Here is a Los Angeles Lakers warmup jersey made by Champion which was found between the racks of second-hand uniforms at... you guessed it - Value Village. It's not in the most pristine shapes, but for under $15, this is a steal. Definitely a rare item and is probably on a lot of "Want" lists out there for vintage collectors. It'll also look great with my other LA Lakers paraphernalia.
Champion was the league's apparel provider from the early 1990s to the 2003.
I'm thinking of having it crested or leave it as is and keep it authentic.
In recent skate news, DGK rider Stevie Williams is the newest addition to Supra Footwear. Click here for the interview with Transworld Skateboarding. It's been about 5 years since he's had a steady shoe sponsor. He seemed well in place on DC Shoes and released one of the best looking pro models, but left in a disastrous deal with Reebok. After that failed, a Jordan deal came through, which was already a predetermined accident. He released an ad with a pair of Nike SBDunks - whom we all thought would take him in, but an Alife advertisement showed up a few months later. It looks like he's found a hopefully permanent home on Supra, but it is hard to register. I can't imagine him going on tour with these guys after forming a team like this. But it's skateboarding, it's meant for everybody and I'm totally amped on this news. I can't wait to see which styles he'll be skating in and what his pro model pair will look like. Supra All Day!
Stevie Williams in Transworld's The Reason. "Run. Skate. Chill... That's what's up."
Speaking of Supra, Terry Kennedy is releasing a mid version of his first pro models called the Society Mid. Finally, a shoe of his that looks functional.
Seeing how I talked about these, I thought I'd make a post about another Dennis Rodman pro model Converse shoe. Way back in grade 5, my mom dropped a bundle to get me the All-Star 91s. They were the first shoes I've owned priced well above $100 and came with a free hat, poster and a temporary tattoo [which I lost]. My parents were the shit to get 'em for me at only 10 years old - so it has sentimental value on it. Not only that, I got the matching t-shirts, zip-up, and tear-aways [remember those?] that went along with these sneakers. A year later, a bunch of these went on sale at a National Sports, where they set out loose pairs on tables. My mom wanted to buy them for me again, but his off-court issues I've learned of made me steer clear of The Worm's direction and passed. Looking back, however, I wish I bought every pair in every size to wear everday of my life. These are my favourite basketball shoes of all time. If the Rodmans are ever reproduced, I'll be the first one in the store to grab them regardless of its price.
Word to the wise, if there are kicks that mean a lot to you - don't let 'em go.
Can you picture any other basketball player with these on? Only Dennis Rodman can get away with it.
Today, I picked up one of the best gems in basketball sneakers - at least in my opinion. Here are a vintage pair of Dennis Rodman pro models by Converse. Someone was selling these online for $40 and it was an instant buy. I believe they came out in 1998 and were worn during the NBA Finals. For a set of kicks sitting around for almost 13 years, it's in tremendous shape.
These shoes also remind of the old Circa CM901 - a set of skate shoes I've only held in my dreams.
Remember VHS? How those used to take up space on the shelves and had to be rewound before sliding them back in the box? Those were the days. Sixteen years from now, I'll probably be writing a reminiscent post about DVDs. Anyways, getting to the point, I just picked up a VHS copy of Angus at my favourite "vintage" outlet store; Value Village. I remember watching it on TV way back when I was 10 and became an instant fan. This has to be one of my favourite movies within the 1990s. It's one of those repeated tales about high school life which makes you root for the outcast protagonist. Redundant? Yes. Enjoyable? Absolutely. A movie you should definitely watch? With this soundtrack, of course! Angus - check it out. Be kind. Rewind.
Home release distribution rights have been in a legal tangle for nearly 15 years. A DVD copy is guaranteed to not be sold at those mall and chain stores. However, a made-to-order method can be arranged online. But according to reviews, it's just a dubbed tape onto a DVD-R. Lame, huh?
Today was another Maple Leafs signing at the Pickering Markets. Despite their lateness, I still had fun chatting it up with other fans in the lineup. I took a picture with Darryl Boyce, but couldn't squeeze one in with Clarke MacArthur. It was still awesome meeting the two and have them add their names to my pennant.
Celebrating the debut of his first pro model shoe for Emerica, Brandon Westgate releases an entirely new video part online. Perhaps they were Stay Gold leftovers, but regardless, it's nearly 4 minutes of mindblowing shredding.
His shoe doesn't look all that bad either - reminds me of this.
This video part makes me want to skate in an instant. After 10 years, this still amps me up today. It's unfortunate how Henry Sanchez has fallen away from the skateboard scene.
This news is a bit old, but I'm still amped on it. Jack Curtin has not been on a footwear team in over 5 years. Glad to see Fallen appreciates his talents and gave him a roster spot considering one of their elite team riders dipped for a mall brand.
The year is only ten days old, and a lot of big things have happened already in skateboarding.
I'm not one to judge a pro skater's decision, but this is the whackest thing I've seen since this. Who knows what drove him to ride for a super brand like DC Shoes, but he did leave the shoe company which fit him best.
However, it really was the raddest thing to meet him back in 2008.
Chris Cole in Ride The Sky
Additionally, the broken down, end of the line, washed-up, has-been, somehow still pro skater Steve Berra is also on DC Shoes while one of the best pros in the game and former team rider, PJ Ladd is now without a sponsor.
Arto Saari is now on Flip Skateboards... again. He left the team in 2008 for Alien Workshop, three years later, he's right back where he belongs. I love this move.
Seeing how this is the last crested jersey in my collection, this is my last Jersey Sunday blog entry for the next long while. I did plan on having this as my "final" post because of the impact on North American sports this player made. Today's special feature is Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Purchased off Mitchell and Ness during their 50% off online sale. I knew I wanted this right off the bat. It's just the feeling of owning the jersey of someone who has made sports what it is today - I'd regret not getting a Jackie Robinson jersey when the price was right. This is the last time I'll ever let this jersey touch the floor.
Fast fact: Their full team name is Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers named after the streetcar tracks bordering their former home field. It was then shortened to just "Dodgers."
This cap is made entirely of wool from the New Era 19Twenty collection. It's probably the closest thing to what the players wore in 1955 and the best matching hat in my collection.
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, GA. Grandson to a slave and a son to a housekeeper, it was very unexpected to what he would amount to in the history books. After a stellar athletic tenure at UCLA and brief service in the military, he would start his professional baseball career playing shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Baseball League in 1945. It was a blessing in disguise for what was to come in the middle of that season.
Branch Rickey, then owner and GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers expressed great interest in scouting black players for his major league club. Through the Negro Baseball League, Jackie Robinson impressed the scouts and management and shortly signed him to their Minor League Baseball affiliate; Montreal Royals in 1946. There was a disputed moment between the two during their meeting in which Jackie Robinson asked, "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" Branch Rickey replied he needed a player "with guts enough not to fight back." After playing one season in the minors, Jackie Robinson was called up to the Brookyln Dodgers shortly before the start of the regular season.
On April 15 1947, with the help of Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers desegregated baseball for the first time in its 80+ year history. Many fans, owners, players, and teammates, were outraged calling walkouts, boycotts, and even death threats. This would not deter Jackie Robinson from becoming the premiere player he sought out to be earning the first ever Rookie of the Year Award in MLB history batting .297, scoring 125 runs with 12 homers, and stole 29 bases. The Brooklyn Dodgers would become National League Champions, but come up short against the New York Yankees.
Jackie Robinson would be the biggest key player for the next ten years in Brooklyn. They would make an appearance to the postseason every year and win the National League pennant six times. He was now embraced by Major League Baseball not just for his impact on society, but he was well worth the price of admission. His skills on the baseball field overshadowed the colour of his skin.
In his four trips to the World Series, the Brooklyn Dodgers were taken out by the New York Yankees. Writers would coin the catchphrase "Wait 'til next year" for their Ebbets Field tennants. It wasn't until 1955, their fifth championship appearance, where an aging Jackie Robinson would finally get his revenge against those pinstripes. It was a 7 game series which ended at Yankee Stadium, a shocking defeat for New York and a Cinderella Story season for the Dodgers. Jackie Robinson batted .182 with 4 hits, 5 RBI and one stolen base. Probably the biggest steals of his career, he made a speedy trip to home plate against the 1955 AL MVP catcher; Yogi Berra.
In 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers would make another trip to the World Series against the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers would come up short in another 7 game battle. At the end of the post-season, Jackie Robinson was traded to the division rival New York Giants, but decided to put an end to his great career.
Jackie Robinson left an indelible mark on North American history. Long before Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X - Jackie Robinson was at the front of it all. He wasn't a politician, an activist, or a movie star. He just wanted to play baseball. He paved the way for blacks to enter professional leagues and sports would not be as entertaining as it is today. There would not be a Michael Jordan or PK Subban if it weren't for his and Branch Rickey's bravery.
On October 25, 1972, Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack at the age of 53 in Stamford, CT. He lies in the Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.
His tombstone reads, "A life is not important except the impact it has on other lives."
Career Achievements and Honours:
Inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year [1947], NL MVP [1949], 6x All-Star [1949-1954], World Series Champion [1955], Major League Baseball's All-Century Team, Baseball Hall of Fame [1962].
In 1987, the Rookie of the Year Award was renamed the Jackie Robinson Award. He was the first player to recieve the trophy 40 years earlier.
On April 15, 1997, 50 years after his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Major League Baseball retired the #42 in his honour. This is the first time a jersey number was retired league-wide. The only current player with that number is New York Yankees P Mariano Rivera, who chose the number in 1995 specifically because of Jackie Robinson. That day is also known as Jackie Robinson Day where all players and coaches wear the #42.
In 2009, the New York Mets moved into the newly built Citi Field and named its main entrance The Jackie Robinson Rotunda.
In 1950, Eagle-Lion Films distributed a biographical motion picture called The Jackie Robinson Story. Who better to play Jackie Robinson than the man himself.
"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being." - Jackie Robinson
Last night, I was invited to a krump session at Simply Swagg Studios by old friend of mine, BJ Sickboy Albano. I was fully blown away by what these dudes can pull off. It ended up turning into a party where good times were had. I'm definitely checking out the next event. Thanks again to BJ for the invite. Also, the space was really amazing - I should rent one out for a private skate park. The pictures are a little bad because I forgot my camera and had to use my phone with dust all over the lens.
