Stanley Cup 3-Pack

Because sometimes half a sixer is all you need ...

The NHL Finals are well under way, and with their Game 3 overtime win there's hope for the San Jose Sharks (aka not Pittsburgh). Rooting interest or not, the NHL playoffs are always enjoyable. So too are these hockey related songs straight out of the great white north.

First up is Calgary, Alberta, Canada's own Belvedere with their tribute to former Flames center Joel Otto, "Two Minutes for Looking So Good." Next is The Tragically Hip with "Fifty Mission Cap," which offers a bit of history on the seemingly unrelated topics of former Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko and WWII bomber pilot hats. Last is Propagandhi with "Resisting Tyrannical Government," off of arguably the greatest punk album of all time. If you don't get the Steve Smith reference, here ya go.

Enjoy, and remember to play the man, not the puck, kids.

Cool Uniform Props: Powder blue MLB throwbacks

Most Major League Baseball teams trot out throwback uniforms a couple times each season. Recent years have seen the Phillies, Blue Jays and Brewers all reach back to a time when powder blue was prevalent — the 1980s. And joining them recently were, as pictured here, the Cardinals and Rangers.

Throwbacks are cool and all, but I think the time is upon us for some team (hopefully the Phillies) to commit full time to a powder blue uniform. In the case of the Phillies, I'd keep the home white w/ red pin stripes, as well as the the cream day game-only uniforms, and sub in the powder blues for the gray road uniforms. Everyone wears gray on the road now, and it's boring. Someone, preferably the Phillies, needs to lead the way into the powder blue yonder.

And before you say it, I know the Royals are wearing light blue jerseys on Sundays (I think) this season, but they're just jerseys and button-down jerseys at that. I'm talking about shirts and pants, with the jerseys being 80's-style pullovers. Who needs buttons?

The beautiful game, some sweet graphics

Bosnian artist Zoran Lucic created a really rad set of poster images featuring current and old-school soccer greats titled "Sucker for Soccer." Some of the graphics look like magazine or game program covers, and the rest are just cool.

Sadly, it doesn't look like these are for sale as prints yet. Lucic will be getting some of my money when they are, though. See a bunch more of his soccer designs here. [via WITC]

Bicycles(s)! Bicycles(s)!

Finished up my photos from the 2011 Philly bike race. Check them out over here. Or don't. Free country.

Cool Uniform Props: Oregon carbons

In honor of their playing for the national championship tonight, I dole out some Cool Uniform Props to the Oregon Ducks for their "carbon" uniforms donned in their Civil War win against Oregon State Dec. 4.

People tend to love or hate the Ducks' uniforms, and I'm definitely in the pro camp. As they wear a different arrangement every game seemingly, they tend to have several candidates for props, but the carbons were my favorite so far this season.

White jersey and socks, a carbon fiber-patterned helmet and silver cleats. Top shelf.

Not sure what they're wearing for the BCS Championship, but I'm sure Nike will bust out something crazy.

Cool Uniform Props: Tampa Bay creamsicles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to roll the franchise's original creamsicle uniforms out once a year now, as they did a couple weeks ago against Atlanta, but they should make it permanent.

Tampa may have won a Super Bowl in the current pewter and red uniforms, but they are lame and the orange, red and white creamsicles rule.

I ride around town on my road-racing bicycle

Because I like to get things done in a timely fashion, I've finished posting my photos from this year's TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship over here.

Arsenal victorious

Arsenal might have had a brutal loss to Tottenham yesterday, but it will always win this commercial for EA's FIFA 11, if you know what I mean.

The above is the Euro version of the long-form commercial, a slightly different cut than the U.S. version. I guess the U.S. audience was deemed too sensitive to view the BetClic sponsorship on the Juventus uniforms.

Good to see my boy Mesut Ozil, playing for Germany here, getting some props. And funny to see Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech without his trademark noggin protector — I actually missed him the first few times I watched it.

The commercial was directed by Johnny Green for Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam.

If the McGlynns can keep from passing out by 9:30 p.m. (I kid, but not really), I may be checking this game out with Tim soon.

[Previously]

Cesc Fabregas is pissed!

Nike's new "Write the Future" World Cup commercial it rolled out during the Champions League final. It was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu for Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam.

Pretty sweet commercial (though I could have used more love for The Netherlands). I especially liked bearded Wayne Rooney living in a caravan.

Hmm, I guess Nike expected Ronaldinho to make the Brazilian squad. Oops?

Cool Uniform Props: U.S. Olympic snowboarding team

The navy and red plaid jackets and weathered jeans-styled pants designed by Burton for the U.S. snowboarders got a decent amount of press for being "out there." But looking at designs sported by some of the other nations' boarders (and, of course, Johnny Weir) and snowboarding kit in general, the 'Mericans' unis were almost staid in comparison.

Anyway you look at it, they were definitely cool.

The orange monster

Even if this photo features Nick Swisher of the considerably disliked New York Yankees, it's still a pretty cool photo with a color scheme appreciated here at Orange Whip.

Photo by Noah K. Murray of The Star Ledger/US Presswire.

Trippin' fastballs

I've watched a lot of baseball games in my life, but never heard this story, which is pretty awesome. Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No by James Blagden, presented by No Mas. Via Ebert (even if he thought it was a Phillie and not a Pirate).

No Mas, it should be noted, has some pretty sweet T-shirts, including this series on original/non-corporate stadium names.

One and done

Ben Spies clearly had the speed and skill to eventually be a world champion heading into his first season of World Superbike, but likely very few on the world scene figured it would happen his first time out following a season that saw a record number of poles won and consistent running at the sharp end.

Mix in five DNFs from the Yamaha runner though, and typical strong running from second place finisher Noriyuki Haga aboard his Ducatti, and the title came down to the last weekend's races in Portimao, Portugal last weekend. Spies did the business in race one, taking home the win and padding his lead when Haga crashed out. But the second race was fairly nervous, with Haga getting up to second — behind his teammate — and Spies hovering in the range he needed to finish at to secure the title. In the end he did enough to win by 6 points.

The rest of the SBK paddock won't have to deal with Spies next season though, as he's moving on to the Tech 3 Yamaha team in Moto GP, making it one season and one championship in SBK. Not bad.

Should be fun to watch next season with Spies teaming with fellow American and Texan Colin Edwards at Tech 3. Spies is replacing James Toseland, who's actually assuming Spies' ride for Yamaha in SBK. Edwards has had a great season in Moto GP, but podiumed only once on the satellite factory team, while full factory Fiat Yamaha rides Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will finish 1-2 in the championship. Will Spies be able to go for podiums and race wins against the full factory riders? We'll see.

The Moto GP season ends Nov. 8 in Valencia, and Spies will be entered as a wildcard entry before doing the full schedule next season.


I have to also give some props to my boy in the SBK feeder series World Superspot — Eugene Laverty — who finished second in the championship, but won four races including last weekend's season-ender. Title winner Cal Crutchlow is moving up to SBK next season, and Northern Irishman Laverty will be among the favorites for the 2010 Supersport title.

UPDATE: Spies did real well in the one-off Valencia race, finishing seventh which also secured fifth place in the season championship for fourth-place finisher and future teammate Edwards.

Cool Uniform Props: Buffalo Bills throwbacks

If the Buffalo Bills wear these rad throwback uniforms enough, eventually we won't be reminded of national pariah O.J. Simpson every time we see them. More importantly, we won't be subjected to their current regular uniforms, which are heinous.

The Bills rolled out these third uniform throwbacks out last season, and have continued with them this season. And whether all white, or with blue jerseys, they're super sweet.

Cool Uniform Props: Denver Broncos throwbacks

These uniforms are nutso — and pretty far from any orange and blue arrangements you'd expect the Broncos to be wearing — but I like them.

If the yellow jerseys and brown pants weren't enough, Denver was sporting socks with vertical yellow and brown stripes. They looked pretty Oompa Loompa, and normally I'd prefer horizontal stripes, but they grew on me and earned points for crazy factor.

Top everything off with a black helmet with only numbers on the sides, and you have a winner. Also, Orton and Marshall ran up fantasy points for me today, so it was win-win.



UPDATE: Road version!

Donkey!

Defending Moto GP champion Valentino Rossi, always game to break out a new helmet design should inspiration strike (see also here), was sporting a donkey face on his helmet this weekend in the San Marino GP, which he won.

I missed any mention of the helmet by the announcers, and thought maybe it was a rabbit on the helmet. But a note on the above photo points out that Rossi was calling himself a donkey — as opposed to his regular nickname of "The Doctor" — for falling on his own at the previous race in Indianapolis.

Photos above and below by ialla.

Cool Uniform Props: Barcelona MES jerseys

I watched the above pictured Zlatan Ibrahimovic score his first La Liga goal for Barcelona today in a dominating win over Sporting Gijon, and remembered this one-off uniform Barca wore against Manchester City a couple weeks back.

Pretty sweet (though the colors are a bit faded in this pic; see the next link for a better look). Some more details here on the MES jersey, sold in limited numbers to raise funds for the UN Refugee Agency.

Owen for oddness

This doesn't look right at all — Michael Owen, playing for Manchester United, wearing number 7. Weird.

Should be interesting though. Hopefully he stays healthy.

The votes are Inge

The deadline for Major League Baseball's Final Vote — in which the fans fill out the AL and NL All-Star teams by picking one player from five for each league — is 4 p.m. today.

As steadfast Phillies fans, the Orange Whip editorial board naturally advocates the election of Shane Victorino in the National League, and has voted several times thusly. But we'd also like to endorse the Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge for the American League. Why? Because Inge has had a large part in the success of this blog writer's fantasy baseball team — the Bulletproof Tigers — over the first half of the season (that catcher eligibility has been clutch). And we take care of our own 'round these parts.

That being said, I have no idea why the Phillies organization itself is advocating the Inge/Victorino ticket. Anyone?

UPDATE: Victorino and Inge were the top vote-getters. Mission accomplished.

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right

I checked out the Philadelphia International Championship bike race for the first time this year with some friends and family, and I just finished posting my photos over here. Everything was shot on Lemon Hill, aside from a few down on Kelly Drive.