Sometimes the world just feels a little bit … off. You can’t put your finger on what it is, but you know something is wrong. It’s not something big — more like a tiny itch that keeps eluding you no matter where you scratch, like when you balance your checkbook and can’t figure out why the totals are off by three cents. You know things weren’t always this way, but you only have a faint memory of how they used to be, and now it’s gone and you can’t quite figure out what’s changed. And however minor this discrepancy may be, you know the universe will never quite come back into proper alignment until this small detail is addressed.
And that’s why, brothers and sisters, I’m so happy to announce that Ben Wallace will be allowed to wear his headband this season.
In case you’ve forgotten (and it was such a surreally idiotic episode that I wouldn’t blame you if you’d blotted it out of your mind), Wallace was benched early last season for violating Bulls coach Scott Skiles’s “no headbands” edict. So Big Ben spent the season looking like this and this, instead of sporting the more familiar forehead-accessorized look he’d cultivated in Detroit. It looked wrong, like it was some other guy instead of Wallace. Now, thankfully, this small rip in the cosmic fabric will be mended.
For those keeping score at home, the moron here is clearly Skiles (who, thankfully, never coached Wilt Chamberlain). I’ve yet to hear him present a rational, sensible explanation for banning a league-sanctioned and -branded accessory. And headbands aren’t just fashion statements — yo, Scott, they keep sweat out of your eyes.
Skiles made things worse yesterday by giving an all-time clunker of a quote: “We still have a no-headband rule. I just left it up to the guys who have been here if they wanted to make an exception for Ben.”
This is like the Mets insisting that they’re a really good team despite their last-season collapse, or Charlie Brown standing on the mound in the rain and shouting, “It’s just a little shower!” while everyone else scampers home and Snoopy goes by on a raft (plus it puts makes Skiles the rhetorical heir of Elaine Crispen; if you don’t remember who she was, look here). Dude, wake up: You ain’t got no no-headband rule no more, which is a good thing, since it was a bogus rule to begin with. Now sit down, shut up, and let Big Ben do his thing.
Raffle Results: The winner of the futuristic Royals jersey is Ryan Etgen. Big congrats to him, and thanks to all who entered.
Membership News: As a big fan of horizontal stripes and the color green, I’ve rarely been as excited about a membership design request as I was when Michael Doucette requested Celtic FC the other day. Scott’s execution, as you can see, was dead-on. This and other new designs now on display in the membership card design gallery.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Lots of other NBA changes in the offing besides the return of Ben Wallace’s headband, including a new bronze trim for the Wizards (here’s a rear view), new throwbacks for the Warriors (which apparently mean no “The City” throwbacks this season — dang), the return of the “New Orleans” insignia for the Hornets (along with the new fleur-de-bee patch), and an anniversary patch for the Lakers. Plus, as already noted in yesterday’s Ticker, anniversary patches are also being worn by the Pistons and Heat. … We’ve talked before about how Red Sox uniforms sometimes have an upside-down 8. Turns out the Sox aren’t the only Boston-area team with this problem. The Patriots’ numeral 8 is supposed to have a smaller loop on top, but Randy Moss’s 8 was upside-down two nights ago. On the back, too. Great side-by-side comparison here of Moss’s and Donte Stallworth’s respective 8s. … Two days ago I ran this photo. Now Dave Bloomquist has come up with this (which dates back to 1956). Separated at birth? … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Bill Belechick’s sweatshirt says, “QUIPMENT” — the E is missing. … Breakdown of great soccer uniforms here. … The Blackhawks will be wearing a memorial patch for Bill Wirtz. Insert internet/web site joke here. … Not uni-related, but am I the only one mildly surprised that Rick Ankiel didn’t win the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year Award? Yeah, he only played about 25% of the season, but Stretch McCovey won Rookie of the Year in ’59 based on virtually the same number of ABs. ’Course, nobody ever accused Stretch of doing HGH, but still, have you ever seen a more impressive comeback than Ankiel’s? Dude completely reinvented himself, made it all the way back, and was a legitimate power threat during the latter part of the season. … Good spot by Matt Englander, who writes: “After the Red Sox acquired Curt Schilling in 2004, they made adjustments to the banner the top of their home page. Because they didn’t have an action pic of Schilling in a Sox uniform, they cropped his head (presumably from a shot from his D-Backs days) and put the head on another Boston pitcher’s body. If you look closely you can see that the edges of Curt’s neck are a dead giveaway that this was a crop job. That was 4 seasons ago…and you’re telling me they couldn’t pull out that placeholder and put an actual Sox action shot in there? Ridiculous.” … While researching something else, I stumbled across this. I don’t even wanna know. … Reprinted from last night’s comments: Great little item here about how the Seahawks have a staffer whose job is to keep track of Seneca Wallace’s green-dotted and dot-free helmets, depending on whether he’s playing QB or WR. … Also from last night: French law prohibits alcohol-related jersey sponsorship, so Glasgow Rangers FC, whose jersey usually looks like this, blacked out the Carling logo during yesterday’s match in France. … Roberto Luongo has a new mask. Lots of additional pics here, further info here, and a short video is here. … New mask for Chris Mason, too. Photos here, details here. … Rugby World Cup note from Eric Bangeman, who notes that the countries that have won the World Cup in the past (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and England) are wearing a sleeve patch that depicts the William Webb Ellis trophy, which is awarded to the winning nation.” … UConn’s new hoops unis will look like this (with thanks to Matt Edwards). … Life-altering photo here of the 1920 Dartmouth hockey team (with many, many thanks to Cullan Foote). … Very, very sad news out of Milwaukee, where Art’s Concertina Bar — site of a Uni Watch party last year, and my favorite tavern in America — has been sold. The new owner plans to only minor changes, but the biggest loss will be Art himself (shown at the Uni Watch party with Stephanie West), a national treasure who’s simply irreplaceable. Enjoy your retirement, Art — I’ll miss ya.
#1 by Peter Wunsch on 10.03.07 8:32 am |
It is Roberto Luongo, not Robert
#2 by Richard on 10.03.07 8:38 am |
I have never understood the name Golden State Warriors. Yes, I know it’s California’s nickname, but here’s my question: there are four NBA teams in California, so why do the Warriors get to call themselves Golden State? I suppose it might be a homage to the Golden Gate Bridge, but considering that the Warriors play in Oakland (which is connected to San Francisco by the Bay Bridge, it still doesn’t make sense. How about Oakland Warriors or, better yet, Bay Area Warriors?
#3 by Pat on 10.03.07 8:43 am |
Oh man. Nothing made me happier this morning than seeing an NBA topic on UniWatch. That means it’s getting closer to the start of basketball season. Celtics 2:00 this Saturday!
I like everything else Scott Skiles has done with the Bulls, very good coach, plays the kind of basketball I like to watch. But, the headband thing was stupid. Paul is right, as much as I can’t stand Wilt Chamberlain that yellow headband he wore with the Lakers, that had the thin strap going around the back was awesome. I’ve always wanted one of those but can’t ever find one.
Also, they couldn’t have gotten Baron Davis to slip into a pair of basketball sneakers for this photo shoot?
#4 by Emeyel on 10.03.07 8:46 am |
Regarding the “fairy-boy” picture, it’s obviously a photoshop. Look here for more on that guy: http://www.pixyland....
#5 by Graf Zeppelin on 10.03.07 8:51 am |
Are those New Jersey Generals designs I see in the membership gallery?? OutSTANding!!
However…
The Generals used serif lettering in ‘83 and ‘84, although in ‘85 some of the jerseys had sans-serif; in this picture you can actually see both (Stroth sans-serif, Walker serif). The Generals’ jersey was essentially the inverse (red for blue and vice-versa) of what the Giants had at the time, minus the sleeve stripes.
Nonetheless, it’s great to see the USFL represented; the league had some awesome uniforms.
#6 by dgc on 10.03.07 8:53 am |
Uniwatch gets a small mention in today’s Washington Post in an article about the NFL captain patches: link
And as a Nats’ fan, Dmitri totally deserved CPOY.
#7 by John O'Hare on 10.03.07 8:53 am |
I went to the “pixyland” site. I am now blind. I have gouged my own eyes out.
#8 by BCrisp on 10.03.07 8:53 am |
Wow, an amazing link to one of the more disturbing sites I’ve seen, and yet I still spent like 10 minutes on his site reading about him. It is not a photoshop.
#9 by BCrisp on 10.03.07 8:56 am |
link form Peter Pan site.
#10 by BCrisp on 10.03.07 8:58 am |
OK if the link doesn’t work this time, jsut go to his fasion page:
http://www.pixyland....
link
#11 by Paul Lukas on 10.03.07 9:00 am |
No.
#12 by Dane on 10.03.07 9:04 am |
I loved the Columbus Cottonmouths jersey shown in yesterday’s ticker. I would have loved to get one for myself, but it looks like they no longer use that design. Here’s a picture from last season:
http://manage.cotton...
#13 by Steppy on 10.03.07 9:06 am |
Looking at the Dartmouth hockey pic, I was reminded of the Simpsons episode where Homer flashed back to Ned Flanders wearing his ski outfit.
“Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all…
nothing at all…
nothing at all…”
#14 by Eriq Jaffe on 10.03.07 9:13 am |
They probably go by “Golden State” to get more of a regional thing going on - sure, there are 4 teams in California, but they’re the only one in the Bay Area. Remember, when they moved from Philadelphia, they were the San Francisco Warriors until they moved full-time to Oakland.
#15 by Dane on 10.03.07 9:17 am |
Following up on yesterday’s tobacco branding/Formula 1 discussion..
Not exactly Uni related, but it reminds me of F1 in period where most teams were sponsored by tobacco companies, but not allowed to have tobacco liveries at most races. They came up with interesting substitutions.
Jordan simply had a verson of the Benson & Hedges logo with letters removed to say “be on edge” in the same font. BAR had Look Left/Look Right in place of Lucky Strike. Renault changed Mild Seven to Team Spirit.
I liked Jordan’s earlier replacement names better. When the car had a snake-motif paint scheme, the B&H became Bitten & Hisses for the non-tobacco races (UK, France). The next paint scheme lead to the Buzzin’ Hornets. BAR changes from Lucky Strike to Look Alike on their first car, in protest against the FIA for not allowing the team to run their two cars with two different paint schemes, each promoting a different BAT brand.
Ferrari is the last team with tobacco sponsorship and has run different things in place of Marlboro logos. I think some of them must have been designed to give the illusion of the regular logo at 200mph.
It’s interesting that Philip Morris pays about $150MM/yr for a sponsorship deal that only has the Marlboro name on the cars at 4 of the 17 races. That space just has some white lines for the other 13. PM claims that it is worth it, just because people already know the Marlboro logo is supposed to be there, whether it is actually there or not.
I am actually surprised they have cleared out most of those sponsors, because they are adding Grand Prix races in places outside of the EU, and China allows the advertising and is supposed to have 1/3 of the world’s smokers.
Tobacco advertising is allowed to appear on the car in most race venues, but the EU was very ominous but vague in saying what the punishment would be for those cars with tobacco logos appearing on TELEVISION in the EU. Still, the disappearance of big tobacco opened the door for new companies to get their name out there. I had never heard of Santander, SS United, or Etihad before, but the power of F1 advertising got the message across.
#16 by Graf Zeppelin on 10.03.07 9:21 am |
D’OH!!
Well, don’t I feel foolish…
I’m at work now so I can’t access the gallery from here (flickr.com is blocked by the server), but I recall two on the last page, a #4 and (I think) a #91 that look an awful lot like the ‘85 Generals: red background, white block numerals outlined in blue, wide-spaced lettering.
What design is this?
#17 by Graf Zeppelin on 10.03.07 9:22 am |
Sorry, that’s a #2 (not 4) and #91.
#18 by drog on 10.03.07 9:25 am |
It’s Rangers FC…not the Glasgow Rangers (which make them sound like they should be playing in the Pacific Coast League)
#19 by Paul Lukas on 10.03.07 9:29 am |
They’re two different designs. This one is Grogan-era Patriots throwback, and this one is Bartkowski-era Falcons throwback.
Have I mentioned lately that I don’t know jackshit about soccer? Fixing text now….
#20 by BWings on 10.03.07 9:32 am |
The Pixyland site should have included a reference to NSFA (Not Suitable For ANYONE). But, the picture is there on the “Fashions” page–not photoshopped.
Now, let’s get back to baseball…or football…or headbands…or ANYTHING sports-related…whew
#21 by Kevin on 10.03.07 9:39 am |
The Cottonmouth jersey shown yesterday was at least from the 2003-2004 season when they were in the ECHL. You could probably check on ebay to see if any are being sold.
#22 by Graf Zeppelin on 10.03.07 9:44 am |
Ohhhhhhh…….I see. My bad. Now that I think of it, the “squared” numeral 2 should have tipped me off.
#23 by Greg on 10.03.07 9:47 am |
Woah there Paul…
You mention Celtic in your article but dismiss their rivals Rangers as simply Glasgow FC?
That kind of sleight could get you killed in West Central Scotland
#24 by Stuby on 10.03.07 9:52 am |
After watching Marshall U. play last night I’ve changed my tune on white helmets. Those looked really good. To my eye, if you do a white helmet, you really need wide helmet stripes that go all the way back and a non-matte finish. A big logo also helps just to break up the whiteness.
The Good: Marshall, Miami Dolphins, NE Patriots (Patriot Pete SB XX design), NY Jets, Wisconsin
The Bad: Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Texas Longhorns, Louisville, Oklahoma State
#25 by Elena E on 10.03.07 9:54 am |
Not really surprised Ankiel didn’t get Comeback Player, since he only played 7 weeks. But it was an amazing comeback–if he keeps it up next year, I hope he will still be considered for the award. Dmitri did deserve it this year.
#26 by Pete on 10.03.07 9:59 am |
So I assume you’re not on-board with Penn State?
I would put the Colts on the good list, BTW, although I liked the larger horseshoe they sported during the Unitas years.
#27 by Pete on 10.03.07 10:00 am |
Re: UConn unis
I like the symmetry of the design in the piping. Not a bad job by Nike.
Now if only they’d get rid of the shoes that look like socks with flip-flop slides, they’d look great.
#28 by Chance on 10.03.07 10:04 am |
That is sad about Art’s, but he’s been trying to sell the place for years (on his website, no less!). He’s earned a break.
Place oughta be a national landmark. Keep it just the way Art intended!
#29 by AJ Connelly on 10.03.07 10:06 am |
I’ve been beaten to the punch, Glasgow Rangers, good spot though. Also it’s not the first time they’ve had to do that. For years Rangers were sponsored by McEwans Lager and always had to cover it up for French Champions League ties. I can’t find any pics but they used to do a better job of covering the logo up before. Also at least once they played with Center Parcs on their jerseys (a leisure resort owned by the brewery) was in the mid 90’s I think.
#30 by Mardi on 10.03.07 10:10 am |
Marc Andre Fleury’s mask for the 2007-2008 season
#31 by Stuby on 10.03.07 10:14 am |
Penn St. is a whole separate category. They’re like the White Album or Spinal Tap’s ‘Smell the Glove’. I do wish they didn’t use those Great Gazoo helmets, however. They increase the acreage of stark whiteness.
#32 by john on 10.03.07 10:20 am |
If you read it in a book, you’d never believe it…
#33 by Dwight on 10.03.07 10:30 am |
No no no no no Pete! That square that forms in the front is aweful. I agree about the shoes, and I like the idea of simplicity, but that square is bad.
#34 by Michael Doucette on 10.03.07 10:31 am |
Yessss, I was waiting, hoping my request for Celtic FC would be granted. Their kits simply are amazing. The kits they wore in the Champions League last year were interesting, and almost better in my eyes. They had an all white area as a back drop for the numbers that broke the green-white stripe combo. Interesting, but I liked it (especially the long sleeve version of one of my favorite soccer players in general, Shunsuke Nakamura, modeled here in this great video from last March against Manchester United
#35 by tape on 10.03.07 10:31 am |
Those new UConn unis are a joke.
#36 by Michael Doucette on 10.03.07 10:32 am |
whoops…here’s the link…
http://www.youtube.c...
#37 by SWC Susan (aka Tex) on 10.03.07 10:32 am |
Fortunately, it looks like Turco got the word and abandoned the gold… we will see tonight!
#38 by Brian from Short Island on 10.03.07 10:34 am |
I’m still disappointed that Celtic uses shirt numbering at all, considering they traditionally only used numbers on their shorts.
#39 by Justin on 10.03.07 10:34 am |
Speaking of green in a uniform… these are my favorite from the A’s jerseys, from 1972
#40 by LT on 10.03.07 10:39 am |
My obvious Blackhawks joke, it’s the first time they have strung together three Ws since 1992.
#41 by ThresherK on 10.03.07 10:58 am |
The new UConn men’s basketball unis? I can’t get past that one thin stripe running under UCONN and above the number.
As a lifelong Nutmegger, more a fan of the women’s team, I’d take their kit over the men’s; these swoops are preferred to those apron strings. And the wordmark and numbers are in the right place.
#42 by Marty Met on 10.03.07 11:01 am |
http://www.milwaukee...
The Milwaukee Admirals unveiled their new RBK edge sweaters. Notice the “old school” Brewers logo
#43 by Pat on 10.03.07 11:01 am |
It’s Pat Patriot. Not Patriot Pete. Just FYI.
I love the Chargers new white helmet as well.
#44 by C.N. on 10.03.07 11:05 am |
I would have expected the Reds’ Josh Hamilton to win it, and I still think he probably would have if he hadn’t been injured for some significant late-season stretches. And, of course, if he didn’t play for Cincinnati. Put him in D.C. or New York and I think he wins it, easily. Just my opinion…
#45 by Chris on 10.03.07 11:09 am |
I like the new Wizards gear a lot.
#46 by Stuby on 10.03.07 11:11 am |
Never been to Milwaukee, and I had only heard of Art’s Concertina Bar on this site. It would seem though that the new proprietor should follow the lead of another Milwaukee establishment when this guy took over for this guy. Leave the name the same.
#47 by Stuby on 10.03.07 11:12 am |
Sorry, I got him mixed up with Purdue Pete.
#48 by Stuby on 10.03.07 11:18 am |
Josh Hamilton made his Major League debut this year. I don’t think a rookie can win Comeback Player of the Year.
#49 by Erich on 10.03.07 11:21 am |
Count me as a fan of the Fleur d Bee… Dunno why, I just think it’s a nice logo. I’ve been a fan of the Hornets however since day one…
#50 by Paul Lukas on 10.03.07 11:30 am |
I’ve already changed the styling of that sentence once. Now I’ll change it again. Why can’t soccer teams just be “the [city name] [plural noun]” like everyone else?
#51 by Neil on 10.03.07 11:41 am |
Dwayne Roloson’s new Oilers mask:
http://i13.photobuck...
You can actually buy one from the site that first photo was linked from, Hockey Gallery Jerseys:
http://www.hockeygal...
#52 by Matthew S. on 10.03.07 11:41 am |
Because multiple teams play in each city and many of their club names are derived from aspects of their origin: for example, Arsenal and West Ham United are both London clubs. Arsenal got it’s name because it started as a group of workers from the Royal Woolwich Arsenal playing pickup games in their off hours. West Ham got their nickname ‘The Hammers’ because the team originated from groups of workers at the shipyards along the Thames.
That’s why you won’t see teams like the London_____ or the York_____.
#53 by Matthew S. on 10.03.07 11:50 am |
Paul, a map to illustrate my point of multiple teams in each city: http://www.footiemap...
#54 by Jason G. on 10.03.07 11:52 am |
This still doesn’t make sense because we have multi-team cities in the U.S. as well (i.e. Giants and Jets, Yankees and Mets, Cubs and White Sox). We also have nicknames that are derived from aspects of there origin (i.e. Green Bay Packers). Yet the city name/plural noun still works here in the states.
#55 by Adam on 10.03.07 11:53 am |
That’s not really a good reason, though. Multiple teams play the same sport in some American cities and still use the city name. And the second part might be true, but it still doesn’t explain WHY they don’t use the city name. The London Arsenals or the London Hammers would represent their origins just as well.
Now, I’m not saying either way is better, or that anybody should change, so don’t shoot me, I’m just saying that the explanation given doesn’t work for me. It’s probably just a case of things evolving differently in different countries, like how soccer normally has promotion between leagues and American sports don’t.
#56 by Perry on 10.03.07 11:53 am |
I think the Champions League must require a solid background for the numbers. I noticed in the last Barcelona CL game their shirts had solid blue backs, rather than their usual red/blue stripes.
#57 by Matthew S. on 10.03.07 11:54 am |
That’s true, but look, London itself has 23 soccer teams of various levels…..having the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, is one thing, but 23 teams called the London______ would be a ridiculous.
#58 by Roger Faso on 10.03.07 11:54 am |
Welcome to our confusion.
The old owner loved San Francisco, very much. He got a better deal to move to Oakland, but didn’t want to commit to renaming it after one city. Afterall, he didn’t want to alienate a whole market. So, he named it Golden State. Little known fact … they legitimized the naming by playing 6 “home” games in San Diego during their first year as the Golden State Warriors.
Currently, they keep the name because it’s important to the brand’s identity. I’m alright with it, because it’s the one team that the whole bay can be a fan of.
#59 by Andrew on 10.03.07 12:00 pm |
Spot on. Europeans make fun of American sports team names, and Americans make fun of European sports team names. To each their own, right?
But, just to stir the pot, Rangers FC makes at least as much sense as Utah Jazz. Also, I would hate, *hate* to see my beloved team called the Dumfries Queen of the South, or Queens of the South, or Queen of the Souths, or what have you. Also, the Dumfries Doon-Hamers sounds silly.
#60 by Michael Doucette on 10.03.07 12:01 pm |
You guys beat me to it. Too many teams for the city name, plural noun method.
#61 by Mets Fan in Chicago on 10.03.07 12:04 pm |
AACK! Love the logo - hate the sweaters
#62 by Adam on 10.03.07 12:06 pm |
They could always be named after sections of the city or something. I could be wrong, but it just seems hard for me to believe that an entire naming system came about just because there were too many teams in London.
#63 by Mets Fan in Chicago on 10.03.07 12:07 pm |
…and by that I mean the Admirals logo. The Brew Crew logo is a nice touch, too
#64 by Matthew S. on 10.03.07 12:11 pm |
I wasn’t saying that was the reason. Many teams are in fact named after sections of cities: West Ham United plays in, you guessed it, the West Ham section of London. Everton originated in the Everton section of Liverpool.
#65 by Jason G. on 10.03.07 12:12 pm |
Why would they put a baseball logo on a hockey jersey?
#66 by Dan King on 10.03.07 12:13 pm |
also, most of the moscow teams have the city name in them. instead of being London ________ most teams are named after the area of the city they’re in, like Fulham, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, etc. Or as before mentioned they were named after a place where the first players worked or the athletic club where they started. personally, i like it.
ps. being a footie fan myself, i’ve heard rangers fc being called glasgow rangers fc, and glasgow celtic, mostly for international tournaments.
#67 by Philly Bill on 10.03.07 12:13 pm |
The Brewers are the official sponsor of the Admirals, as has been mentioned here. It’s a striking contrast between the logos, both in terms of color and quality in my opinion. Yecch.
Ah, that is rich. Post of the day!
BTW, I’m on board with Dmitri as NL CPOY. I mean, he was their best hitter all season and their only All-Star representative. And for the statistically inclined, his presence decreased D.C.-area exclamations of “what the hell is wrong with Nick Johnson?” by a whopping 72%.
#68 by Perry on 10.03.07 12:14 pm |
Click on London the “footie map” that was posted and you get *23* professional clubs. Should they ALL be the London Whatevers? London has 5 clubs just in the Premier League (Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham), 6 last year before Charlton were relegated.
Most teams do have informal nicknames (Arsenal = Gunners, Chelsea = Blues, Fulham = Cottagers, Tottenham = Spurs, Liverpool = Reds, Newcastle United = Magpies, etc.), but they’re just that, informal, pretty much like baseball in the US 100 years ago.
#69 by Adam on 10.03.07 12:16 pm |
The Brewers sponser them.
#70 by Joey Guns on 10.03.07 12:16 pm |
Somebody needs to tell this guy that he needs to update that NFL logo tattoo slightly next year….
http://i.cnn.net/si/...
#71 by Michael Doucette on 10.03.07 12:17 pm |
That really isn’t the reason. Alot of these clubs started out as just that, a club. And alot of the time they took the name of the organization from which the members of these clubs worked for/lived in/played around etc. So thats why its ________ F.C. (football club)…
And alot of them are clubs in how we think of clubs. Most of them have youth teams, and even some of them field teams in other sports. So its just two clubs playing each other in a club league.
#72 by Stevo on 10.03.07 12:17 pm |
A few observations from that bastion of uni-fodder, last night’s high school volleyball match in my hometown:
Only in volleyball can you have a matchup of 2 teams wearing the exact same color. (note, the player in white is her team’s libero)
I forgot to take a close-up shot, but the visiting team (far side in above pic) was rocking some old school v-neck collars, like what you saw girls basketball players wearing back in the 50’s.
Non-uni related, but logo-related: for years my hometown school has used a mean-looking bluejay, complete with cleats, as the primary logo. This version of the bird is used on the end line padding and scorer’s table. A few years ago they repainted the gym floor, placing the bird at midcourt, without cleats. I guess even a painted-on bluejay needs to have indoor shoes.
#73 by Duckstyle on 10.03.07 12:19 pm |
It should be hard to believe because it’s not true, nor is it what the man was trying to say. They’re just simply pointing out that it would be crazy to have 24 different teams named the London ____’s. That was one example of why it might not work, not the whole reason behind it. The main reason its that way is that most teams started as simple footbal clubs, not professional teams, but they slowly evolved into professional teams and the names stayed the same out of respect for tradition. They started out the Rangers Fottbal Club, and the remain the Rangers football club. It’s different than what we’re used to, but it works jus the same. And I doubt anyone here can seriously say that the Rangers Football Club sounds sillier than the Los Angles Angels of Anahiem….
#74 by Casey on 10.03.07 12:20 pm |
Stupid sexy Flanders!
#75 by Michael Doucette on 10.03.07 12:25 pm |
I’m really liking that Blue Jay logo, very old school look to it. I like the cleats better, but both will do.
#76 by scott on 10.03.07 12:26 pm |
This guy should probably stick to what he knows (ballparks) after calling the new Rays uniforms an improvement over the current design:
http://www.ballparkd...
What’s he smoking?
#77 by Andy from KC on 10.03.07 12:27 pm |
The winner of the futuristic Royals jersey is Ryan Etgen. Big congrats to him, and thanks to all who entered.
I have never been so happy to not win a piece of Royals shit memorabilia in my life.
#78 by Andy from KC on 10.03.07 12:28 pm |
OK, the word “shit” was supposed to have been stricken through. Guess the “strikethru” tag really doesn’t work.
#79 by John in Athens on 10.03.07 12:31 pm |
And speaking of the greatest football team on the planet…
The Glasgow Rangers blacked out their sponsor’s name on the front of their jerseys for their Champions League game against Lyon in which they won 3-0.
As you scroll down, you can see the Carling logo on the replica strips worn by the massive support who travelled over to France to support the Gers.
Scroll a little further and you might get a different definition of massive support.
#80 by jere on 10.03.07 12:32 pm |
Michael Doucette: Did you ever live in Connecticut? I know someone with your name….
#81 by John in Athens on 10.03.07 12:32 pm |
Rangers photos link.
#82 by Alan #44 on 10.03.07 12:34 pm |
because soccer sucks and nobody in the US gives a shit about it!
#83 by dm00n on 10.03.07 12:34 pm |
We’ve had teams like the Brooklyn Dodgers named after a part of a large city. It would be possible with London.
What I don’t understand is that there really isn’t a naming convention (at least by looking at that map). Forest Green Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Kidderminster Harriers, Milton Keynes Dons, etc, seem to use the “American style (for the sake of this conversation)” name convention.
What is the purpose or meaning of calling a team United? There seem to be a lot of them, is this some kind of indication that there was once a merger of smaller clubs?
Honestly, I sort of like the mish-mash of name styles. It is becoming annoying to me how much the major US sports are getting homogenized into a strict product. Coaches must wear branded apparel, teams are no longer able to use their own suppliers for uniforms and equipment, they have templated websites (I am a Red Wings fan, but go Rangers!), etc. Uniqueness and local tradition adds a lot to the experience, especially when making the connection between a fanbase and a team.
#84 by Matt on 10.03.07 12:40 pm |
Well and taking that a step further - a lot of their higher ups either used to work for the Brewers or are currently on their board of directors…including my former boss with the Brewers (and the Admirals’ current president) Jon Greenberg. Some of the greatest people you’ll ever hope to meet in a professional sports front office.
#85 by Matthew S. on 10.03.07 12:40 pm |
Alan #44 thanks for your opinion, keep it to yourself it if isn’t constructive or adding to the conversation. I’m in the U.S. and I care about about soccer, so your theory falls by the wayside.
dm00n, teams that have ‘United’ in the name are usually teams that merged with another club somewhere in their history.
Milton Keynes Dons is actually an interesting team. They used to be Wimbledon, but the team went bankrupt and sold off most of their assets. The new owners wanted a break with the past so they renamed the team. Here’s the history on that: http://www.historica...
#86 by Chris in Cowtown on 10.03.07 12:41 pm |
I was watching ESPN Classic CANADA last night and they were showing an old CFL match from 1989 between the Ottawa Roughriders or is it Rough Riders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Damon Allen (Marcus Allen’s brother who is still playing in the CFL for Toronto) was the QB for Ottawa… but interestingly for me was that fact that everyone on Ottawa had their first initial and last name on the backs of their uniforms… has anyone seen this done where the whole team gets a first initial?
#87 by dm00n on 10.03.07 12:42 pm |
Somewhere I have my grandfather’s Rangers Supporters Club card, I should scan it. I think it is from the 40s or 50s, although he came to the US in 1923, so it could be earlier.
#88 by Joey Guns on 10.03.07 12:44 pm |
The LPGA unveiled a new logo today:
http://www.lpga.com/...
#89 by Ian K on 10.03.07 12:52 pm |
Is that a Dallas Cowboys star logo above the NFL s