November 1st, 2013 |
Published in
Interactive Team Cards, New in the Gallery
Today I added an interactive 1956 Topps Pittsburgh Steelers team card to the Vintage Football Card Gallery. To see it, click on the non-interactive image shown here. Though it was printed in 1956, the card pictures the 1955 Steelers team. You can see a larger version of the 1955 Steelers team photo at steelersuk.com.
As usual, I found a couple of surprises while working on the interactive card. First, I was surprised to see Hall of Fame running back Marion Motley in the back row. I didn’t know it, but Motley, after sitting out the 1954 season, finished his career with Pittsburgh in 1955. Second, center Fred Broussard appears on this card, and he also appears on the 1956 Topps New York Giants team card! Broussard, it turns out, played for both Pittsburgh and New York in 1955, and he ended up in both team pictures.
About nine of the players on the Steelers card never appeared on cards of their own. It’s always fun to give those players a little recognition.
This is my ninth interactive 1956 Topps team card; I have three more to go. Next up: the Detroit Lions.
July 3rd, 2013 |
Published in
New in the Gallery
This week I picked up another piece for my virtual uncut 1965, 1966, and 1967 Philadelphia uncut sheets: the miscut 1966 Philadelphia Steelers team card pictured here. There’s barely enough to tell, but the right side of the shows a little of John David Crow’s card. Here are the two cards together:
I have determined that 1965, 1966, and 1967 Philadelphia uncut sheets all had the same numbering pattern, so the miscut Steelers team card tells me that cards #144 and #175 were together on all three sheets. Those of you who are following my geeky project can see my progress on my Uncut Sheets in Progress page.
I also spotted another card this week that would help me, but it’s part of a large eBay lot, and I’m not quite crazy enough to spend $95 to get it. If you look carefully, you can see a miscut 1967 Brig Owens card in this group of miscellaneous vintage cards. I think the card to its left is John Brodie, but I’m not quite certain. Maybe I can get it if the auction ends without bids.
April 27th, 2013 |
Published in
Milestone Birthdays
Two players in the Vintage Football Card Gallery are celebrating milestone birthdays today: John Morrow is 80, and J.R. Wilburn is 70.
John Morrow played center from 1956 to 1966 for the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1961 and 1963, and he was the starting center on the Browns team that won the 1964 NFL Championship. According to oldestlivingprofootball.com, Morrow is the 493rd oldest living American pro football player.
For a center, Morrow appeared on a remarkable number of football cards. He is pictured here on his 1964 Wheaties stamp.
J.R. Wilburn was a receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1966 to 1970. His best season was 1967, when he caught 51 passes for 767 yards. Wilburn, who grew up in Virginia, was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
Wilburn is pictured here on his 1968 Topps card, wearing a Steelers “Batman” jersey. He appeared on several other cards and stamps, as well. (For more on the “Batman” jerseys, see one of my previous articles.)
Happy birthday, Messrs. Morrow and Wilburn!
March 23rd, 2013 |
Published in
error cards, Player Deaths
Harlon Hill, a receiver from 1954 to 1962 for the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers, passed away on March 21. Hill won the Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL MVP Award in 1955, and he is still the Bears’ second-leading all-time receiver. (Johnny Morris is first.) See whnt.com for a nice video tribute to Hill.
Hill played college football at Florence State Teachers College, now named the University of North Alabama. His quarterback for two seasons was George Lindsey, who became famous as Goober Pyle on the Andy Griffith Show. In 1986, the trophy for the Division II College Football Player of the Year was named after Hill.
The cards pictured here are Hill’s rookie card, a 1955 Bowman, and his 1956 Topps card. (The 1956 card is an uncorrected error card: Topps misspelled his first name “Harlan.”) He appeared on at least seven more football cards, as well.
March 17th, 2013 |
Published in
Milestone Birthdays
Two players in the Vintage Football Card Gallery are celebrating milestone birthdays today: Tom Bettis is 80, and Chuck Muncie is 60.
Tom Bettis played linebacker from 1955 to 1963 for the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears. He was a member of two NFL Championship teams, the 1961 Packers and the 1963 Bears. After his playing career, Bettis held numerous coaching positions in the NFL, including a stint as interim head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1977. There is a nice summary of Bettis’s career at InstantNewsKaty.com.
According to oldestlivingprofootball.com, Bettis is the 495th oldest living professional football player. He is pictured here on his 1963 Topps card, one of the short prints in the set. He also appeared on a two cards with the Packers.
Chuck Muncie was a running back from 1976 to 1984 for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers. Muncie gained over 1000 yards twice, in 1979 and 1981, and in 1981 he led the NFL with 19 touchdowns. Before his pro career, Muncie starred at the University of California, finishing second in voting for the Heisman in 1975. (See my page of football cards of Heisman Trophy candidates.)
After football, Muncie founded a youth foundation in California. He is pictured here on his 1978 Topps football card.
Happy birthday, Messrs. Bettis and Muncie!
February 22nd, 2013 |
Published in
Milestone Birthdays
Bill Asbury is celebrating his 70th birthday today; he was a running back from 1966 to 1968 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Asbury’s best season was his rookie year, 1966, when he gained 772 yards from scrimmage and scored 9 touchdowns. In 1967, Asbury and Dave Osborn tied for the NFL’s longest run of the season, 73 yards.
Asbury is pictured here on a 1969 Topps card, wearing the Steelers’ “Batman” jersey. He also appeared on at least three other cards and stamps. You can read about the Batman jerseys in one of my previous blog articles.
Happy birthday, Mr. Asbury!
February 13th, 2013 |
Published in
Miscut Cards and Uncut Sheets
Last week I invested $2 in a miscut Fran Rogel card I found on eBay. It provided another piece to the 1957 Topps virtual uncut sheet that I am slowly assembling. As you can see, you can’t tell from the front which card was under Rogel’s, but you can tell from the back that the card beneath is Royce Womble.
If you’re following along, you can see my progress on the sheet here.
December 27th, 2012 |
Published in
Player Deaths
Chuck Cherundolo, who played center from 1937 to 1948 for the Cleveland Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers, passed away on December 22. Cherundolo was a Pro Bowler for the Steelers in 1941 and 1942. After retiring, Cherundolo coached for 22 years in the NFL, according to the Scranton Times Tribune. At 96, he had been the fourth oldest living pro football player, behind Clarence “Ace” Parker, Johnny Kovatch, and Bill Glassford. (See oldestlivingprofootball.com for a list of the oldest 500 living pro football players.)
Cherundolo appeared on one football card, the 1948 Bowman card pictured here. Cherundolo’s last season, 1948, happened to be the first year since 1935 that a major card company issued football cards. Leaf also released a set of football cards in 1948.
September 25th, 2012 |
Published in
New in the Gallery, Oddball
Yesterday I added 1976 Buckmans Discs to the Vintage Football Card Gallery. The discs were distributed by Buckmans Ice Cream and Bakery (now out of business) in Rochester, New York. Oddly, though Rochester is only about 75 miles from Buffalo, there are no Buffalo Bills in the 20-disc set. There are no New York Giants or Jets, either. See my Gallery page for the discs for more details. I filed the discs under “Oddball.”
September 5th, 2012 |
Published in
Player Deaths
Tom Keating has passed away; he played defensive tackle from 1964 to 1975 for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kansas City Chiefs. There is an article about Keating on the San Francisco Chronicle web site. Keating played on the three American Football League championship teams: the 1964 and 1965 Bills, and the 1967 Raiders. The 1967 Raiders team went on to play Green Bay in Super Bowl II.
The card pictured here is Keating’s 1968 Topps football card. In 1968, Topps honored the prior season’s Super Bowl contestants, the Raiders and Packers, by giving their cards a different design than the rest of the teams. Keating also appeared on a 1965 Topps card, a 1970 Topps card, and a 1972 Sunoco Stamp.
