Saturday, June 22, 2013

No Fate But What You Make

A wise person once told me those words years ago.  It took me a long time to realize how right she was. There is no fate but what you make.

All Good Things...................

This is my ode to Star Trek The Next Generation. It has been more than 25 years since Star Trek the Next Generation premiered in the fall of 1987. I did not really get into the show until its 2nd season when it really caught its footing. It is my favorite TV show of all time. Here are (in my opinion) the best episodes ever. Also listed is the date they approximately were shown in syndication.

 18. The Defector (12/30/89) A good yarn starring the Romulans. A submarine tale. 

17. Future Imperfect (11/10/90) The Romulans are at it again causing what the title suggests.

 16. The Neutral Zone (5/14/88) This would be the prelude episode to the Borg.

 15. The Measure of a Man (2/11/89) A Court Room Drama that is really about Slavery. 

14. Where Silence has no lease (11/26/88) – The episode that turned me on to the series. You feel like you are on the ship with the crew. A somewhat spooky show.

 13. The Game (10/26/91) Wesley Crusher returns and he is finally useful.

 12. Unification (11/2/91) Picard, Spock, a tie in to the Undiscover Country Movie which would come out in a few weeks. 

11. Where No One has Gone Before (10/24/87) The Enterprise goes to the farthest reaches of space with surprising consequences.

 10. A Matter of Honor (2/4/89) An exchange program with the Klingons – Unbelievable original television – this episode in the second season solidified the series as must watch TV.

 9. The Most Toys (5/5/90) Data has the lead role, the most surprising ending and A 1962 Topps Roger Maris star in this episode.

 8. In Theory (6/1/91) Data has a girl friend, nuff said.

 7. Clues (2/9/91) The best written and conceived episode of the series. 

6. Cause and Effect (3/21/92) A very well written episode involving a Time Loop. The last great stand alone thought provoking episode of the series.

 5. The Best of Both Worlds (6/16/90, 9//22/90 ) The Borg Returns, I waited all summer for the conclusion of the  greatest season ending cliff hanger ever.

 4. Inner Light (5/30/92) A very emotional episode giving Picard a chance to live out a future that he will never have.

 3. Yesterdays Enterprise (2/17/90) – An Alternative Universe with the return of Tasha Yar. It feels like watching a Movie 

2. All Good Things (5/23/94) A 2 hour series finale episode, one of the best ever on TV. Ties into the first episode and completes the series. The 4 movies that would come after pales in comparison to this show. 

1. Q Who (5/6/89) Intro to the Borg. The best show of the Series. This one was intense.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Greatest Logo Centric Card of All Time - 2012 Ben Revere Bowman

There are more logos on this card than any other card that I have ever seen: Count Them

1. Twins Logo as part of the Bowman Card

2. The Twins  logo near Ben's right leg.

3 and 4 - The Twins logo on Ben's cap and left sleeve

5. They A's logo on the dugout wall.

6 and 7 - 2 Netsuite logo on the dugout walls

8. Oakland A's dot com. (maybe not a logo but an advertisement)

9. The Pepsi logo on the cup in the dugout.

I count nine different logos on this card. I don't think there is another card like this in existence.

Monday, June 10, 2013

1979-80 Topps Darryl Dawkins - The first sports card that shows a player wearing an Ear Ring

Well I think it is at least it is.  I know Dave Parker wore an Ear Ring in the late 1970s but I don't think any card showed it before 1979.  Darryl was known as Chocolate Thunder. He was an interesting player but over rated. The 1979-80 Basketball Set was one of the greatest Basketball Sets of all time.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

What in the Hell of Absolute, Brilliance, Contenders, Crusade, Donruss Elite, Elite, Gold Standard, Innovation, Intrigue, Limited, Marquee, Momentum, National Treasures, NBA Hoops, Panini, Past Present, Preferred, Prestige, Prizm, Select, Threads, Signatures, Timeless Treasures, Totally Certified,

IS GOING ON HERE!! (As Vince Lombardi used to say).  Panini has put out 25 indistinguishable basketball sets. OK, Maybe NBA Hoops stands out a little but you can't tell one set from the other. All that it appears that they are doing is selling mem and auto cards. It is like they have to make a set for every letter in the alphabet. Half of these sets came out (or will come out) after the Basketball season is over. The regular cards in these sets are Absolutely worthless. I bought a 100 card  Absolute set for 6.99 shipped.  I think this set was supposed to sell for $80 a box and it would take 4 boxes to put together a 100 card set. What is going on here. Someone is getting ripped off. You can't put out all this crap and try to sell it because you got a chance to win Kobe Bryant's Auto.  They should just sell people Kobe Bryants Auto instead of giving them a chance to win it. Panini should only put out a few sets a year and build off that. It appears Prizm is a winner especially for Baseball. However, one hit out of 25 is only 4 percent. Which isn't good and kill the hobby.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

2013 Score Football Card of Vernon Davis recreates that famous Brady Bunch episode where Greg Brady...

 got injured while playing on his football team. While he was injured, during his team's games, he took pictures of his super hot early 1970ish girlfriend. On one of the photo of her, in the background was a picture of the final play of the big game. I can't remember how it went exactly but Greg capture the exact time the ball carrier was ruled out of bounds thus costing his team the game.  Since the photo of the play was in the background, Greg has to blow up the picture to an incredible size to where you can see that the ball carriers foot was not on the line and Gregs team should have won. Greg with the help of his father tried to make school officials aware of the blown call (I'm not sure what came about of this).  However, this episode may have been the prelude to the NFL going to instant replay in the late 1980s.  Below is Vernon Davis recreating part of the episode, unfortunately, Greg's girlfriend is not in the pictue

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

There is a Hooter's Advertisement on Ben Revere's 2013 Bowman Baseball Card

Check out the lower left corner of the card, you can make out the Hooter's advertisement. No Hooter Girls on this card but check out the below  gratutious picture which I stole from the Chronicles of Fuji.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

2013 Score Football Lives!!! Its Live!!! It Has Gold Foil on the Front!!! NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After 25 years of being a vestige to a loss innocence of many many moons ago, 2013 Score Football has been ruined. Panini has ruined it and now charges the public a dollar more a pack for the cards for the ruin. With Topps going to gold (or Silver) foil on the front of cards in 1994, Score Football was the last set to escape that fate. Panini has now made the set indistinguishable from the other 30 or so football sets that they make.
 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

All Good Things.....

My Ode to STTNG. It has been 25 years since Star Trek the Next Generation premiered in the fall of 1987. I did not really get into the show until its 2nd season when it caught its footing. It is my favorite TV show of all time. Here are (in my opinion) the best episodes ever. Also listed is the date they approximately were shown in syndication. 18. The Defector (12/30/89) A good yarn starring the Romulans. A submarine tale. 17. Future Imperfect (11/10/90) The Romulans are at it again causing what the title suggests. 16. The Neutral Zone (5/14/88) This would be the prelude episode to the Borg. 15. The Measure of a Man (2/11/89) A Court Room Drama that is really about Slavery. 14. Where Silence has no lease (11/26/88) – The episode that turned me on to the series. You feel like you are on the ship with the crew. A somewhat spooky show. 13. The Game (10/26/91) Wesley Crusher returns and he is finally useful. 12. Unification (11/2/91, 11/2/91) Picard Spock, a tie in to the Undiscover Country Movie which would come out in a few weeks. 11. Where No One has Gone Before (10/24/87) The Enterprise goes to the farthest reaches of space with surprising consequences. 10. A Matter of Honor (2/4/89) An exchange program with the Klingons – Unbelievable original television – this episode in the second season solidified the series as must watch TV. 9. The Most Toys (5/5/90) Data has the lead role, the most surprising ending and A 1962 Topps Roger Maris star in this episode. 8. In Theory (6/1/91) Data has a girl friend, nuff said. 7. Clues (2/9/91) The best written and conceived episode of the series. 6. Cause and Effect (3/21/92) A very well written episode involving a Time Loop. The last great stand alone thought provoking episode of the series. 5. The Best of Both Worlds (6/16/90, 9//22/90 ) The Borg Returns, I waited all summer for the greatest season ending cliff hanger ever. 4. Inner Light (5/30/92) A very emotional episode giving Picard a chance to live out a future that he will never have. 3. Yesterdays Enterprise (2/17/90) – An Alternative Universe with the return of Tasha Yar. It feels like watching a Movie 2. All Good Things (5/23/94) A 2 hour series finale episode, one of the best ever on TV. Ties into the first episode and completes the series. The 4 movies that would come after pales in comparison to this show. 1. Q Who (5/6/89) Intro to the Borg. The best show of the Series. This one was intense.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Baseball Card Price Guide History - 1982 Donruss Cal Ripken Jr.

In the last month on ebay there were 164 non graded sales for this card with the average price of $10.16, In August 1985, in Sports Card Magazine this card was listed between $1.45-3.25. In February 2005, Becket Baseball this card was listed in the range of $15.00-40.00.
Probably the best looking of all his 1982 rookie cards.

The Emotional Appeal of Baseball Cards

1972 Topps was the first of cards I ever collected. The drug store where I bought my first pack of cards still exists. However, it probably has been 30 years since they sold cards. When I see 1972 Topps Baseball Cards, they evoke a real physical reaction/emotion within me. Of all the cards Tommie, Agee’s has the most effect on me. I don’t know if this has to do with the colors on the card(that big blue warmup jacket) or if this was the first baseball card I ever saw (maybe pulled from that first pack back at that drug store.) When I see the Agee card I can reach back in the past to when I was 7 and still get that same feeling that I can only describe as an extreme “want” or have to have. I can still see in my mind all those unopened packs of cards sitting behind that glass case at the drugstore. His card (and other cards from that time) allow me to still can get that feeling of euphoria of seeing those unopned packs behind the glass and wanting them all more than anything in the whole wide world. Looking over the 1972 Topps cards (including football, basketball and hockey cards), I can just relive those childhood feelings, emotions and memories.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Newhart - The Best Series Finale of All Time

May 21, 1990. In the Best Series Finale of all time - Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to Suzanne Pleshette, realizing the last 8 years of his life(TV Show) was just a dream and he was still living his life from his prior TV show The Bob Newhart Show. He utters the classic line to Suzanne about wearing sweaters more often.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Big Boobs of Kate Upton on 2013 SI Cover

Was that Women on Tim Duncan's threads card Kate Upton?

Big Boobs on Tim Duncan's 2012-13 Threads Card

LOOK at the Female Torso just below the Basketball that Tim Duncan is holding. Do you see her. WoW! Who is she? Who is this Mysterious Women? Well Endowed to say the least.  So is the lady above

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Bizarro - Panini screwed up and forgot to put Portland Trail Blazers players in 2012-13 Threads Set

Yes it is true. In the 150 card Base Set, Panini forgot to include players from the Portland Trail Blazers in the set. The Set is grouped alphabetically by teams. All other teams were included. The Atlanta Hawks players lead off the set and the Washington Wizard Players end the 150 card Base Set. The first Trail Blazer card should come after card 121 Shannon Brown of the Phoenix Suns but instead of getting LaMarcus Aldridge or Nicholas Batum we get card 122 Tyreke Evans of the Sacremento Kings. No Trail Blazers in the set - None.

What Happened?. Panini screwed up and basically forgot about the Portland Trail Blazers (or maybe forgot they existed).  A Big QC miss.

*Note Aldridge does appear in an insert set