$30,000 Namath Helmet?

**yosef777** · 05-12-2009, 01:35 PM

Robert,
You are correct Joe Washington switched to an OPO masked helmet late in the MNF game but I believe that the helmet was a Riddell. (I have the game on video and I will try to find a screen grab later.) Joe threw for a TD, caught a TD pass and returned a kickoff for a TD. I think it was the kickoff in which he had switched to the OPO mask and different helmet. My 'theory' is Joe's Kelley helmet got a crack (as Kelley's were notorious for) and they had to switch to a spare non Kelley helmet for the duration of the game.

**yosef777** · 05-12-2009, 03:42 PM

Okay so I have the screen grabs of the Joe Washington Colts game but the photos exceed the Forums limits. Can anyone help?
BTW, Joe wore the Kelley helmet with two bar through the 3rd Quarter when he threw a TD pass. In the 4th quarter he switched to different mask and helmet (Riddell?) when he caught a TD and ran a kickoff for a TD. (If I figure out how to post the photos, you can see the metal rivets from the jaw pads are not from a Kelley helmet and the back of the helmet does not have the signature Bike back pad extending out of the helmet so I assumed it was a Riddell). Also, he went through about 4 tearaway jerseys during the game.

**beantown** · 05-12-2009, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by aeneas01

so it was a riddle?

re: the difference in font, these seem to match up well....

...

No...Not intended to be a riddle, but sure sounded like one...lol!!

Any reason why Bradshaw's helmet the Steelers logo and #'s would be placed on the outside of the clear shell?

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the clear shell and cause more work for the Equipment Manager constantly replacing the logo and #’s?

Moreover, there were other Steelers who wore logo underneath the helmet.

Here's a Bradshaw anomaly...check out the facemask on the Ridge helmet...wow!!

**aeneas01** · 05-13-2009, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by yosef777

Okay so I have the screen grabs of the Joe Washington Colts game but the photos exceed the Forums limits. Can anyone help? BTW, Joe wore the Kelley helmet with two bar through the 3rd Quarter when he threw a TD pass. In the 4th quarter he switched to different mask and helmet (Riddell?) when he caught a TD and ran a kickoff for a TD. (If I figure out how to post the photos, you can see the metal rivets from the jaw pads are not from a Kelley helmet and the back of the helmet does not have the signature Bike back pad extending out of the helmet so I assumed it was a Riddell). Also, he went through about 4 tearaway jerseys during the game.

that's great stuff yosef777 and makes perfect sense! as far as posting the photos, i believe photobucket automatically resizes caps. or you can use "paint" in windows to reduce the size.

Originally Posted by beantown

Any reason why Bradshaw's helmet the Steelers logo and #'s would be placed on the outside of the clear shell? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the clear shell and cause more work for the Equipment Manager constantly replacing the logo and #’s? Moreover, there were other Steelers who wore logo underneath the helmet.

i would say that the majority (all?) of the steelers players that wore maxpros in the '70s and early '80s had the side decal applied to the outside of their helmet. and in the early to mid '80s the decal began to appear below the shell. it would be interesting to know the the deal on this... heck, this sort of clearshell reproduction would be a snap for yosef!

here are some photos of steelers players that wore maxpros, all of the photos are from the '70s and early '80s...

in the same order, closeups of the logo...

...

**princip** · 05-13-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by beantown

No...Not intended to be a riddle, but sure sounded like one...lol!!

Any reason why Bradshaw's helmet the Steelers logo and #'s would be placed on the outside of the clear shell?

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the clear shell and cause more work for the Equipment Manager constantly replacing the logo and #’s?

Moreover, there were other Steelers who wore logo underneath the helmet.

Here's a Bradshaw anomaly...check out the facemask on the Ridge helmet...wow!!

What is up with Bradshaw and that mask?!?! Did he have to wear that for one game because of a facial injury? That bizarre, and great fodder for a game used trivia question.

**yosef777** · 05-13-2009, 02:56 PM

Robert,
Thanks for all the great photos on the MaxPros. Just for fun, this is a black, impregnated MaxPro.

**slats7** · 05-13-2009, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by princip

What is up with Bradshaw and that mask?!?! Did he have to wear that for one game because of a facial injury? That bizarre, and great fodder for a game used trivia question.

Meredith beat him to it.

**Vikingshelmetguy** · 05-13-2009, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by princip

What is up with Bradshaw and that mask?!?! Did he have to wear that for one game because of a facial injury? That bizarre, and great fodder for a game used trivia question.

Slats7, super cool photo of Don Meredith wearing a running back style facemask! M. Princip and Slats7, here is another interesting photo of a QB wearing a running back-style facemask. I recall in 1979 when Bears QB Mike Phipps broke his nose and wore a running back mask for several games during that season (see attached photos).

**aeneas01** · 05-13-2009, 03:41 PM

yep, sometimes those qb schnozes need additional protection...

...

**cordovacollector** · 05-13-2009, 03:56 PM

I know this isn't about baseball or hockey and I don't mean to hijack a thread, but ya gotta give the Pirates' Dave Parker some cred for these:

Thread: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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