Random Cardboard:2007 Topps Finest Autograph Steve Smith

 

Rodney's Cardboard:2007 Hero Decks Georgia Bulldogs Football Playing Card

Once again, oddities are my favorite pickups for Rodney Hampton. It's what defines me as a Super Collector of the particular player. It helps my collection stand out and makes my numbers go up.

Rodney only has so many cards in his career and most are being narrowed down right now and getting tougher to find the ones I need.

This one popped up for $3 and free shipping and that fits right in my budget so I added it.

Card features a caricature front and a note about Rodney and his time with Georgia

Back of the card is a Bulldogs helmet. Pretty slick playing card.

I have also found a NY Giants edition of this I still need to get. Only problem, it's in a deck of cards but it's NY Giants so it won't be too bad to add them all.

CAPTION THIS CARD!

I challenge you to give this card a caption.....

 

Leave a caption below for this card. Please keep it free of language and clean please for our younger audience  

Mine would be....

"We finally did it and may never do it again"

The Greatest Super Bowl Sunday

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. Usually a great day in the NFL, but not for me at least this year. It features two of my most hated teams facing off and I can't even pick a team I want to win. I think the Kitten and Puppy Bowls are where it's going to be at this year for me. I can at least cheer on Hairdell Beckham Jr or Eli Pupping or something like that.

I guess if I had to pick a team to win I would go New England for the lesser of two evils for a few reasons. One, I hope Tom Brady would retire after the game. Two, I don't want to see a team from my teams division win it all. Three, I want my NY Giants to be the only team ever to take down Tom and company in the Super Bowl.

Speaking of that, wasn't Super Bowl 42 the greatest Super Bowl game ever played? Can you really pick a better one?

It was February 3rd 2008. Game Day. I spent the entire day nervously planning what to have for snacks, what jersey I was going to wear and who I was going to invite over. It was a big day for me. A day I wasn't sure I was ever going to see again in my lifetime. Which shockingly I did again four years later but we will discuss that next year unless the Giants are in it

The Giants seemed to had been a team that was up one year down another since 2004 and it was the same way that the 2007 season went. The Giants were on a roll to start out the year, fell flat midway and barely made the playoffs in the end. Did I really expect that team to beat Tampa on the road, go to red hot Dallas and hold on with seconds left with an interception in the end zone, then take a trip to Green Bay for the NFC title game in the freezing cold, pick off Brett Favre in OT after blowing so many FG attempts to win and end up winning on a FG?

Never.

And here they were versus the Goliath New England. The one that was 18-0 and was on a roll towards 19-0. The Giants had played them tough in the seasons final game and almost threw off their undefeated season but somehow someway the Patriots found a way to win. It was a high scorer at 38-35. So you could only expect the same result in the Super Bowl...right?

By the way, I am missing the Super Bowl 46 version of this card and if you see it, please pass it on to me :)

I ended up ordering food out, wore my Eli Manning jersey, had my parents over (my father is a huge Giants fan and my mother is a Cowboys one) and my wife was there nervously watching by my side as well as that was her first big game to watch with me. We had Patriots fans, mostly family,  texting us all day and right before kickoff to set this stage even bigger.

Now it was game time.

The Giants took an early 3-0 lead on the first drive of the game with a 32 yard Tynes field goal. That pretty much sums up the first quarter. We will bypass the pass interference on Antonio Pierce pass interference that led to a Patriots early second quarter TD run.

Later on in the second quarter had the Giants on the move after a swifty sideline catch by Amani Toomer that helped the Giants to the Patriots 19 yard line. But, three plays later that turned into a disaster as a ball went off of wide receivers hands and into the Patriots for a pick. Luckily the Giants defense buckled down once again and kept it a 7-3 deficit at the half.

I was still nervous and took off my jersey off at half. A superstition I have if my team is losing at half time at any point in the season. We all enjoyed a great Tom Petty halftime show and got loaded up with more snacks for the second half.

What I didn't expect was a second half that was one for the ages.

The third quarter was pretty quiet. The Patriots did drive down to Giants territory but instead of going for a 49 yard field goal by Gostowski they decided to go for it. The Giants defense made the stop and the score remained the same at the end of three.

So here came the fourth quarter. My team had the ball, trailed by only four points. Something had to give right?

On the first drive of the fourth it did. Eli Manning hit Kevin Boss on an incredible 45 yard catch and run and some plays later on Steve Smith caught a big third down reception setting up the Giants with a 5 yard bullet pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree to give the Giants the lead.

You would have thought someone was attacking us from the loud noises of cheers that could be heard from within my house at that point. It's amazing how much noise four people could make. Luckily the neighbors were at a distance.

None of us could believe we were under five minutes game time away from watching my Giants first Super Bowl win. I wasn't into football when they had won their last and the one they were in previous they got walloped against the Ravens (more on that down the road).

However, my dreams turned to a nightmare fast as New England was quickly chipping away down the field and Tom Brady hit wide receiver Randy Moss on a 6-yard touchdown reception with 2:42 left to play.

I fell to the floor feeling helpless. Was this really how things were going to end after such a magical run?

Well, that answer was no.

Down 14–10, the Giants got the ball on their own 17-yard line with 2:39 left. I couldn't believe they were so backed up and had so far to go. It wasn't like a FG could tie the game, they had to go 83 yards. 83 long, long yards.

The Giants gained a few yards to start out the drive including getting a 4th and one and there was only 1:15 left in the game when a miracle for the miracle season happened.

It was third and five, the Patriots blitzed Eli Manning, I could only watch them surround him, grasp him, and pull him...and sacccc...wait...what...

He somehow freed himself and chugged his legs like a locomotive and threw a pass in the air. The ball felt like it was up for an eternity and after watching him make bad off-balance throws all season, he had 20 picks that season, I knew what was going to happen. The play previous was one of those as well as the Patriots almost picked him off which would have ended. I knew for sure this was it and was the end. I put my head down for half a second before I heard an eruption on the TV and in my house. Somehow or another, God was watching over them that day and David Tyree had made a leap and pinned the football with his right hand to the crown of his helmet for a 32-yard gain.  A stinkin 32 yard gain on a miraculous catch. Wow.

I couldn't stop watching the replay. Incredible.

Another big third down and long play by Steve Smith, who had been hurt all season as a rookie but made big plays when they needed him in this game, put the Giants in good position. I nervously finished chewing off all of my hangnails before watching Eli Manning toss the ball up to an open Plaxico Burress who had a step on the DB for a 13-yardTD reception with 35 seconds remaining.

I danced in my house like never before. High fives all around with a Giants 17-14 lead.

But, I also realized there was 35 seconds left, Tom Brady and the fastest WR in the NFL in Randy Moss to come out. It was time for the defense that played well all game to make one final stop.

The Giants pressured Brady with an errant throw on first down. I took a deep breath and fingers crossed tightly.

Second down rookie DT Jay Alford pressured Brady up the middle and sacked him for a 10 yard loss. Woo hoo *quietly*

Third down, Corey Webster defended a Moss ball. Holy moly that was close.

And on the next play,came a long final Hail Mary attempt, the ball sailed just out of Moss' hands and defended by Gibril Wilson and the Giants were, well, I will let Amani Toomer tell you....

In a improbable season, improbable comeback against an improbable undefeated team where they were 12 point underdogs. Simply incredible game all around.

It wasn't just the upset over the hated Patriots that made Super Bowl 42 the greatest Big Game ever, it was the incredible plays, the moments I had at home watching the game (and after as I ran out in the middle of winter shirtless to celebrate and shook open three sodas) and seeing what I saw I will remember and relive forever.

Thank you NY Giants and thank you Super Bowl 42.

Player Profile 2: Ichiro

Player Profile is a series that breaks down players I have pulled from my collection and designated as a player collection. These are mostly stars from the past and present and only include base cards and inserts. Hits and rookie cards are not counted. Some players I pulled because I was a fan of their game, others are obvious because of their play. Some players I actually look for cards of in packs while others get just placed in these boxes. This series will break down how many cards I have of the player, what my Top 5 favorite cards are of the player and why I pulled the player for a player collection.

This series will also cover all four sports I collect. 

Player By The Numbers For Ichiro: 98 Different Cards. This number does not include NY Yankee cards of him as they are in my Yankees binder and not included in his player collection. My Yankee card numbers will be updated on here at a later time.

What can I say about Ichiro, the guy is a super star who needed to be a by-the-player. He put up 10 consecutive seasons of 200+hits including an MLB record of 262. He is an MVP, Gold Glover, All Star, All Star Game MVP, and has a ton of stolen bases. This guy was/is the real deal.

He has played for the Mariners, my Yanks and the Marlins with his best numbers coming from his time with the Mariners.

Having 98+ cards of the guy it was a little tough narrowing down my favorite 5, but I did somehow.

#5 shows off Ichiro's swift base moves. Either that he is doing Chubby Checkers The Twist.

 

#4 has me wondering what Ichiro is doing. Is he posing for cameras? Does he spot Superman? Bird watching? Thinking if he should retire? Or is this a wax figure or future statue?

 

#3 is just just shiny cardboard and my best numbered card of him

 

#2 is not only my favorite product and the only refractor of him I own, but it's such a cool photography angle. The prism refractor just adds another level to this card.

 

 

#1B is on here because it pairs him with Griffey Jr. There is no way this card doesn't make the list.

 

 

#1A has always been a favorite of mine. I can't explain why. It's probably my most valuable Ichiro, that's not saying much. It's also a nice gold parallel and the photo isn't too shabby either. But this one has just always caught my eye.

 

 

Well, that's the end of my Ichiros for now.

 

The bigger question is, is this the end of Ichiro now? He is currently a free agent and it's not like teams are chasing him down as a top one anymore with his age. Current rumors have him connected to the Reds but I think the fairy tale ending for him would land him back with the Mariners just like how Griffey ended his career. But, I am torn on that as well as I would like to see him play for a contender instead but the place where he started it all to me would be the best ending.

 

Which Ichiro card above to you like the most and which card do you own is your favorite of his? Let me know in comments and if you want leave input on how you think Ichiro should end his career!

Best Nachos I Ever Had!

There has been a lot of generosity throughout this holiday season and it's been great to view. I have seen other collectors support each other, I have supported some and I have received some. One of those guys was Nachos Grande Blog who took down all commenters want lists and did his best to help.

He took down the fact I collect non sport, don't think there are many bloggers that do, and sent me some goodies. First up, some cool Allen And Ginter I didn't have including Bruce Lee and Tony Hawk base.

 

Then we got political. No we didn't discuss politics, that always goes ugly, but instead he sent me some.

 

And some more...

 

And finally some more. I am a huge fan of these 2008 ones. I believe I am closing in on the set. May be missing only a couple.

 

Bart Giamatti

 

Awesome Celebrity Predictor from 2010 Upper Deck. I have a few of these but not this one of Enrique and Anna. 16 years strong.

 

And to end it, two packs of cards. One was a Tristar TNA and the other is Yo! MTV Raps. both I am saving for my new series in 2018 called Rainy Day Wax.

 

 

A big thanks goes out to Nachos for the mail day and the generosity. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Hook 'Em Ross

I am a bit behind on some posts but I can't let some just slip under the rug. Like this sweet contest win I got over at Sports Card Info blog.

I won this 2007 Press Pass Legends All Conference Red Ink Auto #’ed/285 of former Giants CB, Aaron Ross. Ross was Drafted 20th overall in the 2007 draft and was on the Super Bowl winning 42 and 46 teams.

 

 

After winning the Super Bowl with the Giants in 46, he signed a decent contract with the Jaguars but his career never really got very far after leaving NY. Injuries took a toll.

 

But, I am excited to add my first Ross auto to the Giants PC. Especially since he was there during the two Super Bowl runs.

 

A big thanks goes out to Sports Card Info on the contest win mail day and if you haven't checked him out yet, please do so. Weekly contest, reviews and other fun segments.

2016 Yard Sale Find Part 4: Grand Finale!

A baby wipes container. Who would have thought of using that as a place to store baseball cards?? I will say that it's pretty durable and it can hold many cards, but corners however, don't survive that well. And I found that out the hard way.

Kicking this off, tons of 2007 Topps baseball. Most had some to significant corner damage. That's what storing them in this will do along with those black borders. I remember how excited I was when I pack pulled that Kei Igawa rookie, then it quickly went away. This time that excitement came back for a bit but left fast. Still a Yank's PC find however.

Tons of 1992 Stadium Club Draft Picks and Team USA cards. Nobody I knew besides Yanks awesome pick Brien Taylor (feel that sarcasm)

Sp rookie of Quilvio Veras. Always loved these rookie cards and surprisingly this one survived the corner massacre.

Nice gold parallel finds especially in Ichiro. Just wished it didn't have a couple of very small corner issues.

Even more baseball inserts from a variety of years. Some in good shape, others not. But players include, Bonds, A-Rod, David Ortiz (what a year he is having) and Ryne Sandberg.

Mickey Mantle Homerun inserts. These were luckily in great shape.

KGJR! I believe this is a new one as well. And it's shiny, bonus!

Derek Jeter SI For Kids card. Not bad at all.

And finally, to my biggest surprise, a jersey card. I think the jersey card itself was surprising to. It's player worn. Not something you hear of that's not a rookie card.

 

Overall, I would say $20 well spent. Pretty solid list of players, some sets, inserts and even a jersey card.

Now that you guys have seen it all, $20 well spent? Would you have rather spent it elsewhere? Best find of my cards?

Spectacular Advertising

Being a 90's kinda guy, one of the magazines I read from the 90's was Disney Adventures. The magazine discussed some of my favorite 90's Disney cartoons like Ducktales, Darkwing Duck and Goof Troop to name a few. It also contained comics of them as well so it was a well rounded winner.

So recently I found a newer issue, by newer I mean 2007, which was the final run of the magazine that started in 1990 and for fun went through it cover to cover to check it out.

I saw the usual things I remembered and then I came upon a very cool ad...

To me, this was a great advertisement for baseball cards. You combine every kids favorite and very popular Pokemon with baseball cards and you grab some attentions. Not to mention you also put it in the popular magazine that also has the word Disney on it, how do you not make some sales.

I know magazines today are more of a thing of the past (not for me as I prefer physical magazines over online ones) and probably wouldn't be a top ad place, but there is TV and that will never die. So why not do more advertising that way? Especially combining popular things of today with cards. Why not show Olaf from Frozen breaking a few packs of Topps or opening up his own Panini Sticker collection stickers? Why not have an Angry Bird ripping apart an Upper Deck hockey card pack? Or Darth Vader ripping a pack of Topps Star Wars open? I know it will take some investment on the companies sides to pay for use of those things, but I think if we want the youth of today joining in or being interested in today's hobby, I think it's important to see what interests them and use that to our advantage.

Will it help bring a huge up-rise to the hobby? Probably not. But, it may at least bring in a few more youth and those youth may discuss it with others and who knows where that ends up. Anything that can help the hobby grow will be huge.

What do you guys think? Should companies use popular things like Frozen to advertise cards?

Random Card On My Desk:2007 Sage Hit Jersey Card Antonio Pittman

Random Card On My Desk:2007 Press Pass SE Insider Insight JaMarcus Russell

Topps Card Of The Week: 2007 Bowman Fabric Of The Future Marshawn Lynch

Brand: Bowman

Card Number:FF-ML

Card Type: Memorabilia Card

FANdom Card Of The Day: 2007 Rittenhouse IRL Autographs #12 Danica Patrick

2007 Rittenhouse IRL Autographs #12 Danica Patrick
 

Thanks to Jammin JDcards for providing us this card to share! Follow them on Twitter for more card images and giveaways!

FANdom Card Of The Day: 2007 Topps Triple Threads Relic Combos Emerald #35 Julius Peppers/Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates

2007 Topps Triple Threads Relic Combos Emerald #35 Julius Peppers/Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates 17/18

Thanks to Jammin JDcards for providing us with the FANdom Card Of The Day! If you would like to provide us with a card of the day email us the card and what it is to sportcardcollectors@hotmail.com

Flashback cards: Upper Deck Rookie Premiere sets

Did anyone collect these?

Usually each set came with 30 cards.  Some had parallel gold or silver versions cards that fell one per set. And if you were really lucky, you could get an autograph. The odds were hard, but you could land one that were randomly inserted in the sets. Some of these sets were very popular. 2004 seems to be the one most sought after. The rookie class that year containing 3 great qb's (E.Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger) and other great players is probably why.

But, since the loss of their NFL license, Upper Deck doesn't produce these sets anymore. So their value to me, is more now because of that.