Brady's Big Bucks not making many Cleveland fans

Brady Quinn autograph$ ...

Browns quarterback Brady Quinn made an appearance at Great Northern Mall in suburban Cleveland to sign autographs Saturday afternoon, but fans weren't pleased when they got there.

A local TV station reports that the lowest-priced item Quinn would sign was a $75 signed picture. He charged up to $225 for other merchandise.

Several fans called NewsChannel5 saying they thought they could bring anything for the Browns QB to sign. But then they found out they had to buy either an autographed picture or previously signed merchandise. They said there was no advertising that autograph seekers would have to pay. The station tried to reach mall officials and the local radio station which sponsored the event, but could not get any information.

 

Very, very stupid move by Quinn. The guy's not even freaking signed yet. Chump move.

 

Remember when autographs cost nothing? It's a business now, though. I know they've got to make money for their signature, and probably deserve it in a setting like Quinn apparently was. It just sucks that plenty of people -- probably loads of kids -- couldn't bring their own stuff with them.

I doubt it was a move suggested by Quinn. More than likely, it was his agent's or promoter's move. Perhaps something done by the team, as well. That's how these things work.

 

Totally agree. The guy obviously has bought his own hype.

Mike -- I think one thing that really ticked people off was that the event, apparently, wasn't advertised as such (like, "you can't bring your own picture to sign, you have to buy one of the ones provided for $75 or whatever"), so people came with all kinds of things and then learned that they couldn't have those items signed and they had to pay for the autograph. It's not Quinn's fault that the event wasn't handled/marketed well, and he is just a kid, but if you see that a bunch of people are pissed off you might want to break script and just sign some extra things or sign some things for free.

He's already wearing thin. Remember, too, that Cleveland has already had to deal with the K2 hype and attitude. I'm sure they're sick of the junk from guys who haven't done anything.

 

What hype? Most of the NFL guys said he'd be a good quarterback at best. A lot of other "experts" thought he was a product of Weis' system at ND and that he'll have no chance in the NFL because he's too mechanical. Guy is obviously an idiot. He's from the Cleveland area and he's doing this? What a dope.

 

I'm old enough that I couldn't care less about getting an athlete's autograph. But it amazes me that people will actually pay for somebody to sign something and kind of makes me think that P.T. Barnum was right.

But, as I found out when I took my kids to an MLB game recently, kids still love to get an athlete's autograph. But I'm not paying anything for my kid to get an autograph. If an autograph means something to you, doesn't it mean more if you got it after BP, for example, rather than having to pay for it?

 

Sorry, but the memorabilia pimps and the autograph hustlers, who infest hotel lobbies with 12-year olds at 3 a.m., are the most loathesome people on the sports landscape. I'd make them all pay triple just for being dickweeds.

 

BUT HE WAS QUARTERBACK AT NOTRE DAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S THE GREATEST PLAYER EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER! CHAAAAAAAARLIE WEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIS LOVES HAMBURGERS!!!!!!!!!

 

I don't disagree with any of that. It would infuriate me if I were going to a David Wright signing and was bamboozled into buying a jersey I already owned, just for him to ink it. I'd take a picture of him from the line and walk away with a negative story, too.

 

I guess I am, too. Back before I started doing media I was around a number of guys through the gyms I would go to and through JDV, but I just never had the impulse to get their autographs. I mean, how is that so meaningful? Of course, now there's money in it but, honestly, that makes me even less desirous to get them as I would imagine the person giving the autograph would probably just think I was doing it for $$$ and not for a momento.

melock -- Good points. There's a reason Quinn sank like an anchor, I guess Wally
Szerbiack's kid brother didn't get the memo. It really makes it tough to root for someone like that.

 

No doubt, FB. They are sesspools. Totally without scruples. "Pimps" is a very fitting word.

Mike - Great points. I mean, who wouldn't walk away to write something bad after that?