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Aggies Use Their Heads for New Helmet Design

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For all of today’s photos, you can click to enlarge

Interesting move yesterday by Texas A&M, which unveiled a new 1939 throwback that will be worn this Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. The most interesting thing about it, as you can see above, is that they’ve come up with a strikingly realistic-looking throwback helmet treatment, complete with leatherhead-style detailing.

Or at least it’s realistic-looking if you don’t look too close. Upon close inspection, it becomes more apparent that the leatherhead details are essentially large decals or sheets of film:

As you can see in that last shot, they’ve also added faux rust and wear to the facemask and clips, which seems like a bit much, but let’s stick to the helmet shell for now. How will it look on the field? Pretty good, I suspect. Even in HD, most of the camera shots won’t be tight enough to show the decal edges but will probably be just tight enough to show the faux stitching — something like this:

The only problem is that things might not look so hot once the decals/film get nicked up and torn during the game, as they inevitably will. In any case, it’s an intriguing project that definitely breaks some new ground in throwback design. Here’s how it’s described in an Adidas press release:

Texas A&M’s helmet, produced in concert with Hydro Graphics Inc. and Riddell, is dark maroon with a hydro film leather-like texture featuring wing and cross graphics created using high-resolution photographs of an actual helmet worn by the 1939 team. The helmet also features simulated stitching, wear-and-tear, and raised ear protection painted by hand via HGI artists on each shell to further enhance the appearance of a vintage helmet.

Each helmet shell carries a stenciled “AMC” brand, referencing the “Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas” as Texas A&M was known in 1939, on the rear portion of the helmet, just as the original version did 75 years ago. This brand signifies that each helmet was custom-made for Texas A&M. More than six staff hours went in to create the unique appearance of each individual helmet.

The problem, of course, is the jersey, which features Adidas’s standard tire-tread pattern and looks like shite. But wait! There’s more to it than that. From the press release:

The maroon TechFit jersey features a commemorative patch and [a word appears to be missing here ”” PL] that were inspired by those on the original 1939 Aggies’ uniform and features individual rips and tears to signify wear and to enhance authenticity.

Yeah, nothing says “authenticity” like individual rips and tears, just like those “authentic” jeans you can buy with pre-torn rips in them. Maybe they can splatter the players with a bit of faux blood (or even faux guts!) for bonus authenticity.

I couldn’t detect any of these jersey rips or tears in the press photos. But it’s interesting that Adidas is equating — or conflating — “throwback” with “in poor condition.” After all, the 1939 team presumably received new uniforms at the start of the season, just like the 2014 team did, and the 1939 equipment staff no doubt repaired any rips or tears. The 1939 players wouldn’t have wanted to wear torn jerseys or rusty facemask clips any more than a modern player would. (Yes, I know, facemask clips didn’t even exist yet in 1939, but work with me here.) “Honoring” the past by treating it as a broken-down relic seems kinda patronizing, plus it’s bad history. There’s nothing “authentic” about that.

Such silliness notwithstanding, I’m still intrigued by the helmet and eager to see how it looks this weekend.

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NFL Superhero Project

By Thomas Correia

Tonight’s game is between the Saints and the Panthers . One team was an easy guess for comics fans, while the other was not as obvious. I think these two heroes would not only make for a great fight but could even be a great team-up (click to enlarge):

For New Orleans, lots of readers guessed that it would be the Saint or some obscure saint-type hero. There were also guesses of characters known to have a fleur de lis on their costume. But when it came time to actually do this logo, I saw the team colors and reimagined the shape of the fleur de lis into a version of the famous Batman symbol. Then I used the Saints’ 1967 shield logo and replaced the team name with “Knights.”

Just as I had used the Marvel hero Falcon for Atlanta back in Week 3, I knew that I had to use the Black Panther for Carolina this week. The colors worked out well, too, and the Black Panther’s necklace pops very nicely.

What are your thoughts on this latest duo?

Incidentally, we’re now at the halfway point of the NFL season, which means I’ve unveiled 16 NFL superhero logos so far. You can see all of them here (click to enlarge):

If you want more information on the thinking that went into these designs, all of the previous NFL Superhero Project installments can be found in these blog entries.

Next Week: Browns vs. Bengals. This could be a tough one for guesses, but take a shot anyway in today’s comments.

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Raffle reminder: I’m currently raffling off three very nice baseball stadium prints. Details here.

• • • • •

Patch question: I have only two Uni Watch 15th-anniversary patches left (and if you want to buy one of them, here’s where to do it). The Uni Watch 15th-anniversary patches are once again sold out. I’ll order another batch if there’s enough demand. So if you’ve been meaning to order one at some point down the road, or think you might want one for the holidays, or whatever, please shoot me a note so I can gauge how much interest there is. Thanks.

Also: If you’ve already purchased a patch, I’m still eager to see what you’ve done with it. Send photos of your patch projects this-a-way. Photos of where you’ve slapped your 15th-anniversary stickers are also welcome.

• • • • •

A creepy thing that happened at my house yesterday: If you hear that I’ve died under suspicious circumstances, here’s the likely reason (if you can’t see the embedded post below, click here):

Post by Paul Lukas.

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Mike’s Question of the Week

By Mike Chamernik

Paul wrote yesterday that he missed Game 7 of the 1997 World Series due to an poorly timed airline flight and that he missed last night’s Game 7 because he had tickets for a live event. In both instances, he gambled ahead of time that that the Series wouldn’t go seven games.

That got me thinking. Which major sporting events have you missed, and why? Did you try to keep tabs on the game while you were dealing with your other commitment, or did you try to avoid the game so you could watch it later? Conversely, were there any sporting events you were upset to be missing, only to have the game be a dud and/or you enjoyed what you did instead more?

Two come to mind for me. I missed the first-round Suns/Spurs Game 1 thriller in 2008 because I was on a date with a girl. Though the game was an instant classic, I was ultimately fine with that decision. Also, I missed the first eight and a half innings of Game 6 of the 2003 World Series (another classic, and I liked the Marlins a lot) because of my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Again, I’m fine with that.

On a rougher note, I’ve missed many NBA and MLB playoff games from 2008 to 2012 because I had college classes to attend. I’ve missed Games 2 though 6 of this year’s World Series because I was working. (Okay, I missed Game 5 because I was watching WWE Hell In A Cell.)

How about you? Post your responses in today’s comments.

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Uni Watch News Ticker

By Mike Chamernik

Baseball News: Giants memorabilia is selling well (from Phil). … Here’s a brief bit of footage from when Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the Japanese American Baseball all-stars played together in Fresno in October 1927. The game had a great poster, too (from BSmile). … Ah, generations of sadness (from Phil). … Groupon jumped the gun with Royals championship merchandise (from Patrick Lahaie).

NFL News: Woot has produced multiple editions of “fantasy” football hoodies (from Gordon Blau). … Brice Wallace found a Steelers bomber hat that, in the spirit of the team’s helmet, only had the logo on one earflap. Nice touch! … The Steelers will retire Mean Joe Greene’s number on Sunday (from Phil).

College Football News: Here’s a look at Florida State’s new away jerseys. … Flag-themed helmets for South Florida and Minnesota this weekend. … Black jerseys and pants for South Carolina on Saturday. … New helmets for Louisville. … Troy will wear red helmets, white jerseys and black pants tonight (from Phil).

Hockey News: The Predators took 1,800 pounds of gear with them on their recent 13-day road trip (from Wade Harder). … White-on-white AHL alert (from Phil). … Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen has a Reservoir Dogs-themed mask.

NBA News: Home opener uni moves: The Celtics wore their new green “Boston” road unis at home, the Wiz wore their alternate blues, and the Hornets and Bucks both wore their alternate unis — teal for Charlotte, red for Milwaukee, creating a color vs. color game (all this from Phil). ”¦ Kawhi Leonard, who is known for having really big hands, has a pretty cool personal logo on the back of his Jordans. … The old Cavs court from when they played at the Richfield Coliseum is now being used by a small school in Virginia (from Vince Grzegorek). … Tom Brady posted a Photoshop image of himself as a child in a Celtics jersey on his Facebook page. “The Photoshopping is amusingly bad, and the drawn-in jersey stripes remind me of the airbrushing on old baseball cards,” says Charles Noerenberg. “Good stuff.” … The Hornets gave away tuxedo T-shirts and commemorative tickets for their home opener last night. … The DirecTV NBA app uses outdated logos for the Nets and Bobcats (from David Smolowitz). … The Blazers’ new court features the names of season ticket holders (from Phil). ”¦ The Sixers have added a memorial patch for Caldwell Jones.

College Hoops News: Buffalo’s Big 4 basketball teams will wear Buffalo Braves-themed throwbacks in a doubleheader on November 29 (from Phil).

Grab Bag: The Football League will put a mustache on its game balls during the month of November (from George Chilvers). … I like the Adidas brand, but not as much as Katy Perry, apparently. … Excellent spot by Peter Wunsch: He was watching one of the often-aired AT&T Lily commercials and noticed that the store’s exterior glass doors have the logos facing the wrong direction. “No store would have the ads facing in,” he says. “They would be facing out to get the attention of people passing the store.” I’ve seen that commercial hundreds of times and never noticed that! … The 1941 Harvard lacrosse team was well-dressed (from Phil). … Check out these old and creepy Halloween cards (from Jon Solomonson). ”¦ “Rugby fans in New Zealand are freaking out because the new All Blacks jersey may not have a white collar,” says Caleb Borchers. “This is stupid because (a) the promo photo is clearly heavily Photoshopped, so we don’t really know what the real thing will look like, and (b) as much as we love unis, the whole ‘magical good luck charm’ thing is way overplayed.”

 
  
 
Comments (161)

    QOTW. Wow. Here we go.
    Growing up in New Orleans, I was a (get ready for it) New York Yankees and Jets fan. (My dad is a native New Yorker, but the complete opposite.)
    November 4, 2001, I was at the Superdome, Jets at Saints. Meanwhile, Game 7 of the World Series was going on, and I didn’t have a cell phone back then, so I depended on the out of town scoreboard for updates. My dad and I stayed for the first half, but he made me leave at halftime because it was a school night.
    So I got home too late to see any baseball and I was crushed (cut me some slack, it was improbable and I was pushing 13) that Arizona won. The next morning, I learned that Kyle Turley flipped out on Damian Robinson and his helmet, some time in the second half. So I missed Game 7 AND a “I was there for that crazy moment” moment.
    As a sports fan, I’m still slightly bitter over that whole evening. Haha.

    I didn’t see much of Game 6, but while watching Game 7 after reading yesterday’s discussion, I was struck by how annoying the World Series patches on the caps are. Looking back at yesterday’s splash photo, the patch bothers me a lot more than what Ventura wrote on his cap.

    Those A&M helmets look really nice… the jerseys look stupid with that lame tire tread pattern. Why does “innovation” have to be ugly as hell? Can they seriously not make a lighter weight jersey that still looks normal?

    They don’t want it to look normal. They want it to have an identifiable look (just like the Nikelace), so you’ll associate it with their company.

    A&M also introduced the uniforms with a tweet embarrassingly hashtagged “#teamadidas.” Sigh.

    “They want it to have an identifiable look (just like the Nikelace), so you’ll associate it with their company.”

    It worked. I now associate crappy design aesthetics with Adidas.

    I await the inevitable jokes about Louisiana-Monroe players developing faux tetanus from rubbing on the Aggies’ faux rusty facemasks.

    “After all, the 1939 team presumably received new uniforms at the start of the season, just like the 2014 team did”

    Did teams always get new unis each season? Seems wasteful to me now, but of course schools don’t pay for uniforms now, but back then they wouldn’t keep on using them, until they used them up? (apologies to Bill Withers)

    When I was in high school in the 70s, I think the school got new game jerseys every 3-4 years.

    So… all of those old Halloween cards have it spelled with an apostrophe between the two E’s – “Hallowe’en” What letter(s) was it replacing?

    I’ve seen every Super Bowl since SB VI except for one: I missed SB XX (Bears/Pats) because it fell on the date of my anniversary with my college galpal, and she made it clear that it would not be acceptable for me to spend any part of that day/night watching football.

    As it turned out, that was a good one to miss.

    Also: The 1978 Yanks/Bosox tiebreaker game (aka the Bucky Dent game) fell on Rosh Hashanah. My parents and I weren’t religious, but my grandmother was still alive then, and we always went out to her house in Queens for Rosh Hashanah. I was supposed to be helping her in the kitchen as she prepared dinner, but I kept sneaking away to check the TV as the game progressed. My mom wasn’t too happy about this, but my father — a big baseball fan himself — understood.

    The funny part is that this is now the only Rosh Hashanah that I have any distinct memory of. The others all blur together.

    Re: Steelers bomber hat….

    I don’t it is *really* a bomber hat per se (tassel hats maybe?).
    But, nice they did the one-side log thing.

    Here are some *interesting* NFL tassel hats”

    link

    The shower scene music from “Psycho” actually has a title. It is called “The Murder” composed, of course, by Bernard Hermann.

    Re: Browns vs Bengals Superheros

    Browns = The Thing

    Bengals = Tigra (she was a part time Avenger)

    i think my Nerd is showing

    Sorry Tony but you’re wrong on both. The Thing could be making an appearance later in the season, but not this week.
    Also I didn’t use any female heroes in this collection.

    Keep guessing and let your Nerd flag fly!

    Haha. Nice guess, but only Marvel or DC characters are in this collection . . . Although you are close if you consider the character’s race.

    classic wolverine would fit the Browns better than the Bengals. … oh but i think i know what you’re doing

    Logan vs Creed

    Back in 2001, my parents/brother attended a Pawtucket Red Sox game I didn’t feel like going to. I worked a full day and just wanted to relax that night. I missed the Izzy Alcantra karate kick to the catcher’s chest & subsequent brawl.

    QOTW: I returned to town from a work trip too late to see my son’s Little League game – I thought. Since my family was still at the game when I returned, I figured I’d show up at the field when they were leaving and go out to eat. But the game had been delayed, and I walked up to the fence in the middle of the inning – just in time to see my son turn an unassisted triple play.

    Not being a comic book aficionado my first thought on the Underoos was, “Batman v. Batman”?

    It’s ok. I expected some non-fans would confuse Black Panther with Batman. It was tough to distinguish one from the other in creating the Panther logo. I hoped the addition of the necklace helped that.

    “A creepy thing that happened at my house yesterday: If you hear that I’ve died under suspicious circumstances, here’s the likely reason:”
    That’s all it says in Chrome. I’m assuming, with the colon, that you were going to tell us what happened. Am I missing something here?

    My “big game miss,” one I still regret to this day: As a 13-year-old, already-established Twins fan, I was going through the emotional roller coaster that was the 1991 World Series, staying up late as a middle schooler watching the mid-series games in Atlanta on TV and getting ticked off when the Braves kept winning on the last out. Incredibly, on a Saturday night with no need to get up early the next morning — and already being a night person at age 13 — I went to bed early during Game 6, with the Twins up by a run or two. The reason? I somehow figured “Oh, the Twins got this, there will be a Game 7.” I was in bed while Kirby Puckett made his leaping catch and extra-inning walk-off homer. If I’d been sick or had a really early morning the next morning? Fine, but in this case, I cannot explain why I’d bail on such a critical game for my fave team and miss TWO memorable Series moments. Thankfully I didn’t wake up to an unpleasant surprise the next morning.

    Needless to say, I didn’t miss Game 7, the *best* baseball moment of my life.

    I, on the other hand, missed Game 7 because after Game 6, I couldn’t handle the pressure of another close game. I’m pretty sure Game 7 would have killed me.

    Did some work and then went outside at a point I thought the game should have been over. It was so deathly quiet that I figured the Twins had lost and everyone was being depressed.

    About halfway through the walk home the car horns started to honk.

    QotW:
    I requested to work during SB XLVI (NE-NYG II) because I was so tired of those two fan bases. Even though it was another classic, even though that shift was dead, and even though that’s the only Super Bowl I’ve missed since 1993, I don’t regret it.

    Ugh – 2 games on one night. In 1992 I missed th epic Duke-Kentucky NCAA tournament game, and also my alma mater high school’s State Championship game (they lost in OT) to play Scrabble with my girlfriend, her mother, and her sister in-law.
    I regreted it that night as it was happening and still regret it to this very day!

    My Big Game Miss (or near miss) was Indiana’s upset of then #1 Kentucky in 2011, AKA The Watford Shot. I just didn’t want to sit through another loss at the hands of the Evil Empire so I chose to go to dinner. I was able to catch the score coming in and out of breaks on a TV in the restaurant bar, eventually bringing up the score on my phone so that I knew the import of the final play. So while I saw and enjoyed that shot I was in no position to let loose like I wanted to.

    I missed Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987. My first concert, Genesis at the Vet. Game 6 happened to be taking place across the street at the Spectrum. We sat up in the infamous 700 level and using binocs and a squinty eye were able to sort of make out the game on a TV in one of the skyboxes. They turned it off at the end of the first period though, and we were pretty ticked off about it at the time. Some people brought radios in and the crowd would react from time to time, though once the concert got started it was tough to hear much. At one point Phil Collins addressed the crowd and said it was 2-1 at the end of the 2nd. He then subtlety said ‘We have them right where we want them’. That got everyone going because the Flyers were a big comeback team all year. That proved true that night as well as they scored twice in the third to win and force Game 7 (which of course they lost in Edmonton). At the end of the game people started counting down from 10, then restarted the countdown becaus I guess it was impossible to hear the radio broadcast. At 0 the Vet went nuts. Phil came on and gave the final score and then they broke into ‘Throwing It All Away’. A little mellow for such an awesome moment but I guess it was next on the set list.

    At any rate it was a great time and one game that I don’t miss having missed as a result.

    I enjoy it when folks share their Vet/Spectrum/JFK memories.
    I miss those venues, but not the gridlock that came with trying to leave the Stadium Complex when there was a game/event in one spot and another across the street!

    Any ideas on why the FSU jersey has a white triangle that covers the bottom of the collar? Isit to emphasize the logo?

    On a side note, TAMU helmets are one coolest things I’ve seen uniform wise.

    I’ve asked the FSU Equipment folks why the change from the connected pattern collar, but have not gotten a reply yet.But I would assume it would be to highlight the logo – that or it’s just part of the way the jersey panels are cut and put together.

    I’ll post anything I get from them.

    It’s this way because the jerseys are in Nike’s new “mache speed” template. It’s the same that is worn by Alabama. The “triangle” is made of a different fabric than the rest of the neck, and it extends all the way down to the belly. Nike says it’s used for cooling and air movement throughout the jersey.

    I thought I’d see something about the Giants player who had to switch belts last night!

    2B Joe Panik dove for a ball and started a double play, breaking his belt in the process. While they were doing the 3 minute review, FOX cut to a clip of Panik switching out his belt.

    At which point Harold Reynolds remarked that he was surprised to see him wearing a belt and not and not elastic despite no team has worn sansabelts (outside of a turn back the clock game) since 1992.

    I thought the surprise was that Panik was wearing a leather belt rather than an elastic baseball uniform belt, but I had the sound low. when I looked at the belt he was taking off I thought it looked like a regular belt.

    Some seem to. It’s hard for me to find conclusive pics, but this looks like elastic to me, as do some of the KC pics.

    link

    The announcers also commented on how the replacement belt was clearly a used belt, and not a new one.

    It had to be sometime during the first 3 to 4 innings. I left a friends house in the 4th and it happened while I was there.

    Panik said in an interview after the game that he’d never previously broken a belt while playing ball. It doesn’t seem like a common occurrence.

    At first I thought it was Brandon Belt’s belt that broke, which would have been funnier.

    Erin Andrews asked Panik about the belt in a post-game interview.

    If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s to not bother paying attention when Erin Andrews interviews someone. But if she keeps asking about uni-related issues, I may have to change my tune.

    From the few occasions I’ve seen Andrews’ post-game interviews, her questions are often informed by conversations on the social media, so naturally, that’s going to touch costumes.

    More than once when I had a gig during a game I wanted to watch I put a small TV behind the vocal monitor and would watch the game. I also would use a bike rear view mirror on the mic stand and position it so I could see the TV.
    During the famous Willis Reed Laker-Knick game the band was traveling. We were on the NJ TPK on our way south so we stopped and pulled over so we would not lose the radio signal and listened to the game.

    Big Game: October 21st, 1975.

    Game 6 of the World Series. Biggest game in Red Sox history. My friends and I had, you know, slept out on the sidewalk all night to get tickets.

    I was sittin’ in a bar, waitin’ for the game to start, and in walks this girl. Oh, it was an amazing game, though. You know, bottom of the eighth, Carbo ties it up at 6-6. It went to twelve. Bottom of the twelfth, in stepped Carlton Fisk. Old Pudge. Steps up to the plate, you know, and he’s got that weird stance.

    And BAM! He clocks it. High fly ball down the left field line! Thirty-five thousand people, on their feet, yellin’ at the ball, but that’s not because of Fisk. He’s wavin’ at the ball like a madman.

    He’s going, “Get over! Get over! Get OVER!” And then it HITS the foul pole. OH, he goes apeshit, and 35,000 fans, you know, they charge the field, you know?

    Goin’, “God! Get out of the way! Get ’em away!” Banging people…

    I didn’t rush the fuckin’ field; I wasn’t there.

    No – I was in a bar havin’ a drink with my future wife.

    I was there at Fenway for Games 6 and 7 of the 1975 Series, and never minded thereafter if I missed any big game in anything. God had already provided.

    QOTW: April 8, 1974. I have a babysitting gig one block away from my house. For some reason, the family I was babysitting for picked me up at my house and drove me back to theirs. We arrived at their house just in time for me to see the instant replay of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run.

    Cut to Monday, March 11, 1982. For the first time ever my college tennis team has matches scheduled over spring break, so I have to fly back to school a week early. My coach has agreed to pick me (and another guy) up at the airport and drive us to our dorms. One airport (Chattanooga) is 45 minutes due east, the other (Nashville) 75-80 minutes due west. Long story short, we fly in to Chattanooga, coach drives to Nashville to pick us up, and this lifelong Tar Heels fan winds up sitting in the Greyhound bus station in Chattanooga feeding quarters into an 8″ B&W pay-as-you-go TV to watch the now-legendary conclusion of the UNC-Georgetown NCAA final. Then to top matters off, I had to sneak into my own dorm b/c the coach hadn’t informed the school we were returning early, and in a freak accident I nearly blinded myself in one eye – so as I’m writhing around my 3rd floor dorm room in agony all I keep thinking is “no one even knows I’m here”.

    I missed Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter back in 2010. I had tickets for the game but my then wife wanted me to go with her to the ER. She would visit the ER roughly 5 times a month. She said she’d make it up to me not realizing how big a deal it was.

    QOTW:

    I missed *most of* Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots vs Panthers). I’m a Panthers fan but I was driving back from snowboarding with my sister, a non-sports fan. I got back just in time to watch the final two drives, sadly.

    I caught some of the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson half time show at the gas station and thought nothing of it.

    The only part of that Super Bowl that I missed was the infamous “wardrobe malfunction.” I was in the kitchen refilling on food and beer when I heard those people at the party who were still watching the halftime show bellow out a collective “Whoa!” To this day, I still think my time was better spent grabbing that beer.

    Here’s an NFL SUPERHEROES recap of what has been posted on UniWatch with dates. Click the blog link under the above compilation image for a descriptions and a larger image . . . (This project started at Week 2).

    WEEK 2-Thu 9/11: STEELERS (Iron Man) vs. RAVENS (Robin)
    WEEK 3-Thu 9/18: BUCCANEERS (Ghost Rider) vs. FALCONS (Falcon)
    WEEK 4-Thu 9/25: GIANTS (Superman) vs. REDSKINS (Hulk)
    WEEK 5-Thu 10/2: VIKINGS (Thor) vs. PACKERS (Green Arrow)
    WEEK 6-Thu 10/9: COLTS (Professor X) vs. TEXANS (Spider-Man)
    WEEK 7-Thu 10/16: JETS (Green Lantern) vs. PATRIOTS (Captain America)
    WEEK 8-Thu 10/23: CHARGERS (Quicksilver) vs. BRONCOS (Deathstroke)
    WEEK 9-Thu 10/30: SAINTS (Batman) vs. PANTHERS (Black Panther)

    I’m guessing Underdog for the Browns. I’m probably wrong, but I think it would be an appropriate choice for many reasons.

    Just heroes? (I guess that depends on how one views Deathstroke). If you’re doing bad guys, Browns could be Juggernaut.

    But if you were doing bad guys then the Bengals might be Bengal instead of Wolverine:

    link

    I LOVE the Juggernaut guess, but it’s not him. I am including villains when a hero can’t seem to work. There are only two (Bills and Rams). As for Deathstroke, I kind of consider him an antihero.

    It’s definitely Wolvie for the Bengals.

    QotW: Missed game 6 of the 1996 World Series because I planned an elaborate date night that would culminate with me proposing to my girlfriend (now my wife). It was a Saturday night with the Yankees up 3 games to 2 and of course the Yanks took the series that night. The wife always recognizes the “anniversary” of the night I proposed and mentions to others how I “sacrificed” watching the deciding game of the World Series. This year, a few days ago, in fact, I asked her why I picked that date. Why not simply watch the Series and propose the next night? What was so special about that night that I had to do it? I honestly can’t remember but she was not amused with me questioning my decision.

    I was a sophomore at a Seattle-area college when the Mariners played a tiebreaker against the Angels. I was able to watch the start of the game because the campus radio station where I worked had a TV. In the third inning I realized my psychology class had started ten minutes ago. I said “Oh shit, I’m late for class.” A friend said “What’s more important?” I thought about it for a second but said “No, I better go.”

    The instructor was in the middle of a lecture when I opened the door and tired to surreptitiously walk in. The instructor noticed me and said “It’s okay, what’s the score?”

    The class ended about an hour later so I was able to watch the end of the game.

    re: yesterday’s comments

    I talked about how mourning has become a more public act in general. The younger generation have become more media-immersed (thanks BvK1126) and they are aware of the media gaze and how they’re *supposed to* act for the camera in times of tragedy. There’s also link, which isn’t new but has intensified with the advent of social media, and enables/feeds off public displays of mourning.

    I like “tourism” because it perfectly captures the idea of someone briefly caring about strangers (perhaps even sincerely) and feeling a sense of soidarity, then quickly moving on to the next object of deep-ish caring.

    I’m not sure I’m understanding the definition of grief tourism as defined by that wiki. Where is the line between those interested in visiting sites of historical significance (concentration camps, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Andersonville, the Anne Frank House, etc.) and those defined as “grief tourist”? Even if a person doesn’t have a direct tie to any of the places or victims, is it now taboo to want to pay your respect? I’m referring to those that only visit; those that involve social media in any way are obviously seeking attention.

    I realized the same thing after posting my comment.

    The “tourism” is less physical and more emotional – it’s more about overblown emotional reaction, usually on social media. It can certainly involve physically visiting a site, but it’s basically about inserting oneself into other people’s stories.

    As for your question, I get peeved out by tourists who visit the WTC Memorial, but I’m not sure if that’s a rational response.

    I get that people all over the country and the world felt something that day. I just don’t know that people will ever get what it felt like to lose someone or be in New York that day (or if it’s reasonable to feel that way).

    I treat 9/11 and the Holocaust differently, partly because of my proximity to the events, partly because the context is totally different. 9/11 was so recent and so vivid, I’m not really seeing the value of visiting a site of so many deaths (whereas Anne Frank’s house can have some educational value). I’m just really, really uncomfortable with it being treated as another Times Square or Statue of Libery.

    I think that is a perfectly natural reaction and emotion; however, I think history will show it to be more of a Pearl Harbor-like situation and memorial. But, especially with this generation, I understand that it has an aura of insensitivity due to the personal connections to the site, event and lives. That being said, I don’t see how the person(s?) responsible for the wiki can shame or label a person for visiting any of those sights and more than if they visited the Louvre.

    Media-immersed grieving = “liking” someone’s Facebook post announcing the death of a loved one.

    Browns = “The Question” Blank Face and you can make his fedora look like the Browns’ helmet.

    Bengals = “Wolverine” lunging (orange & black suit + yellow striped suit) = Cincinnati’s pouncing tiger logo

    Haha. I like your Browns guess alot. But sadly I did not use The Question.

    Cangrats! You nailed it on Wolverine! But I actually used the Bengals’ “B” logo. Tune in next week.

    The Bills logo had a red streak coming off the horn.

    Are there any super heroes that are red and go so fast they leave a red streak behind them???

    The Bills are 2 weeks away. I am pretty happy with the VILLAIN I came up with for them. If you’re a Bills fan, I hope you’ll like it too.

    In what seems a lifetime ago, I was trying to make a living in theatre in NYC. On April 17, 1997 I had tickets to Game 1 of the New Jersey Devils vs. the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. I also had a play reading to attend, so I gave up the tickets to do the show. It was only the first game of the series so I wouldn’t miss anything that amazing, right? Martin Brodeur scored a goal into the Habs empty net. That one hurt to miss.

    I “missed” Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. Or, I would have.

    I was a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Many of the students there were from the Bay and were Giants or A’s fans. I hated to miss the game but I had a huge project due the next day and met with my lab partners at the campus library. After we finally finished around 7:30, I raced home to catch the end of the game. While walking quickly through my apartment complex, I could see through the windows of apartments in my complex and realized that no one was watching the game. I thought this was really odd that people were watching what seemed to be the news instead of the World Series with two local teams! Finally got to my place and my roommates immediately filled me in about the Loma Prieta earthquake.

    After the Phillies lost in the 2011 NLDS, I wanted nothing to do with baseball for the remainder of the playoffs. I actually didn’t realize the magnitude of Game 6 and David Freese until just recently. Many say it’s the greatest baseball game they’ve ever seen, but for me it will never carry that special status as it does for most.

    QotW:

    November 1, 2009. Favre’s return to Lambeau as a member of the Vikings. As a Packer fan, this game was a huge deal. However, my wife and I were on our honeymoon, and were going to be flying back home while the game was happening. We flew into Chicago, and then had about a 1.5 hour drive north to Wisconsin. We were DVRing the game, and made a pact not to check our phones for the score. As we got on the road, we got on the Illinois Tollway. Never once has a toll person said one word to me other than “thank you”, but this toll taker said, “Wow! Can you believe that Packers/Vikings game?” I immediately told him not to tell me the score. I wondered why he would even talk to me about that game. Then I realized I had a Lambeau Field hat on.

    Later on, my wife and I stopped at a “Steak and Shake” in Rockford, IL. We knew they didn’t have TV’s so it would be OK. I took off my hat and headed in. After the meal, the server brought my card back and said, “Wow. The Packers really sucked tonight. GOod for Favre though.” What?! Why would he say that to us? Then we realized we had Packers checking, and my debit card had the “G” on it. *Sigh* We watched the game anyways, but it sucked we knew the outcome after trying so hard to stay away from everything.

    QOTW: Well, in retrospect, I was an idiot at the time, but I missed seeing Emmett Smith breaking Walter Payton’s rushing record against the Seahawks. Not sure if that counts though, because it was a simple case of the game not being available. It was opposite of Steelers-Ravens, which meant there were no opposing games–yeah, as a Steelers fan, I look stupid in hindsight. I never miss Ravens week.

    …..and speaking of the obligatory celebration/riot in the SF streets last night (what? We weren’t talking about that?), at least the guy in the first photo was smart enough to stay incognito.

    link

    Now that is funny! In reading about the game and the “celebrations” this morning I must’ve clicked into and archived story!!

    Funny how the burning of stuff and destruction of property can be interchanged from year to year (and likely place to place too).

    Texas A&M Throwbacks = best. throwback. uniforms. ever!
    (I hope that Michigan does the same thing for a throwback. The famous Wolverine helmets would look amazing).

    My entire family are NY Giants fans. When I was 10 years old, my parents and I went to Florida to visit my grandparents during the end of January when the NFL playoffs are coming to an end. As it turned out the Giants made it to the Super Bowl (XXV) and of course our return flight to NY was during the game. For some reason my parents booked a flight with a stop over which we had not typically done. Upon landing in the stop over city the pilot announced that the plane had been overbooked and if anyone wanted to get bumped you should speak with a crew member. As a 10 year old I raised my hand to get the family bumped and my dad agreed with me. We made it to the hotel for the second half and were able to watch the memorable missed field goal giving the G-Men their second SB title.

    QOTW: I missed most of the 1994 Super Bowl because I had scheduled a tech rehearsal for a show. When I scheduled the rehearsal weeks before I didn’t realize it was SB Sunday. Then at the time I thought, “It’s cool, I’ll be able to see the Niners win another one in the next couple years.”

    Superheroes: I was thinking Underdog would make an appropriate choice for the Browns.

    “… Here’s a brief bit of footage from when Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the Japanese American Baseball all-stars played together in Fresno in October 1927. The game had a great poster, too (from BSmile)…”

    That poster is fabulous.

    Game 3, 2005 ALDS, White Sox at Boston. I was on a flight from Dallas to Chicago while Orlando Hernandez got out of the bases loaded/nobody out jam in the 6th inning, sending the White Sox to the ALCS. Pilot announced the final on landing. While overjoyed, 10% of me was bummed I didn’t get to see all of that coolness live.

    Qotd: I “missed” the 4th quarter of the Monday Night Miracle, not because of a prior engagement or schedule issue, but due to my own frustration and decision making. The scene: it’s 30-7 Dolphins as the 3rd quarter ends; I have to work the next morning early, and in my Jets-induced frustration I said (I am sure out loud) “fuck this, I’m going to bed” surely followed by some bitching about how the Jets suck. The next morning, 7:30 am, I am sitting at my desk still pissed about the game. My phone rings, and it’s my older brother who says “did you see that game last night?” I’m expecting a session of dual sympathizing between Jets fans, so I launch into a tirade about how bad the team is. This is met by a few seconds of stunned silence, followed by my brother saying, “you went to bed, didn’t you?” After saying yes, my brother explains that I missed the greatest comeback in the team’s history. I’ve since watched the highlights a number of times, but I’ve never quite forgiven myself for giving up and going to bed. To this day, when the Jets are on TV, I ALWAYS watch to the end.

    A friend of my sister had an extra ticket for Game 7 of the ’86 Series (the rescheduled Monday) that he wanted to offer me. However, I had committed to seeing a co-worker’s band play at CBGB that night (as I alluded to, Game 7 was rained out on the scheduled Sunday, which is why I thought it was safe to commit to seeing the band), which I did right after work without stopping home. Suffice to say, I wasn’t around to get the message when this ticket came calling for me. Grrrrrr!!! (P.S. Grrrrrr 28 years later!!!) (P.P.S.: There was a TV onstage while the band played that was showing the game – but still…)

    I caught the kickoff and the final field goal attempt of SB 25, “Wide Right”. I was busy setting up my future in-laws’ new stereo, making sure it was perfect.

    QotW:

    1994, US is hosting the World Cup, USA is playing Brazil in the round of 16 down at Stanford. (I lived in Petaluma at the time, a smallish city 45 miles north of San Francisco).

    In the morning, I get a call from a friend saying she had a ticket to the game, and I could have it (not purchase, she was going to give it to me for free).

    I was scheduled to work that day. At Mervyns. A now defunct west coast based dept store (similar to JCPenneys). A dumb retail job.

    For some inexplicable reason — I cannot fully explain to this day — I declined the tickets. I instead worked my shift.

    I am baffled, ashamed, sad and embarrassed that I could have gone to a World Cup match, but instead chose — CHOSE — to ring up customers buying fucking bath towels all goddamn day.

    Bitter,
    Lee

    Speaking of mushrooms, there was a period of recurring rain and these ones randomly started growing in my apartment patio this year: link
    Smells and looks wonderful (note sarcasm)

    QOTW: Game 1 of the 1979 World Series – Orioles vs. Pirates. I was (and am) a huge Orioles fans, and my Dad got four tickets – and not just any tickets, but in the front row, right behind home plate. After he confirmed my Mom, he asked me next, ahead of my older brother and younger sister. Sadly, I had committed to calling a girl about our upcoming date, so I declined to go to the game. Whenever I see Game 1 highlights, I can see my family – and after that one date, I didn’t speak to that girl for two years.

    Judging today’s comments, the two main reasons people miss important sporting events:

    1) Being a kid who has to go to bed early.
    2) Being in love.

    Don’t forget having kids. I missed much of the second and third quarters of Super Bowl XLV, as one of my kids was feeling poorly and I was taking care of him.

    QOTW: Being a chef I miss most of the big evening games. However, I DO get to watch a lot of west coast NBA basketball. That’s the tradeoff for not having woke to an alarm in 18 years like some 9-5 jobber I guess.

    Quick related story – I was working at a restaurant that was closed on Mondays (the BEST day of the week!) and the owner wanted to start opening that day. I flat out refused as that was wrestling night and no one should have to miss that. Without missing a beat the owner says “Ok. I’ll bring a tv into the kitchen for you”. I not only got to watch the first hour of Nitro but other days during big sporting events we actually got to see them as well. I worked on and off for that guy for over 5 years.

    Best. Owner. Ever.

    Atta boy. I work Monday nights and it kills me to miss Raw live every week (well in theory; they’ve been pretty bad as of late).

    May 18, 2004, traveling for work to Atlanta with two others. I always try to visit a ballpark that I’ve never been to, so even though I had no true desire to see Turner Field, I suggested going to the game with my co-workers. Neither of them were interested, so I went back to my hotel room and turned on the Braves/D’Backs game. Nothing special seemed to be going on in the early innings so I turned it off and went to sleep. The next morning I picked up my copy of USA Today and saw the headline, “Big Unit Perfect Against Braves” or something like that. So yeah, I missed Randy Johnson being the oldest pitcher to ever throw a perfect game. He was 40. Crap!

    Great stories, people. Really enjoyed reading these.

    I have another mini-story. I was watching Lakers-Spurs Game 5 of the second round in 2004 and saw Tim Duncan hit a crazy shot in the last second of the game. During the ensuing time out and replays, my mom called me away from the TV. Came back… and found I missed Derek Fisher’s 0.4 second shot.

    I missed my son’s championship football game on Saturday (they won) because I was with my other son on a Cub Scout camping trip.

    QoTW:
    As a youngster I was a huge fan of the Philadelphia NFL team.
    The Friday before SB XV, I did something very stupid at school and part of my punishment was no TV…no exceptions.
    I missed seeing the game, but looking back I’m glad I was spared the additional punishment of having to watch it.

    I was a huge fan of the Philadelphia USFL team.
    The night of the inaugural championship game, I was playing softball instead of watching. We didn’t have a VCR yet, but someone else did and put the game on youtube.
    link
    Don’t tell me how it ends.

    Missed the 2009 men’s Final Four in Detroit, won by my beloved alma mater. Walked into the hospital the next morning and had a son delivered (planned C-section by the now-ex). Win-win for me.

    NFL Superhero: Congrats to El Duderino for correctly guessing Wolverine for Cincinnati next week.

    As for Cleveland, this is the Browns logo I have used for the “POWERFUL” (hint) hero that I chose for next week.

    link

    QOTW lead in…… “I missed the first-round Suns/Spurs Game 1 thriller in 2008 because I was on a date with a girl.”

    It would be OK if it wasn’t a girl.

    “…on a date.” would have been enough.

    (like any of us would believe that!!)

    ;^)

    Since Wolverine as the Bengals has been guessed (good choice), let’s try the Browns. Based on the old logo of the Brownie, the most logical choice is Mr. Mxyzptlk, Superman’s imp antagonist.

    AWESOME! I was waiting for someone to guess him! But as tempted as I was to do it, I did NOT use Mr. Mxyzptlk. Sorry . . . Instead I went with a “POWERFUL” (hint) hero.

    To this day I still am upset with my parents for forcing me to go camping and miss the 1971 All-Star Game where Reggie Jackson hit the light tower in Tiger Stadium.

    Being an Oakland A’s fan I missed Vida Blue starting the game, Reggie knocking it out, and the appearance of 25 future Hall of Famers.

    As well you should be: that was one amazing game. I still remember Reggie’s classic swing (not to mention that great A’s ’71 uni with the yellow lid), then the camera panning up, up, up, and UP and still not seeing where the ball went.

    Not to rub it in or anything …

    Also the original Power Man from Marvel (now known as Atlas from “The Thunderbolts”) wore orange and brown originally. link

    That’s great. This image was the inspiration plus I always dug the chain belt that Cage originally wore.

    QOTW: A female friend of mine got married in 2004 on the day of a Lakers playoff game (not the 0.4 second game though). During the reception, a number of us went to the hotel bar to check on the score of the game. Who was there and who pretty much hung out there for the entire reception? The groom. That marriage did not last very long.

    I almost missed last year’s iron bowl due to family thanksgiving traditions. Thankfully, I was able to convince enough people to watch the game with me

    As one of the world’s ultimate Cub fans — as certified by a nifty plaque from the team — I tried to not travel away from Chicago during the stretch run when we had a shot. In 2004, an uncle gifted me with a late-September cruise. Those were the days before ubiquitous internet accessibility, and the ship we were cruising on was the last voyage in its storied Cunard career. When I left for Europe for ten days — with an 8 month pregnant wife, I hesitate to add — the Cubs were in first place, and even had a wildcard cushion if I remember correctly. By the time I got back, the season was over, they’d collapsed, and wasted a golden shot at a pennant.

    In the years since, I haven’t missed a stretch run, though I wish I had. Wait ’til next year, eh?

    QOTW: October 26, 2002, Game 6 of the World Series. San Francisco Giants at Anaheim Angels. Giants lead the series, three games to two. As an Angels fan, I watch the first 6 1/2 innings, only to see my team fall behind, 5-0.

    I have a Halloween party to go to, hosted by a co-worker. It’s a new job for me, and I’ve already RSVP’d. Realizing that the better course of action is to make a good impression with my professional colleagues, I decide the party is more important than what appears to be the losing cause of the game. But I’ve already received assurances from my coworker that the game will be on the TV at the party, so I make my way to my coworker’s house, secure in the knowledge that I can check in on the score during the course of the evening.

    Once I get to the party, the lone TV in the apartment is looping old black and white horror movie clips from the ’30s as “ambiance.” The hosts are not about to turn that off for a baseball game. I decide not to push the issue, resigning myself to the fact that the Angels are about to concede the World Series title to the Giants.

    It isn’t until some of us head to a bar in downtown Denver after the party that I catch the final score on a TV screen. Angels 6, Giants 5. Anaheim rallied with 3 runs each in the bottom of the seventh and eight innings.

    I watched every pitch of Game 7 the next night, and was thrilled to see the Angels capture their first-ever World Series title. But the excitement was tempered by the feeling that I’d neglected to witness the team’s finest hour ever, coming back from the depths of defeat to give themselves that chance at a Game 7 victory. I’ll always feel like my experience with that World Series as a fan is incomplete.

    Not sure if Uni-Watch mentioned this, but the Miami Heat tweaked their court design for the 2014-15 season. The changes are subtle, but as a diehard I immediately noticed them.

    First and foremost, the shade of the unpainted areas of the court is much lighter this year. Second, the “American Airlines Arena” text is now black (a Heat color) versus being Blue/Red (American Airlines colors). Finally, the Heat website written on the sideline is white instead of being red.

    New: link

    Old: link

    One other observation, it appears as though the basket supports are further back than last year, but I could be wrong on that. Perhaps it has something to do with Paul George?

    it appears as though the basket supports are further back than last year, but I could be wrong on that. Perhaps it has something to do with Paul George?

    It does.

    QOTW:

    I live in Raleigh, NC. Was traveling in Europe the month that the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, which sucks to have missed, especially looking at them currently. Flip side: I was in Prague during the World Cup games, and there’s not much else like watching the world cup in the town square!

    I finally have a good response for the QOTW!

    I work for a large retail chain, and my position in October 2011 included a weekly closing shift that would keep us at the store between 11p-midnight. I had the misfortune of my regular Thursday shift falling on the same night as Game 6 of the World Series between the Cardinals & Rangers. I worked in the electronics, and we were able to connect one of our TVs that normally play a bland feed from corporate to an antenna we sold and pick up the game on FOX.

    Our normal routine would involve tidying up our expansive departmental assignments for the night, and with the way things were going from about the 2nd through 7th innings, it wasn’t too hard to avoid planting myself in front of the TV and neglecting my other duties. When we closed at 11, the power to the TV wall was one of the casualties. I had to follow the game on my phone from there on out. I remember checking several times in the 9th & 10th and seeing my Birds on the verge of losing, only to have my phone update with a miraculous hit by, first, David Freese (naturally, I didn’t see ’til later just how close Nelson Cruz had been to catching the ball), then Lance Berkman. I was fortunate to be able to punch out just before the bottom of the 11th began. I hung out in the break room with a few other people, despite the fact that I had to be back in about 8 hours, and we got to witness Freese’s game-winning HR to center. I still get goosebumps and, if I’m honest, a little misty-eyed when I see that replay.

    The kicker is, when I got home, my wife was in bed. She’d give up hope when the Rangers took the 3-run lead in the 7th. And even though I still give her trouble about that, I’ll admit I’m pretty pessimistic when it comes to those situations, so I likely would have done the same in her shoes.

    We decided to head downtown the next evening just to be in the vicinity of Busch Stadium during the game. We figured we’d find a bar or restaurant to watch it in, but we ended up watching on a large screen set up in a park a couple of blocks north of the stadium with a bunch of other like-minded folks. After the near-death comebacks of the previous evening, it seemed inevitable that the home team would win the 7th game. And, fortunately, after a shaky top of the 1st, the Rangers never posed much of a threat the rest of the night.

    Buffalo’s Big 4 basketball teams will wear Buffalo Braves-themed throwbacks in a doubleheader on November 29

    Very nice! I hope at least one coach sports a Dr. Jack leisure suit.

    QOTW – Game 4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup between the Panthers and Avs. I agreed to go camping with my girlfriend at the time. I didn’t think the Av’s would sweep. Nothing like coming out of the mountains in southwest Colorado and finding out the Av’s had won in 4 games, Triple OT to boot . . . .first championship of any kind in Denver, and I missed the celebration that night.

    QOTW – I missed the 2008 BCS title game because I was front row at WWE Raw. However, midway through the show I managed to get extremely sick, leaving just in time to throw up in the parking lot, but not before losing a brand new pair of eye glasses. I was able to listen to the second half of the BCS game on the ride home, at least.

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