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1981 Topps football card of former NFL wide receiver Wes Chandler. Chandler played 11 seasons in the league, breaking in with the New Orleans Saints but having his greatest success with San Diego’s “Air Coryell” offense under coach Don Coryell. He was a four time Pro Bowler and besides being a prolific receiver, he was a dynamic kick returner, amassing 10,526 total all-purpose yards in his career. Since retiring, Chandler has been a coach for almost 15 years in the NFL as well as in college and NFL Europe, and most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the United Football League’s New York Sentinels in 2009.

From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1976 Topps basketball card of former Boston Celtic guard Jo Jo White. Drafted in 1969, White was a key player in the backcourt for 2 Celtic championship teams in the 1970s. He was an iron man performer in his career, playing in all 82 games for 5 consecutive seasons in the ’70s. Jo Jo was known for his relentless defense and as an unselfish team player, and was an underrated shooter. He was an NBA All Star for 7 straight seasons and was the NBA Finals MVP in 1976.

With the Barry Bonds steroids/lying to Congress trial going on right now, here is a 1969 Topps baseball card featuring Barry’s dad, Bobby Bonds, who had a stellar major league career without any chemical enhancement. He played 14 years in the majors, mostly for the San Francisco Giants, and was a player with a rare combination of power and speed, with 461 stolen bases, 332 home runs and 1,024 RBI for his career. Bonds also was a good fielder, winning 3 Gold Gloves. He is one of only 5 players in baseball history to hit a grand slam home run in his first major league game. As a player, coach, scout and front office employee, Bonds spent a total of 23 seasons in the Giants’ organization. He died in 2003 of complications from lung cancer and a brain tumor.

Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1972 Opeechee hockey card of former NHL defenseman Barry Ashbee. Ashbee played 5 seasons in the league with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, winning the Stanley Cup with the Flyers in 1973-74. Unfortunately, his playing career ended that year when he suffered a severe eye injury after being hit with a puck. Ashbee served as an assistant coach the following year, when the Flyers won another Cup. His life took another tragic turn in April of 1977 when he found out he had leukemia, then died a month later.

1963 Topps football card of former Los Angeles Ram defensive lineman David “Deacon” Jones, who is listed as an “end” on this card but was so much more than that. Jones was the emotional and spiritual leader of one of the NFL’s most famous defensive fronts – the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome”, along with Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy. He was a tremendous player who never shied away from vocalizing his hatred for opposing quarterbacks, and regularly terrorized opponents’ backfields. Deacon literally invented the term “quarterback sack”, as he played in an era before tackling the QB for a loss was kept as an official statistic. Jones also was the first defensive lineman to utilize the “head slap” as a technique for beating opposing offensive linemen, and this tactic has since been outlawed by the league. Nicknamed “The Secretary of Defense”, he was an eight time Pro Bowler, was named to both the All Decade team for the 1960s and the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All Time team, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1974 Topps basketball card of former  player and current coach George Karl. He played in the old ABA for the San Antonio Spurs, then became an NBA player when the Spurs joined that league in ’76. Karl was a journeyman player but has enjoyed a long and successful career as an NBA head coach, guiding the Seattle Supersonics in the 1990s to 50+ win seasons in all of his years there. He became coach of the Denver Nuggets in 2005 and is their current head man. He has had a couple of notable achievements this season, becoming only the seventh coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games in his career, and also winning a battle with prostate cancer.

Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1965 Topps baseball card of former major league pitcher Luis Tiant. The Cuban born hurler played 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. He is one of only 5 pitchers in modern major league history to have thrown 4 or more  consecutive shutouts, with Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson, Gaylord Perry and Orel Hershiser being the others. That’s pretty good company. Tiant is the subject of a documentary film Lost Son of Havana, and despite having won 229 games over his career, is not in the Hall of Fame, although there is a grassroots campaign on the social networking site Facebook trying to get him elected.

From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1968 Topps hockey card of former Detroit Red Wing Alex Delvecchio, who played 22 complete seasons for the Wings, the most of any player with one team in NHL history. He was a member of Detroit’s “Production Line”, teaming with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. Unlike Howe and Lindsay, however, Delvecchio was a “gentlemanly” player, winning the Lady Byng Trophy, which combines sportsmanship and excellence on the ice, three times in his career. At the time of his retirement in 1973, he was second to Howe in all career categories, but has since been surpassed by Steve Yzerman. Delvecchio’s # 10 sweater has been retired by the Wings, and he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

1989 Topps football card of former NFL wide receiver Chris Carter, who played 16 seasons in the league for the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. Carter was released by the Eagles despite being a star player, and when asked by reporters why, Eagle coach Buddy Ryan gave this legendary explanation – “All he does is catch touchdowns!” Carter went on to star in Minnesota, and for his career amassed 1,101 receptions and scored 130 TDs. He was an eight time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL All Decade team for the 1990s.  Today, Carter works on various football shows as an analyst, including HBO’s Inside The NFL and ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and Sunday NFL Countdown.

From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1976 Topps basketball card of former NBA player Walt “Clyde” Frazier, one of the smoothest backcourt players to ever play in the league. He led the Knicks to 2 NBA titles, in 1970 and ’73, combining a soft jump shot, uncanny passing ability and tenacious defense. Frazier’s jersey number 10 is retired by the Knicks, and he entered the basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He also was voted to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-time team. He currently works as a color analyst on Knicks’ television broadcasts on the Madison Square Garden Network.