| | | Athletes are constantly being asked for their autographs. Little do they know that their signatures reveal a lot about their personalities.
We asked Bart Baggett, one of the leading experts on handwriting analysis in the nation, to examine the autographs of 11 prominent sports celebrities. You can get more of Baggett's expertise at www.myhandwriting.com.
Check out who has the write stuff:
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Michael Jordan
Washington Wizards co-owner
Find out if MJ's competitiveness is revealed in his signature. |
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Bob Knight
Former college basketball coach
Could it be that all Bobby needs is a little hug to cool his anger? |
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Alex Rodriguez
Texas Rangers
The Rangers paid $252 million for this autograph, but we'll give them our analysis for free. |
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Anna Kournikova
Tennis player
From Russia with ... love? Find out if Anna's handwriting says anything about her sex life. |
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Tiger Woods
Pro golfer
Apparently, Woods is a Tiger off the course as well. |
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Wayne Gretzky
Phoenix Coyotes co-owner
Maybe the Philosophical One would have been a better nickname. |
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Dennis Rodman
Unemployed pro basketball player
Imagine this: The Worm has the signature of an obnoxious person who craves attention. |
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Mike Tyson
Heavyweight boxer
Apparently Iron Mike's rage and aggressiveness goes back a long way. |
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Don King
Boxing promoter
Would you believe that King shows signs of aggressiveness in his autograph? |
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O.J. Simpson
Former pro football player
Is this the handwriting of a double murderer? |
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Joe DiMaggio
Baseball great, deceased
Find out if DiMaggio was really paranoid. |
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Editor's Note: Here are a few quick guidelines from Baggett about analyzing signatures:
Because handwriting is actually brain writing, our personality is shown to the world every time we write. As an expert handwriting
analyst, I want to see as many letters of the alphabet and as much handwriting as possible. Because I am evaluating unconscious
movements revealed by a trail of ink, the more the better. Seriously, you would never judge a young quarterback by just one snap. Likewise, when looking at handwriting, it is always more accurate to see a wide spectrum of writing.
Signatures are especially unique when penned by celebrity athletes. Not only are they asked for their signatures dozens of times a day, but
they are often asked to sign on various surfaces such as a basketball, baseball or T-shirt. Therefore, I am forced to give
them the benefit of the doubt if some random "serial killer" pen stroke appears in only one sample of their writing.
Another common thread among celebrity athletes is the speed and size of their signature. Most athletes sign their names fast because they tend to be
in a hurry when approached for a signature. This speed translates to sloppy writing.
The larger the size of the signature indicates the size of the ego. And it is no surprise that superstars have big egos.
Baggett has agreed to give away a free handwriting analysis book to ESPN.com readers today (a $15.95 value). Just visit this his website at http://www.myhandwriting.com for downloading instructions.
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