1970 Topps Poster of lefty punter(!) David Lee

I have memories of Topps 1968 Football posters, they looked like this:

And I remember the 1971 version, this is one of those:

But the 1970 posters? I got nothing. I don't think I'd ever even seen one much less been aware of them until the David Lee poster appeared on my Baltimore Colts checklist. But once I looked for it I saw that they were cheap and easy to obtain. I picked one up sight unseen from an online dealer. The Lee poster came folded neatly as if it came straight out of the pack. And when I opened it I saw why they were under my (and everyone else's) radar. They are not very good. Generic 'paintings' of guys in logo-less unis which just happen to be the color of the team depicted.

And while we are at it, here are some views of David Lee playing for the Colts.

In that shot he's doing what he did for them for 13 seasons...punting...with his right foot. Now look at the poster again. He's kicking, with his left foot, and there is a holder kneeling next to him. WTH? As far as I can tell from stat sites Lee never once attempted a place kick. Seems weird that they would get it so wrong don't you think? And who wants a poster of a punter anyway?

But, here is an interesting pair of photos:

That's lefty place kicker Lou Michaels who was with the Colts through the 1969 season. I suspect that Topps was planning a Michaels poster, had the artwork done, but changed the wording to David Lee when Michaels was cut loose by the Colts in training camp in 1970.

The 1970 posters were a series of 24 that came inserted in packs of the 2nd Series of Topps football that year. This site has the checklist and shows most of them. They are all as ugly as the Lee poster.

Nostalgia is a Pain in the Butt

Last Saturday after we left the bowl game in Birmingham we headed to a highly recommended ale house kind of place in a trendy tucked away corner of Birmingham (yes, there are trendy areas of B-ham. I was surprised, too). While enjoying a really tasty burger and downing a few glasses of an excellent Alabama beer I kept an eye on the TV above the bar which was showing the Chiefs-Colts game.

As the Colts made their rather ridiculous comeback, and with my football season having ended an hour or so earlier, I was haunted by a twinge of ... oh, I don't know... regret, maybe. I wished the Colts were still in Baltimore and were still my team. It was a silly thought but I still do somewhat carry a torch for those heady days of Johnny Unitas, Ray Berry, Lenny Moore and John Mackey.

Ironically I recently picked up a Mackey card and it was waiting for me when we got back to Houston on Sunday. The 1970 Topps Mackey isn't one I remember having. I don't think I was collecting football cards much back then in what would be college underclassman days. And it's not one of his best cards but I grab cheap football cards when I come across them and this was cheap.

As I typed this I was struck by the irony of all the Baseball Hall of Fame noise being made this week. For many years Mackey was denied entry into the Football Hall because of the resentment felt by the football 'establishment' over his activism while serving as president of the NFLPA.

He finally made it, the Colts are long gone from Charm City and I shouldn't long for the 'good old days'. It's pointless. But those beers were very good.