Y U HATIN' ON JEFF?

No, I couldn't think of anything else clever to caption this old picture of Jefferson Burdick either.

Maybe you can come up with something better? Here's the photo, go for it.

It's See-B.S. Sunday Morning with Armen Keteyian.

By now you've seen the piece that aired over the weekend on CBS Sunday Morning. To be fair to Mr. Keteyian, Charles Osgood had the week off -- Osgood would have NEVER allowed this to air -- and you can only do so much with a 5 minute segment. He told a story which he thought was an accurate depiction of The Hobby in 2012. With that said, I thought it was a fine segment ... had it aired in 1994.

The main issue I had with the story was that it completely misunderstands what The Hobby has evolved into. It is not the Romanticized vision of "Leave it to Beaver"-era kids swapping cards, wrapping them up in rubber bands (now you know why you can't find a 52 Andy Pafko without severe notches), then riding the trolley with Mom, Dad, and Sis for a double-header at Ebbets Field.

Those days are past now, of course, and card collecting has ceased to be a "kiddie" Hobby for at least a generation. It is a Hobby for young internet-savvy men (and a few chicks, too), and there's nothing wrong with that. You wouldn't know that from the Keteyian piece.

You also wouldn't know from Keteyian how stratified The Hobby has become. Mr. Mint and five middle-aged guys in a VFW Hall in North Jersey on a Tuesday night are not representative of The Hobby as a whole.

Yes, The Hobby does have problems. But it's no where near as bad as CBS led Sunday Morning viewers to believe.

ZOMG! HE'S BACK!!!

Yes, yes, yes!!!

The Cardboard Junkie is back on The Twitters! And he's not just Tweeting about ponies!



Go follow him. Now.

Topps Gets SUED for Gimmickry.

I wish I was making this up.

First off, remember this...



Well guess what? Topps is getting sued of this card.

Yes,

TOPPS GIMMICKRY HAS DIRECTLY LED TO A LAWSUIT!

Read all about it on Cardboard Connection

DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, TOPPS, WHEN YOU FUCK COLLECTORS IN THE ASS?

It's Time to Play ... TOPPS BULLSHIT BINGO!

The rules are simple.

First, download your official Topps Bullshit Bingo card.

Next, listen to the Topps flunky on Cardboard Connection Radio show.

Listen to internet radio with Cardboard Connection Radio on Blog Talk Radio

The game is simple. Listen to the Topps Flunky and check off the box whenever you hear him utter one of the catchphrases on your card. When you've connected five-in-a-row, shout GAME CHANGER!!!! and...

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates 2012 Topps.

And I'm glad I'm not the only one publicly speaking out.

Hey, I was on a podcast! Go listen to it.

Chris Thomas (whom as many of you know, is my collaborator on the Baseballcardpedia wiki) and I were guests on the FanGraphs Audio podcast earlier today. We spent about 45 minutes talking about cards, and never got around to what host Carson Cistulli brought us both in to talk about: 2010 Upper Deck and 2012 Topps.

I guess that's for another podcast?

If you've got 45 minutes to kill this evening, have a listen.

FanGraphs Audio: The Editors of BaseballCardPedia

KOP CAT!!!

You see, Topps, cards like these actually work in a product like Match Attax. That's because Match Attax/Topps Attax are products no one actually takes seriously. They're meant to be played with, not actually collected.

And just because you don't make Topps Attax on this side of the Atlantic, doesn't mean cards of squirrels won't work in another product collectors don't take seriously: Opening Day for example.

(Topps: Please make all checks payable to "Chris Harris.")

In case you have no idea just what the heck I'm talking about ... Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played a football, errr..., soccer match yesterday. Spurs are currently 3rd and Liverpool 7th in the English Premiere League table, errr..., standings, and both sides needed a needed a win to cement (Spurs) or get back into (Liverpool) Champions League contention.

(The UEFA Champions League is the highly-lucrative annual trans-European tournament that crowns the best club team on the continent. The top four teams in England get to play in the following year's Champions League, and, just as important, get to cash-in on the $30m in TV money that comes with it. Therefore, finishing the season in fourth place is just as important, if not more so, that actually winning the Premiership, errr..., League.)

The match ended in a goalless draw, but that's not important. In the 11th minute of the first half this happened ...



... and if the guy in the green shirt looks vaguely familiar, that's because it's Brad Friedel, former goalkeeper for the U.S. National Team and current #1 for Tottenham. You probably remember him as that guy who made all those awesome penalty kick saves for the USA in the 2002 World Cup.

By the end of the match the "Anfield Cat" had already had a Twitter account with 20,000+ followers. Earlier today, Topps' UK affiliate posted the mock-up of "Kop Cat." ( is the section of Liverpool's Anfield stadium where the club's most vocal and hardcore supporters, errr..., fans stand, errr..., sit.)

I know most of you don't "get," or don't want to "get," football, and I'm not here to convert you. I'm not even a Liverpool fan (I support Everton and Fulham). But 42,000 voices singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" always sends a chill down my spine.

Topps Baseball (1951-2012). Cause of Death: O.G.

"Over Golded"



How do they expect us to collect it with all those junk inserts in it?

OBTW, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is one of the greatest movies ever.

Give Me A Reason to Collect 2012 Topps

So as you've probably heard by now, 2012 Topps Series One has started to arrive on Wal-Mart shelves, a couple of days earlier than the Hobby edition. And as I mentioned last week, for the first time since I was five years old, I will not be collecting any of it. I can no longer, in good conscience, patronize a company that continues to insult our intelligence with gimmicks. This has become difficult for me, and I must admit I have been tempted to give in.

But I'm willing to give Topps a second chance. I'm willing to look the other way on one condition and one condition only.

Topps: Explain yourselves.

So for Topps (and judging by the information my webhost supplies me with, I know they read this) and all their apologists out there, I have a challenge for you.

It's simple, just answer this question: Why should I continue to collect your products? Just give me five good reasons why I should buy 2012 Topps Series One, and I will. That's all I ask.

This is a question that Topps' Product Development Team has probably failed to ask themselves, so this should double as an exercise for their future product lines.

Just post your responses in the comments below, or if you can fit them in 140 characters or less Tweet them to @stalegum.

I WILL look at and respond to each and every entry, and if I come up with five valid reasons, I will buy a Hobby box of 2012 Topps Series One.

Have at it.