Carson Palmer signing autographs

[gregstephens]

I saw where you can send items to the Cardboard Heroes in Montgomery for Carson Palmer to autograph on Sunday, May 18. Two issues:

1. It's a private signing, which means you don't get to meet him. Drop off, or mail in, your stuff and he signs it for you to pick up later.

2. He's charging $275 per autograph!!!

I'm sorry. I love C.P., but how is this being accessible to his fans? You don't get to even meet him and you have to be rich to afford one friggin' autograph! I don't think this is very good 'good-will', and I personally think this team needs all the good-will it can get.

[Pidge]

lol. That's a lot of potatoes.

[bwillycuse]

I saw where you can send items to the Cardboard Heroes in Montgomery for Carson Palmer to autograph on Sunday, May 18. Two issues:

1. It's a private signing, which means you don't get to meet him. Drop off, or mail in, your stuff and he signs it for you to pick up later.

2. He's charging $275 per autograph!!!

I'm sorry. I love C.P., but how is this being accessible to his fans? You don't get to even meet him and you have to be rich to afford one friggin' autograph! I don't think this is very good 'good-will', and I personally think this team needs all the good-will it can get.

Come on!

Palmer has signed thousands of free autographs. Do you think he is keeping the money? Is there a charity this is going to? All planned autograph signings cost money and the better the player the more expensive it costs. Everytime there is an autograph signing there is someone who complains about this.

Go to training camp and get a free autograph. Put it up on Ebay like everyone else does and make money off of Carson. Carson is very accessible for a star player.

[gregstephens]

I saw where you can send items to the Cardboard Heroes in Montgomery for Carson Palmer to autograph on Sunday, May 18. Two issues:

1. It's a private signing, which means you don't get to meet him. Drop off, or mail in, your stuff and he signs it for you to pick up later.

2. He's charging $275 per autograph!!!

I'm sorry. I love C.P., but how is this being accessible to his fans? You don't get to even meet him and you have to be rich to afford one friggin' autograph! I don't think this is very good 'good-will', and I personally think this team needs all the good-will it can get.

Come on!

Palmer has signed thousands of free autographs. Do you think he is keeping the money? Is there a charity this is going to? All planned autograph signings cost money and the better the player the more expensive it costs. Everytime there is an autograph signing there is someone who complains about this.

Go to training camp and get a free autograph. Put it up on Ebay like everyone else does and make money off of Carson. Carson is very accessible for a star player.

Do I think he is keeping the money? Well...there is no charity mentioned, so, yes, I do. In terms of 'the better the player the more expensive it costs', I've taken my seven year old son to get autographs from Hall of Famers like Jim Brown and Dan Marino. These proven superstars didn't charge $275 bucks.

'Go to training camp and get a free autograph...'? Have you tried to get Carson Palmer's autograph at training camp? Or anyone's for that matter. Unless I want to be rude, pushy and endanger my seven year old, it ain't gonna happen because you gotta fight for those big-time names at training camp.

I've never sold any memorabilia on eBay. I take my seven year old because he likes to meet his heroes and get autographs. But guess what? I'm not going to pay 275 bones for an autograph for my son, especially when he wouldn't even get to meet Palmer.

He's accessible for a star player? Are you out of your mind? You email me personally the next time he is somewhere giving away these free autographs you say he's signed thousands of. You email me personally the next time he is somewhere signing where my son can see him and I can afford both the signature and the gas. 275 bucks for a signature and don't even meet him and he's 'very accessible for a star player'.

Bull****.

[Oldcat]

Yes, we will have Carson come out to your house at your convenience, sign what you like, and take you out to dinner.

Plenty of 'free' autographs for 'fans' get sold on E-Bay. Memorabilia is a business now. If you don't like this end, don't go there

and don't buy them. I don't myself, but I don't begrudge Carson for getting a part of the business of selling his name.

There are also plenty of events where you can get player autographs. Charity events, fan mixers. The places and times are on the

Bengals site, if you can be troubled to look. Getting a player autograph is supposed to take some effort, thats why its memorable.

If you actually went to the camps, or tried to get something signed you might be surprised at how easy it can be. Bengals fans are good

people --- I hear training camp stories every year about getting pictures and things signed. I live too far away to see it myself, but I see

pictures each and every year.

[gregstephens]

Yes, we will have Carson come out to your house at your convenience, sign what you like, and take you out to dinner.

Plenty of 'free' autographs for 'fans' get sold on E-Bay. Memorabilia is a business now. If you don't like this end, don't go there

and don't buy them. I don't myself, but I don't begrudge Carson for getting a part of the business of selling his name.

There are also plenty of events where you can get player autographs. Charity events, fan mixers. The places and times are on the

Bengals site, if you can be troubled to look. Getting a player autograph is supposed to take some effort, thats why its memorable.

If you actually went to the camps, or tried to get something signed you might be surprised at how easy it can be. Bengals fans are good

people --- I hear training camp stories every year about getting pictures and things signed. I live too far away to see it myself, but I see

pictures each and every year.

First off, you can take your condescending attitude and shove it backwards.

I'm not asking for free autographs. I'm asking for reasonably affordable and have the guy there so a seven year old can actually get something out of it more than just buying an autographed ball on eBay.

And since you've never been to a training camp, it doesn't sound like, don't preach to me about how easy it is because I've taken my son there four years straight. I'm not saying people are intentionally rude, but the players get about five minutes to sign at the end of the morning workouts and three hundred people shoving stuff in their faces.

I understand the fans, as a whole, are to blame for the prices because I've been to signings where some guy is holding a box of crap that you know is getting put on eBay. I understand a player wanting his share and getting tired of being exploited.

We go because it means something. I can't afford $275 dollars for a signature, and if I could, Palmer should at least be there for my son to say hi to. It would kill Palmer to sit down for two hours and interact with the fans? He can't make enough money if he charged a reasonable fifty bucks a pop as opposed to 275?? I'm sorry, with his huge contract, I forgot how strapped he was for my $275.

And I try on this board to post without being disrespectful or condescending to others. So, Oldcat, just for you, go screw off.

[bwillycuse]

I saw where you can send items to the Cardboard Heroes in Montgomery for Carson Palmer to autograph on Sunday, May 18. Two issues:

1. It's a private signing, which means you don't get to meet him. Drop off, or mail in, your stuff and he signs it for you to pick up later.

2. He's charging $275 per autograph!!!

I'm sorry. I love C.P., but how is this being accessible to his fans? You don't get to even meet him and you have to be rich to afford one friggin' autograph! I don't think this is very good 'good-will', and I personally think this team needs all the good-will it can get.

Come on!

Palmer has signed thousands of free autographs. Do you think he is keeping the money? Is there a charity this is going to? All planned autograph signings cost money and the better the player the more expensive it costs. Everytime there is an autograph signing there is someone who complains about this.

Go to training camp and get a free autograph. Put it up on Ebay like everyone else does and make money off of Carson. Carson is very accessible for a star player.

Do I think he is keeping the money? Well...there is no charity mentioned, so, yes, I do. In terms of 'the better the player the more expensive it costs', I've taken my seven year old son to get autographs from Hall of Famers like Jim Brown and Dan Marino. These proven superstars didn't charge $275 bucks.

'Go to training camp and get a free autograph...'? Have you tried to get Carson Palmer's autograph at training camp? Or anyone's for that matter. Unless I want to be rude, pushy and endanger my seven year old, it ain't gonna happen because you gotta fight for those big-time names at training camp.

I've never sold any memorabilia on eBay. I take my seven year old because he likes to meet his heroes and get autographs. But guess what? I'm not going to pay 275 bones for an autograph for my son, especially when he wouldn't even get to meet Palmer.

He's accessible for a star player? Are you out of your mind? You email me personally the next time he is somewhere giving away these free autographs you say he's signed thousands of. You email me personally the next time he is somewhere signing where my son can see him and I can afford both the signature and the gas. 275 bucks for a signature and don't even meet him and he's 'very accessible for a star player'.

Bull****.

**** out of luck then.

Gets old the amount of complaininig that goes on here. Palmer is a class act IMO. Maybe not for you though. Im sorry you are trying to get your son an autograph from Palmer now that he is among the elite. Maybe you missed your shot when he was signing more stuff when he was younger and could have the crowd request them in a reasonable manner.

Come back in ten years when the demand is down.

I bet if he lowered that to $50 the line would be ridiculously long. They would have to limit the number of autographs then the people that missed out would be right back here saying Palmer is not accessible.

Here is your answer - From your posts you say you go to training camp. Get all the rookies autographs each year. Then you should be covered. FREE

Now lets bash the players that deserve it.........

[gregstephens]

I saw where you can send items to the Cardboard Heroes in Montgomery for Carson Palmer to autograph on Sunday, May 18. Two issues:

1. It's a private signing, which means you don't get to meet him. Drop off, or mail in, your stuff and he signs it for you to pick up later.

2. He's charging $275 per autograph!!!

I'm sorry. I love C.P., but how is this being accessible to his fans? You don't get to even meet him and you have to be rich to afford one friggin' autograph! I don't think this is very good 'good-will', and I personally think this team needs all the good-will it can get.

Come on!

Palmer has signed thousands of free autographs. Do you think he is keeping the money? Is there a charity this is going to? All planned autograph signings cost money and the better the player the more expensive it costs. Everytime there is an autograph signing there is someone who complains about this.

Go to training camp and get a free autograph. Put it up on Ebay like everyone else does and make money off of Carson. Carson is very accessible for a star player.

Do I think he is keeping the money? Well...there is no charity mentioned, so, yes, I do. In terms of 'the better the player the more expensive it costs', I've taken my seven year old son to get autographs from Hall of Famers like Jim Brown and Dan Marino. These proven superstars didn't charge $275 bucks.

'Go to training camp and get a free autograph...'? Have you tried to get Carson Palmer's autograph at training camp? Or anyone's for that matter. Unless I want to be rude, pushy and endanger my seven year old, it ain't gonna happen because you gotta fight for those big-time names at training camp.

I've never sold any memorabilia on eBay. I take my seven year old because he likes to meet his heroes and get autographs. But guess what? I'm not going to pay 275 bones for an autograph for my son, especially when he wouldn't even get to meet Palmer.

He's accessible for a star player? Are you out of your mind? You email me personally the next time he is somewhere giving away these free autographs you say he's signed thousands of. You email me personally the next time he is somewhere signing where my son can see him and I can afford both the signature and the gas. 275 bucks for a signature and don't even meet him and he's 'very accessible for a star player'.

Bull****.

**** out of luck then.

Gets old the amount of complaininig that goes on here. Palmer is a class act IMO. Maybe not for you though. Im sorry you are trying to get your son an autograph from Palmer now that he is among the elite. Maybe you missed your shot when he was signing more stuff when he was younger and could have the crowd request them in a reasonable manner.

Come back in ten years when the demand is down.

I bet if he lowered that to $50 the line would be ridiculously long. They would have to limit the number of autographs then the people that missed out would be right back here saying Palmer is not accessible.

Here is your answer - From your posts you say you go to training camp. Get all the rookies autographs each year. Then you should be covered. FREE

Now lets bash the players that deserve it.........

Here's the funny part. You state Palmer is a class act and, truth is, he may be, or he may not be. I don't know the guy. In fact, I don't know he's the one setting the price. Could all be Cardboard Heroes for what I know. Although it is discouraging for a father of a young boy to see Palmer do this/or agree to be part of this.

The line for a fifty dollar Palmer autograph wouldn't be any longer than the line I stood in for Chad J*%&$on in 2005 in Cincinnati Mills Mall when the Bengals were playoff bound, but it went fast. Why? They defeated the eBay people with a one item per person policy. He signs a name in three seconds and then it's 'Next'. Minimizes profiteering, maximizes fan interaction.

The funny part is, you basically complain about the complaining, but never state that you think the $275 is a fair asking price for an autograph you don't even get to watch being signed. Well...is that a fair asking price? Would you ever shell it out under the circumstances?

My main point originally was, at a time when the team's fanbase is discouraged and the team's image is in shambles, would it not make more sense to make this a more fan-friendly and affordable experience? In light of Johnson's antics, Henry's dismissal, Brooks' assault charge, the lukewarm success of the draft, a 7-9 season and a rough season anticipated for 2008, meet the fans and give them a chance to afford a freaking autograph!

Is this really too much to ask?

[Kazkal]

Lol I don't even know what to say.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Dude, there are millions of Bengals fans, and I'm sure many would like to meet Palmer. Unfortunately, he has a life and a job so he can't spend every waking moment signing his name and giving himself carpal tunnel syndrome.

From the sounds of things, you don't want to fork over $275 for a guaranteed autograph, and you don't want to work for it in training camp alongside the many other fans who do. You're going to have to put effort or money behind it, or it won't happen. This is basic supply and demand economics - when you have a valuable commodity that everybody wants, you're not going to get it without money or effort or both.

In any event, rather than going after Carson, the better idea is to focus on the less-known rookies at camp, where an easier autograph now could end up being a star later, and your kid will feel like he was there at the beginning.

Of course, you could always go for Chad. I bet there won't be much demand for his autograph this year.

[duus]

I understand the kid part but that is about it. I personally am in a position (remote) where I cannot easily get to camp, etc, and I surely am not willing to dish out the cash for an auto. So ... I try to get creative with my kids. We collect cards or pictures or whatever. We have a great time making photoshop stuff together. The ideas are limitless ... and do not have to include an autograph. I've found my kids to have just as much if not more fun with this stuff and it has nothing to do with an autograph. If all your kid is really interested in is the player and the team then there should be numerous other options for a Dad to do with his kid.

[DDOGG]

Yeah, I think that whole autograph thing is a load of bullsh*t!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Yeah, I think that whole autograph thing is a load of bullsh*t!

Yeah, I'm not that big into them either. Unless they're on a check. I recall my old man managed to get me a couple, but it was never current stars. That didn't bother me though. It was cool to have something Bengals.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Yeah, I think that whole autograph thing is a load of bullsh*t!

Yeah, I'm not that big into them either. Unless they're on a check. I recall my old man managed to get me a couple, but it was never current stars. That didn't bother me though. It was cool to have something Bengals.

The ONLY two autographs (from sports stars) I possess are from Pete Rose, and Arnold Palmer. What's weird is I got both of them by pure accident. I generally don't feel inclined to pursue a person ahead of time for their signature.

[gregstephens]

I understand the kid part but that is about it. I personally am in a position (remote) where I cannot easily get to camp, etc, and I surely am not willing to dish out the cash for an auto. So ... I try to get creative with my kids. We collect cards or pictures or whatever. We have a great time making photoshop stuff together. The ideas are limitless ... and do not have to include an autograph. I've found my kids to have just as much if not more fun with this stuff and it has nothing to do with an autograph. If all your kid is really interested in is the player and the team then there should be numerous other options for a Dad to do with his kid.

And we do. One of our favorite trips is going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame every other year and he just likes being there and looking around. And he likes collecting cards, watching Super Bowl DVDs, and so on. He likes collecting the action figures, playing as the Bengals on Madden, etc.

But you know who is the coolest to get autographs from? Retired Bengals. Every now and then players like Isaac Curtis, James Brooks do signings. They don't charge or, if they do, it's like five bucks...but the best part is they are so nice and talkative to my son. Real down to earth and seem to be glad to be a part of Bengals lore.

[gregstephens]

Yeah, I think that whole autograph thing is a load of bullsh*t!

Hey, how about that? CBF has an opinion! Who would have guessed? And, coincidently, it appears to fall right in line with the majority on the thread. Kinda like his bandwagoning on draft weekend.

[BengalPappaw]

I tried to read this thread -- but it a bunch of crap.

Carson Palmer autographed a poster of himself for my grandson at last year's training camp.

I did have to point out to Carson as he went by that my grandson wanted his autograph, but Carson didn't hesitate to sign the poster -- and I guess I'm $275 richer, because it didn't cost me anything, but my time with my grandson -- and that is priceless.!

[mgi]

So if he signs stuff for free for fans at training camp, games, or whatever, but wants to set up shop on the side for people who'll probably just sell it on the internet, why not take advantage of the people who take advantage of him? Meanwhile, fans who support the Bengals at training camp and such can get an autograph for free from a pro-bowler. So what is the big deal?

[gregstephens]

Fine.

[ansaraaj]

I've been to Bengals Training Camp in Georgetown, KY the last 3 years.

Never in my life have I witnessed a star player of Carson Palmer's caliber sign so many free autographs for fans. After every single practice, he starts along the fence and signs for anywhere between 200 and 300 fans, every day. He starts at one end and signs until every fan in line gets an autograph, and only then will he head into the locker room.

Just FYI, thought I'd add. It's easy to get 3-5 autographs from him in one visit to camp.

In fact, most players are very good about signing and giving back to fans.

Alex

[agreen_112]

I've been to Bengals Training Camp in Georgetown, KY the last 3 years.

Never in my life have I witnessed a star player of Carson Palmer's caliber sign so many free autographs for fans. After every single practice, he starts along the fence and signs for anywhere between 200 and 300 fans, every day. He starts at one end and signs until every fan in line gets an autograph, and only then will he head into the locker room.

Just FYI, thought I'd add. It's easy to get 3-5 autographs from him in one visit to camp.

In fact, most players are very good about signing and giving back to fans.

Alex

I hope I get to make the trip this year. I'd love to get a CP autograph. I'd also like to get my #85 signed but I doubt he would be so kind.

[Ickey44]

I can't believe you're still a fan of someone who's dissed his own team the way he has.

[agreen_112]

I can't believe you're still a fan of someone who's dissed his own team the way he has.

C'mon Ickey, get real dude. Chad's a monster. He's a stud. You know he can help this team. As long as he's a part of this franchise, I'll have his back. Marvin says he's not going anywhere, get over the past. Lets move forward. He'll catch TD's and everyone will cheer. You know it, I know it. That's just the way it is.

[ansaraaj]

AGreen,

Chad actually signs plenty also. Nobody signs as much as Carson, but Chad does sign fairly regularly. I've had no issues getting Chad to sign items, but now his disappointing behavior makes me want to get rid of his stuff from my Bengals Mancave.

Alex

[Ickey44]

You seem to be the only person with that opinion on this board. Did you see the Chad Johnson that was a stud last year? I sure didn't. He caught a lot of balls, yes. But he never once came through when it mattered. He consistantly dropped third down passes, fumbled right before he would've scored a touchdown and then sat there pouting instead of trying to get the ball back, and was generally a negative influence on the rest of the team.

Five of his eight touchdowns last year came in two games. Where was he the rest of the year? This stud you talk about would be there every down, every play. TJ caught TD's in eight straight games last year. Why couldn't Chad do that if he's such a stud?

I think you've drank too much a Chad's koolaide, brotherman. Go back and watch some of last year's highlights on NFL.com and see how much you see Chad Johnson in them. You won't find him as much as you think you will.