Humbled and Honored... A Day Which... Shawn Voelker

A day which still lives in infamy for me ~~~> November 10, 2011.

     So, to explain better -- My twitter friends Ronnie @BgRedRedemption and Kevin @InTheGapShirts (check this site out) are always on twitter and do a ton of cool charity work. They also create, design, and market sports apparel, which the proceeds go to charity. As you can tell, some really good guys.

     One day I read a tweet about a raffle for a @shawnvoelkercom original painting. (check him out) He was going to do a Sam LeCure picture. Me being a big Sam fan, I had to buy tickets. (I would have no matter what, it was for a great cause.) Shawn found out I bought more than just a few and did something very special. Shawn put my name in his painting. He mentioned that the name represents all Reds fans. (I hope to live up to that responsibility.)

Here is the original painting

You can't see my name in this image, but my name is upside down on the ball glove where the manufacturer label normally is stitched.

Here is a pic of my name

My twitter avatar background has not changed since that day. It never will again.

Sadly, I did not win the original painting. I did purchase a print, just need to get it framed.

Thanks Ronnie, Kevin, and Shawn - all I can say is AMAZING Gentlemen. One of my most prized memories in this Reds Fans life.

Thanks all and Cheers from the Cheap Seats.

Sabres 12/16/2011 - Reds too, in a weird way!

Good morning all. It's been quite some time since my last blog. Days seem to run into each other and time passes like it was never there. I've had some great experiences but just haven't had the time to write about them. Friday night was another great day in the life of this Sabres Reds fan.

Alicia (my sweetie) and I went to Buffalo, to the First Niagara Center, to see the Sabres v. Maple Leafs game. We got to the arena early because I needed to track down Sabretooth for a photo. See, I told someone I wa going to incorporate my other big fandom of the Reds into a Sabres photo. So, like a little kid, I'm walking around First Niagara, looking for a big furry mascot of the Buffalo Sabres.

About 30 minutes before game time I finally found Sabretooth. My girlfriend and I were eating but left the food behind to get this photo done. I tapped Sabretooth on the shoulder and asked if I could get my photo with him/her. Sabretooth was more than happy to indulge me.

The shirt I'm wearing in the picture is something I won from a twitter buddy named Jamie Ramsey. Jamie handles media relations for the Cincinnati Reds. I contacted Jamie Friday, basically to razz him a bit about a cool bobble head he has named Burt. Anyone in the Reds Nation knows Burt is Jamie's next of kin, an awesome bobble, and off the market for give away!

So, I mentioned I'd get his Better Off Red shirt in a photo with the Sabres mascot Sabretooth, to show him how much the BOR shirt and Reds meant to me.

So here it is:
http://twitter.com/#!/Tonester5/status/147832113067073536/photo/1

Like the Christmas Carol for Frosty the Snowman - there must have been some magic in that "BOR Shirt" I wore, because the Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4.

Thanks Sabretooth
Thanks Jamie
and thanks to everyone who reads. Thanks from the Cheap Seats.