September 27th, 2003 - Toronto Maple Leafs Preseason Game

On Friday night, I called down to the box office to the arena to ask if there will be a practice on Saturday. They said that there isn’t one booked but if Pat Quinn wants to have a practice, he can. So me and my friend decided to go to the Arena on Saturday at 9:00 am. We thought there would be a practice at 10:00 am. When we got there, we ask the box office if there is a practice and they said there is one but they didn’t know when. They said it could be 11, 12 or 1. So we waited outside the Arena for players walking to the arena. The hotel was right next to the rink so the players would walk. A lot of rookies, and prospects where walking to and from the arena, so I didn’t get there autographs. But I did ask them when the practice was and they said at 1:00pm, and the practice was for players who aren’t playing in the game tonight. So that meant that Sundin, Mogilny, Tucker, Domi, etc. wouldn’t practice because I knew they would be playing tonight.
BEFORE PRACTICE
It was around 11:00pm when I seen 4 players go into a café. I thought Carlo Colaiacovo was in the group, but I couldn’t see because it was across the street. So I waited until they came out about a half an hour later. They crossed the street and when they got closer, I knew it was Carlo Colaiacovo. So I got him to sign one card for me. Around 11:30 – 12:00, players started to walk to practice. The first player that I seen was Travis Green. I got him to sign three cards for me. And when I was putting my stuff away about 5 mins later, he waked past me again and I said to him, could you sign another three cards for me please, and he said, “I will sign one for you”. I was trying to get the cards out, and then he told me that he had to go and he would sign all three after practice. So I said ok, and thanks a lot. He was the really nice about signing autographs. Owen Nolan came out of the hotel and by this time there were a lot of people around wanting autographs. So it was really hard to get stars. Owen signed one of my cards and then I knew I would have another chance to get him so I put my card away and got out my 8x10 photo out. I ran up to him again and he signed my photo for me. Then Joe Nieuwendyk and Mikael Renberg started to cross the street. They both said they were in a rush and would sign after practice but Nieuwendyk did sign for a few people. I got him to sign one card. That was all the players that came out for the practice at 1:00pm. Mostly rookies and prospects were practicing and I didn’t get there autographs because I didn’t have any cards.
AFTER PRACTICE
The only players that left the arena at 2:30 were Travis Green and Mikael Renberg. All the other players that practiced just stayed at the arena until the game started at 6:00pm I guess. I got Travis Green to sign 3 more cards like he said he would. Mikael Renberg was a hard player to get. But I did get him on 3 cards. While I was walking with him going backwards and holding on my binder, I almost tripped up on a pole. I almost dropped all the cards too while he was signing them.
BEFOR GAME
It was around 3:00 when players started to arrive to the game at 6:00. Bryan Marchment came out and I got him two sign three cards for me. I put my cards away and he was still signing for people. So, first, I took a picture of him signing and then I got him to sign for me again on my leafs program.
After I got Marchment, I went back up to the hotel. Ed Belfour came out and about 100 people swarmed him to get an autograph. I really wanted my plaque signed by him so I got it out. He took my sharpie and then said that he wouldn’t sign the plaque. So I was really pissed off. I didn’t say nothing to him but I did buy the plaque just for him to sign. So I got some cards out and he signed a card for me. I wanted him to sign a UD MVP card but he only signed one. Then Alexander Moginly came out and over 100 people were after his autograph too. He was flipping out because he was on the street while cars were going by. I got him to sign my set card and then I wanted to get him again so I put my card away and then got my 8x10 photo out. I ran up to him again and he said to everyone, “look, there’s Domi”, and I just started laughing because he just wanted everyone to leave him alone. Domi wasn’t their, lol. So after that, I got him on my photo. I don’t know how I got him two sign 2 things. My friend didn’t even get 1 autograph from him. Then Ric Jackman came out and he didn't really want to sign much either. I didn't have any cards so I wanted to get his autograph on my leafs program. While he was signing for people, one kid tripped up and landed right on his ass. It was crazy. Ric signed my leafs program after that. After I got Jackman, I looked over to the Arena, and I thought I saw a player. I ran and it was Tomas Kaberle. Not one person asked him for his autograph. Maybe they didn’t see him or something. So he went into the Arena and I stopped him and said, “Tomas, could you sign some cards for me” and he turned around and looked at me and said yes. So we both went to a table and I got him to sign my 3 cards and 1 photo. I said to him, “thank you and have a good game tonight”, and he said, “thanks a lot, I will”. It was wicked because I was the only one to see him and I was the only one who got his autograph. I went back to the hotel to wait for more players. Pat Quinn came out and I was the first person to get to him. He started to sign my leafs program and a load of kids ran up to him and they hit my binder a bit. Pat Quinn stopped in the middle of his signature and said too all the kids, “settle down!!!” He looked pissed. Then he finished signing the autograph for me. Pat signed for everyone. I say he was signing for at least 20 to 30 mins. Me and my friend then went farther up next to the door were the players came out. Alexei Ponikarovsky was on his cell phone, so I waited for him to get off the phone and got his autograph on my leafs program. Then I saw Rick Ley, the assistant coach of the Leafs. I had a chat with him for awhile about the game tonight. I asked him if Belfour was playing and he said that he wasn’t. Then he told me that Mikael Tellqvist would be playing tonight. I really want Belfour to play! Oh well. Robert Reichel came out and he said he would sign. Me and my friend were the only people that were there. So I put 3 cards on my binder and he only signed one. I thought he would sign them all. I guess he thinks he is a star or something. He is the worst forward on the Leafs, lol. I started talking to the bus driver of the leafs asking him if they were leaving for the airport right after the game, and he said yes. So, me and my friend decide that we would go to the airport after the game. It was around 4: 30pm, I went into the hotel lobby to look for some players that weren’t playing in the game tonight. I seen some rookies and some baby leaf players like Mike Minard. Then, I was looking outside at all the people on the streets waiting for players coming out of the hotel. And I seen Joe Nieuwendyk run across the middle of the street to the hotel, so I ran outside to get his autograph. And there were only about 5 people that wanted his autograph. I guess no one recognized someone in a suit, running across a 4 lane street, too a hotel, lol. That’s good for me. He signed two cards for me. We waited around longer at the hotel and we didn’t see anyone. So we went over to watch the game.
AFTER THE GAME
The Leafs lost the game 5-1 against the Senators. But there were 5 fights and Tucker and Marchment laid out two players with a clean check in the middle of the ice. It was awesome. When me and my friend came out of the rink, we seen two buses and we knew both teams were getting on them. So we waited around the exit from the arena. There were hundreds and hundreds of people waiting for autographs, or a chance to see the players. The first person that came out was Mats Sundin. First, I go him to sign my set card. And then I remembered about my Sundin plaque. So I got the plaque out really fast, and by this time Sundin was almost on the bus. So I ran right in front of him and he signed my plaque! It looks awesome. This one is going up in my room. After Sundin came out, about 15 employees from the arena came out and told everyone to move back away from the buses. They said the players don’t want to sign autographs. That really sucked. So me and my friend headed over to the airport. We have a small airport so we thought they would be easy to get. We waited and waited and no bus came. After 1 hour and a half, we were getting pissed. So we asked a security guard and he said the teams already left. He said they came from the back of the airport. Because they had a Charter flight, so they didn’t have to go through security and stuff. So that was a waste of time going to the airport.
It was a good day for hounding, but I did want more autographs of some of the stars. I didn’t see Darcy Tucker or Tie Domi the whole day. The hotel manager told me that Tie took a cab to the arena. The arena is a 10-second walk from the hotel! I guess Domi didn’t really want to see his fans. Bryan McCabe, Nik Antropov, Gary Roberts, Trevor Kidd didn’t make the trip. I know this was a long hounding story, but this will be my only one this year.

October 23, 2003 - Cleveland Cavliers vs. Toronto Raptors (pre-season)

Today, the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers were playing a pre-season game here in St. John’s, Newfoundland. So on game day, I went to the arena at 11:30 to see if the Raptors were practicing or not. They were practicing but no one was allowed in. So I waited outside by the bus to get the players leaving the practice. It was funny because, the players were going to get on the bus and then drive 5 seconds to the hotel. They all should of just walked to the hotel, because it would of taken them less then a minute, lol. Well, I only had a photo for Vince Carter to sign, and nothing else for anyone else. So Antonio Davis came out and I got him to sign my binder. Then the BODYGUARD of the Raptors came out, and he told us no autographs and back up. There were only 5 or 6 of us there. So we didn’t get anyone else. But we did see all the players getting on the bus and stuff. Then when all the players were on the bus, we all ran over to the hotel to try and get them again. This time I got Alvin Williams and Morris Peterson. They both signed my binder as well. The bodyguard was there again and when I tried to get Vince Carter, the bodyguard said, “NO” and he took me and threw me to the side. And I said to him, “calm down man!” and then he just looked at me, like he was going to kick my ass, lol. Vince wouldn’t sign for anyone. He didn’t say anything and just walked into the hotel.
This was my first time hounding basketball. I think its stupid that the team has a bodyguard. No NHL teams have bodyguards. Maybe they have one because the players are all pussy’s, unlike hockey players, lol. It was wicked seeing all the players tho!

Any comments on my hounding stories send them to pforward@hotmail.com