1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Hugh Oldham #88 Ottawa Rough Riders

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Hugh Oldham #88 Ottawa Rough Riders Some vintage cards earn their keep on backstory alone, and this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Hugh Oldham #88 Ottawa Rough Riders card has one of the best in the entire 132-card set. Part of the famous red-bordered 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL issue printed exclusively in Canada, the Ottawa team run documents a franchise at the peak of its powers between Grey Cup titles, and Oldham's card is a conversation starter every time it hits the table. Hugh Oldham packed a remarkable amount of living into his football years. A 5'10", 175-pound import flanker from the University of Oregon, Oldham arrived in Ottawa with a fighter's pedigree in the most literal sense: the O-Pee-Chee cartoon reveals that Hugh boxed in the Army and won nine bouts. The biography is just as impressive, noting this young man was nominated the MVP on the last three teams he played with — the Eugene Bombers, the Sacramento Capitols of the Continental League, and Oregon in his final college year. That kind of three-stop MVP streak speaks to a natural athlete, and Ottawa put his speed to work in the receiving corps during the early 1970s. The front photo is one of the set's moodiest, a dramatic low-light portrait in the black jersey beneath the stadium lights. The reverse is a true Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, with matching English and French text and the "©O-Pee-Chee / Printed in Canada" credit; the 1971 CFL set carries biography backs, not puzzle backs. The front shows deep, saturated photo tones and strong red borders with good gloss. Centering is approximately 55/45 left-to-right and near-even vertically. All four corners show light whitening consistent with careful vintage handling, with the sharpest wear at the top-right, and there is minor, intermittent edge chipping along the top border. The back displays even cream-tan toning with fully legible bilingual print and no marks, stains, or handwriting. Close review of both scans reveals no creases, wrinkles, or surface breaks. We nonetheless keep the estimate conservative, as the dark photo and red border on this issue tend to magnify edge flaws under grading review. For CFL set-builders and collectors who love a great story, this 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Hugh Oldham #88 Ottawa Rough Riders single delivers vintage atmosphere, an army-boxer's biography, and honest mid-grade condition in one affordable package. Grade Estimate: EX 5