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Is Backyard Breaks Breaking Up?

backyard breaks breakup

Where were you when the story of the Backyards Breaks break up broke? This is the story that could break the hobby. The biggest thing since Yoko broke up was the Beatles. Ok, maybe not.

But the Backyard Breaks break up is a big story; we have all the details for you. And while some of their highest profile staff members are leaving the breaker group, a new scandal has broken.

The Telford brothers, owners of Backyard Breaks, are accused of rigging one of their breaks to hit an Anthony Edwards Logoman card. So, we ask: is Backyard Breaks breaking up?

Who Are Backyard Breaks

First, let’s discuss the company in question. Backyard Breaks has long been considered the most popular breaker company in the entire hobby. Though established as recently as January 2020, they leveraged connections and entertaining (if that is your kind of thing) on-camera presence into a strong position. The company is owned by two brothers: Grant and Nick Telford.

Located in Dania Beach, Florida, the main focus of Backyard Breaks is live streams. As a result, their presence on social media is ubiquitous and, some would say, obnoxious.

Nonetheless, they have a lot of fans and put a good deal of money into the hobby. But there is also a distinctly dark side to the Backyard Breaks story.

The Trevor Lawrence Kaboom! Story

The first time Backyard Breaks were involved in a scandal was back in January of last year. You can get all the details from our previous coverage. At the time, the breakers promised to give the contents of Panini Absolute Football for free to a user on Twitch.

They then pulled a gorgeous Gold Trevor Lawrence Kabmm! Card. But instead of giving it away, they kept the card for themselves. Then claimed to have given the proceeds to charity. It was weird.

At the time, I wrote: “I don’t feel like the guys in Backyard Breaks are truly bad actors. Instead, they reacted badly to hitting a massive card and gave in to their impulse to keep it. I honestly believe that they regret doing so.”

But all the evidence of wrongdoing on their part since has convinced me otherwise. So, let’s look at all the facts from all the scandals including the most recent.

The Anthony Edwards Logoman Scandal

On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Backyard Breaks held a Panini Flawless Basketball break. They pulled a much coveted Anthony Edwards Logoman card. Now, whenever Backyard Breaks hits a big card nowadays, people get suspicious. Because they simply hit an incredible number of massive cards.

But this time, the suspicious activity was front and center. You see, Backyard Breaks bought into this break and did so right before pilling the card. Buying spots in their break is quite unusual for a breaker.

As one Reddit user pointed out, “You know why you don’t see a casino manager playing blackjack in his own casino? Cause he’d get fired! Especially if he won big…Then both he and the dealer would get fired!” To which another user replied, “No, no

That casino manager would be killed.”

Backyard Breaks hit an incredible amount of massive cards

As mentioned, questions have been raised about how Backyard Breaks hit the many cards they do. So Eric Whiteback, known on Twitter as the “collectibles guru,” dug into the numbers. He showed pretty convincingly that the odds of any breaker hitting the cards they have are absurdly low.

At the time, he focused on some of their recent massive hits.

As I wrote in my previous article on the issue: “We don’t know exactly how many boxes they opened because the breakers are not releasing their numbers. But the math is pretty simple. You would need Backyard to spend $40,138,800 on the products to have a 0.5% chance of getting these cards.”

Since then, the math has only gone uphill because Backyard Breaks have hit many more improbable cards since. Here are a few examples:

  • 2022 Immaculate Anthony Edwards Auto Logoman 1/1  
  • 2022 National Treasures Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones Dual Booklet NFL Shield Auto 1/1
  • 2022 National Treasures Mac Jones Shield 1/1
  • 2022 Immaculate Ja Morant Laundry Tag 1/1

That is just in the last week. It truly feels like something is off here.

Retribution from Backyard Breaks Reddit users?

The Reddit account that had exposed this news was reportedly shut down for unknown reasons. The second account to look into this issue was N0Pa1N on the veteran basketballcards thread.

The user reported harassment from unknown users: “This account of mine has received multiple suicide reports the past few hours. Oddly enough, the last user who tried digging into this on the sub had his account deleted/deleted it himself.”

Additionally, several accounts confirmed they got the same thing for discussing the issue. Here is one example, “I got the same thing, man. BackyardBreaks spies on here can’t say anything to defend themselves; all they have is that suicide report button to hide behind, and apparently, that makes them feel better about their scamming.”

How Do Backyard Breaks hit all these massive Cards?

We don’t know precisely how Backyard Breaks hits all those big cards. And it is essential to note that all the evidence remains circumstantial.

However, we did get a clue into how breakers can identify big boxes and possibly also how they obtain them. As we reported previously, The 2021-22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball boxes had a marker on them that allowed the company and potential breakers to know which boxes held case hits.

Panini put a hologram in the corner of every 2021-22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball hobby box they release. The sticker included a serial number that strongly indicated where you could expect to hit a Kaboom! or other highly desirable cards.

But as we know, nothing happened. So instead, people have continued buying Panini boxes into Backyard Breaks. And the lack of any consequences has led to more brazen actions, such as buying into their own breaks.

Is Backyard Breaks breaking up its talent?

The scandals keep piling up for Backyard Breaks. However, that is nothing new. New complaints appear on a regular basis, and nothing happens to these guys. They remain highly popular and can pull the most desired cards in the business almost immediately.

But inner fights are pulling the breakers apart. This may be the biggest threat to the company yet.

You may remember the famous Nicky Ripz, known on his driver’s license as Nicky Cammallere. He was best known for his outrageous stomach-revealing short shirts and participation in several hobby scandals.

How Backyard Breaks broke up with Nicky Ripz

He uploaded a video to TikTok spilling the beans on the inner politics of Backyard Breaks. In a TikTok video with 2760 likes (and counting), he highlighted a comment from an account named @mr.jt.gobucs. Which read: “Yes…you do look like an F joke. Sorry.” It may not be friendly, but it is kind of polite when you notice the expletive is self-censored and ends with an apology!

As he explained, “I worked for the company called Backyard Breaks. The owners of Backyard Breaks are the brothers’ Grant and Nick Telford. About 30 days ago, I told the brothers that I wanted to pursue my dream and maybe do something bigger down my alley.

During the time that I was there, I had a pretty good edge over people regarding remembering usernames. So, I woke up this Friday morning and looked in my Tik Tok notifications and saw a username that looked a little familiar. So I clicked on it, feeling a little confident and already knowing that username and knowing and knowing that no one could replicate that username; I had to go double-check because I didn’t believe what was happening.

When I clicked the profile and clicked to see who the account was following and who was following the account, I saw the Backyard Athlete on top of a few other Backyard accounts. So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s bring it back to this comment. This comment called me an effing joke. It is Grant and Nicks’s father, Jeff Telford. I know. I’m shocked too.

Backyard Sara leaves Backyard Breaks

The folks at Backyardbreaks, to their credit, understood that the breaking game had become a veritable sausage fest. So, they hired “Backyard Sara” a year ago, the actual name Sara Brown. She has been known to pull some of the biggest cards on their platform.

However, she was let go from Backyard Breaks a month ago. She posted a very diplomatic video stating:

“I just wanted to get out in front of things here and try to avoid as many rumors and questions as possible. I wanted to let you guys know that I decided it was in my best interests to leave the Backyard. The lessons I’ve learned, the growth I’ve obtained, and the connections I’ve made are absolutely priceless. So, I just wanted you guys to know that I love each and every one of you, and I appreciate each and every one of you, and I will see you guys soon.”

Nicky And Sara are a package deal

Honestly, her professional demeanor in regard to all this seems very out of place in the Backyards Breaks world. What is the connection between her leaving and the dramatic beef between Nicky Ripz, Grant, and Nick Telford?

It is a relatively open secret that Sara Brown and Nicky Cammallere are romantically involved. So it is not too suprising that they left together, taking away two of the most popular figures in the company.

And if you go to Nicky’s TikTok feed, she comments on all his posts and seems very supportive. For example, when Cammallere posted his angry tirade about the Telford family, she responded with an “oof” accompanied by an exasperated face emoji.

How have The Telfer Brothers responded to all the Backyard Breaks breaking up drama?

The Telfer brothers are no strangers to controversy. However, they have already learned to respond better than they have to the catastrophic scandals with the Trevor Lawrence Gold Kaboom! or the loaded boxes.

Their official response to this issue was: “Nicky has decided to part ways with the Backyard. He will be greatly missed both on and off the stream. We wish him the best in whatever he decides to do next!!”

What happens now after the Backyard Breaks breakup?

What will Nicky Ripz and Sara Brown’s next moves be? Will they remain in the hobby? At this point, it is unclear. According to Nicky’s Instagram page, he is a “comedian,” and perhaps he hopes to branch out in that direction. But he is not leaving the hobby yet.

Nicky announced plans to break with Steve Aoki, the highly successful electronic dance music artist who established Aoki Auctions and Aoki Athletics where he has been selling cards and breaking. On a TikTok released on February 8, Nicky announced, “starting this weekend, your boy is going to be back live. Ripping.

@nickyripz

Replying to @mr.jt.gobucs spread love not hate…

♬ original sound – NickyRipz
@nickyripz

Replying to @mr.jt.gobucs spread love not hate…

♬ original sound – NickyRipz

Nicky is also listed on LinkedIn as a Social Media manager at Pulse Evolution Group. So, when he said he would go in his own direction, I guess Ripz would eventually leave the hobby. Cardlines reached out to Nicky Cammallere for comment, but he has not responded yet.

What is the future of Backyard Breaks?

As for the Backyard Breaks? For months the outfit seemed like they were made out of Teflon. No scandals could break through their massive following. And the secret to their success has been twofold. Their entertaining online talent and their massive hits.

So, it is no surprise that with both planks of their success recently challenged, the popularity of Backyard Breaks has plummeted. Spots that used to fill within minutes now take several hours to sell out.

And the comments from users leave no doubt as to why. One TikTok user asked, “who else stopped watching Backyard Breaks since Nicky left?” Bronx Breaks answered, “I def watch a lot less. The vibe isn’t there anymore.”

The last word on the Backyard Breaks breaking up

The success of Backyard Breaks stands on two main legs. First, it’s improbable pull rates. Second, it’s entertaining breakers and content. Both of these elements have taken a hit recently. Customers enticed by their strong pull rates will notice that they are now happy to buy into their own breaks and possibly harass online users who notice.

Meanwhile, those who tune in for entertainment are unhappy to see the two most popular presenters gone. Does this spell the end of Backyard Breaks dominance?

There is a good chance. Soon Fanatics will replace Panini in the basketball and football market. And I seriously doubt they will want to share their profits with one of the shadier breaker outfits in the business.

Still, the evidence surrounding Backyard Breaks wrongdoing continues to be circumstantial. Allegations, accusations, and improbable pull odds dog this company at every turn.

But there is nothing legally actionable. However, they are becoming brazen and buying into their seemingly marked breaks. We cannot stress this enough: do not break with these guys until they are cleared of these allegations. There are plenty of great places to break that combine integrity with entertainment.

@nickyripz

Replying to @mr.jt.gobucs spread love not hate…

♬ original sound – NickyRipz
@nickyripz

Replying to @mr.jt.gobucs spread love not hate…

♬ original sound – NickyRipz
Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim is the emeritus editor of Cardlines. He continues to write for several hobby outlets, including this one and Cardbase. He collects primarily vintage baseball and soccer and has a weird obsession with 1971 Topps.

In his spare time, Shaiel is sobbing into his bourbon when the Mets lose and playing Dungeons and Dragons. In a past life, Dr. Ben-Ephraim was a political science professor, journalist, and diplomat. But cards are more fun.
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