As I mentioned a few days ago, Playbook football is live and hitting ebay today with the official release. I mentioned that I believe that many of the cards are relatively forgettable, but the base rookie booklet autos definitely look incredible
. All of this seemed to be pointing to a normal Panini release, with one or two good cards, and the rest not really being that excited.
Here is what surprised me.
They have a second set of booklets in this set that, for some god forsaken reason, take a page from Topps Triple Threads (Yeah, I dont know why either). These booklets feature die cut words and phrases cut into the books, and aside from having a terrible design, are confusing as hell. Many of the words that are cut into these cards have PASSIVE relevance to the player AT BEST, with some being really out there.
Here are the best of the worst:
2012 Playbook Robert Griffin III Die Cut Booklet – I guess because he has it? Im not sure.
2012 Playbook Brandon Weeden Die Cut Booklet – Even the picture of Brandon Weeden thinks this adjective used to describe him is laughable.
2012 Playbook Brandon Weeden Die Cut Booklet 2 – An adjective to describe the Browns’ QB situation?
2012 Playbook Doug Martin Die Cut Booklet 2 – Not even close to a clue on this one.
2012 Playbook Nick Foles Die Cut Booklet – He went to a desert school? Or his eventual action once he figures out how bad the Eagles will be this year?
2012 Playbook Brock Osweiler Die Cut Booklet – What he will need to do to his game to ever start in the NFL?
2012 Playbook LaMichael James Die Cut Booklet – ????
I dont get the obsession with diecutting anything but a player’s number, team or name into a card. These stupid phrases that make triple threads what it is every year,are beyond horrid, and I dont see why people find them so attractive. Even though these booklets feature on card autos, the stupid design coupled with the words make this one of the biggest WTF card of the year.
Again, these = Good.
But these ones? Terrifyingly horrible.
FYI: I think I’ve found the theme in these die-cut phrases. College rivalries.
Every year Fresno State and Boise State play for a trophy in the shape of a Milk Can. Hence, the “MILK CAN” on Martin’s card.
The annual Oklahoma/Okie State game is called Bedlam. Therefore, Weeden gets “BEDLAM.”
Oregon and Oregon State play The Civil War.
Get it?
But yeah, these are fucking stupid.
When I saw the preview of rookie die cut booklet, I nearly vomited in disgust. Choice of adjectives are incredibly ridiculous, a non-football fan or a group of monkeys on computers behind the closed door probably did the work.
With Panini: every brand that comes out has to have the extremes, one insert/parallel looking awesome and gets us excited while other one looks absolutely awful and kills the value of a box.
I’ll be buying the singles of base rookie booklets instead of boxes.
Nice review as usual.
Cheers,
The Alt
Oh my God…. Disgusting ….
I shouldnt have to use the interweb to figure out any tie in or what the word actually means… I have the same problem with dual signed cards and trying to figure out what the 2 players have to do with each other…
Wouldnt it be better if they displayed TWO different rookies, each representing the different participants?
Dear Sticker & Redemption Co. – Give the NFL license to Upper Deck if you have to dip into college football for your inspiration. Although, the non-college references are even worse. “Swagger” and “Textbook”…Are you serious?
And can only black athletes be referred to as having swagger? Is there some special reason RGIII got this die cut on his card? Does Luck have swagger? Just curious.
Dear Brandon Upper Deck will never get an NFL Properties license back until the company is sold or a mass cleaning out of all of the cash loving people running the company takes place. Furthermore they continue to have difficulty paying their bills/players on time and the future is bleaker every day. Their NCAA exclusive, Jordan exclusive deal, and NHL deal are all running out soon and they have virtually no chance of keeping them all. Their MLBPA 2 product deal was given to help pay off their lawsuit settlement and their is no guarantee it will continue. The MLBPA deal is very restrictive and prohibits game used material from using used in the products. So forget Upper Deck when it comes to NFL football for that get ready to forget Upper Deck forever.
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I am from Oregon and a 28 year fan of the Denver Broncos, also a fan of the Oregon Ducks.
The 2012 Brock Osweiler Playbook Die Cut Booklet “Elevate” yeah eventually or more like, hopefully he will elevate his game. The “Elevate” could refer to his size, which is 6’7. LeMichael James, a University of Oregon RB, his Booklet “Civil War”, which was hard to decipher when I first looked at it, refers to the Oregon vs. Oregon St. rivalry game dubbed the Civil War. I guess they couldn’t come up with something more creative for James??