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Uni Watch Profiles: Tyler Kepner

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If you read the Ticker on a regular basis, you’ve probably noticed the semi-regular contributions from Tyler Kepner, who’s the Yankees beat reporter for The New York Times (that’s him above, with his son Michael). I don’t recall exactly when he started writing to me, but I quickly realized he wasn’t like most other beat reporters. He’d start by passing along a uni-related observation about the Yankees, and then he’d add an opinion about his favorite NFL helmet, or his latest NBA pet peeve, or whatever. He had no shortage of opinions, and his observations tended to be good ones. I remember thinking to myself at one point, “Damn, good thing he’s already got a good job, or else he’d have mine.”

When I recently asked Tyler if I could interview him, I figured we’d talk about some of his uni-related faves and obsessions, some of his behind-the-scenes observations, and so on. But I didn’t realize there was also a completely amazing story lurking in his personal background — a story that would be interview-worthy all by itself, even if he wasn’t particularly uni-attuned. Check it out:

Uni Watch: How old are you, and where do you live?

Tyler Kepner: I’m 33, and I live in Wilton, Connecticut.

UW: How long have you been the Yankees beat reporter for the Times, and how did you get that gig?

TK: I started in 2002, so this is my seventh year covering the Yankees. Just to give you a quick résumé: When I was around 13 years old, I started a baseball magazine out of my home in Philadelphia. The Phillies were great to me — by the time I was 15, they let me start coming around to do interviews.

UW: What was the magazine called?

TK: KP Baseball Monthly. The “KP” stood for Kepner and then the other kid who started it with me, but then I just changed it to Kepner Publishing when he left. At the time I had no idea that it was an old army term, like being on KP duty. Kitchen patrol — nobody my age knew what that meant. We had a really cool logo, you would have liked it. My friends and I did it, but it was kind of my show. We got a lot of publicity, because people loved the idea of a kid following his dream and being in the clubhouse and stuff. I did that for 64 issues, up until mid-college or so.

UW: Every single month? You kept up a monthly schedule for that many years?

TK: Except for February. We’d do a combined Jan/Feb issue. On July 8th, 1990, ABC World News Sunday did a piece on us and said [switching to official-sounding newscaster voice], “Tyler publishes 11 times a year, except for February. It’s baseball’s off-season, and he has exams. Back to you, Forest.” We got covered in the Times too, and other places.

UW: Wow, I totally missed the boat on that. I wasn’t aware of it, never saw any of the media coverage you got. How many pages did this magazine usually run?

TK: Usually 22, maybe 24.

UW: You were a zine publisher! Did you have ads?

TK: I think we had one ad during the entire time.

UW: So it was a total labor of love. That’s great.

TK: Well, my parents basically footed the whole thing.

UW: How many copies would you typically print?

TK: Well, it grew. We got two big publicity bounces. One was on, like, November 13th, 1989, somewhere in there, when the Times wrote about us, and then Sports Illustrated for Kids wrote something. After those two articles, we got up to about 600 copies. We had a pretty good subscriber-retention rate, I guess.

UW: Was this, like, photocopies, or mimeographed, or professionally printed, or what?

TK: It was all photocopied. I didn’t know how to type until I was about 15 or 16. But I had very good printing, so I hand-wrote all the articles.

UW: Wow!

TK: It was fun, man. We always wanted color covers, but color printing cost a ton, so my little brother would draw a picture, and usually I would spruce it up a little bit. He was pretty good, I wanted it the way I wanted it. Anyway, then we’d color it in by hand.

UW: For all 600 copies?!

TK: Well, that was the thing. I’d have a bunch of my friends come over — maybe a dozen kids — and we’d have a ton of Magic Markers, and I’d say, “Okay, this is Cal Ripken, so everyone carefully fill in the logo, and the lettering”¦”

UW: So you had 600 black-and-white xeroxed covers”¦

TK: Right.

UW: So each one was individually hand-colored and unique and one-of-a-kind!

TK: Yeah. So we could never have a player depicted on Astroturf, because it would be too hard and take too much time to show the solid green. We had to show them on grass, because it was easier to just scribble up and down to show that.

UW: Sort of a textured green, instead of a solid green, because otherwise it would cut down on your efficiency.

TK: Exactly. One time my best friend came over, and I didn’t realize he was colorblind. And I’m like, “Why is Robin Yount’s hair green?” So a couple of people out there have an issue of KP Baseball Monthly with Robin Yount’s green hair.

UW: So even though the colors were wrong on those couple of copies, you still sent them out.

TK: We had orders to fill, man!

UW: Right, the show must go on. And now those copies are collector’s items.

TK: We had some famous subscribers, too. I always wanted to be a sportswriter, so I would just mail copies out to sportswriters. That’s how we got in the Times — I never asked for publicity, but I sent copies to George Vescey because I used to read his column in the school library. And he passed it along to his editor, who thought it would make a fun article. Anyway, I got a lot of really important advice from people who then decided to become subscribers. George Will somehow got hold of a copy, and he gave it to the commissioner, Fay Vincent, which was a big thrill for me, and he ended up subscribing. Bob Costas, Jayson Stark — I’d been reading Jayson’s stuff for years, and he became a great friend, giving me lots of advice, telling me about the business. He told me, “You’ll never wear No. 32 for the Phillies, but this job is the next best thing,” and he was right. Bill Lyon, who wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer once sent me a $100 bill and wrote, “Consider this my subscription for life.” I still have that bill, actually — it’s the spare money at my house, in case I have to pay for something and don’t have any cash.

UW: It’s your “In case of emergency, break glass” money.

TK: Yeah. The only person who never responded was Chris Berman. I probably sent issues to him for a year, and he never wrote back. But everyone else was so kind, and so encouraging. And the Phillies were so good to me — I’ll always be grateful. In 1990, I probably got 10 or 12 day passes. By ’91, I would pretty much ask for a pass for a whole series, and after that they just gave me daily passes and then a season pass. And by ’95 I worked for them, getting back to my résumé. I stopped the magazine in January of ’95 and wanted to get an internship, but the strike had just happened and teams weren’t doing internships, so I couldn’t get one. But the Phillies said, “We can’t pay, but if you wanna come down and work for free”¦” I was living at home, so I said sure. I worked for the Phillies that summer. And they’re such a class act, they ended up paying me a bit anyway. The next year I got a Boston Globe internship, which was very valuable. Same thing the next year at the Washington Post. Then I covered the Angels for a California paper, from September of ’97 through September of ’98. After that I moved up to Seattle and covered the Mariners until December of ’99. Met my wife out there. Then I moved back to New York, joined the Times, covered the Metsies for two years, and now the Yankees.

UW: When you were doing your magazine, were you aware that you were part of a larger self-publishing movement, the zine movement?

TK: No, I had no idea.

UW: But you know what a zine is now, right?

TK: Are they online magazines or something?

UW: No. They barely exist now, because they’ve largely been supplanted by blogs, but they’re basically just self-published, do-it-yourself magazines. They’re usually not about mainstream topics like baseball. That’s how I got started writing myself. They were originally inspired by punk rock — you know, just like anyone can start a band, anyone can start a magazine. And back in the day, a lot of them were hand-lettered. That’s why I really got excited when you said you hand-wrote your magazine — that’s so old-school zine-stye!

TK: I didn’t really know anything about that. I eventually started typing the articles. But even then, I’d still do the headlines by hand. I’d try to make each headline in a different style that matched the team. Like, if one article was about a guy on the A’s, I’d try to do the headline in A’s-style lettering.

UW: Did you have uniform-related coverage in this magazine?

TK: Well, I was very precise about the uniforms on the covers. That was my thing — I wanted to make sure they were accurate. I did a few articles here and there where I’d rank the coolest hats or the coolest logos. And we did a “How to Draw Team Logos” thing. Remember when you were a kid, there were those things like “How to Draw Huckleberry Hound”? It was like that. All my doodling in school and stuff was team logos, so I became an expert on most of them. [I also found this “Create Your Own Uniform” item, and there’s some uniform news on this page. — PL]

UW: Do you still have those doodles?

TK: I dunno. My mom saves everything, so she might still have them. Anyway, I knew, just from doing them, how to draw the logos in stages, and I could tell people how to do them.

UW: My impression is that you’re for more interested in uniform details than the average beat reporter. Would you agree with that assessment?

TK: Yeah. Marty Noble, who works the Mets beat, notwithstanding.

UW: Right, he’s very uni-aware.

TK: But yeah, most other guys don’t pay much attention to it, I don’t think.

UW: When did you first become interested in uniforms? Like, did you play sports as a kid, and if so did you take particular care with your own uniforms?

TK: Oh yeah, yeah. I played baseball all the way through the end of high school and summer leagues and stuff, and I was always disappointed because I never played for a team that had belts and button-front jerseys. Always the pullovers and the elastic waistbands. The best thing was making the all-star team, because then you’d usually get your name on the back, and the uniform would be more satin-y, like a double-knit kind of thing, instead of just a glorified T-shirt. I loved the stirrups, and I was always pissed when they’d give you the ones that were just one racing stripe.

UW: The dreaded ribbon stirrup.

TK: Right. That didn’t do anything for me. And they’d usually come off, out the back of your shoe, so I’d tape them onto the bottom. Anyway, I always tried to get the uniform number I wanted, usually 20 for Mike Schmidt or 32 for Steve Carlton. One year I got No. 3, which I didn’t like, because I was a pitcher, and pitchers don’t wear single digits.

UW: Josh Towers!

TK: Well, that’s true, but I didn’t like it. So I tried to make my 3 into 31 by creating a 1 with some green tape.

UW: You added a numeral with tape? Now, surely it must have bugged you that the resulting 31 was off-center.

TK: It was a little off-center, and it was just a plain, straight-up 1 — it didn’t have the little fringe on the top or anything like that. [I believe he’s referring to serifs. — PL]

UW: What level was this?

TK: Middle school.

UW: And what did your coach think about you modifying your jersey like this?

TK: He didn’t care. Anyway, it kept peeling off, so I gave up. I figured Dale Murphy wears 3, so that’s cool.

UW: You interact with big league ballplayers every day. What would you say is the typical ballplayer’s attitude toward his uniform, and especially regarding the types of details we discuss on Uni Watch?

TK: I think most of them are very interested in the fit.

UW: Freedom of movement and so forth?

TK: Yeah. And at least half of them have their own sense of style. You see a lot less of that with the Yankees, though, because there’s so much less room for improvisation. Basically it just comes down to the length of the pants and the kind of socks. I got a kick when Matingly and Guidry were coaches and they wore stirrups, because they played in the stirrup era. I asked the clubhouse manager and he said, “Yeah, we carry the stirrups, but nobody ever asks for them.”

UW: I’ve discovered, as I’m sure you have, that people can sometimes react negatively, or at least with some confusion, when you bring up uniform-related issues with them. Do you every find yourself wanting to ask a player why he wears his uniform a certain way, but then you think, “Nah, I’d better not ask him that” because you’re worried he might think it’s a stupid question?

TK: Nah. Some guys do act a bit puzzled when you ask them why they wore stirrups or whatever, but I’ll still ask.

UW: What about your editors? Do you ever present uni-related material or story ideas to them, and they don’t get it?

TK: No, they like offbeat stuff like that. Last season we did that little article about Matsui’s toe socks and that got a lot of attention, they loved it. I always think I should come up with more ideas like that, but then more pressing things come up, like Joba’s rotator cuff.

UW: Hey, get your priorities straight, man! I gather newspaper blogging has made it easier to cover these sorts of topics, since there are no space limitations. If you don’t have room for it in you newspaper article, you can just put it in “Bats” [the Times‘s baseball blog].

TK: Yeah, that makes it a lot easier for topics like Mike Mussina’s 1980s T-shirts.

UW: What about other writers? Do you guys ever sit around talking about stirrups, or are you the only one who notices?

TK: That’s pretty much my category. That and ballpark scoreboards are the big thing I’m known for in the press box. I’m always railing against the scoreboards — there’s only a small handful of them that keep a running line score at all times. If someone hits a home run, or if they’re showing commercials between innings, they’ll take the line score down. It drives me nuts. Fenway shows it at all times, and Seattle. Yankee Stadium. I’m always telling the Yankees, “Please, you’ve gotta keep a dedicated line score.” The most important aspect of any scoreboard is to have a SCORE available, but people don’t seem to realize that.

UW: Do you ever mention something like that in the press box, and everyone else kind of looks at you?

TK: Yeah, there I go again.

[At this point Tyler went off on a long-ish rant about the scoreboards in Kansas City (he likes), old Vets Stadium (he misses), and just about every other park (they mostly suck). Too involved to reproduce here, but let’s just say he has some v-e-r-y strong feelings about scoreboard protocol.]

UW: Who is the most uniform-cognizant player you’ve ever encountered?

TK: Great question. Let me think. Gary Sheffield would drive the clubhouse people nuts. He had I think 32 pairs of shoes. And then he wanted gray shoes on the road, so he head 32 pairs of those too. He was always getting alterations to his jersey, and they were so subtle, you couldn’t even notice them. He’d want the sleeve brought up a little, or let out a little”¦

UW: Take a quarter-inch off the sleeve length, that sort of thing?

TK: Yeah. There’s this guy from Riddell or one of those companies — he’s always around the clubhouse, wonderful man. And if a guy gets traded to the team or needs changes or whatever, he fixes them up. And Sheff would give him all this work to do, and it would all get turned around in a day. Sheff, he was the most particular in terms of needing everything just so.

I remember Sean Henn, when he was on the Yankees a few years back, told me how the Yankees had this minor league director or coordinator named Rob Thomson who would go around to all of the Yankees’ minor league affiliates, and everyone knew that they had to look exactly right if he was coming, because he was a stickler. All the minor leaguers had to wear stirrups that showed the white in the front. They were also required to have pant legs that stopped six inches above the top of the white under the stirrup. And the pants had to be pulled up, then folded over and bloused, not bunched up. Also, no facial hair at all, no sideburns below the ear, cap on straight, and only Adidas shoes. Or shoes with blacked-out logo if they weren’t Adidas.

UW: Wow.

TK: Sometimes you can tell little things about guys when they come in. Like when Kenny Lofton joined the Yankees, I remember he had “K-Lo” written all over his shoes and everything. I mean, who calls him K-Lo? I always thought that was funny. Then you’ve got the guys who just stock up on equipment, and you wonder why. Like Jason Giambi, he’s got like three dozen bats just strewn in there. Guys’ locker etiquette is interesting, too — some guys are messy, other guys are very precise.

UW: You mentioned earlier how you’d tape down your ribbon stirrups to keep them from coming loose. Do you see things like that in the clubhouse, things that the average fan wouldn’t know about but that the average Uni Watch reader would love to see? Taping this, buttoning that, or whatever?

TK: They all wear different T-shirts under their jerseys. Someone will say something like “Attaboy” during batting practice and the next thing you know someone’s made it into a T-shirt and everyone’s wearing it under their gamers. When LaTroy Hawkins came in during spring training, he wore a “Joba Rules” T-shirt, just like the fans — I thought that was really cool.

UW: You cover the Yankees, and the Yankees are always talking about the “mystique of the pinstripes.” Even their players talk that way, especially when someone gets traded and he says, “Ooh, now I get to wear the pinstripes.” Do they really feel that way, or are they just blowing smoke?

TK: I think that’s real, actually, because the tradition is unmatched. They take it pretty seriously. It can get taken too far, though, like when you see a writer write something like, “Xavier Nady wore pinstripes for the first time..,” except it was a road game, so he wasn’t really wearing pinstripes. You’ve gotta be careful with that kind of stuff.

UW: Do you think it bugs the Yankees players that they don’t have their names on their jerseys?

TK: Nobody’s ever mentioned that. I think they think it’s kinda cool.

UW: When the Mets removed the player names in 1999, some of the players reportedly didn’t like it.

TK: Well, the whole Mets uniform thing is”¦

UW: Let’s not even go there.

TK: When I was in Seattle, Ken Griffey basically ran the clubhouse. So unless you were a veteran starter like Jamie Moyer or Jeff Fassero, Griffey would decide what uniform they wore. Once Freddie Garcia got to 10 wins, he was allowed to decide, too. But if it was someone like Ken Cloude, Griffey would be the one who’d tell the clubhouse guy, “OK, we’re wearing blue today,” or whatever.

UW: What are you favorite uniforms?

TK: So much of this is wrapped up nostalgia, but I always thought the Padres’ brown uniforms were so cool. The Brewers’ old logo, which they still wear on Fridays or whatever, that’s great. And I loved the original Expos cap, which looked like a beanie — I always liked that. The Braves have screwed up their look so much, with the red jersey and all, but their plain white one is nice, with the double lines down, uh, what do you call that?

UW: The placket.

TK: Yeah, the piping down the placket. I don’t like much about the Braves, but I do like that uniform. The Dodgers are classic. You can’t go wrong with the Detroit Tigers. Oh, and the Pirates’ vest — I love that, and those great numbers they use.

UW: It’s such a sad-sack franchise that nobody takes them seriously, but they look sensational, I agree. What about least favorite?

TK [unhesitatingly]: The Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are a disgrace. And I’ve gotta watch them 19 times a year. It just drives me nuts! And I was friends with this guy who worked for them when they changed over [to their current look], and I’d say to him, “You can’t go black — you’re the Blue Jays! You can’t have black Blue Jays, it doesn’t make any sense!” And he’d say, “Oh it’s marketing, people like to buy stuff in black,” and all that. And the numbers are weird, all tilted, and the lettering on the back is silly. I’m not crazy about the Brewers either, because the name on the back is hard to read, and the uniform is so boring compared to what it should be, which is just the old version that they now use as a throwback — they should wear that every day. But the Blue Jays are by far the worst. Are they gonna wear those weird gray ones anymore?

UW: No.

TK: Well, that’s good. But I could go on about the Blue Jays — their look just really offends me. Any team that wears black unnecessarily. Oh, and the worst example of that is probably the Oakland A’s, with that black jersey.

UW: Especially since their basic look is really good.

TK: Their basic look is so nice. Oh, and I hate that logo with the elephant wearing sunglasses, because the single greatest logo is the one with the elephant on the ball with the bat in its trunk.

UW: Is that one you can draw really well?

TK: Yes, I can draw that one perfectly.

UW: And can you tell other people how to draw it?

TK: I don’t know about that. It’s a tough one. A lot of steps. But that is my all-time favorite logo, and I wish they’d use that more, because their basic logo is so boring — that brings nothing to the party. And right near the press elevator, they have the elephant logo, but instead of standing on a baseball, he’s standing on a globe, and it says, “World Champions 1989,” and I think it’s the coolest championship logo.

UW: What about other sports?

TK: I’ve always liked the Boston Bruins’ uniforms, for some reason, because they’re so simple. I’m a Flyers fan, but they really screwed up by going to black. My favorite helmet is the Bengals. Coolest helmet ever, if you ask me. Which you are. The stripes are so neat. When it came out in ’81 or so, I was just starting to follow sports, and I didn’t even know they used to have a helmet with just the word “Bengals” on it. Very stark-looking helmet. I don’t know why they ever would’ve gone that. Their uniform is a bit weird now, but I love the helmet. Football helmets are even cooler than baseball hats, because it’s like an open template to do whatever you want. You know what’s really neat, when the 49ers wear the Montana-era jerseys. You look at them now, and it doesn’t seem like it would look that different, but then you compare them side-by-side and the Alex Smith-era jerseys are so ugly. I liked in ’94, when they wore that throwback uniform all the way through to the Super Bowl. That was kinda gutsy. I was gonna say, “ballsy,” but that wouldn’t be good.

UW: That’s OK, on my blog you can say that.

TK: It was cool — “We’re winning with this, we’re gonna keep wearing it all the way to the Super Bowl.”

UW: Only Super Bowl winner not to wear TV numbers.

TK: Really? Wow.

==========

Well, at least I got to slip in one factoid Tyler wasn’t already aware of. Big thanks to him for making time for me in his busy schedule, and for sharing some old copies of his magazine — really, really special stuff.

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Raffle Reminder: I’m raffling off a copy of the excellent new book Remember the AFL. Details here.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Two good spots by Andy Chalifour: First, here’s Jim Essian wearing not just a brimless helmet, but a brimless helmet with the A’s logo. And speaking of logos, look at the batting glove on Ozzie Guillen’s left hand — much older than the uniform design he’s wearing. ”¦ David Stoops reports that Youngstown State (DI-AA) has new uniforms this year. ”¦ “The SEC has either required or requested that schools put the round SEC logo on their fields,” notes Patrick Campbell. “The logo is placed on both 25 yard lines, just inside the numbers. The interesting thing is that instead of using the SEC colors (light blue and yellow) for the logo, the conference is allowing the use of school colors for each field (much like MLB allows team colors for their logo on MLB caps and jerseys): Auburn used navy blue with an orange border and white letters, Mississippi State‘s logo is maroon with white border and white letters, and Alabama has crimson with white/crimson border and white letters.” ”¦ Good restroom sign at Citizens Bank Park in Philly. Note the stirrups (with thanks to Matt Brukman). ”¦ There was a quick helmet modification during Sunday’s Steelers/Browns game, as a Pittsburgh staffer remove the stripe from a helmet and inflated the helmet’s inner bladder. Ryan Connelly captured the sequence here. ”¦ John Muir reports that the Oilers’ rookies have been wearing 30th-anniversary patches on their shoulders. The same design is at center ice. ”¦ Jon Cannella notes that the Charlie Manuel’s Wikipedia entry includes the following: “At a game against the Lotte Orions on June 19, 1979, he was hit in the face by a pitch from Soroku Yagisawa. The pitch crushed his jaw. ”¦ To protect his bruised jaw, Manuel wore a helmet equipped with a football face mask.” Intrigued, I poked around and found this and this. ”¦ Tulsa will be wearing throwbacks this weekend (with thanks to Tod Meisner). ”¦ Craig Bates has put together a slideshow of photos of his jersey collection (a mix of football, baseball, and a bit of hockey). Lots of good stuff, including some close-ups of interesting tags and patches. ”¦ The new Ernie Davis statue at Syracuse depicts Davis wearing a swoosh-emblazoned jersey, even though Nike didn’t even exist when Davis played (with thanks to Jeff Landset). ”¦ Odd observation from Jared Simon, who writes: “I’ve noticed in the last two Packers games that Mike McCarthy has had a red pen tucked into the back of his hat during the first half and then it switches to a blue pen when he comes out for the second half. Has he always been doing this or has it been just a coincidence?” ”¦ Brian Bennett was cleaning up around the house and came across some uni-related posters from the early 1990s, apparently produced by Kellogg’s. There’s a small slideshow of the full posters and some detailed views here. ”¦ Ugliest rugby uniforms ever? Could be (with thanks to Dave Inman). ”¦ And people wonder why I don’t like purple (courtesy of Tom Konecny). ”¦ Latest schools switching to the System of Dress: Oklahoma State (with thanks to Brian Ray) and Illinois (here’s another view). ”¦ Remember Jason Hillyer, who wanted (and received) a Uni Watch membership card as a wedding gift from his bride, Alison Cherubini? The two of them recently took a behind-the-scenes tour of Cooper Stadium in Columbus (aka “the Coop”), which is soon to be replaced. They took a buncha pics of banners, jerseys and other stuff (you can see a slideshow here), the most interesting of which was this one. Jason explains: “The modern day ‘Safe’ and ‘Out’ signals were developed for the player seated just to the left of the man with the bat (kind of in between front and back row), William Hoy. He was deaf, so when looking to the umpire for the call for a play at a base, the ump would motion Hoy off the field with his thumb if Hoy was out, or tell Hoy to stay there by making a palms down motion with both hands apart, a motion that morphed into the ‘safe’ sign we know today.” ”¦ Here’s something I’ve never seen before: an audio style guide of the triple-A Oklahoma Redhawks’ new logos and uniforms, narrated by the designer. Further details here. ”¦ It was gray vs. gray again at Miller Park yesterday. ”¦ Tom Hedrick notes that Delwyn Young’s uni number on his helmet was upside-down last night. ”¦ “What looks more rinky dink than having a SNOB (sponsor name on back)?” asks Caleb Borchers. “Having such puny corporate sponsorship that each player gets a different SNOB.” ”¦ The Pedro porthole was closed last night (with thanks to Phil Hecken, who also came across this really cool old Bruins photo — anyone know the players and/or year?).

 
  
 
Comments (231)

    I was watching ESPN’s OTL First Take yesterday. They had the Houston Chronicle beat writer on, and Bob Ley asked him if the Astros were wearing gray pants on purpose. He said they were, as it was their form of protest for having to play a “home game” that was so close to Chicago.

    Thought you’d all find that interesting…

    awesome interview PL…tyler kepner…seems like a great dude

    there were some true gems in that interview, got a bunch of chuckles before work…to wit

    [quote]The only person who never responded was Chris Berman. I probably sent issues to him for a year, and he never wrote back.[/quote]

    perhaps because he cannot read

    [quote]TK: Well, the whole Mets uniform thing is…

    UW: Let’s not even go there.[/quote]

    thank you paul

    and, this gem:

    [quote]The Blue Jays are a disgrace. And I’ve gotta watch them 19 times a year. It just drives me nuts! And I was friends with this guy who worked for them when they changed over [to their current look], and I’d say to him, “You can’t go black – you’re the Blue Jays![/quote]

    every UW reader can identify with that

    anyway…great interview…good stuff!

    As another former enterprising ‘zine kid editor (who went the sports team design route in adult life), this is my new favorite post of all time. It is so funny to see that there are more people like me out there!

    I would like to point out that the pinstripe wallpaper in Cooper Stadium is awesome, regardless that their affiliation with the Yankees ended two years ago.

    Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.

    [quote comment=”289822″]I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    Yeah, what with lynching and women not being allowed to vote and all….

    Paul,

    Thank you for sharing my jersey slideshow with everyone at UW. I will continue to update the photos with items from my collection (added another 6 or so photos this morning) as I can.

    Hope my fellow members of the We Get It® brigade enjoy seeing the items in the slideshow…and thanks again, sir.

    Craig Bates

    So Tyler Kepner is the fool I admired when i was a pre-teen. I remember that SI for Kids article like I read it yesterday. I always read each issue from cover to cover the day it arrived. When I finished the issue featuring Tyler’s work, I went about designing my own magazine. Only then did I realize the dedication those “coloring parties” involved. Now that I think about it, my decision not to copy in Tyler’s footsteps was an early look into my work ethic. Coloring 600 issues; are you serious? The idea still blows me away today.

    [quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid

    in fact, hoy referred to himself as “dummy” (if someone called him ‘william’ he’d correct them)

    Ugliest rugby uniforms ever? Could be (with thanks to Dave Inman).

    Yeah, ugliest ever. Also, it seemed tyhe only difference between the game and the fight was the ball was missing from the fight.

    We should have contacted Tyler directly when we were trying to figure out what cleats Abreu was wearing earlier this season!

    Maybe we should ask him to check with #53 about his B-Top venture!

    BTW, I usually refrain from commenting on the actual people wearing the unis as opposed to the uni but this guy looks like a complete a@#h#le!

    link

    You’re representing a state institution, paid for by taxpayers that you are the very public face of.
    Grow up, Dude!

    [quote comment=”289828″] I usually refrain from commenting on the actual people wearing the unis as opposed to the uni but this guy looks like a complete as#h#le!

    link

    there’s um…THREE dudes in that pic…

    I apologize for the early morning negativity, but that picture, in addition to the one preceding it, really bothered me:

    link

    Now allow me to give Tyler the praise he deserves!
    That hand-made magazine is one of the greatest examples of motivated determination taht I have ever seen. The hand-drawn illustrations are priceless and the headlines, done in the Fonts of the teams wordmarks would make none other than Morris levin Proud!

    Bravo!!!

    Paul, you really have uncovered some gems, as well as a fossil,(Ricko) this year: Scott Little, Tyler Kepner, Rob Ullmann, Our friend with the insane helmet collection, (I apologize for forgetting your name, I believe it was Jeff!).

    Oh, and anyone and everyone that makes UW the great place it is!

    [quote comment=”289829″][quote comment=”289828″] I usually refrain from commenting on the actual people wearing the unis as opposed to the uni but this guy looks like a complete as#h#le!

    link

    there’s um…THREE dudes in that pic…[/quote]

    #23, Phil…the one that looks like an as#h#le

    [quote comment=”289831″][quote comment=”289829″][quote comment=”289828″] I usually refrain from commenting on the actual people wearing the unis as opposed to the uni but this guy looks like a complete as#h#le!

    link

    there’s um…THREE dudes in that pic…[/quote]

    #23, Phil…the one that looks like an as#h#le[/quote]
    I clicked on that first link and almost sent an email to a@#h#le!

    [quote comment=”289832″][quote comment=”289831″][quote comment=”289829″][quote comment=”289828″] I usually refrain from commenting on the actual people wearing the unis as opposed to the uni but this guy looks like a complete as#h#le!

    link

    there’s um…THREE dudes in that pic…[/quote]

    #23, Phil…the one that looks like an as#h#le[/quote]
    I clicked on that first link and almost sent an email to a@#h#le![/quote]

    That was pretty funny…I have no idea how I did that!!!He’s gonna have a full inbox today though!

    Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.

    I do have a picture somewhere with a Charlie Manuel single bar face mask on his batting helmet, but I won’t be home until Thursday.

    [quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    the steelers bladder issue-when we used to stripe helmets we would puncture the stripe at that time with the riddell head gear on the schutt/air head gear we would actually cut the hole out since it was a single inflation point. but when a coach is screaming at you-sometimes you do what ya gotta do. we also has spares to gt a guy on the field for a play or 2.

    [quote comment=”289836″]I do have a picture somewhere with a Charlie Manuel single bar face mask on his batting helmet, but I won’t be home until Thursday.[/quote]

    Actually, look what I just found (and just added to the Ticker item):

    link

    link

    [quote comment=”289835″]mpowers-
    thanks for the primer on football helmets yesterday.[/quote]

    no sweat…that’s what we’re all here for!

    [quote comment=”289840″][quote comment=”289836″]I do have a picture somewhere with a Charlie Manuel single bar face mask on his batting helmet, but I won’t be home until Thursday.[/quote]

    Actually, look what I just found (and just added to the Ticker item):

    link

    link

    Fantastic!

    That picture of Ozzie Guillen had to be taken during the last home series of the 1990 season (It is a 1991 Topps card). The White Sox wore their standard uniforms with the old logo (on Ozzie’s batting glove) that year, but they were getting new uniforms the following year, along with moving into the new stadium. So they wore the new uniforms for the last home series against the Mariners in 1990. If my memory serves me correct, they also wore their new road uniforms for their last series in Boston that season. Amazingly, the Sox have kept that same uniform for almost 20 years now.

    [quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.

    Great interview.. I can’t believe that I missed out on Tyler’s mags back in the day, growing up in Philadelphia and being around the same age.

    Congrats to him on being that dedicated to something your whole life to the point where it actually paid off in the long run.

    Great interview with Tyler. And I agree with him completely on stadiums needing to have the line score up at all times. One of my pet peeves that most don’t.

    [quote comment=\”289838\”]the steelers bladder issue-when we used to stripe helmets we would puncture the stripe at that time with the riddell head gear on the schutt/air head gear we would actually cut the hole out since it was a single inflation point. but when a coach is screaming at you-sometimes you do what ya gotta do. we also has spares to gt a guy on the field for a play or 2.[/quote]

    As a freshman in college, the first road trip I made with the varsity was a night game at St. Peters college in New Jersey.

    The closest I came to getting on the field was when Steve mejia a backup fullback snapped his facemask during a play. Since I was directly next to the head coach, trying to sneak into the game, I was right in front of my fellow running back, whom had the same brand helmet(Schutt Air AdvantageI took mine off and threw it to him…Three plays later, the EM had the facemask switched out, using a mini cordless drill, and my helmet had some war wounds, albeit not caused by the owner.

    link

    link

    link

    [quote comment=”289844″]That picture of Ozzie Guillen had to be taken during the last home series of the 1990 season (It is a 1991 Topps card). The White Sox wore their standard uniforms with the old logo (on Ozzie’s batting glove) that year, but they were getting new uniforms the following year, along with moving into the new stadium. So they wore the new uniforms for the last home series against the Mariners in 1990. If my memory serves me correct, they also wore their new road uniforms for their last series in Boston that season. Amazingly, the Sox have kept that same uniform for almost 20 years now.[/quote]
    Isn’t the logo on the batting glove from the uniform they discontinued after the ’86 season? It would make the batting glove even more of a relic.
    link

    Really, really interesting interview. Thanks.

    On to the ticker . . . re: the Youngstown State unis. Is it just me, or do dark pants matched with lighter tops not only look bad, but say “high school?” And I don’t mean white tops with dark pants like many teams wear.

    There must be a reason in terms of budget and darker pants wearing better over time.

    Bruins Photo:

    That is the old Boston Arena, now the current mathews arena, home to Northeastern U hockey and basketball:

    link

    [quote comment=”289845″][quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.

    [quote comment=”289853″][quote comment=”289845″][quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    Toe Blake was never associated with the Bruins. Was MON coach from ’55 to ’68 and won 8 Cups I believe, I’ll have to look that one up..

    I don’t care if Tyler ever cared about uniforms, his zine is awesome. The dedication that it takes to do all those issues is perplexing.
    It’s no wonder he is so successful. I also think it’s really great that his parents didn’t try to crush his hopes and refuse to pay for printing.
    What a great interview.
    Thanks so much for that one Paul.

    [quote comment=”289854″][quote comment=”289853″][quote comment=”289845″][quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    Toe Blake was never associated with the Bruins. Was MON coach from ’55 to ’68 and won 8 Cups I believe, I’ll have to look that one up..[/quote]

    He wasnt he was associated with the Habs….it’s a quote from Slap Shot.

    [quote comment=”289854″][quote comment=”289853″][quote comment=”289845″][quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    Toe Blake was never associated with the Bruins. Was MON coach from ’55 to ’68 and won 8 Cups I believe, I’ll have to look that one up..[/quote]

    Yup!! Eight Cups as a coach for MON. Never should have doubted my hockey gut…

    I know that Mike McCarthy has always worn his pen/marker in the back of his hat, but I’ve never noticed the color. I’m so used to the pen being there that I don’t pay much attention to it.

    [quote comment=”289856″][quote comment=”289854″][quote comment=”289853″][quote comment=”289845″][quote comment=”289837″][quote comment=”289834″]Not sure about most of the Bruins, in that photo, but I’m pretty sure that the player who is second from the left, the balding one, is Eddie Shore, a guy who makes many people’s lists to this day as one of the top six defensemen ever to play.[/quote]

    That definitely looks like Eddie Shore, and the coach looks like it could be Art Ross.
    link

    I agree, looks like Eddie Shore to me, here’s another pic of him as a comparison (off my scrennsaver at work)

    link

    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    Toe Blake was never associated with the Bruins. Was MON coach from ’55 to ’68 and won 8 Cups I believe, I’ll have to look that one up..[/quote]

    He wasnt he was associated with the Habs….it’s a quote from Slap Shot.[/quote]

    LOL! my bad, I should have known that. I just watched that the other day!

    [quote comment=”289860″][quote comment=”289853″]Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    piss on eddie shore[/quote]

    Who OWWWWNNNNSSSSS the team?

    I’m usually the last person to care about logo creep, but what they did to the Ernie Davis statute is a damn shame. Nike took a tribute and turned it into a permanent billboard. Shame on them and especially on Syracuse for allowing it to happen.

    [quote comment=”289860″][quote comment=”289853″]Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    piss on eddie shore[/quote]
    and his annoying kid, Pauly

    [quote comment=”289861″][quote comment=”289860″][quote comment=”289853″]Eddie Shore? Toe Blake? Old time hockey coach.[/quote]

    piss on eddie shore[/quote]

    Who OWWWWNNNNSSSSS the team?[/quote]

    The broadcaster: “Look at that. You can’t see that, I’m on radio.”

    Awesome…

    Fascinating interview with Tyler Kepner, Paul. Very good stuff.
    And I agree about the guy modeling the Illini jersey. There’s no need for that.

    Should be interesting to see what Syracuse does with that Ernie Davis statue if they ever switch to Adidas/Under Armour/etc.

    [quote comment=”289866″]Fascinating interview with Tyler Kepner, Paul. Very good stuff.
    And I agree about the guy modeling the Illini jersey. There’s no need for that.[/quote]

    Send him an e-mail!!!

    [quote comment=”289851″]Really, really interesting interview. Thanks.

    On to the ticker . . . re: the Youngstown State unis. Is it just me, or do dark pants matched with lighter tops not only look bad, but say “high school?” And I don’t mean white tops with dark pants like many teams wear.

    There must be a reason in terms of budget and darker pants wearing better over time.[/quote]

    Easier to keep clean is main reason. Can hide grass and mud stains better in a darker color.

    [quote comment=”289864″]Sucks for OKC that the local minor league baseball team has a better logo than their NBA team.[/quote]

    But even then, their old name was better.

    link

    [quote comment=”289868″][quote comment=”289866″]Fascinating interview with Tyler Kepner, Paul. Very good stuff.
    And I agree about the guy modeling the Illini jersey. There’s no need for that.[/quote]

    Send him an e-mail!!![/quote]

    Ha-ha. When I clicked on the picture, I sure thought about it. I’m sure he has plenty of hate mail to read, today.

    Congrats to Tyler (and Paul) for a thoughtful interview and wonderful effort on his ‘zine.

    Oh, and Tulsa has retro uniforms … as in, they had a football program in the ’50s?! Must’ve been Division II, or NAIA or something? Nice look, though.

    Thanks for the Kellogg’s baseball hat poster flashbacks. I think I had that up on my wall for a good three years before it finally got tore up somehow.

    [quote comment=”289869″][quote comment=”289851″]Really, really interesting interview. Thanks.

    On to the ticker . . . re: the Youngstown State unis. Is it just me, or do dark pants matched with lighter tops not only look bad, but say “high school?” And I don’t mean white tops with dark pants like many teams wear.

    There must be a reason in terms of budget and darker pants wearing better over time.[/quote]

    Easier to keep clean is main reason. Can hide grass and mud stains better in a darker color.[/quote]

    so maybe that’s why everyone wears black now ricko

    [quote comment=”289850″][quote comment=”289844″]That picture of Ozzie Guillen had to be taken during the last home series of the 1990 season (It is a 1991 Topps card). The White Sox wore their standard uniforms with the old logo (on Ozzie’s batting glove) that year, but they were getting new uniforms the following year, along with moving into the new stadium. So they wore the new uniforms for the last home series against the Mariners in 1990. If my memory serves me correct, they also wore their new road uniforms for their last series in Boston that season. Amazingly, the Sox have kept that same uniform for almost 20 years now.[/quote]
    Isn’t the logo on the batting glove from the uniform they discontinued after the ’86 season? It would make the batting glove even more of a relic.
    link
    Actually they kept that same logo even after the uniform change before the 1987 season. They did not update the logo until they changed colors and uniforms in the 1991 season. In fact, I believe that old logo was around even when the White Sox wore their “pajama” uniforms. I think that is when it originated.

    [quote comment=”289871″][quote comment=”289868″][quote comment=”289866″]Fascinating interview with Tyler Kepner, Paul. Very good stuff.
    And I agree about the guy modeling the Illini jersey. There’s no need for that.[/quote]

    Send him an e-mail!!![/quote]

    Ha-ha. When I clicked on the picture, I sure thought about it. I’m sure he has plenty of hate mail to read, today.[/quote]

    I am seriously considering the AD or SID an e-mail expressing my disappointment in their posting of new unis with a player od such an obvious lack of couth and tact.

    Enjoyed the Tyler Kempner interview. I’m glad someone else out there doesn’t like the Brewer unis because the backs are so hard to read.
    Great job, not good but great job Paul.

    Paul:

    Seriously, this was the best interview you have done. Tyler sounds like a fascinating person, and you conveyed that to us very well. Thank you.

    [quote comment=”289874″][quote comment=”289869″][quote comment=”289851″]Really, really interesting interview. Thanks.

    On to the ticker . . . re: the Youngstown State unis. Is it just me, or do dark pants matched with lighter tops not only look bad, but say “high school?” And I don’t mean white tops with dark pants like many teams wear.

    There must be a reason in terms of budget and darker pants wearing better over time.[/quote]

    Easier to keep clean is main reason. Can hide grass and mud stains better in a darker color.[/quote]

    so maybe that’s why everyone wears black now ricko[/quote]

    Because they have cleaning budgets as paltry as small-town high school teams of forty years ago?

    Was just saying if it’s about a physical characteristc of the pants it more likely would be that, rather than anything to do with durability.

    [quote comment=”289877″][quote comment=”289871″][quote comment=”289868″][quote comment=”289866″]Fascinating interview with Tyler Kepner, Paul. Very good stuff.
    And I agree about the guy modeling the Illini jersey. There’s no need for that.[/quote]

    Send him an e-mail!!![/quote]

    Ha-ha. When I clicked on the picture, I sure thought about it. I’m sure he has plenty of hate mail to read, today.[/quote]

    I am seriously considering the AD or SID an e-mail expressing my disappointment in their posting of new unis with a player od such an obvious lack of couth and tact.[/quote]
    link we get it

    he’s an asshole

    [quote comment=”289845″]
    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    That’s entirely correct. The Bruins wore those jerseys from 1926 through 1932. The color is dark on my screen too, but I’m guessing that picture is from the 1929-30 season when the Bruins went 38-5-1 (a .875 winning percentage!) and lost in the Finals that year.

    From left to right, Marty Berry, Eddie Shore, Art Ross, Dit Clapper, and Ralph Weiland.

    Berry is the only guy I am unsure of, but I’m pretty sure that’s him.

    [quote comment=”289884″][quote comment=”289845″]
    My color on my computer must be set darker than it should, because it’s really hard to see the sleeve stripes on the Bruins jerseys, but they wore that style of jersey from 1926-1927 seaon to 1931-1932 season and Eddie was on the team for all those years. 26-27 was actually his rookie year, also Art Ross was the coach for those years as well.[/quote]

    That’s entirely correct. The Bruins wore those jerseys from 1926 through 1932. The color is dark on my screen too, but I’m guessing that picture is from the 1929-30 season when the Bruins went 38-5-1 (a .875 winning percentage!) and lost in the Finals that year.

    From left to right, Marty Berry, Eddie Shore, Art Ross, Dit Clapper, and Ralph Weiland.

    Berry is the only guy I am unsure of, but I’m pretty sure that’s him.[/quote]

    HA! when i sent paul that photo last night i wrote:

    [quote]thought maybe you could post it and someone (teebz for sure) could ID the year and the players…[/quote]

    my faith in you is unbroken! :o)

    [quote comment=”289824″]Paul,

    Thank you for sharing my jersey slideshow with everyone at UW. I will continue to update the photos with items from my collection (added another 6 or so photos this morning) as I can.

    Hope my fellow members of the We Get It® brigade enjoy seeing the items in the slideshow…and thanks again, sir.

    Craig Bates[/quote]

    How did you get the ASU jersey, I’ve been contacting the team on and off for years trying to get one and never get any info back.

    [quote comment=”289885″]
    my faith in you is unbroken! :o)[/quote]

    I loves me some hockey, Phil. Especially old-time photos with such incredible sweaters. :o)

    Why can’t Reebok pull their heads from their corporate rear ends and make alternate jerseys look like that?!? >:o|

    As near as I can tell, it’s Lionel Hitchman, Eddie Shore, Art Ross (coach), George Owen and someone I can’t identify. It’s not Cooney Weiland, as Weiland was rather short. My guess would be Harry Connor or Marty Barry.

    Tyler, that’s some amazing work you’ve done over the years. I remember reading about you in SI For Kids as well (and feeling like I ought to send in some of the cards my btoerh and I used to make, as competition!).

    Speaking of hand-drawn stuff, and stuff nentioned in the ticker, here’s some more Charlie Manuel material featuring his famous facemask (read the section on him in Robert Whiting’s You Gotta Have Wa for the whole story; it’s great):

    link

    link

    link

    If you liked that cartoon above, here’s link; there’s one player for each letter in the Japanese syllabary. The one at the top left is Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese-born major leaguer; the set is drawn by Haruhiko Nakamura. Several other major leaguers, including Leron Lee and this great one of link (how he got picked over Randy Bass I’ll never know) are included.

    SON OF A BITCH!!!

    I personally love Nike’s system of dress. I like the new Oklahoma State uni’s and was excited to see the Illini jump on board….until I saw the shorts. WTF! What the hell is up with the stripe on the side?!

    link

    Disappointment.

    [quote comment=”289888″]As near as I can tell, it’s Lionel Hitchman, Eddie Shore, Art Ross (coach), George Owen and someone I can’t identify. It’s not Cooney Weiland, as Weiland was rather short. My guess would be Harry Connor or Marty Barry.[/quote]

    Good call on Hitchman. That’s him, not Berry, on the far left. As for Owen and the unidentified guy, this makes total sense now.

    Art Ross was a fearless defenceman during his days as a hockey player, so he’s talking to the defence corps on his team. That would be Hitchman, Shore, Owen, and Clapper from left to right. Ironically, George Owen and Weiland both wore #7 that year, so I may have mistaken one for the other.

    stupid point, but Delwyn Young’s number is rotated 90°, not upside down. It could also have been flipped horizontally.

    I would like to say to Tyler you are bang on on your assessment of the Blue Jays uniforms. They are a disgrace. As a life long Jays fan, I have hated them since day one. The road grays aren’t bad; I’ve always thought you can get away with being basic and/or plan and/or boring. The white jerseys are a joke. I’ve seen better (and more exciting) looking jerseys in my softball league. I hate the font they use for the names. I hate the numbering font. I like the new numbering the road uniforms; why didn’t they use that on the other jerseys as well? Don’t get me started on the black alternate.

    Hopefully this doesn’t come off as sounding mean, but I hope J.P. gets fired at the end of the season so they can bring in a GM who will put the “blue” back in “Blue Jays”.

    Looking at the socks in that Bruins photo, we can narrow it down even more.

    31-32 they had a different sock design.
    link

    Before that, 26-31, They had this sock design, which I think is what we’re seeing. The photo has been lightened significantly, so It’s difficult to make out the darker colors, but I think this is the sock:
    link

    So it’s probably from between 1926 and 1931.

    [quote comment=”289890″]SON OF A BITCH!!!

    I personally love Nike’s system of dress. I like the new Oklahoma State uni’s and was excited to see the Illini jump on board….until I saw the shorts. WTF! What the hell is up with the stripe on the side?!

    link

    Disappointment.[/quote]

    Yup. Add cowboy boots and is the same silhouette as Dale Evans.

    Basketball pants. Or cullottes. Above the knee to be shorts.

    I know you were talking about the design, but still overall a dumpy-looking trend. Don’t these guys realize they look like a lot like the woman refs in old girls basketball games? Well, yes, most times those were pleated skirts, but the silhouette is the almost identical.

    I was at the rain-delayed Pirates/Cardinals game Friday night. Can anyone get a screen-grab of Pujols to verify something?
    I saw him wear adidas (gasp) spikes in the field for one inning only. He doubled in the first, and while rounding first, made a huge divot where normally plays first. He was wearing his normal turf/spike things he always wears. The ground crew fixed the spot, but he came wearing huge adidas spikes. The next inning he was back to the turf/spikes again.

    [quote comment=”289895″]
    So it’s probably from between 1926 and 1931.[/quote]

    Like 1929-30? ;o)

    Good call, though, Jeff. That sock design does narrow it down a little more.

    [quote comment=”289891″][quote comment=”289888″]As near as I can tell, it’s Lionel Hitchman, Eddie Shore, Art Ross (coach), George Owen and someone I can’t identify. It’s not Cooney Weiland, as Weiland was rather short. My guess would be Harry Connor or Marty Barry.[/quote]

    Good call on Hitchman. That’s him, not Berry, on the far left. As for Owen and the unidentified guy, this makes total sense now.

    Art Ross was a fearless defenceman during his days as a hockey player, so he’s talking to the defence corps on his team. That would be Hitchman, Shore, Owen, and Clapper from left to right. Ironically, George Owen and Weiland both wore #7 that year, so I may have mistaken one for the other.[/quote]

    Not to nitpick Teebz, but it’s Barry, not Berry.

    link doesn’t look like the 25 yard line to me!

    Actually, I’ve noticed that on more than one occassion so far this season. Actually, I remember seeing one of the schools – it may have been South Carolina – that moved the logos from one week to the next and you could still see the outline of the logo from the prior week.

    [quote comment=”289900″]
    Not to nitpick Teebz, but it’s Barry, not Berry.[/quote]

    No! That’s a good nitpick! Apparently, reading isn’t necessary on my part. :o)

    [quote comment=”289898″][quote comment=”289895″]
    So it’s probably from between 1926 and 1931.[/quote]

    Like 1929-30? ;o)

    Good call, though, Jeff. That sock design does narrow it down a little more.[/quote]

    D-men on 29-30 Bruins:

    Clapper
    Shore
    Owen
    Hitchman
    Hutton

    [quote comment=”289902″][quote comment=”289900″]
    Not to nitpick Teebz, but it’s Barry, not Berry.[/quote]

    No! That’s a good nitpick! Apparently, reading isn’t necessary on my part. :o)[/quote]

    He was a pretty decent center for the bruins back in the day. Played for the wings as well.

    Still drowling over that photo…

    [quote comment=”289886″][quote comment=”289824″]Paul,

    Thank you for sharing my jersey slideshow with everyone at UW. I will continue to update the photos with items from my collection (added another 6 or so photos this morning) as I can.

    Hope my fellow members of the We Get It® brigade enjoy seeing the items in the slideshow…and thanks again, sir.

    Craig Bates[/quote]

    How did you get the ASU jersey, I’ve been contacting the team on and off for years trying to get one and never get any info back.[/quote]

    Joe,
    That is actually an item that I found on eBay–I played/coached club hockey at the University of Tennessee and have a number of hockey sweaters that I haven’t posted up yet, including my own UT hockey sweater from my playing days. I bought the ASU sweater from a person that I have worked with on eBay before and who knows of my jersey “addiction”.

    The UT Hockey team is hosting the annual alumni game this Friday night and will be letting the alumni be the first to wear the new team sweaters that will be worn during the ’08-’09 season. I will get some pics from the event and add them to the slideshow next week. If anyone is going to be in Knoxville on Friday for the UT/Florida game, you are cordially invited to come to the rink to watch some hockey and enjoy the unveiling of the new team sweaters. Information on the game can be found at the team website (which has some interesting jersey history information as well) at link

    Craig

    [quote comment=”289904″][quote comment=”289902″][quote comment=”289900″]
    Not to nitpick Teebz, but it’s Barry, not Berry.[/quote]

    No! That’s a good nitpick! Apparently, reading isn’t necessary on my part. :o)[/quote]

    He was a pretty decent center for the bruins back in the day. Played for the wings as well.

    Still drowling over that photo…[/quote]

    Notice the sticks blades are not bent, man I LOVE old hockey photos…

    [quote comment=”289903″][quote comment=”289898″][quote comment=”289895″]
    So it’s probably from between 1926 and 1931.[/quote]

    Like 1929-30? ;o)

    Good call, though, Jeff. That sock design does narrow it down a little more.[/quote]

    D-men on 29-30 Bruins:

    Clapper
    Shore
    Owen
    Hitchman
    Hutton[/quote]

    Hutton was sent to Ottawa during that season, leaving the Bruins with only four true defencemen.

    [quote comment=”289876″]Actually they kept that same logo even after the uniform change before the 1987 season. They did not update the logo until they changed colors and uniforms in the 1991 season. In fact, I believe that old logo was around even when the White Sox wore their “pajama” uniforms. I think that is when it originated.[/quote]Correct. The stylized batter came into existence in 1976, replacing the “batter superimposed on a white sock inside a red circle” which they used from 71-75.

    Gee, who’d have thought that Chris Berman’s such a douche? I mean, besides EVERYONE WHO’S EVER INTERACTED WITH HIM?

    [quote comment=”289909″]Gee, who’d have thought that Chris Berman’s such a douche? I mean, besides EVERYONE WHO’S EVER INTERACTED WITH HIM?[/quote]

    WHOOP!!

    [quote comment=”289909″]Gee, who’d have thought that Chris Berman’s such a douche? I mean, besides EVERYONE WHO’S EVER INTERACTED WITH HIM?[/quote]

    You mean link? NSFW if you have your volume up, by the way.

    [quote comment=”289912″][quote comment=”289909″]Gee, who’d have thought that Chris Berman’s such a douche? I mean, besides EVERYONE WHO’S EVER INTERACTED WITH HIM?[/quote]

    You mean link? NSFW if you have your volume up, by the way.[/quote]

    OHHHHHH baby…you gotta love live sat feeds, open mikes and such…you NEVER know when you’re ‘on’…

    doesn’t surprise me in the least about berman

    reminds me of the link moment for edwards…and there’s some guy…i wanna say joe walsh (from the eagles)…but maybe not…who scans the sat feeds and posts the good ones…many ‘famous’ people caught in less than flattering poses, utterances, etc.

    [quote comment=”289913″][quote comment=”289912″][quote comment=”289909″]Gee, who’d have thought that Chris Berman’s such a douche? I mean, besides EVERYONE WHO’S EVER INTERACTED WITH HIM?[/quote]

    You mean link? NSFW if you have your volume up, by the way.[/quote]

    OHHHHHH baby…you gotta love live sat feeds, open mikes and such…you NEVER know when you’re ‘on’…

    doesn’t surprise me in the least about berman

    reminds me of the link moment for edwards…and there’s some guy…i wanna say joe walsh (from the eagles)…but maybe not…who scans the sat feeds and posts the good ones…many ‘famous’ people caught in less than flattering poses, utterances, etc.[/quote]

    Harry Shearer, of Spinal Tap and Simpsons fame, has a GREAT website full of embarrasing outtakes like those:

    link

    [quote comment=”289914″]Harry Shearer, of Spinal Tap and Simpsons fame, has a GREAT website full of embarrasing outtakes like those:

    link

    THAT’S the guy i was thinking of

    good work matt!

    I’m throwing this out there for anyone, but aiming it at Jim MI and Teebz:

    Is there any player in the NHL who is using a straight (uncurved) blade anymore? I feel like Doug Gilmour was the last guy to use it. Off the top of my head the only player I could think of would be Joe Thorton, but really, I have no idea.

    [quote comment=”289918″]I’m throwing this out there for anyone, but aiming it at Jim MI and Teebz:

    Is there any player in the NHL who is using a straight (uncurved) blade anymore? I feel like Doug Gilmour was the last guy to use it. Off the top of my head the only player I could think of would be Joe Thorton, but really, I have no idea.[/quote]

    No. There is no player who uses a completely straight blade any longer. link.

    NHL players are allowed up to a three-quarter of an inch curve on the blade nowadays, but the European leagues allow for more. However, most NHLers have opted to stick with the half-inch blade, stating that stickhandling is easier.

    Bobby Hull introduced the curved blade in the 1960s to add lift to the puck on his booming slapshots, and it has been there ever since.

    [quote comment=”289918″]I’m throwing this out there for anyone, but aiming it at Jim MI and Teebz:

    Is there any player in the NHL who is using a straight (uncurved) blade anymore? I feel like Doug Gilmour was the last guy to use it. Off the top of my head the only player I could think of would be Joe Thorton, but really, I have no idea.[/quote]

    Not sure if he still plays, but Jason Krog always used a straight blade, or darn near straight anyway.

    [quote comment=”289872″]Congrats to Tyler (and Paul) for a thoughtful interview and wonderful effort on his ‘zine.

    Oh, and Tulsa has retro uniforms … as in, they had a football program in the ’50s?! Must’ve been Division II, or NAIA or something? Nice look, though.[/quote]

    1943: Lost to Tennesee in the Sugar Bowl (7-14)
    1944: Lost to Ga.Tech in the Sugar Bowl (18-20)
    1945: Beat Ga.Tech in the Orange Bowl (26-12)
    1953: Lost to Florida in the Gator Bowl (13-14)

    Despite having fewer than 5,000 students, Tulsa has played at the highest classification of college football since the NCAA started classification in 1937. TU began playing football in 1895.

    [quote comment=”289922″][quote comment=”289918″]I’m throwing this out there for anyone, but aiming it at Jim MI and Teebz:

    Is there any player in the NHL who is using a straight (uncurved) blade anymore? I feel like Doug Gilmour was the last guy to use it. Off the top of my head the only player I could think of would be Joe Thorton, but really, I have no idea.[/quote]

    Not sure if he still plays, but Jason Krog always used a straight blade, or darn near straight anyway.[/quote]

    Krog, who was signed by Vancouver this off-season after being stuck in a KHL-NHL contract squabble, link (he’s #10 for the Thrashers).

    Again, it adds lift when shooting the puck, and no hockey player will give that option up. Going top-shelf from in close is far easier with a curved blade than it is with a straight blade.

    BEST INTERVIEW EVER!!!

    Man, I tell you…what a boring childhood I had…LOL. Thanks Tyler for reminding me of that. But mostly as a lifetime A’s fan…thanks for giving props to the White Elephant. I hate the cartoon one too….but I did like the older spring season mean grey pachyderm holding the crossed bats.

    [quote comment=”289925″][quote comment=”289922″][quote comment=”289918″]I’m throwing this out there for anyone, but aiming it at Jim MI and Teebz:

    Is there any player in the NHL who is using a straight (uncurved) blade anymore? I feel like Doug Gilmour was the last guy to use it. Off the top of my head the only player I could think of would be Joe Thorton, but really, I have no idea.[/quote]

    Not sure if he still plays, but Jason Krog always used a straight blade, or darn near straight anyway.[/quote]

    Krog, who was signed by Vancouver this off-season after being stuck in a KHL-NHL contract squabble, link (he’s #10 for the Thrashers).

    Again, it adds lift when shooting the puck, and no hockey player will give that option up. Going top-shelf from in close is far easier with a curved blade than it is with a straight blade.[/quote]

    I’m sure the days of straight blades are right along with the dodo, but I know some players don’t have NEARLY the curve they can legally have.

    I don’t like TOO much of a curve on my stick – hard to stickhandle with a horseshoe on the bottom of your stick.

    forgive me if this was posted way back when, but i stumbled across this link concept page…be interesting to see how many of them are even close…

    the carolina one isn’t too far off base, but i like it better than the “real” one

    here’s what i’d love to see for link

    [quote comment=”289928″]forgive me if this was posted way back when, but i stumbled across this link concept page…be interesting to see how many of them are even close…

    the carolina one isn’t too far off base, but i like it better than the “real” one

    here’s what i’d love to see for link[/quote]
    The Hawks jersey is also close, but the stripe pattern is inverted. It’s red/white/red. The red at the cuffs is missing as well.

    [quote comment=”289927″]
    I’m sure the days of straight blades are right along with the dodo, but I know some players don’t have NEARLY the curve they can legally have.

    I don’t like TOO much of a curve on my stick – hard to stickhandle with a horseshoe on the bottom of your stick.[/quote]

    I totally agree. I have a slight curve on mine as a defenceman because I like to keep shots low, but about two inches off the ice for deflections. However, I also have a lesser-used stick with a bigger curve because there are a couple of teams in the beer league that like to block shots like demons. I need to get the puck up higher in those cases.

    Stickhandling, like you said Bill, with a slight curve is far easier than stickhanding with Captain Hook.

    “The logo is placed on both 25 yard lines, just inside the numbers. The interesting thing is that instead of using the SEC colors (light blue and yellow) for the logo, the conference is allowing the use of school colors for each field (much like MLB allows team colors for their logo on MLB caps and jerseys)”

    The ACC does a similar thing – here’s some examples:

    link (go UVA!)

    link

    link

    link

    When they first started doing this a few years ago (while I was attending UVA and going to football games) I thought it was pretty cool and helped with the overall look of the field to keep the ACC logo within the color pallette of the rest of the logos on the field.

    [quote comment=”289924″][quote comment=”289920″]
    OMG, does this guy look like an a@$h#le:
    link

    He reminds me of this f’n soldja:
    link

    why, exactly, is that? is it because they’re both black?[/quote]

    Yes

    Because of the world we live in, I will now file the dislclaimer…

    No, I do not dislike the look of these two individuals because they are of African-American descent.

    I dislike the look of the two individuals because of their perceived arrogance, however I Love the uniforms of both Messrs. Keller and Winslow.

    I adore the SOD unis, Illinois included…I’m hoping that there is a navy third.

    I also consider the uniform of Winslow’s Browns to be my favorite in the NFL, besides those of the NY Giants.

    [quote comment=”289931″][quote comment=”289927″]
    I’m sure the days of straight blades are right along with the dodo, but I know some players don’t have NEARLY the curve they can legally have.

    I don’t like TOO much of a curve on my stick – hard to stickhandle with a horseshoe on the bottom of your stick.[/quote]

    I totally agree. I have a slight curve on mine as a defenceman because I like to keep shots low, but about two inches off the ice for deflections. However, I also have a lesser-used stick with a bigger curve because there are a couple of teams in the beer league that like to block shots like demons. I need to get the puck up higher in those cases.

    Stickhandling, like you said Bill, with a slight curve is far easier than stickhanding with Captain Hook.[/quote]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.

    [quote comment=”289931″][quote comment=”289927″]
    I’m sure the days of straight blades are right along with the dodo, but I know some players don’t have NEARLY the curve they can legally have.

    I don’t like TOO much of a curve on my stick – hard to stickhandle with a horseshoe on the bottom of your stick.[/quote]

    I totally agree. I have a slight curve on mine as a defenceman because I like to keep shots low, but about two inches off the ice for deflections. However, I also have a lesser-used stick with a bigger curve because there are a couple of teams in the beer league that like to block shots like demons. I need to get the puck up higher in those cases.

    Stickhandling, like you said Bill, with a slight curve is far easier than stickhanding with Captain Hook.[/quote]

    I have used a Sakic curve for years, had to switch to an Elias curve because I switched from Easton to Warrior sticks. Both curves have a light twist to them to aid with lift. As a forward I take a hell of alot more wrist shots than slappers.

    Now that we have moved on…one of my students noticed that I was researching Chris Cooley’s new Riddell Revolution speed helmet the other day. It sparked a conversation.

    Today, he mentioned that during the jets/Pats game the other day, Laveraneus Coles was also wearing one…

    Check the 11the picture of this photo gallery:
    link

    He should get all of the credit!!!

    [quote comment=”289937″]Now that we have moved on…one of my students noticed that I was researching Chris Cooley’s new Riddell Revolution speed helmet the other day. It sparked a conversation.

    Today, he mentioned that during the jets/Pats game the other day, Laveraneus Coles was also wearing one…

    Check the 11the picture of this photo gallery:
    link

    He should get all of the credit!!![/quote]

    Wrong link:
    link

    [quote comment=”289938″][quote comment=”289937″]Now that we have moved on…one of my students noticed that I was researching Chris Cooley’s new Riddell Revolution speed helmet the other day. It sparked a conversation.

    Today, he mentioned that during the jets/Pats game the other day, Laveraneus Coles was also wearing one…

    Check the 11the picture of this photo gallery:
    link

    He should get all of the credit!!![/quote]

    Wrong link:
    link

    Pics #14 and 26 are even better!

    [quote comment=”289934″]I adore the SOD unis, Illinois included…I’m hoping that there is a navy third.[/quote]

    I’m told that there is.

    I like how Kepner and kid are posing in front of Orsillo and Remy(‘s ear). Why else would they be turned to the side instead of getting the field in the background? Ha. Well I guess it could be a glare issue… I’d say that pic was from the afternoon game on August 28th–last Sox-Yanks game at The House That One George Built and Another George Tore Down.

    [quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.

    Awesome interview with Tyler Kepner. Very cool to publish your own zine as a kid. I am sure that the UniWatch interview and other publicity was all the payment that his parents needed for footing the bill.

    As for Berman not responding, I would assume that it is because his response would not promote himself, which is all that blowhard is about. If I have to hear that clown say, “back, back, back…” one more time or show the age-old clip of himself making an over-the-shoulder catch in the Bucs’ old orange uni, I will definitely puke.

    Back to the positive – great work, Tyler!

    [quote comment=”289941″][quote comment=”289934″]I adore the SOD unis, Illinois included…I’m hoping that there is a navy third.[/quote]

    I’m told that there is.[/quote]

    Will we ever see a Navy Syracuse third basketball uni?

    The Astros also intentionally used the visiting locker room and dugout as well as wearing their road pants as another form of bitching about the game being played in Milwaukee. I guess all that negativity paid off — 1 hit in 2 days

    [quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.

    I am a newbie to this site, but I have read enough to know that Matt Powers is some kind of Jedi when it comes to shoes and football equipment. Here’s my question. What kind of shoes was Jason Witten wearing last night in the Cowboys/Eagles game? I don’t have the technology for a screen grab, but I think they were made by Nike. (This question goes out to anyone else who might know as well.)

    [quote comment=”289948″]The Astros also intentionally used the visiting locker room and dugout as well as wearing their road pants as another form of bitching about the game being played in Milwaukee. I guess all that negativity paid off — 1 hit in 2 days[/quote]

    I don’t think wearing their road grays was intended as a protest. They didn’t want to go through the inconvenience of packing the home whites while they set off on a road trip, so they just stuck with what they normally do. And because they were the home team, the opted for the visiting clubhouse because that’s what they were used to and gave the Cubs the home clubhouse.
    At least, according to this article, that’s how it played out.
    link

    [quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.

    [quote comment=”289950″]I am a newbie to this site, but I have read enough to know that Matt Powers is some kind of Jedi when it comes to shoes and football equipment. Here’s my question. What kind of shoes was Jason Witten wearing last night in the Cowboys/Eagles game? I don’t have the technology for a screen grab, but I think they were made by Nike. (This question goes out to anyone else who might know as well.)[/quote]

    link

    perhaps this will help id the cleats

    I’m flattered:

    Here’s a pic of him, however it is quite obscure:
    link

    I blew up the picture on my PC:copied the pic into MS Word and zoomed in…They are definitely Nikes…but I’m working on it!

    Mark Mihalik would probably be a better source of info though!

    [quote comment=”289952″][quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.[/quote]

    Wow, re-read the post, came off kinda prickish. No harm intended. Sorry :(

    [quote comment=”289956″]link from the G-MEN’s upset victory in last january’s playoffs…don’t know if the shoes are the same…[/quote]

    Good job, Phil…they are the same!

    [quote comment=”289958″][quote comment=”289956″]link from the G-MEN’s upset victory in last january’s playoffs…don’t know if the shoes are the same…[/quote]

    Good job, Phil…they are the same![/quote]

    Heres another one from last night, it might link to the actual photo gallery, but if you scroll through, there is a great pic of Witten being tackled by Lito Sheppard, with a clear view of his assassins.

    link

    [quote comment=”289955″][quote comment=”289952″][quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link, but he has since link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.[/quote]

    Wow, re-read the post, came off kinda prickish. No harm intended. Sorry :([/quote]

    None taken, and I think mine originally came off that way too. I also fixed the links in my comment.

    All good, Jim. :o)

    [quote comment=”289960″][quote comment=”289958″][quote comment=”289956″]link from the G-MEN’s upset victory in last january’s playoffs…don’t know if the shoes are the same…[/quote]

    Good job, Phil…they are the same![/quote]

    Heres another one from last night, it might link to the actual photo gallery, but if you scroll through, there is a great pic of Witten being tackled by Lito Sheppard, with a clear view of his assassins.

    link

    Wow… I thought you guys might be able to track down the info given some time but this response blew me away. Matt, Phil you guys are great, thanks.

    [quote comment=”289960″][quote comment=”289958″][quote comment=”289956″]link from the G-MEN’s upset victory in last january’s playoffs…don’t know if the shoes are the same…[/quote]

    Good job, Phil…they are the same![/quote]

    Heres another one from last night, it might link to the actual photo gallery, but if you scroll through, there is a great pic of Witten being tackled by Lito Sheppard, with a clear view of his assassins.

    link

    Here is Derrick Brooks wearing a different Player Exclusive color of the shoes that Nike chose to replace the incredibly successful Apocalypse line of cleats:

    link

    Apocalpyse 1:
    link
    Apocalypse 2:
    link
    Apocalypse 3:
    link
    Apocalypse 4:
    link

    [quote]Wow… I thought you guys might be able to track down the info given some time but this response blew me away. Matt, Phil you guys are great, thanks.[/quote]

    don’t thank me, all im good for is finding shit…matt’s the shoe-guru…”the shuru”

    heh…i just made up a new monicker

    [quote comment=”289957″]Witten:

    link

    Nike Air Zoom Assassin Player Exclusive colorway!

    These are the general release that you can get at Eastbay or Football America:

    link

    Forget the shoes, check out Witten’s facemask…the center reinforcing bar is knocked to the side meaning he got popped or did some popping.

    [quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    [quote comment=”289966″]whoa….in that pic of brooks and bush that matt just posted…

    is the link supposed to be a different color from the pants?[/quote]

    This pic from last year, obviously,because of the subject pictured, shows the logo as the same color:

    link

    [quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    That is the most ridiculous curve I’ve ever seen!! Where did you find that Phil?

    [quote comment=”289955″][quote comment=”289952″][quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.[/quote]

    Wow, re-read the post, came off kinda prickish. No harm intended. Sorry :([/quote]

    It’s been my experience that the hockey guys on here are never “prickish” – a lot like the players, we’re just a little more reserved. No penalty on you – trust me, I’m a referee – I’ll whistle you if I have to!

    [quote comment=”289968″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    That is the most ridiculous curve I’ve ever seen!! Where did you find that Phil?[/quote]

    heh…i did a google image search for link…and that came up

    although…back when i played roller hockey (100 years ago…and we used roller SKATES, not inline)…i did have a fairly sharply curved plastic stick…prolly in the 1-1.5″ range, not the 3″ or so in that pic

    I have to make a correction:

    These pics are from against the Eagles:

    link

    link

    link

    Dawkins needs to relax!!!!

    This pic is from the playoff loss to the Giants:

    link

    link

    There are two MAJOR differences.

    1. In the Giants pics, Witten’s facemask is askew.
    2. What is the other giveaway?

    [quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    Hardest shot ever recorded at an NHL All-Star Game?

    Al Iafrate – wood stick.

    Most wins of the event?

    Al MacInnes – wood stick.

    Don’t buy into the $200 composite argument. Composites gives some extra snap on a snapshot or wrist shot, but, unless you’re Brett Hull or Joe Sakic, beer leaguers will find almost no advantage.

    [quote comment=”289970″][quote comment=”289955″][quote comment=”289952″][quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.[/quote]

    Wow, re-read the post, came off kinda prickish. No harm intended. Sorry :([/quote]

    It’s been my experience that the hockey guys on here are never “prickish” – a lot like the players, we’re just a little more reserved. No penalty on you – trust me, I’m a referee – I’ll whistle you if I have to![/quote]

    You don’t know what you’re talking about Stripes!! :)

    [quote comment=”289973″][quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    Hardest shot ever recorded at an NHL All-Star Game?

    Al Iafrate – wood stick.

    Most wins of the event?

    Al MacInnes – wood stick.

    Don’t buy into the $200 composite argument. Composites gives some extra snap on a snapshot or wrist shot, but, unless you’re Brett Hull or Joe Sakic, beer leaguers will find almost no advantage.[/quote]

    Wasn’t there a knock against MacInnes that his slapshot was the hardest but incredibly inaccurate?

    [quote comment=”289901″]link doesn’t look like the 25 yard line to me!
    Actually, I remember seeing one of the schools – it may have been South Carolina – that moved the logos from one week to the next and you could still see the outline of the logo from the prior week.[/quote]

    For the week 1 game vs Georgia Southern, the red and white SEC logos on UGA’s field at Sanford Stadium were on the east 15 yard line and west 25 yard line. (The UGA field runs east-west instead of the more common north-south.) The error was fixed by the second game versus Central Michigan, leaving a ghost of the previous week’s logo 10 yards away from the corrected position on the east 25 yard line. (I doubt, however, that you were watching UGA play Central Michigan, unless you were watching the endless ESPN replays of Knowshon Moreno’s hurdle.)

    This wasn’t the only week 1 error, however. link This, too, was fixed by week 2.

    It’s a good thing that UGA opened against lowly opponents; the ground crew clearly needed as much tuning up as the team.

    [quote comment=”289975″]
    Wasn’t there a knock against MacInnes that his slapshot was the hardest but incredibly inaccurate?[/quote]

    link, matt

    4:00 of al mac doing what he did best

    [quote comment=”289975″]
    Wasn’t there a knock against MacInnes that his slapshot was the hardest but incredibly inaccurate?[/quote]

    It would be much better if I spelled players’ names properly today.

    MacInnis had seven seasons of 20+ goals over his 20 seasons in the NHL. Now, I’m not sure how one judges the inaccuracy of a player, but for a guy who scored 340 goals from the blueline, that’s pretty darn good, I’d say.

    [quote comment=”289972″]I have to make a correction:

    These pics are from against the Eagles:

    link

    link

    link

    Dawkins needs to relax!!!!

    This pic is from the playoff loss to the Giants:

    link

    link

    There are two MAJOR differences.

    1. In the Giants pics, Witten’s facemask is askew.
    2. What is the other giveaway?[/quote]

    His gloves?

    [quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    [quote comment=”289978″]And to be fair:

    This guy looks like an a@3h#&e too:

    link
    That’s just great. I love his cheek flesh flapping and his dumb hair flailing upon impact.

    Well played.

    Teebz, Banker, Jim MI, MInna, et al

    thanks for helping me scratch that brain itch. When I played in high school, my favorite stick was the Titan ASD Fiberglass because it was 60″. can’t remember who the curve pattern was though…

    [quote comment=”289975″][quote comment=”289973″][quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    Hardest shot ever recorded at an NHL All-Star Game?

    Al Iafrate – wood stick.

    Most wins of the event?

    Al MacInnes – wood stick.

    Don’t buy into the $200 composite argument. Composites gives some extra snap on a snapshot or wrist shot, but, unless you’re Brett Hull or Joe Sakic, beer leaguers will find almost no advantage.[/quote]

    Wasn’t there a knock against MacInnes that his slapshot was the hardest but incredibly inaccurate?[/quote]

    it’s Al MacInnis…. never heard of the rumor of his shot being inaccurate. I know he was known for using all the net when trying to score, switch it up a bit unlike others who only like to shoot high or low. Maybe that’s why he came off as inaccuate.

    Mental inage when someone mentions Mac:

    link

    Love that uni…

    [quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    More than just “safe” or “out”, Dummy Hoy also was the reason for signals for balls and strikes, I believe. He was a outfielder and wanted to be able to keep track of the count (pre-scoreboard days), so the system was devised for him.

    Didn’t take long for fans to realize it was of benefit to them, too.

    [quote comment=”289984″][quote comment=”289978″]And to be fair:

    This guy looks like an a@3h#&e too:

    link
    That’s just great. I love his cheek flesh flapping and his dumb hair flailing upon impact.

    Well played.[/quote]

    Please, can I?

    link

    [quote comment=”289985″]Teebz, Banker, Jim MI, MInna, et al

    thanks for helping me scratch that brain itch. When I played in high school, my favorite stick was the Titan ASD Fiberglass because it was 60″. can’t remember who the curve pattern was though…[/quote]

    No problem, anything hockey don’t be afraid to ask, I’m still surprised what I pull out of my “hockey rainman” head of mine… always eager to talk hockey

    [quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921

    [quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    And, if I’m not mistaken, the phrases “struck dumb” and “dumbstruck” are still largely politically correct…although I suppose “rendered speechless” probably is more commonly used.

    [quote comment=”289992″][quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    And, if I’m not mistaken, the phrases “struck dumb” and “dumbstruck” are still largely politically correct…although I suppose “rendered speechless” probably is more commonly used.[/quote]

    Yup. “Silent.” Tackling dummy. Dumb waiter. Dummy in Bridge. Ventriloquist dummy.

    [quote comment=”289992″][quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    And, if I’m not mistaken, the phrases “struck dumb” and “dumbstruck” are still largely politically correct…although I suppose “rendered speechless” probably is more commonly used.[/quote]

    you prolly play bridge, ricko…what’s the term for the declarer’s partner?

    guess where the term comes from

    Here’s some logo creep that you will probably love to critique: at the New York Rangers’ golf event yesterday, even their golf polos had room for Panasonic, Bud Light, and Nike logos on the arms.

    link

    [quote comment=”289974″][quote comment=”289970″][quote comment=”289955″][quote comment=”289952″][quote comment=”289949″][quote comment=”289935″]

    Sorry for the late response, had to eat…

    Curved blades are all but gone, but I know Holmstrom uses a pretty flat blade. Easier to accept passes on his backhand he says.

    I’ve also heard stories of curved blades coming from Stan Mikita, he accidentlly jammed his stick under a door giving it a curve and shot around with it once and noticed the extra power and life. Shortly thereafter all off the Blackhawks (Bobby Hull included) started ‘accidentally’ jamming their sticks under doors.[/quote]

    link over the last two years (terrible photo, but the best I could find regarding his blade… sorry!). However, “pretty flat” and “straight” are two different things.

    That’s like saying that a corked bat and a regular bat are the pretty much the same thing.[/quote]

    Sorry for my use of the word ‘pretty’… how’s almost flat or damn near close to flat. I don’t think it’s perfectly flat, but it’s one of the flatest in the league though.[/quote]

    Wow, re-read the post, came off kinda prickish. No harm intended. Sorry :([/quote]

    It’s been my experience that the hockey guys on here are never “prickish” – a lot like the players, we’re just a little more reserved. No penalty on you – trust me, I’m a referee – I’ll whistle you if I have to![/quote]

    You don’t know what you’re talking about Stripes!! :)[/quote]

    One of the nicer things said to me…I also wear a pretty strong pair of prescription eyeglasses, so you can imagine the abuse I can take. Usually, when someone argues with me, I just say “You know, USA Hockey is always looking for good new officials – I’ll give you the website after the game to register.”

    [quote comment=”289996″]Here’s some logo creep that you will probably love to critique: at the New York Rangers’ golf event yesterday, even their golf polos had room for Panasonic, Bud Light, and Nike logos on the arms.

    link

    Well, we now know that Naslund will be wearing #91 with NYR not 19 (Gomez)

    link

    [quote comment=”289996″]Here’s some logo creep that you will probably love to critique: at the New York Rangers’ golf event yesterday, even their golf polos had room for Panasonic, Bud Light, and Nike logos on the arms.

    link

    I don’t consider that logo creep when they are corporate sponsors of a meaningless golf tournament. Not meaningless to the cause, but meaningless in regards to the score.

    If those logos were on the Rangers’ jerseys, then we’d be talking about creep(s).

    [quote comment=”289981″][quote comment=”289972″]I have to make a correction:

    These pics are from against the Eagles:

    link

    link

    link

    Dawkins needs to relax!!!!

    This pic is from the playoff loss to the Giants:

    link

    link

    There are two MAJOR differences.

    1. In the Giants pics, Witten’s facemask is askew.
    2. What is the other giveaway?[/quote]

    His gloves?[/quote]

    Excellent…good work!

    Craig Bates

    Great jersey collection what, is We Get It® brigade?

    My jersey collection is mainly football.

    link

    Take Care
    Dennis

    Political correctness does change things, though, and we notice it in little ways. When Jeff Dunham talks about Walter, Peanut and his gang he calls them “dolls” not “dummies”.

    Which is a shame cuz it really isn’t accurate. But, well, can’t piss off the people in the audience who never miss a chance for some righteous indignation, no matter how missplaced it might be.

    I might have garnered a little more exposure for today’s entry. Once I saw that the only person not responsive to Kepner was Chris Berman, I tipped off the editors at Deadspin. They have it up now on their front page.

    [quote comment=”289973″][quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    Hardest shot ever recorded at an NHL All-Star Game?

    Al Iafrate – wood stick.

    Most wins of the event?

    Al MacInnes – wood stick.

    Don’t buy into the $200 composite argument. Composites gives some extra snap on a snapshot or wrist shot, but, unless you’re Brett Hull or Joe Sakic, beer leaguers will find almost no advantage.[/quote]

    I gotta disagree on that one. Beer leaguers can gain a tremendous advantage from composites. Beer leaguers are generally weaker than NHLer’s and can get a composite with a soft flex to allow much more snap in any shot getting more speed out of it. going to a relatively inflexable wood shart you gotta have a ton of strength to felx it to get the extra snap. The problem is most beer leaguers see a stiff flex and think that make them look tougher when in reality they can’t flex it and it makes their shots weaker. Its like guys buying 110 compression golf balls when they should have a 90.

    They have the roster on the Rangers website – Naslund (91), Redden (6), Zherdev (13), Fritschie (49), Rissmiller (12), Voros (34), Kalinin (45).

    [quote comment=”290004″]
    I gotta disagree on that one. Beer leaguers can gain a tremendous advantage from composites. Beer leaguers are generally weaker than NHLer’s and can get a composite with a soft flex to allow much more snap in any shot getting more speed out of it. going to a relatively inflexable wood shart you gotta have a ton of strength to felx it to get the extra snap. The problem is most beer leaguers see a stiff flex and think that make them look tougher when in reality they can’t flex it and it makes their shots weaker. Its like guys buying 110 compression golf balls when they should have a 90.[/quote]

    Sine 99% of beer leaguers who use a soft-flex end up obliterating them on their first slapshot, why bother? Unless you have a stick contract with Rbk or Bauer, you’re out $200 instead of $30 with a wood stick.

    Lincoln University, as noted in todays New York Times, started a football team this year and have an interesting uniform. The feature numbers up on the shoulder pads, LU on the sleeves, an Arena League stripe with Lincoln spelled out above it and one conference patch. The only photo from the story is available link.

    The photo link doesn’t appear to be working check out the link

    Scroll down and enlarge the first action shot on the left. Lincoln is wearing the home orange unis.

    [quote comment=”290003″]I might have garnered a little more exposure for today’s entry. Once I saw that the only person not responsive to Kepner was Chris Berman, I tipped off the editors at Deadspin. They have it up now on their front page.[/quote]

    Very nice. However, in Berman’s defense, I do have to agree with the commenter who said that he probably received “KP Baseball Monthly” at the same time he got his subscriptions to “This Week in Ham” and “Leather Pants Monthly”. It’s true, a man only does have so much time.

    [quote comment=”290009″]The photo link doesn’t appear to be working check out the link

    Scroll down and enlarge the first action shot on the left. Lincoln is wearing the home orange unis.[/quote]

    Gotta give those kids credit. Can’t be barrels of fun knowing you’re probably gonna get your heads handed to you every week. Then again, they’ll always know they were part of that first team. And that’s something special.

    I am probably going to regret this, but I’ll ask anyway: what is the problem that people seem to see with the pics of that Illini player Dominique Keller? I see nothing that warrants calling him an a-hole. He is just standing there, looking appropriately bad-ass (if one absoultely must express it in terms of “ass”).

    P.S. – Great unis as drawn by Tyler’s brother on the covers of his zine. That is, except for Howard Johnson’s helmet logo.

    [quote comment=”290011″][quote comment=”290009″]The photo link doesn’t appear to be working check out the link

    Scroll down and enlarge the first action shot on the left. Lincoln is wearing the home orange unis.[/quote]

    Gotta give those kids credit. Can’t be barrels of fun knowing you’re probably gonna get your heads handed to you every week. Then again, they’ll always know they were part of that first team. And that’s something special.[/quote]

    I know what you mean. My alma matter (LaGrange College) started a Division III football team three years ago and finally won thier first game this year. They are now a resoundding 1-21, after losing all the games their first two years and are 1-1 this season. Unfortunately they have just a basic Nike template for their unis as seen here link

    [quote comment=”290012″]I am probably going to regret this, but I’ll ask anyway: what is the problem that people seem to see with the pics of that Illini player Dominique Keller? I see nothing that warrants calling him an a-hole. He is just standing there, looking appropriately bad-ass (if one absoultely must express it in terms of “ass”).

    P.S. – Great unis as drawn by Tyler’s brother on the covers of his zine. That is, except for Howard Johnson’s helmet logo.[/quote]

    I think it has to do with the little gesture he is doing with his hand in the first picture whatever that is.

    [quote comment=”290012″] what is the problem that people seem to see with the pics of that Illini player Dominique Keller? I see nothing that warrants calling him an a-hole. He is just standing there, looking appropriately bad-ass (if one absoultely must express it in terms of “ass”).[/quote]

    i agree with you

    i never did get any answers when i asked…i don’t see how he’s disrespecting the uni or the school (which the ‘taxpayers funded’ — rolls eyes)…or his lack of “couth” or tact…how one can tell all that from a picture is astounding detective work…or just profiling–one of the two anyway

    /he’s just a kid trying to act tough…and now people are gonna send him hate mail and post his myspace page

    [quote comment=”290007″]http://blackhawks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=381597

    link

    Anyone notice the Blackhawks unique jerseys they wore to the White Sox game?[/quote]
    The Cubs also did a Blackhawks Night about a week before the Sox did, but I can’t find any pictures online. Anyone know if there were Cubs hockey jerseys for that one?

    [quote comment=”290012″]I am probably going to regret this, but I’ll ask anyway: what is the problem that people seem to see with the pics of that Illini player Dominique Keller? I see nothing that warrants calling him an a-hole. He is just standing there, looking appropriately bad-ass (if one absoultely must express it in terms of “ass”).

    P.S. – Great unis as drawn by Tyler’s brother on the covers of his zine. That is, except for Howard Johnson’s helmet logo.[/quote]

    I think that’s the issue: The posturing…Athlete-As-Thug…that his look is considered “appropriately bad-ass.”

    That’s appropriate? Okay, yes, I suppose that’s what it has come to.

    It’s just getting tiresome, that’s all, this idea that being on a team requires an attitude akin to being a street tough. Spend a little more time focussing on your degree and forget all this “defend the house” shit. It’s a fricking GAME, for god’s sake.

    [quote]I think it has to do with the little gesture he is doing with his hand in the first picture whatever that is.[/quote]

    link?

    perhaps im not familiar with the ‘meaning’ of that particular hand signal, but i still find it hard to ascertain that because of it he’s an asshole, uncouth, etc…

    but i may be wrong

    [quote comment=”290006″][quote comment=”290004″]
    I gotta disagree on that one. Beer leaguers can gain a tremendous advantage from composites. Beer leaguers are generally weaker than NHLer’s and can get a composite with a soft flex to allow much more snap in any shot getting more speed out of it. going to a relatively inflexable wood shart you gotta have a ton of strength to felx it to get the extra snap. The problem is most beer leaguers see a stiff flex and think that make them look tougher when in reality they can’t flex it and it makes their shots weaker. Its like guys buying 110 compression golf balls when they should have a 90.[/quote]

    Sine 99% of beer leaguers who use a soft-flex end up obliterating them on their first slapshot, why bother? Unless you have a stick contract with Rbk or Bauer, you’re out $200 instead of $30 with a wood stick.[/quote]
    Way off on the percentages…
    Really, even if you don’t get too much more kick out of them, which most do from my experience, the light weight gives you a tremendous advantage stickhandling. The skill isn’t so high, but the difference will be much more noticeable.

    I play with a pretty nice composite two piece, and have practiced with a wood on occasion. It’s no contest which one gives me a better shot, better stickhandling and so on. To contrast, there is a guy who my dad played with recently who snapped two wood sticks in a game.

    I suspect you’ll find more differences in durability and performance between brands then between wood and composite.

    [quote comment=”289999″][quote comment=”289996″]Here’s some logo creep that you will probably love to critique: at the New York Rangers’ golf event yesterday, even their golf polos had room for Panasonic, Bud Light, and Nike logos on the arms.

    link

    I don’t consider that logo creep when they are corporate sponsors of a meaningless golf tournament. Not meaningless to the cause, but meaningless in regards to the score.

    If those logos were on the Rangers’ jerseys, then we’d be talking about creep(s).[/quote]

    They’re actually sponsors of the Rangers/MSG; Panasonic sponsors half of the replays on their TV network, Nike does the jerseys, and Bud Light is big on the ice, I believe. It’s very odd to have these logos at a charity(?) golf event.

    [quote comment=”289941″][quote comment=”289934″]I adore the SOD unis, Illinois included…I’m hoping that there is a navy third.[/quote]

    I’m told that there is.[/quote]

    Look on the left hand side of the second pic…

    [quote comment=”289920″][quote comment=”289917″]In case anyone really wants to know, The name of #23 on the Illini is Dominique Keller.

    link

    link

    link

    OMG, does this guy look like an a@$h#le:
    link

    He reminds me of this f’n soldja:
    link

    Why are these people assholes for just looking at the camera a certain way? (I thought of link, myself.)

    great interview, btw.

    “and I didn’t even know they used to have a helmet with just the word “Bengals” on it.”

    two words- Paul Brown. He was keeping close to the Browns look as he could

    [quote comment=”290019″]
    I suspect you’ll find more differences in durability and performance between brands then between wood and composite.[/quote]

    To each their own, and I’m cool with your liking the composite. Gretzky liked aluminum (and Easton responded). For me, I’ve used the same wood stick for parts of two seasons, and it has yet to fail me.

    But again, to each their own, and use what works for you. :o)

    All this time, I thought the most fascinating thing about Tyler Kepner was that we both came from the suburbs of Philadelphia and wound up matriculating at Vanderbilt University. In fact, I mentioned as much to our site’s keeper at a Philadelphia meet-and-greet. At the time, Paul had never met the man. Good to see that with the interview, such an oversight has been corrected.

    Nice to see that Jay Cutler and David Price aren’t the only Commodores making noise these days …

    [quote comment=”290021″][quote comment=”289941″][quote comment=”289934″]I adore the SOD unis, Illinois included…I’m hoping that there is a navy third.[/quote]

    I’m told that there is.[/quote]

    Look on the left hand side of the second pic…[/quote]

    Good eyes, Bake!

    As for Mr. Keller, the Illini ballplayer:

    The cockiness and arrogant posturing portrayed in the picture with two teammates is trite.

    Maybe he was playing to the cameras, but he looked like a jerk doing so!

    Couth and tact, definitely overkill on a certain person’s part!!!

    Ricko said it very well, let your game do the talking.

    And no, thorough detective work was not completed however the pic is put out there and we as viewers and fans of the school’s athletics, or not, are entitle to opinions.

    Mr. Keller reminded me of the guys I go to play pick up with down at the park, who are more interested in causing fights over disputed calls than just “playing ball”…black, white, yellow, purple what have you.

    Profiling? No…Observing and creating an opinion? Yes!

    As for Winslow…great player, less than charming on-camera personality!

    Pierzynski(sp?)we all know he has an abrasive on-filed persona!

    I’m done!

    [quote comment=”290004″][quote comment=”289973″][quote comment=”289944″][quote comment=”289939″]so you’re all saying link (not that i “wood” (lol)) anymore?[/quote]

    There are actually still NHLers that still use wood sticks. David Vyborny of CBJ comes to mind. Plays without a ‘knob’ on the end of his stick too. Also it si all black, no marking, companies, logos, nothing.[/quote]

    Hardest shot ever recorded at an NHL All-Star Game?

    Al Iafrate – wood stick.

    Most wins of the event?

    Al MacInnes – wood stick.

    Don’t buy into the $200 composite argument. Composites gives some extra snap on a snapshot or wrist shot, but, unless you’re Brett Hull or Joe Sakic, beer leaguers will find almost no advantage.[/quote]

    I gotta disagree on that one. Beer leaguers can gain a tremendous advantage from composites. Beer leaguers are generally weaker than NHLer’s and can get a composite with a soft flex to allow much more snap in any shot getting more speed out of it. going to a relatively inflexable wood shart you gotta have a ton of strength to felx it to get the extra snap. The problem is most beer leaguers see a stiff flex and think that make them look tougher when in reality they can’t flex it and it makes their shots weaker. Its like guys buying 110 compression golf balls when they should have a 90.[/quote]

    Figured I’d chime in –

    The advantage that composite sticks have over wood is that you have a concentrated kickpoint as well as a hard blade. A wood stick has constant flex (it flexes everywhere, including the blade). Now, the advantage that the composite sticks give pros is that the puck flies off the blade faster due to the fact that the stick will flex in a certain area and the blade doesn’t give (very good on snap/wrist shots, which is why NHLers use them). A wood stick has more lag because the shaft and the blade both flex, so it takes longer for the puck to leave the blade.

    As far as small curves go, Sidney Crosby has a very small curve. And Vyborny uses Kohos, which have to be blacked out because they no longer exist.

    [quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    Phil-
    At the risk of being WAY off the uni topic (who had the better pinball uniform, Elton or Roger, how’s that) what makes you think it was set in ’21? I always got the impression it began during WWII (didn’t Tommy’s dad look great in his UNIFORM?) when pops got shot down in his plane?

    For the record TWO uni references in this post.

    [quote comment=”290031″][quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    Phil-
    At the risk of being WAY off the uni topic (who had the better pinball uniform, Elton or Roger, how’s that) what makes you think it was set in ’21? I always got the impression it began during WWII (didn’t Tommy’s dad look great in his UNIFORM?) when pops got shot down in his plane?

    For the record TWO uni references in this post.[/quote]

    lawrence,

    well…it’s actually set link, beginning with WW ONE…

    if you know the album, you’ll recall that there is a link, entitled link… (“you know that ’21 is gonna be a good year”), and takes place in the life of our protagonist, tommy

    /perhaps you’re thinking of another great rock anthem/album, link, which deals with, in part, pink growing up during the horrors of WWII
    //btw, absolutely NO uni ref’s in this post

    [quote comment=”290031″][quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    Phil-
    At the risk of being WAY off the uni topic (who had the better pinball uniform, Elton or Roger, how’s that) what makes you think it was set in ’21? I always got the impression it began during WWII (didn’t Tommy’s dad look great in his UNIFORM?) when pops got shot down in his plane?

    For the record TWO uni references in this post.[/quote]

    The original Who album is set in ’21, the movie is set in ’51.

    Hey, no taking my name in vain, John Paul Jones. I know almost nothing about hockey, nor do I pretend to know anything (except, I do know the Wild! have the best uni in the league in spite of having one of the worst logos).

    Paul, today’s entry on Tyler Kepner. I am completely awestruck by the dedication he had to his ‘zine and to every little detail–really incredible. In fact, except for his irrational hatred for the color black, he exemplifies everything I love about this site. I would love to get my hands on a copy of one of the KP issues.

    P.S. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Illini player’s pic. Just because he tilts his head a bit, he’s a thug? I’m not buying it.

    Oops. That should have read, “Paul, today’s entry on Tyler Kepner is one of the best you’ve ever written. I finished the thought in my head, but not on my keyboard.

    hey minna…

    if you’d like to get a personal response from your favorite ref…link

    /for the record, i love eddie guns and i hope this doesn’t cost him a playoff game

    [quote comment=”290033″][quote comment=”290031″][quote comment=”289990″][quote comment=”289982″][quote comment=”289826″][quote comment=”289822″]Interesting tidbit re: Hoy. I never knew why he was referred to as Dummy Hoy. I guess politicakl correctness was not in vogue in those days.[/quote]

    in hoy’s time, the word “dumb” was used to describe someone who could not speak (as most deaf people at the time could not), rather than someone who was stupid[/quote]

    In his time, too: link

    indeed larry…i was going to use the example of our friend, tommy, the pinball wizard…aka the “deaf, dumb and blind” kid…of course, you know tommy was set in, i believe, 1921[/quote]

    Phil-
    At the risk of being WAY off the uni topic (who had the better pinball uniform, Elton or Roger, how’s that) what makes you think it was set in ’21? I always got the impression it began during WWII (didn’t Tommy’s dad look great in his UNIFORM?) when pops got shot down in his plane?

    For the record TWO uni references in this post.[/quote]

    The original Who album is set in ’21, the movie is set in ’51.[/quote]

    Makes sense, you couldn’t have Ann Margaret throw a champagne bottle through a radio and have baked beans come out. But where else can you see Col. Jessup sing: link

    [quote comment=”290002″]Political correctness does change things, though, and we notice it in little ways. When Jeff Dunham talks about Walter, Peanut and his gang he calls them “dolls” not “dummies”.

    Which is a shame cuz it really isn’t accurate. But, well, can’t piss off the people in the audience who never miss a chance for some righteous indignation, no matter how missplaced it might be.[/quote]
    Yeah, but aren’t like half his characters terrible stereotypes? Like the dead terrorist!

    Regarding Tommy, well, let’s just say that I thought I was the Bally table king…

    Nice interview with Tyler. I used to get that magazine when I was younger (I’m 30 now) and always enjoyed it.

    [quote comment=”290038″][quote comment=”290002″]Political correctness does change things, though, and we notice it in little ways. When Jeff Dunham talks about Walter, Peanut and his gang he calls them “dolls” not “dummies”.

    Which is a shame cuz it really isn’t accurate. But, well, can’t piss off the people in the audience who never miss a chance for some righteous indignation, no matter how missplaced it might be.[/quote]
    Yeah, but aren’t like half his characters terrible stereotypes? Like the dead terrorist!

    Regarding Tommy, well, let’s just say that I thought I was the Bally table king…[/quote]

    And you said no freaks gonna beat you hand. Talk about politically incorrect!

    Liverpool were link today vs. Marseille due to the laws in France that don’t allow advertisements from alcohol companies.

    [quote comment=”290036″]hey minna…

    if you’d like to get a personal response from your favorite ref…link

    /for the record, i love eddie guns and i hope this doesn’t cost him a playoff game[/quote]

    LI Phil, I’m not gonna dis the man who can make Chuck Norris cry! I would like to e-mail him my, um, support, though…..I think he would appreciate that.

    I also hope this doesn’t cost him a playoff game–that would be an overreaction to a horrible mistake, but ONE mistake, nonetheless. I have just e-mailed him. I hope I get to see him in his tight ref’s jersey forever more.

    [quote comment=”290043″]i hope this brings an end to the link, that’s all i gotta say…[/quote]

    LI Phil, don’t hate the unis, hate the players!

    P.S. I heard back from Eddie Guns. That made my night!

    How do I get my hands on that Nov/Dec 1993 issue of KP?

    Jays back-to-back Champs with Robbie Alomar on the cover? That’s a tasty bit of crumpet.

    [quote comment=”290027″]All this time, I thought the most fascinating thing about Tyler Kepner was that we both came from the suburbs of Philadelphia and wound up matriculating at Vanderbilt University. In fact, I mentioned as much to our site’s keeper at a Philadelphia meet-and-greet. At the time, Paul had never met the man. Good to see that with the interview, such an oversight has been corrected.[/quote]

    Actually, no, I’ve still never met him. That interview was conducted over the phone when Tyler was working a Yankees road trip last month. He provided the photo — I didn’t take it.

    [quote comment=”289849″][quote comment=\”289838\”]the steelers bladder issue-when we used to stripe helmets we would puncture the stripe at that time with the riddell head gear on the schutt/air head gear we would actually cut the hole out since it was a single inflation point. but when a coach is screaming at you-sometimes you do what ya gotta do. we also has spares to gt a guy on the field for a play or 2.[/quote]

    As a freshman in college, the first road trip I made with the varsity was a night game at St. Peters college in New Jersey.

    The closest I came to getting on the field was when Steve mejia a backup fullback snapped his facemask during a play. Since I was directly next to the head coach, trying to sneak into the game, I was right in front of my fellow running back, whom had the same brand helmet(Schutt Air AdvantageI took mine off and threw it to him…Three plays later, the EM had the facemask switched out, using a mini cordless drill, and my helmet had some war wounds, albeit not caused by the owner.

    link

    link

    link

    is that a old wagnor college helmet

    Another Premier League sponsor is in link. AIG sponsors Manchester United, in the largest jersey deal (four years, 56 million GBP, over $100 million)* in the League’s history.

    No news yet on United’s response, however, given that this is the third sponsor to collapse in two seasons, they have some precedent to follow. XL Holidays, a vacation package company, was in the middle of a four-year sponsorship deal with West Ham United. They went bankrupt last Friday, and for their game on Saturday, West Ham covered up the company’s logo on their jerseys and throughout their stadium.

    However, Newcastle United’s sponsor Northern Rock had a fate more similar to AIG. Last September (a bad month for jersey sponsors, it seems), the British bank received a large loan from the Bank of England in a move that was supposed to just get the bank through a rough period. Northern Rock never recovered, and the government took control in February. Newcastle United still has Northern Rock’s name on the front of their shirts, as the government-appointed chairman decided that their sponsorships of United and the Newcastle Falcons (a rugby team whose stadium is also owned by the bank) were both still “commercially viable”.

    I’m eagerly awaiting the responses from both sides to the question of AIG’s sponsorship, and the aftermath that may occur. Will teams start to hesitate before signing huge sponsorship deals knowing that they may not be carried out for the full duration? Will the league (or even FIFA) start imposing limits on the deals? Will there be any recoil in the US at the thought that, if the sponsorship continues, the government will be indirectly funding an American-owned foreign sports team? What I’d like to see come out of it is more teams taking charity sponsorships (like FC Barcelona and Aston Villa have for Unicef and Acorns Children Hospice, respectively).

    *The article I found this from also has a link on American owners’ failure to sell advertising space on their teams’ uniforms. Obviously they’re not Uni Watch readers.

    [quote comment=”290048″][quote comment=”289849″][quote comment=\”289838\”]the steelers bladder issue-when we used to stripe helmets we would puncture the stripe at that time with the riddell head gear on the schutt/air head gear we would actually cut the hole out since it was a single inflation point. but when a coach is screaming at you-sometimes you do what ya gotta do. we also has spares to gt a guy on the field for a play or 2.[/quote]

    As a freshman in college, the first road trip I made with the varsity was a night game at St. Peters college in New Jersey.

    The closest I came to getting on the field was when Steve mejia a backup fullback snapped his facemask during a play. Since I was directly next to the head coach, trying to sneak into the game, I was right in front of my fellow running back, whom had the same brand helmet(Schutt Air AdvantageI took mine off and threw it to him…Three plays later, the EM had the facemask switched out, using a mini cordless drill, and my helmet had some war wounds, albeit not caused by the owner.

    link

    link

    link

    is that a old wagnor college helmet[/quote]

    Yes, it is from Wagner!

    [quote comment=”290025″]great interview, btw.

    “and I didn’t even know they used to have a helmet with just the word “Bengals” on it.”

    two words- Paul Brown. He was keeping close to the Browns look as he could[/quote]

    He liked a simple, classic look. He used to say that there was nothing worse than a bad team drawing attention to itself with ugly uniforms.

    Guess he really was a visionary – he could see the Bengals of the future coming a mile away….

    Tyler,
    Don’t be hating on the I.E.
    It’s the Press-Enterprise, the paper you worked at in California.
    I’m unsure why you’re so ashamed to mention it by name.
    Maybe it’s because a few weeks ago they offered all 500 employees or so a not-so-golden handshake, a weak severance package.

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