Hello, and welcome to the Football Card Podcast. This is the fastest growing podcast in the entire world that's centered around football cards and, most importantly, football cards.

It is Friday. You made it. You made it to the I think we can call ourselves the longest running football card podcast of all time now.

I think that's another accolade to stack on the shelf. And, yeah. We're here. I'm your host, John, AKA Pat Nicholson. And with me as always, Brett, mister stacking slabs himself.

Brett, how you doing? Doing well. I had a I've I've shared this, publicly on whether it's been this show or some of my other shows is that we are having another baby here, coming up, in about a month or so and had the ultrasound today.

And, you know, we're in the late stages. And what I forgot, this is this will be my third daughter.

So, officially, like, girl dad in a big way. But I was sitting there, and, you know, when they get more mature or older in the ultrasound process, you can't really see as much as Claire.

So it was like, you you know they're there, but you can't really get the same level of detail because they're just, you know, they're ready to go.

And I'm sitting there, I'm like, alright. Well, I'm not gonna get to see too much, like, detail that I've got in the past, which is okay.

Like, all you care about is, like, healthy baby. But then I had, like, this moment because it it was just, like, we're sitting there, and I'm just, like, looking at my child.

And I'm just, like, man, like, this this this little girl doesn't know how how lucky she is. I mean, my other two kids, they they haven't even sniffed the Colts playoff game.

And this this child is gonna come out, and it's gonna I mean, right during the action, hopefully. So, I felt a little jealousy for my two year old and four year old that the the the new little one was going to, come out in this, world.

And the Colts were gonna have a winning record and hopefully go for a a playoff run. So that it's sick and twisted when we're I'm sitting there, and it should be this moment of, like, oh, it's my new daughter.

But all I can think about is is, her and football. So that's how I'm doing. I think the next step is you have to go back and look at the Colts record from for each of your daughters. So, like, since Oh, I have.

Since daughter one that date, Colts are this. Since daughter two, Colts are this. How many starting quarterbacks each daughter has seen? You you gotta because, hopefully, yeah, this number three, all she'll know is glory.

You you you can only hope as a fan. I do, quick sidebar on that topic is I'll never forget my oldest when, we took her home on a Saturday, and I will never forget when we got home, like, there was a Notre Dame game on.

And I just remember, like, sitting there with my child watching Notre Dame football.

And the the Colts weren't playing until Monday night, and they were playing against the Ravens. And it was, like, the Colts weren't off to a good start, and they needed a win bad.

They they were, like, one and four, I think. And, like, first play of the game, like, screen pass to Taylor and Taylor, like, just takes it to the house.

And the Colts were just, like, smashing the Ravens. And of, like, my wife and my newborn child are asleep in our old house, like, which wasn't too far away from the TV room.

And then, of course, the Colts found a way in the second half to just get absolutely destroyed by Lamar Jackson. It was like and the Colts ended up losing.

And it was one of these moments where I was just like, I wanted to, like, scream, and I wanted to just, like, like I I I didn't know. I was, like, so distraught, but then I was, like, I've got a new child.

Like, there are bigger and more important things. And it was like, I felt like that was like a a moment of, like, maturity for me as a as a football fan and a human being.

So, hopefully, with the new baby, I don't experience any of these brutal losses, but it will be kind of around playoff time.

So stakes will be really high, and I'm trying not to add the the stress to the to the household, but you know how things go as a football fan.

Oh, yeah. My daughter was born, like, six days before the 2023 season kicked off, Bears versus Packers. And this was, like, the Bears had just got DJ Moore in the trade.

The Packers were starting Jordan Love for the first time. It was, like, this is the time, like, all my daughter will know is Bears glory as this is the new, you know, reality.

The Bears beat the Packers. It's the they have the unexperienced quarterback, and the Bears like, I put her in a Bears onesie, and this is this is fully my mistake than the reason they lost.

But my wife's like, let like, I wanna take a picture of you and your bear stuff with our daughter and her bear stuff.

She's six days old. This is great. And I'm like, we'll wait till the end when there's, like, the final score because, like, I want it to be, like, a bears win picture.

And it's like, the the fact that I put that out into the world is a 100% then why the Bears got their ass kicked by the Packers. Yep. And, still ended up taking the picture even though I did not want to.

But, Little little tear down the side of your face. Just utter devastation. So, yeah, hopefully yeah. It'll it'll be different for, number three. But congrats, man. That's getting exciting. Thank you, sir.

Excited to talk football cards. Let's get into it. But none of this this wonderful podcast is, possible without our sponsors. Who do we have to thank? Yes. Shout out Card Ladder. Big time sponsors of the Football Card Podcast.

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Haystack. tech. Go check out our friends at Haystack. Alright. Episode 21. Can't believe we've, made it this far. 21 episodes. Numbers, 20 ones that come to mind, for me, the first thing right away, Ladanian Tomlinson.

I think that was just he's the he's one of the best running backs ever arguably the best ever. He's right up there. I'd say with Barry Sanders, Falk and all them.

I think that it's crazy if you look at, again, Ladany Tomlinson has a great pro football reference page, but just sustained dominance, consistency year over year, every single year, just 1,700 yards, 2,100 yards, 2,300 yards, 20 touchdowns, 31 touchdowns, just an unreal consistent run to start a career.

So much so that I feel like it's kinda like the LeBron effect. When you're that good for that long, it becomes normal, and it's not as maybe it doesn't feel as impressive because it's just, again, becomes normal.

So shout out LT, awesome player and MVP and someone that currently your boy Jonathan Taylor, is pursuing, and has a real chance to catch some of these records.

That Berlin game was insane, by Jonathan Taylor. But, yes, twenty one l t, who came to your mind for that for this number?

How many covers of, like, sporting news Fantasy Guide do you think LaDainian Tomlinson was on the front of? Oh, yeah. He had to be the top cover star of Fantasy Football Guides.

Dude, I my my, cousin who's no longer with us now, we used to do a Fantasy Draft at his place. And it was, first four rounds were auction style, and then it went into snake draft and you had a $100 to spend on four players.

I'll never forget every LaDainian Tomlinson. He costs $97 like, so it was like, but in people every year would spend $97 on Tomlinson and spend a dollar on, you know, another player.

But yeah, Tomlinson, I think he, you know, he was awesome, but I feel like in this is can maybe kind of like the Barry Sanders effect where as the years pass his lore and legend grow a little bit.

I remember when I was back in the collecting football cards and no one was I you never saw Tomlinson post, and now I'm seeing a lot of Tomlinson collectors and cards, which is it just makes sense.

But, a lot of great 20 ones instantly, I you know, I had to go Bob Sanders.

Bob Sanders is, one of my favorite football players of all time. Definitely short lived, but really was the reason why the Colts were able to make it to Super Bowl forty one.

The I'll never forget going into that season or at the back half of the season, we we play the Jaguars in Jacksonville, and MJD and Fred Taylor absolutely torched us.

They like, 300 plus yards combined rushing. They they crushed us. We couldn't stop the run worth a damn, and that was because Sanders was out.

He was hurt. And then you throw Bob Sanders back on the team right in the wild card round against a league leading rusher and Larry Johnson and the Chiefs. And, dude, he got put in a body bag, and it was because of Bob Sanders.

And so, Bob Sanders, man, it's been in it. There hasn't been too many players since where a player just, like, grows this legend locally, and then becomes, like, everyone's favorite player.

And I just think we, as Colts fans, we had such vanilla and mediocre defenses while we have this prolific offense.

And Sanders added this attitude, to the team that was much needed. Defensive player of the year, which we've talked about is challenging from a defensive backs perspective.

But yeah, I wish I saw more of Bob Sanders come around and I think he's kind of in solitude. He kind of hangs it out and does his own thing. But, during all the Colts get togethers, you never really see Bob Sanders.

So I hope my man, Bob Sanders is doing okay and is alright out there. I would I love spending afternoons just putting on the Bob Sanders highlights and all the edits.

Ton of fun. There's nothing better. We've talked about this before. But, like, when a safety is one of the best defensive players on the field, it's just fun to watch that defense when they're just flying around like that.

Mike Brown is one of my favorite Bears players of all time. Kinda similar to Bob Sanders in the hard hitting, flying around, had a first team all pro, then had some injuries.

Like, if Mike Brown would have been healthy during Bears Super Bowl, Reggie Wayne's not getting that wide open across the middle for that touchdown.

Probably not. So yeah. I mean, I love those players. What's the Bob Sanders card offering like? I mean, I Not good. Not good. I'm trying to even think.

I feel like I can picture a, like, Bowman Chrome rookie. Dude, I would I'll tell everyone out there right now. If you if if you if there was a Bob Sanders Superfractor in your collection and you want a ton of money, come find me.

Dude, there's I've got to save certain there's there it's just think about it. You got the defensive back nature, and you got that air of tops, and it's just there's just not a lot.

Few and far between. So Yeah. I'm searching on car ladder, biggest sales, and it's it's bleak out there. But that kinda feels like a challenge. I bet you could find something, some sorta Oh, I've been trying.

Yeah. Undiscovered little gem. Here's here's another thing, and this won't happen because it's already in production, although delayed. Prizm Football. Can you throw talk about a post playing day card I want, man.

I I would if in the last product release, if they put a Bob Sanders in the checklist, that is me breaking a post playing day rule in a heartbeat to grab that thing just because there's not a lot of cards.

So, yeah, it sucks. I wish there was more. Yeah. I feel like the post playing days because I've said that too.

I'd they're not for me, but it's just never because there's so much to collect of the players I've collected. The offering is there. The quantity is there. But, yeah, forgot like, Charles Tillman.

I want some more Charles Tillman cards, and it's you know, he had a longer run. Like, he made it into the early 20 tens and some of those sets, but, yeah, those defensive players, they need a a little more.

Another 21, I have to shout out, Charles Woodson, because I just am reminded of Charles Woodson, how, a long he played and how good he was.

He played eighteen seasons, for the Raiders and the Packers. In his second year in '99 well, he was defense rookie of the year '98, first team all pro in '99, and a pro bowler his first four seasons with the Raiders.

But then after that, you know, goes on a six year stretch of not making a pro bowl or any sort of all pro team, goes to Green Bay at 30 years old.

It seems like, you know, is this player washed? Is this the end of the career? And just has this resurgence where he gets a defensive player of the year, two first team all pros, plays until he's 39 years old.

So that I'm calling out just to put into perspective, this week to week roller coaster that we are on in the NFL where it's, like, one bad week from a player feels like they're never gonna be good again.

One good week means they're the new GOAT. Like, when you just zoom out and look at, like, a eighteen year career like Woodson, like, you think people were panicking in year four when he had a couple bad games in a row.

It's like, sometimes just zoom out and wait for the career to be got to be done.

And that's why, all this ties back to myself and Caleb Williams, of course, of just, like, staying level headed throughout this whole experience of, like, he's 23 years old in his second year in the NFL.

It's not he's not gonna be the greatest of all time instantly. Like, it takes a good second year, maybe a decent third year, a great fourth year, a downturn fifth year, and then, like, good good like, look at Stafford.

Stafford was kind of an up and down player early in his career, and you can say what you want about the Lions and all that.

But, like, it feels like he's just now, like, hitting his groove in the NFL. I mean, the the Super Bowl year, yes. But, I don't know. It just it doesn't all happen in a year, in a game, these careers.

And I I I just love when a player, like, puts together some of their best seasons, like, later in their career when they're just, like, a savvy veteran that just can see the field in the way the rest of the players can't see it.

And that's definitely what Charles Woodson did. We we over analyze and we over criticize on a weekly basis, and it's one of the biggest issues I have in the NFL.

And, I'll I'll I'll take your Caleb Williams, and I'll raise you a, Daniel Jones. And it's dude, this this guy threw an interception and fumbled because he got sacked.

And he still had a 70% completion rating. Would not have won this week without him. 100 QB rating. And, like, everyone like, this part of, like, social media says the sky is falling, and it's a return to Daniel Jones.

And it's just like a return like, dude, like, I'm coming off of Anthony Richardson not even be able to complete 50% of the passes. It's like, you call those warts?

It's like the play and so I it's just amazing. It's like, I feel like as a player, you have to be, like, absolutely flawless, and you have to get, like, so many fantasy points and, like, hit that mainstream, like, oh my god.

This person should be MVP. And if you don't hit that, then, like, you're, like, ripe for criticism for, like, the entire week. And it's, like, I never understand. I I never understand that on a weekly basis.

And it's mostly happens with younger guys like Caleb. But then also, it's these players that are like Jones, that are like, trying to fight out of, like, this existing situation that they were in.

And it's just it's bonkers to me. But I just kinda it sit there, and I I try not to let it upset me, but it's just, like, it's it's amazing.

Because I feel like so often we lack context when we're talking or trying to critique certain players, in the NFL. Well, it's because, like, everyone like, the opinion of these analysts is, like, a driver for the shows now.

It's not just, like, here are the highlights, here are the facts, like, none of that. It's always, here's what happened, and here's why we think it's good or bad or, you know, whatever. Bring back bring back the old sports center.

Just give me highlights. Just tons of highlights, and then let me, make you know, come to my own conclusions. It was a it was a simpler time, man. It really was. Just looking at box scores, watching highlights. Alright. 21. Great.

Some other 20 ones just to shout out. Ezekiel Elliott, Frank Gore. Frank Gore, Zeke, and LT. That's a nice little team running backs. Dion Sanders. Got a we we could've spent just as much time talking about Deion and his influence.

Jim Thorpe, Benny Friedman, a couple other hall of famers, and Cliff Branch, who shout out Cliff Branch. I didn't know much about him, but he was a wide receiver for the Raiders in the seventies.

Three straight First Team All Pros, though. I love a trio of First Team All Pros. So shout out Cliff Branch. Shout out episode 21. We've got some new releases to talk or a new release to talk about, and we're gonna get into it.

And thank you, Haystack, for sponsoring the new release segment. We are talking about a product that is already out. It came out November 7.

And I'll say this, Panini promotional engine, where you been? I just literally saw these cards in my saved searches. I was like, this is out now? Like and the product that we're talking about is twenty twenty five Mosaic Football.

Mosaic forever. Will forever for me, whether it's basketball or football, it'll ever be it'll forever be the pandemic set to me. I just remember Mosaic debuting during the pandemic, and it was, like, the rage.

So it's been a consistent product in football since 2020. In the new product, if you're buying a hobby box, you're getting two autos, 20 inserts, 15 parallels.

There are three one of ones, which are the black, the Mosaic Choice Nebula, and the Mosaic No Huddle black. I'll say this out of the gates.

I am a I am a no no Huddle guy across the board. I'm a no disco guy. If that is a one of one, I'm not interested. I'm not after it. And, I understand some people don't have the same qualms as me, but that's just some I'm against that.

So when I think of MOSAIC, I really think about, the black and the Nebula, which are cool looking cards. And I'm always like, which one is the true?

And I would say many would probably say black, but for me, I always think of the Nebula. You know, your this this product is the last one you're getting, and there's some cool rookies to chase.

But before we get into some questions I have about Mosaic Football, like, any general thoughts, reaction just about Mosaic, football?

I also did not know this was release is out, but there is the 2025 Mosaic black one of one Caleb Williams sitting on eBay.

How much? Thousand dollars OBO. Wow. Wait. This this year or last year's? $20. 25. This year. His he was a rookie last year. So that it's That seems pretty that seems pretty reasonable.

Second year, it's reasonable, but, like, I I've had my reservations for whatever reason. It hasn't called me, necessarily to to go for it because I've I've been offering at what I feel is reasonable.

They're countering with a fair counter that, you like, you need to go to aggressive to get a card, a one of one, black like that.

Right? And it's just I'm not I haven't been really there, but I'm still thinking about it. But I think part of the reservation is I don't know. Like, it doesn't fit in with I have a lot of Prizm stuff only.

Does it fit in? But it looks cool. But something then that brought me back of, like, looking at my collection. I I'm a border guy. I love when there's, like, defined borders. Prizm always has a nice border.

You go back to '52 tops, Mickey Mantle, border. Honus Wagner, border. Like, it's just like an aspect of cards that I think is, like, in me that I like. And, like, with Mosaic, like, it's harder to tell, like, is this centered or not?

Like, what what's going on? It's this open ended thing, and I think some of select sets that I haven't liked is when, like, the background gets too abstract, and it's, like, not a border as much as just a pattern in the background.

So that that's just something that I think Mosaic looks very cool. Yes. That black one of one, Caleb. Now that I'm talking about it online, I don't want a Chris Hosch to happen to me where someone goes and buys it out from under me.

So maybe maybe you got a time eight. Maybe by the time this goes live, I've For twenty four hours, the Patreon is about it enough to figure it out, find something that I might sell.

I don't know. But I think I they look cool. The black one zero one looks awesome. The there are some other parallels that look really cool.

I like the inserts. I like the stained glass, and, there was another one that looked in that, like, a cool Oh, my gosh. Yeah. That kaleidoscope, that looks pretty sick. I don't know. I think it's definitely a cool set, but agree.

Where's the marketing been? I didn't know it was out until I saw that Caleb card pop up. So such great thoughts. I was gonna I wanted to talk to you about the design. You've kinda you you crushed it by talking about the no borders.

I I here's a couple things for me. And I don't know if this is good or bad, but essentially, the base set looks the same every year. Mhmm. Like, I feel like the base set is very, very similar look and feel.

And I can't tell them, like, do I like that or I don't? So I'm just saying, like, if you if you from, like, 20 to 25, if you lined up all of them together, I'm not sure I could tell a difference year over year.

The no borders thing, I think, is I I didn't even get there in my mind, but that's maybe one of the reasons why I'm not, like, nuts about this because I like borders too.

I have bought I've owned Nebula Mosaic one of ones, and I've sold them.

And it's not because I don't think they're cool or I don't like them, but it's because I always get to this point of, like, man, I'd rather just put this in a Prizm card, and that's typically what happens.

And so, I don't know. You think about this era of Panini football.

You got Prizm , you got optic, you got select, you got mosaic from, like, the optichromium family. And I I I am just not sure. And maybe because it wasn't as long lasting as Select and not as long lasting as Optic.

I'm just not sure where Prizm will fall, like, ten years from or excuse me, Mosaic will fall from, like, ten years from now. And maybe that means that that there's other people that feel that way, which could lead to opportunity.

But, yeah, I've just never fully been able to get there with the Mosaic product. Yeah. And agreed, but not to say it won't see its day.

Like, I think about all the time those lists from, like, the Beckett magazine where it's, like, these are the top 10 Barry Sanders cards, and the first is, like, the premium stock, and, like, the eighth is PMG green.

Mhmm. And not saying it's just to see how collector behavior evolves over time is interesting and what sets become desired and not.

And, like, I feel like if one day someone like you described just, like, laid out or if I saw a picture of some player's mosaic black one of one run from, like, 20 to 25, I'd be like, woah. That looks awesome.

Maybe I let let me look at these sets and see, you know, what's there. And who's to say in five years, I'm not like, alright. I exhausted Prizm pretty well. Like, I did a lot or my Prizm collection has been pretty complete for a while.

Like, I'm itching to do something else. So, they look cool. They they look very cool, and if you know, it's probably very affordable compared to some of those other premium Chromium sets.

So I would definitely I'd look into it. I'm gonna should I get that Caleb card? Well, what I'm gonna I I wanted to end on this note because that's what's standing out to me based on this conversation in my mind.

And that is a fun place to be where you are in the second year of releases of your hyped up quarterback, and you're starting to see price point in cards that you were, like, can afford and seems reasonable.

That that same thing started to happen to me with Anthony Richardson. And luckily, I didn't go nuts and buy a bunch. But I it was fun to be able to buy, like, his Prizm Gold and then his Nebula.

Nebula's sick. That card is sick. Dude, it's so cool. And it's like, I don't care that he might not ever take a snap because, like, the I'm telling a story with my collection. So that zone you're in right now with I would say this.

I don't wanna influence you to buy this card or another card or just my feedback is, like, your convict your your mindset right now based on the way the bears are playing is, like, man, like, this guy's playing great.

He's trending up, and the bears are winning games. And it's like, there's like this window if the bears do what they're supposed to do in your mind, like, make it to the playoffs and hell win a game.

It's like, right now, it's like there's those releases that are coming out. They're they're coming out in droves.

Like, it's like Panini is, like, just dropping everything at us, like, all at the end. It's like there's, like, this sweet spot where it's, like, not gonna be a rookie, but I think you're okay with that.

But if you can get it, like, a one of one and it's, like, of a decent rate, it's, like, at least you have that, like, one super rare and cool Caleb card that you feel good about.

That is something I've been through a lot on this, like, Colts quarterback carousel specifically with Richardson. And I just remember, like, getting into his own being, like, ah, finally, I can buy a Richardson card.

And, like, regardless of what happens with him, like, I love this card. I'm I'm pumped to have it. Yeah. No. That's definitely where I've been.

Like, I don't own any Caleb Williams cards. And the way he's been playing, I'm like, it would be nice to have one. And who knows if in this new Prizm release, like, what prices will be for his, you know, the gold, gold vinyl, all that.

So I got a lot to think about over the next forty eight hours. I wish you good luck with that. Alright. Should we talk some sales? Yeah.

Shout out card ladder. I've got some fun ones. We're talking bears, so I'm figured this would be a good one, for, you. You might have some thoughts on this. But we had a, 76 Topps Walter Payton rookie sell on eBay this week, a PSA 10.

Best offer, sold for $59,000. This card is a pop 56. There has been five sales of the PSA 10 Walter Payton, 76 Topps rookie, and I do a little math, combined sales from this year of 56 k.

So, what a card. Dare I say iconic? I hate using that word, but I feel like if you're thinking about football cards, this is, like, one of those cards that comes to your mind.

What do you think you this I feel like is a this this maybe, like, a 10 might be a a grail for you eventually down the road, but what do you what what goes to your mind when you see, Walter Payton PSA 10 rookie card sell just, on eBay?

Yeah. This I feel like this used to feel like a card that only showed up at auction houses. So crazy to see it sell on eBay like that, but I want this card. I would love this card one day.

Just a a 10 too. Like, that's It's a great looking copy too. The scan is perfect. It's like think about this car. Hey. Well, you didn't say little little vintage football talk. Little vintage football talk right now.

I need more vintage is the note I wrote down for this. The the zag to vintage creeps, grows in my mind more and more every day where I'm like, what if I just got rid of everything and bought a, you know, like, 10 Peyton?

Don't do it. No. But I don't know. Something about it. I feel like getting into collecting bears. This is, like, a pinnacle card, though. Yes. Like from the start, I was like, I want a nice Peyton rookie.

I've had I think I had a PSA seven, at one point or seven or six. But, anyways, the thought of getting all the way up to a PSA 10 Peyton is in my mind. So who knows? Maybe one day, just a great looking vintage card. And look, borders.

Nice borders. Where does where does this card rank into in your mind in terms of, like, the the Bears card catalog? Like, where is this one set? I mean, it's gotta be up there. It's Uh-huh. As the most, like, recognizable Yeah.

For sure. And the Sayers and Butkus Philadelphia cards. Yeah. This is hot. And in Peyton's catalog, like, he Peyton did some cool stuff in, like, the late nineties. He, like, signed in a couple sets.

Like, he has the passing of the torch dual auto with Barry Sanders. He has a couple, like, upper deck game jersey auto cards that those are all, like because one day, I will have one sick Walter Payton card.

That is something that will happen. And is it a game auto? Is it this rookie in a high grade? I don't know. But, yeah, seeing this card makes me wanna go get one. Always. I've always really enjoyed this card.

Cool to see one sell. Another eBay sale. And since we are on the topic talking about the, Mahomes last week, let's let's talk a little Drake May. Obviously, Drake May has is playing excellent football.

It's crazy. The Pats are eight and two. It's this is what they do. You know? It's like, yeah, let's let's bring in Vrabel and, let's just, be a winning franchise all of a sudden. The Patriots are playing Patriots football.

It's like Vrabel came in. He's like, alright. You know that Patriots way thing that we used to talk about? We're talking about it again, and all of a sudden, everyone's falling in line, especially Drake May.

So you've got his 24 Prizm blue Prizm , which is a PSA There's a PSA 10 pop one, dude. This card sold for $23,500 on eBay this week. And upon further research, there the PSA nine is a pop nine, and the PSA nine last sold for $1,575.

You wanna talk about you've got the PSA 10 premium and the pop one premium of a player who is in the MVP conversations. You just add all those things up, and that's what that's what really gets the, the hobby going, man.

It's all these things. So I think, like, this this sale is beyond insane to me. Not discounting anything from Drake May. He's had a wonderful season in the past. Would probably be terrible without him.

But, man, I just whoo. I I got like, what's his biggest gold Prizm worth? You know? So those are, like, the things that I I'm thinking about. Yeah. And this is just is this like the Walmart exclusive? Oh, yeah. I believe.

Yeah. This is the Walmart card? I'm not paying $23,000 for the Walmart card, respectfully. Yeah. I don't yeah. That I would much rather have $23,000 to spend in other places, than this card. But, like, yeah, their Patriots look sick.

For some reason, though, like, I use this argument to defend like, I'm gonna just say the Patriots haven't played any good teams, really, but it's like the Bears haven't played good teams, and it feels it feels more honorable for me the way the Bears have, like, been a bad team beating bad teams.

Whereas, like, the Patriots beating the shit out of bad teams, it's like I feel like it makes them feel overrated in my mind.

Because just the way if they were, like, barely scraping by, I'd be like, oh, the Patriots are scrappy. They're scary. But the fact they're just blowing teams out, I'm like, oh, you're just beating up bad teams.

It's not as I don't know. Play someone real. So I I try to be like, we were getting that with the Colts, and I was like, that's like the talk of this season.

It's like, they haven't played anybody. And it's like, I've been very cautious in my critiques and analysis based on team schedule because it's outside of their control.

But I think a good barometer as you suggested is, like, if they are beating the shit out of said teams, then it probably makes them a pretty good team.

And I'm I am way more in the camp of, like, New England, like, from a talent perspective. Like, they don't need to have the top talent. They've got a really good quarterback.

It's more like the structure in the way their coach. Like, it it is it is insane to me that Mike Vrabel got let go of tenant out of Tennessee, and it's even more insane that the league just let him go to new to New England.

It's like, how did everyone just think this is okay and let it have it?

And, of course, what happens? Like, right away, because Vrabel's an incredible coach, he just completely shifts everything around, and now they're a contending team in the AFC just like that.

Yeah. It there are well run organizations, and there are poorly run organizations.

And it just, like, the Bears historically are not. Like, if Drake May gets drafted first overall by the Bears, he's out of the league already probably. And Caleb Williams is the savior of New England.

It is just the organization matters. And, yeah, the Patriots obviously have created something there, and the fact that they could just plug the perfect head coach for that franchise in and that we all let it happen.

Yeah. That's malpractice. That's terrible. It is. I know we've got a a a large contingent of Pat's fans who listen to the show. So there's a little patriots talk for all of you. We're moving over.

This is I don't even know what's going on with this photo, but this is, dude, I found this 98 flare ultra Marshall Faulk, one of one masterpiece sold on eBay this week for $5,657. First of all, like, this is, like, the incredible thing.

It's like, I don't even know this has existed. I don't know why the image is like this. But when I saw that sale, I just was, like, thinking about, like, well, how many masterpieces does Falk have?

And, you know, we just talk about I hate to compare and contrast errors in this, but, like, 23 k for a retail blue Drake May, and you got a Marshall Faulk chill in here.

One of one, which there aren't many in the nineties for $5,600. Not even graded too. Just raw copy. Seems like a pretty pretty fun buy. Yeah. Would you rather have this and $17,000 or a Drake Bay or or the Drake Bay, Walmart exclusive.

Yeah. Dude, think about how much money that is and everything you could do. Bad. Yes. I'd rather have the no disrespect to Drake May and his, retail blue Prizm .

I would much rather take the cash in the Marshall Faulk and you do. Shout out the 99 to 2,001 Rams. That's just another note. Yes. Like, I mean, the greatest show on turf, we've talked about it, but, the numbers are insane.

And that three year stretch where Warner won MVP, Marshall Faulk was second in MVP voting, then Faulk won it the next year, Warner second, and then flipped again to, like, just those two being, unreal players together.

And then you throw in Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt too, makes a pretty pretty good squad.

But, yeah, that is an awesome card. I would like that card. Alright. Moving over to a twenty thirteen select gold Jerry Rice PSA 10 is sold on Fanatics for $6,600.

It is a pop too. There was a slew of select gold niners that went off in this auction, and the previous sale for for this card happened 04/29/2021, prime pandemic boom, and it sold for $1,445.

So definitely a substantial jump in four years. You know, you're you're seeing appreciation for these cards and this set specifically.

I mean, it's hard to imagine in the last, like, three to four years a set getting more, a claim than 2013 Select. I think, of course, like, first year in the Panini era Select is one thing.

But I at the end of the day, like, to me, it comes down to, like, look and feel and design. And I just think, like, it's easy to say see that, like, this look and especially the gold's appeal to almost everyone.

And so while people collectors might not have been turned on to them before a lot of us got turned on to them, it feels like people are feeling comfortable and confident to spend big money to line up and get those cards.

I mean and I don't hate to speculate and do all that, but, I mean, I'm a if if there has if there was a not another sale of this rice card for four years, and this card went up to market four years from now, I I would be hard pressed to think that this card would not sell for more than $6,600 based on player rarity scarcity design elements, aesthetics of this card, look and feel, all those things.

So I saw these getting pushed and promoted, and I wasn't quite sure where they'd land.

And I think that's a it's a nice sale if you're if you're collecting this stuff. Yeah. And just an awesome card. Like, when we talk about post plane days, if I were like, Walter Payton has one of these in this set.

That's a card I'd think about. You know? Like, if their offering while they were an active player is just base cards and, like, high grades is really to go for, then, like, yeah.

I don't I don't think anyone ever has to feel like there is a rule of, like, no post playing days or it has to be that drawn that hard of a line. If the guy you're collecting has sick cards and six sets, like, go get them.

Absolutely. Congrats to whoever won it. Hey. If you want this card, post it. I wanna I definitely wanna see, and I I know there was several people I know that were interested.

So the final card here is the twenty fourteen Prizm Rob Gronkowski gold Prizm PSA 10. This is a pop two. It sold for $4,440 in the same Fanatics auction.

You know, I I picked this card just because I love it. I love twenty fourteen Prizm so much. To I saw a a California card collector, Sierra, actually had some commentary on his story about this card.

He collects Gates, and his comment was like, maybe I should have maybe I should have started collecting Gronk instead comparing those two, like, great tight ends.

But if you just look at, like, Gronk sales versus Gates sales, it's, like, night and day. But I I also think with Gronk, it's, like, there's a lot of Patriots team collectors centered around that era in in in Super Bowl.

And I think there aren't as many chargers, and I just think, like, Gronk will forever be elevated because he is such a key figure in that history of patriots and the dynasty.

And, John, I'm realizing we are spending too much damn time talking about those New England patriots. This is my fault.

I'm putting this stuff by putting this stuff together with you, and you you should have called me out. You should have said too much patriots talk. But that's that's where we're at right now. Do the Colts and Patriots play this year?

Yes. They do. Oh, love that. That that brings me back. I loved the Colts, Patriots, Brady Manning showdowns. Every year was always something to look forward to. Wait. It's sorry. They don't play.

I, I got that mixed up. I was thinking of a previous year, but, yeah, they Well, maybe maybe next year. When they both are back to winning the division every year. And then Well, they they might they might be playing in the playoffs.

Yeah. That would be that's cinema. Good job, Rod good job, Roger. Make it happen. You know it's scripted. Yeah. Couple of thoughts. I love 2014 Prizm . This is a non border card that we still know and love. There's something there.

I think maybe it's just, like, how gold the background is serves as the border. Like, that's giving me my fill of gold shine for this card, which then made me think someone who is has the technology or is capable of this.

Like, I'd love to see, like, what percent of the surface area of this card is gold and then comparing that with twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen.

Because there is a ton of gold on this card, but the player is also huge, taking up a lot of the card.

So I'm just I'm wondering what the the percentages are and if that I'm sure that influences, my lizard brain into liking certain ones more.

So, I I I think it's the that's a great exercise. I think the the the up close and personal nature of the player to is what is appealing. I recently shared my Reggie Wayne and like he's cat.

It looks like he's catching the ball off the card. And if you go around all the action shots of of of this set, like, they're just it's just so different. And that's Yeah. I like it. Oh, yeah.

Gronk with the the armor on too. The he's wearing the the Barry Bonds arm pads. Just awesome. That was fun. Shout out, card ladder for all your sport. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I had one other thought on you said California card or whoever Yes.

Should've went for Gronk instead of, collecting Antonio Gates. I've thought about that many times where I'm like, when I started collecting early two thousands football, which was already, like, in a sense, a zag.

Instead of just collecting, like, Peyton and Tomlinson and Calvin Johnson, the big name players of the era, I did the double zag to collect, like, the unknown players from that era, like Priest Holmes, Sean Alexander.

And I think sometimes, like, why didn't I just collect Peyton? It would have been worth more. But it comes down to that's not my guy.

That's not my player. That's not like, there was no personal attachment there. So it's like, in his case, I'm sure he collected Gates because he loved Antonio Gates and liked watching Antonio Gates.

So never beat yourself up for not going after, like, the big names just because they've gone up in value. Because then if you're if you're chasing the value, you know, it's never gonna, I feel like, work out in the long run.

Great great feedback there. Great motivational talk. I I wanna talking about the we've talked about Tomlinson. We've talked about Gates, and I just feel like I just gotta ask you this question unrelated.

Because Gates and Tomlinson are both Hall of Famers, doesn't that just mean Rivers has to be a Hall of Famer? Wouldn't it feel weird if he was not a Hall of Famer and those other two guys were?

I know Tomlinson could be considered one of the greatest running backs ever, and maybe even so for Gates, and you probably wouldn't consider Rivers one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, but he just feels like he should be in the in in the hall of fame.

Yeah. I think so. I think history will be kind to Philip Rivers.

I was thinking about this more with just the folk, Tomlinson, Sean Alexander, Preiss Holmes, them all, like, setting the touchdown record in the early two thousands, like, in consecutive years, basically.

Like, over a six year span, they broke it, like, four times. So, like, all but that just became the norm that there are these running backs who score 20 plus touchdowns and have 2,000 plus scrimmage yards and win MVPs.

Like, that was the norm. And then since we've gotten away from that and now seeing, like, Jonathan Taylor putting together this season, it's, like, amazing because it kinda, like, stands on its own.

But when, like, three people are doing the same thing at the same time, it kind of diminishes it a little because it feels like the norm.

And I feel like we had that in the early two thousands with the quarterbacks. Yeah. Like, when you have Brady Manning, Rodgers Breeze. Breeze, like, four of literally the greatest quarterbacks of all time playing at the same time.

When you're Philip Rivers and Roethlisberger, Eli, Stafford, like, you just your career doesn't look as good because those four were burning so bright.

But over time, it's like, so many teams would kill for Philip Rivers right now. Like, there's not there's some bad quarterback play in the NFL right now.

Dude, if Phil if you plop Philip Rivers down in this NFL, like, you could make an argument that like, if if he were up for a contract, like, in this off season, like, he's probably going to be the highest paid quarterback.

You know? It's like that's that's how, like, statistically how good he was.

And but he's not like like it it's weird because it's like, you think about a player, like, even like a Joe Burrow, for instance, who's not playing, and maybe this is a bad example.

But I feel like his mystique and just, like, what he's capable of and, like, all time nature, it just feels like maybe it's because we're living in this moment.

It feels like people are higher on him right now than people ever were on Rivers, and it's probably has something to do with what you just said of just, like, well, there was four other guys in front of him.

Mhmm. Yeah. But then you go and look at that pro football reference page, and it's like, wow.

He put together six seasons in a row just like that. And that for me personally, that is something that I love players to do on their resume that, consistency, consistent dominance.

Like, when a player is expected to be great and they are great, that's my favorite thing. When it's like, I'm watching this game and I'm expecting Jonathan Taylor to be awesome, and he runs for 200 yards.

And it's like, that's what I wanna see. I wanna see great players do great things. Should we should we maybe get into a little, little team talk football talk? Let's do it. Let's talk these teams. We'll start with you.

That that they had the early kickoff. Oh, okay. Yeah. The Sunday morning, slate, it was quite interesting, you know, doing the whole routine with kids and stuff, and knowing that we had a 09:30 kickoff here locally.

Shout out to my wife who went to Side Door Bagels. Have you been to Side Door Bagels yet? I have not. I need to go. Yeah. It's I know Indianapolis, you're not touting bagels, but this place is off the hook.

So we got some bagel sandwiches. And, it was one of those moments watching that game where there were so many implications because the Colts have abide this week.

And on the other side of the buys the Chiefs. So it's like, it was so close. Obviously, it went into overtime and it was like, man, am I going to be really happy or am I going to be really sad?

And I was, like, screaming my head off when the Colts won in overtime. So, like, this is, like, a very satisfying it wasn't, like, a perfect win, but it was a very satisfying win.

And just a second on the MVP conversation, like, I know, like, MVP is a quarterback award, and there's plenty of quarterbacks like, Stafford and Drake May, who are playing out of their mind right now.

But when I think about, like, the MVP, I always think about, like, if you take that player off the team, what would they be like?

And I'm not gonna speak for any of those quarterbacks, because I don't know the backup and the whole situation.

But what I will say, just because I know my team pretty closely, that if Jonathan Taylor wasn't on this team, the Colts would probably more like two and eight than eight and two. That's how important he is.

Like, great players do great things in great moments and, like, longest run of the NFL season, like, that run, like, it's it's it's crazy. Like, he gets bottled up and just trusts in his team and goes on the outside.

And for as good of a run it is, like, if you haven't seen it or you wanna see it again, go watch and go watch Alec Pierce on the all all, all 12 all 24 of you.

Like, dude, he 22 of you. He literally runs all the way down the field and makes, like, this block at the end that is basically makes it a touchdown.

So, like, it's that kind of stuff you see, and you're like, man, this is a team that, like, really cares about each other. They're trying to win games. The other thing I wanna just say is there's been a lot of, like, conversation too.

And I and I'm saying all this not to say, like, Jonathan Taylor should be MVP. Obviously, I'm biased. But I'm just thinking, like, he literally should be in the conversation whether he wins it or not.

A lot of people are saying, like, well, it's a it's the same thing as, like, Saquon Barkley last year. And and this isn't I think Saquon bark Barkley is a hell of a player.

Last year, he did everything he possibly could want to in a season from a running back position. But, like, you take Saquon off that Eagles team, like, they're they're probably still winning a lot of games.

Like, the and I just think, like, the importance of Taylor to the Colts offense is a lot more than Saquon Barkley in that Eagles offense last year.

And I'm just seeing a lot of well, if Barkley didn't win it, there's no way Taylor can. And I just the the the thing I saw on the Twitter machine that I just need to restate here is, the comment of, like, it's a copy and paste season.

Barkley had 15 touchdowns in 17 games last year. Jonathan Taylor has 17 touchdowns in 10 games. So that it's that even if Barkley has more yards, it's not a copy and paste. So, like, let's not call them the same.

So there's still a lot more left. I'm going to just enjoy the buy, dude. I'm glad I don't have to be stressed out. Coming off on a win, I'm just going to sit and watch the football games this weekend.

And it's like it's these games are so stressful. It's like a nice to have a week off, and it's really nice to have two weeks to prepare for Kansas City in Arrowhead.

That's it's gonna be a a hell of a game. So, yeah, man. It's been a crazy season, but you're right along there with me, man. The bears keep, chug along, and there I saw a lot of passion from Caleb Williams at the end of the game.

Ben Johnson's fired up. The bears keep finding ways to win football games. Finding ways. Six and o when I watch at my house. That's there's something.

It wasn't a great game. Like, none of these wins have been great, but, like, I'd rather be beating the bad teams than be a bad team. Like, the last several years, the Bears aren't winning this game because they are the bad team.

So because, yes, there are critics of, like, oh, they keep like, all the Bears opponents that they've beaten are, like, three win teams, four win two win teams.

But, again, last year, bears were losing this these games. So to be on the winning side, I'll take it.

And it's weird. Caleb Caleb's clutch. The bears having a clutch quarterback, is just a different experience. Justin Fields would crumble in fourth quarters. So to have a guy that when he gets the ball, I'm like, they can do it.

And even when they were down 10, it I felt like they were in it. And then when they absolutely had to, they did things. They had to score a touchdown. They drove 91 yards, scored a touchdown.

They had to get a stop. They gotta stop. They had to go score again. They went and scored again. I haven't watched games like that for several years where it's like you're you're like, oh, my team teams down 10.

We need to drive 91 yards to score a touchdown. It hasn't happened in recent years. So to watch them just March down the field, Caleb's throwing dots. Caleb had a great game.

The Bears had, like, six to eight drops, however you wanna call it, where, like, balls were hitting hands and dropping it. You coulda had another 100 yards and a touchdown, but that was the easy part of the season.

And over the next eight games, it's brutal. It's very brutal. They play, like, Vikings, Lions, Packers twice, Eagles, 40 niners, Seahawks. It's just like a it's an insane run, and the Browns.

So this is where, you know What's their record right now? Six and three right now. So You need four you need four more wins. That's what I'm saying. Go out there. Go four and four, and you've finished the season with 10 wins.

Like, even just the fact they're already that they're gonna be playing some meaningful games in December is exciting. But the defense is bad. If they don't get turnovers, they don't stop anybody. Other team is just scoring at will.

So but at the same time, this is an offense that for the first time in a while, I'm like, they can score anytime. Like, this offense is full of dudes. Ben Johnson is so creative, and there's progress every every week.

Like, he's again, this is Caleb's, like, fourth play caller in his career. So, like, just to have consistency and, like, just keep working on it, get better, all the little timing things, everything will hopefully continue to improve.

So it's fun. Watching football is fun. Winning six out of seven games is fun. Watching the Packers starting to, like, look a little shaky is fun.

The Bears are ahead of the Packers in the NFC North. I don't know if that needs mentioned, but, these are the little things. When you've gone through, decades of incompetent football, this is this is fun. So beat the Vikings.

Just go beat the Vikings next week. JJ McCarthy and his whole nine alter ego is, like, the corniest thing ever. Just go I need them to go beat the Vikings this week. And, yeah, go four and four and just make it interesting.

What, what else you got anything else on your mind around the league? Maybe hit a couple of thoughts? Yeah. Main thing, ESPN and YouTube TV. What's going on? I don't know if you're a YouTube TV guy.

I I am, but I have, luckily, I have Disney with ESPN plus, so I've been nonaffected. But See, I have the It's stupid. I have the Disney HBO, Hulu bundle, not the Disney ESPN plus. And so I'm like How absurd is all of this?

It's so absurd. And I, like, I'm just not doing it. I'm I haven't watched Monday Night Football the past two weeks, which actually kinda nice, like, to have because football is very all consuming.

And when you're in it, there's football every single day. So the past couple Mondays I mean, I'm still just, like, kinda watching it via my phone and Twitter and updates and highlights. But, yeah.

Figure it out, ESPN YouTube TV. That's that's my main takeaway. What about you? Well, I'll say just on the TV front. Man, this we had an all time poo poo platter of prime time games starting on Amazon, Thursday night football.

The Broncos and Raiders game sucked. Like, that was, like, that was one of the worst football games ever. And it's like I'm like, Raiders, what are you doing?

Like, the Broncos are literally trying to give you this game. And there might not have been a shittier Thursday night game since the Colts and Broncos played during the Matt Ryan year where the game went to overtime.

It was terrible. That game sucked. The other game that sucked was the Steelers and Chargers on Sunday night football.

Terrible. I'm like, Steelers, you look like the steel curtain against us, and you go out and you just look like trash against the chargers. Like, the NFL is so weird.

And then Monday Night Football, thank god you missed that game. I wasted my entire night watching the Eagles Packers thinking it was gonna be some hyped up, potentially, NFC, championship type game, and it was terrible.

Like, it was like, I after the end of it, I watched every minute of all three of those games on prime time, and I'm just like, we we got it.

We these are the right matchups, but we we gotta do better, everybody. We just we need better games, and I think we're coming off the heels. There was a lot of good prime time games, but this last week left a terrible taste in my mouth.

Yuck. Yeah. Yeah. That I just didn't care to even try and keep up with that game because at a certain point, I'm like, something Nothing to keep up with, dude.

The first 10 possessions are all fumble punt, fumble punt, and my fantasy matchup Which push, fumble punt? Yeah.

We're already solidified, which brings us well, I was gonna just say, the thoughts of getting a JT card are growing and growing because he is leading two of my fantasy squads to terrific seasons right now, and that's that's where the connection starts for me.

So I Josh Johnson jumped on the train. Yeah. I know. Huge pickup. Yeah. Damn. I should've got I should've got that card. No. But, no. So I've some new state searches have been installed into the game plan, so we'll see.

But then it's, like, all about connecting it. It's, like, what can I get of Jonathan Taylor that I already have a Bijan? It's, like, kinda where my mind's going because I if I get a JT card, it needs to connect somehow.

And so what what already exists in the collection that I can connect it to is where Friendly moment between the two of them after the game, though. That was great. Great content.

And yeah. I love Bijan seems like a super great, humble person. Like, all his interviews, he's just, like, such a nice dude, and Jonathan Taylor seems like it as well. So to see them talk in and and JT only being 26 is awesome.

I was thinking he was just a little older. Because, like, Bijan, I'm always like, he's only 23. He has so much room to grow. And I I just thought JT was older, but he still got tons of years left in the tank.

So watch out. JT might come for some of those all time records. His touchdown scoring is impressed. Like, it's insane. He's going at a good clip. I hope he's, like, consulting with Derrick Henry on the diet and longevity.

Whatever whatever Derrick Henry has done, like, I feel like that's what you need to follow because you you move past the 30 your your 30 year old mark, and you can still be productive.

Like, that's where that's where you wanna be in the NFL right now from a running back perspective. Yeah.

Even though Henry a little seems to be regressing a little bit. Yeah. I wanna give him the benefit of the doubt because he was still productive last year. For sure. For sure. And, yeah, not to discredit his whole career or anything.

He has put together and he's, like, climbing the all time touchdown charts, which is fun to watch. Alright. Gotta should we just jump to a couple questions? Let's do it. Yeah. Let's do it.

So I didn't do the question call out this week because I was kinda busy and forgot and, just went to the archive because we I had a question in here from, the past that I wanted to get to from MJ's sports cards, which was, I feel the word grail has been thrown around quite a lot recently.

How do you define a grail cart how do you define a grail card in your collection? I like I just like the idea, the thought exercise of what is a grail to each of us.

So I can take I I'll start and, yep, then I'll get your thoughts. But to me, it's kind of this constantly evolving term, and there can be many cards that are grails for different reasons. Like, we talked about that Walter Payton 10.

That is a grail because to me, like, the grail is a card you want and are seeking, and that you want to obtain at some point. Like a card you know about and you know the reasons for its greatness and would one day like to own it.

So but that's evolving because at a certain point in your collecting, like, when you just start out, maybe, a grail could be something different.

You'd, like, finally get it, and you're like, wow. I got this grail. And then you start going for another thing and you get another good card and another good card.

And then eventually another card you consider a grail shows up, but that maybe involves you selling those cards you previously thought were grails. And so I think there's just a lot of like anything in this hobby, it's always evolving.

But to me, like, what makes a grail, is, like, a card you want for multiple reasons of significance. And it's, like, is it a player you like? Is it a set you like? Is it a parallel? Is it a noble year? Is it a pop one?

Like, each of those are different, you know, kinda, like, attributes that could make a card a grail. And when a card has matches more of those, it becomes more and more desirable and more and more normally valuable and all that.

But, like, like, a Jordan green PMG. It's like Michael Jordan, big player. Metal, big set, parallel, big like, you start to stack all these reasons, to kinda take it to another level.

So it's definitely all relative, but, yeah, grail to me is just kinda one of those cards that it's like you know about it and are seeking it out, but you just don't have the ability to get get it yet.

Yeah. I think I those are great thoughts. The only thing, additionally, I had to share was the I think that a grail, whenever I hear that, it it's deeply personal.

And you Yep. Kinda touch touch on this a little bit. But, like, what's a grail to me is probably not a grail to you and vice versa. And one of my biggest pet peeves is just the use of grail publicly to sell.

And it's like a positioning thing. And I don't like my I have a pro I will admit this. I have a big problem when people try to tell me what to do or how to think. Like, it's like nails on a chalkboard.

And one of my biggest pet peeves in the hobby is when someone's shoving, like, a commodity card in my face and high end top shelf commodity card, and they're like, this is the grail and blah blah blah.

It's like that stuff drives me nuts. But, yeah, grail's personal. I don't need to be told what's a grail and what's not. Yep. Alright. And then this one's from me, but thoughts on defensive bidding.

Should we we gotta talk about this. Dude, I I I can't I can't even begin to this is a great way to close out this episode. The the a topic that I never thought I would be spending more time, like, DMing with people about.

And, this is, like, the the interesting part about, like, having a public content, doing public content, like, Stacking Slabs is, like, people, like, wanna reach out and talk about stuff like this regularly with me.

So, like, I've been consumed with DMs about this. And my, like, opinion on this is, like, I am one, like, this the lack of self awareness between some individuals is is just mind blowing to me.

I'm I'm of maybe call me old school, but any form of shill bidding is shill bidding. And, like, when you add layers or words, you're just trying to massage, like, what it is and you're trying to justify it.

But, like, this defensive shill like, this defense, I'm gonna try not to say any names either. I don't wanna, like, call people out.

You all know who we're talking about on all of this, but, like, there's been so much commentary. It's just, we it it shows, like, if you are even trying to justify it, like, you lack integrity, like, full stop.

And this hobby is built on integrity and trust. And a lot of people, I think, especially people that are, like, trying to justify certain things are really showing their true colors, which is disappointing.

But, yeah, this last stretch has really caused me to I try to be skeptical, but, like, I'm I'm trying to be even more skeptical, and I think we all should be.

And it's just like greed is is so strong. And it's like there's so many greedy people in this space that we love.

And it takes one instance and one mishap for it to, like, spiral. And I although, like, a lot of what we're hearing and seeing, especially on topics like defensive showbidding is not what we want it to hear or see.

I think and as much as, like, I'm ready for this conversation to be over with, I think we're all better for it. Like, the fact it's, like, one of those reminders. Like, this hobby is not perfect. This hobby is full of bad actors.

And so, I'm glad we have content where we can, like, talk about it and vocalize. And I think the community in general has done a really nice job of holding people accountable, and it's not been, like, a one day thing.

It's like, it continues. And there's a lot of content, on podcast, YouTube, Instagram, people not letting it, go down, which is is good. What what is your been your reaction on everything so far? I mean, everything you're saying.

The this is not good. The Football Card Podcast officially disavows defensive bidding if it that's not clear. Love defensive players. Love defensive players. And I will say the idea of defensive bidding as a term is hilarious to me.

Like, what you said, it's like this trying to reposition it into, like, some sort of smart strategy that the person was doing and not that just manipulate like, she'll bidding, cheating, like, fraud.

Like, no. You can't bidding like, the intent behind a bid is to own something. If your intent behind a bid is to push a price up or not own the card, you're doing something wrong, just full stop.

So it's just hilarious to be like, I was defensive bidding, and it reminds me of what happened to mega bid where I was like Yes. That that was thrown out as a reason for what they did. They they threw a mega bid.

Like, this wasn't none of these were real bids. These were mega bids or defensive biddings. And but then defensive bidder of the year, d boy. I mean, that just was that's an award that, we'll have to give out to someone.

And then, yeah, I think there is an article that, I mean, names will have to be named in this, but there's an article that Collect put out, which is Darren Rovell's collectibles media site.

Yeah. And the words are right at the top. And it the very first line of this article that is showbidding controversy sparks debate in the hobby. The very first line is editor's note.

Patrick Ryan is an investor in Collect, and Patrick Ryan is the person who is is currently in, this this children controversy. I hadn't read that article. The very first line of article is Patrick Ryan is an investor in collect.

So then for this article to be like, why did Patrick Ryan do this, and is this okay? And if the article ends with, is it common for is is having a friend bid on something common?

And it goes, yes. Although considered unethical, it's and it's like justifying this as something that happened. It's it's insane. The fact that this article is out there is insane.

And it, like, it's just this, like, self serving defense of people bidding on their own cards to boost up value or betting on their friends' cards to boost up and prop up values, which is just like, these it just they're sports cards, people.

Like, the fact This is how I feel about, like, politics.

Like, if I think one thing and I see someone think the complete opposite and they're, like, adamant and they're publicly saying, I'm like it's just like, how could they possibly think that way?

Like, you know, and this is what this this this reminds me of, like, politics. It's like you actually have people taking the side of, like, oh, show biddings.

Okay. You kidding me? Like, what? Yeah. And, like, a reminder that media companies are owned by people, and they express they get their thoughts through their vehicles however they they want.

But just, like, overall, for people doing this or thinking about this, like, we're collecting sports cards, which is already in itself a little bit lame.

Right? Like, there's, like, a stigma on collecting sports cards. And if you're then cheating at collecting sports cards, like, that's a bit that's almost, like, loser shit that you can do.

It's like, come on. It's already already bad enough that you're in this world, but then they have to, take it a level lower.

Come on. That's that's what that's what I I like. My closing note is if you have to bid on your cards or you're bidding on a friend's cards to elevate the price of a piece of cardboard, you are a loser. That's that's what I wanna say.

Yeah. Like, you're a loser. You really are. Like, you might think you're not, but you are. Thousand percent. Alright. Football card podcast, episode 21. Card callout time. Last week, asked to see fantasy football favorites.

This week, you know what? Any card that speaks to you right now, this is your excuse to just post a card for whatever reason. Maybe it's a card you've had for a while that has some new life and love in your eyes.

Maybe it's a card you just got. Whatever it is, post a cool card. We wanna see it. Tag the football card pod on your Instagram story. We will reshare it. And, yeah, thank you for listening. We'll see you next week. Thanks, everybody.