Posts Tagged ‘Review’

I haven’t updated in a bit and with the holidays upon us, I figured it was time for something, so you’re going to get a little bit of everything in this post.

First up is a review of Panini’s 2011-12 Pinnacle release. I had actually forgotten that these were coming out because Panini releases so much junk, that I have started to tune them out. A trip to my LMC jogged my memory and seeing as I like to support local businesses, I ended up buying five packs, mostly because I wanted to get some of the Tough Times inserts. Sadly, I didn’t get any inserts, but that is okay because the base cards were enough to satisfy me.

WAIT, WHAT!?!

Yes folks, it’s true; Panini has managed to release a product that doesn’t totally suck. In fact, it rivals Upper Deck’s main release. Maybe not in terms of lasting value, but at least in terms of photography. Let’s look, shall we?

Here we have “Jumbo” Joe Thornton. Flat on his back. Basking in some as-yet-unknown happiness. So, the first thing about these cards is that they are all in landscape orientation. I don’t really have an opinion on this one way or another, but I applaud Panini/Pinnacle for trying something a little different. The front design is pretty minimal, which I like. I do wish the name and position were just a hair big, but I’m nitpicking. The photo is great, both because it is a non-typical hockey shot and because it captures pure emotion.

Now let’s look at the back…

I have a lot of thoughts on this. First, I really wish they used a different picture OR just replaced the picture with stats, but I get why they didn’t. I do like the write-up they provide which basically tells the story of the picture. Again, I can appreciate Panini/Pinnacle for changing it up. Without stats, though, this set has an Upper Deck Biography of a Season feel to me. I need my cards to have stats!

Before I show you some of the highlights, let me show you what the rookie cards look like…

Basically, it’s the same as a regular card only it has that totally unnecessary Panini foil. WHY?!?!! Panini, you are KILLIN’ ME with this stupid foil stuff. Just stop. Seriously, stop. NO ONE LIKES IT! Not only is it ugly, it takes away from the photography which you have OBVIOUSLY put time and thought into; maybe not with this particular card, but with most of the set.

Here are some more cards…

Teemu is pretty good, eh?

Really cool card of Vrbata shortening his stick.

Really cool Winter Classic shot!

Pussy.

Not a pussy.

I thought Russian judges were notoriously stingy?

Price flashing some leather. Unfortunately I see no puck and will assume it’s in the net.

Anyways, I give the overall base set a B+ and my valuable endorsement as a worthwhile set nearly equal to Upper Deck.

Next up is an early Christmas gift from my uncle. Check out this beauty:

The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association by Ed Willes. I can’t wait to read this! I’ll post a review when I finish it.

Next I want to share a couple YouTube clips that are insane. Seriously guys, these clips are mental. There is comedy and then there is a(possibly) coked out Derek Sanderson talking about signing autographs, getting propositioned by female fans, selling surfboards in Australia, and not being thrilled by anything.

You’re welcome.

Lastly, I just got done watching the Bruins put an 8-0 ass whoopin’ on Florida. Sure, they are the Panthers, but they are also first in the Southeast Division. It’s a really good time to be a Bruins fan. Y’know, with them being one of the best, if not THE best team in hockey. They have it all: killer defense, great goaltending, toughness, balanced scoring, and good special teams. Bring it on, NHL. BRING. IT. ON!

Anyways, here is a highlight reel goal by this joker:

Oh, one last card from Pinnacle…

YEAH BITCHES! STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS UNTIL OTHERWISE NOTED!

So much to get to, and about 30 minutes to do it!

First, let me share a new addition to my Hall of Fame autograph project.

This card comes from a company called Sports-Flash and was released in 1992. It is a 15-card set that is “limited” to 200,000 copies. The checklist features guys like Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Yvan Cournoyer, Gilles Gilbert, and Chuck Rayner. Each set contained a random autograph of one of the players. There is no certification on the card, so I am going to have to assume it is legit. Really, this card is just a filler until I can track down one of Rayner’s certified autos.

Next up, I bought some packs today. Upper Deck was a no-brainer; Score, well, I felt like it was my duty as a hockey card collector to buy at least a few packs just to give them a shot. Two different products, two different price points, two different reviews.

Let’s look at Score first. $1 a pack, lots of subsets, some rookies, and even some autographs. I wasn’t expecting a lot and boy, were my expectations met.

Pretty basic front, pretty basic back. This is what $1 gets you. Not the worse thing I’ve ever seen and perfect for kids who just love hockey cards. The photography this year, at least in the packs I opened, was a step backwards. Last year’s set had some really interesting shots, but most of the photos this year are just generic images.

Each pack features a glossy card (whatever)…

This is a glossy card. It is supposed to have the word “GLOSSY” on the back  (above and below the card number). As you can see, this one does not. Is it just another Panini quality control fail or a super stealth variation? Either/or, I don’t care. What I do care about is that Gregoy Campbell is my second favorite Bruin behind McQuaid. Another thing I care about is that little Stanley Cup Champion logo on the bottom right. HELLZ YEAH BITCHES! Also, I care about the Canuck player who looks to be going down to the ice. And lastly I care about seeing the Green Guys  to the left of the Bruins logo. For me, this was the best card I pulled out of five packs.

I did get two rookies…

Never heard of either of these guys. And no, neither of these are one of the SP rookies.

Typical of Score is the many MANY subsets/inserts. Here are a few I pulled…

Sure (more on Miller shortly)…

Zzzz…

…

Oh sorry, I blacked out there for a moment. No great shakes, but I’m not going to knock the product too much. For a $1 a pack, it’s a good value.

On the other side of the coin is Upper Deck, which was $4 a pack and contains rookies, autographs, jersey cards, and a few insert sets.

Not too much of a change from previous years. You know what you are getting with Upper Deck: full-bleed, basic design, and great photography. There were two of the better shots in the packs I opened. I imagine Phaneuf just took a run at someone and is now refusing to answer the bell. Or he is just saying, “Oh….hey.” The Doughty card is pretty unique and I dig those old Kings jerseys.

My favorite card, though, is this one…

HABS CRUNCH! Also, as you can see, the backs are clean, simple, and just like every other year.

I pulled one Young Gun…

This is definitely NOT Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Oh, and this insert…

Shane, do you want this even though you are no longer a player collector? I also pulled his base card.

But wait, I got a SUPER MOJO HIT…

This is NOT Tyler Seguin.

So, there you have it, pretty much the same as last year’s product. It’s like buying the latest version of Madden football; it’s essentially the same game but with updated rosters. If anyone wants any of these cards or is building these sets, let me know.

Lastly, I wanted to post these two pulls from today….

The Bruins are set to take on the Sabres in about 10 minutes. There is a little bit of hype going into this game because of this…

Lucic is expected to have to face the music tonight, most likely against Cody McCormick. It should be a good one if they go. More importantly, I am looking for the Bruins to extend their winning streak to an impressive ten games tonight.

**UPDATE**

And THAT is how you answer the bell (pay attention Alexandra Burrows).