Let me start by stating, I've never spent more than one minute with Paul Hornung. I don’t know him as a person, but know he was one of the greatest football players of all time.

I recently attended a card show in my area and was chatting to a few different dealers, and somehow Hornung’s name came up. Not one, two, but three dealers pitched in with stories of how much of an "arrogant jerk "Hornung was to them when they met him at autograph signings. They gave me detailed stories and these guys seemed very credible.

I've also heard this from a few other Packers collectors who have met Hornung. Mainly, they use terms like “arrogant” and “pompous.”

Like I said, I never really spent much time with the man … Just shook his hand at a game once or twice. And that brings me to my question. Do stories that you hear from other people effect your opinion on your hero?

Anybody who has been in the hobby for a few years has heard great stories and horrible ones about how their favorite players act to the fans.

Every time I see a piece of Hornung now, in the back of my mind I remember those bad stories.
Is it right to base an opinion on someone who you don’t even know?

Has anyone else asked themselves these questions? I am curious to hear others opinions and experiences.

Feel free to drop me an email and we can share them with our SCD readers. chris.nerat@fwpubs.com