By Tim Kelly
Donna Govan was ready.
The Ocean City resident got up early Saturday morning and walked from her home a few blocks away from the Music Pier for a chance to meet Philadelphia Eagles’ all-purpose back Darren Sproles.
Govan was rewarded with the first spot in line to interact with Sproles, one of the headline attractions at the second annual Sports Memorabilia Show.
She wore her number 43 white Sproles Eagles jersey, her Eagles-themed sneakers and she held her Eagles Super Bowl Champions football for Sproles to autograph. And because this is Ocean City, Govan sat in a beach chair as she awaited her chance.
“I’ve been an Eagles fan my whole life,” Govan said. “I had no choice. I was bred into it.”
She was not alone. By the time Sproles finished an engaging question-and-answer session with fans in attendance and was ready to begin signing autographs, hundreds of people were queued up behind Govan. The line went to the back of the historic building and snaked all the way around to the entrance.
Later in the day, Phillies fans took over, for a chance to meet former player Matt Stairs, the all-time major league leader in pinch hit home runs. Among those was a titantic clout in the 2008 League Championship Series, which helped propel the Phils into the World Series, which they won over the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.
There were also dozens of vendors on hand, selling everything from trading cards to autographed stadium seats. Kids had the opportunity to take part in interactive sports games. There seemed to be something of interest for every sports fan.
Fans paid a $40 fee to meet Sproles, which entitled them to one autograph and a selfie picture. The cost was $20 for a Stairs autograph and selfie, or for $55, fans could meet and greet both Sproles and Stairs.
Govan said she planned to give the autographed football to her grandson, Kevin Coulter, as a present for his eighth grade graduation. Sproles also gave her a free signature on the back of her jersey.
Matt Hollihen, of Vineland, was in line with daughter Carli, who wore a green 43 jersey and said Sproles was her favorite Eagle. She said she cried on Christmas morning when she found the jersey under the tree.
“I love watching him, and I begged for this jersey,” she said.
Stephen Mahoney and Terri Nowotny, of Whiz Kids Forever, a Marmora-based memorabilia dealer, said they enjoyed chatting with the fans.
“We’re local and this is the only show we do,” Mahoney said.
His merchandise included one of the oldest known Phillies pennants and a collection of memorabilia formerly owned by Eddie Gottlieb. The late Gottlieb owned the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors basketball team and was one of the original NBA coaches and owners.
“This is a great show, they (Ocean City) do it well here,” Mahoney said, as a young fan perused the hundreds of baseball cards available at his table.
Clearly, the star of the day was Sproles, a 14-year veteran who is in negotiations to play one more year with the Eagles.
During the question-and-answer session moderated by city official Mike Allegretto, Sproles seemed to indicate he wanted to come back for another season, eliciting applause from the crowd.
“We’ve had talks, and I will make my decision in May,” Sproles told the group.
However, he talked about the Eagles in the present and future tense. Published reports indicated both coach Doug Pederson and Sproles, who is an unrestricted free agent, would like to work something out.
One of the things that makes him want to continue his career in Philadelphia is the fanbase, he said.
“I love the fans here because they are so honest,” he said. “If you’re doing bad, they will definitely let you hear it. They also (support) us like no other fans. Honestly, when I’m out on the field I don’t hear anything because I am so focused on what we have to do. But when the defense is out there, I can get a sense of how loud they can get.”
Sproles said the championship parade, which transported the players up Broad Street to the Art Museum in front of an estimated million jubilant fans, was a lifetime memory.
“The parade was off the charts. I’d like to experience another one,” he said, bringing more applause.
