The latest Rudy Fernandez rumor...

Several sources are saying that the latest blip on the Rudy Fernandez radar may be sending him to Chicago for Taj Gibson.  I don't see how Chicago could pull off a deal like this, but that's what people who make more money than I do are saying.  Taj Gibson is going to be a good player for Chicago. 

Of course, these same people said that Rudy was headed to New York - sure thing.  But it wasn't such a sure thing, now was it? 

Either way, once Rudy is out of McMillan's system, he should be a much better player.  And it seems that there are teams that realize this, and are willing to pony up some good offers for him.  So we'll have to wait and see.

In addition, it seems that Patty Mills is drawing interest from the Italian league.  So our international squad could quickly be less international.  Let's hope this is a trend that doesn't continue...

FIBA jersey app

I know I'm a bit of a dork, but there's a Facebook app that let's you design your own World Championship jersey.  I picked the US jersey for my personal facebook profile.  But believe me, it was hard to turn away the French jersey as well.

Worry not.  Patriotism came through.  I must say though, it wouldn't be a bad jersey to order for myself.

The most surprising email I've ever opened...

So guess who's following me on Twitter........?

The mayor of Portland.......

Admittedly, this is probably a PR person just following as many people as possible in the Portland area, but I think this was the first time I'd actually ever done a double take. 

It was pretty much the last thing I expected to see in my inbox.

A new direction for my site...

First off, I would like to thank Chris Olds of Beckett for making me see that I really need to make this change to my site and my practices. 


I've just now finished a letter to Mr. Prusha at Panini asking him to please stop sending me hobby boxes for review.  This has nothing to do with Panini, but everything to do with Beckett.  First, to see why I did this, read this from the commentary at Beckett Blog.

This is all about Chris Olds defending the two "legitimate boxes" that Beckett recieved from Topps.  You know, no funny business.  The 1/1 Pujols, the Stras auto and the rest of the lot were just marked down as 'good luck'.

First off, let me start back up where Chris Olds is leaving off.  Tracy Hackler did contact me and when I really laid out all of my points to him, I got no response.  So that's kind of a moot point.  The last I heard from Hackler was that he'd get back to me to respond to my problems with Beckett after the 4th of July holiday.  Never happened.

And here Chris Olds takes a bit of a dig at Panini in the next paragraph.  "things that apparantly vanished or you apparantly forgave Panini about after a simple phone call."  Well, he's referring to the box I took a bit of umbrage with that Panini sent Beckett that had a Kobe auto in it.  Now, I documented very well that I did indeed place a retraction and that I had a phone call from Prusha.  No secrets.  And I'm old school.  So when Prusha tells me right off that those boxes were random, ok.  I'll take anybody at their word the first go around.  That's how I am.  Did Prusha lie to me?  How the hell would I know?  But I took him at his word either way.  For me it's a done deal.  Chris Olds is the one who brings it up again - not me.  Mr. Olds seems to imply that perhaps I shouldn't have taken him at his word if he's seeming to say that I shouldn't have forgiven Panini just because they called my home number?  Maybe Chris Olds will better explain to Panini what he meant there.

And finally, I have recieved boxes from Panini.  There's no secret there.  But Olds here is calling me out.  So here's my response to Beckett.  Take notes.

From this point on, I'll only review product that I buy for myself.  I don't need to employ practices that Beckett employs.  I dare Beckett to do the same. 

A guy who's quickly becoming my friend, Mr. Fuji, made a good point - nobody should recieve free boxes.  People spend money to try to buy what other people are recieving for nothing.  Sure, I have contests to give away my cards - so does Beckett.  But truth be told, it's still an imperfect system.  The greater buying public still is at the mercy of a contest to get cards that were meant to be purchased. 

So I respectfully asked Panini to not send me boxes in the future.  I'll still write reviews and cover this hobby that I love.  The only difference is that I won't do it like Beckett does it.  That's a huge difference, by the way.

Why can't we just order our boxes direct from Beckett?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zqkn28Rrow&playnext=1&videos=_NniBZCmvfQ


The above link is the link to Beckett's box break of the Topps Tribute baseball.  Sports Cards Uncensored first gave their review of the break - so I won't go into too much detail here (after all it is baseball, so I don't have a horse in that race).

But after having watched the video, I had a moment of clarity.  Why doesn't Beckett just sell hobby boxes?  The stuff they pull is by far and away better than what the rest of us could pull by conventional means.

Chris Old's box had a Strasburg auto relic redemption and the other box had a Pujols 1/1 in it. 

Mix in that they pulled a Howard auto relic and a Prince Fielder auto relic.  Not too bad.  Good for them.  They really are just lucky I think.

So how cool would it be if we could get them to order a bunch of product to sell to the rest of us?  Then we could all be lucky too.

In all seriousness - watch the video, and look at Chris Olds physical reaction to the other guy pulling the Pujols 1/1.  You don't have to be a psycho-analyst to read the body language that he just knows how bad this is going to look.

Good thing they've disabled all of their comments on their youtube page.  I had a great comment for them all ready to go....

The question of the day....

Yesterday I wrote about the increasing prices of Murad hobby boxes.  In the comments section was a great question from Zach - a frequent reader on the site.  And this is what he asked me about the rising prices of the hobby boxes:

Guy, do you think that collectors are buying up some of the more popular boxes from recent years b/c of their indifference to Panini products?

I guess I'd never thought of the problem in terms of the present state of the hobby making an impact on the past releases.

And my answer?  I really don't know.  But let me work through this and we'll see if I can come to an answer by the time the post is done.

I for one, like a lot of what Panini is bringing to the table.  I like that more of the releases are coming out with on-card autos.  I like that they've done an art set like Court Kings.  I like that their flagship release brought back some novelty to the first offering of the year.

But if we're being honest, there are a lot of people who don't like what Panini has done.  And truthfully, they don't like a lot of anything at all in the hobby anymore (you've read their blogs - you know what I'm talking about).  And that's fine.  It's the internet, for goodness sake.  If you don't find both ends of the spectrum on any topic, you're not using it right.

I guess what really strikes me about this question - is that it's applying to me.  In a way.

I started this blog back in December of 2009.  And at that time, Panini had the license and had products coming out.  But when I sat down to really think about what set I wanted to chronicle on this site, I could only choose one of my favorites from a past year - Murad.  Was that from indifference on releases available to me? 

No.  I really wanted to build a set of Murad since it came out.  I like the theme and the challenge.  For a retro collector and set collector - as I, and many collectors are - Murad is the obvious choice.

But let's say I couldn't build Murad.  Is there a set in Panini's first year of releases that's inspired me to go all out and collect the entire thing?  Not quite - but it's getting close.

Classics was good.  It had a solid SP chase, on-card autos and good relics.  But I wasn't so in love with the look that I had to re-direct my funds to obtain the entire thing.  Court Kings is about as close as I've come to want to build an entire Panini set.  It would be an awesome chase to collect all of the auto'd box toppers alone.  But the price and the number of cards per box makes that out of my price range. 

But let's put it this way, if I hit the Powerball, I'm getting all of those box toppers.  Believe that.

So back to the original question, is Panini releasing such sub-par product that people are forced to buy past releases.

To that I would have to say, no.  I really would.  Panini is actually listening to the consumer.  No other brand has tried to release as much on-card autos in one year as Panini has.  And Panini has released enough themes in their product lines to appeal to a greater audience.  I look forward to what could be done in the future years if they continue to put their customers input into practice.

So the verdict is that Panini is not at fault for Murad's price hike.  I think I've really convinced everbody to try out a box or two.

Shipping update - and some musings...

So, I was really trying to get the reader participation cards out today, but I totally spaced that today was a very special day for one of my girls.  What are you going to do?  Spend the afternoon with the kid or dash off to the post office?  I'm dedicated to the site and all, but first things first, you know?

So for those of you who are local, the cards should be in your mailboxes before the week's out.  Those who aren't so local to me, I'm hoping that the postman does you a solid and can find away to get you some manila envelope love before the next postal cycle starts up.

Not promising, but hoping.

Now to what's really on my mind - Murad Hobby Boxes.  Seriously something odd going on lately.  I think perhaps I may have spawned a Murad re-awakening.  Ok.  That may be a bit bold.  A lot bold.  Well maybe I had nothing to do with it at all - but the boxes themselves are on the rise in price.  And not in a small way.  And I'm trying to figure out why.

I was regularly seeing prices for getting boxes shipped for between $45 and $50.  Now the cheapest boxes on ebay after shipping are $63-$68.

And I've only seen that mark-up recently.  Blowoutcards is out of stock on the murad boxes.  And that's the first time I've seen that happen.

DA Card World has them listed at $56 before shipping.  And this is kind of bumming me out.

I know that all cards have a limited print run - and Murad may have been shorter than most - but still, it's quite a hike that the hobby boxes have seen this summer.

Oh well, I'll take credit for it.  I've given it more hype than even Topps did. 

People, stop buying the hobby boxes.  You just make it harder for me to be able to get one.  And nobody wants that.

Murad Silk number 2

Here's the second silk card in the collection - and the only reason I got it was because it was so cheap; this one was $5.  And again, I think that when you're dealing with a new addition to the set, as I am, a good rule of thumb is going to be that $5 and below is a deal that I can't afford to pass up.  Anything more than that at this point is going to have to be passed up until I'm better prepared to focus soley on this portion of the set.  Already, if I listed it right, I could probably combine the two silk cards and make money on the initial investment.  I'm not saying that I would, but that I could if need be.  So that's always in my corner.

Oh, it's Rashad McCants.  Not really a great player, for hobby purposes anyway, but the silk set is worth more than what I got it for either way.  So it's ok.  Still, very classy looking cards.

I told myself I wouldn't do this...but new Murad "chase" has started.

My Murad chase has been simple.  I'm doing a few things that are already quite ambitious:

a) I'm building the entire base set - which is actually done already
b) I'm building the mini set - harder, but almost done
c) I'm building the relic set - harder still, but only 10 away
d) I WILL build the auto set - very difficult, but I'm motivated

And that was fine for me.  There really is only one element left of the Murad set that I hadn't tackled; the silk set.  The silk set is basically a verison of the base set, printed on silk tags, that is numbered to /25 copies.  It's about as rare of a set as I've ever batted an eye at.  The high profile players regularly sell for more money than the auto set.  I had decided I wasn't going to even attempt to build it.

Until this $4 little gem showed up on ebay:

This is a Willie Green silk card.  It's pretty sharp.  The silk feel is cool, but I'm more into the bordering on this card that anything else.  And it was only $4.  Like I said, I know how to wait out the deals on this set, and there has been an influx of silk cards offered lately for below typical values.  I've actually got one more on the way.

Now, let me say that this set is not taking any kind of importance in my collection.  I'm still going to get the relics and autos done before I ever attempt this set in earnest.  But what was I to do?  There are only 25 copies of this card, and I was sure I'd never see it offered for the deal I got it at again.  So here it is.  Another goal to try to achieve.

In fact, I've seen a couple of the 1/1 Leather cards on ebay as well, and that's a sharp looking set too.  I know that I could never, ever, ever build that - but I've got a renewed urge to bust a box or two of Murad to try to chase some of the silk and leather cards.  And it would be fun to finish off the minis that way too.  I just may try it.

One oddity about this silk set that I love - there is no writing on the back of the card.

There is nothing to tell you that this is a Willie Green card.  I actually had to pull out the base set to verify which card I had.  It's like a bonus for die-hard Murad collectors.  I hadn't pulled out the base set binder in a while, so it was good to flip through it again for a renewed sense of accomplishment.

I'm telling you all, if you're getting frustrated in the hobby, pick a set that you love (any year) and build it.  I love busting boxes of new stuff, don't get me wrong.  But building an entire set is a ton of fun.

So there you have it.  My first silk card.  I better go buy another binder.

Reader appreciation - free cards

First off, let me say that I'm going to do an official contest that actually deals with sports for the Alonzo Mourning 5X7 auto.  I'm excited to do it, and I'm still thinking about how it should be done.  So everybody has a chance at that card.

But for the other cards I busted in the Court Kings, I didn't want to do a whole big contest for the jersey relics.  Especially not when there's a great card like the Mourning that needs to be given away.

So I decided for the rest of the lot, I'd do a reader appreciation....actually a reader participation award.  As of the posting of the 300th article on the site, I went and made a tally of how many comments were left by individual readers to the site in the month of July.  And it was immensly gratifying to see how much time people spend on my site during the month.  I truly appreciate it.

So here's the tally and the prizes.  If you see your name, please send me a quick email with your address - I may have had it at one point, but it's probably buried under a ton of emails.

10 readers - tied with 1 comment
Madding - 2 comments
Zach - 2 comments
Stackhouse Guy (anonymous) - 3 comments

Walker at the Blazer Blog - 6 comments
     *Prize - Zach Randolph base card, Shane Battier relic ( You got the Z BO, my man)

TJ at All Your Base Cards - 7 comments
     *Prize - Delonte West base, Danilo Gallinari Artistry and Shaq relic

Charles at Hoopography - 12 comments
     *Prize - Rudy Gay base, Jason Richardson Masterpieces and Earl Monroe relic

And the winner with the most comments is....

Fuji at Chronicles of Fuji - 17 comments
     *Prize - Kevin Love base, Joakim Noah base and the Maynor rookie auto

I thought that the RC auto had to be the highest value prize - and I'm also thankful there were no ties.

I would like to thank everybody that spends a bit of their day on my site and leaves their thoughts for me.  There have no been several occasions where a person's contribution to the site has made me re-evaluate my thinking and have actually changed my opinion on things in the hobby and the sport of basketball.  Nobody has changed my opinions on soccer though - Everton and Team USA are about all there is to know, right?

This to me seems a good way to do a giveaway.  I like tallying comments.  It feels fair to me. 

But like I said, the Alonzo card will be done in a proper giveaway - so no worries there.  I'll be sure to announce that with plenty of time for all interested to enter.

Thanks again to all.

Rich Cho is named Blazers new GM

Well, at least the Blazers have a GM.  Rich Cho has been an assistant GM at OKC.  It seems like he was the Thunder's residnet salary cap man.  So in hiring Cho, it seems that the Blazers are replacing Pritchard and former salary cap guru Tom Penn in one move.  Hmmm.  Somebody must've been using their head on that one.

Either way, it's a monumental move as Cho becomes the NBA's first GM of Asian decent (he was born in Myanmar).  Come to think of it, he may be the first in any major American sport.  I can't think of any others off the top of my head, though I could be wrong.

The true mark of his ability will come down to just one thing though -
keeping this guy on the squad:

Just keep Batum in Portland, Cho.  And you and I will be ok.  That is all.

300th Post! - A special box break brought to you by Panini

Well, first of all, this is post number 300.  And that's pretty cool.  And I do have a great way to mark the event - a box break.  When I came back from vacation I was surprised to see a box waiting for me on my doorstep when I returned.  And when I opened it up, I was pretty excited to see a box of 09/10 Court Kings inside waiting to be busted - all thank so the folks over at Panini.  So thanks to Panini for the opportunity to open another box here on the site.

Again, all cards inside are going to be given away one way or another.  I haven't decided on the method for a contest yet, but that will be coming shortly.  First, here's the video of the break, and below you'll find the scans of the cards.



The scans - complete box breakdown:

I got three of the standard version base cards numbered to /450 copies each.  I pulled Kevin Love, Joakim Noah and Zach Randolph.

I pulled two of the bronze (?) variations.  I'm not sure if bronze is what they're called, but that seems to be the color on their borders.  These cards are numbered /149 copies each. 

I also pulled an Artistry and a Masterpieces insert.  The Gallinari is numbered /249 and the Richardson is numbered out of /149.  I like the Gallinari card, it reminds me of the Diamond Kings baseball cards I used to collect.

Shane Battier Gallery of Stars relic /299.

Annual Free-Throw % champion Shaq Hardwood Heroes relic /299.  I have nothing against Shaq, in all seriousness.  I'm pretty surprised that he has no team for this year yet. 

Earl Monroe Dribble Kings relic /299. 

Eric Maynor Rookie auto /649.  The numbering on this card is a bit high, but I still prefer Rookie autos to a conventional auto.  The card does feature a sticker auto, but the action shot is really a good one.

And the real hit of the box is this Alonzo Mourning Auto'd Box Topper numbered 04/49.  And this auto is on-card, a huge plus.  Really this is such a great card.  I really wish that there would be a whole set of cards the size of box toppers.  How cool would it be to have a jersey patch put into something these size?  Just wishful thinking, I know.  But still, very well done on this card here.

And that's the box.  4 hits and an autographed box topper.  A very fun and enjoyable box to open.  Enough so that I may still look to grab a box myself.  Thanks again to Panini for the box and for all the extras that were sent along with it.

Here's to another 100 posts!

Murad Quest continues - Paul Pierce edition

Finally, finally, finalmente I've got my hands a new Murad piece for the collection.  And it didn't cost me a ton - I think maybe five bucks or so.  I ordered it before I went on vacation and I had the seller wait to ship it until I was set to come back.  And that was odd.  It's amazing how often you think of a card that you now "own" but cannot yet have.  But now it's mine, and all is well again.

So here's Paul Pierce.  And it's a white jersey swatch.  I'll have to be on the lookout for a green swatch for him.  The Rondo relic is so much better in the green version.  But either way, it counts.  It's not like I'm going to throw it out now, is it?

And this card is number 40 of the 50 for me!  I don't use exclamation points often.  So you know I'm pretty stoked about getting this far.  For all you math whizzes out there, that means I'm only 10 shy of completing the relic portion of this set.  Here what I still need:  Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Chauncey Billups, Pete Maravich, Mitch Richmond and Magic Johnson.  I'm surprised that I haven't seen a Duncan yet, or a Kobe Bryant.  But there are a few of these which I could still get pretty cheap.  The Anthony, Bryant, Maravich and the Johnson will be the costlier ones.  Maravich in particular shows up frequently for sale, but is the most expenisve of any I've seen - outside of Scottie Pippen, that is.  But we all know how well I made out with the Scottie card. 

And that's why I'm not worried.  I'm dedicated enough to search until I find the deals.  Really, these last 10 cards should go pretty quick as long as I see them offered with some frequency.

Before I forget, the Paul Pierce relic was part of a lot of three cards.  And the Murad card wasn't featured anymore than any of the other three - which is probably why I got it so cheap.  Here's what else I got with it:

I got an 04/05 SP Authentic base numbered 2714/3999.  I'm not sure what the point of numbering something that high is.  I'll never understand why that became a trend.  And I got a 05/06 Topps Pristine jersey card numbered 229/500.  And this card, at this point, is anything but pristine.  My Murad card was shipped in a top loader, but these other two were just shoved, free-floating, into a bubble mailer in penny sleeves.  So, the Pristine card has some corner and border issues at this point.  But I'm not looking to sell it anyway.  I got what I payed for.  These other two can go to whoever puts dibs on them.  I'm not even going to put them up for trade because of the condition of the corners.  These would best be sent to a player collector who can look past the flaws.  Just let me know if you're interested.

Yet another LCS fail...

Today I picked another LCS to go to in the Portland Metro area that I had not been to yet.  I was hoping against hope that I would go and find a reasonably priced store with people who knew what they were talking about.  Right.....

First off, many people around the country would think that I'm lucky to live in a metropolitan city that has numerous options for card shops.  Really, if I put my mind to it, I could take a twenty minute drive and wind up in one of several card shops.  Lucky guy, right? 

Wrong.  So so so wrong.

The place that I went to was a Beckett Mecca (that's my term - I plan on copyrighting it).  Upon first walking in, the first and ONLY thing you see is a rack full of every Beckett for every sport.  You can't even see a glass case or a box without first looking at Beckett.  Who am I to judge right?  What do I care what they sell?  I don't have to buy it, right?  But I would like to buy something.  Yet right away I knew that this was going to be one of those places that dealt in "book value".

And I was right.

Upon entering the store, the owner came up and actually met me and engaged me.  Good start.  I told him specifically that I was looking for any Bowman Batum RC's and any Murad relics or autos.  He told me that he did have Murad packs and a box to sell and that he did have some Bowman Batum cards.  He went straight away to pull out the Batums he had.  And that's when my jaw dropped.  He had two refractors and three chrome base.  And they were priced at BOOK VALUE (capital letters added for emphasis).

Obviously the owner hadn't checked what these cards sold for online.  Or maybe he had - and he just prefers to pretend that the price people ACTUALLY PAY for these cards didn't apply in his little shop.  The chrome base cards (I said "base" cards) were priced at $5 a piece firm.  The refractors, numbered to /499, were priced at $8.  Yeah, those refractors, I tell you they are pretty.  But I usually pay about half of that.  And I've never paid more than a buck for a base card.  Ever.

Ok.  Swing and a miss on the Batum stuff.  So I went over to check out the Murad.  I'm not kidding that this shop wanted $4 a pack for Murad.  And he wanted $89 dollars for a hobby box.  The same hobby box that I can buy online for $50.  Does he think that I have no self-control?  That I'm incapable of waiting a week for a box of cards to be shipped?  Well, he doesn't know the current consumer very well now, does he?

I'm a consumer who went into a hobby shop looking to spend between $20 and $40.  I had cash to spend, and knew exactly how I wanted to spend it.  And thanks to "book value", he gets to keep his cards and I took my family out to lunch.  A good lunch.

My wife was pleased.

Panini must've been listening to all of our complaints...

Panini just released the images and product breakdown of 10/11 Prestige.  And I must say that I was pretty impressed.  Ordinarily I don't expect the earlier product releases of the year to be as packed and as well done as the releases that come later in the year towards Playoff time.  But it looks like Panini figured out what we really want - ON CARD AUTOS.

We're really a pretty simple lot to figure out.

And the information on this product very clearly points out that this product has over 20,000 on-card autos included in it.  And that's just pretty great.

Now, I chose this Evan Turner auto to show off for a reason.  There are some that would say that this is a poor design for this card.  But I disagree.  If this were a sticker auto, I'd be blasting this card to kingdom come.  I really would.  There is little more frustrating than seeing a card designed for sticker autos.  It's just a kick to the face, in my opinion.  But this card is an autographed card.  And I like that.  If you were to go to a signing event to see your favorite athlete, this is more along the lines of what they have.  More often than not, you see them signing in open white space to make the autograph the star of paper/card/ball etc.  So this for me works very well.

Having a card like the Turner would be an awesome start to a collection.  It showcases the autograph.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Hell, this card is practically bragging about the fact that it has an on-card autograph on it.  I can't speak to what the base will look like in this yet, but the autograph chase alone is enough to pique some interest.

And the best part is that the product launches in about 2 months.  So there will be plenty of time to have some of this product in hand before the season starts.  And that's key for one reason.  Really, when you're busting product with a lot of rookie signatures, you potentially stand to be sitting on cards of players that will have surprise breakout seasons.  No offense to the number 1 picks of late (Greg Oden, Blake Griffin) but there have been some real standouts that have emerged that weren't picked at the top.

What this product then offers a basketball collector is the chance to prospect before the first tip-off of the year.  And prospecting with basketball hasn't really been done very well in a while.  And to be able to prospect with on-card autos....that's just an icing on the cake.

And I'm back ------ 'bout time, right?

So, in the best of intentions, I set out to make a post every day that I was on vacation.  And alas, I couldn't.  I just really physically couldn't.  Like seriously, between the wedding and the fishing I was no where near a computer.  I thought I would freak out about it - you know, the lack of connectivity.  But I was really at peace the whole week just taking things as they came.

So I'm back now.  And I've got some stuff to show off. 

I should have some Murad pieces coming in the mail this week.  And Panini was gracious enough to send over a box for me to break (really good stuff - stay tuned for that).  As always, I'll be giving the hits of the box away in a contest of some sort.  I haven't decided what it will be yet - but let's just say that one of the hits will be especially hard to let go....

Point and Laugh - Murad / BGS edition

Remember that 'Point and Laugh' segment I was pondering adding to the site?  It all got kicked off when some ebay seller thought that a Nicolas Batum card /50 was worth a hundred bucks.  And I had to point and laugh. 

I was really trying to work the theme into the site a little bit more.  I don't want it to be just a throw away segment though - so I've been looking very carefully at what could be the next entry into the Point and Laugh list.  But today I've found it.  And I found it where I hoped I'd never find it - in the Murad Chase.

Damn shame it is.  Just look at this...

I don't know how you can grade a free-moving printing plate that is trapped in a plastic Murad card-shell.  Really, when I pulled the mini printing plate out of my box of Murad I thought it was cool that I couldn't actually touch it.  That way there's no way to bend it or lose it (on account that it's much smaller than a regular printing plate).  But I never thought that you could grade a card (or plate) that you couldn't actually touch either.  I guess I was wrong.  That happens a lot nowdays, it seems.

So what you have here is a mini printing plate encased in a Murad plastic card encased in a BGS plastic slab.  That printing plate is about as far away from being handled as it gets.  The good news?  The seller is selling the card for $15 dollars in a Buy It Now listing.  I hope he barely breaks even on the sale after the BGS grading is taken into account.  Really.

Remember I pulled a DJ Agustin RC printing plate and I sold it on ebay for $30.  And it's not like DJ Agustin is some stud that a ton better than Kevin Love.  This fool has just given up on trying to sell his Love RC printing plate in a slab and has offered it for half of what it would have been worth (on average) without the attractive slab.

Folks, point and laugh.  Point and laugh.

And no, I don't go out of my way to be negative towards Beckett.  But you have to admit, it's a bit suspect that they graded a printing plate that they couldn't even touch.

Am I to believe that the plastic card enveloping the plate is graded 9.5?  Maybe.

Either way, it deserves a chuckle.  And somebody ought to offer him $10 for it just to drive the point home.  Actually, if you could get the card out of the slab, you could sell it for much more.  I'd bet on it.  I follow Murad prices like a hawk.  So there's an investment opportunity here if anybody is interested.

Montana man

Alright people.  I'm just about out of the office for a bit.  I'm going back to my homeland. 

Sucks to be me, right?

And that is actually a picture of where I'm headed. 

More basketball goodness will be posted though, no worries there.  I'll just be posting from a much calmer place.  I'm ready.

It looks like Juwan Howard is moving on

I've become a bit of a Juwan Howard fan over the last year he played for the Blazers.  He's been a great role-player for the Blazers, and he's been a great mentor to the younger players.  But it looks like he's going to try to chase the ring and hook up with the new Big 3 in Miami.  Though nothing is official yet, it looks like the deal is all but settled.

The Heat are looking for experienced players who'll play for the minimum and a true chance at a ring - and Juwan fits that to the letter.  One thing is for sure though, whenever Juwan comes back to the Rose Garden to play, the crowd will give him an ovation that will make him think twice about his decision.  I'm sure of it.

I feel good for Juwan.  But his legacy will continue to pay dividends in Portland.  Juwan, more than anybody else, was the direct mentor to Jeff Pendegraph.  Pendegraph was all raw talent - and Juwan definitely coached him on the mental piece of the game.  And in pre-game coverage, it really showed that Juwan and Jeff had a bond.  So Juwan may be gone, but he's left us a great young player in better shape than when he found him.  What else can you ask for?

Speaking of Jeff Pendegraph, he'll be starting with Dante Cunningham tonight in Summer League play against the Hornets tonight.  I was kind of thinking of watching the MLB All-Star game - but now I'm thinking better of it.  I'd really rather watch our young players to see how they've come along.  Maybe they'll give me good reason to be excited for the coming NBA season.  I'm really hoping so.

Murad Quest continues - with a Nowitzki red???

When I first saw this card on ebay - I assumed that the swatch was from an All-Star game jersey (some of the cards do say they're from All Star games).  But the back of this card says that it was from an NBA game.  I didn't realize that the Mavs had ever had a red jersey.  Maybe Big D would know.

It's an odd card to look at.  The color palate of the card is begging to have a navy blue relic piece in there.  But they gave me a red one.  Oh well.  It counts.  If I see a more appealing swatch of this card online, I may exchange it.  In the same vein, once the set is complete, I'll be looking to replace the white swatches with colored ones if at all possible. 

But this card is another key piece of the relic puzzle.  This is number 39 for me, so only 11 left to go - and I have one of those on order.  This set is getting so close to completion.  I wonder how I'm going to celebrate the completion of the relic set?  I'll have to do something special I think.  I'll sleep on it.

Thoughts on a Sunday - 7/11/10 edition

I'm getting ready to make a trip to Montana this next week for my little brother's wedding.  I guess he's not such a little brother anymore come to think of it.  But either way, I'll be out of my regular "blogging" office for a week.  And I'm really trying to not have any kind of interruption in the blog.

One of the nice features of the blogger software is that it lets you write stuff in advance and schedule it to post at a later date.  So I do plan on having some posts stored up in the bank before I leave.  But I've also had several requests for people asking to cover the writing on the site if I should ever need to take a break.  So, if any of the people who've offered their services are still reading - I'd definetely be open to posting some reader content in the coming week (Thursday the 15th to Wednesday the 21st).  It's not a necessity, I'll still have internet access and I'll have some stored articles, but I would appreciate the help if anybody had the time.

Really, this will be the first time I've not been home to actively write on the site.  And I'm kind of looking forward to it.  I don't want to get "burn out" doing something I love to do.  It'll be nice to unplug a bit and let the daily grind of finding something to write pass by.  And after all, who doesn't love a vacation?  I'm due.

Cleveland is burning...and I totally understand

This really isn't a post about Cleveland, or about Lebron for that matter.  But as a preface, it should be noted that fans in Cleveland just hit an all-time low during Lebron's defection from Ohio.  Fans are ready for riot, burning James' jerseys and crying out loud.  Even the owner lashed out like a scorned ex-lover.  He wasn't reacting as a businessman, he was reacting as a man deeply emotionally invested in his team and his players.

And it makes me worry about how I'll act one day if Nicolas Batum gets traded or leaves in free-agency.  It sounds pathetic to say, but I'm already saying that I'm probably not going to handle it well.  It's so rare that a player stays in one place for their careers these days.  And now that Portland is in a bit of turmoil with it's front office, there's no guarantees that anybody on the roster will be seen as essential outside of Brandon Roy.  And that's great for Roy, but not great if he's not the guy you're pulling for.

Truthfully, I don't know how I'm going to act.  But I know one thing, it's more probable that sometime down the road, he'll be playing somewhere else.  It's just the way the system works.  I'm no fool.  I would hope that I would handle it well.  I hope that I'll be able to wish him well and follow him and his new team along with the Blazers.  And that does sound pretty doable.  I'm not above rooting for two teams if my favorite player is on their squad.

But looking at what happened over the last day or so in Cleveland worries me.  Some people were so into Lebron James, so tied into his decision that everything came out sideways when the ruling didn't go their way.  If you would've told some of those fans two years ago that they'd be burning James' jersey in the street in protest, they wouldn't have believed it.  They wouldn't have thought themselves capable.

It wasn't like James got arrested for anything.  He didn't rape anybody.  He didn't kill anybody.  No DUI's, no domestic violence, no rampant rumors of him cheating on his wife.  There's no shady business deals to report and not a single reason to expect James to be surrounded by a team of lawyers in any court, criminal or civil.  If you were going to root for anybody as a Cavs fan, Lebron was the best bet for your money on every level.  But look at how that tower crumbled in a heartbeat.  It's amazing.

The true sports fan is an odd duck.  There's something about us that doesn't make sense.  At this point, I'm saying that if Nicolas Batum ever left, I couldn't imagine myself ever burning a jersey or turning over a car or destroying the cards I've worked so hard to collect.  But hell, there are a lot of otherwise responsible people in Cleveland who've done some really irresponsible things lately. 

Let's hope that in that day that Batum leaves the club - and may it be a long way in the future - my wife or a friend gets a hold of me before I get a hold of a glass of scotch and my Bowman RC's.  Don't want to do anything I'd regret.

Wow. When a fan-vid goes bad...

Every now and again I search youtube for new Nicolas Batum clips.  I don't know how to make them myself, so I rely on other people to make the videos and find soundtracks. 

This video here is fairly new.  It features some of Batum's finest moments.  But the soundtrack is....really out of place.

Just watch and tell me that not the worst conceived fan-vid in history.

Murad Quest - CP3 edition

Murad relic card - of Chris Paul.  Finally.  This has been one of those cards that's been hard to track down for a decent price as well.  And seemingly, it's rarely offered on ebay or anywhere else.  So when I finally found one that didn't charge me a half day's wages, I jumped on it.  And how can you not love the yellow jersey swatch in there?  Really a good looking card.  And this card is number 38 of the 50 I need.  Only 12 more left to go folks.  That in itself is a huge achievement for me.

This card came with a 'free' card as well.  The seller bundled it with a Chirs Paul 08/09 Topps Treasury refractor numbered 014/999.  I've never had a Topps Treasury card in my possession before.  I thought the whole thing was pretty gimmicky when it came out.  But truthfully, the card stock and gloss are some of the best I've seen come out of that year.  I'm not sure if it's because it's a refractor or not, but really a sharp card.  And even though the scan doesn't show it, the refractor technology does a ton to fill in the dead space on the card.

The thing I like most about this card, and I wish more sets would do it, are the stats on the back.  Because it's not the run of the mill stats.  For example, in a Hornets loss, Paul's 3PT% is only .297 - compared with the .400 he shoots in wins.  See?  That's actually a stat that tells you something important.  Otherwise, to get stats like that you'd have to go to the internet and look them up yourself.  So kudos to Topps for putting something like that on there.

I'm not a huge CP3 fan, though.  I do respect his game, of course, but I don't collect him.  So if anybody's a Chris Paul fan out there, let me know.  I'll put the Treasury refractor up on the facebook page for trade, too.

Thanks go out to Mr. Fuji

It's getting to the point in my Murad chase that many of my trusty resources for obtaining minis and relics are drying up.  Really, what the market has offered, I've already purchased.  Granted, there are still some cards that I need sitting on the market, but they're not priced correctly.  It almost makes me wonder if they're priced at "book value" or something.  Like anybody is going to pay $7.00 for a Murad mini, right?

So it was really cool when Fuji, from the Chronicles of Fuji, wrote me up and told me he had some minis that he could send my way.  I am very appreciative.  And if you've not checked out his site yet, you should.  Here's the reasons why:

1)  He like Star Wars.  Really, should I say anymore than that?

2)  He's a basketball fan who regularly has great cards to show off.

3)  He's a very near convert to soccer fan - just needs a little nudge to finally go all in, I think.

4)  He covers hockey too.  I'm not a huge hockey guy, but I like to hear about cards and players from the sport from actual fans.

So that's it.  He's got a great site and he sent me free Murad.  Very worth your time to go check him out.

And Lebron James goes to....

Miami

Well, glad that's over.  Now we can get Rachel Nichols and her ESPN crew to go hang out in Mississippi to report more non-news on Brett Favre's possible return to the NFL.

Was anybody else rooting against Chris Broussard of ESPN?  Man I'm tired of seeing that guy talk about all of his "sources" that are directly tied to Lebron.  Just so glad it's over.

So look out NBA.  Miami just pulled off this decade's version of the Big 3.  Boston started the trend, and Miami looks to perfect it.

Lebron did look pretty choked up when he said "South Beach" though.  I do think he's really feeling sad about leaving Ohio.  But now the Cavaliers will be a lottery team again - so there's always the draft to look forward to.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

a man named Guy

I came, I saw, I conquered that damn starter in my Jeep this day - the hottest day of the year.

I know that many people think that talking about sports cards is childish - but I just wanted to let the world (and my wife) know that I am sufficiently "man" in this day.  The mechanics told me that to my face that it would be nearly $400 dollars to replace my starter.

And they dared me not to accept their offer.  After all, what was I going to do?  Replace it myself? 

You're damn right.

I've never replaced a starter, didn't know what one looked like or anything else.  But equipped with my tools, a mechanics guide, two brand new steel truck ramps and a brand new starter - I did the unthinkable.  I changed out that bad boy. 

Now you may ask, "what does this post have to do with basketball cards?"

Nothing.  Nothing at all.

But somebody had to know this great thing I've done this day.

But I'll post later in the day after Lebron makes his announcement at 6PM Pacific Time.  So we'll get all sorts of sports talk in later.

Bunch of Murad minis for a buck - and a heatwave

So, I won an auction on ebay for a lot of Murad minis that ended for just a dollar.  And the shipping was only two bucks, so all in all I got a good deal on it.

The lot had six cards I needed, one of which was an SP (228 Beno Udrih).  And I also got fifteen copies of cards I already had.  So if I ever decide to build the mini set twice....I've got a bit of a headstart.

But this is where I have to take a break for a minute.  I'm really trying to do a write up about some minis right now, but damnit it's hot outside.  And it's hot inside.  It's just hot all over the place.  I can't even think straight. 

Couple the heat with the fact that tomorrow I'm going to try to man up and replace the starter from my vehicle and you've got a combustible mixture.  I do have a couple of murad relics that are due in this week - so those will be worth showing off.  This set is really coming together quite nicely.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go melt somewhere.

The 9.5 Strasburg that just won't die...

So, you can watch this video posted by Beckett on youtube.  It showcases the re-sale of the Strasburg that was graded 9.5 - though the 9.5 grading isn't mentioned in this video.  Guess they thought throwing gas on the fire wasn't a good idea.  Oh well.  Doesn't matter though since Beckett has disabled all comments on their videos since the 9.5 grading debacle.  And it was a debacle.  How often do you get to use that word and mean it.

So the original buyer of the Strasburg superfractor bought the card for $16000.  And he just resold the card for $21000.  Made himself $5000 and took down BGS's credibility.  Busy month for that guy.

And do you know who bought the card for 21K?  Brian Gray from Razor.

So Brian Gray is going to repackage the damn card - BGS 9.5 and all - and is going to put it in a retrospective set full of RC's that he's collecting from the last 40 years.  So the Stephen Strasburg with the 9.5 grade can still be yours.  Hooray!  Buy the card and get the BGS slab of plastic for free.  I wonder how much it costs to take that thing off? 

So we'll have to wait for a while until the next guy pulls the card and throws it up on ebay.  Such a damn shame that a perfectly good card is mired in such controversy.  But they kind of brought it on themselves.  Freaking 9.5 grade.

Watching NBA summer league....eh

How did the summer league already start for the NBA?  Didn't the Finals just get over like a couple weeks ago?  I think I like the MLB spring training idea better.  Give everybody a break.  Make us miss the league before you start up organized play again.  And when pre-season is over, you go right into regular season.  Not the NBA.  We'll finish up summer league and then wait for training camp.  Ok then.

Either way, I'm not saying it's not nice to have live basketball on the screen - it just feels like it went from post-season to pre-seaon too quickly.  And just like the Draft, the summer league is being overshadowed by free-agency.

Really, nobody cares how the rookies are doing yet, we just want to see where the chips are going to fall with the big names out there in the market.  Really, could Lebron just sign a dotted line already?  Any dotted line will do.  I know it's not going to be in Portland or any Western Conference foe, so I'm pretty ok with whatever Lebron decides to do.  I just wish he would do it already so that we could all move on. 

I did see that Amar'e signed with the Knicks.  It's a good thing he got a taste of an earnest Playoff push in Phoenix - because he's not going to get that again.  Not unless Lebron goes to New York, which isn't looking like the hot choice at the moment.

And in some serious NBA news:  Nicolas Batum is still the starting forward for the Portland Trailblazers.  Just so that we're all aware of what the serious issues are...

C'mon Shymalmalman

I actually was going to look up how to spell M. Knight "sham" - a - long's name.  But now I'm too dissapointed to care about his proper name spelling.

My daughters and I are HUGE fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon series.  I've actually come to love it as my favorite animated show of all time.  I've bumped it up above Dragon Ball Z.  Seriously.  It's so good.

But like all things based on great books or great TV shows - all of the details got changed for the big screen.  And it just made it a sub-par flick.  The show was great because of the little details, and seeing them all changed made the entire story different.  Oh well.  At least we have the original series to watch.

And if you're looking for a great show to get into - watch the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender.  And then wait for the movie to come out on video to save yourself the double whammy of having to see a poor version of a story - and having to pay an arm and a leg to do so.

Thoughts on a Sunday - 7/4/10 edition

1)  Well we're finally at the 4th of July.  I'm not quite sure how we've landed in July yet.  But we're here.  So let's make the most of it and pretend like this isn't the fastest year we've ever had.

2)  Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson are staying put in their teams.  And I guess all's well that ends well.  Dirk needs help in Dallas and Joe needs help in Atlanta.  The thing with salary caps...it has a funny effect on a league.  It really does.  Johnson just got a huge payday in Atlanta, but they're not winning anything.  And now they're hamstrung with a player they had to keep, but who also took away so much money that they could've spent on a supporting cast. 

There are arugments for salary caps and against.  I've always been indifferent.  But when you look at the NBA or the NFL - salary caps have forced otherwise good teams into contractual mediocrity.  And then you look at something like MLB or a European soccer league, with no salary caps - and the big teams do get bigger and better.  But the talent they surround their super-stars with is limitless.  Is one a better product than the other?  Maybe and maybe not.  I'm just kind of thinking out loud.  But it's an odd happening that teams pay so much money when all logic tells them that the money spent isn't really bringing home a championship.

3)  And in related news, the Union presented the NBA with a new collective bargaining agreement.  I really hope that the league doesn't have a lock-out.  But at the same time, it may be necessary if they can't change the status quo in the league.  The owners are paying too much money to players who don't deserve it.  What's the answer?  Beats me.  But speaking from Fandom - I hope they figure it out.

4)  Only 40 days until Everton and the English Premier League kick off.  Seriously.  40 days.  It's so close that I can feel it.

5)  And speaking of the EPL, there is a show that is absolutely brilliant that you need to see.  If you've got Fox Soccer, you'll get this show.  Basically, this show, called Fan Zone, picks a key matchup of the week and has two fans (one from each team) give the commentary for the game.  It's not objective at all.  In fact, watching this show is partly how I got so hooked on the EPL.  Here's a bit of it from an Everton game.  Really, you think you speak English.  But we don't speak English.  Some of this stuff is hard to understand.

Brock Lesnar just handled his business...

So, I just watched the UFC 116 Fight Card tonight.  And of course it was all abou the Lesnar vs. Carwin fight.  And if you didn't watch the fight, Carwin had Lesnar dominated in the first round.  But Lesnar survived the first round and the second round just isn't a place that Carwin had ever been before.  It showed. 

In short, Lesnar got his legs around Carwin's throat and tapped him out.  It was epic.  I was into it.

And it's really going to make me start to look at the secondary market for some pieces of UFC memorabilia.  I've got too many favorite fighters now.

However, Lesnar isn't one of my favorite fighters.  Cards like this are selling on ebay for a hefty sum.  The BIN's are all at a hundred dollars or more.  And the auctions will probably spike after he just resurfaced after a year and a half layoff.

Just an FYI.  If you didn't see the fight.  You missed out.  That guy is an animal.

Murad Quest continues - with another Murad relic!!!

Talk about a palate cleanser when I needed one the most.  Yesterday was way over the top with my wee little site here.  But I think I handled it about as best as I could. 

Either way, let's get back to what I'm really doing this site for - basketball cards.  And just so happens that today I have a new one to show off to you all.  Hooray me!

I got the Yao.  And this card marks number 37 of the 50.  Only 13 left to go.  I'm getting pretty stoked to finally be able to see all 50 in the same place at the same time.  And it's looks like Yao may be back this year to play too.  So it's not a 'legend' relic quite yet.

A letter about Panini - and a retraction

I wrote a pretty scathing piece about Panini and Beckett this morning.  I thought about modifying the piece - but in the end, I found it wasn't coherent enough to really remedy - so I thought I'd start from scratch.

What was in the piece this morning:

1) I posted a video of Beckett's review of Court Kings basketball.  You can watch it here.

2) Beckett, in the video, pulled an amazing Kobe Bryant on-card auto numbered 8/24.

3) I blasted Panini for sending a "loaded box".

My actions after the piece was written:

1) I went first to Panini's twitter account and asked why they would sully a great product with a loaded box Beckett.

2) I went to Panini's facebook page and asked again why they would dirty up a great product with a dirty dealing with Beckett. 

3) Finally, I wrote an email to Scott Prusha asking him if he'd seen the Beckett video and why Panini would do such a thing as send a "loaded" box to Beckett - especially in the wake of the bad press they're taking after the Stephen Strasburg 9.5 grade they just gave.  Now I have no idea who Scott Prusha even was - I'd never had any kind of contact with him before, but his name was always attached to the press releases.  So I wrote him.

And do you know what?  Mr. Prusha called me - at my house - to discuss the issue.  And I asked him point blank if he sent a loaded box to Beckett.

And he told me, "no".  Point blank, he told me that the box was sent from a random seeding in a sealed case.

So Mr. Prusha and I talked on the phone for about ten minutes to hash the thing out.  And first and foremost, I know that I'm not a "big player" in the hobby.  There are sites like mine out there that actually generate their own revenue - sites that talk to card company insiders on a regular basis.  I am not one of those sites.  So I was a bit taken aback that Mr. Prusha took the time to call me.

And here's what we touched on: 

1) Mr. Prusha himself sends the boxes to Beckett.  And he says there was no conspiracy to get a loaded box into Beckett.  And you know what, I'll take him at his word.  I've got no reason to think he's going to lie to me.  I'll give anybody a fair shake their first go 'round with me. 

2) I did express to Mr. Prusha though that there is a large community that still abhors Beckett (myself included) - and any dealings that Panini has with Beckett will more than likely be viewed through a person's view of Beckett.  And that's just how it is.  Beckett is a powerhouse in the hobby.  They get the most views - so they get the most play from the card companies.  It's a simple mathematical equation really, and the logical part of me does understand that.  But the collector in me will never overlook what Beckett has done in the past.  I can't overlook the Strasburg 9.5 grade.  I can't overlook the Upper Deck 1/1 scandals of the past.  And I can't overlook that Beckett prices cards and that people quote "book values" from these magazines they print.  Magazines full of prices that don't match actual market values as seen on internet marketplaces.  So in that respect, Mr. Prusha and I will have to agree to disagree on the principles of Beckett.  Does the card company need Beckett for mass exposure?  Yes.  But do a lot of collectors feel that Beckett literally is the DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE?  Yes.  Agree to disagree.

And so I do apologize for taking my crusade to denounce Beckett to Panini's public sites.  That wasn't the way to handle it.  But if I would've known that I could write a person like Mr. Prusha and recieved a response, I wouldn't have gone that route. 

And this time, I'm going to take Mr. Prusha at his word.  He tells me point-blank that he grabbed two boxes out of a case and mailed them?  Okay.  It's not a trend yet with Panini that I could build on to accuse them concrete of collusion yet.  Not like Upper Deck's handlings with Beckett.

Do I like the fact that Beckett has a wonderful card like that?  No.  And I'll never change on that.  My ire is so much more with Beckett at this point.  But I would've been equally pissed if they would've had an on-card Batum  auto or something.  Hell, I just don't like the fact that Beckett has cards.  But that's my issue.  Not Panini's.

And finally, Mr. Prusha and I ended on a bit of levity.  After talking it through, I told him I would print a retraction and set the record straight as he gave it to me.  And he laughed and said that he would put me back on the mailing list - a list I was taken off of for a moment due to my wee rant on facebook this morning.

Cooler heads have prevailed - and this is my official response to the issue.

Nod to Mario at Wax Heaven - Jose Canseco news

So I found this article while soaking in the daily sports grind.

It seems Jose Canseco is going to fight again.  He's fighting a 60 year old baseball coach.  No lie.  And the guy he's fighting isn't getting paid - only Jose is.

I only bring it up because Mario used to keep us in the loop over all the Jose Canseco comings and goings - but it seems that Mario is still away from his site.  I don't mention it to make fun of Canseco - though it wouldn't be hard to do in this case. 

I bring it up because I'm a fan of Mario and his site, Wax Heaven.  And we all look forward to the day that he puts his thoughts to the blog once again.  Check out his archives if you've got a minute - some great stuff there.

Day One of Free Agency - a bit of a yawn

So we're finally here, free-agency for all the world to see.  And ESPN, of course, decided to take it to the next level with covering people running in and out of buildings into unmarked cars like the NBA players are into some sort of a mob movie.  Whatever.

To start with, Rudy Gay is staying in Memphis.  And that's good to see.  He's been one of the faces of the franchise - a franchise that continues to make some sound decisions.

The surprise of the day though is that the Hawks offered Joe Johnson a $124 million dollar contract.  Really?  That's a lot of money.  And even though Johnson was one of the best free-agents in this year's class, I don't know that he should've been one of the max contract guys.  But it's all about the money, isn't it?  At least it is if you ask the players honestly.

The stunner isn't that Johnson will probably jump at the cash.  The surprise is that Atlanta offered it in the first place.  Signing Johnson again doesn't make you a better team.  It makes them the same team that they've been for the last couple of years.  It's the same team that couldn't beat Orlando or Boston.  Either way you look at it, Orlando will come back strong next year and so will Boston.  But either Miami or Chicago is getting primed to be the next real force in the NBA with their potential pickups. 

Should Atlanta keep it's super-star?  Yes.  But are they going to win a title with what they have?  No.  It's kind of a Catch 22.  Don't sign him and lose.  Or sign him and get knocked out in the playoffs every year by a superior team.  Tough spot to be in.  Atlanta has Josh Smith and Al Horford - but it's not enough.  Either way, Atlanta will be seen, I think, as a 2010 off-season loser.  And it's really not their fault.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  But hey, at least it's not Mike Vick making headlines in your city anymore, right?

Aside from that, it's been the ESPN hype machine in overdrive and a lot of non-news.  This is just a good filler until they start reporting more non-news about Brett Favre's possible return to the NFL.