Direct from Germany

As the 2018 winter Olympics approached, I was intrigued in who will be on the hockey rosters.  Will there be any Spartans.  On New Year's Day, the United States roster was announced and Jim Slater is an Olympian.  Woohoo!!

Roughly a week later, I read that Brock Radunske will be playing for the host South Korean team. What?!!!  Evidently, Radunske has been playing in a professional league in South Korea for the last number of years.  He and few other Canadian hockey players who have been playing in South Korea obtained Korean citizenship and are allowed to play for South Korea in the Olympics.

Unlike Slater, I don't have a Radunske card. Does he have a card? After discussing with a collecting friend of mine, I learned he has a card from 2007-08 when he played in Germany.  Now time to find one.  Checked Ebay. nope. COMC.com? nope.  So Google is next. searching for shops and/or collectors who has German cards available.  Found a dealer in Germany and ordered one.  It arrived yesterday....

2007-08 German DEL

Slater and Radunske are the 17th and 18th different Spartan to a part of Olympic hockey.  I have cards of 16 of them (the other 2 don't own any cards).

Also, Radunske is 108th Spartan in my hockey collection.  He is placed between Corey Potter and Mike Ratchuk in my binders.

Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles and Other Spartan Eagles

This past Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.  One time Spartan quarterback Nick Foles was named game MVP.

2012 Topps Magic

Foles was a member of the Spartan squad in 2007 in which he got game action vs UAB.  In order to get more playing time, he transferred to Arizona after the season.
One cool part about the above card is that the trivia question on back asks "Who is the Eagles starting TE whose brother was once Nick's college roommate?"   The answer is Brent Celek.  Celek's younger brother is Garrett and the two roomed together while at MSU.   One last note about Brent Celek is that his college coach at Cincinnati was current MSU coach Mark Dantonio who, of course, coached Garrett and Foles at MSU.


Other Eagles in my Michigan State collecton include:

1961 Fleer

Clarence Peaks played for Philly from 1957-63

1970 Topps

Gary Ballman 1967-72

2005 Topps Bazooka All Star Relics

Ike Reese 1998-2004

2000 Bowman Chrome

Gari Scott 2001

Other Spartans in my collection that has played for Philadelphia yet not pictured as an Eagle:
B.J. Cunningham (2013)
Al Dorow (1957)
Mark Ingram (1996)
Bill Johnson (1998-99)
Walt Kowalcyzk (1958-59)
Mike Labinjo (2004-05)
Jimmy Raye (1969)
Tom Saidock (1957)
Billy Wellls (1958)