Super Bowl Prediction Post

It's that time of year where I make my annual post about the Super Bowl and connect it to some cards depicting the cities involved.

Let's start with the defending champs, the Kansas City Chiefs.  Similar to last year's post I can show off a card from the 2012 All-Star Game which was held in Kansas City.

Cutch participated in the Home Run Derby that year and Topps released a lot of cards from the annual event.  I already showed off my 2012 Topps Update Black parallel with a serial number prefix of 15 (Patrick Mahomes jersey number) last year.  

This year I am going to go with a much bigger card from the collection that I didn't own at the time of last year's Super Bowl.

Above is a 2013 Triple Threads laundry tag booklet card 1/1 featuring the jersey worn during batting practice and on field events for the 2012 All-Star Game, held in Kansas City.

Now for Tampa Bay.  The Buccaneers haven't been in the Super Bowl for nearly two decades.  Tom Brady left the New England Patriots last off season and there was many conversations about who was the most valuable asset to the New England Patriots dynasty.  Was it Tom Brady, the quarterback, or the mastermind coach, Bill Belichek?

Well, as the Patriots missed the playoffs and the Buccaneers are in the Super Bowl, it should be obvious that the guys who play the game often are the ones who win the games.  

This is true for nearly all sports.  In baseball, Joe Maddon In is often regarded as one of the most innovative and strategic managers in the game, yet he only won 1 World Series (thanks in large part to a late inning rainshower in Game 7).

Maddon got a lot of recognition for his time in Tampa Bay when he took a team with a bottom 5 payroll year after year to the Postseason year after year. 

Maddon is a Superstar coach and recognized a Superstar impression on the back of this 2013 Prizm Cutch card.

As you can see the Tampa Bay coach was impressed by another player.

I have a feeling another Tampa Bay will be admiring the player on the other side of the field today.

My prediction KC over TB 30-28

Joe Maddon, the Mad Scientist Pt3

Joe Maddon is often regarded for his unorthodox ways of managing.

According to 2018 Topps Heritage High Number, Maddon employed one of the craziest shifts ever when he recruited Andrew McCutchen to play three different infield positions for the Cubs in 2018.

This is what the error version looks like up close.  The front is identical to his traditional base card.

Unlike in the past where you had to look super close for the code in the bottom right hand corner of the card to identify if it is an error, Topps is making it "slightly" easier by placing the word error in the top left corner by the numbering.

Can you see it better?

Thanks for sparing our eyes Topps.


Now if anyone is wondering what the back cartoon was supposed to say, it should have looked like this...

Joe Maddon, the Mad Scientist pt2

On Sunday Night, Joe Maddon had his Chicago Cubs team arrive in Houston wearing throwback basketball uniforms.  Since it's (Throwback) Thursday and the NBA Finals will kick off let's review what was worn.

We begin with Jon Lester sporting a Penny Hardaway pinstripe jersey and the old school Penny sneakers.

This may have been my personal favorite of the bunch considering that Penny was one of my three favorite basketball players growing up.  The others being Reggie Miller and Tim Hardaway.

I just showed off my Lester autograph last week when I questioned the impact prospects have on our hobby.

This wins best original concept award.  Cole Hamels as Jackie Moon sporting a Flint Tropics jersey made famous by Will Ferrell.  FANTASTIC CHOICE MR. HAMELS!

Here is another Just Minors dual signature card I have of Cutch, this time featuring Cole Hamels.

Also a printing plate featuring McCutchen and Hamels

Since it is Chicago, what kind of team would the Cubs be if they didn't support an All-Time Great and Chicago Bulls Legend, Michael Jordan?  Jason Heyward stepped up to the plate and he looks like he could actually ball.

Yet, another Just Minors dual auto card.

But wait, there's more...
Cutch, Heyward, another Maddon favorite, David Price

A dual History of Game card

And a printing plate from Just Minors

And a sexta jersey booklet

Want more basketball jerseys?  How about Albert Amora and Anthony Rizzo both sporting recently retired Dwayne Wade Miami Vice jerseys.

Plenty of Rizzo cards to go around which I've already shown off here.

And to wrap things up, the greatest act of all.  El Mago, the Magician Javy Baez, doing his checkups as the Doctor, Julius Erving.

And we finish with a sexta autograph booklet featuring autographs of Anthony Rendon, Javy Baez, Josh Bell, Ryan Zimmerman, Starlin Castro, and of course Cutch.

Who are you rooting for in the NBA Finals?

Joe Maddon, the Mad Scientist PART 1

Much has been said of Joe Maddon and his unorthodox way of managing.

Cutch has had a few words from Joe on the back of his baseball cards in the past.

I am still in search of the red Target exclusive for this 2013 Prizm Superstar along with the Prizm Prizm (Refractor)