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Question Time

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I recently invited readers to submit questions to me — questions about uniforms, questions about food, questions about me, questions about anything.

As promised, I’ve done my best to address every question that was submitted. It was a lot to deal with, so most of my answers are fairly short and straightforward. Here we go:

Question: I’ve noticed that the local high school girls’ lacrosse teams wear a sort of mesh goggle as protective headgear. I don’t know if you’ve covered this before. Why don’t they wear helmets like men? Do collegiate and other women’s lacrosse teams wear this?

Answer: Surprisingly enough, I addressed this very question during the first month of this blog’s existence.

Question: What is your favorite unused team nickname? As in either “Why hasn’t anybody ever called their team The Robots or The Dishwashers?” or “Since the USFL folded, how come nobody has named their team The Gunslingers?”

Answer: I’ve never much thought about this. But I’ve long thought that if I had a rock band, they’d be called Cartographers. (Not the Cartographers, mind you — just Cartographers.)

Question: Did you notice that for at least the past 2+ months, LeBron James and several other players in the NBA were wearing their NBA headbands without a logo on it?

Answer: Yes. They were wearing them inside-out, so the logo didn’t show.

Question: Did you always hate purple? Either way, what exactly is is about that color that you so adamantly dislike? [About six people asked some variation of this question. ”” PL]

Answer: Actually, I think purple in nature is quite nice — plums, violets, eggplants, etc. But purple as a design element has always struck me as garish and tacky. There’s a damn good reason you almost never see a purple house or a purple car. Now if we could just eliminate purple clothing and accessories too.

Question: If they were to use their current logos, fonts, etc., what color would you choose as an alternative to the Miami Miamis’ BFBS fetish?

Answer: They already have an orange alternate. That’s enough.

Question: Among the four major pro sports and maybe big-time NCAA sports, can you make a Top 10 of your favorite purple-inclusive uniforms?

Answer: Coming up with 10 might be tough. But I like LSU’s basic (white jersey) uniform, and the Chuck Foreman-era Vikings. Maybe the Rogie Vachon-era L.A. Kings. That’s enough purple for me.

Question: Got any good meat-inclusive soup recipes outside of chicken noodle?

Answer: I’ve never gotten into making soup. I’m not opposed to making it — just never seems to have come into my culinary orbit.

Question: What is the best obscure mascot name in college athletics?

Answer: Ugh — I don’t follow college sports too closely as it is, and late June is a tough time for this question, because my brain is totally out of NCAA mode. Sorry, but I’m drawing a blank.

Question: What’s your favorite type of pizza?

Answer: I’m very fond of pepperoni, shrimp, and sun-dried tomatoes. I also like sausage, but only if it’s (a) spicy, not sweet, and (b) lump, not link. As for crust, I prefer as thin as possible.

Question: How did your interest in sports uniforms start?

Answer: I was always interested in uniforms as a kid, although I didn’t think much about it back then — just one of those internal things that I was always noticing, mentally calibrating, etc. The idea for turning that interest into a media project came late in 1998. I had already spent much of the ’90s writing about small details of brand design, product design, industrial design, etc,. and it occurred to me that I could apply that same filter to uniform design. Uni Watch (the column, not this blog) was born the following spring.

Question: If you had to pick one, what is your favorite uniform that has purple in the color scheme?

Answer: LSU’s white-jersey uniform.

Question: If you take out the Cardinals, Tigers, Yankees, Dodgers, and all the other old-school uniforms, who has the best modern-era uniform in MLB?

Answer: Toss-up between the Blue Jays and the A’s.

Question: Have you been offered a position as a consultant in a apparel company or even a sports team before? Would you pursue it?

Answer: No team, league, or sportswear company has ever come to me with an offer of a job or even a consulting gig. If I were offered such a position, I’d have to turn it down, since it would compromise my position as a journalist.

Question: Can you provide the story of your Brannock tatoo?

Answer: The Brannock Device — the gadget they use to measure your shoe size — is my Very Favorite Object (you can read one of several articles I’ve written about it here). It also represents my guiding principle of noticing and celebrating ordinary things that other people overlook, which is pretty much the basis of my work. I’d already had it on my business card and my letterhead for years when I finally decided to get it inked onto my right arm nine years ago.

Question: Are you expecting any more new throwbacks or alternate jerseys for NFL teams this season?

Answer: I don’t have any specific knowledge of new NFL uniforms that are still in the pipeline, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more show up between now and the end of the season.

Question: What are you top three current (not throwback) favorite college football uniforms?

Answer: Geez, they all change so often, it’s hard to remember what’s current. Let’s say Michigan, USC, and Baylor (during a year when Baylor isn’t looking stupid).

Question: What do you think of the Arizona Wildcats’ football look?

Answer: Not bad, but too many mix-and-match options.

Question: Have you guys done a piece about those lighter, almost practice-style jerseys some NFL teams wore during warmer weather in the late ’60s and early ’70s?

Answer: It’s been mentioned handful of times in the Ticker and the comments, but I’ve never written a full entry on this topic. Good idea.

Question: Would you address current players that wear actual stirrups and the height of their pant cuffs? For example, it’s great to see Reds pitcher Mike Leake wearing actual stirrups, but is he not wearing his pants pulled up too high?

Answer: I agree that pants should ideally be cuffed at about mid-calf, like Jim Thome has always done. But big picture-wise, our first aim has to be to get players to go high-cuffed. Once that happens, we can discuss how high.

Question: Any plans for a Uni Watch gathering in Chicago on the horizon?

Answer: Next time I find myself in Chicago, it’ll happen. No current Chicago travel plans, but I have lots of friends there, so I tend to end up there every year or two.

Question: Can you talk about the origin story of Uni Watch, specifically from a personal journey perspective? Real life rarely works like a Greek myth, so I know there isn’t a moment of divine inspiration, but what was the general emotional arc that led to you creating the site?

Answer: I already addressed the question of how I came up with the idea for Uni Watch as a column (see above). The idea for adding a daily blog to the Uni Watch portfolio came from a reader named John Ekdahl early in 2006. He offered to build the site and be its webmaster (a role he still has today). ESPN gave me their blessing to go ahead and do it, and here we are. At first I wasn’t sure I’d have enough to write about on a daily basis, but I quickly learned that the more info I put out there, the more info the readers would send back my way, so the site is sort of self-perpetuating in that regard.

Question: I was recently given some Kobe beef, sandwich sliced, from a friend in the meat industry. How would you recommend preparing this and what would you pair it with?

Answer: I’m sorry to break this to you, but unless your friend is a smuggler, the beef he gave you is not Kobe. Here’s why.

Question: Is there a point to being an FBS school outside the Big 6 conferences? I love the MAC, but it seems pointless to stay up when sports coverage, especially football, is so ubiquitous in our society today. If you’re an NFL prospect playing at Ball State, or Montana State, the scouts will find you. I just don’t understand the appeal.

Answer: I have no idea how to address this question.

Question: Let’s say you were a hot baseball prospect, and the team that drafted you was the Rockies, or some other purple-inclusive team. Would you ever play for them or would you turn them down or ask for a trade?

Answer: I would try to make it clear to them prior to the draft that I’d prefer not to play for them (just as John Elway did with the Colts). I’d also claim to have a skin allergy to polyester, so they’d have to make me a cotton flannel uniform.

Question: Do you know of any good ways to cook blue claws crabs other than steaming them, and preferably on a grill?

Answer: I’ve never grilled blue crabs. Some friends and I grilled lobsters one time, though — basically, we put the lobsters on the hot grill and then slapped the cover on the grill fast, before they could scrabble away. In retrospect, that was kinda cruel, and I now wish we’d killed the lobsters just prior to cooking them (which is easy enough to do quickly and painlessly– you just stick a knife point through their brain stem). I imagine the same technique would work with crabs, although killing a bunch of crabs beforehand would be a major hassle (their claws usually aren’t taped up like lobsters’ claws).

Question: What is your favorite vegetable and/or side dish to accompany all of the glorious meat you cook?

Answer: My favorite vegetable has always been green beans. Goes with anything!

Question: Have you ever done a full on exposé on the 1995-2003 Houston Rockets uniforms?

Answer: No.

Question: What do you hope the uniforms/logos/branding looks like for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, hosted by your Mets?

Answer: My primary hope is that it doesn’t look like the Domino’s Pizza logo. As long as they achieve that goal, anything else will be gravy.

Question: In your opinion, what are the ten best and ten worst high school lacrosse uniforms for the state of Connecticut?

Answer: I have no idea.

Question: What do you think (or know for a fact) that other journalists, sportscasters, and so on think about the rising popularity of uniform aesthetics?

Answer: Many — probably most — sports journalists still think paying attention to uniform and logo design is silly, or undignified, or that it cheapens the work of “real” sportswriters, etc. That doesn’t bother me, because I understand that the whole concept of Uni Watch challenges — and was meant to challenge — people’s hierarchy of priorities, and some people will always resist that. But I’d say the acceptance level is growing, and that’s nice to see.

Question: What is the procedure to submit a guest entry like the ones you recently received about the Euro and the brown uniforms?

Answer: If you want to write a guest entry, the best way is to send me an e-mail explaining the idea and how you’d execute it. No guarantees — I turn down more ideas than I accept. But I’m always happy to listen.

Question: I know you are against Native American nicknames, but would you make an exception for self-referential uses such as the Pembroke College Braves? Pembroke is the country’s only Native American college in America. So are you okay with them using Native American nicknames and imagery?

Answer: Yes, absolutely. My point all along has been that I view this essentially as an intellectual property issue. This iconography belongs to Native Americans, so they should be the ones who decide how it gets used.

Question: Have you ever seen a preview of a uniform change, something you had sworn not to reveal, where the team later nixed the change?

Answer: Yes. But I’m not allowed to talk about it.

Question: Do you think we’ll ever see an NHL team bringing back white pants, à la the Capitals?

Answer: Very unlikely.

Question: What are your favorite field/court designs in college or pro football/basketball?

Answer: I really like the diamond-patterned end zones that the Broncos have been using, and I’ve always liked the Celtics’ parquet floor.

Question: Why do you insist on wearing that stupid-ass goatee?

Answer: I admit that it’s become fraught with a certain type of cultural baggage that I don’t particularly care for, but I’ve had it for just shy of 20 years now, so I’m used to it. Every coupla years I’ll shave it off, just for kicks, but I inevitably end up deciding (a) I look better with it than without it, and (b) my upper lip feels really weird when it’s suddenly exposed to the elements.

Question: We all know that you are an avowed fan of the Mets, but are there any other teams, in any sport, of which you would consider yourself a “fan?”

Answer: In the NFL, I root for the 49ers first and then the Giants. In the NHL, I root for the Canadiens first and then the Rangers. In the NBA, I’m a Knicks fan.

Question: You live in a classic Brooklyn brownstone — when was it built, and is it in good condition? Do some of the details remain, or have they been lost through all the years of people living in the house?

Answer: My house is not a brownstone. It’s a brick house and not quite as grand as the classic brownstones. It was built in the 1920s and is in fairly good shape, although it has gone through several renovations, so not many original details are left.

Question: Why do soccer teams have different color uniforms for home and away?

Answer: To make sure they don’t clash with the other team, right? Is this a trick question? (Actually, any soccer-related query is a potential trick question for me.)

Question: Is there a goofier name in MLB history than Flint Rhem?

Answer: Yes: Van Lingle Mungo.

Question: What would your last meal be? Or to be more precise, what kind of meat would you have for your last meal!?

Answer: Smoked pork spareribs. A lot of them.

Question: What do you think of the Mariners’ northwest green alts?

Answer: I’m fine with them.

Question: How’s your Diet Coke consumption these days?

Answer: It’s minimal, I’m happy to report. If I’m out at a restaurant in a situation where drinking alcohol wouldn’t be appropriate (a work-related lunch with an editor, say), I might have a glass of DC. And maybe once every 10 days I’ll treat myself to a 12-ounce can after a particularly hot and sweaty bike ride. Aside from that, I’ve essentially eradicated it from my life. It was easier than I expected.

Question: How much influence does a league have on new uniform designs? I always hear “Must be submitted for league approval by…”. And have you heard of any designs that have been rejected by a league?

Answer: I’ve never heard of a league specifically rejecting a design, although I’m sure it happens. The road toward a finished design (sports-related or otherwise) tends to be a long a twisting one. I’d love to see what ends up on all the cutting room floors, but I’ve never been privy to that.

Question: What are your thoughts on college/pro teams suing high schools for using their logos and wordmarks?

Answer: Suing seems like overkill. But I also think a high school using someone else’s logo is super-lazy and also a big missed opportunity. Why use someone else’s logo when you can create your own unique mark? Your school presumably has a visual arts program — run a contest, get the art teacher to whip something up, whatever.

Question: How do you reconcile your personal stance on Native American imagery and your Lane Tech sweater with the Indian head design?

Answer: I’ve stopped wearing the sweater (and not just because it’s summer).

Question: Have you ever done a piece on the history of catcher’s masks?

Answer: Not as a full entry, no, although mask design comes up often in the Ticker.

Question: You admit that you aren’t the biggest sports fan, so why do you do a sports-centered uniform web site?

Answer: I guess it depends on what you mean by “the biggest sports fan.” I like sports a lot, especially MLB and the NFL. Am I as big a fan as someone who has season tickets and is always glued to the TV set watching whatever game is on? No. But am I a lifelong fan and observer of sports and sports culture? Yes.

Question: Why do you hate corporate sponsors so much?

Answer: Because I feel corporate culture already has too big an influence on American life. For a more detailed set of answers to this question, look here.

Question: What’s the best current uniform city?

Answer: Chicago is up there. Boston, too. New York, too.

Question: Who’s this “Kristen” you frequently mention?

Answer: Kirsten (not Kristen) Hively was my girlfriend for most of 2008 and ’09. We’re no longer a boy/girl couple, although we remain very close friends. She’s my partner in the Candela Structures project, plus she has several excellent creative ventures of her own, including Project Neon, the Volvellery, and a Picnic in Every Park.

Question: How can you not like Devo?

Answer: I’ve always loved the idea of Devo; I just find the execution to be a bit grating after a while. I love how they challenge the whole notion of what a rock band is supposed to be. Let’s put it this way: Even though I don’t really like them, I’ve always respected them.

Question: When I played baseball in high school, the coach told us that if one player wore sleeves under his jersey, then the whole team wore sleeves. But now I see MLB players of the same team take the field with all types of variations of pant height, hat bill curvature, sleeves, undershirts, neckwear, wristbands, batting gloves, etc. Are you in favor of the individualistic treatment of the uniform, or do you advocate for the uniform to be worn uniformly?

Answer: I think there’s a difference between what you tell a bunch of high schoolers and what you tell big leaguers. I also think there’s a difference between the uniform and equipment. Personally, I’d say undersleeves fall under the realm of equipment — they should be the right color, but I see nothing wrong with one guy have short undersleeves, another guy wearing long undersleeves, and another guy wearing none at all. All of that is guided by comfort, performance, etc. Same goes for most of the other things you listed — except pants/socks, of course. That should be regulated. But it never has been at the big league level, so we’re stuck with a mish-mash of lower-leg styles.

Question: I was wondering why you guys at Uni Watch are so against the use of pajama pants. While I see that high socks do look better, and how it deviates from the traditions of baseball, I don’t fully understand the discontent with it.

Answer: Short answer: It looks like shit. Longer answer: Pajama pants dishonor baseball’s hosiery heritage. There’s a reason we have teams with names like the Red Sox and White Sox, but you wouldn’t know it from today’s pajamists.

Question: What is your most memorable Mets moment?

Answer: No question: Game 6 of the ’86 Series.

Question: Is there any reason, aside the fact you know little about it, on why you haven’t attended a NASCAR race?

Answer: Not really my thing, plus it doesn’t exist here in NYC.

Question: What is the coolest piece of sports memorabilia that you own?

Answer: I made a bunch of good plays in the field for my Little League All-Star team in 1976 and was awarded a game ball for defense. I still cherish that ball.

Question: What music are you listening to these days?

Answer: Mostly old western swing — Hank Thompson, Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, that kind of thing. But I saw Redd Kross play last Friday, which has led me to play a lot of their stuff over the past few days.

Question: You’ve mentioned that your favorite band is the Rolling Stones. Who are some of your other favorite bands and music acts?

Answer: A very small sampling of top choices: Ramones, Velvets, Television, Big Star, Dylan, Costello, Richard and Linda Thompson, Little Walter, Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Mountain Goats, Portastatic, Breeders, Eels, the Hold Steady, Cheap Trick, Susquehanna Industrial Tool + Die Company, Faron Young, Louvin Bros., Bob Wills, Otis Redding, Howard Tate, Monk, Trane, Ben Webster, lots of New Zealand bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s, and so on.

Question: How’s the progress on the custom suit?

Answer: Funny you should ask — it arrived while I was working on this entry. I lovelovelove it! Fits like a glove, and styled just the way I wanted. If I looked any smoother, my image wouldn’t stick to the mirror. (And if you know where I stole that line from, there’s a free Uni Watch membership card in your future.)

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That’s it for this round of Question Time. I’ll invite a new round of questions shortly.

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Help Wanted: Due to a previous and unavoidable social commitment, I will miss most and possibly all of tonight’s All-Star Game. So I could use everyone’s assistance in documenting the game’s uni-notable moments. Here’s how you can help:

• If you’re watching the game, please keep a list of anything worth noting (white shoes, wrong batting helmet, whatever). No need to e-mail me each time you spot something — just keep a running list. If you’d like to post your finds in the comments section as you spot them, that’s fine, but please maintain your running list as well.

• For each item on your list, please note exactly when it happened or was visible. Example: “Top of the 3rd, Derek Jeter batting: R.A. Dickey’s hat flies off his head after a pitch.”

• If you have the ability to make screen shots — of something that you’ve spotted or something that someone else mentions in the comments — please do so.

• When I get home from my social commitment (probably around the 6th or 7th inning, but possibly later than that), I’ll post a comment letting everyone know that I’m back in the saddle. At that point, everyone can send me their lists and screen shots. If the game ends and I haven’t yet said, “I’m back,” you can send me your materials once the game is over.

Big thanks in advance!

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Collector’s Corner

By Brinke Guthrie

Tonight’s the annual MLB All-Star Game, the summertime halfway point of the MLB season, so let’s lead off with a couple ASG items, shall we? This 1988 Cincinnati ASG patch brings back memories — at least for me, because I flew over the game in a hot air balloon! Two problems with that: One, it was restricted airspace due to the Vice President being there, and two, the Fuji blimp was literally a few feet below my feet. The balloon pilot asked me, “What’s that whirring noise?” I looked down — nothing but solid white.

Eighteen years earlier, the ASG was played at then-new Riverfront Stadium. lots of logo goodness on the game program cover.

In other Collector’s Corner news:

• Nothing says 1970s NFL like a Damac creamsicle Bucs poster. This seller also has Damac posters for lots of other teams.

• Never ever seen of of these 1970s NHL mini-stick kits before. By checking the box lid, you can tell this is the hockey version of the more common NFL, NBA, and MLB kits.

• You’re guaranteed to smell like a Knick with this 1970s Knicks Avon cologne decanter.

• Nice 1966 NFL placemat with cool retro helmet artwork.

• I like the box that these “Philadelphia 76ers” sneakers come in. Were they using that font in the 1950s-1960s?

• Can’t say I recall the 1970s “HelmetHat.” This one features the colors and logo of the LA Rams.

• If you worked for Sears in their NFL Shop, then you wore this team button.

Seen something on eBay or Etsy that you think would make good Collector’s Corner fodder? Send your submissions here, and you can follow Brinke on Twitter and Facebook.

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A lost Purple Heart and the family of the soldier it once belonged to are the subject of the latest entry on the Permanent Record Blog.

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Uni Watch News Ticker: Norman Sas, the inventor of electric/vibrating football, has died. R.I.P. … Stickball: Not dead yet! ”¦ Justin Lafferty got a bunch of photos at Sunday’s A’s/M’s throwback game. ”¦ We’ve mentioned several times that St. Cloud University’s logo is a Habs rip-off. Now that logo has helped them land a hockey recruit (from John Muir). … New rugby jersey for the French national team (from Josh Jacobs). … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Here’s a slideshow of 2012/13 Premier League kits. … Pretty cool infographic about the epic Nadal/Federer Wimbledon final from 2008. … Texans running back Arian Foster has gone vegan. It’s tempting to say something like, “Good, more meat for me” (and there, I just said it), but it’s nice to see an athlete with ethical standards. Good for him. … One of the best things about the Olympics is that the host city ends up with a bunch of state-of-the-art facilities that can be used and enjoyed for decades, right? Wrong: Look what’s already happened to the Beijing facilities in just four short years (from Tommy Gough). … Rawlings is suing Wilson because Wilson made a glove with gold webbing and trim, which Rawlings says infringes on their Gold Glove trademark rights. Jesus fuck, just take all the execs and the lawyers and drop them in a vat of acid or something (from Sam Belk). … Cyclist Bradley Wiggans has his nickname printed on his kit, rather than his last name like the rest of the team (from Michael Roecklein). … This is interesting: Photographer Brad Mangin has compared the Oakland Oaks throwback uniforms that the A’s wore on Sunday to the similar Oaks throwbacks that the A’s wore in 1994. Mangin happened to be working at both games, 18 years apart! … Two banks in Queens were robbed yesterday by a guy wearing a U.S. Postal Service uniform. … Coachie Ballgames has ranked the jerseys from Euro 2012. ”¦ Carlos Beltran wore gold shoes for last night’s Home Run Derby. “That’s how far MLB has fallen,” says Brinke. ”¦ Keenan, who didn’t give his last name, painted a bunch of storage compartments with a Mizzou theme. ”¦ Jeffrey Radice is trying to raise money to make a documentary about Doc Ellis (or, as he calls it, a Dockumentary). ”¦ The Reno Aces will become the Reno Ghost Riders for this weekend’s series (from Matt Moschella).

Incidentally, I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet, but my annual month-long summer break is fast approaching. From July 23 through Aug. 22, I won’t be blogging here (although I’ll still be producing ESPN columns). Phil will handle the weekdays during that span, and webmaster Johnny Ek will handle the weekends, so you’ll be in good hands. As for me, I’ll be recharging my batteries, working on other projects, and zipping over to Michigan for the Traverse City Film Festival. Sorry, no Uni Watch party during that trip — it’s a vacation!

 
  
 
Comments (285)

    Just to elaborate on one answer, the NHL did reject an alternate jersey design for the Nashville Predators. It would have featured the skull of a saber-tooth tiger as the front logo. They went with another front logo, the skull was relegated to the shoulder patch. (The “Mustard” jersey worn from 2001 – 2007)

    If I may chime in regarding the soup question. I make a string bean stew with beef short ribs. A recipe I learned from watching my grandfather make it a million and one times. Nothing better to eat on a chilly fall day.

    Care to share the recipe? I understand completely if you’d don’t want to share a family recipe. Sounds really good!

    I always used to rib my dad that Spade Cooley was the one musician whose name contained two separate ethnic slurs. Bob Wills is still the king.

    anytime i read about or hear something by spade cooley i’m reminded of L.A. Confidential.

    “shaking chinatown for a man named cooley.”

    You might not know the team is called the “White” Sox by looking at a pajamist, but of course, someone totally unfamiliar with MLB team names would probably be even more confused if they saw a Chicago player with their (black) socks visible.

    I thought my bands had the coolest names. I was in The Rhythm Method and The Minstrel Cycle.

    Are you from Ohio? I had a cousin in North Canton in a band named the Rhythm Method.

    I don’t think I’ve ever been in a band that didn’t have an awful name. Some of the more notable: The Fat Children, Devron, Pico Suess, Box Of Smile, The Highmores (we all took Highmore as our surname, Ramones-style), Delayed Reaction Element, Gil & the Furniture, Asscrack and the Joneses, Superbitch…

    Just terrible.

    RE: “That stupid-ass goatee”

    Technically (and I know this blog has a thing about technicalities) it isn’t a goatee… it is a Van Dyke.

    A goatee is only the hair on the chin. Once there is a mustache involved it becomes a Van Dyke.

    As a wearer of one myself, I think it is pretty awesomesauce.

    See:
    link
    -or-
    link

    Yeah, I know. I’ve kinda given in to the vernacular on this one, since almost *everyone* calls it a goatee, even though it’s really a Van Dyke.

    I wear a Van Dyke/”goatee” as well. Social stigmas be damned. I can’t grow a full beard, and like others, I need something to counter the ever-disappearing hair on top of my head.

    Wear it proudly, folks.

    Seems like everyone started wearing them a few years ago. Will they be the mullets of the modern era?

    I’m in the same boat.

    My wife also finds it sexy, although I personally think it looks ridiculous on me.

    What is the “certain type of cultural baggage” of a goatee that you refer to? Beatnik? Because I thought that was the case maybe 50 years ago, but not so much anymore. I was totally unaware there currently was any particular perception about a goatee (or a Van Dyke), but now I’m wonder what people are thinking of me because of that and if I should shave it off or not.

    When I first grew mine 20-some-odd years ago, I would have been thrilled to be seen as “beatnik.” But now it’s “insufferable hipster,” particularly for those of us who live in Brooklyn….

    Thin crust pizza must be a New York thing. For me, thick crust is a must for pizza.

    Don’t be a crustist. Thin, thick, it’s all good… just as long as it’s not covered in so much junk you need a fork to eat it.

    In Chicago, restaurants say they sell 100:1 thin crusts to deep dish pizza a night (and no, I didn’t ask the pizza question). Cheese & Italian sausage, oregano/Italian spices, fennel & cracker-crisp crust cut in link squares. As much as I love deep dish, I’d die very young if I ate it all the time since it’s loaded with butter, cheese, oil, fat & cholesterol.

    That looks a lot like St. Louis style, but I bet it never gets called that.
    Perhaps they refer to it as panera style?

    Well you & I know that St. Louis style is the special blend of cheese they use (cheddar, swiss & provolone + smokey flavor?) and it wouldn’t surprise me if Chicago’s very common thin crust influenced it. Basically a 3/16″ to 1/4″ thick, cracker-like snap on the crust.

    Is that cheese combo called provel?
    I was just kidding anyway. Referencing Chicago’s refusal to accept a “restaurant” called St. Louis Bread Co.

    Yeah, it’s called pan, hand tossed, deep dish or stuffed pizza. It’s still pizza.

    disguises as Phil’s voice “It’s meat & cheese casserole!”

    link in Milwaukee is endlessly thin. It is also, in my experience, some of the best pizza on the face of the planet.

    I had some awesome thin-crust pizza with a ton of cheese very near the (music) campus of UWM that was outstanding. It was 12 years ago but I still remember eating it.

    Remember when announcers would remark on the beauty of Royals Stadium? That was before screaming, electrified ads on every visible surface. Watching that HR Derby was like trying to find Waldo.

    It’s still a lovely park in person. The water fountains remain one of the most beautiful elements in any MLB stadium.

    I miss the quaint old rural charm of Royals Stadium. The lit expanded fountain with all the shops behind it looks like the inside of a mall.

    Thus far I have played my purple Precision Bass in ‘The Black Americans’ and ‘No Flag’.

    Paul, I’m impressed, I never would have thought of you as a western swing fan (especially being in NYC), but Bob Wills can be addicting. Are you strickly listening to the older works or do you also add in the Bakersfield swing style like Buck Owens and Dwight Yokem, etc.

    Can’t forget Asleep at the Wheel or Lyle’s swingier albums, in terms of more modern stuff. Ever listened to much bluegrass? We’re kind of lucky to have a good bluegrass scene here in DC, so I’ve been involuntarily exposed to a lot of great music I’d never have encountered otherwise.

    Huge bluegrass fan. Again, mostly older stuff (Flatt/Scruggs, things of that ilk), although I also love Del McCoury.

    Never liked Asleep at the Wheel as much as I wanted to. Not sure why; just never quite did it for me.

    Asleep at the Wheel was one of my two intros to western swing, so they remain a sentimental favorite. But I know exactly what you mean about not liking them as much as you’d like to – I don’t think I would either if I’d have come to them via the classic stuff rather than vice-versa. Their sound can be a bit overproduced; too much polish can make their music cold.

    Does O Brother, Where Art Thou show up on your favorite movie lists? If anything the soundtrack is gold.

    Great soundtrack. I know it’s a well-regarded film, but I don’t think it’s among the Coen brothers’ best (i.e., not as good as Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Hudsucker Proxy [which many people dislike, but not me], among others).

    Hudsucker Proxy. Definitely a Coen Bros top-5 film. It’s so widely, and wrongly, derided that I almost regard one’s opinion of it as a test of character.

    “You know, for kids.”

    Ummm… And also The Ladykillers. This is in my top ten of all time. Clever, with a touch of darkness.

    Regarding Olympic venues and sites. London’s venues may not have the same fate as Beijing’s and Athen’s as they are using a mix of new, pre-existing/refurbished, and temporary structures. The new structures already have long term plans for their use. Pre-existing structures include Wimbledon and various soccer fields.

    link

    Also, Paul, make sure not to watch any of the medal ceremonies…the medals may not be your cup of tea.

    link

    Then again, all of this year’s Olympics logos (Lisa Simpson humping Bart?) and mascots (one-eyed monsters) seem to make it the most philallic Olympiad ever, free condoms not withstanding.

    The goggles in women’s lacrosse are actually somewhat controversial. At the time they were introduced most girls didn’t want them. Now we’re at a state where it seems like people want to either get rid of them or go full helmet. While women’s lacrosse is supposed to be “no contact”, in reality it’s anything but and there’s been more instances of career ending concussions and head injuries after the goggles have been introduced. Most attribute it to the greater sense of protection wearing the goggles so that the women are taking more chances. I find it really interesting for some reason.

    Here’s a link to a synopsis of a “scientific” study that concludes goggles have been effective in reducing the incidence of eye injuries in women’s lacrosse. I use quotes b/c the study also recognizes the corresponding increase in the incidence of concussions – which it “speculates” is attributable only to enhanced recognition and diagnosis of same.

    link

    A similar goggles mandate imposed on HS field hockey players in 2011 was met w/widespread opposition and dismay at the sport’s highest levels. The action picture on this website speaks volumes as to why:
    link

    “…I’d also claim to have a skin allergy to polyester, so they’d have to make me a cotton flannel uniform.

    George Costanza ran into this problem in the ’90’s. Uniforms shrunk. Yankees played horribly. I’d suggest the latest in recycled plastic bottles?

    The best obscure college mascots are…

    UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs
    UC-Irvine Anteaters

    Didn’t Irvine used to have a cheer…

    “Anteaters, Anteaters, Anteaters,
    Zot! Zot! Zot!”

    Owing the anteater in “B.C.” (popular at the time)….
    link

    I have no idea. I’m from the east coast. I’m only aware that those mascots exist.

    I both heard it and saw it on t-shirts in the 80s when I was in that neighborhood.

    It was actually even better than that… The cheer went “Give ’em the tongue! Give ’em the tongue! Zot! Zot! Zot!”

    Don’t forget some of these crazy D2 Arkansas teams. My alma mater used to play them every year…

    Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils (Women’s teams are Cotton Blossoms)
    Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys/Golden Suns
    Southern Arkansas Muleriders

    Would never make any list of Paul’s, but the Furman Purple Paladins ain’t bad.

    Also have a soft spot for the Tufts Jumbos.

    In case someone hasn’t looked it up yet, Georgetown students chant “Hoya Saxa” at games.
    Hoya comes from Ancient Greek meaning “such” or “what” as in an exclamation. Saxa is from Latin for rock. So the cheer means “What rock!” Something like that.

    That Beijing olympics pictorial does not give the full story on the “Water Cube,” which is now an indoor water park: link

    You can easily find videos the park on the net.

    Score! I really didn’t think you’d take the soup question but rock on it made it in.

    Your missing out on some great soups based around meat. I’ve been getting more and more into them over the last year using a variety of different cuts, fowl, etc… just to see how something will turn up.

    I love a good manly vegetable beef loaded with chunks of beef and lots of vegetables.

    link

    Also, the link to the lightning vid was blocked in the U.S. by MLB Advanced Media (or whatever). Here are two links to unblocked vids, so laugh at the scrambling players while you can:

    (link)

    ( link)

    Tell you what, I was watching that live, and it was so loud it startled me just sitting here on the couch.

    I was at the game on the top row (the chain-link fence was immediately behind us) behind home plate. The flash and thunder happened simultaneously, and it was LOUD. Immediately prior, the wind picked up with debris flying all around and the temperature dropped from 97 degrees to 80 in a matter of minutes.

    Probably been noticed and noted before, but at the 0:12 mark when the Rangers catcher runs for the dugout, he’s wearing a navy/black helmet with the “T” logo:

    link

    I’m just considering that typical Napoli douchebaggery, he also wears the top two buttons on his jersey undone, and homers EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME he plays against the Red Sox.

    D-baggery?

    Noticed it during the game, and it occurred to me that likely he didn’t want to have to use two different helmets–one red and one royal—so he opted for a single black one.

    It was more a rip on him not buttoning his jersey, and being really, really good against my Sawx. It’s like Paul Goldschmidt v Lincecum good.

    Or the entire NL v Lincecum, this season.

    “Can’t say I recall the 1970s “HelmetHat.” – Brinke

    I recall that they were more of an ’80s thing.

    Kinda pill-boxy, but really eye-catching:

    link

    I was going to say they were 80’s not 70’s, too. I remember REALLY wanting one, and I didn’t know anything about football until the 80’s.

    I had one in the 80s.
    link
    They had a styrofoamish lining that disintegrated over time. Wasn’t one of my favorite hats, but I wore it quite a bit.

    Yeah, I still have my Vikings helmet hat, but I can’t wear it because when I take it off, it looks like I have yellow dandruff from that foam lining.

    Great bit of Americana I’d never seen before:

    link

    Tell you what: The day MLB hands out replicas of those to the first 10,000 fans through the gate is the day I approve of the camo pander caps and camo alt jerseys.

    I agree on the purple thing HOWEVER (acknowledgement to Stephen A. Smith) did you see the lovely frock on Michelle Wie at the US Open on Sunday. She can wear purple!!

    I disagree with everything about Stephen A. Smith. I know he’s technically a co-worker of yours, but that man’s voice and speaking tendencies are like a combination of nails on a chalkboard and chewing on aluminum foil.

    Couldn’t agree more.

    Somebody at ESPN must love him, because they keep giving him radio shows. The public doesn’t appear to agree, since they don’t seem to last very long.

    Not a great color, just a great body.

    Paul, glad to see you like the A’s uniforms. They are very under-appreciated, and green and gold is an underated combination.

    You must be fairly new around here. If there’s one thing Paul loves (besides meat), it’s a green and gold/yellow combo.

    Wise man he is.

    Anybody see the Dickey interview on the MLB Network? His BP jersey had the black skyline Mets logo patch.

    I’m not a big fan of the new BP jersey designs with the Yankee gray collars (or any collars), but with the black patch, it seems wrong.

    Paul, I enjoyed reading the Q&A today. Great idea that I hope becomes a regular feature. As a fellow meatatarian myself (did I spell that right?), I especially look forward to the inevitable culinary inquiries.

    On the Beijing Olympics – I hate to generalize and say “that’s just China”, but did we see similar outcomes after Sydney? Athens? I live two hours north of Atlanta, so I’m pretty sure most of the structures they built are/were put to use afterwards.

    not sure about sydney, but i remember seeing a piece similar to the beijing article on the disrepair the athen’s facilities fell into after those games

    Second-greatest band ever. Saw them twice: summer of ’83 and New Year’s Eve ’85. Of course, they were already past their prime by then, but still…

    I wish I was alive when they were still together (sorry if that makes you feel old) I discovered them in 7th grade, and they impacted me in ways no band had before.

    Doesn’t make me feel old at all. As I like to say, I’m an adult, but I’m not a grown-up. Helps keep me in a youthful state of mind.

    I saw them in ’88. They may have been pat their prime, but they were superb. Of course.

    If anyone doubts the impact of the Ramones, they should watch “End of the Century,” the documentary about the Ramones. The number and the quality of people who say “I started/joined a band” because of the Ramones is just incredible. To give just one example, Joe Strummer. So no Ramones equals no Clash.

    Absolutely. Loved when Joe Strummer said that when he first heard the Ramones, “They were so tight, it was as if they had lived in New Orleans their entire lives ….”
    Such proouncements almost make it worthwhile to endure my beloved Saints’ Idiotic, non-NFL worthy, thugwannabee, ten years too late trendy Black Leotard pants ….

    If you have been listening to western swing keep a eye out for Bill Kirchen. One of the best and plays in the NYC area 2 or 3 times a year. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

    a few observations from last nights Derby:

    How do they decide what Patch will represent teams on the BP Jersey sleeves? Rangers had the flag of Texas, Orioles has that circular patch w/ the maryland flag, Tigers just had a white D, Angels just had the A, Yankees had the whole bat & top hat logo. Just seemed like some obscure patch choices

    Also, did anyone notice the All-Star Mascot race? They had different racing mascots from around the MLB. Teddy Roosevelt, one of the Milwaukee Sausages, a hot dog, giant Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan. Anyone catch this?

    “if I had a rock band, they’d be called Cartographers.”

    A very distant cousin of mine started a band a few years back and was going to call it “Music for Cartographers” but thought it would be too pretentious sounding so changed it to this;

    link

    The Syracuse Nationals didn’t move to Phila until the fall of ’63 so how could a team use a font before they existed. Just another case of an Ebay seller not knowing what they’re talking about.

    “And if you know where I stole that line from, there’s a free Uni Watch membership card in your future.”

    Not that I know the origin, but I’m wondering if the eventual winner can submit and be issued a purple-inclusive card design.

    At least you know the answer…no one has figured out who #28 is in that darn Phyllis Diller pic from months ago(?)!

    link

    OK, I’ll bite, since nobody else has brought it up. Is it by any chance related to “I’m so cool you could keep a side of beef in me for a month”?

    For what it’s worth (and I’m sure I’m not the only one to have discovered this) today’s post ranks #1 on Google for the phrase “If I looked any smoother, my image wouldn’t stick to the mirror.”

    Not exactly sure if you’ll be able to use that fact to extract bigger bucks from your advertisers, but it’s always a satisfying experience to be #1, right?

    We used to sell “Helmet Hats” back in the ’70s. I can’t remember the price but they were fairly cheap to buy. They weren’t made very well. The crown had the graphics sublimated on and then it had a foam backing to give it some body. The cap bill was also foam-backed and didn’t shape well at all. The seller wants $39.99 for this cap. I wouldn’t pay 39 cents for it.

    reebok sold a version of these a few years ago too. but i think they were in the mid-$20 then

    Paul, you might be pleased to learn that at least one of your readers is, in fact, a cartographer. Alas, a lack of musical skill prevents me from starting a band with my coworkers.

    nice!

    my old title was “Mapping Specialist” before we merged with my current company. basically made pretty pictures with MapInfo. loved it though!

    Someone forgot that Prince Fielder now plays for the Tigers. Small mistake at last nights Home Run Derby:

    link

    Darn those computer graphics. You’d think they’d know how to update themselves by now.

    “… New rugby jersey for the French national team (from Josh Jacobs). …”

    Excellent look, and a welcome turn away from some of the neo-garish looks sported by the French recently. For sustained interest in the uni dimensions of nationalist iconography, nothing for me beats the Six Nations rugby tournament. [The Six are England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy and France; Italy has never won, Scotland hasn’t won in ages.]

    I played rugby in college, but don’t really follow it except for the quadrennial Rugby World Cup and the annual Six Nations tourney, and then basically for uni-comparison reasons. The every-year-ness of Six Nations, plus the reliable appearance of national colors (red-and-white, blue-white-and red, green-and-white, dark-blue-and-white; red-and-green) and national symbols (lions, roosters, shamrocks, thistles, dragons), make for interesting variations on settled themes, which is what I like the most, I guess, in the uni biz.

    The change from the previous bad designs coincides with the swith from Nike to Adidas for France.

    also gold shoes on Prince Fielder and Cano (as well as gold batting gloves) [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1207/mlb-home-run-derby-2012/content.2.html]

    And some very ugly all-white and white-and-royal catching mitts in that gallery as well…

    Brave or stupid? The camera man in this shot is about as close to the bat as the catcher, but wears no protection whatsoever [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1207/mlb-home-run-derby-2012/content.5.html]

    I’ve long thought about how there was no pro team called the Wildcats, despite it being the nickname of several prominent college programs like Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas State, Villanova, Northwestern.

    I figured Minnesota would eventually go that way since The Wild is a stupid name and their logo is a cat, but no dice so far.

    I don’t believe the Wild have ever said what animal is in the logo. I think most see it as a bear, not a cat. Which would be appropriate, since wild bears are much more common than wild cats in Minnesota.

    Interesting that you say folks see a bear in the logo, a bunch of my pals and I see a wolf/coyote/something along those lines, Arr…

    And now we have hit on exactly why they designed the logo the way they did. Because you’re all right.

    Special points awarded for “bear,” because that’s what I see.

    Any list of cool college names has to to include the Heidelberg University (Ohio) Student Princes.

    That IS cool. New York/New England small colleges are often good, e.g., White Mules of Colby, Continentals of Hamilton (Phil’s alma mater), Lord Jeffs of Amherst, Bantams of Trinity, Jumbos of Tufts, Saxons of Alfred, Dutchmen of Hobart, Stags of Fairfield. Even the big state schools can be good: Catamounts, Black Bears, Minutemen.

    Or the Ft. Collins (CO) Lambkins. Fortunately, the Pekin (IL) Chinks changed their name 30-odd years ago.

    I know this won’t make Paul very happy, but the link.

    Had you asked me before or during the game, I wouldn’t have known why they were wearing purple. Another cause lost in the fabric of a “specialty uniform”.

    On the marlins bfbs question, I think he was asking if you could pick a primary color other than black for their unis, what would you pick? I like the design, sort of, but the black and orange is so wrong.

    When I was a kid, at some point I received a Duke Blue Devils jersey made by DeLong. It’s a no. 33 Grant Hill jersey, so probably circa 1992-94. Anyway, my mother shipped it to me the other day, out of the blue (no pun intended). When I search DeLONG on uniwatch, nothing comes up. Google doesn’t really return anything either. Has anyone ever heard of these jerseys? For a replica, it is actually pretty nice and is still in good condition. I’ll send ya’ll pictures if you have any interest.

    “There’s a damn good reason you almost never see a purple house or a purple car”

    link, especially since I have seen a number of muscle cars in a nice tone of deep purple. Also, I have seen a house in lavender about 20 minutes away from my house, but I have no photo evidence of it. I do, however, have link.

    Then again, there’s usually a good reason why you never see a purple house anyway…

    AMC used a shade called Wild Plum for some of their models:

    link

    Factory paint jobs in purple were and remain less common.

    …and Chrysler used purple for thier Dodge/Plymouth Neon models:

    link

    See where I’m going with this?

    A couple times almost 30 years ago I saw someone driving around town in a purple Ferrari (like Magnum’s, only purple).

    Always assumed it was Prince.

    There are purple PT Cuisers as well and Audi actually offers purple as a special order. The current purple Challenger is a throwback to the “plum crazy” color the original car came in.

    fyi: technically the Lumbee “tribe” isn’t recognized tribe by the us gov. or by the indian nation. it’s only recognized as a tribe by the state of north carolina. so wouldn’t that put Pembrooke in the same boat as say South Dakota

    But Pembroke College is a Native American college. It’s like an HBCU, only for Native Americans.
    Also, my opinion on the use of Native American imagery by Pembroke vs. by Florida State is that it’s the difference between a minstrel show with characters in blackface (Florida State) and a traditional African performance with people of African heritage (Pembroke). I don’t know if they have their own “Chief” mascot, probably not since they’re D3, but if -they did that would be fine.

    I get what Pembroke is, but the problem is the “tribe” that lives in the area technically isn’t considered a tribe at all. there’s a big debate about the ancestry of the Lumbee tribe. Lumbee’s claim to be decedents of the Lost Colony and Croatan tribe, but there’s no way to prove this. the other recognized tribes refuse to acknowledge Lumbee’s as a tribe is because their blood line is diluted and shows very little indian ancestry. So Pembroke might be labeled a NCA school but it’s very debatable that it’s student body consist of Native Americans

    Yeah, so blame the college for naming themselves impropaerly. They’re still a Native American college.

    And by the way, it’s named for the town of Pembroke, not the tribe. It’s full name is University of North Carolina at Pembroke. So its name has nothing to do with the tribe, other than that I’m guessing the town is named after it.

    i know i lived never there. i never said the tribe was the pembroke tribe. i stated multiple times it was the lumbee tribe. the majority of the “native americans” that live in that area are Lumbees. The Lumbees are the majority of the students at Pembroke, so how can it be an NCA school if the students arent technically native americans

    “Pembroke is the country’s only Native American college in America.”

    There are several others, including Haskell University in Lawrence, KS.

    link

    Just an FYI Paul but you used the phrase “Jesus fuck” in today’s entry. I’m thick skinned. Not much offends me. Just thought I would let you know some people are offended by the name Jesus being used as an expletive or to show some form of astonishment or shock/anger.
    You seem to be very aware of the sensibilities of others and while I don’t always agree with your thoughts and ideas, I respect your right to your own opinions.
    Certainly (and rightfully so) we would never use the name of god of some other faith such as Buddhism or Islam to make a point.
    Perhaps in the future you should reconsider using the words you chose today, simply as a matter of respect for others. Just some food for thought my friend.

    Likewise Lee. I too enjoy the feeling of freedom to *embellish* ones posts with swearing. I’ve always considered the context of where it’s being used, as well as the source. With regard to todays Jesus “F” bomb, I simply envision it as Paul’s exact first reaction to the litigation between the mitt makers. Part of the enjoyment of this blog (to me) is having the freedom of expression. Regardless of how the message is delivered. I really bet that some here, wouldn’t want it any other way.

    I’m pretty sure that particular comment was quoted from the guy who sent the info in. It wasn’t Paul’s words.

    /or you could always just read it as hispanic Jesus instead of religion Jesus

    Christians, as the dominent religion, are doing really well in our society, very much like white people or men. Words shouldn’t offend those group the way gay slurs or the n-word do. Words and phrasing get offensive when they evoke pain from hate, oppression and subordination.

    Don’t remember the NHL mini-stick kits in the 70s. What I do remember is playing ruler hockey in the hallways at school. I believe all you used was wooden rulers and I if I remember correctly a ball made of crumpled paper and masking tape.

    Paul must love the old nursery rhyme…

    Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
    how does your garden grow?
    “With silver bells
    and cockleshells
    and one big fuckin’ eggplant.”

    A 49ers fan,eh ? I’d like to see them wear the red helmet/silver pants combo. My dream scenario would be a color-on-color versus a yellow-clad St.Louis.

    I love that red helmet uni. But the pants were white. Too bad they didn’t use that helmet in ’94 (when they wore the rest of the uni)…
    link
    That’s some facemask on Joe Perry, huh.
    #39 is Hugh McElhenney.
    #79 is Bob St. Clair (pretty sure it is).

    Okay, they didn’t wear quite that uni in ’94. They used the version with the black block shadow on the numbers.

    Y’know, the 49ers have never had a bad uniform, which makes me ambivalent about their changing periodically. Leave well enough alone!

    I enjoyed the Q&A with Paul today.

    Sorry to hear the electric football inventor died. I had great childhood memories of electric football. I later got a set on EBAY.

    A while ago I sent in this picture and Paul put in the ticker.

    New York Titans QB dressed in Titans uni with 2 kids playing electric football. That was the set I had as a kid.

    link

    I had link (no scoreboard, though) along with link (mine didn’t have the helmets on the border) and link

    I even had the link which I do not recommend. Way too small.

    Those fields are all somewhere else, but my teams have been put to link link now.

    RIP, Mr. Sas.

    My son had one of those electric football games – even this side of the pond.

    However – when the batteries ran down we took to gently (or if I was losing, not so gently) tapping/bashing the field of play to effect the players’ movements. Great fun! :)

    When Dad was watching TV, he didn’t want to hear the buzzing, so we had to tap it with our fingers. Sounded like horses galloping to me.

    My old Tudor set had the yellow and red guys. As a kid I painted the yellow to green and black. Black helmets. The red I painted silver and red. Yes go figure a long time Buckeye fan using silver and red.

    I later on tried paint remover to get guys back to original. And then found a game like mine on EBAY and bought it rather reasonable price.

    Paul, for the benefit of your readers, I’ll give a short schpiel about soccer uniforms (or kits, as they’re more properly known as).

    Teams typically have a primary kit. These can be any color. Not all teams wear colors at home. Some, like Fulham and the LA Galaxy, wear white at home. These designs tend to persist for many many years. For example, Newcastle has worn black with white vertical stripes since the 1800s.

    Then, you have a clash kit. Unlike road uniforms in American sports, these can be any color. They are not necessarily reflective of the team’s colors and the colors change quite often. For example, Arsenal’s colors are red and white, yet their clash kit last year was two different shades of blue. The clash kit is only worn when you’re on the road and the team you’re playing already has a significant amount of your primary kit’s colors in their primary kit. For example, when Manchester United and Liverpool visit each other, the road team has to change to their clash kit since both Manchester United and Liverpool wear red jerseys as their primaries, though United typically wears white shorts, while Liverpool’s are red.

    Finally, you have the third kit, which is seen the least because it’s used in what are essentially worst-case scenarios. These are the times when the team you’re playing at has significant amounts of both your primary and clash kits’ colors. For example, in the Champions League group stage last year, Basel hosted Manchester United. Basel’s primary kit was alternating red and blue stripes – it’s said that one of the founders of FC Barcelona, Joan Gamper, got their colors from Basel – and United’s clash kit was blue last year, so neither it nor their primary kit could be worn. Thus, their clash kit from the previous year, which was white, was revived and worn for that game.

    For a great archive of what I’m talking about, I suggest perusing Historical Football Kits: link That website mostly covers English football, but they’re expanding to cover various other competitions.

    Just for pedantry’s sake the kits are called first, second (or change) and third.

    “On the road” is correctly called “playing away”.

    A euphemism that is also used with reference to husbands, and John Terry :)

    I’ve mostly heard primary, clash and third, though yours is also correct.

    Also, you’ll have to excuse the use of “playing on the road” since that’s one Americanism I’ll never stop using.

    Also, the first line should have read “Teams typically have a primary kit that can be any color.”

    I’ve never heard the change or away kit described as a “clash kit”

    Whoa, Paul, you’re a Habs fan!? Awesome! (No “eh?” required. Just pure unmitigated awesome.)
    Funny you named green beans as your favorite vegetable. I totally had you pegged as a Brussels sprouts guy. WITH BACON.

    When I was 7 yrs old, my older brother bought me a hockey magazine with Ken Dryden on the cover (this was after Dryden had just led the Habs to the ’71 Cup), and I became a Habs fan that day. Naturally, I follow the Rangers more on a day-to-day basis, because they’re here, they’re local, etc. But when the Habs and Rangers play each other, I root for Montreal.

    link

    [Link seems to be flashing in and out of existence on Yahoo! sports.]

    Odd that Team USA is dressing to commemorate Mussolini when the Games aren’t even in Rome.

    Try this:

    link

    Not a fan of berets. Straw fedoras might have been better, but I think they’ve done it before.

    oh for fucks sake — the united states of france?

    no…cowboy hats don’t work with those outfits either

    in fact, nothing short of a fedora really works…not even a baseball cap

    but you want “american” headwear? a baseball cap is FAR better than a stetson

    Some of my thoughts on high school logos:

    Some of AZ’s best high school logos were designed by students and teachers at the schools: Canyon del Oro, Coronado, and Rincon all came about that way.

    One more is a great example of design, so much so it’s starting to crop up elsewhere: the Williams Field Black Hawks logo designed by Von Glitschka. I think the identity came with a secondary logo – but it needed a WF logo, as they’re using (weak) the Wake Forest logo on their helmets. Shame, shame, Williams Field!

    The worst student-, teacher-, or community-designed high school logo is better than the best pro-team ripoff logo. Personally, I don’t care about the legal IP implications of schools using ripoff logos – it really does not harm the pro team for its logos to be used in this way – but I do care about the message not using original work sends to students:

    None of you is talented enough to create something we would be proud of.

    That’s it. Fully stop. That’s the message school administrators send when they use a ripoff pro logo instead of an original creation. And it’s not an accident or an unintended consequence of an otherwise well-meaning choice. That is in fact the necessary though process behind the use of a ripoff pro logo. “Our kids deserve a professional-quality logo,” is what administrators typically say to defend the choice of a ripoff pro logo, but the necessary implicit corollary is, “And none of them are capable of creating a professional-quality logo themselves.” Without that second part, the first statement doesn’t actually justify the use of a ripoff pro logo.

    While I agree with your stance that the worst student/teacher/community designed high school logo is better than a rip off, I fully disagree with what you think that message sends to others.

    If there was a logo design contest, and the school administration didn’t pick anybody’s and went with a pro logo then maybe the rest of your written response has merit. But they just went ahead and ripped off a logo. Maybe they didn’t care enough about it. They might just want a “good enough” logo to slap on their sports teams and go ahead and focus on the academic side of the school system. If I was a school administrator, I probably would have more important things on my mind than a logo.

    But even the choice to look outside the school for a “good enough” logo is necessarily based on the belief that the student body could not possibly produce adequate work.

    Student-created work is ubiquitous in schools. You know, the English teacher doesn’t reprint AP stories in the school newspaper; she has students write their own news stories. Students make banners, design sets and props for school plays, paint murals, create their own cheers, write and perform skits, make videos … if you were a school administrator, you would be constantly surrounded by the creative work of your students, even if you had more important things on your mind. It takes active disregard for student talent to opt for a ripoff pro logo.

    On July 2nd, a poster simply called Tom, was looking to pick up a Tampa Bay Rays Turn Back the clock hat. Just wanted to let him know that I just was on Lids today looking for the 5950 and they are back. I did not see any franchise style caps with the turn back the clock logo. Only the 5950, just wanted to let him know. The turn back the clock logo is available on a few t-shirts as well.

    There are 2 purple houses in my neighborhood and I’ve personally owned 3 purple cars, so I almost always see these things. What a boring existence you’ve had.
    Also, if you don’t like Devo, you’ve apparently never given their first 2 albums a good enough listen. Absolute classics not just because of the ideas, but also in musical execution. I’ll never forget their first appearance on Saturday Night Live. Everyone who saw it went out and bought the record the next day. I got to see them perform the first record in its entirety a couple years ago and it totally rocked.

    A sure way to guarantee my not liking a musical act is all my friends telling me to like them.

    Rickey Henderso & Mark McGwire both looked pretty goofy in those Oaks throwbacks some 18 years ago. And while those socks are way cooler, at least the A’s bothered to get matching helmets this time around.

    Pirates and Giants had a throwback game at Three Rivers Stadium around 1993, both teams wore uniforms from the 1930s. Of course, the Bucs were red and blue back then, and the hat was blue with a red “P”.

    Orlando Merced’s 1994 Topps card shows him in a 1925-style Pirates jersey, though the cap looks like it’s blue but also blank.

    Thanks, Scott. I had forgotten about that 1993 throwback game with the 1925 unis. Tracked down the game I remembered, it was a 1992 TBC game with the Bucs in 1930s uniforms, which had the team nickname in script. I stumbled across a 1993 Donruss Zane Smith card as evidence.

    Wow, and the Giants in that game, at least based on the 1993 Donruss Bud Black card, wore blue “NY” caps. I’d love to see more photos from that game.

    Paul, when you make your way up to TC for the Film Festival (great lineup of films this year), do yourself a favor and drive over to Glen Arbor (about 30 minutes) and check out a place called Art’s Tavern. Feel like it’d be your kind of place, though maybe more in the fall/winter when it’s not overrun by summer seasonals and is a total townie hangout.

    Art’s is a real nice townie bar with great food (surf and turf meaning smelt and a burger), an eponymous ale, and one of the coolest bar owners you’ll ever meet. Ceiling is covered in college pennants, and in the evenings, they lose a few tables to raise the pool table out of the floor. It’s real excellent.

    After, take a drive through the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and take in some of the abandoned farms the state has bought to make sure developers don’t creep in. Climb the dunes. Swim in the lake. It’s mighty fine country.

    I hate to be that guy, but it’s not St Cloud University it’s St Cloud STATE University. Huskies (original right?) are very protective of their not-a-state state.

    As a teen, always used to name my rotisserie baseball team after a wacky collgee team.

    favrorite was always Ragin Cajuns.

    the low(er) placement of the cardinals birds-on-bat wordmark/script is really starting to piss me off

    What a beautiful looking All Star Game. No softball tops, no sandy “grays”, no road pinstripes. Just looks great.

    Just tuned in – any hot stirrup on sani action?

    Also – stars on jerseys and caps from the reg season last year that weren’t brought back this year are present on this set.

    Might it be a nice gesture if it were only on the starters’ caps and jerseys?

    It appears that, due to the ASG patch on the players’ right sleeve, the Gary Carter memorial “Kid 8” patch on the Mets’ uniform has been relocated to the upper ches/shoulder on the left side on the front of the jersey, like where the “C” on a hockey jersey would be.

    OK, I’m back, a little earlier than I expected. If anyone has been compiling list of notable moments and/or screen shots, please send them this-a-way.

    Thanks!

    The MLB logos on the back of the jerseys are non-standard colors (maybe team colors?) Some of the blues are darker than others and Andrew McCutchen’s appeared to be black and gold. Strasburg’s has the colors backward — red on the left, blue on the right.

    OK, it’s definitely based on team colors, although players on teams with dark blue and red among their colors appear to be carrying standard MLB logos.

    But you could see it when Dave Duncan came to the mound to talk to Kershaw. Kershaw’s logo has Dodger blue while the Duncan’s had a much darker blue in his.

    The White Sox guys have ones that are black and gray. And the Tigers’ ones look maybe all-blue.

    Also, I can look at nothing else now.

    Wow. Never noticed that before. (How many people make that comment on Uni-Watch every day?)

    Thanks guys. Keep up the great work.

    Go to the Lids store at your nearest mall (or a good sports apparel store) and check out the backs of the 5950 caps; you’ll see all the different team-specific color variations of the MLB logo.

    Ain’t so much the shoes as the high dark socks with them.
    This has long been known as the “Mr. Fineberg raking his lawn in Boca Raton” look.

    it does look funny…but also bad

    this is why those who say “who needs rups if teams just wear high socks” learns why … at least for players who choose to sport white kicks … white shoes with dark socks (and no visible sani) look like shit

    “yeah” you say, “so what…only the a’s wear white shoes”

    true

    but it didn’t use to be that way — lots of white shoed teams in mlb history, and some of them looked quite good — but you’ll notice also that this was during the ribbon stirrup era, so lots of white was showing for the sanis…which is why the look worked

    although the funniest may have been the 1971 senators, who went white-shoed for the season, and were probably the first team not based in kansas city or oakland to do so

    Asg uni notices not sure how good they are
    Intros – melky cabrera orange shoes
    Stars on back if every cap
    Fans w/ shirts like flag
    Napoli white shoes bejind the plate in the 1stAsg uni notices
    Intros – melky cabrera orange shoes
    Stars on back if every cap
    Fans w/ shirts like flag
    Napoli white shoes bejind the plate in the 1st
    Melky 1st inning batting logo raised
    Pablo 1st inning orange shoes
    Ortiz 100 yr fenway patch bottom 2
    Grandy bottom 3 white shoes gio pitching
    Cano bottom 4 strausburg pitching cano white shoes
    Botom 4 off strasburg hanilton white shoes
    Harper gold shoes top 5 weaver pitching
    Asdrubel carbera white shoes bot 5 off kershaw
    Melky 1st inning batting logo raised
    Pablo 1st inning orange shoes
    Ortiz 100 yr fenway patch bottom 2
    Grandy bottom 3 white shoes gio pitching
    Cano bottom 4 strausburg pitching cano white shoes
    Botom 4 off strasburg hanilton white shoes
    Harper gold shoes top 5 weaver pitching
    Asdrubel carbera white shoes bot 5 off kershaw

    A comment was made that Rodney pitching with his hat tilted would be disconcerting for the hitters. That’s dumb, right?

    My mother who only knows sports, aside from her time growing up in Cleveland, because of our households constant need for ESPN to be on in the background at all times, made the same remark right before McCarver stated his opinion.

    But from a ball players perspective, you try to pick up the ball out of the pitchers hand from behind his back shoulder…he could be making faces at you for all youd know, because when Rodney’s throwing to you, ur not focused on anything but the ball. The hat positioning couldn’t mean less

    Not related to the game tonight, but do we have any diehard White Sox fans in the house? One of the uniform sets I haven’t heard much about from the past is the 1976-81 Chisox set, which had four different combos and two different hats most years. Jerry Wolper did a great job with the Bucs Tracker on the 1977-84 Pirates, logging those daily combinations.

    The white crown hats disappeared quickly. I mean VERY quickly. They were worn only with the mono navy and only for, as near as I could tell, their opening road trip of 1976. Just long enough that a number of baseball card photos were taken (thereby contributing to the myth they wore them after that).

    The White pants didn’t show up until ’77 or maybe even ’78. Not sure.

    And lord knows they wore at lot of different stripe styles on their socks. Did a bit on them all for UW. Perhaps Phil can find it.

    i vaguely remember working on that with ricko — and i can confirm his findings — only wore the white caps, i think, the opening series in ’76

    according to okkonen — they had all four combos the first three years, then never wore the white shirt over blue pants for two years, and it shows the last year all four combos returning — but i’d like to see photographic evidence of that

    he also doesn’t show the shorts, which we know were worn at least 3 and possibly 4 times, so okkonen is suspect

    i’m not going to look for it tonight, but perhaps during paul’s break i’ll do a larger piece on those unis with ricko

    I always wondered if Tony LaRussa didn’t like the navy pants because it seemed to me about the time he got the job they disappeared.

    Someone from Chicago would know better, of course.

    Okkonen has it a bit wrong. When the uniform was introduced in 76, the pants were always navy, home and away. The trick was that there were three different lengths: plus-fours (traditional baseball pants), clam-diggers, and the infamous shorts.

    The white pants with a navy stripe came in 78 (Chet Lemon wore them in the ASG in San Diego), but they weren’t worn very often. They became the full-time pants in 81, the first year that Jerry Reinsdorf owned the club. He wanted to change the uniforms right away, but was told the deadline had passed, so they went with what they had.

    Over time, it seemed that the jerseys went from polyester to a nylon mesh, and from a midnight navy to a slightly lighter shade of blue. It was still pretty dark.

    Someone who wants to do the research can start picking through these:

    link

    (Date stamps on back may be a day after the actual game.)

    Josh Hamilton had a toothpick in his mouth during his AB! (think it was his 2nd AB)

    Never seen that during a ball game before, at least during a AB.

    That could have ended pretty bad with all the plays I can think of that could cause some serious damage.

    Not really uni related, but an interesting on what would happen if a baseball was thrown at near the speed of light:

    link

    Sorry, no pic, but Fernando Rodney pitched with one of the stars missing from his cap.

    The reasoning behind the high school baseball coach’s answer may not be so much of a team thing than a silly league rule. Consider the recent basketball teams with arched front lettering being penalized if the bottom falls below the top of the number.

    In post season high school cross country races our whole team had to be dressed uniformly. So if one person’s hands were cold, they had to deal with it or get the rest of the team to wear matching gloves.

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