Sports Illustrated?

[Topps206]

People who play sports and appear on the cover often do other things in life. Such is the case with John Laskowski.

Laskowski was the first Indiana University basketball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and he now owns a Culver's up in Bloomington, which is just more than an hour away from me. I went there yesterday to meet him, since my SI and pen had just arrived by mail.

However, he was out of town and was not there. I was bummed out. They called him and I talked to him by phone. He offered to sign it and send it back by mail if I left it there, but I told him I wanted to meet him. I asked if he would be there today. He said he would be, and I got there this morning.

The man couldn't have been nicer. He was very polite and obliging. The signature itself turned out okay, but I'll cherish the memories of how polite and courteous he was. He was kind enough to take a picture with me as we took off our masks and put his arm around me. Then, we talked a bit of IU Basketball.

He has his jersey framed on display, along with his cover framed and other framed IU basketball SI covers. He also has a framed picture signed by Bobby Knight. Knight bought a place in Bloomington not that long ago, and he regularly frequents the Culver's, as he was there as recent as Tuesday.

Knight used to go inside, but because of the virus, he now uses the drive-thru. Laskowski also has a picture on display of him and his son with Knight. I asked him if he was there this year when Knight returned to Assembly Hall, and he said he wouldn't have missed it for the world.

I love getting SIs signed, no matter what, and while Laskowski does sign by mail, this was a memory I'll never forget.