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College World Series Preview

[Editor’s Note: With the College World Series set to start tomorrow, Uni Watch bench coach emeritus Bryan Redemske, who lives in Omaha, is back with his annual CWS preview. Enjoy. ”” PL]

By Bryan Redemske

This spring, I returned to coaching for the first time since 2001. Rather than diving back into the ever-more-competitive high school baseball ranks, I have instead been herding cats: 5- and 6-year-olds in a coach-pitch league.

When my son, Jack, got his uniform, I taught him how to put it on and how to look like a ballplayer.

“Don’t look like a hobo,” I said. “That’s really all I’m asking. Also, please stop digging holes in the dirt with your spikes.”

Though I should expect more out of the eight schools playing in the College World Series, beginning here in Omaha on Saturday, I’m really hoping nobody ends up looking like a hobo. And I’m talking about you, Louisville.

As is now the standard drill, no ”” I’m not going to detail every single thing you may or may not see here in Omaha. Schools like North Carolina and Oregon State could wear something different every day for a couple of weeks. And, anyway, I believe each team only gets to bring three different jerseys to Omaha. (I don’t have anything official to reference, but I remember that being a point of discussion within the last couple of years.) Instead, we’ll take a look at each program’s on-field identity to get a glimpse of what we might see when the CWS gets underway.

Mississippi State

Much like in every other college sport, there are traditional powers in baseball. Mississippi State is making its ninth visit to Omaha. Along with the “traditional power” tag comes a pretty traditional look. There’s nothing crazy going on here, which is actually pretty nice. I really like the white pinstripes, though the logo seems like it should be bigger. There’s a second white uniform set, as well, though that’s a bit much to try to fit on the front of a jersey (it has a road version, too).

I really dig the simpler maroon jersey, because it’s clean and still fairly traditional-looking. The black jersey, however, should probably go find a hole and stay there for a while.

Probably the most interesting thing about Mississippi State, though, is that it doesn’t use the same logo as the rest of the athletic department. The interlocking MS logo on the caps looks better than this, anyway. Oh, and those retro-style jerseys for the postseason? Haven’t seen them on the field yet. Nobody would complain if it stayed that way.

Oregon State

Back when Oregon State was on its back-to-back title run in 2006 and 2007, it was using uniforms from all over the damn place. Huge OSU logos on the chest, or maybe a script “Beavers.” Or, maybe the new interlocking OU logo. All at once. And clearly not designed to go together.

But since Nike “unified” Oregon State’s identity, the Beavers are actually looking pretty good. You could argue about the typeface used on the jerseys for days, but at least it’s consistent. Well, except for this hat, which feels like it’s hung around about 20 years too long.

I like the home whites a lot, and the black jersey is fine for an alternate (though the pants stripes there are reminiscent of the 1980s Detroit Tigers). It’s worn with a black hat or a white-crowned hat. Oregon State has traditionally had an orange jersey as well, though it hasn’t been seen lately.

Indiana

Being here in Omaha, I’m fairly deep into Nebraska Cornhuskers territory. While it at first grated on me, I’m OK with it now. It’s been nine years; I’ve adapted. (No, Mom, I’m not a Husker fan now.) When Nebraska moved to the Big Ten in 2011, many predicted a runaway conference baseball championship, merely because winter here can’t possibly be as bad as it is in, say, Ann Arbor, Mich. That easy-breezy walk through the Big Ten hasn’t happened, largely because of the rise of teams like Indiana.

Welcome to Omaha, Hoosiers. It’s Indiana’s first trip to the College World Series, and as far as I can tell, the team’s look is about as clean as that of the vaunted basketball team: maroon and white. That’s pretty much it. You get home, away and alternate.

Note the jerseys ”” old-school pullover, like Stanford. Though clean and classic is certainly OK by me, this almost feels too plain. It’s a difficult target to hit ”” classic doesn’t automatically mean boring ”” but I can’t help but wonder what the interlocking IU logo would look like on a white, button-up jersey with piping. OK, I’d have to believe.

Louisville

Phil covered the initial threat of Louisville’s “postseason uniforms” last weekend, though we dodged a bullet ”” those red pants haven’t made an appearance (yet). But, unfortunately, the retro-style jersey did get worn. And the photos commemorating a return trip to Omaha will forever be proof that we have not learned from our mistakes.

The postseason jerseys are shown here with three different caps in play. (Also, the two guys to the right don’t have belts.) Even before you take that debacle into account, there’s this. Get used to those outlined pits. You’ll be seeing them again before this is all said and done.

There’s a standard white vest that’s not too bad, though it would be awesome if there was some sort of mandate on shoes. There are wordmark-front jerseys in white, red, black and gray. Basically, there are a lot of choices and none of them are really very good. But they’re all first-round picks compared to that postseason special.

North Carolina

I feel like I’ve been reporting on North Carolina uniforms pretty much the entire time I’ve been doing this wrap-up. You can count on a few things when the Tar Heels are in the tournament: Carolina blue, a jersey or two that just says “Carolina” on it, and one reasonably unique alternate jersey. That’s the case again this year.

Most regular CWS viewers will recognize this setup right away. With a typography tweak here and there, it’s been the team’s standard look in Omaha for a while now. No complaints here. The navy alternate looks good, too, even though it’s strange to see a UNC team in such a dark shade.

There’s a retro-styled uniform that works better than anything Adidas cooked up for its CWS teams. And then there’s the blue camouflage. Yes, that’s correct.

While the blue camo thing is regrettable, there’s really only one bit of UNC’s recent wardrobe that’s truly off-putting (to me, at least): This. The Nike pits from 2009 are, somehow, not dead. Or not donated to a Legion team or something.

NC State

Yes, NC State got Adidas postseason uniforms, too. I think the problem with all of these isn’t just that they’re ugly, it’s that they’re half-assed ripoffs of old MLB designs. If you want to trip back into the past, why not base it on something the school actually wore?

Prior to being remodeled for the CWS, NC State didn’t really look too bad. The home whites are fine, as are the red alternates. Road gray? Of course. Well done. This black jersey makes no sense in the context of the previous three uniforms, though.

But this white vest came straight from the “stock jersey fonts” book. This looks like kind of jersey you order when your equipment manager forgot to get things lined up for the first homestand and you have to get something done NOW. “Just make it say NC State and it’ll be fine. I need them in five hours.”

LSU

We can thank LSU for an opportunity to cleanse the palate a little bit. We know the deal with Paul and purple, but LSU baseball gets a walk from me. Why? Because LSU has looked like this forever. This is Warren Morris after hitting a home run to win the 1997 College World Series.

And this is LSU’s current yellow jersey. Yep, pretty much the same. And so is the purple jersey. The white uniform and interlocking LSU logo on the caps is a college classic. One of my favorites. I hope LSU sticks around for a while, if only to save us from Louisville.

UCLA

Remember those highlighted armpit panels from a few teams ago? Here’s more. UCLA has all of the elements of a classic design, and some actual history to go along with it. Like, Jackie Robinson-style history. And instead we see this.

Adidas is the culprit, again. In this case, the mesh-vented underarms flare out and around to the front and back of the jerseys. While there may well be a cooling benefit to the design, it encroaches on the space available for a logo. Should this logo be that small? Probably not. But it has to be, thanks to the pits. They’re present here and here, complete with outlines, so you don’t miss them.

The Bruins could look so much better, given space on the uniform to actually do something. Instead, you have triple-layered logos crammed into tiny spaces. There’s really no way to make that work.

+ + + + +

Very Uni Watch-ish: Paul here. An eyebrow-raising sponsorship and a questionable logo are at the heart of a new piece I’ve written for Grub Street (that’s New York magazine’s food blog). There’s even a small sports-related angle. I’m pretty sure all Uni Watch readers will like this one — check it out here.

And speaking of logos…: In case you missed it yesterday, my latest One-Man Focus Group column is about the logo for the newly disclosed PRISM surveillance program. (As an aside, my ESPN colleague Dave Wilson pointed me toward this piece on how the PRISM slideshow could be improved by a redesign.)

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Uni Watch News Ticker: Grantland has published a fairly devastating open letter to Daniel Snyder regarding the ’Skins name (from Nicole Haase). … Meanwhile, PTI co-host Michael WIlbon says NFL commish Roger Goodell’s support of the team’s current name is “gutless” (from David Goodfriend). … And what should the ’Skins name change to? A top branding firm has some suggestions (from Janet Paskin). … Newcastle United player Papiss Cisse is expressing concerns about the team’s new jersey sponsor, Wonga, a payday loan company, because he is a Muslim. Interestingly, the team has signaled a willingness to compromise (from Laurence Holland). … The Mets have circulated a survey in which they ask fans about, among other things, their favorite Mets colors and logos. … MLB’s Home Run Derby app has a circular Pirates logo I haven’t seen before. In case you can’t read it, the type says, “Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball, Since 1887” (from Ryan Hare). … The Islanders will have alternate jerseys for their Stadium Series game and may get a third jersey when they move to Brooklyn (from Anthony Nuccio). … The Fort Wayne TinCaps wore jerseys featuring the Twitter handles of their fans last night. Here’s an interactive page that lets you zoom in on the names. … Today is Flag Day. If a team has to wear a flag-based jersey, you’d think today would be the day, right? But the New Jersey Jackals are going G.I. Joe instead. Go figure (from Adam Herbst). … You know the whole black uni thing has gotten out of hand when NikeBlog, of all places, is invoking the term “BFBS” (from Geoff Holm). … Some historical background and great photos from the annual Congressional Baseball Game here (thanks, Phil). … Jeff Whitener says the cross-country team at Herculaneum High School in Missouri has worn these striped shorts for 40 years, although they frequently redesign their tops. … This is odd: a baseball undershirt that includes a faux jersey. Yes, it’s also really ugly. “The player is from the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures Baseball League,” says Tom Arnel). … Check this out: a 1987 Braves jersey with a front uni number! Must’ve been something they were considering doing and then scrapped. That image comes from an excellent piece that Todd Radom has written about 1987 MLB uniforms. Recommended reading. … Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was wearing a mix of old and new logos the other day (from Bob Gassel). … More G.I. Joe silliness, this time for the Iowa Barnstormers (from Luke Meredith). ”¦ Construction workers at the 49ers’ new stadium have added a memorial decal to their hardhats for a worker who died at the site earlier this week (thanks, Brinke). ”¦ A few days ago I raved about Chris Archer’s striped stirrups. Now Archer’s hosiery stylings have inspired a Twitter hashtag (from Kyle Speicher). ”¦ Several 49ers are wearing visors with the team’s “SF” logo in the center. Here’s another example. That’ll never fly for game use, though (from Pinch Santos). ”¦ The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs wore “summer beach” jerseys last night (from Jeff R. Vervlied). ”¦ Clemson football has added an ACC patch (from Benji Boyter). ”¦ New soccer kits for Atletico Madrid (from Walter Ford). ”¦ Jacoby Ellsbury tore his pants last night, revealing that he wears high red socks. Just goes to show what I’ve said all along: Players already wear high socks; what we need to encourage is high cuffing (screen shots by Dave Rakowski). ”¦ Good slideshow on the evolution of the Superman logo (thanks, Brinke). ”¦ Very interesting interview with the creator of digital camouflage (from Robert Silverman). ”¦ The Harrisburg Senators — that’s a minor league baseball team — honored their neighbors, the Hershey Bears — a minor league hockey team — by wearing hockey-themed uniforms the other day (from Emily Bennett).

 
  
 
Comments (148)

    Chris Creamer’s site has tht circular Pirates logo listed as a “secondary” logo. But I don’t recall seeing it actually used anywhere.

    The Pirates have been using that circular logo for a few years now as they’ve almost completely de-emphasized the cartoon Pirate head. The gold P also appears in a lot of places where more ornate logos used to.

    I was gonna say, the circular logo isn’t news at all. They have been using it more than their primary logo for marketing purposes. With them changing logos next season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them use it full-time next season. But, they did hire someone to design a new logo. (Hopefully they stop there–their current uniforms are fine the way they are.) I don’t think they would dump all the money to design a new logo just to end up adopting an alternate logo that they’ve had for a few years now.

    This logo has been displayed in PNC Park before. You will find it in this picture, in foul territory on the front of that porch underneath the LCD ribbon.

    This photo was taken in 2010. From other photos I’ve seen, it was displayed until 2011. Today, that deck is a Budweiser bowtie bar.

    link

    I prefer front numbers on baseball jerseys, seems to balance everything out, and does help with identification. The old Milwaukee Braves did wear numerals on the front when they won their lone World Series title in the 1950s.

    Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me that they at least considered using front numbers when they brought the design back, since front numbers were a big part of it.

    Although I was kind of surprised to learn that front numbers were added link. I guess I hadn’t realized that the Boston version was link.

    Going to read that article now – looks great!

    re: Papiss Cisse and Newcastle’s Wonga sponsorship

    I wonder if the Premier League will allow teams with some players not wearing the sponsor on the shirt. And it’s an issue, since Newcastle has several Muslim players among its Francophone contingent (though interpretation of Shari’a is generally left up to the individual).

    Though Newcastle could always did what Bolton did with QuickQuid and drop the sponsor.

    I imagine some would.

    From my understanding, adherence to and interpretation of Shari’a is a personal choice, so you have cases like Frederic Kanoute, who initially objected to a shirt advertising a betting house, but relented because he wasn’t personally promoting them and didn’t take part in sponsor-related events.

    Crimson and cream. Is it me or does the home and away unis look more like the old “Bobby Knight red” rather than crimson. The alternate is definitely crimson.

    Loved the Narragansett clam/scallop debacle quote, “that’s basically a fuck-up, to be honest with you,” hysterical!
    Cheers! ~B

    Whatever happened to “practice like you play?” The mirrored and now logo visors can’t be worn in games so why wear them in practice? Everything is an accessory now which is sort of lame. There is no function to the crazy visors and facemasks.

    I was thinking that exact same thing! Maybe closer to the season they’ll stop with the tinted visors and start getting use to the sun/lights. ????

    I kind of love Washington Metros. Probably because I love the Washington Metro.

    Washington Skins (and the tribal tattoo imagery) is pretty terrible.

    They’re all pretty terrible, as NFL team names. The single best, and perhaps only valid, argument in defense of the Redskins nickname would be to point to this article and say, “Yes, but this is what you’d get instead.”

    They’ll be the Warriors by 2024. At which point I’ll add Pigskins to Voyageurs and Primaries on my list of favorite team names that didn’t happen.

    100% agree with your valid argument point. Somebody should bury that page ASAP, those are all terrible. Shame, would’ve been a great idea if they’d produced something serviceable.

    The ideas from that “top” branding firm were terrible. Their first one was a Raven mascot.

    I thought the same thing. How much “research” have you actually done if you don’t know another NFL team 35 miles up the Parkway has relatively the same mascot. Stupid.

    For sure. And also the rationale for the Leopards one – “it’s good because it’s similar to something that’s already overdone!” was horrible as well.

    Very good preview. I’d be surprised if UNC does not wear the camo jersey at CWS. The players seem enamored of it. Not a favorite of mine.

    One combo not mentioned for Carolina is that they have Carolina blue pants to wear with the retro jerseys. Given the proximity to KC, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the “full Royals” treatment in Omaha. Maybe against NC State, as that particular shade of blue drives the woofies nuts. (BTW, go to Hell State!)

    We will certainly see the camo jerseys at least once – the players love them. I hear it has as much to do with the comfort of that particular jersey as the look.

    Not usually a fan of softball tops, but the LSU yellow jersey looks great to me.

    Me, too.

    I’m not a fan of colored MLB jerseys in general, but I’ve loved seeing more teams adopt gold jerseys. Bright and cheerful, an underrated color.

    So wait a minute . . . a website that has been crusading to change the name of the Redskins because it may be offensive to Native Americans runs a non-uniform-related “ticker” reference that refers to women as “cuntly”? Isn’t that just as, if not more, offensive? Pot meet Kettle.

    I realize it’s fun to seize on something and play gotcha, but you might want to think harder about this one, because you’re not even close to making an apples-to-apples comparison.

    I’m just trying to figure out which one the players considered Mickey Mantle.

    That was my thinking as well. “Obviously this is Mickey Mantle and… uh… Mickey Mantle?”

    How about Washington Skins? Their mascot could be Buffalo Bill from “Silence of the Lambs”.

    or….

    Pudding Skins
    Toughskins (better check with Sears first on this one)
    Rumplestiltskins
    I’m Just Askins

    Washington Skinflints. (Though I don’t thing there’s been a real one in any position of influence since the Coolidge administration at the latest.)

    Washington Thinskins – that is pretty non-partisan and all-inclusive.

    I shared the Grantland article with my friend Suzy, who cares nothing at all about sports. She said, “Why don’t they just call them the Redskin Potatoes? Everyone loves redskin potatoes.” I think she has solved this controversy.

    That would be awesome. The entire playbook could be written in the third person.

    “It pulls to trap block the left end or else it gets the hose again”

    For branding purposes I think it would be a terrible move for a team to voluntarily switch to a name that is already the name of another Big 4 team. That’s also why I am really against the “Warriors” suggestion. I know there are already some pairs of teams like this but I think that’s definitely something to avoid if you can help it.

    I agree in theory, but in reality, I’m pretty sure even most hardcore NBA fans don’t know there’s already a big-4 team with that name.

    We often bemoan the pajama pants look, but rarely do we debate the merits of the atrocious “flat bill” look with baseball caps.

    Almost as dumb as … keeping the New Era sticker (or tag) on the cap, ala 1994.

    Coaches should start showing discipline with their teams. Have as many uniforms as you like (minus camo). But make sure you wear pants that fit, + stirrups, jerseys that fit, and hats that work as intended. Otherwise, why are hats mandatory?

    I hope that branding firm was trolling Snyder, because those were awful. If I was in charge of renaming the Redskins, I would create a poll/focus group of Native American leaders and let them name the team. This would be the best P.R. move, and allow them to resemble their history better than any other alternative. No, I don’t like the name Warriors…

    The Islanders want to look like the Nets? Why do CEO’s try to take accounting strategies and apply them to marketing? This isn’t an acquisition to be integrated or merged into one company and logo. This is why today’s sports logos are so boring… MLSE is doing the same thing to the Raptors. Marketing is a skill; maybe one day the suits will recognize it.

    While some may consider ‘Native Americans’ to be a monolithic population, there is very little unity among the leadership of the American Indian nations and the individuals therein.
    If this issue is truly an important one to all of them they could always form a partnership to buy the Redskins (the team and all related marks)from Snyder, although the NFL may not approve of such a sale if any one of the nations generates revenue from casino operations.

    “If this issue is truly an important one to all of them they could always form a partnership to buy the Redskins (the team and all related marks)from Snyder…”

    Are you really suggesting this as the best, most effective, or only legitimate way for Native Americans to take action in advocating for the Washington Redskins to change their name?

    “Only moneyed people are worthy of influence, see.”

    Well, duh! But what if the moneyed person who owns the team chooses not to sell it to the moneyed people trying to buy it?

    Regarding the unity of the Native American population:

    Potentially bringing together many leaders/groups for this cause makes the P.R. spin even better for Snyder!

    That would be quite an accomplished feat, and might have further positive effects for those communities. A partnership, however limited it may be, is better than “NEVER” in all caps. A name chosen by Native Americans could potentially facilitate a unity with other races, since many others admire their culture and symbolism.

    P.R. spin can be genuinely kind, if done right.

    Rad is right. I’m not sure what those “branding experts” are thinking, but that PPT deck of methodology was absolute rubbish. The names suggested (and accompanying logos) were entry level, at best.

    Lol, at the Islanders trying to go Jay-Z with their identity. So many sheep in the world of sports marketing.

    So, anyway, all the fuss over Redskins, but somehow Notre Dame escapes all scrutiny with Fighting Irish.

    And what about those Boilermakers? Will one day railroad engineers and boiler-room workers unite against Purdue?

    Same with the Cornhuskers and Nebraska? By origin, these are somewhat derogatory nicknames conceived in the early century by journalists.

    I realize Redskins is on an entirely different level. But let’s not kid ourselves that many nicknames (Yankees and Boilermakers, among them) are not “positive” monikers.

    And Fighting Irish might be the most offensive of all, frankly. How’s it any different than Nosy Jews, Boozy Catholics, Ugly Americans, Stinky French, Wetback Mexicans, Slant-Eye Asians!?

    If you don’t like Redskins, keep revolting, but Daniel Snyder owns the team. And until people use their power to stop attending his games and watching them on TV, he gets to do as he chooses. Freedom – good and bad.

    You might have a point if you ignore context completely, and if Notre Dame wasn’t a school founded by Catholics and the Fighting Irish name wasn’t a reference to its Irish-American athletes. And if Nebraska hadn’t adopted “Cornhuskers” as a self-referential expression of pride.

    The problem with the “Redskins” is that besides its inherent offensiveness, it’s not self-referential – it’s borrowed interest, and it’s borrowed without blessing from the people, with a caricature imagery attached.

    And sure, if the students at UC-Irvine decide to adopt “Slanty Eyed” as a subversive expression of Asian pride, why not or if Yeshiva University called their teams “Stingies”, well, it’s not nice, but why not? But “Redskins” have nothing to do with pride.

    “The problem with the “Redskins” is that…, it’s not self-referential — it’s borrowed interest, and it’s borrowed without blessing from the people,…”

    Even if one discounts Lone Star Dietz’s ancestry, the 1933 Boston Redskins (the year the Braves adopted the name Redskins) had at least 4 players of American Indian descent, as Haskell Indian, a football powerhouse during the 20’s and 30’s, exclusively admitted American Indians IIRC, and still does?).
    Can anyone say for certain that those players did or did not feel honored?

    If the Redskins helmet logo is to be considered “caricature imagery”, then what terms should be used to describe the Chicago Blackhawks’ primary logo?

    I get it, sure.

    But how many “Catholics” participate at ND now? Probably less than 25% of those African-American footballers are Catholic. And probably less than 10% of them are Irish-American.

    So, if I start a school today that’s predominantly black, and call them the Fighting Africans, it’s okay? Nope. Not even if were the “Fighting African-Americans” or even the “Fighting Americans.”

    This is really a preposterous discussion across the board. The United States is FULL of dichotomy. The name is historic, it’s what makes this country what it is. It wouldn’t be possible today. But it’s “grandfathered in.”

    That’s what’s BEAUTIFUL about “Redskins” … it’s preposterously historic in nature. Indians everywhere, claim it with pride! (I’m of Indian descent 2 generations back, not that it matters.)

    Low self-worth is no way to live. Never paid much attention to the Blackhawks until recent years … man, grab that iconography and wear it with pride!

    @ScottyM

    * ND players might not be so Irish any more, but its identity is still steeped in the Irish/Catholic tradition, so it’s still a celebration of its own identity. And when black players join ND, they’re buying into the Notre Dame tradition, just as non-LDS athletes do when they join Brigham Young.

    * If an HBCU calls itself “Fighting African-Americans”, I guess it’s unfortunate, but again, it’s not borrowing someone else’s identity. Nothing at all like George Marshall co-opting Indian imagery.

    * Things that are historic are inherently good? Well, okay, then.

    * “Grandfathered in” is an unfortunate choice of words, but I guess it’s apropos for a name chosen by George Marshall.

    The relevant constituency to consider when determining whether a name is self-referential is the team’s supporters and “target audience,” moreso even than the team members. Notre Dame draws much of its support from Irish Catholics. The name is a matter of pride for them. Nebraska’s target audience is (obviously) Nebraskans. Likewise, they take pride in the no-nonsense, hard-working connotations associated with the name “Cornhusker.”

    The fans of these respective institutions don’t care if every single team member is of Irish Catholic heritage or a native Nebraskan, respectively. Those team members are still representing a collective ideal that references and has meaning to the constituent community.

    The Redskins’ target consituency has never been Native Americans, specifically. The indiginous Native American tribes had largely been extirpated from both Massachusetts and the D.C. metro area well before the team played in either location.

    As such, what Lone Star Dietz and four players who attended Haskell Indian School thought about the Redskins’ team name is to some degree irrelevant. Whether they had a problem with it or not, they weren’t in much of a position to object in the first place, given the prevailing culture of the time and the attitudes of team owner George Preston Marshall, whose views on racial matters are quite well-known.

    (I won’t even delve into the fact that Dietz’s claims of being Indian have long since been discredited. Or, for that matter, that the Haskell Indian School, founded by the United States Government as an institution to “civilize the savage,” was not honoring its athletes’ heritage by imposing the nickname “Fighting Indians” on them.)

    A few years ago a TV crew from the BBC’s Northern Ireland service did a feature on Notre Dame and their Keough Institute of Irish Studies. They were a bit bemused at the overt “Irish” identity at a school founded by French priests and currently populated by people of all ancestries. Then they began to appreciate it.

    It’s been a while; not sure if the video still plays:

    link

    One addition for LSU: The team also has also been wearing a 1993 pinstripe throwback in honor of the 20th anniversary of that championship during select games this year. I would not be surprised if it made at least one appearance in Omaha. It looks very sharp

    Original: link

    New Throwbacks: link

    Maybe I’m just being a curmudgeon but I can’t really picture any of those ideas for “Redskins” replacements as really catching on in the NFL. I get that it’s not for real or anything, but they feel like team identities that a TV show would use to portray a fake pro team.

    Also, get off my lawn please.

    Those rebranding suggestions are laughable.

    “Rocs” – As Dan pointed out in an earlier post, this logo looks like a Baltimore Ravens ripoff. There’s no way that’s going to work for two teams roughly 35 miles apart. Besides, who other than a few hardcore Dungeons & Dragons types even know what a Roc is?

    “Metros” – Evokes allusions of link, which is about as awe-inspiring as calling a team the “Boston Preppies” or the “New York Dandies.” “Fashioned to work with the idea of a D.C. Metro token.” Metro token? I lived in D.C. for the better part of five years, took the Metro almost everyday, and I never used a token once. link is is what comes to mind when D.C. commuters think about the Metro fare system. It doesn’t lend itself as well to iconic romantic the same way a New York subway token does.

    “Leopards” – Get ready for a trademark infringement lawsuit from link.

    “Skins” – “A tattoo visual wrapped around a dynamic type mark, juxtaposing the tribal genre against a D.C. architectural icon.” More “tribal” imagery? Doesn’t this just perpetuate what many see as part of the exisiting problem?

    I’ve been in DC on and off since 1992, and Metro has not used “tokens” in that time. Paper farecards, not coins.

    And paper farecards are for tourists – there’s now a $1 surcharge for every trip made with a paper card. Though the SmarTrip card doesn’t exactly translate to a

    Anyway, I believe metal tokens were used on the Metro at one point, but since the system is relatively new, they never acquired the cultural cachet that the New York subway token holds.

    Plus, they’d need a more Metro-accessible stadium than the FedEx for the name to work.

    I’m not 100% positive – more like 40%? – but I think Metro continued to use some kind of token on buses at least into the 1990s. But if Metro ever used tokens as subway fare, it had to have ended years before I came to town, else the machines would still have taken tokens in 1992 on a legacy basis. But really, I doubt Metro ever did, or at least did after it expanded beyond the Red Line, since the fare structure is based on distance, and that precludes tokens as even a possibility.

    These “designers” clearly know nothing about Washington, DC, either generally or sports culture specifically, being the bottom line.

    “And paper farecards are for tourists”

    That’s a change from when I lived there. Back then, everyone used paper farecards. The tourists stood out from the locals by: (1) holding up lines of commuters as they struggled to figure out the exit gates, and (2) standing on the left side of the escalators during rush hour.

    “But if Metro ever used tokens as subway fare, it had to have ended years before I came to town, else the machines would still have taken tokens in 1992 on a legacy basis.”

    The Metro opened in 1976. I rode it for the first time as a kid in 1982. The system was using farecards at that point, so I suspect there’s a good chance it never operated on a metal token basis. You’re right, Arr. Clueless designers with no concept of the D.C. market.

    Yeah, sort of like Red Sox … but using the tin pot Johnny Appleseed wore on his head.

    Probably would’ve been better to call them the “Appleseeds” but they got clever with the __ sox type naming.

    That Idaho school superintendent who decided all on his own to remove every reference to Redskins (the high school’s nickname for sports teams/clubs since its’ founding) is reconsidering that course of action:

    link

    It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that there was some backlash to the superintendent’s unilateral and relatively heavy-handed approach to implementing the name change. It’s never a bad idea, from the standpoint of both PR and “CYA” to “seek public and Native American input before moving forward.”

    I have, shall we say, less than entirely positive feelings about Reagan and his presidency. But I’d be all for this name! Fun idea. Though Gerald Ford might be the more appropriate source for a POTUS-themed NFL nickname.

    Gippers would fit in with my longstanding campaign to persuade DC statehood advocates to amend the District’s statehood constitution to say that it will enter the union as the state of Reagan. Do that, and then dare Republicans in Congress to vote against statehood again.

    Wonder how much money was shelled out for that scallop logo…

    On Monday or thereabouts, I said I would provide a list of the Ten Best Holidays. I started writing one, but added an explanatory paragraph under each ranking, and the thing got way too long for this site. Anybody who wants to read the wordy rationales can send me a note at link. But here there are, One to Ten:

    1. Juneteenth (USA).
    2. All Hallows Eve / All Saints Day / All Souls Day.
    3. Armistice Day (UK, France,Canada).
    4. Christmas
    5. Valentine’s Day
    6. Fourth of July
    7. Purim
    8. Victory Day (Russia)
    9. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    10. Cinco de Mayo
    11. Earth Day

    As a colonial who lived in the UK for a bit, I found Guy Fawkes Day to be an amazing holiday. Failed Assassination = fireworks and bonfires. Brilliant.

    Oh, you’re so right, Ben. Great nasty/funny holiday.

    “Please to remember
    The fifth of November:
    Gunpowder, treason, and plot.”

    It’ll be on the revised list.

    If you’re really upset, screencapture it, highlight it and send it to NOW…see what they say…

    Bryan,

    Good on ya for being involved with your kid’s uni-ness in early grammar school. I wish someone had taught me how to look like a ballplayer while I was chasing grounders after they bounced through my legs. (Lord knows little of the fielding lessons worked on me when I was that age.)

    Real content for the uni-savvy 5- and 6-year-old: Do the jerseys / shirts just come in assorted sizes, so the player only gets to choose their number from among the shirts that fit him?

    In the little league I played in, yes, uniform number was determined by shirt size. #1 was smallest, and it went up from there. I was usually in the teens, like 13 or 14. One year they did it backwards, where #1 was the largest jersey, and I got #1 that year. That was the only time I’ve ever had #1 as my uniform number in any sport.

    I was #2 for the last few years I played LLB. Coach wore #1 and then the paleyers’ shirts went small to large. BTW: my on-base percentage was c. .930! Now I’m 6’2″. Go figure.

    My memory is of a random distribution, and I picked #5 the first year (I forget the other choices) and sought it out the next; luckily it fit then.

    It was so random that I don’t remember other teams being anything the same, like the big kid who could hit and not run well put at third base might wear #14 on one team and #25 on another.

    Maybe I had yet to cut my teeth on the importance of uniform numbering at such an early age.

    I also don’t remember any particular finagling for kids who wanted #1 (or other “classic” numbers) or to avoid #13, or get assigned the number of favorite players.

    In my son’s league, they had a fitting at the sign-up tables in February. At this age, their jerseys are just T-shirts that were custom printed for each kid. My son is among the bigger kids on the team and he ended up with No. 6. Meanwhile, the second-smallest kid on the team is No. 10.

    But because I’m me, each kid has his or her jersey tucked in, they all wear baseball pants and they all have high cuffs.

    The Redskins name change to me has two easy, obvious choices: the Washington Pigskins or the Washington Hogs. Neither offensive and an easy transition for the fans.

    Good call. Pigskins works.

    Also, “Fairskins” … a clear reference to our forefathers and foremothers who favored umbrellas, powdered faces, and wigs to keep their fair complexion.

    Snyder should do this as a lark, and see where it goes :)

    MLB is either trying to get more BP Jerseys sold, or they are going to be making a league wide change, but MLB.com has marked their BP jerseys down to almost 50% off.

    Rumors going around twitter are that the AS BP jersey is what MLB will be moving to around the AS break, and this sale is a way to move product before launching a new one. Don’t know what the truth is, but I just got an Astros BP jersey for Father’s Day because of the sale.

    Those UCLA pit vents are hideous. They ruin what would otherwise be a fairly decent set of uniforms.

    This is just the latest in a long line of Adidas uniform failures. They need to get out of the American sports team uniform business and stick with what they already know – soccer.

    I absolutely love Indiana’s uniforms. Atletico Madrid’s home kit looks gorgeous, I’m not really a fan of the away kits.

    So in the upcoming season, the top 3 teams in Spain will be promoting, directly or indirectly, the governments of Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Azerbaijan?

    Paul – enjoyed your piece from Grub Street. Makes it next to impossible not to cheer for continued success for that company. Unfortunately, I don’t think Milwaukee has a distribution network for Narragansett beer – otherwise I would have bought some this weekend.

    Seems like odd timing for the Senators to bust out the cross-sport support uniforms since the Hershey Bears were eliminated from the AHL playoffs weeks ago.

    Regarding the daily boozing, sexcapades “Huntley – Brinkley” report…the players in question had to be Pepitone and Mantle.

    How ’bout Washington keeps the logo, dumps the Redskins name and uses “Savages”.

    Just kidding, although a football team should aspire to be perceived as savage.

    a football team should aspire to be perceived as savage.

    Why? Savage, by definition, means uncivilized. And if you’re not civilized, then the concepts of sportsmanship, being a team player, etc. aren’t going to mean much to you.

    I think it’s sad that the implicit message of sports these days — especially football — is that the goal is to be an asshole.

    “I think it’s sad that the implicit message of sports these days – especially football – is that the goal is to be an asshole.”

    ~~~

    COTD (so far)

    I am sick of the war and violence allusions in sports. When a team rebrands, it seem that by default the mascot be depicted as more aggressive and intimidating. The new mascot for New Orleans’ basketball team caught flak for not being aggressive enough: “Who’s going to be afraid to play the Pelicans?” But even the Pelican logo is aggressive-looking. Is this to sate their fans’ bloodthirst, to make the players feel better about being a Pelican, or maybe a little of both?

    What will make a team afraid of playing the Pelicans is if that team knows that the Pelicans are good enough to win by 30. Athletes should aspire to being winners, not savages or soldiers, and the clubs don’t need to drape their players in intimidating logos, aggressive colors, and Pro Combat gear.

    Re: the blood and the pelican–comes from the Louisiana state seal (link) and the medieval legend of a mother pelican being so devoted to their young that they would feed them her own blood to keep them from starving (link)

    Taiwanese TV has gotten into the renaming of the Redskins debate in informative and amusing fashion: link

    That’s pretty amazing (even if not entirely historically accurate).

    And some more reactions: link

    BTW, is there a Brazilian equivalent of Uni Watch where I can get a Confederations Cup preview? Like, what do Tahiti’s unis look like?

    Here’s some jagoffs trying to take advantage of the Boston bombing situation with something already controversial.

    link

    New rule for baseball at all levels:

    Does your flag desecration cap look as awesome as this?

    link

    If not, don’t bother with the stars-and-stripes thing. You’ve already failed at patriotism.

    Wait, the Canucks moved the team from Peoria, Illinois to Utica, NY? I know Utica was pushing the AHL hard to be included again, but the Canucks already complained about the distance between the two clubs when their AHL affiliate was in Chicago. And here they move further east to a smaller market with less direct flights between centers?!?

    Idiotic. Simply ridiculous.

    I went to college a scant stones throw from Utica, so I can indeed vouch that it’s in Bumblefuck, NY, but (shockingly) that is actually (or was — graduated 25 years ago so can’t vouch for the townsfolk now) a hockey town for sure. That “smaller market” will pack the Aud (or wherever it is they’ll play) every night. I’m just surprised they didn’t seek out one of the slightly larger cities on the Thruway, like ‘cuse or Rottenchester…

    That sucks. The last I heard the Canucks were in talks with the Flames for the Canucks to put their team in Abbotsford (where the Heat have struggled) with the Heat relocating somewhere else.

    #Redskinsname is trending on Twitter in DC right now. I’d imagine the discourse is as civil as most comment sections, so I will not click…

    I think Washington should change their name to the Americans and keep the same colors and logos. It would honor native Americans and keep the franchise’s loyal followers happy as well. So simple, it just might work.

    Well, aside from the Native imagery, in my book it’s a just plain aesthetically crappy logo. Make a new, better drawn profile based on the Freedom statue atop the Capitol:

    link

    … and I’d be 100% with you.

    1987 was indeed a bad year for baseball uniforms. All those teams foolishly dropped athletic wear from their sets, for what, tradition? Barf. Sartorial v-neck pullover jerseys and trim sansabelt baseball pants, preferably with a tri-striped waistband, is the ‘Ultimate Baseball Look’. Baseball, as a whole needs to rid itself of button-front jerseys and belted pants, before it’s too late.

    Clemson didn’t add an ACC patch they got a new one (the entire ACC has had patches for well over a decade).

    It’ll be interesting to see if that same patch is used throughout the conference or if Clemson is the only one opting for it.

    I’m not opposed to a new unique patch (instead of the generic football on a pennant look), but that is not the one that should be adopted, too big/bulky, too plain, and the colors are too distracting (orange with white letters would look better).

    In years past, when MLB teams had flag desecration hats instead of the current camo getup, did anyone trot them out on Flag Day?

    After just reading the column from couple days ago June 12, hey those A League and N League all star tops look sharp as well as the caps.
    I just wonder if that part of NY will give a rats ass, afterall the Mets have sucked forever.

    It’s hilarious.
    I am close with a lot of Native Americans. They laugh whenever they hear or read about Redskins/Braves/Indians changing their team names.
    I will not name their territory cause it will give away their location as per their request which could therefore endorse unwanted phone calls for interviews from people who “are clueless”. Clueless about what? About teams like Texas Rangers wearing their state flag on their jersey instead of the American Flag, which is more offensive than the latter.
    Go figure.

    Having grown tired of the website’s author’s liberal politicking and obsession with the Washington Redskins and other American Indian team names, I had stayed away from the site for a while. I decided to pay it a visit today, and was so pleasantly charmed to see three straight days of…

    More of the same.

    We get your point. It’s your site, and, obviously, your right to be as unaccepting of others’ views as you like. But your high horse, holier than thou smarmy act has gotten really old.

    This site was a whole lot more worthwhile when you wrote about what you actually seem to know something about, like chain-stitching, stripes, blousing and, you know, uniforms.

    But, your political agenda and intolerance of those who aren’t smart enough to share your views had to go and ruin it. Typical.

    I’m surprised this guy didn’t have anything on stirrups since he gets wet over them. I come here now just to laugh at what he has to say. It’s not even good. He puts down everything and hates everything it seems like.

    I am going to copy and paste the comment of “Tim” from the Bloomberg REDSKINS!!!!!!!! alternatives and endorse it wholesale. I’m an Indians fan and feel the same way about the self-important jack-off douchebag nannying twats who just refuse to chill the fuck out and stop self-importantly appropriating what they imagine to be the outrage of others.

    Paul and Tim – I probably agree with you guys on 85% of all issues in general but I am so fucking sick of this busybody shit by you overly-sensitive white people that I am starting to become PRO-Native American nickname on general principle alone.

    In other words, leave it the fuck alone. As we say in the legal world – one must have standing to file suit. You people are not Native Americans, so shut the fuck up. You can’t be the “plaintiff” here. And if you were Native Americans
    I’d say – sorry, nothing personal, no intent to offend you. If you are offended, I’m sorry, but the world isn’t a pres-school with padded walls and plastic furniture.
    And if you don’t like our nickname you can always root for another club. Anyway, over to you, Tim:

    Tim – 2 days ago −
    I don’t know where to begin….. 1) the Roc’s, when they share overlap with the Ravens is stupid 2) the Washington metro has NEVER used tokens and Metro’s…. really. 3) Leopards is just ridiculous 4) skins with a ridiculous tribal tattoo background, I can’t believe you idiots get paid for these ideas, why don’t we just cut to the chase and call them the douchbags

    I grew up in DC and environs and I’ve been a Redskins fan since I realized football was a thing. I get it, if an expansion team came out with the name Redskins they would rightfully be screamed off the map, because it is offensive. The thing people seem to ignore is that this team has had that nickname for about 80 years. Here’s the other thing that bothers me; it used to be people measured intent into their outrage. Neither the organization or the fans intend for it to be offensive, we don’t use it as an
    epitaph, we dont have a guy in a native american costume running around, we don’t do the ridiculous chop or condescending indian chants, we don’t even reference scalping in our 80 year old fight song. Give us a break. If there is any group that’s been marginalized to an even quasi comparable level to that of the native americans it’s washingtonians who don’t even have congressional representation, don’t have direct control over their city budget because it has to approved by congress, and have to put up with the mouth breathers you idiots elect and send to our city so we can babysit them for 2-4-6 year terms respectively. And we don’t even get a casino priviledges. If you’ve got enough time on your hands to really work yourself up into a phony outrage about something so banal and trivial then seriously, find a hobby. Take up knitting, or I don’t know, smash your head repeatedly into a wall, whatever, just shut up and leave us alone

    I thought Nebraska had a harsh winter, especially compared to Bloomington. IU has a mild enough climate to be a D-1 soccer power. As far as baseball suprrmacy in the BIG, watch out for Rutgers when they get in.

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