Once in a while in the office (shared space between the Tuff Stuff and Sports Collectors Digest edit staffs), we get calls from athletes instead of us hounding them for interviews.

It seems some of them are just as interested in sports memorabilia, "list" stories and vintage set reviews as we are. After all, most of the time we are covering an era they participated in. So they can shed a little light on the situation.

The latest call came from George "Boomer" Scott, who was inquiring about his omission from the 1975 Topps Baseball card article that ran in a recent issue of Sports Collectors Digest. He wanted to know why his card wasn't pictured among the group, nor any elaboration on the 1975 season in the article.

In 1975, Scott was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting 36 home runs and driving in 109. He finished eighth in the MVP voting and was selected as an All-Star for the American League. An additional honor as a Gold Glove first baseman added to his successful 1975 season.

His omission was nothing intentional, something he understood, so we flipped the tables on him and offered to spotlight him in an article in an upcoming issue of SCD. I'll announce that feature when it's ready to roll.

So it's kind of neat that the heroes we grow up watching are interested in the same things we are and aren't afraid to want to be involved in the hobby.

There aren't too many occupations where you can banter about with your heroes, and it's a lot of fun. I hope that comes across in some of our articles.

Happy Spring Training Day! Even if they are just stretching and getting on the scale, it good to see the Boys of Summer checking in on this fine February day. Bring on baseball (steroid talk be damned)!

News this week on the hobby front includes some of the following:

Upper Deck's Richard McWilliam said in order for the company to be the exclusive licensee for the NBA card market (the league only wanted one producer of cards), it was have put the company in economic jeopardy. Goodness, is the NBA that popular to demand such money? From all accounts, basketball card sales have decreased for the past five years. Good luck Panini, I hope you bring some fresh, new ideas to the market. Do that, and collectors will come.

For those who collect non-sports cards, Rittenhouse Archives is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The company is known for its evergreen properties of James Bond, Star Trek and other properties that have a long shelf life.

Tristar Productions CEO Jeff Rosenberg was the winning bidder for the 1869 Peck & Synder card that received a lot of attention, including an appeance on Leno with its owner, Bernice Gallego. Rosenberg paid $75,285 with the buyer's premium through Memory Lane and he hinted the company might give it away in the future. Oh, and it will be "on tour," including a visit the National this summer. For a card that is worth less than $100,000, it sure is getting a lot of face time. Think anyone will remember it when the National rolls around?

Some of the latest "relic" cards to be inserted into cards (this courtesy of Topps in the American Heritage brand) will be "chads" from the Florida fiasco in the 2000 Presidential election, pieces of the White House roof and floor, Shea Stadium wall padding and cuts from a JFK sweater. Hey, at least they aren't running out of ideas yet...

And remember, only another week or two before some actual games are being played again. God bless baseball. 



   

So another golden boy has supposedly hit the dust when it comes to the steroid flap that hangs over baseball like a wet blanket.

Alex Rodriguez reportedly failed a 2003 steroid "survey" test that was never supposed to be made public and was told to the players to have no consequences.

Well, so much for that.

A-Rod is now being burned at the cross by the press and public, all of his accomplishments are already being tossed out the window and forget about any "clean" athlete being placed ahead of Henry Aaron on the all-time home run list.

All because he was named among the 104 players that tested positive under the survey test.

So where are the other 103 players? I know A-Rod is probably the highest-profile athlete in the bunch and he's the favorite punching bag of many, but it's not right that he's out there hung to dry in this situation.

And how bad does MLB look now? They did a survey test to see how bad the problem was and then instituted its righteous act as more proof came forward.

On the eve of spring training, we all find out about this test, question everyone and everything prior to the last few years and wonder who else will fall from grace in the days and weeks ahead.

If A-Rod's name is available, others must be at someone's lips as well. That Mitchell Report has nothing on this report.

So what should A-Rod do now? Well if it's true, he better take the Giambi route and start apologizing now. It's the only way to save some face and keep a possible HOF bid in the works. If you deny, deny, deny with evidence against you, you will be cast aside like McGwire, Bonds and Clemens.

I was blown away by the news on Saturday. Not so much by the athlete named (nothing athletes do surprises me any more) but that this test was given in the first place, "hidden" for 5-6 years and now many ballplayers are wetting their pants in hopes the rest of the names aren't unlocked.

Good grief. Bud Selig is going to lose the rest of his hair and start smoking again.   

Donruss has created a limited-edition card set that will be distributed to VIPs and fans in attendance at the events surrounding this weekend's Pro Bowl. Donruss is one of the official sponsors of the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl.

The set features three veterans and two key rookies from both the NFC and AFC. The veterans are pictured in official Pro Bowl uniforms from year's past, while the rookies are featured in their official NFL uniforms. All cards contain the official 2009 NFL Pro Bowl logo.

The AFC players are Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Andre Johnson and rookies Chris Johnson and Joe Flacco.

The NFC players are Drew Brees, Adrian Peterson and Larry Fitzgerald and rookies Matt Ryan and Matt Forte.

Pro Bowl Thoughts
So, what does everyone think of the Pro Bowl? The All-Star event for the NFL seems to take a back seat to every other sport's All-Star game. It's played after the season (though that will change next year when it's done before the Super Bowl) and it's an event that many of the players who have made multiple appearances decline to attend (Favre, among others). I thought Hawaii would be nice, but perhaps the plane flight is too much.

It's on the mainland next year, so maybe that will bring in some of the stars (minus those playing in the Super Bowl, of course).

Regardless, you can swoop in and get the cards of the 2008 studs in football, which is a nice recap set for the season.

With news of the NBA cards being reduced, it's nice to see there are still plenty of options with football cards. 

The large roar out of Tampa Bay has subsided with the Steelers winning the Super Bowl. What's left is a silence, sort of like when a pro golfer is lining up a putt, starts his swing and follows through.

What follows is a giant roar (when they make it). That's what the sports world is like for me right now. Sure college basketball is keeping me glued to the screen for Big Monday and the Saturday marathons, but it's the end of February and into March when that scene really heats up.

No, the silence now will lead to outright jubilation next week with the opening of spring training. Baseball is almost here. Can you feel it?

Sure Manny is still without a team, along with a bunch of other free agents that normally have a new home by now, but it's still baseball and nothing beats it.

I went to spring training in Arizona two years ago and wish I could go back every year since and forever. Green grass, warm temperatures and the chance to see the players up close in a relaxed atmosphere.

Nothing beats baseball, I don't care what football fans say on the heels of the Super Bowl.

I hope the MLB Network starts kicking it into high gear, as I'm growing weary of seeing their showings of recent playoff and World Series games. Give me some dirt and some interviews - something to set the stage for the season to come.

Until next week Friday, I remain silent, ready to erupt when I finally hear those words: "Pitchers and catchers, report!"

Upper Deck is releasing a special series of nine collectible insert cards titled “Historical Firsts Predictors.” The cards, which feature some very bold predictions, will be scattered inside its next baseball card release.
 
Topping the list of historic predictions will be cards predicting that an AIDS vaccine is developed, an alien life form is discovered on another planet and the Dow Jones reaches 15,000 points!
 
“Nobody could have guessed how 2008 was going to turn out, so we thought we’d have some fun and provide some thought-provoking predictions for 2009,” said Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Marketing. “With the onslaught of news stories focused on the troubled economy, Upper Deck wanted to provide some hope and humor for collectors and fans. Who knows? Some of these predictions may very well come true.”
 
The “Historical Firsts Predictors” cards, inserted at a rate of 1:6 packs in Upper Deck’s 2009 Series One Baseball release, will be hitting store shelves on Feb. 3. Other noteworthy predictions in the series include gas prices plummeting to 99 cents per gallon, and the first African-American woman being confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.

 
I like to keep my predictions related to sports, since the rest of the world is far too unpredictable with way too factors that I am not familiar with.

So I predict the Steelers will not repeat in 2010, the Tampa Bay Rays won't even sniff the playoffs this year and the NBA Finals will come down to Boston and the Lakers, again.

And if you're counting on Lance Armstrong in the Tour De France - go ahead and bet against him. I wouldn't.

I came across something I find a little intriguing – the Top 15-selling NBA jerseys. For some reason, it seems the NBA jerseys get the most attention among jerseys, or the league keeps the best track of them and then hands out that information. As seen in the latest news with NBA trading cards (Panini takes over as exclusive licensee), the NBA keeps a pretty heady grasp on things.

So here's the list:  

1.    Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers    
2.    Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics    
3.    LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers    
4.    Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets            
5.    Allen Iverson – Detroit Pistons    
6.    Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers    
7.    Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics           
8.    Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat          
9.    Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls    
10.    Nate Robinson – New York Knicks    
11.    Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns          
12.    Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic     
13.    Ray Allen – Boston Celtics    
14.    David Lee – New York Knicks
15.    Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets

Kobe Garnett (with an added boost from the Boston fan base) and LeBron are easy to see. It's a tribute to Chris Paul and his game that he's in the top five. Allen Iverson will always be strong as well.

But the next 10 is filled with players you might not expect and it comes down to their markets. Nate Robinson and David Lee? They're all right, but never players who would roll off the tip of the tongue when considering popularity. The NYC faithful really love their basketball and is one reason why the Madison Square Garden is considered a mecca for hoops fans.

The only other surprise for me is Ray Allen. He's decent, but doesn't have the flash usually associated with jersey collectors.

I am wondering how Yao Ming didn't make the list considering his idol status in China, but I think that goes back to other countries not buying into the jersey buying/collecting fever we have in the U.S.

Anybody else see any surprises here?  

It's almost that time of year again – the annual Media Day at the Super Bowl. This is the event where media outlets of all kinds  - many of which have nothing to do with sports - converge upon the Super Bowl site, ask dumb questions and try to attract as much publicity as possible for themselves and the outlet they are representing.

Meanwhile, the players first get the same questions over and over about the game, their preparation and how the team has overcame this and that obstacle to get to the big game. How many times do you think Kurt Warner and Hall of Fame will come up?

But then they also have to answer really dumb questions, like favorite cereal, if Harrison is related to former President Harrison, what dogs do they have at their house and what's their favorite novel. But that's just for the star players (except for those interviews by Jay Leno's guest reporter, who makes a point to interview the guys that don't get interviewed).

The lesser known players just lie around with their shades on, waiting to leave or on their cell phones trying to get more tickets for the family.

In the end, it's just a circus. With two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, every angle has already been dissected twice by everyone with a microphone or keyboard in front of them (me included).

There is just one commentary article I read from the media, and that's ESPN's Bill Simmons because, frankly, he's one of the best writers out there - funny and informative.

So sit and enjoy this week -it's going to be a wild ride – and that's before the game even starts.  

While staring blankly at my computer screen the other day, a co-worker was going on about seeing an article about top moments (not necessarily good moments) in a particular writer's lifetime, such as 9/11 Berlin Wall coming down, etc.

So my co-worker then turned it into something of a discussion about top sports hobby moments. Some of his examples were meeting Henry Aaron, opening his first box of 1959 Topps Baseball and visiting Shea Stadium for the first time.

And then he turned the tables on me: "What is your top sports or sports hobby moment?" he asked. And I sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes before the answer became abundantly clear: making the 18-hour car trek to Cooperstown to see the hall of fame induction of Robin Yount (and Nolan Ryan and George Brett, too, though I was there for Yount).

To be on this hallowed ground and to see the induction of my childhood hero (making good on a promise I made to myself many years earlier) was a treat I will never forget.

And then there was the circus that is Cooperstown on Induction Weekend. Holy cow. Players signing autographs on every corner. Leon Spinks just wandering around among the crowds. The collectibles of every sort on every sidewalk. The whole atmosphere is fun, all about baseball and truly exhausting.    

And I can't wait to go back again some day.

My second memorable moment is probably a little more focused. It was attending the opening of Miller Park in 2001 in Milwaukee.

You see, that stadium represented a new start for the franchise - a chance to show the world they were staying in Milwaukee, could house teams in a state-of-the-art facility and move on after the opening was delayed a year after a tragic crane accident killed three construction workers during its construction.

It was like a rebirth for the team and the state of baseball in Wisconsin. It took seven years to match the Miller Park attendance success and building a winning team, but the opening of the park was THE start.

Anyone else have some memorable sports moments or hobby tales that will forever stay in your memory?

Growing up, I didn't dislike winter as much as I used to. Perhaps I need to bust out the sled more often to get some enjoyment from feet of snow and endless days of sub-freezing temperatures.

But there's another reason I used to like winter as a kid – it meant it was soon time to enjoy the winter tours the Milwaukee Brewers players and coaches used to embark on throughout Wisconsin. Being a Brewers fan growing up, the season would conceivably end by the end of July, though actual play stopped the first week of October. So when the January winter tour started up, it help appease my growing baseball appetite.

For those of you not familiar with a winter tour, it basically consisted of three of four coaches and players visiting various cities throughout Wisconsin, offering free autographs and general baseball discussion. It was meant to drum up ticket sales and fuzzy feelings among the team and fans, which was needed with the Brewers lousy record for years at the time.

One event I remember was a winter tour stop in Appleton, Wis., at the home of the Single A Seattle Mariners farm system (though not related, the place offered a local link to baseball, I guess).

One of the guests there was Fernando Vina, who would later play for the St. Louis Cardinals, among other teams. We struck what I thought at the time was a good conversation with me, as he promised to get me and my friends some tickets in the future.

So the next game we went to, we got there early and scrambled down the dugout. When Vina came out, we shouted, "Hey Vina, the 'Appleton Boys' are here." He gave us one of those knowing nods and was our favorite players before he switched teams.

No, we never got tickets, but it remains a fond memory of ours all these years later. And thus brings me to the point of winter tours – they bond younger fans to teams even more, leading to more tickets sales and more importantly, a fan for life.

The Brewers don't hold winter tours any more, citing some nonsense about not wanting to cart it's multi-million-dollar players around Wisconsin in winter weather. So they hold one event in Milwaukee in January, thus putting their fans at risk on the road instead.

I haven't attended one of these Fan Fests yet, but the images of large crowds, pay-to-get autographs and travel time don't really appeal to me.

And trust me, even with the Brewers recent success (OK, just 2008), I don't think they can afford to ignore the average fan just yet.

Do any other teams continue with the winter tours? Any memories of your own from them?