Not a good sign

So the Browns lost again last week, giving the Chargers kicker a second chance at a game winning field goal by jumping offside during the first attempt that the kicker missed. This, after allowing the Chargers to march down the field after they had tied the game with just over two minutes to go. When they tied it up, I turned to my friends and said that for all the Browns Defense's talk that they are among the elite of the league, that this would be their chance to prove it - coming up big when the team really needed it.

Sadly, I didn't get mad. I am already resigned to the Browns losing again this year. Last year the Browns owner, management and coaching staff got upset when people talked about the "same old Browns", but that is how I feel a quarter of the way into the season. That isn't good.

Oh well, I'll look at one positive - Isaiah Crowell had a solid day, highlighted by a couple of big plays. So I'll highlight his cards today.

I currently have 23 different Isaiah Crowell cards - 18 from 2014, and 5 from this year. I have no doubt that this total will grow pretty quickly.


2014 Topps Chrome - Rookie Autographs #225

I currently have four different autographed Crowell cards, the other three are all sticker autos. All are the same, a looping 'I', followed by his last name where you can see the 'C' and then a curve leading into the 'll' to finish his name. If you saw it on a regular piece of paper, you probably wouldn't have a clue what it was, but when signing cards you can understand how the signature fits.

 



It's funny, as I look through his different cards, I really only seem to have about seven different pictures. The above picture seems to be used in his Topps Turkey Red and Valor cards, as well as by Panini in his Prizm and Rookies & Stars cards. Although Panini made one change with his Prizm card: 

2014 Panini Prizm #286






Look! They removed the name from his helmet! Magic...

I like Prizm cards. They are solid, and although they might scratch I just like the look and feel of them. There are, however, way too many parallels in their sets.

With his 2015 cards, it looks like they used photos just a second or two apart against the Saints last year:

2015 Panini Prestige #72

Score #142

With one shot being more of a close-up, I wonder which was taken first. I would think that the top card is first, with him looking at the field and then tucking the ball upwards to run as the Saint lies back after missing him, but I don't know.

 

I've said it before, but I also really like the looks and feel of the Topps Valor cards:

2014 Topps Valor #72

To get a look at the guy under the helmet, here he is:

2014 Score #413

In general, it is a pretty boring card from a lower price set, but it stands out among all his other cards by letting me see the guy.

 



Isaiah Crowell is an undrafted free agent that played one year at Georgia, and then two years at Alabama State. He is the only running back left on the team from last year's opening stable with Terrance West, and Ben Tate. Last year he ran for 607 yards on 148 carries for a 4.1 yard average, with 8 touchdowns.

 

It's funny that I think back to last year and my memory says that he fumbled a lot, but when I look up the stats he only fumbled three times, losing two of them.

2015 Bowman - Rainbow Foil #28. Protect the ball!



 

Switching the topic to baseball, I'm travelling to NYC this weekend, and will be going to Game 3 vs the Dodgers on Monday. This will be my first Mets home game. I'm really thankful to a friend that suggested I think about coming down, and that if I did I could buy a ticket from him.

 

Does anyone know any good, easily accessible card stores in NYC where I can dive into some football singles some time over the weekend? I hope to stop in to a store in Binghamton that I've been to before on Friday as I drive down, but I would still like to check out other places.