Photographers taking photos of ballplayers is nothing new. But there’s only one time when photographers take photos of other photographers, and that’s spring training, where Photo Day portraits are such an essential part of the proceedings that the photo sessions themselves are documented, just like wind sprints and bunting drills.
From a uniform perspective, Photo Day portraits are interesting on several levels. First, since most of the photos are straightforward front views, it doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing someone else’s jersey (as several readers noted when I ran that photo in the Ticker last week, that’s obviously not Tom Glavine) or a jersey that’s blank on the back. Hell, if they shoot you from the waist up, it doesn’t even matter if your pants don’t match, or if you’re wearing mandals.
But as the Photo Day portraits begin circulating over the wire each February, what really interests me is how the various photographers try to impose their “artistic vision” on the proceedings. When Getty Images shutterbug Nick Laham photographed the Rays, for example, he clearly told everyone to turn either their body or their head slightly off to the side. But when Laham photographed the Red Sox, he opted for these soft-focus mug shots that give the players a vaguely old West feel.
Here’s a look at how the photographers handled some of the other teams:
• Cardinals: The Cards were all shot on a green background (which I love, of course), and each player was given a prop — sometimes a bat, sometimes a ball, sometimes a ball and glove. I like.
• Reds: Very similar approach to the Cards — lots of bats and balls — so I was surprised to find that it’s not the same photographer. The St. Looey pics were taken by Doug Benc, Cincy by Chris Graythen.
• Phillies: Graythen also took the Philly photos, which have a more atmospheric backdrop, although many of them rely on the same clichéd poses.
• Yankees: Nick Laham — the same guy who took the Bosox shots — took these, as you can tell from all the soft-focus stoicism. But he chose to do the Yanks pics on a white background (as opposed to the darker backdrop on the Sox shots), which creates an oddly ethereal effect. Also: Some very odd cropping.
• Brewers: Shadowy men on a shadowy planet, an effect that’s accentuated by the dark alt jerseys. Great for Halloween, not so great otherwise.
• Indians: Very similar to the Brewers (it’s the same photographer, Ronald Martinez), but the white uniform makes the whole thing a bit less pretentious. (Ditto for the Mariners.)
• Nationals: “Hey, you know what would be cool? Let’s shoot you guys like you’re in confessional. Yeah, I know, it sounds weird, but work with me here — it’s just a different creative approach. And besides, you guys kinda suck, so you have lots of sins from last season to confess.” I think there were several Brewers shots in this same motif, but they’ve already moved off the wire and I can’t find them now.
And so on. About half the teams’ portraits haven’t moved over the wire yet, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for any other interesting motifs.
Incidentally, anyone else notice how nearly none of these players are smiling? Jeez.
(Extra-special thanks to Phil, whose Herculean research help — on very short notice, I might add — made today’s entry possible.)
Yet another raffle: As you all know by know, I don’t know jackshit about soccer, but I’m told that the fans like to hold up team scarves during the games. This is the inspiration for Stephen Wong’s series of cashmere soccer scarves. Stephen, who’s a big Uni Watch fan, has generously offered to have me raffle off one of these cashmere beauties, which retail for $200 a pop.
To enter, send a blank e-mail with your name in the subject line to the raffle address (not to the usual Uni Watch e-mail address, please) by this Wednesday, February 25th, at 7pm eastern. Note that this is an earlier deadline than for most of our other raffles. One entry per person, but anyone enrolled in the Uni Watch membership program at the time of the drawing can send four entries. I’ll announce the winner on Thursday.
Steeltown Reminder: Uni Watch party on Sunday, March 1st, 1pm, at Max’s Allegheny Tavern. There’s even a vaaaaague chance that I may wear a jersey to this one, because I just scored a very cool garment that I’m looking for excuses to wear.
Uni Watch News Ticker: Duke unveiled some very odd new uniforms yesterday and wore them last night against Wake. Additional pics here and here. ”¦ Do you miss Peter Puck as much as I do? Even if you don’t, you should check out these old PP cartoon here. ”¦ Here’s something you rarely see: a high school basketball team with uni-numbered socks. “The school is Lake City (SC) playing at Dreher (Columbia, SC),” says Michael Orr. “Also the numbers on the jerseys look black in these photos, but they were a deep navy blue. Very strange to see the color-on-color numbers like that.” ”¦ Hmmm, that Reebok wordmark is everywhere. Rob Ullman took that shot at his local Target last week. ”¦ Junior Griffey’s return to Seattle is, uh, heartwarming. Good pics here, here, and here, though. ”¦ Lots of cool stuff on eBay at the moment, including a SF Giants booster club blazer, a killer corduroy baseball jacket, a really nice women’s softball jacket, some cool letterman patches, an awesome cheerleading cardigan, a varsity sweater with some great sleeve patches, and a dynamite football jacket. ”¦ There’s skin-tight and there’s skin-less (with thanks to Hugh McBride). ”¦ We’ve seen plenty of color-on-color games, but how about white on white? Okay it’s actually light gold on white, as Washington visited UCLA a few nights ago. “It was almost impossible on my cheapie TV to tell the teams apart,” says Glenn Tanner. ”¦ Eric Garment was recently at the Smithsonian and took some pics of uni-related items, including a very old women’s basketball outfit, and a Roberto Clemente helmet and uniform (here’s the money shot). ”¦ This year’s College World Series logos look really cheesy (with thanks to Dustin Hall). ”¦ I really, really like the really nice memorial patchLarry Miller memorial patch that the Jazz have added. They’ll be wearing it for the rest of this season. ”¦ Here’s something I didn’t know: When a sumo wrestler’s career comes to an end, there’s a ceremony in which his top knot is cut off. Details here (with thanks to Jeremy Brahm). ”¦ Let me get this straight: The auto industry is on life support, and Ford’s idea of a turnaround plan is to buy ad space on Miguel Cotto’s trunks? ”¦ Check out WVU’s old mascot. “Dig the boots and checked flannel — a punk precursor?” says West Virginia native Shane Arbogast. ”¦ Not uni-related, but this book looks really promising. ”¦ Reebok’s wordmark encroachment on NHL goalie mask continues. That’s Mathieu Garon’s new lid (with thanks to Justin Shawley). ”¦ If you’re as intrigued by abandoned buildings as I am, you’ll want to check out this site (with thanks to Trevor Williams). ”¦ The mascot for the Arkansas Warriors — a semipro basketball team — appears to be a DIYer. ”¦ “Keep your eyes out for a shot of Chien-Ming Wang’s new glove,” says Tyler Kepner. “He has a huge Chinese symbol for his name on the outer webbing. Nike made it custom for him. Not sure if he uses it for practice because he just got them, but there are 2 in his locker. ”¦ Reprinted from Saturday: Rafer Alston is listed as No. 2 on the Magic roter, but he had to wear No. 36 with NNOB on Friday night, because his new jersey wasn’t ready in time for the game. ”¦ FINA is trying to amend its swimwear regulations. ”¦ Also from Jeremy: new uniforms for Thespa Kusatsu, a J-League team. ”¦ Given the financial limitations of most collegiate athletic programs — especially for a sport like lacrosse — isn’t it odd that most college lacrosse teams have two helmet designs, one for home and one for the road? (Good observation by Travis Holland.) ”¦ Pirates prospect Daniel Moskos has a blog, and in this exchange he mentions that the organization has imposed a high-pants rule throughout its minor league system this year (with thanks to Daniel Weimann). ”¦ Someone on the Cardinals appears to have an NOB but no number (good spot by Aaron Steele). ”¦ Think my piece about CC Sabathia’s pinstripe count was a study in minutiae? That’s nothing compared to this story about him. ”¦ We’ve seen plenty of instances of players stretching their pant cuffs down under the heels of their shoes, but look at this shot of Big Papi. Looks like he’s got an extra panel of fabric attached to his pants. Either way, looks like shit, but I’m curious about the logistics of it. ”¦ And speaking of pants pulled down over the heels, look at Hanley Ramirez. ”¦ Jason Varitek’s “C” looks a tad low, no? ”¦ Not positive, but I don’t think we’ve seen Tyler Clippard wearing glasses on the mound before. ”¦ One of the many great things about spring training: Where else would you see a photo like this?. ”¦ The Orioles’ new Japanese pitcher, Koji Uehara, is wearing orange shoelaces. ”¦ Bryan Martin Firvida notes that Nikita Mescheriakov’s surname is spelled very differently here and here. Can anyone explain? ”¦ “Looks like the Flyers are ready to fight Mad Max,” says John Muir. ”¦ Some good historical details on game-used Cowboys jerseys here (with thanks to Brinke Guthrie). ”¦ The PBA had a throwback tourney of sorts over the weekend, requiring all bowlers to use old-school plastic balls (big thanks to Jeremy Brahm). ”¦ Yesterday’s post about Slap Shot prompted this note from Terry Proctor: “Here is a photo on the site below of the NAHL Philadelphia Firebirds whose uniform style was used by the Blades in SlapShot. The colors are kelly green, orange, athletic gold and white. You will note that the Firebirds are wearing color-coordinated gloves in the photo. Probably the movie company didn’t want to spend the extra bucks for them. They ended up having both the Gears and the Presidents teams wear green/gold/white gloves (North Stars-style), since both teams’ base color was kelly green. No doubt the two teams used the same gloves in the movie. The Blades’ sweaters were made by HSI out of Phila., who supplied the Firebirds their unis.” ”¦ The Trenton Devils recently retired Scott Bertoli’s number, and the team wore a patch for the occasion. “This is particularly noteworthy since the Devils very rarely allow jersey patches on any level,” says Paul Roper. ”¦ Check out this awesome photo of Rogers Hornsby’s son Bill, taken on 7/6/34. Not clear if he was the bayboy or just hanging out on “Take your kid to work day” (great find by Bruce Menard). ”¦ Buncha stuff from Phil: Lousiville won yesterday, so they can get their practice gear back; this video clip has gotta be the weirdest uni-related promotion ever; with the economy in the shitter, logos are getting more upbeat; and if the Giants and Jets can share a stadium, why not the Niners and Raiders? ”¦ Way back in the fall of 2007, I wrote an entry about an article in an old issue of Inside Sports, in which some menswear designers were hired to create prototype uni designs that were modeled by some sportscasters. Fast-forward to last night, when David Soline was watching a 1981 Bosox/Chisox game on the MLB Network and heard that article being discussed by Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersal: “Harry mentioned the uniform design contest and the designer uniforms that he and Jack Buck wore for the article. He said the pants were so baggy, like the Sox used to wear. Piersal said he did not like the pants he used to wear, as the elastic was too tight. Then he said, ‘But these uniforms today [in 1981] are the best.’ And then added, ‘Maybe not ours.'” ”¦ Good primers on several kinds of non-sports uniforms here (with thanks to Morris Levin). ”¦ Rockies coach Jim Tracy wore a jacket with $200 in cash attached to it yesterday, as motivation for a fielding drill/contest, which was won by Jhoulys Chacin. ”¦ Is the Italian WBC jersey cream-colored, or is it just the lighting? ”¦ Check out Jeff Clement wearing one of those little paddle gloves during a catching drill. ”¦ Nice. ”¦ Iowa finally wore their new System of Dress uniforms yesterday. … LSU’s new baseball stadium opened over the weekend, so the team wore jersey patches for all of their weekend games. Here’s a closer look at the patch design, although the actual patch doesn’t appear to have the Sonic logo, thankfully (with thanks to Mark Jones and Chris Mycoskie). … Kudos to Penn State, the latest school to sever ties with Russell Athletic due to Russell’s labor practices (with thanks to Chris Flinn). ”¦ After the Super Bowl, several people noted that Larry Fitzgerald’s team wordmark was curved during the game. But Doug Keklak points out that it looked perfectly normal in the first half. ”¦ Big congrats to Ma & Pa Uni Watch, who celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary yesterday (that’s known as the Maris anniversary, natch). Love you both!
Wow… talk about the mother of all Tickers…
I wonder if those royal blue Griffey letters and numbers are for late 80s/early 90s throwbacks. The color doesn’t match the new jerseys, and the Mariners current unis don’t have small numbers on the front.
That old West Virginia mascot looks to be way too big for that horse.
link
Iowa took a simple, rather distinctive uniform and made it stupid.
Duke took a simple, rather distinctive uniform and mde it stupid.
Do I detect a trend?
wow… i really like Nick Laham’s work! those player photos are great.
the pictures of the reds… in the “ball” photo… what the hell kind of pitch is that guy pretending to throw?!?!
But, boy, do I enjoy those spring training pics. Thanks.
re: Non-smiling players in baseball photos.
Is anyone else as tired of this persistent and pervasive notion of “athlete-as-hardass” attitude as I am?
Come on, guys, you’re on a team, not a member of a gang.
I’m about this close (holds up thumb and forefinger eigth-inch apart) to guitting watching sports altogether. The whole posturing thing is getting SO old SO fast.
What, it isn’t FUN to be paid handsomely to play a kids’ game? Especially the MLB guys. They’ve done their time riding the busses. They ought to know the difference. Basketball and football players, not so much.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”315976″]wow… i really like Nick Laham’s work! those player photos are great.
the pictures of the reds… in the “ball” photo… what the hell kind of pitch is that guy pretending to throw?!?![/quote]
Circle change.
Rafer Alston wore #1 yesterday.
I like Iowa’s new uniforms, except for the neckline, same ugly design as Purdue’s new style.
Is it just the pictures or is that devil ray patch lighter than last year?
This year
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Last Year
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Rockies coach Jim Tracy wore a jacket with $200…Why do the 20s have Peter gammons face on them?
Meshcheriakov is Belarussian. The name on the Hoyas website is the traditional transliteration from Russian but his NOB is a transliteration from Belarussian using the “official” Belarussian governmental transliteration manual. About the only way to get it “correct” is to use Cyrillic on back (CNOB?)
[quote comment=”315981″]Is it just the pictures or is that devil ray patch lighter than last year?
This year
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Last Year
link
Good spot! Appears to be lighter in several of the Photo Day shots:
link
link
But not all of them:
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The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.
The MLB Style Guide still shows the patch as navy for this season. But the light-blue patch is definitely odd….
Was watching HBO last night, a special on the Miracle on Ice (yesterday was the 29th anniversary of the event).
What really caught my eye was the jerseys worn (kinda redundant but…) . When I saw the movie “Miracle” I just assumed I was watching what Disney decided to make the other teams jerseys look like. Much to my shock from the documentary, Lake Placid did happen to have some surprising jerseys.
For example Sweeden did not have the usual three crown jersey for Lake Placid and Finland actually had their country name written (in Finnish, “Suomi” on the slevees of the jersey (sort of the the Thrashers with “Atlanta” on the sleeve, garish either way but at least Finland did it on both sleeves.
Maybe this is common knowledge about the jerseys worn there but it just took me for a surprise. I do wonder though if the tri-crown for Sweden then was something that came about later than 1980 or was redone?
I like the new Iowa uni’s – I think they look great. I was suprised at the new Duke jerseys – I felt like they had been wearing them and I just never noticed. I guess I’m not crazy.
[quote comment=”315984″]
The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.[/quote]
For something as important as Photo Day, shouldn’t teams show a little more respect for the uniform and have the players dress appropriately?
“These photos are official and will be potentially seen for decades . . . here, throw on this rag that I found in a corner.” Blasphemy.
Couldn’t it be surmised that the “odd” light-blue ray on the shoulder is just a result of the dark patch catching the light from the flash placement? Looks that way to me. Certainly doesn’t appear to be some uni-anomaly.
How long will it take before Chien-Ming Wang is made to use a plain glove when it’s determined the Chinese character on the webbing is distracting? Pitcher’s have been told to change gloves when the piping is a contrasting color with the rest of the glove.
Of course being a member of the NY (No Rules Apply to Us) Yankees, he’ll be allowed to play with it.
[quote comment=”315988″]Couldn’t it be surmised that the “odd” light-blue ray on the shoulder is just a result of the dark patch catching the light from the flash placement? Looks that way to me. Certainly doesn’t appear to be some uni-anomaly.[/quote]
Thats what I’m thinking as well.
They tend to use shiny fabric for those kind of patches and the flash usually comes from an angle that is in front, but off to the side. Combine those together, and you get a shoulder patch that looks a lot lighter than it really is.
I’ve noticed that the Texas Rangers have been wearing their normal blue helmets during spring training instead of the girls-softball inspired blue-fades-to-red monstrosity:
Evidence
As a Rangers fan, I pray they carry this over to the regular season.
[quote comment=”315988″]Couldn’t it be surmised that the “odd” light-blue ray on the shoulder is just a result of the dark patch catching the light from the flash placement? Looks that way to me. Certainly doesn’t appear to be some uni-anomaly.[/quote]
That was my reading, as well. The stitching appears to be catching the light.
[quote comment=”315989″]How long will it take before Chien-Ming Wang is made to use a plain glove when it’s determined the Chinese character on the webbing is distracting? Pitcher’s have been told to change gloves when the piping is a contrasting color with the rest of the glove.
Of course being a member of the NY (No Rules Apply to Us) Yankees, he’ll be allowed to play with it.[/quote]
Ah, the second sign of spring. The first is Pitchers and Catchers reporting, the second is misplaced Yankee envy coming out of its hole.
[quote comment=”315995″][quote comment=”315989″]How long will it take before Chien-Ming Wang is made to use a plain glove when it’s determined the Chinese character on the webbing is distracting? Pitcher’s have been told to change gloves when the piping is a contrasting color with the rest of the glove.
Of course being a member of the NY (No Rules Apply to Us) Yankees, he’ll be allowed to play with it.[/quote]
Ah, the second sign of spring. The first is Pitchers and Catchers reporting, the second is misplaced Yankee envy coming out of its hole.[/quote]
didn’t the umps ask Roger Clemens to change gloves during a game a few years back because of some sort of special patch? i think it was on his wrist?
[quote]For something as important as Photo Day, shouldn’t teams show a little more respect for the uniform and have the players dress appropriately?[/quote]
you’d think so…but, as with the lack of smiles (although this could certainly be due to the photog style), i get the sense that having to “dress up” is more of a burden these days, than an honor
/NGOML
61 YEARS! Hoorah! That’s wonderful.
Why are the Phillies players wearing the gray underbill 5950’s not the current ones?
Two things…
One: The Italy jersey has got to be white, as you can see in one of the following ticker items (with the other WBC players).
Two: I dont think Ortiz has any fabric added to his pants. I imagine it just looks that way do to the way his pants are folded and contorted over his shoe.
Not uni-related, but I loved Hugh Jackman’s comment to Meryl Streep last night. With numbers that high, it’s obvious steroids are involved.
The Rangers retired Harry Howell’s #3 sweater and Andy Bathgate’s #9 last night. The surprise of the ceremony was the Ranger organization inviting Red Kelly of the Red Wings, Dick Duff of the Canadiens, Frank Mahovlich of the Leafs, and Stan Mikita of the Blackhawks. From what I could tell each visiting legend was wearing their time-appropriate sweater! This included the Red Wing and Blackhawk barber-pole designs! Looked fantastic.
I didn’t see Xavier’s throwbacks from yesterday’s game against GW mentioned anywhere. They are from Skip Prosser’s first season with the team which was around 1995-1996. There is a gallery here.
link
Those scarves are… um… wow. Anyone else notice what I noticed?
I watched Florida and Louisville in baseball this weekend, and each team wore a different uniform for all 3 games.
Florida wore white on Friday, orange on Saturday, blue on Sunday.
Louisville wore black on Friday, gray on Saturday, and red on Sunday.
That Cardinal with link (No Number On Back, natch) is likely minor-league pitching coordinator link. Since Miller’s not “assigned” to any team, he doesn’t need a uni number!
[quote comment=”316005″]I watched Florida and Louisville in baseball this weekend, and each team wore a different uniform for all 3 games.
Florida wore white on Friday, orange on Saturday, blue on Sunday.
Louisville wore black on Friday, gray on Saturday, and red on Sunday.[/quote]
That’s not unusual in college baseball… it saves laundering time for the already-overworked equipment manager.
[quote comment=”316004″]Those scarves are… um… wow. Anyone else notice what I noticed?[/quote]
I didn’t even bother looking at the scarves (soccer? pshaw!) until your comment piqued (sp?) my interest. I would totally put up a “Penetration” scarf in my dorm room. Too bad I had to go and graduate…
Anyone know who shot those Nationals pictures?
[quote comment=”316009″]Anyone know who shot those Nationals pictures?[/quote]
Doug Benc.
Over on Metsblog.com, Matt Cerrone (SNY) got a kick out of how the Mets were all lined up for photos…and got all fidgity and restless while they were waiting for their turn. Reminds me of elementary school photo day.
Regarding the ticker….
Nationals confessional photos look ridiculous.
I really like the Red Sox-style, and I think it
s funny the Yanks use the same photographer (and style, albeit different color). Anyone know who had the photographer first? The level at which these franchises try to keep up with each other is sometimes annoying, but in this case I find it amusing. The pictures remind me a bit of the whole Fox Baseball “carnival” theme they try to throw out there during their games. Not sure why.
I’m wondering if Duke really got their design idea from this movie:
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First off, Paul wins the entire internet today with that fine link reference. Best darn Canadian surf-punk band ever.
As to the Nats photos, that’s not a confessional. That’s the clubhouse exam room. That screen thing is a video screen the team doctor in Grenada uses to examine the players and declare them healthy and ready to play, or if need be to prescribe aspirin and plenty of exercise in case of injury.
[quote comment=”316006″]That Cardinal with link (No Number On Back, natch) is likely minor-league pitching coordinator link. Since Miller’s not “assigned” to any team, he doesn’t need a uni number![/quote]
Funny that he’s the only one in the pic wearing stirrups…we should have known he wasn’t actually on the roster!!!! :o)
It looks like possibly MLB made sure all the players were wearing the same style undershirt. I had not seen that kind of two tone shirt before and everyone seemed to be wearing them. As a Pirates fan, I know they did not wear those last year.
[quote comment=”315987″][quote comment=”315984″]
The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.[/quote]
For something as important as Photo Day, shouldn’t teams show a little more respect for the uniform and have the players dress appropriately?
“These photos are official and will be potentially seen for decades . . . here, throw on this rag that I found in a corner.” Blasphemy.[/quote]
What’s “inappropriate” about it? They’re not any old rags, they’re official team jerseys. They just don’t bring along a different jersey for every player.
This is pretty standard in photo shoots. All those NFL headshot photos, or the player video introductions they show during the games? There’s a reason they cut them off above the numbers.
And not just sports photo shoots – if you’ve got a model wearing a suit in Miami, odds are that the shirt under his coat doesn’t actually have a back.
I think the Brewers alt jersey is one of, if not the best in the major leagues. Too bad we couldn’t even realy see it with the ridiculous black background. The confessional/traing room whatever is just plain odd. If it was a confessional, at least it could be the players asking for forgivness for sucking so bad and ripping off the fans.
I like the new Iowa unis, did they drop the whites for sure?
The new Dukes suck. Duke always only looks good in white anyway.
I agree with Steve on Papi’s pants. Looks like the part beneath the shoe is just the dirty part of the pantleg. The sides are folded under, but the back goes below the shoe.
link Giambi must love that link, considering every other player is wearing a different one. Must be his security blanket :o)
Plus, look at those arms! Man, I’d bet the bank he used steroids.
[/sarcasm]
[quote comment=”316016″][quote comment=”315987″][quote comment=”315984″]
The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.[/quote]
For something as important as Photo Day, shouldn’t teams show a little more respect for the uniform and have the players dress appropriately?
“These photos are official and will be potentially seen for decades . . . here, throw on this rag that I found in a corner.” Blasphemy.[/quote]
What’s “inappropriate” about it? They’re not any old rags, they’re official team jerseys. They just don’t bring along a different jersey for every player.
This is pretty standard in photo shoots. All those NFL headshot photos, or the player video introductions they show during the games? There’s a reason they cut them off above the numbers.
And not just sports photo shoots – if you’ve got a model wearing a suit in Miami, odds are that the shirt under his coat doesn’t actually have a back.[/quote]
Paul said that some players wear replicas. I do not consider a replica or an old jersey from a previous season to be appropriate at all.
Let’s talk about my Terps! Those gold uniforms are good luck. They seem to have the complete opposite effect that the black ones had. No doubt we’ll see those golds against Dook. Stay golden, Ponyboy. LOL
[quote comment=”315981″]Is it just the pictures or is that devil ray patch lighter than last year?
This year
link
Last Year
link
It’s a glare from the lighting.
Love the Nats pics. There\’s some light, but a significant obstacle preventing the players from getting farther into the light. That really sums up where the franchise is.
I feel it’s necessary to give Brandon Phillips some love here. He actually is smiling in his photo.
Also, Paul: I think I may be the only one ever to thank you for putting a picture of Miguel Perez on the front of your entry today. He played for the team I work for in the minors for two seasons. Easily in my top five of nicest athletes I’ve ever met. Hope he makes it with the Pirates.
[quote comment=”315985″]Was watching HBO last night, a special on the Miracle on Ice (yesterday was the 29th anniversary of the event).
What really caught my eye was the jerseys worn (kinda redundant but…) . When I saw the movie “Miracle” I just assumed I was watching what Disney decided to make the other teams jerseys look like. Much to my shock from the documentary, Lake Placid did happen to have some surprising jerseys.
For example Sweeden did not have the usual three crown jersey for Lake Placid and Finland actually had their country name written (in Finnish, “Suomi” on the slevees of the jersey (sort of the the Thrashers with “Atlanta” on the sleeve, garish either way but at least Finland did it on both sleeves.
Maybe this is common knowledge about the jerseys worn there but it just took me for a surprise. I do wonder though if the tri-crown for Sweden then was something that came about later than 1980 or was redone?[/quote]
I believe that the jersey situation in 1980 is acutally similar to the bun fight Hockey Canada is having with the IOC about the use of a “non-olympic logo” on the jersey. The Swedish “tre krone” is actually the logo of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation – but since it was the Olympics – the Swedes wore their Olympic logo instead. That has been changed for subsequent Olympics but may happen again in 2010.
“The Rangers retired Harry Howell’s #3 sweater and Andy Bathgate’s #9 last night. The surprise of the ceremony was the Ranger organization inviting Red Kelly of the Red Wings, Dick Duff of the Canadiens, Frank Mahovlich of the Leafs, and Stan Mikita of the Blackhawks. From what I could tell each visiting legend was wearing their time-appropriate sweater! This included the Red Wing and Blackhawk barber-pole designs! Looked fantastic. ”
The Red Wings never wore a “barber pole” design. The Detroit Cougars and Detroit Falcons did, but neither Bathgate nor Howell every played against those teams. (Uni information confirmed on nhluniforms.com)
I might be in the minority, but as a fan of throwbacks, I would have loved to have seen Iowa go back to the script “Iowa” across their chests, a la the late 70’s-early 80’s design.
Also, you’d be surprised how many Cardinal players actually wear stirrups.
FYI… on the College World Series logo link… if you read the article, you’ll note that they extended the CWS in Omaha to 2036 and this logo will be the permanent logo, only the date will change…
Nationals player: Father, last year I left over forty men on base while ending an inning. I failed to execute ten sac bunts. I blew through a stop sign at third and ended up getting nailed at the plate by ten steps. I also gave the kid that got called up from double A the hot foot.
Father: Ten ‘Our Fathers’, twenty ‘Hail Marys’, a drop to seventh in the batting order, occasional platooning with the hot foot kid and only a 30% raise in your salary from 2008.
[quote comment=”315984″][quote comment=”315981″]Is it just the pictures or is that devil ray patch lighter than last year?
This year
link
Last Year
link
Good spot! Appears to be lighter in several of the Photo Day shots:
link
link
But not all of them:
link
The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.
The MLB Style Guide still shows the patch as navy for this season. But the light-blue patch is definitely odd….[/quote]
I think that this “light-blue” patch is simply a result of the lighting used by the photographer. All of the photos in which the patch looks different are those with the player oriented with his left shoulder directly facing the light source. Those patches generally have long floats in the embroidery which create their lusterous appearance and could make them appear lighter in color. Thoughts?
[quote comment=\”315996\”][quote comment=\”315995\”][quote comment=\”315989\”]How long will it take before Chien-Ming Wang is made to use a plain glove when it\’s determined the Chinese character on the webbing is distracting? Pitcher\’s have been told to change gloves when the piping is a contrasting color with the rest of the glove.
Of course being a member of the NY (No Rules Apply to Us) Yankees, he\’ll be allowed to play with it.[/quote]
Ah, the second sign of spring. The first is Pitchers and Catchers reporting, the second is misplaced Yankee envy coming out of its hole.[/quote]
didn\’t the umps ask Roger Clemens to change gloves during a game a few years back because of some sort of special patch? i think it was on his wrist?[/quote]
I believe it was the \”300 Win\” patch he had on his glove. it was a huge patch he had on hid black glove and was deemed distracting. of course, he had not won 300 games yet and was wearing it in hopes that game would be his 300th win.
[quote comment=”316027″]I might be in the minority, but as a fan of throwbacks, I would have loved to have seen Iowa go back to the script “Iowa” across their chests, a la the late 70’s-early 80’s design.
Also, you’d be surprised how many Cardinal players actually wear stirrups.[/quote]
I know…just for a laugh mang
The reference to “the weirdest uni-related promotion ever” (which wouldn’t play on my laptop – #$%@?!) reminded me of how my favorite European soccer club, AFC Ajax, introduced its new shirt (well, more or less the same old shirt, but with a new sponsor) before this season. (Hope no one’s already posted this….)
The idea, of course, is a takeoff on the way players exchange jerseys with their opponents at the end of a big game (hence the referee blowing his whistle at the beginning). And bonus points for using the totally awesome Toots and the Maytals on the soundtrack.
link. (I hope this works.)
Another opinion list of the worst basketball jerseys of all time. And yes, the Boston Celtics make an appearance:
link
Didn’t know that Eddie Gaedell (sp.?) was Canadian. The Canadian player in the WBC shot has to stand on the railing to get in the shot with the taller players from USA, Venezueal, and Italy. They grow ’em small north of the border, eh?
Why do the Phillies have gray underbills? Anyone else notice that?
rafer alston wears #1 for the magic
link
[quote comment=”316025″][quote comment=”315985″]Was watching HBO last night, a special on the Miracle on Ice (yesterday was the 29th anniversary of the event).
What really caught my eye was the jerseys worn (kinda redundant but…) . When I saw the movie “Miracle” I just assumed I was watching what Disney decided to make the other teams jerseys look like. Much to my shock from the documentary, Lake Placid did happen to have some surprising jerseys.
For example Sweeden did not have the usual three crown jersey for Lake Placid and Finland actually had their country name written (in Finnish, “Suomi” on the slevees of the jersey (sort of the the Thrashers with “Atlanta” on the sleeve, garish either way but at least Finland did it on both sleeves.
Maybe this is common knowledge about the jerseys worn there but it just took me for a surprise. I do wonder though if the tri-crown for Sweden then was something that came about later than 1980 or was redone?[/quote]
I believe that the jersey situation in 1980 is acutally similar to the bun fight Hockey Canada is having with the IOC about the use of a “non-olympic logo” on the jersey. The Swedish “tre krone” is actually the logo of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation – but since it was the Olympics – the Swedes wore their Olympic logo instead. That has been changed for subsequent Olympics but may happen again in 2010.[/quote]
And remember, Canada had an arched workmark and five maple leafs on the front of their jerseys. The Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) crest wasn’t on the front of our uniform: just “U S A”.
[quote comment=\”316035\”]Another opinion list of the worst basketball jerseys of all time. And yes, the Boston Celtics make an appearance:
link
They forgot the time Notre Dame wore fluorescent green.
link
Didn’t see this mentioned yet… The Buffalo Bills have unveiled a 50th Season patch: link
There’s a better look on the front page of the Bills site also: link
[quote comment=”316042″]Didn’t see this mentioned yet… The Buffalo Bills have unveiled a 50th Season patch: link
There’s a better look on the front page of the Bills site also: link[/quote]
and doesn’t that look nice on the current jersey
[quote comment=”316043″][quote comment=”316042″]Didn’t see this mentioned yet… The Buffalo Bills have unveiled a 50th Season patch: link
There’s a better look on the front page of the Bills site also: link[/quote]
and doesn’t that look nice on the current jersey[/quote]
Looks like it was designed by the same 5-year-old that designed the Bills/Toronto patch.
[quote]There’s skin-tight and there’s link[/quote]
I can’t be the only one who immediately thought of link and his ridiculous link, can I?
[quote comment=”316020″][quote comment=”316016″][quote comment=”315987″][quote comment=”315984″]
The thing is, players don’t always wear “real” jerseys (much less their OWN real jerseys) for Photo Day. Sometimes there’s just a big pile of old jerseys, replica jerseys, etc. lying on the floor and the players are instructed to find one that fits and go from there. So I”d be careful about making any judgments on the sleeve patch based on these pics.[/quote]
For something as important as Photo Day, shouldn’t teams show a little more respect for the uniform and have the players dress appropriately?
“These photos are official and will be potentially seen for decades . . . here, throw on this rag that I found in a corner.” Blasphemy.[/quote]
What’s “inappropriate” about it? They’re not any old rags, they’re official team jerseys. They just don’t bring along a different jersey for every player.
This is pretty standard in photo shoots. All those NFL headshot photos, or the player video introductions they show during the games? There’s a reason they cut them off above the numbers.
And not just sports photo shoots – if you’ve got a model wearing a suit in Miami, odds are that the shirt under his coat doesn’t actually have a back.[/quote]
Paul said that some players wear replicas. I do not consider a replica or an old jersey from a previous season to be appropriate at all.[/quote]
How can you even notice on those team pics who is wearing an authentic and who is wearing a replica? You must have eyes like a hawk if you can tell the difference.
Considering the ridiculous salaries, naming rights snafus and use of PED’s, in the grand scheme of things, replica jerseys in a team picture is pretty low on the scale of inappropriate things in baseball.
[quote comment=”316047″]
How can you even notice on those team pics who is wearing an authentic and who is wearing a replica? You must have eyes like a hawk if you can tell the difference.
Considering the ridiculous salaries, naming rights snafus and use of PED’s, in the grand scheme of things, replica jerseys in a team picture is pretty low on the scale of inappropriate things in baseball.[/quote]
I have to agree that wearing a replica jersey for photos is pretty bush league when it comes to the money these teams piss away through various means. Getting a few extra “on-field authentics” shouldn’t be that hard.
Wearing a replica jersey for MLB’s picture day would be akin to showing up to your wedding in a link. These players are in “The Show”. Give them what they will be wearing on the field.
Day off with the wife, in the service industry… Watching MLB Network, she of course knows my obsession… Cubs/Cards from 1984 on, she asks what I like/don’t like about the unis, then proceeds to let me ramble for 15 minutes before she says “Okay, I get it…”
As a Division III lacrosse player, I can attest that the two helmet trend carries over onto that level as well. We’ve only got one helmet this year, but we have had two in the past. In our case, I know, we can afford to sport such headwear because we get it for free from the manufacturer, and at the big-time level, it wouldn’t surprise me if teams were actually paid to wear different helmets. I played summer league with a Syracuse grad who had at least five different helmets from his time there.
[quote comment=”316048″]Wearing a replica jersey for MLB’s picture day would be akin to showing up to your wedding in a link. These players are in “The Show”. Give them what they will be wearing on the field.[/quote]
Except that if someone wears a tuxedo t-shirt to their wedding, you can tell it’s a tuxedo t-shirt. No one is going to think that’s it’s an actual tuxedo. And if you take a picture of it, no one’s going to get fooled into thinking that it’s the real thing.
On the other hand, for purposes of a team picture, who cares if it’s an authentic or a replica? They all look the same, especially at the distance that the photograph is taken.
If you can grab a team photo and point out which players are wearing authentics and which players are wearing replicas or last year’s model, that would be an impressive feat, one worthy of recognition in the Annals of Uniwatch.
Here’s another look at the Bills patch.
link
“Kudos to Penn State, the latest school to sever ties with Russell Athletic due to Russell’s labor practices (with thanks to Chris Flinn).” (Ticker.)
***
Somehow I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.
[quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair
[quote comment=”316053″]”Kudos to Penn State, the latest school to sever ties with Russell Athletic due to Russell’s labor practices (with thanks to Chris Flinn).” (Ticker.)
***
Somehow I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
I don’t think anyone is heralding Nike as the savior of the working stiff, but at least they haven’t been caught with their pants down recently. *Insert joke about ugly uniform pants here*
[quote comment=”316054″][quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair[/quote]
I don’t think Geeman meant that Russell was being singled out on this site, just that collegiate institutions are taking the high and mighty stance with Russell, a relative lightweight when compared to Nike. These schools grew a set because it was Russell. We’re not going to see schools take the same “ethical” stance on Nike or Reebok/Adidas.
[quote comment=”316052″]Here’s another look at the Bills patch.
link
Let’s face it, sartorially speaking, the Bills are the Clampetts of the National Football League.
“Jethro, if you’ve finished yer cipherin’, I was noticin’ there appears to room fer one morea them fancy patch-doodads on your blockin’ & tacklin’ shirt.”
“By golly, Uncle Jed, yer RIGHT! That’ll make it perfect, an’ I’ll look jest like a big football hero and git all the girls!!!”
—Ricko
Anyone ever notice that the old Buffalo Bills logo has a wiener?
link
[quote comment=”316046″][quote]There’s skin-tight and there’s link[/quote]
I can’t be the only one who immediately thought of link and his ridiculous link, can I?[/quote]
I was actually reminded of link from the 2001 Giro d’Italia prologue.
[quote comment=”316004″]Those scarves are… um… wow. Anyone else notice what I noticed?[/quote]
Noticed.
“Not that there is anything wrong with that.”
[quote comment=”316051″][quote comment=”316048″]Wearing a replica jersey for MLB’s picture day would be akin to showing up to your wedding in a link. These players are in “The Show”. Give them what they will be wearing on the field.[/quote]
Except that if someone wears a tuxedo t-shirt to their wedding, you can tell it’s a tuxedo t-shirt. No one is going to think that’s it’s an actual tuxedo. And if you take a picture of it, no one’s going to get fooled into thinking that it’s the real thing.
On the other hand, for purposes of a team picture, who cares if it’s an authentic or a replica? They all look the same, especially at the distance that the photograph is taken.
If you can grab a team photo and point out which players are wearing authentics and which players are wearing replicas or last year’s model, that would be an impressive feat, one worthy of recognition in the Annals of Uniwatch.[/quote]
Well put.
Not like a tux t-shirt at all – it’s more like the difference between an Armani tux and a tux from the Men’s Wearhouse. Sure, it’s not as nice as the Armani, but for the sake of a couple quick publicity photos, it’s still pretty good. Especially when some of these guys won’t ever make the club.
[quote comment=”316041″][quote comment=\”316035\”]Another opinion list of the worst basketball jerseys of all time. And yes, the Boston Celtics make an appearance:
link
They forgot the time Notre Dame wore fluorescent green.
link
Did Digger Phelps have a highlighter for that?
[quote comment=”316056″][quote comment=”316054″][quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair[/quote]
I don’t think Geeman meant that Russell was being singled out on this site, just that collegiate institutions are taking the high and mighty stance with Russell, a relative lightweight when compared to Nike. These schools grew a set because it was Russell. We’re not going to see schools take the same “ethical” stance on Nike or Reebok/Adidas.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. Much more articulate than I could have put it. Typical college hypocrisy.
[quote comment=”316064″][quote comment=”316056″][quote comment=”316054″][quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair[/quote]
I don’t think Geeman meant that Russell was being singled out on this site, just that collegiate institutions are taking the high and mighty stance with Russell, a relative lightweight when compared to Nike. These schools grew a set because it was Russell. We’re not going to see schools take the same “ethical” stance on Nike or Reebok/Adidas.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. Much more articulate than I could have put it. Typical college hypocrisy.[/quote]
fair points both…and agreed
still doesn’t excuse russell, however
[quote comment=”316063″][quote comment=”316041″][quote comment=\”316035\”]Another opinion list of the worst basketball jerseys of all time. And yes, the Boston Celtics make an appearance:
link
They forgot the time Notre Dame wore fluorescent green.
link
Did Digger Phelps have a highlighter for that?[/quote]
Didn’t Hawaii wear that color for basketball one season, too?
[quote comment=”316061″][quote comment=”316051″][quote comment=”316048″]Wearing a replica jersey for MLB’s picture day would be akin to showing up to your wedding in a link. These players are in “The Show”. Give them what they will be wearing on the field.[/quote]
Except that if someone wears a tuxedo t-shirt to their wedding, you can tell it’s a tuxedo t-shirt. No one is going to think that’s it’s an actual tuxedo. And if you take a picture of it, no one’s going to get fooled into thinking that it’s the real thing.
On the other hand, for purposes of a team picture, who cares if it’s an authentic or a replica? They all look the same, especially at the distance that the photograph is taken.
If you can grab a team photo and point out which players are wearing authentics and which players are wearing replicas or last year’s model, that would be an impressive feat, one worthy of recognition in the Annals of Uniwatch.[/quote]
Well put.
Not like a tux t-shirt at all – it’s more like the difference between an Armani tux and a tux from the Men’s Wearhouse. Sure, it’s not as nice as the Armani, but for the sake of a couple quick publicity photos, it’s still pretty good. Especially when some of these guys won’t ever make the club.[/quote]
If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?
Why not change out of the Armani tux for the wedding photos then, and go with the Men’s Warehouse version?
After all, it’s just a wedding photo. Not the real thing. No one will be able to tell the difference…
The Duke unis remind me of a similar trend in English football jerseys in the 1990s to have background patterns in the shirts.
[quote comment=”316049″]Day off with the wife, in the service industry… Watching MLB Network, she of course knows my obsession… Cubs/Cards from 1984 on, she asks what I like/don’t like about the unis, then proceeds to let me ramble for 15 minutes before she says “Okay, I get it…”[/quote]
It’s funny how so many people remember “The Sandberg Game” wrong. Even the program guide description says that he “delivers a game-tying, then a game-winning home run.” Actually, both home runs tied the game.
[quote comment=”316026″]”The Rangers retired Harry Howell’s #3 sweater and Andy Bathgate’s #9 last night. The surprise of the ceremony was the Ranger organization inviting Red Kelly of the Red Wings, Dick Duff of the Canadiens, Frank Mahovlich of the Leafs, and Stan Mikita of the Blackhawks. From what I could tell each visiting legend was wearing their time-appropriate sweater! This included the Red Wing and Blackhawk barber-pole designs! Looked fantastic. ”
The Red Wings never wore a “barber pole” design. The Detroit Cougars and Detroit Falcons did, but neither Bathgate nor Howell every played against those teams. (Uni information confirmed on nhluniforms.com)[/quote]
link
link
[quote comment=”316064″][quote comment=”316056″][quote comment=”316054″][quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair[/quote]
I don’t think Geeman meant that Russell was being singled out on this site, just that collegiate institutions are taking the high and mighty stance with Russell, a relative lightweight when compared to Nike. These schools grew a set because it was Russell. We’re not going to see schools take the same “ethical” stance on Nike or Reebok/Adidas.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. Much more articulate than I could have put it. Typical college hypocrisy.[/quote]
This is silly “gotcha”-ism. Would it be nice if everyone could be as ethically consistent as Gandhi? Yes. But that doesn’t mean that every little step doesn’t help.
[quote comment=”316067″][quote comment=”316061″][quote comment=”316051″][quote comment=”316048″]Wearing a replica jersey for MLB’s picture day would be akin to showing up to your wedding in a link. These players are in “The Show”. Give them what they will be wearing on the field.[/quote]
Except that if someone wears a tuxedo t-shirt to their wedding, you can tell it’s a tuxedo t-shirt. No one is going to think that’s it’s an actual tuxedo. And if you take a picture of it, no one’s going to get fooled into thinking that it’s the real thing.
On the other hand, for purposes of a team picture, who cares if it’s an authentic or a replica? They all look the same, especially at the distance that the photograph is taken.
If you can grab a team photo and point out which players are wearing authentics and which players are wearing replicas or last year’s model, that would be an impressive feat, one worthy of recognition in the Annals of Uniwatch.[/quote]
Well put.
Not like a tux t-shirt at all – it’s more like the difference between an Armani tux and a tux from the Men’s Wearhouse. Sure, it’s not as nice as the Armani, but for the sake of a couple quick publicity photos, it’s still pretty good. Especially when some of these guys won’t ever make the club.[/quote]
If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?
Why not change out of the Armani tux for the wedding photos then, and go with the Men’s Warehouse version?
After all, it’s just a wedding photo. Not the real thing. No one will be able to tell the difference…[/quote]
I hate to break it to you, but when actors pose for publicty photographs, they often aren’t posing in their real costumes. They pose in mockups made specifically for the photo session.
Is that disrespectful to the production?
[quote comment=”316072″]
Is that disrespectful to the production?[/quote]
Replica jerseys are not part of the pro game on the field. Therefore, they do not belong on the field under any circumstance. There is a universe of difference between a costume designer’s mockup and a big leaguer’s uniform.
Otherwise, why have a replica jersey and an authentic jersey at all? Why not make them all the same?
[quote comment=”316073″][quote comment=”316072″]
Is that disrespectful to the production?[/quote]
Replica jerseys are not part of the pro game on the field. Therefore, they do not belong on the field under any circumstance. There is a universe of difference between a costume designer’s mockup and a big leaguer’s uniform.
Otherwise, why have a replica jersey and an authentic jersey at all? Why not make them all the same?[/quote]
[quote comment=”316073″][quote comment=”316072″]
Is that disrespectful to the production?[/quote]
Replica jerseys are not part of the pro game on the field. Therefore, they do not belong on the field under any circumstance. There is a universe of difference between a costume designer’s mockup and a big leaguer’s uniform.
Otherwise, why have a replica jersey and an authentic jersey at all? Why not make them all the same?[/quote]
Are team photos gonna be on the new currency or something?
(Don’t tell anyone but sometimes in those spring training team photos, the guys are wearing adjustable hats. Shhhh…)
We are, seriously, running out of things to be outraged about, I think. LOL
i don’t know much, but i’ll bet jeter didn’t wear this for his photoshoot
link
cricket cool base?
I can’t do links so bear with the old cut and paste. Here is a time lapse of the Tigers Photo shoot.
link
or I can do links and I am just a dolt.
[quote comment=”316067″]If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?[/quote]
Some of the guys in the photo aren’t going to make it to The Show, so it’s not like they’ve earned anything just yet.
And for the record, all I’m saying is that if you look at one of those photos, you have no clue who’s wearing an authentic and who’s wearing a replica.
It’s like a conversation on the forum a while back. Paul I think had pointed out that David Wright had an orange shirt that had a clown logo (I believe it was) on it and wore it under his jersey. Now I don’t recall if Paul said it or someone else did, but the conversation got around to how it was “bush league” for Wright to wear it under his uniform.
Someone commented that, since it’s an orange shirt, and once Wright buttons his jersey up, it just looks like an orange undershirt, who cares what logo is on his shirt, since you can’t see it? John Franco wore an orange Sanitation shirt in homage to his father. And when you look at it, once they button up their jerseys, all you see is the top of an orange undershirt. And yet some people had a problem with what Wright was doing. Which to me, really made no sense.
You can’t differentiate between one and the other. So what does it really matter?
[quote comment=”316076″]http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/content/image/391898.html
cricket cool base?[/quote]
Those guys really DO need Cool Base.
Paul, if you’re interested in abandoned buildings, check out the “Fabulous Ruins of Detroit.” Haunting.
Cheers…
link
[quote comment=”316071″][quote comment=”316064″][quote comment=”316056″][quote comment=”316054″][quote comment=”316053″]I think Russell is being singled out when Nike and others are equal or worse.[/quote]
indeed
nike is never bashed on here
/sorry, just because russell isn’t “as bad” as nike, doesn’t mean their labor practices aren’t unfair[/quote]
I don’t think Geeman meant that Russell was being singled out on this site, just that collegiate institutions are taking the high and mighty stance with Russell, a relative lightweight when compared to Nike. These schools grew a set because it was Russell. We’re not going to see schools take the same “ethical” stance on Nike or Reebok/Adidas.[/quote]
Yes, exactly. Much more articulate than I could have put it. Typical college hypocrisy.[/quote]
This is silly “gotcha”-ism. Would it be nice if everyone could be as ethically consistent as Gandhi? Yes. But that doesn’t mean that every little step doesn’t help.[/quote]
Oh, you are 100% correct. Every little step/bit does help.
But the sad truth is that no school has the stones to stand up to the Mighty Empire Known As Nike. There’s more at stake and more to lose if you tell Nike to take a hike than if you tell a company like Russell to beat it.
Look at the schools that cut Russell loose. Not exactly powerhouses of the NCAA by any stretch of the imagination. That’s not an indictment of the school or what it did. It would just be more impressive if a school like Duke, UNC, Oregon, etc. did it to Nike. Which we all know is never going to happen. Ever.
Probably so.
But it is worth noting the potential power of student movement. While this issue certainly is not of such import, never forget that student-led movements of the ’60s and ’70s, among other things, overcame segregation, ended a war in Southeast Asia, eliminated apartheid and led to the creation and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Again, not saying Nike’s behavior is anywhere near that signficance, put if some sort of student movement develops a groundswell and decides to make Nike’s policies and pratices their cause, it could get interesting. I know students at Minnesota have become involved in the Russell issue. And, while Minnesota isn’t Ohio State or Florida, it isn’t exactly a D-3 school, either.
So it could be nothing, or it could be sign of something bigger to come. Will be interesting to see which way it goes. I’d bet on a fizzle…but you just never know if there’s some as yet unseen “tipping point” out there.
—Ricko
Hey Paul,
Not uni-related, but since you brought up the subject of abandonded buildings, I might as well contribute a very good site.
link
*abandoned (sorry for the spam, but I’m a grammar/english freak – i can’t help it haha).
The Cardinals will utilize just NOB with no number for a traveling coach or such during spring training when numbers are in short supply due to large number of players in camp.
[quote comment=”316083″]Probably so.
But it is worth noting the potential power of student movement. While this issue certainly is not of such import, never forget that student-led movements of the ’60s and ’70s, among other things, overcame segregation, ended a war in Southeast Asia, eliminated apartheid and led to the creation and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Again, not saying Nike’s behavior is anywhere near that signficance, put if some sort of student movement develops a groundswell and decides to make Nike’s policies and pratices their cause, it could get interesting. I know students at Minnesota have become involved in the Russell issue. And, while Minnesota isn’t Ohio State or Florida, it isn’t exactly a D-3 school, either.
So it could be nothing, or it could be sign of something bigger to come. Will be interesting to see which way it goes. I’d bet on a fizzle…but you just never know if there’s some as yet unseen “tipping point” out there.
—Ricko[/quote]
Ricko, buddy, the ERA never passed.
[quote comment=”316087″]The Cardinals will utilize just NOB with no number for a traveling coach or such during spring training when numbers are in short supply due to large number of players in camp.[/quote]
They should do it Japanese-style, with the coaches in triple digits.
[quote comment=”316073″][quote comment=”316072″]
Is that disrespectful to the production?[/quote]
Replica jerseys are not part of the pro game on the field. Therefore, they do not belong on the field under any circumstance. There is a universe of difference between a costume designer’s mockup and a big leaguer’s uniform.
Otherwise, why have a replica jersey and an authentic jersey at all? Why not make them all the same?[/quote]
Teebz, all I have to say to you is…
link.
Does the “Maris Anniversary” have an asterisk or not?
Public service announcement
*** BULL DURHAM is about to start on one of the Encore channels ***
That is all.
[quote comment=”316088″][quote comment=”316083″]Probably so.
But it is worth noting the potential power of student movement. While this issue certainly is not of such import, never forget that student-led movements of the ’60s and ’70s, among other things, overcame segregation, ended a war in Southeast Asia, eliminated apartheid and led to the creation and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Again, not saying Nike’s behavior is anywhere near that signficance, put if some sort of student movement develops a groundswell and decides to make Nike’s policies and pratices their cause, it could get interesting. I know students at Minnesota have become involved in the Russell issue. And, while Minnesota isn’t Ohio State or Florida, it isn’t exactly a D-3 school, either.
So it could be nothing, or it could be sign of something bigger to come. Will be interesting to see which way it goes. I’d bet on a fizzle…but you just never know if there’s some as yet unseen “tipping point” out there.
—Ricko[/quote]
Ricko, buddy, the ERA never passed.[/quote]
Right you are, and I know better, too. Was gonna correct it to “drafting of the ERA” and just plain forgot. Worked late and wrote that post right before leaving the office. My apologies. Still think could be interesting if students latch onto the whole thing, though.
—Ricko
about the rangers helmet dillema, I remeber in ’07 when the Reds got new unis that they didn’t wear their new helmets until opening day
I’m watching Game 7 of the ’97 World Series on ESPN Classic. Jay Powell, #39 for the Marlins, has #32 handwritten on the front of his cap, below and to the left (his left) of the Marlins logo. Does anyone know why Powell did this?
[quote comment=”316079″][quote comment=”316067″]If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?[/quote]
Some of the guys in the photo aren’t going to make it to The Show, so it’s not like they’ve earned anything just yet.
And for the record, all I’m saying is that if you look at one of those photos, you have no clue who’s wearing an authentic and who’s wearing a replica.
It’s like a conversation on the forum a while back. Paul I think had pointed out that David Wright had an orange shirt that had a clown logo (I believe it was) on it and wore it under his jersey. Now I don’t recall if Paul said it or someone else did, but the conversation got around to how it was “bush league” for Wright to wear it under his uniform.
Someone commented that, since it’s an orange shirt, and once Wright buttons his jersey up, it just looks like an orange undershirt, who cares what logo is on his shirt, since you can’t see it? John Franco wore an orange Sanitation shirt in homage to his father. And when you look at it, once they button up their jerseys, all you see is the top of an orange undershirt. And yet some people had a problem with what Wright was doing. Which to me, really made no sense.
You can’t differentiate between one and the other. So what does it really matter?[/quote]
Because a uniform should be, y’know, UNIFORM.
Not three replicas and seven authentics. Not five-and-five. Not one-and-nine.
It’s Major League Baseball, not some softball league. Everyone wears the same uniform. No one deviates.
Again, why charge more for an “on-field authentic” if every player can wear a replica for 182 games per season?
I actually kind of like those soft focus shots of the Red Sox and Yankees. I was really surprised to see that technique used in this context. It caught my attention, that’s for sure…and it endowed a qualitiy upon these men which they don’t generally display: vulnerability.
[quote comment=”316096″][quote comment=”316079″][quote comment=”316067″]If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?[/quote]
Some of the guys in the photo aren’t going to make it to The Show, so it’s not like they’ve earned anything just yet.
And for the record, all I’m saying is that if you look at one of those photos, you have no clue who’s wearing an authentic and who’s wearing a replica.
It’s like a conversation on the forum a while back. Paul I think had pointed out that David Wright had an orange shirt that had a clown logo (I believe it was) on it and wore it under his jersey. Now I don’t recall if Paul said it or someone else did, but the conversation got around to how it was “bush league” for Wright to wear it under his uniform.
Someone commented that, since it’s an orange shirt, and once Wright buttons his jersey up, it just looks like an orange undershirt, who cares what logo is on his shirt, since you can’t see it? John Franco wore an orange Sanitation shirt in homage to his father. And when you look at it, once they button up their jerseys, all you see is the top of an orange undershirt. And yet some people had a problem with what Wright was doing. Which to me, really made no sense.
You can’t differentiate between one and the other. So what does it really matter?[/quote]
Because a uniform should be, y’know, UNIFORM.
Not three replicas and seven authentics. Not five-and-five. Not one-and-nine.
It’s Major League Baseball, not some softball league. Everyone wears the same uniform. No one deviates.
Again, why charge more for an “on-field authentic” if every player can wear a replica for 182 games per season?[/quote]
182 games? Even with playoffs, could a team play 182 games?
I’m not referring to anything else but the TEAM PICTURE. How did we go from some guys using a replica for the team picture to using replicas on the field? To me there’s a difference between the team on the field as opposed to the team picture.
The Lou Whitaker picture that Hemogoblin posted earlier is the perfect example. Whitaker was forced to wear a replica because I believe his luggage was misplaced. And wow, does that look ridiculous on the playing field. But if Lou were to stand in for the team picture no one would be able to tell that he’s wearing a replica.
Me personally, I agree with the notion that anything except an authentic uniform on the field is unacceptable. But in a team picture? When you can’t distinguish an authentic from a replica? WHO CARES?
If you can’t tell the difference, how does that affect your enjoyment of the team picture? I’m not going to think any less of Billy AAA Lifer or Brian Cup o’ Coffee who aren’t going to make it onto the big league roster but they’re in the team picture any way and had to make do with a replica because they didn’t have an authentic for them. You can’t possibly know that they’re wearing replicas by looking at the team picture. And you wouldn’t know about it unless someone came onto Uniwatch and said, hey, I heard from someone inside the clubhouse that Players X and Y had to wear replicas because they didn’t have jerseys for Team Picture Day.
Looking at the comments on the subject, I would say that you are pretty much the only one who feels bothered by what is most likely a common practice in MLB. Which is fine; to each his own. I just find it odd that an issue regarding a crappy team picture would bother you like that.
I think Ricko put it best: We are, seriously, running out of things to be outraged about, I think.
[quote comment=”316099″][quote comment=”316096″][quote comment=”316079″][quote comment=”316067″]If you make The Show, should you not get to pose in the uniform you’ve earned?[/quote]
Some of the guys in the photo aren’t going to make it to The Show, so it’s not like they’ve earned anything just yet.
And for the record, all I’m saying is that if you look at one of those photos, you have no clue who’s wearing an authentic and who’s wearing a replica.
It’s like a conversation on the forum a while back. Paul I think had pointed out that David Wright had an orange shirt that had a clown logo (I believe it was) on it and wore it under his jersey. Now I don’t recall if Paul said it or someone else did, but the conversation got around to how it was “bush league” for Wright to wear it under his uniform.
Someone commented that, since it’s an orange shirt, and once Wright buttons his jersey up, it just looks like an orange undershirt, who cares what logo is on his shirt, since you can’t see it? John Franco wore an orange Sanitation shirt in homage to his father. And when you look at it, once they button up their jerseys, all you see is the top of an orange undershirt. And yet some people had a problem with what Wright was doing. Which to me, really made no sense.
You can’t differentiate between one and the other. So what does it really matter?[/quote]
Because a uniform should be, y’know, UNIFORM.
Not three replicas and seven authentics. Not five-and-five. Not one-and-nine.
It’s Major League Baseball, not some softball league. Everyone wears the same uniform. No one deviates.
Again, why charge more for an “on-field authentic” if every player can wear a replica for 182 games per season?[/quote]
182 games? Even with playoffs, could a team play 182 games?
I’m not referring to anything else but the TEAM PICTURE. How did we go from some guys using a replica for the team picture to using replicas on the field? To me there’s a difference between the team on the field as opposed to the team picture.
The Lou Whitaker picture that Hemogoblin posted earlier is the perfect example. Whitaker was forced to wear a replica because I believe his luggage was misplaced. And wow, does that look ridiculous on the playing field. But if Lou were to stand in for the team picture no one would be able to tell that he’s wearing a replica.
Me personally, I agree with the notion that anything except an authentic uniform on the field is unacceptable. But in a team picture? When you can’t distinguish an authentic from a replica? WHO CARES?
If you can’t tell the difference, how does that affect your enjoyment of the team picture? I’m not going to think any less of Billy AAA Lifer or Brian Cup o’ Coffee who aren’t going to make it onto the big league roster but they’re in the team picture any way and had to make do with a replica because they didn’t have an authentic for them. You can’t possibly know that they’re wearing replicas by looking at the team picture. And you wouldn’t know about it unless someone came onto Uniwatch and said, hey, I heard from someone inside the clubhouse that Players X and Y had to wear replicas because they didn’t have jerseys for Team Picture Day.
Looking at the comments on the subject, I would say that you are pretty much the only one who feels bothered by what is most likely a common practice in MLB. Which is fine; to each his own. I just find it odd that an issue regarding a crappy team picture would bother you like that.
I think Ricko put it best: We are, seriously, running out of things to be outraged about, I think.[/quote]
162 regular season games
+ 5 divisional playoff games
+ 7 championship series games
+ 7 World Series games
___
181 games
So close, Teebz.
… and Tim, I’m The Hemogoblin… with a The.
If you think this is outrage, ask me about black hockey jerseys.
Here’s the point: your mom dressed you up in your Sunday best for school pictures. Why? She was proud of you. She wanted you to look your best so she can show you off to all of her friends and family.
“Look! That’s my Timmy! Ain’t he cute? He looks so handsome and grown-up!”
She didn’t send you to school on picture day in a stained t-shirt and sweat pants. If she did, it could account for why you don’t see the difference.
That’s the difference between a PROFESSIONAL baseball player wearing a replica compared to an on-field authentic. Playing pro ball is a moment in which one can lose in a heartbeat, so he should look the part and wear what the pros wear proudly. He earned it.
If you want to be the man, you have to dress for the part. If you want to have your photo taken in a replica jersey and are ok with it, there are some nice seats behind the dugout for you. Grab a hot dog and a beverage, sit down, and cheer for the team. But don’t think you’re a professional in any sense of the word.
[quote]I would say that you are pretty much the only one who feels bothered by what is most likely a common practice in MLB.[/quote]
i, too, am bothered by it…there is no reason all the players can’t be given authentics…whether or not we can “tell the difference” is irrelevant…
the fact is, whether or not you’re playing for the big club, in the show, or going to be optioned or released…you should get an authentic for the team picture
[quote comment=”316100″]
162 regular season games
+ 5 divisional playoff games
+ 7 championship series games
+ 7 World Series games
___
181 games
So close, Teebz.[/quote]
Add the All-Star Game in there! ;o)
[quote comment=”316098″]I actually kind of like those soft focus shots of the Red Sox and Yankees. I was really surprised to see that technique used in this context. It caught my attention, that’s for sure…and it endowed a qualitiy upon these men which they don’t generally display: vulnerability.[/quote]
Plus, the white background and soft focus make the Yankee photos look like they’re God’s Team (which, of course, everyone knows they are).
[quote comment=”316102″]If you think this is outrage, ask me about black hockey jerseys.
Here’s the point: your mom dressed you up in your Sunday best for school pictures. Why? She was proud of you. She wanted you to look your best so she can show you off to all of her friends and family.
“Look! That’s my Timmy! Ain’t he cute? He looks so handsome and grown-up!”
She didn’t send you to school on picture day in a stained t-shirt and sweat pants. If she did, it could account for why you don’t see the difference.
That’s the difference between a PROFESSIONAL baseball player wearing a replica compared to an on-field authentic. Playing pro ball is a moment in which one can lose in a heartbeat, so he should look the part and wear what the pros wear proudly. He earned it.
If you want to be the man, you have to dress for the part. If you want to have your photo taken in a replica jersey and are ok with it, there are some nice seats behind the dugout for you. Grab a hot dog and a beverage, sit down, and cheer for the team. But don’t think you’re a professional in any sense of the word.[/quote]
I disagree with that comparison of “Sunday best” and “stained t-shirt and sweat pants”. If anything, I would compare authentic to replica as Little Timmy wearing a real tie as opposed to a clip-on tie. You look at both pictures, you wouldn’t know the difference between the real deal and the clip-on unless someone tells you. That wouldn’t make me think any less of Little Timmy. Just as it wouldn’t make me think any less of the guy that wears the replica as opposed to the authentic. If I even knew who was wearing which one.
It’s just my personal view that authentic compared to replica in a team picture is such a minor issue. Hell, I remember team pictures with a guy missing and sometimes he would be airbrushed in; the Mets were notorious for that in the mid-80’s, as I’m sure other teams were. Not that it’s right, but I think we are making more of an issue of it than the teams do.
Your mileage may vary (and apparently it does), and that’s cool. We’ll just agree to disagree on this issue.
BTW, what do you think about black hockey jerseys……?
[quote comment=”316106″]Not that it’s right, but I think we are making more of an issue of it than the teams do.[/quote]
That’s entirely the point: not that it’s right. LOL
[quote comment=”316106″]Your mileage may vary (and apparently it does), and that’s cool. We’ll just agree to disagree on this issue.
BTW, what do you think about black hockey jerseys……?[/quote]
Not good, Tim. Black jerseys = not good. I could post an entire UW weekend on how much I hate them, but that’s me. LOL
I just feel that replicas are made for fans. Pros do not wear them on the field. You’re right in that we are making a big deal of them, but that’s the point of this entire site. ;o)
Know what else? Sometimes those people on your local newscasts are wearing jeans—or even shorts—with their coats and ties.
My point is that I imagine the team’s mindset is that they’re staging a team photo, not playing a game. At that point it’s theater. And they aren’t entirely wrong.
Besides, if I were one of those fringe players, I don’t know that I’d care if they gave me a replica jersey to wear. I’d just be so damned glad to know that even if I never got any farther, at least I’d be in that MLB team photo forever.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”316108″]Know what else? Sometimes those people on your local newscasts are wearing jeans—or even shorts—with their coats and ties.
My point is that I imagine the team’s mindset is that they’re staging a team photo, not playing a game. At that point it’s theater. And they aren’t entirely wrong.
Besides, if I were one of those fringe players, I don’t know that I’d care if they gave me a replica jersey to wear. I’d just be so damned glad to know that even if I never got any farther, at least I’d be in that MLB team photo forever.
—Ricko[/quote]
Rick, I think you know you have my utmost respect.
But do you really respect a guy who says “you know what… this is good enough for me. I don’t want better”? Honestly?
The founders of Lego had as their corporate motto “Only the best is good enough”. Isn’t that the absolute truth?
[quote comment=”316108″]Know what else? Sometimes those people on your local newscasts are wearing jeans—or even shorts—with their coats and ties.
My point is that I imagine the team’s mindset is that they’re staging a team photo, not playing a game. At that point it’s theater. And they aren’t entirely wrong.
Besides, if I were one of those fringe players, I don’t know that I’d care if they gave me a replica jersey to wear. I’d just be so damned glad to know that even if I never got any farther, at least I’d be in that MLB team photo forever.
—Ricko[/quote]
I remember a great Benny Hill sketch where he was doing a newscast and they did the sign-off and the studio goes dark except for the one spotlight at the front of the stage. So of course the “newscaster” steps out from behind the desk and he’s wearing his underwear and some black socks and shoes with those elastic thingies that hold the socks up. Classic.
[quote comment=”316109″][quote comment=”316108″]Know what else? Sometimes those people on your local newscasts are wearing jeans—or even shorts—with their coats and ties.
My point is that I imagine the team’s mindset is that they’re staging a team photo, not playing a game. At that point it’s theater. And they aren’t entirely wrong.
Besides, if I were one of those fringe players, I don’t know that I’d care if they gave me a replica jersey to wear. I’d just be so damned glad to know that even if I never got any farther, at least I’d be in that MLB team photo forever.
—Ricko[/quote]
Rick, I think you know you have my utmost respect.
But do you really respect a guy who says “you know what… this is good enough for me. I don’t want better”? Honestly?
The founders of Lego had as their corporate motto “Only the best is good enough”. Isn’t that the absolute truth?[/quote]
Well I think there’s a difference between a guy that says “this is good enough for me and I don’t want any better” and the guy that Ricko describes, which is the guy that has skills but not enough skills to stick with the big league club, and the highlight of his career is probably going to be a team picture and a cup of coffee with the big league club.
I don’t think player #2 doesn’t want better for himself, but if no one ever gives him another shot, at least he has that team picture that he can show his kids and grandkids.
I know I’M not going to think any less of that guy or tell him he has to sit in the stands just because some club official tossed him a replica and told him to put it on for the team picture. What’s he going to say? “Nah dawg, you get me a real one or I ain’t going in the picture”?
Actually, you never know, he might……
[quote comment=”316092″]Public service announcement
*** BULL DURHAM is about to start on one of the Encore channels ***
That is all.[/quote]
Crash Davis: “Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once – the 21 greatest days of my life. You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains.”
[quote comment=”316111″]
Actually, you never know, he might……[/quote]
It should never get to him demanding one. The team should have already provided as a service to the players who will be attending a MAJOR LEAGUE training camp.
Not a fantasy camp. Not some sort of media piece for ESPN. Not some sort of fan-fantasy. MAJOR LEAGUE TRAINING CAMP.
The team provides the jerseys for the ENTIRE team. Including the ENTIRE team photo.
[quote comment=”316112″][quote comment=”316092″]Public service announcement
*** BULL DURHAM is about to start on one of the Encore channels ***
That is all.[/quote]
Crash Davis: “Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once – the 21 greatest days of my life. You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains.”[/quote]
bet he didn’t wear a replica for his team photo
[quote comment=”316008″][quote comment=”316004″]Those scarves are… um… wow. Anyone else notice what I noticed?[/quote]
I didn’t even bother looking at the scarves (soccer? pshaw!) until your comment piqued (sp?) my interest. I would totally put up a “Penetration” scarf in my dorm room. Too bad I had to go and graduate…[/quote]
Yeah it’s a take on soccer slang/terms… you know they’re suppose to be funny like ohh wow “Penatration” on a scarf but for people who played or know soccer would notice it’s a soccer scarf and realize the joke.
I would love any of those but $175 I got books to buy soon.
[quote comment=”316108″]Know what else? Sometimes those people on your local newscasts are wearing jeans—or even shorts—with their coats and ties.[/quote]
When I was in high school, one of the popular urban legends was that Walter Cronkite had lost both legs in a car accident.
[quote comment=”316109″]The founders of Lego had as their corporate motto “Only the best is good enough”. Isn’t that the absolute truth?[/quote]
The problem with this is that you can end up like Donald Trump, or the Yankees, where “the best” becomes a silly hyberbolic race to the top of a solid-gold mountain that nobody else even gives a shit about, and then it’s somehow a “failure” if you don’t win the World Series every year.
Shot of the Minnesota Twins’ sleeve patch honoring late owner Carl Pohlad: link
the University of Michigan has decided to cut ties with Russell as well.
[quote comment=”316117″]Shot of the Minnesota Twins’ sleeve patch honoring late owner Carl Pohlad: link
No doubt a parallel to the late Mrs. Pohlad’s patch, which was also a name signature (Eloise, natch).
With the double-up on the right sleeve, and the standard patch on the left, Mauer and/or Morneau will have a real clusterfuck of patches at the All-Star Game this year.
[quote comment=”316116″]
The problem with this is that you can end up like Donald Trump, or the Yankees, where “the best” becomes a silly hyberbolic race to the top of a solid-gold mountain that nobody else even gives a shit about, and then it’s somehow a “failure” if you don’t win the World Series every year.[/quote]
In the purest form of the game, a World Series Championship is the goal of every team every year. And for teams that win it often enough, it can be considered a “failure” if they don’t ascend to the heights they set for themselves. Is it realistic? No. But when the bar has been set, there is an expectation to repeat that performance.
But at the absolute basis of everything we do, we think we deserve the best despite any circumstance. Hence “only the best is good enough”.
That should be the pinnacle statement found in the operating manual for every customer service department. And it is, at its empirical form, an absolute truth.
It explains Lego’s ability to remain popular throughout the decades it has been around – it is the best product of its type. And only the best is good enough.
[quote comment=”316120″][quote comment=”316116″]
The problem with this is that you can end up like Donald Trump, or the Yankees, where “the best” becomes a silly hyberbolic race to the top of a solid-gold mountain that nobody else even gives a shit about, and then it’s somehow a “failure” if you don’t win the World Series every year.[/quote]
In the purest form of the game, a World Series Championship is the goal of every team every year. And for teams that win it often enough, it can be considered a “failure” if they don’t ascend to the heights they set for themselves. Is it realistic? No. But when the bar has been set, there is an expectation to repeat that performance.
But at the absolute basis of everything we do, we think we deserve the best despite any circumstance. Hence “only the best is good enough”.
That should be the pinnacle statement found in the operating manual for every customer service department. And it is, at its empirical form, an absolute truth.
It explains Lego’s ability to remain popular throughout the decades it has been around – it is the best product of its type. And only the best is good enough.[/quote]
As probably the most recent Uni Watch commenter to cross over into adulthood, I can tell you this:
The Legos you grew up with are still awesome. I gave all of mine to my nephew… he now has nearly two of those giant plastic totes full of them.
[quote comment=”316120″][quote comment=”316116″]
The problem with this is that you can end up like Donald Trump, or the Yankees, where “the best” becomes a silly hyberbolic race to the top of a solid-gold mountain that nobody else even gives a shit about, and then it’s somehow a “failure” if you don’t win the World Series every year.[/quote]
In the purest form of the game, a World Series Championship is the goal of every team every year. And for teams that win it often enough, it can be considered a “failure” if they don’t ascend to the heights they set for themselves. Is it realistic? No. But when the bar has been set, there is an expectation to repeat that performance.
But at the absolute basis of everything we do, we think we deserve the best despite any circumstance. Hence “only the best is good enough”.
That should be the pinnacle statement found in the operating manual for every customer service department. And it is, at its empirical form, an absolute truth.
It explains Lego’s ability to remain popular throughout the decades it has been around – it is the best product of its type. And only the best is good enough.[/quote]
I hear ya, Teebz. But trust me on this: Unless you live in NYC, you can’t fully appreciate how pointless and idiotic the Trump/Yankees mindset is. It’s narcissistic and joyless. It’s the pursuit of “the best” as an end in itself, by any means necessary, with no humor, no playfulness, no life. Just a robotic march up the solid-gold mountain, smashing everything that might possibly be even a vague obstacle.
Yes, it’s better than being, say, the Royals. But there’s gotta be some middle ground.
Shadowy men on a shadowy planet,
The Kids in the Hall house band! Lemme hear some “Premise Beach.”
Belated congratulations to Ma and Pa Uni Watch. Well done.
I don’t have time to read 140+ comments. So, my apologies if this has already been brought up.
Did anyone else notice that the Phils in the main article are all wearing the gray underbill wool hats? It looks so odd now.
[quote comment=”316104″][quote comment=”316100″]
162 regular season games
+ 5 divisional playoff games
+ 7 championship series games
+ 7 World Series games
___
181 games
So close, Teebz.[/quote]
Add the All-Star Game in there! ;o)[/quote]
Nah. We’re talking about real games. Otherwise, we’d have to throw in spring training and then we’d go way over 182.
The forgotten game is the 163rd regular-season game as a tiebreaker:
162 regular season games
+ 1 tiebreaker
+ 5 divisional playoff games
+ 7 championship series games
+ 7 World Series games
___
182 games
The Rhode Island sweater with the strange initials (JC) is probably an old Community College of RI (CCRI) sweater, formerly known as the Rhode Island Junior College (RIJC)
[quote comment=”316122″][quote comment=”316120″][quote comment=”316116″]
The problem with this is that you can end up like Donald Trump, or the Yankees, where “the best” becomes a silly hyberbolic race to the top of a solid-gold mountain that nobody else even gives a shit about, and then it’s somehow a “failure” if you don’t win the World Series every year.[/quote]
In the purest form of the game, a World Series Championship is the goal of every team every year. And for teams that win it often enough, it can be considered a “failure” if they don’t ascend to the heights they set for themselves. Is it realistic? No. But when the bar has been set, there is an expectation to repeat that performance.
But at the absolute basis of everything we do, we think we deserve the best despite any circumstance. Hence “only the best is good enough”.
That should be the pinnacle statement found in the operating manual for every customer service department. And it is, at its empirical form, an absolute truth.
It explains Lego’s ability to remain popular throughout the decades it has been around – it is the best product of its type. And only the best is good enough.[/quote]
I hear ya, Teebz. But trust me on this: Unless you live in NYC, you can’t fully appreciate how pointless and idiotic the Trump/Yankees mindset is. It’s narcissistic and joyless. It’s the pursuit of “the best” as an end in itself, by any means necessary, with no humor, no playfulness, no life. Just a robotic march up the solid-gold mountain, smashing everything that might possibly be even a vague obstacle.
Yes, it’s better than being, say, the Royals. But there’s gotta be some middle ground.[/quote]
Not only that, but as a Yankee fan, I have to say – the bizarre obsession with winning it all every year is actually harmful to the team’s chances of doing it.
Every team needs an opportunity to rebuild. Players get old, contracts expire, no team can stay together forever. That means a rebuilding period. It’s natural, it’s to be expected. But it doesn’t fit with Steinbrenner’s ego, so instead of nurturing young talent and creating a winner from the ground up, he’s left with trying to buy every single big name out there, throwing them together into one clubhouse without much time to care how they’ll work together.
So empty slogans like “only the best is good enough” can actually harm your enterprise, when they are made into inviolable rules.
It\’s really not uncommon for lacrosse teams to have more than one helmet at all. For instance Johns Hopkins wore two regular season helmets and one just for the NCAA tournament, Also Washington College, a small DIII school has two different helmets. Lacrosse is not small some believe and does quite well for a so so-called small sport in college. They had almost 50,000 fans at Gillette last spring and drew around 30,000 at a Ohio State game at the Horseshoe last spring also.
link;
That’s a shot from the Final Four of Johns Hopkins.
[quote comment=\”316204\”]http://www.lax.com/bimages.phtml?story=2105&
That\’s a shot from the Final Four of Johns Hopkins.[/quote]
Sorry that link actually does not work, but this is a shot of them this season link, and this is from the final four last year link, and check out these custom cleats they received from NIKE link
[quote comment=”316025″][quote comment=”315985″]Was watching HBO last night, a special on the Miracle on Ice (yesterday was the 29th anniversary of the event).
What really caught my eye was the jerseys worn (kinda redundant but…) . When I saw the movie “Miracle” I just assumed I was watching what Disney decided to make the other teams jerseys look like. Much to my shock from the documentary, Lake Placid did happen to have some surprising jerseys.
For example Sweeden did not have the usual three crown jersey for Lake Placid and Finland actually had their country name written (in Finnish, “Suomi” on the slevees of the jersey (sort of the the Thrashers with “Atlanta” on the sleeve, garish either way but at least Finland did it on both sleeves.
Maybe this is common knowledge about the jerseys worn there but it just took me for a surprise. I do wonder though if the tri-crown for Sweden then was something that came about later than 1980 or was redone?[/quote]
I believe that the jersey situation in 1980 is acutally similar to the bun fight Hockey Canada is having with the IOC about the use of a “non-olympic logo” on the jersey. The Swedish “tre krone” is actually the logo of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation – but since it was the Olympics – the Swedes wore their Olympic logo instead. That has been changed for subsequent Olympics but may happen again in 2010.[/quote]
No, the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation logo is the circular patch on the jersey and not the Tre Kronor.