JewishSportsCollectibles

Ed Sabol, Founder of NFL Films

Goal Line Art Card of Ed Sabol, 2011 Hall of Fame inductee, founder of NFL Films. Photo courtesy of eBay.

With the death on Tuesday, September 18 of Steve Sabol (read JewishSportsCollectibles.com's remembrance of Steve Sabol here), I thought it an appropriate time to examine the collectibles of Steve's father, Ed Sabol.

The 96-year-old founder of NFL Films, 2011 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame has a wide variety of memorabilia available to Jewish football collectors.

Ed Sabol's football cards include a Goal Line Art Card (photo right), produced for each Football Hall of Famer as well as a Class of 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame special issue card set, produced by Panini, part of an eight-card set given away at the Hall of Fame on Induction Day.

Collectors can purchase the complete, unsigned 2011 Induction Class Goal Line Art Card set from the Football Hall of Fame's web store for $27.99.

Sabol's individual Goal Line Art card can be found on eBay for $10 for unsigned cards, with autographed cards selling for between $75-$100. Amazon.com sellers are offering authenticated and autographed Ed Sabol Goal Line Art Cards for $90-$165.

Ed Sabol Hall of Fame card. Photo courtesy
of eBay.

The elder Sabol is also featured on a 2011 Panini Timeless Treasures card (#10), with a sticker, standard card and autographed card varieties available, according to Beckett.com.

The limited edition Induction Day giveaway Panini cards sell for $1-$20 on eBay.

The unsigned Timeless Treasure sticker is available on Amazon.com for $0.39 and from the Panini sticker and standard card can be found in the Beckett Marketplace for $0.25-$2.10.

Ed Sabol HOF signed football.
Photo courtesy of ProFootballHallofFame.com.

The Football Hall of Fame web store offers a variety of Sabol memorabilia for purchase, including individual and Induction Class items. These include several Ed Sabol photos and plaques, single signed and group autographed footballs, an Induction pin and yearbook.

Ed Sabol signed HOF mini helmet.Photo courtesy
of Amazon.com.

A variety of mini helmets, bearing the NFL and Hall of Fame logos, autographed by Ed Sabol are available on eBay and Amazon.com.

My personal favorite, however, is more specialized mini helmet.

Ed Sabol graduated from The Ohio State University, where he was a varsity swimmer. According to Wikipedia, Sabol qualified for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, but refused to participate because the Games were being hosted by Nazi Germany.

In 2011, OSU's Wexner Center for the Arts honored Sabol before his Hall of Fame induction by screening a series of classic NFL Films.

An eBay seller with a deep appreciation of history is offering an OSU mini helmet signed by Sabol for $159.99.

Signed Ed Sabol HOF induction photo.
Photo courtesy of eBay.

A wide variety of other memorabilia is available on eBay. These include autographed and unsigned photos of Ed, and Ed with Steve Sabol, first day covers and cachets signed by Ed, autographed footballs and index cards, and Induction Day programs and ephemera. As always, buyer beware.

On Amazon.com, Jewish football collectors can also find a photo of Steve and Ed Sabol, signed by both men (certified by PSA/DNA), along with signed photos of Ed. 

Less personal Sabol collectibles include the thousands of NFL Films videos available on VHS tape and DVD. Nearly all of the films in the Football Hall of Fame's video store are NFL Films products. Amazon.com lists more than 2,000 NFL Films titles and eBay offers nearly 900.

What Ed Sabol memorabilia do you have in your Jewish football collection? Have you had the chance to meet the NFL Films founder? Share your thoughts with other JewishSporstCollectibles.com readers by commenting below.

Colt Cabana Wins NWA Wrestling Championship, Again

Colt Cabana, "the first ever openly Jewish NWA Champion" is now a two-time NWA champion, as reported by The Great Rabbino (thanks, Rabbi!) and WWE News. 

The list of Jewish professional wrestling champions is a short one. Cabana (real name Scott Colton) joins Goldberg and Macho Man Randy Savage (the "who's Jewish" expert Neil Keller lists Savage as having a Jewish mother) as the sport's other champions.

JewishSportsCollectibles.com reported on the death of Cabana memorabilia last year, after Cabana won the belt the first time.

My assumption that Cabana's success in the ring in 2011 would lead to more collectibles being available outside the squared circle proved wrong. 

Cabana still doesn't get much love as far as main stream memorabilia goes (unlike Jewish wrestler Goldberg, who has collectibles aplenty).

For now, the best for memorabilia remains the wrestler's web site. Cabana offers DVDs, "worker shirts," wrestling masks, pins, posters and photos, and a variety of t-shirts. Many items can be autographed.

The "I Jewish Star Colt" t-shirt ($20) and pin ($8) are likely to be the items of most interest to collectors seeking an obvious ethnic identity in their memorabilia.

Autograph collectors wishing to meet Cabana can find a list of his upcoming appearances on his web site.

An eBay search turns up plenty of DVDs featuring Cabana's matches, but no Cabana trading cards, action figures, etc. I stand by what I wrote last year, that programs, ticket stubs, promotional posters, etc. must surely exist.

What say you, JSC readers? Any Colt collectibles in your possession?

Photos courtesy: NWAWrestling.com and WeLoveColt.com.

Recapping Garry Kasparov's St. Louis Appearance

A follow-up to JewishSportsCollectibles.com's March 29 posting on Jewish chess champion Garry Kasparov's appearance at Washington University in St. Louis.

According to the university's media web site, Kasparov's spent April 2 on campus for a variety of appearances.

"[Kasparov's] day started in Graham Chapel, where he gave advice on outmaneuvering opponents in politics and business. After the talk, Kasparov participated in a reception with the first 50 people to line up in the Women’s Building, where he signed autographs and posed for pictures. First-year law student Mustafa Ali was selected to play chess with Kasparov. To teach strategy, Kasparov let two children finish the game for him."

For another photo, a video of Kasparov playing chess, and more details on the grand master's day in St. Louis, check out this Student Life (Washington University's student newspaper) article about his visit.

Did any JSC readers in the St. Louis area get to see Kasparov speak? 

Do you have any the grand master's books or memorabilia in your collection? Wondering what's available? Check out this review of Kasparov's memorabilia and books published by Jewish Sports Collectibles in 2010.

Photo by Sid Hasting, courtesy Washington University in St. Louis.

Chess Champ Garry Kasparov to Speak in St. Louis

Jewish chess champ Garry Kasparov is scheduled to speak at Washington University in St. Louis at 4:30 p.m. (Central) on April 2.

According to a press release from the University:

"Garry Kasparov, considered the best chess player of all time, a champion of democracy in Russia and a world-renowned financial expert, will offer advice on outmaneuvering opponents in politics and business at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, in Graham Chapel at Washington University in St. Louis.

Following his talk, there will be a 30-minute question-and-answer session, also in Graham Chapel, and a 45-minute reception and chess demonstration
in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge. 

His talk, “Making Use of Strategic Thinking in Business and Politics,” will focus on strategic interactions of economic and political interests in the tumultuous global economy.

Kasparov, the founder of the democratic political party “The Other Russia” and a 2007 candidate for the presidency of Russia, also will address the current instability in Russia.

Following his talk, there will be a 30-minute question-and-answer session, also in Graham Chapel, and a 45-minute reception and chess demonstration in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge. 

His talk, “Making Use of Strategic Thinking in Business and Politics,” will focus on strategic interactions of economic and political interests in the tumultuous global economy."

For more details about Kasparov's speaking engagement, email washuchess@gmail.com. 

In 2010, Jewish Sports Collectibles posted a review of Kasparov's memorabilia and books.

Do  any JSC readers have the grand master's memorabilia in your collection? Anyone in the St. Louis area planning to see Kasparov speak?

The University's web site states that no video taping of Kasparov's speech is allowed, but if you're planning to go and take pictures, please consider sharing them with JSC!
 

Colt Cabana: The First 'Openly Jewish' Wrestling Champion

According to a recent posting by The Great Rabbino, the latest addition to the short list of Jewish professional wrestling champions is Colt Cabana.

Cabana -- who The Rabbino calls "the first ever openly Jewish NWA Champion" -- joins Goldberg and Macho Man Randy Savage (the "who's Jewish" expert Neil Keller lists Savge as having a Jewish mother) as the sport's other champions.

Unlike Goldberg who has scads of memorabilia, Cabana doesn't get much love outside the ring.

He has no trading cards, action figures, etc. Surely, ephemera -- including programs, ticket stubs, promotional posters, etc. -- must exist from Cabana's long career.

I suspect this dearth of collectibles will change rapidly, however, as NWA marketers look to capitalize on the new champion's status.

The best source for Cabana memorabilia is the wrestler's web site.

Among the items for sale is are DVDs, posters, "worker shirts," wrestling masks, pins, photos and a variety of t-shirts. Prices range from $8-$20.

The "I Jewish Star Colt" t-shirt ($20) and pin ($8) are likely to be the items of most interest to collectors seeking an obvious ethnic identity in their memorabilia.

On the open market, a search of Colt Cabana on eBay reveals hundreds of wrestling DVDs featuring the Jewish grappler, but little in the way of additional memorabilia. Ditto on Amazon.com.

Entrepreneurial collectors might also be able to find memorabilia associated with the Jewish wrestler during his college football career at Western Michigan University -- where he played under his birth name, Scott Colton.

Autograph collectors wishing to meet Cabana can find a list of his upcoming appearances on his web site.

Do you collect Jewish wrestling (be sure to check out numerous articles on the subject published on The Great Rabbino)? If so, what Cabana items do you have in your collection? What other Jewish wrestling memorabilia do you have?

On the flip side, do you think, as suggested by Ron Kaplan of Kaplan's Korner, that wrestling even qualifies as a "sport"?

Feel free to post comments below.

Photos courtesy: NWAWrestling.com and WeLoveColt.com.