For my first pack, I selected a pack of 1991 Topps American Gladiators cards. These were from the original American Gladiators tv show. They are a bit cheesy, but they are a throwback to the old days of card collecting, before slick graphics, glossy finishes and digital photography.
#67 Nitro-One of the most popular Gladiators, Nitro eventually joined the hosting crew on the show. Dan Clark played 2 years in the NFL pre-AG and did some acting post-AG.
#44 The Hosts-Hosts Mike Adamle and Larry Czonka are shown interviewing Nitro and Gemini. Adamle and Csonka were the third and longest-lasting AG announcing team.
#75 Zap-Zap was on AG through most of the original series run. Raye Hollitt was a bodybuilder, fitness model and actress. At one point, she benchpressed 310 pounds.
#69 Gold-Gold appeared on AG from 1990-92. Tonya Knight won several bodybuilding titles.
#21 Atlasphere-This is a great shot of the Atlasphere game, one of the sillier contests on AG.
#61 The Handbikes-The handbikes were part of the Eliminator, the final game on each show. The handbikes might have been the toughest part of the competition.
#31 The Joust-I loved the Joust. The competitor and the Gladiator do battle with 2 giant Qtips (Pugil Sticks, if you want to get technical). You can barely see what is happening on this card.
#66 Gemini-Gemini was one of the original Gladiators, appearing from 1989-92. I don't know much about Michael Horton, although he seemed like a big guy back then.
#6 Zap sticker-This is a nice action shot of Zap nailing a contestant. Too bad the card design is dizzying.
Back in the pre-internet days, sets like these were especially cool. These cards were the best way to get pictures of the Gladiators and the contests.
2 comments:
I think the joust was always the best part of the whole show. Man, those ladies sure had some big.... hair!
It's so funny to see how cutting-edge the outfits seemed to be at the time.
That spandex now seems just too unitard-y and out of place, just like sprayed-out hair in an athletic competition. Wouldn't that be considered an unfair advantage for the Gladiators these days?
"What happened out there, Becky?"
"Well, I started out OK, but after that first tackle from Pez, I got a fat dose of Aqua Net, and then I felt the blackness surround me not long after."
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