Pro Set

Remember Pro Set, the champion overproducer of sports cards?It filed for bankruptcy Aug. 20, 1992, and had been operating under Chapter 11 protection. Two weeks ago, its creditors approved a plan that will allow Pro Set to emerge from Chapter 11.That clears the way for Pro Set to be sold to Power Entertainment, a new company formed by Chadwick, Chambers & Associates of Houston, later this month."The challenge is to re-establish credibility with collectors," said Pro Set's vice president of sales Ken Parlini, who was in Baltimore last weekend for Diamond Comic Distributors' annual retail seminar.

It came in the last game of the set - the Bryan brothers' famed chest bump. It came after a point in which each brother had made a terrific play. Bob made the first, keeping the ball in play with an amazing backward backhand on what looked like a winner. Mike made the next, splitting Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri with a winning, driving volley deep into the middle of the court. Mike looked at Bob, and Bob at Mike. Smiles burst out. A hand slap. And then, the leap into the air for the bump.

Pro Set, which has been trying to get back on its feet since filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors, has garnered enough financing to produce its NFL and NHL lines.The second series of NFL cards came out in time for holiday shopping, but, for the most part, Baltimore collectors and dealers are ignoring it.Harry Sponseller of Straightaway Center in Glen Burnie thinks the company is out of touch with collectors."They went Chapter 11, and they can pull themselves up, but they have to do something," Sponseller says.

Winning the big points early proved beneficial for Poly's Michael Fowler. For Western's Portia Wood, it was a simple case of lasting power. Fowler captured the Baltimore City boys singles title with a straight-set win over City's Maurice Chalmus, while Wood claimed her third straight girls title with a three-set marathon win over City's Anna Friedman at Clifton Park yesterday. In a 6-1, 6-3 win, Fowler - counting on a big first serve and solid ground strokes - opened his match with a break of serve and then won consecutive deuce games to take charge in the first set. Chalmus tried to rally in the second set, breaking Fowler with a love game to close within 4-3, but the latter got the break right back with a big return finding the left corner the pivotal point at 30-40.

For the past several months, there have been rumors about Pro Set's financial stability. They have turned out to be true.On Aug. 20, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas, Pro Set filed for relief under Chapter 11. The filing protects Pro Set's assets from seizure by its creditors, giving it breathing room to reorganize and set up a repayment schedule. Earlier in the month, Robert J. McLaughlin had replaced founder Lud Denny in running the company.The move is of obvious significance to its creditors, banks and licensors.

Now that Topps has removed its gum, leaving collectors with reasonably pristine cards coming out of wax/foil/plastic packs, Pro Set is ready to give them something to chew on.It's candy in a big way, a large, round confection packaged with three cards (the cards come in a plastic sleeve that keeps the chocolate off) and called Puck. It's for hockey-card fans with a sweet tooth.The package, black foil, announces it as candy with three cards enclosed. Clearly, the emphasis is on chocolate, not cards.

Pro Set is moving into the premium-card market with NFL Pro Set Platinum, which is expected to be available after Labor Day. The 300-card set will be issued in two series, and 12-card packs are expected to retail for $1.25.The cards are similar to Topps' Stadium Club with their glossy look and borderless fronts. According to Pro Set spokesman Chris Widmaier, the glossy coating isn't just for looks: It's to make the cards virtually unbendable, a plus for collectors.Backs are eye-catching. Horizontal photos take up two-thirds of the back, and they're the showpieces.

When Notre Dame star Raghib "Rocket" Ismail signed with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts last weekend, it sent National Football League teams scrambling. The man who was generally thought to be one of the top draft picks had thrown the first round a little out of whack.For the card companies planning for the upcoming season, it was somewhat less upsetting.Pro Set was ready with a card of Russell Maryland, the top pick from the University of Miami, as a Dallas Cowboys rookie.

According to most calendars, this is baseball season.But the football season has begun at your local sports card dealer's.Pro Set's 447-card Series I was in first and will be followed this month by Action Packed, Topps and Fleer.This year, Pro Set has redesigned its cards, using larger photographs front and back, a design first used on its 1990 Final Update set. Thirty percent of the cards will employ a horizontal format.It's not an error. There are two No. 1s in this set, Emmitt Smith and Mark Carrier, because Pro Set crowned co-Rookies of the Year.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have been linked since the 1979 NCAA final. They entered the NBA the next season and presided over its resurgence.It's not surprising they were the players NBA Entertainment Inc. chose as the subjects of hourlong videos that come with special-edition trading cards. The videos are biographical and heavy on highlight footage.SkyBox sponsors "Magic Johnson: Always Showtime," which follows Johnson's career from basketball-toting tyke (Johnson home movies) through his extraordinary high school and college years to NBA champion and Most Valuable Player.

COLLEGE PARK -- The reserve fullback weighs 190 pounds, and neither of the tight ends has played a down in Division I-A.Maryland coach Mark Duffner says that improved personnel and a need for better balance are behind the renovation of his offense during spring practice, which begins tomorrow. There are some more compelling reasons, however, for the Terps' move from a one-back, four-receiver offense to a two-back set.Besides the statistical evidence that defensive coordinators have wised up to the run-and-shoot, that scheme may have been too complex for a young offense last season.

Remember Pro Set, the champion overproducer of sports cards?It filed for bankruptcy Aug. 20, 1992, and had been operating under Chapter 11 protection. Two weeks ago, its creditors approved a plan that will allow Pro Set to emerge from Chapter 11.That clears the way for Pro Set to be sold to Power Entertainment, a new company formed by Chadwick, Chambers & Associates of Houston, later this month."The challenge is to re-establish credibility with collectors," said Pro Set's vice president of sales Ken Parlini, who was in Baltimore last weekend for Diamond Comic Distributors' annual retail seminar.

Pro Set, which has been trying to get back on its feet since filing for Chapter 11 protection from creditors, has garnered enough financing to produce its NFL and NHL lines.The second series of NFL cards came out in time for holiday shopping, but, for the most part, Baltimore collectors and dealers are ignoring it.Harry Sponseller of Straightaway Center in Glen Burnie thinks the company is out of touch with collectors."They went Chapter 11, and they can pull themselves up, but they have to do something," Sponseller says.

Magic Johnson's Sept. 29 announcement that he was returning to the NBA was early enough that, of the major companies producing NBA sets, only Fleer won't have Johnson in its first series.After his retirement, Johnson signed an exclusive agreement with SkyBox International Inc., maker of NBA Hoops and SkyBox. Once he renounced his retirement and signed a contract, he was again covered by the NBA players association's licensing agreements.Hoops, with an eight-card subset, and SkyBox, with a five-card subset, ended up having a jump on their competitors rather than an exclusive.

For the past several months, there have been rumors about Pro Set's financial stability. They have turned out to be true.On Aug. 20, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas, Pro Set filed for relief under Chapter 11. The filing protects Pro Set's assets from seizure by its creditors, giving it breathing room to reorganize and set up a repayment schedule. Earlier in the month, Robert J. McLaughlin had replaced founder Lud Denny in running the company.The move is of obvious significance to its creditors, banks and licensors.

The NFL's annual college draft was last week. Star Pics made its selections during the winter so its 1992 Pro Prospects Football CardArt set would be ready for collectors next month.It gets help from Pro Football Weekly, which compiles the information on the card backs and evaluates the players. But Star Pics, unlike most prognosticators, can't pick everyone eligible. It can only select players who are not tied to other card companies by exclusive deals."Overall, it looks pretty strong," says Star Pics' Julie Yolles.

Magic Johnson's Sept. 29 announcement that he was returning to the NBA was early enough that, of the major companies producing NBA sets, only Fleer won't have Johnson in its first series.After his retirement, Johnson signed an exclusive agreement with SkyBox International Inc., maker of NBA Hoops and SkyBox. Once he renounced his retirement and signed a contract, he was again covered by the NBA players association's licensing agreements.Hoops, with an eight-card subset, and SkyBox, with a five-card subset, ended up having a jump on their competitors rather than an exclusive.

The NFL's annual college draft was last week. Star Pics made its selections during the winter so its 1992 Pro Prospects Football CardArt set would be ready for collectors next month.It gets help from Pro Football Weekly, which compiles the information on the card backs and evaluates the players. But Star Pics, unlike most prognosticators, can't pick everyone eligible. It can only select players who are not tied to other card companies by exclusive deals."Overall, it looks pretty strong," says Star Pics' Julie Yolles.

It's golf weather, and, for people who follow the men's golf tours, Pro Set has the cards.The third edition of PGA Tour cards is 300 strong, up from 285 last year. It features players of PGA Tour and PGA Senior Tour as well as top European Tour and Ben Hogan Tour players. There are special cards honoring Ben Hogan and Chip Beck's record-tying round of 59. There are also 5,000 randomly inserted Ben Hogan commemorative holograms.As the official card of the PGA Tour, Pro Set has access to the tour's photographic library, and it uses that privilege to good advantage.

Now that Topps has removed its gum, leaving collectors with reasonably pristine cards coming out of wax/foil/plastic packs, Pro Set is ready to give them something to chew on.It's candy in a big way, a large, round confection packaged with three cards (the cards come in a plastic sleeve that keeps the chocolate off) and called Puck. It's for hockey-card fans with a sweet tooth.The package, black foil, announces it as candy with three cards enclosed. Clearly, the emphasis is on chocolate, not cards.