One of the great discussions among sports enthusiasts is the question of "Who was the most dominant athlete ever?" Many people point to New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth. Ruth was unquestionably the most dominant athlete of his day, one of the best pitchers in baseball that became a hitting legend, leading the league in home runs twelve times, slugging percentage thirteen times, runs scored eight times, and runs batted in six times. When Ruth set a single season record of 60 home runs in 1927, he clouted more round-trippers by himself than every other team in the American League, while posting an astounding .356 batting average. Basketball experts point to Wilt Chamberlain as the most dominant. A 7'1" behemoth, Wilt "The Stilt" ruled the NBA like a man among children, leading the league in points seven times, rebounds twelve times, and averaged over 50 points and 25 rebounds per game in 1961. A case can be made for both of these fine athletes, clearly dominant in their respective sports, but neither are the correct answer. The most dominant athlete in any sport, at any time ... ever, is 'The Great One", Wayne Gretzky!
Wayne Gretzky was a seventeen-time All-Star, six-time goal scoring champion, sixteen-time assist king, and nine-time Most Valuable Player. Gretzky re-wrote the NHL record books, holding forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and six All-Star records upon his retirement in 1999. He is the only NHL player ever to total over 200 points in a season, a feat he accomplished four times! In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively. Of the top ten all-time goal scoring seasons, four of them belong to Gretzky, including the top two (94 goals in 1981-82, and 87 goals in 1983-84). Of the top twelve all-time assist seasons, ten were accomplished by Gretzky, including the top seven, and only one player in NHL history (Mario Lemieux in 1988-89) has topped the 100 assist mark in a single season; Gretzky has done it eleven times! The previous record for total points in a season was 152, by Phil Esposito in 1970-71, and Gretzky surpassed it ten times, with eight of the top ten spots for total points in a season belonging to Gretzky. In fact, Gretzky has AVERAGED more points per season over his 20-year career than Esposito's scored in his record-setting single season. And Gretzky has won four Stanley Cup Championships. "The Great One" indeed!
With this in mind, Mile High Card Company is proud to offer a game-used Edmonton Oilers jersey, worn by the most dominant athlete in sports history, Wayne Gretzky, during the 1984-85 season, when he led the NHL with 73 goals, 135 assists, 208 points, and was named Most Valuable Player. The key element that makes this jersey an authentic “gamer” is the customization. The sleeve endings have been trimmed, hemmed, and narrowed, removing three to four inches of material. As a result, the mid-arm has also been narrowed, the interior elbow reinforcements have been custom cut in half, and on the left elbow, the interior pad material is ½” above the top blue stitch seam. The jersey has one team repair reinforced from the interior on the back left arm, and another on the blue mesh near the back collar trim, also reinforced, and exhibits solid, consistent game wear throughout. Inside the bottom of the back is written “84-85” in black marker, with Gretzky’s staple “velcro swatch” on the inner right side. The jersey was originally sourced, through a member of the Oilers training and equipment staff and comes with a letter from the club attesting to its authenticity. LOA from Lou Lampson, GAI, Mile High Card Co.