Friday, May 31, 2013

Call me Ishmael

After harpooning my white whale recently, I updated my Scott Sizemore Top Ten Most Wanted List:

1. 2010 Topps 206 Mini Framed Autographs Old Mill
2. 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter #320 Mini No Card Number
3. 2010 Topps #513 Red Border (Factory Set) #/299
4. 2010 Topps #513 Black #/59
5. 2010 Bowman Chrome #189 Red Refractor #/5
6. 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter #320 Mini Silk #/10
7. 2010 Topps Triple Threads Gold #/25
8. 2010 Topps Triple Threads Sapphire #/10
9. 2010 Topps Pro Debut Futures Game Jersey Gold #/25
10. 2010 Topps Pro Debut Futures Game Patch #/5

For the second time in a month, I brought home the top card.  I hadn't seen this card since the product came out in 2010.  It's been that long waiting. 


The amazing part, is that this card isn't even the best part of the package.  I also used combined shipping to grab this for $0.99


The player image is see-through.  I grabbed it for my officemate, a West Virginia alum.  Here's wehre things get interesting.  While I paid combined shipping, it appears these cards were prepackaged as they came separately, and each included a bonus team bag full of cards.  The football cards:



Nothing amazing, though the last card in the package was great:


A nice Jayron Hosley for my VT Hokies collection.  How fortunate!  This was nothing compared to the baseball bonus, though.



Not bad...then I saw this card:


That's a pretty darn nice card to get as a bonus. 

There was one more card in the bonus pack that I absolutely cannot believe was there:


This is the Pie-in-the-Face variation of Heyward's rookie card.  I put this bad boy on eBay.  It's not often you bring home a white whale and make a profit. 

Amazing. 

Anyway, here's my updated Scott Sizemore Top Ten Most Wanted list:

1. 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter #320 Mini No Card Number
2. 2010 Topps #513 Red Border (Factory Set) #/299
3. 2010 Topps #513 Black #/59
4. 2010 Bowman Chrome #189 Red Refractor #/5
5. 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter #320 Mini Silk #/10
6. 2010 Topps Triple Threads Gold #/25
7. 2010 Topps Triple Threads Sapphire #/10
8. 2010 Topps Pro Debut Futures Game Jersey Gold #/25
9. 2010 Topps Pro Debut Futures Game Patch #/5
10. 2006 New York-Penn League Top Prospects
Come to me!

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #179


In 2009, Burnett threw an Immaculate Inning.  Only 46 pitchers have ever done that.  Seven of them appear in this set:

41 Ben Sheets
62 Rich Harden
75 Randy Johnson
88 Jason Isringhausen
127 Pedro Martinez
147 Felix Hernandez
179 AJ Burnett



Thursday, May 30, 2013

2004 Upper Deck Series 2


Yay...more packy packs!


I just didn't do well with Star Rookies in early 2000s Upper Deck.  Then again, I'm not sure Upper Deck did, either.


Everything Vlad Guerrero does makes me hurt.  Everything is so violent.


How often do you see an L-screen on a card?

Last card, best card:


I really like the quotes cards.  I like them so much, I made a custom card of one of my favorite TV quotes of all time:


If you have never seen Breaking Bad, you are truly missing out. It may be the best TV series I've ever seen in my life. 

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #178


In his last season, 2012, Millwood pitch 6 no-hit innings in a game against the Dodgers.  He left the game with a groin injury.  The combined no-hitter was finished by 5 different Mariners pitchers.  That's just pitiful, Dodgers.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

2012 Goodwin Champions


A week ago, I showed you some 2009 Goodwin Champions.  My how things have changed.  I picked up a blaster, some hobby packs, and some retail packs of the 2012 version.

2012 GC is a very bipolar set.  Several of the base cards are fantastic...and much better than the 2009 version:


Those cards are brilliant in many ways.  Unfortunately, though, 2012 also brought along some horrible cards, channeling the 2011 GC set:


Yikes.

 Again, there are short prints:


There are also SSPs:


The Geronimo card is pretty cool.  I've been around tennis almost my entire life, and I've never heard of Malcolm Whitman.  Wikipedia tells me he committed suicide by jumping off an apartment building.  Now I know.


We interrupt this Goodwin Champions broadcast to bring you these completely unrelated inserts.  Wait, you mean these are in GC, too? What? But the card stock, design, and concept aren't similar in the least!  There's no connection whatsoever!  Oh well.


Minis. The Sorenstam mini is really disappointing after seeing the base card. 


Exclusive minis, baby-turd minis, and a shiny mini.  The shiny minis are crap.


Backs.  Wonderful.  Is this over yet?

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #177



Who is #2 on the active career saves list? Cordero.  He's only about 300 behind Mo.  I'm betting he doesn't catch him.


Monday, May 27, 2013

Shoebox Card #33


I'm not sure what it was about this card that made me choose it.  I just Lykes it for some reason.

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter #176


Lugo was drafted in the 43rd round in 1994. Hines Ward, yep, that Hines Ward, was drafted in the 73rd.



Sunday, May 26, 2013

Football Contest: Week 11

The playoff picture is starting to get a little clearer and teams can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  For some teams, that light is a train, so they better change their direction soon.

This week is made up of a bunch of random packs:


There were 2 of the Bowman Draft packs, 2 of the 2012 Bowman, 3 of the Threads, and 1 each of the rest.

For the Bowman Draft cards, some were college cards with no NFL team declared.  I gave points to the teams that drafted or signed those players (though it may count negatively in tiebreaks). Same goes for dual player combine cards, such as this one:

+2 for Bengals, +2 for Giants
 
 
The Bowman Draft packs, also had red parallels, which worked well for the Chargers and Jags:
 


The Vikings, Giants, Seahawks, and Titans have bye weeks this week.

Let's do some games:

BUFFALO BILLS 4, MIAMI DOLPHINS 1
>>> The Bills pull off the big in-division upset with just base cards.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 4, ATLANTA FALCONS 0
>>> The Cardinals didn't need much as the Falcons fell flat.

CAROLINA PANTHERS 7, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 5
>>> The Panthers come up big for their second win of the season thanks to 3 RCs.

DALLAS COWBOYS 3, CLEVELAND BROWNS 3
>>> The first of several ties this week. The Cowboys take the win because one of the Browns cards was a college card.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 8, DETROIT LIONS 4
>>> The Lions didn't really have a chance in this one as the Packers pulled a gem.  Jones had a breakout year this season with 14 TDs.  That helped make this red parallel a hot card to get right now.

James Jones Red Parallel RC

HOUSTON TEXANS 7, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 7
>>> The Jags came to ball in this one with 2 base cards, the red Garrard above, and a gold Bowman RC,

but the Texans take the tie break for two reasons:


Sure, Foster is in his college gear, but he's been a stud for the Texans, and this is a great card.  The Casey mini, is just plain sweet.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 12, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 1
>>> The Chiefs had one base card.  How cute.  The Bengals had 3 base cards, 2 RC, and part of the Combine card above.  Their real big hitter though, was a Gridiron Kings Houshmandzadeh.  I especially love that he appears to be holding some fast food and a Gatorade.  You don't see many of those Gatorade bottles on cards.


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 4, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 3
>>> Both teams had 3 cards, but the Colts hit a RC to give the Pats just their second loss of the season.

ST. LOUIS RAMS 1, NEW YORK JETS 1
>>> One card apiece, but the tie goes to the Steven Jackson card, for these two reasons:

 


WASHINGTON REDSKINS 5, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 0
>>> The Iggles just plain got Orakpo'ed



NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 3, OAKLAND RAIDERS 0
>>> Saints grab the easy win with a few base cards.

DENVER BRONCOS 3, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 3
>>> Each team had 1 base card, and while the Chargers had the red Rivers above, the Broncos get the win because this Terrell Davis Legendary Champions card is really nice:


BALTIMORE RAVENS 5, PITTSBURGH STEELERS  1
>>> One base card apiece, but the Ravens get 2 RCs.

CHICAGO BEARS 2, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 2
>>> This was a tough tie break.  I looked at several options but couldn't decide.  I ultimately went with the best looking card, which was a Jay Cutler Chicle card. Congrats, Bears.


Bye teams: Vikings 5, Giants 8, Seahawks 2, Titans 6.  I'm sure the Seahawks are the only team who are really excited this was their bye week.  The Titans also hit one of the nicer cards this week, though its value isn't quite what it was in 2009:


Let's take a look at the updated standings and playoff picture:



AFC
1. Patriots (8-2)1
2. Broncos (8-2)
3. Ravens (7-3)2
4. Texans (7-3)
5. Dolphins (7-3)
6. Bengals (5-5)3

1Patriots def. Broncos in Week 5.
2Ravens def. Texans in Week 7.
3Bengals def. Jaguars in Week 4.

NFC
1. Rams (9-1)
2. Lions (7-3)4
3. Giants (7-3)
4. Falcons (6-4)
5. Bears (6-4)5,6
6. Cowboys (6-4)

4Lions, Giants tied. Lions are 5-3 in-conference. Giants are 4-3 in-conference.
5Bears, Packers tied.  Bear def. Packers in Week 2.
6Bears, Cowboys, 49ers tied. No head-to-head sweeps. In-conference: Bears (4-2), Cowboys (5-3), 49ers (4-4).

Compared with Week 8, the 8 divison leaders are the same, though the playoff seeding has changed a little.  The Dolphins are still the AFC #5, and the Bengals are still the AFC #6 thanks to their Week 4 win over the Jags.  In the NFC, though, four teams sit at 6-4 with hopes of snagging the two Wild Card spots.  The Packers are held out of the conversation due to their Week 2 loss to the Bears.  The remaining three teams are sorted by their in-conference schedule.  Unfortunately for the 49ers, that means they are on the outside looking in.

With division rivalries on the docket for the next few weeks, this should get interesting.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

2012 Sage Hit Football


Even when Sage had a license, Hit wasn't that great.  Now, it's just awful.  I don't feel bad for Sage like I do for Press Pass.  PP made some of the best college football products and always had the best autos.  The fact they don't have an NCAA license is sad.

Anyway, here's what Sage has to offer:


Standard fare. Not horrible, but not special.


For some strange reason, there are two different types of base cards.  These are just bad.  I don't need pictures of shirtless men frolicking on the beach.  If I needed those, I could drive the 15 minutes to the beach and see for myself.  Not that I need them.  Not that there's anything wrong with it.

Each pack comes with 6 red border parallels.  The red is glittery and textured...almost like a stripper bled on them.  Gross.



Yeah, so that's $6 I'd like back.