The Cards Are on the Table, and They’re Red Hot!
Buckle up, card collectors and legal eagles! The court documents are flying, and the drama is REAL.
The trustee of AAA Sports, Inc., which is the legal name for the bankrupt card company Wild Card, just picked up a $25 million win against Panini America.
Back in the Day: AAA Sports, Inc.
In the nostalgia-packed ’90s, AAA Sports, better known to collectors as Wild Card, had a short but impactful run in the card game.
Remember “Stat Smashers”? Yeah, those insert cards had everyone buzzing. But plot twist—the company went bankrupt faster than you can say “collector’s item.”
2020: The Resurrection or the Rip-Off?
Fast forward to 2020. Panini America launches their set of “Stat Smashers,” sending the trading card world into a frenzy. But wait—haven’t we seen this name before? Wild Card sure thinks so!
Panini basically copied the design and wording of the cards, and the Panini version of Stat Smashers were case hits in 2020 and 2021 Certified Football.
Also in 2020, the digital Stat Smashers cards were randomly inserted into digital packs for the 2020 Certified Football digital cards. And, in 2021, the digital Stat Smashers cards were randomly awarded through a spin-wheel game featured on the NFL Blitz App.
In court documents, Wild Card shows how blatant the copy cat design was.
Bad News for Panini
Well, turns out the lawyers for Wild Card just struck gold, Panini has agreed to pay $25 million to settle the case. That’s not Panini Points that will be paid out folks, that’s real American currency.
The case was set to go to trail soon, but Panini forked over some cash to avoid a potential nightmare judgement from a court.
In just a few weeks, Panini lost its key sports card license, the NFLPA, and now has to come up with $25 million to pay a bankrupt card company in Wild Card.
Even the biggest Panini fanboys have to admit these are tough blows for any company to take. What’s next for the Texas card maker? They likely can’t take too many more huge legal losses before the game clock runs out.
Disclaimer: The courtroom might be our latest drama playground, but remember, we’re not legal experts. Consult with Geoff Wilson’s attorneys before taking any legal action against Kyler Murray or Will Grier.
