Didn't Get the Memo?

Have you ever walked into work to find that you're wearing practically the exact thing as someone else?  I'll bet you a million bucks (or the $3.72 in my bank account) that at some point in the day at least three other people at work said some form of the following:

• "Did you guys call each other this morning?"
• "Do you always plan your outfits together?"
• "I must have missed the memo."

High-larious.  Really.  Super creative.  I've never heard that one before.  It's like when you ask if it's Friday today, and the comedic genius on the other end snidely responds "all day."  Love that one, too.

Well, today I wore the same thing as Steve, and had to deal with precisely those types of comments.  Fine.  But then Steve himself seemed to be reveling in it.  I think he was proud that he had the same sense of style (for one day) as someone 20 years his junior.

Well, Steve, in the immortal words of Big Willie Style:

-- Dave

Valentine's Day Surprise

This Valentine's Day, give your loved one what they really want...a 7-foot, mute, pear-shaped seagull!  Hey, at least he'll be bearing gifts!

That's right, one lucky winner will give his or her even luckier sweetheart a "Valentine's Day Sandy Surprise" when the Cyclones' mascot swoops in to profess some holiday love.  (For the record, I still think my original tagline was catchier.)

Sandy will deliver a hug-a-gram, one dozen long-stem roses, a box of chocolate, and (best of all) four Field Box ticket vouchers to your valentine on Friday, February 12th.

All you have to do is explain (in 250 words or less) why your sweetheart deserves this wonderful surprise from everyone's favorite bird. Entries are due by Tuesday, February 9th, and must include your name, email address, and daytime phone number. A Cyclones representative will contact you if you are the winner.

Please email your entries to community@brooklyncyclones.com

Good luck

-- Dave

Jersey? Sure!

It had to happen.  A minor league team had to take advantage of the endless entertainment and comedy potential surrounding the hottest pop-culture phenomenon of the year.  And, of course, it had to be the Cyclones!

On Wednesday, July 21st, the Cyclones will host "Jersey? Sure!" Night, and poke fun at pay homage to the GTL lifestyle.  Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first entry for Promotion of the Year!

Here's the official press release:

“JERSEY? SURE!” NIGHT IN BROOKLYN

Gym, Tan, Laundry…Cyclones

Brooklyn, NY – Yo, Brooklyn, we have a situation.

On Wednesday, July 21, the Brooklyn Cyclones will be hosting "Jersey? Sure!" Night – paying homage to a pop-culture phenomenon and giving away limited-edition collectible jerseys.  The high-quality mesh jersey will feature the Cyclones logo on the front and a picture of the team’s mascot, Sandy the Seagull, in a fist-pumping pose on the back, with the words “Jersey? Sure!” at the top.  The first 2,500 fans in attendance on July 21st will receive a jersey.

In addition, the Cyclones are offering a try-out to a popular MTV star.  WFAN’s Boomer & Carton recently discovered that prior to his newfound celebrity, in an effort to “impress the ladies,” Jersey Shore’s Mike (“The Situation”) Sorrentino falsely told people that he was a back-up third baseman for the Brooklyn Cyclones.  The Cyclones are now inviting The Situation to make his dreams come true by taking batting practice and ground ball drills with the team.

“We thought this would be a fun way for us to incorporate one of the hottest trends of the year into our already-unique entertainment,” said Cyclones General Manager Steve Cohen (who also goes by the nicknames "Stevie Sweetheart,"  "DJ Stevie C," "Co-Co," and "The Perspiration").  “We still think the Coney Island shore is the best in the Tri-State area, but we’re willing to give Jersey its due…at least for one night.”

In addition to the jersey giveaway and The Situation’s try-out, the Cyclones’ “Jersey? Sure!” Night will feature:

• Dugout Dance Battles – Contestants will “battle” to techno beats on top of the dugouts between innings for a chance to win prizes (and fame).
• GTL Giveaways – In honor of the GTL lifestyle ("gym, tan, laundry") the Cyclones have partnered with a local gym, tanning salon, and laundromat and will be giving away GTL gift certificates throughout the night
• Baseball Blowouts – A special station on the ballpark’s concourse level will allow fans to have their hair styled like a good fastball – high and hard.  Stylists from a local salon will be on hand to give the hair-raising transformations a professional touch.

We're working on the jersey design now (think "Affliction" meets giant seagull), as well as some other fun details that we'll share once they become official.  Steve is already sweating the small stuff (hey, they don't call him The Perspiration for nothing) but this should be a fun, good-natured, tongue-in-cheek night that draws a big crowd and some media spotlight.  We're all looking forward to it, and we hope you are, too!

-- Dave

YOUniform

We've announced a very cool opportunity for young fans -- the chance to design your own uniform that the Cyclones will wear on the field!

The YOUniform contest (get it? Because you make the uniform. We love wacky wordplay around here) will also raise money for a great cause, as the team's jerseys will be auctioned off throughout the game in which they're worn, with proceeds going to Camp Brooklyn. Camp Brooklyn was founded by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to give children from low-income homes an opportunity to attend a sleep-away camp at no cost to the camper.

We're asking students from 5-16 years old to create a jersey design with a baseball and/or Brooklyn theme. We'll choose the top five designs and then post them on brooklyncyclones.com to let the fans vote for their favorite.

The winner will receive a Cyclones prize pack, a framed jersey signed by the 2010 Cyclones, and will throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game in which their YOUniform will be worn!

It's a great contest for a great cause, with great prizes for the winner! Design your own YOUniform, and get in on the fun!

Check out the rules, and get an entry form here

-- Dave

A Perfect "10"

Not since Bo Derek has a "10" been this closely scrutinized!

2010 marks the 10th season of Cyclones baseball, and as such, we have created the logo above to commemorate the landmark campaign. (Let's get this out of the way early...it's the 10th season, not the 10th anniversary. Count it out on your fingers if you're mathematically challenged, like me.)

Keep in mind from here on out that when I say "we," I really mean KJ. Several of us have had input along the way, but it's really KJ's baby. It's his creation, and I think he did an amazing job with it.

Now, the production of this logo was no easy task. The 10-year mark will be everywhere the Cyclones are this summer, so we needed it to be perfect. It not only had to be eye-catching and cool-looking...it had to convey a message and represent our brand, as well.

The final product does it all for a variety of reasons. Let's start at the top and work our way down. The Brooklyn script evokes the borough's storied past, while the "Cyclones" in the tail injects the present and the future. The blue, red, and gold color scheme is that of the traditional Cyclones uniform, and the colors that dominate the Coney Island landscape. The logo's primary shape represents a baseball diamond, while the background imagery depicts the Coney Island skyline that is infused into the fabric of the ballpark and the team itself (and vice versa). The sunburst behind the skyline gives the logo depth from within, and symbolizes the continuing rise (or dawn) of Brooklyn baseball. The big, bold number 10 is the unmistakable focal point of the image, and the banner containing the word "seasons" ties in a carnival feeling that again hearkens to Coney.

See? There's more to this puppy than just a pretty face.

The process was not an easy one. There were lots of eyes and lots of opinions on it, and the logo went though countless iterations, tweaks, and wholesale changes before we eventually arrived at the one we now have.

As a loyal reader of the blog, we'll give you an exclusive extra -- the opportunity to check out some of the versions that didn't make the cut. You'll see some completely different directions, and some of the evolution of similar ideas. We liked several of these as well, but for a variety of reasons, they just didn't have the right fit or feel. Take a look:

In the end, I think we came up with a winner. The final product is one that we're all thrilled with, and we hope you like it, too. You'll be seeing a lot of it this summer, as we celebrate the 10th season of Cyclones baseball!

-- Dave

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