Digby

I guess they count even if they only use them in a way that hints there are blue and red lightbulbs on in a room down a hallway. More to the point, both shades are (presumably) far from what the Angels might use... I feel like their flirtation with light blue was a very powder blue, almost periwinkle even.

This is a simpleton's take. There are centuries of examples of angels wearing red in artworks, etc. That said, red + light blue is a nice combination that isn't really used as a proper color scheme (e.g. the core team colors and not just a trendchasing powder-blue fauxback jersey) in MLB or very much in American sports at all. Might be an interesting thought experiment. But I'm generally unconvinced that the Angels need much to change in terms of their jerseys and logos right now, anyway.

The white-panel (or off-white-panel I guess) hat for the Angels' City Connect is a nice alternate look that doesn't go down the well-trodden path of navy/red. I don't know if it would work as well with the Angels' standard identity as it does with the CC, just noting that I like how that particular hat works. I generally defend navy/red as being the "right" look for most of the teams that use it, but I don't think the Angels should be one of them. Keep the navy as tertiary as they have it now but no more.

Does the FA Cup have looser rules around kit design as well as the number of registered kits that a club has?

Getting hired and fired in 24 hours based on decade-old choices: not a uniquely American phenomenon! (Grande tweeted support for the guy who tried to assassinate the PQ leader and generally was outspoken against Quebec separatists back in the day, and was also famously caught on camera choking his own teammate in Impact's 2nd divison days.)

Guess we didn’t need to worry about the Winter Classic being booted to a Monday afternoon on cable.

Agree, but given FH's history of optimistic renders I'm not putting much stock in that mockup at all (mercifully). Looks like one of those extra-fast-fashion shirts all over sketchy internet banner ads.

I've always assumed that plain backs on striped MLS jerseys were more because Adidas templates had the plain backs. Considering how often MLS has given us impossible-to-read numbers through metallic foils or terrible color-contrast choices, it seems like number legibility is not front of mind for them.

He's a three-year coach though. Wouldn't even make it to the World Cup before the inevitable trainwreck! Anyway, I'd love to know if any big-name European or South American coach with UCL pedigree would even want the USA job.

The Federation is now in an impossible spot, as a decision on Berhalter's future in either direction will seem like it was influenced by a blackmail attempt. I think the only non-sporting reason this should be a mark against Berhalter is that this incident lays bare the problems with running the federation as a country club for aging jocks. A 2002 World Cup alum who works on the club side is mad at a 2002 World Cup alum who runs the men's team, so he complains to a 2002 World Cup alum who's sporting director and a 2002 World Cup alum who's general manager. (Of Stewart and McBride, I don't even know who is whose boss.) The whole setup is ripe for petty dramas and grudges, it's embarrassingly old-boys-club when you look at it. One would hope a strong outside voice would be able to keep the collective eye on the ball, rather than get bogged down in past baggage.

For Gio’s future, I think a lot depends on whether he’s well-liked by the core of the new team or whether he brought his entitled petulance into the locker room, as far as whether he’ll be supported and welcomed in there going forward. We’ve obviously seen grosser scandals overcome by sheer talent (and laying low), but also, Gio’s not a ballon d’or winner. lest we forget that George Weah is also a USMNT dad and has caused exactly zero drama! And he’s a head of state!!

Tbh I hated it at first, like I usually do with loud Sounders kits, but it grew on me substantially. Still think more should have been made of the fact that the color scheme was very close to the usual Sounders green and blue but inverted.

The Athletic has statements from the Reynas, kind of non-apology apology situations here. This is wild. https://theathletic.com/4057428/2023/01/04/gregg-berhalter-danielle-claudio-reyna-us-soccer/ Or just the statements if you don't have a sub. Danielle, stop, you're not helping yourself! https://imgur.com/a/6v9IWhn

I mean, this is legendary Psycho Soccer Parent stuff. The book has been rewritten. Suddenly explains Gio's attitude problems, which surprised me as well because I always thought Claudio was one of our dignified as well as talented players when he was one of our main guys. Maybe I missed something. And their now-wives were ROOMMATES when they played together at UNC? Jeez. I always thought Claudio and Gregg were friends from back in the day, which is why I never gave credence to the theory of Gregg having some weird personal vendetta about Gio. Did they ever have a Harkes-vs-Wynalda level beef that I missed?? Or did the Reynas just go full mafioso all these years later? Feels short-sighted to put your kid and your own careers on the line and maybe commit criminal blackmail.

For me it's less about the generational appeal. I just find it something offputting about using a dead person's legacy so explicitly -- it feels like a grab at unearned cred. At least when the Timberwolves did Prince-themed jerseys, there was the history of Prince being a superfan in his day. But using Johnny Cash or Jimi Hendrix or Jean-Michel Basquiat to hype up teams that didn't even exist when they were alive just seems, I dunno, deeply corny. (At least the Sounders Hendrix kit looked cool, though.)

Totally not how I expected 2023 to open on the USMNT front. What a weird story. Holding onto a morose hope that Gio Reyna dug it up in a fit of Benzema-style rage...now that's a scandal worthy of a proper footballing nation. EDIT: Omg I was kidding but I was right. https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/4844539/claudio-reyna-told-us-soccer-about-past-gregg-berhalter-domestic-violence-incident-sources

I do think Nashville’s wider cultural relevancy is a much more recent phenomenon — whether that’s fair is separate — but also, there is something to be said about the Titans’ bizarre, slow-walked move, with the temporary clinging to Oilers and the college stadium stops including Memphis — that sorta stunted their roots, at least from the outside. Personally I still don’t think of them as Nashville the way I might with the Predators or even the soccer team.

This made me curious so I'm looking into it -- and, because I had to use somebody as example, why not use the Crew. So their West opponents by year are: 2023 -- host RSL, LAG, COL, away to POR, HOU, DAL 2022 -- host VAN, NSH (who was West only this year), LAFC, POR, away to SJE, SKC, RSL, COL 2021 -- host NSH, SEA, away to ATX. But also played some Eastern Conference teams 3x. Not bothering with 2020 since MLS was pretty clearly scheduling games on the fly with the hopes that they'd be doable at all. But still, seems like less of a "rotation" than I thought? Seems weird to go three seasons without playing Minnesota United in the league. I bet every other team has one or two like that, though. New England hasn't played Seattle OR San Jose since 2019, and won't this year either.

I thought the covid-year Lake Tahoe thing was great. Most of these big stadiums look the same anyway (Fenway being a relative outlier). That was a much cooler and more adaptable setting as far as "NHL in weird outside places" goes. Sadly now seems unlikely to happen again, when you can get 40 or 80 thousand people to pay hundreds of dollars for cold, horrible sightlines.

I think that Fenway is a perfect Winter Classic venue that won't get old for me, but otherwise yeah -- I don't mind rewarding new markets, I'm just not super convinced that fauxback is the best aesthetic for either of these teams or the ballpark, but now that expectation is set. Maybe we can do "pond hockey in the Cascades" or something.

Wouldn't doubt Seattle as a market at this point, but the NHL has been pretty clear about positioning the Winter Classic with the legacy teams, pond hockey, snowy cities, etc. It's right there in the name. It's why Washington and Dallas felt a little odd too, and now it's an even more awkward fit with literally the two newest franchises considering how the game has almost always been O6 or close to it. If this was a "Stadium Series" game I don't think nearly as many people would bat an eye. Trying to figure out a Vegas uniform for this seems like a challenge -- lots of fun design inspiration in vintage Las Vegas design culture, but does any of that translate to an old-timey hockey sweater with a felt crest?

Really don’t think there’s some conspiracy here — it’s just the nature of the unbalanced schedule, which is tougher to follow since the unpredictable expansion schemes make it harder to figure out the NFL style rotation of non-local opponents. If they played in ATX in 21 they should probably play in CLB next year? If there’s still nothing by ‘26 then I’ll be suspicious. MLS has been clear about preferring an unbalanced schedule to reduce travel and focus on building local rivalries, which I think is understandable compared with most other leagues globally.

The yellow looked a bit nicer later in the game when the floodlights came on. Maybe it would have worked on a bright sunny day, but it was pretty overcast, which didn't help the drearyness. Wonder if the Penguins just wrung all they could from the double-blue throwback look with the Winter Classics and regular throwback from 08-14 or so and it doesn't sell the merch anymore.

Not likely. A lot of inter-conference matchups haven't happened since pre-covid, due to league expansion and the unbalanced schedule. I don't know that there's a set rotation for inter-conference games the way the NFL and MLB have set it up, but similar to those leagues, you might go 6 years without seeing a given team from the other conference in your local stadium. Plus, MLS lives for content and juicing up rivalries.

Like I feared, the game is a little muddy when both teams share a color scheme of black, golden yellow, and greyish cream. Individually the Bruins look good, but I don’t like the yellow lids and numbers on a cream base for the Pens at all. Just not a nice harmony of colors.