Night Owl Cards

  OK, I'm finally posting the third installment of this "Best On-Card Element" series. I seem to have trouble focusing on this topic. I guess that doesn't bode well for anything past the '80s, if I'm struggling with decades with relatively few sets. But that's why I love the '70s. Only a few major sets during the decade, which allows you to remember them fondly, instead of confusing '92 and '93 Ultra or '96 and '97 Fleer or what insert goes in 2002 and what goes in 2003. For the '70s, I could add sets like Hostess and Kellogg's, even though they're not considered "major releases," but I decided not to, because it's easier ... um, I mean, because how do I pick out a best element on something like '79 Hostess? (But I'll say right now, '76 Hostess and '76 Kellogg's best on-card element is their ability to get in the spirit of the bicentennial). So, this is a decade of Topps and just Topps. Sorr...

By now, you've seen several tributes to Jackie Robinson today, whether they were strictly baseball-related or with a baseball card twist. I have my own tribute, but, of course, I have to lead into it with a little story. Last month, a longtime employee where I work retired. He had been there for decades and worked in the same department as me. In fact, when the job posting went up for "sports editor," we both applied. I received the job, and became my once co-worker's boss. This person was a gruff, ornery sort, full of opinions and less and less accepting of new ideas and policies as the years passed. Some days, he barely said hello and didn't bother saying goodbye. I knew all about what he thought of this college basketball player and that NFL referee, but I could never get a good read on what he thought of me or his co-workers. You always wondered because of how hypercritical he could be and how resistant he was to orders from above. That's mostly...