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Uni Watch Profiles: Bert Straus

Bert.jpg

Last month I ran this ESPN column about the evolution of football helmet innovation. The column was primarily about counterintuitive historical developments but also made prominent (and playfully derisive) mention of the Gladiator helmet, an exterior-padded helmet that’s the latest innovation from Protective Sports Equipment — the same folks who brought us the ProCap back in the 1990s.

Until now, the most extensive article about the Gladiator was a this piece, which ran last fall in Machine Design, a trade magazine. The article contains lots of quotes from Protective Sports Equipment’s founder and president, Bert Straus, but I didn’t quote him in my ESPN column. Why? I had hoped to interview him, but he didn’t return my first call (turns out he was traveling), and then the column shaped up as being more history-oriented than future-oriented, plus I was up against a tight deadline, blah-blah-blah. Bottom line: I discussed his helmet but didn’t get any perspective from him, and that was shoddy reporting on my part.

Better late than never, though. I recently conducted the following interview with Straus, who turns out to be a really interesting guy. His tiny company and his self-effacing, sort of loopy manner are pretty much the diametric opposite of the stiff, corporate-ish feel permeating almost everything NFL-related nowadays, and of course his designs aren’t exactly in the mainstream of the league’s aesthetic either (Straus himself readily acknowledges that the ProCap was “dorky-looking”). Toss in his single-minded fixation on outer-padded headgear and it would be easy to write Strauss off as a Quixotic figure.

But I think that would be a mistake. Sure, you can make fun of the ProCap, but how many things have you designed that made it onto an NFL field? Not many people can make that claim. Strauss fully expects the Gladiator to make its mark on the NFL as well. If he pulls it off, it would be a huge coup, consider how Riddell and Schutt currently dominate the helmet market.

Uni Watch: What’s your background, and how’d you get into this type of work?

Bert Straus: I’m an industrial designer. I had a consulting office in product design for 40 years, working for clients like GE, Universal-Rundle, and so on.

UW: What sorts of things were you designing?

BS: For GE, we worked on light rail vehicle design. Universal-Rundle, we did bathroom fixtures. For Midmark, it was dental units.

UW: You mean toothbrushes?

BS: No, all the stuff you see around the chair at a dental office.

UW: The drills and the rinse mechanisms and all that?

BS: Yeah, and the caddies for ’em [additional dental examples here and here, and non-dental projects here and here]. All that stuff. Anyway, in the process, about 20 years ago, as a football fan, I saw a college game where a couple of players went down from a head-to-head hit. And I thought, “Gee, what if you could insert a giant pillow in between the two helmets.” That notion kind of stuck with me, and I pursued it when I had rainy day time — it wasn’t a project that anyone asked me to do. I had a lot of experience with materials and processes, so I started to work on the concept of getting padding on the outside of a helmet.

UW: And that’s how the ProCap came about?

BS: Yes. The tests worked out, and investors got really excited about it and pooled their money, bought stock, and a corporation was born. Like I said, that was about 20 years ago. So ProCap goes into the market and has a seven-year history in the NFL — a real positive history.

UW: I’ve heard conflicting accounts about who wore the ProCap. I know Steve Wallace and Mark Kelso wore it, because I’ve seen photos and even remember seeing them wearing it back in the day. What about Steve Tasker?

BS: He never wore it, but Don Beebe did. And Randy Dixon of the Colts as well. Those are the guys who wore it pretty regularly. You should talk to them, especially Steve Wallace — maybe you can find out why his ProCap was all beat up in that one photo. That turned my stomach when I saw that.

UW: Yeah, that must have been like seeing your child getting beaten up in a fight or something.

BS: I think it would turn the stomach of a more dispassionate observer too, because that just looks like a crap material. And we’re proud of our material — in fact, our general manager gives me hell because he says they don’t wear out fast enough so we don’t get enough repeat sales.

UW: Not enough planned obsolescence, eh?

BS: That’s it, that’s it!

UW: Did you ever do any work with Riddell or any of the other helmet manufacturers, back in your pre-ProCap days?

BS: No. But we’ve had a relationship with Riddell and Schutt more recently. I mean, here we were, we come on the field with this new accessory that basically says, “Your helmet isn’t doing such a great job.” So it’s an adversarial relationship. Now, they were never too concerned about us in terms of competition, because we’re small and weren’t much of a factor. But we made them nervous from a product liability perspective, and the two companies took two different approaches in terms of how to handle that.

UW: And what were those approaches?

BS: With Riddell, it was mostly dirty tricks and politics — floating ugly rumors about us, none of them substantiated by science, that sort of thing. With Schutt, if anyone approached them and said, “We’re thinking of using the ProCap accessory, what do you think about that?,” their response was, “We don’t recommend its use — our helmet’s plenty good. However, if you want to find out more, here’s their 800 number.” So they were actually giving out our 800 number.

UW: Wow — that’s the Miracle on 34th Street approach. Did Riddell or Schutt ever express any interest in buying the ProCap concept from you?

BS: No. And eventually I made the decision that for our company to survive, we needed to have this technology integrated into a full system [instead of a separate accessory].

UW: So that’s the Gladiator — all the benefits of the ProCap in a fully integrated helmet system.

BS: Right. And all the data supporting this approach is there on our web site, conducted by respected institutions, and we paid for none of it, incidentally — it was all done independently.

UW: Did the other companies ever express any interest in buying the Gladiator concept?

BS: I actually went out to see Schutt about four years ago, when the Gladiator was still in its developmental stages. They expressed some interest — everything was on the table, and it still is. I think they’re kinda watching to see how we do when we actually bring the product to market. Riddell, meanwhile, has called us. “Understand you’ve got a new helmet under development with pretty good performance. But what about market acceptance?” I’m condensing what they said, of course. And I said, “You’re absolutely right, that’s why we’re having a market research firm look at that right now. Maybe we should talk after that’s done.” And they said, “Yeah, that makes sense.” I’ve basically held them off at arm’s length for over a year now, but I’m expecting we’ll talk again soon. They could get religion!

UW: Let’s talk about your company, Protective Sports Equipment. Is the company essentially just you, or do you have a staff, or what?

BS: It’s a small company, but we’re backed up by about 50 shareholders, and financing also comes through the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership of Pennsylvania.

UW: Does the company have any other products, besides the ProCap?

BS: No. But if the Gladiator meets our projections, we plan to go into a whole bunch of other helmets.

UW: You mean like lacrosse, hockey, and so on?

BS: We’re also gonna look at recreational markets.

UW: Let’s go back to the ProCap. Is it technically still approved for NFL use?

BS: Back in the mid-’90s, when I frankly don’t think the league was very serious about concussions, they got bad biomechanical advice from a consultant, who told them he believed the ProCap could cause serious injury or even death. He didn’t have any science at all to back that up, no testing, just conjecture, against a whole series of tests that were done by the Penn State biomechanical lab. Anyway, all of a sudden the ProCap disappeared from the field of play because of this memo that was sent out. And Riddell got hold of that memo and distributed it themselves, and there was a big brouhaha over that.

UW: But whether or not it’s recommended, is it still technically approved for use? If an NFL player wants to wear the ProCap today, can he?

BS: I believe so, yes. But if you do so, it’s totally at your own risk [because Schutt and Riddell’s position is that if you wear the ProCap, you void the helmet’s warranty], and no player in his right mind is going to do that. Especially since the average player doesn’t want to wear the dorky-looking thing to begin with.

UW: Now let’s talk about the Gladiator. Its basic concept is to have a soft exterior, instead of a hard shell. But some of the archival articles I linked to in my recent ESPN column described a outer-padded helmet from the 1960s”¦

BS: Yes, MacGregor had one.

UW: Spalding, too. But as I understand it, one problem they discovered with that approach was that the soft exterior led to more friction — either helmet-on-helmet or helmet-on-ground — which increased the risk of neck injuries.

BS: We were well aware of that when we were developing the ProCap. And all of that criticism was correct. But the big difference is that the materials and technologies that were available in the 1960s were a helluva lot different that what we had access to 30 years later. We use a reaction-molded polyurethane, which is primarily what automobile bumpers are made from now, and there’s all kinds of give at the point of impact. That’s why they don’t use hard bumpers anymore. That basic analogy holds true for head protection. And someday — I may not end up as the guy who makes it happen, but someday, trust me, all helmets are going to have a resilient outer surface.

UW: So you’re saying that in addition to the resilience, it’s slick enough so that you don’t have that friction problem?

BS: Exactly.

UW: So what’s the Gladiator’s current status? That article in Machine Design said it was approved for NFL use next year, but you’ve told me that’s not true.

BS: Yeah, the article got that wrong. We’re working with the NFL. We’ve made presentations to their medical committee.

UW: So they know what you’re up to.

BS: Oh, yeah. We’ve gotten out of that adversarial relationship. The turning point was when they hired Dr. David Viano as their biomechanical and medical consultant. He does good science, he’s a dispassionate scientist, and he says numbers are what they are.

UW: Do you have a timetable for when the Gladiator would be approved for use, and when it would be available for retail?

BS: We’re in the final stages of development right now, so we’re hopeful we can get onto the field in 2008.

UW: This fall?

BS: We hope so, yeah. After we do all the certification, we’re going to do a field survey at the high school level. We’d like to have that in process, so it’s demonstrated that field experience backs up lab numbers. We’d like to have that underway before we introduce it to the NFL or at retail.

UW: Do you consult with the NCAA as well?

BS: Only to the point where we’d show them the certification and ask if they have any problems with putting it on the field.

UW: But you don’t work with them like you do with the NFL?

BS: Right. There’s no real structure for that, actually. When the NFL contracted with Biomechanics in Canada, we resubmitted the ProCap for their consideration, and it showed all the good results it always had. But there were three issues: It was still dorky-looking, it didn’t cover the complete helmet, and it did add weight to the helmet, albeit only 14 or 15 ounces.

UW: But that can be a lot to the player wearing it.

BS: Yes, it can. So that’s one of our goals with the Gladiator, for no other helmet on the market to be lighter than ours.

UW: What do you say to people who think the Gladiator looks dorky, or uncool, or whatever?

BS: I listen to ’em. Our main emphasis is on performance, but we always have an eye on aesthetics, because of the ProCap lesson. Quite frankly, we’re getting a whole lot more positive response on the Gladiator’s look than negative response. Kelso shows it to his high school players and they think it’s cool. I personally showed it to the players at St. Albans in DC, and they thought it was cool. Just last Friday we were up to Penn State, talking to their equipment people, and they were excited about it. In fact, they threw a Riddell Revolution and a Schutt DNA on a table alongside a Gladiator [additional views here and here], and they thought it compared well. And we’ve hired an independent market resarch company to get feedback. But I listen to people when they say, “Well maybe if the facemask matched the color of the helmet shell…”

UW: That’s the comment I’ve heard most frequently. Can you address that?

BS: Oh, absolutely — we can make the whole thing match. Our marketing people are saying we should market this as a “system,” so people can order whatever shell color they want, whatever mask color they want, whatever chin cup color they want, and so on — the interior pads, the straps…

UW: Mix and match.

BS: Right, to suit your own tastes.

UW: A lot of your prototyping is executed in Buffalo Bills motifs. Do you have a connection with the Bills?

BS: We’ve always had a good relationship. They’ve always been very supportive. You know, this is gonna be hard for you to believe, Paul, but we had an earlier version of the ProCap that was uglier yet! I wish I could show you the rest of my portfolio, because I really am a good designer. Anyway, Kelso was wearing this earlier version in practice and was taking all kinds of crap from his teammates, and they sat down with us to help revise it, and that’s how we got to ProCap 2, which was still a dorky-looking thing but at least it was more acceptable. Also, we’re headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, which is close to Buffalo. They actually have a ProCap in their trophy case in the lobby of their stadium.

=======

All very interesting. Big thanks to Bert for sharing his story, and for working to make football players’ craniums a bit safer.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Seattle trip went really well. Thanks to everyone who came down to the party — I’ll post photos soon, maybe tomorrow. … In case you missed Joe Skiba’s recent online chat, the transcript is available here. … The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are going to be holding an American Gladiators Night on May 17th, and will wear this jersey design for the occasion. … This is really great: The Rays are fining all players and other employees $1 each time they refer to the team as the Devil Rays. No word on what the fine is for referring to them as “that suck-ass franchise that can’t get out of its own way” (with thanks to Dominick Carfello). … Arkansas State, which had to drop its “Indians” name because of the recent NCAA rule, has unveiled its new team name and logo (with thanks to Larz Roberts). … Awesome story here about Larry Kwong, the NHL’s first Chinese-American player, who made his debut 60 years ago. Killer photo gallery, too (nice find by Alan Kreit). … Good observation by Caleb Borchers, who writes: “Every time I see a logo for Cellular South, I wonder when Adidas is going to sue them.” … Promising report from Brian Erni, who writes: “I was in the Mets Clubhouse Shop on Thursday and there may be blue news. The premiere jacket for 2008 that has been released to most outlets is black. But when I went in they had a black-and-blue version. I asked about it and apparently the Mets will be wearing one at home and one on the road. Now, the blue jacket does have black in it, but it makes me wonder if maybe the Mets are finally going to use the blue caps as their primary home cap, given Charlie Samuels’s longstanding distaste for pairing the blue caps with back jackets.” … Reprinted from last Thursday’s comments: Bob Probert makes a cameo in the upcoming Mike Myers movie, and they had him wear a Tie Domi jersey, much to Probert’s bemusement. Details (but no photo, alas) here. … The weird thing about the Lake Erie Monsters’ recent Tie-Dye Night game was that it didn’t include the goalies (thanks to AJ Brandt for the photo). … Did they give Shaq a blank jersey or what? (With thanks to Ryan Mellenwood.) … Through a series of machinations, the web site Brooklyn Met Fan recently got Joe Smith and Billy Wagner to wear “Go Big Pelf” T-shirts (in honor of pitcher Mike Pelfrey, natch), and then got Pelfrey himself to pose with a big fan (big thanks to Marc Rabinowitz). … The Mets appear likely to host the 2013 All-Star Game, which will be a mere 49 years since the last time they hosted it. … The Red Sox released Doug Mirabelli last Thursday, which means non-roster invitee Kevin Cash — one of the few catchers who habitually wear their helmets with the brim facing forward — has apparently made the team. Cash even wears a forward facing cap during drills. … Al Cummings sent along a scan of the tickets from the upcoming A’s/Bosox season opener in Japan. … After seven Cuban soccer players deserted the team, Leonel Duarte had to wear a makeshift captain’s armband (thanks, Vince). … LSU’s baseball team will be wearing throwbacks on Wednesday (as forwarded by Bryan Stelmack). … The Dodgers/Padres exhibition games in China were, of course, an excuse to trot out a new cap patch (Dodgers, Padres, closer view) and sleeve patch (Dodgers, Padres, closer view). … “In Sidney Crosby’s new Gatorade commercial, he is wearing the Pens’ new jersey the whole time,” writes Matthew Mangis. “And then in the end, when he’s celebrating, he’s wearing last season’s jersey with a ‘C’ on his chest.” ”¦ Pretty wild batting gloves being worn by Tadahito Iguchi (as spotted by, of course, Jeremy Brahm). ”¦ Louis Olah, who was famous for tending and cleaning the jockeys’ silks at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga, has died. ”¦ The Celtics wore their St. Paddy’s Day green-‘n’-golds on Friday. ”¦ No stirrups?! Et tu, Tommy?

 
  
 
Comments (141)

    Great Interview, Paul. In my opinion, the Gladiator doesn’t look any dorkier than the Riddell Revolution (although I’d have to see one on Peyton Manning – that guy can make anything look dorky).

    p.s. The Love Guru is Mike Myers, not Meyers.

    I won’t go so far as to say that the Gladiator looks great, but once painted, it does not look nearly as bad as I expected.

    Holy Crap – I’m from Erie.

    I’ll probably be at The Plymouth getting a beer tonight.

    Cool.

    Man, I do not like the green and golds at all. Nevermind the fact that ever dudebro at the Dropkick Murphys shows on Saturday was wearing one.

    [quote comment=”239729″]Man, I do not like the green and golds at all. Nevermind the fact that ever dudebro at the Dropkick Murphys shows on Saturday was wearing one.[/quote]

    link are still link, despite the outcome.

    [quote comment=”239740″][quote comment=”239729″]Man, I do not like the green and golds at all. Nevermind the fact that ever dudebro at the Dropkick Murphys shows on Saturday was wearing one.[/quote]

    link are still link, despite the outcome.[/quote]

    The only link I pay any attention to.

    Big sports weekend, but did anyone happen to see the NASCAR race in Bristol? Travis Kvapil’s unsponsored car sported a paint job with the words “11 million” on the hood. That’s apparently how many people tune in to FOX Sports’ NASCAR broadcasts every weekend. Yates Racing was trying to lure sponsors into putting their logo on the hood.

    link

    So it was an advertisement for an advertisement. How 21st century.

    For the record, Kvapil finished 27th. I wonder if any other unsponsored cars have sported similarly unique paint jobs?

    Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.

    [quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]
    As Ritchie Valens once said link.

    Well, thats three from Erie…maybe the next uniwatch party should be here. It’s funny, I had no idea they were headquartered here. Gotta love the Erie media.

    I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.

    [quote comment=”239747″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]
    As Ritchie Valens once said link.[/quote]

    In his case, stands for COCAINE

    NY Times asks if there’s a linkfor public apology.

    [quote comment=”239718″]I won’t go so far as to say that the Gladiator looks great, but once painted, it does not look nearly as bad as I expected.[/quote]

    Maybe if they changed the way the link?

    Great interview with Mr. Strauss. He seems like a good guy.

    I’ve got one question about something he said. How can he think the ProCap looks dorky and the Gladiator doesn’t?!?

    I mean c’mon, the Gladiator looks like the helmet of choice for link

    [quote comment=”239750″]I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.[/quote]

    What does it look like on the court?

    Is it just me, or do all the uniwatch blog flickr photo galleries take FOREVER to load? In fact, I couldn’t view a single photo in the Gladiator story b/c after as long as a minute, the picture never appeared (and I’m on a T1 line).

    [quote comment=”239750″]I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.[/quote]

    It did kinda look like a logo for a local art show or something. Considering the link itslef, it was pretty underwhelming. But link is the only logo I remember seeing before, and it kinda sucked too.

    [quote comment=”239757″]Is it just me, or do all the uniwatch blog flickr photo galleries take FOREVER to load? In fact, I couldn’t view a single photo in the Gladiator story b/c after as long as a minute, the picture never appeared (and I’m on a T1 line).[/quote]

    The flickr photos all work fine for me. The site itself, and especially the comments section take forever to load, but the pictures are just fine.

    [quote comment=”239755″]Great interview with Mr. Strauss. He seems like a good guy.

    I’ve got one question about something he said. How can he think the ProCap looks dorky and the Gladiator doesn’t?!?

    I mean c’mon, the Gladiator looks like the helmet of choice for link[/quote]

    Ha! Nice shoes

    [quote comment=”239755″]Great interview with Mr. Strauss. He seems like a good guy.

    I’ve got one question about something he said. How can he think the ProCap looks dorky and the Gladiator doesn’t?!?

    I mean c’mon, the Gladiator looks like the helmet of choice for link[/quote]

    I still can’t get past it looking like link

    [quote comment=”239757″]Is it just me, or do all the uniwatch blog flickr photo galleries take FOREVER to load?/[quote]

    No problem on my end.

    [quote comment=”239758″][quote comment=”239750″]I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.[/quote]

    It did kinda look like a logo for a local art show or something. Considering the link itslef, it was pretty underwhelming. But link is the only logo I remember seeing before, and it kinda sucked too.[/quote]

    i dig the negative space on the logo there…subtle and yet…in your face at the same time

    I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament logo. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.

    It’s an abstract reference to the colors worn by each team in the conference, right? I thought that was kinda cool. Not sure about the artistic license used on the one-color teams, though, like the dark-green/light-green for Michigan St.

    Will the D-Ray employees be fined if they refer to the team as the Famous Original Rays?

    Anyone know why North Carolina isn’t wearing the same HUGE shorts that every other SOD team is wearing? Did they have an epiphany, i.e. looking in a mirror, and realize they looked ridiculous and order smaller shorts? Any other SOD teams with working eyeballs out there? I can’t find any.

    When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.

    [quote comment=”239756″][quote comment=”239750″]I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.[/quote]

    What does it look like on the court?[/quote]

    It looks the same- but surrounded by wood.

    [quote comment=”239771″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.[/quote]

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.

    Good news, potentially, about the Mets (viz., potential blue home dugout jacket potentially indicating potential wearing of blue caps at home), but if memory serves me correctly there was a blue version of the dugout jacket being sold (or at least advertised) a couple of years ago but never actually worn by the team.

    Fingers crossed, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

    Have they at least submitted the plain white jersey/two-tone cap combo to the MLB style guide as the standard home uniform?

    [quote comment=”239774″]Good news, potentially, about the Mets (viz., potential blue home dugout jacket potentially indicating potential wearing of blue caps at home), but if memory serves me correctly there was a blue version of the dugout jacket being sold (or at least advertised) a couple of years ago but never actually worn by the team.

    Fingers crossed, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

    Have they at least submitted the plain white jersey/two-tone cap combo to the MLB style guide as the standard home uniform?[/quote]

    link

    [quote comment=”239773″][quote comment=”239771″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.[/quote]

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.[/quote]
    I think the reason for the ‘Red’ staying is the association with the school colours. I remember when St. Johns in NYC went to Red Storm, they wanted to ensure that the new name would not also mean a complete change of school colours.

    Anyone remember link?

    First thing I thought of when I saw the Arkansas State change.

    Personally, I think it is a pretty cool name and the logo isn’t terrible except for the jizz in the wolf’s eyes.

    [quote comment=”239777″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    Short for C17 H21 NO4.

    [quote]
    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.[/quote]

    Liberals. Slogan: “We take offense so you don’t have to.”[/quote]

    Conservative slogan: “We bomb countries that have no WMD’s even though we told you they did….all while ruining the economy.” double trouble

    Alright, j/k. Seriously though, it probably is time to get rid of the “Indians” team names. It would be the equivalent of a team called the “Blacks”. And even though most African-Americans probably couldn’t care less if they are refered to as black, it’s still not a great idea. Plus the new logo they picked looks pretty cool.

    I’m having the same problems with all flickr photos on the site. Up to a minute, no pics. Disappointing.

    [quote comment=”239771″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.[/quote]

    Like when Boston changed their team name to the “Red Sox”

    lol

    [quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link

    Was the guy who was playing with Tiger yesterday wearing and Addias belt buckle? I noticed that he was wearing Addias shoes and shirt but the belt buckle looked like it had the Addias stripes. Have you ever seen this before?

    [quote comment=”239783″]I’m having the same problems with all flickr photos on the site. Up to a minute, no pics. Disappointing.[/quote]

    Interesting. The Flickr pics all load fine for me. If you’re at work, there may be a filter for Flickr.

    As for the blog itself, I agree it’s been sluggish lately. I’ve asked our host company to take a look.

    [quote comment=”239785″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link[/quote]

    That picture always reminds me of a Spud Web poster my brother had in his bedroom for years. Both 5 foot nothin, in the exact same position, ready to use their hand to out the ball in the goal. Wish I could find the pic I’m thinking of, the resemblance is uncanny.

    The link Big Ten tournament logo is supposed to reference a pinwheel, with the colors of the different schools forming pennants. The inside is also supposed to reference a basketball net.

    It may be uber 2.0, but it’s so much better than the link one.

    It was designed by link, out of NYC and Indy.

    [quote comment=”239750″]I can’t believe no mention of the putrid Big Ten Tournament link. It looked aweful on the court, like some abstract reference.[/quote]

    I actually kind of love this logo all by itself. It’s the fact that it has absolutely no relation, real or imagined, to the Big Ten or basketball that’s the problem. But aesthetically, it’s beautiful.

    [quote comment=”239793″]The link Big Ten tournament logo is supposed to reference a pinwheel, with the colors of the different schools forming pennants. The inside is also supposed to reference a basketball net.

    It may be uber 2.0, but it’s so much better than the link one.

    It was designed by link, out of NYC and Indy.[/quote]

    I like the logo, it’s creative and interesting, but it takes more than a passing glance to know what it is. The problem is that on the center of a basketball court, all it will get on TV is a passing glance. I suppose it is different in person, but for TV it isn’t practical. It is cooler than the old one that looks like someone took a clip art basketball and painted around it in paint.

    As to the Big Ten Logo, my understanding is that it is an artistic rendering, incorporating the univerity members colors, of the view from underneath the rim. I still think it looks awful (as do alot of people associated with the tournament) but it does have some foundations in both the Big Ten and Basketball

    [quote comment=”239785″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link[/quote]

    Huh. Maybe we can get MLB to start issuing S and HGH armbands now.

    [quote comment=”239796″]As to the Big Ten Logo, my understanding is that it is an artistic rendering, incorporating the univerity members colors, of the view from underneath the rim. I still think it looks awful (as do alot of people associated with the tournament) but it does have some foundations in both the Big Ten and Basketball[/quote]
    Just remember it could be a whole lot link.

    [quote comment=”239785″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link[/quote]

    or link.

    or link just LOOK AT HIS FACE during the celebration.

    [quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?

    [quote comment=”239796″]As to the Big Ten Logo, my understanding is that it is an artistic rendering, incorporating the univerity members colors, of the view from underneath the rim. I still think it looks awful (as do alot of people associated with the tournament) but it does have some foundations in both the Big Ten and Basketball[/quote]

    I’ll clear up my original comment. The logo would look fine hanging in an art gallery, but it was an aesthetic mess at midcourt while watching the games. The lanes were painted a basic blue/red with the Big Ten Logo, and then there was this link at centercourt.

    Was watching some short track speed skating over the weekend and saw our American hero, Apollo Anton Ohno, with some unusal equipment: Nike outfit, one Mizuno glove, one apparent old-school golf glove, possibly Foot Joy.

    link

    Close up
    link

    [quote comment=”239780″][quote comment=”239777″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    Short for C17 H21 NO4.

    [quote]
    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.[/quote]

    Liberals. Slogan: “We take offense so you don’t have to.”[/quote]

    Conservative slogan: “We bomb countries that have no WMD’s even though we told you they did….all while ruining the economy.” double trouble

    Alright, j/k. Seriously though, it probably is time to get rid of the “Indians” team names. It would be the equivalent of a team called the “Blacks”. And even though most African-Americans probably couldn’t care less if they are refered to as black, it’s still not a great idea. Plus the new logo they picked looks pretty cool.[/quote]

    A team called the “link“? I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous idea. No, it is not time to eliminate all nicknames that refer to Indians or that are offensive to someone. If we do that, then (as a person that attended the University of Kentucky) we have to eliminate Cardinals, Volunteers, and Gators as offensive to me.

    [quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Thanks. Even more to the point though, I guess: was it a collaboration of manufacturers before MLB switched to New Era?

    I am watching the Tigers-Reds game right now. Tigers sporting the adjustable green hats and the bases are green as well.

    [quote comment=”239809″][quote comment=”239780″][quote comment=”239777″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    Short for C17 H21 NO4.

    [quote]
    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.[/quote]

    Liberals. Slogan: “We take offense so you don’t have to.”[/quote]

    Conservative slogan: “We bomb countries that have no WMD’s even though we told you they did….all while ruining the economy.” double trouble

    Alright, j/k. Seriously though, it probably is time to get rid of the “Indians” team names. It would be the equivalent of a team called the “Blacks”. And even though most African-Americans probably couldn’t care less if they are refered to as black, it’s still not a great idea. Plus the new logo they picked looks pretty cool.[/quote]

    A team called the “link“? I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous idea. No, it is not time to eliminate all nicknames that refer to Indians or that are offensive to someone. If we do that, then (as a person that attended the University of Kentucky) we have to eliminate Cardinals, Volunteers, and Gators as offensive to me.[/quote]

    No offense, but that’s an unbelievably ignorant comment, thru and thru. The Black Fives, as I understand it is an homage to African American players that are never remembered or spoke of when speaking of basketball’s origins. You just compared a rivalry to racism, for crying out loud. How can you be serious? Now come on, I want to hear you defend the Redskins now too.

    When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.

    I think the reason for the ‘Red’ staying is the association with the school colours. I remember when St. Johns in NYC went to Red Storm, they wanted to ensure that the new name would not also mean a complete change of school colours.

    All I know is Colgate University and Shippensburg University both had to go from “Red Raiders” to “Raiders” because ‘red’ was found to be offensive and syracuse had to go from “orangemen” to “orange” as “orangemen” was a reference to native americans so when i saw ark st. went from “indians” to “red wolves” i don’t think that the ‘red’ is necessary for the mascot and i really dont see forward progress with this decisions.

    As for the nfl, i cant wait for the next “Politically Incorrect Bowl” with the Chiefs playing the Redskins!!*

    *note the sarcasm

    Ryan and Al- I have been having the same problems as you guys for about two weeks now. All photos used to load very quickly. Now it is about 50-50

    [quote comment=”239818″]i cant wait for the next “Politically Incorrect Bowl” with the Chiefs playing the Redskins[/quote]

    link

    [quote comment=”239818″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.

    I think the reason for the ‘Red’ staying is the association with the school colours. I remember when St. Johns in NYC went to Red Storm, they wanted to ensure that the new name would not also mean a complete change of school colours.

    All I know is Colgate University and Shippensburg University both had to go from “Red Raiders” to “Raiders” because ‘red’ was found to be offensive and syracuse had to go from “orangemen” to “orange” as “orangemen” was a reference to native americans so when i saw ark st. went from “indians” to “red wolves” i don’t think that the ‘red’ is necessary for the mascot and i really dont see forward progress with this decisions.

    As for the nfl, i cant wait for the next “Politically Incorrect Bowl” with the Chiefs playing the Redskins!!*

    *note the sarcasm[/quote]

    True, the “Red” probably is a little stupid. Altough a Red Raider is different than a Red Wolf. The Red Raider still kinda referencing the Native Americans in question. I don’t see any problem with Chiefs though, or Braves for that matter. I think it’s possible to keep the colors and tradition to an extent. For instance, why not change the Indians to the Tribe or something similar, for instance. Cleveland fans call their team the tribe all the time anyway, and I don’t see how that could be offensive. I personally see a bigger problem with the macots and logo’s being out of touch.

    in that arkansas state logo, what’s up with the “W” in “Wolves” – were they trying to create an “A” somehow with the negative space? looks weird to me.

    [quote comment=”239818″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.

    I think the reason for the ‘Red’ staying is the association with the school colours. I remember when St. Johns in NYC went to Red Storm, they wanted to ensure that the new name would not also mean a complete change of school colours.

    All I know is Colgate University and Shippensburg University both had to go from “Red Raiders” to “Raiders” because ‘red’ was found to be offensive and syracuse had to go from “orangemen” to “orange” as “orangemen” was a reference to native americans so when i saw ark st. went from “indians” to “red wolves” i don’t think that the ‘red’ is necessary for the mascot and i really dont see forward progress with this decisions.

    As for the nfl, i cant wait for the next “Politically Incorrect Bowl” with the Chiefs playing the Redskins!!*

    *note the sarcasm[/quote]

    Actually, Syracuse when from link to link as to not link…not any link.

    It was when they went from the Saltine Warriors to the Orangemen that the intent was to be more politically correct towards native Americans.

    link.

    Everyone talks about the people how fill out ncaa brackets just based on what the teams uniforms look like so I thought I would try. After I got through one game I quit but here’s how I see the “play-in” game:

    link vs. Mount St. Mary’s University

    I couldn’t actually find a picture of Mount St. Mary’s uniforms but anytime you have a UniWatch entry on how bad your uniforms are, you automatically lose. Mount St. Mary’s wins in a landslide.

    [quote comment=”239813″]I am watching the Tigers-Reds game right now. Tigers sporting the adjustable green hats and the bases are green as well.[/quote]

    Are the Reds in their regular uniform? If so, it is a shame that a team that pioneered the St. Paddy’s Day uniform has now turned its back on it.

    link

    [quote comment=”239830″]Everyone talks about the people how fill out ncaa brackets just based on what the teams uniforms look like so I thought I would try. After I got through one game I quit but here’s how I see the “play-in” game:

    link vs. Mount St. Mary’s University

    I couldn’t actually find a picture of Mount St. Mary’s uniforms but anytime you have a UniWatch entry on how bad your uniforms are, you automatically lose. Mount St. Mary’s wins in a landslide.[/quote]
    How can I fill out my brackets without knowing which of their 7 uniforms West Virginia will be wearing?

    Ah hell- they all suck- chalk up a win for AZ!

    [quote comment=”239786″]Was the guy who was playing with Tiger yesterday wearing and Addias belt buckle? I noticed that he was wearing Addias shoes and shirt but the belt buckle looked like it had the Addias stripes. Have you ever seen this before?[/quote]
    Sean O’Hair does seem to wear a triple-striped buckle

    link

    [quote comment=”239829″]A bit off-topic, but a first has been observed:

    Nike has their NCAA Llax unis, jerseys and shorts, available at Eastbay.

    link

    What’s interesting about that is that not all of those schools are Nike Lax schools (Duke being the primary example.)

    Looking for an old Loyola Marymount logo. Any help? During the Westhead era is perfect.

    [quote comment=”239842″][quote comment=”239829″]A bit off-topic, but a first has been observed:

    Nike has their NCAA Llax unis, jerseys and shorts, available at Eastbay.

    link

    What’s interesting about that is that not all of those schools are Nike Lax schools (Duke being the primary example.)[/quote]

    Is Duke a Warrior or Brine school? Last year, they all wore New Balance cleats except for Matt Danowski, who wore Nike Vick 4’s.

    [quote comment=”239825″]in that arkansas state logo, what’s up with the “W” in “Wolves” – were they trying to create an “A” somehow with the negative space? looks weird to me.[/quote]
    I think it’s just a quirky detail of the font they use. Look link at the official athletics website. The “A” in “State” has the same serifs as the “W” in “Wolves”.

    [quote comment=”239726″]If LSU were to REALLY go all out with the Throwback look, they would wear these cleats that I found at a Mom and Pop sporting goods store yesterday:

    link
    link
    link[/quote]
    I’m going to assume that there was some sarcasm there since the LSU throwbacks are from an era much earlier than those cleats?

    [quote comment=”239769″]Thanks for the kudos…technically Larry Kwong was Chinese-Canadian.[/quote]

    Good call. I edit scientific/medical research and often catch writers trading off accuracy for political correctness, eg, using “African American” as a catch-all for black people. Appropriate to refer to Kwong as “the first NHL player of Chinese descent” or the like.

    While in Bradenton this weekend I purchased a t-shirt emblazoned with link. McKechnie Field is quite the charming venue, and I’ve become convinced that the Pirates are a half-assed operation only when it comes to, y’know, player development. And I had the pleasure of seeing a stirrup-clad link in action.

    I was actually at the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers when they gave Mirabelli his walking papers, but Cash didn’t play in Thursday’s game, so I didn’t catch his link.

    [quote comment=”239793″]The link Big Ten tournament logo is supposed to reference a pinwheel, with the colors of the different schools forming pennants. The inside is also supposed to reference a basketball net.

    It may be uber 2.0, but it’s so much better than the link one.

    It was designed by link, out of NYC and Indy.[/quote]

    It definitely deviates from the “normal” conventions of event logos, but I admire the fact that they took a chance and did something outside the norm. Reminds me of link.

    [quote comment=”239747″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]
    As Ritchie Valens once said link.[/quote]

    Don’t waste your time at vitos’…. walk a few more blocks over to Biancamano’s !! You’ll thank me for it!!!!!!!!!!!1

    [quote comment=”239860″][quote comment=”239747″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]
    As Ritchie Valens once said link.[/quote]

    Don’t waste your time at vitos’…. walk a few more blocks over to Biancamano’s !! You’ll thank me for it!!!!!!!!!!!1[/quote]

    I thought the “C” was to signify the 100 men she’s been with

    [quote comment=”239867″][quote comment=”239860″][quote comment=”239747″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]
    As Ritchie Valens once said link.[/quote]

    Don’t waste your time at vitos’…. walk a few more blocks over to Biancamano’s !! You’ll thank me for it!!!!!!!!!!!1[/quote]

    I thought the “C” was to signify the 100 men she’s been with[/quote]

    oops, i can’t read. disregard

    [quote comment=”239859″]link[/quote]

    So, if you’re going to go so far as to “green out” an MLB uniform – Why the BATTING PRACTICE JERSEY?

    I was reading the Freep’s recap of the Michigan High School b-ball finals and noticed that Class A state champions Saginaw High had link. I like the “high” on the front with their team name link. Also, check out this little Detroit Pershing High School fan’s link. I’m pretty sure “Doughboys” is the best team nickname ever.

    [quote comment=”239785″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link[/quote]

    Either an Ingle resentido or a jackass… wonder which? or are ya’ that moron Douglas in disguise?

    Hey All,

    i just emailed Paul about the idea, and now i am asking you.

    Any interest in a Uni-Watch bracket challenge? Yahoo! is free and it only takes 5 minutes to set up. Im sure we can get alot of readers to play, and paul can hand out a small membership prize ( Sanitary Socks and Black mets hat? )

    id do it just to read the team names we all come up with.

    [quote comment=”239818″]When a team like Arkansas State goes from “Indians” to “Red ______”, it seems to me like that might be MORE offensive. I mean, “Indians” is a fairly non-pejorative term, aside from being a misnomer. But when the team changes to the Red Somethings, it seems to conjure up images of the Red Man and all the unfortunate “savage” associations.

    I first thought about this when Miami (OH) became the RedHawks… it seems like these schools are trying to go with an associated name, so as not to piss off traditionalists too much, while cleansing their name of any explicit references. Failure.

    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.

    I think the reason for the ‘Red’ staying is the association with the school colours. I remember when St. Johns in NYC went to Red Storm, they wanted to ensure that the new name would not also mean a complete change of school colours.

    All I know is Colgate University and Shippensburg University both had to go from “Red Raiders” to “Raiders” because ‘red’ was found to be offensive and syracuse had to go from “orangemen” to “orange” as “orangemen” was a reference to native americans so when i saw ark st. went from “indians” to “red wolves” i don’t think that the ‘red’ is necessary for the mascot and i really dont see forward progress with this decisions.

    As for the nfl, i cant wait for the next “Politically Incorrect Bowl” with the Chiefs playing the Redskins!!*

    *note the sarcasm[/quote]

    Syracuses’ first mascot was the ‘saltine warrior’, this had to be replaced by the pathetic Orange, Otto.

    Also, I don’t know what you’re banging on about, Orange doesn’t refer to Native, tonto. But to the followers of William the Conqueorer and the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688-

    [quote comment=”239867″][quote comment=”239860″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    I thought the “C” was to signify the 100 men she’s been with[/quote]

    now THAT’S funny

    [quote comment=”239874″][quote comment=”239785″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    The “C” actually stands for link[/quote]

    Either an Ingle resentido or a jackass… wonder which? or are ya’ that moron Douglas in disguise?[/quote]

    or a sarcastic soccer fan.

    [quote comment=”239884″]New Alt Logo for Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners AAA)

    link[/quote]
    Someone brought that up over the weekend. It’s very Texas Ranger-ish.

    [quote comment=”239780″][quote comment=”239777″][quote comment=”239744″]Help me out, soccer fans. I was in my local link on Saturday and saw this figurine of link on the counter for sale. Does the “C” armband indicate he is the captain, or is there another reason? Thanks.[/quote]

    Short for C17 H21 NO4.

    [quote]
    I sometimes go to Indian Pow-wows. The first time I went I was a little surprised that the participants and announcers all use the word “Indian” to describe themselves. And, the people that I have spoken to have no problem whatsoever with Indian referenced nicknames. It makes me wonder who is offended.[/quote]

    Liberals. Slogan: “We take offense so you don’t have to.”[/quote]

    Conservative slogan: “We bomb countries that have no WMD’s even though we told you they did….all while ruining the economy.” double trouble

    Alright, j/k. Seriously though, it probably is time to get rid of the “Indians” team names. It would be the equivalent of a team called the “Blacks”. And even though most African-Americans probably couldn’t care less if they are refered to as black, it’s still not a great idea. Plus the new logo they picked looks pretty cool.[/quote]

    Obviously written by someone who went to a government school…btw, there were/are “Weapons of Mass Destruction” discovered, but the left-leaning “Drive-by Media” failed to report this fact correctly…open a book sometimes!!!

    I posted this yesterday but it was kind of slow, so I’m posting it again.

    A few people celebrated the holiday in link, at Hartford’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

    [quote comment=”239893″]Does everybody agree that the Green & Gold Celtics jerseys ARE A TON BETTER than the link[/quote]

    AGREED!!!

    I hate the Gladiator helmets with a burning passion. Even the painted version looks ridiculous, IMO. I don’t wish ill will on the designer personally, but I hope they never catch on — at least as they currently look.

    [quote comment=”239869″][quote comment=”239859″]link[/quote]

    So, if you’re going to go so far as to “green out” an MLB uniform – Why the BATTING PRACTICE JERSEY?[/quote]

    Because they wear the BP jersey for all of spring training. I’d agree the home jerseys would look better and i think they did that one year although i can’t find a picture.

    [quote comment=”239834″][quote comment=”239813″]I am watching the Tigers-Reds game right now. Tigers sporting the adjustable green hats and the bases are green as well.[/quote]

    Are the Reds in their regular uniform? If so, it is a shame that a team that pioneered the St. Paddy’s Day uniform has now turned its back on it.

    link

    Ah I remember that, it caused quite a stir in Cincinnati. (This from the team with all-black shoes and no facial hair.)

    [quote comment=”239893″]Does everybody agree that the Green & Gold Celtics jerseys ARE A TON BETTER than the link[/quote]

    YES. And I’m not even an NBA fan. Those green and gold’s are keepers.

    [quote comment=”239875″]Hey All,

    i just emailed Paul about the idea, and now i am asking you.

    Any interest in a Uni-Watch bracket challenge? Yahoo! is free and it only takes 5 minutes to set up. Im sure we can get alot of readers to play, and paul can hand out a small membership prize ( Sanitary Socks and Black mets hat? )

    id do it just to read the team names we all come up with.[/quote]

    i’m up for it. Go Dawgs!!! Worst to first in 4 day!!!

    AND

    Darren McFadden is wearing last year’s Arkansa’ jersey on the cover of the 360 cover. The 75th SEC patch is a dead give-away.

    [quote comment=”239896″]I posted this yesterday but it was kind of slow, so I’m posting it again.

    A few people celebrated the holiday in link, at Hartford’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.[/quote]

    It kills me that one of hockey’s greatest fan bases no longer has a team to support. Keep the dream alive Hartford. Keep the dream alive.

    Obviously written by someone who went to a government school…btw, there were/are “Weapons of Mass Destruction” discovered, but the left-leaning “Drive-by Media” failed to report this fact correctly…open a book sometimes!!!

    Wow. Someone actually still watches link

    Go figure.

    SB

    [quote comment=”239871″]I was reading the Freep’s recap of the Michigan High School b-ball finals and noticed that Class A state champions Saginaw High had link. I like the “high” on the front with their team name link. Also, check out this little Detroit Pershing High School fan’s link. I’m pretty sure “Doughboys” is the best team nickname ever.[/quote]

    Is it just me or does #32 look alot like link

    [quote comment=”239855″][quote comment=”239726″]If LSU were to REALLY go all out with the Throwback look, they would wear these cleats that I found at a Mom and Pop sporting goods store yesterday:

    link
    link
    link[/quote]
    I’m going to assume that there was some sarcasm there since the LSU throwbacks are from an era much earlier than those cleats?[/quote]

    The cleats pictured are at least as old as I am, if not older. To wear those painful looking shoes would certainly complete a “throwback” type look indeed.

    If memory serves, our esteemed leader can be seen wearing a similar pair in a certain FAQ picture, although his seem to be molded soccer cleats.

    [quote comment=”239835″][quote comment=”239830″]Everyone talks about the people how fill out ncaa brackets just based on what the teams uniforms look like so I thought I would try. After I got through one game I quit but here’s how I see the “play-in” game:

    link vs. Mount St. Mary’s University

    I couldn’t actually find a picture of Mount St. Mary’s uniforms but anytime you have a UniWatch entry on how bad your uniforms are, you automatically lose. Mount St. Mary’s wins in a landslide.[/quote]
    How can I fill out my brackets without knowing which of their 7 uniforms West Virginia will be wearing?

    Ah hell- they all suck- chalk up a win for AZ![/quote]

    Everyone is welcome to keep up with my blog (click on my name) as I’m going to try to run through the tournament and pick the best uniforms. I agree with the Coppin State assessment, and have “The Mount” moving on to play UNC. Instead of doing this one matchup at a time, I might roll through the first round games pretty quickly. All are welcome to comment! And sorry if I’m selling out a little – but I’m pretty small-time.

    [quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Hope it is not too late to add to this. I’ve seen next to no examples of “game used” Roman Pro caps, but they did produce a line in the 1970’s that were available via mail order and promised as “authentic”. They also did a nice line of throwback caps in the early 1980’s.

    From the late Sixties to the late 1980’s the only brands that I’ve seen with “game” use are link, link, link (most notably 1970’s Red Sox) and link (worn by the 1987 Mets, late 1980’s Padres). K-M Pro may have become Roman Pro, but that is just a guess. By 1990 or so, link put an end to any other game cap producer.

    [quote comment=”239923″][quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Hope it is not too late to add to this. I’ve seen next to no examples of “game used” Roman Pro caps, but they did produce a line in the 1970’s that were available via mail order and promised as “authentic”. They also did a nice line of throwback caps in the early 1980’s.

    From the late Sixties to the late 1980’s the only brands that I’ve seen with “game” use are link, link, link (most notably 1970’s Red Sox) and link (worn by the 1987 Mets, late 1980’s Padres). K-M Pro may have become Roman Pro, but that is just a guess. By 1990 or so, link put an end to any other game cap producer.[/quote]

    awesome pics larry…those all in your collection?

    [quote comment=”239923″][quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Hope it is not too late to add to this. I’ve seen next to no examples of “game used” Roman Pro caps, but they did produce a line in the 1970’s that were available via mail order and promised as “authentic”. They also did a nice line of throwback caps in the early 1980’s.

    From the late Sixties to the late 1980’s the only brands that I’ve seen with “game” use are link, link, link (most notably 1970’s Red Sox) and link (worn by the 1987 Mets, late 1980’s Padres). K-M Pro may have become Roman Pro, but that is just a guess. By 1990 or so, link put an end to any other game cap producer.[/quote]
    I still have my Roman Pro Orioles cap which I got thru one of those ads they had in the Sporting News for years. They were also sold at Manny’s Baseball Land across from Yankee Stadium.

    Other stuff: Those Celtic green/golds are my favorite alt unis outside the Bills throwbacks.

    Tommy Lasorda’s picture reminds me that I’ve always thought that once you reach a certain age wearing a baseball uni just looks silly.

    Paul,
    Why the heck did you choose Memphis over Mississippi State in your ESPN column best-uni’s bracket?

    [quote comment=”239928″][quote comment=”239923″][quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Hope it is not too late to add to this. I’ve seen next to no examples of “game used” Roman Pro caps, but they did produce a line in the 1970’s that were available via mail order and promised as “authentic”. They also did a nice line of throwback caps in the early 1980’s.

    From the late Sixties to the late 1980’s the only brands that I’ve seen with “game” use are link, link, link (most notably 1970’s Red Sox) and link (worn by the 1987 Mets, late 1980’s Padres). K-M Pro may have become Roman Pro, but that is just a guess. By 1990 or so, link put an end to any other game cap producer.[/quote]

    awesome pics larry…those all in your collection?[/quote]

    I wish. I know you are not partial to ebay, Phil, but a fellow has had an excellent collection going up for the last few months. All the “tops” to these photos are here and if you click the “completed items” button, there are more. I don’t know about the claim of “game used” in every case, but they all seem like excellent examples of 1960’s-1990’s MLB caps:

    link

    [quote comment=”239921″]link link

    mlb roundup:

    link

    link, link, link[/quote]

    That picture of Kenny Rogers was not from today. That pic is him in a home jersey and the Tigers were wearing the away jersey with the green hat this year.

    [quote comment=”239931″]I wish. I know you are not partial to ebay, Phil, but a fellow has had an excellent collection going up for the last few months. All the “tops” to these photos are here and if you click the “completed items” button, there are more. I don’t know about the claim of “game used” in every case, but they all seem like excellent examples of 1960’s-1990’s MLB caps:

    link

    true…very true…but it’s not that im not partial to eBay per se…i just think one need be VERY careful, that’s all

    and i think pt barnum had ME in mind…i would learn the hard way what ‘the egress’ is…ya know?

    best part of UW is not only finding knowledgable people about a passion we share, but LEARNING all kinds of new stuff…till today, i had NO IDEA about mlb caps…now…i do

    thanks!

    [quote comment=”239934″]For the first time I can remember, the Brewers climbed on the St. Patty’s Day train and wore link[/quote]

    woops.. link didn’t work

    link

    [quote comment=”239802″]No green for the Red Sox today?

    Weak![/quote]

    Didn’t they wear the green uniforms Sunday for the “home” fans? They were playing in Tampa today, IIRC.

    [quote comment=”239931″][quote comment=”239928″][quote comment=”239923″][quote comment=”239806″][quote comment=”239788″]Did Roman Pro make the team hats before New Era? Anyone?[/quote]

    Good question, Daniel.

    I’m pretty sure I have some older baseball caps from Roman Pro.

    Anybody have more info?[/quote]

    Hope it is not too late to add to this. I’ve seen next to no examples of “game used” Roman Pro caps, but they did produce a line in the 1970’s that were available via mail order and promised as “authentic”. They also did a nice line of throwback caps in the early 1980’s.

    From the late Sixties to the late 1980’s the only brands that I’ve seen with “game” use are link, link, link (most notably 1970’s Red Sox) and link (worn by the 1987 Mets, late 1980’s Padres). K-M Pro may have become Roman Pro, but that is just a guess. By 1990 or so, link put an end to any other game cap producer.[/quote]

    awesome pics larry…those all in your collection?[/quote]

    I wish. I know you are not partial to ebay, Phil, but a fellow has had an excellent collection going up for the last few months. All the “tops” to these photos are here and if you click the “completed items” button, there are more. I don’t know about the claim of “game used” in every case, but they all seem like excellent examples of 1960’s-1990’s MLB caps:

    link

    Here are a few of my favorites, I guess that would date me pretty well:

    link, link, link, link

    [quote comment=”239932″]That picture of Kenny Rogers was not from today. That pic is him in a home jersey and the Tigers were wearing the away jersey with the green hat this year.[/quote]

    link…it says it’s from today

    i think it might be the lighting, because you’re right…the tigers were definitely the link

    [quote comment=”239933″][quote comment=”239931″]I wish. I know you are not partial to ebay, Phil, but a fellow has had an excellent collection going up for the last few months. All the “tops” to these photos are here and if you click the “completed items” button, there are more. I don’t know about the claim of “game used” in every case, but they all seem like excellent examples of 1960’s-1990’s MLB caps:

    link

    true…very true…but it’s not that im not partial to eBay per se…i just think one need be VERY careful, that’s all

    and i think pt barnum had ME in mind…i would learn the hard way what ‘the egress’ is…ya know?

    best part of UW is not only finding knowledgable people about a passion we share, but LEARNING all kinds of new stuff…till today, i had NO IDEA about mlb caps…now…i do

    thanks![/quote]

    Couldn’t agree more!!! I know very little, but what I know, I know (Yogi-ism?) Take the caps, for $9.99 each, I don’t care who the hell wore them, but when people go triple-digits, you’re taking some serious risks.

    [quote comment=”239941″][quote comment=”239932″]That picture of Kenny Rogers was not from today. That pic is him in a home jersey and the Tigers were wearing the away jersey with the green hat this year.[/quote]

    link…it says it’s from today

    i think it might be the lighting, because you’re right…the tigers were definitely the link[/quote]

    crap…post got eaten twice…link is the pic with the AP caption

    [quote comment=”239920″][quote comment=”239835″][quote comment=”239830″]Everyone talks about the people how fill out ncaa brackets just based on what the teams uniforms look like so I thought I would try. After I got through one game I quit but here’s how I see the “play-in” game:

    link vs. Mount St. Mary’s University

    I couldn’t actually find a picture of Mount St. Mary’s uniforms but anytime you have a UniWatch entry on how bad your uniforms are, you automatically lose. Mount St. Mary’s wins in a landslide.[/quote]
    How can I fill out my brackets without knowing which of their 7 uniforms West Virginia will be wearing?

    Ah hell- they all suck- chalk up a win for AZ![/quote]

    Everyone is welcome to keep up with my blog (click on my name) as I’m going to try to run through the tournament and pick the best uniforms. I agree with the Coppin State assessment, and have “The Mount” moving on to play UNC. Instead of doing this one matchup at a time, I might roll through the first round games pretty quickly. All are welcome to comment! And sorry if I’m selling out a little – but I’m pretty small-time.[/quote]

    david…please tell me you’re NOT picking the ducks…no matter WHAT uni they’re wearing

    btw…how the f-ck did oregon get a bid and not vatech or TOSU? and why are the cats (AZ cats that is) in???? to keep a streak in tact?

    Hmmm, why were teams celebrating St Patrick’s Day today? link, it was on Saturday, March 15th … just so ya know!

    lol – the ducks will have a tough battle against miss. st. in my “uni tourni” – but i have a hard time with those miss. st. unis as they’re very crowded. the ducks might just advance.

    btw, in no way do i want to take away from paul’s espn bracket picks by uniform. i defer to you, buddy. and i suggest all readers here check it out! great stuff. but just as everyone picks differently, so will i on my own little uni tourney.

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