Sports Illustrated?

[Topps206]

I took a vacation day to go to Louisville today. Well spent.

I found Will Wolford's 1994 SI cover at the card shop a couple of weeks back, and decided to try to do something different and pay him a visit to where he works now. I went to the receptionist, and after a few minutes, someone told me to come on back and told me to wait in a room. I told him I was there for something later in the night and asked if he'd be kind enough to supply his John Hancock for my SI, and he was gracious and took a photo. He couldn't have been nicer, nor could have the other workers there.

After spending some time at the Louisville Zoo and a nice meal in downtown Louisville, I head on over to Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville and wait more than an hour for Kentucky Basketball legend Jack Givens, who is famous for being the Most Outstanding Player of the 1978 Final Four and scored 41 points in Kentucky's National Championship Game. I knew he'd sign for me, but I also knew he was going to talk for an hour and then do his book signing. A lot of people turned out and went to another room for him to talk.

I greet him by the front door and tell him who I am, that he agreed to sign for me and would love to hear him talk, but I have an hour-and-a-half drive back and an early day at work tomorrow, and he was so kind enough to sign and take a picture. So, I'm tickled pink.

I didn't pay a single penny for Wolford or Givens.

I also recently got back a sending to a Michigan signing for Steve McCatty, who signed his 1981 cover that featured him and five other Oakland pitchers. I know Matt Keough has passed, not sure how I'll be able to track down Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Brian Kingman. Not bad for $10 and they sent a COA.

Three new signed covers, plus Andy Katzenmoyer earlier this month. Heck yes.