Back on April 10th, 2005, Miguel Tejada slid head-first into home plate at Yankee Stadium and emerged with the “1″ on his jersey peeling off. He then ended up playing the rest of the game as No. 0. When I linked to those photos from my ESPN column a few days later, I got a note from some guy I’d never heard of before, which read, “That NEVER would’ve happened back when I was in charge of the Orioles’ numbers!”
That was my introduction to Joe Hilseberg, a lifelong Marylander who, as he explained in our subsequent correspondence, spent parts of his high school and college years working in the Baltimore shop that sewed all the names and numbers on Orioles and Ravens jerseys. He’s stayed in touch during the ensuing year and a half, often pointing things out regarding the subtleties of uniform stitching.
Hilseberg isn’t the first stitcher I’ve encountered. Back in 2004, I met Ross Gompers, who does all the stitching for the Mets, and ended up writing about him. But Hilseberg — maybe because he’s not in the business anymore and is therefore a bit freer to speak his mind — was much more expansive on the ins and outs of stitchery than Gompers was. We chatted on the phone a few weeks ago.
[A quick aside: Remember that I myself will be interviewed by reader Todd Krevanchi for an upcoming Uni Watch Profiles installment. If you have questions that you want Todd to ask me, submit them to him here. Okay, end of promo — on to the Hilseberg interview.]
Update, Wednesday, 7:45pm: Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, Hilseberg has requested that I take down the interview, and I’ve reluctantly agreed. I’m doing this because Joe is a peach of a guy who deserves better than the grief he got from certain quarters today. Those of you who saw the interview know how good it was; my apologies to those of you who didn’t get to see it.
#1 by Ed on 09.20.06 8:29 am |
Great interview, and apropos for me at the moment.
I wonder if Mr. Hilseberg has any insights into whether number stitching is harder for football jerseys compared with baseball. I have a few baseball and one football with stitched numbers, and the stitching on the baseball jerseys seems to hold up much better than for the football one.
Is it because the football jersey material is thinner, or did I get stuck with a poorly done stitch job?
ed
PS. FWIW, the football jersey is a new 2006 authentic one, for the Browns. The jersey has the same stretchy thicker material on the side panels as on the shoulders, but fortunately is all the same color. Perhaps the construction differences between different sizes have to do a lot with the inconsistency of the side panels that have been pointed out here…
#2 by jamie kilgore on 09.20.06 8:42 am |
man i envy that guys job. i would love to do that someday!
#3 by Gregg on 09.20.06 8:43 am |
OK, I know I’m a day late, but I didn’t get around to it yesterday.
I am a 38 year old lifelong Met fan, and, since I tend to like the color black (black car, black clothes, black wife, etc.), I like the black uniforms. I actually own a black David Wright authentic. (And for what these things cost, black made the most sense. Imagine spilling something nasty on a $250 snow white uni.) I agree that historically, the black came out of the blue (pun intended) to capitalize on the so-called “black fad,†but it’s here, and it’s been around long enough to get past the fad stage. I am talking about the home blacks, not the road jerseys, which I write off as unnecessary and which, as you will see below, are a statistically bad thing. Thankfully they have worn the road blacks a lot less this season (18 times in 75 games). From a practical perspective, I don’t know why a team would want to travel with two sets of batting helmets. Doesn’t that take up a lot of room?
I also like all three Met hats, although I do wish they would wear the blues a bit more often—especially when they wear white, and ALWAYS when they wear pinstripes. For me, the only abomination occurs when they wear black and blue hats and black sleeves with the pinstriped uniform. I also would like to see them wear blue caps and sleeves on the road.
OK, and for all you Met fans who signed the petition. Why? Didn’t you realize that the Mets have a better home record in black? Their overall home record is 49-29 (.653), but in black, they are 12-5 (.706). In white, they are 26-16 (.619), and in pinstripes they are 9-5 (.643). (I will acknowledge that they are 2-0 in their ’86 throwbacks, but do you really want those back?)
As stated above, I would be in favor of ditching the road blacks, and the statistics back me on this. The Mets’ road record is 43-32 (.587), but in black, they are a ghastly 6-12 (.333). I wonder if this is why they haven’t worn these unis since August 17. (I just realized that they wore them for five of the six games on that road trip. In the other game, they wore the Negro League uniforms with the black helmets, which I guess goes to my point about traveling with two sets of headwear—something they have done several times earlier in the year.)
Finally, black is the color of POWER.
#4 by Richard on 09.20.06 8:47 am |
Great interview, Paul, and thank you Joe for the insight.
I have got to get me a heat press in my basement. That has to be a great idea.
#5 by Andy Head on 09.20.06 9:03 am |
Best UniWatch profile yet, in my opinion. Wish I had the flow to keep 120 jerseys around. Instead, my baseball and hockey jerseys get worn ’till they fall apart, then I go get a new one.
#6 by Jim on 09.20.06 9:07 am |
Very cool interview, Paul.
#7 by Peter Wunsch on 09.20.06 9:10 am |
If Joe was a fan of the Chicago NHL team 20 years ago they were the Black Hawks. The didn’t change to the Blackhawks until the mid-90’s
#8 by Matt on 09.20.06 9:16 am |
I design the big green overhead signs on highways so I understand Joe’s obsession with making fonts & layouts correct.
My wife has asked me stop pointing out errors on signs to her.
#9 by ESS on 09.20.06 9:24 am |
I drove mine crazy pointing out poorly line-striped parking lots, thanks to a job in college painting parking lot lines and curbs. It’s amazing what you notice when you actually pay attention!!
#10 by Bobby D on 09.20.06 9:39 am |
Nice article, Joe H. sounds like a cool dude from a nice family. Why is it MLB teams have such shoddy-made unis?
I play on a baseball team in Tokyo and had our jerseys done in my hometown, Tulsa, OK by Irv’s and they did a fantastic job on them, except the front logo is a bit incorrect (bat at the bottom of “Eagles” instead of a tail is too close to the lettering), and we’re in our 7th or 8th year in them and still no one’s has had problems with numbers/lettering coming off.
Then again I yell and tell anyone who slides headfirst into home that they are C.R.A.Z.Y.
#11 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.20.06 9:48 am |
Paul, Thanks again for the interview…you DID make me sound interesting!
The stitching on the football jerseys probably doesn’t hold up as well because the mesh it’s sewn to is a lot thinner, and the glue on the twill really grabs onto polyester nicely.
And yes, a heat press in my house was the best investment I have ever made! You can do some sweet things with that t-shirt transfer paper and a mac!
#12 by Max Dugan on 09.20.06 9:50 am |
Joe,
A 1000 Uniwatch points for you if you outfit your groomsman in stirrups with white sanitarys.
#13 by Max Dugan on 09.20.06 9:53 am |
A heat press can also make 4 cubans or paninis at the same time. Great for parties!
#14 by Beefalo on 09.20.06 9:58 am |
Paul,
Great interview…although I will say I was a little disappointed that you didn’t give him a hard time about the color of the Bandits jersey that he designed…
You going soft on us?
#15 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.20.06 10:02 am |
Let me set the record straight…we just did the names and numbers! I would never put a purple gradient into production!!!
#16 by Chris on 09.20.06 10:07 am |
Nice,
I gotta keep the Jersey Vest thing in the back of my mind for my wedding. What vest should i give my friend eric, whos a jets fan. Teal with Eric 13 or Blue with 56?
#17 by Jeff Klavon on 09.20.06 10:08 am |
I know what his buddies mean when they say he’s obsessed. I went to a Ravens/Jets game with him last year and all he could talk about was uniform problems and how Vinny Testaverde’s belt was not regulation. Yeah, hes a nut about this stuff but someone has to be. Great article!
#18 by Mark Dancer on 09.20.06 10:11 am |
Great interview! This is easily the best one yet. I don’t know why all this stuff is so fascinating, but it certainly is. I have actually just started a jersey collection, myself, and with each new one I buy, I become more and more fascinated by the craftsmanship that goes into the construction.
Thanks for the hard work, Paul!!
#19 by Chuck Dijak on 09.20.06 10:20 am |
Outstanding Interview! I paint football fields, and rewen the experience of going to a game for my friends, because I always point out how the 2-point conversion stripe is too long, or how silly I feel team-colored sidelines are. I surely understand the “attention to detail” obsession.
#20 by Ryan on 09.20.06 10:24 am |
yeah, this has DEFINITELY been the best UniWatch Profile yet! I guess I never thought about that stuff being hand-cut. I think I just assumed it’s been done on a machine for a long time.
#21 by Beefalo on 09.20.06 10:34 am |
Joe,
Good to know–when I read the article, Paul had put in there that you had designed the uniform, which I thought meant that entire purple gradient madness…
I guess you are off the hook, although it might have been for the greater good if you had lost the jerseys and made them use this great Baltimore hockey jersey…
#22 by Robert on 09.20.06 11:12 am |
A thought occurred to me when considering the deadlines that the stitchers face. When Joel Youngblood was traded and played for two teams in a single day, did his jersey in the night game have his name and proper number on it?
#23 by Rico Suave on 09.20.06 11:15 am |
Nice scolding message from that Baltimore jersey link just above…
#24 by Robert on 09.20.06 11:23 am |
Responding to Gregg’s post #3, he makes a very good point about not wanting to ruin a pricey white jersey with food stains and the like. While I am definitely not a fan of alternate jerseys, I tend to wear the ones that are black or red or whatever, as I am a slob and I know that they will have buffalo wing sauce or ketchup all of them at some point.
I only wear a white or light gray jersey if I know that I won’t be eating while I am wearing it.
#25 by SpellsGood on 09.20.06 11:28 am |
Great profile…I would love to have lucked into a great job like that!
This article is very topical for me as well, as I am finally at the end of a 3-month saga trying to get a replica NHL jersey lettered. When I first brought it to the local shop, I watched in horror as the owner’s wife tried to heat press all three layers of the large tri-color back numbers at one time. Long story short, another set of numbers and many excruciating delays later, I am told the jersey will be done today.
Glad to see there are some very professional shops out there with people who obsess and take pride in their craft as much as the people who wear the jerseys (fans and athletes). Very informative and enlightening.
#26 by Forrest on 09.20.06 11:30 am |
Am I the only one who looked up Kingsale on baseball almanac?
#27 by anf on 09.20.06 11:37 am |
This is really really interesting. Thanks!
#28 by Lake on 09.20.06 11:39 am |
How awesome is it that the baseball card on that page says “Kingsdale”? That’s gold.
#29 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 09.20.06 11:47 am |
upon doing some “uni observing” on si.com, i came upon this pic.
nothing flashy, nothing requiring a second look. but as i gave that second look, the girl on the left looks a ton like cindy mancini from cant buy me love
#30 by Chris on 09.20.06 11:47 am |
With the signing of Morten Anderson by the Falcons, is he allowed to wear the single bar face mask anymore. I assume he was grandfathered in to be allowed to wear it before but since he retired can he still wear it when he comes back?
#31 by Kevin A. on 09.20.06 11:47 am |
lmao…that “kingsdale” card is hilarious…i could understand a mom and pop shop messing it up on one jersey…but a big company like topps messing it up on plenty of cards…priceless
#32 by a arauz on 09.20.06 11:54 am |
LOL…
500 Uniwatch points to you for that suggestion.
Well done, Max !
#33 by Teebz on 09.20.06 11:57 am |
NHL replica jerseys are probably the best example of a company improving on its product. CCM used to use flimsy, cheap polyester for the rep jerseys it made. Over the last few years before the sale to Reebok, they had gone to the “cool-flo” material for rep jerseys, and the lettering looked much better. If the letters are stitched on, they look almost like a pro jersey (several differences that I won’t get into here).
#34 by Teebz on 09.20.06 11:58 am |
Great interview, Paul. Joe, I totally can relate with your jersey views. And that wedding idea is awesome! :o)
#35 by JJ on 09.20.06 12:04 pm |
What terrific behind the scenes insight, Paul! Originally, I became infatuated with the number/ letter application process on baseball jerseys ever since I paid to have one customized, and it came out really funky (picture incorrect fonts, too low placement of the # the back, and a patch with zig-zag stitching way too spread out). After I ripped everything off, I thought, THAT was $30 well spent!
Then I figured, why I can’t I do this instead? So I became a regular at the local fabric store, picked up a sewing machine, and went at it. After a LOT of trial and error, I can actually feel truly satisfied about my collection of personalized jerseys hanging in the closet (not near the hundreds Mr. Hilseberg has, though I’m trying). Ah… perfectly placed stitches, correct spacing, and attn to detail- what a feeling of accomplishment! And I can only imagine how Joe must have felt after seeing some of his work on such a grand stage. Bravo!
ps- anyone else think that the numbers guy simply forgot to stitch Tejada’s number on, and just heatpressed it?
#36 by Buckeye Mike on 09.20.06 12:07 pm |
Joe, Great Idea on the vests. as someone who has to had to don a vest 3 times this year already, i would have loved that idea. I must admit, even though as a browns fan, i pretty much hate most things in maryland, u my friend are AWESOME. dude that is a great story, u are a lucky man.
paul, great job on the interview.
ok, enough smoke up the butt, my real question is this, how is any one shocked the owner of the O’s is cheap, this guys is terrible. ain’t this the team that a group of dj’s or something tried to get the whole fan base to stand outside the stadium and not pay to go in while wearing black or something? I think i read about it on here.
#37 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 09.20.06 12:25 pm |
anyone else have a problem with the way the number 2 is handled in uniforms?
i prefer the block number style used by psu (see derrick williams)
http://img524.images...
with the horizontal middle
as apposed to the block number style used by say, the chicago bulls (see eddy curry)
http://graphics.json...
with the angled down middle.
but then you have the florida gators whose number 2’s (and 5’s) are totally different from jersey numbers to tv numbers (see chris leak)
http://onlineathens....
the tv numbers have the hook at the bottom, whereas, the jersey numbers are simply upside down and mirrored 5’s…
but then the 5’s differ as well (see andre caldwell)
http://www.secsports...
dont even get me started about seeing jerseys when either the font or number style is totally different from on the field of play. big culprit, phillies, red sox, cubs.
like this thing
http://www.amazon.co...
ok, it is labeled as a replica, but it isnt even a close replica! who are they trying to fool.
#38 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.20.06 12:27 pm |
Just to also add some notes…A couple lines on there about the O’s in paticular, were said very toungue in cheek, and don’t come across in print that way. The Orioles as a whole were such a great organization to work with, and of course it was a dream of mine to be associated with them. I have nothing bad to say about them or any of their employees. One of the highlights of my life.
And on a side note…everyone over 30 looks 70 to a 16 year old kid!
#39 by SD Chris on 09.20.06 12:35 pm |
I remember when Gene Kingsdale played for the Padres a few seasons ago and he definately went by Kingsdale, not Kingsale. I wonder if “Tackle Twill” Joe had something to do with the kid changing his name?
#40 by Mark in Shiga on 09.20.06 12:41 pm |
Todd, those replica jerseys where they don’t even attempt to get the font or border colors correct (and insert player surnames where they don’t belong!) are disgusting.
Who actually pays $90 for one of those?
What a complete waste of money.
#41 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 1:09 pm |
Same goes for when they put a name on the back of jersey where one CLEARLY does not belong
I mean really, what self-respecting Yankees fan would buy these?
Aside from the obvious Pavano-based reasons.
#42 by Steve Prudente on 09.20.06 1:17 pm |
I think they would allow him to be grandfathered in to wear a single bar. However, I’ve never seen him wearing a single bar facemask. He always wore that odd-looking 2-bar facemask that looked nothing like anything anyone else wore. The bar didn’t even go all the way across on the top. I found some pics of his stints with the Chiefs, Giants, Vikings, Saints, and of course, the Falcons. Wierd looking face mask, right? I think the NFL has also outlawed this style as well.
#43 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 1:25 pm |
Speaking of things that look ridiculous even in a replica jersey (and at the risk of starting another Holy War . . .
New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez Power Alley White Jersey by Nike
#44 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 09.20.06 1:30 pm |
i remember during the 03 alcs (ny/boston- the aaron “fuckin’” boone series) seeing yankee fans wearing these jerseys as an insult to the sox fans.
http://lp.imageg.net...
i think self respecting yankee fans were proud to wear them (when they were appropriate).
#45 by Phil on 09.20.06 1:32 pm |
Morten Anderson’s face mask. It’s just really old. I’m sure if you go back and find some pictures, at some point in his career, Terry Bradshaw wore the same thing. As well as Bob Greise. Just to name a couple.
#46 by JohnnyBoy on 09.20.06 1:38 pm |
What is this… “self-respecting” Yankees fan? Never heard of it.
#47 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 1:43 pm |
LMAO!! I was AT the Aaron “Bleeping” Boone Game (AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!)
But a sign that you’ve been spending too much time on this website is that the first thing I noticed about that jersey is that the typeface is wrong! Here’s a Johnny Damon Authentic for comparison’s sake (and maybe to rub a little salt in a Red Sox fan’s wounds)
#48 by Chad on 09.20.06 1:52 pm |
I was just re-listening to last night’s Met’s game to hear what the SNY guys said about the uniforms for the playoff’s. Basically it went sort of like this:
Ron Darling asked Gary Cohen if the Mets wore the black uni’s in the playoff’s back in 2000. Cohen responded by saying he remembered them waering them often back then and expects them to do the same this year :(.
#49 by Craig on 09.20.06 1:56 pm |
Great profile - the best yet. Joe is a definite first ballot uni watch hall of famer. Thanks for sharing your story.
..
The CBC is currently running a great series entitled ‘Hockey: A People’s History’. Loaded with old stories and recreations, there is a wealth of imagery of interest to the Uni Watch crowd. For those collectors among us, the network is even offering a selection of featured team jerseys here at their online shop. They are beautiful for their simplicity - love the Kenora Thistles! My only complaint is the choice of material. Polyester makes little to no sense.
#50 by SpartyCuse on 09.20.06 2:01 pm |
Changing the nameplates on jerseys isnt that uncommon. Im a big collector of NHL game-worn jerseys, and I routinely come across jerseys that have been worn by more than one player. You can usually see the outline where the stitching from the previous nameplate was pulled off.
#51 by Nik on 09.20.06 2:07 pm |
Maybe it was Gary Anderson that wore the 1 bar helmet.
I’ve tried to block out all thoughts of him since blowing the field goal for the Vikes against the Falcons, so I don’t remember.
#52 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 09.20.06 2:12 pm |
yeah. mlb.com wouldnt allow a last name to be placed on the authentic jersey. so i had to go replica.
interesting story about last names on jerseys.
about 5 or so years ago, i wanted to get an authentic nike custom penn st. jersey. #4 no last name on the back. like they do.
eastbay offers them. when i placed my order and said no name on the back, the rep said that i HAD to put a name on the back. i rebutted that psu doesnt put names on the back of their uni’s and it was silly that they were being offered in the first place.
when he explained why (it was because i could get this jersey without a name, and on my own, put a derogatory term on it) i responded on how ridiculous that reasoning was.
but as i was arguing, i was also leafing through the remainder of the catalog. i stopped on the page that has all of the replica jerseys. all the nike teams, home and away, and all the adidas teams, home and away.
once i saw all of these replica jerseys i said, so i CANT spend 150 on the custom jersey i want with no last name on the back, because i am capable of putting a derogatory term on it, but i CAN spend 49 bucks on a replica jersey with no last name on the back for any team home or away in nike or adidas? arent i capable of doing the same to those?
silence… let me talk to my supervisor. he returns and the new explanation was, we just cant.
#53 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 2:13 pm |
It was, in fact, GARY Anderson who wore the single bar with the
Vikings as well as with the
Steelers
#54 by Joe Drennan on 09.20.06 2:16 pm |
Seeing the Morton Anderson post confirmed the thought I had this weekend about the single bar that they have been outlawed.
I was watchign college and NFL gaems this weekend and saw a lot of kickers with a lot of bars on their facemasks, almost looking like a QB or RB on tight shots. Their shoulder pads and thigh pads, or lack there of, give it away that they’re a kicker.
I was also wondering why some kickers feel the need to wear the Ridell Revolution concussion helmets. Are there that many kickers suffering head injuries that we don’t know about?
#55 by Matthew on 09.20.06 2:22 pm |
Joe, you’ve got a pair of brass ones on you to tell Cal Ripken in his owners box while watching his minor league team play that his framed jersey on the wall is wrong.
I guess the uniform on the wall was one you did not get to put the numbers and letters on?
#56 by Matthew on 09.20.06 2:27 pm |
You also mentioned that the shop you worked in was a mom and pop shop that did lettering for lots of pro teams? How many teams? Which ones? Was this especially common in the past for teams to contract out to small local shops for their letting and numbering needs? Is it still common today?
All in all, a good interview.
#57 by a arauz on 09.20.06 2:36 pm |
That’s a Schutt facemask as per Helmut Hut.
#58 by a arauz on 09.20.06 2:39 pm |
Hey, Yankee fans, win something this century before crowing !!!! :)
#59 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 2:42 pm |
Does anyone recall (or did I imagine this) that for a long time, when the teams controlled their own merchandising rights, you could not buy an authentic New York Yankees home jersey. You could buy a road jersey, but Mr. Steinbrenner was of the mind that in order to wear the pinstripes you had to earn them.
Or was this just a fib my parents’ told me to avoid having to shell out the bucks to buy me a jersey?
#60 by specs on 09.20.06 2:44 pm |
I agree with you on the 2’s, Todd. The horizontal is the way to go. I also don’t get why teams use different fonts for shoulder vs. chest numbers. The one that I see all the time that bothers me is the Chicago Bears. They use the same font, but the shoulder numbers are the same thickness as the chest numbers, which means that they look way thicker because they’re smaller. It’s especially noticeable with 8’s.
#61 by Tom on 09.20.06 2:49 pm |
It looks like the “kicker version” of the strange facemasks that came around in the early-to-mid 1990s. The only picture I could find is this one of Gregg Lloyd. Some of the guys on my high school team used them, but they seemed to big and awkward for me, plus the “bars” were very thick and obstructed my vision somewhat. I only remember linemen wearing it, but they did have versions for backs and receivers, too. Maybe Mort has the kicker version?
#62 by Matthew on 09.20.06 2:57 pm |
Those masks were also featured in the cinematic classic “Necessary Rougness”.
http://www.imdb.com/...
You can kind of see it on Sinbad’s helmet in this picture: http://www.scottbaku...
#63 by Big Ed on 09.20.06 2:57 pm |
Kendall Simmons on the Steelers still wears the thick, plastic looking facemask that Greg Llyod wore..the logic behind the facemask was that it was lighter weight…terrible design though
#64 by Chris on 09.20.06 2:57 pm |
Sorry about the mistake regarding the Anderson facemask, for some reason in my head I pictured him wearing a single bar. Should have looked up some pics before posting.
#65 by Matthew on 09.20.06 2:58 pm |
Damn I can’t type today.
Of course I meant “Necessary Roughness”.
Kathy Ireland was also in that movie. A true classic if you haven’t seen it.
#66 by Daniel on 09.20.06 3:06 pm |
Very nice interview … and not just because it did not involve the Mets.
#67 by Eric on 09.20.06 3:07 pm |
Cool interview. My summer/winter break job is the same thing at a place outside Buffalo. We do all the jerseys for the Sabres, as well as a few things here and there for the Bills.
I ran the laser cutting machine that cut all the logos and numbers, so I had direct contact with everything that’s going on the new Sabres jerseys.
Always an interesting story to tell.
#68 by Jonathan on 09.20.06 3:10 pm |
My condolences . . . we’ll try not to make you the scapegoat
:-)
#69 by Tim on 09.20.06 3:23 pm |
I know of 3 current NFL players that wear the big ugly plastic lineman facemask. Kendall Simmons with the Steelers, Wayne Gandy with the Falcons, and Willie Anderson with the Bengals. Ironically, they all played collegiately at Auburn. In college, only Gandy wore this style The other 2 adopted it in the NFL.
#70 by Nastykjn on 09.20.06 3:29 pm |
My wife gets aggravated with me as well. We signed on a house and the Title Company misspelled their own address. I almost made them reprint it.
I know my documentation sucks on this but this weekend I saw a punter with the single bar but he had it pulled WAY down like it was almost pointing at the ground. I know they are grandfathered into being able to use it but is there any rule as far as how they wear it?
#71 by John on 09.20.06 3:36 pm |
Actually they are Dunguard facemasks per Helmet Hut; in fact, Helmet Hut got the tooling for these and makes them for their replicas. They came out in the 1960s and were outlawed in the 1980s because they are screwed directly into the helmet at the top. All current facemasks use plastic straps as the attachment so the facemask can flex. The direct attachment was tied to neck injuries.
I’m sure that Anderson will be able to wear his old style mask as he is a non-contact player who was wearing one before they were outlawed.
I guess some kickers are wearing the Riddell Revolution helmets because the facemask is somewhat lower than a traditional helmet and therefore out of their line of site. Of course, some colleges (Iowa comes to mind) have all their players wear Revolutions, so their kicker doesn’t have a choice.
#72 by Jim on 09.20.06 3:36 pm |
I’m not a fan of different numbers for sleeves/shoulders than the ftons & backs of the jerseys, but I do like the way they look on the Bears jerseys. Even the front numbers are different than the back numbers (I can’t find good pictures, but the 4 and 5 are definitely different on the front than on the back). It’s a good way of picking out a non-authentic jersey too.
Sleeve numbers are wider proportionally than jersey numbers, so they will almost never match 100%. Also, Nike’s 5’s have a “stump” where the vertical stroke meets the bowl (shown here: http://ec1.images-am...) but you don’t see it on the shoulder numbers.
And then there are the Oregon aberrations that aren’t even consistent from number pair to number pair…but let’s not go there.
#73 by Matt on 09.20.06 3:40 pm |
Because these helmets are very light compared to the regular Riddell helmet.
#74 by John on 09.20.06 3:40 pm |
Here is the Helmet Hut link to their Dunguard page: Dunguard on Helmet Hut
Dunguard Trivia - a few years ago (when he was with the Bucs) Trent Dilfer struck up a friendship with Terry Bradshaw. Dilfer wanted to wear Bradshaw’s old Dunguard mask (the same model Morten Anaderson wears) for one game. I can’t remember if they ever did let him wear it or not - it would have been his last year with Tampa Bay, which would have been 1999 maybe?
#75 by Tom on 09.20.06 3:45 pm |
I am ashamed of myself for not remembering that, and I’m giving myself a 15 yard penalty. Thats one of those awful movies that you cannot turn off if its on HBO on a random night.
#76 by Matt on 09.20.06 3:46 pm |
Does it really matter where you have a single bar face mask?
I remember watching Gary Anderson actually move his single bar up and down while on the field.
#77 by a arauz on 09.20.06 3:47 pm |
Take a look at Helmut Hut, it’s extremely comphrensive regarding facemasks. the Mort thin two bar is the same used by Griese & Bradshaw amongst others, I believe that was by Schutt. the one you referenced was also used by Lomas Brown and others for a few years, that’s not a Schutt –but a company (whose name escapes at the moment) that has since gone belly up. Check out Helmut Hut— if you have 8 hours to kill. a great site.
#78 by a arauz on 09.20.06 3:52 pm |
Thank you John. In my mind, i had pictured Schutt as the maker of the Mort facemask and the alan page and czonka…. which is completely wrong, as the maker was Dungard, as you said.
thanks.
#79 by Shane on 09.20.06 3:53 pm |
Agreed. I just ordered a replica Red Sox jersey (Troy O’Leary!) from . Cost $150, but they use the actual numbers and lettering that the Sox use. It looks great.
btw Paul, great interview!
#80 by Tom on 09.20.06 3:53 pm |
Yeah, they were very ugly which is why I wouldnt wear them when I played. I just found some models through google, they were called “Kra Lite IV”.
Here’s one
Here is another
A pretty good one here
#81 by Shane on 09.20.06 3:58 pm |
Oh man I botched up the HTML there.
try this.
#82 by mallrat on 09.20.06 3:58 pm |
…and you didn’t go blind from the horribleness. You are a much stronger man then me.
#83 by Mark on 09.20.06 3:59 pm |
I remember those facemasks from my senior year in high school. I always refer to it as the “World League of American Football” mask. I get to use this every Sunday, as Willie Anderson wears one for my beloved Bengals to this day.
#84 by Mr. Met on 09.20.06 4:13 pm |
What’s up with all the hate towards the Mets? They won the NL East for the first time in 18 years. They look competitive for the first time in ages. Yeah I know, I know, they went to the series in 2000, but I remember feeling at the time that they didn’t deserve to be on the same field as the Yankees, and the 4-1 series thrashing proved it.
So what’s with the hatred? Anyone, feel free to chime in. Is it a black thing?
#85 by Mr. Met on 09.20.06 4:14 pm |
And by black thing I mean the unis…… :P
#86 by Jeff E. on 09.20.06 4:17 pm |
I know my documentation sucks on this but this weekend I saw a punter with the single bar but he had it pulled WAY down like it was almost pointing at the ground. I know they are grandfathered into being able to use it but is there any rule as far as how they wear it?
If I remember correctly, it was Scott Player of the Arizona Cardinals. The way he was wearing it offered no face protection at all.
I know punters see very little contact, but it’s still dangerous wearing a facemask like that. I remember a few years ago when Matt Turk punted for the Redskins. He wore a very narrow two-barred face mask that exposed most of his face. He was in on a tackle one time, and either the kick returner’s knee or foot nailed him in the face. The camera showed Turk after the play and his whole nose was shattered. It was a mangled mess and blood streaming down his mouth and chin. Next to Joe Theismann’s leg breaking, it was of the grossest things I’ve ever seen in football.
#87 by Jeff E. on 09.20.06 4:19 pm |
Sorry, that first paragraph is a quote from Nastykjn’s post #70. I accidently cut out that part when deleting the rest of his post.
#88 by mallrat on 09.20.06 4:26 pm |
I think the site can be Met-centric from time to time, but seeing as Mr Lukas(I don’t know him well enough to call him Paul) is such a Met fan it is understandable. Kinda like reading Bill Simmons and having to deal with yet another Celtics story. Just my opinion. Love the site.
Lurker coming out of his shell.
#89 by Andy Head on 09.20.06 4:33 pm |
I don’t think it’s hatred so much as the fact that those of us who aren’t Mets fans and don’t live anywhere near the East coast have gotten more than our fill of Mets-centric discussion the last couple of days on the blog here… at least, that’s how I feel. I know Paul’s a fan and all, and that a lot of you are, too, but wow, it was a bit much there for awhile.
#90 by 13monkeys on 09.20.06 4:36 pm |
Boston Bruins homepage Fan poll:
“Will you miss the Bruins yellow third jersey?”
Currently the Nos have it at 63%… Who’s holding on to the Pooh Bear?
#91 by John Ekdahl on 09.20.06 4:37 pm |
New Feature:
I added buttons for tags. Please close all tags. So, if you want to use the “bold” button - click the bold button, type the text you want bold after the tag, then click the bold button again after the text you want formatted to return to normal type. This will close the tag.
Feel free to ask questions if you are confused.
Also, the “Live Preview” is back. I think it will be a little quicker now.
#92 by Joe Drennan on 09.20.06 4:38 pm |
As long as we’re talking about odd facemasks, why not add hockey into the mix and Don Bupre into the mix with his odd goalie mask that he wore long after the modern day “cat eye” mask first made it’s way into the NHL.
#93 by Richard on 09.20.06 4:44 pm |
Thanks, John. I am sure there are plenty of commenters who will be glad to see the assistance.
#94 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 09.20.06 4:51 pm |
the king of the single bar mask (that i remember) was toni fritsch. when he was in the usfl, his facemask went straight down. you can barely see it in this pic.
#95 by JohnnyBoy on 09.20.06 4:52 pm |