A card for your collection? Let’s find out…

Who is the winner?

Last week, I shared a story about the Avery Jenkins card.

This card played a part in me getting interested in the sport. Though I imagine I would have found the game again without this card — but who knows when?

It’s funny how things like this happen. I’ve since talked to people who have tried to find these cards, only to not be able to get one in a pack. And though the base cards can be found on card collecting sites, there’s still the cool feeling of finding a card you want when you crack a box and few packs.

Some of the cards I’ve pulled from packs over the years (Cole Hamels jersey card; Torii Hunter bat card; Jim Thome jersey card) mean more to me than some of my favorite cards that I’ve had to scrounge through eBay auctions or card shows.

So, yes, it was cool to pull Avery’s card.

And it’s even cooler to give a few of these away knowing some people are going to really enjoy them. Especially that they are autographed. And, another cool point is he signed these for these giveaways.

Anyway, reading the comments on here and on Facebook showed that Avery is, indeed, a great ambassador of the sport and earned his spot on a card.

I know, you are all wanting me to announce some winners. But give me some slack here! I wanted to show a couple of people’s comments from the original story.

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The card that changed my view of disc golf

It started with a card.

After my first round or two of disc golf, I wasn’t fully hooked. (Can you imagine that?) It was interesting, to be sure. But it’s not something I thought I would catch on as a personal sport or hobby.

I couldn’t see it on TV.

The closest course was a little more than an hour away.

And, truthfully, it was frustrating to throw a disc, watch it sail 20 feet up in the air and then drop a mere 75 feet away.

A few months after my initial exposure to the sport, I was at a baseball card show with a friend. I’ve long been a collector of baseball cards, so I’m always interested in opening new items. During this trip, two of us decided to split a hobby box of 2010 Allen and Ginter cards, a Topps product.

Midway through the box, I cracked a pack and sifted through the cards. I abruptly stopped as I came across an interesting one.

It was Avery Jenkins.

Though Allen and Ginter cards are mainly baseball, the set also features some interesting people — such as athletes from other sports, pop culture items and even odd things from many years ago (such as having a strand of hair from George Washington).

The card I pulled out of an Allen & Ginter pack.

And there, staring back at me, was Avery Jenkins putting. A disc golfer and somebody I had never heard of.

That made me wonder why in the world he was on a card.

Turns out he’s one of the best in the world. At disc golf.

When I started playing, I realized there was some sort of a national tour. I understood there were some major tournaments. And heck, I realized people made some coin playing disc golf.

But was this game big enough that Topps would find a disc golfer to put on a card? And with further research, I found out there were certified autographs and game-used cards for Jenkins.

That intrigued me.

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