It Wasn’t All Good

If you have been reading my blog since its inception about a month ago, you may think that I am in love with football cards that are now a decade old. This certainly is true, to an extent. I think that cards from the mid-to-late 90s were some of the best cards I have ever seen. I have been known to enjoy a new product from time to time (2007 Topps Co-Signers, 2008 Upper Deck, etc.), but generally I do admit that I am a bigger fan of older wax.

That being said, I will also be the first to admit that not every set from my favorite era was gold. Take the card below for example. While the design is not horrible (I rather like the football border on the left side and the player’s name is much easier to read in person than in this scan), the photography leaves a lot to be desired. I usually do not like when two big time athletes are on the same card without it being a team card or other multi-player specific card. Here, instead of showing Emmitt blasting through the defensive line or dashing into the end zone, we see him embracing teammate Troy Aikman. Yes, this is most likely a celebration after Emmitt did score a touchdown, but should we really praise the photographer for being late and not capturing the actual moment? Even with all of this, the main photo is not my issue with this card. What I would like to know is what in the world is up with the profile picture?!? Here is a man who played most of his career in Texas and often showcased a prime time smile (though not as glorious as Neon Deion Sanders’), and they picked this shot? Was this his one trip to Green Bay and the photographer took a quick break from admiring Brett Favre’s aura? I mean, you can’t even see most of his face, and he’s not wearing a helmet!

Click image for full sized scan

Is this the worst card ever produced? Certainly not. We have seen far worse cards in just the last year or releases. Could it be improved? Absolutely. If you combine this card’s relatively simple and crisp design with some modern Upper Deck photography, you could have an amazing base card. Am I still in love with older cards, despite some of their shortcomings? Always.

Am I done complaining? For now…

HOF Spotlight: Cal Hubbard

Name: Robert “Cal” Hubbard
Position: Tackle
Pro Career: 1927 – 1936
Team Affiliation(s): New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Pirates
College: Centenary, Geneva
Induction Class: 1963 – Charter Member

Brief Bio: An oversized yet very swift athlete, Cal Hubbard was a force to be reckoned with in the early days of the NFL. In 1927, Hubbard was a key piece of a tough Giants defense that recorded 10 shutouts in 13 games and allowed just 20 points all season in route to the championship. In 1929, Hubbard was traded to the Packers at his request (he preferred the small town atmosphere). In Green Bay, Hubbard enjoyed the best years of his career and help to lead the Packers to three straight Championships from 1929-1931 under legendary coach Curly Lambeau. Hubbard was named All-NFL six times (1928-1933) and was named the NFL’s all-time offensive tackle in 1969, well after his playing days. During the summers in Green Bay, Hubbard discovered a love for umpiring baseball games, a passion he would enjoy for the rest of his life. In 1958, he was appointed umpire-in-chief of the American League. To this day, Hubbard is the only individual to be enshrined in both the Baseball and Pro Football HOFs.

Career Stats: 105 games played; 1 receiving TD; 1 INT TD; (key defensive statistics were not kept in the early days of football)

Featured Card: 1975 Fleer Hall of Fame #17. Similar to Joe Carr, Hubbard’s lack of a rookie card or other major card release during his playing career gives us a chance to look at a much newer yet specialized set. In 1975, Fleer produced a rather extensive Hall of Fame set, which has become a favorite autograph-able card for vintage collectors (as is the case of the image you see above). Trivial Beckett value is $0.75 (for the unautographed version of course). There are currently no eBay auctions for this particular card, but there are several Hubbard options available. If you do not mind hopping the fence and purchasing a baseball card (not a problem for most of the blogosphere), there is a nice 1955 Bowman card featuring Hubbard as a HOF umpire that might be worth checking out.

NOTE: You can find all of my Hall Of Fame Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.

Emmitt’s FIRST Rookie Card?

Some of you may know that Emmitt Smith has five official rookie cards and that all of them were produced in 1990, his first year in the NFL. You may also know that Emmitt was born in 1969. What you may NOT know is that Topps produced a card long before Emmitt’s birth which not only correctly predicted he would be born, but also that he would play football AND go to Florida AND that he would be an All-American. That card was part of the legendary 1955 Topps All-American set, which features many of yester-year’s stars in their college uniforms.

Click image for full sized “scan”

Okay, you may have called my bluff. What you see above is actually the creation of Bob Lemke, editor of the vintage card sections of the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards. Mr. Lemke creates custom trading cards, featuring players in sets they were not originally part of, many before they were even born! To see a whole gallery of 1955 Topps All-American cards Bob has created, click here.

Thanks is largely due to Mike of Nearmint’s Football Card Gallery and Vintage Football Card Blog for bringing this great gallery to my attention.

Product Review: 1996 Playoff Contenders Trophy

As promised, here is the product review of 1996 Playoff Trophy Contenders. I busted this box a little while ago, but only now had a chance for scans and a write up. I have a few more busted boxes, so hopefully I can get those posted soon as well. But without further ado, here’s this one:

First, the product break down. The box contained 24 packs of 6 cards each for a total of 144 cards. I paid $32.05 for the box on eBay (including shipping), which breaks down to just over $0.22 per card, so it was a pretty good deal.

Click image for full sized scan

Beyond the 120-card base set are 60 mini Back-to-Back (1:17), 36 Playoff Zone (1:24), 20 Rookie Stallions (1:24), and a Super Bowl Football Redemption (no stated odds). One side note, I have to guiltily admit that I did pay an extra dollar or two for this box so that I could have the Dallas Cowboys helmets on the box lid. There was one with the Steelers, but I couldn’t pass up Emmitt’s old team, especially since they won the Super Bowl that year. One other quick note on the box, it had a hinged lid, like old school cigar boxes, which I thought was pretty nifty. Now for the pack-by-pack break down:

Pack 1: Edgar Bennett, Ken Norton, Mark Bruener, Carl Pickens, Bert Emanuel, and Chris Sanders

Pack 2: Charles Johnson, Rashaan Salaam, Brett Favre, Charles Haley, Jeff Hostetler, and Steve Young

Pack 3: Sherman Williams, Sean Dawkins, Rodney Hampton, Kevin Greene, Marshall Faulk, and Bam Morris

Pack 4: Curtis Martin, Rod Woodson, Terry Allen, Terry Kirby, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White

Pack 5: Brent Jones, Charlie Garner, Isaac Bruce, Kimble Anders, Warren Moon, and Jerry Rice

Pack 6: Junior Seau, Lamont Warren, Anthony Miller (Playoff Zone), Fred Barnett, Eric Zeiler, and Jeff George

Pack 7: Terance Mathis, Errict Rhett, Daryl Johnston, Dorsey Levens, Tamarick Vanover, and Nate Newton

Pack 8: Eric Metcalf, Robert Brooks, Tony Martin, Barry Sanders, Rick Mirer, and Jay Novacek

Pack 9: Deion Sanders, Cris Carter, Heath Shuler, Mark Pike, Terrell Davis, and Drew Bledsoe

Pack 10: Mike Mamula, Irving Fryar, J.J. Stokes, Chris Warren, O.J. McDuffie, and Zack Crockett

Pack 11: Jeff Blake, Kerry Collins, Natrone Means, Craig Heyward, Bernie Parmalee, and Marcus Allen

Pack 12: Edgar Bennett, Ken Norton, Mark Bruener, Jake Reed, Ernie Mills, and Michael Westbrook

Pack 13: Sean Dawkins, Rodney Hampton, Scott Mitchell, Antonio Freeman, Bill Brooks, and Quinn Early

Pack 14: Brett Periman, Greg Hill, Andre Hastings, Anthony Miller, Rodney Thomas, and Craig Newsome

Pack 15: Wayne Chrebet, Yancy Thigpen, Jay Novacek/Mark Bruener (Mini Back-to-Back), Jim Everett, Tyrone Wheatley, and Troy Aikman

Pack 16: Charlie Garner, Isaac Bruce, Sherman Williams, Carl Pickens, Michael Irvin, and Rodney Peete

Pack 17: Larry Brown, Derek Louille, Dan Marino, Floyd Turner, Ken Dilger, and Gus Frerotte

Pack 18: Eric Metcalf, Robert Brooks, Brent Jones, Napoleon Kaufman, Joey Galloway/Rick Mirer (Mini Back-to-Back), and Curtis Conway

Pack 19: John Elway, Jim Harbaugh, Tim Brown, Harvey Williams, Erric Pegram, and Garrison Hearst

Pack 20: Lake Dawson, Frank Sanders, Calvin Williams, J.J. Birden, Kordell Stewart, and Erik Kramer

Pack 21: Terance Mathis, Errict Rhett, Daryl Johnston, Jake Reed, Napoleon Kaufman, and Curtis Conway

Pack 22: Steve McNair, Jim Kelly, Bryce Paup, Steve Tasker, Ricky Watters, and Herman Moore

Pack 23: Joey Galloway, James Stewart, EMMITT SMITH, Aaron Hayden, Stan Humphries, and Kevin Williams

Pack 24: Irving Fryar, J.J. Stokes, Antonio Freeman (Rookie Stallions), Stan Mitchell, Neil O’Donnell, and Mark Chmura

Click images for full sized scans

FIRST AND GOAL’S FOUR DOWNS:
1st Down, Design: The Lombardi Trophy border was a nice touch to tie in the theme of the product, which was chasing the NFL crown throughout the season. The name plate in the upper portion of the card was effective and simple. While I liked that the player photos were usually good action shots and in front of the frame, I would have prefered to see the rest of the photograph behind the frame, rather than the faux marble look, which for me, seemed out of place.

2nd Down, Inserts: This was definitely a set builders product as only three inserts were featured (I am not including the Super Bowl football redemption as it did not have stated odds and the redemption was not for a card). The inserts were fairly well designed (SHINY!), but I don’t know how I feel about the Mini Back-to-Back set. I am not a big fan of not only including two players on one insert card, but also putting one of those players on the back of the card. Put both on the front, or just make two seperate cards.

3rd Down, Collation: If this is a set builder’s product, it is also a lazy set builder’s product. With just one box, I completed over 99% of the base set (the only card I didn’t pull was #13 Steve Bono). With 144 cards in the box and very few inserts, I did pull 21 doubles (unfortunately no star doubles), but no triples. I still haven’t decided if it is a good or bad sign when I start pulling players in the exact same order in two or more packs (this happened several times in this box). But with only missing one base card out of 120, I can’t complain too much.

4th Down, Overall Value: I only paid about $0.22 per card, so it’s hard to say it was an overpriced product that was a complete waste of money. However, with the lack of nice inserts and only a handfull of players really pulling money from that year, along with NO ROOKIES (*gasp!*), I also have a hard time saying this box was a steal. If you like “priceless” older wax, it was a good buy. If you are looking for quality cardboard that has some nice resale value, stay away. One saving grace for me was that I did pull the Emmitt Smith base card, even though I had to sweat it out as it didn’t come until pack 23 of 24.

RED ZONE RESULTS: TURNOVER ON DOWNS This product didn’t score any points when it mattered, but it did put the defense in great position to make a quality stop, or even force a safety. In tight games, those 2 points could be the difference.

HOF Spotlight: Fats Henry

Name: Wilbur “Pete” “Fats” Henry
Position: Tackle
Pro Career: 1920 – 1928
Team Affiliation(s): Canton Bulldogs, New York Giants, Pottsville Maroons
College: Washington & Jefferson
Induction Class: 1963 – Charter Member, posthumously

Brief Bio: Signing a contract with the Canton Bulldogs the same day the NFL was being organized, Fats Henry was a key player in the early days of the infant league. Non-athletically built at 5’11” and 245 lbs, Henry was a deceivingly gifted athlete who played with tenacious intensity and speed. When Canton won the 1922 and 1923 NFL championships, Henry was leading the way in all facets of the game. An incredible blocker and tackler (he once took down an entire side of an offensive line), Henry was also one of the greatest kickers to play the game. He reportedly booted a 45-yard dropkick field goal and a 94-yard punt, both NFL records. Henry would be one of the last great drop kickers in NFL history.

Career Stats: 86 games played; 1 passing TD; 1 receiving TD; (kicking and defensive statistics were not kept in the early days of football)

Featured Card: 1955 Topps All American #100. Like almost all of these early HOF members, very few, if any, cards were produced during Henry’s playing career, which means this card, produced almost 30 years after he retired, is considered by many to be his rookie card. Trivial Beckett value is $200. You can easily find one on eBay for less than $100, although you will need to pay a bit more if you wish to obtain a highly graded copy. I hope I’m preaching to the choir by this point, but again, make sure you know exactly what you’re buying on eBay. Counterfeit cards are out of control right now in the autograph and relic realms, but people have always tried to fake vintage cards, especially of HOF greats.

NOTE: You can find all of my HOF Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.

Product Preview: 2009 Bowman Sterling

Today, Topps released information on its upcoming Bowman Sterling product. The following is the official press release. Take a look and let me know if you guys are excited about this product or couldn’t care less. As a fan of older wax and saving money, I might have to pass on this one, but owning autographed relics of top rookies does have its upsides.

“Bowman Sterling Football in a Class of Its Own

“The collector-popular Bowman Sterling Football returns in 2009 featuring all the top rookies and super veterans for the upcoming NFL Season. With every card being sequentially numbered and featured on stunning chromium technology, the Bowman Sterling brand is not only known for its eye-catching beauty, but more so for its high-end autographed and memorabilia cards…

“Every Pack guarantees: 1 Autographed Card, 2 Relic Cards and 2 Rookie Cards
Every Box guarantees: 2 Autographed Relic Cards (see below)
Every Case guarantees: 1 Dual Autographed Gold Refractor Card

Click image for a full sized image

“All autographed cards feature 5 parallels including Refractor (#’d to 75), Black (#’d to 25), Gold (#’d to 10), White (#’d to 5) and Red (1 of 1).
And all relics feature the same parallels…Refractor (#’d to 199), Black (#’d to 50), Gold (#’d to 25), White (#’d to 5) and Red (1 of 1).

“2009 Bowman Sterling Football Ships late August and carries a $50 SRP per pack.”