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C.A.: you decide

(After this past weekend, which consisted of the rare combination of partying and slaving -- all done on one less hour than there usually is on a weekend -- there is no questioning what I am appreciating right now: some well-deserved sleep. But first, it's time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 21st in a series):

Today, I give you the first "Cardboard Appreciation Challenge." What I'm asking you to do is choose which card is the iconic card of the 1970s. Which card sums up everything that was fun about that decade?

Candidate #1 is a card that anyone who has ever chewed a pink slab of cardboard gum knows inside and out. Oscar Gamble's 1975 Topps card has been the subject of internet soliloquies for years. I'm not going to get into everything that's great about this card. It would only be a rehash. It's all been done. All I can say is if you're going to vote against this card, you'd better have a damn good reason.

Candidate #2 is also a card that everyone knows. Just as Oscar Gamble's hair symbolizes the "anything goes" fashion of the '70s, so does Tito Fuentes' headband on his 1974 Topps card. Again, if you're voting against Tito, I'm waiting for your well-constructed argument.

So, which is it? Which card sums up the '70s best? The 1975 Oscar Gamble or the 1974 Tito Fuentes? Which card deserves my appreciation more? And why?

Comments

AdamE said…
The Gamble wins hands down. No baseball card says 70s more than that one. There are a few 70s basketball cards that could give it a run for its money though.
Anonymous said…
Gamble, no contest.
AlbuqwirkE said…
Oscar in a landslide!
jacobmrley said…
while i have always been a fan of the 1976 topps traded oscar gamble (afro and airbrushing) the 1975 edition is a close second. not only is the picture iconic, the hairdo stunning, and the uniform garish, the borders of the card tie it all together in a splash technicolor nightmare paint that only 1975 can provide.
madding said…
How very Wax Heaven of you!

As much as I hate to vote against the completely odd headband-over-cap concept, I'll have to go with Oscar. I'm usually in favor of full pictures over headshots, for starters. Plus, Oscar's hair reminds me of the Mickey Mouse Ears hat that I had in my closet growing up. I apparently got it at Disneyland when I was far too young to form any memories.
Dan said…
Definitely the Oscar Gamble. I remember seeing that 'fro live and in-person at Municipal Stadium, along with the seventeen other fans in the stands. I think his afro had its own mailing address.
And the Oscar goes to........Round Two!
gcrl said…
gamble. tito is too clean shaven to represent the 70s. plus, he didn't even write his name on that headband...
Mark said…
Oscar, in a landslide. He's got the 70s 'fro, the airbrushing (indicative of both Topps and the 70s - think airbrushed shirts), the crazy-colored border, and the 3/4 length baseball shirts we all wore.

Seeing this card reminds me of little league baseball, 'Welcome Back Kotter', and Donna Summers all at once!
night owl said…
mab, I don't think there's any airbrushing involved in Oscar's '75 card (he's also in a non-airbrushed Cleveland uniform in his '74 card).

It's Gamble in a rout! I knew Oscar would win, but I thought there was more love for Tito out there.
tastelikedirt said…
I gotta go with Gamble too.

What is the # of his '75 Topps card?
night owl said…
Gamble's # is 213.
--David said…
I gotta go with Gamble, and the fact he is an Indian makes it even better!
Desuko. said…
I've got to second the vote for the Gamble Traded card. It has all the amenities of the '75 Gamble card pictured here, plus the advantages of bad airbrushing and a cheesy fake headline.

But you really can't go wrong with any Oscar Gamble card. Just like every canvas that was painted by Rembrandt, every piece of cardboard depicting Gamble is a priceless treasure.
MMayes said…
It's still unanimous. I'm with Oscar Gamble. While I've always been partial to the 1976 Topps Traded card, I have to admit the 1975 has a certain charm, as well. I think the "70ness" about the 1975 card is derived from being in the Indian uniform with the strange font rather than the traditional Yankee jersey. Now if they'd have only goten him in the maroon PJ's the Tribe wore then.......