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Nike Officially Announced as MLB On-Field Uniform Provider


BJ Sands

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26 minutes ago, trueblues said:

 

“It all means that Fanatics, which bought Majestic in spring 2017 as part of a $225 million acquisition from VF Corp., has a new partner in the deal that will keep the production of MLB on-field uniforms and fanwear at the company’s plant in Palmer Township well into the future. The Newlins Mill Road plant typically employs anywhere from 500 to 600 people, the largest remaining apparel manufacturer in the Lehigh Valley’s shriveled garment industry.

 

More specifically, Fanatics has the licensing rights in the deal to manage the manufacturing and distribution of the Nike MLB Authentic Collection, as well as Nike and Fanatics fan gear, sold through various retail channels.

 

In addition to playing a key role in the manufacturing of fan gear, the Palmer plant will continue to make the on-field uniforms once the deal with Nike starts, confirmed Fanatics spokesman Meier Raivich and Nike spokesman Josh Benedek. The only difference is the plant’s workers will stitch the Nike Swoosh onto the front of each jersey, rather than the originally planned Under Armour logo.”

 

Makes sense given MLB’s “Made in America” policy.

 

To add some additional comments/questions...to the best of my knowledge nike has pretty much always been a contract manufacturer and has never kept any retail production of significance under their roof. What I do believe has set them apart in the past is that they have very specific standards for their contract manufacturers and typically do not allow them to produce for competitors at the same time. I do have questions about the fanatics/made in USA...I'm assuming their business model is to source blank garments or semi manufactured product overseas then do the finishing work (screening/embroidering etc.) stateside. My guess is that they have been able to corner the sports apparel retail market because they believe that they can make less finished product up front and manufacture based on demand over the course of a season. Anecdotally from what I've seen online and the feedback here is that the fanatics supply chain model has resulted in subpar product quality and ugly in house designs.

 

If others can add to the conversation I would like to hear as this model appears to be the new operating model for the time being.

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6 hours ago, simtek34 said:

Uh-Huh. The Packers and Lanters never switched to Nike’s Speed Machine or Vapor Untouchable templates, sticking with the old Reebok ones. The Falcons, Eagles and Raiders used to do so too. But the Raiders and Cowboys still use Reebok Pants, but Nike Jerseys because Nike can’t make good shiny pants.

 

Technically, they're not even the Reebok ones - Reebok just slapped their badge on Ripon jerseys.  So Nike was just slapping theirs in the space where the Reebok one went.

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12 hours ago, trueblues said:

 

“It all means that Fanatics, which bought Majestic in spring 2017 as part of a $225 million acquisition from VF Corp., has a new partner in the deal that will keep the production of MLB on-field uniforms and fanwear at the company’s plant in Palmer Township well into the future. The Newlins Mill Road plant typically employs anywhere from 500 to 600 people, the largest remaining apparel manufacturer in the Lehigh Valley’s shriveled garment industry.

 

More specifically, Fanatics has the licensing rights in the deal to manage the manufacturing and distribution of the Nike MLB Authentic Collection, as well as Nike and Fanatics fan gear, sold through various retail channels.

 

In addition to playing a key role in the manufacturing of fan gear, the Palmer plant will continue to make the on-field uniforms once the deal with Nike starts, confirmed Fanatics spokesman Meier Raivich and Nike spokesman Josh Benedek. The only difference is the plant’s workers will stitch the Nike Swoosh onto the front of each jersey, rather than the originally planned Under Armour logo.”

 

Makes sense given MLB’s “Made in America” policy.

Thank you, well that sounds great. Unlike other American companies that get their stuff made in the far east. Looking at you  Apple etc!

 

Say, anyone know where NBA Nike uniforms are made? Not in the US right, and have they ever been?

 

What happens when NBA players are traded.... the team staff have blank jerseys that are made in China and then they have someone on the team sew on name and number? 

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18 hours ago, simtek34 said:

Uh-Huh. The Packers and Panthers never switched to Nike’s Speed Machine or Vapor Untouchable templates, sticking with the old Reebok ones. The Falcons, Eagles and Raiders used to do so too. But the Raiders and Cowboys still use Reebok Pants, but Nike Jerseys because Nike can’t make good shiny pants.

They are allowed to do that when Nike has the uniform rights for the league? 

 

Some teams use other jerseys, but why? (except for the shiny pants part, i get that one)

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4 hours ago, skip88 said:

They are allowed to do that when Nike has the uniform rights for the league? 

 

Some teams use other jerseys, but why? (except for the shiny pants part, i get that one)

 

Very few large brands own their manufacturing, outside of small scale or quick-turnaround type processes. They are essentially design agencies who work with contractors to manufacture the things they design.

 

Think of it like this: Nike is the designer, and they present the Packers a uniform built on their proprietary garment designs. The Packers aren’t willing to sacrifice shiny pants for matte ones, and they prefer the old mesh/dazzle/rib construction to the new stretch-woven style, so Nike makes a concession and redesigns their Packers uniform to the old specs and has Ripon manufacture those pieces. Nike is still “creating” the Packers’ uniforms, they’re just using a different factory to manufacture them because that’s what the team wants. It’s not like the Packers are going behind Nike’s back and having their own uniforms made.

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9 minutes ago, andrewharrington said:

Think of it like this: Nike is the designer, and they present the Packers a uniform built on their proprietary garment designs. The Packers aren’t willing to sacrifice shiny pants for matte ones, and they prefer the old mesh/dazzle/rib construction to the new stretch-woven style, so Nike makes a concession and redesigns their Packers uniform to the old specs and has Ripon manufacture those pieces. Nike is still “creating” the Packers’ uniforms, they’re just using a different factory to manufacture them because that’s what the team wants. It’s not like the Packers are going behind Nike’s back and having their own uniforms made.

 

I’m not aware that Nike did anything at all for the Packers’ on-field uniforms.  The factory in Ripon kept turning out the same uniforms they did when Reebok had the contract.  Same construction, same pattern, same materials.  Literally the only difference is that one day Ripon stopped embroidering a vector on the sleeves and started embroidering a swoosh instead.

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1 hour ago, Gothamite said:

 

I’m not aware that Nike did anything at all for the Packers’ on-field uniforms.  The factory in Ripon kept turning out the same uniforms they did when Reebok had the contract.  Same construction, same pattern, same materials.  Literally the only difference is that one day Ripon stopped embroidering a vector on the sleeves and started embroidering a swoosh instead.

 

I believe you are correct on this observation. The packers are wearing nike branded ripon uniforms.

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1 hour ago, skip88 said:

Okay, so all teams are wearing the Nike logo?

 

Seems like it.  I would hope there's a "buy out" clause where the Yankees can either pay to keep it off theirs (on field, at least) or just refuse some of the revenue in exchange for being unbranded.

 

I think we're all used to advertisements on baseball, football, hockey, and basketball jerseys - but MLB allowing the ads to move from the sleeve to the front is a bigger deal than I think people realize right now.

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2 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

Seems like it.  I would hope there's a "buy out" clause where the Yankees can either pay to keep it off theirs (on field, at least) or just refuse some of the revenue in exchange for being unbranded.

 

I think we're all used to advertisements on baseball, football, hockey, and basketball jerseys - but MLB allowing the ads to move from the sleeve to the front is a bigger deal than I think people realize right now.

 

With the ads now on the front, the Premier League has given us a glimpse of what is next; sleeve sponsors. 

 

 

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On 1/31/2019 at 7:24 PM, BringBackTheVet said:

 

Seems like it.  I would hope there's a "buy out" clause where the Yankees can either pay to keep it off theirs (on field, at least) or just refuse some of the revenue in exchange for being unbranded.

 

I think we're all used to advertisements on baseball, football, hockey, and basketball jerseys - but MLB allowing the ads to move from the sleeve to the front is a bigger deal than I think people realize right now.

Nike paid too much money to let that happen. I remember when adidas tried to force their way into a contract by making a deal with the Yankees. MLB simply said they could make the uniforms but couldn't put their logo on them, but they could add branding across the stadium.  I can't see another manufacturer willing to do that.

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On 1/25/2019 at 12:33 PM, Eszcz21 said:

I would trust teams to keep themselves looking traditional, something most NFL teams, and traditional college powers have done when it comes to Nike. However, I do expect to see some stupid alternates that get fire emojis because baseball is trying everything they can to capture the younger crowds, since it is the one sport having the biggest problem doing that.

The fact that 19-inning games are allowed to happen in the World Series is the fundamental problem with baseball and the reason young viewers aren't engaged. Kids have to go to school and like fast-paced action. Asking them to watch a 5+ hour game that has 18+ innings of nothing happening is insane. The truth is, I think baseball will eventually need to implement some kind of time limit. Either games are tied after a set number of extra innings, or innings themselves end after a set amount of time.

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8 hours ago, Quillz said:

The fact that 19-inning games are allowed to happen in the World Series is the fundamental problem with baseball and the reason young viewers aren't engaged. Kids have to go to school and like fast-paced action. Asking them to watch a 5+ hour game that has 18+ innings of nothing happening is insane. The truth is, I think baseball will eventually need to implement some kind of time limit. Either games are tied after a set number of extra innings, or innings themselves end after a set amount of time.

 

Please note that "no scoring" is absolutely not the same thing as "nothing happening". There is tension and drama in every moment of an extra-inning game.

 

That said, there probably should be draws in the regular season after 12 innings of play, as in Japanese baseball.

 

But even if draws were allowed in the regular season, post-season games would still go until there was a winner.

 

 

 

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30 minutes ago, Quillz said:

The fact that 19-inning games are allowed to happen in the World Series is the fundamental problem with baseball and the reason young viewers aren't engaged. Kids have to go to school and like fast-paced action.

 

Well 19-inning WS games are extremely rare.  I do agree that WS games start way too late, and do make it tough for the east coast to care at all.  If my team isn't in it, I don't even watch.  It does impact young viewers, but not just because of 19-inning games. 

 

The "fundamental problem" is the lack of action and pace of play, due to pitchers taking forever between pitches, batters going through a whole yoga routine between pitches, mound visits, etc., makes baseball an old game that's just not exciting for young viewers with short attention spans.  Watch a Roy Halladay game - that's how all games should be.  I think his averaged like 2:30, vs most games that are what - 3:30?  4:00?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Quillz said:

The fact that 19-inning games are allowed to happen in the World Series is the fundamental problem with baseball and the reason young viewers aren't engaged. Kids have to go to school and like fast-paced action. Asking them to watch a 5+ hour game that has 18+ innings of nothing happening is insane. The truth is, I think baseball will eventually need to implement some kind of time limit. Either games are tied after a set number of extra innings, or innings themselves end after a set amount of time.

Pace of play has nothing to do with number of innings. A 19 inning game is long, but not necessarily slow or boring.

 

If MLB wants to reform and pander more to the attention spans of the younger crowd, they need to be worrying about what's happening in the first 9 innings. Adding a clock won't bring on any improvements. Manfred basically says that the game needs less strikeouts and more balls in play. That's his number 1 concern. Instead of eliminating the shift, I would lower the mound. That will add more offense but wouldn't radically change the game to the extent that other proposals would.

 

Baseball could retain its popularity if it could figure out how to market itself better, particularly the players. There's a handful of really big names, like Judge, but the era of the superstar seems to have passed.

 

Fox also does a really awful telecast for the World Series. It's too bloated with ancillary garbage, in-game commercials, and Joe Buck's monotone. All of this detracts from the excitement of the actual game. I know that's a lucrative contract for MLB, but it's not doing much to reach casual fans.

 

Also, the cost to attend games at the park is too high for most teams. This is a complicated issue, but the game doesn't have the cultural relevance that it did in the 90s or even early 00s. It doesn't have the "big game" allure that the NFL does during its regular season. I would not shorten the season, but make it more affordable for families to attend. Ticket prices and concessions should be slashed, especially in markets that are rebuilding/not competing. The "rebuild" has become a mainstream tactic under current baseball economics, but the middle class isn't going to want to shell out $300 for a family of four to watch a 90 loss team play on a Wednesday night.

 

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2 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Nike paid too much money to let that happen.

Yankees fans need to stop acting like they're bigger than the league or bigger than the manufacturer.

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1 hour ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

Well 19-inning WS games are extremely rare.  I do agree that WS games start way too late, and do make it tough for the east coast to care at all.  If my team isn't in it, I don't even watch.  It does impact young viewers, but not just because of 19-inning games. 

 

The "fundamental problem" is the lack of action and pace of play, due to pitchers taking forever between pitches, batters going through a whole yoga routine between pitches, mound visits, etc., makes baseball an old game that's just not exciting for young viewers with short attention spans.  Watch a Roy Halladay game - that's how all games should be.  I think his averaged like 2:30, vs most games that are what - 3:30?  4:00?

 

 

With minor leaguers getting used to a pitch clock I think in about 5-7 years you could see game times dropping back down. I think that was MLB's intent rather than rolling them out at the majors level. They'd rather fix it now but it's easier to get newer players conditioned to play quicker.

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2 hours ago, Quillz said:

The fact that 19-inning games are allowed to happen in the World Series is the fundamental problem with baseball and the reason young viewers aren't engaged. Kids have to go to school and like fast-paced action. Asking them to watch a 5+ hour game that has 18+ innings of nothing happening is insane. The truth is, I think baseball will eventually need to implement some kind of time limit. Either games are tied after a set number of extra innings, or innings themselves end after a set amount of time.

People really underestimate my generations attention span. Almost all my friends that watch baseball would be willing to sit down and watch a pitchers duel go into 15 innings. Some people don't appreciate the strategy of the game and changing up the speed of the game won't change that. That'll just make the people that actually like baseball mad

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15 minutes ago, Kevin W. said:

Yankees fans need to stop acting like they're bigger than the league or bigger than the manufacturer.

 

Disagree - more teams should be like the Yankees, and put their brand and traditions first and foremost.  I wish my team did.

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