Jersey Fouls is our ongoing exploration of the rules and etiquette for proper hockey jersey creation and exhibition. If you spot what you think may be a foul in your arena, e-mail a photo to us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com for inclusion in future installments.
The Frankenjersey continues to be a baffling subsection of Jersey Fouls. Some of these mutant pairings are horrendous; others, like the classic Los Angeles Kings Frankenjersey, fall into that nebulous "better than bad, it's good" territory.
Puck Buddy Greg H. brings us this mash-up from a Pittsburgh Penguins/Carolina Hurricanes game down in Raleigh, and writes:
"Looks like they took a Jordan Staal Penguins jersey and an Eric Staal Hurricanes jersey and spliced them together, each person getting half. I know how much you like the various frankenjerseys, so I though I'd pass these along to you."
It's not so much that we "like" them as that we're sort of hypnotized by their audacity of suck. The Eric Staal sweater almost looks normal from the back; the Jordan Staal jersey looks like a Reebok EDGE remnants sale.
Do these jerseys get a pass because we're talking about siblings? If so, we eagerly await the first sighting of the Marc and Jared Staal New York Rangers/San Antonio Rampage Frankenjersey.
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Coming up: Using your sweater for shameless corporate shilling; a Blues Brother gets dissed in Chicago; honoring a fallen stadium; and yes, as the headline promised: The Toronto Maple Leafs Snuggie Foul.
And here we go ...
This dude has been sent to us about a dozen times, and we've seen him at the Verizon Center rocking the Frozen 4 Washington Capitals jersey as well.
Now, this might be an automatic Foul, but here's the rub: The Caps told us that this guy (if it is, in fact, the same guy) helped bring the Frozen Four to DC. So the jersey was given to him as recognition for that feat. If that's the case ... PASS or FAIL?
Thanks to Moose and a bunch of others for sending in this one.
Ah, what better way to honor the legacy of Alex Delvecchio then to use his number to pimp the drink that made 50 Cent $400 million richer (or else he would have died tryin').
These Detroit Red Wings walking billboards were spotted by Jessica M. at the Joe. Our only hope is that they ran into a group of Avalanche fans in SoBe Life Water jerseys and a bloody rumble ensued.
So this must be the Jersey Fouls version of a professional boxer writing "Golden Palace.com" on his back with black marker before a televised fight.
Senator Steve of Sens Town sent in this Florida Panthers jersey, and it is the first time we've seen someone advertising their business on their sweater. While we would never begrudge anyone a chance to increase their revenues in a crap economy like the one we're in ... well, just look at this damn thing.
It's like they always say: It's the logo on the front, not the awkwardly spaced advertisement on the back, that matters.
Mike Wynnstone of ProPuckTalk.com passed along this Chicago Blackhawks jersey, and it's yet another one that we're completely on the fence over. From Mike:
"Attached is a pic of a jersey that was hand crafted to memorialize the old Chicago Stadium, which saw its demise in 1994. We whistled it as a foul and got a pic on the run. Ironically this picture was taken across the street from the United Center in the parking lot that used to be the foundation for the former arena."
Hmmmm ... a tribute to a classic old barn. Would you slam a Buffalo Sabres fan with an Aud 96 jersey? Tough call.
Much, much easier call. From Sports By Brooks via UniWatch comes this epic, epic fail on the part of the Blackhawks, as Dan Aykroyd dropped the ceremonial first puck and the Hawks wardrobe department dropped a letter from his name. We're not sure what Danny did with this sweater, being that he's not even a Hawks fan; but we assume it involved a Bass-o-Matic '76 on purée.
C'mon now, admit it: Anze Kopitar is a tough-ass name to know, remember or spell correctly. So just cut to the chase if you're a Los Angeles Kings fan.
"Hey, who had the assist on Frolov's goal?"
"Er, uh, ah ... you know ... that guy."
"Oh, No. 11. Gotcha."
Thanks to Puck Buddy Joe Fumia for one of the laziest Jersey Fouls we've ever seen. And finally ...
It's not the best photo, but you get the point: A Toronto Maple Leafs "Snuggie," that strange blanket with sleeves that makes those who wear it look like they're about five minutes away from putting on the white sneakers and eating a cyanide brownie as their comet flies above the Earth.
From Puck Buddy Cliff:
"Habs vs. Leafs in Montreal from the game a couple weeks ago. Yes, it's a Snuggie with Leafs written on it in masking tape. For the record, a Habs fan would never degrade themselves, or their team like this."
Sure, it might be degradation. But look how sleepy our Nick Lachey-ish friend in the photo looks; it's clearly Snuggie time in Toronto.
And criticism of the Maple Leafs Snuggie is completely misplaced. By wearing one, fans will never have to expose their arms to the harsh elements when throwing the remote across the room because Vesa Toskala just gave up his fourth softie of the night.
If only Dave Snuggerud had been a Maple Leaf ...