Opening Night National VIP Party Draws a Crowd

Burgers, Chicago pizza and free drinks–the non-alcoholic kind anyway– can make for a solid start to what promises to be a busy convention week. Add in free signed giveaways and autographs from popular figures in three different sports and what you have is a fun opening afternoon for VIP passholders at the National Sports Collectors Convention.

 

Passholders were treated to appearances from Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, Football Hall of Famer Bob Lilly and former Chicago Bulls point guard BJ Armstrong.

 

 

The VIP Party started a hour before doors opened at the Stephens Convention Center, allowing attendees to grab some food and an autograph before being led into a side entrance to the show floor.

 

“This year has been great,” said Mark Gray, a regular VIP Party goer and collector from Elgin, Ill who was there with his 12-year old son. “The VIP gifts were better this year and there’s more space in this ballroom.”

 

It’s true. The food lines were more organized and they didn’t run out of any single food item. 

 

A raffle where you had to be present to win included a Nolan Ryan signed jersey and a basketball autographed by both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. 

 

But the real stars of the night were the legends on hard to autograph any item set before them.

 

Dionne was the third of eight NHL players to score more than 700 career goals and currently ranks 6th all time. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and named one of Hockey’s 100 Greatest Players.

 

 

Lilly is an 11-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also named to both the 1960 and 1970 NFL All-Decade teams as well the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams.  The Dallas Cowboys great was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility. Lilly was having a great time with the longest of all the autograph lines. He was seen high-fiving kids and trading stories with Dallas Cowboys fans.

 

 

Lilly celebrated his 84th birthday on Wednesday and Dionne made sure it wasn’t forgotten.

Hockey Great & @LAKings Marcel Dionne leads the crowd @nsccshow in singing Happy Birthday to @dallascowboys Great Bob Lilly. #NSCC23 pic.twitter.com/jAeBBWhIPH

— DPMsportcards (@DPMsportcards) July 27, 2023

Armstrong, always great with fans is best known as the point guard for the 1991-93 Chicago Bulls NBA championship teams.

 

The VIP Party crowd was estimated at more than 1,000.