ESPN's Chris Cotter said he liked the new Jordan Brand uniforms for Michigan football, saying, "They look a lot like the old uniforms. Why screw with something good? They didn't. They kept it old-school Michigan and tradition" ("College Football Live," ESPN, 8/3). But in Detroit, Jamie Samuelsen writes the Michigan-Nike rollout "has gone too far." Samuelsen: "I don’t blame Michigan for doing it. Why not? They have a captive audience. I just happen to blame the captive audience. ... I can’t see the difference between the uniforms that Michigan has been wearing for the last thousand years and the ones that they 'unveiled' on Tuesday." The colors "look the same," and the helmets "look the same (oh, a matte finish)." The numbers also "look the same." The "only perceptible difference is that the little Adidas logo is gone, replaced by the iconic Air Jordan Jumpman logo" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/4).
SCORING A TD: BLACK & BLUE REVIEW's Bill Voth noted Panthers LB Thomas Davis in June signed a two-year endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, marking "just the just 14th NFL player sponsored by Jordan Brand." Jordan brand;s NFL player roster also includes Cowboys WR Dez Bryant and Seahawks S Earl Thomas. Davis "will be paid to wear custom game day cleats." Davis: "They'll be in Panther colors. So that's going to be amazing in itself" (BLACKANDBLUEREVIEW.com, 8/2).
ONE LAST TIME: ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass noted driver Tony Stewart for next month's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway "will carry a Coca-Cola paint scheme that replicates the gold and red scheme" HOFer Bobby Allison drove to Southern 500 wins in '71 and '72. This is Stewart's "final outing" at Darlington. Coca-Cola "has been a sponsor" of Stewart for his 18 Sprint Cup seasons. Stewart: "I am excited about this one" (ESPN.com, 8/3).
