Latest / The 3Ts: Tables, Tailgates, and Toploaders / A 3Ts Christmas Carol

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A 3Ts Christmas Carol · The 3Ts: Tables, Tailgates, and Toploaders

• WEBVTT 00:00:11.200 --> 00:00:13.320 What's up, friends? Welcome into another episode 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.880 of Tables, Tailgates, and Toploader. So happy 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:18.579 to have you all aboard for this special episode. 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:21.260 I'm your host, TB. Thank you all so very much 00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:23.800 for stopping in and checking out the 3Ts. 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:27.420 Now, we have a lot to get to. Now, what my plan 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:30.179 was, I figured this was going to be a pretty 00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:33.799 quiet holiday episode. I figured that we would 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:36.659 talk maybe a little bit about new Topps products. 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:39.460 We would dive into a little wrestling chatter, 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:42.759 heading into... John Cena's final match coming 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:44.840 up this weekend. And then, of course, obviously, 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.579 we would discuss the huge Bills win over the 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:50.920 Bengals. But then something strange happened. 00:00:51.020 --> 00:00:54.340 So right as I sat down to record, there was a... 00:00:54.670 --> 00:00:57.869 crazy loud knocking sound on my door not a friendly 00:00:57.869 --> 00:01:01.030 tapping if you will but a deep echoing thud that 00:01:01.030 --> 00:01:03.590 sounded like someone just dove off a camper threw 00:01:03.590 --> 00:01:06.849 a folding table onto the cold frozen ground the 00:01:06.849 --> 00:01:09.409 room the room that i'm sitting in right now suddenly 00:01:09.409 --> 00:01:12.750 it got very cold and a chill a chill came over 00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:15.890 me the penny sleeves on my desk started to flutter 00:01:15.890 --> 00:01:18.659 and all of a sudden A shadowy figure slid into 00:01:18.659 --> 00:01:21.180 the doorway holding something that looked suspiciously 00:01:21.180 --> 00:01:24.500 like Bray Wyatt's lantern. This mysterious figure 00:01:24.500 --> 00:01:28.239 seemed to stare right through my soul and announced, 00:01:28.459 --> 00:01:33.319 TB, tonight you will be visited by three ghosts. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:37.239 The ghost of hobby past, the ghost of hobby present, 00:01:37.379 --> 00:01:40.980 and the ghost of hobby yet to come. Then in true 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:44.540 Bray Wyatt fashion, the shadow whispered, They're 00:01:44.540 --> 00:01:47.500 here. Blew out the lantern and suddenly vanished, 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.439 leaving nothing but the faint smell of an extinguished 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:54.340 flame in my recording room. So here we are. It 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:56.500 seems like the spirits of the three T's want 00:01:56.500 --> 00:01:59.640 to take us on a little bit of a journey. And 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:02.180 I've got no choice but to see where the heck 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:04.379 this leads. So come along with me on this very 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:07.379 special holiday edition of Tables, Tailgates, 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:09.560 and Top Loaders. That's right, folks. It's a 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:13.599 three T's Christmas carol. And it's time. It's 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.759 time to open the first door. So I grab ahold 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:18.719 of the handle. I throw open the door and I'm 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.979 greeted by the ghost of hobby past. Now he looks 00:02:21.979 --> 00:02:25.219 mysteriously just like Jake, the snake Roberts 00:02:25.219 --> 00:02:28.599 carrying a canvas sack. I can only presume is 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.310 holding the ghost of his pet. python damien he 00:02:31.310 --> 00:02:34.050 tells me to hang on and suddenly we are flying 00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:36.289 through time and space and come to a crashing 00:02:36.289 --> 00:02:39.710 halt in the bedroom of 11 year old tb it's the 00:02:39.710 --> 00:02:42.770 early 90s and my bedroom walls are lined with 00:02:42.770 --> 00:02:45.330 newspaper cutouts of the buffalo bills shane 00:02:45.330 --> 00:02:47.990 conlon and cornelius bennett nate odoms bruce 00:02:47.990 --> 00:02:51.069 smith howard ballard and kent hull pete metzlars 00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:53.590 and steve tasker andre reed and james lofton 00:02:53.590 --> 00:02:56.849 and of course the great thurman thomas and jim 00:02:56.849 --> 00:03:00.169 kelly This was the team that lit the fire that 00:03:00.169 --> 00:03:04.009 would burn for the next 35 years moving forward. 00:03:04.330 --> 00:03:06.610 We keep flying. There I am again. This time I'm 00:03:06.610 --> 00:03:08.810 sitting on my couch, clutching a pillow to my 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:12.310 face. Tears are flowing down my 11 -year -old 00:03:12.310 --> 00:03:14.569 cheeks. I just watched the ball fly off Scott 00:03:14.569 --> 00:03:18.830 Norwood's foot, floating 47 long yards through 00:03:18.830 --> 00:03:22.229 the air, ultimately sailing wide right of the 00:03:22.229 --> 00:03:24.430 uprights as the final seconds take off the clock 00:03:24.430 --> 00:03:28.669 at the end. of Super Bowl XXV. Heartache begins 00:03:28.669 --> 00:03:31.810 early in life for 11 -year -old me. Little does 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:34.789 this TB know, however, that there will be much 00:03:34.789 --> 00:03:38.030 more to come. We keep on flying and then Ghost 00:03:38.030 --> 00:03:41.330 Jake yet again shows me little TB. This time, 00:03:41.330 --> 00:03:44.530 I'm at something called a mall and it appears 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:47.270 I am there for a card show. I'm searching for 00:03:47.270 --> 00:03:49.729 specific cards for what would be my very first 00:03:49.729 --> 00:03:52.750 personal collection. I'm looking for none other. 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:55.360 then the first baseman for the San Francisco 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.300 Giants, Will Clark. Now, I grew up playing first 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:02.120 base, and despite him being a lefty, I was obviously 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:04.759 not. I was a righty. I wanted to play baseball 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:07.439 just like Will Clark. Now, it would take the 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.419 young TB a few more years to learn that he was 00:04:10.419 --> 00:04:12.599 a total a -hole, but hey, what are you going 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:16.319 to do when you're 11? That's okay. And the 1990s 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:19.170 Donruss baseball card, I'm looking at... In the 00:04:19.170 --> 00:04:21.689 mall, there stood Will the Thrill donning the 00:04:21.689 --> 00:04:24.029 eye black and rocking the awesome first base 00:04:24.029 --> 00:04:27.329 glove. Great stuff if you are an 11 -year -old 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:29.310 kid. And there were others. And I was willing 00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.189 to spend big bucks back then as an 11 -year -old 00:04:32.189 --> 00:04:35.089 kid. I tipped the scales, shelling out a whopping 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:39.250 $1 .75 for a very specific Will Clark card. I 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:42.290 had no clue what was going to happen 35 years 00:04:42.290 --> 00:04:46.199 later to the hobby. Ghost Jake, he drags me out 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:48.339 of the mall, and suddenly I'm back sitting on 00:04:48.339 --> 00:04:52.420 my floor surrounded by 1992, 1993 NBA hoops cards. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:55.500 Young TB knew nothing about penny sleeves or 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:58.319 top loaders, but he had a freaking fabulous time 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:01.199 putting together that awesome Chicago Bulls team. 00:05:01.379 --> 00:05:04.339 There's Will Purdue, John Paxton, Bill Cartwright, 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.000 Horace Grant, B .J. Armstrong, and Scott Williams, 00:05:07.139 --> 00:05:10.259 and finally, Scotty Pippen and the GOAT, Michael 00:05:10.259 --> 00:05:13.300 Jordan. There was never a thought about how much 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:15.139 my collection was worth or how I could easily 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:18.240 flip cards. This was just straight joy. It was 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.199 so much fun to collect as a kid. There was no 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:22.759 stress. There were no worries. The hobby was 00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:25.439 easy. It was accessible. And as an 11 -year -old 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:29.220 kid, it was glorious. Now goes Jake. He then 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:31.879 takes me to see Young TB glued to a television 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:34.680 set at a friend's house. Now this kid's dad, 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.500 he loved wrestling and would always order the 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:40.860 big four pay -per -views. So this would be the 00:05:40.860 --> 00:05:43.550 year. that would completely hook me. This was 00:05:43.550 --> 00:05:45.870 the year I officially became what is known as 00:05:45.870 --> 00:05:49.029 a wrestling mark. It's 1990 and Hulk Hogan just 00:05:49.029 --> 00:05:52.089 eliminated Mr. Perfect to win the Royal Rumble. 00:05:52.230 --> 00:05:55.629 He would go on as WWF champion and a few short 00:05:55.629 --> 00:05:57.870 months later, he would face off against one of 00:05:57.870 --> 00:06:00.209 the most larger than life characters Young TB 00:06:00.209 --> 00:06:04.670 would ever see, the Ultimate Warrior. Fast forward 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:07.839 to April 1st. It's WrestleMania VI, and we are 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.000 about to experience magic from the Sky Dome in 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:14.259 Toronto, Canada. The Intercontinental Champion 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:16.639 Ultimate Warrior would square off in the main 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:20.000 event against the WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.500 a title -for -title, champion -versus -champion, 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:25.240 winner -take -all match labeled the Ultimate 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.300 Challenge. Now, in this Ultimate Challenge, the 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:30.459 Ultimate Warrior would emerge as the victor, 00:06:30.500 --> 00:06:32.699 and this match would mark a huge turning point 00:06:32.699 --> 00:06:37.180 in WWF history. Little does young TB know that 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:40.699 35 years later, he would be rocking a t -shirt 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:45.079 showcasing not only these two iconic WWF superstars, 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.980 but this very same WrestleMania match. Ghost 00:06:48.980 --> 00:06:51.680 Jake finally talks, first time, and he manages 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.439 to whisper, These are the moments and the memories 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:58.779 that cannot be forgotten. This is why you are 00:06:58.779 --> 00:07:01.970 here today. He flips his canvas bag over his 00:07:01.970 --> 00:07:04.529 shoulder and disappears into the night and I 00:07:04.529 --> 00:07:08.470 am left with a huge feeling of nostalgia, simply 00:07:08.470 --> 00:07:11.889 yearning for the times of old. I'm suddenly standing 00:07:11.889 --> 00:07:14.509 back in front of the second door, which at this 00:07:14.509 --> 00:07:17.029 point I decide to take with a little more aggression. 00:07:17.149 --> 00:07:19.949 I kick this sucker wide open there in a blinding 00:07:19.949 --> 00:07:23.110 flash of light. This time through the door emerges 00:07:23.110 --> 00:07:26.240 the ghost of hobby present. who looks eerily 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.980 similar to Deion Dawkins, rocking a Santa hat 00:07:28.980 --> 00:07:32.639 and an oversized Snow University t -shirt. He, 00:07:32.740 --> 00:07:34.740 like Ghost Jake before him, grabs my arm, and 00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:37.959 once again, we are off and flying. Now, Ghost 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:40.180 Deion, he whisks me off to another room, which 00:07:40.180 --> 00:07:43.120 is difficult to recognize at first. It's a hobby 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:45.139 shop of some sort that's filled with people. 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:47.879 There are breakers off in the corner. They are 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:50.519 live streaming box openings and convincing people 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:53.120 to drive up price after price as they're making 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.620 bids to land a spot for some random sports team. 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:58.319 People are arguing with employees behind the 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.000 counter over card comps. They're handing out 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:02.560 their phones or they're holding out their phones, 00:08:02.680 --> 00:08:05.279 showing the employees eBay listings and recent 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:07.420 purchases. And it seems like no one can agree 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:10.810 on fair prices for literally anything. In another 00:08:10.810 --> 00:08:13.209 section of the shop, middle -aged men are hovering 00:08:13.209 --> 00:08:15.629 over larger cardboard boxes containing bargain 00:08:15.629 --> 00:08:18.269 deals and dollar fines from baseball and football 00:08:18.269 --> 00:08:21.829 products from 20 to 30 years ago. There are little 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:24.430 kids near a locked display that are eyeing upgraded 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:26.990 Pokemon cards, which are listed for hundreds 00:08:26.990 --> 00:08:29.509 and hundreds of dollars. It's so chaotic. It's 00:08:29.509 --> 00:08:31.689 so overwhelming. And I got to be honest, I'm 00:08:31.689 --> 00:08:34.389 not enjoying the scenery nearly as much. And 00:08:34.389 --> 00:08:36.370 I'm kind of thankful when Ghost Dion drags us 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:39.250 off and away from the shop. with dion flying 00:08:39.250 --> 00:08:42.230 arm and arm we are flying down a dimly lit road 00:08:42.230 --> 00:08:45.129 heading toward a huge shape in the distance and 00:08:45.129 --> 00:08:48.470 from afar this object looks like a alien spaceship 00:08:48.470 --> 00:08:51.029 as we get closer it starts to come into focus 00:08:51.029 --> 00:08:53.919 and i realize that we are hovering over Abbott 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.720 Road. We are looking at the new Highmark Stadium, 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:00.539 future home for the 2026 Buffalo Bills. We stare 00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:03.639 at this immense, crazy -looking structure, wondering 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:07.120 how it all came to be. Suddenly, before my eyes, 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:09.840 dollar signs are flashing, and there I am with 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:11.879 my lifelong friend, Mike, and we are signing 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:14.039 contracts and making deposits for something called 00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:17.000 a PSL and essentially locking ourselves into 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.179 30 years of commitment to this very Buffalo Bills 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:23.639 team. 30 years ahead of us as full -fledged members 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:26.740 of the Bills Mafia. Now, we know this new stadium 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:28.559 will be a glorious sight to behold in just a 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:30.659 few short months, but before I can even think 00:09:30.659 --> 00:09:33.519 about that, Ghost Dion, he flies me down to the 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:36.149 practice field that's down the street. There, 00:09:36.210 --> 00:09:38.409 like a mirage in the desert, is none other than 00:09:38.409 --> 00:09:41.850 our modern -day freaking superhero, Josh Allen, 00:09:42.149 --> 00:09:44.990 JA -17 himself. He's leading his team through 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:47.049 a practice in preparation for another division 00:09:47.049 --> 00:09:50.309 matchup against the first -place New England 00:09:50.309 --> 00:09:53.370 Patriots. I stare in disbelief and wonder how 00:09:53.370 --> 00:09:55.590 he ended up currently in second place, staring 00:09:55.590 --> 00:09:57.690 up at the standings at this same team who has 00:09:57.690 --> 00:10:00.090 been such a thorn in our side for 20 freaking 00:10:00.090 --> 00:10:03.309 years. I look over to the defensive side of the 00:10:03.309 --> 00:10:05.690 field and I see player after player being attended 00:10:05.690 --> 00:10:08.409 to by the medical staff. The list of limited 00:10:08.409 --> 00:10:10.850 and unable to perform practice participants grows 00:10:10.850 --> 00:10:13.690 greater and greater by the week. It's getting 00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:16.309 downright scary. And I know that thanks to Uncle 00:10:16.309 --> 00:10:19.210 Scrooge McBean, there will be no reinforcements 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:22.340 coming to help us this Christmas. I keep looking 00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:24.519 and I see one -armed bandit Joey Bosa standing 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.059 off to the side with a very sad look on his face. 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:30.259 The injury bug has hit him yet again. Now, hopefully, 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:32.480 hopefully this is a minor one and he will be 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:34.960 ready to play in the weeks ahead. Also, who is 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.480 that? Oh, that's none other than Ed Oliver. What 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.000 is he doing? Oh, he's sitting on a horse. His 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.240 arm is wrapped in a sling and I wonder if he 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.639 could possibly return for a playoff run. We are 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:47.759 flying around the field, and there off in the 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.580 corner is offensive coordinator Joe Brady. But 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:53.080 he's looking pretty confused. He seems to have 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.059 misplaced something. Could it be 95 % of the 00:10:56.059 --> 00:10:58.539 playbook? He's looking everywhere, and he finally 00:10:58.539 --> 00:11:00.620 just gives up. He throws his arms in the air, 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:02.759 shrugs his shoulders, and simply says, It's okay. 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:06.779 We got Josh. He then presses play on the loudspeaker. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:09.799 Suddenly, the whole field house is engulfed with 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:12.679 Mr. Brightside. The whole team stops mid -play 00:11:12.679 --> 00:11:15.220 and begins dancing in place. Dawson Knox, Dalton 00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:17.259 Kincaid, they both start running around the practice 00:11:17.259 --> 00:11:20.039 field with their arms out to the side like airplanes. 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:23.519 What a time to be alive. Ghost Dion doesn't stop, 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:25.879 though. He keeps me flying. I am seeing historic 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:28.320 monuments flashing underneath me, and I quickly 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.220 realize that this is the nation's capital. This 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:34.700 is Washington, D .C. We pause over what appears 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:37.100 to be an arena. This is the Capital One Arena 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:39.860 to be exact. There's a huge billboard next to 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:42.419 it flashing in bright lights. December 13th, 00:11:42.419 --> 00:11:46.259 WWE's Saturday night's main event. The last time 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:50.620 is now John Cena vs. Gunther. Ghost Dion reminds 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:53.240 me of the If Money Were No Object by the Week 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.320 3T segment. And apparently it still exists in 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:59.039 the 3T's Christmas Carol. So I hop on the SeatGeek 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:03.159 app. I drop $370 just to buy... the worst seat 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:06.740 in the building to ensure i am there on the 13th 00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:09.600 this should be a can't miss show because in four 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:12.879 short days we really won't be able to see him 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.460 i cross my fingers that this will be a great 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:17.710 show I hope that this will be a great chance 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:19.710 to showcase some of the younger batch of up -and 00:12:19.710 --> 00:12:21.690 -coming talent, a chance to highlight what's 00:12:21.690 --> 00:12:23.649 on the horizon for the company, and most importantly, 00:12:23.809 --> 00:12:25.750 hopefully give a fitting send -off to one of 00:12:25.750 --> 00:12:27.450 the greatest to ever step foot in the squared 00:12:27.450 --> 00:12:30.370 circle. It will be an emotional night for Wrestling 00:12:30.370 --> 00:12:33.129 Marks, myself included. A night that's been over 00:12:33.129 --> 00:12:35.509 20 years in the making, and it's crazy to think 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:38.399 about how fast the time has gone. Soon, Cena's 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:40.720 career will be a part of the 3T's nostalgia trips, 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:43.500 but for now, for now, that's not part of this 00:12:43.500 --> 00:12:47.039 crazy 3T's Christmas carol. Ghost Dion, he drops 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:49.059 me back in my recording room and peels off like 00:12:49.059 --> 00:12:50.820 he's driving one of his drift cars. I am left 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:53.080 alone in a cloud of dust, and then suddenly, 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:55.820 suddenly, door number three presents itself. 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:58.279 I already know where this is going, but I'm a 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:01.100 bit worried, to say the least. I slowly open 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:03.320 the third door, and I am greeted by the ghost 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:06.919 of hobby. yet to come this time this ghost isn't 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.600 recognizable this ghost is wearing a mask a dark 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:11.779 hoodie just like the mysterious figure who jumped 00:13:11.779 --> 00:13:14.440 the cage in the last survivor series war games 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:17.299 match is this the ghost of future seth freaking 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:19.779 rollins it's hard to say but nevertheless he 00:13:19.779 --> 00:13:21.960 silently grabs me by the arm and once again we 00:13:21.960 --> 00:13:25.179 are off and flying i quickly realized that i 00:13:25.179 --> 00:13:27.220 don't like the looks of this one at all it appears 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:30.620 that we are now In another country. And I look 00:13:30.620 --> 00:13:34.720 below. There is a ton of sand. Lots and lots 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:38.460 of sand below. I strain my eyes to see. Could 00:13:38.460 --> 00:13:41.759 it be? Is that Bill Goldberg's house below? Oh 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:44.940 my goodness. Please tell me it's not. My suspicions 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:46.980 are correct. The ghost of hobby yet to come. 00:13:47.080 --> 00:13:50.100 AKA possibly ghost Seth freaking Rollins. Has 00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:52.840 taken me to my worst nightmare. We are in Saudi 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.399 Arabia. Future home to Wrestlemania's 44 through 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:00.899 69. After the huge success of WrestleMania 43, 00:14:01.220 --> 00:14:05.220 WWE has signed a 25 -year deal to host the Showcase 00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:07.440 of the Immortals, and it looks like there is 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.720 no turning back. I look down and see very few 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.559 actual wrestling marks in the seats. There are 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.620 nothing but Saudi princesses everywhere. I look 00:14:16.620 --> 00:14:18.840 up to the top of the stadium. It seems money 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.720 appears to be raining down from the top of the 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.220 stadium. Triple H, now 84 years old, is standing 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:27.419 in a ring full of money. There are advertisements 00:14:27.419 --> 00:14:30.200 covering every square inch of ring canvas that 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:33.539 you can possibly see. And now as the wrestlers 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:35.279 come down to the ring for their matches, their 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.919 entrance music is now sponsored by various corporations. 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:40.940 Each match is being broadcasted on a different 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:45.889 streaming app. It's pure madness. Needless to 00:14:45.889 --> 00:14:48.529 say, he's not very happy. But then the picture 00:14:48.529 --> 00:14:52.669 flashes to WrestleMania 69. The lights go out 00:14:52.669 --> 00:14:55.269 in the Saudi stadium. A hush falls over the crowd. 00:14:55.409 --> 00:14:58.429 Suddenly, we see a countdown on the screen. And 00:14:58.429 --> 00:15:01.370 when the count gets down to one, I find myself 00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:04.490 holding my breath. Then the music pierces through 00:15:04.490 --> 00:15:13.009 the silence. After 33 years, Chris Jericho has 00:15:13.009 --> 00:15:17.309 returned. To save the WWE, he grabs the mic and 00:15:17.309 --> 00:15:22.330 vows that we will never, ever return to Saudi 00:15:22.330 --> 00:15:26.070 Arabia again. Maybe there is hope after all. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:29.240 At this point, ghost Maybe Rollins flies me out 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:31.279 of the desert, and now we are suddenly in a Walmart 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.759 of all places. Inside, grown men are ripping 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.220 Pokemon boxes and retail sports card exclusives 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:39.200 out of the hands of children, stacking them in 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:40.919 their carts, then making their quick getaways 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:43.340 to get home and post the boxes on eBay for five 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:46.399 times the going rate. Stocked shelves are quickly 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:48.820 emptied in seconds. The products, if you can 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:51.340 grab any, are all made by Topps. Having recently 00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:54.259 acquired the licenses to every sport on the planet, 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.559 as well as college, high school, and kindergarten, 00:15:56.899 --> 00:16:01.039 Topps now owns it all. They own everything. And 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.019 as a result, they have continued to escalate 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:05.940 prices higher and higher. The hobby is shrinking. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:09.000 It's shrinking for most people. It's become completely 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.019 out of reach for those who used to be in it for 00:16:11.019 --> 00:16:13.480 the fun factor, which, by the way, is the most 00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:16.720 important category. But then suddenly, ghost 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:20.279 Maybe Rollins flies me through Topps HQ, and 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:22.100 we are suddenly in the office of the president 00:16:22.100 --> 00:16:25.220 of the Topps Corporation. He's sitting in his 00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:27.340 computer, and it's clear he's listening to something. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:31.000 He seems to be streaming a podcast. Can this 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.700 be? It's absolutely unbelievable. The president. 00:16:35.129 --> 00:16:37.830 of the Topps Corporation, is listening to the 00:16:37.830 --> 00:16:40.289 very first episode of Tables, Tailgates, and 00:16:40.289 --> 00:16:43.610 Top Loaders entitled, Why Are We Here? And suddenly 00:16:43.610 --> 00:16:46.129 the president lets a single tear roll down his 00:16:46.129 --> 00:16:49.009 face. He finally has seen the error of his ways. 00:16:49.090 --> 00:16:51.129 Thanks to TB and the three Ts, the president 00:16:51.129 --> 00:16:53.529 decides it's time to get back to basics and give 00:16:53.529 --> 00:16:57.470 the hobby back to the kids. Help to rebuild the 00:16:57.470 --> 00:16:59.649 emotional connection that drew us all in in the 00:16:59.649 --> 00:17:02.200 first place. He picks up the red phone that's 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:04.339 sitting on his desk and as ghost maybe Rollins 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:07.579 flies me out of the room I hear him say we have 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:11.559 made a terrible mistake We need to start over 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:16.180 Suddenly I have new hope I know there is one 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:18.680 stop left and I know before we get there that 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:21.720 ghost maybe Rollins is taking me back to Highmark 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:24.039 Stadium the cheer of the crowd is getting louder 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:26.740 and louder as we approach the lights are so bright 00:17:26.740 --> 00:17:30.460 and it looks absolutely stunning Absolutely magical. 00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:33.960 Images of future Bills games are flashing right 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:36.759 before my very eyes. They're in the stands. They're 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:38.480 in the stands are my kids and their families. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.779 There's Mike's kids and their families. And the 00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:43.980 bond and the connection to the team has been 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:47.019 passed down to the next generations. They've 00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:48.920 all experienced the heartache and the pain of 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.500 loving this team, the highs and the lows. But 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:54.180 quickly, quickly I realized they've also experienced 00:17:54.180 --> 00:17:56.720 the greatest joy one can experience in the NFL. 00:17:57.349 --> 00:17:59.750 Ghost Maybe Rollins flies me through the stadium 00:17:59.750 --> 00:18:03.769 and then, then I see them. Bright lights illuminating 00:18:03.769 --> 00:18:07.250 them from every possible angle. There they are. 00:18:07.549 --> 00:18:10.750 The championship banners. Proclaiming the Buffalo 00:18:10.750 --> 00:18:13.910 Bills as Super Bowl champions. Winners of the 00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:17.349 ever elusive Lombardi Trophy. It has finally 00:18:17.349 --> 00:18:20.170 happened. This is the reason we do what we do. 00:18:20.309 --> 00:18:22.609 This is the reason we keep coming back year after 00:18:22.609 --> 00:18:26.119 year. This is the reason we love this. And as 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:28.680 Ghost Maybe Rollins drops me back at my recording 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:31.539 desk after a crazy night, I'm convinced that 00:18:31.539 --> 00:18:34.640 our past, present, and future have been and will 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:37.579 continue to be shaped by the personal stories, 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:40.880 the memories, and the emotional connections that 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.960 fuel our passion for these three incredible hobbies. 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:47.380 Thanks for listening, my friends. Have a great 00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:53.920 holiday and a very merry Christmas. So until 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.509 next time. Whether it's ripping packs, breaking 00:18:56.509 --> 00:18:59.470 tables, or dropping elbows, keep doing what you 00:18:59.470 --> 00:19:01.769 love. And as always, Go Bills!