Hope all had a very Merry Christmas!  Veronica By of Katy, Texas, will be getting an additional present this holiday for winning week # 7 of the “ORB IN ACTION” photo contest.  Veronica is the third member of the By family to send in an entry, and she didn’t let the family down!  Check out her handy-work in this photo collage she whipped up, and what she had to say:

Go ‘Cats!”

Our other two entries this past week came from Jonathan W., of Ronkonkoma, New York (sported a Toronto Maple Leafs shirt while digging the deep snow out of his driveway), and Ben Kaminow of New York, New York (wore a Syracuse Orangemen shirt touting the 2009-2010 hoops team, and back-to-back lacrosse titles).  Nice entries from my fellow New Yorkers, but we had to hand victory to the ‘Cat from Katy for the obvious effort involved.  When we informed Veronica of her accomplishment, she was a little pumped.  Here is her reaction to finding out she won:

“This is awesome news!  This is the best Christmas present ever!  Since I will be going to Baylor next year, I would like this Baylor shirt in a men’s small.  Thanks alot!!”

GOING FOR THE GOLD

With Veronica winning week # 7, the first part of the “ORB IN ACTION” photo contest has come to an end.  All that is left to do, is pick a Grand Prize winner.  The Original Retro Brand judges will go back and review each winning entry from the past 7 weeks and pick the overall winner from that batch.  The Grand Prize winner will be announced on my New Year’s Day Blog post this coming Friday evening.  The winner will receive 4 Original Retro Brand shirts of their choice! So enjoy the Bowl games this week, and please check back to see who the lucky winner will be, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE is old news.  It’s time for a fresh new contest, and an easy way for you to win a FREE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND SHIRT!  It’s time for ORB IN ACTION!!

Just e-mail yours truly (andyphyman@gmail.com) a picture of yourself (or you and your friends) wearing an Original Retro Brand shirt at work or play, with a brief description of what you do for a living and/or what you love to do for fun while sporting your Original Retro Brand gear.  We’ll post your picture and description on this blog when we receive, and on the Original Retro Brand Facebook Fan page. The Original Retro Brand Staff will choose the photo/description each week, that they believe best represents the spirit of the Original Retro Brand Fan, and the person who sent in the photo will win a FREE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND t-shirt!  Meet the judges….

Kat (Texas shirt) is shown here in a behind the scenes shot at an ORB photo shoot.  She is the west coast, and international sales rep (Shoot location: Santa Monica).

Justin and Danny make up our art department team.  They create all the art that goes onto every ORB tee. Justin is wearing a Toronto St. Pats shirt, and Danny is wearing the Cuban baseball shirt (Shoot location: The ORB office in downtown Los Angeles).

I will be judging as well, but you’ve seen enough pictures of me already.  I will show you this picture that I took walking over the bridge on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, on my way to the Georgia Tech-Wake Forest game because I just thought it was cool.

I was able to get a few shots of some folks at work and play wearing Original Retro Brand before the game at the legendary Steamhouse Lounge, and while I was at the game.  Check em out….

The beautiful bartender from the Steamhouse is Sarah, and she is a rabid Yellow Jacket fan.  She took a minute to step out from behind the bar and hang with Hunt (with hat) Archbold on the sunny outdoor deck.  Hunt writes a weekly sports column for the Atlanta newspaper, The Sunday Paper.  The two lovely coeds pictured above right are Angela Lyman (left), and Liz Byars (right), both doing the Original Retro Brand justice amidst the sold out crowd at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

So remember to send your picture with your best description to andyphyman@gmail.com to enter the contest.  A new winner will be announced every Monday through Christmas Eve.  We will then take all the winners, and pick the overall best picture for our grand prize winner and announce on New Year’s Day.  The Grand Prize will be your choice of 4 Original Retro Brand t-shirts.  Also remember to stay updated on all that is Original Retro Brand by following us on Twitter and Facebook.  Can’t wait to see your submissions and good luck!

You know what else is downright scary?  My ability to make decent college football picks!  Going into this past weekend, I had a 5-7 record, and eagerly devoured and dissected the smorgasbord of  big games on the schedule in anticipation of leap-frogging over the .500 mark and then some.  The final result of my efforts resulted in 2 wins and 5 losses, bringing my “expert” pick tally to a deplorable 7-12 (.368).  A few of the teams I picked did cover the spread (Tennessee nearly pulled it off over Bama, but got beat by the SEC refs, and Mississippi State got a little of the same against Florida…SEC officiating worse than my picks this year!), but I’ve been basing the record on straight up W’s & L’s, and must take my medicine and hope the Halloween Gods will be in my corner this Saturday.   DON’T FORGET TO ENTER CODE HWEEN AT CHECKOUT AND RECEIVE 25% OFF ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND GEAR FOR OUR FEATURED TEAMS (Florida, Georgia, USC, Oregon) FOR GAMES/PICKS OF THE WEEK!!

NICE GUY WILL FINISH LAST VS. FLORIDA

GAME # 1: Surely an easy way to improve my record will be to forget betting with my heart, and pick the Florida Gators to rout my beloved Georgia Bulldogs in the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party.   Let’s face facts: The Dawgs just ain’t SEC great this year.  The running game does not have the usual breakaway threat, and Joe Cox at QB is likeable enough, but he’s just not Matthew Stafford, David Greene, Eric Zeier, Mike Bobo, or Fran Tarkenton!  They did step up and open the season out of conference on the road, but lost a tough battle against a very strong # 10 ranked, Big 12 Oklahoma State Cowboy squad.  Certainly they got ripped off against LSU (reference SEC refs in first paragraph), but still should have taken care of business between the hedges.   The Gators are ranked # 1 for a reason: They find a way to win no matter what.  They are favored by 17, and why not?  They own the Dawgs in Jacksonville, having taken 16 out of the last 20 meetings.  I love coach Mark Richt, but his mellow persona seems to have rubbed off on his team, and being mellow does not cut it in the SEC:  Florida  42,  Georgia 21.     That was painful….and so will the trip home from Oregon for the USC Trojans……

BOBBING FOR TROJANS

GAME # 2:  Certainly this is the Pac-10 marquis game of the year (since USC clobbered CAL).  The # 10 Oregon Ducks are flat out rolling, outscoring their last 5 opponents 192 -62.  They crushed the same Washington Husky team that gave USC their only loss of the season handily on the road in Washington, 43-19.   At the same time, the # 5 Trojans were not able to cover the spread in their last two victories over Notre Dame and Oregon State.   Both teams are basically neck & neck in all statistical team categories in the Pac-10, but I think the home field advantage will lift Oregon to victory.  USC QB Matt Barkley does lead the conference in passing, but Oregon QB  Jeremiah Mesoli is not far behind and has 7 touchdown on the ground.   Can’t wait to see what quacky uniform the Ducks will wear as they continue to roll in big upset:   Oregon 28, USC 21.

Tricks and Treats:  I thought # 3 Texas would have a tougher time against Mizzou last week, but they routed them, and will do the same against # 14 Oklahoma State in Stillwater: Longhorns 38, Cowboys 17…..# 25 Ole Miss has to travel to Auburn who has dropped 3 straight after opening 5-0.  The Tigers will rise to the occasion: Auburn 28, Mississippi 24…..Both # 13 Virginia Tech and North Carolina lost brutally hard fought games to ACC rivals Georgia Tech and Florida State respectively last week.  The Hoakies must win out to have any shot at the ACC Championship game and the Tarheels are looking for their first conference win:  VTech 35, North Carolina 14.….Purdue has proven they are much better than their 3-5 record after shocking Ohio State, and Wisconsin has lost 2 straight after busting out 5-0.   Wisconsin nearly ended # 11 Iowa’s dream season and will not drop another at home:  Badgers 24, Boilermakers 14.

One last prediction for this week:  The Yankees will beat the Phillies…..in Game # 1.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Doubtful, but she does look great in her UCLA Original Retro Brand mascot tee!  The Bruins could certainly use Jessica’s support (Texas doesn’t need her support as much, but it helps!).  4 straight conference losses in the Pac-10, and a Halloween showdown with a very formidable Oregon State Beaver team on the road, will probably make it 5 straight Pac-10 defeats.  But back to Jessica!

Is it creepy that a soon to be 50 year old, and happily married man of 14 years, would be ranting and raving about a 29 year old blonde bombshell?  Well I’m not alone!   And creepy goes with Halloween, so I am giving myself a pass on this guilty pleasure this week only.

Like many, I had no clue who she was until I was channel surfing and dropped the remote when I caught a glimpse of her on the 2003 MTV show Newlyweds, that put her on the map.  How could you not have fallen in love with that whole “Chicken of the Sea Tuna,” not being chicken thing?  She was right as far as I’m concerned!  What can I say?   She was hot then, and she’s hot now – from her Daisy Duke‘s to her Mom jeans.

Furthermore, she is a sports fan, and hot babes who love sports are even hotter (Tony Romo fans may feel differently)!   And lest I forget to mention that she IS talented too.  She has the pipes to back up the good looks.  Her remake of the Nancy Sinatra classic, “These Boots are  Made for Walkin,’” (as seen to the right while rockin’ her UCLA shirt!), became her fifth single to make the Billboard Top Twenty.

Kim Kardashian last week, and Jessica Simpson this week….Will we go for the Original Retro Brand celebrity sighting hot babe trifecta next week?  Check this blog to find out!

That’s right, 20% OFF all Original Retro Brand merchandise for the teams we review in our Picks of the Week!  Just enter code FATE8 at checkout for your discount.

Last week started out quite well. I picked the Cincinnati Bearcats to defeat the USF Bulls 28 to 20.  The real final score?  Cincy 28, USF 21.  GENIUS!  Not so fast…I picked the Sooners to defeat Texas (buzzer sound),…..Notre Dame to defeat USC (buzzer),  and Virginia Tech to dump Georgia Tech (final buzzer – EEEEHHH!).   Iowa proved they are not a fluke as they erased a 10-0 deficit, and came back to beat Wisconsin for an impressive road win.   The Red River Rivalry could have gone either way, and The Fighting Irish just missed…The Hokies game was the only one I really missed by a long shot.  Thus my record stands at  5 wins and 7 losses.   Perhaps it’s time to remove the word “expert” from the Original Retro Brand newsletter, when referring to my “Games of the Week” picking prowess.  Regardless, I must soldier on, and we have four more doozies for this weekend:

FULL FORCIER

GAME 1: The # 13 Penn State Nittany Lions head into Ann Arbor to face Michigan freshman quarterback phenom, Tate Forcier. Forcier has pulled off some miracle plays in leading the Wolverines to the highest scoring offensive attack in the Big 10.  The Penn State defense has been dominating all year, giving up just 3 points in their last two games, but Michigan has suffered two excruciating close defeats this year (Michigan State in overtime, and a 2 point heartbreaker vs Iowa), and will not lose in their house this weekend.   Michigan 35, Penn State 20.

GAME 2:  Since the LeGarrette Blount sucker punch debacle, and opening loss to Boise State, the # 11 Oregon Ducks have reeled off 5 staight wins (2 against ranked teams) outscoring their last 3 PAC 10 rivals 118 to 19!!  It would behoove them not to overlook Washington with USC on the horizon.  The Huskies have that big win over the Trojans, and played LSU and Notre Dame tough.  Even so, the Ducks will continue to roll on the road.   Oregon 38, Washington 28.

NO QUACKS VS. HUSKIES

GAME 3: The Clemson Tigers rank second in total defense, and eighth in total offense in the ACC, just one behind the # 10 ranked Miami Hurricanes, who they face on the road at Landshark Stadium.   As tough as the Clemson defense has been, I think Jacory Harris at QB is really hitting his stride. I feel Miami’s one loss at Virginia Tech was an anomaly, and they bounced back strong against Oklahoma, and I believe they will beat Clemson handily and then win out.    Miami 27, Clemson 13.

GAME 4:  I’m going to get whacked for this one…Tennessee will knock off # 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  The Vols nearly beat Florida in the swamp, almost knocked off a then unbeaten Auburn team, and then absolutely crushed my Georgia Bulldogs.   Heck, the Vols are ranked 5th in total offense in the SEC (just one behind the Tide), and 3rd in total defense (Bama ranked # 1).   Mark Ingram will be tough to stop no doubt (he only gained 1 yard on 4 carries against UT last year), but QB  Jonathan Crompton is quietly coming into his own.   Purdue stunned Ohio State last week.  This is my # 1 stunner.   Tennessee 33, Alabama 24.

BAMA BUMMER

AND THIS IS MY # 2 STUNNER:  Mississippi State will win their 5th straight over Florida in Starkeville!  I’m upset crazy!!  Michigan State will halt the Hawkeyes, and Mizzou will NOT beat Texas, but it will be close…..

DON’T FORGET!!:  Enter code FATE8 at checkout to receive your 20% OFF the Original Retro Brand shirts featured today!

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Most of us know that cycling legend and philanthropist Lance Armstrong is stubborn, and hard-headed when it comes to accomplishing his goals.   You don’t win triathlon’s when your 13 year’s old, and  7 Tour De France titles after overcoming cancer if you’re not!

The Plano, Texas native is also a well known Texas Longhorns fanatic, and there is no doubt the force of his will to inspire his team to victory over the Texas Tech Raiders, was in full effect this past weekend.

Lance appeared on the popular ESPN College Gameday show wearing his Original Retro Brand Texas double-hit shirt to show his support!!  Check out the clip…

Apparently Lance isn’t the only celebrity screaming “HOOK EM’ HORNS!”  in Original Retro Brand gear.    Fellow Texan (Abilene), and sports enthusiast Jessica Simpson sings her praises for the Horns in women’s version, and actor, producer, tv pitchman, and cougar snagger Ashton Kutcher is seen here wearing the Original Retro Brand Texas mascot BEVO logo shirt.

3 celebrities wearing Texas Original Retro Brand = # 2 Ranking and 3 victories for the Longhorns.  Ok, maybe it’s not just the shirt, but you can’t argue with the success!!

To learn more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation and his LIVESTRONG curriculum, please click the link.

HERBIE HUSKER is our featured shirt for PICK OF THE WEEK!  Click the shirt, and then enter code LILRED @ checkout and receive 25% off the normal retail price!   (above style is for men. Another style featuring the Lil’ Red mascot is available for women for same discount).   Before (or after!) you do, you may want to read below and find out how Herbie replaced Harry….

Yes, in the beginning Harry the Husker was the official mascot of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  In 1964, uber-fan Bill Goggins, who was an art director for a farming magazine, drew up a cartoon image of Harry. He wore a red blazer and red tie, with a big red cowboy hat with a  massive red “N” on the front.   Harry stuck around long enough to see the Huskers win back-to-back National Championships in 1970 & 1971. 

During the 1973 Cotton Bowl game against Texas is when Harry’s fate was sealed and his demise set in stone. Nebraska athletic director Don Bryant was up in the press box looking at  a cartoon drawn for the Cotton Bowl media guide of a rolly-poly farmer in overalls.  Bryant took an immediate liking to the rendering and commissioned artist Dirk West of Lubbock, Texas to fine tune it and bring “Herbie Husker” to life.   So a Texan of all people, came up with the new Nebraska mascot!!    Herbie had a makeover in 2003, and lost the overalls.  He now sports the same big red cowboy hat, but wears jeans and work boots.  The new look had an impression on the judges in the 2005 Capital One Mascot Challenge, as Herbie took the crown, and was named Mascot of the year!

Joining Herbie in 1993 was Lil Red.  Red was voted on board after a state-wide search for a new mascot that would appeal to younger kids.  Not to be outdone by his elder mascot brethren, Lil Red was elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007.

In this, our 5th Original Retro Brand weekly installment of TOP TEN COLLEGE players by position, we will be listing the best kickers in College history.  Or as I say each week, MY FAVORITES!   No other position on the field can turn you into a hero or goat quicker than that of the placekicker.  Only those with the mental toughness to thrive under the pressure of deciding the outcome of any given game,and succeeding, make this list.  SO, here they are…

10. George Blanda, Kentucky: Mainly a Quarterback, he turned around a pathetic Wildcat club with his arm and foot.  Having Bear Bryant as a coach didn’t hurt either!

9. Pete Gogolak, Cornell:  Was the first kicker to introduce innovative “Soccer Style” of kicking that is now the norm.  Gogolak would also introduce the style into the AFL- NFL, and thrived during a 10 year career.

TROUBLEMAKER

8. Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State: The only kicker to win the coveted Lou Groza award for best College Placekicker twice in 1998 & 1999.  Despite his love of getting into fights off the field and the threat of deportation, he became only the 3rd kicker in NFL history to be drafted in the first round.

7. Pete Stoyanovich, Indiana:  Considered the best 2-sport athlete (would you believe soccer?) the Hoosiers ever had.  The school’s all-time leading scorer holds numerous Big 10 records.

6. Russell Erxleben, Texas: Set the record for the longest field goal in College history with 67 yarder against Rice in 1977 (tied 2 weeks later by Steve Little of Arkansas).  Erxleben would be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

5.  Lou “The Toe” Groza, Ohio State:  Only played one year for the Buckeyes before being drafted into World War II.   Obviously he left a lasting impression as the annual award for the best kicker in College Football is named after him!     Was an All-Pro Offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns in addition to his kicking duties.

4. Chris & Matt  Bahr, Penn State:  Both Chris and younger brother Matt would follow almost identical career paths.  They were both All-American Soccer and Football stars while at Penn State, and would go on to lengthy NFL careers.  They even played short stints in the now defunct North American Soccer League.

3.  Pat Summerall, Arkansas:  Played Defensive End, Tight end and Kicker.  I grew up watching him on “This week in the NFL” on Friday nights, and he was the best announcer ever along with John Madden.

2. Morten Andersen, Michigan State:  Holds Big 10 record for longest field goal at 63 yards and was All-American in 1981.  He would go on to become the All-Time Leading Scorer in NFL History.

# 1 BUTLER

1. Kevin Butler, Georgia: Anybody that reads my blog (anybody?) knows I am a Georgia Bulldog fan (tough opening loss), and tend to favor all that is DAWG.  This case is no different.  Butler holds the NCAA record for highest pctg. of field goals made over 50 yards, and is the ONLY place kicker to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

If you think I left anybody off the list, please leave your favorite kicker in the comment section, and I’ll make note of it on our Original Retro Brand Facebook Fan page!

With College Football officially kicking off today,  I’ve decided to break out the glamour position of Quarterback for our 4th weekly installment of TOP TEN players in College Football History by position.   As with our previous TOP TEN lists on Running Backs, Linebackers, and Defensive Backs, this list is based mainly on WHO I LIKE BEST!   And as usual, there will be a POLL at the bottom of the post,  which will allow you to vent a bit (a VERY little bit) about my choices.  Also be sure to check out the highlighted  links to the awesome Original Retro Brand team gear these QB’s played for too!   Here we go….

10. Tom Harmon, Michigan: Ok, ok, he was mainly a running back, but in addition to his 2,000+ rushing yards, he threw for over 1,000 yards and kicked extra points.  Coolest footnote is 1940 Heisman winner wore cool jersey # 98!

9. Archie Manning, Ole Miss: No, not Peyton from the Vols!  Bear Bryant said Manning was the best college QB he had ever seen (sorry Joe Willie!).  Was 4th and 3rd Heisman runner up in 1969 & 1970, and voted into College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

#3 FOREVER YOUNG

8. Bernie Kosar, Miami: Led the Canes to their first National Championship over an undefeated Nebraska in 1983.  He holds many school passing records, notably his career passing completion pctg. of  62.3

7. Jim Mcmahon, BYU (ORB shirt coming real soon!): The man finished his career (sat out many games due to injury by the way) with over 70 NCAA passing records…SEVENTY!!!! He threw for over 4,000 yards and 47 TD’s in 1980…sick numbers.

6. Joe Namath, Alabama:  Led the Crimson Tide to 1964 National Championship.  Later that year, Namath became the highest paid player ever to be drafted in Pro Football history, by signing $427,000 contract with the AFL’s  New York Jets (at the time it was a lot of dough!).  Even though he whooped my beloved Colts in Super Bowl III, the Fu Manchu & Bachelor’s III, and Broadway Joe, etc….couldn’t resist (I know it’s a College list and I don’t care!)

5. Dan Marino, Pitt: Beating my DAWGS in the 1982 Sugar Bowl with less than a minute to go makes it very difficult to put him on this list, but he was amazing.  The College Football Hall of Famer was the very first player to be drafted in the USFL, by the LA Express.  Luckily for the Dolphins, the money wasn’t right.

4. Charlie Ward, Florida State: The 1993 National Champion & Heisman Winner also played basketball for the Nole’s, and led them to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1992.  He also played amateur tennis, and was drafted as a pitcher by the Brewers and NY Yankees.   The College Football Hall of Famer was perhaps the best all-around college athlete EVER.

3. Vince Young, Texas: The numbers are astonishing; Over 6,000 yards passing, and over 3,000 rushing: C-R-A-Z-Y.   Wrapped up his career neatly with a 200+ yd passing/200+ yd rushing/3 TD performance against USC for undefeated National Championship victory in 2005.  Last TD came with 19 seconds to go.

2. Steve Spurrier, Florida: OH, THE UTTER AND COMPLETE PAIN of including him in this list, and this high up?    I guess it’s that after all of the beat-downs he’s put on Georgia as a player and coach, I’ve softened up over the years, and realized (although he is the enemy for ever), I need to pay him his due.   The 2-Time first team All American, and 1966 Heisman winner also kicked extra points and rushed for four hundred yards too.

THE DODGER #1

1. Roger Staubach, Navy:  Roger the “Dodger.”  1963 Heisman Trophy Winner led the Midshipmen to a # 2 Ranking the same year.   Because of his commitment to the service, he didn’t start his NFL career until he was 27.  Great player & great Patriot make him # 1 in my book.

Did I leave off anybody you can think of?  Were there any other deserving QB’s?   Even I have to admit this one is just too difficult to really pick who is the best.   So take your shots, and leave me some comments on who you think should be included and/or taken off this list.    More importantly……COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARTS TONIGHT!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I’ll admit it is hard for me to get pumped about College Baseball……until the College World Series.   Ok,it’s not the Final Four, or the BCS Championship, but it is a great month of highly competitive baseball.   It has also produced some of the best (and not so best?) players to play in the bigs.   Outside of Texas fans (# 1 seed this year, most appearances in CWS history with 34), who would have guessed  that Red Sox 1986 World Series pitching goat (It wasn’t Buckners fault!) Calvin Schiraldi, was the tournaments MOP (Most Outstanding Player) for the 1983 Texas National Champions.  Although not in the tournament this year, perhaps many don’t know (maybe they do, and I’m just an idiot) that the USC Trojans are more than a perennial football powerhouse, with 12 National baseball titles (5 in a row from 1970-1974).    In the 1973 tournament, USC produced one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA history for any sport.  On the verge of elimination, down 7-0 in the bottom of the ninth, USC scored 8 runs against the Minnesota Gophers for the win. The pitcher on the mound for the Gophers was none other than future MLB Hall of Famer Dave Winfield.   Recent 300 game winning pitcher, The Big Unit Randy Johnson, Fred Lynn and Dave “Kong” Kingman also starred for the Trojans.  2 – time MLB World Series Red Sox Manager Terry Francona, was the tournament MOP in 1980 for the Champion Arizona Wildcats, and  you may call the Arizona State Sun Devils “Hot corner U.”, producing such greats as the A’s Sal Bando, and the Braves Bob Horner.   So with the Stanley Cup coming to a close and the NBA Finals a foregone conclusion, I highly recommend the crack of aluminum bats and the College World Series. Before I forget, check out the womens softball finals too – they are AMAZING!   What’s also really amazing is the brand spanking new line of College World Series Original Retro Brand tees – for style, fit, comfort, and HISTORY!