#3 ... But first, an early 80's classic from Al Jarreau ...
"Doesn't this sort of music make us look soft ..."
"... Not a chance my Golden friend ..."
Onward!
Elite Skill Set. So. Let's take:
The Football IQ of Willie Lanier.
The Tackling Ability of Bobby Bell.
The Physicality of Dave Wilcox.
The Speed Pass Rush of Robert Brazile.
The Coverage Ability of Dave Robinson.
Mix them together to form one Linebacker.
Who do we get :
Lawrence Taylor is, with no hesitation or question on my part, the greatest defensive player I have seen take the field in the NFL. I'm not alone in that assessment. I can go a step further and say LT is one of the two greatest NFL players I have seen play. It's either LT or Jerry Rice. In my opinion LT and Rice are the Top Two players All Time and I could fashion a formidable argument for either. But, not here.
As with most things football related from my youth, this story starts with a game I watched along with my Dad. The 1979 Gator Bowl. Michigan Wolverines vs. North Carolina Tar Heels. Not much of a college football fan at that time (c'mon, I was 9 😁). I had watched a couple of UNC games earlier. I've always liked the Linebacker position. Tar Heels had 2 great ones in 1979. Buddy Curry and Lawrence Taylor. The Heels defeated Michigan 17-15. A game that turned momentum wise in the first half following a LT sack of Michigan QB John Wangler. Wangler was done for the game. LT was only getting started.
The 1980 Tar Heels were very, very good. 11-1. Top 10. Bluebonnet Bowl win over Texas. The only blemish being a loss in early November at traditional power Oklahoma. LT had an All American season leading a stout UNC defense. 16 sacks and a terror all over the field in every game.
1981 NFL Draft. My Dad being a Redskins & Dolphins fan so naturally he tried to mold me into one 😂 and he hoped LT would end up in Washington or Miami. Visual evidence below of his efforts to make me a "Skins & Phins fan 😂
"... well, that didn't happen ... Cool Toboggan though ..."
Nope, sure didn't. Giants grabbed LT. Who then proceeded to terrorize not just the 'Skins but every other team. The Giants, a woebegone relic of team that was once a powerhouse in the pre Super Bowl era, were transformed in 1981 into a Wild Card playoff team. That won a playoff game before going on the road and losing to the 49ers in the divisional round. LT was a major factor. No playoffs in the 1982 strike shortened 4-5 season for the Giants. Head Coach Ray Perkins departed. Headed back to Alabama following the retirement of the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. Short term, Giants were 3-12-1 in 1983 under first year Head Coach Bill Parcells. A step back. Long term. Well ...
Intermezzo
" ... I wonder who was the IMDB member who initially got this LT Showtime Special listed on the site?"
Ok, that self serving flex is outta the way, let's get back to LT
Following the mess of 1983 the Giants under Bill Parcells were contenders for the rest of the decade + another Super Bowl in 1990. With a blip in 1987, another labor issue season.
1984 9-7 Wild Card
1985 10-6 NFC East Champs
1986 14-2 Super Bowl Champs
1987 6-9
1988 10-6 No Playoffs
1989 12-4 NFC East Champs
1990 13-3 Super Bowl Champs
Two Super Bowl titles in 5 seasons. In what was a dog-eat-dog NFC at the time. The Giants, 49ers, Bears, Redskins were very strong teams. The Vikings, Eagles, Saints and Rams had their moments as well. Individually LT would grab the 1986 AP MVP & Defensive Player of the year (his 3rd). Certainly Coach Parcells and Assistant Coach Bill Belichick and their coaching methods deserve some of the credit. But by the late 80's it was very apparent that Lawrence Taylor with a combo of off the charts instincts and athleticism, was a generational player. The mold as they say, was broken.
Bill Parcells left the Giants following the 1990 season. His second Super Bowl winner. In my view, his best coaching job. Injuries and age were creeping in.
From 91-93 LT was still great at his best, very good at his worst. 1992 was injury plagued. 1993 under first year head coach Dan Reeves the Giants made the playoffs in what was LT's final season. The writing had been on the wall.
Lawrence Taylor at a glance courtesy of Pro Football Reference:
There were other great Linebackers playing during LT's career. Andre Tippett, Rickey Jackson, Mike Singletary, Pat Swilling, Derrick Thomas, Harry Carson, Wilber Marshall, Carl Banks and more. Greats, but no LT's.
He's been a member of my collection from the get-go since I returned to the hobby.
We don't duck and dodge 'round here so I'll hit on two LT topics not mentioned above.
November 18, 1985 Monday Night Football. The Giants vs. the Redskins.
The Giants entered at 7-3, the Redskins were clinging to playoff hopes at 5-5.
Skins eeked out a win. But still missed the playoffs. One of the last MNF games my Dad and I watched together. The LT that people saw jumping around frantically waving for help after the unfortunate Joe Theismann injury? That's the real LT.
Off field issues for LT. No one will ever accuse LT of being a bad guy. Good men can make bad decisions. We're human. I never recall LT passing the buck and blaming anyone else for any transgressions. He has always manned up, never shied-away from taking blame. That matters. Good Lawrence Taylor dwarfs Bad Lawrence Taylor.
As for on the field, there will never be another Lawrence Taylor.
Later ...
Friday, August 2, 2024
Meanwhile ... at DaLancRo Tower on Electric Avenue ...
"You know, we have a goal and collecting doctrine. And we adhere to it. "
" ... Podcast. I could see that."
Sneakers ... Though I'm not a Sneakerhead ...
With above average accuracy I can recall every pair of sneakers I've worn since 1976. The perils of a drug free and virtually alcohol free lifestyle 😄
"He has a selective photographic memory" one of my older sisters once opined 😆
Ahh Converse, Trax & Jox in elementary school. Fun times on the playground. Cuga while attending the private Christian school. Jeez, what became of Cuga? Kinda looked like Diadora's. Pic 'n Pay used to carry Cuga's. Come to think of it, what became of Pic 'n Pay?
Back to public school for High School and there were not a lot of Jox or Cuga wearers 😆.
Puma - Adidas - Aigner - Converse dotted the landscape.
" ... What the heck's a Aigner? ... "
Aigner's super premium. German. I remember a couple of gals in high school wearing them. One of which has moved on to great things in the business world. Which occured after seeing Beetlejuice at the theater and eating at McDonalds with me. And a random shared Limo ride. Her success is a tribute to her perseverance in surving all those shenanigans and that trauma.
Back on topic. I loved the Puma Suedes. Never had any for school wear though. Only pair I had was Summer worn in '85. Not the best, not the worst. Early '85 my first pair of Nike's. The Penetrator. Low cut, white, royal blue swoosh. Man, loved those. Couple of pairs of Reebok's followed along with a cool pair of White/Blue Avia 830's and a low cut pair of British Knights.
Nothing but a Nike buyer and wearer from 1988 - 2020 when these appeared on the scene:
Early '88. Finally, a top shelf, high demand sneaker that I could find locally and in the right size.
Not going through my roster of Nike's over the years but I'll give a quick "atta boy Nike!" to a few pairs.
The OG Air Revolution (2/88-6/91) pictured above. Nike's best basketball sneaker in my opinion. Durable beyond belief. Could take a beating. The later retro releases lacked those qualities.
The Air Force III (1/89-7/90). I wore the III's until they nearly turned to dust. And the pic above is in the colorway of mine back in the day. Durable. A touch lighter than the Air Revolution. A great outdoor court shoe.
Jordan Team 9.5 (7/07-12/19). 10+ years but had 2 pairs and didn't dog them out. So technically the Jordan brand but I mean, c'mon. 😉. Quality and durability surpass most of Nike's 2002 - present offerings. In some ways the 9.5's combined the best of the Air Revs & Force III's. Great sneaker both performance and looks wise.
Nike had some shaky offerings as well. The Air Pressure's from around 1990. Yikes. The Shox Supremacy from 02/03. No durability. Air Max Penny IV from '99 had some issues. The Air Zoom Huarache Elite TB from 2004 - 2006. Those had bad soles. Quality and durability from Nike/ Jordan took a dive starting around 01/02. Poor materials? Lazy craft? Dunno. But by 2020 my years of loyalty ran out. Skechers casuals would be it for me ...
Until ...
"The 1980's are here sir. They have a delivery for you ..."
Avia drops the 715 & 720. They have a very distinct late 80's / early 90's look. Both in the colorway I prefer. White/Black. With a touch of gray on the 720's. The 715's remind me a little bit of the Nike Air Flight (OG 89's) and the Nike Air Flight Bound (OG '93). The 720's are close to the Air Force III's in fit and weight. Great look for both. Comfortable to wear, appear well built. At a price point that encourages buying. I'll see how they hold up. The Avia brand and retro look pulled me in. 😃
GoreZone was the short lived bi-monthly horror magazine from the publishers of the Iconic Horror / Sci-Fi publication Fangoria. Spanning 27 issues over five years. 1988-1993. Price range retail went from $3.50 to $4.95 over that span. Horror was hot. GZ was a bit more splatter heavy than Fangoria.
Issues 1-7
Some great covers wouldn't you say? Easy finds at bookstores around Charleston SC back when. Not as easy to come across while at App State. Late '87, early '88 I began to shift a bit. Away from comic books and over to movies. Especially Horror during that time. Kinda wish I'd paid more attention to condition. But hey, these are intended to be read. Plus there's a lot of character and memories in that wear. 😊
Issues 14 & 26
Sportscards, shoes, shades, girls, cars etc took priority over my magazine buying. Hey, just means I can pick up the remaing 18 issues and complete the full run anytime now. And will eventually. A part of my past that needs completing.
Random musings ...
Pluto TV. Kudos. The Love Boat channel. I love the first two seasons of that show. Reminds me of simpler times. One of the few TV shows the whole family liked to watch. Saturday nights. Love Boat at 9, Fantasy Island at 10. ABC news at 11. Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling at 11:15. Lazy, simple Saturday Nights. So cool.
I miss the old AVP on NBC days. For a few years, 91-95, Beach Volleyball was must see tv 'round here. Sparked my interest in Oakleys.
Two things I like about collecting comics. The stories inside, of course. And the wear, the "character", present on the cover. Low and High, both grades have their own tale they tell...
There are 5 Musical Groups / Artists who I can be linked to under the "Superfan" banner.
1. ZZ Top
2. Elton John
3. Def Leppard
4. The Oak Ridge Boys
5. Ronnie Milsap
ZZ Top and their mystical vids. Bought an Elton John album at age 5. Def Leppard adding power to 1988. The Oak Ridge Boys and their chart dominance beginning the Summer we moved to South Carolina. Ronnie Milsap whose chart run began around the time the Lil' LanceR here started turning up the radio. Great music, talented. So much talent. I was so fortunate to be in a household in which all music was listened to. Hee Haw, Lawrence Welk, Gospel on the radio. The Midnight Special and Soul Train. So lucky was I.
Joe Bonsall, the incredibly gifted Tenor of The Oak Ridge Boys and lead singer on many of the groups biggest hits passed away due to ALS recently. A disease that can only be described as horrific. Known by most as Lou Gehrig's Disease. As a longtime Oaks fan I knew when Bonsall removed himself from touring in early 2024 that something was seriously wrong. Joe was the Energizer Bunny of the Oaks.
The Oaks Country Chart Hit career spanned roughly 1977 - early 1991. My age 7 - 21 years. I basically grew up during their peak. What a peak it was.
63 Singles
17 Number One hits
Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2010
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015
Love all their work. But I'll take a crack at narrowing it down to 8 favorites.
8. "Elvira". Ahh, novelty song. Love it. Sterban crushes it.
7. "Up On Cripple Creek". Cover of The Band's standard.
6. "Everyday". Mid 80's upbeat - uplifter.
5. "Little Things". From the underrated "Step on Out" LP.
4. "Y'all Come Back Saloon". First Top 10 hit in 1977.
3. "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend". The Staple Singers original version from the 70's is a classic. The Oaks harmonies with the guitar and synth sounds add an up-beat and when Joe Bonsall's Tenor takes over. Wow. Country magic.
My 2 Favorites are on a different level for me.
2. "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes". Songwriter Randy VanWarmer. Who penned the song following the death of his father. It is a melancholy tune. The lyrics can hit hard. The past is gone for good. Like waves breaking, they aren't coming back.
"You try and hold on to the moment but time won't let you stay But for every step you take you lose something on the way You can't look forward to tomorrow and still hold on to yesterday Oh I hope that you can hear me when I'm saying"
The Oaks, with Bonsall's Tenor leading, took this to #1 in May 1984. VanWarmers lyrics cannot be complimented enough. His version, available on his album "Beat of Love" is powerful as well. If there's a definitive Joe Bonsall lead on an Oak Ridge Boys tune, this is it in my opinion. The Boys did great work on this song. My own Father passed away in 1986. I avoided listening to this song for years. As for why, it's a beautiful song that tugs strings.
1. "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone). Written by Sonny Throckmorton who also released it as a single that ddn't crack the the Top 40. Also recorded by the legend Conway Twitty. Summer of 1982. Fun Summer. This hit #2 on the charts. William Lee Golden and Duane Allen play dueling lead vocals. Sterban's Bass enters the fray then Bonsall's "yeah-yeah-yeah.." and then a horn section!! I so love this song. It's short verse wise but still clocks in at 3:25 of pure musical heaven to my ears. Far and away the best version of this tune.
A part of my past passed on with Joe Bonsall's passing. A case of someone, or a group, affecting ones life though they may never know it. The Oak Ridge Boys music helped me through a dark time or two. A case of the good eventually overwhelming the sad. And I can still listen to the Oaks belting the tunes out anytime I wish. Proud to be a fan 🤙
Trips to Northwoods Mall and Kmart(or your favorite mall/store) back in the day were actually big deals. Likely never to be understood by younger generations. We had a great Kmart. Mego, Star Wars, Remco, G.I.Joe, Big Jim etc. action figures were always stocked. Spring of 1980 something else caught my eye in the Hot Wheels aisle. Topps Baseball Cards. Not in wax packs, but rather in Rack Packs. Example pic, not mine:
Those and the Topps 5x7 Supers took up a small area. Snagged quite a few rack packs that Spring. I had just started following MLB in late 79 so I loved getting cards of guys like Schmidt, Garvey, Brett, Lance Parrish, Rice etc. Racked up, no pun intended, nearly all the stars except for 3 notable misses. Dave Winfield. Nolan Ryan. And the man with the best rookie card in 1980: Rickey Henderson. Though in 1980 I had no clue what a rookie card was, and Rickey was playing at the time for a sorry team in Oakland that I had never seen play 😂. Plus, this is 1980. Pre card collecting, but into the comic books pretty good. A Collecting Act Minus One I suppose 😉.
Rickey Henderson may very well be the best MLB player of the last 45 years. Depending on how people view Barry Bonds among positional players and Roger Clemens among pitchers. Among all time rankings he solidly places in the Top 25 all time when including pitchers. Top 20 if sticking with positional players. As a young fan I became very aware of him by the 1982 season. Helped in part by our area finally getting cable tv in June 1982 😇
Intermezzo
Exciting news and fun ahead for the second half of the year ... Shhh ...
By 1985 I was fully aboard the Henderson train. Don Mattingly had a huge 1985. Crazy stats across the board. Won the 1985 AL MVP. A solid choice with some dissenting views. Rickey's 1st season for the Yanks as Don's teammate was 1985. Rickey played a large part in Mattingly winning the MVP. Rickey would have been a solid choice as well. It was the perfect marriage so to speak. Finally snagged a Rickey Rookie in May 1987. Though it was only with me for three years before I sold it 😖
What, it happens 😏
Rickey was a bit ... mercurial during his nearly four and half seasons in the Bronx. Things got a little tense near the end of his Yankee run in June '89. Yankees were a tire fire at that point. Rickey was shipped back to Oakland for three players who provided little to the Yankees. Rickey back home in Oakland however, was Great Rickey again. ALCS MVP award in 1989. AL MVP in 1990. Career Stolen Base MLB record in 1991. A Career Stolen Base World Record in 1993. Stacking hardware.
The Hired Gun ...
In 1993 A quick stopover in Toronto didn't produce much for the two months of regular season work. An injury nick here/there. Nothing eye popping in the 93 ALCS or World Series but his contributions did help Toronto win a second consecutive World Series. Rickey's second ring as well.
Back to Oakland ... then San Diego ... then Anaheim ... Oakland again ... Mets ... Seattle ... San Diego again ... Boston ... Dodgers. With the Dodgers being the final stop. Rickey bounced around a bit. I wanted him back with the Yanks at various times from 96-00 but alas ...
His great years in the rearview mirror, Rickey did play long enough to become the All Time Runs Scored leader and get the 3000 hit plateau. A first ballot Hall Of Fame induction in 2009 with 94.8% of the vote. Along with the unofficial title of Greatest Leadoff Hitter of All Time. A legendary career. Though he's not everybody's cup of tea.
Rickey joined the collection here in January 2016. By complete accident. I got a real good deal on the Rickey Rookie pictured a few paragraphs above.
Rickey with the Red Sox ... what the ... 😂
Glad to have Rickey in the AcesN8s here. Helps the credibility of the collection having that level of legendary player in house. Inner Circle Hall of Famer and a true great.
