Posts filed under 'Fabrics/Textiles'
Last fall I ran a rundown of old uni-related New York Times articles, which made it clear that uniform coverage was alive and well decades before the advent of Uni Watch. Now Doug Mooney, who did the archival research for that piece, has come up with a bunch of additional old articles from a variety of newspaper sources. There’s some great stuff in this batch — here’s a chronological breakdown:
• October 18, 1931, The New York Times, John Kieran’s “Sports of the Times” column: This column is a hodgepodge of disparate items, the first of which is about the Army football team’s uniforms (the practice unis were heavier than the game-day attire, so the team would feel lighter and faster) and footwear. Details here.
• January 24, 1937, The New York Times, “First Basketball Game of 1892 to Be Reproduced at the Garden”: Could this have been the first throwback game? The story describes plans to celebrate basketball’s 45th anniversary by staging a re-enactment of the first game ever played. According to the article, “The players will be garbed just as they were first that first game — turtle-neck sweaters, handle-bar mustaches, shin guards and the like, while peach baskets will serve as the targets.” Full text here.
• July 30, 1943, The Sheboygan Press, “Sports Uniforms of Nylon Will Be Used After War”: Nylon was hard to come by during World War II, because most of it was reserved for making parachutes, tents, ropes, and other military provisions. In this article, the DuPont company, which developed nylon, forecasts that the material will become common in sports uniforms once the war is over — a prediction that turned out to be correct.
• December 14, 1946, The New York Times, “Expanding Demand Seen for Uniforms”: This article describes a speech given at the annual dinner of the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers (could someone please build me a time machine, so I can attend?), where an industry executive predicted that uniforms would gain great prominence in coming years. He was mostly talking about service uniforms, for repairmen and the like, not sports unis, but it’s still pretty interesting. Look here.
• August 30, 1959, The New York Times, Letter to the Editor: Hilarious letter from a recent immigrant who “[can’t] help wondering why the umpires are forced to carry out their respective duties dressed in black suits that look heavy, uncomfortable and — pardon me — somewhat silly in the grueling heat of a three-hour game.” It would be another decade before umps stopped wearing neckties, and much longer before the letter-writer’s suggestion (”a lightweight, loose-weave shirt and summer slacks”) became the standard that we now see today. Full text of the letter is here.
• January 11, 1961, Ironwood Daily Globe, “Tigers Change Uniform Style”: We’ve discussed several times how the Cardinals’ birds-on-the-bat logo took a one-year hiatus in 1956. A similar situation unfolded in Detroit in 1960, when the Tigers replaced their old English “D” with a “Tigers” insignia. That experiment lasted only one year, and this article describes the move back to the “D” logo. Look here.
• July 30, 1972, The Odessa American, “Bellard Here to Charge Aggie Batteries”: This article is about Emory Ballard, then the new football coach at Texas A&M. Amidst lots of other Aggie chatter, there are two paragraphs devoted to the team’s new uniforms, including news that the team would be wearing white helmets, because “maroon is a hard color to duplicate.” Full text here.
• February 7, 1973, Sheboygan Press, “Football Uniforms Fashion Items”: Fun article about the latest in “modern” football attire. Key quote: “Striped kneesocks are big, and so are terrycloth wrist bands, originally intended to just soak up sweat.” Full amusing details here.
• February 5, 1974, Winnipeg Free Press, “Als Will Try Popular Colors”: Really interesting article about how the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes planned to switch their color scheme to red, white, and blue, because that’s what the city’s more popular teams — the Canadiens and Expos — were wearing. Kind of amazing to think that the Expos were more popular than, uh, anything. Also discussed in the article: the Als’ new logo (apparently this one). Full text here.
My continued thanks to Doug for all his great archival research.
Seattle Update: Next week’s Uni Watch gathering in Seattle will take place on Friday, March 14th, 7:30pm, at the Pyramid Alehouse. Looking forward to meeting lots of you there.
In other administrative news, you may have noticed that we have a new advertiser at the top of the page: Black Fives. In what I consider to be very classy move, Black Fives prexy Claude Johnson has configured the ad to link to the company’s home page, not to its merch page, so he’s looking to spread awareness, not just to sell stuff (although he’s certainly got plenty of stuff to sell). Claude’s Black Fives blog is a consistently good read, and I’ve been very impressed by my interactions with him. He’s documenting an important and overlooked chapter in sports history, and I hope more people will get hip to what he’s doing.
Uni Watch News Ticker: The Brett Favre tribute-a-thon has spun so far out of control that I’m half-expecting the Packers to be wearing a memorial patch for him next season. … Fun rumination on NFL typography here … A Cleveland inventor has come up with a visor designed to keep your eyes focused on the rim, not on the ball. Details here, and the inventor’s site is here (thanks, Vince). … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Is a Colts soap dispenser the one thing that’s really been missing from your life? Then the NFL Hardlines VI Trade Show is for you. Details here, and there’s a photo gallery of dubious products here. … Stirrups alert from Yankees camp: Ian Kennedy. … Speaking of the Yankees, they played a navy-vs.-navy game against the Twins yesterday, while the Rockies and Chisox went black vs. black. … If you don’t like mandatory helmets for baseball coaches, you might not like this either (with thanks to Ryan Connelly). … “I received an e-mail today telling me I could order a commemorative jersey for the 20th anniversary of the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA),” writes David Ballenger. “I don’t even know where to start with this horrid design. How long do you have to be riding directly behind someone to have the time to read a paragraph on the back?” … Good video here on the Canadiens’ equipment manager and arena staff. Only catch: It’s in French. Still, there’s some pretty cool visual footage (with thanks to Jean Gagnier). … align=”right” padding-left=”10px” FREE!: this and this. Naturally, I approve of all the green, although I kinda miss the silver. Additional details here and here. … This year’s MLB undershirt template from Nike will apparently look like this. … According to this page, “[Tiger] Woods donned a batting helmet and Braves jersey (tucked into shorts) and stepped into the batter’s box when [John] Smoltz threw three simulated innings at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.” No word on whether Woods insisted on a swoosh-emblazoned helmet. … Nick Waters took some photos of Georgetown’s new SOD uni (additional pics here). “Not sure if they’ll debut them on Saturday or at the Big East Tournament next week,” he writes. … Minna H. reports that the Minnesota high school state hockey tourney is underway, with plenty of interesting uni designs. There’s a full gallery here. … Yee-IKES (horrifying find by David Sonny). … Shorpy continues to delivery the goods. Note the lack of uni numbers and the ump’s backwards cap. … Reprinted from last night’s comments: The Yankees’ official retired numbers page shows Yogi Berra wearing a Mets cap (which of course pleases me no end).
March 6th, 2008
When the Packers play the Seahawks tomorrow, one observer will be watching the events with particularly keen interest. That’s Marge Switzer, the Pack’s seamstress. In this high-tech football era, Marge is almost too perfect to be true: a sweet, smiling lady bent over a sewing machine. She recently made time in her busy schedule to chat about her job.
Uni Watch: What exactly is your job title there?
Marge Switzer: I’m an independent contractor, not a team employee, but I’m considered the Packers’ seamstress.
UW: How and when did you start working for the Packers, and what were you doing before that?
MS: I owned a monogramming and embroidery company, called Threads. I started that in 1985 and closed it in 2001. Prior to that I was a professional seamstress, doing alterations for clothing stores. And I did some work for our local college here, St. Norbert’s, repairing their athletic apparel — football pants, jerseys, whatever. I was approached by the Packers’ equipment manager, Red Batty, to do some embroidery for them — primarily numbers, so clothing could be designated for a player.
UW: You mean as an internal identification system?
MS: Right. That would have been in 1996, when I still had Threads. And then closed Threads and came here full-time around 2001. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t balance the two. You can’t run a business and do this job. And I have to tell you, I love this job.
UW: Are you the only seamstress there, or are you part of a sewing department, or what?
MS: I have an associate named Penny who’s been with me since 1985. We’ve been friends, actually, since second grade. So she knows my style, she knows what I need, and so on. She does all my prep work — if a pattern needs to be cut out, or a hem taken out, that’s her responsibility.
UW: Do you have your own office near the locker room?
MS: The Packers provide us with a sewing room, our own space, across from the locker room.
UW: What sorts of things do you typically have to do to a jersey?
MS: Primarily mend it.
UW: What sorts of things need to be mended?
MS: Like if there’s a rip or tear, I take care of that after a game. Once the jerseys have been prepped for the game — in other words, the threads have been clipped around the tackle twill and so forth — if anything needs to be shortened, they’re shortened, because players come in all different heights.
UW: Have there been players who’ve liked to have certain details custom-tailored?
MS: Not really.
UW: Nobody has said, “I want my hem a certain way,” or “I want my sleeves like this”?
MS: No. And even if they did, the player has to go through the equipment manager.
UW: So the players don’t approach you directly.
MS: No. I rely on the equipment manager to give me guidance.
UW: It gets pretty cold in Green Bay. Do you sew those little pockets into the jersey, which we sometimes see?
MS: No, because they wear the little pouches.
UW: Yeah, but I’ve seen Brett Favre wearing the pockets sewn into the belly of his jersey on lots of occasions.
MS: Oh, you mean when it’s actually part of the jersey — yes, I’ve done that.
UW: When you’re working on something like that, are you thinking, “God, I just wish he’d wear the little pouch instead so I would have to do this”?
MS: No. Being a seamstress is just like any other job: You enjoy the challenge.
UW: For those pockets, do you have to line them with some sort of special thermal fabric?
MS: No, just fleece, like you’d buy at any fabric store.
UW: Any other cold-weather provisions that you’ve had to work on, like maybe on the interior lining or something like that?
MS: No, because the players layer, or at least I assume they do. Frankly, I don’t dress ’em, Paul, so I don’t know what they’ve got under there!
UW: Now some players, like linemen, are, shall we say, robust individuals.
MS: Yes.
UW: So a player like Gilbert Brown, when he was with the Packers, he’s obviously a very large man. Did you have to do anything special for his jersey?
MS: No. The equipment manager orders the proper size from the manufacturer.
UW: Obviously, sure, but you’ve never had to make any special custom alterations to allow for this or that?
MS: No.
UW: What about when we sometime see elastic in a sleeve cuff or at the hemline? Is that something you do, or does Reebok do it?
MS: If it’s in the sleeve, it comes that way from the manufacturer. But if it’s in the hem, that’s something I do.
UW: Speaking of sleeves, what do you think of how sleeves have essentially vanished over the past decade or so?
MS: I guess that’s just a reflection of what the players like.
UW: But that actually affected the team’s uniform design, because the Packers went from five sleeve stripes to three, because there wasn’t enough room on the linemen’s sleeves.
MS: That’s something I can’t really comment on, because we would have had Starter as our manufacturer, and then Nike, and now Reebok, so I’m not sure exactly when that happened.
UW: Actually, that brings up an interesting point regarding the different manufacturers. When the team switches suppliers, is there a substantive change that you can see and feel, or is it essentially the same garment with a different logo on the sleeve?
MS: I’ve never noticed a change. It’s the same garment.
UW: How beaten up or damaged does a jersey have to be before you or Red or whomever says, “Okay, this is beyond repair — we’ll just toss it out instead of fixing it.”
MS: We have never thrown away a jersey.
UW: Well, okay, but even if you don’t throw it away, how damaged does it have to be before it’s “retired”?
MS: That never happens.
UW: Really?!
MS: It will be retired at the end of the season. We will mend it, because that is the player’s personal jersey. The scuffs and dings mean something to them.
UW: So if a jersey had a big gash — not just a little nick, but a serious tear — that would just be stitched back up and put back into circulation?
MS: Absolutely.
UW: What about on game day — are you on hand for last-minute adjustments, and do you travel with the team for road games?
MS: I do not travel with the team, but I am here on game day for home games. Maybe a player would want his undershirt sleeve shortened a bit, or something like that, or a coach might need the hem repaired on his pant cuffs.
UW: Oh, so you work on the coaches’ apparel as well.
MS: Mm-hmm.
UW: And what about during the game — are you on hand to repair things during halftime?
MS: No. There’s always a back-up jersey they can switch to.
UW: So once the game starts, do you go home to watch it?
MS: I do.
UW: And while you’re watching the game, do you notice lots of little things that maybe the average fan would miss?
MS: I think the average fan misses about 90% of what I see.
UW: Can you give me an example?
MS: When you watch other teams, you can see where there’s a rip that wasn’t fixed, or where there are loose threads hanging out. You can tell when the jersey has been taped down to the pads — the jersey should fit, not be distorted.
UW: Do you ever spot something you could have done better and think, “Darn, if only I had…”? Not to imply that you make mistakes, of course.
MS: Well, we all make mistakes, and there have been times when I’m watching the game and I’ll go, “Uhhhhh [deep gasp of shock], we missed a thread there!” So I do see that sometimes, and the average person, I’m sure, wouldn’t have a clue.
UW: Do you think the players themselves care about these sorts of details?
MS: I think Green Bay, as an organization, has a tremendous amount of pride, and our players are fussy about their uniforms. I’ve never heard that a player complained about anything, but I think they expect that everything will look professional.
UW: Speaking of small details, I’m told that the uniform number on one of Brett Favre’s jerseys was slightly off-center earlier this season.
MS [softly]: Mm-hmm.
UW: So it came that way, from Reebok?
MS: It actually came that way, yes.
UW: Was it the front number or the back?
MS: I think it was the front.
UW: Was that something you noticed during the game?
MS: After the game, when the jersey came out of the laundry.
UW: So in that case, would that jersey be retired, because it was essentially defective?
MS: I think we probably would, yes.
UW: So that’s what happened?
MS: I brought it to the equipment manager’s attention, but I don’t actually know what happened to it after that.
UW: Does it ever bug you when you work to get Al Harris’s nameplate just right and then nobody can even see it because it’s covered up by his hair?
MS [laughing]: That doesn’t bother me at all! Because that’s just his look.
UW: But you could have “Smith” or “Jones” under there, instead of “Harris,” and nobody would know.
MS: I sure wouldn’t try it! That might be the day he had his hair pulled back.
UW: Al Harris is also one of the players who’ve been a little creative with their socks this year. Do you work on the hosiery, too?
MS: No, that’s not part of my job at all.
UW: I know some teams actually sew the socks into the cuffs of the pants — do you do that?
MS: I have heard about that, but I haven’t done that here.
UW: The Packers aren’t wearing those captaincy patches that most other NFL teams are wearing, so I guess that’s one job you didn’t have to do.
MS: Yes. Some teams have the same captains week after week, but the Packers select their captains before each game. The “C” patches did arrive in the sewing room at the start of the season, but then we were asked to return them to the equipment room.
UW: Speaking of patches, there was that one game where the team played in Dallas, and the Cowboys usually wear white at home, which means the Packers would have worn green, and I read that all the Lambeau Field anniversary patches on the green jerseys would have had to be removed for that game, and then restored for the next home game, because the patch can only be worn at home. But then the Cowboys ended up wearing blue throwback jerseys for that game, so the Packers wore white after all, and the patches didn’t have to be taken off and then put back on. So that saved you a lot of work too.
MS: Yes.
UW: So you — or maybe Penny — would have had to use a seam ripper to remove all those patches?
MS: Yes. And it would have been a joint effort, believe me.
UW: What sort of sewing machine do you use? Is it an industrial model, or is it pretty similar to what a home sewer would have?
MS: It’s just a basic sewing machine — not industrial.
UW: These fabrics you’re working with, they’re high-tech, high-performance textiles, which is obviously very different than normal apparel. Is that a challenge? Does the material react differently in your hands, or under the needle?
MS: No, it really doesn’t, as long as I use the right needle. In other words, you don’t use the same needle to mend a jersey that you would to hem a pair of jeans.
UW: But the fabric essentially behaves the same way?
MS: Absolutely.
UW: If you could change anything about football uniforms, what would it be?
MS: Hmmmm. If you had asked me that 10 years ago, I would have said get rid of the screened-on numbers. But now they’re tackle twill, which is so much better — it gives a sense of dimension, and they don’t crack or peel. It’s a much more professional look. Aside from that, I can’t think of anything.
UW: Any good stories to share, any anecdotes involving unusual situations or challenges?
MS: Unfortunately, I can’t take things out of here — it’s confidential. Mostly, I forget what goes on here. I can’t take stories home, I can’t take the risk that my husband will pass them on at his job. So I honest to God wish I had something I could tell you that would just be hilarious, but I can’t.
UW: Speaking of your husband, I assume he’s a big Packers fan?
MS: He is.
UW: So it must be exciting for him to have his wife working for the team.
MS: Well, it is. I mean, let’s look at the big picture, Paul: There are only so many teams in the NFL, and only so many people who sew for the NFL. That’s what makes it such a privilege.
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Big thanks to Marge for her time and expertise, and to reader Jeff Ash, who’s Marge’s neighbor and lay the groundwork for this interview.
Raffle Reminder: Today’s the last day to enter the raffle for the $100 NFLshop.com gift card (or to get three bonus entries by joining the Uni Watch membership program). To enter, send an e-mail to uniraffle at earthlink dot net (not to the usual Uni Watch address) by 10 p.m. eastern tonight. One e-mail per person, plus all membership enrollees will automatically get three bonus entries. I’ll announce the winner on Monday. And in a special bonus development, look for another raffle next week.
Speaking of membership, there are some new cards up in the design gallery, including today’s showcase design, which is based on the 1926-27 Ottawa Sentators. Also, I mailed out about a dozen membership kits yesterday, so watch your mailboxes.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Lots of uni-related info in this PDF of Tony Romo’s locker (with thanks to Brian Thompson). … We all know about Pete Gray, Modecai Brown, Jim Abbott, and Tom Dempsey, but the latest news regarding Oscar Pistorius (the sprinter who wear prosthetics) led New York Times columnist George Vescey to recall the case of a disabled athlete I hadn’t previously been aware of: Bert Shepard, who lost a leg during World War II and later pitched one game for the Senators. Vescey’s column was accompanied by this photo, and I’ve been unable to find any others. If anyone has a shot of Shepard in action, I’d love to see it. … Odd coincidence spotted by birthday boy Marty Buccafusco, who first noticed an eBay auction for a Brett Favre Falcons jersey with what appears to be a slightly off-center nameplate and was then watching some 1999 NFL playoff footage and saw Favre exhibiting the same problem. Seems especially odd in light of the off-center number discussed above with Marge Switzer. … The latest installment of “Equipped with Joe Skiba” is available on the Giants’ home page. … FNOB alert from John English, who writes: “The ’83 Angels sported both Reggie Jackson and Ron Jackson at one point. Their solution? Reggie remained just ‘Jackson,’ while Ron wore his full name.” … We’ve discussed lots of occasions when umpires have been forced to wear makeshift gear because their luggage was lost. Turns out Michael James attended one such a game in 1991, and he just found some photos he took that afternoon. “The umps dressed in what appeared to be Brewers warm-up gear,” he says. … Nathan Evans says this reminds him of this. … While researching something else, I came across this shot of a less than full moon. … This week’s New Yorker includes this photo from a Rangers practice session. Forgive my ignorance here, but what is the purpose of having three separate uniform sets on the ice at one time?
January 11th, 2008
[Editor’s Note: Although intern emeritus Vince Grzegorek has moved on to greener pastures, he’s still going to contribute occasional entries — like today’s, for example.]
By Vince Grzegorek
A few weeks ago, there was a mention in the Ticker of the Slipstream cycling team’s search for a new uniform for next season. They invited fans to submit designs, leading to over 600 entries, including some, er, interesting versions (Drew McKay’s favorite). The important thing here is that Slipstream is pretty famous for its use of argyle patterns, going so far as to call their fanbase the Argyle Armada, so almost all of the proposed versions included variations on this design motif.
All of which got me thinking: How often does argyle show up in uniforms? As Slipstream shows, it can look pretty sharp. I figured there had to be some great examples in other sports.
First, a word on the origins of the pattern itself. According to Wikipedia, “The argyle pattern is said to have been derived from the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in western Scotland.” It was basically a re-appropriation of the pattern that gave birth to argyle socks and, in turn, argyle sweaters, hats, vests, and the whole preppy wardrobe. The elite began to wear the style in their leisure activities, which included sitting around at their clubs, watching horses, and playing golf, marking the evolution of argyle from casual dress to (somewhat) active dress.
When it comes to uniforms, golf is a great place to start, since it that was the sport that brought argyle into the mainstream in America. According to legend, the president of Brooks Brothers saw golfers in Scotland wearing argyle socks and began selling them back on our side of the pond. Argyle socks went from fashionable links attire to a trendy and dressy hosiery option for the masses.
Of course, argyle is still a common sight in golf today (although not as common as it once was). It’s also made its mark in a variety of other sports — and not just in predictable country club pursuits like tennis and horse racing.
In fact, it seems that virtually every sport has dallied with argyle at one time or another. Given all the emphasis on handsome hosiery during the early period of baseball, for example, it’s no surprise that this 1874 Ontario team was sporting argyle hose.
Over on the soccer field, we’re all probably familiar with this example of argyle socks, thanks to a concerted effort by Boca Juniors to bring back classy. But would you guess that argyle socks also showed up in track and field? American sprinter DeAna Carson wore argyle socks while running the 200-meter dash at the Simplot Games in 2006, garnering my nomination for Best Dressed Female Athlete of the Year (the ESPY’s should include this, no?).
On the hardcourt, the most obvious example is the UNC basketball uniform, which in 2000 began featuring an argyle pattern running down the sides — a classic look. While looking for UNC photos, I stumbled upon this gallery — check out Shaw University’s uniforms! More argyle!
I couldn’t find a football example, but I’m betting there’s got to be one out there waiting to be found. I think there’s another database in our future. Post any suggestions in the comments section or e-mail them our way.
 Unfinished Business: (Shivering) Working for Paul Lukas has been good. He is a nice man. Um. I never felt overworked. And every task he assigned me was worthwhile and rewarding. Yeah. The last year has felt like being imprisoned in research hell it went by in the blink of an eye. (Nervously looking over shoulder.)
Seriously, everything was great — Paul was a blast to work for on every project, I loved what I was doing, and whether he admits it or not, he had a lot to do with the progress I made over the last year that has now translated into a full-time writing job. Due to the new employment, the holidays, and an ill-timed and lengthy internet outage at my house, I never got a chance to say that. One other thing I never got to say was congrats to Bryan, who is obviously filling my massive size 10s quite well.
I’m not going anywhere, and as you can see I’ll still be contributing material, at least as much as I can. You guys have been too great and this has been too fun to just stop all together. So, consider me your Senior Assistant Editor (at least that’s the title I’m going to demand if Paul asks). In short, or, at this point, long — thank you for all the support and patience you’ve shown me over the past year.
Call for Research: I’m working on a piece about CFL uniforms and would welcome any suggestions on what to cover. Neither Paul nor I have much expertise in that domain, so any input would be appreciated. One specific question: Anyone know when and why the Canadian flag started showing up as a helmet decal? Pre/post 9/11? E-mail all contributions to me at vincegrzegorek [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks.
And now over to Paul for the rest of today’s material….
Pennant Grace: Victory Pennants, one of the fine vendors hyped in yesterday’s ESPN column, is offering a 15% discount to readers of this site from now through next Friday, the 14th. When checking out, use the coupon code “UNIWATCH001.” Big thanks to company prexy Morris Levin for extending this benefit to Uni Watch readers.
Boston Reminder: Remember, Uni Watch party tonight, 8:30 p.m., at the Boston Beer Works.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Check out what Mississippi State’s football uniform used to look like (great find by Scott Turner). … The Mets and White Sox will be playing the Civil Rights game next March 29th. Let’s hope the uniforms are better than last time around. … Big package on goalie masks in yesteray’s USA Today. Look here, here, and here. … Tons of great old White Sox photos here (with thanks to Eriq Jaffe). … Excellent question from Jon Blake, who writes: “This article ranks Floyd Mayweather’s ‘five key fights.’ For his 1998 matchup with Genaro Hernandez, it says, ‘Mayweather, at 17-0, was challenging for his first world title (WBC super featherweight) and was so cocky that he wore a WBC championship patch on his trunks into the ring.’ My question is, who else has worn something commemorating an achievement yet to happen? My friend and I recalled Clemens wearing the ‘300 Wins’ patch against Boston when he got yanked in the 3rd, but who else has done something similar?” Please, let’s not have a jillion comments about “Buffalo Bills Super Bowl Champions” post-game T-shirts and the like — this question is about things worn during the game or match. Anyone..? … The Celtics and Sixers wore throwbacks last night. Note that Boston appeared to have matte jerseys and shiny shorts, just like back in the day. Plus there were retro shooting shirts (complete with retro Adidas logo) and championship patches on their warm-up jackets. … Double play from Frank Mercogliano, who writes: “Pocatello High School [in Idaho] is wearing new racer-back jerseys from Russell, so I snapped a picture of #4 on the bench, who has a horrible off-center number. Sorta like killing two birds with one stone. The JV game was funnier because one of the girls attempted to iron her shorts and burned a huge imprint of the iron on the back of her red shorts. It was priceless.” … The Royals will unveil their powder blue alternate jersey today.
Housekeeping Note: I’ll be off the grid for most of today and tomorrow. If you have any site-related issues (abusive comments, spam filter problems, etc.), please e-mail Bryan. Ticker contributions can still come to me.
December 6th, 2007
I’m probably the first writer to cover the sports uniform beat on a regular basis — or even to conceive of uniforms as a legitimate sports beat to begin with — but that’s not to say uniform coverage didn’t exist prior to the advent of Uni Watch (indeed, I cited a key 1970s example just the other day). Reader Doug Mooney recently found a bunch of uni-related articles in the archives of the New York Times, and they clearly show that uniform coverage was alive and well in the 1950s. Here they are, listed chronologically:
• April 2nd, 1950: “Hollywood Sets New Baseball Fad; Players Wear Shorts, Rayon Shirts.” This article is about, of course, the Hollywood Stars, who wore shorts in 1950 (additional info here). Key quote, from one of the Stars’ players: “Let ’em razz us, they’ll all be wearing them in another year or so.” Uh, right. Full text available here and here.
• February 26th, 1956: “Cards Redesign Suits.” This short AP item is of particular interest, because it refers to the uniforms that the Cardinals unveiled in this photo. As you may recall, the road jersey shown in that shot — the one with the “St. L.” insignia — was never used, and the circumstances surrounding it have never been fully explained. I devoted a blog entry to that subject about a year ago.
• August 12th, 1956: “What’s a Man to Wear Afield?” The subheading of this article, which ran in the paper’s Sunday magazine section, reads, “If he is a member of the Cincinnati Redlegs, he wears a vest instead of a shirt and pants with built-in knee pads,” which gives you an idea of the subject at hand. To provide some context, this was the season when Cincy’s uniforms changed from this to this. Key quotes: “The Redlegs’ new uniforms are as spectacular, in terms of costume, as the rabbit ball was in terms of window-breakage when Babe Ruth single-handedly revised baseball” and “The pitchers, whose arms supposedly so exceptionally precious, of course, are expected to wear their [under]sleeves long, to avoid chills, vapors or other calamities.” Lots of other good details regarding fabrics, tailoring, performance features, and more. And here’s a tantalizing tidbit: At one point the article mentions that Branch Rickey “attempted to put the Pittsburgh team into shorts, like lady softball players.” I’d never heard about that one before. Anyone else? Essential reading, available here.
• February 24th, 1958: “Giants Favor New Slim Look for Men in Gray Flannel Suits.” This item — written by Gay Talese, no less! — is one of those filler stories that writers come up with on slow days during spring training. Of course, one man’s filler is another man’s front-page news, and this article does not disappoint. Key quote: “[Ray] Kolas, who works for Wilson Sporting Goods, twirls his tape measure around 600 players each season. He keeps a measurement chart report on each player that would do credit to Brooks Brothers. For instance, on his chart of the Detroit pitcher Jim Bunning, Kolas noted: ‘Taper shirt — has small hips (no seat).’ ” Several other gems too, all available here.
• February 1st, 1959: “Major League Fashion Note: New Flannel; Nylon-Wool Fabric Reduces Uniform Weight by Half.” We all know that the Pirates were the first team to switch to solid-polyester double-knits, in 1970. But when did synthetic fibers first start being incorporated into MLB uniforms? According to this article, it was in 1959, when most teams went from solid wool to a 60/40 wool/nylon blend. The article also includes loads of uni-related ephemera, including this classic: “Yogi Berra, Yankee catcher and a dude, tops the best-dressed players with eight pairs of pants. Relief pitchers and bullpen catchers are not hard on clothes, except pants seats.” Get the full scoop here and here.
I know that’s a lot of material to read. But trust me — these are all well worth your time.
Alpha-Numeric Update: On Monday I wrote about this unusual uniform number (details here). That led to this note from Bob Jaye, which ran in Tuesday’s Ticker:
In a college all-star game following the 1971 season (Senior Bowl, perhaps), the South team had two quarterbacks who’d both worn No. 7 during their stellar careers. So Florida’s John Reaves wore 7R and Auburn’s Pat Sullivan wore 7S, respectively. Unfortunately, I can’t find a photo.
Intriguing, right? I didn’t have time this week to go hunting for a photo. But Bob’s brother, Davis Jaye, did. He contacted the Senior Bowl, whose offices were only too happy to provide him with these pics of Sullivan and Reaves. Big thanks to both Jaye brothers for their stellar contributions to the historical record.
 Roster Restoration Update: We’re still missing 17 names from the membership roster (in case you’ve missed it, about 90 names were wiped off the list by a software glitch, and I’ve been trying to get everything back to normal). So if you haven’t already done so, all enrolled members should PLEASE check the roster listing. If you don’t see your name there, e-mail me your name, membership uni number, membership level, and why you chose your number. If your name linked to a photo, please re-send it. And if you’d like to help speed up the process a bit more, pick out your card from the design gallery and send me its URL. Big thanks for everyone’s help.
Meanwhile, anyone recognize today’s showcase card? It’s from the Arena League’s Colorado Crush.
Uni Watch News Ticker: My article on bullpen buggy history, which was posted yesterday on ESPN, is here. … Big kerfuffle in Florida over the proposed new uniforms for workers at Miami-Dade International Airport. Full details, plus an amusingly worded reader poll, here (nice find by Jonah Bamel). … Bowling Green’s athletic director discusses why the school changed its helmet design this season here (with thanks to Tom Konecny). … If you’ve ever wanted to dress up Steve Spurrier, here’s your chance (with thanks to Ronnie Poore). … I did a blog entry on World Series press pins about a year ago, but now Zach Siron has found a bunch of them for sale on eBay. Some real beauties, too. Look here, here, here, here, here, and here. Plus Zach also found an All-Star Game press pin and Gabby Hartnett’s lifetime pass (”which were apparently given out to players who had retired with much acclaim, local sportswriters, or other similar stars,” says Zach). Great stuff. … Florida State will be wearing their black uniforms against Duke next weekend. … The Green Bay Press-Gazette just posted a small gallery of Packers photos from 1942. Of particular interest: The ref’s beret (note the separate stripe pattern on the sleeve cuff, too), the uniforms being worn by the Western Army All-Stars (they’re the ones with the stripes), and these totally cool dusters.
October 19th, 2007
By Vince Grzegorek
While my esteemed boss used up all the Uni Watch frequent flier miles on trips to St. Louis, Toronto, and his vacation, I was left in charge of the blog and with the task of foraging for stories only as far as my trusty Dodge Stratus would carry me. That didn’t turn out to be a bad thing, though, since I ended up hot on the trail of some archived uniforms nearby at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland.
A quick backstory: While browsing through the searchable collection of the WRHS, I came across nine uniforms from around 1920 that weren’t on display. There were no pictures, just a short description of the color and text on each one. My interest piqued, I got in touch with Scott Longert, Associate Curator for Sports History, and asked if I could come down and have a look. He was gracious enough to say yes and spend some time with me last Friday. (All photos courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society, of course.)
I wasn’t sure what I was going to find when I got down there. These jerseys were close to 90 years-old and were from amateur sports leagues, so it was possible that I would walk in to discover torn and tattered pieces of fabric, or faded remnants of what had once been great uniforms. All I had were the brief descriptions and the fact that the pieces were made by the Favorite Knitting Mills, a company that produced a ton of uniforms during the period and sponsored many more amateur teams, including the Favorite-Knits, a powerhouse of early-1920s football.
My worries were soon assuaged as Scott unveiled the collection donated by George and Ann Yanda in 1999. The jerseys, which belonged to George’s father, also named George, were in outstanding condition and provided a brief survey of early semi-pro and amateur attire for both basketball and football.
In almost every case, the team was either playing for or sponsored by a local Cleveland company. There was the “Fry Marvel” jersey, which had a nice little twist with inverted coloring on the letters and background on the front; the “Meter Lab” jersey, which looked almost as sharp as any sweater you would buy in the mall these days; the “Victory Auto Service” jersey, which almost screamed “Badass”; , the “Illuminating” jersey, the most boring example of the bunch; the “ChaLmps” jersey, which had a gorgeous design; the “Circles” jersey, which was the only one to have a last name on the back (as you can see in the lead photo); and the “Suchan Alleys” jersey, which had a beautiful-looking font on the front and back.
The prize was to be found, however, with two inconspicuous but beautiful football jerseys that had just a simple “I” on the front. After chatting with George Yanda about his father’s career, I found out that George Sr. played for the Cleveland Indians football team, which played in both the early NFL and the American Association of Professional Football. So these jerseys were probably worn sometime around 1922 or later when the Indians merged with the Canton Bulldogs to become the Cleveland Bulldogs.
As I chatted with George about his father’s playing days, times of little pay and a lot of travel, times detailed in books like Pro Football’s Rag Days, it was amazing to know I had seen the uniforms sitting right in front of me, and it was even more amazing to see how incredibly well-preserved they were. Stored in a basement for decades, and then stored at the Historical Society for the last 8 years, the jerseys can now see the light of day, and we can get a full-color glimpse into those Rag Days.
Tangential Bonus Material: Unfortunately, the jerseys I viewed are not on public display, but the WRHS still has plenty of amazing things, including the restored Chief Wahoo from the top of old Municipal Stadium (with beautiful striped stirrups just for Paul). Also, Scott tells me that there will be a major Cleveland Indians exhibition next summer that will collect photos, uniforms, and artifacts from the team’s extensive and storied history. Stay tuned for details. And finally, the Western Reserve Historical Society has a baseball speaker series running in August that will include talks by Cleveland’s VP of Public Relations, Bob Dibiasio, and former sportswriter, Burt Graeff.
Uni Watch News Ticker: That mysterious guy Paul has sent along a couple more contributions: First, my Ohio State Buckeyes beat Michigan again in this rating of college football uniforms; and second, the Long Beach Armada had planned a Michael Vick jersey bonfire, but had to cancel. Now, you can exchange a Michael Vick jersey for a free ticket on Animal Awareness Day, and then use the jersey as a pooper scooper or wee-wee pad… Curtis Granderson respects uniform history (thanks to Bill, no last names, please)… How often do you see an athlete advertise for another sport? Well, Ben Curtis just might be the most blatant example ever. “Go NFL!” (a teal deal thanks to Alexander Collazo)…Roger Faso passed on a great photo gallery of a game played to historically accurate uniform standards (except for the shoes)… A nice piece on Manny’s barber and the “LMontro 99″ wristbands sent along by Chris Flinn… The new 125th anniversary logo for the International League looks very spiffy, and very Scott Turner-esque (solid assist by Doug Brei)… An article on South Africa’s new Rugby World Cup jerseys can be found here (hard-hitting thanks to Josh Rubin)… Majestic will become the official outfitter of Minor League Baseball starting at the beginning of the 2008 season according to Matt Hoffman… A Uni Watch shout out to Ryan Finley, who gave a nice shout out to Uni Watch in this azstarnet.com blog entry about Arizona’s uniforms (thanks to Chris Pastore)… Matthew Linder alerted me to this Ebay listing for a Cleveland Lumberjacks jersey that he called “amazing”. I can think of a few other descriptions as well.
July 26th, 2007
At the recent Uni Watch party in San Francisco, I met reader Al Cummings, who mentioned that his daughter works as a colorist for a major sportswear company. I said I’d be very interested in interviewing her, so he promised to point her in my direction. Sure enough, a few days later I got an e-mail from P.K. Cummings.
P.K. (which is what everyone calls her — it’s not an alias or anything like that) turned out to be quite a character. As you’ll see, she’s not exactly shy with her opinions. But you’ll also see that she’s a highly skilled professional with a lot of specialized technical expertise. That combination makes for a very, very good interview.
P.K. asked that I not name the company she works for, so the firm is referred to as “Company X” in the transcript that follows, even though it’s pretty obvious which company it is. Just keep that to yourself, OK? OK.
Uni Watch: How long have you worked at Company X, and what’s your title there?
P.K. Cummings: I’ve been there almost a year, and I’m a textile color specialist.
UW: How’d you end up with that job?
PKC: It was pretty serendipitous — it kinda fell into my lap. I’d worked in fashion and gone to school for textiles. I saw a post on Monster.com and responded.
UW: Where did you study textiles?
PKC: At the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, in Los Angeles. I studied textile design. We didn’t have any sports teams, so now, whenever we have “Wear Your School Day” at work, I just come in all black.
UW: What are favorite team uniforms, in terms of color?
PKC: I’m a fan of most throwbacks due to the simplicity. The old Celtics, when they wore satin shorts, are decent. And I have a locational and occupational bias towards the Raiders — silver and black always look good as clothing and face paint.
UW: Do you have a favorite color?
PKC: Green. Kelly green. Actually, there’s this gridiron green that we’re using now — it’s like a kelly, but not quite as springy. A bit olive.
UW: What about a least favorite color?
PKC: I don’t have one of those. [Switching to mock-flowery tone.] They’re all my favorites!
UW: Hmmmm…
PKC: Except for Vegas gold, which is just fucking hideous.
UW: So many people seem to hate that color. Why is that?
PKC: It’s like what you look like after a night of gambling in Vegas — jaundiced, drunk. Plus it’s really hard to match, it’s hard for mills to get right.
UW: So what does your job actually entail? You just mentioned fabric mills…
PKC: I work with all our sourced mills — there are over 40 of them. We have a set of in-house color standards on little placards, so the mills send me little samples of what their huge production lot will be like…
UW: Like a swatch?
PKC: Yeah. They send that to me, and then I read it on a spectrophotometer, which reads pure light, so I can see where it is, numerically, compared to our standards.
UW: These placards of yours, they probably have to be replaced from time to time, because they fade, right?
PKC: We keep them in a controlled environment. Our lab is conditioned…
UW: What does that mean?
PKC [after long pause]: Sorry, I just looked at MySpace and saw a picture of my brother’s butt — ugh! Fuck him, y’know? Wait, where were we?
UW: What does “conditioned” mean?
PKC: It’s maintained at a stable temperature and humidity. We like to keep it between 68 and 72 degrees, and 21.3% humidity. That’s the optimum.
UW: What sorts of Company X products do you deal with?
PKC: Everything, from the Dri-Power to the AFL uniforms, to selecting the threads to match with it.
UW: Like, the threads for seam stitching and embroidery?
PKC: Yeah. I just had this super drama today with the Philadelphia Soul.
UW: Um, is that an AFL team?
PKC: Yeah. The coolest thing I’ve gotten to do for the AFL is that the color we’re using for the Philadelphia Soul jersey, I got to name it Jon Bon Jovi.
UW: That’s the name of the color?
PKC: Well, it’s officially Soul Blue, but we reference it internally by a three-letter code, so it’s going to be JB — wait a minute, “Jon Bon Jovi,” okay, so it’s JBJ.
UW: What other leagues do you work with?
PKC: We do Little League Baseball.
UW: So the Little League World Series uniforms..?
PKC: Yeah, we do those.
UW: Any other leagues?
PKC: Company X lost most of their league contracts over the past few years, but they’re hoping to get a lot of them back.
UW: You mentioned to me in an e-mail yesterday that you hate how the gold on the Saints’ helmet doesn’t match the gold on their collar trim.
PKC: Oh, I hate that. I would be, like, fired if I did that. The closest thing we’ve had to that was a mismatch with Washington State — the silver on their pants didn’t match the silver on the helmet. So I had to read the helmet [on the spectrophotometer], redo everything, and then they actually ended up putting these horrible jerseys on the field. It was the saddest thing ever. It wasn’t my fault!
UW: Isn’t it hard matching fabric to plastic, though?
PKC: It can be, yeah. You just have work with the best dye materials. A lot of mills are pretty hesitant to spend the money on something they’re only gonna use once.
UW: Are you aware that the Cowboys have two different blues, and three different silvers?
PKC: Yes. It makes me crazy.
UW: If you could talk to the management of these teams, what would you say to them?
PKC: Look at the jerseys before you put them on the field! Or at least have a woman look at them.
UW: I’ve been told Jerry Jones, who owns the Cowboys, is actually colorblind.
PKC: Well, one of every 12 males is.
UW: What about women?
PKC: I think we’re up in the 200s.
UW: Wouldn’t life be easier, in some ways, if we were all colorblind?
PKC: I suppose, yeah.
UW: But you’d be out of a job.
PKC: Yeah, that would be a bummer. What would I do with my more-than-perfect vision?
UW: Your vision is better than perfect?
PKC: Yes.
UW: What is it, like, 20/15?
PKC: Yes.
UW: That’s pretty good.
PKC: I know.
UW: But wait a minute, you just sent me a photo of yourself wearing glasses.
PKC: I have a slight astigmatism, and my glasses have a glare reducer for the friggin’ computer screen and night driving. That and I take them off to emphasize a point every once in a while.
UW: When you’re dealing with mills and dye manufacturers and such, do you actually travel to the factories?
PKC: I do a little bit of traveling, but not too much. Mostly I work in-house.
UW: Do you communicate directly with any of the teams or leagues?
PKC: Personally? No. But I hear John Elway really liked one of the colors I worked on.
UW: Is he the owner of one of the teams?
PKC: I think he’s involved with the Philly Soul — I think it’s Jon Bon Jovi, Horse Teeth, and someone else. [Actually, Elway is part-owner of the Colorado Crush. — PL]
UW: Do you use Pantone samples?
PKC: We try not to. It’s really hard to get super-accurate color readings, because the piece of fabric is mounted on a white backing, and that makes it hard to get the density of the color. Also, there are optical brighteners in the glue, which can affect the purity of the color.
UW: So do you use something else, instead of Pantone?
PKC: CSI — Color Solutions International. They’re another widely accepted standard within the industry. They work mostly with fabric — they have this color wall that’s, like, the Wonka-land for color. God, it’s amazing.
UW: Where are they headquartered?
PKC: North Carolina.
UW: Have you been there?
PKC: Mmmmm — I can picture it. But I haven’t been.
UW: You fantasize about it!
PKC: I do — it’s really lame. You know, I was e-mailing with my dad about a CD that he invested for me, and I wrote, “Yeah, just let it accrue a little.” But instead of “accrue,” I wrote “ecru,” the color. I didn’t even realize I did it, but he wrote back, “I can tell you’re a colorist.” And I’m like, aw jeez…
UW: You’re a color geek! That’s cool. Do you use one of those special viewing boxes with the special industry-standard lighting?
PKC: Yeah. UV 65 is the industry-wide standard, and then cool-white is another, because that’s similar to retail lighting. So yeah, we all have our light boxes, and our lab coats…
UW: You wear a lab coat?
PKC: Yes, I do. I look very official.
UW: Is it white?
PKC: No, it’s gray. White would reflect and then adulterate your viewing of the color. So it’s a very mellow gray. Our whole lab — everything in it is gray.
UW: Does your lab coat have a little name patch on it?
PKC: No, nothing cool like that.
UW [terribly disappointed]: So it’s sort of a uniform, but it’s not a cool uniform.
PKC: It’s just a boring lab coat, like your science teacher would wear.
UW: Any other rules in terms of what you have to wear?
PKC: No. And we can wear Company X product. Like, you can be super scumbagged-out, but as long as you’re wearing Company X sweats, you’re good to go. So I stocked up on sweats.
UW: What if you show up wearing, say, Nike sweats?
PKC: Hmmm. If someone’s lame enough to say something, you just say you got it at a sample sale so you could knock it off.
UW: Researching the competition, right?
PKC: Exactly. I got a bunch of Quicksilver stuff from one of the women in the graphics department…
UW: What’s Quicksilver?
PKC: They do surfwear stuff. They’re just another company, but someone bought a bunch of their stuff to knock ‘em off.
UW: We see sports design go through lots of color cycles. Like, purple and teal were really popular, and now red seems to be on the rise. How do these cycles come about? Do people like you sit around in a big room somewhere and decide all of this stuff?
PKC: Everything is pretty much decided two years in advance. There are trend operations that put out trend books.
UW: And do you participate in creating those trends, or do you just respond to them?
PKC: I respond to them, because I don’t have any say-so in the design process, as of yet.
UW: But it sounds like you have a world-domination scheme that will eventually call for you to make those decisions.
PKC: Yes, definitely.
UW: Do you belong any professional organizations?
PKC: I’m a member of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. There’s also the CPMA — that’s the Color, uh, something or other. I don’t know, it came free with another membership. [She’s apparently referring to this. — PL]
UW: What do you think are the best and worst trends in sports color?
PKC: Hmmm. I think the yellows never work out. They don’t televise well.
UW: Is that something you’re always thinking about? Like, you have to consider how it’ll look at retail, and then on TV, and then in high-def.
PKC: I do, yeah.
UW: Do you videotape things and then see how they look on TV?
PKC: I’ll do that with my digital camera. I’ll take something outside, film it from different light sources, that sort of thing.
UW: What about good trends?
PKC: I don’t know. You know, I think football uniforms in general are kind of ridiculous. I don’t think they match the current needs of football. Back in the day, it was a sweater or a sweatshirt, but now it’s graduated to this insane microfiber — like, the pants we’re doing for the AFL, it’s crazy. It’s so tight, but it stretches. The designer picked it on purpose, ’cause she’s kind of a pervert.
UW: So it’ll show off the players’ butts, or outline their packages?
PKC: Yeah, that kind of thing. She was like, “Ooh, it’s gonna be so tight on them!”
UW: Any predictions for future trends?
PKC: Well, I know that throwbacks are so much more prevalent now, so people are going with the more standard looks. I think it’s gonna segue into different kind of cut-outs. I don’t think colors per se are gonna change much.
UW: What does the average sports fan not understand about color?
PKC: That there are actually people working to make it happen correctly. Things don’t just show up matching — there’s a lot of work to make it all go together, especially since the fabric that you use for the pants may be different than the fabric for the shirt. And the mesh inserts are different from the dazzle fabric. So there’s a lot that goes into making it a cohesive unit.
UW: It sounds like you’re an actual sports fan yourself.
PKC: I had no choice, really.
UW: You mean it was a prerequisite for the job?
PKC: No, I mean growing up with my father and brother.
UW: Oh! Well, is it a prerequisite for the job? Can you work for Company X if you’re not a sports fan?
PKC: Yeah, you can. We have a lot of overweight people who work there, too. I mean, come on, we make athletic apparel…
UW: How has the job affected how you watch sports?
PKC: I’m way more hyper-critical of what they look like. I’m always looking to see if the socks match, or making sure the numbers and trim match up.
UW: So it’s basically ruined your sports viewing experience?
PKC: No, after about two beers I’m able to put all that aside, and then I could care less.
UW: Do you prefer a team that has only two colors, like the Colts or the Red Wings or the Jets, or a team with a lot of colors?
PKC: Hmmm. [Long pause of consideration.] You know, it doesn’t really matter. I like both approaches. The multiple colors are fun, because it adds more variety to what you can paint your face with.
——–
Well put. Über-thanks to P.K. for an interview as entertaining as it was informative.
February 28th, 2007
I love trade magazines. American Funeral Director, Hay and Forage Grower, Elevator World, Demolition, American Jails — each of these very real magazines provides a peek into a previously unseen and largely unimagined world. The best part is the ads, which provide solutions for problems you never thought of before (prison furniture, for example, needs to be very sturdy, in case some violent felon starts tossing it against a wall).
I have copies of all the above-mentioned mags, and many more (including several copies of Referee, “The Magazine for Sports Officials,” which has lots of ads for whistles). Until recently, however, I hadn’t been aware of the trade mag I most needed to know about. That would be Coach and Athletic Director (or, as it used to be known, Scholastic Coach), where a lot of the ads are for uniforms and related equipment.
Uni Watch design director Scott M.X. Turner collects old issues of Scholastic Coach and recently stopped by Uni Watch HQ with a bunch of copies from the 1950s-’70s. The ads provide some interesting windows into the state of uniform and equipment design during that period. First, here are some comments from Scott:
• Although the baseball world was “surprised” when the Pirates switched from flannels to polyester doubleknits in the middle of the 1970 season, this Sand-Knit ad appeared in the fall of 1969. Any high-school/amateur coach would’ve known about doubleknits from this ad. [As an aside, Sand-Knit appears to have had consistently high production values in its Scholastic Coach advertising. Great stuff, as you can see here, here, here, here, here. — PL]
• Here’s an amazing 1957 advert from Spanjian. They were revolutionizing baseball fabric more than a decade before the doubleknit revolution (or so they hoped) — cotton/nylon blend, with hopes of phasing out wool flannel.
• There are all sorts of titillating possibilities here and here.
• Not an ad, but there are some great grouch-old-coach tips from a guy who’d probably slit his wrists if he saw what was going on today. Start reading halfway down the right-hand column on this page.
And now some thoughts from me:
• When you see three stripes today, you instantly think, “Adidas.” So it’s surprising to see how many non-Adidas brands used to put three stripes on their sneakers and cleats, as seen here, here, and here.
• How many kids do you think learned to dribble a basketball using this?
• I’ve written in the past about how old basketball cards often depicted players wearing their jerseys backwards, because the card companies weren’t allowed to reproduce the NBA’s trademarks. Turns out the same protocol was used for ads.
• Today we generally think of Rawlings as a company that makes equipment, not apparel. And judging from this 1970 ad, it’s easy to see why.
• Never seen a pad setup quite like the one shown on the left side of this ad.
• If I’d been a coach in the late 1960s, I’d have bought my undershirts from these guys just because of their vertically and negatively arched lettering.
• I love how this company was trying to double-dip into the uniform and varsity blazer markets.
• How come this never caught on?
• Did they draw these templates on a napkin during lunch or what?
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch up on the lastest issue of National Hog Farmer.
In Case You Missed It: If you didn’t see yesterday’s post, scroll down to the “NHL All-Star Raffle” section for news on the latest Uni Watch giveaway.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Spot-on analysis by Mark Yacovetta, who writes: “With the Patriots’ loss on Sunday, Belichick will be the coach of the AFC team in the Pro Bowl. You know what this means: the Hood wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I never watch the Pro Bowl, but this may make me tune in.” … Interesting logo-litigation article here. … Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Check out Dave Meggett’s unusual chinstrap style. … Rugby note from Daniel Brown, who’s intrigued by this practice session photo of the England International Rugby Team. “I’ve seen the NFL practices where the QBs wear red jerseys, so the defense knows not to hit them,” he writes. “But I don’t think I ever seen a jersey with that message actually written on it.” … Uni Watch intern Vince Grzegorek reports that Antonio Pittman was wearing LaCoste clothing when he declared for the NFL draft last week. “One columnist from the Cleveland Plain Dealer actually wondered why Pittman couldn’t just get dressed up in a bunch of Nike stuff like everybody else,” says Vince. “And especially after OSU got trounced by the Florida Gators the week before, was a crocodile logo really the best fashion choice?”
January 24th, 2007
[Editor’s Note: I’ll be off the grid for most of today. Fortunately, intern Vince Grzegorek has cooked up a doozy of an entry. It’s lengthy, but stick with it — you won’t be sorry. — PL]
What stands out in the photo shown at right?
Its age? Sure. The socks? If you’re named Paul. Wonder if Bill Veeck once ran a basketball team and hired the little guy in front? Maybe.
But what really sticks out are the uniform numbers — A1, A2, A3, etc. We’re not playing Battleship here, so what gives?
In terms of a definitive answer, not much. But there’s plenty to be learned along the way. For starters, we know that this is a photo of a YMCA basketball team from Independence, Missouri, taken sometime around or before 1900.
The letter/number system used on the jerseys seems like an anomaly when compared to other early-1900s YMCA basketball squads (as seen here, here, here, here, here, and here). But that’s not so strange when you consider there was no real template or guide to go by when creating these uniforms. Remember, the game was still in its nascent stages, and coherent style and fashion were still a long way down the road. Still, for all the variations exhibited by other YMCA teams of the era, none of them used the number/letter format seen in the Independence photo (or any numbering system at all, for that matter).
Of course, we’re simply talking about YMCA teams here. There were plenty of colleges, schools, and private clubs that fielded squads during this time, some of which probably put together better uniforms, but the point is that the letter/numbering format shown in the Independence photo appears to have been a pretty rare phenomenon.
Rare, but not unprecedented. Uni Watch design director Scott M.X. Turner points out that there’s at least one other instance of alphanumeric uniform designations: the 1952 LSU football Tigers, who used a combination of the letters E (End), G (Guard), T (Tackle), Q (Quarterback), L and R and F (Left and Right Fullbacks), and the digits 0-9 (even and odd depending on your side) for each player during that season. But the Independence YMCA photo appears to be the only other example.
So, end of story, right? Well, yes and no.
In researching the history behind the photo and the uniform numbers, I ran across an excellent video series produced for the Sunflower Cable series, called As Time Goes By, on kusports.com (the full series of short videos can be found here). Thanks to the first video, a key element in the picture is explained: Player A4 is none other than Forrest “Phog” Allen.
Some quick background: Phog Allen is considered one of the founding fathers of college basketball. Before that, though, he played for the Independence athletic club team in the early 1900s, and it was during this time he met James Naismith (here’s a photo of them together in 1932), who brought Allen to the University of Kansas to play for the Jayhawks starting in 1905, and to coach in 1908. Allen had a huge impact off the court as well (there’s plenty of biographical info available here), which helps explain why the University of Kansas now plays at the Allen Fieldhouse, in front of which stands a statue of the man himself (check out the old Jayhawk logo on his jacket).
As you might expect, a man of this stature had a few ideas about how a basketball team should be dressed.
According to Tim Carpenter of kusports.com, “For a game in 1923, Coach Allen demonstrated his reverence for George Washington’s birthday by dressing five players in blue uniforms, five players in red uniforms and five players in white uniforms. He substituted in units of five.” (The full text of the article can be found here.) Phog was also one of the first to recognize the immense market for basketball athletic equipment, even marketing his own brand of shoes, the Phog Allen Basketball Shoe. (Mick Allen, Phog’s grandson, commented, “You should have seen the thing. Each shoe weighed about 40 pounds. They’re laughable!”)
And that, my friends, is just the tip of the sartorial iceberg.
The goldmine is found in Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen’s 1924 book, My Basket-ball Bible, which includes 10 solid pages on equipment and uniforms. After digging up a copy of the book at the library (it’s out of print), I transcribed the most interesting and relevant parts below. It’s evident that some of his suggestions and beliefs have taken hold and can still be seen in uniform design to this day, and then there are the ideas (most notably, one involving gasoline) that have fallen by the fashion wayside.
What is clear is that Phog would have been an enthusiastic Uni Watch reader. He wanted his players to look good on the court, in style and color, and believed the athletic aesthetic had a proportionate effect on their play. He also had a particular interest in stockings.
Here are some choice excerpts:
From the Introduction to the section on Equipment:
The best in a player’s equipment is none too good. Neat, well-fitting and durable basket-ball outfits enhance the players’ chances of winning. They look the part of champions. It is then up to them to acquit themselves as such. Legitimate competition in appearance is a natural and desirable thing. Clean competition in athletics is another.
We must not lose sight of the fact that the patrons of the game are pleased at the spectacle of two well-groomed, high-powered aggregations struggling for supremacy. The players are the picture; the spectators, the background.”
Two Sets of Uniforms Desirable: A team should have two sets of uniforms- one for use in practice, the other for use in games. This separate outfit for practice helps to keep the one used in the games new and clean, and the men get the psychic effect of feeling well dressed for the game. When soiled, these out-fits used in the games should be dry-cleaned, as tubbing will cause the vivid colors used in the suits to run.
Cotton Gymnasium Shirts: For practice, I have found it expedient to use a cotton gymnasium shirt under a white regulation wool jersey. The wool used day after day chafes and irritates the players. During games, the regulation wool jersey is all right, as the player in his excitement will forget small irritations.
Shoes: Efforts are being made now with several shoe concerns for the manufacture of a specially designed practice shoe, with a thin lead plate in sections vulcanized into a heavy rubber sole. The difference in the weight of such a practice shoe and the light shoe used in the game would make the player when in the game feel as if he had wings.
Sulphur is used in the manufacture of all rubber goods. For this reason, the soles of the shoes should be washed with benzene or gasoline just before the game starts.
Stockings: Wool socks give life to tired feet. See that the athlete has them. Use a cheap white cotton sanitary stocking next to the skin, with the footless stocking over it, and a short soft wool sock over these. These two pairs of socks will allow the friction to come between the socks; whereas, if only one pair of socks is used with the footless stocking, the friction will come between the skin and the sock, and will cause a blister.
It is not necessary to have a basket-ball stocking as long as a football or baseball stocking. The better plan is to have them made six inches shorter than they are ordinarily, so that the unnecessary bulk around the knee guard will be done away with. Emphasize the use of knee guards and stocking. Men wearing stockings have two chances to find their team mates; while men without have but one. In close scrimmage, the color in the stockings often shows more readily than does the color in the jerseys. Men learn to play to the color in the jerseys and in the stockings. Take away the stockings, and you lessen the power of your offense.
Jerseys: Teams that can afford them should have two sets of woolen jerseys- one set white, and the other some brilliant hue, signifying the colors of the school. Exercise care in selecting your colored jerseys. White or some bright color will show better under artificial light than will the more somber hues.
Often, in practice, I use uniforms at variance with the team’s regular colors, in order to make it difficult for the men to find their team mates. Sometimes we use misfits in any color, so that the men will be forced in passing to look for something other than color. This improves their passing vision for close competition in games. Freshmen often wear their traditional opponents’ Varsity colors. This gives atmosphere to the scrimmage and encourages traditional rivalry between your school and your friend, the enemy.
Pants: Flannel basket-ball pants are better than the regulation cotton pants, because they retain heat around the hips and back, and display more class on the court.
However, regardless of the material used, the pants should be white in color. When the colored shirt is used, the white pants break the monotony and will often relieve a color that does not have all the advantages of optic attraction. If color is used on the pants, it should be only a thin silk ribbon trim around the leg and down the side seams, the same shade as the jersey.
Property Man: In connection with the player’s equipment, I am mentioning the property man. So essential is he in caring for the players’ outfits and for athletic supplies in general that in a short time he will save the price of his salary.
After practice hours, the equipment should be checked in to this property man, who should hang each outfit on an individual coat hangar. At the next practice the property man should check the outfits and exchange clean equipment for soiled. These clean outfits keep the men in fine spirits and help to ward off what coaches may mistake for staleness.
When possible, combine the duties of your property man and your team trainer into one. One man handling the combined jobs will justify the expenses of his trips. He will know the various peculiarities of the men- their idiosynchrasies- and will be well fitted to design their protective equipment, when necessary. He is a good moralizer, and, when situations arise that cause incompatibility, he is often a handy intermediary between the coach and the players.
Think such a treatise could come from the collegiate coaching ranks of today? Think Bob Knight has some opinions on whether a particular jersey is going to chafe his player? Or cares in the least about how a sock could possibly bunch up around the knee, making the player appear disheveled and the stocking too large? Probably not.
Alright, so a little of the language is a little bit laughable, but remember, this was first published 83 years ago. We can look past those moments (after an acceptable chuckle, or five) and concentrate on the fact that Phog took the lead in the early days to try and eradicate some of the uniform variations that we saw earlier. With the help of some gasoline, some hemming along the knee area of the stockings, and a good property man, he tried to lead basketball into a more stylish and better dressed era.
Unfortunately, Phog and his book remain silent on the issue of uniforms numbers. So the Battleship-style designations remain a mystery, for now.
Tangential Bonus Material: Additional visual examples of YMCA teams from the aforementioned era can be seen here (Naismith with his first team), here, here, here, here, here, and here.
You can see some of Phog’s uniform philosophies in application in the University of Kansas team photos from 1923 and 1924 (about the time he would have been putting the final touches on his book).
Even though Phog had to retire from coaching (age limits) before Wilt Chamberlain joined the Kansas team in 1955, we do have this photo of the two together. Here is a photo of Wilt with his 1952 YMCA championship team from Philadelphia.
The history of the adoption of the Jayhawk as the University of Kansas logo and its evolution in design can be found here. If you scroll down to the last link on this page you can find the history of the uniforms for the Kansas football team, where you can enjoy plenty of striped-sock goodness with matching striped hats here, and this photo of some bizarre sweaters the team wore in 1926. Finally, in more archive news, there is a great site devoted to the centennial of Georgetown basketball, entitled, “100 Years of Blue and Gray.” While normally I would take the time to sort through the great team photos and media guides in the gallery section, quite enough has been written today, so feel free to poke around on your own.
January 10th, 2007
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