Editor's note - this post is several months late, as I started laying it all out just a few days before my blogging blackout. However, though timely it is not, it is all but ready to go. So, I might as well just go ahead and fill in the gaps and click publish. I'd hate to waste it...
Ever since he began to sniff the Big Leagues, the Cubs' Kris Bryant has had a corporate relationship with Red Bull. Over the years, the star third baseman and the energy drink behemoths have come together for a series of truly fun promotional gags. For instance, one year Kris punked an entire collegiate baseball team as a "foreign transfer student." Another year, Bryant had the tables turned on him as Red Bull had Greg Maddux pose as a sound guy with a mean hook. Whoever the creative minds behind these campaigns are, they are truly earning their presumably hefty paycheck.
Earlier this summer, RB and KB got together again to host a home run derby right smack in the middle of the Chicago Loop:
It's moments like these where I miss working downtown....
Anyway, there's another aspect of the Red Bull/Kris Bryant sponsorship pairing that is becoming something of a hallmark. The energy drink with the largest market share in the world has taken to spicing up their iconic can design with the faces of prominent athletes and celebrities which endorse their product and other intellectual properties, i.e. pro video gamer, Ninja, Team Red Bull F1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo, the characters from Capcom's Street Fighter video game series, and Pac-Man, among others. After all, collectors will buy just about anything related to their favorite people and things.
During the outset of the 2018 baseball season, Kris Bryant's face was also sharing space with the dueling crimson bulls on blue and silver cans across the Chicagoland area. Being the rabid Cubs fan I am with a potentially problematic energy drink habit, you better believe I grabbed one of these bad boys for my knick knack shelf; heck, I even banged out a post about the canister here. Red Bull must have done pretty well in the Windy City that April, as they trotted out KB cans once again at the Chicago River home run derby, only this time with a slightly different design. I mean, it's no secret that we collectors have to have every little variation, right?
Although I was unable to make it to the event in the Loop, these special edition cans soon found their way into grocery stores and filling stations throughout the suburbs and you damn well better believe that I grabbed one... I'm no exception to that "every little variation" quirk, you know.
This is what the Kris Bryant Red Bull can - 2019 edition - looks like. I included a promotional image from a since lost article, seeing as the photography in this post leaves plenty to be desired. Of course, I'm not sure how much the admittedly small and pixelated .jpeg is helping. Nevertheless...
To sum it all up, the design of Red Bull's iconic product doesn't change very much, except that you get to see Kris Byrant's face as he steps up to the plate in a RB cap in one blue parallelogram and his powerful cut in the other. Also included are an advertisement for a contest to hit the batting cages with the 2016 NL MVP and a faux signature, both of which occupy the silver negative space. All in all, it's very simple and barely messes with the famous color scheme and design. Sadly, there's no Snapchat filter/game via Snapcode included on this year's can. 😦
For comparison's sake, here's a side by side look at the 2019 and 2018 RB/KB cans:
Again, poor photography, but you get the gist. For a full look and review at least year's drink container, you can check out my thoughts right here. Essentially, it all boils down to this: same idea, different pictures.
It was after washing out this can of Cubs-themed Red Bull that I realized I had unknowingly dived head first into yet another collection, something which my wife will verify that I already have far too many of in my limited living space. Now with two Cubbie energy drinks to go along with a pair of Northside baseball themed beer cans, I have a blossoming beer/pop can collection building up on my shelving unit:
In case your curious, you can read about Joe Maddon's "Try Not to Suck" German-style ale (which doesn't suck, but also doesn't leave a large impression) here or the fantastic sampling of "Ron Santo 10 Ale" - gifted to me by P-Town Tom, of Waiting 'til Next Year fame - over here.
At this point, all I need are some of those vintage RC Cola cans from the 70's and I'll have all the Cubbie beverage canisters that I can think of!
These two would definitely fit in with the rest of my Cub-cans.
Is there anyone else out there that picks up and hangs onto these special edition cans of Red Bull? Or, perhaps we have more Monster fans on the blogosphere? Did anyone else out there accidentally stumble into a side collection in the same manner as I did my can stash? Does anyone know of any other North Side baseball themed beverages that I should be keeping my eyes open for? Please feel free to weigh-in in the comment section below; I'd love to hear from you!
In the meantime, after banging out this post, I might need to wander down to the gas station next door and pick up another can and "ride the bull" again just to find the energy to make it through the day. Grant me sustenance, Kris Bryant!
My family went on vacation to the Wisconsin Dells last week - it's an annual family tradition that dates back to when I was in middle school, as Midwesterners do. Since I am the only sibling who has completely (maybe) grown up, moved out of the house, and gotten married, I have not gone the last few years and instead have taken up responsibility for dog sitting. Seeing as how I hate waterparks, pools, and getting wet in general, this arrangement is a-okay with me.
During the family's trip to the waterpark capital of the world, my wife and I drive the few miles from our apartment to my parents' house a couple of times a day to let the puppies out, clean up any mess they've made, top off the food and water dishes, as well as do a little bit of laundry and raid the pantries. Plus, I get to play with the doggos. All in all, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.
A couple of days into their trip, while I was conducting one of those aforementioned raids for snacks through the pantry, a big, blue box of cereal caught my eye:
At first, I was taken aback by the fact that Chips Ahoy! now has their own branded cereal - no wonder we Americans are fat. With the re-release of Oreo-O's, are we now in the middle of a no holds barred, cookie breakfast cereal bout? Will we soon be seeing "Keebler Elf Krunch" or "Mrs. Fields Flakes" stacked on store shelves? Yes, this is what really goes on in the wasteland that is my mind.
Once I got past that cookie conundrum, I noticed something else about the box of teeny tiny cookies - something you've probably already noticed by now. According to the big and bold yellow ribbon on the top of the packaging, these "parts of a balanced breakfast" come with trading cards!
Now, I'm no soccer fan - I've been to exactly one game in my life and left in frustration as the contest would end in a scoreless tie - but, I will always go gaga over unexpected, oddball cards. So, even though my parents weren't around and thus there was no "grown up to help to help you cut the cards out of the box," I grabbed a pair of scissors and set about freeing these footballers from their cardboard holding cell:
I wonder what my family will think when they reach in the pantry for their morning cereal and find this on their shelves? Hey - they left me alone and unsupervised!
I knew that this promotion was going on this summer; but, seeing as how I am not much of a soccer fan and I have been trying to stay away from sugary breakfast cereals, I had not paid too much attention to these oddballs. Plus, when Topps, Major League Soccer, and Post first joined forces last year to launch this promotion, I did my sampling of the product then - so, I guess you could say I got my fill. However, the temptation was far to great when I found them simply staring at my face in my parent's pantry.
Without any further ado, let's take a closer look at the unexpected treasures themselves:
This panel is slanted very heavily towards forwards - is that where all the star power is in soccer? I truly do not know. All I know, is that as a Windy City native, I sure would have appreciated the inclusion of a Chicago Fire player. Apparently, there are four different, four cards panels available on the backsides of Post products and not a single one of them features a single "Fireman." Where's the love for Bastian Schweinsteiger?
Also, today I learned that LA has not one, but two professional soccer franchises. I was not previously aware that the LA Football Club (for which Christian Ramirez stars) is an entirely different entity from the LA Galaxy. I guess if any market can sustain two MLS franchises, it would be one such as the City of Angels. Of the two clubs, I am much more familiar with the latter, thanks to David Beckham and this snippet from "I Love You, Man:"
You learn something new everyday, right?
My favorite card of the bunch is probably Bradley Wright-Phillips, mostly just because I am a big fan of Red Bull... the energy drinks, not the football club. Speaking of which, it throws me off how much corporate sponsorship has intertwined itself with their sport, with companies slapping their names on the front of team uniform kits and, heck, even straight up naming a team after a product. I don't know how I feel about that, but I guess MLS doesn't have the deep pockets that the NFL does and has to make money where they can.
I like simple design, with the white borders that are sorely missed from Topps Flagship products and the prominent use of team colors and logos. Honestly, this is a layout that I wouldn't have mind seeing used for baseball's Flagship. Although, the Topps logo in the upper right hand corner is unusually large... I guess they have to remind you who is being these cards since they are coming from a fair unusual source.
Oh, and I feel like I should show you how the backs of these cards look, as well:
Blank, cereal box cardboard. Very low maintenance, as I imagine it would be disruptive to the manufacturing promise and damaging to the bottom line to produce cereal boxes with printing on both sides.
In the end, these soccer cards are fun, appealing to the eye and I'm left wondering why the old bubblegum company can't make something like this happen with their baseball division. Granted, over the past few years, Topps has done a good job in expanding their horizons by partnering with other companies. For instance, PKWY Socks, Utz Potato Chips, and New Era, among others, have gotten with Topps to release promotional sets in the recent past. However, these products are always basically a reprint of the main Flagship cards with a different, branded stamp. I mean, I appreciate them diversifying their portfolio, but this just appears lazy.
Where's the creativity and wonderment? If Topps can get a little more imaginative with their soccer stuff, why can't they do something similar with their baseball products? They did a really good job of creating a fun, original tie-in product with their Marketside Pizza cards from a few years back; however, since then, it's been just stamps and logos. I tell ya, if Topps did this same promotion - heck, even with just this same design again - with panels of a baseball cards, instead of soccer, on the backs of Post Cereals, I would probably be eating Original Chips Ahoy! Breakfast Cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
In the meantime, my family just got home yesterday and have probably noticed that their pantry is much less filled than it was when they left. I should probably start "kicking" around a good idea for an excuse!
Joe Maddon wants to be the next celebrity coach in Chicago - the next Mike Ditka if you will. In the last few months, the manager of the 2016 World Series Champions has opened a restaurant, released his own line of pasta sauce through Jewel-Osco, and turned out his own craft beer through a local brewery. I'm not saying that the charismatic mastermind of the Cubs doesn't deserve to be the next Ditka-like folk hero in the Windy City (god knows he's not insufferable like "Da Coach"); however, it does seem to be a curious time to be pursuing such interests. As of the end of the 2019 season, the way things currently stand, Maddon will be a free-agent. That's right - Joe Maddon is currently a lame-duck skipper and could very well be suiting up with a different club come next spring.
While his bullpen management skills have been called into question, the team's performance has been inconsistent since '16, and his idiosyncratic style of leadership isn't everyone's cup of tea, I certainly would be sad to see him blow out of town. He's brought so much to the Chicago National League Ballclub - most importantly a World Championship - and helped to instill a winning attitude in what was previously Lovable Loser territory.
Not to mention, he's pretty good with catchphrases - "never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure" has become something of mantra here on the North Side, since he came to town. Another one of Joe's most popular, t-shirt worthy slogans is "try not to suck." It's a self-explanatory concept that applies to both the team's play on the field, and now (as I alluded to earlier), a specialty craft beer:
Binny's Beverage Depot has partnered with Joe's Respect90 Foundation (another slogan of his which has been applied to a brand) to release "Try Not To Suck" German style lager, available in Binny's and Jewel-Osco stores across the Chicagoland area. A portion of the profits from each sale will go towards Respect 90's goal to provide children and families opportunities to develop championship attitudes through sports, academics, and community involvement. Additionally, money from each purchase will also be divided with Rags of Honor, a charity which strives to assist homeless veterans across the United States.
Heck - I'll drink to that!
Joe's lager hit store shelves in early April and apparently it was big hit, seeing as I searched for weeks before I finally found some. After striking out at all of my local Jewels - darn South Side residency - and finding both of the nearest Binny's to be out of stock, I was forced to wait. I was getting concerned too, as the product is supposedly a limited release - brewed and bottled once, then it's gone forever. However, luckily, another wave of shipments must have been made, as when I checked Binny's online databases last week, I discovered just about every single store in the franchise was now well-stocked with "Try Not To Suck."
When I made the trek out to the Orland Park location, not only did I discover my desired beer on the shelves, I also realized just how much promotion the Cubs do with the beverage depot. I suppose that makes sense, seeing as not only is Binny's a Chicago-based company, the first location was opened less than a stone's throw away from Wrigley Field, at the corner of Clark and Sheffield, in 1948. With as bad as the Cubs were for most of their existence, a large portion of their customer base was probably fans stopping by for beverages with which to drink away their sorrows while on their way home from yet another embarrassing loss.
Anyway, you didn't come here for snapshots of advertisements. I wasn't distracted for too long before I was able to locate some "Try Not To Suck" in the wild:
Ten bucks for a six pack of craft beer - that's not too crazy, especially when considering some of that money is going towards a pair of charities. That being said, despite the previous shortages and the now healthy stock, I opted to just grab one set, just in case "Try Not To Suck" did, in fact, suck. I don't need a fridge full of bad beer.
Luckily for me, Joe Maddon's brew lived up to it's billing.
"Try Not To Suck" comes in a rather nifty, artsy looking can, making appropriate use of the Cubs colors without stepping on their trademarks; this only a partnership with Maddon, after all, and not with the franchise itself. The background line-art mosaic is made up of subtle baseball imagery, including a fielder's glove, home plate, a baseball, and Joe's familiar hipster glasses. Offset by the silver can, I'd say the whole product is quite appealing aesthetically, but we're talking about a beer here. Looks are not what's truly important.
As Binny's website states, the drink itself is "medium in body, with a refreshingly crisp finish;" this description seems rather accurate, at least to my untrained palate. The concoction is definitely a sipper, as it took me two full episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to down the entire can. Although, as far as potency goes, the beverage is somewhat weak for a craft brewski, at only 4.8% alcohol by volume.
Overall, I'd say it's a decent batch of booze - not particularly notable, but an above average lager that would pair well with a ballpark brat. That seems to be the majority opinion, as well - out of over 600 reviews on Untappd (the Yelp of craft beer) "Try Not To Suck" averages out at 3.5 out of 5 stars. I've seen the flavor described there as "floral" and "grassy" but that's too cultured for me to confirm. All I know is that it tastes like a lager and that Haymarket's latest release does not suck.
Oh yea, Haymarket is the brewery that actually whipped up the suds. I probably should have mentioned them sooner.
Haymarket is a brewery that is based out of the North Side of Chicago and takes it's name from the city's Haymarket Square and the infamous "Haymarket Affair" of 1886. Branded as beers for the working class, it only makes sense that they should take the moniker of a labor movement which led to the establishment of the 8-hour work day. As you can see from the logo above, they've also expanded into Michigan, extending their reach a little further through the Midwest.
That's about all I can gather on Haymarket - I'll have to make a trip downtown and visit the actual pub. Of course I mean the Chicago location: lord knows why I'd ever be in Bridgman, MI. Perhaps "Try Not To Suck" is even less sucky on tap? Has any local reader of Wrigley Roster Jenga ever had the pleasure of visiting Haymarket?
At any rate, being the obsessive Cubs fan and collector of sports ephemera that I am, you know very well that I'll be keeping a (finished off) can of "Try Not To Suck" to display with the rest of my baseball knick-knacks. I suppose it makes the most sense to prop it up next to the other Cubbie-themed beer can in my possession, "Ron Santo 10 Ale," which was generously gifted to me by P-Town Tom of Waiting 'Til Next Year Fame. If you're curious about the Santo Ale, I talk about the drink and the story behind it in detail here; but, I will say that I prefer a kolsch to a lager any day of the week and I was tempted to click my heels when I first tasted "10."
Are there any other craft beers or beverages marketed around Chicago baseball personalities that I should be made aware of? How the heck did Budweiser never slap Harry Caray's mug on a beer can?
Now that I think about it, not so long ago, there was yet another beverage company that got together with a Cubs icon:
Alright, so my now blossoming Cubs can collection includes two beers and a Kris Bryant Red Bull. I guess I have to go all in now and find me some of those RC Cola cans with player pictures on them from the late 70's and a can of Fergie Jenkins' ill-fated energy drink. *Sigh* I'm going to need more shelves...
Anyway, that's the story of my experience with Haymarket and Joe Maddon's "Try Not To Suck" German-style lager, distributed in partnership with Binny's Beverage Depot and Jewel-Osco. All in all, it's a decent beer that lives up to it's billing and contributes funds to admirable causes; plus, it represents an appropriate endorsement deal for a guy who offered "two shots and a beer" to everyone who attended his introductory press conference. Here's hoping that, unlike this limited release, Joe Maddon sticks around Chicago for a few more years yet.
Will I buy it again? Honestly, probably not, seeing as I now already have a can for my trinket collection and the lager itself simply didn't distinguish itself enough from the competition in the crowded and confusing world of craft beer. That said, I'm certainly not disappointed that I have five more of these sitting in my refrigerator right now.
*Pop* *Pssssssshhhhhhhh* Whoops, I mean four more...
The first few days of the 2019 Major League Baseball season have been rather dreadful for us Cubs faithful. After handily winning the opening game on the road in Texas, the Chicagoans blew two winnable games due to a horrible performance from the bullpen and then proceeded to get slaughtered (8-0 with six errors) in Atlanta during the Braves home opener. I know it's only the first week of the baseball calendar and everything seems worse in small samples... but, yikes. So far, this year's club looks a lot more like the "Lovable Losers" of old than the Theo-cratic Cubs dynasty.
Hopefully, the wrinkles get ironed out soon; otherwise, the Brewers and the Cardinals are going to ensure that this be a long season on the North Side. As we speak, I'm sure PECOTA is readying their "I told you so" articles.
On the plus side, should shit hit the fan, I now have the perfect beverage with which to wash down my sorrows.
That's right, it's a Cubs-themed, craft beer - what better product tie-in is there for a team who plays in a facility associated with day-drinking?
This wonderful concoction was brought into this world by a small brewery in Texas, Nine-Brand Brewing Company. How they arrived at canning a Cubs beer in the middle of Astros and Rangers territory, I'll never know. Heck - Ron Santo himself was from the Seattle area, so there's no tie-in there either. Anyway, this is a mystery that will go on for a while, as there is no information about the brew on Nine-Brand's website and I'm not travelling all the way to Allen, TX for the answer. Perhaps ownership originally hails from the Prairie State?
Anyway, I haven't cracked into this just yet, as I am saving it for a special occasion. Ron Santo is my all-time favorite player after all - I simply cannot waste his namesake beer. However, Roger Adamson (of Certified Cicerone) describes this Kolsch style brew as, "pouring brilliantly golden in color, this... ale features a fruity nose, with hints of honeydew melon and buttered biscuits. Soft and creamy across the palate, an initial touch of honeyed sweetness gives way to a refreshingly crisp and tangy finish."
That's much more elegant than I could have ever hoped to put it anyway. Had I attempted to review this drink, it would have sounded more like, "beer taste good." At any rate, I'm excited to crack into this can, as Mr. Adamson makes it seem positively delicious.
Should anyone else like to get their hands on the Hall of Fame third baseman's namesake suds, it's available at a handful of Binny's Beverage Depots scattered throughout the Chicagoland area. However, it was not at one of these adult candy stores where I discovered that Ronnie had himself a beer. Rather, it was a generous friend who enlightened me by mailing this can to my doorstep, which - when I finally empty this elixir - will look great on my knick-knack shelf, right next to my can of Kris Bryant edition Red Bull.
P-Town Tom, of Waiting Til Next Year fame, absolutely blew me away a couple of weeks ago with what amounted to an absolutely stuffed Cubs Care Package. Not only did my fellow Cubbie-backer mail me Santo beer, he managed to fit all of this excellent ephemera into one cardboard box:
Yup, he even included some special Javy Baez sunflower seeds to pair with my Cubbie Blue beverage. If I chew these seeds, will I be able to work magic on the diamond like "El Mago?"
Besides the branded groceries, Tom also managed to insulate his mobile pantry with a bunch of baseball cards, as you can see above. Let me just say, as awesome and eye-catching as the Santo beer and the Baez seeds were, the cards ended up stealing the show, in the end. Just take a look at some of the primo cardboard that Tom included:
As one of the premier Ryne Sandberg PC'ers on the internet, Tom must certainly have his fair share of doubles. Luckily for me, he decided to pass the savings down to me. Fun fact, apparently a grouping of rhinoceros is actually called a crash... so, look at this crazy crash of "Rynos!"
I think my favorite of this bunch might have to be the oh-so-90's 1990 Classic oddball. Something about that design just makes me feel like a kid again; of course, so to does a quality stash of baseball cards featuring one of my two favorite childhood Cubs players.
Boy oh boy, does Ryno look strange in a Phillie uniform. However, as bizarre as this sight is, there are so few cards that show the powerful infielder in his first organization's colors, so anytime I can add a new one to my collection is a joyous occasion. After all, the Phils are my wife's hometown and favorite team, so players who have donned both jerseys are extra special in this household.
Then there's this oddball that I had never seen nor heard of before I found it in Tom's mailing. Apparently this was some sort of mini Strat-O-Matic-like baseball simulation score card found in packs of 1993 Donruss Triple Play. This is certainly one of the most unique Sandbergs in my most little collection - I'm sure that Tom has all sorts of fascinating oddities like this in his sprawling Sandberg PC!
Speaking of player collections, everyone's favorite P-Town resident does more than just collect the Hall of Fame Cubs second baseman. In fact, one might argue he is even better known for his all-encompassing collection of another notable name in Chicago baseball history:
I don't know about you, but it's gotten to the point that I think of Tom every time that I come across a "Kid K" card. While this hurler might not have ultimately ended up in the Hall of Fame with Sandberg like we Windy City faithful initially thought he would, he sure did have himself a nice career. After all, a 20 strikeout game and membership to the rosters of four different Cubs playoff rosters (when such appearances were rare treats) will create quite a bit of fan loyalty around here.
With that in mind, I - like any Cubs rooter - am quite please anytime I can add a new-to-me Woody card to my collection. Of which, all six of these P-Town Tom doubles were as such. I'm especially happy to add that pre-rookie Bowman to my stacks... man, we all thought that card was going to pay for our retirement when we were kids!
However, my favorite Kerry Wood card included in Tom's expansive gift was this mirror-like, reflective 1999 Topps New Breed insert that was originally found in packs of that year's Flagship release. This gloriously garish piece of foil board is unusually flashy for Topps and almost looks more like a slightly more toned down piece of Pacific's work. Perhaps this was inspired by the old bubblegum company's then crazy competitor?
Gosh... I miss when there was true competition on the trading card market. Curse you exclusive licensing deals!!
*Ahem* Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post content:
Tom also included a cache of partial team sets from recent products haven't so much as touched - not because I haven't wanted to dabble, but because I'm kinda cheap and lazy. I'm glad he did so too because those Stadium Club singles are - as per usual - quite elegant and gorgeous. I mean, how can you not look at that Ian Happ pasteboard and fall in love with his impassioned walk-off celebration. The same goes for Jon Lester's surprisingly powerful batting stroke. SC is just a wonderful collation of cards, year after year.
Also of note, that triple rookie from last year's Heritage release features Cubs third or fourth string catcher, Taylor Davis, on his first official MLB card. He has since appeared in last year's edition of Topps Update; that said, I still don't have that single either, for the same reasons I didn't already have these bad boys. Thus, this will serve as a nice Cubgrade to the minor league card that had previously represented the signal-caller in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.
There were also another pair of delightfully shiny pieces of cardboard which feature members of the current Cubs core. What can I say? I am a simple man who is not ashamed of how much he enjoys shiny objects.
Perhaps I am the only one on the blogosphere who, after all of that, would be most excited about a pair of autographs from forgotten flashes in the pan like these two fellows, but I am not ashamed of that potential fact. Is there anyone else out there on the blogosphere who would rather pull these than an Acuña or Betts Hancock? If so, please weigh in below, in the comment section.
As a dedicated student of Cubs history and a collector of cards base around the franchise's all-time roster, these sorts of acquisitions are my absolute favorite. The ultimate type of card that can be added to my CATRC binder is a Cubs autographs and - again, because I'm a cheap ass and shy as all hell - I rarely get the chance to do so. Therefore, this certified auto of proto-Ohtani slugger/pitcher, Brooks Kieschnick, and IP-auto of strictly moundsman, Jim Bullinger, actually compelled me to get up and brag to my wife how awesome Tom is! Both will easily supplant whatever cards were previously repping them in my most treasured tome.
Furthermore, the oft-forgotten innings eater that was Jim Bullinger is a sentimental favorite of mine and has been for many years. First of all, Jimmy was on the very first Cubs card that can recall acquiring, a 1996 Fleer Ultra single that I was lucky enough to pull out of a vending machine at the local ice cream shop. When I went to gloat and show off my newfound treasure to my hobby-funding and pained Cubs fan grandfather, the only words the normally jovial man could muster were "I hate Jim Bullinger" in a deadpan tone. No doubt, Jim had just recently blown a game for the franchise with which he lived and died. To this day, whenever I hear the name "Jim Bullinger" all I can think about is my grandfather, who loved both me and the Cubs to death.
The card in question is still in my possession... somewhere. In the meantime, here's a Trading Card Database stand-in.
With that, we've finally reached the bottom of P-Town Tom's surprise Cubs care package, which couldn't have come at a better time. With the way the Chicago baseball season has started, I've needed all of the care I can possibly get. New baseball cards, Cubbie autographs, Javy sunflower seeds, and even Cubs suds... hot damn, what fun that box was to dig through - thanks buddy! I'll be sure to try and repay the favor, I'm just not sure how I am going to be able to match this unbridled kindness. However, I do have a few ideas...
At any rate, seeing as I'll actually be able to watch today's WGN telecast of the Cubs vs. Braves match-up in Atlanta, perhaps tonight is the night I will finally crack open that can of Ron Santo 10 Ale. After all, seeing as I don't have cable, rely exclusively on an antenna box for my live television needs, and my MLB.tv acount is basically useless because MLB STILL has ridiculously arcane blackout rules (let's fix this before pace of play, Mr. Manfred), such an occasion is a rare treat worth commemorating. Plus, if the Cubs don't get their act together, I'll need a little alcohol to make watching tolerable.
Throughout the last month or so, football has been the center of the sporting world's attention. Of course I'm not talking about the gridiron, I'm speaking to the sport that we Americans have branded soccer for some reason. While, for many years, the narrative has been that Americans don't give a damn about soccer/football/futbol, the tide seems to be turning somewhat. Despite not having a dog in the fight this time around, my timeline was filled with people discussing the international game, bemoaning flopping, and parsing the action in this morning's early morning final match.
Concurrently, interest in our country's domestic soccer league also appears to be on the rise. Major League Soccer has added five new clubs to their roster since 2015, with three more expansion teams on their way. That being said, the average broadcast of an MLS game only brings in about 30,000, a modest total when it comes to pro sports. Thus, the organization still has some work to do when it comes to promoting their rapidly expanding league.
On that note, while walking through the aisles of my local CVS yesterday evening, I noticed MLS's latest initiative to further their brand:
Post Cereal is apparently the official breakfast cereal of Major League Soccer. As an devoted lover of all things breakfast cereal, I'm actually kind of surprised that I didn't already know this when I came across this box of Honey Bunches of Oats. This brand just so happens to be one of my favorite brands of the breakfast staple.
I went into that corner drug store in need of twenty dollars in cash to blow at a poker game; but, with no Chase Bank ATM nearby, I opted to just buy myself a small treat and get cash back on the transaction. When I saw the back of this cereal box, I instantaneously knew what my evening snack was going to be. Yea, I munch on dry cereal as a snack - I wasn't kidding around when I said that I love breakfast cereal.
Now, to be honest, I'm not much of a soccer fan. I've attended one Chicago Fire game in my life and I ended up leaving before it ended in a 0-0 tie, which just seems wrong to me. However, I am a fan of the concept of oddball trading cards on the back of cereal boxes! Considering the situation at hand, this was a no-brainer purchase, in my eyes.
Seeing as Post is the official cereal of MLS, the two entities partnered with Topps to offer up panels of trading cards on the backs on certain cereals. The four cards you get vary on the kind of cereal you purchase - for example, Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds will always net you the four players that you see above, while HBoO w/ Banana Bunches will feature an entirely different panel. Other brands that are participating in the promotion include Fruity & Cocoa Pebbles, Oreo O's, and Honeycombs. I was hoping to find a box with a Chicago Fire player included; but, sadly, CVS didn't carry any of those other kinds.
After scarfing down a bunch of bunches and losing all of my poker money (rather quickly), I made sure to "ask a grown up to help me cut the cards out of the box," as instructed by the box. But, since my wife could only roll her eyes at me, I had to do it myself. Don't worry though, all of my fingers are still attached.
Like I said, I'm not much of a soccer fan; thus, I don't know much about the players depicted on these oddballs. Although, the name Jozy Altidore does ring a bell. As it turns out, that makes sense, as the Toronto FC forward in one of the more accomplished players in North American soccer history. The New Jersey-born player has been on the professional scene since 2006, playing in the MLS, as well as across the globe (including the Premier League), and representing the United States in many international tournaments.
I guess I have subconsciously absorbed some soccer awareness at some point.
The cards themselves feature a sleek, angular design that keeps everything nice and simple. It's not bad, though I would prefer that the blue triangle which contains the player name, number, position and team be a tad small, as it ends up blocking out nearly a third of the photograph. Additionally, there is an abnormally large "Topps" logo in the upper left corner - there will not be any questions as to who was behind the creation of this set!
As for the backs, well they're blank - so, I won't be getting any stats or biographical information to educate myself on the players or the game. I suppose that's a necessity of the manufacturing process; I can't imagine it would be easy to print on the outside AND the inside of the cereal box.
All in all, the cards are decent and the concept is pretty nifty. Of course, this is not Post's first venture into the world of trading cards... far from it. In the early 1960's, the cereal company cemented their place in hobby lore by using the back panels of their cereal boxes to print up baseball and football cards that sports-loving children had their parents pulling out their hair over trying to find the right boxes. You'll see these much-ballyhooed cards appear on the blogosphere from time to time and I even have a few myself:
Then, the breakfast giants revisited this concept in the early 90's, including cello-wrapped cards inserted into the boxes throughout the first half of the decade. In fact, it was through one of these promotions that I acquired my very first baseball card, a 1994 Post Mark Whitten card that I still have kicking around somewhere today. Unfortunately, I cannot find it at the moment, otherwise I would include a photo of it in this post. Please settle for Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg from the 1991 & 1992 editions, respectively:
Anyway, it's nice to see that Post is getting back into the trading card game. While soccer cards are nice and all, I can think of a certain other sport that is having some difficulties when it comes to marketing their game to children. What better way is there to reignite interest in baseball among the youth of America than through the backs of the cereal boxes? After all, think of how many kids down a bowl of cereal every morning before school.
C'mon Post, make it happen! Now that Topps seems to warm to the idea and they have reaffirmed their exclusive MLB license, this seems like a perfect promotion to me. Hopefully these soccer cards move some units, then the old bubblegum company might actually be interested in expanding the promotion.
