Why Do I Consider These Things?

 

*takes a sip of coffee, sits down to type his latest installment on Cards Over Coffee*

I wanted to start off today's post by saying thanks for the well wishes in terms of the kidney stones. I have yet to pass them so still not feeling that great today but trying my best just to push through. I don't get to see my urologist until the 14th so I am praying hard they pass by then. If not I could be staring down surgery once again and I don't really want to head down that road in 2020.

So I don't know if its the pain meds talking or I am going crazy or maybe it's the cards in today's post served up by The Diamond King, but I have an itch to start up an all 90's card blog again. Tell me if you have heard this story from me before.

Picture this, a blog dedicated to cards from 1995-1999 covering all sports, all of my projects, and all of my completions and of course all of my needs. Combine that with some pop culture and 90's cartoons and it sounds like a beautiful harmony. But, once again, would I have the time to make it worth my while? Or would it be another one of my projects that I start and quit?

This is the fork in the road I am at right now with the idea. 

I don't want to start any new projects without doing it right or finding time to do so. On top of all of this craving to start a 90's blog, I really want to expand and do a NY Giants one as well focusing on the biggest collection I have. There are a lot of team blogs, not sure I have seen an NFL one, so I know it would be fun but a lot also to tackle.

Why do I even consider these things?

*takes a sip of coffee, feeling like breakfast may be a good idea soon*

Regardless of which road I take with those ideas, I thought it was finally time to show off rest of the cards that The Diamond King, sent to me. They have been sitting in my drafts for way too long now originally as a mini series but I changed my mind and did this as one post.

There really isn't too much to say about these cards as the cards themselves do the talking,

 

 

 

If those didn't make you want to start up a 90's card blog, I am surprised. The only way those don't interest you is if you aren't reading this post at all.

Thanks to The Diamond King for one epic mail day I am still working on sorting months later.

As for 90's Cards Over Coffee, sorry was feeling that out, I am not sure what I will do moving forward. I will say I am much wiser than I used to be when it comes to just starting up a blog or two knowing my time restrictions and patience on those blogs to build up. 

This blog isn't quite where I want it to be or even close to be yet, but it's like this raisin toast. It isn't quite as good as my cinnamon raisin bagel, but good enough to keep coming back for more.

Maybe those new ideas turn out to be raisin toast or maybe they will turn out to be slices of bread with what appears to be raisins. For now, I have time and patience to make that decision and in the meantime, I need to focus on getting the "raisin" out of me.

Retro Cup:Team MVP

The Diamond King sent me a box loaded with 90's basketball goodness. LOADED. So I came up with an idea to do a mini series with so many great cards to show off called, Retro Cup. Along with the card showings, I will re-live a memory I had as well when it comes to coffee. So I hope you are sitting down with a cup of steaming fresh hot coffee so we can give this series a go.

*Coffee is ready to go and so am I*

Every cup of coffee has an MVP and every person chooses their own MVP for it.

For years my MVP was milk and sugar. LOTS OF SUGAR to go in my coffee. Which is what made it stand out. But, as I have gotten older, my tastes have really changed and I have switched to a new MVP for the past 20 years.

That MVP is Nestle Coffeemate and specifically the Hazelnut flavor. A cup of coffee to me isn't the same without this MVP combo. At least at home. If I am out at a restaurant, I am fine using cream and sugar as restaurant coffee always tastes better. Don't ask me why. And it's not like my coffee doesn't taste good, it just needs it's MVP to carry it home.

These Coffemates come in a variety of flavors and I have pretty much given all of them a go. Some were okay, some are good for holiday time (I will post about those when it's time to) and some sounded good but were downright disgusting. I won't even mention how bad the non Nestle Coffeemate brand creamers taste especially the knockoffs.

So I will stick with my one MVP that works. Just like a lot of teams in leagues do. They all know that one player that helps carry that team and who to keep an eye on. That's what this creamer does.

*takes a long sip, mmmmm. Coffee. Hits the heart and soul. Sets mug down to continue his blogging*

Back in 1992-1993, Upper Deck created their own MVP's in basketball cards.

Upper Deck MVP Holograms was a 36 card set featuring Upper Deck's selection of an MVP on each of the NBA's 27 teams. Cards 1-27 in the set showcase those and the final nine, cards 28-36, are Future MVPs that  focus on player's who could become their team's MVP in the near future.

There were just 138,000 individually numbered sets produced. Can you imagine if these were made today and looking at the back of your card to see 1/138,000. Would be pretty insane for these times but being made back then makes them feel sort of a short print when you think about it.

These sets were available only through hobby dealers and select retail outlets. Or as of now, you can look for these sets on eBay and Amazon.

The front of the card features a checkerboard background with hologram and full colored player in the forefront.

The backs featured team colors and a write up about the player. There is also a watermarked Team MVP and basketball behind the write up.

The Diamond King sent along a few of the cards from the set so I am not sure if he had a full one or just a select few but I appreciate the ones I got. Don't think I have ever seen or owned any until now.

As for a set chase, I don't think it there will be one, but I am a huge hologram dork, so who knows.

Here are the others he passed along,

Alonzo Mourning. Upper Deck wasn't too far off with Future MVP for Zo. Except I don't think he really made his impact until he was with the Heat. I really don't remember him much as a Hornet.

Patrick Ewing, my boy!

Scott Skiles

Glen Rice

 

Chuck Person

This set also includes the one and only MJ. I mean how can it not? That one should be labeled League MVP though.

*takes a sip, wonders why they never made a coffee mug with holograms of coffee mugs on it since holograms were such the rave in 80s and 90s. New marketing idea? Hmm...*

Upper Deck made some great hologram cards back in the 90's, but I don't think they really upped the ante on that technology until 1994 when you could rotate the cards and see a 3D look especially with players faces.

For me personally though, hologram cards will always mean the late Spx releases. Those were the MVP's of holograms.

*takes a few more sips of coffee, before closing out today's post*

I explained above how I use the Coffeemate to go in my coffee, but I should also mention that I don't drown my coffee with the Coffeemate. I put in just enough to give it that superb flavor without taking away from the true coffee taste. If I didn't want coffee, I would just drink the creamer. That's pretty much how my wife makes hers with the Coffeemate, I took a sip of hers once and it was overpowering and left me on a sugar high.

Not me though, I want to experience the coffee though without the MVP, it's not a team.

Retro Cup: Double Trouble

Blogger intro: I have spoiled you readers this week with a fourth consecutive post day. Enjoy it while you can, I can't post every day on here as it is very time consuming to write/create this posts. Some of these even take two days to prepare and up to a few hours.
 
*woke up starving, grabs a cup of coffee than a treat from the microwave to go along with it. Oh yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhh this is the life. Now time for Cards Over Coffee*

Do you ever just bake a pan of brownies at home and make a brownie sundae for no reason? There wasn't a birthday to celebrate or Fourth Of July celebration or retirement party, you did it just because you wanted some?

Yup. I did. And it was ammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzing.

The toppings have to be just right for me though and possibly lethal to some that even look at it.

You got that right Wilford Brimley, this is definitely diabeetus in a bowl. A brownie, you can barely see, topped with chocolate syrup, peanut butter drizzle, M&M's, a few cherries, whipped cream (though I prefer Cool Whip) and the biggest and best Double Trouble combo in here, Heath bar against the brownie. I am drooling just thinking about it all over again.

Of course I am also picturing my grandmother looking down on me and shaking her head as she always did when it came to sugary things. You see, she had diabetes herself so anytime I had sugar she would take it away. One year she took my entire Halloween basket of candy away and stuck it in her fridge only allowing me to have one piece a week. Well, sorry gram, I snuck a few pieces while you were napping a couple of times. Well, every time you napped. Love ya!

Wanna know what else is Double Trouble?

Those leftover brownies the next morning with coffee. Which makes the perfect snack when I am typing up Cards Over Coffee. Other than a few crumbs, that I sometimes feel like licking up like a dog would, it doesn't leave the mess that the bagel does.

It's nice not having to wipe butter off from the keyboard halfway through this post.

*takes another bite of brownie, some crumbs fall, leaves them for now and sips his coffee. Time to bring the card portion into this post*

*(Wilford Brimley again whispering....diabeetus....)

In 1994-1995, Fleer created a Double Trouble insert set that fell 1:5 packs. The checklist was full of dominating players, just like how my brownie sundae dominated my wives, that could do it all over the court with their multi-skills.

There are 10 cards overall in the set and The Diamond King passed along six of them for my collection.

Alonzo Mourning, Jamal Mashburn and Reggie Miller make up these three. Man, I hated when the Knicks had to play the Pacers. It felt Reggie always saved his best efforts at MSG and beating the Knicks.

Latrell Sprewell and Derrick Coleman. Looks like Spree didn't choke on this dunk.. ;)

And my boy Patrick. I still rank him as one of the greatest Knicks ever to wear the uniform.

 

The backside of these cards show what the card number is along with a write up that describes what makes them a Double Trouble candidate.

I am not sure I will chase down the final four cards, though it doesn't include MJ which is a bit of a surprise. But, being this close, it's very tempting.

*final bite of brownie, second cup of coffee in hand, let's tie this post up*

*(Wilford Brimley again in my other ear whispering.....diabeetus*)

Before I close up this post, even though I made a few jokes about Diabetes in this post, the disease itself is no joke. It runs in my family and yes I do get checked whenever I can to make sure I won't be it's next victim. If left untreated or unaware, Diabetes can shut down and take over so many parts of your body and possibly lead to death. So to keep research going and keeping people aware of this disease, I suggest you go check out the American Diabetes Association website and make a donation to them. 

Also thanks to Wilford Brimley for all of his years of making awareness for Diabetes. I actually have been seeking out an autograph card of his from Leaf for a couple of years. It would be a good memory piece to have for my childhood PC.

*Another sip of coffee*

In the end, I know we can all agree that coffee is good, these cards were great and that the middle piece is always the better piece of brownie. Sorry you corner brownie loving fans, if I wanted something hard and crunchy to have with coffee, I would have eaten a scone or gnawed on a rock.