Kickers don’t get on the field very often, plus the Ravens had a bye in Week 2, so it’s taken a little while for the issue of Matt Stover’s black sleeve with the Gene Upshaw patch to reach critical mass. It’s been briefly mentioned in the Ticker and in the comments, but until this week I didn’t realize that Stover had been been wearing it all season long, as you can see in these shots from Week 1 (when he also wore the giant Upshaw chest patch), Week 3, and Week 4.
The whole thing seemed very odd, on a number of fronts. First, we all know the NFL usually frowns on uniform freestyling, so how was Stover getting away with this? The fact that Stover (who’s the Ravens’ union rep) was openly critical of Upshaw’s union leadership just six months ago only made things weirder.
On Tuesday I called the Ravens to get the scoop. They promised to make Stover available for an interview, which took place yesterday. Here’s how it went down:
Uni Watch: We’ve seen lots of memorials for Gene Upshaw this season — first there was a chest patch, then that was removed and changed to a helmet decal, except for the Raiders, who’ve kept wearing a smaller chest patch — but you’re the only player I’m aware of who’s worn a black sleeve and a sleeve patch. How come?
Matt Stover: That was one of the things that went out around the league. Now, being a kicker, it’s a little easier to wear a sleeve band. That’s really what it is, an arm band.
UW: It’s a band that covers your regular sleeve?
MS: Yeah. And it was made to go all the way around. And I think that became cumbersome. But what I did with my equipment guy, Ed Carroll, his lovely wife actually cut it and sewed it onto my jersey.
UW: So originally it was sort of like a sleeve around the sleeve, so to speak, and she did a little custom tailoring for you?
MS: A little tailoring work, yeah. She did such a great job. And because of that, it’s just easy to wear, it’s not a problem. It’s honorable to Gene, and what he’s done for us. And I just want the NFL to know the solidarity we had, even though, y’know, the letter that went out and all that, I just wanted to say, “Hey, look, NFL, we’re OK. Everybody’s good here.”
UW: When you refer to “the letter,” you’re talking about the e-mail that became public about six months ago, in which you were critical of Gene. Was that situation part of why you’ve chosen to wear the sleeve band, to make an extra gesture as a way of saying, “Hey, I disagreed with him, but I still respected him?” or something along those lines?
MS: Not something extra, no. I just wanted to make sure that — I mean, the letter did say that we’re supposed to wear it all year, from the NFL. So I’m going to honor that.
UW: You mean the patch?
MS: No, the arm band, for player reps.
UW: Oh, really? You mean this was the league’s idea all along, for player reps to wear the sleeve band?
MS: Yeah.
UW: But I believe you’re the only player rep who’s worn it.
MS: Well, that’s because we went the extra mile. My equipment guy asked if I wanted to do it, and I said sure. And you know, I wanted people to know that I am the player rep, I’m proud of it, and we’ve got unity, even with guys who have disagreed with Gene.
UW: I didn’t realize this was a league-initiated idea. Normally, as you know, the league is notoriously picky about uniform adjustments.
MS: I will say this: They’ve been really respectful to the death of Gene Upshaw, and what he’s meant to this league. They’ve been great. Putting the patch on the front of the jersey, yeah, that ended up being a little bit much, because with the captain’s patch and all the other things, it started getting a little bit out of hand. Then they put it on the back of the helmet, which is not bad at all. Doesn’t look too much like Nascar.
UW: But you wanted to keep something on the jersey.
MS: Yes. For respect.
UW: And again, that was the league’s idea?
MS: Yes, for union reps. And you know, I have not spoken to any of other reps around the league with regard to this, and what that meant to them, and why they’re not wearing it, and whatnot. To me, it doesn’t matter. I thought it was a good idea, so I’m wearing it.
UW: Has anyone on an opposing team, or even on your own team, said, “Hey, what’s up with your sleeve?” or whatever?
MS: They kinda look at me. One guy was starting to ask me about it right before I was getting ready to kick a field goal, and I went, “Dude, chill out — let me go kick it first, then we’ll talk about it.”
UW: This was someone on your team?
MS: Yeah.
UW: Who?
MS: I don’t remember, you know how it is in the middle of a game. He was all curious — “What’s that, Stoves?” I said, “C’mon, man, let me kick first.” So yeah, the guys wanna know what it is, and I just tell ’em, I’m the player rep and I’m just givin’ it up for Gene and the union.
Fair enough. Odd that the league never publicly announced anything about the union reps being encouraged to wear the sleeve tributes, though.
When you factor in all the other salutes (jersey patch, helmet decal, field memorial), I think it’s safe to say that Upshaw is probably the most memorialized person in NFL history. Which is pretty remarkable when you consider that the guy who basically invented the modern NFL only got a one-game helmet decal in Super Bowl XXXI.
Membership News: The good news is that we’ve gotten all sorts of cool membership orders lately (including Valerie Kyriakopoulos’s shout-out to former Browns great Leroy Kelly, shown at right; as always, you can see the full gallery of card designs here). The bad news is that a few unavoidable circumstances have kept us from processing them as quickly as I would have liked. But the good news is that about 15 cards should go out in today’s mail, and hopefully at least that many going out on Tuesday as well. My thanks to all enrollees for your patience.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Here’s a nice shot of the U. of Washington helmet cart (with thanks to Ian Reandeau). … Michael Alper reports that Syracuse now has a women’s hockey team. You can see their uniforms here. … Mike Stevens has noticed that Titans defenders sometimes have loose strings hanging off of their jerseys (presumably similar to the laces Bill Romanowski used to wear to make his jersey tighter). I hadn’t noticed this before. Anyone else..? … New hoops uniforms for Oklahoma. … Someone posted this in yesterday’s comments, which pretty got my eyes popping out of their sockets. Here’s why: Over the past five years or so, approximately skatey-eight bijillion Pats fans have told me the story about how the Pats once had a “mascot contest” during halftime, with fans being instructed to “vote” via applause for either Pat Patriot or a proposed replacement character. Pat won, so that was the end of that, but nobody has every come up with a photo of what the proposed replacement looked like. Several people have told me, however, that the replacement guy bore at least a superficial resemblance to Flying Elvis, a description that could arguably sorta-kinda apply to this fella. Can anyone fill in some of the blanks here? … “The minor league Fort Wayne [Indiana] Wizards are moving into a new ballpark and have decided to change their name, becoming the Fort Wayne Tin Caps (a reference to Johnny Appleseed, who’s buried in Ft. Wayne),” reports the pseudonymous Sean Bratton. “The team has now become the laughingstock of the town, soon to be playing in a new downtown stadium no one wanted. I don’t think the logo looks too bad, it’s just that the name would make the Ft. Wayne Strawberry Shortcakes sound intimidating.” … Sure enough, Oregon is getting new Nike uniforms — for the volleyball team (nobody likes a tease, Ken Ocker). … Could Golden State be getting a new mascot? Who really gives a fuck? Could be (with thanks to Brendan Tarpey). … Here’s something you don’t often see: a double-decker hyphenated subscript NOB. That’s Taj McWilliams-Franklin of the Detroit Shock (big thanks, as always, to Jeremy Brahm).
#1 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 9:07 am |
in re: today’s headline
if hovan did wear a black armband…would it look like this?
#2 by Joe Hilseberg on 10.03.08 9:08 am |
Awesome interview Paul! I’m surprised you didn’t ask him if he hates wearing purple? ;)
#3 by scott on 10.03.08 9:20 am |
When I first heard the name TinCaps, I thought the baseball team might be adopting some sort of golf terminology.
And I don’t think it’s accurate to characterize the new Fort Wayne ballpark as a stadium no one wanted. If that were the case, it certainly wouldn’t be getting built.
#4 by David on 10.03.08 9:23 am |
Typical America in the 21st Century. We’re about to elect a black Marxist as President, and Gene Upshaw is memorialized an ENTIRE season by every NFL team. Yeesh, he wasn’t in any official capacity in the NFL office, only the NFLPA head. This is the man who nearly caused an entire season in 1982 to go down the drain. I can understand if the Raiders want to wear a decal, but everyone else? Come on. This is the same NFL who denied Jake Plummer’s request to honor a real American hero, Pat Tillman. I’m sorry. Upshaw does not deserve this kind of adoration.
Yes, I realize the Chiefs and Bears have permanent memorials to their founders. But that’s different. You can’t talk about the history of professional football without talking about Lamar Hunt and George Halas. Which brings me to the next point…
How did Pete Rozelle get so shafted? Why didn’t every NFL team wear memorial patches and/or decals at the end of the 1996 season after he died? What, the commissioner of the NFL for 29 years, the man who brought us the Super Bowl, Monday Night Football, the merger, and everything else we know and love about the NFL today, is worth that much less than Gene Upshaw? If Rozelle were black, would we have seen a larger tribute? I bet so.
I was steaming mad about the Upshaw triubte before, but Stover’s armband was the breaking point. I will root so hard against that guy the rest of his career. He needs to be fined for that crap.
#5 by Stuby on 10.03.08 9:28 am |
I didn’t notice it yesterday, but that Pats mascot pretty much has the Union Pacific logo on his chest…
http://www.kremmling...
#6 by Scott on 10.03.08 9:28 am |
Fort Wayne native here, who has lived in NC for 15 years and attends many a Durham Bulls game … that new logo and nickname is brilliant. The tie to Johnny Appleseed is unique and the implementation with the logo is darn good, too.
FYI, the new stadium is being built right downtown in the perfect location for a mid-size city (as opposed to the previous stadium built outside of the core near a bypass).
Between that nickname and the hoops team the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (in honor of the city’s namesake General “Mad Anthony” Wayne), they’ve got two of the most creative looks in all of minor league sports. Kudos.
http://en.wikipedia....
#7 by Kevin on 10.03.08 9:31 am |
Is Joe Montana wearing baseball cleats in this photo?
#8 by PK on 10.03.08 9:32 am |
To David: I agree with your opinion, about how GU nearly ruined the NFL and it is because of him that salaries and (directly of this cause) pushing out the middle class ticket buyer….
but I (who is a BIG TIME McCain-Palin supporter/voter),feel that your point would have been better off without the “We’re about to elect a black Marxist as President”…
i believe your post would have made a much more significant point without that sentence….
(not that I don’t agree with you….but personal politics should stay off the board)
#9 by Pat on 10.03.08 9:34 am |
Wouldn’t the “subscript” you referred to on Taj McWilliams-Franklin’s NOB actually be a superscript since the baseline is shifted up?
I’m glad the Pats didn’t switch to that mascot BUT if there was a poster of that available I would pay handsomely for it.
#10 by ScottyJ in WV on 10.03.08 9:38 am |
Here’s a line from the Ft. Wayne press release, discussing some of the other names submitted…
Finally, there were those that were incongruous (such as “Fort Wayne Fighting Amish” and “Fort Wayne Mighty Gherkins”), those that were not particularly descriptive (“Fort Wayne Dudes”), those that were not very family friendly (including numerous named derived from that of former Mayor Harold Baals…
Harold Baals……what an unfortunate name. Heh.
#11 by Greg on 10.03.08 9:40 am |
And there was this list of proposed names for Fort Wayne.
10. Fort Wayne Newtons
9. Fort Wayne Dudes
8. Fort Wayne Weiner Dogs
7. Fort Knocks
6. Fort Wayne Fashizzle
5. iWiz
4. Fort Wayne Mighty Gherkins
3. Fort Wayne.ComPadres
2. Harrison SquarePants
1. Hoosier Daddies
#12 by ScottyJ in WV on 10.03.08 9:40 am |
Oh, and I do like the nickname “TinCaps” as well as the logo.
#13 by Taha on 10.03.08 9:40 am |
why does that apple have a swoosh on its face?
#14 by Stuby on 10.03.08 9:44 am |
Sounds like the OKC basketball group should’ve checked with the good people of Ft. Wayne before choosing a name.
#15 by Ryan on 10.03.08 9:55 am |
If anybody could do a screen grab of the Red Hot Chili Peppers iTunes page, there’s an awesome group headshot where they’re all four wearing late 70’s era ill-fitting suspension helmets. I tried and couldn’t get it to work.
#16 by Cryptic Ned on 10.03.08 10:00 am |
I agree with David that black people and unions have held way too much power in America for way too long, and that this is nowhere more true than in the NFL. Wait, no I don’t.
#17 by Stuby on 10.03.08 10:00 am |
Since the Ft. Wayne team is a minor league affiliate of the Padres, ‘Hoosier Daddies’ was a truly inspired suggestion.
#18 by Stuby on 10.03.08 10:04 am |
I predict that on every Sunday until the end of the season, the comments section will feature at least one “Hey, what’s up with Matt Stover’s sleeve?!?” comment.
#19 by Blackwater Park on 10.03.08 10:04 am |
Wow! We know Paul doesn’t like purple, but I think we just figured out that David loves white and hates black.
#20 by Duckstyle on 10.03.08 10:09 am |
Thanks for that second line, right up until then I was thinking, “man, I could go for some nice racist-McCarthyism banter this morning.” and deliver, you did.
But seriously, I think we can all agree with your other points. But at the same time I do think Stover wearing the band, and getting it sew-on is a pretty nice touch. Must be a stand-up guy, good for him.
#21 by Duckstyle on 10.03.08 10:11 am |
Excuse me, I meant I agreed with all the non-racist points. about Rozelle getting the shaft, etc.
#22 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 10:18 am |
there you go again joe, talkin about the past
/can i call you joe?
#23 by KT on 10.03.08 10:19 am |
Ed Garvey was the NFLPA Executive Director in 1982. Gene Upshaw had just retired after the 1981 season and was not head the head of the NFLPA.
Oh, and you’re a racist.
#24 by Paul Lukas on 10.03.08 10:22 am |
Congrats, you just got yourself banned from the site. No, not because I disagree with your politics (or because you clearly don’t know what a Marxist is), but because you’re a racist scumbag.
#25 by The Hemogoblin on 10.03.08 10:25 am |
Taj McWilliams-Franklin is the best NOB ever seen. Honestly. Short of her sister playing on the same team, it has everything that you look for in an NOB.
Also, being a tease is fun!
#26 by Hot Rodd on 10.03.08 10:25 am |
Yeah the guy should be fined… for following through with a league initiative. Did you even read the interview, or did you just see an opportunity for racist hate-mongering and go for it. WTG David. I now know to ignore anything you ever say again.
Regarding the proliferation of tributes of recent years, I still believe that the difference is that the NFL now has a new commissioner who is more (and some would say too) lenient with the tributes.
#27 by Hot Rodd on 10.03.08 10:29 am |
oh… and you are an idiot to boot
#28 by Kerry P on 10.03.08 10:34 am |
I have to say that I really like the unis for Oklahoma. I like the addition of the “OU” logo on the shorts and the stripes on the side.
As for the Fort Wayne TinCaps…I LOVE it. I think it’s a great name and logo for a minor league ballclub.
#29 by skott daltonic on 10.03.08 10:39 am |
good god thats funny.
TIN CAPS: they should wear gray caps, right? w/ a burgundy apple on ‘em? i like the name. kinda cool to NOT see someone going for the intimidating angle.
#30 by Stuby on 10.03.08 10:42 am |
I don’t know about that. That apple looks pretty pissed off.
#31 by Al on 10.03.08 10:42 am |
Couldn’t agree with you more. The banter, David’s diarrhea of the keyboard notwithstanding, has returned to UW-relevant topics in the wake of last Monday’s $hitstorm. All is back to right in the UW world.
#32 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 10:51 am |
god no
#33 by JTH on 10.03.08 10:55 am |
No, but Roger Craig is.
HA!
As for the Tin Caps: I like the name. The new ballpark looks fantastic. I’m iffy on the logo — a wee bit too cutesy for my liking, but if it’s not featured prominently on the unis (or not at all), it might work. A simple FW on the cap, maybe with the apple character as a sleeve patch?
#34 by Craig Bates on 10.03.08 11:02 am |
Here you go–RHCP football helmet photo.
#35 by Stuby on 10.03.08 11:03 am |
Hilarious take by Ray Ratto on the Warriors mascot and the OKC choice.
http://www.sfgate.co...
#36 by ChrisSh on 10.03.08 11:17 am |
Thank you for making us all more stupid with your racist, ignorant post. And rooting against a player because they are memorializing a dead person? I don’t know whether your anger is more funny or scary…
#37 by Glen on 10.03.08 11:20 am |
I do believe so
#38 by Alan on 10.03.08 11:21 am |
Big fan of the Tin Caps redesign! Minor League Baseball is at its best when it doesn’t jump on the predatory animal/ abstract noun bandwagon.
#39 by chance on 10.03.08 11:24 am |
Agreed - minor league baseball thrives with a certain amount of whimsy. I like this name and logo, curious to see what they do with it on the uniforms.
#40 by rob on 10.03.08 11:25 am |
Racism is the inherent belief that one race is superior to another. Wheras his comments don’t have a place on this site, racism is the wrong word to use.
#41 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 11:32 am |
Whoa, when did Will Ferrel join RHCP. All apologies, Mr. Smith.
#42 by Jeff P on 10.03.08 11:34 am |
Fort Wayne Tin Caps? At least they weren’t the Greensboro Bats (decent animal, nice baseball reference) Moving into a new stadium and becoming the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
At least the Grasshoppers Unis are nicer…
Logos:
before: http://www.baseball-...
After: http://greenvilledri...
Uniforms:
Before: http://www.instantre...
After:http://www.gsohoppers.com/fanzone/Gallery%20Images/Gallery50Detail.jpg
http://farm2.static....
they have tried to reexplain the name at the stadium though, they have a grasshopper cannon there which apparently played a big part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.
But I think they just wanted something that players on the Marlins could feel superior to.
#43 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 11:35 am |
i suggest “douchebaggery”
#44 by JTH on 10.03.08 11:37 am |
Looks like a pretty good choice to me
#45 by Hot Rodd on 10.03.08 11:39 am |
And what part of his statement do you not find denigrating to African Americans? It must be the part where he intimates that it is unbelievable and ridiculous that we could have a black candidate for president at the same time that that the most popular sports league is honoring an influential black union rep.
I don’t know about you but I got the impression from his post that he would be very excited to wake up and be back in a time when lynchings were not only common but popular. But I guess that is not racism in your book.
rant end.
I apologize to Comrade Lucas for ranting on the board when he has already banished david to the gulags of Siberia.
#46 by Rick White Un Trois on 10.03.08 11:39 am |
If describing the race and political leanings of a candidate is racist, then there are a LOT of racists out there. And I don’t just mean white males.
And, if writing that description and one’s views on this blog causes one to be banned from here when inflammatory political views are expressed by others, then I ban myself.
#47 by Patrick on 10.03.08 11:40 am |
The logo is a bit lame (and the lettering is awful) but Tin Caps is a great minor league nickname. The fact that they’re dropping “Wizards” for it makes it that much better.
#48 by Paul on 10.03.08 11:42 am |
NFL Re-play was thinking of something different when they were watching this game. A little logo faux pas.
http://www.flickr.co...
#49 by Ronnie Poore on 10.03.08 11:46 am |
thanks for the shot of the Packers helmet with the “Pete” tribute sticker. cool little tribute.
i didn’t realize the Green Bay helmet stripes were a one piece deal (note the clear edge on the outside of the green stripes).
#50 by Lwiedy on 10.03.08 11:52 am |
Match the facemasks:
http://www.helmethut...
http://bengalsjungle...
http://i256.photobuc...
http://www.go4thesta...
The Kilmer photo is from the ‘75 HOF Game in Canton.
#51 by Michael Princip on 10.03.08 12:12 pm |
Just because I missed an opportunity to post this yesterday, I feel it’s important to make a special shout out to the man who made the ‘Pro Football Experience(’73)’ book and these other wonderful books of the NFL early years(see link); David Boss:
http://www.greenglar...
David Boss, who as vice president of publishing and creative services for the National Football League started “PRO!” magazine, which served as the league’s preprint in all game day programs. Trained as a photographer, Boss graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Arts and went to Los Angeles, working for the Los Angeles Rams and the team’s public relations director and then-general manager Pete Rozelle. Boss went to work for NFL Properties after Rozelle became the league’s commissioner in 1960. While with NFL Properties he designed the official programs and posters for the first 25 Super Bowls. He designed the NFL logo a red, white, and blue shield with the letters NFL. In 1965 Boss began the creative-services division of Properties, which provided design aid to licensees, clients and the teams themselves.
#52 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 12:20 pm |
remember the shea feature paul did?
well…here’s an update on what they’d like to do with all the pussy there
#53 by Duckstyle on 10.03.08 12:21 pm |
Also note the almost soft, canary yellow of the older helmets. A good friend of my dad’s that’s now deceased, had a game worn Chuck Cecil from that era and in real life the color was kinda drab. I definitly prefer the glittery color of todays’ Packers helmets, it really pops.
#54 by Al on 10.03.08 12:22 pm |
Was the Bicentennial patch only worn during the first (Hall of Fame Game) and last (Super Bowl X) games of the 1975 season?
#55 by LarenR on 10.03.08 12:26 pm |
Man, that is one angry apple! I hope they put it on the cap. I’ve always liked when a uniform element is wearing a uniform element. It creates that Escher, stanting-between-two-mirrors, infinite repetition effect (I know, there’s no actual logo on the apple’s pan/cap, but I like the principle).
#56 by Brian on 10.03.08 12:40 pm |
I’m probably late to this but I knew it was all over for the Cubbies last night when they decided to wear their batting practice jerseys for the game. Why do “traditional” teams insist on doing this (I know, I know, $$$) but c’mon, this is post-season. Even the Celtics were smart enough to put away their alternates for the playoffs. Whenever I see the cubs in their blues, I expect to see a keg at second base!
#57 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 12:40 pm |
Maybe the picture for the lede entry is stretched, but it appears that Stover is wearing a bicycle helmet. Long at the back. Almost an aerodynamic look. Anyone else?
#58 by Collin on 10.03.08 12:41 pm |
Apparently Nike is designing prosthetics now…
#59 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 12:44 pm |
The reason they wore their alternate blues last night is because Zambrano prefers that jersey over the traditional pins or road grays. It’s not a money deal so much as it is a pitcher preference. They may wear them again Saturday, because Harden likes them, too. I know I made a comment last night about Z being pulled. It was made out of frustration. Z pitched a good ballgame, but the errors did not help his cause.
#60 by JTH on 10.03.08 12:50 pm |
Starting pitcher chooses the jerseys they wear. Zambrano loves the blue ones, so they always wear them when he pitches (except for last year when the team did not wear them at all).
Rich Harden’s pitching tomorrow, so they should at least be dressed respectably in LA.
#61 by JTH on 10.03.08 12:54 pm |
Damn it! You’re right. Harden likes the pins at home and the alts on the road.
#62 by tom farley on 10.03.08 12:58 pm |
“The minor league Fort Wayne [Indiana] Wizards are moving into a new ballpark and have decided to change their name, becoming the Fort Wayne Tin Caps (a reference to Johnny Appleseed, who’s buried in Ft. Wayne),” reports the pseudonymous Sean Bratton. “The team has now become the laughingstock of the town, soon to be playing in a new downtown stadium no one wanted.
Schadenfreude, thy name is … well, mine.
Before they were the Fort Wayne Wizards, they were the Kenosha Twins (1985-92). Many of the ‘91 champs came through Kenosha on their way up. Then, in ‘92, some a–hole dentist bought the team and moved ‘em to Fort Wayne. I wonder if he still owns the team …
And as for disputing whether “no one wanted” the Fort Wayne stadium … while that might be overstating it (I can’t say), there are still people angry up here over the taxpayer-funded aspect of Miller Park, which opened in 2001. It has mostly died off, but people stayed angry about that for a long time.
#63 by tom farley on 10.03.08 1:00 pm |
Maybe the picture for the lede entry is stretched, but it appears that Stover is wearing a bicycle helmet. Long at the back. Almost an aerodynamic look. Anyone else?
I’m 99 percent certain the picture is stretched, Justin.
#64 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 1:08 pm |
Oh, I know he isn’t wearing one. It just looks kinda funny to me.
#65 by KT on 10.03.08 1:08 pm |
Those aren’t their BP jerseys. Those are their alternates. Which were not used last year, despite Zambrano’s love for them. They came back this year.
Given his petulance and lack of ability to be anything remotely approaching an ace, I’d say he can fark off and wear white at home and gray on the road like everybody else.
And I’ve tried to close the bold tag, but it ain’t happening.
#66 by The Hemogoblin on 10.03.08 1:14 pm |
Let’s fix the bold!
#67 by Johnny O on 10.03.08 1:15 pm |
Just for comparison:
Cubs Blue Alts:
http://assets.espn.g...
Cubs BP Jersey:
http://www.sportsopo...
#68 by John Zajac on 10.03.08 1:15 pm |
Forgive me if I’ve missed this one and it’s really old news… but do these really exist?? At least they’re ugly enough that even Oregon doesn’t want us to see them…
http://a712.g.akamai...
#69 by JTH on 10.03.08 1:16 pm |
…but not always. So there’s cause for hope.
Yes. At this point my only hope is that my team at least looks good when as they watch the Dodgers’ celebrate the final out of the series.
#70 by tom farley on 10.03.08 1:18 pm |
Oh, I know he isn’t wearing one. It just looks kinda funny to me.
It caught my eye, too.
It’s an interesting phenomenon, letting the starting pitcher choose the uni of the day. But then, baseball players are notoriously superstitious; the study cited in this article suggests that trying to hit a round bat with a round ball will do that to a person.
http://www.chicagotr...
#71 by Brian on 10.03.08 1:24 pm |
“Those aren’t their BP jerseys. Those are their alternates. “
I know, I exaggerate for effect.
#72 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 1:27 pm |
Good news for Mets fans?
http://sports.espn.g...
#73 by JTH on 10.03.08 1:28 pm |
Right. They’re obviously T-Ball jerseys.
#74 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 1:32 pm |
that’s an oxymoron
#75 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 1:33 pm |
what’s with the little dude in the phillies jersey in the front row? did he sneak into the pic?
#76 by Al on 10.03.08 1:36 pm |
I’m fighting the urge to make an Engelberg reference…
#77 by Duckstyle on 10.03.08 1:42 pm |
Pvt. Jamaal Montgomery: You can’t say that. That is a diss. I ain’t no ox moron.
Bill Rago: No, no, no not ox moron, schmuck; oxymoron.
#78 by Mr. Met on 10.03.08 1:44 pm |
Is this going to turn into another “guess the mystery player” ala the All-Star game photo?
#79 by ScottyJ in WV on 10.03.08 1:47 pm |
The Pittsburgh Pirates fired their long-time clubbie, Roger Wilson….
http://www.pittsburg...
#80 by Can't Shake that Billygoat Curse on 10.03.08 1:47 pm |
Of course. There’s only one thing that could possibly be “good news” for the Mets: ditching the black. OK, maybe not the only thing, but it would be a nice start.
Anyhoo, Valentine’s day is gone. Certainly there are other capable candidates out there.
#81 by Mike on 10.03.08 1:48 pm |
More on the Warriors being forced to lose Thunder.
http://www.goldensta...
My take on why they are not fighting it is.
The warriors had stopped using the Thunder logo awhile ago. They told the NBA they wanted to switch to just the W logo as their primary. The NBA said it would cost the warriors $50,000 to switch. The warriors said forget it, so they just stopped using it in their arena and marketing. This part is fact. That is why you see the thunder logo used when on ESPN or stuff, but never see it in any warriors marketing anymore.
My guess is the NBA dropped the fee to make the switch in change for the warriors ditching Thunder all together.
#82 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 1:49 pm |
dude’s got a myspace page
get your gear on, and get your fat ass behind the plate before I kick it up there!
#83 by Daniel on 10.03.08 1:59 pm |
I had just heard that Evgeni Malkin was named an altenate captain for the Penguins this season. That means updating my jersey. Anyone know of a good site where I could buy just the “A” patch for my Malkin jersey?
#84 by dwight on 10.03.08 2:07 pm |
Nice “Renaissance Man” pull duckstyle - Ghost in da hood huhuhuh.
#85 by tom farley on 10.03.08 2:16 pm |
And I owe an apology to lwiedy for calling him twiedy … several times.
LI Phil, I thought yours was Lil Phil for a while. I’d like to blame the font, but the manly thing would be for me to admit that I need to enlarge the type when I’m poring over the posts. :)
#86 by Jim MI on 10.03.08 2:19 pm |
What color is the jersey? White, Black? RBK? Not RBK?
Ebay usually has lettering kits….
#87 by chance on 10.03.08 2:20 pm |
Angelo “Snaps” Provolone: He’s right - you are an ox, and you are a moron!
#88 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 2:21 pm |
when you enlarge the font, Lil Phil isn’t any more
/no worries…you’re only about the 30th one to make that mistake… ;)
#89 by Mark on 10.03.08 2:22 pm |
Lukas, that whole strikethrough joke you constantly use just isn’t funny. It’s actually annoying as hell. I advise you to knock it off.
#90 by scott on 10.03.08 2:27 pm |
I’m happy to see the Phillies remain consistent with their alternate uniforms, wearing them only during day games and back to the regular home uniforms last night.
The Red Sox have the alternate solid red jerseys to wear at home, but I don’t think they’ve ever donned them in the postseason. The Cubs, as a traditional franchise, probably shouldn’t wear their alts in the postseason, either.
#91 by Big John on 10.03.08 2:32 pm |
Looks like someone else is trying to get banned.
#92 by Tyler on 10.03.08 2:32 pm |
Yes, those really exist. As do these:
[url]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/Coheed2/oregon2.jpg[/url]
I stumbled across them on Eastbay’s website, and supposedly they are this season’s new shorts, along with the other 4 pairs they have (white, green, black, and yellow). There is a jersey to match, which is all camouflage, and the other is yellow, with camouflage in the stripe, the same as the shorts.
Forgive me for saying this, but I actually like them. Oregon is doing what no other school has really done as of yet, and that is push the limits on athletic uniforms. I’m not as keen about the full camouflage shorts, as I am with the yellow, but you can guarantee I will be purchasing one of the pairs when my size is in stock.
#93 by chance on 10.03.08 2:32 pm |
Must respectfully disagree. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but charming. Part of his voice.
#94 by Tyler on 10.03.08 2:33 pm |
^^Don’t know what happened to the link up there, here it is again.
http://img.photobuck...
#95 by Al on 10.03.08 2:34 pm |
Like with most humor, timing is everything. When used sparingly, and in a good spot (like today’s GSW ticker note), it has been very funny. But sometimes, like in last week’s UW Political Debate post-mortem, it became — as other posters conveyed — tired and overkill.
(Cue LI Phil’s animated dead horse jpeg.)
#96 by LI Phil on 10.03.08 2:36 pm |
here
#97 by Al on 10.03.08 2:39 pm |
[Harry Doyle] He’s not the best colorman in the league for nothing, folks! [/Harry Doyle]
#98 by Justin in AR on 10.03.08 2:42 pm |
I like it. It’s like his inner-dialog.
#99 by JTH on 10.03.08 2:42 pm |
And if you have no luck there, these guys ought to be able to help you out. If nothing else, they can probably point you in the right direction.
#100 by Al on 10.03.08 2:46 pm |
Well said.
#101 by ScottyJ in WV on 10.03.08 2:47 pm |
That work’s good, but I prefer this… http://img.photobuck...
#102 by Barney on 10.03.08 2:48 pm |
I just saw that Oregon is calling for a “Yell-O” out at their homecoming game against UCLA… Could that