Throwbacks and Fitteds

Bells, Sweet Lou Hudson and the Pistol, a classic trio.

Found a great site call Pro-Jerseys.com, with the pretty much the largest selection of vintage NBA shorts you will find in one spot. The NBA is mainly featured on this site (where else can you find a Pooh Richardson or Malik Sealy throwback?), but also offers an interesting selection of Yankees, Mariners, Red Sox and Mets jerseys, although they are all of current players.

I'm guessing Shaq did not approve of these.

Mitchell & Ness is also doing a great job of bringing back the Atlanta Hawks look of the 70's. Known for putting players' nicknames on the back of the jerseys (M & N previously made the Pete Maravich "Pistol" jersey available), Walt "Bells" Bellamy can be found for sale in the Hardwood Classics section of NBA.com. Hawks of the 70's wool caps and track jackets are on the Mitchell & Ness website as well.

And lastly, the Braves (in)famous mascot, Chief Noc-A-Homa is back, via Fitted Hawaii. Angels, A's and Padres retro designs from them can also be seen here.

That's all for now, I have an early 90's Angels hat on the way, so I'll make sure to get a picture of it up when it arrives.

And why not part with an Inspirational Quote?

"If I have a choice whether to do the show or throw a straight pass, and we're going to get the basket either way, I'm going to do the show."

-All-Time career NCAA scoring leader and NBA Hall of Famer Pete "Pistol" Maravich

Random Stuff of Interest

Omar, thanks for all those years of stellar defense, but especially for covering the Goo Goo Dolls.

-With Omar Vizquel now the all-time leader in games played as a shortstop, one blog breaks down his case for the Hall of Fame. [Boys of Summer]

-Chargers fans should be excited about rookie DB Antoine Cason. His attitude, work ethic and passion to help the team win has impressed both coaches and teammates at mini-camp. [North County Times]

-Who's done a better job of falling on their ass, Mike Vick or Lindsay Lohan? Britney Spears or Isiah Thomas? Just the fact that someone attempts to answer these questions is admirable. [Rumors and Rants]

-The Celtics are now up two games to one on the Pistons, and some Detroit fans are questioning whether or not Chauncy "Big Shot" Billups should take a seat for Rodney Stucky. [The World of Isaac]

-A nice piece on the most exciting (or annoying to some) PA announcer in the NBA, Detroit's John Mason:



-Wharton Business School professor Justin Wolfers did some research which indicated that white refs were more likely to call fouls on black players and vice-versa. Not only that, he espouses that his data can be an effective way of beating the Las Vegas point spread. All white refs at a Jazz home game means bet the farm! [NPR.org]

-A miced up Ronnie Turiaf leads us to believe that he is not normal. But then again, who is? [Odenized]

-With the number seven pick in the NBA draft and a slew of impending free agents, the Clippers are entering what looks to be a fairly tumultuous offseason. However, the idea of drafting uber-athletic UCLA guard Russell Westbrook is exciting, as his game has some Rajon Rondo-esque qualities but with better defense. [ClipperBlog]

And of course anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I'm a sucker for youtube highlight packages set to rap music:



Finally, your Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

“Nice to meet you. I'm not gay.”

-Recently retired and future Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, responding to rumors about his sexual orientation

Eric Show Revisited

With San Diego Padres baseball arguably as bad and uninteresting as it has ever been, the value of nostalgia rises by the day. In this vein, I found a great article posted by the Union Tribune on ex Padres and A's hurler Eric Show, entitled "He was the Padres' Mystery Man."

Show still holds the all-time record for career wins as a Padre with 100, and most baseball fans remember him for taking a seat on the mound after giving up Pete Rose's 4,192nd hit, the one that broke Ty Cobb's previous mark for career hits.

But innumerable fans and friends remember Eric for who he was off the field. A curious and often tormented personality, he defied most stereotypes of professional athletes in the 80's. The man learned to play guitar at age 5, graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in physics, participated in campaigns against Communism, was an activist in preserving whale populations, and often invited the homeless and strangers to eat with he and the team after games.


Certainly the point is not to re-hash the entire article here, but I think it does provide some insight into the changing landscape of professional sports. In today's climate of corporate sponsors, homogenized and sterile ballparks and players that learn the game largely through camps and professional instruction, guys like Eric Show have become increasingly rare. Locally, it provides some insight into Padres fans frustrations. While Eric played on some bad teams, they were a group with personality. An owner in Ray Kroc with a heart, and a manager in Dick Williams with passion and fire.

Hopefully everyone enjoys this article, as it provides an intriguing glimpse into the mind of a man that was compassionate, brilliant, and ultimately self-destructive. During the 1990's Show began to abuse cocaine and other drugs heavily, and passed away at the age of 37 in a rehab facility in Dulzura, out in east county San Diego.

Here is a clip of the obituary:

And one of his songs entitled "The Padres Win Again" (others are being transferred from vinyl and will be available on iTunes):



And of course, an Inspirational Quote...

“We have a choice – to think or not to think – and I've come to the conclusion that most of these guys don't want to think about anything but baseball, and I'm kind of ostracized for that.”

-Eric Show

The Curse of the Pujols

Things can't get worse for the Padres. After losing Jake Peavy, last night saw Chris Young bloodied by a hit and Josh Bard taken out by the runner..both thanks to Albert Pujols. Is Albert getting back at the Padres for all the Poo-Holes jokes? (I can't imagine we are the only fans to lobby that insult. It's just too easy.) I'm pretty sure we are cursed. Now, we just need a clever name for said curse and we can milk this baby for 50 years! Suggestions are welcome...

Gaucho Alum Roundup

"Brian, I'm telling you, if Siddhartha were alive he'd be a fan of Tommy Bahama. Really!"

How are the alumni of UC Santa Barbara in the world of sports faring around this time of year? Does anyone else care? Do I care if you care?

Brian Shaw aka UCS-B. Shaw

The last Gaucho to make it to the NBA and former Laker champion, B-Shaw is now an assistant for his former ball club. What he does, who knows. In many attempts to lip read I believe he and Kurt Rambis have discussed a variety of topics on the bench from the Triangle Offense to Sodoku. Good for you, Brian, go for that ring!

Jared Michael aka "Skip" Shumaker

A relatively new Gaucho on the scene, Skip is your typical big chinned Orange County/LA Valley Santa Barbara alum. Batting .286 in 2008, Skip has become a regular outfielder for Tony LaRussa. He had a good series against the Padres, but then again who hasn't?

Michael Young aka Gaucho Mike

Did you know that Gaucho Mike had over 200 hits in 2007 for the fifth consecutive year? Did you know that the ONLY players to do so since 1940 are Ichiro and Wade Boggs? A man that baseball insiders proclaim as the second toughest out in the game next to Manny Ramirez and has 52 hits in 2008 for a .280 average, he is well worthy of a 21 Burrito Salute from Freebird's.

Suck on these, Cal State Fullerton

Barry Zito

Sucks. That's what happens when you only attend for one semester before transferring to U$C.

Ryan Spilborghs

A .303 average in 76 at bats for the Rockies and some sweet facial hair. Also a bona fide Padre killer, but again, who isn't.

Rocktoberfest '07

And, of course, your Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

"It's like when you smoke cigarettes, you got to take that nicotine patch and break that habit. We've got a habit of losing right now, you know, and we've got to get, like, a nicotine winning patch,'cause, you know, we got to break that habit of losing, 'cause it could become a habit. So we're working hard, we're working hard trying to break that habit, you know? It wasn't easy for Snoop Dogg to stop smoking marijuana. So we've got to keep on trying."

-Sacramento Kings All-Star guard and orange-eater Ron Artest

Lester pitches no-hitter. Makes you feel even lazier.

Less than two years ago, Jon Lester was 22 and diagnosed with cancer. Last night, he pitched a no-hitter.

Less than two years ago, I was perfectly healthy and spent a lot of time watching TV. Last night, I ate a hamburger. It really makes you think.

Congratulations, Jon!

Craig Sager: What's Your Deal?

P-I-M-P

Longtime NBA viewers have seen him. Baseball fans saw him during last season's postseason baseball coverage by TBS. And many people, myself included, wonder: what the fuck is your deal, Craig Sager? Do you get a kick out of your wardrobe? Do you wear hot pink and neon green polyester thinking that it will make for great high definition TV or a better interview?

Watching tonight's Hornets vs. Spurs game yielded surprisingly few clues. There was Craig, wearing what looked to be a suit made of burlap that probably cost over , I dunno, 2 G's. Is that how much an expensive suit is these days? According to wikipedia, the man worked as the Northwestern University Wildcat mascot, and has three children. Other then that, the world knows nothing about what motivates his insane fashion sense. BUT, PHN has pieced together some evidence via youtube. Maybe YOU can crack the Sager Code and figure out what makes the man tick?

Baron Davis, stunned by the Warriors colors ensamble:



KG says he has the retro look all wrong:



Steve Nash, handles both the rock and the pocket square:



And uhhh, who IS Chris Webber's dad? :



If anyone can figure out what the heck this guy's deal is, let us know. Either way, America will be anticipating the man's next outrageous outfit. Do your thing Craig!

Whatever that means...

Sports Logo Bracketology - West Regionals

If you have spent more than 10 seconds on ESPN, or any channel for that matter, you know that our culture is not satisfied unless we rank, poke, prod, evaluate, analyze, or debate a statistic, team, or useless fact.

That being said, welcome to my All-Time Sports Team Logo Bracket, split into 4 regions (West, Midwest, South, North). 8 teams/4 regions = 32 of team representations; and I'll leave it up to you to decide how some of these actually passed owner approval. I am bucking the system and its east coast bias, and beginning with my Wild Wild West regional. May the best graphic designer win...

Many thanks to Chris Creamer's Sports Logo Page for the logo resource. Hook this brother up... he needs to raise $63.99 by June 1, 2008, or they will shut down his site. If eBay hadn't locked down my PayPal account due to my chronic late-night drunk bidding on items I later forget about, I would myself.

WEST REGIONALS

(1)

A smiling, dribbling, waving acorn? Why the hell not? Or is Mr. Nut running from a spray of rival gang fire? Only in Oakland is there a drug gang named The Acorns...I kid you not!

V.

(8)

Love them, or hate them, the Raiders have had an unchanged logo for nearly their entire existence, and it still holds up strong. May Cube, Eazy (RIP), and the rest of NWA tip their foe-tay in honor of their logo of choice.

WINNER: First game, first upset! My mom made me return my Raiders starter parka in the 6th grade because she was worried I would be mixed up in the wrong crowd. Now, I write for a blog.

(2)

A priest wearing Birkenstocks, no pants, and wielding a weapon with a Jesus Juice grin? Interesting... and I'm buying it. Unfortunately Padre Pete could learn a tip or two from Tony Gwynn as he is clearly not keeping his head down through his swing.

V.

(7)

Expansion Team Teal? Check. Menacing Hockey Sticks Wrapped In Battle-Worn Tape? Check. Obvious Corporate Influence? Double-Check. Can't help but notice that the aeration on the mask resembles a point blank bulls-eye with birdshot.

WINNER: Naked priest swinging it into the next round!

(3)

Why bother putting a team name or an actual location when playing home games in Oakland, San Francisco, Daly City, and even San Diego? Simple yet curious... this logo is the pockmarked girl at the party that, for some reason, you can't keep your eyes off.

V.

(6)

You say the ugliest logo in NHL history? I say..."indeed". Our wacky-tobacky neighbors to the north refer to this 80's influenced logo as the waffle iron, plate of spaghetti, or Star Wars logo. Lando Calrissian would never have stood for such things.

WINNER: The City is the lobed fish that eventually evolved into the Golden State moniker

(4)

I would assume Nuggets are inferred as to what is being smuggled in Maxi the Prospector's short shorts. Mark Eaton just called, he wants his beard back.

V.

(5)

I can't claim ownership to this one: "Makes me want to play Tetris"

WINNER: What? A rainbow? What do you mean? No, honestly, I don't see the irony of this logo in the NBA.

Next Week: MidWest Regionals

Terrific Tuesday Links

Chris Paul: MVP candidate and Professional Bowling Association spokesman

-The Fleur de Bee is in full effect, as the Hornets go up on the Spurs 2-0 thanks to some hot shooting by Peja Stojakavic and intense play off the bench from Julian Wright. [Hornets247.com]

-Tired of plain old adult league softball? Well "Vintage" baseball leagues are catching on accross the country, with some 250 teams already in existance. Gloves and batting helmets? Those are pretty much for sissies. [NPR.org]

-The new Nike Michael Jordan commercial seemed to strike a nerve with a lot of hoops fans, myself included. [LABallTalk.com]

-Is "Moneyball" still a viable strategy, since so many other teams are employing it now? Evidence has been mounting that since high OPS players are now valued around baseball, those players are no longer cost efficeint, but the exact opposite. One team that has capitalized on this trend is the Dodgers, whose young and talented roster is made up of "anti-Moneyballers," athletic players with little to no college experience and prefer hits and steals to solely walks and home runs. The first place Diamonbacks have built a similar roster. It should also be noted that the Padres own the worst record in the majors, and are run by Moneyball "pioneer" and A's co-executive Sandy Alderson.[Marketplace Public Radio, Sign on San Diego.com]

-The Hawks couldn't finish off the Celtics on the road, but they did try and get some of Golden State's upset Karma from last year by handing out the Warriors' "We Believe" shirts to the team, as the Dubs and their fans sported them last year's eight-vs-one seed upset of the Maverics. Boston now moves on to face the Cleveland LeBrons after that grueling series. The last team to face an elimination game in round one and go on to win the title was the 2001 Lakers; no team has done it since 2003 when the round was expanded to best of seven. [Golden State of Mind]

-Barry Zito, demoted to the bullpen. If you wish to join Giants fans in "bashing the hippie," you may do so here. [Splash Blog]

-After playing the AFC Championship game with a torn ankle ligament, Philip Rivers is in minicamp and looking like he is on the road to recovery. LT says he's 100 percent recovered from his grade 2 MCL strain and went through individual drills. Antonio Gates plans to test his toe in a couple of weeks. [Bolt Talk]

And, of course, your Inspirational Quote of the Day:

“If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball.”

-Current Lakers and Nine-time NBA Championship coach Phil Jackson

Way too far

It finally happened. Red Sox-Yankees turned deadly.

Apparently some woman in New Hampshire ran over a guy because he was with a group of Sox fans who started chanting "Yankees suck" when saw the NY sticker on her car. Have the past few years really been that bad, Yankee Country?

OK, I'm obviously making light of situation that really isn't light at all. I feel awful for the victim's family. (He apparently died shielding a friend from being hit, which makes the whole thing even sadder). Also, alcohol was clearly a factor here. This woman wasn't so much a Yankees fan as an angry drunk with no self control. You can find those folks in every fan base.

But still: Jebus H. Christo, WTF is going on here?!? We all love our teams and hate our rivals, but when you're starting to run people over, it's time to take a step back, light some scented candles and have yourself a think. Maybe baseball's not a good sport for you. Maybe look into basketba.... Socc... Curling! Yes, curling. Get yourself into that. It's a sport of quiet dignity, really.

It's Official...

The Padres are the worst team in baseball.

Will Greg ever get his 350th win?!?

Welcome Antoine Cason

Here's a sweet highlight package of new Chargers draft pick Antoine Cason put together by a U of AZ fan on YouTube, including the two touchdowns he scored en route to an upset of U$C last year.



And of course, your Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

"I only had a high school education and believe me, I had to cheat to get that."

-Sparky Anderson, Hall of Fame manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detriot Tigers