[Chicago Slices raw: Sports Collectors Convention #1]

Stoney Burke goes to a sports collectors convention at Chicago's McCormick Place. He tells jokes and interviews players, vendors, and buyers.

00:00Copy video clip URL Weak audio signal. Stoney Burke interviews an attendee at a sports collectors convention who complains about the disorganization, long lines. Burke walks through the convention records an introduction.

01:10Copy video clip URL Audio improves then weakens again. Videographer records cases of old baseball cards. Burke wanders while pontificating about baseball. He looks at some of the items being sold including a score card from 1944. Videographer records a video monitor screening a video showing how baseball cards are made.

02:28Copy video clip URL Audio improves. Burke re-records his introduction and enters the convention.

03:24Copy video clip URL Bears mascot appears and showboats for the camera. B-roll of attendees and Burke sticking his head through a photo stand in of  a baseball player in action.

04:26Copy video clip URL Host approaches baseball player Jim Palmer and asks him if he prefers real grass or artificial. He prefers real grass. Burke continues on and asks the same question to a Howdy Doody doll. He approaches player Phil Niekro who says this is his first time at a convention. He says he plays golf and works with Major League Baseball in the marketing department. He says he prefers real grass and says the domes and artificial grass don’t appeal to him. He needs the feel of real sun and wind, the smell of real grass. He says he hasn’t bought anything at the convention yet, but might buy an old 1920s glove.

07:19Copy video clip URL Burke shakes hands with Buffalo Bob Smith of Howdy Doody fame. He says the promoters of the convention invited him to appear and perform. Says he noticed baseball has a faster ball, smaller strike zone, and takes a little longer to play but it’s still the greatest sport of all. If Howdy could play baseball he’d be a designated hitter.

08:48Copy video clip URL B-roll of the convention. Burke approaches player Johnny Bench signing autographs and asks if he prefers real grass or artificial. He says its hard to play golf on fake grass.

10:27Copy video clip URL Burke wanders through lines and crowds and interviews attendees. One man says he’s waiting to see Johnny Bench, one of the all time great catchers. He’s not sure what he’ll ask him when he meets him. He suspects he’ll ask something about his career.

11:18Copy video clip URL Video drop outs. Burke talks to more attendees. One young man says he standing in line to meet Frank Robinson. Another said he collected 10 autographs yesterday and is waiting for Frank Robinson now. The autograph he’s most proud of is Hank Aaron. He says Mike Schmidt charges fifty dollars for his autograph. He doesn’t think it’s too much to ask for an autograph because Schmidt rarely signs autographs.

12:35Copy video clip URL Another attendee talks about his autograph collection and the 16 he wants to get today. He says the wackiest play he ever saw was Cal Ripkin in a razzle dazzle run down. He also thinks Jose Canseco getting hit by a fly ball on the head and bouncing over the fence also ranks as one of the craziest plays.

13:55Copy video clip URL A youthful attendee says he’s here to see the memorabilia. When asked “what famous athlete do you look like?” he responds, “no one’s ever told me I ever looked like an athlete.” Another attendee says he’s looking for Y.A. Tittle for an autograph. Another shows a homemade chart showing autographs of famous players. He says Mike Schmidt’s autograph was the most expensive. He comments that his basement is covered with sports memorabilia. When asked if he thinks money spoils the game of baseball he answers that it spoils the hobby.

18:55Copy video clip URL Player Harmon Killebrew is approached and asked if he likes real grass or fake grass. He says he prefers real grass. Playing on fake turf bothered his knee so much he had to quit playing. When asked what it’s like to see his face on a baseball card he says he never thought much about it. He says he tries to buy some items while at the convention. If he knew what all was sold at a convention he would have saved more of his stuff.

20:48Copy video clip URL Burke approaches a female attendee trying to get Tom Seaver’s autograph. Another is a dealer and exhibitor and NBA radio broadcaster. He is getting Seaver’s autograph for friends. He says Bill Russll’s rookie card is his most valuable sport memorabilia possession. He says he prefers real grass to artificial turf.

22:44Copy video clip URL Burke approaches player Bob Feller who says he loves being in Chicago. He prefers real grass because it causes fewer injuries. He comments that he is also a collector and has a baseball from Babe Ruth. He says he thinks Roger Clemens is arguably the best pitcher today. He says its great for marketing to have fans vote for all-star players. He thinks the best way is to have the coaches vote for players on other teams. He comments that the wackiest play he’s ever seen was a fly ball that was hit with bases loaded. The ball fell between third and home, the catcher and third baseman both ran for it but seeing each other approach backed off allowing the easy out to drop in fair territory allowing everyone to score. The catcher yelled to the third baseman, “Didn’t you hear me wave!?”

26:35Copy video clip URL B-roll of attendee posing at a photo stand in poking their face through the cut out. Burke interviews the young fan while posing through the cut out playing the part of the player in the photo stand in.

29:06Copy video clip URL Burke interviews young attendees, teen boys. They are here to get autographs and collect baseball and basketball cards.

29:32Copy video clip URL Video drop outs. Stop/re-start digitizing. One teen says basketball is more fun than baseball, the other says the opposite. They say they are locals from Chicago. Another kid says he’s with his family looking for memorabilia and that his prized possession is a Shaquille O’Neal card.

32:38Copy video clip URL Audio drops and re-appears. Burke interviews a card show dealer who is disappointed that some of the stars who were supposed to show did not. Says he’s been collecting for 15 years, but the increase in prices is taking the fun away. The dealer notes that he will not pay for an autograph and thinks there should be a cap on big league salaries. He thinks basketball is growing in popularity.

36:34Copy video clip URL Four takes of Burke’s intro standing on a second level with the convention in full swing behind him. There is also various b-roll of convention activity.

40:00Copy video clip URL Burke sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and chit chats with various passerby as he wanders the convention. He stops a young attendee and engages in idle conversation. The attendee says his most valuable possession is a Nolan Ryan rookie card.

43:30Copy video clip URL Burke approaches a man from Grand Rapids, Michigan and a man whose son has a display at the convention. One man notes the wackiest play he ever saw was seeing Luis Aparicio score from second on Mickey Mantel on a fly ball to center field.

44:48Copy video clip URL B-roll, videographer Hercules wanders through the crowd on the floor of  the convention focusing on vendors and attendees.

46:00Copy video clip URL Burke interviews an attendee who owns a memorabilia shop.

46:35Copy video clip URL Video drop outs. Stop/re-start digitizing. The shop owner says he’s paid forty-five dollars for a Mickey Mantel card and that his prized possession is a Willie Mays card. He opens a brief case to show all the memorabilia he’s bought to take back for his personal collection as well as for his shop to resell: various cards, autographed baseballs. When asked which baseball player he feels he most resembles, the shop owner laughs and says “I don’t think I resemble any of them!”

50:23Copy video clip URL Burke next to a photo stand in of Karl Malone. He playfully asks to camera, “Where are all the basketball players?”

51:28Copy video clip URL B-roll of convention activity, a multi-screen display of baseball highlights.  Burke talks to an attendee about to get his picture taken in a hockey uniform. He says he’s bought hockey and basketball cards and that he prefers real grass to artificial. He says he has paid for autographs. He paid three-hundred dollars for Roy Campanella’s autograph.

53:48Copy video clip URL B-roll of fans putting on a hockey uniform and having their picture made into a collectors card. Burke talks to the subjects, young and old, as they pose. He asks one fellow what it feels like to wear the outfit. He responds it feels, “Yuck inside.” He’s not sure how many people have been wearing the gloves before him. Burke chats with a young boy having his photo made and to the photographer who says he does this work mostly in Canada. He’s has his picture made in many times in various uniforms.

56:24Copy video clip URL Video drop outs. Stop/re-start  digitizing. A young boy putting on a Cubs jersey is interviewed with idle questions has he poses. Burks follows the kid as he waits for his card to be made. He chats with another kid who card is recently made, and to the kid’s father who also got a card made. The conversation is idle about favorite teams and players. Burke asks if there are tennis cards around.

59:24Copy video clip URL Burke interviews an attendee about what it’s like being him. He says it’s hard because he wants to be someone else: Ollie North.

1:00:05Copy video clip URL Interview with a vendor who makes minted cards. He shows cards he makes cast in bronze and describes how he managed to get a licensing deal with Major League Baseball and Topps. He says his top of the line is his Nolan Ryan card. He says he produces 5,000 copies in bronze of any one player and 1,000 cast in silver. He shares a display that shows how the casts are sculpted and made.

01:02:51Copy video clip URL END