Cal Ripken, Jr., 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn #4

And so we end this week's bizarre mini-series the only way we possibly could: with Cal Ripken giving us a come-hither glance and offering up his hotel rewards card. At least it's not his room key, right?

Okay, I've had a lot of fun at the expense of Junior and the Holiday Inn over the past few days. In the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I do have to let you know that my sister-in-law works for Choice Hotels. There, now I feel better.

Cal Ripken, Jr., 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn #3

Who holds a laptop like this?

Cal Ripken, Jr., 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn #2

This is it: the silliest card in the prestigious four-card mini-set. I laughed out loud when I first saw it on Friday afternoon, and for that reason alone, I tip my cap to Max. How do you convince a first-ballot Hall of Famer like Cal Ripken, Jr. to pose with two armfuls of pillows and such a goony, slack-jawed expression on his face? Somebody in an advertising company truly earned their keep with this.

Have you ever even heard the phrase "Pillow Menu" before? Oh, and just wait for the tag line on the back:

"After 2,632 games in a row - I deserve a choice of pillows."

Yeah, you tell 'em, Cal! You will not be denied the pillow of your preferred size and/or firmness, like some common Billy!

I don't know where we can possibly go from here, but the promo set MUST CONTINUE. Until tomorrow...

Cal Ripken, Jr., 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn #1

Max really outdid himself by sending me the oddest of oddball sets. This is the first of four cards, all of them featuring a balder, heavier, 46-year-old Iron Man awkwardly shilling for the Holiday Inn. But hey, now I know that you can listen to MLB games for free when you stay at a Holiday Inn...or at least, that was the case 13 years ago. Oh, and if you don't think I'm entering the code on the card back to see if I can win a trip to the 2007 World Series...even though I recall it being kind of a snooze.

P. S.: Guess what I'm posting for the next three days.