When I look back on a childhood of collecting football cards and learning how to be a man, I can't help but smile. But I also remember knowing the moment things would never be the same. As I grew older, I noticed my beloved Topps and Upper Deck packs were being replaced by Pokemon and Pogs at the checkout stand.
Boys were worshipping little yellow animals instead of Hall of Fame quarterbacks. They were trading meaningless cardboard disks instead of the newest rookies. The card shops were slowly being pushed out of the malls. Despite the NFL's growing popularity, little boys were straying from their potential manhood to fairytale lands of fancy.
Now, I sit and look at my dusty collection of Joe Montana mint conditions and it saddens me. When I was 8 could remember thinking how rich I was going to be after selling or trading my cards in my thirties. This is a dream I will never see materialize. I remember thinking how cool my son was going to be when he brought a 1970s Topps to show and tell. Now his classmates will be none the wiser.
There are some trends that are better served dead. Collecting sports cards is not one of them. Boys will still find their way to becoming men. But it will take longer. It will be a precarious road that winds through cartoons, wizards, and vampires. But they will get there. My son will get there. And when he does, I will be waiting with Jerry Rice in his plastic case...with a smile on face.
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