A Card To Be Made Later ... and Black History Month

I really hate falling behind. I have made the trades, sent and recieved - yet I have not got around to scanning the wonderful cards I now have in my collection. I've also fallen behind in exhibiting some of the cards that readers have been wanting to see.

So .... I've finally finished two of the cards for fellow bloggers - Shane over at SHOEBOX LEGENDS - is a die-heart Hartford Whalers fans.

I love retro-historical cards, players and teams. Therefore his prize is a Ron Francis all-star card in the design of 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee hockey. (ONE OF MY FAVS)

Subsequent to my posts on the never-made fantasy cards of 1979 Topps NASL soccer - there was a hue and cry for Chicago's representation. Therefore I created this card for the former NASL Champions - CHICAGO STING  - in the style of the 1981 Donruss baseball set.

Karl-Heinz Granitza was the scoring wizard for the Soccer Bowl '81 winners. I hope  this satisfies Sal over at PUCK JUNK and my fellow traveller at JOHNGY'S BEAT.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH:

It often amazes me that when I travel abroad, foreign peoples' awareness to the prejudices that kept black American athletes from particpating in major sports leagues.

This collusion was rampant among many team owners - notably Washington Redskins' owner George Preston Marshall - who conceeded to finally sign a black player through pressures of the Kennedy Administration.

The player he eventually signed was Bobby Mitchell. You can read more about the NFL, Marshall, Mitchell and Black football players here.

PS - Happy Birthday Hank Aaron !

Are You A Tough Guy ?

Remember school days when it seemed important to be a tough guy ? The thing about trading cards is that if your sport requires it, a tough guy picture is a hit on the playground.

So who looks ike a tough guy ? Wrestler Theo Bauer (above) looks quite the intimidater a hundred years before WWF guys were posing as such. This 1887 Allen & Ginter is a true sample of artwork.

1909 Player's Cigarettes Arms & Armor and the 1905 Player's Riders of The World are two sets that displayed superior illustration of men ready for battle. Three sword welding mad-men were probably ancient all-stars.

What's different about the card below ? Could it be the fact that the offensive skater is wearing a helmet and face cage ? Meanwhile, the goalie - Lorne Worsley - has no mask.

Lorne, better known as "Gump" was one of the last NHL goalkeepers to don the face mask.

Worsley was a part of the Montreal Canadiens 1960's dynasty. He experienced a nervous breakdown and suffered from a fear of flying.  He was lured out of retirement for the expansion Minnesota North Stars. This great moment of battle was only available in the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee hockey set.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today ...

WAYNE GRETZKY showed the world how to play hockey. On October 15, 1989 - the Los Angeles Kings' center scored one and assisted on two goals against his former team - the Edmonton Oilers. He broke the 20 year record held by Gordie Howe. Howe surpassed the legenday Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1960 as the NHL's all-time point leader.

In the cardboard universe, very few have graced the hobby on as many cards as "The Great One" - Wayne Gretzky.

One reason Gretzky appeared on so many cards was that he was consistantly in the scoring leaders, records and awards featured in the sets (see above). Combine this with the glut of card manufactorers in the 1990's and the appetite of duel marketing (of Topps and O-Pee-Chee) for Canada and US - you have a landmark achivement which may never be surpassed.

To this date, Wayne appears on over 2,000 different cards !

Gretzky was a marketing dream for food, toy and other products. A close look at his scoring contemporaries - Mike Bossy, Marcel Dionne and Mario Lemeiuex - were still distant runners up to his record feats. He changed the landscape of the NHL in America when he joined the Los Angeles Kings.

The examples of the 1982-83 Neilson's candy bars (above) were just one of the many regional issues that featured Wayne. The cards can be found every so often for $5 to 10 dollars. However, mint samples are rarer and a complete set is not easliy acquired - fetching just shy of $200.

If anyone has interest in sports cards, they should have at least one Wayne Gretzky in their collection. They are easy to find and most are very affordable.