I guess I have to do it...

I hadn't planned on it, but due to a couple of requests, the fourth annual Just A Bit Offside Fantasy Hockey League is back on.

 Due to a blatant rules violation by two other teams, my team was knocked down to third last season. I look to rectify that this year.
If you are interested in joining up, please leave a comment here. No experience necessary.
Email invites have been sent to those that were in last year.

And why yes ladies, during the draft I will be wearing one of these......

It's on!

a very cool mail day, 1/1 !!!

Friday's mail brought a bill, lots of junk mail, and one yellow envelope. Inside was a card I'd been waiting for. It features my favourite soccer player, keeper Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United. Only it's not from Panini, or Topps, or Upper Deck. But a little known company out of Texas. Big D cards.

 the backs are unusually personal and informative. Well, about care instructions anyways.

and each and every card comes hand signed by the owner of the company. Awesome.

Thanks bud! It looks great in my player binder. Now, if I can only get you to do one of his days playing for the Nederlands.

oh, and if you're interested in my latest card show story (or at least the first half of it) check my other blog at Just A Bit Offside. Thanks.

You may call him Sir...

Tommy Hanson wouldn't be afraid to show his feminine side.... if he had one.

Tommy Hanson's mom has a tattoo that says "Son"

Tommy Hanson once had a staring contest with his own reflection. After the fourth day, he won.



he's Tommy Hanson....... and you're not.

If you need me...

Posts may be sparse today. I know I said I'd post the "prize selection" today... but things are getting in the way.

But if you really need me, you'll be sure to find me either HERE or HERE.

Hey Dom Capers!

Kurt Warner just torched your defence in the playoffs. 29 of 33 for 380 yards and 5 td's.
yeah. Don't worry man, it's a big club. The line forms to the left.

work with me...

no cards, not sports, just awesome.

The Greatest Sports Video Ever!

Metal on Metal "BASTARD" from The Glue Society on Vimeo.

my humblest apologies...

it finally happened. I'm ashamed to say that after blogging for almost 8 months, I have completely lost track of a trade.
today I received this beauty in the mail....
Awesome.
But I don't remember asking for it in a trade, or being told it was coming. Okay, no big deal. Gifts are exchanged between friends. I, myself, usually go this route. I send stuff out, and if you'd like to send something back, great. Sometimes if I'm really after something, I'll trade to make sure I get it. But gifts are usually the way.
Who's this gift from? Wait, I don't recognize the address or name. I've searched my address book, combed through emails, frantically went back through comments left on the ole blog. Nothing.
I am the lowest of the low.
So D. Wright of Brantford Ontario, please, please forgive me, and accept my utmost thanks for such an amazing card.
And please shoot me an email so I can remember where I know you from.


EDIT: none other than my bud Tunguska from a Long Fly Ball to Because... I thought it might be you, but I had no idea this was coming. Thanks Dave!!!!

Reader Mail

Reader Karen emailed me awhile ago about some 2008 A&G doubles I had that she needed. Unfortunately, she didn't have any that I needed. No matter, I sent them off to a new home anyway.
This is what I received today in the mail from her....
Awesome.

Yummy Sticker Sweetness...

My good friend John from The Pursuit of 80's, among other blogs, has sent me the mail day to end all mail days. The last thing I sent him turned into some sort of shrine, and he wanted to return the favour I guess. He succeeded.
What you are looking at is a 12"x16" glossy 96 page sticker book. This thing is huge! And Shiny!

There is a section for every Premier League team as well as All Star pages and tonnes more... It took me over an hour to read everything.... and I haven't got any stickers yet..... or do I????

John sent a few packets of stickers to get me started....

I'm gonna be busy for awhile... not to mention trying to hide it from everyone else in the house. Everyone loves stickers!!!

Now I must go troll the 'bay for a box of these things....

I. Must. Complete. This. Set.

It came!!!!! It finally came!!!!

I've been waiting so long.... ever since the first one arrived unannounced. And today, it finally arrived.
I didn't want to beg... I didn't want to appear impatient. After all, Dave does this over at Goose Joak out of the goodness of his heart, the love of the game, and an apparent lack of a life. (I'm kidding!!!! I kid.... I'm a kidder..)
Check it out!
1976 Topps Adam LaRoche! The world is a better place with more Adam LaRoche cards!

1976 Topps is a set I'm going to collect... I've already started on the Braves team set... now I just have to make the plunge and do the rest of it.
One day.....

Rare 1976 Topps Rookie Find!!!

An unbelievable find! A 1976 Topps Chipper Jones Rookie!
Yes! 17 years before his debut, Topps had the forethought to release a rookie card of a lock Hall of Famer.
Who am I kidding? There is no way Topps and forethought should ever be in the same sentence.
This beauty is from Dave at Goose Joak. If you've never read his blog, go and check it out.
Pure Awesome.

Look at the card! Off centre, left to right! Nice! And the corner! Top right... bent! Beautiful!!
1976 is the year I would collect if I could. I've started with the Braves team set, and only need a couple more to complete it... But being where I am, there is no way I could ever find singles... I'll have to keep an eye out for a lot or box on the 'bay...

Thanks Dave! If only I had a hard copy............

A man among boys...

Some of you may have missed the awesome that is DeMarcus Ware last night. Final Score Dallas 20 Giants 8
6 1/2 tackles, 4 for a loss, 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

That gives DeMarcus 19 sacks on the year, just 3 short of the record set by Michael Strahan with two games to go.

It's great to see the Cowboys start to heat up on defense at the right time of year. The fact that it was against the Giants was just a wonderful bonus.

Too pooped to post...

I just got home from work. A blessed 5 hours of OT... so I am too lazy to post anything.
So just feast your eyes on this.
Johnny Sain. Awesome.

First we'll use Spahn, then we'll use Sain,
Then an off day, followed by rain.
Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain,
And followed, we hope, by two days of rain.

The card that started it all...

There it is folks. The crown jewel of my collection. That's right. No need to adjust your monitor. You're seeing it correctly. A second year, 1975/76 OPC Pierre LaRouche. Awesome.
You can have your '52 Mantles and your T206 Wagners... This is my most valuble card. It all started on a cold, wintery January evening in 1976. A mom took her 5 year old son shopping to the mall. Dragged through store after store... patience wearing thin... and then, there it was.
Magical. This new and yet fabulous object was right there. Laying on the floor! I was drawn to it. I picked it up... held it in my hands, turning it over and over.
My mom had turned around by this point, and seeing what I had done, came over and took it from me and thrown it back on the floor! No!
I couldn't stop thinking about it... what was that? Who was in the picture?
I had to see it again. So while my mom was paying for her purchases, I snuck back over and grabbed the card up off of the floor and crammed it in the pocket of my winter coat. All the way home in the car, I kept my hands in my pockets... running my fingers over the wonderful prize that I was keeping secret from my mom.
As I grew up, I followed hockey religiously... and collected hockey cards. I traded away, gave away, and threw away enough hockey cards to pay for my daughter's college education. But I always kept this one. In a box, as a bookmark, on a shelf... somewhere... it was always there.
I stopped buying cards in '92... started back again in '06. I had completely forgot about Ole Number One.
But I found it again. The memories instantly flooding back to me.
My mom has been gone for five years now... I miss her.... Feels kind of silly that a worthless shred of coloured cardboard means so much to me. More memories and feelings than I could ever express, let alone type.

Treasure that Pristine Gem Mint 10 Mickey Mantle. Me? I'll take my Ole Number One here...

2008 Upper Deck Football Box Break

Card Show Loot - Post 3

As I mentioned earlier, my wife came with me to the card show on the weekend. She likes this kind of stuff too... although only non-sports and Football. Only 2 out of the 20 dealers there had any wax boxes, and only one had anything but hockey. My wife picked out this box of 2008 UD Football. I paid $75 for it. Yes. You read that correctly. She's always had good luck picking out wax... let's see how she did this time. (That's called foreshadowing kids...)

16 jumbo packs per box, 20 cards per pack. and this, straight from the Upper Deck sell sheet;

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
Find three Memorabilia Cards in EVERY Box, on average!
Get one Rookie or Veteran Autograph per box, on average!
Look for HOT BOXES containing seven Numbered Memorabilia Cards and one Autograph per box, on average!

Search for rare Iconic Cuts mystery redemption cards featuring cut signatures of sports, entertainment, and history’s most recognizable names.
Collect all of football’s future superstars with four STAR ROOKIE cards in EVERY pack!
Uncover Masterpieces preview cards, falling two per box, on average!

The wrapper is shiny. Another plus according to my wife.

Base cards 1-200

Star Rookies 201-300

Star Rookie SP 301-325

Ouch. That's gonna be tough to complete. Let's see how we did in one box.

Base cards - all 200, plus 48 doubles

Star Rookies - 64 / 100 no doubles

Star Rookie SP's - 4/25

Nice... the SP's are going to kill me trying to get... now how about "the hits"? Two Masterpiece Promos, as promised, On Average!

Wait... oh oh. The Franco Harris is roller damaged on the left border.... crap.

One Starquest insert, On Average! This one is Randy Moss, and is not the regular silver one. I'm not sure whick of the parallels it is though.

One Signature Shot Brandon Marshall, On Average! (does anybody else hate that as much as I do??? No more mentioning "On Average")

The box and sell sheets also promise 3 jersey cards per box. the first is Big Ben Roethlisomethingorother...

the next is Team Colors Jay Cutler. This is everything that is right with jersey cards. The card is coloured according to the players team, great photo, proper placement of the swatch... awesome.

The third is Matt Ryan UD Star Rookie Jersey. Again, a great card. the photo fits the card design. The colouring matches beautifully. And hey, it's Matt Freakin' Ryan!

But wait.... what's this??? Remember the foreshadowing kids? Remember this line???
"Look for HOT BOXES containing seven Numbered Memorabilia Cards and one Autograph per box, on average!"

Yep. My wife did it again.... I wish she could pick out lotto tickets like this....

UD Game Used Jersey Ray Lewis 138/200

UD Game Used Jersey Tony Romo 037/200

TONY MOROMOJO!!!! sorry. couldn't resist.

UD Star Rookie Jersey Joe Flacco 241/350

and another extremely beautiful card....

Team Colors Adrian Peterson 140/299

All Day. Awesome.

Needless to say we were thrilled at the outcome of this box. A complete base set, and a good start on the rookies... the colation in this box was superb.

The photography was incredible... not only the photos used, but they really captured the character and personalities of most of the players.

Finding a "hot box", well that was just bonus. Even with only the promised hits, I still would give this a healthy 9/10

What holds it back? Quality control. the damaged insert, and a lot of the cards have extra silver foil bits on it. Enough with the foil!!!!

If you like football, this is a must have.