Oh Happy (Mail)day

Thank god this day has come. After a whole lot of waiting, my Percy Harvin SPA redemption is here and on my shelf. There was a little snafu on my part not updating my new address, but everything is in hand now. The card is as good as I expected it to be, but the auto and patch leave a little to be desired. Again, that is the nature of the beast, and I am just glad I got an actual patch rather than one of them nameplate patches that Upper Deck used in some of their patch product this year.



This is the third of four Harvin redemptions I have waited on so far this year (I am still waiting on my Ultimate redemption), and the other two have been three color patches from Panini. I guess when you get lucky like that for two straight cards, the third time is against the odds to be the charm. Im still happy that these cards got out, as it’s a pretty important one in completing my list of ones I wanted for him last year. With UD out of the licensed game this year, 2009 is likely to house the only Harvin cards I will want. I guess its about getting that Exquisite one crossed off the list, as it looks just as good as this one turned out to be.

On top of that, the Harvin cards are selling quite well on eBay, with one of the logos at a ridiculous price. I havent decided whether I am going to pursue a card like that, I guess it depends on his replication of his great season from last year.

Overall, color me happy on this one, and excited on the Ultimate if it happens to show up.

The First Good News From UD In A Long Time

I have been sick all day, so I missed this awesome nugget of news to share with you all. Today on Twitter, Upper Deck announced that Percy Harvin had started signing all of his redemptions for SP Authentic through Exquisite. If you bought any product from them, and were looking for a Harvin like I was, this should be a pretty happy day. Not only that, but it signals that Upper Deck is still chasing their athletes for unfulfilled redemptions.

Ever since the news that Upper Deck had lost their football license, many redemptions dropped in price out of fear that they wouldnt be handled due to the cost of doing so. Harvin's SP Authentics have dropped from a release price of around 100 bucks to an average of about 75. His Exquisites, which started out around 220, have dropped to about 175. Im sure those prices will go back up now that the cards should be live in a few weeks.

Overall, I would file this under good news, no doubt. Then, with a little birdie on my shoulder telling me that UD is possibly going to next month's rookie premiere with College Jerseys for the players, things may be turning around.

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!

Percy Harvin and Upper Deck - Rumors are Rumors

It seems like a lot of people have heard the rumors that Percy Harvin is done with UD over a money situation or something similar. I wouldnt be so quick to jump on the bandwagon, as I have not seen any reason to believe that this rumor is true.

I contacted Upper Deck to get a comment on the situation, and they gave me a pretty staunch response that he will sign when they can catch up with him. They denied any money issues between them and any football players with outstanding stuff, and were confident that they would be able to redeem the cards soon.

Of course, this could be a line from the people who stand to lose out if Harvin is indeed feuding over money with them, but I still file this under pure speculation. It was a rumor started by a user on Blowout's forum, and yet people are taking it as gospel. Although Baseball and UDE are done over in Carlsbad, I would believe that the football side should not have many problems that would lead to a situation like this.

People have cited the cancellation of UD Draft Football as a sign of the Upper Deck apocalypse, but I think it was more of a positioning mechanism for the newly revamped Sweet Spot, and an issue of redundancy and low sales from last year. Plus, when the CLC license kicks in at the end of next month, its going to be tough for any other company to compete with a product like Sweet Spot while not infringing on copyrights.

Basically, my suggestion is simple. If you like Harvin and want to pick up some of his stuff, but are afraid of the rumors, then wait. Despite the fact that speculation doesnt usually turn into anything when it comes to players signing their shit, you can easily wait for the live cards to show up. However, if you do wait, expect a 20-30% premium on the live cards due to the popularity of Harvin and the popularity of SPA. If 100 bucks isnt that big of a deal to you, and you pulled the card or got it another way, there is not a reason yet to say that the rumors are even close to being true. Either way, you should get a nice replacement even if he doesnt sign.

Personally, I dont see much change coming in the way Upper Deck functions in football. They have made investments in the prosperity of this brand, and I think they will pay off. There will be hiccups like UD Draft, but Im not afraid at this point, regardless of speculation. They may have laid off much of their now defunct UDE brand, and baseball is probably next, but trimming the fat will be necessary when there is nothing going on in those arenas.

As for Harvin, dont let message board speculation get the best of you. However, as always, patience is a virtue if you can afford it.

For The Record, This Should Be Your Benchmark For 2009

This is what a REAL Vikings Head looks like. Take it, buy it, store it, whatever you want to do. Notice the size, stitching, all that stuff because for 2009 and 2009 only, this is what they look like. National treasures is too new for this to be fake, but hell, there is always a chance. At least this one has the makings of a real one.

Just an FYI.

Percy Harvin Named Offensive ROY

This was a pretty expected award for Percy Harvin, as he has been the odds on favorite for more than half the season. He put up great numbers for a rookie, was named to the pro-bowl as the NFC Kick Returner, and has meant a lot to a team that ended up 12-4 and the number 2 seed. He has also benefited quite tremendously from having Favre around, as the two have forged a student/teacher relationship that has made Harvin that much more dangerous. When it came to third down, Harvin caught more balls than any player on the team, and his eight total TDs were the difference in at least two games.

Harvin's cards have already hit their peak as he has slowly become the top producer in the draft class, so there shouldnt be that much of a bump with the news. Oddly enough, Austin Collie and Mark Sanchez did not receive a single vote, with Michael Oher and Knowshon Moreno getting a few of the others.

MVP should be coming either later today or tomorrow, keep checking back.

Percy Harvin is the Ninth Viking To Make The Pro-Bowl

According to the Vikings Blog, Percy Harvin has been named to the team after they realized the roster would be short without a designated kick returner. Although the game matters little, the honor is what really counts, especially in a league where fan Voting only makes up a third of the decision.

Harvin ran two kicks back for TDs this year as a rookie, and averaged over 27 yards per return. It is second all time for the Vikings, and I expect him to be quite dangerous in that fashion for the playoffs. He is the only offensive skill player rookie to be named to the rosters this year, though im sure more will come as the rosters thin out due to so many players turning down their invites.

Hopefully he wont have to play due to the game the week after, if you catch my drift.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 17 - Rumble for the Belt

Well, the NFL season is officially over, and the rookie campaigns are finished for many of the top rookies this year. There hasn’t been as many surprises as there were last year with two rookie QBs in the playoffs among others, but many of the years top rookies played far beyond expectations. This was really the year of the later round picks taking the spotlight, and hopefully next year will have just as many stars.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had a pretty good game against the Giants, even though he didn’t score. Hell, the entire team did well. He did have a long TD that was called back due to some unseen interference, but at that point the game was already over. Harvin should be the ROY when the results are released, though it is much closer now. Harvin has had a great year for a wide receiver and I can see that he will continue to do well into the playoffs. Since the voters value playoffs as well as performance, and he definitely gets that edge over Moreno and others, whose teams have stumbled and fell as the season closed.

Knowshon Moreno

Two TDs and almost 100 total yards didn’t help much against Kansas City, and I am thouroughly shocked that Denver did not make the playoffs after that start. Moreno hasn’t really been the reason they are playing golf next weekend, but that wont matter much in the end. He will have a great career in Denver, even if the Broncos keep playing the way they did after week 7, but I am not sure he will have the juice to end up with the hardware this year.

Beanie Wells

Wells did nothing on six carries, but the team wasn’t really playing either. When it comes to second halves, Beanie blew up and was probably at the top for all rookies in terms of production. The Cardinals will need him to do well if they hope to beat a streaking Packers team, and now that their defense is banged up, it may be too much for him to carry. He has been great this year, and will no doubt be the top guy for Arizona next year.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez had a horrible year, but his start combined with a playoff berth is going to get him considerable consideration for some reason. The Jets will go out next week, but it’s the win yesterday that counts. I expect him to bone up and be much better as he learns how to play in the NFL, however this season is one to take an eraser to. He had only 69 yards passing and a TD in the big win, which was a result of the Jets only throwing 16 times.

Mike Wallace

Its odd that the Steelers are only using him for deep routes, but a blown coverage netted him a long TD in a squeaked out win. He only caught one other pass, but the overall numbers will get him consideration, behind the others at the top. He has had a season way above expectations, but I am not too convinced that he has what it takes to get it done as a top guy week after week.

Austin Collie

Collie did nothing this week, but had a ridiculous season for a player I hadnt heard of coming out of college. The Colts are playoff bound as a number one seed, and Im guessing that his role will be very reduced in the playoffs. Not because of lack of talent, but because teams tend to use the parts of the offense they trust much more than the newer parts. With Wayne, Addai, and company paving the way, it will take a lot for Collie to go off.

Arian Foster

What a job by this nobody, 119 yards and two TDs at least gave the Texans a shot at the post season. Another guy I had never heard of that just exploded, even though the Patriots should have rested their guys. Add him to the list of late rounders with great weeks, something that I missed most of last year. Great to see everyone getting in on the action.

Final NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Rankings

1. Percy Harvin (LW #1)
2. Knowshon Moreno (LW #2)
3. Beanie Wells (LW #2)
4. Mark Sanchez (LW NR)
5. Mike Wallace (LW #5)
5. Austin Collie (LW #5)

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 8

It was a great weekend of football, as you can probably imagine, and there were quite a few rookies that performed pretty well. A few are still having trouble getting established, but others are falling into solid roles with their respective teams. The funny thing is that there isnt a clear cut rookie of the year candidate yet, though Sanchez does seem to have an advantage as a QB. Who knows at this point.

Matt Stafford

We all knew Stafford was going to have problems playing for a team as bad as the Lions. I warned those of you who were prospecting his stuff, that he was a POOR target for your collecting this year. He hasnt performed horribly, but he hasnt been great either. Then, when you factor in the injury, things are even worse. Well, he was back this week, but didnt do much in the loss to the Rams. He had 168 yards, 1 interception, and a rushing TD. Not a great game.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez had a very good day, but they still lost to the Dolphins. This was really his first good game in a long time, and its probably a breath of fresh air for the people who bought up all his stuff at the beginning of the season. He is still the top guy of the 09 class by far, but he is going to need a playoff run to sustain his value. At this point im not sure, even though he put up 3 TDs and no interceptions yesterday.

Percy Harvin

If there was a rookie in focus this week, it was Percy Harvin. His game was one of the main reasons the Vikings were able to win the game, especially on his 51 yd TD catch. Then, when you factor in that he had a kick return average of 35 yards, with three going over 45, it becomes even more apparent how important he was. Harvin's cards have been going for great prices, and should continue to do so. The guy is electric.

LeSean McCoy

What a game for the Eagles against their rivals, right? McCoy definitely did well to help that win, and his 69 yard TD run was fun to watch. He has been a great option for the Eagles during Westbrook's absence, and you can tell that they were thinking ahead when they drafted him. Due to the Peterson Effect (All RB cards are more valuable because of the chance of a Peterson style rookie season) his cards are already pretty expensive, but this should help maintain those prices.

Jeremy Maclin

Im impressed with Maclin, the guy has turned it on lately, and has done so on a team that needed it. The Eagles are on a roll, and Maclin has scored 3 TDs in the last 3 games. He had 4 for 47 yards, including a TD at the end of the half that stunned a Giants crowd looking to stop their slide. Maclin was under the radar to begin with, and I think may end up as the best WR out of this class. I may start to pick up a few of his cards.

Michael Crabtree

Crabtree was held out of the endzone again, but managed 81 yards against the Colts. He also fumbled, which was problematic, but overall a pretty good game for a rookie who only has two games under his belt. Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if he hadnt been a complete fucktard to begin the season.

Shonn Greene

I dont think there were many of us who were suprised when Greene didnt equal his game from last week, but there were a few shocked grins around my fantasy league to see him struggle with 8 carries for 18 yards. Im not expecting a whole lot out of him, but he needs to do better than 2 yards per carry.

Knowshon Moreno

The Broncos are no longer undefeated, and Knowshon did not have a very good game. Although the fumble he had looked questionable at best, it was still another tick on the league leading rookie fumble total. He did get into the endzone which helped, but he only had 10 carries for 39 total yards. Moreno's cards arent going to drop, but this doesnt help. I still say its only a matter of time before he breaks out with a huge game.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - The Raiders should have taken someone else, but we already knew that. He has done absolutely nothing, despite QB issues.

Brandon Pettigrew - Another bad team, but he should be doing more than 1 catch per game, especially when Calvin Johnson is on the shelf

Michael Crabtree - He needs a lot of production to erase the holdout. Im still shaking my head.

Beanie Wells - Another mediocre game for him losing to a team with problems. Doesnt help that Warner threw 5 interceptions either though.

Vikings and Packers in a Bloodbath For The Ages

Considering there is a bye week next week, I needed something to help me through the void that is coming for the Vikings. The game today definitely qualified under that category without a doubt. A great win, not only for the morale it gives Favre and the team, but also because a good portion of the team played great.

Brett Favre

I was dreading what was going to happen in this game because of the adrenaline involved, but Favre performed like the master he is. Four TDs and no picks makes Brett a great QB, and I couldnt help but cheer like hell for him all game. You could just see the Packers fans getting more and more frustrated as the first half went on, and then again at the end of the game. It was great, to say the least, and I loved every minute of the Packer fans misery. On top of the pressure of the game that Brett seemed to shrug off, he made some great throws. The Berrian TD throw to seal it was phenomenal, and the Harvin TD was just as good. Just a great game all around for him.

Percy Harvin

When the Vikings drafted him, I cringed. Another pot smoking idiot, that brings back memories of Moss' attitude, right? WRONG. The guy plays with an intensity that rivals Peterson, but the finesse and explosiveness of someone like Andre Johnson. Harvin looked like a veteran out there today, and his plays on special teams were the reason this game ended the way it did. Four kickoff returns that set the Vikings up with great field position, as well as a 51 yard TD catch that was his best of the year. I cant say enough good things about him. I am so fucking glad I have as many of his cards as I do.

Adrian Peterson

Peterson didnt have a memorable game, but he had a VERY solid performance. 140+ yards from scrimmage, a TD on fourth and goal, and a catch that sealed it for the Vikes in the fourth. Im sure he is just as glad as I am that we can score 38 points when he has just an okay game. Never would have happened a few years ago.

Jared Allen

If there is one person that loves playing against the Packers more than Favre, its Jared Allen. Three more sacks, as well as a few batted passes, and you have another amazing game from a guy that is quickly cementing his place as the best defensive end in the league.

Aaron Rodgers

This guy must be hating himself right now. The guy he replaced just came in and torched them for the SECOND time, and he had a great game despite it. He must be thinking "What the crap do I have to do to beat these mother fuckers?" I actually felt pretty bad for him because he just looked dead out there once the game got out of reach. Favre's shadow looms over him no matter what he does, and you can see that he hates every second of it.

Karl Paymah, Madieu Williams, Cedric Griffin

How long until Winfield gets back? Seriously, I spent most of the second half shouting horrible things at these guys, as they could not have played a worse game coming out of that locker room for quarter 3. Paymah completely looks overmatched, which says something playing across from horrid Cedric Griffin. Madieu Williams has to be one of the worst Safeties I have ever seen, never really putting anything into his tackles. Just to illustrate how bad it was, on Rodgers' 35 yard scramble, Paymah didnt even bother to turn around until Rodgers was right behind him. I hope they cut these fuckers.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the game today. Everything happened as it should. Funny enough, I played a game on Madden the night before against a guy who chose the Packers against my Vikings. I won on the last play of the game with a TD to Shiancoe, and much like today's game, it was dominated by Allen and the D-Line. I am truly excited to see how the rest of the season will turn out, and I think it could actually turn out to be one of the best seasons I have been able to watch.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 7

For this week, I missed most of the action from being in San Diego for work, but after going through each game, looks like the rookies had a good week. Too bad my Vikings did not. Regardless, we also had a debut we had waited almost half a season for, and a few performances that impressed beyond expectations.

Mark Sanchez

Dirty finally shook off the interception bug, even though it was against one of the worst teams around. He threw for only 143, but had 2 TDs to offset that. Im guessing a lot of Jets fans were just happy they pitched a shutout, but I expected a little more from the rookie that is fixing to be the top value guy for the year.

Shonn Greene

For the first time, Sanchez wasn’t the focus of the rookie lens this week, as Shonn Greene had a ridiculous game at 144 and 2 TDs. One TD came after it was already decided, but he is the front runner right now for the rookie of the week. Leon Washington must have had an injury, and Greene did a great job filling in. Best game of any rookie RB so far, crazy that it came against the Raiders, right?

Michael Crabtree

Im not going to take him out of the graveyard quite yet, but he had a respectable debut with 5 catches for 56 yards. At least he showed he can be somewhat productive, though I think he will get better as he shakes off the rust. He didn’t explode, but definitely was the namesake for a few creative jerseys I saw in the 49er bar in San Diego.

Mike Wallace

Its tough for any Pittsburgh rookie to fly under the radar, but in terms of talk, Wallace is putting up one hell of a rookie campaign without much coverage. His values were high to begin with because he plays for the Steelers, but 72 and a TD will definitely help you out. Wallace's TD was a good showing as to why the Vikings pass defense may cost them a trip deep in the playoffs, but he played a great game either way.

Hakeem Nicks

Nicks showed AGAIN why he is probably going to be the rookie WR of the year. Another TD, 80 yards, and a league lead in receiving TDs after a Knox mediocre game. Nicks has become a key cog in the NY passing offense, even though they got beat by the Cardinals.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was back returning kicks again after he aggravated his shoulder last week, and I was surprised to see him fly. Harvin ran back his second TD of the year, giving him 4 total TDs so far, as well as a few that set the Vikings up near the 50. He also caught 3 for 42, so a great game for a guy who is banged up.

Brian Hartline

Hartline caught 3 for 94 in a Dolphins game that they should have won, but they played like crap in the 4th quarter. He is a guy that I didnt know much about coming into the year, but he went to OSU, so you know he is going to get a bump this week in value. He does have a TD from week 4 against Buffalo, but hasnt done much else besides this game (10 for 157). I also dont believe he was a Rookie Premiere guy.

Austin Collie

This guy had another TD this week (though the game was over when he did), and continues to make me scratch my head as to where he is coming from. It helps when Peyton Manning is throwing you the ball, but still is impressive when you are pretty much unknown.

Beanie Wells

He finally got into the action with a TD, and against a good rush defense to boot. He ended up with 67 yards, so it wasn’t a stellar performance, but rushing is not the focus of his team with Fitz and Boldin around. Hightower is still getting all the goal line carries, which means that Beainie is not going to have many TDs. Im still not sold on him.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Its really too bad that he was drafted to the Raiders so high, as I think he could have been much better in a place that isnt a graveyard for the whole team.

Beanie Wells - had a TD, but still in the midst of a disappointing year.

Michael Crabtree - After holding out for the first 6 games, he needs to do better than 56 yards before getting out of here.

Brandon Pettigrew - Bye week.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 3

All of you know how awesome of a week this has been, especially with the Bungals beating the Steelers, Manning destroying the Cardinals on Sunday night, and the crazy ending to the Vikings game. The rookies decided to show up too, with a few of them having some great games.

Matt Stafford

How could I not lead with the Lions winning? Im still in shock that they were able to put it together for a full 60 minutes. Stafford played pretty well too, as he showed he is starting to gain that confidence he needs to grow in such a horrible offense. Stafford threw a TD that started everything off for the Lions, thus bringing his total to two in three games, but he didn’t throw an interception, so that is like icing on the cake for a rookie QB. I still say its not a good idea to hold his cards, but at least it’s a LITTLE more promising now that the streak is over.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez played another great game and came away with another win. It was another great defense, the best arguably, but he was calm and collected even during a bad second half. He had a great TD pass to Cotchery in double coverage and ran one in from 14 out. He ended with with 3 total TDs and is making a few people wonder why they may have passed on him at picks 2-4 in the draft. Sanchez cards are at the peak of their value right now, so if you have them, it may be good to sell and rebuy later, if there is a later. Looks like he will be the Matt Ryan value of his class this year.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was great in the Vikings win, scoring his third TD in as many games. He played great during the second half especially, running back a kick 101 yards and catching some key passed on the final drive that led to the score. He ended up with his best game in terms of yardage, but the return was the spike the Vikings needed to stay in the game after being shut down time after time by the Niners' Defense. Like Sanchez, Harvin's cards are at the peak of their value, so it’s a great time to sell if you arent a fan.

LeSean McCoy

Im thinking that Brian Westbrook doesn’t feel so bad he missed that game anymore as McCoy sure picked up the slack with ease. The Eagles routed the Chiefs and McCoy got his first TD of the year. He also racked up 80+ yards and a YPC avg over four yards in the effort. McCoy should be pretty good in the long run, though he will always be overshadowed by Westbrook. Keep his cards for right now, as his value has a lot of potential to go up from here.

Knowshon Moreno

Welcome to the NFL Mr. Moreno. Nice to see you. Glad you put up 90 yards and a TD, bout time a running back in Denver does well, right? Knowshon looked pretty good in his first game with a focus over Buckhalter, and I would expect by week 8 he will have 70-80% of the carries. He is a great back, and should continue to put up numbers week after week. As with all the first round running backs, his value is high due to the Peterson effect, but as it starts to come down, it should be a good idea to pick some of his stuff up.

Donald Brown

That 72 yard scamper was pretty impressive wasn’t it? Well, it helped him put up the first 100 total yard game for a non-QB rookie this year, and jumped his value pretty high as a result. Brown doesn’t have the luxury of a huge college following like Wells, but he showed why he needs a pro following. Wells managed -2 yards on 2 carries, while Brown did great. This guy is a keeper.

Johnny Knox

Another game, another TD for Knox, despite the fact that it was his only catch of the game. He sure has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears, as the rest of their receiving corps is almost as inexperienced as he is. Because of the fact that he has done as well as he has, sell as fast as you can. Its not going to go much higher than it is unless he goes for 150 and three TDs somewhere later in the season. That’s a risk I would be willing to take.
The Rookie Graveyard

Here is where I want to talk about some rookies that Im sure are making a few of you guys pretty angry with their lack of contributions to their teams.

Jeremy Maclin - Where the hell have you been? Having 6 receptions for 46 yards on the season is a crap start for a guy I thought would be the star receiver of his class. Wow.

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Im sure having a QB like Jamarcus Russell is a contributing factor, but 1 reception for 18 yards on the whole year is poop. We all know he shouldn’t have been drafted so high, but hot damn, get moving!

Beanie Wells - I think a lot of people are pretty happy that Beanie isnt doing great so far. They say he was a beneficiary of playing at OSU, and it may be starting to show.

Hakeem Nicks - 2 receptions for 19? Doing worse than Hey Bey, but his team doesn’t need him as much. EDIT: Looks like he was injured week 1, my page on NFL.com didnt show that, my fault on this one...

Next week is looking pretty good, especially with Harvin going up against the Packers on Monday night. Now that the rookies are pretty secure in their roles, it could be interesting to see how values respond. Glen Coffee will have his first game against a defense that he can take advantage of, and may have a great game in Gore's absence, Sanchez looks like he may be in for his first test as he faces the Saints, and with the Bears going up against Detroit, who knows.

Also, be sure to check out my rookie of the week write up on the Upper Deck Blog as soon as the player is announced. You can also enter your cards to track the performances of a few of the guys I talk about here and possibly win some prizes if you have the ROW in your portfolio. Pretty cool.

Even if the rookies didn’t come to play, this season has still been a great ride so far. I hope it will continue to be as exciting as it has been, as there have already been some great stories. Next week is when things start to get interesting, so don’t miss it under any circumstances. Trust me, it only gets better from here.

Dealing With Rookie Contract Situations and Picking Targets

What to do about Michael Crabtree?

Im sure it's a question the niners ask themselves with each practice, wondering what they are going to do with the absence of their top draft pick. Most of us have come to the understanding that he wont be sitting out the season and re-entering the draft, but he is going to hold out possibly into the season. That is bad karma for him, and even worse for the collectors that want him as their target player for 2009. The question for collectors is what to do with players like him during and after their seemingly endless holdouts.

If you are a Michael Crabtree collector, I think you are echoing the sentiment that your road for this year is going to be a long one. You probably have already picked up quite a few of his cards, and most likely those cards have already dropped in value. We know that the longer the holdout happens, the more his cards will drop, but could that actually be a good thing? Personally, I am not going to go out of my way to pick up more Crabtree stuff, but if he was my guy, I might actually consider picking up a few things once the holdout reaches the third week of pre-season. If it reaches the third week, that is. Crabtree has freakish talent and should be a good receiver, when he plays. Fickle collectors may give up on him as the media demonizes his attitude, but his talent should be enough to keep you on the bandwagon.

For the rest of us, its going to be a pretty tough sell to get us to buy some Crabtree stuff, which means that you need to hold if you pull anything. Its always been buy low, sell high, and right now is not the time to sell anything of Crabtree. I would say, if you are in the market to sell some of the Crabtree stuff, wait until the first big game he has, even if it is next year. He will have a big game, don’t doubt that, but with his spot on the team in flux, his playing time is dropping by the moment. He will need to prove his worth, even if he gets the contract he is looking for, so wait.

I would focus on people like Moreno and Donald Brown, who should have pretty good outcomes in their current situation. Even people like Shonn Greene and LeSean McCoy would be good at their prices right now because of their second tier values and first tier potential. Maclin and Harvin also seem to be good bets in Minnesota and Philly, as their parts of the offense should be bigger than most of the other receivers.

I guess the best way to approach things at this moment would be from a team collector's standpoint right now, while watching how the depth chart pans out for any other possible targets. That way, if you end up with a bunch of stuff from the team you collect, its okay if that player is third string for the first year.

See, prospecting and football don’t mix all that well, especially with many of the first round guys making all their value in the first season they play. That’s why its good to develop a collection target later, once you know a little bit more about the role a certain rookie will play. Then, you can pick someone who may not turn out to be the next Mike Williams or Troy Williamson.

The 2009 Autolic Test: NFL Draft Edition

I thought now was as good a time as any to go over this, mainly because I have a feeling that many of you are wondering. For each draft class we all pick our people. We go over the rounds and decide on a guy based on team, college, style whatever. I also know that many of you want to see an auto before you decide. Or, as I put it, whether or not the guy passes or fails your version of the Wonderlic Autograph Test (The Autolic Test). For those of you who are not familiar, the Wonderlic is a test given to all prospects at the combine to test a number of different things about their intelligence, football intelligence, etc. The Autolic test is one performed by many collectors to determine if the autograph has merit or is subject to the Morency quotient.

This year, I think we are ridiculously lucky as long as none of the players decide to pull a press pass and sign better when there are few cards to sign, and give up when there are many. Top QB autos have been very good the last few years, and Stafford is no exception. The guy is great, he should be hailed for his detail and penmanship. Nice job. Same goes for Beanie Wells, who has a great auto for his cards. Sanchez has a loopy swoopy graph, that I don’t mind, and Moreno's isnt bad either. Harvin and Crabtree have a nice visual appeal to theirs, as well, as both should do pretty amazing when you see them on better cards.

On the other hand, Josh Freeman is a jumbled mess. If I gave you this pic and told you to pick his out, you would really have to go through a few deductions in your head before pointing the finger in his direction. Heyward-bey isnt horrible, but it is boring to me for some reason, mainly because you could practically draw a line through his sig and hit every stroke of every letter. Like I said, not horrible, just boring.

You may think that I put too much thought into this, but I will give this fact as the reason for my use of the Autolic test. I hate give up autos, and I hate weird looking autos. If the player puts no effort into it, I will not keep any of their cards. I did not buy a single Chris Johnson card last year, mainly for that exact reason.

Im sure as the card season progresses, we will see numbers added and all sorts of changes as the cards transfer from on card to sticker and back on card. However, as of now, this class' graphs pass the test with flying colors.

THE 2008 AUTOLIC TEST CAN BE FOUND HERE


(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

2009 NFL Draft: Percy Harvin Is A Viking

Im not going to comment on much more about the other stuff that happened in the 1st round, other than Al Davis being one of the biggest fucking idiots I have ever seen. He passed on Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, among other receivers for Darrius Heyward-Bey, solely based on 40 time from what I can tell. Wow, I had a Ted Ginn shiver run up my back after that.

As the rest of the first round developed, I kept seeing Maclin drop and drop until the Eagles decided to take him, still holding out purple hope until the commish was at the podium. Then, I was shocked to see that with Oher still the Vikings still drafted bong happy Percy Harvin. Originally, I hated it, hated it, because I thought Oher would be the best fit. Then after more consideration, I am much more happy.

See, if the Vikings had drafted Oher instead, it would not affect Peterson facing 8-9 in the box EVERY play. With Harvin's versatility, that will hopefully change. Plus Loadholt is still available in Rd 2, hopefully.

Your guys' thoughts on the first round? I think it was pretty amazing.