Inside Label: 1987 Super Bowl XXI Foam Snapback Cap by NFL

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California played host to Super Bowl XXI on January 25th, 1987. The biggest game of the year featured the NFC New York Giants and the AFC Denver Broncos. Phil Simms led the offensive side of the New York Giants game, leading them to a thirty point second half. The intense defense of the Giants “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”, led by Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor, stifled the great John Elway’s offensive attack. The Giants explosive second half gave them an impressive 39-20 victory. 
This straight 1980’s foam snapback cap is an officially licensed piece produced by the National Football League exclusively for Super Bowl XXI. The NFL trademark signature is stamped on the front panel within the official Super Bowl logo. The commemorative logo is screen printed onto the cap. The rose within the logo is a modified image of the one which sits upon the main entrance of the Pasadena palace. It is a snap back, six panel cap that reflects the helmet designs of both the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos. The team helmet logos are screen printed onto the foam dyed, team colored side panels. The team’s helmet stripe’s run through the top of the crown with a white poly clothed button resting atop the crown. The brim of the cap is also wrapped in white poly fabric with a white under lip. White taping crosses across the inside foam crown with a white sweatband circling around the inside edge.
This cap is a true reflection of the time in which it was created. This piece captures the legendary imprints of some of the games greatest players playing on the games biggest stage.

Text: Jared E. Wheeler  

Inside Label: 1999 UConn, NCAA Final Four Champions Cap by Top Of The World

The 1999 NCAA Basketball Championship was the first title won by Jim Calhoun and the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program. The Final Four featured four teams with tremendous talent and determination. UConn went up against the tough Duke Blue Devils in the title game, defeating them by a slim margin. The Huskies Richard Hamilton dominated the tournament. Hamilton was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player and scored a tournament high of 145 total points. Hamilton padded his stock in the NBA draft through his tournament play and was chosen in the first round by the Washington Wizards.

This white cotton hat was constructed by Top of the World, a leading force in collegiate headwear. The hat is connected by six panels. The front graphic rests on the front two panels of the hat and serves to recognize the Huskies Championship title. The front graphic is thoroughly embroidered with the use of silver, white, aqua and royal thread. The UConn registered word mark rest at the top of the champions graphic. It is embroidered in silver and black onto a twill backing.

The 1999 Final Four registered logo is embroidered in detail on the right side panel.  The Top of the World logo is emblazed in silver thread on the left side panel.

The brim as a whole is white. The front of the brim is aqua dyed and is in the shape of a wave, outlined in royal embroidered thread. An aqua button rests at the top of the hat and four eyelets adorn the crown. The inside of the cap is lined in a black spandex band with the Top of the World tag stitched in the back.

The University of Connecticut remains a dominate fixture within collegiate men’s basketball. They would win their second NCAA title in 2004, once again under the leadership of their legendary coach, Jim Calhoun.

Text: Jared E. Wheeler

Inside Label: Spalding 1905 Yale University Fitted Baseball Cap

1905 was a year of progression and westward expansion. The city of Las Vegas was established and settled. The Canton Bulldogs, one of the first prominent professional football clubs, were formed. The Wright Brother’s sent their third plane into the sky and Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt began his first full term as President. The ethics and morals of society were beginning to be questioned. The Brooklyn Public Library banned Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. Factory labor regulations and health codes were beginning to be exposed. Enrollment at academic institutions was becoming more prominent and Yale University entered its third century of educating.

This 1905 Yale University baseball cap is currently on the auctioning block at Hunt Auctions. It is a rare eight panel cap constructed by Spalding. It is made from knit grey wool with a leather band encircling the interior. The Spalding logo tag rest on the back interior of the cap. The logo is uniquely hand cut and stitched to the front two panels of the hat. The logo was cut from a thick, navy felt material. At the top of the crown rest a large metal button, this is wrapped in grey wool. Yale University was established in 1701 and to this day remains one of the top educational institutions in the country.

Image: Hunt Auctions / Text: Jared E. Wheeler

Inside Label: Tony Lucadello's Straw Fedora Hat

On September 12, 1972, Michael Jack Schmidt made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the eyes of Tony Lucadello, a Midwest scout for the Phillies, who saw the potential of Schmidt and drafted him in the second round of the 1971 draft. Lucadello had been following Schmidt since his little league days in Dayton, Ohio. Lucadello didn’t want other scouts to catch on to the potential which he saw in Schmidt. This caused him to scout Schmidt from rooftops, behind bushes and from parked cars beside the field.               

Lucadello was also responsible for bringing Ferguson Jenkins to the attention of the Phillies, signing him in 1962. Both Schmidt and Jenkins have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Lucadello emphasized the importance of the fundamentals of the game. His ideology was known as “The Lucadello Plan.”  He ran clinics which featured basic drills in which one could do to improve themselves. These drills required just a ball and a wall. Lucadello believed every boy should have a wall to practice on outside of their house. In response, fathers across the Midwest began building walls for their sons to practice the drills within “The Lucadello Plan.”  

Lucadello’s straw fedora hat rests within the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It is constructed from panama straw and is woven in its natural color. Wrapped around the crown is a brown sublimated silk cloth. Lucadello was known to wear these types of hats while scouting because of his desire to keep a low profile.

Sadly, Lucadello committed suicide in the spring of 1989. He did so shortly after he was informed by the Phillies that his services were no longer needed. He has forever left an impact on the perception of player development.

Images/Text: Jared E. Wheeler

Inside Label: Chicago Bulls 1998 NBA Champions Cap by Starter

Michael Jordan stands as the greatest player to ever step on the hardwood, revolutionizing the way in which the game is now played and viewed.  Jordan’s tongue hanging dunks, buzzard beating jump shots and crossover dribble are still imitated by kids all over the world, creating hoop dreams.
Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, winning the final three after coming out of a short lived retirement. Throughout his career, Jordan amassed 5 MVP Awards, won 10 scoring titles and was the key figure on the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. His career achievements are chiseled on a plaque outside of the United Center in Chicago.   
This black cotton twill Starter cap commemorates the Chicago Bulls sixth Championship title. The back of the hat consists of an adjustable velcro strap. Across the velcro is NBA Champs, which is embroidered in white thread. The Starter signature logo rests at the top of the back, with both the NBA logo and the 1998 Finals logo directly embroidered on the back bottom sides. The front crown depicts the Bulls logo encircled by a royal and scarlet embroidered sphere, listing each of their six titles. Above the front logo rests NBA Champions, with a depiction of the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Twelve racing stripe style marks run through the embroidered word mark to the back of the hat. This hat was presented to the Bulls after they defeated the Utah Jazz in six games.
From the University of North Carolina…at guard...#23... Michael Jordan, will forever be remembered as His Airness is enshrined within the hallowed grounds of the birthplace of basketball.

Text: Jared Wheeler

Inside Label: Harry Hooper 1910's Boston Red Sox Cap

On July 26, 2009 The National Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors to the legendary Rickey Henderson, the premier leadoff hitter of his time. One hundred years earlier, when the ball was still dead, another premier leadoff specialist took the field for the Boston Red Sox. The left handed swinging Harry Hooper began his career on April 16, 1909. He was stationed in the right field position, helping solidify one of the top outfield tandems in the history of baseball. In 1912, when the Red Sox opened Fenway Park, Hooper helped lead them to a World Series title. The Red Sox would win three additional titles while Hooper served as their leadoff man. In 1921, Mr. Frazee sent Hooper to the post scandal ridden White Sox. Hooper would finish his career on the south side of Chicago.
This six panel cap was worn by Hooper during his time with the Red Sox. The hat is wrapped in cream coated wool with navy pinstripes dyed into the fabric. The inside band is constructed of leather and the brim is of a thick based cardboard. A larger style button in placed at the top of the cap, while the eyelets are stitched to match the hat. This cap was more then likely assembled by the Massachusetts based Horace Partridge Sporting Goods Company. The cap remains on display in Cooperstown. In 1971, Hooper was inducted in to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, receiving the maximum amount of votes from his peers on the Veterans Committee.

Text: Jared E. Wheeler