Completed Set: 1988-89 Topps Hockey

Back in 1988, the grade school version of me was busy playing Little League baseball, collecting baseball cards, and loving it. However, I'd also made a new friend at school who played hockey. (As did all of his brothers. I think there were six of them.) Soon I'd start learning more about this new sport, playing it, and by association, opening packs of hockey cards for the first time. 

Because of all this, the 1988-89 Topps hockey set brings back a lot of fun memories for me. I'd open those first packs and immediately get hit by the players, the uniforms and logos, and the kid-friendly design. 

 
Just look at the cards. Everything is fun, colorful, and fitting for the decade. The slanted color bar with the pushpin holding it in place will remind any '80s kid of bulletin boards. The dotted pattern underneath is reminiscent of halftone comic book printing. Even the colors themselves are fun, with greens, magentas, yellows, and blues that I wouldn't hesitate to describe as neon. (Or is it Day-Glo?)

Beyond the design, though, this set of cards also helped teach me about the game. Here's how.

I'd already learned that playing hockey took a lot of physical effort. But the 1988-89 set showed me what to do if I got tired: Wait for the whistle to stop play, lean your stick across your shin pads, and catch your breath before the next face-off. 

After a few seconds went by, the referee would skate into that face-off circle and prepare to drop the puck. Then I learned how important it was to get into your solid, stable, ready for action face-off stance.  

Why?  

Because once that puck dropped, you had to move like these next six guys. 

Watch John MacLean hustle to avoid a hook from an Edmonton player. Dan Quinn is swooping in, looking for a potential rebound. And Dave Archibald might have just dished off a backhand pass while weaving through some Boston defenders. (Good job keeping your head up, Dave!)

Ron Sutter carries the puck across the red line with speed, alert and looking to make a play. Mats Naslund scoots down the wing, ready to receive a pass. And Wayne Presley sets up at the side of the net, preparing to deflect a shot or jam home a rebound.

Truth be told, though, this set of cards contains too many images of players leaning their sticks across their shin pads or lining up for a face-off. The six action cards you've just seen are few and far between. 

Even the goalies did their share of standing around, look.

Regardless, it was all good information for a kid who'd just become enamored with the sport. And besides, along with giving me those hockey tips, the set also introduced me to some talented rookies like the three guys above (and the first guy below).

It also showed me just how momentous of an occasion it was when Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. (And just how pink a checklist card could be.)

Here's an example of a card back.

Note that every card features the game-winning goals box underneath the player stats. (Stephane Richer had the most, with 11). Goalies also had a box on their cards, which listed their shots against totals instead. Grant Fuhr had the most, with 2,066 shots against in a whopping 75 games played. 

And finally, just as exciting as the cards were the stickers. They came one per pack, and featured a player who was named to either the first or second all-star team or, even more awesome, a team sticker that included block numbers and sometimes three little hockey puck decals.

Here's the reverse:

Back then, if you actually followed the instructions on the card and put one of those hockey puck stickers on your helmet each time you scored a goal or an assist, you'd probably get beat up and have your helmet thrown over the fence.  

Ah, the memories.

Thanks for flipping through some 1988-89 Topps hockey cards with me. The set really is a fun one, and despite the shortage of action shots you'll still find some nice-looking cards and a huge number of Hall of Famers. At a manageable 198 total cards, it's not a daunting task to complete it—even less daunting if you've already got some of the key players like Gretzky, Hull, Shanahan, and Turgeon.

Now who wants to play Blades of Steel on the NES?

More 1974 All-Star Custom Cards

As I finished putting together the Wolverine/Thor 1974 all-star custom card last year, I had a thought: That template could produce an almost endless amount of combinations. Right then and there I jotted down some potential ideas and set them aside for another time. It's been quite a while, but I've been on a creative streak lately, so I decided to sit down and get to it.

Since the original card was from the 1970s, I thought it would only be fitting if I kept the content in that decade (or close to it). For this batch, I'm also staying with the entertainment theme.

First up, another two superheroes. This time they represent TV shows.

Wonder Woman aired from 1975 to 1979, while The Incredible Hulk ran from 1978 to 1982. That means for at least two years (not including reruns) you could have probably watched both shows each week in prime time. Talk about cloud nine if you were a superhero-loving kid!


Next, another fun show where good guys foiled bad guys.

CHiPs aired from 1977 through 1983. I must have caught the very tail end of their run, because in my early days (i.e., bicycle with training wheels) I remember having a plastic CHiPs helmet, complete with a tinted plastic visor that you could flip down.


This next show is one I remember my mom watching.

Laverne & Shirley ran from 1976 to 1983. I'm not sure I've ever watched a full episode, but the opening theme that shows both characters at the brewery is so iconic that I wanted to make a card.


Now here's a show where you might consider all of the characters to be all-stars. (Even though they're not human characters.)

The Muppet Show ran from 1976 through 1981, although reruns must have aired for years afterward because I definitely watched the show as a little tyke in the mid-1980s. I really could have chosen just about any character from the show—Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Animal, The Swedish Chef, the list goes on and on. But for this card I went with Beaker, skittish lab assistant to Bunsen Honeydew, and First Mate Piggy from the "Pigs in Space" series. (PIIIGS INNN SPAAAAACE!)

And talk about shows where all of the characters were all-stars...

Taxi ran from 1978 to 1983, and starred Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Conaway, and Marilu Henner. Similar to the Muppets card, I could have made a great custom with any of these actors, but chose Marilu and Tony for this one. Great theme song, too.


Finally, on the subject of theme songs, here's a TV show that contains one of my favorite theme songs of all time.

The Odd Couple ran from 1970 to 1975. Have you ever thought about whether you were more of an "Oscar" or a "Felix"? They're both pretty far toward their respective ends of the spectrum, but if we're honest, we've all probably had some Oscar moments and some Felix moments in our lives.

One more note about theme songs: You'll see that I listed each show's title with a clickable link. Those links will take you to the respective theme songs/intros on YouTube. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch them, because they're all such classics and they define the era so well. Here's one from The Odd Couple to whet your appetite:

I think I'll allow the backdrop of Manhattan skyscrapers and historic hi-rises in that closing scene to wrap up this post. Wow.

Thanks for reading, everyone.

The 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Dating Game (Episode 12)

Welcome back to The 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Dating Game, where we'll randomly select three eligible bachelors from the set and you, the reader, will choose which one wins that date with a special lady. How do we know they're bachelors? Why, it says so right on the back of their hockey cards, that's how!

Previous episodes are available here.

The clear winner of episode 11 was Mark Pavelich.

Now let's start the 12th round and introduce the bachelors chosen by the randomizer! [APPLAUSE]

Bachelor number 1: Center from the Boston Bruins, Barry Pederson
Bachelor number 2: Left wing from the Detroit Red Wings, Paul Woods
Bachelor number 3: Goalie from the New York Rangers, Ed Mio

 
Folks, I'm looking back through our episode list to confirm. . . and yes, we've got our first goaltender on the show! Give Eddie Mio another nice round of applause, please. [APPLAUSE]

Now, let's learn more about all three of our bachelors from the back of their cards.

Who intrigues you the most, studio audience?

Bachelor number 1: Golfer and former Victoria Cougar, Barry Pederson.

Bachelor number 2: Landscaping business owner, Paul Woods.

Bachelor number 3: Four-year college man, newly arrived in New York City from Edmonton, Ed Mio.

Dude (Looks Like a Custom Card)

Today's entry has some Hall of Fame connections.

The man on the original card is the son of a baseball Hall-of-Famer.

The man on the custom card is a well-known rock & roll Hall-of-Famer.

Here's the original:

1959 Topps #384, Dave Sisler

Now add some long brown hair and distinct American rock vocals. Any idea who the look-alike is?

Here are some hints:

If he were an umpire, after calling ball four he might point to first base and tell the batter to Walk this Way.

If he were a pitcher who threw a no-hitter, he might say the victory filled him with Sweet Emotion.

Instead of baseball cards in the attic, he might say he's got Toys in the Attic.

Enough hints? Okay, here's the custom:

The eyeglasses are not Steven Tyler originals. I borrowed a pair from Dave Sisler to complete the look.

Details for the rest of the card: I listed Mr. Tyler's position as "vocals-harmonica" with a hyphen, which helps give a wink back to some of the original 1959 cards that listed multiple fielding positions. The team name switched from Red Sox to Aerosmith, of course, and I swapped out the Red Sox mascot for an Aerosmith logo, color and outline to match. I also found an example of Mr. Tyler's autograph online and added it in place of Mr. Sisler's.

Speaking of Mr. Sisler, he had a pretty good pitching career across seven years and four teams. (Pretty bright guy too, going to Princeton on an academic scholarship while playing on the baseball and basketball teams.)

Career numbers as a starter and reliever?

38-44, 4.33 ERA, 12 CG, 1 SHO, 28 SV, 355 SO

And his Hall-of-Fame father? None other than George Sisler.

As for Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, what can I say? I was a big fan back in my pre-teen and teenage days. In fact, Permanent Vacation was the first album audio cassette I ever owned.

Overall, I prefer the raw, hungry, 1970s version of Aerosmith above all other vintages. (Although the album Pump, released toward the tail end of 1989, was a really good one too.)

But even with all that said, I couldn't leave this custom card on its own.

Why?

Because you can't mention Steven Tyler without mentioning the other front man in the band, guitarist Joe Perry.

And because the multi-player cards in the 1959 set provide a perfect template, it was only natural to create this card:

When you consider the alliteration that's present in some of those 1959 multi-player cards, such as Cubs' Clubbers, Keystone Combo, and Batter Bafflers, you'll see that "Toxic Twins" works just perfectly.

And similar to the Kel Mitchell-Kenan Thompson combination card I did a few months ago, I think I like this Toxic Twins custom even a little better than the Steven Tyler custom up top.

So that's that. Another fun project completed. And now I'm going to wrap it up with one of my favorite Aerosmith tunes, fittingly titled Combination:

Any Aerosmith fans out there? Favorite song? Favorite album? Share in the comment section.

Thanks for reading, as always.

From the Favorites Box: Colts Leaders, 1986 Topps #314

There's a lot going on here:

1986 Topps #314, Colts Leaders (Rohn Stark)

Consider the various examples of disorder and oddity.

(1) On the left, number 98 of the Patriots has been spun around in the wrong direction, we can assume during an attempt to reach up and deflect the punt. On the right, number 50 of the Colts is positioned a little bit better, heading downfield, but not exactly in the direction of the punt. The action resembles a scene from one of those vintage electronic football game tables where the figurines get vibrated all over the place.

(2) What's up with the dudes standing off the field in the background? One of them, toward the right of the frame, is shirtless. Another, just left of center, might be a security figure of some kind with blue shirt and hand on hip. In front of said security figure appears to be a folding lawn chair. And it seems like only the thinnest strand of rope is separating them all from the field.

(3) Look at the bleachers above the dudes. Aside from three fans hunched over on the left (and maybe a camera man?), the section is completely empty. And they're bleachers. Not individual seats. Seems odd for an NFL stadium.

But among all the discombobulation, there's punter Rohn Stark. Captured in the moment. Exhibiting perfect form.

Look at his eyes. They're focused on the flight of the football. He wants to make sure he's struck it well and aimed it true. And if that beautiful picture doesn't tell you enough, the caption on the bottom left—black text framed in a bright white box—tells you all you need to know:

STARK BOOMS IT SKYWARD

You can almost hear the sound of his foot striking the ball, can't you?

Look at that security figure in the background of the original card again. I think maybe he heard the sound too, and it was so sweet and pure and solid that he had to turn around and look.

What a moment to capture on cardboard.

And consider that life as a punter can't be easy. You're only called into the game for a few seconds at a time. And in those few seconds you've got to somehow catch the long snap and have absolute focus while 275-pound monsters are pushing ever closer toward you with the sole intent of stretching their arms out and smothering the ball as it leaves your foot.

For this punt, it looks like Stark found those few seconds of clarity.

It also seems like he found that clarity throughout his career. The four-time Pro Bowl member led the league in total punting yards in 1983 (4,124), and more impressively led the league in yards per punt in 1983 (45.3), 1985 (45.9), and 1986 (45.2). He finished second in 1982 and 1984.

And for one of those moments—pure clarity and concentration amidst such chaos—1986 Topps Football #314 has a place in my box of favorites.

Wooooo!

When I was a kid, I got a little caught up by the world of wrestling for a year or two. It was hard not to with the cast of characters back then. Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. The list goes on and on.

But one guy I just didn't understand was Ric Flair. 

I guess for most humble, small-town kids he simply wasn't a wrestler you'd gravitate toward, what with his braggadocio and expensive clothing and elaborate robes and all.

But over the past year or so I've added the first two cards to my wrestling card collection—Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage—and it's caused me to take a look back at 1980s and 1990s wrestling as a whole. Seeing the entire picture now, as an adult, makes me think that Ric Flair was absolutely hilarious. And brilliant. 

I mean, take a typical wrestler's persona and then multiply it to the nth power. What do you get? 

You get Ric Flair. 

1991 Impel WCW #45, Ric Flair

 
You get exactly Ric Flair.

From his trademark "Woooo!" to his wheelin' and dealin' to this pre-match discourse of supreme confidence: 

It's perfect. 

I know, I know. It's goofy. And ridiculous. But it's also perfect. So I had to add the Ric Flair card you see above to my wrestling collection.

Here's to the man. I hope all of you add a "Woooo!" to your comments.

Just How Popular was Stamp Collecting?

Popular enough for Topps and O-Pee-Chee to issue hockey-inspired versions during the 1969-70 season, that's how. 

Here are two examples:

But this set of stamps wasn't just a stand-alone set, like the baseball stamps they'd produced in the '60s. No, these stamps were directly connected to that year's hockey cards. 

How directly?

Well, here are two cards from the 1969-70 Topps hockey set that I recently picked up. They're the first two cards from the set in my collection.

1969-70 Topps #8 Jacques Lemaire and #10 Jean Beliveau

Classy cards featuring even classier players, eh?

Here are the card backs. Pay close attention to Beliveau's.

 
PLACE JEAN BELIVEAU STAMP HERE!

I had no idea Topps brought two collecting worlds together like this. 

You'll note, however, that Jacques Lemaire's card does not have a space for the stamp. That's because out of the 132 cards in the set, only 26 were given the treatment. Stars like Phil Esposito, Rod Gilbert, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, and Bobby Orr received a corresponding stamp, as well as a few lesser-known players. But that's it. (This can help explain why a collector like me might not have been aware of such a thing.)

The stamps were issued in pairs, one pair in each pack of cards. 

Now, sticking stamps on the back of hockey cards isn't exactly the smartest thing to do, condition-wise. And even back then, before trading cards were assigned much monetary value, Topps must have thought better about repeating the design. 1969-70 appears to be the only season they did it. 

Regardless, think about kids back then who collected stamps and hockey cards. Imagine combining two of your hobbies like that. Must have been pretty cool.