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Uni Watch Fan Appreciation Day, 2012 Edition

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People, I’ll be frank with you: The past couple of months have been rough. A friend of mine killed himself; another friend, to whom I’m much closer and who I love very dearly, was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer; yet another friend, to whom I’m even closer and who I love even more, was diagnosed with a condition that has robbed all the joy from her life and transformed her daily routine into a terrible ordeal; my Mom had a serious health scare; so did one of my cats; my car battery died; a major project that I was working on for the New York Times was scuttled due to a staff shake-up; and then there’s that broken arm (five more days, five more days).

Throughout all of this, the one thing I could count on every day was all the support, insight, and interesting content provided by Uni Watch readers. So our annual reader appreciation raffle, in which I give something back to all of you who help make Uni Watch such a special project (or, if you prefer to be more cynical, in which I clear out all the swag that’s accumulated over the past year), feels particularly good this time around. My thanks to every one of you who contribute to making this place the very interesting place it is, and who’ve also helped make the past few months a bit easier to bear.

As in past years, some of you may recognize a few of these items as gifts that you thoughtfully sent me over the past year. I realize regifting may seem tacky, but sometimes I have duplicates on certain things, or I don’t have room for everything, or something is too big or too small for me to wear, or I’ve gotten some enjoyment out of an item and am now ready to let someone else enjoy it. No offense intended, and I hope none taken. Thanks for understanding.

Okay, here’s what’s available this year (for shirts and sweatshirts, all sizes listed are as tagged; all measurements listed, which are much more important than the tagged sizes, are pit-to-pit, so pay extra-close attention to those):

1. A free Uni Watch membership card with your choice of design.

2. Any non-autographed college football helmet from the vast Gridiron Memories inventory. (Note that multiple designs are available for most schools.)

3. A piece of the court from the game when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. Details here.

4. A hybrid NBA 2012 East/West All-Star jersey with my NOB. Mesh fabric, mix of screened and sewn graphics. XL, 21.5″.

5. A vintage Seattle Mariners bumper sticker. Not quite pristine condition.

6. A program from the season-opening Mets/Cubs series in Tokyo from 2000. Text is in Japanese.

7. and 8. Two sets of Uni Watch stirrups, just like the ones that hang from the headline of each entry on this site. Note that each pair is a separate prize.

9. A baseball pitcher belt buckle.

10. A set of four BP lapel pins from the London Olympics. Oil spill not included.

11. A set of four orange helmet squatchees, just like the ones worn by the Mets. Perfect for customizing a Mets helmet.

12. A whiteskins.org T-shirt. M, 19″.

13. A ShirtWhiz jersey hanger kit, just like the one advertised in the right sidebar.

14. Pack One of the “Curious Second Careers” card set from Left Field Cards. (You can see what the six cards look like here.)

15. Pack Two of the “Curious Second Careers” card set from Left Field Cards. (You can see what the six cards look like here.)

16. A 2011 Orioles style guide booklet plus CD.

17. A Pete Hill card pack from the Infinite Baseball Card Set. (Further info here.)

18. A Rangers pom-pom hat from last season’s Winter Classic.

19. A Flyers pom-pom hat from last season’s Winter Classic.

20. A striped Flyers hat from last season’s Winter Classic. Technically reversible, but the other side is so boring that I didn’t even bother to photograph it.

21. A Rangers scarf from last season’s Winter Classic.

22. A Flyers scarf from last season’s Winter Classic.

23. A Rangers T-shirt from last season’s Winter Classic. Distressed graphics. L, 21.5″.

24. A Flyers T-shirt from last season’s Winter Classic. Distressed graphics. XL, 22.5″.

25. A Rangers women’s-cut baseball-style shirt from last season’s Winter Classic. Distressed graphics. Very small. M, 15.5″.

26. A Flyers women’s-cut baseball-style shirt from last season’s Winter Classic. Distressed graphics. Very small. S, 15.5″.

27. A Bears T-shirt from ’47 Brand. Distressed graphics. L, 21″.

28. A Broncos T-shirt from ’47 Brand. Sewn lettering and patch. L, 23″.

29. A 49ers T-shirt from ’47 Brand. Distressed graphics. L, 22″.

30. A “Brooklyn-style” Maryland basketball T-shirt from Under Armour. Heavy-handed attempt at a Jackie Robinson tribute on the back. L, 22″.

31. A Sons of Johnny LeMaster fan club T-shirt. Gary Carter memorial patch on sleeve. Brilliant NOB on the back. XL, 22.75″.

32. A vintage green Durene V-neck jersey with white collar and cuffs. Purchased on eBay, but it turned out to be a smidge too small for me. M, 19″.

33. A Bears T-shirt from ’47 Brand. Sewn lettering and patch. M, 21.5″.

34. A set of Wichita State throwback basketball shorts from Retro College Cuts. M, but very long.

35. A Kezar Stadium T-shirt from the San Francisco Transit Museum. Note that the color is actually a hunter green. M, 19″.

36. An authentic Red Sox throwback cap, just like the one worn for the game against the Yankees on April 20. Essentially a plain white cap with the MLB logo on the back. 7-1/4.

37. An authentic Yankees throwback cap, just like the one worn for the game against the Red Sox on April 20. Includes MLB logo on the back. 7-1/4.

38. A Panthers snap-back cap from ’47 Brand.

39. A Chargers hoodie from ’47 Brand. Sewn graphics. Very narrow sleeves — maybe meant for a child? M, 18.5″.

40. A Packers sweatshirt from ’47 Brand. Sewn graphics. L, 25″.

41. A set of vintage green satin baseball pants with off-white side piping. Can’t remember where I got these, but I don’t need them. 34″ waist.

42. A copy of the book Kentucky Colonels, which tells the story of that franchise. Hardcover, 350 pages.

43. A pair of yellow stirrups with black striping. Seven-inch style.

44. A pair of red stirrups with white northwestern striping. Seven-inch style.

45. A pair of olive stirrups with black striping. Seven-inch style.

———

To enter the raffle for these items, here’s whatcha do:

1) Send one e-mail, and only one, to the giveaway address.

2) In the body of the e-mail, please indicate (a) your name and shipping address and (b) your top 10 choices, in order of preference, by number. If you’re only interested in, say, seven items, then just list your top seven choices; if you want to list more than 10, you can do that too, all the way to 45, but I don’t really expect anyone to go that far. I’ll do my best to accommodate all the winners’ choices.

3) Entry deadline is 10pm Eastern next Friday, December 21st. The winners will be announced on either the 24th or the 25th.

Again, my thanks to all of you who contribute in various ways to Uni Watch. I wish I could provide gifts for all of you ”” honest.

+ + + + +

Top 10 reminder: I’m accepting nominations for the top 10 uni-notable moments of 2012. Details here.

+ + + + +

Uni Watch News Ticker: Here’s one sportswriter’s list of his favorite players to wear No. 12. “He’s covered the Nittany Lions for more than a few years, so there’s a bit of a Penn State slant,” says Gerry Dincher. … Some interesting uniforms on display in these old photos from a Cleveland-area orphanage (from Keith Piper). … Saint-Etienne’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wore crystal-encrusted soccer shoes during warm-ups before a game against Lyon on Monday (from Stephen Boyd). … Oooh, this is a good: a page-by-page look at a 1966 NFL season guidebook. Click on the thumbnails to see the great illustrations at full size (big thanks to Rocky Lum). … No matter how much it snows in Minnesota, Minnesota’s midfield “M” logo stays uncovered (from Brett Stone). … Speaking of Minnesota, here’s what their jersey patch will look like for the muffler repair bowl. … And here’s the patch Arizona State will be wearing in the anti-starvation bowl (from Keith Winney). … Small note at the end of this article indicates that Shane Victorino will be wearing No. 18 for the Red Sox (from Tom Mulgrew). … New helmets for Tulane. … The Ohio State coaching staff wears varsity-style jackets to impress recruits (from Larry Bodnovich). … Interesting article about some high-tech electronic baseball gear that Mizuno was working on in the early 1980s (from Jerry Wolper). … The new women’s soccer team in Portland is called the Thorns (from Nate Kettlewell). … ’Twould appear that Oregon’s penchant for eccentric jerseys well predates the Nike era (great find by David Firestone). … A faction of Mormon feminists is touting this Sunday as “Wear Pants to Church Day” (from Cort McMurray). ”¦ This is pretty funny: American League East teams reimagined as soccer clubs (from Phillip Foose). ”¦ Ottawa’s new CFL team might be called the Rush. ”¦ I’ve always been more of a pinball guy than a video game guy (big surprise), but I saw Wreck It Ralph last night and really, really liked it. Recommended.

 
  
 
Comments (85)

    My thoughts go out to all of those people touched by tragedy and illness.

    It’s crazy how so many difficult things can happen in a short period of time.

    The Rush wouldn’t be the first team named for a rock band. link

    Thank you, Paul, for keeping up with the site. Always great stuff here. Here’s hoping your 2013 brings more joy and fewer broken bones!

    There’s a funny synergy between pop music and sports. Any fans here of Utah Saints or Detroit Cobras?

    “In rock news, the Eagles traded lead guitarist Joe Walsh to Boston, for Tom Sholz and a bass player to be named later.”

    In the ’66 Green Bay guidebook….

    page 1A… Interesting facemasks on the helmets (not all the same). Yes, thay are alpha by city name.

    Pages 2 – 4A…. The illusatrations are shown in alpha order by city name. The paragraphs don’t match that otder 100%.

    (sorry folks, it’s just what I do)

    Interesting that the Cleveland Browns illustration shows Number 45. That number was retired for Ernie Davis.

    RE: AL East Teams re-imagined as soccer clubs.

    It’s weird that the artist chose “Publix” as the shirt sponsor for the Rays considering that their “official” grocery store is a competitor. All in all, a pretty good job, especially the Jays one!

    Rogers Communications doesn’t just “sponsor” the Blue Jays’ stadium, they OWN it and the ball club as well.

    Speaking of the Blue Jays jersey: interesting that the designer chose not to add stars or pips or anything for their 2 WS titles.

    In any case, I think they’re all gorgeous (except for the Yankees one, out of principle).

    It really sucks that soccer has apparently reached the point where a team uniform needs to have a freakin ad on it to look “legit”.

    The Yankees have the best concept of the bunch purely by being ad-free.

    Shouldn’t the maker’s mark on the O’s jersey be UnderArmor and the Yanks Adidas? And change the ad on the O’s jersey to either the Natty B’oh guy or Old Bay.

    No, the Yankees switched sponsorships from Adidas to Nike a few years ago. Adidas used to describe a certain color in their apparel pallet as “Yankee Navy”; now it’s “Collegiate Navy.”

    The only thing I noticed that was off was this: don’t most teams contain the logo of the league in the bottom of the numbers on the back of the shirt, rather than just below the collar? I know both of my Man Utd shirts from 03/04 and 07/08 do.

    Paul,

    Sorry to hear all the hardships for you, your family, and friends. Keep your head up. I just want to send my best wishes to all of those who you mentioned. I will hope for their best outcomes. I’m sure they are glad to have you as a friend during these times. “Your a better man than I am, Gunga Din.”

    Interesting (perhaps only to me) that a snow blower being run over field turf apparently picks up some of the turf’s rubber infill. I wonder what (if anything) that does to the field’s long-term performance and durability.

    Also, thanks for creating something that is part of my morning routine.

    I guess Ohio State did not get the message that kids do not like to wear letterman’s jackets nowadays?

    Maybe they’re coming back into vogue. The Texans are wearing them now, so that makes two fairly high-profile letterman jacket stories in the past week.

    Is there some sort of database of school varsity letterman jackets? If it doesn’t exist, that might be something for a creative web person to set up.

    Don’t look at me — I’m just a lurker. :-)

    Jeremy, I see tons of individuals wearing the Crooks & Castles and Mitchell & Ness varsity jackets over here in WA state. Looks like they are coming back.

    The “O” on the Buckeyes letterman jacket may be important to them, but the swoosh is closer to their heart (literally).

    I’m sure Ohio State gives them out to their letter-winning athletes (for the record, a scarlet wool body and cuffs, cream-colored leather sleeves, and a gray “O.” No swoosh.

    Pat Jones, former Oklahoma State football coach, wore a letter jacket on the sidelines in 1988. I feel like he did other years, but I know for a fact he did that year. Every time I think of Pat, it could’ve been “former OSU coach”, “played high school football with my dad”, “coached with the Dolphins and Raiders,” “bald on top, with the hair on the sides”, or “current analyst for Fox Sports Southwest college football”, but no… it is and always has been that jacket. 6:09 is prob the best view, you’ll see it. Also note that’s Mike Gundy as qb, handing off to one of the top 2 running backs who ever lived. I’m not even an O-State fan. No no no. Hate the Cowboys. OU fan. But I still picture that jacket and like it. That running back guy… link

    It depends on where you live. At my high school (I graduated in 2007) they were very popular. Probably almost half the school wore them, including me.

    Big fan of the interlocking TU helmets for Tulane. Sad how our public schools have failed those people commenting on it though.

    And Paul, kudos to you for keeping up with this in light of some difficult times. Coming to your site is a morning ritual as soon as I arrive at my work desk. Happy holidays to you and yours and the entire Uni-Watch community

    Just saw your post, after I already posted, I while heartedly agree with your take on the commenters on the TU pics. I can understand using slang when talking or having an affectation, southern drawl etc, but it has got to take so much more time and effort to type that stuff out than to simply type: I like that, that’s cool, or even that’s my shit in a correct manner.

    Globe article about Victorino also mentions #18. And mentions it was worn by Johnny Damon (who wore it for 4 years). Doesn’t mention Daisuke Matsuzaka, who wore it the last 6 years.

    Paul: your writing, blog, organization and continued increase in quality content is inspiring. It’s all about doing what you love for a living. Best wishes for the following year.

    I’d second that.

    My fascination with sports uniforms drew me to this site, but the quality of writing keeps me coming back as much as anything. You’re a genuine talent, Paul.

    Thank you for inviting us into your life. Best wishes to your friends and to you. Have a happy holiday and a great new year.

    “My fascination with sports uniforms drew me to this site, but the quality of writing keeps me coming back as much as anything.”

    Perfect encapsulation of why Uni Watch is a must-stop on my daily lap ’round the Internet. Excellent topics, tremendous writing, & a solid community make for a fantastic experience. Thanks much to Paul for creating such a special place.

    I have not been to a Gopher game or viewed a program lately, but why do I have an odd feeling that somewhere in the program or media guide is an ad for someone being “The Official Snowblower Supplier of the 50-yard line `M’.”

    Wishing you and yours better times in the New Year. You bring many people much joy and I hope some of that comes your way.

    Paul, I think we should be thanking you. You consistently provide us with hours of thought-provoking conversation, analysis and entertainment. And even though my commenting has gone way down lately (lousy phone), there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t at least check in to see what’s going on and what everyone else is talking about.

    Thank you for that. Better times in the New Year.

    Geez, Paul. If anything it should be *us* who gives *you* something! There’s nothing tacky about re-gifting – sometimes one of the greatest things are hand-me-downs – nor do I have any problem in general with “thoughtless” gift cards (hey, they’re like coupons / free money).

    Tho I do think you’re a tad too sentimental towards your car battery!

    I kid, I kid. I was lucky when mine died recently I was at home. Tho the slightly slower starts definitely helped & I knew it was pushing 7 years old.

    Very sorry to hear about the unfortunate turns for you and those close to you. Thank you for keeping our little happy place alive during these times. If you would have listed those things and said adios I’ll see you when things are better, no one would have blamed you.

    Positive thoughts to you and your loved ones.

    Sorry about your losses and the illnesses of those close to you. I had a very rough 2011 and early 2012 because of some similar losses and misfortune, and it’s a tough process to overcome. I truly hope that things turn out for the best.

    Very sorry to hear about your friends and family Paul. As you can see from the comments a lot of us have been there too. Thanks for sharing and I hope for the best!

    When I saw you received a Cardinals alternate jersey in yesterday’s ticker, my first thought was, “I hope that’s in Paul’s raffle basket this year.” Alas… :)

    Seriously, though, thank YOU for the blog. Every day, there’s something in it that makes me smile or forces me to think.

    Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts, folks. I didn’t mean to sound like a sad sack or a crybaby, and I hope it didn’t come off that way. Your response (both here in the comments and via email) has just reinforced what I was trying to say in the first place, which is that I’m lucky to have such a great readership. Thanks.

    Ottawa seems to need to replace “Rough Riders” with every “R” name in the book.

    The singular noun thing I think I could do without; I think it’d be a first in the CFL (and “Las Vegas Posse” doesn’t count, right?).

    I’d love for them to get the name rights to “Rough Riders” back from the one-time owner; my Ottawa acquaintances consider that guy a shyster.

    I don’t know why they’re bothering… the Ottawa team will just fold in 2016 anyway. In 2022, the whole CFL will get absorbed into the NFL as the AFC and NFC Canada divisions, with the NFL expanding to a 20 game schedule. The Los Angeles Argos become the first former CFL team to win a Superbowl in 2029, defeating the Toronto Buffalos by 3.

    /sorry… I probably shouldn’t post while drinking…

    Hey, no prob. It’s almost noon in my time zone, and it is a Friday.

    Should that happen, I’m just looking forward to the NFL teams’ playing man-to-man defence beyond the 51 yard line, then wondering what “objectionable conduct” means. (As a longtime CFL fan, has there every been a funnier-sounding penalty than that? It sounds like it should be accompanied by a glove slap and pistols at dawn.)

    Nope. Well, let’s try again. Sorry if a repeat, but there are new helmets for Tennessee Volunteer football. Like the stripe, don’t like the mismatch of the facemask. I saw at Everyday Should Be Saturday. Maybe the linky held things up.

    Man those Tulane helmets are great, I really like the interlocking TU throwback one. That Oregon baseball jersey is pretty sweet and reasonably priced, unlike so many eBay items, if only it wasn’t a size too big. Paul keep up the good work, and thanks for making Uni Watch part of my balanced breakfast.

    Paul — I’m late to the site today but I want to reiterate what’s already been said. You give us so much great content day in and day out. You open your life to us, and have created a great place for us to obsess together. I’m saddened to hear about your friends and family but if there is one guy with a blog out there who I don’t know personally but feel like I do who I know can handle it all, that would be YOU!

    THANKS AGAIN!

    Paul, I don’t comment very often, but I follow Uni-Watch on a daily basis while at my desk eating lunch. Like many others here, I stumbled onto your site because of an obsession with uniforms. However, I have stayed here because of the wonderful insights/opinions/discussions that are shared thanks to your thought-provoking posts. Here’s hoping that 2013 brings happier days to you and your loved ones!

    Paul,

    Thanks as always for another year of truly compelling stuff…you remain my first read in the morning.

    Thanks also for doing the drawing again, its always fun…and my condolences and sympathies for all the personal hardships you’ve been going through. When it rains it pours, but hopefully the months to come will be much better.

    John English

    The article on Number 12s was maddening on so many levels. I know it’s totally subjective, but I was disappointed in several of his picks. I feel like if I was at a bar with this guy and talking sports, he would annoy me before too long with our differeneces in opinion.

    To his credit and in his defense, the writer headline his article “My favorite dozen No.12s are men of their moments” and he didn’t claim he was writing a “Best #12s of all time.”

    Also, he writes for The Patriot-News, and runs articles on PennLive.com, which attract a very regional readership (Central Pennsylvania)and maintain that flavor. I live in Western PA and I hear complaints about PennLive and how it can be biased even within the state.

    Speaking of PennLive.com…

    My high school alma mater is playing for the Pennsylvania AAA State Championship tonight. Last week, they went monochrome black in the semis:
    link

    But the school colors are Orange and Black, so to me its not BFBS.

    Paul,
    I just want to join in and Thank You for everything. Ever since I’ve been reading this website (about 4 years) I’ve noticed the subtle things with uniforms and logos.

    and I feel you pain about 2012…it has been a rough year for me and my family as well.
    anyway..Mayans be dammed…looking forward to 2013. (let the Triskaidekaphobics beware)

    Mizuno article:

    I, for one, look forward to the day Clayton Kershaw receives his signs from A.J. Ellis through a series of lights embedded in his mitt. It’s only a matter of time.

    I hope not & not I. Baseball needs less electronic noise & technology, not more. How many times have I seen something so simple as the bullpen phones malfunction & it’s inevitable that these gadgets would too. It seems like the only motivation behind this is some company trying to strike it rich. If you want perfection in sports, go play a video game.

    That Portland soccer logo reminds me of the logo release the Pac-12 did for their logo release: link

    (pac 12 vid featuring yours truly, btw)

    UniWatch did it! Good riddance.

    Hey, Paul, late to get here today, so here’s a belated nosegay for all you’ve meant to your transcontinental followers. Rave on.

    Heres how the Potato Bowl patch will look on Toledo link
    Who Im told will be wearing gray because they “dont have enough white jerseys.” Makes sense, you dont travel the whole team to away games, and the grays have been worn at home so they have all the numbers.

    Am I the only one who has never actually noticed the stirrups hanging from the headline bar? I’m such a disgrace to the Uni Watch community!

    Paul–so sorry to hear about what you’ve been through. Life is a lot about what you survive. You provide a lot of interesting people a lot of joy through something you love. There’s that, and very few can claim it. Mazeltov.

    RE: Bowl games…

    Sorry, but only bowl game actually matters and it’s the one where people pick who gets to play there for “all” the marbles. As a huge college football fan, I agree, the regular season matters – until your team loses one game. Then, it’s hoping for everybody else to lose one just to see that a 2-loss team gets to play in the title game against a team that it couldn’t beat to win the division (let alone the conference) pretty much ended that. That left an ever disgusting taste in my mouth last season and I just hope that a real playoff gets installed soon. That way, if a team that doesn’t win its division but makes the tournament can still play its conference champion in the title game.

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