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Completing another all-time favorite

 
By my count, I have completed 61 sets, discounting smaller insert sets.
 
Out of those 61, all but three are baseball sets, which shows where my devotion lies. Two of the non-baseball sets are the 1991 MusiCards, both the U.S. and U.K. versions.
 
The other is the 1977 Topps football set. I completed it this week.
 

 
The last two cards arrived in the mail, two linemen together. They weren't particularly difficult to find. I had just forgotten about them and in looking through my binder realized they were missing.
 
Now it is complete and I couldn't be happier. This is my all-time favorite football set ... by a significant margin. It's possibly in my top 10 or 15 sets ever made, regardless of sport.
 
I know some collectors find it too gaudy or possessing the same drawback that other '70s Topps NFL sets have -- no logos. The poses are corny. There are too many players without helmets. What's with all the weird sideline shots?
 
Those people clearly don't understand the '70s. All of the above "problems" are actually what makes the set so great.
 
The reason why I didn't notice the lack of logos when I was buying packs of the set in '77 -- or at least dismissed the lack of logos -- is because the set was so damn colorful. I loved the ribbon design and the combination of colors. It attracted me in a way that no other football set released at that time could. Who cares if the player isn't wearing a helmet when the rest of the card is so damn attractive?
 
This is a lesson that Panini finally realized for its baseball sets when it started releasing Chronicles. Make your cards/set as shiny, gaudy or wacky as possible and nobody will care about the logo issue.
 
But anyway, this is supposed to be an ode to one of my childhood favorites.
 
I accumulated maybe 100 cards from the set that year (only in 1979 did I buy more football cards). And below were some of my favorites at the time:
 
 
Falcons. Yes, these two in particular. I'm sure it was the bright red shiny uniforms. Let's just add to the color overkill. At least night owl will like it.
 
There was a period where Steve Bartkowski was my favorite quarterback. And I'd be annoyed each Sunday when his team didn't perform. They were letting him down!
 
 
Rams. Without a doubt. These two were favorites. The Rams were right up there with the array of football favorites I had back then. With no particular allegiance, I'd bounce between the Rams and Packers and Oilers and Vikings and Cowboys and Raiders. They all looked impressive to me.
 
 
You could've told me that Ray Guy was 7 feet tall and a linebacker. That's how I saw him.
 
 
Oh, and this card. I couldn't have told you one thing about Kenny Stabler when I saw this card. But I knew he was great.
 

 
Two more favorites, both cards I owned back then. I knew a little bit about Rocky Bleier. Didn't know anything about Archie Griffin. But I picked well.
 
But my overall favorite at the time were the Cowboys, particularly all these guys.
 
 
The Cowboys were massive in the late '70s and this was long before I realized it's not a good idea at all to like the Cowboys. But those cards appealed to me so much. Not one of those players is wearing a helmet or moving at all, but they're just so impressive and regal sitting there, or so I thought.
 
I also loved the red and yellow combination more than any of the others.
 
 
I don't know what that says about the Bills, who I ignored back then despite the same color scheme as the Cowboys. Ten years later, I'd be a Bills fan.
 
Now lets move on to some current favorites.
 
 
The Dan Fouts station wagon card, of course that's a favorite.
 
 
Dudes wearing hats. This is stuff you never see on a baseball card -- it's a baseball cap or else! Which is why I probably find it so amusing.
 
 
Is there anything better than a glasses-wearing ball-carrier? Chuck Muncie had my undying devotion.
 
 

Perhaps not on the same level as the 1977 Mark Fidrych card but when you get the All-Pro banner AND the 1,000-yard stamp, there is no doubt you are at the top of your game.
 
 
Speaking of which, they treated the premier quarterbacks in the game at the time right, particularly Stabler, Tarkenton and Staubach.

But the sideline shots are the best, pictures you don't exactly see every day.
 

An oxygen mask. Picture that on any other sports card.
 

A neck massage. I could use one every day. Those NFL players have it so good.
 
 
 
I've mentioned this card before (and many of the others on this post). The phantom NFL player is rising up behind you Jack! Watch out!
 

A giant of a man, Harold Carmichael was 6-7 and they can barely get him the frame.
 
 
 
Tell me a guy who looks like this could be a quarterback today.
 
 

One of my favorite things about NFL sets from the '70s is all the discovery. I followed the NFL as a kid only after the baseball season ended and not as avidly. I knew the star players but a whole bunch of dudes who played then didn't exist for me at the time. So that's why I look at the names of some of these guys and say, come on, this HAS to be a made-up name.
 

Oh, and, yes, I could go for one right now.

Topps artists worked overtime on NFL cards in the '70s, getting rid of all those offensive logos. So they could be forgiven in going a bit overboard in some examples.
 

Tell me, is there really a live human being in all of that artistry?

Although this set took more than a couple of years to complete, it wasn't murder on my wallet and no card really gave me problems. I expected Walter Payton to be the most difficult, but that arrived about midway through the quest.

The biggest stars, Bradshaw, Mean Joe, Theismann, O.J., nope, none of them were all that difficult.

In fact, the ones that were unexpected toughies were those pop-culture players that I've discussed before with baseball.
 

Guys like this. In fact, Brian Sipe is one of the few cards that I should upgrade in this set.

It feels great to finish my all-time favorite football set. Now that I'm done, I know I'll tackle that other football set I collected as a kid, from 1979. Expect to see a want list for that eventually.

But for now I'm just going to enjoy this set, in all of its outlandish color and disregard for logos. Another journey is complete.

Comments

Nachos Grande said…
I share in your joy of completing a set! Someday I'll go through and count all of the sets that I've finished, I'm guessing it's a fair bit less then the number you've done.
Congratulations on completing the set!

This post brings back a lot of memories. 1977 was my first season as both a football and baseball fan, and this is my favorite football set too.

I still remember watching the Bears' last regular-season game that year. They had to beat the Giants in order to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, and Walter Payton had an outside chance to break Simpson's single-season rushing record. The game was played during a freezing rain, so Payton didn't gain much on the ground that day -- but Bob Thomas made a field goal in OT to put the Bears in the playoffs.

Where they were spanked something like 40-0 ... by the Cowboys.
Bo said…
I have a ton of '79s to trade whenever you are ready.

Fouts and Sullivan are my favorites here. '70s Topps football has a lot of the same quirkiness and charm as early '80s Fleer baseball, which are many of my favorite baseball cards. Which is why I will be announcing on my own blog very soon that I am going to be more focused on vintage football.
carlsonjok said…
So many familiar names. I stopped following football years ago, but back in 1977 I was a Cowboys fan (moved to Bills after Jerry fired Tom Landry) I may have to think about this one after I finish the 1973 set.
John Bateman said…
This set brings up a lot of emotion in - Mark Van Eeghan not getting his thousand yard logo on the front of his card is one of my biggest card disappointments of all time. This set stick out much more because Topps was in a very dry run for football designs from 1973 to 1980.

The action photos stand out compared to any other Football set Topps put out until the end of the brown back card board era in 1991 (there were good photos in the 1991 set).

This set is comparable with 1983 Topps Baseball in tightness of its action photography. Both sets seem to have less room for the photo and more space for the design. For the Football set the design is at the Top and for the Baseball set the design is at the bottom with the second photo. The Stabler and Staubach compares well to Willie McGee and George Brett in the 83 set. 1977 Topps Football and 1983 Topps Baseball just stand out in there look from all other sets in their respective sports from 1970-1991.

In early 1978, I can still remember the thrill of finding rack packs in Sears and finding the players with pictures on the top of cards who I did not have. I still remember finding those Tampa Bay Bucs cards that I needed Ed Williams and John McKay.
Brett Alan said…
Do you think Horst Muhlmann inspired Hans Moleman?

Been a while since I've thought about those "1000 Yarder" logos on football cards. Interesting that they never tried the equivalent with baseball. They could have done 20 game winners, .300 hitters, or 100 RBI guys.
Robert said…
I just started picking up a handful of '79 FB cards, it's the next set FB wise for me when '86 is complete. Maybe one day I'll tackle '77...
bryan was here said…
I like the '77 football sets, it's one of my all time favourites, next to the '73 and '79s. I started collecting in in the mid '80s by picking up the entire Buccaneers team, including checklist, for 50 cents. I got the Walter Payton and Steve Largent cards for Christmas one year, and I scored the Vince Papale card back when you would find it in the back of the common boxes. And for an airbrushed logo set, there were plenty of action shots sprinkled throughout. I also like the Super Bowl XI card that closes out the set.

bbcardz said…
Gotta love those '70's Topps football sets. In fact, just today I had a great mailday (via TCDb) with 12 1969-73 Topps football cards in a PWE.
Angus said…
Congrats on finishing the 1977 set! Great job. (I'll have to look for a Sipe upgrade for you.)

Let me know when you start the 1979 set. I'm sure that I can spare one of my Ozzie Newsome rookie cards for your set.
Big League said…
I have plenty of 1979s to trade. I also have a Ron Cey autographed card looking to be mailed.

Bo said…
Oh wait, did I send you 79s already?
Fuji said…
Not sure if there's ever been a list of coolest looking rookie cards... but if there has... the Griffin has to be on it. That card is gorgeous. The Fouts and Staubach are sweet too. Congratulations on completing this set.
Johngy said…
Definitely one of my favorite sets, too, for all the reasons you listed.
Grant said…
So many badass Vikings. I should start a team set.
Trevor P said…
I don't have many 77s, but it is a all-time great set. Congrats on your first football set!
night owl said…
@Bo ~

Yes, I think. You did send me a bunch of '79s.
Adam said…
That's a fun looking set, congrats on completing it!
I guess a football set completion gets you a congrats. :)
Chris said…
John Hadl was probably younger on that card than Brady and Brees are now. And you're right - he doesn't look like a QB at all.

The Dan Fouts card was the only '77 I had in my collection until this week ;)

Congrats on completing this very interesting set!
Jon said…
I prefer the early 70's sets myself, but congratulations are still in order for completing a vintage set. It's nice to know that there are still a few people who'll gut these out :)
Jafronius said…
Congrats on finishing the set!
Congratulations! It's always fun to complete a childhood favorite set.

FYI, when speaking of Vern Den Herder, one should always use a Swedish Chef voice.

Vern Den Herder!
Josh D. said…
Vern Den Herder went to college in the small town where I grew up (Pella, IA). My Dad says that he and Ed Podolak were the locals that everyone knew about.

Den Herder is a good Dutch name (like DenHartog). After the NFL, Den Herder started a cattle farming operation.....so he actually became a Herder! :-)