October, 2007:

• Indiana Pacers Unveil New Alternate Uniforms (National Basketball Association)
  October 31, 2007
  The Indiana Pacers stepped into Blue and Gold Week in world record fashion and tip the season off with two must-see games, including the unveiling of a new gold uniform. On Friday, Nov. 2, the second game of Blue and Gold Week, the Pacers host the Miami Heat and will unveil their new gold uniform, which will serve as their secondary road uniform. Both replica and authentic uniforms will be available at both Home Court Gift Shop locations beginning Friday night and fans can preorder their new jersey at Pacersgear.com. The new uniform is also featured in the Pacers 2007-08 Official Merchandise Catalog, which is available at most Central Indiana Marsh stores.
   
• Casper Ghosts Unveil New Nickname, Logos (Pioneer League (baseball))
  October 31, 2007
  There's no better time to introduce a Ghost than on Halloween. So credit the professional baseball entity formerly known as the Casper Rockies with perfect timing, as the Pioneer League club held a press conference on Wednesday to announce that they will henceforth be known as the Casper Ghosts. "I think I can say with confidence that we'll be the first Minor League team that is looking forward to hearing lots of boos," remarked club CEO Kevin Haughian. "I originally wanted to be the Casper Weinbergers, but we figured no one would get it." Facetious references to former defense secretaries aside, Casper's franchise overhaul is an ambitious and far-reaching one. Many elements of the re-launch are still in the planning stages, although a significant aspect of the team's refurbished identity was revealed on Wednesday -- a new logo, courtesy of San Diego's Plan B Branding.
   
• Huntsville Stars Unveil New Logos (Southern League (baseball))
  October 31, 2007
  The Huntsville Stars today unveiled a brand new primary club logo. In keeping with the space theme that is so much a part of the history of the Huntsville community, the Stars new logo features an animated rocket with flame. Team colors will remain the patriotic red, white and blue. "We very much wanted to keep the space theme evident, but give the new logo more character," said Stars General Manager Tom Van Schaack. "The new logo gives us much more room to be creative in marketing the team to baseball fans locally and around the world." The Stars will wear new jerseys as part of their makeover, featuring a white home jersey with "STARS" written in red outlined in white and gray across the front, with a blue sphere that features a orbiting baseball through the middle of "STARS". The alternate red jersey will feature a similar white "STARS" across the front outlined in blue and gray.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "NBA Preview: New Colors, New Looks, New Unis"
  October 30, 2007
  Let's face it: No matter how excited you may be about the buildup to a new sports season, preseason games are a total snooze. Even baseball's annual February lovefest goes stale once the spring training games actually start. So let's give credit to the NBA brain trust for coming up with a way to make its preseason matchups interesting, at least from a uniform standpoint. Over the past month or so, just like last season, several NBA teams played games in Europe and paid tribute to their host countries on their uniforms. Case in point: When the Celtics and Raptors played in Rome on Oct. 6, the Celtics wore the colors of the Italian flag on their chest insignia and the Raptors wore Italian colors on their side panels. The Raptors later wore Spanish colors (matching the Spanish flag) when playing an exhibition in Madrid, and the Grizzlies did likewise when playing a Spanish team.
   
• Lakewood BlueClaws Unveil New Alternate Logo (South Atlantic League (baseball))
  October 30, 2007
  The Lakewood BlueClaws, class-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, have announced that they will institute an alternate logo for the 2008 season. The logo, that depicts a blue crab claw holding a bat, was chosen by a fan vote during the 2007 season. “We received an overwhelming response from the fans in selecting an additional logo,” said General Manager Geoff Brown. “It will be great to see the team take the field wearing a logo that represents our amazing fans.” The logo was selected out of three possible choices by 82 percent of participating fans. The new logo will be featured on new sleeveless jersey’s that will be worn during Friday night home games during the 2008 season. This marks the first change to the teams’ uniform since their inception in 2001.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Cowboys Have the Quirkiest Uniform Set In All of Sports"
  October 25, 2007
  The Dallas Cowboys: so successful ... so beloved ... so completely annoying. From the "America's Team" arrogance and the incredible run of lucky breaks (can someone please explain why Neil O'Donnell threw that ball right to Larry Brown?) to the loathsome owner and the succession of even more loathsome coaches (has there ever been a more irritating quartet than Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer and Bill Parcells?), the Cowboys have set the standard for despicability for decades. Love 'em or hate 'em, you've got to hate 'em. It's tough to knock their uniforms, though. The Cowboys almost always wear basic white jerseys, their helmet design is timeless and classic, and their basic aesthetic approach is blissfully free of extraneous bells and whistles. All in all, they present a simple, straightforward look. Or so it would appear to the untrained eye. But to the practiced uniform acolyte, the Cowboys' attire is rife with idiosyncrasies. In fact, America's Team wears what is arguably the quirkiest uniform set in all of professional sports, full of unexplained anomalies and team-specific protocols found nowhere else. Look back into their history, and you'll find even more aberrations.
   
• Altoona Curve Unveils 10th Anniversary Logo and Throwback Uniforms (Eastern League (baseball))
  October 24, 2007
  In celebration of the Altoona Curve's Tenth Anniversary 2008 Season, the club today unveiled a special Tenth Anniversary Logo as well as a unique, new Sunday throwback uniform, which will take fans back to the early part of 20th Century. The unveilings were made by Curve President and Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg and General Manager Todd Parnell at a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona. The special Tenth Anniversary logo incorporates an updated version of the Curve's alternate "Spike logo", which appears on the sleeves of the club's home and road jerseys and on the team's batting practice jerseys and caps, and the familiar "A" logo. The logo is accompanied by a special Tenth Anniversary ribbon which includes the years "1999" and "2008". Fans will notice the Tenth Anniversary logo on the sleeve of both the Curve's home and road jersey tops throughout the 2008 season, as well as on team promotional materials, advertising and select merchandise.
   
• Lancaster JetHawks Unveil New Logos, Uniforms (California League (baseball))
  October 24, 2007
  The Lancaster JetHawks, California League Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, introduced its new team identity system during an open house World Series party at Clear Channel Stadium this evening. The new identity represents the first change to the team’s logos and color scheme since prior to the 2001 season. The new primary logo pays tribute to the Antelope Valley’s rich tradition of aerospace and military history while providing a sleek, updated image for the 13-year-old franchise. The primary colors will be navy blue, brick red, tan and cool gray. The primary logo features a statue-like hawk’s head displayed between two military-style wings underneath the words “Lancaster JetHawks” and over two crossed baseball bats and centered baseball.
   
• Birmingham Barons Unveil New Logo, Uniforms (Southern League (baseball))
  October 24, 2007
  The Birmingham Barons today unveiled new team logos and uniforms in preparation for the 2008 Southern League season at Regions Park. The changes mark the first significant alterations to the team's logos and on-field uniforms since 1993. Since moving to Hoover prior to the 1988 season, the Birmingham Barons have been associated with a traditional script logo. The club featured red accents in their uniforms until 1992, since then the Barons have been identified by their black, white, and silver color scheme. In anticipation of the team's 21st season in Hoover in 2008, and following a series of extensive improvements to Regions Park, the organization commissioned an overhaul of the logo and uniforms that had been a staple of one of the most celebrated and historic franchises in all of Minor League Baseball.
   
• Edmonton Chill Unveil Nickname, Logo (International Basketball League)
  October 23, 2007
  Brace yourself for a Chill in the Edmonton air. As reported in The Journal earlier this year, a new professional basketball team is blowing into town to play in the International Basketball League. The upstart summer professional hoops league, founded in 2004, formally announced today that the Edmonton Chill will join the IBL, tipping off for its first game in March of 2008. Paul Sir, who is also coach of the Concordia University Thunder, will take on the head coaching duties for the new team, while Michael Tratch will be the team's vice-president. Both Sir and Tratch believe Edmonton hoops fans will embrace the IBL because of its up-tempo style of play.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Long Live the Bullpen Car"
  October 18, 2007
  The notion is absurd on its face: professional athletes needing a motorized vehicle to bring them approximately 100 yards. And yet that was once the norm in Major League Baseball, where that quaintest of innovations, the bullpen buggy (or car, or cart, or motorcycle), held sway for nearly half a century. Historical details are sketchy, but the bullpen vehicle era appears to have begun in 1950, when the Indians introduced a car -- described in a newspaper report as a "little red auto" -- to ferry pitchers to the mound. The phenomenon really hit its stride in the 1970s, thanks to the advent of the giant baseball design, but it went through a slow decline in the 1980s and by 1996 had died out altogether, a victim of changing times and skyrocketing liability insurance rates.
   
• Harlingen White Wings Announce New Name, Logo (United League Baseball)
  October 17, 2007
  The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings have been playing professional baseball since their inception in 1994, as a member of the now defunct Texas-Louisiana League. Their identity has been synonymous with the valley that encompasses the most southern part of the state. WhiteWings General Manager Dave Kost announced today that the team has embarked on a complete overhaul of the organization’s identity, starting with changing their name. “We are changing the name of this team so that it is more appropriate to the community in which we reside”, said Kost. At one time, the only professional baseball team to play in the Rio Grande Valley was always located in Harlingen but over the decades, a variety of teams have called the RGV home including United League teams in Edinburg, Laredo, and eventually Brownsville.
   
• WNBA Expands to Atlanta (Women's National Basketball Association)
  October 17, 2007
  WNBA President Donna Orender announced today that the City of Atlanta has been awarded a WNBA expansion team for the 2008 season. The new team will be owned and operated by Atlanta businessman J. Ronald Terwilliger. "As a great sports town and a region that enthusiastically supports women's athletics, Atlanta is a terrific destination for the WNBA" said Orender. "This is a family-oriented community with tremendous civic pride. I am confident that as a world-class sports league providing great family entertainment, the WNBA will be embraced here for years to come. I commend Ron Terwilliger for his efforts in bringing the WNBA to Atlanta and know the league will benefit from his superior leadership skills, business acumen and commitment to the community." Since 1986, Terwilliger, 66, has been chairman and chief executive officer of Trammell Crow Residential, a national residential real estate company and the largest developer of multi-family housing in the United States. As chairman and CEO, Terwilliger is responsible for all residential development and operations conducted by the company's 23 offices throughout the country. An honor graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Terwilliger's serves as vice chairman of the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity among various community endeavors. The Arlington, VA native is also the former chairman of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership.
   
• Las Vegas Wranglers Unveil New Uniforms (ECHL (hockey))
  October 16, 2007
  With the help of Las Vegas Strip performer Hans Klok the Las Vegas Wranglers® revealed the new uniforms they will wear in their fifth anniversary season. "The new uniforms and the way they were revealed by the amazing Hans Klok is a great kickoff to our fifth anniversary season," said Wranglers President and COO Billy Johnson. "To have such a great turnout of season ticket holders in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon was a real treat." About 250 invitees plus media attended the special, invitation only event at the Orleans Arena. After a number of high energy illusions, Hans Klok made the new jersey appear in place of the old one in an illusion of fire, swords, and disappearing assistants. The new black and white jerseys feature a new crest with a poker chip logo on the front. The outer circle of the crest reads “Las Vegas Wranglers”, while the middle of the crest leaves room for the player’s individual jersey number. The sleeves sport the poker chip hockey puck logo, while the front features the Wranglers five-year anniversary logo. The team will no longer wear the home white jerseys they have worn the first four seasons. The team will retain the red jersey and the black “VEGAS” jersey that the team has worn for the first four seasons. In all, the team will wear four different jerseys.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "A Brief History of Uniform Typos"
  October 12, 2007
  What's in a name? Plenty, if it happens to be your name. And on Sept. 5, the name in question belonged to Mets reliever Willie Collazo, who took the mound at Shea Stadium with his moniker misspelled on the back of his jersey. Collazo thus joined the small but growing fraternity of players who've been victimized by that most unseemly yet highly entertaining phenomenon: the uniform typo. Uni Watch has always loved jersey-borne misspellings, because they function like passive blooper reels. In a sports world in which almost everything feels premeditated and calculated, typos provide a welcome dose of spontaneity. And in an industry that thrives on mythmaking, typos also offer a much-needed reminder the even most perfectly conceived image can be shattered by a simple misplaced vowel, and that a multijillion-dollar industry is only as strong as its most underpaid seamstress' spelling skills.
   
• South Coast League Introduces 2008 League Theme and Logo (South Coast League (baseball))
  October 11, 2007
  The South Coast League of Professional Baseball is pleased to unveil a new SCL theme and logo for upcoming 2008 season. Having played the Inaugural season in 2007, the theme for 2008 will be "The Boys Are Back in Town!". "We are tremendously enthusiastic about the upcoming 2008 season. While it was nice to complete the Inaugural 2007 campaign, we realize there is a great deal of improvement necessary in the overall operation of the league and our clubs for 2008," said SCL CEO Jamie Toole, "Having 2007 historical information and the overall experience of starting up and operating six clubs will certainly be beneficial as we prepare for 2008. The SCL boys will be back in town in 2008!"
   
• ACC and Big Ten Unveil Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge Logo (NCAA)
  October 4, 2007
  The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten Conference unveiled the logo and television schedule for the inaugural Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge, as announced today by ACC Commissioner John Swofford and Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. Seven of the Challenge's 11 games will be nationally televised, including four on the Big Ten Network, two on ESPN2 and one on ESPNU. The 2007 Big Ten/ACC Challenge opens on Monday, Nov. 19, as Miami hosts Michigan at 7 p.m. ET. The first televised game is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 28, as Northwestern hosts Wake Forest at 6 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. The Challenge continues that evening as Georgia Tech travels to Iowa for an 8 p.m. CT match up, which will also be aired by the Big Ten Network.
   
• U. of Miami (FL) Unveils New Men's Basketball Uniforms (NCAA)
  October 3, 2007
  The University of Miami men's basketball team will take to the court with a different look this year as the Hurricanes have unveiled a new uniform design for the 2007-08 season. The Hurricanes' new design is part of Nike's System of Dress which is comprised of a more lightweight, form-fitting jersey and longer, loose-fitting shorts than in year's past. Together, the jerseys, made from Nike's premium performance materials including stretch Dri-FIT and Nike Sphere, and the shorts are designed to give UM players a clean, tailored look. Miami's home white jerseys feature the "Miami" logo across the chest accented with the "U" logo on the right shoulder. The shorts feature a vertical "Canes" logo on the right side surrounded by orange and green piping designed to resemble the "U" logo which continues up through the jersey sides. Along with the white uniforms, Miami will have alternate orange and black uniforms.
   
• San Jose Earthquakes Unveil Logo, Uniforms (Major League Soccer)
  October 3, 2007
  The San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS) today unveiled their newly redesigned team logo and Earthquakes home and away jerseys for the 2008 season. The new uniforms were designed by adidas, the official uniform supplier of Major League Soccer, in collaboration with the Earthquakes. The design features the new Earthquakes logo, which features a slicker design and a slightly lighter color palette, on the top left chest of the jersey along with two silver stars representing the two MLS championship titles won by the Earthquakes franchise in 2001 and 2003. In addition, embroidery on the back of the neck of both the home and away jerseys will bear the 'San Jose' word mark. "Our goal was to create a classic and clean jersey design that players and fans would wear with pride both on and off the field," explained David Alioto, San Jose Earthquakes Executive Vice President. The Earthquakes home jersey is black with royal blue side insets, set off by white piping, accompanied by the white adidas three stripes down each sleeve. The words "San Jose" will prominently appear on the front in white lettering, with royal blue shadowing. These jerseys will be worn with royal blue shorts, which have white stripes on each leg and black socks.
   
• Rockford IceHogs Unveil New Uniforms (American Hockey League)
  October 1, 2007
  With the beginning of the 2007-08 season just over a week away, the Rockford IceHogs, proud members of the American Hockey League, unveiled the club’s brand new Rbk EDGE jerseys and the marketing campaign at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at Medicine Man, Inc. The IceHogs marketing slogan for the ‘07-08 season is “Raise Your Game”. The new season marks the IceHogs ninth in Rockford, but first in the AHL as the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. With the IceHogs raising its level, the club has challenged its fans to do the same. “‘Raise Your Game’ represents every facet of our organization,” said IceHogs President Ryan Washatka. “From our on-ice product, to front office staff, we are raising the bar this season as new members of the AHL. As we have with our campaigns from seasons past, we wanted to also incorporate a theme that is interactive for our fans.”
   
• Drury U. Unveils New Athletic Logo (NCAA)
  October 1, 2007
  Drury University athletics officials today unveiled the new DU athletics logo for use by its 15 intercollegiate sports teams. The new look, designed by Brad Oliver and The Team, Inc., of Ozark, features a more aggressive, fierce-looking Panther to replace the old, sleeker version. Drury Director of Athletics Pat Atwell said the new look transcends the attitude of the Panther sports teams and their mental approach of striving to be championship-caliber in all 15 sports, most of which compete as members of the 14-team Great Lakes Valley Conference. "It's no great secret that our logo change was brought on by the possibility of legal action taken by Puma over our previous logo," Atwell says, "but this gave us a great opportunity to completely re-tool our look, rather than simply tweak the old one. "We are very pleased with new logo created by Brad Oliver and The Team, and we believe it will be a look that our fans and students will embrace as well."