Random Wax: 1991-1992 Hoops Basketball

 91-92 Hoops Basketball: We'll kick of this pack with The Admiral...and yes Dennis Rodman, but David Robinson is why I chose this card.  He was so good. No great!  And fun to watch.  And he was in the Navy.  Didn't start his career until age 24.  And one of those guys everyone, except his opponents, liked.  And yes Rodman was good too...

Plenty of really good players in this pack.  All three of these guys were key players on their teams.  Maybe not the #1 or #2 guys but key to the success they had.

Some All-Star game, insert and coach love here.  All good cards.  Lenny Wilkins a Hall of Fame player and an excellent coach.  He won a title coaching the 78-79 SuperSonics.

Love All-Star cards and those with in game or actual jersey photos taking them to another level.  Great job here with a team photo though it is actually the back of the Chris Ford card shown off earlier.  A photo like this deserves to be on the front of its own card.  I was able to name all the players except one...Hersey Hawkins.  My bad as he is a player I've always liked and he does have a distinctive nose.

Believe it or not I bought a box of this for $5 at a card show in 2015.  Yeah.  I mean really.  $5!  YEAH!  My post on the box isn't anything to write home about but it can be seen here.

A fun back of a card.  I'm sure few who saw the back of this card or even saw him play his rookie season thought he'd have the Hall of Fame career he did.  He also won a championship late in his career with Miami.  Nice pack and lots of fun!

BREAKDOWN:

15 – Total Cards

2 – Coach

1 – All-Star

1 – Inside Stuff

1 – League Leaders

2022 Atlanta Falcons Preview

 Atlanta Falcons:  The Atlanta Falcons struggled last year and that was with Matt Ryan.  Now they have Marcus Mariotta under center with third-round draft pick Desmond

Ridder waiting in the wings.  Neither make you think this will be a high

flying offense even with stud tight end Kyle Pitts.  Cordarrelle Patteson

had a great season as a hybrid RB/WR.  He provided some spark to the offense

and rushing capability to a team that didn't seem to have a good RB option

to start the season.  Losing Calvin Ridley for the year is a huge loss

(suspension).  The o-line might be better so that is always helpful.  Some

good weapons on offense but I don't know if it makes any really strides.

That will boil down to Marriota who is capable but no one thinks he is the

long term solution.

The defensive line could be better with some top draft picks being used on

that side of the ball.  The linebacker corps has been revamped.  The

defensive backs are anchored by excellent corner A.J. Terrell and newly

signed Casey Hayward Jr.  This gives Atlanta the best corners they had in

years and they have some depth to lean on.  So the defense could be better and that 

is a good thing as they were horrible on defense last year.   

Some folks are high on the young talent Atlanta has but I doubt that

translates to much this year though they could be more competitive in games.

That's what this year will be is seeing what some of those young guys bring

to the team.  Will they give them hope for the future?  While Atlanta fans

can't expect much in the win column this is all about the future.

Random Wax: 2020 Absolute Football

2020 Absolute:  First week of NFL action so let's kick off Sunday games with a pack of 2020 Absolute Football.  I'm really hoping Christian McCaffrey can have a healthy and successful year.  He's a favorite of mine and he's so good on the field.  

My pull in this pack didn't age that well.  Waller is still one of the top tight ends in the game though.

Went with the backsides on these rookie cards.  All three of these guys have had some success in the league with Antonio Winfield being a Pro Bowler.

Everyone will be looking at the Cleveland Browns this year after all the drama around Deshaun Watson.  Peoples-Jones will be one of his targets once he gets back on the field. I've always liked former Buffalo Bill Sammy Watkins.  I was happy to see him win a ring with the Chiefs.  This year he's a Green Bay Packer.  Have a great first Sunday of football!

BREAKDOWN:
20 – Total Cards
3 – Green Parallels
1 – Introductions
1 – Unsung Heroes

Queen Elizabeth II Passes

Queen Elizabeth passed this week.  I'm not an expert on British royalty nor do I necessarily follow it.  But as someone who has known no other British Queen or King I didn't want to not say something.  No matter what you think of the position, Queen Elizabeth II represented her position with grace and dignity for 70 years.  All of the stories from her serving the military in World War II to her kind words, to her leadership by example she did well, and she represented her country in an exemplary manner.  I've always been impressed by her and I'm not sure we'll see someone like her again.  I will always think highly of her and I'm sad to see her pass.  R.I.P Queen Elizabeth II.

Random Wax: 2021 Topps

 2021 Topps: Bo Bichette is having a down year at the plate but Toronto is still in the mix for a playoff birth currently sitting as the third wild card team in the American League.  Bichette is still only 24 and still one of the young stars that should mean the Blue Jays are competitive for years to come.  This 70 Years of Baseball insert is a favorite of mine.

Trea Turner is having another outstanding season. He'll be a free agent this offseason and should get paid!

World Series cards are always fun and this one showcases the Series MVP.   I'm sure many collectors have large piles of Kyle Lewis cards but it's not looking good as the 26 year-old who is not showing any signs of being the star everyone hoped.

'52 Topps Redux

Marte is having another good year for the Mets while Raisel Iglesias was traded to the Atlanta Braves and has been great for them so far.  I feel like I've pulled a ton of these Ronald and Vlad Jr. checklist cards but I'm more than happy to have a bunch of those.

BREAKDOWN:

16 – Total Cards

1 – RC

1 - Checklist

1 – Rookie Cup

1 – Word Series

1 – 1952 Topps Redux

1 - 70 Years of Topps Baseball

2022 Prestige Football

2022 Prestige Football:  Plenty of this on the shelf so why not pick it up?  Stefon Diggs will be a big part of any success the Buffalo Bills have this season.  It starts tonight against the Rams.  I think Buffalo wins it and would enjoy seeing some big plays from this guy.

Not my favorite Prestige design but much better than last year's disaster.  This could have really worked had they muted that white a bit more.  Overall, a good pack which had plenty of star power.

Some of the rookies hoping to have good years.  That Wydermyer is a Xtra Points parallel.

Only a few inserts which is disappointing.  I do like these though.  Heroes is fun while Time Stamped showcases a specific moment.  Prestigious Pros has a good look to it.

I think of Christmas and New Years when I think of Seasons Greetings but I'm not feeling holidays with this design.  Not sure what they were trying to convey with the name of this insert.

The backs are fine.  Standard fair. We get some good color.  The photo could have been smaller and they could have added a season or two of extra stats to help out but that is something we always wish for.

The base set is a meaty 400 cards, up from 300 last year.  The price for this 60 card pack?  $15.98.  Prestige is just too expensive.  I feel like a broken record because I say it every year.  Not sure why they are so pricey.  it doesn't come across in the cards themselves.  Why is this set more expensive than a set like, say, Donruss?

Price point issues aside, this was a fun pack.  I like getting 60 cards in a pack.  Just felt good in hand and I couldn't resist picking up something with the first game of the season tonight.  We'll end it with stud running back Jonathan Taylor of the Colts.  

Go Bills!

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
8 – RC
5 – Xtra Points
1 - Heroes
1 – Time Stamped
1 – Prestigious Pros
1 – Seasons Greetings

2022 Buffalo Bills Preview

The Buffalo Bills come into the season with lots of expectations.  They now contend

at the highest levels in the AFC and with a few breaks could have been

really close to a Super Bowl appearance or two.  That goes to one of my main

concerns.  The lack of big plays when needed especially in the

playoffs.  I'll always harp on needing a run game to take pressure off Josh

Allen as well as keeping him from having to run so much.  Overall the

offense will look exactly as it did last year.  A few minor changes at WR

and on the o-line.  I expect the offense to again be one of the best in the

league and should be able to compete with any offense out there. 

The defense is one of the best in the league but last season it will be

remembered for their epic collapse in the final second of their playoff game

against KC.  The defensive line has been revamped with many players leaving

and other filling in.  It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.  They made a

big splash signing Von Miller but that was a head scratcher for me.  I don't

know if he has enough in the tank to be a difference maker.  They do have a

great defensive back group which comes back healthy.  That'll include Tre'Davious

White who was injured most of last season. 

Last year they were 11-6 including a maddening loss to Pittsburgh to open the season and a lost to Jacksonville in which they only scored nine points.  There was also the crazy wind game loss against New England.  Some will say see those could have been three wins.  I say "why did they lose them?".  Their offense can be erratic at times and it disappeared in the playoffs scoring a total of 19 points against the Patriots and Chiefs.  Yes, New England had a really good defense and the Chiefs were top 10 in points allowed but this offense has to be better against good defenses and score in big moments.

I'm hoping Buffalo can use their experience in the playoffs (4 of last 5

seasons) and build on those losses.  Maybe get their game to the next level.

I know expectations are high.  I have some hope they can come through this

year but as a fan it's pretty guarded optimism.  Still there's no reason not

to be happy with this team.  Excellent quarterback and defenses aren't easy

to come by and they make games much more fun to watch. Really tough schedule this year but I can still see them winning 11 games though there will be plenty of tough games.