[Editor's Note: Tennis coverage has become so indistinguishable from People magazine that I now find it largely unwatchable, even with the U.S. Open taking place in my back yard. Fortunately, reader Brinke Guthrie has volunteered to offer some thoughts on tennis attire, past and present. -- PL]
By Brinke Guthrie
As the U.S. Open wraps, let’s take a look at where tennis fashion has been, and where it’s headed.
In the Beginning, there was Lacoste, Fred Perry as worn by Rod Laver, Slazenger, etc., and it was good. But there was no alternative to speak of — just lots of polo shirts and plain shorts.
Things started changing in the mid-’70s, when Fila signed Bjorn Borg as their first poster boy and created a line called White Line Fila. They had signed Italian matinee idol Adriano Panatta (who would move to his own line), but Borg was their choice for global assimilation. Oops, wrong Borg, but you get the idea. Fila also had climbing and skiing gear (called White Rock Fila), and there was a swimming line (Aqua Time Fila, I believe).
Borg was also one of the first guys — or maybe the first — to wear sponsor patches on his sleeves and even his headband (now a no-no). These days he sells underwear — a far cry from the days when he’d hang out in front of his Monte Carlo sports store.
Next: Guillermo Vilas. Whereas Borg’s Fila line had the now-famous F/Bj patch, Vilas’s line had the “F” logo on the chest and “Vilas” on his sleeve and shorts. Willy must have been jealous, because a “GV” patch soon appeared on his shorts, but it always looked like it was added on after the fact. He eventually switched to Ellesse clothing (stands for L.S., or Leonardo Servadio, the founder).
Moving to the ’80s, some of Ivan Lendl’s Adidas gear was cool, and some was downright awful. He would later move to Mizuno for rackets, clothing, and shoes, and it got worse. Much worse.
John McEnroe wore Fila in his college days (dig the groovy Hang Ten socks on Connors). But when he went pro, he signed with Sergio Tacchini (whose name sounds like a 1980s designer jeans label, but he was actually an Italian Davis Cup player) before ending up as a Nike symbol.
Martina Navratilova has been all over the place, and at one time was with a minor Italian company called Kim Top Line. Truly horrible — their only color scheme was orange and yellow, and it reminded me a little of this guy.
Andre Agassi was a true rock n’ roller. Nike knew what they had and marketed him like a star. Whether you liked his image or not, there was no mistaking him.
Reebok joined the fray as well, but Michael Chang (who started off a as a mini-Borg) seemed to wear this shirt for years. These didn’t exactly help Reebok’s court cred either.
Present day? The worst. Except for this guy. Or maybe this guy. Note the logo on the shirt — it’s also his height. Points for originality.
Most of the players these days wear the muscle T-shirt look, which is OK for the playground rec league … maybe. I mean, look at these guys today — no style, no nothing. Well, maybe Roddick.
You also have Venus and her budget Eleven line (which she’s sticking with despite the Steve & Barry’s mess), Rafael Nadal growing up, the style hysteria with Maria Sharapova, and fashion disasters like this and this. And don’t even get me started on those cheap logo patches that show up just for the Open.
Little Bit: Paul here. Remember last Friday’s entry on Scott Little and his big jersey and sneaker collection? One thing I neglected to mention: At one point Scott told me, “I don’t know what to do with all this stuff. A shop would be cool, except I don’t wanna be a shopkeeper. Maybe a museum..?” I urged him to go ahead with that (he could start with a little display space at the bowling center he co-owns), but he was sorta stand-off-ish about it. “C’mon,” I insisted, “there are all sorts of quirky little museums these days. People would LOVE it!”
Somehow he remained unmoved, but I meant to include all of that in my original post about Scott, because I figured there’d be an outpouring of support for his museum concept. Since I forgot, I wrote to him a few days later and said, “Wanna whip up a little something about your collection quandary?” Here’s what he sent back:
Hmmm, a uniform museum. Is there such a thing out there? I’m not talking one sport, because of course you can go to the whatever hall of fame and see plenty of unis for that sport. But where does it all come together under one roof? The uniqueness of each sport’s uniform, each sport’s shoes, each sport’s clothing timeline, and maybe even uniforms of sports beyond the big four here in the U.S.
Maybe a better question is, is it feasible? Is a jersey and shoe museum something the public would even care about? Yes, there are plenty of jersey and shoe buffs out there that would surely come check it out (like that like-minded weirdo who recently visited my house), but are there ENOUGH of them?
Also: If such a museum existed, would it need to be in New York or Los Angeles? Maybe Portland, due to the Nike connection?
As I ponder such a project, these are the questions I think about the most. I’m interested in what the Uni Watch audience thinks. Not interested in generic comments like, “I guess it depends on how much work/money you’d want to put into it” — give me some specifics.
So there you go. Wanna offer feedback to Scott? Feel free to contact him here.
Raffle Reminder: Today’s the last day for the $100 SoccerPro.com gift card raffle. For details, look here.
At least I remembered to feed the cats: Crazy afternoon yesterday. About halfway through my live web chat over on that other web site, the phone rang. Although it was hard to tear myself away from compelling questions like “Are there any new NFL uni changes this year?” and “Have you seen that new OKC logo yet?,” I somehow forced myself to pick up the receiver. It was the Bengals PR office, informing me that they’d decided to let Chad Johnson wear “Ocho Cinco” on his jersey.
This was kinda fun, because it allowed me to break the news right there in the middle of the chat — “You heard it here first!” and all that. But I knew I’d have to rewrite the first portion of yesterday’s ESPN column as soon as the chat was over, since the column had just gone live a few hours before the Bengals’ announcement.
Then, about 45 seconds after sending that rewrite off to my editors, I got word that Idaho had decided to scrap that butt logo that had caused so much controversy over the past few days, which meant I had to rewrite another part of the column. And then, just as I was sending that in, someone informed me that the Niners had announced their throwback dates, so I figured we might as well add that to the column as well, because nothing makes my editors happier than when I keep sending them revisions late in the day.
So: Then a quick bike ride, during which I got a flat, then off to Manhattan for a friend’s gallery opening (awesome show — highly recommended to all NYCers), then back home to Brooklyn, where I was relieved not to find anything else in my in-box that would require a rewrite. It occurred to me that I hadn’t given any thought to dinner, so I sautéed some tomatoes from my garden. As I sat down to eat them, I suddenly realized I’d missed the first half of the Giants/’Skins game.
So how was your day?
Uni Watch News Ticker: FIFA has put a new patch on Italy’s soccer jersey. “The Squadra Azzurra are the first national team to receive this badge, which from now on will be awarded after every FIFA World Cup finals competition,” writes Jeremy Brahm. “The reigning world champions will be able to wear the badge until the next FIFA World Cup.” Details and additional pics here. … Yesterday I mentioned a great video clip of a h.s. football team “earning” its helmet decals. But in a really brilliant move, I forgot to include the link until now (with apologies to Steve Johnston). … When I say that companies like Nike and Reebok are ruining sports, I obviously don’t know what I’m talking about. … Best commentary yet on the new OKC logo (courtesy of John Lesnik). … Latest problem for the Cool Base jerseys: The gussets appear to be yellowing as the season wears on (thanks to Jeff Scott). … The Canucks are going to retire Trevor Linden’s number. … Good interview here with the Blackhawks’ equipment manager (with thanks to Rick Welker). … I don’t mean to mention Sarah Palin every day, honest, but it’s worth noting that the only photo I’ve seen of her daughter’s husband-to-be shows him wearing a hockey uniform. … David Pegram notes that prior to 1975, the “5″ used by the Steelers looked like this, but then it changed to this. “Sometimes after the older 5 would reappear, as with Terry Hanratty in SB X,” he adds. “Hanratty would have an old 5 on the chest and back and a new 5 on the shoulders.” … Did you know motorcycle daredevils used to wear leather football helmets? It’s true (great find by Ryan Rice). … Subtle. … Well, that didn’t take long. … Even if you don’t care about the CFL (I certainly don’t), you should check out this Q&A with Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver Kamau Peterson, in which he talks about his uniform and the detail that goes into it on game day. Good stuff (with thanks to Glenn Cook). … Reprinted from last night’s comments: There was a decal malfunction for the ages during a high school game last night (ace screen-grab work by Doug Keklak). … Does this look like something you’d wanna wear? Yeah, me neither. Fortunately, we don’t play for the Rays (with thanks to Brinke Guthrie). … Yesterday’s mention of that NFL/Sears bedsheet that I scored in an upstate Salvo led Scott Mason to break out his old, faded blanket of similar vintage. The fadedness enhances the nostalgic effect, and I really like how the logos overlap. … Surely there’s a foam-finger joke just waiting to be made here. … I love the color green — but I don’t know if I love it this much. … You’d think Joe Skiba would have been out celebrating after last night’s Giants win, but instead he was e-mailing to tell me that Chris Cooley’s new helmet is the latest version of the Riddell Revolution, the Revolution Speed. … Really great post here about the evolution of brand logos (big thanks to Mike Etheridge). … While looking for something else, I came across this — nice. … Mike Cooperman has posted photos of his pennant collection. … As for today’s headline, I was referring, of course, to Jen’s shoplifting mug shot.
#1 by Dan OConnor on 09.05.08 8:49 am |
Did anyone else notice the Purple and Gold shirt (I am assuming an LSU shirt) popping out from under LaRon Landry’s collar last night. I found it distracting.
And only Ed Hochuli can mke those ref jerseys look good.
#2 by J Excel on 09.05.08 8:57 am |
on Saturday, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini will be wearing Butkus era throwbacks, including numbers (and stars!) on the helmets that should look superb! add this to the jersey
Renaissance Patch because anything with Red Grange on it is all good.
Oskee Wow Wow!
#3 by Jason Gomez on 09.05.08 8:59 am |
Ok, I understand the need to memoralize Gene Upshaw, but come on….that patch is WAY to big. Its god awful. Couldnt they just put on a sticker on the helmet? Just like the NFL did for Pat Tillman. I am not looking forward to seeing the patch on my beloved Chiefs, seeing as there are nemesis are the Raiders.
#4 by Matt Parker on 09.05.08 9:12 am |
Yesterday, I was down at my local bike shop to pick up my recently serviced bicycle. As I was at the counter buying some extra tubes, I noticed that one of the employees had Golden State’s “The City” logo tattooed on the inside of her right wrist. Being in a hurry, I didn’t get a chance to talk to her about it, but being both a fan of tattoos on the inside of the wrist and “The City” logo, my first thought was “damn, why didn’t I think of that!?”
#5 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 9:15 am |
Dan OConnor said:
1. That’s like when Michael Jordan wore his UNC practice shorts under his gear.
2. Wait til you see pics of me donning my stripes, Minna will have a new favorite!
3. I e-mailed Paul last night excaliming that Cooley not only had a new facemask, but an entirely new style of helmet.
I had fully planned on contacting both Skiba and the Skins counterpart today. Much to my surprise, Paul put the gist of his communique in the ticker…Awesome!
4. Tennis players have NO style anymore!
#6 by Jim MI on 09.05.08 9:17 am |
It’s funny how you interview the CHI equipment manager, but you have a pic of the PIT locker room…
Nice to know that Selanne scores all his goals illegally, wonder if he’ll get called on that now, if he plays of course.
#7 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 9:26 am |
GREAT LEAD =bg=
brought me back down memory lane with all that tennis gear i (and im assuming a couple of other UWers) grew up with…i owned several of those outfits (also used a T-2000, kramer and kneissl, amongst other rackets in my salad days)
…btw…did you ever work at the harpers pt. racquet club in cincy?
#8 by Tim on 09.05.08 9:31 am |
Cooley Helmet (in background)
#9 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.05.08 9:33 am |
The skins were up to their inconsistent lettering tricks again last night…
notice the thin TV numbers:
http://sports.yahoo....
And the thick TV numbers:
http://sports.yahoo....
#10 by John on 09.05.08 9:33 am |
Best Borg. Ever. (and I ain’t talking about the one with playin’ tennis.)
#11 by =bg= on 09.05.08 9:36 am |
LI Phil said:
Didn’t work there, but that’s where I bought all my egyptian cotton Fila shirts/shorts/warm-ups and Fila racquets–HP run by Steve Contardi, who did local cable commentary for the ATP championships- I did the on-court stadium announcing and sat next to Cliff,Fred, and Mary. Too much fun.
#12 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 9:36 am |
Tim said:
1. The facemask gave it away with the crooked reinforcing bars.
2. It is a variation of the same facemask he has been wearing on his first generation revolution.
3. I noticed the ridge in the back of the helmet while he was in the huddle last night.
4. That ridge makes it look a heck of alot like Mark Kelso and Steve Wallace’s ProCap!
http://www.helmethut...
http://www2.jsonline...
#13 by Taha on 09.05.08 9:38 am |
In a story related to Rivers wanting to change his jersey number, rookie Kevin Smith of the Lions wanted to change his number from 34 to 24, his number in college, but apprently was denied by the league. Why? Details here courtesy of the Detroit Free Press.
#14 by al on 09.05.08 9:39 am |
more subtle? / subtler?
http://sports.yahoo....
seen on the 50 here: http://sports.yahoo....
#15 by Lil' Stevie on 09.05.08 9:43 am |
MPowers1634 said:
Thanks for numbering your sentences.
#16 by Teebz on 09.05.08 9:44 am |
“Eddie Belfour broke a buckle on his mask. It was just a plastic buckle on the strap. So, it’s Saturday night, Hockey Night in Canada, and I’m sure half of Moose Jaw is watching”…
Moose Jaw? Why the hell would Moose Jaw care about Ed Belfour? He was born and raised in Manitoba, and then he played for the University of North Dakota.
#17 by Taha on 09.05.08 9:46 am |
Taha said:
not sure why the link didn’t work,
here it is
#18 by Nathan on 09.05.08 9:47 am |
the “sells underwear” link is broken.
#19 by TD on 09.05.08 9:48 am |
I’ve always been a fan of those pre-’75 Steelers numbers (particularly the hooked 5 and the long thin 4) but it should be noted that the Packers use that number set in recent years, complete with the ‘flat’ TV number..
#20 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 9:48 am |
MPowers1634 said:
And by the way, if you get the chance, Ask Skiba about their facemask attachments…it seems if they’ve concocted a new system of double attachment:
http://assets.giants...
#21 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 9:49 am |
Joe Hilseberg said:
Seems to go along the lines of skill position vs. linemen & linebackers. Would bet my last nickel it’s across the board that way, but it’s close. Has the notion of “form fitting” gotten that crazy?
#22 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 9:51 am |
lwiedy said:
That should have said “Wouldn’t bet…”
#23 by JeffB on 09.05.08 9:58 am |
Keith Rivers should politely tell Reebok to F-off. Unless he signed a contract with them, number changes are to be expected and part of the cost of doing business in this modern age. The profits they have already made, and will make in the future should cover their losses very nicely.
#24 by Juan Grande on 09.05.08 10:03 am |
Taha said:
Why is the NFL denying this guy? His new number will still be within the “legal” range of numbers for a RB. If Plaxico Burress can buy a number off of the punter then why can’t this kid trade numbers with a teammate. The NFL is screwing with him because he’s a rookie.
#25 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 10:06 am |
JeffB said:
As seen here recently, apparently nothing is more important than the bottom line. Could be why mine sucks.
#26 by PhillyFan on 09.05.08 10:10 am |
Looks like the Redskins went from screened-on stripes to fabric stripes on the sleeve cups.
Check out Campbell in these two photos:
http://news.yahoo.co...
http://news.yahoo.co...
#27 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 10:11 am |
Teebz said:
how do you really feel teebz?
#28 by Ryan on 09.05.08 10:13 am |
MPowers1634 said:
I don’t think that’s a new facemask attachment on Eli. I noticed it as possibly different as well, but upon a closer look I could see it was two clips held down by the same screw, crossing like an ‘x’…one of them appears to have a bit of give to it. Definitely been done before.
I should have friggin known not to look all over the internet for pics of Cooley’s new contraption of a helmet before just coming to UniWatch. That thing has a huge vent about six inches above the earhole and then a double-reinforced/slanted sidebar OPO mask. I really wonder if one day guys are going to be able to have spikes on their facemasks in order to spear opponents.
I’ll be interested to see if Skiba has any further comment on that helmet style.
#29 by Jim MI on 09.05.08 10:15 am |
LI Phil said:
I took it as thats where the equipment guy was from, saying half his hometown is watching him hold up a game on HNIC… but i could be wrong.
#30 by PhillyFan on 09.05.08 10:16 am |
Looks like the Redskins went from screened-on stripes to fabric stripes on the sleeve cuffs.
Check out Campbell in these two photos:
http://sports.yahoo....
http://news.yahoo.co...
#31 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 10:20 am |
MPowers1634 said:
http://d.yimg.com/us...
#32 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 10:23 am |
i kinda like how the GU63 balances out the captaincy patch, the ny & nfl patch in the shoulder yoke, and the rbk on the sleeves…there weren’t enough extras on the jersey
where are they gonna put this tho?
#33 by Jim MI on 09.05.08 10:38 am |
LI Phil said:
The Lions have that anniversery ptach for them sucking all these years, where they going to put that on the captain? GU going on top?
#34 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 10:40 am |
Ryan,
Good call on the Manning helmet connectors!
Phil,
Love the sentiment concerning the XLIII patch.
Everyone,
Is it just me or should Scott Little, my new hero, be drinking a White Russian?
http://farm4.static....
http://actualmalice....
#35 by Kevin on 09.05.08 10:41 am |
This may be a stupid question, and maybe it was answered last year when they were introduced, but what is the significance of the yellow stars on the Captaincy patches vs. the white stars?
Eli Manning last year with ONE yellow star.
Eli Manning this year with TWO yellow stars.
#36 by Kevin M. on 09.05.08 10:44 am |
Kevin said:
Each Yellow one denotes the years as a captain
#37 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 10:44 am |
LI Phil said:
On the Packers jerseys. Not sure why they’d put them on a team that just got knocked out of the playoffs. That’d be weird.
#38 by Rob Hinkle on 09.05.08 10:45 am |
Kevin said:
Each yellow star signifies when a player has been a captain so any player who was a captain last year should have two stars this year, any new captains would only have one.
#39 by chance on 09.05.08 10:46 am |
Kevin M. said:
So apparently nobody will be allowed to be a captain more than four years in a row.
#40 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 10:46 am |
Kevin said:
according to mr. lukas The patches will be color-coordinated to match each jersey, and the gold star underneath the “C” marks the number of years that the player has been a captain under the league’s new captaincy initiative.
…so there ya go
#41 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 10:48 am |
chance said:
Also being captain for years previous was aparently a waste of time.
#42 by David T on 09.05.08 10:51 am |
Don’t know if anyone already mentioned this here, but the Vikings are going to have season-long captains this season and thus wear the C patches.
http://www.startribu...
#43 by Paul Lukas on 09.05.08 10:57 am |
At long last, our site-search function is back. Enjoy.
#44 by Deemer on 09.05.08 10:58 am |
In regards to the Sears blanket, I too had that same set.
When I saw the blanket it all came rushing back to me. There was red satin at the top and I believe the bottom of the piece. the one thing that seems to stick in my mind is how itchy the blanket was. If I recall the blanket seemed to be made of something along the lines of polyesther or acrylic.
#45 by interlockingtc on 09.05.08 11:01 am |
re: Mike Cooperman’s pennant collection.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love Mr. Met any more than I do, I discover he has a little cleat on the bottom of his shoes!
#46 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 11:05 am |
MPowers1634 said:
MPowers1634 said:
Here ya go, All Schutts, Two Air Advantage, 1 Air XP, and a DNA:
http://assets.nydail...
#47 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 11:14 am |
Paul Lukas said:
c’mere
#48 by Johnny O on 09.05.08 11:15 am |
Anyone in the Wisconsin area hear/see who the Packers are gonna have for Captains this year??
#49 by Kevin on 09.05.08 11:18 am |
Duckstyle said:
Good point. Seems to be a flawed system.
#50 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 11:23 am |
Johnny O said:
This guy:
http://www.chattahbo...
#51 by gsaldi on 09.05.08 11:32 am |
Jason Gomez said:
this is way different though. i like the patch cause you can tell they arent doing it just for the sake of doing it.
#52 by Jason Gomez on 09.05.08 11:35 am |
gsaldi said:
I understand that, it just seems too big
#53 by Paul Lukas on 09.05.08 11:39 am |
Nathan said:
Now fixed.
#54 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 11:43 am |
Jason Gomez said:
It’s huge. I don’t know why a simple helmet sticker wasn’t good enough. The more I see so many patches clutter up jerseys, the more I start to like the stickers. They’re still noticable but don’t ruin teh look of a jersey. They still make you go, “Huh, I wonder who that sticker is for?” Which, I assume, is the whole reason for them in the first place, to drum up interest in the folks who died and extend their legacy. Maybe there’s a league-wide patch maker that’s got the goods on Goodell or something. Which is kinda the same reasoning I used for why Juan Uribe still has a job with the White Sox. He stumbled upon Kenny Williams and (not his wife) having a “nightcap”.
#55 by Roger on 09.05.08 11:59 am |
“So: Then a quick bike ride, during which I got a flat, then off to Manhattan for a friend’s gallery opening (awesome show — highly recommended to all NYCers), then back home to Brooklyn, where I was relieved not to find anything else in my in-box that would require a rewrite. It occurred to me that I hadn’t given any thought to dinner, so I sautéed some tomatoes from my garden. As I sat down to eat them, I suddenly realized I’d missed the first half of the Giants/’Skins game.
So how was your day?”
I still don’t have power in my house after Gustav and didn’t have running water for much of Thursday. Could be worse for you.
#56 by Jason Gomez on 09.05.08 12:02 pm |
Duckstyle said:
I agree with the sticker, there is no need to make people remember a guy who did nothing for retired players other than threaten to break their necks, he was a Raider and worked in the NFL as a Raider.. and thats not a good thing.
#57 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 12:14 pm |
I think one of us should go check on Ricko!
#58 by Mr. Met on 09.05.08 12:18 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
“Quick Keith, change your name to Keith Cinco Cinco!!”
Best comment of the day by far…
#59 by 131monkeys on 09.05.08 12:20 pm |
Dan OConnor said:
Noticed that too.
He Must still be wearing his old LSU shoudlerpads.
Here’s a pic from last year.
#60 by James P. on 09.05.08 12:32 pm |
Seeing those ventage NFL bed sheets reminded me that my mother-in-law still has my brother-in-law’s 1982 NFL bed set. (eBay auction for the image: http://cgi.ebay.com/... )
I have actually slept on the sheets as they are still in great shape and my then future in-laws did not want me sleeping in the same bed as their daughter till we were married. They still have the full set that was ordered from the 1982 Sears Wishbook. Complete bed set and window treatments. It was like a flashback to my youth…just needed GIjoes and Transformers scattered on the floor to complete the flashback.
#61 by Ricko on 09.05.08 12:36 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Not to worry. Gainful employment just gets in the way sometimes. Besides, I’ve grown tired of reading of patches, field logos and Gene Upshaw as Jackie Robinson.
And whoever said earlier he hoped teh NFL wasn’t doing it all just because it could…I think that is EXACTLY what’s happening.
Decent man, helluva football player.
But he worked for the union, NOT the league.
MLB’s salute to Marvin Milkes, for example, was more along the lines of “Good Riddance.”
The whole thing just smacks of some sort of, at best, self-absorbed leaguewise masturbation or, at worst, pandering.
#62 by Stuby on 09.05.08 12:37 pm |
Taha said:
The second section on that page is uni-related also.
#63 by Stuby on 09.05.08 12:39 pm |
Ricko said:
Marvin Who?
#64 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 12:41 pm |
Stuby said:
marvin milkes
/i thought he was taking about marvin miller too!
#65 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 12:43 pm |
Ricko said:
you’re not a community organizer?
#66 by Alex on 09.05.08 12:45 pm |
anyone else think that original Apple Computer Company logo was super cool?
#67 by John T on 09.05.08 12:51 pm |
the All – Ireland Hurling final will be held on Sunday, the winners to get newly designed medals, details here
http://www.rte.ie/sp...
Old Medal sample here
http://www.clarelibr...
I hope your watching on Sunday Teebz…Cats vs the deise, should be a cracker….
#68 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 12:53 pm |
LI Phil said:
Moose hunting trips get in the way too.
#69 by marty on 09.05.08 1:02 pm |
I don’t know if anybody has mentioned this, but does Chad realize his last name is now “eight five”, not “eighty five”. 85 is pronounced “ochenta y cinco”.
#70 by DenverGregg on 09.05.08 1:08 pm |
Paul Lukas said:
I wish I hadn’t clicked. Yikes. Not safe for lunch.
#71 by Ricko on 09.05.08 1:09 pm |
LI Phil said:
Oops, thinking about Miller remind me of Milkes, whom I knew from days in WHA. Was thinking about them both nd typed the wrong name.
Now, see, if one of ‘em’s first name had been “Hiram”, for god’s sake, that wouldn’t have happened.
(smacks forehead, does famous online Homer Simpson imitation: “Dohhh!”)
(equally famous online Elvis imitation: “Thank you vurr much.”)
Amazing, huh.
(I also do online AND real-life William Henry Harrison: “Jesus, I been hockin’ up lugies ever since the parade.”)
#72 by Ricko on 09.05.08 1:13 pm |
LI Phil said:
Oh, my, NO, I wouldn’t want everyone at the country club thinking I was an ineffectual loser.
#73 by Mike on 09.05.08 1:20 pm |
http://www.startribu...
go there and click on RNC Day 3 to see pics of Sarah Palin’s daughter’s husband to be.
#74 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 1:22 pm |
As a sneakerhead, I try to keep abreast of trends within the discipline.
This item by Reebok should be filed under ridiculous:
http://dimemag.com/2...
http://solecollector...
http://a712.g.akamai...
#75 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 1:25 pm |
Mike said:
Let’s stay away from any type of Politics and non-Uni talk, please!!!
#76 by Kek on 09.05.08 1:26 pm |
marty said:
Yawn, is it me or is this reaching “what’s the green dot?” levels?
Look, hasn’t anyone been around a baseball field or other sporting event? I wore 24 in high school and when I was at the plate I would hear things like “come on now two-four” “whaddaya say two-four”, etc, etc. Nobody said “come on twenty-four”.
It’s rather common to refer to a double digit number as individual numbers. So, if you call him eight-five, then ocho cinco is correct.
If I hear one more damn person say “you know, ocho cinco means eight five not eighty-five”….
#77 by Jim MI on 09.05.08 1:32 pm |
Kek said:
Agreed, but if you don’t read comments everyday like we do then I guess he could have missed the explaination…
#78 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 1:32 pm |
Ricko said:
Then go and move that Brown Audi out of the judge’s spot, chop, chop!
#79 by Teebz on 09.05.08 1:33 pm |
Jim MI said:
No, you’re right about Troy being born in Moose Jaw, but we’re talking about an equipment guy here. They’re vitally important to the game, but I doubt anyone is tuning in to HNIC to see him work.
This would be like half of Pensacola, Florida tuning in to an NFL broadcast to see the guy holding the parabolic microphone.
His job is important without any doubt. But it’s not like he’s one of the stars on the ice. Delusions of grandeur?
#80 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 1:37 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Something else ridiculous:
http://www.sportsdep...
#81 by mike 2 on 09.05.08 1:43 pm |
No discussion of tennis uniforms is complete without mentioning Anne White at Wimbledon in 1985
http://www.mensvogue...
(sorry for linking to a goofy article but it was the best photo I could find)
#82 by Alan #44 on 09.05.08 1:47 pm |
Has the Yankee All-Star mystery been solved?
#83 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 1:52 pm |
Alan #44 said:
no
but it’s NOT roy white
#84 by ScottyJ in WV on 09.05.08 1:53 pm |
Deemer said:
I had a rush of memories as well. I had that exact set on my bed for several years when I was growing up. I LOVED the Sears and Penney’s Christmas catalogs! Couldn’t wait to see all of the NFL stuff! Used to have about a dozen of the replica jerseys that had the team name on the front over the number.
Yep, brings back lots of memories.
#85 by Jim MI on 09.05.08 1:56 pm |
Teebz said:
True, no one cares about the Equipment guy until you need him. Major unsung hero.
But think of the people in Mossejaw knowing the game is delayed for what the announcer is calling equpiment problems. “Hurry up Troy!!” lol funny.
#86 by ScottyJ in WV on 09.05.08 1:56 pm |
mike 2 said:
Remember that well. Got a LOT of play around here ’cause Anne’s a good ol’ West Virginia girl…..grew up right here in my hometown (Charleston).
#87 by Lee on 09.05.08 1:57 pm |
The Tennessean has an article about high school football helmets and decals
http://www.tennessea...
separate side note…Titan rookies got real nameplates for their lockers yesterday replacing paper name tags…aawwwww
#88 by ScottMason on 09.05.08 2:00 pm |
You are correct about the red satin on both sides. I would have gotten a better shot of that except for my son thinking it was fun to slide on the blanket on the slick kitchen floor. That’s why it’s wrinkled. And yes…not the most comfortable. But, ah, the memories.
#89 by Teebz on 09.05.08 2:05 pm |
Teebz said:
As I re-read that part, I get visions of this. LOL
#90 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 2:09 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Wow, just wow. So whats the high/low on number of idiots that’ll still use a sharpie and get pissed when it doesn’t wipe off.
#91 by Juan Grande on 09.05.08 2:10 pm |
chance said:
Maybe the NFL will treat it like the military does on some of its ribbons/medals. If you earn a second award of the same medal then you can ear a bronze-colored star on it. On reception of the fifth award then a single silver-colored star instead. Sixth awrd you wear one silver and one bronze star, and so on.
So maybe after 5 years as caption, you get to wear a silver star
#92 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 2:11 pm |
ScottyJ in WV said:
she marry her cousin?
;)
j/k scotty…you know i loves ya
#93 by Marty on 09.05.08 2:21 pm |
My apologies “Twenty Four”. I rarely read this “blog” portion.
Sorry, Paul Lukas. I’m not trying to play mean.
#94 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 2:21 pm |
PhillyFan said:
Not so much the team going with it as the player. His 1st start in 2006, uncuffed; the rest of the season cuffed. Last year pretty much uncuffed.
The punter Durrant Brooks was uncuffed. Didn’t see Todd Collins last night but he tends to be uncuffed.
#95 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 2:31 pm |
chance said:
The NFL knows what the American public wants these days…TERM LIMITS!
#96 by Mr. Met on 09.05.08 2:31 pm |
lwiedy said:
I agree; the Dolphins sleeves are spandex-style cuffed sleeves, but if you see pix of Marino, Feidler, Green, etc. they would usually have screened-on stripes.
I always assumed that QBs didn’t like the way the cuffed sleeve restricted their arm movement……..?
#97 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 2:36 pm |
LI Phil said:
true…but the new jerseys are now 8% faster
#98 by Tom Farley on 09.05.08 2:37 pm |
(I also do online AND real-life William Henry Harrison: “Jesus, I been hockin’ up lugies ever since the parade.”)
BWAH! Well-played, Ricko.
#99 by Kek on 09.05.08 2:39 pm |
Marty said:
No..actually you DO read the blog portion, what you don’t read is the comments.
I’m sorry that I came off harsh, it’s just I can only hear it so many times. Just wanted to make the point. There’s been a lot of ocho cinco talk in the past few weeks and I guess I’m just tired of it all.
#100 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 2:40 pm |
Mr. Met said:
Class project for this weekend. How many Non-QB’s, P’s & K’s not cuffed?
#101 by Teebz on 09.05.08 2:44 pm |
lwiedy said:
None in the NHL that I can find. Everyone has proper sleeves and cuffs. ;o)
#102 by MPowers1634 on 09.05.08 2:44 pm |
lwiedy said:
Let’s stay away from any type of Politics and non-Uni talk, please!!!
Funny, but it just causes trouble!
#103 by Kek on 09.05.08 2:47 pm |
Lee said:
neat article, although I wish it would have had more pictures (perhaps there were some in the print edition?).
I know someone that won’t like this quote:
Kek said:
On a related a note, I do a little freelance stuff on the side for a small, weekly paper in my hometown. Anyway, after seeing all these great stories about HS helmets from other parts of the country as well as having the resource of that PA Helmet site, I pitched the idea of doing a story on some local teams.
The editor says to me “sounds neat, but I don’t know how much you could write on just helmets”. Of course the uni-geek in me just shrugged that off.
Little does he know a five-part series could be done and you’d still leave info out!
#104 by Glen on 09.05.08 2:48 pm |
al said:
the 60 looks a bit crooked, Clinton style
#105 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 2:53 pm |
Teebz said:
How ’bout them serifs on Eli’s jersey! ;-)
#106 by Glen on 09.05.08 2:53 pm |
Glen said:
I mean the 6 in the top link
#107 by Teebz on 09.05.08 2:56 pm |
lwiedy said:
He’s a QB. He didn’t count in this…
OH, I GET IT! ;o)
#108 by Stephen on 09.05.08 2:57 pm |
David O’Brien, the AJC’s beat writer for the Atlanta Braves, apparently Gets It(tm). Check out his beat blog today.
~E~
#109 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 2:57 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Let’s stay away from any type of Politics and non-Uni talk, please!!!
Funny, but it just causes trouble!
Did I really need sarcasm tags? I’m going to fire my writer, he’s not very funny.
#110 by Greg V. on 09.05.08 3:06 pm |
Keith Rivers got his number.
http://www.bengals.c...
No “Cinco Cinco” name change yet.
$11,000 isn’t too bad. Didn’t Jerry porter try to change his number with the Raiders and the cost was several hundred thousand dollars? I guess with Rivers being a rookie the stock of jerseys he had to buy wasn’t as big.
#111 by PhillyFan on 09.05.08 3:12 pm |
Just unloaded $275 for an authentic Philadelphia Eagles RBK McNabb jersey, including new NFL shield patch.
Does anyone know where I can get an “GU 63″ patch so I can make the jersey truly Season 08 authentic?
#112 by Stuby on 09.05.08 3:18 pm |
Greg V. said:
How did he get to change his number and the cat from Detroit didn’t?
#113 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 3:25 pm |
PhillyFan said:
Why on Earth does it cost $100 more to buy an authentic Eagles jersey, than an authentic Packers jersey? Anyone? Now I realize it’s a supply and demand issue, but $100 difference, really?
#114 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 3:26 pm |
LI Phil said:
packer fans aren’t stupid?
#115 by Mr. Met on 09.05.08 3:27 pm |
PhillyFan said:
So despite a relatively small amount of jerseys being produced with the old #58, Reebok wanted this guy to pay them $11,000? Is there something in the contracts that these guys sign that specifically says “if you change your number after xxx date, then you will owe Reebok for the jerseys that have been produced in your old number and are now unsellable”……?
#116 by Mr. Met on 09.05.08 3:32 pm |
Duckstyle said:
Probably for the same reason that most MLB authentic jerseys run in the $250 and above range yet you can get an authentic Yankee jersey for $150: The more junk on the jersey, the more they want you to pay for it.
#117 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 3:49 pm |
LI Phil said:
I resemble that remark.
#118 by B Root on 09.05.08 3:53 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
I actually think those Nike spats are the shit. Wish they would have had them 5 years ago when I was playing in college.
#119 by Ricko on 09.05.08 4:00 pm |
B Root said:
But the swoosh is backwards.
No, wait. Hmmm…what a clever ploy to deceive tacklers.
#120 by LarenR on 09.05.08 4:09 pm |
B Root said:
So, Nike got tired of players taping over their swoosh. Their first solution was to put the logo on the toe (I don’t have time to find a pic…I’m sure Sir Powers can hook us up), and now they’ve said, “wait a second, lets just put a giant swoosh on the tape (well, tape-substitute).”
Love them or hate them (or, like me, fall somewhere in the middle), there is no denying that the folks in Nikeland are marketing geniuses!
#121 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 4:14 pm |
LarenR said:
like so?
#122 by LarenR on 09.05.08 4:17 pm |
LI Phil said:
And so. (turns out I did have time for a quick search…)
#123 by chance on 09.05.08 4:18 pm |
Mr. Met said:
Another good reason to appreciate simple, classic design.
#124 by LarenR on 09.05.08 4:26 pm |
chance said:
A fair point, Chance, but to save the hundred bucks, you’d have to own a Yankees jersey. I’d rather spend the extra $$. :-P
#125 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 4:27 pm |
LarenR said:
and cetera
actually…this one looks frikkin schweet
#126 by Kate on 09.05.08 4:30 pm |
chance said:
I had no idea the difference in prices for authentic NFL jerseys. From NFL shop and everything. I was assuming that you could find better deals on jerseys shopping at other outlets, but I just don’t know why some jerseys must cost more than others.
Least expensive authentic.
Most expensive authentic.
Who would have said off the top of their had most expensive NFL jersey = Jacksonville Jaguars?????
#127 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 4:32 pm |
LarenR said:
so…a NOB costs $100? are home red sox jerseys $100 less than any other (besides jankee) jersey?
how much more ‘junk’ is on a philly authentic than a pack one?
not buying this line of reasoning…
#128 by Teebz on 09.05.08 4:35 pm |
Or, if you want an authentic for cheap, I can acquire them for about $150 US.
Yes, it’s through an authentic dealer, and he and I have an agreement so that I can get them at cost. I fix his computers for free, and he provides me with a jersey if/when I want/need one.
#129 by LarenR on 09.05.08 4:41 pm |
LI Phil said:
My guess is, like First CityWide Change Bank: volume. NFL sells more Pack (loyal fans) or Colts (recent run of success) jerseys, so can have a tighter profit margin. Jax, on the other hand has a smaller regional fan-base and hasn’t won enough to attract national fans, so has to charge more to make their moolah.
#130 by david on 09.05.08 4:46 pm |
..just spat like Walter Payton and players like him. TAPE! I was an equipment manager for years and I used to spat guys all the time. The look is cleaner.
#131 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 4:48 pm |
LarenR said:
That was basically my supply and demand assumtion. But still, it irritates me to no end. And that’s coming from a guy that never wanted an authentic to begin with, and supports a team on the cheap side.
#132 by Ricko on 09.05.08 4:52 pm |
david said:
Trouble is, with NFL rules specifying that tape must be same color as the shoes, guys spatted up in black shoes and black tape look they have anvils for feet.
I mentionend this last Saturday afternoon, but if you wanna see that “old school, white tape on black shoes” look check out Northwestern. They must have tape bill that’s through the roof.
#133 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 4:59 pm |
LI Phil said:
and?
oh…wait…i guess we’re talking about the “it’s better to look good than to play good” skool here…
don’t want no ankle support if it’s gone make ya look like bad
#134 by The Hemogoblin on 09.05.08 4:59 pm |
LI Phil said:
It is at least in the flow of the pattern… which is better than most Nike swooshes.
#135 by Duckstyle on 09.05.08 5:04 pm |
LI Phil said:
Thanks, Billy Hoyle.
#136 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 5:11 pm |
Duckstyle said:
i’ll tell you what…why don’t we take all these bricks and build a shelter for the homeless, so maybe your mother will have a place to stay
#137 by Ricko on 09.05.08 5:34 pm |
LI Phil said:
Whoa, wasn’t saying don’t DO it, just saying maybe not as eye appealing as other looks from that…”style”. Of course, if it makes you look nice and slow when you’re actually nice and FAST…maybe isn’t a bad thing if someone’s trying got cover you.
Actually, what I really was driving at was: Who care if players put white tape on black shoes, for god’s sake…other the NFL and it’s Fashion Cops? For the NFL, it has nothing to do with how it looks (why would you wanna make your athletes look slow?), it’s about not letting too much individuality onto the field. Gotta watch out for anyone trying to be too” flashy”. Oooo…bad stuff. Might make that player, I dunno, interesting.
Speaking of that, anyone know if Fred Smoot got fined for his yellow shoes last night, or were only the toes yellow so he was able to get away with them?
—Ricko
#138 by LI Phil on 09.05.08 5:44 pm |
LI Phil said:
and who else really matters?
LI Phil said:
while i think the no fun league definitely takes it too far…forgive me if this sounds old fashioned, but i do think there is something to the concept of team play…you look like a team…you feel like a team…and pretty soon, goddammit, you start acting like a team
NGOML!
#139 by =bg= on 09.05.08 6:17 pm |
Related to the tennis thread; Watch Roddick hit the serve INTO the court. Straight down, into the clay….BAM. Never seen this before.
http://www.youtube.c...
#140 by =bg= on 09.05.08 6:19 pm |
mike 2 said:
Ah yes. That photo was in the original version of the article, musta left it out. Anne White’s catsuit. Wimbledon says mostly-white is the rule, but how’d they let her play in that.
#141 by BS on 09.05.08 6:36 pm |
Kek said:
He refers/referred to himself as eighty-five though. Maybe that’s why people continue to bring it up.
#142 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 6:45 pm |
LarenR said:
Packers & Colts numbers (and lettering) are single color and relatively common in design, Eagles & Jags (for instance) are three color numbers with designs exclusive to them. Got to be at least a little more expensive to stock them. Not saying that’s the reason, just a theory.
Is there a difference in the price of the replicas?
#143 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 6:53 pm |
lwiedy said:
Jags & Eagles have dual sleeve patches that the Pack & Colts don’t. I remember AGES ago when you wanted to buy an MLB authentic they were around $75. If you wanted to buy a Cardinals, they were about 50% more due to the embroidery.
#144 by BS on 09.05.08 6:53 pm |
Look here for a pic of Cooley’s new facemask:
http://www.washingto...
It’s the 5th pic. It shows a front shot, but not much of the rest of the helmet.
#145 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 7:13 pm |
BS said:
Nice slideshow. #16 has all the linebackers with the wide sleeve numbers (discussed earlier), so I guess anyone “off-the-ball” has wide #’s on the Skins.
Eli’s TD shouldn’t have counted (#2), that sock is clearly a violation of league guidelines.
#146 by BS on 09.05.08 8:06 pm |
In case anybody cares about the high school-Nike uniform game thingy, Armwood’s unis do not look any different than normal. Man I wish I could be at my high school’s game. Go Bloomingdale, beat TBT!!!
#147 by Concerned Citizen on 09.05.08 8:21 pm |
Bottom 1st of the Red Sox-Rangers game: Josh Beckett has his zipper undone on the mound — someone else more enterprising can post a screen grab…
#148 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 8:29 pm |
Concerned Citizen said:
If he keeps it up (or in this case, down) will we come up with a nickname for that?
#149 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 8:40 pm |
BS said:
The game is on here in Tampa. Guess they got thier sell out by noon Thursday.
#150 by lwiedy on 09.05.08 9:03 pm |
lwiedy said:
Armwood was just penalized for “failure to wear proper equipment” I’d live to know what that was for.
#151 by Patrick S. on 09.05.08 11:16 pm |
lwiedy said:
The Beckett Boner?
#152 by Stuby on 09.05.08 11:31 pm |
Patrick S. said:
The Beckett Barn-Door
#153 by Jacob on 09.05.08 11:54 pm |
the University of Virginia will be wearing retro game jerseys against richmond tomorrow.
http://www.virginias...