New Illini Uni?!

Here is a picture of a future Illini uniform that was tweeted from the head coach.  As you may know, the late 90s Illinois unis are in my top 10 with the navy-white-burnt orange stripes on the sleeves and pants.  I own a pair of Illini basketball shorts with the stripe design on the waist and it’s not too bad, but it looks like they are trying too hard.  Go back to when Nike first got into the game with the patterened sleeves and collars like TAMU and FSU.  Down the side of the pants look cheesy and the photo looks copied and pasted anyway.  A grey/dark grey uni with their colors?  I wouldn’t hate it.  I’m also a non-Illini supporter.

Bonus points for the shoulder stripe, but why is #55 running the ball?

WYO camo uni

I got nothin'



Source: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1262313/wyomingcamojersey.jpg via http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/07/31/a-brief-history-of-olympic-swimming-uniforms/

Update: New Nebraska "Unrivaled" Uniform?!

One more picture from twitter...too many to name but it's up there...


Lost Letterman Update: SCREEN CAPS! WHOOPIE!! Here you go, Husker Nation.
These will be worn on Sept. 29th as they host Wisconsin under the lights in Lincoln.





Thanks to Lost Letterman
...
Um...so this is going to happen?  I doubt the faithful in Lincoln will be down with this.  I think Stanford already did this.

http://youtu.be/iYkIpx0D-dU

Source: http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/07/27/u-s-baseball-at-the-olympics/

7/27/12 Update: New Northwestern Uni

7/27/12 Update: First picture of the actual NW jersey via @BTNBrenttYarnia

New Mississippi State Unis

Northwestern wasn't the only team to show off their new duds yesterday.  Miss. State, one of my top 10 unis of all time in the late 90s, showed off their new adidas unis as well.  A complete upgrade from what they had previous and OMG no stupid grey.  One thick stripe down the pants and coming out of the neck to the sleeve number and a think white stripe on a maroon helmet.  I love the look.  And the socks!  The biggest takeway: It could have been a lot worse.  Bring back the MISS. STATE on the front and we're all set.

Here's a link to the video: http://www.hailstate.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=891808


Late 90s


Recient Road


New Road

Source: http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205531833&DB_OEM_ID=16800

Raw 1000

Last night, WWF (I know it’s WWE but it’s still WWF to me, damnit!) aired their 1,000^th Monday Night Raw, that started in Jan. of 1993 (which I watched).  Over the past weeks/months, they have been hyping it more than any PPV and last night was a tribute to the main stars of my era (The Attitude Era) mixed in with current and new storylines.

For those of you who care, here is my backstory on the WWF and wrasslin in general.  I started watching WWF around 1992.  My favorite guy was Undertaker and then was Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Diesel.  I had missed the primes of Hogan, Macho and Ric Flair.  I was part of the new generation.  My dad having a cable descrambler, hence getting all the PPVs every year really helped as well (damn I wish I taped those on vhs).  That then morphed into what is now known at the Attitude Era with DX, Stone Cold, Mankind, Rocky, nWo and the Monday Night Wars with WCW.  I probably watched every Monday Night Raw from 93-00/01 (and PPVs) until I became too cool in high school and WWF bought WCW and all that crap.  So I go kind of go  “way” back and it was great to see all the old guys.

My hiatus: When I got my first high school girlfriend, I dumped WWF.  When they bought WCW and the wars were over and the two didn’t face each other, I was done.  Then in college, I maybe watched 10 seconds of it and I didn’t know any of the new guys.  I knew Brock Lesnar and HHH were still doing their thing, and John Cena, a white guy who liked rap and wore jerseys (finally) was the newest big guy, but I was in college and on Monday Nights, if it wasn’t on a tv at the bar, I wasn’t watching it.  I did buy the Hell in the Cell dvds and have gone back and watched those from the mid 2000s but yeah, missed when they went to the PG Era.  Then something happened…

Last summer, I got wind of a WWF guy losing his mind and going off script and basically calling the President of the WWF and all the muscle meat heads a pieces of shit.  It is also known as The Summer of Punk.  At the end of a Monday Night Raw, he took the mic, sat down on the stage, and aired his grievances.  His mic was cut and the show ended.  Nobody had any idea what was going on (this taught me a lesson: if it is meant to be on tv, then it will be on tv).  I was hooked.  Also, living with two boys in elementary school, I had someone to watch it with.  I have been watching it now for over a year, and have bought numerous PPVs, and even though the boys aren’t really into it, I am still watching.  Not as a true fan, who would get really upset if the 1-2-3 kid would take out Tatanka, but was a “grown-up” fan who enjoys good actors that mix athletic ability with mic skills and good promos.  I tend to root for the baddies in order to get the boys rooting harder for their guys.  I get it’s all staged and look for subtleties and what is coming next. 

It’s pretty fun to try to predict who will run out or who will get hit in the face with a chair (NO BLOOD).  None of my real friends watch nor care about WWF, but it’s cool to me to come back to something that was a major part of my childhood.  The question that will come up in the next few years will be if I will let my daughter get into it…stay tuned.

Here is a great post by a 3X Smackoff Champion about the Attitude Era in rasslin…the Golden Age if you will.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2012/07/in_honor_of_tonights_raw_1000.php

CBJ trades Nash

The Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) traded their best and franchise player yesterday to the New York Rangers. Some people love the deal. Some people hate the deal. The GM Howsen usually gets bent over on deals, so it is assumed that he gave Nash for next to nothing, and a lot less than what he could have gotten for him at least year’s/this year’s trade deadline. The worst team traded their “best”player, so now the CBJ will really suck. I don’t know who they got for Nash, I don’t care. I’m kind of glad the Nash saga is over, and he was the only player I knew on the CBJ and he will for sure be an all-star with the Rangers when Columbus hosts the all-star game next February. Awesome! Carry that tattered, lame, damp, rotted Flag.

War Damn Tattoo

This is a few days old, but it involves a recruit switching to a hated rival, and a on-a-whim tattoo.  Reuben Foster, the number 1 LB and Top 2/5/10 recruit had originally verballed to Roll Damn Tide switched to War Damn Eagle.  He had changed high schools and there was some rumbling that he was wavering on his commitment to Saban and co.  He did switch, and the old adage of “if he switched now, he can/will switch again” seems not to apply, since he, seemingly hours after the change of heart, posted a picture of a nice new, AU tattoo, colored, on his forearm.  Obviously he can rock a half sleeve, but this seems like he is warring damn eagle and warring damn eagle for life.  Way to go, young’n.  If you’re going to Heisman Bama after giving your undying support, Heisman them in the gnads, with new, visible, ink.  Earmuffs in Tuscaloosa.  Earmuffs.

Got Heeeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmmmm

By the looks of it, in the Pacific Northwest there won’t be any problems for a 5-star football player deciding on whether or not to sign a huge MLB contract and give up the gridiron for the diamond.  In the winter, when Cal lost their assistant coach and head recruited to Pac-12 rival Washington, the fallout was almost immediate.  Shaq Thompson, 5-star DB almost instantly switched from Cal to UW, a major get for the Huskies.  He is an all-around great athlete, as evident by him being in the Red Sox minor league system.  Same story as most two-sport stars.  Then, in the summer, he got to play a few AA games.  Now, I’m not a big stat guy.  They can give you the whole story, or empty fodder for your point of view, with other factors not playing a part.  Anyway, let’s get to Shaq.  Here is what he accomplished in the summer: 0-39, 37Ks.  He didn’t have one hit, and all but two of his outs were not strikeouts.  Got HeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmmmX37.  Looks like we’ll see Shaq full-time in the fall on Saturdays and probably Sundays.  Good job, good effort, Shaq.  Stick to cover 2 buddy.

New Michigan uniforms: Cowboy Classic

These are what Michigan will wear on the night of Sept. 1 as they play Alabama in Jerry's World.  The article also states that numbers will be on the helmets, but for this game only.  I don't mind the block M on the sleeves, but the sun shoulders look stupid.  They could have done a lot worse, and it's only for one game, and it will be a beat down so don't expect to see these again.  I am all-in on grey facemasks, but with this helmet, the blue facemask looks much better.  Their gloves also have the words of "The Victors" on the palms, which shouldn't come into play much as they will score maybe 7 points in Dallas..  Could have been worse, could have been better.  Not bad for an adidas school.




Here's a nice video from the people of adidas

Source: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072312aab.html
Source: http://www.lostlettermen.com/michigan-gets-new-unis-for-alabama/

Penn State Death Penalty 4.0

The NCAA took the hammer to the Penn State football program this morning.  The total damage as is follows: 4-year bowl ban, a total of 65 scholarship players for 4 years, all wins from 1998-2011 have been vacated (111), and a $60M fine, $12M as a yearly minimum payment.  Here’s the kicker:  Any player can leave, play this year, and not count toward another school’s total scholarship count.  So not only do incoming freshmen have no shot of playing a bowl their entire career, and the class of 2013 only have their senior year eligible for post-season, but any player can leave, play immediately and not take a scholarship away at their new school.  At least SMU was able to “start-over” after one year.  After 4 years, do you think State will be able to get any 3-stars?  The statue, the vacated wins, the fine, even the scholarships hurt.  But programs need players, and not only will just about every D-1 player leave, but State won’t get any talent for at least 4 years.  There is no death and start-over.  Their program will be untouchable for at least 5 years.  There will be frat flag-football teams playing at Fred Beekman Park at Ohio State who have more talent than Penn State will put on the field for the next five years.

At their recent best, they were 10-11 win program, a New Year’s Day fixture, but not in the overall class of Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and now Michigan State, not to mention the SEC bests, and the Big 12 and Pac-12 big boys.  They were a nice 3 to 4 star program that “did it the right way.”  Now Penn State’s program is dead and will be fighting Indiana for the Leaders basement for years to come.  Like I have said when this story broke; This is the worst thing ever and there are no winners.  At least the money goes towards child abuse victims and relief.

The Big Ten also came down on PSU, making their program ineligible for the B1G Championship for 4 years and not allowing Penn State to receive their share of the B1G’s revenue.

New UNLV Helmet

The UNLV helmet has a new look for the 2012 and it doesn’t really matter, but I am a fan of the light shell, with the darker two stripes and white in the middle.  And a grey facemask.  Also, I love watching UNLV play because I always take the other team and they make me a lot of money.  Good look, bad team, easy money.  I also have a bucket list item to see them play while in Vegas, or at least attend the Las Vegas Bowl.  So hopefully they keep this helmet when I get around to see them play.

Source: Uni-Watch

Punishing Penn State

Alright, if you read this, you know me.  And if you know me, you know how I felt when the Penn State story broke, when more and more facts came out, when the students rioted when Joe Pa was fired and that “presser” which was a bunch of Penn State fans asking why Joe Pa was fired that proceeded the rioting.

The main question right now, is what to do with Penn State and more specifically, what should happen to the 2012 Penn State football team?

There is the view that if SMU received the Death Penalty for paying players, then what happens to a program who had a coach who raped boys in the locker room and showers (and had the Iconic Head Coach along with the President, Assis. President and AD cover it up)?  Should the team this year be punished and the program hammered for a coach who is in prison and an administration who was fired, and one of the best all-time coaches fired and later passed away?

I have a hard time with this.  I do not think any of the players and coaches had anything to do with this, and the people responsible have either lost their job, lost their job and put in jail, or last their job and then passed away, I think the program has been punished enough.  I think it’s about coming together, moving forward, and learning about what happened.  This is the worst story in sports, but it’s bigger than a football program.  It’s about the victims.  They are going to sue PSU and sue PSU hard in civil court.  I just don’t think that the current players and coaches should be “put to death”.  They didn’t do anything, or have anything to do with the horrors that started 14 years ago.  You could say that the teams that have been punished, like USC and Ohio State, the actual teams that were punished had nothing to do with the players or coaches that violated NCAA rules, so the Death Penality or post-season bans are not out of the question.

If you/they want to take down Joe Pa’s statue, that’s fine.  If this year’s team doesn’t want to have a patch honoring Joe Pa, that’s fine.  But I think it is about rebuilding and moving forward.  This year’s team has nothing to do with the people responsible and those responsibly have or will have met their punishment.  Don’t take it out on the 2012 Nittany Lions.

Hopefully this is the last time I have to write about something this horrific.  Please pray for the victims and their families, and if you hear or see anything like this, please alert the police. 

Real Life Road Rash

This guy is actually going 65.  He’s on 71 (I-71 for those outside of Ohio.)

New A&M Unis

Texas A&M rolled out new unis from Adidas, and if you know anything about me, then you would know that the TAMU unis in the late 90s (Dat Nguyen 4 LIFE) are one of my all-time favorites.  Deep maroon, all white, nike, simple/clean, sleeve numbers.  All me.  Even a little pattern on the sleeve and neck trim a la Penn State and Florida State.  They would have been in my top 5 if I was a 5-star.  GIG EM!!

Anyway, when they switched to Adidas, they added gray, but just a little bit and ruined the freaking TAMU brand.  They brought back the old style during Von Miller’s prime, but used the stretchy style that looks like a colored trash bag.  Their stretch fit looks like shit and Adidas sucks balls.  Anyway, new conference, new unis for the Aggies.  Here they are, via @AggieFootball.  Hey A&M, when you go back to Nike, let me know.  Oh and have fun getting to a bowl in the SEC.

Takeaway

Not too bad, they look like Sparty before they went Nike psycho with just one stripe down the side.  And the two stripes coming down the shoulder is nice, but if you're gonna use two stripes, then use two stripes.  If you're gonna use one, use one (I'm all about consistancy). Update from Uni-watch: The shoulder stripes come for the '70s.  Uh OK.  Why not keep the current set and use this as another option?  Oh well.  At least there is no black (nor white helmet - the guy with the gloves kinda looks like he's got a white helmet, but it could be the glare, youneverknow) Looks like there is a white helmet, along with the addition of the grey facemask, a must for any Dupe uni.  The color finish is also flat/matte.  The #techfit still look like shit BTW.  The Nationals-style numbers with the shading on in the inside, called beveling, looks like shit.  I’m not even gonna speak on the continued sleeves.  Or gloves.  Or socks.

Here's a nice video from the guys at adidas:

Updated source: http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/07/13/london-olympics-cant-do-anything-right/

New Vandy Uniforms

Before we get started with the new uniforms for the powerhouse that is Vandy football, let’s make a check list of new uniform trends and see how many the Commodores get.

The first thing is to add a black set and a gray set.  Also every team has to have a flat/matte black helmet and a white helmet, along with their traditional and their alternate colors.  This will apply along with the jerseys and pants.  Every team will have a home, alternate, white, black and gray shirt along with matching pants.  Also, there should be something either bold or subtle feature that is specific to their team/university/city/town/state/conference.   Obviously the newest technology will be involved as well.  Since Vandy’s main color is black, we hope they do have a black set that will be their home set.

Let’s take a look…

Worst Day in Sports

The day after the MLB All-Star game is the worst day in sports.  So I have nothing.  Enjoy this.

UPDATE: The Storm is gone from Ohio State

Over the weekend, Ohio State, specifically Urb booted Storm Klein off the team, following his arrest on domestic violence and assault.   Her lawyers say he “wrapped his arms around a former girlfriend, causing scrapes to her forearms, and then threw her against a door, causing her head to hit the door.”  They also say they have photos of the cuts and bruises. 

His team says she showed up at his apartment, unannounced (don’t they all), and demanded to talk about their relationship and “proceeded to cause a commotion.”  He then “forcibly moved her outside the apartment, and locked the door.”  Uh wow.  I have been part of this a time or two in my college days, and have witnessed numerous times where this happened to others (see: El Diablo every weekend circa 2004-2006).   Something tells me “cause a commotion”=see Storm with another girl(s).



Welcome to the Citgo

Whichever is the true story (THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT, DAMNIT), you can never put your hands on a female in an argument, especially if you are a senior LB and could do damage when riled up and not even know it.  Also, YOU CAN NEVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON A WOMAN.  EVER.

Welcome to the Aftermath:

Urb wasted little time kicking the starting-now-backup LB off the team after Klein spent Friday night/Saturday morning in jail.  Urb then released a statement, “The charges filed against Storm Klein violate the core values of the Ohio State Football Program.  As a result, Storm has been removed from the team.  It has been made very clear that this type of charge will result in dismissal.  If there are any changes in the charges, we will re-evaluate his status.”  BOOM.  OUTTA HERE.

Klein posted 38 games with Ohio State.  He started 10 games and earned 3 letters during his 3-year career.

This is the third arrest in the summer (Bogie Inn), and the third guy to be let go (Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell were booted in January) in Urb’s first preseason (8 months) at Ohio State.  During his last years at UF, Urb came under scrutiny for the arrests of his Gator players, along with a story that came out a few months ago that he gave preferential treatment to his best players.  One of those star players, Chris Rainey, sent a text to an ex-girlfriend that said, “Time to die.”  He was not released off the team.

The takeaway:

Obviously, Urb is starting his tenure off with a zero-tolerance policy and making examples of the upperclassmen (thanks upperclassmen, for being the examples).  Even if Klein was slated to start this year, I don’t think Urb would’ve done anything different.  It will be interesting to see, if the charges do get dropped, if Klein will be allowed to practice and be back with the team.  Once you get the rap of a woman-beater, it’s hard to shake, and to have Storm rejoin the football program with that label will be something Urban will have to look long and hard at.

Update:

Apparently Mr. Klein’s “ex-girlfriend” is also the mother of his daughter.  So you had your daughter’s mother file a report and get you, your daughter’s dad, arrested and kicked off the Ohio State football team.  Let’s fast forward 15-20 years….Hey dad, meet my new girlfriend, Jane (Doe) Klein.  Her dad played football for Ohio State in the late 2000s and early 2010s.  Started one year and earned 3 letters and 2 pairs of gold pants.  His dad: (Huge Buckeye fan)…Oh yeah, wasn’t he a linebacker that put…uh…her mom through…a door…and…uh…spent the night in jail…then was…uh…kicked off the team?  Anyway, have a good time, you two.  (Slowly backs away into his man cave/horseshoe/basement shrine to Coach Meyer’s 5 national championships).  I’m pretty sure every one of her date’s fathers will be around my age and know exactly who her father was/is and what her father did to her mother.  Good job, good effort Storm.  I bet Turbo and Laser don’t beat their ex-girlfriends-who-happen-to-be-the-mother-of-their-child-while-in-college.

What to do with Jordan Hall

Last week, Ohio State lost it's number one running back/pivot play maker, senior Jordan Hall.  He is done for at least 10 weeks after stepping on glass and cutting tendons in his foot.

At first thought, I saw 10 weeks = 2 1/2 months and he will be back after the first two games.  He would miss the battle versus the Redskinshawks from Miami in Oxford, and Central Florida.  In the Miami game, he would have gotten maybe 5 touches before being sat after the Bucks jumped out to a 49-0 lead in the 1st quarter.  Against the Golden Knights, who everyone has in the top 15 even though their benched/quit/come back at WR quarterback last year will be catching passes and lining up as their Wild Knight QB.  Needless to say I don't see any real threat in the heart of Buckeye nation.

See you in 2013, hopefully

Alright, so he will miss two blowouts, be back for Cal and the school who took out UK in the round of 32 in 2007.  In basketball.  Great.  As long as he is back and healthy for Sparty when the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing in the last Saturday of September, the offense will be alright.

Then I got to thinking more and more about what exactly he will miss and what he'll be ready for when he is back to football shape.

He is out with a foot injury, which means getting swole in his upper body, which is nice, but no football related activities for around 2 months, as Urb is implementing his offense (which HALL IS THE MAJOR FACTOR/FOCAL POINT OF).  Then he comes back and in 2 weeks is supposed to be ready for the B1G grind, starting off going north to face a stingy and pissed off defense in Sparty.  So he spends two weeks of his senior year getting ready, and then the Big Ten season starts for a season that doesn't matter.

If he is red shirted, he gets to learn the offense at his own pace, help the defense get better by going HAM on the scout team, and gets a year stronger and better for next year, a season that is bowl/B1G Championship/National Championship eligible.  It also gives more touches/experience to the stable of Dunn, Hyde, Ball and Smith in a season that doesn't have any reward.

Yes,  the Buckeyes would shelve their top play maker and focal point of the offense, but it will pay off next year, I promise.  Unless he walks around on the set of Saw IV again with no Jordans.  Keep your shoes on, young man.

10 year high school anniversary

10 years later, 10 beers in

Over the weekend, I had my 10 year UAHS reunion at the Bogey Inn.  It was really fun and just like high school, I talked to my homeboys I haven't seen for awhile and didn't really talk to anyone I wasn't friends with.  My homies met at my place before (we had power!) (!) and it was close to where the bus was to take us to the Bogey.  We took the last one and had the entire bus to ourselves. 

Anyway, this reunion got me to thinking, not about how much have changed since high school.  Since I am a completely different person, big changes 10 years out are assumed.  But it got me thinking (aloud to myself in the shower) about how much has changed in just 5 years since our last reunion at BOMA (Bar for Modern Art) which isn't there anymore.

July 2007, I had just graduated college in March after 4+ years, had not started going to school to become a teacher and was landscaping for my day job.  I still had both my parents, I was living at the Quarry with Hale and was dating Alissa.  Ohio State had just come off their best season with a devastating loss to Florida in the championship, a basketball loss to Florida, in the championship, and the Indians were in the midst of a season that took them to a 3-1 lead in the ALCS with game 5 at home and CC on the mound.  The Cavs had just lost in the finals to the Spurs after taking out the Pistons and the Clippers were still playing at the Coop.  My sister was at OU and I was still driving my '02 Jeep Cherokee.  Oh and I had just been suspended from coaching JV football at UA for being in a picture during sibs weekend at OU with a high school senior who was also there to see his sib (my sister's roommate).

Here's the spark notes from those next 5 years:
My mother passed away in December of '07, I moved from the Quarry to Dublin, to Cambridge road in UA, then to my dad's, then with Trapp, then with Tiffany at the condo, then into a house on Zollinger and now at our house on Kentwell.  That's 7 different places I called home.  I coached Hastings Middle School football for 2 years and Hilliard Bradley JV baseball for 3.  I was off-and-on at Ashland and Columbus State and ended up getting a real desk job (temp) at Ohio State HR last year after being a sub teacher all over Columbus from '08-'11.  I then took a job 3 weeks ago at STRS (temp-to-hire) and have quit coaching (for the time being).

I met Tiffany in the fall of '08 and we now live together in UA with her two sons (10 and 8) and our daughter, Ella, who was born in Nov. 2010.  A few of my friends have gotten married and most of them live with their girlfriends.

Ohio State won 4 B1G championships, beat Michigan 4/5 years and had the 2010 season erased, along with the firing/resigning/retiring of Tressel.  Urban is the OSU coach and there is a playoff starting in 2014.  Lebron never made is back to the Finals with the Cavs and left, the Indians and Browns have sucked and the Clippers moved into a ballpark of the year and won back-to-back titles.  The Buckeyes returned to the Final Four this past March.

Twitter was invented and myspace died.  Facebook blew up and now is really really lame.  Oh and I stopped buying shoes/hats.

I am 290 and am struggling with eating right/working out/weight issues.

Anyway, there was a whole lot of change in the last 5 years of my life (age 23-28) and I doubt there will be that much change in such a short period.

When you look back at the '90s or '80s, you think that decade is pretty much the same, but it's crazy to think about how much has changed in just half a decade.