The Top sports card sets to debut in the 21th Century - No1. Tim Horton NHL Hockey

 I have been a big critic of Upper Deck over the years but them teaming up with Tim Horton to produce Hockey Cards is probably the best new idea / new set of the 21st Century,

Granted this set is a slight evolution from the earlier McDonalds Hockey sets but it is distinct on its own and has its own flavor and I can't think of anything quite like it except maybe the Denny's sets from the early 1990s.

You get all the stars and all the teams are represented on the 120 card checklist (up from 100 cards). The one recent draw back since Covid the stats have been a year behind. The cards have a unique feel and look unlike anything else out on the market. The cards are easy to get, affordable, fun to pack break and put together sets.

The 21st century has really not offered much new but this is the best of the best. 

THE GREAT 1970s HOME RUN CHASE = September 21, 1970

 The 60s HR Chase - All Time Leaders – September 21, 1970

Babe Ruth 714

Willie Mays 628

Hank Aaron 591

Micky Mantle 536

Jimmy Foxx 534

Ted Williams 521

Eddie Mathews 512

Mel Ott 511

Ernie Banks 509

Lou Gehrig 493

Harmon Killebrew 487

Stan Musial 475

Frank Robinson 473

Duke Sinder 407

Rocky Colavito 373

Gil Hodges 370

Ralph Kiner 369

Joe DiMaggio 361

 

For a long time (3 years) there was no one between Duke Snider at 407 and Stan Musial at 475 until  Willie McCovey (9/3/73), Billy Williams (8/7/75) and Willie Stargell (6/10/78) showed up. When Stargell hit 408 on 6/10/78, McCovey was already at 497.

The GREAT 1960s and 1970s Home Run Chase

 The 60s HR Chase - All Time Leaders – June 7, 1970

Babe Ruth 714

Willie Mays 613

Hank Aaron 571

Micky Mantle 536

Jimmy Foxx 534

Ted Williams 521

Eddie Mathews 512

Mel Ott 511

Ernie Banks 501

Lou Gehrig 493

Stan Musial 475

Harmon Killebrew 461

Frank Robinson 458

Duke Sinder 407

Rocky Colavito 373

Gil Hodges 370

Ralph Kiner 369

Joe DiMaggio 361

The Top sports card sets to debut in the 21th Century - No 2. Allen Ginter

 

O.K. this set is recycled from the 19th century - and the non baseball player checklist has been lacking for the last few years - but the designs have become significantly better the last 10 years.  The photos look the paintings. The headshots are reminiscence of the early Topps 1950s set - The card stock is solid.

The Top sports card sets to debut in the 21th Century - No 3. Heritage

 O.K. I know these are recycled designs 

This isn't new coke though.

These designs are classic and the concept is cool with thick old school cardboard. 

It is a cool concept. It is also a set to look forward to. 

The short prints suck though.

Goodbye, Fernando - UNREAL

 It is really strange that Fernando passes away on the eve of the first Dodgers-Yankees series since 1981 which he was a star of.

I was just commenting on Night Owl's blog how this card was one of the first "important" rookie cards at the time in the spring of 1981.

Unreal - was the word on the SI cover when, I think Fernando won his first seven starts with complete games without giving up a run or something like that - Unreal.

This reminds me of when Franco Harris died just a few days before the 50th anniversary of the immaculate reception

Unreal

 

Who is going to win the election? The GDP knows, the Stock Market knows and the Shadow knows

 As I wrote about 4 years there is a formula with the GDP numbers that correspond with Presidential Election outcomes. The Formula is:

If the GDP rises up from the third year to the fourth  year of an administration, the party in power stays in power.

If the GDP goes down from the 3rd year to the 4th year or if the 3rd or 4th year of the administration produces a negative calendar year GDP then the party in power gets kicked out of office.         This formula has worked about 85% of the time since 1928,

Currently the GDP stands at 2.3%  (thru June) it was 2.5% in 2023

There is a stock market formula. If the market is higher at the end of October than it was at the beginning of August then the party on power stays in power and if the stock market drops then the party in power gets kicked out of office. I have heard this formula works 90% of the time in the last 100 years

For example in 2020 on July 30 S&P 500 stood at 3,271 points. And on Oct 14, it stood at S&P 500 3,488 points. However the market dropped and it stood at 3,269 at the end of October. The party in power lost

At the end of July 2024, S&P 500 stood at 5537 points - today it is at 5853. 

The 3rd quarter GDP numbers will come out soon