Pretty funny illustration, right? It was done by a guy named Joe Petruccio, and it’s from a new blog he started producing last month. The concept is simple: After each Mets game, Petruccio summarizes the game’s events with a cartoon-style illustration. He’s really, really good, and this blog is only the latest project in his very interesting career. You can learn more about him in this interview I conducted with him for ESPN.
But here’s the beauty part: When I first contacted Petruccio, I didn’t realize that he also designed the Mets’ mid-1980s uniforms. Pretty amazing coincidence, no? I’ve separated out that part of our interview, which you can read now:
Uni Watch: Now, when I first got in touch and wanted to know more about your blog, you mentioned that you had designed the uniform that the Mets wore from 1983 through 1990. I’m a Mets fan and I write about uniforms, but I’ve never come across your name. What’s the story there?
Joe Petruccio: It’s kind of weird. When I was in high school in the 1970s, I loved the Astros’ uniforms, and I basically noticed that all the teams were changing their uniforms except the Mets. So I called the Mets and said, “Who’s in charge of uniforms?” and they said it was this guy named Jim Nagourney. So I would do drawings of new uniform designs and send them to him. I did this for a couple of years.
UW: Did he ever respond?
JP: No. But I kept sending them in anyway, until I went to college. Then, after college, I was working for Della Famina, the ad agency that had the account for lots of Mets advertising. One day I was up at Shea Stadium, and they said, “Why don’t you take a shot at doing a new uniform for us? Nothing too drastic, but see what you can come up with.” So I did a few sketches and brought them back to Shea for them to see, and they bring in this guy to take a look at them — Jim Nagourney.
UW: That’s hilarious! Did he realize who you were?
JP: Not at first. They said, “Jim, this is Joe Petruccio from the ad agency,” blah-blah-blah. And he looks at the sketches and he says, “Why does your name sound so familiar?” So I tell him the whole story and he can’t believe it. Like, what are the odds, right?
UW: Now, the previous jersey had a two-button collar, but you changed it to a V-neck pullover.
JP: Yeah, other teams were doing it, so I thought it would be a good thing to try. And I also added the stripes down the shoulders and sides.
UW: Right, the racing stripes, which some other teams had been using around that time.
JP: Yeah, I was trying to get them looking a bit more modern, like the other teams.
UW: Did you have to go through several versions and revisions of the design before it was approved?
JP: No. They sent that drawing to Major League Baseball, and they took it from there.
UW: Now, on the one hand, that’s the uniform the Mets were wearing when they won the 1986 World Series. But on the other hand, are you aware that some fans think of it as kind of a loud, almost tacky design?
JP: Yes, I know that many people don’t like it.
UW: And how do you feel about that?
JP: I think it was fine in the context of the ’80s. But I’m so happy they’ve gone back to the old button-front uniform. Whether it’s sports or rock and roll, I’m into the classics.
UW: Have you ever worked on any other uniform or logo designs?
JP: At one point I did a hockey design for Phil Esposito. He put a team together called the Masters of Hockey, which was going to be a traveling team of retired all-stars, and I designed the uniform for that.
It continues to amaze me how stories like this — and uni designers like Joe — almost never come to light. Makes you wonder how many other designers have never gotten or claimed credit for their uniform designs.
Anyway: Joe’s a peach of a guy, and I think you’ll enjoy the rest of the interview when it goes up on ESPN later today.
Too good for the Ticker: Okay, so we all know how obsessed I’ve been with the striped undersleeves worn by the 1956 Portland Beavers. But it turns out that’s nothing compared to what the Beavers wore in 1941.
Va-va-voom! Those shoulder stripes. Those pants stripes! And don’t overlook the undersleeve stripes, although they’re not exactly up to the level they’d reach 15 years later.
That photo, like all the 1956 photos we saw several months ago, came my way via Pacific Coast League baseball historian Dave Eskenazi, who recently found it in a collection of PCL photos. “I guess being tucked up in the northwest corner of the country allowed for some creative uniform design elements 60 or 70 years ago,” he says.
Dave says he doesn’t think he’s ever seen those pant stripes before (and I certainly haven’t). He’s double-checking to see if he can find any other photos. Meanwhile, we need to give the Portland Beavers some sort of franchise achievement award.
Membership Update: A fresh batch of designs has been added to the membership card gallery. That includes Britton Thomas’s Dominique-era Hawks design, shown at right, the latest confirmation of my long-held belief that the worst uniforms make the best membership cards. The printed versions of these new cards should go out in the mail tonight or tomorrow. As always, you can get in on the membership scene by signing up here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Francisco Cervelli is, to my knowledge, the only MLBer currently wearing the S100 helmet. Now Ricardo Leonor points out something I hadn’t noticed: “It seems like the helmet bothers him. When he gets a hit or a walk, he takes his helmet off as soon as he gets to first base. He will keep it off as long as possible, like it’s heavy or something. Someone pointed this out to me, and I have been watching him closely since, and he definitely does it. The other night in the game against the Red Sox, he actually took it off while running out a triple!” Hmmm. Rawlings had told me that a lighter version of the S100 would be available right about now, so I checked in with them yesterday. Now they’re saying the new design is being targeted for mid-July. ”¦ Jeff Barak has written a good blog entry about giant hockey jerseys on public display. ”¦ Braves pitcher Kenshin Kawakami has gotten some new shoes to help with his high arches (with thanks to Jonathon Binet). ”¦ Tons of spectacular photography available at Walter Iooss’s site — highly recommended (big thanks to Lance Smith). ”¦ We all know there are several different brands of official college footballs currently being used. But I didn’t realize (or maybe just forgot) that the laces were sometimes white and sometimes black until Paul Watson pointed it out to me. Seems like a surprising inconsistency, no? ”¦ Meat is murder? Nope — meat is for murder (big thanks to Jon Hammer, who also co-edits the excellent new digi-zine Grade “A” Fancy). ”¦ Heartening news about Generation Baby from Eric Trager, who writes: “A friend’s baby started going through my gym bag and showed a special interest in my striped stirrups. Obviously, she has a bright future ahead of her.” ”¦ New uni number for Jason Taylor (with thanks to Kurtiss Dilley). ”¦ Interesting stripe pattern for Inter Milan. “It will surely polarize opinion, but I think it’s a pretty daring and cool,” says Kevin Hastings. ”¦ The National Trust for Historic Preservation has released its annual list of America’s 11 most endangered historic places, and it includes one of the three remaining Negro Leagues ballparks: Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. ”¦ Paul Wiederecht reports that the Giants’ striped socks — but not the stirrups — are now available at team dugout stores. “The retail price is $15, and they’re made by an outfit called For Bare Feet, although there dosen’t seem to be any info on their site about these socks yet,” says Paul. ”¦ Whistle Stop, Part 1: Doug Keklak likes the whistle-based logo on this old NHL rulebook cover, and so do I. ”¦ Whistle Stop, Part 2: Brett Crane notes that NBA ref Joey Crawford has his uni number on his whistle. ”¦ Follow-up on yesterday’s entry: If we get rid of button-fronts, we won’t have to see stupid-ass Velcro patches on Brandon Phillips’s jersey (screen shot courtesy of Sam Graves). ”¦ Remember the London Olympics logo that looked like Lisa Simpson giving head? That’s nothing compared to the new Olympic mascots. Interestingly, these guys seem to have a Simpsons connection too. ”¦ “Simpler is usually better, but not this time,” opines Adam Brauner. ”¦ Loads of great photos from the Topps vault currently being showcased at the Fleer Sticker Project.
Joe Petruccio lived my pipe dream.
As far as the Olympic mascots, they’re targeted at children, so they’re going to look goofy. I’ve got no problem with that. But after reading the linked article, I did particularly like their naming inspirations.
All in all, I don’t watch the Olympics for the logo or mascot anyway. Uni-wise, I watch it for wonders such as those Norwegian curling pants.
Braves pitcher Kenshin Kawakami has gotten some new shoes to help with his high arches (with thanks to Jonathon Binet).
And now it looks like those new shoes caused a blister last night that will cause him to miss his next start (even though he pitched very well last night vs. Cincy).
link
All I have to say to that illustration is “WOW”
I have a 3 year old daughter, so the minute I saw the Olympic Mascot, I yelled “Plankton” ( from SpongeBob SquarePants )!
Have we ever talked about the logo for USA Wrestling borrowing from the MLB logo:
link
link
the video shows kawakami wearing his old cleats and not the red nike swoosh and red shoe laces. oh well he pitched good maybe he should stay with old
I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?
[quote comment=”391002″]Have we ever talked about the logo for USA Wrestling borrowing from the MLB logo:
link
Odd … that’s the same logo as the USA Porn Council!
it turns out that’s nothing compared to what the Beavers wore in 1941.
don’t suppose anyone knows what colors those were…i can’t help but think that may have looked, um…not good
[quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?
[quote comment=”391006″]it turns out that’s nothing compared to what the Beavers wore in link.
don’t suppose anyone knows what colors those were…i can’t help but think that may have looked, um…not good[/quote]
The Beavers were largely a navy-and-red team, but they might have strayed from that.
Somebody call Jerry Cohen out at Ebbets Field Flannels – I bet he knows.
I love reading about the origin of logos and uniforms from the source. Great stuff!
What is going on in Paterson, New Jersey? Save Hinchliffe Stadium!!
I tried watching some of an NBA game last night but the Suns uniform got in the way.
Interesting stripe pattern for Inter Milan. “It will surely polarize opinion, but I think it’s a pretty daring and cool,” says Kevin Hastings.
I didn’t mean to include the ‘a’ before ‘pretty’ in my email – but it works well in a cartoonish Italian-American accent. And it’s in reference to an Italian soccer team!
[quote comment=”391010″]Interesting stripe pattern for Inter Milan. “It will surely polarize opinion, but I think it’s a pretty daring and cool,” says Kevin Hastings.
I didn’t mean to include the ‘a’ before ‘pretty’ in my email – but it works well in a cartoonish Italian-American accent. And it’s in reference to an Italian soccer team![/quote]
If you were doing a proper Italian accent, you’d be moaning at “Milan” being included in the name :D
After the game I called the Castrologist to confirm that Heyward had, once again, hit a “piss-rocket”.
link
Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Administrator,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Too bad Walter Iooss can’t spell the name of one of his most photographed players: “Ripkin”
Wow, that Inter shirt is very, um, 90s. IOW, yuck. Wonder if they’re planning to wear it in the CL Final on Saturday?
That Walter Iooss site is, as you say, spectacular, but man, there are sure a lot of mistakes in the captions. He’s got a game that’s clearly at Boston Garden in Philadelphia, he’s got a Perez-Uecker picture dated 1964 when based on Perez’s uni style and Uecker in a Phillies uni it has to be 1967, he’s got Casey Stengel’s name misspelled, and that’s only what I saw in about 5 minutes.
Check out link. New logos up
(In case you missed it, and I apologize if it has already been covered)
Paul,
Great site for Waltet Iooss site. When looking at the 60’s section. I noticed that the 60’s era Celtics, some players wore CELTICS on their green jerseys and one #16 had BOSTON on the front in a shot against the Cincy Royals. Have you ever noticed this before?
Regarding the new Seattle’s Best logo – this reminds me of what Tropicana did a year or two ago when they re-designed their logo and packaging, and the end result made them look like a generic store brand. The response was so overwhelmingly bad that they scrapped the change and went back to the old logo and packaging. I wonder if Seattle’s Best will be forced to do the same.
I am neither a designer nor a student/follower of design (I’m just here for the jerseys), but I know many of you are. So my question is: is there some design trend that these people are following or trying to achieve? To the untrained eye it seems like they must be trying to achieve some buzzword like “clean” or “simple” but it’s just coming across as boring and generic. Am I missing something? How would these designs get through the focus group stage? Are there examples of re-designs that have successfully accomplished this type of look, but Tropicana and Seattle’s Best simply tried and failed?
[quote comment=”391014″]Wow, that Inter shirt is very, um, 90s. IOW, yuck. Wonder if they’re planning to wear it in the CL Final on Saturday?
.[/quote]
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I remember a few years ago the following year’s jerseys being worn by teams in the playoff for promotion to the EPL, by the teams last week in the FA Cup, and in the Europa League, if I recall.
Paul,
Thanks so much for taking the time and interest in doing such a wonderful interview. I really enjoyed it.
I wish all of your fans could get to talk to you one on one.
They will get to see that you are as great a person as you are a writer and Mets fan. But I’m sure they already know that.
Rock on!
Joe
[quote comment=”391015″]Check out link. New logos up
(In case you missed it, and I apologize if it has already been covered)[/quote]
You can make your logo out of any color combination you want – as long as its snot green, light blue, and/or silver. Good luck!
Wild-A**-Guess on the different football lace colors… link for night games, link for day games? I dunno… but it brought to mind the old AAFC’s link for night games…
Wow, Hinchliffe Stadium is a mess.
What’s wrong with society that they allow this to fester as it has? And, particularly, the Patterson community for not bootstrapping its renovation (or as least its moderate care)?
Nope, kids, nothing to see. There’s no historic eyesore in our backyard. It’s “their” problem.
*** “Although the Paterson school system does not have the resources necessary to stabilize and secure Hinchliffe, they are collaborating on a Shared Services agreement with the City of Paterson.” ***
(rolls eyes)
Absolutely ZERO civic pride in that community. Hey, Patterson … stop talking about it, and get on it. (community cleanups, pulling weeds, sweeping up might be a nice, FREE place to start)
Slack asses
[quote comment=”391020″][quote comment=”391015″]Check out link. New logos up
(In case you missed it, and I apologize if it has already been covered)[/quote]
You can make your logo out of any color combination you want – as long as its snot green, light blue, and/or silver. Good luck![/quote]
I’m pretty sure the teams are supposed to have their own unique colors and uniforms this year.
I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be seeing there though… I see two logos that are the same as last year and 3 generic UFL logos… nothing new.
[quote comment=”391021″]Wild-A**-Guess on the different football lace colors… link for night games, link for day games? I dunno… but it brought to mind the old AAFC’s link for night games…[/quote]
The black-laced football is simply a Wilson GST model. That’s just what it looks like, light tan leather and black laces. It’s actually one of the coolest footballs I’ve seen. It’s a leather football, but the laces are made of the grippier pebbled composite material. The white stripes, which are normally painted or printed on, are also made of this tacky pebbled composite, and are stitched/inlaid into the surface of the ball. they stick out above the surface of the ball and have a different texture than the leather, which actually really helps a lot in gripping the ball, snagging it out of the air and securing it with the hands. Beware though, they also make a budget version of this ball. It’s not made of leather and has printed stripes.
Didn’t get to talk about Amadee’s link yesterday. I love link – pure link.
Have link to contribute – the potted history of Milwaukee’s Borchert Field, c. 1947.
It’s a lost art.
[quote comment=”391017″]Regarding the new Seattle’s Best logo – this reminds me of what Tropicana did a year or two ago when they re-designed their logo and packaging, and the end result made them look like a generic store brand. The response was so overwhelmingly bad that they scrapped the change and went back to the old logo and packaging. I wonder if Seattle’s Best will be forced to do the same.
I am neither a designer nor a student/follower of design (I’m just here for the jerseys), but I know many of you are. So my question is: is there some design trend that these people are following or trying to achieve? To the untrained eye it seems like they must be trying to achieve some buzzword like “clean” or “simple” but it’s just coming across as boring and generic. Am I missing something? How would these designs get through the focus group stage? Are there examples of re-designs that have successfully accomplished this type of look, but Tropicana and Seattle’s Best simply tried and failed?[/quote]
In short, yes. Personally, I liked the Tropicana redesign. Every orange juice company and their mother, including the generics, have, over the years, copied Tropicana and that section of the grocer’s fridge looks like an amalgam of white cartons with brand name text on top of an orange and some green leaves. The new design really stood out on the shelf, which made sense, but too many loyal buyers were complaining that they no longer recognized the carton and couldn’t find it on the shelf. Please. That’s why we have eyes and brains. Does it take a few extra seconds to realize what’s going on? Sure, but it wasn’t the end of the world like everyone made it out to be. Tropicana also set a dangerous precedent from a designer’s perspective that now makes it seem okay to just ‘go back’ if the public doesn’t like it. Tropicana okayed it in the first place, now they embarrass the design firm by scrapping it month after it hits the shelf? Nice.
Generally speaking, clean, simple designs work better, but they are harder to get right in a way. I mean, any design is hard to nail down, but it’s the really minimalist designs that can either look stunning, or cheap, depending on the most minute of details.
[quote comment=”391022″]Wow, Hinchliffe Stadium is a mess.
What’s wrong with society that they allow this to fester as it has? And, particularly, the Patterson community for not bootstrapping its renovation (or as least its moderate care)?
Nope, kids, nothing to see. There’s no historic eyesore in our backyard. It’s “their” problem.
*** “Although the Paterson school system does not have the resources necessary to stabilize and secure Hinchliffe, they are collaborating on a Shared Services agreement with the City of Paterson.” ***
(rolls eyes)
Absolutely ZERO civic pride in that community. Hey, Patterson … stop talking about it, and get on it. (community cleanups, pulling weeds, sweeping up might be a nice, FREE place to start)
Slack asses[/quote]
Paterson has had a lot of problems for a long time, and I fully understand why renovating an ancient stadium hasn’t been high on their list. Does that make it any less of a shame? Of course not. But Paterson’s issues are a lot more complex than saying “zero civic pride.”
[quote comment=”391026″][quote comment=”391017″]Regarding the new Seattle’s Best logo – this reminds me of what Tropicana did a year or two ago when they re-designed their logo and packaging, and the end result made them look like a generic store brand. The response was so overwhelmingly bad that they scrapped the change and went back to the old logo and packaging. I wonder if Seattle’s Best will be forced to do the same.
I am neither a designer nor a student/follower of design (I’m just here for the jerseys), but I know many of you are. So my question is: is there some design trend that these people are following or trying to achieve? To the untrained eye it seems like they must be trying to achieve some buzzword like “clean” or “simple” but it’s just coming across as boring and generic. Am I missing something? How would these designs get through the focus group stage? Are there examples of re-designs that have successfully accomplished this type of look, but Tropicana and Seattle’s Best simply tried and failed?[/quote]
In short, yes. Personally, I liked the Tropicana redesign. Every orange juice company and their mother, including the generics, have, over the years, copied Tropicana and that section of the grocer’s fridge looks like an amalgam of white cartons with brand name text on top of an orange and some green leaves. The new design really stood out on the shelf, which made sense, but too many loyal buyers were complaining that they no longer recognized the carton and couldn’t find it on the shelf. Please. That’s why we have eyes and brains. Does it take a few extra seconds to realize what’s going on? Sure, but it wasn’t the end of the world like everyone made it out to be. Tropicana also set a dangerous precedent from a designer’s perspective that now makes it seem okay to just ‘go back’ if the public doesn’t like it. Tropicana okayed it in the first place, now they embarrass the design firm by scrapping it month after it hits the shelf? Nice.
Generally speaking, clean, simple designs work better, but they are harder to get right in a way. I mean, any design is hard to nail down, but it’s the really minimalist designs that can either look stunning, or cheap, depending on the most minute of details.[/quote]
Unfortunately, people seem to not want to actually look for themselves when it comes to any retail outlet. I work in a convenience store and if something doesn’t smack the customer in the face, they tend to ask where it is or if a certain item is in. Something as simple as moving something around causes total confusion..
[quote comment=”391023″][quote comment=”391020″][quote comment=”391015″]Check out link. New logos up
(In case you missed it, and I apologize if it has already been covered)[/quote]
You can make your logo out of any color combination you want – as long as its snot green, light blue, and/or silver. Good luck![/quote]
I’m pretty sure the teams are supposed to have their own unique colors and uniforms this year.
I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be seeing there though… I see two logos that are the same as last year and 3 generic UFL logos… nothing new.[/quote]
Disregard – that’s what i get for trying to check the website out while at work teaching. I thought I saw new unis
Really cool video about hand-painted billboards.
link
Anyone else LOVE the color vs. color game in last night’s NBA playoffs? Lakers gold is probably my favorite NBA uni, and Suns orange is my favorite Suns uni.
Personally, I think the Suns should change the PHX to SUNS on the front of the jersey and wear the orange at home more. Would work against most teams except those in red.
Long time, first time
Paul, From what I’ve read in the past, something tells me you would HATE those pants stripes if a team did them today, but on the 1941 Beavers it’s ok? I don’t understand…
Joe Petruccio, I always loved the Mets’ racing stripes uniform. Great job.
I doubt that story could ever happen today. But just in case, I’m sending my sketches to the Brewers. ;)
[quote comment=”391031″]Anyone else LOVE the color vs. color game in last night’s NBA playoffs? Lakers gold is probably my favorite NBA uni, and Suns orange is my favorite Suns uni.
Personally, I think the Suns should change the PHX to SUNS on the front of the jersey and wear the orange at home more. Would work against most teams except those in red.[/quote]
I commented on that late last night. I like the Lakers gold/yellow. I like the Suns orange. They were just tough to see together on the same court.
I like hot wings. I like milkshakes. I just don’t want them in the same serving container.
[quote comment=”391032″]Long time, first time
Paul, From what I’ve read in the past, something tells me you would HATE those pants stripes if a team did them today, but on the 1941 Beavers it’s ok? I don’t understand…[/quote]
I didn’t say they looked OK. I just think they’re remarkable, interesting, fascinating, etc.
Re: Cervelli and the S100 — I noted in the comments over the weekend that Jeter tried the S100 (in batting practice) to try to break his slump (to try to get some of Cervelli’s mojo). After he was done hitting, he removed the S100 and put on his regular helmet to run the bases. YES had video of the whole thing.
[quote comment=”391031″]Anyone else LOVE the color vs. color game in last night’s NBA playoffs? Lakers gold is probably my favorite NBA uni, and Suns orange is my favorite Suns uni.
Personally, I think the Suns should change the PHX to SUNS on the front of the jersey and wear the orange at home more. Would work against most teams except those in red.[/quote]
I dont really like the silver side panels on the orange unis. Maybe if they replaced it with the purple (not a big purple fan either) the jersey would look better.
[quote comment=”391019″]Paul,
Thanks so much for taking the time and interest in doing such a wonderful interview. I really enjoyed it.
I wish all of your fans could get to talk to you one on one.
They will get to see that you are as great a person as you are a writer and Mets fan. But I’m sure they already know that.
Rock on!
Joe[/quote]
thanks for giving paul the interview joe!
paul actually turned me onto your blog as soon as he found it…it’s a daily read now
/absolutely brilliant, especially after they lose…which is pretty much every day now
More about Hinchcliffe Stadium: I’ve just been in touch with the preservation group that’s trying to save the ballpark and arranged to get a tour of the site next month. Should make a good ESPN story.
link
Paul is into horse racing? LOL
[quote comment=”391034″][quote comment=”391031″]Anyone else LOVE the color vs. color game in last night’s NBA playoffs? Lakers gold is probably my favorite NBA uni, and Suns orange is my favorite Suns uni.
Personally, I think the Suns should change the PHX to SUNS on the front of the jersey and wear the orange at home more. Would work against most teams except those in red.[/quote]
I commented on that late last night. I like the Lakers gold/yellow. I like the Suns orange. They were just tough to see together on the same court.
I like hot wings. I like milkshakes. I just don’t want them in the same serving container.[/quote]
I’d love to see the Lakers wear their yellow unis on a full-time basis (home and road). Keep the purple ones to be used as a road alt — Sundays & holidays like their white home alts. Or wear them if the home team wants to wear yellow or, in the Suns’ case, light orange.
[quote comment=”391039″]More about Hinchcliffe Stadium: I’ve just been in touch with the preservation group that’s trying to save the ballpark and arranged to get a tour of the site next month. Should make a good ESPN story.[/quote]
Looking forward to it.
[quote comment=”391005″][quote comment=”391002″]Have we ever talked about the logo for USA Wrestling borrowing from the MLB logo:
link
Odd … that’s the same logo as the USA Porn Council![/quote]
When did wrestlers start wearing platform boots?
[quote comment=”391043″][quote comment=”391005″][quote comment=”391002″]Have we ever talked about the logo for USA Wrestling borrowing from the MLB logo:
link
Odd … that’s the same logo as the USA Porn Council![/quote]
When did wrestlers start wearing platform boots?[/quote]
Good question… how long has “professional” wrestling existed?
I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist. We went through years of suffering the pull-overs, why bring it up again? Players used to only be allowed to have the top button unbuttoned, Reggie Jackson’s two unbuttoned shirt was a symbol of his status. Now there are no rules, their wearing bell bottoms! I can’t watch even the highlights. Two more years of the absentee comish. Maybe then the full uniform (including stirrups) will be required. Meanwhile, please leave the buttons alone. Zippers were tried and looked worse.
[quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
See for yourself:
link
[quote comment=”391045″]I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist.[/quote]
That’s funny, I thought I just cared about good design. But I guess you’d know better.
[quote comment=”391045″]I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist. We went through years of suffering the pull-overs, why bring it up again? Players used to only be allowed to have the top button unbuttoned, Reggie Jackson’s two unbuttoned shirt was a symbol of his status. Now there are no rules, their wearing bell bottoms! I can’t watch even the highlights. Two more years of the absentee comish. Maybe then the full uniform (including stirrups) will be required. Meanwhile, please leave the buttons alone. Zippers were tried and looked worse.[/quote]
You know, I really don’t understand the hatred for pullovers. From in the stands, or typical TV viewing distance, there isn’t even much of a visual difference. Quite honestly, button down jerseys with some designs just don’t make that much sense. If you’re following the Yankee template with the logo to the side, you can wear a jersey with buttons. If you’re putting a script wordmark across the front… why split it in half for no good reason? It just looks sloppy. The only issue is making sure the jerseys are sized properly. Jackass player wearing a jersey 3 sizes too big looks stupid regardless of whether it’s a button down or a pullover.
Paul,
Glad to hear you’ll get to tour Hinchcliff.
The issue reminds me of this locally, probably why I commented:
link
Shuttered since 1961, it was the ONLY hospital in Raleigh that would support African-Americans from the very early 1900s. (Sports reference: Jack Johnson died there)
It sits on the campus of St. Augustine’s College with no clear path to restoration. Its historical significance is unmeasurable… and yet neither the college, nor the local community (of which I am one, since I live 3 blocks away) has any real momentum toward restoration.
That’s a shame, and I think it’s most certainly grounded in a clear lack of civic pride, care for the community, racism, and willingness to engage. (much deeper than the surface issue of lack of $$)
1000s of students, professors and neighbors walk by this shell daily. It requires unplugging one’s iPod or looking up from the iPhone to take notice. Civic engagement.
Restoration has to come from within … before those on the periphery can engage. Kudos, if you choose to write about Hinchcliff, because that can give the local Preservation folks some momentum they desperately need.
Though, I stand by my comment. If that historic venue looks like that today … no excuses. Weedkiller, a shovel and some trash bags is a great start.
[quote comment=”391046″][quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
See for yourself:
link
Nice! Curious, then … what is the logic to the location of any given image in that gallery?
[quote comment=”391029″][quote comment=”391023″][quote comment=”391020″][quote comment=”391015″]Check out link. New logos up
(In case you missed it, and I apologize if it has already been covered)[/quote]
You can make your logo out of any color combination you want – as long as its snot green, light blue, and/or silver. Good luck![/quote]
I’m pretty sure the teams are supposed to have their own unique colors and uniforms this year.
I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be seeing there though… I see two logos that are the same as last year and 3 generic UFL logos… nothing new.[/quote]
Disregard – that’s what i get for trying to check the website out while at work teaching. I thought I saw new unis[/quote]
But we have learned how it works in the UFL.
The two teams that play in the title game get to keep their franchises.
Everyone else has to move and be renamed.
—Ricko
No picture, but Martin Prado is wearing two of the little wrist watch thingies. A pink one and a black one it looks like.
[quote comment=”391047″][quote comment=”391045″]I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist.[/quote]
That’s funny, I thought I just cared about good design. But I guess you’d know better.[/quote]
I guess I was wrong, you’re not a traditionalist, but if you like pajama tops you don’t know good design either. Nobody has any taste anymore.
The black-laced football is simply a Wilson GST model. That’s just what it looks like, light tan leather and black laces. It’s actually one of the coolest footballs I’ve seen. It’s a leather football, but the laces are made of the grippier pebbled composite material. The white stripes, which are normally painted or printed on, are also made of this tacky pebbled composite, and are stitched/inlaid into the surface of the ball. they stick out above the surface of the ball and have a different texture than the leather, which actually really helps a lot in gripping the ball, snagging it out of the air and securing it with the hands. Beware though, they also make a budget version of this ball. It’s not made of leather and has printed stripes.
While that is correct, the GST having black laces. The other ball being used with the traditional white laces is either a wilson 1001 or 1005. What is really odd is a team using a different ball the same year. Usually the ball of preference is picked either by the coach or the QB before the season starts and they use that style all year.
[quote comment=”391053″][quote comment=”391047″][quote comment=”391045″]I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist.[/quote]
That’s funny, I thought I just cared about good design. But I guess you’d know better.[/quote]
I guess I was wrong, you’re not a traditionalist, but if you like pajama tops you don’t know good design either. Nobody has any taste anymore.[/quote]
What about the Missouri baseball jerseys? Until Paul’s ESPN article about them, we had no idea they weren’t button-front. Stylistically, pull-over jerseys with non-functioning buttons on the placket are superior to jerseys with a functioning placket. My 2¢
[quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
Y’all didn’t look carefully:
link
[quote comment=”391053″]I guess I was wrong, you’re not a traditionalist, but if you like pajama tops you don’t know good design either. Nobody has any taste anymore.[/quote]
I don’t want to sound pedantic, but aren’t pajama tops usually button down? I know mine are ;-)
[quote comment=”391035″][quote comment=”391032″]Long time, first time
Paul, From what I’ve read in the past, something tells me you would HATE those pants stripes if a team did them today, but on the 1941 Beavers it’s ok? I don’t understand…[/quote]
I didn’t say they looked OK. I just think they’re remarkable, interesting, fascinating, etc.[/quote]
I was wondering, because with the shoulder and butt stripes they look like a crude first attempt at Nike Pro Combat unis. I do kinda like the shoulder stripes, though.
Speaking of stripes, I think Joe Petruccio’s Mets uni was good, but would have been even better if he left the stripes off the underarms. Just on the sleeves and the pants would have made for a clean modern look.
I think RPM would approve of this UW card of Memorial Stadium:
link
[quote comment=”391018″][quote comment=”391014″]Wow, that Inter shirt is very, um, 90s. IOW, yuck. Wonder if they’re planning to wear it in the CL Final on Saturday?
.[/quote]
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I remember a few years ago the following year’s jerseys being worn by teams in the playoff for promotion to the EPL, by the teams last week in the FA Cup, and in the Europa League, if I recall.[/quote]
I was thinking it looked like a cross between 80s indoor soccer and 90s outdoor soccer – so I half like it.
[quote comment=”391050″][quote comment=”391046″][quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
See for yourself:
link
Nice! Curious, then … what is the logic to the location of any given image in that gallery?[/quote]
The order in which they were designed.
Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
As the parent of a 6 week old I vow to do whatever I can to further the cause of Athletic Aesthetics by passing it along to him. As long as that doesn’t mean keeping him out of Cowboys jerseys.
A question came in link about Geovany Soto’s “Spider-Man” chest protectors (yes, plural — there are link and link versions).
They are new this year. Last year’s link were a bit link.
[quote comment=”391062″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
wow…great read, great column
[quote comment=”391021″]Wild-A**-Guess on the different football lace colors… link for night games, link for day games? I dunno… but it brought to mind the old AAFC’s link for night games…[/quote]
Both of these footballs are made by Wilson, but they are two different styles. The white laced ball is either the Wilson 1001 or 1005, patterned after the NFL ball. The black laced ball is known as the Wilson GST. It was developed for more of the night time game use, that is why the ball color itself has an orange tint to it.
Never noticed before today, but David Ross (backup catcher for the Atlanta Braves) wears a pretty sweet looking hockey-style catcher’s mask in matte navy. Not sure if he’s been wearing it all season, but thought it was noteworthy. Do any other catchers wear a mask in a matte finish?
…and no… I have no pics.
Fantastic day with Joe Petruccio. I love that link
Also, great stuff in the ‘Good Sports’ section of his website. The Ali portraits are very hip.
Joe Petruccio is my new hero. Thanks for the profile and interview.
And apropos yesterday’s Great Placket Debate, that Mets pullover uni, with the v-neck and racing stripes, was the best uniform of the pullover era. Indeed, the only pullover uniform that I regard as among the great unis of all time.
And as much as the racing stripes come in for ridicule today, I recall that Mets jersey being the first pro jersey to become popular among ordinary consumers. You didn’t used to see people wearing a pro-style jersey of any sort back in the early 1980s, and then suddenly Mets jerseys with the v-neck and the very in-style-at-the-time racing stripes were hip for schoolkids and adults. First guy I can recall ever seeing jogging was wearing a racing-striped Mets jersey (and a bright blue fuzzy headband).
I noticed the differences of laces of college footballs a few years ago. Also, I think it’s just the Wilson brand balls. Always great seeing the Razorbacks on here, nice job Paul Watson! The white laces shot is Pre-Bobby Petrino, when that “other guy” was at Arkansas, and the black laces shot was Post-Petrino; the unis give it away.
This might be old news…
JAGS CAN GO BACK TO ORIGINAL HELMET DESIGN?
So the art director here at the agency is putting together an ad for the local Jaguar dealership just now and and says to me, “Hey, no more leaping jaguar in the logo in Jaguar ads. Just the word ‘JAGUAR’.”
Apparently it’s a corporate directive from Jaguar.
We then spent a few minutes talking about what a stupid move we thought it was.
Now, it probably doesn’t mean diddly to Jacksonville, because the leaping jaguar is still the hood ornament. But apparently it will be disappearing from print material and signage eventually.
Thought such news might be of interest to those here (although I’d bet good money it’s already been discussed because Paul, and this bunch, doesn’t miss much).
—Ricko
[quote comment=”391056″][quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
Y’all didn’t look carefully:
link
I love it, love it, love it. Thanks, tons, Paul. Await its arrival.
[quote comment=”391055″][quote comment=”391053″][quote comment=”391047″][quote comment=”391045″]I’m shocked at your campaign to do away with button front baseball jerseys. I thought you were a traditionalist.[/quote]
That’s funny, I thought I just cared about good design. But I guess you’d know better.[/quote]
I guess I was wrong, you’re not a traditionalist, but if you like pajama tops you don’t know good design either. Nobody has any taste anymore.[/quote]
What about the Missouri baseball jerseys? Until Paul’s ESPN article about them, we had no idea they weren’t button-front. Stylistically, pull-over jerseys with non-functioning buttons on the placket are superior to jerseys with a functioning placket. My 2¢[/quote]
Fake button? Not a great idea. With players wearing ther pants hooked under their heels, button jerseys, when buttoned, are not the problem.
[quote comment=”391071″]I noticed the differences of laces of college footballs a few years ago. Also, I think it’s just the Wilson brand balls. Always great seeing the Razorbacks on here, nice job Paul Watson! The white laces shot is Pre-Bobby Petrino, when that “other guy” was at Arkansas, and the black laces shot was Post-Petrino; the unis give it away.[/quote]
Speaking of laces, I like the gray laces for the UFL football. That’s about it, regarding the UFL aesthetics, that I like.
[quote comment=”391073″][quote comment=”391056″][quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
Y’all didn’t look carefully:
link
I love it, love it, love it. Thanks, tons, Paul. Await its arrival.[/quote]
Wow. Haven’t looked at the gallery in a long time – link is inspired.
sorry if this is a repost….AWESOMENESS!!!!
link
[quote comment=”391076″][quote comment=”391073″][quote comment=”391056″][quote comment=”391007″][quote comment=”391004″]I guess its too soon to see any purpled-out membership cards in the gallery?[/quote]
Ha! You think the purple cards will actually get displayed?[/quote]
Y’all didn’t look carefully:
link
I love it, love it, love it. Thanks, tons, Paul. Await its arrival.[/quote]
Wow. Haven’t looked at the gallery in a long time – link is inspired.[/quote]
Yeah, Scott really outdid himself on that one. Don’t expect us to be able to do something like that again, though — we granted that request as a one-time thing, because the guy requesting it had some very special credentials. Further details upcoming in a couple of weeks.
[quote comment=”391065″][quote comment=”391062″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
wow…great read, great column[/quote]
I agree, and I love the George Eliot quote at the end: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
Thanks Paul and Joe.
[quote comment=”391072″]JAGS CAN GO BACK TO ORIGINAL HELMET DESIGN?
Now, it probably doesn’t mean diddly to Jacksonville[/quote]
It might to LA…
[quote comment=”391072″]This might be old news…
JAGS CAN GO BACK TO ORIGINAL HELMET DESIGN?
So the art director here at the agency is putting together an ad for the local Jaguar dealership just now and and says to me, “Hey, no more leaping jaguar in the logo in Jaguar ads. Just the word ‘JAGUAR’.”
Apparently it’s a corporate directive from Jaguar.
We then spent a few minutes talking about what a stupid move we thought it was.
Now, it probably doesn’t mean diddly to Jacksonville, because the leaping jaguar is still the hood ornament. But apparently it will be disappearing from print material and signage eventually.
Thought such news might be of interest to those here (although I’d bet good money it’s already been discussed because Paul, and this bunch, doesn’t miss much).
—Ricko[/quote]
I’m feeling a Prototype Night coming on! More exciting than a throwback, because it will be the opportunity to see a stillborn look come to life to offer a glimpse of what could have been, but never was.
(Almost exclaimed “First-Ever Prototype Night,” but I remembered the New Hampshire Primaries minor league baseball team. Still, could be fun.)
[quote comment=”391079″][quote comment=”391065″][quote comment=”391062″]Today’s ESPN column is up:
link
wow…great read, great column[/quote]
I agree, and I love the George Eliot quote at the end: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
Thanks Paul and Joe.[/quote]
Or, as someone once said to me…
“Go for it. Even if your time at the top is short, it’s far, far better to be a ‘Has Been’ than a ‘Never Was’.”
—Ricko
I noticed that Robin Lopez wore adidas shorts under his uniform last night
link
Metsblog – where I first was introduced to Mr. Petruccio’s fantastic illustrations – has the Metropolitan’s link up.
Compared to the red and navy blue ones, I’d rank this top of the list. But is it too much to ask that they use royal blue for the appropriate teams? Really, how hard it link
Woops, copied the link, not the image file.
link
[quote comment=”391035″][quote comment=”391032″]Long time, first time
Paul, From what I’ve read in the past, something tells me you would HATE those pants stripes if a team did them today, but on the 1941 Beavers it’s ok? I don’t understand…[/quote]
I didn’t say they looked OK. I just think they’re remarkable, interesting, fascinating, etc.[/quote]
fair enough
[quote comment=”391018″][quote comment=”391014″]Wow, that Inter shirt is very, um, 90s. IOW, yuck. Wonder if they’re planning to wear it in the CL Final on Saturday?
.[/quote]
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I remember a few years ago the following year’s jerseys being worn by teams in the playoff for promotion to the EPL, by the teams last week in the FA Cup, and in the Europa League, if I recall.[/quote]
I dont know, that might be their home jersey for 2010-2011. The away jersey was just released today as well:
link
A genuine Joe Petruccio designed game-worn Mets jersey (although I got it from the Norfolk Tides – who “inherited” it from the Mets):
[IMG]http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m27/JimHayden/Unis/TidesMetsfront.jpg[/IMG]
There’s a blogger doing a similar concept for the Blue Jays this year, using neatly photoshopped game pics: link
[quote comment=”391087″][quote comment=”391018″][quote comment=”391014″]Wow, that Inter shirt is very, um, 90s. IOW, yuck. Wonder if they’re planning to wear it in the CL Final on Saturday?
.[/quote]
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. I remember a few years ago the following year’s jerseys being worn by teams in the playoff for promotion to the EPL, by the teams last week in the FA Cup, and in the Europa League, if I recall.[/quote]
I dont know, that might be their home jersey for 2010-2011. The away jersey was just released today as well:
link
Snakes, oh my. I like it.
Nats wearing their “Up with America” alts tonight.Think it’s the 1st time this season.
link
Further reading on Hinchliffe Stadium. Funny, LI Phil and I had a conversation about this place a couple of months ago.
[quote comment=”391091″]Nats wearing their “Up with America” alts tonight.Think it’s the 1st time this season.[/quote]
some kind of military appreciation night dealio
i *get* the red/white/blue motif…but that’s really one of the worst uni combos of all time
[quote comment=”391093″][quote comment=”391091″]Nats wearing their “Up with America” alts tonight.Think it’s the 1st time this season.[/quote]
some kind of military appreciation night dealio
i *get* the red/white/blue motif…but that’s really one of the worst uni combos of all time[/quote]
The Mets being bad, I can agree with. But I have no problem with this…link from a “if you gotta have a dark alt” (which I don’t agree with) perspective. Needs stirrup stripes though.
Try this….
link
Fourth photo shows it best.
[quote comment=”391095″]Try this….
link
Fourth photo shows it best.[/quote]
Actually, if you make the DC plain white, I’d most definitely wear that.
[quote comment=”391096″][quote comment=”391095″]Try this….
link
Fourth photo shows it best.[/quote]
Actually, if you make the DC plain white, I’d most definitely wear that.[/quote]
Agreed on the white DC. I like it best with the red lid, undershirt, and socks (but add stripes).
re:olympic mascots & logo
that is the funniest description of logo i have ever heard or read
the mascots look like a drop of crap not ‘steel’
is it an olymoic rule to make all olympic mascots as ridiculous as possible
There was a blue/orange “I’m calling it Shea” shirt behind the 3rd base dugout in the Mets/Nats game tonight. You could see it clearly on batters box shots of right handed hitters.
Sorry, no pics.
really cool baseball themed wedding.
link
I realize that we’re not talking about this today but i thought i’d add something that has come up in the past: Clemson introduced the no stirrup, pants all the way to the cleats style in 1978 in college baseball and the Tigers have worn it ever since with white cleats. The difference with the Clemson cut and MLB is that the Tigers have worn it tight around the legs with no baggyness at all and continue to do so today.
A couple of leftovers from yesterday:
-The Penguins switched from blue and white to black and gold in midseason 1980.
-The ’70s Phillies dropped the “stitching” from the middle of the P because someone complained that it violated a rule about not having a representation of a ball of the uniform.
London mascots are the most philalic(sp?) ever? Look out for the one-eyed monsters if you know what I mean!
Check the spelling, phallic.