January, 2006:

• Louisiana State U. Unveils New Baseball Uniforms (NCAA)
  January 31, 2006
  If you liked LSU baseball uniforms during the national championship seasons of the 1990s, you’ll like the way the Tigers will look this season. In essence, every day will be throwback day at Alex Box Stadium. LSU has scrapped all of the uniforms from Smoke Laval’s first four seasons as coach of the Tigers, trading them for a more classic style.
  Source: www.2theadvocate.com
   
• U. of Louisiana-Monroe to Change Nickname from Indians (NCAA)
  January 31, 2006
  The Indian is out at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.  Under the threat of NCAA sanctions, ULM President James Cofer has accepted the Mascot Committee's recommendation to retire its 75-year-old mascot and choose a new one by June 1.  That will be plenty of time to have new uniforms and merchandise ready for football season, Cofer said.  The committee has been sent more than 417 ideas, and will continue taking suggestions through Feb. 28. Many of those received so far are variants on themes -- for instance, Black Bears, Fighting Bears, Bruins and Bayou Bruins, Cofer said.
  Source: www.wwltv.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "And the Uni Goes To..."
  January 27, 2006
  They'll be announcing the Oscar nominations soon out in Hollywood, but Uni Watch can't be bothered with those movies. Like, did "Brokeback Mountain" have uniforms? Or "Good Night, and Good Luck"? "King Kong"? Uni Watch didn't think so. Fortunately, there have been plenty of films over the years where the unis have been front and center. So last month, Uni Watch put out the call: Which movies have had the coolest uniforms? Scores of readers responded, citing several dozen flicks. In this column, Uni Watch presents the 10 most popular nominees and gives you a chance to vote for the ultimate winner.
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• Kansas City Royals Unveil New Uniforms (Major League Baseball / American League)
  January 27, 2006
  The Royals unveiled their new 2006 uniforms, which have a more traditional look, at their annual forecast luncheon on Friday. The two home uniforms will say "Royals," while the two road uniforms will have "Kansas City" on the front. The lettering on the front will change from last year's block print to script. "Basically, the goal of the uniform changes was to get back to more of a traditional look for the ballclub," said Dave Witty, the Royals' vice president of communications and marketing. One of the key changes with the new uniform is the return to the crown logo. The Royals used a circular logo over the past few seasons.
  Source: kansascity.royals.mlb.com
   
• Tampa Bay Devil Rays - New Nickname? (Major League Baseball / American League)
  January 27, 2006
  They don't know exactly what the new team nickname will be for the 2007 season except it's not going to be the Devil Rays.  The team's president, Matt Silverman, told a group of Tampa business leaders Thursday that there will be "some sort of a change" in the Devil Rays name.  The club is looking at either dropping "Devil" from the name and calling the team the "Rays" or creating a completely new name, Silverman said, elaborating on the name issue in an interview after speaking at a quarterly luncheon meeting of the Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau.
  Source: www.tbo.com
   
• Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Announce Name Change for 2006-2007 (National Hockey League)
  January 26, 2006
  The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim announced today they will be known as the Anaheim Ducks starting next season.  "The Mighty Ducks organization carefully considered the question of whether to change the team name, and spent many months evaluating various options," said David Paine, CEO of PainePR, an Irvine, California based public relations firm that coordinated the research for the Samueli family.
  Source: www.ocregister.com
   
• Houston 1836 Unveils Nickname, Logo (Major League Soccer)
  January 25, 2006
  The year 1836 has always held a special meaning in Houston, as it was the year of the city's founding. The number took added meaning Wednesday afternoon, as it officially became the name of the Houston club in Major League Soccer. MLS officials and team members helped unveil the name and logo of Houston 1836 before a crowd of approximately 150 excited students at Lanier Middle School, ending weeks of speculation which began when the team's move from San Jose was announced. The new name was the top selection in an online poll by more than 11,000 fans, who picked Houston 1836 over 13 other finalists.
  Source: www.mlsnet.com
   
• Pittsburgh Steelers to Wear White in Super Bowl (National Football League)
  January 24, 2006
  To coach Bill Cowher, the Pittsburgh Steelers simply look right in white.  The Steelers will buck years of tradition and wear their white away uniforms in the Super Bowl against Seattle, even though they are designated by the NFL as the home team and could wear their more imposing black jersey tops.  The black jerseys and gold pants are the Steelers' traditional look, and numerous sports teams have switched to black uniforms in recent years because they believe it creates a more intimidating presence.
  Source: sports.espn.go.com
   
• Billings Mustangs Unveil New Logos, Uniforms (Pioneer League (baseball))
  January 23, 2006
  The Billings Mustangs will open the 2006 Pioneer League season with a fresh new look. The Rookie Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds unveiled new logos that will be featured on all of their on-field caps, uniforms and jackets.  The home cap will be a scarlet crown with black visor and black eyelets. The road cap will be solid black. Both caps will feature two golden horseshoes interlocked to form an “M,” a modernized version of the cap that the Mustangs wore during the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Mustangs also introduced an alternate cap, a solid black cap with scarlet “flip” visor and scarlet button. The alternate cap will feature an animated horse head.
  Source: www.minorleaguebaseball.com
   
• MLS Teams Unveil New adidas Uniforms (Major League Soccer)
  January 20, 2006
  Before the 2006 MLS SuperDraft on Friday in Philadelphia, adidas and MLS unveiled the new uniforms and ball to be used during the 2006 season. Starting this season, all 12 team uniforms, and the official match ball, will be supplied by adidas with whom the league entered into an exclusive partnership last year. Eleven of the 12 teams had current players show off their respective new uniforms for the audience at the Pennsylvania Convention Center an hour before the draft. Houston is expected to announce the team name, colors and new uniform next week.
  Source: www.mlsnet.com
   
• Jamestown Jammers Unveil New Logo (New York-Penn League (baseball))
  January 20, 2006
  Just what is a Jammer, anyway? Since the inception of the New York-Penn League's Jamestown Jammers in 1994, fans of the club have wondered what exactly it was that they were rooting for. The team's logo, a bat-wielding Tasmanian Devil, certainly provided no clues. This burning question was finally answered Thursday, as the Jammers, the Short-Season Class A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, unveiled their new logo at a press conference. The logo, featuring an anthropomorphic cluster of grapes, is a nod to the region's thriving grape-growing industry. Chautauqua County, which includes Jamestown, is the No. 1 producer of Concord grapes in the country.
  Source: www.minorleaguebaseball.com
   
• Tampa Bay Devils Rays to Possibly Change Nickname (Major League Baseball / American League)
  January 15, 2006
  The team on the field might not reflect it, but the Devil Rays organization is undergoing significant change.  With a fresh approach and attitude under the new ownership and management, there are millions being spent to upgrade the facility and improve the fan experience. There are creative executives being hired, and holdover ones being empowered. There are all kinds of innovative concepts (clean restrooms! a decent sound system!) floating around along with new ideas, such as plans for a huge touch tank of live rays on the right-centerfield patio. Bigger news might be coming.
  Source: www.sptimes.com
   
• Charleston RiverDogs Unveil Riley Park's 10th Anniversary Logo (South Atlantic League (baseball))
  January 13, 2006
  The Charleston RiverDogs have unveiled a special logo to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their home field, Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. To coincide with the festivities of the 10th anniversary, the club has announced a bevy of promotions that will help celebrate the first decade at "The Joe."  "The fans in the Lowcountry have simply been outstanding the past 10 years and we're excited about celebrating the 10th anniversary of Riley Park," said RiverDogs general manager Dave Echols. "We have enjoyed a tremendous working relationship with Mayor Joe Riley and the city of Charleston and The Citadel, our partners who also play at Riley Park.
  Source: www.minorleaguebaseball.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Uni Vision"
  January 13, 2006
  Although it didn't receive much media coverage, Michael Strahan was inadvertently gouged in the eye during the Giants' regular-season finale against Oakland. So Uni Watch wasn't surprised to see Strahan wearing a visor shield during last Sunday's playoff game. That made Strahan the latest convert to this season's big trend. On both pro and college gridirons, this will go down as the season when visors reached a tipping point, going from specialized equipment to increasingly commonplace accessory. Seriously, the last time there were so many guys wearing shields in front of their faces was back when people dressed like this.
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• U. of West Georgia Adopts "Wolves" as New Mascot (NCAA)
  January 12, 2006
  The athletic teams at the University of West Georgia will be known as the West Georgia Wolves beginning this fall, Athletic Director Ed Murphy announced today at a press conference.  “West Georgia Athletics is moving into an entirely new era and as we go down the road toward the future of our athletics program, this move is part of it,” Murphy said. “The timing is right for this change and our student-athletes are particularly excited about representing the University community as the West Georgia Wolves!”  Murphy pointed out that the selection process was open, well organized and fair.
  Source: www.westga.edu
   
• San Antonio Spurs Announce That SBC Center Now Known as AT&T Center (National Basketball Association)
  January 11, 2006
  It's official. Nearly two months after SBC Communications Inc. and AT&T Corp. merged their two companies, SBC Center is finally getting a name change. SBC and AT&T finalized their merger on Nov. 18, creating the new AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). SBC Center is now known at AT&T Center. The Bexar County-owned arena signed a 20-year, $41 million naming-rights agreement with SBC in 2000.
  Source: sanantonio.bizjournals.com
   
• Lakeland Tigers Unveil 2006 All-Star Game Logo (Florida State League (baseball))
  January 10, 2006
  The Lakeland Tigers will be hosting the 2006 Florida State League All-Star Game at Joker Marchant Stadium on Saturday, June 17th at beautiful Joker Marchant Stadium. The All-Star Weekend festivities run from June 16th-18th. In conjunction with the All-Star Weekend, the Tigers are pleased to unveil the Official 2006 Florida State League All-Star logo. The 45th annual FSL All-Star Game will be a showcase event for Polk County and Lakeland.
  Source: www.oursportscentral.com
   
• Worcester Sharks Unveil Name, Logo (American Hockey League)
  January 9, 2006
  The American Hockey League Board of Governors on Monday approved the relocation of the San Jose Sharks' AHL franchise from Cleveland to Worcester, Mass., beginning with the 2006-07 season. Sharks Minor Holdings president Michael Lehr and San Jose Sharks president and CEO Greg Jamison made the announcement that the team has reached an agreement with the DCU Center to bring the Worcester Sharks to town next fall.
  Source: www.theahl.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Uni Watch's FAQ"
  January 4, 2006
  Got a question for Paul Lukas? Before sending it in, see whether it's on his list of Frequently Asked Uni Watch Questions...
  
  
  
  Source: www.espn.com
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Coming Up Roses"
  January 2, 2006
  Like everyone else, Uni Watch is looking forward to the Rose Bowl -- and not just because it'll mean we finally won't have to look at Reggie Bush's area code anymore. The Rose Bowl has its own uniform history, one put into useful perspective by a communiqué that recently arrived from Uni Watch reader Drew Mackey. He writes: "Ever since I was little, I always knew the Rose Bowl wasn't just the 'Granddaddy of 'em all' -- it's also the granddaddy of uniform modification. Why does everyone feel the need to completely cover their uniform in roses? They don't put oranges on their helmets for the Orange Bowl, or Doritos on the Fiesta Bowl helmets (yet)."
  Source: www.espn.com