RIP - 2025

Players from the 1965-1975 era that passed away in 2025:

Tom Brown was also a 1st baseman for the Washington Senators.

 

 

Baseball deaths in 2025 

  

Chicago Bears - Custom Extension Set

Over a year ago I posted my set of Oakland Raiders custom cards issued by RetroCards.net. A few months ago I made another purchase from them - their 1967 Bears and 1966 Falcons sets. 

 

All the sets I've bought from them are listed on the sidebar. 

RetroCards.net makes "cards that never were" mostly for football, but some baseball and non-sports issues too. Among their football sets, they lean toward the Cowboys, Packers, and Bears, but other teams are occasionally represented, including all teams in the 1963 and 1966 sets. The sets for most teams include about 9 cards, but sets for their 3 favorite teams usually include 20 or more cards.

 

Here are the 1967 Bears, that complement the original set issued by Philadelphia Gum. The inclusion of 3 quarterbacks in this custom set makes for 4 quarterbacks overall (including Rudy Bukich from the original set.)

 

Within each grouping, I accidentally arranged the cards in the opposite position order from what I normally do. (right-to-left, rather than left-to-right) 

 

 

(Blogger limits the labels to 200 total characters, so I couldn't include everyone.)

RIP - 2024

Players from the 1965-1975 era that passed away in 2024:

Also: Carl Weathers, Golden Richards, Mike Kolen.  

 

Baseball deaths in 2024 

  

RIP - Jim Otto

Jim Otto, the Raiders' center from 1960 to 1974, passed away on May 19, 2024 at age 86.

Otto was selected by the AFL's Minneapolis franchise in 1960, but when they backed out of the league (after receiving an offer to join the NFL in 1961) the Oakland Raiders were quickly established as the 8th team. 

 

Otto started EVERY GAME at center for his entire 15-year career. He was named to the Pro Bowl (or AFL All-Star team) in all but his last 2 seasons. He was also named first-team All-Pro 10 times. 

 

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, and was also named to the All-Time AFL team.

 

Otto is one of 3 players to have played in every one of his team's AFL games. 

 

Raiders.com obituary  

 

NFL.com obituary 

   

RIP - Roman Gabriel

Roman Gabriel, quarterback for the Rams and Eagles in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away today April 20, 2024 at age 83.

In 1962, he was the first overall pick in the AFL draft by the Raiders, and the 2nd overall pick in the NFL draft by the Rams. 

 

From 1962 to 1965 he was a part-time starter, making 9 starts in 1963. 

 

Gabriel played every game from 1966-72, starting all of them except for 2 games in 1972. He made the Pro Bowl every season from 1967-69, and in 1969 was named first-team All-Pro. as well as the league's MVP. 

 

He was traded to the Eagles after the 1972 season for wide receiver Harold Jackson. Gabe played for the Eagles for 5 seasons, starting every game in 1973 and adding another Pro Bowl appearance, while leading the NFL with 3219 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes. 

 

Gabriel played in 11 games in each of  '74 and '75, starting most of them. In 1976 he lost the starting job to Mike Boryla, but played in 4 games (all starts). 

 

He backed up the newly-acquired Ron Jaworski in 1977, his final season.

 

CBS Sports obituary  

 

ESPN obituary