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Sevens Up

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Got a note the other day from reader Matt Fedorka, who raised some interesting points. I’ll let him tell the story himself:

Last year my girlfriend bought me an authentic customized Boston Bruins jersey (pre-Reebok Edge format), with my name and No. 87 on the back. I got it and I was really excited, but I noticed that the “7” was not the same kind they used on the ice last year. The “7” on the ice had a serif on the bottom, while mine did not.

Since I’m a nitpicky jersey guy (and because my girlfriend dropped $300 on the jersey), I decided to investigate. I went onto the NHL store’s website and used the preview function to see if the 7 would look the same as the one on my jersey, and it did. So they’re basically selling something that’s different from what the players wear, even though they’re calling it authentic. I then called the NHL store’s customer service line, where a representative said he would try to give my number to the right person, but he said it might have to do with what the Bruins wanted to allow for numbers.

So THEN I went onto my NHL 2K5 hockey game, and all the teams had the correct font for there numbers — except for the Bruins, who still had no serif at the bottom of the 7.

Here’s another point: If you look at that photo I showed you before, which is from January of 2007, you can see that the Bruins were using a serifed 7 on the back but a sans serif 7 on the sleeve. They seemed to change the sleeve 7 that pic was taken, which is apparent in this pic taken in December of 2006. I dug back a little further in the history book and noticed that at one point in the late ’90s they were wearing a sans serif 7 on the back, just like the one on my personalized jersey.

This made me feel a little better (at least they wore the sans serif 7 at one time). And I’ve noticed that with the new jerseys this season, the Bruins are now using the correct numbers on their customized jerseys. But the fact remains that my girlfriend and I have been shafted by the NHL. She ordered me an “authentic on-ice jersey with authentic numbering,” yet it wasn’t authentic. What’s the deal?

Seems to me there are two issues here: First, there are the inconsistencies in the Bruins’ on-ice 7s, and then there’s the question of “authentic” product. (Some folks — including me — might also say there’s the question of why anyone would spend $300 on a polyester shirt, but I’ll leave that issue for another day.) I can pretty well guarantee that the NHL and the Bruins will not be thrilled about explaining any of this to me, so before I pester them, does anyone know more about any this?

Research Project: Last year, and maybe the year before, I was surprised to see a few MLB umpires wearing goatees. Unfortunately, I don’t recall who those umpires were, and I haven’t been able to figure it out on my own. Several umps have facial hair in their official head shots for MLB.com, but all of those umps appear to have gone clean-shaven on the field, at least based on the photo research I’ve done so far. Does anyone know which umps have worn beards on the job? Do we know who was the first ump to do this, and when?

While we’re at it: To my knowledge, the first bearded manager and GM of the modern era were, respectively, Davey Lopes (in 2000) and Steve Phillips (ditto). But that’s just based on my sometimes-faulty memory — can anyone confirm or revise?

Friendly Reminder: Live web chat, today, 1pm eastern, here.

Uni Watch News Ticker: On the subject of airbrushed baseball cards, check out the size of the jersey button here (good spot by Mike Miller). ”¦ The AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms will induct Bobby Clarke into their Hall of Fame on Sunday, and will wear 1968-69 Flin Flon Bombers throwbacks (Clarke’s boyhood junior team). Details here and here (with thanks to Matthew Algeo). ”¦ Wednesday marked David Beckham’s 100th appeaerance for the English national team, and his jersey had “100th Cap” in gold letters” for the occasion. Yes, it’s hard to see, but note that the gold lettering is missing from Peter Crouch’s jersey (good spot by Jonathon Binet). ”¦ Also from Jonathon: According to a small item in the middle of this Q&A page (search on “Rob from Deltona”), the Jaguars will be making “a minor change to the stripes on [their] white pants, to match up better with the black letters on the jerseys.” ”¦ Although the NFL season is over, new installments of “Equipped with Joe Skiba” are still being produced. The latest episode, featuring punter Jeff Feagles, is really good, and it’s available here. In addition, Skiba says he just filmed an episode of the History’s Channel’s Modern Marvels, about helmet technology. It’s slated to air on June 6th. ”¦ Are you kidding me? That screen grab, I’m told, with a number on the front of Chien-ming Wang’s jersey, is from MLB 08 The Show (good spot by James Yeh, who adds, “Doesn’t give me much confidence in the rest of the game”). ”¦ While researching something else, I came across this photo of former Orioles catcher and all-time MLB unibrow king Andy Etchebarren (sorry about the crop job). Check out that double-striped undershirt collar — man, that looks so fucking hot! ”¦ Yankees roster news from Tyler Kepner: “When [Morgan] Ensberg learned he would make the team last week, he decided he could not continue wearing No. 21, which was last worn by Paul O’Neill. But reliever LaTroy Hawkins has snapped up 21, and he said he would wear it to honor Roberto Clemente, who died 10 days after Hawkins was born in 1972.” ”¦ Peter Snow has scanned some images from The Leafs: The First 50 Years, which chronicles the Maple Leafs from 1926-76. Some great stuff here, including a hockey version of the Greaet Gazoo helmet, a rare sighting of eye-black on the ice, and some seriously freaky all-star uniforms (or at least that’s what I assume they are). You can view the full set of scans here. ”¦ Personally, I don’t give a shit what people are buying at the NBA Store (in fact, I wish there was no such thing as the NBA Store), but if you do, you’ll want to see this. ”¦ Got a spare $8000 laying around? If so, you can own one of the ugliest jerseys of all time (as forwarded by Damon Hirschensohn). ”¦ Speaking of auctions, look at this lot and check out the sleeve numbers on the guy at bottom center. ”¦ New football uniforms for Utah — details here (with thanks to Ryan Purdie). ”¦ The recent LeBron James Vogue cover has inspired a very smart response from Claude Johnson. … “It finally stopped snowing here in Chicago long enough to get some high school baseball in,” writes Steve Johnston. “I was at a game on Wednesday and took these photos. That’s the head coach for St Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois. I commented on the stirrups and he said he’s trying to bring some tradition back. About a third of the team is wearing the pants high enough so you can see the stripes.”

 
  
 
Comments (197)

    That picture is definitely from MLB 08, but rest assured that there are no numbers on the front of the Yankees uniforms. Most of the uni related details are accurate, biggest thing I’ve noticed is that the Yankees actually look to have only the road BP jersey in spring training games, other than that all teams look very accurate so far. And the game is actually really good too, I haven’t been able to put it down since I got it when it came out.

    What do you guys think about our high school baseball teams new jerseys? I personally dont like them at all, but thats just me.I would love to hear your opinions.

    link

    Some great stuff here, including a hockey version of the Greaet Gazoo helmet,

    That helmet was referred to as the “Stan Mikita” or “soup strainer” helmet and was worn by a number of players in the early 70’s, most notably Denis Potvin and Lanny McDonald, as well as Mikita himself. link link

    [quote]Some folks – including me – might also say there’s the question of why anyone would spend $300 on a polyester shirt, but I’ll leave that issue for another day.[/quote]

    good…someday, and that day may never come, i’ll call upon you to answer that for me…but, until that day, i’ll accept this explanation as sufficient…

    Paul, I’m surprised there was nothing written about the proposed “No hair can cover the nameplate” rule in the NFL. Since hair is considered a uniform piece via the Ricky Williams rule (a player may be tackled by his dreds) I’m surprised it hasn’t come up yet in Uni Watch?

    Wednesday marked David Beckham’s 100th appeaerance for the English national team, and his jersey had “100th Cap” in gold letters” for the occasion. Yes, it’s hard to see, but note that the gold lettering is missing from Peter Crouch’s jersey

    No one else on the team had the 100th cap lettering, this was just for DB, probably so he can frame the shirt. After the match, William Gallas from France wanted to swap Jerseys, Beckham said no thanks.

    Paul, I’m not sure either who the first umpire to sports facial hair was. I know Tim Tschida had a moustache. Tim McLelland also had a moustache until this season.

    Brian Runge is the only one I know with the soul patch-thingie look in any of the sports.

    As far as I know, Mike Carey is the only NFL official with facial hair.

    In baseball and basketball especially, it seems that newer officials are discouraged from growing facial hair. If you happen to catch a minor league baseball game, all the umpires are clean-shaven. They all seem to look like clones.

    According to this Wiki article about former MLB umpire Doug Harvey (take it for what you will) link:

    “in 1971 he grew a handlebar mustache, at a time when no major league field personnel had worn facial hair since the 1940s”

    [quote comment=”243306″]Some great stuff here, including a hockey version of the Greaet Gazoo helmet,

    That helmet was referred to as the “Stan Mikita” or “soup strainer” helmet and was worn by a number of players in the early 70’s, most notably Denis Potvin and Lanny McDonald, as well as Mikita himself. link link

    I didn’t realize Tim Horton wore a helmet in his later years. A grat picture of 2 awesome defensemen, though one is far better remembered for doughnuts now.

    Paul, I know Brian Sabean of the Giants has had a goatee for some time but I couldn’t find if it pre-dated Steve Phillips’.

    Also, I was looking for Tony Granato pictures (and his overstuffed hockey helmet) and ended up with link instead. Its a different guy but what a great jersey!

    [quote comment=”243306″]Some great stuff here, including a hockey version of the Greaet Gazoo helmet,

    That helmet was referred to as the “Stan Mikita” or “soup strainer” helmet and was worn by a number of players in the early 70’s, most notably Denis Potvin and Lanny McDonald, as well as Mikita himself. link link

    What would be the purpose of straining soup?

    Check out that double-striped undershirt collar – man, that looks so fucking hot!

    Paul,
    Really hope by ‘hot’ you mean warm.
    “Not that there’s anything wrong with that…”

    [quote comment=”243317″]Paul, I’m surprised there was nothing written about the proposed “No hair can cover the nameplate” rule in the NFL. Since hair is considered a uniform piece via the Ricky Williams rule (a player may be tackled by his dreds) I’m surprised it hasn’t come up yet in Uni Watch?[/quote]
    I believe it was mentioned in yesterday’s Ticker.

    [quote comment=”243321″]

    In baseball and basketball especially, it seems that newer officials are discouraged from growing facial hair. If you happen to catch a minor league baseball game, all the umpires are clean-shaven. They all seem to look like clones.
    [/quote]

    Not only the umps, but the players themselves are all clean shaven and have neatly trimmed hair in the affiliated minor leagues.

    Regarding the NHL store and the Bruins jersey, I’ve found that the NHL store is amongst the worst when it comes to customizing. There are many smaller shops that do a better/more professional job.

    It’s too bad that many folks get snookered by them (this also applies to some other league stores like MLS’s).

    [quote comment=”243300″]Vogue would have been better off going with this basketball/Gisele photo instead…

    link

    WOW, I REALLY like her uni, although she’s going with the Oregon look of invisible numbers.

    While researching something else, I came across this photo of former Orioles catcher and all-time MLB unibrow king Andy Etchebarren (sorry about the crop job). Check out that double-striped undershirt collar – man, that looks so fucking hot! …

    That unibrow is hot too!

    I’ve got nothing but time today, so I was doing a random search of managers that may have had facial hair. I found link of Davey Johnson from ’96 I believe. No facial hair but check out that Dodger ice cream man cap. I don’t remember that at all.

    Wish I could be part of the chat today, but my company has blocked access to ESPN’s blogs and chats. Everything else is open, just those two applications. Odd.

    Let Troy’s hair flow!!! (And Al Harris, et al.)

    [quote comment=”243334″]While researching something else, I came across this photo of former Orioles catcher and all-time MLB unibrow king Andy Etchebarren (sorry about the crop job). Check out that double-striped undershirt collar – man, that looks so fucking hot! …

    That unibrow is hot too![/quote]
    Even better than link.

    Hey guys…a bit of shameless self promotion but I asked Paul first and he was cool with it…

    Anyone remember those really cheesy infomercial baseball videos that still seem to play during EVERY game?

    Check out link…hope you like them

    Uni-related note…Ron wears striped socks

    Even the guys at MeiGray know those Kings jerseys are awful. I love the “Burger King Alternate” designation.

    [quote comment=”243317″]Paul, I’m surprised there was nothing written about the proposed “No hair can cover the nameplate” rule in the NFL. Since hair is considered a uniform piece via the Ricky Williams rule (a player may be tackled by his dreds) I’m surprised it hasn’t come up yet in Uni Watch?[/quote]

    Mentioned in yesterday’s ticker.

    [quote comment=”243328″][quote comment=”243317″]Paul, I’m surprised there was nothing written about the proposed “No hair can cover the nameplate” rule in the NFL. Since hair is considered a uniform piece via the Ricky Williams rule (a player may be tackled by his dreds) I’m surprised it hasn’t come up yet in Uni Watch?[/quote]
    I believe it was mentioned in yesterday’s Ticker.[/quote]

    I say let them keep the long hair and encourage tackling by the hair. That would be the quickest way to eliminate the hair problem. (Sorry Minna H.)

    [quote comment=”243320″]Same store also selling another aberration of a hockey jersey from the same era.

    Ducks 2nd Alternate

    Yours for just over two grand.[/quote]

    Who in their right mind would spend $8,000 and almost $3,000 for those? What makes them that special?

    [quote comment=”243339″]Hey guys…a bit of shameless self promotion but I asked Paul first and he was cool with it…

    Anyone remember those really cheesy infomercial baseball videos that still seem to play during EVERY game?

    Check out link…hope you like them

    Uni-related note…Ron wears striped socks[/quote]

    i can honestly say ive never seen or heard of hardball made easy, nor of its host ron stilanovich…

    only tom emanski, creator of videos and techniques used by baseball worlds back to back to back aau national champions…

    must be regional..

    I think they should make long hair mandatory and force everyone’s hair to cover the nameplates, so that we can see unblemished number-only jerseys. Ditch the names!

    [quote comment=”243332″][quote comment=”243300″]Vogue would have been better off going with this basketball/Gisele photo instead…

    link

    WOW, I REALLY like her uni, although she’s going with the Oregon look of invisible numbers.[/quote]

    It would’ve been better with Gisele instead of Will Ferrell.

    The Under Armour Football Jerseys all look alike
    they remind me of the Nike Basketball Team with the horns and all

    [quote comment=”243351″]The Under Armour Football Jerseys all look alike
    they remind me of the Nike Basketball Team with the horns and all[/quote]

    Agreed. Poor Utah. Years down the road, they will look back on this uniform with shame.

    Do certain schools just do what their uniform providers request, or do they really want these abominations?

    Regarding the unusual number placement on link sweater, the picture of Jean Beliveau shows the sleeve number placed entirely inside the blue stripe. Les Habitants have worn basically the link since 1917!

    So, the placement of sleeve numbers has been just about the only “tweaking” of that classic look!

    While we’re at it: To my knowledge, the first bearded manager and GM of the modern era were, respectively, Davey Lopes (in 2000) and Steve Phillips (ditto). But that’s just based on my sometimes-faulty memory – can anyone confirm or revise?

    You’ll have to define “modern era” but if it includes the 1990s, I thought of 2 managers off the top of my head that had mustaches. I collected A LOT of the Topps 1992 set and can remember these 2 mustachioed managers’ cards:

    Phil Garner:
    link
    Bill Plummer:
    link

    And can I mention how much of a beating it was to buy a pack of 15 cards and one of them was the manager? Come on!

    [quote comment=”243359″]While we’re at it: To my knowledge, the first bearded manager and GM of the modern era were, respectively, Davey Lopes (in 2000) and Steve Phillips (ditto). But that’s just based on my sometimes-faulty memory – can anyone confirm or revise?

    You’ll have to define “modern era” but if it includes the 1990s, I thought of 2 managers off the top of my head that had mustaches. I collected A LOT of the Topps 1992 set and can remember these 2 mustachioed managers’ cards:

    Phil Garner:
    link
    Bill Plummer:
    link

    And can I mention how much of a beating it was to buy a pack of 15 cards and one of them was the manager? Come on![/quote]

    Mustached skippers are a dime a dozen. I’m looking for managers (and umpires) with BEARDS.

    GMs, too. Anyone know if Brian Sabean’s goatee predates the one Steve Phillips grew in 2000?

    [quote comment=”243356″]The Expos airbrushed button leaves me speechless.

    And happy.[/quote]
    The 1987 Topps series was the worst for airbrushing. For some reason, Topps decided that the A’s color was still the lighter green worn during the Charlie O. Finley era. They tried to airbrush over the actual dark green, which can be seen clearly in this link card. Check out the rear portion of his cap where they kinda missed.

    [quote]Mustached skippers are a dime a dozen. I’m looking for managers (and umpires) with BEARDS.[/quote]

    dave pallone

    re: Umpires with facial hair: I seem to remember Wally Bell sporting a goatee a few years back, and I think Ken Kaiser may have even had a beard (at least a shaggy goatee) before he retired.

    When I went to Harry Wendelstedt’s umpire school about 10 years ago, it was part of the “uniform” to be clean-shaven with a “business-style” haircut. I specifically remember Brian Runge being clean shaven with short hair, much different than the head shot posted in the ticker. The standards must have relaxed shortly thereafter.

    [quote comment=”243305″]What do you guys think about our high school baseball teams new jerseys? I personally dont like them at all, but thats just me.I would love to hear your opinions.

    link

    I dont think they are that bad, better then some other things i have seen

    [quote comment=”243367″]re: Umpires with facial hair: I seem to remember Wally Bell sporting a goatee a few years back…[/quote]

    Sure enough, just found evidence of him wearing a goatee as early as 2001 — shocking!

    [quote comment=”243370″]Didn’t Lou Brown have a beard?[/quote]

    Sorry to be dense, but which Lou Brown are we talking about here?

    [quote comment=”243375″][quote comment=”243370″]Didn’t Lou Brown have a beard?[/quote]

    Sorry to be dense, but which Lou Brown are we talking about here?[/quote]

    Just checked. Not bearded.

    Any fans of Antiques Roadshow on PBS? Last night they were doing a show in San Antonio and a guy brought in this beautiful 1943 New York Giants practice jersey. The jersey belonged to “The Schnozz”, hall of fame catcher Ernie Lombardi.

    Here is a link with pics and a transcript of the appraisal. Interesting story to how the jersey ended up in San Antonio by way of Oklahoma also.

    [quote comment=”243375″][quote comment=”243370″]Didn’t Lou Brown have a beard?[/quote]

    Sorry to be dense, but which Lou Brown are we talking about here?[/quote]
    Paul, wasn’t it “Major League” that you hadn’t seen yet? Lou Brown is the Indians Manager in that movie.

    [quote comment=”243375″][quote comment=”243370″]Didn’t Lou Brown have a beard?[/quote]

    Sorry to be dense, but which Lou Brown are we talking about here?[/quote]

    I believe that was a Major League (movie) reference.

    Paul you need to see that movie one of these days!

    [quote comment=”243391″][quote comment=”243375″][quote comment=”243370″]Didn’t Lou Brown have a beard?[/quote]

    Sorry to be dense, but which Lou Brown are we talking about here?[/quote]

    I believe that was a Major League (movie) reference.

    Paul you need to see that movie one of these days![/quote]

    Lou Brown link….and enjoy!

    [quote comment=”243366″][quote]Mustached skippers are a dime a dozen. I’m looking for managers (and umpires) with BEARDS.[/quote]

    dave pallone[/quote]

    Not that it is relevant to the subject of beards, but Dave Pallone was gay and wrote a very interesting book on his experience as an in-the-closet MLB umpire.

    [quote comment=”243360″]Speaking of facial hair and eyebrows. link shapes his link. What a narsistic link.

    Maybe he’s a fan of link.[/quote]

    Well he does play for the SAWX

    The “Civil Rights Game” is tomorrow. Still no sign of the White Sox uniforms?

    Nothing against Civil Rights, but I think it’s criminal that the Civil Rights Game is national on ESPN, and yet tomorrow’s game at the LA Coliseum isn’t…

    [quote comment=”243386″]Any fans of Antiques Roadshow on PBS? Last night they were doing a show in San Antonio and a guy brought in this beautiful 1943 New York Giants practice jersey. The jersey belonged to “The Schnozz”, hall of fame catcher Ernie Lombardi.

    Here is a link with pics and a transcript of the appraisal. Interesting story to how the jersey ended up in San Antonio by way of Oklahoma also.

    [/quote]

    That.

    Is a beautiful jersey.

    Paul – please update the ticker to remove the words “one of” in the description of the Kings $8,000 jersey. Thanks.

    [quote comment=”243399″]The “Civil Rights Game” is tomorrow. Still no sign of the White Sox uniforms?

    Nothing against Civil Rights, but I think it’s criminal that the Civil Rights Game is national on ESPN, and yet tomorrow’s game at the LA Coliseum isn’t…[/quote]

    Is the LA Coliseum game on tv at all?

    [quote comment=”243335″]I’ve got nothing but time today, so I was doing a random search of managers that may have had facial hair. I found link of Davey Johnson from ’96 I believe. No facial hair but check out that Dodger ice cream man cap. I don’t remember that at all.[/quote]

    That was the batting practice/ spring training cap of the era. The only different cap I remember the Dodgers wearing in an actual regular season game (as well as the ’99 All-Star Game) was one with a silver brim.

    The take on the Vogue cover with LeBron and Gisele is different than one a lot of people seem to have. Quite a few people think that the cover perpetuates racial sterotypes (black man as animal, black man as threat to white woman, etc.).

    [quote comment=”243406″]The take on the Vogue cover with LeBron and Gisele is different than one a lot of people seem to have. Quite a few people think that the cover perpetuates racial sterotypes (black man as animal, black man as threat to white woman, etc.).[/quote]

    I’m guessing that’s the Jemele Hill article you’re talking about. Although I think she’s pretty smart, and a great writer, most of her opinions are pretty ridiculous. She remind me of Skip Bayless in that regard; like, does she really believe what she’s saying, or just looking to create a buzz.

    [quote comment=”243405″][quote comment=”243335″]I’ve got nothing but time today, so I was doing a random search of managers that may have had facial hair. I found link of Davey Johnson from ’96 I believe. No facial hair but check out that Dodger ice cream man cap. I don’t remember that at all.[/quote]

    That was the batting practice/ spring training cap of the era. The only different cap I remember the Dodgers wearing in an actual regular season game (as well as the ’99 All-Star Game) was one with a silver brim.[/quote]

    I remember that. It was awful.

    When you have achieved uniform perfection, why monkey around with alternate jerseys and caps?

    I hate it when game-worn jerseys for sale are mentioned: I passed over some game-worn Expos jerseys for $90 last summer at the All-Star Game fan fest and I haven’t been able to find them again.

    [quote comment=”243410″][quote comment=”243405″][quote comment=”243335″]I’ve got nothing but time today, so I was doing a random search of managers that may have had facial hair. I found link of Davey Johnson from ’96 I believe. No facial hair but check out that Dodger ice cream man cap. I don’t remember that at all.[/quote]

    That was the batting practice/ spring training cap of the era. The only different cap I remember the Dodgers wearing in an actual regular season game (as well as the ’99 All-Star Game) was one with a silver brim.[/quote]

    I remember that. It was awful.

    When you have achieved uniform perfection, why monkey around with alternate jerseys and caps?[/quote]
    Its all about moving merchandise.

    Has anyone mentioned the Utah Utes getting new jerseys next year? They’re going from Nike to Under Armour.

    link

    Speaking of Under Armour, Jay-Z supposedly had a meeting at their headquarters yesterday. Very interesting……

    This may have been mentioned already, but I think it was a bad call on the NCAA to use the same floor pattern for all the sweet sixteen games. It was hard to distinguish last night between Charlotte and Phoenix. I’m assuming that the other regions tonight will have the same black and blue pattern. The personality of each host city and team (or conference) is gone.

    On the other hand, I have to give credit to the NCAA for an awesome link. I like it more each time I see it. As for the link, it seems like a good idea gone bad.

    [quote comment=”243406″]The take on the Vogue cover with LeBron and Gisele is different than one a lot of people seem to have. Quite a few people think that the cover perpetuates racial sterotypes (black man as animal, black man as threat to white woman, etc.).[/quote]

    My reaction to the cover was that link has something new to write about….

    [quote comment=”243415″]Has anyone mentioned the Utah Utes getting new jerseys next year?

    They’re going from Nike to Under Armour.

    link

    Speaking of Under Armour, Jay-Z supposedly had a meeting at their headquarters yesterday.

    Very interesting……[/quote]

    Crap, my bad. I hadn’t finished reading the ticker…..

    [quote comment=”243404″][quote comment=”243399″]The “Civil Rights Game” is tomorrow. Still no sign of the White Sox uniforms?

    Nothing against Civil Rights, but I think it’s criminal that the Civil Rights Game is national on ESPN, and yet tomorrow’s game at the LA Coliseum isn’t…[/quote]

    Is the LA Coliseum game on tv at all?[/quote]

    On NESN

    Sorry for jumping back a couple of days and apologies if I’m asking a question that’s already been answered, but the new US soccer shirt has the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” inside the collar. Does anyone know what this refers to?
    See links

    and

    [quote comment=”243399″]The “Civil Rights Game” is tomorrow. Still no sign of the White Sox uniforms?

    Nothing against Civil Rights, but I think it’s criminal that the Civil Rights Game is national on ESPN, and yet tomorrow’s game at the LA Coliseum isn’t…[/quote]

    MAN I am so glad someone else thinks this way. The waste of time game, err Civil Rights game is on espn in crappy unis and the dodger game is NO Where to be found (except NESN I am sure)

    [quote comment=”243404″]
    Is the LA Coliseum game on tv at all?[/quote]

    It is on local tv in LA and Boston (and I guess any areas that normally get those games). And it’s on MLB.TV, and MLB.TV is promoting “3 free games” tomorrow, but, wouldn’t you know it, not the one much of America would love to see.

    [quote comment=”243416″]This may have been mentioned already, but I think it was a bad call on the NCAA to use the same floor pattern for all the sweet sixteen games. It was hard to distinguish last night between Charlotte and Phoenix. I’m assuming that the other regions tonight will have the same black and blue pattern. The personality of each host city and team (or conference) is gone.

    On the other hand, I have to give credit to the NCAA for an awesome link. I like it more each time I see it.

    As for the link, it seems like a good idea gone bad.[/quote]
    Seems like the NCAA is falling into the same trap as the NFL with their Super Bowl logos. Both Final Four logos look like they were designed by the same person, following the same formula.

    Man, logo quality has really gone downhill of late.

    Very entertaining article in today’s Wall Street Journal by Stefan Fatsis about one of the “Glove Designers” for Rawlings. Don’t let the title scare you, “My Fair Leather Friend,” it is about baseball gloves not S&M stuff!
    link

    [quote comment=”243409″][quote comment=”243406″]The take on the Vogue cover with LeBron and Gisele is different than one a lot of people seem to have. Quite a few people think that the cover perpetuates racial sterotypes (black man as animal, black man as threat to white woman, etc.).[/quote]

    I’m guessing that’s the Jemele Hill article you’re talking about. Although I think she’s pretty smart, and a great writer, most of her opinions are pretty ridiculous. She remind me of Skip Bayless in that regard; like, does she really believe what she’s saying, or just looking to create a buzz.[/quote]

    At the gym last night, I saw this “controversy” being pushed by FOX News. You know, sometimes a magazine cover is just a magazine cover. I’m surprised no one is pushing a “Tom Brady should be angry!!!” talking point.

    [quote comment=”243421″]Sorry for jumping back a couple of days and apologies if I’m asking a question that’s already been answered, but the new US soccer shirt has the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” inside the collar. Does anyone know what this refers to?
    See links

    and

    [/quote]

    link

    Ronny Turiaf and Michael Cooper, the current “21” and past “21” for the Lakers give a movie review on the movie, 21.

    link

    The Toronto eyeblack image has some serious photoshop errors. The A on the Hawks looks fake and that is *not* the correct indian head. Thats the head form the 90’s.

    The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring link. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.

    [quote comment=”243337″][quote comment=”243334″]While researching something else, I came across this photo of former Orioles catcher and all-time MLB unibrow king Andy Etchebarren (sorry about the crop job). Check out that double-striped undershirt collar – man, that looks so fucking hot! …

    That unibrow is hot too![/quote]
    Even better than link.[/quote]

    Hmm that jersey does not have the copyright make on it, interesting.

    This one’s for you, Phil:

    link

    It is either a) a historically significant piece of baseball history worthy of a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame; or b) a Mitchell & Ness jersey with the tags removed.

    You decide.

    [quote comment=”243448″]This one’s for you, Phil:

    link

    It is either a) a historically significant piece of baseball history worthy of a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame; or b) a Mitchell & Ness jersey with the tags removed.

    You decide.[/quote]

    looks like “b” to me…I own gamers from the 70’s and NONE of them look that crisp and clean…that lettering is too perfect.

    One person mentioned this in yesterday’s comments, but no one appeared to have commented on it.

    Sports Illustrated’s baseball preview issue uses each team’s uni number font to highlight their predicted finish. For instance, my Oakland Athletics had a “3” in green trimmed in gold.

    I haven’t gone through the entire issue yet but I haven’t noticed any discrepancies yet.

    It was a nice touch on SI’s part.

    Anybody get any points last night for the bracket challenge? I had Louisville and Xavier. Those two bring my total up to 72 and I have Wisconsin, Davidson and Villanova for tonight. Damn you Pittsburgh!

    [quote comment=”243429″][quote comment=”243409″][quote comment=”243406″]The take on the Vogue cover with LeBron and Gisele is different than one a lot of people seem to have. Quite a few people think that the cover perpetuates racial sterotypes (black man as animal, black man as threat to white woman, etc.).[/quote]

    I’m guessing that’s the Jemele Hill article you’re talking about. Although I think she’s pretty smart, and a great writer, most of her opinions are pretty ridiculous. She remind me of Skip Bayless in that regard; like, does she really believe what she’s saying, or just looking to create a buzz.[/quote]

    At the gym last night, I saw this “controversy” being pushed by FOX News. You know, sometimes a magazine cover is just a magazine cover. I’m surprised no one is pushing a “Tom Brady should be angry!!!” talking point.[/quote]

    In this case a magazine cover that is clearly referencing a classic image of King Kong & Fay Wray. Lebron might not have realized it, but the photographer (Annie Leibowitz)& Vogue editors certainly did.

    [quote comment=”243448″]This one’s for you, Phil:

    link

    It is either a) a historically significant piece of baseball history worthy of a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame; or b) a Mitchell & Ness jersey with the tags removed.

    You decide.[/quote]

    Oh, that’s rich.

    From the auction description:
    THE NAME WRITTEN ON THE INSIDE OF THE JERSEY IS THE PERSONS NAME WHOS COLLECTION IT WAS IN AS HE ONLY COLLECTED GAME WORN/USED MEMORABILIA

    [quote comment=”243438″][quote comment=”243437″]Do link count?[/quote]

    BTW, Mike Hargrove.[/quote]

    Mike Hargrove, the Human Rain Delay? I thought that was Kenny Rogers ….

    [quote comment=”243454″]One person mentioned this in yesterday’s comments, but no one appeared to have commented on it.

    Sports Illustrated’s baseball preview issue uses each team’s uni number font to highlight their predicted finish. For instance, my Oakland Athletics had a “3” in green trimmed in gold.

    I haven’t gone through the entire issue yet but I haven’t noticed any discrepancies yet.

    It was a nice touch on SI’s part.[/quote]

    That’s very, very cool.

    [quote comment=”243461″]Both Kevin Kennedy and Joe Kerrigan (former Red Sox managers) had moustaches.[/quote]

    Great, when the topic is managers with moustaches, we’ll mention it.

    A couple nights ago, Roy Williams was on PTI and they specifically addressed the issue of the NCAA court logos and the apparent safety risk (players slipping).

    They went so far as to say they would be removed from that point forward, but it seemed last night there was no change. Am I understanding all of this correctly?

    [quote comment=”243466″][quote comment=”243461″]Both Kevin Kennedy and Joe Kerrigan (former Red Sox managers) had moustaches.[/quote]

    Great, when the topic is managers with moustaches, we’ll mention it.[/quote]

    Yeah – lwiedy was a bit of a jerk, but the subject at hand is beards. Moustaches are much more common on managers than beards.

    Dusty with a goatee in 2002, eh? So it seems as though the 21st Century was when it started – Davey Lopes had his when he took the Brewers job in 2000.

    Random thoughts for the day: Laz Diaz is HOT. He needs to be allowed to wear the facial hair in umping.

    I am glad most sportswriters seem to be against the cutting of the hair. Let Troy P.’s locks flow in the wind! It’s where he keeps his power. Hasn’t the NFL ever heard of Samson?

    Brian, I watch Antiques Road Show, and I love it. I especially like the series shot locally (in St. Paul) that included a Willie Mays-worn St. Paul Saints jersey.

    To SI and ESPN, please stop using Johan as the Mets rep pictorially. Every time I see it, I want to puke. I can’t even be excited about the real opening of baseball season because I know the Twins are going to be horrid. No nee.d to rub salt in my wounds!

    [quote comment=”243470″]A couple nights ago, Roy Williams was on PTI and they specifically addressed the issue of the NCAA court logos and the apparent safety risk (players slipping).

    They went so far as to say they would be removed from that point forward, but it seemed last night there was no change. Am I understanding all of this correctly?[/quote]
    The courts from the third round on are painted on (instead of the decals used in rounds 1-2). It was planned that way from the beginning. They didn’t change because of anyone’s comments.

    However, they will take the comments into consideration for future tournaments.

    [quote comment=”243472″][quote comment=”243466″][quote comment=”243461″]Both Kevin Kennedy and Joe Kerrigan (former Red Sox managers) had moustaches.[/quote]

    Great, when the topic is managers with moustaches, we’ll mention it.[/quote]

    Yeah – lwiedy was a bit of a jerk, but the subject at hand is beards. Moustaches are much more common on managers than beards.

    Dusty with a goatee in 2002, eh? So it seems as though the 21st Century was when it started – Davey Lopes had his when he took the Brewers job in 2000.[/quote]

    Didn’t realize the sensitivity out there! The direction of the discussion was already corrected once, I just thought a little more direct course was in order.

    Last year my girlfriend bought me an authentic customized Boston Bruins jersey (pre-Reebok Edge format), with my name and No. 87 on the back.

    forget worrying about the font of the 7s. putting your own last name on the back is what really ruined the jersey.

    [quote comment=”243474″][quote comment=”243470″]A couple nights ago, Roy Williams was on PTI and they specifically addressed the issue of the NCAA court logos and the apparent safety risk (players slipping).

    They went so far as to say they would be removed from that point forward, but it seemed last night there was no change. Am I understanding all of this correctly?[/quote]
    The courts from the third round on are painted on (instead of the decals used in rounds 1-2). It was planned that way from the beginning. They didn’t change because of anyone’s comments.

    However, they will take the comments into consideration for future tournaments.[/quote]

    Very intersting, thanks! Has that been the process all along?

    [quote comment=”243475″]Didn’t realize the sensitivity out there![/quote]

    Sorry about that – maybe I was a bit of a jerk in saying you were a bit of a jerk.

    [quote comment=”243478″][quote comment=”243474″][quote comment=”243470″]A couple nights ago, Roy Williams was on PTI and they specifically addressed the issue of the NCAA court logos and the apparent safety risk (players slipping).

    They went so far as to say they would be removed from that point forward, but it seemed last night there was no change. Am I understanding all of this correctly?[/quote]
    The courts from the third round on are painted on (instead of the decals used in rounds 1-2). It was planned that way from the beginning. They didn’t change because of anyone’s comments.

    However, they will take the comments into consideration for future tournaments.[/quote]

    Very intersting, thanks! Has that been the process all along?[/quote]

    That is to say, have they done it that way for a while?

    The Bruins have used link link nameplate fonts this season, one with a yellow and white outline, and one with just the yellow. They didn’t switch to the just-yellow permanently, it seemed to appear for only part of the season. They’ve got some very inconsistent numbering.

    [quote comment=”243444″]The Toronto eyeblack image has some serious photoshop errors. The A on the Hawks looks fake and that is *not* the correct indian head. Thats the head form the 90’s.[/quote]
    Hmm, well the book dates to the Harold Ballard era of the team, he wrote the intro to it. I am not sure if his staff altered the photos in anyway, if they had it would’ve been done pre-computers. I didn’t change the photos at all when I scanned them last night. I am at work right now so I can’t check the copyright on the book but I know we have had it for at least 15+ years and it was my grandfather’s before that. According to Amazon it was published in 1976. And I wouldn’t put alterations past old Harold, I’m not sure what the point would be, and that Blackhawks head could not have come from the 90s.

    I should also point out that the quality of the photo may have something to do with that. Scanning pictures is not one of my top skills, so that might account for it.

    [quote comment=”243479″][quote comment=”243475″]Didn’t realize the sensitivity out there![/quote]

    Sorry about that – maybe I was a bit of a jerk in saying you were a bit of a jerk.[/quote]

    My comment certain comes across as heavy-handed, I just though the direction had been addressed once, so a little more direct approach was in order.

    Is it out of line to “nudge” the discussion back? I know Paul does this from time-to-time and if it not for someone like myself to do, then by all means, I apologize.

    Hey! St. Francis…my cousins went/go there…always liked the Royal blue/White combo

    [quote comment=”243445″]The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring link. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.[/quote]

    F*cking brilliant! :-)

    [quote comment=”243473″]Random thoughts for the day: Laz Diaz is HOT. He needs to be allowed to wear the facial hair in umping.

    I am glad most sportswriters seem to be against the cutting of the hair. Let Troy P.’s locks flow in the wind! It’s where he keeps his power. Hasn’t the NFL ever heard of Samson?

    Brian, I watch Antiques Road Show, and I love it. I especially like the series shot locally (in St. Paul) that included a Willie Mays-worn St. Paul Saints jersey.

    To SI and ESPN, please stop using Johan as the Mets rep pictorially. Every time I see it, I want to puke. I can’t even be excited about the real opening of baseball season because I know the Twins are going to be horrid. No nee.d to rub salt in my wounds![/quote]

    Interesting linkin the mets shop for Santana, hope this makes you laugh Minna.

    [quote comment=”243489″][quote comment=”243445″]The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring link. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.[/quote]

    F*cking brilliant! :-)[/quote]
    Should have gone all the way and used Hebrew numerals.

    Sorry, I thought the discussion was about moustaches. Since it’s about beards, if you get the Red Sox World Series DVD from last year, there are clear shots of Indians Manager Eric Wedge with a full beard.

    The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring special uniforms with Hebrew lettering. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.

    Interesting that the Hebrew rendering is linguistically correct. Instead of just taking “Cyclones” and putting it in Hebrew, the jersey says “Cyclonim,” which is the correct, masculine plural. (Leaving aside the fact that “Cyclone” does not exist in Hebrew.) Compare this to lame efforts such as “Los Suns.”

    I also like how they took the Cyclones’ interlocking BC cap logo and highlighted part of it to look like a “tzade,” the first Hebrew letter of “Cyclonim.”

    [quote comment=”243490″][quote comment=”243473″]Random thoughts for the day: Laz Diaz is HOT. He needs to be allowed to wear the facial hair in umping.

    I am glad most sportswriters seem to be against the cutting of the hair. Let Troy P.’s locks flow in the wind! It’s where he keeps his power. Hasn’t the NFL ever heard of Samson?

    Brian, I watch Antiques Road Show, and I love it. I especially like the series shot locally (in St. Paul) that included a Willie Mays-worn St. Paul Saints jersey.

    To SI and ESPN, please stop using Johan as the Mets rep pictorially. Every time I see it, I want to puke. I can’t even be excited about the real opening of baseball season because I know the Twins are going to be horrid. No nee.d to rub salt in my wounds![/quote]

    Interesting linkin the mets shop for Santana, hope this makes you laugh Minna.[/quote]

    John T., ha! That made me laugh out loud. Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran–what’s the diff? Thanks, I needed that.

    I believe you’ll find that the stripes on Andy Etchebarren’s undershirt match the sock stripe pattern of the O’s uniform of the time. Sorry I don’t have time to dig up photographic evidence, but the O’s did have 2 thin orange stripes on black stirrups for a while. Those were the days!

    [quote comment=”243445″]The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring link. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.[/quote]

    maybe that’s the night paul is throwing out the first ball???

    [quote comment=”243448″]This one’s for you, Phil:

    link

    It is either a) a historically significant piece of baseball history worthy of a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame; or b) a Mitchell & Ness jersey with the tags removed.

    You decide.[/quote]

    thanks for thinking of me, larry

    im guessing that’s not a frank robinson gamer, but you know my feelings on eBay ;)

    ah well…back to f’in work…i even missed PL’s espn chat because of it…damn people

    [quote comment=”243494″][quote comment=”243489″][quote comment=”243445″]The Brooklyn Cyclones just announced that July 13th will celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, featuring link. There’s a graphic with the proposed jersey and cap.[/quote]

    F*cking brilliant! :-)[/quote]
    Should have gone all the way and used Hebrew numerals.[/quote]

    As good as that would have been…do they even use the hebrew #s in the Israeli League?

    And this is a little better than the spinach, err spanish heritage nights…Los Suns, Los Lakers…at least 9 out of 10 of us wouldnt remember how to read hebrew anyway!

    Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.

    [quote comment=”243507″]Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.[/quote]

    in time, you might see all first and second round sites with appropriate ncaa courts.
    i wouldnt be surprised if the ncaa puts that in as a prerequisite for those who bid for hosting, to have the ncaa sideline markings and mid court logo as attachments to the current floors.

    [quote comment=”243514″][quote comment=”243507″]Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.[/quote]

    in time, you might see all first and second round sites with appropriate ncaa courts.
    i wouldnt be surprised if the ncaa puts that in as a prerequisite for those who bid for hosting, to have the ncaa sideline markings and mid court logo as attachments to the current floors.[/quote]
    I hate templates in regard to uniforms and I’m finding out that I hate templates when applied to basketball courts as well.

    I hate it when game-worn jerseys for sale are mentioned: I passed over some game-worn Expos jerseys for $90 last summer at the All-Star Game fan fest and I haven’t been able to find them again.

    I will drink a beer for you tonight my friend. Most of us make bad mistakes like that! I was THIS close to buying an authentic mike Schmidt 1988 jersey off of ebay last year but my girlfriend nagged and bothered me… I couldn’t concentrate… put the final bid in a second too early… lost the auction! ugh… sad, sad times. Could have potentially ruined my uni-life! She’s gone now, off to nag someone else I guess…

    One person mentioned this in yesterday’s comments, but no one appeared to have commented on it.
    Sports Illustrated’s baseball preview issue uses each team’s uni number font to highlight their predicted finish. For instance, my Oakland Athletics had a “3″ in green trimmed in gold.
    I haven’t gone through the entire issue yet but I haven’t noticed any discrepancies yet.
    It was a nice touch on SI’s part.

    Gosh… I bet that #16 in pirates font looks beautiful though!

    …sorry if anybody beat me to this joke… didn’t get to read all the comments today…

    Missed the chat and I’m not an ESPN insider so I can’t read it now. Bullshit. Anyone want to post a recap or even a transcript?

    thanks.

    [quote comment=”243476″]Last year my girlfriend bought me an authentic customized Boston Bruins jersey (pre-Reebok Edge format), with my name and No. 87 on the back.

    forget worrying about the font of the 7s. putting your own last name on the back is what really ruined the jersey.[/quote]

    Perhaps some people have been burned once too often by getting their favorite player’s jersey, just to see them get traded just a month later. Getting your own name on back is fine in my book, if you are going to spend a fair amount for a accurate jersey, I too would get my own name on the back for that price.

    [quote comment=”243472″][quote comment=”243466″][quote comment=”243461″]Both Kevin Kennedy and Joe Kerrigan (former Red Sox managers) had moustaches.[/quote]

    Great, when the topic is managers with moustaches, we’ll mention it.[/quote]

    Yeah – lwiedy was a bit of a jerk, but the subject at hand is beards. Moustaches are much more common on managers than beards.

    Dusty with a goatee in 2002, eh? So it seems as though the 21st Century was when it started – Davey Lopes had his when he took the Brewers job in 2000.[/quote]

    Nice theory, but 2000 was still in the 20th century.

    Paul,
    Looking at this picture of Joe DiMaggio and and Pee Wee Reese they have some pretty nice uni’s. Do you know if all the armed service teams had such nifty kits?

    I think I answered my own question. Found a great link with some great uni shots of baseball in wartime: link

    [quote comment=”243520″][quote comment=”243514″][quote comment=”243507″]Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.[/quote]

    in time, you might see all first and second round sites with appropriate ncaa courts.
    i wouldnt be surprised if the ncaa puts that in as a prerequisite for those who bid for hosting, to have the ncaa sideline markings and mid court logo as attachments to the current floors.[/quote]
    I hate templates in regard to uniforms and I’m finding out that I hate templates when applied to basketball courts as well.[/quote]

    when it comes to the tourney, i kinda like a consistency.

    i like how on each floor for these next 2 rounds, there is a representative color scheme (blue and black), an ncaa presence (sideline wordmarks and midcourt logo), as well as a presence of the host college (sideline logo).

    id like to see this process follow through for all rounds, all sites.

    a uniform court for the first and 2nd rounds,
    another style for the regional semis and finals, and the usual makeup for the final four.

    as it seems now, all we need are the first two rounds to buy in.

    i know with all the first round sites, it would be an enormous amount of money for this to happen, but since the ncaa is willing to sell final four floor, im sure it would be willing to do the same with these floors to schools or arenas around the country.

    [quote comment=”243605″][quote comment=”243520″][quote comment=”243514″][quote comment=”243507″]Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.[/quote]

    in time, you might see all first and second round sites with appropriate ncaa courts.
    i wouldnt be surprised if the ncaa puts that in as a prerequisite for those who bid for hosting, to have the ncaa sideline markings and mid court logo as attachments to the current floors.[/quote]
    I hate templates in regard to uniforms and I’m finding out that I hate templates when applied to basketball courts as well.[/quote]

    when it comes to the tourney, i kinda like a consistency.

    i like how on each floor for these next 2 rounds, there is a representative color scheme (blue and black), an ncaa presence (sideline wordmarks and midcourt logo), as well as a presence of the host college (sideline logo).

    id like to see this process follow through for all rounds, all sites.

    a uniform court for the first and 2nd rounds,
    another style for the regional semis and finals, and the usual makeup for the final four.

    as it seems now, all we need are the first two rounds to buy in.

    i know with all the first round sites, it would be an enormous amount of money for this to happen, but since the ncaa is willing to sell final four floor, im sure it would be willing to do the same with these floors to schools or arenas around the country.[/quote]
    I’m the opposite. I like being able to recognize right away that the 1992 East Regional between UK and Duke was at the Spectrum in Philly just by seeing the court.

    [quote comment=”243481″][quote comment=”243478″][quote comment=”243474″][quote comment=”243470″]A couple nights ago, Roy Williams was on PTI and they specifically addressed the issue of the NCAA court logos and the apparent safety risk (players slipping).

    They went so far as to say they would be removed from that point forward, but it seemed last night there was no change. Am I understanding all of this correctly?[/quote]
    The courts from the third round on are painted on (instead of the decals used in rounds 1-2). It was planned that way from the beginning. They didn’t change because of anyone’s comments.

    However, they will take the comments into consideration for future tournaments.[/quote]

    Very intersting, thanks! Has that been the process all along?[/quote]

    That is to say, have they done it that way for a while?[/quote]

    The NCAA has worked with Connor Sport Court for a while now as the supplier of the courts for the Mens and Womens Volleyball Championships. They signed a deal back in 2005 that made them the official court of both the Mens and Womens Final Four. That deal included becoming the supplier of courts for the Regionals starting last year, instead of each venue using their own floors.

    [quote comment=”243605″][quote comment=”243520″][quote comment=”243514″][quote comment=”243507″]Speaking of the NCAA tournament courts, I don’t know if this has been discussed, but what’s up with having the same court design at all of the regional sites? Talk about a lack of aesthetics. I thought it was a fluke last year, but it was back again last night.[/quote]

    in time, you might see all first and second round sites with appropriate ncaa courts.
    i wouldnt be surprised if the ncaa puts that in as a prerequisite for those who bid for hosting, to have the ncaa sideline markings and mid court logo as attachments to the current floors.[/quote]
    I hate templates in regard to uniforms and I’m finding out that I hate templates when applied to basketball courts as well.[/quote]

    when it comes to the tourney, i kinda like a consistency.

    i like how on each floor for these next 2 rounds, there is a representative color scheme (blue and black), an ncaa presence (sideline wordmarks and midcourt logo), as well as a presence of the host college (sideline logo).

    id like to see this process follow through for all rounds, all sites.

    a uniform court for the first and 2nd rounds,
    another style for the regional semis and finals, and the usual makeup for the final four.

    as it seems now, all we need are the first two rounds to buy in.

    i know with all the first round sites, it would be an enormous amount of money for this to happen, but since the ncaa is willing to sell final four floor, im sure it would be willing to do the same with these floors to schools or arenas around the country.[/quote]

    I don’t think you’ll see the NCAA expand the Connor deal to include first and second round sites. Not every arena has a removable floor, especially on-campus places like Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville or the Knapp Center in Des Moines.

    [quote comment=”243301″]Whoops. Sorry. That’s Heidi Klum – not Gisele.

    Whatever.[/quote]

    No-lose coin flip there.

    [quote comment=”243530″]Missed the chat and I’m not an ESPN insider so I can’t read it now. Bullshit. Anyone want to post a recap or even a transcript?

    thanks.[/quote]

    agreed…anywhere to read it? possible to link to a pdf or something for this board?

    Best looking center in the history of college football. If I was QB, I’d make sure to always take the play clock down to 1, if you get my drift….

    link

    [quote comment=”243436″][quote comment=”243421″]Sorry for jumping back a couple of days and apologies if I’m asking a question that’s already been answered, but the new US soccer shirt has the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” inside the collar. Does anyone know what this refers to?
    See links

    and

    [/quote]

    link

    I fly the Gadsden flag in front of my house. All the crackers who fly the Confederate flag down where I live seem to rub there head in confusion (I’m sure they think it is a militia flag of some sort).

    Plus, it is a different way of displaying pride and is a good conversation piece.

    [quote comment=”243626″][quote comment=”243436″][quote comment=”243421″]Sorry for jumping back a couple of days and apologies if I’m asking a question that’s already been answered, but the new US soccer shirt has the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” inside the collar. Does anyone know what this refers to?
    See links

    and

    [/quote]

    link

    I fly the Gadsden flag in front of my house. All the crackers who fly the Confederate flag down where I live seem to rub there head in confusion (I’m sure they think it is a militia flag of some sort).

    Plus, it is a different way of displaying pride and is a good conversation piece.[/quote]

    It’s also a pretty good song by Damn Yankees.

    Don’t know if it has already been mentioned and if it has sorry. But the NFL has the new logo up on it page now.

    I greatly appreciated you including the note and link to Utah’s new uniforms… until I saw the mock up. Bleh.

    One thing that may bear watching next fall (if there’s anyone other than me who even cares about Utes football) is that, according to the news story you link to, the jerseys and pants will be “crimson” while the helmets will be “candy apple red.” Wouldn’t that mean the helmets and uniforms won’t match?

    Clashing was a big issue with Nike (the uniforms, coaches’ polos and caps were all different shades of red) and it’d be a shame if Utah changed brands and still can’t get its colors right.

    might also say there’s the question of why anyone would spend $300 on a polyester shirt, but I’ll leave that issue for another day

    I’m sorry, isn’t this the place for obsession over athletic aesthetics? I think there is a considerable percentage of UniWatch bloggers who would have no problem paying for authenticity (assuming money was no object, of course).

    I’ll be offline for the weekend, so I’ll miss any comments.

    Hey,

    I’m the Matt Fedorka that wrote the blurb about the Bruins jersey. I just want to make a few comments here:

    1. I got it (well, my girlfriend got it for me) with my name on the back because, indeed, I hate to get players because they are traded a lot these days (I was smart enough not to get a Johnny Damon jersey before he ended up signing with the Yankees… although I almost did).

    2. As for why someone would spend $300 on a jersey, it is just what I asked for for my birthday/Christmas present from my girlfriend. Again, jerseys are what I enjoy collecting, and having one with your name on the back is pretty cool (maybe that’s because I sucked at sports… lol).

    3. Thanks Uni Watch for addressing the issue… :-)

    GO BRUINS!

    Also love Antiques Road show. A while back, I saw the one of Willie Mays’ game-worn Minneapolis Millers jersey that was valued at 80K or something like that. That too, was a thing of beauty!

    I’m sure glad the NCAA put “BASKETBALL” in big white letters on the side of the courts. I would have had no idea what I was watching otherwise.

    [quote comment=”243650″]I’m sure glad the NCAA put “BASKETBALL” in big white letters on the side of the courts. I would have had no idea what I was watching otherwise.[/quote]

    Yeah, just like when the NFL puts a big NFL shield at midfield of the Super Bowl, as if we don’t already know it’s the NFL.

    Couldn’t find any pics but Jerry Manuel had a beard from time to time with the ChiSox. I always thought he looked like a hobo with it and I loved it.

    [quote comment=”243662″]Couldn’t find any pics but Jerry Manuel had a beard from time to time with the ChiSox. I always thought he looked like a hobo with it and I loved it.[/quote]
    I pretty much wasted the day looking for pictures of managers with beards. I couldn’t find any shots of J. Manuel that were dated pre-2000. The other possibility is Bruce Bochy. I think he has a goatee now, but not sure if he wore one with the Padres. Ron Gardenhire didn’t get hired until 2003 so he’s definitely out of the running.

    [quote comment=”243672″]Umpires with facial hair:

    link
    link
    link

    Also while while looking at pics I came across this interesting link a nice mix of two products.[/quote]

    Pictures of umpires with moustaches are as common as pictures of the members of Boston with afros, or video of bad Steve Garvey celebrity events.

    [quote comment=”243650″]I’m sure glad the NCAA put “BASKETBALL” in big white letters on the side of the courts. I would have had no idea what I was watching otherwise.[/quote]

    You mean I’m not watching volleyball!?!

    The new raised court doesn’t look half bad. I’d still prefer an arena, but I know the “nonprofit” NCAA wants to squeeze as much money out of these “student-athletes” as it can.

    Also, is a Texas player wearing an adidas shooting sleeve? It’s a black shooting sleeve, but Texas is a Nike school.

    [quote comment=”243682″]The new raised court doesn’t look half bad. I’d still prefer an arena, but I know the “nonprofit” NCAA wants to squeeze as much money out of these “student-athletes” as it can.[/quote]

    If any of the schools have a problem with the recent expansion of the NCAA tournament into domed stadia (if you call 1982 recent), they only have themselves to blame, since the NCAA ultimately answers to the member schools.

    BTW, did anyone else hear about how the trustees of Davidson offered to pay for every student to go to Detroit for the weekend? Not just tickets, but also transporation, hotel, and a per diem, paid out of the trustees own pockets. The only bad part is that the response was so big that they couldn’t get enough buses for everyone.

    [quote comment=”243685″][quote comment=”243682″]The new raised court doesn’t look half bad. I’d still prefer an arena, but I know the “nonprofit” NCAA wants to squeeze as much money out of these “student-athletes” as it can.[/quote]

    If any of the schools have a problem with the recent expansion of the NCAA tournament into domed stadia (if you call 1982 recent), they only have themselves to blame, since the NCAA ultimately answers to the member schools.

    BTW, did anyone else hear about how the trustees of Davidson offered to pay for every student to go to Detroit for the weekend? Not just tickets, but also transporation, hotel, and a per diem, paid out of the trustees own pockets. The only bad part is that the response was so big that they couldn’t get enough buses for everyone.[/quote]

    Yes, they’ve done domes for a long time, but this is the first year they are doing a dome *and* putting the court in the middle of the football field. This way they can sell more tickets. Previously the court at final fours was in the end zone with temporary bleachers on the 20-50 yeard lines (estimate.) I was at the 2006 FF and that’s how it was done then. Starting next year the FF will be in this new set-up.

    And it is great that Davidson paid for its students to attend the game. That is great. Now, if the NCAA alloted more tickets to schools that would be great, too. My alma mater George Mason was only alloted 500 tickets for their first round game in Denver, which seats 15,000 or so. That’s a sorry number if you ask me.

    [quote comment=”243397″][quote comment=”243366″][quote]Mustached skippers are a dime a dozen. I’m looking for managers (and umpires) with BEARDS.[/quote]

    dave pallone[/quote]

    Not that it is relevant to the subject of beards, but Dave Pallone was gay and wrote a very interesting book on his experience as an in-the-closet MLB umpire.[/quote]

    yeah…i wasn’t implying he had facial hair

    /sorry, bad joke

    [quote comment=”243688″]
    Yes, they’ve done domes for a long time, but this is the first year they are doing a dome *and* putting the court in the middle of the football field. This way they can sell more tickets. Previously the court at final fours was in the end zone with temporary bleachers on the 20-50 yeard lines (estimate.) I was at the 2006 FF and that’s how it was done then. Starting next year the FF will be in this new set-up.[/quote]

    Take a look at the 1971, 1982 and 1987 Final Fours and you’ll see that using the entire dome is not a new concept. What is new is that the use of temporary seating around the court, along with the elevated floor, will vastly improve sightlines.

    [quote]And it is great that Davidson paid for its students to attend the game. That is great. Now, if the NCAA alloted more tickets to schools that would be great, too. My alma mater George Mason was only alloted 500 tickets for their first round game in Denver, which seats 15,000 or so. That’s a sorry number if you ask me.[/quote]

    Drake University was only allotted that many tickets for Tampa this year, but yet somehow a lot more than that got their hands on tickets for that first session. Also, one of the reasons for the NCAA going to the new seating for the Final Four is to give the students more tickets, closer to the court, at a cheaper price than is currently available for the FF.

    The Drake fans must have bought tix from scalpers or some other way, cause just 500 is almost laughable. And the raised floor is a new deal. I’m just not going to drink the NCAA Kool Aid about how it’s about helping the fans. We all know it’s about the money to them. If the fans have a good experience that’s just a bonus.

    That and the fact that the new minimum seating requirement for Final Four Men’s sites (as of next year) will be 70,000 and for the Women’s Final Four (as of 2010) will be 35,000, meaning ScotTrade Center will be the last “small arena” to host a Women’s Final Four in St. Louis. Future Women’s Final Fours in St. Louis will be held at the Edward Jones Dome.

    [quote comment=”243698″]The Drake fans must have bought tix from scalpers or some other way, cause just 500 is almost laughable. And the raised floor is a new deal. I’m just not going to drink the NCAA Kool Aid about how it’s about helping the fans. We all know it’s about the money to them. If the fans have a good experience that’s just a bonus.[/quote]

    Yeah, it’s all about making enough money off of March Madness to be able to afford to pay for the other 87 National Championships the NCAA sponsors across all the divisions. Remember, the NCAA is a non-profit organization, so all the money they make goes back into the Association, as well as all of the member schools.

    [quote comment=”243699″]That and the fact that the new minimum seating requirement for Final Four Men’s sites (as of next year) will be 70,000 and for the Women’s Final Four (as of 2010) will be 35,000, meaning ScotTrade Center will be the last “small arena” to host a Women’s Final Four in St. Louis. Future Women’s Final Fours in St. Louis will be held at the Edward Jones Dome.[/quote]

    Do you have the article you read that in?

    [quote comment=”243641″]I greatly appreciated you including the note and link to Utah’s new uniforms… until I saw the mock up. Bleh.

    One thing that may bear watching next fall (if there’s anyone other than me who even cares about Utes football) is that, according to the news story you link to, the jerseys and pants will be “crimson” while the helmets will be “candy apple red.” Wouldn’t that mean the helmets and uniforms won’t match?

    Clashing was a big issue with Nike (the uniforms, coaches’ polos and caps were all different shades of red) and it’d be a shame if Utah changed brands and still can’t get its colors right.[/quote]

    Tobi –
    As a Utah fan, you should be used to them putting an unwatchable team uniform on the field. On the bright side the new football uniform isn’t nearly as bad as the basketball uniform this year.

    [quote comment=”243702″]Do you have the article you read that in?[/quote]

    In 2009, the NCAA takes its Final Four to Ford Field in Detroit. The 2010 and 2011 Final Fours will be played in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and Houston’s Reliant Stadium, respectively.

    Ford Field opened in 2002, as did Reliant Stadium. Lucas Oil Stadium will be roughly two years old when it hosts the 2010 Final Four.

    All three venues will feature a new transportable seating structure provided by the NCAA that will take capacity for the Final Four up to approximately 70,000.

    link

    link which reference the 70K seat minimum

    [quote comment=”243706″][quote comment=”243702″]Do you have the article you read that in?[/quote]

    In 2009, the NCAA takes its Final Four to Ford Field in Detroit. The 2010 and 2011 Final Fours will be played in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and Houston’s Reliant Stadium, respectively.

    Ford Field opened in 2002, as did Reliant Stadium. Lucas Oil Stadium will be roughly two years old when it hosts the 2010 Final Four.

    All three venues will feature a new transportable seating structure provided by the NCAA that will take capacity for the Final Four up to approximately 70,000.

    link

    link which reference the 70K seat minimum[/quote]

    Just because the place will be able to hold 70k doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the minimum. According to the original article on ncaa.com, the requirement is still 40k, with no mention of that going up in the next few years. And you still have to prove that the 35k for the Womens Final Four is an actual number.

    [quote]Just because the place will be able to hold 70k doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the minimum. According to the original article on ncaa.com, the requirement is still 40k, with no mention of that going up in the next few years. And you still have to prove that the 35k for the Womens Final Four is an actual number.[/quote]

    sorry, stevo…that was james who made that statement…i was just trying to find some frame of reference for his assertions

    i would also like to find the source of his statements, as google turned up nothing on the minimum requirement for men (and i didn’t even search for the women)

    again, sorry stevo for any confusion

    [quote comment=”243708″][quote]Just because the place will be able to hold 70k doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the minimum. According to the original article on ncaa.com, the requirement is still 40k, with no mention of that going up in the next few years. And you still have to prove that the 35k for the Womens Final Four is an actual number.[/quote]

    sorry, stevo…that was james who made that statement…i was just trying to find some frame of reference for his assertions

    i would also like to find the source of his statements, as google turned up nothing on the minimum requirement for men (and i didn’t even search for the women)

    again, sorry stevo for any confusion[/quote]

    No Phil, my bad for not paying attention to who actually posted. I was just wondering about the Womens tournament, since the NCAA has actually changed to a smaller first and second round setup (more venues, less teams per venue) to try and boost overall attendance and give the smaller arenas and cities a chance to come back into the fold.

    Found this paragraph in one of the articles on Phil’s Google search:

    [quote]Now, a local committee says it will bid next year to stage the 2012 through 2016 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Final Fours at the Glendale dome. It also will vie for a chance to put on future Women’s Final Fours at US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix.[/quote]

    Now, US Airways is one of those “small” arenas, with only 18 grand seating, but it looks like the local guy thinks they have a legitimate chance at a future Womens FF.

    I know that it’s just Corbin Bernsen (Roger Dorn for those that don’t know his real name) but what’s up with link Have the Dodgers ever worn this hat?

    [quote comment=”243718″]I know that it’s just Corbin Bernsen (Roger Dorn for those that don’t know his real name) but what’s up with link Have the Dodgers ever worn this hat?[/quote]

    i don’t know about the hat, but any idea what the NOB says?

    [quote comment=”243720″][quote comment=”243718″]I know that it’s just Corbin Bernsen (Roger Dorn for those that don’t know his real name) but what’s up with link Have the Dodgers ever worn this hat?[/quote]

    i don’t know about the hat, but any idea what the NOB says?[/quote]
    Looks like HOLLANDSWORTH

    [quote comment=”243606″]ugh… that LA Kings jersey is BY FAR one of the worst. sadly some people actually wear them to staples center sometimes. poor souls.

    George
    link

    I don’t mind it. As a Kings fan I like having one of the more unique designs. It is also likely the hardest of jerseys to get from Gretzky’s career. My biggest problem is finding someone who can number it properly. I still want Gretzky #99 on it.

    Does anyone know where to find Replica Marquette basketball shorts online? Like the kind the actual team wears, or at least look a lot like the teams shorts. I can only find one off the beaten path site that sells them, and would like some more options before pulling the trigger.

    I just wanted to say it was amazing to click on the St. Francis High School picture and see my middle school friend Jeff pitching on UniWatch…Just an amazing suprise!

    Thanks Paul

    [quote comment=”243649″]Also love Antiques Road show. A while back, I saw the one of Willie Mays’ game-worn Minneapolis Millers jersey that was valued at 80K or something like that. That too, was a thing of beauty![/quote]

    Jaye, doh! That’s the jersey I meant. That’s what I get for not looking up my info and just going on memory. Since they came to St. Paul, I just assumed it was the Saints.

    [quote comment=”243720″][quote comment=”243718″]I know that it’s just Corbin Bernsen (Roger Dorn for those that don’t know his real name) but what’s up with link Have the Dodgers ever worn this hat?[/quote]

    i don’t know about the hat, but any idea what the NOB says?[/quote]

    My guess is that it says “Hollywood” or “Hollywood Stars”, from Hollywood Stars Night at Dodger Stadium. It started decades ago (don’t know the exact year) as a celebrity baseball (yeah, hardball) game, but has changed to a softball game in recent years (boo).

    And apologies if this has been shown already, but link is an awesome pic of what I’m guessing is a bat boy uniform from the first all-star game at Comiskey Park. Link to original ESPN site link.

    [quote comment=”243485″]I should also point out that the quality of the photo may have something to do with that. Scanning pictures is not one of my top skills, so that might account for it.[/quote]
    just go to nhluniforms.com it shows what the logo was then. its not even close. The 90us there was a “face” colored border all teh way around the head, like in the pic, the current ones are even bigger and dont have the border on them. its just looks way more like the “happy” face they have now than teh “mean” one they had.

    link

    In regards to the MLB 08 photo, that is from an incredibly early “build” of the game and was fixed immediately. There are a few small uni-related errors in the game (i.e. the Cards have solid red socks) but the developers of the game explained that because of licensing agreements, they are forced to adhere by the style guide MLB sends them…and MLB sent them out of date/innacurate style guides. Even though they knew the uni’s were wrong, they were not allowed to change them. Way to go MLB!

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