Added this new Bronko Nagurski

[jefferyepayne]

Nice looking Nags, Scott! How long have you had it?

I believe the back of the Nags premium is inaccurate. I find no record that Nags wrestled in college or won any college wrestling championships. Anybody have a reference to this information?

jeff

[S_GERACE]

Jeff,
First, thanks for the compliment on the Nagurski. I've had it about five years or so.
Second, I believe that you're right, I don't think that he did wrestle in college (or win a championship). I've read Jim Dent's book "Monster of the Midway" and I don't recall him wrestling at Minnesota (not that its the ultimate source of Nag info). I believe he won professional championships in 1937, 1939 and 1941 (dates could be off). I do know that Leo Nomellini wrestled at Minnesota & won an NCAA title at heavyweight (1947?).

[TanksAndSpartans]

Hi Scott,

Beautiful Nagurski, very clean/well preserved surface - wow!

On a side note, as I've suspected when comparing to other historical books and YouTube (Check out the Sneakers game - Ken Strong didn't "impersonate Nagurski and barrel over" anyone on his key TD run as Dent describes (which in my opinion doesn't lessen the run at all - it was truly a clutch play)), Dent's book may be too inaccurate to consider an historical reference. I used to like to think he just embellished to make the book more readable and it certainly was more enjoyable than a typical historical book, so I was mostly ok with it. But referencing a drive and saying Nags carried X straight times or however many (when in reality he had less than X carries in the game) or changing the events of a game - that I can't agree with.

http://profootballdaly.com/jim-dent-...erary-license/

Jeff, good catch on Nagurski not wrestling in college - it didn't register with me when I read it yesterday, but I agree - I've never heard that before.

[S_GERACE]

Hi John,
I'm not knocking Jim Dent at all. From what I've read, Nagurski was a very private person and it had to be hard to come up with enough material to warrant a book on him, even though he was/is very deserving of it. Strong's run was pretty cool (around the right side of the Giants line, right?)

I can't tell you guys how much fun it is to talk old football. I wish the NFL pushed it's history like MLB!
Regards,
Scott

P.S.-Thanks for the kind words on my card.

[TanksAndSpartans]

Hi Scott,

Here's the clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdXsV4veLWI

It's really loaded with plays - much better than the one on the 37 game because it includes so many non-scoring plays esp. Nagurski runs - those are pretty hard to find.

Right, Nagurski was a tough interview - Myron Cope tried to get him for his book and he said "I don't have time to reminisce".

I loved seeing Dent introduce Nagurski in the NFL Top 100 and I think he did a nice job, but I still feel let down by the book. In the book's intro, Dent says that he interviewed Nagurski's sister and Okie Miller and that Chris Willis from NFL films sent him lots of material, etc. so there was a lot of potential there. But after some fact checking, I kind of view it like the Friday Night Lights movie with Nagurski as Boobie Miles. Some of what was in there about Miles checked out historically and some didn't. The main difference is I expect that from Hollywood, but I didn't expect it from a biography - it kind of snuck up on me. To be fair though, trying to write a book that does justice to the character described in this scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-IHxD_4JP0

isn't an enviable task, so you have to cut him some slack

[S_GERACE]

I'll second that Dez! Actually, I just watched it again, the long run at the end was up the gut. Thanks for the link.

[jefferyepayne]

Incredible footage of Nags on the run. What a bull he was. It does help that for whatever reason a popular tackling tactic was to throw your body at the runner instead of arm tackling him. People just bounce off Nags!

jeff

[S_GERACE]

Originally Posted by S_GERACE

Jeff,
First, thanks for the compliment on the Nagurski. I've had it about five years or so.
Second, I believe that you're right, I don't think that he did wrestle in college (or win a championship). I've read Jim Dent's book "Monster of the Midway" and I don't recall him wrestling at Minnesota (not that its the ultimate source of Nag info). I believe he won professional championships in 1937, 1939 and 1941 (dates could be off). I do know that Leo Nomellini wrestled at Minnesota & won an NCAA title at heavyweight (1947?).

I was mistaken, Nomellini did NOT win an NCAA title at wrestling. It was a BIG 10 title. Below is a link to NFL players with their wrestling achievements. Nomellini is listed just below Ray Leis' picture (22 names down I believe). No mention of Nagurski in college though. Sorry about the error. Welcome to the forum DeBesse27.

http://www.sectiononewrestling.com/d..._wrestled.html

[DBesse27]

Originally Posted by S_GERACE

Welcome to the forum DeBesse27.

Thanks!!

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by S_GERACE

I was mistaken, Nomellini did NOT win an NCAA title at wrestling. It was a BIG 10 title. Below is a link to NFL players with their wrestling achievements. Nomellini is listed just below Ray Leis' picture (22 names down I believe). No mention of Nagurski in college though. Sorry about the error. Welcome to the forum DeBesse27.

http://www.sectiononewrestling.com/d..._wrestled.html

I like what the section one wrestling site is trying to do but their page on nfl players who wrestled is grossly inaccurate so I wouldn't use it as a reference.

For instance it says Lorenzo Neal was an NCAA champ and has a big picture of him up top. He took 7th in his senior year. They probably meant Stephen Neal.

jeff

[wrestlingcardking]

Got these graded yesterday.

1 1 24610826 VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT 4 1937 Kellogg's Pep Sports Stamps 15 Harry Cooper/Jess Willard Lew Fonseca/Bronko Nagurski Card
2 1 24610827 GOOD+ 2.5 1912 Max Rigot Postcard 8 Gotch in A Practice Bout Card
3 1 24610828 VERY GOOD 3 1936 Diamond Matchbooks Bronko Nagurski Card

[DBesse27]

Great Bronks! Please post scans when you get them back.

[TanksAndSpartans]

Joe, can we see the Nags 8? I've been there on the upgrade issue - what really makes it hard is sometimes the higher grade one (say a 5) goes for less than my 4, so of course I throw a bid in and win, then I have 2 cards and I still like the lower grade one, so I sell the higher grade one (for a loss of course after fees, etc.) - definitely a pattern I'm trying to repeat less....