Gather ’round, boys and girls, because I have a brand-new obsession, and it’s too good not to share.
It started a few days ago, when reader Byron Wages sent me the photo you see above (here’s a slightly larger, uncropped version), along with the following caption: “Crowd watching ‘playograph’ at Harold Bldg. World Series. 1911.”
As I quickly figured out, the “Harold Bldg.” was actually the Herald Building in Manhattan, where The New York Herald was published. It was demolished in 1921, although the name Herald Square remains (much like Times Square was named after The New York Times).
But what was this “playograph” mentioned in the caption? Judging from that photo, it was a mighty popular attraction in its day, so I began poking around to see what I could learn about it. Soon I was hooked. Here’s some of what I’ve discovered.
The Playograph — produced and manufactured by the Playograph Company of Stamford, Connecticut — was basically a giant animatronic scoreboard, sort of like an analog version of ESPN’s gamecast feature. In that photo I just linked to, there’s a runner on first (denoted by the X), a runner has been put out at third (the O), and a fly ball has just been hit to right field. Each pitch of the game was depicted, with the ball starting on pitcher’s mound, shooting toward the plate (supposedly with some curvature if the operator wanted to represent a curveball), and then moving toward the appropriate part of the field. It took a three-man Playograph crew to accomplish all of this: one to receive the play-by-play info over a telegraph wire, one to operate the little white ball, and one to control all of the other graphics.
Most of that info comes from this awesome article that appeared in the September 1912 issue of The Yale Scientific Monthly. It’s short, well-written, and engaging — highly recommended.
The article suggests that Playographs were installed “in cities all over the country,” although I haven’t yet gotten a sense of how many of them were manufactured over the years. Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? I don’t think they were permanent installations; instead, they appear to have been erected specifically for major events, like the World Series, and then taken down. Were they owned or just leased? Were they rotated around the country? Could a given Playograph be used in New York at one point and then show up in Philly later on? Did the manufacturer have a giant warehouse full of them and ship them out to clients as needed? All of these are subjects for follow-up research.
Playographs apparently got a lot of work each year during the World Series. Here’s a great shot of a crowd following the 1926 Series on a Playograph in Laramie, Wyoming (plus a close-up of the Playograph itself), and similar scenes unfolded in Muncie, Indiana, in 1923 and St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1924. They also had a Playograph in Galesburg, Illinois, for the ’24 Fall Classic, although all we have is a written description, not a photo. Ditto for the Cornell campus during the 1932 Series.
Not all Playographs were located outdoors. This 1931 ad indicates that a Playograph was installed in the Tucson Opera House. For the previous several World Series, The Arizona Daily Star had sponsored a Playograph outside their offices. Here’s how they described it to their readers in 1925:
The machine, known as the Playograph, is nine feet high, and will carry the names of the teams, in batting order on each side of the diamond that is in the center of the board. On this diamond the plays are duplicated as they are received from our correspondent at the press box in Pittsburgh.
There are signs showing the progress of the game by strikes, balls and men out. The score by innings is kept currently and at the side of each player’s name, his record in the game is shown by the number of runs, hits and errors that he has made.
Every decision of the umpire is shown directly behind the home plate, so that no matter what happens, the Tucsonans can follow readily.
“Watch the ball” is the slogan that enables the youngest follower of baseball to understand what is happening and on our Playograph we have a ball, regulation size, too, that moves as freely as the ball that is batted in Pittsburgh. Whether the pill is knocked to first base and stopped by the man there, or whether it is slammed over the fence for a homer, the ball goes exactly where it is knocked and everyone can follow.
Were there similar products that competed with the Playograph? Maybe. Uni Watch bench coach Phil Hecken ran this photo as one of his “Guess the Scoreboard” quizzes back in July. The photo is dated October 11th, 1912 — World Series again. But this looks like a slightly different design, and it doesn’t say “Playograph” on it. Hmmmmm.
There was also a football version of the Playograph, called the Gridgraph. That one was installed at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor so Wolverines fans could follow the 1923 Michigan/Wisconsin tilt. (There’s a lot more info about Michigan’s Gridgraphs in this article; scroll about halfway down or just search on “grid.”) Gridgraphs were also set up for fans of the Cornell, Clemson, and Oklahoma football teams, among many others. And in the NFL, I’ve found two references to Green Bay fans following the Packers on Playographs — look here (next-to-last bullet point) and here. Hey, Jeff Ash, does your newspaper have any photos of this in its archives?
Way nifty, right? But the Playograph wasn’t necessarily such a great thing if you were trying to run a storefront business nearby. The crowds at the Herald Building’s Playograph were so congested and unruly that a local jewelry shop sued the Herald for creating a public nuisance and was awarded $729.59 in damages. The Herald appealed, but the damages were upheld. The decision, which is rather amusing, begins at the bottom of this page — again, recommended reading..
Lots of questions remain. What happened to the Playograph Company? Did any of their catalogs or promotional literature survive? Is there any newsreel footage showing Playographs in operation? How long were Playographs in active use? Have any of them been preserved? How can I acquire one for my back yard?
If anyone out there can help answer these questions, or if you have any other Playograph info to share, I’m all ears, baby — hit me.
Preservation Project: Tris Wykes was recently poking around the Dartmouth athletics dept. and came up with this old football. “The best lead is that it is the game ball from the very first tilt ever played at Harvard Stadium in 1903,” he says. “The aging daughter of the Dartmouth captain that day sent the ball to his old school and no one seemed to know what to do with it. Now there’s talk of reconditioning the pigskin (it might actually BE pigskin!) and putting it in Dartmouth’s trophy case.”
Only problem is that they don’t know where or how to have the ball reconditioned. If anyone know anything about such services, please contact Tris. Thanks.
Oh, by the way: New ESPN column today. It’s not uni-related, but I think you’ll enjoy it all the same — look here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Missouri’s players are allowed to keep their riflery jerseys, and some of the players have interesting plans for them (with thanks to Steve Johnston). ”¦ Get this: The baseball winter meetings have their own logo — plus a secondary logo! Enough already (with thanks to Michael Kramer). ”¦ Speaking of the winter meetings, Tyler Kepner took a stroll through the trade show and reports that things looked swell at the Twin City Knitting booth. The real question, of course, is whether the apostophe on the Orioles stirrup is upside-down. ”¦ Nike is taking over the entire Texas high school system (with thanks to Chris Mycoskie). ”¦ Nice uniforms for the Japanese basketball all-star game (with thanks to Jeremy Brahm). ”¦ “Was at a family reunion last year and spotted this Blackhawks motorcycle in my cousin’s garage,” says DJ Butenschoen. “And yes he does drive it every day around the ’burbs of Chicago.” ”¦ One and done in Seattle. Further info here. ”¦ The Red Sox now have two Ramon Ramirezes, which should make for some interesting NOB discussions (with thanks to Ben C. Melancon). ”¦ Indiana is doing the “stripe-out” thing this Saturday (as reported by Jordan Owen). ”¦ The Red Wings wore white at home last night against the Blues, but both teams wore colored jerseys during pregame warm-ups. Anyone get pics of that? ”¦ The Color Mafia has decided which color we’ll all be seeing way too much of in 2010 (with thanks to Brian Holland). ”¦ Some kid in Georgia has been getting away with wearing striped socks all season long. I love the look but hate the “Look at me!” aspect (with thanks to Greg Trandel). ”¦ Bill Scrowther sent along pics of his old MLB and NFL helmet standings displays. “Shame I’m missing the Vikings helmet,” he says. “My little brother was a Vikings fan, so he probably took it. As for the Bucs helmet being backwards, the logo from the one side was missing, so I had to turn it around.” Someone put this guy in touch with Bill Jones, pronto! … Yesterday I mentioned that reader Jeff Barak had written one of the articles in The Hockey News‘s special jersey issue. What I neglected to mention is that Jeff also has an excellent uni-centric blog, called Third String Goalie — get familiar with it, if you haven’t already done so.
“The Red Sox now have two Ramon Martinezes”…
Not really, but, they do have two players named Ramon Ramirez.
Probably appropriate for the time that the Buccaneers helmet faced backward.
link
anyone know what’s on her calf?
“…Way nifty, right?…”
***
Man-oh-man, Paul, I can’t tell you when I’ve enjoyed a feature more. Not just the Play-o-Graph, though it’s crazy fascinating as a machine, but the obvious and implicit information about Americans and their customs and their passions and God knows what else. I’m old enough to bore my sons with stories about when the World Series was played in daytime and you could walk down a small-town Main Street lined with small huddles of people encircling radio sets, but nothing on the scale of the Play-o-Graph. Wow. Way to go, Paul. This is the kind of feature that makes UniWatch such an attraction.
Best wishes from just a few blocks from where that crowd was gathered at Herald Square.
No baseball team actually does anything like “R. Martinez” anymore.
Paul,
you’ve just solved a mystery for me!! There was one featured in the film “Eight Men Out” (when A.R. goes and waits for the first pitch of the first game) and I always wondered what the name was (granted it was slightly different in the film, but essentially it was the same board)
they actually replicated a playograph in the movie Eight Men Out when the lead gambler Arnold Rothstein needs to ensure that the fix is in. They show the telegraph copy come in that the pitcher hit the first batter… they talk about it brief too in the book
They also had a Gridograph for football games at the Armory / Red Gym in Madison. link, I know bigger ones exist.
“Bill Scrowther sent along pics of his old MLB and NFL helmet standings displays.”
The MLB standings appear to be from some time during the 1991 season. The NFL helmets appear to just be organized alphabetically, but separated by conference.
And I’m going to miss the green Seahawks jerseys. I know everyone here seems to hate them, but I thought they were cool and very unique.
Aha. link a better one.
Question on the gumball helmets…
If anyone knows, just how rare are non-white facemasks?
I’ve got the full NFL from 1981, and I’ve got colored masks for the Bucs and Bills.
[quote comment=”366073″]Man-oh-man, Paul, I can’t tell you when I’ve enjoyed a feature more.
This is the kind of feature that makes UniWatch such an attraction.
[/quote]
agreed…great article
[quote comment=”366072″]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/morning-jolt/12/10/jolt/index.html
anyone know what’s on her calf?[/quote]
Probably kinesiotape.
Paul, I think you mean one and done in reference to the seahawks.
Does anyone know what a ‘fumble’ is in baseball parlance?
also Paul and Phil, I’m sure you’ll see the Cowboys sortof news soon, so fire up those Romo pics now..
Check out these scoreboards
link
I came across this a while back, but this is the prefect time to post it. The 21st century version of the Playograph: The ‘Liveboard’ link or so the manufacturer claims. They even compare the Liveboard to the Play-O-Graph (as they spell it). It does have a nice retro look to it.
[quote comment=”366083″]
Paul, I think you mean one and done in reference to the seahawks.
[/quote]
wouldn’t that be in reference to a cowboys playoff appearance?
I wonder if the “Lemon Ball” guy would know anything about restoring that Dartmouth football?
As a (art)conservator myself, I would give him a holler–seems like he really knows his product and history. Might also check with College Football Hall of Fame?
[quote comment=”366084″]Check out these scoreboards
link
***
You rule, Jeremy.
[quote comment=”366086″][quote comment=”366083″]
Paul, I think you mean one and done in reference to the seahawks.
[/quote]
wouldn’t that be in reference to a cowboys playoff appearance?[/quote]
DAMMIT hecken.. that was harsh!
A playograph for the 1912 Series in Washington, DC. From Shorpy, where else.
link
i LOVE the “play-o-graph” font and the over all shape of the scoreboard! WAY ahead of it’s time! also love how “score” and “total” are arched. they definitely knew how to design back then! great post!
Nice find, Paul. Playographs remind me of MLB GameCasts…
[quote comment=”366072″]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/morning-jolt/12/10/jolt/index.html
anyone know what’s on her calf?[/quote]
Kinesio tape.
From WikiAnswers: By skillfully applying the tape to specific structures with a particular amount of stretch on the tape different effects can be achieved. Some of these effects include: muscle inhibition, muscle facilitation, increased circulation, increased lymphatic drainage (to reduce swelling), pain relief, functional correction, and increased range of motion.
“Whether the pill is knocked to first base and stopped by the man there, or whether it is slammed over the fence for a homer, the ball goes exactly where it is knocked and everyone can follow.”
“…the pill is knocked….” Beautiful.
Page 3 and 4 of this 1993 publication have an article about the “boards”:
link
Here’s the video link to the wings/blues game. They don’t have teams standing side by side in darks, but there is video of the wings changing colours.
link. Paul! Video recap of the NHL game in Detroit
I love the binary representation of the score on the gridgraph. In this pic, it looks like the score is 6-13, though I can’t quite figure out why the zero is lit up on the left. Perhaps the guy on the left is in the process of changing from 0 to 6 after a touchdown. Interesting stuff.
link
Paul, you need to read “The Unforgettable Season”, by Gordon Fleming — an acconut of the 1908 NL pennant race, from the perspective of the New York Giants. There are many references to Playographs (though I don’t remember them using the name) and to fans lined up watching them. One includes Frank Chance’s wife watching the Cubs beat the Giants 4-2 in the pennant-deciding final game of the year.
I remember thinking about those boards and how, if you transported a person from 1908 to modern times, they would probably feel right at home with the ESPN and Yahoo Gamecasts (“A playograph in every home!”) of the 21st century despite the older invention of television.
Here’s another GridGraph in Oklahoma with different scoring numbers. Maybe easier to read, but has a smaller maximum score.
link
Caption reads:
“King Football is on at the Oklahoman park!
The fall sport has moved baseball off the map and from now on, until the end of the season, every Saturday afternoon, The Daily Oklahoman will stage a real football game on the Gridgraph. The Gridgraph is something new in Oklahoma City, ours being the first football board to be set up. Next Saturday the Oklahoma Aggies and University of Oklahoma will battle for state supremecy on Owen field at Norman, but they will also battle for state supremecy on the Oklahoman board. Everyone that cannot go to the game at Norman is urged to do the next best thing: Come to the electric gridiron party at Oklahoman park. The board shows the ball in every play and can be followed as thoroughly as a baseball game on a baseball board. Every detail of the game brought out clearly. The game is on the Oklahoman. Come on down. It’s our party!”
For those of you that may not opt for the video, found an image on Flikr of colour-on-colour in Motown last night.
The sad thing with the gridgraphs was that if you had a team that scored more than 45 points (all of the lights on). You were at the movie theater then.
Rim shot!
Checkout the 50th anny unis for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL.
link
Those gumball football helmets were so unappealing. The helmet shape, the small logos, the face masks were too old school for me. I had a few kid’s helmets, plus my Riddell that I would take crayons and replicate my favorite teams, or odd logos. The West Texas State Buffalos were intriguing, and easy. I made a few attempts at the SMU Mustangs but couldn’t make sense of the feet. I liked the Longhorn, but had to find a 64 count box to get burnt orange. Before color TV, high def and the internet, the OSU Buckeye thing, what was that? Oh, a simpler time. Did anyone else do this?
FAIL?
link
Nice stuff on the Play-O-Graphs…..but I also used the link to the SABR Journal to find the index to all of the journals….about a year’s worth of reading there….
Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
Paul, thats incredible stuff. The link to the Yale Scientific Monthly has some good stuff as well. Check out the pic of the hockey team on page 31. Its cool, despite being sideways.
[quote comment=”366106″]FAIL?
link
Perhaps they speak German rather than Czech, and also didn’t have an umlaut at the lettering place?
Ahh, I got nothin’.
(And the Rangers really do look better with the correct 3-D-like numbers rather than those plain ones. )
maybe mick jager? ahhaa
[quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
Hilarious.
On that note, I propose that the NFL take a page out of the XFL book. No more coin tosses, let one team earn the ball first. Have each designated celebrator meet at the 50-yd line, and act like fools for 30 seconds. Referee then decides which clown has earned his team the ball. We will call it…the jerk-off.
[quote comment=”366089″][quote comment=”366086″][quote comment=”366083″]
Paul, I think you mean one and done in reference to the seahawks.
[/quote]
wouldn’t that be in reference to a cowboys playoff appearance?[/quote]
DAMMIT hecken.. that was harsh![/quote]
DAMMIT hecken.. that was funny!
[quote comment=”366079″]And I’m going to miss the green Seahawks jerseys. I know everyone here seems to hate them, but I thought they were cool and very unique.[/quote]
You’re not alone. I liked them better than what they wear now, and it’s good to know some of the players liked them too. In fact, a couple of them liked those AND the idea of wearing throwbacks.
The neons got a raw deal because they were matched with navy pants, plus they were worn when the Hawks were depleted on offense and defense (I believe Lofa Tatupu was out of that game along with Matt Hasselbeck). In other words, they were set up to be a mismatched scapegoat.
Had they worn the neons with the regular dreary pants, and in a game where they stood a much better chance of winning, we’d probably be seeing them again. Sigh.
There was mention last night that the players who liked the throwbacks and the neons are probably just bored and should respect the regular uni. I disagree. Perhaps those guys are like a lot of people (myself included) who just think the regular monochrome unis are too blah. The throwbacks are classic and the neons are cool and flashy. Nothing wrong with thinking that. It just shows the players have disparate tastes and opinions.
Lame Orange Bowl patch: link
I too have always been intrigued by those playographs and gridographs. I have seen both in old pictures and am fascinated by the crowds.
Good stuff
Painting of Playograph at the Burlington Gazette in Iowa. It’s among my desktop photos – couples two of my passions: newspapers and baseball link
[quote comment=”366117″]Painting of Playograph at the Burlington Gazette in Iowa. It’s among my desktop photos – couples two of my passions: newspapers and baseball link
really cool pic!
In a post that only Long Island Phil would care about:
I’m calling right now.
[quote comment=”366119″]In a post that only Long Island Phil would care about:
I’m calling right now.[/quote]
Gentleman didn’t answer the phone.
[quote comment=”366120″][quote comment=”366119″]In a post that only Long Island Phil would care about:
I’m calling right now.[/quote]
Gentleman didn’t answer the phone.[/quote]
Okay. I meant that lovingly. I was just temporarily frustrated.
Paul, liked the playograph story. I’d seen photos of people gathered around a hardware store TV watching a game, but I never saw this before.
Also liked the Page 2 article. I have another possible solution to the jerkiness in the NFL: scale back on the all-access coverage of the league.
All I really care about are the games. I don’t need to know everything about every player. I used to love NFL Films for the highlights, but I think their miking up the players is what started all this over-the-top showmanship. Monday Night Football fed the monster for a while, too.
The all-access coverage, if it continues, will eventually make sports as unwatchable as reality TV. Just give me the games.
Oh, here’s another idea. Instead of replay challenges, give each coach two “do-over” opportunities. We did that on the playground very successfully. If we couldn’t agree on the outcome of a play, we re-did it and moved on.
Another vote for the neon green jerseys:
link
[quote comment=”366122″]Paul, liked the playograph story. I’d seen photos of people gathered around a hardware store TV watching a game, but I never saw this before.
Also liked the Page 2 article. I have another possible solution to the jerkiness in the NFL: scale back on the all-access coverage of the league.
All I really care about are the games. I don’t need to know everything about every player. I used to love NFL Films for the highlights, but I think their miking up the players is what started all this over-the-top showmanship. Monday Night Football fed the monster for a while, too.
The all-access coverage, if it continues, will eventually make sports as unwatchable as reality TV. Just give me the games.
Oh, here’s another idea. Instead of replay challenges, give each coach two “do-over” opportunities. We did that on the playground very successfully. If we couldn’t agree on the outcome of a play, we re-did it and moved on.[/quote]
Excellent point. The players actually are starting to think they should tweet that they stopped at KFC after practice…that the world really is waiting for all the news about it whether he prefers regular or extra crispy.
—Ricko
Hope I’m not being a goober with this. Technically, the playograph isn’t “analog” but “mechanical.” The information that was given to the operator of the playograph may have received it in analog form, or in digital form (telegraphs would be considered digital, believe it or not).
[quote comment=”366125″](telegraphs would be considered digital, believe it or not).[/quote]
You, sir, are so right!
Paul,
I love the play-o-graph story! I grew up in Stamford, so it’s nice to see the city attached to the history of baseball. I’m actually surprised that you had not heard of these devices though, I believe they were mentioned in Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary. Possibly the best 10+ hours of dvd-watching ever. Anyway, I wonder where the Playograph Company was headquartered.
Cheers,
Charles
The Leafs wore white at home last night as well- they played the Isles who wore their dark jerseys.
link
[quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
So would the deignated jerk have to wear a special sticker??
link
[quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
*grins & nods in agreement.
FNOB alert: link
[quote comment=”366115″]Lame Orange Bowl patch: link
Hmmm… is there any way to tell who sponsors the Orange Bowl?
Ya gotta love it. link
[quote comment=”366130″][quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
*grins & nods in agreement.[/quote]
Best rule is the last. MUST COME TRUE.
Who’s the “Lemon Ball Guy” who might help restore this football? Thanks.
[quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
“This player will be allowed to celebrate inappropriately, call undue attention to himself, and generally behave like a jerk. “[/quote]
I swear that’s what the mascot was for! Jerks and mascots both have big heads though.
[quote comment=”366106″]FAIL?
link
Is it still a fail if its right in the description of the item “This jersey could have slight damage or a misprint.”
[quote comment=”366121″][quote comment=”366120″][quote comment=”366119″]In a post that only Long Island Phil would care about:
I’m calling right now.[/quote]
Gentleman didn’t answer the phone.[/quote]
Okay. I meant that lovingly. I was just temporarily frustrated.[/quote]
you better hope he doesn’t see that
even lovingly
[quote comment=”366131″]FNOB alert: link[/quote]
Aha.
don maloney, #12, LW, younger brother of dave maloney, #26, D in your hearts and programs.
New York Rangers, 1979. (Believe Dave was also captain during that time).
Don’t really recall too clearly, mostly because I was and remain a Ron Greshner man.
Shhhh….be vewy, vewy KWIIIII-et.
Ewewyone at UW is SWEEPing.
Turquoise is the color of the year for 2010? Could be a lot worse. I’m partial to seafoam green, but that’s cool.
Does that mean we’ll be seeing these on the playing fields next year?
link
Say, maybe that’s why the Seahawks retired the neon greens…to make room for turquoise alts!
Coming to the housekeeping staff at a hotel near you…
link
you were right sir, it did trump yesterday’s texture.
i always loved the olde stories and pictures of people hanging around the giant hand~automated score board, i can almost hear the sounds of people clamoring, a rolled up newspaper in a guys hand that he shakes in the air as mathewson deals to chance. the smell of roasted peanuts from an opportunistic vendor, perhaps an occasional team lapel pin, or team colour carnation, derby hats, and right properly trimmed mustaches.
some stories i have read about the phenomenon had a guy with a couple bats, who would clang them together when the pea was struck. how cool, you are standing there with a chumb from your guild, drinking your schnapps in the street, talking about how those damn southside irish are stealing good jobs from westside germans, when crack! you turn from your buddy to check out where the pill was flying, and would it be caught?! “nobody gets a hit off a good german like pfiester” as you elbow your chumb, and the frozen rope is snared by schulte in the west side grounds.
hate the cubs, but had to use that imagery. the first church i ever put stained glass in of my own design was a lutheran church that people used to sit on to watch the westside cubs play back in the day.
i think one thing is clear, the boards primary clients were newspapers. which would make sense, right? get a group of people together and sell ’em papers, maybe it has a scorecard, and a special foldout with the latest on the caps, pantaloons, and hosiery the palookas would be donning…fish in a barrel. same with the universities who seem to be the second biggest owner of the play~o~matics, sell more seats in the warmth of a fiield house. although i might be overselling that last reason because the thermometer in here reads 40 degrees today.
end ramble
I saw a Playograph in person when the Baseball Hall of Fame Traveling Exhibit was at the Chicago Field Museum in 2003. Best museum visit ever.
[quote comment=”366141″]Turquoise is the color of the year for 2010? Could be a lot worse. I’m partial to seafoam green, but that’s cool.
Does that mean we’ll be seeing these on the playing fields next year?
link
Maybe these?
link
Say, maybe that’s why the Seahawks retired the neon greens…to make room for turquoise alts![/quote]
[quote comment=”366141″]Turquoise is the color of the year for 2010?[/quote]
does that mean the dolphins will be relevant?
[quote comment=”366146″][quote comment=”366141″]Turquoise is the color of the year for 2010?[/quote]
does that mean the dolphins will be relevant?[/quote]
whoa whoa whoa.. color of the year, not miracle inducer of the year.
[quote comment=”366135″]Who’s the “Lemon Ball Guy” who might help restore this football? Thanks.[/quote]
link
Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?
[quote comment=”366122″]Also liked the Page 2 article. I have another possible solution to the jerkiness in the NFL: scale back on the all-access coverage of the league.
…
The all-access coverage, if it continues, will eventually make sports as unwatchable as reality TV. Just give me the games.[/quote]
AMEN TO THAT! Jim, you hit the nail squarely on the head, but I think pro sports are already reality programming and shows focusing on pro sports are essentially TMZ with more testosterone.
They should run regular programming right up until 1:00pm then switch to the game just as the kicker makes contact. No weak humor, no weather girl, and no story about how Player X is changing his name to Player Y (pronounced “EE” since it’s now in Spanish). More game, less lame.
[quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
[quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
It’s okay, that’s before most of today’s designers’ “always” and “never” begin.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”366138″][quote comment=”366121″][quote comment=”366120″][quote comment=”366119″]In a post that only Long Island Phil would care about:
I’m calling right now.[/quote]
Gentleman didn’t answer the phone.[/quote]
Okay. I meant that lovingly. I was just temporarily frustrated.[/quote]
you better hope he doesn’t see that
even lovingly[/quote]
You should… ahem… fix that.
Thanks.
Oh, and 10 AM tomorrow. He called back.
This is one of the most awesome posts ever. Just think, that photo is dang near 100 years old. Think about what that must have been like then–to be able to keep track of the game pitch by pitch with hundreds of other people in the streets. If you were an enterprising sort, wouldn’t you have tried to open a bar across the street? The first sports bar!
One of the things I love about sports is how is shows us glimpses into everyday life of times long ago. This story is awesome, that pic is priceless.
Thanks for one of this site’s all time best entries!
i like the way this NOB looks with the space. even if i hate what it means.
[quote comment=”366152″]
You should… ahem… fix that.
Thanks.
Oh, and 10 AM tomorrow. He called back.[/quote]
fix what?
[quote comment=”366155″][quote comment=”366152″]
You should… ahem… fix that.
Thanks.
Oh, and 10 AM tomorrow. He called back.[/quote]
fix what?[/quote]
<3
[quote comment=”366156″][quote comment=”366155″][quote comment=”366152″]
You should… ahem… fix that.
Thanks.
Oh, and 10 AM tomorrow. He called back.[/quote]
fix what?[/quote]
<3[/quote]
is that a turtleneck above some knockers? but why would would phil be getting you a preppy call girl at 10 am? i guess it must mean somethin’ that i am two dumb to understand.
Roberto, that’s a heart. You’d know, if you had one… ;D
And Phil and I are just having a covert conversation in public. No big deal.
Not that anyone was asking, or that it is particularly newsworthy…but it was mentioned, so I’ll elaborate.
The Indiana “stripe-out” was debuted two years ago in a Saturday night game against Michigan State (which also happened to be a day after the Kelvin Sampson scandal dropped for a second time, leading to his departure). I was buried up under the balcony for that game, so I didn’t get a good look at the game…but I snuck down into a lower section to check it out and was amazed by what I saw. link
I really like coordinated fan things like this; Tennessee doing the orange and white checkerboard at Thompson-Boling Arena immediately springs to mind.
Nice link about high school athletes, especially cross country runners, being disqualified or otherwise disciplined, for uniform rule violations.
[quote comment=”366129″][quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
So would the deignated jerk have to wear a special sticker??
link
A pink polka dot on the helmet. Great column, long overdue.
[quote comment=”366158″]Roberto, that’s a heart. You’d know, if you had one… ;D
And Phil and I are just having a covert conversation in public. No big deal.[/quote]
i knew that, i just wanted to figure out how the preppy call girl fit into the mix. now when i see that again, i’ll know what it is. if you don’t ask questions, you don’t get answers. iza lurner in ginroll.
[quote comment=”366117″]Painting of Playograph at the Burlington Gazette in Iowa. It’s among my desktop photos – couples two of my passions: newspapers and baseball link
That is nice
[quote comment=”366112″][quote comment=”366108″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
Hilarious.
On that note, I propose that the NFL take a page out of the XFL book. No more coin tosses, let one team earn the ball first. Have each designated celebrator meet at the 50-yd line, and act like fools for 30 seconds. Referee then decides which clown has earned his team the ball. We will call it…the jerk-off.[/quote]
say what you will about that, but if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.
[quote comment=”366122″]Paul, liked the playograph story. I’d seen photos of people gathered around a hardware store TV watching a game, but I never saw this before.
Also liked the Page 2 article. I have another possible solution to the jerkiness in the NFL: scale back on the all-access coverage of the league.
All I really care about are the games. I don’t need to know everything about every player. I used to love NFL Films for the highlights, but I think their miking up the players is what started all this over-the-top showmanship. Monday Night Football fed the monster for a while, too.
The all-access coverage, if it continues, will eventually make sports as unwatchable as reality TV. Just give me the games.
Oh, here’s another idea. Instead of replay challenges, give each coach two “do-over” opportunities. We did that on the playground very successfully. If we couldn’t agree on the outcome of a play, we re-did it and moved on.[/quote]
If they could catch the actual, honest stuff going on down on the field, court, or ice the miking up would be great. When the players forget they’re wearing a mic you get some gems, because players have some pretty funny comments during stoppages. The down side is when a player feels that he “has to get something for the cameras.”
[quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?
[quote comment=”366162″][quote comment=”366158″]Roberto, that’s a heart. You’d know, if you had one… ;D
And Phil and I are just having a covert conversation in public. No big deal.[/quote]
i knew that, i just wanted to figure out how the preppy call girl fit into the mix. now when i see that again, i’ll know what it is. if you don’t ask questions, you don’t get answers. iza lurner in ginroll.[/quote]
There’s no preppy call girls in the mix. Neither Phil nor I are Tiger Woods.
This collection is pretty cool for you college football fans.
link
[quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
I would much rather have the college overtime used in the NFL than vice versa.
[quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
I’ll take a shot at this one.
Ties aren’t bad. What’s bad is when teams start playing for the tie.
Using a hockey analogy, before the OT loss became a single point in hockey, you’d have teams tied in the second period playing defensively for the single point instead of trying to win. Horrible hockey to watch – I saw one game without a single shot by either team in the third period.
I don’t care if the game ends in a tie if the game is well played and the teams are at least trying to win. But if the last half of a football game just consists of the teams punting back and forth and neither team trying to score, then that’s bad for the game.
[quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once
[quote comment=”366166″]b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
For some reason a tie hurts a hell of a lot more than a close loss. It’s a non-ending. That, paired with the sudden death concept in the NFL, drives me crazy! I’d love some variation on the college OT rules. At least give us a fifth quarter (har! har!) with a setup like that.
[quote comment=”366171″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once[/quote]
That is what the Arena Football League use to do. Each team got the ball once, if it was still tied then it was sudden death.
Great shots of the Seahawks tone-on-tone jersey/pants combo last Sunday (scroll down): link
[quote comment=”366171″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once[/quote]
The idea I really like came from Bob Costas: both teams get the ball at least once, first team to 6 points wins.
[quote comment=”366173″][quote comment=”366171″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once[/quote]
That is what the Arena Football League use to do. Each team got the ball once, if it was still tied then it was sudden death.[/quote]
no, or maybe, i never saw an arena game. there coin flip. first team gets the ball, and the game goes on as normal. but if the first team scores, but following a kick off the second team is assured one possession to tie, best them or fail. it’s still sudden death sort of, just both teams are assured the ball. if that’s arena, fine, that’s what i propose.
is there some sort of natural disaster or something i am not aware of today?
[quote comment=”366176″][quote comment=”366171″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once[/quote]
The idea I really like came from Bob Costas: both teams get the ball at least once, first team to 6 points wins.[/quote]
thought about that too. tow FG’s or aTD. that works too.
[quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
Turquoise is Teal 2.0, and Seafoam Green is Teal 3.0.
[quote comment=”366178″][quote comment=”366176″][quote comment=”366171″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
i agree. the only thing i would change if i had to change something is both teams get the ball once[/quote]
The idea I really like came from Bob Costas: both teams get the ball at least once, first team to 6 points wins.[/quote]
thought about that too. tow FG’s or aTD. that works too.[/quote]
The unappealing part of both teams touching the ball is that an OT game could then end with a three yard run on 4th and 4. That’s possibly less appealing than a game ending on a 23-yard FG.
I have a friend who advocates, “first team to 4 points” which i think has a certain merit.
I personally despise the NCAA OT rules. it is much more like a video game or a scrimmage drill than a football game at that point. Plus the scores end up being deceptive. a 13-13 defensive battle ends up with a final score of 42-35.
but more importantly, here’s a masked mexican wrestler at Estado de el Pais de Mexico address.
link
I found this article faaascinating. I really enjoyed reading about these devices.
BTW, I thought Paul’s ESPN bit was funny today. Judging by the comments over there, the Page 2 readers didn’t get the joke. Nice job on that, too.
I’ve always said do away with the coin toss period….visitors receive the opening kickoff, home team in the second half…in overtime, home team gets the ball first. Think about how it changes end-game strategy if you are the visitors….maybe you go for two. Turns it a little like baseball…you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home.
Frank
Re: Red Wings color-on-color, if Paul checks his email, he’ll find one from me from last night that has some information about the incident. I sent him the pic and also posted it to my flickr. Teebz found it and shared it earlier in the comments.
rpm said:
“is there some sort of natural disaster or something i am not aware of today?”
Yeah, the Browns and Steelers are playing…
[quote comment=”366179″][quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
Turquoise is Teal 2.0, and Seafoam Green is Teal 3.0.[/quote]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.
[quote comment=”366182″]I’ve always said do away with the coin toss period….visitors receive the opening kickoff, home team in the second half…in overtime, home team gets the ball first. Think about how it changes end-game strategy if you are the visitors….maybe you go for two. Turns it a little like baseball…you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home.
Frank[/quote]
that’s the best idea i’ve heard so far…i engaged in this discussion with jth a while back…and i think we decided something like that was the fairest — ESPECIALLY in the playoffs — you play all those games for the home field advantage…what better way to receive a little something for all that work than to have the option to receive the kickoff in OT?
only question? how do you determine who gets that in the event of the super bowl ending in a tie? just “give” it to whomever is the designated “home team” or best record or what?
guess that’s a bridge that will be crossed when and if they ever change the rule
[quote comment=”366185″]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
’57 strat there roberto?
that your axe?
[quote comment=”366185″][quote comment=”366179″][quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
Turquoise is Teal 2.0, and Seafoam Green is Teal 3.0.[/quote]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
Wasn’t dogging at all. I love seafoam. To put it another way, Teal < Turquoise < Seafoam.
I even dig seafoam with black: link
[quote]
no, or maybe, i never saw an arena game. there coin flip. first team gets the ball, and the game goes on as normal. but if the first team scores, but following a kick off the second team is assured one possession to tie, best them or fail. it’s still sudden death sort of, just both teams are assured the ball. if that’s arena, fine, that’s what i propose.
is there some sort of natural disaster or something i am not aware of today?[/quote]
Arena would have a coin flip and a kickoff. It was just like the rest of the game. There was a 15 minute clock and Team A would have the ball until they scored or turned it over (remember no punting in Arena). Then Team B would have the ball until they scored or turned it over. If the score was still tied the game continued until someone scored (sudden death) or the clock ran out and there would be a tie. It was not the college start at the 25 and go from there.
[quote comment=”366186″][quote comment=”366182″]I’ve always said do away with the coin toss period….visitors receive the opening kickoff, home team in the second half…in overtime, home team gets the ball first. Think about how it changes end-game strategy if you are the visitors….maybe you go for two. Turns it a little like baseball…you play for the win on the road, and for the tie at home.
Frank[/quote]
that’s the best idea i’ve heard so far…i engaged in this discussion with jth a while back…and i think we decided something like that was the fairest — ESPECIALLY in the playoffs — you play all those games for the home field advantage…what better way to receive a little something for all that work than to have the option to receive the kickoff in OT?
only question? how do you determine who gets that in the event of the super bowl ending in a tie? just “give” it to whomever is the designated “home team” or best record or what?
guess that’s a bridge that will be crossed when and if they ever change the rule[/quote]
For the record, when I originally proposed the jerk-off, I just wanted to shoehorn the word “jerk-off” into a comment. Sophomoric humor from the university kid, haha, shoot me if you must.
As for ties, I don’t mind them in the NFL, but they bothered me more in the NHL, pre-OT. (Whoever mentioned the analogy, “I like cheese with Italian food, but hate it with Chinese food,” I tip my cap to you here.) I like winners and losers, and I kind of like how in the NFL, ties are rare enough that they really look like typos in the standings. In the NHL, I thought ties littered the standings. (And in retrospect, playing for a tie was probably detrimental for the game too.)
And because everybody else got their two cents in, if I had to, and had the power to, change the NFL OT system, I’d just make a fifth quarter and call it a day. Maybe shortened to ten minutes in the regular season, but definitely fifteen in the playoffs.
[quote comment=”366190″]
when I originally proposed the jerk-off[/quote]
hopefully the first and last time we’ll ever see that phrase on the boards
[quote comment=”366187″][quote comment=”366185″]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
’57 strat there roberto?
that your axe?[/quote]
had a fender jazz bass that looked just like it, but couldn’t find that in an image search.
[quote comment=”366188″][quote comment=”366185″][quote comment=”366179″][quote comment=”366149″]Ugh, turquoise is too close to teal. Didn’t they learn their lesson in the early 1990s?[/quote]
Turquoise is Teal 2.0, and Seafoam Green is Teal 3.0.[/quote]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
Wasn’t dogging at all. I love seafoam. To put it another way, Teal < Turquoise < Seafoam.
I even dig seafoam with black: link
another good application,
[quote comment=”366192″][quote comment=”366187″][quote comment=”366185″]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
’57 strat there roberto?
that your axe?[/quote]
had a fender jazz bass that looked just like it, but couldn’t find that in an image search.[/quote]
likea dis?
full view
i didn’t think they originally came in that color, tho, did they?
[quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
I think the main complaint is that it’s sudden death, not that the coin toss decides who gets the ball first. If they just played a full period, then the focus would be more on playing real football, not just playing to get to the 30.
[quote comment=”366194″][quote comment=”366192″][quote comment=”366187″][quote comment=”366185″]
let’s not dog all link green, especially if it has a white pealized pick guard.[/quote]
’57 strat there roberto?
that your axe?[/quote]
had a fender jazz bass that looked just like it, but couldn’t find that in an image search.[/quote]
link
link
i didn’t think they originally came in that color, tho, did they?[/quote]
that’s it but no peal pick guard, i loved that peal. i had it briefly, then got one of link, lake placid blue, also with the mother of peal. by the way i sucked.
Does Easterbrook’s theory of Cold Coach = Win hold water? Eric Mangini is in a fleece hoodie and Mike Tomlin is in a parka, balaclava and hat.
The Rooneys should follow Notre Dame’s lead and not accept any bowl invitations.
Crap.
[quote comment=”366195″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
I think the main complaint is that it’s sudden death, not that the coin toss decides who gets the ball first. If they just played a full period, then the focus would be more on playing real football, not just playing to get to the 30.[/quote]
I love the NFL’s sudden death overtime, and I hope they never change the format. If you’re the better team, beat your opponent in regulation instead of taking the risk that you might not touch the ball in OT. Just because Bob Costas proposes something, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
[quote comment=”366190″]Whoever mentioned the analogy, “I like cheese with Italian food, but hate it with Chinese food,” I tip my cap to you here.[/quote]
That was me, but I stole it from a segment on The Daily Show.
[quote comment=”366199″][quote comment=”366195″][quote comment=”366166″][quote comment=”366164″]if say a “punt-off” or some other skill test were to replace the overtime coin toss we could put that debate to bed.[/quote]
not to drag this one up again, but a) what is so bad about a coin toss (its certainly better than what the colleges and substantially better than what the cfl does) and b) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TIES???
obviously, playoffs are another beast, but seriously — why exactly is a tie in the regular season such a bad thing?[/quote]
I think the main complaint is that it’s sudden death, not that the coin toss decides who gets the ball first. If they just played a full period, then the focus would be more on playing real football, not just playing to get to the 30.[/quote]
I love the NFL’s sudden death overtime, and I hope they never change the format. If you’re the better team, beat your opponent in regulation instead of taking the risk that you might not touch the ball in OT. Just because Bob Costas proposes something, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.[/quote]
Who said anything about Bob Costas? I don’t like Bob Costas. I just think the way they do overtime in the NFL and college are both stupid. The NFL only has sudden death because that’s how they did it 51 years ago and they’ll be damned if they’re gonna change it now.
How dare you all trash Bob Costas! He has the best birthday ever!
You all are sick.
You guys who dislike ties would have really hated Japanese professional baseball about 30 years ago. The Yomiuri Giants once played 16 ties in a 130-game season!