Blogged But Not Blogged: Roman Gabriel WLAF

This is the type of post that I have probably done many times before, I call this type of post "Blogged, But Not Blogged" at least I will call it that from now on. Long story short since Aug 2007 I have been blogging about my card mail days over at TCC on my blog over there, and since July 2012 duplicating those posts in a mail day thread at the TCZ forums. I started the TCC one partly as an attempt to post trade bait but it morphed into more of a mail day posting board. There are many cards I have mentioned in detail at those sites that I have never blogged about here on what I consider to be my official trading card blog. A few times, mostly in the early days, I mentioned a card in my mail day and even scanned it (at least the front) but never blogged about it over here.*

This is the story of one such card:

On Monday (24 Sept 2007) I received an order from Sportlots.com I was waiting on. A Roman Gabriel 1991 Pro Set World League "Collectible" card #24 (Inserted in 1991 Pro Set NFL packs).

I didn't realize it would be coming from Canada. Anyway I thought it was a card I didn't have but it turns out I had it. I have the full World League Set, but not all of the Inserts to the NFL set which are slightly different thus part of my confusion. My older card had a surprise. Little did I know that what I had always assumed was some odd Gatorade spray caught on film, seems to be some sort of damage to the card. I never thought anything of it because it was the only copy of the card I had and it didn't look like damage. This was before the Internet so I had never seen the image "online" before. Oh well. It appears the "spray" is possibly some kind of low ink or dirty printing plate printing error.

Roman is my fave all-time Rams Quarterback (Down Kurt Warner Down). I was told some years ago that when I was 3 or 4 my family was worried there was something wrong with me because I didn't talk much, so I was sent for testing at an Easter Seals Medical Clinic for hearing tests and other such nonsense. I remember some of those visits, but not this particular story. At the time I didn't know the reasoning of the trips to this particular medical clinic. I just looked at them as any other childhood "trip to the vet doctor", except I recall I didn't like going to these extra ear tests. Apparently my folks thought I might be deaf or have some other physical or maybe mental problem. One of the physicians or maybe an assistant or technician there noticed me doodling pictures of little football men (mostly of a quarterback with the number #18 on his chest), and in talking to me discovered that I was a big Los Angeles Rams fan and that Roman Gabriel (#18) was my favorite QB. Well then they found out I didn't have any physical problem, I was just extremely shy.

The subject card of this post is from the 1991 Pro Set World League of American Football insert set from the 1991 Pro Set NFL card set. On the back by the card number these cards were labeled World League Collectible there are 32 cards total. I mentioned a confusion of these cards because Pro Set produced a 150 card WLAF set. I had bought the set whole in one of those small card boxes that has the outer sleeve of the box over the container box.

ON to the card:

1991 Pro Set Football: WLAF Collectible Insert: 24 Roman Gabriel Head Coach Skyhawks

Original "spray" card

1991 Pro Set Football: WLAF Collectible Insert: 24 Roman Gabriel Head Coach Skyhawks

Regular card

Side by Side

1991 Pro Set WLAF Football: 131 Roman Gabriel Head Coach Skyhawks

* This post is the first one that I drafted for this "Blogged But Not Blogged" series so the introduction is a little longer than other posts in the series. I wasn't sure of the order I would publish them in. As of the 01 April 2018 (now 28 Apr 2018) editing draft of this post two other posts from this series have been published before this one. I have created a "BBNB" label for this series. (OK kids you should be able to figure that one out) I usually cut & paste the original blog or forum posts and then edit and add onto them so things could get a little confusing with these posts. 

For this post the original posting in my "CaptKirk42's Collection" TCC thread (post #21) didn't go into too much detail. So this post is more of a rewrite than a direct copy. The previously posted stories were typical direct copy with some rewriting. It should also be noted that most of the images from the old TCC posts are no longer showing due to Photobucket's change to their third party sharing polices. Free accounts can't do it anymore. So many of these images will be newly uploaded scans, or copies of the original scan/photo. The first 3 images in this post are my original scans. The rest are newly scanned images that I have cropped better and straightened their angles via the free photo editing software "PhotoScape"

Random card thoughts

Sometimes I get into a little bit of a blogging funk and think "Why bother"? Any cards that I get, unless they truly are 1/1s, are just one of thousands, maybe tens of thousands and are most likely going to already be blogged about somewhere, or part of a preview review of some product that is coming out. The one thing that keeps me going when thinking like that is the thought that my take on the individual card is unique. I might be the only one who actually likes a particular card or set out of the hundreds (or is it thousands?) of card bloggers out in the blogiverse (Blogsphere to most).

I don't do those custom jobbers like some bloggers do. Well I don't normally make custom cards, I do have a digital one (front only) as part of some of my logos. I wonder how many of them (the custom cardmaker bloggers) actually print-out their creations? Or do they just keep them digital like E-Topps sort of was mostly? 

I do know that there are some super popular trends, or at least continual trends of the card manufacturers that I really can not stand *cough*rip cards*cough*. I could list them here but I don't want to offend any of my two or three regular readers that may like those particular trends.

**Sigh** Negative thinking often reminds me that most of my collection right now resembles a hoarders nest. I know what I want to do with most of it but gettting motivated to do it and taking the time it will take to do it is one of the things I lack right now. Oh and Yes I do use zistle.com (My Zistle) I am far from having EVERYTHING listed there.

Sometimes I wish there was an organizing company that you could ship a box of cards to with instructions on how you like your cards organized and they will sort and organize and put your cards into binders for you, or whatever containers you prefer. If I knew I could make money off doing that and "retire" from my regular job I would maybe consider doing something like that.That whole concept however would be impractical and would cost tons to ship the cards and then you would have to wait for your cards to be returned, and insure your treasure for tons and determining how long it would take to organize and... Oh it just wouldn't work out for anyone. Or would it? Getting fellow collectors to help you organize wouldn't work either because they would be envious of some of your collection and pester you for some of them. Some more devious collectors might even try to "palm" some cards off of you. OK forget I said any of that organization stuff.

OK now just to keep up with the randomness of this post here are some random cards (fronts only):

1972 Topps Baseball 11 Bobby Valentine Dodgers

 1976 Topps Football 145 Roman Gabriel Eagles

1984 Fleer V 21 "Ready For Action" 

Faye Grant as Juliet "Julie" Parrish

I feel like showing a ton more cards for some reason. OK maybe one more since the Hockey season will probably NOT happen this year here is a card I don't have anymore I either sold it or traded it away. It was my first freebie from sportscardforum I had won it in one of their forum contests. I think it was a new members contest.

2006-07 Upper Deck "Be A Player" Signatures -

JS Jason Spezza Senators

OK so there you have it how much more random can I be? Oh one final thought If you are following me and have my blog linked on your blog, but I don't have yours linked Please let me know so I can reciprocate.

Some '60s & '70s Vintage Football

Here are some recent catches from the Bay:

1961 Topps 130 John Paluck Redskins

  

He reminds me of someone.....

Actor David Leisure as Joe Isuzu Compulsive Lying spokesperson.

 1969 Topps 125 Roman Gabriel Rams

 

1972 Topps 3 - 1971 AFC Passing Leaders

Bob Griese Dolphins/Len Dawson Chiefs/Virgil Carter Bengals

1972 Topps  120 Terry Bradshaw Steelers Pro Action

 

 1972 Topps 128 Roman Gabriel Rams Pro Action

 1973 Topps 48 Mercury Morris Dolphins

1973 Topps 214 Nick Buoniconti Dolphins

Of course one of the questions that Dolphins collectors have to consider is Do you collect the 1972 Topps Dolphins cards or the 1973 Topps Dolphins cards to have the "Perfect Season Team Set"? As a Redskins fan I'll just leave that question up to the Phins phans and keep out of it.

1971 Topps Inserts: Pin-Ups

1971 TOPPS Insert Game Mini Poster Pin-Ups

In 1971 Topps produced a Football Card Game similar to their Baseball Card Game from 1968. In addition to the cards (set of 52 cards) they produced a set of 32 Mini Poster Pin-Ups that had the game board on the back for the card game. The Pin-Ups were folded up in the packages with the cards, they are the size of 4 cards put together.

 

 A special "field Postion" marker card was an extra card for the set. Apparently you were supposed to cut it in half using one half to mark the ball on the field and the other half for the first down marker.

I'm pretty sure I had a few of the pinups back in the day, and a few of the cards, but I don't know where my original ones went. The ones I have now have come mostly from Ebay purchases, some of the cards have come from trades.

 Pin-UP # 1 Gene Washington - 49ers

#8 Roman Gabriel - Rams

#10 Bart Starr - Packers

 

 #17 Sonny Jurgensen - Redskins

 #32 Larry Brown - Redskins

Roman Gabriel APWire Photos

One of my all-time favorite NFL Quarterbacks is Roman Gabriel who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1962 - 1972 he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 and retired as a player in 1977.

From Ebay I recently got a couple of Photos that are originally from AP (Associated Press) Wire Services for $10 (plus postage = $13 almost $14 delivered). These photos were sent by AP Wire to broadcast stations, newspapers and other news services for publication. The backs of these photos are stamped "TV MAG" I'm guessing they had been used by a magazine. Both have some editing marks for cropping the picture or making a zoomed in enlargement.

The caption on this first photo reads:

(NY22 - Dec.4) No.2 CHOICE IN FOOTBALL LEAGUE DRAFT - Quarterback Roman Gabriel of North Carolina State was the No. 2 choice in the National Football League draft in Chicago today and was chosen by Los Angeles Rams. He was N0. 1 choice in the American Football League draft last week and was chosen by Oakland. (AP Wirephoto) (see AP wire story) (pr21419fls) 1961

There is also a caption on the left side that gives some correction information for the last sentence of a news story for a soccer game between Czechoslovakia and Scotland.

The back has some copy notes on it and also two date stamps DEC 6 1961 and DEC 12 1965.


This second photo has a tear at the top where the down arrow is. It goes from the top edge of the photo to the top of Romans head, it makes it look like he has a bald spot. The vertical editing marks for cropping the photo to a head shot are slightly deeper than those in the other photo.


The caption on this second photo reads:

(NY6-May 27) GABRIEL STATES HE'S A RAM -- Quarterback Roman Gabriel states he belongs to the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League "for many years to come," But the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League contend he belongs to them starting in 1967. (APWirephoto) (see AP sports wire story)js60600fls)66 (THIS IS A 1963 PHOTO)

The back has a date stamp of JUN 2 1966. It is interesting that there is a note on the upper left corner that reads "Rams-Colts"

The American Football League (AFL) would merge into the National Football League (NFL) in 1970. This would create the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

Stand Them Up!

1968 Topps Football Stand-Up Inserts

#10 Sonny Jurgensen

In the 1960s and 1970s Topps used to have some interesting and fun extras inserted into their card packs. 1968 was no exception for the Football series. In addition to the regular cards for 1968 Topps made a series of "Stand-Ups" for their football series that are similar to the 1964 baseball standups. These cards are perforated, or "cut out" so that you can punch out the outer edge of the card and with a couple folds stand-up your cards. Each card has a head and shoulders head shot of the player so in their "stood up" mode they would look like busts. The baseball cards from '64 on the other hand had the players in action poses so the baseball ones would appear to be playing if you had enough of them spread out.

I recall as a kid I had some of these, and maybe one or two of the baseball, of course being a kid I had punched them out and played with them. I don't recall which ones I had or how many. It has been ages since I've had any of my originals. Thanks to ebay I managed to find a few in decent shape and uncut. I just have four and each one seems to have some centering issues. If they were punched out it wouldn't be as obvious on a couple of them.

I have my two fave 1960s/70s quarterbacks:
#4 Roman Gabriel
#10 Sonny Jurgensen

plus
#12 Billy Kilmer
#11 Alex Karras (who went on to become an actor).

As with many cards in the 1960s and 1970s Topps often used the same photograph of a player multiple years. For some reason they seemed to use an old pic of Sonny Jurgensen in his Green Philadelphia Eagles jersey, so that photo has to be from 1963 at the latest. Also Billy Kilmer is shown in a Red jersey (he was previously on the 49ers till 1966) but was a Saint at the time these cards were released.

#4 Roman Gabriel

#11 Alex Karras

#12 Billy Kilmer

So to finish my set I need :
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

I prefer unpunched cards, but to fill-in gaps in the set I'll accept better conditioned "punched out" ones. To have my set complete they all must be unpunched.