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Throwin' it back


Facebook. What a disaster.

I've been a participant for five years now but have always navigated it like walking through a questionable neighborhood after dark. Why are the people that I thought I knew so weird on here? Why do they love wine, cats and guns so much? Why do they sound like my 78-year-old uncle railing about the government? And how do these ads know what I like to buy?

With the hearings on Capitol Hill, I still don't know exactly what Facebook is accused of doing (and please don't tell me), but it kind of looks like the beginning of the end for the media platform. Actually, I thought the beginning of the end started about two years ago when people became noticeably more grim and annoying in their posting.

It made me miss the relatively lighthearted, nonsensical days of Facebook. Farmville and all that garbage. I didn't participate in any of it, but who didn't enjoy watching video of someone pouring a large bucket of ice water on their head?

Throwback Thursday, that was another meaningless thing. But I liked seeing photos of adults my age when they were younger. I knew many of them when they were younger. It was good to go back to those days.

Topps knows all about that. It goes back to those days all the time. And in the most unholy of unions it has joined those old days with a new, distasteful invention, the online exclusive.

Since 2016, I believe, it's been releasing cards online in its "Throwback Thursday" line. These are cards you can obtain only through the Topps site, or -- if you're smarter -- at a reduced price at one of the many other online locations.

Because I have too much to do as it is, and too many collecting interests featuring cards that were released the way God intended -- IN PACKS -- I put the online Throwback Thursday cards out of my mind. I forgot all about them.

That's the way it stood until I was working on that Through the Years Clayton Kershaw post. In the process of determining the different past Topps designs that have featured Kershaw, I came across a Throwback Thursday card of Kershaw on the 1976 Topps design.

It was enough for me to check the prices on ebay. I found one that was reasonable and ordered it. It's my first Throwback Thursday card.

It's a healthy bit of cardboard. Sturdy Heritage-like stock, much more sturdy then your average 1976 Topps card. The colors are faithful even if the fonts are a bit off, as always.


The back, though, oh, man, the back.

It sure looks like 1976 on the reverse side, right down to the unreadable black type on the dark kelly green background.

But there is nothing informative on the back. It's one big advertisement for the Throwback Thursday set. It can't even tell you who the five other "highly anticipated MLB Opening Day starters" are because they aren't listed.

That part of the #TBT card is disappointing.

But I won't throw it back. I'll add it to my other Kershaw cards. I'll even consider another TBT Dodger card if the price is right. But I doubt you'll see a want list or anything like that.

These TBT cards are just all right. Kind of in between someone getting ice water dumped on their head and someone trying to convince you their political opinion is the right one.

Good luck, Facebook.

Not sure you'll be around for much longer. But you'll probably be around longer than I'm on Facebook.

Comments

Brett Alan said…
Not only is the back devoid of information, but there is a random cartoon with no explanation showing an oversized hitter intimidating a small pitcher, for a set which is supposed to celebrate pitchers. Yeesh!
Adam said…
"Facebook. What a disaster."

"I've ... always navigated it like walking through a questionable neighborhood after dark."

These are both true statements.

The only reason I use Facebook is to participate in a few discussion groups and I use the messenger app because it's easier for me to contact some of my friends that way than it is to text them. I haven't been following the FB proceedings on Capitol Hill but based upon your summation above, it seems that the death knell might be ringing for it.
Nick Vossbrink said…
What the hell is Topps thncking with that righthanded pitcher figure?
Billy Kingsley said…
Facebook used to be fun, when people would share what they are doing. Now it's mostly whining about everything, and stopped being fun a long time ago. However, it's my only really good connection to my family members spread out across the country so I keep it around.
Fuji said…
Facebook allows me to keep in touch with my relatives in Hawaii. Funny thing is... I have their phone numbers and they have mine. But we never bother to call each other or text each other. Instead I'll comment on their posts (since I rarely post anything on my personal FB account)... and they'll "like" my comment and maybe 20% of the time... they'll comment back. If FB dies... maybe we'll go back to the olden days when we actually talked on the phone.
Anonymous said…
Amen to that. The back doesn't bother me, but the fact that they go as far as to mention the "pitcher illustration" and then use the RHP "illustration" for all pitchers regardless of handedness... well...