Peyton Manning mentioned plenty of legends during his 11-minute retirement speech Monday in Denver, but only one name mentioned had as much gravitas as Manning's place in the game today.

That name was Johnny Unitas and Manning recalled meeting the Hall of Famer and Colts icon during his rookie season after a 38-31 loss back on Nov. 29, 1998.

"It was the first time that the Colts had returned to Baltimore since they had moved back in 1984," Manning remembered. "We didn’t exactly get a warm reception that day. The fans were screaming at me, and I kept thinking, 'Hey, I was only 8-years-old then, get off of my back.'

"I had met him once before, but when the game was over I had the chance to shake Johnny Unitas’ hand. He told me, 'Peyton, you stay at it. I’m pulling for you.' Well, I have stayed at it. I’ve stayed at it for 18 years and I hope that old No. 19 is up there with his flat top and maybe his black high-tops on and I hope he knows that I have stayed at it and maybe he’s even a little proud of me.

"There is just something about 18 years. Eighteen is a good number, and today I retire from pro football."

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It was his last rodeo after all.

Peyton Manning's 18-year NFL career that includes five MVP awards, two Super Bowl rings and more touchdowns and passing yards than any other quarterback in history comes to an end on Monday in Denver when he's expected to announce his retirement.

Manning is among the most-available and most-collectable quarterbacks in the history of the game -- he's also one of the most-valuable ones, too. Rather than rehash his Rookie Cards or priciest gems (there are plenty of both), here are seven basic ways to collect the legendary quarterback beloved in Indianapolis, admired in Denver and made "Omaha" a bit more famous.

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The football season is over, but the high-end brands for NFL collectors are still to come and part of that premium wave arrived this week with 2015 Panini Black Gold.

Black Gold is an acetate-, metal-, memorabilia- and autograph-loaded brand that packs 10 cards per box.

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Maybe it's just the National Pizza Day buzz at work here -- or maybe some of those Papa John's commercials during NFL games -- but Buzz has to wonder what kind of demand there might be for a Peyton Manning & John Schnatter dual autograph card.

Maybe it's just a cheesy idea, but Buzz knows it wouldn't sell for pocket change if we found Manning and the world's most-famous pizza-selling football fan on a National Treasures card from Panini America. Buzz has imagined it above. Heck, maybe he'd be game for some kind of Ball State (where he went to school) or a Louisville college card, too? (The Cardinals play at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.)

It would be a fun, memorable and valuable football card if it became a reality -- one that might dwarf any other Manning autograph out there, too, simply because it's something unique. Maybe J.J. Watt, Joe Montana and other NFL players who have had pizza ties could get in on the action, too?

Are you hungry for a card like this? Tell us here or on Twitter.

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy football cards on BlowoutCards.com.

It's pretty obvious who won and who lost after Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night without a glance at the scoreboard that read Broncos 24, Panthers 10.

The storybook finish happened for one, an emergence for another. And for the losing team we saw the best and the worst possibilities -- for guys who have plenty of good and now bad potential on cardboard. Here's a rundown ...

Von Miller -- Not long ago he was a guy coming off a suspension and an ACL tear, but on Sunday night the Broncos LB became one of a handful of defensive stars named the Super Bowl MVP. He recorded six tackles, two forced fumbles and two sacks for a loss of 27 yards. His strip of Cam Newton in the fourth quarter set up the final score of the game. Miller's Rookie Cards can be found in 2011 boxes and he's undoubtedly seen an uptick in interest simply because defensive stars are often overlooked. Will it last? Probably not, but he'll always have the MVP award in the record book. It will help, though, if he remains in Denver.

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One of the biggest football auctions of the year is set for Friday and Saturday as Hunt Auctions continues its traditional Super Bowl sale.

The Super Bowl 50 Live Auction will be at the Moscone Center in San Francisco with more than 900 lots including modern-day game-dated memorabilia like the J.J. Watt Houston Texans gamer above -- a jersey with a hefty price already in early bidding -- and pieces from football's early years. too.

Because of its high profile as part of the NFL Experience show, prices can be pretty strong once the auctions close.

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Guess we can cross this cardboard off the possibilities list if Super Bowl 50 is, indeed, Peyton Manning's last rodeo. 

Buzz really was hoping for there to somehow be a Peyton Omaha rodeo card in the future. (Yep, there were Professional Bull Rider cards made back in 2009 -- autographs, memorabilia and everything.)

The real point here? It's OK to have some fun with collecting.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Super Bowl 50 is less than two weeks away, but the commemorative cardboard is already here.

Topps revealed on Monday a pair of Super Bowl 50 team sets -- 5-by-7 jumbo cards for each team that will be limited to just 50 serial-numbered copies per set.

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When Tom Brady takes the field against Peyton Manning today, the discussion about who's the best will present itself for the umpteenth time.

Who's No. 1? It's a good argument on the field. It depends what you prefer -- stats or rings. On cardboard, both are big, though Brady is definitely a pricier autograph simply because he doesn't sign as much. Manning's availability hurts values but helps collections. (Just like on the field, it's a good debate of who's better hobby-wise.)

Rewind the clock back 16 years, though, and it was obvious who the star was between these two. Manning had been the No. 1 overall pick a couple years before and walked into the NFL a star on cardboard after his time at Tennessee. And Brady? He wasn't even in the discussions. He was just this guy from Michigan. >>>>>

The former Wolverine was so off-the-radar that it took a few years for this image to become Internet fodder. Brady's cards took a bit of time to take off, too, but once he took over as the Patriots' starter in 2001, NFL history was changed -- just like his cardboard.

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What: 2016 Upper Deck All-time Greats Master Collection trading cards
Arrives: This week
Box basics: 58 cards and one mystery redemption per box

What's buzz-worthy: Take the biggest names in the sports world (and the Upper Deck stable of signers) and take it all high-end. How high-end? The cost per box to dealers -- not the price to the public -- is north of $10,000. What does it include? Among the inclusions in each box are an autographed acrylic box-topper, a 25-card autographed base set, a 30-card acetate Master Collection Puzzle set, one Michael Jordan Diamond card, one autographed Masterful Paintings card, one dual auto or dual cut auto card and one mystery redemption.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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We're down to four NFL teams and we get a marquee matchup in the AFC Championship Game between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Plenty has and will be said about that one -- and we have a likely league MVP playing in the NFC title game in Cam Newton -- but we simply have a different question here.

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Admit it, you may have overdone things when it comes to buying football cards this year -- maybe past years, too -- and have a big ol' stash of cards you don't know what to do with. What do you keep? What do you jettison? That's where having a collecting focus comes in. If you haven't overdone it on wax, then maybe having a focus for your single-card buys is a need. (That's one even Buzz has struggled with over decades of collecting.)

One potential niche that seems prevalent this year in NFL and college sets? Cards showing the kids of former NFL players who have now made their way onto cardboard.

They seem to be everywhere this year. Second-generation players aren't anything new, of course, but they can be a fun way to revisit the past while also collecting the present. Buzz started his collecting days in the 1980s and, back then, a Joe Montana autograph wasn't an easy find -- plus, his handwriting didn't justify the high cost on a small budget. Fast-forward to 2015 and Nick Montana has cardboard. He won't be an NFL star -- he wasn't really even that good in college -- and the handwriting also isn't great, but he's got a certified autograph card.

Buzz wanted it, Buzz got it. Can't say the same thing for a Joe autograph, though, even all these years later.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday when they take on the Cleveland Browns and that team's likely QB is our pick for a prime player to watch on Sunday. He's "Johnny Football," Johnny Manziel, who completed 15 of 33 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 loss on Nov. 5.

Could a decent game against an AFC rival be enough to spark interest -- or at least some optimistic hype -- in a guy who was an unquestioned top rookie on cardboard last year? And what about a good game? Buzz thinks that could re-ignite some serious interest.

Keep reading for four more guys to watch on Sunday.

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The newest wave of Pop! Football figures arrives in December from Funko with one of the NFL's biggest defensive stars sporting one of the littlest iconic details.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt comes with a bloodied and bandaged nose.

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