2023 COMC BINGE - PART 19: FLAMING PHIL

HERE'S THE SECOND AND WEIRDLY, LAST ADDITION TO A VINTAGE TEAM SET. I DECIDED TO POST THE BRAVES PICKUP NEXT WEEK BUT THERE WASN'T ONE. NOT SURPRISING SINCE PRETTY MUCH EVERY CARD I NEED FOR VINTAGE TEAM SETS NOW IS EITHER A HALL OF FAMER OR A HIGH NUMBER OR BOTH. NOT SOMETHING GOOD FOR A PICK UP AS MANY COOL CHEAP CARDS AS POSSIBLE BINGE. THIS ONE IS QUITE CHEAP AND COOL HOWEVER AS IT COMPLETED THE FIRST TOPPS ATLANTA FLAMES TEAM SET

1972-73 TOPPS #109 PHIL MYRE

I HAVE BEEN TO HOME GAMES FOR ALL THREE OF ATLANTA'S FORMER HOCKEY TEAMS. THE FIRST FLAMES GAME I WAS AT WAS IRONICALLY AGAINST WINNIPEG. THERE ARE RUMBLINGS OF A POSSIBLE EXPANSION TEAM COMING TO THE METRO AREA IN ALPHARETTA OF ALL PLACES BUT I THINK I'LL PASS ON THAT ONE. FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU, FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME, FOOL ME THREE TIMES, YEP I'M A STILL A FOOL, FOOL ME FOUR TIMES? CAN'T GET FOOLED AGAIN. I STILL LIKE THE VINTAGE CARDS THO AND WAS LOOKING THRU MY FLAMES/1974-75 SET BINDER LAST YEAR AND WAS SURPRISED THE 72-73 TEAM SET WAS MISSING A CARD. I CHECKED COMC, IT COST FORTY-THREE CENTS, TEAM SET COMPLETE. HOORAY! THERE'S SEVEN MORE PLAYERS I DON'T HAVE (INCLUDING MY FAVORITE FLAMES PLAYER DAN BOUCHARD'S ROOKIE CARD) IN THE O-PEE-CHEE SET THAT I DON'T HAVE I WILL ENJOY THIS WIN FOR NOW

MYRE WAS THE FLAMES' FIRST PICK IN THE EXPANSION DRAFT AND SHARED GOALTENDING DUTIES WITH BOUCHARD UNTIL HE WAS TRADED TO ST. LOUIS IN 1977. LATER IN 1980 HE PLAYED FOR PHILLY IN A CUP FINAL WITH HIS FORMER TEAMMATE PAT QUINN AS HIS COACH. I'M HAPPY FOR PHIL BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF PLAYOFF SUCCESS IN ATLANTA

HERE'S THE WHOLE TEAM SET PLUS A 73-74 CAMEO. THIS IS AN ODD BUT FAIRLY ATTRACTIVE DESIGN. I LIKE THAT 'GRANDFATHER OF COMIC-SANS' TYPE FOR THE TEAM NAME. SINCE THE FLAMES WERA AN EXPANSION TEAM ALL THE PLAYERS ARE IN THEIR ORIGINAL TEAMS' SWEATERS WITH THE LOGOS TACTFULLY REMOVED. I ORIGINALLY COLLECTED ONLY TOPPS VINTAGE HOCKEY BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD FIND EASILY WAY DOWN SOUTH. I KIND OF REGRET THIS NOW AS THE O-PEE-CHEE SET NOT ONLY HAS MORE PLAYERS BUT HAS PICTURES OF THE GUYS IN A FLAMES SWEATER INSTEAD OF THESE AIRBRUSH JOBS. THEY LOOK REALLY GOOD! THESE ARE WAY MORE NOSTALGIC FOR ME THOUGH AS MOST OF THEM WERE PICKED UP IN THE 80S OR 90S