Archive for Other
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% [?]
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.
Popularity: 5% [?]
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?
Popularity: 2% [?]
On Independence Day, Remember Those Serving in Harm’s Way
Posted by: | CommentsOne of our country’s Founding Fathers, John Adams, believed that today, July 2nd, would be considered this nation’s Independence Day. Adams once wrote to his wife Abigail: “On July 2, 1776 the Association known as United Colonies of America officially became the United States of America.”
Adams went on to write, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”
It sounds like John Adams really knew how to celebrate. What he failed to realize however is that there would be a brief debate over language in the Declaration of independence and that it would take some time to have it written up on parchment so that it could be signed by the Founding Fathers. Thus it is July 4 that the Declaration of Independence was signed, but it was today that the blueprint for this country’s future was agreed upon.
So much has come since the days of John Adams. Despite decades of peace and prosperity, our country continues to battle in foreign wars. Brave young men and women continue to serve this great nation at home and abroad. You may question whether we should be involved in these conflicts in far away places, but you certainly cannot question the courage of our troops. Far too often their sacrifices go unnoticed, especially for those serving on foreign soil so far away from those they love. How lonely and worrisome must their nights be wondering if all is well back home and if they will make it back safely to those they love.
What if you could give those brave men and women a little piece of home? What if you could help take their mind away from all those worries for just a bit? Wouldn’t it be nice to just say thank you for their service?
For the last several months, Upper Deck has been working with Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends 100,000-plus “care packages” annually to U.S. service members deployed in hostile regions around the world. Upper Deck is asking collectors to donate sealed packs of trading cards to Operation Gratitude that will be included in these care packages. Believe it or not, trading cards really help bring a little piece of home to those serving abroad as it helps them reconnect with their favorite sports. Just read this soldier’s story if you don’t believe me.
To donate you can either visit a participating donation center or send the packs directly to Operation Gratitude at the address listed below:
Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
Attn. Upper Deck’s Million Pack March for the Troops
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
In the coming weeks we will be doing more to help promote Upper Deck’s Million Pack March for the Troops by sharing a special set we produced for the National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore this August. Many of your favorite athletes served honorably in different branches of the United States Military. And some in the set, like LeBron James, are just plain patriotic. Check out a couple sneak peeks of some of the cards we put together featuring them.
To incentivize our fans to donate to this worthy cause over the Independence Day weekend, we will be giving away FIVE game-used memorabilia cards of the player everyone seems to be talking about right now: LeBron James. These cards are from Upper Deck’s recent “Greats of the Game” Basketball set.
For your chance to receive one of these special cards, all you need to do is take a picture of your donation package addressed to Operation Gratitude or of you giving packs to a store owner at a donation center and post them on the Wall of our Facebook page. We will randomly select five different winners to each receive one of these cards on Tuesday, July 6 at 4:00 PM PDT. So please, donate today! For more information on Upper Deck’s Million Pack March for the Troops, please visit www.millionpackmarch.com.
Popularity: 6% [?]
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?
Popularity: 4% [?]
