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We’re Golden. We Think!
Posted by: | CommentsI just finished up another rip-roaring Fantasy Football Draft with 11 of my buddies (or should I say colleagues?) here at Upper Deck. The UDFFL (Upper Deck’s Fantasy Football League) is chock full of guys who think they know exactly what they’re doing, but only time and some healthy campaigns posted by their top five or six picks will prove them right.
Which brings me to my first bone of contention: Was I really that foolish to grab St. Louis QB Sam Bradford in the 15th round with my own version of the “Mr. Irrelevant” pick? I mean really. But man did I get some ribbing from the boys. Granted, I already had Drew Brees as my starting QB and Vince Young as my backup, but what the heck? I had already drafted four RBs and five wideouts, along with my tight end (Antonio Gates), kicker (Nate Kaeding, thank god Fantasy ends before the playoffs begin), and the Saints “Dee,” so why not pick up some trade bait with my last pick? Think about it; I dropped my 15th selection on Bradford, the NFL’s overall No. 1 Draft Pick from this year. I’ll dump him in Week 3 for an emerging wide receiver when one of these chumps realizes that Philly’s Kevin Kolb isn’t turning out to be the second coming of Donovan McNabb or that Carson Palmer really is getting old in Cincy, even with T.O. lining up on the outside.
- Lots of hype surrounds Bradford. He may very well be the second coming of ‘Slingin’ Sammy’ Baugh.
But what struck me as interesting throughout the draft was everybody’s reluctance (or should I say well-honed strategy) to stay away from most of the rookies. Not surprisingly, Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews was the first freshman to get scooped up (with the 13th overall pick). Our lead designer, Neal, made the move, but since he’s a Chargers homer anyway, it didn’t faze me. With L.T. off to the Big Apple and Darren Sproles standing at five-foot-nothing, Mathews looks like the new workhouse in San Diego. He scored 19 TDs in college last year and posted eleven 100-yard games. He should be the real deal. At least Neal certainly hopes he is.
- Workhorse: The hard-driving Mathews should get to carry most of the load in San Diego’s backfield.
Which rookie was next, you ask? With the 38th overall pick, running back Jahvid Best was selected by one of our copy editors, Roger. Here’s a guy (Best, that is) who tallied 16 touchdowns last year for the Cal Bears and posted five 100-yard rushing games. He’s no Ryan Mathews, mind you, but he’s no slouch either. Granted he’s not a proven stud like many of my backfield picks (Jonathan Stewart, Joseph Addai and Brandon Jacobs, to name a few), but he’s got potential. We’ll just have to wait and see how often the Lions actually can get inside their opponent’s 20-yard-line. I’m thinking slim and none, for the most part. I mean, we are talking about the Detroit Lions, aren’t we?
Best is hoping to bring some versatility to Detroit's backfield this season. Only time will tell.
Okay, so who was the next rookie taken? With the 70th overall pick, Buffalo’s newest backfield acquisition, C. J. Spiller, was snatched up by one of the UDA guys, Steve S. The big man at Clemson is now supposed to be the new man in upstate New York. Lord knows, the Bills need some help, and C.J. could be the answer to their prayers. Steve S.’s office is next to mine, so I’m sure I’ll hear the roars from next door when the Bills start circling the wagons on September 26 against my team, the New England Patriots. Let’s not tell Steve how badly the Bills will get crushed on that fateful afternoon, but wish him well anyway with C.J. Maybe one touchdown and 60 yards on the ground from Spiller will be Buffalo’s big highlight from Gillette Stadium that day.
Six more rookies would be selected, including my gratuitous 15th round gesture for Bradford, before the UDFFL Draft ended. In order, they were Montario Hardesty (ninth round); Dez Bryant (10th round); Golden Tate, my second-to-last receiver taken (11th round); and both Demaryius “My Sore Left Foot” Thomas and Dexter McCluster (14th round).
Tate could be Golden in Seattle, just as long as Matt Hasselbeck can find him going deep.
What’s cool is that all of these first-year players will be appearing in Upper Deck’s fast-approaching 2010 Sweet Spot Football set, which is scheduled to launch next month right around the same time as Monday Night Football. All of the aforementioned rookies will be appearing in the set and every one of them will have autographed helmet cards to boot!
And for the record, just in case anybody was wondering, we conducted our fast-paced draft over the course of two well-orchestrated lunch hours by our resident ring leader, Big Ben. He looks like a cross between Junior Seau and Adrian Gonzalez, so nobody messes with Ben. Although truth be told, he’s the calmest, most courteous guy in the building. If higher management only was aware of what we were doing on our hard-earned lunch hours, they probably would have bought us lunch, right? Hey, it’s research after all. Come to think of it, maybe I’ll go upstairs right now and tell ‘em. Who knows? Maybe they’ll bring us bagels tomorrow.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Thierry Henry: Red Hot Red Bull Card
Posted by: | CommentsHe’s only been a member of the New York Red Bulls for less than five weeks, but already the Upper Deck Company has produced a collectible trading card featuring French soccer sensation Thierry Henry. The special Upper Deck Soccer card, the first of Henry’s career as a Red Bull, is now available at Upper Deck’s online store: www.upperdeckstore.com. By purchasing two blaster boxes of Upper Deck’s 2010 Soccer product, customers will automatically receive the sought-after Henry card free of charge.
“There are few names associated with soccer right now that are bigger than Henry’s,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s vice president of Marketing. “Since we were unable to include him in our original Upper Deck Soccer product this year, for the simple fact that he was not yet a member of the league, this is a big coup for us. We’re extremely excited to get this card out into the marketplace.”
July 22: Henry scored his first MLS goal in an exhibition game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Major League Soccer gained a global icon of the sport when Henry signed with the New York Red Bulls on July 14, 2010. He wasted no time showcasing his world-class talent by scoring a goal in his very first MLS game on July 22, an exhibition battle against Tottenham Hotspur. The new collectible card from Upper Deck shows Henry scoring off that memorable sliding kick.
Henry earned his worldwide reputation while playing for Arsenal in the Premier League, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 226 goals. Internationally, his accolades include victories in the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup while with the French national squad. He’s one of a handful of World Cup veterans to join MLS this summer.
Upper Deck released its 2010 Soccer set on May 18. The 200-card base set includes 175 standard cards, along with two subsets: “Super Draft Rookies” (15 cards) and “WPS All-Stars” (10 cards showcasing top-tier talent from Women’s Professional Soccer). All 16 of the MLS teams are included in the set with eight to 12 top-notch players per squad represented. The blaster boxes on sale now at www.upperdeckstore.com retail for $19.99 apiece and include 20 packs per blaster, eight cards per pack. Place your order today before the Henry card disappears!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Brag Photo: Classic MJ in Black and White
Posted by: | CommentsHe was poetry in motion out on the basketball court and provided photographers and artists with plenty of ammunition for capturing unforgettable moments. Whether he was dunking in mid-air or putting up a three-pointer from outside the arc, Michael Jordan defined success on the hardwood.
Likewise, through his longtime exclusive partnership with Upper Deck Authenticated, MJ has provided our Product Development team with plenty of memorable milestones and classic showdowns to capture against the likes of Larry, Magic and even Kobe.
Take a gander at this sweet piece now available at the Upper Deck online store: Michael Jordan autographed Black-and-White Tribute Canvas Classic. It’s signed in silver, measures 35″ wide and 18″ high and shows Michael taking a much-needed breather between baskets. It’s limited to just 50, so demand is high. Check it out while it’s still available.
CLASSIC MJ: You can't help but appreciate the mastery behind this black-and-white canvas photo from UDA.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Heat Wave: King James Signs for UDA
Posted by: | CommentsThis past Saturday, July 31, was a special day in Upper Deck’s history. It also marked a significant day for yours truly. You see, Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) had secured an autograph-signing session with company spokesman LeBron James during his King’s Academy Basketball Camp, which was being held at nearby Rimac Arena on the campus of UC San Diego. The meaningful part for me was the fact that I got to interview LeBron, face-to-face, on camera. I was pumped.
THANKS FOR SITTING: Properly miking up King James was my first assignment of the day, after hanging the Upper Deck signage, that is.
As we’ve done exclusively since 2003, our mission was to nail down authentic, eye-witnessed signatures from “The King” for fast-approaching UDA product launches. But what made this particular meeting historic was the fact that it was LBJ’s first official “Miami Heat” signing for the company. He would autograph Heat-emblazoned basketballs and multiple photos showing him sporting his new No. 6 uniform.
STRANGEST SURFACE? LeBron chuckled when I asked him what's the strangest surface he's ever been asked to sign. "Body parts," he said. "Many body parts."
The signing went smoothly; the products he autographed should be available to purchase on the UD Online store toward the tail end of next week. But the exciting part of the equation for me came right at the start, when I was able to ask LeBron several questions about his new team; new jersey number; whether or not he likes signing for the fans; and even a question or two about his personal collection. He was cooperative, informative and even shared a few sound bites that none of us had heard before. For instance, did you know his most prized autograph is a signed TIME magazine cover by the reigning Commander-in-Chief, Barack Obama? And exactly how many fans out there already knew that LBJ is a lefty when he signs his autograph?
EN FUEGO: According to LeBron, his plan is to turn the Miami Heat into perennial contenders every year. "It will mark a new beginning for me," he said.
I asked him what he’d like to say to his new fans in Miami; the most unusual surface he’s ever been asked to sign; and would he continue his pregame talcum powder routine beside the scorer’s table each night.
The process of landing the LeBron Q & A was relatively easy, thanks to the orchestration efforts of Upper Deck’s Athlete Relations team. Landing a capable videographer for the Saturday afternoon shoot was not hard either; I only had to mention that LeBron James would be on the other side of the lens. Since making his well-documented “Decision” back on July 8 regarding his departure from Cleveland and impending arrival in South Beach, LeBron has endured his fair share of criticism, especially from the hometown crowd. A native of Akron, Ohio, and former three-time Ohio State Basketball Player of the Year while attending St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, he understood the backlash that would occur once he made his announcement. In seven exciting seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron averaged 27.8 points per game and led the Cavs to the NBA Finals for the first time ever in 2007.
LEGIBILITY IS KEY: LeBron took his time when signing UDA's new "Welcome to Miami" 16 x 20's.
But this day, three weeks after his announcement, he was more eager to discuss his newfound plans about winning a championship in Miami alongside the likes of perennial All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
‘It’s gonna be exciting,” he said. “It will mark a new beginning for me. Most of all, it’s gonna be fun.”
As will the unveiling of his new uniform number for memorabilia collectors. A longtime admirer of Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving, who sported the same number during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron mentioned that the number brings with it some good Mojo as well. It’s the number he wore during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games when Team USA brought home the gold medal, its first since 2000. LeBron scored 14 points, pulled down six rebounds and added three assists in “The Redeem Team’s” 118-107, gold-medal-winning game against Spain.
SLOW AND STEADY: LeBron autographed several Spalding basketballs during the UDA signing, which will be available next week at Upper Deck's online store.
“Right now, it’s all about starting over,” he said. “And that’s what the No. 6 will allow me to do in Miami.”
LeBron doesn’t turn 26 until December 30. He’s a 6’ 8” basketball phenom who’s about to embark on a whirlwind tour with more on-court talent surrounding him than he ever had in Cleveland. With apologies to an aging Shaquille O’Neal, that’s simply the way it is. The world is LeBron’s oyster; the NBA title remains his elusive pearl.
As for his responses to some of those other questions I posed? I guess you’ll just have to wait for the video to see how those came out.
Popularity: 5% [?]
En Fuego: LeBron James Heat Memorabilia
Posted by: | Comments
There are certain advantages to having exclusive relationships during the course of one’s career. And when it comes to securing authentic, unique basketball memorabilia from some of basketball’s greatest players ever (MJ, Bird, Magic, etc.), no company in the world has better connections than Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA). Since 2003, UDA has had two-time reigning league MVP LeBron James on its roster of exclusive superstars from the hard court and will soon be revealing “The King” in a whole new light.
The second “King James” made his well-publicized decision on July 8 regarding his new whereabouts starting next season, UDA’s hard-working crew was fast at work, procuring new Miami Heat-emblazoned merchandise showing LBJ sporting his new No. 6 Heat jersey in more ways than one.
Take a look at some of the soon-to-be unveiled keepsakes that UDA will be rolling out to the masses in about six weeks. Check back at the Upper Deck Online Store in a week or so for pricing and availability.
On Fire: When it comes to sizzling memorabilia of King James, UDA has the market cornered.
Nice Sig: A Miami Heat-emblazoned Spalding basketball with LeBron's signature from UDA will command attention from collectors everywhere.
No Substitute: LBJ's signed Heat jerseys will be red-hot in the Miami market.
Popularity: 5% [?]
