Domo Arigato: Moremonkeys138 @ Crinkly Wrappers

Our hobby has its share of drama in recent weeks... first it was the newer looking jersey swatch on the Topps Sterling Honus Wagner card. Then... it was the Panini Certified Sam Bradford 1 of 1 card that was a redemption replacement. Both were interesting issues to follow... but at the same time sort of frustrating.

But thankfully... those issues only make up a small percent of our hobby. Between ripping packs, trading cards, reading blogs, making friends with fellow collectors, browsing card shows, and hanging out in sports card forums... this hobby is a huge part of my life.

One more thing, I'd like to add... the amount of generosity in this hobby never ceases to amaze me. Everywhere you look people are handed out prizes on their blogs. From books to autographs to cards... a week doesn't seem to pass by without a contest mentioned in our hobby blogworld.

Plus... you have people who hold give-a-ways... where if you reply to a post and they send you cards. Another sign of our community's generosity.

Today... I received a package from Moremonkeys138 who runs the sports card blog: Crinkly Wrappers. In the package were two cards for my Expos PC. They weren't prizes from a contest. And they weren't part of any giveaway either.

Nope... these cards... much like Saturday's cards from Emerald City Diamond Gems... were "just because" packages. It truly makes me appreciate the hobby that much more and I intend on "paying it forward".

In other words... it's time for me to start giving back to the hobby. Sure... I've sent some of my blogger buddies stuff for the heck of it. But this time around... I'm just going to find fellow collectors who appreciate the hobby as much as I do and send them cards with no strings attached. And hopefully... some of them will continue the trend.

I just want to say it again... thank you so much Crinkly Wrappers. Not just for the nice PC additions... but for also making me realize how special our hobby really is. It wasn't easy, but I scraped up some Blue Jays to send your way... so expect a little "thank you" package sometime this week.

Now... time to show off my two newest Expos PC additions:

2004 Donruss "Timber & Threads" #40

2008 Sweet Spot "Sweet Swatch" #SS-TR

Both of these beauties show off the bright bleu, blanc, et rouge of the Expos uniforms, which is why I started this collection in the first place. It's the first Vladimir Guerrero bat card in my Expos PC. The Tim Raines card is the second jersey card in my PC, but it's definitely my favorite out of the two.

Well... that's it. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Speaking of weekends... I just couldn't watch the Pro Bowl. It used to be something I looked forward to, but this year I watched the first quarter and turned it off. For some reason... it just didn't seem like football. But that's okay...in 6 days the game of the year will be on.

In the meantime... here's a clip of Sean Taylor "playing football" in the 2007 Pro Bowl.

I know that some people say it was a cheap shot, because it's the Pro Bowl and it's not a real game. Others may say... who cares it's a safety going up against a punter. But... personally... I loved it. Football is about bodies colliding and hitting hard. This isn't too hand touch... it's a real game where players are getting paid. I'm glad that at least someone decided to show up for that game. So... what do you think?

Was it a cheap shot, an amazing hit, or somewhere in between?

Happy Monday... enjoy the rest of your week! Sayonara.

Go Pack Go!