Looks Like a Super Day for a Big Game

Well, I'm back after another unexpected posting drought. My wife and daughters returned from visiting my in-laws a week ago and they brought a nasty virus back with them so everyone in the family has been spending the majority of this past week in recovery mode. Today is the final game of the NFL season though and I couldn't miss out on an opportunity to celebrate the occasion. I'd like to think that I don't care who wins today, but I'd be lying if I said I'd be OK if the Patriots won. In fact, the only possible positive I could see coming out of a NE victory today is the chance that Brady will decide to retire afterwards. So, I can say with no reservations that I'm going to be an Atlanta Falcons fan for a day.

Since I don't collect either team, I guess I'll just have to show off some recently acquired Super Bowl themed, Broncos cardboard.

Up first is this pair of shiny Super a Bowl Heroes depicting two of the defensive anchors of last year's Championship team. The scan doesn't do these justice. In hand, they are reminiscent of some of the mid to late '90's issues from Playoff: shiny, semi dufex-y, goodness. Man, I miss some of the cards from those days! I snagged these from Listia for a combined total of 15,000 credits which roughly translates to a whopping $0.55.

Okay, this one is not technically cardboard, but I love it nonetheless. I 'pulled' this Topps Then insert from a digital pack in Huddle yesterday. It's part of their massive blitzkrieg of Super Bowl products. With 21 'cards' in the set the odds of pulling this one were long, especially for someone who doesn't spend money on the app. I can appreciate that this one highlights Mr. MVP's second strip sack of the game. It goes really well with the card that ended up being my favorite of 2016.

Speaking of my favorite card of 2016... I know I've showcased various versions of this card over the past year, but this will be the last. I found this listed on eBay shortly after Christmas and I knew that I must have it. It's the perfect choice for the first Miller auto to be added to my collection. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday to you all. Here's hoping for some great commercials and a victory for Matty Ice! Thanks for reading.

Celebrating the 4th with Hot Dogs and Apple Pie

I hope everyone out there in the cardsphere had a safe and Happy Fourth of July! I spent quality time with my daughters and got to watch the 100th Anniversary Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. I wrote about this annual tradition last year, but have acquired a few new pieces of cardboard to commemorate the occasion.

Here is last year's upset winner, Matt Stonie. I love how the pic shows him holding the mustard yellow championship belt.

As cool as the Stonie is, here is the champ! Jaws set a Coney Island record by eating 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes today to reclaim the championship.

So, I don't have any apple pie/cardboard tie-ins, but since baseball is the America's Pastime, it is therefore 'as American as apple pie'! I know, I was reaching...

As many of you know, I'm a regular Bunt user. Over the course of the weekend, they gave away these Independence Day inserts(I missed Saturday's Kershaw). I think they did a great job with the design and the photo selection, very patriotic and apropos. I'm gonna go check out some fireworks. Thanks for reading.

Falling Farther Down the Digital Rabbit Hole

Not long ago, I wrote about completing my first 'set' on the Bunt app. At the time, I really didn't know how many cards I'd actually chase after that. I had my answer in relatively short order...A LOT! I have become increasingly active on the app. I think it will continue to appeal to me as long as I don't begin making real purchases. I have built my collection with the daily free coins by having patience and some good luck. I've since completed the Striking Distance insert(modeled after the Opening Day set of the sesame name) and a Bernie Williams Tribute set. However, I recently acquired the two following cards that commemorate two really great highlights over the past week.

First up is this tribute to Ichiro. I know that his being called the all time hits leader has been a polarizing topic but I, for one, consider him to be exactly that. I'm not suggesting that his name should be in the MLB record book as the career hits leader, but the fact is he has cranked out 4,257 professional hits in his career. That is pretty darned impressive. I'm very much looking forward to him joining the 3000 hit club in the coming weeks.

From a great veteran to a highly touted youngster.

This is a really fun card for me on multiple levels. Contreras is the next great Cubs prospect(I snagged him in my fantasy league), it was an awesome highlight, and it shows off the Father's Day uniforms with the blue patches.

I'm digging this set which often parallels the Topps Now releases. I guess you could say that I took the red pill. Thanks for reading.

Gotta Love a Completed Set(Kinda Sorta)

Wow, I can't believe that I didn't have the chance to share an awesome new Star Wars addition yesterday on Star Wars Day. Oh well, another time. Today I share my most recent completed 'set'. I use the quotes because for the first time, I chased after a Bunt related insert and completed the set before their imposed deadline so I also received a bonus 'card'. I've never completed a set like this before, nor have I really had the interest in it. However, for some reason, I've really gotten into the fantasy aspect of playing the free contests within the app. Early this week, they released an April  League Leaders insert set. Eight cards that score higher points than the base cards and look pretty nice too. Four hitters and four pitchers were included with the 'bonus card' being the player that scored the most points within the app for the month. I was game. Here we go.

Pitching first. Here's a guy that's rapidly becoming a usual suspect since he owns one of the most dominant arms in the game right now.

It pains me to see Price in a BoSox uni...but he is pitching as well or better than ever so far this young season.

Back in the closer's seat, Jansen is also back to his dominating ways.

Perhaps this one hurts the most. I collected Zimmermann, passively but still, while with the Nats and then he jumped ship to the Motor City. He sure has been stingy in the runs allowed department. Now we move on to the hitters.

Mr. NL MVP is picking up where he left off last season.

I love the way Altuve plays the game. He's at 100% all the time.

Of course, you can't forget the rookie sensation. He lands a spot in the set courtesy of his red hot first week in the majors.

Here's the card so many folks are waiting on. There's been a lot of disappointment that he hasn't made his debut on a Topps Now card as yet(and rightly so). I remember the last time that a rookie in St. Louis put up huge numbers to start his career and basically never stopped the production. Time will tell if Diaz can keep up the onslaught as Pujols did in 2001.

Those are the eight base cards. Here was the bonus card awarded for completing the set.

Arenado quietly put together a heck of a month. If he keeps up at this pace, he might even make a run at NL MVP honors.

There you have it, my first completed digital set. I'm not sure if it'll be e only one or if it's the first of many, but I can say that I have been able to abide by my self-imposed rule of not spending money within the app. Thanks Topps for the daily coins reward. You're funding my digital pack ripping habit addiction. Thanks for reading.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

Today marks 69 years since Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, changing the game(and the country) forever. Everyone knows that his jersey number is retired by every MLB team, but today, every player in MLB wears number 42 as a tribute.

I know there are at least a few cards out there that showcase photos taken during previous Jackie Robinson Day games, but I don't own any of those(that I'm aware of). Fortunately digital trading cards can help me fill that void. 

Thanks to Bunt, I pulled my first card of a current player(other than recently retired Mariano Rivera) wearing a number '42' jersey. 

To make things even better(for my collection), I pulled former Durham Bull, Tim Beckham. I really love the design of these. That seems to be a recurring opinion of mine as it relates to Bunt exclusive insert sets. I find that I dig those designs better than most of the tangible inserts that fall out of flagship(1, 2, and Update). 

For good measure, I also pulled a Charlie Blackmon '42'. Happy Jackie Robinson Day everyone! In celebration of the man, I'm going to go watch the new Ken Burns documentary(on my DVR). Thanks for reading.