What I Learned From My Favorite Hockey Players

A few weeks ago on a Saturday was the much anticipated "Meet The Players Party" where yours truly and yours truly JR, went to meet some of our favorite LA Kings players at the Home Depot Center.

The set up was really good - there were queues set up where you can get in line to get one autograph and one picture with the players and there was some games and free food/drinks. The doors opened at 1pm and the autograph session was from 2-4pm. I figured I'd show up at 1pm and see how it goes, my thing was for Jacob to get his jersey signed. I love how I have expectations of behavior and such from my 4 yr old.

So here are a few things that I learned that Saturday:

1) When in doubt - get there early and have a wingman!
Because I have never been to an event like this I didnt know what to expect. I took the Jakeman because I figured it would be fun for him and it was for like 40 minutes. Here's the story...we get there about 1:20pm and beeline for Luc Robitaille's (or Robi-tale as Jacob calls him) autograph line. As soon as we get there, they tell us that it has reached its capacity and so we move over to Pavol Demetria's line who is Jacob's other favorite player. While waiting in line we are eating food and just chatting and I'm trying to pump Jacob up about the whole thing (because we all know I was beside myself with excitement, right?) Does Pavol Demitra wears boxers...or briefs? I dont know, but I asked. No not him - some of the marketing crew was going around having the fans ask obscure questions and when put on the spot thats what I asked. God knows where "Kings TV" is - I'm assuming its going to be up on the jumbotron during a hockey game. Hopefully it will show the night I'm on the zamboni - anyone else notice the counter flip to less than 30 days!?!?!?!?

2.) Jacob really doesnt like to have his picture taken.
Here is the story: As much as a ham my kid is - for some reason he kept chickening out when it got to be his turn to take a picture. We waiting 35 minutes for Demitra and when we get there, he decides that he doesnt want to take his picture or have him sign his jersey.



So I convinced him that he could take his jersey off and hand it to players - that seemed to work, but only one of them got to take a picture with Jacob...






That lucky man was Mike Weaver.





3.) Sean Avery is a dick.
I know I really didnt need any proof of this but he left early - so did Demitra for that matter, but I like Demitra more.

4.) Michael Cammalleri is a fine motha-fucka.
I'll be damned if Cammy isnt freaking FINE! Just look at this picture - yeah yeah, it was too late to get in the line...if only...if only...

5.) George Perros thought I was stalking him.
This happened because I love my friend Monica from here to the there. She asked me to take a picture of George Perros and I found him signing autographs with Mathieu Garon (goalie) and instead of getting into the long ass line, you can stand off to the side and just take a picture of them and not with them (like animals at the zoo). So I'm standing off to the side and Perros notices me (swoon!) and asks why I dont get in the line. I point to Jacob (who by now is in a rather foul mood about the whole thing) and tell him that he doesnt want to wait in anymore lines but I was just going to take a picture of him. So he smiles - great picture! Bad focus. DAMMIT, so I take another one...again with the bad focus. By now he's looking at me and asks - "What? Arent you done?" I reply" uhhh, the camera's not working right" I had missed my moment, so this was as good as it got without drawing a restraining order on my ass.

6.) JR Rules!

Seriously do I have to say anything else about this guy? This is my new picture on my myspace profile and yes I told him that it was going on there. LOVE HIM!

7.) Matti Norstrom loves babies!
There is nothing sexier than a hockey player holding a baby (actually there are alot of things but we wont get into it here). He took like 10 pictures with this little girl - lucky bitch.

8.) Tim Gleason is funny as shit.
Like I mentioned before - you dont have to get into the line to take a picture of the players, only if you wanted a picture with them and/or signature. So it was the end of the day and we got to Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason's area and as he was finishing off he saw a couple of us taking his picture, he kept posing and telling us to just sneak in - that we could overrun the security guard. Very funny but I dont know if Perros would have the same opinion.


9.) Dont ever trust the Kings marketing team to tell you the truth.
A few of us got a chance to sneak as time wound down to meet Alexander Frolov. Since my wingman was being bribed to stay chipper (I owed him a King's helmet) I needed to get some responsible adult to take my picture with Frolov. So I ask the marketing guy to take my picture. He said that it came out great! And I grabbed my camera and ran to get some last minute signatures and pictures. I checked the camera afterwards.....BASTARD!