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In Which I Finally Find God (and it has 22 heads, just like I always figured)

The highlight of my recent trip to St. Louis wasn’t the food (although I’ll get to that tomorrow) or the Uni Watch party (ditto) or the croquet (ditto-ditto). It was the visit that Marty Hick, Robert Marshall, and I took to the very wonderful City Museum, a place I’d been meaning to check out for over a decade. And it was totally worth the wait, in no small part because of the incredible circa-1870 shoelace braiding machine they have. It was completely mesmerizing — seriously, I could’ve stared at it all day.

And get this: I always thought aglets (the little plastic tips at the ends of the shoelace) were made out of crimped plastic. But it turns out that each one actually starts out as a little squirt of liquid that gets heat-hardened. Check it out:

Cool, right? And here’s another great thing about the City Museum: They have a print of Stan the Man swinging a corn dog.

I’ll have the rest of my St. Looey report tomorrow. As for today, there’s a new ESPN column, and I don’t mind saying it’s a doozy. Enjoy.

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Now THAT was fun: My thanks to the several readers who said hi and last night’s Pop-Up Magazine event, and especially to Scott Gleeson Blue, who made the trip up from Philly and sat next to me as my plus-one after winning last week’s ticket raffle. Really enjoyed meeting him, and seeing everyone else.

The event itself was awesome — much better than I’d expected (and my expectations were pretty high). Everyone seemed to think my segment, which was about the pervasive spread of baseball caps into every nook and cranny of modern life, went pretty well, but really, everyone’s segment went well.

The little head shot of me was drawn by the event’s on-site illustrator, who was doing sketches of the performers and audience members all night. I didn’t realize until later that he’s also the Every Person in New York guy.

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New sponsor shout-out: As you may have noticed in the right sidebar, we have a new advertiser: Photo File is now offering a product called Uniframes, which is sort of like a giant Uni Watch membership card based on your favorite player’s jersey. They sent me a sample Uniframe (I had them base it on Jose Reyes’s jersey — “Do it quick, while he’s still a Met,” I said), and I’m impressed by the quality of the graphics and the framing. And at $60, they’re reasonably priced. If you’re looking for a good Father’s Day gift, this should fit the bill.
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Uni Watch News Ticker: Turns out there was a typo in the Wizards’ unveiling after all! Check out the highlighted line in their press release. “In other words, they’re suggesting that the team used to be the Washington Buiiets,” says A.J. Frey. “If it were any other letter on the keyboard — o, k, p, etc. — I could see it just being a typo. But I have a feeling that someone looked at the old logo and really thought the arms were the letters ii.” ”¦ The net is closing on Charlie Samuels. ”¦ Current cover of SI shows a really great close-up of someone doubling up on NBA socks (with thanks to Gabriel Luis Manga). ”¦ Wisconsin is my favorite state, but I may have to re-think that in light of this news. ”¦ New fifth-anniversary set for the Green Bay Bullfrogs. “Can’t say I’m impressed, but I’ve never been a fan of the name,” says Ray Barrington. ”¦ Someone has gotten the idea of repurposing old sports trophy figurines into a coat rack (thanks, Kirsten). ”¦ A Pennsylvania sheriff candidate has ripped off the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup script for his campaign advertising, and the folks at Hershey are not amused (with thanks to Jeremy Richardson). ”¦ Ian Carr has designed a series of MLB team posters. ”¦ Here’s a disturbing but really effective animation showing how Wal-Mart has spread like a rash across America (Kirsten again). ”¦ More G.I. Joe dress-up on tap, this time at Texas A&M (with thanks to William Banowsky). ”¦ “New uniforms this fall for Texas Tech,” says Ryan Vidrine. “No one can find anything official from the school, but we anticipate the announcement in late summer.” ”¦ Here’s something unique: an L.A. Angels “lap robe” (good find by Larry Brunt). ”¦ New uniforms for the Lancaster Barnstormers (with thanks to Lee Wilds). ”¦ In a development that will probably not be part of Roger McDowell’s sensitivity training, it turns out that Jonathan Sanchez of the Giants has “Dirty 57” on his glove — in other words, “Dirty Sanchez.” As Dan Wohl points out, “Assuming one knows what ‘Dirty Sanchez’ refers to, it makes Billy Ripken’s ‘Fuck Face’ bat seem like nothing.” ”¦ Webmaster John Ekdahl is attending the TPC golf tourney. “This should sufficiently annoy you,” he wrote to me yesterday. “At the merchandise tent, you can buy your very own Tiger Woods golf shirt — and it will be the same one he wears on the course each day!”

 
  
 
Comments (151)

    I like the use of the hex symbol on the Barnstormers uniform. It would have made a nice hat logo too.

    I wish half the major league teams in *every* sport put as much thought in their branding as those Barnstormers uniforms. Their use of symbols is crafty and well thought-out.

    Believe me when I say an exhaustive amount of thought is put in by the creative teams, but many times, the marketers, merchandisers and team brass only see the dollar signs at the end of the tunnel.

    It does- except I hate the use of black. They used to be a heavy red team which looked much better.

    And I hate the Typography of the LB hate logo. The cursive L was so much better.

    Last night he Pirates announcers were highlighting the fact Paul Maholm has his sons name “Wyatt Maholm” on his glove. They did a pretty good zoom on it, but I do not have a DVR and could not grab the image.

    He left the game around the 5th, so I would say the 4th. It was definately after the ducks left the field

    Ovechkin is wearing his Caps gloves with the Russian national team. He is also taping his skates…maybe they are loose after wearing them all season? link

    the NHL season is over? that was quick

    so, did ovie or sid the kid win the cup this year?

    really? i thought the ovies (caps) and sids (pens) were the only teams in the league worth seeing/being seen…at least according to the all-knowing bettman

    wasn’t the winter classic, with the second appearance by the pens, supposed to be a eastern conference finals preview?

    i know nobody cares about seeing the rangers (or the two canadian teams from the original six) or the history involved there, so if you’re going to exclude teams like that from the biggest single-day event in the game, because NHL history is obviously unimportant, you definitely want to feature the two teams, at least one of whom will be in the finals, right?

    “wasn’t the winter classic, with the second appearance by the pens, supposed to be a eastern conference finals preview?”

    actually… yeah. lol. ‘cept for a wonky wrist from #8, the worst coach in the NHL coaching #8’s team, a loopy haed on #87’s shoulders, & and banged up knee from #71… looked good on paper though.

    or are you wondering why the NHL/NBC didn’t push that avs/leafs or wild/ranges WC? lol

    “you definitely want to feature the two teams, at least one of whom will be in the finals, right?”

    easy fix, just e-mail bettman this summer and tell him exactly who’s gonna be in the finals next year. no biggie…

    The NHL’s national broadcasts are worst then the MLB’s. I am sick of Caps/Pins/Red Wings the same as I am sick of Red Sox v Yankees.

    are you wondering why the NHL/NBC didn’t push that avs/leafs or wild/ranges WC? lol

    ~~~

    look, i’m no ranger fan (in fact, i detest them), so i’m certainly NOT pimping them for anything — but i think the NHL’s formula of pushing *stars* (and their supporting cast) over teams, particularly those with historical roots, is turning off anyone who they might have hoped to “bring back” to the game — in other words, former fans who want to give the NHL a second look, following the strike and subsequent rules changes (and the terrible aesthetic decision to eliminate white at home, as god intended)

    and i watched, and preferred the heritage classic, featuring the habs & flames FAR MORE than the almost-rained-out WC…

    who ever heard of a hockey game getting rained out? what is this, baseball?

    c’mon…play the games in the northern climes, and if you think playing in TO or MTL will turn off americans (i submit it wont), then at least play the game in minnesota or yankee stadium (which itself isn’t the best locale, but could work if they didn’t have to host a worthless college bowl the day before)

    believe me, i LOOOVVVEEE hockey, hate bettman, and i’m a white-at-homer till i die. also, for the record, thought it was odd the WC was going to be held here in pitt when announced (didn’t stop me from going though). but i think the NHL is in a crappy situation where it HAS to push the young stars over the classic matchups. “watered down” league, 4th amongst the 4 major sports, tough to figure out to the casual passer by, not as much instant (mindless) gratification as the NBA, etc… but that’s why i hate the whole “why sid/ovi/detroit/philly” attitude for the WC or NBC. it’s a showcase to draw new and young fans… and that’s their best product.

    (i missed the heritage classic though, was in iceland playing in a hockey tourney)

    We have to get past the mythology that only Original Six teams have historical roots. The Expansion Six teams have been in existence roughly 45 years, and the expansion teams in 70s have also been around long enough to generate their own history. I recall hearing some of this talk about too much recognition in the 90s, when the Pens won back to back Cups. Any pro league has a responsibility to push the premiere teams, especially those with young stars.

    There’s plenty of time for other northern climates to participate in outdoor games with 0riginal Six clubs. Whatever the NHL is doing is successful, as the TV ratings will attest, and when the Original Six teams have more success, they too, will be on TV more. I like history too, but how many Cups have the Leafs, Hawks, Bruins, and Rangers won since 1967-68? The Pens and Flyers have won the impressive total of five combined. Given those Original Six clubs had a roughly 40 year head start, it’s amazing they haven’t done better since the Expansion Six arrived. It’s also remarkable to me the four straight Cups by the Islanders in the 80s hasn’t gained more attention.

    As for Crosby, assuming he’s healthy, he and the Pens should be a strong Cup contender for at least a decade or more. Losing Crosby in January was akin to the Packers missing Aaron Rodgers, he was also the captain.

    I think what is missed in this equation is the NBC factor. They pushed for Boston-Philly in Fenway, and they pushed for Ovechkin-Crosby in Pittsburgh. The reason for these was due to the ratings windfall they would get so they can capitalize on advertising.

    While the NHL has no issue with a Buffalo-Pittsburgh matchup on New Year’s Day, it’s easier to draw less knowledgeable American fans into a somewhat-foreign sport where the two biggest stars are playing.

    Make no mistake: NBC’s coverage isn’t for the astute hockey fan. It’s for the fringe fan.

    @ Ry Co 40….worst coach in the NHL huh? Where’d ya come up with that nugget? Your idiot brain?

    ehhh… just the fact that his team has enough talent and star-power to beat up on FLA, ATL, CAR & TB every season… but can’t get them past the 2nd round of the playoffs (where coaching actually matters)… ever… is where i got that nugget. though as a die-hard penguins fan, i hope they keep him. LMAO

    Rule #1 of coaching…wipe the BBQ sauce off your face before a filmed interview.

    Sweeping comments, lack of knowledge, no real points made, contradictions…a fine ramble you have there LI Phil.

    1. The NHL ain’t what it used to be. It’s not about “growing up on your local pond” and playing in the blistering cold weather. Yes, that is how hockey started but the sport is reaching to all climates now. Hockey is becoming increasingly popular in Southern California, Arizona, Florida and other warm weather states. Roller hockey is now becoming a part of the hockey culture. I don’t think the NHL is entirely wrong to embrace these changes. I went to a game in Tampa Bay earlier this year and well, I had a good time. It’s still weird to walk out of the rink and into the 70 degree night but it’s change.

    2. It can rain in Yankee Stadium during January. So why do you propose this venue and still complain about the game being possibly rained out? I’m no ice condition expert but I think I’ll go with the experts’ opinions on whether the ice is playable or not in the rain than take your stance of “play in the rain dammit!” I agree winter classics should be played in the northern parts of America or in Canada.

    3. It ain’t baseball, that’s for sure. Every team can compete year in year out and that’s the beauty of a league with a salary cap. The Pens and Caps were a great matchup (I don’t even look at it as Sid vs. Ovie) and I love the unpredictable outcomes that occur in the NHL playoffs. If you want stability, be my guest and watch the MLB. You’ll see relatively same teams competing for the World Series every year, not my kind of sport.

    “…Sweeping comments, lack of knowledge, no real points made, contradictions…a fine ramble you have there…

    You say that like it might be a bad thing.

    It’s not about “growing up on your local pond” and playing in the blistering cold weather.

    Isn’t that exactly the spiel the NHL & NBC repeat ad nauseam when they’re promoting the Winter Classic?

    The NHL ain’t what it used to be.

    ~~~

    i’ll ignore the personal dig and stick to the facts as you outline them.

    yes, the NHL aint what it used to be…and if memory serves, it was, at one time, more popular than it is now

    i don’t begrudge the NHL trying to gain new fans in new markets…although you could argue that trying to move a game that most people haven’t even seen, much less played, is questionable marketing at best…be that as it may, hockey has enjoyed some success in the warmer climes, and good on the NHL for that

    it absolutely can rain at yankee stadium — i don’t know if it’s any more suitable for hockey than PNC, but i would be that minnesota, toronto or montreal would be far more *hospitable* than pittsburgh in january

    im simply arguing that there were better places than pittsburgh —

    also, i don’t have a problem with the penguins being in the winter classic; but you see, THEY ALREADY WERE — in buffalo, four years ago

    this is clearly a case of the NHL saying fuck giving teams who haven’t been showcased a chance, fuck history and fuck the historical roots (minnesota) … we want to get crosby on the air as much as possible

    and that’s fine, but my opinion is that’s NOT the way to win back “old” fans, like myself

    but i guess, because im not going to spent $200 on a polyester shirt, nor is my demographic, the NHL doesn’t care whether i become a fan again

    you’re right…the kids today play blade hockey as much as ice hockey…i guess because they have the most, what’s the term “spending (or purchasing) power” that’s all the NHL cares about

    people, rightfully, complain about the yankees and sawks being on national tv all the time — and they’re correct — i feel the same way about the pens and caps — show some other teams in your showcase game, ok? the caps were fine because they’d never been to the classic before, but the inclusion of the pens smacks of pushing a star over the league or it’s rich history

    and you know when hockey was great? back when teams WERE winning back to back cups…the flyers, the canadiens, the oilers, the isles — dynasties that were built and kept together

    you guys in cities that cry for a salary cap may enjoy the fact that “any team can win it” — that’s about as much fun as schoolyard ball where you choose up new sides every time…and if a non-salary cap season was so terrible (implying that teams who spend the most win all the time), how come the rangers won exactly ONE cup in the last seventy-one years?

    it’s not a salary cap that is helping hockey…but it is a dynasty killer — one of the things that made hockey actually great

    and as for baseball? lets see…in the past decade you’ve had NO repeat winners, and only the yankees and red sox have won more than one … so i wouldn’t say there’s much stability there

    and gusto — yes, the isles were a dynasty in the early 80s and did win 4 straight (almost five, if not for some guy named gretzky) … but do you think they deserve a national stage now?

    If you want stability, be my guest and watch the MLB. You’ll see relatively same teams competing for the World Series every year, not my kind of sport.

    Yeah, speaking of “lack of knowledge”…

    Last 10 World Series:
    Rangers/Giants
    Yankees/Phillies
    Phillies/Rays
    Red Sox/Rockies
    Cardinals/Tigers
    White Sox/Astros
    Red Sox/Cardinals
    Yankees/Marlins
    Angels/Giants
    Diamondbacks/Yankees

    14 different teams out of a possible 20, not one rematch. What a terrible league.

    Just because I like “facts” and am addicted to Wikipedia:

    Last 10 Stanley Cup Finals:
    Blackhawks/Flyers
    Penguins/Red Wings
    Red Wings/Penguins
    Ducks/Senators
    Hurricanes/Oilers

    Lightening/Flames
    Devils/Ducks
    Red Wings/Hurricanes
    Avalanche/Devils
    Devils/Stars

    13 out of a possible 20, plus a rematch. MLB wins.

    “although you could argue that trying to move a game that most people haven’t even seen, much less played, is questionable marketing at best”

    it’s horrible… PHX is only popular because they’re in the playoffs. DAL, SoFl, & ATL are empty. the NHL is spread to thin, and it’s hurting teams like COL, StL, & PITT (pre 87). i mean really NHL powers that be, moved a team out of hartford… then later move a team into columbus?!?! GENIUS!

    people can’t harp on the fact that PITT was in the WC twice. they’re a great, exciting team. sure they have #87… but they also have #29, #71, and one of the best young coaches in the league. it could have EASILY been PHI or DET though. i wonder if people would be bitching so much then?

    in fairness ben, i think when he said “relatively same teams competing for the World Series every year” i think he meant something like “same teams in the playoffs playing for a chance to go to the world series”, rather than actually playing in the world series. i’m a pirates fan, and could give a shit at this point (sorry if i don’t set my bar at .500 being a successful season, my bad). LOL

    it could have EASILY been PHI or DET though. i wonder if people would be bitching so much then?

    ~~~

    i’d be bitching at ANY repeat teams, at least with only 4 of them in the books…you play a 10th time and you’ll probably start to get some dupes

    my point isn’t to take a shot at the pens (only bettman’s poster child) — they may be a fine team, currently teeing off, of course — but they aint one of the original six

    the point, or at least what i thought the point, of the WC, was showcase OLD TIME HOCKEY — when it was played outdoors, in the elements…preferably in an old stadium, but that supply is now pretty much exhausted

    if they want to pimp their all stars and hot shots for the non fan, isn’t that what the ALL STAR GAME is for?

    that’s why im pissed…not at the pens, by any means…they just happen to be the repeat team, so they will take the brunt of my criticism

    but if it were buffalo, detroit, chicago, philly, or boston, i’d be just as pissed

    and im more royally pissed that the game hasn’t included the habs, leafs or rangers

    “i’d be bitching at ANY repeat teams, at least with only 4 of them in the books…you play a 10th time and you’ll probably start to get some dupes”

    my take on that:

    year 1 buffalo = TOTAL experiment
    years 2-5 even 6 = best possible matchups or “NBC eye candy” to build up the whole “legend/history” of the WC.

    beyond = giving TOR, MON, NY and even EDM, OTT, COL, their shot…

    as far as original 6 history goes right now… i’d be willing to bet that a good percentage… or… “way higher than sould be” percentage of people at the games or people watching at home (notice the non-use of the word “fans”), couldn’t name the original 6 teams. and WAY less than half of them actually knowing who the “next 6” are. sad, i know.

    Fuck the original six. I am so tired of the original six argument. Hockey needs to move forward with their overall mentality. The “good ole boy” or “that’s good old time hockey” mentality. These old goon Canadians running the league are killing it. By running it like they do they are holding back the skill and speed of the game by allowing no talent goons to take up roster spots. All the dirty hits to the head this year that were jokingly “punished” by Campbell is the best example. A guy gets blind sided by an elbow or someone leaves their feet to make a hit, and they call it good old time hockey. A hit to the head is a hit to the head.

    And the Pens being Bettman’s poster child is a bullshit comment. That’s why both players who hit Crosby in the head got ZERO punishment and Cooke was the only player in the league to get any sort of substantial suspension or fine. And don’t give me he was a repeat offender, because almost all the players who made these hits were and they got a fraction of what Cooke got. I never saw a league not protect their top player, and Crosby is their top player (cup win, gold medal, deep playoff runs, and individual awards to boot). What would happen is anyone tried to hit Brady in the head, or Lebron james, or throw at Pujols’ head? The gut wouls be out of the league. And the guys who hit Crosby weren’t even top guys, they were 3rd and 4th line role players.

    “Fuck the original six. I am so tired of the original six argument.”

    i take it you don’t live in a city with an original six franchise, then?

    lemme guess, you live in, or near, pittsburgh? awfully defensive there — and don’t think for a minute that the pens AREN’T special — they are, or rather, crosby is

    you make excellent points about brady, legone and pujols — they shouldn’t get special treatment either, but they do…again, the league is looking out for its bottom line rather than the spirit of the game

    maybe you buy into the “special stars deserve special treatment” but i don’t — and i hate that it happens in all sports

    ~~~

    “These old goon Canadians running the league are killing it.”

    what? you mean bettman and his lieutenants?

    you want to see european hockey, be my guest, but i for one LIKED the old time hockey — maybe you want to see ballet on ice, but there’s a thing called ice capades for that…i want players who can do it all — give a hit and take a hit

    and yes, drop the gloves occasionally

    hockey has always been and always will be a violent sport — it’s why touch football isn’t on television (well, maybe it is, but not on sunday at 1:00) — the speed, size and skill all combine for the occsional hit … and the fights are all a part of the game … you may not like them, but they’re part of the appeal (and if you don’t think so, why do the fans love em so and why are things like boxing and MMA so popular?)

    cheap shots? absolutely, penalize those who give them and kick em out of the league if they’re repeat offenders

    ask teebz how the new rules have screwed up the game — he’s far more articulate on it than i — he can tell you why the first guy to give a cheap shot gets away with murder and how teams aren’t allowed to even the score, like they used to…with the threat of the guy who gave the cheap shot to crosby having his own head handed to him removed, you’re gonna have more and more cheap shots doled out without retribution

    Yes I am a Pens fan. I agree with you that Crosby is special, that’s why I said the league failed in protecting their #1 asset. Fact is people (especially new fans of the game) tune into hockey and buy tickets to watch Crosby play 9as well as Ovechkin). I am not saying he deserves special treatment, i am saying by letting players get away with cheap shots is not good for the game. Point out to me where i said take hitting and fighting out of the game. i only said head shots. I mostly have a beef with Campbell because he was a talentless goon and he lets other talentless goons get away with murder (at some point someone might die from one of these hits). I’m pretty sure taking guys like Gilles out of the game isn’t going to ruin it. i love good physical hockey, played/watched it all my life. It when players cross the line without consequences is where the problem is. That is why the NHL is the #4 sport at best in this country. Crosby, Ovechkin, and Stamkos sell tickets and create new viewers. Why is that bad? If you love the sport, you should hope they play as much as possible to make the sport better and more exciting. Show me a player that works harder and respects the game more than Crosby.

    Explain to me what “old time hockey” is. It’s nothing. Watch a game between the Bruins and Canadians from 50 years ago, then watch a game between the Caps and Pens. What game do you think would be better to watch? Goaltending is better now, the game is faster now, the players are more skilled, and I would even say it’s more physical now. This whole over the line head hunting really didn’t come into the game until the 70’s with the Flyers. Actually, old time hockey was probably more tame due to less equipment and slower speeds. So to come full circle, I say we do need a little bit more of old time hockey.

    By the way, you don’t think Gretzky ever got special treatment, or Howe, or Richard? The great players always do, in every league, in every sport because the game needs them the most. Eliminate them and see how great it is to watch the games. You watch the games to see the best play and their best, not to get cut down by cheap shots by some palooka who can barely skate and chew gum at the same time. Crosby and Ovechkin (it pains me to give him credit) are the hardest workers, hardest hitters, and take their share of punishment on a nightly basis. They are the best for a reason.

    “By the way, you don’t think Gretzky ever got special treatment”

    oh, absolutely i do — gretzky, certainly more than his slight-predecessor/contemporary bossy, completely changed the game — the oilers definitely had guys they employed specifically to protect him, and im sure he whined plenty to the refs who were more than happy to protect him as well

    i’m sorry but i don’t like that…i realize the fans (and by extension the league) are there to see gretzky (or sid or ovie) and as such, it’s more than in the best interests of the bottom line to protect those assets…no player should EVER be “nullified” because of a cheap shot, but they also should be able to go after their fair share of pucks in the corner and take open ice hits that aren’t cheap

    chopblocks in football, throwing at a guys head, hacking a guy in hoop when he’s completely defenseless in the air (or cutting his legs) — all complete bullshit and all should have automatic expulsions for the perpetrators

    im not saying sid isn’t targeted — but if he gets concussed on a fair hit, that’s too bad…

    and i know sid is a scrapper…i’ve seen guys goad him into fighting and he hasn’t run away…im just saying he gets more than his fair share of protection and calls too…and i know why

    i just think the good, hard solid hits (and yes, fights) are all part of the game AND no small part of why fans watch — basically the shit they do we’d get arrested for assault and battery if we were to do it in real life — and there is definitely an allure to that…just like boxing and MMA…people want to see supreme athletes kicking the crap out of each other

    ~~~

    i just don’t enjoy olympic hockey (check that…i like the game because its on a bigger rink and nations are competing) but what drew me to the game was the hard-hitting, sometimes fighting, NHL…not the european game

    if the nhl really wants to open up the game (as the fans apparently want) they should make it 4-on-4 and either make the goals larger or the goalie equipment smaller

    but i think they want tight, close, fairly low-scoring games (not as bad as soccer, but not 7-6 games either) … and that’s what you get with 5-on-5 and smaller NHL rinks…and it’s always been good

    At this point I think we are essentially arguing the same point from different angles. Good talk, I’ll see you out there next time. (Tips his cap)

    Ben, I’m not talking about the final 2 teams. I’m talking about the overall level of competition. Usually the teams who can afford good pitching and hitting are usually in the thick of it. I don’t know much about baseball so I’m not going to get into it but the usual suspects usually are on during October (and November?)

    Phil,

    “…we want to get crosby on the air as much as possible and that’s fine, but my opinion is that’s NOT the way to win back “old” fans, like myself”

    So you’re saying you’re fine with NHL’s marketing? I’m confused as to what you’re fine with and what you’re not fine with. Personally, I think they’re selling a new product with a “little” history on the side. The NHL knows that hockey is viewed differently now than it was back in the day so they’re not going to endorse hockey exactly as the sport it was. There’s more of a finesse element to it and there’s a broader culture behind it. The total package the NHL is offering, with the new rules, are meant to be a compromise for the old fans and the new generational fans. Obviously staunch traditionalists like you aren’t too happy with the way it is. I’m still unhappy with some aspects of it (some teams should be contracted) and I agree that the Winter Classic should be played like the elements back in the day but at the same time, I’m not going to be “royally pissed” that history is not being mimicked. For the most part, I’m a happy NHL fan and am thoroughly enjoying myself this spring with playoff hockey. Maybe that’s the difference between us.

    I’m with you about Montreal and New York. I wouldn’t mind watching them but as a hockey fan I’m saying, I was excited to hear that the Caps were playing the Penguins. Just a good match up, and Pittsburgh is cold enough so why not. Next year if it is the Habs and the Bruins in Montreal, fine by me. And um, the Leafs suck. They don’t deserve anything for awhile.

    I think you’re just a tad bit obsessive with the Original 6. I don’t think the NHL has much to gain from marketing those teams except when they play each other in the regular season.

    here’s the rub

    im NOT fine with the way teams (or leagues) trample on tradition because they can

    what i’m *fine* with is this: the NHL is a business, like any other…they need to make money to survive…so they’re going to take whatever route they need to take to make the most money … i accept it, but it doesn’t mean i need to agree with it

    just like paul and his argument that schools should *not be for sale*

    sure, you may be able to provide the kids with new iPads and after school activities, but at what cost? renaming the school “the smithville nike high school” with swooshes and nike ads on everything?

    the NHL is doing what it feels it needs to do to survive/be competitive

    i don’t happen to like it, but that doesn’t make me right or the business model wrong

    “And um, the Leafs suck. They don’t deserve anything for awhile”

    …one of the best fan bases/markets in the NHL, but whatev…

    Again with the generalization. I disagree that NHL is “trambling” on tradition. They’re taking the sport into a new direction and modifying it a little bit, I don’t see much tradition being destroyed when they decide to air a Pens-Caps game as their showcase game.

    But we’re different fans with different viewpoints. You think this is radical, I think this is moderate, you think this is neglible, I think it’s outlandish. This is why we have uniwatchblog to discuss these changes.

    There are changes in sports that I don’t agree with and the examples you are suggesting haven’t actually happened yet so let’s bide our time and explode in rage when Oregon Ducks does becomes Oregon Swoosh Ducks.

    “I disagree that NHL is “trambling” on tradition. They’re taking the sport into a new direction and modifying it a little bit”

    ~~~

    exactly — to you this is progress…to me this is trampling (don’t know where you got the “b” from) on tradition

    and it’s fine to disagree…we both have opinions, neither of us is right or wrong, because there is no right or wrong

    you (and the NHL) feel they must need to change (for better or worse) to expand and grow, which you don’t think is at the expense of tradition, whereas i do

    i grew up with “white at home” (even though for most of the early history of the NHL most teams didn’t wear white — period — there was no “dark” at home mandate, just that teams had one color jersey, and then a second one if that clashed…but i digress)

    to me, the NHL spat upon tradition by going away from white at home because so many teams needed to add an alternate (third) jersey to boost jersey sales — some love this, others hate it…

    they spat upon tradition by adding overtime, then by adding a shootout if a winner wasn’t actually decided in overtime…what was wrong with ties?

    and when they finally, IMHO, did something really good for the sport — having the winter classic, i loved it — for the first three iterations; but all of a sudden they see the “bottom line” and decide…well, we don’t really need to give our fans any more sense of history, lets just shove ovie and sid down everyone’s throats because we can…they bought into outdoor hockey on new years day, so we’re good now

    i say…fuck that shit

    again, this isn’t a dig at the pens (or the caps) — but more the insistence of the NHL that one or two stars are MORE IMPORTANT than teams or the game

    you want to showcase ovie and sid, fine — have your all star game and your skills and whatever else they do on all star weekend

    but keep the Winter Classic CLASSIC … outdoors, old rules, old teams (or at least not repeats with a couple top jersey sellers) …give the fans a sense, for one day at least, of what old time hockey was…they go to great lengths to come up with great looking uniforms (for the most part), but that’s only so they can sell a fourth jersey it seems

    Just want to point out that I’m not in favor of the league physically expanding the number of teams, just the expansion of its influence and popularity. But yes, neither one of us is right or wrong.

    I respect your opinions and just disagree with them. Let’s hope we’re happy with the product later down the road!

    Ian Carr’s Reds poster exclaims, “Veni, Vidi, Votto!”, yet displays an image of Jay Bruce.

    Well, that’s two.

    I screwed up Matt Holliday too. Somehow.
    I suppose getting my reference images right before bed from BING! isn’t the best idea in the world.

    Ugh. Gives me an excuse to do more, I suppose….

    The Cardinals one says “It’s always better on Holliday” but shows a picture of Nick Punto.

    Someone else says Allan Craig. Either way, it’s wrong, and I AM going to fix it. And all the rest of the ones my tagline doesn’t match.

    Which shouldn’t be many, since I tried NOT to go for the name pun too often.

    My bad I posted this right after you. Don’t get me wrong, they are AWESOME!

    It’s okay. And thanks!
    I do like knowing that I’ve made mistakes. Gives me the chance to fix them!

    Hey Paul,

    That player doubling up on socks is Jason Terry, and he actually wears 5 pairs of socks each game. Not sure how he started, but apparently once at Arizona he failed to do so and scored 0 points, so now he wears them like that each game.

    I have no actual data, facts, or evidence to back me up, but I would venture to say that a vast majority of NBA and college ballers wear at least 2 pairs of socks…

    When I played basketball in high school, 2 pairs of socks were part of our uniform. It’s a habit that’s persisted, as I often go double-socked to this day.

    Paul,

    I wish I knew you were going to city museum in St.L, I grew up with the creative director, would have been happy to put you in touch.

    Congrats on Pop-Up, Paul. Reliable sources tell me it was cool, and you were very good.

    My thanks-to-UW obsession du jour is that trophy coat rack that Kirsten passed along. [Does K have a blog of her own? I love her recos.] My soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, chess kids own a zillion trophies, thanks to the everyone-is-valuable-in-his-or-her-own-very-special-way ethos of the Manhattan bourgeoisie. Their coats, hoodies, caps, soccer scarves (family favorite; the Pogues’ green-white-orange, with “KIss My Ass” in Irish), and assorted helmets all lie scattered everywhere …. There’s a suppy/demand project forming… although only a fool would think they’ll ever start hanging things up.

    I also really love the idea of repurposing trophies. It always makes me sad seeing old neglected trophies from times past when they use to mean something to someone. It is great to see another use for them instead of in the landfill.

    [Does K have a blog of her own? I love her recos.]

    Kirsten’s blog:
    link

    Her Project Neon tumblr:
    link

    Her Kickstarter campaign to help create a Project Neon iPhone app:
    link

    “Current cover of SI shows a really great close-up of someone doubling up on NBA socks”

    or

    “This week’s SI cover photo brought to you buy Reebok”

    According to that animation, Walmart’s reach stops at the US border. If only that were true…

    actually, though, you’re right–I don’t think they put all the international Walmarts in there… it shows South Africa, but not a lot of the other locations for some reason.
    link

    Does anyone else think the Walmart animation looks like the global thermal nuclear war simulation from the move War Games?

    It would enhance the effect if there were a missile tracing arc originating from Bentonville for every new Wal-Mart “explosion” on the map.

    wow – just e-mailed that to my friend and then read this. also, a little like the classic arcade game “missile command”…..

    The best information I gained from that data was that, apparently, the best place to live in the country is in North Dakota, just south of the Canadian border.

    First, I’d like to thank Jonathon Sanchez for helping me reach my weight loss goals.

    Second, I think that Mark Reece should have been a little weary when he first heard he’d be working with an advertising firm called “Imagineering” – I’m guessing the Disney folks wouldn’t be too pleased with use of that name.

    link

    You know the old saying “any press is good press”, maybe that’s what Reese was going for. At least that’s what I tell myself to keep the ongoing “people are stupid” thought from repeating in my mind every waking moment.

    I had an idea similar to UniFrames a while back, so I’m glad to see someone having executed it. I wasn’t in a position to try to figure out licensing, not my bag.

    Sidebar: I think I just made their site break…

    I’m actually working on a series of paintings with a similar concept right now, except I’m focusing on the fronts of the uniforms…

    Speaking of typos, from the Ticker:

    “New uniforms for the Lancaster Barnstromers…”

    You’re welcome. ;-)

    I used to think you were singling out Washington sports teams’ front offices for their errors but now I’m wondering if there’s just something in the Potomac or Anacostia that’s getting in their drinking water. Overall I think the Bullets’ new look and the Nats’ updated look are steps in the right direction but the front offices really need to start sweating the details, i.e., they need to Get Itâ„¢.

    …and as much as I like the current Nats’ road unis, I do wish they’d stuck with the solid navy cap. Watching them play the Braves last night was like watching an intrasquad scrimmage, even with my glasses on.

    Why not just wear a red cap all the time?

    What is the fascination so many teams have with wearing darker colors on their road caps?

    Indians & braves: blue/red at home, solid blue on the road
    Reds: solid red, red/black
    Mets: solid blue (officially), black/blue
    Cards & Nats: solid red/solid blue

    Oh, wait, the darker colors sell better, right?

    Umbro put up a video and some details on what Manchester City will be wearing in this Saturday’s FA Cup Final
    link

    With Tiger Woods off to a +5 start at the TPC, better get those weekend shirts while you can.

    Anyone else have the aglet song from “Phineas in Ferb” in their head now?

    Yeah, me neither.

    Yep; I’m almost surprised our host didn’t call it out but IIRC he doesn’t have young children so may not be aware of it.

    LMAO!!! That – the second version – is quite possibly my favorite show. So glad when the kids put it on, so I don’t have to watch it alone. It probably doesn’t hurt my oldest – a girl – is always trying to get her brothers in trouble, while the middle child doesn’t talk unless he has something significant to say, while our youngest never stops talking.

    In any case:

    link

    got’cha. i don’t have the cable, so i don’t see things like this. just like in my world the nhl only consists of the flyers, rangers, blackhawks, penguins, capitals, bruins, and red wings because i can only see hockey on nbc about 8 times a year.

    and speaking of hockey, and referring to the above thread, i see why they chose the pens and caps for the WC, it is their highest profile game of the year, so they are obviously going to show their biggest stars. but didn’t calgary also host one this year? if so, i think the point that nbc is shying away from canadian teams or O6 teams or whatever might be misguided. tell me i’m wrong, i’m sure i am.

    also, i have to say, when the nhl first went to dark at home i loved it because every team had some stupid alt that they would break out at home and it seemed to me like 1/2 the games where dark at home and 1/2 the games were white. so at first i loved he change because it made things consistant. i think only toronto actually had an alt that was white. anyway, that being said, in the time since the change , y’all have convinced me how wrong i was to like that decision, it does make it so that every teams home games essentially look the same. so i ask the white at home crowd this…if the nhl went back to white at home, what happens to the alts? only on the road? is it realistic to expect the teams not to use those at home? and if it isn’t, is it really better going back to white at home if they are not really always going to wear white at home?

    In my white-at-home-NHL world, they only wear them on the road, unless they’re like the Leafs & Stars and they have a white alt.

    But teams already wear their alts on the road, just less often than at home. My guess is that they’d continue to do this, with the proportions reversed — usually on the road, but sometimes at home.

    if the nhl went back to white at home, what happens to the alts?

    they get retired? would that really be so horrible?

    phil~
    retired? i said realistically what would happen. at least james is saying they could wear them on the road, that is if the league enforced it, and i don’t know that they would. but retired is just unrealistic. and this is the problem i see, i am all for white at home so you can go to the game and see the other teams colours, get some variety, but if we just go back to the way it was there really isn’t any standard. that’s all i am saying white at home would be great if that is what we would get, but would we get that?

    good call on the stars, forgot about them.

    TIGER is +5 THRU 7 HOLES…. THOSE SATURDAY/SUNDAY SHIRTS MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED UNDER “UNUSED PROTOTYPES”

    I found this cap on eBay which claims to be 1976 NL ASG cap: link

    Paul pointed out that it is certainly not a 76er because it does not match pics nor confirmed caps. link The stripes are blue and should be red; the N is slanted a bit too much; and the labels do not match.

    If it is not a 76 ASG cap, what is it? My theory is that it’s an early 1980s Minor League team cap.

    Anyone recognize it? Thanks!

    Check out the swooshbagery on this leaderboard chart. link,,00.html?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp . Looks like all Nike golfers get a swoosh by their name.

    Not always a smart move. If you’re trying to tell the world that your products are being used by the best in the business, it only works if the folks you work with are the best in the business.

    While I’ve really grown tired of this unrelenting search for Washington sports typos…

    “If it were any other letter on the keyboard – o, k, p, etc. – I could see it just being a typo. But I have a feeling that someone looked at the old logo and really thought the arms were the letters ii.”

    That’s really funny

    it may be less that people are looking for them, then it is washington teams keep making them. don’t you think? so when AJ submitted that text to the sight with the link, he was giving his spin, what is so wrong with that? unless you are the guy in charge of quality control for washington’s uniforms and the copy washington teams release, why are you so personally offended? it is pretty funny that the district does so consistently make mistakes cross the board that other teams and towns don’t, is it not?

    sorry, i read you wrong, you were saying it is funny, my bad. i guess this is as good of a time as any to reveal that i just got a job with the nationals and their editing team. golly i’m dumb.

    True, but the ‘i’ is right between the ‘o’ and the ‘k’ on the keyboard. Maybe he looked down, saw a capital ‘I’ and figured it to be a lowercase ‘l’?

    yeah, i am not buying rj’s assesment on how it happened, i was more commenting incorrectly on what i thought you were saying, but i was clearly off base.

    Awesome article, Paul, per usual.

    Here’s my favorite quote from Mr. Halfacre:

    the road jersey with the Red Sox-y lettering is classic — that’s my favorite Mets jersey, in fact, and they wanted to make big changes to that. But I said no, you don’t want to do that, you don’t need to overhaul your look.

    Thank G-d we didn’t lose that look entirely, black drop-shadow notwithstanding. The uni looks fine with the drop-shadow if worn with blue caps & understuff, which has happened exactly link.

    And this:

    UW: Was it your idea to change the undersleeves, socks, and everything else to black?

    BH: No, that was all Charlie’s doing.

    That, of course, is the worst/dumbest part of the whole debacle, IMHO.

    Great stuff overall. Let’s hope Mr. Alderson, et al. come to their senses and, with Mr. Samuels now out of the picture, eradicate all traces of this misbegotten era in athletics aesthetics in Queens.

    P.S. I’m still claiming credit for “TRUE METS = BLUE METS”. :)

    Actually, I need to amend this: The gray jersey with the drop-shadow has been worn with blue caps and accessories once since 1998. I’m still looking for evidence that the grays were still being worn with blue at the beginning of the 1998 season, before someone (likely, Mr. Samuels) decided to make the two-tone cap the de facto road cap.

    Along the same lines, I’m also trying to find out when in 1998 the “hybrid” look (snow whites with two-tone caps and black understuff) became the de facto home uniform; i.e., whether it was right from the beginning of the season or sometime in late spring.

    Wow, so many more questions now…lol
    Wish you had asked him about the adoption of the snow-whites. And, what part AIS played in the demised of the swoosh tailed “Mets” home jersey and script swoosh tailed “New York” road jersey.

    This image link really has me wondering how much influence the MLB-wide retirement of Jackie Robinson’s number had on the Mets adopting the snow-white alternates in’97

    For the record: a “tail” that flares out from a letterform is properly called a swash, not a swoosh:
    link

    As for the swash-inclusive Mets script, AIS had
    nothing to do with that, because the Mets wore that design in 1993 and ’94, when their uniforms were made by Russell. AIS took over in ’95, which is when they went back to the standard script.

    That might be why I wondered what part they played in the demise (yes “demised” was a typo) of the swash (now I know it’s not a “swoosh”)

    Actually, I kind of liked the “New York” script on those jerseys, so I take that back. Couldn’t find a good one of link.

    The only other player from the great mid-’80s teams to wear the underline script was link link.

    I’m still curious as to whether the appearance of the Mets (Bernard Gilkey and Shea Stadium) in the movie “Men in Black” had anything to do with the club’s desirefor “Mets in Black.” I have no evidence of this whatsoever apart from the temporal coincidence, and I do recall some marketing materials using the “Mets in Black” phrase (and maybe, although my memory’s a little fuzzy, Met players such as Todd Hundley posing with sunglasses and baseball bats to resemble the Tommy Lee Jones/Will Smith posters from the movie).

    The interview with Mr. Halfacre does not support this hypothesis, but doesn’t entirely dispel it either.

    Paul, great article on the Mets black jerseys. As Bob
    Halfacre has mentioned a couple of times, he’s worked with Liebe in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield. Too bad you couldn’t have scheduled a visit on your recent trip there. Liebe is a company that produces great products, especially jersey patches in its hey day, now in competition with companies such as The Emblem Source and National Emblem for the Majestic business.

    BTW, my 30 MLB team framed patch boards project showing (almost) all of the commemorative/anniversary (some memorial) patches each team has worn in its history on each board, is almost complete. 85% authentic/15% nice quality licensed replicas. Look forward to sharing pictures with you.

    Wow, Charlie Samuels is even more of a jackass than I thought.

    Maybe this can finally put to rest that bullshit about black being representative of the NY Giants, and that’s why it belongs in the Mets scheme.

    Yes, great article…

    One thing (and I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done about it at this point) — you mention the interview with Bob and link to link.

    Really great article, except I nearly punched the screen when the Reds going to black in ’99 was mentioned.

    The early Griffey years in Cincy were a little TOO black. A team named the Reds wore very little red. The current unis are far superior to those BFBS days. However, they still use a black drop shadow, which was never around before the 90s. I would love to see them replace black with navy. They have a lot of history with navy in their color scheme. (just dont over do it and have a silly navy alt)

    I can live with the drop shadows, but they reeeeeeeeeally need to ditch the two-tone road cap.

    Or if they’re going to insist on having a separate road cap, invert the colors (black crown, red bill) — pretty much what they had 5 years ago.

    Yes, I remember it well, watching the Big Red Machine and thinking, “Man, if only those unis had some BLACK in them, they’d be SO much better.”

    (major eyeroll)

    Awesome article, Paul.

    I remember when they switched over to the black..even up in western Massachusetts, everyone was snapping up the black cap with the blue brim. Even I had one for a little while before my dad yelled at me and bought me a Sox cap.

    Hotcakes, man. BFBS hotcakes.

    Hardball Talk linked the article too
    link
    and I guess Calcaterra agrees with almost all of us on here too.

    I fan attacked Celtic FC coach Neil Lennon the other day and guess what team hat the fan was wearing?

    link

    It was the first thing I noticed and laughed at when I saw that as well.

    aw too bad. they blurred out his face and that liquor store yankees hat he had on

    Cowboys Launch Silver Star Merchandising, Sign Deal With Univ. Of Southern California

    link

    Crap. That wasn’t supposed to be here. I’d better post it again down below because it’s TOO GOOD to go unnoticed.

    Way digging the Shoelace Braider! Can we put one next to a taffy stretcher and stage a mini 1876 World’s Fair with our own Corliss steam engine? Our eyes will turn into hypno wheels like we were children again.

    Is this where somebody tells the old one about the nervous young priest, speaking for the first time at mass, who reminded everyone that Friday night they should attend the
    “Big Peter Pull at St. Taffy’s”?

    From the si vault twitter page link
    he referred to them as the ugliest uniforms in the history of basketball. I’m not sure I’d go there- the socks are great! I would love to know the story behind the “RedHeads”. Anyone know?

    What the hell is a lap robe, anyway?

    So as I was saying, today’s post is kinda lacking in the meat references so I must link.

    I came across something interesting while looking for minor league logos to put into Out of the Park Baseball

    link

    Talking about a few different uniforms.. Like the Charleston unis..

    just got to the whole mets in black thing, very interesting, i enjoyed that immensely.

    I guess I always figured the Mets went to black in ’98 because the white cap was a failure the previous year and, with the success the Yankees were having by the mid-1990s, that the organization wanted to look a bit more like their cross-town rivals.

    Sent a Tweet (my first!) to the Giants game reporter- she is a tweeting maniac so maybe she will tell us about the Sanchez glove.

    Paul, you’re right – one could indeed stare at that shoelace maker all day. Awesome.

    One thing I couldn’t look at all day was today’s hockey discussion. I blanked out after
    “i just don’t enjoy olympic hockey (check that…i like the game because its on a bigger rink and nations are competing) but what drew me to the game was the hard-hitting, sometimes fighting, NHL…not the european game.”
    Well, I blanked out a few times before that, but that was the final time. I *only* watch Olympic hockey. If European hockey is played the same way, I’d watch that, too. Never could and never will understand why fighting is deemed necessary in the NHL. I used to watch it in spite of the fighting, but I’d rather watch curling.

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