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Let’s Hope Yogi Recovers from That Fall

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By adding a black armband for Ralph Houk, I believe the Yankees have now become the first MLB team — and maybe the first North American sports team, period — to commemorate three different people with three different memorial gestures.

To be sure, this is not the first time a team has honored three people simultaneously. The 1993 Dodgers memorialized Roy Campanella and Don Drysdale with one patch and Tim Crews with another, and the 2005 Blue Jays had one patch for manager Bobby Mattick, broadcaster John Cerutti, and player Doug Ault. But I can’t think of any previous examples of a team wearing three distinct memorials like the Yankees are now doing. And all three of them have been added to the uni in the space of a week!

That’s it for today, because I’m on my way out the door. I’ll be on the road until Monday evening but should still have a regular entry that morning. See you then.

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Collector’s Corner, by Brinke Guthrie

Another day, another round of eBay finds:

• Now here is some legitimate Tampa Bay Rowdies stuff.

• Wow, look at this great 1960s Boston Patriots blow-up figure.

• Did you like that old “alternate” MLB logo? Here it is, on a belt buckle.

• Check this out — the 1961 Coca Cola “Ball of Fame.” [This type of rotating data-o-matic device is called a volvelle, and we’ll soon be featuring an entry about them. — PL]

• This Eagles helmet bank is beat-up but still very cool.

• Current version of Chief Wahoo isn’t un-PC enough for you? Try this version, from 1950.

• Here’s a familiar sight from the 1970s: Sparky (Captain Hook) Anderson on the phone to the bullpen. “Get Carroll up!”

• Got a kid who’s a Cowboys fan? Get him these sneakers. Kinda look like Riddells.

•  Lukas alert: a ’68 Mets yearbook.

Seen something on eBay that you think would make good Collector’s Corner fodder? Send your submissions here.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Rod Barajas wore Mike Pelfrey’s BP jersey on Tuesday. ”¦ Mike Perrin has a baseball team called AppleKnockers, but they wear A’s uniforms, complete with striped stirrups and white shoes. “Tell me where you can find a better-looking uniform!” he says. ”¦ Rickie Weeks’s Brewers-logo socks were peeking out from his slacks the other day. “Exciting stuff,” says Joe Hasek, quite accurately. ”¦ Typo alert! That’s Braves outfielder Brent Clevlen on a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday (good spot by Mickey Seward). ”¦ Cycling note from Sean Clancy, who writes: “At the prologue of the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, Ore., Floyd Landis wore a T-shirt when race officials deemed his skinsuit illegal. He was 19 seconds off the winning time.” ”¦ Scientists have created new fibers that can see, hear, and talk — sort of. Not clear yet whether this material will be used in uniforms (nice find by Tom Mulgrew). ”¦ The Bears are using a vaguely retro ticket for their games against the Packers and Vikings. I guess the Lions were deemed too pathetic to qualify (with thanks to Adam Hainsfurther). ”¦ Here’s yet another photo of Wilt not wearing No. 13 (with thanks to Matt Mitchell). ”¦ SI.com has a good gallery of 1985 NFL photos. Among the highlights: the best look I’ve ever seen of the Rams’ 40th-season-in-LA patch; Reggie White not wearing No. 92 (note the cut-off fingers on his gloves, too); Sweetness in a Roos headband; Marcus Allen with some serious high whites; some major mesh-jersey action from the Seahawks and Bucs; and John Stalworth in a Maxpro helmet. ”¦ Bill Pintsak pointed me toward a uni-reference site I hadn’t seen before. Haven’t had time yet to explore it fully — anyone care to weigh in with a yea or nay? ”¦ Oooh, check out this old Seahawks pin by Mad magazine’s Jack Davis (with thanks to Reuven Szleifer). ”¦ I hear through the grapevine that Nike will have another round of Pro Combat uniforms this season. Look for an announcement at the ACC media day for the season-opening Virginia Tech vs. Boise State game. ”¦ It may be the middle of the summer, but a little lobe of my brain is still thinking about curling. Jared Wheeler sent me that shot. ”¦ Good catch by Nick Minnott, who noticed Justin Smoak of the Mariners wearing an upside-down logo on his batting helmet. ”¦ New uniforms forthcoming next week for the UFL Never mind, nobody cares. … Autism-awareness jerseys on tap for the Brockton Rox of the independent Can-Am League. “I love the idea, not so sure about the execution,” says Matt Moschella. … Biggest uni numbers ever? Could be. “Caption said Mrs. Churchill was meeting the Canadian players,” says Ben Traxel.

FWHA! Update: Coupla new entries over on my other site.

 
  
 
Comments (104)

    I went ahead and looked at the UFL press release (again not that anyone cares), but, and I quote:

    “The uniform unveiling will also include a guest appearance by BETTY BOOP, the world-famous cartoon character with more curves than a backward pass, who is one of the most popular and successful licensed characters in entertainment history.”

    Betty Boop? Really UFL?

    This is what the XFL would have been had the WWF not backed it!

    What sucks is that Tim Rattay of the Locos is a good friend of mine from college and I can’t even bring myself to give a shit about this league.

    “New uniforms forthcoming next week for the UFL Never mind, nobody cares.”

    That’s funny, given the depths to which minutiae gets analyzed here. :)

    I am also perplexed by the slighting of the UFL — at least as far as uniforms are concerned. Even if the league is third-rate, that doesn’t mean the uniforms have to be relegated to that level.

    BTW, I know last years’ uniforms were full of suckitude but that doesn’t mean we have to prejudge uniforms that haven’t yet been displayed.

    Here is the new Manchester City away kit, being debuted in a 6 a side game against a local NYC soccer team yesterday.

    link

    Jack Davis, UGA alumnus, has and link.

    Mr. Davis even has a football scholarship program in his honor as well as a Lamar Dodd lecture series in his honor with a

    It isn’t somber enough, threatening enough, hard ass enough.
    In other words, not hip enough. Far too imaginative. The kids wouldn’t buy it.

    Besides, isn’t NFL on a two-year or five-year window or something? Ol’ Pete couldn’t change ’em this year even if he wanted to.

    —Ricko

    I think it’s more about him missing the advance deadline for this season – the Seahawks have had their drab uniforms since 2002, which makes them more than past the retention point.

    I know they just introduced a new alternate last year, but that shouldn’t stop a total rebrand – NFL regulations only specify that the team can’t introduce another new uniform for five years. Nothing about actually having to wear the old alt every season until the time is up – could even be a one-and-done.

    So Carroll could indeed give the Seahawks a good look, but he’d likely be limited to just home and road until 2014.

    ’tis true.
    Just meant an “instant revert” to Largent era not possible.
    Not that simple in the NFL.

    I think only Syracuse football gets to change jerseys every year. ;)

    —Ricko

    It would be really cool if they would go with no logo on their helmet for some games to honor the 1976 team.

    One would think that as much as this has been covered, everybody would have gotten the memo by now.

    The days when coaches, at least in the NFL, have any say regarding uniforms is long gone. Except maybe for shoe color.

    Is adidas still a corporate sponsor for the Yanks? I’m surprised it didn’t get its mitts on a Shepperd/Steinbrenner/Houk sleeve memorial.

    Sure did – the Adidas deal expired in 2008, and Nike took over.

    Adidas never got to paint their stripes all over the new Yankee Stadium as they had with the old.

    I have a question.

    It used to be the money for a shoe deal (in NCAA basketball, for example) went entirely, or almost entirely, to the coach. In the world of today where such deals are school-wide it’s almost certainly different.

    Anyone know how it breaks down?

    I ask because in all this discussion about corrupt agents, etc., it seems to me that a fixed percentage of that money could go into an NCAA pool (universally, not at the specific school) to give college athletes a little bit of spending money (and I do mean a LITTLE bit) or to pay for air fare for their parents to come see them play maybe once a season…or if the player’s in an NCAA final or bowl game, etc.

    Just a thought. Y’know, maybe it’s a way to keep college athletes who are forbidden to have even part-time jobs from feeling like they can’t take a date to a movie–or call home—because they’re so frickin’ broke. People with absolutely nothing almost always will be the most tempted to break the rules.

    —Ricko

    Back in the Dark Ages (1971-75), football players did receive what was called “laundry money” with the blessing of the NCAA. It wasn’t much, but it was something! The “extra benefits” rules are a joke…

    The players still get meal money, right?
    In the 90s I covered Akron football and basketball. The players and I usually got $15 a day in meal money, even though they fed us on the bus and at team meals. In Hawaii, they gave us $100 up front to last for a few days. Knowing there were team meals and a luau provided during the week, I spent some at Tony Roma’s the first night, then used the rest to go on a nice boat ride.

    if only reggie bush could have had a bit of laundry money during his time at USC, just think how much more enjoyable his college experience would have been

    You know, college students who DON’T get their meals provided them by the athletic department could use a little walking around money, too.

    The whole paying college athletes thing, to me, breaks down to two dichotomous ideas:
    1 – Some of these athletes (but usually not the majority of those on campus) DO have a hand in generating lots of money that they never see. It used to be kind of a fair deal – we make money off you, you get a free college education. But the revenue generated by a Tim Tebow may outstrip the value of his college education. In one respect, the free market economist in me sees equity in an arrangement that lets the athlete share in that. Still, if you pay the quarterback, do you have to pay the coxswain? I mean, legally or ethically?

    2 – Actually paying college athletes, under US labor and employment law, seems to open up a whole can of worms that I’m not sure anybody wants to explore. It establishes an employer/employee relationship, opens you up to workers’ compensation issues, brings up the spectre of unions and lockouts and strikes. None of which are simply dealt with.

    Then let them have part-time jobs.
    That’s a right every other college student has.

    Oh, like that worked. Back the ’50s some of those jobs would consist of, say, checking once a week to see if the Athletic Department building was still there, then go get your check from a Booster.

    Is just a knotty, gnarly problem that’s been around a long time.

    As Chris Spielman said on ESPN this a.m., when he was a TOSU his girlfriend (later his wife) had to pay whenever they went out because she was the one who had money from her job at a video store.

    I’m not talking about a big barrel of money per athlete. Even just a couple hundred a month would at least let them feel like they could take a breath (financially speaking) once in a while. As someone suggested, give them prepaid monthly debit cards so the money could be closely monitored. Hint your limit this month and you’re broke until the 1st. That’s a better real world lesson than most of what a lot of college athletes are exposed to.

    —Ricko

    Your argument is not without merit and not new. But who gets to decide how much “just a little bit” is? If the NCAA sets a ceiling, I’m sure there’s an antitrust suit there waiting to happen. And if Joe Quarterback gets an offer from Ole Tex that includes $200 a month, (a) are they going to tax that and ( b) what if Minnesota Tech offers $300? You see where this is going, right?

    I’m not saying the idea is without merit – of course it is. But once you actually start to break down how it would work, it is absolutely not as simple as some folks would like to make it out to be.

    BTW, a couple hundred a month x 111 guys just on [url=http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tex-m-footbl-mtt.html]this roster[/url] (but nothing for [url=http://www.texassports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/tex-w-volley-mtt.html]these 13 ladies[/url], sorry), you see the issue, right? $266,400 is chump change for Texas, but where does it end?

    Those who would say, “Here’s a simple solution to this problem” have not taken five minutes to actually figure out its implementation and the can of worms it would open. You just haven’t.

    (Also, I really don’t care if Garrett Gilbert gets to “take a breath once in a while.” That’s up to the Gilbert family. I’ll make sure my kid gets to take a breath once in a while, or not. If you want real world lessons, let them struggle like everybody else.

    College is hard. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great.

    (I never said my argument was new. The fact that it’s so frickin’ old helps demonstrate its veracity.)

    So an inner city kid on scholarship is pretty much screwed because his parents don’t have money to even pay for him to call home once in a while?

    If an athletic scholarship were permitted to include X dollars a month during the school year (no more, no less, whether football or field hockey) as “expense money” (probably administered, as I said, by use of prepaid debit cards), there would at least be a line clearly drawn…and, as expenses, likely would NOT be taxable income, any more than the scholarship itself is taxable.

    To tell kids on athletic scholarship they cannot have part-time jobs is to penalize them. It withholds from them a right that any other college student has. Someone on a band scholarship can have a job while he’s in school. Hell, he can play music for money. A drama scholarship student can get paid to act in TV commercials, for pete’s sake. The double standard already exists. The NCAA has created it. A small monthly stipend to scholarship athletes shouldn’t open a single new door. Except the one to reality.

    I guess it’s like prohibition. Make something illegal and it gets worse and tougher to police because it’s under the table.

    —Ricko

    Where did I say, “Here’s a simple solution to the problem”?
    Seriously, show me.

    It’s one thing of offer a different viewpoint. It’s another to put words in someone’s mouth and reply in response to a tone that didn’t exist. “I have an answer, but I need to change the question first.” Huh?

    I was spit-balling. There are NO simple solutions to this problem. Because it’s a complex problem. You say it would add up to a lot of money? Goll-ee, I never thought of that. (eyeroll)

    That’s why I pondered (in an earlier comment) a bit about talking a chunk of the “shoe deal” money to fund it.

    You start with a notion and see where it takes you. Maybe you find a decent idea in it somewhere.

    But you have to start.

    Because this NCAA agent-player business is getting out of hand.

    —Ricko

    How about we have the revenue-generating athletics programs spun off from the universities as independent businesses to sink or swim in the open marketplace? (This would make them similar to soccer clubs elsewhere in the world. For example, FC Barcelona also sponsers professional basketball and volleyball teams in addition to having developmental squads for younger ages in different sports.)

    That way the money and benefits are all in plain view. Then when a bidding war erupts for a young stud or studette, nobody’s out anything except the club’s investors, who also stand to gain if the investment pays off.

    If so inclined, a club can contract with a university for the right to use the school’s facilities, colors and nickname. Heck, if education is a concern, they could even negotiate reduced tuition for their players.

    I’ll undercut my whole argument by noting this probably won’t fly with universities due to the time, money and energy they’ve committed for the PR benefits they gain.

    The crux of this issue is the warm fuzzies generated by the idea of amateur sports. I try not to be cynical, but once I learned the ‘playing purely for the love of the game’ concept was heavily pushed by European bluebloods in the late 1800s and early 1900s to keep workers out of ‘their’ games, I became kinda disillusioned about the whole thing.

    The Jersey Database, is not bad, but the graphics are done by others. It had the Portland Breakers. The Portland Blazers uniforms are from 2006-2007 because there is Zach Randolph. So it may not be as updated as it could be. Also it may only show the back of the uniform. They had the Nippon Ham Fighters, but only from the back, nothing on the front.

    He should be. That was the Bucs’ 10th season. I used to have that patch but lost it years ago. They wore a patch for the 10th season.

    More interesting to me is what Young appeared to have done with his sleeves that season. They don’t look cut off, it looks like he actually forced the white and red stripes up inside his sleeves backwards.

    okay, Friday game time: list of athletes (or sports figures) whose first and last name start with the same letter: going from A to Z.
    I’ll start with Indians legend Andy Allanson
    link

    Barry Bonds would be obvious, but I’ll go with Brian Bradley, former star for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

    Can’t forget Cassius Clay.

    Since I can’t think of D, E, or F, I’ll skip to:

    Gary “G-Man” Gaetti and Greg Gagne were twin-initial teammates on the Twins back in the day.

    And there’s always the v-shaped flock of Goose Gossage and Goose Goslin, though their real names were Rich and Leon, respectively.

    E — Eddie Edwards (Bengals DE)
    F is a 4 for 1 — Frankie “Fordham Flash” Frisch

    Daryl Dawkins, Eddie “the eagle” Edwards (of 1988 Winter Olympics fame) and Frankie Francisco

    oops, guess I should have not waited 10 minutes before hitting “submit comment” on that last one- I guess Jim and I were on the same page

    Harry Howell, a defenseman and retired number for the New York Rangers
    Ivan Ivanov, 1992 gold medalist in weightlifting.
    June Jones, Hawaii football coach
    Kris King, final captain of the Winnipeg Jets
    Lou Lamoriello, NJ Devils’ GM
    Mike Montgomery, itinerant basketball coach in California
    Nate Newton, last seen with a car full of marijuana

    Ozzie Osbourne does NOT count.

    I don’t care HOW great he sang “Take Me Out to Mumble Slur Mumble” at Wrigley.

    Rich Rodriguez, because it give me another chance to bitch about the stupid piss stripes on Michigan’s road jerseys. :)

    Let’s assume we’re stuck on Q, and we’ll probably skip X as well.
    Paul Pierce, Rich-Rod
    Steve Swisher, Cubs catcher and Nick’s dad
    Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies shortstop
    Ugueth Urbina, former Expos and Marlins reliever

    Walt Weiss, former Braves infielder

    Zinedine Zidane, French soccer hero

    I’m out of brain energy, so I’ll leave V, Y, and the dreaded Q and X to somebody else.

    OK, Y can go to Yong-eun (Y.E.) Yang, a golfer who once beat Tiger in a golf major.
    V, I cheated, but Victor Valdes, the goalkeeper for FC Barcelona.
    Now all that leaves is Q and X. Good freaking luck.

    I know these are stretches, but there’s no evidence of anyone with the first and last names of X player a major sport. Thanks to China, we have actual athletes who qualify.

    link

    link

    link

    flip | July 23, 2010 at 9:06 am | Reply
    Question to Pete Carroll: Aside from that mesh, exactly what is wrong with that Seahawks look? Really.
    link

    Nothing wrong with the mesh, either. I used to have a Curt Warner jersey just like that, and I liked it better than today’s moisture-wicking material.

    I used to have a Curt Warner jersey just like that, and I liked it better than today’s moisture-wicking material.

    BFS

    btw…there is nothing wrong with that seahawks uni

    except, like ricko opined in an earlier nested comment, it’s not tough enough (although, one might argue that suicide blue and neon snot aren’t exactly threatening colors either) — i’ll say one thing for the seahawks, at least their “new” colorscheme is unique; not saying i like it, but you pretty much know you’re watching a seahawks game at a quick glance

    i was never a fan of silver/gray pants (on any team), but there was something so right about their original (and for a few years after) look

    Damn, that ’68 Mets yearbook was the first one I ever bought. Wish I still had it, and all the others…

    -Jet

    Loved the curling pic. When I curled back in the early 80’s, a lot of the old-timers I played with wore hats like that (both styles) and big sweaters, either zip-ups or cardigans. Both the sweaters and hats were usually covered with pins, sometimes to the point where I wondered how the hats stayed on, or if they were too heavy to wear.

    Maybe it’s the angle, but the guy on the left looks like he’s using a kitchen broom.

    And, I saw rocks with those metal handles, but I don’t recall seeing ribbons tied on them like that. It seems redundant — the handles are clearly different colors.

    And how can we forget link? (Yeah, I know Mike already mentioned Zidane.)

    Right, so….

    I think the closest we’re gonna get for the QQ is something like Carlos Quentin, Kyle Quincey, Chris Quinn, etc.

    Anything remotely close to XX come to mind?

    Really? That’s all you’ve got for something remotely close to XX?

    You could have at least gone with Xavier Nady. Or, of course, link.

    Wait. This…

    “I thought both X and Q in the same name might count for something.”

    …should go here.

    Yes, McQuay did play for the 1974 Giants. I have a dvd of the Jets-Giants game highlights, and McQuay had something like a ten yard run in that contest.

    Or Joe Jackson.
    Or Jack Johnson.
    Or Julian Javier.
    or, I suppose (grumble-grumble)…
    Jerry Jones.

    Oh, man…

    Lots of new stuff at Ebbets Field Flannels.

    Check you this beauty (orange and kelly)…
    link

    —Ricko

    I’m sure more people care about an entire league unveiling their uniforms than an idiotic blow-up doll for sale on ebay.

    Depends on the league, too.

    The same guy who posted this comment just sent me an email accusing me of being “hypocritical.” Yeah, if only I had the integrity to pay close attention to the UFL….

    I really don’t see anything hypocritical. The UFL is a second-rate league that plays DURING the NFL season (something even Vince McMahon’s XFL was smart enough to not do.)
    The Only people who care are at the games. The rest of us are paying attention to College Football, and the NFL.
    So, If you’re a hypocrite, I’ll stand up with you as one, as I’m sure most other Uni-watchers would too.
    (Heck, I’d like to see more racing related things on here, but I’m not gonna sit here and bitch about the lack of it. I deal with it.)

    First and last name starting with the same letter? I’m going for all the bonus points with this guy:

    link

    Azeri soccer player Əhməd Ələsgərov: both of his names start with a schwa!

    Actually, his name contains four schwas. In Azeri, they use the letter schwa to indicate the vowel sound in the English word “hat” or “fat”. Some rabid anti-schwa activists will try to use an A-umlaut instead, but the people of Azerbaijan stand by their extra letter!

    A-umlaut, as in “Goldschläger,” for example? I’m no linguist, but I’m pretty sure that would sound like “say” or “pay.”

    That Manchester City photo merits further comment. City has built a rooftop soccer pitch in Harlem, which they’ve donated to a youth group. It has artificial turf, which is evident in the photo. City seems intent on establishing its brand in the United States, which is great, since I’m a City supporter, but also scary because their general manager is Gary Cook, late of Nike. Seeing Gary Cook run your favorite sports team is a little like finding out your sister is dating Lawrence Taylor: it gives pause.

    Also, there is a Uniwatch jersey on that Jersey Database website. Type “Lukas, Paul” into their search form, and you’ll find it.

    Also, there is a Uniwatch jersey on that Jersey Database website. Type “Lukas, Paul” into their search form, and you’ll find it.

    Yeah, I saw that. No idea how that got there. I certainly had nothing to do with it. Amusing.

    I hear through the grapevine that Nike will have another round of Pro Combat uniforms this season. Look for an announcement at the ACC media day for the season-opening Virginia Tech vs. Boise State game

    ——–

    Oh God dammit, please tell me you’re joking… Please… I swear, if we come out with maroon versions of the ones we wore last year when we’ve already made it known we are going with the throwback look full-time, I’ll friggen scream…

    not that anyone cares…but tonight’s announcing tandem for the mets game…

    gary cohen, eddie coleman & kevin burkhardt

    it’s actually very listenable and enjoyable (that’s the tv feed — i assume messrs. rose & hagin are handling the radio)

    I really liked the Brewer throwbacks tonight:

    link

    Can’t find a pic right now, but the back of the uni, above the last name, was no MLB logo man. It is such a small thing, but it makes all the difference in the world.

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