2024 Score Football Blaster

2024 Score: My first look at this year's Score offering.  I'll kick it off with Doug Williams, an all-time favorite of mine.  he shows off that classic throwing motion of his.  He won a Super Bowl and was the Super Bowl MVP for Washington when they beat Denver in Super Bowl XXII.  He only started two games that season, and lost both, but started and won three games in the playoffs including a dominant Super Bowl win.

This year's design is a take on 1990 Score football.  The minor tweaks including the team helmet and white borders make a big difference.  Those borders could be a bit smaller to me but overall, I like the cards.

Plenty of rookie representation in the set.  Jayden Daniels had a breakout game against Cincy Monday night.  It was fun to watch and some of his throws were crazy good.  Worthy has done well early in KC and Michigan alum J.J. McCarthy is out this season with an injury.

I like the Protential inserts, and that throwback look to them.

Sack Attack inserts are back, as is Khalil Mack who had 17 sacks last season.  I like these and how they highlight defensive greats.

Love the retired greats in this set. Some great quarterback representation here.  I like the base card checklist which is in order by city name, and the retired greats for each team are the last cards within the team's players.  So easy to find.  These just hit our local shelves this week and I couldn't resist one of the staples of the football card world.

These League Leader inserts have a fun feel to them.  I like the "bright" design.  At first I thought they had randomly put the Texans' logo behind Mike Evans.  Obviously, the photo was taken during a game in Houston.

First Ballot is another insert I look forward to.  We get to see more retired greats and I like that Hall of Fame logo worked into the design.

What greater celebration is there than winning the Super Bowl?

Very similar to the original 1990 card backs and these look really good.  Here we have a veteran, rookie and retired great.

A couple of the parallels.  Green and an Electric Parallel #/99.

Yeah, I enjoy the retired greats.  You get 132 cards in blasters which is great.  There are 400 base cards in the set and the variety with inserts feels pretty good.  Though I wouldn't complain about a few more inserts.

Seen this one a few times.  Josh Allen and the Bills have had a good start to the season.  They aren't as pass dominant and shown they can really run the ball at times.  Allen has seven touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 75% of his passes through three games.

Fun start to 2024 Score.  I'm happy with my pull and these cards feel fun to me.  There'll definitely be more as time goes on.

BREAKDOWN:
132 – Total Cards
41 – RC
22 – Retired Greats
6 – potential
5 - Celebration
5 – Green Parallel
4 – League Leaders
3 – Sack Attack
2 - 35th Anniversary Rookie
1 – Electric Parallel #/99

 

Random Wax: 2024 Donruss NASCAR Hobby Box - 6 Packs

 2024 Donruss:  NASCAR starts the Round of 12 this weekend in Kansas so we'll do some racing.  Kyle Busch, my favorite driver isn't in the playoffs this season, but as a two-time champion in the sport he's seen plenty of playoff races.

Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin moved on to the round of five. Logano won a race early the Round of 16 to guarantee his spot in the next round while Hamlin needed a 4th place finish to get into the Round of 12.

After most of his career with Joe Gibbs racing, Busch started anew with Childress Racing last year.

1986 Topps isn't a design I appreciate that much.  Overall the 2024 Donruss base and '86 designs leave me wanting more.  I do like the Red and Blue Parallels.  The extra color makes a big difference to me.

I enjoy the car cards even if the design isn't a favorite. At least some of the elements of the card have a tire track feel to it.  Chase Elliott is my driver in the playoffs.  I think he has a shot at the championship but with three more round to go that's not an easy task.

Optics fall one per pack.  Decker didn't make it to the highest level of NASCAR but the sport has hopes other young female drivers will make it there in the near future.

I do like this design.  Good look at the driver, former champion Matt Kenseth, and his car.

Bubba Wallace is one of my other favorite drivers.  He didn't make the playoffs but just signed an extension with 23XI Racing and owner/driver Denny Hamlin.  Dale Jarrett is another retired great and past champion.

Another Red and Blue Parallel.  The colors might not work with the yellow Penzoil scheme per se but I still like it.

Chris Buescher won a thrilling race two weeks ago against road course specialist New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen.  I like the design on this insert.

One the all-time greats, Kevin Harvick knew all too well about the playoffs.

Danica Patrick is most successful female driver in the sport driving five full-time seasons at the Cup level.  GoDaddy.com was her main sponsor for the majority of her career.  Kasey Kahne and Bill Elliott were extremely popular drivers in their different times in the sport.  Elliott would win one championship and finish top 10 in the standings eight times.

Another retired great and fan favorite in Dale Jr.

Blaney will also compete in the Round of 12.  I like Unleashed but I wish they had different animals for each driver or moved them around for each.  Something to change things up.  I like the Race Kings cards and this year's design is one I like.  Fun cards overall.  Plenty of variety and a good mix of young drivers, current stars and retired greats.  Go Chase Elliott!

BREAKDOWN:
48 – Total Cards
13 – Retro ‘91
12 – Retired Greats
6 – Optic
5 – Cars
5 – Season Highlights
3 – Red and Blue Parallel
2 – Race Kings
2 – Red Parallel #/299
1 - Unleashed
1 – Reto Series
1 – Dominators
1 – SP Variation
1 – Night Moves
1 – Production Line
1 – Burning Rubber
1 – Blue Parallel #/199
1 - Blue Xplosion Parallel #/49

Random Wax: 2022 Gypsy Queen Blaster

2022 Gypsy Queen:  Goldy is having a tough season but he's had an excellent career.  At 36 his best years are behind him, but I don't doubt he plays another season or two.

This isn't my favorite Gypsy Queen design, but GQ is always fun.  Max Fried has had better seasons but it was another really good year for Max who finished with a sub-four ERA.

Connor Wong and Josh Lowe have developed into good hitters while Detmers has had some good seasons but unfortunately 2024 hasn't been one of them.  

GQ Gems mini.  I'm not a fan of minis but I like the design.

Two of my seven Green Parallels and my Turquoise Parallel #/199 which is a great Reynolds pull.  

Jarren Duran on a diecut See the Future insert. He's having an excellent year for the Bosox.  Feels like Matt Chapman hasn't been with the A's for a very long time.  The current San Francisco Giant just signed a six-year $151M extension.  Good on him.  Gypsy Queen is always fun.

BREAKDOWN:
49 – Total Cards
11 – RC
1 – Crystal Gazing
7 – Green Parallel
1 – GQ Gems Minis
1 – Turquoise #/199

Random Wax: 2022-2023 Donruss Basketball

22-23 Donruss:  Bradley Beal can score and he can shoot.  He's averaged 30+ points per game twice and for his career has shoot 37% from 3.  His issue at this point in his career is staying healthy.

Good pull in this pack.  Donovan Mitchel and Jaylen Brown both signed big contracts with Cleveland and Boston, respectively.  Brown is also a newly minted NBA Champion.

Fun looking back at how the youngsters are doing but no love here.  Dalen is tops among this trio with a career 3.0 scoring average.

That large Ticketmaster advertisement in the background makes the Jordan Poole card look like an insert.  Allen is a top contender for the 22-23 All-Hair Team.

Ja Morant on a cool looking Magicians insert.  That Mike Conley is a Green Holo Laser Parallel.

No complaints here outside the misses in the rookie pull.  Good looking cards and plenty of good players though.  The Kings added DeMar DeRozan this offseason.  I like him but it feels like the Kings, DeAaron Fox, Domantis Sabonis needed someone who would provide more floor spacing.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

3 – Rated Rookie

1 – Magicians

1 – Great X-Pectations

1 – Green Holo Laser Parallel

2023 Select Football

2023 Select:  You have to think, or hope Jalen Hurts and the Eagles can get past their collapse of last season.  They've started off well so there is hope.

Saquon is looking like a great pickup for those same Eagles.  Some irony that he went to a team within the division.  That A-Aron is a Club Level design while Saquon is Concourse.  I've enjoyed Select in previous years but not a big fan this year.  Maybe my tastes are changing.  It feels like Select but I'm just not there.  

Rookie representation.  You'll find plenty of diecut parallels as well.  They don't do much for me but there are those who like them.  Kobie Turner had an outstanding first year with nine sacks.  Jordan Addison was no slouch with 73 catches.  BJU Ojulari had four sacks but is injured this season.

The backs are colorful but lack stats.  Always a bummer.  The cards are separated across different levels:

Concourse – #1-100
Premier Level – #101-200
Club Level – #201-300
FIeld Level – #301-400
Suite Level – #401-500

Some inserts.  Nothing crazy good but they are okay.  Select Certified would be my favorite here.  Nice Nacua pull while Addison makes another appearance.

These are Red & Yellow Prizm Die Cut parallels which are three to a pack.  I can't see myself picking up more of the these.  The price point and lack of wow factor will keep me away.

BREAKDOWN:

15 – Total Cards

9 – RC

6 – Concourse

3 – Premier Level

3 – Red & Yellow Prizm Die Cut

1 – Future

1 – Numbers

1 – Club Level

1 – Field Level

1 – Turbo Charged

1 – Select Certified