Jump to content

OnWis97

Members
  • Posts

    10,896
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    7

Everything posted by OnWis97

  1. If you believe the LA radio(?) guy on Mike and Mike's NFL Radio Program this morning, the Chargers are particularly likely...no stadium deal in SD (and not even close) and an in-place fan base...makes sense. They never talked about two teams going, but you'd have to think it's between the Rams and the Vikes (though I suppose they could move Jax and switch someone to the NFC). The Vikings have only one more year on the lease at the dome. The legislature just closed a particularly ugly session (ending one of the longest-if not the longest-state shutdowns in US history) and there are no plans. It is conceivable that the Vikes could announce their move before there is even another opportunity for a vote here. However, since Farmers won't open for another few years, Ziggy may take another shot or two at staying. It probably depends on how scared he is of losing the race to the Rams. My gut (and that's all I have to go on) is that the league wants to maintain the NFC North. The Vikings have been here for 50 years and have some history (most of it competitive and disappointing). However, my sense (again, mainly my gut) here is that the taxpayers feel that it's time to let the Vikings go. I'd say it's probably going to be the Chargers. Then maybe a 40-50% chance of the Vikes, a 40 - 50% chance of the Rams, with the rest that it's a different team or no second team.
  2. That place really has some variety. Where else can you get jerseys for "Miami Hot" and "Miamii Heat"? And where else when you click on those links can you but Timberwolves jerseys? In fairness, anyone would have to try to trick people in order to unload their Timberwolves jerseys.
  3. It would appear that way. While I can see, with all the rings they design, that there will be similar elements, the Auburn National Champ ring is downright lazy...To not only use the Pats design, but to have what looks like the Lombardi Trophy?
  4. That would have been awesome. It's exactly what I thought was going to happen when the trade was made. The uni change had not been announced (or, at least, I did not know about it). Even if it had been for one year, I'd really consider getting the yellow home version.
  5. "Pillsbury Throwboy" would make my top 10 sports nickname list. Kudos to whoever came up with that one.
  6. Can't speak for jerseys but I know that counterfeit Jordans and the like get a bum rap among the general public, so it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that many non-logo nerds would frown on fake jerseys. You'd find a mixed bag of people...many people did not understand why music file sharing was wrong...the music was free and that's all that mattered to them. However, I think you're right that some non-logo nerds that "get it" would be on "our side". Aside from the fact that CCLSC has some designers (who obviously take intellectual property issues to heart), the biggest difference between "us" and the general public is that most "regular" people don't notice incorrect number fonts, huge wordmarks, and even last names on Yankee Jerseys. Therefore, they don't notice that the majority of the jerseys they see at the game are counterfeit. If they did, some would care and some would not. And if you don't like that we notice that stuff, then I wonder why you are even here...
  7. Do you honestly think that everyone who owns a piece of counterfeit merchandise ends up in jail? If the biggest crime someone commits in his life is owning a piece of counterfeit merchandise, I would say his parents did a pretty great job of raising him. Counterfeit jerseys are a gateway drug...next stops armed robbery, assault and battery, and then finally murder I'd wager that most people don't care about theoretical infractions of property law. Yeah it's technically against the law like jaywalking or not transferring your old CDs to MP3 format, but really...big deal. Everyone who gets all hot and bothered about this should direct their energy to helping the sick or poor instead of defending the Yankees or whomever. OT: I assume the word "not" should be removed...is this illegal?
  8. He was proboly David Arios or whatever back then too And only half the man he is now.
  9. Agreed, I was mildly disappointed when I heard that news. I mean, it's good that they're recognizing it, but it just should've been a section in the yearbooks, the Wild Card isn't banner-worthy. In a sport that is, for now, the most difficult to make the playoffs, I am OK with such a banner. Maybe it would make more sense for, say, the Brewers, who have very few appearances compared to ATL. But in MLB, where getting in is the key, I am OK with this. What I cannot stand, however, is the phrase "Wild Card Champions." That is not a championship any more than "NBA Western Conference 7th Place Playoff Birth" is a championship.
  10. Yes. The football jersey photos did not look too bad, though they may have just stolen the photos from another site. I took a look at the Twins jerseys though, and they had the crap I see all over Target Field...Huge wordmarks, bad number font, pre-Target Field wordmark with target field patch. Awful. I'd guess everything's a fake, and probably a bad one. And take a look at this beaut: Haulat
  11. At Twins games, I would guess 2/3 of the jerseys I see look like the photo in the link: Link To anyone that said "they even have the authentic tags...they're real" You'll notice the authentic tag on these, even though it has the 2009 wordmark and the 2010 Target Field patch.
  12. I've definately seen two stores that I can think of with "too good to be true" prices. One had some pretty blatant fakes (a very temporary small-town downtown storefront owned-operated by one guy that I imagine is long-gone). The other was an "outlet" store with "authentic" Adrian Petersons for $80...they looked pretty good...but I am not the expert at picking out the well-done fakes. But I suspect they were fake at the price.
  13. Actually, that's not the case. When I order from NHLShop.com, I don't have to pay tax since there's no NHL Store in Indiana. You only have to pay tax if the retailer has a location in your state, and obviously CHINA JERSEYS 100% LEGIT doesn't have a location anywhere in Indiana. Plenty of crappy stripmall stores sell counterfiets and they probably do comply with the sales tax laws. (also in MN, no tax on clothing anyway)
  14. It's the same thing. Yes gucci has a monopoly on gucci purses...if you don't like spending hundreds on a purse, then buy another purse with no "designer cred" or whatever. They don't have the right, nor do they "need" such a purse any more than I have a right to or need an overpriced Adrian Peterson jersey. There are other purses out there, just like there are other clothes (and team memorabilia) out there. My wife, fortunately, is not into fashion purses. If she was, she'd decide whether it is worth the money or not. These purses make the jerseys seem flat out reasonable by comparison. Nevertheless, it's not anyone's right to have one and if that's the price the market has set...so be it. It's too bad anyone will pay $500 for a purse, but it is what it is. It does not render contributing to the culture of IP theft noble or even OK.
  15. Not being allowed to bring something in has always been a fear, as I show up to most games via public transportation. Like if I am coming from work with an umbrella or something... Anyway, this may be feasible but I think the teams would have to promote the heck out of it so as to not catch people by surprise. They may even have to have a "coat check" system where the fans can get it on the way out, as opposed to confiscating. The bottom line is that people feel they are paying a lot to go to the game and that they paid their hard-earned money for the jersey, which they did not even realize was "fake". I wonder whether one of the reasons they don't try this is that it's hard to not find enough "enforcers" that can actually tell the difference. Another problem the "enforcers" may have is the person that ruins a perfectly legit item with a sloppy customization...they may bust someone with a licensed product. I certainly agree with you here. At the very least, get out via web posters in the pro-shop, etc. that points out 1) the differences and 2) the theft aspect, if only to get a few people to understand. I assume (but I suppose I may be wrong) that most of the people I see wearing the fakes don't really understand that they are fake/illegally-produced either because they don't understand "officially licensed", don't realize just how "off" it looks, or accept that replicas are not going to have perfect detail (which is the case often...e.g., when MLB used to have nice looking replica jerseys with one-color block #s and names for all teams).
  16. I'd guess this will not happen because the teams know the PR would be bad. Look at the response to the recording industry...people think they have the right to pirate music. Look at this board, populated in large part by people that "get it", and most are OK with IP theft. I think the general public would rationalize this the same way it does the music thing. Most people just think it's OK to steal as long as they are not walking out of a store with merchandise under their jackets. I think the leagues/teams understand this and will never take that hard of a line. Plus I don't think it would be good for long-term attendance if they piss fans off by turning them away at the gate. Particularly when most fans don't even realize the "deal" they got was on an illegal jersey. Even those that don't think of the counterfeiting as OK would certainly think that their ignorance of what they bought should not cause them to get turned away at the gate. The amount of money a fan spends at the game is not worth forgoing. I think the best a team can really do is to try to publicize this and hope a decent proportion of the fanbase will "get it". And, if they are so inclined, the Canadiens' "turn in" program.
  17. My unpopular opinion is that "fierce" ruins a football helmet.
  18. I was not trying to say that there are as many for MLB, just pointing out that it is a problem (for those who think it's a problem) there as well.
  19. Every time I go to a Twins game, I see TONS of knock-offs. The wordmarks are huge and the number font is way off...but most fans don't really notice. I am not willing to pay the costs of an over-priced jersey. So I just walk into stores and steal 'em.
  20. I think at that point I'dve hauled ass. I own four Super Bowl rings in total - all bought off of players or front office staff. They're cool, but wearing one in public is equivalent to having a spotlight on you, attracting attention you don't necessarily want. I'd love to own some championship rings. Would be a great thing to collect if I had a lot more money. But I don't think I'd wear one I did not earn.
  21. And THAT, combined with ebay/internet commerce is why the fakes are flourishing. Very few fans notice subtle changes and most would never notice some really inaccurate stuff unless it was pointed out to them, and then would not really get that hung up about it. The Twins jerseys I see have awful numbers and oversized wordmarks, but the owners probably don't know and about 5% of the other fans that see it even realize. And I honestly doubt that the majority of the purchasers even understand that these are not legal/licensed. So I don't see it going away.
  22. C'mon, man. Of course they own their own IP. The issue is giving one company (EA Sports for Madden, Reebok for jerseys, etc.) exclusive licenses. Don't you think Madden would be better and/or cheaper if there was another company allowed to make NFL video games? I know less about video games than anyone. But competitors can still make football video games. Do they have a right to produce the "NFL" video game or just the right to produce a competing "football" video game? And other companies can still make clothing...sports clothing. Albeit that some lame fashion "football" jersey does not compare to a (insert team) jersey, but the NFL does not need to let anyone use their imaging any more than, say, Aeropostale does. So when we use "monopoly" are we implying that it should be illegal? Are we implying that anyone should be able to make NFL-based clothing? Because if not, then it's still just "I deserve a cheap jersey" to me. And if so, then I'd have to disagree.
  23. Hey I have one of those! Cool! Not only is it NOT an act of justifiable defiance, it doesn't even BELONG in the same discussion as the founding of the United States. On one hand you have a group of people who believed their states were being taxed unfairly and so they decided to form a new nation based on the principals of the Enlightenment. On the other hand we have a group of people who making (often) shoddy replicas of sports jerseys to sell at prices below what the official ones sell for. They're profiting off of the copyrights of these leagues and teams and off of the ignorance of the consumer. To even suggest that someone making/selling illegal counterfeits is acting in the same spirit as the American founding fathers is downright insulting to the founding fathers' legacy. Counterfeiting in no way supports a "greater good." They're crooks making illegal copies off of other people's legal copyrights and selling them to consumers who, to be honest, are unaware that they may be buying a fake. These are not selfless icons of morality standing up to the big bad sports leagues and the manufacturers. They're scumbags who profit off of other people's intellectual property and the ignorance of the consumer. We're not talking about the Nuremberg Laws or Jim Crow Laws here pal. The law in this case is a league/team's right to own the exclusive rights over its own intellectual property. Is that law wrong? If not, then there's no debate here. The counterfeiters are both morally and legally in the wrong. This is the cheapest, by far, argument ever thrown around in this debate. Perhaps you missed this life lesson growing up, but two wrongs do not make a right. Someone else's violation of the law does not give you a free pass to break another law. That seems pretty straight forward, but I guess it would slip by someone who has the nerve to compare counterfeiters of NFL jerseys to America's founding fathers. Furthermore distinctions need to be made, and your "everyone violates the law" argument is so paper thin and broad that it really doesn't hold up in this argument when those distinctions are made. For the record, yes I have gotten a few tickets, for a few different traffic offences. You know what I did? I paid them. I broke the law, I was punished accordingly, and I paid my punishment. As in I got caught breaking the law and I paid the proper consequences. What consequences have you (a general you to anyone who's bought, sold, or manufactured a counterfeit jersey) paid for your breaking of the law? Quoted for truth. The monopoly on rights is exactly why the prices are so high. When true competition is allowed prices go down and quality goes up. A monopoly means that the major sports leagues can put as high of a price as they want on the jerseys so long as people still buy them. They take such issue with 'counterfeits' because they really put a stitch in the side of their monopoly. Sure they can say, make similar products with the same colors, people will buy them, but the fact of the matter is authentic jerseys are what the consumer wants. Nobody wants a k-mart shiny t-shirt in place of an authentic jersey. They do not hold a monopoly on team apparel, they hold a monopoly on authentic jerseys, and they're making a killing. I'm going to have to disagree. You're argument is essentially "the *insert league here* has a monopoly over the production and sale of goods that use the *insert league here*'s various intellectual properties." Of course they do. That's just not them. That applies to everyone. Everyone has a "monopoly" over their own intellectual property. That's how copyrights work. Bruce Springsteen's record company has a monopoly on selling Bruce Springsteen CDs. Score one for rationalizing piracy.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.