HHOF AUTOS - La La La LaFontaine

It has been nearly eight months since my last Hall Of Fame auto pickup.  Part of that is due to me not really chasing them, part of that is due to many of the local guys trading just don't have any (or they have a Gretzky that is way out of my range....remember, I have to trade for them).

But when I opened up a dynamite box of CFL football (yup...you heard me right) recently, I thought I would have a good chance of turning some of my hits into some new signature additions.

And the online trading world just happened to be calling.

I don't normally go to the football section of the hobby board I frequent (judging by the lack of posts, neither do many others) but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the thread title "WANTED: 2016 CFL Jonathon Jennings High Gloss /10".

Are you kidding me?

So I did the only thing I could and sent him a message.  It was a quick back & forth and within no time we had a deal finalized.

My card arrived in the mail today.

Pat LaFontaine

(Inducted in 2003)

I really like this add to the collection.  My memories of Pat pretty much start and end with his OT winner in the 90th overtime against Washington when hockey was everything.  Yes, he was a leading scorer in the league (say for some guy named Mario and his season for the ages) but those years get tainted in my brain by one unfortunate hit and his subsequent years dealing with concussion issues.

A 5-time All-Star, his career numbers are impressive...but deceiving.  He really could have...should have been a whole lot better.  Over a 15-year career, Pat finished with 468 goals and 1013 points (a 62-point output in his last season vaulted him over the thousand point plateau) but point totals of 27, 18 and 8 over his final few years really ended his chance of putting up numbers that would have had him amounts the all-time greats.  He didn't struggle it seemed when he was able to go....he was a point a game in those last few terms.

The autograph on the card is right down the middle for me.  Not slick and sleek like a Beliveau but certainly not a scribble-scrabble like today's marker masters.  It's got some style to it and I can make out his name.  It actually reminds me a bit of Linden's sig...messy legible.

With this card I can now exhale....how long will it be before my next pickup?

I guess I should open more CFL.

(A kind thank you to Mark for the great trade...and for sending along a couple extras in the envelope).


Current Collection - 69 HHOF Autos