The long-awaited Oklahoma City Thunder uniforms were finally unveiled yesterzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….
Okay, so I pulled that same joke when the Rays’ uniforms were unveiled, but c’mon — these things are so generic, they might as well just have “Basketball Team” printed on the front and then they could have a cameo scene in Repo Man. It’s not like they’re ugly, mind you. Au contraire, the colors are reasonably pleasing, the road jersey typography would look pretty cool on a 1960s NCAA team, and the whole package is admirably gewgaw-free. But for an NBA team rebranding itself? It’s tempting to call it a joke, except jokes are funny. This is just sad.
The most inexplicable part is the heavy use of sky blue, which is called “sky blue” because it refers to, y’know, the sky. Which you see on a clear day. When there’s no thunder. I mean, seriously, it doesn’t take a meteorology degree to figure out that there’s some sort of disconnect going on here.
Eyesore? Nope. More like eyesnooze. I’ll let you decide which is worse. (Additional pics here and here, and a video of the unveiling is available here.)
Uni Watch Site Protocol Question: As you all know, I tend to list contributors’ names in boldface in the Ticker. Truth to tell, I’ve never been in love with this protocol. I only got in the habit of it because someone at ESPN.com took it upon him- or herself to start bold-ifying the name of any reader mentioned in one of my columns, so I went along with it and stuck with it when I started this site.
But the bold thing has always struck me as visually jarring and borderline pretentious. I’ve started phasing it out of my ESPN columns (where readers no longer get mentioned very often anyway, because most reader contributions end up over here on this site), and nobody seems to have noticed or minded. Should I do away with it here too? Such an earthshaking issue of such monumental import — what to do, what to do.
Here’s what I’ll do: Today I’m going to run a boldface-free Ticker, just to see how it looks. Consider it a provisional experiment. Feedback welcome, although all the usual “This isn’t a democracy” caveats apply. Further policy updates to follow.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Was DeMarcus Ware wearing the wrong pants on Sunday? Sure looks that way (great catch by L.I. Phil). … Michigan Stadium celebrated its 500th game on Saturday and marked the occasion on the field. Craig Barker notes that the typeface for the on-field logo was based on the stadium’s exterior signage. … According to a small item in this article, Reebok will soon unveil a new shoe “called ATR Talkin’ Krazy, which will come with a dry-erase marker that easily wipes clean after writing a message on the shoe” (with thanks to Seth Horowitz). … Casey Wurzbach reports that Jeopardy! recently trotted out a new category, featuring clues only slightly more difficult than “What does a ‘Stop’ sign mean?” The contestants “breezed right through it,” says Casey. … I don’t think I’ve ever written about jai-alai, in large part because I know so little about it (other than it’s wicked fast and even wickeder hard to spell). But here’s a tutorial from Steve Bevacqua: “Years back, before the fronton in Milford, Connecticut, closed for good, I used to love going over there and catching the games. When they switched uniform styles to a new, more modern look, they gave away ALL the old jerseys to the crowd, and I wound up with one of my most favorite items in my closet — a game-worn jai-alai jersey [here’s the rear view]. It’s a Champion nylon mesh. The 5 is on the front, as it is on all black jerseys, 72 is the individual player number. Much like horse racing has standardized color-and-number matching, so does jai-alai — black and 5 always go together, as do red and 1, blue and 2, all the way up to purple and 8 (ick!), so each player would have eight different jerseys depending on which place he drew in the match, with his own number on the back. Does Champion still make jerseys like this?” Good question. Anyone..? … Do-over from yesterday, cuz I botched the link: FNOB being worn by BJ Scott. … Really interesting note from Michael Belling, who writes: “I work for a fireworks company and was up on the roof at Shea for Sunday’s game and ceremonies (no I didn’t jump, although I can’t say anyone would blame me). I got some good pictures from up there, one place most Mets fans never get to see. It’s definitely an experience to be up there. There are no real railings or protection from the edges, and the Mets kind of leave us on our own. Very few people outside of the Mets organization know that during Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006, we were up on the roof setting up an enormous fireworks display all around the stadium, which we would have fired had the Mets been able to clinch a spot in that year’s World Series. I had my finger on the button during Beltran’s game-ending final at-bat in that game. Alas, I was then there until about 3am removing all of the fireworks, repacking them and bringing them home.” Check out his full slideshow here. … Also from Michael: Hanley Ramirez’s batting helmet still had its All-Star Game decal all the way through the end of the season. … eBay stuff: Nice old flannel jerseys here and here, old hoops uniforms here and here, a Tiger Stadium usher’s uni here, and a different kind of tiger here. … New hoops uniforms for Wichita State (men’s on left, women’s on right). “These will also come in black version, which was worn last year, and a yellow version, which will be new,” says Patrick Chippeaux. “Also the school will be placing WU Shock at mid-court.” … The Blazers will wear a memorial strip for Kevin Duckworth this season. Here’s a closer look (with thanks to Travis Demers). … Soccer note from Max Levy, who writes: “West Ham United, who went briefly with blank spots where their bankrupt sponsor’s logo used to be, now have filled the empty space with panels featuring the player’s number. The numbers are in black, on a white panel, which is unusual for two reasons: First, teams typically do not display the player’s number on the front of his shirt in club soccer (although national teams do); and second, the white panel and black type do not have any visual relation to the West Ham United, whose colors are claret and blue with white shorts.” … Most beautiful Jets photo ever? Could be. “It was in the Mets’ final-week program, thoroughly a history-of-Shea publication,” says Scott Turner. “Amazingly for the Mets (their programs have always kinda stunk), there are lots of gorgeous photos in this one.” He promises to feed us more of them in the coming days. … Hahahaha (as forwarded by Jeff Landset). … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Maryland has started using merit decals. … Also from yesterday: Michael Huff wore a black chinstrap on Sunday. … Tod Meisner reports that Tulsa stuck with their throwback helmets on Saturday, even though they went back to their regular uniforms. Also: The “TTH” on the nose bumper stands for “Tougher Than Hell” … I want to take a minute to discuss, in all seriousness, the financial crisis. As many of you know, I can actually see Wall Street from the roof of my building, so I feel I have a pretty good grip on the situation. Okay, not really, but I can see my friend Amy’s parents’ house, and they can see Wall Street from the roof of their building (even though they’re old and probably don’t climb up on the roof too often), so I figure that should count for something. Anyway, I’m not too worried, because most of my holdings are in stirrups, which I figure should be the nation’s new monetary unit in another day or three. For those who wish to barter, the going rate is currently 10 gallons of gas per stirrup, which I assure you will seem like a bargain once I’ve cornered what remains of the hosiery market. … Happy New Year to those who are celebrating (esp. Ma & Pa Uni Watch).
#1 by Jim MI on 09.30.08 7:33 am |
Things on an NFL Helmet:
It is a type of mask that guards your face….
#2 by Jim MI on 09.30.08 7:37 am |
As for the non-bold face, first half of ticker had trouble determining between the readers and the actual people in the story. Thought DeMarcus Ware was a reader for a sec…
Anyways, by the end of the ticker I was used to it and didn’t even notice the bold face was gone. It’ll just take some getting used too.
Also, wasn’t the ‘Anti-spam word’ supposed to be a temporary thing? It’s fine and I don’t mind it, just wanting to know if my memory failed me (which it probably did)…
#3 by DenverGregg on 09.30.08 7:40 am |
FYI the Shea Stadium roof picture individual links didn’t work, but the slideshow link did. Great set of pics.
De-bolding works fine. Sort of a “Ditch the Black” for text, eh?
#4 by KF on 09.30.08 7:47 am |
I don’t mind the non-bold version, but one thing it did for me (that I now realize) is provide somewhat of a starting and ending point for each individual ticker item, so much that I never really noticed the ellipses before.
#5 by paulio on 09.30.08 7:55 am |
I liked the BOLD because it helped me determine the break between two ticker items. I’d be for the non-bold if the elipses were larger.
#6 by Mike on 09.30.08 8:21 am |
The blue on the OKC uniforms is the same blue as on the Oklahoma state flag. This was also the same blue as was used on lapel ribbons following the Murrah Building bombing in 1995. I am not asking one to like it, just providing context.
#7 by Taha on 09.30.08 8:24 am |
i vote to keep the bold only to make the ticker easier to read
if you decide against the bold, make the ticker bullet points instead of ellipses, although technically, it wouldn’t be a news ticker in that format.
#8 by Cornellian on 09.30.08 8:28 am |
I’m with Paulio. Bold helps note the break between ticker items. If I seem that User has an item about something I don’t care about, I can see that in a split second and skip to user2 without much thought. The ellipses don’t provide the same visual break and don’t guarantee you’ve moved on from User to User2. I’ve always seen it as more functional than pretentious. If you didn’t want to bold names, you could do something like this between entries: “// but I think the names are fine.
#9 by stateofmain on 09.30.08 8:32 am |
As a graphic designer, I liked the bold because it determined where ticker topics were clearly.
Personally, I skim quickly and look for names and ticker topics that interest me. Soccer? No interest. Nose bumpers? No. Baseball anything? YES. No bolding means, GASP, I can’t easily as skim and I have to slow down.
On an unrelated note, I missed the commie references today.
#10 by steve on 09.30.08 8:34 am |
Why not a new paragraph for each ticker item?
#11 by Funny Blog » Blog Archive » Guess We Can’t Accuse Them of Having Overdesigned This One on 09.30.08 8:35 am |
[…] Paul Lukas wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptVery few people outside of the Mets organization know that during Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006, we were up on the roof setting up an enormous fireworks bdisplay/b all around the stadium, which we would have fired had the Mets been able to b…/b […]
#12 by Fran on 09.30.08 8:38 am |
If you take the “?a=0″ off the Shea roof links they work.
#13 by Jim MI on 09.30.08 8:38 am |
What the six MON unis will look like for their 100 year celebrations.
http://images.tsn.ca...
Love the blue one that Saku is wearing to the left…
#14 by Marty on 09.30.08 8:47 am |
Nice Repo Man referrence. My personal favorite was the can of food Emillio was eating that just said “food”.
#15 by Robert on 09.30.08 8:47 am |
I prefer the bolded names for two reasons.
First, it is good for the egos of readers whose contributions are mentioned.
Second, and more importantly, the bold names break up the lengthy ticker. Sans bold, the ticker is a big giant paragraph that is tougher to read. This may just be a trick played on the eye, but I really see a difference in readability.
#16 by LI Phil on 09.30.08 8:49 am |
should say “home” jersey
i, too, vote for the use of bold if only to break up the ticker items…i also use them as “bookmarks” if you will when clicking on links…
#17 by SpartyCuse on 09.30.08 8:49 am |
Agree on the bold. It breaks up the ticker and makes it easier to read. If you dont want to bold names, could the ticker be in bullet list form? Would make it longer, but easier to read.
#18 by Scott in Erie on 09.30.08 8:52 am |
Call me a heretic, but I actually kind of like the OKC uniforms. Nice colors, clean lines. Considering all the crap that appears on some NBA uniforms a simple, unconstructed uniform like this is actually a refreshing change. No, there’s no logo on them. But then again, didn’t Toronto once have a dribbling dinosaur logo on their unis? Sometimes simpler is better.
#19 by Jeremiah on 09.30.08 8:55 am |
I didn’t have a problem with the non-bolded ticker. Whatever you choose, your readers will adjust.
On a uni note: I am an Angels fan and I have (thankfully) not seen the garish red alt of theirs for a little while now. Maybe they’ve gone Scott Proctor and burned all of them. One can hope. Anyway, I am hoping for an alt-free LAA-BOS division series (BOS’ red alt is even worse). I like both those teams’ regular unis just fine.
I also missed the commie references, but the Wall St./Palin one was funny.
#20 by Denis on 09.30.08 8:58 am |
3. I dont have a photo of it, but during the MNF intro when the Steelers and Ravens helemts were flying through the air, over the city…the Steelers helmet was on the right side of you TV screen facing the Ravens helmet, the Steelers logo was on the left side of the helmet, not the right (correct).
2. Ray Lewis had a visor on with the Ravens wordmark on it, ala Redskins
http://sports.yahoo....
3. Checkout these sweet Cooperalls for sale.
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
#21 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.30.08 9:01 am |
The “Stover Sleeve” that I found last week
http://farm4.static....
made it’s first live game appearance last night.
http://farm4.static....
Screen grab courtesy of the board from last night
#22 by scott on 09.30.08 9:03 am |
Please bring back the bold. Without the boldface, its hard to tell where you were when you come back after looking at the pics.
#23 by 5w30 on 09.30.08 9:04 am |
Champion is still in the team supply business, though not as heavy as they once were … providing the unis for the Jets and Bills … only fitting as they were based near Rochester NY and had those great outlet stores all over the place upstate, where one could buy a slightly-misprinted reverse-weave hoodie for next to nothing.
Champion was sold around 15 years ago to the folks who make Hanes … and production like most in the rag industry was taken overseas. IMHO they haven’t recovered as a brand since.
#24 by Hank on 09.30.08 9:08 am |
How about a compromise for the bold face. Instead of highlighting the names of the contributors, just bold face the first couple of words of each new entry?
#25 by Bob A on 09.30.08 9:11 am |
I’m with Scott. Its easier to find your place when you return from a link when the contributors name is bolded.
Plus, I hate when stuff changes.
#26 by =bg= on 09.30.08 9:12 am |
I agree, it seperates it by subject easily & quickly.
www.savethebold.com
#27 by LI Phil on 09.30.08 9:13 am |
if the bold must go (no biggie), i do think a suitable replacement may be needed…2 thoughts (one already stated)…how about bullet points or, failing that, is it possible to simply use another color (say,
purplered)…to designate the contributor’s name?#28 by Roger Faso on 09.30.08 9:18 am |
Agreed.
#29 by Daver on 09.30.08 9:18 am |
I vote to keep the bold, just because I’ve always liked putting bold (or underlined) text in parentheses. It’s like your messing with the reader: this isn’t that important, but I want to draw attention to it.
#30 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.30.08 9:19 am |
I had the pleasure of watching the game last night at Raven’s Stadium…
http://www.jerseynam...
http://www.jerseynam...
…and saw this great chin-strap sign in the locker room!
http://www.jerseynam...
#31 by Daver on 09.30.08 9:21 am |
The away OKC uniforms would be better if CITY was negatively arched below the number. That being said, I give the uniforms a B. It’s great to see basketball uniforms with normal striping.
#32 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.30.08 9:21 am |
I just so happened to have taken that pic last night!
http://www.jerseynam...
#33 by Paul Lukas on 09.30.08 9:34 am |
Thanks for all the feedback re: the bold. I agree — in the midst of what’s essentially a very long paragraph, the bold serves a useful place-finding function. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.
#34 by Heath on 09.30.08 9:36 am |
Tulsa’s helmet was a hybrid of their “throwback” and regular helmet. The regular TU helmet has the script Tulsa logo with no stripes and the “throwback” had the stripes with no logo. The helmet they wore on Saturday had both the stripes and the logo.
http://tulsahurrican... of photos at this link that show the different helmets.
#35 by Frank from B-more on 09.30.08 9:45 am |
Joe, what was the deal with the sleeve? At my house we figured it was out of respect for the TB kicker who lost his son, or was it another Upshaw memorial?
BTW great pix at M&T. I have the same one from a Spring Festival game we went to. A little purple on the old Uniwatch every now and again is not a bad thing.
#36 by Jim MI on 09.30.08 9:49 am |
This is very cool…
http://cgi.ebay.com/...
My grandma said this was her cousin. She remembers watching him play when she was little. I highly enjoy vintage hockey photos/drawings.
#37 by jon l on 09.30.08 9:53 am |
I didn’t know the Knicks were moving to Oklahoma City! Seriously, could these unis be any more similar to NY’s?
#38 by MV on 09.30.08 9:54 am |
Frankly I am shocked that we won’t see “OKC” used on the road jersey, ala “PHX” on the Suns jersey. I was hoping their jerseys would make me forget how awful their logo is…that didn’t happen.
#39 by interlockingtc on 09.30.08 9:56 am |
The OKC uniforms design is listless.
How many colors? And colors which induce sleep? How many borders around the numbers and wordmark? A wordmark which may as well say “I DON’T KNOW.”
NBA uniforms have reached their nadir. (At least until the next unveiling.)
#40 by interlockingtc on 09.30.08 9:57 am |
Oh…that Jets picture is glorious.
#41 by War Damn Eagle on 09.30.08 9:58 am |
Anyone else notice that it looked as though Walter McFadden was wearing white biker shorts last night? I hope he was fined for that, b/c it looked ridiculous.
http://sports.yahoo....
#42 by Chris in Nashville on 09.30.08 10:05 am |
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is going “blackout” tonight for their game again Florida Atlantic on ESPN 2. They are busting out black jerseys. It’s their first national television game at home in Murfreesboro (30 miles SE of Nashville)
http://www.gobluerai...
#43 by The Hemogoblin on 09.30.08 10:10 am |
The West Ham box matches their shorts perfectly, same color scheme there, so I don’t consider it abstract. It actually manages to tie the white shorts, which normally would contrast heavily, to the rest of the kit.
As for the bold, it really does make it easier to see who has contributed what.
#44 by Dustin on 09.30.08 10:13 am |
If you wanted something a little more subtle and still stands out a bit, italics could work, though I know that’s typically reserved for book and movie titles in some style guides.
#45 by JTH on 09.30.08 10:14 am |
And in other blackout news, the White Sox want everyone to wear black tonight…
“Hopefully, it will be pretty darn intimidating, and the Twins can see how it’s done Chicago style.”
…because the Crimson Tide were so obviously intimidated in Athens on Saturday.
#46 by Joe Hilseberg on 09.30.08 10:14 am |
It is 100% Upshaw related, but I don’t know what the heck it is???
#47 by Paul Lukas on 09.30.08 10:16 am |
I just emailed a query to the Ravens’ PR guy. Will advise.
#48 by Mike on 09.30.08 10:18 am |
Thank you for noticing that as well. I caught that at the begining of the broadcast and thought it looked horrible…is this something he is doing every week?
#49 by Cosmo on 09.30.08 10:21 am |
What’s interesting is that while Stover was leading a campaign to REPLACE Upshaw, he’s the only one doing a special tribute to the man.
#50 by Pretty Boy Paulie on 09.30.08 10:22 am |
Yes simpler is better…but the design looks like it’s missing something. It seems a little uninspired. More generic than anything.
This…
http://farm4.static....
falls short of these…
http://www1.pvsd.net...
http://www.boston.co...
http://espn.go.com/p...
http://www.nbaloud.c...
#51 by Scott B on 09.30.08 10:22 am |
Was that Lions Preseason Champs tshirt that was posted yesterday for real or a joke? I have a buddy from Detroit who wants to buy one.
#52 by Pretty Boy Paulie on 09.30.08 10:26 am |
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a “Whiteout”, since the team is called the “WHITE SOX”.
#53 by Mike on 09.30.08 10:27 am |
Can we start a “ditch the blackouts” campaign yet?
#54 by Pretty Boy Paulie on 09.30.08 10:28 am |
I still wished OKC went with “Barons” instead of “Thunder” and wore black and gold. These would have been so awesome to see..it could use some tweaking but these are very sharp!
http://i185.photobuc...
#55 by JTH on 09.30.08 10:30 am |
Yes, but only if you ditch whiteouts & stripeouts (and really anything-outs) as well.
#56 by El Rey on 09.30.08 10:31 am |
Forgive me, but what stadium is in this picture? Thanks!
#57 by Juan Grande on 09.30.08 10:40 am |
Isn’t that where they play the US Open for tennis?
#58 by John T on 09.30.08 10:41 am |
Yes, the Arthur Ashe Stadium
#59 by Juan Grande on 09.30.08 10:41 am |
It looked like a dreary day for the Mets game. Apparently God wasn’t rooting for the Mets.
#60 by Paul Lukas on 09.30.08 10:43 am |
Just heard back from the Ravens. Matt Stover will be wearing that black sleeve and patch all season long (which means they must have gotten a special dispensation from the league or something). I’ve asked to interview Stover and have been told I’ll probably get to speak with him on Thursday.
Is Stover the Ravens’ union rep? Was he particularly close with Upshaw? The Ravens are kinda giving me info in very small doses, so I’m trying to fill in a few blanks here.
#61 by Cosmo on 09.30.08 10:45 am |
From last year, “I feel that the board must begin to prepare for a change in leadership immediately,” Stover said in an e-mail to the union’s executive board and player representatives that was obtained Tuesday by ESPN. “I believe we have the proper environment with our teammates and leadership within the board to execute the process of this selection.”
http://www.usatoday....
#62 by Cosmo on 09.30.08 10:47 am |
Sorry, earlier this year, not last.
It seems really strange to me that he’d be the one with the tribute to Upshaw on his uni.
#63 by JTH on 09.30.08 10:49 am |
Damage control? He wants to let it be known that it was just business and not personal, perhaps?
#64 by Hot Rodd on 09.30.08 10:49 am |
Kind of off the wall question..
Does anyone have a blue old school dymo tape labeler, such as the kind the Cowboys use of their helmets?
Thanks
#65 by Paul Lukas on 09.30.08 10:50 am |
OK, that’s officially weird. It’s also weird that the NFL would allow any player to freestyle like this, even if it is for Upshaw. Very odd.
#66 by MP on 09.30.08 10:54 am |
I can’t believe that the biggest flaw in the OKC unis hasn’t been mentioned yet: radial arching! A vertical arch would have been a simple way to make the unis more ‘pro’ and less ‘high school’. The ‘City’ looks to be ever-so-slightly arched and that’s a problem as well. It’s not arched enough to stand out and at the same time draws one’s attention to it because it’s not horizontal either.
A second point is that the blue/orange/black color scheme is now on its third team: Knicks, Bobcats and Thunder. It seems derivative to me and that’s a shame given that they had the chance to be quite original.
#67 by JTH on 09.30.08 10:56 am |
Is that black or dark blue? The photos look black, but the drawings look blue.
#68 by Johnny O on 09.30.08 10:56 am |
I heard the two Sox radio announcers proclaim this “black out” late in the game last night on XM Radio and the conversation went something like this:
Guy #1 - “We were just told to announce that everyone coming to tomorrow’s game should wear silver and black. This will make the stadium very intimidating for the Twins. Granted, it didn’t work for Georgia this past week, but we are going to try to make it work anyways.”
Guy #2: - “No, no, no, no, no! We want everyone JUST to wear ALL BLACK… no silver!” The owners made it very clear to just wear all black”
Anyways, I just thought it was funny that the announcers were very adamant about the all black situation, and I immediately thought of Uni Watch.
As far as the OKC Thunder unis go… I do agree with Paul. They are called the Thunder. What goes with thunder? Black sky, lightning, storm clouds… and their colors are “sky blue” and “happy orange”? Come on. I think all people designing new uniforms should run them by this board first. Is that too much to ask for?
#69 by Juan Grande on 09.30.08 11:01 am |
You can still find them. We have a few at work. I can orger them from industrial-type supply companies. I’m sure somewhere like Michael’s, Hobby Town, or similar arts & crafts store would have them in stock.
#70 by JTH on 09.30.08 11:02 am |
On TV, Hawk Harrelson waved a black t-shirt to demonstrate. Y’know, in case you weren’t sure what he meant by “wear black.”
FYI, the radio announcers’ names are Ed Farmer (deeper voice, monotone delivery) and Steve Stone.
#71 by Pretty Boy Paulie on 09.30.08 11:02 am |
After watching last night’s Ravens / Steelers game…There must be something done to rid the NFL of the Leotard effect when teams wear their black pants with black socks.
The Ravens and Jaguars could use their pants striping on their white pants and apply it to their socks…like this.
http://img144.images...
http://img144.images...
How much better does that look?!
The Saints and Chargers could do the same.
#72 by Juan Grande on 09.30.08 11:02 am |
Since they are the “White Sox”, wouldn’t a white out make more sense? (yes, yes I know their affliction for black but still…)
#73 by Teebz on 09.30.08 11:03 am |
Phoenix pretty much killed the white-out in hockey. Thanks, Phoenix.
Although, the Flyers still uses the Orange Crush during playoff games, and it’s different. The Sea of Red in Calgary is also one of the originators of the -out, and it is still going strong today. The Kings tried a “Black-Out” and it made the arena look empty.
Word of wise to organizers of these events? Pick a colour that is bright and will stand out. Otherwise, your franchise comes off as “stupid”.
#74 by Hot Rodd on 09.30.08 11:05 am |
You’re Welcome Teebz :-)
#75 by Teebz on 09.30.08 11:05 am |
Damn HTML. But at least it makes sense now. :o)
#76 by Teebz on 09.30.08 11:08 am |
I guess I should watch how I frame that rant. I didn’t mean the entire population of the city! LOL
Too funny, Rodd. Well-played, sir!
#77 by Johnny O on 09.30.08 11:11 am |
Thanks for the info. Brewers fan here who was listening last night because of the significance of the game. The only thing I know about the announcers is that they say, “You can put it on the boarrrrrrrrrrrrrd… YES!”.. after a home run.
And honestly, do people think that insert color here-outs work? Do visiting teams really say, “Holy shit, I’m too scared to go out there tonight because all the fans are wearing black!!!”
#78 by Hot Rodd on 09.30.08 11:12 am |
Oh i’ve seen you rant on it before, and it doesn’t bother me. Hockey when it is 100 degrees outside doesn’t make much sense to me, but then I am a football man.
Seeing as The Coyotes never makes the playoffs anymore anyway, i guess the point is (sarcasm) mute (/sarcasm)
#79 by Jim MI on 09.30.08 11:12 am |
But on the other hand, didn’t understand this:
http://www.gettyimag...
PIT’s white out made it look like DET was at home with their white unis. They should have done a yellow out or something. Black does make the place look empty.
#80 by Teebz on 09.30.08 11:17 am |
Yes and no. I don’t think the players care too much, but it brings the fans together as one monsterous entity. They’ll be louder and more engaging in terms of their support which can, in turn, make the team play harder (in theory).
But from experience, that Sea of Red is wholly intimidating as a fan. You literally look around and all you see is red and a thundering noise. It kind of runs a few chills up and down your spine when you hear how loud 16,000 people can be as one entity.
And just as an aside, during the Jets’ days in the NHL, the crowd racked up a decibel level of 142 during introductions in the playoffs. That’s louder than a jet engine at 100-feet away or a gunshot right beside you, and is over the “loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection” of 140 dB.
Can it be intimidating? Probably. But the team has to respond for it to be effective.
#81 by Mike on 09.30.08 11:17 am |
As a WashCaps season ticket holder I liked the “Rock the Red” which was used in the playoffs last year, but this year they have changed it to “Unleash the Red”……enh…”Rock the Red” just sounded cooler. I will say for a town where hockey is at the bottom of the sports list, LOTS of people showed up in red.
#82 by Robert on 09.30.08 11:20 am |
I would offer that any franchise/university pushing a ______out (insert color of choice) is “stupid.” Forced events and tradition is just so contrived.
#83 by JTH on 09.30.08 11:22 am |