You know a team is cheap when ...

[BBTV]

The original Marlins jerseys (pinstripes) had plain white nameplates (and overszed letters IIRC) and that looked terribly bush league IMO.

I'm not sure that I lost sleep over it like some people maybe, but I can understand the point.

[quantum]

I think you guys have this backwards. Getting the lettering in place is a pain in the ass. I believe it is put on a nameplate so when the jersey is damaged, the name can be lifted and moved to the new jersey.

[Moser316]

On pinstriped jerseys, I agree that nameplates look like absolute plop. I see no problem with nameplates for plain jerseys, though. I don't think they look any more or less professional with them as opposed to sewing letters on the back of the jerseys.

[zer0dotcom]

I think you guys have this backwards. Getting the lettering in place is a pain in the ass. I believe it is put on a nameplate so when the jersey is damaged, the name can be lifted and moved to the new jersey.

Those were my thoughts exactly, especially when dealing with longer anmes like Encarnacion and Damphoouse and Isringhausen. I don't see it as cheap, I see it as a team spending a few extra bucks to make sure their team looks good

[no97]

I don't see it as cheap, I see it as a team spending a few extra bucks to make sure their team looks good

Especially when the guy who started this thread said that they could "iron on" the letters and it would look less bush league. What a dope.

Moose

[slats7]

You guys are overlooking the obvious: if it takes time to sew the names onto the nameplates, why not avoid the middleman and sew them directly to the uniforms? Sewing letters to a piece of cloth (the nameplate), only to be applied to ANOTHER piece of cloth (the jersey), seems ridiculously redundant.

[no97]

I like the nameplate much better. Looks much more professional and detailed as all names would look more similar.

Here's what it says to me: "You're not important enough to merit sewn on letters, even though a Singer sewing machine could fix you up in ten minutes or less. In fact, if we trade or release you, we're gonna recycle your jersey because we're so effing lazy and cheap."

You do realize that the letters are sewn onto the name-plate, then the whole thing is sewn onto the jersey, thus taking more time and costing more money, right? How, exactly, is this cheaper, or poorer (bush-league) quality? Have you ever done customization? Ten minutes, eh? I'd like to see you try.

Moose

[no97]

You guys are overlooking the obvious: if it takes time to sew the names onto the nameplates, why not avoid the middleman and sew them directly to the uniforms? Sewing letters to a piece of cloth (the nameplate), only to be applied to ANOTHER piece of cloth (the jersey), seems ridiculously redundant.

You are missing the obvious. It is much easier to work with a smaller pece of cloth to get a high quality of workmanship, than it is to try to make small the movements necessary doing the fine details around the letters. Therefore, do them on a nameplate, then sew the whole thing on. All of a sudden, you maintain the quality of the details, and still get the look on a larger piece. Especially with the complex lettering of today. In the '70's and earlier with mostly on color letters, it wasn't much of a problem. But add the lettering styles of a team like the early Tampa Bay Lightning, for example, and you see what I mean...

If everyting were manufactured at once (if, for example, Majestic supplied a team at the beginning of a year, and no roster moves were ever made, call-ups, injuries, trades, etc.) and you could guarnatee you'd never have to add names after the final product was made, it would be a much easier process, but as it is, with team equipment managers interested in a quality product in a timely fashion, nameplates are the easiest way to do so.

Moose

[paynomind]

OK, you be an equipment manager for a moment. You get your box from Reebok, Magestic, Koho, etc brimming with new jerseys. Exciting, but its your job, so you need to now get names on these jerseys.

Which do you think would be easier.... grabbing a size 52 jersey, wrangling it onto a sew baord to put under the head, to get Jackson sewn onto it, only to find out that Jackson lost 30 pounds, and now needs you to start all over with size 50 jerseys? All the while, every other player is anxiously awaiting their jerseys so they can play?

Or, do you think it would be easier to grab one of the nameplates you already made up while you waited ont he shipment, sew a box, and viola, the jersey is ready? Oh, Johnson needs a smaller jersey? Quick rip stitich,a nd sew another box. Easy.

It is all about the time savings and ease of sewing on a thin, flat piece, rather than onto a jersey. I bet eqt mgrs have 5 or 10 of everyone's name at the ready... prepared to stitch it on at a moments notice.

[slats7]

(You are missing the obvious. It is much easier to work with a smaller pece of cloth to get a high quality of workmanship, than it is to try to make small the movements necessary doing the fine details around the letters.?)

Um, we're not talking about splitting the atom. Sewing on letters wouldn't tax an average home ec student, let alone an experienced seamstress.

(Therefore, do them on a nameplate, then sew the whole thing on. All of a sudden, you maintain the quality of the details, and still get the look on a larger piece.)

"Quality of the details"? What the hell are you talking about? Assembling letters in a straight line?

(Especially with the complex lettering of today.)

LOL! You sir are ridiculous, Take a look at the pics that have been posted in this thread and tell me they're "complex." What a friggin joke.

(In the '70's and earlier with mostly on color letters, it wasn't much of a problem. But add the lettering styles of a team like the early Tampa Bay Lightning, for example, and you see what I mean...)

What does color have to do with it? Either way, you have to sew on a prefab letter to a piece of cloth.

(If everyting were manufactured at once (if, for example, Majestic supplied a team at the beginning of a year, and no roster moves were ever made, call-ups, injuries, trades, etc.) and you could guarnatee you'd never have to add names after the final product was made, it would be a much easier process, but as it is, with team equipment managers interested in a quality product in a timely fashion, nameplates are the easiest way to do so.)

For the last time: this is NOT like getting a custom suit made. It does NOT take days and days to sew letters onto a nameplate or jersey, even if your last name is Valenzuela. Why don't you just concede the obvious? Teams are cheap.

[jWilson4mvp]

I doubt equiptment managers want to sit there and sew stuff all night when they have other things to do (clean stuff, order new things, pack every piece of equiptmnet for road trips. Hell, on a football team, you have 55 guys to do that for.

[slats7]

The average equipment manager is a white guy in his 40s or 50s. I really doubt that he's doing any of the sewing. That type of work is done at the factory or is outsourced locally.

[BBTV]

Do teams even pay for the jerseys, or do they just get a limitless supply in exchange for Majestic putting their logo on them? I'd guess the teams don't pay. If that's true, than the cheap argument is out the window.

[Avenger]

...I really doubt that he's doing any of the sewing. That type of work is done at the factory or is outsourced locally.

...true... so, I'm sure you can imagine that it would be easier logistically to ship and sew things on nameplates than doing so with the whole jersey.

And by the way, I have a feeling that you think sewing the characters is much easier than it really is. I'd imagine that it's a pretty meticulous process to sew the outline of every letter on (and make it look nice), plus having to do it again for every color in the letters. Does it take an artisan to do it? No, but I wouldn't go as far as to think that it's an easy process.

[youcan'tseeme]

I believe that practically every team does this...I can not think of any off the top of my head that sews the names directly onto the jersey by single letter at all...please if a team does, I would like to know who it (they) are.

Agreed

[Jezus_Ghoti]

I believe that practically every team does this...I can not think of any off the top of my head that sews the names directly onto the jersey by single letter at all...please if a team does, I would like to know who it (they) are.

Agreed

Did you guys even read this thread? This was covered back on page 1.

[mavrxboy2]

OK then. MOVING THE F*** ON WITH THIS THREAD. When I read the thread one topic immediately came to mind:

You know a team is cheap when...

They can afford all-star players but refuse to spend money on a decent coach.

*cough METS cough NY RANGERS cough cough*

[slats7]

This is a web site that nitpicks everything about uniforms. Why should this thread be any different?

[Roger Clemente]

This is a web site that nitpicks everything about uniforms. Why should this thread be any different?

Probably because it's such an everyday occurance that it never affected anybody before you (and we're talking about 2600 sports buffs). That and we've already explained the legitimate reasons for uses of a nameplate, but for some reason you think it's all a joke.

I don't actually care if a team uses a nameplate or not. Most nameplates I see are made from tackle twill and not the polyester jersey fabric, so they aren't as cheap as they seem.

I think everyone else is in agreement though that iron-on jobs look way worse. One of the reasons why I'm not fond of NBA and NFL replicas.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[wheateater]

The LA Kings with those huge letters have no nameplate, for another NHL team...

Moose

Just as evidence of this fact....