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Good morning, Uni Watchers, and a Happy Labor Day to one and all. Hopefully most of you will have today off and will be spending some quality time outdoors as we unofficially have entered fall season now.
There was a bit of uniform-related news over the weekend I wanted to touch on briefly today.
Remember like a week and a half ago the news broke that Oklahoma State was adding QR codes to the backs of their football helmets, in order to benefit their NIL fund?
Turns out, the NCAA doesn’t think this is maybe such a good idea. And so, they have prevented the Cowboys from wearing the QR Code stickers on the backs of their helmets. Turns out the NCAA is interpreting the new NIL rules in a different way than OSU.
OSU considered the stickers to be “institutional decals permitted under NCAA bylaws,” whereas the NCAA interpreted them as “advertising and/or commercial marks, which are not permitted.”
OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg said, “We disagree with the interpretation of the rule but will abide by it and work with the appropriate groups to lead on the needed change. Our people came up with an innovative concept to raise the NIL value of our student-athletes, but ultimately, it just serves as the latest example of how college sports are evolving at a faster pace than the rule book.”
The ruling took effect before OSU’s victory over South Dakota State on Saturday, and the team’s helmets bore no QR Code stickers.
It wasn’t just QR codes on the helmets. In my previous article, I noted, “not only will the football team have them on its helmets, each player will also have a QR code on their travel bag that is used for walking into the stadium. There will also be codes on the Oklahoma State football equipment truck, plus signage around the stadium for fans to be able to scan.”
The NCAA will permit QR codes to be placed around the stadium — including the video board, coasters and more — and will be on each player’s bag tag during “The Walk” before OSU home games.
So, it’s not a total loss for OSU.
Obviously, I’m opposed to ads anywhere on the uniform, and while the QR code logo isn’t technically an ad, it may as well be. So from that standpoint, I’m pleased — especially since other schools might have followed suit and done the same, or something similar. I’m all for NIL and paying the players, but I prefer we keep the uniform as clutter-free as possible.
Your thoughts?
__________
I’ll have a bit more to say in my outro, but be sure to keep checking back in today. I will be releasing the first two parts of my NFL 2024 Season Uniform Preview; rather than releasing one massive document, I’ll be previewing the teams by division. Up later today: AFC East and AFC North. Once all eight are released, I’ll create one article with all of them linked if you want to refer back to it at various points of the season.
Guess the Game from the Scoreboard
Guess The Game…
…From The Scoreboard
Today’s scoreboard comes from Francis Poprin.
The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).
Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date and location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):
Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.
Guess the Game from the Uniform
Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.
Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.
Today’s GTGFTU comes from Jimmy Corcoran himself.
Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.
And finally...
…that’ll do it for the morning post. As I mentioned up top, today I’ll be releasing the first and second of eight NFL previews (one for each Division): the AFC East and AFC North. When all eight have been published, I’ll put them all into one single post, so you can periodically refer back to the NFL unis for 2024.
There will be no Ticker today, but Jamie will have a special Tuesday Ticker for us tomorrow.
I’ll be busy for most of the afternoon with some personal matters and then tonight, longtime UW reader, contributor and pal James Huening (JTH in the comments) will be in town for a couple of days, and we plan to catch the Mets/Red Sox game tonight at Shea CitiField. Last time I saw Jimbo was also at a Mets game, along with Paul — that was back on May 1 of 2016 and — if you can’t tell from how we’re dressed, that was an absolutely miserable day, weather-wise. Cold rain, sleet and wind. I’m not sure I’ve ever been as cold at any ballgame. Tonight’s weather should be delightful.
Everyone have a great and safe Labor Day (and don’t forget to check back in for the NFL previews). Safe travels, James. See ya in a few.
OK State played South Dakota State, not San Jose State.
Thanks. Now fixed.
Agreed – I’ve been to some miserable April Cubs games in my life but that May afternoon in Queens might have been the worst.
And that picture doesn’t really do it justice, because we were actually underdressed for the weather that day.
GTGFTU: Rams (34) at Eagles (3), Sunday, October 15, 1972, at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
My mind was first drawn to the white helmets the eagles were wearing. They only wore those for a five-year stretch from 1969-1973. Furthermore, they only played the rams twice during that stretch, once in 1969, once in 1972. The key difference is in 1969, the Eagles had shoulder stripes, while in 1972, the sleeves were plain, like this image
I mentioned to Phil that those 1972 Rams jerseys were a one-year style, they were made by Sand Knit with screened on numbers, the year before in 1971 they had polyester jerseys with different number fonts and the numbers were heat pressed and in 1970 they were durene with sew on numbers.
Love both the Rams & Eagles uniforms!
Also, I did a double take when looking at the Ram running back(s)… is that a double exposure or are there 2 players there?
Yeah, it’s 2 players, but what a unique shot with both of them sporting a number “3” in their TV number on the sleeve, their arm wrapped very similarly, & in an almost identical position.
Cool pic!
GTGFTS – Japan 3, Costa Rica 1. June 3, 2014 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
It’s not as if someone could get close enough to a helmet to actually scan the ad. I can see it now if a fan hops on the field; “I was just trying to scan the code on their helmet to give NIL money”!
I addressed that in the original article announcing the QR codes.
How soon before someone replaces the logo on the side of the helmet with a QR code?
It’s unfortunate that we have come to this. I realize that there has been crazy money flying around in college for probably forever, but it has never come out in the open like this. I like my sports for sport. Not for all the money involved or the gambling, just for the pure competition. I remember when there was a big deal about Nolan Ryan making 1 million a season and now Curry is going to be making 60+ million a season. I used to like college football better that the NFL because of the money involved. This NIL stuff going on is ruining the college game for me as well. I guess my sport of choice will have to be the WNBA until the money ruins it too.
Gloomy take but I expect uniforms to be covered with QR-codes by various advertisers and charities (which allow the advertisers to go side by side with it) very soon. Names of teams and players will have tiny QR-codes as well.
OK State played South Dakota State, not San Jose State.
Thanks. Now fixed.
Agreed – I’ve been to some miserable April Cubs games in my life but that May afternoon in Queens might have been the worst.
And that picture doesn’t really do it justice, because we were actually underdressed for the weather that day.
GTGFTU: Rams (34) at Eagles (3), Sunday, October 15, 1972, at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
My mind was first drawn to the white helmets the eagles were wearing. They only wore those for a five-year stretch from 1969-1973. Furthermore, they only played the rams twice during that stretch, once in 1969, once in 1972. The key difference is in 1969, the Eagles had shoulder stripes, while in 1972, the sleeves were plain, like this image
I mentioned to Phil that those 1972 Rams jerseys were a one-year style, they were made by Sand Knit with screened on numbers, the year before in 1971 they had polyester jerseys with different number fonts and the numbers were heat pressed and in 1970 they were durene with sew on numbers.
Love both the Rams & Eagles uniforms!
Also, I did a double take when looking at the Ram running back(s)… is that a double exposure or are there 2 players there?
Yeah, it’s 2 players, but what a unique shot with both of them sporting a number “3” in their TV number on the sleeve, their arm wrapped very similarly, & in an almost identical position.
Cool pic!
GTGFTS – Japan 3, Costa Rica 1. June 3, 2014 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
It’s not as if someone could get close enough to a helmet to actually scan the ad. I can see it now if a fan hops on the field; “I was just trying to scan the code on their helmet to give NIL money”!
I addressed that in the original article announcing the QR codes.
How soon before someone replaces the logo on the side of the helmet with a QR code?
It’s unfortunate that we have come to this. I realize that there has been crazy money flying around in college for probably forever, but it has never come out in the open like this. I like my sports for sport. Not for all the money involved or the gambling, just for the pure competition. I remember when there was a big deal about Nolan Ryan making 1 million a season and now Curry is going to be making 60+ million a season. I used to like college football better that the NFL because of the money involved. This NIL stuff going on is ruining the college game for me as well. I guess my sport of choice will have to be the WNBA until the money ruins it too.
Gloomy take but I expect uniforms to be covered with QR-codes by various advertisers and charities (which allow the advertisers to go side by side with it) very soon. Names of teams and players will have tiny QR-codes as well.