It’s that time of year again — the time when I give something back to you folks, literally. Or, if you prefer to be more cynical, the time when I clear out all the uni-related stuff that’s accumulated over the past year. Either way, it’s the day I run a big raffle that all of you can enter.
As in past years, some of you may recognize a few of these items as gifts that you thoughtfully sent me over the past 12 months. I realize regifting may seem tacky, but sometimes I have duplicates on certain things, or I don’t have room for everything, or something is too big or too small for me to wear, or I’ve gotten some enjoyment out of an item and am now ready to let someone else enjoy it. No offense intended, and I hope none taken. Thanks for understanding.
Okay, here’s what’s available this year. It’s all pretty self-explanatory, except for this: For T-shirts, you’ll see a size followed by two measurements (like this, for example: L, 21″, 29″). In each case, that’s the tagged size followed by the the pit-to-pit measurement and the length from the back collar to the shirttail.
Ready? Here we go:
1. A complimentary Uni Watch membership card with your choice of design.
2. An authentic reproduction Army football helmet, autographed by 1958 Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, from our friends at Gridiron Memories.
3. A rowing blazer-themed necktie.
4. A pin celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Steelers’ first Super Bowl championship. This pin was given to fans attending the Steelers/Saints game on Nov. 30 and matches the patch that the Steelers wore that day.
5. A pillbox-style baseball cap. Maroon with black stitching. Very unconstructed, including the brim, which does not have cardboard or any other stiffener sewn into it. Black leather sweatband. Size 7-3/8. Worn a few times by a certain sports uniform journalist who finally decided it didn’t fit him.
6. A Mets 5950 cap. Purchased 10 years ago as research for a Uni Watch story and worn maybe twice since then (I don’t care for 5950s). Size 7-1/4.
7. and 8. Two Mets batting helmet logo decals in reflective orange. The Mets toyed with the idea of going with these reflective helmet logos last spring but ultimately abandoned the idea. Please note that this decal sheet will be cut in two, creating two separate prizes.
9. and 10. Two Mr. Met luggage decals. Image area is about 4″ by 4″. Orange tone is reflective. Please note that this decal sheet will be cut in two, creating two separate prizes.
11. A Mets equipment locker decal. 12″ long by 2″ high. Orange tone is reflective.
12. A Puppy Bowl XI press pass from one of the days that I covered the taping of the event back in October.
13. Another Puppy Bowl XI press pass, from the next day of taping.
14. A baseball cap-themed luggage tag from Bergino’s Baseball Clubhouse. Standard name/contact info can be entered on the back. Measures 2.5″ by 4.5″.
15. A Bobby Cox Braves bobblehead, still in the box.
16. A Tom Glavine Braves bobblehead, still in the box.
17. An Evan Gattis Braves bobblehead, still in the box.
18. A St. Louis Cardinals towel. Measures 14.5″ x 18″. Blank on back.
19. A 2007 MLB All-Star Game sleeve patch. Worn by the Giants (and, of course, all of All-Star Game participants) in 2007.
20. A Bill King memorial patch. Worn by the A’s in 2006.
21. An MLB 2013 Postseason patch.
22. A Town of Newtown memorial patch, produced in the wake of the 2012 Newtown school shootings.
23. A Baseball Hall of Fame 75th-anniversary patch.
24. A Lou Gehrig “Luckiest Man” speech 75th-anniversary patch. Worn by MLBers on July 4, 2014.
25. A Gloops advertising patch. Worn by the A’s for the 2012 season-opening series in Japan against the Mariners.
26. A 2010 MLB All-Star Game patch. Worn by the Angels (and all the All-Star Game participants) in 2010.
27. A Bob Welch memorial patch. Worn by the A’s in 2014.
28. A Lou Gehrig ALS-awareness helmet decal. Worn by MLBers on July 4, 2009.
29. A Nolan Ryan Mets bobblehead, still in the box.
30. An Atlanta Braves necktie.
31. A Puppy Bowl XI T-shirt with “Crew” on the front and the Puppy Bowl XI logo on the back. L, 21″, 29″.
32. A Mets-inspired Nets T-shirt from Shayski Shop. L, 21″, 28.5″.
33. A Mets-inspired Jets T-shirt from Shayski Shop. L, 21″, 29″.
34. An “nj” Giants T-shirt from Shayski Shop. L, 21″, 29″.
35. An Atlanta Braves staff softball T-shirt/jersey. “Beast” stands for “Braves employees annual softball tournament.” XXL, 26″, 31″.
36. A Samford University athletics T-shirt. Silly hashtag on the back. XL, 24″, 29.5″.
37. A Curl USA T-shirt. “Distressed” print quality. M, 20″, 28″.
38. An Atlanta Braves 2014 media guide.
39. A New York Yankees 2014 media guide.
40. An Atlanta Braves dog leash. Five feet long.
41. A copy of the 1952 children’s book Little Leaguer’s First Uniform. Featured in this Uni Watch entry.
42. A Packers-inspired necktie, made by an anonymous DIYer. Featured in this Uni Watch entry.
43. A Chicago pennant from Oxford Pennant. Measures 26″ long by 8.75″ high.
44. A baseball card-sized illustration of Mr. Met sliding, by longtime Uni Watch pal Rob Ullman.
45. Five Uni Watch 15th-anniversary stickers.
———
Not bad, right? To enter the raffle for these items, here’s whatcha do:
1) Send an email to the giveaway address.
2) In the body of the email, please indicate (a) your name and shipping address and (b) your top 10 prize choices, in order of preference, by number. If you’re only interested in, say, seven items, then just list your top seven choices; if you want to list more than 10, you can do that too, all the way to 44, but I don’t really expect anyone to go that far. I’ll do my best to accommodate all the winners’ choices.
3) One email per person. Entry deadline is 7pm Eastern next Monday, Dec. 22. The winners will be announced on Christmas Day.
Again, my thanks to all of you who contribute in various ways to Uni Watch. I wish I could provide gifts for all of you ”” honest.
Uni Watch Hit Parade: Here’s some of the music I was listening to while putting together today’s raffle entry:
1. Billy Joe Shaver’s current album, Long in the Tooth, which was released in August, is uneven, at least to my ears. But it does have a few standout tunes, one of which, called “Checkers and Chess,” sounds like an instant classic:
2. The Philadelphia indie band Swearin’ (yes, it’s miserable band name) came out with a very good album about a year ago that I’m just now catching up with, called Surfing Strange (not a great album name either). Here are a few of its best tunes:
3. The great new album by the indie band Nude Beach is called 77. That tells you everything you need to know about its sound, which is rooted is first-wave punk, indie, and garage influences. I hear echoes of Big Star, the Replacements, early Cheap Trick, and so on. Here are some prime cuts:
4. I’ve been listening to former Kurt Vile guitarist Steve Gunn’s solo work lately. I don’t like all of it (he sometimes gets too trance/drone-y for me), but one album — 2013’s Time Off — stands out for its quiet, intricate arrangements that have just enough hooks to hold my interest. Here are some of its highlights:
Baseball News: RHP Brandon McCarthy, recently acquired by the Dodgers, Photoshopped himself into his new team’s uniform, but his image-manipulation skills could maybe use a bit of work (from Robert Brashear). … “A guy on Pawn Stars brought in a pair of 1972 Roberto Clemente sneakers the other night,” says Chris Flinn. “The expert said they’re worth $1,200 to $1,500.” … RHP Jason Motte has signed with the Cubs. But when he was with the Cards, he sometimes wore red stirrups over red sannies. Also, note the brutal rolling of his cuffs — someone teach that man how to blouse! (From JD Vercett.)
NFL News: Andrew Luck jerseys are particularly popular with women. … The judge at Aaron Hernandez’s trial has ordered courtroom spectators not to wear Patriots or other NFL gear (from John Pritchard). … A seven-year-old Texans fan autographed his own jersey and sent it to JJ Watt. Pretty bold move! (Thanks, Mike.) … Professional entertainer and former quarterback analyst Rush Limbaugh had this to say about Pinktober yesterday: “The NFL, what year was it they began October is pink, the month every season that they devote to consciousness raising for breast cancer. Ever since that began, the NFL has been plagued by one bad story after another. Despite all the consciousness raising, despite all of the attempts at doing good, look at instead what has happened. That month of October hadn’t bought ’em any credibility or good vibes or anything” (from Trevor Williams). ”¦ Jake Morrow has been spending a lot of time studying visor clips. Last year they were usually black but this year they tend to match the color of the facemask, as you can see in these before/after shots of the Patriots and ’Skins. One exception to this: the Bills, who have gray facemasks but have been using blue and red clips this season. Gray clips do exist, so this appears to be a conscious choice by the Bills to go against the NFL grain.
College Football News: There were rumblings about this last week and now it’s official: Arizona State is switching from Nike to Adidas. Snoop Dogg apparently approves. … And don’t look now, but Miami may be the next Nike school to jump ship. As you can imagine, I’m so upset about this that I can’t stop laughing. … ’Tis the season for that hallowed college football tradition: bowl game patches with chickens on them (thanks, Phil). … Marshall will wear “10” helmet decals in their bowl game for Chad Pennington’s father, who passed away earlier this week. “I understand Pennington is important to the Marshall program — he was a great player, he’s worked hard on fundraising for the school’s indoor sports facility, and the MU Hall of Fame inside it is named after him,” says a reader who prefers to remain anonymous. “But doesn’t it seem odd that his father’s death would warrant a helmet decal? I’m not sure what influence/connection Pennington’s father had on the MU program, and it’s a shame that he died, but has a former player’s father’s death ever prompted a helmet decal before?” … Nebraska RB Imani Cross wore an Under Armour shirt to practice yesterday.
Hockey News: Wow, the Kings’ Stadium Series uniform is really something — white pants and bizarre-o sleeve numbers. In addition to wearing this uni for the outdoor game against the Sharks on Feb. 21, the Kings will also wear it at home on April 11. … When you enter an arena or stadium, there’s often a sign saying, “Welcome to Wildcats Country” or “Welcome to Titans Country,” or whatever. But look what it says when you go to a Flyers game. Douchebags (from Matt Larsen). … No photo yet, but I’m told that the San Antonio Rampage (the Florida Panthers’ AHL affiliate) will be doing the ugly Xmas sweater thing on Dec. 27. ”¦ Lakeville North High School in Minnesota has jerseys inspired by the Wild, Kings, and Nordiques (from Jerry Peterson). ”¦ Saxon Brack notes that the Blackhawks black sleeve stripes are thicker for the goalies than for everyone else. “Obviously, goalie jerseys are bigger, especially in the arms, but I’m not sure why the black stripes would need to bigger.”
NBA News: Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: On Monday night the Suns became the latest team to wear “I Can’t Breathe” tees during pregame warm-ups (from Matthew G). … Here’s the NBA’s TV commercial for this year’s Xmas jerseys (thanks, Phil). … Warriors F Harrison Barnes, who took an elbow to the face on Sunday, was wearing a mask last night (thanks, Mike). … Good spot by Greg Riffenburgh, who writes: “While at the Blazers/Spurs game on Monday night, my buddies and I noticed (from the nosebleeds) that Wesley Matthews changed from red arm sleeves to white arm sleeves very early in the game.” … The Nets honored superfan Jeffrey Gamblero, who died after jumping out of a window over the weekend, by wearing his name on neon-toned shooting shirts prior to last night’s game. Further info here. … The Pelicans and Jazz went color-vs.-color last night. … As we’ve long expected, the Nets have another alternate uni in the works. Based on those photos, here’s a speculative but plausible mock-up.
College and High School Hoops News: Lots of 1970s and ’80s high school basketball photos here (from Jay Sullivan). ”¦ In the wake of the Notre Dame women’s team wearing “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts a few days ago, a South Bend business has started selling pro-police shirts that say, “Breathe Easy — Don’t Break the Law.”
Soccer News: New crest for Paraguay. ”¦ Bolivian president Evo Morales and Argentine politician Sergio Urribarri wore their respective national jerseys at a friendly match. ”¦ “I am a keen fan of Australia’s domestic soccer league, the A-League, and noticed a couple of interesting uni-related happenings in the past few days,” says first-time Ticker contributor James Roberts. “First, over the weekend New Zealand-based A-League team the Wellington Phoenix wore promoting the latest Hobbit film, which was shot on location in New Zealand. Also, the inaugural FFA Cup, which is essentially an Australian FA Cup, held its final on Tuesday. The Perth Glory, whose usual colors are purple an orange, wore gold and black kits, which are the traditional sporting colors of Western Australia. Interstate sports competitions are common in Australia with Rugby League and cricket being the most common times one would see the state’s colors used.”
Grab Bag: Good story on AOL’s yellow running man icon. ”¦ Here are animated GIFs showing the evolution of the Batman and Superman logos. … “It’s that time of the year when pro cyclists head to camp with their new team but are still obligated (until Jan. 1) to wear the kit of their old team,” says Sean Clancy. “Here’s a pair of Cannondale riders training with their new Tinkoff-Saxo squad.” … Here’s a ranking of F1 driver helmets (from Matthew Walthert). … Love this 1952 photo of a Johns Hopkins vs. UVA lacrosse match. Note that the UVA player appears to have a collared shirt under his jersey (from Brian Wulff). … Sprint will end its NASCAR sponsorship after he 2016 season. … New kit for the Australian Super Rugby team Western Force. “Feels like an improvement over the last jersey,” says Eric Bangeman. ”¦ “Southern Miss was sued by Iowa a few years ago because their logos were too similar, and Iowa won,” says Joshua Hanna. “Here’s a website showing the process Southern Miss used to arrive at a new logo.”
What Paul did last night: Busy day yesterday, as I had to go to a doctor’s appointment, take delivery of a bunch of Meats shirts, do some interviews for my next ESPN column (more on that tomorrow), and run some errands. Then I scooted off to Proteus Gowanus to see an absolutely devastating movie. I wouldn’t mind talking about that, but I’m still kinda processing it, so instead I’ll show you this interesting gadget that was installed in the anteroom — a box of pennies with a crank on the side. You turn the crank a penny falls out at the bottom every few seconds. What’s it all about? The accompanying sign provides an explanation (click photos to enlarge):
Pretty sure the Comcast Country sign at CoreStates/First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center has been there for *at least* 12 years
Doesn’t make it any better (or worse). And at least two people didn’t previously know about it: the person who submitted it and me. I suspect we’re not the only ones.
Oh, in full agreement… I just remembered it from the days of the 2002 Summer X-Games
This sign used to be in the old Spectrum.
I read “visor clips” but my brain thought “visor TABS”. So the photos perplexed me.
I guess a visor tab review is a whole ‘nother thing.
Looks like there’s a missing left angle bracket before “Pawn Stars”. (For what it’s worth, I have no recollection of that line of shoes.)
Thanks. Fixed.
They said on the show that the sneakers were only produced 1 year and they halted production after his death.
That’s believable. If the shoes were marketed around Pittsburgh, it wasn’t very vigorously.
They’re beautiful, eh? I’d totally wear those.
Came in blue too.
link
That claims the shoes were sold exclusively in Puerto Rico, which would explain their obscurity.
The ‘welcome to Comcast country’ has been posted in the same spot of the Wells Fargo Center since the stadium was built and known as the CoresStates Center. Comcast Sportsnet’s recording studio is inside the stadium and both Flyers and Sixers games are televised primarily on the Comcast network.
And when you own the team along with the arena you can advertise however you like.
Here’s a shot from the 1996/97 NHL Eastern Conference Finals:
link
The Comcast signage doesn’t seem to be original to the facility.
I’m guessing Topps will not be looking to recruit Brandon McCarthy for their touch-up services.
I don’t know…looks about as good as some of their airbrush jobs in the 50’s and 60’s! :-)
It looks like Brandon McCarthy was attempting a Nike swoosh on the collar of his undershirt. Are athletes actually that brainwashed?
From the looks of it, the whole thing was done with the airbrush tool in MSpaint… the Nike swoosh was probably on the original picture too.
Looks like the original was link, so yeah.
I’m pretty sure that for the athletes, they think the whole sports marketing branch of their industry is just swell, and generally find it incomprehensible that common folk could/would be bothered by it.
Lee
I couldn’t abide that picture, so I made my own edit in Paint.EXE and tweeted it to him: link
Took me about an hour to do, using the appropriate shade of Dodger blue. The numbers are based on the 38 he wore with the Yankees, but they’re sufficiently obscured that they could easily represent a number of different digits.
As far as my display is concerned, his shade of blue is closer to Dodger blue than yours.
And I don’t think realism was his goal.
Lee
I went and added some saturation to link. But I did use the correct shade of blue – it was just a little desaturated before, due to the limitations of the software I have.
:P
Apropos to nothing: Paul, how do you consume your new music these days? LPs, CDs, downloads, or streaming (ie Spotify)?
I’m on the $5/month Spotify plan.
I still buy CDs, but only occasionally (maybe five of them this year), and I listen to them primarily in the car.
I still listen to my LPs on my turntable, but for the most part only the ones that aren’t in the Spotify library.
I have never downloaded an album, mainly because I have never owned an iPod. Since I work at home, I tend not to do (or need) things that cater to the mobile lifestyle.
But Taylor Swift pulled her songs from Spotify. How are you dealing with that?
+1
Interesting, thanks for the reply.
You don’t need an iPod (or any mobile player) to be able to download music. In fact, last time I bought a CD off of Amazon, the purchase included the downloadable version, so I had the MP3s before I received the physical disc.
I use iTunes as my primary music player on my computer at home. I’ve ripped my entire CD collection, so I’ve got all my music managed centrally (over 9 days’ worth of music between CDs and downloaded purchases total). I create my own playlists for my different moods, and I can burn my own mix CDs for use in my car.
I have enough music downloaded that my computer serves as my radio.
I’m with you, only I have an ipod and bluetooth speaker specifically for my car. Love having lots of options for car trips.
Likewise, and cancelling satellite radio b/c of it. In fact, I spent much of last evening setting up iTunes to run on my external hard drive in order to clear up hard drive space on the family PC by deleting most of my music off of it. Which, I’m not sure if I’m proud or embarrassed, is a freaking ton.
10 decals? Sure…why not. When 1 would be more than sufficient, and I guess classy, OVERKILL IS NEVER ENOUGH.
Reminds me of my hometown that decided to put, I kid you not, 500 US flags in the town square for November. Because I guess just 1 flag isn’t patriotic enough.
When did the extreme become the popular thing to do? I missed that one.
Just the usual race to the bottom that characterizes much of American culture at the moment.
Thanks for not including any Puppy Bowl spoilers. I’d hate to know results ahead of time.
Comcast is based in Philly (though they were founded in Mississippi) so they can kinda-be excused for that since its a local company. (They also happen to own the Flyers through their Comcast Spectacor division.) Personally I would give some leeway to a company if its locally-based like Pittsburgh has with Heinz, PNC Bank, and Consol Energy, or Cleveland with FirstEnergy and Progressive Insurance, etc…
As for Aaron Hernandez, wouldn’t it be common sense to go to a courthouse wearing at least business casual?
You would think that people would know how to dress for court. But I can tell you that I have seen people who are litigants, not spectators, show up in shorts and flip flops, belly shirts, etc. (in the Northeast).
Couple years ago I had to go to a trial of a lowlife who had stolen from my then-employer. Several young women there for another criminal case were wearing pajamas. Made me a bit curious what that case was about.
Yeah just look at athletes who have gotten arrested, guys like Pacman Jones who have longer hair or significant facial hair. Notice that by the time they appear in court they’re clean-cut? (Of course, Aaron Hernandez already had short hair and clean shaven when he was arrested.) That’s not a coincidence. You would think the common man would know how to dress in court as well.
Yes, because facial hair clearly means you’re guilty. Next you’ll tell me to get off your lawn.
Well, the fact that they show up in court clean-shaven suggests that they and/or their attorney, publicist, agent, etc., convince them that not doing so would be more likely to convey guilt. Then again, my grandmother who passed away some 35 years ago refused to vote for Thomas Dewey in 1948 solely b/c he wore a moustache, which made him “untrustworthy” in her mind.
It’s not like that’s a recent bias.
I was about to say, it’s not just facial hair either. Tattoos, despite having gone very mainstream, still get a negative rap. It’s just a fact. Not stereotyping anything, people have certain beliefs about people who aren’t clean-cut. Why do you think the Yankees have their dress code?
And I don’t disagree with you but as long as we keep playing into those stereotypes then they will be allowed to continue existing. As far as this world has come we’re still pretty much in the dark ages socially.
I just figured the Yankees did it because they’re a bunch of assholes…
I was a bit disappointed to see the final version of the Sharks’ Stadium Series uniform, but the Kings’ uni is just ten pounds of Nope in a five-pound bag.
It doesn’t help that I have never liked the Kings’ current design package. The crown’s the only good part of the package, and I generally prefer the older versions anyway. Everything else is just ugly.
The bizarre TV numbers on the sleeves are so that fans in the stands and TV cameras that aren’t ice-level will be able to determine which player is which. The larger numbers was something the Kings experimented with during the Kings-Ducks series last season with the back numbers. This season, the treatment moved to the sleeves.
Yeah, a fun, function-driven element.
It only looks bizarre for the Kings because of the ugliness of their numbers.
Paul, Billy Joe Shaver is one of the best. Have you listened to “Unshaven: Live at Smith’s Olde Bar?” It is one of the best albums in history (IMO).
He’ll be appearing with Willie Nelson on Letterman tonight.
Maybe it’s the fact that I’m legally blind, but could someone tell me what the flyers sign says?
“Welcome to Comcast Country.” (It’s at the top of the image.)
“This Is Comcast Country”
Where is my mind?
link
I read that first song title as “Cheese and Checkers.” Which is a country song I really want to hear. Though it’s more of a Corb Lund or REK title than Billy Joe.
Kings Stadium Series uni: Transcendent. The very acme of “so bad it’s good.”
That Minimum Wage Machine is genius. (And it ties in nicely with the subtext of “Chess and Checkers.”) Someone needs to start a Super PAC to raise the money it would take to deliver a Minimum Wage Machine to every congressman and governor’s office.
“That Minimum Wage Machine is genius.”
If the labor is in fact productive (e.g., the cranking actually generates electricity or something), then it might be the coolest thing ever.
Those Lakeville North jerseys also seem to be inspired by the link and link. And by “inspired by,” I mean it looks like they just bought the blank jerseys in those patterns.
What’s weird is that the middle one is a Blackhawks/Kings mash-up and the right one appears to be a Blackhawks/Nordiques mash-up. Are there any other examples of high schools combining two different teams logos/uniforms that anyone can think of?
The T.C. Williams HS (VA) football team (Remember them?) used to use a Minnesota MLB team cap logo inside a Tennessee NFL team helmet logo:
link
I don’t know if they still do.
Were they legally obligated to alter the Nordiques’ insignia? I always thought it said “NL”, to begin with.
Idle question. Who will rejoin the major league first: Quebec in the NHL, or Montreal in MLB?
No question the Nordiques. Been to a Panther game in South Florida? You get entire sections to yourself and they’ll let you in for free (if you’re nice and get the right ticket taker) after about 5 minutes gone in the first… Can’t see them sticking around much it’ll only cost them $63 million to get out of the lease, which runs though 2022-ish if I remember right. Sounds like a lot of loot, but it goes down the longer they stay and pay it off to the county and given the alternative (crowds of 1K-5K a night) it might just be worth it.
I’ll go with Quebec in the NHL (through relocation).
From a layman’s perspective, a full-time MLB return to Montreal seems to me to be as likely as RJ Reynolds/Winston returning to sponsor NASCAR’s top-tier series (I’d love to see both, BTW).
The sad thing is that the Panthers are actually doing well enough this year to be competitive so far (currently holding the 2nd wildcard spot in the East, thanks to being tied in points with the Caps and having a game in hand on them). Hell, they’ve handled the Red Wings so far. But nope, their “official” attendance is averaging below 9,000 a night.
Compare that to the Pistons, at the bottom of the NBA in attendance, still averaging close to 14,000 (“officially”, anyway) at the Palace.
But yeah, if the trend continues, I can see the Panthers bailing. I would definitely prefer to see them move to Quebec, where a brand-new stadium will be waiting, a rabid fan base will be ready, and they won’t even have to change divisions!
I don’t see Quebec getting an expansion team, though. In fact, I don’t want to see them get an expansion team, if only because I don’t want to see Detroit get pushed back into the Western Conference.
I actually like the Kings stadium series uniforms. White breezers are rarely seen so its refreshing for a team to try them. White, silver, and black arrayed in a barber pole fashion without extraneous piping or slanted elements is a refreshing use of restraint.
Moreover, I respect what they were trying to do. I interpret the design of this years Sharks and Kings uniforms as attempting to replicate classic hockey styles in such a way that they could be discerned from the upper deck of a baseball stadium. Stripping away details while leaving the same impression of color and design.
I only wish they hadn’t duplicated the same design for both teams. After all you were trying to be original.
I only wish they hadn’t duplicated the same design for both teams. After all you were trying to be original.
Were they?
I think they were but it isn’t that original if you use the same template twice.
The hawks oversized black stripes are only on the whites. Been that way for years, still no clue as to why.
Maybe the goalies are using a variation of the contoured elbow panels of the Edge template instead of the straight-seamed panels the skaters use, and Reebok just fills the space to the seam.
Anent the photo of the lacrosse player with a shirt and collar: I remember seeing this affectation back in the 1970s. The shirt was often a blue, button-down Oxford, with the unbuttoned collar points flapping in the breeze.
RE: Band Names….
Being a musician and having been in numerous bands over my lifetime, I can tell you I have wasted WAY too much time thinking of band names. In the end, it just doesn’t matter what a band is called. Clever names go over peoples’ heads. Stupid names are taken too seriously. Cool names are probably already used by some other band somewhere else. Lame names are just as effective as good ones.
Since college, I’ve known exactly what my post-third-wave alt-country-ska band would be called. Every once in a while, I google, and to date I don’t think anyone has ever called their band either “Those Russians” or “Savage Marubi Tribe.” So if my tone deafness is ever cured, I’m ready.
I think I’ve told this story before, but once more won’t hurt.
I’ve always wanted my band, if I had a band, to be called Cartographers. (Note the lack of the definite article. It’s not the Cartographers; it’s just Cartographers.)
At one point in the 1990s I was publishing a zine and received lots of letters from readers. Often I’d write back, and I’d usually include a little note like so: “Have you heard the new Cartographers single? It’s really good!”
My goal was to see “Cartographers single” show up on somebody’s want list, based solely on my epistolary mentions of this non-existent record. Never happened, alas. Foiled again.
Sorta like this?
link
I don’t like misused articles either.
The Led Zeppelin
The Pearl Jam
The Hot Toddy
etc.
The only thing worse is stuff like this:
The Led Zeppelin Band
The Pearl Jam Band
During his tenure at WPLJ, John Zacherle unfailingly used the term, “THE Pink Floyd”.
Talking Heads titled their live album The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads specifically because they didn’t like people using the definite article with their name.
On the other hand, I love using the definite article with diseases and maladies: the mumps; the gout; the clap; the cancer; the anthrax.
I remember Glenn Frey saying, “we’re not The Eagles. We’re ‘Eagles.'”
Paul,
What is on the wall behind the pictures with the bobbleheads for the raffle?
It’s an old Mayco Underglaze Colors sample display. Basically, it shows all the different colors of porcelain enamel that the Mayco company offered. Sort of like a fabric catalog, but with little enamel knobs instead of swatches.
I found it in a Boston junk store in 2001. It was almost completely black, with little hints of color showing thru. Cleaned it up and put it on the wall.
My sister said the Kings’ Stadium Series unis reminded her of Spaceballs.
link
Nice. But those Kings unis are more like link than anything…
The 49ers are running out of numbers! LOL.
In the last 2 days they have signed a practice squad defensive back and a running back to their active roster. However, they don’t have any numbers available to them. With the number of players on the roster, injury lists, practice squad and with their retired numbers the only numbers available are:
3, 5, 6, 19, 65 and 82.
I’m sure they’ll double up with some guys from the injured lists but I just found it silly and interesting.
Mississippi State has the only Adidas uniforms I like. All the others are “blah”. Its funny that adidas has 2 schools in 2 conferences with the same color scheme
SEC- M State & T AM (almost the same)
B1G- Wis & Nebraska
Im glad the Vols are going back with Nike
and ASU maroon is likely a slight variant of TAMU and Mississipi State.
Team Sky’s new clothing for 2015
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Not exactly uni-related, but I was absentmindedly watching an Ohio high-school football championship game (final score was Marion Local 41, St. Paul 0) during my morning workout and after a Marion TD, there was some sort of delay setting up for the PAT with no kicker on the field, then a player rushed out and successfully kicked the PAT in the old-fashioned head-on style (not soccer-style). I hadn’t seen that kind of kick in football in probably 20-30 years, since whenever Mark Moseley retired. My workout ended and I didn’t see if that player kicked additional PATs, though it looked like he handled the ensuing kickoff as well. Can’t find anything about the kicker on the web, but here’s a link to a game article in case anyone out there knows more…
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Re: Chad Pennington…his dad is also an alumnus of Marshall, don’t know if that matters or not. Maybe they thought it was an honoring tribute to the Pennington family for all they’ve done for Marshall.
Do you think there’s a chance Adidas gets the NFL contract in 2017?
n e v e r
The New York state minimum wage is going up 75 cents in exactly two weeks. Will the artist update his or her exhibit?
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The sign says the machine can be adjusted to reflect changes in the wage. The people who run the space are pretty geekily conscientious about things in general, so I imagine they’ll be sure to deal with this.