When it comes to Super High End sets and products like Contenders, collectors are on the Panini bandwagon for the long haul. Even though I believe the loyalty is only partially earned, and somewhat by default due to Upper Deck’s departure from the NFL market, it is what it is. Now, any other product that doesnt fall into the bucket I just described above can only be described as a complete and utter clusterfuck, with varying levels of clusterfuckage included. There are sprinkles of success here and there, but over all, Panini’s track record is that of career practice squad running back.

Clear Vision is looking to be right in line with a history of crappy early year products for Panini. The only difference is this time, autographs are only 1 per case. Yes, you heard that right. They are going to trot out a new product with no brand loyalty, and try to rock the boat in a sport dependent on autographs. Although I support trying new formats and new ideas, there is a way to do it, and there is a way NOT to do it.

At the very least, if you are going to try to create value in your product, do it with some GREAT looking cards, or at least some really cool technology. Dont expect me to get excited over a reformatted piece of shit from other unpopular and terrible products. Clear Vision has very few elements to get excited about, to say the least. Not to mention, when the Autograph content does pop up on its “AMAZING ROZDIUCKULOUS CHECKLIST OF TOP GUYS!” its a manupatch auto design with an acetate signature instead of signed shitty pieces of embroidered fabric. YAY! Sign me the fuck up for 8 cases.

Outside of that, Clear Vision is akin to Topps High Tek, which will be making its debut in football this year after making waves in Baseball last year. Just to recap, they are a similar price point, but Topps is offering TRUE hard signed acetate cards for their product, and the autograph content is a normal structure. Here is my preview. Panini thinks that relic content and tired rehashes of acetate designs will make up for a lack of an autograph per box, forgetting that relics mean nothing anymore, and acetate is everywhere.

When they actually do get a card design right as they did with the jumbo patch layered acetate cards, they fuck it up by choosing posed goofy photographs instead of the action shots they should have used from the Rookie Premiere. That’s Panini in a nutshell. They dont know their ass from a hole in the ground on this stuff.

Back during the rookie premiere when they first released the sell sheet for Clear Vision, I saw some ulterior motives at play. Being that Panini overpaid so drastically for the exclusive licenses they have acquired over the last few years, minimum guarantees required in payments to the league will dictate a BLOATED calendar of sets that they will need to build if Topps does in fact get bullied out of their license. That means autograph deals in place will have to be completely re-imagined, which might not be as easy as one would think. They will need a PLAN B to have in case, and a 1 per case autograph content product could be that stop gap until new deals are done. However, we should all have a hearty chuckle if they think Clear Vision is the right way to roll that plan out. Hell, let us not forget that they chose to NOT get any of these cards truly hard signed at the rookie premiere. They barely got ANYTHING hard signed at the premiere. What a fucking joke!

Either way, it looks like this set is going to have a more limited run, which might be the only saving grace that it has. Panini is notorious for printing the shit out of their early sets, expecting them to eventually sell WELL below dealer cost, and this might end up in that group regardless of its seemingly lower case run. I mean, from the looks of these cards, it definitely deserves to be in the bargain bin at the release. However, we know there are collectors that will bust anything, and the group break contingent will eat up some of the cards.

Clear Vision is a joke in the funniest possible sense, and its scary that Panini thinks this should be a set on their calendar. Although it is better than trash like 2014’s Hot Rookies, or even Score, but outside of that, I fail to see its value. You will have people who will say “WELL, IM GOING TO GET A TOP AUTO IN EVERY CASE.” This is a true statment. However, not every collector is going to open that much. Most collectors will bust one box of it, run for the nearest trash receptacle, lose their lunch, and walk away.