In late August I mentioned how a certain uniform manufacturer had threatened to sue me over a uniform leak. With that in mind, here’s a related story for your consideration.
I recently met a guy who writes for the website of one of the Big Four pro leagues. He and I have emailed from time to time over the years — he likes my work, I like his, he’s occasionally contributed Ticker items, etc. — but this was the first time we’d met in person. Let’s call him John Doe.
As John and I were kibitzing, he told me something very interesting: At one point he had been contacted by someone who identified himself as an “investigator” for the league whose website John writes for. The investigator wanted to know the extent of John’s communications with me, apparently because they were trying to find the source of some leaked uniform designs I had posted. John thinks the investigator must have singled him out by searching for league email accounts that had been in contact with my email address.
John — who has never leaked anything to me — told the investigator the truth, which is that he and I had emailed a handful of times about mostly trivial matters, and that was that. The investigator then presumably moved on to the next name on his list of league employees who had communicated with me. (The league never did figure out my source for that particular leak, and they never will.)
First a threat of a lawsuit, now an “investigator” combing through email records and shaking down league employees. Can you fucking imagine? All this cloak-and-dagger nonsense is beneath the dignity of a professional operation — or at least it should be. It all brings to mind something I wrote in the Ticker about a month ago. In case you missed it, here it is again:
As I’ve tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to impress upon the leagues, teams, and uni manufacturers, it’s in their best interests to show me stuff in advance on an embargoed basis [i.e., I promise not to disclose or discuss the design until a specified date], because that would serve to inoculate them against leaks. For example, let’s say the NBA shows me a bunch of upcoming new designs on an embargoed basis, and then someone ”” a retailer, say ”” leaks me those same designs to me a few weeks later. If I’ve already promised the NBA that I won’t talk about the new designs, then I can’t do anything with the leak, because I’ll always keep my word regarding embargoed content. But if the NBA doesn’t show me anything, then I’m free to write about leaks whenever they come my way.
All you league personnel who are reading this right now might want to take that last graf to heart. You’d be better off working with me than engaging in this long-form game of Whac-A-Mole that you’ve been playing (and losing) for years now. You’d save on legal fees and investigators’ salaries, too. Think about it.
ESPN reminder: In case you missed it yesterday, my latest ESPN column is the annual Uni Watch World Series Preview. Enjoy.
Meanwhile, two follow-ups on that column:
• Several readers have pointed out that I left out an interesting nugget: If the Series goes at least five games with no rainouts — in other words, if all three games in St. Louis are played on their currently scheduled dates — then the Cards will wear three different uni combos for those three games: Saturday alternates, home whites with the Sunday cap, and home whites with the standard cap. Has that ever happened before in World Series history?
• I mentioned in the column that umpire Augie Donatelli stole Cardinals infielder Julian Javier’s cap right off his head at the conclusion of the 1967 Series. That prompted the following from reader Brice Wallace:
I was only six years old when the 1967 World Series rolled around, but we had some World Book Encyclopedia “yearbooks,” and I remember that the 1968 edition, looking back on 1967, featured a photo of Augie Donatelli snagging the caps.
Also: I wish I could remember where I read it, but in the early ’70s I came across information indicating that Donatelli collected caps from some of his games, and I believe he especially tried to get those of the third basemen. I distinctly remember that in the case of the ’67 World Series, it said that he told the third baseman that he wanted his cap and would get it after the final out if the Cards won. I don’t know if he had the same deal with the Red Sox third baseman. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I read that.
As it happens, that World Book yearbook can be had almost for free on eBay. I’ll snap it up later today.
’Skins Watch: A coalition of advocacy groups is demanding that people stop using the ’Skins name and misappropriate Native American imagery on Nov. 7. That’s also the date the ’Skins are playing in Minnesota, where a protest is being planned (thanks, Phil). … Lancaster High School in upstate New York calls its teams the Redskins, and at least one local resident thinks they should never change the name (from Drew Celestino). … A weekly paper In Richmond — which happens to be where the ’Skins train — has become the latest media outlet to boycott the team’s name. … Former ’Skins QB Joe Theismann says the team’s name is a tribute to Native Americans (from Ryan Deitchler). …
Baseball News: Here’s a sensational slideshow of aerial photos of old baseball stadiums. … This article about how to choose which World Series team to root for says, among other things, “[T]he Red Sox have a great uniform. … But the Cardinals have the best uniform in baseball … If you like uniforms, cheer for the Cardinals” (thanks, Phil). … Tons of great old-timey baseball photos here (big thanks to Jm Wagner). … Lots of sensational early Astrodome imagery in this video clip (from Douglas Ford). … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Here’s a good slideshow on the bats that will be used in the World Series, and here’s an article about two Buffalo-area companies — New Era and Delaware North — that figure prominently in the Series. Interesting quote: “New Era understands players might be looking for an edge this time of year. If a player wants to keep wearing the same hat he wore in the playoffs, either because it fits right or brings good luck, New Era will remove the Postseason patch from the side and replace it with the World Series patch.” ”¦ Ladies and gents, your El Paso Chihuahuas. That’s the name of the city’s new triple-A team. The other four names under consideration were Aardvarks, Buckaroos, Desert Gators, Sand Dogs (from Andres Portillo). … Wow, look what the Phoenix Giants were wearing back in the early ’80s! (Thanks, Phil.)
NFL News: Don Shula, sock model extraordinaire! (From Chris Flinn.) … Sam Montgomery, one of the Texans who were cut this week, was one of the handful of NFL players who don’t wear gloves. … Very good article about different helmet brands in the NFL. By coincidence, later today I’ll be attending a Riddell event in Manhattan, where the company will be presenting some of its latest helmet technology.
College Football News: “Rivalry” uni plus Pinktober accessories possibly on tap this weekend for Ohio State (thanks, Phil). … Check out Colgate’s helmets. “The dumbest/worst helmets in football,” says my old ESPN editor Mike Philbrick. “Honestly, I would have preferred a tube of toothpaste.” Yeah, but at least the apostrophe is facing the right way! That alone makes me like the design. … Matt Hyde reports that Utah State wore a new helmet last Saturday. … Blackout uniforms on tap for Middle Tennessee State tomorrow night. … Now that’s a rivalry uniform (big thanks to Robert Marshall). … Pinktober helmet logo this weekend for Rice, and solid gray for Cal.
Hockey News: Pinktober pads for Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (thanks, Phil). ”¦ There were lavender dasher board ads last night in Minnesota, as part of the “Hockey Fights Cancer” initiative (from Dustin Kalis).
Soccer News: A Colombian soccer team brought the wrong uniforms to a recent match and had to wear counterfeit knock-offs purchased from local vendors (from Simon Farrow).
Grab Bag: If you like varsity jackets as much as I do, you’ll want to know about JacketShop.com is letting you design your own high-quality jacket for only $99. Good stuff. … Check this out: a basketball net that’s truly a basket! That’s from this page of old high school gym photos (from Ben Fortney). … Martin Hick was watching an old episode of The Andy Griffith Show and captured a priceless shot of Opie in a makeshift football uni. … A California high school may have to change its logo due to a copyright-infringement claim from the U. of Nevada (from Rich Paloma). … Pinktober has spread to wiper blades (from Richard Savickas). … Here are more photos of that high school with the crazy snake-themed football field (from Gordon Blau). … Whatever costume you’re planning for Halloween, it probably isn’t as good as this one. ”¦ Black River Rising, the new album by Uni Watch membership card designer Scott M.X. Turner’s band, RebelMart, is now available from iTunes and Amazon, among other places. You know what to do. ”¦ Here’s what Android’s robot logo might look like if he dressed up for Halloween (thanks, Brinke). ”¦ Also from Brinke: A designer has undertaken the unusual task of trying to redesign all 50 state flags based on a common visual style. An interesting exercise, I guess, but why ruin the flags’ individual styles? Sure, some are better than others, but that’s part of the charm. ”¦ “We’ve all seen throwback schemes in NASCAR, but rarely does a throwback number get used,” says David Firestone. “Aric Almirola will do so on Sunday, using No. 41 as a tribute to Maurice Petty.” ”¦ The Vatican now has a cricket team, and its colors are powder blue and white. “That’s surprising, as the colors for the Vatican soccer team are yellow and white,” says Stefan Schubert. ”¦ Biked over to my doctor’s office yesterday morning to get a flu shot. After giving me the vaccination, the doc applied a sparkly, star-shaped Band-Aid to the injection site. I might just leave that on for a few days.
What Paul did last night: For the second straight night, I saw a movie set at sea. On Monday it was Captain Phillips, and last night it was the new Robert Redford vehicle, All Is Lost. Superficially, at least, the two films are pretty similar: They both involve nautical isolation, and they both make prominent use of shipping containers (which is why the next book I read will probably be this one). But Captain Phillips is all man against man, while All Is Lost is man against nature (well, and a shipping container). The former has a big cast and constant dialogue, while the latter has a cast of one and almost no spoken lines.
Anyway: I liked All Is Lost, but not as much as I liked Captain Phillips. No more movies for me tonight, because the World Series is starting.
In the CFB section, there’s a typo on Colgate.
Thanks. Fixed.
1979 Pirates must have worn different uniform combinations for their home games in that World Series, right?
Correct. And I think the A’s in 1972-74 (green, gold, and white at home).
If memory serves, the Padres had a different combo each of the four games they played the Yankees.
Let’s be demonstrative about the Redskins name and change it to a name more appropriate to the DC Area: the Washington Pork.
I’ve got an idea… let’s call them the Redcoats and let them swap into the AFC East. They can offend all of America, and keep up a natural historical rivalry with a team wearing silver & blue. Cowboys & Indians, Patriots & Redcoats… close enough, right?
/or not
The NFC East could use a white helmeted team, and I think moving the NFL franchise that plays in Orchard Park NY to that division would be wise under your plan; seeing the Redskins battling a team using the image of the buffalo twice a season might be unsettling to somebody.
Then again, the Redskins would be renamed.
Never mind!
Yeah, but then we’ll have the Patriots & the Red Coats, but then what natural rival will the Cowboys have? In response we’ll have to move the Jets to the NFC East and give them with a (non-offensive) Native American moniker.
Or maybe Angels? (You know, Cowboys & Angels)
Cowboys vs. Bills is perfect rivalry. It’s a fight for bovine supremacy
1979. In the first three games of the Series,each team wore three different jerseys: orange, white, and gray for the Orioles, black, gold, and white for the Pirates. The Bucs also wore the three colors of pants, but Baltimore only had white and gray.
It’s also possible that the Athletics wore different unis for three consecutive gsmes in one of their early ’70s Series, but I don’t know one way or the other.
The USA Today link to that “that high school with the crazy snake-themed football field” re-directs you to their main Sports page. Not sure what can be done because navigation on USA Today’s site is so whack….
Swapped in a new link.
Paul, after watching All Is Lost, you’ve gotta see Gravity, if you haven’t. First movie I’ve been willing to watch in 3D, and spectacularly worth it. Though the final act may fall a little flat after All Is Lost. Anyway, point being that all good space movies are really nautical adventures in disguise, and Gravity is among the best.
Saw it. Not bad, but prefer All Is Lost.
Oh, definitely. But remarkably similar films in structure and story for all their differences of form. All Is Lost made me think during the many long scenes in Gravity in which a character is alone, “Too much dialogue.”
But did you see it in the 3-D IMAX? I agree the film was all right, but what I really took from Gravity was how the 3-D IMAX was really worth it in the visuals, and not just a gimmick like it usually is.
I really felt it was worth the $18, because during the film I kept thinking this is the only time I’ll ever get to see this like this, there no way that watching it on a 46″ TV at home can compare to this. In fact, I think it’s spoiled going to theaters for me, all other movies it’s going to seem like I might as well just wait and watch at home.
Kinda like how Breaking Bad has spoiled TV dramas for me. :(
I haven`t really been thinking much about the Redskins issue for the last few months – in fact, I haven`t hardly visited this site during that time because of work-related pressures – but I had a surreal experience this week that brought home something I hadn`t really considered before.
I was attending a conference this week, and one of the presenters was a lady from Virginia. Now, her presentation wasn`t supposed to be about football, but perhaps because she didn`t have a whole lot to say about the subject at hand, or maybe because she needed some help in developing her material, her presentation to the group ended up being a good collection of Powerpoint `don`ts`.
She started off by telling us she was a Redskins fan who had season tickets, and has been going to their games for years. Then she showed us a bunch of clips and photos of Redskins vignettes that she tried, largely unsuccessfully, to tie into the subject she was supposed to be talking about. Finally, she closed off with the full version of `Hail to the Redskins`, complete with superimposed lyrics over the team logo, that she probably had downloaded from Youtube. It was bizarre to say the least in that the conference was about a serious subject. BTW, all of this was presented on what looked like a 20-foot screen with a powerfully amplified sound system in the conference hall.
What struck me was this: to people like her, the hard-core fans of the team, the naming issue is probably barely on their radar. She certainly didn`t mention it, and sitting there for 15 minutes watching and listening to `Redskins` being constantly thrown at you in a totally normal way struck me as hugely off-key. This was a national group, yet I suspect she would have been completely caught off guard if someone in the audience had raised their hand and said `WTF`, or something similar regarding her use of the name so often and the potential for offending people. I found it hard to understand how someone who was clearly smart and supposedly good at what they did could be so tone-deaf on the matter. But given the quality of the presentation – forgetting about the Redskins for the moment, it would have been an equally bad presentation if she had used Giants imagery – maybe she wasn`t as smart as I give her credit for.
She seemed a nice person, and I mention this only to point out that there is likely a larger number of people than suspected who see nothing at all wrong with the name.
I grew up in the DC area and have heard/used the word Redskins in reference to the football team because that is their name. I have never been around people who have ever used it to mean anything other than the football team in Washington. I never knew it as a derogatory word (as it was never presented to me in that way from those around me)–more of a descriptive word I guess. ???
That being said, when I use it now, I do think about it more (admittedly, usually AFTER I’ve said it). The Olberman comment “…the last racist word you can say at work” kind of jumps into my head. Because the term has changed (or re-changed or whatever) to now mean something derogatory, I think it’s best that the name be changed. The best argument I’ve heard is the one that asks if someone would name a new team Redskins today. I’m guessing not.
btw: I am part Cherokee. I’ve never been called a redskin, nor ever been offended or offput by the name.
I tend to agree. When Paul first started writing about the issue I was pretty much indifferent, with perhaps a little bit of annoyance at yet another relic of my past being threatened with extinction, but as the months have gone on and with me thinking about it more, I agree with the idea of changing the name.
As long as my favorite “redskin peanuts” aren’t taken away from me!
I think the problem is, because we’ve all grown up with it, it’s just another name, just another word. Like, when I’m talking about my hometown baseball team, I don’t always about the ornithological manifestation of the nickname (or about the ‘lovely shade’ quote from which the nickname derived). Likewise, when I hear “Patriots,” my mind doesn’t first go to George Washington, Patrick Henry, James Madison, the Minutemen, etc. As such, we’ve generally been desensitized to what it is the name “Redskins” actually portrays and means. It’s inoffensive only if you keep your head buried in the sand and try not to think about any history, or the people it references, surrounding it.
because we’ve all grown up with it, it’s just another name, just another word
That basically explains the resistance to the pro-change movement, doesn’t it? You have people who see no harm in it since they’ve heard the word a million times in perfectly civil settings, and you have people who are emotionally invested in the team. It’s hard to ask, as Bob Costas implored, to take a step back when the word is so ingrained in the sports culture.
link
When the proverbial wheels fall off “the pro-change movement”, do you suppose Lanny Davis will be holding the lugnuts and the air gun?
I see they’re playing the “disputed leader” meme. But you know what’s worse? According to the Daily Caller, Ray Halbritter is an “Obama crony”. Just sends shivers down your spine, doesn’t it?
Not sure why someone would want to use the Nevada logo in the first place. It’s awful!!
Good to see that letterman jacket company offering the Rebel flag patch as an option.
Maybe Kanye is a shareholder??
Don Shula? More like Don COOLa–rocking those 5-stripe over-the-calfs!
PS: I had the Redskins version of that binder on the bench as a kid!
fuckin home run dumb guy…tssss
Looking at the “Vatican” cricket team, the jersey says “Maria Mater Ecclesiae”, which is one of many educational institutions located in Vatican City. Blue and white are very plausible colors for a school so named. The fourth photo gives the clearest view of the name and a terrific whimsical logo.
For some reason, the link about the snake-themed field keeps going back to the USA Today Sports front page. And it’s not an issue with the link; I searched for the article on their site, found the link, clicked on it… and ended up back at the front page. So it seems USA Today has derped the page…
Also, the New Era-Delaware North link code isn’t complete.
Both now fixed.
Assuming no rain-outs, the World Series this year has dates that match up perfectly with the 2004 World Series, also between the Red Sox and Cardinals. Because the AL won the All-Star game in 2004 as well, the home fields for all of the games will be the same this year.
If the comments on every article about the El Paso Chihuahuas, it seems as though the residents aren’t too happy with the new name.
Would you want your team to be named for an overgrown rat famous for promoting bad tacos?
The Jeff and Steve, agreed! I grew up in El Paso (when Jim Paul was the owner/GM) and they should be the DIABLOS! Freakin’ rat dogs with a rabid cartoon character? Maybe for a semi-pro team but that’s embarrassing for a Triple-A name.
Deeleeshuslee bad tacos!
Trivia: Taco Bell saw a 6% decline in sales from 1997-2000, when the “Yo Quero Taco Bell” chihuahua ads ran.
But the El Paso Chihuahuas? Nothing wrong with that, and only one of the other finalists was a better nickname. It’s minor-league baseball! How is Chihuahuas not perfectly in line with Mud Hens, Biscuits, or Tourists?
The problem is in the logos. The Chihuahuas script is terrible. I can live with scripts that end with a giant S, but the S on the end of Chihuahuas is beyond insane. And the EP cap logo is dreadful. Clunky, overdrawn, unbalanced, it’s just all kinds of bad. It barely even reads as an E and a P, and it says nothing to me about El Paso, or El-Paso-Juarez, or the Chihuahuan Desert, or small yappy dogs, or, well, anything really. It’s just sort of a tan blob. Er, a two-tone tan blob, which somehow is even worse.
Even though I like the Chihuahuas nickname, if I were an El Pasoan, I’d be really bummed here. The Chihuahuas’ road cap, with the EP logo, I just can’t see wearing that with pride.
Just glad it wasn’t the “Sand Dogs”.
I’ve got a craving for Taco Bell right now.
What is a Desert Gator?
link because England is now on a new-kit-every-year cycle like every team in the world, and apparently, you have to buy the latest versions of the home and away kits, or else.
Bah, that wasn’t supposed to be a reply.
Pffft, the Daily Mail has even less credibility than the Weekly World News. It’s not even a newspaper at this point, just a collection of trolls trying to antagonise as many people as possible.
Though they do have pretty pictures on their match reports. They must be paying Getty Images some crazy cash.
Looking at the “Vatican” cricket team, it seems they’re really sponsored by “Maria Mater Ecclesiae”, one of many educational institutions located in Vatican City. Blue and white are very plausible colors for a school so named. BTW the fourth photo has the best view of that and of a terrific whimsical logo.
Are alternate jerseys allowed in the World Series? When the Rangers were in the Series in 2010 and 2011, there was some question around DFW as to why they only wore one home set and one road set, and the local beat writers reported that MLB required one home set and one road set to be worn for the duration of the Series…I’m not sure whether that statement has validity to it or not, but thinking back to the last several World Series, I can’t remember the last time an alternate jersey was actually worn.
hmm…just saw the comment below this about the Rangers in 2011, so it must be the 2010 Series I was thinking about. Perhaps it was a team rule rather than an MLB rule that said only one jersey for home and one for away for the whole Series
It is not an MLB rule. It was definitely a team rule enforced by the ’10 Rangers.
Maybe they just didn’t want to sew World Series patches on a third set of jerseys.
Rangers wore blue jerseys in game one of the 2011 World Series, then gray the rest of the way.
The Rangers wore four different uniform combos in the first four games of the 2011 World Series: Blue softball top for game 1, road grey for game 2, home whites with blue hat for game 3 and home whites with red hat for game 4. It’s not all consecutively at home, but still noteworthy.
From the AIM and Coalition piece:
“imagine all newspapers and sports broadcasters and internet sites and clothing manufacturers and advertisers and all commentators choosing to carry all of this desecration of Catholic people and culture to Catholic children and their parents, knowing full well that it was horrible for Catholics to experience, and absolutely damaging to the self concept of their children.”
The problem with their statement is that, to date, there is no indication that the existence of the Redskins is “horrible to experience” on a broad scale. As many articles posted on this site (including the fantastic one from last week), plenty of Indians are supportive of the name. They’re trying to present their stance as a universal stance when it is far from that.
The other issue with their argument as constructed is the premise.
To make it easier for my tiny mind to grasp, I began with the closest real-world example: that of the Celtic-Rangers rivalry in Scottish soccer. While some elements of Rangers’ fan base eagerly sing songs and adopt imagery that is expressly anti-Catholic in nature, it’s impossible that Rangers would ever adopt anti-Catholic imagery as their club symbol. Instead, they adopt a “positive” symbol expressing their avowed values (in their case, a rampant Scottish lion over a soccer ball, rendered in the club colors of blue and red — British colors).
I think AIM could come up with a better argument to support their correct position.
Actually, the link is that the use of Indian mascots and imagery has a negative effect on both Indian and non-Indian children.
Obviously, the issue is open to debate, but it goes beyond simply counting the number of people who support the nickname against those who don’t.
“Check this out: a basketball net that’s truly a basket!”
And notice that it is written out “Basket Ball” on the chalkboard in the background.
It used to be “Base Ball” too which looks entirely foreign every time I type it.
Let’s go eat some Iced Cream while watching the Base Ball match.
…via the 4:30 autogyro to Siam.
Post haste!
I hear there is a pip of a match on the Dumont network tonight.
AND, they were keeping two scores per team.
One tally for “Goals” and one for “Free Throws”
i watched the 30 for 30 on the islanders last night. stinks they’re moving to brooklyn. i found an article that said the NYI are keeping the same color scheme but they’ll have a black & white patch and possibly a 3rd jersey that represents brooklyn (it says black & white are the new colors for brooklyn).
Saw that as well. Brought back some good (when they touched upon 1980-1983 and 4 straight cups, the last professional franchise in a, ahem, major sport, to do so) and bad (fisherman, Spano, everything pretty much since 1984) memories.
Like most 30 for 30, it was (I thought) very well done; worth watching (on repeat[?], or dvr/netflix[?]) if at all possible.
The only thing about the piece I found incorrect was at the very end, where, in the fade-out just prior to credits it said (something like) “The Islanders will finally be getting a new arena in 2014-15…in Brooklyn.”
Not quite true: they’re moving to a newer building, but it’s not what had been hoped/promised for all those years, which was a new Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale (which, incidentally IS being built, but smaller and not for the Isles, thought they have agreed to play a few games each season there).
I thought that was funny at the fade-out as well – I already knew about the move to Barclays, but my wife didn’t. She didn’t really know much of anything about the Isles, so by the end she said “Aw, that’s sad, they’re going to lose their team anyways!”
For me, as a Flyers fan, the entire first 30 minutes or so I was re-thinking about all of the what-if’s if the Islanders and Oilers dynasties hadn’t happened concurrently in the 80’s :(
I think that was intentional, as in “they finally got their new arena….” (pause) “…and it’s in Brooklyn” so the Nassau county fans got screwed again, like they’ve been getting for the last 20-30 years.
I thought it was interesting, that Spano was really that close to pulling that off, that the hotel guy was going to bail him out if only the news story had broken a day later. If so that’s quite a story, and wonder if the Newsday people, being Nassau county people themselves, regret just a little being so aggressive, maybe Spano would have turned out to be a great owner (assuming he still would have been controlling partner, with the hotel dude a silent partner). I’m sure he still would have gotten caught down the line somewhere, though.
I highly doubt Spano could ever have turned out to be a great owner.
That was a great documentary.
FWIW, I would agree that black and white feel like the new colors of Brooklyn. I was struck by how appropriate the branding felt at this year’s link.
Probably won’t last, but that’s where we are right now.
For better or worse, Brooklyn’s design sensibilities are in line with the retro-modern industrial style that you see on microbrew and artisanal food labels
I would say clearly for the better, though I recognize not everyone shares my aesthetic values.
Still, no wonder then that I should be so much at home back in this borough.
Maybe it’s my age, but aside from a few (Catching Hell, Fab 5, and Winning Time) I really have not liked many of the 30 for 30 films even after watching about 90% of them. Granted, they are well done, but a lot of the subject matter doesn’t interest me.
Probably an age thing Johnny. I’m 44 and all of these really hit home. I have enjoyed all of them.
I watch whatever ends up in Netflix Instant, but I’ve liked them all. If anything, the longform narrative is a nice throwback, considering sports reporting has been reduced to “hot takes” and highlights and 24-hour news cycles.
Definitely an age thing. At 47, I’d venture most of these are made by those within 5 years of my own age (either side) and almost all of them deal with something from either my childhood or early adulthood (and sometimes later).
There are a few I’ve watched where the subject didn’t interest me, but I think all are (for the most part) very well done and produced.
My hypothesis is that content creators – writers, musicians, directors, designers, curators, – inevitably draw from their own experiences, and especially when left to their devices, they’re going to draw from their formative years.
Given that people who are making creative decisions are probably in their mid-30s to early 50s, it makes sense that the 80s and 90s inspire a lot of the stuff we see.
And I’m sure we’ll see something similar in 10 years, when millennial are making creative decisions for the mass audience.
“House of Steinbrenner” was bad without regard for the age of the viewer. The over the top reviews for recent productions that I’ve been reading here is head scratching. The thorough analysis given to uni history and design seems to be missing when discussing documentaries and movies (didn’t see Captain Phillips).
““House of Steinbrenner” was bad without regard for the age of the viewer.”
~~~
I didn’t see that one so I can’t comment.
I am sure there have been a few that one wouldn’t describe as “good,”; the several (maybe 20 or so, I know there are more than 30 now) have, IMHO, all been pretty to very good.
If I may ask, what was so bad about “House of Steinbrenner” (or what was inaccurate or lacking in research)?
I’ve enjoyed a whole lot of the installments of “30 for 30,” and appreciated the effort that went into even many of those I didn’t care too much for, but the premise of the whole series has always bothered me – to my thinking ESPN already exuded the notion that little in sports history of interest/value predated its initial on-air date, and the initial run of the series only exacerbated that in my eyes. So I’ve been glad that after the initial run concluded, some of the more recent docs have involved subject matter that occurred before 1979. Unfortunately, as often as not the pre-1979 subject matter that’s been chosen has been less-than-compelling to begin with and only made worse by investing it with shoehorned-in social significance (to wit, Renee Richards, early ’60s Ole Miss football).
Well, it has been awhile. My memory is, even though done by an award winning film maker it seemed amateurish with too many man-in-the-street type interviews (or construction worker in the street). BTW, man-in-the-street pieces permeate the local news here now in Boston. Real genius. Sometimes the story was about her and her Yankee memories. It added nothing that any of us didn’t know about the Yankees and the stadiums old and new. And I probably saw it soon after “Survive and Advance”, a story told so that it brings most of us to tears. I thought the stroy was terribly boring and felt I wasted an hour that I could have spent watching something else.
I posted this the last time the topic came up; I’d like to show it again.
A regular at the Creamer board called Discogod has done this suggested modification of the Islanders’ logo:
link
This logo incorporates the entire island, including the parts that are within New York City (namely Brooklyn and Queens).
The Islanders’ current logo shows only Nassau and Suffolk Counties, which is what most people mean by the term “Long Island”. Now, however, it’s in the team’s interst to interpret the term according to its geographical sense.
The team officials have said repeatedly that they aren’t altering the logo; but it seems absolutely absurd to exclude from the map in the logo the very place where they will be playing. So I hold out hope that they’ll make this kind of minor modification.
“team officials have said repeatedly that they aren’t altering the logo”
I suspect they mean that the Islanders won’t be rebranding; not necessarily that a tweak is off the table. Hopefully they have the good sense to make this one.
Another question for the World Series… will the Cardinals wear blue caps on the road, as they have done against most red teams this year? My guess is no, since the Red Sox caps are blue. Closest example in the NL is the Braves, and the Cardinals chose to wear red caps in July, even when the Braves wore their red softball tops. But you never know with Bill DeWitt.
Pretty sure they’ll wear red against the Sox. Haven’t checked, but from memory, they now only wear the blue road caps when they play teams who wear red — Phillies, Reds, D-backs, etc.
The Vatican now has a cricket team, and its colors are powder blue and white. “That’s surprising, as the colors for the Vatican soccer team are yellow and white
The photos were taken as the priests and seminarians were either playing for, or practicing at, Maria Mater Ecclesiae’s Catholic College. The logo on the shirts indicates as much. Perhaps light blue and white are that school’s colors.
Those flag redesigns were right up my alley…..love that stuff. Thanks for the link.
In regards to the “investigators”, truly – what a joke.
It’s a fun project, but also misguided. And, what’s worse, it gets the states I really care about completely wrong.
Still, there’s interesting historical precedent. In the revolutionary era, it was briefly common for local flags to put a field of red and white stripes in the canton to symbolize the continental union. That is, where the US flag has the blue field of white stars, local flags put 13 red and white stripes. It didn’t really catch on, and anyway today’s state flags generally originate in the Civil War era 80 years later. But still, the artist’s vision of a unified symbolism for state flags briefly almost came to pass.
Obama already won his second term, you can stop with the modified Pepsi logos.
If the Richard Petty-owned #43 is re-numbered, won’t points be awarded to the #41?
And aren’t car #’s leased to car owners for one year as opposed to one race?
As with anything in NASCAR, rules/guidelines are bent on a whim. If the good ol’ boys at the top – Helton, France, Pemberton want something, they just change the rules.
Well here’s the thing, number one, teams have been known to change numbers in the middle of the season. Swan Racing for example, started out with car #26 for the Daytona 500, and switched to #30. Phoenix Racing a couple years ago switched from #09 to #51. But that is not the situation here.
This season. 50 different teams ran in the Sprint Cup, none used #41. So when Richard Petty went to NASCAR and asked to use #41, they said yes. It also has to do with the fact that Maurice is heading to the Hall of Fame, and NASCAR supports the inductees.
Notice that I said we don’t OFTEN see throwback numbers. I said that because this is not the first time I have seen this done for one race. In 2011, Mark Martin was running a Go Daddy scheme for Hendrick Motorsports #5, and the car looked like this:
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Since Hendrick Motorsports was celebrating their 25th anniversary, Mark raced the All-Star Race driving #25, which is still the best throwback scheme I have ever seen:link
Now while one race numbers are not typical in this situation, for special occasions NASCAR will allow this. Though that still does not explain two different teams sharing car #33 this year.
Was that the All-Star race where Johnson ran the 5 to promote some Lowe’s deal?
A day late, but, hopefully not a dollar short. NASCAR seems to all allow the deal Childress has with Joe Falk on the 33. It’s technically the same car as far as NASCAR is concerned and Falk is the “owner” every week, regardless of whether he is preparing it or it’s really a fourth Childress car with Austin Dillon driving. It’s similar to the deal Stewart Hass had with Tommy Baldwin had for Danica’s limited schedule last year and what one or more of the Nationwide teams do splitting the schedule. As long as it isn’t used to evade the four-team (plus a limited fifth R&D team) rule, it’s accepted. It’s just odd, as though a team sport had different guys with the same number depending upon the game.
Usually, yes. But they sought special dispensation and NASCAR granted it. Officially, it’s recognized as the 43 entry, it just has 41 on the car.
I’d really like RPM to trade-in the 9 sometime soon.
The 41 goes to SHM, and EGR will retain the 42.
While Petty Enterprises has fielded a 40 and a 44 in the past, they should revive the 45…it’s been long enough, hasn’t it?
I like when teams have numbers that are related so 41, 44, or 45 to go with the 43 would be fine with me since they can’t have 42.
In regards to the wiper blade item, I saw pink caps on motor oil bottles yesterday.
Howabout pink pens?
Not pens that write in pink ink, but black ink pens link?
I bought some insulation for my attic. Guess what color it was!!
Random Question
Has a NFL team ever used helmet “pride” stickers for a season like Ohio State traditional does?
So the strret knock offs became game worn apparel? I bet the guy who sold them now promotes them like these “So good, even pros wear them”
The Jets did something similar last night – lavender ads and warmup jerseys
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Nothing like pimping a story you wrote for this blog over five years ago… but!!!
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I cover the ’79 World Series stylings in detail here.
Paul – how about replacing the Redskins logo on your “‘Skins watch” with something more generic?
Why would you want a generic logo for a very specific topic? The logo is there to provide visual identification for what’s discussed in the section.
I consider myself an aspiring uni watcher at best, fascinated by the details but without the attention to detail of the masters here. Bought a few fake soccer jerseys while living here in china, bonus came with shorts. I noticed on some of them the Adidas logo is on the back of the leg not where I expected it to be, thought this is why they ended up sold off to tourists. A quick look online and saw this is the case with many adidas kits. Someone make me feel better and tell me they never noticed this either.
Adidas puts it’s logo on the back of most of its team branded shorts because the player’s # would go on the front. But I wouldn’t be surprised if your stuff is still fake- very common
Oh I have no doubts that they are fake. Life in china, I had just never noticed the branding on the back. When looking online at examples noticed the number in the spot I would expect the logo and realized this was the cause. At the same time they seem to be the only manufacturer to do this, from what I could find with a few quick google searches.
It is astounding to me that some league officials care so much about something that means so little. But, with the Big Four leagues obviously being so focused on merchandising, I suppose I am not surprised. It really is a testament to how stupid they’ve become. And it’s a reason why fans who remember and rejoice in the “good old days” are turned off to their product every day. It makes me want to frigging puke!!
I’m still of the belief that your ongoing war with whatever league with the leaks has little to do with the leaks themselves and more to do with controlling the dialog about uniforms.
Thing is, Paul, you kind of serve two roles:
1. To report on uniform changes.
2. Commenting on uniform changes.
Though leaks may seem to be about the first thing, I sense it’s the second that whatever league this is wants to attack.
If you leak a design, you’re more than likely be the first to comment on it and possibly call it dumb, bad, whatever. Again, given how big two leagues in particular (the NBA and the NFL) are about controlling the dialog and style over substance (the NBA so much that it basically has a different set of rules for star players while the NFL, well, we can start with Pinktober and go into concussions), I sense they don’t want you having leaks because, again, they’d rather be the first ones to tell everyone something is “cool” and should be bought rather than you telling folks the real story.
So yeah. I think the league’s goal is to silence you. Don’t let them do it. Keep fighting the good fight, brotha.
Some of it is about controlling the dialogue.
But it’s also about not giving counterfeiters a head start.
Haters gonna hate, and counterfeiters gonna counterfeit, whether or not you leak the ideas.
Ultimately, I think it’s up to the fan, not you, to stop counterfeiting. This just in: Don’t buy the jersey from the guy in the parking lot who’s got 50 of them in a cooler, and don’t buy the jersey online that has the bad kerning, wrong font, bad colors, unprofessional picture, etc.
If that’s their case, it’s a poor one.
(And I misspelled dialogue … 40 lashes with a wet stirrup.)
Which is worse, encouraging counterfeiting by buying them, or encouraging overpriced authentic jerseys by buying them?
Yes.
Fun fact about the Phoenix Giants photo in the ticker: That is Bob Brenly, maybe those unis made him want to come back to manage and now announce in PHX for the Diamondbacks.
If I don’t recall right, last year didn’t the Giants have to wear their regular road uniforms because MLB told them they could only wear one set on the road the entire Series? I think that will be the case in St. Louis.
love the Spy vs Spy graphic! Classic.
link. I wonder if the banner is going to be a Shawn Kemp-era blue/black theme or a LeBron-era maroon/gold.
He’s spent more years in blue and black, but he wore maroon and gold for the much happier years.
Say what you will about Pinktober, link, compared to some of the haphazard stuff going on in other sports.
I grew up outside of Buffalo and played Lancaster’s “Redskins” team frequently in hockey. While the woman mentions a couple Native Americans she has spoken to not one word is mentioned on how it is received around the reservations that are in the area. One school in particular, Niagara Wheatfield played Lancaster frequently and is composed of all the high school age children from the reservation. I wonder what they think about playing a team named “Redskins”.
Paul kudos to you and your integrity. Through all this investigation of emails sent and threats of lawsuits you could have easily just posted what you have as a big fuck you to whichever league or manufacturer contacted you, but instead you are still trying to reach out for cooperation. In a world of bloggers and media who is willing to publish stories without verifying anything it’s always refreshing to read your thought out and crafted takes on things and the appropriate facts.
Thanks, Scott — appreciated.
Since we love infographics around here … an interactive one showing the net worths of MLB teams:
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Nice!
Very cool, thanks for posting.
SNY is worth more than the Mets themselves, and than YES? I’m not saying that’s impossible, but It doesn’t seem like either should be true.
Uni Watch wrote: “First a threat of a lawsuit, now an “investigator” combing through email records and shaking down league employees. Can you fucking imagine? All this cloak-and-dagger nonsense is beneath the dignity of a professional operation – or at least it should be.”
I am all for good journalism and reporting, and that’s what this site looks to accomplish on a daily basis.
However, why is it nonsense, or beneath the dignity of a professional operation, if you do not know 1005 the exact reason for the company’s action? You speculate that it is to head off counterfeiters and to control the dialogue, and if that’s the case, why the complaint with a business wanting to do that in any fashion it chooses, in this case to find out the source(s) who leaked proprietary company information, along as its legal and ethical?
League email accounts are the property of the league (business), no big deal for a company to use information contained in those emails to protect itself. No biggie in using an investigator, that’s their job. And “shaking down?” Come on, please stop with the theatrics.
I see this as making a big deal about nothing other than a business protecting its interests, even if it uses what you feel is a “cloak-and-dagger” approach. And besides, no one can truly be “silenced” in today’s world.
Relax the ego a moment, Uni Watch, it’s only about leaking new designs of $200 polyester shirts anyway, right?
why is it nonsense, or beneath the dignity of a professional operation, if you do not know 1005 the exact reason for the company’s action?
Because, as I explained at the end of the piece, it would be in everyone’s best interest if the leagues worked with me, instead of (a) viewing me as an adversary and (b) behaving like corporate bullies.
Do they have the right to handle it this way? Sure. But it’s unbecoming. And it’s a losing strategy.
It’s also a strategy that, if dealing with someone with less integrity than Paul, could lead to many more leaks much earlier in the process, working absolutely into what they’re trying to prevent!
Fun fact: Tom Seaver lives in Napa Valley now and makes wine, and while his vineyard and bottles understate the celebrity connection (compared to, say, Francis Coppola or Fess Parker), he link on his bottles’ foil capsule.
Slightly related, the Robert Mondavi wine empire has a link to mark the centennial of Mondavi’s birth.
Interestingly, Coppola’s older labels were link. They didn’t trade on his name as much then link.
Dan Steinburg has a link, including an interview with a guy who’s been handing out “I support the name” buttons at FedEx Field.
Nothing too illuminating from the interview, but I cringed a little at the use of the phrase, “silent majority”.
“Silent majority” — one of the standard last lines of defense for people who know they’re losing.
Traditions die hard and people who have been huge fans have a difficult time wrapping their heads around this. It is pretty simple, the name is just not right to use. Maybe, you could use something like Renegades as someone here had suggested before and enlist some Native American tribes to make it a positive thing. Resistance to change, however, sets in for those like even the Owner. This has never been about politics and only, to me, been more about the Golden Rule. People can hand out buttons and attempt to justify the name but if they really put thought into it as a human being they would recognize why this particular name is so awful.
I think I know the reason Pro Sports leagues hate things being leaked to Paul and Uni-Watch. It is because if these unis SUCK, listening Jax Jaguars, then they will be summarily criticized here before release. Maybe to the leagues they think it will hurt their merchandise sales which is sort of a stupid thought because if the unis are ugly no one is going to buy them anyhow. Maybe the Leagues should make Un-Watch a useful tool and release designs for comment early. That way they can produce something that doesn’t suck and will actually sell to the fans. Until then, Paul Lukas better watch out for secret professional sports league enforcers.
Speaking of aerial views of old ballparks, here is a link to one that shows Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds from back in the day in an aerial photo. I think it is awesome.
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To me, the coolest part of that photo is the three ballfields almost immediately connected to the ballpark. That’s some high-value playspace!
Man, I had no idea (I’m sure ou New Yorkers did, however) that the Polo Grounds was so close to Yankee Stadium!
Imagine interleague play with the Giants and Yankees playing a home-and-home doubleheader, you could almost walk from one stadium to the other, assuming a proper foot-traffic bridge.
I don’t get y u like old uniforms. We live in the 21st century stop living in the past. That beat Iowa uniform is freaken retarded. Honestly I like all the pink for uniform accessories. I like blackouts. I don’t get y u have to hate on everything.
Why, yes, I would like fries with my Big Mac.
Hahahaha Good one Phil. I’m dying.
What do you have against the other 20 centuries?
I don’t get why you use “y” and “u” when communicating. I know at one point in human history, it took a little more effort to spell out an entire word with a phone that only had 10 number keys. But, unless you still own one of those phones, you can go ahead and spell out your words.
Dude, chill — it’s Prince.
You’re welcome to start up your own competing uniform review website. You would probably have to improve your grammar to get many people to read it though.
It’s things like this “investigation” that really make me wonder how certain people attain high level positions.
Someone, higher up in whatever league is having the “issue” made the decision to sign off on the threat of a lawsuit and this investigator. That person is a moron.
As Paul has mentioned, it would be SO MUCH easier for the league to bring Paul into the fold, have him sign a non-disclosure agreement, and have one less meaningless issue to deal with.
Rather than doing that, it’s as if they are going out of their way to create a problem where there is none. Amazing.
Continue to fight the good fight Paul. (Although, I’m not sure there’s really anything on your end that even needs to be fought).
I’m with Paul here 100% – I have a similar situation to his; as my website discusses the hockey business industry, particularly equipment.
There have been two leaks in the past 3 days of hockey equipment that won’t be released until next Spring – one of them ended up on our site.
In the 9 years I’ve been running my site, I’ve forged agreements with every manufacturer – I see the product early and work within their guidelines on when they want the product information to come out. It absolves me of any potential legal issues and I make sure that if someone does post a leak, it’s removed from our site (if it spreads from there, I can’t do anything about it, unfortunately.)
While we may not be the first to show the product in picture form in some cases, we are always the first to have concrete information to go along with the picture. It does suck that I have to bite my tongue on details, but it protects everyone in the long run. And we’re respected for that.
I’m glad El Paso went with the Chihuahuas moniker. As an owner of three chihuahuas, I’m overly excited to snap up some team merch. The other 4 choices were extremely poor anyway.
As the owner of two shelter-rescue desert gators, I’m emotionally crushed by the team’s decision to go with Chihuahuas instead.
Seriously though, Aardvarks wasn’t bad, but I’m with you on the other three options.
Flew out of JFK at 6 this AM and saw that the control tower was lit up for pinktoberfest.
LED lighting is amazing that way.
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It will be interesting to see what comes of these results.
It seems like those options are slanting towards wanting people to respond in support of Chief Wahoo. (I feel strong positive connection to this logo, This logo makes me want to support the team) Who has a “strong connection” to the letter C? Where is the “this logo is offensive to Native Americans” option?
They just want people to validate their own opinion so they can have to stats to say “See! People want to keep Chief Wahoo!”
Twitter posts here in Cleveland are overwhelmingly pro Wahoo so far tonight, as is the poll put up by Fox 8 news. As a long time tried and true Tribe fan myself, I think it is time to retire the lil guy.
Chief Wahoo will certainly live on, though the logo’s use as a uniform component may be further reduced to just a sleeve patch?
Another interesting tidbit from the “snake” high school field in Utah: a snake head logo on the back on the helmet. Interesting field, interesting helmet.
and speaking of the Phoenix Giants uniforms…
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Anybody notice Jose Oquendo tonight? Are hoodies under the jersey legal, even for coaches?
The Arkansas Travelers, The Angels AA Team, unveiled a new set of logos today. Their logo history is a mess. I’m hoping for a clean sweep of the multitude of logos that they were using.
That being said, these are bad. I’m kinda terrified of what the new unis might look like.
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About OSU wearing the rivalry uniforms this week against PSU; I bet they do. I know Urban has said he wishes every game was an 8pm game because it is easier for recruits to get there (noon games make it too difficult because some guys have to be with their teams Saturday mornings and cant get to the games until after halftime). This gives the recruits more time to spend around the team and we know that those new/different uniforms are in many ways used to attract recruits so it would make sense that they would wear them on Saturday. Could do without the Pinktober accessories in my opinion though.