Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory

[Champaign, Illinois]: Sports Publishing Inc, 2000. First and Limited Edition. Full leather. Fine. Number 235 of 250 copies, octavo size, 224 pp., signed by Jim Otto, Cliff Branch, Ray Guy, Ken Stabler, George Blanda, Alan Miller and Billy Cannon. The Oakland Raiders, perhaps more than any other team in any sport, brings iconic images to mind: The Silver and Black, The Pirate, The Black Hole, with the the fans showing up for games painted and costumed in fearsome attire. For fifteen seasons Jim Otto played the center position, undergoing nine knee operations during his career and seventy-four total operations during his lifetime, even having a near death experience from infection after one of the surgeries. This is the story of his pain, his love of the game, his devotion to team and teammates, with many chapters focusing on the great players, coaches and owners he was affiliated with during his playing career. The book is signed by Otto, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, and several of his teammates: these include, Cliff Branch, nominated for the Hall of Fame, George Blanda, Hall of Fame 1981, Ken Stabler, Hall of Fame 2016, Ray Guy, Hall of Fame 2014, Alan Miller 1961 AFL All Star and Billy Cannon, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner (all signatures on tipped-in pages). With a Certificate of Authenticity from the publisher.

___DESCRIPTION: Full brown leather boards with gilt lettering on the spine, title in gilt on front board with a gilt border, the first tipped-in leaf with the publisher's limitation sticker bearing Otto's jersey number of "00", with "235/250" written beneath, three of the signatures below (Miller, Stabler, and Guy), the second leaf with the signature of Jim Otto, "00" written in his hand beneath, also in his hand "H.O.F. / 1980", the third leaf with Blanda, "16" written beneath, the fourth leaf with Cannon, and the final tipped-in leaf with Branch, sixteen pages of black and white photographs bound into the middle of the book of Raiders players, coaches and owners (not included in pagination); octavo size (9" by 6"), pagination: the five signed leaves, [i-iv] v-viii, 1-215, publisher's ad for their web site.

___CONDITION: A fine copy, the binding clean, the gilt bright, without wear, the corners straight and unrubbed, the binding tight with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; crisp, appears as if never read.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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