NFL

Robertson, Marcus (2)

wcard91 robertsonpac94 robertson
Cards: Wild Card 1991, Pinnacle 1994, Gameday 1994, Pacific
1995
Acquired: IP 7/11/15, Houston Oilers 25th Anniversary Party
See Also: Marcus Robertson

gday94 mrobertsonA dynamic defensive back who changed the Houston Oilers secondary when he became a fixture in 1993, Marcus Robertson was a mystery at the Anniversary Party. One of the guys who was with me got his autograph on a helmet and I immediately recognized his unique signature.  Marcus was very impressed by this Wild Card 1991 card of him. He made sure to show it to all his friends and teammates. Marcus was all smiles and thanked me for being a fan and sticking through it with the Oilers all those years.

pin94 robertsonPretty much ugly cards all around here.  The Pinnacle entry is just… all the worst combined into one card. A horrible font that’s barely readable in gold and then a really bad card back that is just too busy. It’s just impossible to read anything. GameDay continued its slow and minimal evolution into nothingness and by 1995 the brand had been completely reabsorbed into Fleer. Sure, I appreciated the tall boy entry as some of their sets are my favorites, but this one was almost too simple.

I found out about this event through Texas Autograph Club. While there was a person kind enough to put event information up there, when I asked for more information about the event, one of the regulars decided to belittle me, and tell me to do the work myself if I wanted to know. It really turned me off the site, because it was just a simple question.

 

NFL

Griffin, Ryan

mem griffinCards: Crown Royale 2013 Silver (#139/199), Crown Royale 2013 Red (#14/99), Panini Black 2013 (#019/399), Photo Memorabilia.
Acquired: IP 7/16/15, Houston Texans Battle Red Stampede Tour

pabl13 griffinAn intriguing member of the Houston Texans, Ryan Griffin has shown flashes of promise in his limited playing time since he joined the Texans in 2013.  The Texans love drafting tight ends and Griffin found himself buried behind Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham. With Daniels going down after the 5th game, Griffin saw more active playing time behind Graham.  When Griffin was out there, he provided a respectable option for the Texans’ ragged quarterback rotation.  Viewed as a poor-man’s Daniels,  Griffin logged 19 receptions (on 28 targets) for 244 yards, scoring his first professional TD against the Arizona Cardinals.


cr13 griffin RAs the Texans cleaned house after the 2013 season and new coach Bill O’Brien bringing in his multiple offensive system, Daniels was allowed to sign via free agency with the Ravens. Graham was elevated to starter and Griffin was relegated to third string again behind new arrival CJ Fiedorciwz. Still Griffin started 2 games and made 10 receptions. He scored his second professional TD in the Texans 45-21 blow out of the Tennessee Titans.
While the selection of Griffin and Brandon Brooks met with a collective disappointed sigh from the autograph community- I relished it, because it ensured that the event would still be a draw for the true fans.  I quickly bought out what Ryan Griffin cards I could and prepared for the event the following month.  It was really difficult to locate cards of him that were not already autographed, or were of Ryan Griffin (QB Tulane). In the end I paid more for unautographed cards, but that’s just what a true type of collector I am.
cr13 griffin SThe players were really accommodating at the event. They signed a multiple for me and threw in the photographed memorabilia to boot. While Academy didn’t hand out numbers for the event beforehand, it wasn’t necessary. There were just not that many people there.  Overall everything went well, and I was able to talk to some fellow fans as well while I waited.

Both of these cards really hit the mark pretty well. I like the Crown Royale a lot- even if it is a bit over the top. The set in general integrates the crown icon and design very well into the player image. Overall, it’s a very nice presentation and as a bonus, the scans came out even better than the actual cards.  The Panini Black is okay. Again I am just not a huge fan of blasting a card brand across the card, but still it is a solid image.  Ryan has a pretty solid autograph. There are some nice loops in the name and its angular slant gives it an exciting feel.

 

NFL

McFadden, Darren

sco09 dmcfadden FCard: Score 2009 Franchise RedZone (#32/100)
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o The Dallas Cowboys
Sent: 9/28   Received: 10/24  (25 days)

Killer catch here in the name of Darren McFadden- a player at Arkansas who frequently drew comparisons to Adrian Peterson and Ricky Williams. The first Sophomore to win the Doak Walker award (2006), McFadden did so in stellar fashion running for 1647 yards and 14 TDs .  He then became the first 2 time winner rushing for            1830 yards and 16TDs  in 2007. In both years he was a Heisman Trophy Runner Up. McFadden’s draft measurables were equally sizzling and buzz surrounded his unofficially timed 4.27 40.

The Raiders selected McFadden with the 4th pick of the 2008 draft, and although he played sparingly his rookie year he drew high praise from coaches in teammates alike. It has always seemed that Darren’s best games have come at the expense of the Denver Broncos during his time with the Raiders, including a 16 carry 165 yard performance with 3 TDs in 2010.  2010 was considered McFadden’s banner year. He ran 223 times for 1157 yards and 7 TDs to go along with 47 receptions for 507 yards and 3 TDs. Over his career in Oakland, McFadden had not been able to clear a full 16 game slate. After the 2014 campaign he was allowed to walk.

Darren signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he has slowly moved into the role as the bellcow back replacing departed starter DeMarco Murray. Facing a crowded backfield and dealing with nagging training camp injuries, Darren has put together 5 solid 100 yard rushing efforts against the Giants (152 yards), Eagles (117 yards), Dolphins (129 yards), Packers (119) and Jets (100) in 2015, and in the last game of the season crossed the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for the first time since 2010.

Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.