Hobby Breakdown: NFC Championship Game

Sunday's NFC Championship Game is a clash of the Titans, no doubt. The Saints are 13-3 and the number 1 seed, the Vikings are 12-4, playing away, and are the number 2 seed. The story is more about Drew Brees vs Brett Favre, though I want to look at it from a hobby standpoint. Im going to go position by position and talk about who has the most to gain this weekend. The Saints may be the better team in terms of record, but are the Vikings a better team in the hobby?

Quarterback

Starter: Drew Brees
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2001 (Chargers)
Best Rookie Card: 2001 Bowman Chrome Auto, 2001 Playoff Contenders Auto (tie)
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $400
Autos Usually Sell For: $70
Commentary: Brees has the advantage because he has autographed rookie cards. However, outside of his rookies, his auto can sell for as little as 36 bucks. I think he is one of the more undervalued players in the league, but a win on Sunday could vault his values into a higher value bracket.

Starter: Brett Favre
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 1991
Best Rookie Card: 1991 Wild Card 1000 Stripe
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $900
Autos Usually Sell For $150+
Commentary: I know the 1000 stripe is a ridiculously expensive card, but it is so rare that it is hard to even find on eBay. In addition, there are fakes, so im not even sure it can be counted. The regular 1991 Stadium Club RCs sell for very little, so I guess the playing field is even there. Favre has accomplished everything there is to accomplish, so the only room for improvement is in his Vikings cards.

Advantage: Tie

Running Back

Starter: Reggie Bush
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2006
Best Rookie Card: 2006 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $600
Autos Usually Sell For: $40
Commentary: Bush was one of the most hyped up players coming out of college, and his cards reflected that. They still hold a ton of value in the rookies, but other than that, he has nothing. He has underperformed on the field as well, but a good game on Sunday can be huge for his values.

Starter: Adrian Peterson
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $1100
Autos Usually Sell For: $150
Commentary: Peterson is the biggest star in the hobby, even more so than Manning or Favre. His cards are very sought after, especially the 2007 ones, and his performance still leaves room for more improvement. Its rare that a Running Back can out value the QBs, but in this case, the throngs of Vikings fans have made it so.

Advantage: Vikings

Wide Receiver

Starter: Marques Colston
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2006
Best Rookie Card: 2006 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $75
Autos Usually Sell For: Under $10
Commentary: Colston is a good receiver on the field, but doesn’t have much of a following in the hobby. Like many good wide receivers, he is very underappreciated, and a good game probably wouldn’t help much.

Starter: Sidney Rice

Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $140
Autos Usually Sell For: $20
Commentary: Rice's cards have spiked this year, and its all because of some amazing games. If he does have another game like he did against the Cowboys, he may become one of the most valuable WRs in the hobby.

Advantage: Vikings

Tight End

Starter: Jeremy Shockey
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2002 (Giants)
Best Rookie Card: 2002 Playoff Contenders
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $42
Autos Usually Sell For: $15
Commentary: Shockey's mouth gained him a following as a Giant, but his performance forced him to a position with New Orleans. He has had somewhat of a resurgence, but not much. I hated this guy when he was a Giant, and I have a feeling I will hate him that much more on Sunday.

Starter: Visanthe Shiancoe
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 2003 (Giants)
Best Rookie Card: 2003 SP Authentic
Average Sell Value For That Card: $10
Autos Usually Sell For: N/A
Commentary: Shiancoe had his second good year in a row with Minnesota, but his cards have done little to nothing. He hasn’t even had an auto recently, and that isnt a bad thing. You can pick up his SPA autos for cheap, and if he has a great game on Sunday, that may not be the case anymore.

Advantage: Saints

Wild Card Player

Starter: Robert Meachem
Position: WR
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exquisite Collection
Average Sell Value For That Card: $50
Autos Usually Sell For: Under $10
Commentary: Meachem finally had an okay year for the Saints, and the people hoarding his cards have responded. As a player with a large college following, he continues to have value regardless of performance. If he does well on Sunday, we could see an explosion.

Starter: Jared Allen
Position: Defensive End
Rookie Year: 2004 (Chiefs)
Best Rookie Card: 2006 SP Authentic (Non-auto)
Average Sell Value For That Card: $20
Autos Usually Sell For: $60
Commentary: Allen has a humongous Minnesota following, and that following pays enormous prices for certified autos in Vikings uniform. His autos out of UD Black and UD Philadelphia have commanded $100 and $40 respectively, on top of the 40 bucks his first certified auto usually gets out of 2005 Score.

Advantage: Vikings

Overall

The Saints and Vikings are dangerous teams, but the Vikings definitely have more hobby power. Although Minnesota is the underdog come Sunday, they still have a pretty good shot just because of the team they have. However, they are going to have to contend with one of the best players in the game in Drew Brees, so who knows what could happen. A 51-50 win for the Saints is not out of the question.

Advantage: Vikings

The Vikings Continue To Disappoint

The Vikings had one goal going into Monday night, and that was to beat a struggling Bears team that they had destroyed once already that season. Of course, as every Vikings fan expected, they fucked it up, and now the two seed is out of their hands. Thankfully, they are going to be playing a bruised and beaten Giants team in the dome next week, a place where they have yet to lose this season, simultaneously watching the scoreboard to see if Dallas can beat Philadelphia. In a perfect world for us, the Eagles lose to the Cowboys, the Giants go down a la this past weekend, and Wild Card Weekend becomes R and R weekend.

Personally, I think that after the dismal first half, the Vikings did not deserve to win Monday’s game. The Bears played them like a fiddle from the beginning, running up and down the field and preventing anything from materializing on defense. Peterson was no where to be seen, Favre was floundering, and the scoreboard had a nice goose egg for the Vikings at the half. In true Favrian fashion, Minnesota storms back, scores 17 unanswered points and tied it up late in the fourth. At 23-23 with less than five minutes to go, Danieal Manning returns the ensuing kickoff into Vikings territory, and Cutler engineers a score two plays later. This is where it gets interesting, because in the next couple of drives, the Vikings should have ended up “game over” on a few separate occasions instead of forcing OT.

First, after the kickoff, a holding penalty and a sack puts them at 2nd and 20 from deep in their own end. Sure enough, they get a first down on a long pass play and short run. Second, Favre overthrows Percy Harvin while on their way to a touchdown, and Zachary Bowman drops a tipped pass that was in his hands. Instead of a game ending interception with less than a minute on the clock, the Vikings score on a sweet touch pass to Sidney Rice in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. Third, on the first drive of overtime, the Bears’ MVP of the game, Devin Aromashodu, sets them up with a field goal from inside the 30, but Robbie Gould could not seal the deal. Luckily for the Bears, the fourth time is a charm, and after a crippling Adrian Peterson fumble, Aromashodu catches the game winner with Favre watching helplessly from the sidelines.

Regardless of Peterson’s fumble, or Antoine Winfield’s poor decision to underestimate the player of the game, the loss was eerily reminiscent of the Saints overtime loss to 2-12 Tampa Bay. Both losses came to bad teams that should have been killed, and both losses could have very large playoff implications. The Vikings no longer control their own destiny to lock up the two seed in the NFC, and it has become probable that 40 year old Brett Favre will have two extra games to play in the 2009 season. Instead of sitting out for week 17 and resting up for the playoffs, he will have to play full speed ahead for the game against a team that has nothing to play for. It could also add in a new hurdle for the week after, where the Vikings now have to play instead of having the bye. For an aging body that has been beaten mercilessly over the past month, it could spell disaster for a team that once looked infallible.

As a lifelong Vikings fan, I have trained my mind to expect the worst in every situation. However, this time, having Favre is definitely better than not having him. I guarantee you that the 2007 and the 2008 Vikings never would have even made it to overtime last night, or have been in a position where the game actually mattered as much as it did. That is where Favre makes his magic happen, and I am eager to see what he has up his sleeve come next week and beyond. Although I doubt the Vikings have a Super Bowl run in them without linebacker EJ Henderson, I do think they have enough gas to make it to the second or third round of the playoffs. I think the Eagles have a great shot at beating the Cowboys to win the number two seed, and at this point its almost better that they do. That way the Vikings don’t have the time to think about what could have been, and they wont go soft watching others bang it out on Wild Card Weekend.

As we saw this week, anything can happen any given Sunday in the NFL, and maybe that “anything” spells a few more victories for the Vikings. Maybe that anything also means that Devin Aromashodu gets a flat tire on his way to the stadium, and gets stuck on the side of the road in 10 degree weather for week 17 as “payback” for his ridiculous game.

Who knows?

It could happen, right?

Chris Johnson and Breaking the 2000 Yard Barrier

Chris Johnson is 128 yards away from a barrier that only five other players have reached. This 2000 yard club is tough to become a part of, and it includes names like Sanders and Dickerson. Players like Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Jim Brown, who are generally thought of as the greatest running backs of all time, never got to the amazing mark Johnson is approaching. The question I want to look at isnt whether or not he will get there, but what will happen to his cards when he does.

In my opinion, a lot of his value is derived from his production, but it isnt really where it should be. That is the result of having a give up auto as he does, in addition to the team he plays for. Considering that he is a dynamic player, he should have prices in the stratosphere, but because his auto looks like someone said "initial here, here and here" people arent willing to pay the prices that they normally would for someone like Adrian Peterson. Johnson deserves it at this point, dont get me wrong, but when you cant even bother to sign the cards for the fans, the collectors are not going to give as much attention.

When he does break the 2000 yard mark, he might have a large spike, but when the year starts next year, things still may not be at the top of the spectrum where he left them unless he continues to shine. Look at Jamal Lewis, he ran for 2000 yards with Baltimore, but after seasons of limited production, his values have dropped. Having a great season or two does not make a career, though with Johnson, I would think he is more probable to have a better go at it than Lewis. Because Running Backs are now thrown into games in pairs or even committees, the punishment Johnson will receive is much less than someone like Lewis.

Because he will be a better player, barring injury, Johnson's cards should maintain much more of their expected value over a longer period of time. Does this mean you should hold rather than sell? Hell no. I would have an auction that ends right after the game next week for all of your Johnson cards, as he is pretty much assured to get close against Seattle next week. At that point, you will have a good shot at getting top prices even if he falls just short. My shadowbox auto and dual auto with Kevin Smith will be up for sure, though im not sure how much they will get. Hopefully a lot.

Even if Johnson doesnt get there, he has sure put on a show. I cannot wait to see what he will do next week, as it will be quite a spectacle if he does reach 2000 yards. Im even more excited to see if he will get close again next year, as he is truly an exciting player. Ill tell you one thing, if he does get there, his Offensive Line is going to get a nice gift for New Years care of their new favorite player.

Interesting NFL Notes

A few things came through the newswire today that were pretty good stories. One of them featuring a player that many of us have some money into. The other was just cool.

First, Crabtree is looking more and more like he is going to wait out the season, so the Niners lowered their initial offer to him. I laugh. Crabtree is being a little bitch and is asking for the same or more money than Hey Bey's 7th pick contract, and I think its great that the Niners arent budging. Obviously Hey Bey was a reach at 7, but that doesnt mean you have the right to call that into question as a player. You get your slot, and thats it, deal with it and play football. Michael Oher was asked at the draft if he minded being the last guy in the green room when he was picked by the Ravens at #23, he said he wouldnt have cared if he was the last pick of the 7th round. He just wanted to play, and was happy to be with a great team. That is the attitude I want on my team. If I were the Niners, I would do my best to sign him, but I wouldnt cave to his wants. Let him try again, show him what he was missing. He is crying over a few million dollars, see what he says when he loses 10-15 million over the year, plus an entire salary for the current season. What an epic fail.

In homersota news, the second story was talking about AD and his impressive 67 yard run against the Browns. A few people are calling it the best of the last few years, I am in agreement. I mean, the player fist to defender face ratio alone was higher than I had ever seen on a single run, and it definitely sent a message for the rest of the year. Peterson commented that it was his favorite so far, something that Ryan Longwell concurred with. Longwell even called his kid, a bid AD fan, so that he could turn on the TV to watch the replay. Im not sure why your kid wouldnt watch to begin with, but whatever. Peterson should have a tremendous year as long as the pieces in place stay that way, as we saw what could happen against a defense that is middle of the pack.

Be sure to check out Pro Football Talk, Im really liking the site. Even though they dont always say the smartest things, the up to date news is worth it.

A Great Day For Me

I was lucky to come home to two things in my mailbox that made me very happy. I had a slip to pick up the two boxes of SPA that I was going to break, and the slip for my Adrian Peterson National Chicle Redemption.

When I opened the package from Carlsbad, I was greeted by one hell of a card. I love the look of the painted National Chicle minis, and to have a signed one, hand numbered to 5 is amazing. The fact that it took UD LESS than a week to get it to me is even better.

See for yourself:

After opening the two boxes I bought from Blowout, I was happy to see that I got two boxes with more than the alotted hits. In one box, I got two box hits in the Romo and the Avery, along with the Woodson Sign of The Times, and in the other I got the Sayers SPA Retro Sigs. That was awesome, and I ended up with four very nice cards.

All in all, a pretty great day.

The Trouble With Redemptions And Player Collecting

Over the last two years, Peterson has become a 100% redemption player due to his unwillingness to adhere to the normal signing schedule that card companies require. There will always be stickers that can be reused from as far back as the offseason from 2007, but, for the true on card sweetness, its a waiting game for the new shit. This leads to a problem when you see a card that you know is going to be ridiculously amazing, but you know that its going to be six months before the package shows up at your door.

Such is my dilemma, and I know a lot of you out there have similarly experienced the months that are necessary to get a card you have wanted. The question remains as to whether or not the wait is worth the end result. I say yes and no, but it also has a lot to do with your connection to the card and your connection to the player.

For a player collector, sometimes redemptions are a necessary evil, especially if you are waiting on some of the cards that will be the best of the year. Since my favorite products are always SPA and Exquisite, I have to come to terms with the fact that I will have to wait for Peterson to sign his stuff. Since UD cant produce these cards far enough ahead of time, the cards need to be redemptions - I get that. But do I risk my money under the auspices that at any time he can just decide not to sign any more?

I have risked it before, at least twice, once with great results, once with a replacement outcome. This time, I think I may risk it again and buy a card out of Philadelphia that should be one of the best auto cards until SPA in January. Thats the impatience in me, despite the fact that the card probably wont be signed until SPA actually hits shelves. Thats me, though, and I am positive that the card is something I need to buy. Yet, if I had pulled it out of a pack of a player I didnt collect, it would be on ebay faster than you could say boo.

The problem is, that redemptions are practically only there for the player collectors around to begin with. People who pull the redemptions rarely ever hold them if they dont collect the player in some way, and I believe that is why so many of them end up on eBay. Now that its also very easy to do it online instead of sending them in, its even easier to just throw it up there as an incentive for the people out there that like it. Hell, you dont even need to ship the card most of the time.

Call me a junkie for hard signed cards now that I am spoiled enough by UD's great commitment to those sets, but I wonder if others out there are willing to take the same chance on some of these as I am. I realize that most collectors blame UD and their replacements for the redemption dilemma, but there have to be other addicts out there like me looking for their next fix. Otherwise the market for these redemptions wouldnt be what it is.

List Of NFL Series 22 For McFarlane Toys

A few places have started taking pre-orders on NFL Sports Picks series 22, which normally wouldnt be big news for me. However, this series will include Adrian Peterson again, and I have high hopes for this figure. The previous AD figure is one of my all time favorites, and I hope they dont fuck up the second one.

Here is the list of figures, pictures not yet released:

Adrian Peterson 2
Tom Brady 3
Matt Cassel
Matt Forte
Matt Ryan
Brandon Marshall

Haha, three Matts in one series! The variants have yet to be announced, but they have been very underwhelming as of late.

Series 22 should ship in December.

If I Had A Million Dollars...

If you look around eBay, there are probably things you wish you had added every minute of every day. Well, what would you do if you had all the money to spend, and nothing else to spend it on? Personally, if I had a lot of disposable income, cards would be the last thing I would buy, but if I couldnt buy anything else, I would have a few things to buy. Here are some (in no particular order):

2007 Adrian Peterson Exquisite Gold RC Patch Auto (3 Color)

If you have a favorite player, you need their Exquisite RC Patch Auto if they have one. If they dont have one, you need some sort of Exquisite auto. Its a status symbol, just like a Caddy. For me, thats pretty tough because I dont have 1500 to drop on one /99, let alone the gold parallel.

1997 Walter Payton UD Legends Auto

This card is from the set of sets, and it is the one player that everyone wants. It has a great design, a great picture, and its on card. It could be the best auto set in the history of the football industry. Eventhough it was recently redone in 2008 Ultimate, this particular card will always be the best of them all. I want one.

2001 Topps Archives Johnny Unitas Auto

Johnny Unitas' RC card is one of the most Iconic cards in the hobby. Everyone has the two tone card in their minds everytime they see a top 10. In 2001, Topps put out a set that had on card autos of many of these cards, and I would love to have the Johnny U. I wish that companies would do this more often, go back and have some of the most recognizable cards signed on reprints, especially now that retro sets are so popular.

2003-04 Lebron James Exquisite RC Patch Auto

If there were any basketball card I would want, it would be this one. I think when things are all said and done, LeBron will have every record in the book, be recognized on the same level as Jordan, and this card will be the card of his to have. Right now it tops out at a few thousand, but that should go up a bit when, not if, he wins his first championship. Being a small print run, you can imagine that there arent many chances to own one at a reasonable price now, but as part of the beginning of super high end, it will always be recognizable.

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan RC

This is probably the most iconic basketball card ever. I dont need to say much else on why I want this card in my collection somehow.

2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC Auto

No matter how much you hate him, Brady is one of the best QBs ever to play on the gridiron. It also just so happens that he came in at the beginning of the auto era of football cards. Granted, he is the reason you get undrafted free agent signatures in those products, but it doesnt make this card any less desirable for me.

1998 Playoff Contenders Peyton Manning RC Auto

Manning has already established his place in history, and this card is his best. It was released during a time where autos were still more rare, and to pull a Manning was the pinnacle of one's existance as a box buster. I am a Peyton Manning fan, if not only for his mastercard commercials and his SNL hillarity. Too bad this card costs so much, otherwise I would have already invested.

2006 Reggie Bush Exquisite RC Patch Auto

Holy fuck, I can still remember all the Reggie Bush hype in 2006. It was a machine, and this card rode it all the way to the bank. Now, it has dropped considerably as Bush's career has not lived up to the hype, but it would still be fun to have.

1994 Mickey Mantle/Ken Griffey Upper Deck Dual Auto

I think this may be the first dual signed card ever, but regardless, its one that every baseball fan should appreciate. The painted card has always impressed me, and to have it signed by two of the greatest players in baseball history is worth the chase to get one. 15 years later and its still one of the most sought after UD cards.

2005 Babe Ruth Absolute Memorabilia Jumbo Jersey

I just spoke of the Ruth effect, and this is a prime example of what happens when people flip their shit over the Bambino. However, unlike most cards, I like the way this one looks, especially with the giant fucking swatch that happens to be a part of the card.

2001 Joe Mauer Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Auto

Mauer is my favorite baseball player, and its only fitting that we end with him. The gold refractors were the hottest RC auto back in 2001, and Mauer was the most expensive at the time. The highly graded ones still go for a ton, and so far, I have only been able to get the regular auto. This card would be a great centerpiece to my Mauer collection.

There are definitely more cards that I have wanted to have over the years, but these ones are at the top of my list right now. I know I didnt mention the 52 Mantle, or even the Wagner, but really, those cards are not of interest to me. So, which ones are on your list?

2009 NFL Draft: My Reflections

As we enter into the football-less wasteland of summer, the draft is what will have to sustain us until the pre-season starts in august. Overall, I think the draft was pretty fun to watch this whole time, and the first round had me glued to the TV now that teams were forced to pick a little quicker and because ESPN (no NFL Network access at my house) didnt miss any picks this year.

There were no shortage of surprises in the first round, especially with the Jets trading up to get Sanchez, and the Raiders taking Heyward-Bey at #7. When we look back on this draft in a few years, I think both of these moves will be considered pretty dumb, mainly the depth at WR in the first round DID NOT justify the Raiders' pick with Maclin AND Crabtree on the board. As for Sanchez, the Jets would have probably been better waiting until next year, with a much deeper and more talented bunch of QBs that will be coming out.

There were quite a few reaches as there were last year as well, mainly Larry English being drafted mid first round, and the reach at three by the Chiefs, or why you pass up Curry for a guy who probably would have been better to trade down for. Then when the Bungles pass on Crabtree at number 6 to take the Sta-puft Marshmallow man, I almost gasped out loud. You lose Housh, you have to deal constantly with Chad Johnson, and you pass on a great talent a la Calvin Johnson to take a guy who couldnt even put it together for the job interview of his life. Good job.

As for the people who fell, Beanie Wells making it all the way to Cardinals is a shock, and I think the people like the Eagles will be sorry that they didnt get someone to tag team with the aging and somewhat fragile Westbrook. Maualunga falling as far as he did was also pretty ridiculous, though great USC linebackers do come a dime a dozen as we have found out.

I will give props to Oher, who remained driven and positive despite ESPN constantly playing the awful "troubled past" card. He just wants to play, and the Ravens were right to jump all over him. ESPN needs to learn that a human interest story is only interesting if it is not beaten to death. Then again, with Chris "YWML" Berman at the desk, thats pretty tough to avoid.

As we moved into the second round, and the Broncos traded NEXT year's #1 for a pick to get Alphonso Smith, I couldnt help but think things were heading down a bad road for a team that just lost a huge piece. Then again, they did great with drafting Moreno, so hopefully Neckbeard wont be without too many options.

Lastly, in terms of hobby impact, here are how I think things will sort out now that we know the teams that the top guys went to:

1) Matthew Stafford

2) Knowshon Moreno

3) Michael Crabtree

4) Mark Sanchez

5) Josh Freeman

6) Beanie Wells (Peterson Effect*)

7) Donald Brown (Peterson Effect*)

8) Jeremy Maclin

9) Darrius Heyward-Bey

10) Percy Harvin

* Peterson Effect - Prices start high solely because of idiots wanting to get in on the bottom level for a guy that plays the same position that AD plays. Yeah, like lightning is going to strike twice in 2 years, right?

Thus Completing My Peterson Purchasing For 2009

Barring an act of god or another set producing win, im done buying All Day autos for 2009. My Exquisite auto came in today, and I must say that I am pleased. It could have been smeared, it could have gone off the card, but all in all, its pretty nice. Its up next to my other Exquisite from 2007, and will remain there until I decide that AD is not my player of choice anymore. 

Funny enough, the scan is AWFUL, so bare that in mind, and the card itself has a nice gold border on the side of it. Pretty cool.

Just Because The Card Is Worth $500, Doesnt Mean Someone Wont Destroy It

A few readers sent in this auction link of a seller who wanted to prove that a recently sold Peterson chest logo SPA Patch Auto was fake. See, of all the patches to fake, I would expect that this one would be the least likely to top the list due to the shear scope of the cost of the card. Then again, we have seen Exquisite Peterson fakes, and other fakes of this SPA card, so the lesson is this:

JUST BECAUSE ITS HIGH END, DOESNT MEAN YOU ARE SAFE.

The too good to be true rules still apply, and basically it comes down to not taking a chance. Yes, it is a cool card, but why risk the fake patch? Why not buy a 3-color for a similar price and be sure it is real. SPAs are frequently faked, though UD has been good about removing the auctions they know to be fake. Some of them will continue to get through as I have mentioned here before, but its still something that needs to be planted in the minds of collectors. Nothing is safe anymore, and if someone can make a buck or two by switching out the patch, THEY WILL. They are fucking scum, and should be castrated to prevent more of them from entering the gene pool.

Listen people, dont be idiots out there, and though there are quite a few people who will continue to be idiots, it does not give you free reign on both ends of this scam.



ADDENDUM: Just because a card is slabbed does not mean it is real, just another way the scammers get you. See, even though Beckett may authenticate the card, there is nothing they will authenticate about a patch. Now, aside from the arbitrary and exceedingly stupid practice of authenticating cards (especially post 1995), the scammers use this available resource as a way to lure you into a dumb purchase. Even if Beckett were to say something is real, a la SPA NFL Logo patches from Tomlinson's RC year, why would it be in your best interest to believe them? Why are they the preeminent authenticators of patches, especially with all the fakes out there? Yes, yes, I know some are ridiculously obvious, but when it comes to others, they arent necessarily a green smurf in smurfville. I dont put any trust in Beckett either way, but some of you might when it comes to seeing the authentic slabs. In fact, if a card was in an authentic slab, I would AUTOMATICALLY stay away, as it waives red flags all over my alarm system.

Again, why even risk it?

Taking Set Collecting To The EXTREME!

Sometimes, when second worlders take a shot at set collecting, they set their sights very high. Every once in a great while, someone takes that to a whole new level. This auction is for every RC Patch Auto out of 2007 Exquisite Football, and I am not only jealous, but really fucking impressed. Not only does he have the complete set, but he has some nice ass patches on most of the cards, including a ridiculous 3-color on the Peterson. Of course, these patches are event used, but for the sake of this showcase, they are really nice. He even got a 3 color on the Russell, which is tough, considering that the home half of the jerseys are 2 colors for the whole jersey, and the away jerseys are only three colors on the front and back numbers.

I can imagine that this set took a long time to complete, and also took a shit ton of money. The sad thing is that he wants 14K for this lot, and I dont think he will come even close. Its just too much money for someone to pay, as most of the RCs in this set will never amount to much. As a set, thats a little different, but that may be a lot too much to ask.

Either way, its cool to see a guy that took the time to complete his set.

So Far, This Is Looking Pretty Good

A few days ago, I took a huge risk on a Peterson auto redemption from Exquisite. The good thing was that I had seen a number of ADs up on ebay, the bad thing was that Exquisite wasnt part of that. It was a new set, so it was kind of expected, but I was still quite weary of what may happen.  

Today, to my surprise, I found this under my redemptions on the UD site:

Im glad to see that not everything has been lost on UD customers. With this preliminary info, at least we know that the wheels are still turning somewhere, though customer service has been widely reported as greatly reduced. 

So far, things are looking pretty good, ill keep you up to date.

I Took A Huge Risk Today

Oh man, I am shaking about this. Here is what happened:

I saw that AD's redemptions from UD products started showing up on eBay. The problem was that the cards I wanted were not listed at a reasonable price, and I got really ancy about buying up an Exquisite redemption before some of the fufilled cards got through to the bay and jacked up the price on the ones that hadn't been redeemed. I had the money from the junk auction, and I started looking around the checklist on UD's exquisite site. I thought that the gold /10 was the best picture, and the gold marker would be awesome (even if the new sig isnt even close to the old one). Regardless, the issue remained: did he only sign a few cards, or did he sign them all? Will I get fucked again? I hope not. Remember, I already had to give up on an SPA redemption from last year, and that didnt necessarily work out in my favor with the LeBron Sweet Shot I got as a replacement.

So, despite my best intentions, I took a risk. I decided it was worth the shot, and I will use it as a testimonial for the readers. Rather than spending 200 on a box and getting crap, I will put some of that money towards the card I want. I figured at least I would end up with something worth my time.

I emailed Gregg and asked what had happened with the signing, as it seemed beofre like UD was just about done with waiting on AD to sign. He has yet to respond. Hopefully I will get positive results in a rough time for UD.  If not, you guys will hear about it.

Gregg, the ball is in your court now.

Chiefs Get Cassel

So the Chiefs have traded for Cassel, and all they had to give up was a 2nd round pick. See, I thought that all it would take would be that draft pick, but some of you disagreed. I believe the Chiefs need Cassel tremendously, and would be happy to sign him for that long term deal, but it still irks me that the Vikings instead went after Sage Fucking Rosenfels instead. 

Ill say, I dont think Cassel will be the next big thing. He just doesnt have the support in KC that he did in NE, which will lead to a major problem. But, for Minnesota, he did have more support and could be a reasonable solution to try out until something became obvious. Instead we have Three fucking losers who cant do anything for the team, while All Day sits in the backfield and looks at 8-9 guys in the box each play because the teams know we cant throw for shit.

I still think Childress should be fired, and a coach that does not have his bird head stuck up his ass should be hired. Until that happens, the Vikings will continue to be a middle of the road team or worse.

National Treasures: Living the Dream

I get notified each time someone lists something with the words Peterson and 1/1 in the title. Usually that gets me a bunch of triple suck, a ton of lettermen poop, and every once in a while, something worth looking at. This is one of those things. I expect this will go around 800-1000 dollars, maybe more, as the other 1/1s are always put up at insaneulous BINs just to use ebay as the sellers personal photobucket.

This is different, as it is in auction format, and its a fucking great card.

National Treasures: Dreams and Nightmares

Sometimes when a set comes out, you just know its going to be awesome. I have that premonition right now about National Treasures. Personally, I dont even mind that most of the set is on stickers, and I even like the vertical orientation of the base set - something I was worried about. Now, after seeing more of the cards, I have an even better feeling due to the Masterpieces style player art, and the 1/1s definitely reflect that.

Check this out:



However, that doesnt mean that everything is coming up Millhouse for this set. After going through the 1/1 slideshow on Donruss digital, I did find a troubling instance of stupidty that reared its ugly head in the form of a huge, HUGE, mistake. This is one of those things that just shouldnt happen, especially on a 1/1. I feel bad for the Greg Jennings fans.



I really hope this is a VERY isolated incident.

Vikings Recap: Wild Card Weekend

The season is over, and really, thats fine. I dont need to spend another week waiting for the Vikings' ultimate destruction. They played most of this game quite well, and other than two plays, it was all Vikings. They played above their paygrade for most of the season, a division championship was great, Adrian Peterson's rushing title was great, and that 99 yard pass play was awesome. Thank you Vikings for a fun ride.

Tarvaris Jackson

Tjack made a few mistakes during the game, but sadly secured a job for next year. Crap. I couldnt help but notice that as the game wore on, his passes got worse and worse, making it an obvious assumption that he was losing his composure pretty quickly. The pass that Samuel got for the TD was so poorly thrown, and the decision to throw was so poorly made, that I was ready to give up on him right there. Here's to drafting a QB, giving Jackson one more year, and then calling in the reserves.

Adrian Peterson

All Day was completely ineffective because of a number of reasons. Even though he had 2 TDs, he couldnt get anything going when it mattered. He looked run down, hurting, and showed that the Vikings better not expect that many carries next year if they want a healthy AD down the stretch.

Brad Childress

Looked like he had things under control for 3 whole quarters. The D was hurting before the game with both Williams and Ray Edwards on the shelf, and he managed to keep Philly in check for the whole time. The offense was surprisingly moving the ball and converting on 3rd down, so he must have been happy with himself. Then the wheels fell off. He was so out coached in the 4th quarter that the game flew right out of his hand. He really better get things going next year or he can kiss his ass goodbye.

Jared Allen

Allen has been a force all year, and this game was no exception. I think that we can expect big things from him next year when he becomes a little more accustomed to the dome. For Allen to make the kind of money he does, its fair to expect a little more than he gave us this year, although 15 sacks is nothing short of impressive when it comes to the Vikings.

Bernard Berrian

Berrian put absolutely nothing into this game, and was really quite disappointing. I hope that next year he preforms a little more up to his level, as his inconsistency this year was not where I would have liked. Of course, the QB situation is somewhat to blame, but you can say that a good receiver can do well regardless.

Overall, I liked where the Vikings ended up, as I expected a below 500 year. I guess when you look back at the number of ways they showed they could win, they deserved to win the division, and just got unlucky with who showed up for this game.

Random Musings: Wild Card Weekend

So I am watching the pregame stuff on TV and one of the segments that is done on the NFL network is the weather report for the Eagles and Vikings. What makes this a fail is that the game is indoors, so unless there is a day after tomorrow type freeze, the game is going to happen. What makes this an epic fail is that they actually spend a few minutes talking about what the temp will be when they are leaving the stadium. Listen, if you dont have anything to fucking talk about, at least pick a stupid topic that has something to do with this game. I would rather hear about sock problems on Pat Williams, or Brian Westbrook's pregame meal than the fucking weather for a domed game.

Secondly as I am watching, Adrian Peterson makes a awe befuddling proclamation. His daughter's name is Adeja, which may not seem all that weird until you notice that his nick-name is "All Day." I am shocked that Adeja's mom let him go that far. I guess when you make as much money as he has off being Mr. All Day, you let him go as far as he wants.

As for predictions, I am not even shocked when I say my score is Philly 31, Vikings 7. This game is primed for a blowout. In fact, I dusted off my copy of Madden 09 and played a game with these two teams on the All-Madden setting. Normally I play on the second from the top as I am not that good, but you shouldnt be shocked that my Vikings lost 20-17 on a last second field goal. When I cant beat the Eagles on Madden, its a bad, bad sign.

Watch for Westbrook to destroy the record for receiving yards for a non receiver in a game record. He should have something like 15 catches for 400 yards. Im not even kidding.

Vikings Recap: Week 17

"By the little tiny hairs on our chinny chin chins..."

Thats basically what the whole season was like, and now the Vikings are division champs. I am loving it, and I am loving it even more that Neckbeard and the Bears didnt even have the stones to win in Houston. Its been a wild ride, and if you told me that we would be division champs at this time six in September, I would have told you that you had to go get your head checked. Even though we wont be winning next week, its still nice to be at the table.

Tarvaris Jackson

Wow, he still has a mammoth amount of stuff to make up in order to be a good NFL QB, but he has gotten the job done. After that interception on the goal line, I was chastizing Childress more than him for calling a pass play with the best RB tandem in the league, but I guess it worked out in the end. There sure were quite a few plays he was responsible for that left me with my head scratching, but that was forgotten with the Bernard Berrian TD.

Adrian Peterson

What a season he has had. Just an amazing display of tenacity, even though fumbles again were a problem. Tiki had some problems originally with that, though with experience that should be fixed. The 67 yard blitzkrieg was awesome to watch, and I am happy that he finished as the NFL rushing leader. Hopefully he comes to play next week too, we are going to need it.

Defense

I think this game only showed how bad our defense can be without Patty McFatty. He plugs holes better than his Williams counterpart, and I am sooooooo glad that he could be back next week. That Hixon TD was also one of the worst Winfield plays I have ever seen, so we will definitely need to tighten up if we are even going to have a chance next week.

Ryan Longwell

Longwell, my hero, has been perfect from 50+ this year, and that is so freaking important in this league that you wouldnt even fathom where the Vikings would be without that kind of dependability. I havent mentioned him much in these recaps, but damn, he still has it.

Brad Childress

Childress sucks so bad he was almost taken to school by David Carr and a bunch of scrubs. That takes talent. He has his job for one more year, and that scares the hell out of me. I really hope he isnt stupid enough to let another draft go by without taking a NFL level QB, because he definitely is that dumb to me. If I was sitting in the stadium of Childress' head, I would see nothing but Tjack love, which will suck for many, many reasons.

Overall, I think this seasons win total stops at 10, with Philly coming to town next week, however maybe, just maybe we can pull another one out of our ass. Here's to one more week of torture, watching another 100 fumble game, and screaming loudly into a pillow when Westbrook goes for 200 and 3 TDs.