By Phil Hecken
(Hoping to get a UW College Bowl Pool set up, possibly by tomorrow. Stay tuned for more information.)
We have three Bowls kicking off today. I had hoped to have a bit on those for all of you, but unfortunately, my office schedule and the final part of my final project for class will preclude any uniform previews of today’s games. There will be a brief bit on those at the end of this article.
But for now, it’s time to turn the opening part of this post over to our sage sexagenarian, Rick Pearson, who as you know has been chronicling the NCAA football season as it *existed* 50 Years Ago, when only one game was televised nationally — as documented through his “Kid Cards.” They are truly more than just some doodles in a notebook — in many cases (especially when Rick documented the AFL with his kid cards), his sketches were more accurate than teams who were purportedly throwing back to their “original uniforms.” In other cases, especially with no color photos available, Ricko listened to the announcers describe the games (or read magazines depicting uniform colors), so that today we can know precisely what uniforms and colors teams wore all those years ago.
It was more than just a labor of love — it’s become an important part of the historical record.
50 years ago this week, there were a couple of bowl games too. Here’s Rick to take us through them, the uniforms worn by all the teams, and his tracking of the players he depicted on the cards themselves. Enjoy!
50 Years Ago This Week — Bowl Edition
By Rick Pearson
Dec. 16, 1961 … The LIBERTY BOWL (Miami vs. Syracuse on NBC)
The Bowl Season of 1961 continued will a pair of games–both in only their third year of existence–that offered fun for the uni-watcher. … First, the Liberty Bowl (so-named because it began in Philadelphia). … WHY were they fun? For one, Syracuse in navy jerseys, almost never seen because the Orangemen opted for white jerseys at home during those years. … Also, today they wore striped white stirrups, and many of them sported ORANGE crew socks, including Ernie Davis. … I know they were orange because the play-by-play guys told us they were. … Plus, there was their customary odd positioning of the helmet TV numbers anterior to the earhole. … On the other side, the Hurricanes wore their rather unusual jerseys with the colored sleeve insert and TV number opposite the color of the other numerals. Finally, long white socks (underwear?) under the regular Northwestern-striped crews. … Walt Sweeney became a standout offensive lineman for the Chargers. … Larry Wilson didn’t play pro football.
Dec. 16, 1961 … The BLUEBONNET BOWL (Kansas vs. Rice on CBS)
Lots more uni-watching delights in this game from Houston (later renamed the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl when it moved into the newly constructed “Eighth Wonder of the World”). … Hardly any teams wore powder blue pants, but the Jayhawks did. … Wore them at home on occasion, too, for a mono-powder look (numbers on the powder jerseys were white with red border). … And who’d they play but Rice, one of the few mono dark teams, in their all navy unis with the big, rounded numbers like Cal and Washington. … Man, you have no IDEA how much I wished these games had been telecast in color (or, even more, how much I wished my parents had a color TV). … The next year Curtis McClinton would be a Dallas Texan and subsequently, of course, a Kansas City Chief, where he was the big back who complemented superstar Abner Haynes. … Gene Raesz played one season for Edmonton in the CFL.
SPECIAL BONUS…1961 GOTHAM BOWL revisited
I mentioned last week I couldn’t find any photos of the inaugural Gotham Bowl online. LarryB and others searched, too, and found nothing. Well, as I was looking through The Ricko Files to retrieve the photo of Curtis McClinton at Kansas shown above, look what I stumbled upon (totally forgot I had saved three pages of this story from SPORT Magazine)… Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3.
Thanks Rick. Always a pleasure not only to see your dedication to Uni Watching from all those years ago, but to get a history lesson in the process. Great job!
Uni Tweaks Concepts
We have another new set of tweaks, er…concepts today. After discussion with a number of readers, it’s probably more apropos to call most of the reader submissions “concepts” rather than tweaks. So that’s that.
So if you’ve concept for any sport, or just a tweak or wholesale revision, send them my way.
Please do try to keep your descriptions to ~50 words (give or take) per image — if you have three uniform concepts in one image, then obviously, you can go a little over, but no novels, OK? OK!. You guys have usually been good with keeping the descriptions pretty short, and I thank you for that.
And so, lets begin:
We start with Heather Scott, who would like to get the black out of the Marlins new unis:
Phil-
As fans, we are all sick of BFBS and, as a player, who wants to be stuck wearing black in the dead of summer?
Here is a [crude] sample of dumping the black, but keeping the concept with a deep charcoal which actually makes the new Marlins logo pop.
Thanks!
Heather L. Scott
Next up is Robert Onofli, who sent this in before last month’s Cowboys and Indians game…yes, there’s a backlog of tweaks/concepts:
Phil:
I decided to go with a Boys/Skins tweak since the game is this Sunday!
Dallas Cowboys ”“ Matched all silvers on helmets/pants. Switched to darker navy blue on all looks, and kept the throwback look. Added the number serif that was so prominent throughout the 60’s & 70’s to all jerseys. The biggest change is to the Cowboys dark look. Matched the shoulder stripes to mirror the look of the white jerseys and kept it simple with just plain white numbers (No gap outline or silly star like their current blues)
Washington Redskins – I went with a ”˜fauxback’ look for the Skins. Used a darker burgundy to match the helmet on jerseys/pants/socks. Kept the same helmet as currently used but added their 1970-71 helmet to be used as an alternate. Changed the pant stripe to a single stripe with outline on all pants. Eliminated the gold outline on all jersey numbers, while keeping the redskins wordmark on the front. Finally, added the 1970ish arm stripe on both home and away jerseys.
Recommendation for Uni’s on Sundays game with predicted score…Enjoy
Robert
Oh, so close on that 22-0 score. Actually, no it wasn’t, although you did pick the winner.
And we close down today with Micah Fries, who takes the Nike Amateur Pacifist concept to Mizzou:
Phil-
Although I’m a diehard Gator fan I live in the heart of Mizzou country. I absolutely love Mizzou’s helmets. They’re a beautiful, classic lid. Unfortunately they’re paired with ridiculous contemporary uniforms that aren’t quite Oregon, but they’re not close to classic either. It seems to me that if those beautiful helmets could be paired with a more traditional uniform the Tigers might have a things of beauty. So, take a look at these three attached. Even though I was going for a classic look, I built them using a Nike Pro Combat template, trying to be a realist and knowing that Nike would probably design any new uniforms using that same template.
So, here are Home, Away and Alternate options.
Micah Fries
Thanks everyone. Back with more tomrorrow.
Benchies
by Rick Pearson
Never forget, presentation is important…
And, as always, the full-size.
Today’s Bowls:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Temple Owls (-7) vs. Wyoming Cowboys; 2:00 pm ET, ESPN; University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State Aggies (-1.5) vs. Ohio Bobcats; 5:30 pm ET, ESPN; Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: San Diego State Aztecs (-4) vs. Louisiana”“Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns; 9:00 pm ET, ESPN; Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
That’s all for today. Sorry it’s a (relatively) short post, but Rick did an outstanding job, as always. Tomorrow will be much better, and will feature not just the usual stuff, but a “Special” 5 & 1, and some really great colorizations. Be sure to check back, as hopefully we’ll have the UW Bowl Pool set up then as well. Enjoy the three corporate bowls today. The second game is on the beautiful smurf turf!
“With the Champions League draw today, we’re going to have another instance of clashing shirt sponsors for Arsenal v AC Milan. Things like this get me giddy like a schoolgirl.” — ‘elDirty’
And now, your Moment of Zen.
The moment I saw those old Miami uniforms the first person I thought of was quarterback George “The Matador” Mira, number 10, who is pictured making a handoff. Mira was the prototype for the nimble, scrambling quarterback…which gave opposing teams fits.
Yup, Mira in college and Fran Tarkenton in the NFL both did sort of make 1961 the year that introduced all this running around back there. The tactic drove Norm Van Brocklin, Tarkenton’s coach in Minnesota, more than a little batty, btw. Van Brocklin had been a brilliant thrower, but only slightly more mobile than a fire hydrant. He thought QB’s ought to stay in the pocket and just fling it. Tarkenton, being a common sense little fellow and playing behind an expansion team’s line of castoffs and wannabees, saw those big ol’ onrushing defenders and reasoned, “No, thanks, I’m gettin’ out here.”
And, of course, this activity also eventually added a new word the game’s lexicon: Scramble.
I wore number 10 as a kid because of George Mira. Then I wore it throughout high school and for a year in college. I just loved to watch that guy play.
BTW, if memory serves me correctly, Mira reportedly had some uniform fetishes that were demanding on equipment managers. He liked his uniform to fit just right and didn’t like tight jerseys.
Just in case anyone’s asking, “George Who?”…
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And for those who enjoy old ballparks, stadia…
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My favorite thing about the Kid Cards? The scare quotes around the nicknames. A veritable cornucopia of awesomeness, but that detail is the, um, cherry on top of this now badly broken metaphor.
That was a “style” sometimes used on game program covers, tickets and the like back then, so I sorta borrowed it. Looking back on it…
Anyway, I should point out something. I fudged the Athletic Gold on Miami a bit, took it a bit toward orange. Why? Because I’d never seen a color photo of Miami’s unis. Officially they listed orange, but the unis clearly weren’t the same level on the gray scale as say, Syracuse. So I wondered if maybe they weren’t something like Tennessee’s orange.
With George Mira’s notoriety, though, came magazine covers the following preseason and I learned they did wear Cheddar, despite their official colors…
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Little typo- They are “a” truly more than just some doodles in a notebook
thanks…now fixed
Rice’s mono-blue uniforms from the ’61 Bluebonnet Bowl remind me very much of Nike Pro Combat uniforms. If Rice’s stripe pants started below the hips these unis could pass for modern Pro Combats. Look at them carefully…
The Rice Kansas game must have looked great in person.
Just a slight comment on Heather’s Marlins concept:
Kudos for getting away from BFBS, but basically charcoal is just moving down the gradient path of black, and reminds me of my faded black Led Zeppelin shirts: still has the essence of black.
Agreed, though Heather is spot on about black being just the wrong color for a team in Miami to wear for comfort reasons. Did nobody in the Marlins front office ever have to wear black or dark brown jerseys playing youth ball? In the summer sun, color matters.
It doesn’t matter that much. Standing in the sun in 90 degree weather pretty much sucks regardless of what color you’re wearing. I say that having played little league ball in white/gray and having attended a summer outdoor Iron Maiden concert wearing black. If wearing black was really a problem, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as prominent. Let’s also not forget that in baseball you’re in the shade of the dugout for half the game.
Summer in the South is more like 100 degree weather…and extremely humid. A black uniform is really a poor choice regardless whether a player spends half the game in the dugout.
Color does matter. Go stand outside in the Sun on a clam day when it’s 32 degrees with a black or white shirt on, and after a few minutes you will definitely feel warmer with the black shirt. Light & different colors reflect & absorb the Sun’s UV rays differently.
Also I wouldn’t put any stock on logistics from ballplayers, who tend to know nothing about tasteful baseball style especially when it comes to shoes, pants or jersey fit, proper hosiery, can be uni superstitious using dark color tops as a psychological toughness advantage, or somehow using the flawed logic that a black CoolBase jersey is lighter than a standard white home jersey in the Sun. Teams sporting black tops in 85+ degree sunny August days, I just shake my head. There is just no point or logic behind it. Another thing I don’t get is why players love long & baggy pants, and those who do hike up, they have all that excess material folded over around the knees, which looks like it has to be sweaty and uncomfortable. You’d think it’d be better to go with the shortest pants possible with as much sock & stirrup showing for temperature, weight and less wind resistance.
Like I said… if the difference is so great, why do teams keep doing it? Yes, there’s a difference between wearing white and wearing black, but it isn’t *that* much or teams wouldn’t freakin do it, would they?
THE JEFF: “… if the difference is so great, why do teams keep doing it?”
Ummmmm…because fans like to buy dark color replica jerseys because they look good with jeans?
Again Jeff, don’t put any stock into team or player logistics. You *DO* know teams colors & dark tops are largely motivated by marketing & merchandise sales, right? Just because Team X trots out in their black alternate jersey numerous times a season doesn’t make it smart or right. Would you honestly take any uniform advice from that slob Prince Fielder, or these clowns who wear their pants past their heels or a superstitious starting pitcher? About 97% of MLBers don’t even know how to look like a MLBer.
You can’t possibly believe that teams are the all-knowing standard & know better than the rest of us, right? It’s kind of the whole point of this blog.
Whether or not they look like sloppy clowns isn’t the point. I agree that visible stirrups look far better than the baggy pajama pants, but apparently the pajamas are more comfortable. After all, the players have the choice, and it’s what they typically pick.
If the black jerseys were too damn hot, then players would bitch about it, and we wouldn’t have a continuing BFBS trend. (Is it still a trend when it’s lasted over 25 years?) You can still sell black shirts to the fans without wearing black on the field. Just look at the Yankees – one of few teams with no alternate uniforms, yet you can buy a Yankees hat in any color combination you can think of.
About the only player I’ve ever heard complain about a black jersey was Tom Glavine when he pitched on the Mets, and that was more based on a preference for royal blue.
I’m not going to sit back & wait for players to complain about black jerseys to know they don’t work in hot weather, because MLBers surely don’t know how to wear the uniform properly. This including wearing the cap straight, buttoning, jersey & pants fit, hosiery, jewelery. The lack of a universal dress code in MLB is absolutely appalling, and I blame the long schedule and lax & indifferent attitudes by management. For all the bitching people do about the NFL dress code, it does serve a purpose, and I wish MLB’s was as good as that or even more strict. MLB has already gone under a massive technology reform with their uniforms and caps; and socks & stirrups can’t/shouldn’t be far behind.
Players may prefer the pajama look, but it sure does look like total shit.
Yes, but what about potential bee stings?
The blue stripe on the WizardBullets’ unis are officially on my Annoyance List. It makes it almost impossible to read the numbers which is bad in basketball. They probably should follow the soccer trend of cutting the line to leave space for numbers.
The stripe can stay if they tweak the numbers just a bit. Keep the font, but make it thicker and have the outline in white instead of gray.
Saw some of link last night (and anyone with DirecTV can watch free NBA through Jan.8th), and yeah, from the normal half-court view, you couldn’t read the numbers at all.
Say what you want about those beautiful link but they do their job. No matter where you sit in the arena, you can tell who the players are.
That blue stripe serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Numbers need thicker white trim as well. My first overall impression of those new Wizards unis is they look very dated. Not bad or overly ugly, but they do seem *right* for them.
The stripe’s only purpose is nostalgia…and I’m cool with that. Yeah, you’re right about the trim. The old Bullets unis got that part right:
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I think the new road unis won’t have the same problem as the homes:
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Just from that pic, the road numbers seem to pop more.
Hmm…this is dissapointing:
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I thought it would better on the court. But it looks incomplete, patchwork, unrealized and timid. There’s this whole minimalist thing going on along with some disjointed nod to the past and the requisite borders and piping and “colorful” fonts of the day. It reminds me of the strange, awkward brew we see in Golden State’s uniform. Or the Washington Capitals. There is no strong choices, just a bunch of ideas thrown together trying to please everyone and no one.
Take a stand. Be bold. Take the reins….
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Another team that needs thicker numbers: link Again, good font, but it’s too skinny. The Bulls numbers are so much easier to read.
I really like Robert Onofli’s Cowboys-Redskins tweaks. The serifed numbers for the Cowboys are a great touch.
Just wish he would have added sock stripes for the Cowboys.
Facemask devotees, note the guy in the upper left…
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Is that the Hannibal Lecter model?
Nice find Ricko! Kind of looks like this one:link albeit it, with a higher hook up. From this distance, reminds me of the mask Peyton Hillis wears, minus the mid bars. Which are basically sold as the Schutt flex mask, of which mostly prevalent as a youth model.
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Question. When the Titans became Jets, was their adoption of the distinctive upper-sleeve design a result of the UMiami look, albeit in different colors? I too remember Goeorge Mira (a “Conch” from the Keys, and super-cool) and loved those distinctive sleeves… Rick?
I always surmised the unis for the Jets were a kelly and white version of the Colts (they’d hired Weeb Ewbank as their coach, after all)…with the shoulder treatment altered to keep them from being a total knockoff. First Jets’ helmet had only a single stripe like the Colts, too.
Didn’t Sonny Werbelin have some connection to Miami? If not the school itself, then the the city or area?
Somewhere in my memory banks there’s a recollection of a Miami influence that got stirred in with the new ownership and image.
Should be “Werblin”.
Sorry.
In Mark Kriegel’s awesome biography of Joe Namath, titled “Namath”, the story is that owner Sonny Werblin, who purchased the AFL NY Titans in bankruptcy for $1 million, put the newly-named NY Jets in Kelly Green and White because Green was his favorite color, and Weblin was born on St. Patrick’s Day.
Interestingly, Werblin – highly instrumental in putting together both the concept and the actual NBC contract that made the AFL, was not really on track to own any team, but was putting on a party for AFL Commissioner Joe Foss in NY when a drunk NY Titans’ owner Harry Wismer continuously hounded and insulted Werblin with anti-Semetic slurs and harrassments at the party. Werblin, considering his best revenge and knowing the financial problems of Wismer and his Titans, resolved to not punch Wismer out right then and there, but to wrest the Titans from Wismer, which he did ….
Ah, if only Utah State and Miami looked like that now. Instead they have the same freaky template with the eyebrows over the numbers (who coined that term, ’cause I’d like to give them credit) and the pants stripe that looks like a limp appendage.
Even if Miami went back to the Jimmy Johnson-era unis, they’d be a Top 5 regular. But no.
OK, that Utah State uni is a little too Penn State-ish. Slap the current logo on the helmet, at least.
Rice looked fantastic. I’d love to see a hoops team use that font.
Forgot to add:
Great work, Ricko!
Jim, what do you think of the Kansas vs Rice unis
I’d wear those.
Especially Rice.
Nice job on those Mizzou Pro Combats Micah. One of the best mods I’ve seen using that template.
perhaps my favorite thing (and i KNOW i’m in the minority on this one) about the 50-years-ago lookbacks is the astonishing number of teams who simply had TV numbers on their helmets
damn i love those — wish more teams would do that today…totally unnecessary to waste precious jersey space (with the ever shrinking sleeve) forcing tv numbers on there (for the pros, i know some college teams still don’t have tv’s)…
great look…serves jim vilk’s purpose, and doesn’t muck up the uniform
Hear, hear!
I’ve always loved TV numbers on the helmets. Wish the Chargers and Browns would go back to doing that.
Yes to the Chargers, no for the Browns.The Browns clean look would suffer too much
Personally, I believe that the Chargers current uni would be 1000% improved if they went back to Gray facemasks (neutral and good for all three jerseys), Removed the Baby Blue from the numeral and Thunderbolt trim, and went back to Athletic Gold pants when wearing the White (and also Baby Blue) jerseys.Less would be much, much more in that instance ….
The Jeff is rolling over in his grave.
I’m not there yet…
He does have a point about the Chargers navy mask looking pretty dumb when they wear the powder blue alt. The correct solution is a white mask, of course.
I have seen more high school teams in the NE Ohio and western Pa area wear numbers on helmets. Not a lot but a handful. Several do the number on one side and logo on other. Not sure I like that though.
+1
I should note this, too, about the Kid Cards.
In 1961 Kansas still was, technically, named the “Jayhawkers”, not just Jayhawks. That’s how they were listed in the annuals, and that’s the source I used for the info on my cards.
To wit (from an Internet search)…
“When the University of Kansas fielded their first football team in 1890, the team was called the Jayhawkers. Over time, the name was gradually supplanted by its shorter variant, and KU’s sports teams are now almost exclusively known as the Jayhawks.”
To the locals their institution is currently known as the terrible horrible no good very bad pretentious ostentatious university an hour and fifteen minutes east of Manhattan Kansas.
I’ll join you in that minority.
Oops. Meant for Phil re: helmet nos.
Rick, I have to say thank you for all the drawings you have done for those 1961 College Football matchups. It is nice to know what they actually wore, plus the stories of what it was like when there was one football game a week on television. I do have a question though. What did you use to color all of those kid cards? The reason why I’m asking is that the colors of those drawings really pop out considering that they were done 50 years ago. I’m guessing that you used a high quality colored pencils and some felt tipped pens or markers. Am I right?
Yup, Prismacolor colored pencils. Top of the line. The big set. Dad was a commercial artist so I’d borrow from his…until he figured was maybe better to just buy me my own set one Christmas when I was 11 or 12 (still ranks as one my best presents ever, btw). Then finished off with a bit of India ink and Rich Art white paint. No markers, though, they were still down the road a bit, at least anything with a fine point.
Once again I say how much I love the kid cards. In the days of b&w tv to have done what Ricko did and to save them and share with us 50 years later is awesome.
Re elDirty’s comment at the bottom about Arsenal and AC Milan having the same sponsor – when they meet one of them will have to have something different on the front of their shirts as UEFA rules prevent two teams playing each other with the same sponsor.
In 2006, Arsenal played Hamburg, who are also sponsored by Fly Emirates, and in those games the away team had the word ‘Dubai’ on their kit
South Carolina basketball is wearing grey uniforms right now against Ohio State on ESPN
First outdoor hockey games today as we break into the preseason. I know this will kill Paul and possibly Connie, but the team has decided on the Cleveland Crusaders logo with the purple LA Kings uniform.
Our team name? The Knights. My question? Should we use the Knights of the Round Table names on the back? Too kitschy?
I’ll be back after the games to see results. Thanks, kids!
Only if you’ll be Sir Cumcision.
Too tacky? Yeah, like wearing #69.
Sir Reberal, maybe?
Paul might cut you some slack on the purple if you call yourself Sir Loin of Beef…
Whoops, that was meant for you, Teebz.
Yeah, cuz Sir Loin Tips would be really stupid. :)
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Re “Moment of Zen”: actually, very un-Zenlike; simply another profane, gratuitous exemplar of our every-coarsening culture. Really detracts from an otherwise fine Saturday edition of Uni Watch.
+1
Another +1
-3
Watching a little Knicks-Nets preseason action, I thought the Knicks were ditching the black from their unis this year? I guess just on their logo.
Darn, I didn’t mean to put that there.
I wonder, if Tebow had graduated with a degree in theology and were an ordained minister (ala Reggie White) would people be so free about sniping at him?
Honestly, I think not.
It’s okay to be strong in your faith if you’re, y’know, “licensed”? But if you’re just a member of the congregation, not so much?
i didn’t make the graphic, and it was actually paul who posted it in yesterday’s comments, for one
for two, i don’t have a problem with anyone having any faith, but i have always felt that tebow, among MANY others, was a look-at-me player…two guys who really pissed me off in college were reggie bush (not white) and tebow, both of whom couldn’t be simply satisfied with just wearing eyeblack (pads), they had to put messages on them as well
it got so bad they actually had to put in a tebow rule (although he was certainly not the only one doing it) that no one could write on their pads…good
i don’t like flash mobs, planking or now “tebowing” either
but it has nothing to do with him or his faith — it has to do with antics
just play the game…there are 11 men on a side, not just one
(and as i explained to you in an email, rick, i didn’t like reggie “the minister of defense” white either, but that was probably more to due with the fact that he was an eagle for the first half of his career…i liked him better when he got out of the nfc east and played with the pack)
Wasn’t exactly my point.
My point was that with “credentials” he’d get a tad more respect.
As to the eyeblack, etc., yeah, he doesn’t know when to back off, doesn’t know what’s too much. Then again, he’s a kid. Let’s see if learns to moderate things a little (there also are a heckuva lot of young players who haven’t figured out maybe they have enough tattoos, already).
Cam Newton very quickly learned about being the face of a franchise. If the Bronocs lose tomorrow, much of this will go away because the “magic spell” will have been broken. Should they somehow win, someone Tebow trusts needs to take him aside and say, “Back off on some things. Stick to football in your comments, and let the rest take care of itself.”
Y’know, render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…and all that.
case in point
oh, and then there is that whole “You have to respect the position of authority and people that God’s put as authority over you, so that’s part of it” sentence
couldn’t just say “people in the position of authority”…could he
coulda just said “good for them” and left it at that…
but no
As I said. He’s at the point where someone needs to say,
“I know about witnessing, and I know about the Great Commission, but you’ve done more than many others and the point’s been made…now every time you speak, consider the forum and stick to the subject.”
Frankly, I’m just with Paul H. It’s profane and not zen.
There are the Chicago Blackhawks home (red) and road (white) uniforms. And then there are everyone else’s uniforms. Let’s celebrate the best jersey in professional sports everyone.
This upcoming Wednesday, December 21st, two of the most beautiful sweaters in sports will face off as the Montreal Canadiens face off against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Must See UniTV on Versus.
What the heck is Versus?
NBC Sports on cable, basically.
Yup, and they’re going to change their name to NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2nd – link
Blackhawks homes >> white. Blackhawks roads >> red.
How ’bout them Gorillas!
Not wild about that serious sports bra thing they go goin’ on their jerseys, though.
It’s reeeeeaaaaaalllllllyyyy bothering me that Pitt’s helmets have the word “Pitt” in only white. Why couldn’t they do it in yellow outlined in white, like their jersey numbers or the stripes on the helmet?
The helmet is the least of Pitt State’s worries.
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that’s jim vilk’s FAVORITE swooshie template!
scary thing about them is they actually have a better pitt script than the *other* pitt does
course, they spell it differently and they’re not located in penna…
Pitt State has a great logo too, they should have found room on the uniform or helmet for the snarling gorilla.
The then-newly formed US Board on Geographic Names did try to get rid of the H in Pittsburgh, PA, but it ultimately didn’t take.
Arrrrgh…two years ago the Gorillas were looking great – almost Chief-like in their ketchup-and-mustardy brilliance. Then they went to that template…
Sorry for my shitty phone on TV pic, but the back of Scott Hartnall’s sweater just got ripped wide open during a fight with Johnny Boychuck:
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The Cowboys-Redskins tweak is excellent! The Cowboys uniforms should be that way, especially the silver pants matching the silver helmets, the navy blue numbers, and navy blue socks. The Redskins uniform going back to the 1970’s is also a good idea, although the team did not use burgundy nor white pants during that era. I like the idea of using adding burgundy pants along with the alternate stripped socks to wear with the white jersey.
Ricko, what was it that led you to even doing the kid cards? I just read part of your history of doing it with the AFL in 1960. And why 1960-61? Did you do any more after that?
I was doing the NFL and AFL. Realized doing all colleges would be impossible, so just figured I’d do what was on TV…since everything else would be guesswork, or relying on whatever limited exposure other games got in the local newspaper.
And, once started, didn’t make much not to finish the season.
Did them for the ’62 season, too. By ’63, though, was senior in high school and life just got busier. Had a girlfriend, for example. ;)
Ok thanks for some more background.
Temple are going BLOB – bowl logo on back.
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I like it.
Ricko, thanks for going back and digging through your files for the 1961 Gotham Bowl. That was fun to see.
I’ll join in the appreciation of the kid-card files. It’s great fun to see color representations of an era generally seen only in black and white by those of us who weren’t there.
Thanks. Based on all the futile searching several of us had done, those may well now be among the only photos of that ’61 Gotham Bowl game on the Internet.
How ’bout that. As of today, when you google image search “gotham bowl 1961” the first two hits are today’s Uni-Watch. After that, it’s the usual photos from the ’62 game.
btw, this is annual from which I got team colors and nicknames. The back section always was every team’s schedule and “particulars”.
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Wish I still had a few of them.
That’s freaky. Congratulations
In the early 60’s they had small pamphlets with college football info. I think my dad got them from beer gardens. Smooth as silk Kesler. They had conference breakdowns records and school colors.
I still have some but not sure where.
beer grew in gardens once?
man…things sure were better in the good old days
Phil, I was wondering who would be the first to say that. Congrats, it was you.
I had that same thought: That the Internet version of the historical record consists of your scanned pages.
Watching a little Knicks-Nets preseason action, I thought the Knicks were ditching the black from their road unis this year? I guess just on their logo.
Nice attempt with the Dallas unis (love the serif numbers being resurrected), but the helmets aren’t nearly that blue anymore, which means the pants are also inauthentic. Also, the socks need stripes.
Finally, we get an answer about Brad Marchand’s white spoke: It was torn off during the Ottawa game.
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Pierre or any LSU fans or others.
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Were the numbers black or purple?
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Pierre and I discussed this here recently. Might depend on the year, whether they were black or purple. It seems they may have changed to purple when the TV numbers moved to the sleeves (by the time of Tommy Casanova, for example).
I believe that would make them black for Cannon’s entire time at LSU.
Not saying that positively, understand.
Yep I remember the discussion
Hmmmm, if this photo truly is December, 1959…
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…they look black. And the TVs don’t show. They shouldn’t. For 1959, they’d moved to the sleeves (as in this famous photo)…
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By 1960, Cannon was with Houston Oilers.
From 1961 2 color shots of LSU/Colorado Orange Bowl game. Hard to say for sure about LSU numbers.
Kid card from this game????
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Yup. Made ’em black. Had no reason to think otherwise.
Always liked that Colorado uni.
Interesting helmet graphic…
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Awesome jersey. Will find the time (and money) to get one in the future. I have a question, though: if the sleeves were blank back in that era for LSU, then why did they put the T.V. numbers on the shoulders? I would understand if the sleeves had stripes or a team patch or whatever, but this seems odd to me (looking at you too, link). Still awesome, nonetheless.
The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Rolls off the tongue like a spoonful of chalk dust
Similarly, I was thinking that, to get into the proper mood, about 4:15 EST today I would begin chanting…
“Potato Bowl. Potato Bowl.”
Just, y’know, for the sheer magic of it
Make that 5:15 EST. 4:15 would be just too early.
Might lose the high by game time.
And in Boise, too. Nothing makes me think of potatoes like a large field of blue.
Yup, the two bowl games left today are on blue turf or indoors.
Think I’ll watch Cowboys and Bucs outdoors on green.
I will freely admit this – I have a soft spot for North Dakota State’s Gold Jerseys.
They look yellow to me ;-) On a related note, they have the team name (Bison) vertically on the back of the helmet stripe. Sort of like what the Dallas Cowboys do with player names. Interesting, never seen this before.
Kind of surprised to not see this mentioned, but Under Armour has it’s first B1G school: Northwestern. All 19 varsity sports are going to be outfitted (excellent) and supplied cleats (not so good) by the Maryland based company.
I have it on very very good authority that Northwestern aren’t going to get “Marylanded”
I reckon the basketball teams are going be charged some hefty fees by other teams as they tear up the court during each game.
Off topic, but I’m sure Paul will celebrate with me the fact that Wayne Hagin will NOT be returning to the Mets’ radio booth in 2012.
Now it’s just a question as to where he’s taking his “skills”….
“I’ll be taking my talents to Love Canal…”
Texas is wearing grey for ther basketball game against Temple today. Another team goes grey
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Memphis Basketball Jerseys on CBS. Awfully Nice!
Saw those on my way out the door.
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Wished I had more time to watch that game.
The baggy tops ruin an otherwise epic throwback. Just my opinion.
THE definitive summation of the whole Tim Tebow thing.
Especially–but not exclusively–for Bears fans (thanks to JTH)…
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I was ROFLing the whole time, but it also made me step back and say “Ya know, there’s a difference between letting people know that you’re Christians (August Burns Red and — of course — Tim Tebow come to mind) and that your religion is important to you, and shoving your religion down people’s throats (looking at you, Jonas Brothers).”
But still hilarious, nonetheless XD
Also makes a couple other points…
a) If we let it get it to us we run the risk of looking like him, and…
b) bottom line, in the end, is that he’s pissed it isn’t HIS team that’s the one getting the benefit of it all, and maybe that tends to alter perspective. If it were HIS team’s QB would it bug him so much?
Special bowl unis for link
link against SD State.
Coolest bowl trophy ever?
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don’t know about the “coolest” but the score was mightee-fine
SD State helmets were one of the first “new” sharp ones to me. Nice looking helmet.
I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but Marshawn Lynch was wearing socks worthy of a fine on Monday.
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