September cartoon contest winner savors an Army football shutout

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

The September cartoon contest featured football coach Vince Lombardi on a 1997 32¢ commemorative stamp (Scott 3145), and for the first time in a while, there were only a dozen or so entries in the contest.

Lombardi is pictured as coach of the Green Bay Packers on the stamp. The Packers had a lot to celebrate during his years as their head coach (1959-67). His record was 105 wins, 35 losses and six ties, plus three consecutive NFL championships in 1965, 1966 and 1967. And, his Packers teams won the first two Super Bowls.

The major theme of the entries was reflections on his legacy. Ted Feldstein of Doylestown, Pa., represents this group with “Gentlemen, we have stamped our place in sports history!”

Another approach played on Lombardi’s philosophy, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

David Epps of Portland, Ore., adapts that to “Stamp collecting isn’t everything; It’s the only thing!”

Because there were few entries, there is only one contest winner this month. As shown in the picture above, it is from West Point graduate Mitchell “Mick” Zais of Columbia, S.C. He will receive a 13-week extension of his Linn’s subscription.

The background of this line from Zais is that Lombardi was an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 1949 to 1953. During those years, Army won two of the five meetings with Navy, including the 38-0 win in 1949.

Here are the best of the other runners-up:

“Coach Lombardi, what are you going to do next? I’m going to Disneyland,” by David Vikan of Dickinson, N.D.

“What’s all the fuss. It’s not like I’m Woody Hayes,” from Mr. Bill of Sidney, Ohio.

“If we placed a self-service stamp kiosk in the end zone, would it be considered a goal post office?” sent by Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered. The next contest will be announced in the Nov. 13 issue of Linn’s.

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