Ugliest Autograph you have ever seen?

Sean1125

For me it would probably be Marian Hossa...

I think he needs to go back and get some edumacation

This is real autographs not faked ugly autos

byronscott4ever

Verand Morency--basically a checkmark
Maurice Ager--basically the letter A

MeteoriteGuy

Have to go with Verand Morency. I would more call it a partical checkmark.

MooseDog

This should be a fun thread...I recall seeing a football player who just signed "v".

Since the rise of identity theft, sports agents have advised their clients to not use their "real" signature when signing "autographs". That is probably why most autographs these days are illegible.

On the other hand, these days top athletes can get pushed through school without ever having learned anything, so maybe there are just more illiterates in sports now.

Also, now that autographs are produced and sold assembly line fashion, athletes are probably encouraged to sign many items quickly in single sittings, leading to sloppy writing habits.

I'll have to go through my closet and see if I can find any "vintage uglies".

MooseDog

<< <i>Have to go with Verand Morency. I would more call it a partical checkmark. >>



That's the guy!

vladguerrero

Hossa's signature is cool, it's a symbol like the artist formerly known as Prince!

zep33

Chris Johnson

itzagoner

i don't think that's Hossa's sig so much as he just draw a cute little diagram of a tobaggan.

Dboneesq

Not too sure you could make out the name on this one without knowing who it was.

byronscott4ever

Shawn Marion's got a bad one too. I'll say this though, it's bad but it's ALWAYS been that bad. I recall getting it IP his rookie year just a few games in and looking at it going "huh?"

CrazyMind2017

Jeff Nelson is just a bunch of loops. Chuck Knoblauch signs CKee.

NickM

Stanislav Neckar (former NHLer) does a jagged up-and-down line that looks like the wave symbol from the ESP tests. Back when I was opening boxes of 1994 Classic NHL Draft, I always hated finding one of his autos.

Nick

mj23kg21

Nick Swisher has a pretty ugly autograph.

Dboneesq

<< <i>Nick Swisher has a pretty ugly autograph. >>


Yup ... but did you ever see his wife? LOL

Nathaniel1960

I have Ryan Klesko on the sweet spot of an official NL ball that I got in person, and there is no way you could tell who signed. It's basically an X.

nightcrawler

I really like the Hossa auto, it has character and style. I think it means brave warrior in Klingon.

hammered

Then there are those young athletes who don't yet understand the concept of an autograph.
I suppose we can forgive Ronald, since he looks like he's not yet out of grammar school:

scashaggy

brendanb438

<< <i>Then there are those young athletes who don't yet understand the concept of an autograph.
I suppose we can forgive Ronald, since he looks like he's not yet out of grammar school:
>>




This one for the win. I mean this kid really doesn't know how to sign his own name? WTF. Would love to see the reaction from whoever it was with the card company who opened up the return stickers with this kids sig on them.

Dboneesq

You'd be surprised how many adults there are that CANNOT write at all in script.

Sean1125

I used to sign my name, until I eventually got lazy and now it looks like an S with squiglies after it

otwcards

<< <i>You'd be surprised how many adults there are that CANNOT write at all in script. >>



It is estimated that more than 32 MILLION Americans are illiterate. Keep in mind that many of the autographs mentioned are foreign born players. In fact, some of the Soviet and former Soviet Bloc countries have a completely different alphabet and their signatures do not represent English writing as we know it. Have you seen the early signatures of most of the Asian born players? Again, not English, so maybe they should be cut some slack.

willsohl

Guy's
The one in my collection that is the worst is Ahmad Bradshaw of the NY Giants, Its pretty much an "A" & "B" with tails on the ends.

on the other hand Brett Gardner has a nice neat sig but its only a BG with an 11.


Cool Thread.

otwcards

Two of the cleanest and nicest signatures of current players would be Mariano Rivera and Bruce Chen. Ironically, they are both from Panama (yes, Chen is from Panama).

swartz1

Auto

MULLINS5

Most of the Wayne Gretzky's are horrible looking, especially for the price he charges.

KeepItWarm

I've done automotive design for 23 years. Straight out of high school. Perfect, block printing was a must back in the days when we were drafting on boards. And since CAD workstations have come along, we type.

I sign my name in a sort of wild scribble...but it looks how I want it to look. When I'm not signing my name, I still write in perfect, block printing.

Writing in cursive/script? I could do it...but it would look like an 8 yo did it.

yankeesman

I've gotta go with Greg Maddux. Nothing like seeing what looks like a hair from the nether regions sitting on your baseball card.

cubfan89

Is it me or do more of the old timers have nicer signatures than the current millionaires? Mike Vicks auto is so bad I heard Psa refuses to slab it. Is this true?

MULLINS5

<< <i>Is it me or do more of the old timers have nicer signatures than the current millionaires? Mike Vicks auto is so bad I heard Psa refuses to slab it. Is this true? >>



Not sure about the Vick but you're absolutely right on with the old timers. I've met a lot of the older retired hockey players and they really stop and take their time with signing your item.

edit to add here are a couple nice autos from old timers...

Bobby Hull




Maurice Richard

Dboneesq

In general, the old timers sigs are MUCH nicer than the current players.

One guy that has a GREAT sig is Andre Dawson. I have a TTM from him 20+ years ago and one from a current TTM.. Both are very neat sigs.

PS As another has mentioned, my sig is illegible as well. However, if I HAVE to sign my name neatly I do. And I don't get paid for it! LOL

itzagoner

oldtimers were not worried about computerized forgeries and thieves. remember that.