[Editor’s Note: Today we have a guest entry from Matt King — that’s him at right — who’s tackling a thorny issue head-on. — PL]
By Matt King
My wife and I met Paul at the Uni Watch gathering on July 30th. I wore my 1987 Indians authentic jersey to the event, and she wore my 2000 Browns authentic. These are the only two authentic shirts I own, as I am not a collector.
When Paul began photographing everyone at the party, he photographed us from the front and then asked us to turn around. I hesitated for a moment, as thoughts of this article rushed through my head (see the fifth item under “Honorable Mention”). But we went ahead with it anyway and let Paul take the rear-view photo. Then, the very next day, this article ran (see item No. 1), and I knew I had to prevent that photo from gracing this site.
Yes, it’s true: My authentics have my name on the back (let’s call it ONOB, for own name on back). I know that’s a no-no for many people, and I didn’t want to get crucified in the comments section, so I asked Paul to refrain from linking to that rear-view photo when he wrote about the Cleveland party. You’re not going to see the photo running with this article, either — I don’t want to be the poster child for ONOB. But I do want to give my reasons for it.
The 1987 Indians jersey that I wore is not a throwback — it’s an original, which was not an easy item to acquire such an item back in the late 1980s (sometimes the Indians would make game-used equipment and uniforms available at their team shop on Euclid Avenue, but new authentic items were not readily available). Back around that time, however, a few friends and I were lucky enough to sell programs at Cleveland Stadium, and we learned that the Indians’ outfitter was a place called Cleveland Sporting Goods in Parma. We went there one day, only to find one jersey available, three sizes too small and at an outrageous cost of $75. Of course, I bought it anyway.
Since they did the lettering for the team, they asked what name and number I would like. Here’s the Indians’ 1987 roster — whose name and number would you take? So I chose my name and my high school football number, 61. I figured nobody would ever wear a number that high in a real game, so it became a running joke between my buddies and me that I was the first player cut during spring training but that the team let me keep my jersey.
The point is this: Prior to the widespread availability of mass-produced authentic sportswear, no rules had been established for this kind of thing. So I propose the following grandfather clause: Any authentic item purchased before January 1, 2000 is exempt from debate by either side of the ONOB argument. My Browns jersey — the one my wife wore to the Uni Watch party — fails this test by a few months, but it is 51 because of many cold days in the real Dawg Pound watching Eddie Johnson.
There’s another point to consider here: Even if we never get to wear a real uniform with our name on the back, we can still be loyal fans, and fans can be as important as players. The loyal fan never had the athletic ability to earn the ONOB jersey, but he can earn the right to wear the uniform through years of supporting that very same uniform. In the grand scheme of things, a loyal fan of, say, the Kansas City Royals is more important to the team’s well- being than some guy who got a September cup of coffee in 1990. If that fan wants his name on the shirt, I say he deserves it.
My own sons, although heavily involved in athletics, are not big fans of pro sports. But if they were, maybe at some point they’d want the $300 Indians jersey. Now, there’s no way we’re buying that shirt for them, but if they wanted to earn and save toward that goal, we wouldn’t stop them. What if they thought ONOB was only for the “doofus” crowd — what would their other options be? Here’s what’s been most widely available over the past few seasons: CC Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Casey Blake, and Travis Hafner. Four of those guys are gone and the other three aren’t exactly tearing up the league. Is a Sabathia jersey retro-cool yet? I think not. That’s a lot of lawn cutting and Little League umpiring for something that’s only going to remind you of a player who’s no longer on your team. $300 is a lot to spend on a temporary tattoo.
But your own name doesn’t sign a free agent contract with another team. Your own name doesn’t get traded. Your own name doesn’t get farmed out. Your own name doesn’t instruct your agent to not return phone calls from the Cleveland Indians (I’m looking at you, Brett Butler). The ONOB shirt never was on the team, so the ONOB shirt can never leave the team.
I have no desire to become the champion of the ONOB cause, but I do hope I’ve helped explain why ONOB shouldn’t be viewed as the mark of the beast. And for the record, I have never, ever once referred to a Cleveland sports team as “we,” but that’s a whole different essay.
Paul here. Personally, I’ve never had any problem with ONOB. Then again, I don’t own any jerseys with any names on them (yes, I know, many of you still can’t fathom that; for more details, look here), so maybe I’m not a good judge of such protocols.
Coupla Reminders: I’m currently raffling off a jacket from SoccerPro.com. Details here. (And as an aside, the SoccerPro folks are also selling a limited-edition tee for the Homeless World Cup.)
I’m also trying to help a good friend with his job hunt. In case you missed that on Wednesday, look here.
Who are those masked men?: I’m trying to keep track of new NHL goalie masks. I currently have Varlamov, Price, Lundqvist, Emery, Leclaire, Khabibulin, Anderson, and Rinne (those last two are new; the others have been Ticker-linked over the past few weeks), but I’m sure there are others. If you know of more — with photos, natch — send ’em this-a-way. Thanks.
Uni Watch News Ticker: The Suns are the latest NBA team to add ads to their practice jerseys. Further details here (with thanks to Brooks Simpson). ”¦ Oh wait, the Mavericks are doing it too (courtesy of Mitch Goodman). ”¦ Check out this A. J. Foyt/Gilmore Racing pit crew shirt that Jeff Barak recently picked up on eBay. “It’s a lighter weight, with snaps instead of buttons with that ‘western’ shirt cut,” he writes. “It might be a bit hard to see the details with the two patches on the front, but it looks like this shirt would be more at home at a square dance than pit road. The two sponsor patches on the front are so minimal as be almost ineffective, but the real treat of this shirt is on the back, with the ‘Valvoline’ and ‘Gilmore’ names chain-stitched, giving this more of a bowling shirt feel.” ”¦ “I recently attended Continental Indoor Football League game here in Chicago,” writes Chris Rhode. “The Chicago Slaughter were playing a team from Wheeling, West Virginia, and the Wheeling team apparently did not have enough uniforms for their team, which explains why you see three different uni styles in this photo Also note the electrical-taped ‘1’ on the player on the right. But they forgot to tape the other side.” . ”¦ Here’s another great shot of the Bills’ old two-man mascot (with thanks to Bill Kellick). ”¦ Good to see the Red Wings are doing their usual straight block-letter NOBs for preseason games. They do this every year; the vertically arched NOBs will return when the regular season starts. ”¦ Dunta Robinson got hit with a footwear fine, but not by the league — by his own team. ”¦ The Preds third jersey has finally been modeled by someone other than Taylor Swift. ”¦ The Mavs will unveil an alternate jersey on Monday. ”¦ And the Sixers will have an unveiling on Wednesday. ”¦ New basketball uniforms for Iowa State (with thanks to Corey Munson). ”¦ Steve Mandich has posted his pocket schedule collections for the Huskies and the Sonics.
ONOB:
My take on this (and I do have several uni’s w/my ONOB) as I have gotten older, is that I am not going to pay to have another man’s name on my back. I feel that’s there something not right with that…
I Understand players come & go, that’s the nature of the beast, but I cannot justify spending X amount of dollars (for any sport) every time a player leaves to get a newer player/jersey.
If I customize my own, I am happy and I know that I spent my $$ for something that I can hand down in time…
But Paul, I have this ask: My Girlfriend has the same last name of a certain goaltender, would this be an exception to the ONOB rule because I don’t have to order her a custom hockey jersey?
(Besides, she usually wears mine anyway)
Gotta say at first glace the Preds’ new alternate sweaters are pretty sweet. Clean, old school. Then you see the checkerboard pattern…what total bullshit. Why can’t they just leave well enough alone.
Thanks Matt. I have a Bengals authentic from 1999 (Puma!) that has my name on the back and number 99. It was a christmas gift from my dad and 99 was the year I graduated high school. I have been debating whether I should wear this to a Uniwatch gathering if one ever comes near Cincinnati. On one hand, it is a cool looking jersey and represents an era when the Bengals’ unis didn’t look so hideous. On the other hand, it has my name on the back and I have the same concerns you did.
He’s not really an NHL goalie, but Caps’ web producer/practice fodder Brett Leonhardt has a new mask as well: link
Only NOB jersey I own (or have ever owned) is a brown Browns #2. Found it at the Goodwill for $5, I think.
Removed the nameplate and, to avoid wasting anything, decided to drape the it over the back of my couch.
Figured it was a nice little joke. And it was. Made me chuckle at the inherent stupidity of someone labelling furniture every time I came home and saw it. LOL
—Ricko
I think a ONOB jersey received as a gift should be exempted from criticism.
I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko
Great article Matt! I have to say that I totally agree with everything you said in this article and I want to add to it.
I think when you talk about ONOB you have to divide the jerseys into two seperate groups that I tend to see at games: ONOB that is actually someone’s own name and then there are people making custom jerseys to be funny, like the Cavaliers #23 FORBES NOB that one of those ESPN articles mentioned and which I won’t talk about because they’re funny and nobody really seems upset by those.
July 2004 I became a member of the first group when I received in the mail a personalized Steelers jersey I had ordered. Now, were there a few favorite Steelers that I could have gotten an authentic jersey of and felt good about it into the future? Probably. However, my jersey to wear Sundays before then was a white Kordell Stewart jersey I got right after the Steelers made their uniform switch in 1997. I loved the jersey, I liked the player…. however, most of Pittsburgh hated him and I had to take a lot of jeering from people for wearing that shirt.
When it came time to get that authentic jersey I had wanted for years I decided that I didn’t want to get a player that could at some point in their career end up with another team and kill the Steelers in a game, because Steeler fans have long memorys and I know that if something like that happened I would have to put up with all that jeering again and I didn’t want that, so I got my authentic jersey personalized.
Now, I have to say that I think people who don’t like ONOB are a loud minority of sports people, because whenever I’ve had people ask me about having a jersey with Malinowski on the back of it they tend to see the logic behind my rationale and think it’s a good idea. I’ve read quite a few complaints against ONOB and none of them are strong enough to make me feel guily for doing the supposed douchebag act of ONOB. My strongest case in support of ONOB is that if you’re going to put out the money for one why not get it personalized, because in essence when we talk about our teams don’t we use possessive words and phrases that imply we are included on that team? I know I do and many of you out there do too, so why not take it the next step and show just how much we feel we are apart of that team? And if you’re going to argue against it, give a stronger arguement against it than “you’re not a part of the team,” because it’s not only lame, it’s weak. We’re not a part of the team, but that doesn’t mean we don’t live and die by their wins and losses like they do…. you wouldn’t tell a fan of a team that has just lost the Super Bowl they shouldn’t feel bad because they aren’t part of the team, would you? Well, we care and feel right along with the team and how we show it is our own damn business and if you don’t like it than don’t do it yourself.
The Chicago Slaughter????
Jeez, PETA has officially protested “Packers”.
They must get apoplectic over “Slaughter”.
—Ricko
My brother got me a Red Sox jersey with the number 16 on it (the number I’ve worn since high school for baseball and slo-pitch softball) as a best man’s gift. Knowing my UniPinions, he knew better than to get my name on the back of a Sox authentic jersey.
I got a friend and his wife personalized Patriots jerseys for a wedding present. Fun, since their last name was now the same.
I’m sorry if this comes off as mean, but are you really that concerned with what people think about you if you have your own name on a jersey? Ok, so some guy writing an ESPN article said you are a “doofus”. Who cares? If we all followed these rules, being a sports fan would be really boring. Wear custom jerseys, get excited over t-shirt giveaways, wear baseball pants to slo-pitch softball, talk about fantasy sports at an actual game, do everything on that list. You don’t have to explain yourself and make rules because of someone else’s crappy article. DO what you like and what makes you happy.
Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)
ONOB Solution: Put your name on the back – BUT IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.
The one piece I’ve done this with (Brewers roadie) is definitely a conversation piece when people ask: “who in the hell is Helado?” My last name (Frost) in spanish: HELADO
Just do a simple search for an on-line translation site, punch in your name, and see what comes up.
Works for most, not for some, but it justifies the cost.
Frosty
which looks worse?
you wearing ONOB at a game, or being one of 7 guys to spell a 9 letter word at a continental league indoor football game?
[quote comment=”348642″]Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)[/quote]
There really are only two issues…
1. How you behave when you wear what you choose to wear.
2. How do you behave TOWARD people when they chose to wear what they wear.
Also, there are are a couple different major sub-categories here.
1. What you wear to watch.
2. What you wear to play.
Baseball pants for softball? Me, almost always. I still slide when I have to, need a pocket for the right hand batting glove on defense…plus it’s quite simply the way I’m most comfortable. Also has to do with the level of competition. In some tournaments I’ve played, almost everyone’s wearing them. Long-time ballplayers just have their way of doing things.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
Drew who? j/k Rick, but you probably would have to explain more about why it doesn’t say Irvin than how your last name is Pearson too..
[quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
You could try a white Cowboys #26 less people would be familiar with that feller.
I live in Wheeling, WV. I knew we had an indoor football team, but I didn’t know how pathetic they were.
[quote comment=”348647″][quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
You could try a white Cowboys #26 less people would be familiar with that feller.[/quote]
yeah but tons of guys have worn #26 since Preston, while only 3 guys have worn #88 since Drew.
[quote comment=”348646″][quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
Drew who? j/k Rick, but you probably would have to explain more about why it doesn’t say Irvin than how your last name is Pearson too..[/quote]
True. I keep forgetting the NFL’s only been around for about 20 years.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348642″]Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)[/quote]
Haha, touche. Just sayin’ – don’t be embarassed by it.
Sidenote: Best customized jersey I’ve ever seen – Bills #12 Jersey with “QB Bills” on the back (homage to Tecmo Super Bowl). Though, if they wanted to be really accurate, the number would have to be 0.
Completely not related to anything, but is anyone on here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area or familiar with that area, and can tell me about a must visit place or two over there? We fly out tomorrow and have all day Monday free while we are there and the wife wants to see the sights as it were.
Oh hey Chris M –
I have the pictures of my Cowboys Beer Helmet on photobucket, for some reason I never took pictures of the sides of it showing the logos. My wife has it packed away already (we are moving next weekend) and gave me the look of death when I mentioned unpacking my cowboys stuff for the season. I’ll make sure it is one of the first boxes I move and try to get some pictures of it online by monday after next.
[quote comment=”348645″][quote comment=”348642″]Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)[/quote]
There really are only two issues…
1. How you behave when you wear what you choose to wear.
2. How do you behave TOWARD people when they chose to wear what they wear.
Also, there are are a couple different major sub-categories here.
1. What you wear to watch.
2. What you wear to play.
Baseball pants for softball? Me, almost always. I still slide when I have to, need a pocket for the right hand batting glove on defense…plus it’s quite simply the way I’m most comfortable. Also has to do with the level of competition. In some tournaments I’ve played, almost everyone’s wearing them. Long-time ballplayers just have their way of doing things.
—Ricko[/quote]
Matt — THANK YOU. Whether you want it or not, you ARE the leading voice of ONOB. In 2000, I got my St Louis Cardinals authentic jersey with my high school number (39) and name (DiPaola) on back. #39 for the Redbirds is Dave McKay — the 1st base coach. And, it’s a pretty random number. But since I have received such hateful backlash over the years, it’s permanent residence has been my closet hanger. Well…NO MORE!!! I will wear the jersey with pride. And if anyone busts my balls about it, I’ll simply say, “The King says it’s A-OK!”
My take is this — with PRO sports teams, you are essentially rolling the dice that said player will even be on the team in the following years. Thanks for the article! Well done, good sir!!
[quote comment=”348653″]Oh hey Chris M –
I have the pictures of my Cowboys Beer Helmet on photobucket, for some reason I never took pictures of the sides of it showing the logos. My wife has it packed away already (we are moving next weekend) and gave me the look of death when I mentioned unpacking my cowboys stuff for the season. I’ll make sure it is one of the first boxes I move and try to get some pictures of it online by monday after next.[/quote]
Hey man, no problem. Whenever you have the chance.
[quote comment=”348644″]which looks worse?
you wearing ONOB at a game, or link at a continental league indoor football game?[/quote]
LOL!
Nice work, Phil!
Awesome thing about pre-season hockey:
link
No ads. It looks so pure…
Hateful backlash? Really? Jesus, people need to get a life. Why does anyone care what name, or lack of name, is on the back of anyone’s jersey? Why do these people think they have the authority to make such “rules”?
Only shirt I have with my name and number is a t-shirt from Durham Bulls that says, “I’m the player to be named later”. Because there never has been, and likely never will be any player with my uncommon last name.
My father-in-law bought me a very nice authentic Cornhuskers jersey a few years ago . . . with my name on the back. I have never worn it outside the home. The embarrassment would be too great.
[quote comment=”348658″]Hateful backlash? Really? Jesus, people need to get a life. Why does anyone care what name, or lack of name, is on the back of anyone’s jersey? Why do these people think they have the authority to make such “rules”?
Only shirt I have with my name and number is a t-shirt from Durham Bulls that says, “I’m the player to be named later”. Because there never has been, and likely never will be any player with my uncommon last name.[/quote]
That is great! Well played
You know, I dunno….I hear all sorts of dumb crap — it’s usually some liquored up a-hole who is trying to get Section 325 to yuck it up. It’s how you act while wearing the gear, like RickO points out.
My only complaint…?? My last name is done incorrectly on my jersey. It spells DIPAOLA right….but the ‘P’ is capitalized. The ‘I’ needs to be lowercase
i have to admit, the ONOB discussion has opened my eyes!
own name on back IS cool! i hadn’t really thought about it, but you’re right – the fans are the ones that stay the same – the players are the one’s that leave! if i’m rooting for laundry i’m going to support the team AND the fans w/ my own godamn name!
the only jersey w/ a name i have is a vintage Bobby Orr jersey and a NE Pats Doug Flutie jersey, both icons around here.
next one? ME.
My take on ONOB:
I won’t place harsh critism on folks that have them or intend on buying them. But a couple suggestions:
If possible, make if obvious its a “Personalized Jersey”. This can be difficult, because if you are wearing the current teams replica, people around you might think you are touting some up and coming minor league star.
Perhaps number selection can help while “0” or “00” are not the coolest, you’ve also never been on the roster.
Try using your nickname, this makes it clear to everyone around you that this jersey is for YOU.
Rather than your name choose something catchy.
Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
In fact when you outgrow the thing, you can hang it up in your sports room/bar and it will still look cool.
My best advice:
I prefer to go with throwbacks with HOF player names / numbers or players who are part of the fabric of the history of the team. These are always well respected by your fellow fans. Everytime I wear one of my Fergie Jerkins jersey’s from either the 60’s/70’s or even the early 80’s model – I get thumbs up. And bonus points when they correctly have NNOB.
Some of these suggestions may be a little dorky, but probably not anymore than having “OLSZEWSKI” or “Finkelstein” across your back
I’m off today to have a custom piece of 49ers homage made and have chosen the NOB more for personal reasons. It will be closer to a t-shirt than a jersey: my wife bought me an old-fashioned baseball shirt — cream colored with cherry red sleeves — and I’m going to have COFFEE and 29 put on the back. The second-string running back seems like a decent-to-good player, but it’s really the morning cup to which I owe my deep and addicted allegiance. And no coffee is better than the Sunday morning kind in football season.
[quote comment=”348658″]Hateful backlash? Really? Jesus, people need to get a life. Why does anyone care what name, or lack of name, is on the back of anyone’s jersey? Why do these people think they have the authority to make such “rules”?
Only shirt I have with my name and number is a t-shirt from Durham Bulls that says, “I’m the player to be named later”. Because there never has been, and likely never will be any player with my uncommon last name.[/quote]
Because of same reasons “Man-Laws” exist: example (non-uni related: I admitted once I owned a Tori Amos CD in a bar…)
(Uni-Related: You don’t wear A Neil O’donnel Jersey to a Jets game)
Stupid yet unspoken reasons…(it’s just stupidity at its finest, but in the end, you’re right, & I do agree: who cares?)
[quote comment=”348662″]My take on ONOB:
I won’t place harsh critism on folks that have them or intend on buying them. But a couple suggestions:
If possible, make if obvious its a “Personalized Jersey”. This can be difficult, because if you are wearing the current teams replica, people around you might think you are touting some up and coming minor league star.
Perhaps number selection can help while “0” or “00” are not the coolest, you’ve also never been on the roster.
Try using your nickname, this makes it clear to everyone around you that this jersey is for YOU.
Rather than your name choose something catchy.
Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
In fact when you outgrow the thing, you can hang it up in your sports room/bar and it will still look cool.
My best advice:
I prefer to go with throwbacks with HOF player names / numbers or players who are part of the fabric of the history of the team. These are always well respected by your fellow fans. Everytime I wear one of my Fergie Jerkins jersey’s from either the 60’s/70’s or even the early 80’s model – I get thumbs up. And bonus points when they correctly have NNOB.
Some of these suggestions may be a little dorky, but probably not anymore than having “OLSZEWSKI” or “Finkelstein” across your back[/quote]
But Finkelstein is TEARING UP the Gulf Coast League!!!!!!
[quote comment=”348634″]He’s not really an NHL goalie, but Caps’ web producer/practice fodder Brett Leonhardt has a new mask as well: link[/quote]
That is a BAD ASS mask!
[quote comment=”348662″]My take on ONOB:
I won’t place harsh critism on folks that have them or intend on buying them. But a couple suggestions:
If possible, make if obvious its a “Personalized Jersey”. This can be difficult, because if you are wearing the current teams replica, people around you might think you are touting some up and coming minor league star.
Perhaps number selection can help while “0” or “00” are not the coolest, you’ve also never been on the roster.
Try using your nickname, this makes it clear to everyone around you that this jersey is for YOU.
Rather than your name choose something catchy.
Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
In fact when you outgrow the thing, you can hang it up in your sports room/bar and it will still look cool.
My best advice:
I prefer to go with throwbacks with HOF player names / numbers or players who are part of the fabric of the history of the team. These are always well respected by your fellow fans. Everytime I wear one of my Fergie Jerkins jersey’s from either the 60’s/70’s or even the early 80’s model – I get thumbs up. And bonus points when they correctly have NNOB.
Some of these suggestions may be a little dorky, but probably not anymore than having “OLSZEWSKI” or “Finkelstein” across your back[/quote]
So then, my Authentic game worn Ray Finkle Dolphins jersey? Yay or Nay?
[quote comment=”348667″][quote comment=”348662″]My take on ONOB:
I won’t place harsh critism on folks that have them or intend on buying them. But a couple suggestions:
If possible, make if obvious its a “Personalized Jersey”. This can be difficult, because if you are wearing the current teams replica, people around you might think you are touting some up and coming minor league star.
Perhaps number selection can help while “0” or “00” are not the coolest, you’ve also never been on the roster.
Try using your nickname, this makes it clear to everyone around you that this jersey is for YOU.
Rather than your name choose something catchy.
Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
In fact when you outgrow the thing, you can hang it up in your sports room/bar and it will still look cool.
My best advice:
I prefer to go with throwbacks with HOF player names / numbers or players who are part of the fabric of the history of the team. These are always well respected by your fellow fans. Everytime I wear one of my Fergie Jerkins jersey’s from either the 60’s/70’s or even the early 80’s model – I get thumbs up. And bonus points when they correctly have NNOB.
Some of these suggestions may be a little dorky, but probably not anymore than having “OLSZEWSKI” or “Finkelstein” across your back[/quote]
So then, my Authentic game worn Ray Finkle Dolphins jersey? Yay or Nay?[/quote]
yay!
It’s my jersey I’ll do whatever the hell I want with the back of it. I couldn’t care less if someone else doesn’t like the jersey. I think people look like douche-bags dressed in Harley Davidson gear, but it’s their choice. Who am I to judge.
My parents bought me the old black and copper Caps jersey with my NOB a few years ago, before the switch to red, white and blue. I felt a little weird about wearing to a game, but to get over it I took a Sharpie and signed the number on the back and people think it is autographed by some guy who stopped by for a cup of coffee with the team….
[quote comment=”348669″]It’s my jersey I’ll do whatever the hell I want with the back of it. I couldn’t care less if someone else doesn’t like the jersey. I think people look like douche-bags dressed in Harley Davidson gear, but it’s their choice. Who am I to judge.[/quote]
Agreed – with this approach you never lose. Unless of course you start wearing Harley Davidson gear.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of ONOB, but if somebody else wants to wear one what the hell do I care? The issue raised in the article that I find most interesting is that of jerseys becoming obsolete due to free agency, trades, etc. I don’t own a ton of jerseys by any means, but I have (or had) at least one NOB jersey from each major Chicago franchise (not including the White Sox) and the #1 factor in deciding what name to get is “Will I still be able to wear this in five years?” As such, I try to get guys who I’m fairly sure will retire with the team (or who have established enough cred that their jersey will still be respected after they retire, even if they finished off their career with another franchise; see, e.g., Mark Grace). When in doubt, my default is to go throwback (unless Dick Butkus is arrested on child porn charges tomorrow, I can always where his jersey to a Bears game), but ONOB is indeed another way around this problem.
[quote comment=”348649″][quote comment=”348647″][quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
You could try a white Cowboys #26 less people would be familiar with that feller.[/quote]
yeah but tons of guys have worn #26 since Preston, while only 3 guys have worn #88 since Drew.[/quote]
I’m not a Cowboys fan, but #26 was one of my favorite Cowboys, Ex-Steeler Preston Pearson, the original third down RB.
[quote comment=”348639″]The Chicago Slaughter????[/quote]
link.
I’ll admit, I helped add to the long list of uni no-no’s. For my nephew’s 7th birthday, my brother, sister and I got together and bought him a HOME Red Sox jersey with the number 7 and “MALEY” on the back. I still haven’t been able to wash the stink off of me from that one.
That being said, I went out and bought my first authentic jersey this year while on vacation in Boston. I never took as much crap from my wife as I did that day paying $250 for a Dustin Pedroia jersey, but if there’s ever a uni-gathering in Cincinnati (hint hint, Paul) I will wear it with pride. I just hope Pedroia doesn’t do something stupid like eventually sign with the Yankees.
That would bring up another story which I’ll just give you the summary. First Christmas with my – then girlfriend, now – wife, she buys me a Johnny Damon replica Sox jersey. 3 days before Christmas, he signs with the Yankees…
[quote]So I chose my name and my high school football number, 61. I figured nobody would ever wear a number that high in a real game[/quote]
If only this were true! (Is it just my imagination, or have there been more baseball players with numbers in the 60s this year than ever before? The Cubs have assigned 60 and 64 to players for the first time ever, and it looks hideous. Doubly so when you consider that there were lower numbers available.)
I myself hate NOB jerseys and prefer the traditional number-only style, but I like the idea of giving yourself a jersey with a number that nobody actually wore. You could always pass it of as a spring training or minor league jersey if people start giving you guff. If worst comes to worst, say that the jersey came from your cousin (same surname, of course) who actually played briefly in minor league camp!
[quote comment=”348651″][quote comment=”348642″]Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)[/quote]
Haha, touche. Just sayin’ – don’t be embarassed by it.
Sidenote: Best customized jersey I’ve ever seen – Bills #12 Jersey with “QB Bills” on the back (homage to Tecmo Super Bowl). Though, if they wanted to be really accurate, the number would have to be 0.[/quote]
“Bills #12 Jersey with “QB Bills””
now THAT’S awesome!!!
if i buy a baseball or hockey jersey i just leave them blank. and i’m PERFECTLY happy with that. besides, current blank jerseys look MUCH better then a nady, mcclouth, palffy, or kraft jersey any day of the week.
out of 11 baseball/hockey jerseys i own and wear out (not to play sports in. 9 authentic), i only have 2 customized. 1 lemieux, and 1 selanne.
i do have an authentic DC united jersey with my nickname and number on back, but nobody ever realizes what it is anyway “captain 40”. lol. (my brother and his wife call me capt’n dummy… for obvious reasons).
me personally, i would never get my last name on the back of a professional jersey (much too serious for simple ol’ me). nickname, or something funny i don’t really see anything wrong with that. just as long as you don’t go dishing out $100+ for it, keep it short, and keep it subtle! something that someone could nudge his buddy and have a laugh at, like “qb bills” is PERFECT! or if you could think of a funny name with the number 17 for a pirates jersey to celebrate their latest accomplishment… like, “consecutive” or “record” or something. know what i mean?
Oops, botched the closing quote tag. Paul? Phil? Little help?
Great article Matt! I own an authentic Cubs Home jersey with ONOB and I plan to own more. I see absolutely no problem with it at all. You hit it on the head for the reasons to own one. A fan is very much a part of the team as the players are. Plus I refuse to own any current player’s jersey for the teams to root for. Brian Urlacher would have to be the only exception. Players come & go and rarely stick with a team until retirement and or have strong/hall of fame careers. Otherwise Hall of Famer’s & Legend’s jersey is the safe way to go as well.
[quote comment=”348659″]My father-in-law bought me a very nice authentic Cornhuskers jersey a few years ago . . . with my name on the back. I have never worn it outside the home. The embarrassment would be too great.[/quote]
Is that b/c it has your name on the back or b/c it’s a Husker jersey?
[quote comment=”348680″][quote comment=”348659″]My father-in-law bought me a very nice authentic Cornhuskers jersey a few years ago . . . with my name on the back. I have never worn it outside the home. The embarrassment would be too great.[/quote]
Is that b/c it has your name on the back or b/c it’s a Husker jersey?[/quote]
That was sarcasm btw.
Here’s an arcane idea re: NOB (and if arcane would fly anywhere, it’s here).
Since we never played for the teams, why not go with someone else who never did…but not really. Tangle up reality with fiction/film, I mean.
Examples…
NY Knights were the NL NY team, right.
So get a Giants’ HOBBS 9.
North Dallas Bulls based on Cowboys.
Okay, Cowboy’s ELLIOTT 87 or MAXWELL 16
Maybe a Bears’ any number with: RALPHIE
And, based on, “It was the 1967 Army-Navy Game; I went 16-for-27 and the Secretary of the Navy presented me the game ball”…
Navy MAGNUM 16.
(Why 16? In another episode he goes undercover as a QB prospect for mythical pro team training in Hawaii—filmed at U of Hawaii practice—and wears 16).
“Miami” in SEMi-TOUGH?
Okay, Dolphins’ PUCKETT 22, or TILLER (whatever number Shake was).
Or how ’bout a Browns name and number of the character who steamrolled Jack Lemmon in THE FORTUNE COOKIE?
A Redskins’ FALCO (16, was it?)
I can think of a ton more but I leave it up to you folks for more suggestions.
—Ricko
I too have no problem with ONOB. In fact, I will often ask what significance the number is to someone who has a ONOB jersey. Especially since the Uniwatch membership cards came out and everyone has a pretty good story behind the number choice.
Oh, and I also feel very strongly that if you own season tickets to a team, you can refer to them as “we”. I have shelled out a lot of cash over the years to the New Jersey Devils and I consider myself a limited partner of the franchise. A very limited partner, but still…
hmmmm…
im thinking of this
no?
[quote comment=”348682″]Here’s an arcane idea re: NOB (and if arcane would fly anywhere, it’s here).
Since we never played for the teams, why not go with someone else who never did…but not really. Tangle up reality with fiction/film, I mean.
Examples…
NY Knights were the NL NY team, right.
So get a Giants’ HOBBS 9.
North Dallas Bulls based on Cowboys.
Okay, Cowboy’s ELLIOTT 87 or MAXWELL 16
Maybe a Bears’ any number with: RALPHIE
And, based on, “It was the 1967 Army-Navy Game; I went 16-for-27 and the Secretary of the Navy presented me the game ball”…
Navy MAGNUM 16.
(Why 16? In another episode he goes undercover as a QB prospect for mythical pro team training in Hawaii—filmed at U of Hawaii practice—and wears 16).
“Miami” in SEMi-TOUGH?
Okay, Dolphins’ PUCKETT 22, or TILLER (whatever number Shake was).
Or how ’bout a Browns name and number of the character who steamrolled Jack Lemmon in THE FORTUNE COOKIE?
A Redskins’ FALCO (16, was it?)
I can think of a ton more but I leave it up to you folks for more suggestions.
—Ricko[/quote]
How’s link?
Adding a little additional background information to the ticker item for the Dallas Mavericks new practice jersey sponsorship, you might want to take a look at the man who runs the station:
link
Matt, don’t take the Sports Guy so seriously. ONOB is fine. It’s OK to take your glove to a game, too – under certain circumstances. Neyer wrote a column about that once, but I was too inept to find it. Sitting behind a dugout with a small child, for example, I believe you are required to bring a glove. People who bring them in to the outfield, though? Wimps.
[quote comment=”348685″][quote comment=”348682″]Here’s an arcane idea re: NOB (and if arcane would fly anywhere, it’s here).
Since we never played for the teams, why not go with someone else who never did…but not really. Tangle up reality with fiction/film, I mean.
Examples…
NY Knights were the NL NY team, right.
So get a Giants’ HOBBS 9.
North Dallas Bulls based on Cowboys.
Okay, Cowboy’s ELLIOTT 87 or MAXWELL 16
Maybe a Bears’ any number with: RALPHIE
And, based on, “It was the 1967 Army-Navy Game; I went 16-for-27 and the Secretary of the Navy presented me the game ball”…
Navy MAGNUM 16.
(Why 16? In another episode he goes undercover as a QB prospect for mythical pro team training in Hawaii—filmed at U of Hawaii practice—and wears 16).
“Miami” in SEMi-TOUGH?
Okay, Dolphins’ PUCKETT 22, or TILLER (whatever number Shake was).
Or how ’bout a Browns name and number of the character who steamrolled Jack Lemmon in THE FORTUNE COOKIE?
A Redskins’ FALCO (16, was it?)
I can think of a ton more but I leave it up to you folks for more suggestions.
—Ricko[/quote]
How’s link?[/quote]
There ya go. Maybe also for Cowboys…HANK HILL
(Thanks for fixing that loose quote tag!)
Hey, I just remembered — a few years ago, the Yomiuri Giants ran a fan club promotion where members got jerseys with their own names on the back; the numbers were sequentially assigned. If you thought link, check out link or link!
They made link, and they were sent to the members in link.
The highest number I could find was link.
Think this would be popular in the US?
[quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?
[quote comment=”348684″]hmmmm…
link
no?[/quote]
Looks good. but isn’t the first word missing an l?
[quote comment=”348639″]The Chicago Slaughter????
Jeez, PETA has officially protested “Packers”.
They must get apoplectic over “Slaughter”.
—Ricko[/quote]
Hey, what about the Omaha Beef? That’s a minor league arena football league team. Another funny nickname, and maybe the best, would be the Missoula(Montana) Maggots. The Maggots play in a rugby league, I am not making this up. Would love to see a logo, guess it would be maggots crawling on a rugby ball.
OK, NOB question:
My step-father has the last name of Feldman and we are both huge Texas Rangers fans. So for his birthday I bought him a jersey t-shirt of Rangers ace Scott Feldman. So not only does his have a ONOB, but it’s actually from one of the Rangers best players from this past season. So for us, it’s funny but to the general public he’s just supporting the Rangers best starting pitcher of the season.
What do y’all think? OK or contributing to the decline of sports?
[quote comment=”348691″][quote comment=”348684″]hmmmm…
link
no?[/quote]
Looks good. but isn’t the first word missing an l?[/quote]
Only when he keeps one side of the jersey open in the front
(not that anyone actually has ever wanted to see that).
[quote comment=”348676″][quote]So I chose my name and my high school football number, 61. I figured nobody would ever wear a number that high in a real game[/quote]
If only this were true! (Is it just my imagination, or have there been more baseball players with numbers in the 60s this year than ever before? The Cubs have assigned 60 and 64 to players for the first time ever, and it looks hideous. Doubly so when you consider that there were lower numbers available.)
I myself hate NOB jerseys and prefer the traditional number-only style, but I like the idea of giving yourself a jersey with a number that nobody actually wore. You could always pass it of as a spring training or minor league jersey if people start giving you guff. If worst comes to worst, say that the jersey came from your cousin (same surname, of course) who actually played briefly in minor league camp![/quote]
Because being dishonest is so much fun!
Seriously dude, if someone tells you something about it I would go with Jareds comment above – its your jersey and you can do whatever the hell you want. There no need to create some far-fetched excuse.
[quote comment=”348652″]Completely not related to anything, but is anyone on here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area or familiar with that area, and can tell me about a must visit place or two over there? We fly out tomorrow and have all day Monday free while we are there and the wife wants to see the sights as it were.[/quote]
Cowboys Stadium is offering tours (not sure about the day after a game), but considering it’s becoming the mecca of sports stadiums, that may interest you.
The Sixth-Floor Museum is nice if you’re a history buff, and if you’re really morbid, there’s an X in the middle of the road at the exact spot where JFK was shot where you can take a photo.
I’ve heard the Dallas Aquarium is pretty impressive, but it’s kind of pricey ($16-17 a person?) to pay to go look at sea creatures.
Six Flags is a better theme park than most cities have, and the one in Arlington blows other Six Flags around the country that I’ve been to out of the water. I think if you take a can of Dr Pepper to the gate, you get in for child’s admission.
[quote comment=”348679″]Great article Matt! I own an authentic Cubs Home jersey with ONOB and I plan to own more. I see absolutely no problem with it at all. You hit it on the head for the reasons to own one. A fan is very much a part of the team as the players are. Plus I refuse to own any current player’s jersey for the teams to root for. Brian Urlacher would have to be the only exception. Players come & go and rarely stick with a team until retirement and or have strong/hall of fame careers. Otherwise Hall of Famer’s & Legend’s jersey is the safe way to go as well.[/quote]
i’m not bragging, but those of us steelers fans are pretty fortunate to have a history of great players and current players. example, you could totally show up to heinz field on game day wearing a lloyd, kirkland, randle el, lipps, lake, etc., and be perfectly fine. one game, i saw a fan wearing a black, 75th anniv, authentic, foster jersey and people were LOVING it! as a matter of fact as i think, there is only really 1 jersey that you CAN’T wear to a game. #14 o’donn… ahhh, i can’t even type it!!! lol
p.s.
maybe keep that stewart #10 hidden away for a few more years too…
[quote comment=”348693″]OK, NOB question:
My step-father has the last name of Feldman and we are both huge Texas Rangers fans. So for his birthday I bought him a jersey t-shirt of Rangers ace Scott Feldman. So not only does his have a ONOB, but it’s actually from one of the Rangers best players from this past season. So for us, it’s funny but to the general public he’s just supporting the Rangers best starting pitcher of the season.
What do y’all think? OK or contributing to the decline of sports?[/quote]
My last name isn’t Feldman, and I’ve considered getting a Feldman jersey. You should be in the clear.
[quote comment=\”348658\”]Hateful backlash? Really? Jesus, people need to get a life. Why does anyone care what name, or lack of name, is on the back of anyone\’s jersey? Why do these people think they have the authority to make such \”rules\”?
winner winner chicken dinner! it\’s all these bogus \”rules\” and equally bogus \”Man Rules\” AND THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL EVERYONE WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT that are the very definition of \”lame\” — not someone wearing a jersey with whatever name on the back. if it brings you joy to wear a jersey what kind of loser tells you to stop being happy and put the jersey away? talk about needing a life!
it\’s one thing to critique team unis for their overall look and appeal, or note someone on a team who wears it differently or has a special modification… but when uni watch starts being \”fan watch\” and publishing a long dissertation on why it\’s okay to wear a jersey with whatever on the back … wow. we are slipping.
[quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.
I never wanted to get a jersey because I didn’t know who would be around. As I a Packer fan, I thought I could always get a Favre jersey, but EVERYONE has one of those and I’m not old enough to pretend I watched Starr (and really, who was there between those eras? Nobody.) But now I live in Minneapolis and I certainly can’t get a Favre jersey. I really like the idea of a nickname, but unfortch I don’t have one. Quick, someone give me a nickname!
[quote comment=”348701″]I never wanted to get a jersey because I didn’t know who would be around. As I a Packer fan, I thought I could always get a Favre jersey, but EVERYONE has one of those and I’m not old enough to pretend I watched Starr (and really, who was there between those eras? Nobody.) But now I live in Minneapolis and I certainly can’t get a Favre jersey. I really like the idea of a nickname, but unfortch I don’t have one. Quick, someone give me a nickname![/quote]
“Doofus”
[quote comment=”348696″][quote comment=”348652″]Completely not related to anything, but is anyone on here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area or familiar with that area, and can tell me about a must visit place or two over there? We fly out tomorrow and have all day Monday free while we are there and the wife wants to see the sights as it were.[/quote]
Cowboys Stadium is offering tours (not sure about the day after a game), but considering it’s becoming the mecca of sports stadiums, that may interest you.
The Sixth-Floor Museum is nice if you’re a history buff, and if you’re really morbid, there’s an X in the middle of the road at the exact spot where JFK was shot where you can take a photo.
I’ve heard the Dallas Aquarium is pretty impressive, but it’s kind of pricey ($16-17 a person?) to pay to go look at sea creatures.
Six Flags is a better theme park than most cities have, and the one in Arlington blows other Six Flags around the country that I’ve been to out of the water. I think if you take a can of Dr Pepper to the gate, you get in for child’s admission.[/quote]
Thanks for the info!
We’ll actually be taking the stadium tour all day Sunday(the purpose of our trip) but the rest of that might be interesting.
So, um, is it ok to have your own name on the back of a jersey that doesn’t represent a real team?
okay, so my post is full of slashes – sorry about that. didn’t type the magic word, did a copy, and paste to save the post and didn’t notice all the slashes totally fouling up the post.
At the moment they’re liquidating Matt Birk jerseys in various local stores. I’m tempted to get one just because the NOB is close to the English slang “berk”. (Which is apparently much ruder than I was led to believe.) Of course, locally people would just think I’m just too cheap to get a buy a new jersey.
I am glad to see that some people are defending the ONOB concept. I am solidly in that camp, as well, even if this doesn’t actually come up for me in practice (childhood team: Yankees – no NOB on the jerseys I have owned; adult team: Chelsea – I own no jerseys because of the stupid ad). In fact, I am a hat guy, not a jersey guy — and so I have a custom-made fitted hat with my name on it!
The greatest thing about the ONOB on a jersey is that it gets exactly right the relationship between you and the team. The important one in that relationship is you — the team is just a vessel, simply a means for you to say something about yourself.
But this doesn’t mean that I am in any way against having a player’s name on the back. That is great, too — IF your team has that feature. I will admit that I disdain those people who wear Yankees and Red Sox jerseys with NOB. (Extra “stupid points” to those who wear Red Sox jerseys with block numerals.) I really wonder how people that dim and unobservant get through daily life.
But always wear your own name with pride. The team is there to serve you; not the other way around.
[quote comment=”348684″]hmmmm…
link
no?[/quote]
Looks like a jersey for their newest Chinese pitcher
I avoid all the controversy by not buying jerseys. Always seemed like a waste of money.
I did buy this shirt for the Vikings/Lions game this Sunday at Ford Field. Doing my part to support the sponsors!
link
[quote comment=”348701″]Quick, someone give me a nickname![/quote]
Usually Brother Blutarsy assigns the UniWatch nicknames.
How do you feel about Flounder?
[quote comment=”348703″][quote comment=”348696\”][quote comment=”348652″]Completely not related to anything, but is anyone on here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area or familiar with that area, and can tell me about a must visit place or two over there? We fly out tomorrow and have all day Monday free while we are there and the wife wants to see the sights as it were.[/quote]
downtown Fort Worth has a marvelous area called Sundance Square with little shops, clubs, restaurants. kind of an evening thing but fun if you can get over there.
[quote comment=”348700″][quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.[/quote]
Not to keep beating this dead horse, but he’s not the one who bobbled the sure double-play ball. He’s not the one who allowed his pitcher to implode without so much as sending the pitching coach out there to chat. Et cetera, et cetera…
Hell, Moises Alou even (finally) admitted that there was no way he was going to catch that ball.
I’ll admit that I was at that game and I may have joined in with the “asshole” chant (because I could see what happened sooooooo clearly from my vantage point in the upper deck way down the first base line), but even before that game was over, I knew it was the Cubs and not some “curse” or a fan who may or may not have interfered with a ball that would have been caught for an out who lost that game.
Incidentally, Steve and my wife are co-workers.
Everyone is operating off the premise that putting a NOB is a choice between your own name and a current/retired player. Theres another (and to me, the only) choice: Leave it blank.
Yes, the argument that you dont play for the team and therefore you shouldnt have ONOB is weak. But the argument being made here that ONOB is okay because you FEEL like you’re part of the team is pretty weak too.
Players have their names on their back because they need to be recognized by fans in their seats or on the couch. So, by the same premise, if you put ONOB, you’re asking to be recognized. And you don’t need to be.
[quote comment=”348701″]I never wanted to get a jersey because I didn’t know who would be around. As I a Packer fan, I thought I could always get a Favre jersey, but EVERYONE has one of those and I’m not old enough to pretend I watched Starr (and really, who was there between those eras? Nobody.) But now I live in Minneapolis and I certainly can’t get a Favre jersey. I really like the idea of a nickname, but unfortch I don’t have one. Quick, someone give me a nickname![/quote]
this is an easy one… just get either “viktor” or “ragnar” NOB, and maybe a “69” for their championship year? actually, that jersey sounds pretty bad ass! lol
I like the Preds 3rd sweater. Clean look. The checkerboard is a nice touch, too bad you have to actually be checking the guy wearing it to notice.
[quote comment=”348701″]I never wanted to get a jersey because I didn’t know who would be around. As I a Packer fan, I thought I could always get a Favre jersey, but EVERYONE has one of those and I’m not old enough to pretend I watched Starr (and really, who was there between those eras? Nobody.) But now I live in Minneapolis and I certainly can’t get a Favre jersey. I really like the idea of a nickname, but unfortch I don’t have one. Quick, someone give me a nickname![/quote]
link
i own one jersey and it doesn’t have a name or number on the back. i guess to me it feels like supporting the team and not a player. but i’ve got no problem with ONOB people. but i think it does look kind of stupid if its a star players number and your name. and just remember matt, we have a really popular last name
I’m firmly in the ONOB camp…but within the context of the jersey itself. For instance…you can’t do it on a Yankees jersey. When my daughter turned 21, I wanted to get her a Red Sox jersey with the #21 and her name on it, but I went and got the road jersey, because the home jersey doesn’t have names on them. I also think you need to do it right…don’t get crappy numbers and lettering like that Ortiz jersey that was buried in Yankee Stadium. Get the real letters and numbers and make it look right. It’s when you see a half-ass jersey with crappy numbering and lettering that gets me more than ONOB.
Besides, with a name like Mercogliano, it’s fun to have that on a jersey.
[quote comment=”348698″][quote comment=”348693″]OK, NOB question:
My step-father has the last name of Feldman and we are both huge Texas Rangers fans. So for his birthday I bought him a jersey t-shirt of Rangers ace Scott Feldman. So not only does his have a ONOB, but it’s actually from one of the Rangers best players from this past season. So for us, it’s funny but to the general public he’s just supporting the Rangers best starting pitcher of the season.
What do y’all think? OK or contributing to the decline of sports?[/quote]
My last name isn’t Feldman, and I’ve considered getting a Feldman jersey. You should be in the clear.[/quote]
My son’s name is Quentin and my mom’s a Sox fan, so naturally, he now has lots of shirts like link and link
Screw the rules and the hollier than thou attitude. I ended up with a barry zito a’s jersey. Homey got traded to the giants and that jersey has sat since then. Fuckin money wasted. That is pretty much true for all of the a’s shit (a Chavez jersey!?!? really?!?!?). Pointless to get some temporary visitor’s name on it and a blank jersey felt like something was missing. Decided that when I got my sharks jersey I was putting my name on the back. Nuff said.
My take has been and continues to be…
Authentics are expensive as hell. If I want my name on it, you not liking it is YOUR problem.
Add in the fact that I’m an A’s fan and well, the second I buy a Giambi or a Swisher or a Zito they’re gone.
Only part of the conversation I’d object to is the whole “Bulls jersey with 23 on it and your name” scenario. My number growing up was always 27. A’s have it retired for Catfish Hunter. So, if I buy an A’s authentic and slap English on the back of it, I’ll take 26 or 28 or something.
that bill simmons article makes it seem that sports fans are judgemental, super observant freaks. i feel disrespected
Authentics are expensive as hell.
True, and game-used jerseys of non-star players are often cheaper, plus they retain their value even if you’ve worn them, unlike an authenticbought at the gift shop. I wonder why more people don’t just buy game-used jerseys? I myself have a #48 Cubs home jersey (actually worn by Scott Williamson in 2005, but when I wear it I think of fellow RU alumnus Joe Borowski) that I got a lot cheaper than a $175+ authentic!
Unfortunately, I AM guilty of a few of those sins.
Baseball pants MUST go.
When I went to the O’s game this summer, a dad in the third row barreled over half of the United Way and his own toddler to get a foul ball for said toddler. Needles to say, mommy was PISSED.
To boot, the kid was playimng with the ball on the top of the dugout and it rolled away onto Rajai Davis’ head or something.
Even Costanza #00 has become useless.
I have waited and waited for the day that Justin Hartwig would be shipped to/sign with the Cowboys so I could get my ONOB of a Cowboy’s jersey. May never happen.
I also, being an Arizona State alum, would not mind if Brandon Rodd ever played for the Cowboys.
Since I only really buy football jerseys, I have no problem buying a player name jersey, but I do my best to not pay hundreds of dollars for authentics. My Witten and Ware jerseys came by way of a guy that knows a guy. And my Authentic DBacks Byrnes Jersey came when David Blaine sued and the dbacks had to liquidate inventory. (I am already considering removing the byrnes from the jersey anyway..)
All of that being said, IT”S YOUR DAMN JERSEY! Put whatever the hell you want on it. Screw anyone who says anything. F’n elitist pigs. No one is a “better” fan than someone else. period.
[quote comment=”348712″][quote comment=”348700″][quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.[/quote]
Not to keep beating this dead horse, but he’s not the one who bobbled the sure double-play ball. He’s not the one who allowed his pitcher to implode without so much as sending the pitching coach out there to chat. Et cetera, et cetera…
Hell, Moises Alou even (finally) admitted that there was no way he was going to catch that ball.
I’ll admit that I was at that game and I may have joined in with the “asshole” chant (because I could see what happened sooooooo clearly from my vantage point in the upper deck way down the first base line), but even before that game was over, I knew it was the Cubs and not some “curse” or a fan who may or may not have interfered with a ball that would have been caught for an out who lost that game.
Incidentally, Steve and my wife are co-workers.[/quote]
link
“Cubs Magic Number: 911” at an orioles game no less!
“Here’s the Indians’ 1987 roster – whose name and number would you take?”
Brook Jacoby. Coming off an All-Star year and was top 10 in OPS and HRs.
I always associate the 1987 Indians with this FANTASTIC example of the SI curse: link
CLE finished the year 61-101. Cory Snyder hit .236.
[quote comment=”348713″]Everyone is operating off the premise that putting a NOB is a choice between your own name and a current/retired player. Theres another (and to me, the only) choice: Leave it blank.
Yes, the argument that you dont play for the team and therefore you shouldnt have ONOB is weak. But the argument being made here that ONOB is okay because you FEEL like you’re part of the team is pretty weak too.
Players have their names on their back because they need to be recognized by fans in their seats or on the couch. So, by the same premise, if you put ONOB, you’re asking to be recognized. And you don’t need to be.[/quote]
I like the leave it blank idea….except it only works for hockey and baseball.
I do have a 93-2005 Penguins sweater that is blank that I have been debating about doing a DIY personalization with, but like RY CO 40 said, there are plenty of players from Penguin history that wore that one I wouldn’t mind representing( Darius Kasparitus – ugliest guy in hockey and one of the biggest hitters!) and I will go down that road next time I think about doing a personalization(which would only happen if I want a current jersey of a team I root for which there are no legendary or favorite player that wore that particular jersey).
However, if you’re going to say that feeling like a part of the team is a weak arguement in support than I have to question just how hardcore a fan you are. Pittsburgh fans are REALLY HARDCORE(and, yes, I know obnoxious) and I feel confident in saying that we don’t do ONOB to be recognized, we do it to show that we are a part of Steeler/Penguin nation and for every other pro-ONOB reason. Plus, I feel anyone else who did ONOB isn’t looking for attention…. but if anyone else did do it for that feel free to contradict me.
[quote comment=”348643″]ONOB Solution: Put your name on the back – BUT IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.
The one piece I’ve done this with (Brewers roadie) is definitely a conversation piece when people ask: “who in the hell is Helado?” My last name (Frost) in spanish: HELADO
Just do a simple search for an on-line translation site, punch in your name, and see what comes up.
Works for most, not for some, but it justifies the cost.
Frosty[/quote]
Oh too much fun…Like figuring out waht all of those asian letter tattoos REALLY mean.
[quote comment=”348712″][quote comment=”348700″][quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.[/quote]
Not to keep beating this dead horse, but he’s not the one who bobbled the sure double-play ball. He’s not the one who allowed his pitcher to implode without so much as sending the pitching coach out there to chat. Et cetera, et cetera…
Hell, Moises Alou even (finally) admitted that there was no way he was going to catch that ball.
I’ll admit that I was at that game and I may have joined in with the “asshole” chant (because I could see what happened sooooooo clearly from my vantage point in the upper deck way down the first base line), but even before that game was over, I knew it was the Cubs and not some “curse” or a fan who may or may not have interfered with a ball that would have been caught for an out who lost that game.
Incidentally, Steve and my wife are co-workers.[/quote]
I applaud you, you get it. Thankfully most Cubs fans do, but sadly there is the camp that prefers to blame Bartman, Goats, and Black Cats.
[quote comment=”348727″]”Here’s the Indians’ 1987 roster – whose name and number would you take?”
Brook Jacoby. Coming off an All-Star year and was top 10 in OPS and HRs.
I always associate the 1987 Indians with this FANTASTIC example of the SI curse: link
CLE finished the year 61-101. Cory Snyder hit .236.[/quote]
1987 Indian Uprising, Believe it!! Brook Jacoby in 1987 hit 32 home runs and had 69 RBI. That’s virtually impossible.
Thanks everybody for the feedback on ONOB, from both sides. My ONOB jerseys in the pics hadn’t seen the light of day in several years and have returned home to the closet. Kinda like a lot of things in life, a few support you, most don’t give a crap, and a loud few feel the need to mock. I’d just assume not wear ’em anymore – beside the fact that the too small Indians shirt makes me look like Englebert.
Whoever had the “QB Bills” NOB, that is classic! My son has a Vaughn/99 Indians shirt, but it is just a cheapo iron-on. If I could do it again, I would probably go with NNOB for the Indians and Groza/76 for the Browns (although The Toe played when there were NNOB).
Matt
[quote comment=”348721″]My take has been and continues to be…
Authentics are expensive as hell. If I want my name on it, you not liking it is YOUR problem.
Add in the fact that I’m an A’s fan and well, the second I buy a Giambi or a Swisher or a Zito they’re gone.
Only part of the conversation I’d object to is the whole “Bulls jersey with 23 on it and your name” scenario. My number growing up was always 27. A’s have it retired for Catfish Hunter. So, if I buy an A’s authentic and slap English on the back of it, I’ll take 26 or 28 or something.[/quote]
I also whole heartedly agree with this too…. unless you spent a lot of money to make it a joke, like a those #4 packer shirts with Judas as the name. I would love to see someone with a jersey that had that on it.
I cannot comprehend the idea, expressed in the Bill Simmons column and by John E. at 11:20, that there is something wrong with wearing a jersey of a player who is no longer with the team.
Not only is there nothing wrong with that, there is plenty right with it. Wearing such a jersey simply shows that you have been a fan for more than five minutes, and that you have some sense of history.
Wow, lots of comments… not sure if anyone else has seen this page (or mentioned it previously) but there is a website out there devoted to making fun of Phillies fans who does this (see we even pick on our OWN kind). I was a contributor myself (look for Terry #4)
Here’s the site… pretty funny
link
Matt, wear your jersey proudly!
It’s your jersey, you bought it and you’ve worn it much longer than most of the mercenaries who get paid to wear theirs.
It amazes me that in our world, we’re supposed to be considerate and tolerant of others when it comes to everything but sports. “Own name on a jersey? Doofus. Live in one town and root for another town’s team? Traitor. Play fantasy sports? Moron.” Seriously?
I’m not saying you can’t think this way, but I have a problem when this stuff makes it into print, giving an air of legitimacy to these made-up “rules.” When it comes to fans, I thought the only rule was that good sportsmanship should prevail. People are entitled to their opinions, but let’s watch what we call others whose opinons differ from ours.
I’ve contributed some features here, including my list of the best indoor soccer uniforms and my list of the top uni-matchups in college football. I never stressed that they were THE lists, just MY lists. People can disagree with me, and not have to worry whether or not I think they’re doofuses.
If Phil puts his name on the back of a #3 Yankees jersey, I wouldn’t think twice about it. It’s not as if he defaced a bible or a flag, it’s just a jersey. Plus, it’s just his name, not a vulgar reference or something like that.
As Ricko said, “There really are only two issues…
1. How you behave when you wear what you choose to wear.
2. How do you behave TOWARD people when they chose to wear what they wear.”
I never judge another person’s jersey, unless they’re a Yankees fan with a big ol’ “JETER” across their back, because dude, a seam-ripper costs like two bucks at the dollar store. Otherwise, to each his own. But neither ONOB nor PNOB (player’s name on back) are for me. I’m not on the team, and I’m not willing to play dress-up and pretend to be some other man. I’m strictly a numbers-only fan.
But now I have a conundrum: I recently found an authentic 1994 Brewers jersey in my size, something of a holy grail for me, only it has “Viña 1” on the back. This is bad, because Viña didn’t play for the Brewers in ’94, and also because who the heck wants a Fernando Viña jersey? So I’m getting the jersey renumbered, but because of the way Viña is stitched on, I’m going to have to have it covered with another name. So do I go with Fingers, since his #44 was retired by the Brew Crew in the 1994 season? Or an anachronistic Molitor jersey, since he’s my favorite Brewer? Or something else that I haven’t thought of? Help!
[quote comment=”348733″]I cannot comprehend the idea, expressed in the Bill Simmons column and by John E. at 11:20, that there is something wrong with wearing a jersey of a player who is no longer with the team.
Not only is there nothing wrong with that, there is plenty right with it. Wearing such a jersey simply shows that you have been a fan for more than five minutes, and that you have some sense of history.[/quote]
Not that I necessarily agree with any rules, but I would think that would depend on the player. If the guy is still active with another team, it could be kinda iffy.
As a Raiders fan, I’d wear a Tim Brown jersey without a second thought, but there’s no way in hell I’d want a Randy Moss jersey.
Here’s my take on ONOB. First of all, I’d never call someone a name to their face at a game or on a forum. To each their own, and all that.
I tend to have no problem with someone putting their own name on a non-current jersey.
However, when it’s the current jersey it screams “I’m as important as the players on this team, playing right now!”
And that is precisely the attitude that has been growing more and more in sports. Internet forums, modern media, etc. have bred this- and I don’t like it.
There is a fine line between being a diehard fan, and feeling like the team owes you something- almost contractually. Yes, you do pay for part of the salaries/budget by buying tickets. But far too many people mistake this hand-off for “this team owes me wins/touchdowns/specific strategies” rather than “this ticket entitles me to entry into the game and being entertained by the game”.
No disrespect to anyone personally, just my take.
I linked to this in yesterday’s Ticker, but it seems appropriate for today’s topic, so here it is again:
link
[quote]Play fantasy sports? Moron. Seriously?[/quote]
yup
[quote]If Phil puts his name on the back of a #3 Yankees jersey, I wouldn’t think twice about it.[/quote]
aside from the fact that it was a goof…there are about 20 things wrong with that…i would hope you’d think twice about it
[quote comment=”348739″]I linked to this in yesterday’s Ticker, but it seems appropriate for today’s topic, so here it is again:
link
You really do need to buy that.
[quote comment=”348738″]Here’s my take on ONOB. First of all, I’d never call someone a name to their face at a game or on a forum. To each their own, and all that.
I tend to have no problem with someone putting their own name on a non-current jersey.
However, when it’s the current jersey it screams “I’m as important as the players on this team, playing right now!”
And that is precisely the attitude that has been growing more and more in sports. Internet forums, modern media, etc. have bred this- and I don’t like it.
There is a fine line between being a diehard fan, and feeling like the team owes you something- almost contractually. Yes, you do pay for part of the salaries/budget by buying tickets. But far too many people mistake this hand-off for “this team owes me wins/touchdowns/specific strategies” rather than “this ticket entitles me to entry into the game and being entertained by the game”.
No disrespect to anyone personally, just my take.[/quote]
Logical and calm discourse, backed by a supporting argument. How refreshing these days!
Matt
Houston Rockets (first ever?) alternate look being unveiled Wednesday.
link
The Bruins revealed their winter classic jersey today, and it is AWESOME!
Check it out here…
link
The Declaration of Independence presented by Bauer
More of the B’s jersey here…
link
[quote comment=”348740″][quote]Play fantasy sports? Moron. Seriously?[/quote]
yup
[quote]If Phil puts his name on the back of a #3 Yankees jersey, I wouldn’t think twice about it.[/quote]
aside from the fact that it was a goof…there are about 20 things wrong with that…i would hope you’d think twice about it[/quote]
I don’t do fantasy sports, but I know some very nice people who do, so sorry, I don’t agree.
And I would never 1) spend huge wads of cash on an authentic Yankees jersey, 2) pay even more to put my name on it, or 3) put anyone else’s name on it. That being said, if someone else does it, oh well.
Also knew you were goofin’, Phil. Although how about a Mets jersey with “HELP!” on the back? ;)
Speakng of goofin’, every time I see those ads for jerseys where they print “YOUR NAME” on the back, I wonder if someone actually has a jersey like that…
The Bobcats also plan to unvield the new jersey set on Monday as well,
link
Can’t wait to see how the pinstripes turn out!
[quote comment=”348740″][quote]Play fantasy sports? Moron. Seriously?[/quote]
yup
[quote]If Phil puts his name on the back of a #3 Yankees jersey, I wouldn’t think twice about it.[/quote]
aside from the fact that it was a goof…there are about 20 things wrong with that…i would hope you’d think twice about it[/quote]
Guess that makes me a proud Moron. Please let me know where to turn in my uni card.
just to concur with the ONOB faction. I support the ONOB cause 100%.
A nice generic NOB from back in the day was when the Indians had those 66-69 sleeveless jobs with Chief Wahoo as the sole ID on the jerseys. The bat boy had “BAT BOY” as his NOB and his number was 99.
[quote]Guess that makes me a proud Moron. Please let me know where to turn in my uni card.[/quote]
im sure we all have quirks/fetishes/harmless endeavors etc. that others would consider moronish behavior (lord knows i do…i’m a proud moron 99% of the time)…just like bill simmons considers putting ONOB a cardinal sin (obviously many of us disargee), you might consider my obsessive uniform tracking moronish…thats fine
i think there’s far worse behaviors than playing fantasy sports or wearing your ONOB…like operating bad newz kennels, for example
and hey…i keed about the fantasy sports…once had a friend of mine — huge civil war buff — you know, the kind who dresses up for reenactments and shit — like fake weapon and sword, full dress uniform, down to the hat, shoes and belt buckle…said, “i realize im one of a unique set of people who have this passion…i would never begrudge or besmirch someone else who has their own quirk”
so rodd…s’all good — have a fine time in jerry’s new palace, wear whatever jersey you want and just remember if a loss to the giants in the home opener is the worst thing that happens in dallas this weekend, then it was a good weekend indeed
/(did you ever decide on an accent wall color?)
[quote comment=”348636″]I think a ONOB jersey received as a gift should be exempted from criticism.[/quote]
Exempted from criticism, yes. Worn in public, no. Unless you’re under 12.
[quote comment=”348743″]Houston Rockets (first ever?) alternate look being unveiled Wednesday.
link
The long-time-in-the-making black jersey perhaps? They’ve had it waiting in the wings for 3 years now.
But I hope it’s a mustard-and-ketchup throwback.
i have no problem with ONOB. like someone else said, it’s my shirt, i’ll do whatever i please with it.
if i ever buy NOB jerseys, i’d prefer to get one with players that i liked (and were good) but weren’t very well-known outside of my hometown of cleveland… such as a clay matthews browns jersey, a brook jacoby indians jersey or a world b. free cavaliers jersey.
a previous poster mentioned they have an eddie “the assassin” johnson browns jersey (AWESOME, btw) which i would definitely add to the collection. a joe “turkey” jones jersey would be cool too. if you’re unfamiliar with mr. jones’ work, ask either a longtime browns fan or terry bradshaw.
Someone should get a Vikadontis Rex Jersey. That would be sweet!
[quote comment=”348752″][quote comment=”348636″]I think a ONOB jersey received as a gift should be exempted from criticism.[/quote]
Exempted from criticism, yes. Worn in public, no. Unless you’re under 12.[/quote]
Really is “to each his own,” isn’t it?
Personally, I’d never wear, say, a Favre jersey.
No. 1 reason?
I’m not him.
Doesn’t mean someone else can’t, or shouldn’t.
Just saying I wouldn’t.
What’s the line? “Never underestimate your ability to change yourself; never overestimate your ability to change others.”
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348662″]My take on ONOB:
I won’t place harsh critism on folks that have them or intend on buying them. But a couple suggestions:
My best advice:
I prefer to go with throwbacks with HOF player names / numbers or players who are part of the fabric of the history of the team. These are always well respected by your fellow fans. Everytime I wear one of my Fergie Jerkins jersey’s from either the 60’s/70’s or even the early 80’s model – I get thumbs up. And bonus points when they correctly have NNOB.
[/quote]
I agree with this. My Cardinals jersey has FLOOD 21. Curt Flood’s never gonna play for an opposing team, get busted for steroids, or do anything else embarrassing. It’s not really anachronistic because the current jerseys are virtually the same design as the 60s ones, even if the fabric is different. And I always get a lot of nice comments from fellow Cardinal fans.
Of course, my other jersey is an Arsenal one with FABREGAS 4, so I’m not always following my own advice.
[quote comment=”348751″]
/(did you ever decide on an accent wall color?)[/quote]
17-6153 TPX -Polypodiales grün
halfway down sep 17 comments he complans aboutjersey ads…link
Regarding ONOB – no offense, but ESPN lost the authority to define “cool” v. “dweeb” about the time they decided to broadcast Magic: The Gathering tourneys on the deuce back in the ’90’s. It’s like “Comic Book Guy” from The Simpsons calling you a geek…
Perfect example of how you learn something here every day, even if it makes you go, “Du-uh.”
re: Bruins alt. Someone mentioned the “spoked wheel” logo here the other and, finally, after way too many years of never really getting a handle on the “why” of those versions of a Bruin crest…
I thought, “Boston…The Hub…Du-uh.”
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348760″]Regarding ONOB – no offense, but ESPN lost the authority to define “cool” v. “dweeb” about the time they decided to broadcast Magic: The Gathering tourneys on the deuce back in the ’90’s. It’s like “Comic Book Guy” from The Simpsons calling you a geek…[/quote]
Post of the day nominee.
[quote comment=”348762″][quote comment=”348760″]Regarding ONOB – no offense, but ESPN lost the authority to define “cool” v. “dweeb” about the time they decided to broadcast Magic: The Gathering tourneys on the deuce back in the ’90’s. It’s like “Comic Book Guy” from The Simpsons calling you a geek…[/quote]
Post of the day nominee.[/quote]
Seconded.
Kinda like the time I was traveling on business and my co-worker ame out of the men’s room at O’Hare and said, “Man, I was in there taking a huge dump…and the guy in the stall next to me FARTED. Talk about GROSS.”
I honestly didn’t know what to say.
—Ricko
Why does a jersey/shirt need any NOB? I may have a favourite player but my support of the team trumps any feelings I have for a particular player, so I prefer the shirt with no NOB. The only shirts I have with NOB are the three New England Revolution authentic game-worn shirts I have won through contests.
Football shirts look stupid without a number, but a name is not required. I have a couple of U Georgia replica football shirts and they have #14 on them (QB was David Greene at the time), but there’s no name and that’s fine cause I love the team, not any specific player.
But there’s no way in hell I would put my own NOB. Seeing those people is as annoying as listening to the people who talk about their favourite team and say “We.” Buying season tickets and screaming at the top of my lungs during every home game still doesn’t make me part of the team so there is no “we.”
[quote comment=”348734″]Wow, lots of comments… not sure if anyone else has seen this page (or mentioned it previously) but there is a website out there devoted to making fun of Phillies fans who does this (see we even pick on our OWN kind). I was a contributor myself (look for Terry #4)
Here’s the site… pretty funny
link
Can’t say I’m a fan of that site, even if it is tongue firmly planted in cheek. At least I had the luxury of “outing” myself – yes that’s my real name and my real aging suburban guy image. It’s like that people of Walmart site that’s popular right now. Sure, it’s fun to laugh at those who we feel are not up to our standards of coolness – adulthood is in many ways a continuation of middle school. I’ll admit to my guilt at laughing at the Walmart site – but it came with a twinge of empathy. Did those folks just want to go to Walmart or a Phillies game, or did they want their image posted on the web for ridicule throughout the entire world? It’s not too different than upskirting some poor woman in public (in terms of unwittingly subjecting them to public scrutiny), just focusing on G rated material instead. Do we laugh at that stuff because it’s funny, or do we just need to somehow feel superior to boost our fragile egos?
[quote comment=”348654″][quote comment=”348645″][quote comment=”348642″]Chris:
(I know you are not coming off as mean)
But, I encounter this alot when I go to Jets Games (not nearly as much as hockey, because people actually ask about my name and it looks like it would belong anyway)…
For some reason, people take shit way too seriously in this life in many different ways.
I agree with you on that.
But I enjoy a fun forum where I can vent over these tripe little details of my sports viewing life, so there, I just what I like and it made me happy! (no harm, no foul :)[/quote]
There really are only two issues…
1. How you behave when you wear what you choose to wear.
2. How do you behave TOWARD people when they chose to wear what they wear.
Also, there are are a couple different major sub-categories here.
1. What you wear to watch.
2. What you wear to play.
Baseball pants for softball? Me, almost always. I still slide when I have to, need a pocket for the right hand batting glove on defense…plus it’s quite simply the way I’m most comfortable. Also has to do with the level of competition. In some tournaments I’ve played, almost everyone’s wearing them. Long-time ballplayers just have their way of doing things.
—Ricko[/quote]
Matt — THANK YOU. Whether you want it or not, you ARE the leading voice of ONOB. In 2000, I got my St Louis Cardinals authentic jersey with my high school number (39) and name (DiPaola) on back. #39 for the Redbirds is Dave McKay — the 1st base coach. And, it’s a pretty random number. But since I have received such hateful backlash over the years, it’s permanent residence has been my closet hanger. Well…NO MORE!!! I will wear the jersey with pride. And if anyone busts my balls about it, I’ll simply say, “The King says it’s A-OK!”
My take is this — with PRO sports teams, you are essentially rolling the dice that said player will even be on the team in the following years. Thanks for the article! Well done, good sir!![/quote]
Mom? I thought I made it clear to stay away from “teh internets” today.
Matt
Scroll down to link. Hey, it made me chuckle.
While I don’t own a customized jersey, I do think I am the only person who enjoys collecting “cheap” jerseys. The most I ever spent on a jersey is around $30 for a blank Arizona Coyotes jersey and a “Bleach Blanket” era White Sox Carlton Fisk jersey. I really don’t mind wearing traded player’s jerseys, as I can find them dirt cheap, since I wear them more for the team than the player. Besides, “blank” football jerseys just seem to look wrong.
you should have gotten julio franco’s NOB. pretty sure he’s still an active player, which automatically makes him relevant.
I like the photo example that Simmons uses for his ‘departed players jerseys should be thrown out’ rule, Griffey of the M’s, who is back with the the again, and a fan favorite.
Whoops, typo! that should read, back with the team again. Regrets for the error.
[quote comment=”348701″]I never wanted to get a jersey because I didn’t know who would be around. As I a Packer fan, I thought I could always get a Favre jersey, but EVERYONE has one of those and I’m not old enough to pretend I watched Starr (and really, who was there between those eras? Nobody.)[/quote]
Oh, how soon they forget. Sure, the years were lean, but link?
The only time I bought a jersey with a NOB was a Chris Speilman’s Browns jersey. I got it for about 5$ at a Valu City.And even then wearing it to work got me some comments like he never played for the Browns.
My niece is a Cavs fan and Browns fan. Her favorite Cav was Sasha Pavlovic. She had his jersey and now he is gone. She is Brady Quinn fan and wore his jersey to the Browns Vikings game.
For her birthday she decided to get a Browns jersey with her ONOB and she used #87 since she was born in 1987.
[quote comment=”348767″]While I don’t own a customized jersey, I do think I am the only person who enjoys collecting “cheap” jerseys. The most I ever spent on a jersey is around $30 for a blank Arizona Coyotes jersey and a “Bleach Blanket” era White Sox Carlton Fisk jersey. I really don’t mind wearing traded player’s jerseys, as I can find them dirt cheap, since I wear them more for the team than the player. Besides, “blank” football jerseys just seem to look wrong.[/quote]
You’re not alone – I only buy cheap jerseys. The only NOB jerseys I own are an imitation Pirates Stargell jersey, and an AZ Cardinals Jake Plummer jersey. 50 and 20 bucks. Okay, I do have a name-and-numberless Celtic FC soccer jersey for which I paid 70 bucks, but that was an anniversary and Christmas present combined. Even the Stargell jersey was too rich for my blood.
There’s a Champs Sports Outlet near us that sells cheap jerseys and t-shirts. I almost bought a $20 Chad Pennington NY Titans jersey, until I saw the $5 t-shirts. I bought a Nationals Jose Vidro, a Padres Khalil Greene and a Cardinals Scott Rolen jersey-style t-shirt. As long as the player’s not a thug, I don’t care if he’s with the team anymore or not. I wear them more for the team as well. If this makes me a dweeb or a doofus, then la dee da.
Re; ONOB 2
I wrote earlier I “get shit” @ Jets games for my ONOB, I am a HUGE Jets fans, and someone pointed out that it IS the low-brow fans (on both sides, but mostly the visitors) that cause the problems…
I re-read my post and I thought it came off as I was singling out Jets fans….Not the case..
I love my team, and since I never will play for the Jets, I take this as the closest I will come with my name on their products…
Thanks,
-peter
ONOB:
Also, having my ONOB is = to my name appearing in the credits @ 6:58 am across the country…
:)
[quote comment=”348733″]I cannot comprehend the idea, expressed in the Bill Simmons column and by John E. at 11:20, that there is something wrong with wearing a jersey of a player who is no longer with the team.
Not only is there nothing wrong with that, there is plenty right with it. Wearing such a jersey simply shows that you have been a fan for more than five minutes, and that you have some sense of history.[/quote]
Or that you bought a jersey at 70% off.
I didn’t want any name on the back of my Arizona Wildcats football jersey, just my number 99. But when I placed the order on eBay, it rejected the order with a blank NOB box. So I tried just entering a few spaces, or a period – also rejected. Then I tried “Arizona”, “Wildcats” and “Bear Down” – apparently, copyright protections nixed those options. I finally relented and went ONOB.
I’m fine with my ONOB jersey… until I hear people behind me snickering.
Ah well. Where’s my Khabibulin jersey?
[quote comment=”348763″][quote comment=”348762″][quote comment=”348760″]Regarding ONOB – no offense, but ESPN lost the authority to define “cool” v. “dweeb” about the time they decided to broadcast Magic: The Gathering tourneys on the deuce back in the ’90’s. It’s like “Comic Book Guy” from The Simpsons calling you a geek…[/quote]
Post of the day nominee.[/quote]
Seconded.
Kinda like the time I was traveling on business and my co-worker ame out of the men’s room at O’Hare and said, “Man, I was in there taking a huge dump…and the guy in the stall next to me FARTED. Talk about GROSS.”
I honestly didn’t know what to say.
—Ricko[/quote]
i got called out on something like that… disgusting fact: me and my buddy sit next to eachother at work in cubes… a well timed fart will have us in tears laughing, the worse it smells that harder we laugh. but we’ll come back from the bathroom and tell eachother just how bad it smells in there, and be all pissed off at the stink. makes no sense at all (no pun intended!)
I think the Preds jersey looked better with Taylor Swift wearing it.
But then again, what jersey wouldn’t?
[quote comment=”348736″]I never judge another person’s jersey, unless they’re a Yankees fan with a big ol’ “JETER” across their back, because dude, a seam-ripper costs like two bucks at the dollar store. Otherwise, to each his own. But neither ONOB nor PNOB (player’s name on back) are for me. I’m not on the team, and I’m not willing to play dress-up and pretend to be some other man. I’m strictly a numbers-only fan.
But now I have a conundrum: I recently found an authentic 1994 Brewers jersey in my size, something of a holy grail for me, only it has “Viña 1” on the back. This is bad, because Viña didn’t play for the Brewers in ’94, and also because who the heck wants a Fernando Viña jersey? So I’m getting the jersey renumbered, but because of the way Viña is stitched on, I’m going to have to have it covered with another name. So do I go with Fingers, since his #44 was retired by the Brew Crew in the 1994 season? Or an anachronistic Molitor jersey, since he’s my favorite Brewer? Or something else that I haven’t thought of? Help![/quote]
If you’re willing to rip on others for “playing dress-up” and pretending to be “some other man” how are you justifying putting any name on the back of your jersey? If you have that much of an issue when somebody else does it, might be time to frame the jersey or keep it in the closet.
[quote comment=”348712″][quote comment=”348700″][quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.[/quote]
Not to keep beating this dead horse, but he’s not the one who bobbled the sure double-play ball. He’s not the one who allowed his pitcher to implode without so much as sending the pitching coach out there to chat. Et cetera, et cetera…
Hell, Moises Alou even (finally) admitted that there was no way he was going to catch that ball.
I’ll admit that I was at that game and I may have joined in with the “asshole” chant (because I could see what happened sooooooo clearly from my vantage point in the upper deck way down the first base line), but even before that game was over, I knew it was the Cubs and not some “curse” or a fan who may or may not have interfered with a ball that would have been caught for an out who lost that game.
Incidentally, Steve and my wife are co-workers.[/quote]
but Alou was lying his glove was directly under the ball about 6 inches when it was interfered with. Not thats the loss was bartmans fault, but w/o that touch it *would* have been caught.
[quote comment=”348776″][quote comment=”348733″]I cannot comprehend the idea, expressed in the Bill Simmons column and by John E. at 11:20, that there is something wrong with wearing a jersey of a player who is no longer with the team.
Not only is there nothing wrong with that, there is plenty right with it. Wearing such a jersey simply shows that you have been a fan for more than five minutes, and that you have some sense of history.[/quote]
Or that you bought a jersey at 70% off.[/quote]
Both perhaps? *looks over to his Berrian jersey he got for $16*
[quote comment=”348754″]if i ever buy NOB jerseys, i’d prefer to get one with players that i liked (and were good) but weren’t very well-known outside of my hometown of cleveland… [/quote]
In the 2004 off-season I personalized my Astros jersey with Morgan Ensberg’s name and number. The next season (which turned out to be his best season and only All-Star appearance), I was at an Astros game in Baltimore in June and he spotted me in the stands. He gave me a ball and thanked me for the support. I asked, and he said it was the first time he’d seen his jersey outside of Houston.
[quote comment=”348781″][quote comment=”348712″][quote comment=”348700″][quote comment=”348690″][quote comment=”348662″]Being a Cubs fan I love seeing jerseys that have meaning for the team like “Holy Cow”,”Go Cubs Go”, and “Lets Play Two”.
[/quote]
link is pretty catchy, no?[/quote]
At Wrigley I once saw once that said “Not Bartman” I thought it was lame, it only continues to promulgate the idea of curses and superstition. Rather than the real causes of Cubs failure like Bad ownership and management for many years.[/quote]
Not to keep beating this dead horse, but he’s not the one who bobbled the sure double-play ball. He’s not the one who allowed his pitcher to implode without so much as sending the pitching coach out there to chat. Et cetera, et cetera…
Hell, Moises Alou even (finally) admitted that there was no way he was going to catch that ball.
I’ll admit that I was at that game and I may have joined in with the “asshole” chant (because I could see what happened sooooooo clearly from my vantage point in the upper deck way down the first base line), but even before that game was over, I knew it was the Cubs and not some “curse” or a fan who may or may not have interfered with a ball that would have been caught for an out who lost that game.
Incidentally, Steve and my wife are co-workers.[/quote]
but Alou was lying his glove was directly under the ball about 6 inches when it was interfered with. Not thats the loss was bartmans fault, but w/o that touch it *would* have been caught.[/quote]
I don’t think anything’s a given in sports. Had Bartman and others left the ball alone and it glanced off Alou’s glove, Alou might be the goat. Or maybe the lasting memory of that game simply would be, “Oh, man, if Alou just could have reached that ball.”
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348720″]Screw the rules and the hollier than thou attitude. I ended up with a barry zito a’s jersey. Homey got traded to the giants and that jersey has sat since then. Fuckin money wasted. That is pretty much true for all of the a’s shit (a Chavez jersey!?!? really?!?!?). Pointless to get some temporary visitor’s name on it and a blank jersey felt like something was missing. Decided that when I got my sharks jersey I was putting my name on the back. Nuff said.[/quote]
Amen to that……
[quote comment=”348662″]
but Alou was lying his glove was directly under the ball about 6 inches when it was interfered with. Not thats the loss was bartmans fault, but w/o that touch it *would* have been caught.[/quote]
I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter its a Foul Fly Ball, IMHO, if the fielder makes the catch in the stands its a feather in his cap. This stupid sense of entitlement that some ballplayers (and fans for that matter have) when it comes to foul fly balls is irratating. The confines of the playing field is for the field, the stands are for the fans – when these two intersect anything can happen. Like I said if you make the play good for you, if not, then better luck next time.
[quote comment=”348786″][quote comment=”348662″]
but Alou was lying his glove was directly under the ball about 6 inches when it was interfered with. Not thats the loss was bartmans fault, but w/o that touch it *would* have been caught.[/quote]
I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter its a Foul Fly Ball, IMHO, if the fielder makes the catch in the stands its a feather in his cap. This stupid sense of entitlement that some ballplayers (and fans for that matter have) when it comes to foul fly balls is irratating. The confines of the playing field is for the field, the stands are for the fans – when these two intersect anything can happen. Like I said if you make the play good for you, if not, then better luck next time.[/quote]
I meant to say “confines of the playing field is for the players”
My Bad.
When my brother and I played high school hockey we started to collect (and wear) authentic NHL jerseys. We didn’t have a favorite teams, but had favorite players. We mostly got these as Christmas gifts or birthday presents. We knew they were $$$, so we always tried to pick guys that we thought would stay on the same team.
Our collections includes
Penguins #68 Jagr
Nordiques #9 Ricci
Avalanche #19 Sakic
Stars #9 Modano
Red Winds #91 Fedorov
Flyers #88 Lindros
Rangers #11 Messier
Canucks #11 Messier
Blackhawks #27 Roenick.
Of these players, a few/most have retired, but Modano is the only player still on the same team and Sakic was still an Avalanche when he retired. Lookig back, I wouldn’t change anything, but I remember being really ticked when Lindros left the Flyers and Jagr left the Penguins.
One more thought…
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, current home of the Utah Grizzlies, but I grew up going to Salt Lake Golden Eagles hockey games. I saw Ziggy Pallfy before he made it to the NHL. Through some connections I met the guy who did the lettering for the Golden Eagles and the Grizzlies. I even worked in his hockey shop my senior year of high school. Anyway, after the Golden Eagles franchise left he had a few pro-weight jerseys left over and I got one custom made with my last name and my number 16 on the back. One of the more famous Golden Eagles Rich Chernomaz, wore 16 for the team. I still wear this jersey to every Grizzlies game I go to and get nothing but compiments. Not once has anyone given me a hard time about the ONOB, maybe it helps that they are a minor league team though. I had one die hard fan say something like, “Didn’t Rich Chernomaz wear 16?” to which I responded, “Yeah, I think he did too.”
[quote comment=”348784″]I don’t think anything’s a given in sports. Had Bartman and others left the ball alone and it glanced off Alou’s glove, Alou might be the goat. Or maybe the lasting memory of that game simply would be, “Oh, man, if Alou just could have reached that ball.”
—Ricko[/quote]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[quote comment=”348787″]
I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter its a Foul Fly Ball, IMHO, if the fielder makes the catch in the stands its a feather in his cap. This stupid sense of entitlement that some ballplayers (and fans for that matter have) when it comes to foul fly balls is irratating. The confines of the playing field is for the players, the stands are for the fans – when these two intersect anything can happen. Like I said if you make the play good for you, if not, then better luck next time.[/quote]
Agreed on both points. That play was link.
Even if the ball had landed perfectly in the pocket of the glove, would Alou have been able to close it cleanly to secure the ball? It’s entirely possible that the glove would have hit the wall or railing, causing the ball to bounce away harmlessly. Everyone would have applauded the effort, the game would have continued on and Alex Gonzalez would have taken his rightful place as Cubdom’s Public Enemy #1 du jour.
[quote comment=”348731″][quote comment=”348727″]Whoever had the “QB Bills” NOB, that is classic! My son has a Vaughn/99 Indians shirt, but it is just a cheapo iron-on. If I could do it again, I would probably go with NNOB for the Indians and Groza/76 for the Browns (although The Toe played when there were NNOB).
Matt[/quote]
I always wanted to DIY a Giants #88 with SUMMERALL on the back, even though they were NNOB when he played. Some may vehemently disagree, but I think it’s okay when you’re dealing with a number that’s been worn by several players, and especially since a lot of youngsters would automatically think of Mike Sherrard or Hakeem Nicks. Nothing against them at all, but Pat was one of my favorites.
I recently had this same conversation with my wife. She wanted to get me a Browns jersey for my birthday and asked what name and number do I want. Being of the camp that I cannot put ONOB (not that there is anything wrong with it and support anybody that does) I decided to start thinking about it. Did I want to be fan number 1 million with a Kosar jersey? Do I want anybody that is current?
After some thought I figured that nobody currently on the roster was going to be around long enough or is good enough to spend the money on. I didn’t want to go with Kosar. I started to look at past rosters. And I came up with some rules to make my choice.
No QB’s – they are just prima donnas anyways
No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.
Must be a player that made a difference.
Must be a player I liked.
The choice came down to #79 Bob Golic, #92 Michael Dean Perry, and #57 Clay Mathews
In the end the winner was # 79 Bob Golic. Yes he almost didn’t make it for his participation in Save by the Bell: The College Years.. But I am not perfect.
Oh and I sooo would have got Cory Snyder put on the back of that Indians jersey if we are talking 1987.
[quote comment=”348792″]I recently had this same conversation with my wife. She wanted to get me a Browns jersey for my birthday and asked what name and number do I want. Being of the camp that I cannot put ONOB (not that there is anything wrong with it and support anybody that does) I decided to start thinking about it. Did I want to be fan number 1 million with a Kosar jersey? Do I want anybody that is current?
After some thought I figured that nobody currently on the roster was going to be around long enough or is good enough to spend the money on. I didn’t want to go with Kosar. I started to look at past rosters. And I came up with some rules to make my choice.
No QB’s – they are just prima donnas anyways
No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.
Must be a player that made a difference.
Must be a player I liked.
The choice came down to #79 Bob Golic, #92 Michael Dean Perry, and #57 Clay Mathews
In the end the winner was # 79 Bob Golic. Yes he almost didn’t make it for his participation in Save by the Bell: The College Years.. But I am not perfect.
Oh and I sooo would have got Cory Snyder put on the back of that Indians jersey if we are talking 1987.[/quote]
Scott, I would have gone with Clay Matthews, he was better than Golic and Perry, and played more years in a Browns uniform.
[quote comment=”348792″]No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.[/quote]
Strange rationale… the vast majority of WRs have numbers in the 80s… 8 being the LARGEST number possible…
Hmmmm……I’m thinking an A’s jersey with “Holy Toledo!” We miss you Bill King!!!!
great guest article today. i fully support ONOB. i am a fan of the team, not of the player. my support for the individual’s name on the back of the jersey might change, my feelings for the team will not.
i got burnt by this once, i only got a few good months out of my Portis Broncos jersey. i vowed not to go this route again and was given an ONOB jersey as a gift with a number not associated with any current Bronco. and im very glad i adopted this policy before the likes of cutler and (perhaps) marshall joined the team.
I’m stuck with a Lamar Odom, and Elton Balnd jersey that I refuse to wear. However they are not authentic, so Im’ not too mad, they’re swingman jersey (I call them tweeners). YES, I’m a Clipper fan in L.A. (Please keep the Clip jokes to yourselves).
I dont ever hesitate to buy USC jerseys though, NNOB for basketball or football. I’m also fond of my Angels jersey with NNOB or N#OB, just plain with Angels on it. My reasoning for this was that the Angels have that special font, and the replica numbers are too obvious (dont look right). And just cannot afford any authentics at this time.
[quote comment=”348784″]I don’t think anything’s a given in sports. Had Bartman and others left the ball alone and it glanced off Alou’s glove, Alou might be the goat. Or maybe the lasting memory of that game simply would be, “Oh, man, if Alou just could have reached that ball.”[/quote]
1) Good point about “and others”. Bartman has gotten the publicity, but odds are there were more than a few other fans trying to get that ball.
2) The other point that gets lost is that it was hardly an easy catch for the Cubs player: IIRC he would have had to jump to reach over the wall to get this one. A catch like that at any point of the season is going to be a season-long highlight.
[quote comment=”348798″][quote comment=”348784″]I don’t think anything’s a given in sports. Had Bartman and others left the ball alone and it glanced off Alou’s glove, Alou might be the goat. Or maybe the lasting memory of that game simply would be, “Oh, man, if Alou just could have reached that ball.”[/quote]
1) Good point about “and others”. Bartman has gotten the publicity, but odds are there were more than a few other fans trying to get that ball.
2) The other point that gets lost is that it was hardly an easy catch for the Cubs player: IIRC he would have had to jump to reach over the wall to get this one. A catch like that at any point of the season is going to be a season-long highlight.[/quote]
I think the point is that Alou never even got a chance to make the season long highlight play. Him having a clean attempt changes everyone’s opinion of that situation for sure.
[quote comment=”348794″][quote comment=”348792″]No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.[/quote]
Strange rationale… the vast majority of WRs have numbers in the 80s… 8 being the LARGEST number possible…[/quote]
Indeed, there are tons of WRs wearing teens now, because the NFL just started allowing it a couple of years ago and it’s a fad. But historically there’ve been very few (I guess Alworth is most prominent).
If you wanted a Browns WR, you could hardly go wrong with Paul Warfield’s #42, although I’m pretty sure he never wore NOB with the Browns — he left after 1969, and I don’t think they wore NOB until the merger in ’70.
Hey Matt, I would have gone with Leach #16. “Look at this fucking guy.”
[quote comment=”348771″]Oh, how soon they forget. Sure, the years were lean, but link?[/quote]
John Brockington used to run over the Bears on a pretty regular basis during those years.
Well-known running back Chester “Crazylegs” Marcol would be another choice.
[quote comment=”348794″][quote comment=”348792″]No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.[/quote]
Strange rationale… the vast majority of WRs have numbers in the 80s… 8 being the LARGEST number possible…[/quote]
I could have stated this rule better. Yes numbers 80 through 88 are normally WR numbers and yes they are “big” numbers. I just could not see my fat arse in a WR number.
[quote comment=”348778″]
Seconded.
Kinda like the time I was traveling on business and my co-worker ame out of the men’s room at O’Hare and said, “Man, I was in there taking a huge dump…and the guy in the stall next to me FARTED. Talk about GROSS.”[quote]
My biz travel story from Love Field in Dallas: a HUGE guy walked into a stall in the mens room where the fixtures were wall-mounted rather than floor-mounted: and I suppose you can guess the rest. I got out of that bathroom in the bigest hurry possible-luckily there was a maintanence guy in there with us.
Matt,
Wear your ONOB with pride. It’s your money. I agree with most of the ESPN columnist’s no-no’s — but not that one.
Just be sure to wear your jersey “tails out” as per Uni Watch protocol.
The only “uncool” ONOB violations would be if you customized a retired number jersey with your own name, or ONOB a jersey that doesn’t typically bear a surname, like the Red Sox home jerseys. Then you are displaying bad form and a serious lack of respect for tradition.
There’s an age limit to this sartorial angle, too. At age 50, I only haul out the jerseys on gameday, or to actually play softball or football, and I have a couple of ragged old favorites for cutting the grass. Outside those boundaries I’ll get a funny look from my wife if I want to go stylin’ to the mall, so I’ve transitioned to hoodies and some coaches shirts, which are more age-appropriate.
My favorite number is 28. Fortunately very few teams have retired that number, so I pretty much can customize anything except the Jets (Curtis Martin) or Rams (Marshall Faulk). I have a couple of gameworns from Collegejersey with that number that bear no name tag at all, and I’m pondering getting a 1967 Steelers throwback without the name because the team did not go NOB with that uni style. I actually prefer the NNOB look, but I’d have no problem buying an ONOB current-style Steeler jersey.
[quote comment=”348802″][quote comment=”348771″]Oh, how soon they forget. Sure, the years were lean, but link?[/quote]
John Brockington used to run over the Bears on a pretty regular basis during those years.
Well-known running back Chester “Crazylegs” Marcol would be another choice.[/quote]
Don’t forget about #12 Lynn Dickey, who put together a few good seasons in the 1980s. TE Paul Coffman was outstanding on those clubs also.
[quote comment=”348805″]My favorite number is 28. Fortunately very few teams have retired that number, so I pretty much can customize anything except the Jets (Curtis Martin) or Rams (Marshall Faulk).[/quote]
Per your rules, a link is off-limits, too
[quote comment=”348780″]If you’re willing to rip on others for “playing dress-up” and pretending to be “some other man” how are you justifying putting any name on the back of your jersey? If you have that much of an issue when somebody else does it, might be time to frame the jersey or keep it in the closet.[/quote]
1. I thought I made it clear that I was describing “rules” I apply to myself but not to others.
2. I intended to be self-effacing when I spoke so firmly about “rules” that are so trivial.
I actually think ONOB jerseys are pretty cool — they’re often the most interesting and original fan expressions. And I certainly don’t think anyone else wearing PNOB is playing dress-up as some other dude; it’s just that the thought of wearing ONOB or PNOB makes me self-conscious, so I don’t do it. Not for me, cool for you. But with the ’94 Brewers jersey, I really do have to put some name on there to cover the stitch marks from the name I’m removing.
I’m leaning toward “WURST” with the number 1 in honor of the German sausage in the race.
[quote comment=”348806″][quote comment=”348802″][quote comment=”348771″]Oh, how soon they forget. Sure, the years were lean, but link?[/quote]
John Brockington used to run over the Bears on a pretty regular basis during those years.
Well-known running back Chester “Crazylegs” Marcol would be another choice.[/quote]
Don’t forget about #12 Lynn Dickey, who put together a few good seasons in the 1980s. TE Paul Coffman was outstanding on those clubs also.[/quote]
Don’t forget the link.
link wasn’t too shabby, either.
More season/anniversary confusion (Sonics schedules):
link
The 1981-82 schedule has “Fifteenth Season” on it (correct), while the 1991-92 schedule has “25th Anniversary” on it (incorrect).
In regards to playing dress-up. When I’d wear my authentic jerseys with the PNOB to school, some dooorknob would always come up and pretend to ask me for an autograph like, “Mr Lindros, Mr. Lindros can I have your…oh wait you’re not the real one.” So in some ways I’ve taken way more crap for giong PNOB over ONOB.
[quote comment=”348808″]I’m leaning toward “WURST” with the number 1 in honor of the German sausage in the race.[/quote]
Maybe you can get another one with “FURST” just so you can wear one on opening day after a poor season, and wait until the season ender (with your team in the lead) for the other jersey?
;-)
[quote comment=”348806″]
Don’t forget about #12 Lynn Dickey, who put together a few good seasons in the 1980s. TE Paul Coffman was outstanding on those clubs also.[/quote]Man, there are quite a few bad memories for Bears fans coming back! Forgot about Lynn Dickey, but now I also remember “Magic Man” who burned the Bears once or twice.
IIRC there was pre-replay controversial play where he got the benefit of a doubt to win the game.
[quote comment=”348799″][quote comment=”348798″][quote comment=”348784″]I don’t think anything’s a given in sports. Had Bartman and others left the ball alone and it glanced off Alou’s glove, Alou might be the goat. Or maybe the lasting memory of that game simply would be, “Oh, man, if Alou just could have reached that ball.”[/quote]
1) Good point about “and others”. Bartman has gotten the publicity, but odds are there were more than a few other fans trying to get that ball.
2) The other point that gets lost is that it was hardly an easy catch for the Cubs player: IIRC he would have had to jump to reach over the wall to get this one. A catch like that at any point of the season is going to be a season-long highlight.[/quote]
I think the point is that Alou never even got a chance to make the season long highlight play. Him having a clean attempt changes everyone’s opinion of that situation for sure.[/quote]
No, I think the point is “Better To Blame Bartman”.
[quote comment=”348800″][quote comment=”348794″][quote comment=”348792″]No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.[/quote]
Strange rationale… the vast majority of WRs have numbers in the 80s… 8 being the LARGEST number possible…[/quote]
Indeed, there are tons of WRs wearing teens now, because the NFL just started allowing it a couple of years ago and it’s a fad. But historically there’ve been very few (I guess Alworth is most prominent).
If you wanted a Browns WR, you could hardly go wrong with Paul Warfield’s #42, although I’m pretty sure he never wore NOB with the Browns — he left after 1969, and I don’t think they wore NOB until the merger in ’70.[/quote]
Warfield ended up back with the Browns during the orange-pants era, so he did wear NOB with them.
—Ricko
I just finished listening to CAM NEELY on XM204’s the powerplay and he was discribing the process the bruins used for creating the “Winter Classic Jersey” The B’s jersey isn’t a throwback but a fusion of some other elements from when the B won their 5 Stanely Cups and the logo is from the ’49 season — Boston’s 25th anniversary. (more details later)
I think in this age of free agency, it is perfectly acceptable to have ONOB – I have my #13 Crater LA Kings jersey because every time I ALMOST forked over the money for a Palffy, Blake, Avery, Carter, Roenick, Allison, Deadmarsh, Schneider, Camalleri, Potvin, Demitra or Sykora (and please, the list could go on), said player was either traded, released, retired, or, in Potvin’s case, fell off the face of the planet. On my way to Staples one night a guy behind me says, “Crater, who the hell is THAT?” The dude’s wearing a #97 Roenick, the year after his release. I reply, “Crater is me, and I will always be here. Roenick is a future Hall of Famer who played here for 1 year, had the single WORST season of his career, and was released. How much did you waste on that?” I got no answer…
Anyone know what number the link wears?
I say get no one’s name on the back. I think no name is better than you own name.
Plus year 2000 is way to recent for a grandfather clause.
Cheers!
[quote comment=”348815″][quote comment=”348800″][quote comment=”348794″][quote comment=”348792″]No WR’s – I’m a big guy and number 11 would look stupid on me.[/quote]
Strange rationale… the vast majority of WRs have numbers in the 80s… 8 being the LARGEST number possible…[/quote]
Indeed, there are tons of WRs wearing teens now, because the NFL just started allowing it a couple of years ago and it’s a fad. But historically there’ve been very few (I guess Alworth is most prominent).
If you wanted a Browns WR, you could hardly go wrong with Paul Warfield’s #42, although I’m pretty sure he never wore NOB with the Browns — he left after 1969, and I don’t think they wore NOB until the merger in ’70.[/quote]
Warfield ended up back with the Browns during the orange-pants era, so he did wear NOB with them.
—Ricko[/quote]
Was trying to find a pic of Warfield’s NOB jersey and came across pics of these…probably seen before, but unusual:
link
link
Birth announcement: Waitle Nex Yeare :-)
link
I hadn’t seen the original ad nor did I see anyone bring it up here on Uniblog. And the story shows up on a day when people here are remembering Bartman…
[quote comment=”348650″][quote comment=”348646″][quote comment=”348637″]I must admit, though, I’ve always kinda wanted a white Cowboys #88, cuz I liked Drew Pearson as a player. But I hestitate cuz would feel like I’d have to keep explaining, “No, see…it’s MY name, too.” But then, that would be just bad.
The ultimate uni lose-lose situation.
—Ricko[/quote]
Drew who? j/k Rick, but you probably would have to explain more about why it doesn’t say Irvin than how your last name is Pearson too..[/quote]
True. I keep forgetting the NFL’s only been around for about 20 years.
—Ricko[/quote]
Of course, back then the rules required “D. PEARSON” AND “P. PEARSON” – therefore you would/should/could go with “R. PEARSON” legitimately for ONOB and be both period or era correct and make it (somewhat) obvious that you aren’t trying to be associated with Irvin, so to speak.
[quote comment=”348814″]
No, I think the point is “Better To Blame Bartman”.[/quote]I don’t know about “better” but its easier for sure.
I’d say 90% of daring fans in the ballpark would have done about the same thing. Very few would have given a thought to “wait, my team has a chance to make a play here”.
[quote comment=”348650″]True. I keep forgetting the NFL’s only been around for about 20 years.[/quote]
Don’t forget that the most popular sport at Harvard is (and always has been) hockey.
[quote comment=”348639″]Jeez, PETA has officially protested “Packers”.
They must get apoplectic over “Slaughter”.
[/quote]
Ricko, IIRC a major investor is former Bear Steve McMicheal, who kind of has one of those “devil may care” attitudes.
In between his ads for strip clubs and low-cost auto insurance, I don’t see him getting really worked up over a possible PETA protest. :-)))
Butt-Stripes-On-White Night?
Boise State at Fresno State, national tube, 8 ET.
(At least the turf won’t be blue.)
—Ricko
It’s your money and your body; you can wear whatever you want, whether it’s an authentic with your ONOB or a remaindered replica of a player who’s no longer with the team or a crappy-looking MLB replica with block numbers or a goofy-looking Ebay find. Just be willing to take grief from people who aren’t as wise as Ricko if they decide they don’t like it, and there will be some, no matter what you wear.
[quote] Just be willing to take grief from people who aren’t as wise as Ricko[/quote]
sage advice
don’t like to plug my upcoming columns, but…
contest tomorrow and
everyone be sure to check out sunday…could easily be ricko’s finest hour…
it’s so simple, it’s pure genius
seriously…
[quote comment=”348828″]
it’s so simple, it’s pure genius
[/quote]
There’s two words that have been used when talking about plenty of posters here: simple and genius.
:-)
[quote comment=”348829″][quote comment=”348828″]
it’s so simple, it’s pure genius
[/quote]
There’s two words that have been used when talking about plenty of posters here: simple and genius.
:-)[/quote]
In that case, Phil got it right.
Simple stuff I do best.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348816″]I just finished listening to CAM NEELY on XM204’s the powerplay and he was discribing the process the bruins used for creating the “Winter Classic Jersey” The B’s jersey isn’t a throwback but a fusion of some other elements from when the B won their 5 Stanely Cups and the logo is from the ’49 season — Boston’s 25th anniversary. (more details later)[/quote]
I certainly noticed a few days ago when it first leaked. It annoys me. The black cuffs didn’t exist with the thick bottom stripe and sleeve stripes, the cartoon B was never on that logo and a yellow uniform.
Really, that just annoys me. The Bruins have perhaps a more varied uniform history then nay other team in the NHL- just pick one! The work is done for them!
the flyers piss me off more though. The whole point of the white nameplates on the oranges was they used the white nameplates- from the white uniforms- and put them on the colors for nationally televised road games.
So what do they do? the make the nameplates on the whites black.
It makes me sad- the whole point was that both uniforms were supposed to have the same nameplate!
This winter classic is uni fail. The only modifications we’ve seen so far are sock striping, pant striping, red wing logos on shoulders, and Pittsburgh changing the color of the triangle behind the penguin to vegas instead of old gold. Now we get two teams pulling shit out of their ass.
[quote comment=”348830″]In that case, Phil got it right.
Simple stuff I do best.
[/quote]
Some words to live by Ricko:
K.I.S.S.
or
When in doubt, K.I.S.S.
I find you almost can’t go wrong if you give people fewer choices. :-)
[quote comment=”348832″][quote comment=”348830″]In that case, Phil got it right.
Simple stuff I do best.
[/quote]
Some words to live by Ricko:
K.I.S.S.
or
When in doubt, K.I.S.S.
I find you almost can’t go wrong if you give people fewer choices. :-)[/quote]
That’s why we have only two major political parties.
And we rarely approach that with any thought.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348831″][quote comment=”348816″]I just finished listening to CAM NEELY on XM204’s the powerplay and he was discribing the process the bruins used for creating the “Winter Classic Jersey” The B’s jersey isn’t a throwback but a fusion of some other elements from when the B won their 5 Stanely Cups and the logo is from the ’49 season — Boston’s 25th anniversary. (more details later)[/quote]
I certainly noticed a few days ago when it first leaked. It annoys me. The black cuffs didn’t exist with the thick bottom stripe and sleeve stripes, the cartoon B was never on that logo and a yellow uniform.
Really, that just annoys me. The Bruins have perhaps a more varied uniform history then nay other team in the NHL- just pick one! The work is done for them!
the flyers piss me off more though. The whole point of the white nameplates on the oranges was they used the white nameplates- from the white uniforms- and put them on the colors for nationally televised road games.
So what do they do? the make the nameplates on the whites black.
It makes me sad- the whole point was that both uniforms were supposed to have the same nameplate!
This winter classic is uni fail. The only modifications we’ve seen so far are sock striping, pant striping, red wing logos on shoulders, and Pittsburgh changing the color of the triangle behind the penguin to vegas instead of old gold. Now we get two teams pulling shit out of their ass.[/quote]
Jeff, while overall I don’t disagree, overall the uni’s aren’t that bad. I would have preferred the Bruins uni to look exactly like this:
link
The point that rings the most with me, is the Flyers nameplate. In the 70’s, when they adopted that style name plate on their orange/red uni – I thought back then, it was a sign of cheapness on the Flyers part, they never had that look on their white jersey.
[quote comment=”348831″][quote comment=”348816″]I just finished listening to CAM NEELY on XM204’s the powerplay and he was discribing the process the bruins used for creating the “Winter Classic Jersey” The B’s jersey isn’t a throwback but a fusion of some other elements from when the B won their 5 Stanely Cups and the logo is from the ’49 season — Boston’s 25th anniversary. (more details later)[/quote]
I certainly noticed a few days ago when it first leaked. It annoys me. The black cuffs didn’t exist with the thick bottom stripe and sleeve stripes, the cartoon B was never on that logo and a yellow uniform.
Really, that just annoys me. The Bruins have perhaps a more varied uniform history then nay other team in the NHL- just pick one! The work is done for them!
the flyers piss me off more though. The whole point of the white nameplates on the oranges was they used the white nameplates- from the white uniforms- and put them on the colors for nationally televised road games.
So what do they do? the make the nameplates on the whites black.
It makes me sad- the whole point was that both uniforms were supposed to have the same nameplate!
This winter classic is uni fail. The only modifications we’ve seen so far are sock striping, pant striping, red wing logos on shoulders, and Pittsburgh changing the color of the triangle behind the penguin to vegas instead of old gold. Now we get two teams pulling shit out of their ass.[/quote]
The Pens did change to a vegas gold color triangle early in this decade, when they brought back the skating penguin logo. I would like to hear from Bruins fans who are old enough to remember Boston filing a formal protest to the NHL in 1980, when the Pens switched from light/dark blue to black and yellow uniforms.
That protest must certainly go down in uniform history as the most laughable, especially since Pittsburgh pro hockey teams were using black and yellow uniforms back in the 1920s. A perfect analogy would be the New York Rangers trying to block any other team from using red and blue.
I would hope any Bruins fans would have been
confused and disappointed by that protest. It’s great that Boston was part of the Original Six, but trying to block other teams color selections was arrogant.
[quote comment=”348823″][quote comment=”348814″]
No, I think the point is “Better To Blame Bartman”.[/quote]I don’t know about “better” but its easier for sure.
I’d say 90% of daring fans in the ballpark would have done about the same thing. Very few would have given a thought to “wait, my team has a chance to make a play here”.[/quote]
Has Bartman ever given an interview? I 100% agree, this guy got a real raw deal.
[quote comment=”348836″]
Has Bartman ever given an interview? I 100% agree, this guy got a real raw deal.[/quote]
Good question. I think he has at least commented for print; I don’t recall seeing him on video. A Cub fan would have a better idea though.
Directly after the incident the guy was practically forced underground. :-(
[quote comment=”348833″]
That’s why we have only two major political parties.
[/quote]
And the idiots from one are interchangable with the idiots from the other IMHO.
[quote comment=”348834″][quote comment=”348831″][quote comment=”348816″]I just finished listening to CAM NEELY on XM204’s the powerplay and he was discribing the process the bruins used for creating the “Winter Classic Jersey” The B’s jersey isn’t a throwback but a fusion of some other elements from when the B won their 5 Stanely Cups and the logo is from the ’49 season — Boston’s 25th anniversary. (more details later)[/quote]
I certainly noticed a few days ago when it first leaked. It annoys me. The black cuffs didn’t exist with the thick bottom stripe and sleeve stripes, the cartoon B was never on that logo and a yellow uniform.
Really, that just annoys me. The Bruins have perhaps a more varied uniform history then nay other team in the NHL- just pick one! The work is done for them!
the flyers piss me off more though. The whole point of the white nameplates on the oranges was they used the white nameplates- from the white uniforms- and put them on the colors for nationally televised road games.
So what do they do? the make the nameplates on the whites black.
It makes me sad- the whole point was that both uniforms were supposed to have the same nameplate!
This winter classic is uni fail. The only modifications we’ve seen so far are sock striping, pant striping, red wing logos on shoulders, and Pittsburgh changing the color of the triangle behind the penguin to vegas instead of old gold. Now we get two teams pulling shit out of their ass.[/quote]
Jeff, while overall I don’t disagree, overall the uni’s aren’t that bad. I would have preferred the Bruins uni to look exactly like this:
link
The point that rings the most with me, is the Flyers nameplate. In the 70’s, when they adopted that style name plate on their orange/red uni – I thought back then, it was a sign of cheapness on the Flyers part, they never had that look on their white jersey.[/quote]
Yeah, “vintage inspired” certainly can’t be discounted as a valid concept. Because it is. Totally valid. Indians’ creams, for example.
—Ricko
re: NOB
How ’bout a Durham Bulls with DAVIS (9, was it?)?
My take on the ONOB thing; if you’re spending big (or small) $$, why put some other bozo’s name on it? Chances are that guy won’t be playing for your team next month, anyway. How would you like to have spent $150 for an Atlanta Falcons jersey with Michael Vick’s name on it, say 3 years ago?It’s your money, put your own name on it if you like. I have a Columbus Blue Jackets home blue sweater with my own long time uni #31 and my name, partly because it was my $$, and partly because the Blue Jackets didn’t have anybody wearing #31 that year, anyway. I have no problem with ONOB. Go for it, if you want to.
This guy is gonna have to change his number to 18…or maybe even 19 after this Sunday’s episode of “As the Lion Whimpers”.
link
[quote comment=”348842″]This guy is gonna have to change his number to 18…or maybe even 19 after this Sunday’s episode of “As the Lion Whimpers”.
link
Well, he can always claim “seasonal integrity”.
[quote comment=”348837″][quote comment=”348836″]
Has Bartman ever given an interview? I 100% agree, this guy got a real raw deal.[/quote]
Good question. I think he has at least commented for print; I don’t recall seeing him on video. A Cub fan would have a better idea though.
Directly after the incident the guy was practically forced underground. :-([/quote]
You know, I always thought the “Bartman moment” – was very much a baseball moment, somewhat in line with Bernard Malamud’s book the Natural. In that in an odd way there seemed to be a light shining on Bartman (aka Glen Close), as he rose very rigid out, above everyone else, out of the stands, to seal the Cubs tragic fate. The fact that Bartman has remained a relatively mystery, adds to this mystic.
I wonder if Bartman, can become one of those words you use to describe a situation, i.e. it defines an unfortunate life changing event. I’ve had a Bartman moment………well maybe not.
Late to the party here, but I have to say I’ve always, and only, had ONOB; I won’t buy a jersey with a player’s name on it. Many people have pointed out that it’s not much good if/when that player goes away. Forget Brett Favre; how many Pierre Turgeon jerseys are collecting mildew in Long Island attics? Authentic jerseys are expensive; unless you’re a collector, or the player turns out to be a Hall of Famer who stays with the team for most of his career, it’s a lot of money to spend for something you may not get much use out of.
I only have 2 problems with ONOB. I admit I do worry sometimes about walking around in public with my last name plastered to my back like a billboard. Anonymity has its virtues (hence the airship-related pseudonym). Then again, it’s really not a tremendous risk.
The other thing is that you can’t get rid of a jersey you don’t want anymore. I have an Islanders jersey from 1997-98 (the ‘wave’ design with the original logo) with my name and number on it, but I stopped rooting for the Islanders in 2002. I’d love to sell it on eBay but cutting the letters off would ruin it. It’s a shame because it’s a nice jersey and I never wear it anymore. (Then again, now that I think of it, I could always cut the logo off the front….)
Personally, I’ve never taken any flak for having my ONOB, except for the Jets jersey but only because my number is 12 and that’s retired for Joe Namath who was the only Jet ever to wear it (not counting the Titans’ Al Dorow). But I have a peculiar attachment to that number, which I wore in high school, and I won’t wear any other number.
Watching the Boise State football game tonight, and the Broncos need to abolish that silly butt stripe on the pants. Instead, they should have a large blue and orange stripe, like the striping pattern when the Washington Redskins wear white pants with red jerseys.
Speaking of custom jerseys, one thing I always thought would be cool (without ever really knowing why) would be to take your favorite player in the league who is NOT on your favorite team, and get a jersey of that team with that player on it. I don’t know, like “5 PUJOLS” on a Mets jersey, or “21 TOMLINSON” on a Jets jersey. However, I tried this once on the Mets online shop (not with any intention to buy, but the site shows what the jersey would look like), and it turns out the MLBPA has rules that don’t allow that. You can’t order any MLB player’s name & number combination on a customized jersey.
Let’s say you’re some poor schmuck from Long Island named Ricky Rodriguez, and you want to buy your brother Joey a Mets jersey with his softball number, 13, on it. You can’t. Not from the Mets’ online store, anyway (although Cosby’s will probably do it…)
Do other sports’ merchandisers have this kind of restriction?
jay…
you do know i’ve been in the market for a fisherman for some time…
you would have to take a fabric ripper to the NOB tho…
re: Bruins’ WC decisions.
If someone doesn’t CLAIM to be doing a throwback, can’t very well berate them for fucking up a throwback.
Can say you think they should have done it differently, but can’t pick apart inaccurcies.
Might as well say everyone who ever covered “Yesterday” really blew it because they didn’t sound just like Paul McCartney.
Now, if they claim to be “Beatles Tribute Band” and sound more like Sonny & Cher, then you got a bitch coming.
—Ricko
[quote comment=”348848″]jay…
you do know i’ve been in the market for a fisherman for some time…
you would have to take a fabric ripper to the NOB tho…[/quote]
It has the old (round) logo, not the fisherman.
[quote comment=”348848″]jay…
you do know i’ve been in the market for a fisherman for some time…
you would have to take a fabric ripper to the NOB tho…[/quote]
It is a nice jersey, though. The numerals are not precisely the same cut as the authentic ones, which is actually a good thing because the “2” is not grotesquely larger than the “1”, as it was on Mick Vukota’s jersey at the time, so the number on the back doesn’t look like something out of a Tim Burton film. It’s also the road (blue) jersey, which is much better looking than the home (white) was.
Not a throwback game, but my two favorite CFL teams still look pretty good tonight:
link
Never noticed this before…check out the Ti-Cat defender. The helmet logo is facing left, while the sleeve logo is facing right.
[quote comment=”348850″][quote comment=”348848″]jay…
you do know i’ve been in the market for a fisherman for some time…
you would have to take a fabric ripper to the NOB tho…[/quote]
It has the old (round) logo, not the fisherman.[/quote]
ach…no
my quest for a white fisherman continues…like teebz has … or link
and yes…if i got that…it would be ONOB
Names on jerseys.. an informal pole.
When I got home from work I went through my jersey closet and counted. I have 86 jersey from the 4 major sports (71 hockey, 6 football, 5 baseball, 2 basketball and 1 rugby & 1 soccer). 22 have names and numbers (4 ONOB) and 1 just numbers
[quote comment=”348853″][quote comment=”348850″][quote comment=”348848″]jay…
you do know i’ve been in the market for a fisherman for some time…
you would have to take a fabric ripper to the NOB tho…[/quote]
It has the old (round) logo, not the fisherman.[/quote]
ach…no
my quest for a white fisherman continues…like teebz has … or link
and yes…if i got that…it would be ONOB[/quote]
Kinda UFL-ish, no? ;)
I kid…I kid…
Then again…
“Russian tycoon eyes deal to build Nets’ new arena,” according to the Sporting News.
Does that mean we’ll be calling them the Brooklyn Nyets?
[quote comment=”348856″]”Russian tycoon eyes deal to build Nets’ new arena,” according to the Sporting News.
Does that mean we’ll be calling them the Brooklyn Nyets?[/quote]
Not nyet, anyway.
[quote comment=”348841″]My take on the ONOB thing; if you’re spending big (or small) $$, why put some other bozo’s name on it? Chances are that guy won’t be playing for your team next month, anyway. How would you like to have spent $150 for an Atlanta Falcons jersey with Michael Vick’s name on it, say 3 years ago?It’s your money, put your own name on it if you like. I have a Columbus Blue Jackets home blue sweater with my own long time uni #31 and my name, partly because it was my $$, and partly because the Blue Jackets didn’t have anybody wearing #31 that year, anyway. I have no problem with ONOB. Go for it, if you want to.[/quote]
I own exactly THREE Jerseys – a Yankee replica with link number on it. A M&N replica with link number on it (and the 1951 AL 50th anniverary patch), and a M&N Seattle Pilots jersey with, of course, link. I feel I am pretty secure in knowing no one will ever mistake these for being somebody elses jerseys, as the first two guys are pretty much the only guys of note for the franchise wearing the number, and the third is the ONLY guy to wear that number for the Pilots.
I am also comtemplating buying a Raiders jersey with link…he pretty defined that number for football, let alone his team – except maybe for link
Slow Night Marginally Relevant Trivia Question:
The first episode of what long-running TV show includes the line…
“You don’t even EXIST! You were named after a typewriter and a football team!!!”
?
—Ricko
Why do the Wings do this:
“Good to see the Red Wings are doing their usual straight block-letter NOBs for preseason games. They do this every year; the vertically arched NOBs will return when the regular season starts.”
Is this because the team wants to compare the player’s performance in pre-season games with their performance in in-season games when looking at videos later on?
[quote comment=”348860″]Why do the Wings do this:
“Good to see the Red Wings are doing their usual straight block-letter NOBs for preseason games. They do this every year; the vertically arched NOBs will return when the regular season starts.”
Is this because the team wants to compare the player’s performance in pre-season games with their performance in in-season games when looking at videos later on?[/quote]
Vertically arched a bit more expensive cuz letters differ with each specific name. That’s probably how it started, and now is a mini-tradition of sorts.
—Ricko
I’m fine with ONOB because I’d rather do that than get a player who isn’t likely to stay on my teams very long.
But I could get away with link and wear it without problems. And that name probably works on any hockey jersey too.
The first episode of what long-running TV show includes the line…
“You don’t even EXIST! You were named after a typewriter and a football team!!!”
Someone needs to say “Remington Steele”.
[quote comment=”348863″]The first episode of what long-running TV show includes the line…
“You don’t even EXIST! You were named after a typewriter and a football team!!!”
Someone needs to say “Remington Steele”.[/quote]
Attaboy.
Matt, Never be embarrassed by your ONOB. To paraphrase my wife: “How does having my name on the back of MY jersey affect the quality of your life?”
As for the Foyt shirt comment, that is a very typical shirt for pit members in nearly all forms of motorsports back in the day. Teams would often have to find a shirt type to make themselves stand out against the gaggle of people on pit road. I actually look at that as a very very classic look