NBA, Panini, trading cards and you

It is a good thing I don't collect basketball - though I can't say I haven't tried to collect it one way or the other at least a few times in the last 20 years, for one reason or the other.

However, it is staggering to learn about the NBA reaching agreement with Panini - to become the sole producer of NBA trading cards.

I think Panini just threw so much money at the NBA - it was an offer they couldn't refuse, despite the fact Panini is known in the United States more for its sticker books printed more than 20 years ago.

Would Panini even have the motivation or is their plan to radicalize the trading card industry - to bring it back to the 'Stone Ages,' where you had one choice, one option for trading cards.

How many products will Panini put out [?] - is it conceivable that they may only put out one flagship brand of cards for an entire year? Would basketball collectors only have one option? I doubt that will be the case, but is Panini capable of creating products that distinguish themselves between low-end, midlevel and high-end?

Would that be realistic and if it were to happen - would it be something to sap the money aspect about collecting cards as far as commodities? While there might be more mainstream interest, would serious card collectors just quit the hobby? Does this new agreement signal the death of the modern basketball card as it is valued by serious collectors?

I cannot name a basketball product from Topps, so I could care less if there were no more Topps basketball cards - at the very least, Upper Deck has exclusives like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to possibly juice up any product they decide to produce. I would think the NBA would have come to an agreement with Upper Deck as far as exclusive rights to print their cards [like how I believe it is in the NHL].

Having Panini as the sole trading card company to produce NBA trading cards is like O-Pee-Chee [long before Upper Deck bought its rights] -being handed the keys to produce every single Major League Baseball card.

I wonder how it will affect basketball trading cards and will it be conceivable - something like this would happen to the baseball card industry.

Beckett blog link - to the news

Beckett blog link - NBA's reaction

Wax Heaven blog link - Topps and Upper Deck's reaction

Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees: A tale of two teams
The Boston Red Sox have become the charmed organization during the early part of the 21th century. Every story becomes a feel-good episode, like cancer survivor Jon Lester's no-hitter. The last two no-hitter thrown by 'kids' on their pitching staff [Clay Buchholz in 2007 and in 2008] only adds to the team's collective middle finger for their years of relative futility [looking for a championship] and playing second fiddle to the New York Yankees [having won 26 championships].

For the last decade, the Red Sox are the chic team to root for, while Yankees' fans are left pining for the days when their tickets were punched to the World Series each year - the Red Sox have enjoyed their run, winning two championships in the last four years.

They've enjoyed a mix of stars and guys who aren't really stars, but have contributed otherwise - Dave Roberts, Mike Lowell, Johnny Damon Kevin Millar, 'up-and-down' Manny Ramirez, Papi Ortiz, Pedro, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett, [a lot of times, a blowhard] Curt Schilling, et al.

Besides veterans - the Red Sox have a solid core of young guys led by second baseman Dustin Pedroia. They have Buchholz and Lester on the pitching staff, followed by guys like Jacoby Ellsbury and eventually young prospects like Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson.


As far as the Yankees' organization is concerned, their pedigree cannot be matched and they've won 26 championships - but as far as the Yankees' fans gloat about 26, they are only truly concerned about the last year they've won a championship, which hasn't happened since 2000.


One of these years, there will be a day late in October where A-Rod will be interviewed because he won the World Series MVP award - the media will talk about him finally getting his just due, but in reality, it isn't happening anytime soon. Derek Jeter may play until he gets 4,000 hits, the Yankees can always buy their way into contention [that is why you don't count them out, not that they've been the greatest organization in the Major Leagues], pick up salaries [Kevin Brown, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson] left and right, but nothing is going to help them, unless their 'kids' suddenly get right [Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes] and Joba the eventual starter can give them the shot in the arm.