My father used to say... "Sometimes... things are better left unsaid."

And... I think he was 100% correct... but I'll get to that later.

First things first...

One of the things sports fans consider when determining a player's greatness is how many titles they've won. Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Miller, Stockton, Wilkins... the list goes on and on. Well now... you can scratch two names off of that list.

Congratulations to Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks organization and fans on winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history.

Ever since the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs... I have been pulling for anyone except Miami. Not because I hate the Heat. I actually like a few of their players... but one player I just don't like is King James. And just when I thought things couldn't get worse... he goes and opens his mouth... again.

Now you can take video and spin it anyway you want. But here's my take. Lebron James might not have an NBA title, but he's rich... and I don't have an NBA title... nor do I have a lot money... but one thing I do have... is problems.

Well Lebron... you're right. And I honestly don't have any issues with you saying what you said... because... it is what it is. But my question is... why do you have to say these things at a press conference?

It's like the whole thing about joking around about Nowitzki's cold. I realize people make fun of each other... and there's not a day that goes by in my life that isn't filled with at least a little banter with friends, family, or students.

But... why do you have to be a jerk about it?

I get it... you're okay with people not liking you. I'm actually the same way... and realize I'm never going to please everyone. But what I don't get... is why do you want people to dislike you? It's almost to the point where I feel bad for you.

I just wish we could go back to last year... when you were not only the best player in the league... but you were also loyal... positive... and well liked by both the fans and the media.

If you ever decide to go back to the way things were... I still have my 6 foot tall Fathead of you... just waiting to be hung up on my classroom wall. Until then... Yoda's not a bad replacement.

That's it... I just wanted to get that off of my chest. No more negativity for me today... it's all about the "positive".

So... let's move on to the contest. In a few minutes... I'll be shutting down the contest entries for yesterday's post. But here's today's Question of the Day:

As a fan... how much emphasis do you place on the number of championships a player has won in terms of their overall "greatness"?

Personally... I think a player can still be great without a ring. However... I can't deny that it does take a little "something" off of their luster. The best example I can think of is Dan Marino. I apologize in advance for changing sports... but he's the first guy who popped into my head (& Tony Gwynn was the second). Marino is no doubt one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. But the fact is... he never won the Super Bowl. But if you were like me and watched Dan Marino participate in the NFL QB Challenge during the early 90's... there's no denying... this guy was amazing.

Well... you know the routine. Answer the question... earn a point. Thanks for participating.

I hope to update the contest totals in the next hour or so. You can check it here and it should have yesterday's comments added (if not... wait a few minutes and it'll be there).

By the way... if you guessed 2010 Panini Gridiron Gear... you were right. I love how it's hard to tell whether or not they're using photos or painting... and although it's far from being great... I think the design is pretty damn good compared to most of their product designs.

Have a great day everyone... and until the next post... Sayonara!

Am I crazy, stubborn, or both?

I recently picked up several cheap, yet incomplete (except one) 2010 Panini football sets off of a guy on YouTube who needed some extra cash. He needed some extra funds and I figured I'd grab some newer football singles for my students.

One of the sets... 2010 Playoff Contenders had about 10% of the set missing, but at least it included the two base rookie cards of Danny Woodhead and Anthony Armstrong. There's way too many singles for me to chase... so I'll definitely be handing these cards out this summer to the kids (except for those two rookie cards).

I also received a complete set of 2010 Panini Threads football (no RC's), which by the way will be the 6th prize added to my prize list.

And finally... he included two more sets that each fell one card short of completion. I'm not usually a fan of Panini's designs, but to my surprise... I actually plan on keeping one of the sets. The other one I can definitely do without.

I'll show you both designs and see if you can guess which one I liked and which one I think falls into the category of "90% of all Panini products look like that".

The first card I need is card #15 from the 2010 Rookies & Stars set, which is a Lee Evans base card. And the other card is the Vince Young base card (card #146) from the 2010 Gridiron Gear set. Neither is short printed and since they're both from readily available sets... I figured it shouldn't cost too much for me to pick up these two commons to complete my two sets.

Umm... I guess I was wrong.

I found a guy on COMC who happened to be selling both of the cards I need to complete my set. His original asking price is $.50 for each card... which when combined is less than the price of a bottle of soda at my work.

However... I just couldn't pull the trigger to pay that price for two commons. So, I offered the guy $.50 for the pair ($.25 each).

He later countered my offer with both cards for $.70.

A nice 30% discount off of his asking price (& only $.20 more than what I originally offered)... but... I just couldn't do it. I couldn't bite the bullet and pay his reduced asking price either.

I know it's only 35 cents per card... but they're base cards of Lee Evans and Vince Young.

I know that if I give this guy 70 cents (+ shipping), then I'll be able to wipe off two more sets from my wantlist.

But... after weighing the options and going back and forth... I decided to reject his offer. I'd rather wait and see if I can trade for the two cards I need (anyone out there have these two cards?)... or possibly buy it from another seller in the future. It goes against everything I stand for (being a cheapskate) to pay somebody $.70 for two commons from overproduced 2010 Panini products.

Which brings me to my questions...

Am I crazy? Stubborn? Both?

I have to admit... after writing this post... and looking from the outside "in"... I definitely sound crazy. However... I'm not backing down. There's no way I'm paying more than $.50 for the pair.

Oh well... at least I have something to search for in commons bins at next year's TriStar show.

By the way...

Can you figure out which Panini design I actually liked? Rookies & Stars or Gridiron Gear?

If you leave a comment (relating to either me being as stubborn as a mule... and/or by guessing which 2010 Panini football set I actually like) I'll award you one point in the contest. However... if you guess the set correctly, I'll give you two points for participating.

FYI: You may join my contest at any point... however there are expiration dates for individual posts (for example, comments left on the June 10th post will no longer receive points).

And just a reminder CCW members... if you're planning on participating... you must leave your responses on the actual blog post... and now in the forums.

Oh... and if you're interested in seeing the most current standings... click here.

Happy Sunday everyone... and sayonara!

Who wants to win some cards? Let the games begin!

I've got some good news... and some bad news. I'm one of those guys who likes to hear the bad news first... so let's just get it out of the way.

Yesterday was the last day of the regular school year for our district... and while most of my friends get the next two months off... I'll be spending the next seven weeks teaching summer school.

Okay... that's it. That's the bad news... not that painful... right? Especially... since I'm the knucklehead that signed up to teach. Whatever... it's extra money in my pocket... and it keeps me from getting bored. Plus... I still have three weeks in August to kick back and relax.

Now... onto the good news. Today... I'm kicking off my 2nd Annual... The Chronicles of Fuji contest.

This year's contest will run much like last year's contest. As you know... I almost always have a "Question of the Day" at the end of my posts. Well... all you have to do is answer my questions and you'll earn points.

For every point you earn, your name will be loaded once into www.random.org/lists/ and the top ___ people will win prizes. So... the more you participate... the better the odds you'll win a prize.

Now... you're probably wondering why I didn't specify how many people will win. Well... one of the things I'm doing differently this year is that I'll start off by showing you five of the prizes.. and then each week... I'll be adding a prize (or maybe two). In the end... I guarantee that there will be at least 10 prizes in this contest.

Alright... let's check out the 1st five prizes packages:

Package A: 90's Football Inserts/Parallels

You know me... I love me some 90's inserts and parallels. This package includes some SP Holoviews, a sweet die-cut Charles Haley, and an extremely limited (9,400 copies produced) card of Troy Aikman. Beckett's inflated book value: $30+

Package B: 2009/10 UD Basketball "Masterpieces" Starter Set

I built this set a few months ago... and in the process have some leftovers. Here's a chance for you to start building your own set. It's a beautiful set... and the checklist is stacked. I don't have any extra Lebrons, Jordans, or Kobes... but you will be getting Wade, Havlicek, and Wilkins. Beckett value: $24.50

Package C: 2009 SPx "Shadow Box" #S-KS Kevin Smith

Upper Deck's Shadow Box cards are some of the most beautiful cards ever produced. You can check out my own personal Ed Reed here. And since I'm not a fan of the Lions or Kevin Smith... you can have my other one... if you win Package C. Beckett value: $20

Package D: 2000/01 UD ICE Base Set (1-40)

When this product came out... I was all over it. Brodeur + Acetate = Perfection. The winner won't get any of the shortprints, but they will receive one sweet looking set. Beckett value: $15

Package E: 1999 SP Top Prospects Set w/2 Autographs

I've saved the best for last... just kidding. Umm... so this set kind of sucks. But it's free. I can't believe I actually built this back in the day. Anyways... it does have early cards of Ron Artest and Baron Davis. I threw in an autograph of Donald Watts that I pulled from the box. Who is Donald Watts? Your guess is as good as mine. Since this package sort of stunk... I threw in a bonus autograph of Robert "Tractor" Traylor. I've written about him a couple of times... most recently because he passed away at the young age of 34. Beckett value: $22

Don't worry... more prizes to come. I have a few autographed 8x10's (one of them is of a HOFer)... some unopened packs... and well... I'll keep the rest a surprise.

I've been looking forward to holding this contest for awhile now... mainly because my comment rate tends to shoot up... and I love reading all of your comments. It's also a way to thank everyone who takes the time to support my blog.

I originally started this blog with the intent to document my hobby experience, so I'll have something to look back upon when I'm older... but I've really grown to love the feedback I hear from all of you. And in short... the more supporters... usually means more feedback.

And with that being said... the last component to this contest is exposure. Hopefully... when all is said and done... I'll have a few more supporters.

So... why don't we get this contest started.

Today's question of the day:

How did you find my blog? When did you first come across it?

It's simple... respond to the two questions... and you get one point. I'll do my best to update the point standings on a post to post basis... but at the very least the point standings will be updated every weekend.

And unbeknownst to them... I've handed out some early bird points to people who have commented on my blog in the last seven days... so here are the current standing:

jaybarkerfan - 2 points

John Bateman - 2 points

Martyn - 2 points

Hairylemon - 1 point

Tony Mc - 1 point

Hoopography - 1 point

And since this is the official kickoff to my contest... here's an extra opportunity for all of you to earn some extra points.

If you are following my blog and you comment below saying "I'm following", then I will add an extra point. And if you're willing to plug my contest on your blog, then leave a link below to your post and I'll give you five extra points.

Just like last year's contest... there's an expiration date for your comment entries... and it's usually my next post. So here's a heads up... you have until Sunday to comment, submit "plug" links, "follow me", and earn bonus points for this post. After that... no points will be awarded for this particular post.

Oh... and just in case you didn't read my previous post there are a couple of differences from last year. First... you are only eligible to win one prize this year, so if your name comes up more than once in the top ___ list on random.org, then I just move on to the next person. I'm doing this to spread the prizes out. And secondly... last year I handed out consolation prizes to everyone who participated. That's probably not going to happen again... since I've already given a ton of money to the USPS this year... and I'd rather spend the extra money on something else... like prizes.

However... at the end... if you'd like a signed copy of my personal trading card (which I use as a business card)... then I'd gladly ship you one in a PWE (I know PWE's suck... but it's not like I'm sending you a Hank Aaron autograph... LOL). Don't worry... I'm not one of "those" collectors... all prizes will be shipped securely and properly.

Oh... and Card Collectors World Forum users... if you're planning on participating... you must use reply on my BLOG... not on CCW. I unfortunately don't check CCW on a regular basis, so if you post responses there... I will not see them.

Okay... so there you have it... Let the games begin!

Have a great weekend everyone... and sayonara!

Another Gift... Another Jackie.

Last week... fellow Sports Card Radio member Mzentko sent me a couple of Jackie Robinson cards to add to my PC.

And yesterday... one more package arrived. This time it was from one of my blogger buddies, who once authored the blog: Steal Second. And all I have to say is "wow"... this Robinson sure is pretty.

It's a 2009 Topps Sterling "Framed White" parallel numbered 41/50. I'm not 100% positive... but I believe it's the first Topps Sterling card I've added to my collection. I have and probably never will ever purchase this high end product... because I'm too cheap. But now that I've laid eyes on this beauty... I might just have to find some singles on COMC.

In addition to the Robinson... I also received these A's cards:

There's a mixture of new and old cards... but my favorite is the 1990 Upper Deck card of Mark McGwire taking off on the base paths... with a Yankee infielder in the background... my guess is that's Don Mattingly... but I'm not positive.

Last... but not least... this generous collector sent me the following cards for my Padres PC:

As many of you know... I'm a huge Tony Gwynn fan... and I have around 1000 different Gwynn cards. There will be times when I pick up a 50 count lot of Gwynn cards and wind up with having no new additions to the PC. However... today was my lucky day... because I didn't have the 2000 SP Authentic "Midsummer Classics" insert.

So thanks again Martyn... for this wonderful care-package. Just like the soccer pin you gave me... these cards will go straight into my PC.

I hope everyone had a great weekend... only four more days left in the regular school year. I can't get too excited... since I'm teaching summer school... but at least I'll have some extra cash in my pocket.

And speaking of summer... Next weekend the second annual Chronicles of Fuji contest will be kicking off. So stay tuned. I'll be following the same format as last year, which means that it'll involve blogger participation. Some days it'll be as simple as answering a question... other times it'll be games and mini contests.

I started setting aside prizes a few months back, but I'm not finished yet. I'll show you what I have so far next weekend... but I'll slowly be added a few more prizes along the way. I guarantee that there will at least be 10 different prize packages when all is said and done.

The only major different that I anticipate... is that I'm setting a one prize per household limit. Ironically... last year Martyn won two different prizes in my contest, but generously donated the Topps Signature package (which included a 1/1 printing plate) to Gmoses... author of the blog: The Retro Set Addict.

Oh... and last year... everyone who participated received at least a consolation prize. I probably won't do that again this year... since postage is a little crazy. But everyone who wins will be guaranteed an extra bonus in their package.

But... I'll save those details for the "Contest Announcement" post. I've rambled enough... that's all for this evening... Sayonara!

Sayonara Salute #9: Shaquille O'Neal

Everyone has regrets. And today... I'm going to share one of mine with you. There's an old saying... "the early bird catches the worm". And for the most part... it's true. But when it comes to my basketball card collecting history... it couldn't be further from the truth.

I've been collecting baseball cards for thirty years, but I didn't start collecting basketball until over a decade later. The first year I started buying packs of basketball cards in bulk was in 1991. I was in college, only had a part time job, and had just received my first credit card. And that was the year Larry Johnson... part of the exciting Runnin' Rebels... decided to leave UNLV after his sophomore year and enter the NBA Draft. Long story... short... I invested heavily... and I mean heavily into Grandmama. So much... that I spent the next couple of years paying it off... essentially missing out on Shaq Fu-mania.

I traded for a few of his rookies... and have picked up a few more over the years... but sadly... I missed collecting the person who single handily reshaped the hobby nineteen years ago. And that folks... is one of my biggest hobby regrets.

Well... by now... most of you have heard the news... The Diesel has finally turned of his engine and officially announced his NBA retirement. This was definitely bittersweet news for me. On one hand... Shaq Daddy left the Los Angeles Lakers on poor terms and had major issues with one of my favorite players... The Black Mamba. But on the flipside... he led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles and is the greatest center I've had the pleasure to watch.

It's nice to hear that the Lakers have decided to honor him and hang up #34 in the rafters next to fellow Lakers legends: #13 Wilt Chamberlain, #22 Elgin Baylor, #25 Gail Goodrich, #32 Earvin "Magic" Johnson, #33 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, #42 James Worthy, #44 Jerry West.

So this post is a salute to Shaquille O'Neal and his tremendous career achievements:

1992-1993 NBA Rookie of the Year

1996 Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Team USA Basketball)

1999-2000 NBA MVP

15x NBA All-Star

3x NBA All-Star MVP

4x NBA Champion

3x NBA Finals MVP

8x All-NBA First Team

Congratulations on having one helluva career.

Now that you're retired... you can concentrate on making more rap videos about Kobe.

So...

Do you think that The Diesel makes the top 5 list of greatest centers in NBA history? Why or why not?

Obviously... I'm a little biased... but I think he's definitely in the top 5... along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Akeem Olajuwon.

Well... that's all folks... I hope everyone has a great weekend. Sayonara!