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1965 Philadelphia Design Adds The AFL!
Continuing with the extensive 1965 supplemental sets, RetroCards unveils series three. What makes this unique when compared with the Philadelphia football cards of the 1960s is that series 3 & 4 feature AFL stars. Each series offers 24 cards of 1965's greatest American Football League stars along with a few fan favorites. Most are All-Stars and some even became Pro Football Hall of Famers. Players in series three include: Joe Namath, Butch Byrd, Tom Flores, Johnny Robinson, Ernie Ladd, Charley, Hennigan, Bobby Bell, Gino Cappeletti, Jack Kemp, Cookie Gilchrist, Lance Alworth, Lionel Taylor, Len Dawson, Ron Mix, Abner, Haynes, Don...
Otto Stowe: Outspoken And Out Of A Job
One of the flashier players in the NFL in the early 70s was wide receiver Otto Stowe who got himself a Super Bowl ring as a member of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. Born in Chicago, Illinois and having left Iowa State as the all-time leader in receptions and yards, Stowe entered the NFL as a 2nd round pick of the Dolphins in 1971. Used as the main back up to Paul Warfield, Stowe had productive second year (he caught 6 passes for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns on a Monday night game) and looked like he had the tools to be...
1965 Philadelphia Style: Series 2
Continuing our focus on 1965, RetroCards releases another batch of top NFL players that did not have cards in the original 1965 set. Series Two includes: Y.A. Tittle, Joe Schmidt, Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, Gene Hickerson, Bill George, Frank Gifford, Billy Ray Smith, Andy Robustelli, Lou Groza, Dave Kopay, Alvin Haymond, John Reger, Roy Jefferson, Walt Rock, Jackie Smith, Jack Pardee, John Wooten, Karl Kassulke, Joe Scarpati, Brian Piccolo, Joe Don Looney, and Bob Toneff. The next set in this series focuses on AFL All-Stars and fan favorites. Order here!
1965: Adding To An Already Great Set
By 1965 the NFL had begun to fully realize the product they had. Unlike baseball, football was the perfect sport for television. Seeing the broadcast ratings increasing for both the NFL and AFL, the NFL approved expansion for a team in Atlanta for 1966. A merger with the AFL began to make sense, if only to drive down the out-of-control salaries that had escalated in the war between the two leagues. Two NFL league founders, Jack Mira (Giants) and Curly Lambeau (Packers) had passed away during 1965 but an exciting crop of rookies like Gale Sayers, Bob Hayes, and Dick...
Cardinals Of 1963: Earning Respect
The Cardinals had moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960 after years of failure and losing money. 1962 was a down season for the Cards and they posted 4-9-1 record after going 7-7 in 1961. Despite the losing record, Sonny Randle caught 16 passes for 256 yards in a single game and John David Crow scored 17 touchdowns. Rising stars like Larry Wilson, Jackie Smith, and Bobby Joe Conrad turn some heads. A new stadium was in the works for St. Louis and Cards finished with a strong 9-5 record in 1963. Injuries to backs Crow and Prentice...
Spotlight On: Dave Kopay - Bringing His Cards Out Of My Closet
The name Dave Kopay may be familiar to many in the American gay community for having been the first NFL player to announce he was homosexual. The announcement became official with his autobiography The Dave Kopay Story. But since Kopay’s book was published in 1977, only 4 other NFL players have “come out.” Articles, news stories, and blogs have discussed Kopay’s plight, putting the focus firmly on his homosexuality and the adversity he faced surrounding it. Since pro football players who “come out” are rare, Kopay has become a hero of sorts in the gay community and any retelling of his...
Len Koenecke: The Ultimate Bender
Drinking and cavorting have long been associated with professional baseball starting with the Babe Ruth era spanning to the Wade Boggs era. But none reached the harrowing tale of Baraboo, Wisconsin native Len Koenecke, who was killed after being konked on the head during a flight to Buffalo, New York. Koenecke, who was a rising star with the New York Giants in 1931, wound up with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1934 where his career started to take off. Unfortunately, his heavy drinking had begun to affect his performance and by 1935 he was dismissed by the Dodgers in the middle...
1964 Houston Oilers: Philadelphia Style
After three years at the top of the Eastern Division, the Oilers dipped to 3rd place in 1963 after winning the AFL Championship in 1961. Despite the downturn in fortunes, the Oilers still fielded a formidable team with George Blanda, Billy Cannon, and the AFL's top receiver, Charley Hennigan. Unfortunately, 1963 was not an anomaly as the Oilers lost 9 straight games in the middle of the 1964 season. The highlight of their 4-10 season was Charley Hennigan's 101 receptions. RetroCards uses the attractive 1964 Philadelphia Gum card design to create a brand new Oilers set that includes: Don Floyd,...
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