Greetings from Memphis, where’s it’s approximately one billion degrees, and where reader Luke Pellegra joined me and a few of my friends for dinner last night. The good news is that he’s a peach of a guy; the bad news is that he says he wore his baseball pants pajama-style back in his playing days. Fortunately, my blackened catfish and pecan caramel pie were so good that I was willing to forgive this egregious transgression.
Meanwhile: With today’s entry, we hereby inaugurate Uni Watch Profiles, an occasional series of interviews with interesting people from the uniform world. Kicking us off is Witesock, the pseudonymous webmaster of the amazing Professional Game Socks site.
I’ve been a huge fan of Witesock’s site since I discovered it in 2000 — not just because I like sports socks, but also because I especially love narrowly targeted niche obsessions. And Witesock is about as narrow and obsessive as it gets: His site features photo after lower-leg photo of Witesock himself wearing football, rugby, soccer, and hockey socks. Most of these are game-used, and all are from his vast collection, which is undoubtedly the world’s largest assemblage of athletic hosiery.
I particularly like that the text design of Witesock’s site is extremely spare and no-frills, as if to say, “These words don’t really matter — it’s all about the socks,” which just accentuates the sense of unwavering obsession. As you click to see one image after another of Witesock’s stocking-clad shins, the whole enterprise begins to feel like a Dada-ish conceptual art project — ingenious in its simplicity, relentless in its single-mindedness.
Such analysis aside, Witesock’s also a really swell guy. When I first got in touch with him back in 2000, he promptly sent me two pairs of game-used Jets socks, and we’ve stayed in touch since then. As you’ll see, he greatly values his privacy and anonymity, so I’m particularly flattered and appreciative that he was willing to do this interview, which we conducted over the phone about 10 days ago.
Uni Watch: How old are you, where do you live, and what’s your regular job?
Witesock: I’m 41, I live in Toronto, and I’m an engineer.
UW: Have you always been interested in sports socks? What’s your earliest memory of having this particular obsession?
WS: My first memory of it is from when I was seven or eight years old, mostly from watching sports — I used to like to watch soccer when I was young. They always used to show a game of the week from the English Premier League, and for some reason the part of the uniform that intrigued me the most was the socks.
UW: Did you play sports yourself when you were a kid?
WS: Not so much in those days. Later, in university, I played soccer, and after that I played football, rugby, and now I play hockey.
UW: And when you played in university, did you take particular pride or interest in your socks?
WS: Absolutely, absolutely. I always had them pulled up nice and high to show them off. I’d wear all different types, too — I’d rotate through different types.
UW: When did you start collecting socks?
WS [laughing]: As soon as my parents started giving me a weekly allowance. Probably when I was about nine or ten. I’d save up until I had a little money together and then buy a few pairs. At first it was just white soccer socks. And as I got older, I purchased more and more.
UW: How many pairs do you have?
WS: I knew you’d ask that. I don’t keep track of the numbers, but I’d say it’s several hundred.
UW: “Several” meaning, like, two or three hundred, or seven or eight hundred?
WS: Seven or eight hundred.
UW: Wow. And do you have them displayed, like in your rec room or something like that? Or are they all in drawers?
WS: They’re mostly in sock drawers, boxes. Some are in storage.
UW: Do you have some particularly prized ones that you have displayed, like having on the walls or something like that?
WS: Not at the moment, although I’m looking into that.
UW: How did you get the idea to start the web site documenting your collection?
WS: Back in the late ’90s, I was interested in putting together a personal web site, and I was trying to figure out what topic to devote it to. And I thought, what could be better than displaying some of my socks?
UW: Was it your plan from the start that the site would feature photos of you wearing the socks, rather than just photos of the socks themselves?
WS: Initially I planned to photograph the socks. But it’s so much more fun to wear them, model them, that I decided to use that format. I also wanted to get photos of professional players wearing the socks, and to show those photos parallel to the pictures of me, but I’ve never gotten around to that.
UW: Now, a lot of your socks are game-used. How do you acquire those?
WS: That’s basically the result of a lot of time spent contacting equipment managers, and establishing good relationships with them over the years, and occasionally requesting game socks from them.
UW: Obviously, there are loads of fans out there who’d love to get game-used jerseys, or helmets, or whatever. And I think, for the most part, if those fans tried calling up a pro team’s equipment manager, the equipment guy wouldn’t give him the time of day. How do you get through to establish a relationship with these people?
WS: You have to be really persistent. You never, ever get these guys on the first call — it often takes dozens and dozens of calls before you actually get through to them. Sometimes it takes months. I never leave a voice message; you’ve gotta make direct contact with them. Basically, just be genuine and make your request, and usually they’re quite willing to help you out. A pair of socks doesn’t really cost them that much.
UW: Do you think it helps that you’re asking for socks, rather than, say, a jersey?
WS: Absolutely. I’ve never hassled them for jerseys or pants or anything else — just socks. And I’ve been quite successful in that regard.
UW: So you must have this little black book of all the equipment managers, all the times you’ve tried to call them, and so on.
WS: I do — I have a log book.
UW: When a team changes equipment managers, that must just kill you. Like, here you’ve invested all this time and energy in establishing a relationship with this guy, and then he retires or whatever, and you have to start from scratch with the new guy.
WS: Yeah, sometimes that can be problematic. But there are some equipment guys I haven’t been able to have any success with, so I’d be more than happy to see them go.
UW: In the NFL, which are the teams you’ve been most and least successful with?
WS: I’ve had the most success probably with the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. As for as the least success, the Bears and the Dolphins don’t seem to, ah�
UW: They don’t want to talk to you?
WS: They just basically say that they have a strict policy against providing any game-used equipment.
UW: What’s your favorite sport, sock-wise, and why?
WS: I really like football socks.
UW: Baseball has such a great sock heritage, but you have only a few photos of yourself in baseball socks. How come?
WS: I do like baseball socks, and I have a box of old stirrups that I like to go through and put on occasionally. But you don’t see baseball socks very much these days, because the players all wear their pants down to their ankles.
UW: Tell me about it. What are your favorite teams to root for, just as a fan, and how do you feel about their socks?
WS: Here in the CFL, I root for the Toronto Argos. Their socks aren’t anything special — they’re basically just white with a navy top. In the NFL, the Dolphins and the 49ers are my two favorite teams.
UW: Do you wish that any of those teams had, y’know, better socks? More stripes or whatever?
WS: Well, I think every team should incorporate some sort of unique striping into their socks. And it seems like the trend is that more teams are going toward more of a solid-top sock, which seems a little bland to me.
UW: Yeah, between the long baseball pants, the super-short basketball socks, and the lack of stripes in the NFL, this isn’t a very sock-centric moment in sports history.
WS: I agree. It can only get better from here.
UW: If you had to choose just one favorite pair of socks in your collection, what would it be and why?
WS: I like the striped socks that the Dolphins wear with their colored pants.
UW: And you have game-used examples of those?
WS: Yes.
UW: Now, when a team sends you a pair of gamers, do they tell you who wore them?
WS: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I think a lot of times they don’t even know.
UW: Sometimes the socks will actually have the uniform number written on them in laundry marker, so that’s one way to know who wore them, right?
WS: Yes.
UW: Who are some of the higher-profile players whose socks you know you have in your collection?
WS: I don’t have that many game-worn socks where I definitely know who wore them. But I do have a pair of Dolphins socks that were worn by Olindo Mare. And I have a number of socks from Jets players — pretty much most of their roster from 1996 and ‘97. The equipment manager was kind enough to send me all their leftover game socks at the end of their season. So I have a huge box of New York Jets socks sitting in my basement.
UW: Just how many socks are we talking about here?
WS: Probably a couple hundred pairs.
UW: Whoa, that’s a good chunk of your collection right there!
WS: Yes, it is.
UW: Now, do you wear these socks just for, y’know, walking around?
WS: I do. I wear them pretty much all the time.
UW: So are you wearing a pair of game-used socks right now?
WS: I’m wearing a pair of English rugby socks at the moment.
UW: Cool! There are so many people who collect things and then, either literally or figuratively, put them under glass — they squirrel them away, make sure not to touch them, and so on. But you actually use your collection. You wear your collection!
WS: I do, I like wearing the different socks. Maybe some of the extra-special ones I put aside and don’t wear. But most of the ones I get, I do enjoy wearing them.
UW: What would be an example of an extra-special one that you wouldn’t wear?
WS: The ones I got from Olindo Mare. I keep those separate.
UW: We’re talking a lot about football here. What about other sports?
WS: I like hockey socks a lot, and rugby too.
UW: People don’t always think of hockey socks as socks — they think of them as leggings.
WS: Oh, they’re socks. And I have a nice collection of NHL socks.
UW: Again, any notable players’ socks?
WS: I have a pair of socks from Eric Lindros, from when he played with the Flyers.
UW: Cool. You know, teams merchandise the hell out of their jerseys and caps, but except for the NBA, which does sell official NBA socks, you rarely see merchandised team socks. Do you think they should do more of that?
WS: A lot of the soccer teams in the UK actually do merchandise their exact replica socks. For soccer and rugby in other parts of the world, that is merchandise. But North America doesn’t seem to do that.
UW: Wow — that doesn’t reflect very well upon us here in North America. Now, when you get a pair of game socks, do you wash them first? Are they already washed when you get them?
WS: All the pairs I’ve received have been washed. But they show plenty of wear, grass stains, that sort of thing.
UW: I know a lot of collectors of game-used stuff love it when a jersey has a stain or a rip — do you like those sorts of battle scars on the socks?
WS: Yes.
UW: What sort of audience does your site have, and what sorts of communications have you had with your readers? Do you have “regulars” who are frequent visitors to your site?
WS: There have probably been three or four individuals who I liaise with fairly regularly.
UW: Are they also collectors, like you are?
WS: Yes, they’re all collectors of football socks.
UW: Is that a competitive thing between you and these other collectors? I mean, this must be a pretty small niche, so are you all trying to outdo each other? Are you all bidding against each other if a pair of game socks shows up on eBay?
WS: That happens occasionally, yes.
UW: So that’s sort of a friendly rivalry.
WS: I guess you could say that, yes.
UW: Have you met these guys, or any of your other readers?
WS: I’ve met one of the collectors.
UW: Do people ever offer you money for your socks?
WS: Sometimes, yes. And if I have duplicate pairs of something, I’ll occasionally sell a pair.
UW: Do you trade with the other collectors?
WS: Sometimes, but it’s increasingly difficult to find someone else who has anything I’m interested in, because my own collection is so large.
UW: Yeah, that’s always the problem with having a really big collection. Now, I know, because you’ve told me in the past, that you’ve also gotten some attention from fetishist types.
WS: Yes, that’s probably the most common type of feedback I get, usually from people who want to see more pictures of me in socks.
UW: Are these men, women, or both?
WS: Primarily men.
UW: And is it your impression that word of your site has spread through the fetish community, like through internet message boards or whatever?
WS: I believe so, yeah.
UW: And how do you feel about that?
WS: It was a little bit unexpected, but I certainly don’t mind.
UW: And are you part of that community yourself?
WS: I’m not, no.
UW: You have that “Request Gallery” section of your site, where you have photos that were specifically requested by readers. Did a lot of those requests come from the fetish community?
WS: Yes.
UW: What sorts of requests do they typically present to you?
WS: They want to see maybe a really beat-up pair of socks, things like that. I do maintain some anonymity — I won’t show my face, and I won’t show any other parts of my body. I do get those types of requests, but I don’t honor them. One of the most interesting requests I got was from a guy in Australia. He offered to send me five pairs of Australian rugby socks if I would take pictures of myself wearing the socks while at the same time throwing a pie in my face.
UW [incredulous]: Like, while throwing it in your own face, or while having someone else throw it in your face?
WS: He would have preferred to have someone else throw it, but…
UW: That’s a very specialized request.
WS: One of the weirdest I’ve received.
UW: So did you do it?
WS: I did, yes, I did. I actually had a lot of fun doing it.
UW: So did you make a pie?
WS: I just got a pie shell and filled it with whipped cream. And I smothered it in my face while I was wearing the socks.
UW: And how did you take a picture while you were doing that? Did you have someone else take the picture?
WS: No, I take all of the photos myself, including that one. It’s amazing what you can do with mirrors. It was a lot of fun.
UW: I haven’t seen that one on the site. You didn’t upload that one?
WS: I didn’t, no. I probably should.
UW: So you just e-mailed the photos to him, and that was the trade for you getting these socks?
WS: Yes.
UW: Did he feel like he got equal value?
WS: He wrote back and said he was quite entertained, and he thanked me very much.
UW: What do your friends and family think about your sock obsession?
WS: Oh, they don’t know!
UW [incredulous again]: They don’t know?
WS: No. I keep this all sort of hidden away.
UW: Now, wait a minute. When you were spending your allowance on socks, your parents certainly had to know about that.
WS: Well, I guess back then, yeah. They made some comments — I guess they thought it was a little odd that I’d be purchasing so many long socks. Other than that, I haven’t really shared this with any members of my immediate family. That’s why I’ve been hesitant to display them.
UW: Are you married?
WS: Yes, I am.
UW: And your wife doesn’t know?
WS: She doesn’t know!
UW: How do you keep something like this secret? I mean, you’ve got that big box in the basement with all those Jets socks! Hasn’t she noticed that?
WS: I try to keep them well hidden. She hasn’t come across them yet. But I keep a lot of football socks in my regular sock drawer — she sees them there, and when she’s going through the laundry, and she never says anything. She just thinks it’s a little odd that I have so many pairs of them when I don’t play that many sports.
UW: So she’s never seen the web site?
WS: She hasn’t, no. To the best of my knowledge, anyway!
UW: Don’t you wish you could share your hobby with her?
WS: I guess I feel a little embarrassed, actually, about having a hobby that’s so bizarre as socks. And I guess because of that I’ve decided, at least for now, to keep it hidden.
UW: But she’s your wife — wouldn’t she understand?
WS: She probably would. But she’d probably tell other people, and I just don’t want it to become a big point of discussion.
UW: Well, I certainly respect your privacy, and this makes me appreciate all the more that you’ve been willing to talk with me here. And I won’t e-mail a copy of this interview to your wife! But seriously, I think about this a lot — the notion of whether one’s obsession is something to be proud of or something to feel a bit squeamish about. Obviously, with Uni Watch, I’ve completely embraced my obsession and gone very public with it. But I realize everyone makes their own decisions on that type of thing.
WS: Well, I’m very proud of my collection, and I enjoy the hobby. But it’s kind of fun this way, because it’s sort of my own little secret world that I can jump into.
———-
So there you have it. Big, big thanks to Witesock for sharing his thoughts. I have several subjects in mind for future Uni Watch Profiles; if you’d like to suggest any of your own, let me know.
#1 by E_N_N on 08.10.06 9:30 am |
Whats the deal with College basketball jersey numbers?
#2 by DG Lewis on 08.10.06 9:37 am |
Since we’re talking about socks, I thought it would be worth a mention that Pedro went with the high socks again last night, and if my math is correct, since returning to the high socks, he’s 2-0 with 13 Ks, a 3.25 ERA, and a 0.93 WHIP.
#3 by Craig on 08.10.06 10:10 am |
Big uni related controversy developing in Quebec City. Relying upon marketing expertise and focus group testing, the new ABA franchise is deciding between these logos and will be known as the Kebekwa, or better yet, the Jumping Frogs.
#4 by Tom O'Grady on 08.10.06 10:15 am |
Paul-
To your credit this Witesock interview is both eerily creepy yet strangely enlightening…Like Silence of the Lambs (or calves in this instance)..great job!
I await the Bill Henderson article next.
http://www.mlbstyleg...
T
#5 by Nick on 08.10.06 10:23 am |
I think it’s good that Paul addressed the fetish thing and Witesock responded, but I agree, I’m not convinced. It seems he’s doing his hobby a disservice by catering at all to the fetish community and keeping it secret from his wife. The latter is just bizarre.
Even so, I’d love to have some of those Dolphins socks. They’re awesome.
#6 by Ken on 08.10.06 10:25 am |
I like the Kebekwa logo. The frog looks like he is wearing Converse All-Stars.
#7 by Mark on 08.10.06 10:32 am |
really like the interview idea, but like others, am pretty creeped out by witesock. there was some uni stuff in there but there was also secrecy and pies. I think we can all agree that we don’t ever want to read “Nike is good” or “wearing softball jerseys in the majors works for me” or “fetish community” on this blog.
#8 by Paul P on 08.10.06 10:32 am |
I get the frog thing, with the jumping and basketball and all, but I still have to ask, why? Terrible mascot for any sport…. I can just see it now, first 1000 people to the game get a free tadpole! Geez!
#9 by Paul Lukas on 08.10.06 10:35 am |
People: I can vouch for Witesock’s sincerity (and non-ickiness). He’s a normal fellow with an unusual passion. Keep in mind that most of the world would apply that same description to most of us here — it’s just a matter of degree.
I’ll say it again: Witesock is a swell guy, and a good friend to boot. Please do NOT make fun of him or his hobby.
#10 by PDXclark on 08.10.06 10:36 am |
The Kebekwa logo looks like its related to the everett aquasox
#11 by D Schmitt on 08.10.06 10:40 am |
So since the site is down, sites can be “slashdotted” after the wave of hits after an article is posted on /. so what did we just do? Uni-Watch’d it? Lukas’d it?
#12 by Paul P on 08.10.06 10:42 am |
Ladies and gentlemen, our “WTF” photo of the day:
WHAT??
(Thanks PDXclark for the link to the Everett Aquasox page)
As far as Witesock goes, I enjoyed reading it, and he definitely has a kick ass sock collection. Anything past that doesn’t effect me.
#13 by Mike on 08.10.06 10:52 am |
I don’t know how often the word “horrifying” can be applied to unis and be an understatement, but mark this occasion down somewhere.
#14 by Richard on 08.10.06 10:56 am |
i don’t know what’s worse - the uniform top or the batting gloves…
but at least he has high socks
#15 by Paul P on 08.10.06 10:59 am |
Another item of interest with his uniform would be the double earflaps on his batting helmet… that looks like something you’d buy at a theme park with that logo on. I guess I’m just in shock with the jersey…. Anyone notice that the caption for the photo refrences that the jerseys are associated with a 5 game winning streak? You think anyone of those players enjoy wearing that thing for 5 games +?
#16 by Mark on 08.10.06 11:01 am |
that frog logo sure is getting around. first in Quebec with basketball and now Washington with baseball.
if that tie-dyed jersey doesn’t make you say “there ought to be a law” something is wrong…
#17 by Lincoln on 08.10.06 11:12 am |
Check out Bill Simmons’ Page 2 article. Check out number 16. I don’t know if I agree with that, but it would be better than their current unis. How about a cross between the old colors and new logo?
#18 by dpnation on 08.10.06 11:17 am |
Where does one stash 700+ pairs of socks without one’s spouse finding them?
An impressive feat in itself!
#19 by alvarez on 08.10.06 11:33 am |
good thing he wasn’t wearing one of those nike polka-dot undershirts or someone might think he’s too distracting!
#20 by roger r on 08.10.06 11:34 am |
Great interview, Paul!
It took on a bit of a strange tone towards the end there but I’m glad you went into that direction and explored that. Glad, also, that Witesock felt free to discuss it. Interview definitely got more interesting as it went along.
And kudos to Witesock for appreciating FANTASTIC NFL hosiery by my team, the Dolphins. I’m not a big fan of those away-pants during the Wannstedt-Johnson era but I dig those socks.
#21 by Kevin on 08.10.06 11:43 am |
His undershirt appears to be ripped to shreds along the neckline. But at least it isn’t the spider-man look.
Great interview Paul. The fetish thing was a bit creepy, but funny all the same. Witesock sounds like he would be a fun guy to have a couple beers with.
#22 by Vincent on 08.10.06 11:46 am |
The Quebec City link didn’t work for me sohere an another one.
Personnally being from Quebec City, i’m not insult by the term frog. What i found most shocking is “Kebekwa”. Since the dawn of time, the Quebec gouvernment has done everything in is power to protect the french language but are saying nothing about this one. I understand that “québécois” isn’t english frendly but we already have a english version : Quebeckers. Why use an another form of writing it is beyond me.
As for the frog logo, it’s a bit weird because having a rough winter here during most of the year, we don’t really see frogs that much but it’s a funny looking logo.
#23 by Kyle on 08.10.06 11:53 am |
As a hockey player, I feel I should point out that you can buy NHL-style hockey socks quite easily (unofficial though, I believe). All hockey players need to wear socks (as they have function as well as form), and many would prefer to wear the socks of their favorite team, so the market is definitely there.
I remember when I played in college in Cleveland (2000-2004), I needed a new pair of practice socks. I went to the local sporting goods store and found a pair of Blues socks. Being raised in StL, I snatched ‘em up. When I went to practice the next day, I received 3 or 4 comments of suprise and admiration. It seems that the Blues socks are popular, and that people thought our local store was out of that particular team (they only carried 10 or so teams). Are you surprised that college kids would not only immediately recognize a change in practice hosiery, but also have an opinion?
Of course, the team apparel was patterned off of the Toronto Maple Leafs. A classic choice.
#24 by Kyle on 08.10.06 11:54 am |
Sorry. That should have read Toronto Maple Leafs. Don’t know why the link wasn’t there.
#25 by Kyle on 08.10.06 11:58 am |
Actually, it appears that you can purchase official socks. For example:
Pittsburgh
Last post on the subject, I promise.
#26 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:03 pm |
The Aquasox do a “Tie Dye Day” every year, sometimes they actally have had quite a few different “Special Jerseys”:
Everett Aquasox Tie Dye
http://www.aquasox.c...
http://eas.iamjacksd...
Aquasox Camo
http://www.enviroiss...
http://eas.iamjacksd...
http://eas.iamjacksd...(Jeff%20Gilmore%20camo).jpg
#27 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:05 pm |
The last link didn’t work…..
http://eas.iamjacksd...(Jeff%20Gilmore%20camo).jpg
#28 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:06 pm |
Again!!! Dammit!!
Link Name
Maybe this works?
#29 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:07 pm |
Finally!!!!
#30 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:08 pm |
What’s wrong with his gloves?
#31 by Mayer on 08.10.06 12:14 pm |
Witesock shouldn’t be ashamed of his obsession. I believe that everyone should have at least one obsession. I can’t imagine what someone’s life is like if they aren’t obsessed with a single thing.
#32 by Andy Head on 08.10.06 12:16 pm |
They wear the tie-dye usually for one 3-game series each year, called “Frogstock”. The camos are, as one would expect, in coordination with a military recognition day at Everett Memorial Stadium.
#33 by Paul P on 08.10.06 12:38 pm |
So when is Shinjo joining the Evertt Aquasox? He’d fit right in!
#34 by Terrence on 08.10.06 12:41 pm |
this is kind of off the subject, but as i’ve been looking through the minor league baseball website (www.minorleaguebaseball.com) i’ve noticed that there are alot of really awsome uniforms and logo designs:
Link Name,
and
Link Name,
though there are Link Name too.
anyone have a favorite they want to talk about?
#35 by Terrence on 08.10.06 12:44 pm |
sorry, i screwed up the link names, here’s the post again
this is kind of off the subject, but as i’ve been looking through the minor league baseball website (www.minorleaguebaseball.com) i’ve noticed that there are alot of really awsome uniforms and logo designs:
The Columbus Clippers,
and
Lancaster Jet Hawks,
though there are some pretty odd ones too.
anyone have a favorite they want to talk about?
#36 by Vic on 08.10.06 12:45 pm |
Minor league baseball is all about promotions like the tie-dye, camo, boy scout uniforms. It’s just for fun, anyway the Aquasox regular stuff isn’t very nice either.
#37 by Rick on 08.10.06 12:48 pm |
Why? The old logo is so much better and classier looking. I want a logo that is a picture of something not a picture of something construed into oversimplified geometric patterns.
But thats just my opinion.
#38 by JTH on 08.10.06 12:50 pm |
Wow. I really feel special now. I’ve got a game-worn Brad Muster jersey that was given to my dad by the Bears. Now I find out that they have a strict policy against that sort of thing.
It’s too bad they’re bastards about it. The Bears have great socks, especially the ones they wear with the dark jerseys (also, note the logo creep on the shoes).
#39 by Terrence on 08.10.06 12:52 pm |
i totally duffed all of those links and am now feeling very dumb.
#40 by Tom O'Grady on 08.10.06 12:54 pm |
Paul- I’m sure if you vouch for Witesock, then he’s legit… but…come on…this is creepy
They want to see maybe a really beat-up pair of socks, things like that. I do maintain some anonymity — I won’t show my face, and I won’t show any other parts of my body. I do get those types of requests, but I don’t honor them. One of the most interesting requests I got was from a guy in Australia. He offered to send me five pairs of Australian rugby socks if I would take pictures of myself wearing the socks while at the same time throwing a pie in my face.
Back to inscriptions on the bottom of baseball caps.
Just having some fun here.
T.
#41 by Jared on 08.10.06 12:58 pm |
HEY!! I happen to REALLY like the Aquasox gear. It’s pretty unique (the Frog Logo) and fit’s in well with the parent club’s colors (Mariners)…..
#42 by Dee on 08.10.06 12:58 pm |
Look at that first link to the tye-dye shirts. Does anyone else notice how out of place and goofy Jay Buhner looks in a tye-dye jersey. I remember this guy from when I was growing up and I remember how he looked like the biggest bad ass in baseball with that shaved head and goatee.This guy could walk into any biker bar and fit right in, but just looks funny with that jersey on.
#43 by Vic on 08.10.06 1:13 pm |
You f
You are definitely entitled to your opinion on the Aquasox uniforms, but riddle me this. #1 what is an Aquasock aside from swimming footsies #2 What do swimming footsies have to do with tree frogs?
#44 by Vic on 08.10.06 1:14 pm |
disregard that “you f” thing
#45 by Bill on 08.10.06 1:16 pm |
I’m kind of surprised - I always thought that French-Canadians HATED the term “frogs”.
#46 by Andy Head on 08.10.06 1:56 pm |
I live in the Everett area, own an AquaSox hat, and have been to many of their home games, and I have yet to figure that one out. But us locals just roll with it.
There’s also another Washington state team that abuses the “Sox” add-on, if you ask me:
http://www.applesox....
That Buhner picture always cracks me up, too. He was on a rehab stint late in his career and got stuck here during Frogstock that year.
#47 by Jared on 08.10.06 1:56 pm |
Aqua Sox, as in Aqua colored socks…… Red Sox, White Sox …… Get it?
The Frog is just a part of the Logo …..
#48 by Jared on 08.10.06 2:00 pm |
As i remember it, Jay and Randy both rehabbed in Everett and they LOVED the Jerseys (the Home Whites) Randy even KEPT his ……
#49 by Jared on 08.10.06 2:02 pm |
I am Baffled by the Apple Sox though ….
#50 by Patrick on 08.10.06 2:11 pm |
Hands down the best minor league baseball team name and mascot is the Montgomery Biscuits. A yellow and blue hat with a googly-eyed biscuit. I dare you to find something better!
Montgomery Biscuits Official Site
Buy the hat
#51 by Matthew on 08.10.06 2:20 pm |
I don’t know the Chattanooga Lookouts are pretty cool too: http://www.lookouts....
#52 by Chris on 08.10.06 2:21 pm |
There was an article on espn.com about the training of the ACC officials and it contained this little tidbit:
“Nobody moves. They pull out their rulebooks, notepads, binders and highlighters. First-day discussion covers everything from checking the field for hazards to the importance of uniformity, where if one official decides to wear gloves because he is cold, everyone must wear gloves.”
I’ll have to pay attention watching the games this year to see if this is the case.
#53 by Matthew on 08.10.06 2:23 pm |
And the former Quad Cities River Bandits (now the Quad Cities Swing) had a pretty cool logo back in the day: http://cgi.ebay.com/...
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, it’s the black hat that has a baseball on it with a bandana over it’s mouth. Simple, yet funny and cool.
#54 by Matthew on 08.10.06 2:25 pm |
Here’s a better link for the Quad Cities hat: http://altura.speede...
#55 by Mayer on 08.10.06 2:55 pm |
In the bottom of the 7th in the cards-reds game today, was javier valentin swinging a pink mother’s day bat?
#56 by Vic on 08.10.06 3:09 pm |
I couldn’t agree more with both you guys, I own a Lookouts hat and am going to get a biscuits hat. I also like the Jammers even though they are purple and green. I also like the Greenjackets and the Hooks
#57 by Matthew on 08.10.06 3:20 pm |
Good call on the Hooks and Greenjackets. I read that when Roger Clemens made his three minor league starts in June (Lexington Legends, Corpus Christi Hooks, and Round Rock Express) that hat and jersey sales skyrocketed (alongside attendance of course). I’d be interested to know if he set records for the merchandise sales for those particular leagues before, during, and after his appearances there.
#58 by Bill on 08.10.06 3:20 pm |
I like my little local minor league team - the Hudson Valley Renegades
#59 by Joe Hilseberg on 08.10.06 3:29 pm |
Who would win in a fight?
The Aberdeen Ironbirds jet or the Lancaster Jethawks jet???
#60 by Matthew on 08.10.06 3:50 pm |
They’re both pretty cool logos. Is it just me though, or does the Aberdeen logo–with it’s long eyelash–almost look female? Maybe I’m seeing things only a single man would see. Maybe not.
#61 by a arauz on 08.10.06 3:53 pm |
Any truth to the rumor that the current Patriots logo/uniform design was put together by Bill Parcells??
#62 by Vic on 08.10.06 3:56 pm |
I’d like to throw a third hat in the ring Syracuse Skychiefs.
#63 by Joe Hilseberg on 08.10.06 3:56 pm |
Be careful man…that’s supposed to represent Cal Ripken! Notice the 8 on the jet.
#64 by Chris on 08.10.06 4:01 pm |
That Penguins link about the socks is interesting, as you can buy them in the old color yellow they haven’t used in 2-3 years.
Lansing Lugnuts
Albuquerque Isotopes
Hickory Crawdads
#65 by Andrew F on 08.10.06 4:03 pm |
http://www.skiltech.... THE best hat out there (and the #1 selling).
In other news, not Mother’s Day, but the LI Ducks will be going pepto for a day in September http://www.atlanticl...
#66 by Dave Provost on 08.10.06 4:06 pm |
They’re both pretty cool logos. Is it just me though, or does the Aberdeen logo–with it’s long eyelash–almost look female? Maybe I’m seeing things only a single man would see. Maybe not.
Talk about fetishes… But, yeah, that Aberdeen jet is pretty hot.
#67 by Matthew on 08.10.06 4:16 pm |
Really? I did not know that. Does Ripken have abnormally long eyelashes and I just didn’t know it? Otherwise, that’s just a weird design feature on an otherwise cool logo.
#68 by Jersey Mark on 08.10.06 4:25 pm |
Jetwahks!Aberdeen looks like a cartoon character!
#69 by Micah on 08.10.06 4:27 pm |
Paul, Jim Caple in his Page 2 column today wrote:
“we also believe we will run faster and jump higher if our shoes have swooshes on them.”
Looks like he shares your views on Nike!
#70 by Joe Hilseberg on 08.10.06 4:30 pm |
There were some strange things going on in his early years!
#71 by Wooster Oh on 08.10.06 4:59 pm |
Whenever I go to visit my parents, I go to a WV Power game–they are the Single A team for the Brewers. Originally they were called the Charleston Charlies and then they were the Charleston Alley Cats and now the WV Power home and away Sadly, they have 5–yes five! mascots
#72 by Heath on 08.10.06 5:44 pm |
I think that we could all agree that minor league baseball has some of the coolest nicknames and caps of any sport, ever!!
#73 by Matthew on 08.10.06 5:49 pm |
Agreed.
Another personal favorite is the former Capitol City Bombers (now known as the Greenville Drive).
http://www.starstruc...
#74 by Vic on 08.10.06 6:32 pm |
That Storm hat is corny, it looks like old No Fear hats. They aren’t the worst though, the worst ones are theMuckdogs and the Quakes
#75 by Jersey Mark on 08.10.06 7:48 pm |
I have to say, the hats would look a lot better if they weren’t taken with such a crappy camera! As for the mascots, they don’t even make sense, are they represented at the ballpark?
#76 by Vic on 08.10.06 8:04 pm |
The Power mascots make sense. Hydro is Water Power, Gusty is Wind, Axe is Coal, Pyro is Fire, and Charley is either an atom or just weird.
#77 by Euge! on 08.10.06 8:09 pm |
ok, this sock obsession thing is getting creepy… what’ next? You only masturbate with tube socks with stripes on them?
#78 by N. on 08.10.06 8:15 pm |
i think that Charley is a callback to the team’s prior team name, the Charleston Charlies.
#79 by nybatt on 08.10.06 8:18 pm |
speaking of socks…
WHERE THE HELL ARE THE WHITE STRIPES ON THE COLTS SOCKS???!!!???
am I to assume that they removed the stripes from their socks this season…
shame, shame…
#80 by Wooster Oh on 08.10.06 8:41 pm |
Yes, Appalachian Power owns the naming rights to the ballpark, and I believed they paid for a good portion of it, hence the name ‘Appalachian Power Park.’ It also explains the mascots—and usually at least 3 dress for games….even when it’s 100 degrees out in the middle of a Sunday July afternoon. I like the mascots, but there are far too many….it is a gorgeous park and it’s in the second year.
#81 by Kevin Bryant on 08.10.06 9:05 pm |
Hey now, fetishists (yes, I am one) don’t necessarily do anything with the socks other than collect them and wear them. While I can’t say I have as impressive a number as 800+ pair, I can say I keep some of those eBay sporting goods store selloffs in business.
Just last year I bought a lot of 200+ pair of stirrup socks! The main trouble is finding decent sanitaries to go with them.
#82 by Jersey Mark on 08.10.06 9:43 pm |
Well, despite the obvious logo creep, I guess its worth while to have a good ballpark in the area, thanks for the answers!
#83 by Smail on 08.10.06 9:56 pm |
#84 by al a on 08.10.06 11:03 pm |
Don’t forget the famous or is that infamous
Toledo Mudhens….. a classic minor league franchise… or even the Durham Bulls.
#85 by Mr. Met on 08.11.06 12:04 am |
Anyone know where I can get a pair of Dolphins home or away uniform pants? I actually have the home and away socks but have never been able to find the correspndong uni pants. Any ideas?
#86 by Don on 08.11.06 1:41 am |
This is SO FRUSTRATING… I’ve been waiting ALL DAY to get in to see Witesock’s page. I finally got on at 1:30 AM…FOR 5 MINUTES then it kicked me out again! Don’t post something so cool if we can’t see it. I didn’t mean that, I’m just upset.Keep posting cool shit, Uni Watch!
#87 by Joe F on 08.11.06 1:42 am |
I was at the movies and was watching a preview for the new movie Gridiron Gang with the Rock in it and was very aware of a large logo-creep.
Watch the Movie Trailer. The movie was set pre-UA times.
#88 by Joe F on 08.11.06 1:43 am |
Sorry didn’t work last time
#89 by Uniopolis Mike on 08.11.06 2:00 am |
Ok, so we all know and love the minors temas and what not, but lets move on to the the real deal. did anyone see the pics from the Browns game tonight? besides the WAY to big logo for the 60 years on the chest, i think i like the “new” browns jerseys. look cool and classic all the way!!! oh, and how’s come no one mentioned the fact that Jay Buh