As you’ve seen on this blog, we really like interacting with our customers: from the casual collectors to the hardcore hobbyists, and everyone in-between. Thanks to social media outlets like this one, our Facebook page and Twitter, we’re able to do that more than ever. It’s a big part of our focus these days, and quite honestly, a very enjoyable part of our jobs.
So we were incredibly happy to see that Voice of the Collector ranked Upper Deck’s social media #1 in the industry earlier today. To know that our hard work has been appreciated by independent voices in our industry means a lot to us.
Image courtesy of Voice of the Collector
Go check out Rob’s post over at VOTC . . . and if you haven’t already, become a fan of Upper Deck on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! We’re certainly not going to rest on our laurels with this one.
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Brag Photo of the Week – Richard’s Office: Tiger and MJ
By · CommentsLast week, I had snuck my way into Richard McWilliam’s office to snap some shots for this here blog, and left you with quite the teaser:
If you looked closely, you spotted two items on the wall: autographed pieces of Tiger and MJ. Let’s take a closer look.
Here’s the Tiger piece, and a closer shot of the personalized signature:
This piece was actually personalized for Richard during Tiger’s first signing with Upper Deck. He’s definitely been one of our most loyal spokesmen since coming on board.
Just as we enjoy a strong relationship with Tiger, Upper Deck has been working with Michael Jordan for many, many years. In fact, Upper Deck signed Jordan before his peak years and the fame that followed. Richard had an inclination that Jordan was going to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and that definitely came true.
Personalized autographs from the best golfer of all time, and the best basketball player of all time. Not a bad start. Check back next week for more!
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My Box Break in Beckett Magazine
By · CommentsIt all started when I was about five years old.
I went to my local Modell’s sporting goods store, and saw packs of baseball cards. I loved baseball. I got my dad to buy me a pack and was fascinated with every single card. It was so cool to look at the stats on the backs of cards and I loved the idea of collecting my favorite players. Over the next few years I grew away from collecting, until I was 11 years old. This is when I got back into it, and I was so glad I did. I eventually found a local card shop and was introduced to jersey and autographed cards. From here things just grew, and I have been a devoted collector of cards ever since.
The passion I showed towards collecting also translated to filming box breaks and showing off my card collection on YouTube. I love opening boxes of cards because it’s so exciting: you never know what awesome cards may lay in a box. I am also an avid reader of Beckett Sports Card Monthly (I have been since it was first introduced). Just like how I loved opening boxes of cards (especially Upper Deck cards), I loved reading about their “box breaks”. In every issue of the magazine, for every sport, they would do a review of a box or two they recently opened and show what they got in that box.
This inspired me to write to Beckett with my own idea: they should have a “guest reviewer” who sends in a review of a box, and the crew at Beckett picks one to be featured in a future issue of the magazine. It turned out that they liked my idea and told me to write a review of the latest box I opened, and they would put it in the next issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. They sent me a free box of cards, too! I couldn’t believe it. I sent in a review and breakdown of the cards I pulled in a box of 2008 Upper Deck Heroes Baseball and they loved it. It’s just a typical example of why I love the hobby even more!
So as you can see, the hobby of collecting cards is way more than just spending money for pieces of cardboard. It is the thrill of opening the pack. It is the excitement of pulling a nice card. It is the joy that comes with sharing the same interest as so many other people out there. People don’t realize how nice these card companies are. Upper Deck, of course, is always trying to give back to the awesome collectors they have, like you and me. From their program for young collectors, Upper Deck Kids, which offered lots of awesome free prizes and sweepstakes for entering codes off of UD cards; to the UD Diamond Club, which offers wonderful opportunities of a lifetime for some of the übercollectors out there, Upper Deck is a card company that cares about the collectors.
Richie Sliwinski, 14, is a young card collector who enjoys playing, watching, and talking about sports, hanging out with friends, going on the computer . . . and of course, collecting cards! He has been featured in Beckett Sports Card Monthly, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and was a kid blogger for Upper Deck Kids.
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Rookie of the Week: Week 10 – Chris Wells
By · CommentsOne of the most exciting reasons to collect NFL rookie cards is that you get to watch their values spike if the player performs well on the field. To help capture that excitement, Upper Deck launched a new website to help collectors track 2009 NFL rookie cards, but also make predictions on which rookie would have the best week at OwnTheRookies.com.
Collectors who successfully guess Upper Deck’s “Rookie of the Week” will be entered into a drawing to win a box of 2009 NFL trading cards. For his two touchdown performance in a must win game, Chris “Beanie” Wells has earned top honors for Week 10. If you entered codes from Wells’ cards last week, stay tuned to the website to see if you are a winner!
Ever since the NFL switched to a two back rotation on most of the top teams, the draft has become a place to snatch that one player to make your team complete. This has led to many of the top running backs being selected earlier rather than later on day one, and has also put those players in a position to compete earlier than usual. Chris Wells definitely benefitted from this new phenomenon in the 2009 draft, being selected by the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. The difference between Wells and other backs like Donald Brown and Knowshon Moreno was that the Cardinals would need his services from day one.
The wheels had fallen off of perennial producer Edgerrin James, and they needed a franchise player to pick up right where he left off. Wells has had a slower start to the season than the Cardinals would have liked, but with Warner throwing to Boldin and Fitzgerald as much as he does, the touches for Beanie aren’t as high as they would be on a run focused team. Even without having great games week in and week out, the Cards are on top in the NFC West, and last week’s explosion out of the backfield sure helped to keep them there.
Wells entered Week 10 with only one touchdown in his previous games, and the offense was going to need a counter against a Seattle secondary that had done above average against the pass during the first part of the season. Wells’ per carry average and touchdown total were on the rise, and both improved even more with this great game.
He averaged 5.3 yards per carry, including a long 26 yard scamper, and a 23 yard reception that led to Cardinals scores. Pretty impressive considering that most of the other rookie running backs are working hard to find a groove with their respective teams at this time.
For collectors, Wells was already at the top of the value spectrum due to his position as a running back, as well as his strong college ties to hugely popular Ohio State University. His cards haven’t been on the level of a Mark Sanchez or Percy Harvin, but they have started to reflect his production as of late. My favorite of his current cards is probably the Premier auto jersey out of the flagship UD Football product, but I have an experience with Beanie that I value much more than just his cool rookie cards.
When the 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere took place this past March in Los Angeles, Beanie was invited to be a part of the event outside the walls of the LA Coliseum. He made an appearance at a local card shop, and I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with him. He was extremely personable, and even said that he had collected cards growing up before getting into football full time. When looking at his first of many sports cards out of 2009 UD Draft and the early products of the year, he was impressed to be featured on cards that he had once sought after for his favorite players. Beanie signed a football for me as well as a few cards, and all of them currently reside on my shrine to the sport of champions.
As a collector, it’s always awesome to interact with a player you have the opportunity to chase through the card year. I have actually picked up a few extra of his rookie cards solely because he is a nice guy with a nice signature, as well as being a running back who plays like a freight train. As Wells continues to improve on a team that has become an annual contender, I know that my positive interactions with him will seem even more unreal.
Check in next week for the newest rookie to win “Rookie of the Week” honors, and don’t forget to enter in all your rookie card codes from the Upper Deck products you have collected so far. Not only can you win prizes, but the site has some great features that allow you to track rookies and their cards this season!
Adam Gellman runs the collecting blog Sports Cards Uncensored, and has been a collector of all things sports for over 15 years. To see more of his work, visit www.sportscardsuncensored.com (warning: strong language!).
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Dear Coach Belichick
By · CommentsDear Coach Belichick,
Having been a Colts fan all my life, I can admittedly say you have caused me a lot of grief over the years. On Sunday night I left my house positive you had handed my team their first loss of the season. My wife can confirm my disappointment as I headed out the door mumbling about the sure outcome of the game.
To travel from the front door of my place to my parents house takes no more than five minutes. In that short amount of time the infamous call came over your headset, and you went for it on fourth and two. I was absolutely floored when I walked through the door and saw my little brother in his Joseph Addai jersey jumping up and down yelling at the television. He was completely elated. I was shocked. Colts win.
Isn’t it funny how many critics have come out of the woodwork to tell you how wrong you were? My work is full of armchair coaches who have done nothing but talk about your failed call from the moment they walked in on Monday morning. It seems as though every sports talking head has had something negative to say. I am truly amazed the negative attention you have received. It’s crazy how simply converting makes you look like a genius, but since you didn’t, you are a villain. This week must be a tough one.
Who knows how much this is going to help coming from a Colts fan, but after watching the highlight for what seems the millionth time, I have to say I don’t blame you for the call. Take this with a grain of salt, but you actually have one armchair coach on your side.
Have you ever watched nature videos of a lioness hunting her prey? When she comes across a herd of gazelle she takes her time to pick out the young and the weak of the group. She knows if she tries to chase one of the healthy strong animals she will tire quickly and may not get to eat. By finding the weakest parts of the herd, her chances for bringing down a gazelle increase greatly. You may not have been thinking about lions and gazelles in the game, but I think it illustrates the point clearly.
With the Indianapolis defense struggling to stay ahead of injuries you had an opportunity to attack the weak part of the herd. All game long you had rookie corners going up against Randy Moss, one of the greatest receivers of our time. The defensive line was trying to plug holes with whomever they had available to stop your attack. Tom Brady kept finding the sick, weak, and young part of the herd. He continued to chase them all game long without showing any kind of fatigue. He was hungry and you were helping him go in for the kill. The only real problem you had was when Peyton Manning got the ball, and he kept coming, never ceasing.
How many times have we seen Peyton Manning march down the field with even less time than what you would have given him by punting? Along with your very own Tom Brady, Peyton is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Why would you give the ball to another lion when you are two yards away from taking down the weak gazelle? I think it is unfair to judge your instinct when taken into perspective. Unfortunately the rest of the herd circled the weak and stopped you short of your prize.
During all the years I have watched Patriots games on television I don’t think I have ever seen you look so angry. I am sure there were tons of emotions running through your body on the walk to the locker room. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a blade of turf under your feet as you stormed off the field let alone someone in your path. Saying you were disappointed is probably the understatement of the year. What a way to go out. For a moment I actually felt bad for you.
I guess the whole point of this letter is to tell you personally I don’t think you deserve the beating you are taking. How can we be the ones to sit here and tell you how to do your job when most of us have never touched the sideline as a coach? It’s unfair and unfounded, especially given the fact you would have been hailed as a coaching genius if you had converted those two yards. Most coaches would have punted, but you took a chance with the situation you were in. I commend you for that.
Keep your head up coach. I hope the rest of your season and your career aren’t defined by this moment. I want you to do well enough to get past this point, but not so well where we have to face you again.
Thanks for a great game.
Logan
Logan Millard works and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aside from his full time job he works for the Utah Jazz as a media relations coordinator on game nights, and also helps Fox Soccer Channel when they are in town.
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