Sports memorabilia collectors had much to choose from this weekend when the Legends & Stars Sports Expo returned to Batavia Downs Gaming.
Akron's Bobby McClaine and his team of family, friends and volunteers put on another super event that featured a host of former Buffalo Bills and Sabres on Saturday and a dozen or so greats from baseball, football, basketball, hockey and boxing who appeared today.
"We've been doing this since February 2018 and it keeps growing and growing," McClaine said. "Our goal is for to be an experience for kids and adults to meet their heroes and to visit the many vendors who participate."
The next show is scheduled for October or November on a date that doesn't conflict with a Bills' home game, he noted.
Photo above: NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham, right, with Pittsburgh Steelers fan Pat Ward of Syracuse. That's Rocky Bleier, another Steeler great, in the background. Ham is a four-time Super Bowl champion and six-time All-Pro. All photos by Mike Pettinella.
Rocky Bleier, a halfback with the Steelers who also is a four-time Super Bowl champion, greets Webster residents Dave Libutti, right, and Donovan Perales. Former Steelers' wide receiver Louis Lipps also attended.
T.J. Woodward, operator of the Batavia Sports Cards booth, checks on a collectible on the vendor floor, which generated much activity over the two days.
Batavian Patrick Weissand was on top of Red Sox Nation when he had his Boston shirt signed by 1978 American League MVP and Hall of Famer Jim Rice. Rice led the AL in home runs three times during his exceptional career.
Paul Coffey, right, National Hockey League Hall of Fame and four-time Stanley Cup champion (three with the Edmonton Oilers) autographs a replica Stanley Cup for Dylan Nowak of Buffalo. Nowak said he made the cup mostly out of cake pans and it has enough space on it to record the championship teams and players' names for the next 38 years.
That's Rudy Ruettiger, subject of the inspirational movie, "Rudy," which depicts a young man's drive and dedication to make it onto the field as a defensive end for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Today, Ruettiger is a motivational speaker -- encouraging young and old to follow their dreams and to not let others define them.
There was no shortage of Buffalo Bills' collectibles.
Longtime Baltimore Orioles fan Linda Nosbisch of Lancaster with Rafael Palmeiro, four-time All-Star first baseman who hit 569 home runs and compiled 3,020 hits for the Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.
Mini helmets are big in the collectible world. That's Bills' receiver Stefan Diggs on top and former Bills' linebacker Shane Conlan on the bottom.
