St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on Monday, which means teams from around the sports world will be wearing green. Many of you probably know that this gimmick-turned-tradition was pioneered by the Cincinnati Reds, who wore green-trimmed uniforms for a spring training game in 1978. But did you know that another pro sports team had already come up with its own St. Paddy’s Day uniform gimmick — albeit one that didn’t involve green — seven years earlier?
I didn’t, until uni designer/historian Todd Radom came up with the photo shown above, which is from an ABA game between the Miami Floridians and the Utah Stars, played on March 17, 1971. As you can see, the Miami players’ NOBs read “O’Calvin” (for guard Mack Calvin) and “O’Harge” (for center Ira Harge). Kiss them, they’re Irish!
This stunt, which was the brainstorm of Floridians owner Ned Doyle, is the earliest example I’ve seen of a uni-based St. Paddy’s Day promotion. It no doubt would be universally panned if someone came up with it today, although it seems more charming with four decades’ worth of hindsight, especially having come from the freewheeling ABA. (As an aside, that Floridians/Stars game was played at Madison Square Garden. I hadn’t realized that the ABA played neutral-site games, but Todd tells me it wasn’t uncommon.)
According to an old Sporting News item that Todd found, the team supposedly “ordered special jerseys” for the occasion. But as you can see in the photo, it looks like they just used cover-up nameplates. Not only that, but the added “O” was too large and they left an extra letterspace after the apostrophe — sloppy work.
The best part is that the Flordians’ roster already included a guard named Fran O’Hanlon! Wish we could see how his NOB looked in comparison to the others.
You can (and should!) learn more about this — and about several other interesting storylines involving green and/or St. Paddy’s Day uniforms — on Todd’s blog. He’s been coming up with some spectacular research finds in recent months (remember, he was the one who figured out why the Dodgers have red uni numbers on their jerseys) and deserves our gratitude and appreciation for his efforts.
Unmasking the Commenters: I recently invited the site’s commenters to tell us a bit more about themselves and give us a peek at what they look like, just because I thought it would be fun to pull back the internet’s curtain of anonymity. I’ll keep showcasing you folks as long as you keep sending in your photos and quick bios.
Today’s commenter is Will S (click photo to enlarge):
I’m Will S — William Scheibler. I think there was another Will S commenting a while back, but now I think it’s just me.
I live in Thunder Bay, Ontaio. If you don’t know where that is, you’re not alone — it’s a good seven-hour drive to anyplace bigger. I’m an evening “box chucker 4th class” with a bunch of other dock monkeys working for a large courier company. Have been married a decade to my wife, Carrie, and we have accumulated many different pets. Play in a year-’round hockey group, where I’m one of the young guys at age 45. Don’t play other sports much anymore. One of my hobbies is DIY jerseys (usually hockey), some of which can be found on my blog.
Thanks, Will — you help make Uni Watch a better place.
Do you want to be featured in “Unmasking the Commenters”? If so, send me a photo and a quick paragraph about yourself. You don’t have to reveal your real name, and the photo doesn’t have to show your face, but you must include a photo to be considered. Send everything this-a-way.
Tick-tock: Today’s Ticker was compiled by Mike Chamernik, except for ’Skins Watch, which was handled by Paul.
’Skins Watch: New thing among Indians fans who love their team but don’t care for Chief Wahoo: removing the Wahoo patch from the jersey. Looks like at least one such fan could use some training with the seam ripper, however. … House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, speaking to the National Congress of American Indians, said the ’Skins should lose their trademark protection. “This isn’t the first time Rep. Pelosi has spoken out on this issue,” notes Tom Mulgrew. … Yesterday’s ’Skins Watch mentioned that two Maryland state legislators had proposed a non-binding resolution urging the ’Skins to change their name. Now the president of the Maryland Senate thinks the ’Skins name should be left up to the team and the NFL. He’s right, of course — I’m not aware of anyone, including the two legislators who proposed the resolution, who thinks the state of Maryland (or any other government entity) should legislatively force the team to change its name, nor am I aware of any method by which a government entity would be capable of doing that, even if it wanted to. But there’s nothing wrong with legislatures, including Maryland’s, adopting non-binding resolutions on matters of public interest (including this one) — that’s something federal, state, and local legislatures do every single day. If the head of the Maryland Senate wants to vote against such a resolution because he disagrees with it on the merits, there’s nothing wrong with that either. But saying “It should be left up to the team” is just a punt.
Baseball News: Here’s the sleeve patch that the Dodgers and D-backs will be wearing for their season-opening series in Australia (thanks, Phil). … Virginia Tech will wear these Orioles-esque unis for its ACC opener against Pitt (from Justin Gilly). ”¦ Michael Clary found an old Los Angeles Angels serving tray that has a batter who swings like Ted Williams on it. ”¦ The 1980 Vanderbilt baseball team looked a lot like the Pittsburgh Pirates (from Phil). ”¦ The US Mint will release a curved Baseball Hall of Fame coin later this month (from Chris Flinn). ”¦ Twenty-one of the 30 MLB clubs have their own team license plate (from Tom Hamann). … New Dodger Erisbel Arruebarruena has the longest NOB on the roster (from Kevin Kleinhans). ”¦ Also from Kevin: The Brewers and Padres had a blue-and-gold vs. blue-and-gold game yesterday. ”¦ The Fresno Grizzlies and Albuquerque Isotopes (the Triple-A affiliates for the Giants and Dodgers, respectively) will wear 1954 throwbacks for a game in May. ”¦ Remember the pet peeve discussion here on Uni Watch back in December? Jason Whitt has a big one ”” opposing teams’ fans who get good seats at Indians games. ”¦ “A buddy tells me he didn’t get any tickets in his season ticket package this year,” says Mike Ortman. “I guess it’s all cyber and digital and you manage them online. For the game, you either do ‘print at home’ or you download an app and just scan your phone upon entry. How coldly efficient and unromantic is that?!”
NFL News: The Browns don’t know where to properly use an apostrophe (from Ross Hazlett). ”¦ “Here is an NFL keychain I picked up,” says reader Bob K. “Correct logo for the NY football Giants but that’s not a piece of football equipment I’ve ever seen.” ”¦ ESPN’s NFL Draft Machine has outdated logos for the Lions, Panthers, Jaguars, Dolphins and Buccaneers, and it uses the Ravens alternate logo (from Max Zelin).
College Football News: This year’s Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville (“The Cocktail Party”) will be color-vs.-color. Scroll to the end of that article and see this key passage from Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley: “It’s just something a little different. To be honest, a fan suggested it. He sent me a picture of what they used to do when Coach Spurrier was playing. He had a blue jersey on and whoever was tackling him had a red jersey on. It’s a unique rivalry and just a little different something to do. There is no particular reason. Georgia agreed and we agreed.”
Hockey News: The Blackhawks will wear green St. Patrick’s Day jerseys during their warmups on Sunday. ”¦ Idaho minor league hockey fans are suing an arena because a large beer ($7) and a small beer ($4) are the same size. ”¦ The Capitals were mentioned in the FX show The Americans. The show, which takes place in the early 1980s, referenced former Capital Dennis Maruk and showed two tickets for Game 7 of the Fall Classic. Wait, what? (Thanks, John Muir).
Soccer News: The USL Pro’s Phoenix FC will become Arizona United SC (from Adam Vitcavage). ”¦ Chelsea’s Ramires wore a mask on the field earlier this month (from Charlie Eldred). ”¦ Adidas reportedly spends 22 months to design an MLS kit (from Yusuke Toyoda). ”¦ Also from Yusuke: The creator of the New York City FC badges shared his thought process behind making them. ”¦ San Francisco de Panama is now sponsored by KFC (from Trevor Williams).
College Hoops News: Sports Pickle made slogans for all the conferences (from Phil). ”¦ The court for the Final Four will look like this. ”¦ Indiana’s cream uniforms aren’t highly regarded and Auburn’s Allen Payne thinks the team can’t win with Under Armour (both from Chris Mahr). [Just to clarify the Under Armour item: Word I’m hearing from Auburn fans is that the school is supposedly at a recruiting disadvantage because Under Armour’s AAU ties aren’t as strong as Nike’s or Adidas’s. No idea if that’s true. But if it is, it’s just another example of the outfitters having way too much power. ”” PL]
Grab Bag: Under Armour is now in Brazil. Allen Payne just cancelled his São Paulo vacation plans (from Tommy Turner). ”¦ A few artists made a map of the United States out of food. And if you click on it, you’ll see food maps of other nations (from Yusuke Toyoda). ”¦ The THX Deep Note, that sound you hear in movie trailers, comes from 20,000 lines of computer code (from Brian Jud). ”¦ The Portland Thunder of the Arena League have new lightning-themed jerseys (from Phil). ”¦ Chris Perrenot played the highest elevated golf course in Texas and saw backwards (and needless) swooshes on the golfer’s shoes on the course’s sign. ”¦ If Western nations impose heavy sanctions against Russia, Adidas and Nike will suffer (from Phil). ”¦ “I’m at the premiere of Veronica Mars, and they handed out lanyards with a logo for the fictional Neptune High Pirates,” says Scott Rogers. ”¦ ESPN is running a contest for fans to design the official poster for the 2014 Wimbledon tournament. That noise you just heard in the background was Brinke Guthrie firing up his computer (from Dave Flapan).
Baseball coin: Awesome!
Concave like a mitt, convex like a ball. Fookin’ brilliant!
Watch them be pulled in about five minutes after they break two or three vending machines.
Why would you use a dollar coin in a vending machine?
That I get, but I don’t understand why would you spend a collectible coin that you paid more than its face value for.
“That I get, but I don’t understand why would you spend a collectible coin that you paid more than its face value for.”
Maybe you’ve been offered the chance to inherit $300 million, but only if you can link. In that case, you should totally try to use the coin in a vending machine.
ESPN Draft mahine logos: Laziness.
(and they *almost* got the Pats logo in there)
Welcome to the Mahine.
The “C” stands for coffee. I don’t have any.
I c what you did there ;)
In response to Mike Ortman about his paperless season tickets. The Tampa Bay Storm and Lightning have been issuing their season ticket holders special jerseys with RFID chips sewn into them. When you get to the game you just swipe your wrist as your means of entry.The Rays have also implemented an electronic ticket in the form of “The Rays Card”, and they offer many incentives if you switch over from paper tickets.
P.S-you used the incorrect spelling of Arruebarrena’s name in the ticker.
Is there an increased cost or ‘special use fee’ attached to the electronic ticketing? Safe to say most of us have been abused by the ‘service/convenience fee’ added to print-at-home tickets.
For the Rays you actually get $50 off per seat on your season ticket account if you switch to electronic tickets,as well as 12% off all concessions/merchandise. Can’t speak for the Storm/Lightning as if it increased costs or not.
When you get to the game you just swipe your wrist…
Soon they’ll be selling a chip that you implant in your body, so you can truly just “swipe your wrist.”
This would certainly cut-down the number of fans of bad teams wearing paper bags over their heads to games.
The Charlotte knights are offering the Fan Card as well… Do the Rays use TicketReturn? the problem with that is splitting your season tickets with a group. I ended up getting paper tickets so I could distribute my 8 way split.
The Rays use TicketMaster and StubHub. Splitting the season tickets is no problem as they will issue you as many cards as you need. Just load which games you want onto which cards you want from their website.
The Washington Capitals have been doing the paperless ticketing for the past 2-3 years and the Nats for the past two, IIRC.
The person at the gate swipes your card and gives you a generic print-out telling you where your seats are.
Sucks if you’re a ticket stub collector or just want a nice souvenir of your first game.
Caps and Nats have different approaches. Caps give you a single card for the main season ticket holder. So if you use the card, you have to wait for the machine to spit out seat locator tickets. The Nats gave one card for each seat with the seat location printed on the card, so it’s just scan and enter.
Since we plebeians with single-game tickets have been stuck with generic Ticketmaster tickets for awhile, the transition from stubs to printed/mobile tickets doesn’t bother me that much. I can see how season ticket holders might feel differently.
Texas A&M gives you the option to do this for football as well. If you choose the get the tickets electronically, you swipe your CC or DL at the gate to get in each game. At the end of the year, they mail you the ticket stock if you want to keep it.
I understand why people like physical tickets, but I know if I held season tickets I’d want paperless. The ability to go to work without having to remember your tickets, or send them to a friend at the last minute if you can’t make the game, or show up to a game having totally forgotten that you need to bring your tickets, seems really nice. It’s not like I do anything with my tickets anymore anyways.
Also, maybe because I’m an absent-minded dad of a 6-year-old, but I’m glad I can access printable tickets as PDF on my phone.
At a game last year, I lost my physical ticket somewhere between leaving my seat and hitting the concessions, and only after some panicked browsing on my phone got me and my daughter past the usher.
My season tickets to Arsenal over in London have come in the form of a plastic card for about five years now.
It’s terribly convenient – if you re-sell your ticket through the club’s official exchange, they just de-authorize your card and print tickets for the buyer.
There is a romance lost with the passing of the ticket stub, although the notion of a card link.
If you are given a lifetime pass, where do you sit? I wonder if the passes are also valid for the playoffs and World Series.
Chelsea’s season ticket is similar – plastic card with your photo, name, etc.
Why pictures? The Arsenal’s card link, and I’m allowed to loan my season ticket out if I want.
My understanding is that Chelsea season tickets are non-transferrable and can’t be loaned out. I think there’s essentially a gray market where people “borrow” someone else’s card to get into the match, perhaps for a fee. I think Chelsea tries to prevent this by having a photo.
You do realize that if you buy online tickets off any team’s website, you have the option to put them in your passbook if you have an iPhone. I decided to do that because MLB’s At The Ballpark app allows you to check in and win free junk if you do (and who doesn’t like free junk from ballparks?)
Love the “Team Burrito” Padres homage on William Scheibler’s jersey.
Favorite team and fast food all in one. Slick.
It has probably been mentioned already I am sure – but just in case… VCU Atheletics has a new logo which can be seen here. Clever use of Ram horn in “V”.
link
The Padres homage was one of my takes on Ryan Connelly’s (Ryco) Ryberto’s Burritos creation. Different takes on Ryberto I think can be seen on the Facebook group ‘DIY Hockey Sweater/Jersey Army’. They are definitely on the Facebook group ‘Friends of Ryberto’s Burritos’.
The Padres Ryberto’s cap was my first DIY cap.
Don’t have any of my Ryberto’s stuff on my own blog (yet)- it’s a blog that has been too much neglected by me.
I really don’t quite understand the Indians Fans Against Chief Wahoo thing. If you disapprove of the logo, why would you continue to financially support the team by buying jerseys? Wouldn’t an “I’m not buying any merchandize until you change the logo” campaign make more sense?
A simple boycott would be one approach, yes.
But modifying the jersey is another approach — and a very effective one. A good way to say, “I love my team, but I don’t support this one aspect of what they do.”
The deplorable seam-ripping job on the jersey pictured might actually be on purpose…its one thing to delicately remove the patch, leaving the sleeve pristine, as if it were never there…but I think having that big, ugly torn-up hole makes a louder and more effective statement!
it really doesn’t when like me and others have said, the replica’s don’t come with wahoo patches in the first place.. maybe a X or No symbol around the wahoo would be a better protest
I got my authentic Indians jersey (exactly like the one pictured with Wahoo brutally ripped off) for less than $40 thru a reputable seller I know on eBay. I’ll leave the patch on it ’cause I DO have genuinely nostalgic feelings for the character but if I wore it to a game I might do like you suggested and X him out.
It also rips the cover off people who would castigate their fellow fans for not being “true believers”. One of the ugliest aspects of sports is the hostility fanatical supporters feel for people they consider dilettantes. I’d feel vindicated confronting these jerks if I didn’t value my own safety.
A better approach would be to buy the $80 replica jersey that doesn’t include the patch in the first place as opposed to shelling out $200 for one that does.
if you buy a replica jersey they don’t come with a Wahoo on them. so they could just have saved time and money and got one of them
Well, you can save time and money by not driving to your polling place and casting a vote on election day, too. Which is a perfectly valid approach, if “saving time and money” is the point of the exercise.
Which, I would have thought it was obvious, it is not. If the point is making a statement and registering one’s opinion, then voting is worth the time and gas money it takes to do, just as visibly removing the Wahoo patch is worth the expense and effort, if the point is to register one’s opinion and make a statement about the matter.
I walk to my polling place!
It looks to me like the just the “O” was added to the jerseys and not the entire name plate. This would explain the bad spacing and font differences. The surnames sans “O” also appear to be centered under the jersey number.
Regarding the Dodgers’ red numbers, I know this article is months old and I read it at the time but I must be completely missing the explanation. I get the interesting side story about the intention for their unveiling during the prior year’s World Series but where is it explained why they are red? The explanation of “The red numbers would presumably look good on black and white TVs,” makes absolutely no sense.
Sorry replace “O” above with “O'”
Good lord, the feedback those two people got for removing the Wahoo patch. I from Pittsburgh and a huge fan of all three teams here, but I just can’t get why people get so worked up like that to the point of real anger, over a patch. Yes, I know the logo is the team and the team is the city and civic pride and yadda, yadda, yadda. I get all that. It’s just some people seem to take it to an unhealthy level.
One thing I hate about being a Steeler fan is other Steeler fans where you can’t even say anything negative, even when it’s merited, like last season. All you get is, “You’re not a real fan bro! You have to stick with them no matter what. You’re not a real fan, just shut up.” Oh people, God love them.
Part of it is just anger about the growing movement against Native American imagery in sports.
But part of it is also, I think, a sports version of the old “My country, right or wrong” point of view. Just as there are people who believe you can’t ever say anything critical about America, or suggest ways in which America could improve, etc., there are also those who think you can’t say anything critical about your favorite team. The language (“You’re a traitor!” and even, incredibly, “You’re a communist!”) is even the same.
Lion Fan must be the polar opposite of Steeler Fan. It’s almost like if you’re not bitching about the Lions, you’re not a “real” fan.
Yeah, some of those responses are pretty disgusting.
Or a Jets fan. You’re not a true Jets fan unless you’re at Radio City Music Hall on draft day, booing the team’s first round selection.
Do they even let anyone who’s not a Jets fan in that audience?
(Granted, I don’t actually watch the Draft, I just know the reputation of Jets fans at that event.)
Iggles fans booed when they picked McNabb ahead of Ricky Williams.
So basically, guys in green jerseys with thick East Coast accents.
Ha! I was thinking the same thing about the Bears. God forbid you actually say something positive about Jay Cutler around some people…
The NCAA conference slogans made chuckle.
It should be pointed out that the Dodgers even left out the second ‘U’ in Arruebarruena on that jersey!
Its the correct spelling, they misspelled it in the WBC
Arruebarrena’s last name is shorter than that of former Dodger, Todd Hollandsworth, 13 to 12. Here’s a link to the LA Times article re the incorrect spelling on his name from the WBC:
link
Here’s the WBC spelling:
link
Here’s his spring training locker showing his jersey and nameplate:
link
As if I don’t kill enough time in the day reading about uniforms and logos, you go and link me to another blog?! Kidding, of course. Todd Radom has a great site that I never would have discovered without your link. He discovered why Mr Red is wearing #27. Something I’ve always wondered about. So I’ll have that little trivia in my back pocket this baseball season. Have a great and safe weekend, UniWatchers!
~~McMunch Suchlanahan
Sports uniforms are not “fashion”… but somehow they have been they’d into such a role. That’s where all the confusion started.
Is an English translation of this comment available?
“That’s where all the confusion started.”
For me, the confusion started when I read your post.
It’s not a “thing” Paul. About 1 or 2 people, out of tons and tons of Indian fans have removed Wahoo and have gotten justifiably ripped for such silly actions (desecrating the jersey of your own team!). Meanwhile there are thousands online who have signed save/keep wahoo petitions. But you focus on two bozos who took the logo off the jersey? Seems like selective reporting.
1000’s vs 1 or 2 idiots. Why are you giving support to these antagonizing trolls destroying jerseys? Isn’t this blog about uniform appreciation? Not authoritarian types telling us what to do, wear, and what should and shouldn’t offend us?
I’m not sure why you say “about 1 or 2 people,” since we know it is at least two people. And yeah, that’s “a thing” — not a trend, not a movement, not viral — just a thing.
And I suspect it will get bigger.
As for pro-Wahoo petitions and backlash, I’ve linked to those things too (and without characterizing their proponents as “bozos” or “authoritarian,” incidentally). Selective reporting? Seems more like selective perception on your part.
Isn’t this blog about uniform appreciation?
It’s about anything relating to uniforms. Fans modifying their Indians jerseys certainly qualifies.
Not authoritarian types telling us what to do, wear, and what should and shouldn’t offend us?
I wish you could decide whether this “thing” is just one or two people who should be ignored or an authoritarian menace. The fact of the matter, as I suspect you’re well aware, is that nobody is telling you what to wear or how to feel. Some people are simply expressing their thoughts on a matter of public interest. You’re welcome to disagree with them and to argue your side of the case on its merits, but name-calling and hyperbolic insults just make you look small.
But it doesn’t get any bigger. It never does. It’s the Pelosi’s and Obama’s (you can keep your health insurance if you want it!) and ivory tower authoritarian media left wing crowd who keeps trumping this up. I don’t want to hear what Obama thinks about some beloved team name when he lied to me about something that really matters (health insurance).
Regarding this issue, the people have spoke and they want Wahoo and the Redskins to stay. Yet it seems like certain media outlets just continue to oppressively ram this down peoples throats. Does the will of the people mean nothing anymore?
If it “never gets bigger,” then your side of the argument has nothing to worry about and you can simply move on while the rest of us piss into the wind. No problem.
Meanwhile: Another use of “authoritarian.”
That’s a pretty powerful term.
Could you please explain precisely how the media (or anyone else) has been “authoritarian” on this (or any) issue?
As for the “will of the people,” are you suggesting that there is something wrong with expressing any minority opinion? It’s worth remembering that lots of positions that are now held by the majority (including the abolition of slavery, the right of women to vote, the right of gay people marry) were once minority opinions. I’m not suggesting a moral equivalence between the Native imagery and those issues, but I’m definitely suggesting that there’s nothing wrong with expressing an opinion that happens not to be popular at a given moment in time — especially since opinions change over time.
I would say certain media elites have suspiciously jumped on the bandwagon of this story, one piling on top of another. Bob Costas never said a word about this his entire broadcast career. All of a sudden the opportunist decides to jump on the bandwagon and spew his filth. Where were these editorials in 1991, 2003, 2011 from Costas? It just reeks of opportunism.
People aren’t idiots. And we can see a manufactured, trumped up controversy when we see one. In fact some in the media have even admitting to creating this out of thin air link
Were you the very first person to come out in support of Wahoo? If not, does that mean you “jumped on [a] bandwagon,” like Costas did?
I see how it works: When lots of people agree with you, that’s “the will of people.” When lots of people disagree with you, that’s “jumping on the bandwagon.”
Like you said, people aren’t stupid.
Meanwhile, we all anxiously await your examples of “authoritarian” behavior. Please be specific.
Not authoritarian types telling us what to do, wear, and what should and shouldn’t offend us?
I’m glad we don’t have authoritarian types telling people they shouldn’t be “desecrating” (!) a uniform and calling them “bozos” for making an alteration to their own possession. I’m also so glad nobody’s being told they shouldn’t be offended by racial caricatures! Nope, not a single soul telling someone they shouldn’t wear a desecrated uniform.
“… the abolition of slavery, the right of women to vote, the right of gay people marry) were once minority opinions.”
Comparing those fights to the fight against the Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo and the Washington Redskins logo is a slap in the face to those who fought for equality. The logo’s of the two teams in question does not impede anyone’s rights as the above mentioned injustices did.
Also, I do not recall the Indians or Redskins organizations sicking the dogs or spraying water or any other form of silencing at the protestors the way we have seen throughout history.
Finally as a public service announcement anyone who plans to attend the Indians home opener stay warm and if you decide to protest the use of Chief Wahoo watch out for Bull Connor.
So lets back off of all the grand statements of bigotry
ummm… did you even bother to read the VERY NEXT SENTENCE in that post?
What about that person who “desecrates” his Browns jersey every time they start a new quarterback? How do the 1000s feel about that bozo?
Regarding Jason Whitt’s observation about the opposing team’s fans getting the good seats at Progressive Field: The sections behind first base are where opposing players’ families and guests sit. Not all those seats at every game, but scattered in that general area. We have sat there and wound up talking to wives and children of visiting ballplayers. Also, we went as guests of the Dodgers when they came to town several years ago and we sat in those seats.
“The Browns don’t know where to properly use an apostrophe”
can you really blame the team for a poster released by movie company?
No, of course not. But it does seem appropriate, somehow.
If this had happened on the poster for a movie about the Packers or Steelers everybody would be saying “Look at what that stupid film company did.” But because of the specific team, it’s “Yep. Same old Browns.”
Mo Hughley is still link (from last night’s game), and I still have no explanation for it.
As a “Washington Football Team” fan, fortunately our jerseys don’t feature the helmet logo, but they do have the team name in small print above the numbers. I have absolutely no skills with a seam ripper so if I decided to protest the name a small piece of tape would work. However, why are people so upset if someone did take off the patch? Didn’t Uni-Watch used to feature jersey modifications? If a person wants to spend money on a jersey, as long as the modification isn’t done to make something more offensive, why should anyone be upset? At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing the “Skins” get a uniform makeover (please nothing like the Bucs, just get the colors/stripes in alignment) so that would be a good time to change the name and logo. I’ve liked many of the proposals that still keep the burgundy/gold template as I think you should keep some connection to the team’s past, just update the name, maybe throw an arrow (or even something cooler, put jersey numbers on the helmet which no one in the NFL does) and go out and hopefully not come in last place in the NFC East again. Happy Friday!
Because to many the person who removes the logo or nameplate is a desecrator to something they hold sacred. So it’s perfectly understandable why they would get angry. So if you want to do it, go ahead, but be ready to deal with the consequences
You can alter your jersey in any way you please (and someone could put a 100 wahoos on theirs, as I am planning on doing and wearing to a game)
Honestly, if you think a sports jersey is “sacred,” you need your head examined.
That’s your opinion, fine. But to many it is.
There are some who consider religion pure bunk. They don’t go around trashing churches and burning photos of christ because they recognize that a great many hold him sacred.
There are many things in this world I find stupid and offensive but I don’t make a stink about it because a. I know I’m in the minority b. many others enjoy it c. I don’t want to detract from their fun and look like some silly kill-joy. I wish the shrill anti Redskins and Wahoo crowd could just stop trampling on everybody’s fun.
There are many things in this world I find stupid and offensive but I don’t make a stink about it
Could’ve fooled me!
But I don’t. I’m not at wrestling events saying that this form of sports entertainment should be abolished because drugged, overworked, post concussion syndrome guys are dropping dead by the hour. I’m not at McDonalds telling them their “food” should be recalled because it’s essentially deep fried feces. The people who support and enjoy these things should be happy to do so, just like the people who love and support wahoo and the redskins should be happy to do so and the names and images should stay so long as the paying customer supports them. Public opinion is in their favor. Constantly prodding and needling and lecturing just make the tiny opposition look like petulant children. And that’s the way Costas and Pelosi look to us, petulant entitled children.
I wish the shrill anti Redskins and Wahoo crowd could just stop trampling on everybody’s fun.
On one side, “fun”, on the other, a world of poverty and of institutional societal neglect propped up by the sustained cultural bondage of having your primary popular imagery be controlled by outside agents who push outdated and alienating caricatures. Forgive me if I find your plea for “everybody’s fun” completely frivolous.
There are some who consider religion pure bunk. They don’t go around trashing churches and burning photos of christ because they recognize that a great many hold him sacred.
Are you really prepared to make an intellectual argument equating sports rooting with religion? Really? And are you really equating removing a patch from a jersey with church bombings? Reallyreallyreally?
No, I didn’t think so.
We’re done here, Edwin. Thanks for playing today. We have some nice parting gifts for you.
Also, has it not occurred to you that in this particular instance, on this website, that you are the minority? Do you think it’s reasonable though for us to go saying “just shut up because you’re ruining our fun”? Of course not. That’s the thing, alternative viewpoints are important. Trying to shut down alternative viewpoints by marginalizing them is implicit censorship.
If you want to argue why Redskins and Wahoo are fine then you are welcome to, especially as a minority voice here.
The people who support and enjoy these things should be happy to do so
It’s impossible to enjoy professional wrestling without the performers doing permanent damage to their joints and brain cells. Likewise, it’s impossible to enjoy McDonald’s without enabling the sketchy health, safety and ethical standards of industrial food manufacturing. Sure, it’s hard to enjoy those things when those facts are pointed out to me.
But if people can’t enjoy rooting for a baseball team because some people have the temerity to point out a racist caricature for what it is, then we’re talking about people who have a hard time enjoying much in life.
Everyone: This thread is badly played out. Let’s please move on. Thanks.
Native Americans can rise out of poverty and change their own cultural imagery without tearing down the Redskins name and Wahoo logo. None of these images were ever intended to offend.
Has the Redskins team name or Wahoo logo done anything to hinder the living conditions of native americans? ever? Seems like the real issue here is the U.S. Government.
The irish aren’t making a stink about the Notre Dame fighting Irish. And a great deal of them lived through poverty and were caricatured as shaved ape drunk fighting brutes. They pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps.
They pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps.
This is the cutest and politest description of Tammany Hall and the Boss Tweed regime.
Not to mention Dennis Kearney and the Workingman’s Party on the west coast.
To click on Uni Watch this morning and see that image…..
Thank you, Paul and Todd.
* The Cocktail Party going color vs color seems natural. You have a neutral site with teams wearing contrasting colors (different colored pants, too). I’m all for it.
* The Portland Timbers uniforms feature two different “Rose City”-based slogans. It’s cute, but it seems like overkill. I do like that the retro jersey got a retro sponsor logo too.
* Surprised to find that the proposed NYCFC logo that looks like a police badge is based on subway signage.
* Under Armour/Auburn thing is sad, but not surprising.
* Surprised to find that the proposed NYCFC logo that looks like a police badge is based on subway signage.
I don’t think he’s saying that; the circle design originated from an homage to the token, while the shield/badge takes its shape from the city’s link (which is itself featured on the link).
Regarding the Game 7 tickets from “The Americans,” I think that just means it’s for the Capitals’ 7th home game of the season. We used to get Rangers tickets 3-4 times a year and they would show Game 19, Game 27 etc.
But it says “Fall Classic”!
Will S: Maybe I’m the only other commenter who knows Thunder Bay. I lived in Atikokan for most of the 1990s. Flyers games in the Winter, Whiskeyjacks games in the summer. Next time I’m through I’ll look you up and buy you breakfast at the Hoito.
Every fan of David Letterman has heard of that town, as he used to introduce Paul Shaffer with “all the way from Thunder Bay”.
Thunder Bay has produced some great hockey players, some of who’s name don’t even end in “Staahl”. It’s also the subject of a great song by Montreal rock group Sam Roberts Band’s “An American Draft Dodger in Thunder Bay” link
mike 2:
Now it’s Thunderwolves in the winter and Border Cats in the summer. Work nights (and the very occasional early morning), but would definitely get up early for breakfast at the Hoito – haven’t been there in ages.
Ferdinarnd Cesaro:
I think Letterman even did a bit on Paul Shaffer when he got a street named after him in Thunder Bay. Made fun of him because it is more a driveway (than a street) to the Community Auditorium.
716 Scott:
Thanks for the musical reference. Only song that I knew that mentioned Thunder Bay was Randy Bachman’s “Prairie Town”.
Thanks – I knew that the Whiskeyjacks were gone (they were wrapping up when I was still there after the city workers strike closed the stadium).
I didn’t know they’d named a driveway after Paul Shaffer – I met his dad a few times through one of his partners. I guess he died a few years ago.
I like to imagine that Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61” refers to Thunder Bay, but I know that isn’t true.
Here’s my opinion on the pure aesthetic value of the Chief Wahoo logo:
IT’S UGLY.
I think it just looks horrible to begin with, and I always have. That stupid-ass grinning face just makes me want to punch it. Factoring in the racial stereotype only makes it that much worse.
So, ywah, I think Wahoo should go. Not just for the racial stereotype, but also because it’s just that bad.
“yeah” – can’t believe I made that typo.
The earliest example of a uni based St. Paddy’s Day promotion is the Celtics wearing their green road jerseys with their home white shorts at home on St. Patrick’s day 1968. A photo from this game was featured in your post this past September 4th.
Ah — good memory! (Better than mine, at least.) Thanks for the reminder!!
I only remember because I was at the game!
I don’t watch the show and after this post thought maybe it was a fictional world series baseball game and the Washington DC’s team name was The Goalies. However the seats are “Rink Box” so must be the 7th game of the hockey season.
I’m against people removing the patches on their jerseys…if for no other reason than it makes it less-authentic. I’ve always tried to have my jerseys be as close as possible to what the players wear, so I’ve added a few patches to replica jerseys to make them closer to the real thing over the years, including a navy blue Indians jersey I own. If they didn’t want Wahoo on the sleeve, they were probably better off buying a replica that didn’t have it in the first place. Slightly different/hotter material, but you would’ve saved a ton of money.
As a fringe-Indians fan who grew up rooting for them anytime they didn’t play the Orioles and was the Indians for my very first little league team, I can sort of get why Wahoo would be an issue with some fans because his skin is bright red, but beyond that, I don’t understand the hate. He’s always been a friendly-looking guy to me, someone who’s always happy and smiling…who wouldn’t want to be characterized as that?
That said…put a freaking white outline on or around the C they’re replacing Wahoo with, and pick a shade of navy on the hats and I’ll be able to deal with this transition a lot easier. Red directly on navy always gets swallowed up and becomes hard to see, and their current uniforms that use the C are just flat-out bland and uninteresting. 2002-2007 were the best years for the Tribe’s uniform history.
Presenting Native Americans as a jolly docile people is just as misleading as presenting them as warlike brutes. It’s all “noble savages” and “boy aren’t they happy living in all that squalor”. Regardless of the intended level of “honour” or “positive imagery” a stereotype is still a stereotype.
As for your gripe with authenticity, I think it all comes down to what purpose the individual uses the jersey. For you, it’s a way of connecting as much as possible with the team lined out on field, for those stripping the patches, they are using the jersey as a form of protest. There isn’t really any right way to own a jersey. Once you’ve paid your money you can do what you want with it.
If someone buys the authentic jersey with the explicit intention of having the patch just so they can rip it off like that 2nd person did so it’s obvious that it was there…I may think there are better ways to protest, but fine, whatever, I’m not gonna stop you. But if you have one with the patch and you want to take it off just to have it off because you don’t like what it represents and not because you want to actively show what you’re protesting, I still think you’re better off getting a replica that doesn’t have it in the first place.
And I’m not really suggesting that other people have to have my opinion about Wahoo’s demeanor, I’m just saying that’s what mine’s always been, especially growing up as a sorta-fan, before I even knew what stereotypes were. He’s always just been a happy-looking guy to me, I never thought any deeper than that. And I’ve always liked that he’s looked happy…and that maybe that’d lend itself to lesser criticism by the Native American community because of it. I certainly think there are worse ways to depict a Native American than a cartoon-y looking guy that’s always happy.
What about minstrel shows? They depict black people as really jolly, pleasant, singin’ n’ dancin’ folks don’t they? In short, there’s a reason why we don’t generally let our childhood selves decide how we look at social issues.
“I can sort of get why Wahoo would be an issue with some fans because his skin is bright red, but beyond that, I don’t understand the hate. He’s always been a friendly-looking guy to me, someone who’s always happy and smiling…who wouldn’t want to be characterized as that?
Exaggerated skin tone, facial features, and big, toothy grins have all been used as ways and caricaturize other ethnicities for generations. The effect was to dehumanize the targets of the caricature, to reduce them to nothing more than a set of patronizing stereotypes, and to make it obvious to the reader that “those people are not like us.”
There are numerous example of these types of racially-charged caricatures available on the internet. I often provides hyperlinks to support my points, but frankly, I don’t really care to link to any of those images at the moment. Feel free to Google them. They aren’t hard to find. And it’s shocking how similar Chief Wahoo is to these types of caricatures.
None of what I said in either of my above posts argue any of the points you’ve made. I’ve just given my opinion on what Wahoo has always represented to me, NOT what it represents or should represent to anyone else.
“None of what I said in either of my above posts argue any of the points you’ve made. I’ve just given my opinion on what Wahoo has always represented to me, NOT what it represents or should represent to anyone else.”
I understand that you were expressing your opinion, Bud. Just like I was expressing mine. The issue is, by expressing your onion and providing context for why you hold that position, you are trying to convince others why it is reasonable for you to hold it. Likewise, by providing cultural context for why Chief Wahoo represents a history of racial caricatures and stereotypes, I am explaining why I think there is stronger reason to hold a different opinion.
I’m against people removing the patches on their jerseys…if for no other reason than it makes it less-authentic. I’ve always tried to have my jerseys be as close as possible to what the players wear…
I assume this means you always wear them tucked in, right? And you make sure you’re wearing the same size jersey as the guy whose name and number are on the back, right? And if that player has an extra inch added to his sleeves, or an extra inch removed from his shirttails (as many players do), you make those customizations as well, right?
Please. “Authentic” jerseys are not authentic. They’re just merchandise that’s peddling a certain aspirational fantasy. If you like this particular merchandise and/or fantasy, hey, more power to you, but don’t pretend you’re “just as authentic” as the real thing.
I never said I was JUST as authentic as the real thing, I just said I want it to be as close to the real thing as I could. That was kind of a big assumption on your part.
You said you objected to someone else removing a patch. Seems to me that’s no greater an “inauthenticity” than any of the other things I listed.
And I would disagree. In my opinion (not necessarily yours), a patch missing is a much bigger visual difference than an inch or two extra on the sleeves. As far as wearing them tucked in or the same size as the player wearing it (all of my baseball jerseys are actually blank on the back), I think common sense should at least SUGGEST that those not be prudent decisions. Having a patch is a much easier and sensible thing to control in terms of making a jersey look “more authentic”, and it’s something I’ve made an effort to accomplish for that reason.
(all of my baseball jerseys are actually blank on the back)
That admission completely undermines your “authenticity” argument. A jersey that lacks a number and (for most teams) a surname on the back is no more “authentic” than one that has had a patch removed from the sleeve.
Wait a minute — your jerseys are BLANK ON THE BACK and you’re giving someone else shit over a missing patch??
I’ll give you this much: Best comedy routine of the day.
This mostly just proves my point that jersey retailing turns everyone into idiots and that we’d all be better off if this stuff wasn’t available for sale.
But jersey retailing isn’t going away (duh), so here’s a thought: If someone wants to modify his property — which is, you know, his fucking property — howzabout if you let him do that instead of wagging your finger at him for crossing some imaginary line of “authenticity” never existed in the first place? Jeez.
Again, none of what I’ve said actually disagrees with anything you’ve said…all I’ve done is given my opinion on what parts of the jersey are important to me and how I try do my best to re-create them. If you don’t respect my opinion, you should at least be a little nicer to your readers. I don’t agree with a lot of the stuff you write on here, but I don’t comment every day that it was “the comedy routine of the day”.
Gimme a fucking break already. You don’t like my opinion. Oh darn. It’s a blog.
I know I’m risking the ire of NY sports fans here, but I gotta vent, so here we go:
Regarding the phrase “New York Football Giants (seen in today’s Ticker).” It was cute when Berman said it a couple decades ago, but ENOUGH ALREADY. The reason for the phrase’s existence left town 60 years ago. For Pete’s sake, nobody says “St. Louis Baseball Cardinals” (please tell me they don’t) and the reason for THAT phrase’s existence left town only 37 years ago!
Sorry. Had to get that out. If you truly feel the need to call them… that… by all means, feel free. Just please don’t do it in my proximity unless you want to see a man’s head pop like a angry zit.
Seconded.
I can see why people would think the whole “New York Football Giants” thing is trite and played out. That said, in the case of today’s ticker entry, it actually serves a useful function to highlight the incongruity between the logo being used on the keychain (New York Giants football team) and the shape of keychain (baseball glove). I don’t think anyone was trying to be cute.
check the Giants team website
link
I tend to agree with you but theyre apparently still using it
For Pete’s sake, nobody says “St. Louis Baseball Cardinals” (please tell me they don’t) and the reason for THAT phrase’s existence left town only 37 years ago!
Yikes! It’s been that long? And here I was thinking I’m 43 years old. Apparently I’m 53!
The Giants’ are incorporated as New York Football Giants, Inc.
link
Just more proof that Chris Berman ruins EVERYTHING.
“For Pete’s sake, nobody says “St. Louis Baseball Cardinals” (please tell me they don’t) and the reason for THAT phrase’s existence left town only 37 years ago!”
The St Louis Cardinals (NFL) left town after the 1987 season. That’s a little over 26 years ago. I was at the last home game. There was little mourning as the Bidwills skipped town.
As for calling them “St Louis Football Cardinals,” well that was not the local shorthand. They were just the Cardinals, or commonly referred to as the Big Red, or at times in headlines the Gridbirds. The baseball team was, and still is, referred to as the Redbirds, Cards, or Cardinals.
But to your original point, yeah, the New York Football Giants is obnoxious, IMO.
While grazing for Arena Football stuff, I saw a link headlined
Or maybe they were using irony?
The food map, has the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the same food item as Wisconsin, instead of Michigan. The U.P. is not part of Wisconsin! UP POWER!!
Im down in Madison but from what I understand, the UP is more like Wisconsin then it is the rest of Michigan. I also understand Madison is nothing like the rest of Wisconsin – so what do I know
The license plates reminded me of something odd I once saw:
link
… WHAT.
That is wrongsick!
No way that’s real.
It is. Unfortunately the New York DMV has managed to excise this lapse in judgment from the Interwebs. So link link link
Wow. That one egregious errors is almost (but not quite enough) to move the State of New York to the top of the list over Virginia as the link.
BvK1126: “…Virginia as the worst custom license plate sluts.”
Indiana lets any company that owns a semi or semi-trailer slap their logo and colors on a “custom” plate.
This is pretty much another example of that thinking that New York is New York City, and little else. The area around Albany/Schenectady has quite a few ties culturally and commercially to Massachusetts and Boston. I remember seeing a movie in the Albany area quite a few years ago, and the previews/ads before had quite the Boston flavor – including a Jimmy Fund spot!
adidas’ current CEO will take over as president of Bayern Munich to replace their former president, who was arrested and jailed for tax evasion. We rip on colleges all the time on this site for selling out to the apparel companies, but this has to be the most flagrant example of the sports-industrial complex, right?
link
It amuses me that you lower-cased Adidas when the article you linked to doesn’t.
Eh. Adidas has had a minority stake in the club since the dawn of time, thereabouts, and the stated purpose of the club is to win lots of money and make lots of money.
On the other hand, the stated mission of a college athletic department isn’t profiteering.
Yeah, something something “student athletes” something or other.
Uh, win lots of *titles*, but yeah, money too.
My. God. A phrase I never thought I’d hear on this panel: “desecrating the uniform”. First of all, nobody pays me to wear it. Second, it’s not the Army or some other service branch. It’s just a goddam Cleveland Indians jersey! A team I like! Wearing a uniform I like! I’ll do any damn thing with it I please!
I wonder how long Chief Wahoo would have stuck around had the man responsible for it, Bill Veeck, hadn’t been forced to sell his stake in the Indians to pay a divorce settlement.
It’s hard not to imagine a guy who was so forward-thinking at some point saying, “We gotta get rid of that thing.”
That’s a great “what if” point, about Veeck. Definitely something to wonder about. He did listen to fans, and people have protested Wahoo for decades.
It is funny. I’ve never commented on here, before today, but I was surprised to see that term thrown around.
And, people mess with their jerseys all of the time! Like, the person who changed ‘Braun’ to ‘Fraud’ on his jersey (definitely not a cheap one!). I don’t recall anyone using the term “desecrating!” Yikes!
link
March Of Dimes is letting people for Denny Hamlin’s tracksuit for the upcoming race in TX
Bad news for Paul. Purple is solidly in the lead.
I forgot to mention this earlier and would be remiss if I let the day go by without bringing it up: Will S, I love your DIY hockey jersey blog. There’s some really fantastic stuff in there. Great job!
Thanks.
I going to try to update it a bit more frequently than I have been – likely post some of my old DIY projects that I can dig up and add some other semi-related subjects.
The beauty of Floridians’ St. Pat’s tribute is its haphazardness. Sure, the “O” is too big, and the spacing is wrong, and nameplate looks like it’s held on with a couple of safety pins. It’s fun.
Same with the original Reds unis, with the mesh backed caps. It was unexpected, and sort of spur of the moment, and fun.
Now, it’s a racket. The St. Patrick’s Day regalia is just another revenue stream, boring and inauthentic.
Patty’s NOT Paddy’s, please.
link
I’m sorry, total dyslexic moment there. Did it on twitter too, my apologies. Sheesh.
Don’t sweat it, Madd.
The Paddy Not Patty site makes a compelling argument … for Irish people to follow. American English has its own vernacular and pronunciation, and in American English the phonetic St. Patty form works just fine and reflects a very common pronunciation. It’s all good!
Hmm… when I say “patty”, the “T” sound is so soft that it almost sounds like “paddy”. In fact, the distinction is so minimal, I’d have to unnatrually stretch and stress the letters out to make them distinct.
Meanwhile I’m looking like an idiot saying “patty/paddy” to myself.
As a Paddy, I have to unequivocally object to this reasoning. It’s a name and has a correct spelling for myself and thousands of others. Also, unlike other things (football vs. soccer) this isn’t a cultural interpretation thing, this is an Irish holiday so Ireland gets to decide how it’s spelled.
Being from Boston they both come out the same way for me.
I rarely find cause to disagree with you, arrScott, but I think I have to side with the “Paddy” crowd on this one. Anecdotally, I know several men here in the States whose full Christian name is “Patrick.” Many go by “Pat” as a diminutive. A few go by “Paddy.” None go by “Patty,” because they consider it to be the diminutive of the feminine “Patrica.” The only context I’ve seen “Patty” used as a diminutive for the male version of the name is in promotions for St. Patrick’s Day. It may be commonplace in the United State, but I’m not sure that makes it correct. (Kind of like apostrophe catastrophes.)
Thanks for the regular “‘Skins Watch” segment, Paul! I also, while not at all surprised by backlash, did not expect Dennis (fan who de-chiefed the jersey) to get the amount he did, at such a fast rate.
Anyhow, thanks for the coverage.
The Rockies wore their BP caps today against the Giants
Here: link
But Carlos Gonzalez had on the Rockies Alternate cap
Here: link
I mentioned “football” Giants in my submission because it was a NFL product and logos but on a baseball glove. Had there never been a baseball Giants in NY I never would have mentioned the difference.
I may or may not own a green O’Seguin Bruins shirt from last year. I think I just learned where that idea came from. :). Love to site!