My apologies to being late with my experiences on Saturday, but here goes...
The price depended on the individual. I got autographs from Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka, Vern Den Herder, Manny Fernandez, Bob Griese, Jim Kiick, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Mercury Morris, Don Shula, and Paul Warfield. I should've gotten on from Bill Stanfill, but it just didn't occur to me. I also paid for photos with Shula and Csonka. Out of all of them, Csonka, Fernandez and Morris were the most personable, one more so than the other. Morris signed my book 1973 "Miami Dolphins: Football's Greatest Team" "Mercury Morris, 22, 17-0, Back 2 Back! H.T.T." (Hard To Take) He had his left hand in a soft bandage. I asked him if he was OK, and he said it was from a 1973 injury. He also told a fan a story about how when he learned the Dolphins were trying to trade him, he begged Shula to send him anywhere but the Chargers. "And you now where Shula sent me? The Chargers!!"
Jim Langer had hands twice the size of mine and curiously enough, by the time I was purchasing tickets for the event, he had the most requests for autographs. This being my first time at a memorabilia show, I had no idea how it worked. You purchase individually numbered cards with the players name on them and they tally up the cost for you at the end. At 11AM, Langer had the most requests with 40, then Buoniconti with 37, Little with 36, Csonka with 35 and so on. I asked Buoniconti how his son was, and he smiled and said "Good." Little said he was happy to see the sun in the morning and the clouds at night every day. I spoke with Fernandez about the plane crash involving his wife and he went on for about 10 minutes about the story. He spoke at such length that Kiick called him from the other end of the table, telling him, in effect, "Can you talk and sign at the same time?" Fernandez replied, "Where they going?"
The photos were a bit tricky, because as well run as the event was, the PA announcer was only announcing who has giving autographs and what number they were up to. As a result, I missed my chance to get my two photos taken in the curtained area set up for the photos. I had to get assistance from the a few crew members who brought me am area in the back where memorabilia was being signed. Both Shula and Csonka were gracious in having their photos taken. Csonka commented on how straight my nose was. The man looked as if he could still play today. And that's one of the things that struck me most about this: these guys seem to really like one another. I could've taken an informal picture of Shula, Buoniconti and Dick Anderson talking to one another, but I wussed out and didn't want to intrude. The other thing that I took from this is that they all look good. With the exception of Shula being in a wheelchair, no one was using a walker, hunched over or slowly shuffling along. They looked terrific for men of their age. The same could be said for Eric Dickerson and Kellen Winslow, who were also there.
All in all, it cost me $560 for the autographs and two pictures, $129 for a full-size replica 1972 Dolphins helmet and $10 to get in, but you know what? It was so worth it. The chance to meet people who you grew up watching and idolizing and, at least for the brief time I was with them, just seem to be class individuals, was something you can't put a price tag on (although it could be said that the organizers certainly did!) And truthfully, how many opportunities like this come up?
Hope you like the scans, even though this brand-new HP Photosmart 6510 scanner BLOWS and I had to piece the images together in Photoshop.
Michael
