It's a Rookie Card Bonanza

Before I get into the day's real topic, let me say that my Tony Romo RC card auction is done - and I'm pretty happy with the result.  At auction's end, the card sold for $11.50 (and I included free shipping).  So all told, I'll make about $7.00 off of it.  The card wasn't graded or numbered.  So for a regular non-Chrome RC, that price is actually very good.  And it makes me want to tackle the entire box of cards that I got to see what other treasures are in there.

Now, for the 'Bonanza' piece of the post, I want to call your attention once again to one of Target's staples - the double packs of cards for $4.99.  Really, the Topps NBA double packs are the best value in loose packs right now.  In the pack you're getting a numbered Chrome variation and a gold parrallel as well.  And not to mention the base cards, which are still awesome in their photography.

I bought one of these double packs again because I've had great success with getting some value out of them.  And this pack was especially nice.  If you happen to buy any packs in a retail bin, you have to know that you're not getting a relic or an auto.  And if you do happen to pull an auto - buy a lottery ticket at the first gas station you see, becuase it may just hit.

So a loose retail pack has to have something else to replace the lack of what you already know you're not going to pull.  And these double packs are doing a fine job with that.  First off, I pulled the Tracy McGrady Chrome /999.  Not a fan of the T-Mac myself, but it's a nice looking card.

But the real value of this pack was that it contained no fewer than 5 RC's.  And not just scrub RC's.  Good ones.  Here's the four that I liked the best (not pictured is James Harden).

Are you kidding me?  Ricky Rubio is a yet unproven commodity, but he still has a following in the hobby.  But to pull the Jennings and Curry in the same pack is just a bit ridiculous.  Pretty much, I paid a dollar for every rookie card in the pack - and I don't feel cheated or left feeling like I could've put that money somewhere else (like a slot machine, for example).

I'm not into grading cards or anything, but I'm smart enough to know that even though I don't believe in the principle or the practice - other people do.  And they're willing to pay for the final product.

I'm not saying that I'm going to pay a person to slab any of these RC's - but I have enough loose cards to probably make it worth my time.  Had I slabbed the Tony Romo card I just sold, I could have sold it for five times it's selling price.  In fact, I'm sure that the person who did buy it will send it away to be slabbed to flip it.  It's a piece of the hobby puzzle - love it or hate it.

Really though, as a basketball fan, I'm more than happy to have personally pack-pulled RC's of Curry and Jennings.  And when making trades, I know that other people will love to have the cards as well.  The double packs of cards really are the best value right now in cards.  I could've taken the same five dollars into a hobby shop and bought maybe one pack of a product and recieved far less.  Sad but true. 

I've probably purchased six or seven of these double packs now - never once have I been dissapointed. 

Thoughts on a Sunday - 5/30/10 edition

1)  Spike TV is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.  Along with the UFC coverage, I can always find a bit of Star Wars to brighten my day.  Right now, for example, I'm watching Episode III.  Not as good as IV, V or VI, but much better than Episode I. 

2)  The Evans vs Rampage fight last night was great.  Even though Jackson came into it with some ring rust, I was rooting for Evans anyway.  So for me the fight was enjoyable.  Plus, there was the greatest comeback knockout by a tubby guy...ever.

3)  So it's Boston vs. LA.  Now we don't look stupid for saying that this was inevitable.  For a minute there, it did look like an Orlando vs. Phoenix Finals could've really happened.  But the law of averages prevailed, and the world is right again in the world of basketball.

4)  It looks like the A-Team is going to suck.  Like GI Joe level of awfulness, too.  Rampage says he's trying to balance acting and fighting.  Somebody should tell him that pretending to be Mr. T in another re-hash 80's feature isn't really acting.  Pretending that he respected Evans after getting taken to task...that was acting.  Either way, I don't see an Oscar worthy 'Green Mile' role for him in any event.  He should stick to what he's good at and leave the acting to the professionals - like Mike Tyson.  Rampage will never have a movie moment that will endure like Tyson knocking out Galifinakis in The Hangover.

5)  The freaking Mariners.  That's it once again this week.  Freaking Mariners.  Another home run in the bottom of the ninth to lose a game.  Awesome. 

And here's the clip of the week.

Tonight is going to be huge

I have a confession to make - more and more, I'm a huge UFC fan.  And I'm a huge fan of their reality show, The Ultimate Fighter.  It's the way reality shows should be.  No voting people off.  No alliances and politics.  Just win the fight and you go on.  Leave it in the ring.  I loved the Contender for the same reason - though boxing has lost it's place in ratings to the UFC.

So tonight is Evans vs. Jackson - one of the most anticipated fights I can recall.  I really can't wait.

Other than that, my Tony Romo card I put up is at 5 bids, 3 watchers for a grand total of .80 so far.  Really, not being attached to football cards made it so much easier to finally put an auction up for .01 starting price with free shipping.  I've been too nervous trying that with baseball or basketball cards - so it's kind of fun to do it for the first time with this card.  I'll let people know how it turns out.

I'm putting the proceeds towards a box of Court Kings that will be coming out in the next couple of weeks.  I know that people have the mentality of 'wait and see' with new releases, but I want to bust a box of something in the first week of release with everybody else for a change.  So be on the lookout for that the closer we get to it's release date.

A box of cards just landed in my lap...

So...great little story here.  My little brother sent me a box full of cards that I used to have in my possession.  Now the majority of these cards are Star Wars CCG cards - huge score for myself.  I estimate a couple of thousand or more of these cards.  If I really wanted to take the time, I could pull out some rare cards I never would use in my decks and really get to ebaying the hell out of some of those.  But I'm going to hold onto my Star Wars cache.  Maybe I'll start up a nerd gathering at a local pub and have beers and Star Wars cards.  Because really, when you think about it, all we wanted to do in junior high and high school was play our cards and drink beer.  Not much has changed in the last decade.

In addition, there was a little stash of sports cards I was collecting in '03 and '04.  Just skimming through some of them and I found a ton of Bowman Football from that year.  Just a highlight...

This scrub was in there.  I put it up on ebay already with a .01 auction and Free Shipping.  We'll see how that goes.  I love getting new old cards again.  Or something like that.

Need Reader Help - which is a fake?

So, look at this beaut of a card here.  Just recently, this card came up for sale on ebay.  It's a Nicolas Batum Superfractor White RC, numbered 1/1.  You can find the listing here....for $500.  No small amount of change.  But myself, being a Nicolas Batum card honk, I had to investigate the details of the listing.  Now, the seller says that the card was sent to him by Topps.  It supposedly wasn't pack pulled.  I emailed the seller and asked why Topps would send him a card that wouldn't fit the definition of a typical redemption (auto or relic).  I know that Batum had no rookie sigs from Finest, and hasn't had any relic cards produced yet.  So why would Topps send him this card?

And of course, I get no response from seller...who's in Australia.

So what do I do?  Well, at first, I do nothing.  It's just another card that I can't have from my favorite player.  But something bothered me about the card.  First off, let's run down what's wrong with the listing.

1)  It's a card over $50 from an international seller.  Always dicey.

2)  A card that has no auto is said to be direct from Topps - not pack opened.***see note on bottom (updated)

3)  The card - with a listing for $500 isn't scanned - but is listed with just a photo.

4)  No back of the card is shown.

5)  Seller refuses to send response to a buyer who actually has a Batum RC as his ebay avatar.  For all he knows, I'm an actual potential buyer.

6)  When did Topps start putting 1/1 on the front of cards?  Most all numbering is on the back, right?

So I went fishing.  And I found another Topps Finest from same year that happens to be a white superfractor numbered 1/1.  Here's what I found. 

So I found a Dwight Howard card.  Actually, pretty nice card for not being a rookie card.  Topps Finest did get many things right along the way.  First off, this seller wants $170 for the card.  Still, a bit high for a non RC.  But probably worth somewhere within $50 of what he's looking for, at least for a D. Howard card.

Now, what do we see.  First off, a seller who wants more than $100 for a card decided to put a front and a back in the listing.  Hmmm.  There's only two sides to a card, so both are pretty important.  At least that's the prevailing wisdom.

What don't you see?  You don't see the 1/1 on the front and center of the card.  And the numbering (hard to see on the scan) is located on the back where you'd expect to see the numbering for a Topps release.  So what are the odds that Topps would make different cards of the Superfractor series with two different numbering locations?  And how often does Topps send Superfractor RC's to people as opposed to putting them in packs?

Is the Batum real?

The one theory is Topps really sent a Superfractor 1/1 with the numbering on the front while others that were pack pulled were numbered on the back?

Or the other theory is that the card is a fake.

What do you readers think?  Really I'm getting pissed off the more I write about it.  If the seller faked it, he deserves a punch in the face.  I'm tired of fakes on the market.  But if Topps sent a card that collectors would really want in this condition then what does that say about their Quality Control?  Why would they make cards that weren't consistent in design?

Frustration abounds.

UPDATE:

The seller wrote back just after this post was put up, interestingly enough.  He says that it was a draft redemption.  Which makes sense.  I myself redeemed a refractor once upon a time and I completely forgot about that.  But even that numbering was listed on the back.  So forgive the argument that the card wasn't pack pulled - it couldn't have been.  But did Topps number this one on the front and number everything else on the back?  It's the numbering on the front of the card that still gets me, especially in light of the Dwight Howard card.

Well shut my mouth

All of a sudden, I'm watching the playoffs with my mind set that the Finals are going to be Boston and LA.  I mean, a week ago, who didn't think that?  Seriously, it was a forgone conclusion that Boston being up 3-0 and LA being up 2-0 was all the proof we needed to affirm our sports handicapping skills.  Right?

But look at the landscape of these playoffs right now.  Forget for a moment that two of the teams started out by winning in convincing fashion, and just look at the numbers as they are right now.  LA is tied with Phoenix at 2 games a piece, and Boston is up 3-2 over Orlando.  These have become two competetive series.  And after watching the Bruins do what they did (or didn't do rather) this year, no team in Boston is safe this year with a 3-0 lead.

Seriously, the Celtics went from looking absolutely dominant to looking like the old man squad people thought they might be.  But I don't blame Boston's effort as much as I have to give praise to Orlando's play.  They stepped it up.  Their backs were against the wall, and they pushed back.  Simple as that.  If, and it's a big if, both teams continue to play like this, Orlando can win this series.  Because now it's not the same as winning four straight.  They only have to focus on winning two games - and that lineup is certaintly capable of that.

And LA, well, LA is making the Blazers look better all the time.  I said way back when that nobody wanted to play the Suns in the playoffs.  And that includes the mighty Lakers as well.  The Suns have a good squad.  And LA only has three games left to close them out.  And that may be harder than it looks.

Oh yeah, one last thing.  If you didn't watch the Boston game last night, let me say one thing.  Joey Crawford is the worst official in sports.  The fact that the NBA has that guy on the payroll is astounding to me.  He sabotages teams with his calls and his technicals.  When the TNT analysts call the ref out for being out of line, with no fear of consequence, you know you have a bad official on your hands.  The NBA needs to take care of Joey Crawford as soon as possible.

Now, this is one of Joey Crawford's more famous bad calls. This is the one where he gives Tim Duncan two straight technicals and throws Duncan out of the game. The kicker? Duncan was on the bench the entire time. Seriously, Joey Crawford is a bad official.  Go into youtube and put Joey Crawfor in the search bar.  You'll find more bad calls - game changing calls - than you'd believe.

Panini Basketball is going High-End

National Treasures is coming to basketball.  And frankly, the press release surprised me.  I thought that Crown Royale was going to be as high as it got this year.  Really, this is the release they're bringing to challenge Exquisite.  The MSRP is $400.  That's not chump change by any means.  Here's the main description page if you're wondering.

Game of the Night - and it's not basketball

That's right, it's US Soccer time.  Tonight is the first prep match leading up to the World Cup for the US squad.  And they're playing the Czech Republic.  Ehhh.  It's on our soil, we should be ok.  The US is ranked 14th in the world and the Czechs are rated 29th.  So we should be ok on paper.  Either way, I can't wait to watch.

Game starts at 8ET.  If you hear some screaming coming from the West, you know that the game is on.

The M's have a day off - so they can't lose!

Tonight's going to be a busy night.  I'm fully expecting to watch the Celtics close out the Magic tonight.  I really don't see how Orlando pulls it together at this point.  Because really, what's the point?  They know better than the fans that they aren't going to win four straight against Boston to save this thing.  So again, what's the point?

But in addition to that, one of my shows, "Chuck", is having a 2 hour season finale tonight.  And I have to DVR that or the CBS line-up....while watching the game.  Frustration abounds.

But like I said, the Mariners don't play tonight.  So really, they can't lose.

But there was a great article on ESPN.com about Milton Bradley.  Seriously, it's rare that an article portrays a character that well anymore.  Definetely worth the 5 minutes of your time.

I'll really be rooting for this guy this year.  It's always good to see somebody trying to pull it all together - for all the right reasons.

Check the article out.

Some thoughts on a Sunday - 5/23/10 edition

I've finally learned that Sunday is the lowest traffic day for sports card blogs, mine included.  So it really doen't make a ton of sense to go all out on Sundays.  And it's kind of nice in a way.  It lets me be a bit more expository - and a bit more relaxed.

So, who's down to see a Celtics/Lakers Finals?  Man alive, the Magic haven't shown up at all.  In a way, I'd have preferred to see the Magic take a fresh crack at the Lakers, but I can't argue with Boston vs LA for good TV either.

Freaking Mariners.  That's it.  Just freaking Mariners.

I made a mistake this week and watched a lot of political TV.  I've completely taken myself out of any kind of politics and have declared myself an independent.  But this Gulf oil issue obliged me to watch the news.  I can't stay ignorant of everything.  And I actually found no news.  Just opinions.  I did find a renewed sense of disgust with people who claim to be running this crazy country.

So I'll just stick to sports for the forseeable future.

And lastly, I'll leave you with a youtube clip.  If you made it over to the page on a Sunday, you should get some kind of payoff.  I'm a master prankster.  So here's the prank of the week.




First off, what gets me about this video is it's a dirty plunger.  Really?  A good nut-tap with a shoe or a magazine wouldn't do it huh?  Had to get the dirty plunger knowing that he would grab his crotch.  Double wammy I guess.  That would be grounds for divorce.

So here's what you don't see the first time on the video...

The plunger is dirty.  She taps him hard with it.

He grabs his crotch - which is now dirty with toilet nastiness.

Then, he wipes his hands over his face.  Watch it again.  Some pranks go too far.

Finally, a ceiling has been established for Batum RC's

It occurs to me now how running this site and collecting cards in general has really shored up my OCD into a a neat sports-crazed package.  Every day I wake up I have the same routine.  Here it is:

1)  Boot up computer
2)  Check site for any comments that need a response
3)  Check 3 different email accounts
4)  Check my fantasy baseball team
5)  Check ebay for Batum RC's
6)  Make breakfast
7)  Watch exactly 20 minutes of SportsCenter or MLB Network
8)  Finally get out the door to work

Most of this would seem quite obvious.  Of course you make breakfast in the morning.  And of course you can't leave the house without watching some SportsCenter.  But really, a day doesn't pass that I don't check ebay for Batum RC's.  It's kind of troubling when you think about it.  I was really freaking out when my monitor went out.  I kept having these thoughts that a great RC came up and I wasn't able to see it.

If there is anybody who knows the value and the tendencies of a Batum card, it's me.  There is a seller out there who has a Batum Bowman refractor listed at $11.  And it's still sitting there after a couple of months.  If he lowered that price five dollars, he'd have sold it...two months ago.  If only he knew what I know, he could've saved himself some time.

And as it is for any player collector, there is still the unknown element - when it comes to rarer cards especially - that make the whole thing exciting and terrifying all at once.  For example, there hasn't yet been a Bowman Red of Batum listed, so who knows what that will sell for.  I've seen three printing plates of Batum come and go.  And I've seen just about every other common and uncommon listed that you could imagine.

But as it is for most collectors, the true mark of a player's worth is the Exquisite Autograph.  And Batum's Exquisite stuff has been...high.  Higher than I can hope to afford.  One awesome seller even sold a group of 4 Exquisite Autos in one bundle.  Pretty much ensuring that nobody on a budget will ever get that lot.  Thanks a lot, man.

But for the last couple of days, a seller has finally listed an Exquisite auto with a Buy It Now listing.  This is the first I've seen without auction.  And he's selling it for $150.  It's been up for a few days with no takers.  And so, we've come to the point to where this seller has officially built the ceiling on Batum's most desired card.  And it's not bad.  At this point in his career, $150 is still doable.  It's not in my price range at the moment, but it's good to know that I'm not looking at a Tyreke Evans or a Kobe Bryant price point.

Now, if that price point could just last until taxes roll around again.....I might be in business.

Anybody want to see how FIBA views Nicolas Batum?

This is the preview picture for the latest news release at http://www.fiba.com/.  On August 15th, France will play the American squad in a friendly at Madison Square Garden in preparations for the FIBA World Championships in Turkey this year.  And to promote this event, they put a picture of Kobe and Batum in their national gear. 

In some weird way it's just more vindication for getting behind the right young player.  Batum, on the international stage, is a much bigger deal than he his on our courts here in the states.  And no doubt, that some of that stems from Batum playing in Portland as opposed to L.A. or New York.  But the kid is making waves.

Still no word on which stations will be covering the Basketball Championships, but I'm sure that it will at least be online or NBA TV.  I'm hoping that it gets some of the bigger networks as well.

But c'mon, you gotta love that picture.  They could have put Parker or Beaubois up there, but they went with Batum as the key player.  I love the picture too.  Going at the hoop as hard as Rand Paul going at the Civil Rights Act.  That's right.  Burn!

A FAIL so large...it may lead me to drinking

I woke up this morning to some great news from my local footy club, the Portland Timbers.  News so wonderful, it was going to be a complete game-changer for my summer plans.  The Timbers announced that they will be hosting Manchester City - of the ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE - this summer on July 17.  My baby brother is getting married on July 18, and my gears got to turning as to how I'd go see this game and make the wedding the next day.  Seriously, I was thinking like that.

But then something caught my eye.  Look at the lower corner below Senor Horse Face Carlos Tevez

What?  Why....?  I don't get it.  It's the EPL.......in Portland.  Why the hell? 

I actually had to sound it out as I read along.  EXCLUSIVELY......FULL-SEASON.....What?

Why?  Why would the Timbers bring in the Man City crew and not let me buy tickets?  Last year, the Timbers brought in Burnley - a newcomer to the EPL this year.  But this is no Burnley.  This is Man City.  This is Tevez and Adebayor.  This is the club of Given, who couldn't stop a goal for Newcastle.  And this is the same Man City of Joleon Lescott.  Lescott, for an Everton man like myself is the worst.  The potential to see Lescott, and to JEER his name for Evertonians everywhere was the only thing on my mind.

For those of you who don't remember, Lescott started the year with Everton, wanted out of Everton and played awful for the club to start the year.  At the height of his pouting, he left Tim Howard (the great American keeper) to fend for himself against Arsenal in a game that had the squad give up six goals. 

I want the chance to scream, for ninety minutes, at Lescott.  He will know me by the time that game is through.

But again, I'm not a full-season ticket holder....yet.  That is in the works.  But that's a year away at most.

So I go to stubhub.  And what do I find?

$300 clams for a ticket.  I suspected as much.  But here is where I see the reason.  Not only are the Timbers bringing in the EPL squad, they're also bringing in Boca Juniors from Argentina (also a big deal - one of the best known clubs from South America).  And in the Boca field, you can buy tickets from a much lower price range.  And the reason?  It's at the club's home field of PGE Park.

And yet Man City is playing in Portland...against the Timbers....in Merlo Field?  What the hell?

What could possibly be more important than the EPL coming to Portland?

This.....

The Portland Beavers, the AAA baseball team, have a game in the stadium the same day.  I'm sure that Man City had a strict schedule and they couldn't go to another date. 

But hey, it's Art in the Park.  Paint your own F'ing baseball.  While one of the most recognizable clubs in the soccer world is playing at Merlo Field.  How big is Merlo Field?  Here's what Wikipedia said...

Not even 5,000 seats. Awesome.  So for a little bonus to season-ticket holders, we're going to show Man City in a venue that couldn't hold a decent 4th of July Fireworks viewing party.

I'm so sickened right now that it hurts my head.  And it's things like this that have got me in the camp that says get AAA baseball into a new stadium already - or get it out.  A legitimate sporting venue is coming to town, and it's being blocked by Art in the Park and a crowd of 2000-3000 people.  Great.

It's small town shit like this that makes it impossible for Major League Baseball to look at us seriously.  It small-timing logic like this that doesn't let us get more done to bring more sports to the forefront.  Are you telling me that the game between a couple of AAA squads couldn't be canceled and moved to a double-header the day before?  Really? 

And what gets me is that the owner (Merrit Paulson) of the AAA Beavers is the same owner of the future MLS Timbers.  I feel for him though.  This city has given him nothing but grief since he started to try to grow this thing.  At least he's here.  But this is just a fail in the land of fandom.  No other way of looking at it.

About to watch some day baseball...

And not just any day baseball...Mariners day baseball.  I have to admit, today is going to be huge in my future viewship of the Mariners.  I'm not saying that they even have to win, but they have to do something, anything at all, to show me that they have the capacity to start to put this thing together.

Can you guess who's more frustrated by the Mariners lack of offense than the fans?  Guys like this...

Freaking pitching staff that this team has - and the M's can't buy a win.  It's sad really.

Now, I know that I'm compulsive when it comes to sports, and a compulsion is good when you're getting the best of it.  But when you watch every game and follow all the stats like I do, when it's going bad, it's sticks to you. 

Fister, Vargas, Lee and Hernandez all deserve more wins than they have.  Rowland-Smith?  Not so much.  They should gone with Snell when Lee entered the rotation?  How can I say that?  BECAUSE I WATCHED EVERY GAME.  It was clear as day that Rowland-Smith can't pitch down in the zone.  Complete inability.  He might be successful in Tampa Bay where they score ten runs a night, but not Seattle.

I know that this is a basketball-centric website, and I love me some basketball.  But this Mariner situation has actually distracted me at times from some great playoff basketball.  Well, not completely.  But while watching the playoffs, I start to think, "How in the hell does Figgins still bat in the 2 hole?"  Then I go back to watching the Suns get stomped before I switch over to the baseball game to watch Figgins ground into a double play.

So here we go.  Bartender, another round.  Just a strong effort.  That's all I ask.  Maybe go the whole day without any double plays on offense.  Something.  You're killing me here, M's.

And I'm looking at getting a Fister RC or two.  I'm still down with Gutierrez, but Fister is pitching on a level that nobody saw coming.  

Murad Quest continues

Finally, finally, finally - I got a new Murad relic to show off.  And it's a good one. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Bernard King

Again, I lucked out on this ebay item.  The card is numbered 02/51.  And it wasn't advertised as such.  So getting a surprise short print is always a good thing.

Bernard King is really one of the more welcome additions to my collection.  People tend to forget about King when some of the great players of the game are brought up.  And let's not forget, King is one of the few players that gets to say that he was in the league in three different decades (1977-1993).  And he averaged 22.5 points a game over his career.  He was a gamer.

So here it is, finally back on track with some Murad to show off.  And, unless things dramatically change, the summer should be full of polishing off the 09/10 Panini RC's and getting the Murad set built up.  I check daily, but now that Batum is out of the public eye for the summer, his offerings have dried up.  And that's typically what happens, nothing I can do about it.  I would be shocked, absolutely shocked, if a Batum Bowman numbered less than 50 gets offered over the summer.  So I can focus on Murad without much worry.

Big D contest promo

Hey, there's a really great contest going on in Texas.  Just check here.


Basically you put your entry in as a wish to get a custom card for yourself.  I've requested Chewbacca.  The coolness factor alone in my request should outpace all comers.  But we'll see.  It is random.  And it is a contest worth checking out.

Do yourself and our community a favor and go check him out.

Breaking down the Draft Lottery - Live Blogging

1)  Kudos to whoever made the Draft Lottery a half an hour program.  Instantly has my interest for the entire time.

2)  New Net's owner Prokhorov is the man.  Speaking, he says he wants to win a championship as fast as possible.  Really.  He's a sports addict with a huge bankroll.  Seeing him live, he might be wily enough to pull off a Lebron deal.

Picks -

14 - Houston
13 - Toronto
12 - Memphis
11 - New Orleans
10 - Indiana
9 -  Utah
8 - Los Angeles Clippers
7 - Detroit
6 - Golden State
5 - Sacramento
4 - Minnesota

Seriously.  T'wolves and Kings got jobbed.  They had the 2nd and 3rd highest chance of getting the top pick - in addition to at least getting a top 3.  Still, in the top 5 there will be some value.  Golden State also fell from a projected 4th pick to the 6 spot.

So as I watch this live, I can't help but to think that I'm really hoping that the Nets get the top pick.  The other two teams left are Washington and Philadelphia.  And I'm not really liking the top pick falling to either of those two teams.  I think that the Nets with a ton of cash could liven up the East in a way that Philly and Washington couldn't.

********************************

The Top Three

3 - New Jersey
2 - Philadelphia
1 -  Washington

Wow.

Just wow.

I'm stunned.


New Jersey deserved it.  This could definetely curb the enthusiasm for the East.  But Washington, with Arenas back and a number 1 pick, could be a team to be mindful of.  But I think that John Wall had to be thinking the same thing the rest of us were thinking....and that's "wow."

But this shows that the NBA isn't rigged like so many are fond of saying right now.  Really, the NBA would've been better off by giving the number 1 pick to Jersey and the new money - but it went to D.C. instead.  That just shows that those lottery balls really were pulled out at random.

The John Wall sweepstakes start tonight!!!

Tonight is the NBA draft lottery.  Not the Draft itself, just the lottery for determining draft picks.  I remember a few years back when Portland erupted after getting the number 1 pick.  It's a special time for a lot of cities out there.

So be sure to check it out 8ET, 5PT.

Now, the Nets have the best chance at getting the number 1 pick at a 25% probability.  I think that Wall will go first and Evan Turner will go second.  But, hey, stranger things have happened.  Either way, the Nets can't get a pick any lower than 4th.

The Nets are followed by the T'Wolves in probability.  But coming in 3rd at a 15% chance is the Sacramento Kings.  Can you believe it?  The Kings have a real possibility at pulling the upset here and taking the potential 2010/2011 Rookie of the Year.  If you're going to build your team through the Draft, the Kings could be the blue print.  Not only would they have Evans and Casspi, but they could bring in a John Wall or an Evan Turner in the mix as well. 

The Kings, with one or two veteran additions, could be a problem in the West in the next couple of years if this thing comes through for them. 

But that's neither here not there.  The Nets, with a top pick, could be a contender to lure Lebron as well.  A new owner, a top draft pick and possibly being in Brooklyn could be enough to get Lebron to look at the Nets.  We'll see.

Either way, this year's draft, by many accounts, isn't really as deep as some recent drafts that we've had.  It looks like the lottery picks will be the key here.  There will always be a couple of sleeper picks, and the Blazers will draft a complete unknown from Europe again (Victor Claver anyone?) and the rest will be proven on the court of play. 

I'm looking forward to it.  And I'm hoping that Rookies and Stars looks a little more like Hall of Fame or Classics and less like...Rookies and Stars.  I pulled a Tyreke autograph this year, and I'm hoping that I'll pull a Wall or Turner at some point.  Even if this isn't the deepest draft, there will be some future superstars to collect. 

A product that I WILL be purchasing.

This was sent by Panini and it should be out in July.  At first I thought it was a promotion.  But it's actually a release - Basketball Hall of Fame.  And it looks awesome. 

Here's the breakdown they gave for it. 

HOBBY RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2010

Hobby Configuration: 11 Cards, 1 Pack, 15 Boxes

Hobby Pack SRP: $100.00

The card on the left is obviously a base card.  But what a base card.  No cut off at the junk.  Full action shot with no foil to distract from the subject.  And the Larry Bird auto looks great too.  I mean, it's retro but modern.  The $100 price tag may be a bit steep.  But what if you could pull this...

Are you kidding me?  This would be the best Robertson auto available.  I've looked online for an Oscar auto, and this would out-pace them all.  Just a beaut of a card.  I think it's safe to say that Panini has progressively stepped up the effort as the release calendar has gone on.  I can't wait to see what's all in this product. 

Some thoughts on a Sunday - 5/16/10 edition

1)  I love fantasy baseball.  But I really really hate fantasy baseball.  It's been six years since I've made the playoffs.  And this year isn't looking great at the moment.  I'm stacked on pitching, but my offense may as well be the Seattle Mariners in the month of April.  Oh well, there's a lot of baseball left to play.

2)  I just got a call for a summer part-time job.  It will definetely help out the "new product" element I'm trying to build on this site.  This may be the route to finishing off everything but the autos in the Murad department.  Let's hope.

3)  If all of the games from here on out are as good as Boston/Orlando Game 1, we're in for some great basketball.  Everytime you think that Boston is just too old to finish it off, they pull a stunner like that.

4)  I've been looking to enhance my nerdom experience lately.  With all of the movies coming out about comic book heroes it got me thinking about how much I used to love reading the actual comic books.  I've seen all of the Marvel movies in the last decade, but I haven't actually read a comic book in at least 15 years.  So I did some research and found a podcast that runs down the latest comic books of the week - and they also have a website, http://www.ifanboy.com/

    And they really did a good job of filling a person in on the latest goings on in super-hero land.  And they reviewed a comic this week that will be the first comic that I will have bought in more than a decade.  Uncanny X-Men #524.  Apparantly, this is a momentous issue.  One of my favorites, Nightcrawler, dies in this issue.  Here's the cover art

Yeah, that's probably a good issue to get back into the action with. 

2010 Preakness - Still no luck of the Irish

Well, I was with the number 10 horse - Paddy O' Prado.  I like the horse.  He had a good trip, but he was a long shot just due to the fact that he has only run on turf and sloppy fields.  This was a fast dirt track.

Calvin Borel was on the 8, Super Saver.  No luck.  The horse was gassed at the end.  And this is why it's so hard to win the Triple Crown.  It's a tough thing to do.

And the winner was the 7, Lookin At Lucky.  He deserved it.  He's a great horse too.  I didn't bet but $3 on my horse.  I was rooting for him, but I'm no fool either.  He hadn't proven himself yet.  And I couldn't decide between the 7 or the 8 for a definitve bet.  So I didn't bet either.  I enjoyed a great race that didn't cost me.  And that's a win in and of itself.

And so begins the summer of Lebron

Another underwhelming performance by the Cavs last night has kicked off the greatest tizzy on SportsCenter since Rachel Nichols camped out in front of Brett Favre's house last summer.  Seriously, ESPN SportsCenter can be a bit...hurried...when they show clips or give commentary.  But this morning they stayed on Lebron for about fifteen minutes straight.  I guess being the Chosen One, Lebron cured ESPN's ADD for a spell.

So to get baseball highlights I had to finally switch over to MLB network.  But that's another story.

Either way, ESPN is correct in stating the obvious - this summer will be huge.  It's going to shape the landscape of the NBA for the next decade to come.  It's seriously a big deal.

The free agents this year, in addition to Lebron, are Bosh, Wade and Amare Stoudemire.  That's insane.  And it's all up in the air as to how it's all going to play out.  Just when you think that the world couldn't possibly handle one more reality show - this is one group of guys that could capture huge ratings if they let cameras follow them around for the off-season.  I'd watch.

And to further the good things that the NBA has going for it, the final four teams left in the playoffs are all really about to give us some great matchups.  But those matchups for the moment are put on the back burner to talk about free-agency of all things.

Outside of Cleveland, the whole world is really excited to see how it ends up.  Because, by all accounts, it looks like Cleveland is about to get crapped on again.  They lost Cliff Lee.  Then they lost....Brady Quinn?  OK, maybe football isn't the best example here.  But Cleveland hasn't had a football team since the Browns went to Baltimore.  And now, they're probably going to lose Lebron.  Tough break.

But let's face it - if I were a betting man (which usually I am), my twenty spot is on this...

I wonder how much the first Lebron Knicks auto/patch card will go for?

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming

Holy canoli, spicy guacamole.  It's been a long time since I've had a chance to write on the site.  I finally have a new monitor.  And it's huge.  They don't even sell the big box type monitors I used to have.  And now they're all wide-screen.  It's actually pretty cool.  Hey, I'm finally into something HD.  Maybe I'll get a cell phone next.

SIDE NOTE - I've never even sent a text message.  I'm keeping it old school as long as possible.

So so much has happened in the sports world since I posted six days ago.  Steve Nash became a cyclops.  The Spurs couldn't pull it together.  King James just punched his ticket out of Clevland - and the list goes on and on.

To commemorate this occasion, I'm going to go fishing on the Bay and get me a Murad relic for the set.  You know, now that I can actually see what's on my screen.  And I've probably got a ton of email that I need to respond to.

In any event, I'm back.  And this monitor is just so damn cool.  I don't even need my glasses.

We are experiencing technical difficulties...

So my CPU monitor is completely on the fritz.  I don't know exactly how I'm going to write here if the situation get too much worse.  I can only see the top half of my screen.  The rest is black and broken.  So that's great.  Monitors don't cost too much though.  I should be able to get a replacement here shortly.

If I can't, I'll have to write from a different location or something.  Ugghhh.  I wish I had more to say today - but putting up graphics isn't going to be possible.  Nor is proofreading now that I try to see what I'm writing.

- The 200th Post -

Wow.  I'm at 200 posts already.  I went back and read my 100th post, and luckily I'm still feeling as energized and, more importantly, creative, to continue to do this site.  I like round numbers - most people do.  The best thing I can do for this site will be writing the 201st post.  But like most people, I feel the need to make number 200 a little extra special.

And that kind of stresses me out. 

I don't really have any extra funds to buy a box for the 200th post.  I can't go out and bring down a Murad haul to mark the occasion either.  So what does that leave me?

Well, let me just say that people ask me from my personal life how I can possibly find the time or the subject matter to write on this site every day.  It's not easy.  I'm continually trying to incorporate new stuff and new ideas into the site.  But like I said, it's not easy.  And some ideas just don't pan out.

So I'll tell a story here for my 200th post - a true story, by the way.

About a month ago, a Nicolas Batum Bowman Chrome printing plate came up for sale on ebay.  I wanted it badly to say the least.  The main problem with the card though was that it was in Taiwan.  But I was willing to look past that as any super-fan should do.  But I had next to nothing for extra funds to go out and get that card.

The card was ending in auction about two days after my payday.  And being the responsible adult that I am, I paid all my bills, set aside money for food and gas and looked at what I had left.  It wasn't much.  I had about 30 dollars for entertainment left for the month - and that's pretty typical for me.  And I usually take about 30 bucks and spread it out over the month for Murad relics or autos.  But I knew that this 30 dollars wouldn't come close to pulling a printing plate from the Bay.

So I had to formulate a plan.  How does a person turn 30 dollars into....more than 30 dollars.  They gamble.  It's pretty simple really.  But my dilema here is that I've tried to keep this as family-friendly as possible around this site.  So how do I go about advocating gambling to achieve one's goals?  It's hard to do.  But I realized that it's as much about quantities as anything else.  It's not like I was going to gamble my entire paycheck on a whim to buy a case of Exquisite or something.  I was just going to take my 30 dollar a month card budget and try to do something more with it.

And if you've read this site, you know that I'm a fan of horse racing.  I always have been actually.  So my plan was to turn a meager 30 dollars into a larger sum by betting on the ponies and video documenting me shouting at the TV and subsequently taking any winnings to ebay and buying that damn card.  That was the plan.

So I went to my local OTB (off track betting) location and bought a program and studied the hell out of that program for a whole day.  And I figured the best way to do my wager would be to bet on a Pick 4.  That's where you have to pick the winners of 4 consecutive races (and the pots are usually pretty generous).  So I picked the horses I thought stood a good chance of turning this ticket - and the racing was on. 

I hit the first race.  I believe I picked a single horse for the first race, an overwhelming favorite.  And then the second race came.  I had a pair of horses that could win the race in the second to keep my ticket alive.  And I'll never forget what happened.  I remember the 4 horse (though I can't remember his name) was the favorite.  He had the class, the winnings and  the workouts - the whole deal.  The second race was a lock in my opinion.

So the race starts and my favorite horse was running just behind the pace in 3rd.  My second pick in the race was running a couple of lengths behind him.  The race was playing out as scripted in my mind.  The speed-setters were in front but were probably going to lose their pace quickly and let my horses come around with their late kicks.....until the unthinkable happened.  My horse, the number 4, fell the hell out.  I mean my horse, out of nowhere, took a nose dive and just caused this massive collision with my other horse who was right behind him.  Little jockeys were flying everywhere.  The horses were in bad shape and most assuredly on their way to being euthanized - it was a horrible wreck.

And just like that - my ticket was done.  My 30 dollars for cards were used up, lost in a tangle of equine brutality.  I could hardly feel sorry for myself.  The jockeys were badly injured and two horses just met a horrible end.  So what could I do?  I certaintly couldn't even post that stuff - not even in jest.  It was too brutal.

So no printing plate either.  And to add insult to injury - a Bowman Chrome Gold /50 came up later that week as well.  I couldn't get either of them.  The Printing Plate sold for 60 dollars.  Much lower than it should've, but it was listed from Taiwan, so it did scare some people off.  Had it been sold domestically, it would've gone for around 150-200 dollars easily. 

So you live and you learn.  I just have to content myself with the cards I already have for the moment.  There will be other chances to get great cards.  And that printing plate may end up being resold - you never know.

Either way, here's my favorite 4 Batum cards for you to look at.  4 Blue Chrome's /99.  Much prettier than the gold version anyway (though I reserve the right to change that opinion if I ever get a gold refractor in my hands)

Game Cards Review : Dragon Ball

Ever since I was a kid, I've been equally interested in Collectible Card Games - or specifically Star Wars card games.  But over the years I've played a handful of others, though none have held my attention quite like the Star Wars series from Decipher.  People are crying right now over sports licenses being won or lost.  Trust me, about a decade or so ago, Decipher losing the Star Wars rights to Wizards of the Coast just about wrecked my world. 

In any event, I've been looking for a new game to play with my girls.  And wouldn't you know it, I rented Season 1 of Dragon Ball Z from Netflix and they loved it.  I really rented them for myself, but they caught on right away.  They had character names and techniques down pat.  I remembered from a long time ago that there was a CCG of Dragon Ball Z that my brothers and I tried out.  I figured I could get some pretty cheap on the Bay.  But in my search, I found that Bandai had picked up the Dragon Ball rights and was producing a new game.  So that's a score.  I picked up two starter packs (one heroes and one villain deck).  The decks each cost me around $12 on ebay before shipping (though with combined shipping it wasn't really that bad).

When I open game cards, it's even more rigorous than with sports cards.  First of all, the whole set has to be appealing, just like in sports cards.  Whether you play the game often or not, the set should have a high collectability factor.  And then secondly, the game play has to be engaging with enough strategy that a lower tier deck can best a high dollar deck with astute gameplay.  That was part of what made Star Wars CCG so great.  You could have the entire Imperial Army on the Death Star, but get Force Drained to death across the board with little trouble (for those of you who played Star Wars back in the day - you know what the hell I'm talking about).

So first off, let me say that I haven't played this new Dragon Ball game with my girls yet.  I've read the rule book and have a good idea of the rules, but we haven't really had a chance to sit down and learn it through play.  So I'm just going to focus on the visuals for now.

In each starter, you get seven of these Dragon Ball punch-outs for counters.  I'm sure kids have been wrecking these cards all over the place instead of just using pennies for counters.  Really, you shouldn't ever bust up punch-out cards if you can help it.  And why would you want to with these cards?  The artwork is great on these cards.

These are examles of the Event and Technique cards.  Really, I couldn't tell you how effective they are, but they definetely make a fan of the show want to collect them all.  The card on the left depicting the battle between Vegeta and Krillin and Gohan is a great looking card.

But in the end, the most important part of the CCG is the character cards.  That's what people quickly browse their freshly open packs for - the characters.  In this case, I knew what characters I'd get because I bought starter decks.  But they still didn't dissapoint.

These two cards have a special foil over them to show that they were the main cards from the starter decks.  But they're still great looking cards.  The Goku, just by looking at the numbers, is stronger than the Frieza.  But Frieza came with two evolution cards in his deck.  So there is still some strategy to figure out right off the bat.  But from a character card standpoint, these are great cards.  For main characters from the show, they were portrayed wonderfully as main cards in the game.

I can't comment on the gameplay yet.  But for a visuals grade, I'd give the set an A.

Holy Twitter Overload Batman

Well, I broke down and signed up for a twitter account.  Though, I do not actually tweet anything.  I'm just looking to follow some of my favorite teams and players.  And it didn't take long to have stuff just blowing up on my twitter page.

I, of course, subscribed to the card companies.  But really, I signed up to follow as many US soccer players as possible before the World Cup.  It's hard to follow soccer players on an international level.  When so many of the US team are playing in a host of countries, I finally figured out that maybe twitter would be the best bet to follow them.  And it really was.

Of course, it wasn't long until the curiosity got the best of me and I went into a profile on twitter that I had no business seeing (there are a lot of those on twitter).  About an hour into my search for soccer players, I looked up....Chad Ochocinco.

I know.  All I can say is that guy tweets all the damn day long.  So much so, that my page was full, absolutely full, of Ochocinco randomness.  I've since unsubbed 85.

It's a crazy world we live in.

The Nicolas Batum exit interview

Unless you're a huge Batum honk like I am, just fast forward to around the 1:35 mark of the video below.  A reporter asks Nic if maybe Nate will call plays for him next year.  The reaction Nic gives pretty much says it all.  It's a look of complete frustration and confusion with some humor.  Nic's response?  Ask Nate.

And that's why we probably won't see Rudy Fernandez here next year.  This force-feeding offense to LaMarcus and Roy isn't working in the post-season.  It's a great formula for grinding out the regular season, but we got owned two playoff series in a row.  And nobody is happy with the offense.  Nic far surpassed other players in 3PT %, and yet not one play is ever called for him.

Look at Channing Frye.  Complete frustration with Nate while he was here.  He wasn't allowed to shine in his area of expertise.  Now look at him.  The national media kind of knows who he is now.  Imagine that.  Rudy is going to be a superstar somewhere when an offensive minded coach just lets him play.

I hope the same isn't true of Nic in a couple of years. 

In any event, here's Nic.  No subtitles needed anymore.  His English is really improved from last year.

Saer Sene may not be the end of the story....

A long while back, Topps mailed me a letter and a card of Saer Sene.  The letter said sorry you pulled a card we didn't make, here's cardboard poop instead.  And so began the saga of the Sene Sin, a card like the Bip, but only much worse.  I wonder whose day the Sene Sin has ruined lately. 

I didn't save the letter that Topps sent with the card.  But basically it was for a Murad auto that didn't get produced of Robin Lopez.  I thought it was the end of the story - until I got this email last week.

Forgive the blue ink, but this email wasn't sent to my public account.  In any event, Topps still think it owes me a card.  And I would tend to agree with them.  Although I'm certain they sent the Sene card to "replace" this card, somebody must've had second thoughts about what constitutes a substitution.

Has anyone else had this happen to them?  Either way, I'm at least excited that there is a possibility that I'll get a true replacement card for all of this.

Just some thoughts on a lazy Sunday

• Just today for the first time I heard Stardust by Willie Nelson.  Complete game-changer.  I love "discovering" old music for the first time.
• ABC's Flash Forward just regained its spot as my top show.
• I can't believe I haven't been to see a live ball game yet this year.  Really, when did we all get to the point where "I can't go" is all we ever tell ourselves?
• I really miss looking forward to Blazers games.  I thought that the Derby and baseball would distract me.  But it's not the same.  
• I hope that San Antonio can wipe that smirk off Alvin Gentry's face.  If anybody needs an elbow off the top rope, it's Alvin.  Putz.
• Does anybody else think that the Shake Weight really is just a joke?  I imagine two stoners sitting in a room laughing at how far the joke has gone.  Everytime I watch the commercial I still wait for the punch-line.
• Mayweather is a bit of a punk.  Just fight Paquiao and take what's coming to you already. 

Sorry kids, no cards today.  No real sports commentary.  I've got a good case of the Sundays going right now.  No need to ruin it by getting all serious.

The 2010 Kentucky Derby - I was so close

Well, here it is.  I was pretty excited for this race.  It was a wide open field with the favorite Eskendereya sitting out with an injury.  And on top of that, it was a sloppy track, so there was money to be made - all the odds were fairly high.

I had one of my favorite horses of the year, Conveyance.  But the 12 horse showed too much speed early and couldn't hold it against this field.  His odds were like 27-1.  I was screaming for him to show some early pace and save a kick for the end.  But he didn't.

My second pick was the 10, Paddy O' Prado.  He ended up finishing strong in 3rd.  But he couldn't be the winner who really ran the best race for the conditions.

Here it is in case you missed it.