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Uni Watch

Meanwhile, Half a Mile From My House…

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The Islanders unveiled their BFBS alts yesterday (further info and the alt uni schedule here). It pretty much conforms to the jersey leaks we’d seen earlier. A few notes:

1. As you can see above, the sleeve striping, which we had seen in the leaks, is matched by corresponding sock striping.

2. This uniform provides our first look at the team’s Al Arbour memorial patch. The jersey also carries the Isles’ “first season in Brooklyn” patch. Both patches will presumably appear on the team’s home and road jerseys as well:

The Arbour patch is interesting for several reasons. First, it’s really big — probably too big. Second, the black jersey really accentuates the patch’s white background. Obviously, lots of memorial patches have white backgrounds (like the Giants’ new Ann Mara patch, for example), but the black jersey really makes this feel like a white patch, which is odd for a memorial. And third, they went with Arbour’s first name. It’s understandable that they didn’t want to use his initials (“AA” wouldn’t look so great), but here’s something intriguing: There are at least two other current uniform memorials — both perma-memorials, now that I think of it — that consist of the first name “Al”: the Raiders’ Al Davis decal and the Marquette basketball team’s collar-borne tribute to Al McGuire. The name “Al” sure is well-represented on uniforms!

3. As we had heard a week or two ago, the helmet features a new secondary logo, which will probably be used elsewhere in the team’s visual program:

4. There’s another secondary (or maybe tertiary) logo on the shirttail. Much like little slogans printed on the inner collar, this is just a bullshit element that has no on-ice implications (it’s too small to be visible on TV, much less from the cheap seats) and is all about appealing to people who buy overpriced polyester shirts:

5. The pants feature a disconcertingly large logo on the left thigh:

There are two ways to look at this uniform: strictly in terms of aesthetics, or broadly in terms of a larger context. One thing at a time:

Aesthetically, I’m surprised by how much I like it. For starters, I love the sleeve and sock stripes. Also, the four orange stripes on the “Y” (which, of course, represent the team’s four Stanley Cup championships) are small and simple, but they nonetheless do a lot to warm up the design — a small element with a big visual impact, at least for me. I like how the orange stripes work on the helmet logo, too. The pant leg logo seems way too big, but let’s see how it looks in a game before deciding how much to hate it.

In the bigger picture, though, it’s a problematic uniform. For one thing, it’s totally BFBS. More importantly, the Isles chose black/white in order to match up with their new arena-mates, the Nets, and I don’t like that at all. It makes it seem like Brooklyn has a black/white dress code (trust me, it doesn’t), and also makes the Isles and Nets feel like interchangeable subsidiaries of a larger umbrella corporation, which isn’t even close to being true (different ownership, different histories, etc.). Yes, they now play in the same building, but so what? These same two teams shared a different building 40 years ago (I saw both of them play there during that period), and they didn’t have matching color schemes back then, so why should they suddenly do so now? It would be one thing if the color scheme had some basis in Brooklyn’s civic culture or history (like the black/gold colors worn by the Pittsburgh teams, which are taken from the city’s flag design), but that’s not the case here.

I’m not an Islanders fan (grew up rooting for the Rangers and Habs), but I live just a few blocks from the arena and look forward to seeing some games there this season. I think I’ll pick games when they’re not wearing this uniform, though. I don’t mind how it looks, but I don’t want to support its role in the bigger picture.

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ESPN reminder: In case you missed it yesterday, my latest ESPN column looks at the increasing use of neon colors in the uni-verse. Check it out here.

• • • • •

Shouldering the load: Yesterday was Roberto Clemente Day in Pittsburgh, so there was a logo on the field and the Pirates wore their Sunday throwbacks. Bit of an odd choice, since Clemente only wore that uni at the very end of his career, but I guess using an existing throwback was easier than making a new one.

Anyway, the visiting team was the Cubs, whose catcher, Miguel Montero, played along by wearing a “21” patch — or maybe it was a decal, kinda hard to tell — on the right shoulder of his chest protector (see above). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a patch, or any other kind of graphic, in that spot.

When I saw that screen shot (which came courtesy of @JohnnyMaz7, incidentally), I thought to myself, “Oh, Montero must be from Puerto Rico, same as Clemente.” But I was wrong: Montero is from Venezuela. Guess he’s just a big Clemente fan — cool.

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Click to enlarge

Membership update, non-Uni Watch division: I’m proud to be a card-carrying ACLU member, but for years their membership cards have really sucked. They used this cheap, flimsy cardstock, and you had to tear out your card from a larger sheet, which left a profoundly unsatisfying sawtooth edge where the perforations had been. Pfeh. I actually took the step of laminating my card (above left), just to make it look and feel more official.

So I was very happy to see my new card, which recently arrived in the mail (above right). This one is made of plastic, has rounded corners, and didn’t have to be torn out along a perforated edge. Much better ”” I won’t be laminating this one.

Of course, they’re still using the same miserable graphic design, but one thing at a time.

•  •  •  •  •

The Ticker
By Phil Hecken

Baseball News: Red Sox rookie reliever went very high-cuffed with very low-cut stirrups last night (from Andy Chalifour). … According to Mets Police contributor Dan Twohig, Mike Piazza apparently did not like the Mercury Mets Jersey (joining the rest of the civilized world in that assessment). … Absurd-looking two-in-ones last night for Marlins infielder Dee Gordon. ”¦ Have you ever wondered, “Hmmm, I wonder what Elsa from Frozen would look like jerseys and other team gear from all 30 MLB clubs”? Okay, probably not, but here it is anyway.

NFL News: We’ve discussed this before with regard to the Jets, but here’s an ESPN video preview graphic with close-up evidence of Nike’s inability to sew a jersey with one color of green. Submitter Troy Griggsby notes, “I see three different hues — the main panel, the mesh and the shoulder stripe.” … This is what the fall’s GI Joevember sideline caps will look like (h/t Klay Kuban). … “After running in the Saints Kickoff 5K that ends in the Superdome I just had to get a picture of the gold 50, but what’s up with the NFL Shield at the 25?” asks Christopher Fox. “It’s apparently painted on the turf not part of it, so is the Saints wordmark in the endzone…interesting, no?”

College Football News: The Ohio Bobcats will be wearing white hats this weekend (via OhioBobcatsFBEQ). … The Coast Guard will wear these helmets with the 225 Logo in Washington, D.C. this weekend vs. Catholic (from Double Coverage). … Here’s a good look at the extended UCLA stripes on Iowa State’s uni (from CyclONE Nation). … The Georgia Bulldogs are wearing helmet decals this weekend for Prostate Cancer/Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month (via Josh Sánchez). … Looks like Miami’s defense is sporting new green practice jerseys with some sort of design on them (h/t Joe Wingard). … New football jerseys for the University of Montana. … Here’s a look at the black chrome uniform the U. of L. will be wearing this weekend (via Cardinal Authentic). Here’s another view. … These concept helmets for LSU combine everything Paul loves into one tidy package. … New blue helmets for UC Davis (from Gregory Olsen).

NBA/Basketball News: Wow, check out this shot of the late, great Moses Malone with the ABA’s Utah Stars (h/t Sports Paper). … A “Local cafe has NBA decals in vending machines” (from WK). … Here is a look at some of the new on-court socks for the Warriors, Pistons & Pelicans. And here’s the Knicks. And contained within this article is the Hawks plus many more. … The great Conrad Burry has this slight update to the ball illustration in the NBA D-League Draft ’15 logo. … Not that we needed it, but here is confirmation of the new Duke jerseys. … Are these possibly new unis for Purdue (h/t Tyler Amato). … UnderArmour and Steph Curry have extended their partnership through 2024 (thanks to Andrew Rader). … The Indiana Pacers are helping out a local high school to get uniforms, since they have none due to the school athletics’ programs relaunching this year (sent in by Derek Linn).

Hockey News: The Islanders unveiled their new thirds yesterday (as seen above), but almost immediately, Twitter users came up with a new logo (h/t Mike Tremblay). It didn’t end there. … More Isles: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio was given a custom jersey with the “de” in his surname rendered in small caps. Hmmm, does that portend changes for Isles defenseman Calvin de Haan, whose current NOB features a lower-case “de”? (H/t to pach zearce.) … The jerseys for the All-American Prospects game have been unveiled. … New goalie pads for Tuukka Rask this season (h/t Nick Griffin). … Star Wars-themed jerseys aren’t limited to minor league baseball, as evidenced by the Huntsville Havoc’s “Emperor’s Theme” sweaters (from Huntsville Havoc Hockey).

Soccer News: According to this article, Bundesliga teams will wear “Welcome Refugees” patches in support of Syrian (and other) refugees: “All football players across the Bundesliga first and second divisions are to show their solidarity for people fleeing war and poverty by wearing patches for this weekend’s round.” (Thanks to Aaron Husul for the submission).

Grab Bag: A recent news article considered complaints that school uniforms in public schools were somehow racially discriminatory. Are they? This article argues they’re not. … Here are the new Notre Dame volleyball home uniforms. The Fr. Ted patch appearance continues (from Warren Junium). … If you’re a fan of ’90s uniforms (or even if you’re not), TSN has a list of 12 “iconic” uniforms that represented the decade. … Sixteen-time NHRA champion John Force will pay tribute to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon this weekend with a special paint scheme honoring the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion (from David Firestone). … What if the Blue Jays logo was like the Raptors logo, & vice versa? That & more hybrid logos here (h/t John Obarski). … For any of you (which means, hopefully, all of you) who hate Comic Sans, this comic is for you (nice find from Paul Lee). … Did the TBS Network get a new logo? (from Matt Harris). … New Jersey governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie wore a New Jersey-shaped stars/stripes pin, instead of the more common American flag pin, for last night’s GOP candidates’ debate (screen shot by Alan Kreit).

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Over and outta here: I’m leaving on a short vacation this morning, returning late Tuesday night. Phil will have the conn while I’m away. See you back here on Wednesday, okay? Okay!

 
  
 
Comments (120)

    Looks like the “Montana football jersey” isn’t really a Montana football jersey, but a band’s promotion that took place at U of M.

    Speaking of cable TV logos…I always thought it was a bit confusing that TNT’s logo was typographically very similar to the TNT package delivery that you see all over Europe:

    TNT TV:
    link

    TNT Express (European package delivery):
    link

    ed

    I am still not a fan of incorporating a championship count into a logo since it infers you are not going to win any more.

    Although, having a reason for the four stripes at least means it probably will not go to three stripes when adidas starts making these…

    Implies, not infers.

    In any case, if/when they win another one, they can just add another stripe. What’s so hard about that?

    I think the bigger issue about the stripes, as noted during a discussion in yesterday’s comments, is that they accentuate the fact that the Isles haven’t won a championship in 30 years. But that’s more of a problem of performance, not a flaw in the design itself.

    It was my comment yesterday on how the four-stripe motif throughout their uniforms highlights their futility.

    Nobody else does this. The Oilers did it for a little while on their alternate, but that’s gone now.

    I mean, the Rangers have four cups as well (the last one 21 years ago). Why don’t they have four stripes? Or the Flyers two?

    I guess to me it conveys resignation. A team should be selling the promise of next year, not “we really used to be something”.

    The Islanders have had some direct reference to the four cups on their uniforms since they dropped the wavy jerseys in 1998. The 1998 and 2007 jerseys featured the four-stripe shoulder patch, and the 2008 retro alternate (which became the home jersey in 2010) added the fourth stripe to the Y/stick in the main logo itself (the original logo had three stripes).

    Before that, they had four Cups on their 20th and 25th anniversary logos, and then they had four stripes on their 30th logo, and four stars on their 40th.

    Paul, I’m a die-hard Islanders fan going back to the early 90’s (weird a ten year old kid Connecticut kid would start loving the Islanders in 1993). I’d be lying if I said the blue/orange/white jerseys at the time weren’t a huge reason why.

    I finally got to catch a home game for the first time last year and will no doubt make it to Brooklyn this year. If you are ever down for a game, your ticket is on me. One catch – quite literally – you’ll have to be seen with a man who is proud to wear the now 20-year-old Gorton’s Fisherman jersey I received as a thirteenth birthday gift. At least it is not BFBS!

    The NFL shield the Saints have on the turf looks like a photo from one of those “abandoned stadiums of the world” slideshows.

    The reason the endzone logos, midfield logos and yardline logos are painted in the Superdome is because of their shared tenants and neutral site games. At one point they were home to the Saints, Green Wave, New Orleans Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and National Championship in the same season.

    “Foxtrot” continues to be one of my favorite (and, imho, one of the funniest) comic strips out there.

    and that’s not from last night, unless the Sox wore their home unis in Baltimore.

    Bet that would have been too big for the ticker!

    IIRC, Chris Christie has been wearing the enamel New Jersey pin for a few years, now. It’s cool when public figures find a way to riff on the empty, jingoistic flag-pin fad.

    The Al Arbour patch. This is purely a guess, but I have a hunch that what you see (black type on white circle) is a special inverse for the black jersey. The Toronto “Blue” Jays had a similar inverse for their Tom Cheek memorial patch. I’m predicting a black disc with white letters for the main blue and white sweaters.
    Now for a joke, I’m surprised they didn’t use a square. The number of sides and corners a square has = the number of cups Al and the NYI won.

    As I said when it came up in yesterday’s comments, while I do agree that this is a prime example of BFBS, I also think these unis are far superior to the Islanders’ previous black unis.

    Paul mentions civic colors. The Islanders’ regular colors are already based on the colors of the flag of the City of New York, colors that we also see with the Knicks and Mets. The orange and blue are derived from the Prince’s Flag, one of the historical symbols of the Dutch Republic which colonized New Netherland. As for Brooklyn, the borough’s colors (based on its own flag) are blue and gold.

    Overall, I’m not sure if I like the Isles’ new unis, but I don’t hate them.

    I actually really like the Isles new jerseys in a vacuum. The problem is that it kind of doesn’t work that well with the rest of their uniforms, and I don’t know it just kind of feels like the definition of BFBS (Black for Brooklyn’s Sake). No offence to Brooklyn. If these were the uniforms for the Las Vegas Black Knights I would love them.

    “I actually really like the Isles new jerseys in a vacuum.”

    That’s a great way of putting it. I thought I’d hate it too, and I agree that the Isles really shouldn’t be in black. But the jersey/striping is similar to the classic Montreal Maroons sweaters:
    link

    I think the chunky N/half-Y & skinny hockey stick looks bad without the circle and island however. This jersey needs a better logo.

    Exactly. Outside of a vacuum, these are the best Kings concept uniforms I’ve ever seen. And possibly the ugliest uniforms in the NHL for any team other than the Kings. But putting aside such picayune questions as team colors, it’s a striking uniform. Ditch the black and render it in Islanders colors, and these could be making my shortlist of favorite NHL uniforms of all time.

    Aesthetically, I’m surprised by how much I like it.

    Same here. They’d make a fine contrast to when Quebec comes back into the league.

    I don’t mind that they share colors with the Nets. I do mind that they look so much better than the Nets.

    Since I like black I don’t hate these as much as others do although the hint of orange in there makes me wish they alternated colors on the “Y” striping to 2 orange and 2 blue. But I’d much prefer carrying the stripe pattern to the bottom of the jersey stripe. It looks out of balance with just the one white stripe there.

    And BTW, my first thought upon seeing these alts is this would’ve been a perfect alt for the late 90’s Saint Louis Blues which just happen to be my second favorite Blues look ever only beaten out by the 1998-2007 look.

    There is some historical civic connection between Brooklyn and a Black/White color scheme. It had to do with street signs…

    Before New York City adopted federally-mandated standard link street markers in the mid-1980’s, each of the borough’s thoroughfares had link.

    Brooklyn’s street signs were link

    Bit of an odd choice, since Clemente only wore that uni at the very end of his career, but I guess using an existing throwback was easier than making a new one.

    Well, Clemente did win World Series MVP honors when the Pirates won in 1971 wearing that style, so there is some significance to it.

    I’m guessing the percentage of fans identifying Clemente would be closer to 60-40 in favor of the sleeveless vest, even though Roberto wore the mustard set for only three seasons. Getting the 3000th hit and his spectacular performance in the ’71 WS, really elevated the visibility of that uniform set in the public eye.

    Clemente already a HOF lock after the 60s, really elevated to legendary status after the early 70s. In the ’71 WS against a favored Orioles team with hall of famers, Clemente was easily the best player on the field at age 37.

    I think the average fan’s image can be summed up in this mural:
    link
    Maz played a few years in the polyesters, but even I picture him in the vest. I can picture Roberto in both. My first image, though, is always in the ’71 uni, when he won the World Series MVP.

    It was also easier to use the ’71 uni, because it’s already part of their wardrobe.

    Oh, and a big THANK YOU to the Pirates for not putting everyone in #21 jerseys.

    As a Pirates fan I picture both in vests. I hate the vests but not as much as the pullovers. I would’ve rather them go with the vest. But as was said they already have the terrible looking pullovers.

    Eric Young Jr. has been doing some late-inning pinch running for the Mets lately. Since he’s a switch hitter, he has two helmets. He chooses his left-handed batting helmet (right ear flap) to pinch run. This seems wrong to me as his left ear is then exposed to possible oncoming hit balls. However, it does protect his right ear from errant pick-off throws. Has Uni Watch ever looked at what helmet switch hitting pinch runners wear? If so, I missed it.

    I have never written about that or, I confess, even thought about it. It’s a spectacularly esoteric subject — thanks for bringing it up!

    This brings to mind Herb Washington, the “designated runner” that the A’s used in 1974 and ’75. His entire career consisted of pinch-running — never played the field, never came to bat. Did he prefer a left- or right-flapped helmet? Answer: Neither. He played before earflaps were mandatory and chose to go flapless.

    In a similar vein, I’m always fascinated to see a left-handed pitcher batting right-handed (or vice versa, though that’s quite rare), since in doing so his pitching arm is directly exposed to being HBP. As good a hitting pitcher as he is, back in the day I don’t know that the SF Giants would’ve allowed Madison Bumgarner to bat righty like he does:
    link

    In the 80s, Dwight Gooden preferred to bat lefty, but the Mets insisted he bat righty to protect his right (pitching) arm. Even so, he was a very good hitting pitcher.

    Once ear flaps became available, I would have requested a double-flapper, even though I only bat lefty. A lot of bad things can happen on the basepaths.

    …and a facemask, and a shin guard, and elbow pads (yes, on both arms!), and a toe guard, and a neck bumper, and a chinstrap.

    and an extra cup!

    The headline of that Hawks sock article… I don’t know whether to laugh or puke:

    The Hawks Are Going To Wear Dope New Socks This Season That Match Their Equally Awesome Uniforms

    And that’s on the Hawks’ official website, not some fan blog or anything.

    As much as it pains me to admit this (because I went to arch-rival Miami U) Ohio U almost always wears white lids. When they wear colored helmets they are almost always alts.

    why does it pain you to admit a fact? it’s not like you were saying you liked them or anything.

    “Much like little slogans printed on the inner collar, this is just a bullshit element that has no on-ice implications”

    You know what else has no “on-ice implications?” Team logos. I do not think you would call those “bullshit elements.”

    I understand you like to rage against the $200 polyester sweater machine, but I do not understand your disdain for interesting design elements. Do I love the four line B? No, but it adds an interesting touch that players and fans can appreciate. It makes it feel like someone put effort and thought into designing it.

    I just don’t understand why making something a little more special or at least more interesting is bullshit.

    Team logos have a major “on-ice implication”, in that they determine how the team looks on the ice.

    That’s clearly what Paul meant.

    No, NOT clearly. Myopia does stuff to the vision. It hampers ones ability to appreciate details.

    Where seams meet there is weakness. Taping seams is the probable origin of stripes on the out seams of pants. That tab is at the base of the sweater’s side seam. The white taping probably has a seam under there too (at least on one side). The tab’s legit function is reinforcement.

    Maybe putting a B on the tab IS a bullshit design element that only matters to owners, players, equipment managers, and the retail food chain that helps keep sports happening and ADVERTISING OFF THE UNIS. But really, learn something about garment construction. The tab is functional. But it adds cost. It will be interesting to see if like fight straps, it goes away for consumer level sweaters (which would blow away the whole rant above.)

    And one more thing. A few days ago there was a picture of the Packers that was supposed to show mono gold. The pants were the heavy duck or canvas in khaki or light brown, not the gold of the jersey. Sometimes we see what our biases tell us to see.

    No. It’s BKLYN. Just like PHX. And MPLS. Etc. No apostrophe on the BKLYN. It’s called creative liberty.

    One of those things is not like the other.

    PHX should be PHNX. When I see the latter, I think of the city. Or the bird. When I see the former, I think of something else altogether.

    It looks like most of those new NBA socks are trying to use too many contrasting horizontal lines. Plus that added colored padding (I guess it’s padding) around the ankles looks awful with most shoes.

    Said this in last night’s comments, but I’ll repeat it here since it was very late:
    I know I’m fighting a losing battle here, but I think the the Isles previous black alternates are way better than the “new” (AKA black and white version of the equally bland Stadium Series design) ones. At least those had the team name and actual team logos on the shoulders. Of course I find those black alternate sweaters generally very underrated.
    Also, those Twitter logos are interesting, mainly because I think that we’ll see the Isles slowly being back the fisherman in some capacity now that they’re in Brooklyn. It started last year with some merchandise and the one-of practice jersey.

    Me too.

    Didn’t it have a tilted number font? Cos that I coulda done without.

    I’d like to add: While Ranger fans hated it, there’s just something pointless about that being a measuring stick: The approval of the main rival’s rooters, the jamokes at MSG? That’ll make a fan base feel better about a design?

    I loved everything about the original Fisherman look. It lost some interest to me when they crammed the other logo on it.

    I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about the resurgent fisherman logo making a comeback in Brooklyn. Just not a fit with the dynamic vibe in the borough.

    I can’t ever defend that 2011-14 black Islanders uniform. It was, to me, just a mash-up of a few random elements that ended up clashing with each other.

    1. The black. At the time, there was no good reason for them to go black, especially as (and this was noted right here on Uni Watch back in 2011) right at that time, both the Knicks and the Nets were moving away from black.
    2. The team-name-and-number on front. This isn’t basketball. The radially-arched team name over the player’s number actually looked cheaper than the Stars’ old Edge jerseys, since they at least made their “DALLAS” vertically-arched. Also, the team referring to that as their “beloved wordmark” was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard – especially since that particular wordmark didn’t even exist until that jersey was created!
    3. The blue “diamond” pattern. I’m not a fan of having to match up a jersey element to a pant element to complete an “effect” like this, but this could’ve had potential. Too bad the look was wrecked by:
    4. The gray shoulders. Why was gray even an element in this design to begin with? And if you’re going to go with a bold, angular design, don’t ruin it by sticking on a contrasting-color rounded shoulder yoke. This was a problem with the orange jerseys as well – the jagged angle effect of those jerseys were ruined by the traditional-looking blue yoke.
    5. The blue helmets. If the jersey, pants, and socks are predominantly black, why the fuck would you wear your BLUE helmets with them and make yourselves look even more ridiculous?

    Say what you want about the fisherman jerseys; at least they had a consistent design theme. Granted, it was one that made me seasick. The new black uniform is also fairly consistent, as it keeps things simple and clean.

    (I’m not going to debate the waistline striping issue on the new unis until ReeDidas gets their act together, retires this baseball jersey-style rounded hemline shit, and restores the proper straight hemline that sweaters should have.)

    Sequel Answer:… No it’s not time for an update. It’s a depiction of Long Island… not Google Maps. The logo is not being updated.

    Sequel Rebuttal: It is an incorrect depiction of Long Island. Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island, but not on the logo.

    It is a depiction of part of Long Island, not including the part where they ACTUALLY PLAY. I’m not a fan of logo shown in one of the first comments, since it does look like a map, but I think depicting the whole island in a similar style might be a good idea.

    I made this mod a few years ago, and it’s been posted on Uni Watch before, but it’s worth posting again – an updated Isles logo that features the whole of Long Island, including Brooklyn, and still has the “I” pointing to the location of the arena:

    link

    Subtle (I doubt most fans would even notice), but I think it works.

    On a phone so can’t respond in line, but to two earlier threads…
    Switch hitters pinch running and picking one helmet or the other. The null hypothesis is that there is no rhyme or reason. First alternate hypothesis: Maybe the lefty one is used because it’s used more often ergo more comfortable. More righty pitchers means more lefty batting. Second alternate hypothesis: Wear the helmet you would have worn if it were your at bat. Doesn’t seem as likely to me as the first, but voila.
    Now for pitchers batting “pitching elbow out,” Tim Lincecum is another example. Can’t prove it, but I recall hearing on a TV broadcast that the Giants wanted to turn him around, but it didn’t stick. Maybe it’s because The Freak has a quirky enough delivery and they didn’t want any freak batting injuries, or maybe Bumgarner is just that good of a hitter and Lincecum’s batting average was more expendable at the time. Finally, Randy Johnson. I remember he had a big elbow pad. I also remember him looking extremely awkward at bat. Was always really striking to me, because he was so intimidating on the mound.

    Isles’ logo issue made me wonder– what other franchises have or have had maps/geography on the uniforms themselves? Only one that comes immediately to mind are the Warriors’ old logo.

    Good one. I’m sure some clubs in Texas have used that state outline, too. The Houston Gamblers come to mind.

    Ah, I just ccaught the “on the uniforms themselves” part of the question…

    So never mind about the Chiefs. Or the Nets.

    Those were tweaked from the original shoulder patches, which also featured the outline of (most of) Florida beneath the original lightning bolt design.

    Kinda/sorta, the Penguins triangle in their logo is supposed to represent the triangle the 3 rivers make to create the geography of Pittsburgh.

    my favorite one of all, Louisiana Tech. They use the shape of the state as the “L” in their logo.

    Surprised nobody’s mentioned the Dallas Stars, who had a Texas-shaped shoulder patch for nearly 20 years. There’s also a Texas logo in the current graphics package, but it’s limited to the pant leg these days.

    Also, the link!

    Big mistake with the Dallas Cowboys selection in the 90’sarticle. Those jerseys were early 70’s throwbacks worn to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NFL.

    The Carolina Panthers or SF 49ers were more appropriate teams for that smart.

    Actually those jerseys were pretty much completely made up. They were very loosely based on the 1960-63 uniforms, but not even close to being accurate. Calling them a product of the 90’s is not wrong.

    Geography of selves. OK, pretty sure California Angels had a state sleeve patch, I know the Saints had a Louisiana state logo with a start on New Orleans, for that matter the Dallas Stars had a logo like that on their shoulders, Arizona Coyotes and original Tampa Bay Lightning…

    As an Islander fan from the beginning, I can say that while I do not like the 3rd jersey (or any 3rd jersey, for that matter), there are far worse things that could have happened. Given their history with main jerseys (Fisherman) and third jerseys (long-sleeved t-shirt), the fact that this is at least subdued and acceptable and is not their new primary is a relief.

    The stripes on the Y of the the alternate jersey for the Islanders also invoke elements of old school hockey. Wooden hockey sticks used to have four or five stripes on the lower part of the stick leading to the blade.

    I think I’d like the Isles’ thirds a lot more if the chest logo were a bit smaller and had a circle around it.

    Speaking of “AL” jersey tributes, the Cleveland Browns wore “AL” on their sleeves from when Al Lerner died until 2013-14. Except, as I understand, it wasn’t his first name, but meant to be his initials, which were also AL.

    I said this late last night about the Pirates wearing those horrible throwbacks yesterday:
    Meh, the pullovers are more softball tops to me than the colored softball tops are. At least the black has buttons consistent striping and a better yellow. Plus black is my favorite color so I like the black. It is overused but I’d prefer it over the throwbacks. I’d even take the horrible cammo over the throwbacks. But we also all know how much I hate this retro fad.

    And of course to my horror I put the game on today and see the Pirates in their disgusting cammo uniforms. UGH! Since I seem to be doing so well predicting the future I shall say this is the week/weekend I hit the lottery!! Hey, I can hope…

    Plus black is my favorite color so I like the black

    I always picture a black cloud hanging over your head while you write dismissive things about those glorious throwbacks.

    Retro > camo. Always.

    If they threw back to the glorious 90’s uniforms worn in the last seasons of the old Three Rivers (I still call the new park the new Three Rivers baseball stadium), I would love them. The vests I could live with for the most part. Pullovers never belonged in baseball and that mustard color is dreadful.

    Damnit Kansas City, you just had to go bloodclot. At least wear the white socks. God I hate this trend.

    Still the best looking team…ever since the Oilers went to white helmets and the USFL folded. The striping saves the look from going too far.

    I agree the stripes save it. I thought these TNF games were going to be color on color? Imagine if this was and the Broncos went full smurf.

    Speaking as a native Long Islander and life-long Islanders fan, all I can say is that these black alts are better than the previous black alts. Damning with faint praise? You bet! Yeah, once upon a time the Borough of Brooklyn had black and white street signs. So what? Once upon a time Brooklyn had a championship major league team and its colors were blue and white. To that end, the Islanders easily could have adapted and retained the stadium series-based alts as an homage to that bygone Brooklyn team that people cheered, celebrated and loved.

    The Nets have wandered all over New Jersey and New York since their inception, from Teaneck, to Commack to West Hempstead, to Uniondale, to Piscataway to Hackensack, to Newark and finally to Brooklyn. They’ve had so many identities they’re the Sybil of sports franchises.

    The Islanders, on the other hand, have had one prior home and — with limited exceptions — a consistent color scheme of blue, white and orange. They didn’t need a new identity. They certainly don’t need the Nets identity.

    BFBS? Fooey!

    I’m off subject here, so all you gurus please forgive me, but I am deeply troubled and baffled by the curious “stripe down the back” being sported by NFL coaching staff this year. Obviously another Nike thing, but a stripe down the back? Come on. What the hell does that mean? I think it started with Nike golf, but does it bother anyone else? It just seems so, I don’t know, pandering? A silly affectation that…on second thought…is befitting the NFL.

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