Sunday Morning Bowl Wrap

By Phil Hecken and your Sunday Morning Uni Watch crew
Follow @PhilHecken

Well, almost all the Bowls for the 2017 Season are in the books — and all the Bowls for 2017 are done. We’ve still got five more (including the two Playoff Games on Monday, which is New Year’s Day, 2018) to go, but it’s been a very good Bowl Season so far. Most teams have played nicely and worn pretty recognizable unis (many even wore their classics). One notable exception this week was Navy, who wore their gorgeous Blue Angels unis, which they recycled from the Army/Navy game, and they worked — they kicked Virginia’s ass 49-7, proving that sometimes wearing a great alternate is OK in a bowl.

Of course, in the late game (the Orange Bowl) last night, Miami went the opposite way, wearing their BFBS “Miami Nights” costumes, and even with what basically amounted to a home game, still lost to Wisconsin, who dressed in their Saturday (night) finest. Sometimes you just don’t tempt the uni gods.

I have the entire SMUW crew back today — Terry “TJ” Duroncelet will give us the rundown of all the Bowls from the past week, Joe Ringham will have another 5 & 1, and the trackers have the unis worn for the bowls in which teams from their respective conferences played. As always, TJ is up first, followed by Joe and then the trackers.

I want to take this opportunity to thank every reader for another great year, and to wish everyone a Happy New Year (and may it be a better one for us all) in 2018. Peace.

Here’s TJ with your…

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Sunday Morning Uni Watch Bowl Wrap
By Terry Duroncelet, Jr.

From Sunday, December 24th, 2017

│Houston vs. Fresno State│ ♫Christmas time, is here…♫ … actually, it was last week, but whatever. This Christmas Eve matchup featured the University of Houston Cougars in appropriate Saint Nick-esque attire, and a white/white/red look for the Bulldogs of California State University, Fresno. Both helmets were nice touches to each team’s respective uniforms.

From Tuesday, December 26th, 2017

│West Virginia vs. Utah│ HO-LY-SHYTE, this game was a real looker. In the blue corner, we have the West Virginia University Mountaineers in yeller helmets and pants with navy jerseys. In the red corner, we have the University of Utah Utes in monochrome white with red helmets, sporting a nifty stripe. THIS is contrast done right.

│Northern Illinois vs. Duke│ A simple matchup that contrasted well enough between the Northern Illinois University Huskies in black helmets and pants with red jerseys, and the Duke University Blue Devils, in an all-white ensemble, and they also wore a brush script ‘Duke’ on their helmets.

│UCLA vs. Kansas State│ I like to think of certain matchups like a Gretsch USA Custom drum kit: it doesn’t try to do anything extracurricular, but it JUST WORKS. It’s the perfect fit, but doesn’t draw attention to itself for the wrong reasons. The timeless gold/blue/gold for the Bruins of the The University of California, Los Angeles, and the equally timeless (albeit Dallas Cowboys-esque) silver/white/silver for the Kansas State University Wildcats. Contrast, great-looking uniforms, pleasant on the eyes. Can’t ask for more. Well, except for the Bruins to ACTUALLY WIN. Oh well, there’s always next year.

From Wednesday, December 27th, 2017

│Florida State vs. Southern Miss│ Color Rush vs. Color comes to college football! Wait, didn’t I say this before? No matter. This game treated us to some decent color vs. color action, featuring the Golden Eagles of the University of Southern Mississippi in gold jerseys (of course) with black helmets and pants, and the Seminoles of Florida State University in gold helmets paired with, of all things, a monochrome garnet look. RARE.

│Boston College vs. Iowa│ What’s old is new again. What do I mean by that? The story goes as such: two teams play at Yankee Stadium. Teams in-question were the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Boston College Eagles (basic road and home unis, respectively. No frills, just a good-looking tilt). Aforementioned Yankee Stadium’s grass is not tailored for actual football. Players on each team are having a Slip ‘N Slide party: Winter Edition. The solution? Wear trainers. Players on both team basically partied like it was 1934 because the playing field over at Yankee Stadium was essentially frozen over. First, it snows in Louisiana for the first time in 2,456 quillion years on December 8th, 2017, and now this. GG weather.

│Purdue vs. Arizona│ Purdue University’s Boilermakers wore mono-black with gold-chrome helmets in their bowl game against the University of Arizona Wildcats, who wore red/white/red.

│Mizzou vs. Texas│ In a regular Yin and Yang affair, we have the all-white Longhorns of The University of Texas at Austin, facing off against the all-black Tigers of the University of Missouri. None too bad. Texas always looks good in white, and Mizzou has really grown into their uniform. Even the all-black (while not as good as their black-over-gold) is a solid look.

From Thursday, December 28th, 2017

│Navy vs. Virginia│ The United States Naval Academy Midshipmen revived their Army/Navy 2017 uniforms (based off of the Blue Angels) in their bowl game against the University of Virginia Cavaliers, who wore all-white.

│Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech│ Our next Thursday matchup features the Hokies of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in maroon/white/maroon, and the Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Cowboys in white/black/white, with Pistol Pete making an appearance!

│TCU vs. Stanford│ A simple, but effective matchup between the Leland Stanford Junior University Cardinal in all-white (as an aside, I thought that the tree on the decals was a fir the last time I talked about Stanford, when in reality, it’s a redwood. Sorry ’bout that), and the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in purple/black/purple.

│Michigan State vs. Washington State│ Albeit three days late to the party, we were treated to a rather festive game, featuring the white/green/white Michigan State University Spartans, and the crimson/white/crimson Washington State University Cougars. A perfect example of how green vs. red SHOULD be done. Conversely…

From Friday, December 29th, 2017

│Texas A&M vs. Wake Forest│ Texas A&M’s Aggie team rolls out in white/maroon/white, up against the Wake Forest University Deacon Demons (I love that name) in mono-white and gold-chrome helmets. For some reason, I don’t hate the chrome dome that much with Wake Forest. Maybe it’s this specific uniform.

│Arizona State vs. NC State│ A rather uninteresting look out of the Sun Devils of Arizona State University: white/maroon/white just doesn’t work for them. On the other hand, the North Carolina State University Wolfpack looked excellent in red/white/red, with Tuffy on full-display, as has been the case all season.

│Northwestern vs. Kentucky│ Wildcats vs… Wildcats? Sure, let’s roll with that. A straightforward and pleasant blue/white/blue look for the University of Kentucky Wildcats (and the sleeves are ace), vs. the mono-purple and matte black-lidded Wildcats of Northwestern University.

│Utah State vs. New Mexico State│ Aggies vs… Aggies? Sure, let’s roll with that. The Utah State University Aggies in full-navy face off against the New Mexico State University Aggies in an unassuming mono-white uniform with crimson helmets. NM State isn’t typically a school that I associate as a “bowl team”, but hey, here they are, and congratulations to them.

│Ohio State vs. USC│ Despite the law of the CFP land putting two of the semifinal participants in the GOTA that just so happen to not be either Pac 12 or B1G teams, this game is still a major FBS game, and as such, is an honor to make it this far. This year’s Phantom Rose Bowl contest features THE Ohio State University Buckeyes in none other than scarlet jerseys, with grey helmets and pants. They faced off against the University of Southern California Trojans in none other than cardinal helmets, white jerseys, and gold pants. Truly an upper-echelon of classic college football, despite both teams carrying an iota of –for lack of a better descriptor– that eyeroll-worthy, cocky “cool-guy” machismo. Love ’em or hate ’em, the uniforms were nothing short of spectacular, and this game was one that will go down in the history books. Actually, no it won’t, USC kinda got their butts kicked.

From Saturday, December 30th, 2017

│Mississippi State vs. Louisville│ Although it comes to the surprise of NO ONE, the University of Louisville Cardinals dressed in their usual clown-like attire, which is anything that incorporates the red-chrome helmets (with mono-white, in this case). They faced off against the Mississippi State University Bulldogs, who wore an infinitely-better maroon/maroon/white uniform.

│Memphis v. Iowa State│ Oh, c’mon. This HAS to have been choreographed. As you can see, the Iowa State University of Science and Technology Cyclones channeled their inner Louisville and wore cardinal-chrome/white/white against The University of Memphis Tigers, who wore dark grey/blue/blue. At least Iowa State pulls the look off better than Looserville does.

│Penn State vs. Washington│ A big-time bowl game is renewed, as The Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions in the classic white/navy/white go up against the University of Washington Huskies, who wore white jerseys, purple pants, and gold-chrome helmets (too many chrome domes, too little time). An exciting game leading up to the final seconds, that ultimately ended the Huskies’ chances at a bowl title. But hard fought, nonetheless.

│Miami vs. Wisconsin│ I believe we’re halfway done with the NY6 games already. In the bout of tasty fruits that just so happen to have a color named after it (or is it the other way around?), the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers enter the stage in sterling-white, with the rather popular white facemasks. Their opponent: the University of Miami Hurricanes in… black. BlllllllllllACK. Well, I guess showing up in an actual school color like, I don’t know, ORANGE, in a major bowl game themed around the fruit of the same name and color, IN YOUR HOME STATE, IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN WEAR COLOR, would have been too predictable. This one’s for you, ‘Canes.

Tune in for Part 3 next week. Nothing else left to say except: see you “next year”.

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Joe Ringham’s 5 & 1

Following in the footsteps of the original “5 & 1,” Jim Vilk, and Catherine Ryan after him, Joe Ringham is back again for 2017 to make his “5 & 1” (five good looking and one stinker) uni-vs-uni matchups. Sometimes he’ll have some “honorable mentions” and sometimes there will be more than one “bad” game. You may agree and you may disagree — these are, after all, just opinions and everyone has one. Feel free to let him know what you think in the comments section.

Joe has been bringing us 5 & 1s for the Bowl Season, and here is the second of his three sets!

Here’s Joe:

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Greetings, everyone! After a few weeks off to rest and recharge a little, it’s time for the first of three bowl editions of the 5 & 1. Let’s see who makes the cut, good and bad, for the first 14 bowl games of this bowl season…

Happy Sunday, everyone! If you missed the first bowl 5 & 1, click here and scroll down a ways. Anyways, after a week full of bowl action over the holidays, let’s see who makes the cut this time around…

5) Independence Bowl: Southern Miss vs Florida State — Second week in a row we get a color vs color bowl game. Not one of the ‘Noles best looks, going gold/mono-garnet. However, it comes out looking quite decent against the black/gold/black Southern Miss went with.

4) Heart of Dallas Bowl: Utah vs West Virginia — Caught a bit of this game on TV while recovering from a bout with the flu and really dug how it looked. The contrast between WVU going gold/navy/gold against the red/mono-white of the Utes made for quite a good-looking game to me.

3) Fiesta Bowl: Washington vs Penn State — Absolutely loved U-Dub going chrome gold/white/purple and how great it matched up against Penn State’s classic uni’s. Now. I know some hate just how plain Penn State’s unis look. But look at that game and tell me that wasn’t one of the best-looking games of the last week of bowl games.

2) Holiday Bowl: Washington State vs Michigan State — This had quite the festive, Christmas look to it, even if it was played three days after Christmas. Wazzu looked great in crimson/white/crimson, one of their best road-uni combos. But I absolutely loved that Sparty paired the new white lids with their usual green and white home uni combo. That one change made that game look ten times more awesome.

1) Cotton Bowl: Southern Cal vs Ohio State — Hands down, the best looking bowl game of the season to date. No other explanation needed from me.

And, finally…

+1) (tie) Military Bowl: Virginia vs Navy; Orange Bowl: Wisconsin vs Miami (FL) — Bowl games are for school colors to be worn and not alternate uniforms. Navy and the U violate this, and thus get sent to the bad side of the list.

And, with that, I bid 2017 good-bye. A Happy New Year to all, and I will see you for one final bowl edition of the 5 & 1 next week!

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Thanks Joe! You can follow Joe on the Twitter and let him know what you think of his choices or make a 5 & 1 suggestion of your own!

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NCAA Uni Tracking

Uni Watch will again track the uniform combinations worn by the “Power 5” conferences. All of the 2016 trackers are back!

We’ve got Rex Henry (tracking the ACC), Dennis Bolt (tracking the PAC-12), Kyle Acker (tracking the Big XII), and Ethan Dimitroff (tracking the B1G AND the SEC). Rex, Dennis, and Kyle and are all returning from 2015, and Ethan is back after joining the NCAA Uni Tracking last season. Ethan has stepped into the dual role of both the B1G and the SEC.

And here are your trackers with all the Bowl unis so far. We’ll have the final Bowl Uni Wrap next weekend:

+ + + + + + + + + +

Rex is up first today (ACC):

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ACC

More Here.
Follow Rex on Twitter here.

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And now, here’s Dennis with the PAC-12:

PAC-12

More here.
Follow Dennis on Twitter here.

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And here is Ethan, with the SEC:

SEC

And be sure to check out Ethan’s WVU Mountaineer Tracker.
Follow Ethan on Twitter here.

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And here is Kyle with the Big XII:

Big XII

Follow Kyle on Twitter here.

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And here’s Ethan with the B1G:

B1G

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Uni Watch News Ticker
By Phil

Baseball News: What once was common is now a museum “oddity”? Chris Flinn writes, “The air and space museum in DC had an exhibit for kids and the pitcher in the graphic had stirrups on.” … Yesterday was Dodgers star pitcher Sandy Koufax’ 82nd birthday. Interesting that he uses his full name when signing, since you never hear him referred to by “Sanford.” (from Bruce Menard). … Also from Bruce, here’s a great photo of the Dodgers team retiring the uniform numbers of baseball legends Jackie Robinson #42, Roy Campanella #39 & Sandy Koufax #32 (1972). Here’s another look.

NFL News: Reader TommyTheCPA would like to point out that several items in the NFL shop feature inconsistent (and incorrect) logos and striping. … A Kansas City Chiefs fan apparently working at the construction site for the Raiders new home in Las Vegas says he buried a “Chiefs Kingdom” flag underneath what will soon be a $1.9 billion football palace (thanks, Brinke). … Here’s a great look at the 1956 NFL Championship Game Program between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants at Yankee Stadium (December 30, 1956). From Bruce Menard.

College/High School Football News: “I just happened to notice that a DC high school, [Arch]bishop Carroll, uses an amazing (and possibly stomach-churning for certain fans in the NFC North) athletics logo: a combination of Bubbles the Lion and the Bears’ fake wishbone C,” writes Robert Kahn. He adds, “I have to say that I do kind of like it. But in terms of the ‘best’ possible combos of NFL logos, I’d go with the Bills’ buffalo logo with the head of the Pats’. That’s just me.” … Check out this beautiful 1914 Davenport Athletic Club Football Uniform at the Putnam Museum (from Hans Hassell).

Hockey News: I don’t know about you guys, but I love outdoor hockey games. Friday featured a great & beautiful snow game as the United States rallied for 4-3 shootout win over Canada in first ever World Juniors outdoor game (you can see some video here). From Dan Murtaugh. … It’s bad enough that the NFL uses the term “Color Rush,” — but now the rash is spreading to hockey, as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will wear an all-orange getup for their outdoor game in Hersheypark Stadium on January 20, against the Hershey Bears (from Robert Caplette). … The NHL Winter Classic between the Sabres and Rangers is tomorrow, and the Sabres will have a raised 3-D logo effect on their helmets (from Mario Vazquez). … Here’s a look at the KHL All Star jerseys. The game will be played in Kazakhstan (from Patrick Thomas). … Yesterday there was a USA flag instead of NOB in Army’s hockey jerseys. “All college hockey teams should do this IMO,” says submitter Tommy Everson. … This is pretty cool — Union hockey has their logo on their socks (from Fitteds and Flannels).

NBA News: OK, there’s getting a uni/logo element tattooed/etched/woven into your body and then there’s Gerald Green getting just a little excited to be with the Rockets (from our own Alex Hider).

College Hoops News: So apparently the rolling up of the waistband on the shorts has become a big thing in college hoops now. Not a trend of which I’m fond. If you want to wear your shorts like John Stockton, just get them hemmed. But that’s not the “style” now. (from Aaron Kusch). That’s Cullen Neal of the St. Mary’s Gaels (at least according to the roster). … This is probably no surprise, but there’s a new anthracite Oklahoma State basketball uniform. Submitter Dan Medina says, “Numbers pretty much disappear on this one.”

Soccer News: Tottenham Hotspur have revealed their new 2018-19 kit (from Josh Hinton). The 18-19 away jersey is navy, with white being used for the Swoosh on the right chest. … Arsenal will go mono red today vs West Brom, even though the Premier League routinely allows teams to wear matching shorts. First time since 1986 (from Colin Dilworth). … Manchester City’s 2018-19 away kit will introduce a unique and new design to complement what is expected to be a very traditional home uniform, in case you missed it (from Josh Hinton).

Grab Bag: Here’s an interesting opinion piece by former Australian cricketer Dean Jones on the way that current Australian Test match players wear and look after the “Baggy Green” cap (from Graham Clayton). … Not exactly new news or entirely surprising, but Russian athletes will “participate in the parade of athletes under the Olympic flag” for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, Russian officials said Friday. … The Oklahoma State wrestling team will be wearing gear with these sweet logos for their trip to Naples, Italy, to compete in the “Tussle for the Troops” against N.C. State. It will be the first NCAA wrestling dual outside of North America (from Sam).

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