Meet Filmmaker Cam Miller – And The Cincinnati Reds HOF

[From The Editor: Please see the end of this article for an important note on today’s featured artist — PH]

By Phil Hecken
Follow @PhilHecken

I have, like many of you I am sure, a “Bucket List.” Unfortunately, mine seems to get longer rather than shorter these days, as I cross off less and less items while adding more and more to said list. Recently I added another item — the Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame Museum.

If you can believe it, despite living in New York (well, Long Island) for most of my life, and having attended college in upstate New York, I’ve still never gotten to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I wanted to go with my (now ex-) wife back in the 1990s. I wanted to make a road trip from college in the 1980s. I wanted to go with my pop as he neared the end of his life in the 2000s. Something always came up though, and I’ve yet to make the Pilgrimage. 2018 will be the year, right?

Anyway, there is another Museum I’m dying to visit — only it’s not as close: the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City. This has been high on the bucket list for years. Recently, however, I’ve added one more baseball mecca — the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum. More than a few friends and people I follow on the Twitter have raved about how good the museum is, and with the deep and rich baseball history the team and town have, I can see why.

Through Twitter I have come to know Cam Miller — a film maker, composer, motion graphics editor, baseball historian and freelance writer — who is also deeply involved with the Cincy Reds HOF. I asked Cam if he could share some of his contributions to the HOF with us, and we had a nice question and answer session (apologies for the length, but Cam’s a great interview). Of the many thing exhibited in the HOF, the uniforms attract me the most, but there is much more — including several films Cam has produced ON uniforms. My only regret is that I can’t reproduce those here in their entirety — they can only be seen at the Museum. One more reason for me to cross this off the bucket list.

So without any further babbling on my end, lets meet Cam and see what he has in store for us today:

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Uni Watch: First question I ask everyone: Are you a Uni Watch reader and if so, for how long?

Cam Miller: I have been a loyal reader since the early days, 2007-ish I suppose. Interestingly enough, I came across the site while researching an exhibit film on Pete Rose for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. I have no idea how I ended up there, but I am glad I did! I am fascinated with uniforms, and reading Uni Watch has been as routine as making my morning coffee.

UW: You’re a film maker, composer, motion graphics editor, baseball historian and freelance writer. What kind of films do you make? Just documentaries, or are their other types?

CM: I have produced films in every genre imaginable, from silent films to commercials. I love storytelling, and for me, there is little difference between a drama and a doc. They both require that the story has characters you care about and can invest in. Above all, story matters most. I will say, however, that docs seem to be the sandbox that I play in the most. I’ll find myself reading about a particular subject and wondering why no one has told that story in the visual medium. There aren’t enough years in my life to be able to tell all the stories I want to!

UW: What projects have you worked on over the years?

CM: Well, my first “film” was an 8mm Star Wars-inspired fan film in the mid-80s. I was 10 or 11, and let’s just say the production was halted after a few days when creative differences arose with the cast, a cast which consisted of my three brothers and some neighborhood kids! I have always had a passion to create, whether that be film, music, art, writing, etc.

I went on to take some film classes and learned the craft, but really, it was the trial and error approach. Someone once told me the best way to learn filmmaking is to just go make films. It’s so true. I’ve been lucky enough to make dozens and dozens of films for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, school districts, companies, and produce my own films and docs.

UW: Obviously, we’ll be focusing on the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum today. What is your position with them, and what can you tell me about the museum and your work there? How long have you been with the museum?

CM: As an independent filmmaker, I work for the Reds Hall of Fame throughout the year when films or other media needs arise. Before my filmmaking career got started, I was a full-time member of the Reds Hall of Fame staff. My first official day as a staffer was Opening Day of 2005. That was an incredible day. I was stationed in the back of the Hall of Fame in the area dedicated to Pete Rose and his 4,256 hits. I had no access to watch or hear the game, so fellow staffers would come back every now and again to let me know the score. The game had gone into extra innings and it was killing me not to know what was going on! The area I was in had glass walls, so I could see the concourse and people milling around the concession areas watching the game on TV monitors. You could barely hear the muffled crowd oh and ah. Suddenly, the crowd erupted and fireworks started going off. A few staffers came back yelling and screaming, but I couldn’t understand them. We ran outside to the concourse as someone screamed that Joe Randa hit a walk-off home run! We were high-fiving and hugging total strangers. It was incredible. To not know what was going on play-by-play, and to only be able to hear the sounds of the sell-out crowd to inform me if something good or bad was happening is something I’ll never forget. I remember thinking on the way home that I’ll never top this. And it was my first day on the job!

UW: Yeah, my first day on the job didn’t quite go like that. OK, what about the filmmaking?

CM: As far as my filmmaking duties, I don’t recall exactly how it went down, but in 2006, the powers that be were looking for a video to run on a loop in the lobby of the Hall of Fame that showcased all the past inductees. I told them that I dabble in filmmaking and had an idea. A few weeks later, I produced a film that seemed to work. Fast forward a few months later, and I ended up making the feature film for the 1919 Reds exhibit. That was a crazy time. I would be working at the museum during the day, race home at night, kiss the wife and kids, and go into my studio to work on the 1919 film. I was literally pulling all-nighters as the deadline approached. And I loved every second of it. When I left the museum in 2007, and started making films as my profession, I was thankful that they asked me to keep producing films for them. I must say, it was not a bad way to start out as a full-time filmmaker, to have the Reds Hall of Fame as your first client! We’ve had a great relationship over the years and I am great friends with those guys. We are family.

UW: How many exhibits have you worked on? How many documentaries for the HOF have you produced?

CM: 2018 marks my 12th year making films for them, and I’ve produced 18 exhibit films along with dozens of other videos for kiosks and exhibit soundtracks. You never know what they will need or what road you will travel. A perfect example of this is when the Reds had a throwback game in 2016 in honor of the 1976 champions, and Pete Rose going into the Reds Hall of Fame. I had restored and recreated the Riverfront Scoreboard animations from the 70s and 80s for a previous exhibit. We thought it would be cool to use the old animations on the Great American Ball Park scoreboard for the throwback game. I also made 70s style dot matrix player photos for the Reds and their opponent that night, the Padres. It was a hit! So many people responded to that trip down memory lane. Along with the game, we also used that Riverfront Stadium throwback element for the Reds Hall of Fame Induction Gala for Pete Rose. That was one of the highlights of my professional career. To see my hero’s from the Big Red Machine walking out on stage, with a throwback backdrop behind them that I created. It was just so fantastic.

UW: Do you have a favorite film/project, or one of which you’re most proud?

CM: As far as my Reds Hall of Fame work, the 1919 film stands out because it was the first exhibit film. The Crosley Field film also is special to me because at the premiere, Eleanor Kluszewksi, the widow of Ted Kluszewksi, came up to me with tears in her eyes, thanking me for the film, and how much it meant to see her beloved husband on the screen in his glory days. She was so sweet and I was touched at how much it meant to her. That’s what I meant earlier when I said that the story matters most. The film was about an old ballpark, nothing but bricks, dirt, and grass. But the people that made that park so great and gave it life was the angle I was going for. It wasn’t a film on the history of the park and a bunch of dates to remember, but rather a glimpse into what a day at the park was like, and the spirit of the neighborhood in which it sat. The park was the main character of the film. And I let her tell her story through images, footage, and a soundtrack that I composed specifically for the film, including actual Crosley crowd ambiance, the P.A. man Paul Sommerkamp, an orchestral arrangement, and the Reds radio announcer Waite Hoyt.

UW: Those sound amazing! One more reason to get to the Museum. Anything non-Reds you want to talk about?

CM: As far as non-Reds films, my 2014 doc on the 1913 Covington Blue Sox of the Federal League really is the film that has given me so much joy and satisfaction. I feel I brought this forgotten team back from the dead and they finally got their due. In 1997, I discovered the team by accident while scrolling through microfilm at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington, KY (just across the river from Cincinnati). I had no idea who they were, but the more I scrolled, the more interesting the story became. It was also the hardest film I’ve ever done due to the fact that only a handful of photos from the team are known to exist. The team only lasted a month in Covington before moving to Kansas City to become the Packers.

Films on local history really excite me because often, the stories are lesser known and people really take pride in learning something about their hometown. The entire community rallied behind this film. Hats were made, jackets, shirts, a plaque was placed at the location of the old ballpark, even a sports bar, Smoke Justis (named after the Blue Sox opening day pitcher Walter “Smoke” Justis) opened up after the film was premiered. The team that was lost to history, was reborn in the 21st century. I am most proud of that film. In fact, I am working on a book with my friend, a great writer and historian Luke Groeschen, that will go into greater detail on the day-to-day exploits of the club.

UW: Here at Uni Watch, we’re all about uniforms. Can you tell me more about some of the uniform projects/documentaries? For example, what would we see in the “Uniforms of the 70s” film (I need to see this one in its entirety, and I’m sure more than once!).

CM: This 70s film is exciting because it focuses on such a unique era of baseball, especially when it comes to uniforms. I am currently working on these films, and they will be changing right up until the last minute! They are exclusive to the Reds Hall of Fame and the “Reds Threads” exhibit, so I can’t show/tell too much, but what I can tell you is that I have learned a lot about the 70s and fans are in for a real treat! This is such a unique exhibit and I hope the visuals on the monitors will enhance the overall experience. I am even recreating some old school 70s graphics for the project. That has been a lot of fun and an education. Seeing these uniforms up close and researching has given me a new appreciation for the styles we associate with the 70s. Besides the pullover style that became so prominent, I have noticed just how awesome the patches were! For example, the 1976 NL 100th anniversary patch with the old-style pitcher with the pillbox cap, and the way it is designed makes it look as if he is throwing. Genius!

Another thing that is great is that the Reds Hall of Fame is showcasing more than just Reds uniforms. They are working with one of the best in baseball when it comes to uniforms, Mr. Dave Grob. There will be some uni’s that most people have never seen up close!

UW: I see there’s a film on “Uniforms over the Years.” What can you tell me about that one? And you included a still from that film showing Leroy Herman pitching. I’ve never seen that uniform before! (This is seen in #12 below — for future reference) According to Marc Okkonen (our baseball uniform godfather), the Reds wore the script depicted on his jersey in 1936 and 1937, and also used it as a spring training top. Can you tell me anything about the uniform in the film? Was it actually worn in game play?

CM: The script logo did indeed appear on what was called the “Palm Beach” uniform in ’36 and ’37, but the Herman photo is believed to be Spring Training and never saw use in an actual game. At least, there has been no evidence presented they actually wore that “Large Format” Reds script style. I will show slides of various Reds uniforms over the years in the intro sequence to the “Reds Thread” film, with an emphasis on lesser-known images and uniforms.

UW: What can you tell me about the 1919 film? Obviously, that’s the year the Reds won the World Series under, shall we say, suspicious circumstances. How did you treat the the topic?

CM: The official exhibit title was “Edd Roush and the 1919 World Series”, which debuted in May of 2006. My film used archived extended interviews of Edd Roush with famed author Lawrence Ritter talking about the Series, as well as newsreel footage. I even played an early 20th century piano to record the period piece “Root Root Root, for the Reds” which we think was the first time the music had been recorded! The focus was really on Roush and how good the Reds really were. Too often, that team gets overshadowed by the gambling scandal that ensued.

UW: What else can you tell me about the HOF and your films?

CM: I may be biased, but the Reds Hall of Fame is hands down, the greatest baseball shrine next to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. They really go above and beyond to give fans a one-of-a-kind experience. Besides the artifacts, and changing exhibits, the Hall of Fame plaque room is one of those special places that will give you chills when you walk through it. Cincinnati is fortunate to have such a great museum and the people who put in countless hours to make it the best don’t get the credit they deserve. These folks eat, sleep, and breathe Reds baseball.

I have been so honored to produce films for them. It really is just tremendous working with dedicated folks who share the same passion for history and the game that I do. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself! The team I rooted for as a child, and being able to in a very small way, add a little something to the place where they honor their greatness, it’s a dream. It never gets old.

UW: Where is the museum located (in relation to GABP) and is it open year round? Is there a cost to attend?

CM: The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum presented by Dinsmore is right next to the ballpark on Joe Nuxhall Way. It is open year round. (The hours are different for in-season and offseason. Might be best to check here.)

UW: How old are you and are you originally from Cincinnati?

CM: I’m 43 and am originally from Covington, KY., or the south side of Cincinnati as it is often called. I lived in South Carolina and the suburbs of Detroit as a teenager, which was great because I was able to go to a lot of Tiger games! They became my “American League team”.

UW: Where can we see more of your work?. What are your social media addresses?

CM: Some of my work can be seen on Cam Miller Films Youtube. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @cammillerfilms and like my Facebook page at facebook.com/cammillerfilms.

UW: Great, thanks Cam. Now, can we look at some of the stuff you’ve done for the Reds HOF and can you tell us about it?

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1. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring uniforms of the 70s.

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2. Photo of a monitor showing Reds mgr. Pat Moran. The film was part of the 2006 Reds 1919 Exhibit at the Reds HOF. Produced by Cam Miller.

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3. Filmmaker Cam Miller poses in front of monitor featuring his 2006 film on the 1919 Reds at the Reds HOF.

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4. Pete Rose at the June 2016 Reds HOF Induction Gala. The backdrop is a recreated Riverfront Stadium scoreboard displayed on a large monitor. Cam Miller recreated the 1976 Big Red Machine player images for the event.

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5. Title screen for the 2009 Reds HOF film “Crosley Field Remembered” produced by Cam Miller.

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6. Johnny Bench introduced at the June 2016 Reds HOF Induction Gala. The backdrop is a recreated Riverfront Stadium scoreboard displayed on a large monitor. Cam Miller recreated the 1976 Big Red Machine player images for the event.

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7. VIDEO: The 80s and 90s Riverfront Stadium scoreboard fan favorite Mr. Red Race. The animation was recreated by Cam Miller and used for Throwback games at Great American Ball Park.

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8. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring uniforms of the 70s. The photo shows the 1976 NL 100th anniversary patch.

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9. Poster for the 2014 film “Our True Blues: The Story Of The 1913 Covington Blue Sox”. The film won the best documentary at the 2016 Blue Chip Media Awards in Cincinnati, OH.

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10. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring uniforms of the 70s. The photo shows the 1971 Pirates World Series patch.

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11. Production still from 2014 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring the Reds on Radio. Produced by Cam Miller.

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12. Photo of Leroy Herman in 1930s. The photo is part of a film that features Reds uniforms over the years.

[This is the REAL Easter Egg of this collection — a uniform never worn in regular season play, but worn in pre-season! — PH]

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13. Photo of late 60s Reds jersey, getting ready to go on display at 2018 Reds HOF “Reds Threads” exhibit.

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14. & 15. The June 24, 2016 Reds vs. Padres Throwback game celebrating the 1976 Reds and Pete Rose Reds HOF Induction. Cam Miller recreated the 1970s Riverfront Stadium scoreboard animations for the game, including the “Walks Will Haunt” animation, and the 1970s Riverfront Stadium scoreboard player photos for both teams, including Billy Hamilton.

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16. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring uniforms in the 70s. The photo shows the 1970s era Reds cap.

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17.-19. VIDEO: Over the course of two years, Cam Miller and the Reds HOF used old footage to recreate the 1970s and 1980s Riverfront Stadium scoreboard animations, including the “Bull Pen”, “Ump/Mgr. Argument,” and the “WE WIN” animation played after every Reds win at the stadium. The animations are used for throwback games and other events.

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20. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring uniforms in the 70s. The photo shows the 1970s era Twins patch.

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21. Production still from 2018 Reds HOF Exhibit film featuring baseball in the 70s. The photo shows a recreated Mike Schmidt retro scoreboard matrix element.

22. The June 24, 2016 Reds vs. Padres Throwback game celebrating the 1976 Reds and Pete Rose Reds HOF Induction. Cam Miller recreated the 1970s Riverfront Stadium scoreboard player photos for both teams, including Joey Votto.

• • • • •

Thanks, Cam! Tremendous effort and output — my only regret is that you can’t show the full length docs on the unis! I guess I (we) all need to hit Queen City and check out the Reds Hall of Fame for that.

Don’t worry … it’s on my bucket list.

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Editor’s Note: I worked with Cam on this piece for several weeks and he was a complete gentleman and trooper to work with. Late yesterday afternoon I received a communique from his brother, Chet (also a big fan of Uni Watch) which read (in part) as follows:

Hi Phil,
My brother, Cam (@cammillerfilms) is a huge fan of yours and so I am. I just wanted to inform you that he had an emergency surgery today to install stints in his 100% blocked artery. He is my oldest brother and the reason I am a sports fan. He loves your work and enjoys his, though his endless efforts to be perfect in his baseball films and research no doubt played a role in his heart health. Just want to let you know. Thanks for all you and your coworkers do on your site. It is wonderful and an inspiration for people like my brother.

He went in for an EKG and they recommended an angiogram which led to them taking him for emergency surgery. … He only went to the dr because our father had his second heart attack last summer and a few of his friends at the Reds HOF passed from heart issues. … I have spoken to him tonight and he is sore but well.

I want to thank Chet for letting me know, and I’m just grateful Cam is OK. I asked him if he thought it appropriate if I run today’s column, in light of Cam’s health scare, and he was fine with it. Hopefully Cam is reading this and it picks his spirits up.

We’re all pulling for you and for a swift and speedy recovery! You have a very caring brother and I’m sure the entire Uni Watch community wishes you all the best. — PH

Old Time Base Ball Photos

Readers will recall I featured Ronnie Bolton (who posts on Twitter as @OTBaseballPhoto and who you should definitely follow) earlier this year with some great football played on baseball field photos and writeups. As his twitter handle implies, Ronnie’s specialty is old baseball photos.

I mentioned in that article I’d have Ronnie back periodically, and he returns today. With Cam’s Hall of Fame for a lede, I thought Ron could provide us with a few lookbacks at Cincinnati Ballparks that are no more. As usual, he was game.

Enjoy. Here’s Ronnie:

• • •

League Park, Cincinnati, ca 1895

A wonderful action shot taken at Cincinnati’s League Park. This 3,000-seat ballpark was built in 1884 and originally went by the name American Park. It was home to the Cincinnati Reds, who played in the American Association up to 1890 when they returned to the National League and the ballpark was renamed League Park. After a fire in 1900 damaged a portion of the grandstand, which was common tragedy for the wooden ballparks of that era, a new one was built on the burnt grounds and named Palace of the Fans.

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Palace of the Fans, Cincinnati, ca. 1902

Construction on this majestic looking ballpark with its 22 hand-carved Corinthian columns was started on 1901 and it was opened the following year. But it was only home to the Reds for ten years, mostly because as beautiful as she looked, she was not built to be sturdy and cracked girders, decayed supports and unsafe floors and a fire that damaged most of it led to her demise. Plus its capacity was a mere 6,000. By 1912 the Reds would build a new 20,000-seat ballpark on the same site of the old one and named it Redland Field.

• • •

Thanks, Ronnie. He’ll be back periodically with more wonderful old photos and the backstories that go with them.

And now a few words from Paul: Hi there. Here are a few reminders:

• In case you missed it on Friday, I had a(nother) major announcement about Uni Watch’s future.

• Our latest limited-edition Uni Watch T-shirt, designed by the great Todd Radom, is now available. It comes in a wide range of colors (including deep royal, as shown at right; click to enlarge) and is available from now through next Thursday, March 15. You can order it here. If you want a color that isn’t shown, get in touch and I can take care of you. My thanks, as always, for your consideration.

• I had two ESPN columns this past week — one with the results of the Jags redesign contest and another about notable uniforms in Big East hoops history. Enjoy.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Phil-’er-up!

Your Friendly Reminder…

Most of you (likely) have devices (phones, clocks, dvr’s, etc.) that will automatically “Spring Forward” for Daylight Saving Time — remember there is no “S” at the end of “saving” — as a local television ad for a mattress company once said, “Leave off the last ‘S’ for saving!”, a good reminder that we’re now in the good time of the year.

Despite the fact that it takes my old bones a good two weeks to make up that hour of “lost” sleep, there is nothing better than DST. Living in the eastern end of my time zone, I greatly appreciate the “extra” hour of daylight we’re afforded for the next six-ish months. Yes, I get that those of you who live in the western end of your time zones probably have no use for it (and yes, if you’re an early riser, you probably will wake up in darkness), but there’s nothing better than being able to do something outdoors after work (or after supper as we hit summer). We can’t really do that in the eastern end of the time zone.

The past week, I must have mentioned DST or the “time change” to at least eight or nine people. ALL of them, without fail, said “Oh, that’s this weekend?” or something along those lines. I was really shocked at the lack of knowledge of the loss of sleep. I even had to remind one of my curling clubs about it: In fact, I’m volunteering tomorrow to teach “Learn To Curl” to attendees at my Long Island Club. When I signed up, a while ago, I wasn’t paying attention to the date. We start at 9:30 am (though I need to be there before then), which is really 8:30 for our body clocks, and suffice it to say, I immediately regret my decision — not because I don’t love volunteering and teaching (I do), but because I’m NOT a morning person, and I’ll barely be awake when this event starts. Couple that with the fact that I’m doing my regular Sunday evening curling in Brooklyn AND immediately after that, doing another Learn-To-Curl teaching session there. I’m going to be a walking zombie tomorrow, that’s for sure.

Anyway — in case you own some devices (analog/battery operated clock, watch, car radio, etc.) that don’t automatically “spring” ahead for you — and you haven’t already done it — now’s the time to adjust your time-keeping devices to Daylight Saving Time.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

The Ticker
By Anthony Emerson

Baseball News: The Braves and Yankees went navy-vs-navy in the Grapefruit League (from Patrick Mullican). … Padres catcher Austin Hedges is wearing a spring-loaded concussion-resistant mask (from Chris Fairchild). … Recently, comedian John Hodgman discussed a fan’s ice cream helmet collection on his podcast. Here’s a photo of the amazingly diverse collection (from Kristopher). … The Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League have added a new alternate logo and will wear it on an alternate cap (from Tim Capper). … The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Southern League are having a Scrabble Night on July 15, including wearing these excellent Scrabble caps and one of the most creative jerseys I’ve ever seen (from Blake Pass). … Fans of the 1980s White Sox will appreciate this R&B Brewery cap very, very much (from Chris Mizzoni). … The New Hampshire FisherCats of the Eastern League are wearing a Fleur-de-Lis jersey on June 23 to celebrate New Hampshire’s French culture. Jerseys look kind of Nordiques-esque, no? (thanks, Phil). … UNC softball player Destiny DeBerry got engaged on the diamond after the Heels beat Duke last evening (from James Gilbert).

NFL/CFL News: Miles Filbert sends along this absolutely gorgeous Winnipeg Blue Bombers cardigan. … In an interview with a Dallas radio station, Terry Bradshaw apparently ragged on the Browns’ current uniform set to the show’s host, a Browns fan (from @esqurred).

College/High School Football News: The College of New Jersey’s new helmets feature an outline of the state of New Jersey on the back. And here’s a look at their whole new uniform set (from @FSS_IV). … New owl logo for Rice University (from Michael Thurman). … The official Twitter account of Miami’s equipment staff took a shot at Nike yesterday (from Josh P.).

Hockey News: Odd moment at last night’s Milwaukee Admirals/Chicago Wolves AHL game: both linemen were wearing No. 53 (from Scott McMichael). … Tom Glavine’s men’s league hockey team is called the Lumberjacks, and have some of the best uniforms I’ve ever seen. Even included hairy arms and legs! (from David C. Murphy). … Holy stripes! That’s Beta Theta Pi’s fraternity hockey team at Indiana University (from Lee Wilds).

NBA News: The best looking Jazz jersey of all time is now the best selling Jazz jersey of all-time, and people are going to insane lengths to get their hands on them (from Paul R. Cherrington). … The Texas Legends, the G-League affiliate of the Mavericks, are wearing special “Book It” unis featuring famous authors and books in a sublimated design. Full list of books and authors here (from Ryan Wozniak). … Speaking of special G-League jerseys, the Erie BayHawks “rebranded” as the “Pepperoni Balls” last evening against the Maine Red Claws (thanks, Phil).

College/High School Hoops News: SMU’s Jahmal McMurray was told to remove his long-sleeve undershirt during a game because he did not have proper clearance to wear it from the ACC (from our own Alex Hider). … Also from Alex: Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin wore a pullover in honor of West Virginia’s Bob Huggins. … Kerning catastrophe last night for Wichita State: the “KE” is properly kerned, while the “SH” isn’t (from CB Mallow). … Here’s one for all you sneakerheads out there: UNC’s new kicks are gorgeous, and even include argyle on the sole and “Heels” on the heel (from James Gilbert). … Pickneyville (IL) High has some awesome powder blue and white striped warmup pants (from Jackson White). … In Southland Conference tourney action last night, Nicholls was better seed, but in road blacks. The official explanation to the conference is that the Colonels forgot to pack their home whites (from Chris Mykoskie).

Soccer News: Tunisia’s World Cup kits have been leaked, as has Russia’s away, Mexico’s away and Sweden’s away. … Joining the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, Adidas is producing a fauxback kit for Brazilian side Flamengo. … Adidas is re-releasing Olympique de Marseille’s 1993 kit as sort of a last hurrah before OM moves to Puma. … The new Phoenix Rising FC (@PHXRisingFC) uniforms have been unveiled (from Brad Denny).

Grab Bag: The Field Museum in Chicago is changing its logo (from Anthony Zogas). … Will Scheibler bought the Kickstarter reboot of the 1974 CBC graphic standards manual, and sent along 10 pics from it! … Last night, CBS Sunday Morning’s Facebook page posted a link to a 1988 video on curling. Highly recommended (from Marc A. Rivlin).

Once again, my great thanks and well wishes on a speedy recovery to Cam Miller. God Speed my friend.