I have always been a fan of the ‘Rocky’ franchise, while admitting that I really have not cared too much for the last two installments.

Still, the films fairly represent the periods in which they took place, and I find that the storylines are just as engaging to me today as they were at the time of their release.

The television channel A&E has been airing a 2-hour documentary about the ‘Rocky’ series providing us with some great insight about the films with interviews from the stars and people who worked on the production side too.  I found the documentary to be pretty insightful, and I was happy to see that most of the main characters from the series were sought out to be interviewed for the project.

All of this got me to thinking – What is my favorite ‘Rocky’ movie of them all?

So, after going back and forth and really thinking about how these films impacted me when I first watched them and how they still impact me today when I catch them, my decision is very, very clear.

My favorite ‘Rocky’ movie from the series is:

Rocky 3!!!!

Of the group, this is the one that excites me the most today when watched.  The addition of ‘Clubber Lang’ as the villain was perfect for the film.  And since Mr. T was new to the acting scene, it made him very believable as a ‘bad guy’ as we have no other roles to compare him to from other films.  Also, I love the role that Hulk Hogan took on as ‘Thunder Lips’ - it was brilliantly played, and certainly memorable.  I also really enjoy the dramatic scenes between Rocky and Mickey and Apollo – all of them were done very well, and have left lasting memories for me.

OK, now it is your turn, let us know which ‘Rocky’ film is your favorite, and if you feel like sharing more, let us know why too.

Thanks for reading!!!

One more time – ‘The Ultimate Male versus The Ultimate Meatball’!!!  LMAO

I keep pecking away at this set, bit by bit. 

So far, my collection of Andre Dawson baseball cards from this 2005 Topps Finest set is at seven cards.

The latest acquisition is this one:

Serial numbered as 95/99, this is the ‘Black’ version of the card.  You cannot really see it clearly in the background, but the Black behind Dawson’s image features a ‘fingerprint’ design’ that looks great with the Black and Grey contrast that it provides.

A great addition to my collection!!

*And a ‘Hat-Tip’ to Charlie for the generous donation!!

I picked up this card for just $0.18 on a recent splurge with Sportlots.com.  And while I really have no intent of adding modern cards of Orel Hershiser to my completed set that contains every major-branded card from his days with the Dodgers, this one had my intrigued a bit…

Here is the card:

Serial numbered as 205/250, I have become a fan of this set.  The set honors some fantastic baseball players, many of which I enjoyed watching as a kid.

Oddly enough, the cards that I have scored from this set feature players that not only were ‘Legends Of Summer’ but also could be tagged as ‘Heroes Of Fall’.  Examples of that would be Jim Palmer, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and now added to that list, Orel Hershiser.

Enjoy.

Another ‘Goldie’ from the 1992 Topps baseball card set for my collection…

This one features Hall of Famer, and personal favorite, Mr. Wade Boggs!!

Have a look:

As most of us recall, Topps issued the same cards as their base cards in two different versions in 1992 – Gold & Gold – Award winners.  I don’t recall how they were found, whether they were inserted into packs or what-not. 

Can anyone out there clarify?  From what I can tell, the ‘Gold’ version is the more rare as I see the price tags on these being higher than the ‘Gold – Award Winners’ versions…

Please confirm.  And ‘Thanks’ for the help!!!

One of the major collecting goals that I have laid out for myself in 2012 is to get to 1,000 unique Andre Dawson baseball cards.  I have more than 60 holes to fill to reach that point, so I have some work to do.

And in order to get to that 1,000-mark, I would really like to add a few more certified autographs to my collection.

The latest score is a beauty!!  Coming from the 2005 Upper Deck brand, this card comes from their ‘Signature Decades’ set and pays homage to the stars of the 1980s.  I am thrilled that Andre was chosen as a player to represent that decade by Upper Deck.

And I am even more thrilled to be able to call this card mine.

Here it is:

Awesome, huh??  Another perfectly signed baseball card by ‘The Hawk’!!

The colors of this card are spectacular.  Andre’s autograph really pops too against that White background.  And I am really digging the horizontal look too!!!

Enjoy.

Kind of a fun little oddball sticker here….

Stickers were all the rage in the 1980s – from Garbage Pail Kids to Scratch & Sniff.  I had my share, but being a big baseball fan, my favorites were the Fleer team logo stickers.  Those sweet stickers adorned every single one of my notebooks during my time in elementary and middle school!!

And I had a bunch of these too – just cannot recall if I had the Palmer back then.

But I do now!!!  Have a look:

Gaylord Perry pitched for 22 major league seasons, with ten of them being played in San Francisco.

During his time in San Fran, Perry established himself as one of the National League’s solid starting pitchers.  In ten years, he amassed a 134-109 record while making 283 starts.  And once he became a full-time starter with the club, he pitched more than 200 innings in each campaign, including leading the league in 1969 with 325.1 innings and in 1970 with 328.2 innings pitched.

During that ten year span with the Giants, Perry was named an All-Star twice, while also being  a runner-up for the Cy Young Award in 1970.

The 1984 Fleer baseball card design may very well be the most boring of all issues during the 1980s.  With just two horizontal stripes of Royal Blue  running at both the top and bottom of the card, there was very little time or thought put into this one.

But, every once in a while, a simple graphic design works.  And if you happened to be a Chicago Cubs player during the 1984 baseball season, then you had the best looking cards in the ’84 Fleer set.

Proof of that is in this card of newly acquired Cubs’ pitcher, Dennis Eckersley.

Take a peek:

Ah, perfection!!

I am expanding a bit with my Andre Dawson autograph collection this year.  I have a few new tricks up my sleeve, and I am ready to get down to it!!!

This is the first of what I hope will be many shipments that I send Andre’s way this year.  And when returned, I am hoping that I have some great stuff to show off to the ’30-YOC’ faithful.

Here is the package:

A flat bubble mailer, there are no hints this time around.  Just wait with me and as soon as the items inside are returned to me, they will be shared with you.

I promise.

Wish me luck!

That’s right folks, another player collection from the ’30-YOC’ roster is complete and in the books.   Not a bad way to start off the collecting year, huh??

This collection of Bo Jackson really brings back some great memories from my youth.  I spent a good amount of time collecting Bo as a kid, and still have some very vivid memories of watching him at the plate, in the field, and on the base paths.

Bo Jackson was a player unlike any other – he truly helped take excitement about baseball to another level.  And his effect on sports marketing and advertising should be noted as well.

So, here is it.  A full collection of every major brand release of Bo Jackson baseball cards from his time with the Kansas City Royals:

And remember, as I do with all of my newly completed player collections, next week I will unveil my ‘Fab Five’ cards from the set.  The fun begins next Monday.

Thanks for reading!