Big Blue Sunday's:A 2nd Win

What a game on Monday Night!!!!

Giants trailed by ten at one point vs the 49ers and somehow came together as a team and scored 17 unanswered points and held on at the very end with the 49ers driving 27-23.  It had me on the edge of my seat.

Eli Manning had one of his best games of the season along with the offensive line. Odell Beckham Jr looked like his old self catching 2 touchdowns and it could have easily been three or four with a couple near misses.

Speaking of Odell, his card was included in my Twitch Collects Cards blog mail day. Yesterday I showcased the baseball part of my mail day, today I tackle the Giants. See what I did there?

This may be one of the coolest Odells in my collection. it's acetate and is reminiscent of the Skylines insert of the 90's. I wouldn't mind more of these.

 

Very cool patch card of Fran Gifford. My first relic of his.

I have always wanted the Topps Chrome rookie autograph of Hakeem Nicks and now I own one. I was a huge fan of Nicks. That guy could take over a game.

Speaking of taking over a game, Sterling Shepard caught the game winner vs the 49ers. It was a pretty nice catch. He also did a reverse play earlier in the game that netted him 27 yards. This Shepard autograph is what started up the trade conversation between Twitch Cards and myself. I dig the color rush uni on the card and it's also a tough find being numbered 4/10. I believe this is the lowest numbered Shepard card in my collection.

A big thanks goes out to Twitch for the cards!! These Giants were big time winners.

Winners you say? One of my Player Of The Day winners kept their promise if they pulled a Saquon Barkley card they would mail it to me. And they did!

Thanks @GundersonNathan! Much appreciated my friend!

Two mail days. Two much excitement. Two wins.

Today we face the Bucs. Let's make it a third win shall we?

Big Blue Sunday's:Top Notch Additions During The Bye Week

Going into the bye week, the Giants are sitting in last place in all of the NFL at 1-7 after last weeks 20-13 loss to the Redskins. They once again played another tough game on defense, but the offense that was supposed to be their strength couldn't get it together and score. Once again it was that terrible, awful, ridiculous, worthless, offensive, offensive line that couldn't block a gust of wind. Eli was sacked many times, Saquon couldn't get it going, and the play calling wasn't the best and once again predictable as a Redskins defender called it.

I am not sure what to expect from this team when they come off from the bye. There could be lots of changes including one at QB. We will see. Will Kyle Lauletta finally get his chance? Will he actually be able to succeed behind that offensive line? I sure hope so. Especially after today's pickups.

So I am not one who usually sticks his neck out there especially on Facebook groups looking to trade. Well, there is a first time for everything and I am glad I did as I made a monster trade.

The guy had posted up a Saquon Barkley autograph, we will look at that in a second, for trade and I jumped right in. Luckily for me I had the basketball cards he was looking for and I was more than happy to let go of basketball cards for what I got.

The first card isn't a Giants card and was actually a guy who ran all over the Giants, but I have been wanting/needing an Alvin Kamara auto for some time and this is a rookie one from Phoenix. Solid looking card and I love the way he signs his name with the star. Very cool. I have knocked down two of the three autographs I have been wanting and the one that remains is still Patrick Mahomes.

Now onto my Giants pickups.

He had three Kyle Lauletta autos to let go of so I took them.

Origins. Nice looking card but 00's on the jersey makes me cry.

Pen Pals. I had one in graded school. We will talk about that sometime.

And I loved this one. Nice relic/auto. But, what's confusing to me is why is he in a 17 on this card for Origins and a 00 on the others. ;-/

Now the big card that started it all....my second Barkley autograph and my first one in a Giants uni.

Hopefully it won't be my last of his. I have been trying to initiate more trades for more but have had no luck. I even went back to this same guy who had two more Barkleys' but I had nothing of interest to him including offering up Steph Curry rookie, Anthony Davis Prizm rookie and Kawhi Leonard Prizm rookie and even a Donovan Mitchell Prizm rookie. Not even one blink from the guy. Guess I won't be able to trade anymore with him.

Some great additions to cheer me up in what has been a blue season for Big Blue. I don't think I have ever had to go through this ever with my Giants since I started watching them. They are in a rough stretch the last few years and need some motivation to turn things around. Let's see if that happens after the bye week.

Big Blue Monday:New Additions Add Some Cheer

1-5 is staring me straight in the face. 1-5. This is the second year in a row I am having to suffer through another NY Giants season instead of enjoying it. Even that team in green in NY is having much more success with a rookie QB.

Do I question the Giants not taking a QB like Darnold at 2. No I don't. Not a single second.

Saquon Barkley has overly proven himself to me and I don't ever doubt the Giants for making him the second pick in the draft. In the Giants last game, a throbbing loss to the Eagles, Saquon had over 200+ total yards catching and running. He alone is a highlight reel and his the only thing exciting right now to watch on the Giants.

I recently pulled off a trade with @JayRCards and got to add a few more Saquons along with my first ever autograph of a Super Bowl and Playoff hero named Plaxico. We will wait to show that off.

First up, Elite Draft Saquon,

Elite Series from Elite Draft

A numbered Amani Toomer from Edge Masters. You know I am totally digging this. It's as close to a late 90's insert I can get!

Looking at Eli Manning's season, maybe Webb should have stayed.

Adams was a late preseason cut. I wished they had kept him looking at the poor back up TE's they have been using.

Whoa! LT relic! This card is also a beaut! Really love the throwback design

Rueben Randle autograph I didn't know. I know, surprising.

Sterling hasn't been quite as good as I expected him to be. But the way the oline has blocked and Eli's inaccurate throws he really can't make much of an impression yet.

And the final card from our trade, this beautiful Mirror Signatures of Plaxico Burress /25. It's my first ever Burress auto. I am also glad it's in a Giants uniform. He made the game winning TD catch  in Super Bowl 42 vs the undefeated Patriots. It was beautiful and still re-plays in  my mind especially when watching this Giants team the last few years.

A big thanks to @JayRCards for the trade. Hope we can do more!!

As for my Giants, tonight they face a high scoring Falcons team on Monday Night Football on the road. Do I expect them to win? No. But, could they? Yes. Atlanta is not that great this year and their defense is struggling big time. If the Giants defense can make a couple stops, offense can give Eli time, if he can make the throws and if Saquon continues to do what he does, they absolutely have a shot. Time will tell.

Big Blue Sunday's:In A Year Of Feeling Blue

As most of my readers know, my 2018 has been a tough one. Almost losing my wife to a blood clot, two kidney stone surgeries, family deaths, ongoing physical therapy to name a few things. It hasn't been an easy one by any stretch and it really hasn't the last five years especially the last two.

Even the Giants have carried over some of that rough stretch from last year to this year. So far, this years team looks like a sequel to last years. No offense, defensive breakdowns and some key injuries. They are off to an 0-2 start after losing to Dallas last Sunday in a game Dallas owned and the season is on the line this weekend in Houston for the Texan's home opener. It will not be fun to see this team fall even harder. They have somehow got to find a way to win. I want to be excited for something and not having to feel even more blue in 2018.

But, at least the hobby doesn't have me feeling blue. I have accomplished some great feats this year in the hobby including completing the Psych autograph set and when I have been down, someone from the hobby always stepped up in some way whether it was words of encouragement or a surprise mail day such as the one I got from @JGfan24ever.

He surprised me with this great lot of NY Giant cards he picked up from @tstk2008.

Sterling Shepard Elite Coverage relic. So far, his season has been slow despite the fast appeal he is showing on this card.

This was Davis Webb in blue before he went to Gang Green. I still find it odd they cut Webb and still kept three QB's on the roster. I felt Davis had potential still despite his poor preseason showing.

Wayne Gallman hasn't seen the ball too much this season as all of the catches and carries have gone to Saquon. I kinda wished he would see more as he is very talented with the ball in his hands and can make things happen. Not quite as much as Barkley, but could be a good offset.

One of the many Giant greats Michael Strahan. One of only three relic cards I have of him.

 

Another Davis Webb. This is my favorite Webb I own now. These Certified Cut rookie autograph relics look awesome.

 

And the final card from the lot, this amazing Saquon Barkley. This marks my first and one and only patch card. The card is numbered to 25. So far I have been impressed with Barkley. I think if the Giants oline can gel more, this guy will make a huge impact in the league. Right now he is doing it all on his own. Week one, he ran well. Week two, he caught a bunch of passes. What will Week 3 bring....we will have to see.

This mail day really lifted my spirits and I owe a huge thanks to Michael for his kind heart once again. I hope you enjoyed my thank you gift as much as I enjoyed this one.

Whether it's been words of encouragement or a special surprise, every little or big thing from the hobby family has helped me this year keep chugging forward and not feel so blue. Unless we are directly discussing NY Giants, I bleed blue there.

Big Blue Sunday's:Time To Throw The Challenge Flag

I can't believe it is already Week 2 in the NFL. My Giants come off from a close loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game I think they could have pulled off a victory in. But, too many misses on offense and a muffed punt at the end capped off the game.

However, Saquon put his mark on the team rushing for a 68 yard touchdown and becoming the first Giants rookie runner to rush for 100+ yards in their debut.

Tonight, the Giants face their NFC East rival Cowboys who come into this game with as many issues after their loss to Carolina last week. It's hard to imagine that one of these teams will be 0-2 and drop to the bottom of the division. Along with that seeing their possible playoff dreams disappear.

Today, I am throwing out the challenge flag to this team to make sure it isn't them that takes the fall.

First, I challenge them to make me excited like I was to receive this Giants filled mail day from The Chronicles of Fuji for a contest win awhile back. (the challenge flag card came from a trade with @ZierMike, thanks Mike!)
       

The stack was loaded too!

  

I challenge the Giants not to

play like this team from the 90's. They always lost. and especially to Dallas during the primetime games.

I challenge Jonathan Stewart to step up like

 

Tyrone Wheatley did when he left the Giants. He did nothing for NY, went to Oakland and balled out. I am hoping Stewart will show he has some gas left in his tank when he gets onto the field to replace Barkley.

I challenge

 

the Giants oline to look as pretty as these 90's cards

 

and these. Block Dallas to give Eli time to get this offense flowing just like the good ole days when Plaxico and Hakeem would be open.

I challenge this team to

 

Play like one. Don't get frustrated when something happens, stay together as a family and play through it.

I challenge Rosas not to miss a key kick in this game. He looked solid against Jacksonville

 

 

I challenge this team to play

vintage Giants football. Play good defense and run the ball. Don't force Eli to throw the whole game.

I challenge

Saquon to break Tiki's records. Go out there and do you thing!

 

I challenge

 

 the linebackers especially Alec Ogletree to be like Giants linebackers past. Where they were dominant and not like the last few years.

 

I challenge...

  

Evan Engram to give it his best game and not end up like Adrien Robinson. Who is that? Well, exactly.

 I challenge

 

the Giants WR's especially Odell Beckham jr to get down and dirty like Amani Toomer always did vs Dallas.

And finally I challenge

 

this team to get a win. Don't start out 0-2 like last years team.

Thanks Fuji for the Giants cards! I especially loved that Toomer relic. 

I am already suited for game day and will be making snacks soon. Let's go Giants!