The Morning Walk-thru - Size 46 Gators

They're not crocodile boots, but I'll take 'em...While watching Florida-Tennessee two nights ago, I wondered why the Gators were wearing what looked to be sueded uniforms. Was velour now for more than just sweatsuits? Then I remembered that Florida was a Nike school and Nike had used some interesting themed prints during football season on their undershirts so I looked a little closer and, sure enough, the Gators were wearing Gator. (Picture here.)

In actuality this should be horrific, but in reality it's barely noticeable if not a bit Magical. (See: T-Mac) But I like the idea behind what Nike seems to be calling the Culture Print. Take some aspect of a school's history, mascot or geography and incorporate it in to the uniform mix. Sounds like a great idea to me, but there are varying levels of success.

The Gators, Seminoles, and Trojans are a little too literal for my tastes, but Alabama and Texas more than make up for it in originality.

The Tide took Bear's houndstooth check and used it for neckline trim during footbaw season in perhaps the finest tribute since Landry's fedora patch.

And Texas, well, they went all Western on us with a hand-tooled leather pattern. I am 100% in favor of this and I'm generally required to hate all things Longhorn.

Word is, that Florida jersey is actually their "tournament special", so it seems likely that it will be Pattern Madness come March.

It's good to be Tim Riggins...My initial assessment of Friday Night Lights was pretty indecisive, but I'm fully hooked now and that's mostly because of the mythic Riggins.

You want to talk about legendary high school career? Riggins basically gets to behave like a single 32-year-old man while he's still seventeen. In last night's episode he was working on his truck (like showering in Texas) when he told an ankle-biter to go away because he was hungover, then softened and taught the tyke to throw a spiral before going into the kid's house, snatching a beer and cracking it in front of the lil' guy's mom, who probably would've attacked him like it was an Axe ad if not for the present company.

That's living the dream.

Way better than a jersey...On Tuesday I touched on Michael Barrett's blue blood and after the Pierzynski donnybrook last season I proclaimed him the Cubs de facto leader, but last night I decided to do something in support of the Cubs backstop.

I am proud (really) to announce that hiplainsdrifter.com is the official sponsor of Michael Barrett's Baseball-Reference page. The ad may or may not show up at this point as every my comments have yet to be approved. We'll see if they censor my Pierzynski pot shot.

Sadly, Shawon Dunston's page is locked up through mid-June, but Doug Dascenzo is available for the low, low price of $10 as is Dwight Smith who, in 1989, scintillated in the outfield alongside the eventual Rookie of the Year, Jerome Walton.

In case you're wondering exactly what the ROY award is worth, it's apparently $5. Jerome is available for $15.