Sports Design Blog

Where am I?

SDB readers, as you can tell, I have been very busy and have been unable to post a lot over the last few weeks. I've been knee deep in a real world project that has consumed most of my time. I am in the process of opening up a retail fan shop here in my hometown. All of the planning and design of the place has been a great challenge.

The store is going to be dedicated to my UK Wildcats, selling anything and everything UK. It's something I did back in the 1990's and I'm excited to get back to doing it again. Sorry it has kept me away! Once everything gets rolling, and we get past whatever happens in the NCAA Tournament, I will be right back in the saddle here at SDB!

MLB: some things that drive me crazy

Now that Major League Baseball is making its return, I got to thinking about some things that really drive me crazy about Major League Baseball. I was a huge MLB fan growing up. I knew every nuance of every logo and uniform and really loved the sport because of all of that. In the 1990's I started to lose my love of the game a bit, moved on to the NBA and some other stuff.

In the modern MLB, there are a few design and uniform related things that just drive me crazy and really get in my way of trying to enjoy the game the way I used to. So, here's a list of my MLB pet-peeves:

The New Spring Training Hats:

What in the world is going on with these spring training BP hats? Is nothing sacred? I was no fan when MLB added the color blocks to the sides a few years ago, but this year's version really crosses the line. What purpose does it serve to add random piping and color blocking to something as pure as the MLB on-field cap? Did they go out and hire someone who did some of the modern NFL gear with all that color blocking and piping. Sorry, but I'm just not getting these at all.

Floppy Pants and Oversized Uniforms:

To me, a baseball uniform should be worn in much the same way as a military uniform, with a certain protocol. It should fit you, it should be tucked in and the pants should be properly stowed at the calf with a nice set of stirrup socks at your feet. The way the modern MLB player wears their uniform makes the game almost unwatchable. I just can't get used to players wearing their jersey three sizes too big and their pants drooping down their legs and dropping down over the back of their shoes. To me, that is just not the way a baseball uniform is supposed to look and really makes the visual enjoyment of a baseball game suffer. Luckily there seems to be some movement taking place back to the nice old school way of wearing the uniform. Let's hope that trend continues.

The Pirates Using Red:

I know this is probably way out there, but the Pirates just don't look right with red in their logo and on their uniforms. I know there is some historical perspective to red being in their color palette, but to me, who grew up seeing the Pirates of the Willie Stargell era, the red just makes no sense. Couple the red with the Pirate madman in the logo and you get a look that, to me, just doesn't cut it. The Bucs need to make a return to their 1970's roots and ditch the red and bring back the old school Pirate.

The Random Use of Black:

I wrote about this last season, but why do teams find it necessary to use black in their uniforms for no real reason? I just don't get why teams like the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds feel the need for black as an accent. When you think of the Mets, you think orange and blue, not black. The Reds are named the Reds for a reason, they should be red! I just don't get the addition of black. It seems like the trend for black in licensed products has waned a bit and teams like these need to return to their original color schemes and send the black packing.

Logos That Need to Return:

This is a personal thing, but their are a few old school logos that need to return. You all know my fondness for the old Astros look, and I've even written about the need for them to return to the look that made the team famous. I'd be right back on the MLB bandwagon the minute the Astros brought back the H-star look.

Another team that needs to make a return to the past is the Baltimore Orioles. I really miss the old smiling bird that the Orioles used to feature on their caps. Behind the Astros, the Orioles were my second favorite team growing up, thanks to finding a Jim Palmer Kellogg's 3-D card in my cereal one morning. I just get a great feeling any time I see that old school look and though I like the Orioles caps as they are now, I would go nuts to see the cartoon bird return.

So there you go, some random rantings about my MLB opinions. Major League Baseball and its uniform history hold a special place in my sports design heart, and much of what I wrote is based on the era I grew up in. Maybe some of this stuff will take place and all could become right in my MLB world!

Sports Design Blog's 1st Anniversary!

So, it was on this day, March 11, 2009 that I finally sat down and launched the Sports Design Blog. After spending my entire adult life working in and being a fan of the sports design business, I needed a way to get all of those experiences out of my head and share them with someone. When I launched the blog last year, I didn't know whether anyone would care or not. Thankfully, it has become something fun to do and mildly popular as well.

Early on, with the help of Paul Lukas at UniWatch, like-minded sports design fans found the blog and latched on to it. It has been great getting to know many of you over the course of the last year. I have made many great friends through the blog and have enjoyed everyone's input and participation. I have shared many subjects and topics that range from logo design to sports licensed products to classic old school stuff many may have forgotten. I try to make sure you never really know where I'll go each day.

I look forward to sharing with you during SDB's second season. Thanks again to all of you who make this such an enjoyable experience. It is great to know I have created a place for people who look at sports from a visual perspective and not just a competition angle to gather and get some enjoyment!

Hear's to year #2!

Get them while they're hot! Classic memorabilia here!

Today a little shameless promotion. I've listed a few items I've written about before here on SDB out on E-bay. I thought you guys might like to get a shot at them, so here's the info.

The first item listed is the original 12 USFL gumball helmet set. I wrote about these a while back and came across another set. Here's a great chance to get your hands on this great set of sports design history. They are in great condition and are about as rare as you'll find.

The second item I listed today is a set of the Shell Oil Cincinnati Bengals art prints. I wrote about them back during the football season. These art prints are from 1981 and were one of the first pieces of memorabilia to feature the Bengals innovative striped look way back when. If you're a collector of Bengals memorabilia, these would be a great addition. The set features Ken Anderson, Anthony Munoz and four other Bengals stars from the past.

Finally, though not sports related, I know many of you are on the same level as I am with your fondness for toys from the 1970's. The last item I listed today was a classic TTP Turbo Tower of Power playset from 1974. This classic Kenner toy was a favorite of mine in the good old days. I remember hooking up the motorcycle to the air chamber and letting it go. This one is in its original box and all of the parts are still locked into place on the inside of the box, never played with. If you want something to give you a great childhood flashback, check it out.

I'll be back tomorrow with something new. I've been knee deep in a project that has kept me away a bit over the last month or so. Thursday will mark the 1st anniversary of the launch of SDB, so I'll be celebrating that with you then.

Remember the CBA?

As I was doing some research on old school basketball stuff the other day, I came across something unusual. I found a program from a CBA game from 1986. The CBA, former home to now NBA coach Phil Jackson was celebrating its 40th anniversary in 1986. The CBA was a poor man's alternative to an NBA team, and filled those markets where a city could not sustain an NBA franchise. Here in Cincinnati, we had the pleasure of watching the Slammers and their brand of basketball at the Cincinnati Gardens. I'm sure everyone remembers the formidable Slammers Twin Towers combo of Ozell Jones and Dan Federmann!

In this old game program was an ad that allowed you to order a t-shirt with your favorite CBA team logo on it. The ad is presented in full black and white and features the graphics from all of the teams in the CBA  for the 1986-87 season. Judging by the looks of the logos on the page, there weren't many powerhouse graphics firms used to create many of the looks of the teams. Everyone in the league used a basketball in their logo except the Jacksonville Jets. These shirts were a deal at $8.95 and came with a money back guarantee!

I think the CBA still exists in some form after reorganizing after the bankruptcy that followed Isiah Thomas' reign over the league. This old school ad provides a great look back to a time when basketball at all levels was going crazy and the CBA was riding high!