2022-2023 Hoops Basketball Blaster

22-23 Hoops:  One of my favorite times of the year...Hoops and Donruss basketball start hitting the shelves and I found blasters at my local Wal-Mart this weekend.  This Doncic is not a "base" design but is part of the Tribute subset (#s 281-300).  Luka is having another crazy good year and will be there with The Joker and Embiid (if he can get healthy) as the leading MVP candidates at years end.

One of my first takeaways from opening the blasters was the photography.  It really looked good.  Not on every card but it does stand out to me.  The design overall is one I like.  It feels like a Hoops design.  Might be hard to make out but the border at the top is gray and fades into white as it moves down the side.

Unfortunately, a foot injury before the season has kept the #2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren, from playing this season.  Will be fun to see how the seven footer's skills translate to the NBA.

Not a bad start on the Rookie Greetings cards but something in that background would help.  They've done it before with muted cityscapes to give it more of a postcard feel.

Purple and blue highlights as well as the back.  For a black and white back it is better than some of their previous efforts but still not much to write home about.

Some love for the bigs.  The Rudy Gobert thing really hasn't worked out in Minnesota.  Not many really thought it would but it's been pretty bad.  Towns' injury hasn't helped but Gobert hasn't looked his old self even when not sharing the court with another big.

Tyrese Maxey is in his third year and having a great season averaging 21 PPG for the 76ers.  The Arriving Now inserts aren't bad.  The muted background is that look as you depart your airplane.

Skyview are okay.  I like Frequent Flyers better.  They have that ticket vibe to them.

Darius Garland and the Cavs have it going this year and are currently the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.  The Donovan Mitchell acquisition was huge but Garland is having another outstanding season.

You'll find retired greats in the Hoops Tribute subset but only a handful.  We need more!  Seems like just a few years ago it was much easier to find greats from the past on new cardboard.  We'll end it with LeBron who is doing ridiculous things at age 38.

BREAKDOWN:

90 – Total Cards

13 – RC

4 – Blue Parallel

2 – Arriving Now

2 – Purple Parallel

1 – Retired Great

1 – Frequent Flyers

1 – Rookie Greetings

1 – Rookie Remembrance Relic

Random Wax: 2022 Score Football

2022 Score Football:  Championship Sunday so of course I'll do some football.  Deion is an all-time favorite of mine and though I wasn't a fan of him going to the Cowboys I do like this blue uni from Dallas.  This Hall of Fame great won two Super Bowls and was an All-Pro six times.

A mixed bag with these three.  Justin Herbert will be hoping his next offensive coordinator can get him back to his 2023 numbers or even better.  He has a high ceiling in the NFL and I hope we can see more greatness from this guy.

Ravens rookies bringing it here at least with headgear and the hair.  Ojabo does not look like a dude I'd want to mess with.

This set has plenty of rookie cards to enjoy.

I like the Huddle Up inserts.

Purple parallel, Throwback Rookie and a Cubic parallel #/299.  There are actually two parallels #/299 in this set so you have to do your research to figure out which one you have. 

Like the designs on this one and I like the photo.

This was a 60 card pack so I was excited since the other packs only have 40 cards.  Only thing guaranteed with them is a numbered card which I've already shown off.  You have shot at other inserts but I didn't pull any of that coolness.  I've purchased too much of the '22 Score and this will probably be my last pack.  I still have plenty to show off over the next year though.

These Celebration inserts are fun.  Even more fun with a Mahomes appearance.

Who doesn't love retired greats?  The First Ballot inserts are really nice and I will probably complete that set.  

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
13 – RC
7 – Potential
6 – Retired Greats
5 – Purple Parallel
4 – Celebration
3 – Huddle Up
2 – First Ballot
2 – Sack Attack
1 – Cubic #/299
1 – Throwback Rookie

1984 Fleer Baseball Cello Pack

1984 Fleer Baseball:  Picked up a couple of these a few years back and I still hadn't shown off either pack?  Bad on me.  Congrats to Scott Rolen for being voted into the Hall of Fame.  Let's show of my #2 all-time player and Hall of Famer Yaz.  Picked up an auto of his last year and always enjoy looking back at his incredible career.  

The design on these is so clean and simple it's crazy.  I like it and I like how it makes the photo the star while also including a team logo that stands out.  Can't beat a Wade Boggs pull.

Kevin Bass and Gene Garber are favorites of mine.  Dave Collins checked a few boxes for me as a switch hitter and he could steal bases.  Kevin Bass was also a switch hitter.  Collins had 27 more hits than Bass for their career.

Loved the stickers in Fleer packs!

This was a fun pack.  We'll end it with another Hall of Famer in Reggie Jackson.  That's one of my favorite photos.  He's in an Angels uni and it shows off that classic hitting stroke of his.

BREAKDOWN:
28 – Total Cards
2 – Team logo Stickers
1 – Super Star Special

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Bohemian Rhapsody:  I've seen the majority of this movie over time but I had never seen it all the way through until last weekend.  I really enjoyed this movie.  I'm a Queen fan and the film hit all the right notes.  Sorry for the pun.  From the story, the acting, the music and the visuals it was so much fun to watch.  Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest showmen of all time.  And Freddy is the star here as he was with the band.  But that isn't to say they aren't all stars.  The movie is about the band and without the performances by the rest of the primary cast the movie wouldn't be the same.  This is a movie and you know parts are glossed over but they did a good job hitting the low marks and the highlights.  Rami Malek made this an easy watch.  You just believe he's Freddie Mercury.  Lots of goodness to be had here and I obviously recommend this movie.  If you like Queen I think you'll like them even more after watching this.

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Chronicles Basketball

20-21 Chronicles: Kevin Durant is having another amazing year at age 34.  He and the Nets picked up some steam and sit as the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference.  If he can get and stay healthy the Nets have to be looked at as a team that can compete with the best.

I like this design.  Just needs a team logo to put it over the top.  Picked this one up in December, 2021 and just now getting to post it.  Jayson Tatum is having an MVP season in Boston while Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan are looking for answers as the team struggles.  Though individually they are both having a really good season.

What a pull in this box.  LeBron is one of the best in the league once again.  Donovan Mitchell is killing it after being traded to Cleveland.  I've always been high on this guy and it's great seeing him take it to another level.

A trio of Lakers here.  If only AD could stay healthy, the Lakers are a playoff team.  Probably the 8th seed but still. 

Nice rookie pulls.  Not great but nice.

I'm a big fan of Anthony Edwards, a Georgia Bulldogs alum, and he is having a great season for the T-Wolves who have struggled after the trade for Rudy Gobert as well and injuries to Karl Anthony-Towns.  I'm hoping they can figure out a way to turn it around so we can see those guys in the playoffs.  KAT is a special big man.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

18 – RC

5 – Chronicles

4 - Classic

4 – Luminance

3 – Panini

3 – Threads

3 - Prestige

3 – Playbook

3 - Essentials

3 – Green Parallels

1 – XR

1 – Crusade

Bills Lose to Bengals in NFL Division Playoffs

The Bills lost to the Bengals 27-10 in a tough loss.  Tough watching them play so poorly.  Allen never looked comfortable, and the defense struggled whether it was against Joe Burrow's passes or getting beat in the trenches.  On offense the team couldn't rely on a running game when they struggled through the air.  It wasn't fun to watch.  It felt like Cincy had this game in hand early and Buffalo struggled in all but one drive in the game.  

It'll be interesting to see what happens this offseason.  This is a talented team but needs tweaked.  They feel so close to getting it all together with a dynamic passer and great defense.  Coaching changes?  Where to they put their focus?  The receiving corps?  A running back?  On D?  They really could go anywhere.  Again this team is really good and should only need to be tweaked.  How they do that could make a big difference.  

 

Random Wax: 2020 Score Football

2020 Score Football:  Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers are in the zone with rookie QB Brock Perdy.  McCaffrey is a favorite player of mine and I love how he's blended right in the the 49ers and had an excellent season in San Fran after the trade from Carolina.  They now get the Cowboys-Bucs winner this week.

I definitely like this design more now than I did originally.  Travis Kelce and the Chiefs had another great season enroute to a number one seed.  Saquon Barkley rushed for over 1300 yards this season in a great jump back season.  The Giants have also made some noise in the playoffs in a surprise year.

Chris Godwin had a good year for the Bucs catching 104 balls from Tom Terrific.  Speaking of... Not sure of all the pink on these In the Zone cards.  Nothing against pink, just not my preference on cards.

I like these Next Level Stats inserts.  Close up look at the players and stats.

None of these guys have made their mark in the NFL yet but plenty of rookies in this large set.

I like both these inserts.  3D also gives us a chance to see retired greats like one of my favorite players Luke Kuechly.

I really don't get these Deep Dive cards.  No complaints with a Patrick Mahomes pull but this insert isn't one I care for.  Hoping for a good weekend for the Chiefs.  I'd love to see them and the Bills go at it again for the AFC Championship.

BREAKDOWN:
40 – Total Cards
7 – RC
4 – In the Zone
3 – Red Parallel
2 – Next Level
2 – Game Face
2 – Huddle Up
1 – Deep Dive

Random Wax: 1990-1991 Hoops Basketball (6 Packs)

90-91 Hoops:  Sir Charles is always fun and was so good.  It's always a treat to go back and look at the havoc he wreaked on the league.  Now we get to enjoy him on TV which is almost as good.  This set is just too much fun.  I love looking back at these.  I watched so much hoops back then and there's noone in this set that doesn't bring back some memory.

Three studs from the era.  John Stockton's game is still something to be amazed by.  Nique is my all-time favorite NBA player.  It was so much fun being able to watch his entire career.

The all-star cards are one of the highlights of this set aside from the amazing players.  These three need no introduction.

Three fun guards from the era.  Fat Lever and his game would be fun to watch today.  Such an amazing point guard.  Hawkins shot 39% from deep for his career and he would have been in high demand today.

And the greats keep on coming.  Another generational shooter, guy who could go get any rebound and The Admiral who was elite on many levels.

The backs are almost as fun as the fronts.  College and careers stats?  Win!

We need more coach cards today.  When some of the current coaches retire we won't have any new cardboard for them.

Tom Chambers and Eddie Johnson's games would easily play today.  I think Dantley's would too in a DeMar DeRozan way.  And Jack Sikma would be perfect.  He had good hands, could shoot from mid-range and the three point line (35% over his last three seasons/2.3 attempts per game), and could rebound and play defense.

BREAKDOWN:

90 – Total Cards (6 Packs)

7 – Coach

7 – Rookie

4 – All-Star

1 - Award