It's Friday, and that means a wrap-up of the week's events. Actually, it's been a pretty quiet week.

A gentleman from Pensacola, Fla., became the second member to accumulate the entire UD Yankee Stadium Legacy set. I do admire such determination. I don't think I could accumulate 6,661 pennies, much less a card set of that size. To do that would mean buying a lot of packs of cards and trading and keeping track of what you need and don't need. But after a while, I suppose you say what the heck and go for it. Maybe - I stress maybe - someday the set itself will be a cool, niche collectible.

A report on CNN.com said that autographed memorabilia is a $4 billion-a-year industry. I think to the average person, that would seem ridiculous, but it's probably pretty accurate, especially when you consider presidential stuff, celebrities and even musicians and other politicians. Would I would be interested in is how that market is doing. Is it going up with more emphasis on autographed stuff, or is it suffering with everything else in the world right now?

Grey Flannel is offering Roger Clemens' items that reportedly come from Roger Clemens' trainer, Brian McNamee, as part of its April sale. Hmm, I know that might get your attention, but is that really what you want as your spotlighted items going into the sale? Most people will immediately say, "I don't want that" and move on to another auction. It's been made abundantly clear by the public and sports that he's trial has already taken place and he's in the pen with Bonds and the rest of the gang. My guess is that these collectibles are worth a fraction of what they were a few years ago.

And finally, spring training took off this week, and Kerry Wood is already complaining about some injury. One healthy year turned in to get another decent contract and he's hurt again. And to think he had all the promise in the world nine years ago. That probably happens a lot, but he's a celebrated case.      

A comment was made in the office today, and it went something like this: "They (the PGA) have the 'Jordan' problem - when one guy gets bigger than the sport."

Of course, this was in reference to Tiger Woods and how his play in tournaments (such as this week's match-play tournament) has a direct impact on the revenue for the sport. If Tiger makes a tournament's weekend, it means an extra tens of millions of dollars for the port through TV viewers, fans making the trek to the course to watch and other factors. When Tiger is not around, even somewhat loyal golf viewers don't make the extra effort to tune in.

With Tiger's layoff since last June, how many tournament winners can you name? How many did you watch? I can count on one hand how many minutes I watched golf after Tiger was done, much less watching more than one event.

Now the comparison to Michael Jordan and the state of basketball when Jordan left might be stretching it a little. Yes, Jordan was clearly the best player in the league, but the NBA get a little more attention than golf, and there are other players who can capture an audience on a given night. I say that, but does the average person remember the other big names on the court when Jordan retired? Think about it.

Tennis might have been close to this situation when Andre Agassi was flashing his Nikes and long hair around, but he was never the undisputed top player in the world – he just played rock 'n roll tennis, if there is such a thing.

Of course, if you're talking hobby lore with Woods, it's no question he carries the sport and will for a long, long time. Jordan pretty much reigns the basketball hobby, though there are some worthy contenders.

And tennis? Well, they have a bit of catching up to do in the collecting world.        

Happy Spring Training Opener everyone! While we in Wisconsin are staring at a winter storm for tomorrow (6-10 inches of snow), it's nice to know I can flip on the radio and hear some baseball being played in warmer climes. What a beautiful thing.

Tuff Stuff's Sports Collectors Monthly does a great job focusing on sports cards, and we'll be adding some interesting articles in 2009. In a series dubbed "Best Vintage Card Sets," we'll review some of what are considered the best trading cards sets in baseball, football and basketball. T.S. O'Connell, editor of Tuff Stuff's sister publication, Sports Collectors Digest, will review the cards' designs, interesting features of the set, notable missing players and other tidbits of the time.

The first one will be 1954 Topps Baseball, appearing soon.

This leads me to ask a rather general question for the hobby, but one that generates some decent debate: What's the best card set that has even been produced?

Older collectors will harken back to the glory days when completing sets was attainable, while newer collectors enjoy the modern bells and whistles of patch cards, autographs and other inserts.

I guess it depends on your preference. Some might argue the older sets are easier to obtain these days than the current offerings since they don't have the parallels and other nuances that drive collectors batty.

So dive in and let me know your thoughts. And watch for those articles coming.

This is going to be an interesting test. In a time when people are trying to distance themselves as far away from Roger Clemens as possible, Grey Flannel auctions just fired off a press release that it will be selling some of Clemens' items that he gave to trainer Brian McNamee, including a 2000 World Series Trophy.

This item and more will be in Grey Flannel's auction that ends April 29.

The consignment Grey Flannel received consisted of approximately two dozen items, including apparel, equipment and memorabilia originally owned by both Clemens and Andy Pettitte. All of the high-profile collectibles were previously part of the McNamee's personal collection, and each is accompanied by a letter if authenticity signed by McNamee.

 The 2000 World Series trophy is from the 2000 "Subway Series." the sale will also include All-Star game jerseys, autographed baseball and game-used fielding gloves.

“Each of the lots in the upcoming sale is likely to be viewed by future generations of fans as symbolic of a turning point in Major League Baseball’s evolution,” said Grey Flannel Auctions’ President Richard E. Russek.

So what do you think folks? Is Clemens damned so much that this stuff will sell really cheap? Or do you feel he's still one of the game's best and it's a good shot to own some personal items of his?

It will be interesting to watch the bidding unfold. I'm a little curious if Grey Flannel got this through McNamee directly or though another party. I guess if it was my auction house, I'd like the publicity but I not sure it's worth listing.

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.