A real class act: Vince Young photo-ops @ $99 ea. [Archive]

View Full Version : A real class act: Vince Young photo-ops @ $99 ea.

emersonbiggins

3/13/2006, 10:31 AM

A regular franchise operation...

By Suzanne Halliburton

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, March 12, 2006

blah...blah....

Hundred of fans lined up Saturday to pay $99 to have their picture taken with former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young, who went pro after winning the Rose Bowl.

"I didn't say anything to him," said LaForce of his encounter with the former Texas quarterback.

Young gave up his final year of eligibility at UT after the Rose Bowl to turn professional. He has moved back to his hometown of Houston to prepare for next month's National Football League draft, in which he could be among the top three players selected. For six hours Saturday, though, he was in his adopted hometown of Austin, wearing his old Texas jersey, posing for $99 photos as part of a promotion at the Co-op.

"I'm just having fun — being Vince," Young said.

During lulls in the line, Young watched the Longhorns' 2005 season DVD or joked with the kids who tried to sneak an extra peek at the quarterback who fi- nished his career at Texas riding a 20-game winning streak. Photographs cost money, but handshakes and friendly banter with the children were free.

Fans began lining up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, 90 minutes before the promotion started. By mid-afternoon, more than 500 people had purchased the $99 tickets, which garnered them an 8x10 machine-autographed photograph; a T-shirt bearing Young's image; and a handful of seconds basking in Young's glory.

Although he won't sign a multi-million dollar contract with an NFL team until late spring or early summer, it's incredibly profitable to be Young these days. "His off-the-field deals can be very lucrative," said Major Adams, Young's agent and a Houston attorney.

Young has signed a four-year, $600,000 deal with TriStar Productions, which specializes in sports memorabilia. A standard rule in the industry allows the athlete to pocket about a third of the asking price for autographs or photographs, so Young probably earned roughly $16,500 Saturday for six hours of work.

He was paid to do a private signing last week for the employees of a Houston furniture store, and an appearance at a Houston department store landed him $10,000. In late January, he participated in an autograph show in Houston, where fans paid $79 for an autograph to $99 for a picture. Young signed 2,000 autographs.

Show organizers said the last time an athlete was in such demand was in early 1999, when Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams appeared at the show after finishing his UT career.

Southern California All-Americans Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, who are expected to join Young at the top of April's draft list, are reaping similar profits. At an autograph show last month in San Francisco, signatures or photographs of Bush and Leinart cost between $100 to $119.

"This is a most unusual situation," said sports agent Leigh Steinberg, who represents Leinart. "It's hard to remember three more colorful or marketable figures coming out of college football."

Steinberg likened Young's popularity in Texas to what Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying in Pittsburgh. Steinberg called Texas fans "extra well-heeled, proud and enthusiastic."

"And after winning a national championship . . . they are going to buy everything that's not bolted down." ... (continued on site)

Austin American-Statesman (requires login) (http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/03/klw_vince_photos_03.html)

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/44/62/image_2662440.jpg

PrideTrombone

3/13/2006, 10:33 AM

I wonder if the paper had to pay $99 for that one.

XingTheRubicon

3/13/2006, 10:41 AM

"I can't believe I paid $99 to take a pic with someone half my IQ."

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/8864/image26624402pb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img469.imageshack.us/img469/2664/young3ce0dl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

mdklatt

3/13/2006, 10:42 AM

Can Vince even count to 99?

southern sooner

3/13/2006, 10:44 AM

I guess I have one question, why do I care what this thug is doing now? Shouldnt this be posted on a UT site....

emersonbiggins

3/13/2006, 10:54 AM

I guess I have one question, why do I care what this thug is doing now? Shouldnt this be posted on a UT site....

Just for reference - and to show just how stupid some people (and their fans) can be.

CatfishSooner

3/13/2006, 11:13 AM

zzz

tennsooner

3/13/2006, 11:33 AM

I first thought it said 99 cents. I was thinking well a bit pricey but surely someone will do it.:D :D

SoonerStormchaser

3/13/2006, 11:48 AM

http://img469.imageshack.us/img469/2664/young3ce0dl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Oh man...that just set the bar at an all time low! SPEK!!!

JohnnyMack

3/13/2006, 11:49 AM

**** him.

Readyfor8

3/13/2006, 11:58 AM

If I was a runner up in the Heisman Race and a National Championship MVP from the University of Oklahoma, I would probably charge for an autograph if I was in Southern California, but never in Norman. Lots of class there.

mrowl

3/13/2006, 12:19 PM

What the F?? "a machine autographed"

Its not even a real autograph!

JohnnyMack

3/13/2006, 12:44 PM

I will say that when OU and or LosuR players come to Tulsa for signings they generally run around $25 a piece. $100 a picture is just offensive.

I guess he needs to pile up all the cash he can before he goes Tony Mandarich on us.

Readyfor8

3/13/2006, 12:46 PM

TexasLidig8r

3/13/2006, 01:48 PM

XingTheRubicon

3/13/2006, 02:05 PM

Southern California All-Americans Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, who are expected to join Young at the top of April's draft list, are reaping similar profits. At an autograph show last month in San Francisco, signatures or photographs of Bush and Leinart cost between $100 to $119.

Seems to be an epidemic.

Yeah, but we don't blindly hate them...

well, not as much anyway

Desert Sapper

3/13/2006, 02:12 PM

I first thought it said 99 cents. I was thinking well a bit pricey but surely someone will do it.:D :D

You stole the words right out of my keyboard. :D :D

Readyfor8

3/13/2006, 02:28 PM

Southern California All-Americans Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, who are expected to join Young at the top of April's draft list, are reaping similar profits. At an autograph show last month in San Francisco, signatures or photographs of Bush and Leinart cost between $100 to $119.

Seems to be an epidemic.

Least they weren't selling it to thier home crowd. Next year when Vince falls out of the NFL Waterboy postion, he will be charging people in front of the stadium while they are on thier way into the game in the DKR.

caphorns

3/13/2006, 02:37 PM

Steinberg called Texas fans "extra well-heeled, proud and enthusiastic."

:texan:

I'm just glad he didn't say we were extra fabulous.

I'd say the misunderstandings here are cultural. I think you see why so many in the Texas crowd pay too much for sports memorabilia. They simply seem to have money to burn. They probably read Texas Monthly as gospel. $99 to them seems discounted. On the flip side, the soonerfans.com crowd is not likely to be described as extra well-heeled. Extra sociopathic and obsessive maybe. But not well-heeled.

JohnnyMack

3/13/2006, 02:43 PM

:texan:

I'm just glad he didn't say we were extra fabulous.

I'd say the misunderstandings here are cultural. I think you see why so many in the Texas crowd pay too much for sports memorabilia. They simply seem to have money to burn. They probably read Texas Monthly as gospel. $99 to them seems discounted. On the flip side, the soonerfans.com crowd is not likely to be described as extra well-heeled. Extra sociopathic and obsessive maybe. But not well-heeled.

I think he just called us f'in hillbillies.

3/13/2006, 03:18 PM

Texas Monthly as gospel?

That makes sense.

Desert Sapper

3/13/2006, 03:26 PM

I think he just called us f'in hillbillies.

What a F***'in ELITIST. :texan:

AZfanIII

3/13/2006, 03:35 PM

The first thing that popped into my mind was ****** bag. I could always be wrong though. Someone should take a Wonderlic test and ask him to autograph it.

Big Red Ron

3/13/2006, 07:07 PM

Electronic autograph...lol. That six is starting to seem legit.

Eielson

3/13/2006, 11:07 PM

They must've made a mistake. Vince Young should pay them $99 for a picture.

Eielson

3/13/2006, 11:09 PM

sooneron

3/14/2006, 11:16 AM

caphorns

3/14/2006, 11:24 AM

ron - I live in Katy. By definition, that makes me hick.

sooneron

3/14/2006, 11:28 AM

ron - I live in Katy. By definition, that makes me hick.
actually, worse!

I do like to play Cinco Ranch when visiting pops in Memorial!

caphorns

3/14/2006, 12:16 PM

actually, worse!

I do like to play Cinco Ranch when visiting pops in Memorial!

I'm in West Cinco so it gets us back up to the level of hick, not "worse" than hick. Still, the word "cosmopolitan" is used in these parts solely by hicks that either (a) can't remember the proper name for George Jetson's dog or (b) are trying to describe the Russian space program.

Have you played Meadowbrook Farms?

trey

3/14/2006, 01:34 PM

i guess none of you have ever seen jason white or billy sims charge for an autograph. hypocrites?

KC//CRIMSON

3/14/2006, 01:56 PM

Do I have to remind you numbnutz what today is?

http://hm.smugmug.com/photos/51810906-M.jpg

TexasLidig8r

3/14/2006, 02:02 PM

Still, the word "cosmopolitan" is used in these parts solely by hicks that either (a) can't remember the proper name for George Jetson's dog or (b) are trying to describe the Russian space program.

Tralvaz?

Big Red Ron

3/14/2006, 02:02 PM

i guess none of you have ever seen jason white or billy sims charge for an autograph. hypocrites?I have but they actually signed it with their own hands. Actually, I haven't seen or heard of JW charging for autographs. I have seen him do it for free.

JohnnyMack

3/14/2006, 02:10 PM

i guess none of you have ever seen jason white or billy sims charge for an autograph. hypocrites?

No ****nuts we never said that. I said that $25 for an autograph is more than enough to charge.

**** off.

caphorns

3/14/2006, 02:14 PM

Tralvaz?

No. It's perestroika or something like that. The KGB runs it. It's where they send a bunch of monkeys and cosmopolitans into space.

TexasLidig8r

3/14/2006, 02:34 PM

No. It's perestroika or something like that. The KGB runs it. It's where they send a bunch of monkeys and cosmopolitans into space.

:rolleyes: No No No.. the Jetson's dog.. BEFORE he was renamed Astro....

And the KGB only sent cosmopolitans up in pink colored space ships.

trey

3/14/2006, 03:05 PM

No ****nuts we never said that. I said that $25 for an autograph is more than enough to charge.

**** off.

oh, now you get to decide how much is enough to charge. maybe jason and billy should charge $99, sounds like vy was raking in the cash.

JohnnyMack

3/14/2006, 03:11 PM

oh, now you get to decide how much is enough to charge. maybe jason and billy should charge $99, sounds like vy was raking in the cash.

Again, he should do that. As much as possible. As quickly as possible. Dude is ready to be a permanent guest on either Hollywood Squares or The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

trey

3/14/2006, 04:40 PM

[QUOTE=JohnnyMack]Again, he should do that. As much as possible. As quickly as possible. Dude is ready to be a permanent guest on either Hollywood Squares or The Best Damn Sports Show Period.[/QUOTE
"dude" will still have a bigger bank account and as many natty champ rings as billy and jason combined. you're a clown johnnycrack

JohnnyMack

3/14/2006, 10:52 PM

Again, he should do that. As much as possible. As quickly as possible. Dude is ready to be a permanent guest on either Hollywood Squares or The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
"dude" will still have a bigger bank account and as many natty champ rings as billy and jason combined. you're a clown johnnycrack

You're a poo-poo head.

sooneron

3/15/2006, 09:54 AM

Everyone knows that a cosmopolitan is what lid drinks with pinky extended.

sooneron

3/15/2006, 09:55 AM

I'm in West Cinco so it gets us back up to the level of hick, not "worse" than hick. Still, the word "cosmopolitan" is used in these parts solely by hicks that either (a) can't remember the proper name for George Jetson's dog or (b) are trying to describe the Russian space program.

Have you played Meadowbrook Farms?
nope, any good?

SoonerShark

3/15/2006, 10:03 AM

Vince Young can write?

SoonerShark

3/15/2006, 10:07 AM

I was embarrassed for the conference after hearing interviews with Vince. Of course, for pidgin English, he did fairly well. What is his native tongue? I wondered how Vince passed his English requirements to get into UT. I am not joking about the latter part.

SoonerShark

3/15/2006, 10:13 AM

I actually like Vince. He seems like a fairly decent guy. He is just not gifted with communications skills.

CobraKai

3/15/2006, 03:24 PM

"dude" will still have a bigger bank account and as many natty champ rings as billy and jason combined. you're a clown johnnycrack

The phrase "a fool and his money are soon parted" comes to mind. Actually VY would need about 50 more IQ points to qualify as a fool, so maybe he is OK.

TexasLidig8r

3/15/2006, 03:25 PM

The phrase "a fool and his money are soon parted" comes to mind. Actually VY would need about 50 more IQ points to qualify as a fool, so maybe he is OK.

What next? He'll probably get arrested for underage drinking of that 3.2 ****water at an NBA game!.. oh wait.. never mind.

1stTimeCaller

3/15/2006, 03:31 PM

What next? He'll probably get arrested for underage drinking of that 3.2 ****water at an NBA game!.. oh wait.. never mind.

Donny, you are out of your element, STFU!

;)

CobraKai

3/15/2006, 04:02 PM

What next? He'll probably get arrested for underage drinking of that 3.2 ****water at an NBA game!.. oh wait.. never mind.

AS long as he scores higher than Homer Simpson on the wonderlic....

Hook 'Em Horns

3/15/2006, 06:14 PM

Least they weren't selling it to thier home crowd. Next year when Vince falls out of the NFL Waterboy postion, he will be charging people in front of the stadium while they are on thier way into the game in the DKR.

It would be the first time I ever saw a millionaire do it.

Jello Biafra

3/15/2006, 06:16 PM

ron - I live in Katy. By definition, that makes me a dumb ***.

you're welcome :)

sooneron

3/15/2006, 06:18 PM

you're welcome :)
Greatness.

Jello Biafra

3/15/2006, 06:21 PM

What next? He'll probably get arrested for underage drinking of that 3.2 ****water at an NBA game!.. oh wait.. never mind.

maybe he can get a teaching certificate and volunteer at a learn to read program.

Poke fans tell me that dexter manley is always looking for some company........

chriscappel

3/15/2006, 06:39 PM

What a jack@$$!! He would have to pay ME to take a pic with him...

SkipTracer

3/16/2006, 07:29 AM

"dude" will still have a bigger bank account and as many natty champ rings as billy and jason combined. you're a clown johnnycrack

I think Rastus just called someone a cracker......:eek:

TJKDone

3/16/2006, 08:11 PM

With Class acts like Rhett Bomar around who can ever measure up?

Hook'em

Jello Biafra

3/16/2006, 10:06 PM

With Class acts like Rhett Bomar around who can ever measure up?

Hook'em

well lesee there's

ricky williams
cedric benson
larry dibbles
selvin young
ramonce taylor
cedric griffin

shall we continue?

Readyfor8

3/17/2006, 04:44 AM

It would be the first time I ever saw a millionaire do it.

So you are saying HEH that you have seen people do this before but they weren't millionaire's? I'm curious if you were alive the last time Texas had a Heisman Runnerup who was also the National Championship Game MVP or is Vince the First?

Sco

3/19/2006, 10:23 AM

I would have loved to have gotten my picture with him.... in fact, two of them... the first I would horns down and be wearing my OU stuff... the second I would wait till just before the camera went off, punch him in the face and make a clean getaway...

That'd be worth 198 bucks....

Boffingham

3/19/2006, 12:34 PM

would you pay 99 bucks to get your picture taken wearing a sooner jersey with vince young? i would...

MamaMia

3/20/2006, 10:51 AM

I can see making a buck off of the grownups but with as much money as these athletes make, I dont think they should charge a child to have their picture taken with them. That just seems tacky to me.

caphorns

3/20/2006, 12:27 PM

you're welcome :)

Jello - A little lesson in education. Katy ISD is ranked as a GOLD level school district (Top 17%) in the nation and is 1 of 9 school districts in Texas to receive this honor. Oklahoma had 0 GOLD level school districts. So don't call me unedumicated ;)

tbl

3/20/2006, 01:23 PM

What the F?? "a machine autographed"

Its not even a real autograph!

It's not funny to make fun of illiterates. He can't help it that he needs a machine to sign his pictures for him. Poor, poor, retards.

homerxsimpson

3/20/2006, 01:25 PM

I would wait till just before the camera went off, punch him in the face and get run down from behind, tackled and have my face pounded in by a 6-5 240lb elite college athlete while a crowd of devoted Vince Young loving Sips cheered him on...

Fixed that for ya.;)

Jello Biafra

3/20/2006, 05:55 PM

Jello - A little lesson in education. Katy ISD is ranked as a GOLD level school district (Top 17%) in the nation and is 1 of 9 school districts in Texas to receive this honor. Oklahoma had 0 GOLD level school districts. So don't call me unedumicated ;)

congratulations

can i have your autograph or something?

seriously, by show of hands, who gives fugg about katys gold levels? i just wanna know if the bish puts out

Sco

3/21/2006, 11:32 AM

Fixed that for ya.;)

Oh yeah. I guess that is what would happen.

tulsaoilerfan

3/21/2006, 06:10 PM

I think he just called us f'in hillbillies.
Think that would be POOR f'in hillbillies. :eek:

John

tulsaoilerfan

3/21/2006, 06:12 PM

Vince Young can write?
No, that's why they had to do a "machine autograph for him"; X's don't count.
:D
John

XingTheRubicon

3/21/2006, 06:29 PM

Jello - A little lesson in education. Katy ISD is ranked as a GOLD level school district (Top 17%) in the nation and is 1 of 9 school districts in Texas to receive this honor. Oklahoma had 0 GOLD level school districts. So don't call me unedumicated ;)

I guess that makes up for your lower literacy rate.

Jello Biafra

3/21/2006, 09:23 PM

I guess that makes up for your lower literacy rate.

well?!?!? does she put out????

caphorns

3/22/2006, 10:36 AM

I guess that makes up for your lower literacy rate.

Lets see what OU's literacy rate would be if you lopped on statistics from S. Texas. You forget that we have millions of border dwellers for whom English is a 2nd language.

XingTheRubicon

3/22/2006, 10:51 AM

Lets see what OU's literacy rate would be if you lopped on statistics from S. Texas. You forget that we have millions of border dwellers for whom English is a 2nd language.

That's still part of your <ahem> state.

Texcuses, texcuses.

FWI, the city of Dallas ranks well below OKC in literacy. Isn't Dallas down there by McAllen?

Falfurrias?

caphorns

3/22/2006, 03:05 PM

That's still part of your <ahem> state.

Texcuses, texcuses.

FWI, the city of Dallas ranks well below OKC in literacy. Isn't Dallas down there by McAllen?

Falfurrias?

I'm from the Houston area. I'm not here to defend Dallas for sh!t sake. Although in Dallas defense, you could the fat in this state by lopping off San Antonio and Houston.

Urban literacy rates are always lower. Obvious reasons.

XingTheRubicon

3/22/2006, 03:11 PM

I'm from the Houston area. I'm not here to defend Dallas for sh!t sake. Although in Dallas defense, you could the fat in this state by lopping off San Antonio and Houston.

Urban(not OKC, because there's only 1.1 million people) literacy rates are always lower. Obvious reasons.

fixed

Jello Biafra

3/22/2006, 05:49 PM

I'm from the Houston area. I'm not here to defend Dallas for sh!t sake. Although in Dallas defense, you could the fat in this state by lopping off San Antonio and Houston.

Urban literacy rates are always lower. Obvious reasons.

wait....

isn't the subject of this thread from the "houston area"? kinda ironic. no?
isn't it also ironic that we have had the better end of the deal when it has come to the "houston area" kids? so your "smarter houston area" kids are also smart enough to go north of the red river to oklahoma making the state of texas that much dumber and...........never mind.

you have to take the good with the bad.

as i told the titil8tor, we rock, you suck....... thanks for calling.

Readyfor8

3/23/2006, 03:39 AM

I didn't want to do this on no Horn Tuesday, but what is the deal with Texas and "State Pride."

No other state in this union can have virtually any random occupant list off KATY rates and State Rankings, no other University preaches its 50th position on the top school rankings by US World Report or some such nonsense. The fact is Texans on the whole have a giant chip on thier shoulder, they must prove that "everything is bigger in texas" even their ego's.

State Ego on the other hand ranks right up there with Nationalism IMO, Patriotism is one thing, Nationalism is another.