Football Contest: Week 3

This week's fare is a repack box from Target.  It includes 4 packs, 50 cards, and a bonus.

Unfortunately, one of the packs is Sage Hit, which is a college-only product.  It will not be included.  The other three packs are 2009 UD Icons, 2009 SP Signature Edition, and 2010 Absolute Memorabilia.

In total, we have 50+10+6+5= 71 cards this week.  The bonus item...well, you'll see that somewhere below.

I find football repacks more tolerable than baseball repacks because I haven't seen as much of the football stuff.  Here is a sampling of some of the cards I liked:

The Brady had me confused at first, but I found out it is from the All-Star team set.


Time for some games:

NEW YORK GIANTS 3, CAROLINA PANTHERS 1
>>> Not too much exciting going on here, though Mario Manningham appears to be enjoying himself.

CHICAGO BEARS 7, ST. LOUIS RAMS 2
>>> This was an all base affair, believe it or not.  7 base cards in 71 total cards is impressive.

BUFFALO BILLS 11, CLEVELAND BROWNS 4
>>> Bills only hit one base card, but land a CJ Spiller Relic (+10) to cruise to the win. 

DALLAS COWBOYS 6, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 0
>>> I gave a bonus point to the Cowboys for the "Too Tall" card because it's awesome when they put the nickname on the front of the card.  That bonus point really didn't matter.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 0

MIAMI DOLPHINS 6, NEW YORK JETS 2
>>> The Dolphins had my favorite card in the box.  Some of those mid-'90s Finest cards are so nice looking.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 3, MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 6, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 4

DETROIT LIONS 5, TENNESSEE TITANS 0
>>> In the first (and hopefully only) 0-0 card matchup, the Lions take the win thanks to the box bonus (+5):

CINCINNATI BENGALS 3, WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2

ARIZONA CARDINALS 3, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 0

ATLANTA FALCONS 3, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1
>>> The DeAngelo Hall (Former Hokie bonus point!) made the difference in this matchup.

HOUSTON TEXANS 1, DENVER BRONCOS 0
>>> It's always good to have an off week when your opponent puts up the goose egg.  I'm sure the Colts above would agree.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 3, PITTSBURGH STEELERS 3
>>> 3 base cards for each team, but the Raiders get the win because one of the Steelers cards was Plaxico Burress.  I guess you could say he shot them in the foot.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 8, BALTIMORE RAVENS 1
>>> The black Brady and that sweet art card up top helped the Pats own the Ravens.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 4, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2
>>> Each team had 2 base cards, but the Packers picked up an extra two points for the ToppsGold card up top.  Not even replacement refs could get this wrong.


8 teams started the week at 2-0, and only half of them survived Week 3.  It's no surprise that the Patriots are off to a good start, but joining them are the Dolphins, Bears, and Saints.  Five teams will still be looking for their first win in Week 4, including the Seahawks, who are averaging just 1 point per game.

Current standings:

Shoebox Card #16

1990 Mother's Cookies #4 Nolan Ryan 5,000 K's 

It's not as cool as the first one, but it's still Nolan Ryan, which is awesome.

Shoebox Card #15

There were about a dozen copies of this card throughout the boxes.  I kept flip-flopping as to whether it should be in the notable 100.  Ultimately, there's just something alluring about this card.  Is he Randy? Yes. Is he Ready? Yes.  Yeah baby.

This card also lead me toward an idea for some future posts. I'm thinking I need to have a series called, "Smelt It or Dealt It?"

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #143

It's kind of amazing this guy went from a 100% defensive catcher (no hitting potential) to a hitting coach.  Not many folks improve that much on their weakness throughout their careers.  Impressive.

Shoebox Card #14

Hey, I found one!

I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the sticker went from sheet to card.  Kids are crazy, man.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #142

I got an Atomic Refractor of John Patterson in 1999 Bowman's Best. That's far more exciting than anything I read about him.

Shoebox Card #13

1991 Score #893 Benny Santiago Dream Team

I love these dream team cards.  This wasn't the only one in the boxes, so I'll be showing more as we go.

Weird-Oh Wednesday #18b

I find it funny that the spitball seems to be the most accepted form of cheating, yet had the most direct effect on the game.

1,000

This is my 1,000th post.

I really can't even wrap my head around the fact I've put out 1,000 posts. 


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If I was on a 2013 Topps card, though, the back would include this:

CAREER CHASE: With 1,000 posts, Spankee is 7,400 away from 30-Year Old Cardboard's all-time record of 8,400.


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To my readers,

Thank you.

 

- Spankee

 

 

 

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #141

Livan wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
'Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town

Livan, Livan likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spend his days counting
In a garage by the motorway

He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today

And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Livan
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Livan

Livan sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly

And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Livan far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Livan, Livan slowly dies

I never figured Elton John to be a Hernandez fan, but he did pitch for the Braves briefly.

Shoebox Card #12

This should be a HOFer RC.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #140

 

2006 marked the beginning of a string of 6 straight season with Halladay finishing in the Top 5 for Cy Young voting, including his second CYA win in 2010.

Football Contest: Week 2

Week 2's packs are all about Prestige.  Included are: 3-2012 Prestige Retail Packs, 1-2012 Prestige Rack Pack, and 1-2009 Prestige Retail Pack.  All in all, that's 86 cards.  Most of the matchups in this week were determined just by base cards.  There were some inserts, but not many.  2012 Prestige included some "Stars of the NFL":

and some "Prestigious Picks":

Now for this week's matchups:

CHICAGO BEARS 5, GREEN BAY PACKERS 4
>>> The Urlacher "Stars of the NFL" insert makes the difference here.  Defense wins championships.  Peppers and Urlacher have the Bears sitting at 2-0.

BUFFALO BILLS 4, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 3

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2, CAROLINA PANTHERS 1

CINCINNATI BENGALS 5, CLEVELAND BROWNS 1
>>> Each team landed 1 regular base card, but a pair of rookies put the Bengals on top.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 3, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1

HOUSTON TEXANS 6, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2
>>> The Texans had the Jaguars defeated on base card alone, but piled on with a nice looking insert:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4, ARIZONA CARDINALS 1
>>> The Cardinals got Gronked.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 7, NEW YORK GIANTS 4
>>> The Bucs had an impressive 5 base cards and the nice Doug Martin Insert above to take the game.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 6, BALTIMORE RAVENS 2
>>> The Eagles landed a week-high 6 base cards to dominate this matchup.

ST. LOUIS RAMS 1, WASHINGTON REDSKINS 0
>>> The Skins fall victim to the week's only shutout, and the Rams still only squeak by.

DALLAS COWBOYS 4, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1
>>> The Cowboys won thanks to Romo, who wins Card of the Week honors:

MIAMI DOLPHINS 7, OAKLAND RAIDERS 1
>>> After dropping the Texans 6-1 in Week 1, the Dolphins trounce the Raiders in Week 2.

NEW YORK JETS 3, PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 5, TENNESSEE TITANS 4
>>> A RC saves the day for the Chargers.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 4, DETROIT LIONS 3

DENVER BRONCOS 4, ATLANTA FALCONS 2
>>> A late RC appearance puts the Broncos on top.


Updated Standings:

Shoebox Card #11

"Who wants a moustache ride?"

Man that guy was hilarious in Super Troopers.

Collector's Cache

I recently saw Chris Olds rip one of these, so I went out on my lunch break and picked one up.  He grabbed his because there was a 2003 Flair jumbo boxtopper in there as the guaranteed auto or relic.  I found two that had 2003 Flair jumbos, and I figured I would take a chance on one.  I'm glad I did.   There was also a third box there that didn't have a jumbo relic.  I could see the relic inside that one and tell that it was a Portraits relic of some sort because it had a pullout relic.  I could see part of the front and it was a twins player.  Upon further research at home, I determined based on the corner of the picture that it was a Michael Cuddyer.  That raised a dilemma: do I spend $15 knowing that I'm getting a $5 relic or just pass.  I passed.  It still bothers me, but such is life.  I was there to get a Flair jumbo, and that's what I did.

As you can see on the sticker, the cache includes:

1 Storage Case - I already had a couple of these boxes.  I like them. That's already $3-5 value right there.

Over 500 Cards (6 decades) - So, that's '10s, '00s, '90s, '80s, '70s, '60s...not bad.  Most of them will be of the "here, you throw these away" variety, but should be fun nonetheless.

1 Game Used or Autograph card - Ok, most probably suck, but the 2003 Flair jumbo cards look pretty cool.

1 Major League Collector's Patch -  The box shows a Yankee Stadium patch.  Whatever, it's pretty cool and adds a little value.  Maybe I can turn the patch into some custom cards?

 3 Factory Sealed Packs - You can see inside the box, so you know what you're getting here. Don't expect greatness.

1 One-touch - who doesn't love one-touch magnetic cases.  Seriously. There's another $1 of value right there.

COLLECTOR COINS!!! - aka 1990 Topps Coins. I'm not sure exactly how many are in there, but there are a ton.  Like maybe 100-150.

So, let's see how I did:

I'm showing the coins first because they practically poured out of this thing.  Somehow, I didn't manage to get a complete set, despite getting at lest 5-6 of Ripken, Griffey, and several others.  I added these to my want list.  I still need: 18,19,20,22,25,26,28,30,35,36,39,45,59,60.

My patch is the same as the one on the sticker.  Pretty cool, though, and a decent size. 

I can't imagine anyone is surprised to see '90 Donruss, Opening Day, and First Edition in here.  For a great video on how to open 1990 Donruss, go here.  While the Donruss and FE sucked, the Opening Day was actually a really good pack:

A blue, a Mascot, a Wright, AND and Upton

The 500+ cards in the box were fun to flip through, much like the shoebox cards I'm showing on the blog.  I only scanned a few, and I'm pretty sure it's the first time Prospects Plus and '88 Leaf have been scanned together:

Scherzer, Zimmerman, and Heyward is a decent trio of cards.  I've never had any '88 Leaf.  That logo is huge.  Pretty cool.

As for older cards:

I gotta say it's cool to get these from a repack box.  The most notable cards were these two:

'69 Niekro and '79 Murphy

Lastly, we get to the 2003 Flair Jumbo Boxtopper.  Each one is roughly the size of an A&G Cabinet card (6"x8" ish) and comes with a full checklist:

You can see it's a pretty good checklist.

I was extremely happy with the card I got:

Given the size of the card, you can imagine how nice the patch is in person.  The patch itself is around 1.5" x 2".  Pretty awesome.  I think I definitely got my money's worth.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #139

Ryan's entrance music was Slipknot's "Duality".  Great choice.

Football Contest: Coach's Challenge

Kevin, owner of the Minnesota Vikings in my football contest, left a comment at the bottom of the Week 1 post.  His comment: "I want a re-count!" His beloved Vikings lost in a tiebreaker to the Jaguars.  He may have been joking or pointing out the fact that I originally had the standings/records messed up.  However, I took it as a Coach's Challenge.  So, let's breakdown the matchup.

Both teams landed 1 veteran base card and one rookie card.  The Vikings saw Jarius Wright and Chad Greenway

Wright had 22 catches for 310 yards and 2 TDs in his rookie season.  Chad Greenway had 148 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 INT on the season.  Not bad.

As for the Jaguars, they got Andre Branch and Maurice Jones-Drew:

Andre Branch had 12 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in his rookie season.  MJD had 414 yards in just 6 games on the season. 

I stand by the regular scoring that left both teams with 3 points, so I had to come up with a tie breaker.  Upon closer inspection per Kevin's challenge, I made a list of notable items about the cards.  Unfortunately for Kevin, all of the potential tie-breakers I came up with gave the Jags the edge:

Branch went to Clemson, an ACC school.
Branch is from Richmond, VA.
The MJD card has the All-Pro stamp.
I needed the Andre Branch card for my set.

Ultimately, it was the last fact that officially gave the Jags.  I'm trying to complete 2012 Topps Football, so naturally I favored the card that got me closer to completion.

Ruling on the field: Game stands as called.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #138

This is really a great looking A&G card.  I love the Louisville Slugger logo on there.

Cards from that Astros guy

If Sam, aka the Daily Dimwit, liked anyone but the Astros, this trade probably would have happened many months ago.  The problem came down to the fact that I just don't ever have any good Astros stuff (I know, I know...is Astros stuff really ever good?).  Well, not too long ago, I finally pulled an Astro auto from Series 1.  Apparently, it's the only Astro auto in Series 1.  Go figure.

In return, I finally got my grubby mitts on this GQ Ryan Zimmerman auto he's been holding for me:

It's my second Zim auto, and it will pair nicely with the Auto-facts card I got in a Dimwit group break. Sam also sent along some other assorted Nats, including a Zimerald from 2013 Topps:

I guess you could say I'm now passively collecting the Nats.  I'm not going after them, but when I get them, I'll probably keep them in a separate box, now. 

Anyway, thanks for the cards Sam! I'm glad we could finally make a deal for that Zim.