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

I'm your host, John, aka Pat Nicholson, and with me as always is Brett, mister stacking slabs himself. Brett, how are you doing?

I'm well, outside of, you know, the inevitable sickness that's been going on in my house. I had my my oldest, was out on Monday because of a fever and a cough, and then back on Tuesday, and then woke up with a fever again today.

So it's back home. So 'tis the season for sickness. So there's got the sickness going on, and, you know, my team's on a a two game skid. But spirits are high, and you know why John's spirits are high here at Sacking Slabs HQ?

And we'll just we'll just let the audience know. Let's go. Why? No teasers. We're we're we're coming back, and I know this is it's crazy. This is the end of the season season two.

This is a season two finale, but we'll be back for season three because of you, the loyal listener of the Football Card podcast, who can't get enough of this conversation about football cards and, football.

And I think there's something to be said about these players that we're organically bringing up in these conversations, and people thinking about the the football cards associated with it.

So fired up, man. I'm I have fun. We we've adjusted our recording time. We're doing these in the mornings now, which, I feel like I'm at my best. So go Football Card Podcast. Wow. Yeah.

Season two finale, episode 24. We got at least 12 more for you. That's gonna bring us into, like, the off season. That'll take us through the Super Bowl. It shouldn't. And then then we might have to take a hiatus and then come back.

Who knows? We'll figure we'll figure something out. But, yes, thank you everyone for listening and the support. Yeah. This new a little peek behind the curtain, we're recording this in the morning now.

Nice little 9AM time slot. It's nice. Kinda waking up with coffee and football. It's like a London game. Yeah. It's it's it is. Hopefully, the quality is, better than most of those, London games because those are usually stinkers.

But how how are you doing? I'm good. Vibes are high on the NFL team front. The Bears are they're doing things. We can we can get to that later. But Are you gonna take off your shirt and record this podcast like your coach?

If it was gonna feed people, yes. I'd do that. Man of the people. He he fed the city. Yeah. No. That was electric. What a game. We can get to that in a bit, but none of this is possible.

Season two wasn't possible without our wonderful sponsors. Shout out to our good friends at Card Ladder. Card Ladder's responsible for the market watch segment, and we'll get to that.

But also just great people, big supporter of what we're doing over here and the official data provider of the Football Card Pat Podcast and the broader stacking slabs network.

So shout out to Card Ladder and our good friends at Haystack.

They have a Breakers Connect product, which is free users who participate in breaks with Haystack partners receive same day images of their hits and ability to list grade and share cards immediately after the break.

Haystack dot tech shout out card ladder in Haystack. Episode 24, the season two finale.

There's got some things to talk about here within the wonderful number 24. But I I looked at I peeked at your notes, and let's start with you because what a player. What a let's rip the Band Aid off on this one. Yeah.

You know, when you're down in the dumps because your team isn't performing the way you want them, sitting on the the two lost skid, I figured, like, let's just pour salt in the wounds. Let's just get as miserable as absolutely possible.

And when I said it was when I saw it was episode 24, sadly for me, the number that came or the player that came to the surface was Ty Law. And, oh, my brother, I'm sure he's listening at McGrath cards.

We have a long running joke around Thai law, and he actually bought a PSA graded Thai law card at one point and sent it to me as a gag gift. But tie law, man, talk about pain, talk about suffering.

Can't help but think about the two thousand three AFC championship when tie law had three interceptions on Peyton Manning. It was just absolute worst sports memory ever in Foxborough.

And all you Patriots fans out there who are living life right now or, you know, smiling, listening to my misery. But Ty Law, great player, hall of famer, just, you know, they don't they don't quite build corners like, Ty Law.

But, yeah, I haven't thought about him in a while, and then it caused me to look at the, you know, o three and then the o four loss in the divisional against this is this is what I'll say, and I'm veering a little bit, but I'll say this.

You have the o three Colts. Manning still no strong playoff success. The three interception game in the AFC championship. Then you have the divisional next year just getting waxed against New England in New England.

That's o four. Then o five, you have the Steelers, Vanderjag, Shank. And so, like, if you're a Colts fan from o three to o five, after o five was over, it was a feeling of this is never going to happen.

And then luckily, o six changed things. But, yeah, a key figure, the heel, a heel, main heel, main event heel in that, run was definitely Ty Law. So, I'd say I salute you, but I don't really, but I'm recognizing you here.

I feel like he had a couple big games against the Colts in the plat or he picked off Manning again in another just, you talking about just his last name Law and then your brother who's a Reggie Wayne collector.

Have you ever heard the Law Dead, Reggie Wayne, Ed Reed story?

So It's not it's not coming to my brain. Share. Reggie Wayne and Ed Reed were roommates at the u, University of Miami, and Reggie Wayne had a pet Python that was named the law, l a w.

So his Python is named law. And, one day, like, Reggie was I don't know where he was, but he wasn't there. And Ed Reed just texted Reggie Wayne, hey, man.

Law dead. Just and so, like, I don't know where I heard that story, but I just Googled it, and it is, it's on there. There's it's documented, but my buddy and I my buddy Mike and I used to always just text each other law dead.

We just thought it was, like, the funniest thing ever to, like, imagine being out in your pet Python. You just your roommate, Ed Reed, just simply no decorum, just text you Law Dead.

So, shout out Law. Rest in peace. And Reggie Wayne and Ed Reed rooming together. What a what a duo. There was quite a few players, in that era at the U. That's for damn sure. So twenty fours, some hall of famers.

I'll just read off some names. Champ Bailey, Willie Brown, Ty Law, Lenny Moore. Lenny Moore, a Colt. Right? I believe. Baltimore. Yep. Yep. Baltimore Colt. Daryl Rivas, Willie Wood, and Charles Woodson.

I thought Charles Woodson I thought didn't we already talk about Charles Woodson? '21 Charles Woodson. He was 21 on the carpet. With which then this brings this brings up a point, John, and I want you to maybe address it.

And this is by no means to, throw a shade, but I I was following along on Instagram. I mean, one of my favorite people in the hobby, and I know he's listening my my good friend, Tim at Timmer's card.

But I saw a little back and forth. Maybe this is a good point to clarify since we're Woodson's appearing on this twice because of two different numbers.

But maybe explain the scenario and set a set some rules for the audience with these numbers. Well, there are no rules for the hosts of the Football Card Podcast.

We we can do whatever we want. No. The what happened was Timmers posted about Christian McCaffrey being a number 23 and that, like, he's a three time first team all pro, and that we failed to mention him as a 23, which we did.

We didn't mention CMC on our last episode of 23. But and then in my mind, I was like, no.

He's not 23. He's 22. So I look it up, and I forgot that he is 23 on the niners, but he was 22 on the panthers. So I simply said, like, you can't claim three first team all pros, which he only has two First Tee Mall Pros, by the way.

You might win a third this year. When, like, one of those use was wearing 22. And I don't know. Maybe that was just a a moment of trolling.

I don't know if that's if that's a hard hard line. I think there's legit if we're talking about numbers and people who are multiple numbers, you can't you I feel like you gotta stand your ground on one number or the other.

You know? Mhmm. And, like, Woodson. So Charles Woodson is interesting because the Raiders, he was always 24.

The Packers, he was always 21. His defensive player of the year came with the Packers. Two of his first team al pros came with the Packers, but he had two with the Raiders and one defensive rookie of the year.

He's kinda got a nice balanced one. I feel like a lot of players, you know, they put in the majority of their career, one team, one number, and then you see them pop up because they have a New Jersey number on a new team.

But, Woodson's got a kind of a nice split. Eleven years in Oakland, seven in Green Bay.

So Mhmm. I don't know. That's there's there's much to discuss. I do like very much appreciate Timmer's effort, and then he posted, black one of one CMC number 23, and it was a that he got for a deal.

He checked three boxes in his card callout submission. And Was this select field level? One last yeah. It was cool card. Checkerboard look. Very cool card. He was awarded triple points, which he asked for.

But that is the type of ingenuity we look for here at the Football Card Podcast where when we do a card call out, sure, you can do the bare minimum and take it at, you know, face value and do what we say.

But if you if you tie in that episode number and a couple other if you parlay that card call out, like, we will we pay. We pay on parlays. So sent come on. Get creative. 20 fours. The first one that came to my mind, Jordan Howard.

Mhmm. Bears I can't say Bears legend, but he was a bright spot during a couple terrible years. Honestly, the two years of some of the worst Bears football, like, the end of Cutler going into Mitch in 2016.

He had 1,300 yards as a rookie. Nice nice little season. Do you think Jordan Howard's excited about the Indiana University football program this year?

I'm sure. That like, I that's gonna be a crazy game on Saturday. Hope well, I don't know. Now they're people talking about resting starters, like, that both teams are gonna make the playoff.

I think you gotta play to win that game. I'll I'll I'll just a quick on this CFP front. We talked about Miami. I'm wearing my Notre Dame sweatshirt here.

This I I love NIL. I love the playoffs. But we this buildup and the momentum and the moving, and you've got just buffoons trying to explain why their committee is ranking teams one week one way and another week another way.

Dude, we are spending all of our time talking about these decisions these idiots are making in this room with very little transparency instead of actually talking about football and the plays and the players.

And now teams aren't even gonna play in these big games.

It's like, something is off right now. Something is off. So this is my takeaway. I love the format. I love the evolution of college football, but this just is not the way we should be handling it with these people making up stuff.

Throwing shit at the wall and just say, oh, yeah. This week, this team should be ranked six instead of eight. It's just it's my gripe of the week, John. Let it out. This it it falls under the umbrella of football.

Like, this is college football is football. So let it out. I honestly don't follow college football that much. I at a surface level. How is Notre Dame looking? Like, are they in the playoff? Are they gonna make the playoff?

It feels like. So so they've been, they're ten and two. This year, there's a lot of ten and two teams, and they have they've ever since the rankings came out, they've just, you know, beat the doors off of everybody they've played.

And they they they got last week, they they crushed Stanford, and then Alabama squeaked by an Iron Bowl win over Auburn. And then they decided to move Alabama, in front of Notre Dame. And so it's like, you don't get the reasons.

So there the I weeks ago, I would have been like, I feel really good about this situation. And this now they've, like, taken it all the way down to the wire where it's like, do these conference games matter?

And will teams move around based on the results? It's like this level of uncertainty. So I wish I could say that, yeah, they're going to be in it. But at this point, I I don't I don't have any idea.

And so I I feel very uncomfortable because I was trying to squeeze in, if at all possible, I was trying to squeeze in, a playoff game before, the baby comes in. And now that might not even be a reality.

So sorry for any Irish fans out there. I don't mean to be doom and gloom, but these these committee members have me a little concerned right now. Yeah. And yeah. College football, interesting time.

NIL, Lane Kiffin just bouncing before a playoff. Like, why how does that not, like, why not do that after the playoff? I haven't I don't understand. Like, they're not going anywhere. Oh, man. The Lane Kiffin of it all.

I feel like he's done this five times. It can be one thing he'd he has. And one thing that I feel like is being failed to talk about and maybe it's big picture verse in the moment now, and I can't get inside his head nor do I want to.

But, dude, Ole Miss is just having a season, and Ole Miss is a contender to win the national championship, whether you think they're quite on that level or not.

They're they're right there, and they've had this magical season. And then their coach just says, see you later. It's just like, I legitimately feel bad for those kids who have had this unreal season, and their leader just leaves them.

So although I'm not an SEC fan, I'm not an Ole Miss fan, I am, like, rooting for that group to, like like, rally together because that situation sucks.

Yeah. Yeah. That's good call. Maybe I'm a Ole Miss fan for this for this run. Join Eli, eat some Jersey Mike's, man. Wow. Yeah. Alright. 20 four is just a couple of more little things.

Can you guess the highest AV of a number 20 four, who the highest performing number 20 four of all time might be. I'm hoping that it's he's it's a member from the Hall of Fame list. Is that accurate? That is accurate.

I would say I'd say Champ Bailey. Yep. Champ Bailey. Okay. 12 time Pro Bowl, three time first team All Pro. 12 Pro Bowls is crazy. That's a long career. Plays insane. Play until he was 35 part of the infamous Clinton Portis trade.

Yeah. Great career. Three, the three first team All Pros in a row. I love that. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2006. He had 10 interceptions, Hundred and hundred and sixty two return yards.

And in 2005, he had eight interceptions. 18 picks in two years is kinda crazy. I wanna shout out my man, KRS Cards. Nobody has a better Champ Bailey collection than KRS Cards.

He's sitting on the twenty twelve Champ Bailey Black Finite one of one. I mean, just KRS Cards, go you wanna see a player collection that's so sick, go go check out his page. Another 24, Marshawn Lynch. Is Marshawn a hall of famer?

That's a that's a tough one. Man, running dude. So I've been I've been, like, you know, every year, they the these classes come back and they're the finalists. And, like, for me as a Colts fan, like, you've got Vinitieri.

You've got Robert Mathis. But Reggie Wayne is becoming the one. It's like, is he ever gonna make it? Then you go and you look at his, like, the that's analytics say that suggest he should be in the hall of fame.

So I, like, I feel like, Reggie Wayne, maybe it's an era thing, Reggie Wayne four receivers and Marshawn Lynch four running backs.

It feels like they're about at that same level that is like, they should be in the Hall of Fame, but it's like it it could be very close. That's kinda how I feel. Alright. I'm gonna give you a blind resume.

K. Marshawn Lynch's stats. Rushing yards, 10,413 career rushing yards, 85 rush touchdowns, 2,200 receiving yards, nine receiving touchdowns, versus someone who had 11,695 rush yards, 66 touchdowns, and 2,384 yards.

So this other player has more total scrimmage yards, less touchdowns.

Can you guess the other player? He played in your division. Arian Foster? Fred Taylor. Another running back waiting for the hall. Fred Taylor, yeah, with 14,000 career scrimmage yards, 74 touchdowns.

Like, I feel like the like you're saying, that running back and receiver backlog is very similar of, like, great players who just played in the same era and have, like, very, very similar stats are all kinda, like, clumped together.

I don't know if Marshawn is gonna get a nod because of the postseason success. I mean, I don't know if that matters. Like, he won a Super Bowl.

He has iconic playoff moments. I think Super Bowl matters, especially if you have impact in that. I I've always thought that that although I'm I'm not a Hall of Fame voter, but I feel like that that holds some weight.

Right. Like, Marshawn is such a more memorable player than Fred Taylor, and that's not to discredit or disrespect Fred Taylor.

It's just Fred Taylor, I don't think, ever jumped backwards into the end zone holding his nuts, like, after a crazy touchdown. Like, Marshawn did that several times.

How many seasons do both of them have comparatively? Fred Taylor played thirteen seasons, and Marshawn played for 12. Okay. Wow. And, yeah, Marshawn has the first team all pro in 2012 when he ran for 1,590 yards, 11 touchdowns.

Fred Taylor's best season would be looks like 2003. He ran for 1,572 yards. 1,900 scrimmage yards that year. Pretty good year. Never broke 2,000. Marshawn never broke 2,000, but couple of very good players.

I feel like Frank Gore is gonna be ahead of both of them. I think just from the like, he's third all time in rushing. I don't know how you would keep Frank Gore out. No. He's all Frank Gore is in, certainly.

Yeah. And then, I mean, and then you get in the the Sean Alexander, Priest Holmes crop where it's like they don't have the career stats, but they had some strong three, four, five years. So I don't know. It's interesting.

The receiver front, yeah, you got Steve Smith, who I feel like deserves to get in. That is just a card. Yeah. I I I was looking at Fred which there's another Fred Taylor out there, which complicates the card ladder search.

But the high the I think there's been a lot of private deals, but this Fred Taylor credentials, now is, I think, the highest selling card of his, according to Card Ladder, $2,200.

And we all know what the beast mode finite went for 2012 this year.

So a little bit of a gap in between publicly sold all time high cards between the two of these players. Yeah. That, what one what is that numbered out of? Did that say This one is out of, 60.

Okay. Yeah. He has I believe he has agreed PMG. Right? Or no. He's a rookie '98. He was a he's Manning's rookie year. So he has a gem masters. Yes. The the it seems to me that it's there's a strong Fred Taylor collector base.

There's a lot of Shout out PK. Gotta shout out PK's for sure. Shout out PK. There's a lot of big Fred Taylor collectors, and I gather just from talking with all of them.

Like, a lot there's collectors who stash a lot of this stuff. So I think, like, privately, the bigger cards are maybe being sold and sold for a lot more than $2,200.

But he's one of those players that definitely is, like, in the hearts and minds of a lot of football card collectors, because he's, like, the definition of the player that I feel, like, continues to live on through football cards.

But, wow, I'm I'm seeing what you're seeing, and I'm seeing Fred Cyclone Taylor. Yeah. The other Fred Taylor from He's Fred. A hockey player from 1910 sweet, Kaprow.

Dude, check out he looks like, like, about to kill somebody right now. Look at the gloves. He looks like he's literally about ready to grab a machete and just, like, cut somebody's head off. Wow. The real Fred Taylor. That is awesome.

Little vintage hockey talk. Who would have known? And what else on '24? Oh, Jeff Gordon. I said it I said it when we started the season. '24, Jeff Gordon. And so then I'm I'm like, let me look up because I've never followed racing.

Like, I mean, I know of it. I know the names, but I didn't, I went into it a little more because I'm like, how good was Jeff Gordon? And like, what, you know, what were his peak seasons?

He was dominant, man. He was dominant dominant and I may be ignorant here, but I didn't realize the crown jewel races were a thing. And, like, that's a major for, like, a NASCAR driver. Like, I was like, oh, see. Sweet.

They have, like, the equivalent of majors, like golf and tennis. This is makes it easy. And that Gordon has the most crown jewel wins. He's won 17, which again, I'm like, oh, nice comparable number to, like like, Tiger has 15 majors.

You know, tennis, those guys are up in the twenties, but I like I like seeing that Gordon's at the top of the list. He's won multiple grand slams, three career grand slams.

And then I'm like, alright. Well, what's Jeff Gordon's best card? So looked up on card ladder. Highest selling Jeff Gordon card of all time is this, what is it? Nineteen ninety three action packed Jeff Gordon one prototype PSA nine.

It's a pretty sweet looking card. If you guys ever get a chance to go, just look up Jeff Gordon, highest selling price. Cards sick. We're showing hockey cards and NASCAR cards here on the football. That is that is such a banger.

Wow. Yeah. And $10,000 that sold for. So, in last December. So that made me happy that there is, there are people searching for the rainbow warrior cards, and I'm just curious about, more Jeff Gordon cards.

So if you have a Jeff Gordon card, send it into the card call out. I'd love to see it. And that card's badass. Yeah. It's that's a very good card.

And, also, shout out when people talk about photography, everyone always reference stadium club. Shout out action packed. Like, if you're WWF collector back in the day, you had some action packed and always just a great card.

I I I felt I feel like if I open up my childhood closet, there's just, like, a U Haul box sitting in the corner, which is, like, stacks of action packed cards. Love it.

Alright. Good 24 talk. What about new releases? What's going on? Yeah. So I thought about, like, do we just start the Prism conversation this week? And, I was like, well, we'll hold off because, like, there's no new information out.

But let's talk about, rookies and stars. So let me make sure here it's still coming soon. I I can't I think okay. I don't have an exact date. It might be Dutch auction next week and release next week.

I I'm getting conflicting reports. Although, what I will say is that rookies and stars, when I saw this product drop and shout out, by the way, shout out Haystack for supporting the new release, segment here.

I was like, man, Rookies and Stars has been around forever. And so, like, I was, like, digging through trading card database, and I pulled up, like, nineteen ninety eight rookies and stars.

And it's a leaf product. So it's like one of those brands that has, like, transcended different manufacturers.

But, you know, I do what I do and go to inserts and related sets and instantly got pulled into the the crusade of it all. So you've got your, you know, crusade checklist out of 25.

And these cards, from a baseball perspective, are like, some of the grails people chase. They're not quite there in terms of football, though you can get a Manning. He's in a Tennessee jersey. But, like, I mean, look at this crusade.

You've got Favre, Marino, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Eddie George, Bledsoe, Aikman, Davis, Elway, Brunel, Rice, Stewart, McNair, Martin Young, Sanders, Owens, Anderson, Bettis, Carter Falk, Freeman, Levins, Garrison Hearst worked on Jake Plummer, Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, Fred Taylor, and Robert Edwards there bringing up the rear.

But, I mean, Robert Edwards, by the way, he was supposed to be something huge.

But that that is, like, that is the the checklist for the crusade. So I'm like, man, I always love it when you've got a product that just has, like, a huge lineage and legacy.

And I don't know. Like, that's appealing to me. It shows some, credibility. And so I was spending so much time, like, digging through trading card database and just going through all the years looking at the cards.

But, yeah, rookies and stars, man, been around for a little bit. Yeah. And I'm looking at the preview of this new one. Some of these inserts are sick. Some of the mock ups, like, I like the the thrillers and the airbornes.

The Puneet How about this card, which this is the first off the line exclusive, but it's like a cracked ice look, which, might allude to a card call out here in a little bit.

But here's a Travis Hunter. I mean, those cards look pretty cool. Yeah.

No. I think, who is it? Someone you've talked to on here before. His name is escaping me, but is a big champion of Panini inserts. Logo copy? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Panini is doing really cool things with some inserts in some of these sets.

Panini's going out with a bang. Shout out. Shout out. Shout out. Shout out. Shout out. Like, how are you feeling, by the way, about, like, I it's hard to, like, really, get into it because we're still waiting for Prism.

And the Prism, like, once that launches that, there's the lingering effect of new Prism that lasts longer than any other product. So it'll be with us for a while, but, like, how how are you absorbing, like, what's about to happen?

Yeah. What's your mindset? I don't know. I'm, like, I'm not at all excited for, like, fanatics cards. Neither am I. And that's no shade. I'm just not. Yeah.

I'm I feel like I mean, you more than I are a very focused prism collector, and I am too, though. Like, that's a big part of my collection and just I've become more and more interested in early Panini just as we're coming to an end.

I'm like, they were doing cool things in 2012, 2013, 2014 as they were figuring out, you know, what the scope of their offering looks like.

So that to me has been fun to explore, and I'm just more excited about that than new products. I'm also not normally a super current modern collector.

Like, I I just feel like I'm still gonna just be hunting Panini stuff once new Topps and FNAX releases are coming out, unless a certain FNAX product comes out that really speaks to me and has the right parallels to chase or the the right look, like, to because that's what it's gonna be to me is, like, if Topps releases a awesome looking set with a cool looking Caleb Williams card, I'll probably want to buy it.

But as of now, I'm more focused on kinda looking backwards. But what do you think?

You know, I it's been amazing the amount of people that have assumed in conversation that I was I was just going to be taking my talents to tops and fanatics, my collecting talents, taking it there and just replicating what I'm doing with Prism, which is not the case.

I will not be doing that. And it this is what it comes down to. And, like, I think about it a lot. I'm like, man, Topps Dynasty is sick.

That's a good looking set, and that'd be fun to have a football dynasty set. But, dude, I get wrapped up in this mode of, like, well, if I go do that, it takes money away from what I'm collecting now.

And that's where the conundrum happens. So for me as a collector, what I have feel like growth for me has been, like, don't just go chasing the brand new thing and just stick to your guns.

And I'm not saying I'm not gonna buy a Topps card here and there. And I'm not anti tops. I'm just saying I got a collection that I'm building, and tops isn't a part of it.

Why why just because of manufacturer changes, which I, as a collector, have absolutely no control over. It's happening. I'm just here. Why why why do I have to change my behavior because of that?

So that's the question that I'm asking. I will also say I'm cheering for tops because I feel like from a go to market strategy, they're doing a really good job of trying to open up people's eyes to cards, and that's fun.

But, yeah, I'm I'm I'm not going to be chasing what's new out of the gates. I'll be focusing on in on what I don't currently have, in the in my Prism run, and that'll be my focus going into 2026.

Yeah. I'm curious to see, will there be, like, a new flagship product, or is that going to be Topps Chrome? Is that so yeah.

And then I'm just curious about, like, parallel structures, all that. I don't know. But, like, again, the right card, I'll get. Like, seeing those those all Kings cards that they have in football and baseball, I think I've seen.

I'm like, those are sick. I would want one of those of my guy, but then also feel like they're super, super hyped up and maybe overpriced at this point.

I don't know. That's based on zero research. Please, everything we say on the football card podcast can not be held against us. We're just up here talking.

But, like, I I also think as Topps is releasing things for the first time, everything's gonna be super hyped and pumped up, which also makes me kinda want to if everyone's talking about a certain kinda card, it makes me not want that certain kinda card sometimes.

Due to Halliburton Kings, one of those cards popped up on eBay for, like, $3. 35. And I was like, this card looks sick.

And then I did the investigative reporting, and obviously, it's a new product. So there were the pop report, but I went into other, like, baseball sets and looking at, like, what's the Ohtani pop report look like?

And I all I did was open up the pop report, and I go, yep. This this isn't, interesting to me. And that, like, I'm like, at this price point with this many copies, and they're cool cards.

But, yeah, I I did the same same thing. Oh, yeah. This Haliburton is pretty sweet. But then is there, like, a parallel of it? Like, do they have a gold out of 10 or something?

It's too I shouldn't have to think about it. You know? It's like Yeah. I'm a simple man. Just give me a gold out of 10. It's so easy. That's the dude, that right there is going to be my biggest issue with all of this.

And there's some people that like yeah. I I can never give up the gold parallel. Like, I in my mind, like, people are like, why don't you just focus on, like, the one of ones?

I'm like, I'd love the gold parallels. They kick ass. And I I just dude, the the biggest disconnect I have is the out of 50 golds to the 10 gold.

I just it's the biggest problem I have. And, honestly, my my tenor of all of this might be completely flipped if the Michael Rubin came out and did a held a press conference, and he said, listen.

I've heard all the rumblings, and, you know, you you gold fanatics are really, really into these gold cards, and there's another manufacturer that's really got you juiced up about this.

And we listen to our customers, and this is what we're doing. We're changing the out of 50. We're changing it to 10, and we hope you find them in the packs you're ripping.

New product out Friday. Go rip them or buy into your break. Go visit your LCS. That I'd be like, okay. This guy's listening. So I That that disconnect, it's too much for me. It's like I feel like I'm entering a whole another world.

50 is way too many. I can't even hang. I love the golds, but I can't even hang with that. I'd almost rather have a whole new product that has, like, something out of 10 versus changing TOPSCHOM.

Because I do like the heritage of the Topps Chrome gold is out of 50. I like the idea of I could get a Caleb Williams out of 50 to match with, like, a Jay Cutler that I have out of 50, and they, like, feel the same.

But I'm not going like, that wouldn't be my main chase. That would be like, oh, this is fun for a binder thing. But, yeah, I would like to just see a new set that comes out that feels like prism.

Because even the even the gold shine in TOPS CHROME isn't the same as the Panini gold shine. Like, the they don't have the recipe. So figure out the recipe.

Do some you know, what's it what's it called when they, like, deconstruct like, how someone can, like, eat a certain type of food and then deconstruct it into, like, oh, it was they had a touch of cinnamon in here.

What like, need someone to do that with the gold shine. I'm still waiting on someone to do a deep comprehensive case study in the Panini Goldshine.

And what was going on in 2012, 2013, 2014? I feel like they just they found one batch, and then they had to, like, dilute it as the years went on to make it last.

But I envision they got it from a specific region in the world, and the supplies diminished. And so they had to go move over to a different region where it didn't have the same quality ingredients in the vat to shine.

And this is for any of you out there who haven't done this. And if you collect this stuff, you've gotta do this. And there's nothing more fun. And this is what makes me addicted to collecting how I collect this.

Go just take all the years and put them out. One parallel all the years and comparing and contrasting. Dude, the '23, like, that that gold is like a whole different shade, and it's like, what what were they thinking?

I mean, I don't hate it, but it's like, this is like a big decision to show up to the party with a whole new outfit. And it's just these little tweaks, from year in, year out.

I they they ran out. They ran out of their their gold bag. It's why is twenty twenty so shiny, though? Twenty twenty has the shine, more so than twenty nineteen. It is there is a definite spike in 2020 in the shine.

I I'm just thinking now of, like, a there will be blood parody with, like, they Michael Rubin came in and sucked the gold shine out from under Panini, and that's why these last years have been not as shiny because, Rubin drank his milkshake, and the the golden tops is gonna be amazing.

But it's the golden tops isn't looking amazing. Like, where did all the gold shine go?

So I'm going to say that there is a hobby startup that is well funded by the likes of people that won't be named that, siphoning all of the shine from the manufacturers, and they hit the source, and they're taking it all from us and holding it hostage.

Yes. I need to see into this process of, like, how is that even determined?

Is it the yellow that's printed, or is it and then, like, a gloss that goes over it? Or is like, where how what makes a card shine? We gotta figure it out. We'll get to the bottom of it.

Maybe that's in the off season. We just do a full investigative reporting. We go to the factories. We go to the wells. Takes us deep into somewhere in Texas where they're just some mine down there pumping gold shine.

We'll figure it out for you all, the loyal listeners of the Footballcard podcast. If you have any leads or information, you don't need to identify yourself.

We will keep your unlike some hobby companies that come one day and then disintegrate the next day and take all your public information and private private information and make it public, we will not do that.

We respect our sources. So give us any leads, and you can message us at the football card pod on Instagram.

And, we will use that information as we prepare for this big research and development phase, where we get you the answers you want on, the gold side and what makes cards shine the way they do.

Yes. Please. If any any leads on anyone working at Panini 2012, 2013 era, and then while we're at it, anyone working at tops in the finest department in 2002, I have questions.

I'm and I've run dry on getting answers. So please reach out at the Football Card pod.

Alright. MarketWatch? Yes. MarketWatch. I will keep this bit rolling for one second. I did not pull up any Snipe auctions this week for Market Watch, so we we will not be reporting on Snipe results.

But I do have some cool football cards to talk about. And although Matthew Stafford dude, any given Sunday with the Panthers beating the Rams?

Is that Love it. But unreal. Yeah. We got a Matthew Stafford banger, 2009 playoff national treasures, Matthew Stafford signature material, gold RPA, PSA 10.

This thing sold for 17,500 on eBay on November 28. You know, Matt, the o nine Stafford is like I feel like an o nine rookie class is just an interesting year in cards in general.

And it's interesting in a way because it's not simple. And I think because it's not simple, it's so hard for me as a collector to, like, identify, like, those key rookie cards.

And we've talked about Stafford and how highly we think of him. And I think you and I both agree that, you know, eventually, Canton is in his future, and he's having a really good season.

But, yeah, I mean, like, with a card like this or a player like Stafford in a year like o nine, like, what what goes on in your head when you see something like this?

Yeah. This is a sweet card. I actually Stafford reminds me of my early hobby forays. I bought a TOPSCHOM, his TOPSCHOM o nine refractor PSA 10. I spent, like, $2,000 on it.

Like, before You're kidding me. Before they won the Super Bowl. Because I was like this was in my I was trying to invest for flip. I was like playing the game. I was like, I think the Rams with Stafford are gonna win a Super Bowl.

I'm gonna go big on a big Stafford card. You were right. And they won the Super Bowl and the price plummeted. Everyone was selling their Stafford stuff. And I was like, what just happened?

I literally thought I was putting a future on this guy to win the Super Bowl and to profit from it. The thing happened the way I thought it would, and I ended up selling it for, like, a thousand dollars.

That card eventually bottomed out at, like, $203,100. It just recently sold again for 1,200. So I What's the top on that card? I think it was, like actually, I think it was, like, 90 something.

Okay. Which has grown, I believe, a bunch since then. But I don't know. O nine Stafford just always brings me back to that time in the hobby where, I was buying You learned something.

I I was learning a lesson, was buying Stafford and, who I bought some I can't even think of it. Saddiq Bey. I was like, oh, Saddiq Bey is gonna be sick.

I was like, buying Saddiq Bey one and one one and one RPAs. Like, yep. This is this is what I should be doing. But that that is a cool card, and I like the on card auto. I feel like a lot of his stuff is horizontal from Mhmm.

National Treasures this year and Exquisite this year, which is, personally, for me, is not my favorite. But, I am seeing under his top sales, his o nine super has sold a couple times and, in 2022 and then again in '23.

Yeah. See, it sold in 2022, March 2022 for $54,000 on golden, his o nine super factor, and then it sold again in January '23.

So I believe that's, like, right after the Super Bowl or maybe just a different season, but it sold again for $15,600 just a couple months later.

Dude, I feel like that's a great whoever bought that card, that's a that's a great purchase.

Yeah. January '23. It's an awesome looking card. I like his tops chrome. He's throwing. It's just a yeah. If you hit just Stafford, highest price, you'll see it.

Okay. Yeah. We're doing some, Stafford Superfractor. Doing some on the car on the fly. Oh, yeah, dude. This Well, that's the Bowman. I like the tops. They're both great cards. Dude, that card is incredible.

Yeah. And so that sold for 15 in January '23. Holy cow. It went from 54 to 50 who whoever is sitting on this Stafford Superfractor, this is one of the best purchases I have. A $15. 06 is a lot of money, but Oh, yeah.

For this is his best card. Yeah. I would say so. And if I'm just saying $10. 05 years from now, you ask me, like, how much is Matthew Stafford's best card for? It just, like, it just feels like it should be valued more than $15.

06. Yeah. And then a couple days later on eBay, his twenty ten finest super factor sold for $270. That's $2. 70? 270. Just Oh my god. What are we doing with everybody? That the p yeah. It's just crazy, like, the expectation.

Like, he had, by that point, I believe, won a Super Bowl, but it was like he didn't go back to back so people were and even in that Super Bowl run, he didn't win Super Bowl MVP. That was a knock. I remember that being, wow.

This this Michael Penix junior, National Treasure Shields, gold vinyl mashup autograph sold for $53,000. So you you can either get this Michael Pennix junior that's like a conglomeration of every different element possible.

Looks like someone just walked into the office and just dumped everything on the table and made a card, or you can have got a Matthew Stafford super fracture. Jennette, mind you, for $15,000.

Yeah. I it's I gotta take it off the screen, dude. Yeah. Get it. It's like the toys in Toy Story that Sid puts together. I'm just like all the different brands. Oh. What other cards we got? Yeah. Dude, this one's sick. So Awesome. Yeah.

I thought that I was this this is one that I saw in the save searches, and I instantly hit favorite on it because I was just so curious what this card was favorite on it because I was just so curious what this card was gonna end on in that.

And this is a '23 Jameer Gibbs Gold Vinyl rookie p s eight ten.

This sold, VR Good Friends at DC Sports eighty seven for $4,051. Dude, if, like I'm trying to place myself in that two we got two Lions cards, by the way. Sorry, about All good.

Okay. Good. The this is one of those cards I put myself in the shoes of a lions collector. If this were Colts and, like, Jamir Gibbs was, like, on the Colts and this was that, dude, I I would have gone crazy trying to get this card.

It just has, like, all the elements to me, and to be a PSA 10 too is super cool. So, yeah, dude. Jamir Gibbs rules. This card's awesome. Gibbs is so good. Before I started collecting Bijan, I was thinking about Gibbs.

But like you were saying, I was like, I can't collect a guy from the division. And and I just wasn't I was like, I think Bijan's, like, the more sturdy, like, long term guy. I don't know.

Like, I don't know if that's accurate or makes sense, but I just felt better about Bijan. But then you look at Gibbs's stats are unreal. So Gibbs has played 44 games total in his career. He has 4,600 scrimmage yards and 44 touchdowns.

So in three seasons, he's averaging a 100 yards and a touchdown for three straight years to start a career. That's nuts, man. Two pro bowls already. So he's just he's electric. Awesome running back. This is awesome card. Yeah, dude.

This is such a good card. Alright. We're moving over to a 97 metal universe. I love how this card was it's like propped up on a bed or something. It looks like you've got 97 Metal Universe John Elway PMG red out of one fifty PSA nine.

This thing was an eBay sale too. It sold for $47,500. Ain't a green. It's a red. And I looked at the pop. It is a pop too. So it I I think, like, the grade, obviously, on with a iconic parallel like this certainly matters.

And it's it's very been it's been very interesting to me as a non nineties collector to view the price of PMG specifically where there's there's a lot of not tons of copies, but more a lot of copies and understanding the price fluctuation by grade.

It it the way it feels like it's playing out, it it it just every time I see it, it reminds me so much of, like, what you see on the vintage side.

Now the vintage, obviously, there's more copies, but, like, collectors that they said it they said these parallels are so popular. Elway is so popular. He's like a he would I don't know.

If you put the checklist out, he's he's top 15 of definitely of this of these parallels, I would say. But the the values are crazy what people are paying for for, like, a PSA nine when it's there's only two copies.

And I think there's just a strong desire, especially with PMGs, to get the highest grade possible. And it's been interesting digging in through card ladder to see that and that this is an example of that.

Yeah. That I was blown away when I saw the price, $47,000 for a red, but, like, it's because it's a nine. But, yeah, as on the photo front, little card photo tip, just take off the plastic on the outside.

He's got a he's got the plastic around the slab. Yes. That's step one. Like, for all those who are asking about taking pictures of cards, the more plastic you can remove, the better.

So, also, if you have a card in a one touch, just take off the top and then take the picture with the card still just sitting in there.

It'll look great. I'm just telling you. The more chances of light refracting that you can remove, the better, the less glare.

And I love that longer you look at it, you can see start to see his fingers in the in the reflection. But, yeah. Also, like, don't take pictures with your toes in it.

That's another hobby. That's one hobby pet peeve. I hate seeing toes in my IG stories or in my feeds. Get those toes out of here. And if you're if you're if you're going these are great tips.

Great advice for all you, aspiring hobby photographers out there. The the final note for me on this is back to the bed, and I'm just going to assume this is the bed and it's leaning up against the wall.

If you're gonna take a photo with the John Elway PMG red on the bed, at least make the bed. It just looks like the sheets are crumbled.

But you know what? The the the seller of this is just laughing at our in our faces because the seller just got $47,000 for taking the photo how however they wanted to, you know. Just chucking it on the bed and snapping a pic.

I know what I've got. I love plastic on it. That that picture is the definition of I know what I've got. Shout out to all you I know what you got sellers on eBay. You gave us a little bit to talk about.

We are moving over Eric Dickerson, 84 tops that sold on fanatics. $5,160. I've been doing some running back, stats looking and looking at, Eric Dickerson more specifically because of, you know, the Colts.

You've got Dickerson, Fulk, Edge, and Taylor, which that's a pretty good, like, four guys just through the history of the franchise. And, obviously, this is rookie, so he's on the Rams here.

Just an awesome he's got the Rex Specs on. But this this card, is a population one forty three, and it's still sold for $5,000. And this will never be a world that I'm going to play in where there's so many copies of this.

But I know there are people out there who do collect this stuff like this, and the card itself is just it looks so cool, and it looks so this Aaron Mhmm.

Dickerson's look is, like, so defining, and he's just a beast. But, yeah, I thought this was a cool sale to talk about. Obviously, 84 top set is a is a big one, in football.

So many guys in that set. But, yeah, cool card. That I saw that, and my gut was like, I want that. Like, it just something in me was like, yes. That it I love how it looks. I love that it's a 10.

Dickerson stats, he has unreal stats. You wanna talk about starting a career, his rookie year running for 1,800 yards, 18 touchdowns, and then his second year running for an NFL record 2,105 yards, the record that still stands.

What's the one season with he had he like, what's his biggest season with the Colts?

Colts. So in '88, he he had 1,659 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns, another 300 some receiving. So he had he broke 2,000 scrimmage yards, 15 touchdowns, first team all pro with the Colts in '88.

And then '89, 1,500 scrimmage yards, eight touchdowns made a Pro Bowl. And then after that, kinda 800 yards a season for the next couple years. And but career, 15,396 rushing yards, 96 touchdowns. Just a beast. Dude, so Yeah.

And the Then it feel like he gets kinda lost in the running back shuffle even though his credit I know he's a hall of famer, but it just I don't know any Dickerson collectors, you know, it just feels like he's not I don't know if it's because he played for multiple teams or what.

Right. I don't know because that's a good call.

Like, when the debates come up, it's always like Emmett, Barry, Peyton. Dickerson's kinda right there. I mean, maybe it's the engine Brown. I guess Jim Brown's right there. Jim Brown, he just played so long ago.

It's hard to put him for me in the same class when I can watch highlights of all these other guys. But, yeah, I don't know. Dickerson, I think, does get a little disrespected, but that's an awesome card.

Last one on the list. Get your popcorn ready. We've got an o six Bowman Chrome Terrell Owens red refractor out of five selling for $1,680. O six chrome, we've talked about how cool these cards are.

There seems to be an appetite and desire for the reds out of five. Tio, on the Cowboys in this, which is, such a pivotal era of Tio, cool card. What do you say? I would I cannot believe that card is that much money.

$1,600. I was like, this is like a $100 card, I thought. And then I went back and looked, and it sold in August for $1,500. But the same card sold or same grade sold July 2023 for a $111.

So in two years, this 50 next. Competition for the reds, it feels like, in the Bowman community is my observation. Yeah. I mean, they're sharp looking cards, o six especially.

But, like, I don't know. A box of this stuff for, like, dude, it was so this is the box that when I was in the my first Dallas card show, Josh Johnson and I just bought a bunch of boxes and ripped it.

And it was like, we could justify the fact of buying these boxes because they were so cheap.

Yeah. And, like, the super factors this year, those look incredible. It's a great year of Bowman Chrome. I've always wanted a Priest Holmes o six red. This Trello and sale is now, like Good luck.

Like, if a Priest pops up, I'm, like, I because I thought it would be a $150 card because I was like, oh, that's what these sell for, but I hadn't really looked into it over the last couple years.

They have definitely, seen an increase in interest. But, I mean, I get it. Shiny, nice cards, good clean border. Like, that's what that's all I want. What what do you, when you think about t o, maybe we've talked about I don't know.

But what who's the t who's the team? Who do you think of? I think Niners. Yeah. It's hard not to do the Niners, but then, like, his Eagles run was just electric.

And then the cowboy like, t o had such a strong career. Like, I miss I miss the diva receivers. They're I feel like they're not AJ Brown's doing a pretty good job right this year.

Yeah. But I feel like it's, like, so passive or it's, like, kinda subtle. It's, like, a lot of, like, sub tweets and stuff. It's not, I'm a do crunches in my driveway and talk some shit on camera. Like, that's the diva I want.

And, like yeah. That Chad Johnson, Trello and Randy Moss era where they were all doing and I'm a throw Joe Horn in there. Just like crazy antics after touchdowns. Just great great era of the NFL. Shout out card ladder.

That was fun. Good, batch of, cards to talk about this week. Yeah. Should we talk a little NFL? Oh, yes. Why don't you lead because you're you're happy right now? So why don't you get into your by the way, I watched the game.

I watched the whole game. And, my takeaway, I think I texted you this. I texted a few Bears fans in my network. Just felt like the Bears walked into that game not expecting to lose.

And I think that I give credit to Ben Johnson because they just came out, and they're like, we're gonna win this game. And that they just looked confident the entire game. Yeah. That is yeah. That was amazing to watch.

Honestly, a little frustrating at times. They should have beat him worse. Like, they let the Eagles hang around too much for my liking. But Ben Johnson changed my life. Ben Johnson saved my life. I mean, it's it just feels different.

It feels like a Kurt Cignetti situation where it's like, oh, this guy came in and is just, like, completely changing how this football organization thinks about themselves and how they're running this program.

I mean, granted, though, there are a lot of parallels to, like, this bear season and the 2018 season.

Matt Nagy's first season with the bears where they went twelve and four. The offense was exciting, all these trick plays, and then the double doink happens, and that team fizzled out by 2020 and was dead.

So I'm not getting too ahead of myself. And I know I said that if they went into Philly and beat the Eagles, I would be delusional.

But now it's Packers week. Like, I can't I be delusional, man. Not for, like, If a win in Green Bay, though, with the a win in Green Bay this week truly makes, like, first seed in the NFC, like, a possibility.

Because if they go into Lambo and win that game, they have a nice cushion on NFC North, and then they're coming back to Chicago to play the Browns, which should be a win.

And then you get the Packers at home again, which if you had beat them in Lambo, you hope that you could sweep them, beat them at home, and kinda lock up the division potentially.

I'm getting very far ahead of myself there. Let me run this by you, and this is my mindset as as I'm entering this stretch here.

When you are playing a divisional rival and you've got, like, two two games ahead of you, and the divisional rival isn't the doormat, is it like I have felt like the mindset to go into those battles are you're you you gotta like, a split.

Like, it like, you're splitting those games.

Like, that that's just like especially with a team that's like even if they're not quite as good as your team or just slowly under, it's just it is so hard to be a good divisional foe two times in one season.

Yes. And at Green Bay, this I'm fine if the Bears lose. Like, this I'm already we're ahead of schedule than what I thought.

Like, they're nine and three. If they lose this game at Green Bay, they're nine and four. And like I said, you go home and play the Browns, and then you get your redemption shot against the Packers at home.

And so it's the season is by no means over if they lose this game. And before this get stretch of eight games to end the season when they were six and three, I was like, just go four and four over the last eight.

You win 10 games, like, you might get in. They've gone three and o so far in that stretch of eight.

So I would love to see them go three and two, you know, over the last five, finish with 12 wins that should get them in. I don't know if it would get the division, but it was that and, like, it's not all on Caleb.

I know Caleb had the bad interception in the game and his, but it's, like, rough conditions. I think he's fine. That was only his fourth or only his fifth interception this season.

He's not taking sacks like he used to. He's running the offense, making big plays when he has to. That throw to commit, the touchdown was insane. It was such a sick throw.

It's like and I could care less about completion percentage. I feel like completion percentage has been getting a lot of a lot of talk over these last few months because people don't like that Caleb's is so low.

I think he's at Doesn't matter if you're winning. Doesn't matter if you're winning. And, like, just a couple fun little stats for you. Dan Marino, first team all pro in 1985, legendary season.

Completion percentage, 59. Joe Montana, though. Joe Montana, he was an accurate guy. He won MVP in 1990. Completion percentage, 61. What about Brett Favre? Everyone loves Brett Favre.

Back to back MVPs in '96, '97. Completion percentage those years, 59 and '59. Caleb's a gunslinger. I don't care about completion percentage. He's not, like, throwing terrible picks. He's not having like, he's not losing games.

He's doing fine. There's room to grow. The run game is sick. Ben Johnson's a genius. Like, they just came in they went into Philly and beat the shit out of them. It was awesome. It was very exciting.

I don't know. I don't know where it's gonna go, how long this can last. This Green Bay game is huge. I just ask be competitive. Don't get embarrassed, and try and win the game. If you win the game, it would be it would be awesome.

So, yeah, it's been a fun season. I was at my house. A couple people started messaging me. They're like, you're you gotta be home. Right? I was like, I sure am because they're nine and o now when I've watched at my house.

I don't think I can watch anywhere else for the rest of the season. So, yeah, this Sunday, 04/25 against the Packers, and then the second Packers game got flexed to Sunday night football. So got some big ones coming up.

Just three and two. Go three and two in this last five is is what I'm that's what I'm asking for. So we'll see. And my how the the tides have turned. But as we've seen, it's just a week to week thing in two weeks.

Colts string together a couple wins, and we'll be feeling totally different. But how are how are you what's the status over at Stacking Slabs HQ right now? Yeah. It's, I have removed myself from any NFL media and content this week.

I don't need to hear the speculation and all this. It it had the last two games, it it's just not been fun. But, also, the the ride the ride you're on as a fan is a rare one no matter how good the team is.

And so it's just enjoy it. I was on a similar one earlier this year, and now I'm off of it. And, like, I feel like you're I'm taking my lumps now, and I'm hoping that it turns around.

It, the unfortunate part is we're we're going to Jacksonville, which we haven't been able to win in Jacksonville in ages. And the Jaguars are right there with us.

Same record in the division. So it's a massive game on Sunday. It was a weird it's yeah. It was so it was a weird one this past week where you look at everything and you're like, how did we lose this game?

Like, the the pass rushers didn't crush us. Like, Daniel Jones made plays. And I was been told by my lawyers to not complain about the referees because I'm not a referee complainer.

But when you got 70,000 people yelling refs, you suck throughout the game. The the officiating in the NFL has been absolute dog shit, and it's not just my team across the league this year.

So many inconsistencies and literally, in winning time, you call a phantom pass interference on Kenny Moore that literally changed the outcome of the game.

Third down, you call that play. I'm not supposed to be talking about the refs, but I am. So frustrating and, you know, you get calls as a fan.

You don't don't get calls. But this past Sunday, man, it just felt like we got job done a couple that really changed the outlook. Now regardless, you should win games at home and overcome those things.

But, yeah, it was it was tough. So I am I'm trying not to think about my team. I'm and and then you knew you know it wasn't a good one where you're looking, you're like, is that sauce?

And you're like, fuck. And he's not even moving. You're like, well, he's out for the year. Luckily, he's got a calf strain, but, like, non contact.

It's like, Jesus. So just never felt like that game got on the tracks. So, dude, I'm I'm you're you've got these feelings and emotions that take over. And for me, it's like, I'm preparing myself for what if this just all goes downhill?

And then the ramifications of that. I'm, like, trying not to get myself to that point. But the punch line is being an NFL fan is so tough, and I'm dealing with some pain right now.

And the elixir to help remedy the situation is a win in Duval County, and, we haven't been able to do that. So we gotta overcome some odds, but, man, I'm ready to get back on the tracks.

I need a win. I'm, like, theming right now. Just win, baby. Just win. It changes everything. The refs, though, yes. Terrible. I need to look because there's one specific crew that's, like, rating very badly.

The bears when the bears played, I think, it was the commander's game, there were four different third down stops that the bears made that then got extended by a penalty.

And at that time, I was saying, like, that's the same as a turnover.

You go from we're getting the ball back to now they have a new set of downs. So I feel for you on that many more play, like, such a momentum swing to go from getting the ball back to first down.

And yeah. Like you said, this when there's a ride like this, I'm just gonna enjoy it. Like, I don't care what the haters and doubters are saying about the Bears and Caleb Williams' 60 completion percentage.

It's like, oh, so he's I can't enjoy this because he's missing one out of 10 throws compared to Drake May. Drake May is making seven out of 10, and Caleb's only making six out of 10.

Like, I'm not supposed to be happy that this team's nine three because of that. Like, don't care. I'm I'm I'm way happier this week by selecting to not engage in NFL media or conversation about teams.

It it none of it matters and none of it does anything for you. And it's like, we wanna be a part of it when our team is winning because there's the articles and podcasts and everything is glowing.

But, like, generally, there's always going to be this negative sentiment that's going to try to bring you down.

So, like, I'll tell you what, like, I I feel like by getting out of the content routine this week with my team, I I feel like I'm in a pretty good place right now. That's good. That's the that blinders on. That's that's what you need.

And then an another NFL narrative, it's, oh, the bears haven't played anyone. The patriots haven't played anyone. The broncos haven't played anyone. Like, that those are tossed around to, explain those teams and their good records.

But it's like, what teams are good? If everyone's playing if everyone's only playing bad teams, who are the good teams even? So it's like you said, any given Sunday, anything can happen.

When the Bears dropped 47 on the Bengals, everyone was like, Bengals worst defense of all time, like, that's whatever. And then the Bengals hold Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 14 points.

It's like, these are still good NFL teams. Like, a win is a win. I don't know. I'm loving watching football, though. I'm rooting for the Colts too. Go into Jacksonville. Get that done.

And I need Jonathan Taylor to put up some points. I feel like we put a hex on ourselves by talking too much about Fred Taylor. That's gotta be the end of I'm I'm blaming the I'm blaming the Football Card podcast if we lose this week.

No. You'll be fine. Any other NFL takeaways? No. No more. No more for me. Yeah. My only thing is, well, two things. Falcons my Falcons, my second team.

Just I want them to figure it out so bad, and I just don't think they ever will. That is a a tough tough org. And then Drake May. I think Drake May is legit. The Patriots are they look pretty pretty good.

I I can't disagree with you on that one. Yeah. So excited. I can't believe only five games left in the season. It disappeared fast. Alright. Let's just get to some collecting updates real quick, and we'll get on out of here.

Any, what are the current collecting projects that you're focusing your resources on? Anything on your end? You know, last week, I shared an acquisition that I decided to talk about before I had in hand.

And this week, I had an acquisition, but I'm not sharing to talk about it because there are few different dynamics in place. But I will say, I had to make the most intense decision I've made all year.

It the opportunity popped up, organically and unexpectedly, and I definitely paid the most money for a card, all year. They just it literally just happened. It was not on a marketplace.

It was nowhere to be found. And there is a whole story to this. And once this card is in my possession, I'm ready to talk about it. I will share the whole story. But it is, I talk a lot about, like, my casino lot, Andrew Luck deal.

This one is, like, I didn't like, this wasn't in person, but there was so much that went into this communication, building relationships, all bringing in resource, all this stuff that went into this deal.

And I am just so excited about this. This this the card that I am getting was a card that is the type of card for me that is a do whatever you have to do, and give up whatever you have to get up to make sure you secure that this card.

So wasn't expecting it. There was no build up anticipation or hype.

The card just popped up somewhere. And thank you to everyone who knows what I like to collect, for sending me a message about it. And, yeah, the rest is history. So I'll fill in more details when I'm ready.

But, yeah, it was a massive week for me in my collection. I cannot wait to discuss whatever this card is. Do you do you know when you're getting in hand any sort of ETA there or still still a process?

Well, I'll so, use funding service. Shout out Wharf. My my cards that I have given up to fund this card. Literally, I'm a send them out instantly.

So I like lit rip the Band Aid off, got a box, send it away. And so I'm thinking those cards should be maybe put up for auction, maybe in a week. The yeah. I I don't know when I'm going to get the card exact.

There's that that's kinda why I don't wanna talk about it. There's still, like Yep. Yep. You know, the whole There's still a little deal. There's still a little bit going on, but I'm hoping that it lands.

I feel like I've done my part of this. I've I've literally put and and the other the other factor of this, there was a major event happening in this person's life to give up this card, and I'll explain that more later.

And then on top of this, this is right during Thanksgiving.

Like, the night before Thanksgiving into thanks like, this was like a three day, like, we're and we're not talking about just Instagram. We're talking about, Facebook Messenger.

There's all these dude, it was I lit like, I feel like I had to work for this, and that it was just a good reminder, like, when a card pops up that is so phenomenal, like, it's you'd get you don't just show up and get it.

It it takes some work. And I I talk a lot about this, but just like the importance of communication, like, there was many times in the getting to know you phase with this individual who I bought it for. We didn't know each other.

Mhmm. And there was a lot of common ground by just talking about our lives and our situations. And so often, we treat this hobby as a transact transaction because marketplaces, live selling, breaking, everything is build up.

Transaction, transaction, transaction. But it was, like, another reminder of, like, dude, it's, like, building the relationships and, like, putting in the time and the work, like, always, for me at least, always pays off bigger.

And in the end and I'm always trying to be mindful of it. So yeah. Except exceptional situation. I'm not sure that what I just went through will ever be replicated.

But, the and and I will also share when the time is right. Like, this is it's taking tremendous sacrifice for me, in terms of giving up, one card in particular that I've had for a long, long time.

And it was time to say goodbye, but it it just it you ask you soul search, and you ask yourself some questions.

So, more to come on that, but I've felt like, well, we'll preview it here. And then when it's time for the story time, it'll be another piece of content for everybody.

Wow. Great tease. I am I am hype. I'm ready to find out more about this. We'll hopefully, yep, the final dominoes fall. I know that it's like until you have it in hand, you don't wanna. Yes. So I wanna rock the boat.

No. Nothing big on my end. I did make a couple irresponsible bears purchases after the Eagles game. A couple of cards that I was, like, had been thinking about, and then, like, a game like that happens, and it's jubilation all around.

Let's let's go get them, throw out some offers, wake up the next day. Oh, that that that one was accepted, and that counter is not too bad.

Okay. Let's just let's just go ahead and do this. So, yeah, that's it. Over here, card call out time. Last week, we asked to see deals, Black Friday deals. There were some great ones out there. This week, episode 24 season two finale.

We got a lot of I'm looking at my window. There's a lot of snow out here in Indianapolis. Right? There's a lot of ice out here, in the Midwest, but we wanna see that in the feeds. So let's see some icy cards, cracked ice.

I'm sure there's other, like, icy cards. Atomic refractors. Yeah. Like crystal crystals, ice, snowflakes. And we could maybe even open it up to, like, snow globes. The snow globe insert's a kinda cool one.

I I would the committee would review a snowball snow globe submission and possibly award points. I don't know. So, but, yes, icy cards, whatever that might mean to you, cracked ice atomic, that sort of thing.

Tag the football card pod on Instagram. Post it in your stories. We will reshare. Follow the football card pod on Instagram, and thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.