Over the last few years, I dont think Panini Football has done even close to a mediocre job of producing good looking products. It seems like at every turn, they release garbage sets that incite more laughs than oohs and ahhs. Immaculate has turned out to be one of the only products that really had no typical Panini design fails. The majority of the product looked amazing, even though it inexplicably had some sticker content.

Check out these beauties:

2014 Immaculate Odell Beckham Jr Auto Jumbo Patch

2014 Immaculate Dan Marino Auto Jumbo Logo

2014 Immaculate Emmitt Smith Immaculate Moments

2014 Immaculate Andrew Luck Auto Patch /25

2014 Immaculate Jamaal Charles Auto NFL Logo 1/1

Moving into 2015, Panini has had a DISASTROUS year of disgusting visual diarrhea products, coupled with extreme over saturation of sticker autographs from players that would normally be on card. Immaculate is the first product that looks to be far removed, likely because the football team had little to do with is concept, design or themes.

This preview showcases exactly what the product has to offer, after we got a look at some of the cards during the last few weeks. I love the design, I love the themes, and I love that it doesnt look to have stickers. The MVP, Draft and Signature Moves all look awesome, and I think there is a big reason to expect that they will be highly coveted by collectors. This is a super premium hit or miss product, as we have come to know, especially if points will continue to replace hits. We can only hope points are excluded.

I also dont see any of those horrible signed scraps of black construction paper in this preview, which have been an immaculate staple since their demon birth a few years ago.

Either way, Im excited for Immaculate, and I am excited to see if it turns out as well as it looks. Panini finds a way to fuck everything up some how some way, so we will have to see what goes down when boxes finally hit shelves. Also worth mentioning that Panini should be ASHAMED that it took them this fucking long to preview a set without rookie stickers.

There is no more polarizing Topps product that exists. Triple Threads baseball is it. Arguably, it has even been lapped by its football sister product in recent years, and why this has happened is completely beyond my understanding. I hate Triple Threads baseball with every fiber of my being, and though I dont think 2015 looks as bad as 2014 and 2013, it is still really fucking terrible. Even with Ichiro autographed content, im not even close to ready to say anything good about this product as a whole.

Here are some of the hits that have been posted. Notice the format, notice the design, notice what these cards are all about:

2015 Triple Threads Frank Thomas Auto Triple Relic – I dont get it.

2015 Triple Threads Reggie Jackson Auto Triple Relic – I dont get it.

2015 Triple Threads Jorge Soler Triple Relic – I get it, but its not really that clever.

2015 Triple Threads Hunter Pence Triple Relic – Most people wont get it.

2015 Triple Threads Kole Calhoun Auto Triple Relic – I dont get it.

2015 Triple Threads Bryce Harper Auto Triple Relic – Still waiting for them to do “Clown Question.” (

EDIT: looks like they did already. (H/T @yanksandbeans)

These are less about the gimmick and more about creating a super premium card. Albeit in a mildly successful way:

2015 Triple Threads Evan Longoria Lettermen Booklet

2015 Triple Threads Tim Hudson Full All Star Logo Triple Booklet 1/1

I love a lot of what Topps does. Putting focus on on card autographs, great looking design work, and even taking risks is something that they do very well. A set like Triple Threads is something I put on Panini’s level, as each part of the baseball product seems to get worse with age. It has now been around for a decade, and its a decade Topps should all beg us to forget.

You know, the product year over year is so similar, I can literally just copy and paste my review from the last few years and it would apply in 2015. In fact, lets take a look.

“The worst part about this set is the fact that it literally caters to the lowest common denominator of the hobby. Oversized relics, sticker autos, and terrible design.””

Yup, sounds about right for 2015.

“Regardless of the situations that Triple Threads never seems to fix, these cards just tend to get dumber by the moment. Really take a second to read through some of the die cut words on the card. If you have to google it to understand what the fuck is going on, the line has already been crossed.”

Seems to be right on par.

All of what was said above is back for what seems like the 508th year, and I doubt that it will be changing any time soon. This is also one of the only Topps products served up in an insane 18 box master case, which for a premium product, should spell certain death. Of course, it just adds fuel to the fire to chase the ever popular 1/1s that have spread like a virus over the hobby as a whole. Back in 2006, 1/1s were novel and special, but thanks to the need to add contrived scarcity, they are relatively common these days.

Going back to the monotony of the yearly release of this set, its clear that someone at Topps DOES NOT want this product to change at all. Where Football has made some changes to make the set a bit more interesting, it seems like Baseball has lagged FAAAAR behind. I get that there is an overpopulation of products, but high end in baseball doesnt necessarily fall into the same boat. I have never seen a product so full of stickers and junk become so popular, just because some lame ass play on words is haphazardly carved into the card’s front.

Carry on, I am fully aware that my ranting does nothing to curb the thirst people have for this product, including the desire to fight to the death against anyone that doesnt like it.

This was a good kickoff weekend for a number of collectors, as there were some rookies that definitely showcased exactly why they were collector favorites for most of the offseason and preseason. Others looked like they needed a few more minutes in the oven. Here are some of the top rookies and how they fared.

Marcus Mariota – 209 yards, 4 TDs

The hobby will overvalue his performance in the blowout victory, and that makes me incredibly happy. Although he didnt really wasnt asked to do much in the way his passes were choreographed, his execution was nothing short of perfect. I say the hobby will overvalue because EVERYONE overreacts to week one, and that is what makes football so much fun. This type of a performance will set up WEEKS worth of product releases, even if he struggles against a team that wasnt the worst in football a year ago. People will chase his cards like they have been since the game started, and trust me, we need every last piece of that action in this hobby. Think back to what that catch did for Beckham, and this could do some similar things at a much more important hobby position.

His cards are legitimately on fire right now:

2015 Bowman Chrome Marcus Mariota Gold Refractor Auto

2015 Topps Marcus Mariota 1987 On Card Auto /25

2015 Topps Inception Marcus Mariota Inscription Auto /10

2015 Donruss Elite Marcus Mariota Patch Auto /25

Ameer Abdullah – 50 yards RUSH, 1 TD, 44 yards REC

There was no other rookie who gained the most hype over the preseason than Ameer Abdullah, thanks to some flashy running during the early games. He was able to put up an impressive breakaway TD in the first quarter of the loss to SD, which is good to see that he has been able to get some results early on. Although he didnt rush for 100 yards, it was good to see him get his spotlight as the afternoon games started.

His cards were already selling well coming out of the preseason:

2015 Topps Inception Ameer Abdullah Inscription Auto /10

2015 Topps Ameer Abdullah RC Auto SSP Variation

2015 Topps Ameer Abdullah Rookie Premiere Auto Red Ink /10

Jameis Winston – 210 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INT

Pro football focus ranked Winston’s performance just ahead of Matt McGloin, which isnt a good sign, but it wasnt the overall performance that will hurt his hobby value. In a world where the hot take reigns supreme, his opening throw getting picked for a score will haunt his value until he turns it around. Even if he plays mediocre for the next few games, that play will get as much air time as Mariota’s huge game. Scary. Tampa is truly terrible, again, and we knew that it would take Winston getting some offensive line help and a running game before he would be able to really put a stamp on his potential. Dont give up now.

Cards are on a downturn, but all it takes is one good week:

2015 Spectra Jameis Winston Jumbo Patch Auto 1/1

2015 Immaculate Multi Sport Jameis Winston Auto /10

2015 Topps Jameis Winston Auto Jumbo Patch /50

Amari Cooper – 5 catches, 44 yards

Its not good that Carr injured his hand before the game really got going. Matt McGloin is not Derek Carr, and Cooper’s day likely suffered as a result. They got blown out by the Bengals, and although he didnt exactly shit the bed, he didnt get the numbers that Im sure a lot of people would hope he could get against a defense that was pretty damn good last year. If he put up a big day, it would say a lot about his ability. Without Carr, its just not a good representation.

You can still get his cards pretty cheap either way, and I dont think its a bad idea:

2015 Topps Inception Amari Cooper Jumbo Patch Auto Booklet

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Amari Cooper Auto Inscription

Melvin Gordon – 55 yards RUSH, 0 TD, 16 yards REC

I hate when coaches give the red zone carries to someone other than the feature back. Woodhead in all his “gritty” and “lunchbox” glory got two TDs on the day, including a run from a yard out. It put quite the damper on Gordon’s numbers on paper, and that isnt good for the hobby. Lets hope he gets the looks next time San Diego is near the goal line.

Here is what his cards have done since then:

2015 Topps Inception Melvin Gordon Silver Ink Auto /50

2015 Leaf Trinity Melvin Gordon Inscription Auto

Its worth reinforcing that this is just week one, but this is what every collector has been waiting for since the first 2015 products hit the shelves. There were more rookies who played well, including Karlos Williams and Rashad Greene, who both had TDs in their games. I think that there will be much more action to judge in the coming weeks, and its not in anyone’s best interest to judge anyone – including Mariota – on one performance. There is thankfully a shit ton of football left to be played, and I cannot be more excited.

If you love the digital card scene as much as I do, this was huge news. Probably the biggest news I have experienced as a football fan since first stumbling on Huddle a few years back. Up until this point, Huddle has only had licensing through the NFLPA, limiting the game’s true potential to perform the way Topps’ other fully licensed apps perform. That all changed yesterday.

Since 2012, I have played Huddle and felt that a huge opportunity was being lost because the app was missing the logos and action shot photography, save for weeks 1 and 2 of 2014. It probably goes back to the fact that when the digital apps were conceived, Huddle was likely more of an experiment to see if their MLB licensed baseball formula would work in the NFL.

As a result, the game never reached the same level that Bunt and Kick did, always playing second fiddle due to lack of a league license. Well, I am happy to finally get to experience what Huddle is like with the NFL’s branding power behind it. Here is a breakdown of what Huddle’s new look will mean.

Logos

All Huddle cards will now be able to be created with NFL branding. This means the usage of team uniforms, word and watermark logos, and league logos as well. Everything in Huddle will move away from the head shots and airbrushing of years past, and it will function much more like Bunt and Kick in the way cards are done. Logos provide an aesthetic that cant be beat, and with a top level design team for the cards, its no doubt that the app will look great this year.

Existing Cards

I can assure you that previous years of Huddle NFLPA cards will not be redesigned to fit the new license, as much as I want them to be. Its too much time without much return on the investment. Im just looking forward thankful that I never have to go back to that situation from 2012-2014.

Player Photography

No more headshots! NO. MORE. HEADSHOTS. With a full league license, the base set can be digitized from Topps Football, and no longer needs to be edited. This means the way a photo looks on every NFL website will now be available to be built into a digital card, similar to Bunt. All inserts will also feature in game photos, and I am already starting to notice that Topps Digital has gone into overdrive so that no rookies are pictured using combine or OTA pictures. Pretty cool to see.

Events

All event and league generated logos are now available for usage in the app. This includes all kickoff, playoff, and Super Bowl signage as well as the NFL Draft and Pro Bowl. Of all the things that present the most potential, this is what is going to be the most refreshing. There is no need to call anything the Big Game anymore, like they had to over the last few years.

This should prove to be pretty interesting, as the NFL’s 50th Super Bowl marketing blitz could find its way to Huddle. I cannot wait to see what happens as the season moves on.

Additionally, all awards can now be called exactly what they are, including MVPs and Players of the Week, directly after the NFL makes them known.

History/Legends

Although legends are a player thing as much as they are a league thing, I would guess NFL history will be a huge part of the plans for 2015 Huddle. I would be remiss to believe that they dont already have a bunch on board, and we will surely see how this impact things. More importantly, all that rich history of Topps’ football presence in physical cards can now be accessed.

Longevity

Most importantly, with an announcement like this, its clear that Topps has made a significant investment in their digital apps. In all honesty, Huddle could end up being the flagship app with NFL licensing, especially with the popularity of fantasy football. I would assume that they will transition the way the game was marketed into a new blitz of channels, as they now have a product that can compete with any mobile NFL game. Im serious, this is a huge deal.

With Topps no longer being able to produce PHYSICAL cards with current players as of 2016, Huddle should become the only way they remain in the game with rookies and existing players. Its sad that this is the case, but still amazing that Topps Football found a way to live on.

Market Presence

Expect Huddle to be everywhere. Front page of the app store, potentially NFL.com, they will be riding this wave to thousands of more users. That also means that the game is going to change. It very well could end up being a community with size comparable to Star Wars at first, especially as people see it everywhere NFL has online ad space. There will be user attrition, but Huddle is going to explode. This means that it is in your best interest to attain as many of the first few cards as you can, as you dont want to miss out when the tidal wave hits.

I would also expect the new HUDDLE spokesperson – JJ Watt to have a big hand in promoting things, as Trout has for Bunt. They will likely have many other brand ambassador agreements that will showcase what the new game has to offer. Look for the players to get behind this game in terms of promotion.

Overall, this is ONE OF the biggest things to happen to Topps Digital since the launch of their Star Wars Card Trader app. It might even be more important in the grand scheme of things. The NFL is a licensing beast, and one of the most visible brands in the USA. This acquisition cannot be understated, especially with how big fantasy football is to fans. I expect this to be one of the best seasons of any app in the history of all four. What a great day for all us digital weekend warriors who have been around since the beginning.

I say it every single year. I have one religious holiday and today is that day. NFL kickoff is FINALLY here, and I cannot put into words how excited I am. This is my favorite time of year, when all hope is still in tact, and everyone in the hobby is buzzing for the first time in months. The barren wasteland of football-less time is over, and we are now primed for the 5 months of seeing what this season is all about.

Prediction for Hobby MVP – Andrew Luck

This isnt really a prediction per se, but rather a statement. Luck has already surged into a status reserved for people like Brady and Rodgers, but I think that this year will be his time to really reap the rewards of his talent. I think the Colts are easily a favorite to win their division, and might be a favorite to win the whole thing. That would make Luck’s ridiculous prices that much more insane.

As you can see, things are already in the stratosphere:

2012 National Treasures Andrew Luck Rookie Auto Patch /49

2012 Contenders Andrew Luck Auto Ticket BGS 9.5

2012 Topps Five Star Andrew Luck Rookie Auto Patch

2014 Topps Five Star Andrew Luck Silver Signature Auto

Prediction for Hobby Rookie of the Year – Amari Cooper

Again, not going too far off book on this, because many of the experts are picking him too. The reason why this might be a surprise for the hobby is that WR are usually very low valued. Hell, if you arent a QB these days, its low value by default. As expected, Cooper’s stuff isnt that high right now, or at least not where it should be, mainly because everyone is so focused on Mariota and Winston. I think he could have a great season and really light up the scoreboard in the hobby as well.

Here is where his value is currently:

2015 Topps Inception Amari Cooper Auto Blue Parallel

2015 Topps Football Amari Cooper Rookie Premiere Red Ink Auto /10

2015 Topps Football Amari Cooper Jumbo Patch Auto

Prediction for Hobby Rookie Disappointment of the Year – Todd Gurley

Let me start this off by saying that I dont think this will be 100% a result of his talent. It will be a combination of the knee injury, the place he is playing, and RBs being hobby plebeians as of late. Gurley is a talented player, but he isnt going to put up numbers to sustain any real value. His name will prevent him from going into the crapper completely, but I wouldnt dive deep on him at all. Doesnt help that his autograph is a give up.

Gurley’s stuff is a bit down already following news he will be out until week 3:

2015 Donruss Elite Todd Gurley Auto Patch

2015 Topps Football Todd Gurley 1987 Retro Auto

Potential Blockbuster – Topps Huddle Gets NFL License

As was just announced, Topps Digital secured an NFL license for their Huddle app, something that has been 3 years in the making. When you consider the juggernaut that their digital portfolio has become, adding an NFL license could not be bigger. With Topps losing the NFLPA license after 2015, this is a way that Topps football can live on. Truly amazing that they got the license when they did.

Check out my write up from Digital Card Central for More info!

Cut Bait – Robert Griffin III

I know that many of you dove in deep on his cards during his rookie year as the top guy in the yard. He was spectacular. Of course, Washington never seems to be without their own personal brand of clusterfuck in every situation, which has led to Kirk Cousins getting the nod. Neither looks to be in a particularly good situation, and that is going to impact hobby value in a tremendous fashion. Its time to cut bait on buying in any further, but you might want to hold your goods to see where he lands next year. Who knows, lots of people find new life in a new city.

Here are his cards:

2012 Topps Supreme Robert Griffin III Jumbo Patch Auto

2012 Topps Strata Robert Griffin III Rookie Patch Auto Clear Cut

Second Year QBs Poised for Success – Carr and Bridgewater

These guys are walking into some prime territory, and its looking very good for their prospects in 2015. Teddy has Peterson back on his side, which should do wonders for their passing game. Carr has Amari Cooper, who I have already pegged as a top candidate for rookie of the year. If the 2015 class is soft, these guys should pick up some of the pieces.

Cards are already heating up:

2014 National Treasures Teddy Bridgewater Rookie Auto Patch

2014 Topps Supreme Teddy Bridgewater Jumbo Booklet Inscription Auto

2014 Topps Chrome Derek Carr Rookie Auto BGS 9.5

2014 Crown Royale Derek Carr Silhouette Auto Patch

This is really going to be a fun season, and it starts tonight. Although I dont think the league has quite recovered from everything that happened over the offseason, tonight that all melts away.