Excellent proposal. I agree 100% as well. I have missed being able to hand over a physical card at the end of a wonderful flight or after an AC agent saved my schedule by rerouting me after cancellations or delays. Getting somebody's name and employee number on a napkin for me to write to Customer Relations later just is not the same.
AAdvantage numbers (and serial numbers) pre-printed on the cards is a great idea. It would allow Customer Service to keep an eye on how many cards each elite member distributes and stop sending cards to people who abuse the system to gain upgrades or other perks.
PLEASE BRING BACK THE SOS PROGRAM!