NSCC Box Break: 2012 Upper Deck MLS Soccer

Call me old fashioned, but when I evaluate the pros and cons of a product, and whether or not I want to spend any hard currency in acquiring it, the number of BIG MOJO HITZ!!!1! in a box is (usually) ninth or tenth on my priorities list. In most cases, my criteria involves (in descending order): Card design; collectability; size of the base set; and the number and design of the inserts. (BTW, That second point, the ability of a product to be reasonably collected, is why I've stopped collecting the current monopoly licensee's baseball insert-bloated and gimcrack-laden products.) I purchased this Hobby box of 2012 Upper Deck MLS Soccer from Dave & Adam's NSCC table for $50 and am only now, a week-and-a-half later, getting around to ripping it. In terms of my criteria, it's a well designed product that's both collectible and collectable. The base set is a bit small at 200 cards and other than the hits, there are no other inserts in the set. This is both GOOD (no parallels!) and BAD (nothing else to chase after). Yes, this box DOES come with four jersey cards and an autograph in every box. But, like I said, I didn't buy it for the hits. With that said, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a decent hit now and then, right?
So yeah, I only pulled one of the top five cards in my life out of this box. No big deal.

Bipped, Ericed, Bozoed, and Scottished by some guy in Milwaukee.

David Beckham: An Appreciation

Blogger's Note: I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and sent it, unsolicited, to a certain website.  It was rejected -- I was told it didn't "fit our core audience's needs."  

Apparently, stories on Star Trek cards and dating advice columns, somehow, fit the needs of a "sports" card website; but not a retrospective of one of the five most famous people on Planet Earth who spent the last five and-a-half playing his SPORT in America.

With a week and a half in retrospect, I now know why it wasn't published.  It sucks.  That simple.  I'm actually embarrassed that I submitted this in the first place.  

I guess I was just too eager to send it in that I didn't take the time to actually edit it. Oh well.

Anyway, listed below is what I submitted -- unedited, warts and all. 

---

With David Beckham’s surprise announcement that he will be leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer, one must wonder what his legacy after five-and-a-half tumultuous and triumphant years now is.  While there have been many peaks (three Conference titles and an MLS Cup with the chance for a second) and valleys (drama with the Galaxy’s other star Landon Donovan, the disastrous loan spell at A.C. Milan, lack of success in the Champions League), the Beckham Era not necessarily “saved” soccer in the United States – it didn’t need to be “saved” -- but had a hand in pushing it to levels not seen in North America.

It seems hard to believe now, but the MLS Beckham joined in January 2007 was much, much, different than the league he leaves.  While not yet a “Major” league, MLS had firmly established itself alongside the WNBA and Arena Football in the second-tier of professional sports leagues.  There were only 12 clubs; seven of which were playing in cavernous stadiums designed for American football, of which the soccer teams paid rent and had no control over ancillary revenues (i.e. parking fees, luxury boxes, concessions et al).  Earlier in the decade the league was forced to contract both of their Florida clubs.  No player earned more than $1,000,000 and some developmental players made barely minimum wage.  TV coverage was non-existent, with the exception of the occasional Saturday afternoon when ESPN2 had nothing better to put on.

Today, there are now 19 clubs, 15 playing in stadiums designed specifically for the game of soccer.  The level of play has dramatically improved with the league serving as an apprenticeship for the ever-improving US National Team.  Other over-30 (but still world-class) players like Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez, Freddy Ljungberg, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco have been attracted.  Sponsorship money has flowed in as clubs were allowed (as is common in Europe) to sell advertising space on their uniforms.  (The Philadelphia Union raked in $3,000,000 last year to put the logo of Bimbo Bakeries on the fronts of their shirts.)  Broadcast fees, once given away for nothing just for the sake of getting the league on national TV, now command tens of millions.  Attendance has surpassed both the NBA and the NHL, bringing with it a unique “only-in-soccer” supporter’s culture that skews toward the young, hip, urbanized crowd potential sponsors crave.  

In a way, that may be David Beckham’s lasting legacy to soccer in the US.  When he came, nobody outside the hardcore football supporter gave a damn about the MLS.  Even American-born football snobs turned their nose at the domestic league, preferring to follow the many European clubs whose matches were becoming increasing available on US satellite TV.  Now, it can truly call itself “Major League Soccer.”  Soccer is now the fifth major sport, and for that, and for that David Beckham deserves some of the credit.

As for his cardboard legacy, most of Beckham’s pre-MLS cards (from his Manchester United, Real Madrid, and England National Team days) were distributed almost exclusively in Europe and are of the sticker and collectible card game variety – mostly produced by Panini and Merlin, Topps’ UK division.  In the early-2000s Upper Deck had a license with Manchester United and produced American-style trading card sets, complete with parallels, inserts, +autographs and game-used cards.  UD has also held MLS’s exclusive trading cards right since the league’s 1996 beginning and have issued simple, no-nonsense, sets with the occasional hit thrown-in.  Beckham’s first Galaxy cards were from the 2007 Upper Deck MLS set – just a base card, a Pitch Perfect insert, and two serial-numbered autographs, one a dual AU with Landon Donovan. Curiously, these would be the only autographs Beckham would sign for Upper Deck.  Unfortunately, perhaps sensing a similar situation with Tiger Woods and 2001 Upper Deck Golf, the product was grossly overproduced.  You can pick up a leftover box for under $20.  

Over the last couple of years, UD has increased the “hit” content in their MLS sets – especially in Hobby packs which typically yield four jersey cards (one of which is usually a dual or a “patch”) and a low-numbered (usually serial-numbered to 35 copies) autograph.  Some of these autographs (especially of former US National Team players) command over $100.  One can only imagine what a David Beckham autograph serial-numbered to 35 could go for.

Perhaps the most bizarre David Beckham card is from a truly bizarre set.  In 2003, Upper Deck released 2002-03 UD Superstars a set that was fully licensed by all four major US sports leagues.  Imagine getting Barry Bonds, Jaromir Jagr, Kobe Bryant, and Brett Favre all in the same pack?  That was the idea behind Superstars.  Beckham himself does not appear in the 300-card base set, but Becks is on two different
“Spokesmen” inserts and on a “Legendary Leaders” dual game jersey with Ichiro.  The Legendary Leaders were supposed to pair-up two players from different sports from the same city.  (In case you’re wondering Manchester is about 4600 miles away from Seattle.)  Ichiro and Becks also appear on two Legendary Leaders triple jerseys: One with Kobe Bryant, the other with Kevin Garnett.

Box Break: 2011 SP Game Used Soccer

Hey Panini, Want to Make a LeBron James Football Card? For Reals?

Instead of a fake Miami Dolphins card that you'll never be able to legally produce, how about this?



Just a thought.

Top 10 National Pick-Ups: #7. A point is a point.

#7: One point in the MLS Eastern Conference table for the Philadelphia Union.

There's an old axiom in football (the real football, not throwball): You play for the win at home, and the draw on the road. Based on that, the Philadelphia Union's 1:1 draw away to the Chicago Fire might be considered a good result.

For the uninitiated, I am a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Union, a second-year expansion team in Major League Soccer. So, with "The U" in Chicago the Wednesday of National Week, I bypassed The National's "preview day," and scored two soccer tickets -- one for me and the other for Chris Thomas, whom I carpooled with.

To be honest with you, since the match was almost a week ago, I really don't remember much. I do remember that the Union played with an experimental side with four of the regular Starting XI out due to injury, suspension, or transfer. Our normal right-back Sheanon Williams (whom I predict will become the first Union player to get a US National Team call-up) talked is way into a red card in the previous match and was given a one-match ban. Left-back Jordan Harvey was dealt to Vancouver for a salary cap allocation. (In MLS you can trade money under the salary cap for players and, although such figures are never released, it is believed that Vancouver made us an offer we couldn't refuse.)

The most noticeable omission was up top as leading scorer Carlos Ruiz was transferred to a club in Mexico -- reportedly for a $500,000 transfer fee. Unlike in American sports, player-for-player trades are rare and instead player's contracts are sold.

Ruiz joined the Union before the season and in his time in Philadelphia had been a polarizing figure. It's been said of Ruiz that "All he does is score goals" -- reminiscent of a certain for wide receiver for the Eagles in the 80s. And while it's true that Ruiz contributed little to the midfield and was non-existent behind the ball, somebody scored all those goals.

But "El Pescadito," as he was known, didn't particularly like Philly all that much and wanted out; and when Veracruz of the Mexican second division came calling with a half-million dollar check, he was gone.

Now flush with cash, unfortunately the Union have yet to replace Ruiz up front. Sebastian Le Toux, who finished with 14 goals last season (good enough for 4th in MLS), is having the season from hell in 2011. It's certainly not for lack of effort, a team-leading 50 shots has only led to a single goal and that off a penalty.

Playing with a makeshift side, The Boys in Blue took to the Toyota Park pitch against the last place Chicago Fire. The Union played sloppy all night, especially in the back line, but All-Star goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon kept bailing out his team with one magnificent save after another.

It was in the 34th minute when the Union broke the stalemate when mid-season signing Veljko Paunovic found a deflected pass and put it in the back of the net. One-Nil to the good guys.

Unfortunately, in the second half, The Union couldn't hold the lead and gave up a 55th minute goal to former Mexican international Pavel Pardo -- who was playing in his first match for the Fire.

And so, the match ended in a one-one sister-kisser. Less than satisfying, but I had a good time. About a dozen or so Union supporters made the trip which considering it being a Wednesday night about 1000 miles from Philly, is a pretty decent visiting supporter turn-out.

If you've never been to a soccer game, and don't think you'll understand it; just go. And when you go, get tickets in the designated "Supporters Section." Soccer is a sport that doesn't translate well to television; it's a sport that you have to experience live. It is an acquired taste. The first time you ever had a beer, it was probably the most nauseating thing you've ever tasted. But over time, you acquired a taste for it. Soccer is much the same. If you give it a chance, you'll learn to love it.

#10: It's for "Members Only"
#9: The case of the mysterious rookie reprints
#8: 75 for 25
#7: A point is a point
#6: OH NOEZ!!!!!
#5: What do they know about partying? Or anything else?
#4: Epix Mo-Jo!!!
#3: Satisfyin' the ladies, one printin' plate at a time
#2: The Mother of all junk waxboxes
#1: Ironic ain't just the name of an Alanis Morrisette song

Chris Goes to The National: Day Two

To all the Soccer Haters...

... I got three words for you.

HOPE

FUCKIN'

SOLO

She's got a few more important things to do than to sign your damn autograph.

Holy Grails: 1952 Topps and Panini World Cup stickers.

This is such sacrilege. But we did it anyway.




Warren Wolk, and his complete 1952 Topps Baseball set.

I hate this guy.

And the thing is, he completed it SIX WEEKS AGO!!!

On-Location Box Break (MLS Cup Edition): 2007 Upper Deck MLS

Me on TV

About a week-and-a-half ago, Philadelphia's new MLS team unveiled their name and crest. The supporters group I belong to held a gathering the morning of the event to celebrate and Comcast Sportsnet was there to document the drunken spectacle.



I had no idea that CSN ran this until Dr. Wax Battle brought it to my attention. Really.

No, this has nothing to do with baseball, cards, or baseball cards. But...

You got to admit, OUR TEAM CREST KICKS ASS!!!



(Proud Charter Member of the Sons of Ben)