Dueling Photographers

Try...not to move, Trev. This could be the shot of your lifetime. This could get you the cover of LIFE magazine, up on somebody's wall and all that. Just focus...be still...let it all out there.

That's it. 

That's a beaut.

Just zoom in a bit...

HeeelllllO-HELLO. What do we happen to have here?

Aw, that is amazing. Truly worthy of some space on the ol' memory card. Might as well zero in, make sure nobody else is...

Aw, shit.

That doggoned Trev Hoffman's on the other side, in't he? That short-sighted hack thinks he's all apples and pears, doesn't he? 

I'll show him. I'LL SHOW 'EM ALL! 

I ain't some fourth-rate starter for a team nobody likes. I'm Willie Adams, and I'm the best photographer in the damned world. And they're gonna know my name. They're gonna know it by heart. 

...dammit, Trev, you've got yourself some competition. 

Ah, it's just Willie Adams, you've got nothing to worry about. He's not even cool enough to have a black lens like me...just some white lens he probably got for 5 bucks at B&H. That's really, cute, that's...

wait, shit, that's a stronger lens than the one I've got. It's magnified by...gosh, I dunno how many more. I'm gonna have to make this shot count if I want to keep this closing gig. 

Hot damn, we've got ten minutes until warm-ups and he hasn't moved. If I don't work quickly, then I'm gonna let this shot go to waste, and I...can't...let that happen. I'mma have to move fast here. And hope that Trev doesn't move in 'fore I do.

Hey...hey, isn't anybody back there happy for me? Y'all are Oakland A's, just like me. At least be supportive.

....

Fine. Just you wait. 

Just a few...inches more...there. That's it. That's the shot. That's what I've been looking for. 

Good gracious, Trevor. You've done it. That's the photo of a lifetime. I bet Willie Adams is shaking in his trunks over there. That is beautiful.

...why do I get the feeling I'm being watched?

Nostalgic Box Break: 1997 Collector's Choice Football (Part 2)

Continuing the theme of waiting until people forget I'm still blogging to post new material, here are another five packs of this wonderful Collector's Choice box. At this rate, I'll likely finish posting this box roughly around 2017.

Pack 6- Morten Andersen stretches, Tony Martin avoids tackle, and Derrick Rodgers examines a hike. Again, I love the photography in this set.

Looks like somebody's sad to be playing for the Jaguars.

I love this shot. Andre Rison is just chilling on the sidelines, talking to Leroy Hoard of the Vikings. It's a cool, fun shot.

Another great shot of a Kansas City Chief, this one of Derrick Thomas, victoriously running around.

Insert time. A couple more Building Blocks inserts, remaining the world that Heath Shuler once was a Saint, and the Patriots used to lose games. Also, one of the strangest StarQuest inserts, of Tamarick Vanover, who wasn't really too relevant in 1996. The dude's a special teams guy. Not sure that he deserved a hyper-cool insert. Still, great topper to a Chiefs hot-pack.

Luckily our rookie is of someone I've heard of, multiple pro-bowler Warrick Dunn. I'll accept the fact that he's not flying or anything, like most of the other Rookie Collection inserts.

Pack 7- More sideways shots. Ricky Watters is the standout here, as the Eagles rule, but Marc Edwards, Dorsey Levens and Steve Atwater are also present and accounted for. Atwater's a nice one too, as he'll likely be a HOF finalist until the end of time.

Could not have planned this better- Two Pointing Willies.

A trio of inserts. Charles Johnson of the Steelers is our StarQuest, and Tarik Glenn, who was a pretty nice defensive piece for Indianapolis, is out Rookie. Also, there's a Building Blocks insert for the Jets.

Pack 8- Some photo highlights, including Tremain Mack and Scott Mitchell

Here are two veteran quarterbacks in unfamiliar uniforms. Randall Cunningham is best known as an Eagle, but here he's in Minnesota. Jeff George is best known as a Colt, but here he's a Raider.

Here are some okay inserts. Our StarQuest is of Mushin Muhammad, and our Rookie Collection is of Orlando Pace. Both players did pretty well, albeit not as well as others, but they had some nice seasons.

What's that? you want better inserts?

Here are inserts of two Hall of Famers. The StarQuest is a FOUR STAR one of Jerry Rice, which is awesome. Our Rookie Collection is a really nice airborne photo of TONY GONZALEZ. So...two really awesome players, one of which is in the HOF, one of which will be eventually. Those are some amazing inserts.

Pack 9- Two nice sideways shots lead off the pack. One of them is of a Philadelphia Eagle getting ambushed by some Bills. Kind of sums up their defeat this season.

Here, a sweaty Tyrone Hughes signs some autographs during training camp. I'm glad Collector's Choice had so many photos from Training Camp.

So this is my favorite card I've pulled in a while.

Not because of the subject, but because it represents a time-honored Green Bay tradition. My dad told me that during training camp, kids on bikes wait around for players and offer to help them carry equipment. So here, Backup-QB #1000 Steve Bono takes a ride on a bike to practice. This is awesome.

And here are our inserts. Keenan McCardell is our StarQuest, coming off of a Pro Bowl season with the jaguars. Building Bolcks insert is of the Bills, where only one of those three players is actually relevant. At least Will Blackwell is jumping for joy here; he was basically a bust.

Pack 10- Again, you really have to appreciate the wide shots they use in this set. Not a lot of the generic running stuff that Topps uses nowadays.

Here's Keenan McCardell, who we were literally just talking about. Next to him is solid 49ers RB Garrison Hearst.

Once again, they gave us two Building Blocks inserts, but these two are of teams that would be winning a Super Bowl ring this decade. Plus, Favre and Testaverde stuck in the league for about the same amount of time.

Our StarQuest insert is of Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, master of the lips.

I'll probably post some more of this box eventually.

Nostalgic Box Break: 1997 Collector's Choice FOOTBALL! (Part One)

First of all, I must once again announce that I am indeed still alive.

Second of all, I should probably add that the box I am about to begin posting about was ripped a little over a month ago. I am just now getting around to posting it. I've had a very busy month or so, and college is not being kind to my blogging mindset.

But who cares, because I'm finally getting a chance to post this box. It's part two of our tribute to 90's Collector's Choice, quite possibly the 2nd-best long running series of the 90's. Now we have a football edition of the 1997 set, which means the photography will be wilder than most football products.

One thing I should mention is that each box comes with a super-sized version of one of the major star cards of the box, sort of like a box-topper without the mojo. Mine, as you can see, was Dan Marino. It's much cooler in person though.

Alright, let's get on with the packs.

Pack One: Kevin Williams, Yancey Thigpen and Darren Bennett are our photo highlights. As you can see, the design is simple enough, has enough space for team color, and the photography tries to be wacky.

This, for example, is what the backs of cards look like. Just as a sample, they also have equally-awesome photos on the back, like Chris Gardocki's photo here.

This is the only thing close to a base star card in the pack, of Jason Sehorn, of the Giants, in the midst of one of the few great seasons in his short career. You probably know him for marrying Angie Harmon though.

Here are three of our inserts. The first is a Starquest of Fred Barnett, literally in his last season playing, two years removed from playing for Philly. The one in the middle is a Collector's Choice (?) insert of Mario Bates, two years removed from his only good season, in 1995. The one on the right is a Rookie Collection insert of Dwayne Rudd. He would have a decent career as a linebacker for the Vikings and Browns. Also, and this is a preview of what is to come, this is one of the more pedestrian photos this insert set used.

Pack Two- Our horizontal highlights here are of Alex Van Dyke, Rodney Thomas, and Terrell Buckley. Here, you can see just how cool the photos are. I like Buckley's because I feel like the cameraman snapped the photo at the exact right time. It captures all of the things coming at Buckley before it all crashes to the ground.

This is a very nice shot of Tommy Vardell signing some stuff for some confused fan. Man, this guy has some crappy luck. Plays with the Browns til their last season, then just as everybody else jets over to Baltimore, he's yanked to be on another crappy Lions squad, and then a crappy Niners squad. Nothing but back luck here.

One more really good back-of-the-card shot, of aging QB Jim Everett, being carted away on a golf cart during training camp.

Okay...THIS is what I was talking about when I spoke of the bizarre photography in this insert set. I mean...they're just too excited. Like they're being catapulted into the air by the world's strongest trampoline, or somebody's throwing them off of a cliff. These are just really, really funny. It reminds me of Wallace being thrown into the air in The Wrong Trousers, and yelling "Oh, sorry!" I know nobody else gets that reference, and I don't care.

Also, does anybody else find it funny that one of the guys being thrown into the air's name is Springs, and the other one sounds like Plummet? Just me?

These two did fairly well, actually. Springs was a journeyman DB, playing for a good 12 years. He's actually on the shortlist for the next HOF ballot, though don't hold your breath. Meanwhile, Jake Plummer had a nice career as the QB for Arizona and Denver.

These are two really nice Starquest inserts. First up is Robert Brooks of the Packers, a huge part of their 1996 Super Bowl win. Also, there is Brian Mitchell, an awesome WR/KR type who played for the Redskins, and also my Philadelphia Eagles. I worked with him on two separate shoots for NFL Network. Great guy.

Pack 3- Paul Justin, Lance Johnstone and William Henderson are the best photos here. Funny thing about this set is that they include a lot of kickers, punters, and backup QBs. Not nearly as many as Topps Total, but quite a few.

Two names I've heard of.  Veteran Defensive End Neil Smith is on the left, in a training camp pic, which is pretty nice. Marshall Faulk is the obvious star card, still with the Colts.

Okay, now I'm officially in love with this insert set. These two photos just make me smile, especially Rae Carruth's. That's right--a card of a convicted felon is making me smile big. Neither of these two really did anything (except kill somebody, in Carruth's case).

One more shot of Carruth, of the photo they used for the card back. Man, that does not look like a murderer.

Our Starquest insert is of Frank Sanders, who had a nice career as a receiver for the Cardinals.

Pack 4- A few nice sideways shots. One of them is a double. 90's collation at its finest.

A couple of great shots. Larry Centers passes a ball around on the sideline. Chris Chandler poses next  to the name of the team he will quarterback until a certain dog-lover named Vick comes along. Herman Moore takes a break on the sideline. Looks like he's using a defibrillator.

Two very nice, and very 97-centric, star cards. Desmond Howard had just finished a season with the World Champion Green Bay Packers, and decided he wanted to suck for a while, so he went to the Raiders. Meanwhile, Boomer Esiason spent one last season back on the Bengals before calling it a day.

These inserts are Building Blocks, in which they throw a bunch of players that are making the team great on a card, and show how they got to be on that team. Here in Titans, Bucs and Rams varieties.

A second-year Starquest card of Bobby Engram, who would have a decent enough career, but would be best known as a Bear.

Pack Five- Pictured are Rick Mirer, signing autographs for some fans who clearly have the wrong first round pick, John Carney going for a Charlie Brown, Jimmy Stewart, Russell Maryland going up against a Jets QB that is probably Vinny Testaverde, and Jerris McPhail facing down an Eagle.

Here is Flipper Anderson, avoiding a tackle from an angry Patriot.

And here are two borderline Hall of Famers and perennial Super Bowl ring receivers. Mason's is, I believe, his rookie card, and Bruschi is just clobbering a Bronco, probably as payback for Flipper.

Our inserts incude a Broncos Building Blocks insert, a rookie card of Troy Davis, who never did anything, and veteran Pro Bowler Herman Moore.

Those are five packs for one night. I'll get to posting some more eventually, hopefully sooner than later.