2000 SP Authentic Football Cards

Product Details

Tom Brady. There is not much more to be said about 2000 SP Authentic Football other that it is home to one of the most popular rookie cards for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

While the modern era of collecting is now dominated by autographed rookie cards or very limited print runs, SP Authentic NFL proved that neither was required to make a valuable product.

2000 SP Authentic Football Set Details

While it is easy to miss given the overall fixation on the Tom Brady rookie card, the 2000 SP Authentic Football base set is actually very appealing. Although it now feels a bit dated in design, the overall look is pure class and further enhanced thanks to subtle embossing. Although the full base set clocks in at 171 cards, there are three main groupings.

The first 90 cards are traditional veteran base cards with script text for the and silver foil. The remainder of the base set consists of the Future Watch rookie cards. Featuring a slightly different design than the base set, the player's number is prominently featured while the first and last name is split up and much smaller. This makes for an odd look that is not nearly as strong as the base design. While each rookie card is numbered to 1,250 copies, only the first 60 players are found in 2000 SP Authentic boxes. The final 21 Future Watch cards are part of an update that was issued separately in 2001.

Without a doubt, Tom Brady is the key option among the Future Watch cards and the entire product. Although the rookie quality drops considerably from there, other notable options include Brian Urlacher, Shaun Alexander, Jamal Lewis and Plaxico Burress.

2000 SP Authentic Football boxes also include several autograph options. Sign of the Times Autographs average one per box and there is also a Gold parallel that is numbered to the player's jersey number. Although the brand was still newer at this point, the product includes a large of amount of Buyback Autographs. Each is hand-numbered and many players have signed buyback cards from multiple years. Finally, a limited Game Jersey Greats Autographs card for Joe Namath is available.

Averaging several per box, inserts provide the remaining options. While they are not worth much, each has a distinct look that still incorporates the large white border. Collectors can also find a sample card for Peyton Manning that features a different image than the base version. The sample card is not available in packs.