May TTM Wrapup!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I didn't receive too many TTM successes since my last update, but the few I did get back were pretty sweet! Take a look at my 115th, 116th, and 117th successes!

Wade Boggs: c/o Home, 3/3 in 10 Days

Boggs is currently signing autographs like his pants are on fire, and I had to get in on the action! I sent him $3, a dollar for each card essentially, and he returned the 3 back signed beautifully! I met Wade back in March of 2012, and he was a really generous, all around great guy. Eventually, I hope to send him a ball after I soon receive an order of balls I made. The 2009 Topps insert smeared a little bit but the other 2 definitely made up for it!

Mahlon Duckett: c/o Home, 2/2 in 13 Days
Duckett is one of the very few remaining ex-Negro Leaguers living today, so I had to reach out to him with a  letter. He was a smooth fielding infielder with a decent bat, and he played for the Philadelphia Stars and Homestead Grays during his career. I wrote him a nice letter, and he kindly signed both items I sent him: a 2010 Allen & Ginter card, and a beautiful 5x7 photo that my good friend William took at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama! Rickwood Field was home of the Birmingham Barons during its hey day, and he had the privilege of visiting it a year or so ago. He sent me a copy of the photo, and my plan is to fill it with former Negro League players' signatures! One down! He inscribed the photo "Phila Stars, 1940-1950".

Jason Kidd: c/o New York Knicks, 2/2
This success was a great way to cap off my week. Future basketball Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd signed 1 8x10 and 1 5x7 photo for my collection, and both came out beautiful! He's been known throughout his career for being a very good signer for his fans, and he sure did pull through for me. The 8x10 he signed was his celebration after nailing the game winning three against his former team, the Brooklyn Nets! I remember vividly watching the game and jumping up and down when he made the shot. It's cool to have that to remember him by. Secondly, he signed a 5x7 of him and Dirk Nowitzki hoisting trophies after winning the 2011 NBA Finals! I'm planning on sending it over to Dirk next season for him to sign it, and I sure hope it comes back!

Well, that's all I have for now; have a great day everyone! See Ya!

Go NY, Go NY, Go!

Hey guys, Drew back here! It's been an awesome start to the NBA season for my hometown team, the New York Knicks! The season concluded last night, after they took down the Atlanta Hawks to further cement their second seed finish in the Eastern Conference. Carmelo Anthony locked down his first career scoring title, and was a major factor down the stretch in getting NY the 2nd seed, rather than the 3rd or 4th. They will take on the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday, and there's no doubt in my mind that I'll be watching! I've never been the biggest of basketball fans, but the recent revival in New York, with the Brooklyn rivalry and now long gone fad "Linsanity" has sparked my interest more than ever. There are a lot of fun players to root for, and I'm excited to see how they will do. 

A few weeks ago I picked up this sweet acetate autographed card out of Panini Elite 2012-13 of Iman Shumpert! "Shump" hasn't done anything spectacular in his second season, as most of it has been recovering from his terrible torn ACL he suffered against the Heat in last year's playoffs. He isn't as much of an offensive factor, since NY has several other major scoring options, but his defense is superb when he's fully healthy. He's speedy and quick and can cover the top guards in the game. But best of all, this guy's sporting perhaps the best 'do in all of professional sports right now! 

I'd like to wish the Knickerbockers the best of luck this playoff stretch! Hopefully they'll be able to get back to the finals, but it's going to take a lot of hard work before that goal can be reached. I'll definitely be along for the ride though!

See Ya!

First MSG Experience: Knicks Dominate!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Yesterday, I went to my 1st basketball game since 2008, when I saw the Nets play at the Izod Center against Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets! The game was a special trip for my CYO team, and I had the opportunity to go on the court and shootaround! The Nets wound up winning by 44 points, and since I was a temporary fan of theirs, I was pumped! Fast forward a few years and a little 'Linsanity', and I decided to instead commit myself to the Knicks! Rather than going to see my dreadful Jets this year, I told my Dad I'd prefer to see the Knicks, since they had a shot to actually be competitive. We bought tickets to see them play the Sacramento Kings, because we didn't want to take the chance of  paying big money to see them get crushed by an elite team.

So last night, Dad & I got to NYC extra early for my first Garden experience. We relaxed at TGI Friday's for a few hours since it was freezing cold outside, but eventually we trekked through the heavy winds across the street to the most famous arena in the world! The only time I ever saw anything at MSG was a few years back, when my family and I saw a Cirque de Soileil show, so I was real pumped to be a part of one of the most intense fanbases in sports.

Carmelo Anthony & JR Smith Warming Up

We took a bit of a gamble with our tickets; not really knowing if we did well or not. Luckily for us, our seats were absolutely perfect, giving us a perfect angle of the court, despite being more on the left side of the court. In the first half, the Knicks played right directly in front of us, which was awesome! 

After a chilling National Anthem performed by the Sandy Hook Elementary School choir, the Knicks and Kings were underway. It was an emotional night at the Garden for sure, but it sure didn't look like it in the first few minutes of the game. Second year guard/forward Iman Shumpert missed a dunk, and Tyson Chandler wasn't able to execute on an early alley oop pass from Raymond Felton. But then, Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks most controversial player, came in off the bench and threw down a nasty dunk off an assist from Carmelo Anthony that got the ball rolling! They went on to take a 25-22 lead going into the second quarter.

Felton Setting the Play

Novak for 3!

Chandler covering promising young star DeMarcus Cousins

The Knicks rallied all throughout the second quarter, hitting three pointers left and right! Steve Novak made 4 consecutive three pointers, which gave NY a 47-25 lead, which became 56-33 minutes later at the end of the half! JR Smith led the team throughout the 3rd quarter, and went on to the finish the game with 25 points. The team was clicking on all cylinders, and they didn't even need to use their best player Anthony, who only finished with 9 points, snapping his streak of 31 consecutive 20 point games! Tyson Chandler finished with 20 rebounds in less than 3 quarters worth of action, and Stoudemire finished 10 for 10 shooting for 21 points.

The 4th quarter was basically just an exhibition, as NY had an astounding 97 to 52 lead going in! Rookie Chris Copeland was brought in by the fans, who chanted his name until he got the opportunity to play. Old Man Kurt Thomas scored 11 in the 4th, including a 3 pointer that cracked up Carmelo and Amar'e! The Knicks are filled with likeable, tough players, so it's very easy to become a fan of theirs.

Dad and I wound up having a great day witnessing this 120-81 massacre! The night was filled with laughter and excitement, and it was awesome to be a small part of it! New York is now 30-15 overall on the season, tied for 1st in the East with the Miami Heat! We know if we're going to make the finals, we need to first get past Miami, which will be a difficult obstacle to overcome. But, if the bench performs like it did tonight, I don't see how you could rule that out! The Knicks tape keeps on rolling!

Thanks Dad for the awesome night, it was something I definitely won't forget! See Ya!