2022-2023 Prizm Basketball Hanger Box

 22-23 Prizm: We'll kick this off with 2024 Olympic Basketball player Bam Adebayo.  Bam doesn't get a ton of press, but he will get you close to 20 points per game and 10 rebounds while playing excellent defense (5X All-Defense) at the center position.

I'm not a shiny card guy though I probably don't need to say that all the time.  Still, I pick these up from time to time.  Grabbed this pack in December and guess I'd forgot about it.  The design isn't bad.  I like the team appropriate colors in the outline.  Borders are probably too big though but overall solid look here.  I've always been skeptical of Kyrie, but he and the Mavs made a surprise run to the Finals this last season.  Jusuf Nurkic went to the Suns in the 3-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks.  Nurkic fit in great in Phoenix pulling down 11 boards a game and setting a career high with four assists per game.

The backs are fine though the 3PM, steal, block and points totals befuddle me.  Nobody pays attention to totals in this manner.  And where is their three-point percentage?

Young players.  Jabari Walker had a solid second season in Portland putting up eight points per game but hasn't shown any range from deep yet.

I like the Impact insert and all the color.  Not sure about Emergent.  Very simple but I think it is growing on me.  Neither of these guys had a good 2023-2024 season but AJ Griffin did show some promise in rookie campaign scoring eight a game in 22-23.

Jrue Holiday was part of that great Celtics team that won the NBA Finals against the Mavs.  His defense plays anywhere, and this was his second ring after getting one with Milwaukee.  He's also part of the Olympic basketball team in France.  We also get a retired great.  Feels like I pull a lot of Wade but there's nothing wrong with that.

BREAKDOWN:

12 – Total Cards

1 – Emergent

1 – Retired Great

1 – Instant Impact

Random Wax: 1991 Upper Deck Football (3 Packs)

1991 Upper Deck:  This Bo Jackson checklist card is too cool.  It was so cruel that 1990 would be his final NFL season.  He averaged 5.6 yards per carry but injured his hip in a playoff game against Seattle in January of 1991.  This is a really cool looking card.  Somehow, I don't remember it from my time ripping packs of this set when it came out.

I love that Andre Reed photo.  The snow.  His concentration.  The fact he may be tackled right after this.  Two more great players here with Herschel Walker and Rickey Jackson.

Team MVP cards were a great way to show greats on more cardboard.  The 1990 Patriots didn't have much to be happy about.  I would have gone with Irving Fryar as their MVP but there wasn't much to pick from.  Not a great photo of Michigan Wolverine great Anthony Carter.  Looks like he is grabbing for his ankle.

Another great player and sweet art.  We need more art checklist cards people!

Okay, Jim Everett's art isn't the greatest.  Really nice Stephone Paige photo.

I really like all three photos here.  I always liked Bobby Hebert and how many "kick holding' photos do we get?  Always fun and always great memories.  This set is a classic.

BREAKDOWN:
36 – Total Cards
3 – Team MVP
3 – Team Checklist
1 – Football Heroes

The Last Kingdom TV Series (2015-2022) and The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)

The Last Kingdom: Today I'll provide some brief thoughts on the series as well as the follow-up movie Seven Kings Must Die.  I enjoyed the heck out of the series.  The characters, drama, battles, visuals.  It all worked for me.  Recap:  Uhtred's father is killed during battle when he is a young boy and taken by the Viking Danes.  From there he is raised as a Dane until, as a young man he finds himself forced to return to the Saxons.  As a born Saxon raised a Dane, he is cautiously trusted, but his knowledge of the Danes becomes key in his ability to help the Saxons during battle.  Uhtred's overall goal is to get back to his home of Bebbanburg and reclaim his kingdom

The series and movie are a long winding road.  There are continuous battles between Saxon and Dane as well as infighting that drives most of the intrigue.  There are plenty of great supporting characters helping Uhtred along the way that help makes this a good watch.

Brida who, like Uhtred, is a Saxon raised a Dane.  She aligns with the Danes putting her in constant conflict with Uhtred and the Saxons throughout the series.  She was also a love interest early on and someone who always holds a special place in Uhtred's heart.  Very strong character who I liked.

The latter seasons see Uhtreds children play a bigger part in the series including his daughter Stiorra who marries Dane Viking warlord Sigtryggr.  While this causes issues with Uhtred and the king, Sigtryggr becomes more of an anti-hero over time as opposed to a full-on antagonist.  Both characters and actors are really good and added a lot to the storyline.

King Aethelred carries on the leadership of what will be England.  As always there is plenty of drama in doing so.  I liked the character and how he was portrayed.  This is the King and Queen mother, played by Eliza Butterworth who did a great job.  The link for my post on Seasons 1-3 of The Last Kingdom is here. Yes, that was 2019 and I'm finally finishing up the final two seasons.  I primarily watched this while travelling for work but that has really slowed down. 

Lots going on in this series and the movie and there's no way I can do it justice.  The bottom line is I liked both.  The first half of the movie did give me pause but it finished strong.  If this era is something you like, you'll like this one.  I think I want to watch Vikings next.  Hopefully it doesn't take me near as long but life and all the different things out there to watch take up a lot of time.

Random Wax: 2022 Topps Archives Blaster

 2022 Archives: I've seen this Griffey Jr. photo before and I've never cared for it.  Not sure why but it's not for me.  Still, he's a legend and I like him as much as anyone else.  If he stayed healthy you have to believe he chases Hank Aaron's 714 home runs.

This design isn't necessarily a favorite of mine but no complaints about these 3B studs and a PC guy of mine in Uncle Larry.

Greatness.  Not only the card back but one of the best hitters the league has ever known in Tony Gwynn.  Career .338 hitter?  Crazy.

I like Goldy and Mookie is still great even if he isn't a Red Sox now.

If only saves were on here as well.  Amazing career and one of my favorite Braves of all-time.

Never a big fan of '87 Topps but there are worse out there.  Some good photos here including that Longoria even though it's a head and shoulders type.

A career Pittsburgh Pirate, Mazeroski was a 8X Gold Glove winner and won two World Series rings with the Buccos.

Hunter Greene earned his first all-star appearance this year and Jeremy Pena had his time in the sun as the ALCS and World Series MVP during the Houston Astros 2022 World Series run.

Not a Big Foil card guy. 

More retired greats.  Feels like every Ozzie card should show him on defense.

Amazing players, all in different ways.

Braves win, Braves win!  Such a great and surprising World Series run.  Since then, the Phillies and this Bryce Harper guy have stood in Atlanta's way.  I really like Archives, and this was a fun box.

BREAKDOWN:

56 – Total Cards

20 – Retired Greats

19 – 1963

17 – 1987

17 – 1978

10 – RC

 3 – Big Foil

1 - 1961 Topps MVP

1 – 1955 Topps Scoop

1 - 1992 Topps Major League Debut

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Chronicles Basketball

21-22 Chronicles:  Dame and the Bucks struggled this past season.  While I hated seeing him leave Portland I do hope him and Giannis figure it out.  Minnesota struggled their first year with Gobert so there is hope year one was just a bump in the road.  Dame also had a slightly better second half of the season which gives Milwaukee fans hope.

Solid pull of veterans in this pack.  Jaylen Brown looks that much better than he already did when I purchased this pack in 2022.  Since then, he's added an NBA Championship and a max contract (5yr/$304M) to his resume.

Plenty of different designs in this set.  That Playbook design is one I like even without a logo.

Cade Cunningham also got a max deal this offseason, albeit a max rookie extension (5yr/$224M).  Feels like if Golden State was truly all in, they'd be fine trading their young talent including Moses Moody.    

Solid Phoenix design on that Davion Mitchell card.  He was recently traded to Toronto.  Bones Hyland is now with the Clippers who need all the help they can get now that Paul George is gone.

Cade Cunningham hot pack?  Atlanta Hawks' management didn't return my calls and Trae Young is still on the team.  We'll see if they can get better, but this offseason didn't show a path that makes that happen.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

23 – RC

6 – Chronicles

4 - Score

4 – Green Parallel

3 – Playoffs

3 – Absolute

3 - Luminance

2 - XR

2 – Threads

2 – Prestige

1 – Crusade

1 – Phoenix

1 – Marquee

1 - Essentials

1 – Red Parallel

1 – Rated Rookie

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

1994 Roger Staubach: This is the last of these which I've been sharing over the last year and a half plus.  I'll really miss these. One of my favorite sets.  We'll kick it off with Jack Lambert who looks like he wants to kick somebody's butt.  Has to be before the first snap.  His uniform is way too clean.  His trophy case is filled to the brim and man did he scare the heck out of opponents.  Big fan.

Love all the all-time greats we get in this set.  Many from past generations you'll never see again on cardboard.  The design is so simple but it works.  The players take center stage.  Love the muted Buck Buchanan photo showing the missing tooth.  Screams a tough guy in the trenches.

The inserts let us see some of the greats on other cards.  Three amazing QBs here in nice photos. We have Etched in Stone and Golden Arms.

They had no idea of the legacy Bret Favre would leave when this Dawning of a Legacy card was made.  He had just finished the third season of his Hall of Fame career.  The POGs are great additions to the set in card form.

A few players I'd never heard of like Andy Robustelli.  Props to anyone who knew of this defensive stalwart from the 50s and 60s.  Six-time All-Pro by the way and nice photo.

I enjoy seeing the coaches get their due on these Chalkboard Legends inserts.

These are great cards and players.  So much fun and so many memories.  Wish we could see more sets like this one.  We'll end it with some of the great arms, and legs, from the game.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Cards

3 – Dawning of a Legacy

3 – Chalkboard Legends

2 - Checklists

2 – Pogs

2 – Golden Arms

1 – Etched in Stone

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Despicable Me 4:  Saw this one yesterday with the grandsons.  I liked it.  They did too but it wasn't their favorite from the series.  There's a new bad guy, Maxime Le Mal, a new member of the Gru family, and plenty of Minions.  It did feel like there might be too much going on and they were forced into getting screen time for some characters.  Still I was entertained.