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Uni Watch

Maple Leafs Unveil Centennial-Season Logo

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The Maple Leafs announced their centennial-season plans yesterday. Here are the uni-related essentials:

•  The logo shown at right will be worn as a helmet decal. It will not be worn as a jersey patch.

•  The Leafs will wear Toronto St. Pats throwbacks next March 18 against the Blackhawks.

•  The Leafs will face the Red Wings in an outdoor game — the NHL Centennial Classic — on Jan. 1 at at BMO Field (home of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts). The teams will wear “NHL Centennial Classic Commemorative uniforms” for the game, although it’s not yet clear what those designs will be.

•  The Leafs are designing new banners for their 18 retired numbers. The current banners will be sent to the 18 players’ hometowns.

There’s more (but it’s non-uni-related) — get the full scoop here. Meanwhile, in case you missed it two weeks ago, here’s Phil’s report on the Leafs’ new uni set.

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Friday Flashback: With the MLB All-Star Game coming up next Tuesday, my weekly Friday Flashback column on ESPN takes a look back at uni-notable moments from past All-Star Games (including the National Leaguers wearing pillbox BP caps in 1976, as shown above on Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt). Check it out here.

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One-day raffle: Speaking of the MLB All-Star Game, I’m raffling off this Wilson glove rendered in Padres colors, with the All-Star logo in the palm. It is the official commemorative glove of the 2016 All-Star Game. The photo at right can be clicked to enlarge, and you can see additional photos here.

Please note that this is a one-day raffle. To enter, send an email with your name and shipping info to the raffle address (not to the usual Uni Watch email address, please) by 8pm Eastern tonight. One entry per person. I’ll announce the winner on Monday. Good luck!

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Click to enlarge

PermaRec update: The latest letter from the files of the Hoge Brush Company is from the firm that invented molly anchor screws. Get the full scoop over on Permanent Record.

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Uni Watch product endorsement: For years I’ve used an old cassette tape boombox, which I purchased in either the late 1980s or early ’90s, in my backyard. But earlier this year it finally conked out. I could have gotten a new boombox (they still make them), but instead I decided it was time to finally get a Bluetooth speaker.

I’m sure all of you know what Bluetooth speakers are (in case you don’t: They let you play music or podcasts or any other audio from your phone or computer), and most of you probably already have at least one of them. The woman I was dating in 2011 had one, and I remember thinking it was really cool. I haven’t exactly been avoiding them since then; I just haven’t felt the need for one until now.

After a bit of research and shopping, I ended up buying a Sony SRS-X11, and I’m really happy with it. As you can see in the photo above, it’s a small cube — only 2.5″ on all sides — but it puts out a surprisingly decent level of sound. I used it at my backyard party last Saturday (I just hung it from the fence and then used Spotify on my phone to program the day’s tunes), and several of my guests, some of whom are musicians, went out of their way to say how impressed they were by it.

The SRS-X11 lists for $70, but I got it on sale for $50 — not bad. Although it’s small, it doesn’t look like a toy or something designed exclusively for millennials (a big problem with a lot of the Bluetooth speakers on the market). I’m sure serious audiophiles would poo-poo it, but they would’ve poo-pooed my old boombox too, so whatever.

Overall: Recommended.

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The Ticker
By Paul

Baseball News: Axe Bat, the maker of the axe-handled baseball bats, has signed its first MLB player: Red Sox OF Mookie Betts. Further info here. … Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma awareness jerseys and bobbleheads for the Bowie Baysox. … Here’s something awesome that I’ve never seen before: Back in 1976, there was a “name the team” contest for Toronto’s then-new MLB franchise (great find by Martyn Bailey). … New Reds signee Alfredo Rodriguez is a big Barry Larkin fan, so they let him pose for a photo with a Reds jersey featuring Larkin’s No. 11, even though that number has been retired (from Brice Wallace). … Kenn Tomasch found this ad for cool baseball-themed men’s accessories in a 1958 issue of Baseball Digest. … The Metropolitan Museum of Art here in NYC currently has an exhibit on NYC baseball, featuring lots of old baseball cards and a lot more. Further info here (from Tommy Turner). … Arcade Night jerseys tonight for the Frisco RoughRiders (from @Sturg_23). … After Mets C Travis d’Arnaud gave up his No. 7 so Jose Reyes could wear it, Reyes gave d’Arnaud a Rolex as payment. … A bunch of NYC baseball scribes played a media softball game at Citi Field yesterday morning. As you can see in the front row, it appears that one of the writers wore a Céspedes-style neon compression sleeve. … Rare sight: Rod Carew in an Indians uniform. That’s from the 1991 MLB All-Star Game, where Carew was the American League’s honorary captain. He was a special instructor for the Indians that year (they hired him specifically to teach their players how to steal home), so he wore the Cleveland uni (from Christopher Pisciotti). … Look closely and you can see “19” written on Fred Lynn’s Red Sox stirrups (from BSmile). … The dining hall at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., has this sensational photo, along with this explanation (from Jay Abbott). … Mets 1B James Loney has been wearing David Wright’s batting gloves. … Also, it looks like Loney may have Mr. Met on his cleats. That’s his footwear at far left — looks like it might be a reverse image of this illo (from A.J. Frey). … Here’s the jersey for the Pioneer League All-Star Game (from @Utahrd). … “Game of Hope” jerseys tonight for the Vermont Lake Monsters. … The Nashville Sounds wore throwbacks last night, including high-cuffed pants and stirrups for the whole team (from Brandon Travis).

Pro Football News: Here’s one observer’s picks for the five worst NFL unis and how to fix them (thanks, Phil). … Concussion discussion: Former Packers great Paul Hornung is suing Riddell, claiming that the helmet manufacturer’s products failed to protect him from brain injury. … Meanwhile, a new study indicates that high school and college players’ brains are still affected six months after a concussion. … The Hamilton Tiger-Cats debuted their new stripeless black pants last night.

College and High School Football News: Here’s a uniform ranking of the Big 12, and another for the SEC (thanks, Phil). … Check out this shot of Eastside Catholic (Fla.) players trying to stretch out their quarterback’s jersey (from Jay Danborn).

NBA News: The NBA will have new 24-second clocks this season. In a disappointing development that adds yet more corporate visual clutter to the game, the new clocks will carry the logo of their manufacturer, Tissot. … Kevin Durant discussed his new KD9 sneakers, and also talked about how the price point on the KD line has shifted over the years, from $88 (for the KD2s in 2009) to $180 (KD8s, last year) to $150 (the new KD9s). Key quote: “As humbly as I can say it, I’m not a $88 player. I’m an elite player in the league. I wanted everything to be affordable, but I knew we had to sacrifice some stuff. I just wanted the fans of the brand and of the shoe to just stay patient with me. And stay patient with who I am as a player, and the level I was trying to go to” (thanks, Mike). … Looks like Joakim Noah may wear No. 13 for the Knicks (from Douglas Ford). .. Thunder C Enes Kanter has an idea for what people can do with their old Kevin Durant jerseys (thanks, Mike). … Kanter, incidentally, has an interesting personal logo. The basketball appears to spell out “EK” (good spot by Kevin Fridy).

College Hoops News: Nebraska posted this patch on Twitter yesterday. It’s not clear if it will actually be worn on jerseys, although that’s the implication (from Bryan Holdcroft).

Soccer News: Tottenham Hotspur unveiled their new uniforms earlier this morning. Additional photos and info here. … New uniforms for Piast Gliwice (from Ed Å»elaski). … Also from Ed: New uniforms for PogoÅ„ Szczecin. … River Plate’s new kits have leaked (from Paul Lee). … Here’s an article on how MLS kits are assigned (from @3rdDegreeNet). … The U.S. women’s national team will wear “Equal Play, Equal Pay” T-shirts during media availability ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against South Africa in Chicago. The players will also wear temporary tattoos with that same slogan during tune-up matches leading up to the Olympics.

Grab Bag: In case you haven’t been keeping track, here are all the reasons why the Rio Olympics are totally fucked. … Here’s a jersey ranking for the GAA World Games. … Really interesting piece on the use of default typefaces. … Nike is suing the WWE, claiming that the Rock’s “Just Bring It” phrase is too similar to Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan (from Drew). … Ibtihaj Muhammad, a fencer, is poised to become the first U.S. Olympic athlete to wear a hijab (from Trevor Williams). … Cricket news: During the recent England vs. Sri Lanka One Day International, umpire Bruce Oxenford wore an unusual hand and forearm protector (from Graham Clayton).

 
  
 
Comments (73)

    Proofreading: “Non-Hodkin’s lymphoma awareness jerseys” Hodgkin’s
    ‘“Game of Hope” jerseys tonight for the Lake Erie Monsters.’ Vermont Lake Monsters
    “Kanter, incidentally, has an interesting personal logo.” That’s the link to his Durant jersey post, which may be sufficient.

    Sure: A lot of the Bluetooth speakers I looked at, both online and at the store, were designed with “extreme” details and flourishes that were clearly meant to have generational appeal (or, in my case, non-appeal).

    As I explained to the Tugboat Captain, who was assisting me with my shopping, “I’d like to have something that looks like it was designed by an adult, for an adult.”

    Best Bluetooth speakers I’ve encountered: Bongo, by Otis & Ealenor. A young, tiny company, so you won’t find the speakers on retail shelves. But they look great – bamboo and wood construction – the battery lasts forever, range is twice what I’ve experienced from speakers made by the big brands, and the sound! Clear, terrific fidelity and range, from the quiet bottom where you can listen without bothering the person sitting right next to you, to the top, where I regularly fill my backyard with music and ball games. Over time I’ve replaced all the little black quasi-rubber speaker boxes in the house with a couple of Bongo speakers. Design wise, it’s much more of a Gen X than a Millennial product, though really it’s more like a mid-twentieth-century, pre-digital design.

    link

    Couple times a year, the manufacturer does half-off sales to bring the price in line with mass-market speakers,

    Almost more of an, um, whatever we call the generation before the Boomers. Kind of a Walt & Skeezix vibe in my book. Still, midcentury retro was kind of a Gen X thing.

    wouldn’t that be considered “hipster”?

    I can’t keep all these designations straight anymore.

    when form meets function, it catches my attention

    Paul- Would love to hear your backyard bbq Spotify playlist. How about posting on Spotify and sharing with readers?

    “I’d like to have something that looks like it was designed by an adult, for an adult.”

    ^^^ As the kids say, THIS! ^^^

    Agreed! Geez, it’s hard enough finding a damn pair of tennis shoes that don’t look like they’ve either fallen in day-glo paint or been tagged by the local graffito.

    I second the recommendation for the SRS X11 – great piece of kit for a reasonable price (I paid £50~ when sterling still had some value). The other great future is the ability to pair one device with another for stereo sound.

    I’d never buy or recommend anything from Sony, ever again. Everything I’ve bought from them in the past 10 years or so (digital camera, Blu-Ray player, LCD TV) crapped out within five years.

    I would be happy with 5 years use out of something these days. Electronics are made to be consumables and essentially disposable, it is reflected in the price of things

    I have the Sony XRS-3 and can’t recommend it enough. It’s larger than the X11, but I got it on clearance from Target. I also have the Bose mini sound link and I would put the Sony right with it, for a quarter of the price.

    Hi Paul,

    Proofreading: “home of the CFL’s Toronto Argunauts”. Should be Argonauts.

    Toronto FC soccer fans are doing a slow burn that you called it the home of the Argonauts. They think it is their home and the Argos are merely an annoying unwanted tenant.

    Good stuff with the Leafs logos, can’t wait to see it on the ice.

    I have a minor problem with Bluetooth speakers because they can not match the sound quality of wired systems, but their portability makes up for that in many instances, so they’re great for casual listening. What really peeves me is bluetooth headphones.

    Re. the Leafs’ Centennial Classic game at BMO Field. Although the Argos do play at BMO now, this is only their first season there. The stadium was built as the home stadium for Toronto FC (MLS) who are part of the same organization as the Leafs.

    -The Hamilton Tiger-Cats pants looks better last year when they had the stripes on them. They have the ballerina unitard look now like Saints and Ravens.

    -I agree that the 5 worst NFL uniforms do need fixing. Nothing wrong with any of the colours or logos, but the designs are not attractive (Browns, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Jaguars). I miss the old Browns uniform.

    Seldom, if ever, will a team simply go back to an old uniform as if nothing happened. I think it has to do with screwing over manufacturers. Even acknowledgements of a faux pas come with some kind of tune-up showing that it is an entirely new uniform. The Islanders have some experience in this regard: The uniforms that replaced the Stan Fischler sweaters and the ones that supplanted the first set of Reebok Edge jerseys are each distinguishable from the Stanley Cup set.

    1) Advertisers, not sponsors.

    2) Nobody ever claimed it was unprecedented for the entire world of sports. But it *is* unprecedented for the NBA shot clock.

    Those Cespedes-style compression sleeves were a giveaway item at Citi Field a week or so ago.

    That 1976 All Star photo of Michael Jack Schmidt is one of my all-time favorite baseball images. I mean, Schmidt was pretty much the perfect ballplayer, so any photo of him playing is excellent. But just look at all the marvelous, of-their-time details: Schmidt’s 70’s ‘stache; the beautiful burgundy Phillies pins; the gloves, that look like period golf gloves, with 20 written with magic marker; the Bicentennial patch (Philadelphia variant); the All Star pillbox. Heck, even Schmidt’s soon-to-be-shorn white-guy ‘fro is an icon of mid-70’s America. What a wonderful photo!

    Paul thursday:nba is lying, logos on jerseys are advertisements, not sponsors.
    Paul friday: this speaker ad isnt an advertisement, its a “product placement”.
    Adhole.

    Actually, I never once said it was a “product placement.” And it’s not an ad, either.

    I wrote about the speaker because I wanted to (just like I sometimes write about movies, bands, foodstuffs, etc.), not because anyone gave me anything.

    Please go troll somewhere else. Thanks.

    Woah, just a picture for that Cricket umpire forearm guard with attached clear shield? I am a very occasional follower of the sport but I want to know more. Does the shield provide face protection, or some other purpose? What inspired the need for such a contraption?

    Bose sound link is a incredible speaker, highly recommended. Even left it outside in the rain overnight and worked next day

    Considered including it but decided not to (the list was long!) because it was more of a gimmicky personal moment than a true uni-related moment.

    Just a small language quibble on the d’Arnaud-Reyes thing:

    d’Arnaud actually gave up the number without Reyes asking, and didn’t request anything in return. Reyes gifted him the Rolex as a thank you gift.

    I know it’s splitting hairs, but saying “as payment” sort of implies there was a negotiation like we’ve seen other players work out in the past. Travis just felt like Reyes and his history with the team meant enough to the organization that he should wear 7, and Reyes was moved by that, thus the Rolex.

    Again, I know I’m parsing here, but I think it’s noteworthy.

    “WWE is seeking to use the phrase on a variety of clothing, including shirts, jackets, pants, underwear and pajamas.”

    Just in case Santa is reading this, I could definitely use some “Just Bring It” underwear for Christmas this year…

    Yours truly,
    Marty

    Its a small quibble, but the Leafs don’t retire numbers, they “honour” them. Most of the honoured numbers are still in circulation.

    The only retired numbers are 5 for Bill Barilko and 6 for Ace Bailey.

    I have a Brookstone bluetooth speaker and I love it. The pairing is flawless and the battery life is longer than any party I’ve ever taken it to (a big deal when you’re camping or on a dock).

    Paul, let us remember that the Maple Leafs banners represent “honoured” numbers on their banners, not retired numbers.

    Well, there are two numbers that are actually retired – 5 for Bill Barilko and 6 for Irvine “Ace” Bailey. The rest of them are the Honoured Numbers.

    Nice to know KD isn’t an $88 player… Since I’m not an $88 buyer – or $180 buyer – or $150 buyer. Gun to my head I couldn’t even tell you what brand they are.

    That Durant quote might be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard someone say in professional sports.

    Glad to see the NHL is expanding its horizons by finally including the Wings in an outdoor game!

    Durant’s quote about fans needing to “be patient” makes no sense. Patient that he’d develop into at least an $89 player, and they could stop worrying about what to do with the money they saved on his signature sneakers when they were cheaper?

    The link for the Leafs helmet decal doesn’t seem to be working. I just get a blank white box.

    Great All-Star Game write-up on the wearing of other teams helmets. One more though, 1969 All-Star Game played in Washington D. C., Reggie Jackson (Oakland Athletics) wore an Oriole Helmet, and Steve Carleton (St. Louis Cardinal)wore a Phillies Helmet

    I’m aware of those (Sal Bando also wore the wrong helmet in that game) but have never been able to find photos.

    I love the variety of footwear worn by the guys in the front row of the Dodgertown photo. Great photo!

    Nashville Sounda have been wearing the 1980s-era uniforms every Thursday home game. I think the Sounds did something similar in 2015, only it was a uniform style from an even earlier time period.

    Lol, how do you sue Riddell for not protecting you from concussions when it specifically states on the helmets it can’t protect against concussions?

    Not sure if it was mentioned over the past week or so, but any manufacturers’ marks on the new Maple Leafs pant will run along the side (inside the white stripe) and not on the front of the back.

    Obviously this is a Lou Lamoriello thing as the Devils did that for years.

Comments are closed.