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In case you hadn’t heard, the Seahawks picked linebacker Shaquem Griffin in the fifth round of the NFL draft. That move will reunite him with his twin brother, cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who was drafted by Seattle a year earlier.
And that presents an interesting question that a bunch of people have asked me about: What will the Seahawks do about the Griffins’ NOBs?
As I see it, they have four options:
1. They could use the first and last letters of the brothers’ first names, which results in SM. GRIFFIN and SL. GRIFFIN. That’s what UCF did when the brothers played together there (see above).
2. They could go with first initials and middle initials. For example, Shaquem’s middle name is Alphonso, so he could wear S.A. GRIFFIN. (I haven’t been able to determine what Shaquill’s middle name is; if it starts with an A, this option wouldn’t work.)
3. They could go FNOB. Given the number of letters involved, it would probably need to be double-decker, like the Youngbloods.
4. They could skip all of this hand-wringing and both just wear GRIFFIN. There’s no rule against it. Given the trend toward personalization and individual expression, however, I’d say this is the least likely option.
I’ll check in with the Seahawks today and see if I can find out more. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the Griffins’ hair appears to be even longer now that it was in that UCF photo at the top of the page, which means their NOBs will likely be covered up anyway.
(My thanks to Jon Solomonson for the UCF photo.)
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Collector’s Corner
By Brinke Guthrie
The Chicago Bears have always tried to project a fierce image, which is totally appropriate given the rough and tumble nature of their city and the team’s name. And it doesn’t get much more fierce than the cover of this 1951 media guide. Interesting how it says “Thirty Second Year” (they used similar notations for other editions, too). Also shown, although not so fierce, is the 1967 guide, and the player looks a lot like Brian Piccolo (or Jimmy Caan) to me.
Now for the rest of this week’s picks:
• Nice batch of 25 late-1970s NFL Fleer helmet stickers here.
• Terrific-looking artwork on the cover of this 1972 California Angels official scorebook magazine. Just 40¢! Plenty of money left for a hot dog and Coke, right? Leo Cardenas and his teammates took on the Chicago White Sox at the Big A.
• Here we go with a pair of 1980s “double” Saranac Green Bay Packers wristbands.
• Looks like Ray Guy, Eric Dickerson, and Lynn Swann (sort of) on this set of NFL bedsheets from Sears.
• This booklet is from the early-1970s game NFL Strategy. I loved this because it had CONFIDENTIAL stamped across the front.
• Here’s the best price I’ve seen for the complete set off 1971 NFL Chiquita stickers. Boy, I once saw a set of these in a nice black frame. Missed opportunity for sure.
• Great YAZ baseball logo on this poster for Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski.
• Cheer on the World Champion Astros (well, they weren’t back in ’89) with this pair of 22-ounce plastic cups from Gatorade.
• Also from Gatorade, this plastic pitcher featuring the Chicago Cubs logo — year unknown.
• Here’s a Kansas City Royals “prize pack,” including a 1970 roster, stadium chart, sticker and schedule, and a 1972 yearbook.
• And longtime reader/commenter Rob S. is selling off a pair of hockey jerseys — one from the Detroit Vipers and one from the University of Michigan.
Seen an item on eBay that would be good for Collector’s Corner? Send any submissions here. Also, if you’re an employer who needs an experienced media and communications professional, Brinke is available. More info here.
Yet another raffle: Another week, another giveaway from our friends at Ebbets Field Flannels. This time they’re raffling off this excellent Fort Worth Cats T-shirt.
To enter, send an email with your preferred T-shirt size and your shipping address to the raffle address by 7pm Eastern this Sunday, May 6. One entry per person. I’ll announce the winner next Monday.
Also, if you scroll down to the bottom of any Ebbets web page (including that one with the Cats shirt), there’s a link where you can get on their email list. Feel free to sign up if you like.
Some swell words from a swell guy: The podcast/radio show Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, which is a big deal in certain circles, usually devotes the last five minutes or so of each episode to what it calls the “Outshot,” which is basically a recommendation of something cool.
Last night I was surprised and pleased to learn that the Outshot on the show’s latest episode is a full-throated endorsement of Uni Watch. I had no idea this was coming, and I’m hoping it brings Uni Watch to the attention of a whole new audience.
If you want to listen to the Outshot, it’s embedded below. And Jesse, if you’re reading this, thanks for the plug!
Reminders and such: In case you missed it last week, you can help to support Uni Watch by entering the auction for a full set of 2015 Uni Watch T-Shirt Club shirts in a custom-made box (shown at right). Full details here.
Also: Bobblehead doll restoration artist extraordinaire Chris Callan is willing to make custom Uni Watch bobbles for a limited number of customers. One customer has already placed an order, which leaves two slots remaining. Full details here.
The Ticker
By Alex Hider
Baseball News: The Phillies have had so many issues with their 3D helmet logos that they’ve decided to scrap them altogether and go back to traditional decals. … Pirates OF Gregory Polanco was wearing Jackie Robinson Day socks last night (from Jared Grubbs). … The Indians paired their home whites with their red “Block C” cap and red accessories on Sunday. Is this the first time they’ve worn that combo? (From Ben Teaford.) … The Fenway Park scoreboard used “K-City” for Kansas City last night. That’s apparently a first — they had previously used “KC” (from Joseph Butash). … The A’s wore black shoes, instead of their usual white, in a June 15, 1969, game against the Red Sox. Anyone know why? (From Richard Paloma.) … The Charleston RiverDogs will wear Jamaican bobsled team-themed jerseys on Thursday. … The Aberdeen IronBirds will dress up as the “Anglers” on July 27 and 28 for Outdoor Weekend. … The Omaha Storm Chasers will wear Star Wars jerseys on Friday (from Jeff Funke). … The West Virginia Black Bears will become the West Virginia Moonshiners on July 17-19 (from @cDubya242). … The Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League wore “Sky Festa” jerseys recently (from Graveyard Baseball). … St. John’s uniforms include the New York skyline sublimated in the wordmark and numbers (from Kevin Schultz). … Marshall players will wear camo caps with the seals of the branches of the military this weekend (from @RL_Ely). … An Oregon State baseball fan has worn Beavers apparel for more than 6,300 straight days (from Jeremy Brahm). … Alma College — which goes by the Scots — makes nice use of tartan in its letterings and numbers (from Fred Kreiger). … As a proud Ohio University alum I think I love these wild candy-striped uniforms. It doesn’t look like they’ve worn them yet on the field — any Bobcats fans out there know what’s going on with these? … New summer uniforms for the Hanshin Tigers (from Max G.). … Blue Jays P Aaron Loup had to trade in his light-colored glove for a darker model before beginning to pitch last night. Pitchers aren’t allowed to have white or light-colored gloves because they could blend in with the ball (from Jimmy Lonetti).
NFL News: The Bengals are replacing the FieldTurf at Paul Brown Stadium and will be slightly tweaking the end zone design and midfield logo. … Staying in the jungle, former QB Ken Anderson wore a grey facemask, instead of black, in 1982. Looks like they either didn’t repaint his mask or the paint chipped off (from Pro Football Journal). … Pro Football Journal also tweeted a nice progression of how of TV numbers took over the 49ers sleeves in the 1970s. … Speaking of the Niners and Bengals, Brent Light caught an old episode of Family Feud featuring a Super Bowl rematch from 1989, with Bengals and Niners players as contestants — in really lame replica jerseys. … NFL 2K5, a video game from 2004, includes the option to dress the Dolphins in a never-worn navy jersey (from Brad Belstock). … Raiders owner Mark Davis was in Las Vegas to visit the construction site of the team’s new stadium. If you look closely at the guy on the left, you can see that his hard hat has a Raiders logo with the crossed swords replaced by a pickaxe and shovel (good spot by Moe Khan). … Grayson High School in Georgia manages to poach elements from the Rams and Packers on its uniform (from Keenan Soto). … 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo showed up at last night’s San Jose Sharks NHL playoff game and wore a Sharks jersey (from Brinke).
College Football News: The NCAA is cracking down on jersey and equipment rules. Among the newly-banned looks: bicycle shorts, long undershirts and exposed backplates (from Matthew Althoff). … Virginia Tech freshman QB Quincy Patterson will wear No. 4 for the Hokies (from Andrew Cosentino).
Hockey News: Uniforms using imagery inspired by the Maryland flag aren’t limited to recent history (or to Under Armour). Case in point: Back in 1940, there was a hockey team called the Baltimore Orioles, whose jersey crest was clearly flag-based (from Michael Reis and @NHLhistorygirl). … Cross-listed from the NFL section: San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo wore a Sharks jersey for last night’s playoff game in San Jose (from Brinke).
NBA News: The Warriors released more renderings of their new arena planned in the Mission Bay district of San Francisco. … He’s no Rip Hamilton: Sixers star Joel Embiid can’t wait to get rid of his protective mask (from Mike Chamernik). … The uni schedule for the Rockets/Jazz series has been set. More info on the NBA’s LockerVision site. … Did the Celtics troll the Lakers with their T-shirt giveaway at last night’s playoff game against Philadelphia? (From Dave Levy). … Grizz Gaming of the NBA 2K League have unveiled their home court (from Shlomo Sprung). … Celtics G Terry Rozier appeared to have a smudge on his NOB during last night’s playoff game against the 76ers. Here’s another view (from Nick Wiskirchen).
Soccer News: Everton have released their 2018-19 home jersey. They’ll wear it for the first time this weekend (from Mark Coale). … Just like the MLS did on Earth Day, Tottenham wore black-and-white kits made of recycled materials last night. Fortunately, they only wore them during warmups (from our own Jamie Rathjen). … Nicolás Caprio, a goalkeeper for Ferro de General Pico in Argentina’s third division, wears the “Homer Simpson backing into the bushes” meme on his goalkeepers kit (from Phil). … Rafa Marquez, one of the most decorated players in the history of Mexican soccer, played his final game for Atlas last weekend, and the club’s supporters group raised a giant banner of him at the game (from Josh Hinton). … New kits for 2018-19 for Doncaster Rovers FC of English League One (from Ed Zelaski).
Grab Bag: Reader Pete Morelewicz is a graphic designer who’s made some interesting prints based on fields, courts, and other sports surfaces. … The University of North Dakota is letting students vote on the school’s new Fighting Hawk mascot. Polls close Wednesday (from Brandon Baumgartner). … The National Lacrosse League has a new championship trophy (from Wade Heidt). … Woodford Reserve bourbon is releasing a specially-labeled bottle in honor of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby (from James Gilbert). … The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is changing its logo from this to something a bit more traditional (from Manzell). … Dale Earnhardt Jr. had something to say about whether car numbers should slant forward or backward (from @squish78).
The Packers, who aren’t all that much into personalization and individual expression, went simply with “Rodgers” when QB Aaron Rodgers and TE Richard Rodgers were on the roster together the last three seasons.
Right — there are lots of examples of teams/players that have skipped the first initial (Tom/Kyle Brady, e.g.).
But the Griffins feel different, in part because they’re twins, in part because their first names are so similar, and in part because they played together and had their own NOB style in college.
Regarding Ken Anderson, his facemask was painted black at the beginning of the 1980 season (when the Bengals as a team switched from gray facemasks to black). They adopted the iconic striped helmet in 1981, but apparently didn’t repaint Anderson’s facemask, and by the 1981 playoffs it was pretty beat up:
11/2/1980 – black facemask, old helmet design: link
1981 playoffs – new helmet design, getting scratched up: link
11/28/1982 – black paint almost all gone, bare metal showing: link
The NFL Rule used to be that each nameplate needed to be unique.
The Ravens at one point had “R. LEWIS”, “JA. LEWIS”, and “JE. LEWIS”. Jamal switched to “J. LEWIS” after Jermaine left, but Ray kept “R. LEWIS” for his entire career.
This rule was changed when the Patriots drafted Kyle Brady the NFL changed the rule about duplicate name plates. This is similar to when RG3 was drafted, which is when they started allowing suffixes.
I think it was even link that brought this to my attention back in 2008.
Kyle Brady was drafted by the Jets.
The Steelers have never had anything but a last name since they first put names on backs in 1970. So, no, it was never a rule.
As you noted when there was a feature on this several weeks ago, the first initial thing is pretty moot, as the number already differentiates the players from each other. Not sure why the NFL doesn’t just have a standard policy on this.
I seem to recall the Arizona Cardinals having a Rod and Rob Smith on their team at some point in the 90s, and they did the same as the Rams did with the Youngbloods.
“Number 10 in your program, number 1 in your heart.”
Correction, it was Rob Moore and Ron Moore, in 1997.
Re: my item in soccer, Tottenham said both teams last night would be wearing those shirts, but I hadn’t seen Watford’s when I submitted it.
Here’s Watford’s. It’s white. You may not be surprised.
link
Also, I’m not aware of any indication that this will extend to any other PL games.
Terry Rozier wore a Drew Bledose jersey before and after last night’s game against The Sixers, but I don’t recall the Patriots ever weating this exact style with that font…?
link
Correct, when they switched to that font they went with the over-sized logos one the shoulders rather than sleeves.
I could be wrong, but I believe that’s a retail replica from the mid-90s, around the time of the change.
I think you’re right. I had a retail replica made by Starter with logos on the shoulders as Greg described.
I noticed that this one has a Logo Athletic jock tag, who made the jersey different for unknown reasons?
The Baltimore hockey crest LIKE the Maryland flag is based on the crest of Lord Baltimore. link
RE: the Griffin dilemma…..
This is why the NFL must start allowing NickNOB!!
“They Hate Us”
Shaquil wears #26 (DB). Shaquim should wear #62 (as an LB).
AS Roma are having a similar issue with youth player Luca Pellegrini coming up while they already have Lorenzo Pellegrini in the squad. It seems like Luca will wear L. Pellegrini while Lorenzo will stay with just Pellegrini, likely based on seniority
link
link
Wow, those Family Feud jerseys look bad with those Helvetica Black numbers. They really couldn’t find some generic varsity block numbers to use? The jerseys would look alright otherwise. And I miss those Bengals tiger-stripe shoulder loops. (That’d probably be a challenge to pull off with Nike’s modern jersey construction.)
At the time of that Family Feud episode, no NFL team used that type of number font. Sadly, several teams now do have fonts that look almost that bad. Can we blame Family Feud for this trend?
The fonts aren’t as bad as the placement on the uniforms, well above where you would usually see the numbers on the uniform. Was it crucial for the numbers to be placed above the table where the contestants stood?
But isn’t it sad that the Family Feud Bengal jerseys are better than what they are wearing now?
The first player I saw was Boomer and his jersey looked right. Remember they used to have a font with 7’s like that? The Saints and Bills also used it. Does anyone know what it was called?
The Ticker item on Blue Jays P Aaron Loup trading in his light-colored glove makes me wonder why he had a light colored glove to begin with. A Google images search shows he’s used a number of different colors in the past. Did someone simply complain this time?
I can’t find a photo with both of them, but when the UT Longhorns football team had their own set of Griffin twins, they went with MI. GRIFFIN for Michael and MA. GRIFFIN for Marcus.
Hi Paul, just caught up on yesterday’s post– congrats to you and the Captain! Moving here in the city is always a big deal, but I can’t imagine moving 20-odd years of stuff (and memories)!
Might I respectfully inquire about the apartment you plan to vacate? I love what I’ve seen on UW of your outdoor space; I love my rooftop too but a little bit of earth would be nice!
Thanks!
Thanks, Jonathan. Too soon to say about the apartment — I suspect my landlords may want to put a little time and money into improving it. I’ll tell more when I know more.
I hear ya, sounds good appreciate the note. Enjoy this beautiful May Day of ours I think we’re in the clear!
1969 A’s-Red Sox. My guess is that the A’s white cleats were not available for whatever reason, and the Red Sox supplied them with cleats.
Does the NFL a rule against the Griffins going first-name-only on their jerseys?
Yes.
I think that’s Lou Piniella on the cover of the Royals seating chart pamphlet.
Is there some reason the Griffins’ jersey sare pulled upward to reveal the hideous maker’s name on that back pad?
Maybe they could put each of their first names there instead.
Exposing the backplate has become “a thing” in college ball lately. By coincidence, it’s also one of the things that’s called out as a violation by the NCAA in one of today’s Ticker items.
“As a proud Ohio University alum I think I love these wild candy-striped uniforms. It doesn’t look like they’ve worn them yet on the field — any Bobcats fans out there know what’s going on with these?”
If you look closely on those, you can see a Russell maker’s mark, dating them to before this season. Asking around here on campus, it appears that they were an alternate from around three years ago that the Bobcats thought about wearing, but never did. Doubt they’ll pull them out of the closet now that Adidas has the contract, but it’d be fun to see those on the field.
They have worn Russell road grays at points this season — apparently they get some leeway as its the first year of the Adidas contract. Hopefully some of the social buzz pushes them to break them out in the final few weeks or the MAC Tourney.
link
On their pre-1961 scoreboard, the Red Sox used “K.-CITY” with a period AND a hyphen…
link
Paul – you may want to see if the Phillies scrapped the 3D logo on their Sunday helmets. I checked this past Sunday’s game and there were players using the 3D helmet logo.
BTW – I was the one who pointed out inconsistencies in the 3D logo usuage for the Phillies on their Sunday helmets.
Am I the only one who thinks adding extra names/initials is unnecessary since the numbers are different? I mean the “Jack” and “Jim” Youngblood name plates are sorta neat, but really, EVERYONE knew HOFer Jack Youngblood was #85 and they weren’t even related!
Here’s the thing: If you’re going to say, “You can tell the difference by the numbers,” isn’t that really an argument against the very concept of NOBs? If all you need are numbers, then scrap the NOBs altogether.
I don’t necessarily disagree with that point of view. But if we’re going to have NOBs, I don’t see anything wrong with discussing the different formats.
That was the first time the Indians wore the red cap with the home whites. Cleveland allows the starting pitcher to select the uniform. Kluber, Carrasco, & Clevinger go with the midnight navy alts at home and on the road. Trevor Bauer almost always chooses the home whites and road grays. Josh Tomlin has been the wild card. For two seasons he was the only reason we ever saw the Sunday cream alts with the red caps. He usually goes midnights on the road but this was a new one. Danny Salazar was the only pitcher to opt for the red cap last year and that was with the midnight alt.
I’ve got one word for these American Association Chicago Dogs uniforms that were just revealed: link
Woof is right! This hurts as a Chicagoan…
Curious as to what’s wrong with them, exactly. They take a hot dog theme and use it throughout the uniform, which is what minor league teams do.
The Arizona Cardinals had John Brown and Jaron Brown — both wide receivers and no relation — on the squad for the last couple of seasons. Both just wore Brown on their jerseys.
Love the Bullseye shoutout!
Hi Paul. Day late on cheers up to a move to a new abode. Crazy that two replies yesterday trying to get pole position for your soon to be old apartment. I’m a little older than you. Grew up in/around NYC/Nassau/Suffolk. Living arrangements for as long as I’ve been on the planet have always been tricky in the city.
Tricky indeed. And man, I really hate moving. But at least I don’t have to find a new place — already know where I’m going, and it’s a great setup. Very happy about it.
There might be a a Uni Watch version of the Seinfeld Andrea Doria episode coming up.
If that is the case, those who endured the Islanders’ “Fish Sticks” uniform as season ticker holders may earn enough sympathy from the landlords to win out on the apartment.
When the Broncos had DJ and Darrent Williams, they both went Full NOB, which resulted in Darrent Williams having a very long nameplate. link
There’s another option: what the Broncos did in 1991 with the Widell brothers (both offensive linemen): smaller letters for the first name. See: link
What did marcus and markieff morris do when they played together with the Suns?
Regarding the Celtics tees, please note that the whole “BEAT L.A.” chant thing started at the 1982 Eastern Finals when the Sixers beat the Celts in seven. So it’s not as much a troll on the Lakers as it may seem.
We enjoy the BEAT LA chant in SF, too.
3-D helmet logo. Validation of the Design edict: “Just because you CAN do a thing, doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it”.
Those Umbro logos on Everton’s sleeves are awful, particularly considering they don’t appear to go all the way around.
Props to the NCAA for taking initial steps toward dealing with the pants and jersey issues. Wondering what the penalties will be for violators?