In today’s ticker, we have lots of not so great (and one first time) looks for today’s NFL games, a bunch of college basketball teams broke out throwbacks, and more!
Uni Watch News Ticker for Jan. 8, 2023
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Baseball
MLB
- This story about Jack Wadsworth, a pitcher from the 1890s who used ventriloquism to get opposing batters thrown out of games, seems sufficiently uni-adjacent for Ticker readers to enjoy. (From Kary Klismet)
Minors
- The Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Angels’ Double-A affiliate, have new alternates they’re calling “Halo Blues”. (From Kary Klismet)
More
- Sinton (Tex.) High School received rings and unveiled an updated banner to commemorate winning the 2022 state championship. (From Kary Klismet)
Football
NFL
- The New Orleans Saints will break out a never-before-worn combo* of gold/black/white today, possibly qualifying this as their worst ever combo. The white, stripeless pants (undoubtedly paired with white socks/sleeves/compression pants) have no place on a football field, much less being combined with a uniform that otherwise has almost no white. Their all-white uniform, plain as it is, at least makes sense. *Technically, the Saints have gone black over white before (1975-1985), but those white pants had stripes, much like their throwbacks currently do, which actually look like football pants.
- On the gridiron today, the Chicago Bears will go mono-midnight against the Minnesota Vikings today.
- According to the GUD, the East Rutherford Jets will (again) go green/white/black vs. the Miami Dolphins, who will counter with aqua shirts and pants. For those keeping score at home, the Jets will have worn that G/W/B combo EIGHT times this season, while wearing their green jerseys a grand total of ONE game. In addition to the eight times going G/W/B, the Jets also wore their mono-black uniforms thrice. Gang Green wore green jerseys once (going mono-green) and their green pants one other time (pairing them with white shirts). Has any team ever NOT worn their primary home/road uniforms so few times in a season?
- The Washington Commanders will wear white at home today, forcing the Cowboys to wear their blue/silver combo.
- The Philadelphia Eagles will again go mono-black (including helmet) as they seek to lock up the #1 playoff spot in the NFC against the New York Giants today.
- The Detroit Lions will be going silver/white/white vs. Green Bay tonight.
- Here’s a look at what some of the NFL teams are being encouraged to do (no one but the Bills are doing a uni treatment) to support injured Buffalo Bill Damar Hamlin.
- Here’s a good look at the red outline of the 3 in the 30 in honor of Damar Hamlin from last night’s Jaguars/Titans game (from John Turney).
- In honor of Damar Hamlin, the broadcast crew has turned the ESPN mic flags from an E to a 3. (Thanks, Paul)
- SB Nation has created mascots for every NFL team that doesn’t have one. (From Kary Klismet)
- For some reason, ESPN remains insistent that the Raiders have a black facemask. (From bteuf)
- In last night’s KC/LV Raiders game, Josh McDaniels wore a Raiders visor from 2019 with the NFL100 logo on it. (From RobEdigital)
- In case you never noticed, da Raidahs actually have black trim around their silver numbers … on a black jersey. (From John Turney). As Paul reminds us, they’ve had this since 2016.
- Here are the cleats JJ Watt will wear in his final game.
College
- Here’s a look at the jerseys the Georgia Bulldogs will wear for the Natty on Monday night against TCU.
- Because we all need another list: here’s the “Top 75” NCAA helmets.
- Adidas has unveiled uniforms for the All-American Bowl.
- Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi thinks college QBs should have speakers in their helmets (like the NFL), but would want a rule in place that states the ball can’t be snapped before there are 25 seconds left on the play clock (except under two minutes).
- Here’s a ranking of the top 12 uniform combinations worn by the Utah Utes in 2022.
- Here’s the story of a Nebraska couple who hand-painted the helmets Utah wore for the Rose Bowl. (From Kary Klismet)
- Want to know how TCU became known as the Horned Frogs? This video feature tells you. (From Kary)
- Goodyear has donated a sculpture of Tulane’s Green Wave mascot made out of tires to the school as a keepsake of its Cotton Bowl victory. (From Kary again)
More
- The United Firepower, the newest arena football team from Winston-Salem, have unveiled new uniforms for their forthcoming season.
Hockey
NHL
- The Toronto Maple Leafs wore special indigenous-themed jerseys in warm ups last night. Here’s another look.
- For the first time in his career, the Dallas Stars’ Jani Hakanpää had the correct Finnish spelling of his name on his NHL jersey with umlauts over the last two letters.
- With the Vegas Golden Knights playing the Seattle Kraken in next year’s Winter Classic game, The Athletic ponders what their jerseys will look like.
- Kraken forward Matty Beniers was looking stylish at practice on Friday after losing the World Juniors bet to teammate Jordan Eberle. Going throwback too. Wearing a late 1990s Team Canada jersey. (From Wade Heidt)
- A tweeter named Quinncer “Attended the UMaine hockey game (Friday) night. Goalie for Alaska Anchorage Seawolves wearing a St. Cloud State University goalie mask.”
Basketball
College
- The Kentucky Wildcats wore their 1993 throwbacks yesterday against Alabama.
- Speaking of throwbacks, the Minnesota Golden Gophers were commemorating the past on “Alumni Day” by throwing their jerseys back to the 1970’s yesterday. Here’s how they looked on court. (From Erick Kriewaldt)
- More throwbacks: UNC went retro yesterday.
- McNeese State has renamed its court after alumnus and Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars. (From Kary Klismet)
- The Kansas men’s team has two new home alternates. (Also from Kary)
Soccer
International
- PL: Arsenal have introduced an all-white shirt, and it will debut on Monday.
- PL: You think the Vikings have and “odd” first/second number system? Joel writes, “Interesting one yesterday. The first 2 has the Everton logo in, but the second 2 doesn’t.”
Volleyball
- Interesting contrasting back pocket (!) color contrast for a Japanese volleyball squad. (From Jeremy Brahm)
- Jeremy also observes, “First time I’ve ever seen a Japanese high school coach with advertising on their coaching gear, outside of the traditional team supplier in any sport. Sundai in the Japanese boy’s volleyball title match.”
Tennis
- Here’s a look at the uniforms the ballkids will wear at the Australian Open.
Auto Racing
- Here’s a look at what one author identifies as the eight most unusual venues to host NASCAR races. (From Kary Klismet)
Rugby
- Here are some pretty interesting Rugby Americas North logos. (From Rugby World)
Grab Bag
- British Airways have unveiled their first new uniforms in 20 years. Here’s how British Airways uniforms have evolved over a century-plus of aviation.
- Tuscola High School in North Carolina is holding a contest to redesign its athletics logo after losing a legal battle with Appalachian State over the use of its Mountaineer mascot. (From Kary Klismet)
- Interested in the history of superhero logos? This website features origin stories for several comic book characters’ visual symbols, which can be accessed here. (From Kary Klismet)
Comments (21)
Congrats, New Orleans. It takes a lot to mess up one of the best NFL uniform sets, but you’ve done it. Kudos. Yet another horrible uniform combo. NFL has gone from having the best uniforms to the absolute worst. Saints are prime example. “Fixed” something that wasn’t broken. NFL needs a uniform intervention. No more monos. All pants and socks need stripes. All jerseys need real sleeves. You’re welcome.
Agree with you 100% here. A uniform intervention is needed for sure. Solid white pants with white socks/tights is the most high school or practice look you can have. The term “icy”…ugh, can’t believe I typed it is turning in to the latest BFBS or GFGS.
Then you have teams like the Falcons, Rams and Titans who tried unique pants stripes rather than just having pants stripes. The Commanders and Jaguars said F it, we aren’t even attempting stripes, all of ours are solid.
Team after team is going for that look. Love the Eagles but they ditch their black topped socks for all white tights with both sets of pants outside of their dreaded BFBS. So much bad across the league. No more uniformity hurts the brand. Untucked shirts, high white socks for some while some wear team socks, KC and Chicago players layering multiple stripes. None of the teams look good anymore because no one wears the same thing.
It’s insane to me how the Saints refuse to wear their gold pants. What’s really weird is teams like the Broncos and Patriots stick with inferior looks because they won championships in them, but the Saints also won in gold pants and continue to act like they are cursed.
I agree about the uniform intervention. I used to think a long time ago the NFL was too “stuffy” with their uniform rules and standards but now it’s gotten out of control. They have too many teams looking like Arena Football teams now.
All those in favor of nominating Mr. Ganz for NFL Commish?
“Second!”
-C.
I humbly accept.
Has any team ever … worn their primary home/road uniforms so few times in a season?
Proportionally speaking, maybe the Mets from 1999-2009 (with the possible exception of 2006).
Also, the 1994 49ers only wore their primary home/road uniforms three times.
Was watching some LT highlights last night with my youngest son and it really struck me how much better the Saints looked with white numbers rather than the gold. NO is one of those franchises that is just almost there but always not quite.
I think the Bears are the only team in the NFL that look good mono; but it’s so unorthodox I still can’t say I would prefer it over their standard home set.
Eagles black helmet is atrocious.
I’d love to see Dallas revert to their royal 70s road jerseys. Even the 80s/90s era navy with silver numbers looked better than their current road jerseys. They’re just so drab and plain. Like a Walmart knockoff.
The Saints were “there” right out of the gate in 1967. The gold numbers on the original unis looked fantastic.
Keep in mind that the Everton shirt was for a Non-Premier League game. All Premier League teams must use the same typeface designated by the league.
I wish every other link didn’t lead to an annoying pop up. Not UniWatch fault but gosh I just immediately close the tab when that happens. Do sites not realize how dumb this is?
/end rant
Since NFL players don’t care about paying fines for sock violations, make them pay on the field. If you have anyone on your team not wearing the right socks, all kickoffs must be done from your own 10 yard line. Over the top, yes. Extreme, yes. A chance of happening, not at all. But it’s called a uniform for a reason (“remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character”), and I’m sick of watching the free-for-all we’ve got now.
Apparently the Saints changed their mind about the white yoga-pants look, because while they’re still wearing the plain white pants, they’ve paired them with black socks, so it improves the look… somewhat.
Most, but not all, of the Saints are going with black socks. It looks 1000% better than the few who are wearing white socks/compression/tights. (link)
I’m not quite sure what look Alvin Kamara is going for… (link)
Prefer their throwbacks, but I thought the Saints looked just fine.
I know this is a pregame picture, but in looking at some game footage, the cleats JJ Watt is wearing are red/white patterned…not what was in his twitter feed.
link
I think it’s silly that we’re at a point in time within sports where players have pre-game cleats and in-game cleats and to take it a step further, some players change cleats during the game. It pains me to shake my head at this because I love football cleats, always have. It’s just too much anymore.
Alaska-Anchorage hockey played at UMass Lowell last weekend and only one of their three goalies has a Seawolves-themed mask. The other outlier in question (Jared Whale, a freshman) actually has mask art not from his immediately-previous Canadian Junior A team (the Olds Grizzlys), but the team before that (the Brooks Bandits). Whale actually started the first of the two-game series.
Very clear picture on his Seawolves roster page: link
I get they play in East Rutherford, but is there a reason we are hating on the Jets and not calling them New York?
I don’t ever see Orchard Park Bills, Inglewood Rams, Inglewood Chargers, Arlington Cowboys…or East Rutherford Giants
Phil hears that all the time… from me.
Don’t forget the Santa Clara 49ers!