1973-74 Rams James Harris?

[Eric]

I was looking at the Bricol listing for
JAMES HARRIS LOS ANGELES RAMS 1973-1974 GAME USED ROAD JERSEY
Couple of things caught my eye. When did the rams use two toned numbers like this.
9981

9982

9983
I will post photos of the white jerseys the rams wore in 73-74

Also, the Lampson description is odd.
HARRIS and 12 on the back of this white mesh jersey. 12 on the front and each sleeve. Bottom tail has been cut. Royal blue and yellow tackle twill. Has a small repair mark on the right upper chest. Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Los Angeles Rams NFC Medalist Sand-Knit tag from slightly later period has been reapplied to front left tail. Show solid game use. Lou Lampson LOA!

[Eric]

73-74 rams
9984

9985
not saying it is fake, just can't find this style...

[mvandor]

Old L.A. Rams fan and I honestly do not recall those two tone numerals ever being worn. Sleeves and collar don't matchup with Eric's pics either, and the tag looks darned fresh and new to me.

[both-teams-played-hard]

I've never seen sewn-on tackle twill numbers on any Sand Knit Rams jersey. I've never seen 2-tone numbers in a post-70s Rams jersey.
This Sand Knit tag is newer than 1973 or 1974. I didn't think it was used until 1976.

The 70s Rams have heat-pressed vinyl numerals.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Los Angeles Rams NFC Medalist Sand-Knit tag from slightly later period has been reapplied to front left tail.
I did not notice this line when I first read the description. Tag has also been re-applied incorrectly. Tag should be sewn on left and right sides ONLY; not top and bottom. Note to readers...if a tag has EVER been re-sewn...then the deal is blown...

[jdr3]

I agree with the fact that I cannot recall the Rams using two tone numerals. The other thing about this jersey is that I have a few football and basketball related items with this type of tag, which was used from roughly 1976- the early 80s, and on each item the tag is glued on.

[both-teams-played-hard]

The other thing about this jersey is that I have a few football and basketball related items with this type of tag, which was used from roughly 1976- the early 80s, and on each item the tag is glued on.
I have seen the tags (size/exclusive) glued on and some, sewn on.

[jdr3]

Warren,

Good to know for future reference.

Thanks.

[G1X]

Gentlemen,

I have no comment on the particular James Harris jersey in question, but I would like to shed some light on Rams jerseys from that era.

The Rams first changed to the ram-horn insert style in 1973. The blue jerseys originally had two-toned "sewn-on" numbers that were gold trimmed in white. This can be seen in numerous photos of the era in magazines, Getty Images, TOPPS football cards, etc.
http://t4.images.live.com/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1532874665387&id=8f663ddf812c9090bc12932bb7642e49
(http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=merlin+olsen&mkt=en-us#focal=14816e84fd22eb3299e0f83b8bce562d&furl=http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/story_image/Olsen_Action_Sep5.jpg)
http://t2.images.live.com/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1532874660609&id=073ced1aec33106c05fb4ad9d62ddc67

This style seems to be very short-lived as they can be seen wearing the solid gold numbers by 1974.

Logic would dictate that the Rams would have had a white jersey style that correlated with the blue jersey style. In other words, a white jersey with blue sewn-on numbers trimmed in gold. However, I have researched this issue in the past and have never been able to find a photograph that substantiates the Rams wearing a white jersey with blue numbers trimmed in white.

Perhaps they had a set and never wore them. This wouldn't be the first time this happened. In 1968, the Falcons had a black jersey with trim on the sleeve cuffs (no sleeve stripes and no Falcon logo) that can be seen in plenty of TOPPS photos but not in any game action photos. Then there are the infamous 1984 Cleveland Browns white jerseys with orange numbers that were never worn (documented in several articles including USA Today).

Perhaps the Rams had a set and wore them, but the gold trim simply does not show up in photographs. Or, maybe they never had a set and only salesmen samples exist. Who knows without concrete photo evidence. Perhaps there are Rams collectors out there or someone with knowledge of the Rams equipment staff who can provide facts, photos, or details.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[G1X]

Sorry for the bit of confusion. In the last sentence of the third paragraph from the bottom, I should have said "blue numbers trimmed in gold".

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[Eric]

Mark-
Good info as always. Question- on that rare style, what do the sleeve numbers look like on that style? do they have the trim as well?

[G1X]

Eric,
The sleeve numbers are the typical block style, and they appear to be gold trimmed in white. I have never owned this particular style of Rams blue jersey, and I've always had difficulty finding a good photo of the sleeve numbers.

Regarding the questioned Doug Williams jersey, it wouldn't make sense to have gold trim on the sleeve numbers as it would "disappear" into the gold sleeve fabric.

Upon further research, it looks like the Rams were still wearing solid gold "sewn-on" numbers in 1974, and perhaps some of the players were wearing the white trim style as well. I found a photo where it looks like Harris is wearing "screened-on" numbers while others in the photo have "sewn-on" numbers. Making matters even more confusing, there appears to be photo evidence that the Rams were wearing the solid gold numbers ("sewn-on" numbers with no trim) at times during games in 1973.

jdr3,
If you have photos or video of the 'Skins December 9, 1974 Monday Night game at LA or the playoff game against the Rams later that month, check it out and let us know your thoughts. Photos I have seen show Rams players in sewn-on numbers, and it looks like some have the trim.

Rams collectors or vintage jersey collectors, please help us out if you have any '73 or '74 Rams jerseys, or have background information on them.

Thanks,

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[genius]

This was mentioned in this thread...the infamous 1984 Cleveland Browns brown-with-orange-numerals jerseys WERE worn one time, in the preseason opener against the Steelers at Cleveland Stadium. I remember it vividly.

[G1X]

genius,

Yes, you are correct, Cleveland wore brown jerseys with orange numbers and off-set white trim in their opening 1984 preseason game at home against the Steelers on August 4 (see photos below). As mentioned in my previous post, the white jerseys with orange numbers were never worn.

The Browns made the decision to change styles in 1984 and wear orange numbers on both their home and road jerseys. There was also a change in the sleeve stripes as well. Because the orange numbers were difficult to read from the pressbox and stands in that opening preseason game, the Browns quickly decided to can the orange number scheme before the white jerseys were ever worn.

The Browns ended up wearing a one-year style that season in which the brown jerseys had white numbers trimmed in orange, and the white jerseys had brown numbers trimmed in orange. They stuck with the sleeve stripe design that were on the ill-fated jerseys. See Getty Image #73843821 for a good shot of the regular-season brown jersey, and Getty Image #76519090 for a look at the white regular-season jersey.

Below are photos of a notorious one-game brown jersey that used to be in my collection. I don't have any photos of the never-worn white jerseys, but they can be found in the hobby.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[aeneas01]

i've been a lifelong rams fan and, fwiw, here are my thoughts on the jersey:

1) harris joined the rams midway through the '72 season and wore number 11, not 12, in '72 & '73. from '74 on he wore 12.

2) i believe that the "outlined number" jerseys were introduced in 1973 when the rams switched from blue & white to blue & packer gold. i also believe that these jerseys were only worn for 1973 media photos and just a couple of preseason games and then shelved forever.

3) if i'm correct in that the rams only wore the outlined number jerseys during '73 media photos and a couple of '73 preseason games, then the jersey most likely didn't belong to harris because he didn't wear number 12 at the time. further, as can be seen in the photos below, it doesn't appear that the rams ever wore "road" (white) jerseys with trim which makes it even more unlikely that the jersey in question once belonged to harris.

4) the rams' '73 preseason schedule was: h/dal, h/cle, a/oak, a/mia, h/sdg and h/sfo.


1973 media guide photo of harris (number 11)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/med02.jpg

1973 media guide photo of mccutcheon
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/med01.jpg

first preseason game of '73 season - in l.a. vs cowboys (trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps01.jpg

second preseason game of '73 season - in l.a. vs browns (trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps02.jpg

another photo of second preseason game of '73 season vs browns (trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps02b.jpg

third preseason game of '73 seasons - on the road against raiders (no trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps03.jpg

another photo of third preseason game of '73 season against raiders (no trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps03c.jpg

final preseason game of '73 season - in l.a. vs niners (no trim)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ps06b.jpg

[G1X]

aeneas01,

I also thought that they switched to solid numbers on their blue jerseys shortly into the 1973 season, but I ended up finding a few photos where it looks like they were probably wearing both the solid numbers and the trimmed style on their blue jerseys at times during the regular season. See Getty Image #76069624 from the 11/11/73 game against the Saints as Jim Bertelsen's jersey appears to have the white trim on the gold sleeve number.

I assumed that they were wearing only the solid gold number on their blue jerseys by 1974, but then I found a photo of reserve QB Don Milan in Getty Image #76095039 that is supposedly from the 12/9/74 Monday Night Game against Washington. Maybe it's just one of those unusual situations where they didn't have a #15 in the solid gold style, so they pulled out the style with the white trim.

Like you, I never recall the Rams white jerseys in that era having blue numbers with gold trim, and I have never found evidence of them wearing that style in either game photos or publicity pictures. Reviewing a Rams 1973 highlights video or searching the LA Times archives might be the only way to positively substantiate this belief.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[aeneas01]

aeneas01,

I also thought that they switched to solid numbers on their blue jerseys shortly into the 1973 season, but I ended up finding a few photos where it looks like they were probably wearing both the solid numbers and the trimmed style on their blue jerseys at times during the regular season. See Getty Image #76069624 from the 11/11/73 game against the Saints as Jim Bertelsen's jersey appears to have the white trim on the gold sleeve number.

I assumed that they were wearing only the solid gold number on their blue jerseys by 1974, but then I found a photo of reserve QB Don Milan in Getty Image #76095039 that is supposedly from the 12/9/74 Monday Night Game against Washington. Maybe it's just one of those unusual situations where they didn't have a #15 in the solid gold style, so they pulled out the style with the white trim.

Like you, I never recall the Rams white jerseys in that era having blue numbers with gold trim, and I have never found evidence of them wearing that style in either game photos or publicity pictures. Reviewing a Rams 1973 highlights video or searching the LA Times archives might be the only way to positively substantiate this belief.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net


i believe that what you are seeing in the bertelsen and milan photos is nothing more than a reflection caused by the raised edges of the fabric numbers - this reflection, causing a "trim-like " effect, is even more pronounced in b&w photos such as the milan & bertelsen photos you referenced.

as far as the actual "trim-numbered" jerseys are concerned, i believe that only the front and back numbers were trimmed in white, not the sleeve numbers. looking at the mccutheon media photo posted above i think two things are apparent - that the sleeve numbers do not have a white trim (looking at lc's left sleeve number) and that the sleeve numbers do cause a reflection giving the appearance of some sort of trim (looking at lc's right sleeve number).

there are quite a few photos in circulation from the rams' 1973 and 1974 regular seasons in which even the front and back numbers appear to be trimmed in white - especially in b&w photos. but the "trim-like" effect in these photos is caused by the rams' use of fabric numbers during those years, not by actual trim - both the raised edges of the numbers and the sheen of the fabric contribute to the effect. i have not seen any evidence that the rams used the "trim-numbered" jerseys other than in media photos and the first couple of 1973 preseason games. looking at post-1974 photos of the rams, after they quit the use of fabric numbers, the "trim-like" effect is no longer evident.

here's a good example of the the reflection at work as far as the sleeve numbers concerned - the rams' tackler on the left appears to have sleeve numbers trimmed in white but the tackler on the right does not.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ex1-1.jpg


another good example of reflections caused by the sheen and raised edges of the fabric numbers.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ex2-1.jpg

and another.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ex4-1.jpg

here's a better photo, without the watermark, of the milan image you mentioned.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ex3-1.jpg

and a 1975 photo from when the rams stopped using fabric numbers.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/ex5-1.jpg

[commando]

So, no pictures have been found (so far) for these kinds of trimmed numbers on a white jersey with yellow sleeves. If this were a common lineman's jersey, I'd be scratching my head. But being that it's a quarterbacks jersey, I'd tend to believe that it is a unique salesman's sample. Sand Knit loved using quarterbacks on their samples.

[RKGIBSON]

Here is a couple of photos of a '73 John Hadl jersey that I had years ago.


Where can I find 1986 preseason game photos or videos? It has been impossible for me to even find who played who.


Great stuff here.

Roger

[G1X]

aeneas01,

Thanks for the insight. Your McCutcheon photo and Roger's photo of his Hadl jersey clearly show that the trim was only on the front and back numbers, and not on the sleeve numbers as I had previously believed.

You make a good point about the reflection of the raised edges of the solid gold numbers creating a "trim-like" effect in certain photos. I was always fooled by this perception when observing certain photos such as the one you posted of #32 and others that we referenced. The stitching probably lends to the "trim-like" effect as well, especially if the thread is a lighter shade of gold.

Thanks for your postings to set me straight on this issue, and thanks to Roger for posting the Hadl photos which was also helpful.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[aeneas01]

beautiful jersey rkg:

i'll never forget the first time i saw "my" rams in those jerseys - i was a young pup at the time and had to wait until the second to last week of the season for the rams to finally be televised - it was a mnf game against the giants. prior to that mnf game the only shots i saw of the new unis were grainy, poor quality b&w photos that were few and far between. and, frankly, the change didn't seem that drastic in the b&w photos.

man was i in for a surprise when my boys trotted out onto the field during that mnf game! i was in total shock, floored and i couldn't believe my eyes! i hated the new unis, i thought the rams looked like clowns! i especially thought that the horns on the sleeves were absurd - horns on the helmet, beautiful and an nfl classic, but the sleeves? wt... and meredith didn't help matters that night either - he was having a ball with the new unis, cracking jokes about them throughout the game. but the rams were having a great season and lit up the giants that night so the pill was a bit easier to swallow. after the arse whoopin' meredith quipped "well i guess if ya look good, ya play good - so the rams must think they look pretty darn good!". it was pretty funny.

anyway, i never warmed up to the those unis - i guess it's because the blue & whites were such classics even though the rams only wore them for a short time. when the rams announced the change i thought they were going to go back to the old blue & gold which were beauties as well. but, oddly, whenever i know see jerseys such as yours at auction, jerseys from that era, they look pretty darn good!

mark -

i feel for you jersey collectors - i can't imagine trying to keep up with all of the intricacies that separate authentics from fakes or the details that define/support eras - imo helmets are a breeze compared to jerseys!

[cohibasmoker]

A similar jersey just sold on eBay. Same style but different Sand-Knit tag. Any ideas?

Jim

flaa1a@comcast.net

[genius]

Here's a 1973 preseason photo, it's hard to tell if there's any gold trim on the numbers but it does look that way on one of the "4"s. The numeral font looks consistent, and perhaps the name fonts as well though they are barely visible. No clue on the tag though.

[G1X]

Jim,

After we swapped emails the other night, I did a bit of research on the tagging. The earliest I could find a bold "Medalist" designation on Sand-Knit tagging (similar to the photo you provided) was in the mid-1970s. I have a number of NFL and WFL jerseys dating up to 1974 (all of the WFL jerseys are from 1974) and they have the traditional Sand-Knit double tag as seen in the attached photos.

Hope this helps. Maybe someone else who is either a Rams collector or Sand-Knit tagging expert can chime in on this discussion.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for World Football League jerseys, Atlanta Falcons jerseys, AFL/NFL durene jerseys, and Willie McGee and Darren Lewis game-used items.

[slats7]

1973 pre-season:

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/8828/0ae59b7422534cbda001c24.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3916/1a95f8b7439241eeba4c0d1.jpg

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/2549/4bdadf85310b44c9b31f570.jpg

1973 playoffs:

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/2538/23bbe7d84f874652b4af069.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4229/47aaeef2e70f43bdb1e5d4a.jpg

Looks like "trim" was only applied to the white jersey numbers.

[sox83cubs84]

Gentlemen,

I have no comment on the particular James Harris jersey in question, but I would like to shed some light on Rams jerseys from that era.

The Rams first changed to the ram-horn insert style in 1973. The blue jerseys originally had two-toned "sewn-on" numbers that were gold trimmed in white. This can be seen in numerous photos of the era in magazines, Getty Images, TOPPS football cards, etc.
http://t4.images.live.com/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1532874665387&id=8f663ddf812c9090bc12932bb7642e49 (http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=merlin+olsen&mkt=en-us#focal=14816e84fd22eb3299e0f83b8bce562d&furl=http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/story_image/Olsen_Action_Sep5.jpg)
[/URL][URL="http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=merlin+olsen&mkt=en-us#focal=14816e84fd22eb3299e0f83b8bce562d&furl=http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/story_image/Olsen_Action_Sep5.jpg"] (http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=merlin+olsen&mkt=en-us#focal=14816e84fd22eb3299e0f83b8bce562d&furl=http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/story_image/Olsen_Action_Sep5.jpg)
http://t2.images.live.com/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1532874660609&id=073ced1aec33106c05fb4ad9d62ddc67

This style seems to be very short-lived as they can be seen wearing the solid gold numbers by 1974.

Logic would dictate that the Rams would have had a white jersey style that correlated with the blue jersey style. In other words, a white jersey with blue sewn-on numbers trimmed in gold. However, I have researched this issue in the past and have never been able to find a photograph that substantiates the Rams wearing a white jersey with blue numbers trimmed in white.

Perhaps they had a set and never wore them. This wouldn't be the first time this happened. In 1968, the Falcons had a black jersey with trim on the sleeve cuffs (no sleeve stripes and no Falcon logo) that can be seen in plenty of TOPPS photos but not in any game action photos. Then there are the infamous 1984 Cleveland Browns white jerseys with orange numbers that were never worn (documented in several articles including USA Today).

Perhaps the Rams had a set and wore them, but the gold trim simply does not show up in photographs. Or, maybe they never had a set and only salesmen samples exist. Who knows without concrete photo evidence. Perhaps there are Rams collectors out there or someone with knowledge of the Rams equipment staff who can provide facts, photos, or details.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Charlie Cowan's 1974 Topps FB card (likely a 1973 photo):



http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Rams-New-Mexico-CHARLIE-COWAN-signed-1974-Topps-card-dec-/00/s/NTA3WDM2Nw==/z/Vn8AAMXQiw5RYaiQ/$T2eC16d,!w0E9szN,FL0BRY,iQjgzQ~~60_3.JPG

Dave Miedema

[slats7]

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/1262/kgrhqrjiedqh43qbqwtbbm3.JPGhttp://img809.imageshack.us/img809/757/t2ec16fhjgoe9nuqewjbqws.jpg

[nickeyv]

Hi there,I have the jersey in question,

I got it from the Mile High Card Auction on 2010

Have we got any more information on this jersey,on whether it is indeed a Harris game worn jersey

I am planning to make it available shortly

I noticed it also has a team repair just above the front numbers

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks alot

Nick

[G1X]

Nick,

Here are my thoughts on the Harris jersey based on information in this thread and extensive research performed by me and others on early 1970s Rams jerseys:

1. No one has yet to come up with photos/video of James Harris wearing this jersey style in game action.

2. No one has yet to come up with photos/video of any Rams player wearing this jersey style in game action (white jerseys with blue numbers trimmed in gold).

3. Harris did not wear #12 until 1974, a year in which the Rams were wearing one-color numbers. Harris continued wearing #12 with the Rams through 1976 before ending up in San Diego in 1977. The Rams continued to have one-color numbers throughout the rest of his tenure in LA.

4. According to the photos in the opening post in this thread, there is no nameplate - the name is directly on the back. I have yet to find any photo evidence of the Rams not using nameplates is this era. As we all know, there are always "exceptions to the rule" with the occasional "one-off" jersey, but I have not found any photo evidence of such at this point. Even the Jack Youngblood jersey in an earlier post has the name on a nameplate.

5. The Gridiron Uniform Data Base does not show the Rams wearing this particular style of white jersey. http://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/rams.shtml This site does extensive research and is a trusted source. They show that in 1973, the Rams wore two different styles of blue jerseys - one that had trim on the numbers and one without. However, they only wore one style of white jerseys and it did not have trim.

I hope this information is useful and will be helpful to you in drawing your own conclusion about the jersey.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for WFL game-used uniforms.

[nickeyv]

Hello Mark,thank you for your input,

Okay what do you make of the team repair just above the numbers on front,

The Team Repair is in line with a repair done by team equipment staff.

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule in all sports,even if there is no photo evidence and all that,in all sports.

Back then,not all games were televised like today.

Based on Mark's input,can the jersey be termed as team issued and a rare example of a Rams jersey OR

The possibility remains a game worn one game one off worn jersey

[slats7]

http://s29.postimg.org/f4535nvef/KGr_Hq_R_j_IE_dqh4_3_QBQWTBb_M3h_60_12.jpg

http://s16.postimg.org/yw4jejt6d/T2e_C16_FHJGo_E9nu_Qe_WJ_BQWS_Zyz_C_60_3.jpg

http://s8.postimg.org/lilgghqxh/57_4.jpg

they only exist in football card poses, not actual games

[G1X]

Nick,

With all due respect and not trying to be a complete pompous jerk, this is one of the things that annoys me about the game-used hobby. There is no photo or video evidence of the Rams ever wearing this style, there have been a few well-seasoned hobbyists who have weighed in on the jersey, there is not much that looks "right" about this jersey (wrong number style, name-on-back incorrect, length of sleeves are too long, lack of tail tags, etc.), yet we are still having this discussion 7 years later with the possibility of this jersey being put back on the market. This is how questionable stuff ends up becoming something that it is not. Fiction becomes fact, and fact becomes fiction. "Maybe it is", "I hope it is", "the LOA says that it is", "there aren't that many photos from back then so who knows", etc., etc., etc. Next thing we know, it is in an auction and some assume that it must be good, especially those who do not have the time and/or inclination to do their homework (research).

I'll be a bit more blunt. I collect stuff from this era, been doing it for a long time (41 years), and feel very comfortable with knowing what was worn during that time. I have a large photo reference library on hand from that era to assist with research. Having said all of that, I would not even contemplate selling this jersey if it were mine, much less be interested in buying it in the first place.

Not to say that the following method is either right or wrong, but I need the following to convince me that a "one-off" (exception-to-the-rule) jersey is possibly team issued and/or game worn:
1. Find a photo of the particular player in question wearing the "one-off" jersey. The best example I've had was when a Broncos collector approached me years ago about the possibility of John Elway wearing a Champion jersey in the mid-1980s during an era when the Broncos never wore Champion. It just so happened that I had a nice color photo of Elway wearing the said Champion jersey complete with logo on the sleeve.

2. If no photo available of the particular player, I then would need to find ANY player in a game photo/video/film wearing the particular "one-off" style.

3. If still no evidence, then the jersey sits in my closet until I can come up with definitive proof that the particular oddball style was worn in game action. To claim that it was game worn or even team issued without proof would be disingenuous.

Again, for those jumping in late in this thread, I am talking about "one-off", "exception-to-the-rule", "oddball" jerseys (or however you wish to label these anomalies).

As for the repair on this jersey, I cannot clearly see it in the photos in the opening post. Regardless, a good seamstress can fake a repair by matching the repair style, and it's even better if the actual team's seamstress is willing to "enhance" an otherwise clean jersey! There are a few folks in this hobby who have done the latter (some who have been busted).

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange

[G1X]

http://s8.postimg.org/lilgghqxh/57_4.jpg

they only exist in football card poses, not actual games

Slats,

Thanks for the input. These blue jerseys with the number trim were actually worn in preseason game action. Check out Getty Images from 1973 as there are several nice color photos from a Rams preseason game in '73.

The discussion here revolves around white Rams jerseys from that era (see photos in the first photo of this thread).

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange

[slats7]

ah, sorry. some of those old pix didn't surface on the browser I was using.