Click to enlarge
By Phil Hecken
It started with Miami (of Florida) on Thursday evening: the special white for white sake uniform: White helmet, white jersey, white pants (and usually white socks & shoes). It’s not an entirely new phenomenon in College Football, but like BFBS (black for black sake) and GFGS (gray for gray sake), it appears to be a growing aesthetic for the sport.
Now, there are a couple famous teams in College Football who always go WFWS on the road (Penn State and Texas), and there are others who do it on occasion. But lately, it seems, the trend is to go WFWS as a style option.
In fact, so far today, the following teams have already declared they’ll go WFWS (and there will likely be more we haven’t heard from):
UNLV
Our game uniform for this weekend. #VegasProud #BeatReno pic.twitter.com/VMO0fOEp44
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) October 1, 2015
Louisville
Here is the Uniform Report for this week's game at NC State! pic.twitter.com/nz0nhRNIB9
— Louisville Equipment (@UofLEquipment) October 1, 2015
Air Force
@UniWatch @PhilHecken all white e'erything vs Navy. pic.twitter.com/J1YMyu8pJ1
— Patrick Thomas (@PThomas19) October 2, 2015
Washington State
It's a white look for @COUG_Equipment @wsucougfb #IcyWhites #uniswag pic.twitter.com/frPTAOL1gj
— Uniswag (@Uniformswag) October 2, 2015
That’s just a sampling. Like I said, there will likely be more. I won’t even post the teams who’ve gone WFWS so far this season or in past seasons — you get the idea.
You guys know my feelings about alternate uniforms and helmets, but I realize they’re here to stay and complaining about them is like pissing into the wind. But I’ve always liked (in any sport) a crisp white uniform, and football is no different — so while I bemoan the introduction of elements that aren’t traditional (for example, a white helmet) into a school’s uni-repertoire, I actually like the WFWS look. But then, I like white home uniforms in baseball (no softball tops, please) and I’ve always liked (and long for a return to) white at home for hockey (granted, those will always have colored breezers). But there’s just something about an all white uniform I enjoy.
So, if a team MUST go with an alternate look, WFWS isn’t a bad way to go, in my opinion. I know there are many of you out there who likely disagree with this sentiment. But I’m curious — what are your folks’ opinions on WFWS? Do you like it when one team does it (and it certainly provides an excellent contrast between two teams) or do you insist that at least some part of the uniform have (preferably) a school color? Is this a trend that needs to quickly stop, or would you like it if more teams were to go WFWS as an option?
One thing I can certainly do without is the tendency to refer to the all-white look as “Icy-Whites” which I’ve seen referencing several of these looks so far (including one above). “Stormtrooper” (a word we no longer use to describe WFWS on Uni Watch) is also played out (and was never good to begin with). Anyone have a better catch-phrase? I’m all ears.
Let’s have your thoughts in the comments below.
Classic Ballpark Scoreboards
I’m pleased to continue with a favorite weekend feature here at Uni Watch, “Classic Ballpark Scoreboards,” which are created by Gary Chanko. You probably know Gary best for his wonderful colorizations, but he has been a solid contributor for many years, and this is his new project. This segment will appear every Saturday on Uni Watch.
Here’s Gary (click on image to enlarge):
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Classic Ballpark Scoreboards – Series II
by Gary Chanko
This week the Classic Scoreboard series returns full time to football beginning with a visit to the Motor City.
University of Detroit Stadium
Also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, and Dinan Field
Former Home of:Detroit Titans (NCAA) (1922-1964), Detroit Wolverines (NFL) (1928), Detroit Lions (NFL) (1934-1937), Detroit Cougars (United Soccer Association) (1967-1968), Michigan Arrows (Continental Football League – does anyone remember this league!) (1968)
Opened: 1922
Demolished: 1971
Remember the University of Detroit Football Titans? This program is probably not in the living memory of most of today’s college football fanatics. Still the Titans long football history is worth knowing.
Before the University discontinued football in 1964, the team was one of the best in the Midwest – nearly a .600 winning percentage over 64 gridiron seasons. In 1928 the team earned a nominal claim to college football’s national championship with a 9-0 record. Last year the University sponsored a 50-year reunion of former payers.
You can catch up on the Titans complete history in these archives, including the entire collection of Titan Football programs starting from 1915 (If your interests lie in graphic design, the cover art alone is with viewing).
The Titans football stadium opened in 1922 as a 20,000 seat U-shaped venue. The end zone scoreboard was typical of the era with posted player numbers by fixed position. Prior to 1941, football was a typically a “one platoon” system with players playing both offense and defense. So the hassle of having to change player numbers on the scoreboard during the game was minimal if at all.
The scoreboard illustration depicts the installation as it appeared in the early 1930s. Some newer electronics were added in the 1950s, but the basic structure remained little changed. The “Walker & Co.” (plaque below the scoreboard) was a well known Detroit outdoor advertising company that supplied the scoreboard.
A Few Things to Know
• The stadium lighting system was both peculiar and pioneering. The lighting oddity was the location of the supports that were positioned between the stands and the field. Weird.
• In 1929, the University of Detroit opened its football season against De Paul University in what was the first game to be played in Detroit under artificial lighting. At the time it was heralded as the “World’s Greatest Lighting System.” The lighting system for U of D Stadium was reported to be five times greater than the system installed in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl.
• Where was the first NFL Thanksgiving Day game played? You guess it, the University of Detroit Stadium.
• University of Detroit Stadium also hosted the 1935 NFL Championship Game, the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants, 26–7. The victory added to the “City of Champions” trifecta in 1935. The Tigers won the World Series and the Red Wings took home the Stanley Cup. But wait, there’s more Detroit sports champions.
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If anyone is interested in purchasing a digital copy of these posters, Gary is working on an online purchase option. In the interim you can contact him directly at Classicscoreboards@gmail.com.
Paul’s Latest ESPN Pieces
In case you missed it yesterday, Paul had two fantastic pieces on ESPN: His annual NHL Uniform Preview and a new weekly feature called “Friday Flashback,” which is devoted to uniforms from the past that are no longer worn. Yesterday’s column looked at Baseball’s infamous “Turn Ahead The Clock” (TATC) uniforms from 1999.
The NHL Uni Preview is here.
The Flashback Friday column is here.
Enjoy!
Colorize This!
Occasionally, I will be featuring wonderful, high-quality black and white photographs that are just begging to be colorized.
Back to weekend colorizations now that my weekday subbing for Paul is over.
Just one this week, and it is from a new colorizer — his name is Riley Swinford. Riley actually sent this to Paul back in July — and Paul dutifully forwarded it to me, but I somehow missed posting it until now. My apologies to Riley, and I hope he sends in more.
Click photos to enlarge.
Enjoy!
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Hi Paul
I’d like to submit this colorized version of Stan Musial I recently completed. I’m including the original B/W version for comparison. Thanks for considering it for your colorization section. It’s always one of my favorite parts of the site. I’ll be sending more colorizations from time to time. It’s a newfound hobby of mine.
Riley
. . .
That’s it for today. Great job Riley, and please do send more in (and you can send them directly to me)!
Uni Watch News Ticker:
Baseball News: Long-time Uni Watch friend Jerry Reuss writes, “Recently, I saw this video of Giant’s pitcher Tim Hudson after pitching the final game of his career. It reminded me of my final appearance twenty-five years ago on Saturday. My thanks to the fans who supported me, the people of Pittsburgh, the Pirates and especially, Pirates’ manager Jim Leyland who allowed me to finish my career with pride and dignity.” That video brought a tear to my eye — thanks for sharing, Jerry! … Check out this great shot from Bruce Menard of a “real” Tiger taking batting practice at the 1935 World Series at Navin Field in Detroit! Also from Bruce, look at this shot of Bucky “Effin” Dent in a fur coat. … WHOA! Check out this photo, featuring a bulls-eye on a catcher’s chest protector (from Jonathan Daniel). More here. Also from Jonathan, take a look at this photo which “shows three little people in House-of-David-style beards and a couple of clowns cavorting amongst the rubble of Ebbets Field during the process of demolition in 1960.” … Chipola College loves Cleveland logos. They used Chief Wahoo in 2001 and now use Cavs C (h/t Kevin Chmura). … The 1978 Charleston Charlies were yet another team with a “tequila sunrise” themed uni-set (from Jonathan Daniel), who adds, “Holy Crap. I had no idea this was a thing!”
NFL News: Here’s (yet another) interesting set of NFL Logo Mashups, in this SI/Extra Mustard piece. … Have you ever wanted to see what Pat Patriot would look like with a moose head? No? Well, you can now (h/t Patrick Burland). … In a move that should surprise no one, the Falcons will wear red at home against the Texans on Sunday. … Indy Colts. Pinktober. ‘Nuff said. … “At the Patriots home opener against Pittsburgh, they handed out replica championship banners to attendees,” writes Adam. “As I’m sure you know, they also handed out a Tom Brady banner that they likely would have unveiled if he had been suspended. I noticed that the number “1” is a different font that looks closer to the new Patriots text logo.” He asks, “Do you think there is a chance the Patriots numbers change to that font in 2016?” … “Thought of you two (Paul and me) when I saw this,” writes Munch Suchland. … Check out the TV numbers on this Irving Fryar Photo. Says submitter Matthew Eggen, “OUCH!” … The Cleveland Browns will be going brown/white/brown this weekend (more here).
College/High School Football News: I’m quoted in this story on Mizzou Coach Gary Pinkel’s fashion choices — but I can assure you I never used the word “swag.” … A writer for the Omaha World Herald wrote an article that was an ode to Nebraska’s red pants which they’ve worn less and less the last three years (from David “Trey” Ashby III). … Eleven Warriors and THE Ohio State University are pimping some upcoming games, including the *confirmed* BFBS game against PSU (more here). … Mizzou will be going black/gold/black today against South Carolina (h/t Christian Condray). … Blackout game for Rugters (from Rutgers247). … LA Tech will be going White/Blue/Blue today vs. UL-Lafayette (via LA Tech Football). … “My alma mater, Jonathan Alder HS in Plain City, OH, was recently hit with a cease and desist order from the U of Arizona for using their logo (with different colors) on athletic gear,” says Anthony Yutzy. “Do high schools get permission from colleges/pro teams or are cease and desist orders coming for the rest of them?” … Northwestern will still be wearing their “gothic” unis today, but they’ve changed them up to make them easier to read. … Looks like the Ducks & Beavers will have decals in memory/support of the Umpqua Community College victims/survivors shootings. More on that here. … Here’s a newer look at the BFBS Ohio State Buckeye jerseys which are expected to be worn for the October 18th Penn State game (via Andrew Lind). … NAU will wear black helmets with a pink logo this week against Montana State. … St. Marys High School (St. Marys, WV) wore Breast Cancer Awareness jerseys last night versus arch rival (h/t Donald Butcher). Here’s another look (from Coleman Mullins). … “We all have seen the digital camo and universally pan it. My local high school, South Lamar (Ala.) just got these in and are debut(ed) them (last) night,” writes Dustin Semore. “It hurts.” … The Linfield College Wildcats, members of NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference, have added a UCC ribbon on their helmets (h/t Eli Hibbert). … Illinois will have pink ribbon helmet decals today for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (h/t Illini Football). … WHOA, check out this awesome old Fordham helmet (from Pat Costello). … Apparently the Arizona Wildcats’ copper helmets are cursed. … Here’s an article from The Los Angeles Times bemoaning the continued allowing of nearly invisible numbers at the high school level. Jakob Wolf approves. … St. Xavier (Cincinnati) for the 3rd year in a row wearing custom pink jerseys (via Matthew Weber).
NBA/College/Hoops News: Utah Valley University has a new basketball court this year (h/t Merrill E. Mead). … The new Atlanta Hawks floor is now in place (from Chad Fields). … This is funny: “Wizards owner Ted Leonsis was recently on Fox Business discussing (among other things) the team’s new Baltimore Pride uniforms,” writes Average Bro. “This being Fox News, of course they had no other b-roll video of the Wizards so they ran a charming montage of Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton (of GunGate fame) at practice. So yeah, old logo, old uniforms, and 10 year old footage. Nice.”
Hockey News: The Columbus Blue Jackets have released their third jersey schedule (from Kenny). Also, from Kenny, the Washington Capitals have likewise released their third jersey sked. And so have the Minnesota Wild (also from Kenny). … Check out these Panther hockey sweaters with the Pitt script (from Jay Yander). … “Sometimes you find a teammate and the connection is too profound to ignore,” writes Spencer Bacon on Twitter. … This University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey goalie has pads matching the yellow gold jersey (from Joshua Dryer). … New uniforms for Lake Superior (from Patrick Thomas). … Reader Brian Rowland enjoyed Paul’s ESPN NHL Preview and notes, “One thing that I’ve noticed about the Arizona Coyotes new uniforms this season that wasn’t mentioned was that the manufacturer logos on the pants have moved from the front to the back. Also, it appears that there is no team logo whatsoever on their pants.” He adds, “I know that the Blues and possibly another team in the league have manufacture logos on the back of their pants, but I believe that Arizona is the only team in the NHL to have no team logo on their pants.”
Grab Bag: Women’s cycling world road race champion Lizzie Armistead will wear this kit next year. You can read more on that here (thanks to Sean Clancy). … Reader Graham Block points out that even Google is affected by Pinktober, and writes, “I noticed that the color of the circle changed with the new month. Mine has always had a blue background, but not anymore. I wonder if this is the same for other people or mine is just a random occurrence/particular to the background design I use.” … From Dave Rakowski, “The ultimate crowdsourced map of punny businesses in America.” … I have to admit, I LOL’ed at this. … Interesting piece, sent in by Brinke, “Simplistic Rebranding Of KFC Goes Back To Its Vintage, Homely Roots.” … Golfer Jordan Speith now has his own signature golf line (h/t Jon Rowland). … “In my local package store tonight I stumbled upon this” Vodka football uni display, writes WK. “At least Svedka didn’t go BFBS.” … Oregon soccer a memorial ribbon on the field for the victims of the UCC shooting (h/t Ducks Equipment). … Pinktober is not just for sports now. The Colorado Stare Patrol is getting in on the fun now (from Ryan Wright). … Those are apparently not limited to CO, as here’s a pink patrol car spotted in Sheffield, AL. (from Scott Holcomb). … The winter version of the Premier League game ball is just like the regular ball, but neon-ier (thanks to Holy Calamity). … Pinktober isn’t limited to US teams, as Mexican soccer teams have joined the movement (h/t Josh Sánchez).
And that’s it for today. Welcome to Pinktober, errybody. Hopefully the NCAA teams will keep the pink affectations to a minimum today, but well…you know. Thanks to Gary, new colorizer Riley and everyone who submitted for the ticker. If all goes according to plan, I should have my fourth NCAA tracker (and all Power 5 conferences) tomorrow. Stay tuned, and be sure to check back in for all your SMUW needs tomorrow. Till then…
Follow me on Twitter @PhilHecken.
Peace.
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“Would the Eagles look better with kelly green? Absolutely. But is midnight green the worst thing about their current look? Not even close. It’s all the black that’s the problem.”
— R. Scott Rogers
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