During all those years that Hurst "Loudy" Loudenslager hero-worshiped the Baltimore Colts, even showing up to greet them at the airport at 3 a.m. and playing the team song on a portable recorder when they were returning from road games, he made it abundantly clear his football interest was one-dimensional.
Wife Flo even baked a walnut cake every time a coach or player celebrated a birthday. When the team left town, the total had reached 700-plus cakes and counting. In his modest suburban home, "Loudy" converted the basement into a Colts museum that was beyond compare.
When he died in 1989, six of the players he adulated were his pallbearers. At the grave site, off in the distance, the band played what it knew he would have wanted in a musical selection -- "Fight On You Baltimore Colts".
His attachment for the Colts seemed almost unnatural and he even went so far as to help some of them enlist in the National Guard when it appeared the Selective Service would exercise draft rights. This was all done with the purpose of keeping them in Baltimore to play the season while fulfilling their military obligations on a part-time basis.
The collection of helmets, jackets, jerseys, autographs, game programs, press guides, pictures, personal letters and even cleated shoes were gifts from players and the front office. When he died, a sports writer told his family he hoped the material would be kept intact and used to establish a "Hurst 'Loudy' Loudenslager Room" at the Maryland Historical Society or else put in a display to be cared for at the Babe Ruth Museum.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Some of the Colts relics have already been sold and an enormous parcel will be auctioned tomorrow at the Holiday Inn (Cromwell Bridge) in Towson. The event is being promoted by Bob Urban, otherwise known as "Mr. Memorabilia", who trades in sports collectibles. He's the sales agent, not the owner.
"Getting this material," explains Urban, "has left me in a difficult position. One side of me wants to see it placed for public view but the other part reminds me that this is my business and how I support my family. I still hope someone, or else an organization, might step forth, buy the collection and donate it either to the Babe Ruth Museum or some appropriate place."
Former Colt John Mackey, a Hall of Fame member, will be appearing at the card show as part of tomorrow's program and signing autographs between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The presence of Mackey has no relationship to the auction of what used to be Loudenslager's prized possessions.
Some of the jerseys he owned have already been sold to a dealer in sports collectibles and another lot, according to Urban, was bought for $500 by a man at a flea market in Northpoint. In a separate transaction, a Don Shula road jersey, worn when he was a defensive halfback, was sold for $5,000 and a John Unitas jersey for $8,500. Both had been the property of Loudenslager.
"What's upsetting is individuals from all over the country are buying Colts memorabilia and it's leaving Maryland," said Urban. "To me, that's sad. From what I know, the sale of the Loudenslager collection is regrettable. Obviously, the things he treasured didn't mean that much to his heirs but that's often the case."
Urban mentioned he assisted Raymond Berry, Jim Parker and Lenny Moore in the sale of football material they had accumulated, including Parker's personal bust from the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- after it was advertised in national trade magazines. A segment of the public, desiring to gain possession of awards won or equipment worn by athletes, will pay for those things and price frequently isn't a consideration.
Tomorrow's sale also will offer old Colts Band uniforms and cheerleader outfits, plus numerous jerseys, including one O. J. Simpson wore in a game. Urban says admission to the event is free but that Mackey's fee per signature will be $8.
Paul Hoffman, a former Baltimore Bullet, has engaged Urban to put his 1958 Rookie of the Year trophy from the National Basketball Association in the auction. If the price meets his expectations, thought to be $10,000, Hoffman will sell. If not, he reserves the right to withdraw it.
As for the sale of trading cards, the demand isn't what it once was because children, for the most part, have been priced out of the market. However, memorabilia and autographs continue to have high personal appeal. Urban is the middle-man in all of this, taking consignments and arranging sales.
The sale of the Loudenslager Colts collection is something he views with mixed emotions because of what it represented in one man's devotion to a team. That's why he's hoping a single buyer will bid the entire display and, with a sense of civic duty, make it available for public viewing and appreciation.