NOW hear this!

I caved.

Topps NOW has been going on for two years now, and I'd lacked a substantial reason to actually get any, mainly due to the price tag per-card, and the fact that it was trying to make the flagship set relatively pointless.

But...recently I saw an offer I couldn't pass up.

I forget if I've been vocal about it on the blog, but Players Weekend was, in my opinion, a great idea this year, as it encouraged self-expression, deviation from the norm, and creativity. Everybody wore different uniforms and wore nicknames on their backs. As a Yankees fan, I feel like I'm supposed to hate this for some reason, as this is a team based on tradition and sameness, but...there was something really cool about it to me.

There was a set of Players Weekend cards for each team, and seeing as this Yankees team is one of the more fun teams I've had the privilege of rooting for, I kind of had to...

 So this is what I got. A five-card Players Weekend set. Topped off with a Judge card. For a passable enough amount of money. Let's examine these, shall we?

 First of all, Aaron Judge. There can't be a Topps product that features the Yankees without having at least one Aaron Judge card. Not that this is a problem, as I'm glad it's a Yankee for once.

This was during Judge's well-reported slump, and he still managed to do alright here, wearing his 'ALL RISE' nickname on his back. As obligatory cards go, this one's nice enough. Also, design wise, you could do a ton worse than what Topps NOW is doing this year.

 First of all, the KRAKEN? That is a f--king amazing nickname. Like...you're named after a mythical tentacle monster. That's rad.

Second of all, this card does the players weekend unis a bit more justice while still allowing for nickname recognition. Also, it's nice that Gary Sanchez actually had a relatively nice week going when this was taken. Sanchez is juuuuust getting back to his old tricks from 2016, and we're all for it.

 Yeah, and they also needed to do Didi, because he's having his best season yet, and he's reached the apex of fan recognition in the Bronx. Everybody loves him, and he's having an amazing time, and you can tell. This is also a cooler batting shot, a bit more dramatic, while still getting that nickname in there.

 Of course, this is also a way of getting my very first Sonny Gray Yankees card. Which, I have to admit, looks pretty friggin' awesome. Especially with the navy-based uniform.

I should probably point out that I had no idea that 'Pickles' was Gray's nickname, and that's actually kind of hilarious. He's intimidating as hell on the mound, but...heheh, pickles...

 And finally, and insanely cool and dramatic card of the Toddfather, king of the thumbs down as he's been lead to be called. This is my first Frazier Yanks card as well, and he's sloooowly growing on me as a Yankee. The fans already love him, which I expected, but he's beginning to hit a bit more for average, and he might be someone we keep around next year, which is great, as he's a Toms River guy.

Here are all the backs. Pretty cool stuff, though a bit simple.

I don't know if I'm ever gonna get another NOW card, but...these are pretty cool,. and I'm glad I took a risk and got 'em.