Thankfully the streak I started yesterday was short-lived.
Today I follow up yesterday's shutout with a hat trick. Though oddly enough none of today's adds were from the hockey world. Instead I've added a major championship winner, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and a former NBA All-Star.
First up is Ian Bak
er-Finch. The Aussie won golf's oldest major championship, The Open, in 1991. Golf fans today recognize him from his announcing work, where he is highly regarded from his honesty and analysis, not to mention for being a great gentleman. I sent this card to his house and he obviously took it on the road with him, signed it and, according to the postmark, mailed it from Pebble Beach, where the PGA Tour is playing this week.
He was kind enough to add my requested inscription of "Open Champion 1991" to the card.
Going from the green to the gridiron, I added another Ozzie Newsome autograph to my collection. I've actually met Ozzie twice over the years and he has previously signed an 8x10 and a card for me, but this time I mailed him his 1983 To
pps Sticker card as I try to complete that set. He, too , added an inscription, this time his HOF year.
"The Wizard of Oz" caught 662 passes at the tight end position, which made him the Browns' all-time leading receiver at that position. Those catches were good for 7,980 yards and 47 TDs.
Newsome caught at least one pass in 150 consecutive games, was All-Pro in 1979 and 1984 and was named to three Pro Bowls.
Lastly is the addition of Mark Price, a four-time NBA All-Star. Price was one of the league's most reliable shooters. His career ended with a 90.4 percent free throw shooting percentage and 40 percent three-point
shooter.
Day of the Year: 43
Number of Autographs This Year: 77
Words are woefully insufficient in trying to accurately sum up what the sporting world just lost in John Wooden, so I won't even try to find the right ones.
