Gint-A-Cuffs III

GAC Prize Winner Announced

2011-11-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

After months of dormancy and checking with the bean counters, I'm ready to announce the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs III.

But first, feast your eyes on the prize. A hobby box of Topps 2011 Allen & Ginter's World Champions cards. Suitable for ages 6 +. This prize is brought to you by the good folks at Topps. My thanks to them.

And the winner is, Chris, from the Nachos Grande blog.

Thanks to all that have participated in this year's festivities.

Chris, your winnings will be out the door shortly. Thanks for your patience.

People, bribe me more next year. This year was pathetic.

Last Call

2011-08-31T22:44:00.000-04:00

I have no earthly clue where this came from. Some website about mythical sea creatures. But it is better than giant crayfish.

It has been rather quiet on the Gint-A-Cuffs front. Only one recent query.

Rod, from Padrographs asked: I have a Chuck Woolery Card, with a woman and a bunch of players, do they count as male figures? Also do I get points for a damaged card?

The Commissioner privately answered: A card with Chuck Woolery, a card with a female, and any card with any other male. So yes, players would count. The damaged card counts. Topps's inability for quality quality control should not hurt you in the points.

The time draws nigh when the participants' final scores need to be posted. That would at 11:59pm this evening, the end of August. Eastern Time. Read the rules.

After the scores have been submitted the results will be verified and a winner announced shortly. Which means when I feel like it. Probably around Labor Day. If you're lucky.

Thanks for playing and thanks to our sponsors, Topps and Community Gum.

Q&A - Gigantic Lobster edition

2011-08-08T17:09:00.002-04:00

Not really a Kraken. More like a giant crayfish. Nasty nonetheless.

I've really fallen off my duty chair as Commissioner of Gint-A-Cuffs. Sorry. I can only blame the lack of bribes for that.

Kemp Kershaw asked last month: An N43 of Mark Teixeira: 5 points, or 2.5 points since he's a Yankee? Sorry if I'm missing something, but the rules only state: "+5 N43 Boxloader"

The Commissioner answers: Yes, 2.5 points. Sometimes it isn't good to be a Yankee.

Again, a shout-out to Topps for their sponsorship of Gint-A-Cuffs III.

Spend the money quickly, Mr. Bond.

2011-08-02T12:41:00.000-04:00

Sure, it is a stretch for the Kraken images. Give me a break.

New leader on the leader board. I've recently returned from a whirlwind vacation to Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Because I was on vacation, I didn't log in to a computer. Tonight I'll look at whatever scoring questions might have come up and spit out some answers.

Remember, you've got just under a month left to score your boxes.

Tuesday Answers

2011-07-27T01:00:00.002-04:00

I'm tired. Things have been busy at the Commissioner's house. My wife's CPAP (anti sleep-apnea / pro breathing machine) went kaput on Saturday evening. She's getting a new one Wednesday morning. She hasn't been sleeping well. Hence, I haven't been sleeping well. Then today my son called me complaining of internal pains. A call to the doctor's office ended up with, "Go to the ER." We did. Bottom line, he's fine. We're trying to head out to Chicago in the morning for a short family vacation. I've been busy. But not too busy to answer a question or two.

Fan of Reds patiently asked: What about a Cabinet card that features a favorite player?

The Commissioner answers: Good question. I'm sorry that I didn't answer sooner. I'm going to rule that the bonuses apply to Cabinet cards as they do to base cards.

+1 Your Favorite Team base card
+4 Your Favorite Player base card
+2 Other Favorite Player list base card

Fan of Reds also asked: Are the Bazooka minis considered hits?

The Commissioner answers: I was going to say no, but I think I'll say yes on this. FP/FT modifiers apply, as do the Yankees' deductions as stated in the MULTIPLIERS FOR HITS section of the rules.

I'm going to bed. I'll try to update the Leaders Scoreboard in the morning. No promises.

Questions Asked And Answered - Sunday Edition

2011-07-24T08:00:00.005-04:00

You might be getting tired of these images of giant octopodes. Deal with it. Shouldn't you be figuring out your card points? Now on to recent questions and comments.

Beardy commented: You know those Fortunes for the Taking and Flocculence minis are like 1 per case or two, right?

The Commissioner commented back: No, I didn't. I haven't seen any odds from Topps on them. I've seen forum boards that talk about their scarcity, but I've given my scoring ruling. They'll stay at the points I gave them.

Hiflew asked: Are the favorite player cards only applicable to base cards or do you get the bonus for Hometown Heroes as well?

The Commissioner answers: Favorite Player bonuses apply to any card they appear on. Hometown Heroes, Flocculence, Relics, Autos, and Minis to name a few.

Commishbob commented: I was wondering that as well but one more question disqualifies me I think.

The Real Commissioner commented back: Yep, you're probably right on that one.

The Leader Board page is up and running. Two participants have submitted their final score. Please do not be disheartened if your score does not match or exceed theirs. It isn't about winning. It is about sharing in the card set that is Allen & Ginter. Phooey. It is about winning and don't forget that the prize is a 2011 A&G Hobby Box supplied by the good people at Topps.

Remember, all scoring is subject to audit and correction.

And the first questions roll in

2011-07-21T14:09:00.002-04:00

I've gotten a few questions, so I figured I'd answer them.

Colbey asked: Quick question o sovereign ruler of the rules. Do I add +2 points for base cards I pull of other people's favorite players?

The Commissioner answers: First, I'm not the sovereign ruler of the rules. That title is too long to type out. I'm just the Commissioner. Second, yes. Per the rules: "+2 Other Favorite Player list base card." Now, for a bit of clarification. Jon Lester has been chosen as a Favorite Player by two participants. If you pull a Jon Lester card, you only get the higher of the credit for the card. It is either your FP or it is another participant's FP. Not both.

Colbey asked in a private email: I think I finally have my boxed scored. Just posted the results on my blog. I went to the Leader Board to post my score, but the comments have been disabled (?). Is this the case or am I missing something on how to post my score?

The Commissioner answers publicly: When I modified the Leader Board page last night either I disabled the comments or they were never turned on. It is now fixed. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Charlie asked in a private email: Is it too late to sign up for Gint-A-Cuffs? I've been on vacation and haven't even ordered a box yet, but am going to when I get back. Let me know - thanks!

The Commissioner answers publicly: Because I'm a generous Commissioner I will allow this late entry. But no more. Welcome to Gint-A-Cuffs.

I'm still pondering those wacky beard cards and those another annoying cards. Don't fear. I asked the online Magic 8 Ball if those points would be figured out soon and the reply was: Signs point to yes.

UPDATE - I see that Colbey has scored his box. He followed the rules. He kept track of the pack scores in a spreadsheet, showed the hits on his blog. What I'd like to see, though, is a pack by pack showing of the results, a la Night Owl from last year. The format doesn't have to be exactly like the Night Owl's, but similar is good. Now, Colbey, I'm not scolding you, just guiding you. Each blogger will have their own voice on their blog, how they like to comment on the cards, but I do need to see all scoring cards, preferably with the scores attached. It makes it much easier to go over 24 participants' blogs.

More Cards

2011-07-21T08:37:00.001-04:00

It seems that I have overlooked a few inserts/subsets. I do not know the odds on these cards and it will take a bit of time to assess their value. I hope to have a ruling by lunchtime today.

The sets I'm now aware of are:

Fabulous Face Floccuence set
Fortunes for the Taking
Carnival Cuts

Darn Kraken.

The Kraken Has Been Released

2011-07-21T01:36:00.000-04:00

The scoring rules are out. Start ripping those packs, if you haven't already. And post your scoring cards.

To help in this project, Spankee has created The A&G Boxbreak Tool. I hope that it useful.

I'm sure that there will be some questions on the scoring. Ask and I'll answer the best that I can. Remember, only the Commissioner's answers are valid. Other participants can guide you, but don't be led astray by them.

Almost There

2011-07-19T16:08:00.000-04:00

The scoring rules are almost done. Almost. I'm trying to make sure that the rules do not contradict themselves and somehow make sense.

The last day to join Gint-A-Cuffs will be Wednesday, July 20th at 11:59pm, Eastern. I live in the east. Eastern times will be used.

Thank you for your patience.

The Day After

2011-07-14T23:55:00.009-04:00

In honor of Bastille Day, I'm using an image that I lifted from scifi-movies.com. It is now the day after Topps 2011 Allen & Ginter has hit the streets. Boxes are in hand and several Cuffites have started to post them. That's fine. Don't let me hold you back.

Since there are several new participants this year, I'll take a moment to give an overview of how this train wreck happens. But instead of me yammering on and on and on, I'll let the originator of Gint-A-Cuffs do that for me. Beardy created this monster in 2009. Here's how he described it in a comment on Colbey's blog:

Basically, there is an arbitrary list of rules created by the commish. Certain cards are worth more points. Usually, they are either somewhat rare, or at least tougher to pull than a base card. Each participant gets awarded points for pulling a card of their favorite team, and for pulling a card of their favorite player, or a favorite player of any participant. Both favorite player and favorite team must be selected prior to the start of the competition. You can also lose points for pulling cards of any player on a list that is predetermined by the commish prior to the start of play. Scores are tabulated by pack, and then added up at the end to come up with your grand total. Whomever scores the highest, is the champion. It was invented by me in 2009 and the reins were handed over to Mark's Ephemera last year. He is the only Commish in the history of Gint-A-Cuffs, and his rulings are not to be taken lightly.

Beardy is right. The Commissioner's rulings are not to be taken lightly.

This year I've decided to wait a week or so to release the scoring rules. The last few years the scoring rules were released before it was really known what cards were in the set. Sure, there will probably be something that the R&D department at the Gint-A-Cuffs headquarters hasn't foreseen, but we do our best.

So, I'll try to answer some questions that you might have.

Q: When does this start? And when does it end?
A: Gee, I don't know. I hope to have the scoring rules completed in just a few days. The scoring rules will be posted on the 2011 Rules page. The 2010 Rules will go away. The contest will end in about a month. End of August. If there is need, it might end around Labor Day.

Q: Can I open my box? Can I start busting packs? Can I post them on my blog?
A: Yes. Yes. Yes. They're your cards. Open them and enjoy. Share them with the rest of the world.

Q: If I post them, is there a format that I should follow?
A: A few comments here. You'll have to post at least the point scoring cards on your blog. You can post them now and after the scoring rules have been revealed you can just copy and paste with the card points. As far as how to post, I'm a fan of the manner that Night Owl uses. Here's one of his recent posts. Clean and clear. With just a touch of smarm. Smarm is not required. Remember, this is a family contest, so please, no wagering and keep the potty mouths closed. Also, please tag or label your Gint-A-Cuffs posts with GAC3.

Q: I'm going to have a lot of questions. Can I have your cell phone number so I can call you anytime to get a scoring ruling?
A: Nope. I'm sure that there will be questions. And as Commissioner I'll answer them as quickly as I can. Sometimes research needs to be done. Sometimes I just won't be available. The last few days of July I'll be on vacation with the family, attending a wedding in the western suburbs of Chicago. Although I will have access to comments on this blog, I'm not going to be hanging around the computer for extended periods of time.

Q: You've joked before about accepting bribes. Were you being serious?
A: Of course not. Or maybe I was. No.

Q: Community Gum said that they have boxes available and that they've lifted the one box per participant rule. What's up with that?
A: I haven't spoken with Jon and Andy, but I'm guessing that they didn't sell out their case and are sharing the excess with anyone that wants in. Contact them for details. And I'd like to take the opportunity to thank them again for making the boxes available and being our Dealer Sponsor.

Q: Wait, I've got two or three boxes. Why can't I just post all the good scoring cards on my blog, get a fantastic score and walk away with the prize from Topps?
A: Because you are all good people and this contest is based on trust and decency. Deal with it. But you don't get to post a box score then get a new box to try to beat it. The first one you break and show is the one you're stuck with.

Q: How do I know if I'm doing things right?
A: You probably don't. I don't either. Go with it. This is supposed to be fun.

Okay, I finished writing this at just after midnight. It is now officially July 15th, which makes the whole Bastille Day thing moot. I'm just going to back date post this thing and be done with it.

Help Needed

2011-07-13T13:29:00.000-04:00

Okay, Cuffites, the cards have hit the streets. Maybe you've already picked up your box from your local card shop or the drivers at UPS have been working overtime and you've already got your box from Community Gum.

I would like some kind soul to take the checklist that is included in their hobby box and put up some hi-res scans.

If you could also scan the pull odds, probably from the side of the box, that would be great.

I hope to have the scoring rules out very shortly.

Dealer Sponsor Announced

2011-06-28T22:38:00.001-04:00

Community Gum has dipped into the online retail pool. Over the past few weeks I've been working with Jon and Andy to get them to be the card dealer sponsor for Gint-A-Cuffs III. Okay, they approached me, letting me know that they'd like to be the card dealer sponsor. We talked a bit and they had to line some things up before announcing their dealer presence. But I did work with them. Really. Ask Jon. Don't ask Andy.

They've agreed to set aside one case of 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter for Gint-A-Cuffs participants. Twelve boxes. Each box for GAC will be priced at $81.99 with a slashed shipping price of $5.01. That comes out to $87.00 delivered for those of you who are slightly math challenged. But, if you're math challenged you probably shouldn't be involved in GAC. Community Gum will have to charge and collect Illinois sales tax for Illinois residents. (The Commissioner did not make this clear. Forgiveness is asked for.) Please check with Jon and Andy for all of the details. You'll be dealing with them, not the Commissioner nor GAC. But you figured that out, didn't you?

This is a first come, first served deal open only to the GAC participants. One box per participant. Community Gum wants to make sure that they can give back to the card bloggers, so let's be civil about this.

Thank you, Community Gum, for your generosity and all of us here at Gint-A-Cuffs wish you the greatest success in this venture.

Sign Ups Are Now Open

2011-06-24T15:49:00.000-04:00

It is about three weeks away until 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter hit the street.

I'm still in the process of landing a card dealer to get some decent prices on hobby boxes of A&G. They're working out some details on their end. As soon as I know I'll let you all know how to get them.

So, how to sign up? Leave a comment with your name, blog address, favorite player (in the set), and favorite baseball team.

How will these favorites get you points this year? I have no idea.

Do you believe me? More importantly, do you trust me? And even more important than that, can you bribe me?*

Yes to all three.

The point scoring is being configured at this time. Final scoring system will not be released until the cards have been in the wild for one week after official release date. This will cause less headaches for me.

So, start leaving your comments to get in on all the fun that is Gint-A-Cuffs III, Release the Kraken.

* Note to participants: Bribery is not required to win. But it is fun for the commissioner.**

** Note to participants: The bribery bit is a joke. I run a square shop. Here's a link to my wantlists.

GAC Main Sponsor On Board

2011-06-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

They're back and have agreed to provide the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs III with a hobby box of 2011 A&G. A big thanks goes out to Mr. Clay Luraschi for assisting in this.

Now, go and visit Topps. Buy stuff.

I'm working on getting a discounted price on this year's product from some online dealers. Nothing is firm, yet, but we hope to pass the savings on to you.

Just Around The Corner

2011-06-02T23:27:00.003-04:00

Much more info can be found at the official Topps information page or at the Sports Card Radio information page.

We Need A New Banner

2011-02-01T21:25:00.001-05:00

A new month and a new post.

Looking for a new banner for Gint-A-Cuffs III.

I'd like the elements to include:

The Old Planter
The phrase: Gint-A-Cuffs III
The phrase: Release the Kraken
something in the 938 pixels wide range

I guess there should be some sort of deadline. How about the end of April 2011? Sure, we'll go with that.

There is no tangible prize for this.

From the entries I receive, I'll put them up and we can have a poll or something. The winner will have their entry posted as the official GACIII header.

If you want to make smaller banners or widgets/icons whatever you kids call them these days, please do so.

Thanks,
Mark
the Commissioner

2011 Gint-A-Cuffs?

2011-01-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

I know that it is early in the year and season, but my thoughts are moving towards the summer when I expect that Topps will release the next edition of Allen & Ginter.

I'll volunteer to be the commissioner once again, but this time things will be a bit different.

The rules and scoring system won't be finalized until at least a week after the product has hit the streets.

I'm toying with the idea of limiting the number of participants. Last year we had several participants sign up, but then life or whatever else got in the way and they didn't participate. I'd like an active bunch this year.

I'm also going to try to get sponsors to sign up earlier. I'd like to get a dealer to sponsor again, hopefully giving discounts to the participants. If any dealers want to sponsor, either with a discount or prizes, please contact me at : mark dot aubrey at gmail dot com

If you are handy with the graphics tools and want to design the upcoming banner, toss me a line. Nothing personal Greg, but let's give others a chance.

I look forward to the upcoming mayhem. I hope you do, as well.

Win from the Winnings

2010-09-17T11:09:00.004-04:00

Brian, the winner of the Gint-A-Cuffs II fiasco, wants to share some of his Grand Prize. He won a hobby box of 2010 A&G, courtesy of Topps. He'll be doing a giveaway for those involved in the Old Planter Boogaloo. I'm just a conveyor of information. Please visit Brian's blog, Play At The Plate, for more info.

Here's Brian's request of me...

Mark, I got the box today.

Can you do a post on the gint-a-cuffs site that announces I'm doing a giveaway related to the box?

I'm going to let everyone that was involved in Gint-A-Cuffs 2 pick a team and I'm giving away the hits from the box. I'll get a post scheduled to go up Saturday morning.

Thanks again for all the hard work.

Brian

Little does he know that there isn't that much hard work at all. I roughed up some scoring rules, let the participants clamor about what wasn't fair, made them do all the scoring and Bazinga!, I'm done. But visit his site and sign up soon.

UPDATE: Brian just informed me that his post is scheduled for Saturday morning at 8. He lives in the great state of Texas, so you figure out which time zone that is and click accordingly.

Official GAC Winners Announced

2010-09-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

We have a (real) winner.

At this time, officially, I'm officially declaring that Brian from the Play at the Plate blog as the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs II.

Brian raised a scoring question with me. After careful examination, I corrected his scoring. That helped him jump in front of Chrstopher, of the Nachos Grande blog.

Beardy of The Mojo Beard blog, remains in third place.

Here are the final tallies:

268.7 - Play at the Plate
259.5 - Nachos Grande
257.0 - Beardy

It was an interesting contest, one that brought me many headaches. I hope that you had fun.

Ladies and Gents, thank you all for participating in Gint-A-Cuffs. We'll see what next year brings.

Winners, your prizes will be headed out on Saturday.

Sorry that I couldn't rig up any heralding trumpet sounds. Here's the closest I could get.

Unofficial Winners Announced - Unofficially

2010-08-24T16:30:00.002-04:00

Folks, it looks like we have some winners. Since the final scores are a bit tight, I'm going to have to look at them with a finer tooth comb.

But, at this time, unofficially, I'm declaring (unofficially, of course) that Christopher, of the wonderfully rustic Nachos Grande blog, the unofficial winner of Gint-A-Cuffs II.

Brian from the Play at the Plate blog just edges out Beardy of The Mojo Beard blog, who tried everything in his power (including a corked box of 25 packs AND an unsuccessful attempt at bribing the commissioner) to win.

259.5 - Nachos Grande
257.1 - Play at the Plate
257.0 - Beardy

While I verify the scores, there is still time to try and bribe me.

And now, to do right by our sponsors...

Topps donated a hobby box of 2010 A&G for our first place winner. Strat-O-Matic provided two copies of their computer (read: Windows) Baseball simulation game for our second and third place winners. I'd also like to thank Blowout Cards for giving a discount on several cases of cards to the participants.

And a big thank you to all those that participated in this little thing that we call Gint-A-Cuffs.

So, don't hold your breath, but wait for an official winners post.

The Clock Ticks

2010-08-18T23:41:00.002-04:00

It is almost time to post your final scans and scores. Or scones. I'm not picky any more.

In the light of day I'll be updating the leader board. No, you won't find Tiger on there.

A bit of spot checking and then the winners will be announced soon enough.

Updates

2010-08-12T15:30:00.001-04:00

So, you know how you drift away from a friend. Nothing really terrible happened between you, but you just sort of go in different directions? You know you should give them a call. Reestablish your friendship. But you feel guilty. For not being the friend you should be. So you avoid them. You're ashamed. You don't go the pub they go to, because you're embarrassed. For whatever reason.

That's been me with Gint-A-Cuffs these last few weeks. No, it is not fair to the participants, but I've drifted away, knowing that I need to clarify a few rules, update the leader board, stuff like that. I've been embarrassed that I haven't given it the attention that it deserves. I made a commitment to be your commissioner and I need to do it.

Life has gotten busier, and that hasn't helped, but it is not an excuse. So, I'll ask for forgiveness and move on. I hope you understand. Thank you.

First up... I'm extending the final date to post your breaks and scores. Final date will be on Wednesday, August 18th, 11:59pm. Eastern. Yes, just before Thursday starts. I'm doing this because the original ship date for the product got pushed back a few days.

Now on to the scoring parts...

One of the original scoring rules was:

+2 "Crack the Code" player card (excludes "Crack the Code" promo cards)

It is my understanding that there aren't any of the "Crack the Code" player cards in the set. I'm replacing that rule to now be:

+2 "Celestial Stars" player card

Yeah, I know. I've heard that they are super short printed, only 1 card per trailer truck or something like that. They are +2. That's it. Final answer.

Now, to address the Short Print Relic Cards... Originally I had listed them as:

+12 Short Printed Relic (#301-350 ) (Hit Card - divide by 2 if Yankee)

This was based on the assumption that Topps was going to follow some sort of logic in their numbering scheme.

I'm replacing that rule to be:

+12 Relic Cards (#AGR-xxx) (Hit Card - divide by 2 if Yankee)

Next year, we I plan to start the Cuffs after the cards have been on the market for a week or so, so that I have a basic idea of what is actually inside the wrappers. Less headaches for me, more fun for you.

Let's see. I think that the only other thing I have looming over my head is that darned red auto that was loose. I'm going to go with a ruling of:

+20 any red auto that is not in a rip card

So there. No, I don't remember who will benefit from that. I haven't invested too much time in looking at who ripped what, for I don't want any personal bias to influence my decisions.

I hope to be updating the leader board later this evening.

Again, I thank you for your patience.

Commissioner Speaks, my supervisor left edition

2010-07-30T17:14:00.003-04:00

So, my supervisor left the company which we work for. Which I work for. He doesn't work here anymore. Which means I move up on the seniority ladder, but my new supervisor is on a lower rung than my old supervisor. Bottom line? I'm working a lot more than I used to. Which isn't saying much, but I've got a lot more on my plate. Hence, the lack of recent posts.

I've been asked about some rulings. I won't get all fancy, but I'll take a stab at them.

But first note that the Leader Board page is up. Scores have not been verified, nor are all scores posted.

Teddy, of the fine Mack's Mets blog, has bowed out of the competition. Something about only getting a pogo stick champ autograph. And that he's only a part time writer for Mack's Met's and didn't have a blog platform to post his hits on. Fair enough. I'm ruling that he is exempt from the competition but that his Favorite Player will stay on.

Slangon asked about Saltiest Sailors and then answered his own question. I like guys with initiative. He also asked about Autograph Redemption cards. They score the same way as an Auto card.

Beardy asked me to "please clarify the SP relic (301-350) scoring". I'll be thinking about that as I hopefully eat some chicken fingers from Craven Wings this evening. It needs resolution, I agree. I just haven't found the right words since my secretary left me.

I also need to get a score up on the Celestial Star cards. And a final decision about the non-rip red auto card. I know. Leave me alone.

If you have finished your rip and have posted the final score, please let me know so I can add it to the Leader Board. Remember, a hobby box of 2010 A&G from Topps for the winner and a PC version of Strat-O-Matic Baseball for the second and third place boxes. Just showing a little love for our sponsors.

My Secretary quit

2010-07-29T16:00:00.003-04:00

She was nagging me for days to post a response. I told her I'd get around to it when I was good and ready. She quit.
Then the custodian started to nag me. Sheesh.

I promised him that I'd put something up this evening.

I haven't abandoned Gint-A-Cuffs. Really.

The Commission Speaks - Birmingham Edition

2010-07-16T00:20:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post earlier this week, but I was getting ready to head out of town for a few days. Now that I'm actually out of town, I'm carving out a few moments to make some rulings.

I'm in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm attending the 13th Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference. Tonight was the first time I met a Negro League ball player. Ray Haggins. He played for the Memphis Red Sox in the early 1959s. A very nice gentleman, generous with his stories.

Tomorrow is a day full of lectures, a tour of Rickwood Field, then a Birmingham Barons / West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx game. Saturday will be more lectures and then a five hour drive home.

I'll be posting pictures and stories on my card blog (What? You think that this is all I do?) after I scan cards and link photos.

On to the issues at hand...

Slangon asks:

Wait a minute, I've been subtracting 1 point for all the Yankee This Day in History cards that I've been pulling. Should I have not been doing that?

And the Commissioner replies: Yes, the This Day in History cards that depict a Yankee should be (given the penalty of) -1. The Yankees are an abomination to the Gint-A-Cuffs gods.

Clarification: TDIH = +1. If Yankee, then subtract 1. A TDIH card should either +1 or 0. NOT a -1

Community Gum asks: I have a Negro League auto. Would that be a +2 or a multiplier (a la Favorite player list)?

The Commissioner replies: Assuming that this is a mini framed auto, then it would be +2 for a Negro League Player and then +15 for the auto. +17 total.

Everyone and their brother is asking about the contents of the Rip Cards.
All cards pulled from a Rip card will be +10.
If the card is Wood it will be an additional +5.
If the card is an autograph (any color) it will be an additional +5.
If the card is a Yankee, then divide by 2. This is considered a hit.
Example: If you pull a Jeter card from a Rip card and it is a red auto, then it would score as: +10 as pulled, +5 for the auto. It now sits at 15. Divide by 2 for him being a Yankee. That card is now scored as +7.5, or 8 if you are into rounding. I'm into rounding.

UPDATE: I'll add more to the FP / FT / YOUR FP thing later. Don't make this harder than it is. You know what to do.

Several participants have asked about the Saltiest Sailor cards.
Saltiest Sailor cards shall be scored at +7, one for each of the seas.

I'm sure that I've not satisfied everyone with my rulings. I'm not making rulings to make friends. I don't know what cards you've pulled, but I can make some guesses. If this were easy, they'd be paying me a lot more. I'm tired and I hope that my next set of rulings will be done in a less tired state of mind.

Thank you for your willingness to bend to my whims. Next year might be better. I hope.

The Commissioner Speaks, part deux

2010-07-09T15:03:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make any rulings last evening, but I was so devastated by LeBron's announcement that I immediately shut off all the electricity in the house and turned off my cell phone. I did not want to hear or see anything else about it. Today is a new day and I have a clearer head. Let's get it on...

Beard wrote: This Day In History cards are one-per-pack. Still want to make them worth +1?

The Commissioner replies: Yep. Otherwise how would someone like Night Owl get any points. Yes, it does seem senseless, but the cost to go back and review and redo everyone's scores would be monumental. +1 on This Day In History. Plus or minus modifiers.

Beardy also wrote: Don't forget the "Saltiest Sailors" cards either.

The Commissioner replies: Forget about them? Never knew about them. I'm holding off judgment on the Saltiest Sailors cards until I make a ruling on the contents of the Rip Cards. Hold on there, bucko. Just wait.

Beardy (once again) wrote: Autographs are worth less than relic cards? That doesn't make sense, since they are a tougher pull.

The Commissioner replies: While putting the scoring rules together, I had intended to make the autographs at +15, but my copy and pasting skills were at a low (due to my biorhythms being all out of whack) and the 'tens' part of the 15 didn't get transferred. It has been corrected on the rules.

Any changes to the scoring rules will be posted in red for a week or so to let people know that there is a change.

Several folks asked about scoring for the Short Print relic/auto cards.

The Commissioner replies: Due to the lack of information about short printed auto and relic cards and the ensuing confusion I'm considering pulling any points for Short Printed relic and auto cards. As it stands now, there is only scoring for the Short Printed relic cards (301-350). None of this Marvin Miller shirttails stuff. I have not issued a final ruling on this debacle.

Beardy, the thorn in my side, asked: Why are N43's worth less than cabinet cards? They're a tougher pull.

The Commissioner replies: Because I used that part of the scoring from last years' Gint-A-Cuffs rules. I don't know what the pull ratio was last year. I really don't care. The points will stay as they are. If we get down to the final scores and there is a difference of 3 points due to the N43 vs. a Cabinet Card, then I guess I'll have egg on my face. I can live with that.

Cardsplitter asked: I got a Yankees boxloader/cabinet card. Some crap about them winning a World Series or something. So what does that cost me?

The Commissioner replies: The card described is a Cabinet Boxloader, NCBB6, of the Yankees. The Cabinet Boxloader card would be worth +8 points, but then you must divide by 2 because it is the Yankees. Cardsplitter would get +4 points for this card.

In other news, the grand prize arrived at my house yesterday. Topps has donated a hobby box of 2010 Allen and Ginter. It is in safe keeping.

In other (facetious) news, I'm a bit dismayed at the lack of bribes. Now, don't start up all at once. It will look disingenuous. Really. Don't. But I'd like to collect the Negro League players from the this year's base set.

Oh, I know that I need to rule on the Rip Card contents, Saltiest Sailors, Red Autos and probably some other stuff.

My Secretary

2010-07-08T11:08:00.003-04:00

tells me that I have many scoring requests and questions to answer. Bah. I'll get to them this evening.

And yes, I made an error on the Autographs vs Relics scoring. It was a cut and paste issue. Mea culpa.

Have no fear. It will be set right.

Also, please direct any and all questions about scoring to this blog, not to any email address.

Rest your pretty heads and dream of rip cards. And no, I still don't know what the mini-cards in those rip-cards score at. Yet. Hey, it doesn't matter, because they're in your dreams.

The Commissioner Speaks

2010-07-02T17:27:00.003-04:00

There have been some interesting questions posed already. I'll try and address them her and will integrate any necessary changes into the official scoring rules.

--David asked: If you rip the rip card, do you count the points for *both* cards? 'Cause, you know, if I get one, I'm ripping...

The Commissioner answers: Yes, you will get points for both cards. I don't yet know what the points for the mini card inside will be.

Kelly said: I've been looking on ebay and I saw some different inserts:
*Celestial Stars
*Creatures of Legend, Myth, and Joy

The Commissioner answers: I forgot about the Creatures cards. They will score at +15 Creatures of Legend, Myth and Joy 1:288

Beardy said: You also forgot to mention printing plates.

The Commissioner answers: No I didn't. You just couldn't see them. Look under Minis.

Cardsplitter asked: I got a Yankees boxloader/cabinet card. Some crap about them winning a World Series or something. So what does that cost me?

The Commissioner responds: I don't know. Exactly which cabinet card did you get? Can you show me a scan of the card, please?

stusigpi said: Guess I was left out ya filthy animals.

The Commissioner responds: Yes. If you can show me where you entered before the extended cut off date, I'll allow you in, but I can't find it. Sorry about that.

Kelly also asked: How are we scoring the "This Day in History" Cards, if at all?

The Commissioner answers: I don't know. I guess they should be scored. Let's go with +1 for any This Day in History card, plus or minus modifiers.

The Commissioner says: I messed up and listed Autographs twice, once under Minis and once under Hits. I've removed the Hits reference and we will only use the points under Minis.

The Commissioner responds: Good call.

Other questions that have come to me privately concern the point values for non-sport autographs. They are considered autos and will be given +5 points. I was also asked about autographs of Negro League players. They get +5 points for being an auto and +2 points for being Negro League players. Therefore a total of +7 points.

Official Scoring Is Officially Up

2010-07-01T12:00:00.003-04:00

Ladies and Gents, I have posted the Official Scoring Rules.

Thank you for your comments. I've added in scoring for Negro League players. I've added scoring for Nick Jacoby, last year's (recognized) A&G Code Cracker.

With regard to the statement that Chicago can stake claim to 3 of the 4 negative cards. Not quite. Milton Bradley is shown as a Mariner in this year's set. Yes, I know he used to be employed by the Cubs (I couldn't bring myself to write the word play). But not right now. The City of the Big Shoulders can stake claim to 2 of the 4 negative cards. See, I've appeased or ticked off both Northsiders and Southsiders.

No bonus points for any Strasburg. No one has asked for them, but I'm not feeding the hype.

Please remember to list each card and show scans of any scoring points.

Scott, of the Hand Collated blog, emailed me explaining that he is withdrawing from the Gint-A-Cuffs competition. I respect his decision and will probably call on him to help out with any tricky commissioner decisions that I can't resolve on my own.

Cards are Shipping!

2010-06-30T14:30:00.000-04:00

Semi Official Scoring

2010-06-29T23:06:00.003-04:00

Below are the proposed scoring rules. Please remember that you get points for ANY player on the Favorite Player list, even if they aren't your favorite. The official Favorite Players roster is available via the page links at the top of the blog.

I'll invite comments below. I had a good framework (last years' scoring) to go by, but I assembled this mess on my own. I may or may not make changes to it. When it is done, it will be moved to the 2010 Rules page. I'm sure that I'll be making rulings during the contest.

The ratios below (1:12 or 1:24) indicate the approximate odds per pack of finding any type of card per the Topps wrappers.

SEMI-OFFICIAL SCORING RULES

(still being tweaked)

Scoring will be based on the player/individual/place/etc named on the front of the card. If it is a card of Reyes sliding into home plate that is covered by one of the Molina boys and Reyes is named on the front, you only get points for Reyes.

Favorite Teams only apply to the MLB teams. The Keokuk Braves do not equal the Atlanta Braves.

BASE CARDS

0 base card
+1 Your Favorite Team base card

+4 Your Favorite Player base card
-1 Any Yankee base card

+1 For any base card of a Yankee on the Favorite Players list

+2 Other Favorite Player list base card

+2 Short Print base card (#301-350)

+2 "Crack the Code" player card (excludes "Crack the Code" promo cards)
-1 points if you pull base card of:

Carlos Zambrano (#91) (recent dugout actions)
Milton Bradley (#114) ("negativity" with the organization)
Johnny Damon (#197) (I didn't like his book)
A.J. Pierzynski (#198) (I cannot spell his surname correctly)

+1 points for pulling the base for:

Betelgeuse (#68) (Loved the movie)
Johannes Gutenberg (#129) ("To heck with Fixed Type")
Area 51 (#130) (Where all the cool kids play)
X-Rays (#185) (Röntgen getting some props)

Combine points if it qualifies for multiple categories. Example: Slangon pulls an Angel Pagan base card (#323), which is Short Printed. Angel is in a Mets uniform. How many points does Slangon get for pulling this card?

Short Print player (+2 ) from your Favorite Team (+1) = 3 points

MINI CARDS

-1 Any Yankees
+2 Sherlock Holmes (#110)

+1 Mini of player on your favorite team
+3 Mini of any player from Favorite Players list
+5 Mini of your favorite player

+2 A&G Ad Back Mini Parallel 1:5

+3 Black Bordered Mini Parallel 1:10

+3 Short Print Mini Parallel
1:13

+5 Framed Mini Autographs 1:40
+6 A&G Ad Back Short Print Mini Parallel 1:65
+8 Black Bordered Short Print Mini Parallel 1:130
+10 No Card Number Mini Parallel 1:140
+20 Bazooka Ad Back Mini Parallel 1:280
+40 Framed Mini Parallel Printing Plates 1:799
+60 Wood Mini Parallel 1:3,542
+1 points for pulling the mini of:
Betelgeuse (#68) (Loved the movie)
Johannes Gutenberg (#129) ("To heck with Fixed Type")
Area 51 (#130) (Where all the cool kids play)
X-Rays (#185) (Röntgen getting some props)

-1 points for pulling the mini of:

Carlos Zambrano (#91) (recent dugout actions)
Milton Bradley (#114) ("negativity" with the organization)
Johnny Damon (#197) (I didn't like his book)
A.J. Pierzynski (#198) (I cannot spell his surname correctly)

Combine points if it qualifies for multiple categories. Example:

Mini Any Favorite Player (+3 ) with A&G back (+2) = 5 points

OTHER INSERTS

+2 National Animals 1:8

+3 Lords of Olympus 1:12

+3 Monsters of the Mesozoic 1:12

+4 World's Greatest Wordsmiths 1:24

+4 Sailors of the Seven Seas 1:24

+2 Short Print 1:2

+3 Baseball Highlight Sketch Insert 1:10

+20 Rip Card 1:285

+25 Framed Cloth Cards 1:365 (silks, not relic / jersey / pants cards)
+100 Cut Signatures 1:110,000
+125 Book Cards 1:127,825
+175 Monsters of the Mesozoic Relic Redemption Card 1:174,000
+200 Framed DNA Relics 1:200,000

HITS

+8 Relic (Jersey / Pants / etc)
+12 Short Printed Relic (#301-350)

+15 Autograph

MULTIPLIERS FOR HITS
x1.2 If any of those pulls are of a player from your Favorite Team

x1.7 If any hits are of players on the Favorite Players list

x3 If it is your favorite player

Divide by 2 for all Yankee hits, excluding Favorite Players

BOX TOPPERS / LOADERS

+5 N43 Box Topper
+8 Cabinet Card Box Topper
+20 N43 Relics
+30 N43 Autographs
+50 N43 Autograph Relic

+10 N43 of player from Favorite Player list
+20 N43 of your Favorite Player

If your Favorite Player is a Yankee, you get full points for that player only. All other Yankees are worth points as noted.

If the Yankees are your Favorite Team, that is your problem and you must accept any and all penalties for all cards that are not of your favorite player.

More Info You Need To Know

2010-06-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

All of the cards at a discount that were allocated to Gint-A-Cuffs 2 from our sponsor at Blowout Cards have been sold off. I'd like to thank Chris at Blowout Cards for his willingness to sponsor Gint-A-Cuffs 2.

The official rules, when they are posted, will be accessible from the top of the page. Also, there is a page for the Favorite Players (and Favorite Teams, if you forget).

After the cards are released into the wild, I would ask that someone please send me a copy of the official checklist. There will be scoring addendum. Addenda? I'll be making some scoring tweaks after I know what's really in the product this year.

Commissioner's Rulings Start Now

2010-06-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

So, the product hasn't yet shipped and I'm already having to make some rulings. Sheesh, this is going to be a long summer.

Anthony mentioned that he might have to drop out from the contest because his card supplier might not get his cards to him in time to rip, score and post. I don't want to see him drop out. I've talked with Anthony via email. Summing it up without sharing too much info, Anthony is a member of the US military. He's stationed in Europe and soon he'll be deployed to another area of the world. Knowing that the military mail can move a tad slow, especially when it is trying to find the recipient that is on the go, it might be difficult for Anthony to get his box on time. I'm ruling that Anthony gets to be part of GAC2 with all the rights and responsibilities that it entails. He'll keep his Favorite Player, Javier Vasquez. All other members will get the scoring benefits from Javier Vasquez cards pulled. Yes, this is an unusual circumstance, but we go with what we got. Hopefully the cards will find Anthony and he can participate.

Two other bloggers want to be included. They submitted their requests past the official deadline. I'm extending that deadline and will include them. Todd Uncommon from Todd Uncommon's Tomb and Scott from Hand Collated will be added shortly, but I need to know their Favorite Players and Favorite Teams.

And I had overlooked Teddy from Mack's Mets. Sorry about that. I've corrected it.

Countdown is at 2 days. Or three. Depends when it ships. If anyone still wishes to join the absolute last day will be Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Let's go with 11:50pm that night. Eastern. You've been warned.

Public domain Gint-a-Cuffs art

2010-06-28T10:42:00.001-04:00

Travis, who is the Vice President of Design Propaganda at PunkRockPaint, Inc. (and also a participant in this year's ~~fiasco~~ contest), shared this image with me. He said: I found this a while back. Feel free to use it. So I am.

The Countdown Begins

2010-06-25T12:59:00.000-04:00

Topps, for whatever reason, has pushed back the release date for their 2010 Allen and Ginter cards. Semi-reliable sources indicate that it won't be available until June 30th.

Fine, I say. That gives me more time to tweak the scoring rules.

I hope to have them up later today. Maybe this weekend. The Old Planter is laid back. I'm taking a cue from him.

Even after the rules are in place there will probably be some changes / additions as more card information is revealed.

Thanks for your patience. And thanks to Beardy for the fantastic image that I lifted. Actually, he is on retainer for producing official images for any and all Gint-A-Cuff events.

GAC2 Rules - the beginning

2010-06-05T00:01:00.004-04:00

I've been reviewing last year's rules. I decided to scrub them all and start fresh. That got too time consuming, so I reviewed them again and have started to tweak.

We currently have 21 23 contestants signed up for Gint-A-Cuffs II (GAC2). Not quite as many as last year, but there's still time. Please comment somewhere on this blog to let me know if you want in.

Here's the rules you should know now:

The deadline to sign up as a participant in GAC2 will be on ~~Friday June 25, 2010~~. That is the tentative release date for Topps 2010 Allen & Ginter. If you haven't signed up by then, too bad. Sit on the sidelines. Wait 'til next year. Amended: Deadline is now Wednesday June 20, 2010. That is the new tentative release date.
Each contestant can post a MAXIMUM of two (2) boxes towards the official scoring, and only the box with the higher score will count.
The final day to post any official Gint-A-Cuffs breaks will be on Sunday, August 15th, 2010. The winner will be announced later that week.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three (3) point scorers. First prize, generously provided by Topps, will be an unopened hobby box of 2010 Allen & Ginter. Second and third place winners will each receive a copy of Strat-O-Matic's baseball game, courtesy of Strat-O-Matic.
Each contestant must select their Favorite Player (FP) and their Favorite Team (FT) and inform the Commissioner. A blog entry has been set up to allow participants to declare their FP and FT. FPs affect scoring for all participants. FT only affects the participant who chose the team for themselves. FPs cannot be duplicated. If Beardy selects Nick Markakis for his FP, no one else can select Nick. First come, first served. FTs can be duplicated. If two participants want to select the Nationals, that's fine.
How to post your results: Please go pack by pack and list every card. Only those cards worth positive points need to be scanned and posted. Please list your score by pack. Please keep a cumulative score.

A blog entry will be set up to allow participants to ask scoring questions of the Commissioner.

As commissioner of GAC2 I encourage everyone to be honest. No combining hits from multiple boxes, or forgetting to list out those Yankees or other cards that might cost you some points. We're all professionals here and there are rules.

Individual scoring of cards is being worked on and rigorously tested.

Remember, if you haven't yet ordered your box Blowout Cards is providing boxes to the participants at a discount. Details can be found here.

Favorite Players, Favorite Teams

2010-06-04T23:15:00.039-04:00

If you are participating in GAC2, please let me know who your favorite player (FP) is and who your favorite team (FT) is.

You might want to check out Sports Card Radio's checklist for the 2010 A&G set. This is as official as it gets right now. You don't want to select a player and not have them be part of the set.

FPs affect scoring for all participants. FTs only affects the participant who chose the team for themselves. FPs cannot be duplicated. If Beardy selects Nick Markakis for his FP, no one else can select Nick. First come, first served.

FTs can be duplicated. If two participants want to select the Nationals, that's fine.

I'll make the list here.

Beardy (Mojo & Beardy's Fantastic Card Blog)
FP: Nick Markakis
FT: Baltimore Orioles

FanofReds (Nachos Grande)
FP: Johnny Cueto
FT: Cincinnati Reds

Marck (The Collective Troll)
FP: Carl Crawford
FT: Tampa Bay Rays

Tunguska (Long Fly Ball To Because ...)
FP: Roy Halladay
FT: Chicago Cubs

--David (Indians Baseball Cards )
FP: Derek Jeter
FT: Cleveland Indians

Travis (PunkRockPaint)
FP: Adrian Gonzalez
FT: San Diego "Super" Padres

Baseball Dad (All Tribe Baseball)
FP: Grady Sizemore
FT: Cleveland Indians

AdamE (Thoughts and Sox)
FP: Kevin Youkilis
FT: Boston Red Sox

Night Owl (Night Owl Cards)
FP: Clayton Kershaw
FT: Los Angeles Dodgers

Cardsplitter (The Call of Cardboard)
FP: David Ortiz
FT: Boston Red Sox

Play at the Plate (Play at the Plate)
FP: Michael Young
FT: Texas Rangers

Teddy (Mack's Mets)
FP: Stephen Strasburg
FT: New York Yankees

Sharpe (Sharpe Since 92)
FP: Joe Mauer
FT: Minnesota Twins

Dan (The Other World)
FP: Chase Utley
FT: Philadelphia Phillies

Kelly (Baseball Obsession-itis)
FP: Dustin Pedroia
FT: Boston Red Sox

gcrl (Garvey Cey Russell Lopes)
FP: Matt Kemp
FT: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Wax Wombat (Wax Wombat!)
FP: David Wright
FT: Toronto Blue Jays

Motherscratcher (Achiever Card Blog)
FP: Evan Longoria
FT: Cleveland Indians

Community Gum (Community Gum)
FP: Ryan Howard
FT: Chicago Cubs

Ryan (Ryan's Memorabilia Blog)
FP: Adam Jones
FT: Baltimore Orioles

darkship (MidWest Cardboard)
FP: Joakim Soria
FT: Chicago Cubs

Slangon (Condtion: Poor)
FP: Ryan Braun
FT: New York Mets

Jeremy (No One's Going To Read This Blog)

FP: Matt Holliday

FT: New York Mets

22Byrdman22 (22Byrdman22)
FP: Kendry Morales
FT: Anaheim Angels

Anthony K. (Balk Four)
FP: Javier Vasquez
FT: Houston Astros

Bud (First Day Issue)

FP: Ken Griffey, Jr.

FT: Seattle Mariners

Chuck (HamRamMobtown)

FP: Hanley Ramirez

FT: Florida Marlins

Todd Uncommon (Todd Uncommon's Tomb)
FP: Adam Dunn
FT: Oakland A's

Scott (Hand Collated)
FP:
FT:

Thrifty Ryan (Card Cache)
FP: Joey Votto
FT: Cincinnati Reds

dayf (Cardboard Junkie)
FP: Jason Heyward
FT: Atlanta Braves

Comment below.

Find Us On Facebook

2010-05-27T06:00:00.004-04:00

The group on Facebook is only a portal for those who use the social networking site. Contestants do not need to join Facebook for the contest. There will be no bonus points given for joining the Facebook group. It is just another avenue to the official Gint-A-Cuffs blog. And you're already here.

It also provides another method for us to thank our sponsors.

Thanks, sponsors.

Yet Another Sponsor

2010-05-26T15:00:00.001-04:00

I asked another company to come on as a sponsor. Chris, of Blowout Cards, has come through in a big way.

Blowout Cards will make hobby boxes of the 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter available to contestants in Gint-A-Cuffs II for the low price of $77 per box. Free Shipping on all orders over $99.

This special pricing is available only to those who are going to participate in this contest. The offer is good only for the first 36 customers. Please email me to receive instructions on how to get this fantastically discounted price.

email: GintACuffs (at) gmail (dot) com

For those of you who have already placed an order with Blowout Cards or another vendor, I applaud your enthusiasm and I'm sorry that this sponsorship didn't come to fruition any sooner.

Thank you, Chris and Blowout Cards.

Another Sponsor

2010-05-26T10:45:00.006-04:00

Strat-O-Matic has agreed to hop on the ~~train wreck~~ contest that is Gint-A-Cuffs. Here's a bit of info about the game company:

Since 1961, Strat-O-Matic has created the most realistic simulation of statistically accurate baseball. Every player is rated by Strat-O-Matic’s unique rating system with statistical precision in each phase of the game – batting, pitching, defense and running.

Strat-O-Matic Baseball is played with the exact same rules as professional baseball. Each major leaguer has his own Strat-O-Matic Player Card based on his overall stats from the 2009 season. The gamer controls every aspect of each play from determining the starting line-up, stealing, hitting and running to replacing the starting pitcher. Instead of a bat and ball, the gamer uses dice, player cards and charts to play the game.

They've ponied up a few copies of their Baseball game and those will be added to the prize pool.

Don't forget to let me know if you're interested in participating. Boogie on.

We're Sponsored

2010-05-25T12:23:00.003-04:00

Topps has agreed to be a sponsor for Gint-A-Cuffs II, Old Planter Boogaloo.

Thank you, Topps.

What to do to enter?

2010-05-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

A few of you can't hold your horses and want to get this thing underway.

Patience. Patience.

Basically,

Let me know that you want to participate
Secure a hobby box of 2010 Allen & Ginter cards
Rip them open
Follow the official rules of the contest
Post on your blog, the cards that score points for you, positive or negative

For added fun,

Add witty commentary
Keep up with the contest
Bribe the Commissioner

We're feverishly working on the scoring system. A bit tough since we don't have the checklist or exact odds of hits.

But, first things first.

Let me know that you want in. I'll create a list of contestants soon.

Thanks for playing.

Gint-A-Cuffs 2, Old Planter Boogaloo

2010-05-16T23:03:00.002-04:00

Coming soon to a blog near you.

In about five weeks the Topps Allen & Ginter 1887-2010 World Champions Color Picture Cards will be loosed upon the public.

And that means that it will be time for Gint-A-Cuffs 2, Old Planter Boogaloo.

I'll be your commissioner. Again.

What does that mean for you? Another chance to get in on the best box break competition since, well, the original Gint-A-Cuffs.

You want parallels? We got 'em. Wood. Cloth. Bazookas. NoNos. Black Border. A&G Backs.

You want Top Loaders? We got 'em. With Autos.

Lords of Olympus? Got 'em.

World's Greatest Wordsmiths? Got 'em.

This Day In History? Got 'em.

National Animals? Got 'em.

Monsters Of The Mesozoic? Got 'em.

Sailors Of The Seven Seas? Got 'em.

All that, and more.

Please note that by mentioning the various card possibilities available in the 2010 A&G set, it does not mean that you will get them in your box. Probably not. Fair warning.

Now, leave me alone. I have to go and figure out some sort of scoring method. Perhaps a tweak of last year's rules. More than likely I'll have to scrap that and start a fresh.

Any scoring ideas will be received and given the weight that I feel is necessary. Beardy, having created this monster last year, will be relinquishing some of his duties so that he can more fully concentrate on winning. Again. I'll still be relying on him for some pointers, but I've found out that his bribes are full of hot air and I ignore them.

Speaking of bribes I was rather disappointed in the bribe department last year. You all are big boys and girls. Step it up this year. Please.

We're working on several goodies for prizes. And perhaps some other goodies, too.

Please leave your scoring comments below.

Thanks.

Finale

2009-09-09T23:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Topps for sponsoring this fine event.

Thanks to Beardy for coming up with such a crazed idea.

Did I mention Topps?

Patsearcher, of In Search of Pat the Bat asked about a David Wright Relic (Glove) and the scoring on it. After much research I have decided that it, indeed, is a Short Print and should be awarded the points that Patsearcher gave it (12 points x 5 for favorite player list). This still does not put him over the top. I think that all the questions have been answered.

The official scoreboard will be updated after my staff combs the 'Net for any hidden scores.

But, I shall, at this time, declare Beardy, with a whopping score of 347, the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs. In the name of gamesmanship, he has declined any prize.

As Commissioner, I am then forced to make a decision. To whom should the prize go? I must say, it would be easy to select the next highest score. But I have been calling for bribes and graft for two months now. As I look at the list of gifts that people have sent and weigh it in my mind, I'm appalled to see that no one, save for Beardy, went that extra mile and even bothered to send me anything. Sure, some virtual egg sandwiches, but hey, that doesn't get you much. Nothing, actually.

So, I must return to the scoring list.

FanofReds, or Chris as he's known to some, stumbled in with 333 points. Enough to claim the prize, graciously provided by Topps.

Stay tuned for next year's installment:

Gint-A-Cuffs II, Boogaloo in Baltimore

Gint-A-Cuffs - Past Tense

2009-09-08T11:14:00.002-04:00

As Beardy pointed out, the Gint-A-Cuffs contest has drawn to a close.

I, too, would like to thank all of the competitors for entering.

I will be spot checking scores, answering a few final questions and declaring a winner by 11:59pm, Wednesday, September 9th.

I need that extra time to rest up from that wonderful vacation to the Bahamas that was provided to me by the (soon to be) winner. I can't, by law, reveal his (or her) name at the moment, but it will soon surface.

If any of you would still like to get in on the graft/bribe side game, feel free.

I, too, would like to thanks Topps for donating the prize, a hobby box of 2009 A&G. I've already sifted through the box, weighed the packs, taken the heavy ones and replaced them with 1989 Topps packs. What? They're still Topps cards. Get over it.

Regards,

Your loving Commissioner,

Mark

LAST CALL!

2009-09-06T09:32:00.006-04:00

Gint-A-Cuffs ends tomorrow, and our champion will be crowned. If you've yet to post your entry, get on it!

The hype seems to have died down some, and perhaps next time the window to scan and post scores will be shorter than 2 months.

I would like to thank Topps for sponsoring this contest, and providing a prize for the winner. Along with Topps, I would also like to thank everyone who participated in Gint-A-Cuffs I. It was a rousing success, and that would not have been possible without your support.

Oh yeah, and a special thanks to the Commish as well. Once this contest started, I only wanted to be a regular ol' competitor, and thanks to Mark, I was able to do that. He dealt with all the scoring controversies and was responsible for the Topps sponsorship. So thank you Mark, and I hope you enjoyed the Erskines I sent as a bribe... I mean payment.

As of now, it looks like my face will be gracing this card:

But you've still got 24 hours to change that!

What? Art Thou Bored?

2009-08-21T09:49:00.003-04:00

No action on this site in over a week. Have you all forgotten what Gint-A-Cuffs stands for? It's about passion and liberty. It's about us expressing our rights to hold ridiculous contests with arbitrary rules and get them sponsored by major corporations.

It's not really about any of that, but at least there's a prize.

There's still 2 weeks left to get your box breaks tallied and posted. I will not be accepting a prize, even if I am the high scorer, so now the score to beat is a respectable 333, which has been put up by Nachos Grande. It wouldn't look right if I accepted a prize after making up the rules. Commish or no Commish, it's about protecting the integrity of the game.

If I were a betting man (and I'm not), I would bet the house on PunkRockPaint taking home the prize. He's been too quiet about it since coming out of the gates with his pistols a blazin'.

Half Way Through

2009-08-10T14:58:00.002-04:00

We're about half way through the Gint-A-Cuffs season, brought to you by Topps.

Keep the boxes ripping and the calculators humming. I'm already starting to verify some of the posted scores.

Remember, bribes are still being accepted.

Contact me at:

The Commissioner
1 Gint-A-Cuffs Plaza
My Little City, My Little World
12901

Leader Board

2009-07-29T12:25:00.011-04:00

Current Leaders on the Gint-A-Cuffs Leader Board

347 - Beardy (Beardy's Baseball Blog) - Nick Markakis/Oriole
333 - FanofReds (Nachos Grande) - Joey Votto/Reds
304 - Ryan (Card Cache) - Jay Bruce/Reds
293 - Motherscratcher (Achiever Card Blog) - Grady Sizemore/Indians
274 - John (Old School Breaks) - Mariano Rivera/Yankees
273 - Sharpe (Sharpe Since 92) - Ryan Braun/Brewers
268 - Night Owl (Night Owl Cards) - Clayton Kershaw/Dodgers
267 - Loi (Boxopener) - Hanley Ramirez/Red Sox
259 - whodidthewhatnow (Who Did The What Now?) - David Wright/Mets
247 - Drew (drewscards) - Derek Jeter/Yankees
247 - Mark (Sac Bunt) - Tim Lincecum/Orioles
234 - thehamiltonian (The Hamiltonian) - Josh Hamilton/Toronto Blue Jays
231 - MdBirdFan (Ryan's Memorabilia) - Nick Markakis/Orioles
195 - Dan (Saints of the Cheap Seats) - Brian McCann/Indians

Haven't completed (or started) breaking wax :
Zach (Coolio Cards) - Evan Longoria/Rays
John (Sac Bunt) - Joe Mauer/Twins
Chris (Sac Bunt) - Brian Roberts/Orioles
Captain Canuck (Waxaholic) - Adam LaRoche/Braves
Travis (PunkRockPaint) - Adrian Gonzalez/Padres
Dayf (Cardboard Junkie) - Chipper Jones/Braves
gritz76 (Project '62) - Geovany Soto/Cubs
Ben (Cardboard Icons) - Dustin Pedroia/Red Sox
Dan (The Other World) - Chase Utley/Phillies
lonestarr (behind these hazel eyes) - Kosuke Fukudome/Cubs
insearchofpatthebat (insearchofpathtebat) - Pat Burrell/Phillies

I have not yet verified these scores and I'm taking the contestants' word that they are correct. The scores will be verified, but we're not even half way through the Gint-A-Cuff season, so hold your horses. Or cool your jets, depending on your personal mode of transportation.

Contestants, please make sure that you are posting your results in the manner specified by the ever changing official rules.

If I've overlooked something, I would ask for forgiveness. I didn't know what was in that syringe. Honestly, I didn't.

Updated on July 30 to include Sharpe, who finished his scoring.
Updated on July 31 to pacify Sharpe, who wanted to be included in the correct position. My apologies. My webmonkey has been staying up too late, watching Jimmy Fallon, hoping that he'll actually perform a comedy bit, got tired and careless. I'm going to ration his caffeine and banana intake this weekend.
Updated on August 10 to accommodate FanofReds, who broke his second box with now the second highest score. (Psst. Slip me some cardboard and I'll "find" a problem with Beardy's total.)

Box Topper Rulings

2009-07-27T00:20:00.004-04:00

There have been several comments regarding the Box Toppers / Loaders and what potential multiplies they should receive.

I have decided to move the Box Toppers / Loaders, including N43s, will be removed from the HITS section and have their own Box Toppers / Loaders section.

There shall be no multipliers for this section. There are additions. If you really want multipliers, do the math yourself.

Here's the Box Topper / Loaders section:

+5 N43 Box Topper
+8 Cabinet Card Box Topper
+20 N43 Relics
+30 N43 Autographs
+50 N43 Autograph Relic

+10 N43 of player from "favorite players" list
+20 N43 of your favorite player
+75 Michael Phelps Autograph Boxloader

The rest of the ponderings will be released shortly.

Sponsor's Prize Announced

2009-07-24T19:20:00.003-04:00

Today, the prize arrived at my house. I'm green with envy. It derailed all of my ponderings up to tihs point and I fear that I shall have to start the days' work over.

It is a hobby box of 2009 Topps Allen and Ginter's World's Champions Color Picture Cards. When the wrappers have all been recylced, all cards scanned and a winner has been announced, I shall ship this box off to said winner.

This contest of categorizing has been graciously brought to you by:

Commissioner's Ponderings

2009-07-22T23:50:00.001-04:00

There's much to think about these days.

It appears that the Creator of Gint-A-Cuffs didn't spell some things out and confusion has ensued.

Specifically, the N43 Box Toppers.

The scoring rules state:

HITS

+8 Relic
+12 Short Printed Relic (usually non-baseball)

+15 Autograph
+18 Silk
+20 Printing Plate
+25 Group A Autograph
+25 Rip Card

+100 Cut Signature
+200 DNA Relic
+5 N43 Box Topper
+8 Cabinet Card Box Topper
+10 N43 of player from "favorite players" list
+20 N43 of your favorite player
+20 N43 Relics
+30 N43 Autographs
+50 N43 Autograph Relic
+75 Michael Phelps Autograph Boxloader

MULTIPLIERS FOR "HITS"
x2 If any of those pulls are of a player from your favorite team

x5 If any hits are of players on the "favorite players" list (see above)

x10 If it's YOUR favorite player

-5 points if we pull a hit of ........Corey Patterson (Relic), Eric Gagne (Relic), Jered Weaver (Relic)

DIVIDE BY 2 FOR ALL YANKEES HITS, INCLUDING "FAVORITE PLAYERS LIST",

blah, blah, blah

-------------

This could be interpreted in several different ways.

An N43 Box Topper/Loader gets +5.

If the N43 is on the "Favorite Players" list it is +10, bringing it to +15.

Later on, because the N43 Box Topper/Loader is listed under the HITS heading, there could be multipliers for it (x2, x5, x10). Which would bring it to 25. Or 75. It has to be one final, not a buffet where you get to choose.

I'm not blaming Beardy for this. He assembled the rules based on the information that he had (which was sketchy at best, but so is Beardy), presented it to the blogsphere for comment and approval, then I stuck my nose in it and volunteered to be the Commissioner. It is my problem now.

So, I'm left to ponder what the original intent of the scoring was. Any way that I rule, it will affect some contestants' scores.

Since I don't want to leak the commissioner's rulings out a drip or drop at a time, I will stay up the rest of the night looking into this and the other questions that have arisen, namely:

say I pulled a Josh Hamilton Sketch card, is there a multiplier for him being my favorite player? All I see is the X10 for 'Hits' but I don't know if the sketch insert is a hit.
World's Biggest Hoaxes are listed at +5pts. I've landed 2 of the mini variety. Is there a bonus for this?
What if someone pulls a no number mini card that is also technically a short print? Isn't it already being considered a short print for being a no number? If it isn't numbered 301-350 (since there's no number at all) does that count?
National Heroes are listed at +5pts. Same question as before, I've landed 2 of the mini variety. Is there a bonus for this?
Nextly. Negro League Stars are now worth +2 points for base cards. What about mini Negro League Stars?
Over to the sketch cards, I've landed a player from the favorite player list. Is there a bonus or is it still just +5? I know there is still a Yankees penalty here.

Answers are forthcoming. I must now go and ponder.

Ponder why only one contestant is trying to bribe me. It sounds like they've got some decent stash to send my way, but I'm at a disadvantage. I have no leverage with them. I can't say, "Well, Contestant X just offered these cards, can you up him (or her)?" Nothing. All I can say is, "Thanks, we'll see what that can get you in my rulings." Step it up, people.

Again, a big shout out to Topps for their sponsorship. I told them that they would get visibility and frequent mentioning. I've posted their logo to the right and I gave them a whole post. Now this mention. Maybe I should start a Topps shout-out counter.

Nah, it would look like I'm pandering to them. I'm not. I'm pandering to the contestants. Who still haven't picked up on that.

Gint-A-Cuffs now sponsored by Topps

2009-07-20T18:12:00.003-04:00

The good folks over at Topps have agreed to be the sole sponsor for this edition of Gint-A-Cuffs and for that we are very happy. They will be providing a prize for the winner. It will be shipping out soon to my house and then in early September, to the Grand Champeen.

I'll reveal the prize shortly, but I wanted to thank Topps for their generosity.

A few quick links to some of their Topps TV videos:

So, the next time you run into Mr. Topps, thank him for the sponsorship.

Red Ink Autos

2009-07-18T23:27:00.005-04:00

After discussing the point value with my advisers I have come to a decision.

Any single Red Ink Auto shall be worth +42 points. Standard bonus point and anti-bonus point adjustments will apply.

I started to check with my staff to see if I have any outstanding issues to rule on. Then I remembered that I don't have a staff. The budget that I was given to do this task is small. Very small. In keeping up with my job and family (not to mention that the number of posts on my regular card blog have seen a severe decrease) I have probably overlooked a thing or two.

Please remind me where I've dropped the ball. Gently. I thank you.

Code Card Scoring and stuff

2009-07-16T23:26:00.006-04:00

After combing through dozens of blogs, countless webpages and wearing my fingers to bloody stubs, I have decided to issue a scoring ruling on the "Crack the Code" cards. These are the cards that have the crazy whacked out mini-drawings (some would call them heiroglyphics, and they might be right) around the border. These are NOT the "Crack the Code" promo cards that invite you to actually Crack the Code.

"Crack the Code" player cards shall be scored as 2 points. Standard bonuses and anti-bonuses apply.

Some of you may scoff at this. Scoff all you want. I understand that they are distributed at 1:12 packs. You have more of a chance of pulling one than the base card of your favorite player, which is scored at 3 points.

There is some discussion on the blogs about what a "Short Printed Relic (usually non-baseball)" is. I'm having difficulty tracking down the cards that are in each group.

Birthday boy, Mr. Owl, provided some of the odds of pulling various relics. I will reprint (without his permission) his observations...

Framed relic:
Group A: 1 in 100
Group B: 1 in 215
Group C: 1 in 39
Group D: 1 in 17

Framed auto:
Group A: 1 in 2,730
Group B: 1 in 51

Framed red autograph:
1 in 1,801

But, which cards are in each Group? I have heard from a semi-reliable source (that means that I'd let my sister go on a date with him) that there is a checklist for these fabled cards. Please, help a Commissioner down on his luck out a bit. If you know of such a checklist, share the love.

UPDATE:

Apparently Dayf posted this same information over a week ago. In the rush of happenings I must have overlooked this. A ruling on whatever I'm supposed to be ruling on after I review them will come forth soon. Thank you, Dayf. At least you weren't born a Gorn.

Commissioner's Thoughts - All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game edition

2009-07-14T00:02:00.002-04:00

So, having watched the Home Run Derby and now watching (well, more listening to than watching) the 2009 All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game and having wasted the evening, I feel that I should give you some thoughts and insights into the experience of being Gint-A-Cuffs commissioner.

I know that I need to make some rulings regading Group A-D relic cards, short print cards and red autograph cards.

I can't make a ruling just yet, for I'm don't have all the information.

Commissioner Plea: If anyone has the odds on those Group A-D cards of showing up in a pack/box/case, it would help me a lot. Perhaps they are printed on the packs. You know, in that microscopic print that they love to use, tucked away at the crease, so no matter how hard you try to cleanly open the pack, you end up ripping all the text away.

Also, if anyone has more info on the Short Prints and Red Autographs, it would be helpful.

Now, you might all think that I'm dragging my feet on the rulings. I'm not. I'm just waiting for some of the bribes to start being offered.

As I commented on someone's blog, Virtual egg sandwiches don't fill the binder.

It isn't really illegal or cheating if you do it in the open, is it?

Also, if I make the rulings every time that a conestant asks, I give up my power and then the contestants will have the upper hand for the next seven weeks. We don't want that, now, do we? Nope.

All questions and disputes will be answered. Patience, people, patience.

Darn, the game just ended. I didn't get to see those great plays and close calls. That'll teach me to be commissioner.

Note: The call for graft and cards coming my way is all meant in good fun and any gifts will not affect the outcome of this contest. I think. Try me and see.

(some) Scoring Updated

2009-07-11T00:25:00.004-04:00

I have spent quite a bit of time pondering some of the scoring questions that have arisen and have set forth my thoughts here. These are official scoring changes and clarifications.

Negro League Players cards shall count as +2 points.
Extinct Creatures cards shall count for +11 points.
Silk (or cloth) cards shall count as +18 points.
If a card is valued at an odd number of points before having to divide it by 2, as in the case of most Yankee cards, the final number shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number. Example: pre division card value is 5, divided by 2 equal 2.5, rounded up is 3. My abacus doesn't do fractions.
A player will be identified with a team based on the uniform (jersey, hat, whatever) that is shown on that card.
The New York Yankees sketch card shall not incur "pile on penalties" for having multiple Yankees players represented.

The weekend is upon us. Go and rest. And rip.

Commissioner Update

2009-07-09T23:54:00.001-04:00

The boxes are showing up, packs are getting ripped. Gint-A-Cuffs is on.

I have added one more contestant. Think of it like the 65th team in the NCAA Mens Basketball Tourney. An eager, but late comer to the Battle of the Blogs is Dan of Saints of the Cheap Seats.

His player is Brian McCann and his team is the Indians. I'll add McCann to the player's list.

Dan is the last blogger to join this round of Gint-A-Cuffs.

I will allow Negro League Players to the points list. Thanks, Dayf for bringing this to my attention. For too long they have been ignored. Points will not set things right, but perhaps will shed some light on some fine players.

Also, thanks to Dayf, we have hi-res scans of the official checklist.

Beardy brought up a point about silk cards being a tough pull, yet he only assigned them the same points as an autograph. This will be corrected.

I'm sure that many of you are wondering why I, as commissioner, don't just toss some number out there for points assigning. The scoring system is a delicate and intricate mechanism. One doesn't just pull their Ferrari up to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. Spreadsheets are being tweaked, opinions asked and numbers slept on.

From what I've seen posted on the blogs and on ebay this is one nice looking set. I'm not really keen on all of the choices for subjects and I think that the variations would kill a completist, but they look nice.

Some of you might be asking, "Hey, how did that nut case get the sweet job as commissioner?"

In the spirit of transparency, I will share the relevant portions of the emails exchanged by myself and Beardy. Wait, there isn't much there that is relevant. Here are the whole of the emails...

Greg,

I was wondering if a commissioner has been appointed for the upcoming Gint-A-Cuffs?

I would be willing to be appointed. I can be impartial (unless payoffs are involved) and can be slightly witty.

Both attributes are necessary for an event of this magnitude. Please consider me for this position.

My requirements would be an apartment in New York, a driver and a weekly stipend of a few packs.

Regards,
Mark

And his reply:

Well, aside from the stipend, that sounds great. If you're interested in doing it for free, you got the job.

To which I answered:

Greg,

You're a tough negotiator. Here's my final offer.

1. A day to myself in the Topps archive, with a small briefcase that will not be searched when the day ends.
2. A fried egg sandwich upon request. Bacon optional.
3. My name in lights above Broadway.

Should these demands, err, requests not be possible, I would be forced to accept the position 'pro bono' (not to be confused with Sonny Bono).

Regards,

Mark

He caved in:

I can meet demand #2 as long as you don't mind McDonalds.

The announcement has already been made, so it looks like Sonny Bono it might have to be.

Thanks for volunteering to oversee this fiasco, there are so many rules I'm sure some sort of authority will be needed.

Since the questions have been rolling in, I have increased my demand for the egg sandwich up to three. He has laughed at me and I don't think that he takes me seriously. When he's crying on the beach next week, looking for hidden shells, he'll rue the day that he accepted my offer or took any of my advice.

Me too.

Comments and Responses

2009-07-09T11:00:00.001-04:00

Thank you all for the flurry of comments. I'll address them in this post.

Ryan said...: Hey Commish!

I need a Spring Training ruling over on my blog, Card Cache. I broke 4 packs of 2009 A&G I picked up for fun waiting for my boxes to arrive, and decided to do some Gint-A-Cuffs scoring practice. If you would be so kind as to help me out, perhaps your wishlist will become smaller?

The Commissioner replys:

Good idea on the Spring Training ruling. Practice makes perfect. I'll hop over there soon.

dayf said...: Hey commish - I'd like to propose a late addition to the scoring: Negro League players get a point or two.

I didn't realize there would be any in this set or I would have suggested it earlier. Since I have already opened three packs out of my box (I'm going to see how long I can go with a ration of three per day before I freak and rip the whole box) I am willing to forfeit any Negro league bonus out of my box. I just want the Negro leaguers to get the recognition they deserve.

The Commissioner replys:

Dayf, that is a nice idea. Do you know how many and which are the Negro League cards? We all need to be on the same page with clear guidelines. I don't think that you would (or should) forfeit any of those points.

cardboardicons said...: Oooh, got a scoring question: opened a Box Loader of Japan Advancing to the World BasebLL Classic finals. Daisuke Matsuzaka (Red Sox) is pictured Does this count as a point since "my" team is the Sox? For the record, Matsuzaka is in a Japan uni.

The Commissioner replys:

I'd have to rule that a player must appear in the jersey of the team that is "yours." Matsuzaka, in this instance, represents Japan, so no points for you.

cardboardicons said...: Oooh, another: Derek Jeter Brian Kong insert ...
The Commissioner replys:: Plus points for the Kong, minus points for the Yankee.

cardboardicons said...: AND ANOTHER: Old Faithful is an SP, So are we talking 5 pts for the SP, then minus 1 for the fact that it is Old fAITHFUL?

The Commissioner replys:

I have yet to see a definitive Short Print list. A ruling will come forth when all the facts have been collected.

cardboardicons said...: And Crack the Code parallels?

The Commissioner replys:

Again, I haven't seen any Crack the Code parallels. Do you have a list?

beardy said...: How do you know Old Faithful is a short print? I haven't found a short print list yet for this set, unfortunately.

The Commish is gonna be busy!
The Commissioner replys:: Word!

cardboardicons said...: Well, we're assuming 301-350 are SPs, which appears to be the case since they apparently fall one every 2 packs.

I've got the first of three boxes posted and scored (unofficially). Does that look right?
The Commissioner replys:: I'll take a look shortly. Patience, my friend.

Lonestarr said...: I think we're gonna need a bigger commish.

Or more commishes. Or something. The lack of sleep and Ginternet fumes are making me dizzy.

The Commissioner replys:

I'm looking into appointing a deputy commissioner or a small committee to help me out with the difficult issues that will arise during Gint-A-Cuffs.

Topps, at this time, doesn't have an official checklist for this set. I've taken the one that DACardWorld.com has on their site, but it is missing a few insert sets, has a few card numbers missing and quite a few To Be Determineds. Ebay, and now the Gint-A-Cuffs community, seems to be the place for information.

Speaking of Ebay (see, I can segue as well), I saw a new Extinct Creature. Xerexes Blue (butterfly). That brings my count up to five Extinct Creatures.

Thanks for participating.

New Subset, New Points

2009-07-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

With the public release today of the 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter set, the ebayers are posting cards as fast as their little hands can type.

Extinct Creatures have been appearing. So far, I have seen the Eastern Elk, Velociraptor, Dodo and Labrador Duck. There may be more. I haven't found a checklist at the Topps site. The various checklists that are floating around seem to be incomplete and do not have this subset.

Now, how to score them? I haven't yet made a final ruling, since I just found out about them today, but I'm inclined to put them at about a +9 or so. This is not yet official.

Stay tuned for more information. I may need to appoint a deputy commissioner to assist me in my duties.

(image lifted from an ebay auction)

Who's It Gonna Be?

2009-07-08T01:06:00.000-04:00

Only time will tell! It looks like at least some of us have received confirmation that our boxes have shipped, and Gint-A-Cuffs appears to be on the cusp of commencement. The anticipation is obvious throughout the blogosphere, and beginning tomorrow, IT IS ON!

Wonder who's gonna be the first one to post a break? I smell a sidebet. Any takers?

Gambling is a very serious problem. Don't gamble.

GINT-A-CUFFS Finalized Rules & Roster

2009-07-07T00:07:00.008-04:00

The deadline to enter has now expired, and the field is locked. I must say that 22 people is way more than I ever expected to sign up. This is truly going to be a battle for the ages! All that's left is finalizing the rules. I've been continually updating them pretty much since day 1, and now they are extremely long, complicated, and PERFECT! I decided to take it a bit easy on Yankees fans. If your favorite player is a Yankee, you will still get FULL points for that player ONLY. It just wouldn't be fair if someone's favorite player is Derek Jeter, and they didn't get the maximum points possible for pulling a card of his. It's thrilling to pull a card of your favorite player no matter what, and I'm not gonna be the one to try and kill that.

Also, the Commish and I have decided that the window to post any official Gint-A-Cuffs breaks will be Labor Day, which is September 7, 2009. Each contestant can post a MAXIMUM of 2 boxes towards the official scoring, and only the box with the higher score will count.

There has been some talk of a potential prize for the winner, aside from getting their face on the Gint-A-Cuffs Champion custom Allen & Ginter card. The reason for the Labor Day cutoff date is to allow time for potential scoring to be secured.

Much like with the Turk-Off, when you have this many rules, you need someone impartial to uphold them, and settle any disputes. Mark of the fabulous Mark's Ephemera will be serving as Commissioner for the first ever Gint-A-Cuffs battle, and is here to settle any and all disputes over scoring. I am also going to ask him to look over everyone's entries, and double check their math.

How to post your results:
If you followed the Turk-Off, we are going to be using the exact same format. Please go pack by pack and list every card. Only those cards worth positive points need to be scanned and posted, and I encourage everyone to be honest. No combining hits from multiple boxes, or forgetting to list out those Yankees or Eric Byrnes cards that cost you some points. We're all professionals here, and even though this is war, there are rules here. After all, this isn't Nam!

Below are the finalized scoring rules, and the "Favorite Players" list. Please remember that you get points for ANY player on the list, even if they aren't YOUR favorite. The official roster on the sidebar, will be modified into a scoreboard, and will contain a link back to this post for quick access to the scoring criteria, as well as links to your entries, once they're posted. Everything will also be posted HERE, which is the official Gint-A-Cuffs site. If you need one easy location for all things Gint-A-Cuffs, this is the place.

We should all be receiving our Allen & Ginter boxes in the mail this week (I sure hope anyway) and it's about to be on bitches! Best of luck to everyone, and it'll definitely be interesting to see who is left standing as the grand champion once the dust has settled.

OFFICIAL SCORING (still being tweaked)

BASE CARDS
0 base card
+1 Favorite Team base card
-1 Yankee base card

+2 Favorite player list base card (LIST CAN BE SEEN BELOW)
-1 points if we pull base card of ....Eric Byrnes, Bobby Crosby, Scott Olsen, Jeff Clement, Kenji Johjima, Tom Gorzelanny
+2 Beard & Mustache Champion base card
+3 YOUR favorite player base card

-1 points for pulling the base for Suez Canal, Milky Way, Old Faithful, Electron (because what the heck are you going to do with that)
+5 Short printed base card (301-350!)

+2 Negro League Player
+2 "Crack the Code" player card (excludes "Crack the Code" promo cards)
+1 FOR ANY BASE CARD OF YANKEE ON "FAVORITE PLAYERS" LIST

MINI CARDS
0 for base

-1 Yankees
+3 Beard & Mustache Champion mini (#61, Burke Kenny)

+1 Mini of player on your favorite team
+3 Mini of player from "favorite players" list (see above)
+5 Mini of YOUR favorite player

+2 Mini A&G back

+3 Mini black border

+10 Mini no number
+20 Bazooka Back mini
+7 Mini short print (301-350!)

(Combine points if it qualifies for multiple categories (mini "favorite player list" with A&G back = 7pts)
-1 points for pulling mini (any variation) of Suez Canal, Milky Way, Old Faithful, Electron (because what the heck are you going to do with that)
DIVIDE BY 2 FOR ANY MINI CARD OF YANKEE ON FAVORITE PLAYER LIST

NATIONAL PRIDE INSERTS

+2 Player from your favorite team

+4 Favorite player list
+6 YOUR favorite player

-1 Yankee
SUBTRACT 1 FOR ANY YANKEE ON FAVORITE PLAYER LIST ex: Jeter: +4 (Favorite List) minus 1 (Yankee) = 3pts

OTHER INSERTS

+5 World's Biggest Hoaxes

+7 Creatures of Legend

+5 National Heroes

+3 Brian Kong Baseball Highlight Sketch cards
+10 Inventions of the Future

+11 Extinct Creatures

BOX TOPPERS / LOADERS

+5 N43 Box Topper
+8 Cabinet Card Box Topper
+20 N43 Relics
+30 N43 Autographs
+50 N43 Autograph Relic

+10 N43 of player from "favorite players" list
+20 N43 of your favorite player
+75 Michael Phelps Autograph Boxloader

HITS

+8 Relic
+12 Short Printed Relic (usually non-baseball)

+15 Autograph
+18 Silk
+20 Printing Plate
+25 Group A Autograph
+25 Rip Card

+100 Cut Signature
+200 DNA Relic

MULTIPLIERS FOR "HITS"
x2 If any of those pulls are of a player from your favorite team

x5 If any hits are of players on the "favorite players" list (see above)

x10 If it's YOUR favorite player

-5 points if we pull a hit of ........Corey Patterson (Relic), Eric Gagne (Relic), Jered Weaver (Relic)
DIVIDE BY 2 FOR ALL YANKEES HITS, INCLUDING "FAVORITE PLAYERS LIST"

IF YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER IS A YANKEE, YOU GET FULL POINTS FOR THAT PLAYER ONLY. ALL OTHER YANKEES ARE WORTH NEGATIVE POINTS, OR HALF AS MANY POINTS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

IF THE YANKEES ARE YOUR FAVORITE TEAM, THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, AND YOU MUST ACCEPT ANY AND ALL PENALTIES FOR ALL CARDS THAT ARE NOT OF YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER.

Favorite Players List (alphabetical):

Ryan Braun
Jay Bruce
Pat Burrell
Kosuke Fukudome
Adrian Gonzalez
Josh Hamilton
Derek Jeter
Chipper Jones
Clayton Kershaw
Adam LaRoche
Tim Lincecum
Evan Longoria
Brian McCann
Nick Markakis
Joe Mauer
Dustin Pedroia
Hanley Ramirez
Mariano Rivera
Brian Roberts
Grady Sizemore
Geovany Soto
Chase Utley
Joey Votto
David Wright

Who's face will grace this card? IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT!

Gint-A-Cuffs III

GAC Prize Winner Announced

Last Call

Q&A - Gigantic Lobster edition

Spend the money quickly, Mr. Bond.

Tuesday Answers

Questions Asked And Answered - Sunday Edition

More Questions Answered

And the first questions roll in

More Cards

The Kraken Has Been Released

Almost There

The Day After

Help Needed

Dealer Sponsor Announced

Sign Ups Are Now Open

GAC Main Sponsor On Board

Just Around The Corner

We Need A New Banner

2011 Gint-A-Cuffs?

Win from the Winnings

Official GAC Winners Announced

Unofficial Winners Announced - Unofficially

The Clock Ticks

Updates

Commissioner Speaks, my supervisor left edition

My Secretary quit

The Commission Speaks - Birmingham Edition

The Commissioner Speaks, part deux

My Secretary

The Commissioner Speaks

Official Scoring Is Officially Up

Cards are Shipping!

Semi Official Scoring

More Info You Need To Know

Commissioner's Rulings Start Now

Public domain Gint-a-Cuffs art

The Countdown Begins

GAC2 Rules - the beginning

Favorite Players, Favorite Teams

Find Us On Facebook

Yet Another Sponsor

Another Sponsor

We're Sponsored

What to do to enter?

Gint-A-Cuffs 2, Old Planter Boogaloo

Finale

Gint-A-Cuffs - Past Tense

LAST CALL!

What? Art Thou Bored?

Half Way Through

Leader Board

Box Topper Rulings

Sponsor's Prize Announced

Commissioner's Ponderings

Gint-A-Cuffs now sponsored by Topps

Red Ink Autos

Code Card Scoring and stuff

Commissioner's Thoughts - All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game edition

(some) Scoring Updated

Commissioner Update

Comments and Responses

New Subset, New Points

Who's It Gonna Be?

GINT-A-CUFFS Finalized Rules & Roster