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Uni Watch

Maple Leafs Unveil Logo for 2016-17 Season

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The Maple Leafs unveiled their 2016-17 logo last night (you can click on the image at right to see a larger version). The bad news is that the unveiling itself was a botch — they waited until the completion of their game against the Bruins, which went into overtime, and then there was a televised unveiling with lots of preliminaries, and the net result was the design wasn’t officially revealed until about 10:20pm Eastern — way too late for this type of thing.

The good news is that the design is a beauty. It’s basically an updated version of what the team wore from the from the late 1930s through the early ’60s. As soon as it was unveiled, I dashed off this quick ESPN piece (short version: The design is overfreighted with some very dubious “storylines” but I really like it anyway), but the best coverage came from SportsLogos.net prexy Chris Creamer, a lifelong Leafs fan who lives outside of Toronto and was given early access to the design. He had a very thorough assessment ready to go as soon as the design dropped, and I definitely recommend reading it. If you go to the 18:10 mark of this video, you can even see Chris dropping hints about the logo on a local TV news show yesterday morning, before the design was unveiled.

Also worthwhile: The Leafs put together this fairly comprehensive explainer on everything related to the new logo.

Meanwhile: The Maple Leafs’ farm team, the Toronto Marlies also got a new logo last night. It’s based on the new Leafs design and, if anything, is even better than what the parent club trotted out:

All in all: a good night for Toronto hockey aesthetics. Now we just need to see the Leafs’ new uniforms, but we’ll have to wait a bit — they’re not slated to be revealed until the NHL Draft in late June.

•  •  •  •  •

More MLB news: I had a few lingering questions about the new Flex Base uniforms, so I tossed a few questions at Majestic yesterday. Here’s the latest:

• Majestic has been saying that the Flex Base jerseys use a new lightweight twill (the fabric used for letters, numbers, and chest scripts) that’s significantly lighter than the old twill. But the Cardinals and Phillies don’t use twill for their chest scripts — they use beautiful chain-stitching. Are they switching to the new twill? I asked Majestic and was told that the Cards and Phils will be sticking with the chain-stitching. Phew.

• Ever since we’ve learned that the MLB logo will be appearing on the rear belt tunnel, I’ve been wondering what this would mean for the Tigers, since they use thin belt loops instead of thick belt tunnels (a style they’ve had dating back to the flannel era). So I asked Majestic if the Tigers would be switching to standard belt tunnels, or maybe to a custom treatment (they could have a wide tunnel in the back and maintain the loops for the rest of the waistband, for example). The answer: The Tigers’ pants will now have standard belt tunnels. Too bad — a sad example of completely unnecessary logo creep chipping away at a team’s visual identity.

• I figured the new non-embroidered MLB logo patches were Chromaflex (the same technology used for the Supe50 logo patches), but I wanted to double-check on that. Is it Chromaflex or some other technology? Answer: Yes, it’s Chromaflex.

Meanwhile, people continue to freak out about the diaper panel (or fart flap, or butt bib, or whatever we’re gonna call it) on the back of the pinstriped Flex Base authentics. To repeat: This panel will have zero effect on the game’s on-field look, because the players will tuck it in. It will only have an effect on people who can’t live without buying overpriced polyester shirts. Honestly, is it that hard to just keep wearing last year’s jersey? Jeez.

•  •  •  •  •

The Ticker
By Paul

Baseball News: Lots of new updates to the great Threads of Our Game site, which is basically Dressed to the Nines for the pre-1900 era. Check them out here. ”¦ Here’s a new one, at least for me: The Binghamton Mets will be wearing cardiac-awareness jerseys on May 28. ”¦ Here’s a rare shot of Pete Rose wearing No. 27 during spring training of 1963 (from Joseph Gerard). ”¦ New road cap apparently in the works for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. ”¦ New retro-style jersey for Arizona State. ”¦ Michael Clary checked in with a bunch of cool stuff. First, check out these shots of Rusty Staub and Joe Morgan wearing prototype Astros caps (and the previous year’s road jerseys) in spring training of 1965. That cap design was covered in a Todd Radom blog post about Houston’s 1965 headgear, but I don’t thin I’ve ever seen it in color before. Second, here’s another shot of Morgan, this one from spring training of 1968, showing him wearing navy stirrups over navy sannies. And last but not least, dig this spring shot of Eddie Matthews and other Milwaukee Braves wearing special sliding pants — and sliding in their stirrup-clad stocking feet! Great stuff, Michael — thank you!

NFL News: Check out this weird Patriots logo. Can’t recall having seen that before (from @HungD25). ”¦ Great story about the guy who owns the only known tape of Super Bowl I but isn’t allowed to sell it because the NFL bigwigs are essentially behaving like assholes. ”¦ Going to a Super Bowl party? Better have a flu shot. ”¦ Good article on the Supe50 grass. ”¦ “I was fortunate enough to go to three Super Bowls in my teens during the 1970s and ’80s,” says Steven Sernka. “I saved my ticket stubs and buttons and framed them. They hang in my office today. Probably hard to see, but I took a photo of John Stallworth’s touchdown catch at just the right moment.” ”¦ “Former Bears TE Dez Clark is promoting his new book on Twitter,” says Kyle Martinek. “One picture shows the book cover with the Bears’ logo on the helmets. The other does not. Not sure why.” ”¦ Yesterday’s edition of “Collector’s Corner” featured a vintage Panthers jacket by Apex. That inspired Dave Thompson to dig out his own Apex Panthers jacket, complete with the inaugural-season Clemson patch. ”¦ Speaking of the Panthers, here’s a good article on the guy who’s cleaned their uniforms throughout the team’s 21-year existence (thanks, Phil). ”¦ This was originally reported a while back, but here’s a friendly reminder: CBS Sports will be using the Super Bowl to introduce their new logo.

College and High School Football News: This is pretty awesome: The precise drop-by-drop color formulas to create team-colored cake frosting for a bunch of southern schools (big thanks to Teebz). ”¦ Oooh, check out this great shot from a 1940 Maryland/Penn game. “Penn wore white at home,” notes Matt Shevin. “Love the stripes framing Maryland’s numbers, and Penn’s matching sleeves/socks.” What he said. ”¦ If you like that Maryland jersey, you’ll want to see the team portrait from that season (thanks, Phil). ”¦ Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh apparently has a new sweatshirt. “Never seen that logo before,” says Robert Hayes. Me neither, but Matt Smale says it’s the “Signing of the Stars” logo. ”¦ Two-tone pants, candy-striped shoulder inserts, and a rocket ship logo on the helmet? Why, yes, don’t mind if I do. ”¦ UNC has its own logo for National Signing Day, which is today (from James Gilbert).

Hockey News: John Scott’s all-star odyssey has led to increased jersey sales for his minor league team, the St. John’s IceCaps. ”¦ Yesterday’s Ticker had a good article about the old press box at Cincinnati Gardens. Turns out Cincy Gardens was modeled after Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto (from Ted Anthony). ”¦ Serious flag-desecration design this weekend for the Fayetteville FireAntz. ”¦ Superhero jerseys upcoming for the Sudbury Wolves (thanks, Phil).

NBA News: And so it has come to this: A copyright-infringement lawsuit has been filed over the tattoos appearing in an NBA video game. ”¦ “Derrick Rose’s nephew, Dwayne Rose Jr., plays high school,” says our own Mike Chamernik. “On Tuesday night, an opposing team’s student section tried to psych him out by having everyone wear Bulls apparel or D-Rose jerseys. No photos, unfortunately.”

College and High School Hoops News: We’ve known since last fall that several Adidas-outfitted schools would be wearing throwbacks at some point this season. Turns out that they’re for Black History Month. Here are the ones for Nebraska and Louisville. ”¦ “Here’s a very cool blog about all things Indiana basketball,” says Derek Linn. “It has some great pictures of old Indiana gyms and the history behind them. Lots of photos of great basketball uniforms new and old, too.” ”¦ I put this in the college football section, but we may as well run it in college hoops as well: Here are the precise drop-by-drop color formulas to create team-colored cake frosting for a bunch of southern schools (big thanks to Teebz). ”¦ Syracuse debuted new sweatbacks last night, with an apostrophe catastrophe to boot. ”¦ Tennessee and Kentucky had a battle of the checkerboard shorts last night. ”¦ Not sure if this is new, but Alabama’s graduating seniors are wearing a mortarboard patch.

Soccer News: Ooh, these vintage soccer uniform catalogs look pretty awesome. I have the one on the left in my own collection (I wrote about it a few years ago), but I’d love to see the other two. ”¦ Here’s what it might look like if New Balance made soccer kits (from @EsWookieGrande). ”¦ New jerseys for the LA Galaxy. “The jersey ad has changed from ‘Herbalife’ on one line to ‘Herbalife Nutrition’ on two lines and in two different colors,” notes Chris Cruz. ”¦ Some West Ham United players have custom-painted shinguards (from Jason Collins). ”¦ Stoke City wore green socks, instead of the standard black, last night. ”¦ Black armbands yesterday for Manchester United, in remembrance of the 1958 Munich air disaster.

Grab Bag: A Brooklyn high school is offering a course on the history of Brooklyn sports, which includes field trips to the Barclays Center. ”¦ The North Carolina town of Apex is considering a new logo. ”¦ A Pennsylvania judge has banned pajamas from his courtroom (thanks, Brinke). ”¦ Here’s one observer’s picks for Captain America’s top three uniforms (which are actually costumes, not uniforms, but whatever). ”¦ If you think Nike’s “storytelling” and “rebranding” are a bit much, check out Wired‘s article about Uber’s “radical” new logo, which is an embarrassing corporate stroke job right from the headline on down. I’d love to skewer this nonsense, but my man Hamilton Nolan has already done that. Recommended reading. ”¦ Roller derby is technically illegal in Maine, because there’s a law prohibiting roller skaters from hitting each other. Two roller derby advocates testified in their derby uniforms yesterday while urging state legislators to change the law. ”¦ A New Jersey high school swimmer was disqualified from a meet for wearing an illegal cap. His school is appealing the ruling. ”¦ Good story on the history and cultural significance of buffalo plaid. ”¦ Oooh, check out these motorcycle helmets with cat ears.

 
  
 
Comments (127)

    “[T]he net result was the design wasn’t officially revealed until about 10:20pm Eastern – way too late for this type of thing.”

    Granted that this is our niche, but it’s not like the Leafs will be wearing their new logo tomorrow. It’s odd enough that these unveilings have become Events, but how much would it really matter if coverage got pushed back a day, or even a month?

    The Maryland/Penn photo is swell and calls out for colorization. How come only one of the two Terps merits the M on his helmet?

    That Pats cap logo is very strange. I can’t recall ever seeing it anywhere else, could it be either a bootleg? Or perhaps unlicensed? Maybe it was only available on merchandise?

    I actually had this hat in blue. IIRC it was a New Era fitted hat series of alternate, hat manufacturer-designed logos, with the official logo on the back of the cap.

    This was indeed from a series alternate caps the New Era did for all teams in 1993/94. I have a Giants one. There are numerous different team’s version on eBay.

    Leafs: I don’t think I knew the modern leaf was called the Ballard leaf by some! So I get why Toronto is excited. I’m a Habs fan so I don’t feel that way, but it’s a great look. I almost hope there are no sleeve patches, because this deserves to stand alone without distractions.
    Marlies: The crown is busy. So if you must have the crown (which is what it is, not advocating for a change there), I prefer a simple leaf. I understand the rationale for making them match, but it’s a slight downgrade in my book.

    The Pats logo is from a line of 5950 caps New Era had in the mid 90’s. They did them for the NFL & NBA

    Interesting. Thanks for the info. 8mm actually tempted to pick that up and add it to my Pats cap collection.

    Eje is correct. New Era reached out to the NBA and NFL Creative Services divisions to get their assistance creating “unofficial” secondary cap logos created to help drive cap sales. This was a result of the growing amount of rebrands in the early ’90’s in all Leagues.

    A few of the New Era cap designs were adopted as official team marks, the most prevalent version is the Denver Nuggets DN secondary.

    link

    Vikings version:
    link

    Steelers version:
    link

    There is the original Denver Nuggets DN unofficial (at the time) secondary logo on the old navy/burgundy and gold color scheme from early ’90’s.

    link

    The LA Clippers monogram that appeared at the apex of the collar of their previous uniform set was also produced by that initiative.

    “The answer: The Tigers’ pants will now have standard belt tunnels.”

    I’ve loved the olde English “D” and its uniform quirks for most of my 50+ years. I would/could tolerate a navy alt (1995), or a even script “TIGERS” uniform (1961). But to do away with the belt loops for the sake of the MLB logo speaks volumes. So sad. The uninitiated will say ‘they’re just pants.’ BS.

    They’re just pants.

    But if they switched from the olde English D, you’d be alright? Priorities, man.

    Why is it not possible to have one belt tunnel in the back and belt loops on the front and side, where they are more visible?

    “we’ve learned that the MLB logo will be appearing on the rear belt tunnel”

    Is there no place that that pesky little insect of a logo will not eventually go? With them being on caps, jersey collars, undershirt collars, and now pants, it might be possible to see four of those things — or, more likely, four little white splotches — every time you see a player from the back.

    When you think about it, this is a 70+ year old uniform element going away! And it’s going away to allow a logo to be placed by MLB.

    RIP ye olde belt loops:

    link

    Looks like the seller of that Patriots hat has a few other, similar kistings for other teams. I saw Steelers and Vikings caps for sale underneath that listing. White crown, team initials rather than a proper logo.

    link
    link
    link

    Great posts today all around. Uni-Watching gold edition.

    Congrats to UBER for creating the most pretentious, silly and useless branding scheme of the year so far. Owners aren’t artists and this is what happens when you design in the vacuum of one’s own ego.

    So you say “Honestly, is it that hard to just keep wearing last year’s jersey? Jeez.”

    I say, why not just buy the replica? Its half the price or less, still looks close enough to the jersey, plus you know……you’re not an actual baseball player so you don’t need exactly what they wear.
    I realize someone will mention the lack of patches or front numbers, which I guess I could see. But still $100 vs $226, yea I’ll go with the cheaper option :D.
    As you can probably guess I own all my phillies jerseys in replicas.

    Agreed totally. Between the Yankees, Patriots, Islanders, and one or two other random one-offs I’ve ended up with over he years I own about 50 jerseys and all but one of them are replica. The only “authentic” I own is a Lawyer Milloy Pats away jersey that I picked up for $60 ($200 off) after he was cut, and honestly I very rarely wear it because it’s so uncomfortable.

    The only sport where I wear jerseys is hockey – to me it’s more fashionable, it’s more part of the culture, and the buildings are cold so the garment works well. However, if you want the numbers “done right,” there are shops that will do it for you. Get a blank replica and bring it in. My two favorite teams happen to use the excellent “Stitches” in Queens.

    I’m sure it doesn’t apply for ALL teams, but I regularly see authentic, non-counterfeit baseball jerseys for sale on the secondary’s market for less than the cost of even a replica. I like buying overpriced polyester shirts, and I usually stick to authentics, because stuff like missing sleeve patches drives me nuts…but I’d never dream of paying full price for one. Part of the appeal for me is scoring a deal. Do a little hunting, it’s surprisingly easy.

    “Never Pay Retail.” When it comes to jerseys, that’s my Golden Rule. The hunt is part of the fun for me. Though that generally means that the jerseys I buy are at least one significant design change out of date. (Just bought a Padres tan road authentic for something like $35. Yay obsolete and unpopular jerseys!) Online clearance, eBay, and thrift stores can turn up authentic jerseys at sub-replica prices. But personally, I’m happy to go with replicas and then add the appropriate patches if I care about the patches, which I sometimes do, sometimes don’t. If I can score a $40 jersey, then the $12 retail price of a patch isn’t so bad.

    With the fart flaps, though, I would never buy an authentic jersey at any price. At least not to wear. If I were into framing jerseys and hanging them on the wall, sure, I’d favor an authentic, on-field jersey. But to wear like a shirt? I’ll stick with reproductions at clearance or thrift-store prices from now on.

    Replicas, especially these days, feel like they’re made of tissue paper. And the fake-twill graphics/numbering/lettering are just awful. I appreciate quality construction. I also agree with Rob Ullman, pro jerseys can be had for a bargain, especially older versions (which I much prefer anyway). Heck, team stores in baseball stadiums now sell game worn jerseys for less than what a customized replica goes for (if you don’t mind getting a lesser player).

    Wear last year’s jersey? Ha. I barely own anything more recent than 1995-year’s jersey!

    Man, you ain’t kiddin’. Part of the appeal to me is the satisfying pattern of the stitching, the tactile feel of the stacked twill numbers, the embroidery of the patches…that shiny, printed crap with the fake zigzag stitching just ain’t gonna cut it.

    RE: Fart Filter jerseys….

    “It will only have an effect on people who can’t live without buying overpriced polyester shirts.”

    Why can’t these people simply tuck their authentic jerseys in as well? Seems a simple solution to me. Oh wait. That’s not fashionable? Neither is wearing an overpriced polyester shirt in the first place.

    I tried tucking my shirt into my jeans. A braided leather belt appeared and I was instantly transported back in time to 1993.

    Well I’m glad the leaves went to an older design that works so well, although part of me was hoping for a modern flat look with the great Navy/White contrast they have. It could have been a significant logo.

    “…high school swimmer was disqualified from a meet for wearing an illegal cap.”

    Was it this cap? If so, I understand the DQ completely!!

    link

    It is, evidently, an actual event, which is being held right now (as of the time of this post) at Hill Auditorium, and being live-tweeted by our link.

    But link is probably the most bizarre image. Because DePaul Catholic’s team is the Spartans, and they have the same colors as Michigan State, editing a shot of him in his high school uni so that half of it is a Michigan uni just makes it WEIRD.

    link of the event, complete with video, though the actual program starts after 23:40 of the video (apparently, the uploader didn’t bother to trim the “pregame” segment of the livestream that was just logos and silence).

    What bothers me is that the judge who complained about pajamas had another notice posted in Comic Sans.

    And I’m sure you find it perfectly acceptable to wear a wedding dress to someone else’s wedding.

    The Leafs’ faithful seem to be celebrating the move, so good on them. I’m an outlier, I prefer the Lanny McDonald uniforms, with the royal blue. But I can see why fans are anxious to distance themselves from the Ballard years.

    Even if you ignore the fact that the Ballard years were a disgraceful shitshow on and off the ice, the uniforms of that era are pretty dated.

    Think about this – they’ve been a shitty team for (roughly) 50 years. More than half of that has been since Ballard died and in the current uniforms. its not like the current uniforms are draped in any sort of glory.

    It also occurs to me the Ballard leaf (vintage 1970) matches the one on the national flag (vintage 1967).

    The Leafs nailed it. It’s often so difficult to not overdue a redesign of a classic brand. Much of the success of the new Leafs logo is the “control” the designers displayed in playing it safe. Kudos.

    Yes, excellent work

    What is the exact Pantone color? I’ve always thought that the original blue shade (somewhat darker than royal) was supposed to be that of the University of Toronto.

    The diaper on the new MLB jerseys bums me out because I like to wear cheap game-worn jerseys. No more, I supposed. It’s a shame.

    The “95” in the Carolina Panthers inaugural season Clemson patch looks a lot like the 49ers alternate but seldom used “49” logo.

    It is a shame what the NFL is doing with the Super Bowl I tape. Makes no sense for a multi-billion dollar industry to keep a key part of their heritage locked away over pettiness and a few bucks that they would think nothing of wasting on some other endeavor, you would think the league and CBS would want to highlight the original game broadcast and how far things have come. I guess they get more satisfaction from using their legal might.

    In some ways, it’s more useful to think of the NFL as a corporate legal department that happens to have a sports league working for it, rather than the other way around. The NFL has perhaps the best in-house legal office of any corporation in the world, and thanks to the importance of IP among the league’s assets, the institutional culture sometimes conducts itself as potential litigants first, entertainers second.

    In some ways, it’s more useful to think of the NFL as a corporate legal department that happens to have a sports league working for it, rather than the other way around.

    This is one of the better sentences ever to be posted on this site.

    You realize that while the world thinks that the NBA stands for National Basketball Association… in the halls of NBA Headquarters in Olympic Tower, they refer to the NBA as NOTHING BUT ATTORNEYS…

    It has been said many times that of the four major North American sports leagues that the NFL cares – by far – the least about its history. This utter nonsense about the Super bowl I tape unquestionably proves the adage true.

    Yeah what with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell having the jumbo colossal coconut balls to declare that “fantasy sports” operations are “not gambling.”

    That corporate legal department is going to have it’s hands full as it continues to massage the mess that happens when you get into big time pro sports gambling.

    A couple things in regards to the new Leafs logo. I love the logo’s simplicity and bringing in the heritage leaf was really the only thing they could do to not cause a riot here on the streets of Toronto (unless they used the 67 Leaf which they use currently on the throwbacks).

    Anyone who prefers the Ballard Leaf need not worry since apparently they will be wearing 10 throwbacks next season including the 70’s / 80’s jersey’s with the Ballard Leaf and I wouldn’t be surprised if that one sticks as an alternate down the line.

    My biggest question is related to the centennial patch they will undoubtedly wear. Since it’s also the NHL’s centennial, I’m assuming the league will have all teams wear some sort of NHL 100 patch like they did at NHL 75 and that horrible NHL2k000 patch in the 99 / 2000 season. If this happens, would the Leafs get a waiver to wear the team centennial patch instead? Would they wear the team patch on the shoulder like they did with the Winter Classic Jersey and the league patch on the front of the jersey or vice versa?

    Additionally, there are a few teams with 50th anniversary seasons next year (Kings, Blues, Flyers, Penguins) what do they do in regards to this issue with patches?

    Any thoughts?
    Paul, any word from the NHL if teams will be wearing a league centennial patch?

    I’m curious as to what the Stars will do, as next season will mark the 50th anniversary of the franchise, but the following season will mark the 25th anniversary of their arrival in Dallas.

    “If this happens, would the Leafs get a waiver to wear the team centennial patch instead? Would they wear the team patch on the shoulder like they did with the Winter Classic Jersey and the league patch on the front of the jersey or vice versa”

    Why not both?

    (Or in this case, all three!)

    link

    Nerdy post of the day.

    While Captain America wears a “costume” in the real world, within the narrative world of comics/film he is usually a soldier or working for the government, making the state provided clothing given to him a uniform, at least in my mind. Spider-man or some other lone vigilante type is in a costume, but Cap has a uniform.

    How can it be a uniform if you’re the only one wearing it? Part of the point of a uniform is that there’s uniformity among those who wear it. But if only one person wears it, there’s no need for uniformity — or for calling it a uniform.

    Good point, but Steve Rogers is not the only man to ever don the mantle of Captain America. So others have worn the costume as well.

    Say there was only one Five Star General at any given time and that his or her uniform was unique in some way from the subordinates’ garb. Is the General’s clothing a uniform or a costume?

    Yeah, I know, it’s a reach. But by that logic, are we justified in calling modern garish uniforms “costumes” when entire teams are wearing them?

    Fair point. But we (or at least I) use “costumes” in that context as a form of mockery, not to be literally descriptive.

    Also, many of the uniforms that I refer to as “costumes” are clearly meant to look superhero-ish. So in that regard, “costume” has extra resonance and appropriateness.

    Throughout middle school and high school, my friends who were diehard Kiss fans use to rave about the “uniforms” the band members wore, and the way they were tweaked with each tour. I was roundly chuckled at for referring to them as “outfits”.

    I used to really like this site but now getting a little tired of the thinly veiled and not so thinly veiled shots at people who wear “overpriced jerseys”. Is this not fucking uni-watch? If I got $$ to burn, which I do, and want to buy a new Yankee jersey, so be it. I don’t put fucking grommets through my food like a fucking 2 year old but u don’t hear me or other people calling u out.

    If you know of any two-year-olds who are actually putting grommets in their food, please point me toward them. Thanks!

    Also: Lopez apparently has “$$ to burn” — party at his place! (I’ll bring the grommets.)

    Indeed. That would be one impressive toddler.

    And I love the fact that (s)he went to the trouble of using fairly decent punctuation but couldn’t be bothered to spell out the full word “you.”

    Personally, I don’t care if Paul wants to talk about grommets or report cards or any other topics, as it is his site. However, I do find it amusing that we are encouraged to deconstruct the tiniest of minutia related to uniforms, but we are then ridiculed for talking about something as basic as how it affects wearing a uniform. Which, for a lot of us, is how we show our love of uniforms. It’s just silly, in my opinion.

    The point of this website is what’s worn on the field, not in the stands, or in the shopping malls, or at the bars.

    Sorry, I don’t agree with that nuance. I have always thought the point of the site was the love of uniforms. And it seems silly that it is objectionable to wear some but not all of replicas, authentics, or cool 1960’s durene specials. Silly.

    Sorry, I don’t agree with that nuance. I have always thought the point of the site was the love of uniforms.

    You can think whatever you want, and you can disagree with whatever you like, but the fact of the matter is that this site is about what the players wear, not what fans buy or wear.

    I’m sorry — really and truly, not sarcastically — that Uni Watch isn’t what you think it is. The site is (and has always been, and will always be) driven by what makes sense to me. And what makes sense to me is talking about what the players wear, not what people buy. Sorry.

    From Paul’s FAQ page:

    “I’m only interested in what the players are wearing. I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the retail and merchandising sides of the uni world, and I really don’t care what fans buy or wear.”

    A priority that has never been played out in the description of fan attire at uni-watch parties, sales of stirrups, eBay listings, etc., etc., etc.

    A priority that has never been played out in the description of fan attire at uni-watch parties, sales of stirrups, eBay listings, etc., etc., etc.

    Uni Watch parties are special occasions. As for “Collector’s Corner” and the like, most of what’s featured there is not apparel, and it’s all one-of-kind vintage stuff, not mass-produced jerseys.

    Again: I’m sorry — really and truly — that Uni Watch isn’t what you think it is, or what you want it to be. But the reality remains: This site is not concerned with what fans purchase. Moreover, this site wishes jerseys and caps had never been made available for sale in the first place, because the advent of such sales has led to a parade of bad designs, unnecessary designs, BFBS designs, and lots of other trends that are bad for the uni-verse.

    we are encouraged to deconstruct the tiniest of minutia related to uniforms, but we are then ridiculed for talking about something as basic as how it affects wearing a uniform.

    I don’t follow your argument here.

    What I encourage is to deconstruct the tiniest minutiae of uniforms *as worn by athletes.* If you’re concerned with “something as basic as how it affects wearing a uniform” BY AN ATHLETE, then by all means — please share. But Uni Watch has never been about what fans wear and buy. Never.

    That’s why the relevant thing about the mesh shirttail panel (at least in terms of its relevance to this website) is that it won’t affect the on-field look of the game.

    It may affect people who buy stuff. And that may be a big storyline on certain websites. But not on this one.

    If yo uthink that’s “silly,” well, that’s certainly your prerogative. But I don’t see what’s so silly about setting out a set of parameters and sticking to them.

    Yeah, I think it’s supposed to mean “what if NB made MLS’s kits”

    I like what they’ve done so far since moving away from the warrior brand.

    The best thing I read on the internet last night (I think it was on Chris Creamer’s site) regarding forcing a storyline on every part of the Leafs new logo:

    “The 49 point font of the words in the new logo represent the 49 years since a finals appearance.”

    Nobody is mentioning the butt on the bottom of the Leafs logo?

    That was one of the biggest topics in Toronto last night.

    I didn’t see it as a butt, but now that you mention it… before I scrolled down to this comment, I decided that element was the one thing I didn’t like about the new design. Otherwise I think it’s great and I hope the uniforms return to the stripe-o-ramas of the 60’s – jerseys AND socks!!!

    -Jet

    The new logo is a permanent change (well, at least until the next time they change it, but it’s definitely not a one-year thing).

    Haven’t heard about the new uniforms. But if the logo is staying, I’d assume the uniforms are as well.

    wasn’t there a link in the Ticker recently saying the Leafs maybe hinted at their new logo on the screen after a game recently. Can anyone find the link for me?

    yea, I know it wasn’t anything crazy but I didn’t think it was bad looking. I guess I was just hoping they would go towards modernizing the logo a little, make it look streamlined or something. There is just nothing clever about the new design. It is just another rehash with less detail

    “team-colored cake frosting”

    Why is Vanderbilt’s turd colored? Is it because their football program resembles one, or that their academics drop a deuce on the rest of the SEC?

    I have to say I’m a bit underwhelmed by the Maple Leafs’ new logo. I think they should’ve done something a little more than just simply modernizing the pre-1967 logo a bit. I think I would’ve preferred them using the shape of the Ballard leaf as a starting point; it would’ve resulted in a more robust-looking leaf that, to me, would still feel retro but also still feel new. Instead, the new logo suggests they completely ignored the logos of the past 49 years completely when they designed the new one.

    That’s the whole point. The Ballard Leaf symbolizes 49 years of futility. At least when they wore a crest similar to the new logo, they were a legitimate power n

    Absolutely loved the link to the blog showing pics of Indiana gymnasiums. I just spent over an hour clicking through that website. I grew up in east central Indiana and played high school basketball for a school called Hagerstown. I tallied up over 30 gymnasiums on that website that I played in at some time in my life including the Hoosier Gym in Knightstown. Ironically neither gym in Hagerstown was listed (hopefully soon) however there was a post about Lincoln HS in Cambridge City in which they played Hagerstown’s girls team. In the background of a few pictures is my mom keeping the official score book for the Hagerstown team! Hilarious!
    Another neat one is the Economy gym which actually does just look like a white barn from the outside but on the inside the goal at one end is just nailed to the end wall allowing us as kids to run up the wall and slam dunk! Great memories. Thanks again!

    Wow that uber logo is terrible. It looks like someone left their charger in the wall plug. I feel as if it was originally oriented upright as a U then someone accidentally rotated it and was too prideful to admit it. Good links today!(not just the uber one)

    Paul,

    I believe when they speak about a lighter twill for the jersey, they are not referring to the numbers, they are talking about the twill weave on the jersey itself. Tackle-twill for numbers is the process of taking twill material with a shiny, durable coating, and sewing it onto another piece of material.

    Tackle twill is not the process; it is the number/letter fabric itself.

    I see your point…this fabric is specially made for athletic lettering and almost always sewn on…I found this excellent description:

    “The number one choice of Appliqué Fabric for Athletic Uniforms worldwide is Tackle Twill. Tackle Twill is a 100% polyester fabric woven into a very strong, very durable twill pattern. The polyester twill has a high gloss coating applied to the surface which adds satin sheen to it.”

    That being said, I am now even more sure of my original point. The article you linked to yesterday stated “The most significant improvement is that Majestic are using twill technology in the process of weaving their fabric. By doing this, the uniforms are 10 to 20 percent lighter.” Sounds like the jersey material itself will be some kind of twill…doesn’t sound like they are making the tackle twill numbers differently. Just my take on this.

    Twill is a weaving pattern, not a fabric. It can be woven from cotton, wool, polyester, etc. Woven fabrics are meant to be semi rigid with little stretch. Your jeans or chinos are a twill weave. Your dress shirts are also woven, but not necessarily in a twill pattern. Some woven fabrics are made from a blend that incorporates different fibers for different purposes, like elastane for stretch, etc.

    The uniform fabric is a knit. Knits can be cotton, like a t shirt, or in the case of the uniforms, polyester, or some other synthetic, or maybe even a blend. Knits are meant to stretch, which is why we make close fitting garments this way (socks, underwear, base layers, etc.)

    Guess I’m super late re: the mysterious Patriots hat but yes I remember these hats from the 90’s. The LA Raider one had the Raider font “R” on a shield with 2 crossed swords behind. I actually loved that logo. Could not find a pic.

    Honest technical question here: Uni Watch is consistently one of the slowest and glitchiest websites I routinely visit. I check it on various computers, and it often locks up my browser or requires me to stop scripts and recover the webpage.

    I realize there is a good chance this is the fault of no one, and could have to do with the unusually high amount of links and cookies on the site compared to a normal blog. However, I was wondering if this is a problem other people deal with, and if there is a more concrete explanation why?

    Realistically, I think our architecture is old, our database is massive (nearly 10 years’ worth of content), our template is outdated, etc.

    Creaky old machine.

    Sort of what I figured–the structure of the site is a bit of a victim to its own success. Thanks for putting out all the great content!

    Interesting story on the grass… I don’t think it was replaced for Super Bowl XXVIII. It was painted green! I have some – while I was kneeling down at the 50 yard line waiting to pull the NASA meatball off the moon during the Pregame Show, I pocketed a tiny bit. It was clear it was painted – and it is STILL green today!

    Leafs logo: Ironically, vintage-look is really trendy these days. Therefore, it fits the city to a tee

    New Balance MLS kits – Only one I think is a real step backwards is the Philly Union kit. I was under the impression that the big gold bar down the middle was supposed to replicate the look of a Revolutionary era jacket and vest, so I always rated that feature.

    Icing colours for US colleges: Perhaps someone could do up the NFL teams and send the Eagles’ green recipe to Nike before next year.

    SB

    Perhaps someone could do up the NFL teams and send the Eagles’ green recipe to Nike before next year.

    Put this one in the “Wish I’d written that” file.

    As a Celtic fan, I can tell you that New Balance does in fact make soccer kits. That should probably say “MLS kits.”

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