As many of you know, we’re lucky to have a trademark attorney in the Uni Watch readership. That would be Anthony Verna (who, in addition to his legal practice, has a blog devoted to trademark law). After my little ramble last Friday about the the circle-R trademark symbol that appears on the Cubs’ home jersey patch (if you missed that spiel, look here), Anthony generously offered to help sort out the situation — an offer I happily accepted.
Anthony ended up sending me a fairly lengthy explanation. With his permission, I’ve taken the liberty of shaping it into the following Q-and-A:
What’s the point of the ® symbol?
The simple answer is this: Companies whose trademarks are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office must use the symbol or else the registration may be lost. That symbol is the only symbol that shows that a company’s trademark is registered with the USPTO.Okay, but why register a trademark to begin with?
The basic answer is to show to the world what the mark signifies. It shows the source of goods or services and the quality of those goods or services. (Please, no joking about how the Cubs have played over the last century or so!)But do you have to use the ® every single time your mark appears?
Many trademark attorneys advise their clients to place the ® symbol everywhere (in fact, an employee at a company that’s a client of mine complained about having to make sure that the symbol was always there). There may be times when there might be a business-related reason not to include the symbol, but I advise my clients to keep those to a minimum. For example, would anyone want to buy a CD by a band whose name is followed by the ® symbol? The symbol should certainly be on items such as advertisements, press releases, web sites, etc.Okay, so how does this all apply to the Cubs? When did they register their logo?
The Cubs’ first registered trademark that I can find comes from May 20, 1969. It’s the familiar logo where “Cubs” is in a circle and the “C” is bigger than the rest of the word.But if you look at photos from the 1970s, the Cubs didn’t use the ®. If they registered the mark in 1969, why did they wait until the early ’80s to add the symbol?
It’s hard to say why. My only guess would be that an aggressive trademark attorney joined their corporate structure around the time the symbol started appearing.Alright, so that covers the Cubs. But what about other teams — don’t all major-level sports teams register their logos?
I think so. (The old Hartford Whalers were an exception — their logo was never registered. The NHL started the process once the team moved to Carolina and was renamed the Hurricanes but never finished.)Then why don’t all these other teams wear the trademark symbol?
They’ve chosen not to. As a trademark lawyer and a sports fan, I like the example of the New Jersey Devils. Their red “NJ” logo has been registered since January 10, 1984, but of course the ® symbol isn’t on their uniform. And why should it be? The uniform itself tells us that they are the New Jersey Devils. They do use the symbol, however, on their licensed goods. To me, this strikes the right balance. We already know, as sports fans, who the mark belongs to, so the appearance of the symbol seems redundant to me on the uniform when worn on the field. But using it in all other areas, such as licensed goods, is an effective way to communicate that the mark is a registered trademark and that the goods or services represented by the mark come from the proper companies.So you’re basically saying that the Cubs’ logo is no more (or less) trademarked than any other team’s logo, but that the Cubs engage in a bit of overkill by taking the extra step of using the ® symbol on their uniform?
Yes.
So there you have it: Just about every team could add the symbol, but the Cubs are the only ones who’ve gone to that extreme. Let’s hope it stays that way. Big thanks to Anthony for helping to explain this complex situation.
Personally, I still suspect the symbol began appearing on the uniform more or less by accident (i.e., the company making the chest patches based their embroidery pattern on a logo sheet that happened to have the trademark symbol, and it’s been stuck there ever since), but I suspect we’ll never know for sure.
One thing we can try to determine, though, is exactly when the symbol began appearing on the uniform. The earliest instance I’ve found of the symbol appearing in a positively dated photo is 1984. But the photo for this 1983 baseball card was almost certainly taken in 1982 (Jenkins didn’t pitch for the Cubs in ’81, so it couldn’t have been taken then), so ’82 is now my benchmark year. If you have any old Cubs yearbooks, programs, or any other photographic evidence that would help sort this out, please get in touch.
Pedro Update: I’m not declaring a winner yet in the “name Pedro’s missing button” sweepstakes, because one of the submissions raises some interesting questions. In yesterday’s comments, Roger Faso wrote, “Pedro unbuttons that button to whip out his crucifix and kiss it. I say we call it the Jesus Hole.” This is the first time I’ve heard anyone suggest a reason for the open button. If true, it will definitely affect the name we assign to this phenomenon.
Just one problem: I’ve never noticed Pedro pulling his necklace out through the area of the second button. Has anyone else? I wrote to Roger and asked if he’d actually seen Pedro doing this, or if he was just speculating, or joking, or what, but so far no response. Stay tuned.
Special Raffle for NYC-Area Readers: We’ve all seen the final few pitches of Don Larsen’s perfect game. But how’d you like to see the entire game (well, beginning in the top of the 2nd), complete with the original play-by-play commentary and even the original commercials? A screening of precisely that will be taking place on Thursday, July 10th, at 6pm. It’s at B.B. King’s in Times Square (odd venue, right?), and the ticket price is $30 (crazy, right?), but I’ve got two pairs of tickets to give away.
To enter, send a blank e-mail with your name in the subject line to uniraffle [at] earthlink [dot] net (please note that this is not the usual Uni Watch e-mail address) by 10pm eastern this Friday. Please enter only if you’ll actually be able to use the tickets yourself. Since that stipulation will narrow down the pool of entrants considerably, there will be no bonus entries for membership program enrollees on this raffle — one person, one entry, period. I’ll announce the winners next Monday.
I’ll be attending the screening myself, by the way, so maybe we can convene a Uni Watch gathering afterward. More details on that later on.
Uni Watch News Ticker: I’m completely stoked over my latest vintage jersey. No idea what it was used for (soccer?), but it’s totally boss (extra-special thanks to Scott Turner, who tipped me wise to this one after spotting it on eBay). … Father’s Day follow-up: A few of the White Sox players wore blue face paint on Sunday (with thanks to Steve Johnston). … Good article here about the Yankees prospect who can pitch with either arm and wears a glove with six fingers and two webs (with thanks to Eric Stengel). … Latest accessory for rodeo clowns: faux stirrups (good catch by Benjamin C. Graff). … I’ve heard about Tony Conigliaro wearing a “Tony C.” NOB, but I’d never seen it until now (great find by Rich Kauffman). … Logo creep alert from Greg Riffenburgh, who notes that Czech soccer coach Karel Brückner had a Puma logo on his shirt collar the other day. … Also from Greg: Bit of a dust-up regarding the new TSA uniforms. … Great stripe-o-rama submission from John Calabrese. The player is Daultan Leveille of the St. Catherine’s Falcons. … Many of you have seen this already, but Michigan’s new Adidas football jerseys will apparently look like this and this. … “I was watching the Tigers/Giants game Monday night,” writes Alan Topolski. “They were highlighting different moments in Giants history, and they highlighted July 5, 1987, when Kevin Mitchell made his Giants debut by homering at Wrigley. The equipment manager must have been given very short notice, because Mitchell had NNOB!” … I’ll be off the grid for most of today (interviewing for a Mets coaching position, natch), so play nice. Back tomorrow.
#1 by Like the River on 06.17.08 8:23 am |
I was at the Indianapolis Indians game last night, and we were playing the Columbus Clippers. now the Clippers used to be the Yankees farm team so they of course have pinstripe home jerseys and same color style as the yankees.
http://clippersbaseb...
http://newyork.yanke...
Well now the Clippers are the Nationals farm team, and one thing i noticed last night from the game that was odd, was that the Clippers still had the same hat design from the yankee days.
http://mlb.imageg.ne...
But their road uniforms were done up in Nationals style font and everything.
http://www.clippersb...
http://content.answe...
oh yea Paul by the way got my Uni-watch card in the mail yesterday it looks freaking sweet!!
#2 by Bryan on 06.17.08 8:34 am |
I’m completely stoked over my latest vintage jersey. No idea what it was used for (soccer?), but it’s totally boss (extra-special thanks to Scott Turner, who tipped me wise to this one after spotting it on eBay)
Looks more like a cycling jersey.
#3 by Robert on 06.17.08 8:50 am |
I hope that Paul and other slightly built fellows appreciate their ability to wear the cool vintage jerseys that are to be found here and there. Those of us bigger fellows (6′3″, 200 lbs. here) rarely see old jerseys that would fit us comfortably.
#4 by John Livewell on 06.17.08 8:51 am |
I second that emotion….
#5 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 8:51 am |
hmmm…
i immediately noticed the sony ericsson logo creep in this shot of great dane caroline wozniacki…
i oppose this of course, but damn…talk about product placement…
#6 by Paul Lukas on 06.17.08 8:52 am |
For me, one of the best things about having a taste for vintage clothing (jerseys and otherwise) is that the stuff actually fits me, unlike so much contemporary clothing. Scott Turner and I talk about this all the time — he’s a big fella, which is good for our friendship, because we’re never competing for the same vintage item. If he sees something that will fit me (like the jersey shown in today’s ticker), he lets me know, and I try to return the favor for him.
#7 by U.A. on 06.17.08 8:54 am |
Greg Harris also used a 6 fingered glove when he pitched both lefty and righty in one game for the Expos on September 28, 1995 one of the last game of his carrer:
“In the ninth inning, Harris retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, who both batted lefty. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone to end the inning.”
I never was able to find a photo. Any help?
#8 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 8:56 am |
paul…
no softball this past weekend? thought we might get another dosage of stirrupy goodness and matching obama t’s yesterday or today
#9 by Jet on 06.17.08 8:57 am |
Fascinating article about that switch-pitcher, but the reporter missed the obvious question…
what happens when a switch-hitter comes to bat??!
Who gets the last choice of which side they will hit or pitch from??
Can you picture it? Batter steps in righty…pitcher puts glove on left hand…batter calls time and switches over to the left side of the plate…. pitcher puts glove on right hand… back and forth they go in some kind of existentialist baseball mobius strip….
-Jet
#10 by Paul Lukas on 06.17.08 9:01 am |
Our fields were flooded from Saturday’s rain. And then it rained again at about 1pm. And then it got really nice, but by that time it was too late.
#11 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 9:15 am |
jet, my head hurts, picturing your escher-esque tableau…great mental imagry ;)
simple solution, to my mind…batter chooses a side…pitcher pitches from the same side…if the batter chooses to “switch” again…he takes the first pitch in the earhole
#12 by scott on 06.17.08 9:21 am |
Teams don’t necessarily change their caps when they change affiliates, though the Clippers did add an alternate cap:
http://shop.mlb.com/...
Perhaps next year when the Clippers move into a new ballpark they will overhaul their uniforms.
#13 by Rick White in Cedar Park, TX on 06.17.08 9:21 am |
Now, that’s Major League Baseball thinking!
LI Phil for commissioner!!
#14 by Kevin M. on 06.17.08 9:23 am |
They could do it like hockey and home team has last change.
#15 by Jim on 06.17.08 9:24 am |
Can a batter switch in the middle of trip to the plate? I mean let’s say he gets up there right handed, gets in to a 0-2 count, then feels like switching to left handed. Can he do that?
#16 by Phil on 06.17.08 9:25 am |
I think Paul’s latest vintage jersey looks more like an old basketball warmup. Picture Bob Cousy wearing that when he was a kid.
#17 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 9:31 am |
didn’t kruky switch sides in a ASG at-bat against the unit?
/bad example, but an example nonetheless
#18 by Zak on 06.17.08 9:32 am |
I forget where I read this, but this apparently happened in a game in the 1910’s, and
the pitcher’s mound became a black holethe ruling was that the pitcher must declare what arm he will throw with first, and he must maintain that through the at-bat.Also, wikipedia says that this guy isn’t a switch pitcher, but a switch-thrower. Who knew?
#19 by Ken on 06.17.08 9:34 am |
I was watching the Angels/Mets game last night and noticed Vlad Guerrero has the same sleeve piping problem that several other major leaguers have had recently. I think Johan Santana was featured with this problem a few weeks back.
#20 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 9:38 am |
I instantly thought of that question as well when reading about Greg Harris!
BTW UWers…last night, I completed my Football Officiating Certification Course with a pasing grade of 90 on the exam!!!!
I will soon have a Union meeting wherein a vendor will explain and offer the necessary merchandise that I will need.
I’ll keep you guys posted! Look out, Ed Hercules, you’ve got some competition!!!
Sorry, Minna!
#21 by Paul Lukas on 06.17.08 9:38 am |
Someone else suggested to me in an e-mail. But the uni number (7) seems to suggest otherwise.
#22 by Jay on 06.17.08 9:39 am |
They\’ve had that cap design for awhile. It\’s the BP cap logo. Also, the Nationals font jersey is actually an alternate. The road uni is just like the Yankees road, except it says \”Columbus\” instead of \”New York\”.
Interestingly, they\’ve been running promos this year celebrating the Columbus baseball teams of the past by giving away replica hats:
http://clippersbaseb...
I\’m sorry to see the TSA \”padge\” go. I made fun of my brother quite often for it…
#23 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 9:40 am |
Phil,
I seem to remember hijinks from that game involving both Larry Walker and Kruk!
Thanks for the YIM on FD…I got it way too late to respond!
#24 by u2-horn on 06.17.08 9:43 am |
I’m an old Ranger fan and remember the discussion when Greg Harris was pitching here. I’m pretty sure that a switch pitcher and/or batter can’t change after the first pitch.
#25 by Jay on 06.17.08 9:51 am |
The Clippers promo link doesn’t show all the hats. Here are a few more:
http://clippersbaseb...
http://clippersbaseb...
For awhile, they were the Columbus Jets and had a great logo with a jets circling the C. I can’t find it online though…
#26 by Juan Grande on 06.17.08 9:52 am |
Well, all of you Mets fans should be happy. Willie Randolph got canned.
#27 by Chip B on 06.17.08 9:56 am |
The Columbus Clippers road jersey is now in the Nationals’ style.
http://clippersbaseb...
They don’t use the Yankees style road jersey any more and are selling the old game used road jerseys in the team shop.
#28 by Rick White in Cedar Park, TX on 06.17.08 9:58 am |
Yeah …
on the road
after a win
at midnight
Way to treat guys Mets.
#29 by rc on 06.17.08 9:59 am |
Once I saw the front, I thought the same thing, cycling jersey. But then I saw the back, I don’t think (even way back when) that cyclist wore thier name on the back of thier jerseys, let alone a sewn in number (not a race tag). I couldn’t find any photos to suggest it. It looks to be pre-Merckx at any rate if it is a cycling jersey.
#30 by kj on 06.17.08 10:00 am |
For once, we got a nice sunny Sunday for softball. So, in lieu of Paul’s pictures, feel free to laugh at the fat guy who can’t keep his jersey tucked in. I swear to you, I leave the house with it fully tucked in, but at some point during our games–we play two each Sunday–I give up on it.
And, yes, I’m wearing real stirrups, just not the high ones. I have some with white stripes, but they’re starting to fall apart, so I replaced them with the solid version. If anyone knows where to buy green stirrups with some nice stripes, let me know. (Also, I’d show a little sani–usually gray–but the need to wear my ankle braces under the stirrups keep that from happening.)
#31 by Wade Harder on 06.17.08 10:03 am |
Are those seriously the new Michigan football uniforms? Can Adidas not afford tackle twill lettering?
#32 by EGlick on 06.17.08 10:07 am |
I wonder how all this trademark talk applies to the fact that the Knicks wore the Yankees interlocking NY on the jerseys for a period of time in the ’80s.
I always found that weird and it seemed like a huge case of trademark infringement. Anyone know what the hell this was all about and why it thankfully ended? http://weblogs.newsd...
#33 by zurk on 06.17.08 10:14 am |
Larry Walker switched sides after Kruk’s at bat. Wore hais batting helmet backward….looks like you can switch sides once during an at bat.
#34 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 10:14 am |
12:37 am, PDT…omar’s to do list
1. can willie
2. trade for a spine
#35 by Jay on 06.17.08 10:16 am |
Now Victoria’s Secret is getting into the licensed merchandise business:
http://www.dispatch....
#36 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 10:17 am |
love to, but it’s set to “private”
#37 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:18 am |
As I understand it, if you use a logo for too long with trademarking it or without policing the use of it by others, it becomes considered public domain.
In the early 70s, I believe it was, the Toronto Maple Leafs went to the more stylized leaf they still use today because they’d let the more biologially accurate leaf slip into public domain. The club hadn’t kept an eye on things and apparently even dry cleaners and such were using the logo in their ads.
I’ll bet, since the Mets got it from the Giants and the Giants bottowed it from somewhere else (a little help on that, please?) that the Mets’ hat logo is public domain. Maybe not in royal blue and orange, but the basic “NY” probably can be used by anyone.
Just a guess.
#38 by Marty Met on 06.17.08 10:19 am |
It’s not the same as any of the 4 different interlocking NYs the Yankees use.
#39 by kj on 06.17.08 10:20 am |
Damn. It’s not my picture, a friend took it and has it on his flickr account.
Well, ok, I’ve [url=http://www.m9d.net/cc/kj-softball-2008-06-15.jpg]saved the picture out on my server now[/url]. Laugh away.
#40 by kj on 06.17.08 10:21 am |
Oops. Wrong tags.
Softball picture, take three
#41 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:24 am |
Once a batter has two strikes, he can’t switch to the other batter’s box. That comes up every once in while after a pitching change.
#42 by Broadway Connie on 06.17.08 10:26 am |
Why, Paul? Is 7 an unbasketbally number? Educate us. Sure looks like a basketball warmup top to me. That the team name is Joliet and that the Midwest was once the heartland of hoops adds to the evidence.
By the way, the soccer gods are obviously displeased that both Italy and France dared to wear kits that were all-blue-neck-to-toe in both of their games. What ever happened to dark top/white shorts?
#43 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:28 am |
Hey, you’re no Paul Lukas (then again, who is).
Good to have SOMEBODY’S softball photo here every week. Proves we aren’t all sitting home in mom’s basement watching for unravelled piping 24/7.
#44 by Anthony Verna on 06.17.08 10:33 am |
You don’t need to register a mark, but it does take care of several evidentiary issues should you need to go to court.
You do need to police the use of marks - be it with a registered or an unregistered mark.
As for this situation, the interlocking “NY” mark is quite tricky, having had different sources (teams) over the years and that NY is just short for “New York,” and geographical marks are considered weak marks.
#45 by kj on 06.17.08 10:34 am |
Going by weight, I’m probably two Pauls.
#46 by Zak on 06.17.08 10:34 am |
The way it used to be, and still is at certain levels, is that a player can only wear a nummeral from 0 to 5, so the ref can use one hand to denote the number for fouls, subs, etc. If you go even farther back, there was a rule that home teams could only wear even numbers, while away teams could only wear odd numbers, which is why in old programs a player’s number would be listed as “12/13″
#47 by BrianC on 06.17.08 10:36 am |
I agree. I’ve seen a few like that.
#48 by Freddie Pickles on 06.17.08 10:37 am |
#49 by Juan Grande on 06.17.08 10:37 am |
Would you expect anything else from a New York sports club?
#50 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 10:37 am |
you say that like it’s a bad thing
#51 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:40 am |
I remember reading how shocked the Maple Leafs were to learn that they’d let their own logo slip away.
Well, it worked out okay because the resulting Leafs logo is, stylistically, one the best of the simple (meaning uncomplicated) logos around.
#52 by 20 Fingers » The ?? Chronicles, Continued on 06.17.08 10:44 am |
[…] The ?? Chronicles, Continued …registered trademark that I can find comes from May 20, 1969. It’s the … pitch with either arm and wears a glove with six fingers and two […]
#53 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:46 am |
DISCLAIMER: Reference is to degree of stirrupyness exhibited by particular player in photo supplied by said player. Any additional inferences by reader are result of reader’s own, um…inferences.
(There. Given today’s theme, a disclaimer seemed appropriate)
#54 by Ricko on 06.17.08 10:52 am |
“Yeah …
on the road
after a win
at midnight”
Kinda the same way some people get rid of dog, isn’t it? “Just let him out in the desert and leave, Dear, he’ll never find his way home.”
Yeah, a really classy move. Not.
#55 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 10:53 am |
pasing?
was this the wonderlic?
ed hochuli fears no man…except maybe chuck norris
#56 by j10 on 06.17.08 10:57 am |
I was umpiring a Legion baseball game last week and because of high winds, both pitcher’s hats were flying off, one worse than the other. One of the pitchers actually removed his hat and did not wear it while pitching for the rest of the game. Has anyone else seen anything like this. I’ve seen hats blow off, but not from standing around.
The player actually asked me if he could play w/o his hat, and I almost told him that he should find a smaller hat and cut his hair. I did say no, because it is a uniform violation, but the home plate umpire told him after the inning that it was ok, because we didn’t need to waste 45 seconds after each pitch watching this guy put on his hat.
#57 by Perry on 06.17.08 11:05 am |
Where is that in the rules? I can’t find it.
#58 by Ricko on 06.17.08 11:13 am |
I’m just going by what I’ve learned from broadcasts over the years.
“j10″ (above) is an ump, maybe he can give us an answer.
#59 by DJ on 06.17.08 11:13 am |
Are those seriously the new Michigan football uniforms? Can Adidas not afford tackle twill lettering?
Adidas uses tackle twill for Notre Dame’s and UCLA’s jerseys. Perhaps Michigan didn’t want tackle twill.
#60 by Stuby on 06.17.08 11:18 am |
I vividly remember wathcing that Kevin Mitchell NNOB episode at Wrigley on TV. Weird seeing him in #9 but he was able to swap with Bob Melvin for #7 after the season. The year after that, Melvin left and Matt Williams switched from #10 to his more familiar #9. I think we’re all caught up now.
#61 by Nicole on 06.17.08 11:19 am |
Since we’re talking Cubs today, does anyone know what the deal is with the bat boy that wears khakis and a polo shirt and/or windbreaker? I’ve seen him both on TV and in person at Wrigley. He’s definitely a younger kid and he’s the only one. There are other ball boys in unis and stirrups, but this guy looks like a bad security guard - except that he’s like 15.
#62 by MikeyB on 06.17.08 11:28 am |
Bryan, awesome article in the OWH today. I didn’t read who wrote it at first and I was thinking, man, somebody sure does hate Nike. Then I looked up and saw who wrote it and I jumped with joy.
#63 by Robert on 06.17.08 11:30 am |
Perhaps so, but I won’t be giving Randolph too much sympathy. When we was a coach, he voiced an opinion a time or two about black coaches not being given enough opportunities to manage. True enough.
However, when the Reds offered him their managing job, he declined because it didn’t pay enough. At that point, I lost all respect for him and his complaints about not being given opportunities.
Bob Boone ultimately took the job for peanuts, because he desperately wanted a chance to manage again.
#64 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 11:38 am |
I doubt that UM and Adidas gave the Women’s Football Academy game issued jerseys but replicas instead!
#65 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 11:41 am |
Passing…nice catch, Phil!
BTW, have you guys ever seen the Wonderlic? It is an insult to one’s intelligence!
http://walterfootbal...
#66 by Smail on 06.17.08 11:52 am |
Looking at those Clippers hat giveaways, scroll down to the 2000’s hat. It’s been re-colored in Nats colors. When the Clippers wore that hat, it was solid blue, not grey as pictured on the site.
http://clippersbaseb...
#67 by Rick White in Cedar Park, TX on 06.17.08 11:56 am |
I scored a 40. Didn’t answer 17 and 18 because of time. Messed up on 4, 10, and 11.
#68 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 11:59 am |
Actually, in a timed setting, some of the Wonderlic questions would be tough…
Interesting…I was on the Dick’s Sporting Goods website and I found these cleats.
http://www.dicksspor...
I”m surprised that they’re still being sold!
#69 by Ricko on 06.17.08 12:00 pm |
So maybe next season Jeff Foxworthy could host “Are You Smarter Than A First Rounder?”
First question: If you are a Raider wide receiver in Vegas and you’re seen buying 15 bottles of dom perignon in a club, should you think perhaps you’re making yourself a target for robbery?”
#70 by Nicole on 06.17.08 12:00 pm |
Did you see question 3 on that sample Wonderlic?
3. Paper cells for 21 cents per pad. What will 5 pads cost?
Don’t they spell check?
#71 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 12:02 pm |
they’ll spell check next febtober
#72 by Jim on 06.17.08 12:06 pm |
I’ll vote in favor of the “old basketball warmup” theory. The “only use digits 0-5″ in amateur basketball rule seems like it’s been around forever, but it’s really only been in effect since the mid-50s.
(Google up a picture of Clyde Lovellette, wearing #16 for the 1952 NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks, for an example.)
#73 by Juan Grande on 06.17.08 12:16 pm |
I scored a 42.5 yoo-hoo! I used to work for a company that administered the Wonderlic to all management applicants. I was told the minimum you could score and still get hired was 25. I guess Donovan McNabb, Deltha O’Neal, and Vince Young wouldn’t be working with me!
#74 by Juan Grande on 06.17.08 12:18 pm |
Come on Phil, check your MLB calender. Febtober follows Rocktober.
#75 by Ricko on 06.17.08 12:19 pm |
The knit waistband’s a dead giveway.
Basketball warmup.
Can’t imagine a sport where something that could ride up like that during competition would be advisable.
For warming up, no prob.
#76 by werthj on 06.17.08 12:31 pm |
I found thins on mlb.com.
On the Cubs logo is a TM, not the R symbol.
What is the specific difference between the two, and why are they each being used in reference to the same logo?
Just curious…
http://www.flickr.co...
#77 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 12:32 pm |
Very good!!!
#78 by Kevin Z. on 06.17.08 12:48 pm |
Sorry this is a day late, but from the link of the Giants’ orange sanitaries yesterday, I searched Dressed to the Nines to figure out how many years they had them and noticed that for about 5 or 6 years the Giants didn’t have a road gray uniform set. I guess I always assumed that the colored jerseys of the 70s and 80s were just thirds, but did most teams who used colored jerseys not have a gray as well?
#79 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 12:50 pm |
If you thought that these names would pose problems for equipment managers:
http://www.bengals.c...
http://bamastatespor...
http://texas.rangers...
http://wsucougars.cs...
Then you haven’t seen this one:
http://i256.photobuc...
I only hope that the realtor’s jerseys are NNOB!
#80 by joe on 06.17.08 12:57 pm |
That guy is security, hes been there a while, hes just not a big guy, a few years ago a guy from the 1st base side ran onto the field from the “home plate” side of the dugout. The guy in khakis on the cubs dugout side bolted and gave him a flying tackle before he reached the mound. It was awesome.
#81 by Ricko on 06.17.08 12:57 pm |
Back then, most teams who wore colored jerseys on the road had no gray jerseys or pants at all, that’s true. Not saying everyone, but overwhelming majority wore white pants on the road, too.
#82 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 1:04 pm |
“I have some with white stripes, but they’re starting to fall apart, so I replaced them with the solid version. If anyone knows where to buy green stirrups with some nice stripes, let me know.”
“Fu@&, that…Make your own motherf*&%ing stirrups!”
#83 by Christopher on 06.17.08 1:05 pm |
From what I’ve heard (I’m not a lawyer, and a laywer would be better to answer this)…
The circle-R can only correctly be used if its registered with the USPTO. However, anyone can use “TM”. The “TM” doesn’t give you any “rights” but it more or less shows due dilligence that you’re claiming something as a trademark.
I’ve been in a design department long ago for an upstart company that was looking to register some logos as trademarks. From what I remember, our attorney told me to use “TM” for now, and then circle-R whenever it got registered (which was never- they went out of business).
#84 by Jeff on 06.17.08 1:18 pm |
I live in Joliet. The moment I saw that jersey, the colors are a dead match for the Joliet Township HS:
http://www.jths.org/...
I know the number is high, but I second the basketball pullover.
#85 by Anthony Verna on 06.17.08 1:21 pm |
Correct. (And it’s certainly not the first time. At my old firm, one of my favorite trademark applications ended because the company went out of business before it could be completed.)
#86 by Anthony Verna on 06.17.08 1:25 pm |
Actually, let me add to that “Correct.”
As I said in an earlier comment, when the mark is not a registered mark, the big problems come in should another person or company use the mark. Registering the trademark (in the United States) is always a good idea because then the owner says that 1) the trademark is used in all of the United States and 2) the goods and services that the mark represents are in the application.
There are rights in unregistered trademarks. I just wouldn’t want to argue about them in court if I had a trademark.
#87 by JF in DC on 06.17.08 1:31 pm |
“Bills in Toronto” logo introduced today:
http://buffalobills....
#88 by Paul on 06.17.08 1:53 pm |
I’m a huge Cubs fan and I’ve been lurking here for a while. Here is my take on the Cubs R:
In 1979 the Cubs changed the left sleeve patch and also updated the chest logo. The blue circle on the logo was widened. That is when the R first showed up. I have checked many pictures and never saw the R on a patch with the narrow blue circle. Every patch with the wide circle has the R. So my best guess is the R first appeared in 1979 with the updated logo.
Someone speculated earlier that it was Tribune lawyers who slappped the R on. But in 1979 the team was still owned by the Wrigley family. So the Trib gets a pass on this one.
On a side note, I have a 40 year collection of Cubs media guides. The cover alway has a Cubs logo on it and the R first showed up on the cover in 1978.
#89 by Kevin on 06.17.08 1:54 pm |
Just an FYI on the ticker item - the name of the city is St. Catharines, not St. Catherine’s.
#90 by scott on 06.17.08 1:54 pm |
When the Cubs in the mid 1980s wore blue tops on the road, that was always paired with white pants. There was no gray uniform top or bottoms.
#91 by scott on 06.17.08 1:55 pm |
But the Clippers still wear that cap today, so it’s not necessarily a turn-back-the-clock cap that is being given away.
#92 by Steve on 06.17.08 1:59 pm |
Well you could put those jerseys to thier intended use and drop some LBs. In light of Tim Russerts passing I think we all could take a little better care of ourselves. It would be nice to be able to enjoy Uniwatch as long as possible.
#93 by JT on 06.17.08 2:11 pm |
I haven’t got any proof, but I think I’ve seen rodeo clowns wearing faux stirrups for quite a while. I’m pretty sure it’s not a new thing, but I don’t attend many rodeos. I thought it might have been in the movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, but the clown in this clip (around 0:25) doesn’t have stirrups, just cool striped tube socks.
#94 by Nicole on 06.17.08 2:14 pm |
Ok, but the guy I’m talking about always takes balls to the ump - everywhere else I’ve been, that’s a ball boy’s job.
#95 by MPowers1634 on 06.17.08 2:38 pm |
He might have been wearing them in the basement of the Alamo!
#96 by eric on 06.17.08 2:42 pm |
Glad they spent 10 minutes putting that together. A lazy, lazy design.
#97 by Ricko on 06.17.08 2:50 pm |
Here’s an idea. We’ll all wear Tampa Bay hosiery, speak with phony fake French accents while playing, and call our team “Socks Rays Blue”.
And people think some of these posts are a waste of time.
(Just kickin’ the side of the box a little to keep the marbles movin’).
Okay, Craven, where’s my DAMMIT.
#98 by LI Phil on 06.17.08 2:56 pm |
you ever hear the one about sleeping dogs?
#99 by Ricko on 06.17.08 3:04 pm |
“Don’t wake the Craven”, eh?
Okay, I’m a relative newbie here, so duly noted.
#100 by kj on 06.17.08 3:11 pm |
Because 20