TO THE BIKE SPOKES!! - Hey....Leggo My Jersey (x4)

I was sifting through some of my old 90's base cards the other week and came across four beauties that will get shared billing in this installment of 'To The Bike Spokes'.

With everything from technology to player access to heightened expectation, hockey cards have gone from an odd mixture of uninspired photos to what could be seen as either an amazing collection of pics or another uninspired trip around the block.

Four cards from the mid-90's were screaming out in their uniqueness though and I thought I'd share.  Mainly because I don't think you'd see anything of the sort these days.

1993/94 Leaf

#328 Brian Benning

A well placed stick into the jersey of Benning creates this interesting photo that made me do a double-take the first time I saw it.  Penalty or not, it really separates itself from the rest of the cards in the set.

I don't know if it was intentional to use this photo or if it was the only one of Benning that was available at the time, but I thought it looked unique.

Until I saw this one...

1993/94 Parkhurst

#117 Bernie Nicholls

Well, I guess every type of photo is open for imitation.

This Bernie Nicholls (yes....he did play for the Devils) shot created the same type of distraction for me when I saw it.  I didn't necessarily think it was a cool pic, but more of an interesting coincidence.

And then there's this one....

1995/96 Leaf

#282 Johan Garpenlov

Yup....another Panther.  Why use a stick when you can just grab with your mitt.  I'm pretty sure this should've been called for two minutes.

It just looks really weird to see this logo-less jersey staring at you.  What a messy photo.  You can't really call it an action shot but rather somebody trying to stop the action shot.

And since we're on the theme....

1995/96 Upper Deck

#28 Yanic Perreault

Why not.  We don't need to see that Kings logo.

I wonder who the crafty Canuck is that's wrecking.....I mean, enhancing this shot?  As a nice little bonus for Yanic, check out what the goalie is doing with his stick.  Yowzers!

They're odd-looking, unique, one-of-a-kind photos...but that's not always a good thing.  I think that's why you don't see photos like this on cardboard anymore these days.  Action shots are just that - Action!  These are just flat out silly.

And for that, you quartet of crazy....

PPPPFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!!!!!!!!