Yesterday’s ESPN column about the different versions of the Tigers’ old English D logo (which, incidentally, should have included a shout-out to Jeffrey Sak, who first brought this issue to my attention about a year and a half ago) prompted a really fascinating response from Steve Diamond, a product designer at Nike (yes, Nike). Check it out:
I’ve been designing MLB product for a long time now, and your article about the Detroit “D” was funny, but also sad. Funny because I know how MLB works and the mess they have created, but sad because there are even more variations to the “D,” as well as the fact that there are 29 other teams that have similar or even worse problems.
Basically, years ago logos were not passed from vendor to vendor in formats such as embroidery tapes (what an embroidery machine uses to create the artwork for a cap logo or chain-stitch a jersey logo) and die patterns (like a cookie cutter that cuts out tackle twill to be appliqu�d to a jersey). A new vendor typically had to copy an existing jersey to get it right. So, essentially the jersey/caps of today are copies of copies of copies.
MLB and the clubs never kept accurate records, so [in the 1990s] MLB attempted to compile a “style guide” to digitally keep records of each team’s logos, in an effort to alleviate this problem. (This was also a legal move to accurately register each team’s trademarks.) However, they created marks that looked good for printing and web usage but never attempted to duplicate the actual marks used on the caps and jerseys. This added to the mix of logos being used by different manufacturers, furthering the mess.
Going back to Detroit, currently there are at least four Detroit “D” logos that I have seen — two used on the field and two that MLB created for their style guide.
You also touched on the Cardinals and Yankees. As you can see, the Cardinals have similar problems with the use of the “StL,” and the Yanks top all teams with five different versions of the “NY” in circulation.
As Majestic moves more and more of its Authentic jersey production overseas, the uniforms and logos will become more standardized, but we will lose the uniqueness and beauty of crafted chain-stitching and zig-zag stitching that is hard to duplicate in Asia.
On the other hand, New Era still makes all of its Authentic 5950 caps in the U.S., but their problem is the opposite: They have such a mix of old and varied machines that all their caps fit so different. Go check out a store with a Yankees Authentic 5950 and compare a handful in your size. Then look at the logos on all of them. You�ll see a variety of embroideries — the same basic NY, but some skinny, some fat, etc. This is due to older embroidery machines stitching “loose” and brand-new machines stitching “tight.” Again, overseas you would find rooms filled with all the same year, same model machines churning out consistency.
Hope that helps. Unfortunately for me, I can’t enjoy a baseball game, as I constantly think about junk like this. I’m just glad you didn�t talk about color — don’t get me started on that.
Wow — please join me in thanking Steve for all that great info.
The lesson, of course, is that logos aren’t quite so immutable as we like to think they are, especially when rendered in fabric. And as the preceding account suggests, the sports world has been a particularly poor steward of its own graphic heritage, especially when compared to other industries. Small example: Back when I worked in book publishing, about 15 years ago, I edited a book that included a short interview with the great Paul Rand, who designed a slew of iconic corporate logos. Asked if there was anything he wished he could go back and change, he said he’d drawn the little bow in the UPS logo by hand and regretted not using a compass — but when he’d asked UPS if he could go back and tweak the design, they’d said no. And that’s precisely how you avoid having multiple old English Ds floating around.
Then again, this all points to a big reason why I started Uni Watch in the first place: to help document the sports world’s design history. So we should be glad that the teams and leagues have left us with such an entertaining mess to untangle.
Research Request: I was out of the house last night and didn’t catch the Giants/Cowboys game, but lots of people wrote in to say that Terry Glenn had an Ohio State buckeye merit decal on the back of his helmet. Unfortunately, I can’t find a photo of this. If anyone DVR’d the game and can get us a screen grab, that’d be swell. Apparently the best views came during pregame warm-ups and after the Giants intercepted Drew Bledsoe with 1:33 left in the first half.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Speaking of the Tigers’ various logos, this guy’s pretty on top of the “D-lemma,” as he calls it. … There’s a poll here on the best NFL logos. … The Phillies signed 700-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer to a two-year extension yesterday, which as many readers have already noted means two more years of exposure for Philly’s seldom seen Liberty Bell stirrups. … Bit of speculation here about why the Vikings weren’t wearing their purple pants on Sunday. … In case you missed it in yesterday’s Comments section: Baseball players aren’t the only ones to wear windbreakers under their jerseys. Check out Steve Grogan! … Also from yesterday’s Comments section: a close-up of the little eyelet-equipped jersey patch that the Cowboys use to tie down their jerseys to their pads. … Contrary to what I wrote in yesterday’s ESPN column, the Astros do not chain-stitch their jersey insignia onto a patch and then sew that onto the jersey. They embroider directly onto the jersey (just like the Cardinals do), as seen in this shot, provided by longtime Uni Watch contributor Kevin Gee. (Here’s another view.) … Mizzou will be wearing solid-gold uniforms this weekend. … The Bears will be wearing their orange alt jerseys this Sunday. … Bonus points to the first Comments section contributor who can explain why I referenced Emerson in today’s entry title. … Even more bonus points for anyone who can explain why the hell there’s a Warhol-ized Emerson portrait floating around on the web (which you must admit looks very nice at the top of the page).
#1 by Robert on 10.24.06 8:21 am |
Steve Grogan’s windbreaker aside, those Patriots uniforms certainly look good in that photo. I will never get used to the current atrocities, no matter how many Super Bowls the team wins.
#2 by ThresherK on 10.24.06 8:23 am |
Wow, am I first?
Let’s ruminate: What color should a football helmet not be? I just think that, beyond a certain darkness, secondary colors (or black) cannot work aesthetically. There is something off when the helmet is too close in brightness (luminescence) to the jersey but a different shade.
NFL examples which make me just wanna reach for my crayon box: Red over blue (Buffalo Bills), dark
forest over black (Eagles alternate), or black over darker colors like teal (Jacksonville), red (Atlanta), and purple (Baltimore).
And orange? Well, that’s…different. Lighter orange over darker jerseys like brown (Cleveland), black (Cincinnati) and navy (Syracuse) looks better than orange over royal blue (Florida Gators).
On the NFL level, silver, white, yellow and orange account for half of the league’s helmets. There must be a uni-centric reason, right?
#3 by Casey on 10.24.06 8:30 am |
“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” - Emerson
Zat what you were goin’ for? The logos don’t conform?
#4 by MikeToriello on 10.24.06 8:42 am |
I remember that when Parcells took over the Jets he was a proponent of swtiching back to the white helmet because it made it easier for the QB to see receivers downfield.
#5 by MikeToriello on 10.24.06 8:45 am |
Found a quote:
Weeb Ewbank, the Hall of Fame coach, who was the first head coach and general manager of the Jets when today’s uniforms were first designed, said he is glad the team is returning to the 1963 uniforms, especially the white helmets.
“I’ve been trying to get the Jets to change back to the white helmets for years. The quarterback can pick out the white helmet better on the field. When you look at a stadium it has so much green around it, in the stands and on the field, it’s hard for a quarterback to spot that green helmet. Paul Brown made sure the Browns and Bengals wore orange helmets so the quarterbacks could see the helmet. White is the next best color,” said Ewbank.
From
#6 by MikeToriello on 10.24.06 8:47 am |
Screwed up the link - anyway, it’s from this site: http://d843966.u21.i...
#7 by Anthony on 10.24.06 8:47 am |
Andy Warhol was known for numerous pictures (THe Campells Soup Cans being popular) in which he’d take the same basic template and alter it slightly but still retain the main idea/goal of the object he worked with (Same with the Marilyn Monroe Painting; different color variations of the same picture…but in this case, different textures of the same logo?)
Emerson has me lost.
#8 by frankenslade on 10.24.06 8:50 am |
I’m looking forward to 2 more years of Moyer and his ‘70-rooted, transitional stirrups:pants ratio. The man’s old school in a way that rings true to my generation, maaaaaaannnn.
#9 by barney on 10.24.06 8:51 am |
Today’s Boston Globe: “An Internet blog,Uni Watch, in a submission posted on the ESPN.com website, noted that Rogers wears a batting practice cap, which has a dark underbill, rather than the standard cap worn by teammates, which has a light gray underbill. The cap, of course, has been a favorite hiding place of pitchers using illegal substances on the ball.”
#10 by Anthony on 10.24.06 8:54 am |
Same Anthony as guessed the Warhol usage above (and also the same Anthony that e-mailed you about a future idea for a column…the one who claims to be your doppleganger.)
I’ll venture an Emerson guess: Emerson was known for Nondualistic tones in his work. Nondualism being the ability to remain distinct without being seperate. But in this case, it’s reversed? The Logos are slightly different, but are still distinctive to the teams they represent?
#11 by Sean T on 10.24.06 8:55 am |
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds…” Raplh Waldo Emerson
#12 by Kevin from Ohio in Virginia on 10.24.06 8:58 am |
There is a Nationals-esque “W” on the cover of one of his journals. Link here.
#13 by Kevin from Ohio in Virginia on 10.24.06 9:04 am |
It appears that the initials I mentioned above were his design and he used them on more than just the one cover.
#14 by Burrill on 10.24.06 9:08 am |
From the Detroit Free Press:
Rogers also responded to a question about his cap. ESPN.com reported that he had worn a batting practice cap — one with a darker region under the bill — rather than the standard Tigers cap.
“My head hurts with the other one,” he said. “It shrinks, and, man, I get headaches. I don’t think it’s a big deal. I’m comfortable in that hat.”
—
Also, on a technical note, for those who have had trouble with tags not closing in comments, if you highlight the text you’re using and then click the button you want, it will add both the opening and closing tags around that text, and then there is no second click required to close the tag.
#15 by Banker Bill on 10.24.06 9:10 am |
From today’s NY Daily News:
Seemingly every detail of the smudge situation was covered, including queries about why Rogers wears his batting practice hat when he pitches instead of a game hat. The headwear drew some attention because some wondered whether he needed that cap to help store a particular substance.
“Actually, my head hurts with the other one,” he said. “It shrinks up after a couple of days. It’s like a half-size smaller.”
Does that sound as “convincing” as “It was a combination of dirt and resin and spit.” If that’s the case, dirt is legal - why make him wash it off? Methinks something is afoul…..
#16 by Kevin from Ohio in Virginia on 10.24.06 9:10 am |
While I can’t explain why it’s circling the internet, you put the Warhol-ized Emerson photos at the top of the page because the relevance to the topic is stunning especially in relation to the Tigers’ “D” logo.
Individually, any sports fan would look at those “D”’s and know that it was the Tigers’ logo, but when placed next to each other it is easy to pick out their differences. The same can be said for each of the four Emersons in the Warhol-ized photo. Anyone who knows what Emerson looked like could look at one of the four pictures individually and identify him, however each of the four photos has an obvious difference from the others.
#17 by LunchBox on 10.24.06 9:12 am |
Just read yesterday’s ESPN Column, Paul used the image I made at the very end! Woo woo!
#18 by Richard on 10.24.06 9:14 am |
Saw that in the paper this morning, but I guess you beat me to it. Kudos to the Globe for mentioning the Uni Watch.
#19 by Kevin on 10.24.06 9:18 am |
Does anyone else find it ironic that the guy who works for Nike and deals with baseball has a last name of “Diamond”?
#20 by Bruce Johnson on 10.24.06 9:21 am |
Amen. I understand why the Pats changed their logo in the 1990’s. It was a way to revitalize a tarnished brand. That said, after 3 super bowl wins I think that the Pats could stop dressing like an expansion team.
#21 by ThresherK on 10.24.06 9:25 am |
Uhh, yep: I did forget gold; that makes 16. Since I do my own copyediting, nobody else to blame.
Mike Toriello while we’re on the subject, didn’t an NFL team change helmet color sometime in the modern era owing to a quarterback’s colorblindness?
(I’ll make the first joke: Both Cowboys’ QBs can’t possibly suffer from this.)
#22 by Anthony on 10.24.06 9:28 am |
Quick Question for anyone willing to answer, unrelated to all of this:
For all the hatred the color Purple gets in sportswear, is Orange really any better?
#23 by wooster, oh on 10.24.06 9:30 am |
“Here is the world, sound as a nut, perfect, not the smallest piece of chaos left, never a stitch nor an end, nor a mark of haste, or botching, or a second thought; but the theory of the world is a thing of shreds and patches.†—RW Emerson.
#24 by Paul Lukas on 10.24.06 9:31 am |
Give that man a cigar.
#25 by Mark in Shiga on 10.24.06 9:31 am |
[i]As Majestic moves more and more of its Authentic jersey production overseas, the uniforms and logos will become more standardized, but we will lose the uniqueness and beauty of crafted chain-stitching and zig-zag stitching that is hard to duplicate in Asia.[/i]
By this they presumably mean “hard to duplicate [b]cheaply[/b] in Asia”; Japanese uniforms have beautiful examples of this stitching, but Japanese suppliers charge an arm and a leg.
#26 by J.D. on 10.24.06 9:36 am |
#21: I don’t believe so, but there was a rumor going around that that’s why Vinny T threw so many interceptions when he was with the Bucs- he’s color blind and can’t distinguish between orange and green. He was long gone by the time they switched to pewter, though.
#19: I wonder if he had anything to do with Oregon’s diamond plating…
#27 by Anthony on 10.24.06 9:39 am |
Now to decipher the Andy Warhol aspect…Apparently I didn’t get it…Maybe Paul’s just a Velvet Underground fan?
#28 by Jonathon on 10.24.06 9:41 am |
The varying ages of New Era’s hat machines finally helps me understand why I can’t order 5950s over the Internet. I know I’m a 7 1/4, but every time I ordered a hat from the web, it was too tight. I have to go to the store in person, try on several 7 1/4s, and only then will I find one that fits right.
Damn, that always bothered me. I just figured it was moisture during shipping that caused the wool to shrink up in some of the hats.
Does anyone know whether American Needle makes their hats in the U.S. or overseas? Their 7 1/4 actually runs a little bigger than New Era. Also New Era’s caps for the WBC ran much bigger than the MLB 5950s. I tried on a 7 1/4 USA hat, and it fell over my ears.
#29 by Matt on 10.24.06 9:43 am |
I’ve heard that as an explanation of why the Bills changed their helmet from white to red in the early 80s… Joe Ferguson (the QB at the time) had a hard to telling the difference between the teams (not sure if it was because of all the teams with white helmets or the fact that he just sucked)
#30 by JJD on 10.24.06 9:47 am |
No, no, NO! I think the Patriots look FANTASTIC, especially when you compares them to some of the other rebrands over the past few years. (Minnesota and Atlanta come to mind.) I liked their bright blue uniforms at first but by the time they got to Super Bowl XXXI they had those big logos on the shoulders and ugly number font AND ugly vertical stirping in the body of the jerseys…yuck! Maybe I just like the current unis that much better just by comparison.
(Of course it could be because of my enormous man-crush on Tom Brady.)
#31 by Clevo on 10.24.06 9:48 am |
It’s all in how you use it. THe Browns using Orange for the helmets and stripes, fine. I couldn’t imagine them any other way. THe Browns orange alt unis- a disaster. Same with the Bears.
The Tigers use of Orange as an accent is fine. If they had orange jerseys that would be going too far. Although I was not opposed to the 1980’s Orioles orange pullovers. Call me crazy.
As far as purple goes, I liked the Vikings old unis. While purple is not my choice for a team color, thier unis were very much theirs. You see purple and yellow on a football field, you think Vikings. The tweaks they implemented this year for the sake of modernizing added to a garish color like purple make the uniforms almost unable to look at. I guess the same could be said for the old Broncos unis vs the current design.
In Sumation- orange or purple are OK, its all in how you use it.
#32 by Paul Lukas on 10.24.06 9:50 am |
Sort of: the Bills. They theorized that Joe Ferguson was throwing so many INTs because of all the other white-helmeted teams in the AFC East (Jets, Colts, Pats, Dolphins). That’s how the Bills ended up with red helmets. But it wasn’t because they thought Ferguson was colorblind — they just thought he was having a hard time picking out his own receivers amidst all the white helmets he was seeing.
Footnote: Ferguson’s INT total actually went up the following season.
About the Emerson illustration: There’s no trick question — I was just saying, “Whoa, what a weird guy to get the Warhol treatment, why the hell would anyone do that?”
#33 by Dave on 10.24.06 9:54 am |
Anyone notice Terry Glenn had a buckeye leaf sticker on his helmet last night?
#34 by Daniel on 10.24.06 9:57 am |
It’s all in how you use it. THe Browns using Orange for the helmets and stripes, fine. I couldn’t imagine them any other way. THe Browns orange alt unis- a disaster. Same with the Bears.
So you’re saying Clemson can’t wear their orange unis?
#35 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 10.24.06 10:01 am |
lets look at weeb’s thinking…
if the qb can pick up a white helmet easier and quicker than any other color, that would mean that while on the defensive end, the opposing qb would also “pick up” the white helmets easier and quicker therein either
a. causing for more interceptions or incompletions
or
b. forcing an extra split second of decision making time to discern who exactly is the right player to throw to
either way, ewbanks greatest accomplishment came in super bowl iii
http://www.nfl.com/u...
each with white hats…
however, earl morrall did throw 3 picks…
either way i look at it, an athlete should know who his teammates are and what they look like (or at least what colors they wear)
#36 by Nik on 10.24.06 10:02 am |
Yeah, Paul wrote it in the blog.
#37 by Richard on 10.24.06 10:04 am |
this was mentioned in the post, and if you have evidence, we’d love for you to share it.
#38 by Tape on 10.24.06 10:05 am |
yes. yes it is.
(not my favorite color or anything…)
#39 by Tape on 10.24.06 10:09 am |
the current Pats unis are… tolerable at best. the first 90s redesign with the royal blue was very horrible.
if they went back to the classic look (as in the Grogan picture), I don’t think anyone would honestly miss what they wear now.
#40 by Anthony on 10.24.06 10:19 am |
I probably should have made my Purple question a bit more specific: The main point of the question was not just to belittle Orange entirely, but just to state that for all the flack that Purple gets around here, it is not the only color that can be seen as being a major offender of sports aesthetics. But the main gripe is that it seems that around here (”seems” being the key word) as if Purple apparently can have no justifiable inclusion with a sports team no matter how small or large the quantity, while other colors can be just as gaudy given the right circumstances.
So it just seems as if Purple gets a bad rap for more than just aesthetics. If it’s a dislike based on how often teams try to incorporate Purple compared to other colors that likely have a better track record (like, say, Current Denver Nugget/Throwback San Diego Charger Light Blue), then I understand.
#41 by Riley on 10.24.06 10:20 am |
That’s really interesting about the New Era hats. I have always wondered why a 7 3/8 doesn’t always fit like a 7 3/8 (although, down in the US they always fit perfectly, and up here in Canada I always have to try on a few so I still think they’re sending the crap ones up here). The stitching part is interesting to because I noticed this summer when I bought a new Angels cap that the stitching wasn’t nearly as raised (and in my opinion doesn’t look as good) as my old one.
I don’t know Kenny. I seem to have the opposite problem, so that story seems weird to me.
#42 by Matt on 10.24.06 10:30 am |
it makes perfect sense… wool does have a tendancy to shrink (go throw you wool sweater in the wash and dryer and see what happens)… polyester is less likely to shrink…
#43 by RIch on 10.24.06 10:38 am |
While watching the NE-BUF reply on NFL On Demand, I noticed Dick Juron (coach of the Bills) wearing a hat with the old Buffalo logo.
I think it was this one:
#44 by RIch on 10.24.06 10:39 am |
this one:
http://www.buffalobi...
#45 by Kenny on 10.24.06 10:40 am |
I know the Emerson think was answered already but when I was looking for it, I came across this
Occasionally, there was a dig at what some perceived as Emerson’s “Yankee shrewdness” overpowering his thirst for spiritual awareness. So ardent an Emersonian as James Russell Lowell could not resist a satiric thrust at his idol in his
Fable for Critics (1848):
…his [Emerson’s] is, we may say,
A Greek head on right Yankee shoulders,
whose range
Has Olympus for one pole, for t’other the
[Stock] Exchange.
From this article
Not exactly sure what it is supposed to mean, but when i saw “Yankee shrewdness”, I thought of the 5 Yankee logos
#46 by BJ on 10.24.06 10:45 am |
I remember an article from an the SI NFL roundup mag from 1995 when Carolina and Jax got teams. It was all about how teal and black were the “in” colors for new sports teams.
With the exception of the Dolphins, all the teams I can think of that use teal as a color are products of the 90’s.
My list:
SJ Sharks, Mighty Ducks (original unis), Hornets, Carolina Panthers, Jags, Marlins. Several teams also expanded/changed their jersey selection to include Teal: Pistons and Islanders come to mind.
As a Dol-phan (yes, it’s tough) I think I have a bias toward the Teal/Aqua that they wear. But it bothers me that all of these newer teams have taken on the color out of fashion.
#47 by barney on 10.24.06 10:48 am |
if they went back to the classic look (as in the Grogan picture), I don’t think anyone would honestly miss what they wear now.
Prefer the old Pats look (because of the logo), but I think the jerseys should be blue and not red. The minutemen/Pats fought the “red”coats, right?
#48 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 10.24.06 10:50 am |
ive often wondered this same thing here. its no secret that the author of this blog is not a fan of purple. its been readily noted even before the blog came along. but, is it just me or does it seem like every responder here hates purple as well? is this the truth or has the opionion of one influenced that of the others. im indifferent to the color i guess because seeing the vikes or the rockies really doesnt bother me at all, but i do understand how we (myself included) are easily influenced by what we see, read or hear. just curious i guess…
on the issue of fitted hats, new era, american needle, sports specialties, twins enterprises or top of the world, i never have been able to pick up the right size on the first shot and have it fit right. since i only get the franchise hat now, i have to pick up about 10 larges before i get one that fits right. online ordering can get tossed out the window for me, unless i order a box of larges, keep one and return the rest.
as far as the hat shrinking, of course they do. they all do. but you are in the mlb kenny, they are free, pick out 5 hats that fit prior to the game and when you “feel them” shrink after a bit of use, put another one on. iwouldnt want an mlb’er to get a headache.
#49 by Jason on 10.24.06 10:53 am |
Is there any way to reference the entire list of NFL logos, from top to bottom? I’m curious as to what the bottom few are from a designer point of view.
#50 by RIch on 10.24.06 10:56 am |
When the pats came into being, most people in Boston followed the Giants. So the last thing Billy Sullivan (the orig owner) wanted was a team that reminded everyone of the Giants.
#51 by Jason on 10.24.06 10:57 am |
If you look at the voting for NFL logos, there must be a lot of Eagles haters. They are the lowest ranked logo but have the third-most votes. I actually like the logo in all its left-facing glory.
#52 by Jim on 10.24.06 11:00 am |
I hate, hate, hate the Bears’ orange jersey.
When you have a classic look like the Bears do, why mess with it?
#53 by Jeff on 10.24.06 11:32 am |
I think I’ve found a FIFTH Detroit logo!
http://hollywood.out...
#54 by Jonathan on 10.24.06 11:35 am |
How come we’re not KILLING Grogan for wearing sleeves that don’t match the color of his uniform. If we are all true to what we preach around here shouldn’t Grogan have “Ditched the Blue” windbreaker in favor of something red?
It kinda looks like he was wearing his Members Only jacket to the stadium that day, realized how cold it was and decided to leave it on under his game jersey
#55 by Kenny on 10.24.06 11:37 am |
The old Vikings jersey was pretty good looking and especially the away jersey, the new ones just have no direction and are too busy
The purple Clemson wore was a somewhat darker shade, which made it look somewhat OK, just too much purple going on there, the jersey they wore would have looked good with white pants
or yellow
This might be too much as well
Good use
Bad use
I think what it comes down to with me is the use or misuse of purple and as a matter of fact any color…some colors just go better with some of the designs that are out there
#56 by Forrest on 10.24.06 11:42 am |
Did you intend for those to reduce in size as they went along? It would have been cooler to flip it. Rawr! Orange is coming at you!
#57 by Fraser on 10.24.06 11:43 am |
For those of you in Manhattan with hat issues, you can go to New Era’s store at 9 East 4th Street, and they actually have a hat stretcher in the store so that you can expand your hat using steam on site, its very cool.
Putting it around your knee and pulling on it (you can hear some popping) is also a good way to expand your hat after it shrinks a bit.
This store is amazing for all of you hat junkies out there
New Era Flagship Store
#58 by Eric on 10.24.06 11:48 am |
Purple isn’t evil.
It spawned one of the great nick-names in sports: the 1970s Vikes “Purple People Eaters”.
Also it makes sense in the Rockies color sceme: “From purple mountains majesty beyond the fruited plains.”
And The Philadelphia Phantoms are named for the purple-clad comic book hero. So obviously they wear purple.
And purple has a long and storied history, from Wilt and West to Shaq and Kobe, as the color of the Lakers. How could anyone argue that the team from LA-LA Land shouldn’t wear purple.
So why all the hatin’ on purple?
#59 by Fraser on 10.24.06 11:48 am |
It seems that New Era is making a Hat Museum while I am on their site.
#60 by Kerry on 10.24.06 11:50 am |
I COULDN’T agree with you MORE.
THIS is how purple is suppossed to look.
#61 by Jonathon on 10.24.06 11:53 am |
anyone notice that there are 2 different bears’ orange alts? look at the stripes on the urlacher jersey, and then compare it to the other two photos.
#62 by Kerry on 10.24.06 12:04 pm |
Or, for an easier comparison….check out the color of the numbers on the 2 unis.
#63 by Tape on 10.24.06 12:10 pm |
For me, it’s not the color itself, it’s the horrible things that people do with it.
The old (before this year) Vikings unis were great. elegant, good color scheme. the new ones they’re stuck with now at gaudy and way too busy. also, the shade of purple is different now and there’s almost no yellow in the unis at all, which makes them look even worse I think.
as for Clemson: purple and orange are not a good combo. that’s the main problem there. I could see if they were primarily orange and white with some purple thrown in for accent, but what they’re doing now is not good.
actually, yellow is really the only color I can think of that goes well with purple.
I do think purple and metallics work pretty well together. purple and silver or purple and gold are pretty decent combos.
basically, what it comes down to is that with purple, as with everything else, it’s not that you’re using it, it’s how you’re using it.
…which is basically why any team that did not have black as a major part of its color scheme before 1991 (when the White Sox returned full-time to what they’re wearing now) needs to stop using it already, for the love of all that is holy.
#64 by Anthony Memme on 10.24.06 12:11 pm |
Also notice that the Urlacher jersey has navy numbers with white outline whereas the others are reversed.
#65 by Tape on 10.24.06 12:16 pm |
I kinda like the white number/navy outline ones…
just not for the Bears. it reminds me of the old Broncos’ unis, you know, from the pre-winning-the-Super-Bowl days when they looked damn sharp, instead of the horseshit (pun intended) they wear now.
#66 by Tape on 10.24.06 12:18 pm |
you know, these.
#67 by graham on 10.24.06 12:21 pm |
Does anyone else think that maybe Todd Jones’ sleeves are the same length, but that he just pulls one up to give his pitching arm more range of motion? Look at any of the pictures of him with the “shorter” sleeve, the shoulder area is always really bunched up. Evidence that they are the same length here: http://img.slate.com...
#68 by Giancarlo on 10.24.06 12:23 pm |
Another Dol-phan here (waiting for next year already). Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I always thought of aquamarine (Dolphins) and teal (Marlins; Jaguars) as being two different colors. Isn’t aquamarine a perfect balance between green & blue, whereas teal falls slightly more toward the blue end of the scale? Throughout the 70s and 80s I never heard the word teal applied to the Dolphins, in fact I seldom heard the word at all.
#69 by Double J on 10.24.06 12:24 pm |
man I cant fint a pic to Terry Glenn’s Buckeye sticker anywhere!!!!!!!
#70 by zep on 10.24.06 12:29 pm |
I’m sure some of you know TDF podium jersey’s zip in the back…gut its a little ironic that they already had one premade for lance before it even started.
http://www.thepaceli...
#71 by zep on 10.24.06 12:30 pm |
http://www.thepaceli...
#72 by Jonathon on 10.24.06 12:31 pm |
As a Jag fan, I definitely agree they are 2 different colors. Here’s a good gallery for comparison:
http://www.firstcoas...
#73 by bo on 10.24.06 12:32 pm |
Played ball my entire life. New Era fitted’s deffinitally shrink after sweatage. Its the main reason i buy a new one. Its also why they tell you when you buy a hat to make sure you can fit two fingers between the hat and your head, so that when it shrinks it fits. If you just wear the hat casually then obviously you wont need to do that cuz you wont be sweating and it wont shrink.
#74 by Kevin on 10.24.06 12:33 pm |
I happen to agree with you. In every picture posted on this blog or the ESPN column as evidence of a shortened sleeve, there is bunching on his right arm/shoulder area.
#75 by Michael on 10.24.06 12:34 pm |
Thank you so much for posting that letter regarding the hat stitching machines…I wrote you a few months back wondering why replica caps were so often poorly stitched when compared to pictures of the era, and now I know that the machines are mixed up between old and new versions, and that leads to the inconsistencies…now, to order a custom cap that will fit the bill, so to speak…
#76 by Kevin on 10.24.06 12:38 pm |
Here are the 2 pictures Paul referenced in the ESPN.com column yesterday. There is a ton of bunching on the right sleeve in both of them, plenty to allow the sleeve to fall back down the arm to a level equal to the left arm.
#77 by The Gov'Nah on 10.24.06 12:49 pm |
I think the Colorado Rockies uni’s look terrific. since Purple is not the dominant color, it fits in quite well.
anyone else agree ?
#78 by ACC on 10.24.06 12:55 pm |
I may be in the dark here but what is wrong with the Patriots unis these days besides a repetitive logo? There way, way better than the 1993 disasters.
#79 by Josh on 10.24.06 12:56 pm |
I don’t know where American Needle’s hats are made but they don’t fit well due to the fact that they are an acrylic / wool blend as opposed to New Era’s 100% wool. I don’t like American Needle’s hats.
#80 by Ian K on 10.24.06 12:58 pm |
What about weather reasons? It snows more in Buffalo than some other AFC East cities. A red helmet would contrast a grass field OR a snowy field.
#81 by Joe Hilseberg on 10.24.06 1:01 pm |
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
This seems fitting as well.
#82 by ACC on 10.24.06 1:02 pm |
Hey man, nobody is messing with it!
It’s a THIRD jersey. Geez. Get over it.
#83 by Josh on 10.24.06 1:02 pm |
Last week I posted that the Suns took the numbers off their shorts.
Last night I attended their preseason game against Seattle, and I noticed the Sonics also took their numbers off the shorts. I don’t know if the NBA banned shorts numbers or if it is just easier to not get the numbers done. I know from a friend who is close with the Suns equip. mgr. that getting numbers on all the shorts was a pain in the ass.
#84 by ACC on 10.24.06 1:07 pm |
You’re right it’s aqua. The Jaguars are teal. The Panthers shouldn’t even be in these discussions. They’re blue. I’m so tired of all this griping about colors - not by you but others who whine about new colors being introduced as though every team should be red white and blue.
#85 by dchis on 10.24.06 1:14 pm |
Ok to go over the Bears “Orange” Jersey history is quite simple. They used to wear the orange jersey and now it is a throwback. The jersey with the white numbers with blue outline go with white pants and are a throwback. The jersey with the blue numbers and white outline are the Bears current alternate uniform and are paired with their blue pants. Also, the socks that go with the orange jersey - white pants uniform are very different from their regular socks. They are blue with orange stipes at the bottom.
And also the Bears “ORANGE” Throwback Jerseys are very sharp and classic. They don’t mess with any tradition or anything. They are a great uniform.
#86 by Nate M on 10.24.06 1:18 pm |
Justifying Purple:
I know there aren’t many purple fans around here, but since we are on a literary kick today, I thought I’d bring up how the University of Washington students picked purple and gold as their colors. From gohuskies.com:
Washington’s school colors, Purple and Gold, were adopted in 1892 by a vote of a student assembly on the original downtown Seattle campus. One patriotic group favored Red, White and Blue as the University’s colors, reasoning that “since the school was named after the father of our country, our national colors should be the school’s colors.†The opposing faction argued that national colors should not be degraded for such everyday use. The debate was ended when a young English instructor, Miss Frazier, stood and read the following excerpt from Lord Byron’s “Destruction of Sennacherib.â€
“The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
And the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.â€
Emerson and now Lord Byron. How high minded of us.
#87 by Chad on 10.24.06 1:29 pm |
When did the Bears wear orange besides recently?
#88 by justin on 10.24.06 1:33 pm |
I’ve always thought that Univ of Washington’s purple and gold was a great look. I admit, I’m a little bias being a UW grad and all. But regardless, I’ve thought that the two colors paired together can be very classy (the key being the use of gold, not yellow).
#89 by dchis on 10.24.06 1:37 pm |
In the 1930’s.
#90 by todd krevanchi (krvanch) on 10.24.06 1:39 pm |
according to previous photo evidence, this is the bears orange alternate game jersey
http://encyclopedia....
however on the nflshop.com site, the blue numbered and white numbered orange jerseys are listed as replica alternate jerseys
#91 by Kenny on 10.24.06 1:40 pm |
Plus they only wear it around Halloween…something the Bengals should think about
#92 by concealed78 on 10.24.06 1:41 pm |