The store recieved the new blaster box version of the 2022 Panini Contenders Football product last week. As always, we decided to crack one for your (and our) entertainment.
With eight cards per pack and five packs per blaster, Contenders promotes one autograph or Rookie Ticket Swatch per box, on average. My question has always been about the “on average” piece. If we are finding boxes that don’t have the stated auto or memorabilia, are we also finding boxes that have multiples? That would be the definition of averaging out. I’m not sure I have ever heard of multiple hits per blaster. Also, I would almost guarantee that the memorabilia pulled won’t be a “swatch”. But I digress.
If you think Contenders Hobby is one of the bigger hit or miss products out there, well, let’s just say blaster boxes provide even more of a challenge, although the price (currently around $35) makes for a somewhat softer landing if you don’t find much to your liking.
Aside from a bunch of base cards, the first pack offered a Gladiator subset card of Chicago Bears Hall of Fasme linebacker Dick Butkus.
Being a lifelong Bears fan, I can appreciate this one. Nearly 50 years after his career came to an end, Butkus cards are still coming out of packs and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The second pack started out with a bunch of base cards followed at the tail end by an MVP Contenders of Kansas City Chiefs mega star QB Patrick Mahomes. What is left to be said about Mahomes’ greatness? Not much. He’s one of the few players where pulling any card of his is a win, even though Panini makes a lot of them.
The third pack featured more base and a Game Day Ticket subset card of Los Angeles Rams superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp (side note, Cooper is my young daughter’s current favorite player). It’s a nice action shot.
What’s better than one Mahomes card? How about two in the same box? Our fourth pack yielded a fairly tough and very attractive Sparkle SP Mahomes parallel.
The card does indeed have an understated sparkle. A great pull from a blaster box, for sure.
Our fifth and final pack featured a basic memorabilia hit of New York Giants rookie wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. The Rookie Ticket features a blue piece of some type of Giants gear that, I assume, Robinson may have been in the same room as at some point.
It was great to finally feel like we did well with a blaster box. While much of the content is base oriented, Contenders can be a fun rip. This one was a Mahomes centric box and you sure can’t argue with that.
Check out sports card boxes of all kinds in Sports Zone’s online store here.
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