CHRONICLES PACK WAR

I WENT TO TARGET HOPING TO FIND ANOTHER PACK OF CHRONICLES AND A HANGER OR TOPPS SERIES ONE BUT THE TOPPS WAS COMPLETELY WIPED OUT. THE CHRONICLES WAS AS WELL BUT I GOT LUCKY AND FOUND AN ORPHANED PACK HIDING BEHIND SOME BLASTERS. I HAD ENOUGH CASH FOR TWO PACKS SO I TOOK A SHOT AT A BASKETBALL CHRONICLES PACK HOPING TO SNAG A TRAE. I HAVE A HUGE BACKLOG OF POSTS THAT I'M NOT WRITING FAST ENOUGH SO INSTEAD OF TAKING SIX WEEKS TO POST ALL THE CARDS I WILL FORCE THE TWO PACKS TO BATTLE FOR OUR AMUSEMENT

2021-22 BASKETBALL VS 2022 BASEBALL FOR THE TITLE OF CHRONICLES SUPREMACY. EACH CARD WILL FACE EACH OTHER IN ORDER AND WILL RECEIVE A COMPELTELY ARBITRARY AMOUNT OF POINTS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

PLAYER - WHICH PLAYER IS BETTER

DESIGN - WHICH DESIGN IS BETTER

ASSETS - IS IT A PARALLEL OR INSERT OR AUTORELIC OR HAVE A BUNCH OF SHINY FOIL OR DOES IT HAVE A BIG DONK ON THE CORNER BECAUSE SOMEONE DROPPED THE PACK STUFF LIKE THAT

VIBES - HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THE CARD, DO I DIG IT OR DOES IT SUCK

LET'S START WITH A BONUS POINT FOR THE WRAPPER ITSELF. I LIKE THE COLORS ON BOTH. BLACK, RED AND YELLOW IS HAWKS COLORS AND THE BLUE ON THE BASEBALL PACK IS VERY SOOTHING. THE PLAYERS ON BOTH PACKS ARE ALL ROOKIES BUT NONE OF THEM HAVE REALLY BROKEN OUT AND BECOME A SUPERSTAR YET. THAT BASKETBALL WRAPPER IS JUST TOO BUSY THOUGH. YOU DON'T NEED SIX PLAYERS ON A WRAPPER, I DON'T CARE HOW WEAK THE DRAFT CLASS IS, PICK THE TOP TWO AND BE DONE WITH IT. BONUS POINT FOR BASEBALL 

BASKETBALL 0 BASEBALL 1

CARD 1: CAMERON THOMAS CHRONICLES BASE RC VS JOAN ADON LUMINENCE RC

BASKETBALL GETS TWO QUICK POINTS AS ADON IS CURRENTLY PLAYING IN TRIPLE-A AND I DISLIKE LUMINENCE. JOAN IS STILL YOUNG AND EVERYONE NEEDS PITCHING SO MAYBE HE GETS A SECOND CHANCE SOMEDAY. CAM THOMAS IS A PRETTY INTERESTING ROOKIE CARD TO HAVE AS HE BARELY PLAYED FOR THE NETS UNTIL THEY BLEW UP THE ROSTER, THEN HAD THREE STRAIGHT GAMES WITH 40+ POINTS SCORED, THEN ENDED UP BACK ON THE BENCH FOR SOME REASON. HE'S GOT ONE OF THE WEIRDEST SEASON GAME LOGS I'VE SEEN. NEITHER CARD IS BEAT UP WHICH IS A BONUS FOR THR FIRST CARD IN A RETAIL PACK BUT THEY AREN'T PRISTINE EITHER. CAM GETS A VIBE POINT JUST BECAUSE IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH WHAT THE NETS DO WITH A GUY WHO COULD BE A BIG SCORER

BASKETBALL 3 BASEBALL 1

CARD 2: EVAN MOBLEY THREADS RC VS. JUAN YEPEZ LIMITED RC

JUAN YEPEZ IS A FORMER BRAVES FARMHAND THAT GOT TRADED FOR MATT ADAMS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. EVAN MOBLEY IS A BUDDING STAR THAT WAS ON THE ALL-ROOKIE TEAM TWO YEARS AGO AND THE ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM THIS YEAR. ADVANTAGE: HOOPS. BASEBALL WINS ON THE DESIGN HOWEVER, THIS LIMITED DESIGN'S TAKE ON THE PANINI ANGLES LOOKS SLICK WHILE THREADS LOOKS BORING AND REMINDS ME OF OLD DOLLAR TREE FOUR CARD PACKS OF SHAME. BOTH CARDS ARE SHARP, NO DINGS. I'M GIVING YEPEZ A VIBE POINT BECAUSE I REALLY DIG THAT RED AND BLACK DESIGN BUT MOBLEY GETS TWO FOR BEING A REALLY GOOD ROOKIE CARD

BASKETBALL 6 BASEBALL 3

CARD 3: KESSLER EDWARDS CHRONICLES BASE RC VS. CURTIS TERRY VERTEX RC

KESSLER EDWARDS WAS A SECOND ROUND PICK OF THE NETS THAT SURVIVED A TWO-WAY CONTRACT AND A TRADE TO THE KINGS. CURTIS TERRY NEVER PLAYED A GAME FOR THE TWINS AND IS NOW IN INDEPENDANT BALL.  UNTIL EDWARDS' OPTION GETS PICKED UP THIS IS A TIE. I KIND OF LIKE THIS WEIRDO VERTEX DESIGN, BUT THE POINT IT GETS IS LOST DUE TO A BIG DING ON THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. I'LL GIVE KESSLER A VIBE POINT BECAUSE I WANT HIS OPTION TO GET PICKED UP AND FOR HIM TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE KINGS NEXT YEAR SO THE HAWKS GET SACRAMENTO'S DRAFT PICK

BASKETBALL 7 BASEBALL 3

CARD 4: ZION WILLIAMSON PRESTIGE VS. BRYAN DE LA CRUZ PINNACLE RC

BRYAN DE LA CRUZ IS A DAMN GOOD PLAYER FOR A SURPRISINGLY DECENT MARLINS TEAM BUT ZION WILLIAMSON IS STILL A STAR DESPITE THE INJURIES AND ANGRY BABY MAMAS. THIS MIGHT BE MY FIRST ZION CARD AS WELL? BASKETBALL GETS A POINT. THE 1992 PINNACLE DESIGN WILL NEVER LOSE TO A JUNKY PRESTIGE DESIGN THOUGH. SURE THE PINNACLE DESIGN HAS WEIRD FONTS AND UNNECESSARY FOIL BUT THIS PRESTIGE DESIGN IS EXTRA JUNKY. BASEBALL GETS TWO DESIGN POINTS OUT OF SPITE. BOTH CARDS HAVE NO DINGS AND GOOD VIBES BUT BASEBALL STILL WINS 3-2 ON SPITE

BASKETBALL 9 BASEBALL 6

CARD 5: ZIAIRE WILLIAMS ABSOLUTE MEMORABILIA RC VS. SPENCER TORKELSON CLASSICS RC

ZIAIRE IS A LOTTERY PICK WHO HAS STRUGGLED HIS FIRST TWO SEASONS IN THE LEAGUE AND SPENCER IS A NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK WHO HAS STRUGGLED HIS FIRST TWO SEASONS IN THE LEAGUE. THE BRAVES ARE ABOUT TO PLAY THE TIGERS AND I DON'T WANT TORKELSON TO SUDDENLY FIGURE IT OUT AGAINST US SO HE GETS THE POINT. I ACTUALLY LIKE THE ABSOLUTE MEMORABILIA DESIGN, IT'S A LITTLE OVERDONE BUT FITS THE BRAND WELL ENOUGH. BUT FAKE RETRO IS MY FAVORITE DRUG SO CLASSICS WINS. NO DINGS FOR DINGS AND BOTH CARDS GET A VIBE POINT CUZ I'M FEELING GENEROUS

BASKETBALL 10 BASEBALL 9

CARD 6: JALEN GREEN LUMINENCE RC VS. VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. CHRONICLES BASE

JALEN GREEN IS A BUDDING STAR FOR A BAD ROCKETS TEAM AND HIS FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT. HE AIN'T NO VLADDY JR. THOUGH, POINT TO BASEBALL. THE MORE I SEE THIS LUMINANCE DESIGN THE MORE I HATE IT AND I'M BITTER THAT IT'S SHOWING UP IN EVERY SINGLE CHRONICLES PACK I BUY. ANOTHER POINT FOR BASEBALL. I'LL GIVE JALEN A VIBE POINT SIMPLY BECAUSE THIS IS A GOOD ROOKIE CARD TO HAVE. VLAD GETS THREE BECAUSE VLAD. UNFAIR? YES, YES IT IS

BASKETBALL 11 BASEBALL 14

CARD 7: JAMES HARDEN PLAYBOOK VS. SHOHEI OHTANI THREADS

WHOA. LAST CARD OF THE FIRST HALF IS A BLOCKBUSTER MATCHUP OF MVPS. HARDEN AND OHTANI ARE BOTH FIRST BALLOT HALL OF FAMERS AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THEM IN HERE. THREE POINTS EACH, WHY NOT. AS FAR AS THE DESIGNS GO, I AM NOT A FAN OF THREADS AND WHILE PLAYBOOK IS BUSY AS HELL WITH ALL THOSE LINES GOING EVERY WHICH WAY, I DO LIKE THE LITTLE NBA 75 LOGO UP IN THE CORNER SO HOOPS GETS THE POINT. HARDEN HAS A LITTLE DING ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER WHILE SHOHEI IS MINTY FRESH, POINT TO BASEBALL. SUPER GOOD VIBES ALL AROUND HERE TWO MORE POINTS EACH

HALFTIME SCORE: BASKETBALL 17 BASEBALL 20

BASEBALL LEADS AT HALFTIME BY A THREE RUN HOMER BUT THE SECOND HALF IS WHERE THE SHINIES COME OUT TO PLAY SO IT'S STILL ANYONE'S GAME

CARD 8: JADEN SPRINGER ABSOLUTE MEMORABILIA RC VS. SPENCER TORKELSON CHRONICLES BASE RC

JADEN WAS PHILLY'S FIRST ROUND PICK BUT HASN'T PLAYED MUCH THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WE KNOW WHAT SPENCER HAS DONE AND HE STILL GETS THE POINT BECAUSE I'M SUPERSTITIOUS. I'LL GIVE THE DESIGN POINT TO ABSOLUTE THIS TIME THOUGH. NO DINGS AND NO VIBES AS I'M A LITTLE BUMMED I GOT THE SAME PLAYER TWICE IN THE PACK

BASKETBALL 18 BASEBALL 21

CARD 9: TRENDON WATFORD DONRUSS RATED ROOKIE VS. WANDER FRANCO ESSENTIALS RC

TRENDON IS AN UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT THAT TURNED A TWO-WAY CONTRACT INTO A STANDARD ROOKIE CONTRACT AND IS GETTING DECENT MINUTES OFF THE BENCH FOR PORTLAND. IT'S A DAMN SHAME HE ENDS UP FACING AN EXTREMELY SHINY ROOKIE CARD OF ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS ON ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE. TWO POINTS FOR BASEBALL. THE DESIGN BATTLE IS TOUGH AS WELL, DONRUSS IS MY FAVORITE PANINI BASKETBALL BASE SET BUT ESSENTIALS IS - WELL, IT'S A MESS. WHY IS THE SECOND WANDER A GHOST? WHAT ARE ALL THOSE LINES IS THE BACKGROUND? WHY IS THIS CARD? BUT IT'S SHINY AS ALL HELL AND IT'S A DESIGN I DIDN'T GET IN MY OTHER PACK OF THIS STUFF. SCREW IT, A POINT FOR EACH. WE'RE ALSO FINALLY ABLE TO ASSIGN SOME ASSETS POINTS INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING AWAY FOR DINGED CORNERS. BASEBALL GETS A POINT FOR TEH SHIIIIINY. BASKETBALL GETS THREE POINTS FOR THE RATED ROOKIE LOGO. YOU KNOW IT'S WORTH IT. VIBE CHECK: TRENDON MIGHT GET INCLUDED IN A PACKAGE TO CARDS ON CARDS. THIS IS MY FIRST AND ONLY WANDER FRANCO ROOKIE. TWO VIBE POINTS FOR BASEBALL

 BASKETBALL 22 BASEBALL 27

CARD 10: JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL PLAYBOOK BRONZE PARALLEL RC VS. EDWARD CABRERA MAGNITUDE RC

JEREMIAH IS ANOTHER SECOND ROUND PICK WHO HAS MANAGED TO STICK WITH THEIR TEAM AND GET SOME DECENT MINUTES. I RESPECT THAT. CABRERA HAS LOCKED DOWN A SPOT IN THE STARTING ROTATION FOR THE MARLINS AND HAS UPGRADED HIS UNIFORM NUMBER FROM 79 TO 27. THAT'S WORTH A POINT. THIS MAGNITUDE DESIGN CONTINUES TO BEWILDER ME. A CHUNK OF DIRT ON ACETATE? I DON'T GET IT. I LIKE IT, BUT I DON'T GET IT. ANOTHER POINT FOR BASEBALL. HOOPS GETS THE PARALLEL POINT, BUT TO BE HONEST I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS A SUPPOSEDLY ONE PER PACK PARALLEL UNTIL JUST NOW. BASEBALL GETS A VIBE POINT MOSTLY BECAUSE I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THE BRONZE FOIL PARALLEL

BASKETBALL 23 BASEBALL 30

CARD 11: SCOTTIE BARNES MARQUEE RC VS. JOSH LOWE CERTIFIED RC

SCOTTIE'S THE STARTING POWER FORWARD FOR THE RAPTORS AND JOSH IS THE STARTING RIGHT FIELDER FOR THE RAYS. BOTH ARE YOUNG AND PRETTY GOOD. A POINT FOR EACH. I'M HAVING A TOUGH TIME CHOOSING THE BEST DESIGN AS BOTH ARE NOT EXCEPTIONAL. I THINK I'M GOING TO GIVE THE POINT TO MARQUEE BECAUSE IT LOOKS MUCH BETTER THAN SOME OTHER MARQUEE DESIGNS I'VE SEEN (THE 19-20 DESIGN THAT LOOKS LIKE A PINBALL TABLE IS PARTICULARLY BAD) WHILE I'VE SEEN A LOT BETTER CERTIFIED DESIGNS OUT THERE. BOTH GET A SHINY POINT, THEY ARE BOTH EXTREMELY SHINY CARDS. A VIBE POINT TO BOTH TOO, THEY AIN'T SUPERSTARS BUT THEY ARE NOCE ROOKIE CARDS TO HAVE

BASKETBALL 27 BASEBALL 33

CARD 12: LEBRON JAMES MARQUEE BRONZE PARALLEL VS. REISS KNEHR PINK PULSART PARALLEL

THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF EVER VS. A RELIEF PITCHER NAMED REISS KNEHR. FIVE POINTS FOR BASKETBALL. CRUSADE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SETS, BASEBALL GETS A POINT. THE MARQUEE CARD HAS LEBRON JAMES ON IT. FIVE POINTS FOR BASKETBALL. THIS IS MY ONE PER PACK PINK PULSAR PARALLEL CARD, IT'S SHINY AND PARALELLY. TWO POINTS FOR BASEBALL. I GOT A SECOND BRONZE PARALLEL IN THIS PACK AND IT'S LEBRON FRIGGIN JAMES. FIVE POINTS FOR BASKETBALL. VIBE CHECK: I LIVE OUT OF DIME AND QUARTER BOXES AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE A DOLLAR BOX. LEBRON JAMES CARDS ARE NOT IN THOSE BOXES. I ALSO WILL RIP MAYBE A HALF DOZEN NEW PACKS THIS YEAR. TEN IF I GO CRAZY. A RETAIL PARALLEL CARD OF LEBRON IS VERY LIKELY MY HIT OF THE YEAR, IF NOT THE DECADE. FIVE MORE POINTS TO BASKETBALL AND IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE TEN

BASKETBALL 47 BASEBALL 36

CARD 13: ALPEREN ŞENGÜN CRUSADE RC VS. EDWARD CABRERA PHOENIX RC

ALPEREN IS ANOTHER GOOD PLAYER FOR A PRETTY BAD ROCKETS TEAM. I STILL THINK A GUY LOCKING DOWN A STARTING ROTATION SPOT FOR ANY TEAM IN THE BIGS IS MORE VALUABLE NOWADAYS. POINT FOR BASEBALL. CRUSADE'S DESIGN BEATS PHOENIX'S THOUGH, GIMME THEM FLEUR-DE-LIS. BOTH CARDS GET A SHINY POINT FOR THE CHROME BUT BASEBALL GETS AN ADDITIONAL THREE VIBE POINTS AS THEY HAVE CLINCHED THE MOST CARDS WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNS IN THE PACK. THE MAIN REASON I LOVE THIS SET SO MUCH IS ALL THE DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND THE MORE DIFFERENT I GET THE HAPPIER I AM

BASKETBALL 49 BASEBALL 41

CARD 14: JOSHUA PRIMO CLASSICS RC VS. JOSH LOWE CRUSADE RC

ONE IS GETTING ALL STAR VOTES, THE OTHER IS OUT OF THE LEAGUE FOR BAD REASONS. THREE POINTS TO BASEBALL. I LOVE CLASSICS BUT SHINY SHIELDS IS BETTER. ANOTHER POINT TO BASEBALL PLUS A SHINY POINT. NO VIBES BUT BAD VIBES THIS TIME

BASKETBALL 49 BASEBALL 46

CARD 15: JALEN GREEN CLASSICS RC VS TYLER O'NEILL REVOLUTION

WE KNOW ABGOUT JALEN GREEN ALREADY AND I'M GLAD I GOT HIS ROOKIE CARD ON A MUCH BETTER DESIGN. TYLER O'NEILL IS BAD AND HURT FOR A TEAM HAVING A TERRIBLE YEAR. TWO POINTS FOR JALEN. I LIKE BOTH DESIGNS BUT REVOLUTION IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. ONE POINT FOR HOOPS, THREE FOR HARDBALL. REVOLUTION GETS TWO SHINY POINTS, IT REALLY IS THAT SHINY. AS FOR VIBE POINTS, JALEN GETS ONE FOR UPGRADING THE RC FROM LUMINENCE. REVOLUTION GETS NONE AS I WAS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE MY LONE REVOLUTION CARD WAS A CARDINAL. THIS ONE ALSO MIGHT END UP GOING TO CARDS ON CARDS

FINAL SCORE: BASKETBALL 53 BASEBALL 51

LEBRON JAMES SINGLE HANDEDLY WINS IT FOR BASKETBALL. TO BE FAIR THAT'S WHAT ACTUAL LEBRON JAMES DOES TOO. HONESTLY I REALLY ENJOYED BOTH PACKS AND PROBABLY HAD MORE FUN OVERALL WITH THE BASEBALL PACK. IF THAT PINK PARALLEL OR REVOLUTION CARD HAD BEEN ANOTHER PLAYER THE BASEBALL PACK PROBABLY WOULD'VE WON OUT. NO BRAVES OR HAWKS IS A DISAPPOINTMENT THOUGH. SADLY NEW PRODUCTS ARE IN AND OUT OF STORES IN A MONTH NOWADAYS SO IT'S UNLIKELY I'LL FIND ANY MORE OF THIS STUFF IN A TARGET BUT IF I DO STUMBLE ACROSS A ROGUE PACK SOMEWHERE I WILL BE TEMPTED TO PICK IT UP. I MIGHT EVEN GET DESPERATE AND TRY A FOOTBALL PACK. AT LEAST I KNOW I WON'T GET ANY DOUBLES!