University of Virginia School of Law Sports Law Conference

The complete program for the March 8, 2013 sports law conference at the University of Virginia School of Law can be found here.  It is my understanding that CLE credits are pending.  Panels include the following:

- Ethical Issues for Sports Agents

- Legal and Practical Issues for Women in Sports and the Sports Law Industry

- Gambling and Corruption in Sports

- Penalties for Athletes

- Lockouts, Greed, and Collective Bargaining  

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Review: Panini Contenders Football 2012-WITH LUCK :)

One of my favorite rookie laden products year in and year out Contenders is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. And Panini did a great job in celebrating it with the product adding a base card flashback mocking the originals design from 98. Now onto the review and my thoughts on the 2012 edition:

First off, I would like to say thanks to the WONDERFUL people at Panini America for providing us with this box to review. Here are many places you can find Panini America: official site, blog, Twitter, and Facebook. If you don't follow them at all..you should! They talk to you on Twitter, have contests on their blog and Facebook and the site is also fun to visit!

Box Break Down:

• 24 Packs Per Box, 5 Cards Per Pack
• Five Autographs Per Box!
• Three Rookie Stallions Per Box!
• $140 a Box

BASE CARDS: I liked the original design which means I am going to like this one as well. There is just something about the Season Ticket design that is catchy. Is it because its supposed to resemble a NFL ticket? Is it the team color scheme on one side the white on the other? Hard to tell. But this is one of my favorite base card designs.

INSERTS: Die cuts make a great addition to this product which my favorite of the two is by far the Rookie Of The Year Contenders. Really like what Panini did there in terms of turning the die cut into a shape of a trophy. The Playoff Tickets are a parallel to the base cards and are numbered just like the original product. Another insert that is very catchy is the Super Bowl one. The design is spectacular and elegant and improved over years past designs. You get about almost 13 inserts in a box. Or thats what ours had.

And BAM!!! ON CARD ANDREW LUCK!!!!!

AUTOGRAPHS: The product says 5 autos per box but most of the time boxes will hand you 6 which I really like and for the price you pay you somewhat hope to land that many.  This product has always been about its autographs, especially its rookie ones. You get one on card per box, which we LUCKED out with ours. Still shaking from seeing this incredible card. The fun thing about this product is chasing the Sp rookie auto tickets, the variations of them (missing some data on the back check the link below to see how you can tell) and seeing rookie autos and rookie cards of players you don't find in every product. Some of whom turn out to be stars in the future.

A list of those Sp's can be found here which also brings you to the Knights Lance: http://sportcardcollectors.blogspot.com/2013/02/panini-contenders-football-2012-sps.html

JERSEY/PATCH CARDS:N/A

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Once again, if you are a fan of rookie autographs, this is the product for you. This product is not for everyone though. You can have those great boxes with some top rookie autos or you could have those ones that you never heard of with a few sprinkled in names. I have seen both. As was the case in this box. The first 5 autos were mostly nobodies than BAM came the big hit of Andrew Luck. It may not happen every time but there is plenty to find in this product with the rookie autos and all variations. And the occasional Emeril in you with the BAM in a box. With 6 autos and tons to chase, this product is well worth a try.

RATINGS:  Bloggers Note: Our ratings are based specifically on the blaster, box or packs we opened and do not express what the overall product could bring. Ratings based on a 1-5. 1 Being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
                Packaging: 5
                Base Design: 5
                Insert Design: 4
                Memorablila/Autographs: 4
                Blaster, Hobby Box, or Pack Value: 4

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Sport Card Collectors MLB Promo

Along with our Monthly Contest Challenge, we thought it would be fun to also do an extra contest on the side. Now, there will only be one winner (maybe 2 read below). But it will be fun to see who that winner is.

Here is the promo:

You must let us know if you want in on this FREE contest by March 1st. We assume you do. The only thing you got to do is pick a team that is going to win the World Series. Each person gets one team. Once a team is chosen, that team is off from the list. A winner can only happen if a team that is chosen wins the World Series. So if we have 30 entries someone will win. We will only do 30 entries UNLESS WE CAN REACH 60 entries. So make sure you get your name in the hat as soon as possible! The first 30 will get first dibs on this contest unless we reach 60 entries then we will run two of them and figure out prizes and the set up from there.

Once you let us know that you are interested (comment below this post by March 1st), we will put your name on a list on a different post. When March 1st comes around, we will put all of the names on this list in a randomizer. Whoever the first person is gets first choice in picking any MLB team.  Then second person makes their selection and so on til every person on the list has chosen a team. We will have a different post for that that will show all of the contestants and all of the teams. The fun thing about baseball is that any team can win. Even the Royals. Sorry, Royals fans for that jab :)

By now you are probably asking, whats the prize going to be? At this point we don't know. It might be a combination of Star Player Cards, Inserts, rookies, maybe a couple of packs and a few game used or autos. We will figure that out closer to the World Series we get and we will make that announcement then.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERS! And let the teams ever play in your favor!

*Contest open to US Residents ONLY...Sorry!!

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February 19th, 2013

Today and tomorrow you will bid up to the amount of points you have. Meaning, if you have 41 points you can bid up to 41 points. However, use them wisely because you will lose the amount you bid and once you are at 0 you are eliminated from the contest. So if you bid 15 and get the game right, you will have 56 points. If you bid the game wrong, you will drop to 26. Remember also there is still one more day to go which is why we stress use your points wisely.

The second twist about the next two days is that the comments will be hidden. Thats right. It will be all about strategy here. You won't know who bid or guessed who. Only we will. ALL COMMENTS WILL BE IN MODERATION SO DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T SEE YOURS. We will approve all of the comments tomorrow and get ready for the grand finale!

The other twist if you want to call it one, is todays game as a NCAA game of Top 4 teams squaring off. So far this season no one has been able to hold the top spot..will this be the game they do? Or will they fall?

Good Luck...oh, and today is the LAST day newbies can join. You will earn 5 points for the right answer. 3 point for the wrong. FOR NEWBIES ONLY.

Who wins this NCAA Mens Game:

Indiana @ Michigan State

Entries due by 7:00 pm e.t.

*Contests open to US Residents only!

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No More Tears: Clear Glasses for Winter

One of my biggest problems cycling in the winter used to be my eyes tearing up. It would get so bad, that the constant flow of tears would blur my vision, making it hard to see where I was going. But like many cyclists, I soon found the solution: clear glasses or goggles.

On moderately cold and windy days, I wear simple resin glasses that I am very happy with. They are unbranded, so I don't have an online source to refer you to, but many bike shops around here sell them at the counter. I bought mine from the Wheelworks, for around $20. What I like about these particular glasses is how comfortable they are, even on long rides. They sit sturdy, but are lightweight and don't press into my face or temples. The lenses are durable and the clarity is good.  

On particularly freezing days with harsh winds, I wear these wrap-around safety glasses from MSA. They cost only $4 and perform double duty as shop safety glasses for framebuilding. The MSA glasses are wonderful for creating a seal from the cold, keeping my eyes warm and dry and the sensitive skin around them protected. An additional benefit for those who wear prescription glasses, is that these can be worn over them. The downside is that they are on the heavy side, and if I wear them for too long they give me a headache - so watch out, if you have issues with that. But for short rides they are excellent, and on days that are cold enough to necessitate them my rides are on the short side anyway.

If you prefer the high-end route, I've tried and really liked the clear version of the new Lazer Argon glasses. These are in the $80-90 range and come with interchangeable lenses, which can be replaced with tinted ones. Oakley, Rudy Project, and most other athletic sunglass manufacturers also make clear or photochromic versions of many models.  

While some cyclists like to wear goggles, I am not a fan: They snag my hair and don't seem to stay put as well as regular glasses if I wear them on the bike. I find that the MSA safety glasses provide the same coverage but with less fuss.

There are many inexpensive options out there for clear goggles and glasses, so try a few and see what works. And if you need more coverage? Well, a few days ago I saw a man cycling with a clear face shield. Perhaps a new fashion trend in winter cycling. 

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Lakers owner Jerry Buss 80, died Monday

Lakers owner Jerry Buss 80, died Monday. He had been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in recent days with an undisclosed type of cancer. The news was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

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FANdom Card Of The Day: Santana Moss Panini Playbook Reebok Patch

Who wouldn't want a card with a Reebok patch in it. C'mon Man!

2011 Panini Playbook Grass Roots Materials Brand Logo Prime #51 Santana Moss/3

If you wanna chance to own this card follow this link:

http://bit.ly/12D5MLc

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