The Shibe Vintage Sports History Blog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3AvNFyuONJsThe Barclays Center recently opened in Brooklyn, New York. Now everyone is clamoring to play there. Jay-Z opened the new arena with a huge concert, during which he unveiled the new Brooklyn Nets jerseys, after which numerous other concerts have been scheduled for the monstrosity sports venue. The Nets have been playing pre-season basketball at the Barclays Center, most recently losing last night to the cross-town rival New York Knicks, despite the Knicks losing center Tyson Chandler to a knee injury.

Now, the New York Islanders want to play at the Barclays Center. For years the Islanders, the team has lived up to its name by playing all of its home games on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. After recent negotiations to repair much of the coliseum that has been falling apart, the Islanders finally couldn’t take any more and decided to sign on to the brand-spanking new stadium recently built in Brooklyn. The Islanders lease with the Coliseum ends in 2015, which is the year the team will move from Long Island to Brooklyn. The team name will not change, but the players will no longer play on an Island. The new lease begins in 2015 and runs through 2041. While the Islanders haven’t been relevant in the NHL in the last few seasons, no one has been relevant this season in the National Hockey League due to the continuing lockout.  

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. For more information check out the shirts here: http://www.facebook.com/proleagueauthentics?fref=ts 

PLA has also come out with another new line. The NASL was founded in 1968 when the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association merged with the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. The league included teams from the U.S. and Canada and featured legends such as Pelé, Kyle Rote Jr., Bob Rigby and Franz Beckenbauer. In addition they also had an indoor soccer division from 1975-1984. The league eventually folded in 1984. Check them out here: http://www.proleagueauthentics.com/collections/nasl 

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  In 1935 the first Hockey team appeared in Rochester, NY, what was the team's name? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday’s answer: 4 Red Sox players have played at least 2,000 games for the team. Ted Williams, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and Dwight Evans.

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Jerseys are rarelyused as part of in game strategy when it comes to any sport. In Baseball, a hitter wearing a baggier jersey might end up with a better chance of being hit by a pitch, as the rules state that a player’s jersey is part of his body. Stand a little bit closer to the plate with a baggier jersey, like Prince Fielder, and you might end up on 1^st base a few more times than a player with a less baggier jersey. 

At the University of Southern California, head Football coach Lane Kiffin has found a new way to use sports jerseys strategically in a game. According to the rulebook, players cannot wear the same number and be on the field at the same time, but nothing says players cannot switch jerseys in the middle of the game. Simultaneously, the rulebook also states that a team cannot switch numbers in order to deceive the opposing team. If a team attempts this, the referees shall enforce a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The problem is, there are a lot of players on a team, using a lot of numbers, and the referees generally only watch the offensive and defensive lines, as their attention is set in the trenches most often. So, USC is, every so often, mixing it up, and technically not breaking the rules, but is essentially breaking the rules, and using it to their advantage.  

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. For more information check out the shirts here: http://www.facebook.com/proleagueauthentics?fref=ts 

PLA has also come out with another new line. The NASL was founded in 1968 when the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association merged with the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. The league included teams from the U.S. and Canada and featured legends such as Pelé, Kyle Rote Jr., Bob Rigby and Franz Beckenbauer. In addition they also had an indoor soccer division from 1975-1984. The league eventually folded in 1984. Check them out here: http://www.proleagueauthentics.com/collections/nasl 

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  How many Red Sox players have played 2,000 or more games in their career for the Red Sox, and who are they? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday’s answer: A popular unofficial mascot was the late Bill "The Beerman" Scott, a Seattle beer vendor/cheerleader who worked for numerous pro teams

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I think we can all agree that bullying is wrong. Recently, one organization, GLAAD, tried to bring attention to this issue. On October 19^th, dubbed spirit day, 6 sports organizations, in addition to social media websites Twitter and Facebook, put the color purple all over their websites to promote the issue of bullying against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender children and adults. 8 out of 10 GLBT youngsters report being harassed at school or outside of school, and GLAAD asked major organizations like the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, NASCAR, and WWE to join them by wearing purple and speaking out against bullying. Athletes Shaquille O’Neal and Terrell Owens have already pledged to go purple while the U.S. track and field provided support for the cause through social media. 

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. For more information check out the shirts here: http://www.facebook.com/proleagueauthentics?fref=ts 

PLA has also come out with another new line. The NASL was founded in 1968 when the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association merged with the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. The league included teams from the U.S. and Canada and featured legends such as Pelé, Kyle Rote Jr., Bob Rigby and Franz Beckenbauer. In addition they also had an indoor soccer division from 1975-1984. The league eventually folded in 1984. Check them out here: http://www.proleagueauthentics.com/collections/nasl 

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS to advance to their 2nd World Series in 3 years. The Giants won game 7 last night 9-0, and will face the Detroit Tigers in the World Series beginning tomorrow night. Also, congratulations to Marco Scutaro for being named NLCS MVP.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  Who was the unofficial mascot of the Portland Trailblazers from 1981 to 1985? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday’s answer: The Minnesota Stars won the 2011 NASL championship.

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This past weekend was a big one in College Football. Florida made a statement by trouncing South Carolina, heading into a big match up with Georgia. Also, Notre Dame remained unbeaten by beating BYU. One team you probably didn’t hear about this past weekend was Boise St. The no. 24 ranked Broncos beat UNLV 32-7 at home on the Smurf turf, but did so while wearing their new “blackout” uniforms. While we tend to see Boise in either white or blue, this past Saturday the team and it’s staunch defense came onto the field in all black uniforms with a silver outlined Bronco on the helmet. The uniforms have some typical Boise blue outline around the numbers on the front of the jersey, but otherwise, black dominates these jerseys.

Recently we saw the Jacksonville Jaguars change the team’s official home jerseys from teal to black, with solid results from fan sales. On the other hand, if Boise St. was trying anything here, it was not just to sell more jerseys, but also to attract recruits. The blackout jerseys were some of the better ones we’ve seen recently, especially matching up with the blue turf of the Broncos home field.

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. For more information check out the shirts here: http://www.facebook.com/proleagueauthentics?fref=ts 

PLA has also come out with another new line. The NASL was founded in 1968 when the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association merged with the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. The league included teams from the U.S. and Canada and featured legends such as Pelé, Kyle Rote Jr., Bob Rigby and Franz Beckenbauer. In addition they also had an indoor soccer division from 1975-1984. The league eventually folded in 1984. Check them out here: http://www.proleagueauthentics.com/collections/nasl 

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  Who won the 2011 NASL championship? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday’s answer: The Mountaineers wore a logo of the state of West Virginia from 1970-1979 before switching to their current logo which has a "W" and a "V" in it.

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When the Buccaneers and the Saints clash this Sunday in Tampa Bay, there will be more than NFC South bragging rights on the table. It will also be a crucial game between two AFC South teams with losing records. While plenty of games remain for the 1-4 Saints to rebound and claim a wild card spot, the team is tied for last place in the entire NFC, and beating the 2-3 Bucs away from the Superdome is crucial.

The Buccaneers will wear their throwback Creamsicle-color uniforms this Sunday in their 4^th official throwback game. The Bucs will wear the same jerseys they wore from their inception in the league in 1976 until they switch to their current pewter and red color scheme in 1997. The Bucs have a 1-2 record thus far in games in which they have worn their throwback uniforms. Coach Gregg Schiano stated that he liked the orange, white, and red jerseys, while receiver Mike Williams stated that he didn’t like the jerseys, big surprise, but said they paid homage to the players who came before him, and that was a good enough reason to wear them this Sunday. The key to the Buccaneers attack this week will be their running game, which now sports a two-headed monster of Doug Martin and LeGarrette Blount. The Saints defense has issues stopping the run, while the New Orleans offense will want to pressure the Tampa Bay secondary by peppering them with a mix of deep passes as well as double-move routes. Game time is set for 1:00pm EST.

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

The NFL is nearing the midway point in the season. If you're a true fan, you have to check out all of the great Philadelphia Eagles, as well as other NFL gear. This includes a great selection of New Nike NFL jerseys as well as tees and hoodies. Pro League Authentics has items from NIKE, Junk Food Tees, and more. 

Congratulations to the Detroit Tigers for making it to the World Series for the 1st time since 2006. Giants and Cardinals fans can support their team as both are still vying for the NL pennant and a chance to play the Tigers in the World Series. To help you support your favorite team, PLA continues to offer 25% off on all MLB jerseys, just use the code "MLB" when purchasing. 

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  What logo did the University of West Virginia Mountaineers wear on their helmets from 1970-1979? Answer to come Monday.

Thursday’s answer: Dick Klein, the founder of the Bulls is the only ever NBA owner to play pro ball. He played for the Chicago Gears before founding and owning the Bulls.

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Under Armour does not make jerseys for NBA teams. So why will they be providing special uniforms for a game on November 9^th in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets? The game played on the 9^th is an NCAA Men’s Basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Maryland Terrapins. Because this will be the first NCAA game to be played at New York’s newest basketball arena, Under Armour, which makes the Terrapins uniforms, has decided to pay homage to the borough in which the two teams shall play. The jerseys the University of Maryland players will wear harkens back to the Brooklyn Dodgers Baseball team. Since Brooklyn has not had a professional sports franchise since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in the 1950’s, this was Under Armour’s only choice. The jerseys are the heather grey of the old-time baseball uniforms with Maryland’s red trim and Maryland written across the front of the jersey. The shorts are the same grey color. Overall, the jerseys look a bit odd at first glance, but after a few minutes one you begin to see that the combination of the grey and the red match well. 

AuthenticStore Buzz: Barry Rubin, the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles was recently at the store. The Pro League Authentics Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt seen in the above picture is the new Eagles weight room t-shirt, supplied by the #1 Authentic Sports Apparel Store in Philly, Pro League Authentics. Get your PLA shirt by contacting the store or visiting us down town.

The NFL is nearing the midway point in the season. If you're a true fan, you have to check out all of the great Philadelphia Eagles, as well as other NFL gear. This includes a great selection of New Nike NFL jerseys as well as tees and hoodies. Pro League Authentics has items from NIKE, Junk Food Tees, and more. 

With the MLB championship series underway, Tigers, Yankees, Cardinals, and Giants fans should be clamoring to support their team as MLB has whittled the remaining contenders for the World Series down to the final four. To help you support your favorite playoff team, PLA continues to offer 25% off on all MLB jerseys, just use the code "MLB" when purchasing. 

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time:  Who is the only NBA owner to ever play professional basketball? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday’s answer: Clint Benedict holds the record for most shutouts in the Stanley Cup Finals with 8.

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