By Phil Hecken, with Mike Styczen
Back today with one of our friends from north of the border, Mike Styczen, who, amongst many other talents, serves at the de facto Uni Watch barrister. Mike’s here to take us through one of those things about which most American’s could care less, not because we don’t care (although we don’t), but because we’re not really privy to it on our American television sets. Canadian junior hockey. Yup. Now, with MLB in full swing, the NFL recovering from the draft, and the NBA and NHL playoffs mercifully approaching their interminable inevitable conclusions, Mike will take us though a comprehensive look at the “Memorial Cup,” which is a pretty big deal in Canada, bought the NHL a first look at some of it’s current and past stars, and which features some pretty sweet uniforms. So, without further ado, I’ll turn this portion of the post over to Mike.
Sundown in the Paris of the Prairies
By Mike Styczen
The Memorial Cup got underway on Friday in Brandon, Manitoba.
The Memorial Cup is the championship of the major junior Canadian Hockey League, which is comprised of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Québec Major Junior Hockey League. It was first awarded in 1919 and commemorates OHL players who died in the first World War. The four teams playing for the Memorial Cup are the champions of each of the three leagues, plus the host team.
This years WHL champions are the Calgary Hitmen, who beat the Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan) Warriors, the Medicine Hat (Alberta) Tigers, the Brandon Wheat Kings (who go to the cup anyway as host) and Tri-City (Kennewick, Washington) Americans.
The OHL is represented by the Windsor Spitfires, the defending Memorial Cup champions, who beat the Erie (Pennsylvania) Otters, the Plymouth (Michigan) Whalers, the Kitchener Rangers and the Barrie Colts.
The QMJHL champions are the Moncton (New Brunswick) Wildcats, who beat the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (Nova Scotia), the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Quebec), the Drummondville (Quebec) Voltigeurs and the Saint John Sea Dogs (New Brunswick).
The CHL is the top league for junior hockey players in the world. A total of 60 teams play in the three member leagues, and most of the top players are NHL draft picks. The majority of NHL players are CHL graduates. Most of the NHL’s top North American stars have played in the CHL at one time or another. [You may not recognize their baby-faces, but those photos belong to some pretty decent players — I’ll reveal their names after the article. — PH]
The uniforms are exactly what you expect for junior hockey. Lots of cartoon logos, lots of trim, very busy uniforms, though there are also some very classic uniforms as well. And if the uniforms weren’t busy enough, all the uniforms have a Reebok patch, a league patch, plus a Memorial Cup patch for the tournament only.
The Calgary Hitmen were originally owned by Bret Hart and originally wore his signature black and pink colours. Their uniforms are now a little less gaudy, though still cartoonish. Once a year they also wear special Christmas uniforms, hold a teddy bear toss and auction these awesome uniforms off for charity. The Hitmen have never won the Memorial Cup, and have gone to the tournament once.
The Windsor Spitfires used to have classic uniforms, with a stylized spitfire airplane, but more recently have gone to a cartoon airplane logo. The Spitfires have won the Memorial Cup once (last year) and have gone to the tournament one other time.
The Brandon Wheat Kings wear pretty ordinary black and gold uniforms. Their prior set was (in my opinion) a pretty nice look with stylized stalks of wheat on the sleeves. In at least one game of the Cup, they will wear uniforms commemorating the Canadian Armed Forces (the army has a very large presence in Brandon, at CFB Shilo). The Wheat Kings have been to the Memorial Cup four times, never winning.
The Moncton Wildcats are a little more classic, though also with a goofy cartoon logo. The Wildcats have been to the Memorial Cup once, losing in the finals.
The Memorial Cup is always a tough one to predict. The three league champions are all very strong, and while I have a soft spot for the Wheat Kings (no relation to the classic The Tragically Hip song, the host city rarely wins. The championship game is next Sunday, May 23rd.
Wow. Very comprehensive overview of the tournament. Pretty decent (and some very good) unis, in my book, especially when you consider it’s junior hockey. Even though I’m personally not nearly as into hockey as I used to be, I still think hockey teams have the best uniforms in team sports. Great job.
Oh. Those five “before they were great” pictures earlier? While you may or may not recognize their faces, but even the non-hockey fan amongst us will recognize the names: Orr, Gretzky, Crosby, Lindros and Lemieux. All of whom came up through the ranks. Will the next Number 4, Great One or Super Mario be playing in this year’s tournament? Maybe.
Big round of thanks to Mike Styczen for this fantastic piece.
Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds squared off in the fourth annual Civil Rights game, the second to be held in Cincinnati, and in which both teams threw back to 1947.
So, how’d they do?
I’m not even gonna go there, ok? The Reds dressed like this. The Cardinals, for the most part, dressed like so although Adam Wainwright sported striped socks (not stirrups). I gotta admit, I only saw about an inning and a half of the game (at the very end), but from what I saw, it was kinda sorta like the Phillies/Brewers game from Friday night.
Mr. Cub tossed out the first ball and everybody’s favorite stirrup clad Card played the role again. I’ll leave the “how’d they do” up to you guys.
From The Squiddie Files: Back again with our Life Coach, Lance Smith, who’s back with more great stuff. So what does he have in store for us today? Let’s just say…it’s easy as 1-2-3. Here’s Squiddie:
Hockey and basketball have reached the playoffs. Baseball is underway. Most of the world is getting ready for the World Cup.
So what do I want to talk about today? Football! Yeah, we’re in that great point of the year where the pains of last season are almost healed and where every team (except the Lions) is a potential Super Bowl winner. Are you ready for some football? Yeah, sure you are.
Let’s look at some pictures.
A is for Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons used to have such nice helmets and unis. What went wrong?
B is for Bob Mathias. Mathias is best known for winning two gold medals in the decathlon, but he also played football for Stanford. Not sure about fencing.
C is for China. The NFL has been trying to cultivate new fan bases in Europe, Mexico and Japan. It’s next target is China. But as we can see, football was in China in 1947. (BTW: Best down marker ever.)
D is for Draft. The modern hoopla of the draft has developed gradually. Before the big boards and televised coverage, the draft was just a bunch of guys in a hotel ballroom. At least the Giants officials dressed for the occasion.
E is for Eddie LeBaron. Eddie played for both the Redskins and the Cowboys. He also wore one mean blazer.
F is for Face mask. I still think these clear ones re the best. Or maybe this one on a youth helmet.
G is for Gaslight Girls. The Gaslight Girls were the draw at Chicago’s Gaslight Club. So as a promotional idea, why not dress them up in football jerseys and have them “practice” with the Chicago Cardinals. Hilarity ensued.
H is for Helmet. A football team needs a lot of helmets. They are the bane of the equipment manager.
J is for Jim Brown. In high school, Jim Brown won thirteen letters in five sports. Jim Brown is in the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Jim Brown was in Three the Hard Way. What have you done with your life?
K is for kicker. The placekick is one of the most complex actions in football requiring coordination between the kicker and holder. Remember to follow through.
L is Lombardi. It’s still the Vince Lombardi Trophy, isn’t it? Given some of the NFL’s recent gyrations, you have to check periodically.
M is for Michigan. You may wonder why anyone would want a mascot that vomits on food so other animals can’t eat it, but you can’t argue with those maize and blue helmets.
N is for NFL Championship. Has it really been 50 years since the Eagles last won one? Will the fans tear the goal posts down if they win another one?
O is for Otto Graham. Graham may have been a great player for the Browns, but he needed some wardrobe advice as a coach. Note to Redskins: bring back these unis.
P is for Property of . Property of is OK when it’s on your shirt. Not so much when it’s on your pants.
Q is for Quarterbacks. The Life archives has a number of takes of this photo by Ralph Morse of the National Football League quarterbacks. Also available in color.
R is for the safe hands of Raymond Berry. Could the Colts have won “The Greatest Game Ever Played” without these hands? (Did he get the tape work from Lenny Moore?)
S is for Scoreboard. Do you recognize what game this one is for?
T is Television Blackout. Why do they still happen? Giants fans going to a motel to watch a home game in 1962.
U is for Unitas. Just remember, everything Johnny Unitas accomplished was done wearing those shoes.
V is for Vikings. The next time you see the current Minnesota uniforms remember what once was. Oh and Run, Francis, run!
W is for Harry Wismer. Shouldn’t this be under H? Shut up! Harry Wismer was the voice of the Washington Redskins and a charter owner in the AFL. He’s the one that came up with the idea of teams sharing television revenue. The man knew his plays and his ties.
X is for X’s and O’s. Whether you’re explaining a play to Sid Luckman or a sorority house, you use x’s and o’s.
Y is for Y.A. Tittle. Can you imagine Y.A. Tittle getting to play quarterback if people had called him Yelberton? Does a Yelberton stand in the pocket when Bob Lilly is rushing him? Probably not.
Z is for Zebra. If an official doesn’t wear stripes is he a Vebra?
You thought all the boys from Benchies did was drink and play softball in the spring. Well, there’s more than just softball. Here’s Rick:
This time of year, it’s Fishing Opener somewhere just about every weekend. In BenchiesLand, lines have been getting wet all over the place, and even though the camaderie and libations both fill the gang’s favorite fishing vessel…well, nothing’s ever perfect. Especially if you run into an undersized but agressive Largemouth…
Here’s your Sunday Benchies.
Guess The Game From The Scoreboard: As we move a little closer in the quest for Lord Stanley’s cup, we turn our attention to the cylindrical rubber disc. Gotta crank up the way back machine though. Perhaps the weather will break and the drought will be ended. Ready? Guess The Game From The Scoreboard Date, location and final score, please, and be sure to link to your answer. And, as always, if you enjoy the game, please send me some new scoreboards! Drop me a line. Thanks!
Back again with more Uniform Tweaks, Concepts and Revisions today. Lots to get to, and if you have a tweak, change or concept for any sport, send them my way.
Leading off today is Patricia Bradley, who has a soccer tweak. This is, I believe, the first soccer tweak I’ve ever received. With the World Cup fast approaching, I’d imagine this won’t be the last:
Phil;
I messed with USA kit a bit. The US Soccer shield should actually match the US flag in my opinion, and what’s with the polka dot numbers? Might as well have tiny stars instead. Most importantly, removed the stains (Devil logo). What do you think?
Tricia Bradley
Next up is Michael Hass, who has five very interesting NFL concepts. Really.
Hey Phil,
I have a couple NFL tweaks for you. After seeing your write-up of Danny Finocchio’s awesome baseball tweaks a couple months ago, I was inspired to draw up a new template for football uniforms. I just have fronts right now, but maybe down the road I’ll do one for the backs. First up, I have the Bears which is already great, but could be better in my opinion. I think the orange is underused in their current uni…it just always appears flat to me. So I amped that up and added some weight to the stripe pattern.
I submitted a Cards design for the Uni contest, but I think it may have been a little over the top for some people. Here I’ve retooled it so it’s more practical, and added a couple of stripes to the mix. Stripes never hurt anyone, right? (Unless they’re on a pair of 1960’s Broncos socks)
I’ve submitted this Bengals design before, but I wanted to see how it looked in this new format. Basically the concept was to not make them look like clown costumes.
I’ve always wanted to see what the Ravens‘ uni would look like if they integrated the iconic Baltimore flag, since they’ve already used it in their alternate logo and on the field. There may be a bit too much going on here for some, but it’s different and I kind of like it. But this probably wouldn’t be a primary uni.
There’s always a debate about the Chargers powder blue vs dark blue. So why not just combine them and be done with it? Also, I wanted to try a new way of placing the lightning bolts without having those annoying white panels behind them, and I fixed what I feel is a number-readability problem. That’s it for now — thanks for the forum.
Michael Hass
And finally, we have a baseball redesign from Matthew Hager:
Hey Phil,
Here’s my Cincinnati Reds uni tweak. I am a Reds fan and have been since berth. The one thing that always bothered me about the Reds, even before I had ever heard of Uni Watch, was the “REDS” typeface in the wishbone C. I didn’t match the logo they used when I was little, nor does it match what they use on their jerseys now. They changed “Cincinnati” typefaces a couple of years ago, and it still doesn’t match the “REDS” since the C.
My tweak is to just get rid of it. Yes, the Chicago Bears use the wishbone C, too, but I doubt anyone is really confusing the two teams. I based my C off the 1980s “Mr. Red logo” C and went from there.
For the home look I went back to the past. My favorite Reds home jersey is the 1956 look. It’s simple and awesome. The Reds are a traditional MLB team and should have more of a classic, traditional look. No drop shadows, no BFBS, no gimmicks.
For the road jersey I decided to mix what the Reds do now and what they did the last time they won the World Series in 1990. I kept the current “Cincinnati” typeface but changed the numbers type. I also dropped all of the black drop shadows and decided to return white trim to the letters and numbers – like the Reds did away from home in 1990.
For the third/alternate I decided to go back to 1956 for a little inspiration. I went with a red top with the head of Mr. Redlegs replacing the wishbone C on the front. The Reds used Mr. Redlegs as a jersey logo on the road in 1956.
Finally, I should note the socks, which are red with five white stripes – much like what the Reds wore at home in 1956. The reason I did that was to honor Cincinnati’s five World Series champions from 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976 and 1990.
Thanks and keep up the good work,
Matt
Good stuff. Thanks to all the tweakers, back with more next time.
OK, everyone, enjoy your Sunday.
No one’s interested in something you didn’t do. — The Hip
And a Happy 4th Anniversary…I had mine last Friday…Uni Watch celebrates its #4 on Monday. Quite a first pitch. What a long, strange trip it’s been. Congrats Paul, and thanks for the ride.
If memory serves me correctly, the Cards’ blouses had zippers, not buttons, the red trim was thinner, the font of the numbers was different and the belts were red.
The Reds’ logo is pretty accurate. The belts should have been black.
C+
[quote comment=”390359″]If memory serves me correctly, the Cards’ blouses had zippers, not buttons, the red trim was thinner, the font of the numbers was different and the belts were red.
The Reds’ logo is pretty accurate. The belts should have been black.
C+[/quote]
And I don’t believe the Reds had a navy border on the numbers. Know for sure they didn’t on the roads.
—Ricko
Hey Michael…two things for you. First off, your Arizona Cards redesign is awesome! It is 10 times better than the actual uni. Also, your template is the best football template I’ve seen yet. Is there anyway you could supply a blank one?
I really like the Chicago Bears and Chargers tweaks.
Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!!
[quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Anyone else think most of those QBs looked like middle-aged office workers?
And it wasn’t just those guys. So many of the athletes from that era looked middle-aged, even when they were in their 20s. For lack of a better term, they looked like GROWN-UPS, in a way that today’s athletes almost never do. I don’t know if it had to do with baldness or haircuts or mid-century stoicism or what, but those guys all looked way older than Jamie Moyer looks now.
This is an aspect of athletics aesthetics I’ve long pondered but never written about. Might have to do something about that….
Meanwhile: Big thanks to Phil for remembering the site’s impending birthday. Wouldn’t’ve made it this far withoutcha, buddy.
[quote comment=”390364″][quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Anyone else think most of those QBs looked like middle-aged office workers?
And it wasn’t just those guys. So many of the athletes from that era looked middle-aged, even when they were in their 20s. For lack of a better term, they looked like GROWN-UPS, in a way that today’s athletes almost never do. I don’t know if it had to do with baldness or haircuts or mid-century stoicism or what, but those guys all looked way older than Jamie Moyer looks now.
This is an aspect of athletics aesthetics I’ve long pondered but never written about. Might have to do something about that….
Meanwhile: Big thanks to Phil for remembering the site’s impending birthday. Wouldn’t’ve made it this far withoutcha, buddy.[/quote]
Yup. I posted this late last night with the same thought. Don’t see many ballplayes who look like this anymore…
link
—Ricko
Do those guys look older just the same way we think the girls NEVER looked as good when we were in school?
The Cardinals’ TBTC uniforms looked great. Too bad more teams don’t have piping around the belt loops. Are the Braves the only current team that has this design in their uniform set?
I liked the Cardinals throwbacks, even if they weren’t strictly authentic. An improvement over their regular road uniforms IMO. I didn’t notice any jammie pants or oversize jerseys, unlike the Reds and Brewers. IIRC they wore a similar home version a couple of years ago.
Uni-watchers should be praying for a Throwback aloosa and cheer on the Celtics v. Lakers and Blackhawks v. Canadians Finals. Imagine the retrocentricnesd of the whole thing?
Thanks for the Hip titles Mike. You made my morning.
What on earth is on the front of that Lemieux sweater? Anyone?
Paul and Gang,
Happy Anniversary…UniWatch is an outstanding “outlet” for those of us who desire the classic, simple look of uniforms…
Have a great balance to your weekend…and I love the “stuff” from LIFE Magazine…
[quote comment=”390371″]What on earth is on the front of that Lemieux sweater? Anyone?[quote]
Thanks – I wasn’t sure how the Hip references would go.
Its a stylized “L”, for Laval. Here’s another view (that’s not me, just a random picture I found):
link
Apologies to the Hip – whoever he was. Jim Brown sure was a great NFL back & I’ll never be. But I also won’t have the rap sheet he has for abusing women before he fixed himself. Or learned to keep a lower profile. . ..
In regards to this question:
S is for Scoreboard. Do you recognize what game this one is for?
link
My guess would be the following:
link
Although the “D” on the scoreboard is misleading…???!!!!???
Stan
[quote comment=”390373″][quote comment=”390371″]What on earth is on the front of that Lemieux sweater? Anyone?[quote]
Thanks – I wasn’t sure how the Hip references would go.
Its a stylized “L”, for Laval. Here’s another view (that’s not me, just a random picture I found):
link
That almost makes me want to DIY a Tetris piece on a jersey. Almost.
I’m a daily ready, but never join the discussion. But the Ravens’ tweak is worth saying something about: It F**KING ROCKS.
I like it better than the dijon-mustard pant tweak that popped up in 2009, which I loved when I saw it. I think the only way to make today’s tweak better is to make the numbers bigger and remove the trim. That’s not varsity font is it? It should be.
…and a quote fail for me
One more detail about the Windsor Spitfires’ uniform: The player in the first picture (Maple Leafs prospect Dale Mitchell, who’s sporting an awesome playoff mustache in a later photo) is wearing a small black patch featuring the letter C and the number 18 on his left breast. This patch is in honour of team captain Mickey Renaud, who died suddenly of an undetected heart problem in February, 2008. The team wore this patch for the remainder of that season, retired Renaud’s number at the beginning of the following season, then hung his sweater behind the team’s bench to serve as inspiration during every game of their Memorial Cup tournament. (It worked; they won.) In addition to that, each player in the OHL wore a No. 18 decal on the back of his helmet during the 2009 season in honour of Renaud.
[quote comment=”390373″][quote comment=”390371″]What on earth is on the front of that Lemieux sweater? Anyone?[/quote]
Thanks – I wasn’t sure how the Hip references would go.
Its a stylized “L”, for Laval. Here’s another view (that’s not me, just a random picture I found):
link
Nice jersey. The sleeves are a bit plain, though. Maybe it could use a link.
Hey Mike, that Cincinnati Bengals re-do looks awfully BROWN, as in Cleveland Browns. Was that by design?
And what a great shot of the 1961 NFL quarterbacks! I’m so old I actually remember these guys. FYI the players are:
Back row L to R-Milt Plum, Browns; Bobby Layne, Steelers; Sam Etcheverry, Cardinals; Billy Wade, Bears; Bart Starr, Packers; Johnny Unitas, Colts; Norm Snead, Redskins, Zeke Bratkowski, Rams.
Front row L to R- Jim Ninowki, Lions; Fran Tarkenton, Vikings; Don Meredith, Cowboys; John Brodie, 49ers; Sonny Jurgensen, Eagles; Y.A. Tittle, Giants.
That football tweak template is awesome.
[quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
My thoughts exactly! Anyway to get a poster-size print of that for my office?
BTW-I spelled Ninowski’s name wrong (forgot the “s”). Did anyone notice that 13 of the 14 jerseys are long-sleeved? Imagine today’s hot-shot QB’s wearing that type of shirt. Ah, there’s just such a classic elegance to the style of all of those uniforms.
[quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Never knew there was a color verison of that picture! Did the Giants wear red sox with their blue jersey back then or was Y.A. Tittle wearing the wrong sox? Football uniforms past and present shows them with blue sox in the early 60’s.
[quote comment=”390377″]I’m a daily ready, but never join the discussion. But the Ravens’ tweak is worth saying something about: It F**KING ROCKS.
I like it better than the dijon-mustard pant tweak that popped up in 2009, which I loved when I saw it. I think the only way to make today’s tweak better is to make the numbers bigger and remove the trim. That’s not varsity font is it? It should be.[/quote]
I like this redesign, too. Adding elements of the state flag and/or a raven into the uni, is a big improvement. I always felt being a relatively newer franchise in the NFL, it was important to have a distinctive look coming out of the gate. The actual raven logo is fine, thought the rest of the uniform was a little bland.
Forgive me for being “looksist,” but women looked older in the old days, too. Check out this 1959 photo of the wives of NASA’s Mercury Project astronauts. Bear in mind that the astronauts were all between 32 and 38 years old at the time… presumably the wives were that age or younger.
link
There was one detail missing about the special red Calgary Hitmen jerseys, and that’s the fact that they have snow capped numbers on the sleeves and back.
[quote comment=”390389″]There was one detail missing about the special red Calgary Hitmen jerseys, and that’s the fact that they have snow capped numbers on the sleeves and back.[/quote]
You’re right, when I was writing this I couldn’t find a photo of them that showed the snow-capped numbers. I just searched again and found this:
link
Just got around to reading yesterday’s entry. Boy, what a firestorm. Here’s my contribution to the throwback uni/modern cut controversy.
1. Why is it that whenever a team wears a uni that throws back to the 1940s they wear it with the extra baggy 1940s cut, but when a team throws back to the 1970s they don’t honor the ’70s cut the same way?
2. A lot of folks commented about the ’70s cut being uncomfortable or restricting. I find it hard to believe that the majority of major league baseball players of the ’70s were victimized by some kind of mass delusion & thought they were comfortable when they weren’t. Surely those unis had enough give in them to allow freedom of movement.
3. Yes, time is saved by turning out those throwbacks quickly using players everyday measurements. Still, they could try harder.
[quote comment=”390385″][quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Never knew there was a color verison of that picture! Did the Giants wear red sox with their blue jersey back then or was Y.A. Tittle wearing the wrong sox? Football uniforms past and present shows them with blue sox in the early 60’s.[/quote]
Yelberton Abraham is wearing the wrong socks. Royal home, red road.
—Ricko
Happy Early 4th!
Here are the most used colors (pantone) in Baseball! link
link
what is on carlos lees jersey? it looks like a red mothers day oatch on the left chest… you can see it on 0:52 and 0:45
Well then, Happy 4th anniversary, Phil! (For what?)
[quote comment=”390375″]In regards to this question:
S is for Scoreboard. Do you recognize what game this one is for?
link
My guess would be the following:
link
Although the “D” on the scoreboard is misleading…???!!!!???
[/quote]
Aim somewhat later. The “D” is appropriate for the team involved.
Mike Styczen, thank you for the comprehensive look at minor league hockey. I have to say, though, the state of uniforms and logos is at its nadir. Right? Hopefully? The angry cartoonish logos are embarrassingly crude and interchangeable and cliche. Even the Wheat Kings relatively sedate logo gets buried in the color and design. Geesh. The most compelling uniforms shown were those worn by the NHL stars (except Crosby, oy). That Gretzky Greyhounds jersey is great and I love that abstract thing Lemieux is sporting.
And, yeah, as a kid I always wondered why those football players of yesteryear, presumably near their prime, looked like my dad…or my grandpa!
[quote comment=”390392″][quote comment=”390385″][quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Never knew there was a color verison of that picture! Did the Giants wear red sox with their blue jersey back then or was Y.A. Tittle wearing the wrong sox? Football uniforms past and present shows them with blue sox in the early 60’s.[/quote]
Yelberton Abraham is wearing the wrong socks. Royal home, red road.
—Ricko[/quote]
I was kinda curious about another sock anomaly. It looks like Billy Wade has plain orange stripes on his jersey, but the socks appear to be featheredge.
I could certainly be wrong, but I don’t believe the Bears ever wore that combo.
link shows them going to the featheredge stripes in 1962, but I think it was actually 1961 that they made the change.
So is Wade just wearing the previous season’s jersey with the new socks?
Nice to see the WHL getting some press. Growing up in Washington State, we had WHL teams all over the state so I’ve been to a few games. For those of us who like the more classic look of uniforms, look no further than the 2008 Memorial Cup champions, the link who also happen to have one of the best goal celebrations I’ve been in. link My other favorite WHL team also has a very classic looking uniform in the typical colors of the area: link
Phil- don’t you mean we COULDN’T care less? You know, right after the apostrophe catastrophe?
[quote comment=”390392″][quote comment=”390385″][quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Never knew there was a color verison of that picture! Did the Giants wear red sox with their blue jersey back then or was Y.A. Tittle wearing the wrong sox? Football uniforms past and present shows them with blue sox in the early 60’s.[/quote]
Yelberton Abraham is wearing the wrong socks. Royal home, red road.
—Ricko[/quote]
Thanks Ricko
Thanks Mike for the indepth CHL report. I’ve always been a fan of the Wheaties unis and particularly liked the ones worn on Friday night to honour the military.
I live in a WHL town – Cranbrook BC, home of the Kootenay Ice. Our jersey, unfortunately, is included in the cartoon category and even more unfortunate, the Edge jersey is god awful:
link
The Memorial Cup IS on TV in the States… NHL Network (available on Comcast systems with digital cable and the sports package – not sure about other providers) is rebroadcasting the feed from Rogers SportsNet.
Thanks, Phil, for the post. Pretty cool stuff. Three things stuck out:
a) Despite yardage records, etc., it will take quite the running back to knock Jim Brown out as No. 1. Badass dude then, badass dude now. Don’t ever mess around with Jim.
b) Don’t know why this is so, but whenever I see a pic of Johnny Unitas I always thing BALTIMORE before I think of COLTS. Even those jarring pictures of him in lightning bolts.
c) Don’t remember those Viking three gold-stripe socks. Always thought they were NW before they were solid. Thanks. Still like the NW versions. (BTW, Chuck Foreman was a pretty good running back, too.)
Again, thanks.
[quote comment=”390404″]Thanks, Phil, for the post. Pretty cool stuff. Three things stuck out:
a) Despite yardage records, etc., it will take quite the running back to knock Jim Brown out as No. 1. Badass dude then, badass dude now. Don’t ever mess around with Jim.
b) Don’t know why this is so, but whenever I see a pic of Johnny Unitas I always thing BALTIMORE before I think of COLTS. Even those jarring pictures of him in lightning bolts.
c) Don’t remember those Viking three gold-stripe socks. Always thought they were NW before they were solid. Thanks. Still like the NW versions. (BTW, Chuck Foreman was a pretty good running back, too.)
Again, thanks.[/quote]
The second year of the Vikings, they went to purple pants on the road. With them they wore high white socks with three equal purple stripes feaather-edged in gold. The following season, the high whites changed purple NW stripes feathered-edged in gold, and stayed that way for the rest of purple pants run. That’s probably, and rightly, why your mind is thinking of NW stripes. Home socks during that time were always the three equal gold stripes, though.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”390395″]Well then, Happy 4th anniversary, Phil! (For what?)[/quote]
well…it ain’t marriage…i had 11 of those
[quote comment=”390364″][quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
Anyone else think most of those QBs looked like middle-aged office workers?
And it wasn’t just those guys. So many of the athletes from that era looked middle-aged, even when they were in their 20s. For lack of a better term, they looked like GROWN-UPS, in a way that today’s athletes almost never do. I don’t know if it had to do with baldness or haircuts or mid-century stoicism or what, but those guys all looked way older than Jamie Moyer looks now.
This is an aspect of athletics aesthetics I’ve long pondered but never written about. Might have to do something about that….
Meanwhile: Big thanks to Phil for remembering the site’s impending birthday. Wouldn’t’ve made it this far withoutcha, buddy.[/quote]
You are quite right, but a lot of people outside sports did too. Maybe life was harder back then, and of course life expectancy was less. But you often had to grow up fast. Now the modern man is often either of two guys in “Two and a Half Men.”
[quote comment=”390391″]Just got around to reading yesterday’s entry. Boy, what a firestorm. Here’s my contribution to the throwback uni/modern cut controversy.
1. Why is it that whenever a team wears a uni that throws back to the 1940s they wear it with the extra baggy 1940s cut, but when a team throws back to the 1970s they don’t honor the ’70s cut the same way?
2. A lot of folks commented about the ’70s cut being uncomfortable or restricting. I find it hard to believe that the majority of major league baseball players of the ’70s were victimized by some kind of mass delusion & thought they were comfortable when they weren’t. Surely those unis had enough give in them to allow freedom of movement.
3. Yes, time is saved by turning out those throwbacks quickly using players everyday measurements. Still, they could try harder.[/quote]
G.,
I’m much more concerned about the slovenly nature of basketball than baseball. Baseball by comparsion is somewhat still traditional. But the failure to wear any kind of socks or stirrups is irritating. MLB should mandate the wearing of something.
Funny how football uniforms seem to turn more and more into shrink-wrap every year, though; they’re going in the opposite diretion!
Funny how the Reds threw back to black caps and black-trimmed uniforms, but they were true to their heritage. They were BFBS long before the trend.
S is for scoreboard:
It’s got to be link. The home team listed first made that trickier than it needed to be.
[quote comment=”390409″]Funny how the Reds threw back to black caps and black-trimmed uniforms, but they were true to their heritage. They were BFBS long before the trend.[/quote]
except the reds wore navy
i know, i know…i thought it was black at first — more like the yankees midnight blue than navy
but they definitely were NOT black (in 47 or 10)
[quote comment=”390411″][quote comment=”390409″]Funny how the Reds threw back to black caps and black-trimmed uniforms, but they were true to their heritage. They were BFBS long before the trend.[/quote]
except the link wore link
i know, i know…i thought it was black at first — more like the yankees midnight blue than navy
but they definitely were NOT black (in 47 or 10)[/quote]
Was it black or navy last night? Looked like black on TV, but can’t be sure.
Kind of like the White Sox, whose colors are now black and silver, used to wear a similiar uniform that was navy.
[quote comment=”390363″]Holy Cow that Q for Quarterback series is awesome… Especially when that COLOR photo opened. It blew me away!!! I was imagining Jurgensen in burgundy, and the WHAM… there he was in green! Just fabulous!![/quote]
RE: NFL Cards uni-tweak – Isn’t that very similar to the NCAA Louisville Cards in the 1980s? Unique, wide-spaced skinny shoulder stripes …..
For all of the uni-tweaks, let’s just use the Life Magazine QB photo and re-adopt those unis for today. each team, sans the Colts and Bears who are pretty much the same, wore infinitelty better unis then as compared to the now. How about just (begrudgingly) conceding the (modern, lack of) sleeve issue, and use these unis today!
[quote comment=”390412″]Was it black or navy last night? Looked like black on TV, but can’t be sure.
Kind of like the White Sox, whose colors are now black and silver, used to wear a similiar uniform that was navy.[/quote]
it took me a minute to figure it out, and i’m 99.99% positive it was navy (especially since that’s what they wore in 47)…if you look at pics, there are angles where it appears black, but also many where it’s definitely NOT black…in some of those pics, the cards looked like they were wearing black caps too, and we know that’s not the case either
also…with regard to the reds and their use of black…
im also 99.48% positive the FIRST time the ever added any black to their uniform was 1961, (notice the SINGLE memorial band, worn on the left “sleeve” of the vest — which the made into a “matching set from 62 onward)
i could be wrong about this, but im almost positive the first use of black on the uni corresponded to the memorial band on the vest (memorial band was for powell crosley, of that im positive)
I don’t know if this has been plugged here yet, but link to the link.
God willing, I hope Ken Griffey, Jr. retires by then.
[quote comment=”390416″]I don’t know if this has been plugged here yet, but link to the link.
God willing, I hope Ken Griffey, Jr. retires by then.[/quote]
I forgot the operative words:
In June.
Guarantee you it was navy…in ’40s, ’50s and such. Can’t speak to last night, bit I’d like to think the Reds know the first black on their unis wasn’t until a few years ago.
Don’t feel like digging out I out photos; too nice a day. Just look at any of several hundred baseball cards and photos from that era. If not sure, google image search Ted Kluszewski, Ewell Blackwell, Johnny Vandermeer. You’ll find a number of color photos of those navy-hat unis. Even search Frank Robinson. There are some color shots of him wearing it in spring training.
—Ricko
First black other than that memorial armband for their owner, that is.
Yankees-Red Sox Monday night on espn.
FINALLY, we get to watch those two teams play each other.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t that team in San Diego….the “Padres” or whatever they’re called…kinda hot right now?
Oh, I KNOW why it’s Yankees-Red Sox. Again. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
—Ricko
brad penny of the cardinals is wearing striped hoses without the stirrups… just striped socks!
[quote comment=”390389″]There was one detail missing about the special red Calgary Hitmen jerseys, and that’s the fact that they have snow capped numbers on the sleeves and back.[/quote]
Those snow-capped jerseys were worn at Christmas, and only at Christmas. They were a promotional jersey to raise money for charities in the Calgary area.
[quote comment=”390420″]Yankees-Red Sox Monday night on espn.
FINALLY, we get to watch those two teams play each other.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t that team in San Diego….the “Padres” or whatever they’re called…kinda hot right now?[/quote]
yup…but when the yankeesawks play, i believe it’s written into the MLB charter to cover them for the national game
it’s actually a “double suck” for those of us in the NY (and maybe bahstin) area too, because we already get the spanks on YES, so that means there’s no “alternate” game on espn for those of us who really don’t wanna be subjected to the yanks
and tuesday, the MLB network is carrying…
wait for it…
yankeesawks
so, instead of having the option of a non-ny game on monday & tuesday, we’ll get a four-hour sportscenter or highlights of harold reynolds showing us how to break in his glove on mlb
im also sick of the mets on SNB/MNB as well…so this isn’t necessarily a anti-sox or anti-yankmee bias…
but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while
[quote comment=”390397″]Mike Styczen, thank you for the comprehensive look at minor league hockey. I have to say, though, the state of uniforms and logos is at its nadir. Right? Hopefully? The angry cartoonish logos are embarrassingly crude and interchangeable and cliche. Even the Wheat Kings relatively sedate logo gets buried in the color and design. Geesh. The most compelling uniforms shown were those worn by the NHL stars (except Crosby, oy). That Gretzky Greyhounds jersey is great and I love that abstract thing Lemieux is sporting.[/quote]
That “abstract thing” that Lemieux is sporting is the logo for the Laval Voisins. “Voisins” means “neighbours” in French, and they literally were showing the big city (the tall building-like design = Montreal) compared to the little city (the small building = Laval). Laval is just on the outskirts of Montreal, and the team name reflects that.
Yes, it looks like a Tetris block, but, in 1985, the Voisins changed the team name to the Titan. Laval didn’t last past 1998, moving to Bathurst, New Brunswick. They were renamed as the “Acadie-Bathurst Titan”.
[quote comment=”390424″][quote comment=”390397″]Mike Styczen, thank you for the comprehensive look at minor league hockey. I have to say, though, the state of uniforms and logos is at its nadir. Right? Hopefully? The angry cartoonish logos are embarrassingly crude and interchangeable and cliche. Even the Wheat Kings relatively sedate logo gets buried in the color and design. Geesh. The most compelling uniforms shown were those worn by the NHL stars (except Crosby, oy). That Gretzky Greyhounds jersey is great and I love that abstract thing Lemieux is sporting.[/quote]
That “abstract thing” that Lemieux is sporting is the logo for the Laval Voisins. “Voisins” means “neighbours” in French, and they literally were showing the big city (the tall building-like design = Montreal) compared to the little city (the small building = Laval). Laval is just on the outskirts of Montreal, and the team name reflects that.
Yes, it looks like a Tetris block, but, in 1985, the Voisins changed the team name to the Titan. Laval didn’t last past 1998, moving to Bathurst, New Brunswick. They were renamed as the “Acadie-Bathurst Titan”.[/quote]
Thanks, Teebz. That design and the thinking behind it is refreshingly original.
Are the Habs and the Flyers the only teams with doubled center-ice logos, instead of one large one bisected by the red line?
Mike,
Awesome piece on the Memorial Cup, and the CHL in general. Being a long-time Portland Winterhawks fan, and seeing the likes of Steve Konowalchuk, Adam Deadmarsh and Jason Weimer all the way up to Marian Hossa, Andrew Ference and Paul Gaustad. Missed out on the era of Ray Ferraro and Cam Neely, though.
Thanks again for the exposure of the Memorial Cup. You can’t deny the legacy of junior hockey!
GO HAWKS!
[quote comment=”390426″]Are the Habs and the Flyers the only teams with doubled center-ice logos, instead of one large one bisected by the red line?[/quote]
paul did something on red lines last year — i bet those pics will show the center ice logos, if you want to check
[quote comment=”390418″]Guarantee you it was navy…in ’40s, ’50s and such. Can’t speak to last night, bit I’d like to think the Reds know the first black on their unis wasn’t until a few years ago.
Don’t feel like digging out I out photos; too nice a day. Just look at any of several hundred baseball cards and photos from that era. If not sure, google image search Ted Kluszewski, Ewell Blackwell, Johnny Vandermeer. You’ll find a number of color photos of those navy-hat unis. Even search Frank Robinson. There are some color shots of him wearing it in spring training.
—Ricko[/quote]
thanks for the back up rick
and, just to show ricko knows his stuff…
here’s a pic of ewell blackwell from july 21, 1947
it’s blue aight
Re: 1961 Life magazine pic of the NFL QB’s…
First off, hoping Mr. Morse wasn’t pummeled by all the footballs heading his way.
Two QB’s (Etcheverry and Layne) aren’t soprting TV numbers. Steelers and Cardinals wouldn’t sport them until the next year (’62), though the Steelers did wear them in 1956. Billy Wade is wearing TV’s but with a single digit number (9), it’s hard to tell.
Bears did add the feather edge stripes to the navy jerseys in 1961. But the “C” wouldn’t be added until ’62.
Ricko, on the white socks of the Vikes from ’62-’64, I’m thinking the Vikes might have flirted with both NW and equal striped socks in 1962. Then went with the equals in 1963 and NW’s in 1964. Went solid purple in 1965.
Exactly what color is John Brodie’s pants…light silver or gold?? They definitely don’t look as silver/gray as Ninowski’s or Tittle’s pants.
Classic photo.
Michael Hass – those tweaks are some fine stuff. You win the weekend contest. Being good though means you get comments.
Bears – I like it, don’t like the helmet stripe and they really don’t need any tweak anyway, just a dumping of the orange alt.
Cardinals – the only thing I’d change is not adding the helmet stripes. Great!
Bengals – I like it. A lot. Just making sure the helmet stripes aren’t the spikes like the current Titans and Broncos. That would be bad.
Ravens – Turn that bird around to face forward on the helmet and call it perfect.
Chargers – Probably my least favorite of the bunch but not bad at all.
Excellent job, Michael! Phil will put your prize in the mail tomorrow.
The Logo on Mario’s jersey from his Laval days is actually an “L”. with some strange drop shadow at work.
It took me awhile to figure that out back in the day, but it is an “L”. Look closely and you’ll see it.
And the other thingy on his sweater is a “C”.
[quote comment=”390423″]but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while[/quote]
Dear ESPN and FOX,
The above statement was written by a New Yorker. If your target audience wants to see someone besides the Yankees/Sox/Mets, imagine how the rest of us feel.
Here’s an idea – next time show us two other teams. Just once. And if the game becomes a blowout, you can always switch back to the same old same old classic rivalry.
Thanks,
Jim from flyover country
Top to bottom, this has to be my favorite set of uni tweaks. I’d wear them all!
Mike, I agree those old Wheat Kings unis were great:
link
link
Love that Cardinals throwback uni as well.
And Ricko, that’s one scary-looking protester…
[quote comment=”390364″]Anyone else think most of those QBs looked like middle-aged office workers?
And it wasn’t just those guys. So many of the athletes from that era looked middle-aged, even when they were in their 20s. For lack of a better term, they looked like GROWN-UPS, in a way that today’s athletes almost never do. I don’t know if it had to do with baldness or haircuts or mid-century stoicism or what, but those guys all looked way older than Jamie Moyer looks now..[/quote]
[quote comment=”390388″]Forgive me for being “looksist,” but women looked older in the old days, too. Check out this 1959 photo of the wives of NASA’s Mercury Project astronauts. Bear in mind that the astronauts were all between 32 and 38 years old at the time… presumably the wives were that age or younger.
link
It’s the crew cuts. Plus, didn’t 98% of the population smoke in those days? Probably the unfiltered stuff, too. That could put a few years and a leathery texture onto those faces.
[quote comment=”390416″]I don’t know if this has been plugged here yet, but link to the link.
God willing, I hope Ken Griffey, Jr. retires by then.[/quote]
I hope they make a t-shirt version of that jersey. You bet I’d wear that.
Happy anniversary Paul and Phil, and thanks!
[quote comment=”390433″][quote comment=”390423″]but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while[/quote]
Dear ESPN and FOX,
The above statement was written by a New Yorker. If your target audience wants to see someone besides the Yankees/Sox/Mets, imagine how the rest of us feel.
Here’s an idea – next time show us two other teams. Just once. And if the game becomes a blowout, you can always switch back to the same old same old classic rivalry.
Thanks,
Jim from flyover country[/quote]
Amen.
(except for maybe showing the Royals…no need to embarrass ourselves on national tv.)
Ewell Blackwell link Don’t you mean in “Legend Gray?”
[quote comment=”390440″]Ewell Blackwell link
Don’t you mean in “Legend Gray?”[/quote]
heh…i call it “wool flannel” but if we want to give that color a “name” then that works for me (but i hate to sanctify anything under armour makes, names or otherwise touches, that awesome design notwithstanding)
/and thanks for the nice words yesterday, flip…i truly appreciate it
Forgot [quote comment=”390440″]Ewell Blackwell link
Don’t you mean in “Legend Gray?”[/quote]
Meant to use a sarcasm tag … ‘cept I don’t know what it is!
[quote comment=”390423″]
but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while[/quote]
Back in 1993, ESPN’s Sunday night schedule had all 28 MLB teams appear at least once. Does the NFL still require each of its teams to be broadcast nationally on Sunday or Monday night, as they used to?
[quote comment=”390443″][quote comment=”390423″]
but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while[/quote]
Back in 1993, ESPN’s Sunday night schedule had all 28 MLB teams appear at least once. Does the NFL still require each of its teams to be broadcast nationally on Sunday or Monday night, as they used to?[/quote]
Don’t think the NFL has a mandate anymore, but they do show a good variety. As for ESPN back then, I’d forgotten about that. I remember the Marlins’ teal hats, though. I miss those.
[quote comment=”390409″]Funny how the Reds threw back to black caps and black-trimmed uniforms, but they were true to their heritage. They were BFBS long before the trend.[/quote]
The Reds heritage has no black in it.
Long ago, they wore a combo of red and navy blue.
No black til recently.
[quote comment=”390444″][quote comment=”390443″][quote comment=”390423″]
but i’d like to maybe see the twins, or kc royals or padres once in a while[/quote]
Back in 1993, ESPN’s Sunday night schedule had all 28 MLB teams appear at least once. Does the NFL still require each of its teams to be broadcast nationally on Sunday or Monday night, as they used to?[/quote]
Don’t think the NFL has a mandate anymore, but they do show a good variety. As for ESPN back then, I’d forgotten about that. I remember the Marlins’ teal hats, though. I miss those.[/quote]
Funny you should mention that hat.
Wore mine for softbll this a.m.
With game worn Marlin teal pins, too.
“LUDWICK #43”
(ebay used to be SUCH a great source for things like that. Pretty cheap, too. Back then, anyway)
—Ricko
ABout 6 months ago I stopped reading Uni Watch because of Phil Hecken, and after reading today I’ll probably go another 6 months because of Phil Hecken.
[quote comment=”390422″][quote comment=”390389″]There was one detail missing about the special red Calgary Hitmen jerseys, and that’s the fact that they have snow capped numbers on the sleeves and back.[/quote]
Those snow-capped jerseys were worn at Christmas, and only at Christmas. They were a promotional jersey to raise money for charities in the Calgary area.[/quote]
The players wear the jerseys twice, first during the annual “Teddy Bear Toss” game which is usually the first Sunday in December, and then either the Monday or Tuesday when the players take the Teddy Bears to the Alberta Childrens Hospital to pass them out.
I like those jerseys more then I like their regular…err Reebok edge jerseys! Although it won’t matter what jersey they’re wearing when the hoist the Memorial Cup trophy next Sunday!
[quote comment=”390447″]ABout 6 months ago I stopped reading Uni Watch because of Phil Hecken, and after reading today I’ll probably go another 6 months because of Phil Hecken.[/quote]
See ya in November and have a great summer!
Loved the tweaked US Soccer jersey. Too bad that business Evil Empire will never go for it.
One note on the Windsor Spitfires’ current jerseys… although the plane has teeth on it that is actually based off of many actual Spitfire planes that had teeth painted on them in WWII – link
So, yes, cartoonish, but staying somewhat historically accurate.
Just noticed windsor’s version of the capitals uni set includes a MAJOR improvement– the socks are upside-down. This negates the “hockey knickers” effect that has plagued the caps and buffaslug in the EDGE era. That look irks me as bad as bfbs does phil.