A Hole in One

Packers running back James Starks had his share of carries in last night's 28-7 win over the Cowboys. His jersey certainly looked the worse for wear - by the second quarter, he had a small tear in the back of his jersey, right between the numbers.

Jim Biever, Packers.com.

I first noticed it when he ran for the team's first score. Here he is emerging from the stands after his Lambeau Leap:

Can't remember the last time I've seen the mesh fabric rip quite that way.

It's also not clear if he had it the rest of the game. I couldn't quite tell, but it doesn't appear to be present in the 4th quarter:

But this photo appears to have been taken at the end of the game, and the tear is once again clearly visible.

Jim Biever, Packers.com.

Something's certainly visible, although that could well be a quick stitch job. Perhaps it was hastily repaired during the game (at halftime?). Given how tightly these jerseys are stretched over the players' frames, not to mention pads, this makes sense. Pinch the fabric together, run a little back stitch to close the hole, that's probably easier than swapping out for a new jersey.

Of course, in the olden days the team would have just taken a needle and thread to it, sending him back on the field with it the following week. Today, he'll get a brand-new one and the torn jersey will be a great memento of an outstanding game.

Auction Gold - 1965-67 Don Chandler Game Worn Jersey

This amazing Glory Days-era jersey is currently up for auction at Heritage.

1965-67 Don Chandler Game Worn Green Bay Packers Jersey. The famed punter who was named to the NFL's 1960's All-Decade Team, and a Pro Bowler in 1967, Don Chandler will forever be remembered for kicking the controversial fourth-quarter "Phantom" field goal that tied the game at 10-10 in the Green Bay Packers' exciting victory over the Baltimore Colts in a 1965 Western Conference playoff contest.

The exemplary green and gold Durene jersey perfectly represents that classic Lombardi-era style of the 1960's. Graded a perfect A10 by the experts at MEARS, it displays the all-important "Sand Knit [size] 46" tag in the tail, while its original "[size] 46" tag remains in the collar. Use is extremely heavy, while it has more than 20 team repairs in the fabric, suggesting that it was also used by a different Packers player during practice. Sure to be the centerpiece of any high-end Packers collection, this is unquestionably one of the most impressive vintage football pieces in our May catalog auction. LOA from MEARS, A10. Guide Value or Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000.

It's truly amazing. This particular style is from the height of the Vince Lombardi era, a classic jersey that defined a team. By 1965, the Packers had finally settled on the block numbers the team still uses today (after first trying several variations).

They're not kidding about the team repairs - this jersey has been through the ringer. The work is so fine that you may miss it at first glance, but even a cursory examination reveals heavy stitching, especially on the numbers.

Amazing how much abuse these jerseys took, and the lengths the team went to in order to keep them on the field.

Image credit: Heritage Auctions

Auction Gold - Early 1960s Paul Hornung Jersey

This early 1960s Paul Hornung jersey was recently sold by Grey Flannel Auctions. It provides an excellent look at Packers jerseys of the period, who made them and how they were worn.

Early 1960s Paul Hornung Green Bay Packers Game-Used & Autographed Home Jersey (JSA)(Photomatch)(20+ Team Repairs)(Pristine Provenance)

Paul Hornung is one of three players to have won the Heisman Trophy, been selected as first overall National Football League draft picks, and been inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the 1960's All-Decade team and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. On the left front tail of this green durene shirt is the "RED FOX" manufacturer's tag with jersey size "46". Above is a wash instructions label. Inside the rear collar is a flag tag with size "46". Player number "5" appears on the front, back and on both sleeves in white tackle twill. Hornung has signed the front in silver marker adding the inscription "5" rating a 7. The jersey is properly tagged, was presented to us as game-used and in our opinion, shows outstanding use with numerous large team repairs. Accompanied by a letter of provenance which states, in part, "In the 1960's, my father worked the sidelines as a member of the chain crew in the Orange Bowl. One day he brought me home Paul Hornung's actual game worn jersey which had been given to him by Packers equipment manager Gerald "Dad" Braisher...the jersey has been in my possession ever since". Further accompanied by a LOA from JSA as well as a photo of Hornung signing the shirt.

Outstanding.

"Red Fox Manufacturing Co." is a new one for me. Don't think I've heard of them before, but it gives us another piece in our timeline of uniform suppliers.

Here's a close-up of one of the shoulder numbers. The "5" is distinctive, with its angles along the top of the loop. I call this a "slashed-5", and it will be important when we're trying to narrow down the date of the jersey.

The repairs are remarkable. It was common in those days to keep repairing a jersey until it was ready to fall apart. In those days, before a fresh jersey at halftime, players would wear the same battered uniform again and again, even for years at a time.

Finally, Grey Flannel has a photo of Hornung wearing this jersey in a game, matching the team repairs and game markings to establish provenance.

Maybe we can narrow down the timeframe a little by looking at pictures of our own.

This team photo from 1960 indicates that the Packers were still using a sans-serif block style in that season (there's the Golden Boy in the back row, far right or next to the far right in all these photos).

1960

1961 seems to have seen the introduction of the serifed, slashed-5 numbers. Again, not everyone is wearing them, as some players carried jerseys over from season to season (look at Max McGee to Hornung's left). Still, there are enough examples here that we can say with some certainty that this was the new number style for '61.

1961

We can't see Hornung in these 1962 photos, but again his teammates are wearing the slashed-5s.

1962

Hornung found himself embroiled in a gambling scandal, and on April 17, 1963, he was suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Pete Rozelle for betting on NFL games. The suspension turned out to be little less "indefinite", and the Gloden Boy missed only one season before being reinstated in 1964. By that time, the Packers had changed uniform manufacturers, resulting in a small number change to the "hooked 5s" they wear today.

1964

That makes 1961 through 1963 the likely range of years this jersey was worn. Given the propensity for hanging on to old laundry, I think it'll be tough to narrow down any farther without more information.

But when did the consignor acquire it? Maybe the Orange Bowl connection can help tell us. The Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, sometimes known as the "Playoff Bowl" or "Runner-Up Bowl", was played in Miami between the runners-up in each conference. The Packers played twice during this period, after the 1963 and 1964 seasons.

I'm not aware of the Packers playing any other games in Miami during this period, so it seems likely that the jersey would have been given to the consignor after one of those games.

It seems strange that even a frugal team like the Packers would keep an old jersey around for a player who was suspended indefinitely. Possibly "Dad" Braisher gave it to a member of the chain crew following the game on January 5, 1964.

This beauty sold for $44,428 including buyer's premiums. It will undoubtedly be an important part of somebody's collection.

Auction Gold - 1946-48 Tony Canadeo Jersey

The folks over at MEARS, who run some amazing Packer-related auctions, have a stunning find in their current offering.

This is one of the most amazing game-used Packers jerseys I've ever seen; a Lambeau-era beauty worn by the Gray Ghost himself, Tony Canadeo.

From the auction catalogue:

Lot #590: 1946-48 Tony Canadeo Green Bay Packers Game Worn Home Jersey (MEARS A10) The Gonzaga Ghost’s Drug Store Jersey –"Only Example in Private Hands"

It is with great excitement we offer the following lot. Nicknamed the “Gray Ghost of Gonzaga” due to the grey hair he was sporting in college, Tony Canadeo epitomized what it was to be a Green Bay Packer. Versatile, hardworking, cagy, and willing to do whatever was needed to help the team, Canadeo set a solid example of what it was to be a Green Bay Packer football player.

Canadeo did not enter the league with a great amount of fanfare. We was selected in the 9th round, the 77th pick overall. But through hard work and determination, under coach Curly Lambeau he continued to build himself into a Green Bay Packer legend.

An all purpose passer, runner, receiver, and defensive back, he led the Packers in rushing five times (1943, 1946-49). For the seasons 1946-48, he would have been wearing this very jersey for parts of all of that time span. He gained 4,197 yards rushing in his Packers career, and at the time of his retirement, was the team’s all time leader.

Versatility was Canadeo’s middle name, becoming the only player in franchise history to have amassed more that 500 yards in each of these five categories: passing, rushing, receiving and the returning of punts and kickoffs

During the years this jersey was issued (1946-48), Canadeo’s productivity kept the team competitive. It is most likely that several documented touchdowns were recorded wearing this very jersey, although there is no concrete evidence to document this possibility. Highlights include:

10-12-47 vs the Cardinals, Canadeo scores to move the team within a touchdown

11-30-47 vs the Rams, Canadeo scores to give the team a 20 point lead and insure a victory

10-31-48 at Detroit, Canadeo scores to give the Packers the lead

12-28-48 at Rams, Canadeo scores to tie the game

Many of the hit marks and team repairs may have been the direct result of the above offensive contributions.

When his playing career was over, keeping with the tradition of supporting the team, Canadeo played a small yet pivotal role in re-assuring his paisan Vince Lombardi that coming to Green Bay from the Giants was the right move.

Shortly after his retirement, Canadeo routinely frequented a local drug store that also featured a soda fountain. It is summarized that his penchant for root beer floats kept him coming back. As a token of his appreciation, this jersey was gifted to the store’s owner. Propped in the corner of the soda fountain counter as a make shift shrine, the jersey was displayed as the local fans discussed Sunday’s results of the Packers game. For the next 50 years, the jersey remained property of the drug store. During 2003 the owner died, and the gifted jersey was sold via an estate auction. The history was revealed at that sale and documented for this lot description.

Style: Issued as a full sleeve length jersey with original crotch piece, the jersey style features the blue body shell with golden shoulder yokes and crew neck trim. Although the basic style was worn from 1940-48, the larger style numeric font was adopted in 1944, thus more accurately dating this jersey from 1944-48. The blue body shell is cotton, with a knitted yoke and crew neck. An additional construction feature is the built in crotch piece cut. The jersey was specifically manufactured to have a crotch piece, and photographic images support the fact that Canadeo used this style. Analysis of the images reveal the jersey remains tightly pulled into the game pants, a direct result of the presence of the crotch piece being utilized by Canadeo. The crotch piece is designed with 2 rows of 3 buttons, and on the attaching piece, two rows of button holes, allowing for player adjustment.

Issuance to Canadeo: The intersection of Canadeo’s playing career (1946-51) during this stage of his career (after injury and military career) and the style of the jersey, 1944-48, allows us to accurately date this jersey as 1946-48 per the data intersection. This is also supported by accompanying photographic evidence.

Manufacturer: Issued by the Sand Knit company, this version of the tag, “SAND KNIT, ATHLETIC KNIT WEAR, SAND KNITTING MILLS CO, CHICAGO” is the version of the tag commonly found on 1940s football jerseys. The next generation of Sand Knit tagging found the size included as part of the Sand Knit design.

Distributor: To the left of the Sand Knit tag is the “Gordon Bent, Green Bay Sporting Goods tag”. With the addition of this city tag, the jersey is supported as being a Green Bay supplied shirt.

Size 42: The size 42 tag is found directly under the distributors tag.

Numbering (3): Canadeo’s retired uniform number is factory zig zag stitched on both the front and reverse of the jersey and is machine cut from a golden satin tackle twill material. This style of numeric font was adopted in 1944.

Game Wear: Jersey exhibits heavy game wear evenly distributed throughout the body shell of the jersey. A vintage team repair can be found on the underarm of the right sleeve. Several deep stresses that have slightly penetrated the side seams are present. Deep wear can be seen on both shoulders, with heavy wear found on Canadeo’s right shoulder. The numerals both show abrasions and severe puckering. All anchor stitching shows fraying from use and wash. Solid wear is clearly present, yet the jersey displays in excellent condition.

The jersey has also been signed on the front numeral in near mint blue sharpie. Signature appears to have signed in the past 10-15 years.

Imagery Analysis: Several images accompany this lot description. Comparisons of jersey to the accompanying photos verify:

Correct sleeve length

Correct style for the era

Proper numeric font style

Correct crew neckline

Verifies fact Canadeo used a crotch piece

Correct number for player

To finish our evaluation, the jersey was submitted to black light, magnified light, and a light table. MEARS examined the jersey for original numbering & tagging, originality of the tagging, and signs of foreign substances introduced to the jersey. Our examination revealed the jersey is all original with no alterations.

An rare opportunity to own one of the finest pieces of Packers memorabilia extant. Final Grade: MEARS A10. LOA Troy R. Kinunen/MEARS

Canadeo himself should need no introduction; for decades he was the prematurely-gray face of the franchise for half a century. Drafted in 1941, he played for the club through 1952 (missing most of the 1944 season and all of 1945 due to a stint in the Army). Upon his retirement, Canadeo's #3 was retired and he joined fellow legend Don Hutson as only the second player to be so honored.

Canadeo stayed in Green Bay, going into business and joining the Packers' Board of Directors in 1958. He was instrumental in bringing then-Giants assistance coach Vince Lombardi to Green Bay, and as a fellow Italian-American quickly became one of Lombardi's best friends in Green Bay.

Canadeo sat on the Executive Committee until 1993, also working for the team as a broadcaster. He remained a director emeritus until his death ten years later. When he passed away, the Packers remembered him with a black helmet decal, the second time (after Commissioner Pete Rozelle in Super Bowl XXXI) that the Packers had done so.

Few people will ever have as long an association with the Green Bay Packers as long and as glorious as Tony Canadeo. That alone makes this jersey beyond compare, and the backstory only makes it better. Seriously, a soda fountain?

I especially love the tagging; we've seen the Sand-Knit tag before, on jerseys from the 1940s through the 1960s, but this is the first time I've seen the "Gordon Bent Green Bay Sporting Goods" tag.

Bidding on this jersey started at $500. Within minutes it had hit $20,000, and after a half-hour it was over $44,000, where it sits now. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime find from one of the greatest Packers to ever pull on the blue and gold.

MEARS Auction #36 ends March 31st, 2012, 9:00 CST with a 15-minute rule. Bid early, bid often.

(photo credit: MEARS)

You Old Sew-and-Sew

This promotional photo of fearsome linebacker Ray Nitschke opens a small window into the NFL of the late 1960s:

Looks standard enough, but a closer look reveals the lengths to which the Packers used to go in order to keep a jersey on the field. Look at the repairs the team has made across his shoulders:

We've seen extreme examples of team repairs before, along the bottom of this 1949 Bill Kelley sideline jacket:


And across the chest and shoulders of this 1951 Jim Ringo jersey:


So there's nothing new in the team wielding needle and thread to get a few more games' life out of a uniform.

What's interesting to me is that the Packers used the battered and stitched-together jersey for a promotional photo. He looks oddly out of place against a studio backdrop; they might as well have depicted him splattered with mud.

Auction Gold - 1950s Jim Ringo jersey

The rumors were true. A late 1950s beauty has come up for auction, giving us an extremely rare look at the Packers' pre-Lombardi uniforms:

LOT: 3 Jim Ringo 1957-61 Packers Game Worn Dureen, Rare Midnight Green, Stylematched, Team Repairs

Jim Ringo was a professional American football player, a Hall of Fame center and coach. He was a ten time Pro Bowler during his career. When coach Vince Lombardi took over the Packers in 1959, Jim was the only already-established All Pro on the roster. Lombardi built his offense around Ringo. The Packers drafted him in the seventh round of the 1953 NFL Draft out of Syracuse University. Ringo was considered vastly undersized at 211 pounds. He was not, however, unfit for the role, using his outstanding quickness and excellent technique to build a 15-year NFL career, including 11 seasons with the Packers, as one of the game's best centers. Ringo was a member of the Packers' NFL Championship teams of 1961 and 1962, but was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964. He is best known as a coach for creating the dominant Bills offensive line of the early-mid '70s, called the Electric Company, in support of running back O.J. Simpson. He returned to Buffalo as the Bills offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1985. He held the positions until his retirement after the 1988 season. He was a 10 time Pro Bowler from 1957-1965 and in 1967. Ringo was named to the NFL 1960’s All Decade Team. He was also a 6 time 1st Team All Pro and a 3 time 2nd Team All Pro. Ringo was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Ringo is considered one of the best to play the game at the Center position.

Offered here is a VERY RARE long sleeve blue-green style Packers jersey of HOFer Jim Ringo. There are only 3 known Packers blue-green durene style jerseys known, let alone from a HOFer. Sewn on the left front tail is the “Sand Knit Athletic Knitwear” tag with a size “46” flag tag and the “DENIS SPORT SHOP” local distributor tag. Sewn on the front, back and both sleeves is the player number #51 done in gold tackle twill. The long sleeves contain the Packers traditional gold sleeve stripes. The durene jersey is hammered with use. It contains 12+ team repairs. This IS THE ONLY RINGO of this style. It was obtained directly through the Ringo family. The jersey has been style matched to his 1958 Topps football card (#103).

Here's the 1958 card to which they've style-matched this jersey:

With the exception of puttering about on their message boards, I'm not very familiar with Game Used Universe. I presume that they have some documentation from the Ringo family.

I really like the design. It's simple and clean, with a distinctive color palette. The Northwestern stripes, named for the university which invented the thin/thick/thin stripe design in 1928, give it a dash of style. The "TV numbers" on the upper sleeves were a relatively recent uniform innovation, having been first adopted by the Packers in 1956, the year before this design made its debut.

And just look at these repairs:


"Hammered with use" is an apt description - this jersey is stitched together like Frankenstein's Monster.

It also gives us a good look at the Sand-Knit tagging. Denis Sport Shop is still in business in Ashwaubenon, not two miles south of Lambeau Field.

Unfortunately, we cannot infer much about the jersey's color from these pictures. That's a shame, because the distinctive blue-green color of the Lisle Blackbourn era is much-discussed but infrequently seen. Most of the photos from this period are either black and white or hand-tinted and not much help for our purposes.

Perhaps the eventual winner will be able to help us out with better photos.

I do have to take issue with one element of the item description - I'm not sure why the auction house has designated this "1957-61". This jersey couldn't have been worn any later than 1958, as the following season would be the first for both new coach Vince Lombardi and his signature uniform design. Still, it's a beautiful exemplar of an unusual style, and if the provenance is as good as we are led to believe it should fetch a significant price.