Category Archives: XFL

CFL, NFL, NFLE, XFL

Barnes, Pat

to00 barnesCard: Topps 2000
Acquired: 2014, Albany Acquisition

Pat Barnes played for Cal during the late 90s, and was a second team All-American, under future NFL head coach Steve Mariucci. Putting up great numbers in the West Coast offense and defining himself as a future star, Barnes was a 4th round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997. He’d get lost in the shuffle behind Rich Gannon and Trent Green, and sign with the Oakland Raiders the following year.

Pat is best remembered for his time in the NFLE for the Frankfurt Galaxy, where he defined himself as perhaps the best quarterback in that franchise’s extended history. He’d lead the team to a World Bowl victory in 1999 throwing 3 touchdown passes in the win over the Dragons.

In between his two stints with the Galaxy, he’d return stateside to ride the bench for the 49ers in 1999.

Perhaps Pat would have etched his name more definitively into the Galaxy record books if he just had some more time, but with a new league on the horizon, Barnes jumped at the opportunity to play for the San Fransisco Demons of the XFL in 2001, backing up former Cal QB Mike Pawlawski. The Demons played in the Million Dollar Game, but lost to the Los Angeles Xtreme 38-6.

Pat again dabbled in another league, heading North to the CFL, this time to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in 2002. Another short run on the offseason roster of the Browns the following year, returned him to Winnipeg in 2003 where he retired after the season. Currently he lives in Los Angeles.

NFLE    Att 414     Comp 232    Yds 3422      Pct 56.0      Td 30    Int 18    Rat  89.3   |    Rush  38     Yds   179    Avg  4.7      Td  3      Lg   24

College Football HoF, NFL, XFL

Bosworth, Brian ‘Boz’

udou11 bosworthCards: ProSet 1989, Upper Deck Legends 2011, OU UD 2011, OU UD 2011 85 NC
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home*
Sent:   1/22   Received: 1/30  (8 days)
* Fee required

Brian Bosworth was one of the most indelible and engrossing personalities of the 80s to hit the gridiron. Boz’s influence was so strong that his hairstyle, sunglasses, and personality transcended sports barriers and transferred to mainstream American culture- but to Brian, that was all ‘The Boz’.

udldg11 bosworthI had been looking for Brian since I re-started TTM collecting in 2010. A long time ago I got his Starting Lineup figure. One of the few unique figures in the set, they had gone as far as giving Bosworth his stylish haircut.  I went as far as writing names, addresses on envelopes, and pulling cards, when I realized that he had not been responding to any TTM responses. I waited 6 years for a better shot at Brian while other peoples’ misses piled up.

It was then a lot of things really fell into place. I watched the ’30 for 30′ presentation on him, simply titled ‘Brian and the Boz’.  The show was an honest documentary on Bosworth’s life, but what really surprised me was that it all took place around the city I live in.  It lastly took me seeing a post on a message board I frequent, discussing a recent success that somebody had contacting him through email. I found the email and gave it a shot. I was given a very specific pricelist (very) and instructions on how to pay through paypal.  I went ahead and gave it a shot. A few days later, I got all 4 of these great cards back signed. Personalization doesn’t bother me since I keep them. I didn’t ask for ‘the Boz’ on the cards. -I just didn’t feel it was appropriate after watching the 30 for 30 documentary.

udou11 bosworth NC85Brian also answered my short questionaire. He told me that if he was a tree, he’d be a Palm tree, and that of the other teams he really wanted to play for, he was interested in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas.

Brian Bosworth was one of the greatest linebackers ever to don pads. The only two time Butkus Award winner in history (annually given to the greatest linebacker in college football,) in 1985 and 1986, Bosworth also earned Consensus All-American Honors both years, as the Sooners powered their way to the National Championship in 1985. It’d be in 1987 that Bosworth garnered the attention of the NCAA and was suspended for the Orange Bowl. He declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft of 1987. Brian finished his career at OU with 395 tackles in only 3 years.

pset89 bosworthNow Boz had a very thorough determination process for who he’d play for. He sent letters to all 28 teams, telling them if he’d like to play for them or not. Simply stated if he was drafted by a team he didn’t want to play for, he was just going to sit out until the next draft. Boz really wanted to play for the Raiders, but instead got selected by: The Seahawks…  After initially rebuffing the Seahawks offers, Boz finally came to the table and signed an (at the time) incredible contract: 10 years, $11 million dollars. He came into the Seahawk lineup and helped bolster the defensive roster, giving the team a much needed ‘bad boy persona’ shooting his mouth off at the media, players, and fans. Boz played for the Seahawks for 2 and a half seasons, before a shoulder injury finally caught up with him.  Boz flunked his physical -ending his football career.

Brian had been dabbling in the media long enough that he had become a recognizable face. It didn’t take long for him to show up on Entertainment Tonight, appearing in his first movie ‘Stone Cold’.  Since then he’s appeared in films, TV shows, commercials, and media. Bosworth was also a member of the Sunday Night XFL commentary crew in 2001.

In 2015, Bosworth was finally inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Passed over numerous times by the selection committee – most of those involved felt that it was finally time.  It was an honor to me that I felt was long overdue to Brian Bosworth.

 

 

NFL, XFL

Pearson, Drew (3)

to84 pearson pset90 sb X to80 pearson to79 pearson pset90 sb XXII

Cards: ProSet 1990 SB X, ProSet 1990 SB XII, Topps 1980, Topps 1979, ProSet 1992 88’s, Upper Deck 1997 MM, Topps 1984.
Acquired: IP 11/8/2014, GameDay Sports Tour Austin, Texas.
See Also: Drew Pearson “Mr. Clutch”, Drew Pearson (2)

Texas Autograph Club, or TAC for short, has been a valuable resource for my autograph collecting hobby.  I got wind through GameDay Sports Tours that they were coming to Austin through TAC, and although I have gotten Drew Pearson multiple times in the past, I was still interested in getting his autograph on a few more cards. Chief among them was this Upper Deck that he shares with James Lofton, that I will get Lofton on at a later date. The ProSet 1992 card that he shares with Michael Irvin is also a very nice card, however I doubt seriously I’ll ever get the other 88 to sign this card, especially for the exorbitant price he charges. The other Topps cards were filler in my inventory while the ProSet serve in historical retrospect of Drew’s career. Pearson scored a TD in the Cowboys pset92 pearsonirvin 88Super Bowl X loss to the Steelers,

The event went well enough. It was held in a moderately rough location in Austin, but living in California for a few years, – I had shopped in more impoverished places, so it didn’t bother me at all.  I ran into a few other members of the board that I knew and talked to them for a bit about what they were getting signed. I was pretty close to the front of the line, so it was easy for me to get all of these cards signed. Drew started signing and stopped only briefly to ask me, “If this was it?” He flashed his customary Super Bowl ring at me and I was done. It was pretty much an in and out transaction.

Drew was finally inducted into the Cowboys Ring of ud97 pearson lofton mmHonor and does a lot of sports radio work, hosting his own self-titled hour long show on the Fox Sports Network. He also does color commentary for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. Pearson lives in Plano, Tx and is considered one of the 10 Greatest Cowboys Players ever.