LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 May Signature Sports Collectibles #709  / 

19845

1958 N.F.L. Championship Game Used Football

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Game Used Memorabilia Start Price:4,250.00 USD Estimated At:8,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
1958 N.F.L. Championship Game Used Football
<B>1958 N.F.L. Championship Game Used Football Signed by Unitas.</B></I> Known in the football world as simply "The Greatest Game Ever Played," the historic meeting of the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants to establish N.F.L. supremacy in 1958 remains one of the noteworthy events in the annals of American athletics. Yankee Stadium, the site of so many unforgettable moments in baseball lore, served as the battlefield in a game that is credited with bringing professional football into prominence, essentially giving birth to the modern N.F.L. It was a game that had it all--lead changes, turnovers, a game-saving goal line stand, a game-tying last minute field goal. Every minute, it seemed, history was being made. "When the game ended in a tie," Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas remembered, "we were standing on the sidelines waiting to see what came next. All of a sudden, the officials came over and said, 'Send the captain out. We're going to flip a coin to see who will receive.' That was the first we heard of the overtime period."<BR><BR> Of course we all know how it ended, with a single-yard dive by Hall of Fame running back Alan Ameche to sentence the Giants to sudden death and clinch for the Baltimore Colts a piece of immortality. And now, as we approach the Golden Anniversary of this gridiron milestone event, Heritage is proud to present for the first time to the collecting community this Bert Bell "The Duke" football battled over on December 28, 1958 on the ground where Ruth and DiMaggio once plied their trade. But on this day, it was Unitas, Ameche, Berry and Gifford that hallowed the Bronx turf and turned Yankee Stadium once again into the center of the sporting world. And as if any football used on this day would not be appealing enough, this remarkable pigskin was carried home from the game by Johnny Unitas himself, who later gave the ball to a family friend. A notarized letter from the son of the recipient explains that his father worked for the local Coca-Cola distributorship and serviced the Colts' training camp, and how he himself used to babysit for the Unitas children. The letter goes on to attest that the ball was given to the man's father following the 1958 Championship Game.<BR><BR> The ball shows fine use from that day, and holds the words "Colt Foot Ball" written in the consignor's youthful vintage hand. Years later, the man tracked down Unitas, introducing himself and presenting the ball that his father had received as a gift after the sport's most noteworthy event. Unitas remembered well, and offered his 10/10 black ink blessing of the ball: "1958 Championship Game, Best Wishes, Johnny Unitas." Remarkably, the ball remains perfectly inflated and ready for action, though we would suggest that display in a glass case would be far more appropriate than a game of backyard catch. It's certainly one of the most important football artifacts to reach the auction block in recent memory. <I>LOA from PSA/DNA. LOA from James Spence Authentication. Notarized LOA from original owner.</B></I><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Balls, Pucks, etc., Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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