On the Eighth Day of Cardmas, My Mistress Gave to Me...

8 Press-a-Passes,

 

7 Dueling Blasters,

6 Hobby Chromes,

5 Value Things,

4 Golfy Tigers,

3 Rack Packs,

2 Magic Cards,

A Mega Box with Topps Chrome!

Ah, Press Pass.  A prime example of exclusive licenses destroying great card products.  Today, we've got on pack each of 2011, 2012, and 2007 Press Pass football, as well as 5 packs of 2005.  2005 is a great year to pick up in the Target $1.59 bin. Well worth it.

Unfortunately, Press Pass no longer has an NCAA license.  Due to this fact, the 2011 and 2012 cards look like dog crap.  It's a shame, too, because their licensed stuff was a near-perfect college product.

Let's start with the bad.

2011

Awful, awful, awful.  Just really bad.

2012

Garbage.  Just boring crap.

Now, let's go back to 2007, a truly great college football set.

Most important difference? The logos.  College football needs logos and colors.  The one down side to this pack was that the contest card counted as one of the cards in the pack.  If you've never seen Press Pass' license autos from the late 2000s, you're really missing out.  All of them on-card with school logos.  Beautiful.

Now, we get to the 2005 packs.  The guy you're looking here for is Aaron Rodgers.

I didn't scan all of the base cards, but here are the 1-per-pack blue parallels:

Boom. Aaron Rodgers.  That's a great card to get, especially since blue works well for Cal.  It also works well for Michigan.  Hmmm, I wonder where Marlin will end up...

I got two of the Paydirt cards, and they don't disappoint.  Unique design, especially with the goalpost coming out of the Y.  I love the ref on there. 

I saved my favorite cards for last.  These have a little die cut action and a lot of foil action.  They are flashy and wonderful.

Again, I landed the big name.  That Rodgers card is off-the-charts gorgeous.

Personally, I would love for Upper Deck and Press Pass to join forces.  If they went with base card and insert designs from Press Pass combined with relic/auto designs from UD and had the NCAA license, I would go nuts for their products.