tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28297068659661466592024-03-13T09:04:45.048-07:00Red Rockin': Telling It Laich It IsScooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-71717187152197287122020-01-27T16:39:00.001-08:002020-01-27T16:39:14.683-08:00Kobe Bryant: The Loss Of a A Cultural Icon<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
These are my words, feelings and
emotions. People may disagree and that’s their right. There are a lot of
great things shared regarding Kobe the player and the person. Many will avoid
the bad things. I believe it’s okay to address them as long as you do it
respectfully. One choice does not always make a man.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Numb! Pain! Sadness! Void!
Disbelief! The feelings so many of us had when we saw the report that Kobe
Bryant had perished in a helicopter crash. Originally it was thought to be 5
victims, later it was confirmed 9. In the race to be first over be
accurate reports came out that all 4 of Kobe’s daughters were on that
helicopter, former-Laker teammate and actor Rick Fox was another people claimed
was on that flight. As it turns out one of Kobe’s daughters, Gianna, two of her
teammates, three parents, the coach and the pilot were all aboard that flight
and there were indeed no survivors. All of this on a flight that could have been avoided.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
When my phone first alerted me with
a notification from TMZ I thought I had misread the headline. When I realized I
hadn’t I was ready to throw my phone down. How could this be? I reached out to
two friends, Becca Winkert, Director of WizardsXtra, and Britt McHenry, formerly
of ESPN, currently with Fox and noted Kobe fan. To one I said “I can’t believe
Kobe’s dead” to which I received an immediate reply back saying “that’s not
fucking funny” and it wasn’t and I hated to share that news. To the other I
said “OMG Kobe” and that was returned with an “OMG.” </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">NO ONE loved the game of basketball more than Kobe. Right now no one loves Kobe more than than the game of basketball.</span> As the hours have gone on millions
of us have shared our thoughts and prayers, our memories and our tears, Kobe's death united millions around the world. The players had to play yesterday, the games had to go on as players were find out about the tragedy. Teams took 8 second and 24 second violations to honor Kobe's two jersey numbers. Fitting that the two violations happen to be his jersey numbers. <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
While
my generation grew up on and emulating Michael Jordan, we grew up WITH Kobe
Bryant. Kobe entered the NBA in the entertainment capital of the world, Los
Angeles and to the most storied franchise in basketball the Lakers, at 17 years
old. A team that, at 17, he essentially forced a draft night trade to. Kobe took
R&B star Brandy to prom and since then the sports and entertainment world
were enamored with him. </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
During Kobe’s rookie year I was a
high school freshman, all of 14/15 years old. For many of us out on the
basketball court we would do turnarounds and fadeaways and scream “Jordan” as
the shot went thru the net (Ed. Note: some of us did that regardless if it went
in or not but not me…lies). Kobe studied MJ if you watch video, he did the
exact same moves….EXACT SAME MOVES…Mike did. High school to the NBA. Sure
KG had done it the year before and other’s did it the same year as Bryant but
Kobe…to many of us Kobe was living a life we dreamed of, Kobe was one of us,
but with more skill and better work ethic.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
NBA success didn’t come immediately for Kobe. He sat most of his rookie
year and didn’t really get the minutes or start putting up large point totals
until his third season. By that point Kobe had matured enough as a player to
begin his ascent towards NBA superstardom and the rest was history. For nearly
20 years Kobe was the face of the Lakers and a hero and villain taking center
stage in the NBA. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
I loved watching Kobe play, I
couldn’t get enough of it and yet seeing some of these videos I feel like I barely
watched him at all. On the court Kobe was a warrior.
Never have a I seen a player fight through injuries like he did. Shooting two
free throws with a torn Achilles tendon and wanting to go back in the game? Are
you kidding me, some players would ask to sit out for a bruised shoulder. </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
When Kobe and Shaq were beefing I was team Kobe all the
way. Shaq to me was just a fatty that got all the calls because of his size. In
hindsight it was two alpha males that wanted to assert their dominance who were
too bullheaded to get out of their own way. They realized this later in life and
while much of it did happen, some was also media driven. The Lakers probably
could have won championships for a decade straight, except the series the Kings
should have beat them in if it wasn’t for the refs but I digress. Also I read recently he wanted to join the Washington Wizards so if that broke up their dynasty I'd have been fine with it as well.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Then Colorado happened. I was
fully in support of Kobe the whole way. I was total fanboy. I believed it was
consensual. I believed she changed her mind during the acts. At the time her
unwillingness to testify made me think she was lying. However the only two
people that knew what happened were him and her. Personally I was disappointed
that a hero of mine had cheated on his wife and put himself in such a position
to even have such an accusation made. Then his statement and word of a
settlement came out. It soured me on Kobe the person and Kobe the player
because I couldn’t differentiate between the two. Plus the way things played
out publicly with the ring he bought his wife, I just couldn’t any longer. </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
I let this affect my support of Kobe. I wasn't as big of a fan any longer. Still respected the player and enjoyed watching him but just about any negative thing he did pissed me off. I hated the Lakers and their fans and eventually even just the Kobe fans who felt he could do no wrong. I missed the 81 point game, the most in
the modern era and second most in NBA history. It is arguably the greatest individual
single game performance in basketball, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point
game due to competition, if not in all of sports. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I still haven’t seen that game in its
entirety but I will one day. </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Of course the scoring records, such as this and total points in their career, also leads to the talk of the Greatest of All-Time wish I could only wish would go away with his passing. Who's the GOAT: MJ, Kobe, or
LeBron? Its stupid and dominated social media only hours before his death as Bron
passed Kobe on the all-time scoring list. Let’s be real! Comparing eras, even ones
that overlap, are unfair to the players. Rules change, styles change, body
types change. Neither Jordan nor Kobe met a shot they didn’t want to take nor
thing they could hit. All three needed to be surrounded with two or three other
players at the top of their game to achieve the ultimate goal. The difference
is Jordan couldn’t instruct management how to act, much, due to the CBA. Kobe
and Bron had better luck under new CBAs to be surrounded with better talent. However
in my opinion Jordan is the GOAT however Kobe is his equal. They are both
equally the greatest, of their era and all-time when it comes to scoring the
ball and both could rebound and pass though Kobe rarely passed. LeBron is the
Magic Johnson. He does a bit of everything but had he not teamed up with Wade
and Bosh, he’d have had a better chance of being the overall GOAT. LeBron also
has 3 inches on both of them.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Its only fitting that the
greatest player from arguably greatest draft class in NBA history, a
draft with
Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury among others, will
be inducted
in one of the greatest classes to ever enter the Naismith Hall of Fame
this
year. Since the day they announced their retirements I had been looking
forward
to Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Kobe going in together. I looked
forward to
the stories that Kobe was going to share, things many of us never heard
before,
flashing that smile and being self-deprecating. When the enshrinement
comes, regardless of who speaks, there will be tears of joy and sadness. </div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Looking back the past few years I
realized that when that took place Kobe was 24. By 24, if not 22, he was
arguably the greatest basketball player in the NBA at that time. He was Kobe
Bean Bryant. The toast of the town. No one said no to Kobe. He spoke the
romantic languages, he was young, he was attractive, he had it all and he seemingly
always got his way. That doesn’t make it right but Kobe like many other
celebrities they feel their above the law or that they can get what they want
because of who they are. By no means am I trying to tarnish or bash him after
the fact. If anything I’m trying to humanize him. He was a God to people on and
off the court but he had his sins just like we all do. He made mistakes just
like we all do. His played out through the media and through public at 24 years
old. In the years that have followed seeing how he raised his girls, how he
treated them, and how he handled things after his actions involving the LGBTQ
community makes me believe that he learned his lesson and that he atoned and
was forgiven for this and I too could forgive Kobe the person.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
Another thing I had grown tired of was him throwing his teammates under the bus, demanding who
stays and
who goes. Franchise player or not that’s not your call, after all what
kind of
leader are you? When Kobe retired I had taken on a new position at my
company.
I had been a leader, now I was THE leader. I had my frustrations, I had
my ways
of trying to motivate, I had my ways of how I handled things. At that
time I realized
Kobe put everything into basketball just like I’ve done my 15 years at
my job.
Kobe tried to lead by example. Kobe wanted THE BEST out of those around
him
because if they couldn’t give that effort they were holding him back,
they were
holding his team back. You can’t reach maximum success if everyone is
not
giving the effort they need. There’s time for joking around and what not
but
when its work time, it’s serious! You give your effort and if you’re not
doing
enough you put in the extra time to make it right. That wasn’t
immaturity, that
was maturity, maybe not handled correctly but handled the way he knew
how.
<b>That’s Mamba Mentality</b>.</div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
What gets lost is that not enough positive press is given while he was living or at least it doesn't make the social media circuit as much as the juicy negative stuff. The teaching that Kobe gave the younger players starting as far back as the Redeem Team and thru secret camps Kobe held in the off-season. Give the secrets out once you're retired so that they can't use it against you while you're playing...GENIUS. A student of the game from the beginning to
the end, he learned and adapted and taught. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stories are being shared about how
Kobe learned and made things happen that he envisioned is truly astonishing. Kobe
was like the guy in A Beautiful Mind. His brain just worked differently than
everyone else. That’s why he was successful on and off the court. I think Kobe tried to mask himself from the parts of the world and at times may have been understood because of he was unique.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv4429669475ydp7d5fd5d1msonormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is another downside to Kobe’s
passing. As someone whose hobby is sports card and memorabilia collecting I’ve
always had a vested interest in Kobe, among other players. I’m not one to
necessarily sell the items but it could be a nice nest egg when I get
older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hours after the crash, sharing
stories with other fellow collectors I decided to check ebay to see what the
market was dictating after the news. Firstly people that use such a tragedy to
profit make me sick. Secondly the phrase “a fool and their money are soon parted”
tends to take shape in such situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trading
cards of Kobe, even without autos, would be selling 10X their regular selling
price. Licensed autographed pieces would double or triple in value. Non-certified
autos, some of which are most likely fake were selling in the hundreds. People
that don’t know can easily get taken for a ride. At the same time there will be
these buyers that will purchase these items and then say they never received
the item so that they don’t have to spend the money and they get the item,
sometimes with the intent to resell. I also decided to check Fanatics to see
about purchasing a Kobe Bryant jersey. To my surprise Fanatics had Kobe jerseys
for $300 while players like Shaq and Magic, which were the same style jersey,
were under $100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m only left to wonder
if Fanatics chose to raise their price after the tragedy, I wish I had checked
soon after news broke to confirm my suspicions but given some other issues with
them I wouldn’t be surprised and if so that’s despicable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> Kobe had so many dreams of things he wanted to accomplish in sports, entertainment and beyond during his retirement and he was doing that. Most importantly he was going to be there for
his four girls and his wife. Kobe died on the way to do something he loved. Be
with his 13 year-old Gigi as she went to play basketball and he could implore
his wisdom and guidance upon the young lady who dreamed of carrying the Bryant
name that her grandfather had made as a pro, that her father had established as
a pro and she hoped to craft someday in the WNBA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Thank you Kobe for the gift you gave
fans, for the commitment you made to the game of basketball, the generation you
inspired and the example you set for your daughters. Thank you Vanessa, Gianna,
Natalia, Bianka and Capri for sharing your husband and father with so many of
us. His legacy will live on through the stories we share and the lives that you
live. </span></span></div>
Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-58115173221381251082016-05-11T07:25:00.002-07:002016-05-11T07:25:39.598-07:00Another Caps Season Has Come and Gone...A Morning After Thought<div class="MsoNormal">
And so we’ve come to the end of the road. Another year
ending to early, another year ending in heartbreak. The Caps were amazing this year and the
resiliency last night gave us all hope of what could be. Unfortunately we’ve all seen this movie play out
repeatedly, instead of Bill Murray though, it’s Alex Ovechkin. It’s not even
funny anymore, like Adam Sandler movies….just punch me in the groin and get it
over with right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Caps deserved better than the outcome they got. Due to the NHL shitting the bed with their
playoff format the Caps, the top seed in all of hockey had to try and beat the
#2 seed in the East (4<sup>th</sup> best overall) to advance to the Eastern
Conference Finals….NOT the Stanley Cup Finals BUT the EASTERN CONFERENCE
FINALS!!!! Luckily for the NHL Tampa only had to play the 15<sup>th</sup> and
then 10<sup>th</sup> best overall teams to make the ECF…because yeah that makes
a whole lot of fucking sense. Then again it works out perfect for the NHL, the
Caps had struggled versus the Penguins all season and now they should have it
pretty going up against Tampa Bay and Sir Sidney of Dingleberryville should be
able to bring in those precious ratings in Canada that the NHL lacked all
post-season since NO Canadian teams qualified for the playoffs this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Caps struggled against a hot team in Pittsburgh. They
didn’t always play 60 minutes, which we were accustomed to, based on how much
they’d fall behind early for the past 3 months. They didn’t always make the
adjustments they needed to. Sure they said the right things, we need to play
better, smarter, blah blah blah, we need to shoot high on the rookie goalie
Murray, and then they’d come out and get penalized, try to be fancy, turn the
puck over, make ill-advised passes and shoot the puck directly at Murray’s
mid-section or legs…I mean I know he’s 6’ 5 but that’s not high enough fellas.
A few calls or missed calls here or there that changed games, questionable
suspensions by the NHL changed games, some of the most ridiculous bounces or
own goals (something else Caps fans are accustomed to this time of year) that
didn’t go the Caps way changed outcomes and all of a sudden they were down 3
games to 1. Fans tried to remain optimistic, these were the Comeback Caps, this
was arguably the greatest team the Caps have ever put on ice. Then Game 6
happened.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like many, I pretty much wrote the team off when they were
down 3-0 knowing they were capable of coming back but fearing they were too far
gone. Alzner was hurt, the team was slow and sloppy, Brooks Oprik was Brooks
Orpik, and the Caps just seemed to not be showing ANY type of fight whatsoever.
Then they came alive, in large part to
some mental breakdowns by the Penguins/semi-stupid rules for Delay of Game. As
a Caps fan I’ll take it, we’ve been neutered over the years from the wretched
DOG penalties so it was nice to have that happen in our favor for once. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So the team, down 3-0 didn’t quit, just like they hadn’t all
year long. They fought back, tied the game and gave fans hope but we all knew the
ending. Going into the final 5 minutes when they should have had momentum…they
looked tired. The Pens controlled play, in OT they came out slow and sloppy.
With every rush, every chance, every shot, I felt where this is where it ends
and it didn’t…until it did. It’s the same
script, different cast and in overtime Bonino scored the game-winner, but not
until after an amazing save by the stick of Jay Beagle after Holtby had lost his
stick. That was it, the series was over, the all too familiar nut punch and
sour stench was back as the teams lined up for handshakes. We had to go back to
the reality of DC Sports teams just can’t have good things. Regular season
juggernauts see the clock strike midnight in the playoffs and their chariot
turns back into a pumpkin. It’s so bad
we can’t even be the bridesmaid or the girl who catches the bouquet at the
wedding, no we’re the girl who gets pushed to the floor and stepped on so the
stuck up bitch can be next in line.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Caps also deserved better from its fan base. Too often
we take for granted what we have, be it team success or the player(s) on the
team. We expect to be good every year,
at least those who have only been fans during the Ovechkin era. The older fans
know the struggle the Caps went through before Ovi got here, the late 80s and
90s teams were vastly underrated in my bias opinion, but then we had the dark
years after the Caps lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings. Those
years sucked bad but you have to go through trials and tribulations before you
see the light at the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I won’t tell someone how to “be a fan” but it sickens me
how many people quit on this team. I get it in the moment you’ll say things out
of frustration but this team NEVER QUIT. They didn’t quit on themselves, they
didn’t quit on games, they didn’t quit on YOU! Yet so many are “done with this
team.” Fine! Goodbye! It hurts, it takes a few years off your life with every
loss or every high pressure stressful situation, but this team was fun to
watch. This team gave the fans so much to be happy for. This team didn’t let us
down, the NHL did, the expectations did, but not this team. I’m rocking my Caps
hat at work today, I’m proud as hell of MY TEAM. Would these “fans” have
preferred they not make the playoffs? This would hurt worse had it been a
sweep, had it been a blowout, had it been a Game 7 at home and to meet it would
hurt worse had they not made the playoffs. So feel free to give up on this
team, we’ll find newer fans who will learn to love the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally I hate that it happened against Pittsburgh. I
hate that it happened versus Crosby. I hate that we didn’t make it out of the 2<sup>nd</sup>
round. I’m glad we didn’t lose to Philadelphia in the 1<sup>st</sup> round. I
hate that once again we fell short and won’t have the Stanley Cup in DC. I hate that we’re going to hear “Trade
Ovechkin” or Ovi doesn’t come to play in big moments or that Sid the Shithead
is better than Ovi because he’s had more success with hit TEAM. <b>FACT</b>:
Alex Ovechkin showed up to play this series with his scoring and play. <b>FACT</b>: Sidney Crosby scored as many
points in the series vs the Capitals as Ovechkin did in 3 different games vs
the Pens. But let’s not let facts get in
the way of a rivalry that really doesn’t exist anymore. Both guys are great
players, both future Hall of Famers but the rivalry is between the teams. Ovi
has outplayed Sid just about every time and when he hasn’t Sid has matched
production. One player does not a team make however. I love that we won’t have
to listen to the bias announcing of NBC sports any longer against the Capitals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The offseason will probably bring a few changes but doubtful
many. MoJo is prime trade bait due to expected raise but would suck to see him
go. Chimera is a leader for sure but his age will be the reason he’s not back
unless it’s on the cheap. Tom Wilson will be resigned for probably two years.
Mike Richards I think could be back on the veteran minimum again but he played
well enough and is now past the drug charges to where he’ll have other teams
willing to offer him more. Latta will probably resign also for two years. I
think Oshie gets an extension, the Caps would be wise to lock him up long-term
if they have cap flexibility, Galiev may get another shot next year. Orlov I
could see resigning for 3 years but I could see them moving him based on some
of the breakdowns he had late in the season. Weber is gone thanks God. Winnik
will get his chance for a full season with the team next year, though I’d still
rather have Brooksie, and outside of a splash in free agency, at some point the
Caps will have to look at Madison Bowey and Riley Barber though each is
probably a year or two away. I’ll always
believe that, despite his size, Chris Bourque is more than just a great AHL
player and would love to see him get ice time with the Caps…he’s small but he’s
pesky and does grunt work. Under no circumstances do I see reason or value in
trading Ovechkin, Backstrom, Alzner, Carlson or Kuznetsov.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For now, it’s time to rest, unwind from the season and
stress over the Nats. I’ll still watch
the playoffs as a fan. All but the Lightning have former Caps still on their
teams (Preds – Kuzy and Riberio (bleh), Penguins – Fehr, Sharks – Ward, Stars –
Eakin, Blues – Brouwer). I’m fine with
Nashville, San Jose or St. Louis hoisting this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next season (there’s an all too familiar saying)….<o:p></o:p></div>
Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-6348965061910672402014-12-31T12:11:00.001-08:002014-12-31T12:22:46.368-08:002nd Annual JDC's "Best of" Sports & Non-Sports Cards I Acquired - 2014 Edition<br />
<br />
2014 cannot come close to the additions and accomplishments that
my collection saw in 2013 but that doesn't mean there weren't some
spectacular additions in quality but also in quantity. Initially this
was going to be a “Top 50” list but I decided to add to it since
I couldn't bring myself to leave some off. I did however decide to
leave this as a Sports Cards only edition rather than including items
like the autographs I had Juan Dixon add to two of his game-worn
jerseys, autographed Calendars from Rosie Jones, Ana Cheri and
Brittney Palmer, an autograph Beckett magazine by Trish Stratus and
an autographed poster from the cast of Veronica Mars (and not just
because that was technically purchased in 2013). While these
additions may not be the most expensive or most sought after or even
the rarest, there's a reason that the item made the list be it the
player, the design or how it was acquired (by price or pull).
However there isn't much reason as to why one card may be seen as
better than another.
<br />
<br />
<br />
Just missing the cut with Honorable Mentions<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNfMckJxx_Y/VKRWvA1oj0I/AAAAAAAABiQ/rFLjpF_pka8/s1600/98-99%2BSkybox%2BStar%2BRubies%2B18%2Bof%2B50%2BTim%2BLegler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNfMckJxx_Y/VKRWvA1oj0I/AAAAAAAABiQ/rFLjpF_pka8/s1600/98-99%2BSkybox%2BStar%2BRubies%2B18%2Bof%2B50%2BTim%2BLegler.JPG" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
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^ chasing for a bit</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YX0k2EQZ96c/VKRWuPnwuJI/AAAAAAAABiI/7ct3KdInPJI/s1600/11-12%2BBlack%2BDiamond%2BChampionship%2BRings%2BJoe%2BSakic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YX0k2EQZ96c/VKRWuPnwuJI/AAAAAAAABiI/7ct3KdInPJI/s1600/11-12%2BBlack%2BDiamond%2BChampionship%2BRings%2BJoe%2BSakic.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ love the look of the set</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQOk4md4Ons/VKRWvk3U2yI/AAAAAAAABiY/cjvJLDQOhnk/s1600/2014%2BElite%2BClarity%2BMarshawn%2BLynch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQOk4md4Ons/VKRWvk3U2yI/AAAAAAAABiY/cjvJLDQOhnk/s1600/2014%2BElite%2BClarity%2BMarshawn%2BLynch.JPG" height="223" width="320" /></a></div>
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^ Fantastic looking set</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Leafs patch hurts, gold auto is nice</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ktgsI0TKLCo/VKRW2TPxhTI/AAAAAAAABio/ti8Yhl6RMPM/s1600/12-13%2BNationa%2BTreasures%2BNotable%2BNicknames%2B61%2Bof%2B99%2BMarcin%2BGortat%2BInscribed%2BPolish%2BHammer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ktgsI0TKLCo/VKRW2TPxhTI/AAAAAAAABio/ti8Yhl6RMPM/s1600/12-13%2BNationa%2BTreasures%2BNotable%2BNicknames%2B61%2Bof%2B99%2BMarcin%2BGortat%2BInscribed%2BPolish%2BHammer.JPG" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ That inscription tho...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIFLxaiz66g/VKRW2ztLIxI/AAAAAAAABis/8eRtHhg9VB0/s1600/13-14%2BPanini%2BSignatures%2BFilm%2BAuto%2B3%2Bof%2B10%2BMarcin%2BGortat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIFLxaiz66g/VKRW2ztLIxI/AAAAAAAABis/8eRtHhg9VB0/s1600/13-14%2BPanini%2BSignatures%2BFilm%2BAuto%2B3%2Bof%2B10%2BMarcin%2BGortat.JPG" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Love the look of the whole set, auto or not</div>
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^ Hard to get, die-cut</div>
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Gerh3FDVwg/VKRXMjCk9hI/AAAAAAAABjA/sKwKH51s_JU/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BPlatinum%2BAtomic%2BPatch%2BAuto%2B3%2Bof%2B5%2BCarlos%2BGonzalez%2B2.JPG" height="234" width="320" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Love 2012 set</div>
<br />
<br />
I'll start the list off with a card that I pulled from the only
box of Museum Collection that I opened. While not the most visually
appealing card it is a 1/1.<br />
<br />
<b>75) 2014 Topps Museum Collection Cut Autograph Ford Frick 1/1 (pulled from box)</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
Initially this card made the cut at #32 and I didn't know how I
could rightly justify putting this next card above some of the other
cards on this list. Hell it should probably have been #50 at best.
The player is garbage, the patch is stellar, the product is high end
maybe its just because I like the Weagle so much.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>74) 13-14 National Treasures Gold Patch Auto /45 Cameron
Schilling (ebay)</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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Next up I went back
to the well for some of the old school inserts that growing up I
couldn't afford. Precious Metal Gems are iconic inserts and while
these aren't necessarily the biggest names they played for my
favorites teams.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>73)
Precious Metal Gems: 1997 Metal Universe PMG Red Bam Morris (ebay), <br />1998
Metal Universe PMG Rafael Palmeiro (ebay), <br />1998 Metal Universe PMG Terry
Allen (ebay), and <br />1998 Metal Universe PMG Jamie Asher (ebay)</b></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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^ /150</div>
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^/50</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6v32NDQ8aww/VJ4O-ynDD1I/AAAAAAAABOI/a2qrhmVOZZs/s1600/1998%2BMetal%2BUniverse%2BPrecious%2BMetal%2BGems%2B36%2Bof%2B50%2BTerry%2BAllen.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6v32NDQ8aww/VJ4O-ynDD1I/AAAAAAAABOI/a2qrhmVOZZs/s1600/1998%2BMetal%2BUniverse%2BPrecious%2BMetal%2BGems%2B36%2Bof%2B50%2BTerry%2BAllen.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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^ /50</div>
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^ /50</div>
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</div>
I won't deny that I didn't realize the next guy was a 1st Round
Pick, let alone a lottery selection two years ago, though given he's
on the Detroit Pistons I should have known better. While not a
stellar player yet this player and card, since its a rookie card,
isn't too shabby.<br />
<br />
<b>72) 13-14 Select Black Prizm Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (pulled from box)</b><br />
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<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After years of
trying to "buy low" on the these next two "old-timers"
autographs I finally snagged them for prices I found reasonable.
Later in the year I added a guy that was up and coming in the current
WWE program</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>71) WWE Heritage
Godfather (CSA Show) & Doink (ebay) and 2014 WWE WrestleMania Bray Wyatt (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R73fVslhoVY/VJ4QluT36NI/AAAAAAAABOs/biLLJR6HGY8/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BWWE%2BRoad%2Bto%2BWrestleMania%2BAuto%2BBray%2BWyatt.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R73fVslhoVY/VJ4QluT36NI/AAAAAAAABOs/biLLJR6HGY8/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BWWE%2BRoad%2Bto%2BWrestleMania%2BAuto%2BBray%2BWyatt.JPG" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
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Over the past couple of years I've
managed to accumulate quite a few Trevor Booker patch cards. While
this year paled in comparison I did add a few and they were just too
pretty to choose one over another as a favorite, so they're all
lumped in together.
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>70) Trevor Booker Patches (ebay and COMC)</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bXiyLB-yjhw/VJ9rFEHnWdI/AAAAAAAABSg/JJ8_94y6aGM/s1600/10-11%2BTimeless%2BTreasures%2BNBA%2BApprentice%2BQuad%2BPatch%2B8%2Bof%2B10%2BTrevor%2BBooker%2C%2BTimofey%2BMozgov%2C%2BJordan%2BCrawford%2C%2BDexter%2BPittman.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bXiyLB-yjhw/VJ9rFEHnWdI/AAAAAAAABSg/JJ8_94y6aGM/s1600/10-11%2BTimeless%2BTreasures%2BNBA%2BApprentice%2BQuad%2BPatch%2B8%2Bof%2B10%2BTrevor%2BBooker%2C%2BTimofey%2BMozgov%2C%2BJordan%2BCrawford%2C%2BDexter%2BPittman.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJAVZECQPjI/VJ9rKjvpTHI/AAAAAAAABSs/OCfOMDRRSn0/s1600/10-11%2BThreads%2BRookie%2BCollection%2BPatch%2B8%2Bof%2B50%2BTrevor%2BBooker.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJAVZECQPjI/VJ9rKjvpTHI/AAAAAAAABSs/OCfOMDRRSn0/s1600/10-11%2BThreads%2BRookie%2BCollection%2BPatch%2B8%2Bof%2B50%2BTrevor%2BBooker.JPG" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIjdoLzblwU/VJ9rFClimbI/AAAAAAAABSc/KpZttbcXWzo/s1600/10-11%2BTotally%2BCertified%2BGold%2BPatch%2BAuto%2B14%2Bof%2B20%2BTrevor%2BBooker.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIjdoLzblwU/VJ9rFClimbI/AAAAAAAABSc/KpZttbcXWzo/s1600/10-11%2BTotally%2BCertified%2BGold%2BPatch%2BAuto%2B14%2Bof%2B20%2BTrevor%2BBooker.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
<br />
Next on the list is a player I was fond of back in the 90s. He was
a former Oriole but I mainly remember him as a Detroit Tiger, and
remember reading an article that he loved to eat Fruit Loops (that's
the fat kid in me holding on to memories). I saw this card on the
checklist and set out with a goal to snag it because he was in an
Orioles uniform
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<br /></div>
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<b>69) 2014 Topps
Archives Fan Favorites Auto Mickey Tettleton (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-KW24mRwkw/VJ4NOnlAWfI/AAAAAAAABNw/L1WlF43iJMg/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BArchives%2BFan%2BFavorites%2BAutograph%2BMickey%2BTettleton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-KW24mRwkw/VJ4NOnlAWfI/AAAAAAAABNw/L1WlF43iJMg/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BArchives%2BFan%2BFavorites%2BAutograph%2BMickey%2BTettleton.JPG" height="320" width="231" /></a></div>
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This next one I saw
described as being one of the nicest signatures that you will ever
see in an article I was reading. I can say that I totally agree with
that. Its a unique looking auto from a non-sports set which saw its
highlight auto be Selma Hayek, which I still need. This one was not
easy to get at a price that I wanted but I ended up doing just that
as I won an auction which could be described as a poor listing as
very few people would see it based on the category it was placed
under.</div>
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<br />
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<b>68) 1999 Skybox
Wild Wild West M Emmet Walsh auto (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1c8gk5lw3Fw/VJ4RQb2ycuI/AAAAAAAABO0/dBpQDIZYEdw/s1600/1999%2BSkybox%2BWild%2BWild%2BWest%2BAuto%2BM.%2BEmmet%2BWalsh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1c8gk5lw3Fw/VJ4RQb2ycuI/AAAAAAAABO0/dBpQDIZYEdw/s1600/1999%2BSkybox%2BWild%2BWild%2BWest%2BAuto%2BM.%2BEmmet%2BWalsh.JPG" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next is another
Non-Sports auto of someone that isn't necessarily popular but I took
a liking to her back in the movie Sorority Boys and Deuce Bigalow:
Male Gigolo. She's also the daughter of a former Washington Redskins
player so of course I kept tabs on her acting career over the years.
When I saw she signed for the Grimm set I knew I wanted to get an
auto, only problem is there's like 5 color variations.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>67) Grimm Season
1 Autograph Bree Turner</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ogVaNwZ-O3M/VJ4SgLaZb5I/AAAAAAAABO8/VL2311k_fSE/s1600/Grimm%2BAutograph%2BPink%2BInk%2BVariation%2BBree%2BTurner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ogVaNwZ-O3M/VJ4SgLaZb5I/AAAAAAAABO8/VL2311k_fSE/s1600/Grimm%2BAutograph%2BPink%2BInk%2BVariation%2BBree%2BTurner.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a Nats collector
I love that Triple Threads has included a bunch of Nationals in their
patch products. One of which was a triple patch with three of the
team's better players. Unfortunately this card isn't higher on the
list because when it arrived it had cuts in it....cuts that hurt the
card and my soul</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>66) 2014 Topps
Triple Threads Triple Patch /9 Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Gio
Gonzalez (ebay)</b></div>
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I didn't get to make
it to Chicago for the National this year which I was content with but
I did manage to bite on this prop card auto as well as another card
from the 2012 National that I didn't know existed until I saw a copy
this summer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<b>65) 2014
BenchWarmer National Prop Card Auto Crystal McCahill /3 (ebay) and <br />2012
BenchWarmer National Mary Land Mary Riley /5 (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A late addition to
the list is a Christmas day pull. While to some this is nothing more
than a wardrobe card, it sells very well on the secondary market and
since I'm a fan of Stana and she doesn't have an auto in either
Castle product, this is as close as I'll get in terms of a Castle
item of hers (beyond the wardrobe in the Season 1 & 2 set and the
auto in The Spirit).</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>64) Stana Katic
Relic (pulled from box)</b></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I9ITqyPYTOg/VJ4ebCjMhoI/AAAAAAAABPg/DLYPGQd9aHM/s1600/Castle%2BSeasons%2B3%2B%26%2B4%2BWardrobe%2BStana%2BKatic%2BM02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I9ITqyPYTOg/VJ4ebCjMhoI/AAAAAAAABPg/DLYPGQd9aHM/s1600/Castle%2BSeasons%2B3%2B%26%2B4%2BWardrobe%2BStana%2BKatic%2BM02.JPG" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Being a fan of Happy
Days and Father Dowling Mysteries, tho the final episode did air on
my 9th birthday, I knew I wanted to get a Tom Bosley auto when I saw
it was in an Upper Deck product a few years ago. Unfortunately the
cost of them I was never willing to meet and were mostly listed as
BINs while the auction format ones I always saw AFTER they'd closed.
Luckily for me not only did I add one this year, I added two, with
different inscriptions.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>63) 09-10 UD
Draft Edition Alma Mater Autograph Tom Bosley X 2 (ebay)</b></div>
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^ Inscribed Happy Days</div>
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^ Inscribed Mr. C</div>
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While I didn't know
much about baseball players back in the early 90s I did study my base
cards a lot growing up, its how I became a Math wiz. After the 1990
season the Orioles made a trade for Glenn Davis that sent Steve
Finley, Peter Harnisch, and Curt Schilling to the Astros. I HATED
that trade, I didn't know why at the time I just did. As time went on
I became a fan of all three players the O's traded all the while
"hating" Davis especially since he didn't last and the
others played into the next decade. That said one of them did end up
with an auto in an Orioles uniform and because of that, I had to have
it. Lucky for me I picked one up in Chantilly this summer.</div>
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<b>62) 2004 Donruss
Timelines Recollection Autograph Curt Schilling (CSA Show)</b></div>
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^ /67</div>
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This one I received as a freebie from the legendary
cardhusslah. Hussy was getting rid of the “crap” he had left
since he's out of the hobby and sent me a package of a lot of teams
that I collect as well as some that I don't. The big, and surprising,
card that came out of the group was this baddy.</div>
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<b>61) 2011 Prestige Autograph Colin Kaepernick (gift)</b></div>
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Next up is my 3rd
copy of this card. Normally it would have been much higher but since
its a duplicate (or triplicate in this case) it doesn't rank as
highly as others. This was however the cheapest I've paid for any of the 3.</div>
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<b>60) 04-05 Upper
Deck All-Star Lineup Signature Class Juan Dixon (ebay)</b></div>
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Next will be one of
my 1/1s I pulled from ONE box of Triple Threads baseball. That's
right I pulled more than one 1/1 from the product. It would be higher
if he wasn't a Braves player or maybe if it were a different one. The
card does have room to grow in the future though.</div>
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<b>59) 2014 Topps
Triple Threads White Whale Patch Auto 1/1 Christian Bethancourt (pulled from box)</b></div>
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Sometimes 1/1 cards,
especially autographed ones can cost you an arm and a leg. That tends
to be even truer when the cards are of a rookie and are in a high end
product. While some would say I overpaid for these, this kid was a
fan favorite by man in DC last year and I felt the National Treasures
was the only one I'd have a shot at of any player from that product
in any sport.</div>
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<b>58) 13-14
National Treasures Black Autograph Steve Oleksy 1/1 (ebay) and 13/14 Crown
Royale Purple Autograph 1/1 (ebay)</b></div>
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Initially these were
going to be listed individually but since I was bunching together a
few others I felt it only fitting to do that with these too. When
Topps released their 2014 US Winter Olympic product I hadn't heard of
most of the signers and honestly only had heard of a few of the
Winter Olympians as it was. By the end of the Olympics I was very
familiar with both of these two and while I'd have preferred Gold,
much like they would, I settled for Silver.</div>
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<b>57) 2014 US
Winter Olympic Silver Medal Autographs Ashley Wagner /30 (ebay) and Hilary
Knight /30 (ebay)</b></div>
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I felt Topps did a
pretty solid job with their parallels this year with Atomic Refractor
autographs being one of the lead among them (the Silver autos in
Topps Chrome were great too but I don't own any). Of course with my
collecting tastes there were only specific players I was looking to
get and that would be these two (still need the Schoop).</div>
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<b>56) Topps Chrome
Atomic Refractor Autographs /10 - Jeff Kobernus (ebay) and Zach Walters (ebay)</b></div>
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The trouble with
sticker autos, especially in Pop Century, is that the celebrities
sign so big that their autographs run off the sticker and in turn
ends up not looking full. I'm very anal when it comes to buying
singles that if the autograph is on a sticker then I don't want it
running off. That's one reason it took me time to purchase this next
one. The fact that she added a bit of a variation compared to some of
her autographs in the set made this next one worth it.</div>
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<b>55) 2014 Pop
Century Signatures Vida Guerra w/ <3 "inscription" (ebay)</b></div>
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One of the sets that
has intrigued me over the years came from Upper Deck The Cup. The
Draft Boards were a nice concept with autographs being placed right
on them rather than on the card. As a Capitals fan, their players
were the only ones I wanted and finally in 2014 I snagged me one.</div>
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<b>54) 08-09 The Cup
Draft Boards Karl Alzner Draft Boards (ebay)</b></div>
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I haven't paid much
attention to the Upper Deck Goodwin products the past few years but
decided to bust a box this year. When this card came out I was
impressed, since I didn't know these inserts existed, but also
disappointed because I didn't care for how the picture on the card
looked. In the end it was a 1/1 and has grown on me over the year,
just not enough to crack the "Top 50."</div>
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<b>53) 2014 Upper
Deck Goodwin Art of the Ages "Tiger In A Tropical Storm
(Surprised)" 1/1 (pulled from box)</b></div>
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In what may be the
most oddball addition and card in the collection is a mascot
autograph. At first I wanted a Mr. Met or Philly Phanatic but when I
saw the Orioles Bird had an autograph I went on a mission...no matter
how silly or stupid some may consider them to be.</div>
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<b>52) 2014 Topps
Opening Day Mascots Autograph The Orioles Bird (ebay)</b></div>
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I've been trying my
best to get all the David Steckel Prime cards as I can. Last year I
was able to snag a full Maple Leaf, this year not as lucky but did
end up adding to the collection</div>
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<b>51) 12/13 Prime
Patches David Steckel (ebay - all)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Making his second
appearance on the list is Trevor Booker, this time with an autograph. Honestly I'm surprised to have this only listed at #50</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>50) Trevor Booker
1/1 (ebay)</b></div>
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<b> </b>
</div>
One of my favorite
golfers of all time is Payne Stewart. I'll never forget hearing the
news about the plane crash that took his life. With limited autos
(2) I figured the next best thing is a relic card so I picked this up
at a show earlier this year.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<b>49) 2012 SP
Authentic Gold Limited Swatch /100 (CSA Show)</b></div>
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By no means am I a
fan of Michael Eisner but I am a fan of what Topps did in Allen &
Ginter with his ties and of many things Disney, especially Goofy, so I picked up this
card of his.</div>
<br />
<b>48) 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter Relic Michael Eisner (ebay)</b><br />
<br />
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One of the most
memorable players for the Caps in the mid-90s came at the perfect
time for a gimmick promotion of a specific player. The Mask,
starring Jim Carrey, was in theaters and The Mask, starring Jim
Carey, was in goal for Washington. While he ended up being a flash
in the pan he's a part of my youth's history and I liked the look of
this stick from ITG.</div>
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<b>47) 13/14 ITG
Stickwork Game Used Paddle Silver Version Jim Carey (ebay)</b></div>
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<b>
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Another really nice
set that Topps did in 2014 was the Topps Trajectory Jumbo Relic
cards. Some of the patches in the set are insane. Only problem is
that the cards are /99 and some are patch, some are jersey and some
are bat. By not keeping it fluid across the set it will lead to an
increasing likelihood of fakes in the set. That said, after missing
out on a few “Curly W's” and other nice patches I did secure
this.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>46) 2014 Topps
Trajectory Jumbo Relic Jayson Werth (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I didn't even know
this card existed until this year. This was only available via
redemption and is hand numbered to 100. While Steckel isn't a big
name, its a nice addition to the PC.<br />
<br />
<b>45) 2001 ITG Draft
Redemption David Steckel /100 (ebay)</b></div>
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By far one of my
favorite designs ever. 2014 Topps Tribute cards feature the player
who autographed the card in color with a black and white picture of a
legendary player in the background. Additionally the autograph is
on-card which really adds to the appeal of the set.</div>
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<br />
<b>44) 2014 Topps
Tribute Traditions Zimmerman (ebay)</b></div>
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Pulled from my
2012-13 Contenders case this ended up the second best card I pulled
from the case. While a sticker auto, the signature is full.</div>
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<br />
<b>43) 12-13 Contenders Substantial Signatures Julius Erving Auto /25 (pulled from case)</b></div>
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<br />
On-card auto of
“The Eyebrow” from Court Kings. Impressionist Ink was another set
that I thought Panini got right and showed growth in leaving an area
for the players to sign in that wasn't a dark background.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>42) 13/14 Court Kings Impressionist Ink Anthony
Davis Auto /49 (pulled from box)</b></div>
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Still waiting
for this card to arrive, I was glad that I snagged it. Muresan 1/1s
are limited as it is so this was a nice boost for the Muresan
collection.</div>
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<b>41) 14/15 Prizm Black Prizm Pulsar Gheorghe Muresan 1/1 (ebay...scan also from ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
While I would
have thought a Brooks Laich Prime Patch would have ended up on this
list, the fact is I've only secured one because the rest have sold
for higher than I was willing to go. I did add another Capitals
player however with a really nasty patch.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> 40) 13-14 Prime Colors Logo Tom Wilson /25</b> <b>(ebay)</b></div>
<br />
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<br />
“The Goal”
as its become to be known occurred against the Phoenix Coyotes and
only added to the young and growing legend of Alex Ovechkin. I still
remember watching it live and it is by far one of the greatest plays
I've ever seen in any sport. Seeing that Panini put it on a card, I
knew I had to have a copy, even if I did overpay.</div>
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<br />
<b>39) 13/14 Dominion Frozen Moments Booklet Auto Alex Ovechkin/99 (ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
While ITG
products aren't licensed by the NHL they do put out some very solid
products. After months of offers, BIN lowering and other back and
forth I finally secured this nice patch auto. The patch appears to be
from the shoulder patch and be part of the hockey stick handle</div>
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<b><br />38) 13/14 ITG Decades Patch Auto Peter Bondra /2 (ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
BenchWarmer
decided to combine two of my favorite things in one product, women
and hockey! Add in inscriptions and you have me sold. One of them I
purchased for the model, one I purchased for the inscription and one
I pulled from a box.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>37) 2014 BenchWarmer Hockey Inscriptions: Angel Boris "My Kid Cross Checked Your Honor Student" /5 (ebay), <br />Raquel Pomplun "Actions Speak Louder Than Coaches" /20 (ebay), and <br />Jessica Hall "Got Stick"/1 (pulled from box)</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6o3ZflN_mtE/VKRFEEuwSjI/AAAAAAAABZA/n3wGtX87JEk/s1600/2014%2BBenchWarmer%2BHockey%2BUSA%2BInscriptions%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BAuto%2BJessica%2BHall%2BInscribed%2BGot%2BStick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6o3ZflN_mtE/VKRFEEuwSjI/AAAAAAAABZA/n3wGtX87JEk/s1600/2014%2BBenchWarmer%2BHockey%2BUSA%2BInscriptions%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BAuto%2BJessica%2BHall%2BInscribed%2BGot%2BStick.JPG" height="320" width="231" /></a></div>
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<br />
While not on par
with the Halle Berry auto from last year's additions, and
unfortunately not Halle Berry from this year's release, there was
another Bond girl I was fond of whose autograph I felt needed to be
in my collection. From The New Adventures of Lois & Clark, to
Bond, to Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher has been a favorite of
mine for over 20 years.</div>
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<br />
<b>36) 2013 James Bond Autograph Teri Hatcher</b> <b>(ebay)</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqM-GCffCXk/VKRGti93vwI/AAAAAAAABZI/LcozUtDpfWM/s1600/2013%2BJames%2BBond%2BAuto%2BTeri%2BHatcher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqM-GCffCXk/VKRGti93vwI/AAAAAAAABZI/LcozUtDpfWM/s1600/2013%2BJames%2BBond%2BAuto%2BTeri%2BHatcher.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Two autographs
I've been meaning to pick up for quite some time come from the
original Scooby Doo set. Early in the year I was able to snag a
comedy legend who I've looked up to since birth, Tim Conway, and then
around the time of his passing I added Casey Kasum.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>35) Scooby Mysteries & Monsters Autos
Tim Conway, Casey Kasum</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
Topps always
brings their “A” game with the non-sport autographs in Allen &
Ginter. This year was no exception and when I saw this signer in the
set I knew “fo shizzle” that I needed to pick up the auto.</div>
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<br />
<b>34) 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter Autograph Snoop Lion</b> <b>(ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
Another card
acquired after the subject's death. Jonathan Winters was another
great comedy master and his autograph comes from a Twilight Zone set
that has many great celebrities who made guest appearances during the
original run.</div>
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<br />
<b>33) Twilight Zone Autograph Jonathan
Winters (ebay)</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>
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<br />
A card that I
had to purchase twice this year because the first one never arrived.
This was the only card I wished to have from the Stark Trek set.</div>
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<br />
<b>32) Star Trek Into Darkness Alice Eve (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Quf6-eT7Z2w/VKRHgiyeTaI/AAAAAAAABZw/wYPAmmaVQwo/s1600/Star%2BTrek%2BInto%2BDarkness%2BAuto%2BAlice%2BEve.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Quf6-eT7Z2w/VKRHgiyeTaI/AAAAAAAABZw/wYPAmmaVQwo/s1600/Star%2BTrek%2BInto%2BDarkness%2BAuto%2BAlice%2BEve.JPG" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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<br />
Another card I
didn't have to pay for. This was donated to my Cooley collection by a
generous member on Hobby Kings. At first I didn't pick up on the
numbering of it because there was another card behind it...sneaky
little bastard.</div>
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<b>31) 2011 Certified Black Autograph Chris Cooley 1/1 (gift)</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<br />
I'm not much for
graded cards but I needed a Bryce Harper autograph in a Nationals
uniform. It just so happens I also needed an Anthony Rendon
autograph. Getting both on the same card would be a nice plus and
because it wasn't an autograph of Harper alone I got it for a price
less than what Harper alone would have cost.</div>
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<br />
<b>30) 2012 Bowman Platinum Triple Autograph Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Matt Purke /10 BGS 9 (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I really only
collect Michael Morse cards if he's in a Nationals uniform and rarely
collect Panini baseball since its unlicensed. I chose to make an
exception for this card especially since I was able to purchase it
for less than $20.</div>
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<br />
<b>29) 2014 Panini America's Pastimes Silhouette Patch Morse 1/1 (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMkmXjFILqs/VKRIc0qX27I/AAAAAAAABaQ/pcIYRlWc16Y/s1600/2014%2BAmerica%27s%2BPastime%2BSilhouettes%2BPatch%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BMichael%2BMorse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hMkmXjFILqs/VKRIc0qX27I/AAAAAAAABaQ/pcIYRlWc16Y/s1600/2014%2BAmerica's%2BPastime%2BSilhouettes%2BPatch%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BMichael%2BMorse.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Two of the
greatest pitchers to ever don an Orioles uniform, from a high end
product, and on-card signatures. You really can't go wrong.</div>
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<br />
<b>28) 2014 Topps Five Star Booklet Auto Mike Mussina/Jim Palmer /10 (ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
Another late
addition to the list. I picked this up the day after Christmas.
Elizabeth Banks autos rarely pop up and its her only certified
autograph.</div>
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<br />
<b>27) Spiderman 2 Autograph Elizabeth
Banks (ebay)</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
Ten of the top
prospects in baseball on one card? Yes its a little crowded, yes
they're all on stickers, but it is numbered to 25 and has 3 Nationals
prospects on it. The seller attempted to sell this many times but the
reserve wasn't met. Once he took the reserve off it ended up in my
collection.</div>
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<br />
<b>26) 2012 Bowman Platinum Arizona Fall League Stars Auto Anthony Rendon, Matt Skole, Brian Goodwin, George Springer, Nick Castellanos, Mike Zunino, Rymer Liriano, Chris Owings, Jake Marisnick, Kevin Pillar/25 (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Some players
spend a season or two with a team and end up with quite a few cards
and autographs in that uniform. “Mr October” spent one season in
Baltimore and in turn has only a number of autographs depicting him
in an Orioles uniform. This year I finally added one to my collection</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>25) 2001 Upper Deck Legends Signed Legendary Game Uniforms Reggie
Jackson</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
It's shame that
Jordan Zimmerman didn't get to play in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game but
it is nice that he at least went to the festivities and wore his
warm-ups. That allowed Topps to create the following card that I
picked up for under $100 weeks before he tossed his no-hitter.<br />
<br />
<b>24)
2014 Topps Triple Threads All-Star Triple Patch Jordan Zimmermann 1/1 (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
While I'd have
preferred the 2012 Quotable, since Beckett showcased a preview of
what exactly you could get, I figured a gamble on a Harper from 2013
wouldn't be a bad thing. Now I'm just waiting for Topps to send my
card back.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>23) 2013 Topps Five Star Quotable Autograph Bryce Harper Redemption /10 (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
What does a $105
rookie logoman auto look like? Exactly like #22 on the list<b><br /><br />22) 09-10 Absolute Memorabilia Rookie Premiere Materials Logoman Auto DaJuan Summers /1 (ebay)</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I don't know why
I like these so much I just do. They actually look better scanned
than they do in person and the back of the card is a bit more
impressive than the front. Yet I continue trying to pick up as many
Orioles and Nationals as I can...go figure<br />
<b><br />21) 2014 Topps Clear Series 1, 2 and Update /10<br />Andy Dirks (pulled from box)<br />Bryce Harper (ebay)<br />Nelson Cruz (ebay)<br />Wilson Ramos (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Ross Detwiler (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Taylor Jordan (ebay)<br />Adam Jones (ebay)<br />Gio Gonzalez (ebay)<br />Ubaldo Jimenez (ebay)<br />Kevin Fransden (ebay)<br />Asdrubal Cabrera (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br />
<br />
Arguably the
best player on the Redskins roster, Ryan Kerrigan is a poor man's JJ
Watt. Well this poor man got his Nike Swoosh from National
Treasures.<br />
<br />
<b>20) 2013 National Treasures Colossal Nike Logo Ryan Kerrigan /2</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
If someone asked
me to name 5 MMA/UFC fighters, I'd probably have struggled to name 5
prior to busting any of the products. The only one I cared about
though is Ronda Rousey and there were only 2 or 3 cards that I wanted
to get of hers. While I still haven't managed to get the one
inscribed with her Twitter handle I did pull two of the three that I
got this year.<br />
<br />
<b>19) 2013 Topps UFC Knockout Auto Ronda Rousey /99 (pulled from box)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>2013 Topps UFC Knockout Full-Contact Auto Ronda Rousey/75 (CSA Show)<br />2014 UFC Champion Relic Auto Ronda Rousey (pulled from box)</b></div>
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<br />
Another late
addition to the list, I bought this the same day I bought the
Elizabeth Banks. I've been trying to pick up this particular card
for years but always wanted to get it with a bold autograph, but knew
that would be hard since most have a bit of fading and the better
ones seem to graded. Not this one and I landed it for less than
$150.<br />
<br />
<b>18) 2007 Stellar Sports Illustrated Autograph Brooklyn Decker (ebay)</b></div>
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<br />
The best card I
pulled Christmas day. Shame it was one off the jersey number but the
first time I pulled a Ripken auto. Growing up I looked up to him, as
did just about every kid that was an Orioles fan.<br />
<br />
<b>17) 2014 Stadium Club Gold Auto Cal Ripken
Jr. /25 (pulled from box)</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdSvmtZnBgc/VKROF8zDpiI/AAAAAAAABdQ/SBKUYK-rMHs/s1600/2014%2BStadium%2BClub%2BGold%2BAuto%2B9%2Bof%2B25%2BCal%2BRipken%2BJr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdSvmtZnBgc/VKROF8zDpiI/AAAAAAAABdQ/SBKUYK-rMHs/s1600/2014%2BStadium%2BClub%2BGold%2BAuto%2B9%2Bof%2B25%2BCal%2BRipken%2BJr.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
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<br />
After securing
the Bundy Inception Silver Signings last year I wanted to move on to
getting a Manny Machado which I knew wouldn't be cheap nor easy.
Injuries however helped the final cost while fulfilled redemptions
made the cards a bit more plentiful. However that wasn't the only
Machado added from Inception.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>16) Manny Machado Bowman Inceptions (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>2013 Bowman Inception Silver Signings /25</b></div>
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<b>2013 Bowman Inception Dual Rise Autographs with Dylan Bundy /25</b></div>
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When the Thor
set was released I paid it very little mind. In fact it wasn't until
months later, like 5, that I found out that one of my favorite actors
was in the set. While I was busy searching for Kat Dennings' cards I
should have been looking for Zachary Levi (“Secretary” on Less
Than Perfect and Chuck on...well Chuck”.</div>
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<br />
<b>15) 2014 Upper Deck Thor The Dark World Zachary Levi Auto (ebay)</b></div>
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I went through a
phase this season of snagging Nationals cards that normally I
wouldn't give a second thought to. I don't know if its because I lost
out on the Morse Bat Plate in 2013 (because he was in a Mariners
uniform) of because Paypal Credit allowed me to have up to 6 months
to pay, interest free (yeah I think we all know the answer). One of
the cards I decided to snag (more to come) was a bat knob of a Nats
player that was going through a power surge at the time.<br />
<br />
<b>14)
2014 Topps Tier One Ian Desmond Bat Knob /1</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Pulling the
Glassnow in 2013 started a trend for me. Buy any Nationals and
Orioles player in the set, I also added Hunter Renfore because he
played locally for the Bethesda Big Train...lucky for me I purchased
them while he was struggling early in the season, not after he got
hot and tore up the minors and Arizona Fall League. Many may be
unfamiliar with Bowman Black Collection because its numbered to 25
but the set is very appealing. Black background, silver ink. Last
year they added another dimension with Victory which has 10 copies
and is a gold background with blue or black ink.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>13) 2012/2013/2014 Bowman Black
Collection/25 and 2013 Bowman Victory/10 (all ebay)</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8OVIM_9x4A/VKRPWweq5UI/AAAAAAAABd8/dLHc5DnM290/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B25%2BNick%2BDelmonico.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8OVIM_9x4A/VKRPWweq5UI/AAAAAAAABd8/dLHc5DnM290/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B25%2BNick%2BDelmonico.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Nick Delmonico</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZtNRZFaw94/VKRPX6pdbfI/AAAAAAAABeM/NbDO1oihuCQ/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BAuto%2B24%2Bof%2B25%2BHunter%2BRenfroe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZtNRZFaw94/VKRPX6pdbfI/AAAAAAAABeM/NbDO1oihuCQ/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BAuto%2B24%2Bof%2B25%2BHunter%2BRenfroe.JPG" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Hunter Renfroe</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ADnXy6d6oBw/VKRPYJxgG-I/AAAAAAAABeU/pUWZTk2XDYI/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B2%2Bof%2B25%2BJosh%2BHart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ADnXy6d6oBw/VKRPYJxgG-I/AAAAAAAABeU/pUWZTk2XDYI/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B2%2Bof%2B25%2BJosh%2BHart.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Josh Hart</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpuyBIxWRXo/VKRPYiyt8PI/AAAAAAAABeg/DwTU2-dNWtY/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B25%2BHunter%2BHarvey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpuyBIxWRXo/VKRPYiyt8PI/AAAAAAAABeg/DwTU2-dNWtY/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B25%2BHunter%2BHarvey.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Hunter Harvey</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgPVve4qJJQ/VKRPZXW8ypI/AAAAAAAABeo/FkVqu9QSfxc/s1600/2014%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B25%2BErick%2BFedde.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgPVve4qJJQ/VKRPZXW8ypI/AAAAAAAABeo/FkVqu9QSfxc/s1600/2014%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B25%2BErick%2BFedde.JPG" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Erick Fedde</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yh53K8iBCrI/VKRParB4HqI/AAAAAAAABew/6xwlF40nrVo/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BVictory%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B10%2BHunter%2BHarvey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yh53K8iBCrI/VKRParB4HqI/AAAAAAAABew/6xwlF40nrVo/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BVictory%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B10%2BHunter%2BHarvey.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Hunter Harvey</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeiAFXZybUU/VKRPaz8IFVI/AAAAAAAABe0/_2YdGRs7jtw/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BVictory%2BAuto%2B9%2Bof%2B10%2BHunter%2BRenfroe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeiAFXZybUU/VKRPaz8IFVI/AAAAAAAABe0/_2YdGRs7jtw/s1600/2013%2BBowman%2BVictory%2BAuto%2B9%2Bof%2B10%2BHunter%2BRenfroe.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Hunter Renfroe</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJ1MPKsQAYg/VKRPXfOeX6I/AAAAAAAABeE/5i1jSdgmWbQ/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B25%2BMatt%2BPurke.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJ1MPKsQAYg/VKRPXfOeX6I/AAAAAAAABeE/5i1jSdgmWbQ/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B25%2BMatt%2BPurke.JPG" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Matt Purke</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0MiTh57CuAc/VKRPWg-lptI/AAAAAAAABd4/ZFdq8dRZ6fA/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B12%2Bof%2B25%2BRobbie%2BRay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0MiTh57CuAc/VKRPWg-lptI/AAAAAAAABd4/ZFdq8dRZ6fA/s1600/2012%2BBowman%2BBlack%2BCollection%2BAuto%2B12%2Bof%2B25%2BRobbie%2BRay.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Robbie Ray</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
2014 may go down
as the year of comedy for my cards. When I saw Dick Van Dyke had
autographs in Pop Century I had a goal to buy one and I did. It
wasn't necessarily the one I wanted but it make a nice stop gap until
I get one I do want more.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>12) 2014 Pop Century Perfectly Cast Autograph Dick Van Dyke (ebay)</b></div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
A card that
originally held a “Top 5” spot was pulled from a box of Topps
Heritage. I specifically bought the product to try and pull a
variation, which I really hadn't been too lucky with in any of Topps'
other products. In consecutive packs I hit Mike Trout cards, one
different from the other. Having read up on the variations the night
before I knew one was a variation I just didn't know which one
exactly. So I quickly checked online via my phone and...well needless
to say I was thrilled.<br />
<br />
<b>11) 2014 Topps Heritage Throwback Uniform Variation SSP Mike Trout (pulled from box)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpyYvWEIFYM/VKRQvHvQQkI/AAAAAAAABfI/4Qa5OISOo20/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BHeritage%2BThrowback%2BUniform%2BVariation%2BSSP%2BMike%2BTrout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpyYvWEIFYM/VKRQvHvQQkI/AAAAAAAABfI/4Qa5OISOo20/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BHeritage%2BThrowback%2BUniform%2BVariation%2BSSP%2BMike%2BTrout.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I mentioned that I had pulled a better card out of my
case of Contenders, well here it is. I've busted many a “Kobe”
pack from Panini and NEVER hit anything, though maybe a jersey card
once but no parallels and no autos. Well my luck was changed with
this case...<br />
<b><br />
</b></div>
<b>
</b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>10) 12/13 Panini Kobe Bryant Jersey Auto /24 (pulled from case)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LYhjWQIhtJ0/VKRQ77kiUfI/AAAAAAAABfQ/nPghzhL5vhY/s1600/12-13%2BPanini%2BKobe%2BCard%2B5%2BJsy%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B24%2BKobe%2BBryant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LYhjWQIhtJ0/VKRQ77kiUfI/AAAAAAAABfQ/nPghzhL5vhY/s1600/12-13%2BPanini%2BKobe%2BCard%2B5%2BJsy%2BAuto%2B22%2Bof%2B24%2BKobe%2BBryant.JPG" height="320" width="231" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Growing up a
Bullets/Wizards fan was not easy. Seeing talent under perform, seeing
young talent traded for washed up veterans, and seeing teams
decimated by injuries always made for a tough year. Then the Bullets
made the playoffs...Muresan, Howard and of course Chris Webber,
possibly the best passing big man of the 90s. Webber has had a
following in the hobby for years that has kept his card prices up and
in demand, so much so that I don't have nearly the amount or type of
cards of his that I want. However when Panini put him on the
checklist for Flawless, in a variety of different uniforms that he
played in, I knew that there was one card I must have...his BULLETS
one! This looks much better than the Webber/Kittles from Stadium Club
in the 90s.<br />
<br />
<b>9) 13/14 Flawless Transitions Chris Webber Auto /10 (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iILDk9sip1g/VKRRFb476QI/AAAAAAAABfY/ivXZfWG2FEo/s1600/13-14%2BFlawless%2BTransitions%2BAuto%2B2%2Bof%2B10%2BChris%2BWebber.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iILDk9sip1g/VKRRFb476QI/AAAAAAAABfY/ivXZfWG2FEo/s1600/13-14%2BFlawless%2BTransitions%2BAuto%2B2%2Bof%2B10%2BChris%2BWebber.JPG" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Another player I was late to
the game on was Lorenzo Alexander. I loved Alexander in DC and hated
seeing him go to Arizona. Well when National Treasures came out I
somehow overlooked that he had cards in the product...I mean who'd
have thought a guy that's mainly known for his Special Teams tackling
and being a backup on Redskins Defense would make such a high end
product? Once I came across one I wanted more and more and more and
well...</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>8) 2013 National Treasures Lorenzo
Alexanders (ebay and COMC)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4GIwC08T_M/VKRR0952ITI/AAAAAAAABgc/eduXMzgCKJ8/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BPro%2BBowl%2BLetterman%2BX%2B4%2Bof%2B9%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L4GIwC08T_M/VKRR0952ITI/AAAAAAAABgc/eduXMzgCKJ8/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BPro%2BBowl%2BLetterman%2BX%2B4%2Bof%2B9%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" height="320" width="226" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YKsj2xm-Kk/VKRR0p-FT4I/AAAAAAAABgU/R9mBp3_iyBY/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BPro%2BBowl%2BLetterman%2BR%2B9%2Bof%2B9%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YKsj2xm-Kk/VKRR0p-FT4I/AAAAAAAABgU/R9mBp3_iyBY/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BPro%2BBowl%2BLetterman%2BR%2B9%2Bof%2B9%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrs4_DreZlY/VKRRy19svvI/AAAAAAAABf0/iKge5YVcCDM/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BColossal%2BLogo%2B3%2Bof%2B7%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrs4_DreZlY/VKRRy19svvI/AAAAAAAABf0/iKge5YVcCDM/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BColossal%2BLogo%2B3%2Bof%2B7%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cEFLPWAIgBY/VKRRyZeBKWI/AAAAAAAABfs/e4rTx-tb5kE/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BColossal%2BLogo%2B1%2Bof%2B7%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cEFLPWAIgBY/VKRRyZeBKWI/AAAAAAAABfs/e4rTx-tb5kE/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BColossal%2BLogo%2B1%2Bof%2B7%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nFwsBpl8Mk/VKRRzRg-UfI/AAAAAAAABgA/moqE-GRHGnw/s1600/2013%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BColossal%2BShield%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BLorenzo%2BAlexander.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While I'd have
liked the gold version I settled for the silver /10. Mike Mussina was
my favorite Oriole growing up. Once he left them for the Yankees his
cards were plentiful in Yankees garb from new products but not so
much Orioles. These cards in Museum Collection look spectacular and
luckily I was able to get a copy that had been redeemed rather than
buying a redemption and having to wait.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />7) 2014 Topps Museum Collection Silver Framed Auto Mike Mussina /10 (ebay)</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RBL8A9dEpH8/VKRTEitVkUI/AAAAAAAABgo/71o0N2eKPEQ/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BMuseum%2BCollection%2BSilver%2BFramed%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B10%2BMike%2BMussina.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RBL8A9dEpH8/VKRTEitVkUI/AAAAAAAABgo/71o0N2eKPEQ/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BMuseum%2BCollection%2BSilver%2BFramed%2BAuto%2B4%2Bof%2B10%2BMike%2BMussina.JPG" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
What's a Top 10 list featuring players from DC area teams, notably the
Capitals, without Alex Ovechkin? Upper Deck did well with their SP
Game Used Supreme Skates set, if only because of this card</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>6) 13/14 SPGU Supreme Skates Alex Ovechkin /12 (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v0COWEmOVss/VKRTaWKBfdI/AAAAAAAABgw/m8s3VKALwvU/s1600/13-14%2BSPGU%2BSurpreme%2BSkates%2B9%2Bof%2B12%2BCCM%2BLogo%2BAlex%2BOvechkin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v0COWEmOVss/VKRTaWKBfdI/AAAAAAAABgw/m8s3VKALwvU/s1600/13-14%2BSPGU%2BSurpreme%2BSkates%2B9%2Bof%2B12%2BCCM%2BLogo%2BAlex%2BOvechkin.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Now that is a
card that's hard to top but 5 more overshadow it. At #5 is an old
school autograph. On card, atomic refractor, and very limited. I'll
let the picture do the talking because words don't do it justice</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>5) 98/99 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor Auto Peter Bondra (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCWJB04lHB8/VKRT7ruesbI/AAAAAAAABg4/s1gf0M41v_Q/s1600/98-99%2BBowman%27s%2BBest%2BAutomic%2BRefractor%2BAuto%2BPeter%2BBondra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCWJB04lHB8/VKRT7ruesbI/AAAAAAAABg4/s1gf0M41v_Q/s1600/98-99%2BBowman's%2BBest%2BAutomic%2BRefractor%2BAuto%2BPeter%2BBondra.JPG" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
At #4 is the
other 1/1 that I eluded to from Topps Triple Threads. This card was
an INSANE pull, one that many people have offered to take off my
hands as the Royals made their run to the World Series. I however am
too foolish to move it. While I'd rather have an Orioles or Nationals
player I won't complain.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>4) 2014 Topps Triple Threads All-Star Game Logo Patch Greg Holland /1 (pulled from box)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cO3b-nVR0zY/VKRUPysDjKI/AAAAAAAABhA/qPGOmcA7NuU/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BTriple%2BThreads%2BAll-Star%2BSleeve%2BPatch%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BGreg%2BHolland%2BBack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cO3b-nVR0zY/VKRUPysDjKI/AAAAAAAABhA/qPGOmcA7NuU/s1600/2014%2BTopps%2BTriple%2BThreads%2BAll-Star%2BSleeve%2BPatch%2B1%2Bof%2B1%2BGreg%2BHolland%2BBack.JPG" height="142" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Its only fitting
that #3 is a trifecta. Around the time I purchased the Bat Knob that
was shown earlier I also grabbed these three laundry tags.
Unfortunately I missed out on Ryan Zimmerman, Strasburg and Harper I
will be keeping my eyes open. The only downside to these is that
while they're 1/1, some have 2 copies.<br />
<br />
<b>3) 2014 Topps Museum Collection Laundry Tag Gio Gonzalez /1 (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>2014 Topps Museum Collection Laundry Tag Ian Desmond /1 (ebay)</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>2014 Topps Museum Collection Laundry Tag Jordan Zimmermann /1(ebay) </b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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This card ended up
being #1 until I thought more about it. By far the highest value
card in my collection, but as I said to begin its not necessarily
about value. Pulling a redemption from Allen & Ginter sucked,
pulling the Home Run King (screw you Bonds) made it easier, reading
the words RED INK and knowing that meant it would be numbered to 10
well that was just awesome. <br />
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<b>2) 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Auto Red Ink Parallel Hank Aaron /10 (pulled from box)</b></div>
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We started at the bottom now we're here....the #1 prize of 2014<br />
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And what could
possibly be better than a Hank Aaron Red auto /10? Well for me its
only one thing. There are cards in the Beckett database of Juan
Dixon that have NEVER appeared in my 10 years of searching. Some,
Stadium Club Lone Star Signatures, I believe don't exist while
others, Three-Point Shots, I believe haven't been pulled. Then
there's cards like this one. I had always wondered if the 02-03 Topps
Photo Shoot autographs ever had Juan Dixon. I knew he wasn't on the
checklist but it was something that ran through my head as a card
that never was. Then one day out of the blue I receive a message
from leximo on Hobby Kings. He says he has something for me that he
knew I wouldn't have in my collection. I had no idea what he was
referring to but he wanted to send it my way for free. The day the
package arrived I was in awe, nearly in tears as what to my eyes
should appear but an uncut sheet from Topps' 02-03 Rookie Photo Shoot
of Juan Dixon. While only a few of the sheet are pictured here there
are around 14-18 on the whole sheet.<br />
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<b>1) 02/03 Topps Photo Shoot Juan Dixon Uncut Sheet (gift)</b></div>
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Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-25845439450579141792014-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:002014-01-13T05:55:36.512-08:00Is It Time For the Caps to Fire George McPhee?Is a shake-up necessary in DC to get the Washington Capitals back on the right track? In a city where panic buttons are pushed after the first quarter of the Redskins season opener and coaches in the major sports hold shorter tenures than one term by the President of the United States the Caps are looking like a team that will be in need of a change to possibly get the team in gear. I don't usually write a team off from making the playoffs until certain points of the season. For the Wizards, I can normally get a feeling 5 games into the season, the Nationals need to have a winning record by the trade deadline and the Redskins need to show me something by Week 8. The Caps however can rarely be written off because when they seem to be done, that's when they go on their run....until the playoffs then you can write them off.<div>
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Over the past five years I've been vocal in my belief that the Caps window of opportunity to be a Stanley Cup contender was closing within the past two seasons. The team still has the talent to win and be a perennial playoff contender but at some point the current crop of talent would need to be broken up. As a fan its hard for me to want any member of the team gone, I'd be okay with some, such as John Erskine, being healthy scratches however. However also as a fan, I want to see this team achieve its maximum potential and for the past few years they haven't done that and while some of that falls on the players it also falls on management.</div>
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I believe many of the players have become complacent due to the success they've had finishing atop the Southeast Division for so long, even making a late season rally to squeak their way into a Top 3 spot in the playoffs last season. Once in the playoffs though the team, even when they had the best record in the NHL a few seasons back, looks over matched. Either opponents tighten up their defensive approach or the team gets away, ever so slightly, from what got them their success and tighten up a bit too much. Of course that late in the year injuries also play a role in many of the team's shortcomings but that happens to all teams so that excuse holds little water.</div>
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Over the past six seasons the team has made the playoffs every time, under three different coaches, 5 different goalies starting playoff games (Huet, Theodore, Varlamov, Neuvirth, and Holtby) and the many of the same forwards and defensemen while making a roster tweak at the trade deadline deal to upgrade a roster flaw. In the end its never just enough and the same issues come up, Ovechkin gets shutdown by the opponents, other players don't step up, mental errors pop up more, and a few unlucky bounces off of Caps players end up behind their own goalie (I'll avoid the yearly goalie interference calls that NEVER go in the Caps favor nor get called the same way twice). One other constant over the six seasons, and every year since 1997, is General Manager George McPhee.</div>
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Before I touch on GMGM lets look at how things have gone for the Caps since the start of the 2011-12 season. The team began the season with an amazing 7-0 start only to fall on hard times fast and by the end of November the team had fired head coach Bruce Boudreau. As the struggles mounted his coaching philosophy was called into question, as was his inability to get players to change or adapt come the playoffs and through this struggle. Boudreau had actually gotten the team to play differently in the playoffs the season prior but at the expense of their offense and it once again lead to an early exit. The fans and many of the players loved Boudreau but it appeared like he had lost the team, especially franchise player Alex Ovechkin. It was a shame because Boudreau held the best winning percentage in Caps history and while his offensive coaching style could be compared a bit to the NBA's Mike D'Antoni (circa Phoenix Suns) the difference was his style actually produced championships (in the US). When Boudreau was the coach of the Caps AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, he lead them to the 2006 Calder Cup championship and to the finals again in 2007. After being fired by the Caps Boudreau landed in Anaheim where he took over a struggling Ducks team (6-20-6) that went on to accumulate 38 points in its next 24 games before struggling and eventually missing the playoffs. During the 12-13 season the Ducks finished 30-12-6 and won the Pacific division but were eliminated by the 7th seed Detroit Red Wings. Currently the Ducks are 35-8-5 under Boudreau, the best record in the NHL.</div>
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Boudreau had been replaced by former Caps great Dale Hunter who was more of a defensive minded coach and maybe a tad less vocal than Boudreau when it came to ripping into the players. Hunter saw success in the OHL, winning one championship. Under Hunter's guidance the Caps got back on track and rallied to finish 2nd in the Southeast, 2 points behind Florida for 1st, and 7th in the Eastern Conference. They got their with mainly Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth in net but when the playoffs came they turned to rookie goalie Braden Holtby. The Caps went to the second round of the playoffs before losing in 7 games to the New York Rangers and after the series Hunter stepped down. In all honesty he didn't seem to fit well with the team that had been assembled but the team did play better defensively under him. </div>
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After Hunter left, the Caps hired another former Cap Adam Oates. Unlike the previous two coaches, Oates isn't a yeller and screamer, instead he prefers to teach the players the errors of their ways. Under Oates the Caps scored the most power play goals and had the highest power play conversion percentage of all teams in the 12/13 season. Once again the Caps needed a strong late season rally to make a playoff push before being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, again by the Rangers. Holtby also firmly unseated Neuvirth as the team's #1 goalie. This season the Caps had managed to achieve the best record in the Metropolitan division, for about an hour, and the top Power Play and Penalty Kill in the NHL but since that time in late Novemeber the team has been average, at best and currently have the 5th most points in the East, but are only 5 points from being in 13th place so there is little room for error over the next few weeks before the break for the Olympics.</div>
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Once again this year there is goalie controversy. It happened with Boudreau (Kolzig/Huet, Theodore/Varlamov, Varlamov/Neuvirth, Vokun/Neuvirth) and Hunter (Vokun/Neuvirth/Holtby) and now with Oates (Holtby/Neuvirth, Holtby/Neuvirth/Grubauer). While its nice to have an abundance of young talent in net, they also need to be given regular starts. Since Kolzig left, the team seems to find a possible franchise goalie only to have him replaced by the next young glove that goes through a hot stretch. Neuvirth lost his spot as the back-up (he'd prefer starter) when he stepped on a puck during pregame warm-ups which cause the team to call up Grubauer. Holtby was unseated by Grubauer after a couple bad games and seems to not be able to stop much of anything. After getting his first start in I think 6 weeks Neuvy had a great game on Friday only to end up a healthy scratch on Sunday.</div>
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Another problem is line chemistry. All three coaches have been guilty of not sticking with their lines for more than a few games. If players can't build chemistry together its only going to make it harder for the team to find that winning formula. Add to it each coach has a player that ends up in the doghouse and eventually wants to be traded and it makes for a bad atmosphere. Currently the Caps have 3 players that requested to be traded, Martin Erat, Dmitri Orlov and Neuvy. I don't see Orlov going anywhere, in fact I think he's played himself into the Top 6 defensemen rotation. Neuvy could be a nice trade chip while Erat needs to just be dumped.</div>
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And that is what brings me to McPhee. GMGM used to be able to have a Midas touch when it came to trades and free agency. Always able to find that right plug to fix a leaking ship. However when he traded promising prospect Filip Forsberg for veteran Erat it seemed like a move made just to make a move rather than one that would help now and in the future. Forsberg was amazing in international play while Erat toiled away in Nashville. Since coming to DC he's been a scratch or seen limited ice time, many times on the 4th line and his trade value is less than a bag of pucks. This trade screamed of they type the Bullets/Wizards would make in the 90s (Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond or Rasheed Wallace for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant..actually liked Strickland so not too bad). That Erat trade is where GMGM lost me. I hated but understood the trade of Bondra (my favorite Cap of all-time) and was disappointed when he traded Dave Steckel and Chris Bourque but those moves either made the team better or were players that weren't necessarily in the team's long term future. GMGM has done a great job with being able to skirt the salary cap but it may be time for a change of the puppet master because the less things change, the more they stay the same.</div>
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By no means am I saying the season is over. I don't even know if a major personnel change is needed but mental changes are. I'd scratch Erskine except when the Caps play physical teams. I'd think about seeing what Mike Green looks like as a winger, though that means teaching him to also play in front of the net, and rotate Laich as a defenseman since he's filled in their previously but I don't know if his groin can handle it. At the very least don't let Green have the puck coming out of the defensive zone. Oates and GMGM need to find a way to make the team stronger mentally so as to not give up goals immediately following a Caps goal, they need to quit taking dumb penalties, figure out how to count so as to stop getting hit with, or luckily not getting called for, too many men on the ice and the team needs to avoid the delay of game (over the glass) penalty as much as possible. Of course its easy to say that from behind a computer and while watching the game from the outside but these are the things I think the team needs to focus on most as the latter ones have plagued the team for years. </div>
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I'm sure there are other things that can be pointed to, mainly using sabermetrics like Corsi and numbers like that but I just don't understand them. I love numbers and understand the baseball ones but I haven't spent enough time or don't care to investigate the hockey ones yet because I fear it'll take away from part of the game I've come to love. I prefer to watch a game where guys hit, score, fight and make great saves without trying to figure out what players match-up best and where. That's the coaches job.</div>
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Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-68476045855610860532014-01-01T15:00:00.001-08:002014-01-01T15:02:03.268-08:00"Top 50" Sports & Non-Sports Cards I Acquired in 2013The hits from box busting and many of the singles paled in comparison to 2012 but that's not to say that 2013 didn't have its positives. In fact 2013 netted me the holy grail of my collection, which didn't come cheap. My collecting is a bit out of control, actually that is an understatement, especially since I dabble in all of the major sports and non-sports. I busted nearly half as many cases this year (3 - Big Bang Theory, Castle, Psych) as I had my entire life. While the hobby gives me a nice distraction from life it is probably a more expensive hobby than drugs, though healthier. At the start of 2013 I set myself a goal of cards to purchase throughout the year...I may have knocked off a handful of them...mostly because I didn't get them at the price I was willing to pay but also because of a few huge purchases that shaped my collecting for the year. While my collecting, and spending, isn't at nice or high as others I buy for preference and bust for fun with hopes of hitting that one card which would give me that jolt of excitement. The below "Top 50 of 2013" has no real set reasoning as to why they fall where they do and honestly I'm not sure that I agree with the rankings but they are here for your viewing pleasure and mine. So without further ado....<br />
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</xml><![endif]-->50) Don Cerrone Mat Relic - Playstation Logo /88 - Pulled from my first box of 2013 Finest UFC<br />
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49) Pop Century Gold 1/1 Jeremy Miller - Pulled from box of 2013 Pop Century<br />
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48) BenchWarmer Industry Summit Schoolgirls Swatch Auto Buffy Tyler 1/1 - Pulled from a Black Friday buy, this will be a theme throughout that most of my pulled hits came from that day.<br />
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4<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>7</u></span>) 2010 Topps Sketch Card Michael Morse - Bought on ebay - Found this hilarious, Mikey Mo is as good as I am when it comes to drawing.<br />
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46) 2012 Topps Museum Collection Dual Jumbo Lumber Michael Morse Ivan Rodriguez/5 - Ebay pickup in early 2013.<br />
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45) Ron Francis Supreme Sticks /5 - Pulled from a box bought around Black Friday. HOF player and would have been higher had it 1) been more colorful and 2) he not been a Pittsburgh Penguin<br />
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44) 2012 Topps Valor Discipline Autograph /25 Ryan Tannehill - Pulled earlier this year when on my quest of pulling an RG3 auto. Room to grow, especially if the Phins make the playoffs next season.<br />
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43) 2012 Contenders Playoff Ticket Autograph Josh Gordon/99 - Pulled from a box. His few big games this season got it on the board but didn't quite do enough to make my Top 40<br />
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42) 12-13 Gold Standard Damian Lillard - Pulled over the summer<br />
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</xml><![endif]-->41) Big Bang Theory Seasons 3 & 4 Penny Costumes - KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK Penny!...All pulled from the case that I broke. The multi-colored pieces make them extra nice<br />
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40) Big Bang Theory Seasons 3 & 4 Sheldon Cooper Green Lantern Shirt Relic - Pulled from my case as well. Should probably be farther down on the list but my inner nerd got beat up by the sports fan in me. BAZINGA<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0cueUn346o/UsN2OaWgDZI/AAAAAAAABIU/XjI7C0XbVRc/s1600/Big+Bang+Theory+Seasons+3+&+4+Relic+Sheldon%27s+Green+Lantern+Shirt+Green+Lantern%27s+Arm.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0cueUn346o/UsN2OaWgDZI/AAAAAAAABIU/XjI7C0XbVRc/s320/Big+Bang+Theory+Seasons+3+&+4+Relic+Sheldon%27s+Green+Lantern+Shirt+Green+Lantern%27s+Arm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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39) Molly Holly Auto - Ebay purchase...This is one I'd been on the hunt for for quite some time. Was nice to cross it off my list<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LY8byqCJZ9c/UsHG8i2PIII/AAAAAAAABGg/GWi1OVLwW5c/s1600/2001+Fleer+Clash+Divas+Private+Signings+Molly+Holly.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LY8byqCJZ9c/UsHG8i2PIII/AAAAAAAABGg/GWi1OVLwW5c/s320/2001+Fleer+Clash+Divas+Private+Signings+Molly+Holly.JPG" width="229" /> </a></div>
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38) 12-13 Threads Auto Bradley Beal - Bought on ebay...This is my only Beal auto so far. Totally see him as Dwyane Wade 2.0...unfortunately with the injury history too</div>
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37) 12-13 Innovation Innovative Ink Grant Hill /25 - Pulled on Christmas. My 2nd Hill autograph</div>
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36) Upper Deck High Gloss Troy Brouwer /10 - Picked this up at a show after losing out on it on ebay and had even stopped searching. Also it had 3 P's I loved...the pic, the player and the price.</div>
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35) 2011 Topps Lineage Gold Autograph Michael Morse/10 - Love the pop & shine this card has, shame its a sticker auto but doesn't deter me.</div>
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34) 2012 Contenders Playoff Ticket Richard Sherman - Pulled from a box - Was pissed when I first pulled it as I still had memories of his mouthiness from the Seahawks/Skins playoff game earlier in the year but can't deny his talent.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuC31TUht80/UsGy-LHBL3I/AAAAAAAABD8/SBOEtVjNxmI/s1600/2012+Contenders+Playoff+Ticket+to+99+Richard+Sherman.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuC31TUht80/UsGy-LHBL3I/AAAAAAAABD8/SBOEtVjNxmI/s320/2012+Contenders+Playoff+Ticket+to+99+Richard+Sherman.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>
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33) 12-13 Fleer Retro Metal Red PMG Wayne Gretzky/100 - Pulled this from my only box of Retro and honestly thought of not letting this out of the 40s. The quality of the card and the color line didn't help its cause but it is The Great One so that helped it rise to #34<br />
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32) 2011 Pop Century Co-Stars Auto Christopher Lloyd/Lea Thompson /5 - Finally snagged this on ebay after a long wait of making sure it was a price I wanted to pay and two full autographs. This was a must have because of the Back to the Future connection.</div>
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31) 12-13 Contenders Auto Anthony Davis - This was one of my best pulls on the year and was my best pull from Contender until around Black Friday. The Unibrow was one of the two or three best autos you could pull from Contenders so I was thrilled to pull it at the time. However....</div>
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30) 12-13 Totally Certified Black Trevor Booker 1/1 - Snagged this on ebay soon after the product went live. Being one of my PC guys it was nice to get it and since Panini started putting out a lot more "1/1s" with his printing plates, of which I've only been able to grab one, I was glad I got it This also goes well with his rookie Totally Certifieds that I have</div>
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29) 09-10 SPGU Tag Team Quad Juan Dixon/Caron Butler/Javaris Crittenton/JaVale McGee 10/10 - Added this one to my collection, which I believes give me 7 or 8 of the 10. Being a Dixon collector I had to keep this outside the Top 25 because he has the weakest tag. This was also going to be paired with another Wizards Quad Tag but I don't have a scan available. </div>
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28) 2009 UD Signature Stars Trio Ryan Zimmerman/Josh Willingham/Elijah Dukes /35 - Another Black Friday pull that rose the ranks because it was a team PC pull and features two of my favorite Nationals.</div>
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27) 12-13 ITG To the Hall Auto Peter Bondra 12/29 - Was glad to snag a Jsy #'d Bondra though I'd have preferred he be in a Caps Jersey</div>
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26)12-13 Dominion Patch Auto Colby Robak /99 - This is one of those cards that may not have a lot of monetary value but when I pulled it I was pumped since it was a piece of the Panthers claw.</div>
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25) Psych Seasons 1-4 Autographs James Roday and Dule Hill - Put the full set together when I broke a case of this stuff. These guys had to go in as a 2-for-1 because you can't have one without the other "C'mon son"<br />
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24) Bowman Inception Oscar Taveras - My first box of Inception this year was LOADED. Not only did I pull this one but there's another that will pop up later on the list and another auto /5.</div>
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23) 2013 Bowman Inception Silver Signings /25 - Bought this on Ebay. Love the design, in fact this may be my favorite looking design of any card in quite some time, its just a phenomenal background shot. Well done by Topps/Bowman. Would love to add the gold version</div>
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22) 09-10 National Treasures Gold Trevor Booker /25 - 2012 was the year of Booker patches but this one snuck into 2013. <br />
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21) 2013 Bowman Black Tyler Glasnow - Pulled this from a box of Bowman Chrome. Didn't know who he was but quickly found out.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
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20) Upper Deck Draft Edition Draft Class Triple Auto Chris Cooley/Ben Roethlisberger/Larry Fitzgerald /5 - This one, like the Lloyd/Thompson, was one I kept losing out on and wanted to get full signatures on it once I did win...my patience paid off.<br />
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19) 12-13 Prime Captain's Cloth Zach Parise 1/2 - As a Caps fan I hated pulling this but as a hockey fan and someone who rarely splurges on a product like that of Prime, I was thrilled to pull a card like this, only wish it had been signed.<br />
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18) Castle Seasons 1 & 2 Autograph Evidence Nathan Fillion - One of the few cards I didn't pull from my case of Castle but did score this on ebay for what was then, and may still be, the lowest price. As a huge fan of the show it was a must have.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QnqW05g-Y7M/UsN18kHeLzI/AAAAAAAABHs/v7YYnOASjl0/s1600/Castle+Seasons+1+%2526+2+Autograph+Evidence+Nathan+Fillion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QnqW05g-Y7M/UsN18kHeLzI/AAAAAAAABHs/v7YYnOASjl0/s320/Castle+Seasons+1+%2526+2+Autograph+Evidence+Nathan+Fillion.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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17) 2012 Triple Threads Michael Morse - This isn't even all of the Morse TTT's that I have. 2012 allowed me a bunch more White Whales, I own all 8 that have shown up and one of the Wood 1/1s</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q6BOWeDGc3w/UsN4PEq7DEI/AAAAAAAABJU/G3LbcT7-Z-I/s1600/2012+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+1+of+3+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q6BOWeDGc3w/UsN4PEq7DEI/AAAAAAAABJU/G3LbcT7-Z-I/s320/2012+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+1+of+3+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTo_g-D4QYw/UsN4MTV8LDI/AAAAAAAABIw/CJo9luuVBi0/s1600/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+Nationals+Pride+2+of+3+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTo_g-D4QYw/UsN4MTV8LDI/AAAAAAAABIw/CJo9luuVBi0/s320/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+Nationals+Pride+2+of+3+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2/3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bXguQ7Y5u0E/UsN4MT8JScI/AAAAAAAABI0/f-po_madLuE/s1600/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+31+95+303+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bXguQ7Y5u0E/UsN4MT8JScI/AAAAAAAABI0/f-po_madLuE/s320/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+31+95+303+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NHIhJNQEHow/UsN4RHQbB4I/AAAAAAAABJk/DDmNdG6jH-M/s1600/2012+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NHIhJNQEHow/UsN4RHQbB4I/AAAAAAAABJk/DDmNdG6jH-M/s320/2012+Triple+Threads+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2EisePclXs/UsN4NSxkdII/AAAAAAAABJE/VN-bW_9buEk/s1600/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+1+of+1+Auto+Patch+Nationals+Pride+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2EisePclXs/UsN4NSxkdII/AAAAAAAABJE/VN-bW_9buEk/s320/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+1+of+1+Auto+Patch+Nationals+Pride+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="223" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XelRA1fuVHE/UsN4N7LWPmI/AAAAAAAABJA/RXdX_bGLim4/s1600/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+Black+1+of+1+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XelRA1fuVHE/UsN4N7LWPmI/AAAAAAAABJA/RXdX_bGLim4/s320/2012+Topps+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+Black+1+of+1+Patch+Auto+With+No+Remorse+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdpAs-XsX3A/UsN4QDNOw9I/AAAAAAAABJg/ARKoXD136hg/s1600/2012+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+31+95+.303+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdpAs-XsX3A/UsN4QDNOw9I/AAAAAAAABJg/ARKoXD136hg/s320/2012+Triple+Threads+White+Whale+31+95+.303+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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16) 12-13 Prime Signatures Alex Ovechkin 8/25 - Jsy #'d so I bought it after many relistings<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anWpGNnPo8Y/UsHFoC2BwrI/AAAAAAAABF8/xKEWTaF6aL0/s1600/12-13+Prime+Signatures+Jsy+%23+8+of+25+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anWpGNnPo8Y/UsHFoC2BwrI/AAAAAAAABF8/xKEWTaF6aL0/s320/12-13+Prime+Signatures+Jsy+%23+8+of+25+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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15) Big Bang Theory Seasons 3 & 4 Costume/Auto Mayim Bialik - When I ordered my case I commented that this would be the one costume/auto that I'd pull, I believe they're one per case. She's no Penny but she'd pay almost half the case if I sold it<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffpzMVClhkE/UsN3II1k-WI/AAAAAAAABIo/3ndRkjXpHYM/s1600/Big+Bang+Theory+Seasons+3+&+4+Auto+Relic+Mayim+Bialik+as+Amy+Farrah+Fowler.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffpzMVClhkE/UsN3II1k-WI/AAAAAAAABIo/3ndRkjXpHYM/s320/Big+Bang+Theory+Seasons+3+&+4+Auto+Relic+Mayim+Bialik+as+Amy+Farrah+Fowler.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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14) 2013 Bowman Inception Byron Buxton Auto /99 - This would be the other card that I referred to back on the Tavares write-up. Of course all it did was lead me to buying a second box and pulling nothing of note, used up all my Inception mojo on this one box</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJxmCKuJYaw/UsGxW1SOIdI/AAAAAAAABDo/loccRzoGE-8/s1600/2013+Bowman+Inception+Auto+Gold+to+99+Byron+Buxton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJxmCKuJYaw/UsGxW1SOIdI/AAAAAAAABDo/loccRzoGE-8/s320/2013+Bowman+Inception+Auto+Gold+to+99+Byron+Buxton.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>
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13) 2009 Ultimate Collection Ultimate Eight Signatures 7/10 Donovan McNabb/DeSean Jackson/Peyton Manning/Reggie Wayne/Matt Cassel/Dwayne Bowe/Kurt Warner/Anquan Boldin - Snagged this early on in 2013 because who wouldn't want to have a Matt Cassel Jsy #'d card? Just kidding I bought it for the McNabb auto...well not 100%...I needed his auto for my Skins collection, I also wanted to get a Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner auto at some point. I decided to kill a whole flock of birds with one stone and all for just over $100<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqBjKo-OTh0/UsN7gsSVx2I/AAAAAAAABK8/_eB88Ew37fE/s1600/2009+Ultimate+Collection+Ultimate+Eight+Signatures+Cassel+Jsy+%23+7+of+10+Peyton+Manning+Reggie+Wayne+Donovan+McNabb+DeSean+Jackson+Matt+Cassel+Dwayne+Bowe+Kurt+Warner+Anquan+Boldin.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqBjKo-OTh0/UsN7gsSVx2I/AAAAAAAABK8/_eB88Ew37fE/s320/2009+Ultimate+Collection+Ultimate+Eight+Signatures+Cassel+Jsy+%23+7+of+10+Peyton+Manning+Reggie+Wayne+Donovan+McNabb+DeSean+Jackson+Matt+Cassel+Dwayne+Bowe+Kurt+Warner+Anquan+Boldin.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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12) 2012 Playbook Auto Drew Brees /20 - Was so glad to pull this from a box over the summer. So much respect for Drew and I didn't have to drop a lot of coin to buy it on its own.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aofp9odvThk/UsGzMWlVu-I/AAAAAAAABEE/pJShfu-N67o/s1600/2012+Playbook+Auto+8+of+20+Drew+Brees.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aofp9odvThk/UsGzMWlVu-I/AAAAAAAABEE/pJShfu-N67o/s320/2012+Playbook+Auto+8+of+20+Drew+Brees.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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11) 2012 Bowman Platinum Michael Morse - Another Morse set I'm working hard to complete but that is drying up. Much like the Topps Tributes last year, I bought the majority of these as a lot.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw4I3CFT6pM/UsN6bpXsS0I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yuD5K7soCZE/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw4I3CFT6pM/UsN6bpXsS0I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yuD5K7soCZE/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u8lyxlVyoL0/UsN6bQlKKsI/AAAAAAAABJ0/BdF_JHMk01Y/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+141+of+199+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u8lyxlVyoL0/UsN6bQlKKsI/AAAAAAAABJ0/BdF_JHMk01Y/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+141+of+199+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/199</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KnFgCV5GPI/UsN6f74hN3I/AAAAAAAABKs/naurKguk5aU/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+Patch+Auto+with+Tag+13+of+25+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KnFgCV5GPI/UsN6f74hN3I/AAAAAAAABKs/naurKguk5aU/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+Patch+Auto+with+Tag+13+of+25+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/25 w/tag</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--AtjRTOgooY/UsN6cykH-VI/AAAAAAAABKI/1n7nTOIzs14/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+2CLR+Patch+Auto+11+of+25+Mike+Morse.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--AtjRTOgooY/UsN6cykH-VI/AAAAAAAABKI/1n7nTOIzs14/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+2CLR+Patch+Auto+11+of+25+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/25</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fbVqpM7zhqw/UsN6cSgEkaI/AAAAAAAABKA/7z44OyyGpJ0/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Prism+3CLR+Patch+Auto+5+of+5+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fbVqpM7zhqw/UsN6cSgEkaI/AAAAAAAABKA/7z44OyyGpJ0/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Prism+3CLR+Patch+Auto+5+of+5+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>5/5</u></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-REwQcHpbUC0/UsN6eIhla1I/AAAAAAAABKY/w5Act_nERsQ/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Reverse+Yellow+Printing+Plate+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-REwQcHpbUC0/UsN6eIhla1I/AAAAAAAABKY/w5Act_nERsQ/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Reverse+Yellow+Printing+Plate+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJCxq4pcWp0/UsN6eyFAeLI/AAAAAAAABKc/r4UV8eBarNQ/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Superfractor+2CLR+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJCxq4pcWp0/UsN6eyFAeLI/AAAAAAAABKc/r4UV8eBarNQ/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Superfractor+2CLR+Patch+Auto+1+of+1+Mike+Morse.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1</td></tr>
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10) Alex Ovechkin Supreme Sticks /5 - I absolutely love the design on the stick, alas it wasn't meant to be. Of course had the ebay seller I bought the Ovechkin Glove card from, actually sent instead of saying it was already sold prior to the listing (likely story) then this would have been bounced from the Top 10.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahdAiveqe8I/UsHGQ7F_HhI/AAAAAAAABGI/5yPkRDegccs/s1600/10-11+SPGU+Supreme+Sticks+1+of+5+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ahdAiveqe8I/UsHGQ7F_HhI/AAAAAAAABGI/5yPkRDegccs/s320/10-11+SPGU+Supreme+Sticks+1+of+5+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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9) X-Men Origins Wolverine Auto Ryan Reynolds - Put off buying this for too long, then got it for like $60. Been a fan since Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIs42MFRgxE/UsHL6GeF1NI/AAAAAAAABHI/efu0imoFfk0/s1600/X-Men+Origins+Wolverine+Auto+Ryan+Reynolds.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIs42MFRgxE/UsHL6GeF1NI/AAAAAAAABHI/efu0imoFfk0/s320/X-Men+Origins+Wolverine+Auto+Ryan+Reynolds.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
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8) Fleer X-Men Auto Hugh Jackman - Another card I put off buying but for a longer period of time. One of my favorite actors<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWd-R8h41y8/UsN1BQE_hpI/AAAAAAAABHY/AonIbqGlw-E/s1600/Fleer+X-Men+Autograph+Hugh+Jackman.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWd-R8h41y8/UsN1BQE_hpI/AAAAAAAABHY/AonIbqGlw-E/s320/Fleer+X-Men+Autograph+Hugh+Jackman.JPG" width="233" /></a></div>
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7) 98-99 Topps Gold Label 1/1 Peter Bondra - Was surprised when the seller accepted my offer on this one. I'm not as blown away by the card as others are but its still a beauty and a nice one to have gotten. Especially since Bondra's can sell well thanks to his overseas collectors<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9meAeLVPG8Y/UsHGiBRi-EI/AAAAAAAABGQ/HM3n8gzLc_0/s1600/98-99+Topps+Gold+Label+Class+1+1+of+1+Peter+Bondra.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9meAeLVPG8Y/UsHGiBRi-EI/AAAAAAAABGQ/HM3n8gzLc_0/s320/98-99+Topps+Gold+Label+Class+1+1+of+1+Peter+Bondra.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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6) 12-13 Contenders Auto Kyrie Irving - Pulled the redemption from my Black Friday purchases and was arguably the highest valued card I had pulled all year, if not in my life. So glad that Panini got this fulfilled before the year's end and that the auto didn't run off the sticker</div>
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5) <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Psych Seasons 1-4 Autograph Rachael Leigh Cook - </span>I was disappointed that Maggie Lawson didn't sign but that also meant a case with 12 boxes and only 11 signers would yield a duplicate autograph and I knew who I wanted...and I pulled it<br />
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4) 12-13 Panini Prime Color Logo/Patch/Number David Steckel - I don't know how or why David Steckel got into such a high end product. I wish Panini could have had his Capitals uniforms in the set but I was glad to see him in something new and something other than a base card. Also the Maple Leaf logo is beautiful so picking them up was a no brainer<br />
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3) James Bond 50th Anniversary Auto Halle Berry - One of the top cards I wanted to get this year and I snagged it for, once again was the best price at the time...wish I had been able to get the Smulders auto for $75 when Avengers first came out but I digress. I love Halle and while many consider Die Another Day to be the worst 007 film, she's my favorite Bond Girl.</div>
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2) 12-13 Dominion <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ensigns 1/1 Jordan Eberle Shield - This rivals the Uncle Drew Contenders auto for both my best pull and of most value. Its definitely a sick card</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb1sCZle53M/UsR1oZw-yYI/AAAAAAAABMA/E1CQYou5DaE/s1600/12-13+Dominion+Ensigns+NHL+Shield+1+of+1+Jordan+Eberle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb1sCZle53M/UsR1oZw-yYI/AAAAAAAABMA/E1CQYou5DaE/s320/12-13+Dominion+Ensigns+NHL+Shield+1+of+1+Jordan+Eberle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now what could possibly keep a logo from being the to card? Well there's actually two cards keeping it from being the top card...I somehow miscounted and I'm not going back and changing it now haha so I present you </div>
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1B) 04-05 SPGU Logoman 1/1 Juan Dixon - I didn't know, or perhaps forgot, this card existed. Then again its listed as a 1/1 patch instead of logoman. Regardless that puts me one step closer to all Dixons</div>
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and what could be better than 1 logoman?<br />
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how about 3!!!<br />
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1A) 06-07 Exquisite All-NBA Access Triple Logoman 1/1 Juan Dixon/Andrea Bargnani/Jorge Garbajosa - This card gave me so much collector heartache for years. It was first pulled in Japan at RB21's shop. A friend went to check on it but was told it wasn't for sale. A few weeks later it had been sold to another collector, a Raptors team collector is all they'd say but that he NEVER sold his stuff. With each passing year I'd hold out hope that the card would pop up, that it hadn't been destroyed by a natural disaster, and numerous other things. I had agreements with a few Bargnani collectors to let me have this "if they knew what was good for them." With Dixon no longer playing, Garbajosa overseas (or is he done from his injury?) and Bargnani traded to the Knicks, the collector I guess had no use for it in his collection any longer. Much to surprise one Monday morning I receive a PM on Hobbykings and a mention on Twitter regarding the card from the newest Bargnani collector who told me it was mine if I wanted it because he wanted other ones the guy was selling. I was over the moon and thanked him. The seller told me he wouldn't end the auction early for anyone, which gave me a piece of mind and as the day grew closer I kept an eye on the auction. No one was biting at the HIGH starting bid, which was fine with me because for 7 years I had a price in mind that I'd pay and had even decided I would up the ante this year if need be. That wasn't necessary however as I was the only bidder and the card was happily added to my collection. Its the most I've EVER paid for a single card but I have no regrets about that</div>
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Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-81217720637966165822013-12-17T08:50:00.001-08:002013-12-17T08:52:18.006-08:00COLUMN by Britt McHenry: Stereotypes still exist against women across sports landscape | WJLA.comWritten by my friend Britt McHenry. Make sure you give it a read<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/12/column-stereotypes-still-exist-against-women-across-sports-landscape-98222.html#.UrCArl8meTU.blogger">COLUMN: Stereotypes still exist against women across sports landscape | WJLA.com</a>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-40957624294150102342013-06-16T11:41:00.000-07:002013-06-16T11:44:50.560-07:00The Debate Over the 2013 NHL Hart Trophy...Was Alex Ovechkin the Most Valuable?As word leaked on June 15, 2013 that Alex Ovechkin would win his 3rd Hart Trophy (league MVP) I knew that there would be much outcry from fans, writers, etc around the NHL. Be it the Mike Milbury types, Crosby/Penguins fans, just about any homer of any player on any team that's not the Washington Capitals or people that believe that awards in a strike shortened season shouldn't count or should carry an asterisk, there was bound to be debate.<br />
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When Crosby was announced as the Most Outstanding Player (Ted Lindsay) recipient, I felt that it was fitting. Crosby was NOT the Most Valuable Player, not to his team and not to the league. Sid the Kid was playing out of his mind before being beset by injuries however those injuries killed any chance of him being named league MVP, whether that's fair or not. The fact remains that the Penguins survived just fine with Crosby sitting in the press box. As it turned out, despite missing so much time (12 games), Crosby still finished 2nd in assists and 3rd in the league for points. While great numbers he still paled in comparison in other categories compared to the players that finished in the Top 5 (forwards) in vote getting in shooting percentage (12% - last) and game winning goals (1 - last) while collecting 17 power play points (T-2nd but second lowest in goals with 3...he did lead in assists with 14). Crosby still ended up finishing second to Ovechkin but for me he was no better than 4th.<br />
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The 4th and 6th place finishers were Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane respectively. Being on what was the best team in hockey for most of the season certainly helped these two get their votes, not to say they weren't deserving, they just weren't necessarily as valuable as their goalie tandem, in my opinion, and in the end the two pretty much cancelled each other out for the MVP voting. Both players scored 23 goals which puts them behind John Tavares and Ovechkin for most goals scored of the top 5 (forwards) MVP vote receivers while shooting 16.1% (3rd) and 16.7% (2nd) respectively. Toews did very little on the power play while Kane had 8 goals (3rd) and 9 assists (3rd) for 17 points (T-2nd) among the top 5. In the end they'd probably end up my 5th and 6th choices for MVP.<br />
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The remaining 3 I would have been fine with any of them receiving the MVP award because they earned it. Tavares, along with goalie Evgeni Nabokov, propelled the Islanders into the playoffs where they were a few calls and bounces away from eliminating the Penguins. While Nabokov was a huge upgrade over Rick DiePietro, and the worst contract ever handed out in sports history, it was Tavares and his leadership that really propelled the Islanders this year. With the shortened season I expected the Islanders to fight for a chance and possibly make the playoffs and I expected Tavares to be at the forefront of the elite players in the league and he didn't disappoint. Of the Top 5 (forwards) Tavares had the worst +/- rating at a -2, the only player finishing in the negative, and finished 5th in total points with 47. Tavares finished 3rd in the league in goals, scored 16 points on the power play, netted 5 game winning goals (tied for most among the top 5) and scored on 17% of his shots. The Islanders also saw an improvement in their record, winning half their games (24) after winning only 34 of 82 the previous season. While I would have been okay with Tavares winning the Hart, he'll get 3rd from me<br />
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The lone goalie to make the Top 6 in votes was Sergei Bobrovsky. Bob showed flashes of brilliance two years ago in Philly before being jettisoned to Columbus prior to the season. Columbus just missed the playoffs, but if it weren't for Bob they wouldn't have been close. Finishing with 21 wins (T-3rd), a 2.00 GAA (T-3rd), a .932 save percentage (2nd) and 4 shutouts (T-2nd) Bob put up similar stats to other top goalies in the league (Rask, Anderson, Crawford, Lundqvist) but one glaring difference...the Blue Jackets don't have near the talent those other goalies do. Had CBJ made the playoffs then Bob wins the MVP, they didn't and instead he ends up 2nd in my book, but again I have no problem with him finishing 1st.<br />
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That brings me to Ovechkin. There is a lot of talk that Ovi only scored against the more inferior teams, that he played in the weakest division in the NHL, the Southeast, and that most of his scoring came on the power play so he needed to have an advantage to score. While valid statements, the Capitals were complete and utter garbage early in the season as they learned on the fly under new head coach Adam Oates and Ovechkin was attempting to adjust to switching to playing right wing after playing left wing his whole career. Down the stretch the Capitals caught fire and it happened to coincide with Ovechkin getting hot. Ovi ended the season as the top goal scorer with 32 goals, half of them on the power play, and only 4 of them game winners. Overall Ovi scored 27 points on the man advantage leading in both goals and total points (tied with teammate Mike Ribiero). Ovechkin's shooting percentage was 14.5%, the 2nd highest of his career and only .01% less than his best season in 2007-08. Had Ovechkin not channeled the Ovi of old there is no way the Caps would have made the playoffs nor garnered him to be the most valuable player. The Caps needed every one of those goals to get them into the playoffs, without them or him they wouldn't have been close. Of course there was much debate throughout the season that Mike Ribiero was possibly the team's most valuable player but he was more so just the perfect fit for their #2 Center position than he was the most valuable since other players put up similar stats metrically to what Ribs put up. <br />
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So there you have it. Was Ovechkin worthy of the league MVP? Yes. Should he have won it? Probably. In the end Ovechkin wins his 3rd Hart Trophy, tying him with Mario
Lemieux. That has drawn the ire of many Penguins fans and writers. While
Ovi isn't in the same stature of Super Mario, don't blame him. The game
was different when Mario played and had a lot more worthy candidates.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-78589476877645902902013-05-14T06:10:00.000-07:002013-05-14T06:10:58.048-07:00Caps Eliminated From the Playoofs. What to Take From the Season and Where Do They Go From Here.That is not a typo! Fans are going OOF this morning after that kick in the gut and while I tried to keep my expectations low going into the season because of how the off-season went and the injuries to Laich and Backstrom early on, the team sucked me in with their play and gave me and all fans hope that this year would be something special. Unfortunately.....<br />
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A season of ups and downs came to a crashing and resounding halt last night as the Capitals inexplicably failed to show up for a series deciding Game 7 against the New York Rangers. One game removed from a heavily one-sided and poorly officiated Game 6 in New York the Caps saw the team's disappointing history once again rear its ugly head. Game 7's are not good to the Caps, now 2-7 all-time. Of course this series never should have gone 7 games. Despite the Rangers being one of the least penalized teams, and the Caps one of the most during the regular season, there was a lot of questionable calls or non-calls throughout the series that extended it to play until there was nothing left. <br />
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Some people say "God hates Game 7's" or "God hates the Caps" by no stretch of the imagination is that remotely true, unless you believe that Gary Bettman is indeed God, which he himself does, so if that's the case then I guess it would be true. If you listen to Ovechkin after the game he said somebody wanted it to go 7 games, the NHL needed ratings, the NHL needed extra revenue, well after the first two East series ended in six or less it kinda makes sense. In fact of the "Original Six" that made the playoffs Chicago advanced quickly against Minnesota, Montreal went out quickly in an ugly series against Ottawa and the other 4 (NYR, Boston, Toronto and Detroit) all went 7 games with three of those teams winning, Toronto being the exception but they were playing Boston and blew a 4-1 lead to lose in OT.<br />
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I'm not saying there is a conspiracy and I'm am salty over what happened. Its one thing had the Capitals completely blew it themselves like they did against Montreal a few years back or Tampa Bay but this series was dictated by the refs who did a poor job in most of the game. However good teams find their way to overcome it. If there was one good thing to come of it, you have to hang your hat on the fact that the Caps penalty kill was very good against the Rangers allowing only 2 goals.<br />
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All of that said the Caps fans should be satisfied. The season could have been completely lost to the lockout. Once the season started fans had high expectations, they've become accustom to their team making the playoffs the past 8 or so years. However the season started terribly. I, as did many, chalked it up to a 3rd (or 4th) coaching staff and regimen in the past year. Once the team fully bought in to Oates' system, learned the power play, and became 100% healthy, or at least as close as they would get over the final two months of the season, the Caps rallied from being the worst team in the NHL to the 3rd seed, albeit by default to being the winner of the Southeast Division...a division which no team seemed to want to win and which if not for the NHL's set up they'd have been looking at a lower seed.<br />
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Regardless the Caps saw a resurgence from Alex Ovechkin which could end up with him being the MVP of the league, if only because Sidney Crosby ended up breaking his jaw and missing the final month or so of the season. A season that saw Mike Green healthy for the first time in 3 years recapture his offensive prowess. A season that saw a Power Play start slow and finish at 25%. The Caps have a long way to go though. Their defense let their goaltending down far too many times. Their second tier players either struggled (Chimera, Mojo, Perreault) until late in the season or were injured (Laich) for most of it. Penalties became the team's undoing early in the season and ultimately at the end. To win you have to stay out of the penalty box or your team will be too tired to hold a lead or make a comeback at the end. The Caps main problem was the delay of game penalty though they also were a team hit with unsportsmanlike conducts for chirping the refs, mainly Mike Ribeiro. Ribeiro was also a huge positive as he was the 2nd line center the team has been seeking for years but with the lower salary cap, how much Ribs wants and his stupid penalties you have to wonder if he'll be back.<br />
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Next season won't be an easier. I've stated for years the Caps window of opportunity would be closing this season, that's not to say they don't still have a few more years it just won't be as easy. Now that the Southeast Division doesn't exist they'll be facing the Rangers, Penguins, Flyers Devils and Islanders more often and in turn it will make getting to the playoffs that much tougher. Of course gritty wins against those teams could help increase the Caps likelihood for advancement in the Playoffs as it will make them that much more tougher and hopefully smarter, even if the playoffs are a totally different ballgame. One positive, and huge lift, would be if the Caps are able to bring over Evgeny Kustensov. That kid could be better than Ovechkin and if he joins the team late in the season he could end up being a secret weapon if he adapts to the NHL game quickly and the other teams don't have a good scouting report on him or aren't used to him since they haven't played against him.<br />
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As the off-season approaches changes are bound to happen though most guys are signed for next season. In my mind the locks to return, unless the team needs to get under the cap or can acquire other pieces to build their depth with, are Ovechkin, Backstrom, Brouwer, Green, Carlson, Oleksy, Hillen, Alzner, Laich, Hendricks, Beagle, Erat, and Holtby. Players on the bubble, based on cap situation, their play this season or the fact that they could be replaced internally, include Perreault, Johansson, Riberio, Ward, Fehr, Chimera, Erskine, Crabb, Volpatti and Neuvirth. Players that won't be back are Wolski, Schultz, and Poti. And players who could fill needs internally include Wilson, Kundratek, Orlov, and Kustensov. All of this is my opinion and I'd be fine with seeing most of the roster return but I know its not overly likely. Some of my "safe" guys could be traded though I'd hate to see them go since they're vital cogs and the radio guys are already saying to trade Backstrom and Green because they have the most value and will reduce their cap number. I feel that's drastic talk out of emotion in the hours after a let down, though I'm sure on other blogs like Japer's Rink or Russian Machine Never Breaks fans have been reading that for months, definitely years, but with better analysis as to why.<br />
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Alas the season is over and for the next few days and week speculation will run rampant. You can't but feel that let down with so much left to play and with the talent this team has and has had for the past 5+ years and you can't help but wonder if or when it will be our time. As my favorite reporter (who I swear I'm in love with...if that's possible, though I'll always keep it professional between us, unless she doesn't want me to lol) put it the way I've felt for years <span id=".reactRoot[1].0.{info455389719988576800_19059647}.[0][1].0.[1].[1].[1].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].0.{info455389719988576800_19059647}.[0][1].0.[1].[1].[1].0.[6]">"a professional goal of mine to cover Stanley cup finals. Just may not happen here in DC" (say it ain't so..tho we'll chalk it up to the years of underachievement). For me the Caps are one reason I've stuck around this area, I love my team, I love going to games, there is no better atmosphere in sports. I still have the taste of success and the bitterness of defeat from the team's 1998 run that ended in a sweep in the Stanley Cup Finals. I do fear that I may never see them play another game in the Finals whether I'm still in the DMV or if I decide to call some other place home. I'll always know Caps fans are the best and if you live or lived here and grew up a Caps fan, you'll always be pulling for them no matter where you are. I'd love to bring myself far enough along in my writings to be able to cover this team one day but I won't deny this is just a hobby for me, one that I don't do nearly enough. Maybe this will light that fire inside me again to take my writing to the next level. </span></span><span id=".reactRoot[1].0.{info455389719988576800_19059647}.[0][1].0.[1].[1].[1].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].0.{info455389719988576800_19059647}.[0][1].0.[1].[1].[1].0.[6]">At least for the time being I know that my blood pressure can now return to normal and my sports stress has been lessened...until football season.</span></span>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-2951379332663234392013-02-01T05:09:00.000-08:002013-02-01T05:09:28.527-08:00What the Hell is Wrong with the Capitals?Once the NHL lockout ended everyone knew it wouldn't be easy out of the gate for the Washington Capitals. While the majority of their players were returning from the prior season many of the players hadn't played in an actual professional game since last May. Add to it that the team was going to have 6 days before the season started to gain chemistry with their lines and learn and adjust to their 3rd Head Coach and offensive and defensive scheme in 14 months and one had to figure the team would need some time to adjust to everything while having to play games every other night.<br />
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We are now two weeks and 7 games into the 48 game season and Washington is a cellar dweller at a lackluster 1-5-1. Scoring has been hard to come by for the team as has the ability to avoid committing penalties. In turn the Capitals end up with no energy by the end of the game which has lead to consecutive late game losses on their two game road trip to Canada.<br />
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The season started sluggish with an ugly loss to Tampa Bay in which the team gave up 6 goals which primarily came at the fault of poor defensive positioning, lazy neutral zone turnovers, and a failure to kill penalties. Six games later that still seems to be the case. The Caps dropped their home opener in similar but even uglier fashion against Winnipeg and failed to set up any type of offensive strategy against Montreal. As if the team's performance wasn't bad enough the usually raucous Verizon Center crowd was not only dead but half empty by the start of the 3rd period of the Montreal game. In the games to follow the Capitals fell behind New Jersey 2-0 before mounting a valiant comeback in the final 5 minutes thanks to some power play execution, but ultimately losing with under a minute to go in overtime. The team's ability to battle back however left fans optimistic. The team no longer gives fans the impression that they can come back when down a goal let alone two or three goals but in the New Jersey game they strung together a solid 10 minutes to end the game against the Devils and then put forth a solid 40+ minutes against Buffalo which lead to the team's first win of the season. The Caps came out pretty strong against Ottawa with a solid first 40 minutes and a 2-0 lead before the wheels fell off and the team allowed the Senators to score 1 in the 2nd and 2 in the 3rd. Against Toronto the Caps held again held a 2-1 lead heading into the 3rd period, this despite 8 Toronto power plays in the first 40 minutes, before ultimately falling 3-2, the 4th straight game with a 3-2 final. <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Entering the Ottawa game the Caps were 94-0-9 when leading after two between February 24, 2009 and Tuesday, now they've lost 2 straight. The refs definitely got to the Caps in the team's first two games especially the first home game where Mike Ribiero was high-sticked twice but no penalty was called and yet he got hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct for chirping at the refs. Last night the eight penalties just gassed the Caps by the time the 3rd period came around and they had nothing left in the tank, they couldn't skate with the Leafs and they couldn't muster a shot on the Leafs goalie for over 10 minutes in the final period.</span></span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Add to it the players that played during the lockout, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Perreault, Johansson, and Holtby among them, have done nothing of use this season. Ovechkin has two goals, both on the power play, Backstrom has 4 assists, Perreault and MoJo spend more time in the dog house than they do on the ice and Holtby has lost his spot to Michal Neuvirth. On the flip side Joel Ward leads the team in goals and will soon eclipse last year's total, Matt Hendricks has played hard and tough, Ribiero has shown flashes, Joey Crabb has been a huge surprise and the most consistent player, Neuvirth has kept the team in most of the games he's started, and on defense "the Lumberjack" John Erskine has been blocking shots, hitting players...he rocked Phil Kessel last night, and even scored a goal on a muffin shot but has also blasted some beauties on net. The rest of the team has been mediocre (Mike Green) to unfortunate (John Carlson who has been on the ice for most of the goals for and against).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Adam Oates isn't a coach that's going to motivate his players. He feels they have a job to do, they know it, and they need to do it. They're trying the experiment of Alex Ovechkin on the right wing, it isn't working. Until Ovechkin learns to evolve and adapt to the fact that the NHL opponents know he's going to use the same stupid moves as he enters the offensive zone he's not going to be the Ovechkin of old, in fact with the gray showing in his hair he's just becoming old Ovechkin. I read he did relatively well in the KHL, I guess teams over there don't watch game film and plan for facing him or he's such a superstar over there they let him do his stuff because they're in awe of him. Add to it the detractors of Ovi will be willing to point to the fact that his offensive production as well as Mike Green's have been on the decline since around the time a doctor was busted for steroids and records showed unnamed Capitals players were his clients. I don't believe they used them nor do I think it would have helped their performance but I do think Ovi may need to go to the Eye Doctors of Washington and get some Lasik since he seems to be missing the goal just a bit to the right...and why not its worked for Green right? Unfortunately unless Ovi is willing to grind and battle and even go so far as to stand in front of the net to try and deflect shots he's going to be stuck in his rut of shooting long shots with little traffic in front and an easy save for the goalie because he can't blow past defenses like he once did.</span></span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">If
the Caps are going to make a run they'll have to do it soon. The next
two games are both at home but they're against Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh and with Caps fans growing so frustrated with the team's
effort, record and play and there being more and more empty seats with
each passing home game I would expect the Flyers and Penguins fans to
pack the Verizon Center..tho with the tighter security at Verizon I'd
expect some of those opposing fans to not get in because of weapons. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"> </span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">So that goes back to the original question...What's wrong with the Capitals? Its a little bit of everything. I've stated for years that their window of opportunity would be closing by the end of this season or next and it could be upon us or it could just be the whole lockout situation. What seems to be a lack of offensive strategy definitely isn't helping this team and not having the time to install it prior to the season, or in game because of penalties, makes the learning curve that much more difficult. Having Brooks Laich out with a hip injury certainly doesn't help since he's a leader on and off the ice and a grinder that gets dirty. In the end penalties is a main culprit. Too many 5-on-3 shorthanded situations; chirping at the refs, which seems to get called more against Washington than their opponents even though both sides do it and we'll see how strict the refs are when Pittsburgh comes this Sunday because Crosby constantly chirps at the refs especially against Washington; many of the penalties are careless some are even questionable and it gets even more confusing when the opponents do it and nothing gets called. The Caps can't control that they can only control their actions and they're going to have to learn from it, stay under control and do their best to put together solid efforts. If not the season will fully be lost. While the team has been outscored more in the 2nd period than any other they are dead in the 3rd so every opponent knows if you work the Caps hard the first two periods they'll have nothing left to finish and that will be the time to strike. Its essentially Dale Hunter hockey but with less energy in the final stanza. Is coaching the problem? Its too early to tell but I don't think so. These players are veterans and they shouldn't need a lecture. They've been there before and they're better than they're playing. They can talk a good game with they know what they're supposed to do and how they can make things easier but they aren't executing. A trade won't fix the problems but with George McPhee's fingerprints all over this team there is a chance that before the season is out Leonsis may decide that GMGM needs to be too.</span></span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[59].[1][2][1]{comment10151520339007317_42510423}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span> Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-55903837794505323852013-01-28T17:55:00.000-08:002013-01-28T17:55:11.497-08:00The Digital Age Takes a Bite Out of Sports TicketsThe day of the souvenir ticket stub may be a thing of the past. One thing that can be a cherished reminder of an experience one had at a sporting event is being pushed by the wayside by many a sports team and soon ticket stubs may be no more. Why this is being done can be argued but should it be done isn't even up for debate in my opinion.<br />
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For many years I used to keep the tickets from games that I went to in great condition. I'll admit over the past few years I've just jammed most of them into my pocket only to be disappointed when its all crumpled up by the time I get home. This last happened with the Nationals first home playoff game in team history, I still kick myself for not keeping that ticket in as mint condition as possible. It was a historic game for the franchise and while some may see it as less significant if not totally insignificant others share the same belief I do. Now while that ticket may not be in the best of condition it and the painful memories of that game will be something I'll still cherish for years to come.<br />
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You see a ticket stub is more than the cost of the ticket or the location of where one sat or even the two teams or certain players out there doing battle. Ticket stubs hold memories that one can share with their children and grandchildren down the line. For some its the first game a father takes a son to, for others its the first date a couple went on and for others its a historical moment in sports history. Stories decades old have been told of a young boy that went to a game with their father and at that game they saw Jackie Robinson become the 1st African American to play in Major League Baseball; of grandpa taking in the game where Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game; Roger Maris hitting his 61st Home Run; The Ice Bowl; Gretzky's first game, Cal's 2161; whatever the case may be. Many of those stories are accompanied with the ticket stub from that game. Either its been kept in a safety box, in a top loader, a book, been signed or even framed. All those games are a piece of history. And while tickets can be bought after the fact on the secondary market it doesn't make them any less special to he who bought it, at least if they're a collector, because that game holds a special or significant meaning to that person or someone they know.<br />
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In fact my boss told me a story earlier this month about his son giving him a Christmas gift. That gift was a framed picture of the two of them at a Baltimore Ravens game and next to the picture was one of their tickets from the game. That is what a ticket stub means to some people. I myself purchased a ticket from the 2002 NCAA Championship Basketball
game because Juan Dixon and the Maryland Terrapins not only played in
that game but they won it. Its an item I've added to my collection and
the closest I'll ever come to having attended the game. The ticket also
looks better than some shitty black and white or color 8x10 sheet of paper with details of the game and ad that isn't as easy to store or as nice looking as that little rectangular one. <br />
The decline in the original ticket began a few years back as more people went electronic and "green." You could order tickets online and have the option of having them mailed to you at your home or you could print them off from your computer. Sure that was an easy option and you didn't run the risk of them being lost or stolen by the postal service. My first time dealing with the "print it yourself" option not only was there a service charge for handling of like $18 but you also had to pay $3 to print your tickets. Yes that's right. Not only was I using my ink and paper which I had paid for but I also had to pay $3 for a "convenience fee." Any way for a company like TicketMaster to make a buck. Then when you printed the ticket there would be extra stuff on it, like an ad or offer that would eat up that ink and helped to take up the whole page.<br />
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Earlier this year my work received our package for our Georgetown Hoyas season tickets but all that was inside was a card, much like a savings or debit card. With the card you have the option of using it at the stadium to get in and take your seats or you can print them off from the Hoyas ticket site. Luckily printing them off or emailing them to someone else was a free option with these but I'm not so sure that's the case if you bought single game tickets.<br />
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A few months later the same thing happened with our Washington Wizards tickets, and then our Washington Capitals ticket. Monumental Sports and Entertainment was moving full fledged into this new and cheaper way of doing tickets, any why not they were the ones running or part owners of the TicketMaster company when the previous situation happened, at least I believe they still were at the time. Plus Ted Leonsis is a mogul and technology guy so he's going to go for online and cheap the best he can so as to continue to grow his empire. That's not to say there hasn't been a lot of bumps along the way. Fans are complaining about it taking longer to get into Caps games and the cards taking longer to get people in. I went to one game and did not see the cards being the problem as much as the security measures but I also got there 30 minutes prior to the game and had a paper printed ticket in hand.<br />
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Today comes word that the Washington Nationals will also be going the online route with their tickets and this just saddens me. I knew it would most likely be a reality at some point but there are just so many people, especially baseball fans, that love the thicker stock ticket over a card or the personal computer printed ticket. I loved seeing the special ticket that the teams would use for the team's first home game and then seeing different players for each of the next 4 or 5 games that would then recycle over however many pages the ticket book went. Now that's going to be gone.<br />
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I will say the card can make it a tad more convenient if you have one per ticket compared to one per account as Washington Monumental has done. It is also something you can just keep in your wallet at all times but what if you lose your card or it breaks? Isn't it more of a hassle to have to report it stolen and have the tickets reassigned electronically? Also this is a real cost cutting measure. While programming the cards could cost a pretty penny, and I'd assume their is a computer program that is a huge time saver, its a lot cheaper for the sports teams to purchase the cards in bulk than it was to print season tickets in mass as they have for many years and then send them via FedEx, UPS or DHL to the season ticket holder. Now that the teams are saving money on the printing don't you think some of that savings should trickle down to the people who are buying the tickets? I mean depending on the sport and where one is sitting you're paying at minimum of $50 and up to a few hundred for every game. Sure a giveaway at a game is nice but just as the owners would like to save money so would Joe Schmo who makes a less in a month or even year than some players make in a game. <br />
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I'm sure another reason the ticket industry is changing is to cut down on scalpers outside of the stadium. Knowing that someone can print the tickets off of a computer like you can with these, the buyer will be more suspect to trust someone outside the stadium than they would if they had the rectangular ticket so more people are likely to go to the box office to try and purchase tickets than go to the homely looking dude shouting "TICKETS! TICKETS! WHICH ONE OF YOU CRAZY MOTHER F-KERS NEED A TICKET?"<br />
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What's even sadder is that the sports teams know that they can exploit the fans even further. Say you go to a game and see a perfect game thrown or someone breaks Kareem's all-time scoring record, or whatever other notable achievement that will cause resale of a used ticket to sell for more than a ticket normally would after the event. After the accomplishment has taken place you have to figure that the teams will see it as a perfect opportunity to capitalize on the fans that want to have a better looking piece of history by printing out 17,000 tickets that resemble the soon to be old school style and sell them for like $20-$50 per ticket. They know people will pay and those poor saps that already paid $50 to see the game may be paying another $50 on top of it. Don't believe me? They know we're all suckers and owners are all about the dollar. After all they need to have a profitable company or they'll just tell you that you're going to have to pay more while they still fail to improve their roster or upgrade the facility.<br />
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I really hope that fans voice their frustrations enough that the owners reconsider it but this reminds me of growing up and listening to Sony and Nintendo tell the consumers that the cartridge games cost more because of what they have to do in terms of making them and that once the games go to a disc the prices will drop. Well as the years have gone on and the systems have switched to the disc games the prices are still $50-$60 for most games. And why not...they know that we're addicts and we're going to pay exactly what they tell us to. Maybe not all of us but the majority.<br />
<br />Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-86000286608169979492013-01-16T17:23:00.000-08:002013-01-16T17:32:46.640-08:00The Beast Leaves DC, Leading to SaditudeThis day was bound to come. The writing has been on the wall for months, despite the feeling yesterday that the Nats could wait on making a move. Who knows who gets injured in the coming weeks or Spring Training. Many of us held out hope not wanting to accept facts or face the reality of the situation.<br />
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You see I became a Michael Morse fan in 2010 when he smacked 15 Home Runs for the Nats in 98 games. I had no idea who he was and at the time I was only really coming around to giving the Nationals a chance. I knew who most of the players were but like much of the DMV I didn't pay too much attention to the Nats because, well they sucked. This Morse fellow though, he had that something special to me as I looked over the box scores. The team boasted power from Adam Dunn, the seemingly oft-injured and "under performing" (to my expectations) Ryan Zimmerman, and the slow trotting and underrated Josh Willingham. Morse hit one less Home Run in nearly 160 at-bats less than Willingham, good enough for fourth on the team.<br />
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In 2011 Morse had a strong Spring Training but was kept in a platoon in Left Field with Laynce Nix. Because of this The Beast struggled mightily through May before being relegated to the bench. In late-May Morse was given a shot at first base when Adam LaRoche went down for the season due to injury and Beast Mode swept across NatsTown. The legacy began and, in my mind, Michael was the biggest character on the team. A team mired in a losing culture for so long had an identity. There was playfulness, there was excitement, and while winning can do that, you knew that Morse had a huge hand in that. By season's end Morse finished in the Top 10 in batting average, home runs and RBI, and fourth in Slugging Percentage.<br />
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After the season I came across <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_ryan_braun_drug_test_appeal_testosterone_022712" target="_blank">this article</a> regarding Ryan Braun's PED case and was surprised to read about Morse's situation from year's before. The story actually made me more of a fan. Here was an athlete that accepted the punishment handed too him. He didn't make an excuse, he didn't deny it or lie or go through some charade. Then to see that he was suspended three times for the same thing because of a technicality, I felt bad for the guy but knew I'd support him for the rest of his career. He was refreshing. Not a Lance Armstrong or a Barry Bonds.<br />
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Morse started 2012 on the disabled list and didn't return to the lineup until June. Once back Morse was the team's primary Left Fielder and added protection to a line-up that consisted of rookie phenom Bryce Harper, LaRoche, Zimmerman, and eventually Jayson Werth upon his return from injury. As Natitude soared throughout DC many a fan became accustomed to participating in Morse's late inning walk-up music A-Ha's "Take on Me." Morse helped lead the Nats to the best record in baseball and had possibly the highlight of the year when he had to replay a grand slam after the umpires had to go to the video replay.<br />
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A season that saw a Morse bobblehead, females who loved him, and males who had man crushes on him didn't come without some hate. Despite being a huge part of the team and being knowingly slower than most of the players Morse drew the ire of some fans, we'll go with intoxicated since they thought they could play it better, when he failed to get to some balls hit to Left Field in the team's first home post-season game in history. I sat their and listened to the negativity all the while going "hey dumb asses you realize he's playing with a sore hamstring AND they have him shaded too far towards center when a right handed batter is up?" But I digress.<br />
<br />
For me I was lucky to attend the bobblehead game and I was lucky to attend that first home playoff game, a game in which I sat in Left Field right behind Morse. Loving The Beast like I did I started a card collection of him and was able to grab some very rare cards. My favorite, which started the collection was a card from Topps Tier One that he inscribed "BEAST MODE," I later picked up a Topps Tribute auto inscribed "The Beast." They are by far two of my favorite pieces in any of my collections. At the playoff game I also ended up picking up a game-used bat which is just amazing to look at and for Christmas I bought myself a Morse jersey.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the off-season came to early for the Nats and certain players would be staying and certain players would be going. Morse was a bubble player. It would depend on what transpired between the Nationals and LaRoche. Before the Nats and LaRoche contact talks got serious, the Nats added Denard Span to play CF. That move meant Harper would play LF and Werth would be in RF. Morse was now a option at First Base or a trade chip because you're not going to have a guy getting paid $7 million getting paid to come off the bench...this isn't the NBA and in baseball guys making that much tend to either start or spend time on the disabled list...I'm looking at you A-Rod.<br />
<br />
For months the saga between LaRoche and the Nats played out with LaRoche wanting a 3 year contact and the Nats holding steady on a 2 year offer. The drama went on for so long because if LaRoche signed somewhere else then the team signing him would forfeit a 1st round draft pick to the Nats. Many fans, especially me, preferred the Nats save the money on a LaRoche deal and use it for help in the bullpen. This month however the Nats and LaRoche agreed to a contract and that set in motion the move that would eventually make Morse a member, once again, of the Seattle Mariners. There was talk of Seattle, Boston, New York (Yankees), Texas and Baltimore all being in on Morse. I'd have loved Baltimore since I'm a fan of theirs as well and they're still local so I could go to O's games, he'd be reunited with his pal Adam Jones and I could see him play over 100 games in the season.<br />
<br />
The move is unfortunate since I feel that LaRoche will not only not duplicate his production from last season but I feel he's likely to get injured again. I didn't like the signing two years ago and I'm not too fond of it now. I love how well he produced last year and I get the team needed a left handed power option in the lineup but Morse is THE MAN, even if he is addicted to those Real Housewives shows. The team also has durability issues with Zimmerman and Werth so if either of them goes down the team will be missing more power from the line-up and Morse could fill in in the outfield. The team also could have rotated players allowing them to rest, of course not keeping a regular lineup or routine can hurt more than help.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned the Nats decided it was in their best interest to stick with LaRoche as well as stick with younger options on the bench in Roger Bernadina and Tyler Moore who will most likely supplant LaRoche in a year or two. My preference would be to see the team trade LaRoche after the season and re-sign Morse since he'll be a free-agent at the end of the year. Injury riddled or not, which Morse admittedly has been, the kid has talent and power, he's hit some of the longest home runs I have ever seen and playing first base will limit his injury risk compared to being in the outfield. And while he's not as good defensively at first base as Roach he's not much of a dropoff.<br />
<br />
You better believe the first thing I'll do when MLB The Show comes out is I'll be trading Roach for Beast the second it enters my PS3. Yes I'm really gonna miss Michael. From his long flowing locks (man crush) to his running around the field and high-fiving fans when the team clinched a playoff spot to his laid back joking demeanor to his presence in the lineup I will miss Beast but will also cherish so many memories from his time here in DC. While I'll still be able to follow and interact with him on Twitter I'll always be saddened that he's no longer rocking the Natitude. Thank you Michael for all that you did for the team and the fans. Hopefully that ballpark doesn't stunt your numbers out there on the West Coast and hopefully you'll be back on a team in the DMV after the season. Keep BEAST MODE alive!Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-13234058741011217352012-12-31T11:49:00.001-08:002012-12-31T19:29:26.556-08:002013 Fearless Predictions<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I started doing this last year on Twitter but didn't write down any of them so I could keep track of what did and didn't come true. I do remember some that did and figured I'd turn this into a yearly thing. While some of these I seriously believe will happen, many are to be taken as light-heartedly and as jokes...in case you couldn't figure that out. Hope you enjoy some of them. All of these were written before December 30, 2012.</div>
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Personal
(myself or friends) </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
- March 20<sup>th</sup>, the night of our Circus
event, will be my best day of the first half of year
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
- I will drop at least 40 lbs by Christmas</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -12.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will drink soda
no more than 3 times in 2013</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -12.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will play in the
2013 Bethesda Big Train Celebrity Game this year, not as a celebrity obviously
and I will hit a HR </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will
average at least 1 blog post a week on <a href="http://www.laichitis.blogspot.com/">www.laichitis.blogspot.com</a>
(shameless plug)</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- In turn if
I keep up the writing and improve with each post I will achieve some form of
validation, at least locally </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- By
the end of the year my cousin John will come to the decision it is time to
retire but won’t do so until the end of 2014, right before closeout </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- John will
also get a new dog, but not a foo-foo dog. Chocolate Lab seems to be the best
fit. </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Britt
McHenry will meet her future husband </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Britt McHenry will be staying in DC and will
ascend within ABC 7, taking over full-time for Tim Brant who will move on by
June 2014</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Britt McHenry will receive an overture to
co-host a DC Sports Talk radio show </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 7.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>- I will complete the year without
meeting my father…again though not necessarily by my choice</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- My cousin Pam finally graduates college</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- My cousin Kristin will get pregnant again.
This time with twins. One will be Hispanic, one black, her husband still
white</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 7.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>- Mark Cruz will finally get engaged.
50/50 shot that it will either be to his girlfriend or a transvestite masseuse
in the Philippines </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- 4 of my friends on
Facebook will end up pregnant or getting someone pregnant during the year</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
-Tori Hill somehow
finds her way into the Nats clubhouse while at a game next year, possibly
sneaking in or flirting with Lombardozzi </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- No matter how many
blog posts I have in 2013, all combined will not accumulate to the 2 I wrote on
Britt last spring (2600+)</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will continue to
use Twitter but more for sports, jokes and networking than for bitching about
my job </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Sports Cards &
Memorabilia</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will add one
extremely rare Juan Dixon card to my collection, it will not be the triple
logoman from Exquisite</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- HobbyKings.com and
Panini America will work on a basketball card set if JDC and some other HK guys
get their shit together</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Upper Deck will go
out of business</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Even when they do
things right Panini will not get the respect its due from many members on the
basketball side of the hobby </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will open at
least 50 boxes of cards this year and the money would still have better been
spent on singles</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I will sell off
some of my collection this year once I get my shit in order</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I still won’t pull
a Michael Jordan autograph</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Sports</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- The Los Angeles
Clippers win the NBA Championship (I’ve had OKC since the end of last season)<span style="font-size: 7.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span> </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the NHL lockout
will finally end…but it won’t be until July<span style="font-size: 7.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span>- NHL ratings will fall on TV and arena’s will
be down at least 20%<span style="font-size: 7.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the Washington
Nationals will win the 2013 World Series<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- Michael
Morse </span>will hit 40 HRs as a member of the Washington Nationals or
Baltimore Orioles</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Angela Rypien will
lead the Baltimore Charm Lingerie Football Team to the Championship</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Despite their
offensive line and secondary woes the Redskins will not address the needs
noting their strong record</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the new women’s
soccer league will be a success</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the WNBA will
continue to falter despite Candace Parker leading the Sparks to the
championship</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Kevin Love, Josh
Smith, Amar’e Stoudamire, and Dwight Howard will all be involved in big trades
in the summer</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Chris Paul will
re-sign with the Clippers and the Clippers will go to the WCF & unseat the
Lakers as the team in LA</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Rex Ryan will be
fired, Tim Tebow will end up in Jacksonville, Mark Sanchez will remain in NY</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Despite becoming
favorites the Angels, Dodgers, and Blue Jays don’t make it out of the
Divisional Series, one won’t make playoffs</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- The Orioles will
not see the same success as last year</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- FP Santangelo and
Bob Carpenter will be back next season for Nats broadcasts, just not on MASN</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- LeBron James
suffers a serious injury and misses much of the 2013-14 season</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Strasburg wins NL
CY Young, Bryce Harper joins 40/40 Club</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the Washington
Wizards will continue to suck</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the Washington
Nationals will have more wins at the end of the NBA regular season than the
Wizards</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- A wrestler
currently in WWE or TNA will die, possibly while performing</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Dwyane Wade misses
a week with an ingrown toe nail</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- The Rock will end
CM Punk's title reign only to drop the title to Dolph Ziggler who cashes in his
Money in the Bank briefcase </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- The New York
Yankees will finish 4<sup>th</sup> in the AL East</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Baseball finally
does something to protect pitchers from batted balls after a scary incident in
July</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Andray Blatche
will glue his finger up his nose </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Brett Favre will
attempt another NFL comeback, this time with the Oakland Raiders</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Speaking of the
Silver & Black...so will Donovan McNabb (black guy, silver hair)</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- A fat person will
finally win the Nathan's hot dog eating contest..then will be disqualified when
its found out its a pregnant woman and it was technically two people competing</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Manny Ramirez
attempts a comeback in a Beer League Softball and is cut for being out of shape
and unable to hit the ball </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Joe Flacco will be
franchised by the Ravens and fans will call for him to be replaced by Tyron
Taylor by Week 6</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- RG3 will remain amazing while Romo and the Cowboys will still suck </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Despite deserving
a chance, Juan Dixon will not be given one last shot to make it back into the
NBA</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Andy Reid and Rex
Ryan face off in a championship match...for pie eating</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Movies/Music/Celebs<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
- </span>John Travolta & Tom Cruise will finally admit they’re gay and are
actually a couple (I think I did this one for 2012 too)</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Lindsay Lohan will
manage to stay sober….for 20 minutes</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- I’ll see maybe 6
of the following movies at the theatre the first half of the year: Gangster
Squad, The Last Stand, Safe Haven, Snitch, The Heat, Jurassic Park 3D
(AMAZING), 42, Pain & Gain, Fast & Furious 6, Olympus Has Fallen,
Monsters University, White House Down </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- the following movies
will underperform: Oz The Great & Powerful, A Good Day to Die Hard, G.I.
Joe: Retaliation, Hangover Part III, Fast & Furious 6<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- </span>Oblivion’s
lack of success will again cause people to question why Tom Cruise is put in
movies</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Will Smith will
give M Night Shyamalan his highest grossing movie since The Sixth Sense with
After Earth tho we may not see another Will Smith movie or look at him the same
again for at least 5 years.</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- </span>Sleeper
Movies: Olympus Has Fallen, Now You See Me, Much Ado About Nothing, White House
Down </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Iron Man 3 and Man
of Steel will fail to impress me, though Amy Adams will help Superman</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- A young blonde
actress and candyland pop starlet (names removed for my safety) will have a
photo scandals </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Blake Lively and
Ryan Reynolds will get divorced </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Kim Kardashian
will marry Kanye West and Kanye will put out a sex tape with Kris, Humphries
not Kardashian</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Justin Beiber will
hit a girlfriend and get busted for drugs </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Andy Roddick
knocks up Brooklyn Decker </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Taylor Swift will
get pregnant..it will not be Daren Hayes’</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Rihanna won't
learn her lesson and will get smacked around by Chris Brown again</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Gabriel Iglesias
will be recognized as the funniest comedian alive</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Katt Williams will
continue his downward spiral until he kills himself at a Home Depot </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Psy will quickly
be forgotten about but will end up going on a tour with MC Hammer and later
joined by Vanilla Ice</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Gangnam Style will
go the way of the Macarena and Tubthumping only being heard at sporting events </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Christine Lakin
will make a (don't call it a) comeback with a new TV show</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Betty White and
Zsa Zsa Gabor last another year<br />
- While men would prefer a scandal involving Carrie Underwood we'll only get the announcement that she is with child </div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Politics/World News</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- We will know less
about what happened in Benghazi by December 31, 2013 than we do now</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- Two former US
Presidents will pass away..George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- someone will die
in the penguin exhibit at a zoo and people will demand penguins be sent back to
Antarctica and banned from zoos and aquariums across the US</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
- There will be at
least one news story of someone going to the hospital because they got their
penis stuck in one of those Chinese finger locks </div>
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Whether it’s the lack of winning season, pre-mature post-season exits,
or injuries to star players, the Baltimore/Washington area has become all too commonplace
for these unfortunate results from their sports teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the past 20 years the area has not seen
consistent success from its teams, be it professional or collegiate and when
that little bit of success is reached and the expected impending doom is in the
air, it still comes as pure shock when the wheels fall off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m a homer through and through. I love the teams in the DMV, all of
them. I hate when people say you can’t root for a Baltimore team or a DC team
because of where you are or are from. Why can’t I? Better than being a Cowboys,
Yankees, Steelers or Penguins fan. I was an Orioles fan for over 20 years
before the Nats arrived and finally got fully behind them 4 years ago while the
Ravens I didn’t fully get behind until 2000, the year before the Super Bowl
victory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since the Redskins won the Super Bowl back in 1992 we have seen about
4-5 good years of Orioles baseball back in the mid-90s which ended in 1997 when
that jackass Jeffrey Maier interfered with the ball, a decade of Ravens winning
in football, including a Super Bowl trophy; but they’re a team most in the DMV
don’t embrace unless they’re from Baltimore; Joe Gibbs come back to try and
bring his Midas touch to the Skins, the Terrapins Men and Women’s basketball
teams each win one championship, the Capitals tease their fans for the past 5
years with mediocre, at best, playoff performances after great regular seasons,
the Bullets/Wizards having about 3 good years in the late 90s and 3 in the
mid-2000s and none of that was with Michael Jordan playing for the team. We did
manage some wins with the CFL Baltimore Stallions and the indoor soccer
Baltimore Warthogs so there’s that right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Every time the fans start to show up and teams start to look like they
could do something with the pieces it blows up. We’ve seen Gilbert Arenas go
from the hero Agent Zero to just a zero. Serious knee injuries sidelined his
career and guns in the locker room ended it. The Redskins have had as many head
coaches, quarterbacks and kickers as the Orioles have had starting pitchers.
Stephen Strasburg blew out his elbow and required Tommy John surgery, as did
Jordan Zimmerman.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s been just over 36 hours and the fans of the Washington Nationals
are still in shock over the team’s epic collapse at home against the St. Louis
Cardinals. This team was something special, this team was different from every
team the area has seen in decades outside of the 2008-09 Washington Capitals
team and yet both teams have striking similarities. Both teams were young,
energetic, led by star players, dealt with post-season controversy and were the
best team in their league only to be eliminated by a team with a lesser record
who was lucky to be facing them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I stated back when I did my season preview, this team was probably a
year away from contending. Instead the team nearly finished with 100 victories.
Bryce Harper was called up early in the season and despite some slumps and
over-eagerness he brought a jolt to the team and his stellar arm won the team
games with by throwing runners out at the plate or by holding them at 3<sup>rd </sup>base
for fear of being thrown out. The pitching was phenomenal and until the
playoffs was the team’s strongest facet of their game, I mean the staff strikeouts
rivaled the national debt. Stephen Strasburg was almost back to his 2009 form
and has given hope to fans and the organization hope for only better days
ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gio Gonzalez, my Cy Young winner
this year, was dominant throughout the season, Jordan Zimmerman still didn’t
get his run support yet kept the team in ballgames.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ross Detwiler should have cemented himself as
the team’s #4 starter but will probably remain the 5<sup>th</sup> starter. Then
there is Edwin Jackson, the guy that frustrated me most because he’s a really
good pitcher but seeing him pitch in Game 3 of the playoffs, entering with a
losing record, he just leaves too many balls over the plate. The pen was
dominant till late in the season and I wonder if some of that was just the guys
being warn down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tyler Clippard was
amazing in the first half of the season filling in for Drew Storen as the team’s
closer and then returned to the set-up role in September after he kept getting shelled
for home runs and Storen proved to be back in pre-surgery form.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The hitters had their lulls but not like in year’s past. Ryan Zimmerman
dealt with a lingering shoulder issue, which lead to some really bad throws and
costly errors, but he still provided the offense you’d expect from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam LaRoche saved Zimm from quite a few
errors and managed to stay healthy the whole season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roach ended up hitting .271 with 33 HRs and
100 RBIs and kinda putting the kibosh on my criticism of him in my earlier
blog. Espinosa struggled at the plate, striking out way too much and pressing
at the end of the season trying to reach the 20 HR plateau. Ian Desmond on the
other hand, whom I said was expendable for an upgrade, not only played well
defensively (by Ian Desmond standards) but really got it going at the plate
with a career high in HRs and making the All-Star team. It’s not that I didn’t
think Desi could do it, it’s that I felt the team was running out of patience
waiting for him to do it. In the OF my boy Ankiel got cut, Mike Morse (The
Beast) missed the first two months of the season and still ended up killing the
ball, Bernadina (The Shark) saw his cult following grow, Jayson Werth missed a
fair amount of time with a broken wrist but came back strong as a lead-off
hitter, and Bryce Harper only reached the 20 HR mark and nearly as many steals
to go along with 9 triples. Of course one of the main keys to a team is their
catcher and the Nats used about 89 of them because they kept getting hit with
season ending injuries so they went out and brought in a guy that I really
like, Kurt Suzuki who called a good game and had some timely hits the last
month of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come the playoffs though what you did in the regular season goes out
the window. The Nats entered the series against the Cardinals, who may have
been there only because of a terrible Infield Fly Rule call vs the Braves,
without Strasburg. Since Spring Training it was known that he wouldn’t be
pitching late in the year as the team planned to limit his innings, they just
never said what the limit would be. In early September they shut Stras down,
despite the criticism by many. I was back and forth on the issue. The team is
not guaranteed to be in this position again but long term its best to not
overwork the repaired area right away and they want to keep him safe and
healthy long term. In the end I became fine with the decision because this team
was good enough to still win it all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Game 1 the Nats win, Games 2 & 3 the Nats get rocked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was at Game 3 and the stadium got quiet way
too early. The fans wanted to fault Morse for his effort, mind you he has a
sore hamstring, but he was also being told to play the fielders incorrectly.
You have to play a hitter to pull and the righties were pulling the ball but
they had him closer to center and for lefties he was closer to the line. Maybe
I’m wrong about it but that’s how I was always taught to play. Also in Game 3
you had EJax, a #3 starter on some teams, a #4 on this team, really is more
suited for a 4 or 5 spot in my opinion, was going against a playoff tested
former ace. Despite not being what he once was, the Nats were not supposed to
beat Chris Carpenter. Game 4 the Nats tied the series in amazing fashion with
Werth hitting a HR during a 13 pitch at bat. In Game 5 the team was up 6-0
early only to lose in a fashion that was unlike any disaster that has been
witnessed in the area if not all of sports. One strike, all they needed was one
strike from Drew Storen and they’re hosting the San Fransisco Giants beginning
Sunday in the NLCS, instead they’re all headed back home. I’m not going to
write out the whole thing that happened if you watched the game you saw it, if
you’re like me it keeps replaying in your head, you don’t need to see ESPN to
break it down for you. A 9-7 loss and the season, one that had fans finally
filling the ballpark, is over and the second guessing can begin. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Throughout the series it was said they need Strasburg, but they didn’t.
He was struggling late in the year, his arm needed the rest because of how hard
he throws, and as great as the guy his, having him pitch once in the series
most likely wouldn’t have changed much if anything. Their starting pitching as
a whole wasn’t what it had been. Through the first 3 games the team had allowed
10 runs in the 2<sup>nd</sup> inning, that doesn’t help you win ballgames. Gio
had two bad innings of wildness, Detwiler had an inning, EJax left balls over
the plate in one, Zimm had some struggles, Ryan Matheus hit batters, and their
hitters weren’t hitting. Roach had two hits, both HRs in the first 4 games,
Bryce and Werth couldn’t hit with guys in scoring position the first 2 games
and in game three the Nats would get two guys on base but not until there were
two outs. The only bright spot was Ian Desmond both offensively and defensively
in the top of the 9<sup>th</sup> of Game 4. Then in Game 5 it was nothing like
the previous 4. They built off the Werth walk-off, everything was going right
and then collapse just happened. It wasn’t meant to be. I had already been
prepared to write “Welcome to the NLCS Washington” I just needed one more
strike and…well…it never came. Before the 9<sup>th</sup> inning collapse Britt
McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) had said she had a bad feeling like the Caps game vs.
the Rangers in Game 6…too true. The Caps become known as the Cardiac Caps
because of how they play close games and most come down to the final moments or
overtime, especially in the playoffs. I’ve dealt with their losses and felt the
emptiness after each series. I don’t think any of those can compare to how I
felt after the Nats lost. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then again the Nats weren’t the only team from the area playing in the
playoffs. The Orioles made their return for the first time in 15 years and they
saw their post-season came to an end just minutes before the Nats game started.
They were the team that overachieved more than anyone and they were facing the
New York Yankees, they even had the Yankees on the ropes in Game 3 only to lose
it and eventually the series. So for me maybe their loss helped in the
emptiness but the way the Nats lost is what caused it to linger. Feeling you
had it won and mentally reserving your tickets for the next round only to get
gutted. Also the Wild Card team has this thing about going deep and even
winning the World Series, the Orioles and Cardinals were Wild Card teams. Once
the Orioles lost it kind of guaranteed the Cardinals would win right? Am I
alone in this thought?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I took to Twitter, as did many, to share my disbelief and even today I
see posts by fellow Nats fans and media still trying to get their minds around
what happened, this may be because we haven’t reached the water cooler the next
day so it could linger till Monday or Tuesday when you talk to people at your
office. On Twitter though Morse (@Dc_BEAST38) and Bryce Harper (Bharper3407)
mentioned their disappointment while thanking the fans for helping them with a
great season, my new favorite announcer; who I hope returns next season and
beyond; F.P. Santangelo (@FightinHydrant) tried to keep fans positive and
optimistic for the future, the biggest Nats fan I’ve come to find, Tori Hill (@Toribelle4)
tried to keep the NATITUDE and the fan base positive and shared her feelings as
well as others to all of her followers, while the DC media including Britt, Dan
Hellie (@DanHellie), Chick Hernandez (@ChickatCSN) and Eric Bickel (@EBJunkies)
all were in shock having never recalled seeing such a spectacle before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sports can bring a group of people together but also tear many apart.
Moments after the Nats lost Drew Storen began receiving death threats on
Twitter. Really? Over a fucking baseball game? This reminded me of the Bruins
fans or random assholes that went to Twitter calling Washington Capitals Joel
Ward a “nigger” or threatening him with death or any number of other boneheaded
comments that were sent his way. Its sports people! It sucks to lose! It’s
unfortunate how the season ended but to threaten a man’s life, to not celebrate
what was a great season, to understand that your team was just not good enough
and to blame it all on one person is ridiculous. To me it just proves that
evolution doesn’t exist because some people are too fucking stupid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I’ve believed every year with the Capitals I believe the Nats will
be back, I doubt the Orioles will be though. Again I said next year would be
their (Nats) year. They’ve gotten a taste of success and of failure and they’re
going to want it even more next year and hopefully the stands will be fuller
more too. I expect the Phillies to be better next year, I’m sure the Braves
will be competitive, and who knows what to expect of the Mets or Marlins but
hopefully nothing but bottom dwelling. So it won’t be easy, and it shouldn’t
be. I want a team that is tested and capable of winning when they need to over
a team that has an easy ride to the playoffs. Of course the team is in a tough
situation in regards to a few players. Roach is due for a new deal and contract
years are steroids to many players careers so will he be able to repeat this
production once he has that new contract? He filled the role of Adam Dunn’s bat
which is why they brought him in two years ago but the team needs to decide if
it’s worth keeping him for another year or two and a few million dollars more
or if it would be wiser to move Morse back to first and allow Tyler Moore or
Roger Bernadina to full-time outfield. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the team keep or trade Store? He was on
the block in 2011, which I didn’t believe to be necessary. I think he’s a good
young pitcher and think having him and Clipp throwing in the 8<sup>th</sup>
& 9<sup>th</sup> innings is exactly what this team needs. EJax is up for
renewal too. I’d prefer to put Detwiler in his #4 spot and then maybe look for
a veteran or if you resign EJax make him your #5. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Regardless of it all, as disappointing as the season finished, this
team impressed me a lot. They won over a lot of people in DC. They beat the Redskins
and RG3 for much of the opening sports news. They don’t need to do much
tweaking. Maybe a new arm or two in the pen, decide on your first baseman and
if you need to bring in an OFer; rumor is they’re looking at Michael Bourne but
I don’t want him and I’d prefer Josh Hamilton but I know that ain’t happening.
They also have to decide who they’re going with at catcher. Suzuki is probably
certain to be here but Ramos and Flores are young and could be nice trade
assets. I’d stake a lot on the team allowing this to burn within them and come
back next year to not only prove it was no fluke but that they’re not this good
but even better. How much so? I’ll say it now the Washington Nationals will be
the 2013 World Series Champions.</div>
Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-41217405402522637472012-09-06T18:30:00.003-07:002012-09-08T16:58:36.417-07:00The NHL Lockout Isn't Necessary but its Coming<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
September 15<sup>th</sup> the NHL Collecting Bargaining Agreement is set to
expire. The owners and the players are apparently more than willing to
sacrifice another full season expecting one side or the other to eventually
cave to the demands of the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whose
bright idea was it to set the CBA to expire days before training camp? It’s bad
enough the two sides didn’t meet a lot during the summer and that only 4 owners
bothered to attend negotiations but you play with fans emotions as they await
the new season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not set a CBA to
expire a week after the season ends? This would hopefully force them to talk more
during the off-season and give the fans a better mental state of mind regarding
an upcoming season as the letdown would be a bit easier if a deal wasn’t
reached. This also keeps teams from going out and signing players to ridiculous
contracts and then trying to get under the new salary cap or teams trading away
young players for veterans who are on their last legs and with a lockout may
not even get on the ice with their new team (I’m looking at you Mike Ribiero). And
what if the majority of the contracts couldn’t last far beyond the current CBA?
While I wouldn’t want to have every player be a free-agent at the same time
maybe there could be a stipulation that no contracts can exceed beyond 3 years
of when the current CBA is set to expire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the new CBA the NHL is requesting players to take a roll back on salaries and
to sacrifice a huge percentage of their shared earnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I understand that correctly a player that
is currently signed to a deal for 13 years and $100 million would see their
salary reduced to $76 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now what’s
a few million to a superstar hockey player when the Average Joe is paying a
fair percentage of their salary for tickets to a game?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck I think nose bleed seats at most Caps
games are going to cost you at the least around $50 per game when buying single
game tickets, compared to season ticket prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
the NHL locked the players out 8 years ago the commissioner said how ticket
prices would be reduced for fans yet Caps tickets have seen an increase every
year as the team has gotten better. In fact at my work we couldn’t even sell
tickets for $15, a loss for us, when play resumed, and now we sell out the day
we put them for sale for at least $50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>DC fans are fair weather and while it’s a “well known fact” that NHL
fans will come back right away its not a guarantee and its not fair to the
fans, especially the die-hards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
NHL is reaching its highest popularity in the US in years. Billionaire owners
are willing to throw it away over a few million dollars to players and possibly
billions of dollars in ticket revenue, merchandise sales and more. They’re
willing to deprive fans of another season of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby,
Taylor Hall, and other young stars which will also lead to a lot of “what ifs”
in terms of career statistics. For me personally I see the Caps window closing
and it will suck to lose a year when they could be close to something while
other teams are also probably headed towards a last hurrah with the team they
have and veterans who deserve to go out gracefully may lose that chance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike
other sports the NHL has competition. The NBA has a slight competition as shown
by Euro Basketball and China signing some players during the lockout last
season and keeping players for the full year and even some pick-up games that
players participated in, while it wasn’t a financial reward they still made the
highlights on ESPN and stayed relevant and in our minds. Baseball doesn’t offer
quality options in Hispanic Leagues or the Independent League. The NFL has seen
a lot of leagues fail or not measure up (USFL, XFL, CFL, NFL Europe). Hockey
players can’t be paid as well overseas as they can here but they can still make
some nice money and Alex Ovechkin even said that some foreign players may say
to hell with the NHL<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and not return. How
terrible would it be for Evgeny Malkin or Nicklas Backstrom to go overseas and
decide to stay there where they can be a superstar in their homeland and fans
in their respective cities either lose them for a few years or the remainder of
their career? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
lockout doesn’t affect just the players, coaches, and fans, it affects the
ushers, the stadium ticket sellers, and the concession employees and beyond
them it affects local businesses. In cities like Los Angeles and New York who
has success with their basketball fan bases and the fact that they’re big
cities with celebrities the financial burden may not be felt as bad. In cities
like Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Edmonton and Calgary they don’t have other teams the
financial loss will be felt. Even Washington DC and Detroit will see a huge
drop off because their basketball teams suck and people don’t go to games.
There isn’t a single time before a Caps game that I see Camille’s or any
restaurant surrounding the Verizon Center jammed with people before games. When
the NBA locked out business owners said they expected a slight drop off but not
like they would if the Caps weren’t playing…well that time will be upon us in a
little over a week. Unemployment stands at 8.1% and millionaires and billionaires are willing to let it worsen and that just sickens me. Don't worry about the common man cause in some fashion I got or will be getting my money one way or another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
the NHL gambles on fans coming back because the average hockey fan loves the
sport too much to leave it forever or to boycott it for more than a year and
they’re wrong I can see the NHL having to fold. I doubt it will happen but I
think given the financial situation of some of the teams, the current economy and
how the future looks the owners are taking a giant risk. That’s also assuming
that the player’s cave and give the owners exactly what they want, I’d love to
see the owners cave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I don’t want to lose another NHL
season, it sucked last time and it’ll suck now. I finally have really good
seats to games and get to attend the Caps season ticket holder event at Six
Flags for some family bonding at both. Hockey takes my mind off the crappy
Wizards and disappointing Redskins and its nice to be a part of the atmosphere
and winning. It’s a damn shame the fans have to pay both in higher ticket
prices and in losing games because the owners are greedy. If you can’t afford
to run the club and make a small profit or take a loss then you shouldn’t be
running a franchise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
When the last CBA was signed it
seemed to me that the system was going to keep contracts under control and that
they wouldn’t run amuck like they had in other sports but maybe I was just
being young and naïve. No one forced these owners to pay these outrageous
contracts or the commissioner’s office to approve them. Sure the fans want the
owners to spend money and build a winner but no one is worth $12 million a year
but if you’re willing to pay them that and even after the CBA has expired then
why should you then tell them they have to take less?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You knew what you were getting into, in no
other profession can you <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reduce someone’s
contract or salary in the middle of a deal like that. It’s a shame these kinds
of things can’t be wasting money in the US legal system and with Congress
instead of steroids and football bounties.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Again I don’t want to lose a
season. I LOVE HOCKEY! Last time it took me a while to come back to it. I’m not
so sure it will take me as long this time. I support the players in this battle
and don’t believe the owners have negotiated in good faith. They set a
precedent with the last CBA and its fine to request that the players give a
percentage back but make it closer to a 50/50 split. Maybe there should be some
mandatory thing across all sports where if the sport brings in so many billion
then the owners get X percent and the players get the rest. Owners have a right
to make more than the players but I don’t believe it should be a drastic amount
given that there are a lot of players that only make a few hundred thousand.
Maybe instead of thinking in dollars and cents for themselves everyone should
think about what it means to America, and Canada, to the restaurant down the
street, or the sports bar, to the employees in the arenas, and fans around the
world. Think of feelings and passion and how times are tough and families, that
help to pay salaries just want to get away from the daily grind and unwind with
their family at a game or watching a game. It shouldn’t cost $200 for a family
of 4 to go to a game and another $200 or more for them to buy food and souvenirs.
Your average family can’t afford that now and won’t be able to any time soon.
Owners should pay the players lower salaries on new deals and lower the price
on the public.<br />
<br />
What will it take for the owners to wisen up? They won't listen to the fans that fill their arena, maybe it will take a star player, preferably not a Capital, going overseas and having a traumatic injury. Not one that will keep them out for a couple months but a torn ACL, or something requiring total reconstruction of the knee and missing not only the locked out NHL season but the following season when they play as well.</div>
Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-36741644558699309142012-08-29T16:44:00.002-07:002012-08-29T17:54:04.667-07:00Captain Chaos...Chris Cooley Will ALWAYS BE A REDSKIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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I had to give myself some time to really put my thoughts into words while not seething at the Washington Redskins and without swearing up a storm. I may not say all that I want but I will say enough.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 was a sad day for fans of the Washington
Redskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team announced their decision,
that surprised few, that fan favorite Tight End Chris Cooley had been cut from
the team as it trimmed its roster closer to the final 53-man unit that will
start the regular season. The team’s all-time leader in receptions by a TE was
now unemployed…not cool.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This news was not too shocking, except for perhaps the fact that the
team waited this long. Why not cut him back in the summer? If he wasn’t in your
plans why not cut him earlier in camp? Why string along the most professional
guy the team has had since he came aboard in 2004? Many fans were sad, I’m
still mourning, many fans were angry and for whatever reason some were mad at
Chris himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am a HUGE Chris Cooley fan and I’ll never deny it. I have his jersey,
I have a hell of a card collection (sneak peak at the end of this post), and I
have enjoyed seeing him perform on the field, speak up regarding the team’s
tough stretches and enjoyed his humble and candid interviews. Chris Cooley did
not deserve to see his tenure as a Redskin end this way. </div>
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<br />
Chris was more than a Redskins player, he was an identity with the team.
People that weren't even football fans would associate the name Cooley
with Redskins. Cooley was a go-to guy for the carousel of quarterbacks
that played her during his time including Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell,
Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Donovan McNabb, and Rex Grossman. When in
doubt dump the ball to Cooley and he'll get you a first down because 9
times out of 10 he was sure handed and got the job done. That's what RG3 is gonna need so the offensive line and WRs that can't get open don't get him killed, THE Pro Bowl Tight End, not the player that can't be trusted. Cooley was to
the Redskins what Darrell Green was for two decades. He epitomized the
way that Redskins players were supposed to play and how they were
expected to act on and off the field. Pure class and character. Of course to me this move lacked that, I get its a "new regime" but this team has always been one to restructure deals and they didn't even offer Cooley that.<br />
</div>
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In 2004 I had no idea who this Chris Cooley character was. I was
browsing over the Redskins draft results and read that Coach Joe Gibbs, whom I
adore for what he did during his first go-round with the Redskins as well as
how he lives his life, was very high on Cooley. I also knew the magic that
Gibbs could perform with players. Then I saw him play and that was it. I was in
the tank for him and my man crush totally began.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cooley was a big kid. Whenever you watched an interview with him it was
not about him, it was always the team, always someone else that should get some
notoriety. When the team struggled Chris took blame, when the losing got worse
he apologized to the fans and said, like he did yesterday, that the best fans
in the world deserved better that they deserved a championship team. Chris
never threw a teammate under the bus, never got a coach fired, never played a
game where he took a play off. If there was one constant thing you could expect
from the Redskins every season for the past 8 years it was that #47 was going
to be the starting Tight End.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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Of course four years ago the Skins drafted malcontent Fred Davis. This
lead to whispers that Cooley could become a cap casualty in the near future.
Davis’ first two seasons he had hands of stone and really didn’t run great
routes and didn’t play too much until Chris went down with an injury. His 3<sup>rd</sup>
season was another unimpressive one (16 games, 9 starts, 21 receptions). Last
season however, with Cooley injured Davis put up great numbers and was named
the team’s Offensive Player of the Year despite being suspended 4 games for
failing the league’s drug policy. That’s right, the team cut their FAN FAVORITE
for a guy that was selfish, smoked his pot, and then had to sit out the last 4
games of a terrible season. I wasn’t a Davis fan when the Skins drafted him,
not because I felt he was a threat to Cooley but because he came out of USC who
has been known to produce busts in the NFL. Then this happens, and he’s being
investigated for an altercation at a night club with a woman. Classy guy they
kept over a guy that keeps his nose clean.<br />
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
That’s not to say Cooley was perfect, he did “skip out” on an
appearance at a Bethesda Big Train game a few years back and I’ve heard of
other stories of him missing appearances, but can’t confirm if that’s true or
more of someone that felt burned from a snub. Chris jeopardized his healthy because
he was rushing back without being 100% healed but in the “best interest of the
team;” did have some drops or untimely fumbles, who doesn’t; and did post a
picture of the team’s playbook which happened to have a picture of “Lil Chris”
in it too. That last thing though was part of the charm of Cooley and his
ability to handle humility…think of the shorty shorts he wore to practice.
Chris loved to have fun and the reporters loved talking to him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was lucky enough to meet Chris in October 2009 at the Collector’s
Showcase of America show in Chantilly, VA. I heard last minute that he’d be
there the day I went and my mother surprised me by purchasing me a ticket to
get Chris’ autograph on a mini helmet. Mind you this was days after he had
broken his ankle, which I think was karma for that God awful blonde dye job he
had done to his hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I waited in
line Chris passed by acknowledging fans, thanking them, even signing for a few
kids. I got up to his table and Chris was interacting with the kids of the
people ahead of us unlike any athlete I had ever seen and those kids smiled
from ear to ear. If he wasn’t banging the cheerleader I’d have had his babies.
I got up there, we exchanged pleasantries, I told him how I was a huge fan and
he appreciated it, signed my helmet and a Score base card, which he had brought
a stack of to sign for anyone that came to the table. This is who Chris Cooley
was as a Redskin, he was a fan of the people as much as they were a fan of him.
I’m sure I could share dozens of similar stories that my co-worker told me about
when she saw him at restaurants in Ashburn. Chris accepted his celebrity as something
that came with the job and he was never a douche or a diva about it.</div>
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What’s more Chris is also a card collector. He’s bought cards, some of
his own, on ebay, and even mentioned at the show that he couldn’t wait to be
done signing so he could go check out the cards at the show. In fact he also
busted a box with, I think Clinton Portis, of a Panini product either for the
company or a local dealer. Chris also blogged about his collecting a few years
back <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Cooley-Zone-Collecting-cards-and-selling-th?urn=nfl,91618">Captain Chaos is a Collector</a>.
Seriously if I was gay Christy would be competition.</div>
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All that said and jokes aside, Captain Chaos should have retired a
Redskin, on his terms. It would be great if he could resign in a few weeks as
some have suggested. I hope Davis fails another drug test or that Cooley joins
the Baltimore Ravens. I’m not sure that he was ever a major part of the plans.
I heard two TE sets would be possible, lining him up at Full Back, that his cap
cost vs his injuries made him not worth it as did the expectations of Niles
Paul. Chris Cooley is the heart of the Redskins, he was a captain, he was
PROVEN, he could catch, run, and block. Then again sports is a business and if
the team didn’t have RG3 then Cooley would still be a Redskin. Think about this
RG3 came in and the fans went gaga for him. Money being thrown around for
jerseys or anything with Griffin on it, see those ridiculous pre-season
match-up shirts vs. Luck and the Colts. The Skins had their new cash cow. They
made a ton of money on Sean Taylor after his passing, with money going to a
fund for his daughter, and now the team has someone that can make them more
money than Cooley and hopefully ease the hit the team would take amongst its
fans.</div>
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I tried to get a Twitter petition going for fans to chant “THANK YOU
CHRIS and WE WANT COOLEY” but that probably won’t happen. It would be nice for
fans to pay respect to Cooley today and at the first home game. Let the team
know they screwed up. He said over the summer he wouldn’t play for another team
that wasn’t the Skins but he has too much left and I think he’ll be back,
whether its later in the season with Washington because the experiment didn’t
work out, or Davis “experimented” again or with any team not named the Dallas
Cowboys or Pittsburgh Steelers..again Baltimore is a great fit given its location
and proximity to home…Ashburn not Utah.</div>
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From the bottom of this Burgundy and Gold heart I want to thank Chris
Cooley for all he did for Redskins fans on and off the field, during good times
and bad, for being accountable, and for more than anything being genuine and
human. You deserved better but I will always be a fan and I will always cherish the collection of cards of that I have and hopefully you'll retire, years from now as a Washington Redskin.<br />
<br />
For viewing pleasure all cards are mine and others can be found at<br />
<a href="http://s691.photobucket.com/albums/vv279/JuanDixonCollector/Chris%20Cooley/">Cooley Collection</a></div>
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/10</div>
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Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-73596945082234077402012-08-04T20:28:00.001-07:002012-08-05T16:35:42.707-07:00A Look Into One Day at the National Sports Collectors Convention And A Weekend of Extra Coverage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Thursday, August 2nd I had my second opportunity to attend the National Sports Card Convention in Baltimore, MD. The NSCC came to Baltimore back in 2010, my first time attending the Convention but I had such a bad sinus infection that I couldn't enjoy my time there as much as I would have liked.<br />
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This year I promised it would be different. Originally I had planned to go for the full weekend, get the full experience and look into doing a video documentary of the whole thing. Alas plans changed and I ended up only going one day. I had been planning to attend on Friday but some unexpected events took place leading up and after checking the weather forecast I decided that it may be better to hit the show on Thursday.<br />
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My mother and I went up to the show and enjoyed every minute of it. Now some of you may be thinking, "you went with your mom?" and sometimes that can be a bit embarrassing since I am 30 years old but my mom enjoys these shows just about as much as I do. Being that I'm her only child and that she had to raise me on her own its nice that she is willing to still support me in my passion of the hobby and she likes to look at all the different items that are there. Plus its always good to have a second pair of eyes or someone to assist in carrying your stuff when walking around the show. She actually was a hit with a bunch of the people there as she was wearing her Big Bang Theory "Bazinga" shirt and when people wanted to get her attention they'd just yell out "HEY BAZINGA!" It was quite amusing honestly and I heard more positives about that than some of the items at the show.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9DkltwgZHU/UB3GcllZH7I/AAAAAAAAAoA/hkmBO6ksJB0/s1600/100_4741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9DkltwgZHU/UB3GcllZH7I/AAAAAAAAAoA/hkmBO6ksJB0/s200/100_4741.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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We got there right at 10am and I bought my tickets it was time to buy a commemorative shirt and get a picture by the big "Welcome to the National" sign before heading in. I had taken the time in the week prior to make a list of all the singles I was looking for, the different boxes I wanted to bust and the prices they were going for online. When you first walk in its aisles upon aisles of singles dealers. You have a choice to make, do I go through all the singles now or run back to the far end of the show where the wax is set up and the manufacturers are doing wrapper redemptions? I looked at 2 or 3 singles tables, one of which had a card I wanted and a card that another HobbyKings.com member was looking for but the seller wasn't at his table and according to his buddies hadn't been there most of the time Wednesday eventing either. So I decided it was then time to be headed back to the wax because I had to see one dealer in particular, Marty from Marty's Sports Card Exchange. I owed him $10 from back in March so I had to make sure I paid my bill, even if he had forgotten. I'm a man of my word. After chatting with him and telling him to hold me a case of Bowman Platinum I decided to go check out the other dealers (BlowoutCards, Dave & Adam's Card World, and Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale) all of whom I've bought from in the past. As I went from one dealer to the next I glanced at the Topps and Upper Deck booths. Seeing the Topps booth reminded me that I needed to bust a box of Platinum to take advantage of their wrapper redemption.<br />
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So back over to Marty's I go because he had the cheapest prices on boxes. I quickly scurry over to Topps who is set up no less than 100 feet from Marty and am told that the wrapper redemption is being done on the other side of their display but that I may want to hurry because they started at 9:30am. So I get around to the other side, wait in line, watch some douche teen just cut in front of us to get some of the Gypsy Queen wrapper redemptions, finally get up to the table and I'm told they're out of the Platinum redemptions and that I can bust it for the Gypsy Queen, but they have no Bryce Harper cards left or just come back tomorrow. Now let's go back to the "started at 9:30am" line that I got from one of their employees. The show starts at 10am except for dealers and I think VIP ticket holders. Why they would start a promotion before 10am is beyond me and then on Friday Topps puts out a tweet saying their wrapper redemptions were sold out by 11:30am and how can they do a better job of keeping them in stock...well I've got a few ideas...but I digress.<br />
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I then took out my "frustrations" at Pittsburgh by purchasing a box of the 2012 BenchWarmer National Special (I dropped the box right after paying for it), which would allow me to also get a card that would be autographed by three of the BenchWarmer models. I went over to the BenchWarmer booth and the only person there was Candace Kita who was talking to some old guy and some 20-something twerp. As I went up to ask when the triple autos would be available two other models showed up...or as my mother so politely put it "the boobs are here." They were very pleasant as Candace and Ryan Shamrock each signed the card, but Cassandra Lynn, the last remaining signer wouldn't be at the show until Friday so I was going to have to leave with two, and I never found out who the other blonde was that showed up. Candace did give me an extra card of her, which I'm sure that they were doing for anyone that came up to the table. After getting photos of Candace and Ryan with the cards, though not with me (odd), it was time to start hitting the singles tables.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hgBPTRNGoo/UB27B3D5M3I/AAAAAAAAAbk/K5x9w3e5CAg/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Charm+City+Triple+Auto+only+two+Candace+Kita+Ryan+Shamrock+Cassandra+Lynn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hgBPTRNGoo/UB27B3D5M3I/AAAAAAAAAbk/K5x9w3e5CAg/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Charm+City+Triple+Auto+only+two+Candace+Kita+Ryan+Shamrock+Cassandra+Lynn.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zd3gRZLHv6I/UB27C9lnRII/AAAAAAAAAb0/ze1Hbibxrdc/s1600/2012+Benchwarmer+National+Charm+City+Personalized+Candace+Kita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zd3gRZLHv6I/UB27C9lnRII/AAAAAAAAAb0/ze1Hbibxrdc/s200/2012+Benchwarmer+National+Charm+City+Personalized+Candace+Kita.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Box Results<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sC11s39gjAQ/UB3euSvjiQI/AAAAAAAAA3k/0xQauvx1hCs/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Brande+Roderick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sC11s39gjAQ/UB3euSvjiQI/AAAAAAAAA3k/0xQauvx1hCs/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Brande+Roderick.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-53zP9nV1CHU/UB3eu7gXa_I/AAAAAAAAA3s/L1sGZ25TsNE/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Candace+Kita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-53zP9nV1CHU/UB3eu7gXa_I/AAAAAAAAA3s/L1sGZ25TsNE/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Candace+Kita.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j38aaM7xBcg/UB3eve_HVsI/AAAAAAAAA30/-h6zc80i_m0/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Carolyn+Martin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j38aaM7xBcg/UB3eve_HVsI/AAAAAAAAA30/-h6zc80i_m0/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Carolyn+Martin.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9XTtSvvQi4/UB3evy5lDNI/AAAAAAAAA38/UOcHjwaIs2M/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Deanna+Brooks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9XTtSvvQi4/UB3evy5lDNI/AAAAAAAAA38/UOcHjwaIs2M/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Deanna+Brooks.JPG" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5mBSYI9Tv8/UB3ewERDVqI/AAAAAAAAA4E/hCGi2Ztyuuo/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Jessica+Hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5mBSYI9Tv8/UB3ewERDVqI/AAAAAAAAA4E/hCGi2Ztyuuo/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Jessica+Hall.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRBi9p-335k/UB3eyfBPnGI/AAAAAAAAA4M/oAbIZ10xxbg/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Katie+Lohmann.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRBi9p-335k/UB3eyfBPnGI/AAAAAAAAA4M/oAbIZ10xxbg/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Katie+Lohmann.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uptt82PLT9U/UB3ey6yj8ZI/AAAAAAAAA4U/XCC4U1jMTJM/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Kayla+Collins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uptt82PLT9U/UB3ey6yj8ZI/AAAAAAAAA4U/XCC4U1jMTJM/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Kayla+Collins.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IR597yE7Ms/UB3ezaDyqoI/AAAAAAAAA4c/Q7cbO7DIHQ4/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Nikki+Ziering.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IR597yE7Ms/UB3ezaDyqoI/AAAAAAAAA4c/Q7cbO7DIHQ4/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Auto+Nikki+Ziering.JPG" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HI2_-CQO35c/UB3ez_Ep4vI/AAAAAAAAA4k/dgp19tHk49o/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Blue+Auto+to+25+Deanna+Brooks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HI2_-CQO35c/UB3ez_Ep4vI/AAAAAAAAA4k/dgp19tHk49o/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Blue+Auto+to+25+Deanna+Brooks.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51wjELpPRMQ/UB3e0UWvuDI/AAAAAAAAA4s/0LZN1fBpJWc/s1600/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Charm+City+Gold+Auto+4+of+10+Nikki+Ziering.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-51wjELpPRMQ/UB3e0UWvuDI/AAAAAAAAA4s/0LZN1fBpJWc/s200/2012+BenchWarmer+National+Charm+City+Gold+Auto+4+of+10+Nikki+Ziering.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Within 5 minutes I had found a table with a card that I hadn't seen before and of a player I didn't think I'd be able to get for "relatively" cheap. Now granted its not a true rookie card but it was an on-card autograph which as we all know does carry a little more weight to collector's than autographed cards that have stickers. I saw the price tag ($125) and thought it over with that damn YOLO motto churning through my head, EFF YOU DRAKE, and I figured get it now before the season or risk pulling one from a box. So I gladly paid for the 2012 Prestige Draft City Destination, which as of that night had only sold twice on ebay and confirmed to me that it was a relatively solid puchase.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_gnA3yT_cY/UB3EuljLs3I/AAAAAAAAAl4/D-14OlKSNPM/s1600/2012+Prestige+Draft+City+Destinations+Robert+Griffin+III.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_gnA3yT_cY/UB3EuljLs3I/AAAAAAAAAl4/D-14OlKSNPM/s320/2012+Prestige+Draft+City+Destinations+Robert+Griffin+III.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I took the next 20 or so minutes going through tables upon tables of singles or glancing at items that I really had no interest in. One must remember this show isn't all sports stuff but some of the things looked like a yard sale and while it may not have appealed to me someone was most likely going to pay a pretty penny for something. I then came to a table that had one card that was on my list of cards I wanted to knock off my "wish list," a 2010 Topps Triple Threads Stephen Strasburg RC auto. The seller wanted $160, I got it for $150 and left with a card I wanted at a price I was comfortable with.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WF-60QGY17E/UB3ftUAct6I/AAAAAAAAA40/19hHhykksIc/s1600/2010+Topps+Triple+Threads+Jsy+Auto+to+75+Stephen+Strasburg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WF-60QGY17E/UB3ftUAct6I/AAAAAAAAA40/19hHhykksIc/s320/2010+Topps+Triple+Threads+Jsy+Auto+to+75+Stephen+Strasburg.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the better part of the next hour I or so I went around to all the different tables looking for singles. Outside of my main PC players I was looking for a PSA Graded 1959 Fleer 3 Stooges Curly, alas I never found one. I did see some beautiful cards both new and old and a lot of pins, pennants and other miscellaneous items, all a part of collecting history but not all part of my collecting mindset. Of all the tables I checked out I only came across three sellers that I knew from the Chantilly Shows that I regularly attend, one being a Caps/Hockey seller, another being a big guy that sells singles by the box load; unfortunately I lack the patience to sit for minutes or hours going through boxes upon boxes of singles; the final guy was some Indian dude that has boxes of singles to search through and about 5 glass display cases that he carelessly displays his singles in...that really pisses me off so I try not to give him my business unless in a glance something catches my eye. I also went back to that first singles table that I hit on the way in and the seller still was not at his table but "he'd be back soon." Finally the third time was the charm and I was able to score myself a Trevor Booker Preferred Silhouette Prime Patch Auto /25.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMa7UOsO4_Q/UB26g6o5fbI/AAAAAAAAAW8/NL3IsMgPHck/s1600/01-02+Fleer+Force+Special+Force+to+250+Richard+Hamilton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMa7UOsO4_Q/UB26g6o5fbI/AAAAAAAAAW8/NL3IsMgPHck/s200/01-02+Fleer+Force+Special+Force+to+250+Richard+Hamilton.JPG" width="143" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nrGHxwo96S8/UB26h85gcEI/AAAAAAAAAXM/_21IusjNLuA/s1600/07-08+Topps+Chrome+Orange+Refractor+to+199+Juan+Carlos+Navarro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nrGHxwo96S8/UB26h85gcEI/AAAAAAAAAXM/_21IusjNLuA/s200/07-08+Topps+Chrome+Orange+Refractor+to+199+Juan+Carlos+Navarro.JPG" width="143" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5d7_6WtIIXQ/UB26hXkFKpI/AAAAAAAAAXE/bB2q4zbTUcg/s1600/02-03+Fleer+Authentix+to+1250+Yao+Ming.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5d7_6WtIIXQ/UB26hXkFKpI/AAAAAAAAAXE/bB2q4zbTUcg/s200/02-03+Fleer+Authentix+to+1250+Yao+Ming.JPG" width="143" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DESo7-BP3Q/UB27nDqeUzI/AAAAAAAAAfk/-ncM-lqMvi0/s1600/92-93+Ultra+Shaquille+O%2527Neal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DESo7-BP3Q/UB27nDqeUzI/AAAAAAAAAfk/-ncM-lqMvi0/s200/92-93+Ultra+Shaquille+O%2527Neal.JPG" width="141" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkDQGyQ_8t0/UB27oTnSDXI/AAAAAAAAAfs/bnoWA804Cc8/s1600/99-00+Fleer+Focus+to+3999+Steve+Francis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkDQGyQ_8t0/UB27oTnSDXI/AAAAAAAAAfs/bnoWA804Cc8/s200/99-00+Fleer+Focus+to+3999+Steve+Francis.JPG" width="145" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzwredRCNWs/UB27o-LgdaI/AAAAAAAAAfw/pXT55lr3dMs/s1600/99-00+HoloGrFX+AuSOME+Steve+Francis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzwredRCNWs/UB27o-LgdaI/AAAAAAAAAfw/pXT55lr3dMs/s200/99-00+HoloGrFX+AuSOME+Steve+Francis.JPG" width="143" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R0WX8n4BQK4/UB27ntLhF0I/AAAAAAAAAfo/ftgs4RcdMZo/s1600/93-94+Finest+Chris+Webber.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R0WX8n4BQK4/UB27ntLhF0I/AAAAAAAAAfo/ftgs4RcdMZo/s200/93-94+Finest+Chris+Webber.JPG" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the above purchased for $15 total -<br />
Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ucKJOuwQHg/UB26ldrsiYI/AAAAAAAAAX8/bxKtb0_vSOA/s1600/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Jsy+Auto+to+50+Cody+Eakin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ucKJOuwQHg/UB26ldrsiYI/AAAAAAAAAX8/bxKtb0_vSOA/s200/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Jsy+Auto+to+50+Cody+Eakin.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTN33hdAam8/UB26iyTsI7I/AAAAAAAAAXc/U4bzL0gRW88/s1600/10-11+ITG+Heroes+%2526+Prospects+Auto+Stanislav+Galiev.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTN33hdAam8/UB26iyTsI7I/AAAAAAAAAXc/U4bzL0gRW88/s200/10-11+ITG+Heroes+%2526+Prospects+Auto+Stanislav+Galiev.JPG" width="200" /> </a></div>
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These two purchased from the Caps seller - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9b4YWoZIXWA/UB262RM9KXI/AAAAAAAAAZk/NuVWS0ArqFw/s1600/11-12+Preferred+Silhouette+Patch+Auto+13+of+25+Trevor+Booker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9b4YWoZIXWA/UB262RM9KXI/AAAAAAAAAZk/NuVWS0ArqFw/s320/11-12+Preferred+Silhouette+Patch+Auto+13+of+25+Trevor+Booker.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That also became my cue to start wrapping it up. I wanted to beat the traffic out of Baltimore, and not pay $30+ for parking, so I headed back to the wax area and gave Marty's Sports Cards Exchange the majority of the rest of the money I brought with me. On the way back we overheard a story one dealer was telling another about how you have to be careful because cards are just flying off the table when you aren't looking (more later). I found this a little surprising since the first thing I noticed upon entering the show and being back where the manufacturers were was a heavy security presence, in fact I don't even remember seeing any two years ago or any at any show I've ever attended. In the end I get to Marty's and end up purchasing:<br />
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one box of 2012 Press Pass Showcase Racing (and got one free Press Pass Promotional Pack) - SOLID<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAbADeM6kC4/UB3Ujj6mtEI/AAAAAAAAAr8/bMebhSOJvxw/s1600/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Classic+Collections+Dual+Auto+4+of+10+Marcos+Ambrose+Aric+Almirola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAbADeM6kC4/UB3Ujj6mtEI/AAAAAAAAAr8/bMebhSOJvxw/s200/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Classic+Collections+Dual+Auto+4+of+10+Marcos+Ambrose+Aric+Almirola.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7d85ku23dQ/UB3Ukef1fsI/AAAAAAAAAsE/sd0bt0Oha08/s1600/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Classic+Collections+Dual+Sheet+Metal+to+99+Jamie+McMurray+Juan+Pablo+Montoya.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7d85ku23dQ/UB3Ukef1fsI/AAAAAAAAAsE/sd0bt0Oha08/s200/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Classic+Collections+Dual+Sheet+Metal+to+99+Jamie+McMurray+Juan+Pablo+Montoya.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapper Redemption - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOZ2p62HyvI/UB3Uk5-MDyI/AAAAAAAAAsM/1PwXzi2vhbc/s1600/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Gold+2+of+5+Mark+Martin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BOZ2p62HyvI/UB3Uk5-MDyI/AAAAAAAAAsM/1PwXzi2vhbc/s200/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Gold+2+of+5+Mark+Martin.JPG" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapper Redemption - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLM12qt_gwM/UB3Ulbl0OLI/AAAAAAAAAsU/dh_POrSeT4k/s1600/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Masterpieces+Firesuit+Hat+Glove+15+of+50+Richard+Petty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eLM12qt_gwM/UB3Ulbl0OLI/AAAAAAAAAsU/dh_POrSeT4k/s200/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Masterpieces+Firesuit+Hat+Glove+15+of+50+Richard+Petty.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEWP1Xpz0Xw/UB3Ul4zQ52I/AAAAAAAAAsc/TObyBlHneXo/s1600/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Masterpieces+Firesuit+Sheet+Metal+81+of+99+Ryan+Newman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEWP1Xpz0Xw/UB3Ul4zQ52I/AAAAAAAAAsc/TObyBlHneXo/s200/2012+Press+Pass+Showcase+Masterpieces+Firesuit+Sheet+Metal+81+of+99+Ryan+Newman.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
one box 11-12 SP Authentic Hockey - WEAK<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QWOQyfsV0c/UB3VXbPCvwI/AAAAAAAAAs0/oj75e5c7CXU/s1600/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Alex+Stalock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QWOQyfsV0c/UB3VXbPCvwI/AAAAAAAAAs0/oj75e5c7CXU/s200/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Alex+Stalock.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KFoK3f7MlWI/UB3VX-_gi5I/AAAAAAAAAs8/uVumf6klNp0/s1600/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Louis+LeBlanc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KFoK3f7MlWI/UB3VX-_gi5I/AAAAAAAAAs8/uVumf6klNp0/s200/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Louis+LeBlanc.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7pIISLv23o/UB3VYdx5VWI/AAAAAAAAAtE/RBf9aCLwyDA/s1600/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Simon+Despres.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7pIISLv23o/UB3VYdx5VWI/AAAAAAAAAtE/RBf9aCLwyDA/s200/11-12+SP+Authentic+Auto+to+999+Simon+Despres.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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one box 2012 Topps Inception Football - MEH...but I do like the name of the Patch Auto Player<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rp75Y3-qe4/UB3Vr8OdTeI/AAAAAAAAAtM/rNOabhiLLT8/s1600/2012+Topps+Inception+Auto+Devier+Posey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rp75Y3-qe4/UB3Vr8OdTeI/AAAAAAAAAtM/rNOabhiLLT8/s200/2012+Topps+Inception+Auto+Devier+Posey.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIooEMnpIBI/UB3VsR9B9NI/AAAAAAAAAtU/-WE4242_tvs/s1600/2012+Topps+Inception+Jsy+to+75+Kendall+Wright.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIooEMnpIBI/UB3VsR9B9NI/AAAAAAAAAtU/-WE4242_tvs/s200/2012+Topps+Inception+Jsy+to+75+Kendall+Wright.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-EpjaAGg-A/UB3VsxrphSI/AAAAAAAAAtc/DRDHTJMkDvU/s1600/2012+Topps+Inception+Patch+Auto+to+75+Nick+Toon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-EpjaAGg-A/UB3VsxrphSI/AAAAAAAAAtc/DRDHTJMkDvU/s200/2012+Topps+Inception+Patch+Auto+to+75+Nick+Toon.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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one case of 2012 Bowman Platinum Baseball (plus the one box purchased at start of show) - I did break 5 boxes from the case on my webcam but they were pretty bad. May upload later...best cards came in box 7 and may have saved the case...its the Purely Platinum<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dheIbFyOjFI/UB3WuGaxcTI/AAAAAAAAAtk/APcOI1gWSJs/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+8x+Bryce+Harper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dheIbFyOjFI/UB3WuGaxcTI/AAAAAAAAAtk/APcOI1gWSJs/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+8x+Bryce+Harper.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yd92cvQEwQ/UB3WujlohjI/AAAAAAAAAts/lTl8lfaAAcM/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Carter+Capps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yd92cvQEwQ/UB3WujlohjI/AAAAAAAAAts/lTl8lfaAAcM/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Carter+Capps.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w1Vl6Z0N7XI/UB3WvHwz9sI/AAAAAAAAAt0/nD4V8Tjkq90/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Charlie+Tilson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w1Vl6Z0N7XI/UB3WvHwz9sI/AAAAAAAAAt0/nD4V8Tjkq90/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Charlie+Tilson.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtCJwQL86nk/UB3Wvn2MpMI/AAAAAAAAAt8/IO9I4Zr9AXM/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Clay+Holmes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtCJwQL86nk/UB3Wvn2MpMI/AAAAAAAAAt8/IO9I4Zr9AXM/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Clay+Holmes.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQLSpdGkEg/UB3WwKM8KhI/AAAAAAAAAuE/zBrMvRb0Fjw/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Jermaine+Mitchell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIQLSpdGkEg/UB3WwKM8KhI/AAAAAAAAAuE/zBrMvRb0Fjw/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Jermaine+Mitchell.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MbIegVH7EXc/UB3Wwi770ZI/AAAAAAAAAuM/wXAldNAMId4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Kole+Calhoun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MbIegVH7EXc/UB3Wwi770ZI/AAAAAAAAAuM/wXAldNAMId4/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Kole+Calhoun.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv_ddI4IIXk/UB3Wx7AtiwI/AAAAAAAAAuU/gDE6aTjWr8A/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Levi+Michael.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv_ddI4IIXk/UB3Wx7AtiwI/AAAAAAAAAuU/gDE6aTjWr8A/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Levi+Michael.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VsaUEFhVU8k/UB3WysHwxsI/AAAAAAAAAuc/K_gNmS2ehzk/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Oswaldo+Arcia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VsaUEFhVU8k/UB3WysHwxsI/AAAAAAAAAuc/K_gNmS2ehzk/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Oswaldo+Arcia.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnfU6pV4jGI/UB3WzWhS3iI/AAAAAAAAAuk/j7T2SFT4VBQ/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Blue+Refractor+Redemption+Jay+Bruce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnfU6pV4jGI/UB3WzWhS3iI/AAAAAAAAAuk/j7T2SFT4VBQ/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Blue+Refractor+Redemption+Jay+Bruce.JPG" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/199 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zUG2-N6H8M/UB3Wz8SZ7rI/AAAAAAAAAus/gx4UKRR3rBE/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Refractor+Redemption+James+Paxton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2zUG2-N6H8M/UB3Wz8SZ7rI/AAAAAAAAAus/gx4UKRR3rBE/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Refractor+Redemption+James+Paxton.JPG" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_d1rbwS0YM4/UB3W0WKxlaI/AAAAAAAAAu0/Qtm_xkuUnHM/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Refractor+Redemption+Starling+Marte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_d1rbwS0YM4/UB3W0WKxlaI/AAAAAAAAAu0/Qtm_xkuUnHM/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Relic+Refractor+Redemption+Starling+Marte.JPG" width="123" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqctXiDiJGM/UB3W04tGWuI/AAAAAAAAAu8/I6mLYt3DiSI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Taijuan+Walker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqctXiDiJGM/UB3W04tGWuI/AAAAAAAAAu8/I6mLYt3DiSI/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Taijuan+Walker.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5toxxW54ip0/UB3W1QyVYkI/AAAAAAAAAvE/ZW1s9384H5I/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Tyler+Bortnick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5toxxW54ip0/UB3W1QyVYkI/AAAAAAAAAvE/ZW1s9384H5I/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Tyler+Bortnick.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flmvRotXvjA/UB3W198-isI/AAAAAAAAAvM/DYJv7dIkLZI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Vinnie+Catricala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flmvRotXvjA/UB3W198-isI/AAAAAAAAAvM/DYJv7dIkLZI/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Auto+Vinnie+Catricala.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vmp8zqWq90Y/UB3W2f_FsII/AAAAAAAAAvU/W8-l46Self4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+2x+and+Green+Refractor+to+399+Auto+Daniel+Norris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="76" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vmp8zqWq90Y/UB3W2f_FsII/AAAAAAAAAvU/W8-l46Self4/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+2x+and+Green+Refractor+to+399+Auto+Daniel+Norris.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f-45fiKj4eM/UB3XEjoVKAI/AAAAAAAAAvc/qjDttbstrA8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Blue+Refractor+Auto+to+199+Jonathan+Galvez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f-45fiKj4eM/UB3XEjoVKAI/AAAAAAAAAvc/qjDttbstrA8/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Blue+Refractor+Auto+to+199+Jonathan+Galvez.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fx06fBDQw2I/UB3XHjjuBmI/AAAAAAAAAvk/c5IBuZugEpw/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Dillon+Maples.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fx06fBDQw2I/UB3XHjjuBmI/AAAAAAAAAvk/c5IBuZugEpw/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Dillon+Maples.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUMxYrs2ctw/UB3XInyj8EI/AAAAAAAAAvs/LFGZzPou1U0/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Greg+Bird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUMxYrs2ctw/UB3XInyj8EI/AAAAAAAAAvs/LFGZzPou1U0/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Greg+Bird.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PVMiH56QgFk/UB3YVguu4jI/AAAAAAAAAwA/IpQLJmrW1M8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Joe+Ross.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PVMiH56QgFk/UB3YVguu4jI/AAAAAAAAAwA/IpQLJmrW1M8/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base+and+Green+Refractor+Auto+to+399+Joe+Ross.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y8ELa3wzYac/UB3YWAoq_MI/AAAAAAAAAwM/b6iwbCxg0nU/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base,+Refractor,+Blue+to+199+Top+Prospects+Manny+Machado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y8ELa3wzYac/UB3YWAoq_MI/AAAAAAAAAwM/b6iwbCxg0nU/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Base,+Refractor,+Blue+to+199+Top+Prospects+Manny+Machado.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SC5J_05K_cQ/UB3YWjZfsSI/AAAAAAAAAwU/TngsM9axsSI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+Eric+Hosmer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SC5J_05K_cQ/UB3YWjZfsSI/AAAAAAAAAwU/TngsM9axsSI/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Bat+Auto+Eric+Hosmer.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfXtp4w-fWw/UB3YXPA1qZI/AAAAAAAAAwc/BbRf7roQcQg/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Black+Auto+Redemption+Taylor+Jungmann.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfXtp4w-fWw/UB3YXPA1qZI/AAAAAAAAAwc/BbRf7roQcQg/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Black+Auto+Redemption+Taylor+Jungmann.JPG" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tlmWpH-Tq_A/UB3YXqlMR-I/AAAAAAAAAwk/eEwkmfKKFu8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Auto+to+199+Robbie+Ray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tlmWpH-Tq_A/UB3YXqlMR-I/AAAAAAAAAwk/eEwkmfKKFu8/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Auto+to+199+Robbie+Ray.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LTaYY6gscxA/UB3YYIuDJVI/AAAAAAAAAws/vDyB0ErtrMc/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+J.D.+Martinez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LTaYY6gscxA/UB3YYIuDJVI/AAAAAAAAAws/vDyB0ErtrMc/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+J.D.+Martinez.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ev_wYErSfrY/UB3YYuwc1ZI/AAAAAAAAAw0/UInxRzDoaf8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+Matt+Adams.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ev_wYErSfrY/UB3YYuwc1ZI/AAAAAAAAAw0/UInxRzDoaf8/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+Matt+Adams.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvxqmMTE_Y/UB3YZXS3AWI/AAAAAAAAAw8/BTTZ7gMdCdo/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+to+199+Anthony+Ranaudo+Vincent+Cartricala+Sonny+Gray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzvxqmMTE_Y/UB3YZXS3AWI/AAAAAAAAAw8/BTTZ7gMdCdo/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+to+199+Anthony+Ranaudo+Vincent+Cartricala+Sonny+Gray.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hwoTuIWRch8/UB3YaBKIwDI/AAAAAAAAAxE/McqQuQCx6OM/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+to+199+Joe+Terdoslavich+Kevin+Matthews+Starling+Marte+Robbie+Erlin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hwoTuIWRch8/UB3YaBKIwDI/AAAAAAAAAxE/McqQuQCx6OM/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Blue+Refractor+to+199+Joe+Terdoslavich+Kevin+Matthews+Starling+Marte+Robbie+Erlin.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wv7Wm6EU-Hw/UB3Yajwbk9I/AAAAAAAAAxM/qm55UI7eRJw/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Cutting+Edge+Stars+Bryce+Harper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wv7Wm6EU-Hw/UB3Yajwbk9I/AAAAAAAAAxM/qm55UI7eRJw/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Cutting+Edge+Stars+Bryce+Harper.JPG" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19d9oHi7338/UB3YbG35sUI/AAAAAAAAAxU/oTZchiv3YPQ/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Die-Cut+Auto+to+25+Jason+Motte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19d9oHi7338/UB3YbG35sUI/AAAAAAAAAxU/oTZchiv3YPQ/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Die-Cut+Auto+to+25+Jason+Motte.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYs7qeRL904/UB3Yc7zQ8GI/AAAAAAAAAxc/BFBX8TaEoc0/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Die-Cut+Bat+to+50+Justin+Upton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WYs7qeRL904/UB3Yc7zQ8GI/AAAAAAAAAxc/BFBX8TaEoc0/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Die-Cut+Bat+to+50+Justin+Upton.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXBWjqtdsuQ/UB3YdRV9--I/AAAAAAAAAxk/oSFFH7mSu0M/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Auto+Yoenis+Cespedes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXBWjqtdsuQ/UB3YdRV9--I/AAAAAAAAAxk/oSFFH7mSu0M/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Auto+Yoenis+Cespedes.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/50 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ikhuhBhFGLI/UB3Yd7ZyC5I/AAAAAAAAAxs/vMcmk3BPhC4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Bryce+Harper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ikhuhBhFGLI/UB3Yd7ZyC5I/AAAAAAAAAxs/vMcmk3BPhC4/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Bryce+Harper.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_c-F1uKHTHQ/UB3YeTfIFoI/AAAAAAAAAx0/GCk2Y0XA9B8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Patch+Auto+to+50+J.D.+Martinez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_c-F1uKHTHQ/UB3YeTfIFoI/AAAAAAAAAx0/GCk2Y0XA9B8/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+Patch+Auto+to+50+J.D.+Martinez.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG0O1OwTAec/UB3Ye_UMQjI/AAAAAAAAAx8/F2VzoJXux4Q/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+to+50+Tyler+Matzek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG0O1OwTAec/UB3Ye_UMQjI/AAAAAAAAAx8/F2VzoJXux4Q/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Gold+Refractor+to+50+Tyler+Matzek.JPG" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4vTTxyTD1k/UB3Yf_1N2sI/AAAAAAAAAyE/P2RCRfEviOI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Jake+Marisnick+Bubba+Starling+Joe+Terdoslavich+Nick+Franklin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4vTTxyTD1k/UB3Yf_1N2sI/AAAAAAAAAyE/P2RCRfEviOI/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Jake+Marisnick+Bubba+Starling+Joe+Terdoslavich+Nick+Franklin.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-KCcw4STwM/UB3ZtlAFrKI/AAAAAAAAAyM/vqktymUWzE4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Jean+Segura+A.J.+Cole+Sebastian+Valle+Daniel+Corcino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-KCcw4STwM/UB3ZtlAFrKI/AAAAAAAAAyM/vqktymUWzE4/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Jean+Segura+A.J.+Cole+Sebastian+Valle+Daniel+Corcino.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUPFPmrUo_E/UB3ZuRTItmI/AAAAAAAAAyU/U2aPaQx43R8/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Tommy+Joseph+Brandon+Jacobs+Brandon+Drury+Trevor+May.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUPFPmrUo_E/UB3ZuRTItmI/AAAAAAAAAyU/U2aPaQx43R8/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Green+Refractor+to+399+Tommy+Joseph+Brandon+Jacobs+Brandon+Drury+Trevor+May.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8AgT5FmKaxM/UB3ZvxmAXqI/AAAAAAAAAyk/ajHXzH69rwc/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Carlos+Martinez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8AgT5FmKaxM/UB3ZvxmAXqI/AAAAAAAAAyk/ajHXzH69rwc/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Carlos+Martinez.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0l69WwActxc/UB3ZwUdYKwI/AAAAAAAAAys/owzyDQQKP3I/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Jesus+Montero.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0l69WwActxc/UB3ZwUdYKwI/AAAAAAAAAys/owzyDQQKP3I/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Jesus+Montero.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9Q5kD5Mqn0/UB3ZwxANp7I/AAAAAAAAAy0/PiVn6lR-hY4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Mike+Trout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9Q5kD5Mqn0/UB3ZwxANp7I/AAAAAAAAAy0/PiVn6lR-hY4/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Mike+Trout.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRkYPbBWJYc/UB3ZxWiLWTI/AAAAAAAAAy8/In0hh-oF0-M/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Nolan+Arenado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRkYPbBWJYc/UB3ZxWiLWTI/AAAAAAAAAy8/In0hh-oF0-M/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+Nolan+Arenado.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgWpnve2htM/UB3Zx5EemeI/AAAAAAAAAzE/RmyOAcUY5Ic/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+and+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+Paul+Goldschmidt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgWpnve2htM/UB3Zx5EemeI/AAAAAAAAAzE/RmyOAcUY5Ic/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Jsy+Auto+and+Blue+Refractor+Jsy+Auto+to+199+Paul+Goldschmidt.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvsJvKvw6Cc/UB3Zyf53DTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/X_3RzLnrZdI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Purely+Platinum+1+of+1+Redemption+Danny+Hultzen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvsJvKvw6Cc/UB3Zyf53DTI/AAAAAAAAAzM/X_3RzLnrZdI/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Purely+Platinum+1+of+1+Redemption+Danny+Hultzen.JPG" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/1 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNCgoDA63tM/UB3Zy4p9liI/AAAAAAAAAzU/hNj4R0uoZBg/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+to+25+John+Lamb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dNCgoDA63tM/UB3Zy4p9liI/AAAAAAAAAzU/hNj4R0uoZBg/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+to+25+John+Lamb.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eA4pqZdjK4/UB3ZzWw1USI/AAAAAAAAAzc/_rsgJtUFGWI/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+to+25+Jurickson+Profar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eA4pqZdjK4/UB3ZzWw1USI/AAAAAAAAAzc/_rsgJtUFGWI/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Red+Refractor+to+25+Jurickson+Profar.JPG" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LDwIDsU4D7c/UB3Zzms-xsI/AAAAAAAAAzk/vMNzNnDrbcc/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Refractor+Auto+Redemption+Telvin+Nash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LDwIDsU4D7c/UB3Zzms-xsI/AAAAAAAAAzk/vMNzNnDrbcc/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Refractor+Auto+Redemption+Telvin+Nash.JPG" width="139" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRqKwj8jpd0/UB3Z0jdZxPI/AAAAAAAAAzs/v3hvGucZRh4/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Ruby+Refractor+2+Gold+Refractors+Yu+Darvish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRqKwj8jpd0/UB3Z0jdZxPI/AAAAAAAAAzs/v3hvGucZRh4/s320/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Ruby+Refractor+2+Gold+Refractors+Yu+Darvish.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6OieiCR774/UB3Z1BDOqhI/AAAAAAAAAz0/URlcM0u-3Lw/s1600/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Top+Prospects+Die-Cut+to+25+Matt+Harvey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T6OieiCR774/UB3Z1BDOqhI/AAAAAAAAAz0/URlcM0u-3Lw/s200/2012+Bowman+Platinum+Top+Prospects+Die-Cut+to+25+Matt+Harvey.JPG" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
one box 11-12 Limited Basketball - Lovely Patches<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Td-XtQI9gA/UB3amTsRiHI/AAAAAAAAAz8/MHB_4Z6r380/s1600/11-12+Limited+Draft+Pick+Auto+Redemption.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Td-XtQI9gA/UB3amTsRiHI/AAAAAAAAAz8/MHB_4Z6r380/s200/11-12+Limited+Draft+Pick+Auto+Redemption.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0G1LkmTHZQ/UB3am1mu42I/AAAAAAAAA0E/rSt8K81f1DU/s1600/11-12+Limited+Limited+Trios+Patch+to+15+Alonzo+Mourning+Glen+Rice+Shaquille+O%27Neal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0G1LkmTHZQ/UB3am1mu42I/AAAAAAAAA0E/rSt8K81f1DU/s200/11-12+Limited+Limited+Trios+Patch+to+15+Alonzo+Mourning+Glen+Rice+Shaquille+O%27Neal.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XVfBJy8Rz10/UB3anVtUUkI/AAAAAAAAA0M/SO9OOi9OaMc/s1600/11-12+Limited+Team+Trademarks+Jsy+Auto+to+99+Greg+Monroe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XVfBJy8Rz10/UB3anVtUUkI/AAAAAAAAA0M/SO9OOi9OaMc/s200/11-12+Limited+Team+Trademarks+Jsy+Auto+to+99+Greg+Monroe.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
one box 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen - Yuck<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Saz2GJKPbkY/UB3gWDSjGSI/AAAAAAAAA48/hK0LJM7W9bw/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Auto+Brandon+Belt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Saz2GJKPbkY/UB3gWDSjGSI/AAAAAAAAA48/hK0LJM7W9bw/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Auto+Brandon+Belt.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yY1zqbaKhR0/UB3gWllCaKI/AAAAAAAAA5E/kcXgC2xmvmU/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Auto+Travis+Wood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yY1zqbaKhR0/UB3gWllCaKI/AAAAAAAAA5E/kcXgC2xmvmU/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Auto+Travis+Wood.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3CYo6_xM4tE/UB3gXApx1SI/AAAAAAAAA5M/PH810sLtIDM/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Jsy+Victor+Martinez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3CYo6_xM4tE/UB3gXApx1SI/AAAAAAAAA5M/PH810sLtIDM/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Jsy+Victor+Martinez.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yy5mRSXz2UU/UB3gXmvcGrI/AAAAAAAAA5U/_Q15gsaNryM/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Black+Frank+Robinson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yy5mRSXz2UU/UB3gXmvcGrI/AAAAAAAAA5U/_Q15gsaNryM/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Black+Frank+Robinson.JPG" width="108" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MpipdmfZ5Z8/UB3gYFar4CI/AAAAAAAAA5c/6Y0DWRCBYM0/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Relic+Jason+Heyward.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MpipdmfZ5Z8/UB3gYFar4CI/AAAAAAAAA5c/6Y0DWRCBYM0/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Relic+Jason+Heyward.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-viMCJO2l7Lo/UB3gYnM147I/AAAAAAAAA5k/ZF6TwU8o9p4/s1600/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Sepia+to+99+Michael+Pineda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-viMCJO2l7Lo/UB3gYnM147I/AAAAAAAAA5k/ZF6TwU8o9p4/s200/2012+Topps+Gypsy+Queen+Mini+Sepia+to+99+Michael+Pineda.JPG" width="108" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/99 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
one box of 2012 Topps Archives - UGH<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BDgrS8g4Mnw/UB3g0BzO-QI/AAAAAAAAA5s/kQf1fhYNoIQ/s1600/2012+Topps+Archives+Auto+Bobby+Thigpen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BDgrS8g4Mnw/UB3g0BzO-QI/AAAAAAAAA5s/kQf1fhYNoIQ/s200/2012+Topps+Archives+Auto+Bobby+Thigpen.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc4XNJrsJhI/UB3g0XbhnLI/AAAAAAAAA50/i8cpvV87nTA/s1600/2012+Topps+Archives+Auto+Redemption+Albert+Belle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc4XNJrsJhI/UB3g0XbhnLI/AAAAAAAAA50/i8cpvV87nTA/s200/2012+Topps+Archives+Auto+Redemption+Albert+Belle.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at HobbyKings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
one box 2012 Legends of the Hall - OUCH<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_4tlPHI3W4/UB3a3k5aK0I/AAAAAAAAA0U/Tql7AH1A2mg/s1600/2012+Legends+of+the+Hall+Auto+PSA+10+to+80+Don+Sutton+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_4tlPHI3W4/UB3a3k5aK0I/AAAAAAAAA0U/Tql7AH1A2mg/s200/2012+Legends+of+the+Hall+Auto+PSA+10+to+80+Don+Sutton+.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
one box 2012 Pop Century - Meh<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40XuYLlqfGY/UB3bDKeeFsI/AAAAAAAAA0c/-4mNykY1tZ8/s1600/2012+Pop+Century+Co-Stars+Auto+Austin+Chum+Lee+Russell+Corey+Big+Hoss+Harrison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40XuYLlqfGY/UB3bDKeeFsI/AAAAAAAAA0c/-4mNykY1tZ8/s200/2012+Pop+Century+Co-Stars+Auto+Austin+Chum+Lee+Russell+Corey+Big+Hoss+Harrison.JPG" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JXZE21vmW1c/UB3bDlcO1pI/AAAAAAAAA0k/qifNFiBI40s/s1600/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Billy+Dee+Williams.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JXZE21vmW1c/UB3bDlcO1pI/AAAAAAAAA0k/qifNFiBI40s/s200/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Billy+Dee+Williams.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VcEjyirfQY/UB3bEM3QVEI/AAAAAAAAA0s/awfJSHdRCNo/s1600/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Bruce+Dern.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3VcEjyirfQY/UB3bEM3QVEI/AAAAAAAAA0s/awfJSHdRCNo/s200/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Bruce+Dern.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyk7klpv0S4/UB3bEnkzX_I/AAAAAAAAA00/2RLv8RASSoU/s1600/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Lo+Bosworth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyk7klpv0S4/UB3bEnkzX_I/AAAAAAAAA00/2RLv8RASSoU/s200/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Lo+Bosworth.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9443fVMlU6k/UB3bFBuMtII/AAAAAAAAA04/XgSbIUQ0jEA/s1600/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Silve+7+of+25+Mickey+Rourke.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9443fVMlU6k/UB3bFBuMtII/AAAAAAAAA04/XgSbIUQ0jEA/s200/2012+Pop+Century+Signatures+Silve+7+of+25+Mickey+Rourke.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/25 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
one box 2012 Topps Olympics - SOLID<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9BgXVI9mGs/UB3bWDrtNZI/AAAAAAAAA1E/E15fqkDXQzQ/s1600/2012+Topps+Olympics+Auto+Ryan+Lochte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9BgXVI9mGs/UB3bWDrtNZI/AAAAAAAAA1E/E15fqkDXQzQ/s200/2012+Topps+Olympics+Auto+Ryan+Lochte.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A week late - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3OT52CtzVo/UB3bW3fE6hI/AAAAAAAAA1M/lMFVkIAfzEQ/s1600/2012+Topps+Olympics+Commemorative+USOC+Pin+Jason+Lezak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3OT52CtzVo/UB3bW3fE6hI/AAAAAAAAA1M/lMFVkIAfzEQ/s200/2012+Topps+Olympics+Commemorative+USOC+Pin+Jason+Lezak.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qRAC2XcTQGM/UB3bXYHtiyI/AAAAAAAAA1U/xI1L-daColg/s1600/2012+Topps+Olympics+Relic+Allyson+Felix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qRAC2XcTQGM/UB3bXYHtiyI/AAAAAAAAA1U/xI1L-daColg/s200/2012+Topps+Olympics+Relic+Allyson+Felix.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sVk8Y75eneA/UB3bX783inI/AAAAAAAAA1c/fWZOXUxOfhQ/s1600/2012+Topps+Olympics+Silver+Medal+Auto+25+of+30+Tyson+Gay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sVk8Y75eneA/UB3bX783inI/AAAAAAAAA1c/fWZOXUxOfhQ/s200/2012+Topps+Olympics+Silver+Medal+Auto+25+of+30+Tyson+Gay.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/30 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
one box 11-12 Panini Preferred Basketball - IFFY<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wxZEezXSH4A/UB3bp9RyMAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/hoYYhf1weaM/s1600/11-12+Preferred+Auto+1+of+74+Jeff+Hornacek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wxZEezXSH4A/UB3bp9RyMAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/hoYYhf1weaM/s200/11-12+Preferred+Auto+1+of+74+Jeff+Hornacek.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/74 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKBFQKK333s/UB3bqiRZH1I/AAAAAAAAA1s/6C38S1QrsRI/s1600/11-12+Preferred+Booklet+Rebound+Jsy+to+199+Mourning,+D.+Robinson+Rodman,+K.+Malone,+Olajuwon,+Ewing,+Shaq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKBFQKK333s/UB3bqiRZH1I/AAAAAAAAA1s/6C38S1QrsRI/s320/11-12+Preferred+Booklet+Rebound+Jsy+to+199+Mourning,+D.+Robinson+Rodman,+K.+Malone,+Olajuwon,+Ewing,+Shaq.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/199 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YU4umREnZws/UB3brOaSlnI/AAAAAAAAA10/l74PpIbJi7o/s1600/11-12+Preferred+Crown+Auto+to+25+Elliot+Williams.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YU4umREnZws/UB3brOaSlnI/AAAAAAAAA10/l74PpIbJi7o/s200/11-12+Preferred+Crown+Auto+to+25+Elliot+Williams.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/25 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsB04nniQNU/UB3brpfrVyI/AAAAAAAAA18/nM_qG4Ca1e8/s1600/11-12+Preferred+Silhouettes+Jsy+Auto+9+of+49+Jsy+%23+Andre+Igudala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsB04nniQNU/UB3brpfrVyI/AAAAAAAAA18/nM_qG4Ca1e8/s200/11-12+Preferred+Silhouettes+Jsy+Auto+9+of+49+Jsy+%23+Andre+Igudala.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jsy # 9/49 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
one box Topps Tier One - BRUTAL<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DNvWNA2bhs8/UB3b9FtlBKI/AAAAAAAAA2E/hT8IHrPLv6c/s1600/2012+Topps+Tier+One+Jsy+to+399+Tim+Lincecum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DNvWNA2bhs8/UB3b9FtlBKI/AAAAAAAAA2E/hT8IHrPLv6c/s200/2012+Topps+Tier+One+Jsy+to+399+Tim+Lincecum.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHGW5Kt2k80/UB3b9ydFIDI/AAAAAAAAA2M/Q12aIxLtvDw/s1600/2012+Topps+Tier+One+On+The+Rise+Auto+to+25+Eduardo+Nunez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHGW5Kt2k80/UB3b9ydFIDI/AAAAAAAAA2M/Q12aIxLtvDw/s200/2012+Topps+Tier+One+On+The+Rise+Auto+to+25+Eduardo+Nunez.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEWBrPcHf2M/UB3b-QWfTHI/AAAAAAAAA2U/kn_WkYe18S8/s1600/2012+Topps+Tier+One+On+the+Rise+Auto+to+999+David+Cooper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEWBrPcHf2M/UB3b-QWfTHI/AAAAAAAAA2U/kn_WkYe18S8/s200/2012+Topps+Tier+One+On+the+Rise+Auto+to+999+David+Cooper.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
and one box 11-12 Elite Hockey - REALLY GOOD<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2_7niy9MMk/UB3co1UTkmI/AAAAAAAAA2c/PqmOfu-Ezh0/s1600/11-12+Elite+Aspirations+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o2_7niy9MMk/UB3co1UTkmI/AAAAAAAAA2c/PqmOfu-Ezh0/s200/11-12+Elite+Aspirations+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n61Ciqj_-Qg/UB3cpYU038I/AAAAAAAAA2k/Uz5Chr7VtWE/s1600/11-12+Elite+Auto+Carl+Klingberg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n61Ciqj_-Qg/UB3cpYU038I/AAAAAAAAA2k/Uz5Chr7VtWE/s200/11-12+Elite+Auto+Carl+Klingberg.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uNPsVBZ3VJY/UB3cpvvKC4I/AAAAAAAAA2s/u07XMP5QJvM/s1600/11-12+Elite+Elite+Signings+Tomas+Tatar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uNPsVBZ3VJY/UB3cpvvKC4I/AAAAAAAAA2s/u07XMP5QJvM/s200/11-12+Elite+Elite+Signings+Tomas+Tatar.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rMfdCppfEFk/UB3cqcX8dfI/AAAAAAAAA20/BPGxBZ_xAOI/s1600/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Jsy+Brandon+Saad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rMfdCppfEFk/UB3cqcX8dfI/AAAAAAAAA20/BPGxBZ_xAOI/s200/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Jsy+Brandon+Saad.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_dDJHzgbgw/UB3cqgpJ36I/AAAAAAAAA28/JWOOS9WNxwA/s1600/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Patch+to+25+Cody+Hodgson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_dDJHzgbgw/UB3cqgpJ36I/AAAAAAAAA28/JWOOS9WNxwA/s200/11-12+Elite+New+Breed+Patch+to+25+Cody+Hodgson.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">/25 - Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vGI-xu_9cyQ/UB3crHekExI/AAAAAAAAA3E/Deg3MOn6-i4/s1600/11-12+Elite+Rookie+Stars+Ryan+Nugent-Hopkins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vGI-xu_9cyQ/UB3crHekExI/AAAAAAAAA3E/Deg3MOn6-i4/s200/11-12+Elite+Rookie+Stars+Ryan+Nugent-Hopkins.JPG" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N3Y-IDVJi94/UB3cr8ddM4I/AAAAAAAAA3M/N8DahVDo5Ds/s1600/11-12+Elite+to+99+Ryan+Nugent-Hopkins.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N3Y-IDVJi94/UB3cr8ddM4I/AAAAAAAAA3M/N8DahVDo5Ds/s320/11-12+Elite+to+99+Ryan+Nugent-Hopkins.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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Marty gave me my Upper Deck wrapper redemption vouchers, plus five for a product my mom purchased and he let me leave my stuff there until I finished at the Upper Deck booth. After getting our 10 packs and admiring how good Upper Deck had their stuff together compared to Topps, who I really didn't find to be that great, and then heading over to the Panini booth one last time but not getting a chance to chat with Tracy Hackler or anyone else, I went back to Marty grabbed my stuff and went home where I would break about half the boxes and all 10 packs. Thursday packs consisted of Michael Jordan so I knew I'd get 10 Jordan base cards but two of the five card packs had six cards in them and those extra cards were<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssvNmTEIcKk/UB3dyTaod6I/AAAAAAAAA3U/V0vn9p3morw/s1600/2012+Upper+Deck+NSCC+Auto+1+of+5+Landon+Donovan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ssvNmTEIcKk/UB3dyTaod6I/AAAAAAAAA3U/V0vn9p3morw/s320/2012+Upper+Deck+NSCC+Auto+1+of+5+Landon+Donovan.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ufn5N8dLIc/UB3dy45pKaI/AAAAAAAAA3c/f6jdVPIApeI/s1600/2012+Upper+Deck+NSCC+Auto+7+of+15+LeBron+James.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ufn5N8dLIc/UB3dy45pKaI/AAAAAAAAA3c/f6jdVPIApeI/s320/2012+Upper+Deck+NSCC+Auto+7+of+15+LeBron+James.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - JuanDixonCollector at Hobbykings.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Well that ended up being VERY GOOD.<br />
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The stories of this show will not end there. So fast forward to Friday and Saturday. I wish I could have gone and I made sure to follow a bunch of accounts on Twitter to keep me up-to-date of the things going on at the show. At the least I figured besides getting some good information I could add a little more to the blog post experience.<br />
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Saturday morning, in fact by 9:15am, @SportsCardNews tweets that the Bowman Wrapper Redemption at the Topps Booth already has "a line of 35 people", show opens at 10am and at 10:04am @SportsCollector on Twitter mentions that there is a "Lot of grumbling over card company giveaway process. Dealers getting them." Topps pledges to do a better job on this next year. Well I'm sorry but beyond having a plan this year they should have said, much like Upper Deck that the Wrapper Redemption won't start until a certain time. Topps really disappointed me at the show this year with how they handled this mess. The collector was not the target at all.<br />
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Remember how I mentioned the cards disappearing from tables and the extra security? Well that didn't stop a baseball bat, valued at over $43k from walking away. Full story <a href="http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/alert-43000-mel-ott-game-bat-stolen-nscc/">a Mel Ott game used bat that goes missing weeks after purchase.</a><br />
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Now since I went on Thursday the crowd was pretty bare compared to what I saw on Friday last year as well as compared to what you would see on the weekend. In fact @SportsCollector mentioned on Twitter that "Pittsburgh Sports says this was their most lucrative National ever." Mind you this is mid-day Saturday. They still had a day to go. This also on the heels of rumors that Chicago could be a permanent home for the Convention and that dealers like it due to the proximity of the airport to the Convention Center. With Atlantic City and Houston being the names I heard in the mix for 2016 I don't have much faith that Baltimore will see the show any time in the near future, in fact they were lucky to get back this year because the Convention Center in Baltimore is booked but maybe something can be worked out. The fact that @CardBoardConnection tweeted to me that "Heard this one is outdoing 2010. Completely sold out of VIP ans Super VIP 1st time in history" and that @NatSportsShow tweeted out "Speaking on behalf of the NSCCSHOW, we do hope to return to Balt!" maybe just maybe we'll see a return, I'd be all for a smaller show much like they do with ComicCon or doing two major Nationals a year.<br />
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I think @yanxchick said it best on Twitter "As much as the NSCC is built for grown men, still met so many women and kid collectors." This couldn't be any more true and that's one thing that makes this show great.<br />
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Also because I was either so concentrated on what I wanted to look for and sticking to a time of getting out by or because I can be a bit flaky I did miss some things I'd have loved to have ogled over, again this is why you have to do the show for more than one day or a few hours. Luckily for me and those who didn't attend there were some pics that made their way to twitter from some of the people I follow. I'll also include some of mine in their, which apparently some were never supposed to be taken but I was never stopped soo...<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this recap and I want to thank the following, all of whom you can follow on Twitter:<br />
@hobbykings @yanxchick @SportsCollector @BrwnEyedJrZGirl @natsportsshow @CardboardRadio @SportsCardRadio @SportsCardNews<br />
without these people this show would not be nearly as memorable and this extra information would not have been possible<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/5503f070-beda-012f-3c58-12313d093529/r600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/5503f070-beda-012f-3c58-12313d093529/r600x600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panini, Topps, DACW, UD Booths - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/05380c70-bedb-012f-c117-12313d0544e3/r600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/05380c70-bedb-012f-c117-12313d0544e3/r600x600.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panini Booth, really wanted that RG3 Hat - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/6b799b80-bedd-012f-c117-12313d0544e3/r600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/6b799b80-bedd-012f-c117-12313d0544e3/r600x600.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Deck Booth - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pWIVDT-8iQ/UB3Gr13PTvI/AAAAAAAAAoI/-9mjWccltxo/s1600/100_4742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pWIVDT-8iQ/UB3Gr13PTvI/AAAAAAAAAoI/-9mjWccltxo/s320/100_4742.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohamed Sanu 1/1 Sketch Card at the Panini Booth (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7slBmRw7EU/UB3G7cMzi-I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/7ueJ-JXYVUA/s1600/100_4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H7slBmRw7EU/UB3G7cMzi-I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/7ueJ-JXYVUA/s320/100_4743.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronnie Hillman 1/1 Sketch Card at Panini Booth (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jfKLCr4Bh4k/UB3HLqNyORI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ZnOy_MOIpdM/s1600/100_4745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jfKLCr4Bh4k/UB3HLqNyORI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ZnOy_MOIpdM/s320/100_4745.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RGIII Sketch Card (kinda phallic artist) at Panini Booth (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com) </td></tr>
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Above is some amazing artwork. Really wish I had gotten a shot of the Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura brawl, and the company name. (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com)<br />
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How in the hell I missed these two women I will never know nor will I forgive myself but this is enough reason to go to the show...I'd never leave the FatHead Booth<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://p.twimg.com/Azd0DdnCAAAcJ0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://p.twimg.com/Azd0DdnCAAAcJ0c.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - @Fathead</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://p.twimg.com/Azd9VhSCMAEPiRq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://p.twimg.com/Azd9VhSCMAEPiRq.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - @fathead ...side note I need her name (seriously)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48Mz7OS0DWQ/UB3LszclmwI/AAAAAAAAAqI/o2RfswHvSX4/s1600/100_4754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48Mz7OS0DWQ/UB3LszclmwI/AAAAAAAAAqI/o2RfswHvSX4/s320/100_4754.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large variety of game used jerseys (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com </td></tr>
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Former athletes do paid signings at the show<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://p.twimg.com/Azds5ztCEAAKhAH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://p.twimg.com/Azds5ztCEAAKhAH.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Man Brooks Robinson - Courtesy - @BrwnEyedJrZGirl on Twitter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://p.twimg.com/AzdotmtCQAAjSM_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://p.twimg.com/AzdotmtCQAAjSM_.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. October - Courtesy - @BrwnEyedJrZGirl on Twitter</td></tr>
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You hear the story about the collection found in the attic a few weeks back? Well...<br />
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(courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/a5629230-beed-012f-e4de-12313d24119c/r600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://img.viame-cdn.com/photos/a5629230-beed-012f-e4de-12313d24119c/r600x600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celtics Championship Ring - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CceRGtZh78w/UB3jVs63YvI/AAAAAAAAA6o/lE1OJmBiMVc/s1600/630555534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CceRGtZh78w/UB3jVs63YvI/AAAAAAAAA6o/lE1OJmBiMVc/s320/630555534.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy - @yanxchick on Twitter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSXlCimZKC4/UB3M5lOQTTI/AAAAAAAAAq0/uGyKi2-mvUU/s1600/100_4759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSXlCimZKC4/UB3M5lOQTTI/AAAAAAAAAq0/uGyKi2-mvUU/s320/100_4759.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty bad ass replica statue of The Babe (courtesy: laichitis.blogspot.com)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mLWyEQ2-W4/UB3NXDv5R-I/AAAAAAAAArE/bmzdqBYPp54/s1600/100_4761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mLWyEQ2-W4/UB3NXDv5R-I/AAAAAAAAArE/bmzdqBYPp54/s200/100_4761.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sending one of my many Tweets out about the show - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c4_31jDeXNs/UB3N0-0xEVI/AAAAAAAAArY/T-CXsa1FlOI/s1600/100_4763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c4_31jDeXNs/UB3N0-0xEVI/AAAAAAAAArY/T-CXsa1FlOI/s200/100_4763.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the BenchWarmer booth - Courtesy - laichitis.blogspot.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-25577369408441738602012-07-21T15:22:00.001-07:002012-07-21T15:58:10.581-07:00Hobbykings.com 2011-12 Rookie Anthology Review First product opened, last product reviewed...figures right?<br />
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Not only did I not know that this product was releasing when I first saw it I was less than pleased that many of the cards were extensions from other products such as Limited, Certified, Crown Royale, Contenders and Pinnacle. As the weeks went on before I broke this product my tune began to change. I liked the idea as it was like a version of "Season Update" and it factors most brands across the board. Additionally they added cards from what were products last year such as Luxury Suite. <br />
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Now I get this product would drive the basketball collector's nuts, because lets face it they're already a fickle bunch that takes issue with most everything Panini does to their basketball products, and I don't know how the hockey collector's are treating it since we have all of about 3 on HK but its intriguing. Of course I also feel that the hockey products are far superior to the basketball products and I think a product like this would either be the perfect product to put out at the end of the year to include cards of rookies that didn't make it into the initial sets or had they put it out in basketball as the only product of the strike-shortened season.<br />
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But this is a post of what is not what could be or should be. When opening this box you get the feeling that you're either opening a
bunch of products at once, that the manufacturer screwed up because of
all the different brands, or like you're opening random mystery packs. A box of Rookie Anthology contains 10 packs per box, 5 cards per pack and 2 autos and memorabilia per box. <br />
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As always the video then the cards after the jump<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_vuL3xSGCYU/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_vuL3xSGCYU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_vuL3xSGCYU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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The results<br />
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Base<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeYsmFHFmSM/UAsM0-4O7AI/AAAAAAAAAVs/6ZRaPtNw4fI/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Base+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeYsmFHFmSM/UAsM0-4O7AI/AAAAAAAAAVs/6ZRaPtNw4fI/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Base+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>
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Calder Contenders /999<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QQ4lggs554/UAsNXwiKINI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mv4pcfgsoJE/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Contenders+Calder+Contenders+to+999+Harry+Zolnierczyk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QQ4lggs554/UAsNXwiKINI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mv4pcfgsoJE/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Contenders+Calder+Contenders+to+999+Harry+Zolnierczyk.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
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Crown Royale <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQOW-qtu4vk/UAsNanOuBXI/AAAAAAAAAV8/_b7nxRtmtPw/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Crown+Royale+Cade+Fairchild.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQOW-qtu4vk/UAsNanOuBXI/AAAAAAAAAV8/_b7nxRtmtPw/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Crown+Royale+Cade+Fairchild.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
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Pinnacle Ice Breakers<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGDyjLQcios/UAsNt6DttbI/AAAAAAAAAWE/hNzUSJ2UlbE/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Pinnacle+Ice+Breakers+Stefan+Elliott+Marcus+Kruger+Lennart+Petrell+Carl+Klingberg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGDyjLQcios/UAsNt6DttbI/AAAAAAAAAWE/hNzUSJ2UlbE/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Pinnacle+Ice+Breakers+Stefan+Elliott+Marcus+Kruger+Lennart+Petrell+Carl+Klingberg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Memorabilia<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs24Nj55qJs/UAsTaXE54fI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/BoPH8ThulCg/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Draft+Year+Dual+Jsy+Henrik+Zetteberg+Martin+Erat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs24Nj55qJs/UAsTaXE54fI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/BoPH8ThulCg/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Draft+Year+Dual+Jsy+Henrik+Zetteberg+Martin+Erat.JPG" width="232" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyqvR_AkxFc/UAsTbLY_W-I/AAAAAAAAAWY/hrFYstzGeCI/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Luxury+Suite+Jsy+Stick+Semyon+Varlamov.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyqvR_AkxFc/UAsTbLY_W-I/AAAAAAAAAWY/hrFYstzGeCI/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Luxury+Suite+Jsy+Stick+Semyon+Varlamov.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQgLRMmPDfk/UAsTb6U0eKI/AAAAAAAAAWg/Rds3nDhcy1M/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Rookie+Rivalry+Dual+Jsy+Brendan+Smith+Matt+Read.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQgLRMmPDfk/UAsTb6U0eKI/AAAAAAAAAWg/Rds3nDhcy1M/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Rookie+Rivalry+Dual+Jsy+Brendan+Smith+Matt+Read.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
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Autos (Phenoms /299)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N18SCVpvVeY/UAsTvZVVM6I/AAAAAAAAAWo/iyOWWEzA3dg/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Limited+Phenoms+to+299+Colin+Greening.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N18SCVpvVeY/UAsTvZVVM6I/AAAAAAAAAWo/iyOWWEzA3dg/s320/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Limited+Phenoms+to+299+Colin+Greening.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lig7RIaRAmI/UAsTvv2QL4I/AAAAAAAAAWw/ptlA7Oplop8/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Rookie+Treasures+Level+3+Redemption+Greg+Nemisz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lig7RIaRAmI/UAsTvv2QL4I/AAAAAAAAAWw/ptlA7Oplop8/s1600/11-12+Rookie+Anthology+Rookie+Treasures+Level+3+Redemption+Greg+Nemisz.JPG" /> </a></div>
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Overall not the best box but we did get one extra hit, even if it was a memorabilia and the bottom piece on the Varlamov appears to be from his stick. The redemption leaves something to be desired as no one likes to find them in their packs because they want to have the actual card in hand but they do at least put the player's name on their compared to previous year's where you would have just the number of the card in the set and then you'd have to find the checklist online since they didn't always include one in the product.</div>
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As for what we didn't pull</div>
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Rookie Treasures Level 1 (5 cards) /99</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ROOKIE-ANTHOLOGY-TREASURES-DUAL-AUTO-JERSEY-93-99-101-SEAN-COUTURIER-/00/s/NTI1WDM5MA==/$T2eC16VHJGIE9nnWqryRBQCeuyFmOg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ROOKIE-ANTHOLOGY-TREASURES-DUAL-AUTO-JERSEY-93-99-101-SEAN-COUTURIER-/00/s/NTI1WDM5MA==/$T2eC16VHJGIE9nnWqryRBQCeuyFmOg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="237" /></a></div>
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Rookie Treasures Level 2 (10 cards) /199</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Rookie-Anthology-Rookie-Treasures-Auto-Jake-Gardiner-113-Maple-Leafs-199-/00/s/MTIxMlg4ODg=/$T2eC16dHJHoE9n3KgIUcBQCVC7thjw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Rookie-Anthology-Rookie-Treasures-Auto-Jake-Gardiner-113-Maple-Leafs-199-/00/s/MTIxMlg4ODg=/$T2eC16dHJHoE9n3KgIUcBQCVC7thjw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
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Rookie Treasures Level 3 (50 cards) /499 (redemption above)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ANTHOLOGY-SLAVA-VOYNOV-DUAL-JERSEY-AUTO-RC-230-499-SP-ROOKIE-TREASURES-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTU3/$%28KGrHqFHJBcE+N1%21PWidBQCIiTdUUw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ANTHOLOGY-SLAVA-VOYNOV-DUAL-JERSEY-AUTO-RC-230-499-SP-ROOKIE-TREASURES-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTU3/$%28KGrHqFHJBcE+N1%21PWidBQCIiTdUUw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
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Rookie Treasures Patches (65 cards) /15</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ANTHOLOGY-CAMERON-GAUNCE-4-CL-DUAL-PATCH-AUTO-15-ROOKIE-TREASURES-4-COLOR-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTIx/$T2eC16hHJGIE9nnWsyVqBQ%21VYGR,dw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-ANTHOLOGY-CAMERON-GAUNCE-4-CL-DUAL-PATCH-AUTO-15-ROOKIE-TREASURES-4-COLOR-/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTIx/$T2eC16hHJGIE9nnWsyVqBQ%21VYGR,dw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
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Certified Freshman Signatures (25 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Certified-229-Andy-Miele-AUTO-RC-PHOENIX-COYOTES-FRESHMAN-SIGNATURES-/00/s/NjA4WDQyNg==/$%28KGrHqJ,%21lIE+25kqPC7BQCg-IG9-%21%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Certified-229-Andy-Miele-AUTO-RC-PHOENIX-COYOTES-FRESHMAN-SIGNATURES-/00/s/NjA4WDQyNg==/$%28KGrHqJ,%21lIE+25kqPC7BQCg-IG9-%21%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
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Certified Freshman Signatures Mirror Gold /25</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Certified-Freshman-Signatures-Gold-Riley-Nash-Hurricanes-15-25-/00/s/MTE1NFg4NzA=/$%28KGrHqN,%21pUE+-opeD,RBP+2b%21u7Ug%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Certified-Freshman-Signatures-Gold-Riley-Nash-Hurricanes-15-25-/00/s/MTE1NFg4NzA=/$%28KGrHqN,%21pUE+-opeD,RBP+2b%21u7Ug%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="241" /></a></div>
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Certified Freshman Signatures Mirror Emerald /5</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Rookie-Anthology-CERTIFIED-Freshman-Signatures-Auto-Brayden-Mcnabb-5-/00/s/ODE5WDYzMw==/$T2eC16hHJGIE9nnWsyVqBQCMY7rTJw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Rookie-Anthology-CERTIFIED-Freshman-Signatures-Auto-Brayden-Mcnabb-5-/00/s/ODE5WDYzMw==/$T2eC16hHJGIE9nnWsyVqBQCMY7rTJw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="247" /></a></div>
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Certified Freshman Signatures Mirror Black /1 - No picture available</div>
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Certified Freshman Fabric Signature (25 cards) /99, /150 or /299 </div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Rookie-Anthology-Certified-Freshman-Fabric-Cody-Eakin-299-/00/s/Nzk5WDU3MA==/$%28KGrHqV,%21k0E-jpEG2h7BP7LTEgfeQ%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Rookie-Anthology-Certified-Freshman-Fabric-Cody-Eakin-299-/00/s/Nzk5WDU3MA==/$%28KGrHqV,%21k0E-jpEG2h7BP7LTEgfeQ%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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Certified Freshman Fabric Signatures Mirror Gold /25 - no pics available</div>
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Certified Freshman Fabric Signatures Mirror Emerald /5 - no pics available</div>
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Certified Freshman Fabric Signatures Mirror Black /1 - no pics available</div>
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Pinnacle Ice Breakers (75 cards) - See above</div>
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Pinnacle Ice Breakers Autographs (21 cards)</div>
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Limited Rookie Phenoms (24 cards) /299 (Hagelin/598) - See above</div>
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Limited Rookie Phenoms Silver (24 cards) /50</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-LIMITED-PHENOMS-DMITRY-ORLOV-PATCH-AUTO-RC-50-AUTOGRAPH-ROOKIE-ANTHOLOGY-/00/s/MTExMlgxNjAw/$T2eC16hHJHQE9nzEztUqBQB8%21qT0-w%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-LIMITED-PHENOMS-DMITRY-ORLOV-PATCH-AUTO-RC-50-AUTOGRAPH-ROOKIE-ANTHOLOGY-/00/s/MTExMlgxNjAw/$T2eC16hHJHQE9nzEztUqBQB8%21qT0-w%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Limited Rookie Phenoms Gold (24 cards) /10</div>
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Limited Rookie Phenoms Platinum (24 cards) /1</div>
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Crown Royale Silhouette Signatures (10 cards) /25 or less</div>
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Crown Royale Rookie Royalty (20 cards) - See above</div>
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Crown Royale Rookie Signatures (20 cards)</div>
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Crown Royale Rookie Silhouette Prime (10 cards) /99</div>
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Crown Royale Rookie Silhouette Patches (10 cards) /25</div>
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Contenders Calder Contenders (25 cards) - See above</div>
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Private Signings (15 cards)</div>
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Private Signings Platinum (15 cards) /1 </div>
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Luxury Suite Combos (40 cards) - See above</div>
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Luxury Suite RCs (30 cards)</div>
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Rookie Rivalry (60 cards) - See above</div>
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Draft Year Combo (40 cards) - See Above </div>
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Pinnacle Starting Six (30 cards)</div>
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Bonus Autographs - Random Autographs that vary in number from random sets including</div>
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<br /></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-3318289537226480372012-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:002012-07-15T17:25:06.085-07:00HobbyKings.com Box Break Recap - 2011-12 Panini ContendersPart two of this three part blog will cover the results from a box of 2011-12 Panini Contenders Hockey that was sent to HobbyKings.com by Panini America for review. Year in and year out Contenders has been a well received brand that contains rookie on-card autos. Last year the product was good but the shiny foil on the cards made some autos difficult to see or they seemed to be able to rub off. This year Panini went with a more glossy finish on the cards and a clean design that earns it high praise in my book.<br />
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Available for $90-$100 per box, Contenders contains 18 packs with 5 cards per pack and 3 autographs per box on average. Going into the break I was aware of the NHL Ink autographs but little else. After this break I'm still in the same boat but the box yielded a very nice hit that would allow anyone looking for value to resell and at the least break even. For you anti-Panini/anti-sticker auto people, this product has a ton of on-card autos and great designs all around. Most if not all sticker autos in this set are in the booklet cards.<br />
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As was the case in the previous entry you can view the video of the break here and pics of the break and product are available following it.<br />
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Video break<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NK474Db7ZhQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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What we pulled<br />
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Base design<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLyU7RoqmCA/UANR-pq7LMI/AAAAAAAAAU0/rjOe76h-oo0/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+Base+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLyU7RoqmCA/UANR-pq7LMI/AAAAAAAAAU0/rjOe76h-oo0/s320/2011-12+Contenders+Base+Alex+Ovechkin.JPG" width="232" /></a></div>
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Calder Contenders /999<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz8fu0iNvzc/UANSJAhxjnI/AAAAAAAAAU8/l4I_NuryMQ8/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+Calder+Contenders+to+999+Brayden+McNabb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pz8fu0iNvzc/UANSJAhxjnI/AAAAAAAAAU8/l4I_NuryMQ8/s320/2011-12+Contenders+Calder+Contenders+to+999+Brayden+McNabb.JPG" width="237" /></a></div>
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Cup Contenders /999<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBNM_54yNuM/UANSSFiHsKI/AAAAAAAAAVE/ka4txO8PEkM/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+Cup+Contenders+to+999+Ryan+Getzlaf+Dustin+Brown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GBNM_54yNuM/UANSSFiHsKI/AAAAAAAAAVE/ka4txO8PEkM/s320/2011-12+Contenders+Cup+Contenders+to+999+Ryan+Getzlaf+Dustin+Brown.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The Getzlaf was cut short on the side so only top half of the number is showing...blech production error<br />
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RC Auto /800<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aufuIKORZvk/UANSiGeZCDI/AAAAAAAAAVM/QCsP7rM94Vs/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+Auto+to+800+Joe+Vitale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aufuIKORZvk/UANSiGeZCDI/AAAAAAAAAVM/QCsP7rM94Vs/s320/2011-12+Contenders+Auto+to+800+Joe+Vitale.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
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NHL INK<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nIl-8zWnQ-E/UANSq8tIalI/AAAAAAAAAVU/PqDVtxMzAsc/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+NHL+Ink+Cal+Clutterbuck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nIl-8zWnQ-E/UANSq8tIalI/AAAAAAAAAVU/PqDVtxMzAsc/s320/2011-12+Contenders+NHL+Ink+Cal+Clutterbuck.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0mNVRm8QJk/UANSrbXK9tI/AAAAAAAAAVc/FjdCnqddWvc/s1600/2011-12+Contenders+NHL+Ink+Dual+Auto+Brett+Hull+Bobby+Hull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0mNVRm8QJk/UANSrbXK9tI/AAAAAAAAAVc/FjdCnqddWvc/s320/2011-12+Contenders+NHL+Ink+Dual+Auto+Brett+Hull+Bobby+Hull.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well there are the three autographs. That dual Hull is an amazingly great pull which will just about cover the price of a box. Clutterbuck is just an awesome name in and of itself so I'd have been happy to have pulled that even if I was busting for myself but wouldn't have been happy had the dual not been pulled. The Vitale is a Penguin so I automatically hate it. Overall this was a good break. Surprisingly there were no parallels pulled from the product. Golds base are /100 and numbered on the front which is a plus for those who don't like to scan both sides of the card or don't like to ask people for the numbering in case they're looking for a specific number (jsy #, first #, last #, etc).<br />
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As for what we didn't pull here is what else can be found in the product.<br />
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Gold Parallel (100) /100<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Playoff-Contenders-Gold-70-Ryan-Miller-100-/00/s/MTE0MFg4MzY=/$T2eC16dHJI%21E9qSO9wj%21BQ%21zDSHUNw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Playoff-Contenders-Gold-70-Ryan-Miller-100-/00/s/MTE0MFg4MzY=/$T2eC16dHJI%21E9qSO9wj%21BQ%21zDSHUNw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
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Black Parallel (100) 1/1<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-PANINI-CONTENDERS-BLACK-47-DANIEL-SEDIN-1-1-WOW-RARE-/00/s/MTE4OFg4ODg=/$%28KGrHqJ,%21l%21E-cGWife%21BP1kCMpYNQ%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-PANINI-CONTENDERS-BLACK-47-DANIEL-SEDIN-1-1-WOW-RARE-/00/s/MTE4OFg4ODg=/$%28KGrHqJ,%21l%21E-cGWife%21BP1kCMpYNQ%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Cup Contenders Auto Patch (50) <br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/ANZE-KOPITAR-L-A-KINGS-2012-PANINI-CUP-CONTENDERS-113-PATCH-AUTO-d-6-100-/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/$T2eC16dHJGIE9nnWrckQBP91m3o3cw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/ANZE-KOPITAR-L-A-KINGS-2012-PANINI-CUP-CONTENDERS-113-PATCH-AUTO-d-6-100-/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/$T2eC16dHJGIE9nnWrckQBP91m3o3cw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Contenders Legacies Auto Patch (10 <br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Playoff-Contenders-Legacies-Patrick-Roy-PATCH-AUTO-100-/00/s/NTUyWDcyNw==/$T2eC16Z,%21%290E9s37Hk+6BQ%21w,962cw%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Playoff-Contenders-Legacies-Patrick-Roy-PATCH-AUTO-100-/00/s/NTUyWDcyNw==/$T2eC16Z,%21%290E9s37Hk+6BQ%21w,962cw%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Calder Contenders Silver (40) <br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Patrick-Maroon-100-Calder-Rookie-RC-BLACK-SILVER-/00/s/ODE2WDExMjY=/$%28KGrHqZ,%21h%21E-7d-%21e75BPyqZ4GLpg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Patrick-Maroon-100-Calder-Rookie-RC-BLACK-SILVER-/00/s/ODE2WDExMjY=/$%28KGrHqZ,%21h%21E-7d-%21e75BPyqZ4GLpg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Calder Contenders Signature Patch (60) <br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-CALDER-CONTENDERS-CRAIG-SMITH-2-color-patch-AUTO-num-100-/00/s/MTE5NVgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqZ,%21h4E+oKilHplBP6JzBFkwQ%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-CALDER-CONTENDERS-CRAIG-SMITH-2-color-patch-AUTO-num-100-/00/s/MTE5NVgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqZ,%21h4E+oKilHplBP6JzBFkwQ%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cup Contenders Auto Patch Gold (50) /1<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-CONTENDERS-CUP-AUTO-SICK-PATCH-GOLD-113-ANZE-KOPITAR-AUTOGRAPH-SP-1-1-/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/$%28KGrHqJHJD%21E-lNe4wtkBPwFT%21b77Q%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-CONTENDERS-CUP-AUTO-SICK-PATCH-GOLD-113-ANZE-KOPITAR-AUTOGRAPH-SP-1-1-/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/$%28KGrHqJHJD%21E-lNe4wtkBPwFT%21b77Q%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Contenders-ALEXANDER-SEMIN-1-1-Cup-Contenders-AUTO-Patch-GOLD-/00/s/OTQ0WDE2MDA=/$%28KGrHqFHJCcE-ffTjhSNBPuET%29IyUw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Contenders-ALEXANDER-SEMIN-1-1-Cup-Contenders-AUTO-Patch-GOLD-/00/s/OTQ0WDE2MDA=/$%28KGrHqFHJCcE-ffTjhSNBPuET%29IyUw%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Alex-Ovechkin-1-Playoff-Contenders-Auto-Patch-Sic-Patch-/00/s/OTI4WDEyMzI=/$%28KGrHqN,%21o0E-0%21FLf%29rBP8mGjdPpg%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Alex-Ovechkin-1-Playoff-Contenders-Auto-Patch-Sic-Patch-/00/s/OTI4WDEyMzI=/$%28KGrHqN,%21o0E-0%21FLf%29rBP8mGjdPpg%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Legacies Auto Patch Gold (10) - No samples available<br />
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Calder Contenders Gold (40)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Gold-Calder-Rookies-Todd-Ford-190-Capitals-5-100-/00/s/MTAwMlgxMzky/$%28KGrHqN,%21ikE-jB4o2IZBP2o1rheD%21%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Gold-Calder-Rookies-Todd-Ford-190-Capitals-5-100-/00/s/MTAwMlgxMzky/$%28KGrHqN,%21ikE-jB4o2IZBP2o1rheD%21%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Calder Contenders Signature Patch Gold /1 (bottom left)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-CONTENDERS-TOMAS-VINCOUR-CALDER-CONTENDERS-GOLD-AUTO-PATCH-RC-1-1-/00/s/MTEzNlgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqZ,%21qQE-Ycs3Yn-BPtD%28MYwV%21%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-CONTENDERS-TOMAS-VINCOUR-CALDER-CONTENDERS-GOLD-AUTO-PATCH-RC-1-1-/00/s/MTEzNlgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqZ,%21qQE-Ycs3Yn-BPtD%28MYwV%21%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink (70) and NHL Ink Duals (20) - See above<br />
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NHL Ink Trios (10) /25<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Contenders-NHL-Ink-Triples-Taylor-Hall-Eberle-Schenn-Triple-Auto-23-25-/00/s/NTM4WDc0Ng==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21nwE-w2%28Vc9wBP0T9WSGBQ%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Contenders-NHL-Ink-Triples-Taylor-Hall-Eberle-Schenn-Triple-Auto-23-25-/00/s/NTM4WDc0Ng==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21nwE-w2%28Vc9wBP0T9WSGBQ%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Gold (70) /25<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Jarome-Iginla-11-12-Panini-Contenders-NHL-INK-Gold-Autograph-25-/00/s/NTIwWDc0Mg==/$T2eC16hHJGQE9noMcSkHBQ%21bV+MOKg%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Jarome-Iginla-11-12-Panini-Contenders-NHL-INK-Gold-Autograph-25-/00/s/NTIwWDc0Mg==/$T2eC16hHJGQE9noMcSkHBQ%21bV+MOKg%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Duo Gold (20) /25<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Jarome-Iginla-Curtis-Glencross-Gold-Dual-NHL-INK-Auto-d-25-15-/00/s/NzczWDEwMjQ=/$%28KGrHqZHJEsE-lYr-5pKBPtsrFV%21hg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Jarome-Iginla-Curtis-Glencross-Gold-Dual-NHL-INK-Auto-d-25-15-/00/s/NzczWDEwMjQ=/$%28KGrHqZHJEsE-lYr-5pKBPtsrFV%21hg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Trios Gold (10) /10<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-NHL-Ink-Triple-GOLD-Tavares-Hall-Hopkins-10-/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/$%28KGrHqJ,%21jgE+SWZjrmOBP2k1f20Fg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-NHL-Ink-Triple-GOLD-Tavares-Hall-Hopkins-10-/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/$%28KGrHqJ,%21jgE+SWZjrmOBP2k1f20Fg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Black (70) /1<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Contenders-NHL-Ink-BLACK-Jarome-Iginla-1-1-1-1-Auto-Autograph-Flames-/00/s/ODI0WDExNDA=/$T2eC16dHJIQE9qUHuF%21wBP7LIp%21fsg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Contenders-NHL-Ink-BLACK-Jarome-Iginla-1-1-1-1-Auto-Autograph-Flames-/00/s/ODI0WDExNDA=/$T2eC16dHJIQE9qUHuF%21wBP7LIp%21fsg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Duo Black (20) /1<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-PANINI-CONTENDERS-MARK-SCHEIFELE-PAUL-POSTMA-BLACK-DUAL-NHL-INK-AUTO-1-1-/00/s/ODg1WDExNzg=/$%28KGrHqMOKjsE851RuN+UBPw568t7jQ%7E%7E60_57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-PANINI-CONTENDERS-MARK-SCHEIFELE-PAUL-POSTMA-BLACK-DUAL-NHL-INK-AUTO-1-1-/00/s/ODg1WDExNzg=/$%28KGrHqMOKjsE851RuN+UBPw568t7jQ%7E%7E60_57.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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NHL Ink Trios Black (10) /1 - No samples available<br />
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Contenders Match-Ups Booklets (24)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Matchups-Booklet-Quad-Autos-Frattin-Gardiner-Greening-Condra-/00/s/MTg3WDUwMA==/$T2eC16FHJHoE9n3Kd4W+BP5KCzhy5w%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Matchups-Booklet-Quad-Autos-Frattin-Gardiner-Greening-Condra-/00/s/MTg3WDUwMA==/$T2eC16FHJHoE9n3Kd4W+BP5KCzhy5w%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Original Six Combos Booklets (6) /25<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Original-Six-Auto-Booklet-05-25-Goalies-/00/s/MzgzWDEwNDc=/$%28KGrHqN,%21rkE-YmPUe%219BP5frTd%29Kg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Original-Six-Auto-Booklet-05-25-Goalies-/00/s/MzgzWDEwNDc=/$%28KGrHqN,%21rkE-YmPUe%219BP5frTd%29Kg%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Original-Six-All-Star-6-Way-Auto-Booklet-25-/00/s/NTA2WDE0NTQ=/$T2eC16dHJFoE9nh6piThBP402ov%297g%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Contenders-Original-Six-All-Star-6-Way-Auto-Booklet-25-/00/s/NTA2WDE0NTQ=/$T2eC16dHJFoE9nh6piThBP402ov%297g%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Starting Line-Ups Booklets (6)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Starting-lineup-6-autograph-booklet-San-Jose-Sharks-14-50-/00/s/NjA5WDE2MDA=/$%28KGrHqFHJCUE-fWmI2TSBP2+bLpCyw%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Contenders-Starting-lineup-6-autograph-booklet-San-Jose-Sharks-14-50-/00/s/NjA5WDE2MDA=/$%28KGrHqFHJCUE-fWmI2TSBP2+bLpCyw%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-42231730149628008822012-07-15T14:03:00.001-07:002012-07-15T16:13:36.784-07:001 Box 2011-12 Pinnacle ReviewPinnacle Hockey is Panini's version of a regular set of Topps or Upper Deck in most sports or what 09-10 Panini Basketball was. Its a brand that is high on base (290) has some inserts but in the end isn't really anything to write home about if only because we're now in a world of the high-end, high-priced products. So that's not to say this is a bad product by any means. For a product that sells in the $50-$70 range you get pretty much what you expect.<br />
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A box consists of 24 packs with 8 cards per pack and 2 Memorabilia or Autographs. When I purchase a box like this I typically end up with two memorabilia cards and a few inserts to show for it. Needless to say I would hope that this box that Panini America sent to Hobbykings.com for us to review would be different. Alas it really wasn't.<br />
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If you wish you can view the video of the break here with pictures of what was pulled and what you could expect to come after the jump. Also I do realize that in the video I referred to the parallels as Starburst instead of Ice Breakers & Rink Collection...they're essentially the same thing I'm just used to the baseball version. Also below the Tough Times and Breakthrough cards pulled were not scanned but should be in the video.<br />
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What we pulled:<br />
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<a href="http://www.fightstrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Karl-Alzner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://www.fightstrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Karl-Alzner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
That's some nice photography for the base<br />
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Ice Breakers RC or Rink Collection<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubDfyUwh6l0/UAMlQkK_VlI/AAAAAAAAAUE/K6dwk8xNvuU/s1600/2011-12+Pinnacle+Ice+Breakers+Dan+Hamhuis+Joe+Vitale+Adam+Larsson+Brendon+Nash+David+Savard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubDfyUwh6l0/UAMlQkK_VlI/AAAAAAAAAUE/K6dwk8xNvuU/s320/2011-12+Pinnacle+Ice+Breakers+Dan+Hamhuis+Joe+Vitale+Adam+Larsson+Brendon+Nash+David+Savard.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Team Pinnacle - Henrik Sedin/Steven Stamkos<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDL_gZ6pWMQ/UAMmTv3NpFI/AAAAAAAAAUc/wpnXDAxNSfo/s1600/2011-12+Pinnacle+Team+Pinnacle+Henrik+Sedin+Steve+Stamkos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDL_gZ6pWMQ/UAMmTv3NpFI/AAAAAAAAAUc/wpnXDAxNSfo/s320/2011-12+Pinnacle+Team+Pinnacle+Henrik+Sedin+Steve+Stamkos.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Memorabilia<br />
Game Night - Stephane Da Costa<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SugHTVNlgM/UAMlzGcyVsI/AAAAAAAAAUM/pxV1wpRbeFM/s1600/2011-12+Pinnacle+Game+Night+Jsy+Stephane+Da+Costa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SugHTVNlgM/UAMlzGcyVsI/AAAAAAAAAUM/pxV1wpRbeFM/s320/2011-12+Pinnacle+Game+Night+Jsy+Stephane+Da+Costa.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Threads Prime /50 - Jonathan Toews <br />
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In the end not that much, not overly fun to break, at least this time but perfect for the collector on a budget, someone looking to get their kids started in collecting or someone that likes to collect base sets. The photography in the base set is pretty nice though and I believe all base cards are horizontal.<br />
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What else is in this product:<br />
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Game Night Prime (50)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Pinnacle-GAME-NIGHT-PRIME-HENRIK-LUNDQVIST-41-xx-30-/00/s/OTE2WDEyODA=/$%28KGrHqJHJDIE7zCgpGJmBPGh8Ebs,Q%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Pinnacle-GAME-NIGHT-PRIME-HENRIK-LUNDQVIST-41-xx-30-/00/s/OTE2WDEyODA=/$%28KGrHqJHJDIE7zCgpGJmBPGh8Ebs,Q%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Game Night Signatures (50)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Pinnacle-Game-Night-Signatures-37-Henrik-Sedin-Autograph-/00/s/MzkzWDU1MA==/$%28KGrHqJ,%21rQE-ZUfRNh+BPoVIy%285uw%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Pinnacle-Game-Night-Signatures-37-Henrik-Sedin-Autograph-/00/s/MzkzWDU1MA==/$%28KGrHqJ,%21rQE-ZUfRNh+BPoVIy%285uw%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fan of the Game Insert and Auto Version (8)<br />
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Retro Team Pinnacle Signatures (5 cards) - Cannot find pics of them<br />
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Threads/Prime (shown above)/Patches (90)<br />
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Starting Six Threads/Prime/Patches (10)<br />
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Pictured is Threads<br />
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Tough Times Auto (10 -on-card)<br />
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Pantheon (10)<br />
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Canvas Creations (18)<br />
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Pinnacle Black (14)<br />
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Pinnacle-Black-11-Patrick-Roy-/00/s/MzkyWDU1MA==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21r%21E-ZFv0yWeBPoVH37b%21Q%7E%7E60_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Panini-Pinnacle-Black-11-Patrick-Roy-/00/s/MzkyWDU1MA==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21r%21E-ZFv0yWeBPoVH37b%21Q%7E%7E60_3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Breakthrough (20)<br />
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Revolution (10)<br />
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Pinnacle Captains (20)<br />
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Private Signings (15 - on-card - continuation from previous sets)<br />
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the remainder of the checklist is much better than those six I assure you<br />
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Zenith Yours Truly Update (25 - on-card - continuation of last year's Zenith product)<br />
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So there you have it. There are some hits to be had just don't expect them to fall at a high rate like you may from some higher priced products.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-19573916794825104352012-06-27T19:18:00.001-07:002012-06-27T19:18:47.912-07:00Andray Blatche Will Be Amnestied By the WizardsA reliable source told me that they expect the Wizards to amnesty Andray Blatche, perhaps at the start of free agency. Not that this comes as a surprise to anyone and Andray has worn out his welcome in DC, which is a shame because if he wasn't such a stubborn bonehead he had the potential to be a solid part of this franchise. Despite his off-court issues Blatche was very solid when filling in for Antawn Jamison 3 season ago...but in three seasons the fans have quickly gone from supporting Blatche, who was finally living up to his potential, to running him out of town because he became the next coming of Kwame Brown (or Juwan Howard in his last days as a Wizard).<br />
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If the team can convince some other team to absorb his contract for some floor wax and a case of Gatorade (flavor to be named later) they'd gladly ship him out, preferably at the NBA Draft tomorrow night.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-92023196528689082582012-06-26T18:47:00.000-07:002012-06-26T18:51:08.340-07:00Welcome Back Adam OatesWhen it was announced that Adam Oates was going to interview for the Capitals head coaching position I thought for sure he'd get the job. For the past few weeks I've said I'd be shocked if he didn't get it and even stated that since the Capitals had the 77th pick in the draft last weekend that it was an omen that the team would bring back their former captain to coach the team.<br />
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Today, hours before the announcement was made that Adam Oates would be inducted to the Hall of Fame, the team made the official announcement that he would be the team's coach and outside of bringing back Ron Wilson or Terry Murray I don't know if the Caps fans could really be any happier. Having been the team's captain Oates will be able to help Ovechkin with his leadership. He has a great hockey mind and should be able to do a good job of conveying his message and teachings to the team. He coached the Power Play in New Jersey, an area the Capitals struggled this past year. Like Hunter, Oates not only played in the NHL, he played in DC and the players will listen to him more and more intently because he's been where they've been and he's been where they want to be....playing for the Cup...though he didn't win it as a player and holds the record for most points in the playoffs without winning it all. In addition I hope that with Kolzig already in tow, maybe he'll keep Jim Johnson on staff, maybe he'll look to have Calle Jo and Bonzai or other former Caps be a part of the coaching staff or mentors.<br />
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The most important part of his hiring though could be the fact that Oates is one of the NHL's all-time leaders in face-off win percentage. Oates will be able to pass along his techniques to Backstrom, MoJo, Laich and whoever else the team has in the dot this season beyond Ribeiro.<br />
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While much will be made about this being his first head coaching gig, I do believe that Oates is ready. When you think about it as players get older and in their final years of playing they do more of an on-ice coaching job with their teammates. They may not be doing the X's and O's and they may not be doing the line-ups but they have some of the best minds in the game and it can help with the transition from the ice to the bench. Plus the past few years as an assistant should have him ready.<br />
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The draft got me excited for the season to begin...a season that may never happen if a new labor deal isn't struck. These guys need to sit down and hammer something out. Learn from the NBA's and NFL's mistakes and avoid a work stoppage or lockout or whatever else you want to call it. Hockey has finally recovered from the lost season 8 years ago. This sport, this league, these players...they can't afford to go through this again, not at a time when unemployment is high, money is tight for everyone, and millionaire athletes and billionaire owners are squabbling over money that's generated from the fans hard earned income.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-70692470897977673032012-06-21T05:56:00.001-07:002012-06-21T05:56:48.090-07:00The Washington Wizards Make a Good Deal for Once?Anyone that has followed this downtrodden franchise for the last 30 years knows that when it comes to making trades for players that Wizards haven't exactly been on the winning end of deals. Granted most of the ones I remember were those under Wes Unseld's watch but anyone that thought trading Chris Webber, who was entering his prime, for an aging Mitch Richmond needed to have their head examined. Some would say trading Rasheed Wallace for Rod Strickland was a terrible deal but that was a move that fit a need, I guess the question would be could the team have gotten more value based on Rasheed's potential but he was so volatile and had so many red flags would it have been worth passing on the deal. Besides when you have Webber, Juwan Howard and Gheorghe Muresan its not going to be easy to find room for a powder keg like Wallace who could take a team that has its bigs in foul trouble and make them even thinner by getting tossed from a game.<br />
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The next trade I can think that the team made was the Ben Wallace for Ike Austin trade...MORONS! Or how about Richard Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse? IMBECILES...I only remember one positive from Stackhouse as a Wizard and that was his last second tip-in alley-oop to beat the Lakers. <br />
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The best trade I can think of was moving the albatross contract of Howard, Calvin Booth (who I liked) and Obinna Ekezie (Terp love) for Christian Laettner, Courtney Alexander, Loy Vaught (totally forgot about him), Hubert Davis, Etan Thomas (who in the end became the center piece of the deal) and $3 million. That trade, executed by Michael Jordan, was probably one of the best trades I'd ever seen the team make, even if it looks insignificant 11 years later. The two teams did another deal 3 years later when Laettner and Stackhouse, along with Washington's 1st Round Pick (Devin Harris) were traded to Dallas for Antawn Jamison. While it would have been nice to have Harris, Jamison was a solid veteran addition, stand-up player on and off the court and brought leadership to a team sorely needing it. Unfortuantely for the NBA good guy his time in Washington didn't end as pleasant as it started.<br />
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This brings us to yesterday's trade. The Wizards traded Rashard Lewis, he of constant knee or back or ego injuries and due $23 million this upcoming season, and a 2nd Round Pick for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza. Many, myself included, expected the Wizards to just buyout Lewis for nearly $14 million but GM Ernie Grunfeld had said he would be available if the right deal came along.<br />
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Apparently that right deal did come along as the Wizards added an All-Star caliber C who had averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds over his career and a SF who can play defense and get hot from beyond the arc. I'm not a big fan of Ariza but he's an upgrade over Mo Evans and both players bring quality leadership to a young team. Also a front-court of the defensive minded Okafor and Nene can be intimidating to opposing teams and be helpful to a team that has lacked on defense. While the offense may suffer some they will also be good mentors to Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin which should help both players grow. Both young guys shined last year and showed their potential when healthy and given minutes. One concern is both veteran bigs are injury prone.<br />
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I honestly haven't been this excited for a move in a long time and had even read a few weeks ago how it would take a lot (multiple 1ist round picks being one thing) to get Okafor. Apparently freeing up $30 million in cap room was more important to the NBA and its new owners and while the cap room would have been nice for the Wizards lets be honest no big name player outside of Gilbert Arenas has come to Washington as a free agent and after the guns in the locker room incident and the immature attitudes of the players who would want to? So a deal was the way to get big name players and while Okafor may not be along the lines of Chris Bosh and more a poor man's version of Andrew Bogut he is a NCAA Champion and former NBA Rookie of the Year, and the #2 pick from the 2004-05 draft.<br />
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Now the team will have to learn to play fundamental basketball under Coach Whittman, who I felt deserved the contract he got since the team responded to him. They are still a team without an identity. John Wall, Jordan Crawford, and Trevor Booker thrive in an up-tempo offense. Okafor and Nene are a bit better in a slower scheme and will need to avoid foul trouble for this team to really make strides. While this move doesn't put the team in playoff position, they still have to move Andray Blatche, they have the 3rd pick in the NBA draft and I would guess they have another trade (not Blatche) that they'll make, this is a move that puts the team in the right direction and brings in the right group of character guys. I seriously doubt you'll hear about Okafor getting shot at 3am or involved with ladies of the night or whining over playing time.<br />
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As a Wizards fan you have to feel better about this move and this team than you did going into the draft lottery. By the way has there ever been two players named Trevor on the same NBA team during one season? Of course these are the Wizards, Okafor is injury prone and the Curse of Les Boulez always looms.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-42758603751135577462012-06-20T18:22:00.000-07:002012-06-20T18:22:51.822-07:00Jana Kramer: Actress Adds Country Music Star To Her ResumeI've seen about 30 seconds of One Tree Hill so when checking iTunes a few months ago I had no idea who in the heck Jana Kramer was. When I heard "I Won't Give Up" back in February of 2011 I instantly fell in love with her voice. Next I got to hear "Why Ya Wanna" and found out she was going to have a Country CD released and knew I'd have to get it. I decided to pre-order it through Jana's website and patiently awaited receiving my CD and signed slipcover/booklet. When the CD arrived I immediately popped it into my computer and added all the songs to my iPod and planned to listen to the CD at work on June 5th and have played it nearly once every work day since.<br />
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I don't expect Jana's music to appeal to all country fans and I'm sure some will go in thinking she's more pop than country as that is what much of the genre has become. A few songs may give that impression but there is no denying that the Detroit girl is all country at heart.<br />
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Below are my thoughts on and/or understandings of the songs ..really the titles do give away what the songs are about <br />
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<b>Good Time Comin' On</b> - This song is a total party anthem that is guaranteed to have you bopping along.<br />
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<b>I Hope It Rains</b> - A girl gets dumped, finds out her ex doesn't need the time or space he implied and she hopes he gets what's coming to him for breaking her heart. This is the type of song many females would wish upon their former beau. <br />
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<b>Why Ya Wanna</b> - Again the heartbroken girl, from a small town, encounters her ex that she is still trying to get over. Unfortunately for her letting go has been hard and his presence brings those feelings right back to the forefront.<br />
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<b>Goodbye California</b> - More pop than country that's for sure and not about heartbreak unlike the previous two. Not one of my favorites on the album but its catchy. Basically a country girl, displaced to California for some time but as much as she loves Cali there's nothing quite like home.<br />
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<b>Whiskey</b> - Another "teary" song about the boy went away. Totally feel a country-ism when she says "everybody way up north call him Cornbread." I'm probably just dense on this song but her voice comes off so soothing I don't worry about the confusion.<br />
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<b>Over You By Now</b> - By far the slowest tempo song on her album. Another sad song about a boyfriend that fell out of love but couldn't find the nerve to tell her right away in turn causing her to poor her heart out about how she could have moved on had he told her when he first realized it. Honestly a really good song and one that should be released as her next single.<br />
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<b>One of the Boys</b> - Tomboyish anthem. Essentially the PERFECT girl, country accent, little to no makeup, blue jeans, and ball cap. Just a girl looking to have a good time with the fellas. Up-tempo and very solid.<br />
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<b>What I Love About Your Love</b> - As if the title didn't give away what this song is about. There are times where I feel the twang in her voice comes off a bit odd when she says certain words (feet and sometimes love). Definitely a song a girl will be singing to her man when she's smitten with him.<br />
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<b>When You're Lonely</b> - Another slower paced song, another problem with an ex. This one only comes around when he's lonely or hurt by something BUT she basically tells him tough luck and that she won't travel down that road again. This is the type of song I wish more women would abide by rather than giving in to the guy that hurt them and will continue to do so.<br />
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<b>King of Apology</b> - Up-tempo song where Jana lets the guy that always apologizes for everything he does to her which hurts her or pisses her off know that she's not going to forgive him again. Really catchy ditty. <br />
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<b>Good As You Were Bad - </b>Once again Jana is hurt by a former lover, one that treated her amazing but could treat her just as poorly. I equate this song to someone that was a drunk or drug addict that could be abusive. One thing Jana does in this that she does in the other sad songs is she sings it with feeling and pulls you into her pain.<br />
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I honestly don't believe there is a bad song on the album and there aren't many musicians that I will listen to their whole CD constantly and not grow tired of it (anything Carrie Underwood, anything Lady Antebellum, almost anything Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney's "When the Sun Goes Down," anything Daughtry, and anything Theory of A Deadman). Jana Kramer's CD has joined those quickly.<br />
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For a debut it sure is a strong one. My personal feeling is that its one of the better Country CDs we'll hear in 2012, whether sales reflect it or not. If you can catch her on the road with Brad Paisley I would suggest you do it. She's beautiful and has an amazing voice. <br />
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For the album I have to give it a 5/5. Some people may not care for all the songs regarding the girl who had her heartbroken or it may not be their type of country but anyone that is a fan of Country music should at least give the album a listen. I for one can not wait to see what Jana does for an encore, until then I'll catch up on her movies.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-3190654279186271482012-06-16T13:36:00.002-07:002012-06-17T09:03:43.393-07:00Reviewing a Free Box of 2011-12 Panini Titanium Hockey<br />
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<b>2011-12 Panini Titanium Hockey</b></div>
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Product Overview:</div>
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<b>CASE BREAK</b> (16-box master case)<br />
- One Rookie Card numbered to the player's sweater number! <br />
- One Home Sweaters autograph, featuring a pair of game-used swatches! <br />
- Three Hat Tricks triple memorabilia cards!</div>
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<b>My Experience </b></div>
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During the Stanley Cup Finals Panini America was giving away free boxes
and cards to a select few followers they chose at random on Twitter. One of the
prizes during Game 2, I believe, was a box of the brand-new 11-12 Titanium Hockey
that 4 lucky Panini followers would end up getting to bust. The next morning I
found out that I happened to be one of the four chosen during that night’s
contest.</div>
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Earlier this week the box arrived and when I got home from work I sat
down and eagerly tore through it. With only 5 packs per box and 4 cards per
pack I knew it would only be mere moments before I was done opening the packs
and needing to decide whether this product would be worth the $100 price tag
that it retails for. In fairness you
really can’t really deem a product good or bad over just one box. </div>
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Dubbed as a poor man’s “Upper Deck SP Game Used” you are guaranteed 5
autographs and/or memorabilia per box.
My box consisted of 3 memorabilia, 2 autographs, and 1 numbered parallel
out of the 20 cards. To me that was
better than my last box of SPGU where I received a memorabilia in every pack
and an autograph of JS Giguere for $150.</div>
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The first hit I pulled was a GU piece of JVR. Despite being a Flyer I
do like the kid so that’s not too bad. What I didn’t realize in the pack was
also a Spectrum Red of P.K. Subban. I guess going through the pack so fast I
didn’t pay attention to the foil and never saw the numbering /99 so this was a
nice added bonus as I went back through the packs but can’t help but feel that
I’ve either become too used to Panini’s products that the shiny card just
seemed like it was another base or if I just had a brain fart as I tried to get
through the whole box to see what all was in there.</div>
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In the second pack I hit an autograph of Carey Price. I figured this
was a card that probably sold in the $20-25 range which would be around the
average cost per pack, so far the first one to appear on ebay sold for $22+
shipping. For the record I’m not that kind of breaker but I do like to keep
tabs on value in case I do ever need to part ways with my pulls.</div>
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In the third pack I hit my second auto, this time a New Wave of Viktor
Stalberg. I follow hockey pretty closely but don’t recognize the name. Chalk
this up to your common base auto that you’d expect to receive in just about any
product. Also the New Wave reminds me of some Topps autographs, maybe like Game
Day from Topps Football.</div>
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Pack four yielded another memorabilia card, this one numbered to 199,
Hat Tricks which consisted of three members of the Carolina Hurricanes (Zach
Boychuk, Jamie McBain, and Justin Faulk).
The card reminds me of a triple memorabilia from another product from
another sport but I can’t put my finger on which one. Also these fall at 3 per
case.</div>
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Pack five yielded the final game used card, this of Ryan O’Reilly.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts </b></div>
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When I finished breaking it I did feel a bit disappointed, regardless
of it being free or not. At first I didn’t feel like this was a product I’d
want to pay $100 to bust and I’m hoping that by the time the National rolls
around in Baltimore it will be closer to a $70-80 break. However after seeing
some of the cards that others pulled I will say that this product has a lot of
promise and there are a ton of inserts that obviously weren’t pulled by me.
Also rookies are numbered to just their jersey number, and fall at ONE PER
CASE, so completing a set of Titanium hockey will not come easy.</div>
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As a sports card collector I’m not a big fan of sticker autos but can
accept them if done right and the player’s auto isn’t cut off. While the
stickers don’t always look great the fact that the background where
the stickers are placed is white does help ease the look. The Private Signings, which are a cross-brand
autograph insert that has appeared in quite a few products,are really sharp
looking and all on-card. This is much like the original Skybox Autographics but
the design hasn’t changed, which I think is perfect. I also approve of them using prime and patch differently than I've seen in the past...the patches are amazing.</div>
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One draw back to me is that they didn't include a checklist in the box. I'd have loved to know what exactly was available without going to their site or ebay but as you'll see in the pics that follow there are some big names with some great looking cards.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Randomly Inserted into Packs</b></div>
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Spectrum Ruby/Gold (100 cards) - See Ruby above</div>
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Rookie Draft Selection Parallels (100 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear (99 cards) - See above</div>
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Game-Worn Prime (91 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Patches (100 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Autographs (63 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Prime Autographs (49 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Patch Autographs (64 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Dual Memorabilia (50 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Dual Prime (46 cards)</div>
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Game-Worn Gear Dual Patches (50 cards)</div>
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Four Star Memorabilia/Prime/Patches (20 cards)</div>
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Hat Tricks (30 cards) - See above</div>
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Hat Tricks Memorabilia Prime (29 cards)</div>
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Hat Tricks Patches (29 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-TITANIUM-BURMISTROV-ENSTROM-BOGOSIAN-HAT-TRICKS-6-CL-TRIPLE-PATCH-15-JETS-/00/s/MTEzNVgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqF,%21ikE-inee630BP3IJCMqj%21%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-TITANIUM-BURMISTROV-ENSTROM-BOGOSIAN-HAT-TRICKS-6-CL-TRIPLE-PATCH-15-JETS-/00/s/MTEzNVgxNjAw/$%28KGrHqF,%21ikE-inee630BP3IJCMqj%21%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" width="200" /></a> </div>
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Quad Memorabilia (47 cards)</div>
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Quad Memorabilia Autographs (25 cards)</div>
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Six Star Memorabilia (25 cards)...kills me to put that punk ass in this blog but its a good looking card</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-TITANIUM-SIX-STAR-MEMORABILIA-JERSEY-PATCH-FIGHT-STRAP-SIDNEY-CROSBY-19-25-/00/s/NTgzWDc3NQ==/$%28KGrHqVHJEYE+Tc3qhHhBP2NInthEw%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-TITANIUM-SIX-STAR-MEMORABILIA-JERSEY-PATCH-FIGHT-STRAP-SIDNEY-CROSBY-19-25-/00/s/NTgzWDc3NQ==/$%28KGrHqVHJEYE+Tc3qhHhBP2NInthEw%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" width="200" /></a></div>
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Rookie Reserve Dual Memorabilia Autos/Prime Autos/Patch Autos (25
cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Titanium-RYAN-NUGENT-HOPKINS-Rookie-Reserve-Dual-JERSEY-AUTO-100-/00/s/NDk1WDY5NA==/$%28KGrHqR,%21jgE+SePTeP%28BP3%21T+cu%28g%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Titanium-RYAN-NUGENT-HOPKINS-Rookie-Reserve-Dual-JERSEY-AUTO-100-/00/s/NDk1WDY5NA==/$%28KGrHqR,%21jgE+SePTeP%28BP3%21T+cu%28g%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-TITANIUM-HOCKEY-ROOKIE-RESERVE-BEN-SCRIVENS-DUAL-PATCH-AUTO-5-15-/00/s/NjMyWDc4NQ==/$%28KGrHqNHJE4E+VBsQh7cBP2msPd6Cw%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-TITANIUM-HOCKEY-ROOKIE-RESERVE-BEN-SCRIVENS-DUAL-PATCH-AUTO-5-15-/00/s/NjMyWDc4NQ==/$%28KGrHqNHJE4E+VBsQh7cBP2msPd6Cw%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" width="200" /></a></div>
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Home Sweater Autographs (30 cards)</div>
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Home Sweater Prime Autographs (29 cards)</div>
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Home Sweater Patch Autographs (30 cards)</div>
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Road Sweater Autographs/Prime Autographs/Patch Autographs (30 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Titanium-Cam-Fowler-50-Auto-Jersey-Die-Cut-Anaheim-Ducks-Away-Sweater-/00/s/NzM3WDEwMjQ=/$%28KGrHqR,%21kwE-nGc8kuyBP3%21LbbsOQ%7E%7E60_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2011-12-Titanium-Cam-Fowler-50-Auto-Jersey-Die-Cut-Anaheim-Ducks-Away-Sweater-/00/s/NzM3WDEwMjQ=/$%28KGrHqR,%21kwE-nGc8kuyBP3%21LbbsOQ%7E%7E60_12.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Third Sweater Autographs/Prime Autographs/Patch Autographs (15 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Joe-Thornton-11-12-Titanium-Third-Sweater-Autographs-Auto-Jersey-11-25-/00/s/NDE4WDU2MA==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21hgE+WE89vWkBP2M-4W1pQ%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Joe-Thornton-11-12-Titanium-Third-Sweater-Autographs-Auto-Jersey-11-25-/00/s/NDE4WDU2MA==/$%28KGrHqZ,%21hgE+WE89vWkBP2M-4W1pQ%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" width="200" /></a></div>
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Draft Day Autographs (50 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/LOUIS-LEBLANC-11-12-TITANIUM-DRAFT-DAY-AUTOGRAPHS-52-99-MONTREAL-CANADIENS-/00/s/MTA0NFg3NDA=/$%28KGrHqJHJC%21E+Z6TqhnvBP3NNsMNe%21%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/LOUIS-LEBLANC-11-12-TITANIUM-DRAFT-DAY-AUTOGRAPHS-52-99-MONTREAL-CANADIENS-/00/s/MTA0NFg3NDA=/$%28KGrHqJHJC%21E+Z6TqhnvBP3NNsMNe%21%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007" width="141" /></a></div>
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Rookie Dual Signatures (30 cards)</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Titanium-Rookie-Dual-Signatures-Orlov-Eakin-50-/00/s/NTY2WDgwMA==/$%28KGrHqR,%21iwE-l5nSn%28-BP22v%28dtfg%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Titanium-Rookie-Dual-Signatures-Orlov-Eakin-50-/00/s/NTY2WDgwMA==/$%28KGrHqR,%21iwE-l5nSn%28-BP22v%28dtfg%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" width="200" /></a></div>
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Marks of Honor (20 cards) - beautiful set</div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Titanium-Marks-Honour-Autograph-Phil-Esposito-25-/00/s/Nzk5WDU3MA==/$%28KGrHqV,%21hME-Y,Gil%293BP26pt1G%28Q%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/11-12-Panini-Titanium-Marks-Honour-Autograph-Phil-Esposito-25-/00/s/Nzk5WDU3MA==/$%28KGrHqV,%21hME-Y,Gil%293BP26pt1G%28Q%7E%7E60_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F" width="142" /></a></div>
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Titanium Reserve Autographs (50 cards) - See above</div>
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New Wave Signatures (50 cards) - See Above</div>
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Private Signings (38 cards)</div>
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Private Signings Platinum (9 cards)</div>
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Rookies</div>
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<br /></div>Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829706865966146659.post-57190041093261086112012-05-07T05:56:00.000-07:002012-05-07T07:03:08.449-07:00Bryce Harper: The Phenom Has ArrivedI won't deny that I've been in the tank for Bryce Harper since I read the article on him in Sports Illustrated when he was just 16 years old. I was amazed by what I read, the highlights on ESPN, and the determination the kid displayed to fast track himself to get drafted which included graduating high school a year early and enrolling into a junior college. I may not have agreed with the route he took but the old ballplayer inside of me, the one that grew up wanting to one day put on an Orioles uniform, couldn't help but wonder not only what if for myself but what could be for this young man.<br />
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Fast forward to 2010 and Bryce Harper is drafted by the Washington Nationals. Are you kidding me? A year after my local team drafts a pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, that is supposed to be the next sure thing, with teh 1st overall pick, the team is able to draft Harper 1st overall? Someone pinch me! Mind you I had finally started to really embrace the Nationals team, something I've been overly critical of many within the DMV of not doing, especially of late. In fact the only time you'd see fans at Nationals home games would be games started by Strasburg or when the Phillies came to town, and most of them were Phillies fans. Of course when Nationals Park opened the stadium did sell out and was bonkers but from what I was told just about every home opener since then saw numbers that left something to be desired despite what the team's announced attendance was.<br />
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I thought for sure that trend would change this season. The team ended last year playing .500 ball, Strasburg was coming back and there was an outside chance that this Harper kid could make the majors out of Spring Training, he didn't. I mean of course he didn't! Harper did very well in AA before being fast-tracked to AAA ball where he struggled a bit and then had his Spring Training shortened by injury and didn't really get things going but you knew despite what GM Mike Rizzo said, manager Davey Johnson wanted to get this kid up to "The Show" as soon as possible, even if it meant losing an extra year of holding onto his rights.<br />
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Fast forward to April 27th and Bryce Harper makes his debut as the Nationals Left Fielder against the Los Angeles Dodgers. When I found out he had been called up I texted my cousin and my boss and was totally surprised by the move. I had read he was struggling in AAA ball, though he had started to pick up his production, but thought for sure he was more likely to come up in June than April. I also was disappointed that his Major League debut would be coming on the road instead of at home but I quickly realized that was best because there was enough pressure on the kid, who has come under constant scrutiny since appearing on that SI cover, that starting him on the road should actually take some of the pressure off him.<br />
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Mind you this is a kid that has no problem saying exactly what he wants regardless of the backlash that may come from it, heck even as recently as February I was a little miffed at the kid because of some of the things he said on Twitter, he's since shut down his account. It wasn't that he said anything bad, even in his interviews he was always straight with things but it was more of the sports rivalry aspect. Reading that Bryce is a fan of the Duke Blue Devils, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Cowboys would not only make him a #1 target of ridicule amongst the fans in the area, Chad Dukes called him a douche, but it alost caused me to believe he was one of "those people," you know the bandwagon fans that only likes a team because of the media and hype that surrounds them. I can't stand any of those teams but I will say I respsect each of them for what they have done and brought to each of their respect sports. Those issues, while petty, were minor compared to the national attention he received last year when he got tossed for arguing balls and strikes and for blowing a kiss to an opposing pitcher after he hit a home run. That kiss quickly made him the anti-hero in baseball and despite me shaking my head in disapproval I admit that I liked it. The kid showed up the other guy, sure but that edge showed me something, I just couldn't put my finger on it at the time.<br />
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Whatever feelings I may have had about Bryce's personal choices or immaturity, which teammates say he has overcome, can easily be ignored after his debut though. This kid won me over with his hustle, I mean damn he nearly beat out a comebacker to the pitcher. Every ground ball that kid is flying, if he has a chance for an extra base he takes it. He plays the game the way it should be played. He's a star in the majors at 19 and I do fear that one day he'll get complacent and won't try as hard or he'll step wrong on a base and blow out his knee or dislocate his ankle, but the kid plays the way I wish every multi-million dollar athlete would, running out ground balls, running at full speed, and sacrifice his body making a catch like he did in his first game in CF as he crashed into the wall. After all of this I told a friend that Bryce is the real deal to which he responded "he's a dick." Fine let him be a dick but I'd still take a team of Bryce Harpers over a team of just about any other player in the league.<br />
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Bryce has now been up for a little over a week and while he hasn't displayed the power he did before getting drafted he has shown he belongs in the majors and it seems the team now plans to keep him there, whether choice or by force, due to injuries to Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse, and Jayson Werth, arguably the teams three best hitters. What Bryce has lacked in power he has made up for in smart plays though, the sad thing is that until this weekend, no one had shown up to Nationals Park to see it. For a stadium that can seat around 42,000 the team could have built a stadium for 24,000 and still have trouble filling it most nights including his home debut and it has less to do with the team, who was tied for the best record in baseball going into yesterday, as much as it does with the fans in the DMV. <br />
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This brings us to last night. Bryce Harper would finally have all eyes on him as the Nationals and Phillies finished up their weekend series on ESPN. The Nats had already won the first two games of the series and the Phillies had preferred to pitch around Harper rather than face his bat. In his first at bat of the game Phillies pitcher, Cole Hamels, hit Bryce in the side with the first pitch he saw. Later Hamels would admit what everyone pretty much knew, it was a "welcome to the big leagues, kid" pitch that he intended to hit him with. Pretty much it was an initiation, old school baseball. Hamels could be facing a suspension for it and he ended up having to pay for it, twice. The next batter, Werth, blooped a single to left and Harper took off and ended up at third, on a play that most ballplayers would have stopped at second. Then when the next batter came up Hamels decided to try and keep Werth close at 1st and attempted a pick-off to 1st base which was enough for Harper to take off for home plate and steal home. The crowd went nuts and the kid made a statement with that play while basically dropping a bit ol "SUCK IT" to Hamels and the Phillies. Later in the game Hamels got plunked by Jordan Zimmerman so despite a double dose of payback the Phillies ended up with the win.<br />
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So while the team lost, the story of the game was Harper. He showed he belonged, showed he's gutsy, showed he's ready to embrace every rivalry. I for one love watching him play and will be tuning in every chance I get to see him play. He's eccentric, he's polarizing, he's the 2000's version of Charlie Hustle (Pete Rose for those who don't know). In fact his game reminds me a bit of Jackie Robinson on the bases mixed with Wade Boggs at the plate. I've watched the game since I was 5 and I'm no expert by any means but the style of both players is what I see in his actions and that's really a compliment to him and maybe a bit of a diservice to them but time will tell. <br />
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Earlier this week Bryce threw a bullet to the plate that beat the runner, though the umpire made the wrong call, and since then teams have refused to test his arm. Between him and Rick Ankiel the Nats are a strong armed outfielder away from holding teams from ever attempting to score on a sacrifice fly. I have yet to see him make a mistake, except for that AWFUL hair cut..I mean seriously its like half mo-hawk and half mullet...he looks like someone put some road kill on his damn head...lose the possum..but I digress, so let's just say I have yet to see him make a mistake on the field but that't not to say he won't, and he's played smart baseball beyond his years. On the national stage in front of a nationwide audience the Harper, got plunked, stole home, took an extra base on at least two occassions (he hit a soft bloop to left and turned it into a double, and made a great diving grab, for the first out of the inning, while keeping the runner, albeit the pitcher, at third, that eventually saw the Nats get out of a bases loaded no out jam.<br />
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As I said my fear is the kid will hurt himself hustling all the time but he's also a well conditioned athlete. I'm not worried about him not becoming this monster power hitter or turning from his Mormon upbringing and falling the route of Josh Hamilton into a life of drugs and alcohol. I am worried that he'll be so good that the Yankees or another big name club will come to him when he becomes a free agent and offers him a contract of like $300million over 10 years and DC will no longer have Bryce Haper because in a city full of egos and controversy this is one character whom I'd like to keep around. Hopefully as Bryce and the Nats get exposure the team will start to draw more fans. One thing is for certain, after last night many women, and some men, in the DMV will be offering up themselves to have Bryce Haper's babies.Scooterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595586322582938829noreply@blogger.com0