Cards that bothered me as a kid

Recently while flipping through some of my old commons that were stashed away in a Rubbermaid tub in my storage room, I came across some cards that really bothered me as a kid. For whatever reason, my young mind had a problem with, or questions regarding the photos or players depicted on the card. Let's get to it!

Card #1: 1990 Topps Mike Brumley #471

Topps didn't do Mr. Brumley any favors with this photo. It bugged the crap out of me that his face looked like he saw something terrifying while catching a ball. At one point in time, I had a full binder page of 9 cards of this one (not by choice). Thanks, Foodland, for selling me so many packs with this card in it.  

Card #2: 1992 Topps Gold Brien Taylor RC #6

Did I pull this card? You bet I did...in 1996. That is what bothered me the most. I was out and about with my dad one day when I was almost 14, and we stopped at a hardware store near our house. The store had five or six 1992 Topps packs, and I bought two of them. This was in the 2nd pack. On our way back home when I was ripping them open, I remember saying, "Oh crap!" My dad thought something was wrong, but I told him I pulled a Brien Taylor Topps Gold Rookie. He had no idea what that meant, but I knew it was basically worth nothing now. Wish I had pulled this thing back in 1992 and I cashed in. That's why this card made the list. 

Card #3: 1988 Topps Joey Browner #170

At a general store a few miles from my house, they always had football and baseball Topps packs. Sometimes, I would be adventurous and ask my parents to buy me a football pack. I pulled this in my 2nd football pack I ever opened, and it bothered me because of the brief case next to Browner on the bench. What the heck is it for? My brother had the same card and he always wondered that too. Was it medical supplies? What's in the case? WHAT'S IN THE CASE? I posed the question when someone on Twitter posted this card a few years ago and it sparked a debate. No one had a clue.

Card #4: 1983 Fleer Ken Smith RC #148

When I was in 3rd grade, my class took a field trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo. When it started to storm, they made us all pack into the bus and on the way back to the school, we stopped at a mall food court to eat. Some of my buddies and I ventured over to the Woolworth's next to the food court and bought some re-packs they had there. I landed this awesome Ken Smith card that day. My friend Jason and I looked at this card with intrigue on the drive back to our elementary school. Why didn't anyone want to play catch with Ken? He's open...someone throw him the damn ball! Poor guy. Ken Smith, if you're reading my blog, I will play catch with you dude. Any time you want, just hit me up buddy. I'm in.

Card #5: 1983 Topps Tom Cousineau RC #246

When I was younger, my mom pretty much took my brother and I everywhere. My dad worked for USAir, so he was gone 3-4 days a week (sometimes more). One day my mom took me to the dentist. When I was in the waiting room there was a boy who had football cards he was flipping through. I was too shy to say anything to him, but when his name was called, he gathered his pile of cards and one fell on the floor. I went over and tried to get it to take it back to him, but the door closed. When I asked the receptionist to give it back to him, she said the kid had just left as he was waiting for his mom to get done with her dental visit. I didn't know what to do with it, so I kept it. I always felt bad about this, for that reason this card bugged me that I had it. Of course, in true Bryan fashion I held on to it, just in case I saw the blonde-haired kid who is probably 45 years old right now so I could give it back. What is wrong with me? So, blonde-haired kid, if you dropped a Tom Cousineau card in a dentist's office in western Pennsylvania back in 1986, I have your card. You can have it back now.

Card #6: 1995/96 Upper Deck Collector's Choice George Zidek Platinum Player's Club RC #240

I loved the UCLA team Zidek played on. The O'Bannon's were pretty cool too! When I was 14, I had a bout of asthmatic bronchitis. Since I do not have asthma, I had to get this special inhaler as a prescription from the Rite Aid near my house. My mom must have felt bad, because she bought me a few packs of Colletor's Choice that day without me even asking. This card was in one of the packs. It was extremely miscut and has an indent in his cheek, above his right wrist and on his shoulder. My scanner couldn't pick it up, but it's there I assure you. I was so furious that it was damaged. Still makes me mad to this day. So, that's why this card bothered me as a kid. One day, I will replace it with a near mint copy. Thanks, Upper Deck...

Card #7: 1988 Donruss Sammy Stewart #596

Mr. Stewart, I am sorry for what I'm about to say...your eyebrows scared the crap out of me as a kid. I was so worried growing up after seeing this card that one day I would have a uni-brow just like you. It's mean, I know. I've been teaching my kids not to judge by appearance like I did as a kid. It's not right, but man did this card rattle me a bit. Then I saw the movie Dune and the guy with the eyebrows in that movie made me feel a little better for Sammy Stewart. I never grew a uni-brow if you want to know. 

Card #8: 1989 Topps Traded Keith Atherton #4T

Let me start by saying when I received this card, I was 7. There was a vending machine that gave you a card between 2 cardboard pieces for 25 cents at an arcade my brother and I went to when my grandparents lived in Denver, and this was my 25-cent treasure. Back in 1988, my parents started a bowling league. Occasionally, my parents would host their bowling cronies over for parties. In April of 1990, they had a big party for their league.  There was a guy that my parents bowled with that came, and I wasn't sure of his name, but he looked EXACTLY like Keith Atherton from this card photo. So, at said party, I asked him to sign my Keith Atherton card. I guess it offended him because I was sent to my room. While in my room I could hear them laughing about it, but for some strange reason my dad didn't think it was funny. So yeah, this card bugged me because when I was 7, I thought my parents bowled with Keith Atherton. 

Card #9: 1986 Topps Traded Pete Ladd #58T

Back in 1989, my mom got a perm haircut, and her hair was cut short to her shoulders. When she got home, I told her that her hair smelled like mushrooms and that if she put on my dad's glasses and my Mariner's hat that I got from my uncle that she would look like Pete Ladd. Well, it made my mom cry. I don't enjoy seeing my mom cry. That night I drew her a picture of her flower bed, my cat Leonard in it looking for mice and my mom with her new haircut planting flowers to make amends. Pete Ladd, your haircut sucks and I hate your '86 Topps Traded card. Still brings back an awful memory. 

Card #10: 1991 Stadium Club Benji Gil RC #58

When I would go to the grocery store with my mom, sometimes she would let me get a magazine. Usually, I would grab a Sports Cards magazine. They were always fun! I liked them more than Beckett and Tuff Stuff. In one of those magazines, I saw this card. There was a piece on Gil (I suppose due to being an up-and-coming prospect). I put this card on my wantlist. My brother and I went to a card show in the spring of '92 and I saw this card for sale, but I didn't have the $5 the guy was asking for it as I had blown my money on a stack of Brett Hull cards. My brother leant me the $5 on the condition that I work it off by doing all of his chores for 3 months along with giving him an Ulf Samuelsson Rookie Card. Well, after the 1993 season it looked like Gil wasn't going to be a superstar and I lost out on the trade. I always hated it when my brother won. Here I am stuck with this Gil card 31 years later. Still bugs me. 

Card #11: 1989 Topps Alvin Davis #687

My brother and I paid way too much attention to the photos on cards when we were younger. This card was one that I spotted one day and made my brother check it out. We were both freaked out! Look at Alvin's eyes. Where are the pupils? Jeez this card bothers me still. SO WEIRD. Ugh, I can't even look at it for longer than a second. Does this freak you out?

Card #12: 1991/92 Stadium Club John Tonelli #189

This card made me laugh when I first saw it, but then I thought, "What is making John Tonelli so mad?" I still wanna know at age 41. What the heck was it? A pretty hilarious photo, but as a kid it bugged me that I had no clue what set him off. 

Did you have any cards that bothered you growing up? If so, what were they? I'd love to hear in the comments. 

Thanks for reading.