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Uni Watch

CFB: 49ers & Flames Reveal Alts, Plus CFL & MLB

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Good Saturday morning, everyone. In case you missed it last night (as I did), Phil broke the good news about the Cincinnati Bengals saying they will wear their new orange pants along with their orange jerseys and helmets (with black socks!) for a stripe-tastic, orange-a-licious Opening Day against the New England Patriots. I’ll wait here while you check that out.

Now then…two Group of Five college football schools, Charlotte from the American Athletic Conference and Liberty from Conference USA, revealed new alts for the upcoming season. The Liberty Flames haven’t announced yet when their “baby blues” will be worn, but the Charlotte 49ers are in a bit of a “gold rush” to show off their new set, which will be worn two weeks from today against the James Madison Dukes.

Reader Will Jackson brought this to our attention, sharing this article which includes the line, “The uniforms are an homage to North Carolina’s history as the site of a gold rush after the precious metal was discovered in what is now the Charlotte metro area in 1799.” Which begs the question, why aren’t they called the 99ers instead of the 49ers??

Anyway, I’m glad the game is scheduled for 8pm, because this is not a uniform that should be worn on a sunny day. I’m extremely grateful they outlined the white numbers in green…

…because that means there’s a *chance* you’ll be able to see them while watching the game. The white stripe on the helmet, the helmet logo and helmet numbers, and the white shoulder stripes are another story. Same goes for the name on the back.

If you know me, you know I’m glad they chose a more visible number over a more visible NOB. Still, the whole thing could be washed out, even under the stadium lights during a night game. After all, it looked washed out during the usual hyped-up reveal to the players.

Even the gold stripes on the pants and the C logo on the hip aren’t highly visible, but golly, that green swoosh sure pops. Priorite$, prioritie$…

Unlike Notre Dame’s shiny gold numbers on their Shamrock Series jerseys, which I KNOW will be nearly impossible to read, I’ll need to see the JMU/Charlotte game to see if this is Top five-worthy or &1-worthy. I really hope it’s the former instead of the latter. Oh, and I love the white facemasks. Keep those no matter what else you do.

Then there are the Liberty Flames, who said…

That’s funny, I don’t recall asking for this. After all, Liberty’s colors are navy blue and red. Baby blue is nice, but not so much when it follows the same minimalistic look of the new regular unis, which Phil shared with us almost a month ago.

The big difference is on the helmet. The regular unis had the nice Flames script in contrasting colors, yet here it’s ghosted in white on a white helmet.

The jersey follows the script of the regulars: Sparky the Eagle on the contrasting collar, and a highly visible script above the outlined numbers. And I’m pleasantly surprised the script pops way more than the swoosh here!

Always a fan of No Name On Back. Now, could you raise the numbers a little higher, then?

As for the pants, nothing but a lot of baby blue, except for Sparky the Eagle on the hip.

Be glad I spared you the hype video, because it was a lot of sound and fury signifying a lot of…

 

Meanwhile, north of the border, we have another Guardian Cap sighting, but this time it’s in an official game.

Yeah, yeah, Great Gazoo and all that (especially in mono green), but kudos to him for wanting to keep his brain intact.

I’m wondering if the officials needed some brain protection after turning this walk on the wild sideline into a game-winning touchdown.

Looks out to me!

 

Back to the States, where Manfred League Baseball began it’s Players’ Weekend for the first time in five years. Unlike the 2019 debacle, which I called the Worst Looking Weekend In Baseball History, this year’s event is a little more plateable. The goofiness (or fun, however you wish to describe it) is limited to the sides of the caps, as Phil showed us, and on the players’ bats, gloves, and shoes. I can’t possibly show everything that went on last night, but here were the things that really jumped out at me. For starters, I like the hand-drawn decorations on Logan O’Hoppe’s catcher’s gear.

Then there were the many, many decorated bats, and these were my four favorites.

The fun continues today and tomorrow. If you saw any other Players’ Weekend stuff that tickled your fancy, please share in the comments.

 

 

 
  
 

That's It For Today

Here’s hoping you have an enjoyable day. I should have some preseason NFL news for tomorrow, and if time permits, I’ll share my Thriftspotting adventures from this past week. Take care, and I’ll see you Sunday morning.

 

 

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Comments (18)

    In last night’s Yankees-Tigers tilt, Detroit had two rookie call-ups wearing the little MLB debut patch. And they were wearing the CC uniform to boot. Pretty rare occurrence methinks.

    I didn’t realize the caps were going to have the ransom note numbers on them last night. I just assumed they would be worn on Sunday’s game.

    Whatever happen to just home whites and road grays with one cap. When did MLB players begin their alternate career as fashion models?

    I too often feel the exact same way. There was a charm to home white/road grey. Even road powder.

    Can we just appreciate the genius of the Charlotte 49ers’ pickaxe C logo?

    Also, With MLB dialing back the Players Weekend nonsense, the custom bats have been off-the-charts awesome. More of this kind of fun, please.

    When I saw “CFB” and “49ers” in the title, I wondered if my favorite team as a kid, Cal State Long Beach 49ers, were bringing back football. Their last coach was the famous Rams and Redskins coach, George Allen.

    The use of Columbia/baby/powder/nobody calls it H-Town Blue is becoming too commonplace throughout the sports world…when paired with Sheridan Red it’s still a terrific blend, but enough already.
    And Liberty should strongly consider a helmet that has, gee…I dunno – flames, perhaps?
    The Guardian Cap continues to be a drag on athletics aesthetics. “…kudos to him for wanting to keep his brain intact.” Given how long Hudon had been playing, the damage (hopefully none!) is done, and there’s standard helmet options that not only look good but provide the same if not better protection.

    Technically the Flames refers to a flock of eagles. Always like the Sparky logo (and any “old school” cartoon characters) and would like to see it on the helmet again. Do like the script on the helmets though

    Part of the problem with Charlotte’s uni is that it is a very pale gold. The hint of green outlining the numbers does wonders for contrast. Pinstripe thickness would set off the stripes on the pants and the jerseys.

    I don’t really understand the point of the players weekend or whatever it is. There’s a tiny bit of mandated aesthetic “fun” (just like the corporate mandated home run props. So much fun!) but other than that, can someone enlighten me? What’s special about this schtick?

    I agree with you. While I didn’t like the major uniform changes they did in previous years, this year seems to be a lot of mentioning that it’s Players’ Weekend without a lot actually behind it.

    Supposedly they are highlighting different things about players on each day:

    FUN (Friday, August 16): Fun aspects of players’ personalities, friendships and off-field interests will be featured.
    CAUSES (Saturday, August 17): Focus will be on charitable and community initiatives that are important to players.
    APPRECIATION (Sunday, August 18): Players will celebrate the people who helped them on their path to the Major Leagues.

    I’ve watched a couple games already this weekend, and besides pointing out the custom cleats (which I believe are already allowed in any game) and bats, I haven’t noticed much of anything special on the broadcasts. There may be a few “extra” social media posts, but most teams already are (and should be) using social media to highlight their players’ personalities.

    “The nickname “49ers” derives from the fact that the university’s predecessor—Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina (CCUNC – established in 1946) was saved from being shut down by the state in 1949 by Bonnie Cone.” Also, appreciate the shout out! Love the site and articles, keep up the amazing work!

    Colleges are giving the NFL a strong challenge for worst uniforms. In fact, I think colleges have taken the lead. But I’m confident some NFL teams will do something to help regain the broken crown.

    Niners could use more green outlines in this uniform set but otherwise it is nice. Liberty in baby blue: i prefer Baby Blue For Baby Blue Sake more than the white or black versions. BBFBBS! Ansd Sparky the Eagle is a gem.

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