Uni Watch » Uni Watch Book Club: The Football Book

New ESPN column today — here’s the link.

Meanwhile: For months now people have been telling me to pick up a copy of The Football Book, part of a series of coffee table books produced by Sports Illustrated. Last week I finally got around to getting a copy, and sure enough, it’s loaded with great uni-related photos. The only problem is that the book is too big to fit in my scanner, so I had to take photos of the pages. Here’s a sampling:

• As you’d expect, there are lots of great helmet photos. Among the highlights: two Lucite facemasks visible in the same frame; a seriously battered helmet; and a good historical survey of gridiron headwear.

• The book features two spectacular footwear close-ups, beginning with one of the most famous shoes in NFL history: Tom Dempsey’s special kicking shoe, which he used to boot his record-setting 63-yard field goal in 1970. Less celebrated but still fascinating is Doak Walker’s kicking shoe, which included a zipper as well as laces, because he played both ways and had to be able to switch footwear quickly. I love that heavily taped zipper tab.

• Before there were electric heaters on the sideline, some players kept warm by wearing burlap sacks, or by indulging their pyromaniacal tendencies.

• Note the handwritten rear-helmet uni numbers worn by the Browns players.

• Speaking of the Browns, check out the team-colored goalpost, shown here in the aftermath of the 1964 championship game.

• Two photos of officials caught my eye. Note how the two zebras in this shot have slightly different stripe widths and sleeve cuff patterns. Meanwhile, anyone know who this memorial armband was honoring?

• Good view here of how Jim Burt had his jersey custom-tied for maximum tightness.

• Before there were Super Bowl rings, there were other championship trinkets.

• And before footballs themselves were manufactured to standard specs, officials kept a special ball caliper on hand to make sure game balls were the proper size and shape.

• Gorgeous gallery of WWII-era game programs here.

• What’s up with the grommets — or are they snaps? — on the pants?

• Why would a player wear his uni number on his spat job?

• And finally, this isn’t uni-related, but it brings up something I’ve always wondered about: When I was a kid, every team huddled up in a circle — except for the Chiefs, who set up like this, with the quarterback facing the rest of the offense. I remember being fascinated by this protocol when I was little, and then they stopped doing it and I forgot all about it until I saw this photo in the book. Anyone know more about this? Was it a Len Dawson thing or a Hank Stram thing? If the latter, did the Saints use the same huddle format when Stram coached them?

And so on — plenty more where all of that came from. Highly recommended.

Tomlinson Update: Sure enough, as several people noted in yesterday’s comments, Ladainian Tomlinson’s flag decal was missing yet again on Sunday. Dude’s been in violation of a league uniform guideline for nearly half a season now! Is it really possible that nobody else has noticed? Or is he making some kind of statement? Seems unlikely, given his antics during the Chargers’ home opener, but LT is clearly a complex character, so who knows what’s running through his head.

I talked about this with Giants equipment director Joe Skiba when I was out at Giants Stadium two Fridays ago. He gave me a flag decal and suggested that I FedEx it to Tomlinson along with a short, well-worded note (maybe just “Are we missing something?”). It’s a tempting thought — but what if he slapped the decal on his helmet? Then the game would be over. I’ve come to enjoy the weekly “Will he or won’t he?” anticipation surrounding LT’s flag. Why ruin it?

Then again, I love the FedEx idea — I’m torn. And so I turn, my brothers and sisters, to you: Should I sit on my hands and let the weekly game play out, or should I send the flag decal to LT? And if the latter, what sort of note should I include? Cast your vote by sending an e-mail to unipoll at earthlink dot net (not the usual Uni Watch address) and I’ll take the readership’s wishes under advisement.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Not sure how I missed this, since I was watching the Giants/Dolphins game, but Brandon Jacobs’s jersey patch apparently fell off at some point in the second half (with thanks to Eric Stangel, who says he first saw this mentioned on GameUsedForum.com). … Remember back in the late ’80s, when several NBA teams used socks with the team name knit into the hose? Rob Montoya notes that several Albuquerque high school football teams are using that sock style, including Eldorado High and Cibola High. In addition, Highland High’s socks have stripes, vertical lettering, and a team logo. Albuquerque: the unlikely athletic sock capital of America! … Speaking of sock adornment, check out this photo (forwarded by Russ Yurk), which was taken during Cardinals training camp in 1981. What’s with the number-stenciled socks? Anyone ever seen that before? … “South Africa, the recent Rugby World Cup champions, unveiled their 2008 strips this past weekend,” writes Dominic Litten. “It’s quite different from the jerseys they wore in the World Cup. Another interesting quirk about South African rugby is the awesome suit jacket worn by the head coaches (who, by the way, aren’t on the sidelines during games).” … “Dress to the Nines” curator Tom Shieber checks in with the following observation: “Is this a first? The Rockies wore different uniforms in each game of their four-game World Series loss to the Red Sox. Game One: black vest with gray pinstripe pants. Game Two: gray pinstripe jersey and pants. Game Three: black vest (same as Game One) with white pinstripe pants. Game Four: white pinstripe jersey and pants. Maybe they figured they’d keep switching uniforms until they won. Didn’t seem to work.” … Nice find by Jeff Barak: a web page that lists every NHL player to have worn a given uni number. … Neil Berger was looking through some old photos and found some shots of a Bucks uni-history gallery that he took a few years back at the Bradley Center. Additional pics here, here, and here. … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Before an NFL game, the game footballs are inspected by the referee, who puts a mark or stamp on them to ensure that there’s no switcheroo. You can see those marks on the tip of the balls used in Sunday’s Niners/Saints game. … The Hershey Bears wore pink breast cancer awareness jerseys during pregame warm-ups on Sunday. … The concept of naming rights has gotten seriously out of hand. … While researching something else I came across a photo of Lance Rentzel wearing a really crude-looking facemask, similar to the cheapo-looking one that Gale Sayers used to wear. … Michael Rich was at the Georgia Tech/Clemson game a few weeks ago and spotted a fan wearing a custom Tech jersey. … Interesting interlocking “X” and “V” being used by the Charlotte Checkers for their anniversary patch (with thanks to Kyle Ostendorf). … Any article that includes the quotes “People would make fun of us and stuff” and “Like if we travel around, people are going to give us a lot of crap” has got to be worth your while — and it is (nice find by Todd Davis). … More lower-leg shenanigans for the Packers secondary last night, as seen here, here, and here.

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#1 by dgc on 10.30.07 8:32 am |

There was a Washington Post article on auctioning naming rights to new species a while ago as well. Look here

#2 by Stuby on 10.30.07 8:33 am |

I wonder how many different uniforms the D-Backs wore in the ‘01 World Series. That one went 7 games, so they probably had to repeat.

#3 by LI Phil on 10.30.07 8:45 am |

will there be fines for harris & woodson from the fashion police?

#4 by Steve B on 10.30.07 8:46 am |

Death Hawks! They have to pick that name. I love the way a 10 year olds mind works.

#5 by Kevin G. on 10.30.07 8:46 am |

I believe the Astros wore a different jersey in each of the 4 games of the ‘05 World Series. I think they wore the regular home whites and road grays each for one game. Then I also think they wore the red “Houston” jersey once on the road, and the red “Astros” jersey once at home.

#6 by jeffonpark on 10.30.07 8:47 am |

Re: The ref wearing the “11″ memorial patch
Isn’t that just his number?

#7 by Mark on 10.30.07 8:47 am |

Didn’t the DBacks where 4 different jerseys during the NLCS …i believe they went White-Black- Red-Gray

#8 by Jason Axel on 10.30.07 8:49 am |

That Charlotte Checkers annv. logo reminds me of this…LV Outlaws Logo

#9 by Jason G. on 10.30.07 8:54 am |

In the WWII era poster gallery, the upper left poster shows Steelers-Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. I’m assuming the Packers played both of those teams that day. Was this common back then or would this have been a double header to make up a postponed game?

#10 by Jason Axel on 10.30.07 8:55 am |

The Grand Rapids Griffins did a game the other night for raising money for breast cancer awareness…they originally wanted to get pink ice but it fell through but they did get pink laces and tape

Pink Skate Laces

Pink Laces and Tape
During the game

#11 by LI Phil on 10.30.07 8:56 am |

In the WWII era poster gallery, the upper left poster shows Steelers-Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. I’m assuming the Packers played both of those teams that day. Was this common back then or would this have been a double header to make up a postponed game?

they combined teams during the war

http://en.wikipedia....

#12 by Paul Lukas on 10.30.07 8:57 am |

In the WWII era poster gallery, the upper left poster shows Steelers-Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. I’m assuming the Packers played both of those teams that day. Was this common back then or would this have been a double header to make up a postponed game?

Doubleheaders were not uncommon in those days — the book spends a few pages discussing this.

#13 by Kevin G. on 10.30.07 8:57 am |

I think that Steelers-Eagles vs. Packers game was when the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia comined their teams for a couple of years. Weren’t the know as the “Steagles”?

#14 by Team C. on 10.30.07 8:58 am |

they combined teams during the war

http://en.wikipedia&....

Steagles!

#15 by Hed-Bone11 on 10.30.07 9:07 am |

Not sure how I missed this, since I was watching the Giants/Dolphins game, but Brandon Jacobs’s jersey patch apparently fell off at some point in the second half

I was watching the game too and wondered if maybe he changed jerseys at halftime. It just seemed like his jersey was awfully white for having played a half of football in the rain and mud.

#16 by Ian on 10.30.07 9:08 am |

Naming butterflies? This gave me an idea. Pharmaceutical companies should sell naming rights to their new medications. A new ED solution? Lets pay a million to call it UP!

#17 by Garrett on 10.30.07 9:11 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

#18 by hott rodd on 10.30.07 9:12 am |

In the WWII era poster gallery, the upper left poster shows Steelers-Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. I’m assuming the Packers played both of those teams that day. Was this common back then or would this have been a double header to make up a postponed game?

Doubleheaders were not uncommon in those days — the book spends a few pages discussing this.

Sounds like the Steagles…

#19 by dm00n on 10.30.07 9:14 am |

Well, the Golden Palace butterfly can’t be that far off. Or maybe they don’t need to buy every stupid thing that comes along because at this point they already spring to mind when there is something ridiculous available (or when people streak NFL games).

#20 by Justin on 10.30.07 9:15 am |

In reference to the armband…

Unless I am missing something the armbands that both players are wearing are bands that were popular in the 80s. They feature a triangle patch with an NFL helmet on it. Not a great pic, but Elway has one on here

#21 by Justin on 10.30.07 9:17 am |

In reference to the armband…

Unless I am missing something the armbands that both players are wearing are bands that were popular in the 80s. They feature a triangle patch with an NFL helmet on it. Not a great pic, but Elway has one on here

oh on the ref… nevermind, I don’t know that one

#22 by Mike V. on 10.30.07 9:17 am |

In reference to the armband…

Unless I am missing something the armbands that both players are wearing are bands that were popular in the 80s. They feature a triangle patch with an NFL helmet on it. Not a great pic, but Elway has one on here

The Ref is wearing the armband.

#23 by dm00n on 10.30.07 9:18 am |

I didn’t realize they had so many combos:

ON THE DUCK WALK … The Ducks have worn a different uniform combination in every game this season. Oregon’s kit collection features jerseys and pants in black, green, white and yellow, and helmets in green, white and yellow. Every component has been worn at least once in 2007 with the exception of the yellow helmet.

link

#24 by josh's twin on 10.30.07 9:21 am |

Not only is Rentzel wearing a lame facemask, it’s on a blue helmet. Is that helmet the same color as the pants the Cowboys still wear with white jerseys? How long did they wear blue helmets, and when did they switch to silver?

#25 by xyz on 10.30.07 9:22 am |

Paul,
Rentzel’s facemask was made by Marietta a company based in Texas, it is also the helmet company that became MaxPro in the early 70’s. Sayers mask was made by Wilson who were based in Chicago and made most of the helmets for the Bears. Supposedly Halas had business affiliations with Wilson.

#26 by dm00n on 10.30.07 9:22 am |

This article is an Eastern Conference overview, the author also gives his take on each team’s new uni.

Uniform Improvement or Fashion Disaster? Does it matter? The Sabres sold a gazillion jerseys last season with a logo that looked like a demonically possessed cashew nut.

That part made me laugh.

#27 by Ben on 10.30.07 9:24 am |

I think the Bengals used to huddle like that, too, back in the Boomer days.

#28 by Original Jim on 10.30.07 9:28 am |

The number on the referee just looks like his own number, not a memorial band.

Currently, I see a lot of Pop Warner and other youth football teams huddle the same way as the Chiefs in that picture…the QB looks at the 10 other players lined up in front of him. Makes it very easy to count to make sure there are 11 players.

#29 by Stephen on 10.30.07 9:28 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

Same with my HS team. I always thought it was strange that we huddled that way, because Pro teams used the circle. But it did make it easier for the QB to see who was in the game.

And, regarding the Georgia Tech jersey, I love it!

~E~

#30 by Jill on 10.30.07 9:31 am |

Not sure how I missed this, since I was watching the Giants/Dolphins game, but Brandon Jacobs’s jersey patch apparently fell off at some point in the second half

I was watching the game too and wondered if maybe he changed jerseys at halftime. It just seemed like his jersey was awfully white for having played a half of football in the rain and mud.

I’m pretty sure he changed his jersey at halftime. I remember in the first half thinking his jersey was nasty and wondering if he would change at halftime. There was no part of the jersey that was white. All shades of brown and gray.

#31 by dm00n on 10.30.07 9:32 am |

I think the Utah Grizzlies took the pink thing a little far for their home opener.

#32 by Kevin on 10.30.07 9:36 am |

The Columbus Cottonmouths went with pink jersey’s for opening weekend as seen here. Also no pics yet but they are going back to the Snake numbers but the next home game isn’t for another two weeks.

#33 by CV on 10.30.07 9:41 am |

Maybe if the Rockies had worn their best uni (the purple alt) they may have won a game.

I believe Arizona did also wear 4 different unis in the NLCS.

#34 by Mike on 10.30.07 9:45 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

We did the same. It is easier for the QB to make sure there is eleven on the field

#35 by Joe J. on 10.30.07 9:48 am |

“You can see those marks on the tip of the balls used in Sunday’s Niners/Saints game.”

Not uni related, but has Alex Smith always thrown like that?

#36 by Greg on 10.30.07 9:48 am |

The Chiefs huddle is called a “choir huddle”. It is used by many, many college, high school and younger teams. I’ve never really noticed that the pros didn’t use it much. It’s valuable in making sure you have everyone you need in the huddle.

In my junior high coaching days we called it a ’shoe store’ huddle because we wanted everyone in a very straight line (shoes side-by-side like a shoe store). Otherwise, with JH’ers, you could easily head to the line missing a TE, guard and running back!

#37 by todd krevanchi on 10.30.07 9:49 am |

• Why would a player wear his uni number on his spat job?

oh, thats just eric metcalf in his never ending effort during his career to TRY to be deion sanders. at best he was a junior high version, he never even made jv deion…

Remember back in the late ’80s, when several NBA teams used socks with the team name knit into the hose?

a pair of pe big nikes!!! and 3/4 big nikes to boot!!! thats a grail right there! big nike was the jv version of the aj i, but all the same a great shoe…

More lower-leg shenanigans for the Packers secondary last night,

say what you want about charles woodson and his sock stylings this season when he went all green, and last night when he went all white. i think both versions looked really sharp, especially last night, when it harkened back to this…
http://bentley.umich...

#38 by tedkerwin on 10.30.07 9:52 am |

According to Wikipedia, Fred Wyant wore number 11 as a QB and NFL Official.

Comparing the picture on Wiki from his college days to this one I think that is him in the photo.

#39 by dgc on 10.30.07 9:56 am |

Well, the Golden Palace butterfly can’t be that far off. Or maybe they don’t need to buy every stupid thing that comes along because at this point they already spring to mind when there is something ridiculous available (or when people streak NFL games).

They already bought a monkey.

#40 by Ryan B. on 10.30.07 9:57 am |

In the WWII era poster gallery, the upper left poster shows Steelers-Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers. I’m assuming the Packers played both of those teams that day. Was this common back then or would this have been a double header to make up a postponed game?

Doubleheaders were not uncommon in those days — the book spends a few pages discussing this.

Sounds like the Steagles…

If you have any questions about the “Steagles,” this might help.

#41 by Bluesfan on 10.30.07 9:59 am |

Watched the Sharks-Stars game last night on VS. When they unveiled the Stars new unis earlier this year, I thought they second only to Vancouver for ugliness and stupidity.

I must admit, I did not appreciate how ugly those uniforms were until I actually saw them on TV.

Whoever designed (and approved) those green puke sweaters should be sentenced to wearing an Orange Bengals jersey (or worse yet, the Orange Dolphins jersey) for the rest of their lives with a hug Nike Swoosh tatooed to their forehead.

Morons

#42 by Hank on 10.30.07 10:00 am |

“Battered helmet” pic:
Two questions:

(1) How the heck did the Chief’s player get his humungous melon into that tiny helmet?
(2) How did he take it off?

Just looking at that gave me a headache.

#43 by Justin on 10.30.07 10:00 am |

Great looking Rams patch… a little too big

#44 by DWiz9 on 10.30.07 10:00 am |

I think there were different uniform combinations for every game of the 1979 WS with the Pirates and Orioles. I’m not positive but through the 7 games no combination was repeated.

#45 by Justin on 10.30.07 10:01 am |

Why would a player wear his uni number on his spat job?

Vance Johnson of the Broncos used to right “Good” on the back of his left foot and “Bye” on the back of his right foot. He was a spatter.

#46 by interlockingtc on 10.30.07 10:03 am |

The photos from that book make me miss the NFL of old (ie., pre-mass marketing, overdone designs, computerization, field turf).

#47 by Michael Doucette on 10.30.07 10:06 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

Exactly what I was gonna say. We played the Wing-T offense, so the front line went tight end-wing back-fullback-wing back-wide out.

#48 by Brad on 10.30.07 10:07 am |

The Padres wore four different uniform combinations as they were swept in four straight by the Yankees in the 1998 World Series. Game 1-gray jersey/gray pants. Game 2-blue jersey/gray pants. Game 3-blue jersey/white pants. Game 4-while jersey/white pants.

#49 by Jake on 10.30.07 10:07 am |

The Utah Grizzlies all pink night was actually their second game, not the home opener.

#50 by BCrisp on 10.30.07 10:07 am |

Cast your vote by sending an e-mail to unipoll at earthlink dot net (not the usual Uni Watch address) and I’ll take the readership’s wishes under advisement.
Wouldn’t it be easier to include a poll function on the blog. You could have different polls everyday.
Most posts are about a wierd or historical uniform. You could put the Uni Watch test of “Is it good or is it stupid?” up to the masses.
This site may help.

#51 by BCrisp on 10.30.07 10:10 am |

SPAM Monster ate my post about adding polls to the blog. Could be a neat idea to include a daily poll. Would be better than emailing.

#52 by todd krevanchi on 10.30.07 10:11 am |

“Battered helmet” pic:
Two questions:

(1) How the heck did the Chief’s player get his humungous melon into that tiny helmet?
(2) How did he take it off?

Just looking at that gave me a headache.

HEED. PAPER. NOW.

#53 by Monte on 10.30.07 10:11 am |

Why wouldn’t a player put his number on a spat job? That looks terrific.

#54 by Book Club Articles » Blog Archive » Uni Watch Book Club: The Football Book on 10.30.07 10:12 am |

[…] Original post by Paul Lukas […]

#55 by Alan on 10.30.07 10:14 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

We did the same thing in HS. The QB would call the play once and the Center and Split End would break out of the huddle. The center would go over the ball and the split end would line up in his spot and let the linesman know if he was lining up on the line of scrimmage or off and ask to make sure he was far enough back or not too far forward. Then the QB would repeat the play and the rest of the team would break the huddle.

#56 by Jim on 10.30.07 10:15 am |

Watched the Sharks-Stars game last night on VS. When they unveiled the Stars new unis earlier this year, I thought they second only to Vancouver for ugliness and stupidity.

I must admit, I did not appreciate how ugly those uniforms were until I actually saw them on TV.

Whoever designed (and approved) those green puke sweaters should be sentenced to wearing an Orange Bengals jersey (or worse yet, the Orange Dolphins jersey) for the rest of their lives with a hug Nike Swoosh tatooed to their forehead.

Morons

I hated the Dallas jerseys too when they came out, but they are growing on me. Even though I still think having ‘DALLAS’ on you HOME jersey is stupid. I think people IN Dallas WATCHING the Dallas Stars know where they are. Well, look at that, I’m back to hating the jerseys again……..

#57 by Rick on 10.30.07 10:17 am |

The Utah Grizzlies all pink night was actually their second game, not the home opener.

At the risk of being Politically Incorrect, I think the ‘pink’ thing (obviously a good cause) has reached overkill mode. It’s like a good commercial (I know, that’s generally an oxymoron) that is played too much. After a while it becomes annoying.

#58 by possum on 10.30.07 10:18 am |

That Charlotte Checkers annv. logo reminds me of this…LV Outlaws Logo

The Checkers logo is a precursor to our new logo which will be unveiled the second week of January. The 15th Anniversary logo will “morph” into the new one, so to speak. I posted this like 2 months ago.

#59 by Matt D on 10.30.07 10:20 am |

RE: the Chief’s old open huddle…
The Giants use it now as well, or at least something that looks a lot like it.
DWiz9, curse you for mentioning the most retina-blasting World Series of all time! Sadly, it’s also the first WS I remember.

#60 by possum on 10.30.07 10:21 am |

The Utah Grizzlies all pink night was actually their second game, not the home opener.

At the risk of being Politically Incorrect, I think the ‘pink’ thing (obviously a good cause) has reached overkill mode. It’s like a good commercial (I know, that’s generally an oxymoron) that is played too much. After a while it becomes annoying.

I don’t think it will be conceived as politically incorrect, I think it will be called “heartless.” But I couldn’t agree with you more.

#61 by Jason A. on 10.30.07 10:31 am |

Great website stating uni numbers for hockey players, but not completely accurate.
Just by chance I checked out #11 (NY Rangers Fan) I immediately noticed Adam Graves was left off the list. He wore # 11 i believe for 1 or 2 games before Messier came to town. Then i checked out Graves as #9 and this is what it showed.
Adam Graves New York Rangers 1998-01
San Jose Sharks 2001-03

I do believe Graves wore #9 before ‘98 for the Rangers.

#62 by Paul Lukas on 10.30.07 10:31 am |

Cast your vote by sending an e-mail to unipoll at earthlink dot net (not the usual Uni Watch address) and I’ll take the readership’s wishes under advisement.
Wouldn’t it be easier to include a poll function on the blog. You could have different polls everyday.
Most posts are about a wierd or historical uniform. You could put the Uni Watch test of “Is it good or is it stupid?” up to the masses.
This site may help.

Good suggestion. I didn’t know how to make or embed polls — thanks for the tip. I just fiddled around with it and tried to add a poll to today’s post but couldn’t get it exactly the way I wanted it. Don’t wanna do it on the fly like this, but I’ll definitely do it in the future. Thanks!

#63 by Robert on 10.30.07 10:35 am |

I think there were different uniform combinations for every game of the 1979 WS with the Pirates and Orioles. I’m not positive but through the 7 games no combination was repeated.

I would love to see the photos from each game of that series. If anyone is interested in screen grabs, this would be a good source:

http://www.gameusedu...

#64 by Anthony Verna on 10.30.07 10:45 am |

I didn’t realize they had so many combos:

ON THE DUCK WALK … The Ducks have worn a different uniform combination in every game this season. Oregon’s kit collection features jerseys and pants in black, green, white and yellow, and helmets in green, white and yellow. Every component has been worn at least once in 2007 with the exception of the yellow helmet.

link

Yellow helmet, white jersey, green pants! Come on Oregon, you can do it!

#65 by KT on 10.30.07 10:47 am |

Speaking of Lance Rentzel, did you hear that back in the 60s, he was considering retiring?

Then he decided to stick it out for one more year.

#66 by Timothy B on 10.30.07 10:48 am |

Not so crazy about the lucite facemask “look”, but I love the old Rams’ helmets. The varying length of the horns and not so quite roundness of their shape gives away the fact these helmets were hand painted.

Ahhh…the charm of the old days of the NFL…

#67 by Perry on 10.30.07 10:50 am |

Re: The Browns and the team-colored goalpost in 1964. One thing that struck me in that crowd shot is: no team gear. A comparable shot today would show most of the fans wearing team jerseys, jackets, hats, or at least brown and orange clothing. That happened to be the first game I can recall watching. I was 9 years old, and I immediately took a magic marker to a white t-shirt and drew an “86″ on the front and back (for Gary Collins, the Brown in the photo, who caught 3 TD passes that day). That was what passed for “team gear” for fans back then!

On the Chiefs’ open huddle. I think George Plimpton has a photo of the Lions huddling that way in “Paper Lion,” and mentioning the disconcertion of seeing the feet pointed at him when he looked down.

#68 by Duckstyle on 10.30.07 10:54 am |

Better view of Charles Woodson’s sock shananigans. He’s got black shoes (the Pakcers wear white), tape spats, biker shorts, and what looks to me like 3 different white sock/legwarmers.
http://www.jsonline....

#69 by ScottyJ in WV on 10.30.07 10:54 am |

“Battered helmet” pic:
Two questions:

(1) How the heck did the Chief’s player get his humungous melon into that tiny helmet?
(2) How did he take it off?

Just looking at that gave me a headache.

It looks like he got his helmet from this kid. :0)

#70 by Dave Zalatoris on 10.30.07 10:55 am |

Lance Rentzel. A guy arrested for indecent exposure in Uni Watch. Ironic.

#71 by JoeS on 10.30.07 10:56 am |

Here’s a screen shot of a commercial that was showing during last nights game (I’ve also seen it previously). So what is it for? Under Armour, right? Wrong. It’s for a TV of course.
Has anyone else ever noticed product placement in another companies commercials before? I know that someone has to make all the products in a commercial, but you don’t normally see their logos. On top of that, there is NO WAY they didn’t notice that. It has to be intentional, but why?

You can see the full commercial here.

#72 by bj in gainesville on 10.30.07 11:01 am |

a couple more animal names to bid on:
a new Butterfly

a Shark

#73 by Graf Zeppelin on 10.30.07 11:08 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

We did the same thing in HS. The QB would call the play once and the Center and Split End would break out of the huddle. The center would go over the ball and the split end would line up in his spot and let the linesman know if he was lining up on the line of scrimmage or off and ask to make sure he was far enough back or not too far forward. Then the QB would repeat the play and the rest of the team would break the huddle.

Joining the chorus here; when I was a QB in HS, we did it this way as well.

#74 by Timothy B on 10.30.07 11:11 am |

Re: The Browns and the team-colored goalpost in 1964. One thing that struck me in that crowd shot is: no team gear. A comparable shot today would show most of the fans wearing team jerseys, jackets, hats, or at least brown and orange clothing. That happened to be the first game I can recall watching. I was 9 years old, and I immediately took a magic marker to a white t-shirt and drew an “86″ on the front and back (for Gary Collins, the Brown in the photo, who caught 3 TD passes that day). That was what passed for “team gear” for fans back then!

On the Chiefs’ open huddle. I think George Plimpton has a photo of the Lions huddling that way in “Paper Lion,” and mentioning the disconcertion of seeing the feet pointed at him when he looked down.

Good point about the team gear.

When I was younger, for me, a Giants sweatshirt and the little gumball machine helmet passed as “team gear”. I’m sure in 1974 there were team jerseys and hats available somewhere, but I was damned if I knew where it was.

And my parents were damned if they were gonna spend money on it!

#75 by Charlie on 10.30.07 11:14 am |

“Battered helmet” pic:
Two questions:

(1) How the heck did the Chief’s player get his humungous melon into that tiny helmet?
(2) How did he take it off?

Just looking at that gave me a headache.

HEED. PAPER. NOW.

Move that melon of yours and get the paper if you can. Haulin that gargantuan cranium about….That was a bit offsides huh? He’ll be crying himself to sleep tonight on his huge pilla.

YES!! Awesome movie

#76 by C.N. on 10.30.07 11:19 am |

RE: The Chiefs huddle. We huddled like that in high school. The linemen lined up in the front just as they would on the line of scrimmage. The backs and receivers would line up behind them according to their initial position before the snap. This would help the quarterback quickly check the personnel with the play called.

We did the same thing in HS. The QB would call the play once and the Center and Split End would break out of the huddle. The center would go over the ball and the split end would line up in his spot and let the linesman know if he was lining up on the line of scrimmage or off and ask to make sure he was far enough back or not too far forward. Then the QB would repeat the play and the rest of the team would break the huddle.

Joining the chorus here; when I was a QB in HS, we did it this way as well.

Same here. Also, it’s easier to run up to the line, get set, and run a play to catch the defense off-guard if everyone’s already facing the line of scrimmage in a setup like that.

#77 by MetsFan AZ on 10.30.07 11:20 am |

I haven’t posted in a looong time due to some work issues but i had to today. Then numbers on the sock thing reminds me of one of my mom’s favorite story’s about me from kindergarten. I had 3 pairs of those in different colors an 88, a 77, and a 22. One day I came home from school with my pants rolled up and my mom asked “Ummm, did you play baseball today?” My reply - “Nope, I wanted everyone to see my number!”

#78 by Rich on 10.30.07 11:20 am |

I believe the Astros wore a different jersey in each of the 4 games of the ‘05 World Series. I think they wore the regular home whites and road grays each for one game. Then I also think they wore the red “Houston” jersey once on the road, and the red “Astros” jersey once at home.

This is incorrect. The Astros wore pinstripes with black hats for both home World Series games. This was because they were midweek night games. The Astros did wear the red “Astros” jersey at home in the NLDS and NLCS in ‘04 and ‘05 because games in each series fell on a Sunday. And they wore the solid whites for the Saturday home games in the NLDS and NLCS both years, following their regular-season pattern for uniforms at home.

Also, I’ll try to look today to see about the Saints huddle formation. I have Six Days to Sunday on the ‘76 Saints on DVD at home.

#79 by Broker75 on 10.30.07 11:29 am |

What’s the story on Tom Dempsey’s special kicking shoe aside from it being a record-setting 63-yard field goal in 1970. Did he have half a foot? Please excuse my ignorance.

#80 by Sean on 10.30.07 11:30 am |

The Mets in the 2000 World Series also wore 4 different uniforms.

Game 1 they wore their road black jerseys with NEW YORK on front.

Game 2, The Mets wore their road Grays.

Game 3, The Mets wore their “Snow White” jerseys.

Game 4, they wore their black home alternates with “Mets” on front.

And for Game 5, The Mets went back and wore their “Snow White” jerseys from game 3. They had hope to recapture the magic in game 3, they didn’t.

Now had the Mets wore their traditional home pinstripes, like they did in years past, chances are they would have worn all five of their jerseys, and they might have at least not have had the Yankees clinch on their home ground (which hadn’t happened before).

#81 by Broker75 on 10.30.07 11:35 am |

What’s the story on Tom Dempsey’s special kicking shoe aside from it being a record-setting 63-yard field goal in 1970. Did he have half a foot? Please excuse my ignorance.

I guess I should’ve searched before asking..”Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot (which was his kicking foot). He wore a modified shoe with a flattened and enlarged toe area, giving somewhat the appearance of a hammer”.
..interesting..

#82 by scott on 10.30.07 11:35 am |

How many different uniforms did the Pirates wear in the 1979 Series? They sure had a lot of options.

#83 by Sean on 10.30.07 11:37 am |

What’s the story on Tom Dempsey’s special kicking shoe aside from it being a record-setting 63-yard field goal in 1970. Did he have half a foot? Please excuse my ignorance.

He was born without toes on his right foot, which is also his kicking foot. This is why he wore a special shoe.

#84 by Bluesfan on 10.30.07 11:37 am |

What’s the story on Tom Dempsey’s special kicking shoe aside from it being a record-setting 63-yard field goal in 1970. Did he have half a foot? Please excuse my ignorance.

Dempsey was born with a clubbed foot (I think that is the proper medical term). He also had one hand that was deformed. Again, I don’t know the proper medical term.

#85 by Chitown Joe on 10.30.07 11:39 am |

Anyone know what shoes Clyde Drexler is wearing in the socks picture?

http://espn.go.com/m...

They look cheaply modeled after the Jordan III’s.

#86 by Denis on 10.30.07 11:39 am |