Unified

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Episode 16: The MLB All-Star Game and Youth-Appeal Uniforms Jul 22, 2021

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Hello-hello! This month we’re discussing the visual train wreck that was the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. The uniforms for that game were part of the larger trend of uni designs specifically geared to appeal to younger fans. So if old cranks like us didn’t like them, does that mean the designs were actually successful? We discuss all of that, and more, plus a really good listener-submitted question about throwback uniforms.

If you’re fortunate enough not to have seen the MLB All-Star Game, you can see lots of photos of it here.

You can listen to us on Apple, Google, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify, and you can see video versions of all our episodes on this YouTube channel. Thanks for listening!

Episode 15: The Future Is Now! Jun 17, 2021

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We’re back! After a month off (due to our slower summer schedule), Chris and Paul are back in the saddle to discuss a really fun topic: Major League Baseball’s infamous “Turn Ahead the Clock” promotion from 1999. Why are we talking about that topic now? Because the “futuristic” uniforms were supposed to represent the year 2021 — the future is now!

Plus this episode also features an assessment of how MLB’s “City Connect” uniform program has shaped up so far, and our question of the week month.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here are the City Connect uniforms for the Red Sox, Marlins, White Sox, Cubs, and Diamondbacks.
Here are the mono-blue uniforms worn in the early 1900s by the Cubs and White Sox.
You can see loads of Turn Ahead the Clock photos from 1999 here.
Here’s Mets pitcher Orel Hershiser as a Mercury Met. Fortunately, he had already won his 300th game in his previous start.
The first NBA team to wear sleeves in the mid-2010s was Golden State in 2013.
Here’s LeBron James after tearing open his sleeves.

You can listen to us on Apple, Google, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify, and you can see video versions of all our episodes on this YouTube channel. Thanks for listening!

Episode 14: Ask Us Anything! May 13, 2021

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You know how we always wrap up each episode with a listener-submitted Question of the Week? This week we’re doing all listener-submitted questions! It’s our first-ever “Ask Us Anything” episode, as Chris and Paul work their way through a pile of your queries.

Sorry, no photos this week. Next time!

As always, you can listen to us on Apple, Google, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify, and you can see video versions of all our episodes on this YouTube channel. Thanks for listening!

Episode 13: The NFL Draft: Numbers, Patches, Jerseys and Caps Apr 29, 2021

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With the NFL Draft taking place this week, Chris and Paul have an (almost) all-NFL episode, including discussions of why Tom Brady doesn’t like the league’s new uni-numbering rules, the 49ers’ 75th-anniversary patch, and the role of jerseys and caps during the draft.

Plus: The Colorado Rockies finally add an MLB All-Star Game patch, the Question of the Week, and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s Kevin Cearfoss’s Twitter feed, where you can see all the amazing 3D-logo wall art that he creates — including the ones he made for us!
Here’s a summary of the new NFL uni-number rules.
Tom Brady doesn’t like the new rule.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was going to change his number — until he heard it would cost him $1.5 million to buy out the inventory of his retail jersey.
Here’s Paul’s article on the 49ers’ new 75th-anniversary patch.
One of the first draft picks ever to hold up a jersey while posing with the commissioner was Bucs No. 1 pick Lee Roy Selmon in 1976. (In the podcast, Paul mistakenly said the jersey had Selmon’s NFL uni number rather than No. 1. But as you can see in that photo, it was indeed No. 1!)
Eli Manning famously posed with a Chargers jersey in 2004, but the Chargers quickly traded him to the Giants and he never played for them.
In 2002, Mike Williams posed with a royal blue Bills jersey, but he never wore that design on the field because the team switch to its navy design shortly after the draft.
Similarly, defensive lineman Marcell Dareus posed with a navy Bills jersey in 2011. But then the Bills changed back to royal later that summer!
The Ravens’ first uniform set hadn’t yet been unveiled at the time of the 1996 draft. So top pick Jonathan Ogden had to pose with a Ravens jacket instead of a jersey.
The Rockies, who are hosting the MLB All-Star Game now that it’s been pulled from Atlanta, have finally begun wearing All-Star Game patches on their jersey sleeves and caps. The unusual square patch design, which Paul and Chris both think looks a bit clunky, echoes their 25th-anniversary patches from 2018 (which looked particularly brutal on the team’s black vests).

You can listen to us on Apple, Google, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify, and you can see video versions of all our episodes on this YouTube channel. Thanks for listening!

Episode 12: Assessing the Bengals’ New Uniforms Apr 22, 2021

This week, Chris and Paul talk about the Cincinnati Bengals’ new uniforms, MLB’s new Armed Forces Day caps, and the possibility of the NHL adding jersey ad patches.

Plus: The controversy that forced the WNBA’s Dallas Wings to scrap one of their newly unveiled uniforms, the Question of the Week, and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s Chris’s son following in his dad’s footsteps by drawing the Hartford Whalers’ logo.
Here’s the report about the NHL possibly adding jersey ads for the 2022-23 season. They currently have helmet ads but until now have kept their game jerseys pretty pure. Things like camouflage are restricted to pregame warm-ups, and even the maker’s mark is positioned on the back of the jersey instead of on the chest or sleeves.
Here’s a peek at some of MLB’s caps for Armed Forces Day (which, in case you didn’t know — and let’s face it, you probably didn’t — is on May 15). Chris isn’t thrilled about the Blue Jays being included in this promotion.
Here’s a good report on why the Dallas Wings pulled their just-revealed alternate uniform after it turned out that the group being honored by the uni had a policy of excluding Black women. And here’s a 2019 Sports Illustrated article that Paul wrote about how the NFL’s Chicago Bears handled the sensitive race-related issues regarding one of their throwback uniforms.
Here are Paul’s and Chris’s articles about the unveiling of the Bengals’ new uniforms. Plenty of info and photos in both articles.
You can see good comparisons of the Bengals’ new number font and the Bears’ longtime number font here and here.
The Bengals’ new jerseys don’t have TV numbers. That makes them part of a trend that’s also been embraced recently by the Chargers, Rams, and Patriots.
Paul and Chris both think that the Rams’ yellow Color Rush jersey could work well with white pants, similar to the throwback combo they wore in 1994.

Episode 11: Holiday Caps, Jackie Day, NFL Numbers, WNBA Unis Apr 15, 2021

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This week, Chris and Paul talk about a wide range of topics, including MLB’s new Mother’s Day caps; the NFL’s new proposal to change the rules on uniform numbers; MLB’s annual Jackie Robinson Day commemoration.

Plus: The new slate of WNBA uniforms, and the ongoing saga of the Braves’ memorial patches, the Question of the Week, and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

MLB Mother’s Day Caps

Here’s Paul’s article on this year’s Mother’s Day caps. (Hey, it could be worse. Remember when they wore pink jerseys to go along with the pink caps?)

NFL Uni Numbers

Here’s a good overview of the new uni number rule-change proposal.
Deion Sanders always wore No. 2 — his college number — for midweek practices, even though he wasn’t allowed to wear it in an NFL game.

Jackie Robinson Day

On Jackie Day — which is Thursday, April 15 — all players and coaches wear No. 42.
Here’s Paul’s coverage of last year’s Roberto Clemente Day when the entire Pirates team wore No. 21, as did some Puerto Rican players on other teams.

WNBA

Here’s Chris’s very detailed article on the new WNBA uniforms.
Here are the uniforms for the New York Liberty, which Paul and Chris both like, and the Washington Mystics’ alternate jersey that Chris is particularly fond of.

Braves, All-Star Game, Etc.

Here’s the 1970s throwback that the Braves have been wearing for their first homestand as a memorial tribute to Henry Aaron and Phil Niekro.
Here’s a selfie of Chris at the 2019 Celebrity All-Star Softball Game, where he got yelled at by Kenny Lofton (and yelled back!).

Question of the Week

Here are the uniforms that Paul likes from the 1976 movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings.
Here’s the scene from Rocky where Rocky sees the banner of himself wearing the wrong trunks.
Here’s a look at the uniforms from the great 1977 hockey movie Slap Shot.

Episode 10: Yellow Sox, Purple Dodgers Apr 08, 2021

This week, Chris and Paul talk about the Red Sox’s new yellow “City Connect” uniforms, plus they have the second and concluding part of their interview with Dodgers senior design director Ross Yoshida.

In addition, they discuss the situation regarding the 2021 MLB All-Star Game patch now that the game has been relocated from Atlanta to Colorado, plus the question of the week and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s a look at the Red Sox’s new “City Connect” uniform (along with Chris’s and Paul’s articles about them).
Here’s a shot of the 1930s throwbacks that the Eagles wore for one game in 2007, featuring a color combo very similar to the new Bosox uni.
Here’s look at the All-Star Game patch that the Braves wore for their first game of the season, followed by a photo showing how they covered up the patch after MLB announced that the game would not be played in Atlanta due to Georgia’s new voting laws.
Here’s a look at the small rear-cap memorials that the Braves have been wearing for Henry Aaron and Phil Niekro during the first week of the season. Now that they’re not wearing the All-Star Game patch, maybe they’ll scrap these cap memorials and give Aaron and Niekro sleeve memorials instead.
Here’s a look at the Dodgers’ road jersey with blue buttons, and here’s the same design with grey buttons.
Here’s a good look at the Dodgers’ raised/3D batting helmet logo. They were the first time to wear this type of helmet mark.
Here’s a shot from the 1999 MLB Style Guide, showing the contrast-sleeve jersey that the Dodgers were supposedly going to wear that season, and then a photo of a prototype of that jersey (the design was never worn on the field).
Here’s the gold-accented uniform that the Dodgers will be wearing for their home opener on April 9.
Here’s a look at the 1970s Reds — the Big Red Machine — in their classic 1970s pullovers, followed by a shot of the Padres wearing pullover throwbacks that are much baggier than Paul would prefer.

Episode 9: Talking with Dodgers Design Director Ross Yoshida Mar 31, 2021

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This week, Chris and Paul welcome their first guest to the program: Ross Yoshida, who’s the Senior Director of Graphic Design for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You might think he doesn’t have a lot to do, since the Dodgers’ visual identity is so traditional and unchanging, but he’s designed lots of the team’s sleeve patches, fixed their iconic script after it somehow got altered, and a lot more. This is the first installment of a two-part interview that with him, which we think you’ll really enjoy.

Plus we also have the latest uni-related news of the past week, our weekly listener-submitted question, and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s Paul’s analysis of the Mets bringing back their black jerseys.
Sure enough, shortly after we talked about how the Marlins were reportedly going to sell off the naming rights to their ballpark, they went ahead and made the announcement.
You can see some of the WNBA’s newly leaked jersey designs — with ads on the back instead of the front — here, here, and here.
Here are some of the commemorative patches that Ross Yoshida has designed for the Dodgers.
Here’s a close look at the proper versions of the Dodgers’ home and road scripts, both of which Ross revised after they had been slightly corrupted over the years.
Here’s a comparison of the team’s official “LA” logo and the longstanding cap and helmet logos.
Here are the Fresno Grizzlies Tacos uniforms that helped start the whole “Let’s rename our minor league team after a local food” trend.

That’s it for this episode. We’ll have Part Two of our interview with Ross next week.

Episode 8: The NFL’s One-Helmet Rule Mar 24, 2021

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This week, Chris and Paul discuss a hot-button topic in the uni-verse: the NFL’s one-helmet rule. Will it be lifted for the coming season, as has been hinted at? If so, what sorts of throwback helmets might reappear?

Moreover, what sorts of alternate helmets (like, say, a neon-green Seahawks helmet) might suddenly appear?

We discuss all of that, along with the latest uni-related news of the past week, our weekly listener-submitted question, and more.

Here are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s the story about Indians owner Paul Dolan saying that the team’s new name might not be ready by 2022.
Here’s the alternate Indians home uniform that recently showed up in a video game. The team was considering this design for on-field use but ultimately decided against it.
Here’s Paul’s story on the Padres prototype jersey made by Under Armour that recently emerged at a team “garage sale.”
Here’s Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner wearing the blue spring training jersey that he’d like to see the team wearing as an alternate design for the regular season.
Here’s Paul’s FAQ page on the NFL’s helmet rule.
Here’s the story on Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians saying on the radio that the helmet rule might be lifted.
Here are some throwback uniforms that had to be put on the shelf when the one-helmet rule was instituted, but could return if the rule is lifted: Bucco Bruce, Pat Patriot, Cowboys Thanksgiving Throwback, Eagles Kelly Green Throwback, Falcons Red Helmet Throwback, Steelers Yellow Helmet Throwback.
Here’s a photo of a 1969 preseason scrimmage showing the Saints wearing black helmets — something that could return as an alternate helmet if the one-helmet rule is lifted (and that ref wearing shorts is pretty cool too!)
Here are the Seahawks neon-green Color Rush uniforms, which could include a matching neon helmet if the one-helmet rule is lifted.
Here’s a style sheet for the Rocky Mountain Extreme, which was the original name planned for the Colorado Avalanche.

Episode 7: Why Are Uniform People Also Collectors? Mar 18, 2021

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Why are so many people who are into uniforms and logos also into collecting, and when does collecting cross the line and become hoarding? Chris and Paul discuss those questions in today’s episode.

Plus they talk about the NBA’s new “Earned” uniforms, Minor League Baseball’s new logo, teams that wear green for St. Patrick’s Day, and more.

Here are are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s Paul’s new podcasting setup.
Here’s one of Paul’s early Pandemic Porch Cocktails™ photos (you can see the full year’s worth of daily photos here.)
Here are the NBA’s “Earned” uniforms, which teams get to wear if they made the playoffs last season: Heat, Raptors, Pacers, Magic, Nets, Sixers, Bucks, Celtics, Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Blazers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Thunder, Rockets.
Here’s a comparison of the old and new MiLB logos (Chris has written a good article with more information.)
Here are some past examples of MLB, NHL, and NBA teams wearing green for St. Patrick’s Day: Tigers, Penguins, Senators, Kings, Knicks, Bulls.
Here are some shots of the late-1950s aluminum siding catalog that Paul once brought to to a meeting with Chris and designer Todd Radom (you can get additional info about the catalog, and see more photos, here.)
Paul likes to collect old uniform catalogs, which often have pages like this one.
Here are some vintage bowling-themed beer ads like the ones Paul used to collect.
Here’s a shot of Paul’s old pencil sharpener collection, which filled an archway in his old apartment.
Here’s a small sampling of Chris’s bread tag collection, organized by expiration date.
Here’s a shot of a wallet lined with part of a game-used MLB jersey, and a hat knit from the yarn at the center of an game-used baseball.
Here’s the full scene from the 1987 movie Throw Momma from the Train, in which Danny DeVito shows his coin collection to a skeptical Billy Crystal:

Episode 6: How to Handle Retired Numbers Mar 11, 2021

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There have been some unusual NFL and NBA developments regarding retired numbers, so in this episode Paul and Chris discuss the ins and outs of retired numbers, including what sorts of rules or guidelines teams should follow.

Plus they talk about recent NFL jersey leaks, the NBA All-Star Game, MLB’s upcoming Lou Gehrig Day patches, whether team success (or lack thereof) should dictate uniform choices, and more.

Here are are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here are the four NFL jerseys that leaked on Sunday.
If the NFL lifts the one-shell rule next season, the Browns could wear their new 1946 throwback uniforms with white helmets, just like the real ’46 Browns did.
Here are the Pacers-themed uniforms worn in the NBA All-Star Game (even though the game took place in Atlanta, not Indiana.)
Here’s MLB’s announcement of Lou Gehrig Day, which will be held annually on June 2, the anniversary of Gehrig’s death.
Looking back, here’s the ALS-awareness patch that all MLB teams wore on July 4, 2009 — the 70th anniversary of Gehrig’s famous “Luckiest Man” speech.
And here’s the patch that MLB teams wore five years later, to mark the 75th anniversary of Gehrig’s speech. Note that the design included the Yankees’ interlocking “NY” logo.
This is Marshall Goldberg, the Chicago Cardinals running back whose retired No. 99 is being brought out of retirement by the Cardinals (now based in Arizona, of course, but it’s the same franchise) so newly acquired defensive lineman J.J. Watt can wear it.
Some Mets fans think the team should retire No. 24 for Willie Mays, who played the final season-and-a-half of his career with the team. Paul thinks the Mets would be better off retiring No. 7 for Ed Kranepool, who played in each of the team’s first 19 seasons and was a much more important figure in Mets history than Mays was, even though Mays was an immortal player and Kranepool was not.
Here are some questionable number retirements, including the Angels’ No. 26 for former owner Gene Autry; the Knicks’ No. 613 for former coach Red Holzman’s win total; and the Wild’s No. 1 for their fans.
Here’s a shot of the Canucks wearing their (in)famous “Flying V” uniforms against the Islanders in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals. If Vancouver had won, would that uniform get more respect today?

Episode 5: How to Fix the NBA Uni Mess Mar 04, 2021

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In this episode, Chris and Paul discuss the mess that the NBA uniform scene has become, and possible ways to fix it.

Plus they talk about NBA All-Star uniforms, the potential uniform implications of J.J. Watt signing with the Arizona Cardinals, whether all the teams in a given city should wear the same colors, and more.

Here are are photos and links regarding some of the things discussed in this episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Chris had the fun of signing a copy of his book about hockey uniforms, Fabric of the Game, at a local bookstore.
The NBA All-Star Game will take place this Sunday in Atlanta. The game was originally scheduled to take place in Indiana with Pacers-themed gear — some of which, like this T-shirt, the league has been selling, even though the game location has been changed.
From 1997 through 2002, NBA All-Stars wore their regular team uniforms — one conference in white and the other wearing their team colors.
If Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald plays another season (he hasn’t committed to that yet), he and newly signed defensive lineman J.J. Watt would both wear the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award jersey patch next season, marking the first time an NFL team has had two Payton patchers on the roster simultaneously.
The Yankees’ new memorial patch for Whitey Ford is a simple black circle with white numbering. That’s a common patch format for most teams, but, somewhat incredibly, this is the first time the Yankees have ever used that patch design style.
On Feb. 26, the Hawks and Thunder showed up wearing red and orange, respectively — a brutal color combo that caused so much confusion that the Thunder had to change to white uniforms at halftime.
Here are the Bulls’ and Trail Blazers’ latest “City Edition” uniforms. Designs like these, which have no visual connection to the teams’ usual uniforms, often leave fans scratching their heads.
The Jazz’s popular “red rock” alternate uniforms (which they got to wear for three seasons instead of the usual one) evolved into this season’s “dark mode” design.
The Heat’s various “Miami Vice” designs, topped off by this season’s so-bad-it’s-good gradient design, has served as a good alternate identity for the team.
Here’s Paul’s article on the Cavaliers’ new creative director, Daniel Arsham, who says he’s looking to appeal to overseas fans who might care more about the NBA as a lifestyle brand than as a sports league.
As mentioned at the end of the episode, we now have T-shirts and stickers! You can check those out here.

Episode 4: Heroes of Zero, Plus NFL and NHL News Feb 25, 2021

With the Mets almost ending up with Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker wearing No. 0 and No. 00 on the same team (Walker ended up going with No. 99 instead), Chris and Paul take a deep discussion dive into the unusual power of these unusual uniform numbers — zero and double-zero.

Plus they discuss the Jaguars’ redesignation of teal as their primary jersey color; the news that the Washington Football Team won’t have a new name until at least 2022; Adidas’s decision to sell off Reebok; and which of the NHL’s Reverse Retro uniforms deserve to be upgraded to primary status.

Here are some photos of things discussed in the episode, in the rough order that they come up:

Here’s the gold-trimmed Mark Brunell-era Jaguars uniform that Paul wishes the team would go back to.
The 1985 Blue Jays are the only MLB team to have a No. 0 (Al Oliver) and a No. 00 (Cliff Johnson) on the roster simultaneously.
Taijuan Walker opted not to wear double-zero because that number is already worn by the Mets’ costumed mascot, Mr. Met.
Walker isn’t the first player to butt uni-numerical heads with Mr. Met. Back in 2003, Tony Clark briefly wore No. 00, but fans complained that he “stole” the number from Mr. Met, so Clark changed to No. 52.
Benito Santiago famously wore No. 09 for the Marlins and Padres. He said he did it because he didn’t like the way the vertical strap of his chest protector cut through the single numeral, so he switched to the two-numeral version.
It’s unusual for MLB pitchers to wear single-digit numbers. But Marcus Stroman has now worn three different single-digit numbers during the past few seasons.
Paul loved it when the Rays and Dodgers both had single-digit pitchers during Game Six of last year’s World Series — Blake Snell for Tampa Bay and Julio Urías for L.A. It was the first time that’s ever happened for both teams in the same Series game.
More than a dozen NBA teams have had 0 and 00 on the roster simultaneously (more on that here). That includes the current Trail Blazers, who have wearing Damian Lillard wearing zero and Carmelo Anthony wearing double-zero.
Nos. 0 and 00 are not currently allowed in the NFL. Decades ago, however, they were worn by Obert Logan, Ken Burrough, and Jim Otto.
0 and 00 are currently illegal in the NHL as well, but those numbers have previously been worn by Neil Sheehy, John Davidson, and Martin Biron.
In 1969, when college football was celebrating its 100th anniversary, a handful of players wore No. 100 (you can learn more about that here), including Kansas kicker Bill Bell.
Regarding our listener-submitted Question of the Week, Chris would like to see the Kings’ purple Reverse Retro uniform upgraded to primary status, while Paul would like to see the same for the Bruins’ yellow Reverse Retro design.

Episode 3: What’s on Tap for MLB 2021 Uniforms? Feb 18, 2021

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this week, Chris and Paul go over the upcoming uni changes for the 2021 MLB season, and also list some MLB uni updates they’d like to see.

In non-MLB news, they also discuss the Vegas Golden Knights’ gold helmets and, in the first installment of what will be a regular feature, answer a question submitted by a listener.

Here are photos of some of the things discussed in this episode:

Here’s a look at the Golden Knights’ new gold helmets which they recently started wearing with no advance fanfare or promotion.
All MLB teams are using the same spring training cap designs that they used last year, except for Cleveland (de-emphasizing the word “Indians”) and the Padres (eliminating the logo that inadvertently looked like a swastika). Here’s a look at those two teams’ 2020 and 2021 designs.
The Giants are adding player names to the back of their home jerseys, so we’ll no longer see scenes that look like this.
The Dodgers gave us a peek at their new memorial patches for Tommy Lasorda and Don Sutton when they introduced new free agent signing Trevor Bauer.
The Cardinals will be wearing a memorial patch for Bob Gibson. He died on Oct. 2, which was also the date when the Cardinals were eliminated from last year’s playoffs, so they didn’t get a chance to uni-memorialize him last season.
In a similar situation, Whitey Ford died on Oct. 7. The Yankees wore a memorial “16” for him on Oct. 8 and were promptly eliminated from the playoffs in that game. They will almost certainly carry over the “16” to this season (but not the “HGS” patch that they wore last year for Hank Steinbrenner.)
The Braves will be wearing a 150th-anniversary patch on one sleeve and an All-Star Game patch on the other. They’ll also presumably be adding memorial patches for Henry Aaron, Phil Niekro, and possibly Don Sutton, although that hasn’t been announced yet.
The Angels are adding a 60th-anniversary patch to their caps (but not to their jerseys.)
The Indians have announced that they’ll be changing their team name after this season, so 2021 will be the final year that we’ll see this chest insignia.
There’s a lot of chatter about the Mets possibly bringing back their black jerseys for a game or two. A good time for that would be on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, when the Mets will be hosting the Yankees (marking the first time the two New York teams have played each other on Sept. 11). The Mets will likely wear first responder caps as well.
Here are three MLB uni details that Paul would change — the Orioles’ upside-down apostrophe (grrrr), the Astros’ super-boring and lopsided chest lettering, and the Reds’ black drop-shadows.
Chris, meanwhile, would like to see changes to the Marlins’ uninspired set (they don’t even wear their team name on their home or road jerseys, and the black jersey is illegible!) and the Rays’ same-same set (add a yellow jersey and change up the chest lettering!), and would also like to see the Twins bring back the pinstriped road greys.

Episode 2: Super Bowl Recap and Anniversary Patches Feb 11, 2021

Paul and Chris begin with a quick Super Bowl recap (from a uniform perspective, of course) and then talk about the Cleveland Browns’ newly released 75th-anniversary logo, which leads them into a deep discussion of the surprisingly nuanced world of anniversary patches.

Here are some of the patches that are covered in the discussion:

This is the Browns’ newly released anniversary logo.
From 1925, the National League’s “Golden Jubilee” patch.
From 1951, the American League’s “Golden Anniversary” patch and the National League’s 75th-anniversary patch.
From 1953, the Yankees’ “50 Years” patch — the first patch of its type ever to be worn by an MLB team.
After the Yankees’ patch, it would be another 23 years before a team celebrated its own history with a patch. That was the Cubs, who marked their centennial with this patch in 1976.
In the NHL, the 1948-49 Boston Bruins celebrated their 25th anniversary with their jersey crest, instead of going with a separate patch. That anniversary crest became the basis for their famous “spoke-B” logo.
A quarter-century later, the Bruins also became the first NHL team to wear a separate anniversary patch, as they celebrated their half-century benchmark.
We didn’t get around to discussing this in this episode, but it’s worth noting that the NFL’s first team-anniversary didn’t appear until 1982, when the Steelers celebrated 50 seasons.
Teams sometimes get mixed up about the difference between anniversaries and seasons. The 1986 Mets, for example, wore a patch marking their “25th anniversary,” but it was actually their 25th season (and thus their 24th anniversary.)
Similarly, here’s Chris’s Blue Jays “10th anniversary” pocket schedule, which was actually for their 10th season in 1986.
Anniversary patches have become a very detail-specific design category, as seen in this insanely detailed infographic that the San Jose Sharks recently created for their new 30th-anniversary patch.
Here’s a good example of a team using a big Roman numeral “X” for its 10th-season patch.
Basketball jerseys don’t leave much room for patches, so the NBA had teams wear this (very large) patch on their (very short) shorts to mark the league’s 35th anniversary in 1980-81.
Last but not least, here’s Chris drinking out of his SportsLogos.net 20th-anniversary coffee mug, with Blue Jays-style inlined number (but no Roman numerals!)
You can read more of Paul’s thoughts about anniversary patches in this Uni Watch blog post from 2016.

Episode 1: Welcome to Unified Jan 31, 2021

Batter up! In our inaugural episode, Paul and Chris talk about how they first got hooked on uniforms and logos when they were kids, and how that early passion led them to pursue their unusual career paths.

They also discuss their friendship, why they decided to start this podcast, and what their plans are for this new collaborative project.

Here’s a photo of Chris and Paul’s epic visit to Katz’s Deli in 2014, which cemented their friendship.
Chris is from Canada, where McDonald’s outlets have a maple leaf at the center of the golden arches.
Here are the 10 issues of Paul’s zine, Beer Frame: The Journal of Inconspicuous Conumption, which he published from 1993 through 2000.
As a kid, Chris thought the Toronto Marlboros’ logo was actually a Maple Leafs logo with a crown that was only visible in person, not on TV.
The very first Uni Watch column appeared in The Village Voice in 1999. For the most part, it was a short column in those days.
Chris has always been annoyed by the orange shoulder striping on the Anaheim Ducks’ uniforms, while Paul is annoyed by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ “P” logo because the upper-left corner isn’t pointy.

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