[y2hood]

I'm visiting my in-laws in one of the more populous cities in Louisiana that isn't the New Orleans area and caught win of a possible "signing" by Saints Punter Thomas Morstead (turned out it's a charity raffle rendering the following excursion moot).

So the wife and I hopped into her car and went one town over to the only LCS in the area (aside from a few coin shops with boxes of 80s cards). Before I started sifting through the massive box of Saints commons I asked, "Do you have any Thomas Morstead cards?" The lady looks at me, "Who's that? Who's he play for?"

Ok, I don't know the punters for 28 of 32 NFL teams, and why should I? I'm a Saints fan and don't work in Sports media or run a card shop in the markets of the other 31 NFL teams. So I told her, "He plays for the Saints." She then said, "Oh never heard of him, what position?" So I said, "Punter, he made the onside kick in the Super Bowl." She said, "Oh I know the players just not all of them. People don't really collect kicker cards anyway."

So I sifted through the commons box and found no copies of either one of the two cards he has in existence and walked out.

I looked at my wife and said, "If I ever realize my dream of a card shop and I find out you ask a question like that, you're fired."

Mother-in-law & wife shares my bewilderment, sister-in-law says I'm being too harsh.

I just feel like current players that have made significant contributions in a fairly (only) recent Super Bowl should have immediate recognition by the person working the counter at a sports card shop in that market.

On a post script:

My mind began to wander to the Pawn Stars show with all the people that try to take advantage of the shop owners, and usually fail. I hope the owner of that place has safe guards in place that he or she be called if a "deal maker" walks in the door.

[joncarrie2006]

My guess is she probably fills in here or there, and doesn't really know who is who. In my opinion, it is a kicker and it wasn't like you asked for drew Brees or lance Moore.

[rjcj2017]

I'm a Lions fan and am not quite sure who the Lions' punter is.

Ben somebody? Nick?

Nick got hurt and they tried Ben? But now Nick is back?

Or Ben got hurt and then they tried Nick? But now Ben is back?

I don't know, the Lions don't punt enough for me to know who he is, LOL

TOO BUSY SCORING TOUCHDOWNS!

(Sure beats the days when punter Jim Arnold was BY FAR the Lions' best and most recognizable player.)

[goduke]

Some one working at a card shop doesn't know of a player that has a total of 2 cards? That sounds about right to me. Obviously they don't see many(any) of their cards, even if they are a local player.

[phinzphan1372]

I think its kinda subjective to the shop.... if you want to cater to the local following then you should brush up on the rosters, players and cards out there.... after all shouldnt you do the research before investing to resell?


Or there are shops that dont care and sell tons of wax and supplies and have a few cases with singles that dont really ever move

[superynaldo]

Who??? Cut them some slack... You are asking questions about the PUNTER... I think you are being a tad too harsh... I totally understand your disappointment if you asked for a significant player...

[kstjst]

you have to look at it this way, if it were your store, then you'd have a right to be upset. but since you don't then that's the store owners loss, because they weren't able to help you. puts a black eye on the store. but then again, it is the only shop around and they don't have to cater to everyone's request.

i'd be more upset with the fact that she said "People don't really collect kicker cards anyway." to me, that would be more upsetting then the fact that she didn't know who the guy was.

[rjcj2017]

you have to look at it this way, if it were your store, then you'd have a right to be upset. but since you don't then that's the store owners loss, because they weren't able to help you. puts a black eye on the store. but then again, it is the only shop around and they don't have to cater to everyone's request.

i'd be more upset with the fact that she said "People don't really collect kicker cards anyway." to me, that would be more upsetting then the fact that she didn't know who the guy was.

I would have said, "Yeah, but I collect all of my brother's cards" ... just to see her expression.

[foleylion08]

Morestead does kickoffs now too since the shortened it!

I think it's a tad strange she didn't know who he was, but she may not b a fan or even knowledgeable about the team besides what talk she hears around the shop. There's a guy who works at my LCS who is specifically the "Magic" guy, so he doesn't have a clue about football. I mean he knows the names everyone knows, but he probably couldn't name a kicker, punter, kick/punt returner or half of the defense for most teams lol.

[jaykayzee]

This ties into a story I just heard up at D&A. A few weeks back some relatives from New Orleans were up in Buffalo visiting family, and stopped in at one of the Dave & Adams stores near Buffalo to do some shopping. One of the ladies, I'm told wearing a Saints T-Shirt, was looking thru the "Former Bills and Sabres" table. Basically, anything they still have as far as jerseys or auto'd 8x10s, on huge discount.

So this woman, being a former Buffalonian, is looking thru the pile and remembering these players in Buffalo. She got to some old 8x10s of Jabari Greer and said "Oh, I loved watching him play, whatever happened to him?? Does he still play?" I'm told collective facepalm ensued....

To be fair, I didn't know he wasn't manning a hot dog stand or driving a cab somewhere either...