It’s National Puppy Day? There’s plenty of canine cardboard for that …

Today is National Puppy Day and for card collectors there are countless options if they want their collections to go to the dogs.

From one brand alone there are Pawtographs, Relics and plenty of inserts — and that’s just one of them as all kinds of things have made their way into packs in the last 20 years (and unusual non-sports sets were the norm in tobacco packs of the 1800s and later years).

That brand? It’s ToppsAllen & Ginter, which has included canine cardboard since its debut in 2006 when it included cards and paw-print Pawtographs from Ch. Felicity’s Diamond Jim, an English Springer Spaniel who won Best in Show honors at the 2007 Westminster Dog Show. In 2010 the brand included cards and Relics for Rory, who was “America’s Most-talented Dog” — a three-time disc dog world champion who dazzled with his skills. (The memorabilia is a piece of a used frisbee.)

But a simpler option for collectors? That came in 2012.

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Matt Stonie isn’t only Nathan’s hot dog champ found on trading cards

It’s nearly July 4, so it’s time for a few hot dogs to be eaten — and depending on where you are that could mean about 70 in 10 minutes.

Well, at least that’s the goal tomorrow in Coney Island, N.Y.

At noon on ESPN3 will be the men’s version of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Nathans-Famous-International-Hot-Dog-Eating-Contest-ESPN-scheduleDog Eating Contest where current champ Matt Stonie will try to fend off past winners. Earlier in the morning at 10:50 is when the women compete. (Click the schedule at right to see when it re-airs.)

While competitive eating is a world of its own — and something that doesn’t often hit ESPN airwaves the other 364 days a year — at least a half-dozen eating champs have appeared on trading cards that are available nationally. In fact, Stonie is an odds on favorite to appear as a “World’s Champion” in Toppspopular 2016 Allen & Ginter baseball card set when it arrives later this month, which is fitting because that brand is where the trend first surfaced when it comes to eaters on cardboard.

Here’s a rundown of the super six competitive eaters on cards so far …

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Competitive eating champ Matt Stonie finally has a “Rookie Card”

Matt-Stonie-2016-leaf-sports-heroesYou may have seen competitive eating champ Matt Stonie in the headlines this week after another of his videos went viral — this one being a 7,700-calorie feast of Cinnamon Toast Crunch — but there’s another way that he’ll be getting some attention now.

(And he doesn’t have to eat a thing — though you can bet he would.)

How? He’s got a “Rookie Card.”

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