Pack Break 2012 Topps Football

A damn good start to this pack.  A.D.'s been running amok lately and L.T. is one of the All-Time greats.

Santana only has 32 receptions but 7 have been for TD's.  Demaryius is Peyton Manning's favorite target in Denver.

After 3 straight 1000+ yard seasons in Cincinnati, Cedric signed with the Packers.  He's been out with a foot injury since Game 5.  Randall had 7 catches for 102 yards last week against the Lions.

These three rookies are the weak part of the pack. None of them has made big splash as yet.  LaMichael James was a big deal at Oregon, finishing third in the Heisman voting in 2010.

Sean  is the only representative for the defense in this pack of 12 cards.

The only horizontal card in the pack, this is probably showing one of Lance's two catches against the Lions last season (12/4/11) in a 31-17 win.

 Finishing up the pack is a nice 1:6 packs insert of  Hall of Fame QB Sonny Jurgensen.

Welcome to Tittle Town

Y. A. Tittle is just one of those names that sticks in your head.  Though he never won a championship,  he was the 1963 NFL AP MVP and is in the Hall of Fame.  His 36 TD passes in 1963 was a record he held until Marino passed for 48 twenty one years later. I picked up this serial numbered gold inked auto for about the price of half a blaster.

Song for a Sunday Night -- Happy Channukah!

Here's the Jewish Elvis, Neil Diamond with his rendition of Adam Sandler's modern classic:

Here's Adam in Chicago:

Pack Break 2012-13 Score Hockey Pack 2

Pack two of my 11 pack blaster was even better than the first.

I'm a Blackhawks fan so seeing Kaner made the pack for me.  Malkin's got some nice hardware there as well.

Like the first pack this one had two goalies in the seven cards.  Is Nilolai back in Chicago?  I see some Indians in the crowd.

A couple of D-Men both pictured in games against the Lightning.  Nice shot of Wiz.

Is there an insert in every pack?  Not sure what to make of this odd shot taken at last year's Winter Classic in Philadelphia.  It's different.

Topps 2012 WWE or I Guess I'm a Trading Card Addict

Let me say for the record that I am not a wrestling fan. The last time I watched a complete match on TV it probably involved The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, or Verne Gagne. So why did I buy two packs of these cards?  Curiosity? Novelty?  Addiction?  Fun? Yes.  Anyways, I've got to admit I'm less disappointed than I've been with some packs of baseball cards.  I got cards of guys named Sheamus, Ezekiel and Big Show and  Kelly Kelly certainly brightens up the pack.  I even got a 1:6 packs insert card featuring a match that took place in my home town, Chicago.  Have a look.

Pack Break 2012-13 Score Hockey Pack 1

We still don't have hockey and I may be in the minority but I do miss it.  Here's a cheap hockey card fix. An 11 pack blaster goes for just $9.99.  Here's pack 1:

First up are two former Chicago Blackhawks.  Brian was a member of the Hawks first championship team in half a century.

Who doesn't like the goalies? 

Two Europeans

This is a very "Score-like" insert of a very good player.

For 91 cents a pack these are great cards.  My only complaint would be not having the player's position on the front of the card.  Does anyone really care what conference they play in?  I'll post the other packs as I open them.  

Things Done to Cards -- Poor Ronnie

Most of you have probably seen Things Done to Cards.  Here's one I found on Ebay during my daily search for Ron Santo cards.  

OK.  First this sadist  blinded poor Ronnie. Ouch!  But that wasn't good enough for the anti-Cub-ite bastard.  They felt it necessary to finish him off with a point blank shot to the middle of his forehead.  Well, the laughs on you sicko because Ron went on to play another ten years for the Cubs and now he's in the Hall of Fame.

1963 Fleer #32

Song for a Sunday Night -- Where Everybody Knows Your Name

It's a funny thing about TV reruns.  There are some that I can watch over and over (Seinfeld, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke).  Then there are some that, though I loved them the first time I just don't care to watch again.  Among them would be Cheers.  I loved the show for it's 11 seasons, particularly the early years but I rarely find myself watching the reruns.  Do you have the same experiences with your favorite shows?

I do still love the theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" by Gary Portnoy and  Judy Hart Angelo.
A bit of trivia:  Here's the original first verse:

Singing the blues when the Red Sox lose

It’s a crisis in your life

On the run 'cause all your girlfriends

Wanna be your wife

And the laundry ticket’s in the wash

Here's the full version of the song, sung by Gary Portnoy:

It's About Time!

For the first time in three years there's a new base card of my all-time favorite player, Ron Santo.  Being from Panini the Cubs logos are missing but I think they did a nice job with their choice of photos and framing.     It's nice and appropriate that the card celebrates Ronnie's overdue enshrinement into the Hall.

Wrigley Field After People

I sure hope we win a World Series Championship before this happens: