WEBVTT

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GUEST: My grandfather gave
it to me back in, like,

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around 1955, 1956. I think the
cool thing about it is, is it's,
it's white

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and it was used in the NFL for
night games back in the early
'50s for about six years, I
think.

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APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

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GUEST: But the other thing is,
it's autographed by Otto Graham.

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APPRAISER: Let's look at
that panel right there.

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GUEST: Yeah. It's a little
faded. My grand, grandfather's
name was True. "To True,

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best wishes to a swell
guy, Otto Graham."

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APPRAISER: Nice, so how did
they know one another?

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GUEST: I'm not sure. I was only,
I was only, like, nine or ten
years old.

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My grandfather was a very
charismatic guy and he was a
huge sports fan. And I knew even

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back then there was some
connection with the Browns,
I'm... I'm still not sure what
it was,

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but he referred to Paul Brown
and Otto Graham as Paul and
Otto. My impression was that

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he did know them on a first-name
basis, and, and that would be
typical for him.

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APPRAISER: And a lot of people
don't know really how Otto
Graham got started. He is

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one of the greatest
quarterbacks of all time.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: And in an era where
passing was not as prevalent...

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GUEST: Yeah. Yeah.

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APPRAISER: ...as it is in
today's NFL. He came to Paul
Brown's attention. Paul Brown,

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one of the legendary coaches...

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: ...and the Cleveland
Browns were named after him.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: And Paul recruited
him for the All-American
Football Conference and paid him

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$7,500-- which at the time, in
1946, is the equivalent of,
like, $100,000 today...

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GUEST: Yeah. Yeah.

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APPRAISER: ...to be
his quarterback.

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And of course, O, Graham did not
disappoint. Four championships.

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GUEST: Yup.

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APPRAISER: And then they were
able to get into the NFL in
1950...

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GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: ...and
three more championships.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: Now, interestingly
enough, you know, we're talking
about two things: we're

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talking about Otto Graham, but
we're also talking about this
football and what makes it
special.

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GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: It's white!

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White footballs were first
produced for night games in the
NFL.

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GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER: The
first night game was November 6,

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1929. It was the Chicago
Cardinals, before they made it
to St. Louis and now Arizona,

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and it was the Providence
Steamroller, and that's when
they used the white ball for the
first time.

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GUEST: Oh, interesting.

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APPRAISER: Now, do you know what
Otto Graham thought of the white
football?

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GUEST: No, I don't.

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APPRAISER: He hated it! (both
laughing) He said they were
slippery in his hands.

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GUEST: Oh...

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APPRAISER: He couldn't get as
good a grip to throw them.
Graham retired after the 1955
season.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: He actually wanted
to retire after '54. He wanted

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to go out in that first blaze of
glory with the la, his last NFL
championship.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: But Paul Brown lured
Otto back for another year...

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GUEST: Ah. APPRAISER: ...for the
equivalent of over $200,000.

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Wow. He was the highest-paid
player in the NFL, and
deservedly so.

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GUEST: Yeah. Yeah.

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APPRAISER: And lead them to
the final championship in 1955.

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GUEST: Yeah, yep.

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APPRAISER: Have you
had it appraised?

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GUEST: No. APPRAISER: What
do you think it's worth?

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GUEST: I know it's somewhat
rare. I mean, I would think
somewhere between $500, $1,000.

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APPRAISER: $500,000? (laughing)

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GUEST: No, no, $500 and
$1,000. (laughing)

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APPRAISER: And up to $1,000.

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GUEST: Yeah, yeah.

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APPRAISER: This is
a rare football.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: I, I'm, I don't know
if, if one, another one actually
exists that's, that's signed

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by Otto Graham. The other thing
about this football is, we don't
know the exact provenance.

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GUEST: No.

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APPRAISER: We're assuming that
it was probably used or issued
for a game, at the very least.

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And that's what I'm going to
value it... GUEST: My
grandfather kind of implied

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that it was, but no proof.

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APPRAISER: Now, it's
not a great signature.

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GUEST: Sure. APPRAISER:
Definitely has, has aged.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: And Otto Graham
signatures are not rare, because
he passed away in 2003.

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GUEST: Yeah.

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APPRAISER: But he signed this
contemporaneous with his
career...

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GUEST: Yeah. APPRAISER:
...which makes this, again,

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rare and desirable, even though
it's not in great condition. If
I were putting an auction

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estimate on it...
GUEST: Uh-huh.

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APPRAISER: ...I'd put
$2,500 to $3,000.

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GUEST: Okay. Okay. That's great.

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APPRAISER: To insure it, I'd
insure it for at least $5,000.

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GUEST: Okay. That's
good. That's great.