a sometimes singer. A singer in his own band! Yep, Larry Holmes and Marmalade is a thing. Watch them here singing Brick House. I make no judgements because its just some guys having a good time, but c'mon, what’s not to love about Larry Holmes?

Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Team Autographed Jersey

It’s the middle of May and the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing.  This years series has been surprisingly competitive and entertaining, two things that aren’t always guaranteed.

I was watching the Chicago Blackhawks battle the Minnesota Wild (I know!) the other night and I was reminded of the 2013 series when Chicago beat the Boston Bruins in six. If you’ll recall, that was a lockout year when the league only played 48 games. (I have to admit, as much as I like hockey, a 48 game season was awesome. Being dragged through the regular 82 game season this year just bored me to death.) But I digress. The whole point of this blog is to remind everybody what a great teams Chicago keeps bringing to the ice year after year. That is certainly true of the 2013 Blackhawks, they were special. Its trite but if you're a Blackhawks fan you know that they were a team of destiny. Holy cow, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews brought the excitement every night.

In honor of that 2013 Chicago Blackhawks team, I thought you'd like to see a unique piece of Chitown coolery we've got hanging on the wall, a red practice jersey autographed by Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Michal Handzus, Michael Frolik, Andrew Shaw, Johnny Oduya, Dave Bolland, Brandon Saad, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Ben Smith, Brandon Bollig, Jimmy Hayes, Jamal Mayers, Drew LeBlanc, Brandon Pirri, Henrik Karlsson, Ray Emery, Steve Montador, Carter Hutton, Brent Seabrook, Nick Leddy, Duncan Keith, Joel Quenneville, Michal Rozsival, Marcus Kruger, Daniel Carcillo, Patrick Sharp, Viktor Stalberg, Jonathan Toews, Jeremy Morin, Sheldon Brookbank, Bryan Bickell, Ryan Stanton, Shawn Lalonde and Corey Crawford. 

Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Team Autographed Jersey

Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Team Autographed Jersey

16x20 Photo Signed by The Greatest Mexico Soccer Players

I love Mexico. I love the incredible landscapes. I love the people. I love the food. I love the music. Much of this love comes from the fact that I lived in Southern Arizona for many years, have a lot of Mexican and Mexican-American friends, and was able to travel frequently south of the border. I once took a train (no air conditioning) from Nogales to Mexico City, but thats a story for another time. What I really want to talk about is Soccer, arguably the most popular of the mainstream Mexican sports, of which there are essentially five; soccer, rodeo, boxing, baseball and basketball. 

Association Football, as soccer is locally known, has two leagues and all teams play a split season. Split seasons are nice, keeps fans of even the lousy teams involved. They have some of the greatest stadiums in all of sport and plenty of history to boast about. The amazing Estadio Azteca is the only stadium in the world to have hosted two World Cup finals and is one of the largest stadiums in the world. Like America, 100 years of soccer obsession has yielded a culture that elevates star players to rock star status. In honor of these Mexican rock-star soccer heroes, we're now offering a crazy 16x20 photo personally hand-signed by Marco Fabian de la Mora, Oswaldo Sanchez, Guillermo Ochoa, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Andres Guardado, Carlos Salcido, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Jorge Campos, Giovani dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Rafael Marquez, Jared Borgetti, and Hugo Sanchez.

If you're a super fan of Mexican soccer, you'll get the significance of this list. If you're a newbie, do yourself a favor and look these guys up. They are amazing.

16x20 Photo Signed by The Greatest Mexico Soccer Players

Is Mike Trout the Best Player in Baseball?

Is Mike Trout the best player in Major League Baseball? Is Mike Trout even the best player for the Anaheim Angels (oops, the Los Angeles Angels)? I have to ask because when you've got guys like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton on your team, ya gotta wonder. Ok, the short answer is, yes, Mike Trout is probably the best player in baseball right now. This guy is only 22 years old and already has baseball writers around the country anointing him as the second coming. The consensus is that he'll hit somewhere between .320 and .350 with 35 or 40 homers in 2014. Whats insane is that he's expected to do this for another 10 or 15 years. Nice. The icing on the cake for Mike Trout fans is that he is apparently a remarkable guy who is an active supporter of charities and family values. He actually likes kids! Best player and awesome role model? It doesn't get better than that. So, if you're looking for some great Mike Trout autographed baseball memorabilia, check out these two items:

Mike Trout Autographed Los Angeles Angels Batting Helmet

Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels Autographed 8x10 Photo

Jeff Beck Autographed Fender Guitar

Jeff Beck Autographed Fender Guitar. Are you frickin kidding me? A Jeff Beck signed guitar? A Jeff Beck signed Fender guitar? Being a huge Beck fan since the late 60’s, I’m blown away by this great piece of music memorabilia. 

Ranked 5th in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time," Jeff Beck can legitimately be called one of the most influential lead guitarists in the history of rock. Not everybody gets Beck but he’s received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Best Pop Instrumental Performance once. That’s gotta mean something, right? On top of all that he’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, not once but twice: once as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and once a as a solo artist a few years back (2009). Take it from me, even if you don’t buy this guitar you should cue up some of his music, its great stuff.

Jeff Beck Autographed Fender Guitar

Miami Heat 2012/2013 Team Autographed 16x20 Photo

If you're a Miami Heat fan, and you have to have a memento from the Championship 2013 series, I would suggest you take a look at these 16x20 team signed photos. When framed, they'll be big and bold and leave no doubt about who's your favorite team.

The run through the 2013 playoffs was a breeze in the beginning and a struggle at the end for the Miami Heat. This was the Miami Heat's fourth appearance in the NBA Finals and the third appearance for three straight years while attempting to win their third NBA championship. In the first round they blew out the Milwaukee Bucks in four games and then went on to eliminate the Chicago Bulls in five games. Nine games to take out two playoff teams, it was starting to look easy. The Eastern Conference Finals were a fist fight with the Heat finally subduing the Indiana Pacers in seven games. The Championship Series with the San Antonio Spurs was more of the same with each team winning when they had to (the sixth game was an instant classic). However, in the end, the Heat would simply not be denied winning 95 to 88. 

This amazing team is fully represented on both of these amazing pics. These 16x20 Miami Heat Team Photographs have been personally hand signed by 2012/2013 Miami Heat Basketball Team including Mario Chalmers, Chris Bosh, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Jarvis Varnado, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Ray Allen and Mike Miller. 

Miami Heat 2012/2013 Team Autographed 16x20 Photo

Miami Heat 2012/2013 Team Signed 16x20 Photo

Paul Pierce Boston Celtics Autographed Memorabilia

Earlier I wrote about the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett effect in Brooklyn, they've been amazing. Going into the match up with Miami its going to be like old home week with Pierce, Garnett and LeBron continuing the fierce rivalry that never seems to go away. Pierce and Garnett may be wearing black and silver this year but its all green underneath. In a few years, after Pierce and Garnett are retired, folks will look back and go "yeah, that quick run with Brooklyn was nice, but man, they'll always be Boston's favorite sons." So lets revisit Boston's favorite sons through some very unique items of signed Boston Celtics memorabilia:

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce 8x10 Autographed Photo

Boston Celtics 2007-08 Team Autographed NBA FinalsBasketball

2009-10 Boston Celtics Stars Autographed 8x10 Photo

Paul Pierce & Rajon Rondo Autographed 8x10 Photo