Paul here, making a cameo appearance before handing off the weekend baton to Phil. Just want to take a moment to point out that the first entry on this site was posted eight years ago today — May 17, 2006. So happy eighth birthday to the Uni Watch Blog, and my thanks to all of you who’ve helped make this project so much fun. I know we don’t always agree, but I love the exchange of ideas. Hope you do too.
And another, bigger milestone is fast approaching: May 26 will mark the 15th anniversary of the first Uni Watch column, which appeared in the now-defunct sports section of The Village Voice. If you had told me back then that I’d still be writing about uniforms 15 years later (or that I’d be doing it every day!), I would’ve thought you were crazy.
(Yes, it would have been better if I had just waited an extra nine days to launch the blog, so the two anniversaries would coincide, but I wasn’t thinking about that back then. Dang.)
I’ll have more to say about this on the 26th. I’ll also be unveiling a 15th-anniversary logo. Stay tuned.
Now here’s Phil with the rest of today’s content. ”” Paul
Settling Down…
Phil here — let me be the first to wish the Uni Watch blog a HAPPY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY. And many more to come.
Now then…
Today we’ll be taking a look at the twelfth, and FINAL, set of uniform submissions for the Lewis & Clark Design-a-Uniform Contest, for the team known as the “Settlers.” If you’re not familiar with the contest, please give that a read. The contest’s creator, W. Ross Clites asked readers to design uniforms for all of the teams in the Lewis & Clark League: “Captains,” “Diplomats,” “Explorers,” “Governors,” “Lookouts,” “Navigators,” “Pathfinders,” “Pioneers,” and “Travelers,” “Voyagers,” “Rivermen,” and finally “Settlers.”
You’ve been a very patient and fantastic audience for this project — and today is the LAST day you’ll be asked to select a uniform submission. After an average of 12-14 submissions per week for each and every team, today we have only four. So, rather than the usual “Vote For Three” — today it’s just “Pick Your Favorite” and that’s it. While the design-phase (for readers) is now over, Ross and his intrepid team will be back to show us the finished products. Over the past two Sundays, Ross has revealed the winning designs and shown us mockups, but once the actual uniforms/caps are created, we’ll see those (and based on what you fine folks have designed, they will be schweeeeeet!).
I’m sure you guys are familiar with the rules for voting by now, but just in case, here’s Ross, one last time:
Alright boys and girls, here is how the voting is going to go for each Lewis & Clark Baseball League team:
1. The hierarchy of importance goes primary logo, then uniform design, and then all rest (i.e. hat design, secondary logos, etc.) Cast a vote for the design with your favorite primary logo, first and foremost. Do not fault someone for going outside the design guidelines. Changing a wordmark or adding a third color is not a disqualifier for good thought process.
2. Your votes will take the field of applicants down to a final two per team.
3. We, the LCBL Executive Board will make the final decision on the winning proposal. However — and this is big — design is never complete and collaboration is paramount to success. We will likely settle on a combination of the final two submissions. We might love the logo of one, but prefer the jersey scheme of the other. In this, you will both be winners with full prizes to ensue. The possibility does exist for a total victory, of sorts. One designer could present the best looking jersey, logo, hat, and all the rest. Do not get offended when your submission gets handed back to you with redlined edits. We hate to hand out homework to the winning look, but tweaks may be requested. It is a studio project and not a math equation; the “right” answer takes some massaging of details.
4. With permission from both finalists, our graphics department will meld the two submissions together (if necessary) and place it in our common platform. This is done as a common denominator showcase for all twelve to look uniform when the contest has reached its end.
5. Someone, not even in the top two, could see an element (such as an awesome secondary logo) appear in the final iteration. We would never select the winner based solely on a minor design element, but we will also not let it go to waste. In this, all submissions could be part of a bigger design team. This contest — and frankly this site — was created to identify the best possible combinations of logos and materials in the sports world. This rarely comes from one person’s mind; we will reward any of those that play a part in making our on-field product the best it can be.
Thanks, Ross. A few words about the submissions below:
Some of the contestants sent one single image, others sent multiple images. Some contestants sent descriptions (in some cases, very lengthy ones), others had little or no description. In an effort to make the voting as fair as possible, I have put those who sent multiple images into one single image, and no descriptions of the uniforms will follow.
If you’d like to see all the entries for the RiverMen and their write-ups/descriptions, I have hosted the entire set on Flickr. Keeping in mind Ross’ rules for voting, you may use these as an additional guide in determining which submission(s) you think are the best.
The submissions will be in alphabetical order and voting will follow. Please Vote For ONE submission today. Thanks!
Toby Jaroslaw:
Bryan Phillips:
Andrew Seagraves:
Will Sinnott:
OK folks. There you have it. Only four submissions, but they’re all good. Make your vote count! Here’s the poll:
And now it’s your turn! Make sure to vote for your favorite.
Thanks to all the submitters — and to you fine Uni Watch readers and voters for making this a fantastic contest. I thank you for your time, and your patience, and I’m sure we’re all a wee bit sad, but mostly happy, that the contest is now over. Big thanks also to Ross for coming up with the idea for this.
You’ve all been aces!
U.W.F.F.L. Spring League
UWFFL Spring 2014 – Week 10
By Rob Holecko
We are back with another week of competition in our 2014 Spring Developmental League. Our thanks again go out to all of you who took the time to vote last weekend. Today we present to you eleven games to vote on, including this week’s spotlight game, a matchup of two teams that are, along with the Charleston Navigators, at the top of Group B, as the 4-1 Delaware Union take on the 4-0 Greenville Pointers.
Delaware, owned by Curtis Peddle, features team colors of “dark blue, Forty-Niner gold and white”, their uniforms display the UWFFL D-League Patch and feature triple-stitched twill numbering, and their logo is the D and U joined together (in union) with the football laces. The team’s theme song is “United” by Judas Priest from their 1980 classic album British Steel. They are wearing their road mono-whites against Greenville.
The Greenville Pointers, owned by Andrew Seagraves, hail from the upstate South Carolina area, and are one of only seven (out of 54) teams in the D-League to have won every game they’ve played so far, and therefore are in good shape to qualify for Fall UWFFL play. Their team colors are green and cream and their uniforms feature the City of Greenville’s logo as well as South Carolina’s Palmetto tree. The team name, of course, refers to the ‘Pointer’ breed of dog. They will be wearing their standard home green-over-cream combo for the home game.
Be sure to head over to https://www.uwfantasyfootballleague.com to vote on the other ten games, and we’ll see you next week.
Uni Watch News Ticker:
Baseball News: This article from the archives of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the twilight years of Honus Wagner features a nice gallery of photos (thanks to Jonathan Daniel for the find). … Also from Jonathan, he just found an antique shop with lots of Seattle Pilots stuff. Nice! … From Jonathan as well: more vintage uniforms, this time from the Houston Buffaloes. … In a “typically Cubs-ish move,” one of the Wrigley Field murals accidentally uses an image of Comiskey Park (nice find by Matthew Robins). … The cat who saved the little boy in California from a dog attack will “throw out the first pitch” at a minor league game in Bakersfield, CA (spotted by Patrick O’Neill). … There are typically “Cubs-ish” moves, and there are typically Mets-ish moves (via Joe Velardi). These guys should just assemble a circular firing squad and put us ALL out of our misery. … “As was covered on here before, on Sundays the Charleston Riverdogs (single-A affiliate of the Yankees) wear seersucker uniforms,” writes Derek Summerville. “One thing that I noticed is that every uniformed person goes high-cuffed — EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Just the way baseball is meant to be.” … Ticker-intern Garrett McGrath explains that he is “no longer a Yankees fan” since the Yankees will be giving away cowboy hats on August 10th, which happens to be Garrett’s birthday. … Interesting observation by Jimmy Lonetti, who asks whether on the recent cover of ESPN the Magazine, “Is Yankee pitcher Tanaka wearing his game belt?” The “buckle looks gold tone and a little ‘dressier’ than a regular black baseball belt. Was it just used for the photo shoot?” … Here’s video of a throwback to 1850 game from basball’s Hall Of Fame Weekend in 1939. The game starts around the 1:10 mark in the video (wonderful find by Joanna Zwiep. … Technically a non-uni story, but Matt Bruback’s injury led him to develop a belt that helps hildren with autism and ADHD, improving concentration, focus, and sensory deficits (great spot by Paul Lee). … Also from Paul, Nats pitcher Ross Detwiler noticed a warning label stamped on his team-issued belt that reads, “WARNING: This product may contain a chemical known in the state of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.” … “A friend was at Fenway tonight, and posted on FB that Justin Verlander strolled into the stands to schmooze,” writes Gordon Blau. “But in the accompanying photo, Verlander is wearing his home uniform. Weird.” Hmmm. Is it possible that’s not Justin Verlander? A doppelganger perhaps? Is there a Doppellander loose in Boston??? … According to Samuel Lam Coco Crisp has the Majestic logo on both sleeves, and it’s been like that all season.
NFL News: “Saw this in the background of the equipment room in an interview on the NY giants website,” writes Kyle Costa. “They were interviewing Andre Williams. Design for a new uniform?” … Reader Tony Crespo saw this guy with a Bucs-themed bogey helmet while he was driving home from work in Orlando.
College Football News: The Oklahoma State University Cowboys will have new turf and a new field design for the fall season (several of you sent this in, including Jeffrey R Hartwig, Nick Pierce). For more info, click here.
NBA News: Are the Charlotte Hornets (who are slowly but surely revealing new bits of their identity) going to have a honey-comb pattern for their court? It’s entirely possible based upon that picture (nice spot by “catchphrase jones” ”@peanut_chillman).
Hockey News: The Adirondack Flames (an AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames) were introduced yesterday (h/t Dave Plante). The best news is, because they’re the “Adirondack” Flames, they can use the old Atlanta Flames’ logo! More on the new team can be found here. … Following up on a ticker mention from yesterday, Paul Wajgel notes there are many NHL players who tilt their visors, “the one that I know of is Niklas Kronwall.”
Soccer News: Here’s a fantastic photo of soccer superstar Pele (at age 14!), second from the left, bottom row. Not sure what team that is, but credit Sully (@pal3327) for the find. … Check out the jerseys on these ladies (from a new book on the history of the Dick, Kerr Ladies), spotted by Jay Sullivan. The book is available on Amazon today. … “Looks like West Bromwich Albion (Premier League) will shit-can the pinstripes after one season and revert back to the traditional thicker blue and white stripes,” writes Joe Hollomon. … Here is a look at some of the club kits that will be worn during the 2014-15 season.
Grab Bag: Ooooohhh – Check out the Illini’s “modernized” throwbacks for Big Tens this weekend (here’s what they threw back to), via Ben Dodds. … The “Microfiber waistband with authentic Reebok vector logos” (and “Reebok logo on leg”) are sure to be “key selling points” on whatever this Reebok garment is (via Kyle Speicher). … Dennis Haysbert (of “Major League”, Allstate commercials and “24” fame) wears clothing with his own initial logo on it (from Derek Summerville). … Last night was Metallica Night at AT&T Park (thanks, Brinke). More here and here.
And that will tie a neat bow on today’s post. Once again, a big, fat, HUGE Happy Birthday to the Uni Watch Blog. It’s been an incredible, wonderful project Paul, giving us all our daily dose of Athletics Aesthetics, since the weekly (or bi-weekly) column is never ever enough. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to the even bigger 15th Anniversary coming up at the end of this month! Excelsior! Clearly, you Get Itâ„¢, and we’re all the better for it. Here’s to (hopefully) two more terms!
Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Lewis & Clark redesign contest(s) — and to all you fine readers for supporting (and voting) or just putting up with it.
Enjoy the Preakness, puck & hoop playoffs, MLB and more today. I’ll catch you guys and gals tomorrow.
Follow me on Twitter @PhilHecken.
Peace.
“I guess we should all get behind the practice of sports teams wearing camo alternate uniforms and selling replicas of them to the public since, you know, that’s the only way to honor our servicemen and women. I’ve been trying to think of other ways we might honor them, and darned if I can come up with any.”
–BvK1126
How many football unis has Oregon worn in these eight years? (“Too many” is an acceptable answer.)
Congratulations to Paul, Phil, and everyone whose contributions have helped the blog to reach this point, and thanks for all the uniform coverage.
I echo BurghFan’s sentiments. Thanks to Paul, Phil, interns Mike & Garrett, and everyone else who contributes to making Uni Watch the great place it is. Happy anniversary!
I interned with the Yankees organization in 2002 and 2003. When I was there it was a requirement that all players in the Minor League level wear their pants up. I’m going to guess that the tradition is still alive.
Yes, it seems to be the case. Every one of their affiliated teams goes high-cuffed to this day.
However, some Yankees players did not go high-cuffed with the minor league clubs on rehab assignments, such as Michael Pineda, Brendan Ryan, and Derek Jeter. I guess their status as a member of the parent club grants them a privilege of exemption.
Curtis Granderson, when rehabbing with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, did go high-cuffed as he already does in the majors.
“Saw this in the background of the equipment room in an interview on the NY giants website,” writes Kyle Costa. “They were interviewing Andre Williams. Design for a new uniform?”
I’d guess that’s just some sort of “how to wear the uniform/equipment” type of poster. I really can’t see the Giants going with white shoulders so obviously similar to the Cowboys throwbacks.
I thought the same thing about it. I’m wondering if it’s just supposed to be a sort of “x-ray” view, so you can see the shoulder pads?
Paul posted this pic a while ago. I went to Ford Field a few years back. It’s a guide on NFL equipment rules.
Pic here: link.
Nick
Happy Anniversary, Uni Watch site! I can’t believe it has been 8 years already.
That’s not Justin Verlander.
Happy blog birthday!
That’s not Justin Verlander. Not even close.
But happy blog birthday!
Having entire teams go high cuffed in the minor leagues isn’t at all unusual. It seems there are likely directives from MLB brass about whether a team will show sock/ stirrups or will not. So that the Charleston Riverdogs players all go high cuffed is not shocking.
Pele is playing for Bauru.
He is the legend (in Portuguese) that goes wit the photo:
“PELE059
Aos 14 anos, Pelé foi campeão invicto pelo time juvenil do Bauru Atlético Clube, o Baquinho, e pela primeira vez sua foto é publicada em um jornal de grande circulação, A Gazeta Esportiva. Pelé é o segundo da esquerda para a direita, agachado. Bauru, São Paulo, 10 de fevereiro de 1954.”
… and as this is UniWatch Bauru’s colours are blue and white stripes.
If only we could see that picture in colour…….
“If only we could see that picture in colour…”
~~~
If only…
Happy 8th B-Day Uni Watch, here’s to many more!
Cheers!
Does the look of Oklahoma State’s field really matter when Lewis Field is still oriented East-West?
Yes?
What does the orientation of the field have to do with it’s painted design?
Exactly. Nowadays all orientations are welcomed.
Enjoyed the Seattle Pilots stuff…thanks for posting.
One of my all-time favorite baseball reads is Jim Bouton’s descriptions of Joe Schultz in “Ball Four”.
It never occurred to me until today that the Pilots’ name was a dual reference to Seattle’s nautical AND aeronautical traditions. For some strange reason, I’d always focused on the logo’s ship steering wheel to the exclusion of the wings. I’d always liked the Pilots’ identity before. But now realizing how well it works on multiple levels, I’m sad it’s no longer in use.
Dewey Soriano, part owner of the Seattle Pilots was a Puget Sound Harbor Pilot, hence the name Pilots.
One of the pictures in the item about Honus Wagner shows him at his house. More about the house from Dead Baseball:
link
Please tell me you’re not serious with that Verlander imposter. That is obviously not him.
I was about to say the same thing MCJ.
I’d bet just about any Tigers fan would agree. That is not JV.
The Illinois track uni looks good!
Agree. Fun to see throwbacks even in track. Good job Illinois
So great that there will be a team in Glens Falls next year, their arena is old-school awesome. I look forward to seeing more games there. Just as cool that the Atlanta Flames logo is coming back. Just too bad it will be BFBS.
Happy Birthdays!
As I point out every year, May 17 has a special place in uni history.
link
What’s with the 16 candles as dividers? Should have photoshopped one out for 15 to go with the Anny. It’s a blog about the details. Come on! Happy Anny.
Phil must have a thing for Molly Ringwald.
Happy 8th! And Happy (soon-to-be) 15th!
That has to be a first that another team adopts a defunct team’s logo with Adirondak, right? Awesome for them.
Well, there’s the Toronto Marlies (AHL 2005-present) who have borrowed from the Toronto Marlboros (OHA/OHL 1904-1989) – the Marlies’ third jersey is taken from the Marlboros’ jersey (with crown in maple leaf crest), though the regular jerseys borrow from the parent Toronto Maple Leafs.
Good find. Still though has there been an instance that a different city adopted an old unused logo from another team’s past.
The Toronto AHL franchise of 2003-2004:
link
…took the logo of the Phoenix WHA franchise and simply recolored it:
link
Happy Birthday Uni Watch!
The Phoenix IHL franchise of 1989-1997 actually helped themselves to the Phoenix WHA team’s leftovers:
link
Should we consider what the relocated Montreal MLB team selected for its’ branding as “adoption”?
The Atlanta Flames aren’t actually defunct though, they just relocated. The Flames franchise is still alive and well, so Adirondak is just using a throwback logo.
The only instance of actually bringing back a defunct team logo that I’m aware of is the A11FL and their attempt at reviving a few of the old USFL teams, but they haven’t actually played a game yet so they don’t really count.
Duh… there’s also the rebirth of the Arena Football League.
Of course. The Cleveland Gladiators are like the 3rd Gladiators team .
link
It’s not that surprising, is it? When it comes to merchandizing, the Yankees are only outdone by Hello Kitty, Spongebob Squarepants, and KISS.
Just noticed in the thought you may like this section. I rarely ever click on those but saw this throwback column about 1st Browns facemask.
link
My dad was at that game in 1953 and told us about it and the hard hitting. He must have had a seat close to the field because he talked about hearing the pads and players collide.
He was a lifelong Steeler fan but enjoy sports.
Just watched the 1939 All star video with 1850s throwback game. That was fun.
Re: Detwiler’s belt. Under California’a Proposition 65, certain chemicals that may have carcinogenic effects must be labeled with that warning. Never heard of it on a belt before (and I cannot access the photo). Happy Anniversary!
Maybe Masahiro Tanaka heard about the state of California’s findings regarding carcinogenic chemicals in MLB uniform belts and that’s why he’s wearing his own personal belt in that photo shoot of him in his Yankees uniform.
I saw the same label on a suitcase I bought a couple years ago. I guess things can’t just be made out of “cotton” or “canvas” or any other “simple” fabric anymore.
There was no photo of the label in the article. It’s everywhere and it’s on many items sold in California: at apartment buildings, donut shops, on items sold at the dollar stores, etc.
Here’s an example:
link
From link
“Acrylamide occurs naturally in the roasting of coffee,” DeRupo explained to the E-Commerce Times. “It’s in all coffee. It’s nothing that’s added — it’s completely naturally occurring. It’s been in foods since people started cooking with fire.”
Acrylamide, it turns out, is on the list of more than 800 chemicals that California’s 1986 law, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, otherwise known as “Proposition 65,” requires companies to either remove from their products or warn consumers about.
If consumers or organizations find a chemical on the list in a company’s products, they can file a 60-day notice with the California attorney general’s office, and at the end of that period a suit can be filed. If a company does not remove the chemical or place a consumer warning, it can face steep fines. Many companies choose to settle these cases before they ever go to court.
“It’s become kind of a cottage industry in California to bring lawsuits against companies that have products that have these chemicals,” said DeRupo.
Even minimal amounts of a toxic chemical — far lower than those that studies show cause cancer or reproductive harm — can trigger Prop 65 notices and suits.
Sitting here watching the FA Cup Final, and what’s the first commercial after the final whistle ? One telling you to go to the winning team’s merch site to order your championship gear. I’m not listing the winning team -No spoilers-
In reference to yesterday’s comments section, were you wearing your team’s jersey while watching the match?
Thanks to Phil, Ross, and all the contestants for making the Lewis & Clark League design contest so enjoyable to follow. The concepts have been fantastic! I’m sorry to see the regular stream of contest entries on Saturdays come to an end, but I’m looking forward to the implementation phase!
Enjoyed the 1939 Hall of Fame video, but….
First of all, the video perpetuates the myth that Abner Doubleday somehow managed to invent baseball at Cooperstown in 1839 when he wasn’t even in town at the time and his extensive letters, diaries, etc. make no mention of the game. The story has been completely debunked and you can find details of same at this URL:
link
Secondly, the shot panning the list of HoF inductees, lists John Henry Wagner and Denton Tecumseh Young.
Honus Wagner’s given name was actually John PETER Wagner and Cy Young’s given name was Denton TRUE Young.
I wonder how those errors got made, particularly in so visible a fashion. Maybe fact-checking in those days was an unknown art.
2. Congrats on the anniversary. Perhaps in honor of it, you could create a reader poll of the top 10 uniforms in each of the four major sports (excluding soccer, but including college football). Have everyone submit their top 10 from each sport (OK, throw in soccer too, but maybe limited to EPL) and score it on a 10-9-8 declining scale. The lists thereby created would certainly not be definitive, but would create a lot of discussion. The categories could even be sub-divided within sports between current uniforms and all-timers (the Washington Senators’ garb from the early 1950s would make my list, for example; or the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals in the late 1960s).
Such rankings, IMO, should be limited to major-league teams. Otherwise, you end up with lots of 1957 Portland Beavers, or 1923 Altoona Alps or Piscataway Papermakers and other teams few have even heard of.
Anyway, just an idea, but I would find it interesting to see what other readers like and don’t like (maybe a WORST uniform list could ensue).
3. The Settlers’ uniforms. I would vote none of the above, but as I don’t have any better ideas……Hmmmm……maybe just a plain white uniform with “Settlers” in Forum blue, all-caps Varsity font arched across the front, block numerals on the back. A sort of plain-Jane contrast to the league’s other uniforms, which seem to miss no opportunity for some sort of graphic insertion, be it stripes, logos and funny fonts.
4. I would agree that My Oregon Ducks have abused the “alternate” uniform privilege to the point that they have worn so many uniforms, they really have no uniform in the strict sense, just a collection of matching ensembles. Be that as it may, however, the Ducks must be given credit — for better or worse — with having started the current craze of multiple uniforms and helmets well beyond the standard home and away or “special” one-game uniforms. And, less visibly, developing lighter, more flexible fabrics without sacrificing protection or durability. Just what one would expect from the University of Nike.
5. Justin Verlander. Not him, but the item does remind me that the Tigers have one of the cleanest, most elegant home uniforms in baseball and have worn it for 80 seasons, apart from an ill-advised, one-year deviation in 1960.
link, link, and link High Schools are all sporting some nice striped stirrups in the Colorado Class 5A State Baseball Tournament. A full gallery is available link.
Paul I clicked on the store button for the first time yesterday wondering if you had a tshirt with that oakland a’s inspired “aesthetics” logo to no avail. Any chance uni watch readers might see that design in the store some time?