Bubblegum Card of the Week: Jim Mandich

Hello! And welcome to my new Friday feature, Bubblegum Card of the Week™!

What is this?

Well, I have a modest collection of cards, mostly baseball, mostly from the '70s and '80s. However, I have lots of other cool sports and non-sports cards from the last 40-plus years. So, I'll present a favorite card each Friday, and then provide accompanying commentary... Let's get right to it, shall we?

Our first specimen is this 1977 Topps football card, #372. Its subject, Jim Mandich, played tight end for the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to '77. He caught passes from Bob Griese in Miami's victories in Super Bowls VII and VIII. Most notably, he maintains bragging rights as a member of the 17-0 '72 Dolphins, still the only NFL team with a perfect undefeated season. Before that, in college, he was an All-American at Michigan. Now, "Mad Dog" Mandich works as a Fins color commentator, and hosts a Miami sports radio talk show.

That's fine 'n' all, but what really intrigues me is that he's the most famous person with the same surname as me. When I got this card as an eight-year-old, I was thrilled to learn that anyone beyond my extended family, especially a pro football player, had the same last name as I did... I've always wondered, has anyone ever teased him by saying, "A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal"? Has anyone ever derisively called him Man-Dick? Is he from Croatia?

When I was in the third grade, I falsely claimed that he was my uncle, so a friend of mine demanded an autograph. That night I scrawled a forgery on a scrap of paper, and presented it to him the next day. He was impressed.

I think this first installment of BCOTW went well, don't you? Check back next Friday for the next thrilling episode of Bubblegum Card of the Week!

We Hardly Knew Ye: Postage Stamp of the Week

I figure it's always best to bow out while you're still on top. I believe that time has come.

Postage Stamp of the Week™ has been simply going through the motions these last few months, as it's been harder and harder to find a stamp each week that's worthy of the honor. Sure, I'll probably come across some cool stamps in the future and I'll be glad to share 'em, but as a regular weekly feature, PSOTW™ is no longer. Frankly, it's been dead for a while now.

However! Watch this space for a new, even cooler weekly feature, debuting this Friday...

And I'm also working on another fun feature--here's a NSWF teaser:


Finally, with no connection to anything in particular, here's a kickass video for a kickass song:

For Eliza

Postage Stamp of the Week: Lil' Red, Bad Wolf

No topical significance here; I just like the artwork. It's from Germany.

Millipede Is The Empire Strikes Back of Video Games

Yeah, think about it!

The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980, three years after its predecessor.

Millipede was released in 1982, two years after its predecessor.

Both Empire and Millipede are sequels to seminal classics; both vastly improve upon their kickass originals; both have newer heroes, newer villians, deeper intrigue, and are ultimately more satisfying.

My high score on my Atari Flashback 2 game, recorded last July, is 315,000.

Happy 60th, Christopher!

Christopher Guest hits the big six-oh today.

Funny, funny man.

Postage Stamp of the Week: Super Donkey Brothers

In honor of this week's DVD release of my favorite 2007 movie.

From Japan, circa 2006. Read more here.