Brown Bears (1972, 78)

Here are a couple odd one-year styles from Brown that share common traits -- they both use teeny-tiny helmet logos despite wearing blank helmets the rest of the decade (OK, until 1979). The logos are so small, they could almost pass off as dirt marks after a muddy Saturday afternoon at Brown Stadium.

Plenty of celebrating in 1972. Actually, Brown won only one
game that year, against Penn. If you look closely, you can see the
logo on No. 7 on the left. 

The 1972 version has a bear face over a bizarre-looking "B" that looks more at home on a minor-league hockey jersey. This was the last year Brown used gold as a helmet color before switching to silver in '73, which leads us to ...

The other tiny Brown logo, in action against Rhody in '78.
From URI's Renaissance yearbook. Or was it still called the Grist?
I can't keep track.

This stylized grizzly from '78. This logo was used elsewhere, such as in media guides, but was used on helmets for one year only. Two things about this Bruin: 1) It's not very good-looking; 2) Something this detailed needs to be bigger than a thumbprint.

Perhaps Brown felt the same way; in '79 the bear was jettisoned for an arced, serif "BROWN."

The old Brown logo, taken from a Dartmouth media guide.
The head is nice, but the rest looks, well, awkward.

More unis from the sons of Bruno: 2015, 2014, 2012-13, 2004-08, 2001-03, 1997-2000, 1984-89, 1981-83, 1975-77, 1973-74, 1967-71, 1957-58, 1951-56.

Columbia Lions (1984)

Columbia football was known for two things in the 1980s: Losing and constant uniform changes. (OK, maybe only the first one, but I'm looking to change that.) After a one-year style in 1983 that resembled a prehistoric Tennessee Titans, the Lions went a different route in '84, replacing the weird stripes with a pair of crown shoulder patches (a rarity then and now). 

Why a crown, you ask, and not a lion? Well, Columbia was originally known as King's College in the 18th century, and while the name changed, the symbol of royalty stuck around and is used to this day ... just not on the athletic garb. You can read more about the crown here.

It's too bad the crowns stayed only one year, because in addition to being different, they're classy as hell. But after an 0-9 season, Columbia turned to a new coach ... and a new set of uniforms.

The '84 Lions at home. Notice the crowns on the shoulders.
With the light color and dark numbers, the home shirts don't
look that different from the road models.

The '84 Lions on the road. Columbia Spectator pics. 

One other note: '83 marked the first year of Columbia's current stadium, originally called Baker Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium, but later renamed Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium -- yes, as in the New England Patriots owner, a Columbia grad. As a Pats fan, I get a kick out of New Yorkers seeing the name of the owner of their least favorite team on a stadium in their own city.

Other Lions unis that'll make you roar: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2003-05, 1996, 1983, 1974-76, 1971-73, 1970, 1965-67, 1955-56, 1952-54.

Inside the Jersey: Dartmouth Big Green (1999-2002)

With the Big Green starting up this weekend, let's go Inside the Jersey with this vintage Dartmouth jersey from the turn of the millennium, which seems more like 1,000 years ago these days.

How is was acquired: At an equipment sale in 2012 for a whopping 10 bucks. I bought this and three other Dartmouth football jerseys for $10 each and a game-worn baseball shirt for $25.

Who wore it: WR Evan Fitzpatrick wore No. 25 in 1999, followed by LB Gordon Quist (2000-01) and OL Steven DeMarco (01-02, the Green had two Nos. 25 simultaneously in '01. An offensive lineman wearing a back's number? Who knew?)

Who made it: Wilson, identifiable by the small square logo on the left sleeve. The jerseys with the Wilson tag were made from 1999-2002.

Size: A comfy XL.

Jersey construction: Mesh body, nylon everywhere else.

Design: Clean and simple, with green numbers on the shoulders and Northwestern striping on the sleeves. This was Dartmouth's jersey design from 1987-2002, an eternity by today's standards.

Condition: More hammered than a Dartmouth frat house on a Saturday night. I mean, look at this thing. Tears and rips, stains and stitches; this thing is disintegrating as I touch it. Why is it so beat up? These shirts were recycled for YEARS as jayvee, freshman and practice jerseys. (I'm an editor at the Valley News, Dartmouth's hometown paper, so I've run plenty of practice photos over the years and can attest to this.) No wonder these were $10 each. Hey, at least you know it's been used. 

Yup, this jersey's been through a few battles.

Triviata: This jersey may be battered, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying it and wearing it around town. One day, a guy on a bicycle approached me and said, "Is that a Jets jersey?" My reply: "Nope, Dartmouth." Him: "Oh. I was going to say, that's a tough load to carry." Hey, until the last few years, being a Dartmouth fan was a tough load to carry.

Final verdict: A ripped-to-shreds gamer from an era when Big Green football hit the skids, but still fun to wear. As long as it's not mistaken for a Jets jersey.

Some other unis from the Green Machine: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2005-06, 2003-04, 1978-86, 1970, 1957-61, 1955-56, 1951-54, 1944, 1936-38, 1929. Rivalry week: Dartmouth-Princeton.

Rhode Island Rams (1951)

As most fans know by now, college football has become a bizarre fashion show in which teams spend almost as much time preparing for their game day garb as they do for their opponent. I, for one, am waiting for the day when the Oregon Ducks take the field with a different helmet for every player on the roster.

Nos. 88 and 10 in the picture have the striped helmet ...

... while two players here have the leather pinwheel helmets
and another has the plain plastic shell. Pics from the 1952 Grist yearbook.

Actually, the Rhode Island Rams seemed to have that in mind in 1951, as they trotted out three different helmet designs, all used simultaneously -- plain, white stripe and pinwheel, almost like what Dartmouth tried in another era. The pinwheel helmet, which was used more often, appears to be a slightly lighter shade of blue than the other models, and matches the rest of the uniform more properly. Judging from photos, it looks like the pinwheels are older leather helmets, while the others use the newer plastic shells.

Late season action; check out the snowbank in the background.

This photo has everything: one guy's arguing with the ref, another's
hiding his face and another official is making a first-down measurement.
I believe the player on the left is from New Hampshire.

One last thing: check out the racing stripes down the sides and the wide white belts, which seems to more at home in a 1970s tuxedo. All in all, it adds up to one of the more unique uniforms of the era.

There are more uniforms out there from Rhody: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2003-07, 1997-99, 1983-92, 1976-82, 1967-71, 1966, 1963-65, 1962, 1957-61, 1936-39. Rivalry Week: UConn-Rhody.

Two things: 1) This scoreboard rules, and
2) Rhody beating UNH was an upset even then.

Inside the Jersey: Maine Black Bears (2010-13)

With my Black Bears opening tonight at UConn, let's go inside the jersey with this 2010-13 Maine jersey, my personal game day favorite.

How it was acquired: At the Bear Necessities merchandise store inside Alfond Arena last year for $40. I bought three jerseys from a rack of two or three dozen gamers.

Who wore it: Josh Spearin, an offensive lineman, is listed as wearing No. 74 from 2010-12. No one is listed as wearing in in '13.

Who made it: Adidas, which made Maine's jerseys from c. 2009-13.

Size: A nice, roomy 52.

Jersey construction: Mesh body, with polyester/Spandex on shoulders, sides and "sleeves."  Everything is stitched on, which gives the shirt a high-quality look and feel. The bottom is made of elastic, presumably so the shirt won't pop out during the game. The tag reads "+6 LEGNTH," which means it goes down to my knees, like many modern jerseys. The shoulders are cut for pads, and thus is appears I'm have pads underneath whenever I wear the jersey.

Yup, it's a looooong jersey. Were those player ID tags ever used?

Design: This is one of the classier looks Maine has trotted out, and I wish the Bears still wore these today. It's simple and effective, but still has a modern appearance. The only misfire: The blue side panels. (The navy home jersey didn't have alternate colored panels.)

Condition: Pristine, so I'm guessing Mr. Spearin didn't see much game action.

Triviata: The road version of this style debuted a year earlier than the navy home version (2011-13). 

Final verdict: A quality jersey from a quality era when Maine made two NCAA FCS tournament appearances. The current New Balance uniforms are fine, but this is one of the better efforts the Bears ever put out on the field. 

Holy Cross Crusaders (1976-80)

We all have things we inexplicably like, be it strawberry ice cream, Jethro Tull or twice-baked potatoes. For myself and this project, it's Holy Cross' late-1970s uniforms. Is it the purple helmets with the numbers on the side, a return of an earlier look and later to return during the 1980s glory years? Is it the ultra-plain "HOLY CROSS" word mark on the front? Is it the reliance on black shoes while other teams were going white? 

Whatever, I've always liked this design, worn during the otherwise unremarkable coaching reign of Neil Wheelwright (20-35, one winning record). The socks changed a couple times, and the number was eventually replaced by a version of the galloping horse logo the school used as its official logo in the 1970s and 80s.

This two-page spread, from the 1977 Purple Patcher yearbook, shows
the 1976 Holy Cross Crusdaders in full-color glory. The first page notes
the team debuted new uniforms that season.

The 1970s-80s logo, taken from an old Dartmouth media guide,
was the basis of the 1979-80 helmet logo.

In 1981, Rick Carter became coach, the numbered helmets returned and the uniforms ... well, imagine a purple version of this. We'll get to it eventually.

This photo of linebacker Tony Rocchio, from The Crusader
newspaper archives, gives a close-up of the plain "HOLY CROSS" word mark.

Want more from Holy Cross? Look here: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2004-08, 1992, 1986-91, 1973-74, 1972, 1971, 1967-70, 1963-65, 1956-59, 1951-55. Rivalry Week: Boston College-Holy Cross.

Inside the Jersey: UConn Huskies (2003)

This is the beginning of an occasional feature in which I unearth a jersey from my modest collection and give it my unbiased opinion (perhaps my favorite of oxymoron in the English vernacular). Today, it's a 2003 UConn Huskies white road jersey, worn by offense tackle Brendan Borowski, according to the '03 roster.

How it was acquired: eBay, for $30, quite the bargain for an FBS jersey.

Who wore it: Brendan Borowski, a backup offensive lineman. His bio, from the 2004 UConn media guide, is below.

Who made it: Aeropostale. Yes, AEROPOSTALE, makers of overpriced apparel for insecure mallrats. I know of no other sports team, high school, college or pro, who wore Aeorpostale uniforms. Some team should have countered with Abercrombie & Fitch unis. (By the way, am I the only one who thinks of 1980s Steelers running back Walter Abercrombie when I think of ol' A&F?)

No, really, Aeropostale! That 1987 on the tag is going to throw off collectors
50 years from now.

Size: 50, but a little snug, as you might expect for modern jerseys, which are not made for casual wear. If you want to spill beer all over your shirt, grab a replica.

Jersey construction: Polyester on the top, sides and "sleeves," single-layer mesh everywhere else. Seems pretty durable. A Big East logo is on the left (despite the fact the Huskies didn't officially join the league until 2004) and the Aeropostale logo (no, really, it was made by Aeropostale) on the right. All numbers are stitched on, and the name is screened onto a stitched nameplate.

Design: Football jerseys were rapidly evolving (or devolving, depending on your point of view), and this was one of the early "out-there" designs. "CONNECTICUT" (the team was trying to emphasize the state name over "UConn" at the time) is arced across the front (something rarely done ever), in contrast to the usual straight-across wordmarks. The stripes on the sleeves and collar reek of busy work, although the "C" on the sides are a nice touch. Check the name on the back: The "W" is lowercase, while the other letters are in all caps!

Condition: Pristine, as you might expect for someone who saw action in only one game in 2003.

Triviata: This was a one-year style (the second straight from the Huskies), although it's very similar to the Nike-manufactured 2004 uni. 

Final verdict: This isn't the prettiest jersey ever made, but it's a unique artifact from a unique period in UConn history, when the Huskies were transitioning into the Big East and moving into their spanking new stadium. And did I mention it was made by Aeropostale? I might have to grab a blue jersey down the road.

Boston College Eagles (2000)

In 2000, Boston College celebrated the new millennium by introducing a new logo and word marks, used by the school to this day. The school also changed its uniforms across the board, but the football unis used a peculiar number font -- something sorta-kinda-but-not-quite-impact -- that lasted only one year before the Eagles switched to the slanted font that was more in line with their word mark and was used until 2011. 

A 2000 Boston College jersey, taken from an old eBay listing.

While the uniforms changed, the helmets, thankfully, remained the same.

The season was also notable for the beginning of BC's fabled eight-year bowl winning streak, starting with a 31-17 win over Arizona State in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day (there are worse places to spend the holidays, I suppose). If there's one downer, it's that none of the bowls were of the BCS variety. 

The 2000 home uniform ...

... and its road counterpart.

Craving some more BC unis? Look right here: 2014, 2013, 2007, 1995-96, 1994, 1984, 1982, 1978-80, 1968-77, 1958-60, 1957, 1955-56, 1950-52, 1939, Rivalry Week (w/Holy Cross).

Yale Bulldogs (2006-11)

After all eight Ivy League teams wore Nike uniforms in 2015, Yale broke ranks this year and unveiled new duds made by Under Armour, the folks who made it fashionable for athletes to show off their man-boobs by wearing really tight shirts. Wisecracks aside, the only noticeable difference from last year is the addition of the "YALE" wordmark across the front and the small, classy "Y" on the pants. A fine effort, says I.

Yale's Aughties uniform, made by Nike, also did very little to the classic look. The big differences compared with the 1960s-90s uniform are the outline on the helmet's "Y" and the bulldog logo on the "sleeves" (which had just about vanished from football unis by this point). Sleeve logos seem to have gone the way, of, well, sleeves outside the NFL, whose unis really look outdated compared with its college counterparts -- something I think I've ranted about already.

One other thing: Notice the sock uniformity, something that went out with other teams during the 1980s.

The 2006 Yale road uniform ...

... and the 2007 home version.

Want more from the sons of old Eli? Look here: 2015, 2014, 2013, 1997-98, 1994, 1996, 1979-82, 1978, 1974-77, 1967-68, 1965, 1959-60, 1954-58, 1930. Rivalry Week: Harvard-Yale.

Vermont Catamounts (1940-42)

As I think I've pointed out before, Vermont's uniforms could have been Oregon before Oregon was hip, considering some of the uniforms the Catamounts trotted out before their untimely demise in 1974. Check out these screaming yellow zonkers UVM wore until World War II put the program in mothballs for three years. Judging by the photos, it appears not all the yellow parts matched properly, which would probably cause a riot on the message boards if that happened today.

The 1942 Vermont Catamounts, the last team before war shut the program down.

Members of the 1941 Cats ham it up for the Ariel yearbook camera.

Also note the small white outline around the numbers; I don't believe too many teams did two-tone numbers then.

By Vermont standards, this team wasn't too bad, going 4-4, 2-6 and 4-3.

More pictures of the 1942 Catamounts. Those old-fashioned poses always rule.

Want more uniforms from the ol' 802? Of course you do! 1946-48, 1962-63, 1964-67, 1968-69, 1970-74.