Look closely at the photo shown above and you’ll notice something odd: The player (who happens to be Titans linebacker Ryan Fowler) has cut holes in the tips of his shoes, and his sock-covered big toes are poking out.
Football players are known for modifying their equipment, but I’d never heard of this one before. And it turns out that it’s actually quite common, at least according to a faaaaaaascinating article that ran in yesterday’s Nashville Tennessean (helpfully brought to my attention by reader Wade Harder), which explains that many players cut holes in their cleats — sometimes for performance-related reasons, sometimes to avoid damaged toenails. Here are some of the choicer bits:
It’s an NFL equipment oddity and something most fans would never notice. But in a locker room where players pay attention to every last uniform detail, at least a dozen Titans lace their cleats and then cut slits or even gaping holes over the big toes.
Some players believe it might make them better because it helps them feel lighter, faster, able to change direction more quickly. If nothing else, they at least feel more comfortable.
“I like tight shoes, and it kind of makes you feel like you’re out there with no shoes on at all,” said cornerback Kelly Herndon, who cut slits that make an X at the tips of both his cleats. “You want something light, and as tight as possible so you can move around better. If that means cutting them to make them tighter, that’s what you do.”
Linebacker Ryan Fowler has gone to the extreme. Both of his entire big toes hang out through man-made holes cut in his cleats.
Fowler said he’s not worried about someone stepping on his exposed toes. He’s more worried about moving around effectively. … “Also, a lot of times when you change directions and you stop, your toe hits the front of your shoe and toenails crack and you get an in-grown toenails. … It’s for comfort as well.”
[...]
Cornerback Eric King said he feels a little faster with the tight shoe, so he doesn’t mind breaking out the scalpel.
Cornerback Michael Waddell started experimenting after seeing some of his teammates perform shoe surgery. After he puts on two pair of socks and has his ankles taped, sometimes a little relief at the front end is nice, he said.
This probably qualifies as the coolest, most Getting It™ article of the year so far, so let’s give credit to Tennessean reporter Jim Wyatt, who wrote it (and to his editor, for not saying, “What the hell is this? An article about shoe surgery? We’re not running that!”). You can read the full article here.
And the Titans aren’t the only ones with one little piggy sticking out of their shoes. When the Tennessean article was briefly discussed in yesterday’s comments section, Mike from Queens pointed to this short item about Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, and a few other readers offered enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that cleat-cutting is a fairly standard practice.
Who knew? Not me. Do Reebok, Nike, and all the other shoe companies realize that the players are cutting up their footwear? How long before these companies start manufacturing cleats with pre-cut toe holes?
And it’s a shame that the late artist Don Martin Don Martin didn’t live long enough to be aware of this phenomenon. The guy was obsessed with toes (like, really obsessed), whether barefoot or shoe-clad. He would’ve had a field day with this.
August Raffle Announcement: With college football just around the corner, our good friends at Helmet Hut and Gridiron Memories have generously volunteered to raffle off one of their NCAA helmets — a selection that includes over 500 designs — to a lucky Uni Watch reader.
To enter, send an e-mail to uniraffle at earthlink dot net (please note that this is not the usual Uni Watch e-mail address) by next Thursday, August 23rd, at 10 p.m. eastern. I won’t actually be reading these e-mails, so don’t bother including any messages or questions. One entry per person, but anyone enrolled in the Uni Watch Membership Program by the time of the drawing will automatically get three bonus entries (i.e., members will get their names put in the hat three times even if they don’t send an e-mail entry, or four times if they do).
I’ll announce the winner a week from today.
Speaking of the membership program, I believe we’re now completely caught up on card designs (including the one shown at right, which is based on Belmont Park jockeys’ silks). If you’ve signed up and don’t see your card in the design gallery, and/or if you don’t see your name listed on the active roster, please let me know.
For the roughly four dozen of you who haven’t yet received your membership kits, you’ll be happy to hear that I plan to get your cards printed today. Figure another week for trimming, laminating and envelope-stuffing. Thanks for your patience.
Uni Watch News Ticker: If you click here and scroll up to the 12-minute mark, you’ll find a not-too-bad interview I recently did with the MLB Video guys (with thanks to Todd Krevanchi for reminding me to post the link). … Spectacular work by Richard Craig, who checks in with the following report: “At the beginning of last night’s Braves/Giants game, Jeff Francoeur’s name was misspelled on his jersey. He must have been clued in and switched jerseys later on, because suddenly his name was correct again. I know his name is easily misspelled, but wouldn’t you think he’d notice while suiting up?” … Major NBA hairstyling story here (with thanks to Vince, who also notes that there’s been some hair-related rookie hazing at Patriots camp). … A year ago I did an entry about the Oldtime Baseball Game, an annual charity event in which the players wear flannel throwbacks. This year’s installment of the event just took place, and there’s a great photo gallery here. … More amateurs. … Todd Krevanchi notes that Shanna Zolman-Crossley was wearing a full-length Under Armour-ish undershirt the other day. … Matt Craig wonders why Darrell Royal had No. 20 on his jacket sleeve during the 1970 Cotton Bowl. Anyone..? … Decent breakdown of all the current and pending NHL uni changes here (with thanks to Kim Kolb). … Oliver Perez fell victim to the classic bubble gum prank last night (as captured by James Fleming). … Great contribution from Jared Wheeler, who writes: “The Houston Colt .45s had a minor league team named the .22s — check out the caps on John Hoffman and Dave Adlesh.”
#1 by Seth H on 08.17.07 8:59 am |
Following up on yesterday’s conversation, last night I spoke with a friend who works for the TV broadcast team of an NHL franchise. He said that while I might hate the Islanders’ new jerseys, I would love the front number on TV. He said that it makes it much easier to identify players on a TV broadcast.
#2 by Robert on 08.17.07 9:00 am |
I appreciated the nod to the great Don Martin. Like so many, I grew up loving his fine work, and I was always cracked up by the bent toes and outstretched pinky-fingers in his illustrations.
#3 by CJ on 08.17.07 9:01 am |
I am sorely regretting not getting my membership yet. Those helmets look nice.
Also, I think I’d rather have an ingrown toenail that have my toe crunched into dust by Warren Sapp.
#4 by Jason on 08.17.07 9:05 am |
I would think if I had a tight fitting shoe, that cutting a hole on the end would make it feel loose, but what do I know.
#5 by Joey Guns on 08.17.07 9:06 am |
Sue Bird pic in the Uni Watch News Ticker on a Friday = nice job Paul.
http://farm2.static....
#6 by Paul Lukas on 08.17.07 9:12 am |
CJ said:
As long as you’re signed up by the time of the drawing, you’ll get the bonus entries in the raffle.
#7 by KC on 08.17.07 9:14 am |
I went to the Mets/Pirates game last night. The Mets strength coach/trainers were stretching guys before the games wearing baseball pants (pajama style), and a black Nike Mets undershirt.
Three things that this site despises, on Paul’s baseball team.
#8 by Jonathon on 08.17.07 9:16 am |
Ed McCaffrey has a MySpace page:
http://profile.myspa...
#9 by Go Cyclones on 08.17.07 9:19 am |
Jason said:
my thoughts exactly.
#10 by Pat on 08.17.07 9:19 am |
Jonathon said:
I’m almost 100% sure that’s a fake.
And, Can I just say that I love Shanna Zolman, Nice job Todd.
#11 by John on 08.17.07 9:21 am |
General Comment: About the recent ESPN article…”Uniform mock-ups.” I think it was one of the best ever.
#12 by Hex on 08.17.07 9:24 am |
Bowlers in Cricket sometimes cut open the fronts of their shoes to let their big toes hang out, and it sounds like the reasons are pretty similar to those discussed here.
Unlike a baseball pitcher, a cricket bowler gets to run in before delivering the ball, so at the point of delivery the big toe can really smack into the front of their shoe.
#13 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 9:26 am |
Pat said:
well, of course sue bird was in the picture…
i was keeping up with a friends flickr account who has season tix to the storm, he takes great shots at every game…
its essentially the only way i get to keep up with sue, err, um, the storm…
oh and, ed mccaffrey?
from macungie pa. central catholic grad… an amazing high school hoops player. almost as good as his brother billy…
#14 by Randy Miller on 08.17.07 9:31 am |
I suspect that Darrell Royal simply put on a spare windbreaker that happened to have #20 on it. I don’t remember many jersey number tributes back in the day…
But if it had been #28 (and I can’t tell from the photo) …
Texas dedicated its ‘70 Cotton Bowl to safety Freddie Steinmark, who had started in the Big Shootout game with Arkansas six weeks earlier. Steinmark had been diagnosed with cancer six days after that game and his left leg was amputated. Steinmark went out on crutches to the pre-game coin toss.
It would be way cooler if Royal wearing #28, but such shoutouts were pretty rare back in the day.
#15 by CJ on 08.17.07 9:39 am |
Jonathon said:
He’s where I picked my favorite number: 87. Wore it throughout my soccer days.
Him, and one short of Eric Lindros (when he was good with the Flyers).
#16 by GoTerriers on 08.17.07 9:41 am |
Forgive me for doing this in this forum . . . .
I know there are a lot of Boston/New England area readers on here. WEEI Radio (home of the Red Sox and Celtics) are having their annual Radio-thon to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer institute. If you’ve been touched by cancer or know someone who has been afflicted, please consider making a donation.
WEEI.com or JimmyFund.org for more details.
Not at all Uni-related, but an important message still. My apologies again for abusing this forum.
#17 by Randy Miller on 08.17.07 9:42 am |
UPON FURTHER REVIEW…
I found a better image of the Royal photo on texasphotostore.com and blew it up with Windows Picture Editor.
There appears to be a fold in the windbreaker over the second numeral and it very well could be a 28.
Since it makes a much better story and provides a logical reason, I’ll believe Royal did wear Steinmark’s windbreaker.
#18 by Chris Sk on 08.17.07 9:46 am |
oh and, ed mccaffrey?
from macungie pa. central catholic grad… an amazing high school hoops player. almost as good as his brother billy…
If I recall correctly Billy never won the state championship like Ed, although he was Centrals all time leading scorer.
#19 by ross on 08.17.07 9:46 am |
wow, where can i get a .22’s hat?
#20 by SWC Susan (aka Tex) on 08.17.07 9:55 am |
My dad knows every number that any UT player has ever worn. he suggested that Darryl was wearing Scooter Monzingo’s jacket at first. But alas, he called back. The number Darryl is wearing is 28 for Freddy Steinmark who contracted cancer in his leg after playing against Arkansas and it had to be amputated. He died a year or so later.
#21 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 9:58 am |
Chris Sk said:
correct. billy the kid was an amazing high school player to watch…
his college career might be one of the most underrated in history (due to the transfer)
combined total of over 2000 points and a co-SEC player of the year with antoine walker…
#22 by Jason G. on 08.17.07 9:58 am |
Seth H said:
After looking at pics of the jersey’s again, I noticed that the pictures of the jerseys themselves and the pictures of the goalie wearing the jersey don’t show sleeve numbers. However, the picture showing Witt wearing the jersey shows sleeve numbers. If they do have sleeve numbers, I can’t imagine when the number on the front would be visible and either sleeve number would not be visible.
Also, I absolutely love that the .45’s had a minor league team called the .22’s.
#23 by SWC Susan (aka Tex) on 08.17.07 9:59 am |
Joey Guns said:
Sue Bird AND Becky Hammon!
#24 by Jason G. on 08.17.07 10:07 am |
Jason G. said:
I should have done this in the previous post.
No sleeve numbers.
Sleeve numbers.
#25 by Kel on 08.17.07 10:08 am |
“At the beginning of last night’s Braves/Giants game, Jeff Francoeur’s name was misspelled on his jersey. He must have been clued in and switched jerseys later on, because suddenly his name was correct again. I know his name is easily misspelled, but wouldn’t you think he’d notice while suiting up?â€
I dunno. Maybe he assumed that the “professionals” who put the uniforms together actually did their jobs correctly, with a modicum of quality control. It’s just my opinion, of course, but I don’t think professional athletes should have to spellcheck their uniforms before dressing for a game.
But hell, what do I know?
#26 by possum on 08.17.07 10:10 am |
ross said:
These guys (surprisingly) don’t have one listed, but I bet they can make it for you.
#27 by Stuby on 08.17.07 10:14 am |
Jason G. said:
Do the Isles have those hash marks on both shoulders? If so, that really leaves no place to put a Stanley Cup patch (or any other patch), especially if the player has an ‘A’ or a ‘C’ on the jersey.
I guess you could slap something on the elbow.
#28 by Dan King on 08.17.07 10:15 am |
Go Cyclones said:
i think what they mean is you want the shoe tight around everywhere but the toes. i don’t really believe the “it makes them feel lighter” thing though. you cut off maybe a square inch of fabric, not even the heaviest part of the shoe.
#29 by Teebz on 08.17.07 10:15 am |
Seth H said:
I don’t know your friend, but I assume he works very hard to bring the best NHL broadcasts to whatever form of media he works in.
In that case, shouldn’t he know who the players are? In the two times I’ve been in the press box at local professional hockey, the guys working the games literally were there two hours beforehand identifying players. They had the rosters with the players’ numbers, and were going through the lines that were scheduled to be on the ice that night.
Of course, no one is perfect and sometimes a player takes someone else’s spot on a line, but these guys did their homework. Isn’t that what being a broadcaster is all about?
#30 by Kim on 08.17.07 10:16 am |
Stuby said:
The hash marks signify Stanley Cup championships. They’re only on one shoulder. In my opinion, one of the best little touches on an NHL uniform.
Too bad it’s offset by some really bad large touches.
#31 by Kerry on 08.17.07 10:18 am |
I agree on the ESPN article! One of, if not THE best I’ve read. And on top of that, they had a really nice banner put together on Page 2 for it. I absolutely LOVED seeing all of the crazy designs and especially liked seeing those Tampa Bay designs…which were really all very nice.
Also, to “Mr. Pac-10″, stick to writing about the games and leave the uni critique to the professionals. Normally, I don’t fault a person for trying to do that. We all have our opinions about which uniforms we like over others. But I can’t overlook the fact that his arguments contradicted each other on numerous occasions. At least be consistent!
#32 by Kevin on 08.17.07 10:19 am |
Jonathon said:
So does “Jay Cutler”
#33 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 10:20 am |
SWC Susan (aka Tex) said:
dude! in my uni based mind, i totally missed that becky was in the pic!
in addition, those who follow the wnba may have noticed this seasons trend of the home team wearing their dark uni’s at home.
ive seen the mercury do it, the storm (above), and i believe the shock too.
#34 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 10:20 am |
SWC Susan (aka Tex) said:
dude! in my uni based mind, i totally missed that becky was in the pic!
in addition, those who follow the wnba may have noticed this seasons trend of the home team wearing their dark uni’s at home.
ive seen the mercury do it, the storm (above), and i believe the shock too.
#35 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 10:20 am |
SWC Susan (aka Tex) said:
dude! in my uni based mind, i totally missed that becky was in the pic!
in addition, those who follow the wnba may have noticed this seasons trend of the home team wearing their dark uni’s at home.
ive seen the mercury do it, the storm (above), and i believe the shock too.
#36 by Stuby on 08.17.07 10:25 am |
This article isn’t uni-related (although there is a Croix-de-Candlestick reference), but is a good read for anyone who misses Candlestick Park for baseball. Like me.
The bonus is the picture of the Crazy Crab
#37 by Johnny O on 08.17.07 10:36 am |
I will be attending the Brewers game tonight at Miller Park for Retro Friday. Any fellow Uni Watchers want to get together and have a great tasting, less filling Miller Lite and discuss how the retro uni’s should look like the ones the Crew wore on Monday vs. the Cards? Just let me know!
#38 by Dan on 08.17.07 10:37 am |
It’s gotta be the shoes!
I played football in high school and through to D-3 college (for a short period of time…until my hambstring shredded itself in training camp.) I wore Nike shoes in HS, but Reebok in college.
A bunch of us still play ball…it’s flag now, got tired of breaking fingers and arms trying to pretend we were still young enough for that craziness…and I had picked up a pair of new Nike Sharks.
The toe area is SO TIGHT! A couple years ago, we were playing our Ice Bowl (New Years Day), and I’d made a hard plant and a cut. I felt pressure on my big toe, but didn’t think anything of it. Later that day, when I pulled my shoe off, my sock was soaked in blood. I’d split the toe-nail back. (Ended up losing the nail).
That was our last game that year. The next Fall, I figured that my toe-nails must have just been a bit long the last time. I made sure that they were trimmed and played. Did it again (not as bad this time). Had a bloody sock…but didn’t lose the nail.
This wasn’t me wearing a shoe too small for performance issues. This shoe FIT. Perfectly. Just too narrow through the toes.
I’ve since trashed the toe-killer Swoosh of Death shoes and switched to Under Armour football cleats. LOVE THEM! No problems since.
#39 by Kerry on 08.17.07 10:47 am |
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, and I apologize if it has been. But Tulane University recently held their media day and revealed the team’s new Nike unis….and I must say, the look very, VERY sharp!
The team went from THESE MONSTROCITIES at home to THIS.
HUGE improvement. I love how they have incorporated the sky blue back into the mix. Also, they “ditched the black” that they have used on and off over the past few years. And, as you can see, they created a pretty cool state of Louisiana logo on the pants.
My ONLY negative comments would be that I would love to see the state logo somewhere else…it just looks funny right there. Second, get rid of the huge block “TULANE” on the chest.
HERE’S ANOTHER LOOK at the unis. No road jerseys were unveiled but I have heard they will be white versions of the home ones with the white pants and green helmets.
Overall, the upgrade gets an “A” in my book.
#40 by Fleishman on 08.17.07 10:51 am |
Paul, the least they could have done was iron the D-backs jersey they put behind you. That guy was a putz too.
#41 by Robert on 08.17.07 10:52 am |
Kudos to Tulane. While the new look is not perfect, it is such a massive improvement on the old uniform that no criticism will be coming from me.
#42 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 10:53 am |
how can you “rate” anything without data?
otherwise its just an opinion.
if he had polled people, then its a rating.
this is simply him giving his opinion on the pac 10.
#43 by Eriq Jaffe on 08.17.07 10:54 am |
Paul, will I get tossed from the site if I make a joke about “Athlete’s Foot”?
#44 by JMichaels on 08.17.07 10:55 am |
Seems like the Mets are the only team still pulling the bubble gum prank. Perhaps they should concentrate more on tha actual game, less they get passed in the standings by the Phillies and/or Braves…
#45 by Broker75 on 08.17.07 10:57 am |
Seth H said:
Then there you go, RBK might be doing this front number thing to get the NHL more television rights..hmm. ya think?
#46 by Anthony Verna on 08.17.07 10:58 am |
Teebz said:
Have you heard Joe Morgan lately?
#47 by possum on 08.17.07 11:01 am |
Anthony Verna said:
He’s a hell of a lot better than Jon Miller. That jackass has no business being at a baseball game, much less calling one.
#48 by Seth H on 08.17.07 11:07 am |
I don’t know your friend, but I assume he works very hard to bring the best NHL broadcasts to whatever form of media he works in.
In that case, shouldn’t he know who the players are? In the two times I’ve been in the press box at local professional hockey, the guys working the games literally were there two hours beforehand identifying players. They had the rosters with the players’ numbers, and were going through the lines that were scheduled to be on the ice that night.
Of course, no one is perfect and sometimes a player takes someone else’s spot on a line, but these guys did their homework. Isn’t that what being a broadcaster is all about?
My friend is not on-air “talent.” He is a statistician and he is the one who feeds the team’s broadcasters those little nuggets they come out with such as: “This is the first time since April 2, 1993 that [insert team name] have had fewer than 2 shots in a period.” I can assure you that he is at the arena hours in advance and prepares assiduously for the broadcasts. (He can’t help but do that; he is an actuary by profession.) However, that does not mean that having an additional visual cue does not make it easier for any member of the broadcast team to make a player identification more quickly.
More importantly, and the point of his comment, the front numbers are especially helpful to the TV viewer sitting at home (or in a bar) watching the game. The people who don’t spend hours in advance preparing for the game.
#49 by Matt Craig on 08.17.07 11:07 am |
Randy and SWC Susan,
Thanks! I’m well aware of the Freddie Steinmark story, but can’t really tell if it is “20″ or “28″. But 28 would make a great story that I can’t believe I hadn’t heard before…
BTW, if interested in that team and Freddie, check out Terry Frei’s book “Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming” (if you haven’t already), a recount of the 1969 Texas/Arkansas game. It’s really good.
#50 by al on 08.17.07 11:10 am |
thanks to cnn.com for directing me, check out this college football schedule using helmets:
http://www.cobrabrig...
#51 by Anthony Verna on 08.17.07 11:11 am |
possum said:
That’s a great site. Hmmm – that old-script P for the Phillies with the white cap. That’s sweet.
#52 by Kerry on 08.17.07 11:21 am |
al said:
Hmmmm….I already found one thing wrong with it. Memphis is NOT playing Nicholls State on 9/15. They were in talks to play that day and then Nevada came calling and gave Nicholls State a better paycheck. So, this guy needs to do some updating.
I did one last year for I-AA/FCS that you can find HERE and I’m currently working on one for this year. But I’m not going to release it until I double-check the schedules and make sure the helmet images I’m using as as up-to-date as possible.
#53 by Stuby on 08.17.07 11:26 am |
Kerry said:
That is a big improvement. I didn’t think dark green and light blue would look good together, but it works.
#54 by Kerry on 08.17.07 11:30 am |
Stuby said:
It always has….it always will!
#55 by Teebz on 08.17.07 11:37 am |
Seth H said:
Again, I’m not slighting your friend, Seth. I was merely pointing out that it takes a long time to prepare for a game. The statisticians are the lifeblood to the on-air talent. I respect his opinion and his commitment to the game.
However, I find that a number on the front detracts from the logo on the player’s chest in that there are numbers on every side of the player.
I don’t work for a hockey team whatsoever, but I rarely have a problem identifying players since they have numbers on three sides of them. Today’s television broadcasters have cameras all over the place, and the broadcasters get multiple views of every play. The fallacy with the argument of making the players easier to identify is that there is rarely a camera that captures the front of a player. 90% of the game is done in an east-west camera style. The smallest and least-seen numbers on the jersey are the ones on the front.
#56 by Joel Keller on 08.17.07 11:46 am |
Fleishman said:
That’s not the worst of it… They didn’t even spell Paul’s name right. The graphic says “Paul Lucas”. Luckily Paul overcomes the sketchy production values and shticky host and gives some good uni information (basic to us, but detailed enough that the average MLB.com viewer would have gotten a lot of good info out of it). Good job, Mr. Lucas… er, Lukas.
#57 by iowacity on 08.17.07 11:57 am |
Iowa State is holding voting for their 2008 helmet design. The jersey/pants have apparently already been settled on.
#58 by iowacity on 08.17.07 11:58 am |
Forgot to include the link:
#59 by MikeB on 08.17.07 12:14 pm |
Teebz said:
Teebz-
I agree with your aesthetic assessment of the front jersey numbers – without a doubt it detracts from the jersey logo and just generally clutters everything.
But as someone that works in the production room of a minor league professional hockey team, I can certainly see Seth’s point about the numbers assisting in quickly identifying players. We do our research, we know our lines and we all know a player by body shape and face, but when we need a quick shot of a player from one of our camera people, we’re going to scream out “Get me number 14!” and he or she is going to have to quickly find that player on the ice. The main camera angle for the majority of game action is indeed high-center (east-west), but we have several low angle cameras behind the nets and in the corners that are used extensively during stoppages, so often the players may be facing the camera crews head-on. So from a production standpoint, the front numbers would indeed be helpful.
That being said, assisting the production crew in locating a player doesn’t outweigh the cluttered mess it creates on the front of a jersey, so I’d rather not see them become more commonplace.
#60 by Kerry on 08.17.07 12:19 pm |
iowacity said:
Still no link.
#61 by tape on 08.17.07 12:23 pm |
Those Tulane unis are a vast improvement. Good to see someone Getting It in modern uniform design.
#62 by Mike on 08.17.07 12:25 pm |
I was cruising the NFL.com website and came across this Drew Bress alternate jersey. ANy idea what this goes with? The all black outfit uses the regular black jersey, with the stripes on this one I would think this is some sort of throwback….hopefully to be worn with gold striped socks…
http://www.nflshop.c...
#63 by Stuby on 08.17.07 12:26 pm |
Kerry said:
Iowacity, I got your back…
Cyclone Helmet Poll
#64 by Zac on 08.17.07 12:26 pm |
That list of the worst uni’s in the Pac-10 was quite possibly the worst list I have ever seen. Someone needs to e-mail them and tell them to stick to stuff they actually know. That list annoyed me more than this years 100 Hottest by Maxim.
#65 by Teebz on 08.17.07 12:30 pm |
MikeB said:
Good points, Mike. The camera crew can probably use an additional hand in identifying some of the lesser-known players.In that regard, you and Seth certainly have valid points.
However, I’m still not convinced from a fan’s standpoint that the front numbers on a jersey are important to identifying players. Football? Yes. Hockey? No.
#66 by Stuby on 08.17.07 12:36 pm |
Stuby said:
BTW, I voted for the helmet with the ‘I State’ on it.
#67 by McLovin on 08.17.07 12:42 pm |
Pat said:
Oh, yeah. I forgot that Zolman got married. Funny thing is, I live in Knoxville, and I didn’t hear a thing about it at the time (which is surprising, seeing how Pat Summitt’s divorce is on every TV station down here).
One uni-related thing: What’s up with those sleeves Zolman (um, Crossley) is wearing? I suppose the WNBA doesn’t have a ban on undershirts, as does the NBA. And shouldn’t those sleeves be silver to match the jersey?
#68 by Ian K on 08.17.07 12:43 pm |
Stuby said:
Nice choice, that’s what I like best too.
In other news, I’m going to Boston next week for business but Sunday I get to visit Fenway for the first time ever! I’m stoked about it, but I had hoped Bonds would not be at 759 because my plan was to wear the BALCO/756* shirt I bought from Joe H on Balcoshirt.com. Should I still wear it? I have no leanings toward either team (Bosox/Angels) but I’m a lifelong Dodger fan and thus Giants/Bonds hater.
Either way, I’ll be armed with a new digital camera ready for Uni Watch tidbits!
#69 by Dustin on 08.17.07 12:46 pm |
Everyone’s mentioning Ed McCaffrey, but they haven’t brought up that he also liked to cut a hole in his shoes while in Denver. His reasoning: he could wear a half-size smaller than normal and he felt that it made him faster.
I think I heard that on CBS about 5 years ago during a Bronco game.
#70 by Broker75 on 08.17.07 12:46 pm |
Maple Leafs have unveiled their new jersey..[I wish]
#71 by ginsk on 08.17.07 12:48 pm |
“I was cruising the NFL.com website and came across this Drew Bress alternate jersey. ANy idea what this goes with? The all black outfit uses the regular black jersey, with the stripes on this one I would think this is some sort of throwback….hopefully to be worn with gold striped socks…
http://www.nflshop.c...
those are saints throwbacks, i dont think we’ve worn them for several years
we worn them in about 2002 or 03 as i recall ,
maybe one other time since
#72 by Aaron Scholder on 08.17.07 12:50 pm |
Stuby said:
I don’t think the Islanders will have to worry about putting on a Stanley Cup Patch for a while hehehe.
Paul, I was disappointed to see that you didn’t write about the leak of Phoenix, San Jose, Edmonton, and Vancouver’s jerseys that I posted yesterday. There wasn’t enough of a clear image of the whole jersey I guess.
#73 by Aaron Scholder on 08.17.07 12:54 pm |
This jersey for sale on mlb.com, http://shop.mlb.com/...
, got me thinking that a blue jersey wouldn’t be the worst replacement for the black that the Mets now wear, the lettering would have to be changed though.
#74 by ScottyJ in WV on 08.17.07 1:01 pm |
possum said:
The .22s!! As an unabashed cap freak, I’ve got to have one of those!
#75 by ScottyJ in WV on 08.17.07 1:03 pm |
Kerry said:
My book as well. Those are a HUGE improvement!! Good job Tulane and (this hurts a little) good job Nike!
#76 by DenverGregg on 08.17.07 1:05 pm |
ScottyJ in WV said:
So were the .22s in AA and then the AAA team was the .38s?
#77 by Mike from Queens on 08.17.07 1:17 pm |
Anthony Verna said:
Ha! Beautiful. Couldn’t agree more. Kind of like listening to an in-class presentation by a kindergartener.
#78 by Dave on 08.17.07 1:20 pm |
I wish I could do skate surgery not unlike the shoe surgery. I wear size 15 shoes to begin with so cramming my feet into standard-issue 13EE skates it painful enough as it is. However, I also have bunions on my big toes — my toes are actually round. I can’t wear some makes of skates at all, and I can’t split the toes of the skates, because the first time I got hit in the foot with a puck it’d be really, really bad.
#79 by Perry on 08.17.07 1:28 pm |
Just wanted to say that Arsenal’s new away kits, with the white shirts and hoop socks, made their game debut (unless they wore them in a friendly I missed) in the Champion’s League qualifier vs. Sparta Prague this week and they look REALLY sharp.
http://tinyurl.com/y...
http://tinyurl.com/2...
Perry
#80 by Stuby on 08.17.07 1:29 pm |
The Oregon Ducks are reviving their baseball program for 2009 after a 28 year hiatus. I shudder to think what those unifoms are going to look like.
#81 by Matt on 08.17.07 1:29 pm |
don’t know if this was caught but new red wings jerseys revealed
http://shop.nhl.com/...
#82 by Joe Drennan on 08.17.07 1:30 pm |
Dave said:
Take your skates to a shoe repair guy, they might be able to help. Whenever I have an issue with equipment I head to the shoe repair. In college actualy, out team took all equipment issues to the local shoe repair becasue they seem to do a great job of hockey equipment fix/modifications.
#83 by Dave on 08.17.07 1:34 pm |
Joe Drennan said:
Sounds like a great idea, but the toeboxes of my skates are fiberglass. It’s the price you pay for having skates you can actually skate in. Thanks for the suggestion though.
#84 by Jason G. on 08.17.07 1:34 pm |
ScottyJ in WV said:
Yea, I’m thinking I need to get one too. My wanted hat list is growing fairly rapidly thanks to Uni Watch.
#85 by Dave A on 08.17.07 1:35 pm |
Great contribution from Jared Wheeler, who writes: “The Houston Colt .45s had a minor league team named the .22s — check out the caps on John Hoffman and Dave Adlesh.â€
They would be the Moultrie (Georgia) Colt .22s of the Georgia-Florida League (1962-62).
#86 by E Ro on 08.17.07 1:35 pm |
the chevy’s in nascar are trying to paint their cars up like ‘57 chevies for the next Michigan race… kind of interesting take of the throwback, since it doesnt actually involve a retro paint scheme.
#87 by Dave on 08.17.07 1:35 pm |
Stuby said:
This has nothing to do with Oregon State’s showing in the CWS… or Nike trying to sell baseball equipment… nothing to see here, move along…
#88 by Mike from Queens on 08.17.07 1:37 pm |
Teebz said:
Teebz… I’m not sure why in football it’s important, and in hockey it isn’t. I’m not stepping into your argument about the front number on the hockey jersey (I happen to like it, even aesthetically), but I might argue it’s easier to identify football players by simply looking at their body type.
I’m a Giants fan, and over the years I had no trouble telling where Strahan was on the field, even without seeing his number. This has a lot to do with the fact he was 99% of the time playing LE, but also because you could just tell by looking at his body compared to other players. You’re not going to confuse him with Phillipe Sparks or Jason Sehorn (for more obvious reasons) or Tiki Barber.
In hockey, the body types aren’t as varied as they are in football, and if a player is skating towards the broadcast camera with his head down, I often have no clue who it is. Telling Eric Cairns apart from Jason Blake a few years ago on the Islanders was easy, but recognizing Yashin from Cairns? Or Kvasha from Yashin? It’s not like football where there are huge differences in body type depending on position. It’s tough unless you’re so into the team you can recognize their equipment from 15 yards away on the camera.
So, the body type, combined with the positioning of players (you’ll never see Olin Kreutz running downfield, of Warren Sapp in pass protection), can make it easier to identify guys in football than in hockey. I guess I just think it’s too close to dismiss it for hockey and include it for football.
#89 by Dave A on 08.17.07 1:38 pm |
Sorry…can’t help myself.
Vinko Bogataj
You Tube link
#90 by Chance on 08.17.07 1:44 pm |
DenverGregg said:
So the short season single-A club would be the BBs?
I love it – 22s is a great name for the farm club.
#91 by Ian K on 08.17.07 1:49 pm |
Perry said:
Perry said:
Jalisco Mexican Restaurant?
#92 by Kerry on 08.17.07 1:51 pm |
Stuby said:
I also chose the “I State” deacl….but I’m kind of disappointed with the choices.
On a positive note, I LOVE the unis.
#93 by Ken on 08.17.07 1:52 pm |
Ian K said:
yeah they specialty is a burrito, totally uni related.
#94 by Kerry on 08.17.07 1:54 pm |
ginsk said:
Yeah, but Drew Brees has never worn the throwback jersey. I hate when the manufacturers do that. Give me an Archie Manning jersey, Rickey Jackson, Morten Anderson or a Bobby Hebert…but don’t give me a Reggie Bush or Drew Brees jersey that they’ve never even worn!
#95 by Jeremiah on 08.17.07 1:57 pm |
Go Cyclones said:
Me too. Perhaps it’s just an example of a placebo effect. They think it has the desired effect, therefore it does.
#96 by Teebz on 08.17.07 2:04 pm |
Mike from Queens said:
Have you tried identifying who is who on a punt return team? :o)
The point I was making was that the numbers on the front seem to be overkill.
Case in point: can you tell what number both of these players are wearing? There is never a time where only the front jersey number is available unless the play has both arms behind his back. Another image confirms that you don’t necessarily need them for functionality.
The only camera that catches a straight-on north-south image is the goalie cam. That’s rarely used for identifying a player unless there’s a five-man pileup in the crease.
#97 by Aaron Scholder on 08.17.07 2:06 pm |
Here’s a photoshopped look at what the Sharks new jersey will look like based on the leak from yesterday:
http://img245.images...
#98 by dilbert719 on 08.17.07 2:07 pm |
I don’t know about Francoeur’s jersey being swapped. Looking closely at the picture of the corrected version, there are some points at the bottom of the nameplate that look like they’re further away from the back of the jersey than others. I’m wondering if maybe they just whipped up an iron-on patch or something and stuck it overtop.
#99 by Robert on 08.17.07 2:10 pm |
E Ro said:
The ‘57 Chevy paintjob is a cool idea, since isn’t much else that NASCAR could do in the area of throwbacks. They can’t really use the old paint schemes since they need to have their sponsors ads featured prominently. I don’t think that Bud would pay big bucks to have “Ed’s Auto Garage” scrawled on the side of Junior’s car.
#100 by Pete(r) on 08.17.07 2:18 pm |
Something funny I noticed last night…
The Texas/KC game featured Rheinecker pitching to Grudzielanek, with Saltalamacchia catching, a total of 36 letters represented on screen by 3 players (an average of 12 each).
Meanwhile, on the other side of things, KC had Buck catching with Bale pitching for a while, but he didn’t get to face Sosa or Byrd, which would have been a TOTAL of 12 letters on screen. Instead, we had to settle for Nunez or Braun’s 5-letter surnames, each of which brought the total to 13.
Who would have thought I could be so entertained by Rangers/Royals?
#101 by Frank on 08.17.07 2:19 pm |
Regarding Darryl Royal wearing number 20–my guess is that it was in memory of a player, Freddie Steinback, who died during the season.
#102 by Robert on 08.17.07 2:20 pm |
Kerry said:
I wish that the road uniforms didn’t feature the dark red pants. Yellow would have been so much better.
The helmets were fine, but I yearn for a tornado logo. It would have a little more zip to it.
#103 by Pat on 08.17.07 2:29 pm |
Pat said:
Don’t bother with the Bonds shirt. You would be “that guy” in the crowd that has to take a shot at something that A. doesn’t matter to the game and B. isn’t all that important anymore seeing as how he’s broken the record.
People in Boston don’t really care to tell you the truth. Actually, compared to other cities that he has visited this year Boston was kind.
I’d say, if you’ve got nothing else to wear go for it. But, I hate the idea of planning what you are going to wear to a game. Especially if it’s an attempt at humor.
**Disclaimer: I’m not trying to rip you for the idea, just telling what the general consensus of the Bonds thing in Boston is. We don’t like it but we honestly don’t care all that much Now, get yourself a “Yankees suck” shirt or something and then I’ll have to hold it against you. I’m a huge Sox fan but can’t stand those stupid shirts**
#104 by MichaelM on 08.17.07 2:32 pm |
Boston.com making fun of Manny’s Baggy Uni.
http://www.boston.co...
#105 by Johnny O on 08.17.07 2:39 pm |
I hate to be one of “those guys”, but I tried posting a great article on Badger football throwbacks (got the idea from the great helmet on the front page) and the filter monster got to them. Could somebody restore them please? It is a great uni link.
#106 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 2:53 pm |
McLovin said:
zolman in black
http://www.spmsports...
http://www.spmsports...
http://www.spmsports...
#107 by joe on 08.17.07 2:56 pm |
Mike from Queens said:
If a player is skating with his head down you’ll find out who he is quickly when hes knocked out and laying on the ice delaying the game.
#108 by Wall of Beef on 08.17.07 2:57 pm |
I don’t really mind the Islanders jerseys. Only thing that bothers me is the Chest Number. I find it hard to believe people dislike it more than the Predators T-Shirt Jersey.
Anyone have any ideas as to why the whole “Shoulder-Pad” looks is so prevelant on these new Jerseys? Im just trying to guess what the idea behind it is. Is it more of this whole thing of making the Physique of the player more noticalbe?
#109 by Joe Drennan on 08.17.07 3:00 pm |
Wall of Beef said:
My guess is that it deals more with the fact that it appears to me that the “shoulder pad” is an actual panel in the jersey and therefore easier to acent without making the jersey look ugly than other options like the bib piping. The “shoulder pad” isn’t anything new to hockey though as it can bee seen on all kinds of older sweaters from the Rangers, Devils to the Oilers to name a few.
#110 by Mike from Queens on 08.17.07 3:04 pm |
Teebz said:
That picture of Dan Boyle… I’m assuming that’s a #7 on the Hurricanes which would make it Wallin (had to look it up), but to be honest, that 7 could easily be a 71. And we all know this guy didn’t wear #9.
I wasn’t talking about the goalie cam, but the horizontal scrolling cam. Identifying a player alongside the benches when his logo is facing the camera can be problematic. Look at the Rangers point men between the 10 and 22 second marks of that video. Granted, the quality sucks, but at no point are their numbers clearly visible, even if the picture were running at a higher frame rate.
I’m not saying the Islander/Sabre front jersey number would help, but an NFL style one certainly would. More succinctly, if you put logos on NFL players chests instead of numbers, they would be just as easy to identify as NHL players—with the possible exception of special teams because that’s just a clusterfuck.
#111 by John Baranowski on 08.17.07 3:09 pm |
Teebz said:
i work on a sports show during the off-season, and i got to discussing jerseys. the guys, who do a lot of televised high school games, said that they love the front numbers, it makes it much easier to call the games when you aren’t familiar with the teams.
personally, i don’t think it does much good. i’d rather make it a tiny bit harder on myself to maintain just how good hockey jerseys look
#112 by Perry on 08.17.07 3:09 pm |
Ian K said:
Wow, I have no idea how that happened. Try this:
http://tinyurl.com/2...
Perry
#113 by Joe on 08.17.07 3:09 pm |
Did I miss something or are the cleveland browns really wearing brown pants for away games this season? Cause i just got madden 08 the other day, and when i was playing against them in a practice session, the browns had brown pants on. I went to get a closer look to see if they were shorts, but sure enough they were football pants with there away jersey. i dont got a pic of it, but in a way it doesn’t look that bad, i prefer the orange pants but still.
#114 by Perry on 08.17.07 3:12 pm |
Perry said:
Agggghhhh! Okay, screw tinyurl:
http://news.yahoo.co...
#115 by Ben63 on 08.17.07 3:15 pm |
Perry said:
I wish I could say the same about Chelsea’s new away kits, which made their Premeirship debut on Wednesday.
Link
#116 by E Ro on 08.17.07 3:20 pm |
Robert said:
I remember when darryl waltrip was racing his last season, he had all his past paint schemes painted on his car with his current sponser… and i could be mistaken, but i think rusty wallace did something similar.
#117 by E Ro on 08.17.07 3:26 pm |
E Ro said:
wikipedia has a blurb about throwback nascar paint schemes in it’s entry about special paint schemes.
#118 by Mike on 08.17.07 3:29 pm |
Kerry said:
Here you go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
#119 by John Baranowski on 08.17.07 3:33 pm |
Yeah, but Drew Brees has never worn the throwback jersey. I hate when the manufacturers do that. Give me an Archie Manning jersey, Rickey Jackson, Morten Anderson or a Bobby Hebert…but don’t give me a Reggie Bush or Drew Brees jersey that they’ve never even worn!
Here you go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
i HATE that, as a pens fan, i keep seeing all these throwback penguins jerseys with crosby or malkin on the back, and they never wore the freaking jersey!!! drives me nuts!!!
#120 by Denis on 08.17.07 3:38 pm |
I know Paul talked about the Ottawa Senators wearing “World Champions” jerseys back in the day. I am not sure if this was mentioned before, but the Hershey Bears wore champions jerseys.
http://theahl.com.is...
#121 by SWC Susan (aka Tex) on 08.17.07 3:39 pm |
todd krevanchi said:
In the WNBA, the visiting team has the option to select which goal to defend – which means where they sit and what color to wear. The intent is to get the home team out of their element. Have been doing it for years!
#122 by todd krevanchi on 08.17.07 3:40 pm |
out of curiosity.
how much stock are we to put into video games for uniform changes?
i mean, i understand that historically they have been spot on for accuracy and upcoming improvements or updates, but it is only a video game…
#123 by Kris McInnis on 08.17.07 3:44 pm |
E Ro said:
It’s mentioned somewhat in the Wikipedia article, but I can remember the Havoline car, on more than one occasion, was painted to resemble the scheme used by Davey Allison in the late 80’s. I haven’t read much into the Wiki article yet, but think paint scheme was called ‘Battlestar’ and I know that both Jamie McMurray and Ernie Irvin have drove with this scheme it as a tributes.
#124 by Kris McInnis on 08.17.07 3:45 pm |
“I know that both Jamie McMurray and Ernie Irvin have drove with this scheme it as a tributes.”
PS: It’s National Bad Grammer and Typing Mistake Day.
#125 by Kris McInnis on 08.17.07 3:46 pm |
“I know that both Jamie McMurray and Ernie Irvin have drove with this scheme it as a tributes.”
PS: It’s National Bad Grammar and Typing Mistake Day.
#126 by Teebz on 08.17.07 3:49 pm |
Mike from Queens said:
Now we’re speaking the same language, Mike. The numbers on the front serve virtually no purpose on a hockey jersey. While you’ll never get a football-style number on the front of a hockey jersey, having a tiny number does nothing except clutter the jersey. While a picture doesn’t do video justice in regards to Gretzky, the Rangers/Isles proves it over and over: a player will turn his arms and/or back to the camera sooner or later.
The broadcasters should know who is on the ice by doing their homework. They cover hockey – they should know who is who out there to make their broadcast of the game as close to top-notch as possible.
John Baranowski said:
I agree, John. I think it is up to the broadcasting team to do their homework to know who the players are, the same way that fans know their team. It’s their responsibility as a broadcaster to deliver the highest quality show they can. After all, the network they work on is paying them to do so, and the network wants the advertising dollars from the sports contract.
As an example, you wouldn’t ask Chris Berman to cover the gymnastics portion of the Olympics because he knows nothing about gymnastics. However, if he was assigned to cover them, he’d be forced to do his homework and understand everything about the sport.
By the way, great conversation regarding this topic, gents. If anyone else wants to weigh in, please do so. :o)
#127 by Joe Drennan on 08.17.07 4:02 pm |
There are some college teams that have a number on the front of their sweater, most notably Boston, but they do it in a manner that works. The Bruins had a football style number on their sweater back when they really were sweaters and Jack Bismark of Evlith, MN was tending goal. I think the number on the front can be done, but the latest attempts haven’t worked.
Looking at Teedz’s blog and looking through promotion night sweaters I saw one that had the number on the lower left. That seems to be the best spot for the number if they want to avoid the clutter look, but it’s also a bad spot as it wouldn’t be seen often as it would get obscured by hands and sticks as players stickhandle. Therefore, in my closing argument, if you can’t put a number on the font of a sweater in a pleasing to the eye fashion, leave it off as you’ll eventualy be able to identify a player in the next 2 seconds as they move around becuase they’re are numbers on the back and sleves.
Interesting note, my high school sweater only had the number on one sleve becasue our coach was a total dumb ass. Most arenas we skated in only had seating on one side of the rink so he argued that he put the numbers on the arm that would be facing the fans. I posed to him the question, what about when we change ends after periods or when a player is skating backwards. Adding to that I pointed out that at opposing arenas the visitor’s bench isn’t always on the same end of the ice.
Needless to say, when a new coach came in and it was time to replace the sweaters, we got numbers on both arms. Unfortunatly, I had graduated by then.
#128 by Timmer on 08.17.07 4:07 pm |
Love the idea of the .22’s. I wonder how they decided to round down as opposed to the .23’s?
#129 by Teebz on 08.17.07 4:08 pm |
Timmer said:
22-calibre pistols are far more common than 23-calibre pistols. ;o)
#130 by TJ on 08.17.07 4:22 pm |
Watching the little league world series and one of the “name lastname” incidents that happened on monday night just happened again. Anyone else watching?
Also, with the Cal Ripken world series being televised on the Versus network, there are three youth baseball games on right now. (4:30 et)
#131 by Joe on 08.17.07 4:38 pm |
Fleishman said:
That is exactly what I was thinking (on both points). I was just scanning the comments to see if anyone else noticed; I’m glad I’m not the only one!
#132 by Robert on 08.17.07 4:39 pm |
E Ro said:
The problem is that paint schemes were about the same in the ’80s as now, such that a Waltrip or Wallace “throwback” is easily done. The paint schemes from the 1950s were a different animal altogether.
#133 by Teebz on 08.17.07 4:43 pm |
The number on the left hip was the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins’ 05-06 Christmas jersey.
#134 by Ben Engle on 08.17.07 4:55 pm |
I just turned on the little league world series game with Japan and Curacao. A few early observations (though sorry, I couldn’t find any pictures online):
1. The catcher has a lot of logo creep going on in terms of the Wilson logo.
2. Batting helmets also have the Wilson logo
3. Jerseys are new from years past, there is a huge “Russell” logo on the left chest. There is also new font on the jerseys…and I’m not too crazy about the new look.
4. There is a huge “New Era” logo on the side of the hats.
That’s all I have for now, maybe Paul can do a story on the little league jerseys sometime during the world series…
#135 by Teebz on 08.17.07 4:55 pm |
Teebz said:
And the Peoria Rivermen, who did it on their regular jerseys.
#136 by Minna H. on 08.17.07 4:58 pm |
I voted for the script Cyclones, and count me as another vote ‘yes’ for the .22s. As for the numbers on the front of a hockey jersey/sweater/uni, I give it a big thumbs down, aesthetically speaking. Stick to the sleeves!
#137 by BWings on 08.17.07 4:59 pm |
With all the staph infections, chemicals used on the fields, etc., cutting shoes like that could lead to TOEMain Poisoning!
(Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Tip your waitstaff and have a safe trip home!)
#138 by DenverGregg on 08.17.07 5:00 pm |
Teebz said:
At least they didn’t go metric and make ‘em the 9mms.
#139 by Teebz on 08.17.07 5:04 pm |
Minna H. said:
There’s a reason why we get along, Minna. I like your way of thinking. :o)
#140 by Minna H. on 08.17.07 5:09 pm |
Teebz said:
Well, Teebz, and you’re my supplier (Doritos) so we have to get along. The fact that we’re also both hilarious and incredibly good-looking doesn’t hurt, either!
#141 by Teebz on 08.17.07 5:15 pm |
Minna H. said:
Speaking of Doritos, I should send you some. I’ll email you about that. We just got another new flavour up here: Chili Cheese Lime. It’s GOOOOOOOD! :o)
#142 by iowacity on 08.17.07 5:18 pm |
Stuby said:
Thanks, man. I’m not sure why I couldn’t get it to work.
I think all three choices are pretty weak.
#143 by Minna H. on 08.17.07 5:19 pm |
Teebz said:
Cool, And I can send you some cereal. After I return from London.
I have a content-related question: How can anyone not know he has a bubble on his hat? Someone please explain.
#144 by =bg= on 08.17.07 5:21 pm |
Dan said:
so when will UA make the inevitable move to sneakers?
#145 by Martyn on 08.17.07 5:22 pm |
These days, there are many cameras that shoot “North/South” on an NHL rink. The two netcams, as mentioned. But there are also two fletcher cams attached to the top of the glass at each end, which are used quite often. And there are two endzone cameras, usually at the top of the lower bowl.
I would agree that front numbers would help in a number of cases for broadcasters, but what about also for casual fans? I don’t necessarily think that it’s the job of all 18,000 fans who walk into an arena each night to know what sort of helmet a certain player wears; or how he tucks his jersey; or tapes his stick. Or any of the other “tells” that most avid fans and broadcasters use to quickly (if subconsciously) identify players.
Even if there is only six “north-south” cameras used per game (and quite often, it’s seven, if you count the telescope cam attached to the scoreboard that some stations are playing around with), what about the 30-40 per cent of the fans that have bought seats in the endzone sections of rinks?
I don’t think the numbers on the front look great, personally, but I do think they have a function. There’s got to be a reason that most of the other major sports that don’t tie players to a specific location on the field (such as baseball) use numbers on the front and back (basketball, football, etc).
But again, I still can’t believe people have a tough time keeping track of where the little black puck is on the white ice.
:)
#146 by Jill on 08.17.07 5:25 pm |
Teebz said:
Teebz, way to be tactful.
The thing about the Colt 22s though is that I am pretty sure Colt does not make a 0.22 caliber pistol. Of course they make a 22 rifle but the jersey clearly does not have a rifle on it. They should have called them the 38’s. I don’t know for sure, I didn’t check. Looking up gun models at work seems like not the best idea to me. Although I do work in Texas so it is probably not a big deal.
#147 by John Baranowski on 08.17.07 5:33 pm |
Jill said:
i think part of the reasoning behind .22 over .38 is that .22 is roughly half of .45, kinda saying that the minors are half the big leagues. Pittsburgh Penguins -> Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Baby Penguins style
#148 by Teebz on 08.17.07 5:37 pm |
Jill said:
Colt does make a Colt 22, though.
#149 by Randy Miller on 08.17.07 5:37 pm |
Per my Astro fan buddy and ex-roomie Jeff Rembert, the minor league system for the Colt .45s:
Oklahoma City 89ers (AAA) Pacific Coast League
San Antonio Bullets (AA) Texas league
Durham Bulls (A) Carolina League
Modesto Colts (A) California League
Moultrie Colt .22s (A) Georgia-Florida League
#150 by Jon in SLC on 08.17.07 5:53 pm |
Stuby said:
So did I.
#151 by TOG on 08.17.07 6:09 pm |
General Comment: About the recent ESPN article…â€Uniform mock-ups.†I think it was one of the best ever.
Yes it was… I have in my possession some the the wildest most whacked out “out takes” in the history of the NBA in the form of the New Jersey Swamp (nee Fire) Dragons unis imaginable…
I just need to get them scanned and posted and that might take months with my schedule…but they are worth the wait… here’s a tease…
http://www.logoserve...
http://query.nytimes...
#152 by Kevin Grimstad on 08.17.07 6:34 pm |
I guess if I get booted from the site I can live with it, but here it goes:
I wonder if the NFL will fine Ryan Fowler for not toeing the line?
#153 by Matt on 08.17.07 6:36 pm |
At least the pitcher for Curacao in the 6th inning and one of the coaches still have the New Era sticker on their caps
#154 by John Baranowski on 08.17.07 6:59 pm |
so i was bored, and i threw this together. thoughts?
personally, i wish there was a membership level where we could get something like this…
http://i23.photobuck...
#155 by chris on 08.17.07 8:15 pm |
I’m watching the Vikings/jets game and the vikings purple pants/socks combo looks absolutely horrendous. They really should have the white pants. And just imagine the horror of purple on purple…
#156 by JP on 08.17.07 9:13 pm |
Chris Sk said:
Billy was one of the few recent coaches at St. Bonaventure to NOT disgrace the program (since Jim Baron left, of course).
#157 by Luca on 08.17.07 9:40 pm |
Story on Jeff Francoeur and his misspelled jersey:
Francoeur, prior to last night’s game, went to his locker to put on a game jersey, but the equipment manager or laundry boy hadn’t put his jersey back in his locker. So, Francouer wandered in the clubhouse in search of a jersey, but the jersey he grabbed was from the “outlet” section, where his name was misspelled on the uniform.
#158 by JP on 08.17.07 10:04 pm |
#1 – Tulane. I’ve heard the block letters on the front are “stock lettering” because the switch from Russell to Nike came too late for custom lettering.
The jerseys will have name plates on the back.
The Green Wave white jerseys will have the T-Wave logo on the shoulder pads, and not the TV numbers. The Dome is so freaking big you can’t read TV numbers from the press box anyway.
(Could be a good place for the Louisiana logo, but I like it on the pants). The LA logo is similar to the Saints Louisiana logo; hoping to bring in Saints fans.
There’s also rumors of special jerseys for the Tulane/LSU game at the Superdome to be auctioned off for charity, which Nike will also donate to.
New head coach Bob Toledo was adamant about green and white and the return of the blue as an accent color instead of black. He’s a traditional guy, God Bless him.
Lots of positive change for Tulane. The jersey AND they were smart enough to post that large jersey picture online in addition to their regular photo gallery.
#2 – The Islanders. I’m an Isles fan and still not done murdering this abominal jersey.
The Islanders had a GREAT jersey since dumping the fishsticks uni. I like those bars because of what they represent: Not just four Cups but correcting the mistake of messing with tradition. No one would have been upset if they just went back to old jersey. But instead, they gave us a traditional jersey, with the subtle update to a classic look. It said “these are our new, traditional jerseys. We’re not against subtle change, not grasping to re-live the glory years, we’re remembering our past glory and honoring our tradition with our new jerseys.” Which should be the goal of EVERY new jersey.
That’s why their new jerseys suck so badly. Not because they used too much orange, messed up the sleeves, the rear number, the shoulder piping, etc. But because they felt they could design something new. We don’t WANT new. We want our traditional uniform with the necessary subtle updates.
NHL collar logo? So be it. Add the shoestring tie (I think the orange string looks AWESOME) to make it look more tradition and less (logo) creepy.
I also don’t understand why you need the front numbers. I watch hockey as often as I can. OTHER teams players are harder to ID, I can usually spot MY GUYS based on where they are on the ice, the normal line combos, and the players turn often enough to see their numbers within a few seconds.
If the announcers say whom just came on the ice (easy with their press box angle), then all you have to do is simply locate the defensemen to figure it out. From there, it’s one of two guys.
The Isles captains and alternates will look RIDICULOUS with stuff EVERYWHERE on that jersey. The ONLY thing I take solace in with the new Islanders jersey is that there’s no room for a sponsor logo on it.
#159 by David on 08.17.07 10:26 pm |
EWWWW, GROSS! The Vikings are wearing the puke purple pants tonight!
#160 by Richard Craig on 08.17.07 11:37 pm |
Luca said:
Actually, here’s the official story from the Braves’ Web site.
#161 by Minna H. on 08.17.07 11:43 pm |
Ok. My gripe about the Vikes’ unis: In this pic, everything that is supposed to look purple, does. However, in real life, or on my HDTV, at least, only the helmet looks purple–and it doesn’t even look THAT purple. The pants and the stripes on the shorts look blue! Not purply-blue or bluey-purple, but bright blue!
If purple is your color, then wear it proudly. Yes, the unis are ugly, but the purple should at least be purple. That is all.
#162 by Sam Mc on 08.17.07 11:56 pm |
I was at the Eagles-Panthers game tonight and David Carr had his two gloves on once again.
#163 by Andrew F. on 08.18.07 1:47 am |
The reason that college hockey teams like Boston have numbers on the front goes back to an old NCAA rule and cost efficiency.
The rules for NCAA college uniforms state that a team must have numbers on both sleeves OR the front of their jersey (or both, I guess, if they really wanted to…). Back in the day, when as we all know, uni supplies were at a minimum and expensive, it was less expensive for a team to put one number on the front of a jersey than one on each sleeve.
#164 by Nick on 08.19.07 3:56 am |
Mike said:
That is the SAINTS 1967-1970 Throwback Jersey.
It was last worn 3-4 jears ago with OLD GOLD pants and similarly striped socks.
A vast betterment to the All-Black monstrosities that make the NFL Saints look like a 75 pound bantam team that plays under an interstate.
I do not know if they intend to wear them anytime soon. The management is slowly bringing back some of the 1967-era logos back on hats and shirts, and may well do a Throwback game.
DITCH THE BLACK !!!! (pants, that is)
l
#165 by Nick on 08.19.07 4:30 am |
tape said:
TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT
I am a Tulane Season Ticket Holder for years.
The dark green and light blue look great together – when you use enough white (pants, helmets, trim, whatever) to make it look sensible.
These are the best Tulane Football unis in many, many years.
Since the early 1990’s many of Tulane’s football coaches totally abandoned the light blue (Tommy Bowden repeatedly said it did not look manly, etc.) and then added BLACK pants, (?) silver trim (??), followed by the monochrome Bronco/Nike template of recent years.
Then they hired a “consultant†(probably some board member’s slow, unemployed nephew “Let’s hire Myrtle’s kid, little Irving, and give him his start”) for $75,000.00 to present a new cookie-cutter logo and uni-“branding†fonts which looks like a toothpaste logo – abandoning a pretty good set of traditional logo’s and mascots.
Name on chest doesn’t bother me. Tulane could use the push with name recognition, and I’d much rather have a FULL readable name than those half-assed one inch letters and script names many teams are adopting.
FINALLY, tradition and originality.
#166 by Nick on 08.19.07 4:44 am |
Kerry said:
Why not a GOLD helmet?
The Throwback colors used on the TBTC Unis are great. I think they are missing it going to a white helmet. Many of their older helmet designs are pretty cool – particuarly the 1970s and early 1980’s.
Tweak those and they’ll do better.
#167 by David on 08.19.07 10:08 pm |
I know why Iowa State is going with white helmets…it’s because of Gene Chizik. Look at the two programs he previously worked for. What color are Auburn’s and Texas’ helmets?
#168 by Cscott on 08.20.07 4:11 pm |
Can anyone direct me to a resource for vector based football uniform design templates, preferably Adobe Illustrator? I need a black and white line art drawing. I have some ideas I’d like to play with.
thanks
#169 by tenjay on 08.20.07 6:11 pm |
has anybody bought a dugout jacket from ebbets field flannels (ebbets.com)? i’m a big fan of their hatsa and have a few jerseys but haven’t taken the plunge for a jacket. they sure look good though.
#170 by Robert Igoe on 08.24.07 2:00 pm |
About 20 years ago, I was at the mall and they had one of those make-your-own greeting card booths, featuring NFL team logos. The one they had for the Giants was interesting, to say the least. It was a large red apple with an outline of the New York skyline superimposed over it. The booth was taken away before long and I never saw this logo again. Even the Giants themselves say they don’t remember it, but I saw it so it existed for a short while. Can anyone tell me the story behind it?