Now we know

Spike Lee is to blame for baseball caps in the wrong colors. I have no objection to caps in abstract colors, or variations on team colors which don't exactly match the on-field version. That's fine. It's things like a black Yankees logo (and isn't it always a Yankees logo?) on a yellow cap with black hoops and a black peak, exactly the same as the 1970s Pittsburgh Pirates wore. That is a total joke.

Lime, turquoise, silver, and black

Those are your color choices in the UFL. Apparently, the uniforms of all four teams will feature identical designs, too. The UFL's marketing people are missing something vital here - teams need a separate identity. Long term, successful sports leagues feature teams with distinct histories that came together and formed a competition. Just try to follow the NFL's history. If you must form the league first, you need an extra effort to distinguish the clubs involved.

Big mistake. Please, fix this.

Observation

Basketball jerseys with high necks look really stupid.

Before the Sabres

For many years before the NHL came to town, Buffalo had a fantastic AHL franchise called the Bisons. They won five Calder Cups in their 30 seasons, including a title in their farewell year, 1970.

For a time, the Bisons were owned by the same guys who owned the local Pepsi bottling plant, which produced perhaps the best jersey in hockey history. How can you not love this? It's a great shame that no one makes these now, at least as far as I can tell. If you find one for sale, please let me know!

This is just too easy

Thank you, Jesse Jackson Jr.

Third time's the charm

How could anyone not love this jersey?

Up the Palace!

If the posts have been a bit nonexistent this week, it's because a) I am in the UK on vacation, and b) Andrew has been too lazy to post the fact that the Gotham Girls are now national champs after blitzing Chicago in the final in Portland, OR last weekend. Tsk.

So, what am I up to here in the UK? It's not all sports related, but it has allowed my obsession with retro soccer uniforms to flourish. Pictured is the logo from a very nice West Ham throwback I bought - the shirt they wore in the 1980 FA Cup Final, when Trevor Brooking's well placed header enabled the Hammers to upset highly favoured Arsenal 1-0. Meanwhile, I am searching for a similar Liverpool one that is the right size. I might have to give up and order that one online.

Liverpool is of course my main club, but among other English soccer teams with a place in my heart*, Crystal Palace is a special one. We lived in south London for three months when I was 11, and the Eagles were our local team. Those were heady days, with manager Terry Venables taking the team briefly to the top of the first division, acquiring the "team of the eighties" nickname and all the expectations that came along with it. Alas, it all fell apart - they ended the season 13th, and were relegated a year later.

It took the better part of a decade for the Eagles to live up to the hype, reaching the 1990 FA Cup Final, and it's been up and down since then, too. Nowadays Palace is mired deep in the second tier, but they are one of my teams all the same. So today I will attend my first Crystal Palace home game, at Selhurst Park, where they will take on marginally-higher-flying Bristol City.

Game time temperature promises to hover just above freezing, and I haven't gotten a long sleeved retro jersey to wear yet. Going shopping soon - wish me luck...

* the list includes Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Everton, Preston North End, Fulham, Barnsley, and probably more

MNF observation

I have to say, the Browns helmet with the numbers on is pure class.

Oh, yeah, and they are winning 35-14 or something.

Bring them back

With the NY Times reporting that shorts are now acceptable in the workplace (as I can happily attest) I think it's time for baseball to revisit 1976:


Bring back the shorts! They must be a hell of a lot more comfortable in mid July, for a start. To you, the average baseball fan, the 1976 White Sox are probably an embarrassment. To me, they are heroes.

Bring. Them. Back.

Trying again

This is the latest attempt to bypass the system and get myself an illicit jersey - anyone care to comment on the odds of this NY Giants replica safely making its way to my address?

You've heard the rant

Now buy the t-shirt. Design by me, graphical heavy lifting by Andrew, this 100% official brooklynballparks.com t-shirt features a 1909 style Brooklyn Dodgers B on the front, and the always topical plea BRING THEM BACK on the back.

We'll be showing these off next month at the LA Coliseum, when the Dodgers play the Red Sox in front of the largest Spring training crowd in history.

Randall Gay

Do you think they sell many of his jerseys? Maybe if they added a shortened version of his first name.. RANDY GAY. Ok, maybe not.

Me to Major League Baseball: Drop Dead

Dear David Dyte:
We regret to inform you that we are unable to complete your order. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.


The following item(s) is unavailable and has been cancelled from your order:

Item: 2837710
Description: NYY MAJ REP HM CUSTOM JRSY WHITE/NAVY-XX LARGE
Quantity: 1 @ $ 99.99


Your satisfaction is very important to us. If you have any questions about your order, call Customer Service at 888 6527467. We will be more than happy to assist you.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused if this action was taken in error. We appreciate your business.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
shop.mlb.com

The weather outside is frightful

As I write this, the NY Giants and Buffalo Bills are playing in what looks like some seriously nasty winter weather. Looks like sleet. The only thing that would make this better would be if the Bills were wearing their totally sweet throwbacks (as seen on the left).

Speaking of throwbacks, the Jets will be playing the Titans later this afternoon. Clearly the Jets should have taken this opportunity to wear their Titans throwbacks. Then people could yell 'Let's go Titans!' and no one would know who they were cheering for.

Poinsettia Bowl update

In the middle of all the naval cadets in their full dress uniforms, one of them is wearing a cheesehead. I guess she's from Wisconsin. Or maybe she's sick of bashing her head into those low submarine doorways.

Just $259.99 from the NFL Shop

It's remarkable what the NFL and MLB shops will let you get away with in designing a custom jersey. Here is the latest topical reference I've snuck past the online censor.

I can't think of much more to say about Michael Vick, though, except that in my world, 23 months doesn't seem much for that kind of crime. I hope he returns a far wiser and more compassionate person. I doubt he'll return as anyone's quarterback.

The biggest NFL trade you never heard of

I hope everyone enjoyed the nifty throwbacks the Steelers wore tonight... they're in celebration of the Steeler's 75th anniversary. According to this site, the yellow helmets with the U.S. Steel logo on one side were only briefly used during the 1962 season.

Both the Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles are celebrating their 75th anniversary this season. Whenever David starts to complain about the Browns 'franchise' staying in Cleveland while the actual Browns team moved to Baltimore, I remind him of the convoluted, intertwined history of the Steelers and the Eagles.

After the 1940 season, the Eagles moved to Pittsburgh and renamed themselves the Steelers, while the Steelers moved to Philly and became the Eagles. I've read about this a million times (the book America's Game talks about it a bit) and I still don't understand why this was done, but the NFL (wisely I think) pretty much pretends this never happened.

And let's not forget the 1943 season, when a manpower shortage during World War II forced the Eagles and Steelers to merge for one year, forming the infamous Steagles. They were okay, going 5-4-1, certainly better than the next season's merger, where Pittsburgh tried to go the season merged with the Chicago Cardinals and the combined team went 0-10 and got fined for 'indifferent performance.'

So the moral is this: do not try to make sense of NFL franchise histories. That way madness lies.

A tip of the cap

The latest Star Struck catalog is in my grubby paws now, and naturally I am ignoring all of the winter sports and gazing adoringly at baseball caps. Don't ask me how many I already own- there is always room for more. Here are a few of the niftier ones that caught my eye:

Jamestown Jammers

Lake Elsinore Storm

Las Vegas 51s

San Bernadino Inland Empires

A bunch of grapes holding a baseball bat! How could any self respecting fan possibly resist that? If anyone wants to go on a very long road trip, I'll gladly buy these (and more) in the appropriate stadiums...

Gross orange uniforms part 2

The Cavs are wearing last season's Hardwood Classic throwback again. It was unpleasant enough 21 years ago, wasn't it? Let alone for six games last year.

NBA games will have to come with a health warning if this keeps up. Unless, of course, the uniforms come impregnated with beta carotene and vitamin C.

I think they broke most of the cameras

I saw about five seconds of the Bears-Lions game on TV today before the hideous Bears jerseys forced me to change the channel to protect my eyes. I'm color-blind, and I could see what a horrible clash they were. I had trouble finding an action picture of this, I think photgraphers were refusing to risk their camera lenses on this.