The Final Four is set and ready to head to Motown to see who will be the last team standing at the big dance this year. The tournament may have lost its overall number one seed this weekend to a loss at the hands of Michigan State many were not too shocked since there were those who felt Louisville was not strong enough to be overall top seed. While another number one seed Pittsburgh took a loss to Villanova in a upset that at the beginning of the tournament not too many people saw coming but here in the later rounds it was not surprising at all. Either way on Saturday night April 4^th we will find which of the four remaining teams will get to play for the title.

The first game of the night will feature Spartans of Michigan State against the Huskies of Uconn. While many feel that the Huskies are unstoppable and have been beating teams in the tournament by an average of 25.3 points do not rule out the underdog Spartans. Essentially the Spartans will have the home court advantage over the Huskies so the green and white Michigan State merchandise will be filling the stands in force. Plus many feel that the Spartans are one of the deepest teams left in the tournament, which fuels their aggressive defensive and rebounding off the glass.

While the later game on Saturday will feature the Tarheels of North Carolina who was expected to be here against the Wildcats of Villanova. Though Villanova has actually won eight of the last nine games against ranked opponents many feel that they just cannot overcome the strength of the Tarheels. North Carolina just has too many weapons that if you can down one, two more will step up and take the scoring reigns to lead the team to victory. But despite the outcome of this game or the earlier one everyone loves the Madness.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March Madness rolled on last night in four Sweet Sixteen round games that gave lots of excitement as both number ones cruised to fairly easy victories and two number three seeds upset the number two seeds they faced. This has set up half of the final eight bracket with the Big East definitely dominating to show they deserve all of those top seeds they received.

Of course both number one seeds did win their games last night to advance but they did so in different styles. Uconn continued to roll on unchallenged in the tournament continuing with their large margins of victory. While Pittsburgh was once again able to pull out a victory but as usual it was not a pretty win. Once again the Panthers won very late in the game when Levance Fields hit a very deep three pointer followed up by a defensive steal and lay-up. Whether the victories are pretty or not the team is making its first appearance in the regional finals since 1974 making the Pittsburgh Panthers merchandise some of the hottest stuff out there right now.

While the battle of the Tigers played out in Glendale with a high scoring game that was up and down the court in a battle of who had the best stamina and ball handling ability. Many had anticipated Memphis matching up in the regional finals with Uconn. Everything was going right for Mizzou Thursday night as even the 70 footer at the end of the half dropped in for an additional 3 to head into the locker room padding their lead.

While out in the East region Villanova upset Duke by playing some of the best defense seein in the tournament so far. This defense combined with some excellenet scoring has many thinking that the Wildcats can pull off an upset of the Panthers in the next round.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Toward the end of last season likely Hall of Fame tight end selection Tony Gonzalez requested to be traded from the Kansas City Chiefs. Citing the desire to play in the Super Bowl before he retires Gonzalez felt that he could not do that with the Chiefs. And the way the team has been playing the past few seasons the playoffs were not even in the picture let alone a Super Bowl appearance.

Of course no team made an offer to the Chiefs, which was worth the trade of one of the best tight ends to even play the game. With league records in most catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns for a tight end Gonzalez is a dream come true for any quarterback in the league. Just last year alone despite being double teamed on most every down Gonzalez was still able to make 96 receptions totaling over 1,000 yards.

Of course when a trade did not occur the Pro Bowl tight end continued to play hard each and every week and continued to hold the support of the fans as well as his teammates. With the recent addition of quarterback Matt Cassel, which will likely begin a turnaround for the struggling Chiefs, you would think that Gonzalez would be ready to stay in Kansas City and don the Chiefs helmet. Plus with the addition of the third pick in the draft the Chiefs are a team that should be on the upswing toward making an appearance in the playoffs and potentially making a legitimate bid for the AFC title and the right to head to the big game.

Of course wherever Tony Gonzalez ends up you know that he will be a target for the quarterback. Plus Tony will always be a big drive behind the sales of his team's merchandise and memorabilia since he is such a sure bet for the Hall of Fame. And with his numbers he is also always a favorite with the fantasy football owners.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NFL has been over the past few years addressing the issue of increased head injuries to players as the number of concussions have been on the rise. Along with the increase in game day concussions studies are coming out that the long-term effects on the players overall brain function with repeated blows to the head actually affects their quality of life after retirement.

Of course the makers of pro helmets such as Riddell are continually researching and changing their designs to better protect the players who wear their football gear. But the changes are just not keeping up with the speed and strength of the modern players as the men who pay football are advancing faster than the gear they wear.

Injuries such as the one to Anquan Boldin last season that required seven plates and forty screws in his face and jaw are grim reminders of why the league has helmet to helmet contact rules. These rules are a attempt at protecting receivers, quarterbacks and others when they are in positions in which they cannot defend themselves from the vicious blows from defensemen. Of course last year as well Wes Welker took another blow under his chin during the Pittsburgh game, which did not fall under this ruling, but many feel that is was just as vicious.

In an attempt to further protect players the NFL has passed new safety rules regarding what constitutes a blow to the head on a player by a defensemen. The old rule did not allow defensive players to use their head around the head of the player they were tackling and the new rule now also includes the use of shoulders and forearms.  This is an attempt to keep players from continuing to receive blows to their football helmet and to reduce the amount of head injuries, which are occurring in the league.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While March Madness has the attention of the sports world the NFL is in a big time of year as teams jockey existing players with available trades and free agents within their salary cap while still trying to leave room for the incoming rookies in the draft which is quickly approaching. Of course the rash of top name players getting in trouble with the law and the league does not help matters any as this leaves teams trying to cover for players who may be suspended or in some cases even incarcerated.

Terrell Owens was picked up by the Buffalo Bills with a one year contract and for the most part the team is looking forward to his arrival. Though Owens neglected to show up for a voluntary conditioning camp by the Bills there seems to be no worries yet with how he will fit into the team. It looks like Owens will be making his Bills debut as they take on the Patriots in the debut of Brady on his surgically reconstructed knee.

Of course we now know that T.O. will be wearing a Buffalo Bills helmet but we are not sure of the fate of Marshawn Lynch as starting running back for the team. After receiving probation for a hit and run accident Lynch is highly likely to be suspended by the commissioner for violating the NFL conduct policy.

The Giants also have their own star player who has the team with a large question mark for that position, as Plaxico Burress has not been in contact with the team and has a court date later this month, which may send him to jail on weapons charges. On top of this Burress has received some traffic tickets over the past month making him even less likely to be playing wide out for the Giants this season. This has the rumor mill in full gear that the team is trying to acquire Boldin from Arizona or Edwards from Cleveland to fill the void.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sweet Sixteen is now set for the NCAA tournament and hopefully your bracket is still intact in your office pool. Of course the top seeds are still in and there have only been a few surprises so most college basketball fans should still be looking good in their predictions if they had done a little research into their picks.

Of course the biggest surprise of the tournament so far is Arizona who is playing in the Midwest bracket. Many felt that this team should not even have been in the tournament this year since their schedule was not as tough as other schools while their record lacked those quality wins that define a tournament team. Of course the Arizona Wildcats merchandise will be flying high in Indianapolis as the team now has to take on top seed Louisville in what will be a major upset if they can pull it off.

While Memphis is looking to redeem themselves from last years lose in the final game they will head up against a feisty Missouri team that loves to get the ball moving down the court. Since both of these teams are fast paced this will be an exciting game for those who are looking to watch a offensive shoot out to advance past the Sweet Sixteen. The winner who survives this game will go on to play the winner of the Connecticut and Purdue game.

In the South everyone is hoping that North Carolina can hold off Gonzaga and Oklahoma can defeat Syracuse so that in the final Eight there will be a battle of the big men. But neither team is a shoe in to advance since Syracuse has proven they are a scrappy team that can play several overtimes to win the big one. While the question of Ty Lawson can mean that Gonzaga can pull off the upset.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Madness is now going on in college basketball but for many so far they are disappointed with the quality of the games. Of course it is still exciting and we are all glued to the TV to view every game but there has been no nail-biting buzzer beater to reward fans of NCAA basketball for the diligent dedication. Of course there has been good games to watch on both nights of first round action but no unexpected upsets have come about really worth note.

On Thursday night heavily favorite Memphis came from eleven points down to take the victory from Cal State-Northridge. Riding a career performance from Roburt Sallie and fighting a crowd that was obviously hoping for a Cinderella story in Kansas City the Tigers kept their dance going to earn the right to meet Maryland in the next round.

In another highly anticipated game VCU missed their final shot for a chance to upset UCLA. The 15 foot jump-shot from Eric Maynor would just not go in and the Rams missed their chance to play spoiler to a higher ranked team as they did two years ago with Duke.

In North Carolina, though the game was nowhere near being close as the Tarheels beat Radford, there was a notable event. North Carolina star forward Tyler Hansbrough passed J.J. Redick of Duke as the honor of being the ACC career scoring leader. This is a major accomplishment in a conference that has produced some of the biggest stars in college basketball and the NBA including legendary Michael Jordan. Players like Hansbrough are why no matter where you are in the United States you are bound to see some North Carolina Tarheels merchandise such as hats and window films even when the local team is one of the best in the country as well.

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For some collecting football memorabilia is a hobby of just something they like to do in their spare time and display around their home. While for others it is not only a way to follow their favorite sport but to also make a potential investment in the future. Memorabilia can gain significant value in the market especially if you can get some of those prized pieces such as a rookie trading card or an autographed mini helmet of a future Hall of Fame player.

Of course to get those items that may one day be worth a lot on the sports collectibles market you can either get them early on when they are really good deals are jump on the bandwagon later in the career of the player when they will cost a little more. Though research can help the collector quite a bit in deciding which players to purchase memorabilia for it still will not guarantee that the items you purchase will one day be the high dollar pieces that you hope to have. Some players come out of the draft with so much hype they are instantly in the eyes of collectors everywhere while others are drafted late and come on slow to exceptional careers.

When Bo Jackson came out of the NCAA great things were expected from this multi-sport star yet an early injury ended up causing a early retirement and many collectors spent more on his memorabilia than the pieces ended up being worth. While on the other end, who could have predicted that the skinny little quarterback named Tom Brady would come into the game to create the stir he has in the league. Memorabilia for Brady was very affordable when he came out of college but now you can expect to pay quite a bit more for those pieces, and barring some career ending scandal will only increase in value.

Of course the collector should always enjoy finding and buying this football memorabilia since when it comes down to it. Collecting started as a fun hobby around a fun game and can remain that way.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Though smoking cigarettes is now looked down upon in our society since we know of the damage that tobacco has on our bodies, at one point and time it was actually encouraged and acceptable. At the turn of the century if you were an adult the chances are you were a smoker and that was ok, the product was just as prevalent as having a cola or a coffee. What does this have to do with sports? Well sports memorabilia owes its start to the tobacco industry. 

At that time the equipment that baseball and football players used was just way too expensive to be handing out to fans on the sidelines and forget about letting foul balls stay in the stands. In some cases for a game there was only one ball and without it the game could not go on. It was the idea of the tobacco industry to start including trading cards of top players in their packs of cigarettes to encourage sales. Other companies of course followed suit to help sell their products. These cards started with baseball of course but eventually other sports began to be used as well. 

Sports memorabilia stayed this way as after thoughts to other products until all production stopped during the Second World War. After that Topps began selling whole packs of cards beginning the memorabilia industry that we know today. Of course fans now have so much more than trading cards to collect and for many an authentic autographed jersey or team helmets are the ultimate item to add to their trophy case in their rec room. Nothing sums sports collectibles up better than the classic commercial of Mean Joe Greene giving a kid his sweaty jersey after sharing a coke with him in the tunnel to the locker room.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you thought that reality based shows are strictly a phenomenon in the United States, you would be highly mistaken. Shows such as American Idol have taken off in many other countries as well as shows built around games that we do not have here in the States to create opportunities for those who live in other countries to get rich quick. After appearing in an Indian reality TV show called “Million Dollar Arm” two men from a country of billions now have a chance to be pitchers for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Neither Rinku Singh nor Dinesh Patel were familiar with a baseball when they participated in the show in India and neither one actually won the competition which has brought them so much attention. Yet both were javelin throwers in a country that sees baseball much the same way the citizens in the US see cricket. Singh who has been clocked at 84mph and Patel at 90mph also had never used baseball gloves when they were first brought to the States, but then neither had really been out of his rural Indian village either.  

Of  course it is highly doubtful we will see either pitcher in a regular season game on the major league level for quite some time as they do still have so much to learn but the Pirates are very excited about the potential within each player. Though despite the fact that these two will be pitching in the minors for awhile it has still gotten the attention of not only the major league as they a country of billions for other potential talent. But also as that country begins to see American baseball in a whole new light with some of their very own inspiring the sales of Pittsburgh Pirates merchandise in a place where there was never any interest before. Of course there are those who have called this a media stunt but time will tell if these two can cut it in the major leagues.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is official it is March Madness time and all across the country fans of NCAA basketball are filling in their brackets and getting their office pools ready. Of course speculation has been going on for weeks now over which schools would be in the big dance and which teams were on the bubble to potentially make it or be cut. In the conference tournaments over the past week many top teams fell early and many teams that had no chance of being in the NCAA tournament without a conference tournament win were able to pull off amazing upsets.

The one general complaint being heard throughout the college sports world is that way too many large schools are in the tournament while way too many smaller schools are just not there this year. The lack of potential bracket busting Cinderella teams has many really disappointed with the overall selections. For many it is the smaller schools that many have not heard of who come out fighting and upset a larger school in the first round that makes the whole tournament exciting.

Three of the four number one seeds are from the Big East a conference that many had listed as DOA just a few short years ago. This once mighty powerhouse has had a resurgence of great players and teams to bring them back to the level of play that catches the eye of the selection committee. Of course there are teams such as Stephen F Austin which will be making their first ever appearance in at the big dance so the bracket is more than just the usual large school teams.

Hopefully your favorite NCAA team made the tournament and you can don your NCAA merchandise to cheer them on in the Final Four this year. Of course if your tem was not chosen we all still enjoy the excitement of the games. Bosses everywhere will wish their employees will get back to work and stop messing with their brackets at the end of this week as the dance begins.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thursday night was quite a night in NCAA basketball with many surprising upsets including one that is now the second longest game in college basketball history. At the famed Madison Square Garden the Syracuse Orangemen upset the Connecticut Huskies in an amazing game that went through six overtimes to complete. This Big East Tournament game is now on the books after taking just under four hours to complete. Almost half of the points scored in the game came after the initial regulation game was over and six players even had double doubles. Of course both teams had several players who fouled out and many more who were getting exhausted so players who rarely saw playing time during the regular season were getting some playing time.

Of course earlier in the night the Garden also saw West Virginia upset Pittsburgh earning them the right to go on and play the Orangemen on Friday night. Of course you will have to question if the players for Syracuse will be able to be up enough for this game after only completing such a marathon less than 24 hours before.  Of course if their fans show up in force and have the team colors flying high on their Syracuse merchandise than this may get the team up and ready for the game.

Of course other top rated teams also fell last night in their conference tournament games making Thursday not a good day to be a top rated seed. Over in the Big 12 Tournament highly ranked Oklahoma lost to in state rival Oklahoma State while Baylor stunned Kansas for a chance to advance.

Selection Sunday is coming up this weekend and surprisingly many experts are predicting that these upsets will not have a huge impact on the brackets for the tournament. Since these teams will still be in the tournament only those teams that are on the bubble or had no chance with a selection without a conference win will be affected by all of these games. These games are fun for the NCAA fan to watch and maybe we are getting a glimpse of some of the upsets to come for March Madness.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nothing helps a NFL team sell their team branded merchandise quite like winning the Super Bowl or at least looking like they have a real chance of winning the biggest prize in the game like getting new exciting players. For most of the teams there are always those loyal fans that will be at the stadium wearing a team jersey at each and every home game. Then there are the fans that want to cheer for a team because they are exciting to watch and have some of the best players in the league. These fans usually keep a close eye on the trades that go on during the off season as well as what college football players are drafted by which NFL team.

These fans know which NFL teams look the best on paper and have the most exciting and dynamic players. Some of the recent trades as well as players let go has some fans excited about the upcoming year. By the time the draft occurs toward the end of April many teams will have a good idea of what they will look like when the season starts this fall. By acquiring top free agents, exciting rookies, and making some adjustments many teams generate renewed interest in their teams that may have been lacking the previous seasons due to sub-par performance. This results in renewed interest in their NFL merchandise and memorabilia by the fans of the sport.

For the teams this means a chance to regenerate lots of excitement with their friends by building up a team that just may be the one to go all the way this coming season. For the fan this means new players to cheer for and memorabilia to purchase to root for these hot new offensive and defensive members on each team.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For the past twenty years the Kansas City Chiefs has been one of the top the teams in the NFL when it comes to attendance at Arrowhead stadium. The Chiefs fans are some of the most devoted in football and week after week they turn out in large numbers in their Kansas City Chiefs merchandise to be one of the loudest crowds around. Visiting teams always work out plans for play calling on the field since they know hearing on the field will be limited with these fans around.

But the last few years it has been tough to be a Chiefs fan with not a whole lot to be excited about. While the team has a future Hall of Fame tight end in Tony Gonzales who always gets the clutch catch and a sensational playmaker in Dwayne Bowe they have been lacking in the quarterback position to get the ball to these guys. All of that may be about to change for the Chiefs and their fans since last week the team announced they had picked up Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots. Cassel has spent the last few years under the tutelage of one of the best QBs in the game Tom Brady and even stepped up last year and took over the team during Brady’s injury to lead them to a winning season. This experience combined with a young age makes Cassel a man the Chiefs can build a solid team around for the future.

With the losing seasons of the past few years fans have not been turning out as usual in their Chiefs fan apparel on. But with Matt Cassel now at the helm maybe the team can turn things around and regain the confidence of one of the most supportive fan bases in the league.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Even the most casual football fan will notice that both the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals use the same colors. Of course other NFL teams have the same colors so this itself is not that odd but when you factor in that the two teams are located so close together in the same state then you have to wonder. This coincidence, if you want to call it that, is based on the Ohio football legend Paul Brown.

For years Paul Brown was the head coach of the Browns and a very successful one at that. Some of the things that we come to expect to see in the game today were innovated by Brown in Cleveland. The two-minute drill, ice the kicker with a timeout, and so many other coaching tactics were his ideas that served him well. But once he went a few years without returning to the big game fans became disgruntled and the team surprisingly laid him off.

After a few years of retirement Brown jumped at the chance to be part of the expansion team in Cincinnati and became a owner as well as head coach of the new Bengals team. Brown played a large role in picking uniforms that looked almost exactly like those worn in Cleveland. He even turned down a black helmet with orange strips to go with the same shade of orange helmet as Cleveland but with the Bengals on the side. There has been many stories regarding why he went with this decision such as he owned the Cleveland equipment to he did it out of pure spite.

Though neither team has changed their colors the Bengals have changed their uniform slightly so that they look a little less like the Browns. The Bengals helmet took the most change with the team adopting a look that is a mirror of the original rejected idea; a orange helmet with black stripes. Partially because of instate competition and part because of Paul Brown this football rivalry is one of the biggest in the NFL.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Though it is still early in the month and the tournament brackets are not set yet the Madness has already began. This weekend was full of big games with big impacts on how the conference championships will align and all of this plays a role in where a team ends up on selection Sunday. Of course to many NCAA basketball fans there is no bigger game every year than the showdown in the state of North Carolina. The Battle of Tobacco Road as some call it is one of the oldest and most heated rivalries in college basketball with often times National Championships in the balance when the two play.

As usual more than bragging rights were on the table for the game on Sunday night as the two schools met to decide the ACC Championship once again. And what a night senior for Senior forward Tyler Hansbrough had in front of a capacity crowd that included one time UNC player and NBA legend Michael Jordan. With the help of Junior guard Ty Lawson the Tarheels were able to clinch an exciting win against the Blue Devils to end the regular season. The team hopes the wave created by this victory will carry them now into the NCAA tournament and a Final Four victory to finish off that illustrious career of Hansbrough.

No matter what team you will be cheering for in the NCAA tournament this year you can get outfitted at Booyah Village with the NCAA sports merchandise you need for attending the games or just keeping on your office desk to show your support. From Duke Blue Devils hats to North Carolina merchandise we have everything you could possibly want to show off your March Madness for any NCAA team that will make an appearance this year. Selection Sunday is this coming weekend and this week will be full of exciting conference tournaments. Order the gear you need, print out your bracket, and feel the Madness!

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just as the Dallas Cowboys are the team in the NFL that fans either love or hate, many of their players are the same way. While the Cowboys have squeaky clean players that come across as the perfect example of Texas good ole boys like Tony Romo and Jason Witten they also have more than their fair share of troubled players such as Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens. Of course even these players have their ardent fans who have the Dallas Cowboys merchandise flying off the shelves. Of course T.O. despite his turbulent past with the Eagles and the Forty Niners does have lots of fans who love him and belief that his career will end in the Hall Of Fame.

Owens had a rough year last season with the Cowboys after an injury to Romo had the offense struggling, upon his return things did not go as expected for Owens. Romo came out passing to Witten so much that inner squabbles between the three were all over the news and a sure disruption that many blame for a disappointing season. So when the Cowboys organization announced they had cut Owens this week it came as a surprise to some who considered him the leading receiver on the team and a dream come true for those who felt he was more trouble than he was worth.

Either way this leaves a very high dollar receiver who can potentially put up big numbers on the market for NFL teams who are in need of playmakers on the end of those passes. But who will want to take the risk of a player who can one week win you the game and the next week self-destruct and take out several teammates in his wake. Currently rumors are circling that the Raiders and the Vikings could be interested. It may take awhile but he will find a home, then T.O. fans can rejoice and once again repurchase their NFL fan apparel to reflect this new jersey of a high-profile player.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Those who are new to collecting NFL football helmets at first stick to the basics. They purchase either full size game day helmets or smaller mini helmets for their collections that feature the current team designs and logos. But once they have collected helmets for awhile they begin to find all kinds of fun versions that they can add to their displays for a unique touch that maybe other collectors they know may not have.

Usually the collector will start adding throwback helmets to their collections next as they discover the designs they remember teams in the NFL wore when they watched on Sundays as a kid. Plus they find those fun NFL helmets from the early days of the NFL when teams had similar logos or in some cases totally different designs and colors that you would never recognize. These helmets not only come with perfectly reproduced shells but the details are authentic looking as well. With many featuring the chinstrap of the era along with the facemask including those from the classic two-bar period of the NFL. These are also available as a full size helmet or even as a smaller mini version for those that prefer the smaller size.

But helmet collections do not have to stop with current and past designs, makers such as Riddell also make special edition helmets that are great for those who like that special piece of NFL memorabilia. From pink colored shells that feature the team logo of your choice to promote Breast Cancer Awareness to commemorative helmets for the Super Bowl for the teams that played as well as the winning franchise. There are even player specific helmets that feature the name and number of a player on a specially redesigned team helmet. These are especially great for getting autographed for the ultimate collectible.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Supplying helmets to the NFL and NCAA is big business and for years Riddell has had that business wrapped up so that if you even think about football helmets you think of Riddell. Of course the bulk of the money from helmet sales is not so much those sold to the teams but the ones sold to fans that want to have the authentic game day helmets and replica helmets.

In 1888 college football rules began allowing tackles below the waist and this created an increase in rules regarding the safety pads worn by players to protect them from the blows. Yet as surprising as it is to those of us to today with what we know about head trauma, helmets were the last piece of safety gear to be required and this was not until 1939 for college and 1943 for the NFL. During this same time John T. Riddell ushered in the modern plastic helmet which was the beginning of the end for the classic leather helmet some players had been choosing to wear on their own.

Over the years the Riddell football helmet has undergone many changes from the materials they are made from to the design of the shell to protect the head. But one thing that has remained the same and that is Riddell is the helmet of choice for the NFL. Riddell has an exclusive contract with the NFL to be the official helmet of the league. Of course each individual player has the option to wear whatever helmet they choose while they play but if it is any other brand besides Riddell they are not allowed to have that company's logo displayed on the helmet. What this means for Riddell and the collector is they are the premier company for all things helmets whether you are talking authentic game day helmets or the half size mini that many collectors love. If you want NFL helmets than you want Riddell.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 07:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some fans of the NFL start out to collect football memorabilia while others just happen to stumble into the hobby by accident. Either way it starts about the same for most you get a piece of memorabilia whether for yourself or as a gift from someone and from there you are hooked and you only want to get more. Of course the thing that is so fun about the hobby is that you decide everything. You decide if you want to collect helmets, jerseys, team specific merchandise, or even player specific items. It is all up to you and best of all the season never ends!

For some collectors of NFL memorabilia it is all about the team. Fans such as the devoted ones up in Green Bay live and breath for their team and having a collection of collectible sports merchandise and team memorabilia all over the house is the only natural thing to do. These collectors will get just about anything that has their favorite team logo on it and there are so many great items that are not only traditional such as the helmet to fun seasonal products such as stockings.

Of course some fans of the NFL collect memorabilia based on players. They have their favorite quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensemen in the league and love to get bobble head dolls, jerseys, and other merchandise associated with those players. These fans have their dream team or fantasy team of favorite NFL stars and base their collectible purchases these particular names and teams.

However you get into collecting and whatever you decide you want to collect this is one hobby that can be fun not only for you but for your whole family as well. Just like getting together to watch the game is fun so is heading out to shop for NFL memorabilia together.

Posted by Coach John Rockwell at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)