2015 COMC purchase: more Michigan rookies (kill QBs)

Last Monday I showed off a bunch of Charles Woodson RCs, and today I'm back with the other Michigan Football rookies I grabbed from COMC this time:

Alan Branch 2007 Playoff Prestige RC:  the college game photo looks great, and I'd go so far as to call it stunning considering how nice the colors work.  Also, ALAN BRANCH KILLS QBs.

Mike Hart 2008 Donruss Elite RC (#767/999):  I have the autographed version so why not the RC too?  Love me some 2000s Elite!

Junior Hemingway 2012 SP Authentic RC:  this goes well with another 2012 UD RC of the amazing diminutive WR.

Chad Henne 2008 Prestige RC:  Another year of Prestige that features college unis; I'm working on the team set and this one starts me off nicely.

Chad Henne 2008 Stadium Club RC (#1084/1799):  the combo-breaker as Chad appears in a Dolphins uni, but I can forgive that since it's numbered and done up in a traditionally strong Stadium Club design.

Marlin Jackson 2005 Donruss Classics RC (#1387/1999):  another pro uni but I love the gold theme and, of course, the numbering.

Chris Perry 2004 Playoff Prestige RC:  back to Prestige and the Michigan unis.  The colors work very well on this design too.

Amani Toomer 1996 Pacific Invincible RC:  gaudy, sparkly, and insane?  Must be Pacific!  It counts as a Michigan card thanks to the helmet.

Jerame Tuman 1999 Paramount RC:  Ditto that for the underrated Tuman who appears here on one of my favorite Pacific designs.

I figured I'd use this post to announce that I'm embarking on yet another large project:  checklisting and collecting every (non-hit) Michigan Football rookie.  That may be a tall order--I may never have enough money to land each of Tom Brady's, for example--but it's still a fun goal to chase.  I'll go into further detail in a future post, but basically I'm going through each drafted and undrafted player, running their names through Beckett's OPG and seeing which cards turn up.  After that I'm identifying anything with the RC designation (so no Press Pass or Sage, for example) and anything with a relic, autograph, or the like.  There's a couple other minor exceptions I'm adding or removing where relevant.

Believe it or not I've managed to make it through players up to 2005, and of course the number increases quite a bit with each year.  I count just shy of 900 cards for the 1948-2005 time period, to give you an idea of what I'm up against--I haven't even reached the epic 2006 draft class yet!  Also notable:  I'm tracking whenever a player appears in a Michigan uniform, which I'm thinking at least some of you may find useful.  When the whole thing's completed I'll share out my Google Sheet in case others would like to use it as well.

With all that in mind, plan on seeing LOTS more Michigan Football rookies around here, including some in-hand that need to be scanned (some of which are from complete sets), even more from COMC, and likely soon, an enormous pile from Sportlots.  And besides those, hopefully I'll have lots more to show off from traders like you, so please keep sending them my way!

2014 eBay purchase #3: Lega-me, lega-you, Legacy

One of my final Februray purchases, one which ate up a decent chunk of my monthly budget, was another lot of TK Legacy M Go Blue autographs.  As I did back in January, I found another guy with a bunch of them listed as BIN/OBO and found him extremely easy to work with.  umperry23 is another stand-up eBay seller I can now personally recommend after some nice back-and-forth that concluded with a deal that satisfied both of us.  Here's the result of that transaction--13 new cards for the M Go Blue autographs collection!:

David Arnold 2004 TK Legacy auto

Arnold is the first new football PC member from the lot, but that's no surprise since the majority of these guys are in the same boat.  I couldn't find much about him, but he was a DB at Michigan from 1985-1988 and was a fifth-rounder for the Steelers in 1989, his only pro season.

Chris Calloway 2004 TK Legacy auto

Calloway is also making his PC debut, but he appeared on lots of NFL cards thanks to his 11-year career.  The former WR and KR ('87-'89) was a fourth-rounder, also of the Steelers, in 1990, and lasted in the pros until 2000.  He suited up for the Giants, Falcons, and Pats, and I'm hoping to pick up his '99 SP Signature auto depicting him with New York.

Leo Koceski 2003 TK Legacy auto

Koceski is back for more after I landed a card of him in last year's huge TK Legacy purchase, this one from the Hail to the Victors National Champs subset.  You can can more about the "Canonsburg Comet" in that original post.  This is another fine example of his excellent signature, and a great photo!

Bill Kolesar 2004 TK Legacy auto

Kolesar is also no stranger to this blog as I picked up another card of him in part one of that large purchase, in this case a Michigan Mates dual auto with son John.  Again, you can read more about the former OL (and his son) in that post.  Because the other card featured an inscription of his nickname, "Koly," this is my first "full" signature of the Michigan great.

Doug Mallory 2004 TK Legacy auto

Mallory is new to the PC today, but his family certainly isn't!  He was a DB in Ann Arbor from 1984-87, the middle brother of Mike and Curt, who also suited up for the Maize and Blue.  As for Doug, he's been coaching at various colleges in 1988, though he won't be returning to his most recent stop, Indiana (where his dad was a coaching legend) this year.  Maybe some time he could join his brother Curt, currently Michigan's secondary coach!

Chuck Ortmann 2002 TK Legacy auto

Ortmann is the fourth new PC addition today, and he was a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, appearing as a RB/S/P/returner that also threw passes sometimes, from 1948-50.  That means he was part of the '48 undefeated champs, and also that he appeared in the now-famous Snow Bowl, a 1950 matchup with Ohio State that lived up to its name.  He set a school record with 723 punting yards over 24 kicks, one of which backed up OSU deep in its territory and led to the only TD of the game.  The Steelers (surprise!) drafted him in the second round the following year, but he was finished thanks to injuries in 1952.  A Michigan Man through and through, he chose the Wolverines over nearby Wisconsin and Marquette.

Don Peterson 2003 TK Legacy auto

Don Peterson is ANOTHER guy I already had in my PC thanks to another Michigan Mates dual auto (featuring older brother Tom) I showed off  in part one of last year's huge TK haul.  He was a contemporary of Ortmann, having played from '49-'51.

Joe Ponsetto 2003 TK Legacy auto

Surprisingly only the second "Joe" in my football PC, Ponsetto was a QB/PK from '43-'45.  He started those last two years and went 15-5 overall while also being named a captain in '45.  He remained in the state as a dentist and passed away in 2004. 

Bill Putich 2002 TK Legacy auto

Putich is newbie #6, and came from roughly the same era as Ortmann and Peterson, appearing as a QB/HB in '49-'51.  He threw a game-winning TD against Michigan State in a rare 1949 appearance (13 minutes overall), then started the following two seasons, including the aforementioned Snow Bowl win and a Rose Bowl victory over Cal the following year. 

Monte Robbins 2003 TK Legacy auto

I was excited to land this card since, not only is Robbins new to the PC, but it's also one of the most colorful issues I've seen in the entire set thanks to his uniform and the fans in the background.  Monte, whose first name is apparently "Dammond," is one of the school's best ever punters ('84-'87).  While a couple of his records have since been broken, he still owns school marks for career yards-per-punt (42.6),  single-season YPP (45, 1987), and longest punt (82 yards).  Tampa Bay took him in the fourth round in 1988, then cut him later in the year; he bounced around a few practice squads but never played in the league.

Aaron Shea 2002 TK Legacy auto

Now at three hits overall (I also have a pair of jersey relics, one of which also hails from TK Legacy), Shea is a familiar face here, though this is now my first autograph of the former TE/FB (1996-99).  He appeared in 43 games with the Wolverines, including the '97-'98 Rose Bowl that saw Michigan win their most recent title.  The Browns took him in the fourth round in 2000, and he stayed there in 2005, joined the Chargers the following year, then called it a career.

Jim Smith 2004 TK Legacy auto

The creatively-named Smith was a star WR for the Wolverines from 1973-76, a get-the-ball-in-his-hands type who piled up yards rushing, receiving, and kick/punt returning.  After being named a first-time All American in 1976, the Steelers(!) took him in 1977's third round, and he went on to score 25 NFL TDs with Pittsburgh and the L.A. Raiders, bookending a stop with the USFL's Birmingham Stallions in '83-'85.  He was part of the Steelers' back-to-back Super Bowl-winners in 1978-79 (XIII and XIV).

David Underwood 2005 TK Legacy auto

If Underwood looks a bit sad in this photo, it's understandable.  A RB from 2001-2004, he was behind B.J. Askew and Chris Perry until his senior season, 2004, when he was going to get his chance to be "the guy."  Instead, a true freshman named Mike Hart burst onto the scene, and the rest is history.  Underwood was still a solid backup, averaging 4.1 YPC and scoring six TDs over 27 games in his four years in Ann Arbor.

These 13 new cards not only give me a new football PC total of 828--including an amazing 147 different players--they also allow me to make some nice headway on the M Go Blue autographs project, which now includes 78 subjects!

2013 eBay purchase #whatever: building a Legacy

Yeah, I don't really care about numbering these posts anyway, it's more important just to get caught up!

My final eBay purchase from 2013 was a steal of a deal on 12 TK Legacy Michigan cards.  I worked with a fantastic seller who had (and still does have) a bunch, and because I love the set so much, I contacted him to see if he'd give me a bit of a discount on a larger purchase.  His prices were already generally reasonable (plus they were OBO, which is nice), but he proved to be very receptive to my request, giving me even a slightly larger discount than I expected.  In the end, I nabbed 12 autographs for under $75 delivered.  I owe a great deal of thanks to user bunbunben for the cards you're about to see, and I might just have to add more from him this year.  Regardless of whether or not I do, I recommend him as a quality eBay seller, which is increasingly rare these days.

So here's the exciting haul:

Captioning this picture because the maize almost exactly matches my background!

Casey Close 2004 TK Legacy Varsity Club auto

First up is this autograph of former Michigan pitcher/outfielder and current super-agent Casey Close.  Although he's a native of Columbus and married to Fox News harpy Gretchen Carlson, plus a sports agent (ew!) I won't hold all that against him.  He had a very nice career in Ann Arbor from '83-'86, starring as a hitter that appeared all over the record books.  The Yankees drafted him in the 7th round in 1986 (a round before teammate Hal Morris!), but he never rose about AAA with the Yanks or Mariners.  

Agency proved to be his calling, though, especially when he began representing Derek Jeter.  He also scored a nice deal for future Yankee and fellow Michigan alum Drew Henson.  Nowadays his clients include Clayton Kershaw and some guy from Japan named Tanaka.  Basically, Close has the option to sleep on a pile of money with many beautiful women, or Gretchen Carlson.  This is my first card of him at all, and there's not many more to be found, so I'm happy to have it in my collection!

Ok, onto the main portion of the post:  the M Go Blue football autographs.  I've casually picked these up for a while, trying to nab all that I could in case I ever wanted to chase the set.  I still do that from time to time, knowing there's many I may never find, at least at reasonable prices (see:  Ford, Gerald), and there's a LOT.  But it's still fun to add them since most of them are players who've never appeared on any other card, and I really learn a lot about the program through the set.

So I've created a new widget on the right side of your view that tracks my progress, both in album and checklist form.  Please check them out to your heart's content, and if you ever find something I don't have, especially for under $5, please let me know!

Here's the 11 new additions this time:

Gordon Bell 2003 TK Legacy auto

Bell was a RB from '73-'75, and though he played in the shadow of Archie Griffin, he was quite a good back himself, compiling numerous records (that have since been broken).  He was taken in round four of the '76 draft by the Giants, one pick before future HOF LB Harry Carson (also of the Giants), and played for New York and the St. Louis Cardinals from '76-'78.

Jim Betts 2004 TK Legacy auto

Betts was a backup QB and S from 1968-70 who had an awesome fro (click the link!) and successfully challenged new coach Bo Schembechler's facial hair policy.  He was a 10th-round pick in '71 (the same draft that produced HOF teammate Dan Dierdorf) by the Jets, but an eye injury derailed his pro career, though he played in the CFL briefly.

Dennis Brown 2003 TK Legacy auto

Besides being impeccably named, Brown was a QB for the Wolverines from 1966-68, putting up some nice numbers in his last two years and earning first team All Big Ten honors in '68.  After graduating he went on to a coaching career as an assistant for Bo Schembechler (1972-79) and DC for West Virginia ('80-'86) and Arizona State ('87-'88).

Don Canham 2002 TK Legacy auto

Of all the autographs I added this time, I'm most excited about Canham's.  He had a great run as Michigan's track coach before serving as one of the school's greatest athletic directors, from 1968-88.  He turned around a moribund program by hiring legendary coach Bo Schembechler and marketing the hell out of the team, turning it into the sellout machine it remains today.  He's also responsible for the renewal of the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry (which will end after the 2014 season due to the Irish's lack of fight).  His amazing career culminated in having the school's natatorium, home of the water polo, diving, and swim teams, named in his honor.  He passed away in 2005, but thankfully his legacy will live on for a long, long time.

Tom Dixon 2004 TK Legacy auto

Dixon was an all-time great Michigan center, appearing for the 1980-83 teams, including every game of his last three seasons.  He ended his career as a first team All American and earned a post-grad scholarship after doing quite well as a pre-med football player!

Dan Dworsky 2003 TK Legacy auto

I actually wrote about Dworsky back in this post when I picked up one of his other autos which came from the Special Career set.  He was a multi-positional player on back-to-back champs and went on to become a well-known architect.

Mercury Hayes 2005 TK Legacy auto

I was surprised to realize that I didn't have any hits of Hayes until I looked up his checklist and found out this is his only one!  One of the greatest names in Wolverines history (literally, although he was a very good player too), he was a standout WR and return man from 1992-95, and paired up with Amani Toomer to form a duo that amassed more than 2000 yards each together.  The Saints picked him in the 5th round in 1995, and he bounced around the league to Atlanta and Washington before ultimately landing in the CFL for a couple years.

Mike Mallory 2004 TK Legacy auto

Mike was a standout LB from 1982-85, playing on some pretty good defenses, especially the '85 squad that gave up fewer than seven points per game, and finished ranked #2 after a 10-1-1 campaign.  He's been an assistant or coach at the college and pro level ever since 1986 and currently serves as the Jags' special teams coach.  He most definitely comes from a football family as his dad was a college coach and his brother Curt (whose autograph I already had) also played at Michigan and went into coaching.

Norm Purucker 2006 TK Legacy auto

I can't find much on Purucker, a HB who played a bit for Michigan from 1936-38.  He was part of a couple terrible teams before the Wolverines improved to 6-1-1 for his senior year.

Ron Simpkins 2003 TK Legacy auto

Simpkins starred for the Wolverines as a LB from 1976-79, ending his career with more than 500 tackles--which made him the school's career leader at the time--and 29 TFL.  He was named an All-American at the position his senior year, then was drafted by the Bengals in the 7th round the following year.  He stuck in the NFL with Cincy through 1986, then finished his pro career with the Packers in '88.

Walt Teninga 2003 TK Legacy auto

Teninga, who apparently went by "Wally," was a HB as a contemporary of Dworksy who also played for the '47 and '48 undefeated champs.  He played during 1945, missed a year while with the army, then came back for the 1947-49 campaigns, meaning he played for legendary coach Fritz Crisler's 1947 "Mad Magicians, plus Crisler's '45 squad that introduced the idea of separate offensive and defensive groups to college football.  He was drafted by the Giants in the 17th round(!) in 1949, but instead went on to become a fairly successful businessman.

Well, that's it for today, but I'm happy to see my collection for this set grow to 62, with another trio due to get posted, uh, eventually.  With the set size somewhere around 180, I've got a long way to go, but again, if you guys see any I don't have for $4 or under, that's an automatic buy for me.  By the way, this haul puts me a bit closer to 800 football hits and it ups my unique football subject total to 134!  Like the cards above say, GO BLUE!

A step in the right direction: player collections

I've got a lot of different projects going on right now, both in terms of player collections and getting organized.  Well this weekend I brought both of those types together to assemble my first complete checklists for a couple of my players I collect:  Bill Freehan and Rich Hill.

While this project is in its early stages--by which I mean I think I'd ultimately like to have each item in the lists link to a scanned photo of that card--I'm very happy with where I've gotten so far.  I picked those two players since they're the ones in my PC I'm closest to wanting to "Supercollect."  Like many of you who do this with one or more players, I'm not as strict about what that means, such as not worrying about getting every 1/1 of whomever I'm after.  I just see them both as more attainable because their total number of cards isn't as ridiculous as many modern players are thanks to the explosion of sets in the 90s-aughts, plus the onset of the relic/auto craze.

So if you have any interest, please feel free to click either player below to get an idea of how I've organized things and see if maybe you have any help for me with either player!  I've made sure to note if I have any cards of each guy incoming or pending so as to avoid wasting time for everyone involved.  I also separated out the 1/1s in their own sheets for simplicity.

If I find this goes well, I may put up similar collections in my Google Drive, just without the Supercollecting idea around those players; that way I can still show off parts of my collection and give people an idea of what I already have.  If you get the urge, please let me know what you think of this project as I'd love to get some feedback.  Thanks for looking!