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Uni Watch DIY Project: Outfitting an Entire Team

marmots practice one bowker runs with a purpose.JPG

[Editor’s Note: Our latest DIY story comes from Brandon S. Bowker, who doesn’t just make jerseys for himself — he makes them for his entire softball squad. — PL]

By Brandon S. Bowker

I’m a singer/songwriter from Lexington, Kentucky, and my band, A Portion For Ruben, sponsors a softball team, called the Kalone Way Screaming Marmots. The team is basically the band and our friends, girlfiends, co-workers, and anyone we can find idle in the park on gameday.

We play in an adult coed-rec league, which means we can wear pretty much whatever we want. At first I would design the shirts and have them printed, but eventually I realized I could save a lot of money making them myself.

I usually ask everyone what colors they like and go from there. The designs are my own, though I like to cull ideas from Uni Watch or Ebbets Field Flannels. I get at least 20 of the shirts in appropriate sizes. Whatever I can find cheap. The fall ’08 Marmots, for example, sported “Island Yellow.” Then I go to a local sporting goods place called the Locker Room (this is actually the same place at which UK athletics, the Lexington Legends, and the Lexington Horsemen have all their work done). There’s a fantastic lady who works in the back, doing all the embroidery and stitching, and she’s always willing to help out and sell me a couple of yards of tackle twill in the color of our choosing (i.e., Panthers Blue to go with the Island Yellow).

After printing out or sketching my font and designs for the numbers and insignia, I use my floor lamp under a piece of glass as a lightbox and trace my designs onto the tackle twill fabric. I cut them out (with the amazing help of my girlfriend Sarah — that’s her on the left), and iron them onto the shirts. Once this is done, I sew them down with a classic zig-zag stitch, using the machine my folks gave me for just that purpose.

There are a lot of little details. I like to put the player’s name on the inside of the hemline, along with the season and the year. Sometimes I just do this with a pen, sometimes on a sewn-down piece of tackle-twill like the pros do. This past season I added an inch or two of red stitching to the name, just as a little signature.

I have also begun doing one-offs, just for kicks, or as gifts. I’ve done a Bengals-themed Marmots raglan with tiger stipes on the sleeves, along with a Redlegs-look jersey. I’ve also done camo (I know, I know). And of course I had to know what the Marmots would look like in rainbow double-knits!

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And that’s not all: Paul here. The DIY thing has now reached the point where I’m getting several great stories per day. Here are some more:

• From Paul Richard Cook: “I spent the holidays with my wife’s family in December of 2005. One of my relatives got a Yankees jersey as a Christmas present, but my Canadiens sweater was apparently delayed in production because of customization, so my mother-in-law decided to take it upon herself to make a replacement, so that I wouldn’t be left empty-handed when opening the gifts. Obviously there was a complete lack of attention paid to what a Canadiens jersey actually looks like, but she did reference a classic hockey design motif (and put it together hastily with the materials she had). The real jersey eventually showed up, but I still wear le bleu-et-gris from time to time.”

• From Larry Wiederecht: “About 10 years ago, there was a shop in town that was an outlet for Russell Athletic rejects. Lots of blank authentic jerseys that for one reason or another didn’t cut the mustard. With the help of various materials (letter and number patterns, sew shop materials, twill and patches from eBay) I was able to transform this into this [here’s a closer look]. Probably cost no more than $25. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in detail and accuracy. I left off the Russell Athletic tags — why give them credit? If you want it right, DIY.”

• From Jason Toon: “In the early ’80s, my little brother and I once tried to make our own faux-jersey T-shirts to wear while playing Wiffleball. I was eight years old, he was five. Even though we live in St. Louis, for some reason we decided I would be the Reds and he would be the Dodgers (maybe because Cardinals shirts were everywhere and we wanted something more exotic, or maybe because we didn’t have a yellow marker to draw the birds on the bat). So we used markers to draw Dodgers and Reds logos onto a couple of plain white tees. We even did the backs — I was Mario Soto, he was Fernando Valenzuela. Thus clad, we played a few sweaty innings in the summer sun before we realized the ink was running all over our torsos. We had no idea of the distinction between permanent and non-permanent markers. Of course, the ink that ran so freely onto our skin was impossible to scrub off. So for the next week or so, our torsos were dyed red or blue. The things we did for baseball!”

•  From Michael Bessette: “This jersey is modeled after the early-’50s Rhode Island Reds (AHL). I noticed that their jersey resembled the ones worn by the Chicago Blackhawks in that same era, so I bought a reproduction Blackhawks throwback sweater made by CCM and removed the ’Hawks crest. It’s not an exact match, but pretty close. I found the old Reds logo online and enlarged it to crest size to form a pattern. Then I hand-cut and sewed the different sections of the crest together, using felt, an X-Acto knife, a circle cutter, fabric glue, and embroidering floss. After that, I hand-cut the number 7 and the alternate ‘A’ and applied everything to the sweater. Everything was hand-cut except the letters in the crest, which were available at a craft store. The project took a good part of a summer. I’ve worn it to Providence Bruins games on occasion and received lots of good feedback.”

•  From Andy Bentley: “I saw that Orioles hoodie that another reader made and thought I’d make my own Reds version. I went ahead and stitched each part of each letter (red letter, white outline, back black shadow) individually I couldn’t find pre-shadowed letters as part of a kit. And I added this sleeve patch.”

•  From Taha Jamil: “In December, my wife (Joanna), daughter (Zahra), and I went to a Blackhawks game in Chicago. When I went to get popcorn, Zahra said to Joanna, “I play hockey when I bigger.” I was ecstatic. I decided I would buy some basic hockey gear (sticks, puck, goal) for Zahra’s third birthday (January 31st). Finding sticks and pucks for toddlers was easy, but finding a goal was harder — they were either too big or too expensive, and they only came in pairs (we really only need one right now). Anyway, I was kind of inspired by the DIY jerseys that have been running on the blog over the last few weeks, and I thought I could make a decent goal that could stand up to a three-year-old’s slapshot. So I bought a mesh equipment bag and then took it apart at the seams. I drew the frame on a cardboard box and cut it, then glued some of the flaps to reinforce it. It was still a little flimsy, so I cut and glued two strips of styrofoam to reinforce the crossbar. I then stapled the mesh to the frame. I pulled the sides taught and left some slack in the back of the net. I still need to trim some excess mesh from the back, but as soon as I finished making it on Zahra’s birthday, she wanted to play. As you can see, it’s just the right size for a tall three-year old. When I make the next goal, I’ll reinforce the posts with styrofoam like I did with the crossbar in this model.”

These are all SO great (and I have even more examples coming). You people all rock. And wait, here’s a DIY-related story of my own that I’d totally forgotten about until now: When I was eight or nine years old, I had a yellow sweatshirt with “87” in maroon block numbers. Those were Redskins colors, more or less, so I looked in my Sunoco stamp album, saw that No. 87 of the ’Skins was a tight end named Jerry Smith, and asked my mom if she could sew his name onto the back of the sweatshirt in maroon thread. “Smith” seemed too plain, though, so I had her do “J. Smith,” just so everyone would know which Smith was being referred to. My mom’s a really good sewer, and she did a great job on the lettering. I proudly wore the sweatshirt whenever I played touch football with the neighborhood kids on our block, and I remember being really happy when I made a good catch and one of the older kids said, “You know, he does remind me of Jerry Smith.”

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Surf’s Up: For the past two days I’ve mentioned the series of Surf-sponsored baseball card books that appeared in the late 1980s. As it turns out, reader Jeff Barak collects these books, and he’s generously provided some additional info on them:

The books were produced over three years, beginning in 1987. They were stadium giveaways and each featured a particular club’s cards from 1952 to 1986, regardless of whether the team had relocated (like the Athletics, who moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland during that time period). The only exception to this I am aware of is the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose cards in the 1987 book were shown starting from 1958 — their first year in Los Angeles.

In 1988, the books were again sponsored by Surf, who logo was now prominently featured at the top. Here are the Phillies books from 1987 and 1988 for comparison.

The front of the 1987 books had a “Books available in this series” page, which listed every MLB team. But I’ve never seen books from the two Canadian franchises, even though they were included in that listing. I’ve had a longstanding search for them on eBay and they’ve never come up for sale. I believe this was due to Surf not being sold in Canada at the time of the promotion.

The series continued for one more year in 1989 (although I think the ’89 series were distributed via mail-order, not as stadium giveaways), with the books featuring all cards from 1952-1988. This time they were no longer sponsored by Surf. The 1989 series did include Toronto and Montreal, allowing me to finally have one from each franchise.

Raffle Reminder: Today’s the last day for the Sports Propaganda raffle. For details, look here. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

As you may have noticed”¦: We have a new anchor advertiser at the top of the page. That would be Mothering Hut, which makes some very cool T-shirts. Please give them a look.

No hard feelings regarding Andy, Rav, and all the other good people at Distant Replays, whose ad had occupied that top-left spot since late 2006. They’ve been great to work with, but they felt the need to cut back on expenditures in these tough times. They hope to advertise with us again in the spring or summer, and they’re still providing $10 gift cards for every new enrollee in the Uni Watch membership program.

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Speaking of which, the membershp card gallery now has some new designs. As you can see at right, Scott has finally agreed to tackle the Isles’ fish sticks design, and I think you’ll agree that he did a great job (like I’ve been saying all along, the worst uniforms make the best membership cards). We expect to be adding nearly 20 more cards over the next few days, and I’ll be mailing out membership kits tomorrow and all through next week. My thanks, as always, to everyone who’s signed up.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Oh. My. God. That’s John Isaacs, who died last week. Man, I’d give anything for a color version of that photo. ”¦ Here’s Todd Radom wearing a pair of stirrups that I loaned him while playing in the Joe DiMaggio Legends Game (further info here). “I faced Bill Lee, who threw me five 12-to-6 looping offspeed pitches that I couldn’t have hit with an oar,” he says. Alas, Todd had his pants riding much lower when posing for this photo with Roy Sievers. ”¦ Check out this shot of the Western Reserve soccer team, circa mid-1940s. Untucked looks a lot better there, huh? “My Grandfather is in the front row, second from left,” says Sutton Smith. “Interesting side note: He was exempted from the draft due to a metal kneecap, a result of a baseball injury sustained while he played catcher.” ”¦ Alex Minnehan sent me this and this. They appear to be from 1999, but they’re much more detailed than the style sheets I have from that period. Good stuff. ”¦ Not exactly a news flash, but recruits take uniforms into consideration when mulling which school to choose. ”¦ Speaking of recruits, how hard do you think new OSU signee Storm Klein (yes, that’s really his name) got bitch-slapped for wearing an Under Armour tee with his Nike jersey? (Good spot by Trevor Williams.) ”¦ Short piece here about double-flap batting helmets (with thanks to Don Dopiriak). ”¦ Speaking of batting helmets, check out these. Andrew Thomason notes that the logo on the Oakland helmet appears to have been painted or stenciled on, while the other two are decals. ”¦ Good story from Tris Wykes, who writes: “I worked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 1993 training camp as an equipment room assistant. We scrimmaged the Dolphins one day at their practice complex and Steve DeBerg wore a leather helmet [and some odd shoes, too — PL] for some semi-live drills to make fun of how old he was. That was amusing, but DeBerg himself was distant and kind of a jerk.” ”¦ Also from Tris: Good article here on NHL goalie masks. ”¦ Reprinted from last night’s comments: Look, you can be a pro golfer and not be a douchebag! ”¦ More apostrophe problems (with thanks to Jere Smith). ”¦ New Nike-fied uniforms on the way at Washington (with thanks to Adam Lawrence). ”¦ Check this out: a high school wrestling team that wears striped socks over blue tights. That’s Helias High School Crusaders from Jefferson City, Missouri. Click through the rest of the slideshow to get the full effect (great find by Jack Hittinger, who also sent along this St. Louis Blues patch set). ”¦ Webmaster John Ekdahl‘s been keeping tabs on the colors at the new Yankee Stadium. “Some new photos of the stadium are up and the outfield walls are dark blue, like the new seats, which is what I was hoping for. It always bothered me that the old Yankee Stadium‘s blue didn’t match the blue on the uniform. It’s fine if you’re going with a standard green or something like that, but if you’re going to use blue why would you intentionally mismatch the color? Made my day.” ”¦ You know how I’ve been saying for years now that the Jaguars’ uni set has a chance to become regarded as a classic if the Jags are smart enough not to mess with it? This just in: As of next season, they’re not smart enough. ”¦ A player on the U. of Colorado hoops team has been arrested for stealing jerseys and other merch, presumably because he was frustrated to learn that football recruits at Colorado get better perks than basketball recuits. ”¦ These next three are from Phil: According to this story, the Albuquerque Isotopes’ new Sunday uniform features “blue hats and blue shirts with ‘Isotopes’ spelled in white cursive script.” ”¦ Gary Bettman says NHL jerseys will remain advertising-free “for the foreseeable future” (but that doesn’t mean much coming from someone who can barely see three feet in front of himself). ”¦ There’s been a LOT of negative reaction to those 1911 Canadiens throwbacks. The latest salvo was fired at the end of this column. … RIP, Lux.

 
  
 
Comments (174)

    Once those sweaters show up, I’ll have some pics for you guys. I ordered two early-70s style Bruins sweaters from the site Paul linked about a week or so ago to make Espo and Terry O’Reilly copies (O’Reilly’s a mega-late xmas gift for a friend).

    “RIP, Lux”

    ..Damn, I hate getting bad news like that.

    “I’m the Human Fly and I don’t know why, I got 96 tears in 96 eyes”

    Not uni related, but thanks, Paul for letting me know

    I must confess that while I do not understand the whole DIY thing, some of you folks have created some very impressive items.

    Wilbon on PTI was arguing with Tony about how the Habs throwbacks looked good. Tony was yelling about how they looked like prisoners and Wilbon was pleading with TSN to send him one and he would wear it.

    [quote comment=”313613″]Wilbon on PTI was arguing with Tony about how the Habs throwbacks looked good. Tony was yelling about how they looked like prisoners and Wilbon was pleading with TSN to send him one and he would wear it.[/quote]

    Send all of them to Wilbon. They were hideous. The one Habs throwback that I do like, though, is link.

    While the Habs throwbacks are a bit much, I do like the fact that they get people talking about uniform sets a bit more. Case in point, I’ve tried on several occasions to start conversations with my friends while watching sporting events (live or on TV) about piping, colors not matching, pants/socks combo’s etc… to no avail. However the other day out of nowhere he asked me if I saw what the Canadiens were wearing against the B’s.

    [quote comment=”313612″]I must confess that while I do not understand the whole DIY thing, some of you folks have created some very impressive items.[/quote]

    What is it that you don’t understand? I don’t mean that sarcastically or derisively — just trying to see what you’re getting at. Details, please!

    Goalie mask article is good, but would have been much better if the author used Uni Watch-like links to the masks themselves instead of to the goalie’s NHL player profile. With slow loading video to boot.

    WOW – blast from the past w/ the Helias photo. I am from Fulton, MO – and Helias was our big rival – not sure they felt the same (of course, the fact they kicked our ass might have had something to do w/ that)

    [quote comment=”313616″][quote comment=”313612″]I must confess that while I do not understand the whole DIY thing, some of you folks have created some very impressive items.[/quote]

    What is it that you don’t understand? I don’t mean that sarcastically or derisively — just trying to see what you’re getting at. Details, please![/quote]

    Certainly. Let me preface my remarks by pointing out that I do not have an artistic bone in body. As a result, I cannot understand the desire to devote a significant amount of time and effort to creating the jerseys and shirts that Uni Watch has covered over the past several weeks.

    This is not to say that I do not appreciate both the talent that the DIYers demonstrate and the items that they create. Much of the work that we have seen on this site is remarkable and worthy of coverage.

    To me, however, it would be pure torture to do such a thing. You see, I was kid in sixth grade art class whose projects always totally sucked, and who spent his time making lists of lineups and batting averages instead of concentrating on a given day’s art assignment.

    Does any of this rambling make sense?

    [quote comment=”313619″]Paul: thanks for including me. You misspelled my first name. It’s Taha (not Taja).[/quote]

    Inexcusable — my apologies. Now fixed.

    Obviously Mr. Farber at SI ‘Doesn’t Get It.’

    Nothing wrong with the Habs 1912-13 throwbacks. They’re celebrating 100 years of existence (and trying to sell merch along the way.) Geez, it isn’t like they were permanently changing their uni set. Plus, trashing the Red Wings ‘Old English’ uni from the Winter Classic? Guy has no style or sense of history.

    I guess he would be horrified to see these link

    that settles it! the DIY bug has finally bitten me too…after seeing all the wonderful ones the UWers have done (and seeing powers’ firsthand), im willing to have a go at it…if anyone has any suggestions (with pics) of a somewhat easy or straightforward one, post ’em (possibly with an eye toward the team who will play its games at a new stadium located in the flightpath of runway 31R)

    great job by ALL the DIYers feature in this article and especially to brandon

    sorry to be a pain but i was wondering if anyone could tell me the site that sells the great team patches like in the orioles hoodie. I would love to possibly make a Pats Bruins or Celtics one

    [quote comment=”313620″][quote comment=”313616″][quote comment=”313612″]I must confess that while I do not understand the whole DIY thing, some of you folks have created some very impressive items.[/quote]

    What is it that you don’t understand? I don’t mean that sarcastically or derisively — just trying to see what you’re getting at. Details, please![/quote]

    Certainly. Let me preface my remarks by pointing out that I do not have an artistic bone in body. As a result, I cannot understand the desire to devote a significant amount of time and effort to creating the jerseys and shirts that Uni Watch has covered over the past several weeks.

    This is not to say that I do not appreciate both the talent that the DIYers demonstrate and the items that they create. Much of the work that we have seen on this site is remarkable and worthy of coverage.

    To me, however, it would be pure torture to do such a thing. You see, I was kid in sixth grade art class whose projects always totally sucked, and who spent his time making lists of lineups and batting averages instead of concentrating on a given day’s art assignment.

    Does any of this rambling make sense?[/quote]

    You might be surprised Robert. I am like you, not the artistic type, more of a numbers and stats guy. However when Paul ran the entry about the DIY Bills Beer Helmet in the late summer/early fall, something inside me just clicked. I knew I had to make one for my Cowboys. (no snide comments Paul!) While I was making it, I just kept thinking, “Wtf am I doing going to craft stores? I’m not that guy.” But the sense of accomplishment when it was done? The pride I get when I see it on display in my apartment? That’s what made the learning experience worth it.

    Sutton – is that Western Reserve Academy in Ohio? depending on the color of the jerseys the could look like any of the big 3 Italian teams.

    [quote comment=”313624″]sorry to be a pain but i was wondering if anyone could tell me the site that sells the great team patches like in the orioles hoodie. I would love to possibly make a Pats Bruins or Celtics one[/quote]

    I’m using the ’06-07 Bruins throwback as a template for the crest on my sweaters. If you want, I could maybe sketch out a copy for you.

    Sorry, no pics as I don’t mix TV and computer, but I watched some of the Carribean Series last night and it has quite the unis.

    Mexico – perhaps the best cap ever, garish green & red jersey that includes a Corona ad in place of NOB and a candy ad over the belly, batting helmet has ‘Bimbo’ stickers on each side!

    Dominicana – weirdly formatted team name, illegible ad on back, mismatched batting helmets.

    I have held back from commenting on DIY in the hope that DIY projects would eventually stop being featured on this site. Seeing that this is not going to happen anytime soon…

    This site is dedicated to, among other things, calling out uniform minutiae, inconsistencies, and imperfections. More often than not, the DIY projects that have been posted here get rave reviews from commenters, when in my eyes they are fraught with errors and look like sloppy impostors of their professionally manufactured counterparts. This is by no means a knock on the creators; I certainly lack the talent or creativity to put together anything that would even resemble a professional jersey.

    I don’t understand why the DIY projects should get a complete pass when it comes to receiving the same scrutiny that we dole out to the professionals. I also don’t understand why the same breed of fans who so closely analyze professional garb would want to wear these poor imitations themselves.

    Quick backstory: My (then girlfriend, now) wife bought me a Red Sox jersey for our first Christmas together (Christmas ’05). At the time I was a HUGE Johnny Damon fan (18 has been my number for everything since childhood) so naturally that’s the jersey she got for me.

    Well if you haven’t heard: link

    That’s right, 4 days before Christmas, Damon signs with the DAMN Yankees. She was so pissed that she made me open my present right then and there.

    So I still have a (now out of style, thanks Bosox!) Red Sox road jersey with Damon’s name on the back. I’ve been looking at the stitching on it and I’m half tempted to buy some of the materials and turn it into my own NEW road jersey complete with Matsuzaka and a blue 18 on the back (it was a replica). I’ll be sure to send in pictures, Paul if I ever do it, but I’m not handy whatsoever.

    Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year? Because, even though I’m a Packer fan, I’ve always loved the Jags since the awesome Brunell/Smith/McCardell air it out days. The teal, black, and sliver of vegas gold always looked great:

    link

    Hope they haven’t switched directly to an all black kit like they have used as their alts.

    Big Al : adjustable hats worn backwards :: Paul Lukas : misuse of an apostrophe

    Phil — fantastic membership card…

    [quote comment=”313623″]that settles it! the DIY bug has finally bitten me too…after seeing all the wonderful ones the UWers have done (and seeing powers’ firsthand), im willing to have a go at it…if anyone has any suggestions (with pics) of a somewhat easy or straightforward one, post ’em (possibly with an eye toward the team who will play its games at a new stadium located in the flightpath of runway 31R)

    great job by ALL the DIYers feature in this article and especially to brandon[/quote]

    The answer is right in front of you…angry fisherman!

    [quote]Phil – fantastic membership card[/quote]

    all kudos should go to UW design director/history minister scott turner (and paul too for prodding him to do it) on that one…i guess back when the membership card program started, scott was a tad reticent to do designs like this one, and after speaking with him at the brooklyn UW gathering, he explained to me that this one took him HOURS to finally complete

    so, thanks scott & paul!

    [quote comment=”313629″]I have held back from commenting on DIY in the hope that DIY projects would eventually stop being featured on this site. Seeing that this is not going to happen anytime soon…

    This site is dedicated to, among other things, calling out uniform minutiae, inconsistencies, and imperfections. More often than not, the DIY projects that have been posted here get rave reviews from commenters, when in my eyes they are fraught with errors and look like sloppy impostors of their professionally manufactured counterparts. This is by no means a knock on the creators; I certainly lack the talent or creativity to put together anything that would even resemble a professional jersey.

    I don’t understand why the DIY projects should get a complete pass when it comes to receiving the same scrutiny that we dole out to the professionals. I also don’t understand why the same breed of fans who so closely analyze professional garb would want to wear these poor imitations themselves.[/quote]

    I am an avid basketball player but in no way can I perform as those professional that we watch on TV.

    My game is a watered down facsimile of what the professionals can do.

    I see these DIY jerseys as the same…I am not a professional jersey designer or manufaturer, but I am giving it my all.

    As for the pros…it is their craft and job to put forth a perfect product, so criticiosm is warranted.

    [quote comment=\”313634\”]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year? Because, even though I\’m a Packer fan, I\’ve always loved the Jags since the awesome Brunell/Smith/McCardell air it out days. The teal, black, and sliver of vegas gold always looked great:

    link

    Hope they haven\’t switched directly to an all black kit like they have used as their alts.[/quote]

    My guess would be that Paul got some insider info on a jags uni redesign for next year, but cannot disclose the details just yet.

    [quote comment=”313633″]Paul, why don’t you have a DIY tag to file these under?[/quote]

    Because the site is no longer allowing me to add new tags. This problem will be solved when we upgrade to a new version of WordPress soon-ishly.

    [quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.

    Just to add my two cents, I usually skip the DIY parts. I might look at the finished product, but I’m just not interested in the whole process. That being said, I’m curious how many of these projects are from long time Uni Watch readers, and how many are from people flocking to the site due to the recent coverage. Is Uni Watch the DIY Uni-Mecca?

    I take many things when I visit this site, but it is the little quirks and obsessions that stick with me that I absolutely love. Case in point: Whenever I see a FedEx truck, I ALWAYS notice the forward facing arrow. Now, with the latest discussion of the mis-used apostrophe, that’s all I notice now too. For example, I was watching an episode of South Park last night, and they don’t get it:

    link

    [quote comment=”313629″]I have held back from commenting on DIY in the hope that DIY projects would eventually stop being featured on this site. Seeing that this is not going to happen anytime soon…

    This site is dedicated to, among other things, calling out uniform minutiae, inconsistencies, and imperfections. More often than not, the DIY projects that have been posted here get rave reviews from commenters, when in my eyes they are fraught with errors and look like sloppy impostors of their professionally manufactured counterparts. This is by no means a knock on the creators; I certainly lack the talent or creativity to put together anything that would even resemble a professional jersey.

    I don’t understand why the DIY projects should get a complete pass when it comes to receiving the same scrutiny that we dole out to the professionals. I also don’t understand why the same breed of fans who so closely analyze professional garb would want to wear these poor imitations themselves.[/quote]

    This site is about enthusiasm for uniforms. Enthusiasm can take many forms. And yes, the standards for professionals and for DIYers are different. I see no reason why both can’t be appreciated on their own terms, just like link and link can be.

    [quote comment=”313627″][quote comment=”313624″]sorry to be a pain but i was wondering if anyone could tell me the site that sells the great team patches like in the orioles hoodie. I would love to possibly make a Pats Bruins or Celtics one[/quote]

    I’m using the ’06-07 Bruins throwback as a template for the crest on my sweaters. If you want, I could maybe sketch out a copy for you.[/quote]

    Teampatch.com

    link

    [quote comment=”313624″]sorry to be a pain but i was wondering if anyone could tell me the site that sells the great team patches like in the orioles hoodie. I would love to possibly make a Pats Bruins or Celtics one[/quote]

    I did not note the original post where this appeared, but I did bookmark the site in anticipation of my own DIY project: link. If any of this comes to fruition, you will see the results.

    [quote comment=”313642″]As someone who runs a tackle twill business, I think the DIY projects have been great.[/quote]

    What and where is your business because I am having a b#$%& of a time finding twill.

    Some of you have pointed me towards imprintables and stahls…but i find them to be $$$.

    [quote comment=”313643″]Just to add my two cents, I usually skip the DIY parts. I might look at the finished product, but I’m just not interested in the whole process. That being said, I’m curious how many of these projects are from long time Uni Watch readers, and how many are from people flocking to the site due to the recent coverage. Is Uni Watch the DIY Uni-Mecca?[/quote]

    One site: T-shirt Forums, make us look like little leaguers. Those people all have vinyl cutters and heat presses and expensive tools that I would never dream of owning.

    [quote]Those people all have vinyl cutters and heat presses and expensive tools that I would never dream of owning.[/quote]

    that’s for your own safety, matt ;)

    [quote comment=”313641″][quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.[/quote]

    Paul, for some reason I never had you for a fan of the Jags look…maybe it’s the teal.

    OMG. A lead photo of a man…wearing a baseball glove…outdoors…with green grass in the background.

    “Pitchers and catchers report.” Soon. Very soon.

    Considering it didn’t get above freezing here in January (day or night) until the 31st, such a photo almost takes a person’s breath away.

    And people wonder why the coming of baseball every year means so much to some of us. It’s damn near cave-dweller imprinted recollections.
    “Look, Gorg, sun come BACK!”
    “Uhhhh!!!”

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”313650″]Adrian Gonzalez in his link, and a look at the link with a HUGE ‘M’ on it…[/quote]
    You know, I was just wondering why there aren’t any teams that wear red and green together (or at least none that I could think of). Now I know.

    Does anyone know where I could find a vintage Steelers jersey, such as they wore in 1964?

    I’m only partially interested in a DIY project but would prefer to buy one for a reasonable price.

    [quote comment=”313637″][quote]Phil – fantastic membership card[/quote]

    all kudos should go to UW design director/history minister scott turner (and paul too for prodding him to do it) on that one…i guess back when the membership card program started, scott was a tad reticent to do designs like this one, and after speaking with him at the brooklyn UW gathering, he explained to me that this one took him HOURS to finally complete

    so, thanks scott & paul![/quote]

    Scott, great design.

    And I hate you for rejecting this when I asked initially. LOL

    Just kidding! Well done, and a great facsimile of the Fisherman wave!!!

    I have one of these Topps baseball cards books from either 89 or later that I didn’t get at a game – and it had no Surf logo. I bought it at a book store. I seem to remember them being abundant. Did Topps continue making them past 89 and start selling them?

    A little DIY story has just come to mind.

    I attended Junior High in the late ’70s, in a small town in the Midwest. Authentic MLB replicas were hard to find, and the chances of obtaining an authentic jersey were exactly zero. Quite a few “Property of [insert team name]” shirts and the like were available, however.

    One day, one of the popular kids decided to make his own KC Royals jersey. It was nothing more than dark blue t-shirt with iron-on squarish-font letters reading “Royals” on the front and “Brett” on the back. A large “5” was present on the back as well.

    It looked just terrible. The dark blue was totally wrong, and as a formative Uni Watcher, I felt that the lettering looked absolutely stupid.

    To my shock and dismay, since the guy wearing the shirt was one of the cool kids, other students fawned over his homemade shirt. If I or some other geeky type had made such an effort, the ridicule would have been endless.

    I remain scarred by this incident to this day.

    [quote comment=”313654″]OMG. A lead photo of a man…wearing a baseball glove…outdoors…with green grass in the background.

    “Pitchers and catchers report.” Soon. Very soon.

    Considering it didn’t get above freezing here in January (day or night) until the 31st, such a photo almost takes a person’s breath away.

    And people wonder why the coming of baseball every year means so much to some of us. It’s damn near cave-dweller imprinted recollections.
    “Look, Gorg, sun come BACK!”
    “Uhhhh!!!”

    —Ricko[/quote]

    You have no clue how great it was flipping channels last night and finding a Caribbean Series game on MLB Network.

    If you thought the costs of some of the new stadiums were insane, link on the cost to build the Death Star using today’s values on supplies.

    Someone may have too much time on his hands, but it was an interesting read.

    There’s been a LOT of negative reaction to those 1911 Canadiens throwbacks. The latest salvo was fired at the end of this column. …

    I don’t get the negative reactions, I think those striped jerseys and socks are amazing

    [quote comment=\”313654\”]OMG. A lead photo of a man…wearing a baseball glove…outdoors…with green grass in the background.

    \”Pitchers and catchers report.\” Soon. Very soon.

    Considering it didn\’t get above freezing here in January (day or night) until the 31st, such a photo almost takes a person\’s breath away.

    And people wonder why the coming of baseball every year means so much to some of us. It\’s damn near cave-dweller imprinted recollections.
    \”Look, Gorg, sun come BACK!\”
    \”Uhhhh!!!\”

    —Ricko[/quote]

    You know what I love about it? And it’s total minutia but that’s what we do around here, minutia:

    When I’m watching the 5 o’clock news and they do the sports roundup and the highlights of the Grapefruit League games, and the batter knocks a single or launches a homer…I love seeing those palm trees over the outfield fence. I love seeing that bright, bright Florida sun drench the outfield. I love the sunburnt Midwesterners and Northeasterners in the stands.

    In the same way that smells can bring back one’s historical memories, the sights of spring training brings me directly to summertime, even when I’m waking up at 6 AM to scrape 1/16″ of ice off the windshield.

    While I’m at it, another wonderful spring training fillip is the split squad (ss).

    [quote comment=”313662″]There’s been a LOT of negative reaction to those 1911 Canadiens throwbacks. The latest salvo was fired at the end of this column. …

    I don’t get the negative reactions, I think those striped jerseys and socks are amazing[/quote]

    People fear change, Jim. It’s the only rationale I have for some of the commentary on them. ;o)

    As someone who runs a tackle twill business, I think the DIY projects have been great.

    What and where is your business because I am having a b#$%& of a time finding twill.

    Some of you have pointed me towards imprintables and stahls…but i find them to be $$$.

    I’m near Atlanta.

    Imprintables is a Stahls side company.
    There are a couple other places to order from, but they all seem to be close in pricing on most items. Twill Usa is one of them.

    If you just need a small amount, let me know, as long as I have it in my inventory, I could ship it to you.

    [quote comment=”313660″][quote comment=”313654″]OMG. A lead photo of a man…wearing a baseball glove…outdoors…with green grass in the background.

    “Pitchers and catchers report.” Soon. Very soon.

    Considering it didn’t get above freezing here in January (day or night) until the 31st, such a photo almost takes a person’s breath away.

    And people wonder why the coming of baseball every year means so much to some of us. It’s damn near cave-dweller imprinted recollections.
    “Look, Gorg, sun come BACK!”
    “Uhhhh!!!”

    —Ricko[/quote]

    You have no clue how great it was flipping channels last night and finding a Caribbean Series game on MLB Network.[/quote]

    Oh, I imagine I do know how great that would be. LOL
    Similar sensation to seeing today’s photo pop up, I’ll wager.

    Of course, were I still wintering in Florida, I’d be playing four mornings a week (T, Th, Sa, Su). Grumble, grumble, grumble…

    —Ricko

    Actually, by adjusting their uniform, the Jaguars may have hastened the good-old-day-process.

    Now we can reminisce about how great those old uniforms look, sooner rather than later. And now the Jags can release the old set as a throwback and make more $$$.

    Ricko:

    You’d need an afternoon tee time and no wind today. It was a hard freeze down here in Tampa with morning temps in the 30s.

    BTW, thanks for another great calvacade of photos yesterday.

    [quote comment=”313655″][quote comment=”313650″]Adrian Gonzalez in his link, and a look at the link with a HUGE ‘M’ on it…[/quote]
    You know, I was just wondering why there aren’t any teams that wear red and green together (or at least none that I could think of). Now I know.[/quote]

    Assuming you mean baseball teams specifically; otherwise, the Minnesota Wild wear red and green, though they also throw beige (er, sorry, “Minnesota Wheat”) in there too. And the New Jersey Devils used to wear red and green before switching to red and black.

    And Fluminense, one of the big soccer clubs in Rio de Janeiro (and the favorite team of my father, who was born and raised there), wear a shirt with dark red and green vertical stripes, separated by thin white stripes.

    There may be others… anybody else?

    I love how on a day I got a mention in the ticker, my namesake athlete (Jerry Smith — he spelled his Jere wrong) is also mentioned by Paul. So Paul and I both know what it’s like to be a Jerry/Jere Smith….

    On a sad side note, Smith was the first former pro athlete to die of AIDS.

    DIY question.

    I want to make a t-shirt replica of the old Maine Guides jersey, as seen link. What should I use to make the letters/numbers? It’s not tackle twill, correct? Is there an iron-on I can use? Any help would be appreciated.

    [quote comment=”313655″][quote comment=”313650″]Adrian Gonzalez in his link, and a look at the link with a HUGE ‘M’ on it…[/quote]
    You know, I was just wondering why there aren’t any teams that wear red and green together (or at least none that I could think of). Now I know.[/quote]

    a high school near mine, Oak Harbor, used green, red and white as their school colors. one year they’re soccer jerseys were green on the bottom, red diagonal sash, and white up top. christmas quickly popped into my head.

    You know what is encouraging about the Canadiens throwback uniforms this season?

    They’ve made some sort of effort to match the equipment to the uniforms.

    I remember in years past where teams may have done some sort of older jersey, but the goalie pads and players gloves did not match the jersey colors.

    I wish I could think of an example off the top of my head, but I do remember it bothering the crap out of me.

    I still think Carey Price’s brown pads are the ess aych eye tee.

    I probably have the most lamest DIY uniform story there is. Sometime in the early 1990s as a middle schooler, I wanted to have a 1984 home Tony Gwynn Padres jersey. So how did I go about making it? Using an old blank undershirt and crayons. Yeah, crayons. Basically, I found a hotplate, a cheap tin pan that was used for cooking, and threw in pealed leftover Crayola crayons that were hundreds amassed over the years, to melt them down seperately. First orange, then yellow-orange, then brown. Then I used a cheap paintbrush to put on the now-liquid crayon into the Padres script. It did come out as crudely as it sounds, because the crayons would harden up pretty quickly, but I was also a stickler for accuracy & drew the wordmark in marker first. From that day forward I realized my drawings should stay on paper or the computer. Tho if I had any kind of sewing machine skills I would totally make my own uniforms, and the 1973-79 Padres cap since they still can’t reproduce the yellow front panel angle correctly.

    [quote comment=”313676″]I probably have the most lamest DIY uniform story there is. Sometime in the early 1990s as a middle schooler, I wanted to have a 1984 home Tony Gwynn Padres jersey. So how did I go about making it? Using an old blank undershirt and crayons. Yeah, crayons. Basically, I found a hotplate, a cheap tin pan that was used for cooking, and threw in pealed leftover Crayola crayons that were hundreds amassed over the years, to melt them down seperately. First orange, then yellow-orange, then brown. Then I used a cheap paintbrush to put on the now-liquid crayon into the Padres script. It did come out as crudely as it sounds, because the crayons would harden up pretty quickly, but I was also a stickler for accuracy & drew the wordmark in marker first. From that day forward I realized my drawings should stay on paper or the computer. Tho if I had any kind of sewing machine skills I would totally make my own uniforms, and the 1973-79 Padres cap since they still can’t reproduce the yellow front panel angle correctly.[/quote]

    Surely you have photos of this somewhere, no?

    [quote comment=”313641″][quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.[/quote]

    I didn’t think they could get any worse. Anything with Jaguar/cheetah/leopard print is my purple.

    Memo to Mike Farber:

    The Canadiens throwback is far from ugly.

    For ugly, see:

    Astros, Houston (tr. Guts, Rainbow)

    White Sox, Chicago (ug. Shorts, Bermuda)

    Bruins, Providence (dn. Jersey, Pre-Game)

    Caribous, Colorado (dsc. West, Old)

    Ducks, Anaheim (pg. Wing, Wild)

    Canucks, Vancouver (anc. Graphite, ARCO)

    Campos, Jorge (sn. Goalie, Metrosexual)

    Night, New Orleans (dz. Pants, Zubaz)

    and while we’re at it …

    USA 1994 soccer team, which is the Howard Cosell of soccer jerseys — simultaneously in the Top 10 best and Top 10 worst lists on BBC.com.

    When I was a kid I used to make my own jerseys out of an old white t-shirt of my dad’s using a magic marker. I would wear it for a while and then, when I was ready for a different design, would have my mom wash it. The result was that you could see the older designs under the current one. Here’s a pic of me wearing my Toronto Maple Leafs DIY in 1979 or 1980 when I was about 10. You can see the UCLA design faded underneath..

    link

    I lived in Atlanta but favored the designs of teams I randomly saw on t.v. from “exotic”, far away locales.

    Jorge Campos wore bright colors because he was intrigued with the surfer culture growing up. Metrosexual not.

    [quote comment=”313683″]
    Bruins, Providence (dn. Jersey, Pre-Game)
    [/quote]

    If you’re talking about the yellow throwback they wore as a third a few years ago, that thing was BRILLIANT.

    [quote comment=”313677″][quote comment=”313676″]I probably have the most lamest DIY uniform story there is. Sometime in the early 1990s as a middle schooler, I wanted to have a 1984 home Tony Gwynn Padres jersey. So how did I go about making it? Using an old blank undershirt and crayons. Yeah, crayons. Basically, I found a hotplate, a cheap tin pan that was used for cooking, and threw in pealed leftover Crayola crayons that were hundreds amassed over the years, to melt them down seperately. First orange, then yellow-orange, then brown. Then I used a cheap paintbrush to put on the now-liquid crayon into the Padres script. It did come out as crudely as it sounds, because the crayons would harden up pretty quickly, but I was also a stickler for accuracy & drew the wordmark in marker first. From that day forward I realized my drawings should stay on paper or the computer. Tho if I had any kind of sewing machine skills I would totally make my own uniforms, and the 1973-79 Padres cap since they still can’t reproduce the yellow front panel angle correctly.[/quote]

    Surely you have photos of this somewhere, no?[/quote]

    No I don’t. I ended up throwing it out shortly after I made it, and only wore it in the backyard a few times when I was pitching aka throwing a ragball into a homemade portable backstop. Unfortunately it was difficult to control liquid crayon, and the width of the yellow & brown trim came out wavy. The whole design was about 12″ wide, & the trim colors were about 1/8″ to 3/16″ wide on a white shirt using the home wordmark. But color-wise, it looked really nice.

    Looking at those Calgary Flames uniform specifications from Alex Minnehan, it\’s a relief to see that the gap between the collar and the nameplate was just 3 3/8\” as recently as 1999. These days, with that hideous manufacturer logo inserted in there, the gap is huge and it throws off the whole balance of today\’s hockey jerseys. (Baseball too; at least the NFL doesn\’t usually do this.)

    [quote comment=”313670″][quote comment=”313655″][quote comment=”313650″]Adrian Gonzalez in his link, and a look at the link with a HUGE ‘M’ on it…[/quote]
    You know, I was just wondering why there aren’t any teams that wear red and green together (or at least none that I could think of). Now I know.[/quote]

    Assuming you mean baseball teams specifically; otherwise, the Minnesota Wild wear red and green, though they also throw beige (er, sorry, “Minnesota Wheat”) in there too. And the New Jersey Devils used to wear red and green before switching to red and black.

    And Fluminense, one of the big soccer clubs in Rio de Janeiro (and the favorite team of my father, who was born and raised there), wear a shirt with dark red and green vertical stripes, separated by thin white stripes.

    There may be others… anybody else?[/quote]

    I remember the Barcelona Dragons of the old WLAF/NFL Europe wore link. One year, they had link as well.

    Don’t know if it’s been posted yet, but you know you wear short shorts when your jock strap is hanging out:

    link

    [quote comment=”313680″][quote comment=”313641″][quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.[/quote]

    I didn’t think they could get any worse. Anything with Jaguar/cheetah/leopard print is my purple.[/quote]

    As far as uniforms go…yes…

    But If my wife coulud drape herself in Lepoard print, I wouldn’t object!

    Like Adriana of the Sopranos:
    link

    Paul, I do have pics of 2 DIY shirts remaining. When I bought my 1st computer in 1994, soon I got an inkjet printer, which led to iron-on sheets you could feed through it. Using only Paintbrush, I used to draw baseball logos. Eventually this lead to these:

    link
    link

    Which they were printed on, cut & ironed on. Ratty old shirts which I thought were great since I was going for a faux retro shirt. These would be worn as gym shirts in high school in the mid-90s.

    link
    link

    [quote comment=”313665″]As someone who runs a tackle twill business, I think the DIY projects have been great.

    What and where is your business because I am having a b#$%& of a time finding twill.

    Some of you have pointed me towards imprintables and stahls…but i find them to be $$$.

    I’m near Atlanta.

    Imprintables is a Stahls side company.
    There are a couple other places to order from, but they all seem to be close in pricing on most items. Twill Usa is one of them.

    If you just need a small amount, let me know, as long as I have it in my inventory, I could ship it to you.[/quote]

    I will get your e-mail from Phil!

    This DIY stuff is great, and reminded me of a couple of daft ideas I carried out in my youth.
    Back in the mid 80’s, the only NFL jerseys we could get hold of here were thin, transfer printed no name ‘replicas’.
    As they were all you could get in Engand, (I still have the adverts for them stored away!), we were quite happy to wear them. Unfortunately, despite ‘passing strict NFL quality controls’, the print tended to wash off and crack rather badly after only a few washes. The jerseys (or playshirts as they were called in the ads) always featured the number of a current star (49ers – 16, Redskins – 81 for example).
    In my youthful wisdom (I was about 13 at the time!), once the jerseys were almost clear of print, I tried scraping off the remainder and actually painting on new numbers – after all, the jerseys were still perfectly wearable!
    Anyway, with a ruler, some pictures to refer to and some paint, I managed to redecorate several of the jerseys myself and friends owned at the time, with names! How accurate they were I can’t really remember, but I do remember repainting my 49ers jersey with Montana on the back, converting a friends Art Monk jersey to a Joe Theismann jersey and also reworking a Dolphins jersey.
    The hardest part was deciding what paint to use – as it couldn’t be water based I had to use something more binding, and ended up using enamel of all things. I remember thinking it gave a great thick screen printed look, despite stinking for a couple of days after painting! But it worked, was more durable than the original print, and even if the numbers weren’t always 100% straight and accurate, they let us be our heroes for a bit longer!
    Obviously the attention to detail with jerseys I enjoy now started at a young age, even if I didn’t know it at the time.
    Sorry for the length of the post, I thought it might fit in with today’s topic!

    [quote comment=”313694″][quote comment=”313680″][quote comment=”313641″][quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.[/quote]

    I didn’t think they could get any worse. Anything with Jaguar/cheetah/leopard print is my purple.[/quote]

    As far as uniforms go…yes…

    But If my wife could drape herself in Lepoard print, I wouldn’t object!

    Like Adriana of the Sopranos:
    link

    She actually has this cell-phone cover!

    On the Jags helmets or unis…no. but they could wear these to match:

    link

    link

    link

    link

    [quote comment=”313699″][quote comment=”313694″][quote comment=”313680″][quote comment=”313641″][quote comment=”313634″]Also Paul, what did you mean with the Jaguars uniform set for next year?[/quote]

    I mean they’re making changes, for the worse. And no, I can’t say more than that.[/quote]

    I didn’t think they could get any worse. Anything with Jaguar/cheetah/leopard print is my purple.[/quote]

    As far as uniforms go…yes…

    But If my wife could drape herself in Lepoard print, I wouldn’t object!

    Like Adriana of the Sopranos:
    link

    She actually has this cell-phone cover!

    On the Jags helmets or unis…no. but they could wear these to match:

    link

    link

    link

    link

    cell phone cover:

    link

    [quote comment=”313670″][quote comment=”313655″][quote comment=”313650″]Adrian Gonzalez in his link, and a look at the link with a HUGE ‘M’ on it…[/quote]
    You know, I was just wondering why there aren’t any teams that wear red and green together (or at least none that I could think of). Now I know.[/quote]

    Assuming you mean baseball teams specifically; otherwise, the Minnesota Wild wear red and green, though they also throw beige (er, sorry, “Minnesota Wheat”) in there too. And the New Jersey Devils used to wear red and green before switching to red and black.

    And Fluminense, one of the big soccer clubs in Rio de Janeiro (and the favorite team of my father, who was born and raised there), wear a shirt with dark red and green vertical stripes, separated by thin white stripes.

    There may be others… anybody else?[/quote]

    Why don’t the Devils bring back the red-and-green as a throwback from time to time? Personally, I thought they looked great.

    I think it may have something to do with the fact that there were no Devils fans prior to 1992-93 when the colors changed to red and black…so there’s no call for the old look among the current fan base (and I use the term loosely for that bunch).

    “I want to thank the good lord for making me a yankee?” ????

    WTF is that BS all about?

    [quote comment=”313702″]”I want to thank the good lord for making me a yankee?” ????

    WTF is that BS all about?[/quote]

    joe d’s famous quote…hangs (or hung) in yankee stadium…prolly gonna move across the street, if it hasn’t already

    /why?

    link

    Found this New York Rens article. There is a small color picture of that uniform, A very small picture. Green pants with yellow or gold at top.

    [quote comment=”313698″][quote comment=”313692″]milwaukee bucks red and green[/quote]

    Kazan Akbars of the KHL wear green and red, too.[/quote]
    Mississippi Valley State
    link

    I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    At the NYC uniwatch gathering…Paul, Phil and myself were talking about the DIY phenomenon.

    He asked me if the process was empowering(or MPowering) ha,ha.

    I have been thinking about that question for some time now…and it absolutely is.

    Not only am I learning skills that i have never had or used before but I am making something that i have no ownership over, finitely mine.

    Princeton will never come out with a sweatshirt like mine…but I did…that is totally empowering.

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    The only reasons why I did it: no internet, no ebay, no novelty stores, and it was the mid-90s, retro gear was impossible to find. I already had spent most of my life drawing logos on things, it was a matter of time to shirts.

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]
    Much like building model airplanes, fine-tuning your car, or masturbation, it’s a hobby. Most people have at least one.

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    Not only DIY jerseys, yet, helmets too. Why I do it, explained:

    link

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I agree with Matt. I love the uniform history of Ohio State football. I have made myself a 1917,1928,1929,1931,1934,1942 throwback. I did these before I learned of the DIY hockey and others. So I did what I could to replicate the look. For the 1917 and 1928 I did put material on the front for the old style friction stripes.

    I just did the 1929 and 1934. I did learn how to size and print old style fonts on cardstock. But for now I made those numbers using fabric paint. For me they look like the old Ohio State jerseys. And Ohio State is not going to sell those or make them. I did.

    A lot to talk about today, it seems.

    First, as for the Habs throwbacks, I love them and the hate they’ve generated. They’re throwback jerseys that represent a time when that sweater was worn. Sheesh! I like it because it doesn’t fit in modern hockey, but they did it anyway.

    Second, as for DIYers, I think this site should have a separate section devoted to it with a gallery and occasional ticker items when big submissions come in.

    Third, someone mentioned the old NJ Devils Green and Red uniforms. Although I’m a life-long Capitals fan, I always loved those jerseys, specifically the white jerseys. I kinda dig the modern Devils sweaters, but not nearly as much as the classics. I agree there should be a throwback to those.

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.

    link

    Is Pistol Pete’s jersey folded at the armpit or is there really an “A” missing on the end of “ATLANTA”?

    [quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY!

    [quote comment=”313715″]Why again did Pete Maravich always wear those ugly ass ankle warmers?[/quote]
    Looks like he came straight out of a bad exercise video.
    And since we’re on the subject of Pistol Pete….

    link

    [quote comment=”313703″][quote comment=”313702″]”I want to thank the good lord for making me a yankee?” ????

    WTF is that BS all about?[/quote]

    link…hangs (or hung) in yankee stadium…prolly gonna move across the street, if it hasn’t already

    /why?[/quote]

    Actually, Jeter stole that sign.
    link

    and I really liked the Princeton hoodie. That is cool. I love the old college football uniforms and history.

    [quote comment=”313717″][quote comment=”313715″]Why again did Pete Maravich always wear those ugly ass ankle warmers?[/quote]
    Looks like he came straight out of a bad exercise video.
    And since we’re on the subject of Pistol Pete….

    link

    Ha! No doubt that Pistol Pete shoe’s got an ankle warmer attached to it.

    Thanks to this site I was able to obtain a hockey jersey I’d been going crazy trying to get — A Red FDNY jersey. Thanks. I’m going to be customizing it by adding a few of the 9-11 patches worn by teams. Even though it won’t be a true DIY project it will be unique and special.

    [quote comment=”313716″][quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY![/quote]

    So, we shouldn’t talk about any uniforms that don’t have the Mitchell & Ness quality standards? lol

    [quote comment=”313716″][quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY![/quote]

    I don’t get hunting. Just doesn’t compute for me. But that doesn’t make it wrong or a waste of time. Such things are about escaping a little. Artist LeRoy Neiman once said, “What we do to escape should be as involving as what we’re escaping from.”

    Seems to me that we get to pick our own escapes, and they really aren’t subject to anyone else’s approval, disapproval, understanding or comment.

    —Ricko

    Interesting article about the best jerseys to wear in L.A.

    link

    There’s also an older article about best jerseys for Pittsburgh.

    I’d like to get into a little DIY with an Gators 22 orange jersey I bought when the team was celebrating their 100 years of Florida football. It’s not exactly the orange color I remember from the early 80s but it’s close enough and I don’t have the patience of some of the more refined DIYers. I would, however, like to remove the Nike swoosh and word mark from the left chest and put the name of one of my favorite Gators (John L. Williams) on the the back. I need help with two problems though. First, what do you all use to remove embroidered logos? Second, I can’t find a picture of John L.’s back in Gator gear. I seem to remember him having J.L.Williams on the back to distinguish himself from Jarvis but I’d sure like to confirm it before I get to work. Anyone have a picture?

    [quote comment=”313719″]and I really liked the Princeton hoodie. That is cool. I love the old college football uniforms and history.[/quote]

    Thanks, Larry…did you see the Bears mash-up I did as well? I did my best to reproduce those friction stripes as well:

    link

    I actually found a pic of Illinois Red Grange and an Ohio State player shaking hands…

    link

    [quote comment=”313723″][quote comment=”313716″][quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY![/quote]

    I don’t get hunting. Just doesn’t compute for me. But that doesn’t make it wrong or a waste of time. Such things are about escaping a little. Artist LeRoy Neiman once said, “What we do to escape should be as involving as what we’re escaping from.”

    Seems to me that we get to pick our own escapes, and they really aren’t subject to anyone else’s approval, disapproval, understanding or comment.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    Sorry if misunderstood. I think we should talk about all of them, but there is some seriously high quality stuff being done by some companies out there.

    I don’t mean to imply that DIY is wrong or a waste of time–I just don’t have the time for it, but like to see that other folks do.

    [quote comment=”313722″][quote comment=”313716″][quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY![/quote]

    So, we shouldn’t talk about any uniforms that don’t have the Mitchell & Ness quality standards? lol[/quote]

    This is actually a debate where I can understand both sides being discussed.

    Against: Alot of time, materials, planning, lack of quality in comparison to professionally done gear

    For: Ownership, Creativity, Pride

    For me, it is an absolute labor of love and I thank Paul for posting the entry on Bryan Justman that whet my appetite for this.

    I too have drawn logos and jerseys for YEARS for no apparent reason other than the fact that I loved them however without the money to purchase an M&N or EFF throwback.

    It is mine, a one-of a kind design and creation.
    Even if noone liked them, I would still love them.

    If I did actually purchase an M&N and it was stained or ripped, Ce la Vie…I can get another one.

    If a DIY ripped or suffered a demise, I would mourn it’s loss, then quickly start work on a replacement!

    [quote comment=”313728″][quote comment=”313723″][quote comment=”313716″][quote comment=”313713″][quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    I can make a throwback hockey jersey for less than half of what it would cost to order one from the team’s store or from Mitchell & Ness.[/quote]

    Although I agree with you, it’s also an issue of what your time is worth. The other thing is the pro’s certainly have a quality measure that I have not seen on UW, regardless of all the cool DIY designs. How long would it take for any of us to make a DIY to the same standards of Mitchell & Ness?

    I think they both have a valid place and more power to you if you have time for DIY![/quote]

    I don’t get hunting. Just doesn’t compute for me. But that doesn’t make it wrong or a waste of time. Such things are about escaping a little. Artist LeRoy Neiman once said, “What we do to escape should be as involving as what we’re escaping from.”

    Seems to me that we get to pick our own escapes, and they really aren’t subject to anyone else’s approval, disapproval, understanding or comment.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    Sorry if misunderstood. I think we should talk about all of them, but there is some seriously high quality stuff being done by some companies out there.

    I don’t mean to imply that DIY is wrong or a waste of time–I just don’t have the time for it, but like to see that other folks do.[/quote]

    Was argreeing with you, JRJR, in your response to the original “What’s the point?” post.

    I wouldn’t call this high quality, in a manufactured sort of way, yet, it is compelling and important. It also looks comparable to some of the DIY projects I’ve seen, quality wise.

    link

    That Rhode Island Reds jersey is awesome.

    In case anyone is in the Providence area: tomorrow night is the P-Bruins annual RI Reds T-Shirt Night. The game starts at 7pm and you get a piece of old school minor league hockey schwag.

    [quote comment=”313727″][quote comment=”313719″]and I really liked the Princeton hoodie. That is cool. I love the old college football uniforms and history.[/quote]

    Thanks, Larry…did you see the Bears mash-up I did as well? I did my best to reproduce those friction stripes as well:

    link

    I actually found a pic of Illinois Red Grange and an Ohio State player shaking hands…

    link

    Yes I did and it was cool also. I guess I was not sure you did that one too. And the that picture with Red Grange and Ohio State captain. I made myself that Ohio State jersey. I love the stripes on front teams wore in that era just like the Bears did.

    [quote comment=”313735″][quote comment=”313727″][quote comment=”313719″]and I really liked the Princeton hoodie. That is cool. I love the old college football uniforms and history.[/quote]

    Thanks, Larry…did you see the Bears mash-up I did as well? I did my best to reproduce those friction stripes as well:

    link

    I actually found a pic of Illinois Red Grange and an Ohio State player shaking hands…

    link

    Yes I did and it was cool also. I guess I was not sure you did that one too. And the that picture with Red Grange and Ohio State captain. I made myself that Ohio State jersey. I love the stripes on front teams wore in that era just like the Bears did.[/quote]

    I have a theory that you can HEAR Powers’ Bears hoodie coming even before you see it.

    Just a theory, mind you.

    —Ricko

    link

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.

    [quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet!

    [quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    Thanks shadoquad

    If anyone has checked out the Blues patches, which I think is sold by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, they’re not right. They seemed to use the current shape of the logo on the 2 previous designs. When the logo was updated in 1998, the shape of it was altered a little to be wider and have a curving effect to the right side of the logo as well as the shape of the base of the note streatched wider than it was previously amonst other subtlties. If someone thinks that the Blues patches area great find, they’re fooling themselves. To see the proper logos, google the Blues and look at old pictures which will show the discrepencies.

    Here is a true story about me wearing an Ohio State 1940’s replica. I had this number printed for me and I had to tweak the 2 to get it right.

    I had a #42 1940s style replica jersey made for myself. I wore it to the Ohio State vs Akron game. We parked in the COTA Fairgrounds to take shuttle bus to the stadium.

    As soon as I was ready to get on the bus a guy asked me where I bought the jersey. I said I had it made for myself.He then said his dad played on the 1941 Buckeyes and his name was Robert Hecklinger. That was his dads number. His dad was from Toledo and a fullback I found out after looking it up in some of my books.

    I just thought it was pretty cool to have him ask about my jersey and to have his dad wear the exact number I was wearing. I did #42 in honor of the 1942 National Champions. But the jersey with that style fonts was worn from about 1941until the late 1940s.

    Only thing is I wish I had asked him for his email if he had one.

    [quote comment=”313740″][quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    Thanks shadoquad[/quote]

    That is really cool, Larry!

    Does anybody know anything about the Citi Field logo on this page?:
    link

    Ever seen it before? It’s not the best, but it’s lightyears ahead of that Domoino’s Pizza bullshit they have right now.

    [quote comment=”313736″][quote comment=”313735″][quote comment=”313727″][quote comment=”313719″]and I really liked the Princeton hoodie. That is cool. I love the old college football uniforms and history.[/quote]

    Thanks, Larry…did you see the Bears mash-up I did as well? I did my best to reproduce those friction stripes as well:

    link

    I actually found a pic of Illinois Red Grange and an Ohio State player shaking hands…

    link

    Yes I did and it was cool also. I guess I was not sure you did that one too. And the that picture with Red Grange and Ohio State captain. I made myself that Ohio State jersey. I love the stripes on front teams wore in that era just like the Bears did.[/quote]

    I have a theory that you can HEAR Powers’ Bears hoodie coming even before you see it.

    Just a theory, mind you.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, though.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”313743″][quote comment=”313740″][quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    Thanks shadoquad[/quote]

    That is really cool, Larry![/quote]

    Again thanks. Here are 3 pictures of the 1928 era jersey.

    link

    link

    link

    That is Wes Fesler an All American from 1928-1931. The Buckeyes wore 3 totally different uniforms in his days. The striped one in 1928, In 1929 they wore simple scarlet jerseys with numbers and in the early 1930’s they wore at least 2 different sets. Neither of which had numbers on the front.

    [quote comment=”313739″]Sorry if this has been mentioned here before but I havent been on here for a while
    Vintage Calendars: link

    Those calendars are good. I got the Ohio State one the last few years. And I look at all the others online too. I like the front of the Alabama one with the uniform and stripes I enjoy seeing.

    Speaking of the Princeton hoodie. I had colorized John Poe of Princeton. I wll retry it for the skin tone. That was hard for me. But the Princeton DIY reminded me I had done this before.

    link

    Dan King: Yessir, Hudson, Ohio. Those are dark green and white. Although, I do wish they were black and white, I’m a huge Juve fan. Sorry for the delay.

    phelps and kelloggs split? over marijuana?!? weed and cereal go hand in hand along with many other hands

    [quote comment=”313752″]phelps and kelloggs split? over marijuana?!? weed and cereal go hand in hand along with many other hands[/quote]

    it’s true

    [quote comment=”313751″]Dan King: Yessir, Hudson, Ohio. Those are dark green and white. Although, I do wish they were black and white, I’m a huge Juve fan. Sorry for the delay.[/quote]

    Sutton wait, you’re not from Huron are you?

    [quote comment=”313611″]”RIP, Lux”

    ..Damn, I hate getting bad news like that.

    “I’m the Human Fly and I don’t know why, I got 96 tears in 96 eyes”

    Not uni related, but thanks, Paul for letting me know[/quote]

    I always thought “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns” would make a great name for a Troma movie! R.I.P. Lux

    [quote comment=”313756″]seems like the O’s debacle link

    good job mr. lukas[/quote]

    Well, there was that Minnesota pro football writer who long ago called Baltimore, “the Dogpatch of the Eastern Seaboard.” Maybe not so much has changed, after all.

    (Fer you young ‘uns, Dogpatch is whar Li’l Abner, Daisy Mae an’ all them thar folks lived).
    link

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”313661″]the cost to build the Death Star….[/quote]

    I believe I have my new nickname for this: link

    [quote comment=”313682″]RE: the Royals DIY jersey. Where does one get blank baseball jerseys?[/quote]

    In that case, the blanks came from an outlet store, they were priced by the pound. An ebay search for “blank jersey” yielded this:
    link

    [quote comment=”313706″]I don’t get the DIY thing either. I made MLB jerseys out of t-shirts and magic markers when I was a child for Wiffleball games. And I thought it was cool at the time. But that’s where it should stay.

    The guy who made uniforms for his softball team — I get that. And for those few that do real quality work to honor their team — I get that too. There’s a purpose for the hard work.

    But for those who do it because they got the bug — I don’t get it. What’s the point?[/quote]

    There is a notion because it’s made from the designated manufacturer, well, that’s the best available. I wouldn’t wear a Royals M&N if you gave me one, they suck (Majestic’s not too bad).

    Whose lettering looks better: link
    link

    If your answer is “what’s the difference” or “does it really matter” then yes, you don’t “get itâ„¢”.

    As for “what is this stuff doing on UW”, this site has substantive content seven days a week (now that Phil’s on board), I think there is room for something like this.

    And, to be honest, other that spotting basketball color-on-color and checking out the Caribean World Series on MLB Network, there doesn’t seem to be a whole helluva lot new on the uni scene these days.

    —Ricko

    I remember the Surf books very well. For whatever reason, the Phillies ’87 book was considered very rare. Sports Collector’s Digest has ads with the Phils’ edition four or five times more than the others. Sometime in ’88, the Class-A affiliate had a giveaway of the book and they had every collector and dealer buying 20 tickets each for the books.

    [quote comment=”313762″]I remember the Surf books very well. For whatever reason, the Phillies ’87 book was considered very rare. Sports Collector’s Digest has ads with the Phils’ edition four or five times more than the others. Sometime in ’88, the Class-A affiliate had a giveaway of the book and they had every collector and dealer buying 20 tickets each for the books.[/quote]

    BTW, if you want ALL of the card books in one, it’s this: link
    At a starting bid of $9.99 & $4.00 s/h, it’s an unbelievable value.

    [quote comment=”313763″][quote comment=”313762″]I remember the Surf books very well. For whatever reason, the Phillies ’87 book was considered very rare. Sports Collector’s Digest has ads with the Phils’ edition four or five times more than the others. Sometime in ’88, the Class-A affiliate had a giveaway of the book and they had every collector and dealer buying 20 tickets each for the books.[/quote]

    BTW, if you want ALL of the card books in one, it’s this: link
    At a starting bid of $9.99 & $4.00 s/h, it’s an unbelievable value.[/quote]

    Here’s the fooball version: link

    [quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    DITTO…

    What material did you use for the Friction Strips?

    I wanted to make a couple of teams but hesitate to use shrinkable material for the friction strips.

    Please let me know if you can.

    [quote comment=”313765″][quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    DITTO…

    What material did you use for the Friction Strips?

    I wanted to make a couple of teams but hesitate to use shrinkable material for the friction strips.

    Please let me know if you can.[/quote]

    I used thin pre-shrunk cotton for mine. 1.79 a yard at Walmart.

    I picked up material at Jo Anns. It was from remnant table. It is almost like canvas. It is a thicker than other material but worked fine and held up to washing. Hand wash and air dry.

    Ricko, back in the day Belitnikoff was my man. I taped my shoes and forearms to look like him, and wore my socks like him as well. But you should know that he put the stickup on his socks a little further down than you had it…remember?

    [quote comment=”313765″][quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    DITTO…

    What material did you use for the Friction Strips?

    I wanted to make a couple of teams but hesitate to use shrinkable material for the friction strips.

    Please let me know if you can.[/quote]

    Nick, If and when you do please let us know. I have not seen very many college or pro throwbacks from that 1920’s early 1930’s era. Or the 1910’s when all teams had some sort of material. Either stripes or ovals. And My opinion is that eraly on all teams used either brown or black for the stripes. Anybody have thoughts or ideas on that?

    [quote comment=”313773″][quote comment=”313765″][quote comment=”313738″][quote comment=”313737″]http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v478/Larrymb/?action=view&current=1928.jpg

    That is my 1928 Ohio State jersey. It is good enough for me and that is what matters. I have worn it to Ohio State games and maybe only a couple fans out of over 100,000 even know what is is. The ones that do know, love it and tell me so.

    There are some very talented DIYers I have now learned about. I am just a novice, but I like what I do. And am learning new tips.[/quote]

    That thing is sweet![/quote]

    DITTO…

    What material did you use for the Friction Strips?

    I wanted to make a couple of teams but hesitate to use shrinkable material for the friction strips.

    Please let me know if you can.[/quote]

    Nick, If and when you do please let us know. I have not seen very many college or pro throwbacks from that 1920’s early 1930’s era. Or the 1910’s when all teams had some sort of material. Either stripes or ovals. And My opinion is that eraly on all teams used either brown or black for the stripes. Anybody have thoughts or ideas on that?[/quote]

    ################

    Larry & MPowers,

    I absolutely love the friction-strip jersey era, though I have yet to score one. I can not believe that Mitchell & Ness or Ebbets Field Flannels continue to refuse to do them when they are, dollar for dollar, the most highly demanded replicas on sale on EBAY. Every 1994 Bears and Steelers throwbavck – even the cheapy versions, go for a tremendous price. I have pestered both throwback companies to make them, but they won’t.

    Usually 1-2, sometimes 3 ACTIUAL GAME WORN fiction strip jerseys per year come up for auction on EBAY. They are almost NEVER properly described by the seller and are very hard to locate when they are made available for sale. Sadly for me, they are usually too small for anyone over 160 pounds to wear.

    I have seen authentic, game worn friction strip jerseys with black, beige, off-white and cream colored friction strips. Some black & white photos appear to show schools wearing their colors in the strips, such as the Iowa Hawkeyes wearing Gold strips on their black jerseys. The Chicago Bears and the Ilini wore orange strips on their navy blue jerseys.

    I have gone as far as to price Rugby Jersey companies for pricing on custom jerseys. They regularly deal in custom sets for 15-18 pieces, and are probably as close to the real material as you could get today.

    I have a number of sporting goods catologues from that era with many color and style options, including the unique friction strip designs that allowed colleges to use the friction strip material to place the school initial or simple logo on their chests – the most notable were the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ “N”. Really cool stuff.

    My procrastination has allowed me to let the idea germinate since 1994 when the Bears and Steelers wore them. I think I am finally gonna get some made.

    Now I gotta decide on which.
    Any ideas?

    s,.. r
    i HAVE SEEN bLACK, BEIGE/CANVAS, OFF-WHITE

    [quote comment=”313756″]seems like the O’s debacle link

    good job mr. lukas[/quote]

    ok ill start with i just dont care which direction the apostrophe (or, if you will, open single quote) faces because, well, i just dont. and thats not a knock on the english language but i feel like if we can see the logo for years and not notice it, then its not a big deal. but….

    its got legs, yes. on another blog. i wont believe people actually care until i see it in the bmore sun or until i see a new “o’s” logo. til that day, its just a blogspace complaint.

    and about the jags new unis – i bet i love em since apparently i appreciate poor design. im guessin theres piping and such involved, which in my book is good. i like what the jags have now, but, like always, im excited to see what new stuff uni designers can come up with.

    Nick, The only place I have seen them is from Past Time Sports. But they are a pretty basic or generic type jersey. I had not checked ebay for the jerseys you mention.

    I see you are also a student of that era jerseys. I agree that around the 1920’s teams did use color material for the strips. I think before that they all wore brown or maybe black. I will find a picture or so to share and see what others think.

    Nick, I think that is fascinating that you have sports catalogs from that era and showing the strips for schools. I know the Nebraska uniform you are talking about.

    Here is Chic Harley the Ohio State star who is responsible for Ohio Stadkum being built. One picture is of him of course in b&w and the other is a colorized version from that great Vault books.

    link

    Note the strips are dark like the ball. The socks are scarlet with gray stripes. Ohio State wore those socks from about 1913-1928.

    link

    Did anybody buy these figures from Ebay a few years ago? They were sold only on Ebay. They are small, about 2 inches high for the figure and a little more with the base. I loved them and own 7.

    link

    link

    link

    link

    Note the friction strips and the Nebraska uni Nick mentioned. I do not know about the 100% accuracy of every part of the uniforms. I know I corrected the guy on a few teams and he tahkned me.

    [quote comment=”313778″]Did anybody buy these figures from Ebay a few years ago? They were sold only on Ebay. They are small, about 2 inches high for the figure and a little more with the base. I loved them and own 7.

    link

    link

    link

    link

    Note the friction strips and the Nebraska uni Nick mentioned. I do not know about the 100% accuracy of every part of the uniforms. I know I corrected the guy on a few teams and he tahkned me.[/quote]

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    WOW !!! I totally missed these figures on EBAY. They sort of corroberate my thinking that certain teams wore colored friction strips.

    I have quite a few “Football Illustrated” magazines from 1932 – 1940, and they are pretty much the “Athlon” preseason college overview publications for that era, with lots photos of stars and color art on the cover. Many interseting unis….

    There was also a smaller preview book, published by a sporting goods company, I can not recall the company name, that gave you an overview of each team and team photo of almost every team playing, along with each teams’ schedule and a very limited catologue of team football items for team sales. Lot’s of friction strip unis with chest logos and the like, I gotta tell you those were really great football unis !!!

    You can find both on EBAY at pretty reasonably prices.

    Does anyone know where I can get two Chicago Wolves hockey jersey crests? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    ESPN Classic is showing untucked women’s hoops action between La. Tech and Tenneseee from 1987 as a tribute to Pat Summit’s 1,000th win. Those La. Tech uniforms also have sleeves.

    [quote comment=”313681″]Milpa Real is not candy but tostadas and other tortilla products[/quote]
    Sorry. My bad. I didn’t get too good of a look at the logo and to me it looked like one I remember from Carlos V candy bars.

    Oh, and also I hope Lux avoids the bikini girls with machine guns in the afterlife.
    Saw the Cramps in Seattle in 98 and I’m truly better for it. Great show, he will be missed.

    Sean Avery may join the Hartford Wolf Pack!! That would be great!! Bring him back to NY!! We need something to kick start things!!

    I asked my girlfriend to buy me one of those Habs throwbacks for my birthday. She told me that not only would that not happen, but she would burn the jersey with me in it if I ever got one and wore it out of the house. Not a fan of the barber pole look I guess.

    Although I’ll never test her on this, I do think the jerseys are cool. What’s wrong with a team celebrating it’s history by wearing a remake of a jersey that’s almost a century old. The fact that that douche Farber had the temerity to criticize the Wings for their throwbacks shows me he doesn’t know his head from his ass.

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