The NFL chopping block.

Well it looks like Josh McDaniels is the latest in what seems like a lot of NFL Head Coaches this year getting fired.

I've read a few articles about it but I'm curious if what Broncos fans have to say.  And what about Tebow?  What about Orton?  What about a 3-9 team can be done this year? 

Week 13 Topps Rookie of the Week

Keeping with my 17 part update of Topps Rookie of the Week, we have the announcement of Week 13's rookie.

Javarris James

Here's what Topp's had to say about him...

"Colts running back Javarris James displayed his knack for reaching pay dirt in Week 13, rumbling for two touchdowns on just six carries against the Cowboys. The undrafted Hurricane product – cousin of former Indy star Edgerrin – has notched five scores over the last five games while emerging as his team’s feature goal-line back."

And there you go.  I even watched this game and hell it seems like all the Colts backs are named James so who knew this one was a rookie.  Well bravo Mr. James. Get your redemption at your local LCS and redeem at Topps.com.  I'm still working on a complete set. 

See you all later

cb out

Some Topps Prime

I have been making it my Sunday ritual after watching football at the bar to make a pit stop at Don's Sports Cards on my way home.  I like to peruse the drop board and look though anything new he has laying about.

Well if you didn't already know Topps Prime is out and I like it.  It reminds me of Stadium Club.  As a matter of fact I'm wondering why this isn't Stadium Club?  Why no Stadium Club Topps?  This of course is a mid level product with boxes going for about 100 bucks for 10 packs and packs going for about 10 to 11 bucks, although you can get a box of this off of Blowout for $76.  They come in a nice tube like Absolute. 

I picked up 2 packs to try it out.

Here are 3 of the base cards. Mr. Stafford, Wallace and Smith.  Nice full bleed design with great photos, the name and team logo don't detract from the card at all.  I meant to scan the backs too but forgot there nice as well.

Each pack comes with 5 cards and at least 1 insert.  I got this quad Rookie running back card.  This card also has a relic versions where the team logos would be replaced by a piece of jersey. Oddly enough if you look at the sell sheet this is the quad 4th quarter example on the sheet.

Another DMC card.  This card is called a Prime Rookie and has the PR prefix. I've been pulling lots of McCluster rookies this year.  Get healthy!!

I'm not sure but this might also have a relic or auto version.

A nice Colt McCoy gold parallel.  I like this kid and I think if he can stay healthy and if the Browns can get a few more people to catch the ball and maybe shore up there line, and if Hillis doesn't pound himself into the ground, they might have a good season next year.

Another Eagle auto.  At least this kid made the team.  Although he's been hurt a lot too.  Sticker auto though.

If you were to buy a box you would be 4 hits.  2 Relics, 1 relic auto and 1 auto.  So I got the one Auto outta the box.  The book auto relics look pretty sweet too.

All in all I like the cards, I like the set, but way too expensive to try and complete from pack buying.  Although I stopped by Target to pick some stuff up after I left Don's and saw that they have rack packs of Prime for 4.99.  That could be a way to go.  With 150 base cards and getting 4 or 3 per pack (base cards) in a hobby pack that's just not going to do it, but 14 cards per rack pack or 28 for the same cost as a hobby pack.  I didn't pick any rack packs up but I might have to buy a few and see if I can pull a nice hit out of retail.  Oddly enough there seems to be some nice hits in the retail packs coming from Topps and Panini this year. 

cb out

Topps Week 13 Rookie Redemption Predictions or nonpredictions

As I sit here wondering who could be Topps' week 13 pick, one name jumps out but every time I think there going to give it to who I pick this week. Well I would pick Chris Ivory who is honored this week with a eTopps card.

You can bet this card is shiny.

Unfortunately Mr. Ivory was Topps Week 6 pick.

So I'm going to tell you who is not going to get a Rookie Redemption card.

The unfortunate Dez Bryant who just had surgery to repair his fractured fibula.  Although he did have 1 catch for 14 yards and if this weeks uncarded rookies were that bad he might get one yet.  But he's out for the rest of the year so...

Tim Tebow doesn't have a card yet either but he didn't see any action this week so that would be lame to give it to him.  It makes me wonder though when the Broncs might give him a chance, as Orton really hasn't been doing a whole lot.  I was reading an article in this months Tuff Stuff with a story and interview with Tebow and the story is all about how waiting is the hardest part and with Orton revitalizing the team?  This article must have been written in week 4 before they went on there current slide.  Revitalizing the team with 3 wins I think there would be plenty of fans in Denver aching to see what the rookie could do.  Although to be fair Orton is in the top 10 ranked QB's right now, but he is #10. 

Sorry, Sorry. 

So this week I have no guess but I will continue my updates when the player is announced. 

My wrapper redemptions come in.

Well I had a few bubble mailers in the mail box this Friday and one of them is that distinctive Topps Fulfillment envelope, but different.  And inside was a slim foil pack.  My wrapper redemption pack had arrived and unfortunatly it didn't have green varations or auto's or Jason Heward, Buster Posey, or Stephen Strasburg.

My 3 refractor variants were.....

Lou Gehrig, Carlos Santana, and Mike Stanton.

And the backs.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this exact same pack posted around the blogotopia, so it looks like there is no collation in the packs.

Nice and shiny though.

cb out.

Hey Topps, Panini, and Upper Deck I have an Idea!!!!!

So I'm sitting there putting my Score Hockey set together and I'm thinking I need to make a nice label for the card box.  I've actually taken the time and made a template in Word to label my boxes.  But it got me to thinking that not too long ago one of the cool extras Topps and Fleer use to put in there hobby boxes was a box label. 

Now I understand that lots of people like to put their sets in 9 pocket pages and binders for easy display and that's cool.  I just don't have the room for that.  And I understand that adding the box labels to hobby boxes is an additional cost for the company but there is another way around that.   Why not include an option on their websites with box labels that you could print off?? Other than the fact that Topps and Upper Deck would actually have to keep their websites up to date it seems a nice customer benefit.

Randomness in the Great White North

Well it's been a few days, I've been busy learning all sorts of cool jedi mind tricks to use on my subordinates next summer when I have subordinates.  I had to take a 2 day training course on being a supervisor, even though I've been supervising field technician for the last 4 years.  I think my boss just wants me to have to do all the evaluations.

Anyways I've said I was going to tone down my box buying for while since I'm buying a house but with Black Friday and tradenights come great deals and I couldn't pass up picking up a few cheap, and when I say cheap I mean cheap, boxes.

First I picked up a box of 2010 T 206 for about 40 bucks a few weeks back.  Nothing specatular.  Here's what I got.

A Troy Glaus Jersey.

And a Chris Coghlan Auto. What I like about Topps T 206 auto's is that they're on card, what I dislike about them is there so tiny.

I also got a bunch of the hat variations ext.  Like a said pretty meh. But I've been trying slowly to finish the set and I got quite a few of the cards I needed out of this box.  I've got tons of extras if anyone else is trying too.

So I went to Bosco's on Black Thursday and then on Wednesday this week for trade night and they had some killer deals.  It was 10% off everything including super low marked down boxes.  So I picked up another box of Score Hockey and actually pulled a SSP Rookie Auto redemption card for Derek Stapan.  Sweet.  But again no snowglobe.  They must be rarer than 1 per box.  I couldn't find any odds anywhere and I threw away all my wrappers so if someone knows share.

I wasn't going to buy anymore Topps Football or Baseball Update but for 30 bucks a box it was hard to pass up.

I really would rather buy jumbo boxes of this stuff just because you get beter hits, but like I said cheap is cheap and I was jonesing for some redemption cards.

My one hit from the football box was this nice but ordinary Kellen Winslow jersey

But all my Gridiron Giveaways were 70's cardboard exept for 1.

I did a little bit better with my box of update.

A nice Jonathan Broxton jersey

A Boston American variation card #220

and this little guy...

Where is Strassmania when I need you!!!!????!!! Yep that's a gold parallel #661 card.

Anyways I've decided to gamble and start stock piling Strasburgs in the event he comes back and is a super stud.  And I got some nice 50's cards in the million card giveaway.

I also dabbled and bought a couple of packs of Unrivaled.  Just to try something new. 

Here's what they look like.  Actually these are 3 parallel cards I got.  There must be a parallel in every pack because I got one in every pack I opened.  There are 2 gold parallel cards #d to 759 and one silver #d to 999.  Another Tony Pike Rookie to add to the stack of toliet paper. 

I like the look of theses cards I really do

And I really like the look of this card

Look at the patch.  Look at the sig.  Nice. #d to 249.

Too bad it's a guy who isn't even playing in the NFL right now.

Poor Charles was drafted in the 6th round by the Eagles and then traded away to the Giants where he didn't make the team.  And this is one of those event worn jerseys not game worn.

Whew that was a long post and I probably could have broken it down a bit but what ever.  I'm going to take the dog for a walk and catch snowflakes on my tongue.  The blizzard of 2010 has started in Anchorage Alaska!!