When the Packers play the Seahawks tomorrow, one observer will be watching the events with particularly keen interest. That’s Marge Switzer, the Pack’s seamstress. In this high-tech football era, Marge is almost too perfect to be true: a sweet, smiling lady bent over a sewing machine. She recently made time in her busy schedule to chat about her job.
Uni Watch: What exactly is your job title there?
Marge Switzer: I’m an independent contractor, not a team employee, but I’m considered the Packers’ seamstress.
UW: How and when did you start working for the Packers, and what were you doing before that?
MS: I owned a monogramming and embroidery company, called Threads. I started that in 1985 and closed it in 2001. Prior to that I was a professional seamstress, doing alterations for clothing stores. And I did some work for our local college here, St. Norbert’s, repairing their athletic apparel — football pants, jerseys, whatever. I was approached by the Packers’ equipment manager, Red Batty, to do some embroidery for them — primarily numbers, so clothing could be designated for a player.
UW: You mean as an internal identification system?
MS: Right. That would have been in 1996, when I still had Threads. And then closed Threads and came here full-time around 2001. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t balance the two. You can’t run a business and do this job. And I have to tell you, I love this job.
UW: Are you the only seamstress there, or are you part of a sewing department, or what?
MS: I have an associate named Penny who’s been with me since 1985. We’ve been friends, actually, since second grade. So she knows my style, she knows what I need, and so on. She does all my prep work — if a pattern needs to be cut out, or a hem taken out, that’s her responsibility.
UW: Do you have your own office near the locker room?
MS: The Packers provide us with a sewing room, our own space, across from the locker room.
UW: What sorts of things do you typically have to do to a jersey?
MS: Primarily mend it.
UW: What sorts of things need to be mended?
MS: Like if there’s a rip or tear, I take care of that after a game. Once the jerseys have been prepped for the game — in other words, the threads have been clipped around the tackle twill and so forth — if anything needs to be shortened, they’re shortened, because players come in all different heights.
UW: Have there been players who’ve liked to have certain details custom-tailored?
MS: Not really.
UW: Nobody has said, “I want my hem a certain way,” or “I want my sleeves like this”?
MS: No. And even if they did, the player has to go through the equipment manager.
UW: So the players don’t approach you directly.
MS: No. I rely on the equipment manager to give me guidance.
UW: It gets pretty cold in Green Bay. Do you sew those little pockets into the jersey, which we sometimes see?
MS: No, because they wear the little pouches.
UW: Yeah, but I’ve seen Brett Favre wearing the pockets sewn into the belly of his jersey on lots of occasions.
MS: Oh, you mean when it’s actually part of the jersey — yes, I’ve done that.
UW: When you’re working on something like that, are you thinking, “God, I just wish he’d wear the little pouch instead so I would have to do this”?
MS: No. Being a seamstress is just like any other job: You enjoy the challenge.
UW: For those pockets, do you have to line them with some sort of special thermal fabric?
MS: No, just fleece, like you’d buy at any fabric store.
UW: Any other cold-weather provisions that you’ve had to work on, like maybe on the interior lining or something like that?
MS: No, because the players layer, or at least I assume they do. Frankly, I don’t dress ’em, Paul, so I don’t know what they’ve got under there!
UW: Now some players, like linemen, are, shall we say, robust individuals.
MS: Yes.
UW: So a player like Gilbert Brown, when he was with the Packers, he’s obviously a very large man. Did you have to do anything special for his jersey?
MS: No. The equipment manager orders the proper size from the manufacturer.
UW: Obviously, sure, but you’ve never had to make any special custom alterations to allow for this or that?
MS: No.
UW: What about when we sometime see elastic in a sleeve cuff or at the hemline? Is that something you do, or does Reebok do it?
MS: If it’s in the sleeve, it comes that way from the manufacturer. But if it’s in the hem, that’s something I do.
UW: Speaking of sleeves, what do you think of how sleeves have essentially vanished over the past decade or so?
MS: I guess that’s just a reflection of what the players like.
UW: But that actually affected the team’s uniform design, because the Packers went from five sleeve stripes to three, because there wasn’t enough room on the linemen’s sleeves.
MS: That’s something I can’t really comment on, because we would have had Starter as our manufacturer, and then Nike, and now Reebok, so I’m not sure exactly when that happened.
UW: Actually, that brings up an interesting point regarding the different manufacturers. When the team switches suppliers, is there a substantive change that you can see and feel, or is it essentially the same garment with a different logo on the sleeve?
MS: I’ve never noticed a change. It’s the same garment.
UW: How beaten up or damaged does a jersey have to be before you or Red or whomever says, “Okay, this is beyond repair — we’ll just toss it out instead of fixing it.”
MS: We have never thrown away a jersey.
UW: Well, okay, but even if you don’t throw it away, how damaged does it have to be before it’s “retired”?
MS: That never happens.
UW: Really?!
MS: It will be retired at the end of the season. We will mend it, because that is the player’s personal jersey. The scuffs and dings mean something to them.
UW: So if a jersey had a big gash — not just a little nick, but a serious tear — that would just be stitched back up and put back into circulation?
MS: Absolutely.
UW: What about on game day — are you on hand for last-minute adjustments, and do you travel with the team for road games?
MS: I do not travel with the team, but I am here on game day for home games. Maybe a player would want his undershirt sleeve shortened a bit, or something like that, or a coach might need the hem repaired on his pant cuffs.
UW: Oh, so you work on the coaches’ apparel as well.
MS: Mm-hmm.
UW: And what about during the game — are you on hand to repair things during halftime?
MS: No. There’s always a back-up jersey they can switch to.
UW: So once the game starts, do you go home to watch it?
MS: I do.
UW: And while you’re watching the game, do you notice lots of little things that maybe the average fan would miss?
MS: I think the average fan misses about 90% of what I see.
UW: Can you give me an example?
MS: When you watch other teams, you can see where there’s a rip that wasn’t fixed, or where there are loose threads hanging out. You can tell when the jersey has been taped down to the pads — the jersey should fit, not be distorted.
UW: Do you ever spot something you could have done better and think, “Darn, if only I had…”? Not to imply that you make mistakes, of course.
MS: Well, we all make mistakes, and there have been times when I’m watching the game and I’ll go, “Uhhhhh [deep gasp of shock], we missed a thread there!” So I do see that sometimes, and the average person, I’m sure, wouldn’t have a clue.
UW: Do you think the players themselves care about these sorts of details?
MS: I think Green Bay, as an organization, has a tremendous amount of pride, and our players are fussy about their uniforms. I’ve never heard that a player complained about anything, but I think they expect that everything will look professional.
UW: Speaking of small details, I’m told that the uniform number on one of Brett Favre’s jerseys was slightly off-center earlier this season.
MS [softly]: Mm-hmm.
UW: So it came that way, from Reebok?
MS: It actually came that way, yes.
UW: Was it the front number or the back?
MS: I think it was the front.
UW: Was that something you noticed during the game?
MS: After the game, when the jersey came out of the laundry.
UW: So in that case, would that jersey be retired, because it was essentially defective?
MS: I think we probably would, yes.
UW: So that’s what happened?
MS: I brought it to the equipment manager’s attention, but I don’t actually know what happened to it after that.
UW: Does it ever bug you when you work to get Al Harris’s nameplate just right and then nobody can even see it because it’s covered up by his hair?
MS [laughing]: That doesn’t bother me at all! Because that’s just his look.
UW: But you could have “Smith” or “Jones” under there, instead of “Harris,” and nobody would know.
MS: I sure wouldn’t try it! That might be the day he had his hair pulled back.
UW: Al Harris is also one of the players who’ve been a little creative with their socks this year. Do you work on the hosiery, too?
MS: No, that’s not part of my job at all.
UW: I know some teams actually sew the socks into the cuffs of the pants — do you do that?
MS: I have heard about that, but I haven’t done that here.
UW: The Packers aren’t wearing those captaincy patches that most other NFL teams are wearing, so I guess that’s one job you didn’t have to do.
MS: Yes. Some teams have the same captains week after week, but the Packers select their captains before each game. The “C” patches did arrive in the sewing room at the start of the season, but then we were asked to return them to the equipment room.
UW: Speaking of patches, there was that one game where the team played in Dallas, and the Cowboys usually wear white at home, which means the Packers would have worn green, and I read that all the Lambeau Field anniversary patches on the green jerseys would have had to be removed for that game, and then restored for the next home game, because the patch can only be worn at home. But then the Cowboys ended up wearing blue throwback jerseys for that game, so the Packers wore white after all, and the patches didn’t have to be taken off and then put back on. So that saved you a lot of work too.
MS: Yes.
UW: So you — or maybe Penny — would have had to use a seam ripper to remove all those patches?
MS: Yes. And it would have been a joint effort, believe me.
UW: What sort of sewing machine do you use? Is it an industrial model, or is it pretty similar to what a home sewer would have?
MS: It’s just a basic sewing machine — not industrial.
UW: These fabrics you’re working with, they’re high-tech, high-performance textiles, which is obviously very different than normal apparel. Is that a challenge? Does the material react differently in your hands, or under the needle?
MS: No, it really doesn’t, as long as I use the right needle. In other words, you don’t use the same needle to mend a jersey that you would to hem a pair of jeans.
UW: But the fabric essentially behaves the same way?
MS: Absolutely.
UW: If you could change anything about football uniforms, what would it be?
MS: Hmmmm. If you had asked me that 10 years ago, I would have said get rid of the screened-on numbers. But now they’re tackle twill, which is so much better — it gives a sense of dimension, and they don’t crack or peel. It’s a much more professional look. Aside from that, I can’t think of anything.
UW: Any good stories to share, any anecdotes involving unusual situations or challenges?
MS: Unfortunately, I can’t take things out of here — it’s confidential. Mostly, I forget what goes on here. I can’t take stories home, I can’t take the risk that my husband will pass them on at his job. So I honest to God wish I had something I could tell you that would just be hilarious, but I can’t.
UW: Speaking of your husband, I assume he’s a big Packers fan?
MS: He is.
UW: So it must be exciting for him to have his wife working for the team.
MS: Well, it is. I mean, let’s look at the big picture, Paul: There are only so many teams in the NFL, and only so many people who sew for the NFL. That’s what makes it such a privilege.
======
Big thanks to Marge for her time and expertise, and to reader Jeff Ash, who’s Marge’s neighbor and lay the groundwork for this interview.
Raffle Reminder: Today’s the last day to enter the raffle for the $100 NFLshop.com gift card (or to get three bonus entries by joining the Uni Watch membership program). To enter, send an e-mail to uniraffle at earthlink dot net (not to the usual Uni Watch address) by 10 p.m. eastern tonight. One e-mail per person, plus all membership enrollees will automatically get three bonus entries. I’ll announce the winner on Monday. And in a special bonus development, look for another raffle next week.
Speaking of membership, there are some new cards up in the design gallery, including today’s showcase design, which is based on the 1926-27 Ottawa Sentators. Also, I mailed out about a dozen membership kits yesterday, so watch your mailboxes.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Lots of uni-related info in this PDF of Tony Romo’s locker (with thanks to Brian Thompson). … We all know about Pete Gray, Modecai Brown, Jim Abbott, and Tom Dempsey, but the latest news regarding Oscar Pistorius (the sprinter who wear prosthetics) led New York Times columnist George Vescey to recall the case of a disabled athlete I hadn’t previously been aware of: Bert Shepard, who lost a leg during World War II and later pitched one game for the Senators. Vescey’s column was accompanied by this photo, and I’ve been unable to find any others. If anyone has a shot of Shepard in action, I’d love to see it. … Odd coincidence spotted by birthday boy Marty Buccafusco, who first noticed an eBay auction for a Brett Favre Falcons jersey with what appears to be a slightly off-center nameplate and was then watching some 1999 NFL playoff footage and saw Favre exhibiting the same problem. Seems especially odd in light of the off-center number discussed above with Marge Switzer. … The latest installment of “Equipped with Joe Skiba” is available on the Giants’ home page. … FNOB alert from John English, who writes: “The ’83 Angels sported both Reggie Jackson and Ron Jackson at one point. Their solution? Reggie remained just ‘Jackson,’ while Ron wore his full name.” … We’ve discussed lots of occasions when umpires have been forced to wear makeshift gear because their luggage was lost. Turns out Michael James attended one such a game in 1991, and he just found some photos he took that afternoon. “The umps dressed in what appeared to be Brewers warm-up gear,” he says. … Nathan Evans says this reminds him of this. … While researching something else, I came across this shot of a less than full moon. … This week’s New Yorker includes this photo from a Rangers practice session. Forgive my ignorance here, but what is the purpose of having three separate uniform sets on the ice at one time?
#1 by JP on 01.11.08 7:57 am |
Hockey teams will typically have players who are skating on the same line (or D-pairing) wear the same colored jerseys during practice – sort of a visual cue as to who to pass it to and who.
#2 by JP on 01.11.08 7:58 am |
Err, that last part should read “and who to steer clear of.”
#3 by Robert on 01.11.08 8:14 am |
Great interview. I think that she is holding a lot back on us, however. No special requests from players? I’m not buying it.
#4 by derek on 01.11.08 8:21 am |
” Forgive my ignorance here, but what is the purpose of having three separate uniform sets on the ice at one time?”
players wear different colors at practice denoting either their offensive line combination, defensive pairing or even injury status (to avoid contact).
#5 by Peter Lemonhjello on 01.11.08 8:22 am |
The Rangers obviously wear 3 practice different uniforms so the people in Rye, NY can tell whom they are looking at. After all, Playland is an antique venue…
#6 by Stuby on 01.11.08 8:22 am |
Robert said:
It sounded like she was not at liberty to speak freely. I’m sure she has lots of dirt but she can’t even tell her husband any stories.
#7 by Dane on 01.11.08 8:27 am |
JP said:
But usually they just have the different color jerseys, right? In that photo, they matched the socks as well. I’m wondering if that was a staged photo-op for the magazine.
#8 by Stuby on 01.11.08 8:38 am |
Regarding Al Harris’ hair in that interview, I’m very surprised that the NFL hasn’t made a rule about nameplates being visible. Also, from a safety standpoint, it seemed like 80-90% of the time a player’s helmet came flying off this year (in college and pro), the guy had big hair.
To me, it doesn’t seem like big hair under a helmet would be that comfortable, but I’ve never worn a football helmet so what do I know.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, it bugs me when I’m watching a game on TV and can’t see who the player is because his hair is covering his name.
#9 by Jim on 01.11.08 8:43 am |
Is it just me or are football players pants ripping alot more this year than in the past. And why is it always on the ASS!! Gross.
#10 by Boston Nick on 01.11.08 8:44 am |
Yeah, to back the other comments off, the jersey colors usually go something like this (using BU hockey as the basis, since I attended practice a couple times a week back in the day…colors will obviously change on a team-to-team basis).
Red jerseys: First line
White jerseys: second line
Orange jerseys: third line
Green jerseys: fourth line
Gray jerseys: scratches/extra players
Navy Blue jerseys: defensemen/goalies
Light Blue jerseys: injured guys who have started skating.
To add to this, at BU, like with the Rangers, the players wear socks that match the jersey colors, which means instead of the usual simple, scarlet and white combo BU has for games, you see guys wearing green and scarlet combos or orange and scarlet combos.
I always kind of wanted an orange practice jersey, just because it’s something most people aren’t really gonna see, and it’s kind of a different way to support the team.
Plus, I already have all four jersey styles that BU uses in games, so I gotta find a way to get another BU jersey somehow.
#11 by Boston Nick on 01.11.08 8:46 am |
‘back the other comments off’?!?!
Also known as backing the other comments up.
#12 by Frosty on 01.11.08 8:46 am |
Be it offense or defense, the players on each respective “line” will wear their own color. Usually 3 lines of offensive players (9 players) and 2 lines of defensemen (4 players)…throw in 2 goalies and there’s your roster.
I LOVE THIS SITE! Signing once I get some money transferred to my PayPal. Member Larry Kurtze (White Sox / Fisk #72) got me turned on to it in August. People out there really are as sick as me.
keep it up -
#13 by teamcinnamon on 01.11.08 8:48 am |
NEVER retired a jersey?
And she’s absolutely holding back, it’s obvious!
She must not realize how fanatical people are about this whole thing.
#14 by teamcinnamon on 01.11.08 8:49 am |
Stuby said:
I can see it now – the “Al Harris Rule”.
#15 by Stuby on 01.11.08 8:49 am |
Frosty said:
Welcome to the party, Frosty.
#16 by Stuby on 01.11.08 8:52 am |
Stuby said:
*…big hair under a helmet would not be that comfortable… Oops.
#17 by RW on 01.11.08 8:52 am |
There are generally at least 5 jersey colors on the ice during a practice:
1 color of the D generally black
the 4 line combos have different colors
and another color for the scratches and injured players. The goalies were whatever they want
#18 by U.A. on 01.11.08 8:53 am |
http://www.baseball-...
here is a good one of Jim Abbott batting (in spring training of course). i am still trying to find the one he wears a claw like prostectic hand. anybody?
#19 by Minna H. on 01.11.08 8:53 am |
No, no, no! If the ‘Al Harris Rule’ is ever instituted, that means that Troy P. would have to wear his hear tucked away, too, and that would never do.
#20 by Dane on 01.11.08 8:57 am |
Here’s an uni-related excerpt from an interview with pro beach volleyball superstar Kerri Walsh, currently available on ESPN.com Page 2…
Walsh on living life in a bikini …
“The potential for a wardrobe malfunction is always in the back of your mind, and it’s never fun to think about. It’s never happened in a game situation for me, yet, but it’s pretty much a scary inevitability. The daily struggle is just dealing with the way it rides. You’re diving for balls. You’re jumping up and down. You’re on the ground. It’s going to go to places where you don’t necessarily want it to go, and you wish it wouldn’t, but you get used to it. It’s a fact of life.”
#21 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 8:59 am |
With how strict the NFL uniform police are, I’m sure Marge has been made wary of copyright infringement and dangers of that sort.
#22 by Stuby on 01.11.08 9:00 am |
Minna H. said:
He could go the T.J. Who’s-ya-daddy route and wear a ponytail.
#23 by ryan c #40 on 01.11.08 9:04 am |
appears to be a slightly off-center nameplate and was then watching some 1999 NFL playoff footage and saw Favre exhibiting the same problem. Seems especially odd in light of the off-center number discussed above with Marge Switzer
seams (joke)… seems people lined up the center of the nameplate to the top flat-part of the “4″… forgetting the left part of the “4″ that angles down to the left… my guess anyways. the same reason, at first glance, zetterberg’s nameplate looks off-center over the forty. you be the judge… haha
#24 by Minna H. on 01.11.08 9:07 am |
Stuby said:
Mmmm, he’s hot, too, Stuby, but I like the luscious locks long and loose.
And I don’t mind the half-moon shots, either!
#25 by PBJ on 01.11.08 9:08 am |
Peter Lemonhjello said:
Good idea…except they don’t practice in Rye anymore
#26 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 9:12 am |
LI Phil said:
would you really need al harris to have a nameplate to know who he was?
on a more serious note, it almost seemed like an NFL rule over the past season or so that every team would have one player with ‘big hair’ such that you couldn’t read his NOB…now i see some teams with two or more…
rather than the proposed ‘al harris rule’ suggested above…the NFL ought to institute a rule that only one dude per offense, defense or special teams can have such a pompadour on the field at one time…an ‘alternating follicular replacement option’ rule or AFRO RULE for short
/sorry…my bad
#27 by Moose on 01.11.08 9:12 am |
let’s look at the big picture, Paul: There are only so many teams in the NFL, and only so many people who sew for the NFL. That’s what makes it such a privilege.
Yeah, Paul. Look at the big picture!!
Great interview….I can honestly say I’m not surprised she holds back. Packers fans are crazy….if she told everything she knows word would travel fast. Wisconsin newspapers report about ANYTHING on the Packers!
#28 by Paul Lukas on 01.11.08 9:17 am |
It would be fair to say that Marge was a very cautious interviewee. My original thought was that she might make a good subject for an ESPN column, maybe even with video, but after speaking with her it became clear that she was much too guarded for that. Still, I think it’s a good ‘Uni Watch Profiles’ installment, with some interesting tidbits. And really, could you draw up anything more perfect than a gray-haired 60-something-year-old seamstress named Marge Switzer?
#29 by Adam on 01.11.08 9:21 am |
U.A. said:
You’re right, that picture is obviously from spring training, but he did have 21 at-bats in the regular season with Milwaukee in 1999.
#30 by NateL on 01.11.08 9:21 am |
I work at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., and last night, our men’s basketball team played Keene State College. My buddy who’s the assistant sports info director got a call in the morning, saying the Keene State players would ALL have new numbers at game time.
Here’s mention of it on Keene State’s website.
I thought it was hilarious. They had to re-print the programs for the game and everything. I thought “Oh, the folks at UniWatch will LOVE this!”
#31 by u2horn on 01.11.08 9:23 am |
Dane said:
Considering they were perfectly lined up in red, then white, then blue, I’d say it was staged just for the photo.
#32 by Tricia on 01.11.08 9:28 am |
u2horn said:
And the typical action shot from a practice is not taken from the ice, looking up at the players.
#33 by Duckstyle on 01.11.08 9:29 am |
Great interview Paul! Packers + uni stuff = great way to start a Friday. Cautious as she was, it’s always great to get a peek into the Packers world that we never get to see. (Yes Packers fans are obsessive) I’m somehow even more psyched up for the Seatle game now.
#34 by todd krevanchi on 01.11.08 9:31 am |
a dick tracewski sighting!
along with wayne terwilliger and joe amalfatano, they make up the triumvirate of greatest mlb base coaches…
#35 by Art on 01.11.08 9:33 am |
Just a comment on the Angels Ron Jackson wearing his entire name on his uniform. I was watching ESPN the other day and they were showing clips of old Holiday bowls. One highlight shown was the 1984 game between BYU and Michigan. In the clip, you can see a Michigan defensive player with two names on the back of his jersey. I couldn’t catch the name though. By the way, BYU uniforms are classics. I am happy they went back to them. Anybody else see this clip on ESPN?
#36 by dm00n [Doug] on 01.11.08 9:37 am |
“MS: No, because they were the little pouches”
Paul, I think that is supposed to be wear (like it is in your follow-up).
#37 by Kim on 01.11.08 9:37 am |
u2horn said:
Yes, it’s staged. But they’re lined up (l-r) red, white, black.
Another aside about hockey practice jerseys, the Philadelphia Inquirer (I’m too lazy to look up various articles) has reported numerous times that non-contact players wear a jersey with a red cross on it.
#38 by Stuby on 01.11.08 9:46 am |
Art said:
I was going to suggest it was Ali Haji-Sheikh but he left Michigan before 1984. OK, I just wanted to make an Ali Haji-Sheikh reference.
#39 by Roger Faso on 01.11.08 9:48 am |
Paul Lukas said:
That was one of the best interviews I’ve read on this site. Even if she was guarded, knowing that she sees stitching abnormalities on a Sunday made the read worth it.
#40 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 9:50 am |
I was going to suggest it was Ali Haji-Sheikh but he left Michigan before 1984. OK, I just wanted to make an Ali Haji-Sheikh reference.
What about this guy:
http://cache.viewima...
#41 by diz on 01.11.08 9:55 am |
You can add Zach Gowan/Gowen and Kerry von Erich (can’t find a picture that shows his lack of a foot) to the list of athletes with limb-related disabilities. Sort of.
#42 by Phil on 01.11.08 9:59 am |
In reference to your question about the Rangers different color jerseys for practice, NHL teams give each offensive line a different color. Defensemen and the goalie typically wear black. I was at a Flyers practice recently and saw white, yellow, green, dark blue and light blue. See picture below…
http://media3.washin...
#43 by Stuby on 01.11.08 10:00 am |
Art said:
Upon further review, it was probably one of the Hammerstein or Schulte Brothers. There are other sets of brothers on the roster and guys that share a last name, but none with the same first initial.
#44 by Josh on 01.11.08 10:02 am |
TCU kicker Drew Combs was born with only half an arm. He usually did the kickoffs this past year for the Frogs. I believe he was a walk-on.
He’s mentioned here:
http://www.star-tele...
#45 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 10:03 am |
You can add Zach Gowan/Gowen and Kerry von Erich (can’t find a picture that shows his lack of a foot) to the list of athletes with limb-related disabilities. Sort of.
#46 by CV on 01.11.08 10:03 am |
Question on the Cowboys helemts after looking at the pdf and watching Sportcenter this morning in HD.
Is the star on the helmet navy like the road jersey, or royal blue like the home whites? I always thought navy, but on sportscenter this morning, TO’s looked REALLY royal blue, and in the pdf it almost looks royal as well. Or is it just a 3rd different blue, like the 3 different silvers they use?
Thanks to anyone that knows.
#47 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 10:05 am |
You can add Zach Gowan/Gowen and Kerry von Erich (can’t find a picture that shows his lack of a foot) to the list of athletes with limb-related disabilities. Sort of.
Could Tom Dempsey be mentioned in the same breath as these athletes?
http://i.pbase.com/o...
#48 by Sage Confucius on 01.11.08 10:05 am |
Regarding Favre’s Falcons jersey…it seems to me that the 4 is off center and not the nameplate. If you look at each side of the number they aren’t equidistant from the sides of the jersey. The name looks to be equidistant. It appears the the vertical ’stalk’ of the 4 is what is centered. If you look at it closely you can see that it is aligned with the V in his name.
Regarding the Packers jersey…I can’t tell for sure because he’s wearing the jersey, but it looks like the 4 is centered on the name. Because of the illusion with the vertical part of the 4 it appears to be off center.
#49 by Stuby on 01.11.08 10:05 am |
CV said:
Pretty sure its navy, but who know with them.
#50 by Jason on 01.11.08 10:09 am |
Great Interview. For some reason, up until the original discussion about the possible need to replace the Lambeau Field 50th Anniversary patches in Dallas a few weeks ago, I had always just assumed that player’s jerseys were a dime-a-dozen and replaced frequently, if not every game.
On a side note, I can’t even describe how happy it makes me that the Packers jerseys have seen only minor tweaks through the years. You may recall that Ron Wolf was considering a change to metallic gold paired with a similar green around 1994, which would have been a disaster. You could make a case that the Rams pulled off a similar switch, but as far as I’m concerned, there is no reason to fear a basic yellow in your color scheme.
#51 by wright on on 01.11.08 10:10 am |
Regarding your question of Marge about the uniforms from different manufacturers; there are no “different manufacturers”. For quite a long time all NFL players jerseys have been manufactured by Ripon. Starter, Nike, Reebok are no more than marketing companies in this regard. Their logos are put on the jerseys, but Ripon actually makes the jerseys.
#52 by Scott H. on 01.11.08 10:14 am |
Interesting thing on the Cowboys deal…
WR Patrick Crayton’s helmet is equipped with the radio functions but they are turned off unless the emergency QB is needed. Then why does WR Seneca Wallace (Seattle) have two different helmets for this situation?
#53 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 10:20 am |
Is Brad Miller of the Jets considered a wide receiver/backup QB as well?
The first hybrid position player of this type that I can remember was Jim Jensen of the Dolphins. It was always strange to see him and Steve Grogan of the Patriots wearing neck rolls!
http://www.autograph...
http://cache.viewima...
#54 by Kevin More on 01.11.08 10:20 am |
Players who are hurt will typically wear a certain colored jersey to designate “no contact”. The Rangers practice at the MSG Training Facility. They haven’t been at Rye Playland in years.
#55 by Floormaster Squeeze on 01.11.08 10:23 am |
Thank you for the interview of Marge S. Having grown up in the Green Bay area I can say she is the real deal. Green Bay is still a small town and so she is just used to leaving stuff she sees/knows at work (her comments about not telling her husband seem genuine). She is a professional and does her job. The tabloid mentality the dominates other larger cities is rarer (not that people in the Green Bay area don’t gossip, they do its just its not seen as a big power thing by many).
#56 by Jay on 01.11.08 10:24 am |
Love the nose bumber on the sewing machine.
#57 by sebastian on 01.11.08 10:25 am |
It’s too bad the Cowboys still use “Hobo” for the player nameplate in the locker room. Blech.
#58 by possum on 01.11.08 10:25 am |
The ECHL Charlotte Checkers have officially released the new logos and jersey today. This is our 15th Anniversary season and they did a major overhaul to the logo in particular. Old, new, and logos here.
#59 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 10:30 am |
chubby checker…that’s great!
#60 by Chance on 01.11.08 10:31 am |
Fantastic interview, Paul – I’m going to link to it from my site.
#61 by werthj on 01.11.08 10:31 am |
I’ve been hearing radio commercials all week about the Milwaukee Admirals wearing “retro Brewers jerseys” this weekend. Just found a graphic. Maybe I am naive, but I was hoping the script would actually say ‘Milwaukee’, true to the jersey being replicated. Disappointed.
#62 by werthj on 01.11.08 10:33 am |
Jersey
#63 by pbaude on 01.11.08 10:36 am |
Why exactly do we think that the ‘4′ is mis-aligned? Because the left hand edge of 4 is under the ‘F’ and the right hand side is under the ‘R’? Maybe this font is meant to be that way. The vertical portion of the 4 digit is directly under the ‘V’…
Any typography experts out there?…
#64 by Chance on 01.11.08 10:37 am |
werthj said:
Wow. As am I.
I was going to bid on one for my collection, but think I’ll take a pass now.
#65 by u2horn on 01.11.08 10:37 am |
Cowboys’ star is NAVY
#66 by Andy on 01.11.08 10:40 am |
Stuby said:
Domata Peko.
#67 by Stuby on 01.11.08 10:43 am |
u2horn said:
Oddly enough, the star on the field is more of a royal blue. Oh, those wacky Cowboys.
#68 by werthj on 01.11.08 10:43 am |
Agreed, Chance. I was consering a bid (for those that do not know, they are being auctioned off), or hoping that replicas would be for sale. No thank you, now. Those commercials were misleading, no?
#69 by Justin B on 01.11.08 10:44 am |
Andy said:
Palu
#70 by The Ol Goaler on 01.11.08 10:44 am |
NateL said:
As a play-by-play guy for high-school basketball, number changes have become one of my pet peeves… I make my own “scoresheet“, with the players’ names in numerical order, which makes it easier for me to identify who’s who. I don’t use a standard basketball scorebook because I often don’t have room for one at my broadcast location. (Sometimes I get to work from the scorer’s table; sometimes I have to work from the stands!)
Invariably, some team will get new unis (with different numbers, natch) after they’ve sent me their roster. I used to broadcast D-I sports; believe me, the job is a lot easier when you’re given accurate roster info… to say nothing of being “fed” accurate in-game stats!
It’s still fun, though!
#71 by mp1634 on 01.11.08 10:48 am |
Check out this Packers helmet inspired mailbox:
http://image.bizrate...
#72 by Joe H on 01.11.08 10:49 am |
Moose said:
Great interview Paul…and you know know as much as I do why she was so guarded. The pro teams don’t exactly like their secrets getting out. I know first hand!
#73 by Brian on 01.11.08 10:55 am |
Man, that Marge is a talker! Did you have a tough time getting her to calm down long enough to do the interview?
#74 by ScottyJ in WV on 01.11.08 11:00 am |
Brian said:
Post of the day!
#75 by Marcus Hall, Will the Orioles ever NOT have the most boring uniform ever!?!?!?!?!?! on 01.11.08 11:05 am |
LI Phil said:
the AFRO rule reminded me of Eddie…….
#76 by alan on 01.11.08 11:05 am |
Earlier this week there was discussion about teams that had plaid as part of their uniforms and I was too busy to add to the discussion but now I can. Until the 2003-2004 season, my alma mater had a subtle plaid/tartan band on the men’s basketball road jerseys
This is due in large part to the prevalence of that McLeod tartan on our campus as seen here. And yes, our home football uniforms are all black (helmets, pants, and jerseys) and I like it! It wasn’t always this way. You can just make out these all white home unis from 1958.
Lastly, our band definitely gets in on the argyle action on game day.
#77 by Duckstyle on 01.11.08 11:07 am |
pbaude said:
I think it’s more that the Nameplate might be off-center, and the 4 is matching it.. But who knows, with the way jersey’s get taped down, and twisted by opposing players, it might just be an illusion. Except of course for the one Marge pointed out, obviously that one was seen by many and fixed.
#78 by Chance on 01.11.08 11:09 am |
Joe H said:
Really? What secrets do you know? ;)
She really is discreet – she talks about the various uniform manufacturers (Starter then Nike then Reebok), but doesn’t mention that the actual game jerseys have been made by the same company for decades (no matter what logo that company then sews on).
#79 by craig g on 01.11.08 11:13 am |
About the Angles and the two Jacksons’. I remember the NY Giants in the early ’70’s had Ron Johnson a rb and Randy Johnson qb on the team. Both their nameplates said R.Johnson. Not Ron or Randy on either jersey and they stayed like that for at least two years.It wasn’t hard to tell them apart though. Ron was black and Randy was white.
#80 by Nicole on 01.11.08 11:16 am |
werthj said:
That’s the jersey I got for Christmas. We’re thinking about heading to the ads game, so I might have to wear it!
Am I the only one that thought they would be wearing pinstripes when they said Retro? I’m not sure why I assumed that. Maybe because the Brewers wear the pinstripes on “retro” days…
#81 by Shane on 01.11.08 11:18 am |
I think most teams have more than three different sets of practice jerseys. I can’t remember it fully, but I think it was last year that the Bruins auctioned off a ton of theirs. I seem to remember black, yellow, white, teal, and maybe red?
#82 by Minna H. on 01.11.08 11:23 am |
Justin B said:
Justin B., you are my new best friend. Great pic of Troy P.’s hair!
#83 by Shane on 01.11.08 11:23 am |
Add-on to my last post:
I’ve got Albany River Rats team-used practice sweaters (both SP and RBK, from the Devils era) in black and grey. The team’s shop also had a ton in red, white, green, navy, light blue, and yellow. So there’s at least 7 or 8 sets worn by a team.
#84 by Fez Whatley on 01.11.08 11:27 am |
How many times can we post that the NHL teams used multi-colored jerseys for practice before people stop posting it?
#85 by Ken on 01.11.08 11:31 am |
werthj said:
If I remember correclty the Admirals have done this several times in the past. And they currently sport the ball and glove logo of the brewers
And a few years ago they honored former MLB “great” Bob Uecker by wearing this jersey I know it was mentioned on the uniwatch site at the time.
#86 by James Craven on 01.11.08 11:31 am |
Isn’t there some sort of rule in all sports that new logos and uniforms (unless they’re for special occasions) cannot be introduced in mid-season to avoid TUIFUs like the Penguins in 1979-80 when they went from two-tone blue top black and gold?
#87 by Philly Bill on 01.11.08 11:37 am |
Jay said:
First thing I noticed in this photo. Outstanding!
#88 by Philly Bill on 01.11.08 11:37 am |
Jay said:
First thing I noticed in this photo. Outstanding!
#89 by Aram on 01.11.08 11:37 am |
U.A. said:
Did Jim Abbott ever wear a prosthetic? He’s probably my favorite athlete of all time, ever since I was a kid, and I was never aware of him ever wearing any kind of fake hand or hook or anything like that.
#90 by werthj on 01.11.08 11:39 am |
Nicole, I never considered that they would be wearing the pinstripes untill I started writing my first post. I was actually hoping to see a jersey (or sweater, if you will), that says ‘Brewers’ across the chest. But I had always pictured that it was going to be the baby blues. Now that I think about it, that white with pinstripes would be great to see. Still wish the jerseys either said ‘Brewers’ or ‘Milwaukee’. Tho Milwaukee at home would be a faux pas.
#91 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 11:39 am |
James Craven said:
TUIFU=the ultimate in fuck ups?
like SNAFU…but different
#92 by teamcinnamon on 01.11.08 11:39 am |
#93 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 11:43 am |
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I’m gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
#94 by Aram on 01.11.08 11:44 am |
Art said:
That’s pretty common of Michigan in the 80’s. NOB fonts didn’t always match, and full NOB’s were widespread. I’ll do some searching around and scan in some pictures, I know I have a few somewhere around here.
Another little Michigan football uni anomaly- in the (I think it was) 1987 Rose Bowl, the jerseys Michigan wore were the road jersey design they wore in the mid to late 1970’s, indicating they probably had a bunch of them sitting around in the equipment room, didn’t want to put the Rose Bowl designs on the shoulders of the regular jerseys, and just used the old ones. Again, I’ll find the pictures and post them.
#95 by Paul Lukas on 01.11.08 11:45 am |
wright on said:
Yeah, but they could be made to different specs, depending on what Nike/Reebok/etc. tell Ripon to do.
#96 by Chance on 01.11.08 11:45 am |
werthj said:
I wouldn’t have expected them to wear “Brewers” because, well, they aren’t the Brewers.
Pinstripes just don’t work with hockey sweaters (actually, I don’t think they work on any sports uniform outside of baseball). So light blue seemed a logical choice, especially since it’s also one of the Admirals’ team colors.
#97 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 11:46 am |
#98 by Chance on 01.11.08 11:46 am |
Paul Lukas said:
Could be. My understanding, though, is that the specs are set by the Packers themselves and didn’t change at all between Nike and Reebok – only the logo.
#99 by Paul Lukas on 01.11.08 11:49 am |
Philly Bill said:
I think that’s actually a neck bumper — back of the helmet, not front.
#100 by werthj on 01.11.08 11:49 am |
Chance said:
Yeah, I understand that they are not the Brewers, but a boy can dream, can’t he?
Any links to pinstriped hockey uniforms? I can’t remember ever seeing one and would like to, now that it is in my head.
#101 by Aram on 01.11.08 11:56 am |
So it turns out the mismatched Michigan football jerseys were from the 1993 Rose Bowl.
Here’s the video:
http://youtube.com/w...
Notice that Pete Elizovac’s jersey (and most of the rest of the Michigan team) has thin, tight sleeve cuffs indicative of the 70’s-style uniforms, while Jay Riemersma, Elvis Grbac, and others have the regular design with much looser sleeves.
#102 by Anthony Verna on 01.11.08 12:17 pm |
Shaftman said:
Grumble.
My first job interview as I was graduating from Case Western was with Progressive. As a then-future owner of a computer science degree, I didn’t want to work at an insurance company.
At least Progressive has many offices in Cleveland.
(But, yeah, I won’t ever be using that name.)
#103 by Stuby on 01.11.08 12:27 pm |
Anthony Verna said:
I believe Progressive is HQd in the Cleveland area.
#104 by James Craven on 01.11.08 12:31 pm |
LI Phil said:
My point exactly. Charlotte should have done this last summer, but there must be a reason. They could have waited until this summer to do so because of that, but there must have been a TUIFU somewhere along the line.
#105 by Jay on 01.11.08 12:31 pm |
Paul Lukas said:
Wouldn’t that means that she’s using her sewing machine backwards?
#106 by Dane on 01.11.08 12:37 pm |
possum said:
I feel the logo on the front should be bigger. Otherwise, it’s an OK design. Nothing exciting, nothing terrible. A safe one.
#107 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 12:37 pm |
Stuby said:
It is.
That being said, I won’t buy progressive insurance because their name is on a building just like I won’t buy what these companies sell just because their name is on a building.
IZOD
Verizon
Prudential
Citi-whatever
I actually have a radical plan…Have a good product at a good price and then we can talk about giving you some of my money.
#108 by Ken on 01.11.08 12:46 pm |
#109 by Andrew on 01.11.08 12:55 pm |
Dane said:
Most teams will match the socks up, too. When you get into scrums in the corner, legs get crossed up and you’ll want to know who’s trying to get at the puck. You don’t want to go at it with your own linemate and potentially get hurt because of it. Plus, you’d be able to tell who’s on your line in your peripheral vision without having to see the sweater.
#110 by Morgan Doninger on 01.11.08 12:59 pm |
I actually have a radical plan…Have a good product at a good price and then we can talk about giving you some of my money.
I agree, I wouldn’t buy a product solely becasue the company slapped its name on the building of my favorite team. I am OK with companies that are local that getting naming rights to a building. I mean we all know that 99% of the stadiums and arenas are going to sell the naming rights, so at least it has more of a community feel when a local company puts their name on it.
In the case of the Prudential Center, I felt it was fitting for them to buy the naming rights for a Newark Arena. Prudential has been a Newark institution for a very long time, and did not split when the city got really bad.
#111 by MP1634 on 01.11.08 1:04 pm |
The Oilers logo reminds me somewhat of this old xfl logo:
http://content.answe...
#112 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 1:05 pm |
LI Phil said:
the rock never splits
#113 by Tim on 01.11.08 1:05 pm |
Behold….Progressive Park Logo.
http://cleveland.ind...
Ugh…where to begin. Didnt know the Tribe plans on using aluminum bats, and i love how the script Indians is almost an afterthought.
#114 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 1:07 pm |
Morgan Doninger said:
I agree, I wouldn’t buy a product solely becasue the company slapped its name on the building of my favorite team. I am OK with companies that are local that getting naming rights to a building. I mean we all know that 99% of the stadiums and arenas are going to sell the naming rights, so at least it has more of a community feel when a local company puts their name on it.
In the case of the Prudential Center, I felt it was fitting for them to buy the naming rights for a Newark Arena. Prudential has been a Newark institution for a very long time, and did not split when the city got really bad.
I don’t really have a problem with the Teams or the Sponsoring companies incorporating naming rights into a stadium/center/park/field. I just don’t see how it works for the sponsoring company.
Like I said, I’ve never bought products “for the name” but rather for the value and if Progressive is spending X amount of dollars for the naming rights isn’t that (X / insured) amount of money that they could give their customers off their bill each month.
I would think that cheaper rates would get you more customers, not your name on a building.
#115 by Dane on 01.11.08 1:07 pm |
Shaftman said:
I love it when the corporate name of a facility is not used for some silly reason or another. For example, one of the Final Four sites in 2009 will be University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. But since the UoP is not an NCAA school, the building is listed on the NCAA website as Cardinal Stadium.
#116 by Tim on 01.11.08 1:07 pm |
Try again..
http://cleveland.ind...
If that doesnt work, it’s at Indians.com
#117 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 1:09 pm |
#109 by Morgan Doninger on 01.11.08 12:59 pm | Quote
I actually have a radical plan…Have a good product at a good price and then we can talk about giving you some of my money.
I agree, I wouldn’t buy a product solely becasue the company slapped its name on the building of my favorite team. I am OK with companies that are local that getting naming rights to a building. I mean we all know that 99% of the stadiums and arenas are going to sell the naming rights, so at least it has more of a community feel when a local company puts their name on it.
In the case of the Prudential Center, I felt it was fitting for them to buy the naming rights for a Newark Arena. Prudential has been a Newark institution for a very long time, and did not split when the city got really bad.
I don’t really have a problem with the Teams or the Sponsoring companies incorporating naming rights into a stadium/center/park/field. I just don’t see how it works for the sponsoring company.
Like I said, I’ve never bought products “for the name” but rather for the value and if Progressive is spending X amount of dollars for the naming rights isn’t that (X / insured) amount of money that they could give their customers off their bill each month.
I would think that cheaper rates would get you more customers, not your name on a building.
#118 by Stuby on 01.11.08 1:11 pm |
Tim said:
Yeah, that’s pretty bad. What’s the word…? Cohesion. There’s no cohesion.
I love press conferences like that where the two guys smiling are really the only ones smiling. I’m sure everyone else feels like they just got punched in the gut.
#119 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 1:11 pm |
Behold…the unveiling of Progressive Park
#120 by Stuby on 01.11.08 1:14 pm |
Hey look, they got a jersey. That’s dumb as Hell.
#121 by Stuby on 01.11.08 1:15 pm |
Dammit, Shaftman, you beat me to it.
#122 by possum on 01.11.08 1:23 pm |
James Craven said:
They unveiled the logo in January for two reasons. First, it would have been a huge rush to get it ready by October. The team took control of their merchandise this year and waiting allowed them to have much more quality merch. Second is that its our 15th Anniversary this year and they wanted to start with this logo in October and have it “morph” into the new one.
Things like this in the majors would seem like they’re milking the fans, but in the minors you’ve got to be more dollar focused to survive.
#123 by Rick From Cedar Park, TX on 01.11.08 1:27 pm |
Shaftman said:
What bothers me about all of the corporate sponsorships is that I have no idea where anything is anymore. Like, where the hell is the Meineki Car Care Bowl? Or Verizon Arena? There’s also a Verizon Ampitheatre. And how many Buick Opens do we need in golf?
Okay … I’m done … I’ll take my valium now.
#124 by Joe H on 01.11.08 1:28 pm |
Paul Lukas said:
When the Ravens switched to Nike from Starter we just put Swoosh patches over the old logos.
#125 by Philly Bill on 01.11.08 1:40 pm |
Rick From Cedar Park, TX said:
Worst of all, the 2006 NBA finals bounced back and forth between the American Airlines Center in Dallas and the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Why no space in the Miami version?
#126 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 1:44 pm |
Rick From Cedar Park, TX said:
I have that same problem. My brother lives in DC and a few years ago he told me that he was going to see a game at the “Verizon Center”. I assume he’s going on a trip and tell our mother hat he’s going to be away for the weekend after he had told her that he was going to be around. Well Mom gets mad, he gets in trouble, I get blamed…it was a fiasco.
All of that started because I didn’t know that the MCI Center was renamed earlier in the month. Sorry Bro’.
#127 by Liam on 01.11.08 1:45 pm |
Not sure if this has been posted, but Motherwell FCwill be wearing specially embroidered shirts for their game against Hearts FC in memory of late captain Phil O’Donnell:
http://www.motherwel...
Again, could be a repeat, but Manchester United will be wearing 1958 replica shirts and Manchester City will wear shirts with black armbands sewn on and devoid of sponsor logos in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster:
http://news.bbc.co.u...
#128 by Andrew on 01.11.08 1:47 pm |
i worked the BU v UNH hoops game the other nite and noticed that UNH has a small three leaf clover patch on their jersey, i couldn’t take a pic but found this on their website, any info?
#129 by Andrew on 01.11.08 1:48 pm |
this was supposed to go with post #127
#130 by Joe Drennan on 01.11.08 1:52 pm |
Sorry if I am repeating, but I’m at work and don’t have time to read through all the comments.
Paul, as a high school hockey coach, I can tell you there are very good reasons to have many colords jerseys on the ice at practice. We have different colors distributed by 1st – 2nd – 3rd line. We feel our depth is pretty solid and not much drop off from our top line to checking line so we don’t refer to them as 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but rather their practice jersey color. Our defenseman also have a few different colors.
The main reason for the multiple colors is to make it easier on the coaches to make sure players are doing what they’re supposed to. For example, if the gold line and black defense are practicing the power play and the green forwards and blue defense are on the penalty kill, I don’t have to take the extra second to know if sombody is in position by waitining to see who the player is. Make sense?
#131 by teamcinnamon on 01.11.08 1:58 pm |
Tim said:
What a terrible logo!
#132 by James Craven on 01.11.08 2:05 pm |
teamcinnamon said:
Error page, guys.
#133 by Wade on 01.11.08 2:10 pm |
Three different sets are nothing for hockey practices. I remember playing for teams that had different jerseys for every forward line (4 lines, typically) and every defensive pairing.
When I made the regional team, we had green, white, yellow, blue, red, black and grey practice jerseys. I still own my black, red and yellow jerseys (those were the three used for defensive pairings).
#134 by werthj on 01.11.08 2:11 pm |
#135 by James Craven on 01.11.08 2:17 pm |
possum said:
Unfortunately, it’s still bush league (no pun intended) to change in mid-season unless the franchise moved or something like that. The rule of thumb is to do everything a year ahead of schedule, and I’m sure the ECHL will – quoting Keith Olbermann-as-Al Davis -”go dahwn and go dahwn hahd” with a fine for doing this.
#136 by odessa steps on 01.11.08 2:20 pm |
I remember when I bought my North Stars practice jersey (for like $50 IIRC) about 10 years ago, there were at least six colors from which I could have picked. (I chose blue)
#137 by Mark in Shiga on 01.11.08 2:20 pm |
Stuby said:
Am I the only one really bothered by how the Indians use three-layer numbers, but shadowed NOBs?
It looks ridiculous once you notice it.
And the names are too big.
And the least they could have done was put the CEO’s name on the jersey instead of the company name. Who’s going to hang a “PROGRESSIVE 1″ jersey up with pride?
#138 by possum on 01.11.08 2:27 pm |
James Craven said:
Why would they be fined? The ECHL is a league that allows teams to play on rinks that are 25 feet short of regulation (not an exaggeration) just so they can get a team in the market. Of course its bush league, this IS the bush league.
#139 by Stuby on 01.11.08 2:37 pm |
Shaftman said:
The stupidest has to be Monster Park in SF (still just The ‘Stick to pretty much everybody). One would assume that the corporate naming rights would be by Monster.com – the job hunting site, but it is actually by Monster Cables. They are so not getting they’re money’s worth.
#140 by Chance on 01.11.08 2:38 pm |
Mark in Shiga said:
Nope, you’re not the only one. But the Indians will have new uniforms next year improving this somewhat.
#141 by Refdude on 01.11.08 2:44 pm |
Dane said:
Nope….RBK has practice socks for their ’system of dress’…
#142 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 2:48 pm |
Chance said:
are ALL the uni’s new…i thought they were just intoducing a new alt (which IIRC, looks pretty schweet)…and didn’t the original photo cap misidentify the coach as sinner and not skinner?
but they’ll still have the shadow NOBs, yes?
#143 by Stuby on 01.11.08 2:57 pm |
From the Indians site…
“The name Jacobs Field, in 14 relatively short years, has ingrained itself into the fabric of the community,” Dolan said. “In due time, Progressive Field will have that same place in our collective psyche. Maybe it will take the next generation of kids who only know it as Progressive Field. It won’t happen overnight. But, I think Progressive Field will mean to this community every bit what Jacobs Field means now.”
Uh-huh. Until Progressive gets bought out, goes under, or their CEO goes to jail, thus besmirching the commpany name.
#144 by Chance on 01.11.08 2:57 pm |
I don’t think so. I think they’re downplaying the silver (they’re removing it from the cap).
#145 by GoTerriers on 01.11.08 2:58 pm |
Mark in Shiga said:
And how does Casey Blake feel about his number being given away??
#146 by Stuby on 01.11.08 2:59 pm |
GoTerriers said:
Maybe they’re sponsoring him too.
#147 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 3:12 pm |
Are the Indians Dolan, pictured with the Progressive CEO, and the Knicks’ Jim Dolan any relation. According to their business sense I would assume so!
#148 by jere on 01.11.08 3:18 pm |
“a game in 1991, and he just found some photos he took that afternoon. “The umps dressed in what appeared to be Brewers warm-up gear,””
I’d say it was Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th, 1991, ninth inning. No other Brewers-Tigers game in Milwaukee in the daytime in 1991 had a left on the mound for the Brew Crew.) Top pic, Phillips has led off the inning with a walk, and Pleasac throws over to Franklin Stubbs in a pickoff attempt. After a Trammel sac bunt, we see Deer batting in the bottom pic with Fielder on deck. (We were supposed to figure this out, right…)
I like the shirtless mullet in the bottom left of the bottom pic, and in the top pic, I like how the fan (also shirtless) above and to the right of the ESPN banner is sitting on the bar facing away from the game.
Detroit wins, 15-9 in 14 innings.
#149 by Jerico on 01.11.08 3:26 pm |
Today’s news about Progressive Field in Cleveland (I’m still calling it the Jake) brings to mind perhaps the only time a corporate name actually fit the arena. (How long did it take for you to realize that Great Western was a bank?)
Ironically, since the Lakers and Kings moved to the Staples Center, the corporate sponsorship lapsed, I think in 2003, and the building is now known again as The Forum.
#150 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 3:29 pm |
Jerico said:
I would argue that this is the only corporate name that works.
#151 by Nicole on 01.11.08 3:30 pm |
Ken said:
As far as I know, we’ve never had Brewers themed jerseys.
As I mentioned yesterday, they wear the Brewers patch because they are sponsored by the Brewers. It’s not a nod or a show of Milwaukee solidarity.
The Bob Uecker themed jerseys are a play on a local commercial the the Ads had that starred Uecker. Playing on his “crazy” persona and his ugly plaid sportscoats, he suggested the team wear plaid jerseys. So again, not actually Brewers related.
The Ads do themed jerseys about 2 to 3 times a year. When you go to a game and sit in Section 204 with all the hard-core season ticket holders, you’ll see all different kinds of jerseys walking around. They’re always auctioned off afterward, so the hard-core fans all have them.
The weird thing is the fabric they’re made of. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not mesh, it’s not sweater. It’s this really cheap, almost felted thin fabric.
#152 by Kerry P on 01.11.08 3:44 pm |
Jerico said:
Up until about 45 seconds ago when I first read your post…wow, that does seem fitting.
#153 by Jerico on 01.11.08 3:48 pm |
Shaftman said:
Wrigley Field was actually named after the then-owner of the Cubs and the park (William Wrigley) who just also happened to have a confectioner business on the side. So I guess in that aspect you’re right. But what I’m going for is the corporate sponsor swooping in and renaming a field some ridiculous name (like Bank of America Stadium, Quicken Loans Arena, whatever they’re calling the Baltimore Ravens stadium nowadays). They never renamed Wrigley Field the Trib after the Tribune Co. bought the Cubs in 1981.
#154 by Stuby on 01.11.08 3:49 pm |
Jerico said:
Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati is a pretty good name. Most of the others are hideous (e.g. Petco Park, University of Phoenix Stadium, and Minute Maid Park.)
#155 by Shaftman on 01.11.08 3:54 pm |
Jerico said:
I know the history of the field (as well as the LA version) and that’s why it’s the only acceptable corporate name in my opinion. It isn’t there for the money.
#156 by Joe Drennan on 01.11.08 3:57 pm |
Jerico said:
Ah, but it was originaly called Weegam Park after the guy who built it for the Federal League team, so in an early 1900’s kind of way, when Wrigly bought the team and renamed it, it kind of was like today’s arenas/parks. But, it’s been this way for so long, it can’t change, even thought the new Tribune owner and City of Chicago are considering selling naming rights.
#157 by Jason G. on 01.11.08 3:58 pm |
Stuby said:
I was going to say the same thing about Great American. I remeber when they first announced it I was glad they didn’t go with a corporate name. Then my buddy told me that Great American was a bank.
#158 by Chad G on 01.11.08 4:02 pm |
Stuby said:
haha, or could it be for this
#159 by muddlehead on 01.11.08 4:05 pm |
“Frankly, I don’t dress ’em, Paul, so I don’t know what they’ve got under there!” is that f’ing precious or what?
#160 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 4:19 pm |
wasn’t there some deal with busch stidium in st. louis (busch I)…i thought i heard/read somewhere he wanted to call it “budweiser stadium” but mlb was like ‘we don’t want our product associated with beer‘, so he was like ‘fine, i’ll call it busch’
i believe soon thereafter a new line of suds from budweiser came out
#161 by muskiejim on 01.11.08 4:26 pm |
Jason G. said:
Actually, it’s an insurance company. Cool logo, too.
#162 by Jerico on 01.11.08 4:30 pm |
#163 by Jerico on 01.11.08 4:31 pm |
sorry about the italics folks
#164 by Jerico on 01.11.08 4:39 pm |
LI Phil said:
Yeah, you’re right on both accounts. Busch Stadium was a compromise choice by the Busch family.
#165 by Pat on 01.11.08 4:45 pm |
Shaftman said:
What about this Prudential Center though? I mean, at least it’s a little better than a ballpark being named after Prudential. It’s just an office building.
Does anyone else miss the Prudential Half-Time report during the NBA on NBC broadcasts (the greatest sports broadcasts in history)? The days when Bob Costas didn’t seem so smug… I long for them. Oh how I miss you John Tesh.
#166 by Chance on 01.11.08 4:47 pm |
LI Phil said:
It wasn’t that MLB had a problem with beer, but that they wouldn’t allow corporate naming rights. How times have changed.
So Busch named it after himself (which was permissable, and how Wrigley got around it so many years previously). He then introduced “Busch Beer,” making the stadium name a corporate tie-in, albeit for a lesser-known product.
#167 by Rick on 01.11.08 4:54 pm |
Matt Powers said:
Who is Brad Miller? I guess you mean Brad Smith?
http://sports.yahoo....
#168 by Ian K on 01.11.08 5:08 pm |
I’m late to the party today, but just gotta say I can’t wait for Opening Day at The Prog! (The Prague?)
I had to text that to my college roommate, a CLE native and grandson of a Plain Dealer sportswriter. Justice finally after he asked me “Who are the Lads?” after ESPN had to start distinguishing between the Dodgers and Angels.
#169 by jere on 01.11.08 5:12 pm |
Pat said:
I can’t figure out what your point is. That’s called the Prudential Center, but if some other company buys it, or a majority of the space in it, they’d slap their name on top of it. Like how the GE building used to be called the RCA building and the Met Life building used to be the Pan-Am building
So in a way, a building like the Empire State Building is a Fenway Park/Yankee Stadium type buidling, whereas a Pru or a GE Building is a Minute Maid Park type building.
#170 by GoTerriers on 01.11.08 5:17 pm |
jere said:
Actually, Prudential sold the building to Boston Properties a while ago, but contractually insisted that the name of the building NOT be changed. Signage rights that high up are rare in Boston. There are very few back lit signs allowed at over 100 feet up (the Citgo sign that’s visible over the Green Monster at Fenway is one of them)
#171 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 5:23 pm |
speaking of stadia naming rights…
how long was pro player out of business before their name was removed from what is now dolphin stadium? was that due to a signed lease agreement to keep the stadium named for PP, even though the parent company no longer existed (or at least existed under that name)?
#172 by Stuby on 01.11.08 5:39 pm |
One of my favorites of the current corporate names is Oracle Arena in Oakland (Golden State Warriors). It reminds me of the 70s when we had The Mecca, The Hemisphere, The Summit, etc. They should just call it ‘The Oracle’ and it would actually be better than the oxymoronic ‘Coliseum Arena’ that it used to be called.
#173 by DonD on 01.11.08 5:45 pm |
Stuby said:
That makes sense though, if you buy Monster cables your not getting your money’s worth.
#174 by =bg= on 01.11.08 6:13 pm |
I lived in Cincy for a long time, and when they changed Riverfront to “Cinergy,” NO ONE called it Cinergy except the announcers. And the hockey arena was (is) right next door..it was Riverfront Coliseum, (loved the Stingers and the orange/brown Sanford & Son interior) then The Crown, then Firstar Arena, and now I think it’s USBank Arena. I lose track.
And here in SF, I still call it PacBell (which seemed like an OK name) even though it’s SBC Park. I mean AT&T Park. Candlestick was then 3Com, now Monster..but everyone here still calls it The Stick. Or The Dump.
Ah, just wait til Ellison buys the team, and we have a gleaming Oracle Park……..
#175 by Steven Steinsaltz on 01.11.08 6:17 pm |
On the topic of different-colored practice jerseys, back in the day when the Islanders were winning Stanley Cups in the early 1980s, they had the great first line of three Hall-of-Famers in Bossy, Trottier, and Gillies. But their second line of Merrick, Tonelli, and Nystrom seemed to come up with the clutch goals. They were known as the Banana Line because they wore yellow jerseys in practice.
#176 by stevenstat on 01.11.08 6:23 pm |
On the topic of different-colored practice jerseys, back in the day when the Islanders were winning Stanley Cups in the early 1980s, they had the great first line of three Hall-of-Famers in Bossy, Trottier, and Gillies. But their second line of Merrick, Tonelli, and Nystrom seemed to come up with the clutch goals. They were known as the Banana Line because they wore yellow jerseys in practice.
#177 by James Craven on 01.11.08 6:42 pm |
As far as the Cleveland Indians ballpark, it would be “The Pro.” Kinda like “The Jake By The Lake”.
#178 by James Craven on 01.11.08 6:45 pm |
Also, I’ve heard that AEG’s planning to sell the Reading Royals to Comcast-Spectacor in the off-season and allow the name to be the Reading Flyers in 2008-09 as their ECHL team. I know, boring. AEG’s plannoing to have a new team next season in Ontario, California called the Ontario Reign.
#179 by jere on 01.11.08 6:47 pm |
GoTerriers said:
Okay, then the Pru is the Wrigley Field of skyscrapers: Has a corporate name, but that corporation has nothing to do with the building anymore and is now just the name of the building.
#180 by Bryan Redemske on 01.11.08 6:58 pm |
DonD said:
Wait a second … HDMI cables aren’t worth $95 each?
#181 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:14 pm |
Living in Baltimore, I have memories when this used to be this
Naming rights are so silly. I’m glad that the Orioles old home (And Ravens old home) actually had meaning………
#182 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:16 pm |
Scroll to the bottom for an explanation of what was inscribed on Memorial Stadium’s wall……
#183 by scot on 01.11.08 7:22 pm |
Stuby said:
The least stupidest, I mean best, is Great American Park in Cincy. As Bob Ross would say, “It’s a happy little accident.”
#184 by Paul Lukas on 01.11.08 7:31 pm |
When Invesco Field opened, one of the Denver newspapers (I forget if it was the Rocky Mountain News or the Denver Post) initially refused to call it by its corporate name — they kept using Mile High Stadium. I quite enjoyed that bit of civil disobedience, although it eventually ended when someone at the newspaper remembered that it’s a good idea to, y’know, report things the way they actually are, not the way you wish they could be.
#185 by Stuby on 01.11.08 7:34 pm |
Marcus Hall – I did not take steroids, EVER! said:
Wow. I could not have told you the name of the Ravens stadium if you had a gun to my head.
#186 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:35 pm |
Stuby said:
M&T Bank….
#187 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:37 pm |
(and i forgot that the link that I put up had the name of the stadium, duh, I’m dumb)
#188 by Stevo on 01.11.08 7:46 pm |
A couple thigs…
1. Why does it not surprise me that the Green Bay Packers contract the services of a little old lady named Marge as their seamstress? It sounds so small town it fits.
2. On naming rights: I’d rather see a company’s name (Progressive) than the team owner’s name (Jacobs), especially when the company’s local (Mayfield Village OH) and the city and/or county paid for the place. To this day I am still peeved that Ted Turner slapped his name on Olympic Stadium almost the second the Olympics were over. Sure I cried a bit over Sec Taylor Stadium becoming Principal Park, but I felt much better after I got to see the new right field party deck that was built with the check Principal wrote. I personally am more worried when an arena or ballpark doesn’t have a company’s name, because it usually means that they can’t find a company to pay for the rights. And if the arena is particularly old, then it’s probably falling apart because they don’t have that revenue stream.
#189 by Stevo on 01.11.08 7:49 pm |
Paul Lukas said:
Similar situation here in Des Moines. One of the local radio stations bought the naming rights to an old hockey arena out in the suburbs, going from the Metro Ice Sports Arena to 95KGGO Arena. However, the only radio stations that refer to the place by that name are that station and it’s sister stations, the rest of us call it either Buccaneer Arena or just “The Ice Arena”.
#190 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:51 pm |
what about this?
#191 by Dan King on 01.11.08 7:51 pm |
James Craven said:
or the head honchos will come up with their own nickname like they did Gund Arena, i mean quicken loans arena, or the “Q” whatever the hell they nicknamed it.
#192 by Marcus Hall - I did not take steroids, EVER! on 01.11.08 7:55 pm |
and as a side note, please lets hope this doesn’t turn to this!!
#193 by Stevo on 01.11.08 7:57 pm |
Marcus Hall – I did not take steroids, EVER! said:
I think those unis are going to be used by the Chargers next year on Weatherman Appreciation Day.
#194 by Minna H. on 01.11.08 8:20 pm |
I think the new Twins’ stadium should be called Hennepin County Taxpayers’ Stadium, since they are footing most of the bill, unwillingly.
I want to buy a stadium for the sole purpose of naming it the ‘Fuck You’ Stadium and insisting that the announcers call it that all the time.
#195 by Matt Powers on 01.11.08 8:22 pm |
Is Brad Miller of the Jets considered a wide receiver/backup QB as well?
The first hybrid position player of this type that I can remember was Jim Jensen of the Dolphins. It was always strange to see him and Steve Grogan of the Patriots wearing neck rolls!
http://www.autograph...
http://cache.viewima...
Who is Brad Miller? I guess you mean Brad Smith?
http://sports.yahoo&....
My fault, thank you! I was checking out the NBA scoreboard right befor I posted that. Not to confuse the new slash with the Purdue alum!
#196 by Stevo on 01.11.08 8:28 pm |
Minna H. said:
I would think that taxpayers would be screaming out for the county to find a corporate partner, since any money brought in from naming rights would be that much less you have to pay.
As for FU Arena, I think that’s what was in Philly before Wachovia bought them out.
#197 by Casey (Davis, CA) on 01.11.08 8:44 pm |
I think it is kind of excessive that the New York Rangers have Brian Leetch’s #2 painted on the ice behind the goals a whole two weeks BEFORE his number retirement.
#198 by diz on 01.11.08 9:02 pm |
Marcus Hall – I did not take steroids, EVER! said:
amusing that the address is Burnden Way – they used to play across town in Burnden Park. At least it gives me a proper name to refer to the place by (since I’m gaining nothing from calling it “Reebok”) :*)
#199 by anonomous on 01.11.08 9:47 pm |
hey paul
the rangers wear different jerseys when there practicing to represent the different lines of players
#200 by Dennis Abrams on 01.11.08 9:52 pm |
Should “Modecai Brown” be “Mordecai Brown?”
#201 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 10:08 pm |
Minna H. said:
and insist that the name flip-flop to ‘fuck me’ stadium every couple of days
play-by-play guy: well, here we are in fuck you stadium
color guy: no, fuck me
pbp guy: fuck me? no…fuck you
/aight…maybe not
#202 by LI Phil on 01.11.08 10:25 pm |
this is just wrong on so many levels
#203 by Tony Miller on 01.11.08 10:31 pm |
Just noticed that in the regional final “banana” game of Remember the Titans, there’s an official wearing a black & white striped cap. (It’s on the hit where the white team’s QB basically gets flipped on the sidelines, right after Coach Yoast’s “remember the night they played the Titans” speech.)
Anyone know what that’s about?
(Bertier just crashed. It’s on ABC Family.)
#204 by Broker75 on 01.11.08 10:52 pm |
Minna H. said:
that’s what I can’t understand , all these folks are saying the Twins shouldn’t lose the team, so let’s put it this way move the team out of the Twin Cities ?
#205 by James Craven on 01.11.08 11:21 pm |
Stevo said:
Ah, but before it became what I dubbed The Stone Cold Steve Austin Center (and Spectrum), it was the CoreStates Center and Spectrum. And that was before John Cena came with his FU signature move.
#206 by Casey (Davis, CA) on 01.11.08 11:38 pm |
NHL Captains are wearing “Hockey Fights Cancer” patches on the chests over the next 3 days.
Jarome Iginla (right chest)
Adam Foote (on the left)
I don’t have a photo, but Bill Guerin’s (New York Islanders) patch is squished onto the right side of his chest. It is on the left side of the captain’s “C”.
#207 by Casey (Davis, CA) on 01.11.08 11:46 pm |
Bill Guerin
#208 by Casey (Davis, CA) on 01.11.08 11:57 pm |
Nick Schultz of the Minnesota Wild
#209 by Nicholas on 01.12.08 12:16 am |
Jerico said:
If i am not mistaken it is the Lakers and the Clippers in the staples center, right? and the Kings in Arco Arena?
#210 by Nicholas on 01.12.08 12:16 am |
Jerico said:
If i am not mistaken it is the Lakers and the Clippers in the staples center, right? and the Kings in Arco Arena?
#211 by Kek on 01.12.08 1:00 am |
Nicholas said:
I think it’s the hockey Kings the post is referring to.
#212 by zach on 01.12.08 12:18 pm |
Can someone tell me what would possess a major corporation to think that paying a ton of money to put a name that nobody will care about, is a good idea? If anything, the fans resent it, and I have never seen someone drive by a stadium and become enthralled by the company logo.
Millions of dollars exchange hands on these deals, and I have never understood why.
There are cheaper methods, methods that don’t piss off everyone who hears it.
No amount of money will ever have me refer to the Oakland Coliseum as: “McaFee Coliseum”. Because that’s not the damned building. Ironically though, I still call “AT&T Park”, PacBell.
#213 by Sewer-Sewist » If they’d only learned to sew… on 01.12.08 2:06 pm |
[...] In the spirit of today’s game in which the Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks, UniWatch Blog has a great interview with Marge Switzer, the Packers’ team seamstress. There’s some real gems in this interview, and Marge has a pretty tough job. Who knew that the players wear the same jersey all season, and Marge just keeps stitching them up? The rips and tears and battle scars of sorts. Turns out, she’s just as neurotic as the rest of us stitchers: …there have been times when I’m watching the game and I’ll go, “Uhhhhh [deep gasp of shock], we missed a thread there!” So I do see that sometimes, and the average person, I’m sure, wouldn’t have a clue. [...]
#214 by Rosebud on 01.12.08 8:28 pm |
Great interview! It’s always nice to get the inside scoop on otherwise overlooked aspects of the game. She DOES do nice work – if you don’t believe it, just look at other players/teams in the league…they never look as sharp and crisp as the Packers. Kudos to Marge!
#215 by Tex on 01.12.08 8:41 pm |
Always wondered why the Packers looked sharper than a lot of other teams–now I see they have a secret weapon named Marge Switzer! Dah-dah-daht, da-dah-dah-DAT. GO, MARGE, GO!
#216 by Johnny on 01.13.08 1:14 am |
From that interview I can then assume the reason for Green Bay now using those damn captaincy patches is because favre is a captain throughout the playoffs? they look horrid.
#217 by TOG on 01.18.08 12:43 pm |
Forgive my ignorance here, but what is the purpose of having three separate uniform sets on the ice at one time?
As an art director for sports branded assignments…to make tje editorial feature more visually interesting. Nothing more to it than that.