25 Days Of Cardmas Day 9:Coach Santa

Can you imagine a chunky guy in red suit coaching a football team to a big win...oh, sorry Chiefs fans. 

Coach Claus is looking for a way to lead Da' Deers back to the playoffs and make another run at another Super Candy Cane Bowl with his Snowflake offense and Chimney slide play.

According to the back of this card, it appears he has won the MVIP award again and netted another Wiseman Trophy for giving Playoff card to all of the good boys and girls.

Back in the 90's I had both coaches I liked and disliked. One of the most disliked coaches coached my Giants team. No it's not Ray Handley as I wasn't much into football then, it was Dan Reeves. He was a terrible coach for the Giants and ran the team into the ground before Jim Fassell brought it back to life.

Two of my favorite coaches in the 90's were Tom Coughlin for the Jaguars (who later on coached my Giants team to 2 Super Bowls) and Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos. I liked watching both of those teams play, particulary the Jags, in the 90's. They were my second and third favorite teams back then. Those coaches just knew how to win and connect with their players like Coach Claus does.

Good luck to Coach Claus and 'Da Deers if he is still coaching them this year. Hopefully they remember to wear masks so they won't be fined even in the North Pole.

Who are your favorite and least favorite coaches and managers?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 8:Pinnacle Of Nate's Career

It appears Nate Newton had a pretty good Christmas in 1994 as a lot of boys I grew up with would have loved to had posed for a picture with any of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Me on the other hand, I would have been the same kind of happy to had taken a Christmas photo at that time with Amy Jo Johnson or as some of you may know her, Kimberly the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

This card was one of the more unique photos for the 1994 line from NFL Properties Santa Claus line and from previous releases as it went outside the Santa box and used an NFL player instead.

I thought it was pretty creative and even more so with the back of the card where it says "and to all a good Nate!"

Who was one of your crushes growing up?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 7: Prism Santa

 

Between 1991 to roughly 1997, NFL Properties released 5 to 10 to even 12 card Santa sets featuring the base card designs that year for the NFL products.

There are many of these to collect and I just got my sleigh underway in doing so.

One of the first ones I had to grab was this 1993 Pacific Prism version. Prism was one of the cooler products in the early to mid 90's.

It also ties into my life of collecting.

Towards the end of 1993, I had just started to find both sports and sport cards interesting. Most likely I didn't find any cards under my tree that year as at that point I was die hard Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fan and most likely asked for as many figures I could get of them from Santa.

But, it's good to see that Santa has great taste in his cards if he went home to open a box for himself of the Prism.

What is one of your first products you asked Santa for under your tree?

Remember 2019?

 

*takes a sip of coffee reminiscing about the good times*

I decided to take a trip back in time in my mind when the world was normal. Remember a time when you could go visit family on holidays? Take a trip to the beach? Go to an eating establishment with friends or family? Going to a Dr's appointment without needing a Dr's appointment to get in? Get together with 10 or more people? Go grocery shopping? Find retail sport cards at the store?

Yeah, I do to. 

Even though that was simply only a year ago, a lot of those things you don't realize how much they actually meant until they were taken away. Even those family get togethers with that one annoying aunt or uncle who discussed politics at the table.

As this year has gone on and holidays are approaching, I am realizing more and more how much those things meant, even the simple things of running to a grocery store, to my cycle of life. It's like taking sunlight away from a plant and expecting it to grow with just water and a seed.

At least I have a distraction in blogging and card sorting to get me by. Even though most parts of the hobby this year haven't been the same either.

*takes a sip of coffee trying to perk myself up. See what I did there, tried to use a coffee synonym joke to help with my feelings of 2020.*

One of my last Walmart runs in September, I actually stumbled on a few packs of retail at the store. It 

wasn't the newest product by any stretch but it was product so I grabbed a couple of packs just to have something to break. I actually felt like a champion that day just for finding any retail packs.

The packs were 2019 Score football fat packs.

I stored one of the packs away, it's still sealed, for a later date just in case I get another retail itch to open since I am no longer going to Walmart until Covid goes away (all three Walmart within an hour of me are in "hot" Covid zones). In the meantime, I did rip one of the packs and thought I would show off my finds today.

*takes a sip, already ripped*

2019 Score came with a 330 card veteran base set that has some great photography such as this A.J. Green.

The base set was also topped off with 110 rookies pictured in their College Uni's to make it a 440 base card set. One of Panini's bigger base set products. Could actually be the biggest knowing most of their base sets run 100 cards. 

My rookies from this pack were not too strong. CJ Conrad was at least Giants PC material even though he didn't make the team but I will keep it.

Each Fat Pack comes with red parallels as well,

T.J. McDonald was my first

Followed by Saquon Barkley. I really miss him making plays like this. Can't wait until he is on the field next year.

And no rest of the pack which was made up of a variety of inserts. Sorry for the early no hit spoiler but I am sure most of you have already scrolled by my rambling just to see the pictures anyways.

*takes a gulp and back to the inserts*

NFL Draft  has 30 cards to collect. I landed the speedster Hollywood Brown

Captains has the team leaders, such as Cam Newton that I haven't adjusted to seeing in a Patriots uniform yet, that has 30 cards to collect as well.

Fantasy Stars...well I have had Rodgers as my QB many times in Fantasy and he never scored much for me. It's too bad I didn't have him this year however as my QB's have been less than par especially when you start out with Carson Wentz and now have Taysum Hill. There are 20 of these to collect.

Epix, an Epix fail compared to what we saw in the 90's but it's still nice to see an attempt to bring it back. Also finding any Patrick Mahomes in your pack is a pack saver. There are 30 cards split up into three 10 card sets. Similar to the 90's. There is Game, Moment and Season and each of the 10 players has a card in each set. I have all three of Saquon Barkley.

All Hands team are those great catches that happened the previous year from guys who have gloves of steel. There are 10 of these to collect.

Signal Callers are the QB's leaders in this 30 card set. The two I pulled are QB's on different teams. Jameis is with the Saints and Darnold is with the bench/injured reserve most of the time.

And finally, Throwbacks. 20 card set to collect. The Darnold is a red parallel if you look really closely.

And that's it. Not a bad pack considering I landed a few PC cards and most were known names in football.

*takes a sip to finish up this cup and post. Definitely need more coffee to drown the sorrows of 2020 out*

2020 has taught me many lessons both big and small. Other than the one about how much those things meant to my cycle of life in the example I gave above, I also learned even more how much things I already have in my life on a daily basis are even more important to me now.

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 6:Happy Loganodays

NASCAR isn't something you tend to think about in the winter time here. Though snow covered roads would make that sport more interesting.

But, what I do think about is my nephew.

Out my kitchen window, you can see a big field. In the winter time, we will have days where the snow may melt or there may be some freezing rain and in the middle of that field, the water will collect and create a small ice rink or as my nephew saw it, a new place to drive his car.

I remember looking out my kitchen window close to Christmas and seeing him drive his car slowly out in that field and out of nowhere he started to do donuts in the field. He spun and spun and spun again. That was up until he hit a ice chunk that bounced the car off from it and stopped it in its tracks. I tried to hold my laughter in but man did I let it out and even had recorded it all on my phone. We must have laughed about that for years until my phone died and I no longer had the video to watch.

Great memory regardless of having the physical video as it still remains in my head.

In 2017, Panini included some Santa Hat relics in their Black Friday product from a variety of sports.

How many of you ever driven your car like that?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 5:Wrapped Up By Topps

 

Wrapping gifts, it's joy, misery and memories all wrapped tightly with a bow.

Having a big family requires you to do a lot of wrapping. At first your excited, you put on some Christmas tunes, grab a cup of hot cocoa with little marshmallows, get all of your stuff laid out and off you go. But, by the time you are half way through, you are done and regretting to had bought anything for anyone for Christmas. Don't tell me you don't relate to that.

Maybe I should wrap stuff the way my parents did when I was younger. Whatever they could find, they used. It could be wrapping paper. It could be a grocery store bag. It could be a box taped shut. No matter what it was, you never knew what you were going to get.

 

At least these Topps cards are already wrapped for me.

Thanks to @CardboardSushi for the trade for these and other cards to come in this series.

So, how about you guys, do you like to wrap gifts?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 4:Jingle Snell

Jingle Snells, Jingle Snells, Jingle all the way!!

I am more of a Jingle Bell Rock kinda guy when it comes to my Jingle Bell songs.

How many of us grew up singing that song at our school holiday concerts? Raise your hand....oh all of you! I see....I remember doing this song sometimes with a bell and sometimes with just my non Mariah Carey voice.

It was sometimes really hard to even try to sing with so many in the crowd and many of those holding up their VHS Camcorders knowing that it could come back to haunt me some day.

Which it hasn't....yet.

 

These Santa Hat relics were not easy pulls and were limited to the 2019 Topps Walmart Holiday Mega boxes. This one is /75.

Thanks to the @BbaptistThe for the RAK of this card. I really wanted one of these last year when the product came out but never landed one. One of the cooler Santa hat relics out there.

So now I gotta know, what would you guys choose? Jingle Bells or Jingle Bell rock?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 3:Kieboom Santa Claus

Kieboom Santa Claus, Kieboom Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane....

Every year Topps produces their Topps holiday product and every year the product gets better.

Last year Topps added in a lot of extra fun with their Sp's that included baseball players in Santa Hats (such as above), candy canes, snowmen, stockings, lights, etc. It was all about Christmas. I also firmly believe that years base card design was the best one yet.

Speaking of Santa Hats, usually one kid or adult is chosen in our big family get together to hand out presents from under the tree. Normally it's the person wearing either a Santa or Elf hat. This yearly tradition will end this year because we can't get together as a big family, but hopefully will be back next year if everything is finally back to normal.

Thanks to @flywheels for the hookup on this card.

Do you guys have any traditions similar to this one?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 2:Sport Santa

 

When I went on a card searching frenzy this year for Christmas related cards, one of the first ones I landed was this 2019 Parkside Collectibles Limited Edition cards from my friend @JG24everfan.

Sport Santa as I like to refer to him as, appears to be a stud multi-sport player. This must be what his offseason workouts must look like before he sits down and plumps up for the holidays.

That's pretty similar to how I feel every Christmas as an adult.

First, we get together with the in-laws for Thanksgiving (once again looked different this year) and then my sister-in-law from Mass comes up and we have a big eat-out-palooza, then my wife hosts a family get together, then we do my favorite meal of the year in a Christmas breakfast and end that out with a sister-in-law from Tennessee food time. 

Fortunately but unfortunately at the same time, my wife and sister-in-law from Tennessee are not able to do their bake off anymore since she moved. That was a time where they bake goodies all day to hand out to co-workers, family, etc. Because of course who isn't going to sneak a few sugar cookies or chocolate fudge pieces.

Do any of you have any food traditions around the Christmas?

25 Days Of Cardmas:2020 Donruss Holiday Blaster Box

  

What a great way to kick off the holiday season! A box break of a holiday product!

This wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for a contest win from @acc2107 with retail shelves around me always empty.

So I got lucky.

Each blaster box comes with 88 cards and one exclusive rookie holiday sweater card. I assumed this product would be similar to Hoops winter product for basketball where all of the cards had some "snow" on them separating them from the regular product. 

But, this wasn't the case.

The same photos and design were used. That part was a bit disappointing, however, this break wasn't.

Zack Moss who has played well in spots for the Bills.

 

Ben Dinucci got a start with the Cowboys in their rotating QB doors. It's just too bad his play didn't equal the excitement collectors had for the start.

 

Unlike this guy who is tearing it up in LA. Bright future ahead for this runaway 2020 OROY player.

 

Both Tua and the play of the Dolphins has been surprising. He and this team have a bright future ahead.

Great start to this box so far. Let's see how the rest of it goes,

 

Also one-per-holiday blaster box of Donruss is this Red and Green Optic parallel. These look spectacular!

Gallup 90's Donruss

Duvernay Elite Series rookies

The Holiday sweater card was in the last pack...

Not too bad at all! CeeDee Lamb has played well for the Cowboys. Being a big Giants fan I dislike the team and player, but dig the card with the multi-color relic.

Thanks again to Adam for the blaster box.

I will be posting more about these Rookie Sweater cards as the month goes on.