Not Another New Uniform Movie!

Yes, another update about Reebok's new defangled unis. And a very good one at that...

First off, ESPECIALLY after my post about someone's cockamanie idea for the Canes' new duds, the Raleigh News and Observer and Jim Rutherford state that such will not be the case...

"Some clubs are looking at it as an opportunity for a redesign or identity change," Jennings said. "The Original Six teams have an identity and a tradition, and we don't want to tinker with that."
The Hurricanes aren't one of them, general manager Jim Rutherford said. They objected strongly to the original, tucked-in concept because it would have taken away the hurricane-flag motif along the bottom of their jersey, but think their look will transition easily to the new style.

"Our jerseys may look a little different because they're more streamlined," Rutherford said. "But for the most part they won't change that much."

But the launch of the new uniforms will delay the introduction of a third, alternate Carolina jersey -- black, with the secondary flag logo replacing the swirling-storm logo. The Canes were hoping to unveil those this fall, but Rutherford said they'll be pushed back to fall 2008 at the earliest.

While they still leave up in the air how the Canes' new clothes will look, such comments from J.R. *do* make me feel better.

As for the third jersey being delayed, I always could give or take the Canes' having a third. I'm completely fine with just the red and white jerseys.

Also worth mentioning is that fact that the new look has its own website, like just about everything and everyone else these days...

http://www.rbkedgeuniform.com/

Check out the 360 view of Sid the Kid...it further demonstrates what I was saying about this new look being possibly nothing more than a high-tech version of what the NHLers are already wearing.

Current Music: "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas

Edit as of 3:40 PM: Here are two more demonstrating the new threads...

Justin Williams:




And Zdeno Chara:

Current Music as of the edit: "The Boy In the Bubble" by Paul Simon

New All-Star Uniforms Revealed

Again, a day late on this...but as I say a bit, better late than never.

Yo, Sid, get in here!




As some of you more frequent visitors/readers of mine know, I've been quite the fervent complainer about Reebok's proposed new uniforms. So when I first saw the above pic yesterday, I was rather pleasantly surprised. Still am upon further glances...the only real drastic changes are the material of the jerseys (something more "high-tech/futuristic" than mesh), the hockey shorts (seemingly less bulky than the hockey pants being used AND have been used for sometime...don't see how the players will turn the new ones down), and socks. Unlike one or two, I don't have a problem with the socks if the players don't. As much as I like the traditional socks (heck, I own a pair of Canes (red with a black and white stripe) ones), let's face it, they would not look all that great with the new jersey, especially with the new material of which the jersey is comprised.

But, all of that said, I'm reserving my real judgement for when the Canes, Pens, and Leafs' new clothes are revealed.

Current Music: "Unerasable Sin" - Fullmetal Alchemist's Second Closing Theme

Edit as of 5:25 PM: Even though I'm starting to somewhat like the unis, the mean girl in me will find it hilarious if the following words, mentioned in The Toronto Sun, blow up in a certain infamous NHL commissioner's face:

"The NHL's new uniforms are about player comfort and not fan merchandising. It was about getting the players into a uniform that would be better, that would enable them to have a better range of motion (and) would keep them cooler."

Current Music as of the edit: "TV Dinners" by ZZ Top

December 28th and 29th, 2006 - Canes @ Sabres AND vs. Ducks: Random Musings and Observations

When this season is all said and done, and people ask me why was I so frustrated with my Canes at times during it, I will simply point towards these past couple of weeks and say "That's why.".

As delighted as I've been with the Canes' five game winning streak and saving Festivus and Christmas in the process, I have found it a little hard to be enthused, because, well, it's not like the Canes beat a Buffalo or an Anaheim during all of that. They played the dismal Flyers, and the mediocre Lightning, Islanders, and Panthers (twice). Ok, I realize that the Islanders have been a little more than mediocre as of late, BUT they are still highly beatable...as proven by the Canes finally beating them 5-1, making for the best game during the streak AND quite possibly the best game of the season.

That said, if there was anyone the Canes should have pulverized, it's the Flyers. It pains me to see the rest of the League killing the orange and black ones, AND the Canes barely eek out a 2-1 win. So yeah, as evidenced by the above rant, I'm still bitter about that.

BUT ANYWAY, regarding these past two games...the Canes can't beat the second League-best Buffalo, but they can run/skate with AND beat the League-best Anaheim?! I wouldn't go as far as saying that's wacked...BUT, I will go as far as saying that if the Canes had played the game they played against the (Mighty) Ducks, they may not have been swept by the Swords and/or could have at least made Thursday's game score a little more respectable than it was.

- Admittedly, I didn't really watch a whole lot of the Canes @ Sabres game, because DirecTV gave me the Sabres MSG feed, as predicted, thanks to it being an away game.

Thanks to Turner South no longer existing, the MSG Buffalo crew is now officially my pick for the most excruciatingly annoying broadcast team, at least for this season. I can't decide who grates on my nerves more: The play-by-play announcer who makes Howard Cosell and Brent Musburger sound rather tolerable, even if combined together in some mad scientist's experiment; OR Rob Ray, who immediately makes me clamour for Tripp Tracy and his prattlings about food and groins.

Note to the Canes: Don't give the/a color commentating job to an ex-goon. At least an ex-goon like RR, anyway.

- After last night's game, it's actually funny AND ironic that I compare Rob Ray and Tripp...y'see, RR is the ice level color commentator for the Sabres, and Tripp got a taste of the same position last night while the Canes bouted with the Ducks. Things that make you go hmmmmm...could it be that John Forslund is getting a new partner in the booth soon? Guess we'll find out on a future episode of "As the Storm Turns".

- Don't worry Brindy worshipers, I have not forgotten about your golden boy's big night...

Last night was Rod Brind'Amour Night, during which, Brindy was honored for reaching the 1,000 point mark a few games ago. Many congrats to the guv'nor.

That led to a nitpick that, really, will be no different from my gripings about the beginning of the second and third period interviews with Laviolette and McCarthy, respectfully...so, you've been warned.

John, Tripp, and FSN South, ever since 2002, everybody, their brother, sister, and cousin throughout the Caniac Nation had Brindy pegged to be the next Captain after Ronnie Francis, and therefore practically knew he would eventually be Captain. There was absolutely no need to make it sound like Rod had to win a freakin' lottery to get the position.

I swear I lost count of how many times I uttered "(Brindy) was SLATED to be Captain!!" to the TV during that moment.

And hey, what do I know? Especially since I was not in Lavy's head when he made the decision in 2005. BUT, if Brindy still wasn't a gimme for the Captainancy by then, color me highly surprised.

- It *still* scares me that the two absolute best teams in the League are the ones already wearing Reebok's proposed buttugly jerseys for the remainder of the League, which are supposed to make their grand debut at the All-Star Game/Event later next month.

Then again, what we are seeing the Sabres and Ducks wearing are apparently mere prototypes. 'Cause even though the jerseys have that form-fitting look to them (at least they do to me), the Ducks and Sabres look comfortable wearing them. That cannot be said for one of the Ducks' neighbors to the north, who got to try out the new duds recently.

I was getting ready to post a quote or two from that article, but there are too many good ones in there...making me prompt you to read the article ASAP. It's nice to know that we fans aren't the only ones who feel the new streamlined and form-fitting "jerseys" are going to be crap. Unfortunately, a player made it clear that he thought the new "jerseys" are ok...hint: He used to be a Teddybear. That said, when I read his comment, I was not surprised. But other than him, I don't think his teammates know what to think overall.

I will conclude by saying what gives me hope about the new "jerseys" not having a long life is remembering how the "Cooperalls" a.k.a. hockey pants in the early 80's were promoted as THE new look for NHLers, only to barely last a season.

Current Music: "Fiesta" by The Pogues