30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Thursday, August 22, 2019

A Few of My Favorite Things: The 2000's & 2010's

My weekend road trip posts interrupted and distracted me from my Blog Bat-Around series featuring A Few of My Favorite Things.  But I'm back.  Only this time I'm gonna wrap things up and combine the 2000's and 2010's into one post due to lack of time.

School is back in session and I'm teaching a new class this year, which means that I won't have as much time on my hands as I did a few weeks ago.  Although I'm pretty passionate about developing new curriculum, I've got to admit that I feel a little out of my league for this class.  But nobody wants to hear me whine... so let's get into some of my favorite cards, movies, and music...


2000's Baseball Set: 2001 UD Decade 1970's Jerseys


The plethora of memorabilia cards in today's products combined with vague COA's have tarnished the allure of this little niche in our hobby.  But there was a time when pulling a game-used jersey card out of a pack meant something.  And these jersey cards fit that description.  They were pretty tough pulls compared to today's standards... as they were inserted into 1:168 packs... or 1:7 hobby boxes.

Between the vibrant colors and the similarities with the 1975 Topps design... 2001 UD Decade 1970's is one of my favorite products from the 2000's.


2000's MovieGran Torino (2008)


I grew up watching Clint Eastwood films like Escape From Alcatraz, Firefox, and Heartbreak Ridge.  And in college I went back and watched some of his movies I was too young to appreciate when I was a kid like Dirty Harry, A Fistful of Dollars, and High Plains Drifter.

But if I could only watch one Eastwood film for the rest of my life, it'd be Gran Torino.  If you have a Netflix account and have never seen it... I highly recommend it.


2000's SongOne Mic (Nas 2001)


Nas is one of the most lyrically gifted rappers of all time.  Choosing his best song or even my favorite song would take way more time than I have to invest... so I decided to go with this one.  It's one of his more popular songs from the early 2000's... and rightfully so.


2010's Baseball Set2013 Five Star Autographs


Figured I'd wrap up this run of my favorite baseball card sets with another autograph set.  Ever since I laid eyes on the 2013 Five Star autographs, I started adding as many affordable ones to my collection.

Its simple design really allows the signature to stand out... and the checklist isn't too shabby either.


2010's MovieMad Max: Fury Road (2015)


I almost went with one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, since I've enjoyed most of them.  But then while looking through my small stack of Blu-ray movies, I came across this gem of a film.

I was a huge fan of the original Mad Max and The Road Warrior films... and kinda thought this movie wouldn't be able to live up to it's reputation.  It did though... and then some.


2010's SongPlay It Again (Luke Bryan 2013)


There are plenty of songs from the 2010's I've enjoyed... but honestly most of them lose their appeal after awhile.  I was listening to some country before my students arrived yesterday and this song came on.

It has a catchy tune... and tells a story... which is why I enjoy a lot of different pop country songs.  I realize it isn't for everyone, but I'm pretty grateful that one of my best friends opened my ears to it thirteen years ago.

Well that wraps up this series featuring A Few of My Favorite Things.  A huge shout out goes to Chris over at The Collector for kicking off this Blog Bat-Around.  It provided me with six blog posts and a lot of reminiscing.

Let's go ahead and close things up with today's question of the day...


Are you more inclined to listen to hip hop or country?  Do you have a favorite hip hop or country artist?

I'm definitely more into hip hop... and if I had to pick a favorite rapper or rap group (outside of the Beastie Boys), I'd go with A Tribe Called Quest.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.  Happy Thursday and sayonara!


Extra Innings

Collecting Cutch is giving away a Troy Tulowitzki autograph on his blog.  It's simple to enter, supports a good cause, and features some nice eye candyCheck it out here.

21 comments:

Commishbob said...

I have exactly one hip-hop song in my Apple Music library, and I'm not sure it's hip-hop anyway...Coolio's Gangster's Paradise.

I have plenty of country, none of it new. George Jones will always be my favorite musical artist. I also still listen to Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, Dwight Yoakum and some others.

Anonymous said...

I prefer classic rock over anything, but enjoy country from all eras.
Two favourites are Kip Moore and Drake White.
I don't mind some Run DMC occasionally, but generally do not enjoy hip-hop.
-Anonymous Paul-

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

I have ZERO songs on my phone. I only listen to the car radio in transit. I am a country boy, however I grew up listening to pop and the old rock, and still love 80's rock today. As for the cards up above, all great!

The Bucs Stop Here said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Bucs Stop Here said...

Memorabilia cards don't do much for me anymore. However there's something about Clemente memorabilia cards that just makes them feel different. He's such a legend. Almost mythical. Godlike. To be able to touch something that maybe he touched... it's special.

I'm a hip-hop guy, although my dad filled the house with Willy Nelson tunes during my childhood. On the road again...

Nachos Grande said...

I'm willing to listen to just about any genre of music and my Spotify library is proof of that. I'm probably roughly split between country and hip hop though my main jam is alternative right now. I've also got a decent library of Celtic music plus some folk, lots of 90s stuff, and anything else that catches my fancy.

Henry Blanchette said...

The Jim Rice auto from '13 Five Star that I bought earlier this year helped me appreciate this set. With that being said, I still prefer the colorful relics from 2001 UD Decade 1970s.

shoeboxlegends said...

Gran Torino rules! Give me hip-hop over country all day long. Jurassic 5 is a group worth checking out if you're not familiar...

night owl said...

I grew up in the '70s so hip-hop has never been something I truly understand. It's interesting how someone just a few years younger can appreciate it a lot more.

That said, it's split evenly for me between hip-hop and country. Let's just say, each combined accounts for maybe 1 percent of my music library.

Brett Alan said...

My musical tastes always revolve around The Beatles and their contemporaries, influences, and influencees. But I do dig old-school rap. Run-DMC are huge favorites of mine, and I like LL Cool J (criminally not in the R&R HOF), De La Soul, PM Dawn, and the like. Just yesterday listened to the first Kurtis Blow album, which was my introduction to rap and it’s still great. Not as into country but Mary Chapin Carpenter is a favorite.

Fuji said...

commishbob - gangster's paradise is definitely hip-hop... and it's a classic. as for the country folks you listed, my mom listened to some of these guys. that's the stuff i avoided for decades.

anonymous paul - classic rock would definitely be up there in regards to favorite genres. i truly grateful that i had brothers who were much older than me who exposed me to 70's rock... which led me to enjoy 80's rock as well

johnnys trading post - in the car... i'm usually listening to sports radio. i mostly listen to music in my classroom

the bucs stop here - one of my co-workers is a big willie fan. she was just telling me her favorite willie songs last night. as for clemente, i couldn't agree more with every words you typed

nachos grande - haven't dove into celtic music yet... but i love me some 90's and early 2000's alternative. any celtic suggestions?

henry blanchette - i'm pretty sure rice was one of the first ten or so autographs i picked up in that set.

shoeboxlegends - such a great movie. i've heard of jurassic 5, but not sure i could name any of their songs. i'll look them up on spotify to check them out and see if i recognize any of their stuff

night owl - i grew up in an area where people loved to bump their music, so hip hop was part of my life from the mid 80's. but i've always enjoyed a wide variety of music like 70's rock, 80's new wave and punk, 90's grunge and alternative, etc.

bret alan - de la soul and pm dawn are highly underrated. i try to expose my students to groups like them all of the time. as for the beatles... they're definitely on one of my classroom playlists. there's always at least one or two big beatles fans in each class.

Nick said...

I can deal with some older hip-hop (Public Enemy, etc.) and classic country (Buck Owens, etc.) but I can't say I actively listen to either genre.

Billy Kingsley said...

From 2006 to circa 2015 I listened to country almost exclusively. Not really a big fan of current stuff but there is still some good stuff being produced. Brooks and Dunn is my favorite group. I enjoy older hip hop as well, early 90s in particular.

Chris said...

I'm thrilled you got some enjoyment out of this BBA, and I'm amazed that it's still going strong on the blogs.

Hip-hop and country are my two least favorite music genres, so of course they're the most popular. I like about a dozen rap songs, mostly old-school, and exactly zero country songs.

Good luck with your new class, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly.

GCA said...

Just watched "The Mule" earlier this week. Clint is classic. Haven't seen Gran Torino, will have to check it out.

Never got into hip-hop. Was into country for a while after I went on vacation with my Mom and her friends when I was in my 20s. Enjoyed Sara Evans, Martina McBride, and several other gorgeous singers, and a few of the guy groups. I like the retro style stuff like the Mavericks and Mandy Barnett. I'll still stop and listen/watch Kacey Musgraves because ~ wow.

But if it doesn't have a guitar solo, I'm probably not listening much these days.

Matt said...

Although not my normal cup of tea, I can appreciate either country or hip-hop. Given the choice between the two, I'd probably go hip-hop, especially from the late 80's/early 90's era. I'm still 2 Legit 2 Quit....

Matt said...

Not a fan of either music especially Country. I am more of a pop person/90's music lol.

Fuji said...

nick - i definitely went through a public enemy phase... but classic country is one of the last remaining genres i haven't dove into. unless you count kenny rogers and alabama. listened to them when i was a kid with my mom

billy kingsley - i've listened to some of the stuff brooks and dunn has released... and enjoy it. and early 90's hip hop might just be my personal favorite eras.

chris - this bba was awesome! it'll be interesting to see how much things change a few years down the road... because i feel like so many of my choices were spur of the moment selections (especially in this post).

gca - just noticed that hbo has the mule. gonna try to watch it as soon as i have some free time. gran torino is on netflix. i love me some sara evans... and kacey is very easy on the eyes.

matt - the late 80's/early 90's were awesome for hip hop... and i even listened to a lot of hammer. but i never really liked 2 legit 2 quit.

sport card collectors - a lot of modern country sounds like pop. that's why i can listen to it.

Collecting Cutch said...

Thanks for plugging the contest. I am definitely more inclined to listen to country than hip-hop. I have been to quite a few country concerts including Luke Bryan twice.

Collecting Cutch said...

Oh and if you like 2013 Five Star, I got something big in the mail the other day. Stay tuned this week.

Fuji said...

collecting cutch - thanks for the contest. luke bryan just performed here in the bay area last night. i don't do concerts anymore (or at least i haven't gone to one in a few years), but i imagine it was pretty good. can't wait to see this 2013 five star card. i'm sure it's a doozy.