I tend to be quite interested in uniform news and this, obviously, was no exception. The verdict? It’d be hard to complain about these…but I don’t love them.

I’m probably in the minority in that I’m bummed about abandoning the “ornithologically correct” bird logo. I don’t see the cartoon bird as an upgrade per se. The old bird was utterly unique among professional sports logos. It was realistic and willfully under-designed in an era when most teams tend toward ridiculously overdone action graphics and/or pseudo-classic treatments. For years the Orioles’ look stood alone and I loved that.

That said, they handled this smartly. They went retro with a modern update but didn’t go overboard into kitsch. They still look both classic and classy and the logo doesn’t look like it was designed in any particular year, which means it won’t soon feel dated. They didn’t screw this up at all and that in itself is refreshing as hell. Still, going retro feels strange.

My hunch is that they had a desire to continue the path they started on by putting “Baltimore” back on the road jerseys and further cement the heritage connection. I can’t argue with that, but I also can’t fully endorse it.

On a more philosophical level, let’s assume for a moment that the change was made in part because of the fact that the old look was — let’s face it — associated largely with losing teams. I think we could make an argument that looking to something entirely new would actually have been better than looking back. I’m all for heritage and I love retro looks, but why not save them for special nights and promotions while pointing the way forward with the everyday unis? That would have been a tall order, for sure, and I think they probably recognized that. Still…

Add it all up and I think the change merits a solid B-. A slightly better than average move. Not bad by any stretch, but not great. Which, given the way the last 14 years have gone, is probably just fine. Baby steps.

For the sports fan, this change in viewing habits has led to a phenomenon that was virtually unheard of a generation ago: the Man Cave. As homes have become bigger and modern lifestyles have changed, men nationwide have begun cordoning off finished basements, spare bedrooms, and even garages as strictly masculine space. Major League Baseball has even made the concept the centerpiece of its marketing for the 2011 season, holding some guy hostage in Manhattan and making him watch 2430 baseball games Ludovico-style or whatever they’re doing up there.

If you’re the type of guy who aims to build a man cave in your house, then more power to you and good luck with it. May you have the 70″ TV and the giant recliner and the built-in beer fridge and everything else your manly heart desires.

For the rest of us though, our rooms should have a little more balance to them. I live alone with rooms to spare, and could easily give one over to being a man cave. Personally though, I never saw the point in it. I know I’m a man. The life that I lead is pretty well manly. I don’t need a dedicated room to remind me of that fact. Our rooms should be a reflection of ourselves, and any time a room begins to take on a “theme” it reflects bad taste in design. Themed rooms can’t help but look trite and tacky, and can easily become cluttered and junky.

Anyone who spends a lifetime watching and loving sports is bound to end up with at least a little bit of memorabilia. It can be a tricky task to walk the fine line between displaying and appreciating sports-related objects, and being buried under and suffocated by them. If you keep these tips in mind though, you’ll be able to collect to your heart’s content without your house looking like a baseball card convention.

• Have plenty of storage. Just because something is collectible and worth saving doesn’t mean it must be on open display at all times. The more things you’re willing to keep in the attic, the cleaner and more streamlined the rest of your rooms will be.
• Only display one of a type. A bobblehead on your desk can be whimsical and fun. A dozen bobbleheads on your mantle is just creepy and tacky. Keeping too many of anything on display is a sure way to ruin decor.
• Only display things that actually are collectible. Maybe you’ve got a team-signed ball, a stadium photo and that bobblehead. These are all well and good until you bring in the team-logo blanket and the World Series coaster set. That’s where things start becoming overwhelming. Be sure that your everyday household items are non-sports related.
• Have shelf space. Lots of it. Four or five items ranged across the mantle will start to look like clutter, but the same items spread over several feet of shelf space on more than one wall will look more like a cohesive design aesthetic. Built-ins work best.
• Make an effort to bring in non-sports items. I mean the kind you’d buy in a department store. The idea isn’t to have your place looking like the inside of a chain restaurant, so skip the road signs and old beer bottles. Be sure to keep some glassware, pottery, original artworks, or some other visual interest in each room.
• The smaller the better. A baseball on display won’t dominate a room. On the other hand, a basketball probably will. There’s virtually no way to integrate a framed jersey into a normal room design, but a framed baseball card can work on a wall, an end table, or just about anywhere else. Items like photos and coffee table books can bend to just about any design scheme, but a signed hockey stick won’t fit anywhere but a man cave.

Where do you stand on the use of memorabilia in decor? Do you have a man cave in your house? Would you want one? Have you got a favorite piece with special significance that would have to be a feature in any place you lived? Tell us about it. Let’s hear it in the comments.

Ed. note: this is the second guest post by The Baltimore Chop, whose own site is highly worth a visit and a bookmark.

(photo via)

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

– Andy Warhol

I don’t know if it’s the woeful underperformance of the Orioles, the changing of the seasons, or something deeper. Might be all three. Whatever it is, I’ve been thinking lately that it’s time — past time — for a change. That it’s either evolve or die.

What I mean is, I think The Loss Column has slipped into kind of a rut and I need to fix it. You might be wondering, “how?”

It’s time to return to the basics. This site was always supposed to be home for a wide-ranging discussion. The heavy focus on all things Birdland came naturally via evolution and I didn’t fight it. Now, however, it feels too restrictive. That and the number of sites where folks write about the Orioles has expanded dramatically in the four-plus years since TLC launched. I don’t have much interest in clamoring for prominence solely within that niche.

I want the site to continue to be a place to talk Orioles but I also want it to be something a bit more. So, starting today, we’re sailing into uncharted waters and seeing what we find.

This could mean more writing about music, food, liquor, art, Americana (vintage and non-vintage), culture, etc. It could mean more pictures of attractive ladies. It could mean more writing about other sports like I used to do. I don’t know for sure. All I know is, things will be different and better.

As part of that, I’d like to bring on a contributor or two. I have some folks in mind already but nothing’s set in stone. So if that’s the kind of thing that might interest you, drop me a line.

I also want to know something: what does your ideal Loss Column look like? What do you want to see more of? Less of? Do the kinds of changes I’m suggesting here make you more or less inclined to keep stopping by?

This place belongs as much to those of you who visit regularly as it does to me, so I want to make sure any changes are made with a nod toward respecting that relationship. It’s still my decision, of course, but if you’ve got feedback and ideas I’d love to hear them.

I’m feeling good about this. Excited. Join me, won’t you?

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The Ravens are poised to unveil new uniforms later this spring. Most things (including the logo) figure to remain as they are, but there’s one huge change coming: purple is out like Ricky Martin.

Instead, the team is shifting to a shade of midnight blue as their primary color. The reasoning, as relayed to me, is as simple as it is unassailable: midnight blue is both more aesthetically pleasing than purple and also more befitting the name “Ravens”.

From what I’ve been able to gather this is a change that a lot of folks within the organization have wanted for awhile. Steve Bisciotti, in particular, has apparently never liked purple. He believes that the Vikings own that color and that the Ravens should have something of their own. When the team’s marketing folks pointed out that no other club uses deep blue as their primary color — and that the change wasn’t so drastic that it would compromise brand identity — he signed off.

Word is that the blue they’re using tilts toward purple enough that it won’t alienate fans, and it won’t look anything like what the Cowboys or Rams use.

No confirmation yet on when they’ll officially unveil the new unis, but I’m told you should probably mark this day on your calendar.

Personally, I think this is a brilliant move. It’s time. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.