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Back in April we ran a Ticker item about Dodgers first baseman Adrian González appearing to have a horizontal seam sewn into his jersey placket, a bit below the chest script (above left). Now his teammate Enrique Hernández is sporting the same little seam (above right).
At first glance, this looks very similar to some college baseball jerseys we’ve recently seen. Those jerseys look like button-fronts but they’re actually henley pullovers — the top two buttons are functional, but then there’s a horizontal seam (just like the ones worn by González and Hernández), and then the buttons beneath the seam are ornamental, not functional. The buttons are sewn into place, but there are no buttonholes (similar to the buttons found on the sleeve cuffs of most suit jackets and blazers). It’s a way of preserving the look of a button-front while having the functional simplicity of a pullover.
But Dodgers equipment manager Mitch Poole says that’s not the situation with González and Hernández. First, some quick background: González doesn’t like to deal with buttons, so in previous years Poole had arranged to have his jersey sewn completely shut. The stitching, which is hard to see, ran along the placket flap edge (“except for the top two buttons, because otherwise your head wouldn’t fit through when you’re putting it on,” Poole told me). The buttons were real and functional, at least technically speaking, with real buttonholes, but they were rendered moot because the placket was sewn shut.
This modification is mentioned on the auction listing page for this 2015 game-used Hernández jersey, which states: “Jersey has the custom sewing down the front, as Adrian did this to create a pullover type jersey for him to use.”
This year, however, Majestic is handling the jersey modifications, not Poole, and they’ve chosen to do it by adding that little horizontal bar-tack seam, instead of adding stitching down the length of the placket. Again, this is a standard-issue jersey with fully functional buttons, but the added seam effectively turns it into a pullover.
As for Hernández, Poole says he basically liked what González was doing and decided to copy it (just as he recently copied González’s NOB accent).
As you know, I don’t care about retail jerseys, but lots of you folks do. So here’s a question: If you bought a González or Hernández jersey, would you expect it to have the little modification sewn in? If the modification wasn’t included, would you expect the shop to provide it for you? If they refused, would you do it yourself? If the modification isn’t included, does that make the jersey less “authentic”?
It’s worth noting, incidentally, that MLBers routinely have personalized specs for their jerseys, most of which are spelled out during fitting sessions in spring training. Some want a slightly longer shirttail, for example; others want a slightly shorter sleeve; and so on. Most of us will never know about any of this stuff, and none of it is ever reflected in the retail jerseys, so the whole notion of an “authentic” retail jersey has always been a bit of a stretch. (Of course, it’s already a given that the retail jersey a fan buys probably won’t be the same size as the one the player wears, plus the player wears it tucked in and the fan wears it untucked, etc., etc. But I digress.)
Your thoughts?
(My thanks to Tim Golden for spotting that Enrique Hernández has added the jersey seam.)
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Collector’s Corner
By Brinke Guthrie
Here’s a mid-1970s Philadelphia Eagles T-shirt transfer done by the artist known as “Roach.” Definitely seen other examples of his work, and I know this same illustration was also made into a poster with “Eagles” printed over the top. If you can find any more examples of his NFL art, please leave the URL in the comments. I wore out Google and Bing out looking for examples and couldn’t find a one.
Now for the rest of this week’s stuff:
• Here we have my first pair of name brand sneakers: the Adidas ABA “Americana” shoe from 1972. Worked hard to keep ’em clean, but that mesh upper was a problem.
• This 1960s baseball-themed waste can is adorned with pennants of the day, but no team artwork.
• Before the Superdome went up, you need this 1970s Saints pancho to keep dry at the game.
• Did someone say, “dome?” Get the Superdome decanter here. Remember that cool LS logo!
• Here’s a 1970s Lakers pin from the Fabulous Forum. That’s not Jerry West, is it?
• Charles Schulz did the artwork for this 1970s California Golden Seals pennant. Their mascot took on his nickname, “Sparky.” [Footnote: Back in the late ’90s, when Schultz was still alive, my then-girlfriend worked for United Media, which syndicated ‘Peanuts.’ She said everyone in the office referred to Schultz as Sparky. ”” PL]
Some quaint artwork on this Texas Rangers scorecard from August 18, 1973.
• This 1977 “NFL Challenge” 31-page booklet from the Ford Motor Company will teach you all about special teams, the nickel defense, and something called “Mombo.” (See item description.)
• Minnie Mouse is featured on this 1968 L.A. Rams poster.
• Ah, here’s one of those early-1970s (Cowboys) zip-front sweaters from the Sears NFL Shop, with that huge pull ring.
• Never seen this before: a 1970 Open House & Dedication program for the late, great Riverfront Stadium.
• Finally, there is no chance in the world that this painting can be Bart Starr.
Tucker update: Thanks for all the kind thoughts last week regarding Uni Watch boy mascot Tucker, who’s been dealing with a nasty bout of pancreatitis. Several of you have asked how he’s doing, and I’m sorry to report that he’s had a setback: We had hoped that the condition was temporary and could be treated with fairly simple medicine, but it appears to be chronic, so now Tucker has started taking a more serious drug. Fingers crossed that this one works.
On the plus side, Uni Watch girl mascot Caitlin, who had been hissing at Tucker for more than a week because he smelled like the vet’s office, has finally re-accepted him, and the two of them have resumed grooming each other and generally being buddies. So now we’re a family again, even if one of us is still sick and another of us is very nervous and scared about the sick one. Hoping for the best, because what else is there to do, right?
The Ticker
By Mike Chamernik
Baseball News: The Cubs are wearing track suits for their trip to Philadelphia this week. The suits look like the Cubs alternate blue jerseys, and they even have nickNOBs! Some of the nicknames are kind of weak (Rizz, Addy, and Stropy for Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, and Pedro Strop), but I did enjoy “Reaper” for reliever Justin Grimm. … The Jim Harbaugh Jersey Tour rolls on as the Michigan football coach wore a Cal Ripken jersey to a camp in Baltimore (from Phil and Brinke). … Next up for Harbaugh: a Derek Jeter jersey. … Auburn softball coaches wore camo hats in the College World Series final (from reader B Johnson). … White Sox coach Minnie Miñoso dressed as a matador at “Salute to Mexico Day” in 1976. The players also wore sombreros for the occasion (from BSmile). … The Durham Bulls will wear “Durm” jerseys with 2-in-1 socks on Thursday (from Matt Campbell). … Thanks to the new Braves stadium, Cobb County will have to raise taxes to fund new public parks. … The Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez wore an Adidas compression sleeve and a Nike undershirt and batting gloves with his Majestic ‘Stros jersey. Just a lot of logos going on there (from Patrick Evans). … The Ottawa Champions, a Canadian pro baseball team, wear tequila sunrise jerseys (from Chris Blackstone).
Football News: Iowa State unveiled new white helmets (from many readers). … The Broncos visited the White House yesterday and gave President Obama a No. 44 Broncos jersey. … Washington’s Will Compton taped up his facemask, Sean Taylor-style, for OTAs (from Zach Spencer). … Good collection here of odd NFL facemasks. Scott Mason reminds us of one we saw a few months back: Bears QB Mike Phipps wore a fullback facemask in 1979. … Joe Montana signed an interesting 49ers helmet, with the red and gold reversed (from Jordan Bianucci). … The Oates brothers, Bart and Brad, went FNOB for the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars (from Stephen Volkman). … Former lineman LeCharles Bentley is suing the TV show “The Biggest Loser” over its logo.
Hockey News: The Sharks gave away sharks-vs.-penguins, as in the animals, towels and T-shirts last night (from Phil). … Mmmmm Sharks cookies, but it’s a little lame that they went with printed logos instead of hand-iced cookies. @redbuppy surmises that those were for media members at last night’s game. … A jersey from the original Mighty Ducks film is up for auction. It was worn on the set by Vincent Larusso, who played Adam Banks (from Chris Bisbee).
NBA News: Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson says that Shaq showed up to some practices in the nude with only his shoes on. … Nathan Shields reports that the NBA Store in New York is selling an outdated John Wall jersey. The Wizards switched to a solid back without a stripe before the 2014 season.
Soccer News: New away kit for Real Madrid (from an unnamed reader). … New ball for the Premier League. I’m not a soccer guy, so it seems weird to me that soccer leagues and tournaments change the patterns and colors of their balls so often (from Ted Arnold). … Barcelona’s deal with Qatar Airways has ended so the club is now weighing offers from a dozen potential advertisers. As the article says, Barcelona didn’t have jersey advertiser until 2006 (from Tim Cross).
Grab Bag: Eastern Air Lines, a major airline up until its dissolution in 1991, has returned as a startup charter airline service, complete with the old logo and livery. Eastern brought Muhammad Ali’s casket to Louisville this week (from Edward Hahn). … Speaking of Ali, Joseph Anderson points out the key passage in this article: ” “The services for Ali in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, will include a procession and private burial and, later in the day, a public memorial at the KFC Yum! Center.” As Joseph notes: “It almost look as if KFC is an official sponsor of the Muhammad Ali public memorial. Just looks so tacky for a memorial service.” … Vote here for the NASCAR Sprint Cup paint scheme of the week (from Joseph Dawkins). … Virginia Tech is letting people vote on the new Hokies license plate design (from Andrew Cosentino). … The South African rugby team is selling jersey advertisements on a series-by-series basis (from @Stumpy7780). … In pro lacrosse, the Ohio Machine rookie Reagan Harding went NNOB this past weekend. As Kevin Mueller explains, MLL rookies join the team mid-season after the college season ends, so uniforms might not always be ready. … After the MLL’s Long Island Lizards changed to their current name in 2012, Ferdinand Cesarano reports that the Yankees required them to not use their new logo without the roundel, since it looks similar, presumably, to the Yanks’ NY logo (Ferdinand called the team for this info). The team wore L logos on their lids instead. The Lizards have recently switched away from that, wearing the NYL logos on the helmets. Add to all that, a Queens baseball academy has borrowed the Lizards logo and added an old Phillies “P” to it. … There a “Vote for the best rowing suit” contest taking place on this Twitter account (from Matt K). … Nike is suing track and field star Boris Berian because he signed a deal with New Balance, a typical example of how the company plays hardball with athletes.
Looking at those great Cubs track suits: how long before they sell them to fans? The Cubs need to make an all-royal-blue alternate road uniform that uses those blue track pants with the numbers on them as game pants.
How spiffy their blue-over-white road uniforms of the 1980s would have looked with matching blue knickers. I’m not a fan of the current blue jerseys; the devil is in the details.
Agreed that some team, perhaps the Cubs, needs to go dark monochrome. The problem, unfortunately, is they’d probably end up wearing the uniforms like this, with oversized jerseys and pajama bottoms…which would look beyond horrid.
But tailor those tops and pants, and pair them with some socks/ruppage…and you’re looking at a might-tee fine road uni.
These blue pants would look perfect with the blue jerseys (thought I would move the number to the other leg, because the bear logo is already on the player’s left side), and I would like to even see them try the gimmick of wearing them with white jerseys.
The previous incarnation of the team, in the pre-professional (1870) and National Association (1871-75) eras, had the now-unthinkable combination of link. The White Sox borrowed this look for a while but it rightfully belongs to the Cubs.
Just make sure the pants are high-cuffed and that the socks are mostly white with some blue and red striping. Would be perfect!
I’m actually surprised there are not more people who adjust their jerseys. Sadly, being an equipment manager may soon just be an *insert sportswear name here* spokesperson. Good story!
“It almost look as if KFC is an official sponsor of the Muhammad Ali public memorial. Just looks so tacky for a memorial service.”
It may seem like that to a lot of people outside of Louisville, but here, I don’t think a lot of people really associate the venue with the brand. It’s pretty exclusively referred to as just the “Yum Center” among us locals (Although I’ve always wished “The Bucket” would have taken off as a nickname), and I would venture a guess that hearing those words conjure up more thoughts of UofL Basketball rather than fried chicken among most people.
Different footballs each year just make for more buying. It is the same as how teams used to have longer jersey cycles and now show a new one each year.
Unlike uniforms, leagues don’t care about having certain continuity in the way the ball looks.
I am one of those idiots with a closet (partly) full of jerseys/sweaters. I have 5 MLB, 2 MiLB, and 1 IBL representing baseball, and 5 NHL sweaters.
I try to stick to as authentic as possible, and so yes I would expect the seam to be there.
Having said that, my brother is a StL Cardinals fan (Me? Giants.), and yesterday I went looking for an authentic jersey with the beautiful chain stitched Cardinals logo on the front, and nothing. It’s just not available (as far as I can tell) even on “authentic”, “just like they wear on the field” jerseys. So…I didn’t buy one.
When you say you “would expect the seam to be there,” do you mean:
a) You expect the retail jerseys to include the seam already sewn in
b) You don’t expect the seam to already be there but expect the shop to be able to add it if you purchase the jersey
c) You expect the purchaser to get the seam added if he/she is going to wear the jersey
Short and simple, if it’s “like worn on the field” or “authentic”, I would hope for a, and (after my Cardinals experience) expect to get c.
And does it bother you that the size you’re buying is probably not the same size that the player wears? Does that make it less “authentic”?
and I wouldn’t “expect” anyone else to add it, unless they were as utterly nitpicky as me. I would never ever criticize someone who didn’t do it.
The only way I would expect a jersey to be truly authentic to the on-field product is if it were an actual game-worn jersey, and thus actually be that on-field product. But then again, I don’t have any interest in owning any game-worn jerseys. That’s just me, though.
The only other quarterbacks I can remember seeing in full facemasks besides Phipps were Don Meredith and Marty Domres.
Joe Montana signed an interesting 49ers helmet, with the red and gold reversed (from Jordan Bianucci).
Looks great! Then again, that color scheme makes anything look great. Like a Brunckhorst’s Provisions truck.
Well that solves yesterday’s mystery of why Arrieta’s hat had the MiLB logo on the back of it. It’s a South Bend Cubs hat.
The YUM Center thing makes me appreciative of Cincinnati’s major stadium names. Paul Brown and Great American. Great American is a corporate sponsor but it doesn’t sound like it. It was also the company of the Reds’ owner at the time the Stadium was built so it doesn’t feel as gross.
On a completely unrelated note, NASA/JPL has released these “travel posters”. I thought the Uni-Watch crowd might find them interesting. link
Great American is a corporate
sponsoradvertiser but it doesn’t sound like it.Fixed that for ya.
Well…Cincinnati has to do something right!
(Sorry couldn’t help it)
Re: the new Iowa State helmet. As an alumnus, it is okay, at least it isn’t black (or blue, like the basketball uniforms a while back). I am ready for a different logo, since “I State” is so generic. Is it Iowa, Illinois, Indiana or Idaho? If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t be able to tell. Cyclones is a unique nickname, get something based on that as the logo, either one of the previous ones or a new one.
I wonder what the Cyclone faithful would do if ISU added a black uniform, since that is the U of Iowa’s primary color.
Also, I agree with you about the current I-State logo, too generic. I’ve always thought the logo featuring Cy leaning on an I is one of their best logos and should go back to it.
I can understand not going with hand-iced logos on those Sharks cookies if they were made in bulk – and judging by the number of cookies shown in that picture, I would consider that a “bulk” amount.
On a note relating to the Stanley Cup Finals, if the rumors are true and the Penguins are going back to Pittsburgh gold (yellow) full-time next season, last night could’ve been the last time we’ll see the old “Vegas gold” Edge jerseys. Of course, if the Sharks force a game 6, that would mean Sunday would potentially be the last time we’d see those jerseys.
Now, I liked the original Vegas gold jerseys. The shiny metallic gold stripes were sharp. The Edge jerseys ruined that look by using amorphous blobs of colors instead of actual stripes, which resulted in the need to use flat, matte “gold” jersey mesh for those blobs. Ultimately, though, the Pittsburgh cheddar just pops more than either versions of the Vegas gold jerseys did.
I totally agree on all of this! Original Vegas golds looked good, but the black and yellow, especially if they keep the same design, looks fantastic.
Just an FYI: softball is a best-of-three series, not just one game. Chances are we’ll see the camo hats again.
From the Cardinals facebook page…a Nebraska softball team featuring Josh Gibson, and his younger brother (as bat boy), Cardinals Hall Of Famer Bob Gibson (I never made the connection that those two were related). Of uni-note, the “MGR.” on (presumably) the manager’s uni where all the others are plain is really interesting.
link
I don’t think Bob Gibson’s older brother was THAT Josh Gibson
link
He wasn’t. HOF-er Josh was born in Georgia in 1911. Bob’s family is from Omaha and if his brother was 15 years older would have been born ca. 1920.
Paul: I lived in Santa Rosa, CA for most of the first 25 years of my life, and I can confirm most people called Mr. Schulz “Sparky.” It was his childhood nickname referring to (if memory serves) Sparkplug, the horse in the Barney Google comic strip. (I never could. I always called him Mr. Schulz.)
Anyone who reads Peanuts can surmise that Mr. Schulz loved hockey. Besides being a Seals season ticket holder (yes, the late Oakland/California/California Golden Seals actually had season ticket holders) he built his own ice rink in Santa Rosa, which is still open, and is located on the same lot as his studio and the Schulz Museum (which I recommend if one is ever in the area and needs a break from visiting wineries and breweries). He used to have his lunch in the ice rink’s coffee shop and kids would come up and ask for drawings of Snoopy, etc. (I never did. I thought it was rude to pester someone while eating.) In fact, I think the last time I spoke to him, about a year before his death, was at a family event (he was a neighbor of my now-former brother-in-law’s family) we were talking with my son, who was just starting to play hockey where I currently live.
The first time I met him I was probably 6 or 7 and I was in the car with my Dad. Mr. Schulz was jaywalking and my Dad had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting Mr. Schulz. My Dad rolled down the window and yelled “HEY SPARKY! WATCH THE HELL YOU’RE GOING! I ALMOST HIT YOU!” He came over and talked to my Dad for a couple of minutes, and I was introduced to “the man who draws Peanuts.”
Another time the local TV station was covering the opening of a new golf course, and Mr. Schulz was interviewed, and was identified as “Charles Schulz, Local Golfer.”
You ex-GF was certainly well within bounds to call him “Sparky.”
Sorry about your cat. Again I hope he gets better soon.
Yeah the Schulz Museum is great. Hot Chocolate by the fireplace in the Warm Puppy Cafe during Christmas time is a tradition for us.
link
Can we also talk about just how many people, media outlets, sports teams, etc. misuse “EST”?
It drives me bonkers, sort of like apostrophe catastrophe. That Lizards promo is for last Friday’s game, and it says EST. Eastern Standard Time ended in March, and won’t start against until November. Why is this a difficult concept to grasp?
Especially because differentiating between EST and EDT is completely unnecessary, save for about two places in the country that don’t observe Daylight Saving Time. It’s something people to do make themselves look smarter, but only end up looking dumb when they misuse it.
I could not agree with you more. Although I usually use both EST or EDT at appropriate times of the the year, I agree that simply ET should be sufficient in most cases.
You’re right that it doesn’t matter for presenting time of a Lacrosse game.
But it does matter when working with computer logs or shift workers who are confused why they need to work an extra hour in their overnight shift.
2AM Sunday November 6th EDT
vs
2AM Sunday November 6th EST
Those two times are 1 hour apart.
People for some reason write “JST” for “Japan Standard Time” despite the fact that (despite desperately needing it, or at least creating a western time zone) Japan does not have any form of daylight saving time. I myself always write “JT” for this.
I concur as well. Especially these days, since currently all parts of the Eastern Time Zone in the U.S. and Canada observe DST, using EST or EDT is superfluous except for around the actual changeover dates in March and November.
Whoops, that was supposed to be in reply to MotorCityJeff’s post.
Never heard of players having their plackets sewn shut. At first I was like…really? Now I’m thinking of how great it would be to do it on all of my work shirts…
So when Obama leaves office, what do you think he’s going to do with the huge collection of personalized jerseys he’s acquired since 2009?
The same thing Bush did:
link
Thanks, Paul. I have been wondering about that for years.
I thought this was interesting:
““The rule is, it’s called multi-tiered, so there’s foreign and domestic gifts,” Polley said. “For domestic gifts, anything over a certain amount — which at the time was around $300 — if (President Bush) chose to keep it and it was over that amount, he would have to claim it on his taxes. If it was under that amount, like a (baseball) cap, he could keep it without paying on his taxes. I can tell you, (the Bushes) didn’t keep a lot of stuff.”
That is a fascinating read.
I would think “authentic” would refer to the quality of the fabrics, stitching, tagging, etc when it comes to jerseys. I wouldn’t expect specific player customizing on the jerseys of said player, only because of the bulk of the jerseys they’re dealing with, and that even the mfr’s of such jerseys don’t know the modifications made at the player level, or that info never makes it from the person caring for the player jerseys to the manufacturer. Likewise, I would guess most folks don’t know the specific customizing a player has on the jersey, and it would result in a “why the hell is the front sewed together” reaction, and probably would involve returning your $250 shirt to the retailer. And then a “what the hell, they’re all like that, someone royally screwed theses jerseys up.”
The Auburn softball coaches have been wearing the camo hats off and on for weeks now, ever since the baseball team broke the hats out the final week of April for Military Appreciation. The coaches have worn the other two or three hats out here in OKC this week, with last night being the first time they wore the camo hats in the WCWS.
In other word: Every day is Military Appreciation Day.
Sigh.
I collect game worn hockey jerseys and part of numerous groups. Hockey players are really particular about their jerseys , some have their scoop tail hems sewn straight, nhl shield tips cut off because it pokes their necks, extra fight straps sewn in etc. There are some people who will only get a retail jersey done in that player’s size especially goalies who require a goalie cut jersey other people don’t care because they will be wearing them and certain players with all their equipment wear sizes too big to be worn without equipment. Most of the individual modifications are not being done to retail jersey though because it would get ridiculous to follow all of them One case in particular though when the NY Rangers misplaced a stanley cup patch on their shoulder then reapplied it and had to put a coverup blue fabric for the excess glue. Many of the collectors who had retail jerseys did this. But again, team wide not individual.
At least in England, they use two different style of football during the season, changing to a brighter styled ball during the fall/winter. “When the ball turns yellow” used to be a phrase to describe the time, but i dont recall if the ball is still actually yellow or some swirl of colour.
Having nothing to do with todays page. The Uni Watch Fan Page has just gone past 700 members. Just wanted to pass that along, as we’re excited about it.
I always look forward to Brinke’s Collector’s Corner. That painting, supposedly of Bart Starr, is the absolute worst item I have ever seen offered for sale.
Thank you for the nice words. Yes, that Bart Starr I found late on Monday past our usual deadline, and I sent it to PL and said ‘this HAS to go in.’ The artist wasn’t even close!
Don’t get the need to modify the jersey by sewing it shut. Just don’t unbutton the lower buttons to make it a pull-over. I’m no fan that MLB doesn’t enforce a dress code like the NFL. Now the NBA is going this way with the long tights, both for legs and top. There’s nothing “uniform” about baseball uniforms.
Typo – “Wasington’s Will Compton” should be “Washington’s Will Compton.”
Thanks. Fixed.
I guess the Broncos unretired 44 for Obama.
All my love to the Kitties!
Love the links in re: facemasks. I’m surprised that’s called a “fullback facemask”. I never associated it with just one position.
I do wonder why we rarely see nose bars anymore.
link
As far as I can tell, the authentic Earl Weaver replica jersey does not have a pocket for cigarettes.
I saw in yesterday’s post what looks to be a bottle of Yuengling Lager in one of the steak photos. Is that a regular beer for you?
I live in Hazleton, PA which is just 25 miles north of Pittsville, Yuengling’s home.
I was just wondering what you pay for it in NY as it’s fairly affordable here. I’d be happy to meet you in between here and NY if you’d like; save you some $ on a bulk order.
I’ve been a big Yuengling fan for about 25 years. I’ve toured the brewery twice!
Thanks for the offer, but I can get a six-pack of bottles at the gas station on the corner for a little over $9 after tax+deposit — not bad at all.
You’re welcome, Paul; any time. It goes for about $23-plus for a case around here. The Black and Tan is my favorite.
Just noticed I misspelled POttsville, lol. I’m sure certain Pottsvillians have said much worse about my city.
Apologies nonetheless.
While a majority of the jerseys I own are replica (generally I find them much more comfortable to wear and feel no need to pay hundreds of dollars more for something “authentic.” Not judging, just my opinion) however I have an authentic Yankees BP jersey from 2003 and an authentic Lawyer Milloy Patriots jersey that I picked up on sale over the years. I would never expect them to have any player-specific alterations done to them. That’s crazy in my opinion. As far as I’m concerned, buying an authentic jersey should mean recieving one that’s the same jersey as the the team issues (which retail versions never are, but I digress) prior to any personalization or etc.
It can be cheaper to buy a game worn jersey of a lesser ballplayer than it is to buy an authentic retail. George Brett is my all time favorite player. Will I ever own a game used jersey from 1985 of his? Not likely. Cost would be prohibitive and I couldn’t convince my wife of it. But, I do own a Willie Wilson game worn jersey from 1985. Cost was a fraction of a 1985 Brett jersey and it tells a story much better than an authentic replica of the best third baseman ever.
Game-used has little interest to me. Nothing wrong with it, and I don’t judge anyone who buys it, but just not for me.
I haven’t read the NFL Challenge booklet, but I’ll bet that that thing called “Mombo” was actually no. 5.
That’s interesting about Eastern Airlines. I saw the footage of the Eastern Air Lines carrying Ali’s body on the news and assumed it was file footage (and that maybe the newsroom got it wrong or was showing a footage of a plane from another time in his life) because I just happened to read up on Eastern last week on Wikipedia and knew it had ceased operations back in the 1990s. Then I thought maybe they WERE still operating, after all, and apparently they have been, as least since 2014.
Not all that often that my aviation and sports interestes overlap. This particular incarnation of Eastern Air Lines is a charter operation out of Miami that incidentally operates the team charters for the Florida Panthers and Miami Hurricanes. I believe they’ve also flown some one-off charters for both pro and college teams (think bowl charters). My understanding is that they have no direct affiliation with the major airline that shut down in 1991 aside from some former Eastern Mark 1 employees. We may see more of them in the sports charter business assuming they can stay in the air (no small feat in today’s industry) as they’re set to begin scheduled service and take 30 new planes in the coming years.
This site is unbearably slow. I only visit a couple times a year because of it.