1970 Topps hockey card of former New York Ranger winger Rod Gilbert. Gilbert is widely considered to be the greatest player in Ranger history, as he played his entire career for them and was the first Ranger to have his jersey number (7) retired. Gilbert was an eight time All Star and was the key player on the GAG line (goal-a-game), teaming with Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle. He was elected to hockey’s Hall of Fame in 1982.
From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1963 Fleer football card of former San Diego Charger defensive lineman Ernie Ladd. At 6’9″ and 315 lbs., Ladd was a giant in the game in the 1960s. He anchored a Charger defense that was one of the best in the early years of the American Football League. Nicknamed “The Big Cat”, Ladd helped the Chargers win the AFL title over the Boston Patriots in a 51-10 rout in 1963. Ladd also worked as a professional wrestler in the off-season during his career.
1961 Fleer basketball card of Gene Shue, a former guard who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He played for 4 different teams in his career, and was a five-time NBA All Star. After his retirement, Shue had a long coaching career in the league, lasting 23 years in that capacity. He was named NBA coach of the year twice, and guided the Philadelphia 76ers to the league finals in 1977, losing to the Portland Trailblazers.
From www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1955 Bowman baseball card of former Brooklyn Dodgers’ catcher Roy Campanella. “Campy” was without a doubt one of the best major league catchers of all time, and after playing in the Negro and Mexican Leagues signed with the Dodgers in 1948, a year after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line. He was an integral part of “Dem Bums” – as the Dodgers were affectionately called by their fans in that era. He was an eight-time all-star, was National League MVP 3 times, helped the Dodgers win a World Series in 1955, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. Campanella’s career was tragically cut short when he was paralyzed in a car accident in 1958. He died at his home in California of a heart attack in 1993.
1989 Topps hockey card of former National Hockey League goaltender Clint Malarchuk. Malarchuk played in the NHL from 1981 through 1996 with the Quebec Nordiques, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. On March 22, 1989 while playing for the Sabres, he suffered a life-threatening injury when the skate of St. Louis Blues’ player Steve Tuttle severed an artery in his neck. The wound bled profusely and it took 300 stitches to close it. After retiring as a player Malarchuk had problems with alcoholism and nightmares, but has gotten his life together in recent years and in 2010 was hired as a goaltending consultant with the Atlanta Thrashers.
1973 Topps football card of former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson. Drafted by the Bengals in 1971, Anderson earned the starting job by 1972 and led the team for 16 years. His position coach when he started out in Cinci was Bill Walsh, and Anderson was the first QB to direct Walsh’s “West Coast” offense. He guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1981, losing to Joe Montana’s 49ers, and ranks second behind Montana in postseason quarterback rating at 93.5. Anderson was a 4-time Pro Bowler in his career and has come close to election to football’s Hall of Fame but so far hasn’t made it in. Anderson has also dabbled in coaching since retiring, serving as an assistant for the Bengals, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh.
1969 Topps basketball card of former Boston Celtic Don Nelson. Nelson started his National Basketball Association career with the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962, played 2 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, then signed on with the Celtics, where he played the last 12 years of the 15 he totaled. Nelson was one in a long line of Celtic “sixth men”, an important part of the team’s winning formula as the first man off the bench to spell the starters. He played on 5 Boston championship teams. Nelson entered the NBA coaching ranks after he retired, and became the winningest coach in league history, guiding the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. As a coach, he was an innovator, and invented the “point forward” position that a lot of teams use today. His unique system became known as “Nellyball”.
1964 autographed Topps baseball card of a basketball player, Dave DeBusschere. DeBusschere pitched 2 seasons for the Chicago White Sox, 1962 and ’63, while also playing pro basketball for the Detroit Pistons. After the ’63 season he turned to pro basketball full time, and in 1964 even served as the Pistons’ player/coach for a short time, becoming the youngest coach in NBA history. His career blossomed when he was traded to the New York Knicks in 1968, as he became a key member of the Knicks’ championship teams of 1970 and 1973. DeBusschere was an eight time NBA All Star, voted to the league’s 50th Anniversary All Time team, and was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. DeBusschere died of a heart attack at age 62 in 2003.
1989 Topps hockey card of long-time National Hockey League defenseman Chris Chelios. Chelios started his NHL career in Montreal in 1984 and played there until 1991, helping the Habs win a Stanley Cup in 1986. He had long stretches in Chicago and Detroit, and helped the Red Wings win a pair of Cups. Chelios played until he was 46 years old, and holds the distinction of playing more career games than any other American-born player. He finally retired after the 2009 season to take a job in the front office with Detroit.
1964 Topps football card, from www.CheckOutMyCards.com , of Buffalo Bills’ defensive back Ed Rutkowski, who was mostly a special teams player in his career. However, in the old American Football League’s annual Thanksgiving Day game on November 28, 1968, Rutkowski had his shining moment of glory. The Bills were a bad team in ’68, while their opponent that day, the Oakland Raiders, were an AFL powerhouse. The Bills had lost their entire roster of quarterbacks to injury, and Rutkowski was forced to become the “disaster quarterback”. The Bills’ defense played an inspired game that day, and Rutkowski led a late-game drive on which he was stopped at the one yard line on a QB sneak, preserving a 13-10 win for the Raiders. Rutkowski followed his teammate, Jack Kemp, into politics after his playing career ended, and served for a long period as Erie County Executive in Western New York.
