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I Got Lucky at the National
Posted by: | CommentsEvery few years my wife and I try to shake things up, and this year we did so by moving from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C. Talk about change. But I was excited that pretty much my first week out there I would get the chance to see some old friends from Upper Deck. I’ve had a lot of luck with Upper Deck over the years. You see I won their Presidential Predictors contest two years ago and got the chance to throw out the first pitch at a Padres game. The next day I was able to tour the UD facility. It was awesome! I made friends with so many people at UD, I became a contributor to their Blog as well. And as luck would have it, I found out they would be in the neighborhood for the National Sports Collectors Convention the same week I moved in, so I just had to drop by.
I imagine heaven being a lot like a sports memorabilia convention. When I arrived at the show in Baltimore last week I met up with Chris Carlin, UD’s sports marketing & social media manager, and he walked me back to the company’s booth. The show was massive so we had time to talk as we made our way to the booth glancing at tables along the way. As far as I was concerned there were gold bricks lying everywhere. Autographed memorabilia, cards, paintings, cards, bats, cards, balls and more cards. You get the picture, I really love cards. I asked Chris how one could be sure they were getting an authentic autograph item even if they bought it here. He reminded me that even though it looked good you still had to do some research to make sure you were actually receiving something authentic. I guess that’s one of the good things about Upper Deck Authenticated, they witness every signature, but they were not around when Babe Ruth was signing so you’ve got to do your homework before making a big purchase, especially at a show.
Although the Upper Deck booth was not the biggest at the show, its presentation was perfect. There were two tall, well-lit glass displays with a myriad of UD product showcased. To me the most impressive was the complete set of Entomology cards from the 2009 Goodwin Champions set and also the Michael Jordan Curve display which included a piece of the United Center floor autographed by His Airness. Other items on display were an autographed Tiger Woods framed photograph and a card with actual cable from the Golden Gate Bridge. We also got a preview of the upcoming 2010 Sweet Spot Football and 2009-10 NHL The Cup cards which are coming out soon.
After being introduced to everyone in the booth I got to meet some of Upper Deck’s Diamond Club members who were trading cards and opening high-end products at the booth. They are just a great group of extremely passionate collectors who show their loyalty by collecting LOTS of Upper Deck product. In return for their loyalty, Upper Deck puts together a variety of events for them throughout the year to make sure they know they are appreciated. The Saturday morning I was in attendance UD had an informal meet-and-greet set up with Packers Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bart Starr. How cool is that? I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time as Chris asked me to join them for the event.
Since there are so many cards out there it is easy to have a huge collection without a lot of value. As a collector myself, I want to really focus on players I think will have some future value and for the time being I have narrowed my focus to 2005-06 NBA rookie cards of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Not only do I think their rookie cards will continue to escalate in value, they are also two of my favorite players to watch. I found a booth that actually had some product from that year in stock at a reasonable price. I purchased a pack of 2005-06 NBA SP Signature Edition and picked the tin with Larry Bird on it. Tucked in between two common cards I found myself holding a Deron Williams Rookie INKorporated Autograph card numbered to 50. I couldn’t believe my luck and even some of the Diamond Club members were impressed. What a great find!
There was a long line of collectors wrapping around the hall to the Upper Deck booth for the wrapper redemption program they were hosting at noon each day. Upper Deck created a special series of cards specifically for the National Sports Collectors Convention and the only way to get them was by opening packs of current Upper Deck product in front of one of the UD team representatives. Each day there were different packs, and by coming back every day you could collect the entire set. Randomly inserted were autograph cards of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Gordie Howe and more. I saw one kid get a LeBron James and Michael Jordan card out of two different packs. Apparently I’m not the only one who has luck with Upper Deck products.
Chris let me help a bit by passing out tickets for a raffle Upper Deck was holding that afternoon. Another huge gathering of sports fans converged on the Upper Deck booth for the raffle where UD was giving away a Mitchell & Ness jersey, 1-of-1 printing plate cards, a Zach Parise signed puck and a Peyton Manning signed Tennessee Volunteers mini helmet. Those who didn’t win received some Upper Deck sling packs as a consolation prize, which was nice to see so not many people walked away empty-handed.
I continued to visit with collectors throughout the afternoon at the UD booth and there was a common theme I heard over and over again. I heard them talk about how they love the quality of Upper Deck’s products. They shared how they miss Upper Deck making NBA products in particular. They liked how UD was there to help and had staff on hand to help them with any issues. But more than anything, the sentiment collectors shared about Upper Deck was that they really cared. This wasn’t news to me as I have been lucky enough to experience that all first hand on several other occasions.
At the end of the day I walked the show a little more and picked up some more unopened product just hoping I could make it home before I started opening the packs. It was a lot of fun to get to spend so much time with the Upper Deck team and their rabid collectors. I’m excited to see the products they have in store for collectors like me and I’m already making plans to attend the show next year in Chicago. To top off an already great day I found five bucks while I was walking to my car. What can I say, when it comes to Upper Deck, I’m just lucky.
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Can FIFA Make the Right Call for the Next World Cup?
Posted by: | CommentsCongratulations to South Africa for putting together a beautiful World Cup. The country is a gem, and it is easy to see why they call it the birthplace of life. Congratulations are also in order for Spain taking home their first World Cup title. They played a gritty final game, and in the end were victorious over the Netherlands.
Now that the World Cup is over it is time for FIFA to take a step back and evaluate some serious issues that came up during this tournament. They are the governing body of the largest sport in the world, yet they seem to be behind in some critical areas that could make the game so much better.
The final game of the World Cup was watched by more Americans than any other. When the United States were still in the tournament viewership was also at an all-time high. The question raised now is how much of the ‘popularity momentum’ soccer gained in America was lost between the U.S. exit from the tournament and the final game. Again, FIFA has to put together some answers over the next four years, or soccer in America will continue to fly under the radar.
The sports world in America started to understand early on what technology could do for them. Now that some sort of replay is used in the NBA, NFL, MLB and even making way in some college sports, the games seem more fair. Coaches can contest a call they think the referee might not have seen. NBA referees are held accountable for the last second shot or a questionable three-pointer, and they rely on replays to make sure they get things right. Fans feel like they are getting more of a fair shake, and it is harder to argue biases among officials. Granted there are still flaws, but at least there is some headway being made.
This year at the World Cup the United States were not the only ones on the wrong end of a bad call. Too many goals were disallowed that should have been called fair. Outcomes of games could have been so much different if a replay could show the foul that was missed. There was just too much that was overlooked, and because of it the argument was made that some referees allowed biases onto the field. Shame on them.
In the end the sport of soccer loses a lot of ground it gained when this cup started. This is the richest country in the world, and we love our sports. Athletes are paid ridiculous amounts of money and billions of dollars are spent on apparel, endorsements, cable specials and more. Soccer is missing the boat by not addressing the problems which were screaming loudly from the field in South Africa.
So how can FIFA get those ‘on the fence’ fans who were hooked when the United States continued to come back? Those are the fans they need to address. Those are the fans who turned off their televisions once they saw the same thing happen to far too many teams. The spark that was ignited within them was not fanned into burning loyalty. Instead it sputtered out and left the building. They are now waiting for the sports they deem to be more fair to start.
How can the problem be solved? For starters how about some sort of goal-line technology that lights up when the ball crosses the line. An extra referee behind each net would be nice. Even a fifth official watching instant replays could call down to the head ref and call a play back. It wouldn’t even interrupt the real flow of the game. We saw it work in the NHL Playoffs just this year. Yes it created a pause in the action, but at least they got the calls right.
Soccer purists argue that adding these ideas to the game would take away from the beauty of the world’s biggest sport. Well, soccer purists need to understand their piece of the pie could be so much larger by getting a nation like the United States on board. Until that day America will continue to be the place where the world’s sport sends it superstars to retire.
Did they lose you? What do you want to see changed?
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U.S. Victory Equals Pure Elation
Posted by: | CommentsThis morning I found myself jumping, screaming, shaking and hugging a bunch of dudes. Today I felt pure elation.
Everyone has already heard about the absolutely terrible call against the United States Soccer Team in their World Cup game against Slovenia. The ref called off the game-winning goal of what would have been America’s greatest comeback. The team never got an explanation, and had to face their next opponent in a do-or-die situation. Our boys delivered in a way no one could have imagined.
Give us your thoughts on Donovan's amazing goal today and you could win this card. Just click on this card front image and check out our Facebook contest.
The “Yanks,” as they are known around the world, have given up more early goals than any other team in recent history. In the sixth minute of their final group match against Algeria the curse nearly continued. Fortunately for Tim Howard, the American goalkeeper, the crossbar saved the day. One bullet dodged and still more than 80 minutes to play. After that eye-opening moment we never looked back.
Through the entire game the U.S. kept attacking. In the 24th minute Clint Dempsey had a beautiful right-footed goal off a volley, but yet again the ref put down his gauntlet and called Dempsey offside. Arguments can be made about whether or not the call was legitimate, but the resolve of the team was too strong to let it bother them. They kept going. Shot after shot. Near miss after near miss. Surely there had to be a breakthrough.
As the game started to wind down I became more depressed. I was going to have to wait another four years to watch my team battle. This time was worse because the refs had killed us in not one, but two games. I thought for sure there wouldn’t be any stoppage time because the flow of the game had been pretty continuous, but then the fourth official indicated there would be four more minutes. I was shocked and saw only a slight sliver of hope.
In the 91st minute the camera cut away from the U.S. net to show an Algerian player. The camera returned to action just in time to see the ball hit grass and Landon Donovan run on it like a mad man. With perfect skill he threaded the ball to Jozy Altidore who gave a perfect pass in the box to Dempsey. From only six yards out he took the shot, and again, like so many times before, the keeper made the save. This time though the ball just bounced off his gloves, and fortunately for us, Donovan hadn’t stopped running after his pass. He showed up just in time to put the ball left of the goalie and into the net. GOAL!
This card will go up tomorrow's on UD's Facebook page as another cool keepsake giveaway!
This is the part where I jumped out of my chair, screamed wildly, felt tingles throughout my whole body and hugged a bunch of guys. I couldn’t believe it. We won!
This was one of the most historic wins for our country. The United States had never won the third game of group play in the World Cup. They had never scored in extra time. They had never finished top in their group. Today was the day history was made for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team.
After the game Donovan went to the podium for his press conference and cried. On Sunday the Yanks take on Ghana, the same team that kicked them out of the first round four years ago. Redemption time? Yeah, I’d say so.
If you haven’t seen the highlights from the game, turn up your volume and click on the link below. In soccer you have to believe. After this…why wouldn’t you?
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Upper Deck Soccer: Don’t Miss It!
Posted by: | CommentsEvery four years the eyes of the world are turned to one single event. It’s an event where countries bring together their best men to battle for the title of champions of the world. For one month all countries are on a level playing field where economy, population, size and type of government don’t matter. Each country is given the same chance to win. This year the United States Men’s National Soccer Team will field their best 11 men ever, led by a fearless captain in Landon Donovan. This is the year of the World Cup.
The success of United States soccer is due in large part to the emergence of Major League Soccer and its preparation of young talent to grow within the league. MLS has done such a good job that a number of players such as Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey have been picked up by some of the best clubs in the world. On the other hand huge international names are finding stiff competition here that did not exist 10 years ago. David Beckham is by far the most popular of international players to test their talents on U.S. soil, but many have followed and more come each year. Soccer is on the rise, and as the world watches this June there will be the largest number of MLS players participating since the inception of the league.
With this year having so much meaning for soccer players, teams and fans it is no surprise that Upper Deck has once again produced an elite product to commemorate what soccer in America has accomplished. Today, May 18, the 2010 Upper Deck MLS set hits store shelves and each pack will have something valuable to offer. Along with the 200-card base set, there are a number of amazing pulls to be found. Here are some of the set’s highlights.
First and foremost, Upper Deck has refined its already elite card making process and has made the surface of their cards more Sharpie-friendly. Even with all the patch, autograph or jersey cards included, this is by far the best part about the product. Unlike other professional athletes, soccer stars are much more approachable and almost always willing to sign autographs. The big stars like Beckham understand the importance of a good fan and will take a moment to say hello. Essentially you could have a complete autographed set. It’s just up to you to attend the games. It’s a challenge worth undertaking.
As mentioned before, Landon Donovan will be leading the charge for the U.S. and you can be sure to find not only his patch and jersey cards, but also his autograph. If that isn’t enough there are also “MLS Teammates Dual Materials” insert cards numbered to 65 that include Beckham and Donovan side by side. There are even “MLS National Pride Triple Materials,” “MLS Superstars Quad Materials” and “MLS Materials Premium Series” with, of course, Donovan, Beckham, Pablo Mastroeni, Kasey Keller and Juan Pablo Angel to name a few. This set is packed with a ridiculous amount of amazing cards.
Many of you may or may not know about Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), which started just a year ago in the United States. It wouldn’t be fair to overlook standouts like Heather Mitts or Hope Solo for all of their accomplishments as female athletes representing their country on the world stage. They now play professionally on their home turf, and Upper Deck is making sure they are getting noticed with patch cards, quad materials cards and a lot more. If you haven’t seen these ladies play, you are missing out.
Too many times soccer is not given the credit it deserves in our country which is unfortunate because many of these players are more recognized throughout the world than guys like Kobe Bryant or Peyton Manning. To call yourself a true collector you need to add some Upper Deck Soccer to your collection. These aren’t just players that couldn’t hack it in a ‘real’ American sport. These are true athletes whose stories will become legendary tales told to future generations. There is real value in any Upper Deck product, but high value comes with collecting icons. Don’t miss it. You will find yourself watching the World Cup with a lot more interest, cheering for the United States and cherishing your Landon Donovan autograph.
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It’s Not Bracket Science
Posted by: | CommentsEvery year, it’s the same story. I swear, it feels like reporters have a file they send to each other every March where the headline hardly changes, and the words in the story get switched around just enough to give it the appearance of something fresh. They all go something like this, “ . . . employers lose billions of dollars during tourney . . . employee output takes huge dive in March . . . workers argue brackets bring a high sense of morale in a challenging work environment . . .” You get the picture. A recent story on CNN says that during the first week of the tournament, employees will spend twenty minutes a day on the internet checking scores. Twenty minutes? What about last week when employees were spending that much time on Facebook or Twitter? The reason March is so much fun is because you aren’t at your desk trying to hide the fact you are on ESPN, Facebook or the Upper Deck Blog. You can openly have your browser updating basketball scores every thirty seconds. Everyone is on the same page.
Last year, I entered four brackets into two different pools. I paid my dues and made my picks. With each bracket I took a different approach to filling it out. I tried to cover every picking method out there. Here are the ones I used, and in the end not one of them paid off. I am interested in what you do; as a warning, if you try my methods there are no guarantees.
1. The “I Like Their Colors” Picks: This one is reserved for those who don’t follow college ball during the regular season. I hate to say the following statement because it sounds so cliché, but it is the truth. This is the method most women, but not all women use (my wife included). At her last employer, my wife won their bracket challenge beating out all guys; even the office sports guru who knows these players’ stats from their pick-up games at the park. I asked her how she did it and why she picked the winner. Simply stated it, was because they had nice colors. Her whole bracket was based on the school colors. That’s it. No analysis. Not a single game watched. Just the colors. I think five of my teams actually made it to the next round because I liked their colors.
2. Follow the Analyst Method: Many of us would love to be paid to sit around and talk about sports all day. We put a lot of faith in the words of a guy who might have used to play a long time ago so we decide their words are gospel. They sound so smart giving in depth analysis on each team, each bracket, each ranking and so on. How could they be wrong? We don’t even take into account the stat guys backstage with their computers furiously trying to find all of this information. Granted they do have years of experience watching games and doing what they do. They are great at keeping us up to date and informed. No way would they lead you astray. Those who use this method pick up USA Today on the way to work and follow whatever the majority rule might be from the talking heads.
3. Cinderella Method: This method is extremely popular and used in some form in almost all brackets. We love to see a Cinderella team win against the big guns. These are the teams like number 16 Vermont beating first ranked Syracuse, and then pounding their way into the Final Four. These picks are always a toss-up, but when you get it right you feel so good. Next time at the water cooler it’s your turn to pound your chest and gloat. When you get them wrong (more likely to happen), your whole bracket is trashed and your final games looks foolish because you have Kansas playing Robert Morris for the title. Be careful going down this road. It is okay to pick a Cinderella, but don’t have them going too far, and don’t pick too many.
4. Blind Pick Method: By far the easiest method of them all and potentially the biggest pay off. Grab your bracket. Don’t look at anything else. Not your paper, the internet, your friend’s bracket or your wife’s color picks. Start at the top left and work down. Make sure to read each team and ranking out loud. Take about five seconds to process how each sounds rolling off the tongue, I like to close my eyes during this step, and then pick the one that sounds best. Repeat the process until your bracket is full. For this to work you cannot go back and make any changes at all. Your pen has iron ink and cannot be erased. This is a TOTAL shot in the dark, but the feeling of collecting your prize money will be like none you have ever felt. Suddenly everyone in the office thinks you have psychic powers and you are doing palm readings in the break room charging ten bucks per person. Most likely you will be so far down the list after the first week, you might as well have spent your entry money on a cheeseburger.
When I used each of these methods exclusively last year on separate brackets I got hosed. The recovery has been a long process, and I haven’t even had the guts to touch this year’s bracket yet. The bracket that did best was the one where I followed the analysts exclusively. I was high on the list until the Elite Eight, and then things just crumbled. It is also the same round where the sports guys had the most differing opinions.
As you participate in “team building” events this week I hope you take a little something from all methods. I think a good mix could actually be very rewarding. May each of you enjoy the Madness in March and do better than I. Please share your methods with the rest of us! It boosts our chances at the money and bragging rights.
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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