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The Boy with the Arab (Chin)Strap

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We’re gonna be talking about NFL helmets today, so let’s start with a quick recap of the league’s rules about helmet branding: Players can wear any safety-approved helmet they want, but Riddell is the league’s official helmet partner, and no helmet logo other than Riddell’s can appear on the field. So if a player is wearing a Riddell lid, it’ll usually have “Riddell” on the nose bumper. If the bumper has a team logo or is blank, that usually means it’s a Schutt, Adams, or other helmet brand. (And yes, I know many of you can identify the various helmet makes and models even without the clue provided by the bumper.)

That’s all straightforward enough. But here’s something I’d never thought about before: According to this fascinating story by Darren Rovell — which was published on Friday, although I didn’t become aware of it until reader Matt Savoie showed it to me yesterday — many players who wear Schutt helmets are also wearing Riddell chinstraps, complete with the Riddell logo printed on the strap.

I’ve written about chinstraps in the past, but I can’t say I pay close attention to them (well, except for enjoying the fact that the Chiefs’ and Chargers’ straps are uni-numbered). Frankly, it had never occurred to me that a player might wear a Brand X helmet and a Brand Y strap.

But it’s something the Schutt folks have apparently thought about quite a bit, and they’re none too happy about it. The weird thing, at least to me, is that Schutt isn’t complaining to the players (“Dude, if you like our helmet, don’t help out the competition by wearing their strap, ’kay?”). Instead, they’ve complained to the league. According to the article, last week Schutt sent the NFL a letter that included the following:

Schutt has brought to your attention several times the fact that a number of NFL players that wear Schutt helmets have been using Riddell-branded chin straps, which prominently feature the “Riddell” brand name. Schutt believes that the NFL has received pressure from Riddell to permit this practice to continue, and has agreed not to take further action in an attempt to appease Riddell. ”¦

[T]o the extent that members of the public may believe there is some affiliation or connection between Schutt helmets and Riddell, those individuals may associate Schutt with injuries suffered by players wearing Riddell helmets.

That last bit is an obvious passive-aggressive “Fuck you” to Riddell — cute.

I called a few NFL equipment managers yesterday to ask about this, but none of them would talk about it. I figured that meant that the league had issued some sort of directive on this issue, so I started looking at photos of the Schutt-helmeted players, including those mentioned in Rovell’s article, to see if their strap preferences had changed last weekend. Keeping in mind that the photographic record is a lot more complete for some players than for others, let’s take a look:

Eli Manning: Was wearing a Riddell strap for most of this season but appears to have switched to an unbranded strap two Sundays ago.

Devin Hester: Has consistently been wearing a Riddell strap, including last Sunday.

Darren McFadden: Has been bouncing back and forth. The Raiders had a bye last weekend, so he hasn’t played yet since Schutt sent their letter to the NFL.

Brandon Marshall: Has been wearing a Riddell strap all year, dating all the way back to the preseason, until last Sunday. (Yes, I know the Riddell wordmark is hard to see in some of those photos, but trust me, it’s there.)

Brandon Jacobs: Riddell all the way — until last Sunday.

So while the evidence isn’t consistent across the board, several players did modify their strap behavior last weekend. That, combined with the fact that nobody would talk to me about this (as opposed to just saying, “Really? That’s the first I’ve heard about it” or something along those lines), leads me to think some sort of edict came down from Mount Goodell last week.

Meanwhile, get this: As I was putting the finishing touches on this piece with the Eagles/’Skins game on in the background, I glanced up at the teevee and noticed, I swear, “Adams” printed on LaRon Landry’s chinstrap. Couldn’t find a confirming photo, but it was there. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Don’t think it’s allowed, either.

So now we have one more thing to fixate on each Sunday. Meanwhile, if anyone has insights into chinstrap preferences, I’m all ears.

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Hoop-la: More new college hoops uniforms keep coming to light. The latest round: Ball State (here are the back and side views), Cleveland State, Kent State, Bucknell, and Sam Houston State, plus new BFBS alternates for Loyola-Chicago and Southern Illinois.

(My thanks to Lyndon Brooks, Norris Moran, Bob Stokas and Mark Kelly, Dylan Buell, and Aaron Wade for bringing me up to speed on these.)

Show/tell reminder: Remember, “Open Mic Show-and-Tell” at the City Reliquary on Thursday night. Bring one object of personal significance and talk about it for up to three minutes, or just come down and watch others while they show/tell. Doors at 7, showing/telling at 8. If you plan to participate, please drop me a line. Thanks.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Washington football plans to go BFBS this Thursday. ”¦ Wanna see what a beefsteak event is all about? The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team is hosting a beefsteak fundraiser in Hoboken on Nov. 30. If you want tickets, contact Uni Watch member Jon McCue, who works for the Stevens athletic dept., at this address. ”¦ Mucho unhappiness over the new English rugby kits (with thanks to Anthony Tama). ”¦ Here’s the best look so far at the new Siena basketball uni (with thanks to Brian Klejsmyt). ”¦ If you still haven’t heard enough about the new NBA uni system, then you’ll want to read this (with thanks to Jeremy Brahm). ”¦ A little too small for me, and pricey besides, but still pretty amazing. ”¦ Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Check out the end zone at Wrigley! So messed up on so many levels. Even worse, they’ve painted the front sign the heinous color of death. ”¦ Oooh, check out Casey in his tattersalls — with his belt buckle way over on his hip to boot. ”¦ Looks like Dez Bryant’s pants were riding mighty low on Sunday (as noted by Maks Skuz). ”¦ Roy Halladay appears on the cover of MLB2K11. But as Dan Ulrich notes, they’re showing the stars on his jersey in red instead of blue. Why would they do that? ”¦ Dave Brett has put together a good site of old soccer videos. ”¦ New soccer kit for Spain, and I’ve gotta say I like those shoulder stripes, even if they are an adidas branding move (with thanks to Jeremy Richardson). ”¦ When the Rangers wear their third jersey, Henrik Lundqvist will wear this mask (gracias, Alan Kreit). ”¦ “The Omaha Royals (AAA affiliate of the KC Royals) held a contest to see what the name of the team would be when they move into their new park next spring,” writes David McGee. “Evidently, they got it into their heads that the ‘Royals’ wasn’t good enough. That new logo is impossible to read.” ”¦ Jonathan Wall, who works for the Canucks, says he saw this photo of Dave Andreychuk in the Buffalo press box last night. Anyone know what was going on there? ”¦ It’s college week on Jeopardy!, and last night one contestant wore a hockey jersey (screen shot courtesy of Jason Hillyer). ”¦ Leaving aside the question of Devin Hester’s chinstrap, I really like the shoes he was wearing last Sunday. Those little pennants on the heels are dynamite. ”¦ Paul Gaiser notes that Monday Night Countdown used an old-school Redskins logo last night. Not that it helped. ”¦ Hey, wait, did I just shower praise on Nike footwear a minute ago? ”¦ As I think we all know by now, Cam Newton’s uni number is 2. But the number on the back of his helmet is 102. Nathan Haas says he’s noticed this on several Auburn helmets. Now, like many college football teams, Auburn has several instances of multiple players wearing the same uni number, including 2. So does the other 2er have 202 on his helmet? … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Man U’s equipment staff apparently doesn’t keep a blood jersey on hand. ”¦ Memphis basketball wore blue at home last night (as noted by Paul Watson).

 
  
 
Comments (159)

    Omaha Royals also had a stint as the Omaha Golden Spikes a few years ago. I suppose it could be worse, it could be the Omahogs.

    Will the new nickname be tied into the Weather Channel in some way?

    Golden Spikes only lasted three seasons as the team nickname. What’s the over/ under on this one?

    Will the new nickname be tied into the Weather Channel in some way?

    And if so, any chance that we’ll see other teams following suit? The Quad Cities Pickers? The Las Vegas Pawn Stars? The Lakewood Situations? (I’m kind of surprised there isn’t already a minor-league team named the Choppers.)

    Choppers was one of the finalists for the minor league team in York, PA (there’s a major Harley-Davidson plant in York.) Revolution was chosen as the name. link

    Wow, that is one funky endzone. How the heck did the Bears survive all those years at Wrigley if the field had to be crammed in like that?

    Diring the Bears years at Wrigley, the field ran from the left field wall to the first base dugout. For Saturday’s game, the field runs from the right field wall to the third base dugout. There is slightly less room to work with at Wrigley these days due to renovations, but it wasn’t like there was too much extra room for the Bears. They had no extra padding or anything, though.

    On many college football teams, a player has his locker number on his helmet or sweat pants or whatever. I would think Auburn might use that system and hence, the 102.

    Auburn FS Aairon Savage is the other #2 on the team. His helmet is identified with a 2 on the back rather than 202.

    I’d agree with the locker thing, and also Cam being locker #102 and being #2 could potentially be pure coincidence as I know of a bunch of freshmen who also have a 10- designation that go 104, 105, 106, in sequential order until 111, 112 and so on with no bearing on their actual numbers. Aairon Savage’s helmet just says 2. I read somewhere that said Cam’s #number is as it is because he’s a transfer/new player, thus he got a odd locker number, but then again Michael Dyer is a freshman and his helmet number is simply ‘5’.

    (And Cam has yet to play a game this season without wearing his customary clear visor while I’m pretty sure Savage never wore one before he got hurt, so it wouldn’t be hard to differentiate between the two with the need for separate numbers. Face masks were also different.)

    “Omahogs” jersey: I’d Wear Thatâ„¢.

    The Storm Chasers have one thoroughly awesome element in an otherwise post-tornadic mess of an identity: the new lightning-strike O cap logo. Unfortunately, instead of white with a gold outline on blue or black, the Storm Chasers opted for link on a black cap for the roadie. Why bother with the outline then?

    And it looks to me like the Storm Chasers are chasing the youth-baseball market with their “Chasers” script and their bat-crunching-tornado mascot cap logo. If so, I don’t see this succeeding, since (A) What does “chaser” mean to a 12-year-old? and (B) Whatever “chaser” means to the adults who actually choose unis for youth leagues, it’s probably not something they’ll want their kids to wear on their chests.

    The Storm Chasers nickname is ALMOST as good as one of my alma maters- the Brevard (NC) College Tornados.

    link

    I know this is what image it’s supposed to invoke, but the logo in the posted link looks like Generic TV Weather Team’s logo. I half expected to see “Super Doppler Radar 5000 Titanium Plus” or “Your First Source for Interrupting Programming to Show Frivolous Warnings” underneath it. Not that I don’t think it’s cool, it’s just… way different for a baseball team.

    Forgive if there has been a jersey revealed that I didn’t see, but if there hasn’t been, they should totally design the jersey so that the player’s number looks like a TV channel number. Preferably in a script that looks like something out of the 80s, since most channels in my neck of the woods still do that.

    Hester’s cleats are a player exclusive edition of the Nike Super Speeds:

    link

    link

    They can be found in general release team bank colors at most sports retailers.

    LaRon Landry has worn the Bike/Adams helmet since his days at LSU:

    link

    Riddell chin strap on the Bike/Adams:
    link

    They can be found

    As a proud graduate of Northwestern University, I have to say the only thing wrong with the Wrigley sign is that the shade could be a little darker. If you can’t appreciate the nobility of such a regal color, that says more about your sense of aesthetics than those of such a great institution of higher learning.

    Agreed! The purple looks outstanding everywhere but on the marquee. It needs to be darker. The field itself and the other outer sides of Wrigley look superb. If only NU hadn’t screwed up the ticket process so much, everything about this game would be perfect.

    And since the marquee wasn’t red the last time the Cubs were in the Series, maybe this will take the curse off.

    Nov 16 and we are already talking about the cover of MLB2K11… Well alright! I hate the Phillies, but will buy the game anyway and trash the cover.

    The one fix I hope they make someday is to allow you to pick the cap you want to wear for multi-cap teams. I am sick and tired of wearing the Mets blue caps with the snow whites.

    Why not go there? Because I want to play a game with the uniform combo the Mets wear on the field? Do the Mets wear black and blue caps with the snow whites? Yes. Why can’t the game give you the choice?

    While I’m at it, I’m tired of playing the All Star Game with those damn BP jerseys. I can understand it would require a lot of work to have multiple uniforms on the field at any given time, but for $60 bucks a pop for the game, I think we deserve as much realism as possible…

    “Do the Mets wear black and blue caps with the snow whites?”

    just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should

    “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should”

    The aguement is not about the color. The argument is about the fact I don’t have a choice to mix and match as the team does.

    Besides, it’s MY preference.

    Re: Manchester United not having a blood jersey –

    many teams just use a blank top for a replacement, it’s a lot less confusing than to stick a fresh number on, and more practical than bringing spares for everyone

    spain has a new shirt already? that has got to be the shortest life-span of an international shirt ever. how many games did they play in the world cup shirt? it has to be less than 15.

    introducing new club shirts every season is bad enough, let’s hope this isn’t the start of a new trend of new shirts every 6 months…

    good point. the difference, of course, is that at least those other shirts had a one-year span. the world cup shirt was introduced this year and phased out this year.

    I’m wondering if the Allstate ivy signage that covers the actual ivy is padded.

    I’m not against Northwestern, but as a die hard Cubs fan, that picture of the purple marquee doesnt sit well.

    It is link.

    And the marquee looks terrible. I don’t even dislike purple, but that color is not even remotely close to Northwestern’s purple.

    It looks like the color we painted link.

    “It’s college week on Jeopardy!, and last night one contestant wore a hockey jersey (screen shot courtesy of Jason Hillyer).”

    That photo is so washed out, I can’t even see what school it is… someone want to fill me in?

    Yep, the Boston University Terriers hockey club have worn the Red Wings-style uniforms, along with other red-white combinations, over the years.

    Granted, Wisconsin also has done the red-sleeve thing, but the Badgers wear “WISCONSIN” diagonally, while BU wears “BOSTON” vertically arched. The name on the front of the jersey that young lady’s sporting is definitely vertically arched.

    Yesterday LI Phil asked if the NFL mandates white jerseys for all NFL teams.

    From the 2010 NFL Rule Book, Rule 5, Section 4, Article 2, it says that “…playing squads are permitted to wear only (official team) colors or a combination of those colors for helmets, jerseys, pants, and stockings; provided that white is also an available color for jerseys and and mandatory color for the lower portion of stockings.”

    I think – if I read that right – that white jerseys are a mandatory piece of equipment for each team.

    Hope this helps.

    thanks timmy…

    so…if i’m reading that right, the raiders, for example, could have black, white and silver as jerseys

    i guess the final question i’m trying to ascertain is, if any color that is not white … like the patriots silver alt from a few years ago…did their opponent wear a white jersey (as this would be “white vs color”) or did they wear a dark jersey (making for “color vs color”)…i am trying to find pics that show their opponent(s) for any of the games in which that jersey was worn…

    so does the color alt (no matter how light as long as it’s not white) count as “color” or as “white” if it’s “light” enough?

    /need coffee, not being clear — basically i want to know what the pats’ opponents wore when the pats wore silver

    Phil,

    The Pats opponents wore dark colored jerseys in each game that the Pat Riots wore silver jerseys:

    2003 vs. Cowboys (blue) and Dolphins (aqua)
    2004 vs. Bengals (black)
    2005 vs. Chargers (navy)
    2006 vs. Texans (navy)
    2007 vs. Bills (navy)

    Yes, white jerseys are mandatory equipment, but it doesn’t prohibit color on color, at least not in that rule.

    ok then…as it’s becoming clearer, it’s making less sense

    every team MUST have a white jersey, but the NFL doesn’t MANDATE that a white jersey must be worn

    so if you don’t HAVE to wear a white jersey (one of the two teams), why to you have to have one?

    because in some cases color v color would be a very bad decision, such as a colts v chargers game. two teams wearing blue jerseys, white pants, and white helmets. that would be a highly confusing game.

    point wasn’t that color vs color always works — obviously there are MANY times it doesn’t

    point was that the NFL apparently doesn’t MANDATE that one jersey always be white

    By requiring each team to have a white jersey, the league guarantees that there will be acceptable contrast, while allowing the home team to choose what they wear. If the Ravens’ two jerseys were purple and black, the purple would probably not be distinguishable enough from the Steelers’ black.

    but that’s not the case

    you see the patriots were the *exception* i was looking for

    there isn’t enough contrast to have the opposition wear a white jersey — which means one of two things — the league, by approving a silver alt, is either tacitly approving a color vs. color matchup OR they’re saying that a silver jersey would be an acceptable substitute for white

    either way…

    it opens the door for teams to wear gold, athletic gold or silver (imho) in lieu of white

    So, it would appear that the biggest obstacle to implementing my vision isn’t the rules, but the mindset and tradition. Games have been color vs white for so long that even the teams who could successfully go color vs color don’t even think about trying.

    Yesterday, Slate politics blogger Tom Scocca link. Takeaway lines:

    Having the Steelers dress up as the 1962 Steelers is like having a national holiday for William Henry Harrison. Or it’s like having the Colts wear blue helmets in tribute to the 1955 Baltimore Colts (record: 5-6-1). By 2014, if the Steelers keep their habit of wearing their yellow helmets twice a year, they will have worn them more times than the 1962 Steelers ever did.

    William Henry Harrison? That’s harsh. Anyway, interesting example of uni-awareness being mainstreamed.

    Well, y’know the Pirates/Steelers wore yellow helmets by and large from 1935 thru 1942 and again from 1945 thru 1962. So they have a fairly long history of yellow lids.

    Yet another blogger with a tenuous grip of reality. Not only do the Steelers have a history of yellow helmets, they had a couple of good teams during that time. The 1962 Steelers were 9-5, led by hall of famers Ernie Stautner and Bobby Layne. Both the Colts and Steelers should continue wearing those throwback helmets.

    To be fair, winning 9 games then is roughly equivalent to winning 10 games now, which fully one-third of the entire NFL did last season. The 1962 Steelers really aren’t anything to get excited about, especially in the context of a team with as much history as the Steelers. If I’m the Texans, hell yeah I’m throwing back to the season we won 9 games, but the Steelers?

    But isn’t the point not whether Scocca is as deeply knowledgeable an expert as your average UniWatch reader, but that here’s a uni-civilian displaying interest in and passion for athletics aesthetics? To be applauded, says I.

    The ’62 Stillers were a big deal, because until the 70s, that was the high point of the franchise. They made it to the postseason for the first time, albeit the January 1963 consolation Playoff Bowl.
    link
    For that game, the Steelers came out in black helmets for the first time ever…and lost. The Steelers came close for a another year or two, but then they stunk out the rest of the 60s wearing those black lids.

    Oh, but they could keep those helmets and not trash them the way the Seahawks did with the green jerseys after just one game?? Nooo, I’m not bitter…

    Just think how much better Super Bowl 40 would have looked with this:
    link
    versus this:
    link

    I know the ‘Hawks didn’t have those back then, but since I brought them up I started to daydream about that matchup…

    Jim,

    Thanks for the additional information on those ’62 Steelers, we have to remember the throwbacks are executed for the home fans. There is a general misperception about the history of the Steelers prior to 1972. Mostly bad teams, yes. A few good teams with hall of famers, also yes.

    I’m all for letting William Henry Harrison having a national holiday. Mostly b/c maybe I’d get preferential treatment being one of his descendents :)

    Praise for both Nike and adidas in the same post?

    Whoever wrote today’s ticker: where is Paul and what have you done with him?

    Slowly freezing to death in a beefless meat locker full of freeze-dried Barney figurines and every pair of Vikings game socks that Adrian Peterson has ever worn.

    You guys are forgetting something about the girl in the Boston U “jersey”, it’s not a jersey, it’s a sweater. I believe the College Championship contestants are required to wear a sweater from their school, this girl just got creative with it.

    Why the hell is Omaha changing their name? It doesn’t make any sense. Will they be changing affiliates in the near future too? I know some of those lower level (A, AA) teams change affiliates every now and again. And Omahogs is what the University of Arkansas fans have unofficially nicknamed the school’s baseball team for the recent trips to Omaha and the CWS. Here’s a t-shirt that’s been around for a few years from a local company.
    link

    The KC Royals recently extended their agreement with Omaha through 2014, so nothing to do with an affiliation change. The O-Royals/Storm Chasers are moving into a new stadium which somehow prompted them to feel the need for a name/uniform overhaul.

    Horrible name change and that logo looks like a crappy graphic on a rural local TV station. Also, they are getting hammered on that message board for the name change.

    I noticed last night that Landry has two bolts on the back of his helmet shell. I think Adam Vinatieri may wear an Adams helmet, too.
    Here’s a link to the style helmet Landry wears.
    link

    Baum fashion teacher to critique NFL uniforms

    Baum School of Art fashion teacher Pamela Ptak says she thinks football uniforms should function as “a frame” for the athletic human form.

    Ptak, who lives outside Riegelsville in Durham Township, will critique some of football’s best-loved uniforms while appearing as a fashion expert on the NFL Network’s “Top Ten Uniforms” at 8 p.m. Friday.

    link

    I’m not sure if I’m ready to take uni advice from someone whose name sounds like a Klingon curse.

    Just sayin’…

    “The Dallas Cowboys have a great uniform look,” she says. “I really like the traditional fall uniforms of all the teams the best.”

    from that article as well:

    Ptak … was the second designer to be voted off of “Project Runway” in January

    the first one was elton john?

    I have very little experience with chin straps but I was just thinking; could the “unbranded” straps just be Riddell straps that have been flipped?

    Possibly, but probably whited out or covered up somehow. There are some styles of chinstraps that utilize buckles where the straps could be removed and flipped, but most are stitched in place from cup to strap, so you couldn’t flip those.

    These are wrong on so many levels.
    1. Pick a color. The home and aways look like they are for two different teams. Have there ever been such dissimilar uniforms for one team. Even the Alts and BP jerseys don’t go with one look.

    2. That is not an “O” it is a circle. I thought it was supposed to be some kind of “tornadic” (you’re welcome Paul) logo but the script calls it the “O-bolt logo”.

    3. I find it funny that the name of the company that came up with these abominations is called Plan B Branding. Maybe it’s time to go with Plan C. Or why did they skip plan A.

    4. I agree with the comment above. I kept looking for a “NEWS TEAM 4” logo or something.

    5. They will probably have to start over when they get sued by Discovery Channel

    Plan B? The same guys that gave us so much discussion fodder with the Asheville Tourists this last week?

    Yeah, that style looks more appropriate for “DEATHSTORM 2010”. Not a very good look, even for a minor-league team.

    I know it’s probably not good etiquette to reply to your own post, but….
    I actually want to say that Plan B Branding actually does some very good stuff. The first thing of theirs I remember was the Everett Aquasox.(Cool Frog but even cooler sideways Mariners trident for an E) I also liked the new Tulsa Drillers set they did. (I love that T of theirs) They were also responsible for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, which was a little odd but they made it work.

    Ok one last thing I forgot earlier.

    6. Does it bother anyone else that there isn’t a stirrup in sight on this? Not even an option!!

    OK I am done. Seriously. I am not sure why I have gotten so worked up about this.

    I disagree with that article on two point. The Canucks logo and the Mighty Ducks logo need to remain gone. I do miss the old Broncos logo.

    Whoever wrote that neglected to mention that the whole reason for the Ducks change was that Disney sold the team, and Disney owned the copyrights on the old logos, thus the fresh start.

    The fact that Chief Wahoo is on that list – even though he’s still in use – makes it a lot harder to take seriously. (The actual variant shown, with the silver border, is no longer in use, but the writer doesn’t refer to the silver border, just Wahoo, as if the Indians have actually scrapped him completely.)

    I’ve never understood that Canucks logo. I mean I “understand” it but I don’t. It doesn’t depict a hockey skate, if anything it’s a speed skating skate.

    There is a whale coming back to Connecticut but not the old one

    link

    or this one

    link

    The Hartford Wolfpack changed their name to the Connecticut Whale after Saturday’s game

    link

    Chief Wahoo is still on the Indians’ uniforms. All of them. It’s on the cap of the primary home uniform. And I don’t know what ‘Cursive C’ the author is talking about when referencing the logo that ‘replaced’ it. Dumbass.

    I think the “number” on Newton’s helmet is actually number 1 capital O – number 2. If this is the case, it stands for 1st team, offense, jersey number 2. Auburn actually has 23 duplicated numbers according to this article.

    link

    The F-Cats have been around since 2004. This is their third color scheme. Fourth, if you count their original red, white and blue when they were going to be named the Primaries.
    Enough already!

    I assume that since Alt 2 is so crappy, it won’t see much use, and that Alt 3 exists solely for the purpose of selling online, since there’s been steady demand for merch from the team’s aborted “New Hampshire Primaries” rebranding.

    On the Alt 3 cap, I’d love to see the Brewers or Nats do something similar with their racing mascots as Sunday alt caps.

    The Fisher Cats already had a logo that was, in some ways, similar to the one used by the New Britain Rock Cats. And now the two EL teams almost share the same color scheme.

    Regarding the Halladay cover, in the image on the left side, it might just be my eyes deceiving me but it sure looks like the stars are darker than the script

    I’ll only sign if they bring back orange pants to go with the white jerseys. I don’t care if the ’78 Broncos didn’t win…that’s their best look ever.

    Re: MLB video game/Halladay Cover

    Looks to me like the game cover is intended to have a red/white theme, so I would assume they made the stars red to fit that theme. Keeping them blue would interrupt the look. Guess they’d rather annoy uniforms geeks instead of video game cover design geeks.

    “Frankly, it had never occurred to me that a player might wear a Brand X helmet and a Brand Y strap.”

    Doesn’t surprise me too much. On the player’s end, that is. What surprised me is that the league and the companies didn’t clamp down on that from the get-go.

    So, the Huskies are going BFBS against the Bruins? Between UCLA’s quotation-mark shoulder stripe muscle shirts and Washington going black, dare I consider this for the &1 in the 5&1?

    If this is an issue, would it be smart for Schutt to design (then patent) a new strap snap that’s not compatible with other brands’ straps?

    That’s another thing – I’m surprised the straps ARE compatible. You’d think one would have round snaps, another octagonal, another hexagonal, etc..

    You couldn’t have snaps in any shape other than round.

    A.) Do you really want to have to line up each corner perfectly every time? Especially if you’re the quarterback coming up to the line with 10 secs left on the play-clock?

    B.) They need to be able to rotate so that they’re not locked into one position and are fully adjustable.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not endorsing different snaps. I’m just surprised someone hasn’t tried.

    They could also make the snaps bigger or smaller, then.

    If they companies were to put different snaps equipment managers could just swap them out like they did while I played in high school.

    Absolutely. Any team with truncated shoulder stripes deserves what they get. And with U dub in the BFBS, this should be the leader in the clubhouse.

    Is that Siena player wearing a crinoline under his shorts?
    link

    Not sure what’s more annoying – that, or yet another font with thorns on it. Just give me a nice smooth font. Oh, and those tiled stripes should keep going up.

    if you mean the padding stuff like football players year then yeah i think it is(i’ll admit i’m not all up on the specific uni stuff, i just dig this site and check it every day)… I think i remember seeing it on them in their game against minnesota last night.

    I’ve never liked the “thorny” letters Siena has… Also hate their mascot on their site link. It’s worse than the Buffalo Sabres Sluggalo its the Saint Bernard-allo…

    Nah, I meant his shorts were billowing out like a poofy skirt.

    You’re right about that mascot…

    Awesome! That’s always bugged me, Riddell straps don’t look right unless it’s a Riddell lid as well. The Giant’s are the worst offenders, but Brian Dawkins and the Eagles were bad for it too. Not sure if he’s taken his habit with him to Denver. Awesome though! Loved the subtle Scottish reference in the title too.

    Regarding Halladay, I’m thinking in keep the red/white scheme they desaturated the blues out of the picture because isn’t that red in the uniform and hat brighter than the actual uniform? Or is it just my eyes?

    link

    Question for all, especially NBA fans:

    Which team rolled out the very first NBA alternate uniform?

    Honestly, I have no idea, but just saw highlights of the mid 1980s Detroit Pistons. Kelly Tripuka and company were wearing the silver uniforms, but I don’t recall if those were actually the third uniform for Detroit back then.

    I sorta remember those. I always thought it was just the Silverdome lighting that made them look that way.

    Don’t know if this was posted already as it’s a few weeks old, but cool video – first for the actual play (never seen anything like that), second for the pants worn by the team in black – from the front the players appear to be wearing black over orange, from the back they look like they are wearing all black.

    link

    Sioux Falls Washington Warriors

    link

    it’s a good thing no one cares about the UFL because those might make next year’s worst uni ever poll

    At least something good should come out of this. From the game notes:

    “the jerseys of Ahman Green, Robert Ferguson,
    Jeff Garcia and Jay Moore will be auctioned off with all
    proceeds benefiting the Wounded Warrior Family Support.
    The jerseys come thanks to the collaborative effort of the
    Ahman Green Youth Development Foundation and the
    Wounded Warrior Family Support.”

    link

    i was going through logos of college teams on the creamer boards trying to make some jerseys for ncaa 11 and i happened to come across depaul… i found this in a google search just curious if anyone else has ever seen these before.. it also gives a history of how they became the blue demons

    The pic of Dave Andreychuk features a homemade front tiedown on his jersey. This is to prevent the jersey from being pulled up over his face in a fight. Tough to guess what thy used but often a skatelace and a something the size and shape of a quarter are used.

    I am currently watching the Ohio/Temple game on ESPN, and will be very upset if this isn’t number one on the 5 & 1 this week. Gorgeous.

    The only question is where in the Top 5 it will go. There are four contenders for the top spot, which is an unusually high number. That’s all I’m gonna say.

    But then again, that could all change by Saturday. Gotta see ’em all before I pick ’em. Some teams could surprise me with alts, or I could just go bonkers and surprise everyone including myself. Not that that’s ever happened before…

    The Temple pants design is certainly unusual, makes it easy to tell the Owls are playing, much of their success came with that style.

    There is something to be said for trying something a little different in the area of football pants design. Too many teams are stuck with the latest fad of wandering lines. I don’t know why more teams try a single medium or wider stripe, or what about three stripes? The 1993 New England Patriots had the unusual double color striping, surprised that didn’t catch on.

    “The 1993 New England Patriots had the unusual double color striping, surprised that didn’t catch on.”

    because it sucked?

    that entire uni was a clusterfuck…not that the 1994 uni was any better with the dropshadow and double-wides

    it’s STILL not much better

    they never should have gone away from pat patriot

    Bah, the ’93 uniform rocked. I’ll grant that the red on blue numbers weren’t as easy to read, but the pants striping was an awesome way to tie into the helmet logo and complete the uniform. I saw that as the Patriots version of Charger lightning bolts or Bengal tiger stripes.

    i’ll grant you that the stripes tied to the logo and made the logo seem to make actual sense, but that’s not saying it was a good logo to begin with

    when they scrapped that in 1994, they should have scrapped the entire silver helmet and logo

    never liked the silver helmet/silver pants with the white jersey either — they should have made the whole thing silver

    the home uni (or blue jersey) with the red numbers on blue field was awful (look at how much better the TV’s look)

    although i can see why you like it

    I said I based my concept around the ’93 uniform… so, duh :P

    All silver would have been good too.

    >>That Pats team ruined NFL uniforms 4 years before the Broncos did.

    Oh please. The Bengals ruined them 12 years before that. Or the Chargers 21 before them.

    Not sure if this has been covered yet, but Cam Newton has number 102 on his helmet because his locker is number 102. I used to be a student manager for Oregon State and NCAA football teams have more than 100 players so that means some guys have to be in a locker number that isn’t their jersey number. It’s easier on the EQ guys to try and closely match player’s jersey numbers with locker numbers. ie Cam Newton wearing number 2 and using locker 102 or Jacquizz Rodgers wearing number 1 and being in locker 101. Hope that clears things up.

    fyi i believe that nfl films special with paul that was mentioned yesterday is now (1am) airing on espn2 in chicago.

    November 2000, also vor genau 10 Jahren, fand der Roll-Out der ersten “CarGoTram” in Dresden statt. Nach der ersten Fahrt am 3. Januar 2001 startete dann …

    you were right about Landry’s Adams chinstrap
    evidence here link
    btw it also shows DeSean’s Schutt Air XT with the Riddell chinstrap :)

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