Tramel's ScissorTales: After 35 years, Alan Marchese stepping away from Al's card shop

Alan Marchese was getting nervous. He’d been in the restaurant business for 12 years, a top manager at Ken’s Pizza — remember Ken's? — but had lost his job in corporate downsizing.

This was 1987. Marchese didn’t want to return to the restaurant business; he was doing a little custodial work on the side to help pay the bills. But things were getting tight.

Then an old college buddy called with an idea. The buddy had a massive baseball card collection and a friend with money to invest. They wanted to open a card store in Edmond. Would Marchese be interested in operating it?

That Ken’s Pizza downsizing? “A blessing in disguise,” Marchese says today.

That card shop became the iconic Al’s Sports Cards & Gaming, which still is going strong. But Marchese is phasing out. He sold his shop to family friend Rob McAuley. Since February 5, Marchese has been a consultant, helping McAuley learn the ropes.

“I had several people wanting to buy the business and probably would have offered more, but he was the right guy for the job,” Marchese said. “Kind of had that fire in his belly. I think he’ll be a good fit.”

No matter the fit, Marchese’s act will be difficult to follow.

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“He is an icon and mentor to three generations of customers from all corners of Oklahoma and surrounding states,” said customer Steve Reese, of Reese Energy Consulting, Inc. “He is a very honest, humble man who has been a positive influence on hundreds of young sports fans here in the metro.”

And not-so-young sports fans.

My 30-year colleague Scott Munn, who recently went to work as an editor for the State House of Representatives, will miss Marchese.

Munn is a big collector who was the first clerk at The Old Ballpark, probably the pioneer sports-card shop in OKC. But The Old Ballpark closed decades ago.

“Since The Old Ballpark closed, Al’s has been the place to go,” Munn said. “I was able to get back in the hobby, because of Al’s.

“He stuck with the hobby during the down times, the good times, and right now they’re pretty good. He really was for the hobby.”

Marchese, 76, grew up in northeast Oklahoma City.

“I eat and breathed baseball, from the time I was about 8 years old,” Marchese said. And yes, he would put his baseball cards in the spokes of his bicycle wheels.

“No telling how many (Mickey) Mantle cards we buggered up,” Marchese said. Willie “Mays, (Hank) Aaron, all that.”

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His family moved to north Oklahoma City when he was a little older, 126^th and Bryant Avenue, and went to Lone Star, a country school, before eventually landing at Edmond Memorial.

Marchese was a big Yankee fan, because of Mantle. He collected Mantle and Roger Maris, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford cards. Marchese would pick up a pack of cards whenever he could.

His collection was quite large when he went to then-Central State University in 1965.

But one day when he returned home, the shoebox full of cards was gone.

“No one knows what happened to that shoebox,” Marchese said. “I think my sister was the culprit.”

No matter. Marchese for years has traded in some of the hobby’s coolest collectibles. His most prized possession probably is a Mantle-signed Sports Illustrated cover.

The shop has changed over the years. Marchese bought out his partners in 1994, when it was Edmond Baseball Cards, Inc.

Back then, most collecting was cards, and most sports cards were baseball. Football and basketball were just making inroads with kids and collectors.

It’s different now. The top 10 selling cards in 2022 included just two baseball players – Mantle and Mike Trout. Football players Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and basketball players Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Steph Curry round out the top 10.

The shops are different now, too. Fewer of them and much more diverse products.

“Millions of shops in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Marchese said. “So many of ‘em dropped out.”

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The prices of cards have soared — the 50-cent packs long are gone — and the business changed with gaming.

Pokemon cards arrived in 1997, which begat Yu-gi-oh tournaments, and Al’s regularly hosted such events. In those days, he opened an hour early on Saturdays, from the appointed 11 a.m., to accommodate the kids.

Marchese said he felt like a rock star. He’d arrive at the shop, and dozens of kids were waiting, lined up with their binders, so they trade and play. Pokephenom, he calls it. Sports customers would have to step over the kids sitting in the floors, trading Pokemon.

Stars Wars collecting became huge, and Marchese hosted Star Wars tournaments. Magic, mythology, all kinds of genres emerged that made the business thrive.

But sports collecting was Marchese’s passion. Sports collecting and the binds it built.

His most precious memories are the multi-generational customers. Kids he sold to in the 1990s who now are grown, with kids of their own, and father and son collecting together.

“You probably don’t remember who I am, but I remember you,” they tell Marchese.

The business was thriving in 2018-19, then the pandemic hit, and business went, wait for it, up.

"The phenomenal thing was … guys were confined to the house, pulling collections out, sending cards off to get graded, things on eBay escalated,” Marchese said. “That led to a rush on packs and boxes. Couldn’t hardly get it in fast enough, ‘20 and ‘21. Just great years. Just more demand than supply.”

Helping McAuley learn the supply and demand sides will keep Marchese around Al’s for awhile, and card shows always will draw him in.

But “it’s probably time to turn it over and do a few other things,” said the man who a long time ago put baseball cards in his bicycle spokes. “It’s been definitely a fun ride.”

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Big 12 Tournament goes hip

New Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said he wants to make his conference hip. We all sort of smirked at the thought. Middle America is many things. Hip is not on the list.

But danged if Yormark isn’t giving it the old college try.

The Big 12 announced Wednesday that Grammy-nominated hip-hop legend Fat Joe will perform a VIP-only set after the Big 12 Tournament men’s semifinals in Kansas City next week, and noted disc jockey DJ Diesel — you might know him as Shaquille O’Neal — will perform at 10 p.m. Saturday March 10, in the Power & Light District that is adjacent to the T-Mobile Center.

Additionally, the Big 12 has hired American Idol star Jordin Sparks to sing the national anthem at the men’s championship game, and the conference will extend its partnership with A Bathing Ape, the trendy Japanese fashion brand.

Whether that connects with the fans driving in from McPherson, Kansas, or Shawnee, Oklahoma, or Fort Dodge, Iowa, who knows?

But give Yormark credit. He said he wanted to make the Big 12 more hip, and hipper it is.

“These enhancements are the latest in a series of entertainment partnerships and collaborations the Big 12 has executed as it continues to market itself as the intersection of sports and culture,” the conference said in a release.

The Big 12 and A Bathing Ape have created a limited-edition Big 12/BAPE t-shirt that features each school’s logo circling the BAPE insignia. The legendary BAPE camouflage marks will also be featured across videoboards and signage throughout Municipal Auditorium (women’s tournament) and T-Mobile Center (men’s).

BAPE, you might remember, also sponsored the Big 12 football championship game last December, complete with camouflage Big 12 logos placed at each 25-yard line.

Count me all in on the endeavors. I think some of it — most of it — is silly. I also think I’m the kind of demographic the Big 12 already has. It doesn’t need to please my crowd. It needs to reach new audiences.

“As we continue to elevate the Big 12 brand, we are thrilled to introduce a series of enhancements that will make the fan experience at our basketball championships second to none,” Yormark said. “The Big 12 Conference is a basketball powerhouse — as we thread the fabric connecting sports and culture, the conference will continue to offer an array of off-court entertainment features, as well.”

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Give the Big 12 credit for trying. The league also has partnered with the KC Current, Kansas City’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise. The KC Current’s Blue Crew — the club’s official supporter group — will attend each of the women’s tournament games, promising a KC Current “takeover” for the women’s semifinals on Saturday, March 11.

And just to prove I’m all-in, I’m not even bitter about the media being removed from the courtside seats.

We long ago lost those seats in Norman and Stillwater and virtually everywhere else. But the NCAA Tournaments and Big 12 Tournament were among the last holdouts.

Yormark’s team has created a “Championship Club,” a premium food and beverage experience accessible only for the 200-plus courtside seats.

Hey, it was good while it lasted. If it helps Yormark fortify the Big 12, I don’t mind moving up to the hockey pressbox, even if the game looks like you’re viewing through a microscope.

There’s more. Sneaker artist Kickstradomis will create a custom pair of Big 12-inspired kicks, to be given away via a social media contest.

And the Big 12 has partnered with Levy Restaurants to produce “foodie-focused” menu items at T-Mobile concessions, with each school getting its own specialized item.

OSU: Pistol Pete’s OSU Fried Corn (elote-style bacon-fried corn topped with crushed Doritos).

OU: Stormin’ from Norman Oklahoma Taco (frybread topped with ground beef, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, beans, onions and chili.

Now that stuff, I can relate to.

Give Yormark credit. He’s trying to make the Big 12 relatable all.

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Thunder back to reverse standings

The Thunder came out of the all-star break last week with a chance to reach .500 and move into the top 10 of the jam-packed Western Conference. Teams that finish 7-10 qualify for the play-in tournament, which will produce the final two teams for each conference in the eight-team playoff.

But now the Thunder has lost four straight to fall to 28-33, 13^th in the 15-team West. OKC came by its losing streak honest – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has missed three straight games with injury and now has entered NBA health and safety protocol, so he’ll miss more games.

The Thunder is three-fourths of the way through the season – 21 games remain – and while making the play-in tournament remains quite viable, it’s also not likely.

I have vacillated all season on how to read the NBA standings. For much of the year, I read them upside down. How did the Thunder rank when it comes to lottery odds?

Then the Thunder mounted a charge and I turned the standings right side up. A play-in tournament would have been a balm for a fan base that grew accustomed to the postseason but had gone two straight years without playoffs.

The standings are back upside down. And the lottery remains a major part of the OKC rebuild. When the Thunder seemed a possible play-in team, a lottery selection in the 12-13 range was likely. But now the Thunder is back in the 7-8 range for lottery chances.

OKC has the NBA’s eighth-worst record. At 28-33, the Thunder is slightly worse than the Wizards (29-32), Blazers (29-32) and Lakers (29-33). The Thunder is slightly better than the Bulls (28-34) and Pacers (28-35).

All those teams with the exception of Indiana is all-in on the postseason. The Thunder is not.

That doesn’t mean OKC is tanking. But it does mean the Thunder is not going to suspend its developmental plan — giving minutes to young players, nursing injuries, etc. — to chase more victories.

The Thunder easily could end up with the sixth-best lottery odds. That would give OKC a puncher’s chance at the No. 1 prize, French phenom Victor Wembanyama. And even though Wembanyama is a longshot no matter where the Thunder falls, lots of intriguing prospects await. Remember, OKC got Santa Clara Williams at No. 12 last summer.

This has been a fun season. Lots of thrills, lots of hope. Even a playoff race.

But it seems the Thunder is about to slide back into the lottery race. And that’s OK. That’s best for the franchise long-term. Read the standings upside down.

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Mailbag: OU vs. Illinois-Chicago

The ascension of OU softball leads to all kinds of things, including scheduling analysis. OU hosts Illinois-Chicago at 3 p.m. Friday in the Sooner home opener, part of the OU Tournament.

William: “Now this is a matchup! Arguably the best college softball team ever against 0-13 UIC.”

Tramel: Well, let’s hold our horses on best college softball team ever. We’ve just finished February, and the Sooners already have lost, so they’re not indestructible.

I have no idea why Illinois-Chicago is 0-13. The Flames, of course, have been playing in southern tournaments and have played tough competition. They played in Tampa last weekend and lost twice to Tennessee, plus once each to Michigan State, Clemson and South Florida. The week before, in Fresno, California, UIC lost 4-3 in eight innings to Fresno State.

But Illinois-Chicago also lost twice to Idaho State. So the Flames clearly are challenged.

Here’s what I wanted to say. Illinois-Chicago once was quite potent. I covered UIC in the 1994 Women’s College World Series.

The Flames lost to Arizona 8-0, then to UCLA 9-0. Both were five-inning games, ended by the run rule.

I remember Illinois-Chicago Mike McGovern ripping the NCAA for having a run rule in the World Series, though it certainly seemed like a good idea at the time. Still does. The rule still exists in the WCWS, except in the championship series.

The Flames are part of Chicagoland’s proud softball heritage. In addition to UIC’s trip to Oklahoma City in 1994, Northwestern made the WCWS three times before the event came to Oklahoma, and the Wildcats have been three times since, including last season. And DePaul has made it to OKC four times for the World Series – 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2007.

Chicago has good softball. Just maybe not this season at UIC.

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The List: Playoff droughts

The Sacramento Kings, the NBA’s best success story of the 2022-23 season, came to Oklahoma City this week and swept the Thunder, 124-115 and 123-117, to solidify third place in the Western Conference.

The 36-25 Kings, on pace for 48 wins, now are closer to second-place Memphis (37-23) than to fourth-place Phoenix (33-29). And the longest playoff drought in major-league American sports is about to end.

The Kings last made the playoffs in 2006; that’s the season the NBA came to Oklahoma City, with the relocated Hornets. Seventeen years ago. That 17-year drought is an NBA record.

Here are the 10 longest current playoff droughts among the four major American team sports:

1. Sacramento Kings: The Kings last made the playoffs in 2006, the Mike Bibby/Peja Stojakovic days.

2. New York Jetropolitans: The Jets’ last playoff team was 2010, coached by Rex Ryan.

3. Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres last made the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2011. Good things the Bills are riding high.

4. Detroit Tigers: The 2014 wild-card round was Detroit’s last playoff appearance.

5. Los Angeles Angels: The Angels’ last playoff game was the same day as Detroit’s, on October 5, 2014, but the Angels at least played later in the day.

6. Kansas City Royals: KC won the 2015 World Series and hasn’t returned to the postseason.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates: No playoff baseball for Pittsburgh since 2015, in almost eight years, and no relief in sight.

8. Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning led the 2015 Broncos to victory in Super Bowl 50, but that was Denver’s most recent playoff game.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Charlotte made the 2016 NBA playoffs but wase eliminated by Miami and hasn’t returned since.

10. Detroit RedWings: Hockeytown hasn’t had a playoff team since 2016.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. 

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Alan Marchese steps away from Al's Sports Cards & Gaming in Edmond