First off, let me say that Rookies and Stars has been a dead brand for years, if not the entire existance of the set itself. It’s a terrible concept for a product, mainly because EVERY product has both rookies and stars composing the checklist. It would be one thing if it was a unique idea, but it’s the standard, not the exception. That being said, for the last 3 years, this product has been so ugly, that it makes the other visual vomit that Panini has put out look great by comparison. This year, as if this wasn’t expected, its exactly the same.
The main issue, actually, is not that the design is so ugly that it cant be saved, it’s the way the set is laid out. The design work in this product IS terrible, don’t get me wrong, but that isnt what gets me. What I cant stand, is that Panini chose to use helmet off, full pads, creepy face photos for most of the box hits in this product. I get that some of the designers out there think this is a good idea for any product, but it isnt. I have said at least 3.4 million times that NFL player branding is helmet on, not off, and that means that putting pictures like this on cards makes no sense. Basketball and Baseball are completely different, mainly because the player’s face is just as much a part of their brand as their uniform is. Bottom line in football is that without a uniform on, many of these guys wouldn’t get recognized in public. That is the way the NFL is. Factor in that the pictures are beyond creepy looking, and you have to ask, WHAT THE FUCK WAS PANINI THINKING?!?
In the end, Rookies and Stars needs to go, just as much as it has for the last decade. Now that we see just how poorly conceived and designed the 2011 version of the product is, that fact is even more apparent. We don’t need another stupid “Orientation” themed insert. We don’t any more of these manu-patches. We don’t need product after product that brings absolutely NOTHING OF VALUE to the 2011 card season.
Panini has some work to do in order to even bring a passable attempt at a product to the table. This is not passable at all.
No, no, no!!! I actually really liked the “Dress for Success” set the last few years, especially in 2010. I’m currently working on putting together the patch set from it, as i really liked those cards. A patch window that looks like it belongs there and the rookie in full uniform with the ball running or throwing!
This year they’re just standing there with their helmet off? Half the card is a picture of their locker? Way to ruin the only nice insert set this product had, Panini. Is this just a throwaway year?
lmao the proof of the Julio Jones card is dated November of 2007.
that is unless they put the year then the month then the date…panini even makes dates confusing.
What the HELL is the point of an “All Americans” set where college uniforms can’t be used? And I guess if there’s anything positive to say about these, it’s that Panini has apparently halfway figured out that a picture on the back is pointless if it’s the same picture that’s on the front. Topps still hasn’t learned that one.
The date format is the standard in Europe (YY-MM-DD). So it was printed on June 7, 2011.
Panini really makes it easy to spend my entire football card budget on Topps Chrome. Every preview they put out seems like a regression while Topps seems to actually care about their products. Topps has really impressed me with their efforts to get on-card autos instead of having a 100% sticker lineup like we expect from Panini year in and year out.
I think a large part of the problem is that this segment of the market is becoming oversaturated. Yes, Panini’s design sucks, but the bigger problem is that the supply of sets focused on rookies seems to have become greater than demand, espeically when you consider the fact that these sets are hugely limited in terms of design by the fact that they are released long before the NFL season even starts.
By my count we’ve already had 10+ sets released, most focused on the draft/rookies…and it’s not even the end of June yet. A bit excessive if you ask me.
You’re right, Gellman, those photos look like they should have much longer numbers across their chests, but on little boards with state law enforcement logos on them, not team jerseys…