The Great American Review Week - "Tradeables" by Fathead

If you may remember last month, I reviewed the new product by Fathead called Tradeables. I was not all that glowing in my review mostly due to the fact that I received three of the same Tradeable (Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs). Well, the good folks at Fathead decided that they wanted another chance here at TTFL by sending me an entire pack of Tradeables for review.

The standard pack (pictured above) contains five Tradeables broken down like this (according to the website):

• 1 Team Helmet (All 32 Teams available)
• 1-2 Authentics (25 Players available)
• 2-3 Game Time (125 players available)

To help differentiate between the Authentics and Game Time Tradeables, I'll offer a quick description. Authentics card not only offers a Player Fathead but also contains a small team logo Fathead and a second smaller Fathead of the same player in a circle shield-like design with the team and player's name in script in the circle. The Game Time card contains a single Fathead featuring the player in an action pose. Here's what I received:

• Green Bay Packers Helmet
• Tom Brady (Authentics)
• Eli Manning (Authentics)
• Clinton Portis (Game Time)
• Maurice Jones-Drew (Game Time)

Now, that I've had a chance to test and pour over the whole package, my opinion has definitely changed concerning the Tradeable product. I like the protection that is offered by the Fathead-stamped clear cellophane envelope that encases the new card sheets. The difference between the two types of Player Fatheads are pronounced and make either inherently more collectible.

Like before, the ability to move the cling from card sheet to new surface is still the same without any tearing whatsoever. Also, the only remaining drawback is the lack of associated player/team stats on the back of each card sheet. But that is really minor when you consider that the majority of purchasers will discard the sheet once the Fathead is removed.

One thing that I did not review which is included with the Tradeable purchase is the "Top Secret Code" which can be redeemed at Tradeables.com for Games and prizes. So, round out the entire experience, I went to the website to redeem the code.

After an initially complicated username login creation (due to the fact that the site uses the same Fathead customer database that is used for ordering products online), I entered my 12 Alpha-Numeric code and here's the first screen that I received:


The "Locker Room" site itself is basically a portal environment with individual widgets that you can move around on the page (although my browser never seems to let me but I have IE configuration issues). With the three column look, it's like an homage to the old Sport Pages of the last century. The game that I unlocked was Save The Cheerleader, an old-school 8-bit game while being simplistic, did make the old gamer in me laugh. Obviously, the point of the site to make you go back to unlock more games and other Fathead-associated stuff and based on my experience, I'll definitely go back.

Initially, I was leery of the $15 price point but when you include the differences between the card sheets and the online content, I would definitely recommend picking up one for the sports fan in your life.

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Viral Video - Olympic Snap

I saw this last night via my brother on LiveLeak but it has been taken down due to NBC copyright infringement. But luckily, Deadspin has an embedded video of the live stream of this stomach-turning incident.

Obviously, the injury is pretty brutal. But you gotta love a couple of things with this video. First, the fact that it was replayed as many times as when Theismann became a half-foot shorter in one leg thanks to the infamous LT sack. And that there are a team of five or six workers that are responsible for shielding the injured participant (and that those workers move strangely like riot police).

The only thing that is missing from this video that I liked on the LiveLeak version was the Aussie commentators voicing their disgust about replaying the injury over and over again.

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Favre itching to return; Rodgers placed on postal watch

With Aaron Rodgers performing well in the offseason, Brett Favre has let it be known that he is on the verge of coming back to the playing field according the self-described Worldwide Leader. This is a classic narcissistic move by the future Hall of Famer and one that appears to further perpetuate an almost abusive relationship with the current starting QB of the Packers as he once again tries to prolong Rodgers' maturation into a viable starter in the NFL.

From the article, if Favre isn't received with open arms (and a starting spot on the team), he will probably force Green Bay to release him from the remaining two years of his contract and allow him to field offers from other teams. At this point, who wouldn't consider this annual retirement waffling by Favre an act of mental cruelty not only to Rodgers but to the faithful Cheeseheads themselves? Closure is needed by all involved but this interruption by Favre in an effort to soothe his "itch" will most certainly result in a rash decision by the Pack that could cost them a chance at the playoffs.

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Pickup Ball Hilarity

I know this vid is probably over a year old but it still is holds true. And as I have always said - if you haven't seen it, it's new to you..

11 Guys At The Playground - Watch more free videos

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Red Sox get their rings and the shutout

The tired nine from Beantown had their season opener today in Fenway. Not only did they get their 2007 World Series rings but they got back to .500 for the 2008 season with a 5-0 shutout over the oddly slumping Detroit Tigers. The Tigers, who were picked by many to be the AL Central Division winners, are now 0-7. For those who do not know anything about baseball, that is not good. Other highlights from the game:

• Billy Buck (Bill Buckner) threw out the first pitch and seemed to be poised to put the past behind him; hopefully, the media can help by not replaying that same friggin play (that grounder from Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets) every time they have the opportunity. Show some restrain, you dolts.
• Danny Ainge and Bill Russell (Celtics), Tedy Bruschi (Patriots), and Bobby Orr (Bruins) along with various other players from the Boston sports organizations brought their World Championship hardware for the celebration.
• Red Sox legendary Johnny Pesky raised the World Series pennant with a little help from Big Papi.

If you want the in-game details or more info on the celebration, you can hit the Boston Globe website.

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X Games x'es out Skateboard Vert

Hey, all of you wannabe pipe boys and gals better look into doing more kick-flips into manuals. Because Vert Skating is Dead! At least that's what Disney and ESPN decision makers thought when they removed Vert from this summer's X Games. Reason for the removal were low ratings, an older competitor pool and the rise in skateparks.

After reading the spin doctoring job over at the Worldwide Leader's URL, it looks like the X Games has finally embraced its dark side by finding another way to pimp their brand of "extreme sports" (which is an offensive word to all non-traditional sports of this nature) just so they can sell more crap to unwitting kids. The suits at Disney have no clue on how popular Vert is or isn't. They just looked at some bean counter's stats and made a knee-jerk decision. It's like the IOC (International Olympic Committee) deciding to kill the Men's High Bar and the Women's Uneven Bars just because the routines are the same and the competitors are older. It doesn't make too much sense.

Case in point - after reading the comments, there was a link to a 411vm.com Quicktime movie showing some younger skaters showing their moves on the half-pipe at the Tampa Am last month. And since I'm a full-service kinda guy, here is said video embedded below:

Now, after seeing that, why shouldn't those kids have a chance to get that national exposure that was given Hawk, Macdonald, Lasek and more recently, The Flying Tomato and Gagnon? If the quality is there (and usually with the trials, it is there at the X Games), people will watch. But without Vert in the mix, I know at least one household which will not have Corporate X Games on this summer.

But that's not the end of this story. After watching said Tampa Am vid, I really started to dig the track that was playing on the clip. Luigi was the name of the band and they had more than a few free MP3s available for DL. Great cuts like the one from the 411vm vid, My Will, Mariposa and Wash It Down. Their sound is more like the power pop sound of the early 90s before the crush of bad grunge/alternative killed the scene. Here's the only video of them I could find. The song is Single Cell off of the CD, Found on the Forest Floor:



I was truly hoping for this band to be on the verge of breaking through so I could hate them for selling out later. But it wasn't meant to be. They broke up at the end of February this year. Damn, now I'll have to add them to my collection of broken-up bands that I still like along with The Tories, Chalk Farm, Scapegoat Wax, Army of Anyone, and Sugar. At least, for me, there is something to take away from this X Games screw-up; even if it is so bittersweet.

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Celts knuckle down the Sun by 20

I haven't said too much about the season since really it's all just window dressing for the main event - the playoffs. But with Boston taking their recent Texas sweep, it has become apparant that this team has the chemistry and more importantly, an identity to win it all. Case in point, the Celts dismantle a team like the Suns, who were starting to win after incorporating Shaq into their rotation, behind KG's 30 and their now-traditional team D. Here are the highlights courtesy of ESPN and NBATV:



After this season is over, this team will be adored like the last great Celts team of '86 (even if they do not win a title) with KG as the role of The Resurrector, Allen as The Dagger and Pierce as The Glue.

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How Sweet It Is - Michigan State

Although, my "area of the country" was not treated to the Spartans taking out the Panthers (BTW - it's the fifth straight victory for Izzo and MSU against Big East teams), it was sweet enough to watch the updates on the the crawler at the top of CBS' broadcast while watching UCLA almost lose to Texas A&M. The Worldwide Leader's Andy Katz has a nice write-up on Drew Neitzel (pictured above) and his performance last Saturday.

Next up is the Number 1 seed, Memphis. Do you believe that I'm more scared that prognosticators (Dickie V in particular) are going with the Spartans than I am the actual Tigers themselves. Ugh, I'm not liking the role of the favorite for this team in 2008. and the less that is said about brackets, the better (Thanks G-Town.)

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Sweet Christmas - Temple versus Michigan State

Today at 12:30, Michigan State, the five seed, will tipoff against the Owls of Temple and all I've heard is how the tandem of Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas might be too strong for the Spartans. This game has become a predictable 5-12 upset of most of the prognosticators.

Well, I mihgt not get paid for my opinion (yet) but how can these people think that the Big Ten doesn't offer the same type of team that Temple is - high-tempo, hard man-to-man. It just doesn't make sense why anyone would think that a team built to run it out of the gym (State) would be tripped up by a decidedly weaker Atlantic-10 tourney winner.

The predecition - State 80-60

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Red Sox players are stand up guys for BoSox staff

Breaking news just this after noon as the Boston Red Sox players unanimously agreed to boycott today's final spring training game and refuse to board their charter plane to Japan based on the fact that MLB withdrew a $40K stipend to the team's coaching and training staff.


However, this brouhaha might be over as soon as it began as it appears that there is a settlement in the works, according to the Boston Globe:

The Boston Red Sox have returned to the field for their spring training
game, now scheduled to begin an hour late amid a boycott over pay dispute for
their Japan trip. The players had refused to play the final spring
training game in Florida and threatened to boycott their flight to Japan for
their season openers unless their coaches and other staff are paid for the trip.
There has been some type of settlement in the coaches dispute or at least
progress made. We'll have more as news comes out.

It must be good for the MLBPA to see its members take such a positive public stand; especially since the union has been taking a beating from all of the non-preventative action they took about the league's steroids epidemic.

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Last Day - vote SPARTY!

Today is the last day to vote on who will be the mascot on the EA Sports' NCAA Football 09 Wii cover and Sparty needs your help. He's in second place behind Butch T. Cougar of Washington State, who isn't in Sparty's league as far as image and style goes. So, who would you pick the rough and manly Sparty or the four-color Pink Panther?

So, I'm calling on all of the die-hard fans of classic American icons to click on the image below and vote to put Sparty over the hump. C'mon America (and outlying areas), let's get Sparty the recognition that he deserves!

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How did I acquire my fandom?

Dan Shanoff’s blog is one of the first things that I read on the web as part of my morning sport constitutional. But, usually, he doesn’t post again until the next morning. Well, around mid-morning yesterday, he posted a column that never saw print (don’t we all have them) about how he became a fan of the Florida Gators via his girlfriend/soon-to-be wife and in the process, he began to define how people become affiliated with their sports teams.

As I continued to pore over this post, I came upon the realization that I fit into all four categories of how I became a fan of one team or another. So, as part of this quasi-meme on the subject, I’ve decided to align my fandom associations by using the “Sports Fan Allegiance Tenets by Shanoff” or SFATS for short.

Biology – I was raised with a couple of undeniable truths that were ingrained into my memory banks through the application of corporate punishment. They were:

• Always say “Sir” or “Ma’am” to anyone older than me;
• Don’t talk to strangers, and;
• Never root for the Maize and Blue

Spartan blood was what I was born with and that faith hasn’t wavered since. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t root for Sparty; even during the years of abandonment by Saban and the utter destruction of the football team by Williams and John L. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t rebel in my teenage years. After all, I did send my SAT scores to Ann Arbor during senior year to see if they’d want me.

Geography – After graduation from the aforementioned MSU, my dad was drafted into the Navy due to the Vietnam War. And he decided to make a career of it and as a part of that commitment, the family moved with him through his various tours of duty. But the one “faithful” twist in fate had my dad move himself, his wife and two grade school kids from the warmish surroundings of Memphis to the freezing tundra of Brunswick, Maine in January 1978.

The following spring thus spawned my almost 30 year love/hate affliction to the Boston professional sports teams, most notably the local nine. While ’78 is a time of disgust for most Sox fans, I will always remember it like Henry Hill did when he was arrested for the first time – he was welcomed into the “family” with open arms and a lifetime of penance.

College – This reason is why sometimes I root for Oklahoma, George Mason and Marymount. Why so many universities, you ask? It probably speaks more to my capacity to ignore any type of studying and gravitate to the finer aspects (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) of college life than it was about my quest for educational knowledge. Man, I miss the 80’s.

Your own choosing – It was April 17th, 2003 and I was in the hospital awaiting the arrival of the person I would immediately call my son. As luck would have it, the TV was on the 5’o clock news and the sports segment was coming up next. Now the remaining details are somewhat fuzzy due to all of the screaming, the crying and the tears that I was experiencing while my wife repeated dug her nails into my skin while delivering my baby boy.

But 2003 was the last year of the Winston Cup and I was thinking about casually following NASCAR for the last go-around. Somehow, I determined that since my son was born on the 17th during the 17th hour, I should follow the #17 car driven by Matt Kenseth in honor of my son. Needless to say, he won that year in such a way that NASCAR’s governing body decided to create “The Chase for the Cup” and I’ve continued to follow those guys who only make left turns for a living. But that hasn’t stopped the old-timers like my brother-in-law from calling me a bandwagon jumper which I disprove with simply saying, “It’s not like I picked Jeff Gordon, now is it?”

I’m no sure if I am the only one who can lay claim to placing all four categories in the SFATS but looking back, it is a wonder how the simplest choosing of some inane like a sports team has stuck with me longer than anything else that I’ve learned throughout my life other than saying “Sir” or “Ma’am”. Those are the type of painful lessons that you just don’t forget.

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Image of the Day for 09-10-07

In case you're not a big time NFL fan, Kevin Everett suffered what most players fear - an spinal injury on the field. He was injured during a kickoff and was carted off the field. His prognosis is not very rosy with still the possibility of death depending on how his body adjust to the trauma. It's hard not to think of the players on the field to be something similar to live action Madden pixels moving around in a choreographed pattern. But when something like this happens, I definitely take a step back and count my blessings. Here's to wish that young man a speedy and (hopefully) miraculous recovery.

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Image of the Day for 09-09-07

AP Photo/Mel Evans

I almost took today off as it was a national holiday in the Schramm compound but since the Pats cruised to a 38-14 victory - I decided to gloat. Please to be reading the following commentary from around the Internets.

Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel
ESPN's Len Pasquarelli
Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy

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Image of the Day for 09-07-07

I'm not usually one to promote the sites that I frequent (yeah, right) but if you're a sports' nut like me, the above-referenced image is the place that you'll want to go to. armchairgm.com is basically like one big sports bar but it includes all teams and all leagues. And since the whole site is based on user participation, there is always something to discuss or argue about. You can even start rivalries with other users. armchairgm.com is probably one of the biggest growing sites about sports right now. C'mon, get in on the ground floor and become a part of the newest scene, man.

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Image of the Day for 09-04-07

(Photo by KEVIN W. FOWLER/For the Lansing State Journal)

In all of the other things that happened over the weekend (Labor Day, U of M losing, WWE suspensions), I forgot to talk up how badly the Spartans needed an opening day win in a way to totally create a fresh start for the Dantonio Era in East Lansing. Well, they did take it to the Blazers of UAB (owners of my old Fantasy Football team's logo) in a big way and cruised to a 55-18 victory. Jehuu Caulcrick went for 93 yards on 10 carries with scores of 1, 5, 42, and 5 yards, earning him Big Ten Offensive co-Player of the Week. This Saturday is the Falcons of Bowling Green (whose team colors are Orange - crazy Ohioans). For one week in the fall, the Spartans looked way better than the Wolverines and that feels very good.

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Image of the Day for 09-01-07

I love it when the all-mighty preseason polls take a hit on the first week of the year and thankfully, U of M does not disappoint me in this fashion this year as they lose to a very tough but beatable Appalachian State, 34-32. In classic underachiever fashion, Michigan let their opponents get a big lead, fight back to lead late in the game then let victory slip through their fingers. As decidedly biased MSU fan, this loss pleases me to no end; almost more than seeing the Spartans take it to Division I-A UAB. But even objectively, this loss may haunt the Wolverines through out the whole year.

More info about the game can be found here - > App State v. Michigan

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WWE slams 10 wrestlers for breaking drug policy

Former WWE Champ Edge dropped by drug suspension (Image courtesy of WWE.com)

Definitely in reaction to all of the recent mounting evidence that indicts the new WWE wrestlers as practitioners of the old WWF chemicology, word came from Stamford, Connecticut that ten current wrestlers will be suspended for breaking the current drug policy. Initially, the names were not release to the public. However, they have been leaked and are listed under their WWE names as:

1. Mr Kennedy
2. Chavo Guerrero
3. Gregory Helms
4. Randy Orton
5. John Morrison
6. Shoichi Funaki
7. Charlie Haas
8. Umaga,
9. William Regal
10. Edge

These suspensions come as a direct fall out from the early 2007 steroid raid of Signature Pharmacy, an online retailer based out of Orlando. The ten suspended men all placed order with the retailer after February 2006, the date when the drug policy took effect. Others who have been linked to Signature included current wrestlers Batista, King Booker, Santino Marella and Chris Masters but it appears that any orders that they placed were prior to the February 2006 deadline. Three deceased wrestlers, Chris Benoit, Brian 'Crush' Adams' and Eddie Guerrero, along with recently released wrestlers Simon Dean and Sylvan Grenier have also been mentioned as clients of Signature Pharmacy.

Professional Wrestling has always had two strikes against them when looked up by the mainstream: It's consider "fake"; and that there's always been a undercurrent of steroids. After the Federal trail of the WFF back in the early 90s, the drug allegations had subsided. But with this unfortunate news, it looks like that the unholy matrimony between 'Roids and Wrasslers will never truly been severed.

Newsfeeds: The Sun, The Orlando Sentinel

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Image of the Day for 08-26-07

One of the presents from yesterday - played it for about an hour and I like how the Wii's innovative controller use is incorporated but I will need more time with the game before rendering a decision.

Game Link: Madden 08 - Wii

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Prepare for the Backlash

I know that I might be blowing this all out of proportion but to hear that the Red Sox have been declared by anyone, much less USA Today, as "America's Team" must be a sign of the Apocalypse. Seriously, to have this moniker attached to any sports team is akin to being called overrated or overhyped. While the times that I spent chronicling some of my feelings on the Sox when I was writing my comic book column (Preachin' from the Longbox for those who have a short memory or haven't read the sidebar) during the 2004 season was like being a part of something bigger than yourself; almost like you were attuned to the power cosmic and knew that this was going to be the year.

But once they won the World Series, the sports fans' equivalent of blood sucking leeches, otherwise known as the"casual" fan, began their life-draining attachment to my team. It's not that I have this inane idea that they are my team and my team alone. But to see the plethora of Sox merch on people who didn't suffer the '78, '86 or even the '03 heartbreaks is revolting.

Luckily for me, the USA Today idea seems to have fallen flat. One of the online repsonses to the article showed a link to a recent Harris poll that shows the Yanks as still secure in their #1 ranking since 2003. One cause for concern is that the Sox have steadily grown in popularity from #6 in '03 to #3 in '07. Although if it means a few more World Series crowns, I'll take being called "America's Team".

Newsfeed: USA Today
Other Links: Harris Poll

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