Chris Pirrone’s NFL/MLB Crossover Concepts (Vol. I)

By Phil Hecken, with Chris Pirrone
Follow @PhilHecken

Hey everyone — Happy Easter! If you’re celebrating with family, please be safe. If you’re celebrating via Zoom or Google Hangouts or something similar, have fun. If you’re not celebrating, that’s cool too!

As we continue the dearth of uniform news due to the Coronavirus outbreak, I’ve got another uni designer with some unique concepts today. Allow me to introduce Chris Pirrone. Chris contacted me a little while back with this pitch:

Hi Phil,

Hope you’re doing well.

As I’ve been forced to spend time at home, I decided to finish up a project that I started back in 2016. Basically I took NFL branding and created a set of baseball uniforms for each team. Please see attached.

I tried to make designs pretty unique for each team without going too over the top, baseball uniform designs are usually pretty tame (or at least they should be). :)

I know you’ve featured reader uniform concepts on Uni-Watch in the past and I’d just like to submit these for consideration.

Thanks!
Chris Pirrone

Intrigued, I asked Chris to send me his concepts with short writeups, and today we’ll look at the first half of those (he did them alphabetically, by team name, so that’s the order in which they’ll run). Click any image to enlarge.

Enjoy!

• • • • •

49ers:

The 3-stripes they used to have on the sleeves of their jerseys inspired me to make them a team that heavily utilized the pinstripes. I didn’t want too many teams to use them. Also wanted to sneak in the drop shadow numbers from the throwbacks, so figured the spring training uni was a good spot.

+++++++++++++++

Bears:

Kept the GSH memorial, it’s been on Bears unifoms my whole life, seemed like it belonged here.

+++++++++++++++

Bengals:

Baseball uniforms don’t usually feature animal print patterns, but I wanted to sneak some in on the side panels for the Bengals.

+++++++++++++++

Bills:

As I did with several team, I used a throwback logo in the Spring Training Uni. Can’t go wrong with this one!

+++++++++++++++

Broncos:

I remember when Denver introduced it’s current uniform, and while it’s kind of dated now, it was pretty revolutionary at the time. I wanted to emulate the effect of the side panels without directly copying it, so I tried to keep the feel of them by placing them on the sides of the sleeves.

+++++++++++++++

Browns:

I toyed around with the idea of leaving the hats blank like their helmets, but ultimately I like their dog logo and I think its underused, so I parked it up there.

+++++++++++++++

Buccaneers:

Had to have a Bucco Bruce Creamsickle jersey!

+++++++++++++++

Cardinals:

I know they don’t really use yellow anywhere except on the beak of the bird in their logo, but I think it works here.

+++++++++++++++

Chargers:

I’m in the minority, but I kind of dug the LA Bolt logo, so I’m resurrecting it here.

+++++++++++++++

Chiefs:

Admittedly, I did a little BFBS here. I kind of like the KC out of the arrowhead.

+++++++++++++++

Colts:

Not a lot to work with here in terms of secondary colors to utilize. I like the idea of having a second white uniform, with pinstripes.

+++++++++++++++

Cowboys:

Wanted to keep it as close to what Dallas does in real life so there are 2 different blues and 2 different grays. I don’t like that that’s the way it is, but it is unique to the Cowboys so I did it here too. In the end, that little quirk makes this one of my favorite concepts.

+++++++++++++++

Dolphins:

I know the dolphins cut that Blue out of their uni set, but I liked it, so it’s in.

+++++++++++++++

Eagles:

I thought about adding a Kelly green version for the Spring Training uni, but I felt like I started leaning a little too heavy on throwbacks, and I found this cool secondary wordmark.

+++++++++++++++

Falcons:

Sleeves and side panels are meant to be a simplified yet similar look to their football jerseys.

+++++++++++++++

Giants:

The wordmark looks pretty huge on the chest, but they are the ‘Giants’ so I actually think it kind of works.

• • • • •

Thanks, Chris! I’ll be back with Chris and the final part of this soon!

Readers — what say you?

What Can Brown(s) Do For Me Us?

Ever since the Browns released a teaser video for their soon-to-be-released new uniforms, people have been speculating what their new look will be. Will they go back to their “classic” look or head off in some other direction?

First, we have “Wreck This League” who performed a little “surgery” on the video and thinks he may have isolated some of the looks:

Ok got a little time to put Browns uniform teaser in photoshop.

Please excuse the colors, I pulled the exposure, offset & gamma to see the hidden light details.

Looks like:
– No shadow on number
– 5 sleeve stripes
– No Cleveland / browns on chest

Numbers look…sizable pic.twitter.com/Se2aDsDoOY

— Wreck This League (@wreckthisleague) April 9, 2020

There’s also this:

Looking at the size of the number on the back, there’s a chance it’s a similar template to the color rush. Hard to see the with the camera angle from down below and without knowing the size of the athlete. pic.twitter.com/Dzv6aCsYjy

— Wreck This League (@wreckthisleague) April 9, 2020

Based off of that, he mocked up the following, which *could* be what the Browns have teased:

But wait, there’s more. Wreck also added this:

I keep thinking about the dark jersey yesterday & how it seems like there are no visible stripes on the sleeves.

Maybe it’s an alternate, maybe color rush, but what if the #Browns release a really bold alternate jersey with no stripes at all?

Which led to these possibilities:

I’m certainly no expert and I wouldn’t want to speculate, but I’m in agreement that we’re seeing a jersey with stripes, as well as one without.

But wait…there’s still more:

What do you think the odds are these are all the same stripes? pic.twitter.com/S4wyz39oGx

— Kyle (@everett_kellogg) April 9, 2020

And then there’s this “enhancement” which pretty clearly shows sleeve stripes and what appears to be a brown mask:

Did a little bit of work on the video myself. Looks like a white uniform similar to the ones pre-2015, but now with a brown facemask. pic.twitter.com/UJXKEUgLZe

— Factory of Gladness (@Dawg_With_A_W) April 10, 2020

This is some great sleuthing work — not quite as good as a leak, but some good looks at what is likely coming. My guess is we’ll get a brown and white jersey which are very similar to the pre-2015 look. I would love it if they go with white striped pants, with an option for orange pants (ala the “Kardiak Kids” look from the Sipe years). I *hope* there are no brown pants as an option with the main set. I’d also be on board with an orange jersey (similar to this).

As far as the stripeless jersey — my guess is this will be the alternate/color rash option. And the solid brown/solid orange as shown above could be brutal, which would really kill the good vibe I’m getting from the possible new home/road looks.

We’ll find out soon enough, but so far, this is all very encouraging!

The “BEST OF” Kreindler’s Korner

Hey guys & gals. You’ve enjoyed Kreindler’s Korner for several years now, mostly on the weekends, on Uni Watch, but with the recent coronavirus outbreak, Graig’s time is just too precious and he needs to tend to other things besides coming up with a new writeup each weekend.

So, going forward, for as long as the COVID-19 situation is bad in New York, I’m going to run a few “Best of’s” until Graig returns. This one appeared in 2018…

• • • • •

Title: “No Amateur”
Subject: Jim Thorpe, 1913
Medium: Oil on linen
Size: 20″ x 28″

To this day, Jim Thorpe carries a mystique about him. Still considered one of the greatest all-around athletes of the 20th century, you’d be hard-pressed to find a story about one of his exploits that didn’t make your eyes bulge in astonishment.

His professional career in baseball (which is what ultimately got him hung) wasn’t much to speak about. Though blessed with god-like natural abilities, he was often criticized for being lazy and unwilling to practice. Batting .252 in 289 games, it seemed proof that there was only so far natural gifts could take you in baseball.

Here’s he’s pictured during batting practice at the Polo Grounds. The date is April 10, 1913, and the season is about to open up with the Giants facing Boston. New York was routed, 8-0. Thorpe didn’t play. In fact, for the most part he was used as a pinch hitter and pinch runner that season – he compiled 35 at-bats in 19 games and hit .143 with two stolen bases.

And yet still, he was still Jim Thorpe, and certainly a worthy subject to put onto canvas. Aside from being an interesting character to paint, I also loved the uniforms of the New York Giants that year. They hadn’t changed all that much in overall appearance from previous years, sticking with a pinstripe motif and flaunting that interlocking ‘NY.’ But it was in the color department where things went a bit out of the ordinary. Ditching the black trim of 1912, the club opted for a chromatic lavender for their hat brims, stripes and socks. The ensemble was the first in a series of bold experiments with color, which finally culminated in 1916’s often-maligned crosshatched violet style.

Additionally, it’s worth noting the interesting patterns in the grass behind Thorpe – such artistry by the groundskeepers was a common sight at the Polo Grounds in that era.

But even the sartorial and landscaping eccentricities shouldn’t take away from the fact that New York baseball fans could come to the Polo Grounds that year and see one of the most marvelous sportsmen that had ever been born. That is, if he ever came off the bench.

• • •

Thanks, Graig! You can (and should!) follow Graig on Twitter.

More Rams Concepts

Yesterday, I introduced you to “Suns Jersey Designs,” who had some Arizona Cardinals concepts. Today he, and his name is Mike Joseph, is back, this time with some Rams concepts.

Over the past couple weekends I’ve been sharing a few various Rams designs, mostly based of their recently revealed new logo. We’ll have to wait until May (or until someone leaks them) for the real things, but in the meantime, here are Mike’s concepts. You can click any image to enlarge.

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

Guess The Game…

from the scoreboard

Today’s scoreboard comes from Steve Milusnic.

The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).

Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date & location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):

Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.

Stayin’ Safe, UW Red Sox style

What you see above is reader Andy Chalifour, who’s taken to protecting himself and others from COVID-19 in style.

Andy writes, “Thought I would give a shout out to my mom for my Red Sox face mask. Bonus since it is the old logo with the blue Boston letters which is the “real” one if you ask me.”

Nice!

Uni Watch News Ticker
By Phil

Baseball News: The Missoula PaddleHeads have unveiled new uniforms. And the alternate is pretty um…groovy (from Nicklaus Wallmeyer). Here’s a bit more on that. … The organist for the Boston Red Sox is live-streaming himself playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” every afternoon while the baseball season is on hiatus due to the coronavirus (from Kary Klismet). … Yesterday, in 1967, the KC Athletics changed baseball aesthetics forever (thanks, Brinke). … Speaking of yesterday’s anniversaries, the place the SF Giants call home turned 20 yesterday (from MLB Cathedrals, aka Mark Anderson). Also, as Armando Melendéz points out, looks like Bonds is wearing the previous years white pants with their “new” cream jerseys. … Looks like the Traverse City Pit Spitters and the Fond du Lac Spiders will have new caps this season (from MiLB Promos). … The “Authentication Mgr. for the Astros doing some creative work on some old hunk of Astroturf,” writes Nick.

NFL News: Check out this NFL captaincy patch on an amateur hurling jersey (from Brian Wulff). … Seems like everyone hates the Falcons new unis. Even Sean Payton. Especially Sean Payton. … I wouldn’t normally include a(nother) review of the Bucs new unis, except this one comes from my alma mater. … One Redditor thinks the Rams’ new logo, with a few tweaks, would work better for the Chargers (from Kary Klismet). … “No team has a throwback logo on their 2020 #NFL draft hat. However, the #BROWNS do. Or is it a throwback logo only until they unveil their new unis sometime soon? Is this old logo their #NEW logo?” asks Cleveland Rocks. … For those who care about such things, it appears as though Tua Tagovailoa has signed with adidas (from Equipment Geek). … Todd Gurley will wear #21 for the Falcons. Apparently Deion Sanders has a problem with that. … Check out the large space here between Curley Culp’s nameplate and his uniform numbers (from Ken Gelman).

College/High School Football News: The Atlanta Journal Constitution has put together a photo gallery recounting Georgia Tech’s uniform history (from Kary Klismet). … Did Coastal Carolina have pride stickers on the back of their helmets in 2004? (from Chitty2Bang2). … “Took a walk in Rye NY. The Rye HS Garnets logo has a very SEC feel to it,” writes Timmy Donahue. “Interestingly the school flag is flying above the US & NY flags. The NY flag is correct given the half mast order of the Governor for COVID19.”

Hockey News: The dearth of new uni news has driven sports fans so crazy they are now envisioning the Detroit Red Wings with a “color rush” sweater. The only problem is that CR sweater is mostly devoid of color. … The NHL has been looking into ways to get this year’s playoffs in. Considering neutral sites games with no fans. Wade Heidt notes, “According to reports, the sites that could host games are: Grand Forks, ND; Manchester, NH; and Saskatoon, SK.”

NBA News: Here’s a list of the best NBA players by jersey number. … Whoa. Check out this sweet DDNOB (Double Decker NOB) for Marques Johnson, featuring a straight FiNOB and a radially arched LNOB! (from David Go).

Soccer News: Here’s one way to “beat” COVID-19: Defending Belarusian league champion Dynamo Brest has started boosting its home crowds with mannequins in soccer shirts and adorned with the faces of “virtual fans” who bought tickets online. … Dinamo Tbilisi our together a montage of all the shirts they’ve worn when they’ve been champs (from Ed Żelaski).

Grab Bag: Miami sports teams have been donating jerseys to help make masks during coronavirus pandemic. … Speaking of: is a full-face racing helmet a good going-out-for-groceries mask option? No, seriously. … Speaking of helmets: Here’s an interesting story about the designer behind Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel’s frequently-changing helmets (from Kary Klismet). … Also from Kary, here’s the Tampa Bay Times’ take on the best and worst sports uniform redesigns in history – both for teams across the country and for Tampa Bay-area teams. … Even USC’s famed statues are wearing masks (from Jakob Fox). … Timmy Donahue writes, “Satire at it’s finest. A look at hero worship through humor that aligns quite well with the Uni Watch blog post from 31 March 2020.”

(Big thanks to Dave Tumminello for the stealie)

And finally… A Happy Easter to everyone celebrating today, however you’re celebrating (virtually or social distancy), or even if you’re not, remember we’re all in this together and together well get through this! See ya next weekend.

Peace,

PH