The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict: Friends

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your healths a joke, you're broke
Your buying cards life's D.O.A
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but

Wes will be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
Wes will be there for you
(Like he's been there before)
Wes will be there for you
('Cause I'm there for Wes too)

"I'll Be There for You" was sung by The Rembrandts which was used as the theme song for the popular TV show Friends, that aired on NBC from 1994 til 2004.

The show starred Rachel Green who found childhood friend Monica Geller and quickly become roommates. The group of friends continued to grow with Joey Tribbiani whose catch line "How You Doin?" became a must use 90's pick up line for guys or maybe it was just kids I went to school with. Joey became roommates with the ecstatic Chandler Bing and moved across the hall from Rachel and Monica. Then you throw in two other friends in Phoebe and Monica's older brother Ross and you have a show. A lot of the show takes place in Manhattan coffee house named Central Perk, creative name, or in Monica and Rachel's apartment which was there popular hang out spots. The comedy follows their lives of love, heartbreak, everyday life struggles and friendships between each other and many other fun guest stars.

It was one of the most popular series of all time and one I wished that would be revived like many other 90's sitcoms have. I believe I have seen every episode now.

With so much going on in the world today, it's great to know that I have some Friends as well to turn to. These aren't sadly local friends, but friends I have made online which are better than real life friends. One of my greatest friends is Wes who recently retired from blogging but still exists on Twitter where we talk on a daily basis.

On Tuesday, I had celebrated my birthday so Wes did was Wes does, sends a surprise. So for my birthday he sent this box of 1997 Scoreboard Playbook football. It  wasn't a product I quite remember that well as I am not sure if I did or didn't bust any, so it would be a fresh memory for my mind now.

Each box of 1997 Scoreboard Playbook came with 24 packs of 5 cards each.

As with 90's collecting, there were no guarantees other than that you will have fun. It's not like today where collecting is all about value chasing. This was a plain and simple rip for fun, not rip for flip which I feel has taken over the hobby. All I see on Twitter from almost every person I follow has a card for sale. Doesn't anyone trade or just collect anymore??

The checklist is a small one of 100 cards and features three different insert sets and one autograph set. I was hoping that the 120 cards in here I would accomplish the base set.

 

The base set is pretty basic. Each position has their own unique look to them. Quarterbacks look like this Kerry Collins. Which is also a new Collins card for me.

 

Mark Brunell. Another 90's QB I fell for.

 

Steve McNair, RIP.

Jake The Snake Plummer! Rookie card as well.

 

John Elway is still running. He is also running the Broncos front office and could be running himself out of a job if he can't figure out their Quarterback situation.

 

Running Back design looks like this Emmitt Smith.

Tiki Barber rookie card! New to me.

Ike Hilliard shows us his rookie card and the wide receiver design. I probably should have captured a defensive player as well but picture something similar but sideways.

The inserts weren't too flashy like a lot of them at the time, but they did look nice and had some die cut action.

Franchise Player fell 1:6 packs and captured the players their respective franchises could build around. The design looks similar to a ticket.

Another new Kerry!

And a new Giants card.

Ricky Watters who was very underrated.

Peter Boulware who made defenses aware he was around.

Mirror Image falls 1:24 packs and features top players in the league. I would suspect at those odds you would find one per box.

 

John Elway. Not going to complain about this pull.

And finally, I didn't land a hopeful autograph. I really wanted a Favre and would have even accepted a Kordell Stewart I need as well, instead I will take the card at the same odds of an autograph in Title Quest.

 

Not all Title Quest card are created equal. The first two in the set fall 1:192 odds!! Guess what, TD falls at number two. NIIIIIIIIICE! The other Title Quest cards fall at much less odds of 1:32.

No one could ever know me
No one could ever see me (well I am behind a computer screen)
Seems you're the only one who knows
What it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with
Make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm talking with you, yeah

Sadly I wasn't able to tackle the entire base set as I was two cards off, but it was a really fun rip and huge thanks to my friend Wes for surprising me on my birthday. You my friend are like no other.

I am not sure who Wes would have chosen as a character from friends, but I wished I was Joey even though my personality and lame jokes puts me more as a Ross. The only problem is, I always liked Monica better than Rachel, so that would have been a little weird as Ross. So I guess I will settle myself as Chandler in the end. However, let's skip over the whole Janice relationship. That voice!

I may look into a few other cards from this set like the autographs to see if any are reasonable enough for me to snag or trade for. It was appealing overall as a product.

Wes will be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
Wes will be there for you
(Like he's been there before)
Wes will be there for you
Wes will be there for you
Wes will be there for you
('Cause I'm there for Wes too)