February, 2006:

• Rice U. to Change Football Helmet Logo for 2006 (NCAA)
  February 28, 2006
  For 16 seasons, wings served as the primary helmet decal for Owls football. In the wake of the naming of Todd Graham as head coach on Jan. 1, Rice has decided to alter the appearance of its helmets as well, going with a full owl for the first time since 1983.  The background color will change from blue to gray, and an attacking blue owl with a white 'R' on its chest will be centered above both ear holes. The facemask will be blue.
  Source: www.chron.com
   
• FOXSports.com - "Simple Rules for Sporting Your Team's Jersey"
  February 23, 2006
  Today we are going to focus on perhaps the simplest and most popular way for a fan to let the world know which sports team he/she supports ... the jersey.  From hockey to football to jai-alai to horse racing, most sporting events use the jersey, or a form of the jersey (silks, camisas or even sweaters, as in old time hockey; Eddie Shore), to identify one opponent from another.
  Source: www.foxsports.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Welcome to Arch Madness"
  February 23, 2006
  Five NHL teams do it, but the Braves are the only baseball team that does it. No NBA team does it anymore, although several used to. And no NFL team has ever done it.  Uni Watch is referring, of course, to the use of vertically arched lettering for player names on the backs of jerseys, a painstaking process that adds a touch of class to any uni design.
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• USAToday.com - "If Only Helmets Could Talk"
  February 22, 2006
  I am a helmet. Without me, the NFL is nothing but a glorified rugby match. TV networks always place me on the set of Super Bowl pregame shows. Players get so attached to me that when they retire, they take me with them. But even though I save my players from concussions and keep them on the field, sometimes they take me for granted. They might kick me. Slam me to the ground. Spit on me. Even sit on me. Inexplicably, sometimes they even forget about me. A football helmet is every bit as important as a knee. Without it, you can't play. Just ask Thurman Thomas. (Related story: "Design is important in headwear deliberation")
  Source: www.usatoday.com
   
• USAToday.com - "Design is Important in Headwear Deliberation"
  February 22, 2006
  While there is no arguing the glory and glamour of an NFL football helmet, determining the most attractive design is very much subject to debate. (Related story: "If only helmets could talk") As a child, San Diego center Nick Hardwick loved Cincinnati's headgear. "I thought all those stripes were cool," he says. "But I still can't figure out how they get them on there. Are they decals or is it paint? That would be a lot of decals to put on each week." (They are decals.) But Chicago guard Ruben Brown says the Bengals' design is the ugliest in football history. "They can do way better than that." Donovan Moore, founder and president of The Society for Sports Uniforms Research (www.ssur.org), has spent plenty of time pondering that debate. He has compiled his list of the top five NFL helmets of all time — and the five worst. "Although I've been following logo and uniform trends for over 33 years, I'm not much of a traditionalist," he warns. "I'm of the mind-set that the older styles aren't always the better styles."
  Source: www.usatoday.com
   
• Dayton Bulldogs Unveil Logo, Uniforms (National Indoor Football League)
  February 17, 2006
  The Dayton Bulldogs of the National Indoor Football League will unveil a new look for media members at a Media Luncheon/Press Conference scheduled for Noon on Tuesday, February 21st. On hand to field questions from media will be new owners Bishop Keith Brooks and Denise Jackson. The team will provide bio's of newly appointed Head Football Coach Derrick Davidson and his assistant Ramone Davenport. The 2006 Bulldogs schedule will be revealed; personnel from the Nutter Center will also be on hand to welcome the new franchise to its home venue. Dayton Bulldog players, including running back Keith Brooks, Anthony Tyus, and Eugene Hellams will be in attendance to give their outlook on the upcoming NIFL season. The team's new logo and jersey will be presented, and ticket information will be included.
  Source: www.oursportscentral.com
   
• U. of Notre Dame Men's Basketball to Wear Black Alternate Uniforms (NCAA)
  February 20, 2006
  Structuring sentences was a struggle when members of the Notre Dame men's basketball team learned something the team's three captains had known for weeks.  Prior to a weekend road trip to New Jersey, the Irish were given new uniforms -- all black with green and white trim -- for Saturday's game against Seton Hall. Captains Rick Cornett, Torin Francis and Chris Quinn first found out about the new look earlier this month. The rest of the team was told of it when they arrived last week.
  Source: www.southbendtribune.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Silver Should Go to the Winner"
  February 14, 2006
  "The gold medal is my favorite color!" figure skater Sasha Cohen wrote on her Web site last month. And that pretty much sums up the Olympics' biggest aesthetic problem right there: The whole affair is built around the exceedingly faulty premise that gold might somehow be superior to silver. OK, maybe white gold is cool, but that's just because it looks like silver. Regular gold is tacky, ugly, clunky, while silver is classy, sleek, tasteful. Think about it: Have you ever heard anyone refer to a big, ugly silver chain? Or a stupid silver pinkie ring? Do people who wear silver go around looking like this? Seriously, which would you rather win: this or this? It's no contest, people.
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• The Swing of the Quad Cities Unveils 2006 All-Star Game Logo (Midwest League (baseball))
  February 14, 2006
  The last time Midwest League all-stars took the field at Davenport’s John O’Donnell Stadium, fans were treated to the debut of a home run contest that has become a fan favorite at the annual gathering of the league’s top baseball talent. Swing of the Quad-Cities staff members are hoping to create a similar new experience when the Midwest League All-Star Game returns to the banks of the Mississippi River in June for the first time since 1990.
  Source: www.qctimes.net
   
• Houston 1836 to Change Names (Major League Soccer)
  February 14, 2006
  They're less than two months from taking the field, but the team known as Houston 1836 may soon change its name. The 1836 is the team which used to be the San Jose Earthquakes, but the new name is causing a little controversy here in Houston.  What's in a name? Apparently a lot since Major League Soccer announced that the San Jose Earthquakes were coming to Houston and would be called Houston 1836.
  Source: abclocal.go.com/ktrk/
   
• Sussex Skyhawks Unveil Nickname, Logo (Canadian-American Association (baseball))
  February 13, 2006
  Larry Hall, President of the Sussex Skyhawks, unveiled today the logo for the new Sussex baseball team. The logo, which incorporates a deep, rich sky blue called Pantone 300, prominently features a hawk striking down, grasping a baseball in its powerful talons. The Skyhawks home season begins with Opening Day festivities on May 29 at Skylands Park in Augusta, NJ, and will culminate with a fireworks display that will light up the Sussex night sky.
  Source: www.sussexskyhawks.com
   
• Montana State U. Unveils New "Champ" Logo (NCAA)
  February 13, 2006
  Champ, the mascot for Montana State University, has a new look that will appeal to children of all ages.  MSU officials will unveil the new Champ logo, called a youth mark, at the university's men's basketball game Saturday, Feb. 18 against the University of Idaho.  Designed by Bozeman artist Robert Rath, an MSU graduate, the new Champ graphic is athletic and appealing. Julie Kipfer, MSU's director of marketing, said the image targets children ages 5-10, but will appeal to Bobcat friends and fans of all ages.
  Source: www.montana.edu
   
• U. of Georgia to Wear Throwback Football Uniforms in 2006 (NCAA)
  February 12, 2006
  The world’s biggest Loretta Lynn fan will be back in Athens next Saturday. When I worked at a Athens radio station, Hugh Durham would call several times a week to request a Loretta or Gene Watson song. We got to be buddies, linked by our love of country music and sports. Many people don’t know that not only was Durham a terrific basketball coach, but he was a national racquetball player. A tribute to the career of Durham — Georgia’s winningest all-time basketball coach — is just one component of a weekend filled with nostalgia when the current Bulldogs play host to Vanderbilt on Feb. 18. In addition, Georgia will unveil the “throwback” version of its uniform as part of a program initiated by the Southeastern Conference and carried out by all 12 members on the weekend of Feb. 18.
  Source: www.waltontribune.com
   
• St. Joe Blacksnakes Unveils Name, Logo (American Association (baseball))
  February 10, 2006
  After a much-anticipated “name the team” contest, the St. Joe Professional Team will take the field in 2006 as the Blacksnakes. The ballclub revealed its name along with its logo and team uniforms at a press conference Friday held at City Hall.
  
  Source: www.stjoeblacksnakes.com
   
• Harrisburg Senators Unveil New Logos (Eastern League (baseball))
  February 8, 2006
  The Harrisburg Senators announced today that the team will incorporate new logos and uniform designs for the 2006 season. The new set of monikers will include a banner logo, new cap logo, and for the 2006 season only, a 20th anniversary logo.  Baseball, long agreed upon as America’s game, often has fans thinking about the history and traditions of our country. In developing new logos, the Harrisburg Senators kept that idea in mind.   The new primary logo features a stylized “Senators” with a patriotic flag and a swooping baseball. The “H” cap design uses similar elements, in red, blue and gold in keeping with the team’s Washington Nationals affiliation. The just-replaced “Uncle Slam H” was introduced prior to the 1995 season. The Senators will wear red caps for home games and blue for road contests this season.
  Source: www.senatorsbaseball.com
   
• Toronto Marlies Unveil 2007 AHL All-Star Game Logo (American Hockey League)
  February 8, 2006
  American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews has announced that the Toronto Marlies and the city of Toronto have been awarded the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic. The announcement was made this evening at the Air Canada Centre.
  
  Source: www.arenadigest.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "It's the Steelers, In a Landslide"
  February 2, 2006
  Let's put it this way: It could have been worse. The Bengals could've put together a Super Bowl run, for example. Or the Bills could've returned to AFC prominence. Or a fleet of star cruisers from another galaxy could've come along and blasted our planet into smithereens. Failing that, though, it's hard to imagine a more miserable situation than having to watch the Seattle Seahawks and their XFL-esque scuba suits this Sunday, an outfit that will instantly go down as the worst uniform in Super Bowl history.
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• Rocky Mountain Rage Unveil Nickname, Logo (Central Hockey League)
  February 1, 2006
  The second of two Central Hockey League expansion franchises slated to begin play this fall has announced their identity; the Rocky Mountain Rage. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon from C.B. and Potts Restaurant and Brewery in Broomfield, Colorado, the ownership group of Tim Wiens and John Frew announced their CHL team name and unveiled the Rage logo and jersey designs.  Rocky Mountain is slated to christen the state-of-the-art Broomfield Event Center this fall with construction currently underway. Created by Denver’s Adrenalin Design Group, the logo features a fiery eyeball image using black, salmon, crimson and khaki as the primary colors.
  Source: www.centralhockeyleague.com
   
• Colorado 14ers Unveil Nickname, Logo (Continental Basketball Association)
  February 1, 2006
  Beginning this fall, the Broomfield Event Center will showcase a new kind of hockey and basketball. The Rocky Mountain Rage hockey team and the Colorado 14ers basketball team were unveiled Wednesday, Feb. 1, at a standing-room-only name and logo release party at C.B. & Potts Restaurant and Brewery at Flatirons, Colo.   “This is exciting for our season ticket holders, fans, our business partners and the city” said John Frew, co-owner. “Selecting names for both teams started with a list of over 300 names and took months of collaboration. The Rocky Mountain Rage and the Colorado 14ers are both unique to Colorado and both capture the intensity of their respective sports. We are pleased with these names and we think that hockey and basketball fans will like what we’ve chosen.”
  Source: www.cbahoopsonline.com