Back when I invited people to apply for the Uni Watch intern’s position, one of the finalists was David Sonny. Although he didn’t make the final cut, he had already set up an interview with Bengals equipment manager Rob Recker, which I encouraged him to go ahead with. He readily agreed. Here’s how their chat went down:
David Sonny: How did you get to the position of Cincinnati Bengals equipment manager?
Rob Recker: Well, I actually started off as a trainer for OSU. While there I began to intern with the Browns, but I left for the assistant trainer job with the Bengals in 1991 and continued in that role until 2000.”
DS: And then you made the jump to equipment manager?
RR: Well up until then Tom Gray was the equipment manager and I was a guy who would help anyone out that I could. So basically in 1999 you could have called me the assistant equipment manager. After 1999, Tom Gray retired and Mike Brown offered me the promotion from assistant trainer to equipment manager.
DS: And so you took the job.
RR: Well yeah, when the boss tells you he’d like to move you from one area to another, promote you, and make you the head of a department, you don’t say no. Let me just say this, Mike Brown is a very intelligent man. He sees a lot… he sees everything. He really made it nice here.
DS: Nice? How do you mean?
RR: Well, I took over the first year we moved into Paul Brown Stadium, and at that time many people had very negative views of the franchise, which often happens when you lose. Mike Brown changed all that. There was a time when you would hear players complain about not getting a lot from the team, like clothes, shoes, gloves. Now we get players coming in from other organizations that come in and are wide-eyed in amazement about everything they get for free. I mean, players are actually shocked that they get all of this [referring to the seemingly endless amount of merchandise, from hoodies to gloves and anything else that can be ordered]. If I need anything for this department, I just have to ask Mike Brown, he has never once said no to anything.
DS: So what do you feel your goal is?
RR: For players to get everything they need to perform on the field. I need to do what needs to be done for us to win, whether that means getting a player the shoes he requests, gloves, pads, whatever makes that player feel comfortable on and off the field.
DS: What are your thoughts on the new NFL logo?
RR: It is what it is. I like the old NFL logo, it has a sort of classic look to it, but things change. I like the new one too; it is going to be a ton of work for me switching over, though. It’s on everything [begins pulling out business cards, jerseys, nameplates, helmets, stationery, etc.]. I have to make sure that all of the old logos are replaced by next year so that we’re in compliance.”
DS: What about other logos, such as Reebok?
RR: A big part of my job is making sure that product is on the field. Like I said, it is what it is, don’t underestimate just how much money that company makes, and puts into the game. It is my job to make sure that it looks its best.
DS: I’ve noticed that on the fieldwear and fanwear, the Reebok logo seems more toned down than in the past…
RR: Yeah, the logos seemed to get out of hand a while back. But the NFL is very strict and there are now more restrictions on logo size and placement.
DS: So what about the helmets? I have seen the decals for sale to make your own and such…
RR: We no longer use decals on our helmets. That was one of the first things I changed when I was promoted in 2000. It got to a point where we were just wasting time; I would have three or four guys out there repairing helmet decals for two or three hours straight the Monday after a game. The paint holds up better and looks better, now I just have a guy look over all the helmets after a game and anything that is too scratched or damaged we just send away to have painted. The helmets are my favorite part of the uniform, they are important to me.
DS: And the uniforms…
RR: I like the new uniforms; I liked the old uniforms as well. It’s funny, I had just developed new patterns [different tailoring cuts for different positions — one for linemen, one for wide receivers, and so on] for all of the old uniforms and then we made the switch. I don’t think people realize just how tough that is; the patterns didn’t transfer over at all, so I had to make a whole new set. The new uniforms were not designed for football players though. Designers came in and came up with something that could be marketed to fans, which makes it difficult. The stripes on the sleeves, for example — I still am not satisfied there, because each pattern ends up affecting the stripes in a different way, which you just can’t get right. Take Justin Smith — he came to me early on and we sat down to discuss what he wanted in a uniform cut. Justin is very specific, he doesn’t want loose material and doesn’t want sleeves, so I basically have to butcher every one of his uniforms to get it right, and look at the stripes [laughs], count them.
DS: So you do most of the alterations yourself?
RR: I wouldn’t say that I do most of them. I will hem a jersey if a player comes to me, but there are times when you get 10 to 15 guys coming to you wanting their jersey to be hemmed — then I’ll send them out. It’s a time thing.
DS: But you do the custom jobs yourself, correct?
RR: Yeah, I’ll sit down with a player and go over anything he wants done and I’ll make most of those alterations myself.
DS: And what about repairs?
RR: I’ll do most of those myself. If something is ripped, I’ll just whip out the sewing machine and take care of it. I can usually just add a small amount of fabric behind the tears and stitch it up, but there are times when it becomes more extensive. When that happens, we weigh whether it’s worth the time fixing it or if we’re better off just getting a new uniform.
DS: And if a player gets a tear on the field [during a game]?
RR: Oh, I’ll just grab my needle and thread and stitch it up right on the sidelines, I did that for Rudi [Johnson] a couple games ago.
DS: And if the tear it too extensive to repair on the field?
RR: Well, we have a backup jersey on hand. If something were to happen, though, it’s either fix the uniform, get a new one on him, or he has to come out of the game. It’s as simple as that.
DS: How do you keep the jerseys so tight to the pads?
RR: We run strips of double-sided tape across the pads and pat the jersey down. Some teams use Velcro, but I prefer tape. It really adheres and keeps the jersey from moving around.”
DS: So who are the players who really care how they look out there?
RR: Carson [Palmer], Chad [Johnson] and Rudi [Johnson]. They are my fashion designers.
DS: While we’e on the subject of Chad, where did he get the black and orange chinstraps?
RR: Not from me, that’s for sure. He went out and bought them himself.
DS: And…
RR: And the NFL called me complaining about it. He’s a grown man, I supply him with the correct chinstrap, and he chooses whether or not to wear it. Chad is a smart kid, he knows what he is doing… and he is going to do it anyway.
DS: What do you think about it?
RR: I really like the look; I think the whole team would look great with them. If I could do it I would have the whole team wearing them.
DS: Anything else interesting about Chad’s uniforms?
RR: Before one game a couple of years ago he comes to me and says ‘I want sleeves.’ He wanted, you know, baggier, looser sleeves. It was a fashion statement. I told him ‘Chad, they’re going to be grabbing all over you if you go out wearing sleeves.’ But he insisted, so I made up a jersey with sleeves for him.
DS: How did that work out for him?
RR: After the first few plays he came running to me on the sideline saying ‘Rob! Rob! They are grabbing all over the sleeves, I needs another jersey.’ I said, ‘No shit.’ That experiment lasted one drive.
DS: Anything else?
RR: Shoes, he has more shoes than he can ever possibly wear.
DS: Was there anything you tried during the uniform change that you still wish you could get right?
RR: Striped socks. Mike Brown and I both love simple striped socks. We tried really hard to get that to work, we were going for a similar sock stripe that the team used to wear. After some time we just decided that with the modern uniform the striped socks just looked out of place, especially with the Bengals’ stripes.
DS: One last thing before I go: facemasks.
RR: Oh yeah, we have tons of those, especially with all the new helmet styles and manufactures. For instance, look at the difference between the Revolution kicker’s facemask [left] and the standard kicker’s facemask [right]. The Revolution facemask attaches at the bottom, so it has a completely different look. It also has less eye protection and you could easily get your whole hand in there. Then look at Willie [Anderson]’s facemask — I’m surprised no one else wears it. It’s much lighter than most facemasks out there and provides great protection. It is the look, everyone is making a fashion statement these days, even with the facemask.
DS: Like L.T.?
RR [laughing]: Yeah, just like L.T. His facemask is a personal statement, just like a lot of these guys with shoes. It provides no more protection, but the look is what he wants.
=======
Speaking of the Bengals, David came up with an interesting story while doing research for the interview — look here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: The Phillies finally unveiled their new alternate uni yesterday, and it looks pretty damn sharp. My only gripe: Since the design is based on this, why did they use this font on the back? … Quite a week for memorials, as decal maven Chris Willis reports that the Browns will be wearing a “BW” decal for Hall of Famer Bill Willis, who died earlier this week. … Fun factoid: If the Cowboys had worn their usual white at home last night (instead of their blue throwbacks), the Packers would have had to remove their Lambeau Field 50th-anniversary patches from their green jerseys, because the patch is only meant to be worn at Lambeau. And then they would have put the patches back after the game. But since the Cowboys wore blue, the Packers wore white and didn’t have to fuss with the patches. Details here. … As expected, both teams wore a “21″ decal — which turned out to be huge — in memory of Sean Taylor. … Speaking of Taylor, check out what someone did to a McFarlane figure of him (nice find by Timothy Fesmire). … Texas prison guards are getting new uniforms (rare non-sports contribution from Brinke Guthrie). … According to this article, next season NFL players will have the option of wearing a new high-tech helmet design. The good news is that it offers a very high degree of head protection; the bad news is that it looks like a cheap Halloween costume. … Yesterday I imagined what sort of horn-based helmet design would be worn by a football team called the Unicorns. I was kidding, but Mike Stegemoller actually found a European team with that name. Unfortunately, they have a boring helmet design (and even more unfortunately, they wear the McDonald’s logo on their thighs).
#1 by Don on 11.30.07 9:22 am |
New Braunfels (Texas) High School’s mascot is the unicorn. No horn on the helmet, though, just a boring “NB.” (They’re one of the best teams in the state in class AAAA this year, BTW.)
#2 by ChrisM70 on 11.30.07 9:22 am |
Great info on the bengals uniforms! It’s amazing all the work that goes into getting the team outfitted.
I also really like the Phillies Alternates.
Finally, thos Gladiator helmets have to be a JOKE, right? They look ridiculous!
#3 by Duckstyle187 on 11.30.07 9:23 am |
I think seeing that new helmet design might have just ruined my whole day. The revolution is ugly, but man, that takes it to a whole new level. I’m gonna go brush my teeth because I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
#4 by LI Phil on 11.30.07 9:30 am |
last night i finally saw that NFL 08 (or whatever the game is called) commercial featuring the old bag wearing sammy baugh’s #33 for the skins…they called her “McGregor”…and there was a nameplate on the back of the jersey
sure enough, i slow-mo’ed the dvr and when she turns around at the end of the commercial, her nameplate indeed reads “MCGREGOR”
/ slingin sammy
#5 by Ryan on 11.30.07 9:31 am |
That new helmet design… That’s a joke, right? It looks like a bad arts ‘n crafts project
#6 by Justin on 11.30.07 9:33 am |
As a Cowboy’s fan I don’t really like the throwbacks as much as the usual uniform. I’ve never really noticed them before and I’m not sure if you mentioned it on the ESPN column Paul, but I do love those socks.
http://scores.espn.g...
#7 by Hank on 11.30.07 9:33 am |
Phillies’ alt unis are sweet. Always been an admirer of their mid-1940s uni and glad they based it on those. As for the font, I’d have preferred an older look, too. But, as is mentioned in their press release and during their webcast of the unveiling, the alts are “a throwback uniform with a modern touch.”
There has been some grumbling in Philliedom about the alt blue hat and a perceived jinx. I think they look great. At least they didn’t go with anything black.
#8 by Ilana Hardesty on 11.30.07 9:33 am |
Does anyone have any idea why, in the Celtics-Knicks game last night, the Knicks were wearing home whites while playing in Boston? And the Celtics appeared to be wearing alt unis (green with black numbers, black trim, and a black placket on the shorts with a shamrock patch. Any explanations out there??
#9 by Mark in Shiga on 11.30.07 9:33 am |
I’d like those great Phillies alternates a lot more if they’d take the names off the backs. The original didn’t have them and they really detract from the timeless simplicity.
#10 by Rich on 11.30.07 9:33 am |
Phillies need to find a tailor; the pajama-pants style, lookin’ like shit, as always.
#11 by Wes on 11.30.07 9:35 am |
That helmet has got to be the ugliest thing Ive ever seen…I pray to God nobody uses that next year…
#12 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 9:36 am |
NEW NFL LOGO? AM I MISSING SOMETHING??? HELP!
#13 by Charlie on 11.30.07 9:42 am |
Its changing for next season…hopefully I can get this link to work.
#14 by Charlie on 11.30.07 9:42 am |
try this
#15 by Charlie on 11.30.07 9:43 am |
ok…just cut and paste it then…tired of trying
http://images.google...
#16 by dm00n [Doug] on 11.30.07 9:43 am |
A foam helmet makes some sense (when I played the only thing that ever really hurt was getting hit by helmets, it was like someone swinging bowling balls at you). But for some reason I think a helmet with a soft covering would cause more friction between helmets, resulting in more head/neck movement and potentially other injuries, rather than the way helmets will pretty much glance off each other now.
#17 by josh's twin on 11.30.07 9:45 am |
Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?I also find it somewhat amusing they have a picture of a young Richie (Dick) Allen, my all-time favorite player, up at the unveiling. The Phils and their pinhead fans all but destroyed his career before it even started. Dude would have been a first ballot HOFer if he’d come up with any other team than the Phillies(ok, or the Red Sox), and now they’re using him as a sign of their glorious past. Please
#18 by FEZ WHATLEY on 11.30.07 9:48 am |
Buzz Lightyear plays for the Bills?
Who knew?
#19 by Jason G. on 11.30.07 9:51 am |
Great article. Good job, David. The equipment manager interviews are always good. This one is exceptionally good because it involves the guy that has to put up with Chad Johnson’s quirks. Very interesting.
Being as everything is a fashion statement in the NFL (Like Rob Recker said), I wouldn’t expect to see too many of them. They really are terrible looking though.
#20 by Pete on 11.30.07 9:52 am |
What I think really makes the Gladiator helmet look cheesy is the facemask. Otherwise, it has kind of a larger motorcycle-helmet line to it.
#21 by Pete on 11.30.07 9:54 am |
Yeah…is there a more overused quasi-hip slang in the vernacular of the white man these days? When I throw up, even “a little bit,” I find a place to spit it out.
#22 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 9:55 am |
thanks charlie…
i like the old myself. but, whatever…
#23 by Eriq Jaffe on 11.30.07 9:56 am |
I’m sure I’m not the only person around here who thought of this, am I?
#24 by Matt D. on 11.30.07 9:57 am |
According to this article, next season NFL players will have the option of wearing a new high-tech helmet design. The good news is that it offers a very high degree of head protection; the bad news is that it looks like a cheap Halloween costume. …
Who would’ve thought we would long for the understated extra padding of Steve Wallace or Mark Kelso?
This can’t be for real. The poor fool looks top-heavy.
#25 by dm00n [Doug] on 11.30.07 9:57 am |
It is designed by the guy who came up with the Procap. If you look at the exploded view, the outer covering is sort of a Procap that extends all the way around the shell. It would be interesting to know why they chose to make the facemask so big, especially on the sides. Maybe it is for strength, the whole helmet is made of composites, there is no metal at all (which the article says is important for x-rays and MRIs in the case of injury). Or maybe the mask if so large in an attempt to scale it to the larger foam outer covering of the lid.
It would be interesting to see some more shots of it, it may end up looking like this.
#26 by interlockingtc on 11.30.07 9:58 am |
Oh, the Bengals. From conservative but sharp looking…to revolutionary and sharp looking…to…to…to the hard to look at mess they parade around in today. I hope they get the notion to change the look real soon.
#27 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 9:58 am |
in the facemask picture of l.t….
am i alone in the fact that i LOVE iron/painted on numbers??? for some reason, to me it just makes a jersey so much more personal and authentic!!! call me weird…
brings up a question… which teams (nfl or nhl), were amongst the last to switch over to sewn on numbers???
#28 by TF on 11.30.07 9:58 am |
Ryan Grant and Donald Driver both had their NFL Equipment logos way below the collar compared to the rest of the Packers. What’s with that?
Sorry if this has been addressed before.
#29 by Boston Nick on 11.30.07 9:58 am |
Honestly…if a helmet looks like that, it’s at the exact point I draw the line between substance over style…hell no. That is atrocious…that dude looks like a human bobblehead.
And thinking about it, I think if I had ever played football, I would’ve loved the chance to go a little Chad Johnson with my headgear. Basically switch between the Schutt air helmet (the normal, classic looking one) and Riddell revolution, and going with a different facemask design every game. Something about having the ability to change it up constantly and add a little variety in a manner that wouldn’t get me fined by the No Fun League seems appealing.
#30 by Stuby on 11.30.07 9:59 am |
I was thinking that was Mark Kelso modeling the Battlestar Billactica helmet.
#31 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 10:00 am |
WHY ARE THE TOP 2 STRIPES ON THE BENGALS PANTS WHITE??? ANY EXPLANATION??? ANY REASON???
#32 by Kek on 11.30.07 10:01 am |
David, great stuff on the Bengals. Love that behind-the-scenes stuff.
I want to clarify something from yesterday’s comment #191. Yes, Andre Hastings did wear #88 for the steelers as did a handful of other guys after him.
I think I mentioned a week or so ago that the Steelers don’t issue 12, 32, 58, 59, or 75. I was checking out the official site and came across this PDF File with the all-time numeric roster (even includes replacement players from 1987).
There actually was one person that wore Ham’s #59 but apparently it was a guy that was cut in preseason.
Other numbers that appear to have been unofficially retired by the team are:
#52 Mike Webster (not issued since ‘89)
#63 Dermontti Dawson (not issued since ‘00)
It’s probably too soon to see if Bettis’ #36 will get this treatment.
As far as #82 and #88 for Stallworth and Swann, I don’t think this was necessarily a snub by the equipment manager but a snag in the rules. With the loosened restrictions on WRs (now can wear in teens) and TEs (can wear in the #40s), teams aren’t restricted by the 80-89. Several players wore #82 (most notably Yancey Thigpen, Bobby Shaw and Antwaan Randle-El) and #88 but neither have been used lately.
The wikipedia entry for the Steelers (of course you have to take that for what it’s worth) suggests #1 (Anderson), #31 (Shell) and #47 (Blount) fit in this category but I’m not sure about that. Hard to tell though because there has never been an official statement one way or the other by the team.
#33 by Kim on 11.30.07 10:02 am |
Is anybody going to be searching for Chad Johnson and his sleeved jersey?
#34 by dm00n [Doug] on 11.30.07 10:03 am |
hah, nope!
#35 by Tim on 11.30.07 10:03 am |
That Sean Taylor figure is gorgeous.
#36 by dm00n [Doug] on 11.30.07 10:08 am |
I agree, nice job David Sonny.
#37 by Pat on 11.30.07 10:11 am |
I hate those uniforms. Can’t stand them. They usually trot those things out for a home game at the beginning of the season. Last night was a nationally televised game, so it probably seemed like the perfect time to be like “Hey, we have different uniforms that our usual 100% classics, buy them.”
They usually wear those for the next couple of game as well, which would make sense since the next 2 games are national broadcasts.
I can’t stand those uniforms, but, hopefully, they will have the same success tonight and sunday as they did last night.
By the by, eff Isiah. He’s right we do hate him in Boston.
#38 by Hank on 11.30.07 10:12 am |
Alt socks? What would be the point since no one, except for Jamie Moyer (and Jimmy Rollins a couple of games), wears their pants high enough to see them?
#39 by ML on 11.30.07 10:13 am |
paper mache, anyone?
#40 by Joe Drennan on 11.30.07 10:13 am |
The Gladiator helmet looks like it came out of Rollerball.
#41 by Mark in Cincy on 11.30.07 10:14 am |
Great interview! While the uniforms may be considered ugly, I love hearing about the team I have been dying with for 30+years. The big question stemming from the interview is this: with all of that hard work, will Cincinnati qualify for a Uni Watch gathering?
#42 by Dane on 11.30.07 10:15 am |
How often does a Canadian major junior team retire a number?
http://www.gettyimag...
#43 by John on 11.30.07 10:15 am |
Can anyone find of picture of that game in 1994 of the Bengals vs. Patriots? I’m pretty sure that both teams were wearing throwbacks. It was the only time that the Bengals have ever worn their original uniform since the change in 1981
#44 by Broker75 on 11.30.07 10:16 am |
I’m interested in finding out the opinions of others on Bryant Gumbels’ skills on commentating. Dig those numbers
#45 by slurpeeman on 11.30.07 10:18 am |
I can’t say it any better.
#46 by Perry on 11.30.07 10:19 am |
You answered your own question — the Celtics were wearing alts. It makes sense to wear them at home in front of the fans you want to sell them to. The Nuggets have been doing the same thing for a few years, wearing their dark blue alts at home occasionally. They sell it as a “second road jersey” but they have worn it at home.
#47 by josh's twin on 11.30.07 10:22 am |
Anything of note with the Phils alt socks? Stripes, liberty bells, anything?…..
Alt socks? What would be the point since no one, except for Jamie Moyer (and Jimmy Rollins a couple of games), wears their pants high enough to see them?
Maybe if they had some bitchin’ hose, others might be willing to show them.
#48 by Perry on 11.30.07 10:22 am |
So if every NFL player is going to wear a memorial helmet sticker for Sean Taylor, Bronco players will have FOUR numbers on their helmets — their own, Taylor’s, and the memorial stickers they’ve been wearing for Darrent Williams and Damien Nash.
#49 by scott merzbach on 11.30.07 10:22 am |
I like the Phillies new alts, too. Thankfully they didn’t take the all-too-common approach of adding a dark-colored top to their array of uniforms.
#50 by Chance on 11.30.07 10:23 am |
Wow. Great article.
Paul Brown was a genius, and prescient to boot:
My one key principle was “nothing too flashy” because nothing is worse than a bad team with a crazy-looking uniform.
The Bengals traded one of the best uniforms in football for one of the worst.
#51 by David S. on 11.30.07 10:27 am |
There is no explanation, at least not one that will make anyone happy. The uniform was designed for the fans to buy more so than for the players to wear, that is about it. When we talked Rob discussed at length how difficult everything to do with the stripes on the sleeves were and them being painted on was no help.
#52 by LI Phil on 11.30.07 10:30 am |
he’d have to have some in order to comment
you’re talkin’ about their socks, right?
#53 by Marty Met on 11.30.07 10:39 am |
NO WAY!!! They have a great helmet! What do you want Penn State style? boring? Sports is fun why can’t the uniforms be fun?
BTW those new Phillie’s suck. Pring back the baby blue and maroon
#54 by JoeS on 11.30.07 10:40 am |
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT! LOUD NOISES!!
#55 by ross on 11.30.07 10:44 am |
the phils should’ve had jamie moyer model the alts. maybe then we could have seen these stirrups.
#56 by Kelly on 11.30.07 10:44 am |
Oh my god they are awful. I don’t understand why there is so much black in the celtics color scheme of late. It really should be green and white with maybe the occasional yellow or gold accent (on the secondary gear, not the uniform), but certainly never black anywhere. oh how ugly.
#57 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 10:48 am |
FROM THE “Today is “Throwback’s Day” ARTICLE:
“That (Bengals) was a name that could be animated…”
i think it’s ironic that that statement was made… but the bengals only adopted a good working “logo” just a few years ago…
#58 by xyz on 11.30.07 10:57 am |
In the 1960’s and 1970’s MacGregor,who later became Kelley, helmets used an exterior pad that sounds very similar in theory (soft exterior, hard middle and soft interior) to the new design mentioned in the ticker. However, as was mentioned earlier in the comments section the softer, outer layer actually caused more frcition and severe neck injuries and was therefore discontinued. The new design doesn’t seem to make sense safetywise or otherwise. (It looks as hideous or worse than the ProCap the same company initially subjugated football helmets to.)
#59 by ryan c #40 on 11.30.07 10:57 am |
post #32… good steelers numbers info kek!!! thanks!
im sure the #36 is done…
#60 by Chance on 11.30.07 11:02 am |
I was referring to their 1981-2003 (specifically the 1997-2003 modifications). Those were distinctive yet classy and still fun.
As to their new uniforms, I maintain that Paul Brown said it best. For a franchise desperate to promote his connection, it’s unfortunate that they forgot his warning.
#61 by Fed Up on 11.30.07 11:06 am |
Horrible. Plus, he’s a racist.
He actually said he was “honored to broadcast a game where a black man was the head ref”. News flash, it isn’t 1965.
#62 by Jason Axel on 11.30.07 11:10 am |
Worst announce team EVER.
Come on NFL Network, youve got the 2 best teams in the NFC playing with no one else on the schedule that night and you put those two on the air?? You’ve got Rich Eisen, Mooch, Deion Sanders and a bunch of other good guys in the studio who could do it, yet you stick Gumbel and Collinsworth in there?!? Ugh..
#63 by ross on 11.30.07 11:13 am |
Two different number fonts on the cowboys throwbacks 9check the link). Also, the sock stripes were great, would’ve been cool if someone did a sean taylor tribute with them.
#64 by Broker75 on 11.30.07 11:19 am |
He makes it sound like there isn’t even a game being played. When the Packers’ RB (Grant) broke through the line for the Packers first TD, Gumbel just simply talked about it, it was a 62yd run! he sucks
#65 by Mets Fan AZ on 11.30.07 11:22 am |
I read the entire interview/profile and then i got all excited when they brought up Chad Johnson, wating, waiting for the OBVIOUS question. Did the equipment manager help him with the “Ocho Cinco” nameplate? I thougt this was one of the holy grails of Uni-Watch? Has this mystery already been solved? Did I miss it?
#66 by LI Phil on 11.30.07 11:26 am |
bryant mumbel makes his brother look like john facenda
#67 by Chance on 11.30.07 11:32 am |
In fairness, the entire NFL Network presentation was terrible, not just the announcers.
Anybody else catch their in-game promo for the Thanksgiving matchup? Wonder what the NFL Network has planned for Opening Weekend 2007….
Seriously, if they picked this game months ago to be the commercial for their network, you’d think that they would plan it a little better. I’ve never appreciated the current broadcast setup more than I did last night.
#68 by Robin on 11.30.07 11:32 am |
Took the words right out of my mouth, he’s abysmal. Bryant needs to stick to news magazines no one watches, and leave the sports to Greg.
Found this site while looking for something else, and I don’t agree with this person at ALL
http://www.armchairg...
#69 by Steppy on 11.30.07 11:33 am |
Back to the Phillies’ new unis. I also think they look spectacular. As for the font and so forth, I see nothing wrong with maintaining the current typefaces on a design that evokes a bygone era.
A look at the 1948 design shows that the script “Phillies” in the older uniform is a little more squat and the current is more vertical, especially in the L’s. The old collar and sleeve piping appear to be blue only, where the new piping is blue-red-blue.
I love that the Phils are sneaking a bit more blue into an otherwise dull design. I hope they keep the Liberty Bells on the socks (not that anyone sees them).
I also just noticed that these have no numbers on the sleeve. I’m a little disappointed at that.
#70 by scott merzbach on 11.30.07 11:40 am |
The Phillies’ current design dull? I like that it’s a basic, no-frills red and white scheme.
#71 by Gary A on 11.30.07 11:46 am |
The Fresno Grizzlies (AAA-Fresno) showed off their new uniforms on TV this morning (sorry, no screen caps). The colors have gone from green and brown (boo. hissssss.) to orange and black (very, very nice), with logos that evoke the San Francisco Giants (the parent club’s) logos.
#72 by Kevin on 11.30.07 11:54 am |
I see the Casper Ghost’s actually are selling the authentic home cap on their website now. Anyone willing to buy it and see if it really glows in the dark?
#73 by Lou on 11.30.07 12:01 pm |
let’s just admit it - we’re in a bad era for uni designs. over the past 10+ years, uni designs have gone downhill, especially in the NFL and NBA. baseball’s faired better. but the bengals are a classic example. they had gorgeous, unique unis. nothing needed to be tweaked on them. so what does the team do? they take everything good about the design and amp it up and make it look cartoonish and silly. way too many side panels and more white, and 3-D lettering now, mismatching stripes and panels, etc. it’s atrocious. my broncos really started this awful trend toward these heinous, modern, nike-inspired designs, and i still pine for the days of the gorgeous old orange crush unis with the blue “D” helmets. i know this is awfully nostalgic, but i can’t help it.
#74 by Ronnie Poore on 11.30.07 12:02 pm |
i like the cowboys throwbacks, but since i’m accustomed to seeing them in white at home, i wish they’d wear this version:
http://www.bestsport...
#75 by Patrick on 11.30.07 12:02 pm |
And yet, it really is dull and lifeless. Red pinstripes never, ever look good.
The new alts blow the regular home uni’s away. I just wish they had gone with classic block numbers instead of that stupid bubble font.
And for God’s sake, when will these guys realize that wearing your baseball pants like un-tailored slacks looks ridiculous?
#76 by Mets Fan in Chicago on 11.30.07 12:02 pm |
AMEN! No mention of the Raiders (much as I hate them, the uni’s are classic)? My beloved J-E-T-S?
Da Bears? C’mon - the dude picks the Falcons and Broncos, for crying out loud - apparently he had a brain cramp and inadvertently left off the Cardinals and Bills atrocities.
Luckily, the nickname “Beast” seems to fit him perfectly
#77 by Ryan Dempsey on 11.30.07 12:06 pm |
I was always under the impression that the white stripes were there to help blend the white stripe of the black jersey into the orange stripe on the white pants…
#78 by Robert on 11.30.07 12:10 pm |
Great interview. The story about Chad Johnson’s temporary sleeves was most entertaining. I have to give ol’ Chad some credit for at least trying to make his uniform look good.
#79 by LI Phil on 11.30.07 12:11 pm |
and why exactly does the jersey need a friggin white stripe to begin with?
i could get into the new bengal unis, especially the orange jersey, if they hadn’t ruined the thing with the side panel