Uniformity
Friends, I come to you today with some remarks about a number of things, but I want to start with some thoughts about sports team uniforms.
Yes, that's right. Uniforms.
This has interested me for some time. I read a blog periodically called Uni-Watch, about, guess what? Sports uniforms. So here are some things that I want to throw out there:
Every university or fan or sportscaster who made fun of the University of Oregon for their ever-changing uniform combinations and possibilities, take note. On Saturday, the University of Kentucky (famous for "Go Big Blue") wore grey uniforms for at least the second time this year. On Senior Day. I like them, don't get me wrong, but it's just a different thing, that's all. On the same day, Oklahoma, whose uniforms had changed little in many, MANY years, wore white helmets. Probably not the first time, either. Arizona State University wore "anthracite" (dark grey to most of us) with copper accents. Last I heard, their school colors were a deep maroon and gold. And Notre Dame, the bastion of tradition in college sports, is allowing its football players to wear gold cleats.
In the NFL, there are more ugly color combinations than I can remember. The Baltimore Ravens chose to wear their purple home jerseys with black pants. Ugh. The New Orleans Saints wore all black. So did the Cincinnati Bengals, against the Cleveland Browns, who were wearing brown pants. And in the NFL, which some have said must stand for "no fun league," since they used to value uniformity above all else, players are wearing all colors of shoes, colored belt/sash/towel things around their waists, and on and on. Yikes.
Then there's my preferred sport, major league baseball. Used to be that the team would determine that the uniform consisted of a certain color, and then the team would be outfitted with white uniforms, trimmed in that color, for home games, and grey unis with that same trim for road games. Now, most teams wear a colored jersey (or two or three) and do so at home or on the road. Plus it used to be that a team would designate that their players would all wear the same color shoes, but that hardly ever happens now. And most every player wears his pants like pajamas, loose and long at the bottom, so completely covering the shoetops that many of the manufacturers of cleats have taken to placing their logos on the front half of the shoe, for greater visibility. And, of course, that precludes the possibility of most players wearing proper stirrup socks. Which almost none do, although sometimes players will pull their pants up toward their knee, revealing not a proper stirrup and sock combo, but a single-color sock much like soccer players wear.
This is all OK, because the NBA, pro basketball league, is threatening to start placing ads on their uniforms. I say that it cannot hurt, given how many teams and sports already look.
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A couple of other things to note: my wife and I saw "Interstellar" yesterday. Awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, emotionally charged, exceptional movie. I want to go back to see it again, just to see what I didn't fully absorb the first time. And even if you're not a fan of science fiction, don't write this movie off....lots more to offer than just sci-fi stuff.
Finally, former President George W. Bush is making the rounds right now, having just authored a book about his father, former President George H.W. Bush. He seems a lot more likable these days, much as he seemed when he was Governor of Texas and before, when he was involved with the Texas Rangers baseball team. And he clearly has a high opinion of his father, and I admire that.
That's good enough for a Monday. Try to have a good week.
Yes, that's right. Uniforms.
This has interested me for some time. I read a blog periodically called Uni-Watch, about, guess what? Sports uniforms. So here are some things that I want to throw out there:
Every university or fan or sportscaster who made fun of the University of Oregon for their ever-changing uniform combinations and possibilities, take note. On Saturday, the University of Kentucky (famous for "Go Big Blue") wore grey uniforms for at least the second time this year. On Senior Day. I like them, don't get me wrong, but it's just a different thing, that's all. On the same day, Oklahoma, whose uniforms had changed little in many, MANY years, wore white helmets. Probably not the first time, either. Arizona State University wore "anthracite" (dark grey to most of us) with copper accents. Last I heard, their school colors were a deep maroon and gold. And Notre Dame, the bastion of tradition in college sports, is allowing its football players to wear gold cleats.
In the NFL, there are more ugly color combinations than I can remember. The Baltimore Ravens chose to wear their purple home jerseys with black pants. Ugh. The New Orleans Saints wore all black. So did the Cincinnati Bengals, against the Cleveland Browns, who were wearing brown pants. And in the NFL, which some have said must stand for "no fun league," since they used to value uniformity above all else, players are wearing all colors of shoes, colored belt/sash/towel things around their waists, and on and on. Yikes.
Then there's my preferred sport, major league baseball. Used to be that the team would determine that the uniform consisted of a certain color, and then the team would be outfitted with white uniforms, trimmed in that color, for home games, and grey unis with that same trim for road games. Now, most teams wear a colored jersey (or two or three) and do so at home or on the road. Plus it used to be that a team would designate that their players would all wear the same color shoes, but that hardly ever happens now. And most every player wears his pants like pajamas, loose and long at the bottom, so completely covering the shoetops that many of the manufacturers of cleats have taken to placing their logos on the front half of the shoe, for greater visibility. And, of course, that precludes the possibility of most players wearing proper stirrup socks. Which almost none do, although sometimes players will pull their pants up toward their knee, revealing not a proper stirrup and sock combo, but a single-color sock much like soccer players wear.
This is all OK, because the NBA, pro basketball league, is threatening to start placing ads on their uniforms. I say that it cannot hurt, given how many teams and sports already look.
---------------------------
A couple of other things to note: my wife and I saw "Interstellar" yesterday. Awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, emotionally charged, exceptional movie. I want to go back to see it again, just to see what I didn't fully absorb the first time. And even if you're not a fan of science fiction, don't write this movie off....lots more to offer than just sci-fi stuff.
Finally, former President George W. Bush is making the rounds right now, having just authored a book about his father, former President George H.W. Bush. He seems a lot more likable these days, much as he seemed when he was Governor of Texas and before, when he was involved with the Texas Rangers baseball team. And he clearly has a high opinion of his father, and I admire that.
That's good enough for a Monday. Try to have a good week.
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