Miracle Monday: 7 Players Cast Perfectly in Miracle

Happy Monday! Before we get started, is that picture not the cutest thing you've ever seen? Look at those happy faces. :)

Anywho, I was recently digging through my computer and came across something I'd made almost two years ago, when my Miracle fandom was still fresh and new: side-by-side comparisons of the real team and the guys cast to play them in Miracle. And, I gotta tell you, some of them blew my mind a little bit. I hadn't been aware that the casting directors, y'know, used a cloning machine. So in light of my re-discovering my discovery, I thought I'd post some of my favorites. Because, really, it's amazing.

I'll give Patrick O'Brien Demsey and Mike Eruzione an honorable mention. ;)

Nathan West / Rob McClanahan

I'm convinced that these two are secretly related, because they really look like twins. But they have matching personalities too; when Nathan was cast, he sent Mac an extensive questionnaire to learn every minute detail about him, and threatened to move in with him if he didn't fill it out. If that's not the most Mac thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is!

Michael Mantenuto / Jack O'Callahan

Again, do these two share genes or something? They've got the same crooked smile, and they were both the first guy to drop his gloves; OC led the Olympic team in penalty minutes, and Michael got into a fight with another player during auditions. Talk about accurate.

Eddie Cahill / Jim Craig

Gavin O'Connor, the director of Miracle, has actually commented on how uncanny the resemblance is between Eddie and Jim, and had Eddie pegged for Jim immediately because of it. (Eddie had never played goalie before, but that was neither here nor there.) And do you want to hear something cute? These two still keep in touch and tweet at each other occasionally. :)

Kris Wilson / Phil Verchota

Extra bonus points to the casting directors for finding Phil's doppelganger despite his relatively small part in the movie. Kris has both Phil's scary intense face and joyful smile (and we know how important Phil's smile is). And while Phil wasn't the goon he was believed to be, he certainly wasn't afraid to get into it… and Kris is the all-time leader in penalty minutes at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Too excellent.

Nick Postle / Bill Baker

I can't find any information about Nick as a person. But between that smile and that beautiful blonde flow, I'm totally here for him as Bill.

Sam Skoryna / Steve Janaszak

Again, I couldn't tell you a single thing about Sam. Except that he's a complete dead ringer for Janny. (Excellent stache, my friend.)

Billy Schneider / Buzz Schneider

I don't even think Billy and Buzz look all that much alike. But casting a player's son to play him? You can't really get more accurate than that!

Miracle Monday: Superlatives, Part 2

Happy Monday! Is everyone ready for the second half of superlatives? I've got to say, this has been so much fun. I really wish I could make it last another few weeks, but you know what they say about too much of a good thing. Alas. (Click here if you missed part one!)

While several other guys on this team have been called Picassos on ice, Eric here was the true creative-type artist of the group. He'd have random streaks of brilliance, and then equally as random streaks of nothing. But when he was brilliant, his hockey was like a work of art. He'd often confuse his own teammates with his unpredictability on the ice, and he even had the head-in-the-clouds, quirky personality stereotypical of artists. So, really, the ice was his canvas!

Mac here has just about everything you'd find in a president: an insanely brilliant mind, the ability to be friends with athletes and academics alike, good looks, business smarts, interview skills and an ease in front of the camera, and the ambition and ceaseless drive to make things happen. The more I think about it, the more surprised I am that he hasn't held a public office yet. With this man in the Oval Office, we'd all be in very good hands!

The job of a dad is to be a support system, and Janny fits that to a T. As the backup goalie he didn't play very often, so his role became that of supporting his teammates. He sharpened skates and had words of encouragement for teammates who had a bad shift, pushed Jim Craig to the top of his game, and was all-around just there for everybody. And he always did it happily.

If everyone in the world was more like Buzz, I firmly believe there'd be no wars. Seriously. He's always warm and humble and giving, and was often the focus of Herb's abuse because Herb knew that not much would get to him. On top of all that, the U.S. government has already sent him to Turkey to teach hockey, and he still keeps in touch with some of the kids he coached. I mean, come on. Give the man an award.

It may seem odd to award Best Athlete on a team of athletes, but let's look at Rammer's resume. In high school he was a state tennis champion, an All-City football player, and the best hockey defenseman in the state. Then he attended the University of Minnesota, working his way from junior varsity to varsity starter in less than a season; was the first American ever taken in the first round of the NHL draft; was a starting defenseman on the gold medal-winning Olympic team, where he was known for his aggressive hitting and offensive style of play; and went on to a 17-year NHL career (including four all-star game appearances). The dude could play.

Wellsy had to hustle for his entire life, largely because being a smaller athlete ain't no walk in the park. From the time he was a kid he had to work to prove himself against the odds, even starting college on a partial scholarship before becoming one of the best scorers in the country. He had to bust his butt to make the Olympic roster, and then once on the roster he had to bust his butt to make the team. And then after the Olympics, he had to bust his butt to take his life back after a debilitating injury. His work ethic is tireless!

Guys, Silky's ability to better himself is truly inspirational. As a hockey player he wasn't the best skater, and Herb frequently told him so, but he worked on it relentlessly. He started the Olympics on the fourth line, but managed to play so impressively (even scoring the team's first goal of the Olympics!) that he played the whole medal round on the first line, with the fastest skaters. And when he started struggling with alcoholism, he attacked the problem and turned his life around. Nowadays he competes in triathlons and is in better shape than he was 15 years ago. Amazing.

This is almost a cop-out, because it's just so easy. Ken was known for his solid, dependable presence on the blue line, and goalies loved playing behind him because they could rely on him so completely. I mean, there's a reason he won an Olympic gold medal and four Stanley Cups in four years. There's also a reason why he spent his entire career, from his days as a player right up to Director of Pro Scouting, with a single NHL franchise: Ken Morrow is as reliable as they come.

Jim Craig is a pretty amazing human being. Not only has he befriended some of the Russian players (pictured is Vladimir Myshkin), but he's also incredibly aware of his role on the team and the responsibility he holds. Instead of hogging the attention, he takes so much care to appreciate his teammates and ensure that some of the unsung heroes get recognition. At the 35th anniversary reunion alone, he went out of his way to draw attention to the accomplishments of Steve Janaszak, Eric Strobel and Neal Broten in lieu of himself. Like I said, amazing.

Look at Steve's game face. Is that not the face of someone you'd trust to lead you into battle? Steve was known for being brooding and intense, not saying much but always looking like something was brewing under the surface. He was able to basically score goals at will and simultaneously had the reputation of being a good fighter: so basically, he was the ultimate package. Herb often singled him out for abuse, just to round out the revolutionary stereotype. And he's a pilot. That's a good skill for a revolutionary to have, right? :P

And that concludes our superlative adventure!

Miracle Monday: Jim Craig

Dang, guys, can you believe this is it? I mean, not it it -- come on, do you really think I'm already out of things to say about this team? LOL, please, we've only scratched the surface -- but this is the end of the roster. #20 of 20. That's kind of unbelievable. When I decided to go in numerical order, I made that choice knowing that it was a sacrifice: I'd have to wait more than four months to write about Jim Craig. But now, here we are. (Not that this is the first time. And hey, remember when I met him and it was the greatest? And remember when he followed me on Twitter and I almost had a heart attack? Yeah, Jim is kind of a thing around these parts.)

FUN FACTS

+ Jim started playing hockey on a frozen pond near his house, and started playing goalie because of a trio of fantastic reasons: 1) he played catcher in baseball and liked that playing in goal meant wearing similar gear, 2) he didn't know the rules of hockey and figured, stopping a puck, how hard could it be? And 3) playing goal meant he never had to be off the ice. His talent was overlooked for a long time, even though he went 53-3-1 in high school, and he ended up spending his first year of college at Massasoit Communitty College. But Jim had the cockiness and swagger to prove himself to just about everyone. He won himself a scholarship and the starting job at Boston University and led the Terriers to the national championship in 1978. As the backup goalie on the 1979 world championship team, he held the U.S. to a 2-2 tie against Czechoslovakia (the second-best team in the world), and that performance convinced Herb that Jim would be his starting goalie on the Olympic team.

+ Considering what he's most remembered for, it probably doesn't come as a surprise that Jim was (and still is) the ultimate family man. His mom died of bone cancer in 1977 and he was very affected by her death, and he's said that his dad was his best friend. He grew up in a house with seven siblings and loved that family atmosphere; during the pre-Olympic season, instead of living in an apartment, he moved in with the team doctor and his wife. This let him hang onto the family feeling and save the money he'd be spending on rent, so he could send more of his stipend home to his dad. (What a gem, right?!) Having so many siblings also made Jim a bit of a loner, as he loved being around his teammates but didn't mind going off on his own and carving out his own space. Between that and his extreme self-confidence, he had a bit of a knack for alienating people. But for all the people he rubbed the wrong way, he had just as many people who loved him for all his quirks.

+ Jim was the Olympic team's starting goalie from day one, playing in 41 pre-Olympic games and earning a record of 30-8-1. He also played every minute of every game in the Olympics and, as you probably already know, played absolutely out of his mind. But to get the full scope of just how epic Jim's performance was, let's look at how the scoring broke down; in the seven Olympic games, he let in nine goals in first periods, three goals in second periods, and three goals in third periods. He literally got better the longer he was on the ice. Is that epic or what?! Herb wanted to rest Jim in some of the easier round robin games and give Steve Janaszak some ice time, but Jim flat-out refused, and the coaching staff opted to stay with his momentum and hot hand. And, uh, guess that ended up working out okay. :P And then, of course, Jim etched himself into America's heart for all eternity when he searched for his father in the stands after winning the gold medal. :) (I've watched that numerous times now and am never fully emotionally prepared.)

+ After the Olympics, Jim's life sort of exploded into a whirlwind of fame. He'd been drafted by the Atlanta Flames in 1977 and was playing in his first NHL game within a week -- but in that week, he experienced a perpetual media blitz to the point of developing a tension ulcer. Atlanta already had two goalies and didn't need a third, but the team was facing bankruptcy and relocation, so they used the newfound American hero to rejuvenate things a bit. But not even Jim could keep the flames in Atlanta, and he was traded to the Boston Bruins when the franchise moved to Calgary ('cause, y'know, Canadians don't really care about American heroes). Jim played fairly well with Boston, but his fame alienated his teammates and injuries hampered his playing, so he ended up in the minors and then picked up by the Minnesota North Stars. But he still couldn't overcome injuries and never quite found his footing in the NHL, and retired in 1984.

+ If Jim's pro hockey career was a bit of a letdown... his professional business career has been anything but. He's worked in sales and marketing for several decades, does motivational speaking and corporate coaching, started his own company... I mean, hello, check out that resume. He's hugely successful.

...And in January I ran into him in an elevator and somehow managed to keep a straight face. Still not totally sure how that happened.

He also happens to be every bit as nice as you could possibly hope he'd be. More so, actually. I was blown away. He's kind of the best.

And that brings this stage of Miracle Monday to it's end. OMG. I hope you've all enjoyed these last 20 weeks as much as I have! Stay tuned for next week, though, as things will be looking a little different but equally as fun! :)

Things That Make Me Charlie White Happy, Part 2

This was one of those weeks when my Tuesday post went live and I immediately thought, "...welp, I have no idea what else I'm going to talk about this week." Seriously, I have the rest of my posts for the month all nice and planned out, but today's box on my calendar was empty and taunting me. Rude. So I dug into my archives and am recycling one of my old post ideas. :)

The last time I wrote about things that make me Charlie White happy was right after a really bad week, and I just needed a way to keep myself from bursting into stress-induced tears. This week, however, wasn't bad. It was actually on the good side of average. But we all need to focus on the happy things anyway, right? There's no reason to just plod through the week without some positivity!

Also, just as a reference for those of you who don't already know, this is Charlie White:

He's an Olympic gold medalist ice dancer (in case you were living under a rock during Sochi 2014), and don't you want to be that overjoyed about life? He gives new meaning to the term "happy dance." But I digress. Here's what had me happy this week!

+Jim Craig following me on Twitter. GUYS. I retweeted one of his tweets and not long after, I was eating lunch, minding my own business, and I see THIS!

I had food in my mouth. I'm not even ashamed to say I almost choked. I'm still freaking out a little bit.

SERIOUSLY. Be still my heart! (Yeah, like that's ever going to happen when Jim Craig is concerned.)

+Embracing discomfort. I've lived most of my life by the motto "fake it 'til you make it." If you don't know how to do something, pretend you do and figure it out. Well, my job is something that's very much out of my element. I've been given a huge project that I have zero background or expertise in. And I'm confident in my ability to figure it out and learn, but I'm completely not confident in the work I'm actually producing. So I flat-out told my boss: I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm trying, but I've never done this before, and I have no idea if it's right, and I will definitely need help. Oddly enough, that made me so much less uncomfortable! It's a huge relief to know that she knows what to expect (or what not to expect), and she's gone out of her way to be supportive and give me a safe space to get help and "have an ugly day." I'm still not totally comfortable with the prospect of ugly days (there's a smidge of perfectionism in me), but I do like that I'm allowed to have them!

+Dusting off my Photoshop skills. I like making things for fun, and it had been awhile since I'd had to silhouette anything. It feels good to practice that a bit and play graphic designer! Though I did forget how miserable it is to silhouette hair. (It's that perfectionism again.)

+Finding out we have Veteran's Day off of work. Woop! The good thing about having never gotten the yearly holiday schedule is that I get to be pleasantly surprised when we have a day off. We had to work on Columbus Day, but this coming Tuesday is blissfully free!

+Rediscovering old items in my wardrobe. Hey there, girly moment. But for real. I dug out a couple of pairs of boots I haven't worn in forever, and wow, I'm totally re-obsessed with them. I'm patting myself on the back that I even thought to bring them to Colorado with me, because I seriously haven't worn either pair in at least a year, maybe two. But they're super cute, and will go to great lengths in reinvigorating my winter wardrobe! Does anyone else get ridiculously bored with your clothing options every season? I'm already dreading the monotonous rotation of warm clothes during the winter months. So two new-old pairs of boots gives me two new options, which I'm pretty pumped about.

+It's sweatshirt weather! Okay, by "monotonous rotation" I really just mean work clothes. 'Cause I'm SO excited to dress for cooler weather on the weekends! Slouchy boots, fleece-lined leggings, sweaters... and there are few outfits that make me feel more like myself than a pair of jeans and my Miami sweatshirt! Speaking of which...

+FSU week is coming up! I might be slightly less enthused about this come next Saturday night, BUT Miami football takes on FSU next weekend! It's a rivalry game, and FSU is ranked No. 2 in the nation, and we pretty much just flat-out hate 'em, and Miami's been playing well recently. So hopefully it'll be a hell of a game (and result in our first win against FSU since my freshman year in 2009)!

And with that, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend that makes you Charlie White happy! :)

5 People I'd Pay $30 To Meet

Earlier this week, I was chatting with Brandon and we ended up on the topic of how I met Jim Craig and Buzz Schneider. Brandon has met Jim Craig for professional reasons, and got to interview him (and also Mike Eruzione and Mark Johnson and let's. not. talk about it.), while I met them at an autograph show for about $30 apiece. Always one to defend my own sanity, I mentioned that the list of people I would pay $30 to meet is very short. I mean, it was on my bucket list to meet Jim, and I named my car after Buzz. I'd only pay to meet people who are very near and dear to my heart.

That prompted quite an interesting discussion as we both mulled over who exactly we would be willing to pay $30 to meet. This "meeting" means an autograph, a picture and a brief conversation. It was actually kind of hard to even make a list at all, and took a good amount of thinking, but I finally came up with my picks!

For some reason, I fell in love with Kristi when I was barely older than a toddler. Actually, I think that reason may have been because she played Jasmine in Aladdin on Ice. I'd really love to meet her just so I could tell her I wrote to her when I was five. And that she wrote back to me. Aaaaand that I still have the note she sent me.

I loooove Apolo. I think of him whenever I yawn particularly big. Is that weird? What can I even say about this dude? He's probably my favorite modern-day Olympian, and he will forever hold a place in my heart.

I feel like I mention Pav really super frequently on this blog (or maybe I'm just confusing this with Tumblr...), but that's because he gives me all the feels. I mean, not only was he an absolutely ridiculously talented hockey player, he's short and quiet, so I feel like we're kindred spirits. And in addition to that, he's kind of a hermit, so if he were ever to emerge and do an autograph signing, I'd pay that $30 in a heartbeat. Hell, I'd pay several times that! And probably cry tears of joy.

Personally, I'm more in awe of Eric's Olympic achievements than pretty much anyone else's in the history of ever. By far. I mean, hello, he swept every speed skating gold medal! Let Usain Bolt start winning marathons in addition to the 100m and then we'll talk about greatest Olympic achievements! But wow, if I ever get to meet Eric Heiden, I'll have to work really hard to pretend I'm not starstruck.

If you're looking for a guy that singlehandedly changed the face of his sport forever, this is him. All high jumpers now use the technique first developed by Dick Fosbury. No exceptions. It's pretty amazing. He's the definition of revolutionary. And legendary. And probably a bunch of other -arys.

If we're being real about this, I could've easily included a solid half of the Miracle on Ice hockey team on this list (especially since my Jim Craig and Buzz Schneider extravaganza was originally supposed to include Mark Johnson). And I would've included R.A. Dickey, but I've already met him... for free. Aw yes. :)

What's kind of interesting is that I think there are different tiers of being willing to pay to meet someone. The people I listed are the people I'd pay to meet without even thinking about it, hands down, no questions asked, willing to go by myself. But I'm sure there are more great athletes I'd decide to pay to meet after weighing the situation a little, and rolling it around in my brain. (See also: John Carlos. You can't say no to meeting a legend like that!)

I also tried to think of non-athletes I'd pay $30 to meet, but I only came up with two: Jon Bon Jovi and J.K. Rowling. So clearly we know where my priorities lie!

What about you, friends? Who would you pay $30 to meet?

Mayhem And A Miracle

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Wait, somebody's already used that lede? Shoot. 

Like any good saga, this one begins MONTHS ago -- like, still-living-in-Miami months ago -- when I randomly discovered That '80s Show. Basically, it's an autograph signing/meet-and-greet with athletes from the 1980s, and this one was featuring about three quarters of the Miracle on Ice hockey team. And it was being held in New Jersey, an hour away from where I live, in December. Um, twist my arm! It immediately went into my mental calendar. I planned on going, come hell or high water. (Lol, oh, little did I know.)

Several months go by and, lo and behold, my internship (in Colorado) gets extended through the end of December. But when have I ever let a little thing like that get in my way of something I want to do?! I gathered up my airline miles, cashed in a half day off of work won in the Halloween costume contest, bought tickets to meet three of my favorite players (Jim Craig, Buzz Schneider and Mark Johnson!), and prepared to fly home for a weekend (on Friday the 13th). Craziest thing I've ever done? ...Er, yes, probably. (What does it say about me that I have to seriously think about the answer to that question?) But I did this responsibly!

And then disaster struck. During my layover, I checked the event's Facebook page only to see that 20 minutes earlier, the event had been postponed due to an impending snowstorm.

Y'know, there's something about morosely eating McDonald's in the Dallas airport that makes you question your life choices.

The airline wouldn't let me just turn around and go back to Colorado Springs, so I spent a few days at home for no real reason. I DID marathon all three Toy Storys with my dad, though, so it wasn't a total loss. But whatever. Let's not talk about it.

This past weekend was the new date for the event, which was a great silver lining for being home! Mark Johnson had canceled, though, and Jim and Buzz were now going to be there on different days, which meant trekking into New Jersey TWICE, but whatever! It was happening! I was psyched! And on Saturday, I woke up to my dad telling me that Buzz the car had just gotten a clean bill of health from his mechanic just in time for me to go meet Buzz the person. Perfection.

My plan was to take the LIRR into Penn Station in New York City and take the subway to Port Authority, where I'd catch a NJ Transit bus to where I needed to be. Everything was going like clockwork until I hopped off the C train at Port Authority and realized...

My phone was gone.

I effing got pickpocketed! For the first time ever! In my home city! I can't even explain to you how angry I was. Still am. Forever will be. UGH UGH UGH UGH UGHHHHHH.

Thankfully I managed to keep my head and immediately headed for a payphone -- 'cause apparently they still exist! -- to call my parents. They had my phone suspended and disabled and whatever the heck else, while I now faced figuring out New Jersey sans communication, internet and Google maps.

I managed to remember which bus I needed and which stop to get off at without a problem... but never fear, problems abounded as soon as I got off the bus. I'd Google mapped the route from the bus stop to the venue before I left my house and thought it looked super easy... but lol, not so much. I was lost, man.

So there I was, wandering around Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, without a cell phone, in a cold drizzle. I asked four different people I ran into for directions and, I kid you not, each of them barely spoke English. I found myself walking along a highway without a sidewalk, and slogging through muddy puddles, and slipping on ice remaining from last week's deep freeze... and, since I didn't have a phone, I didn't know what time it was. I had budgeted a ton of extra time into my schedule, but I had no clue how long anything had taken once I left Port Authority. It was a very real possibility that I wasn't going to make it in time for Buzz's 2:00 signing start time. Or, y'know, that I'd get hit by a car. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

But at long last, I found the venue. Soaking wet and borderline emotional, yes, but I finally arrived. And at 2:02, no less! I picked up my tickets, bought a photo to get signed, and headed inside. The signings were done in groups hour by hour rather than all at once, so from 2-3 it was Buzz, Dave Christian, Eric Strobel, Mike Ramsey and Neal Broten. And hey, there they were!

Note all the Devils fans lining up for Broten. :)

I was finally starting to get excited again! Which meant I had to figure out what I was going to say to Buzz when it was my turn to meet him. My plan since May had been to tell him about my car, but I'd been hesitant about coming across as creepy and weird. But then I thought, well, the day had already gone to hell in a handbasket. If Buzz thought I was a total weirdo, it couldn't make it any worse, right?

I had a little bit of a wait before my ticket was called, but it wasn't too long before I was approaching the table. Buzz is seriously the most friendly-looking person on the planet, so without even thinking I greeted him with, "Hi! How are you?" Because, you know, that's a totally normal thing to say when meeting one of your heroes. He signed my photo, and I got the guy behind me in line to take a photo of us together. :)

I may've looked and felt like a drowned rat, but I totally couldn't care less! :D (That also happens to be Eric Strobel in the background.)

And then I opened my mouth.

"I don't mean for this to sound creepy... but I named my car after you."

He burst out laughing, actually looking utterly delighted. "Oh! I sure hope it's still running!"

"Oh, it is, it's a good one! It's definitely living up to it's namesake!"

Still grinning and chuckling, he said, "You just made my day!"

And you, Mr. Schneider, just made mine. (Which totally isn't saying much, considering how craptastic it had been up until that point, but that's so not the point.) I made his day! Sheesh. So, uh, that went far better than I'd imagined it would! I smiled to myself all the way home, even as I had to awkwardly use a payphone in the middle of Penn Station.

Yesterday, I headed back out there way too bright and early, armed with my dad's iPhone and a renewed paranoia about every person I came into contact with. Since I now sort of knew where I was going (and had Google maps at my disposal! Woop woop!), I made it to the venue with close to an hour to spare, though windswept to within an inch of my life. Seriously, New Jersey, what the heck? But hey, there was no walking along the highway, no ice, and only minimal puddles!

I decided to sit in the lobby and kill some time before heading into the show. After about half an hour I hopped into an empty elevator, and when the doors opened on the correct floor... there he was.

Jim Craig. Standing right in front of me. Waiting for my elevator.

Like I said in this post, if you want to feel like your stomach dissolved, run into your favorite athlete unexpectedly.

We made eye contact. Smiled at each other. I got off the elevator, and he got on. We had a moment.

 I was totally content with my experience already at this point, but y'know, I figured I might as well get what I came for! So I headed inside to wait and was greeted with the sight of about a million people more than the day before. And I finally had the wherewithal to take some appropriately bloggy photos.

Unsurprisingly, there was quite a wait to meet Jim, but I'd also purchased a ticket for a photo opp (necessary, yes? Yes). Those were being done before he started signing and, due to the crowds and some general confusion, I ended up being the last person to get a photo with him. They'd actually brought him to his seat already, and had to bring him back just for me. Heh, whoops? :)

I was surprisingly calm, considering that meeting this guy is on my bucket list. But he's so. freaking. nice. After a lifetime of meeting fans, it'd make sense that he's kind of over it... but he isn't. He was insanely friendly and his smile looked totally genuine. When I walked up to him, he greeted me with, "Hi! How are you?" Like, uh, exactly what I'd said to Buzz the day before. Cue Twilight Zone music. I somehow gathered my brain cells enough to respond, "I'm good! How are you?" So, y'know, he said he's good too, and then the photographer did his thing!

Drowned rat in one, windswept in the other, and I still don't care!

Afterwards, he turned and shook my hand. "It was nice to meet you."

Yet again, my jaw scraped the ground. "It was nice to meet you too."

He smiled. "Have a great day!"

Well, Mr. Craig, I didn't get a phone stolen from me today and I'm going to be getting your autograph within the hour. So I'd say my day is going to be A-OK!

Of course, I didn't actually say all that.

(I wonder if he was that nice to everyone. Not to say that I'm super special or anything, but I was a girl there by herself in a room mostly full of older men. And his kids are right around my age, so I wonder if I was meeting Jim Craig the dad. Or maybe he's just well-practiced enough at this kind of thing to know how to put people at ease. Whatever it was, I was thrilled. THRILLED.)

After that, it was a whole lot of waiting. Autograph tickets were numbered, with the idea being that they'd call numbers to minimize waiting time. Well, after 45 minutes, numbers 1-40 had been called. I was ticket #59, and there was a guy near me with #123. Sheesh, talk about time management, folks. That left 15 minutes to get through at least 80 people. Cool.

So, the autograph signing basically turned into an assembly line. I got my photo signed at 11:59, and there was no real time to chat with him. :( That was a major bummer, especially since I didn't actually say anything when I was one-on-one with him. But he was so wonderful that I'm finding it hard to stay too upset!

And with that, this nutso epic finally came to an end. I finished off the weekend with a pint at an awesome Irish pub in Times Square with some of my study abroad friends, and it was great. :)

All in all, I don't think I'm a fan of the whole autograph signing "show" thing. I mean, they charged money for everything. Want to get into the event? Money. Want an autograph? Money. Want it personalized? Money. Want a photo with the player? Money. And let's be real, it was a ton of effort too. So this is definitely not going to become a regular thing for me at all. But to meet the players I met? Heck, I'll treasure these memories forever.

Verdict: so, so worth it.

(...And if you have an old iPhone that's looking for a new home, gimme a holler. For realz.)