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The most uni-notable moment in yesterday’s NFL action probably came during the Panthers/Seahawks game, when Fox decided to project NASCAR firesuits onto its studio talent (no, they weren’t actually wearing them). Our resident motor sports expert, David Firestone, provides the breakdown of who was wearing whose suit with which sponsor, from left to right:
Curt Menefee: Dale Eanrhardt Jr., Nationwide
Terry Bradshaw: Joey Logano, Shell/Pennzoil
Howie Long: Jimmie Johnson, Lowes
Michael Strahan: Kevin Harvick, Budweiser
Jimmy Johnson: Kyle Busch, M&M’s
“Why they didn’t have Jimmy Johnson wearing Jimmie Johnson, I don’t know,” says David.
A few other notes from yesterday:
• We know different teams have differing approaches to how they handle striping and other graphics that cross the cut-out panel on a SpeedFlex helmet. But it looks like the Steelers took two different approaches with two different helmets.
• Look in the top-left quadrant of this shot and you can see a fan wearing a Panthers/Seahawks Frankenjersey.
• Missed opportunity for an infinite regression, as Panthers quarterback Cam Newton warmed up in a T-shirt featuring a cartoon version of himself wearing a T-shirt.
Meanwhile, longtime reader Conrad Burry is doing one of his signature circular playoff brackets for the NFL postseason. Here’s how it looks after the conclusion of yesterday’s action (click to enlarge):
(My thanks to @CaneMiami, @JThrock45, Chris Hilf. and Aaron McHargue for their contributions.)
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Reminder No. 1: I’m currently accepting entries for an ESPN contest to redesign the Rams. Full details here.
Reminder No. 2: In case you missed it last week, all of the Uni Watch T-Shirt Club’s 2015 designs are available from now through the middle of next week at our Second Chance Shop. Further details here.
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Membership update: A few more designs have been added to the membership card gallery (including Eric Sahnow’s Minnesota Gophers treatment, shown at right). We have a few slots left in the current batch before it gets sent to the printer, so if you sign up now, you’ll likely get your card very quickly.
As always, you can sign up for your own custom-designed membership card here, you can see all the cards we’ve designed so far here, and you can see how we produce the cards here.
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Click to have mind totally blown
PermaRec update: The latest letter from the Hoge Brush Company files was typed on one of the most spectacular example of mid-century letterhead design I’ve ever seen. Get the full scoop over on Permanent Record.
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Gromm•It update: In Friday’s comments, longtime reader Denver Gregg listed a bunch of foods that he wanted to see grommeted, including “grommi bears” — a brilliant suggestion, and one that I quickly acted upon. Lots of photos over on Gromm•It.
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The Ticker
By Paul
Baseball News: We’ve seen lots of NFL players wearing basketball uniforms lately, but how about this: Cal Ripken Jr. in an Orioles basketball uni (from David Holland). … The River City Rascals — that’s an independent minor league team in Missouri — is encouraging disappointed and/or disgruntled St. Louis Rams fans to participate in an exchange. If fans bring in a Rams jersey or T-shirt, they’ll get a Rascals T-shirt and two tickets to a 2016 home game. The Rams gear apparel will then be donated to local people in need (from Chris Fanelli). … Matt Shephardson attended a Cubs fanfest event and came away with a big haul of uni-related stuff. “I snagged several things that have meaning to my family or to me, such as a pair of Jeff Smardzija’s old pants and several caps that were worn by players (or issued to them, but never worn, like the camo-brimmed Addison Russell G.I. Joke cap),” he says. “What I was surprised but absolutely delighted — while also somewhat saddened — to see was stirrups in both standard blue and the throwback navy and white. I was happy to see that they were issued and available for anyone to wear, but my sadness was in how few people actually used them. This is the first time in my memory that the Cubs have included stirrups as part of the uniform livery, and I was more than happy to snag a couple pairs for $5, which is less than I paid earlier this year for stirrups for myself!”
NFL News: What if the center stripe on a football helmet looked like a Coke bottle? (From Jon Solomonson.) … According to the mighty Gridiron Uniform Database, the Rams had white outlining on their uni numbers during the 1973 preseason. Here’s a rare photo of that (from Mike Colvin). … Hmmm, how many NFL mascots — or mascots in any sport, for that matter — wear unnumbered jerseys? … Michael Irvin apparently wears socks with a picture of himself on them (from Jerry Nitzh).
Hockey News: Hmmm, a Columbus Blue Jackets bowling jacket? Sure, why not (from John Muir). … I think we’ve seen this before, but once more won’t hurt: the 1980 Canadiens had a softball team (from Leo Strawn Jr.). … The Bridgeport Sound Tigers went G.I. Joke last night (from Stan Capp). … Martin Hick’s daughter, Clara Jane, recently turned three years old, so he made one of his signature hockey jersey cakes for her. “Since she was turning three, it was technically a Bob Gassoff jersey,” says Marty. “I wanted to put blood stains on it, but Holly [Marty’s wife] and Clara put the kibosh on that.”
Soccer News: The dark pink stripe on Juventus’s sleeves conveniently aligns with the pink stripe on their jersey advertisement (as noted by Tim Cross). … New third kit for Flamengo. … New kit for Nagoya Grampus.
Grab Bag: “For the 50th anniversary of Funny Car competition, the NHRA is running a contest to decide the 20 best cars of all time, and they ran a really cool graphic showing the evolution of the design of funny cars,” says David Firestone.
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Special man, special day: Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the day we honor the greatest American this country has ever produced. As incredible as MLK’s life was, here’s something even more incredible: When he was assassinated in 1968, he was only 39. Dude was just getting started. (Or to put it another way, when MLK was my age, he’d been dead for 12 years, which really puts one’s own life in perspective.) Whether you have the day off today or are working, take a minute or two to consider the man and his achievements. I’m sorry to say that I doubt we’ll ever see his like again.
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