2022-2023 Chronicles Basketball

 22-23 Chronicles Basketball: Saw these for the first time at Target and picked up a pack.   Luka Doncic kicks it off on this Base Hoops Premium card.  Hoops Premium cards were a thing a few years back.  Nice card and design.  Not sure about the look on Doncic's face but it was a frustrating year for him and the Mavericks.

This is the base Chronicles design.  It's okay and what we're used to from Chronicles.  Need a logo somewhere on the fronts.  Pretty good pull amongst veterans and rookies in this pack.  Young is an established star though he and the Hawks need to figure things out soon.  Lauri Markkanen had a breakout season for the Utah Jazz.

Luminance and XR designs.  Luminance isn't bad but XR isn't my thing.  Chronicles is a rookie heavy release.  That first card is a teal parallel.

Chet Holmgren and Paulo Banchero are the rookies to pull here.  Banchero was the Rookie of the Year and there's high expectations for Holmgren who missed the season due to injury.

Luminance, Marquee and Vertex.  Vertex is pretty cool and I like Marquee as well.  We'll end it with Giannis.

BREAKDOWN:
15 – Total Cards
11 – RC
3 – Base
2 – Vertex
2 - Classics
2 – Pinnacle
2 – Luminance
1 - XR
1 – Absolute
1 – Marquee
1 – Teal Parallel
1 - Base Hoops Premium

Random Wax: 2020 Contenders Football

 2020 Contenders Football: Been a long time since I've shown off this set.  I like the design overall but there so little room for the photo it is easy to complain.  Bought this pack in January, 2021 and finally getting to show it off.  Hoping to see Adams have another good season.  He's proven he can play no matter where he calls home.

Again you can see how the photos are squeezed here.  I'm a Contenders guy.  I know I'm in the minority but it works for me overall.  I do like that Edelman photo.

Cam Newton, MVP Contender?  A bit of a stretch.  And I think we knew that before the 2020 Season.  But if anyone could have made it work we had to think Bill could do it in New England.  Dillon has had a solid career in Green Bay even if he hasn't been a star.

Love seeing retired legends and this is a nice-looking card and a great player.  Deejay Dallas sounds like he would be spinning records at Cowboys' hype parties.  Just saying.

Pretty good pack of cards.  Some nice star power and a brand I like.  Jackson and the Ravens are wild cards to me.  I'm just not sure what we'll get from them this year.

BREAKDOWN:
22 – Total Cards
1 – Retired Great
1 – Round Numbers
1 – MVP Contenders
1 – Legendary Contenders
1 – Rookie of the Year Contenders

Random Wax: 2022-2023 Donruss Basketball Blaster

 22-23 Donruss Basketball: Hopefully this season we'll get to see what KAT, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards can really be together.  I'm a big Edwards fan and would love to see him and the T-Wolves get into the playoffs.  I'm not convinced selling the farm for Gobert was a good idea but I would like to see if they can make it work.

Great pull in this pack including my favorite players in the league in Kawhi and Dame.  It still hurts to know he'll be leaving Portland but hopefully it can somehow turn into a positive depending on the return.  But wouldn't you want to see what he and Scoot Henderson could do together?

Chet Holmgren, fingers crossed, will have a full season on the court.  He was healthy and looked good in the Summer league.

The backs are nice and colorful.  We'll show some off here for a change of pace.  Some great wings and shooters here.

I'm an Aaron Gordon fan but I have to admit I thought the Nuggets overpaid for him in the offseason after trading for him in the 2021-2022 season.  Well, he helped land them a championship and was a pivotal piece to the team.  What do I know.  Speaking of Anthony Edwards...

The Sacramento Kings had a pretty quiet offseason after their breakout year landing as a #3 seed.  Hopefully they can be just as good this year.  Fox is great and I love Sabonis.  Two greats of the game today in Tatum and Lillard on these nice looking inserts.

NIQUE!  My all-time favorite player showcased on a Bomb Squad insert.  Still not sure about the design of the card but I'll never complain about a Dominique card.

BREAKDOWN:

90 – Total Cards

13 – Rated Rookie

5 – Green Laser Holo Parallel

2 – Bomb Squad

2 – Franchise Featuress

1 – X-Pectations

1 – Retired Great

1 – Complete Players

Random Wax: 1994 Ted Williams Roger Staubach's NFL (3 Packs)

1994 Roger Staubach Football:   We'll kick this one off with Buccaneer great Lee Roy Selmon.  His career was cut short due to a herniated disc but was a nightmare for quarterbacks in his nine seasons with Tampa Bay.  He was drafted first overall by the Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Draft.

This set is so much fun as it shows off so many greats of the game that we don't normally see on cardboard today.  I enjoyed Jim Zorn as a youngster.  A lefty who could run and throw it was fun.

Classic Staubach stance as he readies to pass.

Seeing these coaches again is fun.  That look of Tom Landry is a classic.  Would like to see what that card would look like as the dominant photo in this design.

Still don't' get Neil O'Donnell's inclusion in this set.  Way too many great quarterbacks in 1993 that would have been better picks.

Yes we have pogs.  Kind of fun.  Not something I got into but I like they are part of a card which helps in storing them.

Some great receivers from the past.  Nice way to end this post.  These are so much fun and I really enjoy showing them off.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Cards
3 – Pogs
3 – Golden Arms
3 – Chalkboard Legends
3 – Dawning of a Legacy
1 – Path to Greatness

Random Wax: 2021 Topps WWE Women's Division Hobby Box Take 2

2021 Women's Division:  This '21 hobby box didn't release until 2022 but it was still fun and I pulled an autograph of my favorite wrestler, today - Alexa Bliss.  Huge win!  Click the link at the beginning to see it.  This is a great Asuka card.

The object of this post is to just share more cards from the hobby box that didn't make it into the first post.  There are so many good cards it's hard to do just one post.  I like Charlotte Flair and this is a cool card.

They did a really good job on this set.  Simple but nice design and plenty of room to show off the stars of the cards.

I seem to do pretty good with my Women's Divsion hobby boxes over the years with the 2020 hobby box being my best with a Sasha auto and printing plate.  Both sold really quick.  

Roster cards are okay in terms of design but we still get good photos of the ladies.

I'm not the biggest wrestling fan but I really do enjoy the cards.  So many opportunities for good photos.

This Charlotte Flair is a Diamond Cut insert.

Cool photo.

I enjoy these highlights from matches or events.

Just happy to share more of these cool cards.  These are fun boxes and Women's Divsion boxes as a whole are still pretty affordable.  I hope this set comes back in some way shape or form at some point.

BREAKDOWN:
168 – Total Cards
48 – Roster 
12 – Rainbow Foil
3 – Diamond Cuts
1 – Authentic Mat Relic Pink Parallel #/150
1 - 5th Anniversary Championship Autograph Green #/50

  

2022 Allen and Ginter Blaster

2022 A&G:  Picked this up in February but I guess I forgot to share.  Allen & Ginter can be hit or miss with me but I still like picking up at least one blaster a year.  Nice looking Kirby Puckett to kick it off.  I've always liked Kirby even if he and the Twins squeaked by the Atlanta Braves in that darn 1991 World Series.

I actually like the large logo on these.  Not having a true border on the right still throws me off though.  Pete Alonso has had two seasons.  He's really struggled as of late and is not helping my fantasy team.

Kenley Jansen is a guy I thought would struggle with the pitch clock due to everything he does on the mound but he's had a solid year as the closer for the Red Sox.

Some youngsters I pulled.  Cruz is having a good year for the Marlins as is Brandon Marsh for the Phillies.  

Who doesn't like potato chips?

Hause is maybe Dave Hause the musician?  Nice Willie Mays card.

Some of the randomness you get with A&G.

Nice Clemons card while my relic was from Anthony Rendon who continues to struggle with injuries and at the plate.  I am happy to see the Angels all in on trying to make the playoffs and not trading Ohtani.  Fingers crossed they can do it.

Of all things on a What's Cookin card, we have ketchup?

Plenty of retired greats.  Really enjoy seeing Jason Varitek included.

Nice looking Banner Season insert.  We end it with one of my favorite players in Rickey Henderson who's probably thinking "I'll be on seocond base in no time".

BREAKDOWN:

48 – Total Cards

14 – RC

10 – Retired Greats

8 – Mini

3 – Base SP

3 – Banner Season

2 – Pitching a Gem

2 – It’s Your Special Day

1 – Ducks

1 – B Design Relic

1 – What’s Cookin'?

1 – Baseball Lexicon

1 - Rookie Design Variation Mini