Card Mensches E7 Did Fanatics get it right? AL/NL Betting odds

hi I'm Danny black and I'm John Newman welcome to card
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what is up everybody episode seven of card matches as the intro said I'm
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John Newman to my right Mr Danny black had uh got a great show uh scheduled for
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you uh and uh the show doesn't happen without some great sponsors so let's uh let's mention those right off the top
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we've got uh waxat the only place you're going to get live up to the minute uh
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wax pricing uh SGC the quickest turnaround time in the game in Center
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Stage HQ app uh live scans and and pricing and uh doing all doing big big
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things so uh Danny we just you know big the big topic this week right it's the
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low-hanging fruit but we got to cover because it is a big deal a lot of news came out of it that's the tops
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conference uh in Arizona and uh a lot of people you know a lot of geared sorted
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towards uh you know Hobby Shops and and dealers and that sort of thing uh and a
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lot of stuff whether you uh attended it or not a lot of the news is coming out about some different things coming down
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the turnpike uh tops wise so I'll let you uh you sort of you prep better you
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did more homework uh than I did so I'll let you kind of kick us off uh about it
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but uh we'll we'll cover this uh as best we can can we get into the important
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stuff can we get behind the scenes a little bit first sure okay well first of all how are you
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my friend good to see you good good okay so I don't know if everybody knows but I
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have to have a lucky glass bottle of Coca-Cola for every show and I forgot to
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get my glass bottle of Coca-Cola today so I had to do an emergency delivery uh
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so I'd like to thank the good people like go puff delivery for getting that to me in time uh uh for for the show
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tonight so uh I'm feeling lucky now it's like having my lucky bat getting into the box
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um because we could get them as a sponsor at this point you just you just did a coke commercial I did I held it up
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and everything I'm like Mean Joe Green yeah well there you're right up my alley so I knew you were secretly a Steeler
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fan now the truth comes out they are so freaking diligent delicious yes thank you Mike
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you know it's because they use the real sugar that's the difference I am I am a Coke guy rather than a Pepsi guy but
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listen I like I like soda I just I just can't drink Mingo much uh I just can't I
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just can't drink it as much as I used to drink two liters by the day man it was insane I can't do that anymore but you
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know what every other week one glass bottle uh for for a card benches uh so
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yeah the big news is tops conference everybody comes out you know with with you know some information they're
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cutting some products they're increasing marketing they want to expand you know
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the the amount of collectors and and the user base um and and so that's all you know it's
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all interesting good good to hear there's supposed to be some big announcement coming up in March
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um but I think you and I decided uh that it's uh how you doing Ziggy that it's a
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good time after Fanatics has sort of been almost two years involved now to look and say
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you know what they get a lot of criticism but they've gotten some things right so let's let's take a look at
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maybe some of the things that you and I think maybe they've gotten right and maybe some of the things that that we
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would have done maybe a little differently but but more or less I I think this is to be a little bit
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different and and share some of the things that we've enjoyed and that's Danny this stuff is
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Fanatics is called now right this is like you said they're two years in this
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is Fanatics fingerprint now uh this is Fanatics blueprint so uh this really is
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the first time I I can say that this is them kind of pulling the puppet strings
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right and making some calls financially uh and uh you know distribution wise and
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all that so uh you know and and some of this stuff they did get right you know
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like the the title says there maybe not everything obviously and uh no one's gonna get everything right but let's uh
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I don't know what do you want to tackle first you want to talk about the chopping block of products yeah talk about your thoughts on on uh
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they went on a diet yeah they're they're you know like me not drinking as much soda like I used to
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do of you know they're they've uh they're cutting some products so they
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they published a list it's out there in social media for the sake of time we won't go through it but uh some
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surprising products on there uh as well uh you know and uh there's some products
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that are being rumored that they didn't even put on the list that uh a little birdie saying they're not going to be
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made either here's my thing I think I support that I think there's too many products I've always said that on my own
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show Danny that there's just uh too many releases for one sport by one company
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right but here's the thing they're still going to be making what 37 baseball products in 2023 so they're they're
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they're they're asking some but you're gonna get some new you're going to get some new brands too which
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I guess it depends on how good or bad those new brands are that's when the the verdict is going to come in right I
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agree on some of these products going away you know tops fire was kind of cool
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um but that maybe is a product you don't have to do every year you just sort of do it almost like the Olympics every
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four or five years or something like that uh special edition right but what
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are these new products that they're going to be replacing somebody's shopping block products with what are
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they going to be like and uh are they going to be better than the products they're chopping because if they're not
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better than the products you know it's like an employee right you get rid of an employee and you hire a new employee if
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the new employees worse or just as good as the one you you sort of tread in water so that's really when but I like
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the fact that they're not afraid to say enough's enough with some of these products I think that's one that you and
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I agree on you know uh certain people have favorites and you can nitpick on the exact list but I think the the idea
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that it had to be paired down to somewhat universally I I think has been
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received is pretty good news so I think that's something we've got to give them kudos for and they didn't do it right
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away you know once again I'd like to say that one of the Kudos I'd like to give is it doesn't appear that there was any
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rash decisions uh maybe other than Josh Luber but you know everything else they
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seem to give a year or two um before they made any any real decisions and now they've made the
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decisions to move on from some of those sets so kudos to them on that decision uh speaking of Josh Luber he wasn't
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there I think he had kind of touched on that he was at a photo shoot wearing a
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Superman outfit for this special edition card that they're going to to go to
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to make yeah he's not going to leave people he's just
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going to hang around you know uh no they're you know he so the big thing is they're they're phasing him out
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um and uh you know they have to wait to his contract expired they even announced
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that they're higher and uh I believe his name is Ken Turner Turners uh they hired him from Red Bull to be the chief uh
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marketing office uh officer so so they got they got some new staff in place
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they're sort of phasing out some guys that maybe they swung and missed with maybe lubers one of those uh curveballs
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they took a swing at and uh didn't make contact with and uh so we'll see they're
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trying there's you know Fanatics is now starting to demand the controls here right they got the joystick and they're
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starting to play uh the game so uh you know are we giving a thumbs up to to
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their new hiring yeah I mean listen I'm not a Josh Luber
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guy so they could I you know they could have hired that the monkey baby from that weird uh Doritos
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commercial and I would have probably uh gave that a thumbs up that's both a hilarious and very disturbing reference
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or the E-Trade baby I heard the E-Trade baby one nothing creeps this
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but Jesus so uh so one of the things that I think
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that I do like that they talked about at the tops conference evidently a lot and I and I gotta imagine everybody in the
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chat feels this way is putting an end to redemptions and getting rid of the of
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the Redemption process they they seem to make that a real priority um I think as somebody who's who's
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pulled redemptions it's exciting and then immediately you just feel annoyed that you have to deal with it so I I
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think getting rid of the redemptions if that's something they're able to pull off or pull off you know almost entirely
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would be fantastic I think for collecting and it appears that um one of
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the things they're going to be doing which I think is fantastic is putting much more historic
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uh pieces of of memorabilia in your Chase cards
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so your Chase cards are not just player worn or no association they're actually
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historical moments or a guy's first stone base they'll actually get the base and be able to cut it up and make that
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his card next year so some of those things are just fascinating to me so I I'll say thumbs up on that
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yeah and that might be some of the best news right you know everyone's tired of you know a vet worn or hey he put 12
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jerseys on at the same time then took him off and then we uh chopped them all up and congratulations here's your piece
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of ugly Christmas sweater uh Danny uh good job you know so we're getting we
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know and that's more of a panini thing but tops tops did a little bit of that uh too so you know having some
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provenance to a jersey card you know Jersey cards really have been hurt the last couple years by some of those
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gimmicks right they've sort of gotten a black guy and and some of the luster you
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know some of the bloom came off the road you know used to be used to be fun when you when you open that pack right it's a
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little extra thick and then you see it's not the dummy card and you got a a jersey card or a patch card and then you
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know it was you know event worn the guy had it on for six seconds and it sort of
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lost that Mystique if they can bring back some of that Mystique some of that provenance this was warned during this
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game you can look it up see what kind of game that player had that day you can even look up the game and watch the game
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and maybe if it's a patch card see that patch in action you know and knowing
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that and if the game was was actually meant something or something cool happened to the player even colder you
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know their debut game you know you there's so many things they can do because they have all the rights to all
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this equipment and all this memorabilia yeah that I like um that I think's a step in the right
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direction and that slope that's a shot over uh Panini's bow right uh listen you
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want to make you know you want to make a jersey card uh on a jersey that you know
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he wore on you know as he got off the plane and then handed back to us uh knock yourself out we're you know we're
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gonna be better than that I think that's kind of what's coming out and you know kudos to Tops uh they're sending a
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message that they want to be uh better than that that card you pull should be
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better uh than that and so if if they if they do that then yeah that's a definite
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thumbs up I mean just you know just the fact there's going to be more attaching
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to that uh piece of material you know in that swatch I think you got to give them
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credit if that's the case right and I think we both agree that nobody's we've never met anybody who likes Redemption
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so you know if this is two birds with one stone you know Kudos
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um you know to getting that right for Fanatics I'll give them that um one of the one of the neat things
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that I heard is that they're going to actually be producing a uh baseball uh
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kind of a retro set with Tom Brady in an Expos uh uniform and it will be Brady's
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first baseball card and there will be an autographed version so this is what Fanatics is able to do with their
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exclusive contracts with their athletes um what do you think a Brady baseball card I mean I I think it's going to be
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an expensive card it's gonna have it's got to be uh well but what do you think
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of course well you listen you get an autographed Brady baseball card right celebrate the
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autograph so I think you know who knows what those go for right big big money I
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think it's safe uh safe to say right the the base card right the Brady base card
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let's call it sort of what it is right it's reminiscent uh sort of when you
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know Upper Deck made Michael Jordan cards when he was going for it with the White Sox maybe even less right because
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Jordan was actually playing minor league baseball and trying to get up to the
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White Sox right trying to make a career Brady is retired from football he's not going to play baseball now he was
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drafted by the Expo so it's a little bit of a chase money grab am I going to be
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mad when I pull one out of a pack if I pull no and you know what's gonna happen they're gonna be pretty even the base
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cards are going to go for like any new release right they're gonna be 20 30 40 30 bucks right off the bat I think my
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advice to you then at least sell it sell if you pull them early sell them sell
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them while the Iron's red hot uh they're gonna come down obviously as sort of the novelty whereas off now the autograph
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cards are a whole different it's a whole different show uh that that you don't
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have to sell necessary right away uh but the base cards are gonna go for 20 30 40 bucks you get one sell it cash in uh if
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you want it again wait till they're five to ten bucks and replace the one you sold for 30 bucks that first week right
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that's just that's just uh smart uh on on your parts if you get that base card
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it better be sold before giselle's remarried or you have held on to it too long
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I think she's almost there I believe so that's what I'm saying you know
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um so yeah I get it I get it but uh you know obviously a Brady autographed I
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mean that would be a tremendous and I don't care if you pull you know a Brady autograph out of you know whatever
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product right it's still you know one of the arguably the greatest football player to ever play it's an autograph
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right the base card of a guy in a in an exposed uniform from 18 years ago or
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whatever you know how they're gonna do it it's cool but like just it is what like know what it is right know what
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it's about know what it is you get sure you open a pack You're Gonna Want to pull that card yeah why wouldn't you
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it's Tom Brady um yeah I mean I think it's not only Brady but it's the
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idea that they can take athletes they work with and do creative things with them and
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that's really to me you know the advantage that they are gonna have over you know other companies quite frankly
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is they don't have to sign just a card deal they have an exclusive deal with these athletes that cover all of their
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memorabilia and you know being in Baltimore being an athlete Richmond fan you know knowing that he's a you know a
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Fanatics guy and there might be more athlete type of products out there um that's that's cool and that's an
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option that that you know certainly may not have existed when tops was alone and certainly wouldn't have existed if
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Panini um had had the license yeah and Ziggy's asking are the Brady
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Autos confirmed I I believe they are confirmed now how many how many I don't
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know you know maybe there's only ten you know I mean I I don't this is also card mention it's not 60 minutes so if we're
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wrong you know we apologize no they're confirmed I just don't know what the print run of radio Autos are going to be
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was it is it five is it ten is it a hundred that wasn't announced but the Brady Autos themselves uh were mentioned
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so you think it's got to be 12 right at least right right but maybe they do
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something like that it'll be 1212 or so you know I don't think so he's not a
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prolific like Ziggy said in in the chat he's not a prolific signer he's not a
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cheaper autograph so they're going to pay they're gonna pay to have that autograph in the product so you know I'm
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guessing I would venture a guess that it's under a hundred what that number is is it the 12 you mentioned that makes
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kind of sort of sense right um but we'll have to see but that becomes a thousand dollar card Am I
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Wrong oh no instantly yeah no doubt which is unbelievable you know someone will ask Danny is it even more money
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because technically it's coming out of a baseball product right he's been in football products for for 18 uh for you
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know 23 years so you know he's not been he hasn't signed a ton but over 23 years
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he signed quite a bit of football cards right this is going to be a baseball product I don't think they're going to
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do Tom Brady autographs every year in baseball products right so what that might enhance the value I I could make I
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could make an argument that the Tom Brady baseball autograph card you know
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depending on numbering could will be more than even the football version that already exists
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can you imagine if Jordan would have had an autographed version like you said when he had the baseball card what that
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would go for today well isn't anything Jordan you know anything Jordan goes for for crazy money
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so but Brady is that same level at this point no I agree they're very they're very similar in in in pedigree Rings how
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they're viewed as the goat of their sport it's a great comparison right Jordan and and Tom Brady right so yeah
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you mentioned a thousand bucks it's probably again it depends on numbering but uh even at the even at a base level
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at least 1500 two grand if not if not more all right so this is completely off
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topic um I I did not uh mention this in any of our pre-show prep
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um but now it's just on on me who's who would be the coolest autograph that that they could come out with that has not
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had an autograph uh in in sports I don't know I'd kind of like to see a
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Jim Thorpe autograph Oh you mean like uh Dead or Alive you're just dead or alive yeah like you know
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somebody somebody off I I'd like to see like a 10 part set of him playing every sport
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you know you have to be an athlete well I mean you're you know if you go
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Muhammad Gandhi you're going to make me feel shallow but you know no I won't go again I think it'd be kind of neat to
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see a John F Kennedy Auto in in a product right that'd be a cool card
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yeah I mean he's thrown out first uh probably multiple baseball games these uh we all know he was a
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famous president right who did a lot of things at a at a crucial time in American history we all know how the
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story unfortunately also ended right there's just so much uh to that and uh
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you know baseball fan of from what I know about them and so you
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know imagine there's a 101 JFK Auto in in a baseball product right and you hit
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that I mean yeah you know you you definitely make some uh you'll make some headlines right so the weirdest thing to
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come out of the let's talk about a weird thing that came out at the top you talked about Rocky Marciano Chris
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Christmas read my mind I'm I'm a Rocky Marciano guy but uh here was you've
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talked about redemptions right they I believe they're doing Redemption but it's a it's a different Redemption so if
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you pull it whoever that Redemption is of that player they will follow you on social
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media did you see that my understanding is that's one type of insert
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um that that that's not all their redemptions that is one one special type
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of insert uh Redemption yeah so if you if you pull let's say you know
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my tracks going to Francisco Lindor you're such a homer
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listen my trout is just easy to say right because he's one of the so or whoever right you pull that players and
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then they have to follow you on social media I mean what do you think of that I think that's sort of kind of goofy if
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you ask me but what does my son think of it true I think a kid will get a kick I
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think a kid will get a kick out of it what would I do to get that card for my son
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it's a good point it's a great point it is a good one yeah yeah you know right I didn't think
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of it like that but I gotta imagine it that's got to be very limited because
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otherwise you know it's how many guys are they gonna follow so it's obviously
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meaningless and they follow right so they follow you pull it you you send it
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in you put the code in they follow you right so Mike Trout follows you but
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after that right what's the miss you know after that it's kind of like and how long do they have to follow you
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before they can they can unfriend you I don't know I guess you just screenshot real quick that they follow you and you
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have that memory forever yeah that is that that part's pretty cool
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tweet your stuff or they're gonna like your post like what's up where's the line drawn like yeah is there a second
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tier you know we have colored parallels like the greens are 50. is there like
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with this with this the super fractor would be a Kardashian because that would get you the most social media publicity
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so I think that would have to be your your super friend so like are there different levels to this like the best
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level you get to follow he he retweets everything he likes everything you know
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he photoshops you in pictures uh with him and I posted on his timeline like
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where what levels are these and is it just to follow and then he's like uh
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pretends he don't know you anymore like where does Where's the Line stop okay we're joking but here's what I think is
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really might be an idea and then I think this is legit I think that they will have inserts that
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the winning that the insert will be for an experience
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that it will be for an it'll be an experiential practice with your with your local team
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or you know some something like that I I think that's my prediction is that
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you'll start seeing experience experiences um as inserts
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yeah and fnatics announced that when they even acquired cops it's one of the first things they talked about right and
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I just hope it's not like a Marshawn Lynch type of deal where you know you
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know it's it's Wanda Franco Right comes to play practice which your your little
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league team and then he shows up and he's like Marshall I'm just here so I
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don't get like in trouble from Fanatics if you bring Andrew if he brings candy we can work out a deal you know what I
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mean I hope they're enthusiastic about it or like yes and Fanatics made me do it well that's why I think it'll be like
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you go to the ballpark and you know it's set up with the team or something like that you know
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um Wanda Franco at like a little league event saying I'm just here so I don't
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get fined well it's like you know I when growing up I had a bad experience with
25:34
Wade Boggs so uh is that a good man Wade Boggs cussed me out as a 12 year old so
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that's nice yes get your swing right dude that dude
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if your swings off he's gonna he's gonna let you know about it man get get you get get you your swing down I I I'll
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never have a chance to hit like he did um all right so overall I think the
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point of this is the Fanatics there are some things going right um you know any anything uh on your list
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that we missed I I definitely wanted to touch on the the follow back uh you know from you
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know it's stuff we've talked about they're they're they're cutting they're cutting out the Distributors right and
26:22
and they're doing a live they're going to be doing a live Channel and they they it reiterated at this conference Danny
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that this is this live channel is not just about breaking boxes and packs open
26:34
there's going to be other content on that whether it be podcast or celebrities or the players themselves
26:42
making guest appearance I I'm sure that's uh going to happen but they they
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made a point to say this this channel we're doing is not just another breaking channel uh it's
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going to be uh more than that so what that means remains to be seen they also
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they also made the announcement I'll let you you know I'm out so I got to get saved before I forget they said the
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biggest release in tops's history is coming soon very very vague uh tease
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what that means I don't know uh I could make an argument that the biggest release and tops it in uh in tops
27:23
history happened last month with the 2023 release because it's going to be everywhere including at your neighbor's
27:31
house the you know cases uh I'm tongue-in-cheek there but what that
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means I don't I don't have any any idea you want to chime in on on those two
27:42
things I just threw at you no I want to chime in on the six I tried squeezing in before I'm sorry about that I I I think
27:50
the the 2023 is going to be Josh lober so you know that
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um we're often hey hey Danny just so you know we're both off cash Loopers
28:04
we're off his Hanukkah the Hanukkah card list John we're off the Hanukkah card well both of
28:11
those lists if he has a list you know what we're on one list and we can't mention now we're
28:18
on one thing his doctors pictures of us on his dartboard he's got his steel tips out
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um I mean I I love the fact that they're putting money into marketing that's definitely a
28:31
thumbs up and they've made you know they've been very open about how important that is and how little marketing the the Hobby's done so I'm
28:38
gonna give him kudos for that I've seen more baseball card commercials on TV than I've seen in my whole life I've
28:44
seen on the MLB Network I saw they had us they did a whole segment and come see
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photos were used and com c was credited for the whole segment I mean that blew me away
28:56
um that they did entire segments um on you know on uh release day
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um that they had athletes with their social media talking about you know ripping packs so just you know getting
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that out there and using you know the marketing to relate to to the public and
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young and old I'm not going to just say it's to kids I like sitting baseball cards on TV I think that's cool
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um so I I kudos to them that that I think is very much needed in the hobby
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to to put some money into more marketing and I kind of kind of give the hobby a
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more of a public identity I guess yeah you know again it's funny uh they
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they mentioned you know sort of cutting out the middleman and Distributors GTS was at the event so read into that what
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you will what you want I I don't know maybe maybe they're going to keep one around right uh or or befriend one that
29:55
they feel like they can trust or work with in some capacity or you know I
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don't know your guess is as good as mine uh there I I think it's just always awkward when
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you uh invite the ex to the wedding and she shows up you know it's just I I that had to be an awkward a couple
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seats together because I know there was a lot of talk about working directly with uh the local card shops which is
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another Kudos um but uh the distribution I think uh is
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multi-pronged because you and I both know for a fact that some dealers have relationships directly with Fanatics and
30:35
Thompson are getting their allotments direct and some products are still going through GTS so I I I think we're we are
30:44
seeing both mookie chills then you know as a Mets guy I gotta I I dig that
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mookie kills it yeah I I knew you would like that
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um real quick uh Chris stay tuned uh which team from the MLB this year a
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little little sneak peek on that uh well in a minute here uh but just saying in
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general I I think just putting money behind the marketing obviously I know it's going to help Fanatics in the long
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term but it helps the whole hobby it really does it's a cool thing to see the athletes opening up their own cards and
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getting involved in in breaking on release day and all those things so you
31:26
know could that is on the thumbs up and kudos to fnatics list yeah listen they're they're going to be
31:33
doing different things they're trying things right I think some of the stuff before the acquisition right was top
31:40
sort of set in their ways tops is sitting on their hands they're they're getting complacent they're getting lazy
31:47
the design is getting stale uh they're putting out products no tops Gallery
31:53
which is one of the ones that's getting cut that thing had dust on it at Walmart uh they couldn't even sell it when they
31:59
put it in the in the clearance on the bottom shelf right for you know 12 bucks
32:04
and so they're starting to make decisions that I think not only maybe
32:09
have their best interests obviously uh at heart but maybe on the consumer and
32:14
collector and as well we got to give them a chance here right they really haven't this to me this these
32:21
announcements Danny I don't know if you agree with this this is the really the first time we're seeing the the
32:26
fingerprints on on the fridge door here uh with them right uh this is really
32:32
them sort of making their move now making decisions and uh let's see what
32:38
you know are they all gonna be home runs no there's going to be some swings and misses there's gonna be some doubles and
32:44
singles in there too but let's let's give them you know like I said on my show let's give them a couple years
32:50
before we put the verdict in the envelope and hand it back to the bailiff
32:55
the the hand to the judge here right let's let's give them some time to pass or fail right
33:02
I agree with you 100 but I have ADD and you said bailiff and in the People's
33:08
Court what was the bailiff's name uh Rusty was it
33:15
I believe so yep Doug Llewellyn Doug lewallen and I think Rusty was I think Rusty was
33:23
the bailiff someone knows in the chat and it's not Rusty uh let us know but I'm almost willing to bet my Billy Joe
33:30
card on it Night Court was Bull oh no I think it's Rusty from The
33:37
People's Court all right we'll have to look into this the this is this is the information that people need to know
33:42
um speaking of the Billy Joel show it off real quick I I got to give you props on this um it was Rusty it was Rusty thank you
33:50
yeah so this I just acquired this just came in uh it's graded by PSA it's an
33:56
eight it's uh my favorite musician uh Billy Joe what what's funny about this card whenever I post it on social media
34:03
uh everyone says oh look he looks like Rocky Balboa he does look like
34:09
he does look like with the Beret and the the position here but it's actually uh
34:14
Mr William Joe from uh Oyster Bay uh Long Island and uh uh you know a musical
34:21
Idol of mine this is like you know I I it this is an expense isn't as expensive
34:27
as the 48 Leaf Jackie this is like the non-sports equivalent to for me though
34:32
this is the Grail non-sports card uh for me well in that case I guess this is my
34:38
bottle of red ah there you go don't get me started because this could go off the rails with
34:45
with Billy Billy Joel's song puns uh you can you can make a whole night out of that yes uh all right so uh first of all
34:53
just want to thank a couple of our sponsors uh waxstat.com uh
34:59
sgc.com uh and Center oh let's go gc.com but um one or two more
35:08
importantly John you wanted to talk about I know that you're doing some subbing for them and they've been running some specials and I know you had
35:15
a great experience this week so before we play their commercial I I really just wanted to brag about uh how quick uh you
35:22
were even called off guard yeah super fast I sent the order on Tuesday and uh came today uh so that's
35:31
that's 10 days from house back to house right that's not even the grip that you
35:36
know they still that's including travel time to them that's including travel time back to me in and then the grading
35:43
in between so uh 10 days from door to door that's just in that's just insane
35:50
and that's what and that's why I just wanted to take a second because when we work with these companies they're
35:56
companies that we do uh like and work with and I I just thought that was incredible so you know with with no
36:04
further Ado experience quality consistency and the quickest turnaround times in the grading industry we are
36:10
proud to partner with SGC grading check them out at www.gosgc.com
36:19
and if somebody wants to sub with you John you're going to be appearing next
36:25
where next I'll be at the March 19th the Syracuse Fairground show but even if you
36:33
have a bunch of cards uh just hit me up on social media Sports Carnation and uh
36:38
it don't have to be just at the show so but you know I have a table just for
36:44
them at the show taking in Subs but I can take in both subs uh off show campus
36:51
as well so either or all right fantastic and uh you know guys
36:57
uh this is the part that I'm always leery so we're going to play our official disclaimer welcome to the
37:03
failure segment where John and Danny share their picks sure to go wrong
37:09
and I always where I always say listen bet don't listen to what we say and
37:16
we're not responsible for your losses but if you take something we say and when I'll mail you my address or my
37:23
PayPal email uh and and take care of business I mean I have such I I have
37:28
such Jewish guilt-giving picks you know if I get them wrong I will personally call and apologize so but that being
37:36
said uh we're both Baseball fans spring training I can't believe it is underway I've actually been able to listen to
37:42
Internet radio and catch some of the games uh in early spring training uh so
37:48
looking a little bit ahead this year uh let's start in the American League and taking the odds from BET MGM here and I
37:55
just pulled the uh top couple uh favorites in the American League and let's get each of our picks here to win
38:02
the American League the Astros are at plus 300 Yankees plus 350 if Blue Jays
38:08
plus 700 and Mariners at plus 800 which surprised me that they were the fourth
38:13
the fourth best odds so what do you what do you what catches your attention there in the American League yeah I second
38:20
that on the Mariners man they're they're really buying into the mirror and maybe they're right maybe you know uh it's
38:26
gonna be Julio Rodriguez uh second uh second year they got a couple new
38:31
acquisitions their pitching stamps actually better than people think
38:37
um you know the Blue Jays are very young and talented on the Yankees or the Yankees right I'm gonna go chalk here in
38:44
the American League and I don't root for them but they're just they're just a great team the Astros right and what do
38:50
they do in the off-season they had Jose Abreu So to that lineup right and get
38:56
get the the order and Alvarez and the Alex bregman even more protection so
39:01
it's hard to pick against the Astros I'd be shocked if the Astros are not in the
39:07
AL championship series against who knows you know one of these other teams may be on the screen or someone else even not
39:14
listed but I think it would be a major upset if the Astros weren't in that of
39:20
You Know series to to go to the World Series so uh they're loaded I know
39:25
Verlander's now now we're met but uh they they have they have some great pitching uh still they have some young
39:32
pitching that will come up and take for Lander's spot uh in the rotation so I'm
39:37
not rooting for the Astros you asked this is a question where we answer it honestly right this is where I sort of
39:43
help them wrong but I'm taking I'm going to take the Astros here well I I can certainly understand I mean
39:50
it's why they're the favorite I mean you don't need to you know really explain why the favorite is the favorite
39:56
um but so I understand where the Vegas number comes from but being an American
40:02
League East fan being being a fan of the Orioles I've seen what Toronto's put together the last couple years and I
40:08
feel like now that all their young players just just might kind of come together at the right time they've added
40:15
some sneaky uh free agents the last couple years a couple of Trades um and at that plus 700
40:22
um I I hate to say it as an Orioles fan but I I think Toronto this could be their year to finally make a move
40:28
they've got the pitching with Alec Manoa um who I think is gonna you know finally
40:34
get get to be known nationally as a real real Cy Young competitor
40:39
um and they've got Barrios and Kikuchi and and real good staff there so
40:46
um and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of people but I like their lineup um if they can stay healthy and if Boba
40:53
shed can take that next step forward um I I like the Blue Jays at plus 700
40:58
for the money I thought Boba was on the Dodgers uh rumor has it and uh you know
41:06
you know and when you said but you know Will Greer is a good investor yeah I
41:12
when you said Kikuchi I almost said bless you I thought you sneezed yeah I have been all night it could have been
41:19
okay National League uh Dodgers and the Mets uh you're a mess are tied right
41:26
there with uh the Dodgers of what you're wearing the hat for so um this is the Brooklyn variety not the
41:33
LA variety so well you know they moved right yeah I do then they began it became the
41:38
Mets so uh that sort of replaced them in in 62. the Dodgers moved in 57 and the
41:45
Mets came along in 62. so so the Dodgers and the Mets are both at plus 400 Braves
41:52
at plus 450. Padres at plus 450. so those four teams are essentially all all
41:57
pretty much bunched together and then the Phillies at plus 700 and obviously have them on there you know for what
42:05
they did last year yeah why don't you do you go first this time you know first well I'm a die hard
42:12
Braves fan so this is one where you know I'm looking at that plus 450. I love
42:17
that team I love Acuna getting healthy I love albies getting healthy I I love all
42:22
their young talent I love the moves they made um and I'm real tempted uh to take the
42:28
Braves at plus 450. um you know what I'm going to stick with
42:33
the Braves I don't have a better reason to go in a different direction the Phillies at plus
42:39
700 or strictly on the betting number that that that's a big number that plus 700 but I'll take the Braves at Plus
42:45
450. all right so um this is what I have to announce after that you pick the Braves this will be the last card
42:52
matches uh we're gonna end this series no I'm just kidding it's a kit I'm just
42:59
that's a joke uh I'm just kidding uh you had to do that listen before I make my
43:04
pick I will say this uh what you're picking the Braves you know there's a little trouble in Paradise with Akuna uh
43:10
and the front office brass there they've talked maybe I've even heard uh reportedly the Braves brass wouldn't be
43:17
opposed uh the trading Lacuna witness Division I think there's there's a
43:22
little smoke uh there's there's a little fire there because there's smoke there I know he's not the best shortstop in in
43:29
the game but you know dance V Swanson was sort of a glue guy he he's moved on uh to Chicago uh their brains are going
43:38
to be good I'm not saying the Braves are are going to be good I just don't see them uh you know coming out of the
43:45
national league and being in the World Series I think there's there's some there's some blood in the water there
43:50
the Padres are uh an interesting team they they're loaded and they're pitching
43:56
they're another staff F who's pitching people sleep on you know tatisse is
44:01
going to be back I'm assuming not doing anything illegally uh you know if he can
44:07
be a good teammate I heard you know he's he's not so liked in lagram but if he can make amends and everyone can get on
44:14
on the same page I don't want to come A Dark Horse because they're they're only at plus 450 here but they could be I
44:22
might I might rank them even ahead of of a Dodger team that's getting a little bit older Trey Turner uh went to the
44:29
Phillies um you know and so I I would put the Padres ahead of the Dodgers the Phillies
44:36
are going to be competitive they added uh Trey Turner as I just mentioned their pitching staff is good at least on the
44:43
front end they got they got you know they're four and five guys or you know maybe not as strong as certain other
44:49
teams on this list uh so they'll be interesting right that you look at it's
44:54
the NL East Division right and I know know it's going to be the home or pick right and I'm not just saying this
45:00
listen I'm usually a half glass full Mets guy but you know Cohen went out and
45:06
spent money and that pitching staff front to back is is better believe it or
45:11
not and you say better John you lost Jake the ground to the Texas Rangers you
45:16
know it's it's better and it's better in the middle and it's better in the back
45:22
end and Edwin Diaz found his Mojo again last year after looking terrible his
45:29
first year Verlander is not so bad yeah when you when you replace when the Grom leaves
45:36
and your replacement is Verlander that's you you're doing okay so you know
45:42
there's no excuses I I mean as a Mets fan there's no excuses they have I
45:47
believe the highest payroll in baseball their lineup is pretty formidable I wish they got one more outfielder uh one more
45:55
bigger named Outfield than they did but they're really low they're they're going
46:00
for it Cohen's going for it this year no excuses he said no excuses I love both
46:06
buckshaw Walker we finally have a a legit manager I think we saw that last
46:13
year I think they added the pieces uh Danny this year I know it's the Homer pick I would say the same thing if I
46:20
wasn't a Mets fan I think this is the I'm not going to even say world series title but I think that they gotta come
46:28
out uh they got to come out and get to the World Series this year I think I think this is this is it Boomer bus as
46:35
they say John this might not be unbiased uh analysis based upon uh the name uh
46:41
here but uh mookie uh says Mets are loaded and loaded to make moves in July
46:47
he's right yeah and they got the fifth best they got the fifth best uh minor league
46:53
system number five they they didn't you know everything they acquired Danny and
46:58
mookie knows this as well everything they acquired was free agent deals right they didn't trade Brett Beatty they
47:05
didn't trade rientos or Mauricio or uh well and or Alvarez so they got all
47:12
those Young Guns as well like Lucy said like if they're in if they're in a battle and they need one more gear to
47:19
get to and they want to move one of those guys they're in position to potentially do it
47:28
um you're just a homer and we'll leave it at that um
47:33
we have seven episodes of card mensches and if you go through our history right now uh we've done Greg Jeffries why the
47:40
Mets are going to win the American League and nationally
47:45
no way I will say this for around a year right and uh Josh
47:53
Luber may not invite us over but Steve Cohen yeah no no may be inviting Newman over so you never know I'll be there
47:59
with Belle then yeah once again that bells are the wrong
48:05
holiday yeah send a plane Stephen yeah
48:12
tell me what time to be on the tarmac I'll be coming over uh all right my
48:18
friend well it was fun it went too quick as always
48:24
any final words yeah I like uh Chris Ramsey says catch
48:30
Jeff Greg Jeffries on the podcast well Jeff Greg Jeffries as far as I'm concerned has an open an open invitation
48:37
he's a he's a mensch that should be on the show and if anybody has connections
48:42
to Greg Jeffries that is a legitimate offer it is it is a
48:48
standing offer for uh Greg to come on the show and uh that is that is sincere so
48:54
um on on that note I think uh once again we'll end with Greg Jeffers
49:00
thanks everybody we'll see you next time have a good one