(Editor's Note: A sports apparel industry analyst, buyer, and former manager at Mitchell & Ness in Philadelphia, Ray Jannelli, current PLA president, writes frequently for Authentically Speaking. In this installment, Ray reviews the process of introducing World League of American Football jerseys into the consumer marketplace...)
By Ray Jannelli
No in-depth league history here, I really just want to chronicle the initial arrival of the first "batch" of authentic WLAF Jerseys at the "Original" Mitchell & Ness.
World League of American Football was founded in 1990 as a developmental league for the NFL. The WLAF played two seasons, 1991 and '92. It was a spring league with three divisions each consisting of three to four teams.
There was the North American West- Birmingham Fire, Sacramento Surge, and San Antonio Riders. North American East- Montreal Machine, New York-New Jersey Knights, Orlando Thunder, and Raleigh-Durham SkyHawks (returned in '92 as the Ohio Glory). European Division-Barcelona Dragons, Frankfurt Galaxy, and London Monarchs.
The jerseys were manufactured by Wilson, and Wilson did a top-notch job. First rate quality construction, heavy nylon mesh (very durable), spandex body length inserts, quality screened sleeve striping and sleeve logos, with many teams having lustre shoulder cowl. Nice!
Plus, one third of the teams offered knit trim on the sleeves.
Wilson was
sending blanks only to select retailers, it was a rush job because the league
was so new. I received 12 jerseys per team, all team-colored jerseys; luckily
my Wilson sales rep at the time, Gene Cosentino, acquired official photo specs
for the numbering and lettering style for each team.
Ruberti's (West Chester, Pa.) applied the tackle twill numbers, mostly two-color, full block for most of the teams. We researched the rosters for particular players that would stand out, went the safest route and decided on mostly quarterbacks.
The WLAF had some good ones, David Archer of the Sacramento Surge and London Monarchs and Scott Erney of the Barcelona Dragons. The European team jerseys were, in my opinion, the most uniquely designed. All the WLAF team jerseys were futuristic.
AJD Caps in Virginia was selected to make the caps, which were wool and cotton twill styles. The caps featured all teams, and of course the WLAF logo as well.
The original WLAF Logo from those first years still holds up today from a design perspective. Those Europeans really do it right!
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, other than a team like the Raiders that regularly wears black jerseys, name the first franchise and season in which that team donned a black alternate jersey for the first time? Answer on Thursday.
Tuesday’s answer: A home team can wear its white jersey in NCAA FBS games, as LSU and Georgia Tech regularly, but not exclusively, don white in Baton Rouge and Atlanta, respectively, but the home team must ask the road team for permission first.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
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With NHL free agency in full swing, every team and its fans are looking towards the future. In the off-season every team tries to retool, in order to make a run at the often-elusive Stanley Cup.
The Minnesota Wild recently spent hundreds of millions of dollars on free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Philadelphia Flyers are close to completing their own hundred million dollar deal with defenseman Shea Webber.
Although gearing up for the upcoming season is important, nothing beats winning a championship.
The most recent winners of Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Los Angeles Kings, have had an interesting history involving their garb. In 1967, the Kings first season in the NHL, the team colors were purple and gold, similar to another famous LA sports franchise.
Playing off of the success of the Lakers, the Kings wore purple for home games and gold sweaters for away games. While the crown logo was the main emblem depicted with great size on the front of the 67’ sweaters, the current Kings uniforms not only sport a different color scheme, but also supplanted the large crown with a smaller one.
Although the team now only sports a small picture of the originally used king’s crown on their jerseys, the 2011-2012 LA Kings are, for one year, the official royalty of the NHL.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What is the NCAA football rule regarding permission for the home team to wear its white uniform in a game? Answer on Wednesday.
Monday’s answer: The year was 1962 that the St. Louis Cardinals became the first National League team to put players names on the back of the jersey, joining the White Sox who did so two seasons prior.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
Memorial patches, armbands, and other forms of similar expression in baseball uniform history goes back to the late 1870s, and sadly the Colorado Rockies were the latest team to express its sympathies as part of its uniform to the victims and families of the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting last Thursday night.
In their series opener at San Diego Friday night, the Rockies players wore black arm bands and players that wore eye black wrote the date 7-20 on the patch.
In other uniform news over the weekend, the Cubs were classy in donning a special Ron Santo patch for their game at St. Louis Sunday, the day Santo was inducted posthumously in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The patch was similar to the one the team wore the entire 2011 season to honor Santo who died in 2010, adding the "2012" and "HOF" above and below is uniform number.
The Twins and Royals did the Negro League throwback look at Kauffman Stadium Saturday. The monochrome Twins were the St. Paul Gophers, the Royals, as they have done previously, donned the attire of the Kansas City Monarchs.
And, for the second time this season, Saturday at home against the Dodgers, the Mets wore this look. Boo!
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Authentic Store Buzz: The Panthers Cam Newton is among the latest Nike NFL Elite jerseys to arrive at the store (pictured above) including the “Keep Pounding” slogan in the collar.
Also in the store, sharp Eagles 2012 Training Camp T-shirts. It’s perfect timing with the Birds opening camp Monday at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus.
Editor’s Note: PLA President Ray Jannelli writes the following note: We at PLA would like to wish “good luck" to a dear friend of our company, Heather Bolig, who works for Miller/Coors Philadelphia.
Heather is moving on and up (with the same company) to Brooklyn, N.Y. (big shot New York executive now). Back in early Nov. 2011, Heather became our first woman apparel customer at our brand new store, but also was a sounding board/consultant as we progressed with our women's sports apparel category.
C'mon, we're jersey GUYS!
Heather, along with Molson Canadian, sponsored our "Jerseys as Art" Symposiums, and if that wasn't enough recommended PLA to supply Coors "Throwback a Throwback" campaign with Majestic Phillies jerseys. PLA also supplied Heather's key accounts with Flyers Winter Classic jerseys.
Heather, all of us at PLA will miss you! (Wish we kept that Molson cooler, though.)
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What year did the St. Louis Cardinals become the first National League team to put player’s names on the back of the uniforms? Answer on Tuesday.
Friday’s answer: The 1998 Tennessee Oilers, who played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium, were the last team to wear its white jerseys for the entire regular season.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
It's finally happened. One of the four major North American sports has caved in to the potential $100 million in revenue to be made by allowing an advertising patch on its league uniforms.
The NBA Board of Governors voted to allow a patch on the uniform for the start of the 2013-14 season, and the same patch will appear on the team's uniform sold at retail locations.
No surprise that the NBA has taken the commercial leap, its funding keeps the WNBA afloat, and that league has been wearing advertising in its uniforms since 2009.
And of course soccer teams in MLS have been wearing sponsor patches since the leagues inception in
What do you think? Is it the end of professional sports uniforms as we know it? Let us know at info@proleagueaithentics.com
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Authentic Store Buzz: A great turnout yesterday at the store to talk soccer and meet and greet Philadelphia Atoms 1973 championship goalie Bob Rigby, now a TV broadcaster with the MLS Philadelphia Union.
Bob was the first soccer player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1973, and quite a few folks had the issue with them to be signed (pictured above).
Asked how many of the covers he has signed in nearly 40 years, Rigby chuckled and simply said too many to count.
Stay tuned for word on an exciting August in-store event coming in a couple of weeks.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Name the last NFL team to wear its white jerseys for an entire regular season (pre-season games don’t count)? Answer on Monday.
Thursday’s answer: The Flyers first introduced a black jersey to their wardrobe in the 1997-98 season.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
(Editor's Note: Longtime baseball uniform expert and author Morris Levin writes periodically for Authentically Speaking.)
By Morris Levin
From 1970 through 1991, the Phillies wore a crimson red cap with the era’s P in white along with a white button on top. The caps were first made by Wilson, and then by New Era. The Phillies’ 1992 introduction of their current cap coincided with Major League Baseball’s mandate that onfield caps carry MLB’s logo on the back of the cap which meant that all 1970 to 1991 caps do not have the MLB logo creep, while the current style caps do.
More so, the Phillies, like most MLB teams, wore green underbrims through the 1989 season. Gary Mathews played for the Phillies from 1981 to 1983. This is a cap which he wore. Von Hayes played for club from 1983 through the 1990 season; this is one of his mid-1980s caps. This is another late 1980s model. Note that it still has the green visor.
The Phillies changed to a gray undervisor in 1990 which can be seen on this 1990 Ken Howell game worn cap. And this is a 1990 Dennis Cook cap. In 2007, all standard MLB caps were made with a black underbrim to reduce glare.
Also between 1992 and 2012, New Era changed the embroidery style on its caps from a flat embroidery to the raised tight logo embroidery used today. This is a game worn Phillies’ hat featuring flat logo embroidery and one can also see here the pre-2007 gray under visor.
The change in cap construction and styles can be seen most strikingly in the ‘throwback’ cap produced by New Era for the Phillies to wear in the 2011 Civil Rights game when the team wore would-be 1980s-era uniforms. The New Era cap features a grotesquely large P in raised embroidery.
This made me all the more delighted to walk into Pro League’s retail shop and find the Phillies cap pictured here. PLA special ordered this cap from New Era and it is a wonderful rendition of the Phils’ cap. It features the flat embroidery 1970s and 1980s P, and it has a green underbrim, and it does not have the MLB batter logo in the back. It is a wonderful reproduction, and in this era of New Era reproductions, one of the finest and most desirable caps which PLA is currently stocking.
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Authentic Store Buzz: Today’s the day. Please join us at our Center City Philly store from 11:30-12:30 as we welcome former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalkeeper, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby to meet with fans, talk some soccer with the MLS all star event at PPL Park next Wednesday night, and sign autographs.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native who played collegiately at East Stroudsburg, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
We’ll have a reprint of the SI cover (first soccer player on the cover) for Bob to sign. Hope to see you at out store.
Meanwhile…if you live in the Philadelphia metro area, you may have heard a radio spot promoting Miller Beer’s ‘Throwback a Throwback’ campaign to enjoy a cold beer at a specific favorite sports bar while also having a chance to win a great-looking Phillies (the team’s not named in the ad) throwback jersey.
PLA is proud to be the official MLB jersey supplier to Miller/Coors and its representatives for this campaign.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What year did the Flyers introduce a black jersey to their wardrobe? Answer on Friday.
Wednesday’s answer: The Phillies first put a player’s name (with nameplate) on the back of the road uniform in 1973. It wasn’t until 1975 that names also on a nameplate appeared on the back of the home burgundy pinstripe uniforms.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
Former Philadelphia Atoms player, and current Philadelphia Union TV color commentator Bob Rigby met fans and signed autographs at our Center City location over lunch hour on a nice summer Thursday in July. Many fans had Bob sign his Aug. 1973 Sports Illustrated cover, the first time a soccer player appeared on the famous cover.
Bob Rigby made his professional debut in 1973 for the Philadelphia Atoms. He played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team. Rigby was born in Ridley Park, Pa. and played soccer at Ridley High School in Folsom and at East Stroudsburg State University where he was named a first team All-American in 1972.
Below is an interview with Bob conducted by Philly sportscaster and soccer talk show host Charlie Flowe during his appearance.
Tuesday we asked if the Eagles should return to their Kelly green roots of their last NFL championship in 1960, now, should the Phillies go back to power blue, the road uniform worn when they won their first World Series title in 1980?
Let us know what you think at: info@proleagueauthentics.com
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Authentic Store Buzz: Plenty of new products have arrived including (pictured above, left to right) the Nike purple Ray Lewis Ravens Elite Jersey, Dallas Cowboys adjustable draft hats, and a couple of nice Cooperstown Collection caps for the Phillies (1918 and 1935) and Pirates (1977 black).
Please join us at our Center City Philly store tomorrow as we welcome former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalkeeper, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby to meet with fans, talk some soccer with the MLS all star event at PPL Park next Wednesday night, and sign autographs from 11:30-12:30.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native who played collegiately at East Stroudsburg, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
We’ll have a reprint of the SI cover (first soccer player on the cover) for Bob to sign. Hope to see you at out store.
Meanwhile…if you live in the Philadelphia metro area, you may have heard a radio spot promoting Miller Beer’s ‘Throwback a Throwback’ campaign to enjoy a cold beer at a specific favorite sports bar while also having a chance to win a great-looking Phillies (the team’s not named in the ad) throwback jersey.
PLA is proud to be the official MLB jersey supplier to Miller/Coors and its representatives for this campaign.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What year did the Phillies put player’s last names on their uniforms? Answer on Thursday.
Tuesday’s answer: On October 11, 1964, Minnesota hosted Detroit and both teams wore white jerseys as the game began first quarter play.
Here’s what happened: The Vikings came into the league in 1961, and in their second season began wearing purple pants on the road with a white jersey. By ’64, the team wanted to show the home folks at Metropolitan Stadium the road look, but someone forgot to tell the Lions to come in blue for that road game in week five of the season, so it was white versus white until the break between the first/second quarters.
The rest of the game the Vikings wore all-purple, something they wouldn’t do again for 43 years until a Monday Night game against Chicago in December 2007.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
After a return to Kelly green and gray eagle stripes on the helmets for the 2010 season opener against Green Bay (as pictured above), part of the team's 50th anniversary celebration of the 1960 NFL title over the Packers at Franklin Field, there was a lot of sentiment from Eagles fans to return to that look.
Recently, after public disclosure of the marital split between Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and his wife Christina, fans have wondered aloud about a change back to Kelly green citing Christina Lurie who personally preferred the 1996 switch to midnight green with black as an accessory color.
What do you think? Email us at info@proleagueauthentics.com
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Authentic Store Buzz: We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from folks who are going tos top by our next in-store event this Thursday, July 19, as we welcome former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalkeeper, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby to our Center City Philly store meeting with fans and signing autographs from 11:30-12:30.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
We’ll have a reprint of the SI cover for Bob to sign. Hope to see you at out store as again the soccer community in the Philly region will be alive with the MLS All Star match the following Wednesday, July 25.
If you live in the Philadelphia metro area, you may have heard a radio
spot promoting Miller Beer’s ‘Throwback a Throwback’ campaign to enjoy a cold
beer at a specific favorite sports bar
while also having a chance to win a great-looking Phillies (the team’s not
named in the ad) throwback jersey.
PLA is proud to be the official MLB jersey supplier to Miller/Coors and its representatives for this campaign.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: When was the last time two NFL teams started a regular season game both wearing white uniforms? Answer on Wednesday.
Monday’s answer: Three MLB teams have five jerseys they wear in 2012: The Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
In a Twitter session with fans Sunday, Philadelphia 76ers CEO Adam Aron confirmed the team is going to wear blue jerseys next season as a road jersey in the mix with the current red (in addition to unveiling a new mascot and bringing the fan group the Revolutionaries), and to that we say hooray.
The blue was introduced as an alternate last winter, and Aron said back then that the 2012-13 season was the most likely timetable to debut the blue.
The Sixers have seemingly morphed between red and blue road jerseys during their entire near half century of existence, wearing blue, then red, then blue again between 1963-78, then red again for the next 20 seasons, before another blue jersey surfaced as an alternate to the black road jersey in 2001-02 and then again in 2005-06.
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Authentic Store Buzz: We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from folks who are going to stop by our next in-store event this Thursday, July 19, as we welcome former Philadelphia Atoms soccer goalkeeper, and current Philadelphia Union broadcaster Bob Rigby to our Center City Philly store meeting with fans and signing autographs from 11:30-12:30.
Rigby, a Philadelphia-area native, helped lead the Atoms to the 1973 North American Soccer League Championship in his and the team’s rookie season, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as the Atoms were the first U.S. team in any sports to win a professional championship in its first season.
We’ll have a reprint of the SI cover for Bob to sign. Hope to see you at out store as again the soccer community in the Philly region will be alive with the MLS All Star match the following Wednesday, July 25.
If you live in the Philadelphia metro area, you may have heard a radio spot promoting Miller Beer’s ‘Throwback a Throwback’ campaign to enjoy a cold beer at a specific favorite sports bar while also having a chance to win a great-looking Phillies (the team’s not named in the ad) throwback jersey.
PLA is proud to be the official MLB jersey supplier to Miller/Coors and its representatives for this campaign.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What MLB teams currently have the most jersey choices to select from? Answer on Tuesday.
Friday’s answer: The Eagles painted the traditional and familiar eagle wings on their helmets for the first time in 1954, joining the Rams who first painted ram horns on their helmets in 1948, and the Colts who placed two horseshoes on the back of their helmets also in 1954.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
