Posted 11:23 AM by logoshak
It was a tough few days as we lost my wife's mother this week. What a great lady, as she taught in the public school system for over 30 years and was an organist at her church for over 25 years. At her wake the conversation turned to the rivalries between Duke, UNC and NC State, our local universities. And while we traded insults and jokes back and forth, we all agreed that we were lucky to have these great schools nearby. That's the great thing about sports and the fans associated with the schools and pros, it brings us together in good times and bad.

Its that time of year again, time to argue about the Bowl Championship Series. I for one still think the BCS is flawed. Will we ever see a playoff format that the Bowls could live with? I think so and i think the fans want a system that is not based on computer logarithms. Could Alabama play any better than they did against Florida yesterday? Let the NCAA know what you think.

This month marks 16 years that I have posted logos, programs, media guides and such on the web. Hard to believe that so many years have passed by. I plan on posting for 16 more, Good Lord willing. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season! Take care.

Posted 7:17 PM by logoshak
Congress held a hearing recently into the subject of head injuries suffered by pro athletes and more specifically the effects of numerous concussions. The NFL is doing better in the care of retired and injured alumni, adding $180 million to an assistance pool. Of course more can be done. The brain wasn't designed to be slammed against the walls of the skull over and over again. As far as football, hockey, baseball and even auto racing, better helmet technology must emerge. As far as soccer, I don't know how you end the header, a historic part of the game. I do know it hurts to see my boyhood heroes reduced to a helpless state. Demand that more is done to improve this area of sports medicine.

I don't understand the area of political correctness. I can understand how a racial slur can be hurtful. But a taco? Gimme me a break. When Bob Griese made the comment that Juan Pablo Montoya had gone out to get a taco, it was deemed offensive. What would have happened if he had said he had gone out for sushi? I eat a ton of tacos, burritos and other Mexican food. Does that make me offensive to my Hispanic friends and colleagues. We need to lighten up in this country and realize that humor and good sense go hand in hand.

Logoshak proudly pays our own bills, and we continue to promote graphic artists and their work instead of trying to make a buck off of them.

Posted 3:42 PM by logoshak
I am still getting over watching the New England Patriots- Denver Broncos game. The Broncos 1960 throwback uniforms were great. Don't care what others say, they were a breathe of fresh air and the socks looked super. The Pats uniforms were great also. Please bring back the hiking Patriot! The AFL 50th anniversary throwback promotion has been a great idea and really increased interest in sports graphics and memorabilia. Hats off to the NFL on this one.

The NASCAR race at California was a yawner. The fans in the Los Angeles are not supporting this venue and to think my beloved Rockingham track was closed to give these non existent race fans two dates continue to piss me off. NASCAR has struck out trying to extract more money from this track. No wonder LA doesn't have pro football.

We are still concerned by foreign logo websites blocking the Logoshak. What really concerns us is the effect this has on our e-mail routing. ICANN is still looking into this.

Have a good one,

http://logoshak.com

Posted 8:10 AM by logoshak
NFL football and Pro Tennis, two sports that have turned me off the past few years. Sure the NFL is the NFL, but to me the league had fallen into a bit of a rut. But the 50th Anniversary of the American Football League has really added a bit of a spark to things. Seeing the old uniforms, even if they are a bit off is fun to watch. Hopefully the NFL will take this to a higher level with the other teams and realize it creates interest and increases merchandise sales.

The US Open Tennis was simply great this year and how many great stories can you have. Melanie Oudin coming on the scene and knocking off the Russians, Serena Williams doing her best impression of John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal biting the dust and Kim Clijsters coming back from a 2+ year layoff and becoming a Mom to take the Women's Singles title. Oh and lets not forget the great tennis Juan Martin del Potro played enroute to the Men's title. Looks like tennis may be on the rise again.

Happy 60th Anniversary Mom and Pop!

Posted 9:39 AM by logoshak
Nineteen Sixty Nine. What an incredible year, especially if you were blessed to have lived through it. The Chinese say, may you live in interesting times. Well, 1969 qualified as that. We just saw the 40th anniversary of Woodstock pass. Say what you will about the happening at Bethel, it was a defining event in our human experience. But 1969 also saw the first lunar landing and man setting foot on the moon, the Manson horrors, the Vietnam war bungling on, Nixon, Redford and Newman, and the pinnacle of the Beatles. Of course the Miracle Mets and Joe Namath's Super Bowl prediction highlighted sports. Will there ever be a landmark year like 1969 again. I don't think so.

Hats off to the Philadelphia Eagles organization for signing Michael Vick and giving him a second chance at succeeding as an NFL pro. He has a great chance to redeem himself and use the spotlight to accomplish some good by helping young kids and getting the word out on the ethical treatment of animals and pets. We're rooting for you Mike.

Will Rogers never met Chris Creamer.

Posted 10:08 AM by logoshak
What is the problem with Major League Baseball? Six years after the fact, they are leaking the results of drug tests that were supposedly made under the labor agreement. What earthly good does it do to release this information now? MLB turned its head the other way when steroid use produced massive home run totals that helped to turn the popularity of the game around. Now the sports honchos have developed an almost angelic posture toward performance enchancing chemicals and seem to have just discovered their harm to the game. I guess taking the "juice" is okay but gambling on your own team is fatal.

Tiger Woods won his 70th PGA tournament at Akron, Ohio. He is only three behind Jack Nicklaus in career wins. He should pass the Golden Bear easily unless injury slows him down. He has done this without performance enhancing drugs as far as I know. Does golf have a drug policy by the way.

Blah Blah smucks who block and censor the Internet must have logo envy.

Posted 3:54 PM by logoshak
Michael Vick is on the verge of becoming an NFL quarterback again. I hope an NFL team has the courage to allow Vick another shot. I think he paid a high price for his crimes. There are NFL players abusing performance drugs and doing all sort of illegal crap in the off season. Michael's big mistake is he got caught. Don't get me wrong, dog fighting is a sickening affair, but everyone should be given a second chance. Now if Major League Baseball will give Pete Rose that chance.

Speaking of second chances, Michael Schumacher, perhaps the greatest auto racer of all time, will get one behind the wheel of a Formula One Ferrari. Felipe Massa's injury suffered at Hungary will open the door for Michael to finish the season beginning at Valencia after the August break. Every race fan has tobe looking forward to this treat.

Support the Free Web and the idiots who block it, fight censorship!

Posted 8:04 AM by logoshak
The soap opera that is Jeremy Mayfield and NASCAR continues. I cannot believe anyone who knows he will be tested for drugs again would use those drugs knowing he would test positive. Add to that a mother-in-law who says she saw Mayfield use meth 30+ times. As tight as the NASCAR community is in the garage, I can't believe if Mayfield was an addict, why it hasn't come out before now. Hopefully the truth will come out of this mess and the real action will remain on the track.

You got to feel good about Tom Watson, the co-leader after two rounds of the British Open. At age 59 he gives all of us old dudes hope that age is just a frame of mind. While on the subject of age, we're pulling for Lance Armstrong to pull a rabbit out of his hat and take another Tour de France.

We have contacted ICANN about certain foreign websites blocking our traffic and e-mails, as well as manipulating our browser results. They seem to take a dim view of these activities. We'll keep you informed about this.

Posted 8:49 AM by logoshak
Just thinking what a loss the World of Sports suffered this past weekend. Steve McNair was a great talent and really established interest and a fan base for pro football in the Nashville area. You can't forget the famous Super Bowl drive he engineered. I had the opportunity to see McNair play on several occasions and he was a smart, entertaining QB. He deserved a much better fate.

The NBDL have introduced several logo sets in the past few weeks. I like both of them. The Maine Red Claws and Springfield Armor are fun and they will no doubt sell a lot of merchandise. So called graphics purists would argue the logos are cartoonish or non-traditional. Hogwash. Logos should have an identity that is fun and that kids like. Let's face it, they are the ones who purchase the t-shirts, pennants and assorted bling.

Embattled NASCAR driver, Jeremy Mayfield was granted a temporary restraining order that would allow him to race and thus earn a living while the results of his failed drug test is under appeal. NASCAR seems to want to destroy Mayfield's career and ultimately his reputation. Odd that a business would want to cause malicious harm to one of its own instead of providing support. Of course the France family is all about money, more than supporting its owners, drivers and sadly its fans.

Posted 11:34 AM by logoshak
The deaths of three celebrities this past week, reminds me how close sports and sports memorabilia are connected to these icons. We become close to our heroes and feel as if we know them. Collecting memorabilia reminds us of the good times we had whether cheering on our team or listening to music or watching a tv show. I felt a great loss from the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. The world will be an emptier place without them. May they all be under the wings of the Lord.

Formula One, in my opinion the greatest motorsport out there, continues to want to self destruct, it seems. Money or the lack of it and political in-fighting threatens the underpinning of the circuit. It has always been an expensive sport because of the technical innovations, I hope we see the schedule run as advertised in 2010 and not as a watered down go-cart show.

Posted 1:26 PM by logoshak
Well I waited a few days to get over the US Open from Bethpage Black in Farmington, New York. This tournament had everything a golf spectator could want. The drama of Phil Mickleson playing for the championship with the backdrop of his wife Amy, fighting breast cancer. We had to pull for the lefty to pull off the win, especially with the trouble this major has given him. Lucas Glover, the former Clemson Tiger, will make a great champion and represent the USGA well.

The more I see the logos for the new NBDL team, the Maine RedClaws, the more I like this logo set. Maybe because I thinks it is neat that Maine is going to have a pro basketball team. But maybe it reminds me of one of my favorite restaurants, Red Lobster. Either way, I hope the team does well.

The NBA draft is Thursday and it may be more entertaining than any game you may have seen this year. This appears to be a strong draft field and many teams should inprove their squads. Aleady there has been a lot of wheeling and dealing. I guess the rich get richer and the poor get further behind.

Posted 3:22 PM by logoshak
After the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA world championship, I had to wonder. A couple of million folks line the streets to honor the team. The city has the Dodgers in baseball and they support the Kings in hockey. Oh did I memtion the Clippers and the Angels? What about the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins. Even the LA Galaxy in the MLS. Yet, there continues to be no NFL team in Los Angeles. This city with the #2 television market and a rich history of pro football, has no team. It even lost its AFL team, the Avengers. I have been told its because there is no modern stadium for a franchise to play in, with none planned. Come on powers that be, get the NFL and the money brokers on the same page. Get football back in LA!

Posted 9:07 AM by logoshak
I don't know why but suddenly I miss the Arena Football League. Maybe that's a good thing as I hardly talk to any sports fan that talks about Arena football. There is a team near me, the Fayetteville Guard, that I have attended games of a few times. But it's not AFL or even AF2. I have serious doubts that the Arena league will return in 2010. I can't think of any sports league that went out of business and returned to be successful. I have followed the league since its inception in 1988 and I have to believe it will rest in peace from here on out.

I am not a Detroit Red Wings fan, but I am torn between the Wings and the Pens as they duke it out for Lord Stanley's Cup. Hockeytown has taken a hit with the automobile industry downturn and it could provide a lift to the city if the Wings take it. The Penguins on the other hand could climax a comeback from financial woes by carrying off the cup. Either way it should be a great game seven to watch.

http://logoshak.com

Posted 10:50 AM by logoshak
We all know about how greed and revenge have destroyed banks and automobile companies and drove the world into a recession. What about motorsports? NASCAR has filed a counter suit in the case of driver Jeremy Mayfield, asking for damages. Are the France family determined to destroy the sport like they are trying to destroy the career of one of its drivers and the people who make their living from his team? This action cast a black eye on all of sports. Give me the soap opera that is Formula One instead.

Sad news the other day that Claude "T" Moorman passed away in his home town of Plymouth, North Carolina. T caught the winning pass in Duke's Cotton Bowl victory over Arkansas in 1961. He graduated from med school and volunteered for military service in Vietnam. It makes me sad that Duke has allowed a proud football heritage to fade over the years. I hope that alumni and fans will help support the growing rebound of the Duke football program.

Finally, caught a story on CBS News how Tim Hortons (that Canadian donut dive started by a journeyman hockey player) is eyeing invading the States. Calling Horton pastry doughnuts is like calling a Kia a Mercedes. Gimme a dozen hot Krispy Kremes and let those Canadians stay in the Great White North where they belong. All you Canucks go to Starbucks or Java Joes and get a real cup of coffee.

Posted 9:50 AM by logoshak
Saw an interview with Terrell Owens last night in which TO was saying how a woman refused to rent him a house, because she thought he would be a distraction to the neighborhood. he kind of laughed off the situation. I know the media tends to portray TO as a loose cannon, but I think that the NFL needs more characters like TO. The NFL has become a boring, every team looks the same league. They need more characters with a personality who will give the league a little razzmatazz. Remember Joe Namath? I hope the NFL's celebration of the AFL's 50 anniversary spices the league up a little this season.

The Logo Shak is closing in on 7000 unique graphics on the site. Hard to believe we have grown from the single web page we started posting sports logos on in 1993 on the Mosaic browser. Thanks to everyone who has supported us with kind comments and graphic donations. We will march on.

Posted 6:20 PM by logoshak
Well, what a weekend for sports, especially if you are a race fan. Hearts have to go out for Helio Castroneves after the year he has had. He goes from possibly wearing an orange jump suit to drinking milk in the Winner's Circle at Indianapolis. Way to go Helio, hope you take many more checkers.

The Brawn Formula One team continues to amaze. Jenson Button finally realizes the potential that has eluded him for so many years. You have to admire this team that is underfunded yet finds a way to win.

Finally, Chris Creamer, that sack of socks from up in the Canadian wilderness, is using Uncle Sam to steal logos for his site. Aren't there still a couple of thousand draft dodgers up there? He has the nerve to steal LogoShak images and block access to his site from us. What a blah blah he is.

Posted 8:51 AM by logoshak
Sad news from the other day when I heard that Waymon Tisdale had passed away after a two year battle against cancer. What a talented guy Waymon was. He was a great physical basketball player with the great smile. He also was a terrific jazz musician who had just released a new CD right before his death. Waymon, you will be missed and condolances to your family.

You go girl! In what was certainly a historic ride, filly Rachel Alexandra became the first female horse to win the Preakness in 85 years. Jockey Calvin Borel has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown on two different horses. Has a jockey ever won the the Triple Crown on three different horses. That would be an incredible feat. Can't wait for the Belmont. By the way, I have posted several new Preakness logos in the Shak.

Anyone who has read my blogs or talkd to me in person knows that I lost my love for NASCAR long ago. NASCAR's only objective is to see how much money they can extract from the public. The Jeremy Mayfield case where he is suspended for an unknown substance is a case in point. NASCAR happens to come down on a driver who has always spoken his mind and by chance is penalized for it. Wake up drivers and form that union. Don't let it happen to you next.

http://logoshak.com

Labels: filly, Nascar, Waymon Tisdale

Posted 7:25 PM by logoshak
Well, the blogging bug has bitten me again. Thought I would crank up the Shak blog
and spout off about what concerns in the world of sports and related stuff.

Mannie oh Mannie. I guess making $25 million a year isn't enough for ya, you had to
go down to GNC and get a couple of cans of Bicep Booster to help your confidence. Maybe
50 games off will do ya some good.

Brett, give it up dude. Stay home and tend to the horses. Realize it's time to give it up for
good. Honor yourself and let another carry on as the quarterback of choice in the NFL.

Looks like Lance Armstrong will purchase his cycling team with US sponsorship. I think
winning another Tour is a long shot. But if he does it will be another great story.

Til Then