Another Day With The Attendees of the 2010 NFL Rookie Premiere

Today was the second time I had a chance to interact with the attendees of the 2010 Rookie Premiere, and though it wasnt as epic as Friday night, today was still a very fun time. I arrived at Santa Monica High School around 11:45 and made my way over to the event. Panini was set up there with a booth next to the merch tent from NFLPA, as well as a DJ from 102.7 KIIS FM. The music from the field was already blaring, so I couldnt really see the point of an extra place for music, but whatever. They also had Coffee Bean stuff there for sale, but they looked bored without anyone coming to buy.

Panini handed out packs of 2009 Prestige, which came in very handy in the later parts of the event. They were also handing out mammoth posters that featured all the rookie cards from 2010 Prestige, though I was kind of disappointed they didnt have current packs to open for the rookies at the event.

There were a ton of fans lining the entry way looking to get autographs, and as the event participants rolled in, they signed for just about everyone. The people I recognized immediately were Brandon Routh, who played Superman in the latest film, Bill Bellamy of MTV fame, and one of the Sklar brothers who had a show on ESPN Classic as well as some well known stand up comedy stuff.

I walked around a little before making my way up to Media/VIP check in, but there really wasnt much happening on the actual grounds of the event until things got going. NFLPA had set up huge video screens and decorated everything to the nines, so that was cool too. As I walked into the tent where all the event personnel were hanging out, I could see that once again, the NFLPA didnt mistreat its people.

Just like on Friday, the spread was impressive, this time featuring sandwiches from a great local deli, sweets from a local restaurant, salads and steak sandwiches from Morton's steakhouse, among other stuff. No one was really there when the event started, so I grabbed some food and waited to see if any of the card people were going to come. Much to my dismay, none of them were able to make it to the event, except for a few people I had met on Friday night from Upper Deck. I later found out that some of them had some very unfortunate circumstances at the hotel involving cars and towing. It was really too bad they couldnt be there.

A few of the rookies that were still in town showed up around 12:30 in a big group, and I used the opportunity to fill out my collection of autographs from the guys I didnt have. The first person I talked to was Eric Decker, a Broncos wide receiver who walked in wearing his new jersey. He was an alum of the University of Minnesota, and a VERY nice guy, so we chatted about our common heritage and Minnesota connection. He was happy to sign a card for me, which was great, considering how few people were actually there.

CJ Spiller walked in next, with Dexter McCluster, Damian Williams, and Demaryius Thomas in tow. Ben Tate, Golden Tate, and Toby Gerhart walked in next, followed by Mardy Gilyard and Arrelious Benn. I didnt have either of the Tates, and both were happy to sign for me. Everyone who was there started taking pictures with them, and reporters from the school newspaper interviewed a few of them. That would have been an awesome experience to have as a high schooler, thats for sure.

I noticed Eric Dickerson sitting at a table waiting for his game to start, so I walked over and chatted to him about life after football. He lives very close to me in the valley here in LA, and was a very nice guy all around. I didnt realize how cool his signature looked until he was finished signing, and it was one that I was glad to have.

TJ Houshmanzadeh was also there, and here is where it was handy to have a never ending supply of Panini cards for him to sign. Everyone there had his 2009 Prestige card and he signed about 4 of them before I got a chance. He was also a class act, but laughed when his card featured him as a Bengal.

I had CJ Spiller sign a football I brought with me, and he was much more friendly about it than on Friday night. he gave me a full sig with a personalization, and I could not be happier about it. Maurice Jones Drew was also milling about, but he was extremely busy filming stuff for the NFL network. Lucky I got him previously, because I didnt see an opportunity this time around.

Because I was wearing my Vikings shirt, Toby Gerhart came up and said "Go Vikes!" before getting in line to get some lunch. I got in line behind him, and asked him how yesterday went. He said he had a blast, and it was really cool to see all his cards that were being made. He loved the first opportunity to get dressed in full garb, and said he was glad he got to attend. He was wearing a Topps hat, something I didnt expect.

All in all, this weekend was a tremendous experience, and I am glad I got to be a part of it before I left Los Angeles for good. This rookie class, with few exceptions, were a bunch of amazing guys, and I hope that somewhere in the ranks there is a few NFL Superstars in the making. Because of my interactions with them, I have acquired a few new targets for next year, and thankfully there are going to be some awesome cards. Upper Deck, Panini, and Topps did a great job putting this event together, as always, and hopefully in the future I can make it back for another one.

My Night At The 2010 NFL Rookie Premiere

Just from living here in Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to do things that I never would have thought possible. In 2008 I was able to attend the red carpet premiere of Guitar Hero III, where Poison played a spectacular show for less than 500 people. There were celebrities, there was great food, open bar, the works. That was nothing compared to what I got to do last night.

Because of some inside information, I knew where the players were going to be and when they were going to be there. Being the autograph hound I am, I decided it was worth an effort to try to get signatures from as many of the rookies as I could. As there is every year, there is a huge party in Santa Monica the night before the main event, so I made it a point to be at the venue as the players arrived. Boy am I glad I decided to go.

I arrived around 6:45 and sat down in the lobby with a stack of cards freshly pulled from packs of Prestige and notecards for the players I couldnt get. I had a football as well, but I was going to save it for the right moment. Around 7:00 players started walking in, no entourage, no anything. I walked up to Ndamukong Suh, who was probably one of the biggest beasts I had ever seen and asked if he could sign one of my cards. He was extremely nice, and happily obliged. As soon as people saw that the players were there, three others started to walk over. He signed for all of them without blinking an eye and even chatted with us for a few moments.

Ryan Mathews was next, and like Suh, he was incredibly nice. He posed for pictures, he signed whatever we wanted and hung around for a few minutes. As a Chargers player, he had to sign for just about everyone, but he was cordial and never made any notice of being swarmed.

Dexter McCluster stopped by as well, but didnt say much. Oddly enough, he hung around the lobby the most of any of the players before everything started.

After Mathews left, Eric Berry walked in, but was more hesitant to sign for us. After he got a few requests from kids there, he ended up signing for everyone, taking pictures and so on.

Jimmy Clausen showed up while Berry was signing, and I broke away immediately to go and get him. Clausen was a BIG guy, surprisingly, and signed the first of my cards that I had brought with me. He was somewhat cold at first, but didnt have a problem playing the role once he realized that we were all there.

Demaryius Thomas showed up around the same time as Clausen, so I had him sign the card I had for him as well. He was VERY shy and just passed through on his way to the elevator.

After Thomas left, it was about 7:20, and we hit a lull. We waited for more people, but no one showed until around 7:30. Thats when things got nuts. First Maurice Jones Drew, who was there for the NFL network walked in, and no one even noticed him. Once we got a clue, who he was, he nicely signed for the two of us who walked up to him. Then CJ Spiller walked in the door, and you could tell that everyone wanted his picture and autograph. He signed a card for me, though he didnt say much to anyone. That was two big names off my list. Then the boom fell.

Tim Tebow walked in, and he was pretty much on a mission. He saw that all his player friends were signing, did a complete 180 and headed straight the other way for the elevator. I was standing right there and asked him for his autograph to give away on the site. He shrugged me off with a "not now" as a woman walked up for a picture. She shoved the camera in my hands and asked for a shot, which I took. At that point, a bald guy walked up and confronted the five or six of us that were there. He wasnt with the hotel, but told us to leave because we were "harassing" the guests. Jumping on his cell phone, he said "im going to get hotel management over here" and pointed to the door. At this point, I was more interested in avoiding confrontation because I had just received news that I was going to be able to attend the actual party that night.

Shaking with excitement over the news of my party pass, I walked outside and waited for it to arrive. In the meantime, I saw a bunch of familiar faces milling about, including Tracy Hackler, but ill get to that later.

After my pass arrived, I chilled for a while to see if anyone else was going to show up. At around 7:45, I met up with Chris Carlin and Terry Melia of Upper Deck for a pre-arranged meeting and we walked into the party. It was like a mecca of complete ridiculous-ness and awesome-ness. I couldnt believe that I was going to be able to experience it, and was glad that I brought a huge stack of notecards. There was food, there was drink, there was everything, and it was pimped out with EA sports stuff and NFL players EVERYWHERE.

Considering I had never met Chris or Terry face to face before, I spent time with them talking about life and the upcoming year. Both of them were incredibly friendly, and were just happy to be in such a cool place, just like I was. For guys who spend their days around this sort of stuff, they seemed like fans too, it was kind of refreshing in a way. Chris promised me that this year, Upper Deck's stuff would be incredible for football, despite the fact that their NFL license was gone. He knew it would be tough to carve out a new niche, but he felt confident that the design team would continue to make Upper Deck's products look better than any others out there.

After we were done chatting, I started to walk around. The spread they had set up was crazy beyond belief. The party spanned the entire pool area, bordering the beach and the ocean, something that added a bunch of allure to the status of the event itself. They had a station where they made their own Chili, a station with a Mini Donut making company who did fresh donuts, a table filled with candy and caramel apples, a sliders station (chicken, pulled pork, burgers, and other stuff), a mashed potatoes station, and of course, an open bar. It was the first time I wished I hadnt had my surgery, but I was okay settling on the smell of the food rather than eating it.

In the midst of walking around, I got Sam Bradford to sign another card for me, Clausen to sign my football, Arrelious Benn to sign a card, and a few others. I still hadnt seen Toby Gerhart, which was sad, so I decided to schmooze a little more. I was introduced to a few distributors and others who were there, all of which were pretty shocked to see me. I saw Tracy Hackler again, and introduced myself, we chatted for 30 seconds and I walked away. Nothing bad, just wanted to actually meet him.

After my Beckett encounter, I started to chat with the Marketing director for Upper Deck, who may have been one of the nicest people at the party. She was so happy and excited about the weekend, and I saw exactly why she had her job. She treated me more like a friend than a blogger, which I very much appreciated, and I hope I get copies of the pictures she took of all of us (hint hint).

I was in line to get some water when Scott Prusha of Panini walked right up to me and got in my face. Decked out in Adrenalyn garb for their new product he laid into me for past posts on SCU. For a smaller gentleman, he can be quite intimidating, thats for sure. I held my ground, hoping he wouldnt go too far into our history, but he wanted to make some points, and I was more than willing to hear what he had to say. We talked for about 20 minutes, and he actually had some pretty invaluable advice that I will definitely be using in the future for this site. After he warmed up a little, he wanted me to know that he really wasnt concerned with the business side of my blog, but more the history of my actions. He understood that my opinion on Panini products was just that, and didnt really care about what I said. He told me he really didnt read the site anymore, which was fine, but he was happy that the baby was doing well. Scott and I broke our conversation on good terms, but its not like we are going out for a drink any time soon.

At this point, it was about 8:30, and I was nearing the end of my rope with being away from the baby. I still hadnt found Toby Gerhart in the sea of 250 people, but I was determined. I spotted him at a corner table sitting with Colt McCoy, and approached him immediately. I told him I was from Minneapolis and asked him how things were going. He was genuinely a class act and started laughing about the picture from his Prestige card. They passed it around and he signed it for me. Colt McCoy signed another card for me, and I had determined my night was complete.

I saw Tim Tebow again, waiting in line for something, and tried approaching him more in a different situation than before. Again he told me he wouldnt sign and shrugged me off again. Others were coming up to him as well, to which they got the same answer. From what I was told, Tebow didnt sign a single autograph all night long.

Before I left, I had a great chat with a person from the Washington Post about writing and the way each person builds their brand. Chris had told him all about the site, and he thought it was pretty cool that I would be so passionate about writing about this stuff. Being on the business side of the paper, he completely understood the building of a "character" in your writing, and wished me the best of luck with the blog. Going to school in Washington DC meant that we had lots to talk about, hopefully Ill have another shot at talking to him in the future.

I think the most surprising thing about the night, other than the accessibility of the players, was how well the card companies got along. Even though they are in a brutally competitive industry, and really would benefit from each other's destruction, they are all on good terms with each other. The goal of the night, and the weekend really, was to promote the cards and the players, something that definitely resonated with me. I know that I can get caught up in the soft underbelly of what goes on around the hobby, but this night was a completely positive experience thanks to the professionalism of the people from Upper Deck and Panini. Congrats on that to all of them, I want them to know that.

All in all, this night was epic to say the least, something I will never forget. A huge thank you to Chris and Upper Deck, Scott and Panini, and Clay from Topps for putting on a great event with EA Sports. It was truly the best way to leave Los Angeles behind, I had the time of my life.

My State of the Union: Happy Second Birthday SCU!

Today is the day that SCU was born, two years ago. In fact, I cannot believe its been two years already. Feels like yesterday I was just another angry collector. Although the blog is two years old now, reaching over 20,000 visitors per month, and is responsible for people recognizing me at card shows, its still fun to do each and every day. I cant think of a reason why I would have kept going if it hadnt been fun this whole time. I have obviously had my ups and downs, built and burned bridges, and even inspired a few hate blogs in retaliation, but that is never an occurance I would have fathomed possible in the beginning of this site. SCU has outgrown even my own dreams for this once tiny blog.

When I started SCU, I was looking for a place to write, mainly because of my background in English from my undergrad at George Washington U. I loved creative writing, and I knew that I wanted some place to express it. Unlike most creative writers, I needed to write solely about something I love, and cards became that subject after a few tries at other things. Its rare that one can find something that provides as much material as this hobby has, and I am glad to say that material is not drying up either.

I think its also rare to find a community of people like we have here in the card blogger network, something that is one of the best things about the hobby. When I started you could pretty much count the blogs on two hands, instead of now, where hundreds of people have signed up to write about what they collect. I didn’t even know about sites like Stale Gum or Wax Heaven at the beginning of my tenure here, but I soon came to understand what it meant to have to work to get to the top. Chris and Mario were two of the first people to welcome me to the net, even going above and beyond to help educate me in some cases. It was easy to see how much work they put into their sites, and it was where I discovered how to turn SCU into where it is today. Although the community is much, much bigger now, I consistently see others working together to spread the word, supporting their bretheren and sisteren(?) regardless of whether or not they agree. A blogger is a blogger, no matter the site, and almost all of us understand that speaking out is worth supporting, no matter the discussion topics.

The community itself has led to a number of events that wouldn’t be possible without a wonderful community. Whether it’s the wildly successful group breaks on here and other sites, the blog bat around (which will be making a comeback shortly), or even just the twitter discussions we all seem to have daily, we have created a media source unlike any other. No editors or people to answer to, no alterior motives, no bullshit, we do it because we love it, and that’s what makes it great.

On top of all of that, blogs have often become the defacto police force of the internet, a role I take very seriously here. Fakes and scams have always been a huge target for me, even before SCU, as my crusader nature has always lent well to rooting out the douchebags who make the hobby a terrible place. I will voice a commitment to continue that as long as this site is up, as I don’t think I will ever be able to let someone take advantage of an uninformed collector without saying something first. Not only that, but I hope others will do the same thing, as our voices collectively is much more powerful.

Now that two years have past, its tough not to look towards the future, which is becoming more and more uncertain with the drastic changes coming in my life. Although Im not sure how active I will be able to stay, I know that all the people who live to hate me arent going to win any time soon. You have already seen guest posts from Voluntarheel, and he will not be the only one taking up the SCU flag in the future. One of the great things about having a site like this is it becomes easier to connect with likeminded people, thus giving me a good bullpen to work with when I cant meet the demands of the site. Thank you in advance to those people.

Speaking of haters, I have oddly developed a following of fans whose sole purpose is to express how awful of a person I am. Whether its claiming that I am laughably paid by Upper Deck, or any number of other things they like to harp on, I cant help but laugh (and ignore) their constant prodding. Much to their chagrin, it is one of the reasons that SCU has survived as long as it has, and most likely will be a reason why it will continue to thrive. There is no such thing as bad publicity, and I take the good with the bad in terms of people. It also helps that the letters from new collectors I get daily always contradict everything they say, as I have always prided myself at being a resource for uniformed people looking for info.

Lastly, thank you to the fans of SCU, the people who make this site a daily stop on their trek through the web. I live for you guys and gals, and you drive me towards success more than anything or anyone else. Nothing makes me happier than helping someone find an answer, start a blog, or even just talk about the hobby in their own way, and I think the favor is returned every day in many numbers of awesome ways. Then to see their support help get SCU onto ESPN, Deadspin, and Yardbarker's front page, makes me even more thankful for the copious amounts of support they give.

Lets face it, I may not be the easiest person to agree with, read about, or cheer for, but I appreciate the ability to be a part of your favorite pasttime. Thank you all, and here's to another two years!

Jared Allen At The Sun Times Show: Results Are Just As Awesome

Along with Percy Harvin, I also commissioned someone to get me Jared Allen, who was also signing at the show. Eric did a great job with helping me out, and I now have a second piece to add to my collection that I absolutely love. Although the price turned out to be a little more expensive than I had originally hoped, I still think it was well worth the money.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Thanks again to Eric!

Percy Harvin At The Sun Times Show: Results Are AWESOME

First off, I want to thank James for doing this for me. He was nice, communicative, and incredibly easy to work with. You have made me very happy.

Secondly, I discussed a few days ago how much I loved autographs, and this one is definitely a new centerpiece to my Percy Harvin collection. From the pics it looks absolutely amazing, and very much worth the money I spent to have it taken care of.

I cant wait to have it in hand, should be perfect next to my Peterson one.

What a rush!

A Thank You To The Fletcher Group

Most of you have probably noticed the new SCU logo on the side to replace my little south park guy. As much as I love angry Gellman, it wasnt conducive to use outside of the blog. Matt Lange, a long time reader, approached me a few weeks ago and asked if he could do some work on the site to build a portfolio for his new job as creative director for the Fletcher Group. Of course I approved, and gave him some guidelines for what I needed.

The new "SCU Sleeve Patch" is absolutely awesome and should look great as the logo of the site. Thank you to both Matt and Amanda, they are truly a great design firm.

Here is a blurb from her about the company:

The Fletcher Group is a full service advertising agency located in Monroe, LA. We are proficient in producing for Radio, TV, Print, Motion and Still, everything under the sun. We have the title of "full service ad agency" but I feel as though we are like no other agency around. Let me tell you a little of how this place got started, and where we are headed.

A while back my friend and mentor Lee Fletcher started this agency. He was a huge political buff, wanted to base things off of political campaigns. Money was good, the firm's name was getting out there, and it got to be where this place was the 'go to' place for your political consulting. Lee sadly passed away this past year after a battle with cancer, and it was up to us to continue his legacy. Since I had been in charge during his absence, Lee left the business in my stead. Although Lee is no longer with us, I adopted his goal to make our company the best on the planet.

After taking over, I invited my friend Matt Lange to come rock out as Creative Director. Matt previously served a year as the Creative Director for The Fletcher Group, winning multiple ADDY awards for television. Now he is back with authority. With Matt returning to The Fletcher Group, our spectrum of work has drastically changed as we branch out into many genres of marketing. A bulk of those new avenues are in the sports arena, where we are very proud to have Adam and the SCU be a part of. Needless to say, making our break into sports designs, and commercial sports photography, is definitely where it's at.

Matt and I have the bases loaded, and we're just hitting grand slams left and right. Not only are we doing it well, we want to do it for you. Thanks!

To get in touch with them for your company or site, call The Fletcher Group at 318.323.2700 or visit them at tfgads.com

My Obligatory Year In Review

2009 was a pretty epic year for me, with good times had by all around me. Although there were some hard times in terms of the economy, in my personal life, things could not have been better. Although I hate doing posts like this, I feel that this year was a good enough adventure to put it in the blog just this once.

It all started with an explosion of awesome, as in the beginning of 2009 I had just gotten married, gotten promoted, and the blog and my collection were hitting their strides. The blog started 2009 at around 300 visits a day, and within weeks of the new year I was seeing record numbers at the site, and many people in the industry were even starting to take notice. In March, I had the first anniversary of the creation of SCU, and at that point I felt a keen sense of accomplishment knowing that I had kept it going for so long. I never expected it to go very far, and to have one year under my belt was crazy. I also started doing the blog bat arounds, which was meant to be a way to showcase the expansion of the card blogger network. Each time they happened, I found myself continually impressed with my collegues and their skills as bloggers. I think that due to the talents displayed on our sites, the card blogs have become just as much of a news source, if not more, for the informed collector base out there. Due to that fact, other sources have tried to keep up, and mostly failed in the process.

SCU Breaks also hit a chord this year with most of the people who participated, and the pulls we had were nothing short of fantastic. There was never any manufacturer involvement, just straight box breaks bought from the same places that everyone buys from. The highlight was probably the 2 box Prime Cuts break we did, with a Jim Thorpe/Joe Jackson pull and a ridiculous Cal Ripken Jr. pull. The recent 2009 Limited Football break was also amazing, netting us a low numbered Matt Ryan auto, a low numbered Percy Harvin auto, and a coveted Limited Letter auto as well. We also broke a few boxes of Upper Deck Exquisite (which we will do again), which were highlighted by a Chris Johnson Patch Auto, and a Walter Payton patch card.

Holy Hitter also organized the first monthly box breaking club, breaking everything from SP Authentic to National Treasures. One box pulled a Bob Waterfield cut auto, as well as a four color Trent Edwards patch auto, so you can see what I mean when I say that you should not pass up any of these opportunities in the future. He also managed an awesome Peyton Manning auto for the group as well as a sweet Bo Jackson, and a cut of Clyde "Bulldog" Turner and Sammy Baugh.

As for my Personal Pulls, I did pretty well. I had some luck with packs in the recent months, and the Mohammed Massaquoi red refractor auto I got out of 2009 Bowman Chrome was probably the best I had all year. The other cards in contention were the triple auto I pulled out of SPX or the Shadow Box auto of Chris Johnson that is on eBay as we speak.

Now that its December 31st and I am looking back, I definitely had fun in 2009. My favorite products of the year were either 2008 SP Authentic or 2008 Exquisite, as expected, although 2009 Topps Chrome was surprisingly wonderful. My least favorites, also as expected, were 2009 Triple Threads and many of the Panini releases this year, as the stale and sometimes outrageously awful designs and horrible concepts really got me fired up on numerous occasions.

We also saw some favorites of the card blogger network hang it up, and I still miss reading their view points day in and day out. One was obviously Mario's recent goodbye at Wax Heaven, but also Dave's departure at fielder's choice. Both were big supporters of this site, and I always love seeing comments from both sporadically now.

My battles with Beckett continued this year as well, as they took their magazine to some of the most idiotic places, even I thought were impossible. The price guide and crap they put out on a daily basis is still awful and driven by the same factors it had been when the year started, and I am still disgusted daily with their arrogant propaganda they spew from all parts of their internet entities. However, I wasnt the only one who was raging against the idiot brigade this year, as Rob from VOTC took it to them at the National.

I also took it upon myself to explore other mediums that I could reach people this year, and I think I had more fun than I expected writing over at the UD Blog and for Tuff Stuff as the "Hobby Watchdog." I hope that next year will give me new opportunites as well, with my eye on reaching as many new collectors as possible. I also have to highlight the wonderful relationship with Blowout Cards, as they have somehow become the biggest blogosphere ad wagon around. They were nice enough to let me be a part of their massive Black Friday sale, and I loved every minute of it. For the future, I want bigger and better, and god only knows what that may be. This site has been featured on Deadspin and Yardbarker, so maybe I can set my sites on more national audiences. Aaron Gleeman was recently brought to my attention as a role model, though I doubt my niche audience would ever grow to even a sliver of a fraction of what he gets.

Now a few thanks to people I owe some gratitude. First, thanks to the now 275,000 plus people that have visited this site. SCU, until recent holidays, got around 650 a day, which is almost double where I started this year. You guys are what drive me to spend the time on this site each week, and all of my successes are thanks to the support I receive. Second, on the other hand, thanks to the haters who seem to think that they are going to have some effect on the way I do things. My ass is a lot cleaner thanks to the toilet paper they seem to send me on a daily basis, its sure been nice to have your thoughts to use in that way. Im sure they are happy to know that they are just as much a reason why I keep on going.

Of course, thank you to my wonderful wife, who actually admitted to me recently that she does read the site quite often, even if she hates football and only is mildly interested in cards. I have gotten her to want to open the packs each time I get some, so hey, thats a start right? Lastly, thanks to Russ, Rob, Matt, Dave, Mario, Sooz, Marie, Chris, Ben, Jeff(x2), AR, Chris, Pat, Toby, Shawn and the rest of my twitter buds, your suggestions, support and help have been greatly appreciated.

Here is to a happy and healthy new year, all the best from myself to you and your families. Thanks for making SCU a part of your day, I look forward to what is in store for 2010.

SCU Breaks is Back! 3 Boxes of 2009 Limited Football - FULL

SCU Breaks has been on hiatus for a while, but it is back and better than ever with 3 Boxes of 2009 Leaf Limited Football! Previous breaks have netted us some MAJOR pulls, and I think it is a cool little perk to get you guys a new way to get involved in the site.

I would especially like to thank to Chris at Blowoutcards, because he has offered a special price for us, thus making this even more of an affordable and fun experience for those who join. In addition to my thanks for their sponsorship of this break, I would encourage you to go check out their amazing prices over at Blowoutcards.com.

The way this will work is you will pay a flat fee via paypal for two random teams, which will be assigned via random.org. For the two teams you get, you will receive all the cards and hits that we pull in the boxes broken. That means that if you are drawn the Jets and Lions, all those cards will be coming your way. For all dual team cards, I will have a random drawing for those involved. Cards go to player's team pictured ON THAT CARD. Vikings Favre goes to Vikings, Packers Favre goes to Packers. Questions on rules can be posted below, or search SCU Breaks at the top of the page.

PAYMENT: Please send all payments to gellmana@gmail.com via paypal, no checks or MOs accepted, USA readers only without contact first. I will not be participating in this break, and will perform all randoms and box breaks via youtube. Your spot is not confirmed until payment is sent.

Each two team slot is $16 to cover shipping, paypal fees and supplies. You may purchase multiple slots, but the max per person is 3, unless we are unable to fill this break. Slots and owners are listed below, box will be ordered the day the break is filled.

Slots:

1. Frank (PAID)

2. Jason (PAID)

3. Jeff NCS (PAID)

4. Arfmax (PAID)

5. Voluntarheel (PAID)

6. Voluntarheel (PAID)

7. Chuck (PAID)

8. Captain C (PAID)

9. TJ (PAID)

10. Bobby (PAID)

11. Bobby (PAID)

12. Erik I (PAID)

13. Erik I (PAID)

14. Albert (PAID)

15. Albert (PAID)

16. Chad (PAID)

Teams may be traded up until the day of the break, a trading post will be posted as soon as random is done. Slots are first come first serve, and fill quickly, so be on your toes. I will do my best to update as soon as I get payment.

More of these will be coming depending on the success of this break, so be sure to stay tuned to this site, as well as SCU on Twitter, for the most up to date info. Blowout is also known for posting some great twitter specials on their page, and I would follow them ASAP.

Here is more product info from BlowoutCards.com:

Configuration: 1 pack per box. 5 cards per pack.

PER BOX ITEMS:
- 2 Autograph Or Memorabilia Cards (At Least One Autograph)
- 1 Legend Or Parallel

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

AUTOGRAPHED MATERIAL PHENOMS ROOKIE CARD LINEUP FEATURING:
Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Michael Crabtree, Chris Wells, Jeremy Maclin, Pat White, Shonn Greene, Donald Brown, Josh Freeman, LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Brian Robiskie, Javon Ringer, Brandon Pettigrew, Kenny Britt, Mohamed Massaquoi, Glen Coffee

LEGENDARY MATERIALS FEATURING:
Walter Payton, Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Doak Walker, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, John Elway, Lance Alworth, Sammy Baugh, Barry Sanders, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman

AUTOGRAPHED LIMITED SLIDESHOW CARDS FEATURING THE 2009 ROOKIES:
Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Michael Crabtree, Chris Wells, Jeremy Maclin, Pat White, Shonn Greene, Donald Brown, Josh Freeman, LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Brian Robiskie, Javon Ringer, Brandon Pettigrew, Kenny Britt, Mohamed Massaquoi, Glen Coffee

PRO BOWL LETTERMEN MATERIALS FEATURING:
Kurt Warner, Eli Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne

AUTOGRAPHED LIMITED LETTERMEN CARDS FEATURING THE 2009 ROOKIES:
Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Michael Crabtree, Chris Wells, Jeremy Maclin, Pat White, Shonn Greene, Donald Brown, Josh Freeman, LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Brian Robiskie, Javon Ringer, Brandon Pettigrew, Kenny Britt, Mohamed Massaquoi, Glen Coffee

CARD SETS

Common (100)
Base set features NFL premier performers on metalized film board serial #'d to 399 or less

Legends (50)
The most storied NFL names are featured #'d to 399

Phenoms (50)
The NFL's most exciting young prospects are featured #'d to 399

Silver Spotlight (200)
#'d to 100 or less

Gold Spotlight (200)
#'d to 50 or less

Platinum Spotlight (200)
#'d to 25 or less

Monikers Gold (200)
Parallel to the base set, includes commons, phenoms and legends and is numbered to 50 or less.

Monikers Platinum (200)
Monikers Platinum numbered to 1.

Limited Threads (150)
Another parallel to the base, these include a jersey swatch and are numbered to 100 or less.

Limited Threads Prime (150)
Limited Threads Prime numbered to 25 or less.

Limited Threads Super Prime NFL Shield (150)
Limited Threads Super Prime NFL Shield numbered to 1.

Limited Threads Super Prime Brand Logo (150)
Limited Threads Super Prime Brand Logo numbered to 1.

Material Phenoms RC (34)
The top rookies are featured with prime event-worn swatches and numbered to 299 or less.

Material Phenoms Silver Spotlight (34)
Materials Phenoms Silver Spotlight numbered to 25 or less.

Material Phenoms Gold Spotlight (34)
Materials Phenoms Gold Spotlight numbered to 10 or less.

Material Phenoms Platinum Spotlight (34)
Materials Phenoms Platinum Spotlight numbered to 1.

Phenoms College (15)
The NFL's most exciting young rookies are featured and numbered to 50 or less.

Phenoms College Silver Spotlight (15)
Phenoms College Silver Spotlight numbered to 10 or less.

Phenoms College Gold Spotlight (15)
Phenoms College Gold Spotlight numbered to 5 or less.

Phenoms College Platinum Spotlight (15)
Phenoms College Platinum Spotlight numbered to 1.

Limited Cuts (25)
This unique insert concept presents autographs from the NFL's most recognizable names - both past and present -- on double rainbow film board and is numbered to 100 or less.

Material Monikers (50)
This wondrous offering presents players with one swatch of game-worn jersey and an autograph and is numbered to 50 or less.

Material Monikers Prime (50)
Material Monikers Prime numbered to 10 or less.

Team Trademarks Materials (25)
The premier players in the NFL are featured with their respective team with game-used swatches and numbered to 50 or less.

Team Trademarks Signature Materials (25)
Team Trademarks Signature Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Team Trademarks Materials Prime (25)
Team Trademarks Materials Prime numbered to 25 or less.

Team Trademarks Signature Materials Prime (25)
Team Trademarks Signature Materials Prime numbered to 25 or less.

Banner Season Materials (25)
This insert highlights some of the league's most-impressive statistical achievements from the 2008 NFL season and features jersey swatches and is numbered to 50 or less.

Banner Season Signature Materials (25)
Banner Season Signature Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Banner Season Prime Materials (25)
Banner Season Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Banner Season Signature Prime Materials (25)
Banner Season Signature Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Tag Team (15)
Football's finest players that shared the same number/position make up this insert of two swatches of game-worn jersey that is numbered to 5 or less.

Prime Pairings (40)
This simply astounding insert set highlights football legends and current stars with autographs on singular versions and is numbered to 50 or less.

Jumbo (25)
The best players in the NFL are featured with jumbo swatches and numbered to 50 or less.

Jumbo Signatures (25)
Jumbo Signatures numbered to 25 or less.

Jumbo Prime (25)
Jumbo Prime numbered to 10 or less.

Jumbo Prime Signatures (25)
Jumbo Prime Signatures numbered to 5 or less.

Jumbo Jersey #s (25)
Jumbo Jersey #s numbered to 50 or less.

Jumbo Jersey #s Signatures (25)
Jumbo Jersey #s Signatures numbered to 25 or less.

Jumbo Jersey #s Prime (25)
Jumbo Jersey #s Prime numbered to 10 or less.

Jumbo Jersey #s Prime Signatures (25)
Jumbo Jersey #s Prime Signatures numbered to 5 or less.

Jumbo Jersey Prime Signatures NFL Shield (25)
Jumbo Jersey Prime Signatures NFL Shield numbered to 1.

Limited Slideshow (35)
The stunning new insert includes 34 of the league's top 2009 rookies featuring an autograph on a film slide and is numbered to 50 or less.

Rookie Jumbo (34)
The league's top rookie of 2009 are featured with Jumbo swatches and numbered to 50 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Signatures (34)
Rookie Jumbo Signatures numbered to 25 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Prime (34)
Rookie Jumbo Prime numbered to 10 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Prime Signatures (34)
Rookie Jumbo Prime Signatures numbered to 25 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s (34)
Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s numbered to 50 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Signatures (34)
Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Signatures numbered to 25 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Prime (34)
Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Prime numbered to 10 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Prime Signatures (34)
Rookie Jumbo Jersey #s Prime Signatures numbered to 5 or less.

Rookie Jumbo Jersey Prime Signatures NFL Shield (34)
Rookie Jumbo Jersey Prime Signatures NFL Shield numbered to 1.

Draft Day Limited Lids (9)
This new insert features hats/ lids of the top 2009 NFL draft picks and is numbered to 50 or less.

Draft Day Limited Signature Lids (9)
Draft Day Limited Signature Lids numbered to 5 or less.

Draft Day Limited Lids Combos (6)
Draft Day Limited Lids Combos numbered to 10 or less.

Draft Day Limited Jerseys (6)
Draft Day Limited Jerseys numbered to 100 or less.

Draft Day Limited Signature Jerseys (6)
Draft Day Limited Signature Jerseys numbered to 25 or less.

Draft Day Limited Jerseys Prime (6)
Draft Day Limited Jerseys Prime numbered to 50 or less.

Draft Day Limited Jerseys Prime Signatures (6)
Draft Day Limited Jerseys Prime Signatures numbered to 50 or less.

Draft Day Combos (6)
Draft Day Combos numbered to 50 or less.

Draft Day Combos Prime (6)
Draft Day Combos Prime numbered to 25 or less.

Super Bowl Materials (10)
This magnificent insert includes swatches of a game-worn football and other materials used in Super Bowl XLIII (Pittsburgh-Arizona) and is numbered to 50 or less.

Super Bowl Signature Materials (10)
Super Bowl Signature Materials numbered to 10 or less.

Super Bowl Combo Materials (10)
Super Bowl Combo Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Super Bowl Combo Signature Materials (10)
Super Bowl Combo Signature Materials numbered to 5 or less.

Pro Bowl Materials (5)
This insert features event-worn jersey swatches from the 2009 Pro Bowl in Honolulu and is numbered to 100 or less.

Pro Bowl Signature Materials (5)
Pro Bowl Signature Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Pro Bowl Prime Materials (5)
Pro Bowl Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Pro Bowl Prime Signature Materials (5)
Pro Bowl Prime Signature Materials numbered to 10 or less.

Pro Bowl Combo Materials (15)
Pro Bowl Combo Materials numbered to 100 or less.

Pro Bowl Combo Prime Materials (15)
Pro Bowl Combo Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Pro Bowl Triples Materials (5)
Pro Bowl Triples Materials numbered to 100 or less.

Pro Bowl Triples Prime Materials (5)
Pro Bowl Triples Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Pro Bowl Quad Materials (10)
Pro Bowl Quad Materials numbered to 100 or less.

Pro Bowl Quad Prime Materials (10)
Pro Bowl Quad Prime Materials numbered to 25 or less.

Rookie Lettermen (34)
Spellbinding in its substance and presentation, this singular insert highlights each letter of one of the top rookies in the Class of 2009 taken from an event or game-worn jersey swatch and is numbered to 10 or less.

Pro Bowl Lettermen (37)
Pro Bowl Letterman numbered to 11 or less.

Special Announcement!

What a year it has been in my personal life, thats all I can say.

Last year on the 29th I honestly had one of the best days of my life, hands down. My wife and I had a beautiful wedding back in Minnesota, and I have been very blessed to have a woman like her in my life. I cant say that enough. Its been a whirlwind year with the economy negatively affecting our lives, but to have wonderful success after the bad was completely amazing. As if the tornado that has been sweeping through our lives hadnt gotten strong enough, a second hugely exciting thing comes along and makes me forget all the tough times over the previous few months.

A few months ago we found out that we are having our first child, and now that we have told the whole family, I am happy to bring you guys into the loop. The baby, a boy, will be born this May, and I cannot wait to have a little guy to pass all my collection down to. It really sort of completes the circle, you know? I have always wanted to start a family, and I cannot tell you in words what it means to me to be able to do that.

Sadly, that also means that around that time, SCU is going to take a back seat to more important things, and im sure all of you wont miss me all that much. Hopefully by Thanksgiving next year, we are going have a new family, surrounded by the wonderful family we already have, as well as a great foundation to build off of now that everything is back to the way it was financially.

It has been a relief to have used this blog as a sounding board for my life, and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to be a daily contributor here, both good and bad. I never imagined that things would go this direction, and I definitely have everyone to thank for the wonderful support.

I have no doubt that SCU is not going to fade away as long as I have the need to write, and it will take a lot to quiet my voice for good. Although the blog wont have the same frequency of new material, it will not stop being a place to come for commentary on the state of what is going on.

I want to tell you all that you, the readers, are one of the things I am thankful for this year, as corny as that sounds. I never really knew what to expect back in March 2008, but I am glad that it has gotten to the point it has.

Here is to a happy and healthy rest of this year, and a great 2010.

The Next Special For Blowout's Black Friday Sale

First, thank you to Chris and Pat for including me on this, and be sure to check out the ongoing thread over at their forums. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, I know I sure did.

I have the pleasure of announcing the next product for their sale, and it is box of 2008 Topps Rookie Progression for only 29.95! If you get there quick enough, you will have the chance to purchase it for the sale price.

Here are the product details:



Configuration: 20 packs per box. 5 cards per pack.

All new Rookie Progression Football presents a first look at the NFL rookies of 2008! Offering 55 Draft Pick base cards including Senior Bowl Autographed Draft Pick Variations and Senior Bowl Autographed Relic cards, Rookie Progression kicks-off the 2008 Topps NFL season!

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
* 2 autographed cards per box!
* 2 relic cards per box!
* 1 autographed or autographed relic card numbered to 50 or less per hobby case! (Replaces a regular autographed card).

CONTENT BREAKDOWN
BASE CARDS - 4 PER PACK!
* Veterans(165)
* Rookies(55) - 1 per pack!

PARALLELS - 10 PER BOX!
The 220 base cards in the following versions:
* Platinum - #'d to 99.
* Gold - #'d to 199.
* Silver - #'d to 299.
* Bronze - #'d to 499.

RELICS - 2 PER BOX!
Progression Single(50)
* Platinum - #'d to 10.
* Gold - #'d to 25.
* Silver - #'d to 50.
* Bronze - #'d to 99.

Progression Dual(25 cards w/different combinations/2 relics)
* Platinum - #'d to 10.
* Gold - #'d to 25.
* Silver - #'d to 50.
* Bronze - #'d to 99.

Progression Triple(15 cards w/3 players and 3 relics)
* Platinum - #'d to 10.
* Gold - #'d to 25.
* Silver - #'d to 50.
* Bronze - #'d to 99.

Progression Quad(10 cards w/4 players and 4 relics)
* Platinum - One of one.
* Gold - #'d to 10.
* Silver - #'d to 25.
* Bronze - #'d to 50.

Progression(50 players from the Legend, Veteran, and Rookie inserts subjects)
* Gold - #'d to 99.
* Silver - #'d to 199.
* Bronze - #'d to 399.

INSERTS - 10 PER BOX!
* Progression Rookies(50)
* Progression Veterans(30)
* Progression Legends(20)

Parallels - The 100 insert cards in the following versions:
* Platinum - #'d to 50.
* Gold - #'d to 199.
* Silver - #'d to 299.
* Bronze - #'d to 499.

AUTOGRAPHS - 2 PER BOX!
Autographed Draft Pick Variations
20 of the 55 base card Draft Picks are showcased with their signatures in both Red and Blue base versions, numbered to 99, 199, 499, or 999.
The same 40 cards above will be featured in the following versions:
* Platinum - One of one.
* Gold - #'d to 10.
* Silver - #'d to 25.
* Bronze - #'d to 50.

Progression Single Signatures((50 rookies, veterans, and retired players) - #'d to 99.
* Platinum - One of one.
* Gold - #'d to 10.
* Silver - #'d to 25.
* Bronze - #'d to 50.

Progression Dual Signatures(15) - 2 players, 2 autos featuring both the players' names and their rookie years. #'d to 25.

Progression Triple Signatures - 3 players, 3 autos per card featuring both the players' names and their rookie years. #'d to 15.

Platinum Autographed Relic(50 Progression Legends, Veterans, and Rookies) - #'d to 25.

Senior Letters - Each card features a name plate letter from the 2008 Senior Bowl jerseys of 25 participants. Each name plate is autographed and one of one!

Thanks to Rob from VOTC

We all know all about the exploits from the National that Rob told us about on his site, but I wanted to give him a special thanks for the hook up. Rob was nice enough to send me the Adrian Peterson national exclusive that he managed to pick up over at UD's booth, and I think that is worthy of a plug here.

Be sure to go explore his blog, you wont be disappointed. He also had his one year anniversary, glad to see the card blogger network passing those milestones.

Shameless Plug: The Fan Zone In Willmar, MN

I know I havent posted in the last few days, but actually it was for a good reason. I have been home to attend the wedding of one of my wife's family members, and for a small town, they have pretty much everything - including a card store.

A few months ago, John from the local radio station emailed me about some questions he had on a product bust they were planning at his local store. Funny enough, he was from Willmar, where my wife was actually from, and I remembered the store he was talking about. Its really got everything a small town collector would need to avoid the retail crap at Wal-Mart and Target, and the guys who work there are quite a good bunch to shoot the shit with.

I found some time to stop by today, hoping to talk to John, but unfortunately he wasnt there at the moment. Instead I stayed for a while, busted some packs and talked about the recent trends of the hobby with the guys at the store. I found out they read SCU daily, which was a surprise, so we talked for a while about how they stumbled on it.

I also managed to pull a nice James Laurinaitis jersey auto #5/25 out of my packs which was pleasant outcome to the disappearance of my money.

Most importantly, if you live in the Willmar area, go check out the store, I guarantee you it will be worth your time. They have a great selection of stuff and good prices, as well as some pretty sweet autographed bats and jerseys. Be sure to tell them I sent you, as I know I will be going back next time I am in town.

1,000 Posts: Proof of My Craziness

This post is SCU's 1000th post, and to me that is the craziest thing in the world. To tell you the truth, I couldn't believe it when I saw what was about to happen. Think about it, this blog was started in late March 2008, meaning there have been around 475 days of SCU existence, give or take. That also means there have been about 2.1 posts per day since inception, though the number is possibly deflated because I don't usually post on the weekends. Either way, that's a lot of work and time I have spent on this site, and I want to reinforce my appreciation for the opportunity to stick around.

Although the hobby impact of this blog has been largely unseen, I have to hobnobbed with some of the big wigs around the industry, spoken with a few NFL players, talked to a baseball player or two, corresponded with a guitar hero, and made many new friends - all thanks to the blog. Although it has taken thousands of hours to produce, those things definitely make every word I type worthwhile to me.

I'm not sure I expect myself to be around the scene a few years from now, but who knows? I didn't expect this site to last this long, either. Regardless of my intentions, I would like to thank you, the reader, for sticking with me. Love me or hate me, you make this site possible, and you have my gratitude, even you want to send me needless piles of email about my lack of control at a buffet.

Here's to another 1000 posts!

Sometimes You Find People That Are Awesome On Boards

I think that being a part of Freedom Card Board has had its benefits, no doubt. A few weeks ago, I posted about the autographed jersey that moderator Flightposite sent to me for winning a contest over there, and now I have something that is just as awesome to report.

Ryo1549 had organized a group of us to participate in a blind trade, where we all sent the players or teams we collected to the host, who would distribute them randomly to other people involved. The assignment was to buy a card for this "victim" that was at least 50 dollars sell value, and send it to them as our part of the "deal." We would receive something similar from another person according to our list we made originally.

Here is what Deceptikon sent me to match my list:

I am stunned, as this is clearly a ridiculous card. As part of the deal we all contributed to a pot for the users, to be awarded for the best card of the bunch. I think this one has a good shot, it has my vote.

Thank you Craig, aka Deceptikon 1978!

Autograph Update

Got some autograph happenings yesterday that I want to share, especially the one from poker last night at Extra Innings. Mike and Mitch hosted their second tourney, and this time I decided on a guaranteed dual auto instead of a box for my entry fee. Guys, again, if you live in the Los Angeles area and you are looking for a shop, Extra Innings in Culver City (by LAX) could not be a better choice. Check it out and tell them I sent you.

To have these two autos on a display worthy football, and knowing that they are real was definitely more attractive to me than buying a box of Heroes or UD Draft and getting nothing. I think you guys will agree with my decision, especially if both Stafford and Moreno have good careers.

Secondly, got my first TTM back of the four I sent out a few weeks ago, and it is a fucking beaut! Laurinaitis is from Minnesota and even though he played for OSU, he is still a target of mine. This card I sent turned out great with his well done signature. So, one down, three to go!

Ill be sure to post on the other three if, or when, I get them. Right now Im just crossing my fingers.

Another View From The NFL Rookie Premiere

Over the last few days I have had the pleasure of working with Mike and Mitch of Extra Innings Sports Cards for coverage of the NFL Rookie Premiere. Mike was nice enough to sit down with me for a few minutes on Sunday and discuss the goings on from the weekend, and just like with my impressions after talking to Gregg Kohn, it seems like the weekend was a huge success.

I am going to focus on a few things, mainly the players’ interaction with the people there, as well as some neat tidbits from Mike. Before I move on, I want to talk about how great Mike and Mitch are, and give them another plug for their shop. Upon reading SCU for the first time, Mike emailed me and wanted to see if I wanted to attend his shop's event and possibly win a spot at the Premiere yesterday. He wasnt sure if he could get me in any other way, but thought he would try. Both Mike and Mitch were sympathetic to SCU's situation, and were out to help. I honestly couldnt believe they wanted to help, but thats the kind of guys they are. Eventually they just tried to get me on their team's list, but were told I was not allowed on the Premises. So, despite their best intentions, I couldnt be there, so they did the next best thing. Mike offered to take some stuff to the event on my behalf, and I came back with autos from the three guys I am targeting from this class (pics are included in the post). Ill say right now, these two gentlemen have made my year so far, its nice to see there are people out there who actually care.

Moving on to the event, Mike said he couldnt have had a better time. He and his shop's employees were there as part of the Panini team, and had on field access to the players there. The first words out of his mouth when asked about the players there, were "for 22 year old millionaires, they were some of the nicest guys there." He talked about how much fun the players were having this year, especially with the different articles they had to make “used.” If you asked them to run a few steps, they ran a route, if you asked them to wear in a jersey they went and tackled a friend across the field. “It was a very positive atmosphere, and you could feel it,” he said.

Most of us who have a negative view of this event probably think that the jerseys are slipped on and off, and most of the time that is true. This year, for people like Mark Sanchez and others, a few second werent enough to designate something as used by the players. Mike specifically recalled Sanchez’s objection to calling something ‘event used’ unless it was dirtied some how. He would drag cleats across the grass, spike footballs and really get the props broken in. I was glad to hear that, and so was Mike to see it first hand.

Mike also specifically remembered guys like Jason Smith and Tyson Jackson, saying that they were some of the best players to be around at the event, cracking jokes and talking shit. At one point, Smith actually went at it with Tyson Jackson of the Chiefs at mid field as a "preview of 2009." Nice.



The event was done in shifts, where four or five rookies came to the station at a time, and went through the requests of the company. For Panini, most of the players had ten or so jerseys to put on, seven footballs to play with and 3 pairs of cleats. For the top guys there, it was 10 home and 10 away jerseys, plus having to sign all the on card offerings like the NT Pen Pals set, and the manupatches. I am glad to hear that Panini is focusing a lot on hard signed products just like Upper Deck. They also signed nameplates and helmets according to the Panini schedule I obtained from Jeff (not associated with EI Sports Cards), another person who was there, as well as many other personal autos for the workers at the tent. Per the schedule, each player wore around 30-50 articles of clothing, and signed about 600-650 cards and stickers. Mike made it a point to say that even the last group, who had been there all day in the heat, signed beautifully without objection.

Mike also talked about Matt Stafford, as Mitch had mentioned how out of place he seemed at all the events of the weekend, including the pre-party at the hotel, and the nights at the bars. Per the people around him at the event, he was just too nice a guy, a southern gent, even when asked about a Georgia Tech loss during the last season and last game of his college career.

So, all politics aside, I am beyond happy with Mike's report. I will put that much more of a stake into this year knowing that the players actually question why their shoes are being cut up instead of given to needy families, knowing that they want to make sure that the stuff is "used," and knowing that even at the end of the day, they still wanted to be there for the fans.

One thing stuck out to me, as Mike talked about a special guest of the shop. He was a younger kid, and was a child of a person they knew. He was a huge SC fan, and was unfortunately stuck in the stands for most of the day due to security. Luckily for him, Mark Sanchez and Patrick Turner didn’t hesitate to go sit and talk to him and make him feel important for a full half hour. Kudos to them on that.

With that, ill end it there. However, if you are anywhere close to LA and looking for a shop, PLEASE go check out Extra Innings Sports Cards on Washington Blvd in Culver City. It is worth any trip you make, as Mike could be the nicest shop owner I have ever meant. After hearing some stories, Mitch is cut from the same cloth, even driving product out to customers who cant or wont make the drive. Tell them you read about their store here, so at least I know that I can somehow pay them back for the amazing opportunities this past weekend.

There Are Still Nice People Left In This Hobby - WOW!

I want to thank Flightposite over at Freedom Card Board for his giveaway contest, as I cannot believe he would even think of doing something like this. He emailed me a week or so ago and said I had won something, but I could not fathom what that meant until today. 

So, if you ever have the chance, take a gander at Freedom Card Board and see the community they have built there. Football is still growing, so I encourage you to post and add to the discussion. Flightposite is a mod, and he is a VERY generous guy. Thanks again for the jersey and the two low numbered Santana Moss cards.

SCU Reports: The 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere With Gregg Kohn Of Upper Deck

Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time covering the politics of the Rookie Premiere access, but now I have some info on the goings on of the event itself. Gregg Kohn, product manager of UD Football, graciously spent some time informing me of what happened, and based on our conversation, my respect for the 2009 class has gone through the roof.

First some background. Since the early part of the decade, the top NFL rookies have gathered each year in Los Angeles to run through the routes for the first time in their full gear. Also since the early part of the decade, there have been swatches from jerseys obtained at the event put into the cards we buy throughout the card season. Most people automatically assume that the jerseys they get are one of two things: game used (they are not) or the jersey in the picture (they are not). In reality, the jerseys are worn for a matter of seconds, and the jerseys in the picture are kept by people at the event. Really, as long as you know this, there wont be any surprises, so I wont talk about it much more. What you may not know, is that the event is the sole reason we have cards for the year at all, so its a big give and take with the collectors. Again, I am not going to focus on this, the NFL had their chance for that and epically failed.

Instead, I am going to focus on a few other things, mainly the players, and some great stuff that is coming down the pipeline for UD. Before I move on, I want to thank Gregg again for the wonderful help he has given to this blog. He is one of the only people I have met that appreciates the role blogs play in the hobby media.

Moving on to the event, Gregg said he had a great time with a great class. He said that it was one of the best classes they had invited to event, and there was not a primadonna in the group. He mentioned that EVERYONE was happy to be there, and more than willing to overparticipate on what was asked. He also mentioned that a lot of the players were very happy to sign their stuff, and most wanted some of the cards to take home with them. They brought quite a bit of product with them to get hard signed for the sets, and that will include 10 of 12 sets with elements of hard signed cards, and more than half at ALL on card.

Mainly, they were trying to focus on getting more for you, the collector, which includes things like player inscriptions, as well as other newer ideas that really havent had a place in the past days of the hobby. He also commented that the many of the guys, including Darrius Heyward-Bey in particular, were determined to sign their full name regardless of how they felt about signing cards. As a kid, Heyward-Bey hated give up autos and told Gregg he would be signing everything the same.

Many of you also wanted to know about throwbacks and other jerseys that players may have worn, and there were players that needed to wear them due to depleated inventory at the jersey manufacturers, or for a nice touch in general. So, for instance, Crabtree wore some Jerry Rice stuff, Tyson Jackson wore some Derrick Thomas stuff, and a few of the Giants even got to wear some Mark Bavaro stuff. Gregg said that they players actually like this a lot, and Josh Freeman even wanted to keep the awesome Warren Sapp throwback they used. Of course, that means if you see a weird letter in your card, don’t worry.

Gregg specifically remembered Jason Smith and his wonderful and addictive personality, saying that he was one of the best players to be around at the event, cracking jokes and talking shit. He also mentioned that Brandon Pettigrew of the Lions was great, and that he may have been the biggest tight end ever. People like Aaron Curry were also gigantic, but somewhat reserved as well, which was funny to hear. Gregg even agreed that Beanie Wells was surprisingly big for his stature, and would not like to take a hit from that tank at full speed.

Gregg explained that the event was done in shifts, where four or five rookies came to the station at a time, and went through the requests of the company. For Upper Deck, they tried to keep them in teams or at least with their buddies, at least to keep things easy. They wore around the expected amount of jerseys, enough to fill the 2009 products, but it was definitely not as many as you would expect.

So, all politics with the NFL aside, I am thouroughly impressed with Gregg's report. I will put that much more of a stake into this year knowing that the players have fun doing the events of the weekend, even the Touchdown Dance competition and the trampoline jumps for pictures. After we finished talking about the event, Gregg and I were in agreement that it was tough to think ahead a few years and know that a few of these guys wont be playing anymore. He said they were a great group of guys to spend a weekend with, and wished them the best in 2009.

As for UD products, it looks like it is going to be another banner year. SPA will be back and better than ever with an unprecedented 10 auto rookie patches per case. For the other boxes, you will either get a jumbo signed patch of a rookie or possibly veteran, or one of the new authentic dynasties cards that focus on the teams of each decade. Gregg didnt mention the letters, but they could still be included.

Philadelphia looks like it is going to be a huge success, as we have seen in the galleries from the weekend, and you can imagine that the cards are going to be beautiful. He specifically mentioned jumbo inserts that were hard signed, as well as the mini signatures we would come to expect as a staple of many retro products. There will also be a National Chicle insert set with autographed parallels, many of which were signed during the weekend.

When it comes to 2009 Ultimate Collection Football, Gregg said that they were going to go back to the non-relic versions of the RC Autos. He also said they are tossing around an idea similar to USA baseball where the players will be asked a question to answer along with their sig. That should be interesting, as the USA cards were immensely popular.

These products will accompany Heroes and Draft which should be on shelves very shortly, both of which look great. Heroes will have all hard signed cards, and you can thank the weekend for those.

With that I want to give ANOTHER special thanks to Gregg and to Brandon Miller for their work on this blog and the rookie premiere, their participation is always a treat for me. Both have a standing invitation to come back whenever he wants. Also, sorry to Lindsey who is the brains behind UD design work. I referred to her in a previous as a guy, she is actually quite the contrary. Thanks!

Autograph Opportunity At Beverly Hills Card Shop

As most of you know, the Beverly Hills Card Shop had Beanie Wells at their store this past thursday, and it was amazing to get to meet him. 

I just got a call from Matt over at the shop, and he said that if any of the SCU readers wanted to go check out the store, he would be happy to give them one of the Rookie Premiere signed photos. 

So, if you are a Cardinals fan, OSU fan, or you just want a free autograph of a top draft pick, head over to Pico and Robertson in Beverly Hills. Tell Matt you read it here, and the pic is yours!

Big thanks to Matt for that!

Special Thanks To Extra Innings Sports Cards

Last night was a blast, and I want to personally thank Mike and Mitch from Extra Innings. I had one of the best times I have had in a while playing poker with the customers there, and though I didnt win, I came away with some nice stuff.

We played poker for 2-3 hours, with the Top prize being a Panini black box, and second Prize being a box of threads. There were about 6-7 people including people of all skill levels, me being of the lowest talent. The winner's box had a Mark Hammill Auto from Americana out of 4, a Michael Irvin auto plate from Limited, and 3 or four other cards. The Threads box was sparce, but had two autos in it - no letter. EI will be having stuff like this periodically, ill keep you posted.

Mike and Mitch's store hasnt been there for quite as long as the Beverly Hills card shop, but it may become my store of choice if I can continue to make the 30 minute drive from the valley. Mike has a lot of wax for you gambler types out there, and may have a few surprises up his sleeve in weeks to come. I always said that there are two kinds of shop owners with no middle, the nicest guy in the world, or the jerk who couldnt give a shit about his customers. Mike is the first one. If you guys are ever in LA and just want to shoot the shit with a guy who knows his stuff, or if you want some packs, boxes, or singles, Extra Innings is a great set up from two guys who are actually up on the goings on of the industry. 

As soon as they get a website, ill post it here. Thanks again for everything Mike, you have my seal of approval any day. 

FYI, Ill have a comparison up on monday, as I was lucky to experience two different kinds of shops this week. Keep a look out for that, as shops have been a focus lately on the blogs. I spent about an hour talking with Matt and Zack from BH card shop and similar with Mike from EI, both with contrasting approaches to their businesses. It should be a fun post to write.