1997 Upper Deck Legends of the NFL

Football sets don't get much love on the blogs, particularly non-vintage sets. Here's one that deserves some. I think this '97 Upper Deck Legends was one of those sets that people purchased for the 'hits' (signed cards) and then just sold off the base cards cheaply. I believe I stumbled across it at a show at a bargain price. I've featured some of these in prior posts but never really looked at the entire set.

However I got it, I'm glad I did. The photography is terrific. Lots of classic shots like this one of my former 'Public Enemy #1', Joe Namath.

I'm sure there is a term for what my scanner does to the pics but I'm not a photo nerd, so I have no clue. But, believe me, they look sweet in hand. Upper Deck had its faults but finding and using beautiful sports photos wasn't one of them. Stadium Club gets accolades (deservedly) for its use of unique and beautiful photographs. But UD had its share of nice sets as well.

There is a high nostalgic value to the set for me certainly. This Tittle card, maybe my favorite in the set, reminds me of watching late afternoon Giants games with my father. BTW..sideline capes are simply not getting enough use these days.

Bart Starr was another guy who was on my youthful 'enemies list'. He was the focal point of the hated Packers. But looking back over time I've come to appreciate his greatness. I can hear the late, great CBS (and Packers) broadcaster Ray Scott with his minimalist play calls..."Starr.......... this is Dowler..... touchdown."

Not every card is of a quarterback, obviously

Scattered thru the set are some of those classic old school pix that appeared on cards. Helmet-less pulling guards...

...and helmet-less receivers doing their thing.

Speaking of the Bears this picture of Mike Singletary perfectly sums up his approach to the game.

As does this one of my guy, Mike Curtis.

The set is dominated by color shots but some great B7W cards appear throughout.

The backs have full career stats and a small write-up and career highlights. The photo used on the reverse is sometimes the same as the one on the front, but not always.

The set consists of 208 cards, the final 30 of which are 'Super Bowl Memories' and this subset has a different design.

If I had a quibble it would be with this next 10 card subset.

The Legendary Leaders include coaches and pioneers which is a fine idea. But choosing to use a different design detracts from the overall set. At least it does for me when I'm flipping through the pages. That shot of Lombardi would have looked better using the set's basic design. Maybe grouping them together would have been the way to go but in any case it's a small thing and the set doesn't suffer much as it is.

I mentioned autographed cards. Most of the 178 player cards were available in an autographed version. Apparently not all the players returned the cards in time but most did. The signed insert versions have a back that states that it is the authorized signed version. I decided to just find a binder page worth of these. They are not rare and many are very reasonable. I'm at six and I'll add three more on my next COMC visit.

Here are three of mine. I had bought this Lenny Moore card sometime back as a supplement to my Colts collection.

There is more to the set than I have time to write about, other available subsets, 'jumbo' cards which I assume were box toppers and so on. Cardboard Connection has a very thorough summary and delves into the similar sets UD did for other sports.

Football card folks really should look into this if they haven't already. Of course, as with most hobby stuff, I'm probably the last guy to have figured this out and its old news to everyone else. :-)

Some '97 Upper Deck QBs

Back in the pre-merger days I was never much of an AFL fan but looking back I can see that the league had a lot of appeal. Three of the standouts are quarterbacks featured in the 1997 UD Legends set.

First we have a shot of the 'Mad Bomber' Daryle Lamonica. He came out of Notre Dame and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. He developed a reputation as a guy who'd throw deep in almost any situation but was languishing on the bench in Buffalo when he was acquired by Al Davis to replace the popular Tom Flores. Look back on Lamonica's numbers with the Raiders and they don't seem too impressive given the kind of pinball stats you see out of modern qbs, but in his day he was very impressive.

That's a cool shot of him on the card looking to throw down field. Throw off that back foot, Daryle, and throw as far as you can! He ended up winning Player of the Year awards in the late 60s.  

Jack Kemp shows up on one of the few portrait cards in the set. Kemp was the guy who started in front of Lamonica in Buffalo. He might have been the best of the AFL's quarterbacks and played in the league for it's entire 10 year run. He picked up an MVP award, too.

And yes, he is that Jack Kemp, former Cabinet member under the first George Bush and the Republican nominee on the Dole ticket in 1996. He died a couple of years ago. And, to beat the wise old Night Owl to the punch, the 'left leaning' scan is NOT a political statement, just a bit of technology-induced irony.

And finally we have the one and only Joe Willie Namath. I hated the guy for his brash ways when he began his pro career. Then he beat my Colts in Super Bowl III after predicting it! So I hated him even more. But through the years I've mellowed on almost everything when it comes to sports and rivalries. Besides, how can you hate a guy who hits on Suzy Kolber while drunk on national TV?

Three Tough Dudes

I received my 1997 Upper Deck Legends set in the mail and it's just as cool as I thought it would be. Lots of great pictures, some of them I've never seen before. I'll throw a handful up here between now and the Super Bowl. 

One of the things I like about the set is how so many of the the pictures capture the players exactly as I remember them. That's especially the case with the defensive guys. Here are three examples. Three of the great middle linebackers in NFL history. Two Hall of Fame players and another who, at least in my opinion, belongs there.

The Packers' Ray Nitschke was a hitting machine. You might remember him from the original Longest Yard film. Look at this guy. Would run up the middle on him?

I heard some talking head on the tube the other day that Ray Lewis is the best defensive NFL player of all time. He must not remember Mike Singletary. 

Of all the intense guys I've seen at the middle linebacker position, including Nitschke, Singletary and Dick Butkus among others, there may never have been a more single minded and tenacious player than the Colts' Mike "Mad Dog" Curtis. He could play. Really.

This four minute video is a good look at how he played. If nothing else stick with it to the point where Curtis introduces himself the Dolphin fan. LOL It's worth it.

Or Do They?

I was waxing nostalgic the other day on the merits of the Philly Gum football sets. I went back to find more in my mish-mash box of football cardboard and came across a couple of 'modern' cards I thought were blog worthy.

These are from the 1997 Upper Deck Legends set. For my $$ the Y.A. Tittle card is about as close to 'art' as a football card can get. I mean just look at it. That cliche which says a picture is worth a thousand words? This card embodies that.

Late in a tough game at Yankee Stadium, probably in mid-December, probably against the Packers. It's been dark since halftime and now it's pushing 6 p.m. Tittle comes off the field after a TD toss for the lead to Joe Morrison or maybe Del Shofner. He goes to the bench to warm his hands while Bart Starr takes over and tries to put the Pack back on top. Nobody goes over to talk to Tittle who is lost in thought as the Yankee Stadium lights shine off his helmet. Up in the booth Ray Scott, the best football broadcaster ever, calls the Packer drive as only he could. "Starr..." long pause while the ball travels downfield... "...this is Dowler.....touchdown".

Great card from a really cool set. I have two others, one the John Unitas card below. But I went looking at others online and decided I wanted the set, at least the base set. I don't need the autographed cards or any special inserts, I don't care about any of that. I think the photography of the base cards make it one of the best football sets ever.

I found the base set at a decent price so it's on the way. Meanwhile here is the Johnny U. It's another card that sparks a lot of good memories: the gorgeous Colt unis...Memorial Stadium...those high top shoes... the baseball infield dirt. I can't wait for the whole set to arrive.