Jason Hanson just set an NFL record for appearing in the most games with one team. Hanson has been with the Detroit Lions since 1992. This 2009 Upper Deck card appears to be the last card made of him. He has had very few cards made of him over the years. In the 1990s, kickers were all but eliminated from most cards set. Topps and Score may put in one or two kickers in their sets now. 30-40 years ago numerous kickers appeared in Topps sets. Today that is not so.
Nobody cares about kickers these days. It's all about the big numbers - the QBs, the receivers, the runners. Possibly some of the best defensive players who consistently get the tackles. When you're on a team of 46 players, play only half the time, and if you're lucky get to touch the ball once a game, you don't get a card, no matter how good you do. Kickers get a bit more action than that, and can be quite important in getting points. But despite any talent they have for placement, distance, and working under pressure, their role is trivialized - they're called kickers, after all, and who can't kick a ball?
ReplyDeleteJust playing the devil's advocate.
Don't get me started on my kicker-punter rant. Just why isn't Ray Guy in the Hall of Fame? Robbie Gould is one of the most valuable Bears, kicker or not. Count me in if we ever get a revolt going!
ReplyDeleteI miss the awesome punter helmets with their single bar across the mouth. I always thought they were funny. When I was a kid collecting Topps football (early 70's) kickers often got a card, even in cases where team gets less than 10 cards, there'd be a kicker card.
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