C-WORTHY

Several weeks ago I posted the first group of ten shirts from the TOP 50 COOLEST VINTAGE SPORTS TEES (#50-#41). Between our introduction of Political tees and Saturday Morning TV tees, I forgot I had promised to post the next group of the coolest vintage sports tees ever.  I just remembered, so here they are!

40. Vancouver Canucks – Very clever logo combines an ice blue hockey rink, and a good old fashioned hockey stick which cuts into the ice to carve out the middle of a big letter “C” for Canucks.  Love it.

39. Jimmy Carter for President -  A big toothy smiling peanut?  The poor ol’ Peanut Farmer from Plains, Georgia took the grin to the win.  Planters Mr. Peanut would be proud.

BEVER FEVER

38. Portland Beavers – Who doesn’t love a cute beaver?  This shirt has two of them and they’re playing baseball!

37. South Florida Bulls – Being a Taurus myself, I may have preferred to see an old cartoon bull.  The University is relatively young (est. 1956), so I can let that slide and admit that the the contemporary “U” logo with horns attached flat out rocks – Simple and to the point(s)!

36. 1982 Final Four – Being that the Final Four was played in the legendary jazz city of New Orleans, using a basketball net as the end of a trumpet for a logo may seem obvious, but it is pure genius none the less.  Michael Jordan’s game winning shot to win that championship for North Carolina was also trumpeted.

USFLOVE THIS!

35. USFL - The other league.  Love the Red, White, Blue patriotic feel of the shirt.  Bummed the league folded…very bummed.  This shirt is a MUST HAVE for any sports fan.

34. Lil’ Red – I don’t get folks who pooh-pooh team mascots.  Especially lil’ cartoon dudes in overalls with baseball caps tilted to the side.  Maybe if I didn’t have a 5 year old, I’d feel different.  Regardless, mascots are a huge part of sports tradition and Lil’ Red has cred.

33. Notre Dame – While I do love the boxing leprachaun logo, the interlocking ND in old gold colors, resonates the “echoes”  of ol’ Notre Dame a bit more for me.

PACHYDERM POWER

32. Alabama – Before the BCS Championship game this year, I put down this pachyderm.  In retrospect, this is one mean vintage elephant. Texas found out that you can’t stop an elephant with shoulder pads!

31. Denver Bears – It’s hard to see if the cartoon bear swinging the bat is making contact with the ball in this graphic, but it really doesn’t matter.  I love a bear in uniform.

Hope you like the list so far.  Would love to hear from you.  What is your favorite vintage t-shirt?

BEST VILLAIN, BAR NONE

Comfort.  Joy.  One-Zee pajamas.  Capes.  Saturday morning TV. I clearly remember wrapping my super-soft, broken-in, “blanky” around my neck (like a cape), running into my closet (pretending it was a phone booth), then busting out yelling the famous words at the top of my lungs, “Have no fear, Underdog is here!‘ so all in my house could hear.  I’m a very big baby because I get misty eyed when I think back to the early 1960’s when I was a kid, and everything was so simple then.  All was SAFE & GOOD in the world (Who knew from Vietnam, Kennedy & MLK assassinations, & LSD?).  For me, nothing was better than snuggling about in my jammies on a Saturday morning, eating a big bowl of  Cap’n Crunch, and watching Underdog save Polly Purebred from Simon Barsinister (I actually wanted Simon to take over the world a few times “SIMON SAYS…..”).  The good & evil in my world was an open & shut case every Saturday morning, with good winning every time.  Underdog defeats Simon Barsinister & Riff Raff. Rocky & Bullwinkle defeat Boris & Natasha.

UPLIFTING

Of course every generation looks back and reminisces how it was all better and simpler “when THEY were a kid” and I have to say I am no different.  “They don’t make them like they used to” really seems to fit the bill when it comes to Saturday morning TV.  Hey, I’m all about progress and innovation, but the cartoons I see today seem too “computerized” and even too realistic (alright, I do love Spongebob Squarepants)!  Granted, Jessica Rabbit is hot, but she’s no NATASHA!! Boris never had it so good.

I didn’t realize at the time, and am forever grateful, that shows like Mr. Magoo and Underdog were merely “gateway” shows which led me to enjoy later 60’s classics such as Gilligan’s Island and Hollywood Squares.  Indeed, the most recognizable voice of Mr. Magoo was none other than that of Jim Backus, the beloved Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island, and the crackly voice of Underdog belonged to Wally Cox who was a regular on the Hollywood Squares.

HE'S HERE

Distant Replays is happy that the folks at Original Retro brand continue to bring great memories back to life, with the addition of Saturday Morning TV to their ever growing library of the best vintage apparel on the planet.  Distant Replays is also happy to offer 25% OFF every Saturday Morning TV shirt on our website!  Just enter the code CTOON @ checkout to receive your discount.  This offer expires this Sunday, 2/21/10 so don’t miss out!

That super-soft, broken-in, “blanky” I was talking about?  Just give any of the new Underdog, Mr. Magoo, or Rocky & Bullwinkle shirts a try, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Can it be that it was so simple then?  Yes it was, and is again with Distant Replays.