Surreal that I picked up this Project 22 card of Eric Cantona by artist Neil Stevens at the Burbank show on Saturday. Ironically, Cantona is pictured dressed as a king in this collectible. I think I may know where Mr. Stevens found the inspiration for the design. Oasis announced today that the brothers are making up after 15 years and they will tour in 2025. What do Oasis and Cantona have to do with each other - well, quite a lot. While the Gallagher boys are huge Manchester City fans, Liam always respected Eric during his playing days at fierce rivals Manchester United. Catona put out an Instagram of himself singing Liam's song Once - which led to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDhiQfekdxo . Liam then described how that all went down. Liam Gallagher talking about Eric Cantona doing the video for Once - YouTube
My favorite version though is the King's final goodbye at the Theater of Dreams, Old Trafford. Liam Gallagher - Once - Video Tribute to ERIC CANTONA- Short Film - YouTube
Welcome back Oasis! Football misses you still Eric! Always wear your collar up.
 
"You can change your wife, your politics, your religion, but never, never can you change your football team" - Eric Cantona.

My favorite fubol magazine to read is These Football Times. I did order their 50th anniversary copy The Greatest 50 (thesefootballtimes.shop). Besides naming the top 50 teams, rivalries, and players, they also name their best top 50 futbol team logos of all time. I wanted to see if my all-time favorite team logo for Pumas from Mexico was in there, and they sure were at number 8. I was then amazed to see a team that is only two years old come in at number 6, Angel City FC. Had to look up the story behind the logo and found this great story for you to read for yourself on how that beautiful logo came about. Angel City FC reveals team logo ahead of NWSL debut in 2022 - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) So cool to hear the creators’ thoughts and feelings that went in to creating the logo. I have attached a copy of my favorite Angel City collectible. This is a digital collectible (nft) 1/1 that I found on a site called Keepr. Keepr is the digital footprint of Parkside Collectibles. Parkside has the licensing for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Parkside is an incredible story in itself but will save that story for another day. Parkside partners with Dapper Labs for their digital platform.
I do believe in licensed digital collectibles. I can hear all the groans right now. All good. I just think the blockchain is so underutilized in collectibles. I think the blockchain is the ultimate breathing checklist. I tracked this attached 10/10 logo of Brazil 1970 on Panini platform for months. I used the blockchain to follow the card and was able to make several offers before the seller sold it to me. World Cup 1970 is the most important futbol collectible set for me, as that is the first Panini World Cup set, as well as the first color television broadcast from that Mexico World Cup. This is also the World Cup where Pele went Pele, wearing the famous number 10. This makes this collectible a triple 10 for me. You see the logo, you see the card number, and you know what it means. The following is a cool site to follow the evolution of the Jogo Bonito Team Logo starting in 1914. You can also check your favorite futbol team logo and history on this clever site Brazil Logo History (footballkitarchive.com).  Hope the Angel City logo will only have one evolution on their site. Angel City logo is perfect as is. What is your favorite team logo?
((bio+art+story+create)/rarity) x passion = collect

Succession: the act of succeeding or coming after another in order or sequence or to an office, estate, throne, etc
After winning the French Open and Wimbledon, I thought the Paris Olympic final would be the formal, notarized signing of moving the Men's Trinity of Tennis (Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic) to Carlos Alcaraz and Generation Next. But the Joker stated "I am still the King" in an incredible, electric match. Time and succession will have to wait for another day. Long live the King!
Sports channel surfing a couple of years ago, I came across the ending of a game featuring Carlos Alcarez. He had just lost. I had no idea who he was. Martina Navratilova in the post-game talked about how she thought Carlos Alcaraz would be the next chapter in tennis. I figured Martina knows best. As a collector of course, that meant wondering what company provides tennis player cards and is there a Carlos Alcaraz rookie card. I found a company called NetPro. They mentioned that they had just signed up Carlos Alcaraz, and that you could sign up to be on a list on when his cards would roll out. NETPRO – Carlos Alcaraz Officially Licensed Rookie Card Collection - NetPro® | Officially Licensed Tennis Trading Cards (netprocards.com) I signed up, forgot all about it, until a couple of months later when I received an email while online that they were live. I was able to buy these two before they sold out. Pretty lucky! Still have them in the NetPro packaging.
I feel that sports cards not in the top three market of men's basketball, baseball and football are having their moment. Do you feel the same?

Babe Ruth's Curse ended when the Red Sox won the world series in 2004. Bela's Curse continues. I mentioned the 1961/1962 European Cup Winners Benfica in the first Lisbon post. Collecting in Lisbon (1 of 2) (onmantel.com) Manager of Benfica team in 61 and 62 was Bela Guttmann, a former Hungarian footballer. Arriving at the same time was a young player named Eusebio, who was Portugal’s greatest footballer, until a certain brash number 7 came along. Bela Guttmann has an incredible story on surviving the Holocaust to become manager of the back-to-back European Club Champions, Bela's father and sister did not survive. David Bolchover has written an autobiography called The Greatest Comeback. I completed reading the book in one weekend. My father was a huge Benfica and Eusebio fan. He was also a proud paid member of Benfica, which is owned by the fans/members, with a voted in President. Due to a breakdown in contract negotiations after the 1962 championship. Guttmann left the club and allegedly stated that "Benfica would not win another European Championship in 100 years." This has become known as “Bela’s Curse.” Benfica has made it to eight European Club finals since then - and lost each final. When Benfica were in the 1990 European final vs AC Milan, the legend of Eusebio visited Guttmann’s resting place to ask for the end of the Curse. Milan won 1-0 via a Frank Rijkaard goal. The incredible story of Béla Guttmann and his curse on Benfica (portugoal.net)
To honor my dad, I went to visit Estadio da Luz (Stadium of Light) for their stadium and museum tour. I was so excited that I was at the stadium 45 minutes earlier that the tour start time. A young guide who had shown up to work early, incredibly offered to give me an individual tour. She and her father are season ticket holders. She had incredible stories to tell. I did have to stop at the famous Gate 18, where Bela Guttmann stands with the two European trophies and, like thousands of others, I asked for the curse to be lifted. I recently acquired the following two press photos of Bela Guttmann, which I hope to drop off with PSA at the Burbank show this month, hoping they grade out as Type 1.
I especially love the one with Bela playing cards with player Jose Augusto before a game in England (I think against Tottenham Hotspur). The press clipping talks about the difficult contract negotiations and shortly after, Mr. Guttmann was no longer at Benfica, but the Curse certainly was.
Adeus pai, obrigado por tudo

This has been the BEST SUMMER EVER for International Futbol fans/supporters. Instead of a summer following transfer gossip and rumors, we had the Copa America and Euro Cup on the same year, and now come the next generation of footballers - Men and Women Olympic Teams. For all of us that have set alarms for 3 or 4 am in the morning over the years to watch international football, this year's matches have been timely, as you can catch at least a live half in the morning start game before work, and another half (or more) on your lunch break. Argentina opened up this morning with a shock loss to Morrocco and at lunch today, the US Team played well for 60 minutes before France went France. Have no doubt US Team will make it to the knockout stage. First time they have qualified since 2008, so I am hoping for a medal for the US Men's team and hoping for a gold medal for the Women's team. Looking for Sophia Smith to break out and the young Jaedyn Shaw to introduce herself to the futbol world in Paris the next few weeks.
Attached is my only (for now) Olympic futbol collectible. It is a postcard from the 1928 final featuring captain of Argentina Luis Monti and captain of Uruguay Jose Nassazi. The score was tied 1-1 after 90, but unlike nowadays, they did not go to overtime or pens. They played again 3 days later with Uruguay winning the second game 2-1. Two years later in 1930, the inaugural World Cup was held. Both teams made the final again, with Uruguay winning again 4-2. Really love these postcards. You can find them with folks writing notes to each other at that time, which I think is really cool. Here is a good link to the collection. https://www.classicsoccercards.com/post/1928-weenenk-snel-olympische-spielen-1928-amsterdam#google_vignette
Interesting article I came across yesterday regarding the mentioned period. Futbol always needs drama!! CONMEBOL, Uruguay, and the controversy over four stars - Bolavip US
((bio+art+story+create)/rarity) x passion = collect