Fairfield repack the second

According to the comments I received, people enjoyed the last Fairfield repack that I opened and performed a running commentary on. I guess I should give people what they want and do another post with a repack that I bought in Arizona over the Christmas holidays.


To remind people, the repack advertises 75 football cards plus a pack, and the "Jumbo Box!" packaging states that "1:4 CONTAIN A HIT!"


In the first box that I opened, 1990 Pro Set had the most cards, followed by 2013 Topps. I wonder how different this box might be.


Let's get to it!

2015 Topps Fire - Rookies Gold #11 (#/499) - Devin Funchess, Panthers: I was surprised to see a shiny parallel in the window of the box so I grabbed it.
1990 Pro Set #363 - Christian Okoye, Chiefs: The Nigerian Nightmare gets 1990 Pro Set started again.
1989 Score #168 - Carlos Carson, Chiefs: The back of his card says that he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1980 and had 345 career receptions when the card was printed...and I don't remember him at all.
1993 Stadium Club #128 - Al Smith, Oilers: I know you can't see it, but I prefer the smaller photo on the back of the card better. I guess with this one you can see his face better.
1989 Topps #226 - John Booty, Jets: Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your...  I wonder how sick he is of that song!
2011 Panini Threads #138 - Josh Freeman, Buccaneers: I am surprised at how quick his career finished. I thought someone would pick him up as a backup.
2006 Fleer #94 - Joey Galloway, Buccaneers: I really love the simple card design of this Fleer set.
1998 UD Choice #29 - Tyrone Poole, Panthers: Not familiar with this set as there are no 1998 Browns, but obviously they rebranded the Collector's Choice cards.
1989 Topps #308 - Jamie Holland, Chargers: 1989 Topps is the first set to have two cards!

1991 Topps #434 - Burt Grossman, Chargers: Of the first ten cards, four teams have been represented twice.
1996 Donruss #44 - Ken Dilger, Colts: Nice design. He looks big. <checks the back> 6'5, 249 lbs.
2001 Pacific #175 - Ken Dilger, Colts: Not just another team represented twice, the same player on back-to-back cards!
2012 Topps #270 - Philip Rivers, Chargers: I've always liked him as a QB. Chargers jump out to the lead with three cards.
2012 Panini Rookies & Stars #114 - Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers: So happy that I don't have to root against the Steelers in the Super Bowl this year. It doesn't work as often as I would like.
2013 Score #81 - Jermichael Finley, Packers: A talented receiver, too bad he had to retire after an injury suffered in the 2013 season.
2011 Playoff Contenders #45 - Darren McFadden, Raiders: A great running back when healthy.
1988 Topps #54 - New Orleans Saints team card: Previous year team leaders and schedule results on the back. I miss team cards like this.
2007 SP Authentic #15 - Carnell Williams, Buccaneers: Cadillac pulls the Bucs into a tie with the Chargers.

2014 Topps Chrome #174 - Michael Sam, Rams: I saw his CFL debut in Ottawa. He wasn't a factor in the game.
1991 Pro Set #176 - Ray Donaldson, Colts: Love seeing Centre cards. Colts now tied with the Chargers and Bucs.
2012 Panini Crown Royale - Retail #36 - Paul Posluszny, Jaguars: One of the many linebackers produced by Penn State over the years.
1990 Score #639 - Charles Arbuckle, Saints - Better known as an ESPN college football analyst.
1991 Pro Set #270 - Joe Bugel, Cardinals: Love to see a coach card. Second 1991 Pro Set card.
1990 Pro Set #262 - Vai Sikahema, Cardinals: Won by knockout over Jose Canseco in a celebrity boxing match.
1989 Pro Set #192 - Jay Schroeder, Raiders - Sad to say but all I remember is all those interceptions against the Bills in the playoffs.
1995 Fleer #370 - Trent Dilfer, Buccaneers - Way too busy a card. Buc #4.
1987 Topps #393 - Chris Washington, Buccaneers - Bucs are starting to pull away!

There was actually one more card before this card, but I've added it in the next grouping of nine. Right now I'm going to show that I pulled a 1 in 4 hit from the repack!




2003 Bowman Chrome #226 - Shaun McDonald, Rams: Had a seven year career with the Rams, Lions and Steelers. Caught 220 passes for 2490 yards with 11 TDs in his career.

1997 Score Board NFL Rookies #23 - Ricky Parker, Bears: Can't say I've heard of this set, or this player. He's wearing his college Aztecs jersey.
2013 Topps #261 - Geno Atkins, Bengals: Was probably the best defensive player in the AFC North this year.
1990 Pro Set #130 - Duane Bickett, Colts: Colts close within one of Bucs, 1990 Pro Set takes the lead at three.
1991 Pro Set Platinum #175 - Kevin Gogan, Cowboys: Love this set. Part of great O-Line that blocked for Emmitt Smith.
1984 Topps #57 - Paul McDonald, Browns: Yay! A Browns card! And the oldest card in the repack so far.
1993 SkyBox Premium #112 - Jay Hilgenberg, Browns: Another Brown! And another Centre card. Back of the card pictures him going up against former Bear teammate Steve McMichael. What's not to like?
1989 Topps #29T - Issiac Holt, Cowboys: I had forgotten that spelling of Issiac. Counting it as a 1989 Topps and it ties 1990 Pro Set.
1992 Upper Deck #332 - Chris Martin, Chiefs: I like the horizontal shot of him diving/falling over a teammate. The back photo is someone helping him up and it may be right afterwards, you can see a Ram in the background.
2008 Score #333 - Matt Ryan, Falcons: Matt Ryan rookie card! If they win the Super Bowl it may be worth tons of money! ;)

1998 Bowman's Best #5 - Isaac Bruce, Rams: More familiar spelling of Isaac. Nice and shiny card in hand.
2014 Topps #158 - St. Louis Rams team card: Rams tie Colts, pull within one of Bucs.
2015 SAGE HIT #96 - Bryce Petty, Baylor Bears: First college card in the repack.
2015 Topps #409 - Breshad Perriman, Ravens: First Raven in the repack. I'm indifferent to that.
2006 Topps #293 - Tiki Barber, Giants: Surprised that this the first Giants card. Giants all-time leading rusher.
1984 Topps #339 - Al Baker, Cardinals: Bubba! Future Brown. I would like to get to his BBQ restaurant. My college roommate hated facing him in Tecmo Bowl.
2015 SAGE HIT - Artistry #ART-14 - Amari Cooper, Alabama Crimson Tide: College insert card. Part of a bright Raiders future.
1995 Pro Line #237 - Mark Ingram, Packers: Yeah, signed with the Packers, but he is the Dolphin on the front of the card. Why would they use a photo of him with a Packer in it?
2011 Upper Deck University of Texas Football #36 - Lam Jones: Second overall pick by Jets in 1980 Draft. Olympic sprinter, did not have the hands to match.

1991 Pro Set WLAF #143 - Jason Garrett, Riders: Went on to become Troy Aikman's backup and currently coaches the Cowboys.
1991 Pro Set WLAF #116 - Billy Owens, Thunder: Those jerseys! Starting a run on WLAF cards...
1991 Pro Set WLAF #52 - Kirk Maggio, Fire: Former UCLA Punter. WLAF set now tied for set lead.
1995 Pro Line #358 - Michael Timpson, Bears: Will the Bears get a card of a player in their own uniform?
1992 Fleer #30 - Leon Sills, Bills: Another nice, simple Fleer design. Too bad about the 1995 one.
1991 Pro Set WLAF #59 - Tim Broady, Galaxy: I think I'm more interested in the cheerleaders to his side.
1991 Pro Set WLAF #125 - Clarkston Hines, Skyhawks: WLAF is starting to run away with this.
1990 Pro Set #671 - Cortez Kennedy, Seahawks: Hall of Famer rookie card!
1995 Upper Deck #182 - D.J. Johnson, Falcons: I like the photo on this one.

1998 Score #107 - Rob Johnson, Bills: I just think of him starting in the playoffs ahead of Flutie. Good call, Bills.
1991 Wild Card Draft #84 - Paul Justin, Arizona State Sun Devils: Bounced around Arena League, WLAF, and NFL for eleven years.
1991 Upper Deck #397 - Tony Bennett, Packers: No, not that Tony Bennett.
1991 Pro Set #357 - Gene Barth: Back of the card says that he was about to enter his 21st year as a NFL Official.
1995 Collector's Choice #185 - Bryce Paup, Bills: Two stealth Bills cards in this scan.
1993 Topps #649 - Steve Everitt, Browns: One of my favorites. Another Centre card.
1990 Fleer #398 - Checklist: Heh, the Browns are listed on this one. I don't think I have it in my binder yet. I'll take it!
1990 Pro Set - Super Bowl Art #21 - Super Bowl XXI: Pulls 1990 Pro Set into a tie with WLAF.
1990 Pro Set #105 - Eric Williams, Lions: And back into the lead they go!

2012 Topps #431 - Andre Roberts, Cardinals: Cards are making a threat to catch the Bucs.
2004 Topps #73 - Drew Bennett, Titans: I love seeing photos of the ball coming in for the catch.
2014 Topps #331 - Prince Amukamara, Giants: First thing I think of when seeing his name is Spaceballs, and when Lonestar finds out he is a prince.
1989 Pro Set #441 - Marcus Cotton, Falcons: I like the red jerseys and helmets.
2010 Donruss Rated Rookies #97 - Tony Moeaki, Chiefs: A name that I had forgotten. I just remember him having a strong start as a rookie.
2009 Philadelphia #59 - Zach Thomas, Chiefs: A stealth Chiefs card pulls them into a tie with the Bucs!
2011 Topps Chrome #198 - Donovan McNabb, Redskins: Best of the 1999 Quarterback Class.
2011 Absolute Memorabilia - Retail #3 - Tim Hightower, Redskins: I'm wondering why the design choice was made to eliminate the bottom, bottom-right part of the photo.
2011 Topps Prime - Retail #102 - C.J. Spiller, Bills: Became the Bills starter allowing them to trade Marshawn Lynch to Seattle.

2011 Score - Hot Rookies #12 - Greg Little, Browns: A fourth Brown. I'm happy with that.
2013 Topps #386 - Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings: 75th card of the 75 card repack...
2013 Topps #249 - Travis Frederick, Cowboys: A friend of mine was initially disappointed when the Cowboys drafted Frederick. He has since changed his mind.
2013 Topps #148 - Von Miller, Broncos: A nice photo of a great defensive player.

So both repacks had two things in common. First, they had more cards than promised, 76 last time and 77 this time. Second, 1990 Pro Set, with six, came out on top for the most cards in the repack. I appear to have pulled cards from over 50 different football sets.


The Buccaneers and Chiefs tied for the most cards, with 5, followed by the Colts, Rams, Cardinals, Browns and Bills with 4. I think that five teams not represented in the box: Patriots, Dolphins, Texans, Eagles, and 49ers.


One difference this time, however, is that my free bonus pack was not a pack of 1990 Pro Set.

I am pretty happy to see this because I didn't buy any of it this year, and with all the draft picks the Browns had there is a good chance I'll pull a card for my collection.

2016 Leaf Draft #5 - Bralon Addison, Oregon Ducks: Not drafted, signed with Broncos, released, signed with Bears.
2016 Leaf Draft #38 - Jayron Kearse, Clemson Tigers: Seventh-round pick of the Vikings.
2016 Leaf Draft - All-American Gold #AA-04 - Corey Coleman, Baylor Bears: Woo hoo! Browns first-round pick insert card!
2016 Leaf Draft #70 - Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky Colonels: Buccaneers second-round pick.
2016 Leaf Draft #18 - Corey Coleman, Baylor Bears: Coleman hot pack!


Well, I'm very happy with the pack that came in this box!


All in all, I had a fun time with the repack. I didn't really expect anything for my collection, so the two Colemans, and the Fleer checklist card were bonuses to me.


The comments from last time made me do this again, so I hope everyone enjoyed this post.

COMC Black Friday: Part Nine - The rest

This last Black Friday shipment post will show off a future Hall of Fame Tackle, a Coach and some Tight Ends.

2007 Playoff Contenders - Round Numbers #RN-10 (#/1000)

I guess I really don't need to say much about Joe Thomas, the third overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. Ten seasons: ten Pro Bowls, six-time First Team All-Pro, hasn't missed an offensive snap in his career.


He is sharing the card with Levi Brown, the fifth overall pick the same year who had 79 starts with Arizona and Pittsburgh over 8 seasons.

2005 Bowman Chrome - Red Refractors #9

Former Giants running back Maurice Carthon was the Offensive Co-ordinator for the Browns in 2005 under Head Coach Romeo Crennel. The team was 26th in offense, playing to a 6-10 record. He remained the Offensive Co-ordinator for the following season but the offense slipped to 31st. Crennel stayed on after that season, but Carthon was replaced with Rob Chudzinski.

Top (l-r): 2004 Topps - Premiere Prospects #PP9; 2004 Topps Pristine - Refractors #102 (#/1099)
Bottom (l-r): 2007 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #BC161; 2007 Playoff NFL Playoffs #24

Top Left: 2007 Topps Performance - Bronze #92 (#/99)
Top Middle: 2008 Score Select #71
Top Right: 2008 Stadium Club - First Day Issue #64 (#/1499)
Bottom (l-r): 2008 Topps Mayo #180; 2009 Donruss Elite - Retail #25

The Browns first-round pick in 2004, number six overall, Kellen Winslow Jr. broke his fibula in the second game of the season, if I remember correctly on an onside kick. He missed the rest of the season, and then the following Spring he had a motorcycle accident in which he tore his ACL and missed the 2005 season. Complicating matters, he had a staph infection after the injury. He came back with a very good 2006 season, and then a Pro Bowl 2007 season. The Browns traded him to Tampa Bay after the 2008 season.

Top (l-r): 2008 Bowman - Blue #216 (#/500); 2008 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity #163 (#/999)
Bottom: 2008 Score - Red Zone #399 (#/100)

I've talked about Martin Rucker's Browns career in previous posts where I've shown other Score 2008 parallels. He was a fourth-round pick out of Missouri in 2008.

L-R: 2014 Topps Supreme #12 (#/162); 2014 Topps Triple Threads - Purple #46 (#/399)

In the first post of these COMC Black Friday cards, I showed a printing plate of the above Topps Supreme card.

Jordan Cameron is another of the basketball player turned football player Tight Ends that seem to be all around the league. He made the switch in college, and was then drafted out of USC in the fourth-round of the 2011 NFL Draft.


And so ends my large shipment of Browns cards from COMC. They were quite a boost to my collection.

COMC Black Friday: Part Eight - Wide Receivers

This should be my second-last post showing my Black Friday purchases. This one will show different wide receiver cards that I bought.

L-R: 1999 SkyBox Metal Universe #246; 1999 SPx #122 (#/1999)

Top: 2000 Playoff Momentum - Generations #GN-24
Middle: 2001 Pacific Invincible - School Colors #44 (#/2750)
Bottom: 2001 Pacific Prism Atomic #34

Kevin Johnson ranks second in my Browns collection with 264 different cards, but there are always more to add. He only trails Tim Couch, which is fitting as he was the Browns' second-round pick in 1999 following Tim Couch's being selected with the first overall pick of the draft.

Left: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars - Freshman Orientation #FO-13 (#/2000)
Right: 2000 Upper Deck MVP - Silver Script #214

Following his selection in the second-round of the 2000 NFL Draft, out of Arizona, Dennis Northcutt played seven seasons for the Browns before finishing his career with the Jaguars (two seasons) and Lions (one season). Along with his wide receiver role, he also returned punts.

L-R: 2002-03 UD SuperStars #261; 2003 Donruss Classics #24

Andre Davis didn't have the same sports longevity as Rick Nash who is still playing with the New York Rangers. Davis, a second-round pick from Virginia Tech in the 2002 NFL Draft, played eight years in the NFL, the first three of which were with the Browns. He is one of thirteen players that share the NFL record for longest touchdown pass reception (99 yards).


Quincy Morgan is another second-round pick, from Kansas State in 2001. During his fourth season with the Browns, he was traded to the Cowboys for Antonio Bryant.

Top (l-r): 2005 SPx - Holoview #HV-6; 2005 Topps Heritage #347
Bottom (l-r): 2006 Donruss Elite - Passing the Torch Red #PT-3 (#/1000); 2007 Playoff NFL Playoffs #23

L-R: 2007 SP Chirography #24; 2008 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #BC174

Top (l-r): 2008 Donruss Threads - Pro Gridiron Kings #PGK-38; 2008 Stadium Club - First Day Issue #29 (#/1499)
Bottom (l-r): 2009 Topps Mayo #281; 2009 Upper Deck First Edition - Silver #38

Braylon Edwards was the third overall draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. In his best season, 2007, he caught 80 passes for 1289 yards and 16 touchdowns. Sadly when fans turned on him due to an awful lot of drops the following season, he blamed the fans' dislike of him as being that he played at Michigan. No, that wasn't it. It was that you were dropping passes that we thought you should have caught!


My Braylon Edwards collection is closing in on the Kevin Johnson one. It is now at 246 different cards. A couple of really nice cards here, with an amazing photo on the Stadium Club card.

L-R: 2006 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #62; 2008 Score - Scorecard #419 (#/649)

Travis Wilson was a third-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2006. He ended up playing four games for the Browns. I have 56 cards of him.


Paul Hubbard was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He never played for the Browns, but ended up playing in one NFL game for the Bills in 2010, after which he went to play for Winnipeg in the CFL. I now own 24 different Paul Hubbard cards, of which 8 are different versions of the 2008 Score set.

L-R: 2008 Score Select #70; 2012 Panini Prime Signatures #86 (#/499); 2012 Topps Chrome - Black Refractors #66 (#/299)

Primarily a very successful return specialist, Josh Cribbs eventually was used more as a receiver, and to run a wildcat offense for the Browns. He was a college quarterback at Kent State and signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played eight seasons for the Browns and in those seasons had 3 punt return touchdowns and 8 kickoff return touchdowns to go along with 7 receiving and 2 rushing touchdowns.

L-R: 2009 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #131; 2009 Finest #78

A second-round draft pick from Georgia in 2009, Mohamed Massaquoi played four seasons with the Browns.

Top (l-r): 2009 Finest #67; 2009 Playoff Prestige #116; 2009 Press Pass SE - Double Feature #DF-19
Bottom: 2009 Topps #411; 2009 Topps Chrome - Refractors #TC191

Brian Robiskie was also a second-round pick for the Browns in the 2009 NFL Draft, selected ahead of Massaquoi. He played three seasons with the Browns. I believe that he is the last player that the Browns have drafted out of Ohio State, which is surprising because they have had good teams and they are practically in Cleveland's backyard.

Top: 2010 Panini Prestige - Draft Picks Light Blue #217 (#/999)
Bottom (l-r): 2011 Topps Magic Rookies #91; 2011 Topps Prime #148 (#/930)

Carlton Mitchell was a sixth-round pick out of South Florida in 2010, and played 16 games for the Browns during the 2010-11 seasons.


Greg Little was a second-round pick out of North Carolina in 2011. He played three seasons for the Browns, catching 155 passes and 8 touchdowns.

L-R: 2013 Panini Momentum #74; 2014 Panini Hot Rookies - Scorecard #53 (#/99)

Whether you agree Josh Gordon's suspension over recreational drug use was too harsh, or not, when he played in 2013 he had one of the best seasons for a wide receiver that I've ever seen. It is really too bad for him and the Browns that he wasn't able to follow up on it. However, the rules were there and he didn't follow them and it has cost him a lot of money. It is a sad story.

2016 Panini Father's Day #51 (#/599)

I hope Corey Coleman lives up to the potential that he showed at times this year. Hopefully the Browns can have a regular quarterback that can develop a rapport with Coleman and he'll live up to the status of being a first-round pick, and the first receiver drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft.

COMC Black Friday: Part Seven - Running Backs

My Black Friday shipment contained quite a few running backs since 1999. Most of them are well represented already in my collection, but I've noticed that there are always cards that I need for everyone.

L-R: 2000 Collector's Edge EG #99; 2000 Ultra - Head of the Class #9 HC

Travis Prentice was a third-round pick of the Browns in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Miami (Ohio). He played one year for the Browns, rushing for over 500 yards before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the season.

L-R: 2000 Topps Chrome #58; 2001 SAGE - Autographs Silver #A26 (#/400)

As you can see on his card, Errict Rhett came to the Browns as a free agent from the Ravens for the 2000 season. His season ended in the fifth game of the season due to a torn ligament in the foot, having rushed for just over 250 yards. He was released by the Browns in the 2001 training camp and retired.


James Jackson was a third-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft for the Browns from the Miami Hurricanes. After rushing for 554 yards in 11 games of his rookie season, he rushed for 517 yards in 32 games over the next three years.

Top: 2002 Fleer Authentix - Hometown Heroes #2 HH
Bottom (l-r): 2002 Finest #120 (#/1200); 2002 Pacific Crown Royale #160

William Green was a first-round pick of the Browns out of Boston College during the 2002 NFL Draft. He a strong rookie season, gaining 887 yards and 6 touchdowns, before personal problems hurt his career. He ended up rushing for 2109 yards in four seasons with the Browns.

L-R: 2004 Donruss Classics #155 (#/1850); 2004 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia #167 (#/750)

A seventh-round pick out of California, the Nigerian-born Echemandu was drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played in four games in 2004, his only season with the Browns.

Top (l-r): 2005 Donruss Zenith #25; 2006 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #159
Bottom (l-r): 2007 Ultra #128; 2007 Playoff Prestige #38

The Browns traded for Reuben Droughns after he rushed for 1240 yards with the Broncos in 2004. He came close to matching that total with 1232 rushing yards in his first season with the Browns in 2005, and followed it up with 758 yards in 2006 before being traded to the Giants before the 2007 season. The bottom two cards list him as being with the Giants.

L-R: 2006 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #57; 2006 Bowman Chrome - Uncirculated Rookies #57 (#/519)

Left: 2006 Topps Turkey Red - Red #206
Middle: 2010 Panini Certified - Platinum Red #35 (#/999)
Right: 2010 Topps - Gold #224 (#/2010)

I've commented about Harrison in other posts. He finished the 2009 season on a roll, rushing for 561 yards over the final three games of the season. A fifth-round pick out of Washington State in 2006, he played with the Browns until a trade to the Eagles during the 2010 season.

Left: 2006 Topps Chrome - Refractors #211
Middle: 2006 Topps Total - Blue #429
Right: 2007 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection - Ultimate Signatures #US-TM

Lawrence Vickers had a good run as a fullback for the Browns from 2006-2010. He was a sixth-round pick out of Colorado in the 2006 NFL Draft.


When healthy, Lee Suggs did a good job running the ball for the Browns. However he had difficulties staying healthy in his three years with the team. He was a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in the 2003 NFL Draft.


Former Miami Hurricane Tyrone Moss was an undrafted free agent signed by the Browns in 2007. He lasted about a week with the team. However, according to The Trading Card Database he has 62 football cards. I have 10 of them, with half showing him in a Browns uniform, but all listing him with the Browns. Seven of the ten cards are autographed.

Top (l-r): 2008 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia - Retail #35; 2008 Score Select #69
Bottom: 2008 Stadium Club - First Day Issue #42 (#/1499); 2009 Topps Triple Threads - Sepia #44 (#/249)

After signing with the Browns as a free agent for the 2007 season, Jamal Lewis was a good running back for the Browns. He rushed for over 1000 yards in each of his two full seasons with the team, and had 500 yards when his season ended due to an injury in the ninth game of the season.

Top (l-r): 2009 Donruss Certified - Mirror Red #163 (#/250); 2009 Finest #88
Bottom: 2011 Topps Magic Rookies #34

A sixth-round pick out of Clemson in the 2009 NFL Draft, James Davis appeared in six games with the Browns in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.


Owen Marecic was drafted by the Browns in the fourth-round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Stanford. At Stanford he started on both offense and defense, as a fullback and as a linebacker. The Browns played him as a fullback, and he played 24 games over two seasons with the team.

Top (l-r): 2012 Topps Chrome #23 ; 2012 Topps Chrome - Refractors #23
Bottom: 2012 Topps Kickoff #8

There are a lot of Trent Richardson cards that I still need as his cards were expensive since he was the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. I'll pick up cards like these as I find them at good prices.

L-R: 2014 Panini Absolute - Hogg Heaven Anniversary Purple #2 (#/20); 2014 Topps Supreme #26 (#/162)

The Browns selected Terrance West in the third-round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Towson where he had just finished a season where he had rushed for 41 touchdowns. Splitting time with fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell, West led the team in rushing in 2014 with 673 yards. During training camp in 2015, West was traded to the Tennessee Titans with whom he played two games before being released. He was then signed by the Baltimore Ravens where he finished the 2015 season and played all of this year.

Looking Back: Zellers Expos Baseball Pro Tips - Tim Raines

I'm posting this in advance of tomorrow's announcement where I hope to hear that Tim Raines has been elected to the Hall of Fame.


Having grown up in Ottawa, just two hours away from Montreal, the Expos were the closest team for me to follow in the newspapers, on radio and on television. My father also took me to Montreal for games a few times a year.


Tim Raines was a disruptive force on the basepaths. The scoreboard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal used to have a cartoon chicken show up on the screen, accompanied by the sound of a clucking chicken anytime a pitcher threw over to a base to try and pick off a runner, or just to keep them close. Every time the pitcher threw over, another chicken appeared on the scoreboard. It was a sound you would often hear when Tim Raines was on base.


He was a great base-stealer and lead-off man, overshadowed by playing at the same time as Rickey Henderson, the best ever in those roles.


With Raines having led the National League in stolen bases in 1981, it was only natural that he would be featured with sliding tips in the 1982 Zellers set.

The card backs should be read from right to left to match the card photos above

An unfortunate side-note to go with these cards is that Tim Raines had a cocaine problem in 1982. He entered into a substance abuse facility at the end of the season. Raines testified at the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials that he used to keep his vial of cocaine in his hip pocket so as to not leave it in his locker, and would use a headfirst slide to not break the vial.


Having re-signed with the Expos for the 2001 season, Raines was traded near the end of the season to the Baltimore Orioles where he was able to play a game with his son, Tim Raines, Jr. They became the second father-son duo to play together in the same lineup on the same team, after the Griffeys.


Best wishes to Tim Raines for tomorrow's announcement!

Rant on nfl.com article on Martin Luther King Day

Okay, this is a bit of a rant.


In a recent post, I commented on Marion Motley and Bill Willis being two of the football players that helped break the color barrier of professional football.


Of course, the NFL does not recognize stats or achievements of the AAFC like they did with the AFL, so an article today on nfl.com does not recognize Motley and Willis as having helped break the color barrier in 1946.


What I want to know is why they aren't listed for the Browns as a 1950 entry in this article when the Browns entered the NFL that year?


Entering the 1950 season, the Browns also had Horace Gillom and Len Ford. And the Browns are not even mentioned in the nfl.com article. Way to go, NFL!


Here is a nice article written by Steve King in 2013 on the Browns website celebrating Black History Month that year. An interesting quote is:

But the importance of what Willis and Motley did comes with the realization that when Robinson got called up from the Dodgers’ Class AAA team in Montreal, he called Willis and Motley for any pointers they could give him since they had already been through the challenging experience he was about to undertake. That is, Willis and Motley were the real pioneers.

And just to include some cards that I own in this post, here are some scans borrowed from The Trading Card Database:




1951 Bowman #109

I also own a 1948-52 Exhibit card of Motley, but do not yet own his 1950 Bowman rookie card. He played with the Browns from 1946-53. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

1951 Bowman #37

This is Gillom's rookie card. He was signed by the browns in early 1947. He played with the Browns from 1947-56.

1955 Bowman #14

Len Ford played for the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC for the 1948-49 seasons before being signed by the Browns as they entered the NFL. He played for the Browns from 1950-57 before finishing his career with one year of playing for the Packers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

1992 Sunoco Browns Hall of Fame #8

Bill Willis played for the Browns from 1946-53. He did not have a trading card issued of him during his playing career. As you can see on the back of this card, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.