Back when I invited people to apply for the Uni Watch intern’s position, one of the finalists was David Sonny. Although he didn’t make the final cut, he had already set up an interview with Bengals equipment manager Rob Recker, which I encouraged him to go ahead with. He readily agreed. Here’s how their chat went down:
David Sonny: How did you get to the position of Cincinnati Bengals equipment manager?
Rob Recker: Well, I actually started off as a trainer for OSU. While there I began to intern with the Browns, but I left for the assistant trainer job with the Bengals in 1991 and continued in that role until 2000.”
DS: And then you made the jump to equipment manager?
RR: Well up until then Tom Gray was the equipment manager and I was a guy who would help anyone out that I could. So basically in 1999 you could have called me the assistant equipment manager. After 1999, Tom Gray retired and Mike Brown offered me the promotion from assistant trainer to equipment manager.
DS: And so you took the job.
RR: Well yeah, when the boss tells you he’d like to move you from one area to another, promote you, and make you the head of a department, you don’t say no. Let me just say this, Mike Brown is a very intelligent man. He sees a lot”¦ he sees everything. He really made it nice here.
DS: Nice? How do you mean?
RR: Well, I took over the first year we moved into Paul Brown Stadium, and at that time many people had very negative views of the franchise, which often happens when you lose. Mike Brown changed all that. There was a time when you would hear players complain about not getting a lot from the team, like clothes, shoes, gloves. Now we get players coming in from other organizations that come in and are wide-eyed in amazement about everything they get for free. I mean, players are actually shocked that they get all of this [referring to the seemingly endless amount of merchandise, from hoodies to gloves and anything else that can be ordered]. If I need anything for this department, I just have to ask Mike Brown, he has never once said no to anything.
DS: So what do you feel your goal is?
RR: For players to get everything they need to perform on the field. I need to do what needs to be done for us to win, whether that means getting a player the shoes he requests, gloves, pads, whatever makes that player feel comfortable on and off the field.
DS: What are your thoughts on the new NFL logo?
RR: It is what it is. I like the old NFL logo, it has a sort of classic look to it, but things change. I like the new one too; it is going to be a ton of work for me switching over, though. It’s on everything [begins pulling out business cards, jerseys, nameplates, helmets, stationery, etc.]. I have to make sure that all of the old logos are replaced by next year so that we’re in compliance.”
DS: What about other logos, such as Reebok?
RR: A big part of my job is making sure that product is on the field. Like I said, it is what it is, don’t underestimate just how much money that company makes, and puts into the game. It is my job to make sure that it looks its best.
DS: I’ve noticed that on the fieldwear and fanwear, the Reebok logo seems more toned down than in the past”¦
RR: Yeah, the logos seemed to get out of hand a while back. But the NFL is very strict and there are now more restrictions on logo size and placement.
DS: So what about the helmets? I have seen the decals for sale to make your own and such”¦
RR: We no longer use decals on our helmets. That was one of the first things I changed when I was promoted in 2000. It got to a point where we were just wasting time; I would have three or four guys out there repairing helmet decals for two or three hours straight the Monday after a game. The paint holds up better and looks better, now I just have a guy look over all the helmets after a game and anything that is too scratched or damaged we just send away to have painted. The helmets are my favorite part of the uniform, they are important to me.
DS: And the uniforms”¦
RR: I like the new uniforms; I liked the old uniforms as well. It’s funny, I had just developed new patterns [different tailoring cuts for different positions — one for linemen, one for wide receivers, and so on] for all of the old uniforms and then we made the switch. I don’t think people realize just how tough that is; the patterns didn’t transfer over at all, so I had to make a whole new set. The new uniforms were not designed for football players though. Designers came in and came up with something that could be marketed to fans, which makes it difficult. The stripes on the sleeves, for example — I still am not satisfied there, because each pattern ends up affecting the stripes in a different way, which you just can’t get right. Take Justin Smith — he came to me early on and we sat down to discuss what he wanted in a uniform cut. Justin is very specific, he doesn’t want loose material and doesn’t want sleeves, so I basically have to butcher every one of his uniforms to get it right, and look at the stripes [laughs], count them.
DS: So you do most of the alterations yourself?
RR: I wouldn’t say that I do most of them. I will hem a jersey if a player comes to me, but there are times when you get 10 to 15 guys coming to you wanting their jersey to be hemmed — then I’ll send them out. It’s a time thing.
DS: But you do the custom jobs yourself, correct?
RR: Yeah, I’ll sit down with a player and go over anything he wants done and I’ll make most of those alterations myself.
DS: And what about repairs?
RR: I’ll do most of those myself. If something is ripped, I’ll just whip out the sewing machine and take care of it. I can usually just add a small amount of fabric behind the tears and stitch it up, but there are times when it becomes more extensive. When that happens, we weigh whether it’s worth the time fixing it or if we’re better off just getting a new uniform.
DS: And if a player gets a tear on the field [during a game]?
RR: Oh, I’ll just grab my needle and thread and stitch it up right on the sidelines, I did that for Rudi [Johnson] a couple games ago.
DS: And if the tear it too extensive to repair on the field?
RR: Well, we have a backup jersey on hand. If something were to happen, though, it’s either fix the uniform, get a new one on him, or he has to come out of the game. It’s as simple as that.
DS: How do you keep the jerseys so tight to the pads?
RR: We run strips of double-sided tape across the pads and pat the jersey down. Some teams use Velcro, but I prefer tape. It really adheres and keeps the jersey from moving around.”
DS: So who are the players who really care how they look out there?
RR: Carson [Palmer], Chad [Johnson] and Rudi [Johnson]. They are my fashion designers.
DS: While we’e on the subject of Chad, where did he get the black and orange chinstraps?
RR: Not from me, that’s for sure. He went out and bought them himself.
DS: And”¦
RR: And the NFL called me complaining about it. He’s a grown man, I supply him with the correct chinstrap, and he chooses whether or not to wear it. Chad is a smart kid, he knows what he is doing”¦ and he is going to do it anyway.
DS: What do you think about it?
RR: I really like the look; I think the whole team would look great with them. If I could do it I would have the whole team wearing them.
DS: Anything else interesting about Chad’s uniforms?
RR: Before one game a couple of years ago he comes to me and says ”˜I want sleeves.’ He wanted, you know, baggier, looser sleeves. It was a fashion statement. I told him ”˜Chad, they’re going to be grabbing all over you if you go out wearing sleeves.’ But he insisted, so I made up a jersey with sleeves for him.
DS: How did that work out for him?
RR: After the first few plays he came running to me on the sideline saying ”˜Rob! Rob! They are grabbing all over the sleeves, I needs another jersey.’ I said, ”˜No shit.’ That experiment lasted one drive.
DS: Anything else?
RR: Shoes, he has more shoes than he can ever possibly wear.
DS: Was there anything you tried during the uniform change that you still wish you could get right?
RR: Striped socks. Mike Brown and I both love simple striped socks. We tried really hard to get that to work, we were going for a similar sock stripe that the team used to wear. After some time we just decided that with the modern uniform the striped socks just looked out of place, especially with the Bengals’ stripes.
DS: One last thing before I go: facemasks.
RR: Oh yeah, we have tons of those, especially with all the new helmet styles and manufactures. For instance, look at the difference between the Revolution kicker’s facemask [left] and the standard kicker’s facemask [right]. The Revolution facemask attaches at the bottom, so it has a completely different look. It also has less eye protection and you could easily get your whole hand in there. Then look at Willie [Anderson]’s facemask — I’m surprised no one else wears it. It’s much lighter than most facemasks out there and provides great protection. It is the look, everyone is making a fashion statement these days, even with the facemask.
DS: Like L.T.?
RR [laughing]: Yeah, just like L.T. His facemask is a personal statement, just like a lot of these guys with shoes. It provides no more protection, but the look is what he wants.
=======
Speaking of the Bengals, David came up with an interesting story while doing research for the interview — look here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: The Phillies finally unveiled their new alternate uni yesterday, and it looks pretty damn sharp. My only gripe: Since the design is based on this, why did they use this font on the back? ”¦ Quite a week for memorials, as decal maven Chris Willis reports that the Browns will be wearing a “BW” decal for Hall of Famer Bill Willis, who died earlier this week. ”¦ Fun factoid: If the Cowboys had worn their usual white at home last night (instead of their blue throwbacks), the Packers would have had to remove their Lambeau Field 50th-anniversary patches from their green jerseys, because the patch is only meant to be worn at Lambeau. And then they would have put the patches back after the game. But since the Cowboys wore blue, the Packers wore white and didn’t have to fuss with the patches. Details here. ”¦ As expected, both teams wore a “21” decal — which turned out to be huge — in memory of Sean Taylor. ”¦ Speaking of Taylor, check out what someone did to a McFarlane figure of him (nice find by Timothy Fesmire). ”¦ Texas prison guards are getting new uniforms (rare non-sports contribution from Brinke Guthrie). ”¦ According to this article, next season NFL players will have the option of wearing a new high-tech helmet design. The good news is that it offers a very high degree of head protection; the bad news is that it looks like a cheap Halloween costume. ”¦ Yesterday I imagined what sort of horn-based helmet design would be worn by a football team called the Unicorns. I was kidding, but Mike Stegemoller actually found a European team with that name. Unfortunately, they have a boring helmet design (and even more unfortunately, they wear the McDonald’s logo on their thighs).
New Braunfels (Texas) High School’s mascot is the unicorn. No horn on the helmet, though, just a boring “NB.” (They’re one of the best teams in the state in class AAAA this year, BTW.)
Great info on the bengals uniforms! It’s amazing all the work that goes into getting the team outfitted.
I also really like the Phillies Alternates.
Finally, thos Gladiator helmets have to be a JOKE, right? They look ridiculous!
I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
last night i finally saw that NFL 08 (or whatever the game is called) commercial featuring the old bag wearing sammy baugh’s #33 for the skins…they called her “McGregor”…and there was a nameplate on the back of the jersey
sure enough, i slow-mo’ed the dvr and when she turns around at the end of the commercial, her nameplate indeed reads “MCGREGOR”
/ link
That new helmet design… That’s a joke, right? It looks like a bad arts ‘n crafts project
As a Cowboy’s fan I don’t really like the throwbacks as much as the usual uniform. I’ve never really noticed them before and I’m not sure if you mentioned it on the ESPN column Paul, but I do love those socks.
link
Phillies’ alt unis are sweet. Always been an admirer of their mid-1940s uni and glad they based it on those. As for the font, I’d have preferred an older look, too. But, as is mentioned in their press release and during their webcast of the unveiling, the alts are “a throwback uniform with a modern touch.”
There has been some grumbling in Philliedom about the alt blue hat and a perceived jinx. I think they look great. At least they didn’t go with anything black.
Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??
I’d like those great Phillies alternates a lot more if they’d take the names off the backs. The original didn’t have them and they really detract from the timeless simplicity.
Phillies need to find a tailor; the pajama-pants style, lookin’ like shit, as always.
That helmet has got to be the ugliest thing Ive ever seen…I pray to God nobody uses that next year…
NEW NFL LOGO? AM I MISSING SOMETHING??? HELP!
Its changing for next season…hopefully I can get this link to work.
link
try this
ok…just cut and paste it then…tired of trying
link
A foam helmet makes some sense (when I played the only thing that ever really hurt was getting hit by helmets, it was like someone swinging bowling balls at you). But for some reason I think a helmet with a soft covering would cause more friction between helmets, resulting in more head/neck movement and potentially other injuries, rather than the way helmets will pretty much glance off each other now.
Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?I also find it somewhat amusing they have a picture of a young Richie (Dick) Allen, my all-time favorite player, up at the unveiling. The Phils and their pinhead fans all but destroyed his career before it even started. Dude would have been a first ballot HOFer if he’d come up with any other team than the Phillies(ok, or the Red Sox), and now they’re using him as a sign of their glorious past. Please
Buzz Lightyear plays for the Bills?
Who knew?
Great article. Good job, David. The equipment manager interviews are always good. This one is exceptionally good because it involves the guy that has to put up with Chad Johnson’s quirks. Very interesting.
[quote comment=”179395″]That helmet has got to be the ugliest thing Ive ever seen…I pray to God nobody uses that next year…[/quote]
Being as everything is a fashion statement in the NFL (Like Rob Recker said), I wouldn’t expect to see too many of them. They really are terrible looking though.
What I think really makes the Gladiator helmet look cheesy is the facemask. Otherwise, it has kind of a larger motorcycle-helmet line to it.
[quote comment=”179383″]I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.[/quote]
Yeah…is there a more overused quasi-hip slang in the vernacular of the white man these days? When I throw up, even “a little bit,” I find a place to spit it out.
thanks charlie…
i like the old myself. but, whatever…
[quote comment=”179395″]That helmet has got to be the ugliest thing Ive ever seen…I pray to God nobody uses that next year…[/quote]I’m sure I’m not the only person around here who thought of link, am I?
According to this article, next season NFL players will have the option of wearing a new high-tech helmet design. The good news is that it offers a very high degree of head protection; the bad news is that it looks like a cheap Halloween costume. …
Who would’ve thought we would long for the understated extra padding of Steve Wallace or Mark Kelso?
This can’t be for real. The poor fool looks top-heavy.
[quote comment=”179405″]What I think really makes the Gladiator helmet look cheesy is the facemask. Otherwise, it has kind of a larger motorcycle-helmet line to it.[/quote]
It is designed by the guy who came up with the Procap. If you look at the exploded view, the outer covering is sort of a Procap that extends all the way around the shell. It would be interesting to know why they chose to make the facemask so big, especially on the sides. Maybe it is for strength, the whole helmet is made of composites, there is no metal at all (which the article says is important for x-rays and MRIs in the case of injury). Or maybe the mask if so large in an attempt to scale it to the larger foam outer covering of the lid.
It would be interesting to see some more shots of it, it may end up looking like link.
Oh, the Bengals. From conservative but sharp looking…to revolutionary and sharp looking…to…to…to the hard to look at mess they parade around in today. I hope they get the notion to change the look real soon.
in the facemask picture of l.t….
am i alone in the fact that i LOVE iron/painted on numbers??? for some reason, to me it just makes a jersey so much more personal and authentic!!! call me weird…
brings up a question… which teams (nfl or nhl), were amongst the last to switch over to sewn on numbers???
Ryan Grant and Donald Driver both had their NFL Equipment logos way below the collar compared to the rest of the Packers. What’s with that?
Sorry if this has been addressed before.
Honestly…if a helmet looks like that, it’s at the exact point I draw the line between substance over style…hell no. That is atrocious…that dude looks like a human bobblehead.
And thinking about it, I think if I had ever played football, I would’ve loved the chance to go a little Chad Johnson with my headgear. Basically switch between the Schutt air helmet (the normal, classic looking one) and Riddell revolution, and going with a different facemask design every game. Something about having the ability to change it up constantly and add a little variety in a manner that wouldn’t get me fined by the No Fun League seems appealing.
[quote comment=”179410″]According to this article, next season NFL players will have the option of wearing a new high-tech helmet design. The good news is that it offers a very high degree of head protection; the bad news is that it looks like a cheap Halloween costume. …
Who would’ve thought we would long for the understated extra padding of Steve Wallace or Mark Kelso?
This can’t be for real. The poor fool looks top-heavy.[/quote]
I was thinking that was Mark Kelso modeling the Battlestar Billactica helmet.
WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???
David, great stuff on the Bengals. Love that behind-the-scenes stuff.
I want to clarify something from yesterday’s comment #191. Yes, Andre Hastings did wear #88 for the steelers as did a handful of other guys after him.
I think I mentioned a week or so ago that the Steelers don’t issue 12, 32, 58, 59, or 75. I was checking out the official site and came across this link with the all-time numeric roster (even includes replacement players from 1987).
There actually was one person that wore Ham’s #59 but apparently it was a guy that was cut in preseason.
Other numbers that appear to have been unofficially retired by the team are:
#52 Mike Webster (not issued since ’89)
#63 Dermontti Dawson (not issued since ’00)
It’s probably too soon to see if Bettis’ #36 will get this treatment.
As far as #82 and #88 for Stallworth and Swann, I don’t think this was necessarily a snub by the equipment manager but a snag in the rules. With the loosened restrictions on WRs (now can wear in teens) and TEs (can wear in the #40s), teams aren’t restricted by the 80-89. Several players wore #82 (most notably Yancey Thigpen, Bobby Shaw and Antwaan Randle-El) and #88 but neither have been used lately.
The wikipedia entry for the Steelers (of course you have to take that for what it’s worth) suggests #1 (Anderson), #31 (Shell) and #47 (Blount) fit in this category but I’m not sure about that. Hard to tell though because there has never been an official statement one way or the other by the team.
Is anybody going to be searching for Chad Johnson and his sleeved jersey?
[quote comment=”179408″][quote comment=”179395″]That helmet has got to be the ugliest thing Ive ever seen…I pray to God nobody uses that next year…[/quote]I’m sure I’m not the only person around here who thought of link, am I?[/quote]
hah, nope!
That Sean Taylor figure is gorgeous.
[quote comment=”179382″]Great info on the bengals uniforms! It’s amazing all the work that goes into getting the team outfitted.[/quote]
I agree, nice job David Sonny.
[quote comment=”179390″]Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??[/quote]
I hate link. Can’t stand them. They usually trot those things out for a home game at the beginning of the season. Last night was a nationally televised game, so it probably seemed like the perfect time to be like “Hey, we have different uniforms that our usual link, buy them.”
They usually wear those for the next couple of game as well, which would make sense since the next 2 games are national broadcasts.
I can’t stand those uniforms, but, hopefully, they will have the same success tonight and sunday as they did link.
By the by, eff Isiah. He’s right we do hate him in Boston.
[quote comment=”179402″]Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?…..[/quote]
Alt socks? What would be the point since no one, except for Jamie Moyer (and Jimmy Rollins a couple of games), wears their pants high enough to see them?
[quote comment=”179386″]That new helmet design… That’s a joke, right? It looks like a bad arts ‘n crafts project[/quote]
paper mache, anyone?
The Gladiator helmet looks like it came out of Rollerball.
Great interview! While the uniforms may be considered ugly, I love hearing about the team I have been dying with for 30+years. The big question stemming from the interview is this: with all of that hard work, will Cincinnati qualify for a Uni Watch gathering?
How often does a Canadian major junior team retire a number?
link
Can anyone find of picture of that game in 1994 of the Bengals vs. Patriots? I’m pretty sure that both teams were wearing throwbacks. It was the only time that the Bengals have ever worn their original uniform since the change in 1981
I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link
[quote comment=”179383″]I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.[/quote]
I can’t say it any better.
[quote comment=”179390″]Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??[/quote]
You answered your own question — the Celtics were wearing alts. It makes sense to wear them at home in front of the fans you want to sell them to. The Nuggets have been doing the same thing for a few years, wearing their dark blue alts at home occasionally. They sell it as a “second road jersey” but they have worn it at home.
Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?…..
Alt socks? What would be the point since no one, except for Jamie Moyer (and Jimmy Rollins a couple of games), wears their pants high enough to see them?
Maybe if they had some bitchin’ hose, others might be willing to show them.
So if every NFL player is going to wear a memorial helmet sticker for Sean Taylor, Bronco players will have FOUR numbers on their helmets — their own, Taylor’s, and the memorial stickers they’ve been wearing for Darrent Williams and Damien Nash.
I like the Phillies new alts, too. Thankfully they didn’t take the all-too-common approach of adding a dark-colored top to their array of uniforms.
Wow. Great article.
Paul Brown was a genius, and prescient to boot:
My one key principle was “nothing too flashy” because nothing is worse than a bad team with a crazy-looking uniform.
The Bengals traded one of the best uniforms in football for one of the worst.
[quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
There is no explanation, at least not one that will make anyone happy. The uniform was designed for the fans to buy more so than for the players to wear, that is about it. When we talked Rob discussed at length how difficult everything to do with the stripes on the sleeves were and them being painted on was no help.
[quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment
[quote]Maybe if they had some bitchin’ hose, others might be willing to show them.[/quote]
you’re talkin’ about their socks, right?
[quote comment=”179446″]Wow. Great article.
Paul Brown was a genius, and prescient to boot:
My one key principle was “nothing too flashy” because nothing is worse than a bad team with a crazy-looking uniform.
The Bengals traded one of the best uniforms in football for one of the worst.[/quote]
NO WAY!!! They have a great helmet! What do you want Penn State style? boring? Sports is fun why can’t the uniforms be fun?
BTW those new Phillie’s suck. Pring back the baby blue and maroon
[quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!!
the phils should’ve had jamie moyer model the alts. maybe then we could have seen link.
[quote comment=”179390″]Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??[/quote]
Oh my god they are awful. I don’t understand why there is so much black in the celtics color scheme of late. It really should be green and white with maybe the occasional yellow or gold accent (on the secondary gear, not the uniform), but certainly never black anywhere. oh how ugly.
FROM THE “Today is “Throwback’s Day” ARTICLE:
“That (Bengals) was a name that could be animated…”
i think it’s ironic that that statement was made… but the bengals only adopted a good working “logo” just a few years ago…
In the 1960’s and 1970’s MacGregor,who later became Kelley, helmets used an exterior pad that sounds very similar in theory (soft exterior, hard middle and soft interior) to the new design mentioned in the ticker. However, as was mentioned earlier in the comments section the softer, outer layer actually caused more frcition and severe neck injuries and was therefore discontinued. The new design doesn’t seem to make sense safetywise or otherwise. (It looks as hideous or worse than the ProCap the same company initially subjugated football helmets to.)
post #32… good steelers numbers info kek!!! thanks!
im sure the #36 is done…
[quote comment=”179459″][quote comment=”179446″]Wow. Great article.
Paul Brown was a genius, and prescient to boot:
My one key principle was “nothing too flashy” because nothing is worse than a bad team with a crazy-looking uniform.
The Bengals traded one of the best uniforms in football for one of the worst.[/quote]
NO WAY!!! They have a great helmet! What do you want Penn State style? boring? Sports is fun why can’t the uniforms be fun?[/quote]
I was referring to their 1981-2003 (specifically the 1997-2003 modifications). Those were distinctive yet classy and still fun.
As to their new uniforms, I maintain that Paul Brown said it best. For a franchise desperate to promote his connection, it’s unfortunate that they forgot his warning.
[quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Horrible. Plus, he’s a racist.
He actually said he was “honored to broadcast a game where a black man was the head ref”. News flash, it isn’t 1965.
[quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Worst announce team EVER.
Come on NFL Network, youve got the 2 best teams in the NFC playing with no one else on the schedule that night and you put those two on the air?? You’ve got Rich Eisen, Mooch, Deion Sanders and a bunch of other good guys in the studio who could do it, yet you stick Gumbel and Collinsworth in there?!? Ugh..
[quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Two different number fonts on the cowboys throwbacks 9check the link). Also, the link were great, would’ve been cool if someone did a sean taylor tribute with them.
[quote comment=”179476″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Horrible. Plus, he’s a racist.
He actually said he was “honored to broadcast a game where a black man was the head ref”. News flash, it isn’t 1965.[/quote]
He makes it sound like there isn’t even a game being played. When the Packers’ RB (Grant) broke through the line for the Packers first TD, Gumbel just simply talked about it, it was a 62yd run! he sucks
I read the entire interview/profile and then i got all excited when they brought up Chad Johnson, wating, waiting for the OBVIOUS question. Did the equipment manager help him with the “Ocho Cinco” nameplate? I thougt this was one of the holy grails of Uni-Watch? Has this mystery already been solved? Did I miss it?
bryant mumbel makes his brother look like john facenda
[quote comment=”179477″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Worst announce team EVER.
Come on NFL Network, youve got the 2 best teams in the NFC playing with no one else on the schedule that night and you put those two on the air?? You’ve got Rich Eisen, Mooch, Deion Sanders and a bunch of other good guys in the studio who could do it, yet you stick Gumbel and Collinsworth in there?!? Ugh..[/quote]
In fairness, the entire NFL Network presentation was terrible, not just the announcers.
Anybody else catch their in-game promo for the Thanksgiving matchup? Wonder what the NFL Network has planned for Opening Weekend 2007….
Seriously, if they picked this game months ago to be the commercial for their network, you’d think that they would plan it a little better. I’ve never appreciated the current broadcast setup more than I did last night.
[quote comment=”179455″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment[/quote]
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
link
Back to the Phillies’ new unis. I also think they look spectacular. As for the font and so forth, I see nothing wrong with maintaining the current typefaces on a design that evokes a bygone era.
A look at the 1948 design shows that the script “Phillies” in the older uniform is a little more squat and the current is more vertical, especially in the L’s. The old collar and sleeve piping appear to be blue only, where the new piping is blue-red-blue.
I love that the Phils are sneaking a bit more blue into an otherwise dull design. I hope they keep the Liberty Bells on the socks (not that anyone sees them).
I also just noticed that these have no numbers on the sleeve. I’m a little disappointed at that.
The Phillies’ current design dull? I like that it’s a basic, no-frills red and white scheme.
The Fresno Grizzlies (AAA-Fresno) showed off their new uniforms on TV this morning (sorry, no screen caps). The colors have gone from green and brown (boo. hissssss.) to orange and black (very, very nice), with logos that evoke the San Francisco Giants (the parent club’s) logos.
I see the Casper Ghost’s actually are selling the authentic home cap on their website now. Anyone willing to buy it and see if it really glows in the dark?
let’s just admit it – we’re in a bad era for uni designs. over the past 10+ years, uni designs have gone downhill, especially in the NFL and NBA. baseball’s faired better. but the bengals are a classic example. they had gorgeous, unique unis. nothing needed to be tweaked on them. so what does the team do? they take everything good about the design and amp it up and make it look cartoonish and silly. way too many side panels and more white, and 3-D lettering now, mismatching stripes and panels, etc. it’s atrocious. my broncos really started this awful trend toward these heinous, modern, nike-inspired designs, and i still pine for the days of the gorgeous old orange crush unis with the blue “D” helmets. i know this is awfully nostalgic, but i can’t help it.
i like the cowboys throwbacks, but since i’m accustomed to seeing them in white at home, i wish they’d wear this version:
link
[quote comment=”179496″]The Phillies’ current design dull? I like that it’s a basic, no-frills red and white scheme.[/quote]
And yet, it really is dull and lifeless. Red pinstripes never, ever look good.
The new alts blow the regular home uni’s away. I just wish they had gone with classic block numbers instead of that stupid bubble font.
And for God’s sake, when will these guys realize that wearing your baseball pants like un-tailored slacks looks ridiculous?
[quote comment=”179494″][quote comment=”179455″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment[/quote]
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
link
AMEN! No mention of the Raiders (much as I hate them, the uni’s are classic)? My beloved J-E-T-S?
Da Bears? C’mon – the dude picks the Falcons and Broncos, for crying out loud – apparently he had a brain cramp and inadvertently left off the Cardinals and Bills atrocities.
Luckily, the nickname “Beast” seems to fit him perfectly
[quote comment=”179460″][quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!![/quote]
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…
Great interview. The story about Chad Johnson’s temporary sleeves was most entertaining. I have to give ol’ Chad some credit for at least trying to make his uniform look good.
[quote comment=”179508″][quote comment=”179460″][quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!![/quote]
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…[/quote]
and why exactly does the jersey need a friggin white stripe to begin with?
i could get into the new bengal unis, especially the orange jersey, if they hadn’t ruined the thing with the side panel
[quote comment=”179505″][quote comment=”179494″][quote comment=”179455″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment[/quote]
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
link
AMEN! No mention of the Raiders (much as I hate them, the uni’s are classic)? My beloved J-E-T-S?
Da Bears? C’mon – the dude picks the Falcons and Broncos, for crying out loud – apparently he had a brain cramp and inadvertently left off the Cardinals and Bills atrocities.
Luckily, the nickname “Beast” seems to fit him perfectly[/quote]
That’s got to be the worst list I’ve ever seen. The Rams #1???!!! I’ve been waiting for them to go back to the previous look since they debuted this gold and navy look.
Also, if you’re going to put a team up there (Redskins) you might want to find a picture not taken at a practice. Honestly, how hard would it have been to find a game photo in the dark jersey?
[quote comment=”179508″][quote comment=”179460″][quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!![/quote]
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…[/quote]
this is best explanation. i remember reading about the new uniforms when the designs were released a few years ago. all three jerseys (black, white and orange alt) have a white sidepanel and having the top of the pants strips in white helps blend the the look of the jersey to the pants. Both the white and black pants can be worn with any of the three jerseys.
it was a good design concept but has not transferred well to the field. beyond the many tayloring variations, the white on top pf the pants stripe is always darker than the side panel of the jersey. i assume this is due to fabric differences.
link
[quote comment=”179470″]post #32… good steelers numbers info kek!!! thanks!
im sure the #36 is done…[/quote]
It is…no one’s going to have it anymore…being a top 6 rusher in NFL history will get you that.
[quote comment=”179500″]I see the Casper Ghost’s actually are selling the authentic home cap on their website now. Anyone willing to buy it and see if it really glows in the dark?[/quote]
I’d be willing. Maybe Santa will surprise me with one.
By the way, LET’S GOOOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!
link
Fresno Grizzlies new unis:
link
It is right there in the front page.
Deion Sanders, during the pre/post game coverage on NFL Network, was wearing the Sean Taylor Memorial Sticker on his suit jacket lapel. I have never seen a TV personality wear a sticker as part of a memorial. Usually, they wear a pin of some sort. (Sorry, no screen shot)
[quote comment=”179526″]By the way, LET’S GOOOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!
link[/quote]
#2 jinx
GO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME MOUNTAINQUEERS
Jays doing what the Brewers were doing last year.
link
[quote comment=”179505″][quote comment=”179494″][quote comment=”179455″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment[/quote]
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
link
AMEN! No mention of the Raiders (much as I hate them, the uni’s are classic)? My beloved J-E-T-S?
Da Bears? C’mon – the dude picks the Falcons and Broncos, for crying out loud – apparently he had a brain cramp and inadvertently left off the Cardinals and Bills atrocities.
Luckily, the nickname “Beast” seems to fit him perfectly[/quote]
Anyone who doesn’t have the Bears in the Top 10 is suffering from some type of delusional state.
[quote comment=”179532″][quote comment=”179505″][quote comment=”179494″][quote comment=”179455″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating.[/quote]
he’d have to have some in order to comment[/quote]
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
link
AMEN! No mention of the Raiders (much as I hate them, the uni’s are classic)? My beloved J-E-T-S?
Da Bears? C’mon – the dude picks the Falcons and Broncos, for crying out loud – apparently he had a brain cramp and inadvertently left off the Cardinals and Bills atrocities.
Luckily, the nickname “Beast” seems to fit him perfectly[/quote]
Anyone who doesn’t have the Bears in the Top 10 is suffering from some type of delusional state.[/quote]
Bear and Browns: two best unis in the NFL.
[quote comment=”179529″][quote comment=”179526″]By the way, LET’S GOOOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!
link[/quote]
#2 jinx
GO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME MOUNTAINQUEERS[/quote]
I’d jump in here, but I’m still recovering from the news that we re-hired Steve Pederson as AD!!!
I just hope he doesn’t re-start the “Pittsburgh” theme just when everything said “Pitt” again. I wonder what this hire will do to the possibility of returning to the old script logo. I’ve never been around a university that flat out ignores the masses as to what they want. If you took surveys at football and basketball games you probably get a resounding positive response to returning to the old logo/colors.
Steve did a lot of good at Pitt, but I’m looking at “what have you done lately”? he gave bill callahan an EXTENSION?????!!!!
Oh, but back to the game, through the records out, it’s the backyard brawl. And the 100th version at that.
Fight on for dear old Pittsburgh
And for the glory of the game
Show our worthy foe that the Panther’s on the go
Pitt must win today! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Cheer loyal sons of Pittsburgh
Cheer on to victory and fame
For the Blue and Gold shall conquer as of old
So fight, Pitt, fight!
[quote comment=”179510″][quote comment=”179508″][quote comment=”179460″][quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!![/quote]
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…[/quote]
and why exactly does the jersey need a friggin white stripe to begin with?
i could get into the new bengal unis, especially the orange jersey, if they hadn’t ruined the thing with the side panel[/quote]
Exactly! I mentioned this same thing a day or two ago. I love the Bengals unis minus the white side panel on the orange and black jerseys, and the top two white stripes on the pants.
[quote comment=”179390″]Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??[/quote]
My guess is that the Celtics wanted to wear the alternates since it was their first home game on TNT since Danny Ainge was a color analyst. After how that game went, I’m sure they’ll want to do it more
Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
[quote comment=”179493″]In fairness, the entire NFL Network presentation was terrible, not just the announcers.[/quote]
Did anyone else see the dry erase board that Steve Mariucci was using pregame. With all the technology in the world today… that was the best they could do?
link
sorry, meant to leave a link to a photo of that as well
Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church? Ugh….the Mets don’t need those 2 scrubs!
2009 Final Four logo revealed:
link
POST #73: well said lou! bad era for new uni’s!!! take all your classi logo’s… all drwn up on the board. not some silly graphic design program! simple…
p.s.
dah, dah, dah-dah-dah, LETS GO PITT!
dah, dah, dah-dah-dah, LETS GO PITT!
P-I-T-T LETS GO PITT!
or the always classic:
dah, dah, dah-dah-dah, PENN STATE SUCKS!
dah, dah, dah-dah-dah, PENN STATE SUCKS!
P-E-N-N PENN STATE SUCKS!
haha! just havin some fun!
correction:
P-E-N-N-S-T SUCKS!
Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
See Paul’s ESPN column from this week.
[quote comment=”179558″]2009 Final Four logo revealed:
link
Nice design, but I automaticaly looked over it and was confused about the link thinking the story would have the logo in it. I didn’t pay attention to the logo thinking it was a Goodyear ad or something. Then again, that leaves the door open for corperate sponsorship. The tire could end up with the marking of some tire maker’s name on it.
[quote comment=”179556″]Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church?
Ugh….the Mets don’t need those 2 scrubs![/quote]
lo duca? GONE
mota? GONE
milledge? GONE
addition by subtraction?
[quote comment=”179560″]correction:
P-E-N-N-S-T SUCKS![/quote]
Sh*tt on Pitt!
4-7, terrific year for the Panthers!
Blue Jays retro update here:
link
[quote comment=”179544″]Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
[/quote]
Pretty sure Patrick Crayton had a wordmark on his bumper.
i really loved the old Bengals helmets w/ just Bengals on the side.
i did like their less flashy version of the tiger stripe uni’s though, too. the new one is just too much stupid stuff for my tastes.
AMAZING work though, on that interview.
Brighton High Football in Boston, MA – their team is the Bengals and they actually stripe up their facemasks ala Taylor…i’ll see if i can find some pix.
i like the cowboys throwbacks, but since i’m accustomed to seeing them in white at home, i wish they’d wear this version:
link…
Marketing
Jerry initially sold more blue throwbacks then he would have a white one, but anytime soon would be a great time to bust that version to SELL MORE (got a HUGE stadium to pay for)
I am so happy with the Phillies new uniform, I can’t believe it. As a born and bred Philadelphian, I can’t believe they have done 2 great things in the last 5 years….1) A great new baseball-only ballpark and 2) A great alternate uni.
I am hoping they may make these perminent in the near future.
[quote comment=”179533″]
Bear and Browns: two best unis in the NFL.[/quote]
If I weren’t a Pats fan, I’d be a Browns fan solely because of how great their unis are.
[quote comment=”179572″][quote comment=”179533″]
Bear and Browns: two best unis in the NFL.[/quote]
If I weren’t a Pats fan, I’d be a Browns fan solely because of how great their unis are.[/quote]
YUCK to all three uniforms. Jets with green jerseys and gren pants AND Seahawks blue jerseys and blue pants are the two best unis in the NFL.
and two worst have got to be Panthers and Jags.
I pointed out last night to one of my friends that both teams had link on their jerseys, and he repaid the favor by pointing out that the Cowboys put their traditional link on their link helmets.
[quote comment=”179572″][quote comment=”179533″]
Bear and Browns: two best unis in the NFL.[/quote]
If I weren’t a Pats fan, I’d be a Browns fan solely because of how great their unis are.[/quote]
link
[quote comment=”179420″]As far as #82 and #88 for Stallworth and Swann, I don’t think this was necessarily a snub by the equipment manager but a snag in the rules. With the loosened restrictions on WRs (now can wear in teens) and TEs (can wear in the #40s), teams aren’t restricted by the 80-89. Several players wore #82 (most notably Yancey Thigpen, Bobby Shaw and Antwaan Randle-El) and #88 but neither have been used lately.[/quote]
I don’t think TEs can wear numbers in the 40s. I think link can wear #47 because the Redskins officially list him as a halfback; same with link being listed as a fullback.
Anyone know for sure?
[quote comment=”179568″][quote comment=”179544″]Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
[/quote]
Pretty sure Patrick Crayton had a wordmark on his bumper.[/quote]
So did Akin Ayodele.
[quote comment=”179568″][quote comment=”179544″]Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
[/quote]
Pretty sure Patrick Crayton had a wordmark on his bumper.[/quote]
I think Paul’s whole thing was all of the non-Riddell helmets are blank. I also noticed a player on the Cowboys with “Riddell” on his nose bumper last night. I can’t remember if it was Crayton or not.
[quote comment=”179556″]Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church?
Ugh….the Mets don’t need those 2 scrubs![/quote]
Well, since Estrada won’t even be here long enough to put a Mets jersey on, they were going to need a catcher. And Church had a pretty good season last year in that enormous sized ballpark- 15-70-.272
Besides Milledge’s rap record, the thing that sucks is he is still in the Mets division. That oughta be good for a game winning home run for him somewhere along the line against the Mets this upcoming season.
[quote comment=”179576″][quote comment=”179572″][quote comment=”179533″]
Bear and Browns: two best unis in the NFL.[/quote]
If I weren’t a Pats fan, I’d be a Browns fan solely because of how great their unis are.[/quote]
YUCK to all three uniforms. Jets with green jerseys and gren pants AND Seahawks blue jerseys and blue pants are the two best unis in the NFL.
and two worst have got to be Panthers and Jags.[/quote]
I couldn’t disagree with you more on all of your points. Bears, Browns, Packers, and Raiders are my favorite NFL unis, by far. And I love the Broncos, but for the most part can’t stand their unis. Especially when I think back to how great their old ones were.
As for the Jags being one of the worst – no way! I agree with something Paul wrote recently about the teal Jags jerseys with white pants being one of the league’s unsung uni masterpieces. Now, their all black unis are dreadful.
Oh, Saints unis (when they wear gold paints) also rock.
[quote comment=”179579″][quote comment=”179420″]As far as #82 and #88 for Stallworth and Swann, I don’t think this was necessarily a snub by the equipment manager but a snag in the rules. With the loosened restrictions on WRs (now can wear in teens) and TEs (can wear in the #40s), teams aren’t restricted by the 80-89. Several players wore #82 (most notably Yancey Thigpen, Bobby Shaw and Antwaan Randle-El) and #88 but neither have been used lately.[/quote]
I don’t think TEs can wear numbers in the 40s. I think link can wear #47 because the Redskins officially list him as a halfback; same with link being listed as a fullback.
Anyone know for sure?[/quote]
TE Dallas Clark of the Colts wears 44
Below is the numbering system established by the NFL, and in place since 1973:
Numbers 1 to 19 are worn by quarterbacks, kickers, and punters.
Since 2004, Wide receivers are also allowed to wear numbers between 10 and 19 if they so choose, even if there’s an 80-89 number available.
Numbers 20 to 49 are worn by running backs, tight ends (when an 80-89 number is unavailable), cornerbacks and safeties.
Numbers 50 to 59 are worn by linebackers and offensive linemen.
Numbers 60 to 79 are worn by members of both the offensive line (the tackles, guards and centers) and defensive line (the defensive ends, defensive tackles or nose guard).
Numbers 80 to 89 are worn by wide receivers and tight ends.
Numbers 90 to 99 are worn by linebackers and defensive linemen.
Numbers 0 and 00 are no longer used, though they were issued in the NFL before the number standardization in 1973. George Plimpton famously wore 0 during a brief preseason stint at quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Jim Otto wore number “00” (“aught-oh”) during most of his career with the Oakland Raiders. Wide receiver Ken Burrough of the Houston Oilers also wore “00” during his NFL career in the 1970s
link labels?? Come on, this is the NFL! The boxes in the middle have Arial though…hopefully those are the newer shoes and newer labels.
Overall, great article. I love good inside information on unis.
link
[quote comment=”179486″]bryant mumbel makes his brother look like john facenda[/quote]
When i hear the name Bryant Gumble, i can’t help but think of the Paul Mooney quote about why white people love Wayne Brady so much….”Its because Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumble look like Malcolm X.”
[quote comment=”179510″][quote comment=”179508″][quote comment=”179460″][quote comment=”179418″]WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???[/quote]
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!![/quote]
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…[/quote]
and why exactly does the jersey need a friggin white stripe to begin with?
i could get into the new bengal unis, especially the orange jersey, if they hadn’t ruined the thing with the side panel[/quote]
I agree. I like the orange Bengal unis, but the white side panel is terrible. The Bengals helmet is sweet though.
I never liked the Phillies’ sleeve numbers. Nobody else in the MLB uses them. Why can’t they bother to extend the link to the beltloop? Completely pointless detail but that always bothers me.
I like both the Phillies new alts and their current home unis with the pinstripes.
Now they need to bring back the Powder blue and maroons for a road alt. Those, along with the Expos, were the king of the powder blues.
link
The IronPigs mascot is described as a portly, affable IronPig wearing the IronPigs home uniform and jersey number 26 — the atomic number for Iron (FE).
[quote comment=”179565″][quote comment=”179560″]correction:
P-E-N-N-S-T SUCKS![/quote]
Sh*tt on Pitt!
4-7, terrific year for the Panthers![/quote]
I was at the Penn State/Pitt Basketball Game at the Old Rec Hall in State College when they played in the NIT Tournament. The Pitt and Penn State fans literally just chanted Shit on Pitt and Penn State sucks at each other for an hour and half before the game. I was completely hoarse before the game even started. It was the craziest game I have ever been at.
Oh, and Shit on Pitt.
Actually that new helmet looks like paper mache. I think I made one like that when I was 12. I kinda reminds me of old Kelso’s helmet when he played for the Bills
First off, let me say that I fully agree that those Gladiator helmets are really ugly.
But the design makes some sense. Some people noted the friction issue with the soft shell. I believe they have coated the shell with a layer of slippery plastic to reduce the friction. The other thing they’ve done is to make the exterior smooth, so there are less places for the helmet/facemask to catch on other helmets or other parts of the uniform. It could actually reduce things like unintentional facemask penalties.
Basically though, the thing is the equivalent of buying a Volvo. Not always the best looking thing around, but loaded with all the safety features you can get.
And I would like to reiterate, boy is it ugly. If two players wearing these collided, they would likely bounce right off each other. The rest of us would have to deal with our damaged retinas, however.
POST #127: haha, thanks jesse!
i don’t remember saying pitt was any good… lol. kidding.
good story too! college fans are the best… too bad we a) don’t have a winning team to appreiciate it, and b) play in heinz field. heinz field is an NFL STADIUM!!! lol. but, oh well! i miss pitt stadium!
[quote comment=”179598″]link
The IronPigs mascot is described as a portly, affable IronPig wearing the IronPigs home uniform and jersey number 26 — the atomic number for Iron (FE).[/quote]
Too bad that a) the contest is closed and b) Stephen Colbert is currently off the air.
Finally, a helmet big enough to fit Tom Brady. Seriously, I’ve sat and laughed at that Gladiator thing for an hour. Here’s hoping this is indeed a real item and the league forces every player to wear them for the rest of eternity.
Then again, I think that thing has actually been around a link. High time they started implementing into the game, I say.
Paul,
During the interview, was their any explanation of why the Bengals have that terrible white stripe on the side of their jersey?
[quote comment=”179591″]
Oh, Saints unis (when they wear gold paints) also rock.[/quote]
Indeed, I love the gold pants, and wish they would burn the rediculous black pants. Get rid of them. See how happy Drew looks in link
I also wish they’d wear a link now and then. The had some cool stripes on their older jerseys
That Gladiator helmet reminds me of this:
link
another view:
link
[quote comment=”179590″][quote comment=”179556″]Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church?
Ugh….the Mets don’t need those 2 scrubs![/quote]
Well, since Estrada won’t even be here long enough to put a Mets jersey on, they were going to need a catcher. And Church had a pretty good season last year in that enormous sized ballpark- 15-70-.272
Besides Milledge’s rap record, the thing that sucks is he is still in the Mets division. That oughta be good for a game winning home run for him somewhere along the line against the Mets this upcoming season.[/quote]
15, 70, .272 is a pretty good year?
The Mets could have had Willis for Milledge last year. UGH!!!
Sorry, Saints throwback link
Anyone else think link Titans combination is one of the best in the NFL?
[quote comment=”179565″][quote comment=”179560″]correction:
P-E-N-N-S-T SUCKS![/quote]
Sh*tt on Pitt!
4-7, terrific year for the Panthers![/quote]
dont forget the now popular ohohohohoh,oh,ohohohohohohoh,ohoh,ohoh,ohoh
PENN STATE SUCKS!!!!
(haha best i can do for Zombie Nation)
[quote comment=”179630″]Anyone else think link Titans combination is one of the best in the NFL?[/quote]
YES!
it is, in fact, the only titan uni combo that isn’t completely horrendous
[quote comment=”179630″]Anyone else think link Titans combination is one of the best in the NFL?[/quote]
There’s no such thing as a good Titans uniform combination.
My posts are getting floating off into the ether…
In response to #108, Brighton High Bengals having striped facemasks: I found pics, but they just looked like link. However in link, #15 definitely has some orange on his mask. Also it looks like #78 has a white mask.
All my posts are getting eaten. I am trying to respond to #108 about striped facemasks at that school. I found some pics, but so far it only looks like one kid has orange on his black facemask. I will try to post the pic after I see if this post works…
[quote comment=”179643″]All my posts are getting eaten. I am trying to respond to #108 about striped facemasks at that school. I found some pics, but so far it only looks like one kid has orange on his black facemask. I will try to post the pic after I see if this post works…[/quote]
Nevermind this post, my post finally showed up at #143, typos and all.
[quote comment=”179634″][quote comment=”179630″]Anyone else think link Titans combination is one of the best in the NFL?[/quote]
There’s no such thing as a good Titans uniform combination.[/quote]
link
Without bringing in talk of preception, or gang relation or any of that, I may be wrong but I don’t remember the NFL having a league wide memorial sticker for Darrent Williams who died in a similar though not identical way to Taylor. So as far as the NFL is concerned you can only be honored league wide if your killed in the regular season, or only if your a pro bowler? Either push memorials back to the start of the next season league wide, or leave them up to the teams themselves and leave the rest of the league out of it.
Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?I also find it somewhat amusing they have a picture of a young Richie (Dick) Allen, my all-time favorite player, up at the unveiling. The Phils and their pinhead fans all but destroyed his career before it even started. Dude would have been a first ballot HOFer if he’d come up with any other team than the Phillies(ok, or the Red Sox), and now they’re using him as a sign of their glorious past. Please
IMHO, the best SI cover ever.
link
That interview was REALLY good… I always wonder about that behind the scenes stuff and to see all the masks… and lines of shoes and gloves thats pretty damn cool… more of those types of pictures would be awesome.
The Phillies uniforms look really sharp… and this is from a Mets fan (DITCH THE BLACK UNIFORMS)
and please tell me that that gladiator helmet thing is a joke… that looks like a helmet for kids who ride the short bus.
[quote comment=”179622″]Paul,
During the interview, was their any explanation of why the Bengals have that terrible white stripe on the side of their jersey?[/quote]
It is for style, nothing more. The designers came in and made several different proposals, all were designed more for what fans would buy rather than what it would look like on the field.
The white stripes on the top of the pants are there for continuity, nothing more. Imagine how cluttered they look now. Now in your mind think about how it would look with the white side panel dead ending into a black box.
The jersey top was made to market, the pants were in essence retro-fitted to work with the top.
amid all this Pitt bashing, I believe we are missing the true point of this weekend. UCLA Sucks.
[quote comment=”179406″][quote comment=”179383″]I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.[/quote]
Yeah…is there a more overused quasi-hip slang in the vernacular of the white man these days? When I throw up, even “a little bit,” I find a place to spit it out.[/quote]
Any time I ever hear anybody use the phrase “I just threw up in my mouth,” I immediately pigeonhole him/her as a dork.
On a separate note, I like the Phillies’ alts, but I feel like the hats don’t fit very well with the jerseys.
[quote comment=”179668″][quote comment=”179406″][quote comment=”179383″]I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.[/quote]
Yeah…is there a more overused quasi-hip slang in the vernacular of the white man these days? When I throw up, even “a little bit,” I find a place to spit it out.[/quote]
Any time I ever hear anybody use the phrase “I just threw up in my mouth,” I immediately pigeonhole him/her as a dork.
On a separate note, I like the Phillies’ alts, but I feel like the hats don’t fit very well with the jerseys.[/quote]
Maybe if it were a red hat with a blue bill and blue ‘P’ instead?
Personally, I think the jersey is simple and clean looking, very well done, I like it.
Ah, I grew up in Cincinnati in the 70s, and love those white or black jerseys with the simple orange/white stripe, and the “BENGALS” font on the helmets.
link
I’d like to see them revert to those, with black shoes. Those current unis look too much like ARENA LEAGUE. Much like the Seahawks all-blue. Yech.
Hooray! link is coming back!
[quote comment=”179477″][quote comment=”179436″]I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig link[/quote]
Worst announce team EVER.
Come on NFL Network, youve got the 2 best teams in the NFC playing with no one else on the schedule that night and you put those two on the air?? You’ve got Rich Eisen, Mooch, Deion Sanders and a bunch of other good guys in the studio who could do it, yet you stick Gumbel and Collinsworth in there?!? Ugh..[/quote]
If I HAD NFL Network (thanks Crumcast!), I’d like to see Eisen, Mariucci, and Deion as the broadcast team. I think they’d be just as good as anyone.
[quote comment=”179651″]Without bringing in talk of preception, or gang relation or any of that, I may be wrong but I don’t remember the NFL having a league wide memorial sticker for Darrent Williams who died in a similar though not identical way to Taylor. So as far as the NFL is concerned you can only be honored league wide if your killed in the regular season, or only if your a pro bowler? Either push memorials back to the start of the next season league wide, or leave them up to the teams themselves and leave the rest of the league out of it.[/quote]
Very well put. Did the NFL even do a league-wide memorial for Pat Tillman? What about perennial pro-bowler Derrick Thomas? How about Marquise Hill or Joe Delaney, both of whom drowned while trying to save someone else? Memorials get out of hand sometimes.
[quote comment=”179700″][quote comment=”179651″]Without bringing in talk of preception, or gang relation or any of that, I may be wrong but I don’t remember the NFL having a league wide memorial sticker for Darrent Williams who died in a similar though not identical way to Taylor. So as far as the NFL is concerned you can only be honored league wide if your killed in the regular season, or only if your a pro bowler? Either push memorials back to the start of the next season league wide, or leave them up to the teams themselves and leave the rest of the league out of it.[/quote]
Very well put. Did the NFL even do a league-wide memorial for Pat Tillman? What about perennial pro-bowler Derrick Thomas? How about Marquise Hill or Joe Delaney, both of whom drowned while trying to save someone else? Memorials get out of hand sometimes.[/quote]
agreed…but did any of those guys go to the U?
[quote comment=”179700″][quote comment=”179651″]Without bringing in talk of preception, or gang relation or any of that, I may be wrong but I don’t remember the NFL having a league wide memorial sticker for Darrent Williams who died in a similar though not identical way to Taylor. So as far as the NFL is concerned you can only be honored league wide if your killed in the regular season, or only if your a pro bowler? Either push memorials back to the start of the next season league wide, or leave them up to the teams themselves and leave the rest of the league out of it.[/quote]
Very well put. Did the NFL even do a league-wide memorial for Pat Tillman? What about perennial pro-bowler Derrick Thomas? How about Marquise Hill or Joe Delaney, both of whom drowned while trying to save someone else? Memorials get out of hand sometimes.[/quote]
The league did do a PT memorial across the board for Opening Week after he was killed, I remember that because Jake Plummer tried to get the league to let him keep the 42 on his helmet after that week, but they said no because only the Cards were going to do the full season. I don’t remember what the league did for DT, but they might’ve done a moment of silence, the same for Marquise. I’m not old enough to remember Delaney, since he died in 1983, so I don’t know if that one is relevant to the current discussion. I wasn’t paying close attention during the Playoffs, but I’m guessing the League probably did something before the Wildcard games for Williams.
Anyone have 3 grand?
link
hey, does anybody know where i can get some sweet striped basketball socks for guys?
like full sock striped or sumthing, or just weird random designs.
Thanks!!!
Jamie
[quote comment=”179725″]hey, does anybody know where i can get some sweet striped basketball socks for guys?
like full sock striped or sumthing, or just weird random designs.
Thanks!!!
Jamie[/quote]
anybody got paul’s address?
[quote comment=”179589″][quote comment=”179568″][quote comment=”179544″]Just noticed in last night’s game, the cowboys had nothing written on the front of their helmet (where normally you would see something like the team name or “riddell”)…didn’t know if this was just a cowboys thing or if there are any other teams that leave that space empty? sorry if we’ve covered this and i missed it
[/quote]
Pretty sure Patrick Crayton had a wordmark on his bumper.[/quote]
I think Paul’s whole thing was all of the non-Riddell helmets are blank.
I also noticed a player on the Cowboys with “Riddell” on his nose bumper last night.
I can’t remember if it was Crayton or not.[/quote]
What brand does Tony Romo wear though? Seems like a standard Riddell to me.
really don’t like FSU’S Uniforms and ya gotta love Stetson’s name
marquette debuting their new yellow jerseyslink
RIP evel
[quote comment=”179420″]David, great stuff on the Bengals. Love that behind-the-scenes stuff.
I want to clarify something from yesterday’s comment #191. Yes, Andre Hastings did wear #88 for the steelers as did a handful of other guys after him.
I think I mentioned a week or so ago that the Steelers don’t issue 12, 32, 58, 59, or 75. I was checking out the official site and came across this link with the all-time numeric roster (even includes replacement players from 1987).
There actually was one person that wore Ham’s #59 but apparently it was a guy that was cut in preseason.
Other numbers that appear to have been unofficially retired by the team are:
#52 Mike Webster (not issued since ’89)
#63 Dermontti Dawson (not issued since ’00)
It’s probably too soon to see if Bettis’ #36 will get this treatment.
As far as #82 and #88 for Stallworth and Swann, I don’t think this was necessarily a snub by the equipment manager but a snag in the rules. With the loosened restrictions on WRs (now can wear in teens) and TEs (can wear in the #40s), teams aren’t restricted by the 80-89. Several players wore #82 (most notably Yancey Thigpen, Bobby Shaw and Antwaan Randle-El) and #88 but neither have been used lately.
The wikipedia entry for the Steelers (of course you have to take that for what it’s worth) suggests #1 (Anderson), #31 (Shell) and #47 (Blount) fit in this category but I’m not sure about that. Hard to tell though because there has never been an official statement one way or the other by the team.[/quote]
Yep, only retired # is 71 Stautner. Speaking of Ernie…is there a reason why he hasn’t been involved in the 75th celebrations this season?
[quote comment=”179762″]RIP evel[/quote]
If you were a kid in the 70s, no one was cooler than link.
Wow, another bengals quirk I’ve never noticed before. Not only do their shirts not match, link. Check out the two guys facing left (52 and 94), both have their left legs showing, but their tiger stripes go different direcctions. 52’s go UP to the back, 94’s go DOWN to the back. Also, check out Smith and the guy right in front of him (obscured by 52). Their right legs are visable. Smith’s stripes go up to the front; the other guy’s (and #28 for that matter) go up to the back. Smith & 94 are both down linemen, all the other guys seem to be LBs & DBs. So, maybe it’s one template or the fat guys and another for the “skill possitions.”
link
[quote comment=”179766″]Yep, only retired # is 71 Stautner. Speaking of Ernie…is there a reason why he hasn’t been involved in the 75th celebrations this season?[/quote]
quite possibly because he’s DEAD
Growing up in Baltimore, I had no home football team to root for (hence my undying love for the orioles – even through their 10th, 11th maybe 25th straight losing season, I lost count). I don’t know if anyone else did this, but each week I used to pick who I tought would win any given football game by who I thought had the best uniform. During the 80’s and early 90’s I always thought the Bengals and the Lions had the best uni’s, which I guess explains my love and respect for Barry Sanders (understandable in hindsight) and Ickey Woods (not so understandable, unless you include the Ickey Shuffle). Now the Bengals uniforms have become the worst designs ever in my opinion. Still kinda like the Lions uni’s though.
[quote comment=”179774″][quote comment=”179766″]Yep, only retired # is 71 Stautner. Speaking of Ernie…is there a reason why he hasn’t been involved in the 75th celebrations this season?[/quote]
quite possibly because he’s DEAD[/quote]
That would be a serious hindrance.
[quote comment=”179767″][quote comment=”179762″]RIP evel[/quote]
If you were a kid in the 70s, no one was cooler than link.[/quote]
Very few men in the world can make white leather look masculine, Evel was one of them, link
[quote comment=”179780″][quote comment=”179767″][quote comment=”179762″]RIP evel[/quote]
If you were a kid in the 70s, no one was cooler than link.[/quote]
Very few men in the world can make white leather look masculine, Evel was one of them, link[/quote]
yeah…but he DID stay at a holiday inn express last night
Looks like the new Gladiator Pro-cap helmet is already in use up in link.
[quote comment=”179776″]Growing up in Baltimore, I had no home football team to root for (hence my undying love for the orioles – even through their 10th, 11th maybe 25th straight losing season, I lost count). I don’t know if anyone else did this, but each week I used to pick who I tought would win any given football game by who I thought had the best uniform. During the 80’s and early 90’s I always thought the Bengals and the Lions had the best uni’s, which I guess explains my love and respect for Barry Sanders (understandable in hindsight) and Ickey Woods (not so understandable, unless you include the Ickey Shuffle). Now the Bengals uniforms have become the worst designs ever in my opinion. Still kinda like the Lions uni’s though.[/quote]
No matter how bad anyone gets, The Vikings current uniforms still take the cake in my opinion.
Oregon will go with the link tomorrow against OSU, making it the third different one they’ve worn this year. And they’ll still be the better-looking team.
[quote comment=”179797″]Oregon will go with the link tomorrow against OSU, making it the third different one they’ve worn this year. And they’ll still be the better-looking team.[/quote]
Are the flames standard, or do you have to send the helmet to Chip Foose for those?
[quote comment=”179788″][quote comment=”179776″]Growing up in Baltimore, I had no home football team to root for (hence my undying love for the orioles – even through their 10th, 11th maybe 25th straight losing season, I lost count). I don’t know if anyone else did this, but each week I used to pick who I tought would win any given football game by who I thought had the best uniform. During the 80’s and early 90’s I always thought the Bengals and the Lions had the best uni’s, which I guess explains my love and respect for Barry Sanders (understandable in hindsight) and Ickey Woods (not so understandable, unless you include the Ickey Shuffle). Now the Bengals uniforms have become the worst designs ever in my opinion. Still kinda like the Lions uni’s though.[/quote]
No matter how bad anyone gets, The Vikings current uniforms still take the cake in my opinion.[/quote]
Not even with the bengals’ silly white side panels on the tops?
By the way, i think these are the best Bengals uni’s
link
by the way, would love to see this again, maybe a little modernized with cream instead of grey and a more modern “Baltimore” Script
link
[quote comment=”179383″]I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.[/quote]
Let’s overlook the potential fact that these things will prevent head injuries for a second. I think you are underestimating the design possibilities. With the integrated facemask imagine all the animal mascots that can be incorporated into the uni-shell. When I first saw the picture I thought, wouldn’t it look neat for someone to paint a shark jaw that pretends the eye opening is the mouth.
Mamaroneck High School in Westchester(Just north of Manhattan in New York)is perpetuating the ideals of awesome uniform design to the people who will be paying for our social security as well as designing the uniforms of tomorrow!
link
Oh by the way by awesome, I meant awful…except for the helmets.
[quote comment=”179805″][quote comment=”179788″][quote comment=”179776″]Growing up in Baltimore, I had no home football team to root for (hence my undying love for the orioles – even through their 10th, 11th maybe 25th straight losing season, I lost count). I don’t know if anyone else did this, but each week I used to pick who I tought would win any given football game by who I thought had the best uniform. During the 80’s and early 90’s I always thought the Bengals and the Lions had the best uni’s, which I guess explains my love and respect for Barry Sanders (understandable in hindsight) and Ickey Woods (not so understandable, unless you include the Ickey Shuffle). Now the Bengals uniforms have become the worst designs ever in my opinion. Still kinda like the Lions uni’s though.[/quote]
No matter how bad anyone gets, The Vikings current uniforms still take the cake in my opinion.[/quote]
Not even with the bengals’ silly white side panels on the tops?[/quote]
Not even if the side panels had lightning bolts. The Vikings look like someone took the Bengals and Cardinals uniforms, mixed them and then had an 8 year old turn that concept into a superhero costume.
[quote comment=”179774″][quote comment=”179766″]Yep, only retired # is 71 Stautner. Speaking of Ernie…is there a reason why he hasn’t been involved in the 75th celebrations this season?[/quote]
quite possibly because he’s DEAD[/quote]
Wow, was not even aware of that. Just Wiki’d it and sure enough he died in 06.
[quote comment=”179700″][quote comment=”179651″]Without bringing in talk of preception, or gang relation or any of that, I may be wrong but I don’t remember the NFL having a league wide memorial sticker for Darrent Williams who died in a similar though not identical way to Taylor. So as far as the NFL is concerned you can only be honored league wide if your killed in the regular season, or only if your a pro bowler? Either push memorials back to the start of the next season league wide, or leave them up to the teams themselves and leave the rest of the league out of it.[/quote]
Very well put. Did the NFL even do a league-wide memorial for Pat Tillman? What about perennial pro-bowler Derrick Thomas? How about Marquise Hill or Joe Delaney, both of whom drowned while trying to save someone else? Memorials get out of hand sometimes.[/quote]
Ever consider maybe this is the work of a new commissioner?
[quote comment=”179630″]Anyone else think link Titans combination is one of the best in the NFL?[/quote]
Looks sweet to me. But then, I am partial to light blue, and used that color combo on the “Iowa Wreckers” when I was 8 or so. :D
Re: Willie Anderson’s facemask – I remember when these were first coming out (senior year of HS). We had the option of using them on our helmets, and I had one of the linemen ones. They were *incredibly* light compared to the traditional ones. Felt so much better to wear.