Winners and Losers

It's one thing to watch your team get blown out in the playoffs, but it's 10x worse when it happens against a team you don't like.  Watching yesterday's NFC Championship Game was an emotional roller coasters.  Things started off with me being pumped, then I quickly became annoyed, and before long it was just disheartening.  I literally was sick to my stomach by the middle of the 2nd quarter.

I'm ashamed to admit this... but after Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball... I went upstairs and tried to drown myself in something usually brings me happiness: baseball cards.

And it kinda worked.  I used the extra time to open up a contest package I received from Andy over at Stadium Fantasium.  For the past two years, he has held a Rose Bowl Contest on his blog... and for the second year in a row... I have taken home a prize package.

The contest was actually three contests with multiple prize packages.  I won the Gold Contest by predicting the winner of the Rose Bowl and guessing the closest margin of victory without going over.  This allowed me to choose the first three prize packages.  Here's what I went with...

First Pick:  Baseball Prize Lot #11

2017 Topps Museum Collection WBC Patch Relic #WBCPR-DG

Yup.  I'm one of those guys who still appreciates memorabilia cards.  This patch of Didi immediately caught my eye and I'm stoked to add this to my collection.

In addition to the patch relic, there was also a pack of 1989 Donruss Pop-Up cards...

If I can get my act together, maybe I'll open this up and share it over on A Pack To Be Named Later.  It's been way too long since I last wrote a post over there.


Second Pick:  Baseball Prize Pack #10

2018 Topps Dodgers 60th Anniversary SGA The '70s Pack

In 2018, Topps celebrated the Los Angeles Dodgers 60th Anniversary by creating some really cool cards and giving them away to fans who attended specific games.  They broke it down by decades and produced a total of six packs:  The '50s and '60s, The '70s, The '80s, The '90, The 2000s, and The 2010s.

Last year, I won Andy's contest and chose three of the packs:  The '50s and '60s, The '90s, and The 2000s.  This year I'm excited to add The '70s.  Now I just need The '80s and The 2010s packs to complete my set.


Third Pick:  Baseball Prize Lot #6

2008 Prime Cuts #36 (#'d 01/25)

This Joe Jackson card was the key to choosing this prize lot.  No I haven't started super collecting Shoeless Joe, but I was excited to see that this card is serial #'d 01/25 on the back:

This is a very nice addition to my Prime #'s PC.  The other card included in the prize lot was this shiny refractor of a Kyle Hendricks...

2019 Topps Chrome Green Wave Refractor #185 (#'d 35/99)

If you look at the background, you'll see Chicago Cubs fans are seated, but the Green Wave Refractor sort of creates an ivy feel to this card and I like it.

I was also very fortunate to be chosen co-winner of the Silver Contest along with Jon over at A Penny Sleeve For Your Thoughts.  He picked a pair of Football Prize Lots for his winnings.  I went with more baseball...


Fourth Pick:  Baseball Prize Lot #8

2019 Topps Update 1984 Box Topper Pack

1989 Pacific Legends 2nd Series Pack

1988 Topps Yearbook Sticker Pack

Someone has already cracked a pack of the yearbook stickers over on APTBNL, but I don't see any reviews on the first two packs.  Possibly more writing material?  We shall see.

Fifth Pick:  Baseball Prize Lot #9

2019 Topps Finest Pack

1989 Donruss Value Pack (w/Nolan Ryan showing)

I wrapped up my prize selections with two more packs of baseball.  I'm really excited to see if I can pull a Fernando Tatis Jr. rookie card from that pack.  As for the 1989 Donruss rack pack... I'll be shipping it off to SumoMenkoMan... who collects the Ryan Express.

Thank you Andy for hosting another generous contest.  I'm super excited to sit down and tear into these packs.  And now that I'm a little less distraught... congratulations to San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs fans.

And one more thing...

A huge shout out to all of the civil rights leaders who have stood up against injustice and fought for equality among humanity.

Each February, I teach a unit on America's Civil Rights Movement and my students design trading cards for their favorite leaders.  This Martin Luther King Jr. was based on the 2015/16 Panini Excalibur basketball design.

Well that's it for now.  Happy Monday and sayonara!