Hornung Gets His 1963 Card

Coming off the greatest season Vince Lombardi would every coach, the Packers found going for the 3rd straight title difficult.  The eventual champion Chicago Bears handed the Packers their only loses of the season and one tie versus the lowly Detroit Lions gave them a final record of 11-2-1.  The loss of Paul Hornung for the entire season due to gambling issues certainly took away one of the Packers most potent offensive weapons.  As a matter of fact, because of the suspension, Hornung was not issued a card for that year, nor was Alex Karras of the Lions, who was also suspended for the entire season.

This custom 1963 Packer set reinstates the "Golden Boy" and offers 17 other Packer RetroCards who were absent from the regular set that year.  Zeke Bratkowski, Jerry Kramer, Hank Gremminger, Tom Moore, Ron Kostelnik, Bobby Jeter, and Earl Gros are a sampling of this attractive set.  Coming soon!

The World Hockey Asscociation Had Gretzky - For A Moment!

Wayne Gretzky played a mere 8 games for the Indianapolis Racers during the 1978-79 season in the fabled World Hockey Association.  Though, like the American Basketball Association who were absorbed by the NBA, the WHA would be absorbed by the larger, more powerful National Hockey League.  Competing leagues always make life interesting for sports fans as owners and leagues compete for the best young talent.

This happened to a 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky at the perfect time - just when the WHA was nearing its end.  The 10-year personal services contract he signed was the longest at the time and he began a glorious career.

Defunct leagues and pre-rookie cards are targets for RetroCards "cards that never were" and Gretzky gets the first ever RetroCard for a hockey player.  The 1978-79 Hockey card set is used for this WHA card and you can get yours here !

The Best Player To Never Make The Pro Bowl - Jethro Pugh

The passing of Cowboy great Jethro Pugh on January 7, 2015 was a reminder of some of the great players of the past who have gave many years of service but didn't quite get the recognition they probably deserved.  Jethro Pugh has often been called "the best player to never have made the Pro Bowl."  Having played on both the Doomsday I and Doomsday II defenses, he was overshadowed by Bob Lilly and George Andrie and then by Harvey Martin, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, and Randy White.  Though he played at a high level for 14 seasons, missing only 15 games out of 198, he was a quiet warrior, content with playing in the shadows of he teammates.  He was also a member of five Super Bowl teams and played in 21 playoff games.

Pugh, who former All-Pro cornerback Everson Walls once referred to as the "Old Gentleman of the Cowboys," was admired for his quiet leadership and dedication to the game.  RetroCards has given this unheralded player lots of attention with over 20 "cards that never were."  Check them all out here!

The '72 Dolphins.... Still The Only Undefeated Team

In the last decade or so, it has become more apparent that the 1972 Miami Dolphins must be considered one of the greatest teams of all time.  Since no other team has gone undefeated since, the Dolphins stand above the rest in that category.  Despite this, the 1972 Dophins are seldom mentioned in the same conversation as "team of the decade" candidates Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.  Though they appeared in three straight Super Bowls, winning two, it took years to get the respect they deserved.

RetroCards recognized the Undefeated 1972 Dolphins with a special 1973 18-card set!  Featured players are long-time Dolphins players such as Curtis Johnson, Bob Matheson, Lloyd Mumphord, and Vern Den Herder along with other big contributors like Marlin Briscoe, Wayne Moore, Jesse Powell, and Otto Stowe.  Super Bowl highlight cards include a Jake Scott MVP card, Garo's Gaffe, a team card, and of course, coach Shula.   Get yours here!