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Another Year Around the Sun

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Today is my birthday. March 21st, 3-2-1. I’ve always loved how that bookends my father’s birthday of January 23rd, 1-2-3.

Speaking of my father, and with apologies to those who’ve already heard this story, here’s my annual birthday tale: Forty-six years ago today, when I turned nine years old, my outdoor birthday party was rained out and I was pretty inconsolable. My father, thinking quickly said, “Oh, don’t you know? Rain on your birthday is a sign of good luck in the year to come!” — a very sweet lie that he made up on the spot. He was really good at saying Just the Right Thing at moments like that.

Ever since then, with one exception (2008), no matter where I’ve been on my birthday, it has rained. Or snowed (which it did last year). And one time it hailed (which was actually quite exciting, because I figured it meant extra-good luck). And sure enough, you can see what sort of weather we’re due to have here in New York today. I couldn’t be happier.

Despite the nasty weather, I’ll be out and about today. The Tugboat Captain is taking me to this amazing-looking exhibit at the Guggenheim, and then if there’s time we’ll also check out this exhibit at the Museum of Sex. Later on we’ll meet our friend Carrie for drinks, and then we’ll meet up with about a dozen pals for a celebratory feast at an Asian seafood restaurant. (One thing about having shitty weather on your birthday is that you really appreciate how great your friends are when they trudge through the crummy conditions to celebrate with you.)

As for how old I’m turning, if you look closely at today’s entry you might be able to figure it out. Most people say I look much younger than my age. As I always tell them, it helps to be very immature. (It helps even more, I’m pretty sure, to work at home and not have any kids.) More importantly, I feel younger than my age. Happily, there’s a good jersey photo for that as well:

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It happens every year: It’s a pretty well-established annual tradition for the MLB All-Star Game BP jerseys to leak via a video game right around this time of year. And sure enough, that appears to be the case this year as well.

If anyone can provide larger/high-res images, please do.

(My thanks to Jesse, who didn’t give his last name, for these.)

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A bit much (literally): Archbishop McNicholas High in Cincinnati proudly tweeted their 2019 uniform combos yesterday. Jeez, ya think they have enough options? I’m a fan of the color combo, obviously, and even more so of the striped stirrups, but come on. Plus they appear to have poached Toledo’s logo, which is not cool.

McNicholas is a private school, so there are no school tax issues here. Still, it seems a bit absurd for a high school team to have six different jerseys, no? Jeez.

Just to be clear, I’m not criticizing the kids. But ya have to wonder about some of the adults.

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ITEM! Sock update: Look what we have here — a big carton full of Uni Watch socks! They arrived yesterday from Rock ’Em Socks (a week earlier than promised, which is pretty amazing) and I’ve begun bagging and shipping them for people who already pre-ordered.

In case you’ve forgotten, here’s a better view of how they look (click to enlarge):

I love that they’re hosiery with a depiction of hosiery. Very meta!

If you want a pair, the price is $13.99 plus $3 shipping, so the total is $16.99.

If you want two pairs, the shipping is $4, for a total of $31.98.

If you want more than two pairs, get in touch and I’ll quote you a price.

Here’s how to order:

1. Send the appropriate payment to me. I accept Venmo (use @Paul-Lukas-2 as the payee), Zelle (use plukas64@gmail.com; if you’re not familiar with Zelle, your bank’s website probably offers it under “Payments” and/or “Transfers”), and the Cash App (plukas64@gmail.com).

Sorry, no PayPal (a long, annoying story). If you prefer to send a paper check, get in touch and I’ll tell you where to send it.

2. After sending payment, please email me with your shipping address.

Kudos to Harrison Hall and Brad Stafford at Rock ’Em Socks for making this happen, and my thanks to everyone, as always, for considering our products.

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ITEM! T-shirt update: As promised, we now have a white version of the diagonal-lettered shirt, in addition to the two green ones I showed yesterday (click to enlarge):

Here’s where you can order the white shirt, as well as the green on with gold letters and the green one with white letters.

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rafflet ticket by ben thoma.jpg

LAST CALL for this week’s raffle: Today is the final day to enter the Homefield Apparel raffle. Two lucky Uni Watch readers will each get to choose any item from Homefield’s site.

To enter, send an email to the raffle address by 7pm Eastern tonight. Actually, I’ll be out doing birthday stuff then, so you can enter until I get home, which will probably be pretty late-ish. One entry per person. I’ll announce the winners tomorrow, assuming I’m not too wrecked from tonight’s festivities.

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Auction results: The winner of the one-of-a-kind Chisox-inspired jersey made by Wafflebored is reader Jim Kohler, who bid $150 (for which he’ll also get a handy pair of Uni Watch-colored scissors, in case he wants to go all Chris Sale on the jersey, although we’re hoping that never happens).

Wafflebored and I will split the revenue evenly. I’m grateful to him for sharing his DIY gift with Uni Watch as a way of supporting the site, and I’m also grateful to everyone who bid. Thank you!

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The Ticker
By Paul

’Skins Watch: While any mention or use of blackface is sure to spark outrage, Native Americans have found that the fight against redface is a tougher fight (from Jason Hillyer). … Although Chief Wahoo has been retired, the Indians are still expecting protests from Native American activists on Opening Day.

Baseball News: Cue the John Olerud references: Anderson University apparently has a first baseman who wears a helmet in the field (from Jake Tilley). … BeeYOOteeful stirrups yesterday for Mariners P Matt Festa. … Here’s a rare sight: Joe DiMaggio wearing No. 18 for a spring training game in 1936. “He would wear No. 9 during the ’36 regular season before switching to No. 5 the following year,” says Bruce Menard. “As far as I can tell, nobody has ever mentioned him wearing 18 before, so it might be kind of a historical uni find.” … Some Hispanics in Michigan feel that the Lansing Lugnuts’ planned Spanish-language makeover as the Lansing Locos is disrespectful. … Everything Is Alive is a podcast in which inanimate objects are interviewed. The latest episode is an interview with a Montreal Expos cap. About four minutes in, he even refers to his squatchee! (From Dan Cichalksi and Bob Whitmore.) … Here’s some great 1950s footage of the Toronto Maple Leafs — a minor league ballclub, not the hockey team (from Charlie Kranz). … I still call it Everett Memorial Stadium (from John Przebieglec). … Whoa, check out this infographic showing the uni combo worn for every game by the 1979 Pirates (from Steve Vanderpool).

NFL News: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has signed an endorsement deal with Oakley, so the company set him up with this Oakley helmet (from @FIDLAR817). … Former Washington RB Clinton Portis doesn’t want newly acquired DB Landon Collins to wear the late Sean Taylor’s number. … The photos aren’t great, but here are some Eagles golf carts. … FNOB alert! That’s Jerry Moore of the 1971 Bears, who also had Joe Moore on the roster. Pretty sure I hadn’t seen that one until Bill Kellick sent it in last night.

College Football News: Reader Clint Richardson’s decade-by-decade look at Auburn uniform history has now reached the 2000s. … Jason Hillyer found an old book about Big 10 football with an endearingly simple cover design featuring football helmet icons. Only ten teams in the Big Ten — what a concept.

Hockey News: The logo for next season’s Winter Classic has been unveiled. … The Blackhawks are getting a new scoreboard (from Griffin Smith). … Roughly two-thirds of NHL players would like to wear nickNOBs for a game or two. That’s from this poll (from @CB36044187). … The Blues had seven goals from four different players two nights ago, and they all had a 7 in their uni number (from Marty Hick).

NBA News: Sixers G/F Ben Simmons wrote “Egg Boy” on his sneakers two nights ago as a shout-out to the Aussie kid who egged a government legislator in the wake of the New Zealand terror attack (from Mike Chamernik). … Someone at ESPN apparently can’t tell the Sixers from the Pistons. … With Heat G Dwyane Wade on his farewell tour, the Spurs gave him Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili jerseys last night. … Christian Wood will wear No. 35 for the Pelicans. … The Thunder retired Nick Collison’s No. 4 last night. “He is OKC’s first retired number, but the franchise still has six retired numbers from the Sonics days,” notes Mike Chamernik. “But they haven’t added any numbers since the move in 2008, so the franchise’s most memorable player, Gary Payton, has yet to have his number retired.”

College Hoops News: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is doing its annual March Madness-style beer bracket, complete with basketball jersey-themed graphics (from Jon Obermoller). … Abilene Christian coach Joe Golding will be coaching today’s game against Kentucky with a split pair of pants. … Both of last night’s NCAA play-in games — North Dakota State vs. NC Central and Arizona State vs. St. John’s — were color vs. color (from John Bedell). .. .Speaking of NDSU, their coach coached in a T-shirt to support an pediatric cancer patient (from Vince Guardado).

Soccer News: Inaugural uniforms for the Lansing Ignite. … England’s Women’s Super League now has a naming-rights advertiser for next season (from our own Jamie Rathjen). … Also from Jamie: “In Scotland, Aberdeen right-back Shay Logan had his bachelor party (‘stag do,’ as it’s called) and was forced to dress up, in full kit, as Celtic midfielder Scott Brown. Logan has had several on-field clashes with Celtic players, including Brown.” … New kits for Albania (from Ed Zelaski).

Grab Bag: Baylor is planning a uni-related event on April 13. … New logo and league name for former Senior B Lacrosse in Ontario (from Michael Sullivan). … Speaking of lacrosse, here’s another case of a teen who can’t play because his head is too big for any of the available helmets. … New Yorkers can vote on the logo for the city’s privately owned public spaces. … New logo for music streaming service Pandora. … Police uniforms in Leechburg, Pa., are getting new patches. … A New Zealand girls’ school has banned students from wearing hijabs — a stunner considering recent events in that country. … Gucci has launched a sneaker that’s designed to look dirty right out of the box and costs only $870 (blame Jason Hillyer). … The New Mexico Public Education Dept. is running a design contest for its new logo. … New uniforms for the Japanese women’s table tennis team (from Jeremy Brahm). … Also from Jeremy: Honda F1 team staff (not the Red Bull team) will wear ASICS gear for the next two years. … Here’s what some of the elite male and female runners will be wearing in next month’s Boston Marathon (from Skott Daltonic).

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Bonus birthday shout-out to reader Tyler Evans, who was born on this date in 1982, and to anyone else who’s celebrating today. 3-2-1!

 
  
 
Comments (52)

    Happy Birthday Paul…

    and a great day to get your art appreciation on… abstract style

    I hope you enjoyed the Guggenheim. A family emergency had me in Brooklyn in December, and the S.O. and I used our one bit of free time to trek into the city to take this exhibit in. It was gorgeous.

    Happy birthday Paul, I’ll be 55 the first week in December…it seems so surreal because when I was a kid I thought 55 was really old! Thankfully, I dont’t think that way anymore. I was a little worried that you didn’t have any Mets wearing 55 in the lede graphic, but all was right with the world when I saw the last image. Have a great birthday!

    Happy birthday whippersnapper!

    Great to see the pic of Chris Hanburger. I still remember misreading his name as “Hamburger” which I thought was hilarious at the time (ca 1970).

    Growing up a ‘Skins fan, I too was happy see Hanburger as I scrolled down that montage. :^)

    Happy birthday Paul

    Re: Chicago stadium clock, they should go retro, and install this. I remember listening to many Canadiens games on the radio in the early 70’s, they use to play a lot of Sunday night games in Chicago, and the radio commentator would often say something to the effect it was “very hard to tell how much time was left in the period”, that and how “the attendance will be announced as 16,666, there are a whole more fans jammed into the stadium” -all this as the Chicago organ played.

    link:

    “…we’ll also check out this exhibit at the Museum of Sex. Later on we’ll meet our friend Carrie for drinks…” That totally sounds like you’re in an episode of Sex and the City… Anyway, Happy (rainy) Birthday!

    That box of sox looks like little bundles of pot seized in a drug bust!

    Happy Birthday, Paul (from someone about to LEAVE the 55 club!)!

    Happy birthday, Paul! As a number, 55 is one of the most aesthetically pleasing to me. I love the shapes of a well-crafted digit 5, with its combination of straight lines, increasingly acute angles from top to bottom, and a sweeping curve as an anchor. And a 5 fills its space nicely, so that it’s the rare digit that looks balanced paired with itself as 55. Enjoy this unusually attractively numbered year! Plus, 55 qualifies you for most senior curling events!

    It was interesting to see all the different 55s as I photo-hunted for today’s splash image. The most satisfying one seemed to be Tim Lincecum’s — big numerals, NNOB. That’s why I put that one in the middle!

    You would think, as much as I love the number 22 (that and 8 were my first favorite numbers as a youngster), that I’d feel the same about 55. Depending on the font, sometimes they’re almost the same, just inverted. I don’t get the same feeling, though. It seems a little clunky to me. So do 56 and 58, but 54, 57 and 59 look a little…I don’t know…faster? Sleeker?

    “The Blues had seven goals from seven different players two nights ago, and they all had a 7 in their uni number”

    Only 4 different players scored the 7 goals.

    Maroon 7, Schwartz 17 (Scored 3), Pietrangelo 27, Perron 57 (Scored twice)

    The article about NJ high school football uniforms actually shows high schools from Staten Island, NY.

    I also like to tell people it’s good luck for it to rain on your birthday, it’s an easy nice thing to say. But I was recently informed that it’s an old Russian Jewish superstition: link

    I think it’s a nice story whether it’s based on quick thinking or heritage.

    And of course I now realize that link doesn’t actually say anything about rain on birthdays. D’oh.

    Hate what the politician in NZ said, but what egg boy did is just flat out wrong. Didn’t like the politicians response by hitting back, but by celebrating this kid will only encourage more acts like this.

    Happy Birthday, Paul! Enjoy your day.

    Keep these words from a 71 year old in mind: “We are young only once, but we can be immature FOREVER!”

    Happy Birthday!

    It’s my son’s 2nd birthday today; hopefully he grows up to get it.

    Happy birthday Paul!
    The reference in the Skins Watch article re. Boy Scouts and ‘Order of the Arrow” reminded me if how I felt when my mother told me she had found my OA costume she had created. I thought how bizarre it was it to have US boys participate in a special society where you dress up and participate in faux cultural activities of a people who your country almost eradicated in genocide. The image crossed my mind of German Boy Scouts not in OA but in OyVey dressing up like Hassidic Jews. It’s just as offensive. …hmmm….and i still have my son’s “Indian Guides” vest….

    Re: Lansing Lugnuts/Locos

    Lowriders ain’t a bad idea. Another one of the 72 teams is using that moniker.

    I like the Reno Hearts (Corazones) jersey — a very fancy Astros copy. But they’re not being sold in the team store. Want!

    Happy Birthday Paul!

    Small typo in Grab Bag. I believe it should read “police uniforms in…” not “policy”.

    Cheers to you and this fun community you’ve helped pull together.

    Happy birthday!!
    Also regarding the HS baseball team with the Oregon unis (lol)..The kids want the different looks these days (shit I did too we just didnt get them back in the day) I know of some youth football teams with 4 or 5 new uniforms every season.

    Happy Birthday Paul. You’ve given us all a gift for years and we’re appreciative for it.

    I hope when I hit double nickels, I have as much youth and energy as you seem to do.

    The birthday date bookend with your father is really cool.

    My Sister, Father, Daughter have back to back to back Bdays which I find to be really cool as well.

    Happy birthday, Paul!

    My mom has a 3-2-1 birthday today (79th) and my daughter and son-in-law have a 3-2-1 wedding anniversary today (5th).

    Happy 55th Paul!

    I get that the Cincinnati school is private but man, what a waste of money on all those uni combos for a high school baseball team.

    I would imagine Cleveland will see protests at the All Star game this year too. The Indians can stop wearing Wahoo caps and stop selling Wahoo merch online (oddly New Era is still selling it) but if the Dolans thought the issue was going to go away they were wrong.

    Happy birthday Paul!

    I’ve always felt a kinship to your birthday as I was born March 12th! (although, 3-1-2 is not as interesting a pattern as 3-2-1) And I totally relate to the rainy birthday scenario. March is a rainy month in Southern California and has done so on most of my birthdays.

    It is better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow
    than to spend tonight like there’s no money.

    Lá Breithe Shona dhuit, Paul!

    Lee

    Happy Birthday, Paul!

    And as a friend of mine said many years ago, “It’s not rain – it’s liquid sunshine.”

    But I like your Dad’s idea better … :-)

    Happy Birthday, Paul!

    Today is World Down Syndrome Day. I would have never known that, except that our daughter was born with the most common Down Syndrome variant. She has Trisomy 21, which means there she has three copies of the 21st chromosome, instead of the usual two.

    We worked a uni-related triviality into this. When our daughter played tee ball, she wore number 3. Our son wanted to honor her, so whenever he could request a jersey number, he would wear 21. Then, when I started amassing a wardrobe of uniform shirts to umpire Little League games, I always had a 3 sewn on the sleeve.

    Happy Birthday!

    McNicholas is a private school, so there are no school tax issues here. Still, it seems a bit absurd for a high school team to have six different jerseys, no?

    Public, private…that’s absurd for any school in any sport!

    LOVE the ’79 Pirates infographic. Now I know the Bucs wore one of my favorite combos on my birthday. And they won, too, which is doubly sweet.

    Too bad the Bucs got away from mixing up the stripes at this point. Didn’t realize in their final year that those jerseys and pants were only worn with each other.

    Happy 55th Paul!!
    That was my number throughout my minor baseball days! Blue & white uni’s with Foldens scripted on the front and the number was so big it covered my whole back, but it was the number I chose and I was so proud of it!! Cheers

    Happy birthday Paul! The helmet Pat Mahomes is wearing in the photo in the NFL section is actually a Vicis ZERO1 model. He’s one of several Chiefs who wear it. The visor is the Oakley product (and the decal of course).

    Happy birthday, Paul! I hope you’re having a great day.

    As a young 60 year old, I like to think that while I haven’t grown up, I have matured. I’m sure the same applies to most men in our age bracket.

    Hi Paul, I was reading some news article online(can’t remember which one but that’s not the point anyway) today which I thought had an editing ‘error’ where a grammatical article “an” should have been an “a” and it made me think that I seem to see more and more of these, and many a time in the uniwatch tickers. Then later on I came to read yesterday’s ticker and surely enough I found one such ‘error’ at the end of the College Hoops News segment : “Speaking of NDSU, their coach coached in a T-shirt to support an pediatric cancer patient.” So I’m left wondering if these instances are indeed REAL errors due to rushed editing jobs or are there specific grammar rules that I haven’t been aware of? Thank you for your time (if you find some to clarify this point for me)!

    That’s a rushed editing error by me. I forget how it was originally worded, but I changed it to “pediatric” and apparently neglected to change the indefinite article.

    Man, I feel for the kid who can’t get a helmet big enough to play lacrosse. My second year playing youth football my team switched from purple helmets to gold. None of the new gold helmets were big enough to fit my enormous noggin so I had to wear one of the old purple helmets that was spray painted a sickly canary yellow which wasn’t even close to matching the rest of the team in their snazzy new gold lids. Man, I hated that canary yellow helmet, but at least I got to play.

    Best of luck to you my giant-headed brother!

Comments are closed.