The Olympic Games (and their latest troupe of quirky mascots) are almost upon us, and the School of Visual Arts' MFA Design Criticism department is celebrating with an evening of sports-themed design reading at KGB Bar in New York's East Village. The fun begins next Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Check out the all-star lineup:

Michael Bierut, co-founder of Design Observer, laments stadium architecture's tendency to nostalgia. Metropolis contributing editor Jennifer Kabat scrutinizes Nike's new uniforms for the Chinese Olympics team. ESPN sports uniform critic Paul Lukas explores the cultural history of the humble baseball cap. Finally, The New York Times car critic, Phil Patton considers the curious conflation of celebrity athlete shoes and cars.