Logo used by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League after they won the league’s championship in 1953. The team was a dynasty in the 1950s, winning 3 titles – in 1952, ’53 and ’57. Unfortunately, the championship they captured in 1957 was their last one to this day. Some notable Lion players from this era are Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christiansen, Lou Creekmur, Frank Gatski, Yale Lary, John Henry Johnson and Dick Stanfel.
Archive for September, 2019
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1989 Score football card of former pro football quarterback Don Majkowski, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, most notably with the Green Bay Packers. A native of Depew, NY, he earned the nickname “The Majik Man” for his exploits in Green Bay, and the best of his 6 seasons with the Packers was in 1989, when he led the NFL in passing yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. Injuries hampered him in his playing days, and when he suffered a torn ligament in his ankle in a 1992 game, he was replaced by a young upstart named Brett Favre and was forced to move on to another team. Majkowski was a fan favorite while playing for the Packers, and is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
Logo of a football team that played in the original XFL, the Chicago Enforcers. The team, like the league they played in, lasted only a single season before folding. They originally lined up Chicago Bear legend Dick Butkus to be their head coach, but when he took a job in the XFL front office just prior to the season, former NFL coach Ron Meyer took the job. Some of their players included Bennie Anderson, Tyji Armstrong, Aaron Bailey and running backs LeShon Johnson and John Avery, who was the league’s leading rusher.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1963 Topps football card of former pro football safety Larry Wilson, who enjoyed a 13 year career in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was an eight time Pro Bowler, was named to the All Decade teams for both the 1960s and ’70s, was named NFL Defensive Player of The Year in 1966 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1978. He was the first NFL player to employ the safety blitz as a tactic to rush the opposing quarterback. He stayed loyal to the Cardinal organization after his playing days ended, serving at various times as defensive backs coach, interim head coach, scouting director, vice president and general manager. In all, he worked for the Cardinal organization for 43 years before retiring in 2002.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Mid-American Conference, the Central Michigan Chippewas. A historic program that began play in 1896, they have won 16 conference titles and a Division II national championship in 1974. Chippewa alumni who have gone on to play pro football include Walter Beach, Ray Bentley, Joe Staley, Antonio Brown, Eric Fisher, Gary Hogeboom, Frank Zombo and Cullen Jenkins.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1961 Topps football card of former Detroit Lions’ linebacker Joe Schmidt, a dedicated Lion who played 13 seasons with the team and also served as their head coach for 6 years. As a player, he was a 10-time Pro Bowler, 2-time NFL Defensive MVP, member of the NFL All Decade team of the 1950s, and a major part of Detroit championship teams in 1953 and 1957. He served 6 months in the U.S. Army after the ’57 season. Some perspective relating to players of the 1960s compared to today: Schmidt was the Lions’ highest paid defensive player in 1963, making $22,000 for the year. As a coach, he compiled a winning record but only got the Lions to the playoffs once. Schmidt had his jersey number 56 retired by the franchise, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
Classic Team Logo of The Day
This is a logo of one of the teams that will begin play in Vince McMahon’s new XFL when it commences operations in 2020, the St. Louis BattleHawks. The team will compete in the East Division of the new league. They will be the only XFL club to not share the market in their city with an NFL franchise, since St. Louis lost 2 NFL teams, the Cardinals and the Rams, over the years. Former NFL player Jonathan Hayes will serve as both coach and general manager, and their coaching staff includes a former member of the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show On Turf”, Az-Zahir Hakim.