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Chews for Jews

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For reasons not worth explaining, I recently found myself in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, where I wandered into a candy shop. Amidst all the Kosher chocolates and Israeli jellybeans, I spotted the items you see above — instantly recognizable as Bazooka bubblegum, but rendered in Hebrew and maybe one other language I don’t recognize. According to the wrapper, it’s produced by an Israeli company (under strict rabbinical supervision, natch) under license from Topps. Interesting!

And what’s inside a piece of Israeli Bazooka bubblegum? A Bazooka Joe comic, of course, although it’s a little different than the ones you’re probably used to seeing (click to enlarge):

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Another weird mix of languages. Anyone care to translate for us?

New ESPN column today, about players who’ve worn 0 and 00 — look here.

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Planning a July 4th bbq? Imagine, just hypothetically, how much cooler your cookout could be if you were wearing one of these. Once you’ve imagined it, tell me about it.

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Uni Watch News Ticker: My favorite band has a 50th-anniversary logo, and boy is it a stinker. Piece o’. … We already saw the Minneapolis Millers throwbacks that the Twins will be wearing this weekend, but I didn’t mention that the Royals will be dressing up as the Kansas City Blues for the occasion. … The mighty Fleer Sticker Project has published an excelleng piece on the 1973 MLB All-Star Game, which was (a) the last time the game was played in KC, and (b) apparently the first time players started wearing white shoes for the ASG (that’s Chris Speier and Cesar Cedeño). Also, there’s a shot of Reggie Jackson using this weird wind-resistance thingie in the on deck circle, which I totally remember seeing some players use back around that time. And there’s more, including some crazy bullpen buggies, so just check out the full post. ”¦ Reprinted from yesterday’s comments: Here’s a rare sight — Joe D. in a Red Sox uniform. … Also from yesterday: Shame on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which is the latest governmental agency to consider the fool’s gold of selling corporate naming rights. … In a related item, my friend Deb Goldstein has taken the “I’m still calling it…” concept and used it as the basis for a new T-shirt about my corporate-sponsored subway stop. But hey, why get upset about Barclays when they’re such upstanding corporate citizens? … Shock Doctor, the mouthguard company, has acquired Cutters Gloves. … Jack Nicolaus’s mom crossed paths with the Mets at O’Hare and got this shot of their luggage. … A parent in Delaware has asked a school district to remove its Indian mascot. … As you probably know, Don Zimmer increases his uni number by one each season (he’s up to 64 this year). The problem is that he always wears a windbreaker these days, so we can’t see his number. Fortunately, we can see this year’s number on his bobblehead. … This is interesting: Avi Miller attended a O’s/Phils game a few weeks ago and saw a guy filling out a “Pace of Game” report. Anyone know more about this? … Bolton Wanderers have switched from Reebok to Adidas. “This is big news because they have been wearing Reebok since 1993,” says Mark Emge. “Even stranger is that Bolton’s Stadium is still being called Reebok Stadium.” … The Devils’ goals are getting a fresh coat of paint (from John Muir). … According to this 1976 newspaper item, Ted Turner at one point wanted to change the Braves’ name to the Eagles, so it would go along with Atlanta’s other avian team names — the Hawks and Falcons (nice find by Trevor Williams). … Andrew McKillop has created a very cool five-minute animation that tracks the geographic chronology of the NFL. … A Brazilian gymnast is skipping the Olympics due a dispute over the team’s uniform sponsors. Further info here (from Kevin W.). … New sideline caps for Notre Dame’s game in Ireland (from Warren Junium). … The latest example of why I love Hamilton Nolan. … The Astros have finally realized that a train doesn’t really make sense in a ballpark (from Matt Mitchell). … Here’s the full view of WVU’s new gray football uni. … New pink breast cancer outfits for Marvel Comics superheroes (from Dave Sikula). ”¦ Every now and then I mention how I donate blood every two months, and how I always have to ask them to use green tape on my bandage, not purple, hahahaha. I’ll be donating again on Monday, in fact. But here’s the thing: Apparently I’m the only one doing it. I can’t cover the blood needs for the entire fucking country, people, so step up and start bleeding. It’s free, it’s painless (more or less), and you get free Lorna Doones, so stop making excuses and open up a vein already. Thanks.

 
  
 
Comments (185)

    What the heck is that even depicting? Is that s half-man, half-lion mythological beast? Or is that an Indian who just received a mortal tomahawk blow across his head and he’s spilling jets of blood from the wound? Or a Boston Tea Party patriot who’s being eaten by a cougar?

    The Nanticoke Indian Tribe, which is also in Delaware, says it’s not offended by the mascot. Chief of the tribe, Herman Robbins told WBOC-TV the tribe has a good relationship with the district and that he is comfortable with the mascot, as long as it’s done tastefully.

    So, in other words, the school should redraw the logo because it looks rather horrible, but it doesn’t need to change names.

    As is the case I am sure with most tribes respectfully, but I am quite certain that even w/approval & good relations, some people will still feel compelled to force a fight where one is not needed.

    If the local indigenous peoples are okay with it, then Concerned Parent should shut up.

    Just following the logic: If the relevant tribal government’s approval binds us to accept the nickname/mascot/logo, then a tribal government’s refusal to grant approval must also bind us to reject the nickname/mascot/logo, correct? In which case, we can all agree that UND must change its nickname, mascot, and logo forthwith, having failed to receive approval from both relevant tribal governments.

    That last came off way to snarky. I actually basically agree with the logic of respecting relevant tribal government decisions in these cases. It’s just that I think the principle needs to be applied consistently, including when it breaks against my own personal preferences.

    But that principle doesn’t help us in cases like the Indians, Braves, or Redskins, where there is no representative body that can speak for all concerned.

    It wasn’t snarky at all, it was perfect. If you’re going to accord so much weight to what a particular band thinks when they agree with you, isn’t it a little dishonest to not care what they think when they disagree with you?

    Also, on your second point, at least in Canada there are a number of provincial and national associations that speak for all concerned (the Assembly of First Nations, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to name two).

    While we’re at it, let’s note that “First Nations” is SO much better and more appropriate than anything the U.S. has managed.

    I can’t translate it, but I’m pretty sure there’s only one language there, Hebrew, presented in different fonts and in “cursive” and “print” form: For instance: link

    I think there actually are two languages. The cartoon is captioned in (blurry) cursive Hebrew while the text along side is Yiddish, which uses Hebrew characters.

    It’s all Hebrew (even though I can’t translate it).

    The text is in standard “print” while the captions are in cursive Hebrew.

    I really wish more people spoke Yiddish on a daily basis. I know Hebrew is Judaism’s historical language, but Yiddish is so similar to German (and English!) that it’s a lot easier to pick up even if you’ve never had any training in it. The only reason a lot of people don’t know that is because usually Yiddish is in the Hebrew alphabet. I say write it in the Latin alphabet so that it can be recognized as the cousin to German that it has always been.

    I seem to remember that since Israel’s founding, their language policy has tended to emphasize Hebrew at the expense of Yiddish. There seems to be a really complicated back-story to that, with generations of internal politics and academic clashes that I can’t untangle. Also, Yiddish was pretty exclusively the language of European Jews, and the Sephardi never spoke it, so there could be a national-unity side to it as well.

    And outside of Israel, of course, Yiddish communities never seem to stop losing ground to the surrounding majority languages.

    Andy is correct and Marc is wrong. Both Hebrew. The captions are highly stylized cursive and the text on the bottom left is “print” Hebrew. Unlike English, no adult ever prints Hebrew when writing by hand.

    The candy is made by Elite under license from Bazooka. For many years, Elite sponsored Maccabi Tel Aviv in the European Basketball League.

    Yes. My mistake. No luck using a Hebrew dictionary, though. There must be someone here who actually reads Hebrew well enough to translate it.

    In the first panel, he’s offering (his father?) soup, and the other guy accepts. Then the older guy says, “turn the soup towards me!” The rest is way too unclear to read.

    Beginning with the first panel: Joe: “Did you here about the Rabbi who did free circumcisions?” Mo: “Nope. How does he earn a living?” Joe: “He only takes tips!”

    Pretty sure that they’re both Hebrew….I’m sending it to a friend to confirm. When I was a kid (about 20 years ago) they had the same gum during passover in the non-orthodox stores as well.

    My brother Jerry is a contributor to UniWatch and he sent me the link since I read/speak fluent Hebrew. Everything on the wrapper and in the comic is in Hebrew. The wrapper uses several fonts and so some of the letters are stylized. In the comic the speech balloons are in cursive and the “Did you know?” piece in the lower left is in a print block font.

    The comic, reading from right to left:

    Panel 1
    Joe (I can’t remember his Israeli name): I’d like some soup.
    Waiter: Very well, sir.

    Panel 2
    Waiter: Here is your soup, sir.

    Panel 3
    Joe: Hey, this soup tastes funny!

    Panel 4
    Waiter: Then why aren’t you smiling?

    Did you know?
    The most efficient means of transportation (based on the best use of energy) is the bicycle!

    I remember chewing that gum every Passover as kid. It should be available in most grocery stores in the spring. If I remember correctly, the other language is just cursive Hebrew. I used to take it to an Israeli to read the joke to me and it was always just as funny as the American ones.

    I remember having the Bazooka gum at Hebrew school when I was a kid. In fact, as a kid I originally thought that Bazooka gum was from Israel, and then had been brought over to the US.

    I used to tour the elite facility as a kid every time we went to tel aviv. You could reach into the manufacturing line and just grab candy as it was being made. I grabbed a couple of the fresh bazooka pieces as they were still warm.

    The Astros don’t need to remove the train. They just need to change it from an old-fashioned steam engine to a futuristic monorail, like in the Simpsons. With every Astros home run, the new train could glide silently from one side of the track to the other with space-age efficiency.

    Oh dear… ambiguity. Let’s try it again: Agreed (They should make the train a monorail). (Though) it’s a nice train (the old one), what does it have to do with Astros (a futuristic nickname) ?

    It has to do with the old Union Station, the shell of which forms part of Minute Maid Park.

    I like the train at Enron, er, Minute Maid Park. And if it’s going to be removed just so the Astros can put more ads up, then that sucks.

    Removing Tal’s Hill is also a bad idea. That’s one of the most unique parts of a field in the major leagues.

    Of course, the whole Astros to the American League is sheer stupidity.

    All stadiums would be just as smart to put ads up for TV audiences only if they all just put up a green screen around the their stadiums (like Miami) around the whole stadium, so this way, if you don’t want to see ads, just go to the games!

    (and for the record, the GREEN walls around Miami park & behind the backstop, are not too far off of the proper shade of green in order to impose ads…this was well thought out by ownership)

    I don’t think the shade of green even matters. Look at the various on-field logos and lines and down markings during football games, even in mud or snow. They just have to adjust the system for whatever the background color is.

    I wonder, if teams started putting up TV-only advertising boards, if that would move the games more quickly, kind of like in soccer. Shorter commercial breaks between half-innings, and however long is needed during pitching changes. That could help shave a few minutes off of a game’s duration, which is what MLB’s been trying to do for some time now, anyway.

    If teams did that, one thing that would have to be considered is the potential revenue loss to local tv affiliates w/shorter breaks and less ad time to sell. If you were to trim say 18 30sec ads, would you then consider selling prime digital ad space during in between innings (i.e., while a pitcher is warming up, the CF wall is featured, or the sponsor of the 2nd tier deck is highlighted)…I don’t think you’ll see less ad time in TV commercial breaks, but I do think you will see more space sold in parks…

    Come on, man. It just gives them the ability to sell MORE ads, not display the current allotment more efficiently.

    (And don’t take that as a shot at you, Ryan – I’m just being cynical)

    Commercial breaks have almost nothing to do with the length of games. It’s not like teams can get ready that mush faster after moving from offense to defense. If commercials were really what was slowing games down, then the minor league games would zip along a lot faster than major league games. And that’s just not the case.

    From Wiki answers:

    Breaks between half-innings for commercials are to be strictly kept at 2 minutes, 5 seconds or 2 minutes, 25 seconds for nationally televised games.

    It can take less than a minute to throw the allotted 8 pitches between innings allowed to a pitcher. If you notice going to a game the pitcher never even goes to the mound right away knowing the commercial break will last longer and he will have to stand around if he gets ready quickly. I guess I am saying that yes, commercial breaks do add to the length of games.

    They should put a miniature version of the launch vehicle thingy that moved shuttles from the hangar to the launchpad. Heck, NASA’s probably got one lying around that they don’t need anymore…

    Besides, what was Enron Field Minute Maid Park built upon? The old Union Station, so a railroad does make sense!

    Amen to blood donation! Just do it, for crying out loud. I don’t have a choice as I’m O- so I’m hounded every 8 weeks without any say in the matter.

    Not liking needles isn’t a valid excuse–nobody *likes* needles but we do it anyway. (Yeah, there’s a sting but I find it the process to be very relaxing, all told.)

    One’s like (aka: Tattoo/Pierced Nation?) or dislike (aka: The Squeemish) for needles should not outweigh another’s like for living or dislike for dying?
    Or is that a false choice?
    Anyway, I donate 4x a year…on or around Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, 9/11 and Christmas.

    Interesting that you can donate every 2 months in the US – here, we have to wait 6 months between donations. I have to say, despite my dislike of needles, giving blood is something I look forward to, mainly for the free coffee & biscuits…

    You’re right about the hounding. I am O+ and my 56-day waiting period just ended. I know I am going to be hit with multiple e-mails & calls to donate again. Of course that wouldn’t happen as much if more people able to give did so.

    Luckily I always seem to get technicians who are willing to use tape that matches the clothes I’m wearing that day. I’ve been able to turn down pink and purple numerous times.

    I can’t donate due to spending too much time (>4 months) in the UK in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Precaution against mad cow disease.

    I have tried to donate blood, but since my Aunt died in 2000 of CJD – (look it up people, it’s scary) I’m not allowed to donate. The folks registering me get a crazy look in their eyes when they read that part of the form….No one will ever tell me exactly what they’ve been told, but they always tell me that I’ll never be able to donate and it’s not worth even trying. They thank me, though, but the rest of the convo is beyond unsettling.

    I can’t donate because I’ve had Jaundice (when I was born) and Mono (when I was a freshman in high school). Kinda pisses me off, since I wanted to donate since I was 14.

    What? Mono disqualifies you? Since when?

    I’ve never seen that on the questionnaire. Have I unwittingly been donating tainted blood all this time?

    I’d definitely donate blood if I could. Unfortunately, I don’t weigh enough for my height, so I’d likely pass out if I ever attempted to do so.

    I understand the need for it, but I don’t donate blood. It’s against my religious beliefs. Having said that, it’s nice to see people do something for others.

    Re: “Pace of Game”–I believe that’s part of MLB’s effort to quicken the pace of games by monitoring how long the breaks are between halves of innings.

    One of the umpires (3rd base, I believe) is supposed to make sure that the time between the last out of an inning and the first pitch of the next half-inning occurs at a certain time–probably about two and a half minutes maximum, I think, to allow for TV commercials.

    The picture shows someone charting the actual time between innings, along with notes to indicate why the desired time was not met.

    Hard to tell, but I think the three columns in the chart with times written in them indicate the amount of time from the last pitch of previous half-inning to (1) pitcher begins warming up, (2) home plate umpires indicates play is ready to begin, and (3) first pitch of next half-inning.

    The pace of major league games is far better than college baseball games. And MLB games are, on average, shorter than NFL games.

    Looks like he’s having pen trouble. There are a lot of “dammit-this-pen-won’t-write-oh-there-it-goes” scribbles at the top of the page!!

    Bullpen buggy logos remided me of this hot of link. Has this been discussed on UW before? Looks like a uni and cap with logos of all teams he was associated with, for use at Old Timer’s games. Whose idea was it and who made it? Does it exist today in a collection or museum?

    If you happen to stumble back into that orthodox candy store, check out “Mekupelet”. It’s made by Elite (the same company who makes the Israeli Bazooka). It’s unreal…

    The train isn’t the only thing that might go away. The Astros are also looking into removing Tal’s Hill. As my wife aptly pointed out when I told her this, “It’s to make MMP into an AL ballpark!”

    I don’t care either way on the train or the hill, I just want a winning product on the field. Though talk of removing the train does sound like the changes to the stadium and uniforms will go back to the future. Shooting Star unid anyone?

    Anyone who wants the Astros to field a winning team should adamantly oppose removing Tal’s Hill. Any quirky feature like that is a major home-field advantage for the team that plays with it day-in, day-out. The hill no doubt gives the Astros a net bonus of several extra bases per year over their visiting opponents. Over the course of a season, every extra base taken or prevented is worth a fraction of a run, and every run is worth a fraction of a win. By removing Tal’s Hill, the Astros would be deliberately choosing to give up wins at home.

    Ask Craig Biggio how much of an advantage that hill gave him when he was patrolling center field there.

    If it didn’t give him an advantage over the random visiting center fielder who doesn’t practice with the hill and hasn’t learned to play it, then Biggio would be a crap athlete. Biggio was not a crap athlete. Ergo, the hill was advantageous to Biggio. QED.

    On July 26, Craig Biggio fell face-first chasing Aramis Ramirez’s triple up the hill. After that game, Biggio predicted that someone will get hurt on Tal’s Hill.

    Biggio and Perez agree there is no way to prepare for the hill.

    ‘You can’t practice for it,’ said Biggio, who claims he has not recovered from the whiplash he suffered in his fall July 26. ‘You just can’t because you don’t practice full speed. When you get in a game, you go 100 percent. At that angle it’s hard to run full speed and prepare for the severity of the incline.‘”

    link.

    Assuming the ball reaches there on a bounce or roll instead of on the fly, which in that case they could be losing home runs.

    Personally I like the hill & asymmetrical ballparks because if everyone was the same, that would be boring as hell. What I don’t like is cheap home runs for batters over pitchers.

    Tal’s Hill is so far out in centerfield that very few balls reach it on the fly.

    I always thought those “tail fins” on the bat made them look like bombs, V-2s or zeppelins.

    Kudos for your blood donations, Paul. I did so religiously until new FDA (ugh) regulations put an end to it because of a second cousin who had CJD (the human equivalent of mad cow disease). My mother nearly died of internal hemorrhaging a few years ago…she had to have an infusion of 6 units, which is about half of what the human body holds. Thank God for those who donated it.

    As soon as the FDA pulls its head out of its butt, I’m back in. No telling if or when that will ever happen.

    Don, I just posted about my Aunt having CJD and my not being able to donate. Have the folks ever giving you a valid reason for their fear? (I hope you see this!)

    I miss the Israeli Bazooka, they used to give that stuff out in hebrew school when I was a kid. It also comes in 3 additional flavors Fruit Punch, Grape and Orange too. My hebrew sucks since I haven’t used it since hebrew school (25 years give or take) but that brought up some old memories. And btw Elite still is the jersey sponsor of Maccabi Tel Aviv as you will see when they go to Minnesota this fall for an exhibition game.

    I second the call for blood donation. All my life I was terrified of giving blood–in high school, I got light-headed just watching the film that tries to convince you to give! As an adult I tried to donate but they turned me away when I turned about as white as the border around this section. I finally was able to donate after our first son was born 5 wks. premature and might have needed a transfusion. After I broke the ice, I kept going up to the 3 gallon mark. Then I started failing the iron test (as soon as they went to the digital test). A few years later we discovered that I was anemic due to a slow-acting B-cell lymphoma, which more or less permanently puts me on the disabled list for blood donation. Now every time I see a blood drive advertised, I WANT TO GIVE. Those of you who can donate, please do. I never got to the point where I was entirely comfortable donating but I developed coping strategies. You can too.

    Ringo’s drum shows an early instance of corporate logo creep above the Beatles logo.

    Accoording to the book Beatles Gear, the Ludwig drum company was taken by surprise when they received 75,000 orders for pearl-finished drum kits following the band’s February 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The company president presented Ringo with a gold-plated snare drum when the band toured Chicago in the summer of 1964.

    Amazing that the Beatles’ instruments are iconic as well. You can’t look at a Hofner 500/1 and associate it with anyone except Paul McCartney. Same goes for the Rickenbacker 325 with John Lennon, the Rickenbacker 360/12 and George Harrison, and Ludwig drums with Ringo Starr.

    I highly recommend Beatles Gear to any musician or fan. It’s a well-written and illustrated encyclopedia of every musical instrument the Beatles owned or played from their childhood to the breakup of the band.

    As a drummer and a gearhead (when it comes to drums, of course), that’s a book that I know I’d be interested in! =D

    As of late, I’ve been looking for a Ludwig kit with die-cast hoops (although I can always pic up link and upgrade to die-cast hoops later), and I really want a 14X6.5 Black Magic (the Black Beauty is a little out of my price range ATM, unfortunately =/ ).

    Know what was on the front of the home version of this uni?
    link
    Nothing.
    A blank pinstriped jersey.
    Blues were a Yankee affiliate and their homes looked like Yankee homes with the “NY” removed.

    In all fairness, I can’t speak specifically to 1951, but I do know that by the end of their run in ’54, the Kansas City Blues wore a blank pins jersey at home.

    The team photo of the ’51 team, if examined closely, does appear they perhaps wore their roads for the occasion. The white sanis, even in the shade, and the white on the hat logo most times appear to be brighter than the fabric of the uni even when it’s in bright sunlight. There’s a bit of black in the weaving of gray flannel, so it’s almost impossible for that black to look white in a photo. It’s gonna darken whatever it’s part of. A white or cream white flannel does not have any black woven through it. Still not conclusive, though.
    link

    To Mantle’s right in that photo, btw, is Bob Cerv.
    If we’ve seen Billy Crystal’s “61” we know Cerv roomed with Mantle and Maris during the 1961 season.

    That Kansas City Blues throwback looks like it’s NOT polyester… or are they just fooling me with a color/pattern made to LOOK like the old wool or cotton jerseys???

    -Jet

    Empty jersey is flannel. That’s a shot from Ebbets Field Flannels.

    As to the actual human photo, looks like polyester. Gray tones are pretty even throughout. Not much hint of the “heather” look.

    We’ll see Saturday.

    It’s a kids joke (I’m paraphrasing and this is only the cursive)

    Waiter, I’d like the soup.
    Here’s the soup.
    Waiter the soup tastes funny!
    So why aren’t you laughing?

    Still it’s funnier than laffy taffy.

    I seriously remember this joke from a Bazooka Joe comic when I was a kid…over 40 years ago.

    Hey, why mess with a good thing? ;)

    -Jet

    So here’s the translation, as translated from an Israeli friend (from right to left):

    Joe: Waiter, I’ll have the soup.
    Waiter: Ok, Sir.

    Waiter: Here’s the soup, sir.

    Joe: Waiter, there’s something funny about the taste of my soup.

    Waiter: So, why are you not smiling?

    In regards to the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary logo, It’s one thing to commission one of the more iconic artists of the past decade in Shepard Fairey but what exactly did he add to this other than the (very poor) placement of the “5” and the “0” in the word “5T0NES” ? Even the famously iconic logo itself doesn’t seem to have his trademark design touch. It looks exactly like the original logo designed by John Pasche that was introduced in 1971.
    This could have been a whole lot better. …I smell a design contest!

    I, too remember the Israeli Bazooka from Passover when I was a kid. I have a cousin who lives in Israel, and every few years he would come to visit us during Passover and he would translate the comics for me. I remember them being not so funny…I see things haven’t changed.

    Elite candy company also makes the best Chanukah Gelt (chocolate coins). To this day, I won’t eat the Gelt made by any other company.

    Be careful if you order one. Speaking from hypothetical experience, it could take your friends/loved ones/casual acquaintances hours or days to get the joke. I was recently catching up with an old friend at a local BBQ joint, and I might have been wearing the senior circuit shirt that doesn’t exist, and only when we were leaving did my friend do a double-take and then tell me he was quietly wondering through the whole meal when I’d become a New York fan. It’s possibly too subtle!

    White Shoes.

    That ’73 All Star game must have been the birth of the white-shoes-are-cool era. I remember seeing those appear in that game and was dumbfounded. Intrigued, surprised, a little bothered by it. The A’s had company all of a sudden.

    Even back then, though, my 13 year old sensibilities determined it was a look-at-me move on the part of those players. But that quickly changed.

    In the following years white shoes became cool (along with medium length, blow dried hair and tinted aviator glasses). High School teams started wearing them. It was now desirable to wear the white shoes. Fashionable. A few major league teams got on board: the Angels, the Phillies, the Astros (anybody else?). Football–especially–soccer and golf followed suit. Black cleats represented the old ways, your parents, authority.

    White shoes ruled.

    Still, I always have been taken aback by the appearance of strange shoes in All Stars games, even today. It’s one of baseball’s quirks–which I appreciate–but has never sat well with my need for uniformity.

    A year or two later, the Reds in the ASG wore red adidas, which was contrary to the team policy of plain black cleats (no makers mark). Many of them previously had worn white in the game.

    And one year, before the Padres went from plain black to white, Johnny Grubb’s ASG cleats were brown adidas (with white stripes).

    Basooka comic
    Kid: can i hsve soup
    Older man: no problem my master
    He brings the soup snd says here is your great soup
    Kid says it taste funny
    Olderman so y arent you laughing

    Adidas owns Reebok, so the Bolton news is perhaps a consolidation in the company? I don’t know of any other soccer clubs wearing Reebok these days, while a huge number of clubs around the world wear Adidas. Just a thought.

    Seems to me, Adidas is consolidating all the soccer teams under Reebok and just pushing them under Adidas. Unless Adidas is trying to phase out Reebok over the course of 10-20 years.

    I did a little digging and on Reebok’s official website, they don’t even list soccer/football under “sports”. I know they used to produce boots, balls and other soccer gear, but they may be disbanning that all-together.

    Teams like Bolton, Internacional and Cruzeiro Olympikus seem to be moving from Reebok, but not necessarily to Adidas. I may have to keep an eye on Sao Paulo and FC Koln to see what their kits look like next year. Outside of those 5 teams, I didn’t come across anyone else that is or had been wearing Reebok.

    RE: The chronology map, the second-most beautiful thing about this chronology is the decade-relevant font changes. The most-beautiful thing about this chronology is that beautiful football over east central Wisconsin on the shores near Lake Michigan that is the ONLY ball to never move!

    Would be cool if it could go back and forth between Green Bay and Milwaukee during all the seasons they played home games in both towns.

    I was thinking of incorporating Milwaukee in there somehow. Maybe when I update it next year to include 2013, I’ll have 2/3s of a football in Green Bay, and 1/3 in Milwaukee.

    The only season the Packers played less than the majority of their home games in Green Bay, was in 1982. The strike-shortened season.

    This caught my eye on the (really interesting) Pace of Game Summary Report:

    “Network (2:25): Yes/No” – My best guess is that network commercial breaks run 2:25 and not 2:00 or whatever the RSNs use.

    free Lorna Doones.

    Try ’em the way I always have, since I was a little kid.

    With a bit of chunky peanut butter on top.

    (works with Oreos, too.)

    As a Washingtonian, I’m considering a “Hebrew Nationals” t-shirt. Hmmm….

    Great Fleer project post! I remember geeking out over the A’s all-star players wearing different versions of their unis at these games.

    -Jet

    Hadn’t seen mention of the Padres wearing a number 48 patch for Darrel Ackerfelds, their 11-year bullpen coach who died of pancreatic cancer this past Sun.

    Picture and more in today’s Authentically Speaking:
    link

    Just a response to your call for other zeros in the entertainment world. George Costanza, when working for Kruger industrial smoothing, was given a jersey with 00, since his nickname was Coco (double zero for “ooo ooo, ah ah” like a monkey, is what his boss said to George)

    It would definitely help the blood donating cause if they paid people money or vouchers to do it. Relying on the goodness of people from generation after generation doesn’t seem to be working. Seems like blood shortages having been going on for a long time & only seems to be getting worse each year. My blood type is A-Positive.

    Going with today’s theme, the only time I ever saw blood in TV pop culture (besides Kramer’s blood bank on Seinfeld) was this King of the Hill episode link

    Peggy Hill being typically ultra competitive, donates blood to the point of exhaustion.

    Actually, some programs do offer compensation: I donated for years without even realizing that I was accumulating gift points from the NY Blood Bank. It isn’t much (takes about two years to rack up enough points to get a $25 gift card from Old Navy or something along those lines), but it’s a nice gesture.

    Nice. Gift cards for Old Navy or say Amazon, sandwiches or pizza, free baseball tickets, hell even ‘blood for gasoline’; anything helps. Maybe it’s obnoxious or obscene but any incentive helps. In Peggy Hill’s plot, her motivation was a blood donation novelty coffee mug.

    Apparently the Texas Rangers had a blood drive recently:

    link

    Long Islanders are usually offered Mets tickets for blood donations. Frankly, I’m not sure whether or not that attracts donors or scares them away.

    If you need incentive (and like auto racing), Pocono Raceway is running a blood drive promotion 7/12:

    Donate there and you receive a grandstand ticket to 8/4 race events (ARCA & CWTS races, Cup qualifying). Donating also enters you in drawings for a chance to win gas cards, autographed items, or 4 Club seats + an all drivers on-stage meet & greet at the Pennsy 400 on 8/5.

    Real subtle, concealed. Nobody needs to know your blood type, even though there’s no way to prove it.

    I know for a fact that the Red Cross pays people for plasma donations and I know other organizations pay for blood or offer prizes and rewards during blood donation drives/weeks.

    And yes concealed, blood shortages can go down instead of always going up if certain people would just donate.

    (See how that comes off? It makes me look like a dick, but you must know that, I used your sentences :P…)

    Both of you: We get it, you won’t be sending valentines to each other.

    I don’t care who started it, I don’t care who’s right or who’s wrong. I just want it to stop — now.

    Thanks.

    Actually, your EMT/health care provider needs to know it. ;)

    AB negative here, so they don’t hound me the way they hound the rest of you. I’m probably just supplying my own stockpile. Any other AB negs out there?

    Compensation? Really? The free cookies and drinks aren’t enough? Actually, I wish they’d stop giving away t-shirts and license plate frames and all that stuff. It all just ends up at Goodwill (which I suppose keeps it from being a complete waste), so save the money and put it back into the organization.

    In New Ulm, MN, home of Schell’s Brewery, they used to offer you a beer after you gave blood.

    I suspect that has been discontinued, however.

    Which is why I suggested something more perishable or useful like food & gasoline or a gift card, which the unused credit goes right back to/never leaves the sponsor. It’s staggering to think how many millions of dollars are being wasted from non or under-used gift cards. Somebody must have thought of rebates game of people simply forgetting that they had rebates coming in the mail.

    New pink breast cancer outfits for Marvel Comics superheroes

    You know what cause the comics industry should really get behind? Concussion research. The way those superheroes and villains pound the crap out of each other, there’s gotta be some serious brain damage going on there. They should do a series focusing on the effects of being knocked out all the time.

    Not saying they can’t support other causes, but this seems like a natural for them, no?

    Concussion research isn’t in vogue like breast cancer awareness is, unfortunately. But that’s a great point; we still don’t fully understand concussions, and in order for people to understand it, you need to get the word out.

    It boils down to “Pink outfits sell more than concussion awareness comics”. That’s sad.

    Slowly he turned, stroking his chin, his eyes twinkling with the light of the inspired…

    “Yes, but what if we used BLACK for Concussion Awareness?”

    He was met by silence, the awesomeness of his suggestion overcoming those in attendance, leaving them stunned, rendered speechless by the sheer genius of it.

    If numbers 0 and 00 were both on the same roster, like the ’85 Blue Jays, who would be listed first? I would assume 00, but aren’t double-digit numbers larger than single-digit ones? I looked at Baseball Reference, but they don’t list the players in numerical order.

    But if you scroll to the bottom of the Baseball Reference site (to where it says Uniform Numbers), they have Oliver first:
    link

    This weekend, Michael Waltrip Racing will be saluting the Univ. of Kentucky Wildcats NCAA championship:

    #55 Car:
    link

    Crash Helmet (Mikey is driving):
    link

    hey Paul,
    Thanks for taking the time to be a blood donor, and to spread the word about the need for donors. I used to be a frequent donor, and am now a frequent recipient. I am grateful beyond words for your donation and message. Additional thanks to other Uni Watch donors that either have donated in the past or will do so now at your request.

    “I’M PINK AND THOR!!!”
    link

    Well, that’s thertainly inviting thum thort of thexist remark, isn’t it.

    Well, maybe not thexist.

    Maybe more like…

    “Gee, I hope penithilliin works on thuper heroes.”

    I remember reading “Playboy’s Party Jokes” once when I was a teen-ager, and the following joke appeared:

    The night after the orgy, the God of Thunder awoke and saw a young valkyrie across the room.

    “Good morning,” he said. “I’m Thor.”

    To which she replied, “YOU’RE thor? I’m tho thor I can hardly pith.”

    Actually if I’d really been paying attention the opening line would have been..

    “I’M PINK AND MIGHTY THOR!!!”

    (Johnny Hart used a variation early in “B.C.” The Thor character came swinging in on a vine doing a sort of Tarzan yell, then said, “I’m Thor.” To which the other character replied, “I thought tho, the way you were thcreaming.”)

    Almost a shame to wear such plain-jane unis in the home terrain. But the McAuliffe numbers are a nice touch. The ’24 Nats didn’t have numbers, but they almost certainly would have worn McAuliffe if they had worn numbers and if that style had been available.

    “Almost a shame to wear such plain-jane unis in the home terrain.”

    ~~~

    yes, it’s a shame the franchise which they are not won its only world series wearing this plain gorgeous uniform

    almost makes one wish they had worn the equivalent of houston’s tequila sunrise’s so they wouldn’t have to disappoint so many with…this…thing

    loving the *throwback* but maybe once…just once…they’ll actually wear something beautiful they actually wore as a franchise

    i just stumbled upon this ‘official’ page

    they actually acknowledge they were the expos officially? wow

    So they’re celebrating the franchise’s long American League history in Washington?

    Nah, if Twins don’t care, no problem.

    Is good for younger folks to learn about the city’s baseball history.

    Interesting dilemma regarding Zimmer’s number: What happens when and if he reaches 70?

    They’ll fire him.

    And he’ll sue, claiming numerical discrimination based on age. Or vice versa.

    Do you think the adidas guys looked at the third photo in this gallery and thought, “Eureka! That’s the next step!”?

    link

    EA NCAA Football 13 teambuilder was running for at least a little while today. The website reverted to “12” when I went back.
    It did have the uniforms for Umass, Texas St. and UTSA. But Umass and TSU had the same generic stadiums.

    Here’s just a personal frustration from today concerning stirrups. I went looking for stirrups so I can wear them to an event on Sunday and visited 5 sporting/sports related stores. I had to EXPLAIN what stirrups are to two people. One looked at me and asked, “You mean like pants?” and another “you mean for baseball helmets?”. I understand that not all people who work in sporting goods stores will know everything about sports… some are there for a summer job, etc. It just frustrated me that I had to explain it, for one (I know… judgmental and all) and two I couldn’t find ANY TRUE STIRRUPS IN the town. I just want a GOOD OLE PAIR of stirrups…

    paging robert marhsall…robert marshall…please report to the front desk…comrade? comrade?

    we need an order of rups stat

    andrew — go here and just click on the “contact me” button which gives you his email addy

    /you’re welcome

    Thanks, Phil! I needed to vent for a few seconds. I’ll talk it over with my wife and I’ll give Comrade an email!

    Wish you’d vented earlier. I have big ol’ bin of stirrups (Phil and Paul know I exaggerate not). Might have been able to find something you wanted, and could have got them to you in time.

    These guys have only solids, and sell onesies. I’ve bought several pair from them. Too late to do you much good for this weekend, though…
    link

    Ricko – you guys kick butt! I work for a local radio station and I will be able to throw out the first pitch for a local baseball team. I wanted to do it in style! I was offered the chance to do it just a day or so ago – so ALL of this is last minute. I’ll be going out to the park a few more times this summer so I’ll be able to at least show off proper lower leg baseball stylings.

    peter noone (whom i’ve seen like 3 times) is now reduced to headlining garage bands at the local park

    sad

    But “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” is on Turner Classic Movies right now.

    He rocks HARDER than most young bands of today. I’ve seen him twice and love him

    Not only did “Eagles” fit in with Atlanta’s avian theme, Ted Turner’s yacht was named “Eagle”.

    link

    I’ve read the story of him wanting to rename the Braves to the Eagles before, specifically mentioning that he wanted to honor his yacht.

    I’ve also heard a rumor that Bud Selig approached Turner about buying the “Braves” name at that point.

    It’s plausible; the Brewers were still pretty new, and hadn’t done a whole lot. Tying their branding to the still-beloved former franchise would have seemed like a very good business decision.

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