The last Bengals cards you'll see on this blog

On Saturday night, I watched in disgust as the Bengals gave away an opportunity to win a Playoff game due to lack of self-control.

As a fan, I don't care that they lost. I'm used to that. I was prepared for it. The Jeremy Hill fumble was awful, but that (unfortunately) happens. But the way they responded in that last minute, by caring more about dirty/cheap shots and bitching to the refs than actually winning the game, infuriates me. I know it's unfair to lump in guys like AJ Green and Andy Dalton with guys like Pacman Jones and Vontaz Burfict, but to me, the latter outshines the former. It's sad, and it's all I'll be able to remember.

I kept thinking about what if my son was old enough to watch the game. I would have been horrified telling him that grown men, at the pinnacle of their careers playing in the most important game of their lives, can't keep their composure and just do their job. We all want to go nuts at work sometimes But we don't. We put our heads down, keep our mouths shut, and do our jobs. Somehow, that doesn't apply to some professional athletes.

Many said they feel bad for Marvin Lewis. Please. He was nowhere to be found when his players were going off the rails. It starts at the top, and the lack of discipline was present all season, not just in the last minute of the final game of the season.

I don't care if my thoughts are viewed as an overreaction or jumping ship on your team. That's fine. When the players care more about themselves than the team, why should I care about the team as fan? I don't. I'm not going to root for another team in particular. I'm not going to say "Hey, I'm a Giants fan now." Nope. I'm just not going to root for the Bengals. I'm not. I can handle losses on the field. I can't handle a team behaving the way they did on Saturday night.

Therefore, I thought I'd show some Bengals cards for the last time. One batch came from Uncle Tiny, and the other from JBF. While I appreciate their gestures, I hope they no longer go out of their way to send me Bengals cards as a result of Saturday night. These guys also sent me awesome Yanks, which I'll show off later. I appreciate that they always find some Bengals to send my way, but I just don't have the heart anymore.

From Tiny:

And from JBF:

 

JBF Week: AJs for AJ

My Bengals collection has grown immensely since Jaybarkerfan found out I support the team. I have a really nice binder of AJ Green cards going, and he often includes some nice Bengals hits and cards with his packages to me. While I don't think I'll ever dive fully into football collecting, I love having these Bengals cards of current players.

Mostly, after really just seeing baseball cards, it's fun to see what football products are out there. Some are really nice. Some make baseball cards look like crap in terms of design or production value. Mostly, it's just enjoyable to see the diversity in sets and brands.

Here are a bunch of Bengals recently sent my way in various packages:

Tiny blows up my mailbox again

Uncle Tiny is at it again! I'm not sure what I did to deserve such good fortune, as Uncle Tiny has been sending me some amazing Yankees and Bengals cards!

First off, two more signed 8x10 photos! Last time, Tiny sent along a sweet Mason Williams signed photo. This time, he doubled up on Mason, but also included an incredible Enos Slaughter! Seriously, this is going to look awesome in my man cave one day. Enos actually answered a fan letter for me for a school project in the late '90s, but I didn't have his autograph.

Cards-wise, my favorite is easily this Ichiro SP. I was too lazy to take it out of the screw case. I promise there is no writing on the card. I remember the Ichiro trade well. I was on the bus home from work, and my co-worker texted me "Ichiro. I hate you." I was so surprised! Even cooler, the Yanks were in Seattle, so he suited up that night, and came to the plate to a huge ovation. Then he ripped a single.

This is by far one of the nicest Mickey Mantle modern cards I have ever seen. The colors from the Refractor are amazing.

This canvas Babe Ruth (again, not taken out of the case) is a beauty as well. I love the texture.

And it wouldn't be an Uncle Tiny package without Bengals! Here are just a few of the many he sent. I love how many AJ Green cards I have now!

Uncle Tiny, thanks again!

Uncle Tiny strikes twice!

Uncle Tiny recently (or not so recently) sent me two great packages. He really takes to heart that I’m a Bengals fan, and finds some cool (and often shiny!) Bengals to send my way. While I don’t buy football, between JBF and Tiny, I have a really nice binder of Bengals cards, especially newer stuff.

But first! Perhaps the crown jewel of two packages, at least for me, was this signed Mason Williams 8x10! It came with a COA. I’m not sure where Tiny picked this up, but I’m super happy to have it. I don’t have many signed 8x10s in my collection – maybe four or five - but one day I hope to have more and have a nice display. 

I still think Mason Williams will be an MLB player. He is already an elite defender and could play MLB CF right now. However, he needs to pick it up with bat. He was close a few years ago, as he hit .298 and jumped up to #32 in Baseball America’s prospect rankings. He’s had two straight down years since then, but spent all of 2014 in AA. If he can hit in the .250-.260 range, plus shows a bit more maturity (which has been a knock), I think he can find a way to NY as a reserve outfielder later this year or next. 

Tiny also sent me a Ty Hensley for my PC, and a cool Zach McAllister auto.

Aside from there, here’s an assortment of Bengals. My favorite is definitely the Gio Bernard relic, although the Blue Wave AJ McCarron is very cool too. I hope McCarron pushes Dalton next season. Someone needs to! 

 

 

Tiny, thanks again. You should be getting a package from me in the next day or two.

Let's go Bengals!

I know, I know. It's not going to happen. The Bengals are incapable of winning a first round playoff game.

But damn, it has to happen one of these years, right? Let's go Bengals!

Nothin' Nerdy about football cards on a Sunday

I came into possession of a Dallas Cowboys relic card recently. I really had no need for it, so I reached out to Nerdy Girl on Twitter, who collects Cowboys cards. I offered to send it her way with no expectation of anything in return, but she decided that wasn't acceptable and send me a great lot of Bengals.

Being an NFL Sunday, here are a few highlights from the package.

I have to start with this Cobi Hamilton auto. On-card goodness of the former Arkansas WR drafted by the Bengals in the 6th round of the 2013 Draft. He had a good pre-season, but has since found himself of the Bengals practice squad. Regardless, it's a very nice card.

Topps Inception football cards are really nice. Even if Andy Dalton is really bad, the card elevates him. It's a great set, although I wish the cards weren't as thick.

Camo! I think the Topps football camo cards are a lot more "camo" looking than this year's baseball.

A couple of AJs! My name is AJ. Their names are AJ. What's not to love?

Nerdy Girl, thanks so much!

Go Bengals!

I'm a hometown guy. I like to root for the home team. I am a Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers fan. By the same account, I should be a Giants or Jets fan. Maybe even Bills, although no one in my area cares about the Bills. I knew maybe one or two Bills fans growing up, even when they went to four straight Super Bowls.

However, in football, sadly, I like the Bengals. It's a long story. But in short, my dad's friend's son (got that?) was drafted by the Bengals in the late '70s. He started following the team then, and stuck with them. I was born into it. But hey, at least you can't say I'm a front runner. It's not like I'm randomly a Cowboys fan.

Anyhow, the NFL season starts today for most teams, and there is a strong sense of optimism amongst us Bengals fans. Cincy has been to the Playoffs three years in a row. No longer are these the yearly 3-13 Bengals. But enough is enough. It's time to take that next step and win a Playoff game or two. Is this finally the year?

It's going to start with these two guys:

AJ Green and Andy Dalton. Green is one of the top receivers in the league. Dalton is mediocre and got a huge deal. Personally, I feel like he is holding the team back. We shall see.

I think this guy is going to have a MONSTER year. He'll be the Bengals #2 WR while Marvin Jones is out with an injury. My prediction is that he won't give up the #2 spot.

Lastly, while the Bengals have a 7-8 year reputation as a team with character questions (rightfully so then, not so much now...but it's hard to shake a reputation), I present to you Devon Still. The Bengals recently re-signed Still to their practice squad so that he could receive full medical benefits for him and his family, notably his four-year-old daughter who is receiving cancer treatments. Sometimes, sports are awesome.

Thanks to Jaybarkerfan's Junk for sending me a bunch of great Bengals cards recently. Let's go Bengals!

Super Bowl contest winnings

The day after the black-out Super Bowl, I got an email from Ian at All About Cards saying that I had won the random contest drawing in the 3^rd quarter. I never win contests, so I was pumped! He said he’s be sending me some goods from the Panini football box breaks.

The package came, and he was right. The cards were gorgeous, and he was very generous with the winnings he sent. More than anything, it made me wish Topps had a legitimate competitor, because

I’d love some baseball cards that look as good as these football cards. Panini has the chops. They just need the rights.

Anyhow, here is an assortment of what Ian sent, including three sweet hits.

The first is this Mark Ingram jersey. The foil border is tastefully done, and the jersey swatch is a decent size, albeit plain. 

Next up is easily my favorite card of the lot. A clear-cut, green autograph of Dwayne Allen. I put the card against a white background just to show it off better, then gook a photo of me holding it up in all of its see-through goodness. I like the green ink too. In all, autographed clearcuts are pretty damn cool. As someone who collected as a kid in the ‘90s, it brought me back 

My jaw dropped when I saw this card – a jersey relic of Doak Walker – former Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Famer. It’s not every day you can get a relic of a guy like that. The swatch is a bit smaller than the Ingram, but I like how it matches the photo. Incredibly cool card to have. 

The rest of the cards were an assortment of base cards and parallels. The AJ Green is as thick as a relic, and it’s numbered 001/897. I think it’s the first card numbered 001 that I have. EBAY 1/1!!!!!!!! OMGZ!!!!!!!

Finally, the last eight cards were the Super Bowl XLVII 49ers team set, which included a card of Colin Kaepernick.  It’s a cool set, and I love the colors and New Orleans theme. 

These were fantastic cards to win in the contest, and I appreciate Ian sending them along. Thanks again!