Head To Head: Jambalaya Vs. Noyz Boyz

This matchup is between the 97-98 E-X2001 Jambalaya set and the 98-99 SkyBox Thunder Noyz Boyz set. The Jambalaya set was groundbreaking when it was released at the end of the 1997-98 card season. The rarest of the insert sets coming from a premium set that still ranks as one of my all-time favorite base set designs. Colorful design with a 3-d background and great photography, no wonder it's value has stayed solid for a decade. The Noyz Boyz set had the same size and star power that the Jambalaya set had but with a slightly different foil background. This set came from a very unpopular base set that didn't go over well with collectors. Because of this, the Noyz Boyz set was easier to pull from packs, but since not nearly as many packs were opened, it's seems just as diffecult to come by as the Jambalaya cards.

• Condition: Jambalaya - Although both sets were printed on a plastic-like card stock, the Noyz Boyz set have those nasty sharp corners that are a problem when collectors attempted to slide them into card sleeves. The only fault to the Jambalaya design is an occasional centering problem.
• Design: Noyz Boyz - I like the colorful Jambalaya, but the vertical name in the background bothers me (I did like the change Upper Deck made to the newest Jambalaya issues).
• Star Ratio: Noyz Boyz - 13 of the 15 cards in both sets are the same players. The only difference between them is Jambalaya has Damon Stoudamire and Eddie Jones while Noyz Boyz has Ray Allen and Antoine Walker. This is a toughy. I'll give Noyz Boyz the paper-thin edge (lucky for Walker, Allen's name alone outweighs Stoudamire and Jones).
• Odds: Jambalaya - Jambalaya was inserted at a rate of one in 720 packs while Noyz Boyz was inserted one in every 300.
• Result: Jambalaya - I'll admit it. Given the choice between a Jordan Jambalaya and a Jordan Noyz Boyz. Jambalaya wins easy.