I occasionally see posts here on Mantel that appear to be spam or clickbait related to online gambling (at least based on the AI-generated images) that are often written in languages such as Arabic or those using Cyrillic alphabets.

If they are spam, I understand why they're being posted in the first place - spammers gonna spam. What always surprises me though, is that most of the posts that I notice seem to get likes & loves.

So what's the deal? Am I missing something?

Should I be copying the text into Google Translate before assuming they're spam? Is online gambling actually a popular topic here beyond its connection to cards and collectibles? Does Mantel have a sizable Middle Eastern or Eastern European user base that appreciates seeing posts in their native languages? Or are the reactions mostly coming from other spammers, or people simply trying to boost their daily engagement numbers?

Inquiring minds want to know... 🙂

I just finished Amazon's Spider-Noir and it's definitely a hoot to watch. I've read that the black-and-white version is the preferred way to experience it, but because I was traveling I could only download the color version - and it was still fantastic. The visuals are so vibrant that at times it felt like I was watching a comic book come to life, or a super-saturated Hollywood musical from the 1950s.

The story is straightforward and entertaining, and the show seems to know exactly what it is. It never takes itself too seriously, which is part of its charm. And Nicolas Cage appears to be having an absolute blast. He's full Nicolas Cage - which, in a show like this, turns out to be exactly the right amount of Nicolas Cage.

If you're looking for something fun, stylish, and a little different, it's well worth a watch. :-)

Yes, you read the title correctly.

Thought this little nugget from today's The Athletic Windup newsletter would be worth sharing with the Mantel gang on a Friday. I knew that something like this helped inspire The Natural, but don't remember if I ever got all the details about it. In any event, I definitely never knew it was captured on a baseball card... Here's the subsequent write-up:

"Listen … Whew.

It’s one thing to lead with the words, “In 1949 I was shot by a deranged girl.” You already have a very memorable baseball card there. But when the prompt is “MY BIGGEST THRILL IN BASEBALL” … instant classic. It’s a spit take in card form.

If you’re like me, this card was never going to provide enough information to sate your curiosity. Fear not, the SABR Bio project has you covered, and — as the card suggests — it’s a doozy. "

Disclaimer to kick things off: What Wander Franco did wasn't just wrong, it was reprehensible. With that context established...

It seems that with yesterday's ruling there are signs of an ever-so-slight uptick in Franco's card market, which frankly baffles me. Given US immigration laws a work visa seems highly unlikely regardless of whether the Rays or MLB want him back, which makes any speculative buying difficult to justify on its face. I can understand sellers wanting to unload their cards for whatever they can get. What I don't understand is why anyone would want to buy them, unless they somehow believe there's a realistic path back to the majors and are trying to "buy low" ahead of it.

Personally, this feels less like a forgotten market opportunity and more like a reminder that collecting carries risks that go far beyond on-field performance. Sometimes the biggest collapse in a player’s market has nothing to do with talent at all.

A couple months ago I posted about boxing's Four Kings, so today I thought I'd showcase cards of a few other fighters. Although I don't have many, there’s something timeless to me about boxing collectibles. They’re almost like pieces of American mythology from eras when champions became cultural icons.