Posted By:
barrysloateI've been meaning to post the story about my one and only meeting with Lou Lampson.
About ten years ago I had a uniform of a retired football great in one of my auctions. Never should have taken it, since I knew absolutely zero about NFL game worn jerseys. A prospective bidder pointed out to me that the uniform looked bad, and he contacted Lou for his opinion. Lou called me and told me the jersey was clearly a fake. Somewhere in the conversation I mentioned I would be in New Jersey that Saturday night at my brother-in-law's. Lou, who also lives in NJ, told me to bring the uniform with me. He met me in Ridgefield Park, brought a genuine exemplar with him, and spent an hour going over every diagnostic point of both the real and fake uniform. He had no financial interest in spending all this time with me, and asked for nothing in return.
I never spoke to Lou again but he left a lasting impression on all of us. I know his reputation has taken a hit over the years, but on that one night he handled himself in a professional and selfless manner.