Featured Post

Quick Thoughts on the Upper Deck Fiasco

Upper Deck played with fire and got burned, I can't say that most of us didn't see that coming...

According to the Yahoo! article, "Upper Deck Co will pay Major League Baseball Properties a 'substantial' sum, plus more than $2.4 million to settle earlier debts, to resolve a lawsuit accusing the baseball card maker of using the sport's logos without permission." 

Major League Baseball was quoted as calling the settlement "a clear and decisive victory."  On the other hand, Upper Deck still displayed its usual bravado saying "“(we are) pleased with the settlement including the amount the company paid as it relates to the trading cards released in 2010.  As a company, we are changing the direction of Upper Deck’s baseball products going forward. We are looking forward to creating fresh and innovative set content that will continue to get collectors excited.”  (source)

And so, the real question is:  Can Upper Deck recover from their latest mistake?  While it might be interesting to see what "fresh and innovative set content" Upper Deck can produce, is there anyone who really thinks they are about to revolutionize the card industry?  In a word, no. 

In fact, I think it's more likely Upper Deck will produce a product full touting Shoeless Joe relics and Pete Rose autographs while delivering little more than no-name signatures and lots of shots of players facing away from the camera.  I can't see how a decent card set design can be made when Upper Deck cannot use any team names, logos, etc., including photographs.  Sure, they could make a set akin to a portraits set, but that's only one (legitimate) possibility...how else can they possible round out a calendar's worth of releases? 

Oh, and one more thing, as for the above quote "as a company, we are changing the direction of Upper Deck's baseball products going forward"...  OF COURSE YOU ARE.  YOU JUST LOST A LAWSUIT THAT FORCES YOU TO CHANGE.  Upper Deck might be short of a lot of things (brains, talent, common sense, etc.) but the one thing they aren't short of is arrogance. 

Remember Upper Deck, in the words of English novelist Samuel Butler:  "The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance."  And you, Upper Deck, are the most ignorant and arrogant of all.

Comments

  1. I really think the whole situation is pretty sad.It's all about money,like the big companies and sports stars don't have enough.Having just one licensed product,to me, is not enough.I say,bring Pacific back to baseball!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:18 PM

    Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment