Today in the Ticker: An NFL gumball helmet collection with a twist, Spanish soccer goalies wear black but not for mourning, the NLL’s first outdoor game, and more.
Uni Watch News Ticker for March 6, 2023
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Baseball
MLB
- The Pirates are giving away a “replica armed forces cap” to kids on May 21, which is the day after Armed Forces Day. “I wonder if this will be the 2023 Armed Forces on-field cap?” asks Noah Kastroll.
Minors
- The High-A South Bend Cubs released their promotional schedule for this season, including throwbacks to their former name, the Silver Hawks, and a possible Copa de la Diversión game as “Los Cabritos Maldichos.” (From Kary Klismet)
Football
NFL
- Reader Mike Clary built up a late-’90s NFL gumball helmet collection. “After getting so many of the same teams I decided to start doing some mash-ups,” he says, by swapping out the decals on each helmet. “As you can see, some would make good alternates and some… not so much,” he says.
College
- Syracuse’s stadium now has exterior signage to match its advertised name. (From Michael Hochman)
More
- Because of the XFL’s different kickoff rules — everyone on the kicking team but the kicker must line up on the receiving team’s 35-yard line while the kicker is alone — an official had to hold the ball for Vegas Vipers K Bailey Griffen when it got windy on Saturday. (From L.J. Sparvero)
- Orlando Guardians K José Borregales wears No. 0, so L.J. asks if there’s ever been another such kicker “anywhere else.” For what it’s worth, none of the players listed as wearing Nos. 0 or 00 on Pro Football Reference is listed as a kicker.
- L.J. also points out that the San Antonio Brahmas’ yellow uniforms look a lot like those several members of the Steelers wore as the fictional Gotham Rogues in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, including then-WR Hines Ward, who coaches the Brahmas.
Basketball
NBA
- The Wizards held a mental health promotion with the charity Morgan’s Message on Saturday and wore warm-up shirts designed by C Daniel Gafford.
- Lakers PF Anthony Davis played an entire minute toward the end of Friday’s game wearing one shoe. (From Mike Chamernik)
- “Here’s a history of the 76ers’ costumed mascots,” says Kary Klismet.
College
- Syracuse retired the jerseys of two players from the 2003 men’s national championship team on Saturday. (From Michael Hochman)
- This piece gives some background on Duke’s blue devil mascot. (From Kary Klismet)
Hockey
Minors/Juniors
- The WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves wore their winners of the CHL “Your Team Your Jersey” contest on Saturday and Friday, respectively. (From Wade Heidt)
- The OHL’s Erie Otters wore throwbacks to the Erie Blades on Saturday. The Blades weren’t a junior team but played in several different minor leagues in the ’70s and ’80s, including one season in the AHL. (From Wade Heidt)
- The PHF’s Boston Pride wore Pride — as in rainbow-accented — uniforms on Friday.
Soccer
USA
- Los Angeles FC revealed their 2022 MLS championship rings. (From Kary Klismet)
- New MLS team St. Louis City’s stadium was designed to blend into its surroundings. (From Kary Klismet)
- The USL Championship’s Hartford Athletic’s new costumed mascot is named Dillon, after what the team’s stadium was named before it was replaced by an ad. (From Kary Klismet)
International
- England: Manchester City’s women’s team wore their International Women’s Day shirts with navy blue shorts and white socks.
- England: The website Footy Headlines rounded up some of the English clubs that removed wildlife from their crests on Friday for World Wildlife Day. (From Kary Klismet)
- New Zealand: The Wellington Phoenix women’s team played an away game last weekend for the A-Leagues’ Pride round, but before their home game on Saturday posed wearing shirts forming the rainbow. (The score visible above them was from the men’s game that had just ended.)
- Scotland: St. Mirren’s men’s team wore their black second kit at home yesterday against Celtic, who wore their grey and black third kit. St. Mirren said the Premiership powers that be reviewed their first home game against Celtic this season, where St. Mirren wore their first choice black and white stripes, and determined that yesterday’s color matchup was the only one that wouldn’t result in a clash.
- Spain: A number of goalies in La Liga wore black this weekend as a tribute to Athletic Bilbao goalie José Ángel Iribar, whose 80th birthday was last week and was associated with wearing the color. Athletic’s women’s team also participated as well as that of another Basque club, SD Eibar. Athletic’s men’s team wore black shirts that resembled Iribar’s for their starting lineup photo. Athletic’s efforts included getting permission from La Liga for opposing keepers in the same match to both wear black, as well as encouraging goalies outside Spain to participate; one who did was Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga for warmups. (From Mark Coale)
Cricket
- The Women’s Premier League, a counterpart to the men’s Indian Premier League, started its first season this weekend. Here’s an overview of all five teams’ shirts. The league uses the same number and NOB fonts as the IPL.
Volleyball
- Hawaii’s men’s team got their 2022 national championship rings on Friday. (From Kary Klismet)
Grab Bag
- The NLL’s San Diego Seals held the league’s first outdoor game on Saturday and wore one-off yellow jerseys. (From Jared Buccola and Wade Heidt)
- The NLL’s Panther City Lacrosse Club, based in Fort Worth, Texas, held a “Texas Forever” promotion on Saturday with Texas flag-based jerseys. The game was against the Saskatchewan Rush and the team also offered people who could pronounce “Saskatchewan” free tickets. (From Wade Heidt)
- Arkansas got a new live razorback mascot, Tusk VI, this weekend. (From Kary Klismet)
- Meanwhile, Northeast Alabama Community College’s live mustang mascot died. (From Kary Klismet)
- Here’s a piece on the evolution of Puma’s logo. (From Kary Klismet)
- Martinsville, Va., police chief Rob Fisher wears a “throwback uniform” styled after the 1930s-’50s. (From Kary Klismet)
- Black equestrians are struggling to find helmets that fit them (NYT link). (From Kary Klismet)
Comments (11)
Speaking of Duke, I thought I’d enjoy the latest in the fantastic Duke-North Carolina rivalry Saturday. But when I turned the game on, I was annoyed to see that Duke was wearing that black crap instead of their traditional blue. So I turned it off.
If teams really MUST wear all this alternate junk, save it for games that nobody much cares about. Classic rivalry games should LOOK LIKE classic rivalry games.
I’m still appalled about Ohio State wearing black helmets against Michigan several years ago. Way to dump all over cherished traditions.
You speak the gospel truth, St. Marty! Amen.
UNC/Duke has been turned into a “look at me!” moment by Nike. UNC wore throwbacks which were at least in our actual school colors. But Duke wore BFBS thie time and the Gothic font at home earlier in the year. Both schools have worn all kinds of horrible looks over the last 10 years or so, including the color-on-color with giant chest logos.
Nike knows everyone watches this game and the highlights for days afterward. It’s their chance to foist their garbage on the masses and control the visuals of the greatest rivalry in college basketball.
Not a soccer fan, but Celtic has a great kit with the green and white hoops. Of course, if the womens’ team wanted to wear green shorts with that, it would look great too.
I think the classic Celtic hoops would look especially good with darker green shorts.
A few years back the Montreal Alouettes had a kicker on the practice squad who wore 00:
link
…that´s the equivalent of playing in the XFL, right? ; )
Vegas Vipers’ attendance/stadium issues at this point are making the CFL’s Las Vegas Posse of 1994 look like a success in comparison. Never thought it would be possible to type that.
College basketball”
Cincinnati vs. SMU yesterday was color on color (Cincinnati in red, SMU in blue).
Maybe because I’m not a fan of this year’s Celtic third kit, but how in the world wouldn’t the hoops been a clash against the St. Mirren road kit? The broadcast actually asked this very same question.
Yeah, I thought of that too, and it would work. But also making the home team and not the away team change to avoid a clash would be really unusual nowadays (there are situations where that used to happen). To me it’d make St. Mirren look like a guest in their own stadium.
Really like some of Mike Clary’s gumball mashups! That era of gumball helmet was perfect of that since you had to put the decals on yourself! I’m a little mad I never thought of this myself! Lord knows I had PLENTY of doubles from trips to the grocery store with mom!
Orange Dolphins, Green Seahawks and that royal Cowboys are really neat! That white Jets is pretty slick too!