Normally with items I've collected for this Collecting Game-used series what you see above is an image of an item in use with definitive photo-matched proof that the item I've found was in Player X's hands on X date.

In this case? Well, this 2014 Topps Alex Avila card shows him with a bat that could be the one I have ... or it may not be. There's no definitive proof here, but the start of the wear and tear on the top of the bat -- cropped off on the card -- that can be seen on this card's original photo taken by MLB Photos' Mark Cunningham on Aug. 3, 2013, in Detroit could be the start of things.

Why do I say could? Like many of Avila's sticks, my bat got used and abused. Like really used and abused. I'm not sure what his routines are or whether his best bats got used for all aspects of play (games and BP) but the bat I landed earlier this year was absolutely mashed -- and it's unlike any I have ever seen in person or have in my stash. It's also a bat that could have survived the off-season, too, based on images I have examined from July 30, 2013, and forward. Why do I say that? Well, that's this merely this bat's born-on factory date.

Keep reading to see the details in this month's CGU piece.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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LIFE AFTER TUA 
The Item: Bryce Young 2020 Leaf Metal All-American patch auto (/12)
The Price: $695 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Alabama Crimson Tide's season began this weekend and the freshman QB that has plenty of expectations in a world after Tua Tagovailoa got some playing time as part of a big win. He's not the starter and didn't light things up in his first taste of the field that counts, but that doesn't matter when it comes to the demand for his cardboard in this prep All-American set. He appears on more than 60 different cards in the release with many of them low-volume creations and he's easily among the priciest cards of players in the set so far (hit that link below). The release is largely a hits-driven affair so the box prices are pretty strong and there is risk with a deep, deep checklist but notables like this guy are big deals when you find them. This is pretty much the only way to prospect football until players' NFL cards arrive so once players are bonafide big names in college there is only one place to look ... these cards.
Similar Pieces: 2020 Leaf Metal All-American autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2020 Leaf Metal All-American boxes

Keep reading for a few more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys.

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GIVE 'EM A HAND ...
The Piece: Calvin Ridley 2018 Panini Instant Instant Impressions autographed hand print (/10)
The Price: $60 (shipped)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up earlier this year when Panini had a half-price sale on Panini Instant stuff and I think it was a gem of a find considering he's had some strong showings for the Falcons. (Beyond that he fits one of my collecting niches.) What is this? It's a huge card -- not a card, really but it does have a full back so it's a card that's a couple feet tall -- with his handprint and autograph worked into the mix. The signature is slightly more full than many of his cards (believe it or not) but the uniqueness of the whole package drew me in ... especially at half price.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of these ... but you can find NFL boxes here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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STRONG START, STRONG CARD ... 
The Item: Shane Bieber 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Gold Refractor (/50)
The Price: $128.50 after 12 bids (five days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: "Not Justin" is arguably already this year's Cy Young award-winner in the American League with a 7-1 record, a 1.53 ERA and 102 Ks -- Triple Crown numbers right now -- and that dominance also saw him hitting the 100-strikeout mark faster (62 1/3 innings) than any other player since 1900. His first prospect cards dropped in 2016 but his first autos from any company didn't arrive until 2018 and this is his Bowman Chrome ink debut. (He has a Topps Chrome Update auto as well as ink in Leaf Metal Draft, Leaf Trinity, Leaf Flash, Leaf Valiant, Bowman Platinum, Topps Heritage Minor League and a Prestige auto in Chronicles.) This one and the Topps Chrome seem like the leaders in the demand clubhouse and if you click the link below it shows how much there is for the rarer parallels in slabbed form.
Similar Pieces: Shane Bieber autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2018 Bowman Chrome boxes

Keep reading for a few more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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This one is a quick idea for a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's something to think about.

This time? First-rounders I'd be watching on cardboard ...

THE SURPRISE?
Jordan Love, QB, Packers
Remember last year when the Giants picked Daniel Jones sixth overall in the draft out of Duke and plenty of people had plenty to say about it? Remember how Jones played last year? Those things may not really apply here, but beyond the obvious big names I think the Packers' trade up to get this Utah State QB might have stole the show chatter-wise and that should translate into attention for his football cards. The obstacle that is future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers might scare some people off of his cards, but we may have a while before game action determines anything this year.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer boxes this year and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a bit of everything but more on the affordable side.

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MONSTER YEAR, SIMPLE ROOKIE CARD
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Donruss Rookie Card (BGS 9.5)
The Price: $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I made this pick-up just before he started his recent run of big games mostly because it seemed underpriced for the grade, which is a solid quad 9.5. Interestingly, just 25 copies of this card have been slabbed and nothing has checked in below this mark. It makes me think you could pick off a factory set at a pretty cheap price if you want to dabble with grading key cards here -- and there are a few where you could do pretty well with some 9.5s or 10s. About that price ... one of the other 9.5s had an asking price of $40 on eBay when I looked. Sure, the action here is heavier on Optic, ink and rarer parallels, but simple RCs of affordable sets seem to be go-to cards for more and more people these days.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Donruss (several formats)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

A BIG BLASTER PULL
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps #700B hand on helmet SSP photo variation
The Reason Graded: Not that long ago, I pulled this card from a Series 2 blaster box and decided that it needed a slab since these SSPs appear to be relatively rare -- and I was even more surprised to see how they didn't grade all that well on the pop report. Meanwhile, mine looked very clean ... so I had to do it.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: Only one card graded better than mine and four others have equaled it while eight cards have checked in at a BGS 9 or lower -- that seems pretty low for a modern card, though the skinny stock here clearly could have issues after these cards hit packaging. I'll admit that this was a pull while Ronald Acuña Jr. hunting in Series 2, but this feels like a win on top of a win with it grading so well after being pulled from a discounted box. Here's hoping his third season is as strong or better than his first two, which are remarkably similar from the batting side.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's six-pack: Six autographs I'd grab now

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THE RETIRING CHAMP
The Card: Jimmie Johnson 2018 Panini Prizm Patented Penmanship auto
The Price: $69.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Boxes: Click here for all NASCAR stuff
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This 44-year-old announced today that the 2020 NASCAR season will be his final campaign as a full-time Cup driver and, in turn, his final shot at becoming the all-time season championship record-holder. He's presently tied with Richard Petty at seven career NASCAR Cup Series titles and has been that way since 2016 when he last took home the crown. In the three seasons since then, his best finish was 10th so it's debatable whether he might make a run in his final lap, but he will be one who is watched heavily. I met and interviewed him when he was a rookie which was fun back in the day but I'm actually not sure if I've ever pulled one of his autographs in my off-and-on time collecting NASCAR stuff. There's a decent amount of ink for him out there -- more than 800 different cards -- but his autograph has always been relatively minimalist, so that's why I never chased one otherwise. I might make sure to track one down now.

Keep reading for five more items in this week's roundup ...

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a mix of everything but mostly on the affordable side.

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WAIT, WHAT?
The Card: Brock Lesnar 2004 Leaf Rookies & Stars NFL RC (SGC 9)
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't argue with one interesting and unique fact about Brock Lesnar when it comes to cardboard -- he's got Rookie Cards in wrestling, MMA and pro football and that's something that's just not that common. I can think of a lot of two-sport players on cards between various combinations for MLB, NFL, NBA and WWE but, three? Sure, Lesnar never actually played in a real NFL game -- the Vikings cut him before the season started -- but it got him a few cards that do remain popular and a tad pricey these days due to their novelty and relative scarcity. He had 15 cards in three brands -- Rookies & Stars, Playoff Honors and Sweet Spot -- and some can sell for more than this. I grabbed it since I'd never found one and it was slabbed for not much more than a raw copy -- and also purely for the novelty. Some raw copies of this have higher asking prices than this over on eBay, too, while his cards for the other two sports are easy finds.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for NFL, but WWE boxes are here

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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A UNIQUE TOUCH 
The Item: Juan Soto 2019 Topps Museum Collection bat barrel nameplate 1/1
The Price: $2,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or make offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: His full name is Juan Jose Soto Pacheco and it's "Soto Pacheco" that he has chosen to put on his bats. You can get a good look at one right here (click to zoom), though the MLB Authentication sticker (albeit unreadable) should be enough to make worries lessen. This is one simple personalized touch that shows how game-used bats (and premium bat cards) can be a lot more interesting. This card is an example of the big stuff that is possible in boxes of Museum Collection, though as a 1/1 card this one is no longer potentially in a box if you grab one.
Similar Pieces: 2019 Topps Museum Collection autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Topps Museum Collection boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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The NFL has lost one of its all-time greats.

Green Bay Packers legend and Hall of Famer Bart Starr died Sunday at age 85. He had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 2014. Starr was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls and the first quarterback in NFL history to win five championships -- all coming in the 1960s.

"While he may always be best known for his success as the Packers quarterback for 16 years, his true legacy will always be the respectful manner in which he treated every person he met, his humble demeanor, and his generous spirit," said a statement from his family that was released by the Packers. "Our family wishes to thank the thousands of friends and fans who have enriched his life – and therefore our lives – for so many decades and especially during the past five years. Each letter, text, phone call, and personal visit inspired him and filled him with joy. His love for all of humanity is well known, and his affection toward the residents of Alabama and of Wisconsin filled him with gratitude. He had hoped to make one last trip to Green Bay to watch the Packers this fall, but he shall forever be there in spirit.”

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's releases: 2019 Panini Contenders Draft Picks and 2019 Panini Prizm Draft Picks -- a combo since I truly couldn't decide which way to go during this NFL Draft weekend.

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THE TOP GUY ... 
The Card: Kyler Murray 2019 Panini Prizm Contenders Optic Mojo College Ticket autograph (/15)
The Price: $1,250 opening bid (six days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is perhaps a tad confusing ... it's a Contenders Optic card from Prizm and there's one in Prizm packs, too, but that one is not serial-numbered to 15 according to the checklists. Either way, this is a big pull and it's got on-card ink of the guy who went first in the 2019 NFL Draft last night and also the Heisman winner who is the only player ever taken in the first round of both the MLB and NFL drafts in the same year. There's a lot of attention and storyline here -- especially with the added Josh Rosen drama -- but he might be the biggest name of the bunch drafted so far when it comes to cardboard. (At least until everybody suits up.) This is an actual auction instead of a Buy-It-Now with new-car pricing attached, so we'll see how much demand there is here in a few days.

Keep reading for five more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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Between everyday Buzz Breaks and the near-monthly Buzz 12 in 12 marathons, Buzz busted a lot of packs in 2018.

How many? Well, Buzz is almost afraid to count -- though it was seemingly news to me that the 12 in 12 marathons actually started early last year. (That's even more proof there's been a lot of wax to get these hands ... it's all a blur.)

It was a year of memorable pulls for me at times with some icons' autographs found in my packs. It also was fun one ripping into really old packs, too, with some cheap thrills there.

Breaks are among the most-popular items seen here nearly every day and Buzz knows that. So look for plenty of breaks in 2019 -- but, before that time comes, keep reading for links to not one, not 18, but 25 memorable breaks from 2018.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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A LITTLE EXTRA
The Item: Johnny Damon 2018 Topps Five Star patch auto (/25)
The Price: $179.95 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand is loaded with impressive cardboard and some crazy patches but this one comes with a little extra included -- as you can see that's a PSA/DNA authentication sticker for the jersey where this patch came from. That notes that this jersey was signed with a game-used 2011 inscription -- something you'll know from just this swatch but not any of the other 24 that exist. A simple and fun item. There are some nice cards coming out of these boxes -- check out the link below -- and get your box at the link below that.
Similar Pieces: Other 2018 Topps Five Star autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2018 Topps Five Star boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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THE POWER OF GRADING
The Item: 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson Rookie Card (PSA 10)
The Price: $17,300 after 33 bids with more than three days remaining
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a card that's been slabbed by PSA more than 18,000 times but just 22 have gotten a PSA 10. Even PSA 9s are relatively rare compared to other grades (just 1,842 exist) while PSA 8s are the most-common grade with more than 8,500 cards in that grade. This is an iconic Rookie Card that has topped the $30,000 mark seven times since 2015, according to PSA, with a high of $38,400 via Heritage Auctions early last year. Many times cards like these get posted with hefty Buy-It-Now prices so it should be interesting to see where this piece of cardboard perfection ends.
Similar Pieces: Other 1980 Topps cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for MLB boxes

Keep reading for more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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The Panini America VIP Party roster has added some stars from the gridiron.

The newest star revealed on Friday night? Hall of Famer and Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. Former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick was revealed this afternoon, while two past college football greats will also be on hand for Saturday's exclusive event.

Joining them will be three previously revealed NBA guests as well as Texas Longhorns legend Vince Young and former Oklahoma Sooners star "The Boz," Brian Bosworth. 

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The Panini America VIP Party will include some NBA flair from the past and the present.

Saturday's exclusive event will have at least three NBA stars involved as the company has revealed its first three stars appearing at the party who will meet and greet fans.

Cleveland Cavaliers first-round pick Collin Sexton, Orlando Magic pick Mo Bamba and former Boston Celtics star and NBA Slam Dunk Contest champ Dee Brown will be on hand at the event set for Saturday night in Cleveland.

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Wade LeBlanc's career numbers probably won't shock you, but the left-hander has been good enough long enough to stick around in Major League Baseball for a decade.

This journeyman has been a Padre, a Marlin, an Astro, an Angel, a Yankee, an Angel again, a Blue Jay, a Mariner, a Pirate, a Yankee again and a Mariner once again in 10 MLB seasons. In the right here right now, you'll see him leading the headlines on the Seattle Mariners section of MLB.com as he struck out a career-high 10 batters last night as he upped his career record to 36-36. He's 6-1 with a 3.44 ERA and 76 strikeouts this season and is on pace for a career year in wins (8-12 his best back in 2010) and strikeouts (110 that same year).

Along the way to this point, though, he's also played elsewhere. He's been a Buffalo Bison, a Seibu Lion (yes, Japan), a Salt Lake Bee, an Oklahoma City RedHawk, a New Orleans Zephyr, a Tucson Padre, a Portland Beaver, a San Antonio Mission, a Lake Elsinore Storm(er?), a Fort Wayne Wizard and a Eugene Emerald.

But why are you hearing all of this about a guy who's gone from starter to bullpen guy and back to starter but still ultimately a common in any baseball card parlance?

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Big pulls, big players and a few other surprising threads.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 1.

The box: 2017 Leaf Metal U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

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If you saw this coming, you need to be coaching The Big Game next year -- and every year after that.

Alabama freshman QB Tua Tagovailoa took over behind center for the Crimson Tide down 13-0 at halftime and delivered a game-winning 41-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith in overtime to seal a 26-23 victory.

And that makes his U.S. Army All-American Bowl cards from Leaf Trading Cards the hottest cardboard on the planet for the moment -- and there's a decent amount of options to go around, too.

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With a victory tonight, University of Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban would equal a giant not only in the history of college football but a giant in his school's history.

His Crimson Tide plays in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Paul W. Bryant Drive down the road from the Paul W. Bryant Museum and the Bryant Conference Center -- all reminders of Bear Bryant and his NCAA-record six national championships and 323 career victories. (Saban is at 285.)

Tonight's College Football Playoff National Championship is Saban's sixth title-game appearance in the last nine years and with a win he'll have his sixth season title for his career. Saban had his chance at tying Bryant last season when his undefeated team lost in the final seconds on the final play of the game against Clemson, which Alabama knocked off in a rematch this year to advance to tonight's game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Both of Alabama's postseason foes this year are coached by former Tide assistants, Dabo Swinney at Clemson and Kirby Smart at Georgia, but neither has autographs and football card appearances as easily found as the legend of today, Saban.

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The college football world got a pair of classic showdowns on Monday night and will get a third next week when the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs face off for the College Football Playoff National Championship.

There were some dominating performances for these two squads in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl and the good news for collectors who might not know is that a number of those stars now set to chase gridiron history already appear on fully licensed football cards thanks to card companies' deals with prep spotlight games such as the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Under Armour All-America Game.

In the case of the Bulldogs and their game-winning star Sony Michel -- as well as his fellow bruiser RB Nick Chubb and QB Jake Fromm -- they can all be found on Army cards from Leaf Trading Cards. Michel's first of more than 40 cards was made back in 2011 and nearly all of the are autographed. Chubb has around 30 cards from 2014 and beyond, while Fromm has more than both of them with nearly 50 signed. His are all from this year's set -- and this trio is likely not alone for Bulldog cameos as there have been plenty of cards made for the event in past years (some wax is still findable -- there's even a Vault release on the way).

The Crimson Tide guys? There's a lot more mystery there ...

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With Leonard Fournette out due to injury, Deshaun Watson on a bye week and Kareem Hunt on Thursday night, yesterday's NFL action was a stage primed for a new rookie arrival or two.

And three did.

Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones put up his best game of the season on Sunday with 17 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown while the spotlight was on QB Brett Hundley playing in place of Aaron Rodgers. Jones also caught three passes for seven yards. This fifth-rounder out of UTEP actually had a 125-yard game in Week 5 and a score in that game, too, but that was all lost in the glow of Rodgers' fourth-quarter comeback win-sealing TD against the Cowboys.

Jones appears on fewer than 100 different football cards so far in 2017 releases and has a modest number of autographs that are only found in Absolute, Certified Cuts, Leaf Draft, Gold Standard and Unparalleled. That sounds like a lot, but in reality it's nine cards in Unparalleled and no more than five (and mostly three) in others. That's not a lot when he's in the spotlight. (Update: He's also in Prizm, which arrives this week.)

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: Fanatics Authentic Alabama Crimson Tide football block (50 cards)
Price: $14.95 (via JCPenney.com)

What's inside one of these? Keep reading for a rundown and gallery.

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