Meeting Barry Sanders

I had a rare opportunity to meet an NFL legend last weekend when Barry Sanders came to Minneapolis for an autograph signing with FanHQ.

It has been quite a few years since I have made the trek to Minneapolis for a signing event, but this is one that I felt warranted the extra effort. After all, how often does one have the opportunity to exchange pleasantries and ink with one of the all-time greats at their position? I made plans far in advance, because it would take a certain amount of money for this, and in this situation, I wanted to go big. 

A signed card or photo simply would not do. I wanted a full-sized helmet. 

I did my research, mainly by looking at ebay auctions, to see which helmet version I would like. The decision came down to either a traditional silver helmet, similar to what the players wear on game day, or a colored modern version that works with their alternate uniforms. I ended up deciding on the modern blue, and boy, does it look fantastic!

In some ways it was an easy decision, but in other ways, not so much. I was tempted to go the traditional route. Not only is the silver and blue an iconic look seen in every photo taken of Barry Sanders, but the logo itself is a little different, with the lion being more of a solid silhouette. But for me, it came down to what I see as eye appeal, meaning, I want someone from across the room to see it and know exactly what it is, and boy does that silver POP off of the blue helmet. 

It has been quite a long time since I went to a signing at FanHQ. Looking at my old memorabilia blog, Not Pulled From Packs, it has apparently been almost six years, when I made the trip to get autographs from eventual Baseball Hall-of-Famer Joe Mauer and former American League MVP Justin Morneau. Even in the time has passed, a lot of the FanHQ staff has remained the same, and the event was run with the same efficiency and professionalism as all the others I have attended. 

Sanders was incredibly generous with his time, meaning that he took the time to not only meet the customers' specific requests, but also gave a friendly greeting, shook their hand, and had a short conversation with every single person. As an added bonus, he had a guy with him who would take your phone and snap photos of the interaction. As one FanHQ staffer told us, he doesn't want people to be overwhelmed trying to get photos of him signing, and wants them to be able to enjoy a full interaction and experience. 

Now, I have a cousin who is a life-long Lions fan. Just on a whim, I sent him a text the night before, just to say, "Guess who I get to see tomorrow!" It didn't take long for him to respond with a "Get me one!" Even when I told him the price, he Venmo'ed me the money a few minutes later, and he ended up with a helmet, too! Although with his, I made the call to go with the more traditional helmet, and it looks fantastic as well!

It was a fantastic experience overall, and Sanders really gives people the most value for their money spent. As soon as I get my hands on a decent case, and figure out where to put it, this will absolutely be one of the cernterpieces of my collection.