Monthly Archives: March 2009

Why God, Why?

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So, I came across this thread on Blowout’s forums about this guy who is happy he has all 20 of the Triple Suck relic books for their set of complete ass. These are the ones that have, wait for it, 24 different die cut windows per card, all spelling out some of the weirdest shit you could ever fucking think of.

Now, you all know how I feel about each year’s JC Memorial Set, but this is absolutely fucking nuts! I cannot understand why anyone would want singles from this set, let alone ALL the fucking cards from the UGLIEST part of the years UGLIEST set.

Yeah yeah, to each his own, but hot damn, this is ridiculous. I do give him credit for finding a way to display these eye sores. Congrats for completing the worst of the worst, im not going to repeat the golden rule of topps collecting for the 8th time on here, you all know it.

Just to give you an idea of what these cards are capable of, I put TWO rows of them together. Yes, it only takes two rows of these steaming piles of watery goat turds to make you cry…

NFL DRAFT: Vikings On The Clock

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Im going to be focusing a lot on the draft coming up, mainly because there is nothing else. This time, I want to discuss who I think the Vikings should pick for their spot at 22. There is a lot of draft that happens before they get on the clock, and I think there is a lot of people that could be there when they pick. There are some players that I would consider to be a good investment for the team, and a bunch of others who arent. Again, let me state that I am in no way a draft guy, I just like reading about it.

Offensive Tackle – Eben Britton, Andre Smith, or a Plethora Of Others

I always think an offensive tackle is a great investment, especially when you can get top talent in the lower picks of the first round. As it stands right now, the line upgrade we would get from one of the tackles in the draft is invaluable, and would do nothing but help this team. We just lost Matt Birk, which I think was a horrible fucking decision to not throw cash at him for a few more years, and now this position is even more important.

On the other hand, I DO NOT WANT ANDRE SMITH. He may have talent and upside, but the attitude and work ethic has already been shown to be very very poor. If you cant get a good tackle here, there are plenty later in the draft.

Center – Max Unger, Alex Mack

Despite having the name of a long forgotten Nickelodeon character, Mack is a great pick to replace Matt Birk for years to come. He is just what they need, however, you don’t pick a center in the first round. Its not worth it. Center is not one of the positions that make or break a team, but it can definitely hurt if it is not addressed. Vikings need a center, but they need other things more. If they pick Mack or Unger, I wont be angry, I will just think there should have been more thought, as one of these guys should be around when the Vikings pick comes around again.

Wide Receiver – Percy Harvin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks

Hobby wise, I hope they pick one of these guys so I have someone to collect. Team wise, I think Harvin is a great pick if he is there, but I would wait on the other players. See, when it comes to WRs, you either have a legit number 1 or you have a support guy. Sad thing is that the Vikings’ receivers are all support guys. Harvin could be great, but he isnt Maclin or Crabtree who will both be #1 guys. Its very easy to be a good RB in this league, its not easy to be a good WR, especially when Sage or Tjack are throwing you the ball.

However, I think this is the best investment for the team based on Childress’ current outlook. He doesn’t want a QB, he is also a complete jackass.

Quarterback – Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Pat White

I don’t think there is any question in most of the fan’s minds that this is the way the Vikings should go if any of them had a brain. They should have given up their draft for Cutler or at least try to trade up and get Sanchez or Freeman. Childress refuses, but he also has proven that his mind is complete crap when it comes to building an offense. There were two things that prevented the Vikes from going further into the playoffs, first is lack of a QB, and there is no way around it. If Jackson had been Cutler, that last drive against philly would not have been an excersize in futility. You cant deny that Jackson is not an NFL level talent, and both Sanchez and Freeman will be. Good QBs don’t come in the draft often, most other positions do. Next year will be rich in QBs, but it also prevents a year on the bench, something that is needed for most QB draft picks. Normally, I would say its not too much of a problem to wait, but I don’t think the Vikings have that luxury. Without a QB drafted in this round or signed/traded for, the Vikings will be doomed to continual first round mediocrity.

This is where I want them to go. They wont. I hate being a Vikings fan during the draft. Adrian Peterson as the exception, the fans pick never gets the nod, and most of the time, the fans have been right with who they wanted.

Cornerback – Vontae Davis, among others

I do not want them to go corner, but they probably will if not OT. Corners are a dime a dozen, and I actually think this is a better position addressed via free agency, but of course, they wont agree. Vontae Davis is great, he will be similar to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from this past year, but honestly, there is one of them in every stage of the draft. First round corners are not as hard to find as first round WRs or QBs. I would avoid this pick as a way to improve the team. Its complete nonsense.

The only advantage to selecting someone like Davis, is you automatically upgrade your return game too. Davis would step in immediately at KR and PR, so that would be great. However, I still don’t support this type of pick.

Linebacker – James Laurinitis (sp?), Others

If they have the chance to draft a good linebacker, you can never have enough good people in this position. Although it is not a direct need, there may not be anyone else worth drafting at this spot by the time the picks come around. I wouldn’t necessarily support going this direction, but drafting best available – corner or not – may be a reality.

Personally, I think this years draft will be a lot of fun, with a lot of trades. Its going to be fast paced, and I think there will be a lot of surprises. Hopefully the Vikings can come out on top.

I Dont Go Off Topic Very Often, But This Was Pretty Interesting

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Im sure a lot of you have seen this video before, there are actually quite a few versions of it, but I think its worth posting here. I think the subject matter is pretty interesting, and though some of it is alarmist in nature, it holds a lot of water here on the net. Plus, the technical presentation of the info is pretty cool too.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY&hl=en&fs=1]

When Stupidity Attacks

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I am putting the scam pulled by MelbourneBrokebackCowboy at the same level as this ridiculous auction. This seller is selling his “UNCIRCULATED” Jonathan Stewart UD heroes auto, and I almost want to shoot anyone who even thinks of bidding on this card.

Here are his words:

“08 UD FOOTBALL HEROES- JONATHAN STEWART UNCIRCULATED AUTO RC SP# 158/250! PANTHERS! PERFECT TO GRADE![…]DO YOU REMEMBER A FEW YEARS BACK, TO COLLECT YOUR FAVORITE STAR ATHLETES WAS REALLY FUN? YOU WOULD COLLECT, AND HAVE AS MANY DUPLICATE CARDS AS YOU COULD HANDLE. BUT, IN THE SAME TIME IT WOULDNT PUT A DENT IN YOUR WALLET! (OH YES, THE GOOD OL’ DAYS!) WELL, I AM BRINGING THOSE DAYS BACK HERE AGAIN! WITH ALL NEW AUCTIONS BY TRUBLUE87! ALL OF MY AUCTIONS WILL START OUT AT $0.55! AND I WILL COMBINE ALL SHIPPING COSTS!!!!!! ALL CARDS ARE IN NM-MT CONDITION (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED!)”

Good story. Compelling, and rich. Despite all the caps, the stupid concept, and the ridiculous description, there is one simple problem with this auction that most people would spot in a second…

…the card is a UD card in a Topps uncirculated holder.

Good call there chief, really top notch work. On top of all this, the person brings forth a follow up to my post from yesterday, or more importantly brings forth the fucking stupid ass idea of grading an uncirculated card. Why in god’s name would you de-case an already encased card, just so that you can get it into ANOTHER ugly holder with an obvious grade. Stupidity at its finest, I really love these.

I Hate Nostalgia In The Hobby, But This Is Too Good To Resist

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Back when DLP was still in the baseball market, things were going well for the collectors that focus on the sport that started it all. There were good sets, there were nice cards, and the stuff that was put out every year was built on the foundation put in place from the year before. I loved a lot of what DLP put out, but I forgot what was possible until I saw a card on a message board.

See, normally, we just get a message on the back of each card that certifies the jersey was used in a game. That’s all we have to go on most of the time, and McWilliam has even removed some of the language on the back of the cards to prevent further liability. It’s a reality that millions have come to accept, that their jersey cards are wholly authentic because some president of a company leaves a message on the back of a card. Hell, even DLP has taken a step back along with Topps and the rest, because liability and transparency are thought of as the enemy. The less we know, the more we will buy. I have gotten countless emails from UD employees, Topps employees, and DLP employees, indicating to me that the stuff I have written about is a tame representation of what actually happens behind closed doors.

It wasn’t always this way. In fact, the card I saw actually had a picture of the jersey it came from on the back of the card. Amazing that these type of things never caught on. Of course, there is never a guarantee, as we have found out, that the jersey IS authentic, or that the swatch is from the pictured jersey, but it’s a step up from a stupid message on the back of the card.


(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

It used to be that game used jerseys were the exception to the rule instead of the rule itself, and things have definitely changed in this hobby since 1996 when they first appeared. I really do like the way most of the cards are done today, but I cant help but feel like sometimes, the wool is pulled over our eyes, wrapped around our head, and painted black. One day, someone will have the balls to come out and tell me what I have always wanted to know, or in more simpler terms, what have we been missing?