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+---- Thread: *The Hunt for Raylan Crowder (a pack opening story) (/showthread.php?tid=26936)
*The Hunt for Raylan Crowder (a pack opening story) - Asked Madden - 10-25-2020
A look into the mind of a card collecting addict
It's now been 30 days since I made the decision to start saving up packs. This lines up with the day of the draft and the confirmation I would be getting a sick rookie card. With the amount I've spent on these cards since then I could instead have had enough for S26 top tier kit and a couple of +5 weekly trainings. But, no! Dotts manages to release all of those addictive endorphins which I'd managed to keep under control after a brief but passionate fling with Marvel Collect! by Topps.
What better way to make up for this huge expendeture than to write a big beefy piece of media to go alongside the pack opening - infringing on my fellow birddog alumnis gimmick - sorry AirCrou. I plan on doing a small blurb/fact for each individual card packed. And if I get the time a bit of a statistical analysis. So far in my Dotts travels I've packed 2 awards card and 2 ultimus - all for the wraiths, we'll see if my wraiths streak continues through this unboxing. The hope is to pick up at least a couple of Sabercats Ultimus & active player cards. But the real hunt is for the new Rookie series in particular that fresh Raylan Crowder first round card (why is my handwriting so bad), although getting a Guy Fields, Rich Triplett or Zoe Watts would be a decent enough consolation.
I had planned on waiting until the Sabercats ultimus cards were in packs before starting to open them but when the rookie ones dropped I had to open up a few. I've gone with opening the first 10 and saving the rest for ultimus Sabercats.
So without further ado let's get into the pack opening!!
Pack 1
Card 1
Cliff Hamilton - Season 1 Oline for the Otters. Backup Tier. Off to a flyer with auld Cliff. Couldn't be anymore excited if I tried. First card of the day a backup Oline. Hopefully mot a sign of things to come.
Card 2
Tomage McGullager - Season 23 CB for the Copperheads. Backup Tier
Possibly picked in expansion or traded for as McGullager appears to now be on the silverbacks. He's having a mediocre season for a CB with 39 tackles and 10 PDs at time of writing.
Card 3
Caesar McMillan - Season 3 RB for the Wraiths. Has a cute doggo in the render that's about as much as I can say about this card, appearing to be a second early season failure. Backup tier
Card 4
Our first of (hopefully) many interesting cards Philadelphia Liberty logo card. We finally break the backup streak with a reasonably new series the team logo cards. Now I skated this one in another piece of media and as a European I'll stick by it. A liberty Bell logo sucks.
Card 5
Back to back logo cards with the Baltimore Hawks showing up next. The hawks are one of my least favourite brandings due to hawks feeling overused. The other logo I slated in that media piece is the hawks. I'm bit a big fan of bird of prey logos and the hawks I feel are in need of an update. Still, a much better card than a backup tier Oline.
Card 6
Oh shit, it's a new series - Derred De Ville of the Baltimore Hawks Captain card. A suave render in Colin firth goes really well with the dark background on this one. The linebacker is marshaling the hawks Defense at LB and is putting in some performances leading the hawks to a winning record at time of writing.
Pack 1 review:
I opened this one as that itch needed scratched. With the first three coming out as backups I was under the impression it would be a huge waste of 500k. But with quality of the final 3 cards the pack was saved.
That Derred De Ville card will be in the top 5 cards I've drawn so far.
Pack Count:
Backup x3
Logo x2
Captain x1
Pack 2
Card 1
Martavius Mack - season 15 S for he colorado yeti. The second pack starting off exactly as the 1st did, with 3 backup tier cards in a row. Mack doesn't appear to have made a huge splash in the league so I won't linger.
Card 2
Will Foster - Season 11 DT for the wraiths. Another backup tier card. Not much to say on this one either. Fantastic pack so far...
Card 3
DJ Riddick - Season 8 RB for the San Jose Sabercats - Backup Tier
The most exciting thing about this card is the team. Seriously I want to do some digging into players backgrounds but it's pretty difficult when everyone has minimal TPE/impact in the league.
Card 4
Here we goooo!!!
We have our first First Round Rookie card and it is looking fresh!!!
We've got 209Tacos render and S25 TPE leader Tex Wrecks a Defensive End locking down running lanes for the Philadelphia Liberty. Wrecks was pick number 3 in the draft, starting a run of 3 DEs coming off the board in Wrecks, Crowder and Ruschmann. At time of writing Wrecks has 8 tackles for loss and 5 sacks putting in some very impressive performances for a rookie! As a user, the effort he puts into his signatures are second to none.
Not the card I'm looking for but definitely a top 5 pull from Dotts so far.
Card 5
JaBrill Tuck - Season 12 DE for the Sabercats. And just like that the excitement ends. Taken away as quickly as it came. Another Rookie Tier card to add to the growing pile. I do need to mention though that all of these Jersey swaps have been top notch so far!
Card 6
We round off pack 2 with another limp dick backup tier.
Vince Lockley a season 1 DE for the New Orleans Second Line. (editors note: Choosing Defensive End in season 1 appears to have been a death sentence. So many backups incoming).
Pack 2 review:
Close to being the most disappointing pack of all time but fortunately Tex Wrecks broke up the backup streak and breathed some much needed excitement into the pack.
Pack Count:
Backup x5
Rookie x1
Pack 3
Card 1
We open up with a... Yes you guessed it backup tier. An interesting colour choice for this one in Greg Taylor the season 1 DE from the Liberty.
Card 2
Becoming rather predictable now with a second backup tier card. This one is season 4s Andreas Walters a DE out of Arizona. Seriously what is with DEs and not making much TPE before leaving?
Card 3
Hooray we have a change of pace. Still not hugely exciting but we have opened our first K/P in Chicago Butchers season 22 pickup Sam Sidekick. Our first Starter Tier Sidekick is having a mediocre year as far as kicking is concerned hitting less than 90% of his field goals and missing 1 XP so far.
Card 4
We have a second starter tier here in season 3 LB Wallace Stone from the Second Line. The most exciting thing about this card is the silver border as opposed to bronze.
Card 5
This one turned out to be the most exciting card of the pack - Season 3 Arizona Outlaws WR Budda Browning. A really nice looking swap here and our first star tier card. Browning had a really good season 7 with him topping out with the 4th highest receiving yards.
Card 6
And we round out the day with another disappointing pull. Omar Wrong a season 8 DT out of the Colorado Yeti. This render is a favourite of mine though as I really dig the old school style uniforms & hairstyle. Still it's a Backup Tier from long ago.
Pack Review:
This pack only had half of the cards at the bronze backup tier which is fine I guess. We got our first starters and stars which is cool but a disappointing lack of special series.
Pack count:
Backup x3
Starter x2
Star x1
Pack 4
Card 1
Four packs in and we're finally cooking on gas. The first card we see is veteran running back and all around nice guy Forrest Gump picked in season 15 by the Second Line. Gump has been a lifetime NOLA alum and is a living legend there. Although his best years are past him these days, he's still plodding away with over 350 yards rushing to go with a TD at time of writing. Looking through NO's records, Gump holds the record for longest punt return (80 yards) and most punt return touchdowns in a season (2). Legend Tier Card and legend tier user.
Card 2
Awards Card!! Dougie Smalls - S22 Kicker of the Year. If their is one team I seem to have luck with when pulling these cards it's the Yellowknife Wraiths, this is my 3rd award card for the team. I forget how well done these awards cards are, the designs really do make them look special and are exciting to pull every time!
Its easy to see why he won this award, the most XPs made with only one FG missed over the year (including 100% accuracy from >50 yards) what a season.
Card 3
We come back down to earth with the next card pulling a backup tier season 12 WR out of the colorado yeti in player Rylant Wright.
Card 4
Bisquiteen Crocker - Season 1 DE out of Baltimore. This backup tier card would go by without much of a mention if it wasn't for that fantastic name. Seriously. Legend tier in the all Name Dotts series. Ayy we're back to season 1 DEs who capped at bronze tier.
Card 5
An OL season 15 starter out of Austin with this card, Edmond Beaver-Dantes is another strong name. Wearing number 69 and the name Beaver-Dantes, we should have had an Oline HoF worthy player here but alas instead we have a capped at starter, forgotten by the masses equivalent of a pokemon energy card.
Card 6
Rounding out the best pack so far is Cadillac Harris - a season 22 CB wearing the colours of the Champions. Harris has since moved on to pastures new and his now plying his trade in the city of Baltimore. Another starter tier card. With 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles on the year, Harris is making his mark on a surprisingly good Baltimore team.
Pack Review:
The two great quality cards at the top of this pack definitely make up for the lackluster end. An award and a living legend in the same pack is something you would never turn down! Plus a couple of great names elsewhere and its safe to say this is the best pack up until this point .
Pack Count:
Backup x2
Starter x2
Legend x1
Award x1
Pack 5
Card 1
After the last fantastic pack it only seems right to go back to opening up a bronze card as the first one of this pack. Here we have Rolf Larsendorf a Season 1 TE out of the New Orleans Second Line. I'm really digging the colours of these old second line players. Larsendorf unfortunately never made it past the backup TPE tier.
Card 2
Jonathan Altidor - Season 22 CB for the Liberty. Back to the usual same old same old of 3 cards in a row being backups. No offence meant to altidor and his creator but, I really don't care much. 2/2 so far on backups
Card 3
Donatello Arrabiata - season 22 TE for the Liberty. Oh baby a triple! At least this one is a guy fieri render with a pasta sauce name. There are definitely worse cards to pull. Backup tier.
Card 4
Vince Lockleu - Season 1 DE for New Orleans Second Line. What is with the first few seasons of this league. Every single DE I find from back then is a backup. Did any DLine whatsoever stick around after the first season? Backup tier.
Card 5
Tyron Smith - season 2 OL for Yellowknife. This is another boring one a season 2 backup Oline yayy, hold me back whilst I do summersaults celebrating this pull. Backup tier.
Card 6
Giannis Kroustis, Air Crou! Season 15 All Pro DT out of Yellowknife.
Finally, a card worth its salt. Air Crou was on the birddogs with me last season and was actually the inspiration around starting this series of openings on the back of his own card opening media. Here we have his now retired DT Kroustis, a top end championship and award winning DT. It feels right to have pulled him from a pack.
Pack review:
A pile of shite covered in tinsel is still a pile of shite. Even with the Crou pull this has to be one of the worst packs so far.
Pack Count:
Backup Tier x5
All-Pro x1
Pack 6
Card 1
Daniel George season 22 backup TE for the Otters. This is all getting rather repetitive another pack. Another bronze colour card to start another opening.
Card 2
Owen Taylor Season 2 RB for the Baltimore Hawks All-Pro. Taylor is a legend around Baltimore. Holding the single game records for rush attempts (40) rushing yards (181) and rushing touchdowns (4) as well as the less illustrious single game lead for fumble recoveries (2).
He also holds the Baltimore season records for rush attempts (378), yards (1713) and touchdowns (23).
A legendary season, I'm not sure if fantasy was a thing back then but you can be sure if it was Taylor helped some lucky people to victory.
Card 3
San Jose Sabercats - Logo Card
Since the announcement of logo cards I've been hoping to get the Sabercats one just to represent my team once the ability to showcase certain cards is introduced to the Dotts website. It may look like a bootleg version of the thundercats logo but its my bootleg version of the thundercats logo.
Card 4
Big Edd - season 22 DT dressed in sailfish colours. Starter Tier
Big Edd is a legendary figure in the Birddogs locker room. I've never had the pleasure to chat to him but the fact his render is a snorlax is enough to convince me that he is a hero amongst men. I'm fairly positive he is no longer at the Sailfish and is, instead, now rocking the blue and yellow of the Hahalua.
Card 5
Arik Eller - Season 23 DE for Baltimore Hawks Backup Tier
Eller now appears to be in butchers colours but for the purpose of this card be is another hawk. Having a decent year with 5 sacks and 10 TFL so far.
Card 6
Jason Spearhead Season 1 DE for Yellowknife Wraiths - backup. I don't know what it is about season 1 but none of their DE seemed to want to stick around... It is quite an unsexy position so the lack of stats could have turned people away.
Pack Review:
A top tier running back before the RBBC took hold, big Edd and a logo card really make this pack a good one. Not excellent, but a lot better than some of the trash you can find.
Pack Count
Backup x3
Starter x1
All pro x1
Logo x1
Pack 7
Card 1
Ja Brill Season 1 S for the San Jose Sabercats Star Tier. For a player who never made it out of star tier he played a very long time. Making it 11 seasons before hanging up the cleats.
Card 2
Xavien Adams season 18 CB for the sailfish. Adams didn't appear to have any stand out years (though I may have missed a year or so in the index) Adams seemed to be a tackle monster who lasted a long time in the league! He made it to All Pro status and at one point had the most amount of tackles in the league for a CB.
Card 3
C.J. Reilly season 23 S for the Hawks. It appears that reilly is already out of the league or just so poor that they are yet to record a stat. They do have a general Grievous render though so that manages to boost up their coolness factor a bit. And it will be no shock to anyone that here we have a Backup tier
Card 4
Lefty Louis season 21 K for the Liberty. I'm assuming Louis was a left footed kicker hence the name so thats a bit of something different. Nothing else to say here other than Backup tier.
Card 5
Marcus Kane season 2 S for the Wraiths. Plus points: this isn't a bronze tier card... Still a starter from season 2 isn't exactly the most exciting prospect for someone who only joined the league a month or two ago. Starter Tier.
Card 6
Warren Stephens season 20 LB for the Yeti. With 8 TFL and only 2 sacks Stephens is having a reasonably quiet year for the Yeti so far but he does appear to be getting utilised at DE as opposed to LB. Which is strange considering they have a young up and coming DE in Ruschmann playing DT. Anyway, always nice to grab a Star Tier card.
Pack Review:
An all pro and 2 stars makes this pack more lucrative than most that I've opened so far. Still, nothing hugely exciting in this one.
Pack Count:
Backup x2
Starter x1
Star x2
All-Pro x1
Pack 8
Card 1
Adriana Falconi season 10 QB for the Liberty All Pro. Starting off with a bang with an All Pro QB. First question I have is, is this render Rachel Weisz? Because if its not there's someone out there who looks like (a possibly younger) Rachel Weisz and I need to know who that is.
Falconi from what I can see never lit the world on fire in her 10 year career, always a middle tier QB until bottoming out towards the end.
Card 2
Jonathan King Season 3 CB for the Otters star tier. Another not bronze to open the pack makes for a nice change. Looking at the history books, King appears to have been a member of the otters for 7/8 seasons. Another role-player in that, he never let the team down but also never lit the world up.
Card 3
Nate Piazza Season 10 S for the Wraiths Backup tier. Hey, this guy isn't a DE and his name is almost pizza. That's the positives here. Not much else.
Card 4
Samuel 2hang season 3 CB from arizona backup tier. The most eye catching part of this player is the fact he has the number 2 in his name. Either that or the card font isn't kind to the letter Z.
Card 5
Daniel George season 22 TE for the otters backup tier. George appeared to play some FB for the otters in season 24 and if I'm not mistaken is back to playing TE but now for the Sabercats. MIA for a number of months now.
Card 6
Earl Sauce Season 18 TE for the Yeti - All pro is one of the few season 18 names I'm aware of and this is entirely down to getting him as a waiver pickup for fantasy after ditching Blocksdale after the second round of games. Not quite in the elite tier of receiving TE he's still having a decent enough go at it.
Pack Review:
Hitting a double All-Pro pack was quite nice. Its fair to say though, that I'd like a few more special series cards to make get those endorphins running again. The almost 50% backup tier up to this point is fairly soul destroying.
Pack Count:
Backup x3
Star x1
All Pro x2
Pack 9
Card 1
Levon Novel Season 1 S for the Yeti. Backup. We start this pack with another uninspiring card. I have to say hats off to all the card makers, trowling through the depths of all the sub 300 TPE players and still making them cards.
Card 2
Lawrence Bass Season 22 LB for the Sabercats Star tier. I am hyped up for this one. Bass labeled as an LB appears to be filling in on the other side of the DLine from myself. Bass has a big E render, which I am personally a large fan of. Bass is having an excellent season from DE racking up 39 tackles, 10 of which were for a loss, alongside 5 sacks and even a pass defended.
Card 3
Rock Hardshaft season 15 LB for the Liberty backup tier. This is one of those players who has wasted a fantastic name on a terrible player. Seriously, Rock Hardshaft just hits differently and I would be a big fan if they were able to have stayed the course and continued on.
Card 4
Randy Vuxta season 20 WR for the Liberty. Star tier. Vuxta is having a very solid season with 39 receptions for 768 yards at time of writing for Liberty. Also has a fairly decent 7 TDs up till this point which isn't something to shake a stick at.
Card 5
Django Anoa'i season 12 WR for the copperheads. Star Tier. Anoai topped out at season 18 just shy of 1000 yards, with a still healthy 968 yard season. Never really reached the elite player category but still a decent role player through their career.
Card 6
Jacob Small season 22 k for the sailfish. Starter Tier. Small had a very good season last year for the sailfish and is still kicking decently this year. He'll look to continue his career with them for as long as possible.
Pack Review
3 stars is fine. One of them being Bass definitely ups the base card value but still not what we're looking for here. If only that Rookie Crowder card would pop. Rapid Eagle and Jo3Fi5h both seem to have unpacked one so far.
Pack count
Backup x2
Starter x1
Star x3
Pack 10
Card 1
Jaylen Storm Season 16 LB for the Otters starter tier. Jaylen Storm is a fantastic superhero name. Alas storm was not a superhero in the ISFL.
Card 2
Thorian Skarsgard Season 12 DT for the otters All Pro. Skarsgard is another very strong name, but the difference from storm is Skarsgards staying power. At the peak of his TPE Skarsgard had a huge 10 sack season for the otters clearly having a huge impact for the Dynasty.
Card 3
Mike Franchet season 18 DE for the liberty. Backup tier. Now normally I'd skip straight past this one but I'm fairly positive this is the initial player of user - Deadly Player. Who I'm quite fond of. Mike Franchet was retired too soon, probably down to some form of controversy I'm not aware of.
Card 4
Kai Sakura season 23 WR for the wraiths starter. Sakura is putting in a big shift this year for the wraiths and is really leading by example as his captain designation expects. 49 receptions for over 700 yards and 8 TDs is a great first 2/3rds of a season.
Card 5
Jonathan King Season 3 CB for the Otters star tier a doubler. You want to read what I think of this card, feel free to go back to pack 8. This is the first double I've recognised from this set of pack opening but I could be wrong. If you notice any others feel free to leave a comment telling me I'm a fucking idiot.
Card 6
Monteray Jack the cheeseman himself Season 22 QB for the Sabercats Star tier. Monty is one of my favourite people in the league, and is one of the biggest reasons I'm a Sabercat at this point in time. Championship winning QB in S24 Monty is going to lead the Sabercats to more championships for years to come.
Pack Review:
An all pro and a Sabercat hero certainly makes this pack a decent way to finish off part one of the Hunt for Raylan Crowder. Disappointingly also got our first double, however one double out of 60 cards pulled isn't a bad effort.
Pack Count:
Backup x1
Starter x2
Star x2
All Pro x1
Conclusion:
So disappointment is the theme of the day. 1 Rookie, 1 Captain and 1 Awards card. 0 holo still no HoF lots and lots of basics. We'll continue the hunt for Raylan Crowder once the Sabercats Ultimus cards are out, I want a Matty card.
Running Total:
Basic x29
Starter x9
Star x9
All Pro x6
Legend x1
Rookie x1
Captain x1
Award x1
Logo x3
RE: The Hunt for Raylan Crowder (a pack opening story) - GlimsTC - 10-25-2020
Maybe we can combine the force of our pain to bring better luck to us both
RE: The Hunt for Raylan Crowder (a pack opening story) - Asked Madden - 10-25-2020
I will trade you all the chika in the world for a Crowder