07.20.07

The Cleat Beat

cleat_pont.jpg

[Editor’s Note: Long before this site existed, reader Mark Mihalik had already earned the title of Uni Watch Lifetime Achievement Scholar, primarily for his observations regarding footwear. He doesn’t contribute as often as he did in those days, but he recently sent a manifesto that made it clear he hasn’t lost anything off his fastball. Enjoy. — PL]

[Intern’s Note: With Paul gone, we’ll take a few days to recognize some of the writing contributions of your fellow readers. This is the first of three that you can look forward to, along with a new entry by yours truly early next week. — VG]

By Mark Mihalik

One thing I’ve been following over the past year or so is baseball players who wear basketball sneakers or cross-trainers with modified, cleated outsoles. Here’s an update on what I’ve noticed recently:

First of all, Frank Thomas is still wearing Nike Shox Ups this year with the Jays (just in all black instead of white and green like last year). I’ve recently noticed that Eric Chavez (pictured wearing sneakers here, here, and here) had switched to normal, unmodified baseball cleats for a while (he’s wearing Nike’s baseball Huarache 2k4 shoe here), but now he’s back to his old tricks. Chavez is pictured here wearing the original basketball Huarache 2k4, and he’s in the Huarache 64 basketball sneaker here (I added pictures of the original shoes and Nike’s MCS plates that were built into both sneakers).

None of that was too surprising — I figured all of these modifications could’ve just been done by MLB equipment managers, which is what I assumed was the case with Orlando Cabrera (here, here, and here), Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome in the past.

Cletus.jpg

But then I was watching the College World Series and I noticed that UNC’s Dustin Ackley is wearing a pair of Air Jordan 11’s with cleats added. Now, most of these modifications have been done on Nike shoes, so I suppose it is possible for Nike to make the customized shoes for their MLB players, but I find it hard to believe that they’d do the same for a college athlete.

But then I did a little snooping around, and found something interesting: Custom Cleats Inc.

If you look around the company’s site, you can see that anyone can provide them with a pair of sneakers and a pair of cleats or just a pair of sneakers, and they’ll put cleats on your sneaker for $89. Interesting stuff. I don’t know if they’re responsible for any of the footwear of the pro or college players that I mentioned, but I think they’d be worth contacting. [Agreed. I’ll get on it soon. — PL]

Friendly Reminder: Paul’s on vacation. If you have questions, observations, or contributions, send them to Vince.

Uni Watch News Ticker: In a move that begs the question, “Will Willie Nelson or Woody Harrelson be in attendance?”, Drew Samuelson notes that on July 20, the Lake Elsinore Storm will be wearing hemp jerseys as part of a “Goin’ Green” promotion that will include organic and healthy concessions, ecological tips, and green fireworks, whatever that means… On Saturday, August 25, the New Hampsire Fisher Cats, the AA affiliate of the Blue Jays, will play one game as the New Hampshire Primaries. That was their original name after their creation in 2003, but an uproar led to a quick name change (very electoral thanks to Bryan Widell)… Fantastic article passed on by Bill Ardizoia about Helmet Hut’s contributions to the uniform (and more specifically, helmet) reproductions for the upcoming movie about Ernie Davis entitled, “The Express”, great read… P.J. Mallardi thinks that BJ Surhoff’s old UNC baseball uni looks pretty cool, especially the helmet… A Uni Watch secret agent has told us that Rice’s football helmet this fall will now be navy and white with an Old English “R”, which would be a fantastic change in my opinion… This might be the coolest piece of fan clothing you can own if you really like Brazilian water polo… Reprinted from yesterday’s comments section, the Tennessee Valley Vipers will be wearing camouflage jerseys for a military appreciation night this Saturday… Enjoy your weekend folks.

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Sorry, guys, I’m an idiot. I went back to the Tennessee Valley Vipers site and realized that the Military Appreciation Night already took place on July 14th. Here is a link to the auction page for the camo jerseys.

Vince, you do remember the Flyers unveiling is September 16th?

On the subject of cleats, I always wanted to pick a kicker’s brain on how they choose the two different cleats, for kicking and non-kicking feet.

New Hampshire Primaries? Now that was a fantastic team name. Fun but not gimmicky, and unique to the region. Perfect. What was the source of the uproar and why did the owners cave?

Fisher Cats is just so uninspired. There are so many teams that are This-Cats (whether referring to cats or catfish) or That-Dogs. Blecch.

I know this story is getting too much coverage, but is appropriate to today’s footwear posts:

Nike holding off on Vick’s shoe

Links on the NH team name controversy:

Wiki

blog

Vince- you meant Ernie Davis when you wrote Ernie Banks.

That Helmet Hut story is awesome!

I agree Primaries is a much better name for the NH team. I’m also sick of the made-up -Cat and -Dog names. Burlington (NC) Royals [Appalachian League] had their Military Night July 16, with the camo jerseys. I forgot my camera. It’s ubiquitous now.

Has anyone seen Boo Weekly at The British Open this morning??? I have never seen a pro wear this before. I guess it speaks for itself.

Boo Weekly day 2 at The Open

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

New Hampshire Primaries? Now that was a fantastic team name. Fun but not gimmicky, and unique to the region. Perfect. What was the source of the uproar and why did the owners cave?

Fisher Cats is just so uninspired. There are so many teams that are This-Cats (whether referring to cats or catfish) or That-Dogs. Blecch.

A Fisher Cat is a type of weasel. They are common in New Hampshire. It’s not like the team made up some generic compound mascot name like RiverCats or IceDogs or something like that. Fisher Cats exist.

http://en.wikipedia....

OK, so Fishercats isn’t one of made-up ones but a weasel isn’t a very inspiring team name.

Has anyone seen Boo Weekly at The British Open this morning??? I have never seen a pro wear this before. I guess it speaks for itself.

Boo Weekly day 2 at The Open

Boo is from Alabama, and he’s a huge hunter. I mean a HUGE hunter. When I first saw him on the telecast, it looked like he had completely covered his arms in tatoos. Only after they zoomed in on him were you able to determine it’s forest camo.

Okay, so I understand that there was a protest and petition against the name New Hampshire Primaries, but even after reading those links, I still don’t understand WHY.

It’s a clever name, and I think that original logo is awesome.

great job mark…
i think chavez’ first try at the cleated hoops shoes was the shox bb4 you pictured.

i checked out that customcleats site back a while ago when it was featured on niketalk. i would just have reservations of doing that.

i would assume that the way the cleats are attached to the outsole would destroy or weaken (depending on the technology) the midsole cushioning technology.

plus, i cant see that the shelf life of these shoes being too long as the upper on hoop shoes is traditionally a very soft and thin leather or synthetic. wheras baseball/softball specific cleats are outfitted with a rough and durable upper.

but, those spacejams that ackley wore were fire…

Okay, so I understand that there was a protest and petition against the name New Hampshire Primaries, but even after reading those links, I still don’t understand WHY.

It’s a clever name, and I think that original logo is awesome.

Guessing that adherents of the evil party don’t want association with the stupid party and adherents of the stupid party don’t want association with the evil party.

Vince- you meant Ernie Davis when you wrote Ernie Banks.

You are absolutely correct. Thanks for the catch!!

Andruw Jones has been wearing Jordan IVs with baseball cleats this season

http://espn-i.starwa...

Andruw Jones has been wearing Jordan IVs with baseball cleats this season

http://espn-i.starwa...

actually those are jordan 4 cleats and not jordan 4’s with a cleat treatment.

I like the New Hampshire Primaries logo, but I wonder why they have the Ass on the right side and the Elephant on the left. To me it’s a no brainer to have it the other way around. Still an sweet logo though.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Just curious, does anyone have pictures of the NFL receiver from last year wearing Super Speed model cleats with a baseball cleat plate?

I can’t remember who the player was, but I know it was mentioned here.

Nice article.. Niketalk much?

Why does the blog entry say “Posted by Paul Lukas?”

Fisher Cats may be an uninspiring name. BUT, I defy you to find a cooler sleeve patch. Not a very good picture of it here but it’s the Old Man on the Mountain.

I do agree that the New Hampshire Primaries would have been a much better name, though. Even the New Hampshire Granite as the blog article said that was another choice.

This cleat topic is great!! I don’t know how long they’d last, but I play mens competitive softball and after playing 5 or 6 games on a Saturday, my feet are killing me. Are there any other places to have this done or is it just customcleat.com? Any other info would be greatly appreciated. You could probably re-use the cleat part every year & just get new shoes. I’d be willing to try it!!

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Does anyone have another link for the penguins jerseys? The link from yesterday was dead by the time I got to it.

Not to sound totally stupid but what is the thing pictured next to the column today and what does it have to do with cleats? It looks like something on a dock I’d tie a boat to.

Not to sound totally stupid but what is the thing pictured next to the column today and what does it have to do with cleats? It looks like something on a dock I’d tie a boat to.

Oh, good. I was afraid I was the only one . . .I get the second picture of “Cleat”-us, the Slack-Jawed Yokel from “The Simpsons” . ..

I have a buddy in Double-A Bowie, who has Mizuno turfs with the added spikes. He loves them, says they are the most comfortable metal spikes he has ever had.

Burlington (NC) Royals [Appalachian League] had their Military Night July 16, with the camo jerseys. I forgot my camera. It’s ubiquitous now.

Shame I missed the camo night since I’m in Burlington. Elena, you seem familiar to me - do I know you?

Not to sound totally stupid but what is the thing pictured next to the column today and what does it have to do with cleats? It looks like something on a dock I’d tie a boat to.

You are thinking correctly. It is a nautical cleat.

This cleat topic is great!! I don’t know how long they’d last, but I play mens competitive softball and after playing 5 or 6 games on a Saturday, my feet are killing me. Are there any other places to have this done or is it just customcleat.com? Any other info would be greatly appreciated. You could probably re-use the cleat part every year & just get new shoes. I’d be willing to try it!!

Out of curiosity, what cleats do you wear?

Not to sound totally stupid but what is the thing pictured next to the column today and what does it have to do with cleats? It looks like something on a dock I’d tie a boat to.

You are thinking correctly. It is a nautical cleat.

Good one, the plane flew right over my head.

Didnt get a chance to comment on Rescue Me yesterday, but did anybody notice that Phil Esposito was the coach of the FDNY team?
Loved the cameo, (Leary being from Boston, obviously a big fan, as am I, being a big Ranger fan) but why would a guy with an obvious Canadian accent be coaching a bunch of NY firemen, eh?

“Out of curiosity, what cleats do you wear?”

I wear the Nike Turf shoe. I’d wear cleats but after a few games I’ve got to take them off. A tennis shoe feels great, I’ve played in New Balance before, but slipped slightly every once and a while.

currently i wear a pair of griffey g6 conversions.

although id really like a pair of mcs huarache 2k5’s seen here by cano
http://cache.gettyim...

http://cache.gettyim...

http://cache.gettyim...

It might be time for “Ditch The Black” to work on a French translation, as the Montreal Alouettes have re-introduced black alternate unis.

“The players look great,” said 42-year-old Joanne Crevier. “Where can I get my own?”

For my own sanity, I have to hope she’s asking where she can get herself one of the players.

Extending the conversation from yesterday about wearing apparel that’s not “your” team, I say go for it. I’m a Cardinals fan & a huuuuge Bears fan. I put football #1 and most likely would never wear anything other than Bears stuff. However, I buy a lot of baseball hats…I too love the old Brewers logo, so I bought the hat. Everybody who knows me pretty well asks me why I would wear that hat and I tell them cuz I love the logo. I would do it with other teams as well.

Vince, you do remember the Flyers unveiling is September 16th?

On the subject of cleats, I always wanted to pick a kicker’s brain on how they choose the two different cleats, for kicking and non-kicking feet.

While searching for a picture of the shoe I wore while kicking I ran across a site that does a good job of explaining the use of two diferent kicking shoes scroll down to equipment.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

Extending the conversation from yesterday about wearing apparel that’s not “your” team, I say go for it. I’m a Cardinals fan & a huuuuge Bears fan. I put football #1 and most likely would never wear anything other than Bears stuff. However, I buy a lot of baseball hats…I too love the old Brewers logo, so I bought the hat. Everybody who knows me pretty well asks me why I would wear that hat and I tell them cuz I love the logo. I would do it with other teams as well.

amen kenny. you dont necessarily have to like the team to wear the hat.
so long as you like its aesthetics.

not a cal fan but the navy blue lid, with the script “Cal” is one mean looking hat to sport.

Just had to say, I like the new font of the blog comments. They’re easier to read.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

No dice on the Pens jersey link? I didn’t see it either. Hopefully they change it by adding 10 pound weights to slow Crosby down….

Go Rangers.

Extending the conversation from yesterday about wearing apparel that’s not “your” team, I say go for it. I’m a Cardinals fan & a huuuuge Bears fan. I put football #1 and most likely would never wear anything other than Bears stuff. However, I buy a lot of baseball hats…I too love the old Brewers logo, so I bought the hat. Everybody who knows me pretty well asks me why I would wear that hat and I tell them cuz I love the logo. I would do it with other teams as well.

amen kenny. you dont necessarily have to like the team to wear the hat.
so long as you like its aesthetics.

not a cal fan but the navy blue lid, with the script “Cal” is one mean looking hat to sport.

My personal policy: I’m a Yankees fan, so Red Sox hats and Mets hats are out of the question (fiercest rivals). Aside from that, all other hats are fair game, and bonus points go to retro styles. For instance, I have a standard Yankees 5950 (it’s my team), an all-teal Marlins 5950 (found it at a flea market last May, got it for the “Look what I found!” factor. Plus it’s better than the blackout hats.), and a pinwheel Expos hat by American Needle because it’s one-of-a-kind and I’m moving to Montreal soon.

No dice on the Pens jersey link? I didn’t see it either. Hopefully they change it by adding 10 pound weights to slow Crosby down….

Go Rangers.

I saw it when the link worked yesterday, but I can’t find anything today… they weren’t good, I’ll tell you that.

No dice on the Pens jersey link? I didn’t see it either. Hopefully they change it by adding 10 pound weights to slow Crosby down….

Go Rangers.

I saw it when the link worked yesterday, but I can’t find anything today… they weren’t good, I’ll tell you that.

Basically the same, but with contrast-color side panels under the arms (think Cleveland Cavaliers). No comment on the front, that side wasn’t pictured. The breezers were pictured. It looks like those stripes will tie into the design, but we all know that that always looks like sh*t because the clothes never stay still.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

I’m guessing they aren’t going with the third jersey anymore?

Didnt get a chance to comment on Rescue Me yesterday, but did anybody notice that Phil Esposito was the coach of the FDNY team?
Loved the cameo, (Leary being from Boston, obviously a big fan, as am I, being a big Ranger fan) but why would a guy with an obvious Canadian accent be coaching a bunch of NY firemen, eh?

Phil played a FDNY Chief (or some other white shirt) on two earlier episodes of “Rescue Me” in 2006. So he was already established as a character. A minor one, but still..

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

I’m guessing they aren’t going with the third jersey anymore?

This could be an FAQ soon. NO NHL THIRD JERSEYS THIS YEAR! The NHL wishes to showcase the new technology behind the jerseys, so they are starting small. White for away, team color for home (yeah, they got that backwards, but that’s a different story).

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

That word mark right above the logo on the away jersey really bothers me.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Yeah…if anyone has that Pens image, that would be great. Link’s dead.

I agree with GoTerriers, here. I think that no matter what, this board always seems to rail against changes…especially if a team tries to innovate or go in a different direction. Not every team has a long tradition to uphold. So why not try something new?

sweet article…i have always been a sneaker head…and my buddies look at me all crooked eyed when i bring up that a certain player is wearing basketball shoes!

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

So what are the last two words of the National Anthem?

is it just me or is this a different font for the comments section?

I hate the Preds jersey, but I am not against change. I think some changes are good, but others are uncalled for.

Uniforms that should never be changed - Yankees - Cubs - Red Sox - Bears - Packers - Habs - Red Wings - Blackhawks - Cardinals.

I think often times when teams descide to make changes, they go out and hire some designer for their name, not their attention to detail, resulting in things like the Preds uniform.

A great non uni related example of this is the ise rink I worked at in high school. The park district got some big name architect to design the place. The problem is the guy had never designed an ice rink before and didn’t trulyl understand all the nuances involved. Walking into the place it looks really nice, but sit in the stands and you can’t see the other end of the ice because of a half circle wall of glass that opens into the lobby. The locker rooms were also so small half a mite team couldn’t fully fit into one when it first opened, forcing added money to be spent to expand the lockers a week after opening.

One team that made a big change a few years back was the Cyotes. I am one of the few that apprechiated their old picaso unis, but when they changed to their most rescent uni, I was shocked and pleased and loved the change.

That said I’ll sum it up by saying change is good if those making the canges actualy look at the product before signing off on it.

Wow are those new Predators jerseys horrible!

I agree with the comments here on the Primaries. What a great nickname and logo. Joe Drennan is 100% right though. The donkey should be on the left and the elephant on the right. If they realy wanted to have fun they could have put Ross Perot in the middle.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

That word mark right above the logo on the away jersey really bothers me.

I think that is the only thing about the jersey that bugs me… I don’t mind the striping any,and the colors work well on TV. I just pray they don’t add any striping to my Red Wings’ jerseys.

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

That word mark right above the logo on the away jersey really bothers me.

I think that is the only thing about the jersey that bugs me… I don’t mind the striping any,and the colors work well on TV. I just pray they don’t add any striping to my Red Wings’ jerseys.

Yeah, the piping didn’t bug me on the Preds. I thought the under sleeve was a little unnecessary..but keep in mind that part of that white area will be covered by blue gloves…so that’ll be broken up a bit.

I don’t think that players wearing a jersey and shorts is the best way to showcase a new uniform. I like the way the Caps did it…letting you see how all the pieces fit together. We need to see the gloves and pants and socks.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Yeah…if anyone has that Pens image, that would be great. Link’s dead.

I agree with GoTerriers, here. I think that no matter what, this board always seems to rail against changes…especially if a team tries to innovate or go in a different direction. Not every team has a long tradition to uphold. So why not try something new?

Check this thread…
http://www.letsgoblu...

Those new Nashville Predators uniforms are awful.

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

http://cdn.nhl.com/p...

I agree…w hich is why I decided to go ahead and fix them.

http://www.checkingl...

It’s amazing the difference those subtle changes made. Your corrected jerseys look a lot better.

I agree. Get rid of the side-piping and we might have something that approaches respectability.

I’m guessing they aren’t going with the third jersey anymore?

All third jerseys are shelved this season.

Wow! On second look, I’m ready to proclaim the Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys a slight improvement! I think the pale yellow got replaced in favor of a cooler metallic gold (not that it will match Marc-Andre Fleury anyway) and the side panels are thick stripes–not exactly “old-school” but better than the triangles on the sides.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Yeah…if anyone has that Pens image, that would be great. Link’s dead.

I agree with GoTerriers, here. I think that no matter what, this board always seems to rail against changes…especially if a team tries to innovate or go in a different direction. Not every team has a long tradition to uphold. So why not try something new?

Check this thread…
http://www.letsgoblu...

Wow…now THOSE are pretty lousy. And scroll down and check out the SHORTS they’ll be wearing with them! Gah!

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

AWESOME Nate! I have sang the anthem at minor league baseball games in the past as well - it’s a blast! I did the Hudson Valley Renegades game against the old St. Catherine’s (Ontario) Stompers - had to do the American AND Canadian anthems! Have fun with it!

Wow! On second look, I’m ready to proclaim the Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys a slight improvement! I think the pale yellow got replaced in favor of a cooler metallic gold (not that it will match Marc-Andre Fleury anyway) and the side panels are thick stripes–not exactly “old-school” but better than the triangles on the sides.

Seems like the same shade of gold they use on the current uniforms…just that there’s a LOT more of it makes it seem a bit of a deeper color.

Personally, I don’t think it can get worse than the unis they wore when Jagr was there…with the black where the yellow faded to grey across the jersey (behind the newer logo). I think it’s great that they went back to the skating penguin.

I don’t think these are the worst I’ve ever seen…but as far as all the new unis that are being released with the RBK Edge roll-out, I think these are currently at the bottom of the class.

The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Nope.

Teams can choose to retain classic styling. Any team who opts for this piped monstrosity deserves the derision it gets.

The Surhoff uni looks nice, until you notice the socks are fake stirrups.

I don’t mind ‘Nashville’ over top the logo. But the away jersey bothers me. The front looks as if they ran out of material. It’s a quarter length in color!..what the hell is that,..oh I know, unnecessary. Doesn’t matter, they’re moving out of town soon anyways.

In regards to the topic of wearing gear from teams that you don’t support… Go for it! I’m a HUGE Giants fan (even though they’re unbearable to watch this season), but I have a hat for every team other than the Dodgers (I could never bring myself to buy one, even if they do have nice unis). Now that I have one for every team, I’m moving into the throwback and minor league department. At the All-Star Fanfest they had a section with every hat for every minor league team and I purchased the Fresno Grizzlies 2nd alternate hat. I was so close to also buying a Charlotte Knight’s hat, but I was going to the homerun derby after and decided I needed money for the Giants’ famous garlic fries.

Hockey sweaters need horizontal stripes, look at every original 6 teams, the thicker and simpler the better in my opinion, none of this modern thin stripe crap

In regards to the topic of wearing gear from teams that you don’t support… Go for it! I’m a HUGE Giants fan (even though they’re unbearable to watch this season), but I have a hat for every team other than the Dodgers (I could never bring myself to buy one, even if they do have nice unis). Now that I have one for every team, I’m moving into the throwback and minor league department. At the All-Star Fanfest they had a section with every hat for every minor league team and I purchased the Fresno Grizzlies 2nd alternate hat. I was so close to also buying a Charlotte Knight’s hat, but I was going to the homerun derby after and decided I needed money for the Giants’ famous garlic fries.

I couldn’t agree more. The majority of the hats I own are for the teams which I support…but I do have several hats that just look freakin’ cool!

Really, where’s the harm in that? I think it’s a little different if you’re buying one of the Yankees caps in one of 8,945 different color combinations - but I like obscure logos and hats.

Is there another Uni Watch junkie at Rice?! Show yourself!

Wow are those new Predators jerseys horrible!

I agree with the comments here on the Primaries. What a great nickname and logo. Joe Drennan is 100% right though. The donkey should be on the left and the elephant on the right. If they realy wanted to have fun they could have put Ross Perot in the middle.

Or, to be bipartisan, a weasel . . . .

I have a full write-up on the Nashville uniform debacle here. The Penguins’ leaked jersey photos are on the same blog entry.

San Jose’s unveiling happens Monday. Is anyone going to that?

JC, please email me in regards to the Flyers’ unveiling. My email is on my blog. I just want to touch base with you.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Yeah…if anyone has that Pens image, that would be great. Link’s dead.

I agree with GoTerriers, here. I think that no matter what, this board always seems to rail against changes…especially if a team tries to innovate or go in a different direction. Not every team has a long tradition to uphold. So why not try something new?

Just a few days ago there was a lot of talk about the new Sharks logo - almost all positive. A few weeks further back, major praise for the new Bruins’ unis. It’s a mixed bag, just like the looks that inspire the comments.

Not to sound totally stupid but what is the thing pictured next to the column today and what does it have to do with cleats? It looks like something on a dock I’d tie a boat to.

You are thinking correctly. It is a nautical cleat.

wouldnt this have been a better pic?
http://www.msight.co...

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

Congrats on the gig!

The Pens jersey looks bad. I’ll be keeping my old one.

Just a few days ago there was a lot of talk about the new Sharks logo - almost all positive. A few weeks further back, major praise for the new Bruins’ unis. It’s a mixed bag, just like the looks that inspire the comments.

As a hockey guy, I hate the new Sharks’ logo. They’ve made their brand “cheap” with the new logo. You don’t see the Bruins or the Leafs or the Rangers or the Blackhawks making more cartoonish changes. They stick to the tradition, and it works because people associate with that brand and logo.

As bad as the Sharks’ old logo is, it is a brand. Their cartoonish logo is what made the Sharks’ logo so recognizable. By “updating” it, you lose something that made you identifiably different and unique.

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

Yeah…if anyone has that Pens image, that would be great. Link’s dead.

I agree with GoTerriers, here. I think that no matter what, this board always seems to rail against changes…especially if a team tries to innovate or go in a different direction. Not every team has a long tradition to uphold. So why not try something new?

Just a few days ago there was a lot of talk about the new Sharks logo - almost all positive. A few weeks further back, major praise for the new Bruins’ unis. It’s a mixed bag, just like the looks that inspire the comments.

Yeah…but the Bruins change didn’t skew toward the “new.” It was VERY rooted in a traditional Bruins look (as it should be).

I mean if the Bruins had side panels and piping, this place would have melted down. lol.

More often than not, when teams try something new, it’s not well-received, I think. Which is cool…it means that overall, folks ’round these parts favor traditional looks.

New Hampshire Primaries? Now that was a fantastic team name. Fun but not gimmicky, and unique to the region. Perfect. What was the source of the uproar and why did the owners cave?

Fisher Cats is just so uninspired. There are so many teams that are This-Cats (whether referring to cats or catfish) or That-Dogs. Blecch.

Found a really neat article from last year on minor league baseball team names while I was trying to figure out why the Midland Cubs (later Angels) I knew growing up changed their name. [Apologies if this was posted a year ago!] I think I found that answer here - it is of course, all about branding. The article lists a neat table with a summary of where some of the names came from. However, what does a dog have to do with a rockhound? While a great idea for a team name from the geologist heavy west Texas, I think they missed on this one. I mean really… wouldn’t an angry trilobite have been much better?

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

I lived in NH when the F-Cats were formed. As I recall, the fans didn’t take the Primaries seriously and when they realized that was the team name the uproar started.
Primaries is (was) a great name…Fishercats is generic (not specific to NH) and they are pests. The local paper refers to them as the “Fishers”, so when they play the Portland SeaDogs, the natural headline is, of course, “Fishers bite Dogs.” Morons.
When ESPN did their 50 SportCenters from the 50 states a couple of years ago, they were at an F-Cats game and asked several fans what a Fishercat was. Nobody had any idea.

This season they seemed to be wearing the black alternates 90% of the time at home…Shoulda stuck with red, white and blue and a pretty unique name.
So, the best thing to come out of NH is still I-93!!!

My personal policy: I’m a Yankees fan, so Red Sox hats and Mets hats are out of the question (fiercest rivals). Aside from that, all other hats are fair game, and bonus points go to retro styles. For instance, I have a standard Yankees 5950 (it’s my team), an all-teal Marlins 5950 (found it at a flea market last May, got it for the “Look what I found!” factor. Plus it’s better than the blackout hats.), and a pinwheel Expos hat by American Needle because it’s one-of-a-kind and I’m moving to Montreal soon.

As a Boston Fan (primarily Red Sox and Pats) I would never wear anything else but those two. At least for the Sox there are at least a hundred syles of hats to choose from.

Now my kids will where their little league hats and I have no problems with that. I always felt bad for any kid on the Yankees in our majors and AAA Little League as those kids will never wear their Yankees cap outside of playing a game.

My kids have been Angels, Diamondbacks, and Brewers. When they were in the younger divisions, minor league names and hats are the rule. We have had Bees, Express, RiverDogs, SandGnats, and LookOuts.

Never fear, critics of the Nashville Predators new look, next year they’ll be in Kansas City and the whole arugment will be moot lol

Actually, I’m sure it’ll fall through like the Penguins did. KC seems to make for a good bargaining chip

I’m a New Hampshire native, and Fisher Cats are VERY real. Ask anyone who has an outdoor cat for a pet. Fisher cats tend to attack pet cats.

Primaries was a cool name. I don’t really remember an uproar about the name, all I remember was that they changed it. I think they had a contest where people could vote for the name they wanted…and Fisher Cats won.

I’ll be at that game on the 25th. I’m singing the National Anthem.

So what are the last two words of the National Anthem?

Play ball!

I have to admit though that I do have an all-white Giants hat, a brown Giants hat, and a black Giants hat with the city skyline in black velvet stuff. I was only able to convince mysekf these purchases were acceptable because I am a Giants fan and I just really liked them. Haha. but my next purchase is most likely going to be this White Sox 1917 inspired hat.

Teebz:

Is that photo that was being shown of the Islanders’s jersey official now?

Oh, and one of the sotres at the local mall where I live sell the all teal Marlines hats. They have about 20 of them. One thing I noticed about them though is that the logo is mainly to the left of the center of the cap, whereas on the black ones, the F of the logo runs directly through the center of the hat.

random comment, but it sort of fits with the fishercats theme. if the nets were to move to brooklyn, i would prefer a redesign if not a complete renaming, what are the odds of that, and what should they be called instead?

The Preds sweaters are so ugly they look like a cheap knock off you’d find on the sale rack at Wall-Mart.

Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of people here just seem to hate change of any kind. I really don’t see what’s so totally reprehensible about the new Preds jersey or the leaked Penguins jersey from yesterday. Again, maybe I’m misinterpreting the “Is it good, or is it stupid” adage, but I like the Preds and the ‘Guins sweaters/jerseys. Aside from the wordmark on the Preds roads, I don’t object to the treatment they’ve given it. The piping all over the place is a bit distracting, but that’s part of the template, and I guess we’ll have to live with it.

All of the new NHL jerseys suck.

random comment, but it sort of fits with the fishercats theme. if the nets were to move to brooklyn, i would prefer a redesign if not a complete renaming, what are the odds of that, and what should they be called instead?

Let them be the New York Nets and give them the Dr. J jerseys. End.

Does anyone have a pics of the new Pittsburg Penguins jersey. I looked through yesterday’s comments section, but the images are no longer there. I didn’t notice any links in today blog, but I may have missed then, I tried not to get caught looking at jerseys all day at work. Thanks for the help!

random comment, but it sort of fits with the fishercats theme. if the nets were to move to brooklyn, i would prefer a redesign if not a complete renaming, what are the odds of that, and what should they be called instead?

Let them be the New York Nets and give them the Dr. J jerseys. End.

Call them the Brooklyn Spikes, and make Spike Lee’s Mars Blackman character the mascot! “It’s Gotta be the SHoes!”

Never fear, critics of the Nashville Predators new look, next year they’ll be in Kansas City and the whole arugment will be moot lol

Actually, I’m sure it’ll fall through like the Penguins did. KC seems to make for a good bargaining chip

Nah, They’ll be in Hamilton