Recently the Braves, as well as every other MLB team, came out with new batting practice hats. Some have been altered slightly, some more so. Without going through each one, let’s focus on the new Atlanta Braves batting practice hat. The hat portrays a Native American yelling with a feather sticking out of his head. Often times the whole idea of using Native American symbols, logos, phrases, etc… has been seen as racist and derogatory. Teams have changed their names, logos, and uniforms in order to comply with those who see these as misrepresenting their culture. While this may just be a hat, most Americans don’t truly understand the plight of the Native Americans, and don’t see the gravity in the history Americans have had with those who lived on this land before explorers like Columbus came to this world.

Teams like the Fighting Sioux, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Braves all in some small way portray an ignorant or disrespectful representation of Native Americans. The Redskins recently made the playoffs for the first time in a number of years, while fans in Atlanta and Tallahassee continue to do the “chop” at home games. This hat doesn’t change anything, but it furthers the image these teams feel comfortable portraying. Whether the rest of us feel similarly comfortable is debatable. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: How many Heisman Trophy winners has the University of Alabama had? Answer to come tomorrow.

Last time's answer: In Pittsburgh at Pirates games.

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Ah the links. That humongous grassy green playing surface, with it’s rolling hills, mini-beaches, roughs, and traps. Millions of Americans and non-Americans get their clubs in order, and new balls cleaned ready to take on 18 holes of fun, competition, and usually beautiful weather. Before you can head out to the course for some drives, puts, and chips, you have to have the right gear. Some dress fancy, some casually, and some put very little clothing on at all, but in the end, every golfer needs his golf shoes. Recently, many golfers not named Tiger Woods have been signing deals and advertising new golf gear including cleats.

Now, Adidas has come out with a golf shoe that is considerably lighter than the average. At 10.6 ounces per shoe, which is lighter by 28% from the average, this golf cleat mean easier movement during a swing as well as between them. Professional golfer Sergio Garcia is modeling this line, and says, “I’m always looking to add comfort and lightweight elements to my game.” The major problem with the shoe isn’t the technology that went into it, but the mix of banana and fluorescent yellow that adorns the outside of the cleats. Fortunately for golf fans and potential customers, the shoes come in black, white, and yellow. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Where does the great pierogi race take place? Answer to come tomorrow.

Last time's answer: He wears the number 72 in honor of 1972, the Rangers' first season in Texas.

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College Football in 2012-2013 is almost officially over. The BCS National Championship game will be played in New Orleans on Monday January 7^th, 2013. The game will be between the University of Alabama and the University of Notre Dame. But before those two titans clash in the bayou arena, fans should look to the Alamodome for some pigskin action. The U.S. Army All American Bowl, featuring some of the best high school football players in the country. NFL players who have previously played in this game include Adrian Peterson, Andrew Luck, DeSean Jackson, and Joe Thomas. This game is purely a showcase, a way to show off the best high school talent in the country. Given that the U.S. Army sponsors and puts its name on this game, the uniforms the players wear often have some similarities to the U.S. Army. This year, the organizers have changed the uniforms, going with subtle camouflage on the helmets. The colors will still be yellow and black, but the uniforms now have subtle camo checkered pattern on the helmets, jerseys and the pants. It’s a solid way to make reference to the Army, but not go overboard. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What number does the Texas Rangers mascot Rangers Captain wear, and why? Answer to come Saturday.

Yesterday's answer: In Berlin in 1887.

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Yesterday, long-time Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announced that this season would most likely be his last in the NFL. Baltimore drafted Lewis in 1996 out of the University of Miami. He has played his entire career as a Raven, making the Pro Bowl 13 times, a record for a linebacker. He helped the team win its first Super Bowl in 2001, collecting the Super Bowl MVP in that game vs. the New York Giants. He was named to the 2000 all decade team, and has been widely known as an incredibly tough player, superior leader, and first-rate teammate. A fixture in the Baltimore community, Lewis also started the Ray Lewis 52 foundation, a charity organization that provides personal and economic relief to underprivileged children. Lewis dealt with a torn triceps muscle this season, which has kept him out of action for the last 10 games. It is uncertain whether Lewis will play in the Ravens upcoming playoff matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, but Lewis will do everything he can do get onto the field. Lewis has had some issues off of the field throughout his career, but recently, he has been known as one of the most revered and respected players in the game today, and the entire sport. While the team hasn’t announced anything on the topic, Baltimore will most likely retire Lewis’ number 52 in the coming years. The Ravens have not officially retired any players’ numbers to date. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Where and when was Ice Hockey first played in Germany? Answer to come Friday.

Last times answer: The Redcaps were a derivative team of the Boston Red Stockings. The Atlanta Braves franchise originally came from the Boston Redcaps. 

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It is well known that the last day of the NFL regular season is a line of demarcation. It is the day on which coaches and executives that have been rumored to be “on the block” find pink slips on their mail and phone calls to see the owner on their message machines. For a few NFL personnel, this process was swift, but others won’t find out their fate for another few weeks.

So far, the Philadelphia Eagles fired head coach Andy Reid. Reid was the longest tenured coach in the four major sports at 14 years running. He led the Eagles to multiple NFC Championship games, to the 2005 Super Bowl, but could not bring home the elusive Lombardi Trophy, thus bringing Philadelphia their first Super Bowl ever.

Romeo Crennel, the most recent Kansas City Chiefs head coach was fired yesterday. Crennel led the Chiefs to an abysmal 2-14 record, the worst in the NFL. The team’s 2012 season was marred by the tragedy of Javon Belcher, the ineffectiveness of their defense, and the constant changing of the guard between Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn at the QB position. Crennel has a 28-55 record as a head coach in the NFL, for both the Browns and the Chiefs.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert and head coach Pat Shurmer were fired. The Browns were awful this season sporting rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. The team’s rookie running back Trent Richardson was the Brown’s only saving grace, proving that he is the team’s running back of the future. This was Shurmer’s first season as the Brown’s head coach.

The Jets have fired GM Mike Tannenbaum but retain head coach Rex Ryan. Tannenbaum’s recent moves such as trading for Tim Tebow and making Mark Sanchez the QB of the future backfired, making Tannenbaum a prime candidate for a pink slip.

Jacksonville General Manager Gene Smith. The Jags tied for the worst record in the league at 2-14 this season. It was the worst record in franchise history, but came as little surprise to most NFL fans. The Jags were marred by injuries and an ineffective roster this season, with few bright spots for the future.

As has been previously reported, the Chargers have fired head coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith. Turner wishes to find an offensive coordinator’s job after coaching talented teams in San Diego to unsatisfactory results. 

From everyone at Pro League Authentics, we wish you a Happy, Healthy, and Safe New Years!

Recently, I wrote about the Virginia Tech Hokies helmets. The team put a decal on their helmets for their bowl game against Rutgers University that memorialized those who were shot and killed at Sandy Hook as well as those Virginia Tech students who died in a shooting on the campus in 2007. 

In addition to that ribbon decal with the number 58 on it and the word “prevail”, the Hokies also placed a large orange turkey decal on the helmet. The reasons for the decal remain unknown. On the other hand, if the decals had a hand in the result of the game, than you might see the Hokies use the same helmets more often. Despite awful play in the first half, Virginia Tech came back to beat the Scarlett Knights in overtime to officially win the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Who were the Boston Redcaps? Answer to come Monday.

Friday's answer: The Razorback was officially adopted as the University's mascot in 1909 after Hugo Bezdek, the coach at the time, stated after a big win that his team played like a "wild band of razorback hogs".

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With Christmas behind us and the New Year approaching quickly, College Football teams have begun, and will continue to play, bowl games. Teams with at least 6 wins are considered for bowl appearances, with some schools playing in little know games such as the Belk Bowl or Independence Bowl, and others playing in the most well known bowl games like the Rose Bowl or Cotton Bowl.

One BCS Bowl game that will feature a team no one thought would attain such a lofty precipice is the Orange Bowl. Held in Miami, the Orange Bowl often features the winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference unless that team is in contention for the National Championship game. The ACC champion’s opponent in the game has varied from year-to-year, with the Northern Illinois Huskies from the MAC. Northern Illinois and Kent State both went undefeated in the regular season, prompting the winner of the MAC championship between the Huskies and the Golden Flashes to play ACC winner Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

In celebration of their first major Bowl game, the Northern Illinois Huskies will wear new uniforms designed by Adidas. These Techfit jerseys are designed to be 30% lighter than the jerseys the Huskies regularly wear, sporting lightweight material for the numbers, new ventilation zones, and all white look. The jerseys have small red NIU just above the silver numbers on the front. The uniforms are topped off with red pants, black helmets, and red/white socks.  

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: How did the Razorback become the official mascot of the University of Arkansas? Answer to come tomorrow.

Thursday's answer: The test game was played between the Chicago Politicians and the Rockford Metros. The game was played in Rockford Illinois. 

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Despite the happiness and joy that accompany the holiday season, all Americans continue to reel from the vicious shooting at Sandy Hook. The feelings that such an event stirs up resonate with all of us, but for some more than others. Students and any individuals involved with Virginia Tech University understand what it is like to go through such an ordeal. 32 people were shot at the VT campus in 2007. Now, the Virginia Tech football team will wear special helmet decals that have the number 58 on it and the word “prevail”. The number signifies the total body count between the Sandy Hook and VT shootings, while the word is the mantra of the entire VT campus. Instead of helmet decals, all Virginia Tech coaches and other staff will wear actual ribbons on their shirts. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Who played in the Arena Football "test game", and where was the game played? Answer to come tomorrow.

Wednesday's answer: Liverpool in 1979 put sponsor Hitachi's logo on their jerseys.

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Christmas comes but once a year. Yesterday we saw all 8 NBA teams that played on Christmas wear solid colored special alternative Christmas uniforms. For some it looked better than others. Nike has decided to pursue their own Christmas design, today, releasing three Christmas shoe lines. The Kobe 8 has no semblance of red or green, but is the smallest shoe of the bunch. Meant for guards, the Kobe 8 resembles Bob Marley headwear, or possibly like the cacophony of lights that adorn most houses during the holidays. The Lebron X makes the Kobe 8 look like it’s celebrating Boxing Day instead of Christmas. 

The Lebron X defines Christmas, made mostly of Miami Heat red with some green accenting on the bottom of the shoe and accompanying green laces. This high top is meant for forwards, and looks like a very large Christmas ornament. Finally, Kevin Durant’s KD Z was inspired by video game graphics, but comes out looking like a colorful shoe with no obvious inspiration. The shoe has a blue base with red tongue and laces and a yellow Nike swoosh. The shoe doesn’t represent Christmas, and could have been released at any point during the year. While the Kobe would best fit the latest Jamaican bobsled team, and the Lebron perfectly depicts Christmas, the Durant is fits all occasions. 

Authentic Store Buzz: Pro League Authentics has just come out with a new exclusive line of apparel. The Legends Line- Wilt Chamberlain. A fan of Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, or maybe you just know him as Mr. 100. Wilt Chamberlain was a basketball legend, considered by many to be the most athletic and talented player to ever strut onto the NBA hardwood. The big man, who wore number 13 and was famous for wearing the sweatband on his head, once dropped 100 points in Hershey, PA. PLA has the exclusive line of shirts of the Wilt Chamberlain line. 

As the NFL season continues, PLA continues to provide a great selection of authentic NIKE NFL jerseys including the newest one, a home blue Andrew Luck jersey. In fact, PLA is now offering 50% off on any NIKE NFL jerseys. All are authentic. Check our selection out on our website, call up the store to inquire, or keep track of our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for daily updates.

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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: Which was the first English Premier League club to place a sponsor's logo on its jerseys? Answer to come tomorrow.

Monday's answer: Kobe Bryant, who with another 30+ point game yesterday, now also has the all-time lead in the NBA for most points scored on Christmas. 

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