2011 Panini Threads Box Break and Review

2011 Panini Threads Box Break and Review
by Michael Barton (aka MonticelloCards on Sports Card Forum)
michaelbartonfreelance@yahoo.com



Welcome to my first of what I hope to be many reviews in the sports card and collectibles marketplace. This morning I was delivered a box of 2011 Panini Threads Football, and this item did not disappoint in the slightest. Panini (www.paniniamerica.net) - since purchasing Donruss - has become a leader in the sports card marketplace, and this is another product that delivers a touchdown.

Base Cards
The base set design is breathtaking! The horizontal full photo on the card front certainly makes each card feel like you have just personally taken a photograph at the game. The card backs employ the same photo with last year's stats as well as career stats and other pertinent information.

Regular Rookie Cards
There is one rookie in every pack, something that I personally feel needs to happen in every product in this day and age. There is a nice mixture of draft picks as well. One of my big problems in the past was a product like Leaf Rookies & Stars, which would deliver one rookie card per pack with all late round picks. Plus, I am a big fan of the defensive player, so to pull base rookies of 1st Round Picks like Jimmy Smith, Cameron Jordan and Aldon Smith made me very happy.

Rookie Autograph Letter Patches
The staple of Threads, I was lucky enough to pull a Stevan Ridley "L". I have loved this concept since it first debuted on the scene a number of years ago, so to pull an autographed rookie card made my day.

Memorabilia
I pulled three memorabilia cards - A Chris Johnson "Franchise Fabrics", an Antonio Gates base card 2 color patch parallel, and a dual jersey card of Christian Ponder and Kyle Rudolph dual rookie jersey card.

Parallels
Four parallels were found in my box, two of which were rookie parallels. The holographic finish is easy to denote compared to it's basic counterpart.

Inserts
Gridiron Kings returns as an insert with multi tiered levels. I pulled a Steve Smith framed parallel numbered to only 25, which was sweet. The other insert sets provide any collector with a smile, as there is a perfect mixture of yesterday's legends, today's stars and tomorrow's future stars!

Collation
Not a double to be found in the box, something that is a gigantic pet peeve of mine typically.

Overall
It comes down to this - if you want a fun box that provides great value at a mid-range price per pack, Threads is something that will make you happy from the first pack to the 24th.

Let The Games Begin?

by Michael Barton
michaelbartonfreelance@yahoo.com

So, minding my own business this Thursday night as usual (; and awaiting another stellar edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, and....oh, hating on the damn Yankee lovers out there. Oh, you didn't know? Yes, I have only lived in NY and PA my entire life, yet I am a Chicago Whie Sox fan! While not digressing on that fact for now, allow me to continue. Ms. Allison Balough Fierro - you know her, right - Ms. B List celebrity? Yeah, you heard me, Tommy? Suspended from Team Alli? SUSPENDED? Okay, seriously - enough is enough, and it's time for a change. I have jumped ship and created my own team, simply known as Jumping Smash Brothers, Esquire - an WE ARE TAKING OVER! Be prepared for battle~

See, what it comes down to is this - in my heart of hearts, and the bottom of my belly, and at the core of my soul is a fundamental difference between being a New York Yankees fan and NOT being a New York Yankees fan. So I shared my thoughts (a simple BOO was all that was necessary to the overpaid fans. YES EVEN THEIR FANS ARE OVERPAID~) I hate Yankees fans. Can't stand the lot of 'em. They make me feel ill, cold to the touch, like I am stuck in a room with a bunch of people from "Joisey"....oh, that's right - Allison lives in New Jersey, land of the swamps. The only good thing to come out of Jersey is the amount of gas people who are from New York take from these fools. I mean, seriously....(TO BE CONTINUED)

Matt Hardy - On The Brink

On The Brink - Explaining What Matt Hardy Said

By Michael Barton

michaelbartonfreelance@yahoo.com

"When the side windows glass smashed into my face, arms and neck, some of the blood that did felt almost angelic. I went from being afraid to die to feeling like I was almost being reborn with some sort of an ABSOLUTE PURE LIFE-FORCE. It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. I felt like I'd just received the blood of an angel flowing inside me--I know this sounds crazy! Due to these, I only have urges to help people. And miraculously, all my vices are gone."

- Matt Hardy, when discussing his car accident from Saturday.

This is one of the more difficult columns I have ever tried to write, mainly because this issue is one that is very close to my heart. For many of those who do not know, I am in recovery. Some days are good, some days are bad, but I do my best every day to fight the urge to use something to escape from reality. To many in the world, even Dave, this paragraph written by Hardy makes no sense. To myself and millions of others who struggle with the issues related to addiction, this is a phenomenon that is often referred to as a “spiritual awakening.”

Being an active addict results in three basic things eventually happening to all of us – jails, institutions, and death. If an addict is lucky, it is one of the first two, although many times lives are lost to drinking or drugs long before they should be. Look at how many wrestlers have died before the age of 50! I think there is a phrase that should be changed in our culture, the one about people partying like rock stars. I think rock stars should be replaced with wrestlers for drinking and drug use is prevalent within the business. There are stories that I could share but choose not to, because the purpose of my article today is not to put myself over. It is to simply try and explain how hard this fight is on a daily basis.

I have well over two years clean and sober, something that, today, I am very proud of. To those who do not suffer from any issues related to addiction, having a drink or smoking a joint is a one and done thing. They wake up and function normally the next day without any desire to escape again. For me, another saying comes to mind - one is too many and a thousand not enough. I am only 35, which is still fairly young, but my body is already dealing with the issues of living a reckless lifestyle. I have been inside the jails and institutions, longer than anyone wants to. Thankfully, the man upstairs has given me an opportunity to continue on, and today I do my best to help others through my own experience. So when I saw this post from Matt that makes sense to few, I understood it completely.

Two plus years ago, I attempted to take my own life. I was just so tired of the lying, the deceit, the stealing to get high, moving from place to place and job to job and not caring about the consequences of my actions. When I woke up in a hospital bed close to two days later, I felt different. People say that when you wake up from a suicide attempt, you feel one of two ways - you’re either upset that you didn’t succeed or you are thankful that you are still here. I was lucky in that I woke up feeling the latter. I understand the change that went on within Matt Hardy in that car. It doesn’t mean that he is cured for the rest of his life, but it does mean that he has finally seen that there is a different way. For Matt I sincerely hope that this will be the catalyst that causes change within his life. He seems like a good guy. He appreciates his fans. And if he works hard at understanding addiction and what it means to be an addict, he has a chance to change not only his own life, but possibly others as well. One day at a time, Matt – one day at a time.

Improper Terminology - "Greatest Ever"

Improper Terminology - "Greatest Ever"
by Michael Barton
michaelbartonfreelance@yahoo.com

Okay, this is an easy one - who is the greatest basketball player ever? While there are a number of names that make the list, not one of them is correct. Not Jordan, not Russell, not Chamberlain, not even Mr. Logo Himself - Jerry West. No, much like the greatest in life, sports also miss the great ones until they are long gone.

You do not need to be a cyber-metrics genius to figure this out. You only need to think a little outside of the box. In baseball, the greatest is Jackie Robinson (stop all the Ruth talk). His greatness cannot be measured in statistical fashion. Here is a man who changed the course of history through his accomplishments. In basketball, there is a man who has changed the way the game is played. That man was Chamberlain. In basketball, there is a man who seemingly couldn't lose. That man is Russell. But there is only one man who was so far ahead of his time that no one really knew what they were supposed to do. And that man was Pete Maravich.

Can Kurt Angle Save TNA?

Can Kurt Angle Save TNA?
by Michael Barton
michaelbartonfreelance@yahoo.com

Okay - this is an out there, albeit interesting thought that came to me this morning. And it is now the title of my blog. Let's look a little deeper and you will see where I am going with this.

It appears, based on Kurt Angle's appearance last night at TNA's Hardcore Justice, that he is a man on a mission. He is world champion again. He put on another tremendous match. But I am not here to discuss all of that today. Instead, look at his body. Kurt Angle is getting in wrestling shape alright - and he is getting ready to make an attempt at becoming an Olympian again, and perhaps, with a little bit of luck, win another Gold Medal in Freestyle Wrestling. But save TNA? How can one man accomplish such an impossible task?

This is not something you need a master's degree to figure out. The Olympics are on, and Kurt Angle is wrestling in the semi-finals. The Olympics draw more eyes than any other special type sporting event. Angle wins his match on points, and in his post match interview he begins talking about professional wrestling, or more specifically, TNA. His Olympic run is blended in and focused on, of course, but maybe he gets a moment to talk about them. I mean, that's all that is really needed to get something over in life thanks to the advent of social media. Next thing you know, both TNA and Kurt Angle are trending topics on twitter on the night that will shatter records.

Things improve - Russo is fired and Bischoff and Hogan have long since been gone, but the athletes that live and breathe this business remain. Dixie Carter is seen attending college to obtain a degree in business so she knows what she is doing now. Tony Schiavone returns and Tenay becomes the Play-by-Play voice while Tony focuses on playing a Hennanesque role. But the real coup has yet to be written about....

CM Punk finds a loophole in his WWE contract, realizes that his megaphone is a lot louder than he thought, and quits. TNA makes a handshake agreement with him, as he legally cannot be signed to a contract. But he can most certainly legally buy a ticket and just happen to sit front row every show. And to top it all....wait a minute....

Shit, I just woke up and realized that I haven't written my blog yet. What should I write about today? And why is Kurt Angle in my kitchen drinking my milk?

Have a great one.
Michael