Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has been having a decent season on a bad football team. He was in the news a few days ago because of the horrible tragedy involving the linebacker Jevon Belcher on his team that killed himself in front of the coaches, after thanking them for everything. Belcher had just killed his girlfriend and drove to the stadium.  

A few of the more in-depth stories have brought up the fact that it was Charles wife who introduced Belcher to this woman. She was her cousin.

There are lots of different things we can say about that horrific event, and we can debate whether or not KC should’ve even played the game the following day (which they won).

Since we enjoy discussing autograph topics on this website, I thought I’d bring up a story involving Jamaal Charles that many of you will appreciate a lot more.

On November 25^th, the Chiefs were playing the Denver Broncos – a team that’s surprising a lot of people this year. Especially the fact that the aging Peyton Manning is still productive after more than a year and a half away from the sport because of a neck injury that many thought would end his career.

After the games you see players shaking hands and sometimes hugging, but a lot of people thought something else was rather odd after that game. It was the fact that Charles was waiting for Manning to come out of their locker room so he could get his autograph. A TV station aired footage of him waiting for the signature, with Charles telling KCTV he was getting it for his mom.

Usually when us autograph collectors ask, if we sense reluctance, we go the opposite way. We say we’re getting it for our kid.

I’m guessing Chiefs fans didn’t care for the fact that after a 17 – 9 loss, one of their players would do something they deem to be in poor taste.

In the tweeting world, Texans running back Arian Foster came to his defense. He mentioned that he got Charles autograph after the 2010 Pro Bowl and that he exchanges autographs with players “damn near every game.”

Charles tweeted a thank you, adding “…relax on the P Manning story, just two warriors showing each other respect.”

A few days later, another Chief was thrown into the story. Dwayne Bowe apparently posed for a picture with Manning. On that “controversy,” Bowe said “It’s a legend, I guess. It’s Peyton Manning. Who wouldn’t want a picture with him? If you had an opportunity, would you take it?”

The reporter talking to him said “Yeah, I’d like him to throw me passes, too.”

Now this is the part that may have upset a few players and coaches on KC. Bowe replied, “That too, but right now the best thing I have is a picture so I’ll live with that.”

A far more common practice among professional athletes is exchanging jerseys, or sometimes shoes that are autographed.

In Los Angeles, AM 570 radio host Pat O’Brien (former sportscaster and host of Access Hollywood), often tells a great story when it comes to autographs and memorabilia. He has three autographed basketball jerseys. The one jersey he regrets not having is Michael Jordan. He remembers being in the locker room after Jordan played his last game, and there was a pile of jerseys with the infamous number 45 (the number he took when he went to the Washington Wizards). O’Brien was looking at the pile, just a few seconds from walking over to pick one up. Jordan sternly looked at him and said “If you take one of those, I’ll never talk to you again.”

O’Brien, thinking it was unprofessional and not wanting to tick off Jordan, refrained from taking one. He now wishes he did, because he figures it probably wouldn’t have ended their friendship. And he’d have a 4^th cool jersey to hang on his wall.

Hey – sometimes it’s hard for us collectors of autographs and memorabilia, when it comes to acting “professional.”