young’ns

Posted by cardboard hogs on March 29, 2017

Although the past Redskins season didn’t unfold as i had expected, there were a couple of bright spots…or at least areas that may appear to be bright if things unfold how i hope they will. The rookie class from last years draft had minimal impact this season, starting of course with the much written about here, Josh Doctson. Most of the kids drafted in April of 2016 didn’t see much playing time due to injuries or roster depth.

Take a quick peek:

WR – Josh Doctson from TCU
LB – Su’A Cravens from USC
DB – Kendall Fuller from Virginia Tech
DT – Matthew Ioannidis from Temple
QB – Nate Sudfeld from Indiana
LB – Steve Daniels from Boston College
RB – Keith Marshall from Georgia

If you look closer at the draft though, the team managed to keep everyone in the organization and didn’t cut them. What that means of course is that the organization felt they did a good job of drafting. Now, who really knows who drafted these guys. Could have been Scott McCloughan or Bruce Allen…or maybe it was Chris Cooley…who knows…! I’m going to keep my hopes up and hope these guys have great futures with the team.

Besides Doctson, i’m really hoping for something great from Su’A Cravens. He’s making the shift from LB to Safety next season. Something that should have been done last year…but who has time to look backwards these days.

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Cravens likens himself to a Sean Taylor kind of player…most of the defensive backs that play for the Redskins or wear 21 do, so it’s cool that he gets to fulfill that wish i guess. Taylor was a freak of nature and a complete beast on the field. He also loved football and always went all out when he played…not saying Cravens can’t do that…but…i’m just sayin it’s a lot to live up to.

Not to mention, Cravens likes his social media which i really couldn’t imagine Sean Taylor posting photos of him posing near a waterfall during his vacation…but maybe…who knows. I have hope that Su’A will become a dominant player, only time will tell.

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The only other player that really saw much time on the field last year was Kendall Fuller, although it was somewhat short lived. He was coming off an ACL surgery from the prior season, so no telling how healthy he was last season. His impact last year didn’t amount to much, but he seems like the kind of player that will be solid and have some great games. Maybe not an All-Pro, but his blood line is that of an NFL’er…plus the new secondary coach for the Redskins was his DB coach at VTech. So there’s that.

Nate Sudfeld is a bit of a curiosity for me. Is the Cousin’s replacement next season? Is he just a guy that will be a 2nd and 3rd string quarterback? Who is he and what can he do! Only time will tell for him.

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Since he’s a QB, i’ve been working to stock up on his autographs like i did with Cousins during RGIII’s rookie year. That was some seriously major foresight on my part. If things don’t work out for Cousins and the Redskins in the future, i’ll have my Sudfelds ready to go and fully invested in!

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The other players i don’t have cards for yet are Steven Daniels and Matthew Ioannidis. Daniels was injured during training camp and was placed on IR but had a decent start to his camp last year. Seems like one of those small cannon ball kind of line backers that is everywhere and becomes a field leader…like London Fletcher was for so many seasons. Keith Marshall was another player that was injured and didn’t have an impact on last season.

Looking back on t the draft, you really have to hope that these kids can get and stay healthy or this draft could turn out to be a huge bust. But if they can get and stay healthy, who knows what their future holds for them. Lots of potential and talent for them young’ns.

The music today is brought to you by a couple of enigmatic dual personality MC’s from New York. Kool Keith and MF Doom. A couple old guys that the young’ns love…especially Doom. He has quite a cult following for those true hip hop fans.

Well…damn…!!??!?!!?

Posted by cardboard hogs on March 20, 2017

We have a champion in the very first ever Cardboard Hogs contest…and it was a non-contested contest. The Winner…wait for it…GAVIN!! from my current hometown of Portland, Oregon and writer/blogger of the very entertaining Baseball Card Breakdown blog. I don’t believe i have your address, so it you wouldn’t mind passing me an email i’ll get something over to you that i hope you enjoy! Not sure i’m going to make it to the show the weekend…

In case you were wondering, here are the results…along with some other stuff.

DOOR #1 – $20

Rypien Monk Mann

Ok, brief story on this lot. This is the old guy, the new…old guy that had the vintage football. Seemed nice, very chatty…but there was something odd about him. He was a little more pushy than the other guys and was really doing a sell job on me. Normally i don’t like that and tend to wander off when i get that kind of vibe. I should have listened to my gut! When i pulled this lot of cards, i handed him the stack and said my usual “what’s my damage…?” his response was “…make me an offer!” I offered $10 thinking that was more than enough. $2 per card. In fact, i thought it was a little too high…Bill probably has all of these cards in his 7 for $5 boxes. Anyways, he LOL’d out loud and said “…the 24K gold card is $20 by itself!”. That’s the Charles Mann card. He could quite possibly be right, but card shows aren’t about getting top dollar for your cards. It’s about selling cards to collectors at negotiable prices that work for both parties. I was taken back by his counter and shockingly stared at the cards for what seemed like 2 minutes before sheepishly taking out a $20 and handing it to him. Retelling this story and reliving the moment, i’m quite upset with myself. I tend to be a fairly generous person and don’t mind getting the lesser end of the deal if i can make someone happy…but this was just a case of me getting taken advantage of…and it pissed me off…i’m still upset that i let myself accept that offer. I should have given him the cards back and walked off. I will certainly skip his table next time…if he’s there again. I can’t imagine he did much business in finding too many suckers last time.

DOOR #2 – $15

This is just some good ole’ Tom hooking me up. His table was my third stop and more than made up for the previous door…Now, Tom has a habit of overpricing his cards and then giving you a great deal on them. I think he does that so he an engage in conversation with the guys at the show. When he handed me that Jamison Crowder card with a $40 sticker, i was like nah SON! But, he smiled and said, “you know i’ll make a good deal for you.”

DOOR #3 – $25

These are a few gems from Kim. All relics or autos, most with serial numbers…and $5 more than door #1. This is why i enjoy hitting up Kim’s table. He has stuff set aside for me and i get great deals on them.

DOOR #4 – $10

Reed Seastrunk Jeffcoat

So, the last door was from the military vet. This is another guy that over prices his cards with the label, but is more than happy to negotiate a deal quickly and easily. He’s the autograph guy that is more interested in moving things than keeping them. I had offered him $15 for the lot and was scrambling around for a $5 to go with my $10 and he said “…$10 is fine…” That’s how you treat a customer at a mall show i say!!

So there you have it kids. Don’t let people take advantage of you and do not hesitate to negotiate…don’t be a sucker like me!

Today is the first day of spring and my mid year birthday…tomorrow is my son’s…kinda cool that we basically share birthdays. So, in honor of none of that…here’s a video from a TEDx conference in Wisconsin by Michael Ford…very cool connection of Hip Hop and Architecture. Check it out.

Let’s Make a Deal! or not?

Posted by cardboard hogs on March 13, 2017

When i was in elementary school, my grandma would pick me up after class. Sometimes we’d head straight to the house and other times we would make a pit stop for a snack or late lunch. Her favorite spot was the Sonic in Schertz. It was one of those older drive ins, and like they still do today, they would bring the food out to your car…sometimes in roller skates! These were great times, simpler times…easier times.

My grandma was a TV freak and had to watch all of her shows. This was before she had a VCR, so we’d have to get through those burgers, fries and shakes quickly so we could get home to watch Monty Hall and Let’s make a Deal on the tele. Grandma was from England. I loved the show, not so much because of the premise of choosing some random “prize” behind doors 1, 2 or 3, but because of the wacky ass outfits the people wore. Granny enjoyed the show because she liked to go on ‘winning streaks’ of picking the right door…again, simpler times back then. If you are unaware of the show, you should definitely check it out. It’s like a three card molly scam where nobody really walks away a winner…why are they dressed like that!

So, that brings me to some cards…the last show i went to, unplanned, i stopped by a new guys table and chatted him up a bit. He seemed like a nice older guy and kinda reminded me of my grandpops. Had a similar look from what i could cobble together from my cloudy memory…it’s been 25 years since he passed. There was something about the guy that made me want to hang out. I began to sift through his cards and was pleased to see that he had some odd ball cards and a ton of vintage football stuff…mostly 49ers though. Since most of his collection was 49ers, i didn’t get too many cards but was able to pick out a few i needed for my master collection.

DOOR #1

Rypien Monk Mann

Next stop was Tom’s table. Tom was my original go-to guy at the show…it’s been close to 8 years since i first met him. He works at Check out my Cards during the week and does the shows on the weekends. He’s really helped me through the years with filling out some Heritage set needs, plus he’s a great guy to talk to. Here’s what i picked up from his table at the last show.

DOOR #2

Next table for some Redskins cards. My new go-to guy, Kim. Kim is great. He’s always incredibly nice and friendly as well. Plus he always has way too many cards for me to sort through with incredible deals. He tends to deal more with the big hits and pricier cards but always comes through with a great deal. Here’s what i got from Kim.

DOOR #3

Last stop. Last door. The veteran Marine autograph guy. Not too sure about this dude. Seems friendly…maybe not. Has a ton of autographs from people of all walks of life. Chasing famous people for autographs isn’t really my thing, but it’s always cool to see what he has. Sometimes he has a nice new lot of cards that i can sort through…most of the time i end up passing his table without picking anything up, but today i got a few autograph cards. (i know, i know…it’s supposed to be three doors, but just roll with me on this.)

DOOR #4

Reed Seastrunk Jeffcoat

Okay kids. It’s time to play LET’S MAKE A DEAL!!!

Here’s the deal, i’m going to do a bit of a game…or a contest as the kids say. The first person to correctly guess the cost of each lot will win a nice little gift pack of their favorite team from my collection. Closest to the correct answers win, along with some kind of tie breaker i guess.

Here’s a list of possible prices for each lot: $5 | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $35

I’ll post the winner next Monday, March 20th…the first day of Spring…and my mid year birthday!!

Rebuilding for the future.

Posted by cardboard hogs on January 18, 2017

I’ve been avoiding just about anything and everything Redskins on this blog since my team lost to the Giants a few weeks ago. It was a tough loss to a division rival, a game that would have propelled the Redskins in to the 2016 playoffs. Not to mention to a team that had a topless boating trip planned for South Beach the following day…no respect. After seeing how some of the teams that made the playoffs and ended up losing, i can’t help but imagine what could have happened. You know, the Washington Redskins were the last team to beat the Green Bay Packers. It’s true! In hindsight, that game was most likely the penultimate moment for the Redskins season as they put up 42 points on a Sunday night game. A game under the lights which they have been miserable with the past forever seasons…Clearly, though, it was one of the lowest points for the Green Bay Packers…they were crushed by the Titans a week before…so you could go with either game i guess, but the Pack haven’t lost since and i would be quite happy for them to win two more games.

The off season for the Redskins has begun early as it does most seasons. But instead of everyone cracking jokes about the Redskins winning the offseason, the talk is how everything is falling apart. They lost a brilliant young mind in Sean McVay. He was the OC for an explosive offense at times and is now the head coach for the Rams of Los Angeles…taking Joe Barry along with him to be an assistant defensive coach. Honestly, i don’t think any Redskins fan is upset about the Barry loss…but McVay is a tough one. Happy he was able to get a HC job, the youngest ever, but he has a huge task ahead of him. Luckily he has Bum Phillips son to help coach the defense…a defense that will see this guy next year.

The other big news for the offseason is whether or not the Redskins will/want to sign Kirk Cousins to a long term deal. Personally, i really hope they do. It’s been 20 years since the franchise has had a QB that has put up the numbers KC has in consecutive seasons. Granted, he’s not perfect, but he is a top QB and i would argue a franchise QB that you build around.

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That said, if what i’m reading…and it’s all speculation at this point…but if they give him the franchise tag and attempt to trade him, they could get a really nice haul of picks in return. Not to mention the nearly $30million of cap space they have going in to next year. They could be well placed to rebuild quickly with young talented players. Maybe a certain receiver could maybe get healthy and maybe make an impact in his second season…maybe.

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Really hope this kid pans out…i’m getting a ton of his cards and the price is falling on them. That could be due to his lack of playing though. Buy low kids!

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It would be seen as a season of rebuilding, but could possibly turn out to be the starting point of something really great. The defense needs a significant amount of help and could use a great defensive coordinator, whomever that turns out to be…so many names, some good some bad. Plus, if you are able to move Cousins, you would end up saving a $20+ Million investment in one player. Who knows, maybe you already have your future QB on the roster anyways…

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This card is really beautiful in person by the way…the scan does not do it justice…but neither does that signature!

if i have to live through years of rebuilding again, i’m gonna need to get my pacemaker hooked up to a clapper…clap on. Love El-P

Rookie gambles

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 15, 2016

“…the kids better buy my rookie card now

cause after this year the price ain’t going down!”

These words were uttered by the lyrically inclined, Mos Def…or Yasin Bey.

The value of rookie cards have been a part of non-card collectors for many years and often referenced in pop culture. Maybe not necessarily the value of a card, but the understanding that rookie cards generally carry a significantly greater value or general demand over non rookie cards.

I’ve never been a gambler, nor have i been a prospector. I’m a collector, a team collector. A team collector of an NFL franchise that has not been great for a few years and are faced with a high draft pick each year in the Spring NFL draft. Typically a high NFL draft, assuming an offensive player or skilled defensive player will have valuable rookie cards. When they are drafted by the Redskins, i have a collectors obligation to pick them up. Typically, the sooner the better for me. Problem is though, you never know how a guy is going to pan out in his athletic career. Case in point, this guy.

In 2012, i bought way too many boxes of football cars in hopes of pulling ONE…just ONE autographed RGIII card. Never. Not once did i have my wish granted…ironically though, i did manage to pull two Kirk Cousins cards that year. At the time, i was slightly disappointed…that’s what it came to, i was disappointed to have a back up guy, not the main guys autograph, i mean c’mon man RGIII was the future! As you may be able to tell from the card above, he is a distant memory for all Redskins fans now and something the Cleveland Browns are forced to deal with. Now, don’t get me wrong i have some great memories, some not so great ones too, but the drama with this guy…not to mention the fragility with which he played. Point is, you have to be patient and know when to strike on these young guys. I think i’ve learned my lesson a bit and have managed to make a few good pick ups from the past couple of card shows with Kim. Here are the few top Redskins rookies and cards with autographs.

I’ve written about this guy a lot. The main reason is that i’m feeling like he may be another Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas or Michael Westbrook or Rod Gardner or…you get the idea. A highly touted rookie WR that isn’t able to meet the expectations.

Doctson has missed most of the season and who knows what the future will bring. With the lull in his playing this year though, it’s time to swoop in and pick up some autos.

I’ve been able to pick up a few for less than $5 each. Not bad for a first round draft pick, skilled position player autograph and or jersey.

Another guy that i’ve been putting together a nice collection of is Nate Sudfeld. A back up QB…worked well last time, why not try again! I don’t believe Nate has suited up for any regular season games this season, which is great because that means Cousins has played great and has been healthy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Kirk Cousins and hope the Redskins can sign him to a long term contract and hope that he is the long term answer. But you need a backup and a good backup at that. Worst case, he gets traded and stars somewhere else and i’m able to flip these guys for more Redskins.

The digital camoflauge is always something cool to see on a card. The autograph of Nate though…it needs some work. I think these kids are asked to initial the stickers, not autograph them…oy!

Next rookie that i haven’t really started my pursuit of but need to step it up a bit is Su’A Cravens. He was a huge fan of Sean Taylor as a young’n and his play in some respects reflects the same intensity that Sean had. Su’A is an intense young man that hits hard and plays with enough intensity to become playmaker in the future, so now is the time to strike if you ask me!

Last kid for the night is Keith Marshall. A rookie running back from the University of UGA…or Georgia. Don’t know much about this kid since he was injured in the preseason and has been on IR all season…you can never have enough RB’s, especially the fast ones which i believe he is.