While enjoying the absolutely frigid temperatures here in lovely Wisconsin, I snuggled under some blankets and watched college hoops last night. Though limited in scope, I observed a few things that I found rather alarming.

First, I'll give you a little background, so you don't think I have an inflated ego about my athletic prowess. I'm short, 5'6" short, and my basketball skills were never much and they've gotten worse with age. That said, I can shoot a left-handed layup and I know the basic principles to breaking a full-court press.

Sadly, it seems some of today's college players can grasp neither.

I watched one game where a player made a steal, drove the length of the floor dribbling left-handed and when it came to finish, shot right-handed - right into the defender who blocked the layup attempt. If he would have simply used his left hand, he would have gotten the "hoop and the foul." Easy.

These guys play basketball all day every day. If I can shoot a left-handed contested layup by practicing drills in my old, musty basement at age 12, they should be able to master this simple concept.

And now to breaking a full-court press. One of the main "rules" in attempting to break a press is to not dribble all that often, and when you do, stay out of the corners where you can get trapped.

Someone explain that to the Wisconsin Badgers, who blew a late lead (sizable at that) because their guards loved to bring the ball into the corner (on the opposing end, mind you) and then either have to call a timeout or throw the ball up in the air near half-court for anyone to grab. It was embarrassing to watch for them.

For a Bo Ryan squad, which usually does the fundamentals correctly with the limited talent he recruits, it was unusual. I hope they learn from it or that's all they're going to see from opponents for the rest of the year.

What does this have to do with collecting? Not much. However, Ralph Sampson III plays for Minnesota. He's like 6'10" and only a freshman, so it might be fun to watch his progress down the road - though keeping up with his dad might be difficult.  

The latest insert idea in trading cards takes on a prehistoric feel with Upper Deck announcing that it will include artifacts from dinosaur teeth and bones in an upcoming product.

That upcoming product would be 2008-09 Champs Hockey. So as Joe Clemens so nicely put it in the Tuff Stuff forum, "I can see it now, archaeologists sniping hockey collectors on ebay for Dinosaur teeth inserts!!"

Here's the story:

Upper Deck has dug deep to procure a variety of bones from ancient dinosaurs for inclusion in its upcoming 2008-09 Champ’s Hockey set.
 
These unique finds are currently being cut so they can be embedded onto trading cards in the set. The larger bones from creatures like the Woolly Mammoth and Woolly Rhinoceros will likely yield enough bones to make at least 100 cards, but cards that feature teeth will be much rarer.
 
“We didn’t want to ruin the feeling that you were actually getting a tooth by cutting them up too much,” said Matt Bromley, Upper Deck’s associate hockey brand manager. “But they were too thick to just include them whole. We moved ahead with cutting them vertically in half so now there will be two copies for each of these unique cards.”
 
Collectors may find tooth cards of ancient dinosaurs like the Spinosaurus, Pterosaur and the Tyrannosaurus Rex in 2008-09 Champ’s Hockey.
 
“The 2008-09 Champ’s Hockey product is a perfect vessel to deliver something truly unique like this to the hobby,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck hockey brand manager. “When we saw these pieces coming in, everybody was in awe. The inclusion of these cards in this hockey release helps bring the Ice Age to the ice.”
 
Collectors can sink their teeth into 2008-09 Champ’s Hockey when it hits shelves in mid-March.

I know hockey players lose a lot of teeth, but the dinosaur versions aren't made for humans.

I guess I could better see this in a Americana set of some variety, but the fact it's in a hockey set made me chuckle a little.

The Hall Call came once again in baseball, and the winners are Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice.

The Rickey call was easy, as he once was one of the most feared players in the league for quite some time, and it wasn't because he hit home runs all of the time or for his penchant to fight. Rickey (I'll refer to him in the first name because this is how he often referred to himself) was a beast on the basepaths and one of the best leadoff batters ever. Imagine this: He stole more than 100 bases in a season on three occasions. Some fans (and fantasy players), are amazed today when a player hits 50 SBs.

To me, Rickey is best known for setting the all-time stolen base record and immediately proclaiming himself the "greatest." While, yes, he now held the SB title, I'm not a big fan of the ego that was involved with that statement. But he definitely belongs in the Hall.

Jim Rice was the other lucky entrant, getting just enough votes on his final try into the Hall. The 1978 MVP certainly had some great years in his career, but he doesn't necessarily stand out among the greatest to ever play the game. Hence, the long time trying to get in, I guess.

I didn't watch much of Rice, as I got into baseball during the tail-end of his career. My best reference to him is the 1987 RBI Baseball game from Nintendo (that Boston team was good!). The argument, of course, is if he gets in, where is Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy and a few others?

I'm not sure, and I don't know the HOF's criteria for who gets in and who doesn't. Rice didn't reach the automatic milestones (3,000 hits, 500 HRs, etc.) but you could say for the number of years he played, he was among the best.

The Rice debate gets heated every year, so I'll be interested in hearing from the Rice lovers and haters when it comes to HOF status.  

By now most of you must have heard about the woman in California who found a card from the 1860s in a box of antiques.

In case you haven't, here's the link from Yahoo!

This lady does a lot of selling of stuff, as she buys estate lots. Well, having some history in antiques, don't you think she might of had some idea of its worth before being mobbed on eBay? 

A little research goes a long way.

Just a little Saturday light reading....

While out of the office for a couple of days, I ran across this bit of news circulating around the offices:

The increasing number of collectible products that incorporate game-used dirt from major league parks is the subject of a piece in the current issue of Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.

Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports, is quoted as saying items featuring game-used dirt account for more than 25 percent of his company’s business since the closing of Yankee Stadium (Steiner offers items with dirt from Yankee Stadium and a handful of other MLB parks).

Benny Greenberg, director of sales and marketing for Highland Mint, said that game-used dirt is “an inexpensive way to deliver game-used memorabilia, and that is what’s been driving the market for at least a decade.”

Colin Hagen, VP of hard goods for MLB Properties, said the league has been authenticating dirt from all of its parks for about five years.

Steiner is also quoted in the story as saying the company will soon offer portions of turf from the old Yankee Stadium.
I don't get this and never will (and this coming from a guy with a brick from the old County Stadium). Dirt, really? the Packers offered turn and dirt from Lambeau Field when it was renovated and people bought it like it was the latest gadget needed to turn on the TV.

Having a pile of dirt in a vile or in a framed display just seems silly. Where is the nostalgia in that. If you were to dump it in the driveway, you wouldn't be able to differentiate it from anything else. That's collectible? Can you grow your own stadium from it? Does it regenerate to produce the gleaming field you see on television? Nope.

In the end, it's dirt, brought in from somewhere else - sometimes out of state. Oh and it gets replaced, too, so it isn't the same stuff athletes ran over and dove into 50 years ago.

But hey, people are making money off of it, helping the hobby - right?

Wow, has it been quiet when it comes to new card news since the holidays. I know it's only Tuesday after a holiday week, but I would expect that to be the perfect time to start hyping up the New Year.

Instead, it's been pretty quiet. There are some releases scheduled to be kicked out this week – Playoff Contenders Football and SP Authentic Basketball among them. I hope to get some box breaks of these online soon in the Bustin' Wax blog, as we've been pretty quiet in that area, as well.

Of course, the card business hasn't been that great for dealers in 2008. Our division also produces a trade magazine call Card Trade (genius, eh?), an article in there doesn't show a real positive outlook by dealers.

Here are some snippets from the article:

At the hobby shop level, the majority of retailers surveyed by Card Trade magazine this month are reporting their sales were down for the year, with some reporting declines of as much as 50 percent compared to 2007.

“Another a year like this, and I think I’m going to close,” said Ralph Brierly of Maine-ly Sports Cards in Solon, Maine. He estimated his sales were down 30 percent from last year and said he’s not optimistic the economy is going to turn around any time soon.

Dean Katz of Charm City Cards in Timonium, Md., said his sales were down for a fourth consecutive year and says the industry needs to restructure its product offerings. “There’s too much supply and not enough demand,” Katz said. “Plus, the average box of cards is now around $80. The whole climate of business has changed these last four to five years.”

Rob Vandorick of All-Star Baseball Cards in Las Vegas said his 2007 sales were down 27 percent from a year ago, and added it might have been worse had it not been for some aggressive end-of-year promotions. He also believes the best way to get collectors to increase their spending in the coming year is with more focus on lower-priced cards.

“If any new product lines are coming for 2009, we need lower SRPs,” Vandorick said. “People are only buying what they can afford and are not going after the glitz and glam.”


So what do you folks think? Are they right in what you want, do you feel big-time changes need to be made in 2009 or will everything turn out all right once the economic fortunes of the country rebound?
  

OK, the holidays have finally passed us by and now it's back to the basics of work. And for some NFL teams, it's back to the drawing board for next season.

The Colts/Chargers game was one of the more fun games I watched all season. It's a pleasure watching Darren Sproles. If I was a kid again, I'd wear his uniform number in every sport I played because he is about the same height as I am. I always pull for the little guy.

Other "little guy" favorites from my past include Spud Webb, Mike Felder (baseball) and Mugsy Bogues.

I also enjoyed watching the Cardinals taking care of business. Kurt Warner looks younger with no facial hair, and he looks a little weird wearing gloves indoors with short sleeves, but he's doing wonderful things behind center. It doesn't hurt having arguably two of the best wide receivers in the league roaming the field, either.

You knew the Vikings wouldn't go far with Tavaris Jackson at the helm. Even with the dynamic Adrian Peterson, you need to be able to throw the ball once in a while (and not to the other team).

And then there is the Ravens, a team that seems to boast the best defense every year. Do Ray Lewis and Ed Reed ever age? I remember picking that team in Fantasy drafts 10 years ago.

I also watched bits and pieces of the NC/Boston College game, Louisville/Kentucky and Wisconsin/Penn State. It's good to see that moving the three-point line back a foot has done nothing to deter teams from throwing up three-pointers all game. Sure, three points is better than two, but for a lot of teams, if they don't hit their threes, they won't win.
Yet three-pointers are 30-percent odds at beat. Why rely on them to win games? I'll never figure that one out.

Oh, and to UNC opponents in the next few weeks - watch out. I bet Roy Williams might have them rev up their defensive intensity just a bit in the games ahead.

Yes, I watched a lot of TV this weekend. But it's Wisconsin in winter - what do you want from me?
       

     

I was lying around the house on my New Year's Day off, flipping between Bowl games, Marquette vs. Villanova basketball (go Golden Eagles!) and watching the snow fly outside. And then I decided to go a,little further up on the channel guide provided by my friendly cable operator.

And there is was, airing teasers, promos and general good thoughts on this winter day – the MBL Network was going live at 5 p.m., and I didn't need to pay some ridiculous price to have the package added to my cable lineup.

The teasers they had from the previous season' highlights, upcoming programming tidbits and what they will be offering once baseball kicks off in April have me quite excited. No longer do I have to wade through ESPN's home run calls and other nonsense as I await my baseball highlights. They will all be here on the MLB Network, whenever I want them.

So the debut night's programming was a bit, well, repetitive, highlighting the offseason moves (not many) and again touting all that the network will offer in the months ahead. But then they shows Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series - and that was pretty cool. How often can you see complete games from the 1950s on your TV schedule?

I even got my wife to watch it. It was amusing to see the limited camera angles, almost zero commentary and how you couldn't really hear the crowd. It was definitely a different time.

So I'm hoping the MLB Network will offer more goodies like that in the future as I await the season to start. I know it's only January, but to think of baseball on these snowy days and cold nights is just the right remedy.

Tune in and check it out for yourself. 

Happy New Year to everyone. It's been an interesting 2008, with a lot of changes in the sports collectibles hobby, along with the world in general. I hope the next 12 months brings everyone good fortune and joy.

Along those lines, I also hope 2009 brings the following:

More postseason experience for my Milwaukee Brewers (though I highly doubt it).

A way for baseball to reconstruct itself so the Yankees can't by the only big-money buyer come free agency time.

Terrell Owens retires – and joins Michael Jackson in Europe.

Tiger Woods makes a successful return to golf, thus giving us all amore chances to watch him.

Lance Armstrong competes in the Tour de France and proves that hard work and training make you better - not just doping.

Chris Paul makes it to the NBA Finals.

Brett Favre retires, for good.

I get a Wii gaming system so I can improve my golf game - at least in pretend land.

That all of the major card manufacturers stay in business for collectors to have a variety of selections and signaling some strength left in the market.

NASCAR rewards its drivers who do well all season, not just the last 12 races or whatever it is.

Danica Patrick shuts up and just races. She might win again sometime if she focuses on what she needs to do better besides worrying about everyone else.

Mixed Martial Arts starts to lose its cult status and limited popularity.

The NCAA makes basketball players stick around for two years instead of one.

And finally, I hope 2009 brings my wife and I have a healthy child - we're expecting in June.

 If anyone else has hopes for 2009, please share them with us.

Yawn, grumble, shuffle, shuffle.

That was me this morning as I awakened from my holiday slumber to come back to work. One thing is for certain – I haven't been bored. When it snows every other day, you tend to keep busy outside. Heck, I haven't even witnessed a college bowl game yet, but I suppose the "real" bowl games haven't quite fired up yet. The home-state Wisconsin Badgers didn't even belong in a bowl, so the whooping by Florida State was pretty predictable.

I did enjoy the NFL games yesterday. NBC showed how the playoffs standings looked before games started and how they ended up at the end of the day. Now that's the way a season should end. Pats, Broncos, Jets, Tampa Bay, Bears - out. Whoo-hee, that's fun.

I only caught a few of the Brett Favre-related jabs from the NY media this morning. The Wisconsin websites enjoy sharing that with Favre's long legacy in the state. It's tough when a team loses four of its last five games, and gets bounced from the playoffs. I guess all that love New York had with Favre when the team was 8-3 faded away with the team's postseason chances. I'd imagine he'll head south and enjoy the peace and quiet for a while.

Turning to baseball, my cousin didn't get five feet out of his truck at Christmas before he was spouting about another New York team - the Yankees  -  and their high-spending ways. I guess the Teixeira signing was the last straw for him.

He's now asking for a salary cap - at least "something to be done." Well, I can say the salary cap will never happen - not without another labor strike. And as much as I think it's unfair that one team can seemingly buy whomever it wants, it doesn't guarantee them a World Series title, much less a ticket to the playoffs.

Plus, the Yankees will be left sitting with some of these contracts for many years. As is usually the case when the Yankees sign a guys to 6-plus years, they help out for about three, get hurt or decline in pay and then the remaining contract is still paid out with no output from the player.

I'd like to see something change, but I don't think it will. Until then, I'll just continue to hope the Yankees blow it and all that money is for naught. .