By Phil Hecken with 13th Man, and UW Hockey Wing President, Teebz
The CFL, or Canadian Football League commenced it’s 56th Season this past Canada Day (52nd as the “CFL”, although the league has been around, in one form or another, since 1909). As such, Hockey Wing President and Chancellor of Canuckistan, Teebz, wanted to bring some of the uniforms of the northern league to UW’s largely American audience. We could have done (and may yet do) a review of the current CFL teams and their unis, but Teebz thought a great twist on that would be to show the uniforms of the American-based teams who played in the CFL. “American teams?” you say. That’s right. For a few years back in the early and mid-1990’s the CFL thought invasion expansion into America would boost that the CFL’s popularity while the different style off football would be a hit with American fans, much the way the NFL is loved by Canadians. Unfortunately, they were wrong. For reasons Teebz will explain below, the experiment was largely a failure, although not without some high points.
I’m vaguely familiar with the Canadian game, having watched it on several occasions when the games were broadcast here in the States. I also dated a Winnipegger a few years ago, and had a ticket to the Grey Cup in 2006 played at the Canad Inns Stadium, but didn’t make it. So, I was, by default, a Blue Bombers fan. The CFL takes some getting used to, and there are several important distinctions. To describe them better than I could, I borrow this paragraph from misterhabs.com, a fantastic helmet site, which describes the CFL rules (or differences in the rules between the US and Canadian games):
The Canadian Football League, or CFL, has played football as an organized league since 1909, ten years before the NFL officially got it’s start. There are five major differences between the NFL we are used to in America and the CFL game played north of the border. In Canada, they play 3 downs instead of 4. The field is larger, 110 yards long and 65 yards wide. There is an additional way to score — a rouge, or single, is worth one point. A rouge can be scored on a missed field goal attempt or kickoff. It is the equivalent of a touchback or safety in the NFL. Overtime is different, resembling the NCAA rules where each team gets two possessions to score. If the score is the same after that, the a tie game is called. Overtime losses are counted on team records, and teams compete for playoff points, similar to hockey. Teams earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 for a loss.
But we’re not here for the logistics of the Canadian game. We’re here to look at the uniforms and logos of those franchises that played in the US during the CFL’s forray into her southern neighbor’s territory. And with that, I’ll turn the post over to Teebz, and see you after the main portion of this post.
1992 proved to be an interesting year in sports in the United States. Howard Cosell retired early into 1992, Mike Tyson was sent to prison after being convicted of rape, and the World League of American Football announced they were suspending operations.
Of course, there were other major events that happened that year in sports, but it is that last statement that changed the course of one league and two countries. I am referring to the Canadian Football League’s expansion into the United States. In 1992, the CFL played a game between the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders in Portland, Oregon as they looked south for ideas on expansion.
With the WLAF announcing that is was suspending operations, two upstart owners named Fred Anderson, who owned the WLAF’s Sacramento Surge, and Larry J. Benson, who owned the WLAF’s San Antonio Riders, approached the CFL with a very radical idea: Canadian football in their markets. CFL Commissioner Larry Smith, seeing the opportunity to grab a hold of a football-hungry country, granted two US expansion franchises to Anderson and Benson. The Sacramento Gold Miners and the San Antonio Texans would join the CFL for the start of the 1993 season. There were benefits to each side. Sacramento and San Antonio wanted a professional football team without the major costs of the NFL, and the CFL wanted to build its exposure and popular appeal of being an offence-first league while boosting revenues.
SAN ANTONIO TEXANS ”“ Part I: Mr. Benson’s Texans never got off the ground, and the franchise folded before they played their first game. It didn’t help that Bobcat Stadium only held 15,218 people, the smallest stadium in the CFL at that time. Benson had gone out and hired Tom Landry as the team’s general manager, a holdover from the WLAF’s San Antonio Riders. Landry hired current Oregon State Beavers’ head coach Mike Riley as the Texans’ head coach. Things looked promising, but the financial situation of running a CFL franchise, combined with altering a stadium to CFL standards, proved to be too much for Benson’s pocketbook, and the team shut its doors in the spring of 1993. But this was not the last of the Texans.
SACRAMENTO GOLD MINERS: Sacramento joined the West Division for the 1993 season, and finished a respectable 6-12 as an “expansion” team. Quarterback David Archer, slotback Rod Harris and defensive tackle George Bethune all jumped from the WLAF to the CFL to give the Gold Miners a decent pool of talent to work with. The team was coached by Kay Stephenson, and Tom Huiskens occupied the General Manager’s chair. However, learning the Canadian game proved to be a little tougher than they had imagined, but their six wins was indicative of the improvements being made by the Gold Miners as the season progressed. Their jerseys were solid, but unspectacular.
The Gold Miners made history on July 7 when they became the first US-based franchise to play in a CFL regular-season game. They lost 32-23 to the Ottawa Rough Riders, but showed some character in their first game. On July 18, Sacramento hosted the Calgary Stampeders for the first CFL game played on American soil between an American and Canadian team. The Stampeders won that game 38-36. On July 24, the Gold Miners won their first CFL game – 37-26 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders – making them the first US-based team to win a regular-season CFL game.
After seeing the Sacramento Gold Miners play to decent-sized crowds, the CFL opened the door to future US expansion, and three more teams joined the CFL for the 1994 season: the Baltimore CFL Colts, the Las Vegas Posse, and the Shreveport Pirates.
Competition from the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford University really hurt the Gold Miners’ attendance in the second-half of the CFL season. They received no marketing assistance from the CFL as they were the only US-based club in 1993. Hornet Stadium was not the best venue as well as its make-shift bleachers were uncomfortable at best. The Gold Miners left Sacramento after the 1994 season, moving to San Antonio for the start of the 1995 season. After two seasons in the CFL in Sacramento, the Gold Miners had a 15-20-1 record, but never made the playoffs.
BALTIMORE STALLIONS: The Stallions were actually called the Baltimore (CFL) Colts when they were granted an expansion team. Owner Jim Speros wanted to use the name to draw fans to the game by capitalizing on fan sentiment towards their former NFL team. And it worked as the Baltimore franchise ranked first in attendance in their inaugural season. How they became the Stallions is below.
The Baltimore CFL Colts went about building a CFL team by getting experienced CFL people. Owner Jim Speros brought Don Matthews in to coach the team. Quarterback Tracy Ham, a long-time CFL star with the Edmonton Eskimos, was signed. They signed the CFL’s leading rusher from 1993, Mike Pringle, away from the Gold Miners. And they signed several big stars on the defensive side of the ball. They were dressed fairly traditionally, and looked good in navy and gray. The logo itself could stand the test of time, in my opinion.
However, the NFL was a little unhappy, you could say, with their team name and sued the franchise. Of course, the Indianapolis Colts had played in Baltimore from 1953 until 1984. The NFL won the injunction due to the CFL Colts not wanting to risk bankruptcy during the court battle, and they essentially became a team with no team name. For the 1994 season, the Baltimore franchise would be known as the “Baltimore Football Club” or, thanks to their fans, the “CFLers”.
In their first season, the CFLers set a CFL record for wins by an expansion franchise, going 12-6 and finishing second in the CFL East Division. The defeated the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the playoffs to become the first US-based team to appear in the Grey Cup Final. They lost in the Final, however, to the British Columbia Lions on a last-second Lui Passaglia field goal.
After the 1994 season, owner Jim Speros held a “name the team” contest that ran into the 1995 season. After one week of being called the “CFLers” in 1995, Speros announced that the Baltimore franchise would be called the “Stallions”. The Stallions proved to be one of the CFL’s best teams as they would go 15-3 in 1995 and win the Grey Cup with a 37-20 victory over the Calgary Stampeders, making them the first US-based team to win the CFL’s biggest prize.
Cleveland Browns’ owner Art Modell threw a major monkey wrench into the Baltimore CFL effort when he announced on November 6, 1995 that he was moving the Browns to Baltimore for the 1996 season. Speros, knowing that there was no way he could compete head-to-head with the NFL, relocated the franchise to Montreal, Quebec after deals with Norfolk, Virginia and Houston, Texas fell through. The team would drop the “Stallions” moniker, and they were renamed the Montreal Alouettes. This would be the third version of the Alouettes in CFL history. After two seasons in the CFL, the Stallions posted a 27-9 regular-season record, winning the Grey Cup once and finishing as the Grey Cup Runner-Up once.
LAS VEGAS POSSE: Nick Mileti was granted a CFL franchise in 1993, and the Posse was born. Former UNLV and NFL head coach Ron Meyer was brought in to coach the squad. The team was made up of young players and former college stars, and the transition from four-down football to three-down football was a steep learning curve. Combined with the environment and entertainment aspects in Las Vegas, and this franchise was lucky to make it through the 1994 season. And for the love of things good and pure, why would you dress in black in Las Vegas in the summer?!?
The Posse actually started the 1994 campaign 2-0 with wins over the Sacramento Gold Miners and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. July 8, 1994 was a memorable day as the game between the Gold Miners and Posse marked the first time that two US-based teams played a regular-season CFL game. However, by mid-season, this team was suffering mightily. Sam Boyd Stadium was located a long way from downtown Las Vegas, and fans stopped making the trip once the Posse started losing. In a game against Winnipeg, a total of 2350 fans were in attendance, and most were fans of the Blue Bombers. Needless to say, the experiment in Las Vegas was failing miserably. Players complained about playing in ridiculous heat, and there was concern raised about player safety by the CFLPA. The Posse’s final home game was moved from Las Vegas to Edmonton ”“ a sign that the CFL was done Vegas.
This franchise was doomed from the moment it put a stake in the Las Vegas countryside. Some of the more questionable things that happened were:
• Singer Dennis K.C. Parks mangled the Canadian national anthem by singing it to the tune of “O Christmas Tree” at the Posse’s first home game.
• Head coach Ron Meyer caused the “Showgirl incident” when he asked the Posse cheerleaders, named the “Showgirls”, to hang out near the bench of the BC Lions in an effort to distract them.
• Half-time bikini contests were held until the CFL stepped in to protect its “family entertainment” image.
• The Posse’s practice field was only 70 yards long, and was set-up in a casino parking lot.
The Posse’s end zones were only 15 yards deep instead of the CFL-mandated 20 yards.
After the season ended, there was an effort to move the franchise to Jackson, Mississippi, but that fell through, and the team was folded. A dispersal draft was held, and the players of the Posse were sent to the various teams throughout the league. After only one season of play in Las Vegas, the Posse posted a meagre 5-13 record, and did not appear in the CFL Playoffs. The team folded, and a dispersal draft happened before the start of the 1995 CFL season.
SHREVEPORT PIRATES: Bernie and Lonnie Glieberman, owners of the Ottawa Rough Riders, sold the Ottawa franchise and were awarded an expansion franchise which they located in Shreveport, Louisiana. Much like the Las Vegas franchise, this team started badly and ended worse. Is it just me, or does the Pirate look like a primitive version of the Patriot? At least Shreveport looked respectable on the field in comparison to some of the stuff that happened off the field.
Head coach John Huard was fired during the team’s first training camp due to conflicts with staff and personnel. Forrest Gregg, previously a coach in both the NFL and CFL, was brought in to replace Huard. Billy Joe Tolliver was signed as the team’s starting quarterback. Jon Heidenreich played with the team before becoming a professional wrestler. After starting the season 0-14, the Pirates recorded their first win in franchise history with a 24-12 win over the Sacramento Gold Miners. They finished last in the East Division with a 3-15 record in 1994. After another dismal season in which the Pirates went 5-13, the real circus began off the field.
Their win-loss record was the least of the franchise’s problems. Soon after the 1995 season ended, the Gliebermans attempted to move the franchise to Norfolk, Virginia. However, that relocation attempt fell through when Norfolk told the Gliebermans that they would pass due to the sketchy business dealings the Gliebermans had made, and the franchise remained in Louisiana for the time being.
The Gliebermans, however, owed the City of Shreveport a pile of money over debts related to the Pirates’ lease at Independence Stadium. This led to the “Great Tucker Caper”, and an obscene amount of embarrassment for the CFL. The City of Shreveport attempted to seize Bernie Glieberman’s prized 1948 Tucker, which was on loan to a classic automobile museum in downtown Shreveport. Glieberman’s lawyer, Mark Gilliam, tried to escape Shreveport one night with Bernie’s prized possession with orders to hide the car, but he ran out of gas along the way and was forced to pull over on the highway. The police spotted him, and took the car back to the museum where it was being stored until the case could be settled.
The Shreveport Pirates folded after the 1995 season with an overall record of 8-28, and zero appearances in the CFL Playoffs. The team was contracted in 1995 after the CFL decided to end the US experiment.
SAN ANTONIO TEXANS ”“ Part II: This version of the Texans was simply the Sacramento Gold Miners in a new home. All of the previous players from the Sacramento team travelled with the franchise to San Antonio, Texas for play in the 1995 CFL season. They changed their clothes, but still stuck with a traditional football look. The logo is so-so.
For the first time in franchise history, the team made the playoffs. They posted a 12-6 record in the Southern Division, and defeated the Birmingham Barracudas in their first playoff appearance. However, they lost to the Baltimore Stallions in the Southern Division Final to end their playoff record at 1-1. After the 1995 season, the CFL ended the US experiment, and the San Antonio Texans were contracted.
MEMPHIS MAD DOGS: Fred Smith, owner of FedEx, decided to get into professional sports by obtaining an expansion franchise from the CFL. Pepper Rodgers (that’s him in the middle), formerly of UCLA and the Memphis Showboats of the USFL, was brought in as the head coach. They hired long-time CFL guy, Adam Rita, as their offensive coordinator, essentially taking a page out of Baltimore’s hiring strategy. They signed CFL icon Damon Allen as their starting quarterback, and beefed up their defence as much as possible. Where this franchise went off the track was with their uniforms. What in the holy…? Off-centre numbers? The Mad Dog logo on the lower-right? Who designed this, and why weren’t they fired immediately?!?
The Mad Dogs lost their first two games of the 1995 season before defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders by an 11-5 score at home for their first franchise victory. They ended up .500 for the season with a 9-9 record, but that wasn’t good enough for a playoff spot. The team was contracted at the end of the 1995 season as the CFL ended the US experiment.
Just as the Las Vegas Posse had, the Mad Dogs’ home field in the Liberty Bowl only had 15-yard endzones, not the CFL-mandated 20-yard endzones. Thankfully, Memphis didn’t have the other problems that Las Vegas experienced.
BIRMINGHAM BARRACUDAS: The Birmingham Barracudas were owned by Art Williams, a businessman in Georgia. Jack Pardee was hired to coach the Barracudas, bringing with him a vast amount of experience after having coached at the University of Houston and in the WFL, the USFL, and the NFL. Matt Dunigan was signed as the starting quarterback, and Pardee designed the offence around Dunigan’s arm. Like the Mad Dogs, the Barracudas had some questionable outfits. Perhaps the NHL stole a page out of the CFL’s book by having the team nickname on the jersey? And again we have have off-centre numbers. Why?
There was no shortage of offence in Birmingham as the Barracudas were routinely in shootouts with other CFL teams. They scored 40-or-more points five times in 1995, including a 48-42 loss to San Antonio in their final game of the season. Defensively, they struggled against some of the better offences in the CFL, but they managed to go 11-7 in the regular season for a playoff berth. They met San Antonio in the first round and were crushed 51-9. Despite their success on the field, there were a lot of black clouds off the field.
Williams was unhappy as an owner. He claimed he lost between $4 million and $6 million publicly, but some have said the losses piled up to $10 million. Attendance was strong in the early going, but, like the Sacramento Gold Miners, college football and the NFL hurt the Barracudas in the second half of the CFL season. Williams also criticized the CFL over its uniqueness. He suggested changes that included:
• The reduction of the Canadian field to US Football Field standards.
• The reduction from 12 players to 11 players on either side of the ball.
• Changing the name of the league to show more US presence.
In the end, the Barracudas were sold after the 1995 season to a group from Louisiana who wanted to bring the CFL back to Shreveport after the Gliebermans had left town. However, the CFL contracted the team as they ended the US experiment.
Clearly, there were some interesting developments in the history of the CFL, and the uniforms used by these seven teams are quite unique. Will the CFL ever expand to the US again? It’s doubtful that it will ever happen in our lifetimes, but never say never. Right now, the only place you can see uniforms like the Mad Dogs’ gear is at the CFL Hall of Fame.
Thanks Teebz! That was great, but you spelled a shitload of words wrong. Anyway, good stuff. I always learn something new whenever I do a column with a “guest” but this one was really fun to do with you. And it was particularly entertaining and educational searching for some of the pics that went with this article — there are a good number of historical CFL sites out there you guys should check oot!
We had planned this column over three weeks ago, wondering how the UW audience might take a column on defunct uniforms from a foreign sport, but judging by the great interest in the CFL (at least as seen in the comments’ section this week), we hope you enjoyed the look-back. Some good unis (Colts-CFLers-Stallions and Miners), some meh (Texans, Pirates and Posse — who I don’t think ever wore those black unis, especially not at Boyd in the summer), and some just godawful (Dogs, ‘Cudas) as well. In later years, the WLAF was probably (notably teams like the Monarchs, Dragons, and Galaxy ) influenced by some of those uniforms as well.
For those of you with viewing interests, here’s a link to the CFL on Internet and American TV. For those who know the CFL, obviously you know what to expect and for those who don’t, it’s a great alternative to the NFL, it’s on all summer, and worth a look-see (if you can find the games). If you can’t get the games on regular television, I know they’re available on the Interwebs (and although some people posted their availability during the past week, perhaps they could do so again in the comments below). And depending upon the response (and yes, it’s a holiday weekend in the States, so I’m sure the comments will be light), if anyone is interested in working with me on another CFL article, you know what to do.
Guess The Game From The Scoreboard: Today shouldn’t require too much thinking. So I made it pretty easy. Guess The Game. Remember, date, location and final score.
Teamed up again with my doubles partner, Brinke Guthrie, who’s here to say a few words about this morning’s Wimbledon Gentleman’s Final. We both think Fed’s going to win, in straights, but I’m predicting a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 win, whereas Brinke feels it’s going to be The Fed: 4, 4 & 4. Here’s Brinke:
Big day today @ The Big W. Slugger Andy Roddick going for his second Grand Slam title (been a long time since the 2003 U.S. Open) — going up against The Fed, who is going for his, uh, 15th major. Lot of style here. Roddick favors his traditional white Lacoste, with his Babolat sneakers. But points off for the constant ball cap. Borg didn’t do that. Roger Federer wearing his usual white Nike attire with the gold trim. He does get points off for this abomination.
PS- Let’s compare wives, while we’re here. In the Roddick corner, his wife Brooklyn. In the Federer corner, his wife Mirka. Advantage, Mrs. R.
Thanks Brinke.
Got a note late yesterday from James Huening, who brought to my attention something of which I wasn’t aware. Here’s James:
I don’t know if you got a chance to watch much baseball today, but did you see how bad those ALS patches looked on some teams, particularly the ones who just have the logo on the left breast? As if the red caps weren’t bad enough…
Even though the Cardinals have the full jersey wordmark treatment, it still looked terrible on the left side.
Makes you wonder why they all didn’t just put it on the right side, like the Royals did.
OK, and we all knew it was gonna happen with the Natinals, but the Yankees managed to fuck up the LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE patch, too? Come on.
Thanks, James. Actually, no, I didn’t watch one minute of baseball yesterday, so that’s all news to me. But you’re right. The caps (especially with some of those alts — WTF?) are bad enough. The patch (well-intentioned though it is) is just overkill. Super.
That’s all for today. Hope everyone had a great Fourth. Enjoy your Sunday.
Caught the Sox-Mariners at Fenway Park yesterday. The red caps were OK on the Red Sox, but silly on the Mariners, and even sillier on the umpires.
“God Bless America” as something to remove one’s cap for or salute is new to me, and unnecessary.
But – the Mariners’ third base coach wore stirrups!
You’re right, it was pretty easy:
link
It sure looked like a decent amount of those patches in the Reds/Cards game were starting to come off. You may be able to tell here ( link ), you may not, but Cards’ pitcher Brad Thompson’s patch was coming off at the corners. I’m pretty sure that Joey Votto’s patch was coming off also ( link ), but it could just be the camera angle.
As for where to put the patch, the Reds were pretty much screwed: link At least the hats looked normal for the Reds
Excellent article today on the “south of the border” CFL unis. Also appreciated the history of the teams as well. Just a few of my own observations:
1. The Sacto unis weren’t too bad actually! Sort of reminds me of the Jax Jags. The pants striping may have been a little too thick but overall it was a good design. The helmet logo wasn’t overkill either.
2. Las Vegas Posse had a clever logo and I like the typeface on the LV. The colors seemed right on for the team name too, very “old west”.
3. Shreveport’s unis…well I don’t mind purple (classic Vikes are awesome) but this just doesn’t look right. Maybe it’s the orange accent?
4. Memphis/Birmingham: Perhaps they were trying to tie in to the Canadian thing by having a jersey logo like hockey. The Mad Dogs one wasn’t too bad since it was all one color and I rather like it for its uniqueness. The ‘Cudas one though just looked stupid.
5. Texans, part 2…The red sleeves (sleevelets?) looked out of place on the uni, otherwise it was OK. The “rawhide lacing” down the pants was an interesting touch.
I recall when the CFL was expanding and was hoping to see a team in Windsor, ON. I don’t think that would ever happen though, having four teams in Ontario alone.
My girlfriend was digging thru some old slides (yes, slides!) and found one from Michigan Stadium and the scoreboard showing Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. This would have been c. 1972 so I assume it was a pre-season game. At that time, the Lions were still housed at Tiger Stadium so I believe their pre-season games would have been in Ann Arbor due to scheduling conflicts.
Sorry for the long post (coffee!) but has anyone received their bobbles from Robert Marshall? Would love to see an entry about all of them.
Great work on the CFL failed experiment.
If I remember correctly when the Baltimore Stallions won the Grey Cup – they were greeted by a thunderous crowd of 50 people at the airport – in an overwhelming show of civic pride.
However there are some contradictions to that – if I remember correctly for years after Baltimore’s appearances in the Grey Cup, there would be a small contingent of loyal CFL fans from Baltimore showing up at the Grey Cup.
Birmingham seems like the ubiquitous element of all failed football leagues – maybe for a future column -rate the various Birmingham professional football team unis.
huge full page story in today’s Dallas Morning News on stirrups!!!
Teebz,
Good story on the CFL, I actually attended the game in Portland. Mark Ripen was in attendance at the game because he was looking to get more money, possibly from the Argos, but eventually went back to the Redskins.
I even got to see some games in Canada on tv when traveling as a child, so I always found it funny when they would call a facemask (15 yard yard), major from time to time. This implies that a major is more than a minor, 5 yards. Similar to hockey’s major and minor penalties.
Whats with the misspelling on the Lecavalier jersey? Or was the intentional on your part Teebz?
The CFL dudes also sometimes call a touchdown a “major.”
I remember when Canadian import Nancy Newman did CNN Sports Tonight back in the 90’s and even doing NFL highlights, she would refer to touchdowns as a major. Like – for example – on a Thurman Thomas TD, “That’s Thurman’ssecond major of the day.”
They also refer to the quarterback occasionally as the “pivot”, another term you don’t normally hear stateside.
Terrible news on Steve McNair.
He wore #9 quite well for the Titans and Ravens.
RIP, Air McNair.
In last night’s game, Orioles starter Jason Berken was missing his “4ALS” patch (I picked up the game in the 5th, right before he was pulled) Anyone know if he started the game with the patch?
Also, O’s reliever Brian Bass had his patch peeling off in the bottom of the 8th.
What’s the deal with patches like this – why are they always falling off? I mean there has to be a better way to attach them that is a little more “sturdy”.
At the Pirates-Fish game in Miami, Pirates Andy LaRoche wore a jersey with a patch.
link
without a patch….I meant to say.
I wish we could edit these posts.
[quote comment=”338038″]Terrible news on Steve McNair.
He wore #9 quite well for the Titans and Ravens.
RIP, Air McNair.[/quote]
Dont forget the Oilers!
link
[quote comment=”338040″]At the Pirates-Fish game in Miami, Pirates Andy LaRoche wore a jersey with a patch.
link
Really? They even made the umps wear those ridiculous red hats? My kingdom for someone in MLB with some common sense.
Great job on the CFL post. I always grew up as a bit of an Argos fan myself since I’ve still got a lot of family in Toronto.
link
[quote comment=”338036″]but you spelled a shitload of words wrong[/quote]
Phil, I sent you the corrections for a number of stuff that actually was spelled wrong! Damn these wandering fingers! LOL
[quote comment=”338036″]Whats with the misspelling on the Lecavalier jersey? Or was the intentional on your part Teebz?[/quote]
No idea. Phil added that picture in.
[quote comment=”338037″]The CFL dudes also sometimes call a touchdown a “major.”
They also refer to the quarterback occasionally as the “pivot”, another term you don’t normally hear stateside.[/quote]
We do things differently up here with football. Wider fields, longer endzones, bigger balls… all in the name of football. It seems we love scoring more than we love defence. Heck, we even use the college football overtime idea for our overtimes!
No Pic.. but in the 2nd Inning of Twins/Tigers, you could see Liriano’s 4-ALS Patch Fall off…
[quote comment=”338037″]The CFL dudes also sometimes call a touchdown a “major.”
I remember when Canadian import Nancy Newman did CNN Sports Tonight back in the 90’s and even doing NFL highlights, she would refer to touchdowns as a major. Like – for example – on a Thurman Thomas TD, “That’s Thurman’ssecond major of the day.”
They also refer to the quarterback occasionally as the “pivot”, another term you don’t normally hear stateside.[/quote]
Oh, she’s Canadian? She’s now the backup studio host of YES. I have a feeling that the only reason she has the job is because she’s married to Yankee executive Mark Newman, but not sure if they are married…
Haven’t seen this in the comments before (sorry if it’s a repeat), but Red Sox 1st base coach Tim Bogar is wearing a CoolFlo helmet even though the Sox are one of the few teams that does not use them.
Great work Phil and Teebz!
The look back into the CFL in the US reminds me of a motivational speaker that came to the high school where I teach a couple of years ago. He announced himself as a former NFL player, and he mentioned “winning a championship with the Colts” multiple times. All of my students were so excited that they were interacting with a guy who, in their minds, had won Super Bowl with Indy… One of the students asked if he had his “Super Bowl ring” with him, and he said—“Uh, no… I usually have it on, but I forgot it before I left my house a couple of days ago to go on the road…”
After a little research, I learned that he had been on the bench in two NFL games, but he played for the Baltimore CFL Colts and won the Grey Cup. He NEVER mentioned the CFL and never corrected any kids when they asked about his Super Bowl ring… It was like he was embarrassed about not making it in the NFL, but come on! Winning a Grey Cup is still a huge accomplishment! Plus, that year our high school football team went like 2-9 or something, so any championship would have been impressive for them!!
They really need to rethink the patriotic caps. What was wrong with the American flag patch sown into the side?They did that for a while.
Plus I absolutely HATE it when my Cubbies rock the blue alternate. Now, I love alternate unis. Just not that one. I’m gonna get crackin on seeing if I can possibly get that fixed.
[quote comment=”338045″][quote comment=”338036″]but you spelled a shitload of words wrong[/quote]
Phil, I sent you the corrections for a number of stuff that actually was spelled wrong! Damn these wandering fingers! LOL[/quote]
defence? centre? offence? ;)
[quote comment=”338036″][quote]Whats with the misspelling on the Lecavalier jersey? Or was the intentional on your part Teebz?[/quote]
No idea. Phil added that picture in.[/quote]
wait…his name’s not leeavalier?
[quote comment=”338051″][quote comment=”338045″][quote comment=”338036″]but you spelled a shitload of words wrong[/quote]
Phil, I sent you the corrections for a number of stuff that actually was spelled wrong! Damn these wandering fingers! LOL[/quote]
defence? centre? offence? ;)
[/quote]
There are a couple of mistakes I found. I guess that’s what I get for re-editing at 1am. LOL
And that Lecavalier jersey… he might be concealing his name out of embarrassment.
Scoreboard link
make sure you scroll back up to comment #4 from patrick…
got caught in the moderation queue and i just caught it now…good comments there (if you’ve not seen em)
EXCELLENT breakdown of the CFL US expansion! I learned some stuff I never knew before, so thanx for this post! However, here’s some stuff that probably should have been mentioned:
1) Before the Sacramento Gold Miners joined the CFL in 1993, they played in the ’91 and ’92 WLAF seasons as the Sacramento Surge. David Archer and many other players who played for the Surge stayed with the franchise for its transition into the CFL.
2) When the Gold Miners moved and became the San Antonio Texans, you say their new uniforms were a “traditional football look.” How is snakeskin striping on the helmet and pants considered traditional?!?!?!
link
link
3) The Memphis Mad Dogs got their nickname from a think tank of kids. Here’s how this happened: The FedEx owner had been partnering with the Elvis Presley Estate for financial support of the proposed Memphis NFL expansion team, which was named the Memphis Hound Dogs (after an Elvis song). After the NFL expansion team fell through, a CFL team was awarded to Memphis. However, the Elvis Estate decided to back out, so the FedEx owner needed a new nickname for the team. He had his daughter and a bunch of her friends hold a brainstorming session to think of nicknames that would appeal to kids. So they picked the Mad Dogs. And since “Mad Dogs” was supposed to appeal to kids, this might explain their cartoony, oddball jerseys.
This is the scoreboard
link
Now, some chatter about said game, so skip it if you don’t want insight on solving the mystery:
It was the game I had a feeling it was, given a left-handed pitcher for the Yankees at home (note the pinstripes) and a left-handed batting #26 for the Red Sox (read “BOSTON” off the runner at second’s chest).
Look at the number in the hit column for Boston. A light bulb is out, so I thought the Red Sox had five hits at that point. But in going with my instincts, everything else matched, so it can be assumed that is NOT a “5” in Boston’s hit column.
If you still REALLY need a hint, I’ll give you this: the 430 is an old dimension of Yankee Stadium, original location. Use the 430 to calculate the possible time window. From there, the left-handed batting #26 is who you think it is. It sure as heck isn’t Joe Rudi or Reggie Cleveland, because they were both righties.
I enjoyed todays post, because it’s about time someone noted the CFL. I am a Saskatchewan riders fan, and will always be. 2007 champs baby!!!
This guy is selling some cool old Post cereal CFL cards. Some great looking 60s unis:
link
At the risk of sounding stupid, I’m having trouble interpreting the link picture. Should I be looking at the fact that he’s holding hands with the CFL and not with the NFL, or that he’s staring at the NFL?
[quote comment=”338059″]At the risk of sounding stupid, I’m having trouble interpreting the link picture. Should I be looking at the fact that he’s holding hands with the CFL and not with the NFL, or that he’s staring at the NFL?[/quote]
Staring at the NFL lustily, feeling like it’s an impossible goal because Canada and the CFL are married and have grown old together.
[quote comment=”338059″]At the risk of sounding stupid, I’m having trouble interpreting the link picture. Should I be looking at the fact that he’s holding hands with the CFL and not with the NFL, or that he’s staring at the NFL?[/quote]
perhaps that was poor diction on my part…
but picture you as the guy, “married” to what appears to be an “ugly fat” (as the picture is intimating) wife…but staring longingly at the beautiful, longlegged blonde NFL gal
perhaps the NFL isn’t “loved” by canadians so much as it’s married to the CFL (which, because it’s ‘married’ to them loves them), but lusts after the NFL…
maybe a ‘you can look but don’t touch’ sort of thing
my bad…should have worded it differently
Jamie Moyer of the Phils was missing his ALS patch yesterday. He obviously hates Lou Gehrig.
link
After all the (justified, IMO) attention that apostrophe catastrophes have received on here, “commenced it’s 56th Season”?!? And “officially got it’s start”?!? Cmon, guys, your killin me here!
yea the red hats are just bad and i didnt mind the patch even though it was ugly, until edwin jackson’s patch started falling off in the middle of the tigers game yesterday
Awesome post today guys.
The thing to know about the American experiment was that in 1993 the CFL was dying. Montreal didn’t have a team, Ottawa was dying, Toronto wasn’t drawing flies, and there was speculation the league would end up as a western Canada league only. Basically, grow or die.
And even though you could say the experiment failed because all the teams (save Baltimore) failed, the league survived.
Regarding the rule differences, the key one that mrhabs.com missed is that there is unlimited motion on offence. Passing plays will frequently start with five wide receivers well behind the line of scrimmage and all running straight at the line, so that they pass the line just after the snap. It looks chaotic and it really puts the defence on its heels, particularly if a defender is used to American style ball where only one receiver can move, and then only laterally.
[quote comment=”338042″][quote comment=”338038″]Terrible news on Steve McNair.
He wore #9 quite well for the Titans and Ravens.
RIP, Air McNair.[/quote]
Dont forget the Oilers!
link
Indeed. Thanks for the reminder! We will see a McNair pstch for the Titans this season, of that I am sure.
Indeed. Thanks for the reminder! We will see a McNair pstch for the Titans this season, of that I am sure.
pstch??? I meant patch.
And one more uniform note from the US experiment – those goofy Memphis and Birmingham uniforms also inspired the Argonauts to change their uniforms for one season, 1995, to put the “boatman” on the lower left of the front and put a number in the top right.
link
The following year, they came to their senses and put the boatman on the shoulder and restored the usual front number.
link
Interesting post here. I’d love to see a follow-up one about the current CFL unis, as I’m a huge Eskies fan (won a wild one this week- 19-17 against the Bombers), and consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the CFL and its uniforms in particular. If I may say so, my Eskimos look pretty nice…
One good thing to come out of the great red hat experiment redux was we got to see the Phillies alts with red hats, and may I say, not to shabby.
[quote comment=”338063″]After all the (justified, IMO) attention that apostrophe catastrophes have received on here, “commenced it’s 56th Season”?!? And “officially got it’s start”?!? Cmon, guys, your killin me here![/quote]
You mean “you’re killin’ me here”… right? LOL
As soon as the match ended..FINALLY..
Nike and NetJets had spots in the can, ‘congratulations on your 15th slam.’
Gillette just ran a spot with FOOTAGE OF HIM HOLDING THE TROPHY. wow.
And The Fed had a version of his incredibly cool Nike jacket in his bag, one that has a small ’15’ on the back by the waist.
Nothing like being prepared.
I was in Memphis during a few painfully hot days in August 1995–Elvis Week, as it turned out–and picked up a t-shirt and keychain commemorating the Memphis Mad Dogs:
link
(I’m happy to see that Teebz liked the picture of the team’s link, as that’s what he linked to in his section on Memphis. Thank you!)
Memphis had good colors, and I can forgive the bulldog logo, which reminds me of Tom’s nemesis from the old “Tom & Jerry” cartoons. What I cannot forgive is the missed marketing opportunity that the Mad Dogs could have had with everyone’s link. Think about it: you can tie in both Elvis, booze, and the football team with a “Blue Hawaiian” promo at the Liberty Bowl, featuring chilled bottles of link. OK, the resulting alcohol consumption may have led to a riot that would have rivaled 10-Cent Beer Night, but still.
Side note: At the end of March, my wife and I made a weekend road trip from Saint Louis to Memphis, causing me dig out the old Memphis Mad Dogs shirt. I got a few approving responses, including one guy at the Memphis Zoo that commented on how the Mad Dogs were “the best team we ever had.”
Nice work, Teebz…Phillip.
I must make a statement concerning the new coolbase 5950’s in comparison to the grey billed wool type.
They are much better.
I wore a 1959 Orioles cap (wool Cooperstown Collection) while caddying Friday…sweatmarks, stink etc.
Today, I wore a Home Brooklyn Cyclones 5950…synthetic black underbrim…nothin…perfect.
[quote comment=”338066″][quote comment=”338042″][quote comment=”338038″]Terrible news on Steve McNair.
He wore #9 quite well for the Titans and Ravens.
RIP, Air McNair.[/quote]
Dont forget the Oilers!
link
Indeed. Thanks for the reminder! We will see a McNair pstch for the Titans this season, of that I am sure.[/quote]
Shame about McNair…but of course, his death coverage is minimal compared to Sean Taylor…
Still waiting for the NFL to “retire” number 21 for ALL teams…i.e. Robinson’s #42 in MLB!!!
Yes…I’m being sarcastic…!!!
Some heavy hitters here.
link
Minnesota Twins are wearing hats with the branches of the armed forces on the them and the TC logo on the side. Pitcher Blackburn has a blue Air Force hat and Punto has a white NAVY hat on. Tigers are in those terrible red hats. They might look nice if the Tigers were home but just look stupid in the gray uni’s. I will give more updates as I see them.
Awesome post!! Brings back memories for me – I was in high school when the Col..er…Stallions won the Grey Cup. A few of the Stallions went on to play in the NFL – O.J. Brigance (won the Grey Cup AND a Super Bowl ring, both in Baltimore) and Josh Miller are probably two of the more notable
And those silly 4ALS patches – should have been a sleeve patch. And should have not been affixed using chewed gum. That was horrible. I was wathing the Natinals game and saw some players with and some without the patch. Watched “Dem O`s” later on and saw a little better display of the patch, but still not 100%. If you are going to have a tribute, then do it right, not half assed
I just saw a commercial for “Roseanne” on TV Land. In it, John Goodman was wearing a weathered Bears jersey adorned with #61. Oddly, the one had a serif up top and a horizontal bar at the bottom. I’ve only known the Bears to have a skinny rectangle for a one. Was this ever NOT the case?
I was appalled to see the Cubs wear their batting practice jerseys on July 4 th. Who made that call?
Thanks for the wonderful post today!
I loved the CFL experiment in the states. I liked the David Archer and the WLAF’s Surge, and liked them even better as the Gold Miners.
Baltimore used to be my 2nd favorite city, so I was pleased to see the CFL fill the void after the USFL Stars folded. I was a huge Stallions fan. When Modell and the Ravens booted them out of town, and Angelos screwed up the Orioles, Charm City lost some of its charm for me. I wish I still had my Baltimore CFL Colts hat.
The other cities I could have done without…well, I could have done without their uniforms, that is. Those awful Memphis and Birmingham unis even influenced the Pro Bowl link for a few years.
I doubt we’ll ever see US expansion again, but if it happens within a 2-hour radius of my house I’ll be there!
Thanks again. I’d like to see more CFL unis past and present.
Dear MLB,
Lose the red caps now. I’m begging you.
I was watching highlights of the Braves and Nats late last night with the sound turned down, and it took me a good ten seconds to figure out who was who on my monitor. After seeing some of the other teams, I think this was even more of a bad idea than letting the Gliebermans have a CFL franchise.
[quote comment=”338080″]I was appalled to see the Cubs wear their batting practice jerseys on July 4 th. Who made that call?[/quote]
Rich Harden made the call…and should have his jersey decision rights REVOKED. Not because it’s ugly but because Harden is beyond TERRIBLE!
Leftfilder has a Navy hat on, there is a black and gold Army and a Red and Yellow USMC. Haven’t seen them real well for two reasons. 1) Tigers keep going 1-2-3 and 2) they keep hitting them to the guys wearing the white Navy caps.
Didn’t know Nick Mileti owned the Las Vegas Posse – he was the original owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the one behind the building of the dearly departed Richfield Coliseum.
Oh and fantastic post gentlemen!…as always.
Rest in Paradise Air McNair.
Thanks not only for the article, but for the picture of David Archer throwing against the Stampeders. link That looks great blown up as my screensaver.
By the way, Phil, you don’t look too convincing link as a Bombers fan. Don’t blame you, though…I’m a Ti-Cats and Stamps fan myself.
I enjoyed today’s story. I remember the USA CFL teams and the uniforms and helmets. I was watching a dvd the other day and I had forgot that Baltimore moved to Montreal. And seeing today’s story explained it again.
When they wanted to try south of the border they really did go south of the border with a few teams like Shreveport
And as for the gumball helmets in the main picture. I have been a gumball collector since the old days when I got the NFL teams from the back of a Shredded Wheat box. I would like to see CFL USA gumballs
[quote comment=”338061″]but picture you as the guy, “married” to what appears to be an “ugly fat” (as the picture is intimating) wife…but staring longingly at the beautiful, longlegged blonde NFL gal[/quote]
link?
Just for the record, the Memphis Mad Dogs have the worst jersey I’ve ever seen. Makes the players look like complete morons. woof….woof…..rrrrrrrrrr
Very nice history on the US CFL teams. I vaguely remember them, but learned a whole lot today. Thanks.
I attended a minor league game last night between the Sarasota Reds and St. Lucie Mets. The Mets had the 4ALS adhesive patches stuck on their right sleeves, and it looked a lot better there than on the chest like in the majors. The S.Reds didn’t have them though.
The Reds looked sharp in their road greys with long red socks (link), but I didn’t see any stirrups like that. A few Mets had very short stirrups for their blue socks. Overall, it was a very nice looking game (white+blue vs grey+red), and well played too.
[quote comment=”338050″]I absolutely HATE it when my Cubbies rock the blue alternate. Now, I love alternate unis. Just not that one. I’m gonna get crackin on seeing if I can possibly get that fixed.[/quote]
That thing drives me nuts and I was thrilled when they mothballed them for the ’07 season. (And I’m not even really a fan of the Cubs’ regular home jerseys.) Why, oh, why did they have to bring them back last year?
The odd thing is that I actually like the jerseys on their own. Y’know, when they’re worn by fans, not by the players.
It’s the same with the Blackhawks’ black alts. I can’t stand it those are worn on the ice, but every time I see someone wearing one, I’m always surprised by how good it looks.
link reminds me of my junior year of college. Playboy did a “Girls of the Big Ten” feature that year. My roommate called all of the girls from IU. I was in the room as he made all of the phone calls, and even I was creeped out.
Needless to say, he didn’t have quite as much success as Mr. Roddick did.
[quote comment=”338093″][quote comment=”338050″]I absolutely HATE it when my Cubbies rock the blue alternate. Now, I love alternate unis. Just not that one. I’m gonna get crackin on seeing if I can possibly get that fixed.[/quote]
That thing drives me nuts and I was thrilled when they mothballed them for the ’07 season. (And I’m not even really a fan of the Cubs’ regular home jerseys.) Why, oh, why did they have to bring them back last year?
The odd thing is that I actually like the jerseys on their own. Y’know, when they’re worn by fans, not by the players.
It’s the same with the Blackhawks’ black alts. I can’t stand it those are worn on the ice, but every time I see someone wearing one, I’m always surprised by how good it looks.[/quote]
I know what you mean. I absoloutely HATE the alts worn by the denver nuggets right now (they look like a severely retarded puppy designed them) when the team wears them, but when an individual person wears that jersey, I can tolerate it.
[quote comment=”338038″]Terrible news on Steve McNair.
He wore #9 quite well for the Titans and Ravens.
RIP, Air McNair.[/quote]
Yes, terrible news…looks like he was shot by his 20-year old girlfriend, who then killed herself. What’s MORE terrible is that McNair was married and had four children.
Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko
[quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
S t e v e
So who came up with the “off-centre numbers plus logo” idea first? The Canadians or the World League/NFL Europe?
Also: Re the Brum Barracudas – Was Art Williams REALLY as desperate to own an NFL team as his rule change ideas would indicate?
[quote comment=”338098″][quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
S t e v e[/quote]
Duh. Sorry ’bout that. Trying to do three things at once here.
I know I am in the minority, but I kind of liked the Argos 1995 jerseys as well as the 1995-1997 WLAF jerseys with the logos on front and the smaller, off-center numbers. I also liked the “Any Given Sunday” Aztecs jerseys, though the Black unitards were HIDEOUSLY matched with them.
We have had 80 years of conventional jerseys, why not mix it up a bit.
I found the front logo jerseys to be somewhat similar to the 1994 Steelers and Bears NFL throwbacks – which I thought were unique, clean, and desirable – I defie you to try to find one at a decent price ANYWHERE.
Best of that genre have to be the WLAF Monarchs, Admirals and Dragons.
I do agree that the CFL-SA Barracudas and Mad Dogs are HOPELESS, bad logos, bad spacing, bad cartoonishness, bad colors – all the way around.
But the others I dig.
[quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
With all the CFL talk are you confusing Steve McNair with Bruce McNall, former Argonauts owner??
It is strange how some parts of the story tend to get swept under the rug these days. Unfortunately today’s journalism is as much about emotion as it is about reporting the facts, so there will be plenty of tributes filling the news void until more details are released.
I’m not saying anyting bad about those involved, but I am saying the media should go a little easy on this for the sake of Mrs. McNair and the kids.
[quote comment=”338101″]I know I am in the minority, but I kind of liked the Argos 1995 jerseys as well as the 1995-1997 WLAF jerseys with the logos on front and the smaller, off-center numbers. I also liked the “Any Given Sunday” Aztecs jerseys, though the Black unitards were HIDEOUSLY matched with them.
We have had 80 years of conventional jerseys, why not mix it up a bit.
I found the front logo jerseys to be somewhat similar to the 1994 Steelers and Bears NFL throwbacks – which I thought were unique, clean, and desirable – I defie you to try to find one at a decent price ANYWHERE.
Best of that genre have to be the WLAF Monarchs, Admirals and Dragons.
I do agree that the CFL-SA Barracudas and Mad Dogs are HOPELESS, bad logos, bad spacing, bad cartoonishness, bad colors – all the way around.
But the others I dig.[/quote]
I didn’t like the Argos ones either, but I’m not against trying something new. I just think messing with the numbers is not the solution.
Maybe we could have a column about readers’ ideas on mixing jerseys up a bit. I’d like to see what we could come up with on this one.
[quote comment=”338102″][quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
With all the CFL talk are you confusing Steve McNair with Bruce McNall, former Argonauts owner??
It is strange how some parts of the story tend to get swept under the rug these days. Unfortunately today’s journalism is as much about emotion as it is about reporting the facts, so there will be plenty of tributes filling the news void until more details are released.
I’m not saying anyting bad about those involved, but I am saying the media should go a little easy on this for the sake of Mrs. McNair and the kids.[/quote]
Almost positive I did the McNair/McNall thing.
As to Mrs. McNair, my sympathies of course go out to the kids and to her…but I’d wager she knew such things were going on.
Either that or big time athletes somehow manage to marry the most gullible among us. I think not.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”338071″][quote comment=”338063″]After all the (justified, IMO) attention that apostrophe catastrophes have received on here, “commenced it’s 56th Season”?!? And “officially got it’s start”?!? Cmon, guys, your killin me here![/quote]
You mean “you’re killin’ me here”… right? LOL[/quote]
Er, yeah. It was supposed to be funny. Or at least mildly amusing.
I did really enjoy the post, though, and would love to see more on the “real” CFL unis.
[quote comment=”338103″]
I didn’t like the Argos ones either, but I’m not against trying something new. I just think messing with the numbers is not the solution.
[/quote]
Agree completely. I don’t think the problem with Memphis et al. was the numbers, it was the cartoon characters on the front of the jerseys. The Bears and Steelers did it right with their 1994 throwbacks.
link
There was a junior league world championships for American football played over the weekend.
Check out the unis. Good stuff.
[quote comment=”338104″][quote comment=”338102″][quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
With all the CFL talk are you confusing Steve McNair with Bruce McNall, former Argonauts owner??
It is strange how some parts of the story tend to get swept under the rug these days. Unfortunately today’s journalism is as much about emotion as it is about reporting the facts, so there will be plenty of tributes filling the news void until more details are released.
I’m not saying anyting bad about those involved, but I am saying the media should go a little easy on this for the sake of Mrs. McNair and the kids.[/quote]
Almost positive I did the McNair/McNall thing.
As to Mrs. McNair, my sympathies of course go out to the kids and to her…but I’d wager she knew such things were going on.
Either that or big time athletes somehow manage to marry the most gullible among us. I think not.
—Ricko[/quote]
Ricko, I don’t think they are gullible. I think they fall in love with the person and then get used to the lifestyle. They’d rather keep the lifestyle than their dignity.
Very nice history on the US CFL teams. I vaguely remember them, but learned a whole lot today. Thanks.
I attended a minor league game last night between the Sarasota Reds and St. Lucie Mets. The Mets had the 4ALS adhesive patches stuck on their right sleeves, and it looked a lot better there than on the chest like in the majors. The S.Reds didn’t have them though.
The Reds looked sharp in their road greys with long red socks (like this), but I didn’t see any stirrups like that. A few Mets had very short stirrups for their blue socks. Overall, it was a very nice looking game (white+blue vs grey+red), and well played too.
The Port St. Lucie Mets have great hats:
link
BTW…Big day for me tomorrow. My daughter and I are going to take the train down to see her first baseball game.
It will also be my first trip to the new Yankee Stadium.
Very excited…she cant wait to wear her watermelon yankee cap.
[quote comment=”338106″][quote comment=”338103″]
I didn’t like the Argos ones either, but I’m not against trying something new. I just think messing with the numbers is not the solution.
[/quote]
Agree completely. I don’t think the problem with Memphis et al. was the numbers, it was the cartoon characters on the front of the jerseys. The Bears and Steelers did it right with their 1994 throwbacks.[/quote]
Yeah, I’m not a fan of the small numbers, BUT…I’d rather see this: link
than the 1934 version: link
And now that I know the story behind these: link I like them even more.
[quote comment=”338110″]BTW…Big day for me tomorrow. My daughter and I are going to take the train down to see her first baseball game.
It will also be my first trip to the new Yankee Stadium.
Very excited…she cant wait to wear her watermelon yankee cap.[/quote]
Is that the scratch and sniff cap?
Regarding the Yankees fucking up the ALS patch, Wang was wearing the patch during warm ups. Don’t know what happened to it during the game though.
link
[quote comment=”338109″]The Port St. Lucie Mets have great hats:
link
Yes it is much better than it used to be, which you can barely see here. The L was huge, and the St. was kinda inside it.
link
link
on the Shreveport jersey… isnt this the notch thing that we saw in some Japanese team\’s uniform?? cant remember, im late to the board sorry if its been pointed out
Andy Roddick’s wife is a model, but even so…at least show a picture of Federer’s wife when she isn’t about to pop out a kid
[quote comment=”338097″]Apparently Bruce McNair (Mr. Good Family Man) was regularly boinking a psycho 20-year old…and now at the unseemly end to the affair everyone wants to canonize him?
How about the greater lesson here: Big time athletes are notorious for their infidelity, and unfortunately the price of that arrogance and self-centerness can be very, very high.
We should give him a pass on that because he could throw a football?
—Ricko[/quote]
I don’t think anyone is canonizing him. Regardless of his stupid decisions, he didn’t deserve to be pistolized.
[quote comment=”338112″][quote comment=”338110″]BTW…Big day for me tomorrow. My daughter and I are going to take the train down to see her first baseball game.
It will also be my first trip to the new Yankee Stadium.
Very excited…she cant wait to wear her watermelon yankee cap.[/quote]
Is that the scratch and sniff cap?[/quote]
yeah…both the girls LOVE that ridiculous cap
[quote comment=”338116″]Andy Roddick’s wife is a model, but even so…at least show a picture of Federer’s wife when she isn’t about to pop out a kid[/quote]
y’know…i was in brooklyn on the fourth (at paul’s)…
but i’d gladly trade places with roddick and be in brooklyn tonight
The Astros have a new wordmark on their website.
link
Here are some pictures of today’s Tigers/Twins game. Pictures 2 and 3 show the Air Force hats the Twins were wearing
link
Here are some more.
link
Teebz and Phil, outstanding work (or should I say OAT-standing!)
One of my greatest regrets on uni-lore was being in Ocean City, MD the summer of ’94 and passing up a Baltimore CFL shirt with the logo and “A Horse With No Name” on it.
OK, I hate the red caps overall. But it does confirm my thoughts that the Cardinals should ditch the black road caps and go with red again. They are the Redbirds afterall. Or are they affraid Sandberg will hit 2 more HR’s off of them again if they wear them?!
By the way, excellent job on the CFL article. I love watching the CFL.
[quote comment=”338107″]http://www.usafootball.com/jwc
There was a junior league world championships for American football played over the weekend.
Check out the unis. Good stuff.[/quote]
Dammit, link! You were so close to having fine-looking unis, but you had to go and ruin it with those mismatched link!
France also appears to be one of three teams that didn’t go with Under Armour for their unis. The others: link and link
[quote comment=”338124″]OK, I hate the red caps overall. But it does confirm my thoughts that the Cardinals should ditch the black road caps and go with red again. They are the Redbirds afterall. Or are they affraid Sandberg will hit 2 more HR’s off of them again if they wear them?![/quote]
Pretty sure those are navy, not black. Same as the Yankees.
link
[quote comment=”338119″][quote comment=”338116″]Andy Roddick’s wife is a model, but even so…at least show a picture of Federer’s wife when she isn’t about to pop out a kid[/quote]
y’know…i was in brooklyn on the fourth (at paul’s)…
but i’d gladly trade places with roddick and be in brooklyn tonight[/quote]
link
[quote comment=”338126″][quote comment=”338107″]http://www.usafootball.com/jwc
There was a junior league world championships for American football played over the weekend.
Check out the unis. Good stuff.[/quote]
Dammit, link! You were so close to having fine-looking unis, but you had to go and ruin it with those mismatched link!
France also appears to be one of three teams that didn’t go with Under Armour for their unis. The others: link and link[/quote]
Zounds! They were super close to being flawless. It isn’t as glaring with their white jersey, but those have the red side panels. The matching neck and sleeve stripes are very refreshing (they match the pant stripes also). There is another problem with the helmet. The trim on the “F” is gray. It should be red. Red like the ketchup I’m putting on my “freedom” fries.
[quote comment=”338124″]OK, I hate the red caps overall. But it does confirm my thoughts that the Cardinals should ditch the black road caps and go with red again. They are the Redbirds afterall. Or are they affraid Sandberg will hit 2 more HR’s off of them again if they wear them?![/quote]
I think they should ditch the blue hats, and the red hats! Go back to the Musial era caps. Navy crown, red bill, red STL (no white trim). Redbirds is not their official name, so the bulk of the hat does not need to be red. BLUEjays? Another story.
Throw “St. Louis” on the road jersey (like the early thirties, I believe), pull up your socks, put on some black cleats, and you got yourself something flawless.
Word is born.
I love the CFL, also. When we would go on vacation to Florida every July, I got to watch the CFL on cable TV while down there. The CFL on TV in Cincinnati????…….No way.
The Cardinals do need to ditch the navy caps. The red/cardinal looks so much better.
I wonder is the reason that MLB went to the red and blue Stars & Stripes caps was because of the poor quality control that New Era Cap has with the flags falling off. And players peeling the flags off, wearing the wrong cap with out the flag, etc.
[quote comment=”338132″]I love the CFL, also. When we would go on vacation to Florida every July, I got to watch the CFL on cable TV while down there. The CFL on TV in Cincinnati????…….No way.
The Cardinals do need to ditch the navy caps. The red/cardinal looks so much better.
I wonder is the reason that MLB went to the red and blue Stars & Stripes caps was because of the poor quality control that New Era Cap has with the flags falling off. And players peeling the flags off, wearing the wrong cap with out the flag, etc.[/quote]
They did it for the cheddar. And that’s the only reason
[quote comment=”338119″][quote comment=”338116″]Andy Roddick’s wife is a model, but even so…at least show a picture of Federer’s wife when she isn’t about to pop out a kid[/quote]
y’know…i was in brooklyn on the fourth (at paul’s)…
but i’d gladly trade places with roddick and be in brooklyn tonight[/quote]
HI-OOOOOOOOO!!!!
[quote comment=”338092″]Very nice history on the US CFL teams. I vaguely remember them, but learned a whole lot today. Thanks.
I attended a minor league game last night between the Sarasota Reds and St. Lucie Mets. The Mets had the 4ALS adhesive patches stuck on their right sleeves, and it looked a lot better there than on the chest like in the majors. The S.Reds didn’t have them though.
The Reds looked sharp in their road greys with long red socks (link), but I didn’t see any stirrups like that. A few Mets had very short stirrups for their blue socks. Overall, it was a very nice looking game (white+blue vs grey+red), and well played too.[/quote]
I was at the West Michigan Whitecaps game Sat. night. The Whitecaps wore special patriotic jerseys with an American flag across the front. Also, the whole team was wearing their pants high cuffed and most of the team was wearing the really low cut stir-ups. This is the second Detroit Tigers minor league affiliate I have seen this season. I saw the Erie Seawolves earlier in the season and they were all high cuff too. I think it might be the standard for all Tigers minor league teams, but will know for sure when I got to a Toledo Mudhens game in a few weeks.
The Whitecaps played the Dayton Dragons who all went high cuff also. I saw Dayton earlier this season against the Lansing Lugnuts, but in that game only 1 or 2 guys were wearing the high cuff. Only a couple of the Dayton players wore stir-ups. All in all, both teams looked good, except the Dayton second baseman who had to large white Nike swooshes, shin high, on his black socks.
[quote comment=”338126″]Dammit, link! You were so close to having fine-looking unis, but you had to go and ruin it with those mismatched link![/quote]
so…you’d have preferred something closer to this then
[quote comment=”338136″][quote comment=”338126″]Dammit, link! You were so close to having fine-looking unis, but you had to go and ruin it with those mismatched link![/quote]
so…you’d have preferred link then[/quote]
And some red trim around the “F” would be pretty. BTW You are much improved at the touch ups. I have no skills.
An apparent wrinkle to the Las Vegas Posse story is that the team may have moved to Miami for the 1996 season and rechristened as…the link. I am both curious and horrified as to what their proposed uniforms may have looked like.
[quote comment=”338138″]An apparent wrinkle to the Las Vegas Posse story is that the team may have moved to Miami for the 1996 season and rechristened as…the link. I am both curious and horrified as to what their proposed uniforms may have looked like.[/quote]
The logo probably would have looked like the manatees that Homer went up against. I believe that’s the episode where Homer told the goons on the jet-skis that he admired their barbed wire tattoos.
I should stop talking.