$30,000 Namath Helmet?

[cordovacollector]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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:

[aeneas01]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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





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[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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).

[slats7]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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.

[yosef777]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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

[princip]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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.

[aeneas01]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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.

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...



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[beantown]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

so it was a riddle?

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



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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!!

[yosef777]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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.

[yosef777]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

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.

[aeneas01]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

Robert...you got it!

Of all the Bradshaw photos I have, I don't have one of him with the Steelers logo under the clear shell...also, notice the difference on the front #1....

so it was a riddle?

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



...

[beantown]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

Robert...you got it!

Of all the Bradshaw photos I have, I don't have one of him with the Steelers logo under the clear shell...also, notice the difference on the front #1....

[aeneas01]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

Since helmets are being added to this thread, I would love to hear the thoughts on this Bradshaw Maxpro from Heritage Auctions a couple of years ago...

i think that helmet might actually post date bradshaw, a nice maxpro but i doubt it's a bradshaw gamer. btw i believe that maxpro helmets worn by steelers players in the '70s and very early '80s were typically fitted with exterior side "steelers" decals although the center stripe was factory applied below the shell. in fact i don't think bradshaw ever wore a maxpro with side decals applied below the shell, which is what was sold at the heritage auction. anyway i'm sure there's a story behind this, behind why the steelers didn't have their decals applied below the shell during that time, something that was pretty much standard with maxpro helmets.

around 1983 or so, post bradshaw, it seems that the steelers began issuing maxpro helmets with the side decal applied below the shell on a regular basis - if you look at game photos from the mid '80s on, most steelers players sporting maxpros have the decal applied below the shell. this wasn't the case in the '70s, very early '80s. also, the maxpro side decal was a little different than the exterior decals the steelers used on their other helmets, among other things the border was beefier, which can be seen in the auction helmet...


here are some game photos of bradshaw that span the years in which he wore a maxpro...




here are closeups of the above photos, in the same order, showing the decals...




now here's a look at the maxpro decal, the auction decal - quite a difference imo...



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[helmets]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

dang, those numbers look familiar!



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Is there any helmet that you do not have a photo of? I think I am going to start posting only half photos and then you can paste the other half to it...

[beantown]

Re: $30,000 Namath Helmet?

Since helmets are being added to this thread, I would love to hear the thoughts on this Bradshaw Maxpro from Heritage Auctions a couple of years ago...