What draws you to football/football history?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by AFLfan

I grew up as a baseball collector, but while I was in graduate school I interned for the San Diego Chargers, cleaning up their photo archive. At that time I decided to write my thesis on Sid Gillman, the Chargers first head coach. It was interviewing Sid and his former players that first sparked my interest in the AFL. Since then I have written a couple of books about the Chargers (one AFL, one Coryell era), put together my AFL website, and while they were still in SD, I did a lot of contract work for the Chargers. It was all history-based stuff, a lot dealing with the AFL.

I am drawn to the social aspects of football. I'm fascinated by stories of the AFL boycott and other issues that came about during the Civil Rights Era. I love the story of the underdog AFL taking on the NFL and forcing a merger. I love that the players were just guys, who assimilated into the community with off-season jobs, and were not the whacked out prima donnas that we read about so often with modern athletes.

Todd, interning for the Chargers?! I am trying extremely hard to not let my awe and sheer envy get the best of me! That was my childhood team (I still can't quite stop myself from keeping up with them even now despite the fact that I stay furious with that franchise ). What an opportunity to be around those guys and the AFL. One of my favorite aspects of the AFL is that it provided opportunities to soooo many players who would have never gotten a sniff by the NFL. These were guys in a lot of cases from small colleges who had serious talent.

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[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Todd, interning for the Chargers?! I am trying extremely hard to not let my awe and sheer envy get the best of me! That was my childhood team (I still can't quite stop myself from keeping up with them even now despite the fact that I stay furious with that franchise ). What an opportunity to be around those guys and the AFL. One of my favorite aspects of the AFL is that it provided opportunities to soooo many players who would have never gotten a sniff by the NFL. These were guys in a lot of cases from small colleges who had serious talent.

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Yeah, Todd's been living the dream for decades ...

jeff

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Yeah, Todd's been living the dream for decades ...

jeff

That's the truth! Interning for the Chargers! Had I known about it then, I could have lived vicariously through him! Not to mention all the pics and autographs I would have begged him to get for me. Although my Chargers collection isn't as large as my fandom has been over the years, they were a driving force in my love of football.

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[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

That's the truth! Interning for the Chargers! Had I known about it then, I could have lived vicariously through him! Not to mention all the pics and autographs I would have begged him to get for me. Although my Chargers collection isn't as large as my fandom has been over the years, they were a driving force in my love of football.

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You mean like this, Robert?



P.S. Thanks Todd!

jeff

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

You mean like this, Robert?



P.S. Thanks Todd!

jeff

Ha! Rub it in...LOL! I actually have that SI, it is just unsigned Great piece. Maybe Todd has a few excess Chargers items from that period he might part with?? Over the years, I have considered collecting everything Chargers, but somehow I just never did it. I have the dual connection to Bambi in that he was a Razorback and a Charger, my two teams. This really tempts me....

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[AFLfan]

Haha. I recognize that SI, Jeff.

I've still got some nice Chargers stuff. Certainly not as much as I used to have, unless you count signed cards.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by AFLfan

Haha. I recognize that SI, Jeff.

I've still got some nice Chargers stuff. Certainly not as much as I used to have, unless you count signed cards.

Those are some nice items, Todd. I especially like...all of it. I noticed the Alworth signed cards with the special inscriptions. My favorite is the card signed "My Chargers are in San Diego, not LA." That is absolutely legendary! Really all those '64 team cards are extraordinary. Should you ever look to part with those Chargers items, I think I might know someone who is interested. You are making me think I should act on my impulses about collecting AFL era Chargers items. I have fought the urge for a long time, but I am weakening.