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Uni Watch

Black Monday

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The Mets finally clinched the National League Eastern Division title last night. As a lifelong Mets fan, I was thrilled; but as a uni aesthete, I was appalled, because the game, the celebration, and the historical record of the day will forever be marred by the sight — nay, the blight — of those unspeakable black uniforms.

For those of us who’ve followed the encroachment of black into the team’s color scheme over the past nine years, this was no surprise. The bigger the occasion, it seems, the less likely the Mets are to wear blue. It’s almost as if they intentionally lost those three weekend games in Pittsburgh (where they wore predominantly black caps but at least didn’t sink to the level of wearing black jerseys) just so they could come back to New York and clinch the title while wearing black.

Enough is enough. All the Mets fans I know — and many non-Mets fans, too — are sick of the Amazins’ ebony-centric ways. It’s pathetic and embarrassing, and it’s time to do something about it. And so, assembled Uni Watchers, I have three words for you: DITCH THE BLACK.

That’s the name of Uni Watch’s new campaign to banish black from the Mets’ wardrobe. I’ve drafted a modestly worded petition, which you can read and sign here (feel free to forward the URL to everyone you know), and we also have a wide range of T-shirts with a pointed message on the back, which should make a very fashionable statement this postseason. (For the full range of shirt options, look here.)

Incidentally, while I’ve been grumbling about the Mets’ use of black every since they started doing it, I can’t take credit for the Ditch the Black campaign concept. It was Uni Watch webmaster John Ekdahl‘s idea — and he’s a Yankees fan! But as he said to me a few days ago, “I want to get back to being able to make fun of the Mets for something other than their uniforms.” (We’ll see about that in October, John.)

Meanwhile, as many of you know, Mets equipment manager Charlie Samuels, who decides what the team wears each day, supposedly doesn’t like to choose the blue caps because they clash with the team’s black dugout jackets. But there may be some progress on that front: Reader Brian Erni reports that the Mets Pro Shops are now selling a blue dugout jacket, which would be in keeping with MLB’s recent habit of releasing new designs just in time for the postseason and then carrying them over into the following year. If that’s the case here, it’s a good start. But there’s still a lot more to do, so remember: DITCH THE BLACK.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Informative note from Matt Nelson, who writes: “In addition to the blacked-out Big Ten logo on Iowa’s nose bumpers on Saturday [a memorial gesture for linebacker Mike Klinkenborg’s father], QB Drew Tate had ’22’ and ’25’ written on his left arm. That would be for No. 22, Calvin Davis, who is injured and out for the year with a knee injury, and No. 25, Marcus Paschal, who missed the game with a shoulder bruise. Andy Brodell also had ’22’ written on his wrist. Running back Albert Young writes ‘RIP Dad’ on the inside of one of his shoes, but I don’t have photos.” … In recent years, the NFL’s waistband towel has featured the Wilson “W.” But that now appears to be changing. This past week, many players wore towels featuring the full Wilson wordmark, including Ben Roethlisberger (here’s a closer view), Eli Manning, and Jon Kitna. But some players were still wearing the “W,” such as Chris Simms, Rex Grossman, and Phillip Rivers. … Good views here and here of the Stars’ All-Star Game patch.

 
  
 
Comments (157)

    I signed the petition, but have not yet received the confirmation e-mail. How long does it take? Long live the Blue. Fight the power.

    I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…

    Could you do a similar petition for the Detroit Lions?

    Not that there’s a winning tradition of Honolulu blue and silver, but at least back then it was only the performances on the field that made us sick.

    Not on today’s topic, but my friend and I had an encouraging observation this past weekend. Though Beaverton (where I live) is a haven for Oregon fans who don’t live in Eugene, there is a curious thing regarding their jerseys… NO ONE wears replicas. Daily, I see someone wearing a Beavers jersey but have not once seen a replica Duck jersey. This just tells me that though there is a rediculous amount of support for the team, people generally dislike their uniform and would rather show support by wearing the team colors rather than the silly unis.

    Those t-shirts are really cool, and I am a t-shirt addict, but dang those prices are high. Those of us out in the sticks aren’t used to paying Manhattan-style money for an XXL t-shirt.

    1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.

    2. If it’s true that the city of Hartford does own the rights to the Whalers logo, then can we please start another petition to get them to start using it? I’ll sign the Mets one (even though I love black uniforms) if we can Bring Back the Whale!

    Jim Rome was talking about the Oregon/Oklahoma game last night about how the Sooners got jobbed by the refs. You know how you see black spots when you stare at the sun for a minute and then turn away? He said the Ducks’ uni had the same effect on the refs.

    [quote comment=”9549″]1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.

    2. If it’s true that the city of Hartford does own the rights to the Whalers logo, then can we please start another petition to get them to start using it? I’ll sign the Mets one (even though I love black uniforms) if we can Bring Back the Whale![/quote]

    Peter Karmanos Jr. does still own the rights to the Hartford Whalers and refuses to give them up. On the idea of a petition, there is a “Bring Back The Whalers” rally every February I believe that draws atleast 10,000 people to downtown Hartford. This has been going on since the team left in 1997. There is nothing better then hearing linkand thousands of people chanting “Let’s Go Whalers!”

    You know, even as a Twins fan growing up in Minnesota I knew the Mets’ original colors (blue and orange) were selected to honor the two former NY NL teams, the Giants and the Dodgers. I later learned both of those colors were also on the flag of New York City.

    Then black was introduced, which caused me to scratch my head. Are the Mets trying to honor their cross-town rivals? That’s the only explaination that makes much sense to me. The Mets gave up on their indviduality and alternative status by wearing Yankee black.

    the Yankees don’t wear black, they wear Navy Blue… The Mets pinstripes copy the Yankees… that’s why I say get rid of the pinstripes…

    NEW YORK METS: BLUE AND ORANGE!

    We are not the Raiders, this is not 1989, and NWA broke up a long time ago.

    How much money does E$PN make with the ads plastered all over the windows in the buildings during the Hank Williams MNF song?

    Maybe they can figure out a way to green screen the officials penalty flags. How about, “This blocking from behind during the kick was brought to you by (fill in the blank).”

    Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.

    I like the black uniforms. However, I would rather them follow the Braves (i don’t believe I said that!), and wear it only on home games on sunday. But in the end, WHO CARES! They are the NL East Champs!!!

    The Stars’ All-Star patches are decent. But it got me to thinking. What would Buffalo do if they ever wanted to wear a patch? The right shoulder spot (where many patches go) is now occupied with a number, and they can’t switch to the other side due to the ‘C’ and “A’s”.

    First things first, I signed that petition. Damn the Mets black uniforms. The last hat I bought from them was the white one from 1997. I know, I know, Ice cream man, blah blah. I liked that uni for a Sunday change. But the black is horrible. Second, I want my Whalers back. I can’t bring myself to celebrate for the Canes, even though they were the Whalers. And finally, can anyone tell me if ND Hockey ever actually wore link

    [quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]

    Absolutely right. I have been a Mets fan since the age of twelve and believe the Mets’ home black uniforms are among the best in the game. I don’t share that opinion about the road blacks, and I would like to see them wear the blue hats and socks and pinstripes more often, but the home blacks are incredible. There, I said it.
    I was saddened to see that the Reds will be going away from black in their uniforms as well. This means I will have to buy a new Cincinnati hat next year…

    I agree with adding the Lions to the ditch the black campaign. The only thing worse was when the Pistons jumped on the teal bandwagon and started wearing a big horse head on their jerseys. Long suffering Lion fans, and I mean LONG sufferring, deserve to wallow in a bad team wearing Honalulu blue and silver.

    [quote comment=”9564″][quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]

    Absolutely right. I have been a Mets fan since the age of twelve and believe the Mets’ home black uniforms are among the best in the game. I don’t share that opinion about the road blacks, and I would like to see them wear the blue hats and socks and pinstripes more often, but the home blacks are incredible. There, I said it.
    I was saddened to see that the Reds will be going away from black in their uniforms as well. This means I will have to buy a new Cincinnati hat next year…[/quote]

    Mets fan with a Cincinnati hat? Why?

    [quote comment=”9561″]I like the black uniforms. However, I would rather them follow the Braves (i don’t believe I said that!), and wear it only on home games on sunday. But in the end, WHO CARES! They are the NL East Champs!!![/quote]

    I don’t mind the black either. As long as the Mets win a title, they could wear crushed velvet for all I care…

    [quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]

    I thought I heard that the Mets were abandoning the black in favor of link in ’07.

    Is that not correct?!

    Funny that one of the options for the “Ditch the Black” shirts is that you can buy one link
    …. Someone could be a walking oxymoron….

    [quote comment=”9555″]…wearing Yankee black.[/quote]

    I’m so confused as to why people think the Yankees wear black. My wife INSISTS that the Yankees wear black, not blue. I’m colorblind, but even I have never seen Yankee navy blue as black. *scratches head* Maybe it’s a psychological thing… evil Yankees = black like Darth Vader.

    If we’re starting petitions on everything….let’s start one to get the powder blues back on the chargers for good….

    The Yankees (and the Chicago Bears, for that matter) have always looked like they wore black to me. Of course, I have only seen both teams play on TV… Maybe it looks different live (or on HDTV)!

    [quote comment=”9562″]The Stars’ All-Star patches are decent. But it got me to thinking. What would Buffalo do if they ever wanted to wear a patch? The right shoulder spot (where many patches go) is now occupied with a number, and they can’t switch to the other side due to the ‘C’ and “A’s”.[/quote]

    If the Sabres get the ASG, they could put the ASG patch on the shoulder, although with the “B” logo, that might not be possible. When the Rangers hosted the ’94 ASG, they had the link since the diagonal lettering used up the right chest, and the “A” and “C” go on the left.

    It does appear that the new jersey has just enough space above and to the sides of the chest numbers to squeeze in an ASG patch, but it would not look good.

    As long as we’re bashing black, I was at the Seahawks/Cardinals game on Sunday and was astonished (and highly annoyed) at the huge number of black-on-black (on-black-on-black) Seahawks replica jerseys I saw worn by fans. I’m not asking anyone to like the ‘Hawks standard colors, but c’mon, what kind of fan wears crap like that? A quick search shows that it’s actually link, and goes for a pretty penny, too. Sad… are other NFL teams having this problem, too?

    J.J. from #27, you took the words right out of my mouth. You can also get a woman’s shirt with black sleeves as well as a ringer shirt ringed in black. I am that ornery person who would buy the black T, but mostly because I only wear black t-shirts—sometimes gray, in a pinch. I think I might buy one in black—should be good for a few laughs.

    That said, I don’t have a problem aesthetically with the black Mets jerseys, but I’m for tradition, so I hope the Ditch the ***** campaign wins. Sorry, it feels like sacrilege to actually write that out.

    Ek—thanks for the preview area. I give it a thumbs up.

    well, the steelers lost last night, but we all know who won the aesthetic battle.

    All-teal stadium? sheesh. i pity any football fan in that city that has to wear that gear…

    Never being a fan of the Mets “sell-out” black jerseys I signed the petition. Although I think that the black drop shadowing should stay. I think it looks good, especially on the road link.

    I thought the only reason teams introduced black jerseys was to make huge amounts of money by selling out their traditions. Case in point is the Eagles black jersey that originally sold, as an authentic, for somewhere in the $250 range. So, you’re a diehard fan and had the kelly green (still the best), then you had to get the “midnight green” (the worst) AND THEN had to go get the black. Or wear an old grey “Property of” T-shirt like me.

    For a team to wear colors proudly for “x” number of years, instill loyalty in your fans who go out and buy the team’s colors and then foist some horrible looking, drab, unoriginal black jersey on them is unacceptable.

    Don’t get me started on the Flyers’ black jersey!

    [quote comment=”9577″][quote comment=”9562″]The Stars’ All-Star patches are decent. But it got me to thinking. What would Buffalo do if they ever wanted to wear a patch? The right shoulder spot (where many patches go) is now occupied with a number, and they can’t switch to the other side due to the ‘C’ and “A’s”.[/quote]

    If the Sabres get the ASG, they could put the ASG patch on the shoulder, although with the “B” logo, that might not be possible. When the Rangers hosted the ’94 ASG, they had the link since the diagonal lettering used up the right chest, and the “A” and “C” go on the left.

    It does appear that the new jersey has just enough space above and to the sides of the chest numbers to squeeze in an ASG patch, but it would not look good.[/quote]

    The Flyers also used a shoulder patch when last hosting the ASG, coincidentally also the year of the NHL75th, so note the double shoulder patches!
    link

    [quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]
    You can only picture the Mets in black because you must be young (no offense meant), those of us w/ more prospective know that the Black is not historically accurate. I can go along w/ your proposal, of dropping one black uni- but the pinstripes have to stay… what’s the point to ridding ourselves of the black if we can’t wear pinstripes?

    [quote comment=”9578″]As long as we’re bashing black, I was at the Seahawks/Cardinals game on Sunday and was astonished (and highly annoyed) at the huge number of black-on-black (on-black-on-black) Seahawks replica jerseys I saw worn by fans. I’m not asking anyone to like the ‘Hawks standard colors, but c’mon, what kind of fan wears crap like that? A quick search shows that it’s actually link, and goes for a pretty penny, too. Sad… are other NFL teams having this problem, too?[/quote]

    I saw this campaign start last year… they’re doing it with Steelers’ jerseys, too… I guess they decide to take such liberties after getting the full contract and catering to the fashionable (tasteless) folks out there. I can’t find any other listings on teh RBK site, but I did find link.

    I like the Mets black but hate the Reds black… Kansas City, I was always on the fence on, and I hate the Blue Jays black… The worst black offenders were the A’s…

    The worst Mets uniforms of all time are the ones they wore from 1993-1995… those things were just wrong…

    You sound like an old man who thinks everything was better “back in the day.” The Mets added black to their colors and have made it part of their look. It is actually not ugly (unlike the Detroit Lions black uni which is hideous). The black drop shadow on the logo, numbers and name, the black sleeves and socks (when you can see them) actually look good. Ok, the all black hat kinda sucks, but overall the look is good and is different than their cross-town rivals. If you were being objective, you would NEVER want them to wear their pinstripes because pinstripes are for Yankees.

    I don’t mind the black uniforms but the drop shadows on the player names make each letter take up more space, and the names become impossible to read at a distance, where it looks like a block of blue/white/orange above the number.

    Keep the black only if they wear the number-only jerseys like they did in 1999! Now that’s a sharp-looking black Mets jersey.

    [quote comment=”9563″]First things first, I signed that petition. Damn the Mets black uniforms. The last hat I bought from them was the white one from 1997. I know, I know, Ice cream man, blah blah. I liked that uni for a Sunday change. But the black is horrible. Second, I want my Whalers back. I can’t bring myself to celebrate for the Canes, even though they were the Whalers. And finally, can anyone tell me if ND Hockey ever actually wore link[/quote]
    Wow…. Good find !! that sweater is SWEET !

    i still haven’t recieved the verification e-mail and don’t wanna retry for thinking maybe ill show up twice

    Do the Mets have a blue alternate? Have they ever? I seem to remember it existsting a while ago but maybe it was just a BP jersey or something.

    [quote comment=”9592″]i still haven’t recieved the verification e-mail and don’t wanna retry for thinking maybe ill show up twice[/quote]
    Seems like most people have. If you still haven’t in a little while, I’ll manually verify you.

    [quote comment=”9582″]I thought the only reason teams introduced black jerseys was to make huge amounts of money by selling out their traditions. Case in point is the Eagles black jersey that originally sold, as an authentic, for somewhere in the $250 range. So, you’re a diehard fan and had the kelly green (still the best), then you had to get the “midnight green” (the worst) AND THEN had to go get the black. Or wear an old grey “Property of” T-shirt like me.

    For a team to wear colors proudly for “x” number of years, instill loyalty in your fans who go out and buy the team’s colors and then foist some horrible looking, drab, unoriginal black jersey on them is unacceptable.

    Don’t get me started on the Flyers’ black jersey![/quote]

    I agree, being a Philadelphia sports fan must be horrible. Nevermind that:
    1. flyers haven’t won since they were goons.
    2. Sixers still miss the Doctor & present GM is retarded.
    3. Iggles 4 NFL Championship games= 1 SuperBowl Appearance=0 trophies
    4. Phillies-Joe Carter? What’s next? A Black Phillies road jersey?

    Sorry Dude, I couldn’t resist– all in good fun.

    [quote comment=”9586″]im all for ditching the black, but can we ditch the Mets as well?[/quote]

    You know what? I like the other Lee alot more !!!

    [quote comment=”9590″]Keep the black only if they wear the number-only jerseys like they did in 1999! Now that’s a sharp-looking black Mets jersey.[/quote]

    You take the names off the back of the Mets jerseys and add pinstripes, that’s just too much like the Yankees. Yankee fans try to take credit for everything, “Oh, sure, the Mets are winning. That’s because they have a Yankee as their manager.” Why not keep link in constant rotation? Simple, classy, and the link. That preserves the homage to history and keeps it different from that Bronx team.

    “Unspeakable”, “pathetic”, and “embarrassing”? Come on man, it might not be your taste but it’s really not that bad.

    [quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    OK – I do PA for the Marist College Red Foxes hockey team in Poughkeepsie, NY – and for years I have only had the Rangers Goal Song to use. I thought of using Brass Bonanza, but I could use some help. Best goal song please – the Foxes Den (as I call our arena during pre-game intros) needs a new song!!

    [quote comment=”9591″][quote comment=”9563″]First things first, I signed that petition. Damn the Mets black uniforms. The last hat I bought from them was the white one from 1997. I know, I know, Ice cream man, blah blah. I liked that uni for a Sunday change. But the black is horrible. Second, I want my Whalers back. I can’t bring myself to celebrate for the Canes, even though they were the Whalers. And finally, can anyone tell me if ND Hockey ever actually wore link[/quote]
    Wow…. Good find !! that sweater is SWEET ![/quote]
    I actually own that jersey. The picture is from an Ebay auction, but its the same jersey I have. My GF at the time bought it for me for Christmas at of all places, a Mets Clubhouse Store in Menlo
    Park Mall in Jersey… its definitely real, but I dont know that they’ve ever worn it…

    The Mets had a blue alternative on and off in the 80s (some years they had it some years they didnt)…

    Also, they’re spring training/ practice uniform is blue with black shoulders and Mets written in black on the front…

    I’m ambivalent about the Mets as a team, but not their black jerseys. If it’s not an official team color, it shouldn’t be seen on a uniform … period.

    Along the same lines, I sent an e-mail to the Indiana University athletic department complaining about the “black creep” on their team’s uniforms. So far I’ve only seen it as an accent color, but just knowing it’s there makes my skin crawl.

    IU = cream and crimson. Black is not welcome. See link for examples.

    I’m a Yankee fan as Paul mentioned, but I don’t see the pinstripes as “copying” the Yankees at all. For starters, it was their link. Plenty of teams wear pinstripes, it is a classic baseball uniform. On top of that, the Yankees weren’t the first team to wear them.

    I don’t get the pinstripe-hatin’.

    I’m all for getting rid of the black Mets jerseys, but I like the all black hat and the two-tone hat. Also, is anyone else bothered that the hats commemorating the division say DIVISION SERIES and not DIVISION CHAMPIONS?! What the heck is that?? The last good looking champion hat was the 2000 NL/AL Champion hat. The WS winning hat that year and every year after that, these designs for the champion hats have been just plain ugly.

    [quote comment=”9593″]Do the Mets have a blue alternate? Have they ever? I seem to remember it existsting a while ago but maybe it was just a BP jersey or something.[/quote]

    I seem to vaguely remember them wearing these (link, link, link) in a real game, but those shots kind of look like Spring Training or maybe even BP unis. I wasn’t able to find an action shot with another team. Paul will know for sure, but they definitely had and wore blue jerseys for something.

    [quote comment=”9606″]I’m a Yankee fan as Paul mentioned, but I don’t see the pinstripes as “copying” the Yankees at all. For starters, it was their link. Plenty of teams wear pinstripes, it is a classic baseball uniform.

    On top of that, the Yankees weren’t the first team to wear them.

    I don’t get the pinstripe-hatin’.[/quote]
    If I remember the Mets program I read, it said that the original uni was in tribute to all 3 of the NY teams. Brooklyn Blue, Giant Orange and Yankee pinstripes. Still it’s the official uni and needs to be worn more often.

    [quote comment=”9605″]I’m ambivalent about the Mets as a team, but not their black jerseys. If it’s not an official team color, it shouldn’t be seen on a uniform … period.

    Along the same lines, I sent an e-mail to the Indiana University athletic department complaining about the “black creep” on their team’s uniforms. So far I’ve only seen it as an accent color, but just knowing it’s there makes my skin crawl.

    IU = cream and crimson. Black is not welcome. See link for examples.[/quote]

    You mean this kind of link at IU?

    [quote comment=”9595″][quote comment=”9582″]I thought the only reason teams introduced black jerseys was to make huge amounts of money by selling out their traditions. Case in point is the Eagles black jersey that originally sold, as an authentic, for somewhere in the $250 range. So, you’re a diehard fan and had the kelly green (still the best), then you had to get the “midnight green” (the worst) AND THEN had to go get the black. Or wear an old grey “Property of” T-shirt like me.

    For a team to wear colors proudly for “x” number of years, instill loyalty in your fans who go out and buy the team’s colors and then foist some horrible looking, drab, unoriginal black jersey on them is unacceptable.

    Don’t get me started on the Flyers’ black jersey![/quote]

    I agree, being a Philadelphia sports fan must be horrible. Nevermind that:
    1.

    flyers haven’t won since they were goons.
    2.

    Sixers still miss the Doctor & present GM is retarded.
    3.

    Iggles 4 NFL Championship games= 1 SuperBowl Appearance=0 trophies
    4.

    Phillies-Joe Carter? What’s next? A Black Phillies road jersey?

    Sorry Dude, I couldn’t resist– all in good fun.[/quote]

    No offense taken, but, Ouch!

    Can’t really argue except to say that I pretty much ignore the Sixers (and basketball for that matter) and that the Iggles have been to TWO Superbowls and have won ZERO of them. Just a couple of NFL Championships long ago. If you’re gonna hate, hate correct!!!

    And if the Birds discovered the black jerseys and the extra revenue, what’s stopping the Phightin’s from doing the same?

    [quote comment=”9594″][quote comment=”9592″]i still haven’t recieved the verification e-mail and don’t wanna retry for thinking maybe ill show up twice[/quote]
    Seems like most people have. If you still haven’t in a little while, I’ll manually verify you.[/quote]

    “Manually verify” – I don’t know about where you live, but I am pretty sure that doing so is illegal in many states. In any event, you might want to manually verify me as well, as I “signed” the petition several hours ago but never received the e-mail.

    [quote comment=”9549″]1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.
    [/quote]

    To my knowledge I don’t think an official reason has been cited for Kobe’s number switch. Lots of speculation but nothing official.

    Don’t know if anyone else noticed, but the Jag’s used two differnt number fonts/spacing for the numbers on the backs of their helmets. I especially noticed that TE George Wrightster’s numbers looked different. Sorry no link.

    [quote comment=”9549″]1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.[/quote]

    He wants to sell more jerseys. Everyone with a Kobe 8 jersey now has to go get one with 24 on it. It’s a marketing ploy, just like third jerseys.

    [quote comment=”9583″][quote comment=”9577″][quote comment=”9562″]The Stars’ All-Star patches are decent. But it got me to thinking. What would Buffalo do if they ever wanted to wear a patch? The right shoulder spot (where many patches go) is now occupied with a number, and they can’t switch to the other side due to the ‘C’ and “A’s”.[/quote]

    If the Sabres get the ASG, they could put the ASG patch on the shoulder, although with the “B” logo, that might not be possible. When the Rangers hosted the ’94 ASG, they had the link since the diagonal lettering used up the right chest, and the “A” and “C” go on the left.

    It does appear that the new jersey has just enough space above and to the sides of the chest numbers to squeeze in an ASG patch, but it would not look good.[/quote]

    The Flyers also used a shoulder patch when last hosting the ASG, coincidentally also the year of the NHL75th, so note the double shoulder patches!
    link[/quote]

    Good find! Maybe if the situation arose, the Sabres would ditch one of the shoulder B’s in favor of the special patch. Making for a unique uniform for that time.

    So, the Met’s equipment manager thinks the blue caps clash with the black dugout jackets. But the jackets have some blue in them already. Does that mean, then, that the jackets clash with themselves?
    As much as I hate the Yankees, they have one home uni and one road uni, that’s it, and they stick to it. The Mets did the same until they went into an aesthetic siezure and began their hodgepodge uni combinations. The black tops look like practice uniforms. They should ditch them ASAP and go back to their traditional unis.

    A few Mets related items-
    The Mets sported blue pullovers in around ’82/3. They had big orange and white stripes on the sleeves. Not their best look.
    MetsfaxAZ is right about the salute to the 3 other NY teams. Which incidently, as the Giants other color was black, gives some historical precedence to black being acceptable. When I was younger & didn’t know better, I bought a NY Giants cap because I thought it would be cool to have a black Mets hat, and most people wouldn’t know the difference since they essentially stole the logo too. Now I sport a blue one, that until a recent replacement had the blue button on top. It was like a badge or honor to have made it through the crappy years. I still am having a hard time getting used to the orange one.

    Good luck on the petition — the Mets should be blue and orange, and nothing else. The petition site needs a few pictures to show what the REAL Met unis look like, both from the early era, and again in the mid-90s.

    link, link, link (incidentally, from a time when men knew how to wear their pants and socks), link, link, link, link, etc.

    Here’s how bad the black jerseys are: consider the unis from the previous time that the Mets did violence to their classic look when they adopted the “racing stripe” design. This uni looked so link when it was introduced (and it looked pretty strange on link). However, even this crazy uni now looks more attractive and more Met-like than the current uni with the black jersey! Oy!

    Finally, a linguistic note: In the column, webmaster John Ekdahl is referred to as a “Yankees fan”. However, Paul should know that the idiom here in New York, as opposed to the hick-dominated areas of the country, is “Yankee fan” / “Met fan” / “Dodger fan” / “Giant fan” / “Jet fan”, etc., where the singular form of the team name is used as the adjective (or, it could be argued, as a noun in apposition).

    [quote comment=”9620″]If made those shirts the same, but for the Blue Jays, I would buy on instantly[/quote]

    i totally agree. i still have my 2002 jays hat and cap that i wear to the games. i refuse to wear any different. thy are the BLUE jays, not the crows or the blackbirds. they have a colour in their name. can you imagine if the red wings wore purple or the blue bombers wore green? it would not make much sense. neither does this black/silver colour scheme the jays have going for them.

    You rock, Paul. In terms of the Mets’ uniforms, I wasn’t thrilled with the “Snow White” unis that trotted out in 1997 — and was much less thrilled with the black.

    While I don’t think they’ll ever eliminate black now from the color scheme, I’m hoping for two things: getting rid of the black jerseys and replacing one with a blue/black version closer to the batting practice jerseys; eliminating the all black hat and swapping the colors of the blue/black hat to match the new batting helmets/BP caps.

    And of course, more pinstripes at home. Always on Sunday, opening day, holidays and special events.

    Unless you are the Raiders, Steelers, Spurs, Bruins, Saints, or SF Giants, you may not wear black. Case closed. (Apologies to teams I couldn’t think of within the first 10 seconds.)

    And especially bad is the fact that some of you are defending the black-and-blue Mets caps. Are you blind?

    P.S. for the love of god, link.

    [quote comment=”9601″][quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    OK – I do PA for the Marist College Red Foxes hockey team in Poughkeepsie, NY – and for years I have only had the Rangers Goal Song to use. I thought of using Brass Bonanza, but I could use some help. Best goal song please – the Foxes Den (as I call our arena during pre-game intros) needs a new song!![/quote]

    Might I suggest The Timelords’ version of the Dr. Who theme? It is a solid tune, complete with a crowd-pumping siren at the start, some upbeat rhythm laid beneath the melody, and the always-classic Dr. Who theme. Personally, it puts Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll Part 2 to shame. And that’s being very generous.

    If I can, I’ll post a link to it later. I have it at home, and will FTP onto my hosting site.

    [quote comment=”9563″]First things first, I signed that petition. Damn the Mets black uniforms. The last hat I bought from them was the white one from 1997. I know, I know, Ice cream man, blah blah. I liked that uni for a Sunday change. But the black is horrible. Second, I want my Whalers back. I can’t bring myself to celebrate for the Canes, even though they were the Whalers. And finally, can anyone tell me if ND Hockey ever actually wore link[/quote]

    Yes, that used to be their home sweater, never should have switched in my opinion

    In theory, I do not mind the Mets’ black uniforms. The problem I have is not that they exist: it is that the have been worn way too often since being introduced into the Mets’ color scheme.

    Then again, I feel that way about almost all alternate uniform sets: too many teams use their “alternates” much more often than their regular uniforms.

    I’ve suggested this before on the Creamer boards, but I would love to see MLB pass a simple rule to address this: any team can only wear its alternate uniform(s) on one designated day of the week.

    For example, a team like the Mets with their varied uniform combinations, must wear white at home; grey on the road on Monday thru Saturday. If the Mets designate Sunday as their “alternate” day of the week, that’s the only day they can don the black sets (or whichever white set is also considered an alternate uniform). The one exception I would consider adding to this rule is to allow alternates to be worn on designated “holidays” such as opening day, Memorial Day, Canada Day (for the Blue Jays), the Fourth of July (US teams), Labor Day.

    Such a rule would go a long way towards guaranteeing that most teams wear their regular uniforms most of the time.

    Having made that point, did you know that last night was only the second time in September that the Mets have donned their black uniforms (the other time being September 8)?

    In fact, a look at the calendars I’ve kept for the past few seasons on when the Mets wear what set (something I hope to finally put up on the web in the offseason), they’ve actually worn both black sets a lot less frequently this season (almost half the amount of games from two seasons ago, when the blacks were pretty much their standard uniform).

    One addition to what I wrote above: the Mets still wear either the black or black/blue cap the majority of the time; however, this season has also seen them wear the all blue hats much more often than other recent seasons.

    John, I just got around to reading the Nike post from this weekend and wanted to say kudos to you for coming up with a clever way to turn the tables on them. You and Paul do a great job with the site and I really enjoy all the comments from fans out there. It’s nice to have a normal, civil dialogue online for once.

    I posted this yesterday and Eli mentioned it earlier today:

    [quote comment=”9536″]This is somewhat un-uni related but…
    I’m glad, being a Met fan currently living in Los Angeles that MLB.tv didn’t cut the feed and let us watch the celebration…classy move that I didn’t expect.

    Hoverver did anyone notice that the hats say link while the shirts said link as expected?[/quote]

    Any thoughts except that the Mets will be blaying in the division series (i.e. the first round of the playoffs)?

    P.S. the black sucks…I could live with it if they just wore the black combinations once in awhile and wear the blue caps predominantly, especially with the pin stripes…I would also love to see them wear the blue caps on the road, at least once in awhile…a man can dream.

    #32, I was at the Seahawk game, too, and the all-black Seahawk fashion jerseys I saw are definitely not to my taste. But to be fair, I saw just as many all-pink versions as all-black, and they don’t do anything for me either.

    What was more interesting to me was how many of the 67,000 fans were wearing team jerseys. I estimated 1/3 to 1/2 of all fans had a Seahawks jersey on. Most were the current style (home or road), with a smattering of the old royal blue jerseys and then a few of the off-color “fashion” jerseys in black, pink or lime. I can’t compare with other NFL teams, but I can say that I was impressed with effort made by so many fans in Seattle.

    Can we also go back to reffering to them as the Metropolitans? and the Knickerbockers as well. And any other shortened names?

    Leftwich’s helmet back was interesting – instead of the typical Riddell cap on the back with ‘JAGUARS’ on it, it looked like the word ‘JAGS’ was just printed right on the padding.

    [quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    What is the song and where can I hear it.

    [quote comment=”9642″][quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    What is the song and where can I hear it.[/quote]

    link

    The problem with the black isn’t that its bad, but that it is massively overused. As has been noted, black itself has history in New York. While I think the black caps look awful link, I rather like the link As the jerseys, they wear the black much to often. Its supposed to be alternate, not standard. I wouldn’t mind it a few times a month, but most days out of a week is going way too far. Also going way to far? Having a link You shouldn’t have road alternates, period. Especially not all black ones. Its called grey. That’s what you wear on the road.

    I’ll also say that I’m not a fan of the Mets pinstripes. When the came out with the link it was a revelation. The Mets look so much better in these than they do in dodger blue pinstripes.

    I guess we Mets fans should just be glad some of their uniforms look good. Considering the crimes against nature they tend to wear in Spring training or BP (link, link), we could get MUCH worse from this organization.

    [quote comment=”9644″][quote comment=”9642″][quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    What is the song and where can I hear it.[/quote]

    link

    That is AWESOME!!! Maybe somebody from KC can help me with this, but they play something similar to this during the highlights at Kauffman Stadium. The 70’s style music in the 70’s style stadium is WAY cool! I think some might call is “kitschy”

    Wrigley and Fenway excluded, Kauffman is the greatest MLB ballpark in the country.

    What an excellent petition. And I’ll take credit for the slogan, thank you very much.

    :-)

    Can we maybe get the team to wear the blue caps at home during theplayoffs this year? As far as I can recall, neither the ’99 nor 2000 postseasons saw any use of the blue caps in any game in any series. Am I wrong?

    Let’s get it done!

    TRUE METS = BLUE METS

    I was born, raised and live in Maspeth, Queens, NY, USA. So I am curious to know why a Canadian flag is present next to my signature on the petition, and how other signers were able to enter their city of origin because I wasn’t given that option.

    if u follow the mets closely, the main uniforms they wear are the solid white at home with the black/blue hat and the greys on the road with the black/blue hat… the pinstripes and the black jerseys aren’t worn as much (probably because so many other teams have solid color jerseys)

    THANK YOU!!! This Dith the Black campaign is long overdue!

    1. Do you think we can get them to wear blue caps in the postseason as a sign that we’ve been heard?

    2. As a lifelong Mets fan, I sometimes wonder if I would have become a fan if their unis were this ugly when I was a kid!

    [quote comment=”9650″]I was born, raised and live in Maspeth, Queens, NY, USA. So I am curious to know why a Canadian flag is present next to my signature on the petition, and how other signers were able to enter their city of origin because I wasn’t given that option.[/quote]
    Someone entered your IP incorrectly in the database. It’s an open GPS IP location project, so there will be some mistakes.

    Go here: link

    You can change the location of your IP on that page if you click “make a correction” a couple lines under the flag.

    I’m a life long Cardinals fan, and they are one of the teams that have ONE home uni, and ONE road uni…thank god..they do have a Sunday home cap they wear but that is it.
    With that said?…I’m over 50 and I love the Mets Black hats and uni’s… I also think that black is absolutely a color that maintains the NYC tradition (Giants) as does the Blue and Orange. I think their home whites wiwth eh blue and black shading is one of the top 5 uni’s in baseball. They just won the East for the first time in how many years and look to be a lock to go to the WS…I’d be much more focused on THAT than the black uni’s guys…Congrats and KEEP THE BLACK!

    [quote comment=”9614″][quote comment=”9595″][quote comment=”9582″]I thought the only reason teams introduced black jerseys was to make huge amounts of money by selling out their traditions. Case in point is the Eagles black jersey that originally sold, as an authentic, for somewhere in the $250 range. So, you’re a diehard fan and had the kelly green (still the best), then you had to get the “midnight green” (the worst) AND THEN had to go get the black. Or wear an old grey “Property of” T-shirt like me.

    For a team to wear colors proudly for “x” number of years, instill loyalty in your fans who go out and buy the team’s colors and then foist some horrible looking, drab, unoriginal black jersey on them is unacceptable.

    Don’t get me started on the Flyers’ black jersey![/quote]

    I agree, being a Philadelphia sports fan must be horrible. Nevermind that:
    1.

    flyers haven’t won since they were goons.
    2.

    Sixers still miss the Doctor & present GM is retarded.
    3.

    Iggles 4 NFL Championship games= 1 SuperBowl Appearance=0 trophies
    4.

    Phillies-Joe Carter? What’s next? A Black Phillies road jersey?

    Sorry Dude, I couldn’t resist– all in good fun.[/quote]

    No offense taken, but, Ouch!

    Can’t really argue except to say that I pretty much ignore the Sixers (and basketball for that matter) and that the Iggles have been to TWO Superbowls and have won ZERO of them. Just a couple of NFL Championships long ago. If you’re gonna hate, hate correct!!!

    And if the Birds discovered the black jerseys and the extra revenue, what’s stopping the Phightin’s from doing the same?[/quote]

    Your corrections have been duly noted. I had forgotten the Vermeil SuperBowl Appearance.. MY BAD. I’ll also confess to liking the Erving Sixers a whole lot… even got lost from my party at a Bucks/Sixers playoff game in 81(?).

    Cheers !

    al

    [quote comment=”9641″]Leftwich’s helmet back was interesting – instead of the typical Riddell cap on the back with ‘JAGUARS’ on it, it looked like the word ‘JAGS’ was just printed right on the padding.[/quote]

    That’s because Leftwich uses a Schutt helmet; Schutt normally puts “Schutt” on the front bumper and a circled “S” logo on the back padding (they used to use an “Air” logo in both places, but as they have phased out all of the original Air Power designs except the Pro Air II they appear to also be phasing out the “Air” logo).

    Of course, since the NFL has a deal with Riddell, neither Schutt nor Adams (the only other manufacturer) can display their logo on the helmets. The teams typically cover the front bumper with the team logo and either put a very small team logo on the foam padding in the back or remove it all together. Two teams, the Steelers and the Chiefs, leave them blank. From 2000 through 2005, the Giants also left them blank.

    Even Riddell can only put their logo on the front bumper; the teams have to cover the back bumper with the team logo – in this case the Steelers, Chiefs and Giants leave them blank.

    [quote comment=”9631″][quote comment=”9601″][quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    OK – I do PA for the Marist College Red Foxes hockey team in Poughkeepsie, NY – and for years I have only had the Rangers Goal Song to use. I thought of using Brass Bonanza, but I could use some help. Best goal song please – the Foxes Den (as I call our arena during pre-game intros) needs a new song!![/quote]

    Might I suggest The Timelords’ version of the Dr. Who theme? It is a solid tune, complete with a crowd-pumping siren at the start, some upbeat rhythm laid beneath the melody, and the always-classic Dr. Who theme. Personally, it puts Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll Part 2 to shame. And that’s being very generous.

    If I can, I’ll post a link to it later. I have it at home, and will FTP onto my hosting site.[/quote]

    I think Gary Glitter has put it to shame on his own, don’t you think ? :)

    as an avid reader of matthew cerrone’s link im excited to tell you that the issue of ditch the black has made the blog topics for the day…great place to catch up on mets info…once your done here, head on over there to check out whats goin on in the world of the jacket and mr met

    2006 NL EAST CHAMPIONS!!!!! – heres to NO black in the playoffs!

    I still have my high school helmet, which today I think would be a Schutt helmet, but back then was BIKE. The front bumper reads BIKE, and the back rim has the pad sticking out with the slotted pattern:

    -|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-

    Anyone else have one of these?

    [quote comment=”9662″]I’m a life long Cardinals fan, and they are one of the teams that have ONE home uni, and ONE road uni…thank god..they do have a Sunday home cap they wear but that is it.
    With that said?…I’m over 50 and I love the Mets Black hats and uni’s… I also think that black is absolutely a color that maintains the NYC tradition (Giants) as does the Blue and Orange. I think their home whites wiwth eh blue and black shading is one of the top 5 uni’s in baseball. They just won the East for the first time in how many years and look to be a lock to go to the WS…I’d be much more focused on THAT than the black uni’s guys…Congrats and KEEP THE BLACK![/quote]

    THANKS for the kinds words, Tim. It’s been a great year to be a Met fan! I’m certain that most of us would trade this ‘silly crusade’ for a grab at the trophy this year. FYI: The Card’s uniforms are the best in the entire sport…. so says my wife. (so it’s gotta be true, but she’s never seen the 1970’s powder blue ones).

    [quote comment=”9630″]Unless you are the Raiders, Steelers, Spurs, Bruins, Saints, or SF Giants, you may not wear black. Case closed. (Apologies to teams I couldn’t think of within the first 10 seconds.)

    And especially bad is the fact that some of you are defending the black-and-blue Mets caps. Are you blind?

    P.S. for the love of god, link.[/quote]

    Yeah you forgot a bunch: Orioles, Pirates, Rockies, Blazers, Magic, Heat, Bulls, Penguins, Bengals, Ravens, Falcons, Panthers.

    [quote comment=”9644″][quote comment=”9642″][quote comment=”9559″]Any idea how to remove “Brass Bonanza” from one’s head once it is firmly entrenched there?

    Not uni-related, but the best goal celebration music I’ve heard is in Lewiston, Maine when the MAINEiacs score.[/quote]

    What is the song and where can I hear it.[/quote]

    link

    Great tune… if recall correctly, this song received regular play in the old NFL films of the early 70’s. NOW THERE’S A BLOG JUST WAITING TO BE ENDEAVORED !!!!! HINT HINT HINT.

    why hate the black. my three teams use it and it looks badass(raiders, mets, flyers). i just think some people dont like the change in the new generation but w/e. i also like purple in some unis, and i like all 45870287570185 oregon combos. now that ALL of you probably think im crazy i figured id add that i love the site, and we just need to stop putting designes down as much as we do. its like beating a dead horse. i agree with matt that this generations stars will be remembered in the black

    Dang it, I am number 7 on the petition, yet I never received the stinkin’ confirmation e-mail. Should I try again or is that verboten?

    For what this is worth, from observing the Met fans who came to Pittsburgh last weekend, the black jerseys seem to be the preferred choice for street wear.

    (All the better to slink undetected into the shadows after watching their team get swept by my Buccos!)

    Unless the Mets decide to wear Atlanta Braves uniforms, I don’t care if they come out in orange/blue/black tie dye. Good luck in the postseason, NYM!

    [quote comment=”9674″]Dang it, I am number 7 on the petition, yet I never received the stinkin’ confirmation e-mail. Should I try again or is that verboten?[/quote]
    Put your name in again and I’ll delete your first entry.

    [quote comment=”9570″][quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]

    I thought I heard that the Mets were abandoning the black in favor of link in ’07.

    Is that not correct?![/quote]

    Just wanted to say thanks for not banning me over this post. I was sure I was a goner.

    The design for the women’s shirt should be reversed. Put the 2 “anti” sybols on the front of the shirt and it will bring much more needed attention to your cause.

    [quote comment=”9640″]#32, I was at the Seahawk game, too, and the all-black Seahawk fashion jerseys I saw are definitely not to my taste. But to be fair, I saw just as many all-pink versions as all-black, and they don’t do anything for me either.

    What was more interesting to me was how many of the 67,000 fans were wearing team jerseys. I estimated 1/3 to 1/2 of all fans had a Seahawks jersey on. Most were the current style (home or road), with a smattering of the old royal blue jerseys and then a few of the off-color “fashion” jerseys in black, pink or lime. I can’t compare with other NFL teams, but I can say that I was impressed with effort made by so many fans in Seattle.[/quote]

    I agree. It was impressive. The two guys in front of me had old-school ‘Hawks jerseys, and recreatins of the really old (much older than the ‘Hawks themselves) leather helmets with embroidered ‘Hawks logos on them. A nice touch, I thought…

    The black Mets uniforms must go, as must the snow white uniform. Even worse than the black jerseys themselves is the black dropshadowing on the pinstriped and gray uni’s. You can barely make out that it says “Mets” on TV.

    [quote comment=”9679″][quote comment=”9640″]Most were the current style (home or road), with a smattering of the old royal blue jerseys …[/quote]

    this post jogged my memory of the old school seahawks uni’s. like curt warner old school. they had super huge mesh uni’s and almost looked like they were wearing high school practice jerseys. in any event, i found this pic of jim zorn. he must have had a rough day at the office that sunday…
    link

    [quote comment=”9681″]The black Mets uniforms must go, as must the snow white uniform. Even worse than the black jerseys themselves is the black dropshadowing on the pinstriped and gray uni’s. You can barely make out that it says “Mets” on TV.[/quote]

    Get some better glasses…

    [quote comment=”9668″]I still have my high school helmet, which today I think would be a Schutt helmet, but back then was BIKE. The front bumper reads BIKE, and the back rim has the pad sticking out with the slotted pattern:

    -|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-|_|-

    Anyone else have one of these?[/quote]

    I don’t have one; they were just coming out when I was in high school and our school used the (ever so popular at the time) pre-inflated Riddell PAC-3 helmets. There is a lot of info on these at helmethut.com in the “Ask Dr. Del-Rey” section.

    Long story short, Bike put the design into production in the late 1970s. At some point their ownership changed to a medical/surgical equipment company who decided to get out the helmet business, so they spun them off into something called “Air Helmet Inc.” or “AHI” circa 1986. Their logo became what reads as “Air” – if you looked closely you could see the “h” inside the “A” of the “Air” logo – kind of like how the Big 10 logo has an “11” inside the “10”. Schutt bought AHI within a year after they were spun off. Schutt changed the rear bumper from the even cutouts you describe to the current pattern where the middle part is wider. It has only been in the past couple of years as they have rolled out their own designs that they dropped the “Air” logo.

    By the way, Bike is a “two-time loser” in the helmet game; after their non-compete contract with Schutt expired, they developed a lighter weight helmet in response to continued complaints about existing Riddell and Schutt Air models. These were called the Bike “Pro Edition” helmet and found their way onto pros like Warren Sapp.

    Bike’s production partner couldn’t meet demand for these helmets and Bike was forced to sell the line to Adams to fill the orders and get out of debt.

    [quote comment=”9568″][quote comment=”9564″][quote comment=”9545″]I love the black. I’m a lifelong Mets fan and for me after seeing them for 8 (1998-2006) years wearing black its gotten to the point where it would look odd if they didn’t wear black. 3 out of the 7 times the Mets have made the post season now, they will have worn the black uniforms (1999,2000,2006 vs 1969,1973,1986,1988)… you can’t think of Mets greats like Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Martinez, etc without picturing them in the Black… I can agree and maybe having less jerseys (get rid of 1 of the black jersey and the pinstripes).. and one of the black caps… but at this point I will always associate the Mets with Black…[/quote]

    Absolutely right. I have been a Mets fan since the age of twelve and believe the Mets’ home black uniforms are among the best in the game. I don’t share that opinion about the road blacks, and I would like to see them wear the blue hats and socks and pinstripes more often, but the home blacks are incredible. There, I said it.
    I was saddened to see that the Reds will be going away from black in their uniforms as well. This means I will have to buy a new Cincinnati hat next year…[/quote]

    Mets fan with a Cincinnati hat? Why?[/quote]

    I’m not one of those kinds of people who loves one team and thinks every other team is the devil. I like the Reds too.

    First time posting. Call me crazy, but I like the Mets in black. I do not like them in black at home, but the road alts are fine. (Although I agree they should be used less.) I do think they need to wear the blue hats at home more often, however.

    [quote comment=”9549″]1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.

    quote]

    Want to know why he’s changing numbers? So that he can make more money in jer$ey sales.

    I signed the petition, I do think the Mets should ditch the black when they move into their new stadium down the road.

    [quote comment=”9648″]wasnt brass bonanza a staple in sega hockey?[/quote]

    That it was, Todd. Sega incorporated several teams’ signature songs into its games. Another one that was popular? The St. Louis Blues’ “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

    This is the kind of detail that makes this site a must-read every hour on the the hour. :o)

    Mets fan since 1973 here….It’s time to ditch the black. What would be so wrong with going back to link

    Complete with stirrups and all….

    [quote comment=”9587″] I can’t find any other listings on teh RBK site, but I did find link.[/quote]

    No. NO, I say! I put my foot down to this insipid, insidious attempt to make female fans look like ninnies. I’m just going to say it. Any woman who wears a pastel replica jersey of any kind is NOT a real fan!

    I’m starting a petition of my own!

    Hey, Ek, what happened to the preview section?

    [quote comment=”9693″]Hey, Ek, what happened to the preview section?[/quote]
    It was taking forever to load the page. I’m gonna tweak it some more to see if I can speed it up.

    I heard from a uniform collector and source close to several NFL players today that the Chargers will switch to their baby blue throwbacks as their main unis. Something about how they wanted it this year, but did not get some sort of paperwork filed in time. Anyone have anywhere this can be confirmed???

    Take my black, please! Get rid of the black. Get rid of the black and blue hat. The worst part of the mets uniforms is the black and blue hat. I don’t mind the road black jersey with “New York” but it’s time to get rid of both.

    [quote comment=”9695″]I heard from a uniform collector and source close to several NFL players today that the Chargers will switch to their baby blue throwbacks as their main unis. Something about how they wanted it this year, but did not get some sort of paperwork filed in time. Anyone have anywhere this can be confirmed???[/quote]

    N-

    This same rumor seems to pop-up every Fall, like some bad internet urban legend email.

    While I would personally love to see the Chargers go to the columbia blues full-time, it has become very apparent that San Diego’s owner loves the current set, especially the dark blue combinations.

    I’ll believe this is going to happen when the Chargers announce it and unveil the uniforms. Until then, it’s the same old rumor…

    As a Mets’ fan, I never had a problem with the black unis, in fact, I completely wore out my 1st all-black cap to the point where it was unwearable.

    My big problem with the Mets’ unis is that when they play at home, regardless of whether they’re wearing pinstripes of the snow-white unis, they should ALWAYS wear the all-blue caps. Black unis get the all-black hats, home or away. And on the road, I can accept them wearing the black-and-blue hat with the greys.

    And to kill any credibility I have with this post, I was a huge fan of the racing stripes when I was younger.

    [quote comment=”9682″][quote comment=”9679″][quote comment=”9640″]Most were the current style (home or road), with a smattering of the old royal blue jerseys …[/quote]

    this post jogged my memory of the old school seahawks uni’s. like curt warner old school. they had super huge mesh uni’s and almost looked like they were wearing high school practice jerseys. in any event, i found this pic of jim zorn. he must have had a rough day at the office that sunday…
    link

    Do you mean Pop Warner?

    [quote comment=”9547″]Not on today’s topic, but my friend and I had an encouraging observation this past weekend. Though Beaverton (where I live) is a haven for Oregon fans who don’t live in Eugene, there is a curious thing regarding their jerseys… NO ONE wears replicas. Daily, I see someone wearing a Beavers jersey but have not once seen a replica Duck jersey. This just tells me that though there is a rediculous amount of support for the team, people generally dislike their uniform and would rather show support by wearing the team colors rather than the silly unis.[/quote]

    Matt,
    It’s not yet “Helloween”, big guy, give it a few more weeks, LOL. = D

    This security code thing sux donkey kong! How many times have I had a message wiped out because it was wrong or forgot to add it…is it really necessary?

    Anyway, to make it short, I don’t really mind the black tops, good to use on the road, except during mid summer. I’m not a big lover of the blue-orange combo, almost as bad as purple and teal, LOL, okay, JK!

    The old Mets uni weren’t that great. Best for them to emphasize the blue and use orange only sparingly (background) like in letter/number backdrop. I’m not a big fan of their old pinstriped unis, I’d go w/ base white and keep the small neckloop and arm stripes (a la Bosox’s timeless classic) and esp keep it on the pantlegs. Pants w/out stripes (American football too) look terrible. I’m with Paul on striped hose too, why not for baseball unis?

    Don’t know why people love stirrups so much. Just another layer of material to make a player hotter. Not what you want if you’re a player in June, July and August (and Sept in Texas and Florida and Cali). High socks are better and that way a player only needs one layer, not two pairs of sanitaries + stirrup material (hot, hot, hot nylon or poly). The oldest unis didn’t have stirrups either, just high socks…that’s the best look and cooler.

    [quote comment=”9574″][quote comment=”9555″]…wearing Yankee black.[/quote]

    I’m so confused as to why people think the Yankees wear black. My wife INSISTS that the Yankees wear black, not blue. I’m colorblind, but even I have never seen Yankee navy blue as black. *scratches head* Maybe it’s a psychological thing… evil Yankees = black like Darth Vader.[/quote]

    I can understand that Black and Navy look a little similar (esspecially when trying to pick out socks in a dimly lit room), and I can see how sometimes color/contrast settings on a TV can be misleading–but seriously, how many people do you see on the street wearning Navy blue Yankee hats and to a lesser extent, Bears jerseys. Even more of a reason why non-standard colored gear (i.e. pink or powder blue yankee hats) should all be burned; maybee seeing a legitimate blue hat is written off as a designer color.

    [quote comment=”9702″][quote comment=”9682″][quote comment=”9679″][quote comment=”9640″]Most were the current style (home or road), with a smattering of the old royal blue jerseys …[/quote]

    this post jogged my memory of the old school seahawks uni’s. like curt warner old school. they had super huge mesh uni’s and almost looked like they were wearing high school practice jerseys. in any event, i found this pic of jim zorn. he must have had a rough day at the office that sunday…
    link

    Do you mean Pop Warner?[/quote]

    Pretty sure link is who he meant.

    You could also go old school Seattle with link. Dig the two-bar face mask!

    Was watching some minor league thing on ESPN2 and i just had to say something because of the logo and the jersey typography…You gotta love the Toledo Mud Hens jerseys

    [quote comment=”9703″]Ah! The SNY announcers are discussing playoff uni-options as we speak![/quote]

    Any mention of the blue hats?

    [quote comment=”9710″][quote comment=”9703″]Ah! The SNY announcers are discussing playoff uni-options as we speak![/quote]

    Any mention of the blue hats?[/quote]

    Slightly. The focus was more on the jerseys, specifically the black ones. I was in a crowded room, so I couldn’t hear exactly what they said. Hopefully Paul can give us a recap tomorrow.

    Stirrup Alert!

    Brian Tallet is sporting some very nice stirrups in his appearance against the Yankees tonite. Too bad they aren’t helping too much, as he just gave up a homer to Matsui

    This is a bit off-topic but it could be good for a laugh. I was reading the comments from the first ever blog entry and it said the piece of clothing hanging from the Uni Watch logo was a stirrup. For the longest time I thought it was an old basketball jersey…

    anyone know where i can get a t-shirt version of the 1986 mets jersey, with the piping and all? esentially a “little-league” version of the real button-down deal.

    [quote comment=”9608″][quote comment=”9593″]Do the Mets have a blue alternate? Have they ever? I seem to remember it existsting a while ago but maybe it was just a BP jersey or something.[/quote]

    I seem to vaguely remember them wearing these (link, link, link) in a real game, but those shots kind of look like Spring Training or maybe even BP unis. I wasn’t able to find an action shot with another team. Paul will know for sure, but they definitely had and wore blue jerseys for something.[/quote]

    I vaguely remember those (I was probably 5 or younger when they wore them) Did they ever wear them more recently though, like in the late 90s when they started their black fetish, or am I just imagining things?

    I’m nowhere near being a Mets fan, but I can’t stand the black they’ve added to their uniforms as well. I love seeing them in their regular blue hats with blue toned pinstripe unis. It reminds me of ’86. I still won’t forgive the Mets for spanking the Cardinals in the 2000 NLCS, but count me in for Ditch the Black.

    [quote comment=”9557″]NEW YORK METS: BLUE AND ORANGE!

    We are not the Raiders, this is not 1989, and NWA broke up a long time ago.[/quote]

    and be darn glad you aren’t the raiders. did you see the game on sunday?

    [quote comment=”9694″]
    It was taking forever to load the page. I’m gonna tweak it some more to see if I can speed it up.[/quote]

    It worked fine for *me*. Grumble, grumble.

    The preview section worked fine for me. See, if I had it, I would have noticed that I left out important information in my whine.

    I hate the black uniforms as well, but I actually like the all black caps (but not the black ones with the blue bills, which they unfortunately wear more frequently.) And black was one of the NY Giants’ colors as well, so it’s not like they just totally threw tradition to the wind.

    I am a huge Met fan, love the blue. But you are the BIGGEST HACK EVER. You are in the Joe Morgan/John Kruk class of hacks. I bet you thought that Bartolo Colon was a deserving 2005 AL CY winner bc he had “big wins.”

    I swear anything that is not straight up plain white on plain white with no styling is so “ugly” and “unprofessional” to you. How can you not like the Oregon uniforms, they are the greatest advancement in uniforms since numbers were added (400 combinations! I love it! Oregon is my new favorite CF team). I mean, I come to this sight because I love originality and novelty in uniforms; becuase I hate the Cowboys and Redskins for wearing the same stupid uniforms every game. All I see is, Mets are stupid bc they wear something different than everyone else.

    [quote comment=”9626″]
    Finally, a linguistic note: In the column, webmaster John Ekdahl is referred to as a “Yankees fan”. However, Paul should know that the idiom here in New York, as opposed to the hick-dominated areas of the country, is “Yankee fan” / “Met fan” / “Dodger fan” / “Giant fan” / “Jet fan”, etc., where the singular form of the team name is used as the adjective (or, it could be argued, as a noun in apposition).[/quote]
    Was anyone else offended by the hick comment? And the appositional noun argument is much stronger then the adjective, as an adjective should be in front of the noun or after a verb such as ‘be’, so ‘The Yankee fan’ would have to translate to ‘The fan is Yankee’. (A correct example would be ‘The beautiful girl’, ‘The girl is beautiful’). Come down off your high horse, and realize that just because you live in New York doesn’t mean you’re always right.

    How many NFL players use a link Is this primarily an O/D line custom.

    I remember an old story of a Houston Oiler (that I think made the trip to Nashville) who used snaps at the base of his jersey to connect to his pants. But I wasn’t aware of the crotch strap trend.

    [quote comment=”9718″]anyone know where i can get a t-shirt version of the 1986 mets jersey, with the piping and all? esentially a “little-league” version of the real button-down deal.[/quote]

    Wasn’t the ’86 jersey a link anyway?

    take a quick peak at blue jays reliever Tallots pants and stirrups. Looks like me in my 1990 little league picture when I was 6

    [quote comment=”9719″]I vaguely remember those (I was probably 5 or younger when they wore them) Did they ever wear them more recently though, like in the late 90s when they started their black fetish, or am I just imagining things?[/quote]
    Those pictures are all spring training pics. The Mets did have an alternate blue road top in 1983, which they wore for a few games. It looked like the jersey Mex is wearing, but instead of orange/white/orange stripes on the neck and sleeves, it was orange/blue/orange. It looked like crap (a case of maybe too much orange and blue) and they wore it for only a few road games before abandoning it.

    And I just realized that there are a few young’uns out there who may not realize that “Mex” is Keith Hernandez’s nickname (or was when he played for the Mets). Showing my age here…. :P

    [quote comment=”9729″][quote comment=”9626″]
    Finally, a linguistic note: In the column, webmaster John Ekdahl is referred to as a “Yankees fan”. However, Paul should know that the idiom here in New York, as opposed to the hick-dominated areas of the country, is “Yankee fan” / “Met fan” / “Dodger fan” / “Giant fan” / “Jet fan”, etc., where the singular form of the team name is used as the adjective (or, it could be argued, as a noun in apposition).[/quote]

    Was anyone else offended by the hick comment? And the appositional noun argument is much stronger then the adjective, as an adjective should be in front of the noun or after a verb such as ‘be’, so ‘The Yankee fan’ would have to translate to ‘The fan is Yankee’. (A correct example would be ‘The beautiful girl’, ‘The girl is beautiful’). Come down off your high horse, and realize that just because you live in New York doesn’t mean you’re always right.[/quote]

    PERSONAL INVECTIVE, PERSONAL INVECTIVE!

    1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.

    That has bugged the hell out of me, too – link, he wore number 33 in high school.

    Then again, it isn’t as though Kobe has as much income, what with his Colorado excursion.

    [quote comment=”9740″]1. I missed the reason why Kobe is switching numbers – can someone post the answer.

    That has bugged the hell out of me, too – link, he wore number 33 in high school.

    Then again, it isn’t as though Kobe has as much income, what with his Colorado excursion.[/quote]

    His father wore 24, and I believe he made comments about wanting a fresh start. He’s not the only NBA player switching numbers. Amare is going to wear number 1 instead of 32. There was an article on espn.com a little while ago, but I’ll see if I can find it.

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