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Uni Watch Profiles: Jeremy Brahm

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I’m fairly certain that no Uni Watch reader has sent me as many contributions over the years as Jeremy Brahm, and I’m absolutely positive that no other reader has sent so many highly specialized contributions. Search the site for Jeremy’s name and you’ll find a wealth of information relating to volleyball, cricket, Aussie rules football (which he wrote about last weekend), African youth soccer, African amateur athletics tournaments, sumo wrestling, and, of course, Japanese baseball, where he reigns as our foremost authority.

The volume and specificity of Jeremy’s contributions have made him something of a celebrity here on the site, so about two months ago I did an interview with him. And then, as is my too-frequent habit, I back-burnered transcribing the tapes for way too long. But hey, there’s nothing like tape transcription to take your mind off chickenpox (trust me). So here, finally, is the long-awaited Jeremy Brahm installment of Uni Watch Profiles — enjoy.

Uni Watch: How old are you, where do you live, and what do you do for a living?

Jeremy Brahm: I’m 36, I live Tigard, Oregon, and right now I’m a business development associate. It’s a new job I just started.

UW: What exactly is a business development associate?

JB: It involves trying to identify clients to bring to the business, but also kind of taking clients from my old business.

UW: Which was..?

JB: SpecialtyVehicles.net. I researched different truck bodies and their manufacturers, in America and Canada predominantly. You know the UPS big brown trucks, right? I would research the companies that would put the box on top of the truck chassis. Kind of a unique kind of market research and analysis. My clients would more or less be anybody from Freightliner to an international to investment groups, to even suppliers of aluminum or a company like 3M that needs to know how much paint to sell. Interesting, odd markets — things you see every day, but nobody thinks about them. [Update: Since we conducted this interview, Jeremy has left this job.]

UW: Are you from Portland originally?

JB: Yes, born and raised.

UW: Have you always been interested in uniforms?

JB: Before I could read anything else, I could read the sports page in The Oregonian.

UW: Yeah, but what about uniforms and logos?

JB: When I was a kid, whenever I was doing coloring or drawing, I’d try to do it with a sports motif. I always wanted to keep track of the [football] scores, so I had all these pens and I’d draw each of the different logos on a helmet. The helmets themselves weren’t perfect — I could never figure out how to do the ear-mold flap area — but I’d replicate the logo as closely as possible.

UW: So you’d create a scoreboard this way?

JB: Yes. On Monday mornings I’d say, “Okay, this was the Seahawks score,” because that’s the team I grew up watching, and so on. [Jeremy wasn’t able to find any of these scoreboard drawings, but he did provide some childhood NFL helmet tracings, MLB and CFL logo drawings, CFL Huddles, which he created by tracing the NFL versions and adapting them for CFL teams. — PL]

UW: Any other childhood uni-related activities?

JB: My mom, as one of her side hobbies, she did a little bit of knitting and sewing, and she’d create little outfits for me to put on my teddy bear. So she’d use white sheets or old T-shirts to make a little white shirt for the teddy bear, and then I could write and draw on it to design a uniform for him.

UW: For the teddy bear?

JB: Right. So if I wanted to make a little Portland Beavers uniform for him, or a Cubs uniform, I could do it. So one day I was watching the North American Soccer League, and the Chicago Sting were playing, and I thought, “It looks like a bumblebee — that’s what I’m gonna do!” So that’s what I did.

UW: Did you play sports as a kid, or in school?

JB: Oh, yeah, I played Little League, basketball. Never played organized football, though.

UW: And did you pay special attention to your uniform in those days?

JB: I know we had stirrups, and I remember thinking, “Which way do these things go? Does the big loop go in the front or the back?”

UW: When did you first discovered Uni Watch?

JB: Around 2004, when you started writing for ESPN. I liked some of the history stuff, and I thought, “Oh, this is interesting.”

UW: Do you recall the first contribution you sent in?

JB: It was either about the Portland Trail Blazers changing to “Portland” on their road uniforms, or else when you asked about teams that put the players’ names below the numbers, so I sent you some photos from the J-League in Japan.

UW: Do you collect jerseys, or anything else that’s sports-related?

JB: I do have baseball cards, but I’m not a big collector.

UW: You have some jerseys, though, right? I remember you wore a Rangers jersey to the Uni Watch gathering in Portland, which was a very nice way of making me, as a New Yorker, feel welcome in your town.

JB: That was actually a gift I’d received from my aunt.

UW: You’re a big volleyball guy, right?

JB: Yes, I played in the 1990 Junior Olympics volleyball championships.

UW: That’s so cool. How’d you get into that sport?

JB: From watching the U.S. win in the 1984 Olympics, and again in ’88. Always had an interest in the game. So I learned al lot about the uniforms and so on. I’m still a big volleyball fan today.

UW: You realize you’re something of a celebrity here on the site, right?

JB: Yeah, yeah. I always find it funny.

UW: And people have basically requested this interview, for that matter. How does that feel, knowing that you’re sort of a character on the site?

JB: It’s — not strange, exactly, but being known as kind of an expert is not a problem.

UW: It’s fun to be an expert!

JB: Yeah, just like my job doing all the things with the trucks.

UW: You’re a man of very specialized knowledge, is what you’re saying.

JB: Yeah. It’s nice when people know that you know what you’re talking about. For me, a lot of the stuff with Japan, I had an interest from having gone there as a student”¦

UW: Yeah, let’s talk about that. You’re known on the site for having a few specialty niches, especially Japanese uniforms. How did you become so interested in Japanese sports and culture?

JB: I first got interested in Japan as the Japanese economy was growing in the late ’80s and I thought, “Hey, it’d be a good idea to study Japanese.” Then, as I got into college, I thought, “Why not actually study in Japan for a year?” My parents basically said to go for it, so that’s what I did.

UW: So you spent a year there?

JB: Yes. I went to Waseda University — basically one of the Japanese Ivy League schools. And there was plenty of baseball there. So I decided one of the best ways for me to improve my language skills was to follow sports.

UW: Right, it was an easy way in, it was something you were interested in”¦

JB: Exactly. When I got there, I just soaked it up like a sponge. It really improved my skills.

UW: Did you attend games?

JB: In the Tokyo area, I visited each of the stadiums. And I scored the games, so I can actually say — and prove — that I saw Ichiro before he became big. Same with Hideo Nomo.

UW: You also send in a lot of contributions about some fairly obscure sports. Volleyball is one thing, since you’ve played it competitively. But you’ll also send me stuff about cricket, or Australian rules football, all sorts of sports that aren’t in our mainstream North American consciousness. Are you actually interested in these sports? Or do you just go searching for obscure little things to send me? Like, if Uni Watch didn’t exist, would you still be coming across this material?

JB: Sometimes it’s just searching to search. As I’ve grown and met more people from more cultures, my interests have grown. I traveled to India in 2005 and saw cricket for the first time. In the ’80s, when ESPN had Australian Rules Football, I kind of became intrigued by it. And of course the uniforms haven’t really changed. The colors are the same — the only difference is that maybe they have, say, three stripes as opposed to five.

UW: You’re obviously into mainstream sports as well, but you almost never send me information on those. My impression is that you’ve decided to leave the mainstream material to everyone else — because let’s face it, I can get that from anyone — and to focus on what we might call, for lack of a better term, the Jeremy sports.

JB: You know, if I’m watching a Mariners game or a Seahawks game, those are my teams — I root for them. So usually I’m too busy enjoying the game to think about the uniform aspects.

UW: Some days you’ll send me multiple contributions — sometimes many multiples — and I’ll end up using only one or two of them. Be frank: Does that annoy you?

JB: Uh, I understand there’s a lot of stuff you have to go through. Plus it’s your site. Some of the things can be frustrating, like that time I sent you the link for those Japanse baseball dresses — it was like, “You’ve got to use this one, Paul, come on!”

UW: Do you sometimes find yourself thinking, “Why’d he use that one, instead of THAT one, which was so much better?!”

JB: Sometimes. But at the same time I kinda just say, look, it’s your site.

UW: You know, there are some days when I make those choices for very specific reasons — “I like these two a lot, but these two don’t do so much for me.” And then there are other days when I’m really busy and the volume of stuff you send can almost be overwhelming and it’s almost like I end up pulling them out of a hat.

JB: And I understand that.

UW: I gotta tell you, I do feel guilty sometimes. I try to use as much as I can, but I also want to be fair to everyone else who contributes stuff”¦

JB: I know, I understand. There’s only so much you can throw in, or else you’d be up 24/7. Also, with the time difference from Japan, their day is basically over when I my day is starting. So a lot of the things I send to you, they’ll either be at around 5am or 6am my time”¦

UW: Yes, I’ve noticed that.

JB: ”¦because that’s when the news come up from Japan, first thing in the morning, so I check some of the Japanese sites really quick to see if I can find something.

UW: Now, back in August of 2008, you came to the Uni Watch party in Portland, which is the first and only time we’ve met. Did you have a good time?

JB: Oh yeah, it was cool. It’s always good to be around people with similar interests and see what they actually look like.

UW: You brought all sorts of Japanese sports publications. I confess that it was a bit overwhelming when you started showing them to me.

JB: The hard part was trying pick out the stuff you wouldn’t expect, like the hawk’s-head helmet.

UW: Did you acquire all those publications when you lived in Japan?

JB: Some of them. Others I’ve acquired here in the States, or during other trips to Japan. [You can see Jeremy happily playing show-and-tell with other Portland party attendees in the background of this photo of Pennant Race Gear honcho Ryan Wantland. — PL]

UW: What was that Roadkill jersey you brought along?

JB: That was from one of my youth volleyball teams. I was the only one on the team who had a car, so I had to drive all over the place to pick up everyone else on the way to a match.

UW: Leaving roadkill in your wake?

JB: That was the idea behind the shirt, yeah.

UW: Have you ever considered having your own blog or web site?

JB: I’ve thought about it. But it would basically be an offshoot [of Uni Watch], so then maybe I’d have to do a lot more research or get into markets I don’t normally focus on, like China. Would that be worth it? Would there be enough demand?

Conversation rambles for a bit, and then this:

JB: Mike Kinkade, he was a classmate of mine.

UW: Really? Mike Kinkade who briefly played for the Mets?

JB: Yes.

UW: Wow. What I remember most about him is that when the Mets traded Kinkade and Melvin Mora to the Orioles for Mike Bordick, Steve Phillips — who was the Mets’ GM at the time — announced that the Mets had acquired Bordick “in exchange for utility infielder Melvin Mora and utility catcher Mike Kinkade.” And I thought, boy, “utility catcher” — could they possibly make him sound more worthless?

JB: Yeah, he was a classic four-A player. The thing about him, though, is that he later played in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers. I actually have a replica jersey with his name on it. But it’s pretty tight on me, because that was the biggest size they had for the replicas over there.

= = = = =

Want more of Jeremy? He’s recently been working with Phil to produce this survey of 1990s Taiwanese baseball uniforms — a classic Jeremy topic.

And here’s the perfect coda to this interview: As I was putting the finishing touches on this entry last night, Jeremy e-mailed to tell me, “Paul, the Blazers’ and Bulls’ warm-up uniforms are basically the same, aside from ‘Chicago’ across the chest.” He was at the game, had taken that photo, and had e-mailed it to me on the spot. Now that’s dedication! Big thanks to Jeremy for sharing his story, for patiently waiting for me to transcribe it, and for everything he brings to the site every day.

typo1.jpg

How do you spell “wyld-kat”?: It’s rare that you see documentation of a uniform typo from over 60 years ago, and even rarer to find that the typo was discussed in print at the time. Becky Taylor found that bit of proto-uni-watching
in the 1/30/48 issue of the UGA newspaper, The Red and Black. As you can see in the second graf, The New Yorker apparently mentioned the typo as well. If anyone out there has the complete CD-ROM set of New Yorker archives, perhaps someone could track down the item in question, yes? Yes.

Uni Watch News Ticker: What team is this? That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 — after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season — through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” ”¦ A very surprising entry in the “no gloves” camp: Adrian Peterson. He wore gloves in previous seasons but has been bare-handed this year (big thanks to Amos Miller). ”¦ Other gloveless wonders, both pointed out by Chris Fox: Larry Johnson and, in the retired category, Shaun Alexander. I’ve gotta admit, I’m stunned that there are any receivers or backs who go bare-handed. ”¦ Two Texas Tech notes from Susan Freeman: Taylor Potts went NickNOB, literally (“Nick” is his nickname), and Rajon Henley, who normally wears No. 91, wore number 40 and NNOB in honor of DB Nathan Stone, whose season ended early due to a neck injury. ”¦ As everyone and his pet weasel knows by now, Texas will be wearing throwbacks on Thanksgiving against A&M. But what’s this? A counter uni-maneuver by the Aggies — the battle is joined! “The ribbon on the helmet logo commemorates the 10th anniversary of the bonfire tragedy that took the lives of 12 students and injured 27 others,” explains Andy McNeel. “In addition, every player’s helmet will have No. 12 on the back, instead of their own numbers.” ”¦ Interesting note from Aaron Rich, who writes: “I saw the new Nick Cage movie, Bad Lieutenant, over the weekend (pretty bad) and there’s a scene when the bad cop is meeting with his bookie and they’re watching a football game. It’s definitely a USFL game (the movie takes place in 2008, but whatever) between the Memphis Showboats and a team in blue (maybe the Oakland Invaders or the LA Express). I got to wondering if there are other movies that use USFL footage for generic football footage rather than using NFL or NCAA footage. Also, I wonder if this is done because of trademark rights or NFL being hard to deal with. It might be a fun thing for the readers to see if they can make a list of the movies that use USFL footage.” ”¦ Check this out: a NORAD (that’s North American Aerospace Defense) hockey jersey. “They’ve fielded military hockey teams for many years,” says Ryan Connelly. ”¦ What’s with the two different uniforms? Turns out the seniors are wearing dark, underclassmen in white (good find by Tris Wykes.) ”¦ Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Photos of all the rest of the riflery uniforms can be accessed here (with more LSU shots here and here), can we just play football now? ”¦ Yesterday’s screen shot of Mike Smith’s parking lot-sponsored play-calling sheet prompted the following note from Falcons assistant equipment manager Jimmy Luck: “Great pic of Coach Smith — the marketing people wish they had thought of it! Coach always has a copy of the itinerary with his notes, for timing reasons (bus departures, warm-up times, etc.). All away game itineraries have a map of how to get to the Parking Spot on the back. Just so happens he put it in the back of the page protector this time and the whole TV audience got a free Parking Spot ad.” ”¦ Hey look, the Detroit chain gang goes FiNOF (good catch by Jared Camden).

 
  
 
Comments (197)

    One last comment regarding the panthers’ new jerseys…I wonder if teams are starting to play the statistics? By that, there was a study out a couple of years ago that spoke about circular logos centered in the jersey actually leads to a better save percentage for the goalie. It was something about the Hurricanes’ logo that was the best when it came to this specific study.

    I’m sure I am reaching here, but could always be a possibility to reach for a competitive advantage.

    [quote comment=”362952″]One last comment regarding the panthers’ new jerseys…I wonder if teams are starting to play the statistics? By that, there was a study out a couple of years ago that spoke about circular logos centered in the jersey actually leads to a better save percentage for the goalie. It was something about the Hurricanes’ logo that was the best when it came to this specific study.

    I’m sure I am reaching here, but could always be a possibility to reach for a competitive advantage.[/quote]

    I bet it has more to do with $$$ statistics, not wins and losses. I imagine some marketing exec saying, retro is in, so let’s go with that angle.

    USFL footage has become a money maker for the owners of that film library. Many TV shows and movies use that footage because so many of the unis (New Jersey, Memphis, LA, Oakland, Houston)were pretty standard fare (basic logo on helmet, standard sleeve.pant stripes) and have since faded from our collective memories.

    I still contend that the Michigan Panthers have one of the all time greatest helmet designs along with the Jax Bulls and definitely those iconic (insert city name here) Breakers helmets

    re: The Texas A&M Ribbon Helmet

    I just realized Nike’s terrible timing with their “It Only Takes Eleven” Texas Longhorn slogan. It comes on the tenth anniversary of the Bonfire collapse at A&M that killed twelve students.

    Nice job, Phil.

    (full disclosure — this poster is an Aggie)

    The tv show Coach used to use University of Minnesota game footage. They would distort the colors so that the maroon appeared more like (the fictional Minnesota State’s) purple. It always looked odd to me.

    Also, I remember many tv set commercials using USFL footage in their ads. Usually, the logos were removed. It seemed kind of obvious that it was cheaper to use footage from a defunct league instead of going with the NFL.

    If you look at that Adrian Peterson page, you’ll see that two photos down is another photo from the same game where AP is wearing gloves. Any reason why he took them off/put them on during the game?

    [quote comment=”362956″]re: The Texas A&M Ribbon Helmet

    I just realized Nike’s terrible timing with their “It Only Takes Eleven” Texas Longhorn slogan. It comes on the tenth anniversary of the Bonfire collapse at A&M that killed twelve students.

    Nice job, Phil.

    (full disclosure — this poster is an Aggie)[/quote]
    Nike has a habit of doing things in poor taste. They get it right sometimes, but it seems like that’s usually by accident.

    (full disclosure — this poster is an Owl, but roots for Texas, because, seriously, Rice is fairly minor even when they do well)

    Two questions about the riflery/rivalry/whatever uniforms.
    1. What is Nike’s explanation about the weird shoulder design on every team’s uniform? Do they claim it adds function or something? It annoys me that each school’s specially-made uniform has the same abstract pattern.
    2. Why are these uniforms being worn in non-rivalry games? Based on the name, I figured Florida State’s, for example, would be used for the Florida game. The only exception so far is Ohio State, who did wear their’s against their main rival.

    I’m looking for serious answers here, not just a one-liner about how Nike is stupid. In fact, this applies to Under Armor too, since their combat/whatever uniforms for Virginia Tech and Maryland were nearly identical.

    …and now that I look on the Nike website, it looks like they changed the slogan to “Texas Fight.”

    At least it’s a UT tradition, rather than a Nike-generated one.

    A few notes on the Nike Riflery uniforms–

    To answer a question from earlier, Nike is trying to use the uniforms in a game against a non-Nike school. That’s why FSU used them against Maryland and not Florida, another Nike school. That’s why Clemson is wearing them against South Carolina this weekend, because SC is an Under Armour school.

    Also, to my knowledge, Clemson is the only team that will retain the jersey as their primary design after this game. Their head coach wanted a more tradtional design earlier in the year but couldn’t get it approved in time. If you note their jerseys, there’s no funky shoulder design, just a plain-jane old school look. They will return to their regular pants next week. This according to the press release on the school’s site:

    link

    first off, nice interview with jeremy

    ~~~~~~~~~~[quote comment=”362956″]re: The Texas A&M Ribbon Helmet

    I just realized Nike’s terrible timing with their “It Only Takes Eleven” Texas Longhorn slogan. It comes on the tenth anniversary of the Bonfire collapse at AM that killed twelve students.

    Nice job, Phil.

    (full disclosure — this poster is an Aggie)[/quote]

    while “it only takes 11” is a shot at this, don’t be surprised if there wasn’t someone in nike marketing who didn’t realize the second, perhaps more nefarious, entendre in their slogan…these nike machinations never cease to piss me off amaze me

    Georgia are going to link.

    It’s too bad. I would have loved to have seen them wear the link with the link at least once.

    (pardon if this has posted more than once. nothing happened when I hit “say it” so I’m trying again)

    Paul, could we make the profiles a monthly feature? I’ve really enjoyed them. Great work.

    RE: the Riflery spirographing… someone suggested that the designs mimick the pinstriping that USAF and Navy pilots put on the back of their helmets.

    [quote comment=”362952″]One last comment regarding the panthers’ new jerseys…I wonder if teams are starting to play the statistics? By that, there was a study out a couple of years ago that spoke about circular logos centered in the jersey actually leads to a better save percentage for the goalie. It was something about the Hurricanes’ logo that was the best when it came to this specific study.

    I’m sure I am reaching here, but could always be a possibility to reach for a competitive advantage.[/quote]

    If that’s true, it seems to have stopped working this year. The Canes haven’t been doing that great… Nor have the wild.

    I agree that the statistic that’s driving it has units of dollars.

    About the first item in the ticker: The photo referenced by Tom Farley is from the new Packers photo history book, “Titletown’s Team,” published by the Green Bay Press-Gazette and available at link. Lots of old uni detail throughout.

    Sneaker/Cleat Observation of the day:

    In the LSU riflery gallery, #32 is wearing a team specific version of next year’s Nike Super Speed TD/D. A few schools like Cal ans Southern Miss, have been given advance versions of the cleat to test out.

    I heard somewhere that the generic football pics you see in print ads (usually on TVs and the like) are Photoshopped USFL stills. This is why the unis and equipment in Best Buy ads always looks a bit out of date.

    IIRC, the HBO series “1st & Ten” used USFL footage. The LA Express were used to represent the series’ fictional California Bulls in long shots.

    I know I’ve seen CFL footage used in American films & television as a “generic placeholder football on someone’s TV screen” before too. Anythings gotta be cheaper than paying NFL rights. If I’m not mistaken, this was part of the motivation for the stupi- I mean, unique striping pattern on NFL refs now. (So it’ll be more obvious when it’s not the REAL pro football league. Forget that a real pro football league would never dress their refs thusly.)

    First-big thumbs up to Jeremy Brahm. BTW I might not have run the Japanese “baseball dresses” either. Unless, there were some fine women wearing them…

    I’ve seen & heard nothing but good things about Nic Cage in the new BAD LIEUTENANT flick. Takes a guy in UW to dismiss it in 2 words LOL.

    [quote comment=”362983″]I’ve seen & heard nothing but good things about Nic Cage in the new BAD LIEUTENANT flick. Takes a guy in UW to dismiss it in 2 words LOL.[/quote]

    haven’t seen this BL, but if it’s a remake of the classic (you need to get the NC17 version) harvey kietel movie of the same name…then there was probably no reason to remake it

    if it’s an entirely “new” movie, i apologize

    there was only one bad lieutenant…and it was this

    A couple of things to note. With all the talk about Nike’s Pro Combat marketing, Virginia Tech used them against Maryland (and will now be wearing them at uva this weekend as well). I am a long time Hokie, but have to agree that Nike has had some questionable marketing going on with the new product. Maryland was wearing special unis in the Md-VT game that was in support of the Wounded Warrior Product, so what does Nike do? They show up on campus with armored vehicles and spout out a bunch of prepare for battle and prepare for war mess. Pretty bad timing if you ask me.

    Incidentally, the majority of football teams in high school and college often take team pictures with seniors in one color jersey and all underclassmen in another color.

    [quote comment=”362985″][quote comment=”362983″]I’ve seen & heard nothing but good things about Nic Cage in the new BAD LIEUTENANT flick. Takes a guy in UW to dismiss it in 2 words LOL.[/quote]

    haven’t seen this BL, but if it’s a remake of the classic (you need to get the NC17 version) link movie of the same name…then there was probably no reason to remake it

    if it’s an entirely “new” movie, i apologize

    there was only one bad lieutenant…and it was link[/quote]
    The link:
    In Werner Herzog’s new film “The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans,” Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs — while playing fast and… In Werner Herzog’s new film “The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans,” Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs — while playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous. –© Apparition

    The movie is Certified Fresh, by the way.

    For those of you that might not be familiar with the Bonfire tragedy for which Texas A&M will be wearing the commemorative helmets, here is a link to a pretty comprehensive website, along with a really good video detailing the events surrounding November 18, 1999.

    [quote comment=”362983″]First-big thumbs up to Jeremy Brahm. BTW I might not have run the Japanese “baseball dresses” either. Unless, there were some fine women wearing them…
    [/quote]

    Well, they didn’t have the women in them though.
    link

    Ultimate random: I used to live in North Palm Beach, FL. About 4-5 years ago, I bought a house and was looking for a roommate. Mike Kinkade was going to camp with the Marlins in nearby Jupiter. He emailed me from an ad and was going to move in. He got nervous because settlement was February 8th, just a few days before he had to report to camp. I remember being a little bummed. I figured if he made the big club, It would be cool to go watch your roommate play in the big leagues. Never happened and I heard he was cut on the last day of camp.

    I was watching football Sunday with a few buddies, one of whom is not a regular NFL viewer. During a stoppage in play they cut to a highlight of TO’s long touchdown reception, and right before they cut back to the game we were watching this poor guy says, in reference to the Bills uniforms:

    “Oooh I like those jerseys!”

    I almost vomitted all over myself.

    I could have sworn Barry Sanders also went no gloves, but it seems he wore gloves that left the fingers bare (most of the time), still rare. link

    Even better than USFL game footage, how about stock USFL crowd footage? I noticed this one time while watching SpongeBob with my kids. In the episode “Band Geeks”, the underwater guys play in a band doing a half-time concert, and they used fan footage from the USFL. I think the field showed the Showboats, but I distinctly remember some Tampa Bay Bandits fan shots too.

    Interesting blurb at the end of this article about the Pens baby blue alts:

    link

    The Florida Panthers unveiled an alternate uniform last night. The color scheme mirrored the Penguins’ original colors: baby blue, dark blue and white. Those colors are part of the Penguins’ popular current throwback-themed alternate uniforms, which will be replaced next season.

    Here’s a blog post by the Mizzou beat writer for the KC Star on the riflery uniforms the Tigers are wearing Saturday vs Kansas. He brings up a Civil War (blue/grey) angle I didn’t think of when I first saw the disaster MU will be wearing.

    link

    I really don’t like the Civil War symbolism if that was part of the intention of the uniforms, even if the Tigers’ namesakes were Southern sympathizers.

    Maybe Peterson is shunning the gloves in an attempt to fumble less. That’s the biggest blemish on his otherwise stellar career–his tendency to cough up the rock.

    [quote comment=”363009″]Maybe Peterson is shunning the gloves in an attempt to fumble less. That’s the biggest blemish on his otherwise stellar career–his tendency to cough up the rock.[/quote]

    Yeah, but I’d think that gloves would help you grip the ball BETTER. Way better for catching passes, too. Shit, did you see that play last night when Alge Crumpler almsot made an incredible catch? They ruled it incomplete, but he basically caught the very tail of the ball with his fingertips after the rest of the ball was past him. Completely impossible without gloves.

    [quote comment=”362966″]Georgia are going to link.

    It’s too bad. I would have loved to have seen them wear the link with the link at least once.

    (pardon if this has posted more than once. nothing happened when I hit “say it” so I’m trying again)[/quote]
    I normally hate the black–it’s stupid, old and cliched– in fact, it was probably cliched when it ‘came out’.

    But now is NOT the time for GA to ditch the black—they need to continue the mourning period for the dearly beloved UGA !!!

    bad move, U of GA!

    [quote comment=”363007″]There are so many things wrong with this – link

    The name is waaaaay off center, and it looks like they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold trim[/quote]

    I don’t think they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold “trim”. I think the gold is a full background and the purple is perhaps heat pressed (or something similar) directly on top.

    [quote comment=”363006″]Here’s a blog post by the Mizzou beat writer for the KC Star on the riflery uniforms the Tigers are wearing Saturday vs Kansas. He brings up a Civil War (blue/grey) angle I didn’t think of when I first saw the disaster MU will be wearing.

    link

    I really don’t like the Civil War symbolism if that was part of the intention of the uniforms, even if the Tigers’ namesakes were Southern sympathizers.[/quote]

    Meh.

    The gray worn during the War Between the States(tm) was far lighter than the gray being used by the Tigers. It might as well be “light black”. There’s no connection, intentional or otherwise. That writer is just a moron.

    [quote comment=”363006″]Here’s a blog post by the Mizzou beat writer for the KC Star on the riflery uniforms the Tigers are wearing Saturday vs Kansas. He brings up a Civil War (blue/grey) angle I didn’t think of when I first saw the disaster MU will be wearing.

    link

    I really don’t like the Civil War symbolism if that was part of the intention of the uniforms, even if the Tigers’ namesakes were Southern sympathizers.[/quote]

    from that article…which basically sums up everything about the complete douchebaggery of nike and the riflery unis:

    “Q-Why wear a uniform whose main splash of gold is on the soles of the shoes only?

    A-Nike wanted (it) that way and Nike furnished them and they are supposedly worth about $100,000 (to each of the 10 schools taking part in this).”

    never mind tradition, what the school wants or any of that…$$$ trumps all

    now, if nike is willing to pay me 100 large to wear their gear…we can talk

    “Jeremy Brahm: I’m 36, I live Packard, Oregon, and right now I’m a business development associate. It’s a new job I just started.”

    Where is Packard, Oregon? I’ve lived in Oregon almost my entire life and have never heard of it. I even tried a quick googling, but to no avail.

    [quote comment=”362976″]IIRC, the HBO series “1st & Ten” used USFL footage. The LA Express were used to represent the series’ fictional California Bulls in long shots.[/quote]
    I seem to remember the commercials for that dicey McConaughey movie “Two for the Money” using USFL clips.

    That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    prolly isn’t a color photo of the 47-50 (original and defunct) colts…but if this logo is accurate, it would seem that those colts wore silver (or gray) helmets, like ricko postulates

    another Uni Watch mystery?

    Jeremy!

    Nice article. Represent Portland!

    Wish I knew you were at the game last night. Do you have regualar seats where we can bring Japanese stuff to you to be translated? ;)

    You might’ve saw us, my son and I got to go down on the floor during player intros, and we got to shake hands/get a shirt from B Roy. I was wearing a COMPLETE 1981/1982 warm up, pants and jacket-YOU HAD TO SEE US.

    Here’s an explanation of the Cheerleader Play-Wristbands from the other day:

    “ESQUIRE: What a heartbreaker of a game. Take us through the emotional roller coaster of the ending.

    TARA WILLSON: After Cedric Benson’s touchdown in the last minute, we were totally psyched. It feels different in the stadium this year. With Hard Knocks and the changes the team has made, we were so hopeful. When that ball landed in Stokley’s arms, and he ran right across the goal line, waiting to go into the end zone, it just took the wind out of me. And then our sound guy plays two or three songs back to back, and I was like, I don’t even want to dance right now.

    ESQ: You had to keep dancing?

    TW: Oh, yeah. I have a little sheet in a fliptop wristband – just like a QB – and I call the different dances out to the girls in my corner of the field. It was really hard to keep smiling. The crowd was so loud, we had the hardest time hearing each other the whole game. And then when that happened, it was silent. I could have whispered to the girls.”

    link

    [quote comment=”363021″][quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    prolly isn’t a color photo of the 47-50 (original and defunct) colts…but if link is accurate, it would seem that those colts wore silver (or gray) helmets, like ricko postulates

    another Uni Watch mystery?[/quote]
    No doubt those original Colts helmets had brown ponies on them.

    USFL footage has indeed shown up in print ads, commercials and other places – airbrushed and in its original state. There was either a beer ad or a TV ad that had undoctored Gamblers vs. Bandits action. The print ads for appliance stores used to take a Breakers pic and make the helmet gray.

    I’d forgotten about the Spongebob “Band Geeks” episode. About the only time my kids see that is over my parents’ house. Dad puts it on right away for them, and I usually roll my eyes. But when I saw the crowd scene I yelled, “Hey! That’s USFL footage.” Between that and the NFL Films music they use sometimes, I guess there are worse shows for kids…

    [quote comment=”363017″]”Jeremy Brahm: I’m 36, I live Packard, Oregon, and right now I’m a business development associate. It’s a new job I just started.”

    Where is Packard, Oregon? I’ve lived in Oregon almost my entire life and have never heard of it. I even tried a quick googling, but to no avail.[/quote]
    I think Paul simply misheard. Jeremy actually lives inside a link.

    I’m going to guess the straps on the MIchigan player’s arm are from a shoulder harness. Many offensive linemen, because they reach and grab with so much force, have constant problems with their shoulder joints. The harness basically helps a bit with preventing dislocations.

    [quote comment=”363033″]Just got an e-mail from the Amazin’ Mess & it looks like they went dropshadows on the “new” pins link

    Yup, looks like they managed to screw it up!

    [quote comment=”363033″]Just got an e-mail from the Amazin’ Mess & it looks like they went dropshadows on the “new” pins link

    Like I said all along.

    [quote comment=”363025″]Mets announced new jersey’s today…looks like you’re wrong Lukas about the black drop shadow.[/quote]

    um no…

    paul was saying this all along…he just couldn’t show you

    [quote comment=”363032″]I’m going to guess the straps on the MIchigan player’s arm are from a shoulder harness. Many offensive linemen, because they reach and grab with so much force, have constant problems with their shoulder joints. The harness basically helps a bit with preventing dislocations.[/quote]

    I was going to say the same thing. link has been wearing one all season for Da Bears after having shoulder surgery in the off-season.

    [quote comment=”363001″]Pretty sure Brokeback Mountain used CFL footage. Makes sense since it was filmed in Canada.[/quote]

    According to the IMDB site, you are correct. It seems to be a 1970’s Canadian Football League game between the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos.

    HOWEVER… for reasons I won’t get into on here, my notes indicate that the Thanksgiving dinner in that movie was in 1970, and my notes also indicate that it must have been the Thanksgiving November 26, 1970 game where the Packers lost to the Cowboys 3-16 at the Cotton Bowl.

    Does anyone have this movie where they can check this out?

    [quote comment=”363014″][quote comment=”363006″]Here’s a blog post by the Mizzou beat writer for the KC Star on the riflery uniforms the Tigers are wearing Saturday vs Kansas. He brings up a Civil War (blue/grey) angle I didn’t think of when I first saw the disaster MU will be wearing.

    link

    I really don’t like the Civil War symbolism if that was part of the intention of the uniforms, even if the Tigers’ namesakes were Southern sympathizers.[/quote]

    Meh.

    The gray worn during the War Between the States(tm) was far lighter than the gray being used by the Tigers. It might as well be “light black”. There’s no connection, intentional or otherwise. That writer is just a moron.[/quote]
    He’s a moron, Definite Article Jeff?

    The guy finds it somewhat humorous that the programs are trying to downplay any Civil War references and they’ll be playing a blue vs. gray game and that makes him a moron?

    [quote comment=”363039″]
    Does anyone have this movie where they can check this out?[/quote]

    NTTAWWT

    [quote comment=”363013″][quote comment=”363007″]There are so many things wrong with this – link

    The name is waaaaay off center, and it looks like they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold trim[/quote]

    I don’t think they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold “trim”. I think the gold is a full background and the purple is perhaps heat pressed (or something similar) directly on top.[/quote]

    They forgot…it’s a technique called “kiss cut”

    You can see it here:
    link

    Sometimes on the TV numbers they use 1 stitch for the entire outline – link

    I think it looks terrible up close though

    [quote comment=”363042″][quote comment=”363013″][quote comment=”363007″]There are so many things wrong with this – link

    The name is waaaaay off center, and it looks like they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold trim[/quote]

    I don’t think they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold “trim”. I think the gold is a full background and the purple is perhaps heat pressed (or something similar) directly on top.[/quote]

    They forgot…it’s a technique called “kiss cut”

    You can see it here:
    link

    Sometimes on the TV numbers they use 1 stitch for the entire outline – link

    I think it looks terrible up close though[/quote]

    Any link that says they used that technique? I was aware that the Ravens did it, but looking at the LSU picture I cannot see any evidence that the gold trim is above the purple. You would think that if the inside edge was not sewn down, you would see some edges sticking out/up.

    [quote comment=”363040″][quote comment=”363014″][quote comment=”363006″]Here’s a blog post by the Mizzou beat writer for the KC Star on the riflery uniforms the Tigers are wearing Saturday vs Kansas. He brings up a Civil War (blue/grey) angle I didn’t think of when I first saw the disaster MU will be wearing.

    link

    I really don’t like the Civil War symbolism if that was part of the intention of the uniforms, even if the Tigers’ namesakes were Southern sympathizers.[/quote]

    Meh.

    The gray worn during the War Between the States(tm) was far lighter than the gray being used by the Tigers. It might as well be “light black”. There’s no connection, intentional or otherwise. That writer is just a moron.[/quote]
    He’s a moron, Definite Article Jeff?

    The guy finds it somewhat humorous that the programs are trying to downplay any Civil War references and they’ll be playing a blue vs. gray game and that makes him a moron?[/quote]

    When the gray in question is dark enough to pass for black from a distance, yes.

    mets botched it. good job, paul. way to have it right all along despite wishful thinking being reported elsewhere.

    i’m so aggravated. i know most of what the mets do is based on trying to make a buck off their embattled fan base, but when you give me this happy horseshit about how they “listened to fans” and “based the jersey on the 1969 ones,” you’re just pissing on my leg and telling me it’s raining. to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme. so they make this pinstripe jersey, which is identical to last years only it’s cream instead of white, and they change NOTHING the fans didn’t like. i guess that uniform survey in may must have gotten these responses: “wow, new york mets. you are the bestest franchise in the whole wide world. please don’t change anything about your uniforms. just keep everything the same. the black jerseys, hats, dropshadows. WE LOVE THEM! oh…if you could turn the pinstripe cream and give us marketing jargon about how it’s retro now, that would make everything AMAZIN’!!! LMAOROTFL”

    douche bags.

    [quote comment=”362991″][quote comment=”362983″]First-big thumbs up to Jeremy Brahm. BTW I might not have run the Japanese “baseball dresses” either. Unless, there were some fine women wearing them…
    [/quote]

    Well, they didn’t have the women in them though.
    link

    So THAT’S where Nike got the inspiration for the SoD…

    [quote comment=”362962″]…and now that I look on the Nike website, it looks like they changed the slogan to “Texas Fight.”

    At least it’s a UT tradition, rather than a Nike-generated one.[/quote]
    It always said Texas Fight on the collar since early in the season when these were revealed. The “It only takes 11” slogan is the fan t-shirt.

    [quote comment=”363045″]to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme.

    douche bags.[/quote]

    i wish i could say that’s true…after not having gone to shea during it’s last 3-4 years in existence, this may (fairly cold day) i went to a game at citi shea with powers

    i’d say, of the mets gear i observed being worn…a good 50% of it was black

    so there is definitely a percentage of the fan base that buys (if not enjoys) it

    fuckers

    [quote comment=”363043″][quote comment=”363042″][quote comment=”363013″][quote comment=”363007″]There are so many things wrong with this – link

    The name is waaaaay off center, and it looks like they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold trim[/quote]

    I don’t think they forgot to sew the inner side of the gold “trim”. I think the gold is a full background and the purple is perhaps heat pressed (or something similar) directly on top.[/quote]

    They forgot…it’s a technique called “kiss cut”

    You can see it here:
    link

    Sometimes on the TV numbers they use 1 stitch for the entire outline – link

    I think it looks terrible up close though[/quote]

    Any link that says they used that technique? I was aware that the Ravens did it, but looking at the LSU picture I cannot see any evidence that the gold trim is above the purple. You would think that if the inside edge was not sewn down, you would see some edges sticking out/up.[/quote]

    Maybe Paul can shed some light on the technique used on these jerseys as a whole…some of them had some crazy patterns in the numbers.

    [quote comment=”363051″][quote comment=”362962″]…and now that I look on the Nike website, it looks like they changed the slogan to “Texas Fight.”

    At least it’s a UT tradition, rather than a Nike-generated one.[/quote]
    It always said Texas Fight on the collar since early in the season when these were revealed. The “It only takes 11” slogan is the fan t-shirt.[/quote]

    Well then. If that’s the case, I retract my earlier retraction…

    [quote comment=”363053″][quote comment=”363045″]to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme.

    douche bags.[/quote]

    i wish i could say that’s true…after not having gone to shea during it’s last 3-4 years in existence, this may (fairly cold day) i went to a game at citi shea with powers

    i’d say, of the mets gear i observed being worn…a good 50% of it was black

    so there is definitely a percentage of the fan base that buys (if not enjoys) it

    fuckers[/quote]

    Like it cuz doesn’t show the dirt, maybe?

    [quote comment=”363051″][quote comment=”362962″]…and now that I look on the Nike website, it looks like they changed the slogan to “Texas Fight.”

    At least it’s a UT tradition, rather than a Nike-generated one.[/quote]
    It always said Texas Fight on the collar since early in the season when these were revealed. The “It only takes 11” slogan is the fan t-shirt.[/quote]
    Sorry… collar is We are Texas (which is wrong – the phrase is Texas Are We). Did the website originally say “It only takes 11?”

    I fail to see a connection between “It only takes 11” and the bonfire tragedy at A&M.

    It is obviously a reference to the 12th man at A&M and nothing more. Thinking otherwise is reaching for something that is not there.

    [quote comment=”363059″][quote comment=”363051″][quote comment=”362962″]…and now that I look on the Nike website, it looks like they changed the slogan to “Texas Fight.”

    At least it’s a UT tradition, rather than a Nike-generated one.[/quote]
    It always said Texas Fight on the collar since early in the season when these were revealed. The “It only takes 11” slogan is the fan t-shirt.[/quote]
    Sorry… collar is We are Texas (which is wrong – the phrase is Texas Are We). Did the website originally say “It only takes 11?”[/quote]
    aw hell… maybe I will just lay off the crack and quit commenting today! I know not of what I am speaking….

    [quote comment=”363060″]I fail to see a connection between “It only takes 11” and the bonfire tragedy at A&M.

    It is obviously a reference to the 12th man at A&M and nothing more. Thinking otherwise is reaching for something that is not there.[/quote]
    12 died… but slogan has no connection to bonfire

    [quote comment=”363060″]I fail to see a connection between “It only takes 11″ and the bonfire tragedy at A&M.

    It is obviously a reference to the 12th man at A&M and nothing more. Thinking otherwise is reaching for something that is not there.[/quote]
    [quote comment=”363060”]I fail to see a connection between “It only takes 11” and the bonfire tragedy at A&M.

    It is obviously a reference to the 12th man at A&M and nothing more. Thinking otherwise is reaching for something that is not there.[/quote]

    I’m with you. That’s really a stretch.
    More likely Nike marketeers didn’t even KNOW ABOUT/REMEMBER the bonfire incident. The 12th man tradition gave them plenty of fodder. No need to look for even more.

    A little like the kid who looked at a box of Smith Brothers cough drops and discerned that, “Hmmm…I see their first names are ‘Trade’ and ‘Mark”.”
    link

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363023″]Jeremy!

    Nice article. Represent Portland!

    Wish I knew you were at the game last night. Do you have regualar seats where we can bring Japanese stuff to you to be translated? ;)

    You might’ve saw us, my son and I got to go down on the floor during player intros, and we got to shake hands/get a shirt from B Roy. I was wearing a COMPLETE 1981/1982 warm up, pants and jacket-YOU HAD TO SEE US.[/quote]

    Yes, I did see you, I didn’t realize it at the time. My seats are in 222, just above the entry way. Only half season package though.

    [quote comment=”363017″]”Jeremy Brahm: I’m 36, I live Packard, Oregon”

    Where is Packard, Oregon? I’ve lived in Oregon almost my entire life and have never heard of it. I even tried a quick googling, but to no avail.[/quote]

    That should be Tigard.

    Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.

    [quote comment=”363063″]You mean adidas was making unis in the US?
    link Who knew? Is anyone else?[/quote]

    Keep in mind that I posted this just after it came out. They already updated it once, so they may answer my question later in the day.

    I just wanted to say thanks to Jeremy for his incredible knowledge on all sports located on planet earth.

    His takes on NPB unis and especially AFL (footy) gear is amazingly informative and helpful.

    May you be blessed with a wonderful Thanksgiving, JB!!

    Well, that, and the idea that Nike wants to create new slogans that THEY can own the rights to.

    [quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.

    About a quarter down this page shows the FLA Panthers took yesterday’s warmups in their current home uniform and 3rd jersey socks.
    link

    [quote comment=”363070″][quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.[/quote]

    see #12

    im not saying they are in any way taking a shot at the bonfire incident, but i wouldn’t put it past them either

    nike exec a: “you know, someone is bound to think this is in poor taste, what with the bonfire accident”

    nike exec b: “your point?”

    nike exec a: “exactly”

    [quote comment=”363070″][quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.[/quote]

    mmwatkin and I don’t always see eye-to-eye but, again, on this one there’s no doubt. Finding some kind of insidious, evil, hateful sentiment on Nike’s part really is grasping at straws.

    The expiration date on one of my credit cards is 9/11.
    Finally the other day it dawned on me: OMG, that credit card company is a front for terrorists!!!

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363070″][quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.[/quote]

    It is the 10th anniversary of the bonfire tragedy – poking fun of the 12th Man, could be seen as insensitive. Hell… I was offended by it from the start! ;) The 12th Man is the fan…. so Nike wants to cut out the fan??? Real smart! Once they revealed the Bonfire Ribbon helmet, I bet they dumped it. I can’t find that shirt on the Nike site anymore. link really helped out the Sooners, link!?!

    [quote comment=”363032″]I’m going to guess the straps on the MIchigan player’s arm are from a shoulder harness. Many offensive linemen, because they reach and grab with so much force, have constant problems with their shoulder joints. The harness basically helps a bit with preventing dislocations.[/quote]

    Jason Richardson wore one while playing hoops at Michigan State:

    link

    link

    [quote comment=”362961″]Two questions about the riflery/rivalry/whatever uniforms.
    1. What is Nike’s explanation about the weird shoulder design on every team’s uniform? Do they claim it adds function or something? It annoys me that each school’s specially-made uniform has the same abstract pattern.
    2. Why are these uniforms being worn in non-rivalry games? Based on the name, I figured Florida State’s, for example, would be used for the Florida game. The only exception so far is Ohio State, who did wear their’s against their main rival.

    I’m looking for serious answers here, not just a one-liner about how Nike is stupid. In fact, this applies to Under Armor too, since their combat/whatever uniforms for Virginia Tech and Maryland were nearly identical.[/quote]

    Sorry, I meant to say link and link had nearly identical uniforms. I don’t know or care if this was for a good cause. Uniforms should be designed with the team in mind. It seems like the rivalry here is with Nike and UA.

    [quote comment=”363077″][quote comment=”362961″]Two questions about the riflery/rivalry/whatever uniforms.
    1. What is Nike’s explanation about the weird shoulder design on every team’s uniform? Do they claim it adds function or something? It annoys me that each school’s specially-made uniform has the same abstract pattern.
    2. Why are these uniforms being worn in non-rivalry games? Based on the name, I figured Florida State’s, for example, would be used for the Florida game. The only exception so far is Ohio State, who did wear their’s against their main rival.

    I’m looking for serious answers here, not just a one-liner about how Nike is stupid. In fact, this applies to Under Armor too, since their combat/whatever uniforms for Virginia Tech and Maryland were nearly identical.[/quote]

    Sorry, I meant to say link and link had nearly identical uniforms. I don’t know or care if this was for a good cause. Uniforms should be designed with the team in mind. It seems like the rivalry here is with Nike and UA.[/quote]

    dave

    go to paul’s tailgating article and scroll down to the third item “Meanwhile, over on the gridiron”

    pretty much everything you need to know about the riflery unis

    [quote comment=”363078″][quote comment=”363077″][quote comment=”362961″]Two questions about the riflery/rivalry/whatever uniforms.
    1. What is Nike’s explanation about the weird shoulder design on every team’s uniform? Do they claim it adds function or something? It annoys me that each school’s specially-made uniform has the same abstract pattern.
    2. Why are these uniforms being worn in non-rivalry games? Based on the name, I figured Florida State’s, for example, would be used for the Florida game. The only exception so far is Ohio State, who did wear their’s against their main rival.

    I’m looking for serious answers here, not just a one-liner about how Nike is stupid. In fact, this applies to Under Armor too, since their combat/whatever uniforms for Virginia Tech and Maryland were nearly identical.[/quote]

    Sorry, I meant to say link and link had nearly identical uniforms. I don’t know or care if this was for a good cause. Uniforms should be designed with the team in mind. It seems like the rivalry here is with Nike and UA.[/quote]

    dave

    go to paul’s link and scroll down to the third item “Meanwhile, over on the gridiron”

    pretty much everything you need to know about the riflery unis[/quote]
    Thanks. That was everything I needed to know. Now I’ll try to forget it.

    [quote comment=”363053″][quote comment=”363045″]to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme.

    douche bags.[/quote]

    i wish i could say that’s true…after not having gone to shea during it’s last 3-4 years in existence, this may (fairly cold day) i went to a game at citi shea with powers

    i’d say, of the mets gear i observed being worn…a good 50% of it was black

    so there is definitely a percentage of the fan base that buys (if not enjoys) it

    fuckers[/quote]

    i can agree that black is seen in the stands, but why does it have to make an on the field appearance. there was a day when red yankees hats were all the rage because of fred durst, but the yankees had enough integrity not to include it in an on-field set. sell all the black garbage you want. just don’t put it on the field.

    and, i have to say, IF there is a large contingent of people who do love the black, then fine. keep the black alternate jersey. but why does it have to be incorporated into EVERY jersey including a supposedly retro jersey?! phil, i know you’re with me on this, i’m just venting.

    Hey Paul,

    With Oregon looking towards the rose bowl, any word on what Nike would do for that game? I have to assume it would be shocking and slightly horrific.

    Ok, just took the time to read all these comments and I only have 2 points to make (so far)

    1. As much as I love to hate on Nike, I can’t really come down on them for the ‘it only takes 11’ thing. Its a stretch at best to connect this with the Bonfire thing. I mean, what are you saying, that at Texas it only takes 11 people to get killed in a fire? Obviously its not the case. Its just a ploy on Texas A&M’s 12th man, which any Big XII fan will tell you, the Aggies love to shove down your throat at every turn. If you want to blast Nike for the Nike SWAT Team vehicle on VaTech’s campus within spitting distance of the April 16th Memorial, go for it. However, this is just a stretch.

    2. The Mets are a joke. I wish I could see the picture (flickr won’t let me view it while not signed in) but from what I hear its a cream version of their regular set. Awesome. As a Phillies fan, it makes me smile whenever they fuck up something so easy. Way to go, Wilpons, way to go!

    [quote comment=”363083″]Hey Paul,

    With Oregon looking towards the rose bowl, any word on what Nike would do for that game? I have to assume it would be shocking and slightly horrific.[/quote]

    My theory is rose-colored jerseys with the shoulder feathers green so they look like little leaves. That would be just too, too precious.

    And don’t say “rose” isn’t one of their colors.
    Like THAT matters.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    They only bought the helmets from the Colts, Ricko. I got that bit of info from the late, great John Steadman’s book “The Baltimore Colts Story,” published in 1958.

    The Packers had the gold jerseys and the green pants in 1950, but they were still wearing the leather helmets that year. Money was still pretty tight for them, apparently.

    “Diner” remains one of my all-time favorites. “I’ll hit you so hard, I’ll kill your whole family.”

    [quote comment=”363086″][quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    They only bought the helmets from the Colts, Ricko. I got that bit of info from the late, great John Steadman’s book “The Baltimore Colts Story,” published in 1958.

    The Packers had the gold jerseys and the green pants in 1950, but they were still wearing the leather helmets that year. Money was still pretty tight for them, apparently.

    “Diner” remains one of my all-time favorites. “I’ll hit you so hard, I’ll kill your whole family.”[/quote]

    What I figured, it was the helmets, or so the story goes. But those Colts’ colors were green and gray, so maybe the helmets discolored as the Lions did.

    Either that or those Colts wore gold helmets, despite what their team colors were.

    Is a puzzle.

    —Ricko

    I definitely spotted a USFL game in a first season episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm – the one where Larry tries to buy some piece of jewelry for his wife and he and Richard Lewis get into a fight over it at the end. Larry needs to buy the jewelry to appease her after he was more interested in the end of what is supposedly the Giants game than he is in her coming home. The footage they use is USFL footage.

    Hey! How’s this for a solution to the “Redskins” nickname thing?

    Redskins change color to a bit more maroon and, to trade off the strong NFL history nearby, become the…

    WASHINGTON CLOTS

    Okay, okay, not a good as BALTIMORE Clots.

    —Ricko

    … and the original Colts were green and gray. I’ve seen one of the unis on display in Canton.

    I spotted the USFL footage in the “SpongeBob” episode, too. Made me smile.

    Speaking of: ESPN is running a 30 for 30 marathon from 3-7p EST this Turkey Day. Kings Ransom, Muhammad and Larry, Without Bias, and USFL.”

    [quote comment=”363090″]… and the original Colts were green and gray. I’ve seen one of the unis on display in Canton.

    I spotted the USFL footage in the “SpongeBob” episode, too. Made me smile.

    Speaking of: ESPN is running a 30 for 30 marathon from 3-7p EST this Turkey Day. Kings Ransom, Muhammad and Larry, Without Bias, and USFL.”[/quote]

    USFL footage (Bandits and somebody) on THE MENTALIST last season, too

    [quote comment=”363087″][quote comment=”363086″][quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    They only bought the helmets from the Colts, Ricko. I got that bit of info from the late, great John Steadman’s book “The Baltimore Colts Story,” published in 1958.

    The Packers had the gold jerseys and the green pants in 1950, but they were still wearing the leather helmets that year. Money was still pretty tight for them, apparently.

    “Diner” remains one of my all-time favorites. “I’ll hit you so hard, I’ll kill your whole family.”[/quote]

    What I figured, it was the helmets, or so the story goes. But those Colts’ colors were green and gray, so maybe the helmets discolored as the Lions did.

    Either that or those Colts wore gold helmets, despite what their team colors were.

    Is a puzzle.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    Or the Packers took the silver helmets and painted them gold, right? (Am I missing something? Certainly wouldn’t be the first time …)

    As an Aggie myself, I hope I speak for the rest of my fellow Aggies when I say that I, in no way, see the “It Only Takes Eleven” slogan as a job at the Bonfire tragedy 10 years ago. It wouldn’t even make much direct sense, if you think about it.

    I do think it’s probably a job at our 12th Man tradition at A&M…which is fine, and not taken as offensive in the least.

    In fact…this is what I think of more than anything whenever I see it…

    link

    [quote comment=”363092″][quote comment=”363087″][quote comment=”363086″][quote comment=”363020″]That’s the Packers, circa early 1950s, says Tom Farley. “The Packers had the metallic gold helmets from 1951 – after they bought them from the first NFL Baltimore Colts, who folded after the 1950 season – through the ’53 season,” he says. “They wore the gold jerseys over the green pants in all three seasons.” …

    Thought those Colts were green and gray.
    What, nobody’s seen “DINER”???
    Or did the Packers buy the green PANTS from the Colts Probably not, stripe is gold.
    Or did those helmets TURN gold the way Lions’ helmets did?

    Who knows. The original Colts wearing gold just threw me a little, first I’ve heard of it.

    Oh, the confusion in this ol’ head.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    They only bought the helmets from the Colts, Ricko. I got that bit of info from the late, great John Steadman’s book “The Baltimore Colts Story,” published in 1958.

    The Packers had the gold jerseys and the green pants in 1950, but they were still wearing the leather helmets that year. Money was still pretty tight for them, apparently.

    “Diner” remains one of my all-time favorites. “I’ll hit you so hard, I’ll kill your whole family.”[/quote]

    What I figured, it was the helmets, or so the story goes. But those Colts’ colors were green and gray, so maybe the helmets discolored as the Lions did.

    Either that or those Colts wore gold helmets, despite what their team colors were.

    Is a puzzle.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    Or the Packers took the silver helmets and painted them gold, right? (Am I missing something? Certainly wouldn’t be the first time …)[/quote]

    Absolutely. That would be the other very logical possibility. I’m sure that since they were the Packers’ first plastic helmets that was cheaper than buying new.

    —Ricko

    For the record, in my original post, I refer to the slogan as “terrible timing,” not “a nefarious Nike plot to offend an Adidas school.” I know that it was not their intent to offend, and yes, it is a clever slogan. And yes, having been a former member of the 12th Man, I get it (TM).

    My only point was that it was being used for a particularly unfortunate game. Beardface made the comment about Nike putting SWAT vehicles on Virginia Tech’s campus. While this obviously does not rise to that level (and offending the Nike school’s fans, no less), in my opinion, sticking with that slogan for that game would show a similar lack of awareness on Nike’s part.

    HOWEVER…

    In Nike’s defense, since my post, I’ve been looking for said slogan on Nike’s website, and have not been able to find it (the Nike site only shows “Texas Fight” when you look up the Texas uniform). I don’t know when or why the change was made, but it appears to have been made.

    So, in summary…

    1) Not a Nike plot.

    2) Nike changed it anyway, so this dumbass (i.e. yours truly) shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

    3) My last name is in fact Smith, but neither I nor any member of my family is named “Trade” or “Mark.”

    — TomServaux96

    (who fearlessly predicts that the Ags will either win 35-17 or lose 63-10, given the way our season has gone)

    [quote comment=”363072″][quote comment=”363070″][quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.[/quote]

    see link

    im not saying they are in any way taking a shot at the bonfire incident, but i wouldn’t put it past them either

    nike exec a: “you know, someone is bound to think this is in poor taste, what with the bonfire accident”

    nike exec b: “your point?”

    nike exec a: “exactly”[/quote]

    Come on. How many of us have thought about the Texas A&M bonfire trajedy outside of today? Was Nike supposed to look up all references that A&M had to the numbers 11 and 12 in order to make sure that they didn’t offend anyone? I am definitely in the camp that does not like these uniforms (besides tOSU and UT’s helmet numbers, the world needs more of those), but I think that we’re all being a little brash here. It even looks to me like the schools who wanted the futuristic jerseys got them, while the schools that wanted old school looks got them as well (VT, OU, UT). I don’t think that we can blame Nike for all of this.

    I agree that classic looks are the best, but without some radical, “Oregonian” looks, I’m not sure we would be appreciating the looks of Notre Dame, Texas, Ole Miss, USC, and others as much as we do. There’s only so much that you can do with three stripes on the pants and sleeves, and I’m glad that the NCAA isn’t a cookie-cutter uniform league like it sometimes seems the NFL is becoming. The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors. That’s about 30% of the league. If the NCAA took this approach, we would have 40 teams looking pretty much the same, and how much is that.

    Another way to look at it is this: From our method of thinking, all teams should have brown helmets and canvas-colored pants because they shouldn’t have innovated to colored designs. Edison said that he found “10,000 ways to incorrectly make a light bulb” (or something to that effect) before he hit the right answer. Maybe we should all be thanking Nike for showing us ways that uniforms don’t work

    [quote comment=”363053″][quote comment=”363045″]to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme.

    douche bags.[/quote]

    i wish i could say that’s true…after not having gone to shea during it’s last 3-4 years in existence, this may (fairly cold day) i went to a game at citi shea with powers

    i’d say, of the mets gear i observed being worn…a good 50% of it was black

    so there is definitely a percentage of the fan base that buys (if not enjoys) it

    fuckers[/quote]

    The only reason so many fans wear the black stuff is because the Mets wear it so often. If the Mets eliminated it, the black would slowly fade from the fans as well.

    I just don’t understand why they cannot do a proper throwback style jersey. Do they really think the black goes well with cream?! How would ONE jersey with no black in it hurt?

    The Wilpons are just plain old idiots. Back in the day I never realized that Doubleday was actually the good owner.

    [quote comment=”363096″]
    Come on. How many of us have thought about the Texas A&M bonfire trajedy outside of today? Was Nike supposed to look up all references that A&M had to the numbers 11 and 12 in order to make sure that they didn’t offend anyone? I am definitely in the camp that does not like these uniforms (besides tOSU and UT’s helmet numbers, the world needs more of those), but I think that we’re all being a little brash here. It even looks to me like the schools who wanted the futuristic jerseys got them, while the schools that wanted old school looks got them as well (VT, OU, UT). I don’t think that we can blame Nike for all of this.[/quote]

    as i said, i don’t believe nike’s plan (ever) was to poke fun at the bonfire accident

    what im saying is, once it was discovered (and don’t tell me no one in nike was unaware of the bonfire anniversary), they could have yanked the slogan (and judging from tomservaux recent detective work, perhaps they have)

    instead, my position (and im probably wrong) is that they were (or were made) aware of the unfortunate double entendre and chose to ignore it…

    maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis

    which is all they ever wanted

    (As submitted via Mets.com Contact Us page)

    I am writing to express my disappointment in the New York Mets including the black drop-shadow on the new “retro” jersey. The drop shadow is not retro, it distracts from the cream/pinstripe look, and is a reminder of how the Mets do not “get it.”

    Please hire ESPN’s Paul Lukas as soon as possible to ensure that future generations of Mets fans are spared from ridiculous drop-shadows, blue brims on black caps, and other uniform gimmicks.

    Thank you.

    -John

    (Paul, plese submit you resume. We’ll start a petition)

    [quote comment=”363096″][quote comment=”363072″][quote comment=”363070″][quote comment=”363066″]Guys, I know it has no connection. And I don’t blame the university.

    It’s just another example of Nike not thinking things through.[/quote]

    How did they not think things through? IMO, it is a brilliant slogan for Texas. It is a direct shot at an A&M tradition (isn’t that what rivalries are all about?)

    I still don’t see how “It only takes 11” could in anyway be connected to 12 people dieing in a bonfire accident.[/quote]

    see link

    im not saying they are in any way taking a shot at the bonfire incident, but i wouldn’t put it past them either

    nike exec a: “you know, someone is bound to think this is in poor taste, what with the bonfire accident”

    nike exec b: “your point?”

    nike exec a: “exactly”[/quote]

    Come on. How many of us have thought about the Texas A&M bonfire trajedy outside of today? Was Nike supposed to look up all references that A&M had to the numbers 11 and 12 in order to make sure that they didn’t offend anyone? I am definitely in the camp that does not like these uniforms (besides tOSU and UT’s helmet numbers, the world needs more of those), but I think that we’re all being a little brash here. It even looks to me like the schools who wanted the futuristic jerseys got them, while the schools that wanted old school looks got them as well (VT, OU, UT). I don’t think that we can blame Nike for all of this.

    I agree that classic looks are the best, but without some radical, “Oregonian” looks, I’m not sure we would be appreciating the looks of Notre Dame, Texas, Ole Miss, USC, and others as much as we do. There’s only so much that you can do with three stripes on the pants and sleeves, and I’m glad that the NCAA isn’t a cookie-cutter uniform league like it sometimes seems the NFL is becoming. The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors. That’s about 30% of the league. If the NCAA took this approach, we would have 40 teams looking pretty much the same, and how much is that.

    Another way to look at it is this: From our method of thinking, all teams should have brown helmets and canvas-colored pants because they shouldn’t have innovated to colored designs. Edison said that he found “10,000 ways to incorrectly make a light bulb” (or something to that effect) before he hit the right answer. Maybe we should all be thanking Nike for showing us ways that uniforms don’t work[/quote]

    Know what the core change really is (and I’m not making a value judgement)? It’s the way unis are made.

    As the game and it unis evolved, trim was placed according to the pattern of the garment. Along seems, in gussets, as entire shoulder yokes, etc.

    Now it’s the other way around. Design the uni and let a computer figure out the pattern.

    That’s an incredible difference, opening far more possibilities to designers:
    Form (striping, etc.) no longer has to follow Function (actually making the uni).
    Now it’s the other way around.

    So, as you say, while new is great fun, it doesn’t mean everything new is great. Some of it will be great, and, because it always will, some of it will suck.
    (Here’s where I could link to a photo of a 1957 Chrysler with big ass fins. No need. You all get the point).

    –Ricko

    [quote comment=”363096″]The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors.[/quote]
    Why? Because they all have stripes?

    I’m having a hard time finding a common thread among all nine teams.

    [quote comment=”363102″][quote comment=”363096″]The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors.[/quote]
    Why? Because they all have stripes?

    I’m having a hard time finding a common thread among all nine teams.[/quote]

    jets and colts don’t even have stripes…they have truncated loops

    [quote comment=”363098″][quote comment=”363096″]
    Come on. How many of us have thought about the Texas A&M bonfire trajedy outside of today? Was Nike supposed to look up all references that A&M had to the numbers 11 and 12 in order to make sure that they didn’t offend anyone? I am definitely in the camp that does not like these uniforms (besides tOSU and UT’s helmet numbers, the world needs more of those), but I think that we’re all being a little brash here. It even looks to me like the schools who wanted the futuristic jerseys got them, while the schools that wanted old school looks got them as well (VT, OU, UT). I don’t think that we can blame Nike for all of this.[/quote]

    as i said, i don’t believe nike’s plan (ever) was to poke fun at the bonfire accident

    what im saying is, once it was discovered (and don’t tell me no one in nike was unaware of the bonfire anniversary), they could have yanked the slogan (and judging from tomservaux recent detective work, perhaps they have)

    instead, my position (and im probably wrong) is that they were (or were made) aware of the unfortunate double entendre and chose to ignore it…

    maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis

    which is all they ever wanted[/quote]

    We do all realize that had either 11 or 13 people died in that fire we wouldn’t even be talking about this, right?

    Only common thread, and it is fiber-optic thin, is the number 12. The A&M lore in question is about one particular student, a 12th man. Not about 12 students in any form whatsoever.

    But sports fans can be among to most irrational, ridiculously sensitive people on the planet, so I’m not surprised there was backlash.

    “You’re wearing dark blue jeans to a Bears-Packers game at Lamebau? Obviously you’re a Bears fan.” Um…no, I’m wearing jeans…and they’re bluejeans.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363103″][quote comment=”363102″][quote comment=”363096″]The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors.[/quote]
    Why? Because they all have stripes?

    I’m having a hard time finding a common thread among all nine teams.[/quote]

    jets and colts don’t even have stripes…they have truncated loops[/quote]

    I understand that their not all exactly the same, but they do share a three stripe helmet and pants, and the same type of shoulder (Jets and Colts) and sleeve (other teams) stripes. I know that they’re not completely the same and I wasn’t trying to be a smartass about it. I’m just saying that mixing it up a little in the college ranks is kind of fun. Personally, the “Ducktracker” has been one of my favorite things this season in UniWatch, despite the fact that I can’t stand the black that’s incorporated into the design. I think that Nike’s getting closer to a very good design though, moving from the diamondplates to this one. If they got block numbers and had nameplates that contrasted with the jersey, I think that this design would look awesome with a mix and match of various green, yellow, and white pants, jerseys, and helmets.

    If I had to choose, I would absolutely put myself in the traditional camp, but I think that the way that teams are experimenting with uniforms is interesting, and, in a sense, symbolic of the way that the college game is different than the pro game.

    [quote comment=”363097″][quote comment=”363053″][quote comment=”363045″]to a man, almost every fan hates anything black in the mets color scheme.

    douche bags.[/quote]

    i wish i could say that’s true…after not having gone to shea during it’s last 3-4 years in existence, this may (fairly cold day) i went to a game at citi shea with powers

    i’d say, of the mets gear i observed being worn…a good 50% of it was black

    so there is definitely a percentage of the fan base that buys (if not enjoys) it

    fuckers[/quote]

    The only reason so many fans wear the black stuff is because the Mets wear it so often. If the Mets eliminated it, the black would slowly fade from the fans as well.

    I just don’t understand why they cannot do a proper throwback style jersey. Do they really think the black goes well with cream?! How would ONE jersey with no black in it hurt?

    The Wilpons are just plain old idiots. Back in the day I never realized that Doubleday was actually the good owner.[/quote]

    I for one, am not opposed to using a little black as an accent color if done right AND there’s a WHOLE GENERATION of Mets Fans that identify with the Black in the Unis and have some good recent memories (’99,’00 & ’06) with these Mets in Black, that being said, they ARE dropping the ball on how to correctly transition to a new (read: old) Uni and identity. Here’s an example form Cerrone’s Metsblog.com:

    “The player’s last name will be on the back; these will be the alternate home uniform, second to the all-whites; they are an egg-shell, creame color; and they’re not flannel, they are made of the same breatheable material used for the team’s other jersies.”

    The Twins did it right, in that while saying it was retro inspired, took the NOB off and the Uni speak for itself…

    Terence

    Question re: NOB.

    Does NL require NOB both home and road?
    Or only road?
    AL doesn’t require them at all, I know
    (unless Yankees getting some special dispensation).

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363107″]Question re: NOB.

    Does NL require NOB both home and road?
    Or only road?
    AL doesn’t require them at all, I know
    (unless Yankees getting some special dispensation).

    —Ricko[/quote]
    From what I’ve learned from the MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double-Knit Era, the NL has a “gentleman’s agreement” to put NOB on road unis, no such thing for home & the AL has no agreement

    [quote comment=”363109″][quote comment=”363107″]Question re: NOB.

    Does NL require NOB both home and road?
    Or only road?
    AL doesn’t require them at all, I know
    (unless Yankees getting some special dispensation).

    —Ricko[/quote]
    From what I’ve learned from the MLB Game Worn Jerseys of the Double-Knit Era, the NL has a “gentleman’s agreement” to put NOB on road unis, no such thing for home & the AL has no agreement[/quote]
    From said work, “The National League asked teams to sew player names to the back of all road uniform jerseys starting in 1979. If an alternate jersey is to be worn on the road, it too should have a name applied. No such guideline exists in the American League. However- in 2005-2006 the Dodgers omitted names on all uniforms, home and road, ignoring this “Gentleman’s Agreement” from 25 years ago. The names return in 2007, though.”

    Have you guys seen that Clemson is also taking part in the Pro combat Nike uniforms?

    link

    Also, is anyone else hearing that Pitt may wear throwbacks for the Backyard Brawl on Friday night at WVU? Wannstedt said a few things more than a few times this year about it, but I have not seen any Pictures….

    [quote comment=”363104″][quote comment=”363098″][quote comment=”363096″]
    Come on. How many of us have thought about the Texas A&M bonfire trajedy outside of today? Was Nike supposed to look up all references that A&M had to the numbers 11 and 12 in order to make sure that they didn’t offend anyone? I am definitely in the camp that does not like these uniforms (besides tOSU and UT’s helmet numbers, the world needs more of those), but I think that we’re all being a little brash here. It even looks to me like the schools who wanted the futuristic jerseys got them, while the schools that wanted old school looks got them as well (VT, OU, UT). I don’t think that we can blame Nike for all of this.[/quote]

    as i said, i don’t believe nike’s plan (ever) was to poke fun at the bonfire accident

    what im saying is, once it was discovered (and don’t tell me no one in nike was unaware of the bonfire anniversary), they could have yanked the slogan (and judging from tomservaux recent detective work, perhaps they have)

    instead, my position (and im probably wrong) is that they were (or were made) aware of the unfortunate double entendre and chose to ignore it…

    maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis

    which is all they ever wanted[/quote]

    We do all realize that had either 11 or 13 people died in that fire we wouldn’t even be talking about this, right?

    Only common thread, and it is fiber-optic thin, is the number 12. The A&M lore in question is about one particular student, a 12th man. Not about 12 students in any form whatsoever.

    But sports fans can be among to most irrational, ridiculously sensitive people on the planet, so I’m not surprised there was backlash.

    “You’re wearing dark blue jeans to a Bears-Packers game at Lamebau? Obviously you’re a Bears fan.” Um…no, I’m wearing jeans…and they’re bluejeans.

    —Ricko[/quote]
    Okay kids…. it is not about 12 people dying – that is a coincidence! It is about what the 12th man symbolizes (link)- and in the wake of the bonfire tragedy (freshly brought to our minds with the 1oth anniversary news stories – but hardly a one day thought since the anniv was on the 18th and THIS whole week leading up to the game is Bonfire Week) a poke at the 12th man symbolism would be inappropriate. Not horrific, just “oh, we should maybe pull that since they are wearing special helmets and all.”

    [quote comment=”363091″][quote comment=”363090″]… and the original Colts were green and gray. I’ve seen one of the unis on display in Canton.

    I spotted the USFL footage in the “SpongeBob” episode, too. Made me smile.

    Speaking of: ESPN is running a 30 for 30 marathon from 3-7p EST this Turkey Day. Kings Ransom, Muhammad and Larry, Without Bias, and USFL.”[/quote]

    USFL footage (Bandits and somebody) on THE MENTALIST last season, too[/quote]

    I watch that show. I must have missed that particular episode.

    Hey, speaking of those 30 for 30 documentaries, how have they been? Aside from the fantastic USFL one (got two copies on tape now), I haven’t heard a lot about the others.

    Interesting article on the manufacturing of NBA uniforms from MSNBC.com

    “WASHINGTON – The official uniforms for NBA players could soon be made in Asia.

    Sports apparel maker Adidas plans to end its contract with American suppliers and move production to a factory in Thailand. . . .”

    link

    [quote comment=”363114″]
    Okay kids…. it is not about 12 people dying – that is a coincidence! It is about what the 12th man symbolizes (link)- and in the wake of the bonfire tragedy (freshly brought to our minds with the 1oth anniversary news stories – but hardly a one day thought since the anniv was on the 18th and THIS whole week leading up to the game is Bonfire Week) a poke at the 12th man symbolism would be inappropriate. Not horrific, just “oh, we should maybe pull that since they are wearing special helmets and all.”[/quote]

    thank ya tex

    perhaps i didn’t do so well ‘splainin…you did a much better job than i

    for the last time (cuz im done)…it was NOT an insidious plot by nike to invoke the bonfire, but once it was brought to light, it was insensitive AT BEST and downright stupid (at worst) for them to KEEP the slogan…in light of the double entendre

    all i was saying is someone at nike had to know (or be made aware) of it and chose NOT to change their marketing department’s slogan … unless, as tom has pointed out, now they have

    if so, score one for decency

    LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.

    A comment from the NY Daily News article on the new Mets jersey:

    “Some of my idiot Mets fans just dont understand that orange doesnt sell.I am glad the Mets are showing less orange these days.The black jerseys are fine.It is funny the old timers dont like the Black jerseys.You old timers are the same ones who still rock a mustache.The mustache has been played out since the late 80’s but you Keith Hernandez wanna be just cant let it go.”

    That’s why the Mets won’t ditch the black (unfortunately), and goes to Phil’s point from above (#86).

    Sort’ve uni-related…

    Are you in favor of dressing up tailgate coolers and icemakers in college team colors?

    link

    [quote comment=”363117″][quote comment=”363114″]
    Okay kids…. it is not about 12 people dying – that is a coincidence! It is about what the 12th man symbolizes (link)- and in the wake of the bonfire tragedy (freshly brought to our minds with the 1oth anniversary news stories – but hardly a one day thought since the anniv was on the 18th and THIS whole week leading up to the game is Bonfire Week) a poke at the 12th man symbolism would be inappropriate. Not horrific, just “oh, we should maybe pull that since they are wearing special helmets and all.”[/quote]

    thank ya tex

    perhaps i didn’t do so well ‘splainin…you did a much better job than i

    for the last time (cuz im done)…it was NOT an insidious plot by nike to invoke the bonfire, but once it was brought to light, it was insensitive AT BEST and downright stupid (at worst) for them to KEEP the slogan…in light of the double entendre

    all i was saying is someone at nike had to know (or be made aware) of it and chose NOT to change their marketing department’s slogan … unless, as tom has pointed out, now they have

    if so, score one for decency[/quote]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.

    [quote comment=”363112″]Also, is anyone else hearing that Pitt may wear throwbacks for the Backyard Brawl on Friday night at WVU? Wannstedt said a few things more than a few times this year about it, but I have not seen any Pictures….[/quote]

    Aaaah, if only…
    link
    Not quite what I was looking for, but close.

    Here’s a nice collection of old Backyard Brawl programs:
    link

    [quote comment=”363123″][quote comment=”363117″][quote comment=”363114″]
    Okay kids…. it is not about 12 people dying – that is a coincidence! It is about what the 12th man symbolizes (link)- and in the wake of the bonfire tragedy (freshly brought to our minds with the 1oth anniversary news stories – but hardly a one day thought since the anniv was on the 18th and THIS whole week leading up to the game is Bonfire Week) a poke at the 12th man symbolism would be inappropriate. Not horrific, just “oh, we should maybe pull that since they are wearing special helmets and all.”[/quote]

    thank ya tex

    perhaps i didn’t do so well ‘splainin…you did a much better job than i

    for the last time (cuz im done)…it was NOT an insidious plot by nike to invoke the bonfire, but once it was brought to light, it was insensitive AT BEST and downright stupid (at worst) for them to KEEP the slogan…in light of the double entendre

    all i was saying is someone at nike had to know (or be made aware) of it and chose NOT to change their marketing department’s slogan … unless, as tom has pointed out, now they have

    if so, score one for decency[/quote]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.[/quote]

    Besides, sensitivity hasn’t been a characteristic of those rivalries. Didn’t Bevo once get shot and killed by someone in the stands?
    The Baylor bear has been kidnapped at least once.
    A horse mascot (the Red Raider?) was taken and returned pregnant.
    And there are other stories.

    I dunno. Maybe it’s good thing to tone it down a bit.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363123″]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.[/quote]
    What exactly are you saying? The Texas A&M thing is completely inadvertent, but Nike is actually trying to tie their “Pro Combat” campaign in with the Virginia Tech mass murder?

    And I’m pretty sure it had been gotten the fuck over before you posted that diatribe.

    [quote comment=”363127″][quote comment=”363123″]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.[/quote]
    What exactly are you saying? The Texas A&M thing is completely inadvertent, but Nike is actually trying to tie their “Pro Combat” campaign in with the Virginia Tech mass murder?

    And I’m pretty sure it had been gotten the fuck over before you posted that diatribe.[/quote]
    There were multiple, and I mean multiple ways to connect the dots with how what they did at Virginia Tech could be considered bad. Parking the SWAT Vehicle within view of Norris Hall? There’s one. Moving it to directly in front of the April 16th Memorial and setting up a makeshift store? There another. Plastering it with ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets? Yet another. Doing all this for a game against Maryland when they’re wearing uniforms to support the Wounded Warrior Project? Wait… yep, another. I could go on and on.

    With Texas, you’re blasting them because they came up with the ‘It Only Takes 11′ or whatever that pokes fun at their obsession with the ’12th Man’ (TM). Your ONLY point of contention is that the Bonfire thing happened 10 years ago and HAPPENED to include 12 students. Had it been 13 students, no issue, yet you bet Nike would still be using the same slogan. Its really only bad because its coincidental, and only coincidental if you really sit back and dissect the situation. With VaTech, they put the situation right up front and center on Virginia Tech’s campus. Thats where the difference lies.

    [quote comment=”363129″][quote comment=”363127″][quote comment=”363123″]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.[/quote]
    What exactly are you saying? The Texas A&M thing is completely inadvertent, but Nike is actually trying to tie their “Pro Combat” campaign in with the Virginia Tech mass murder?

    And I’m pretty sure it had been gotten the fuck over before you posted that diatribe.[/quote]
    There were multiple, and I mean multiple ways to connect the dots with how what they did at Virginia Tech could be considered bad. Parking the SWAT Vehicle within view of Norris Hall? There’s one. Moving it to directly in front of the April 16th Memorial and setting up a makeshift store? There another. Plastering it with ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets? Yet another. Doing all this for a game against Maryland when they’re wearing uniforms to support the Wounded Warrior Project? Wait… yep, another. I could go on and on.

    With Texas, you’re blasting them because they came up with the ‘It Only Takes 11′ or whatever that pokes fun at their obsession with the ’12th Man’ (TM). Your ONLY point of contention is that the Bonfire thing happened 10 years ago and HAPPENED to include 12 students. Had it been 13 students, no issue, yet you bet Nike would still be using the same slogan. Its really only bad because its coincidental, and only coincidental if you really sit back and dissect the situation. With VaTech, they put the situation right up front and center on Virginia Tech’s campus. Thats where the difference lies.[/quote]
    I never blasted anyone. And I don’t necessarily disagree with you.

    My ONLY point of contention is that you’re basically saying, “All you whiners have no reason to whine so shut the fuck up and listen to my whining.”

    [quote comment=”363129″]
    With Texas, you’re blasting them because they came up with the ‘It Only Takes 11′ or whatever that pokes fun at their obsession with the ’12th Man’ (TM). Your ONLY point of contention is that the Bonfire thing happened 10 years ago and HAPPENED to include 12 students. Had it been 13 students, no issue, yet you bet Nike would still be using the same slogan. Its really only bad because its coincidental, and only coincidental if you really sit back and dissect the situation. With VaTech, they put the situation right up front and center on Virginia Tech’s campus. Thats where the difference lies.[/quote]

    so what’s your point?

    you want more righteous indignation for what they did at va tech and less for what they’re doing with texas/a&m?

    im pretty sure i was plenty pissed at the combat vehicles in blacksburg, but i can’t also be pissed at their insensitivity over the bonfire?

    neither act by nike was sensitive…what they did at va tech was particularly noxious, but that doesn’t make a&m’s tragedy any less touchy (maybe you don’t feel that way, but perhaps i and others do)

    what, exactly, is the problem then? and please don’t ever tell me to “get the fuck over” anything again, ok?

    [quote comment=”363129″][quote comment=”363127″][quote comment=”363123″]
    Perhaps its just me, but with the whole thing being as much of a stretch to connect the dots as it is, this whole thing just reeks of WFTSOF (Whining For The Sake Of Whining). What happened in Blacksburg was a legitimate complaint. They parked a Nike SWAT Vehicle no more than 100 yards away from the location of the worst school shooting in history that happened 2 years ago. Not only that but it declared ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets. OK, thats bad. Thats a legit complaint.

    But to blast them for an unwitty slogan that pokes fun of the Aggies for their obsession with the 12th Man (remember when Texas A&M tried to cease and decist that with the Seahawks? Yeah…) because a tragic event a few years ago coincidentally happened to involve 12 deaths? Yeah, I’m sorry, but thats a bit over the top. Its especially ironic when you realize Texas A&M was sued by Texas a few years ago for selling t-shirts with the Longhorn logo with the horns sawed off.

    In other words… Get the fuck over it.[/quote]
    What exactly are you saying? The Texas A&M thing is completely inadvertent, but Nike is actually trying to tie their “Pro Combat” campaign in with the Virginia Tech mass murder?

    And I’m pretty sure it had been gotten the fuck over before you posted that diatribe.[/quote]
    There were multiple, and I mean multiple ways to connect the dots with how what they did at Virginia Tech could be considered bad. Parking the SWAT Vehicle within view of Norris Hall? There’s one. Moving it to directly in front of the April 16th Memorial and setting up a makeshift store? There another. Plastering it with ‘Prepare for Combat’ at a school known for its Corps of Cadets? Yet another. Doing all this for a game against Maryland when they’re wearing uniforms to support the Wounded Warrior Project? Wait… yep, another. I could go on and on.

    With Texas, you’re blasting them because they came up with the ‘It Only Takes 11′ or whatever that pokes fun at their obsession with the ’12th Man’ (TM). Your ONLY point of contention is that the Bonfire thing happened 10 years ago and HAPPENED to include 12 students. Had it been 13 students, no issue, yet you bet Nike would still be using the same slogan. Its really only bad because its coincidental, and only coincidental if you really sit back and dissect the situation. With VaTech, they put the situation right up front and center on Virginia Tech’s campus. Thats where the difference lies.[/quote]

    Why would using the phrase “Prepare For Combat” on a campus that is known for military a bad thing?

    Isn’t that, ya know, what they should be doing?

    Basically, this comment section is the only place I have heard anyone bitch or moan about either…and I hate to think it stems from this site’s obsessive hatred for Nike.

    [quote comment=”363103″][quote comment=”363102″][quote comment=”363096″]The Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Packers, Cowboys, and 49ers all have the same template with different colors.[/quote]
    Why? Because they all have stripes?

    I’m having a hard time finding a common thread among all nine teams.[/quote]

    jets and colts don’t even have stripes…they have truncated loops[/quote]

    Plus all those uniforms developed in different eras. The one unifying element to all those looks is that (by and large) the teams were successful wearing those uniforms. For example the Lombardi-style Packer’s uniforms have little in common with other sets from the team’s long history. What they do have attached is the memory of the glory years of the Lombardi dynasty. Memory of success affects the classic quality of a set. Same way that memories of losing sometimes prompt teams to go in new directions.

    [quote comment=”363128″][quote comment=\”363111\”]link?[/quote]
    You got me on the Chiefs and Bears helmets, but you do have to admit that these all look pretty similar.

    link
    link
    link
    link
    link
    link
    I don’t think I’d use the word “template” to describe the similarities, but I can see your point. They all have stripèd sleeves and stripèd pants. No unusual piping or truncated lines to be found.

    Of the 17 teams that have won the Super Bowl

    Green Bay
    New York Jets
    Kansas City Chiefs
    Indianapolis (Baltimore) Colts
    Dallas Cowboys
    Miami Dolphins
    Pittsburg Steelers
    Oakland (LA) Raiders
    San Francisco 49ers
    Washington Redskins
    Chicago Bears
    New York Giants
    Denver Broncos
    Baltimore Ravens
    New England Patriots
    Tampa Bay Bucs

    Only the Rams and Giants currently have radically different uniforms from when they won their first Super Bowl. The Giants have also won a Super Bowl in the current duds. The Dolphins and Steelers have made minor changes but are still recognizable. Some of these teams have changed to different sets (such as the Jets and 49ers) only to revert back to the one that brought them success.

    My company, Halcyon Days Productions, was the USFL production company – the NFL Films of the USFL. When the league went out of business, they ceded the ownership of the footage library to myself and my partner, Mike Tollin. Ever since, we have licensed footage from USFL games to virtually anyone who wanted to buy it. This included all of the people who were unable to pay the NFL’s rates or somehow were excluded by their sensibilities. For years, the Canadian Lottery licensed our footage for their commercials because the NFL wouldn’t sanction the gambling element. Same thing for the movie Against All Odds. We sold a lot of footage to the HBO series 1st and 10, starring OJ Simpson, which the NFL certainly didn’t sanction due to lots of gratuitous toplessness and all kinds of nefarious behavior. Through the years, the best customers have been the TV set companies, who need football footage to sell new sets every fall. They all believe that football footage is the only way to sell TV sets. The single best sale we ever made was to the movie Gladiator, not for use in the movie, but rather for the TV commercials that showed a shot of a sold-out Jacksonville Stadium morphing into a shot from the movie with the voice-over line “Today, we watch football. Then, they watched Gladiators.”

    The model USFL franchise was the Tampa Bay Bandits and their slogan, All the Fun the Law Allows, could well have been the motto for the whole league. It was an exciting venture fueled by the youthful exuberance of the young players and team personnel, many of whom were in their first jobs. Then, of course, there was the sense that we were the sexier alternative to the dowdy old No Fun League. It was a shame that the USFL only lasted the three years, but the footage lives on in my garage and in television shows and movies.

    Gary Cohen

    I’m going to take a guess here…

    I’m quite certain that Nike’s pitch to VaTech would have included a number of elements seen on campus that day considering the massive rollout of this marketing campaign.

    If the AD was dumb enough to let Nike in the side door by only considering the cash that Nike was dumping outside his door, then you get what you deserve.

    And the same goes for Texas A&M.

    I’m not being cruel or heartless here, but I doubt that Nike would have held back on their slogans and marketing when selling the Athletic Directors on how they were going to aggressively market these individual campaigns.

    So where does the fault lie? The ignorant executives at Nike, or the people who allowed Nike to come into their schools and use these marketing tools?

    Sometimes, there are four fingers pointing back at you when your index finger is assigning blame.

    Paul —

    I would never tell you how to run your site, but…

    UniWatch Profile STAT on Mr. Cohen!

    [quote comment=”363138″]I’m going to take a guess here…

    I’m quite certain that Nike’s pitch to VaTech would have included a number of elements seen on campus that day considering the massive rollout of this marketing campaign.

    If the AD was dumb enough to let Nike in the side door by only considering the cash that Nike was dumping outside his door, then you get what you deserve.

    And the same goes for Texas A&M.

    I’m not being cruel or heartless here, but I doubt that Nike would have held back on their slogans and marketing when selling the Athletic Directors on how they were going to aggressively market these individual campaigns.

    So where does the fault lie? The ignorant executives at Nike, or the people who allowed Nike to come into their schools and use these marketing tools?

    Sometimes, there are four fingers pointing back at you when your index finger is assigning blame.[/quote]
    Go for it… Blast the VaTech AD as much as you want. The guy has been a money-whore for years.

    [quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?

    today’s interview was gold, GOLD. GOOOOOLD!
    (sorry jeremy, i somehow posted this under the panther, but wanted you to know how much i enjoyed the interview, so i cut and pasted here. anyway, yeah, awesome read)

    they remade the bad lieutenant? is that for real? that has got to be a lie. have we been reduced to this as a culture? i hate remakes anyway, but tbl? if this is the cannon we are going to pull from, let me announce here and now that i am remaking link. if you don’t have 4 minutes 5 seconds, start at the 2 minute mark, you will not be disappointed. let’s cast it, who plays knotts? lipS? really, the bad lieutenant?

    [quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,

    not to ruin everybody’s party but the “Only Takes 11” deal was supposed to reference a famous Texas team that played 11 guys both ways. it was not a direct shot at the Ags 12th Man, the bonfire, global warming, the fall of western civilization due to the increased consumption of refined sugar or changes in bird migration due to airline traffic.

    sometimes we really over think things here. Nike is prolly way too busy counting money to come up with any of this stuff we accuse them of. they call a school and an SID (or his grad assistant) whips up a list of stuff that goes with the school and they shoot it back to Nike. they try out some slogans on teen-agers, go with what they like and head over to accounting to watch the shekels pour in.

    For those who have Facebook, I know of a lady who works in Marketing for the Brewers. She is doing a special this off season called “There is no off season for…”

    Today she did a cool interview with the Director of Ground at Miller Park. They officially put Miller Park to rest for the winter today. Here is the link if you have Facebook. Hopefully it works without you having to be her friend:
    link

    apparently they are upset on one of the longhorn boards about nike changing the slogan…(fixed — originally said aggies)

    first comment: “Our original “Slogan” for our Turkey Day unis were – “It Only Takes Eleven”

    Our new “Slogan” – TEXAS FIGHT

    I want to know who the fuck whined about that enough to get NIKE to change it.”

    beautiful

    [quote comment=”363148″]Looks like a Horn board to me….[/quote]

    yeah…it is…im an idiot…had the aggies on my mind

    will fix

    No sweat. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t trying to portray us Aggies as being as whiny as the Horns are. ;-)

    [quote comment=”363142″]today’s interview was gold, GOLD. GOOOOOLD!
    (sorry jeremy, i somehow posted this under the panther, but wanted you to know how much i enjoyed the interview, so i cut and pasted here. anyway, yeah, awesome read)

    they remade the bad lieutenant? is that for real? that has got to be a lie. have we been reduced to this as a culture? i hate remakes anyway, but tbl? if this is the cannon we are going to pull from, let me announce here and now that i am remaking link. if you don’t have 4 minutes 5 seconds, start at the 2 minute mark, you will not be disappointed. let’s cast it, who plays knotts? lipS? really, the bad lieutenant?[/quote]
    It’s not a remake. It’s a documentary about the band.

    No, seriously. link.

    [quote comment=”363146″]For those who have Facebook, I know of a lady who works in Marketing for the Brewers. She is doing a special this off season called “There is no off season for…”

    Today she did a cool interview with the Director of Ground at Miller Park. They officially put Miller Park to rest for the winter today. Here is the link if you have Facebook. Hopefully it works without you having to be her friend:
    link

    here…

    link

    I don’t know if this is new or not. I was watching the Montreal-Columbus game and I noticed Carey Price was wearing his old mask.

    [quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    I don’t have the whole game, but I do have some highlights…and the Jiminy Cricket pass. Hey, yeah, 25 Thanksgiving Fridays ago was when the Flutie play happened. Thanks for the reminder, leon. I’m getting that tape out very soon.

    [quote comment=”363143″][quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,[/quote]

    Works for me!

    [quote comment=”363137″]My company, Halcyon Days Productions, was the USFL production company – the NFL Films of the USFL. When the league went out of business, they ceded the ownership of the footage library to myself and my partner, Mike Tollin. Ever since, we have licensed footage from USFL games to virtually anyone who wanted to buy it. This included all of the people who were unable to pay the NFL’s rates or somehow were excluded by their sensibilities. For years, the Canadian Lottery licensed our footage for their commercials because the NFL wouldn’t sanction the gambling element. Same thing for the movie Against All Odds. We sold a lot of footage to the HBO series 1st and 10, starring OJ Simpson, which the NFL certainly didn’t sanction due to lots of gratuitous toplessness and all kinds of nefarious behavior.

    Through the years, the best customers have been the TV set companies, who need football footage to sell new sets every fall. They all believe that football footage is the only way to sell TV sets. The single best sale we ever made was to the movie Gladiator, not for use in the movie, but rather for the TV commercials that showed a shot of a sold-out Jacksonville Stadium morphing into a shot from the movie with the voice-over line “Today, we watch football. Then, they watched Gladiators.”

    The model USFL franchise was the Tampa Bay Bandits and their slogan, All the Fun the Law Allows, could well have been the motto for the whole league. It was an exciting venture fueled by the youthful exuberance of the young players and team personnel, many of whom were in their first jobs. Then, of course, there was the sense that we were the sexier alternative to the dowdy old No Fun League. It was a shame that the USFL only lasted the three years, but the footage lives on in my garage and in television shows and movies.

    Gary Cohen[/quote]

    Mr. Cohen, if you want to clear up some garage space, I’d be willing to hold on to some of those films for you…

    Seriously, you and Mike did a great job covering that wonderfully fun league. Thanks for the memories.

    Do you sell footage to people for home viewing?

    [quote comment=”363089″]Hey! How’s this for a solution to the “Redskins” nickname thing?

    Redskins change color to a bit more maroon and, to trade off the strong NFL history nearby, become the…

    WASHINGTON CLOTS

    Okay, okay, not a good as BALTIMORE Clots.

    —Ricko[/quote]

    Somewhere, Frank Robinson was snickering while watching the Skin’s game.

    [quote comment=”363143″][quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,[/quote]

    True story. My friend in HS, Dave Gislason, and I are in my room watching the Vikes/Cowboys. On my little B&W Sony. I turn to him and say, “Staubach’s gonna throw a TD right now.”

    Boom.

    Best clutch QB ever, along with Joe Cool.

    [quote comment=”363165″][quote comment=”363143″][quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,[/quote]

    True story. My friend in HS, Dave Gislason, and I are in my room watching the Vikes/Cowboys. On my little B&W Sony. I turn to him and say, “Staubach’s gonna throw a TD right now.”

    Boom.

    Best clutch QB ever, along with Joe Cool.[/quote]

    I still think Drew Pearson pushed off, though.

    Didn’t like him, or the other #88 for the Cowboys, but I did repsect Mr. Staubach. He, Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith were about the only Cowboys I ever liked.

    [quote comment=”363165″][quote comment=”363143″][quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,[/quote]

    True story. My friend in HS, Dave Gislason, and I are in my room watching the Vikes/Cowboys. On my little B&W Sony. I turn to him and say, “Staubach’s gonna throw a TD right now.”

    Boom.

    Best clutch QB ever, along with Joe Cool.[/quote]

    Wow – high praise indeed for Mr. Flacco.

    [quote comment=”363166″][quote comment=”363165″][quote comment=”363143″][quote comment=”363141″][quote comment=”363119″]LI Phil said:

    “maybe it’s all conspiracy theories, but once again, we’re talking about the nike unis”

    Well, you are… ;)

    I’m just choosing to ignore them from now on. And yes, folks, that means no more SoD jokes from me. We can all breathe easy now.

    In fact, if the Ducks play the Bucks in Pasadena, I’ll probably skip it. I have plenty of old games on tape, maybe I’ll watch the Penn State/Oregon Rose Bowl again. That was a nice matchup.[/quote]

    Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    Excuse me. It was the BLUE FAIRY who granted Pinocchio’s wish to become a real boy. Jiminy Cricket only sang the song.

    Therefore, that should be the “Doug Flutie Blue Fairy against Miami”.

    And the” Drew Pearson Blue Fairy” vs. Minnesota.

    I think we’d all agree that has far more dignity than “Jiminy Cricket.”

    —Ricko

    Erego,[/quote]

    True story. My friend in HS, Dave Gislason, and I are in my room watching the Vikes/Cowboys. On my little B&W Sony. I turn to him and say, “Staubach’s gonna throw a TD right now.”

    Boom.

    Best clutch QB ever, along with Joe Cool.[/quote]

    I still think Drew Pearson pushed off, though.

    Didn’t like him, or the other #88 for the Cowboys, but I did repsect Mr. Staubach. He, Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith were about the only Cowboys I ever liked.[/quote]

    I dunno. Seen that play more times than I can count and it still looks to me like Pearson and Nate Wright were handfighting all the way down the field, and Wright stumbled when he turned just as Pearson was doing one last slap-and-tickle.

    Think the official did the right thing with a no-call cuz it could have gone either way.

    Just not the time to make a call like that. No one got bumped of their line and it looks—seriously—as if Wright, instead of staying with the receiver, turned when he thought he’d reached the limits of Staubach’s arm, expecting the ball to be there. He was wrong.

    —Ricko

    [quote comment=”363141″]Does that include the Doug Flutie Jiminy Cricket against Miami?[/quote]

    now…has that play been referred to more times as the hail flutie or the magic flutie?

    Anyone notice the Fort Hood “III Corps and Subordinate Units” sticker on the Texas A&M helmet. Very cool.

    Hooah!

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