ESPN Jersey Article

[][ncognito]

Active Guys Who've Left jerseys: These are inexcusable, yet you still see Red Sox No. 5 GARCIAPARRA, Braves No. 31 MADDUX and Mariners No. 24 GRIFFEY on fans who can't let go, a la Mike Peters from "Swingers." Yes, they were popular. Yes, it was fine to wear them at one time. And yes, paying $120 for a jersey of your favorite player, only to see him get traded or signed away is a bona fide kick in the stomach. But until they've retired and the jerseys achieve full retro status, one shouldn't dress like he's got numbers of married ex-girlfriends still saved on his cell phone.

So true!! *hides NYG Kerry Collins jersey*

thats why i refuse to buy NFL/NHL/MLB current player jeresys any more. there arent any team loyalties(ie..Jonny Damon) now adays. i remember years back, i had said the only NFL players uni i would get would be Junior Seau because he would never leave the Chargers" then that summer he left for MIA. if i am gonna buy a jeresy its either going to be a throwback, blank or customized with my last name on the back of it. its a great thing that the NCAA doesnt put names on the back because the following year some other kid will be using that same number.

I'm doing OK so far

I've got a Zetterberg Red Wings, Zherdev Blue Jackets, and Sakic Avalance hockey jerseys, and they all still play with their respective (and only) teams.

HEY! And I also bought a Roenick Phoenix jersey back in the day (on sale for like 20 bucks) and now he just signed back there! I'm retro and current at the same time!

[zman65]

Nice reference to the Yankees jerseys with names on the back, like "No. 41 JOHNSON." Oh wait, nevermind...

I've been to a few games at Yankee stadium, and most of the jerseys that fans wear in the stands actually do have names on the back. It always amused me that fans would rather have a jersey that isn't authentic.

That never makes any sense to me either. Couldn't you order the jersey with the number and NO name? I always was of the impression that those were the "replica" jersies, and the on-field collection ones would come with no name, but now I'm not so sure. The only time I ever actually bought an authentic Yankees jersey (as a gift for a friend) I got it blank (so it wouldn't ever become outdated.)

Do you think that when someone goes in and buys a No. 2 JETER jersey, they FORGET that Jeter doesn't wear his name on his back?

As a Yankee fan, I am dumbfounded at how many people wear the jerseys with names on them. The navy t-shirt jerseys, I can accept that, but nameplates on Yankee pinstripes = crappy.

But I don't blame the fans so much as the manufacturers that assume that fans will always prefer jerseys with names, and often give them only that choice. To me it speaks of the lame standardization of MLB's properties, going back to about six years ago when they decided that every team must conform to the same web template.

I had to go outside of MLB's websites to order my Gehrig jersey a few years back because at the time you couldn't even process an online order on their site without submitting a name.

[SabreGuy]

But I don't blame the fans so much as the manufacturers that assume that fans will always prefer jerseys with names, and often give them only that choice. To me it speaks of the lame standardization of MLB's properties, going back to about six years ago when they decided that every team must conform to the same web template.

I had to go outside of MLB's websites to order my Gehrig jersey a few years back because at the time you couldn't even process an online order on their site without submitting a name.

Yeah, that has totally annoyed me too. It has been a long time since I've ordered anything from MLB.com or any of the team stores (which are just re-templated shop.mlb.com sites). I noticed this year that minor league teams (at least AAA teams) are also being corraled in to the same templated website/on-line store. That's a shame. Being from Buffalo, I remember last year the Bisons' on-line store had a HUGE selection, but now it's pretty lame, now that they use the shop.mlb.com store. Very dissapointing.

I had wondered that about the Yankees' jersies... whether ordering them from the on-line shop required you to fill something in to the name box in order to complete the order.

I'm a big hat collector, and I buy them from just about every team, but I always end up ordering them from lids.com, because for one, they are cheaper than getting them from MLB, (and, strangely, ordering them directly from New Era is even MORE expensive than that... talk about bass ackwards!) and because the selection is SO much better.

Anyway, that's a different rant for a different thread, I guess. But I agree... Yankee jersies with names on the back look like butt.

[rmackman]

ERROR!

[rmackman]

[ncognito' date=Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 - 19:41:18]

Active Guys Who've Left jerseys: These are inexcusable, yet you still see Red Sox No. 5 GARCIAPARRA, Braves No. 31 MADDUX and Mariners No. 24 GRIFFEY on fans who can't let go, a la Mike Peters from "Swingers." Yes, they were popular. Yes, it was fine to wear them at one time. And yes, paying $120 for a jersey of your favorite player, only to see him get traded or signed away is a bona fide kick in the stomach. But until they've retired and the jerseys achieve full retro status, one shouldn't dress like he's got numbers of married ex-girlfriends still saved on his cell phone.

So true!! *hides NYG Kerry Collins jersey*

thats why i refuse to buy NFL/NHL/MLB current player jeresys any more. there arent any team loyalties(ie..Jonny Damon) now adays. i remember years back, i had said the only NFL players uni i would get would be Junior Seau because he would never leave the Chargers" then that summer he left for MIA. if i am gonna buy a jeresy its either going to be a throwback, blank or customized with my last name on the back of it. its a great thing that the NCAA doesnt put names on the back because the following year some other kid will be using that same number.

I'm doing OK so far

I've got a Zetterberg Red Wings, Zherdev Blue Jackets, and Sakic Avalance hockey jerseys, and they all still play with their respective (and only) teams.

HEY! And I also bought a Roenick Phoenix jersey back in the day (on sale for like 20 bucks) and now he just signed back there! I'm retro and current at the same time!

I've got an authentic perfectly done Gary Sheffield Florida Marlins home jersey from 1994. It's an awesome jersey, but I don't think I can wear that until he retires. Although, the Marlins have since changed their jerseys, so maybe I could. What do you guys think?

The other customized jerseys I have are:

Mike Huff 1994 Authentic Toronto Blue Jays Alt. - Was game used, got it from the team

Brett Favre 2003 Authentic Green Bay Packers White

Dan Marino 1996 Authentic Miami Dolphins White - Wish I had 1994 instead but oh well

MY NAME and #27 1999 Authentic Miami Dolphins Aqua - Dad got it for me as a gift

Alonzo Mourning 1995 Authentic Heat Black

Shaquille O'Neal 2005 Swingman Heat Black

The rest of the jerseys I have are blank. I did however want to get WILLIE MAYS HAYES on my 1992 Authentic Cleveland Indians road jersey. I'm also happy I did not put #1 and LUONGO on my Panthers Alternate jersey from his first season here:

Now I don't know who to put on that jersey. Anyways, so what rules do I fall under with my jerseys if any?

[CubsFanBudMan]

Active Guys Who've Left jerseys: These are inexcusable, yet you still see Red Sox No. 5 GARCIAPARRA....

So true!! *hides NYG Kerry Collins jersey*

And I still say that Garciaparra had the highest "Cubs jerseys sold per game played" ratio of all time. (Although Prior might compete someday.) Garciaparra jerseys are still all over Wrigley... I'm always amazed at how many jerseys he sold in such a short time. Thankfully for some, those that bought authentic home (or home alt) jerseys last year are now the owners of Ronny Cedeno jerseys since the Cubs removed the names in 2005.

My only guilt in that regard is a Sosa alt jersey I got for free because of an MLB error. I've had it for three years and wore it to two games (at one I was told to "let it go" or "put an X through it"). I don't know, it's still a Cubs jersey.

Guess I'll stick with Sandbergs for a while longer.

[spyboy1]

I've read more than a few jersey based columns over my time here on the CCSL, but that by far was the best one.

"No. 69 Custom-Name jerseys: You spend most nights alone." Right on, man. Right on.

Did he have to bring up David Ortiz though? Ouch.

[spyboy1]

Active Guys Who've Left jerseys: These are inexcusable, yet you still see Red Sox No. 5 GARCIAPARRA, Braves No. 31 MADDUX and Mariners No. 24 GRIFFEY on fans who can't let go, a la Mike Peters from "Swingers." Yes, they were popular. Yes, it was fine to wear them at one time. And yes, paying $120 for a jersey of your favorite player, only to see him get traded or signed away is a bona fide kick in the stomach. But until they've retired and the jerseys achieve full retro status, one shouldn't dress like he's got numbers of married ex-girlfriends still saved on his cell phone.

So true!! *hides NYG Kerry Collins jersey*

Just a couple of years ago I was in a store that was clearing out some #11 Culpepper and #84 Moss jerseys while both were still on the team due to a change in brand of jersey supplier. I went with Moss, only to see him traded away. Bummer. I wish I had gone with the Culpepper, or so I thought!

Now he's gone too and I'm now actually happier with the Moss since he was so much more fun when he was here.

Either way, that purchase was doomed!

Maybe a Chris Carter #80 would be good. Once it's retired, it's good for life. Unless of course he pulls an OJ Simpson on us....

LOVE the comment about the 69 jerseys. I hate those damn things and can't go to a Wild game without seeing a couple of the stupid things.

He mentioned the TV jerseys, and my favortie one was a Yankee jersey with COSTANZA #00. I still wish I would have bought that for the laughs, even though wearing it would be a serious dork move. "Look at me! I'm George Costanza!" A great way to get the babes if there ever was one.

Worst jersey I currently own due to player movement. Ottawa Senators Alexi Yashin jersey. Oooops. (This topic deserves it's own thread. Look for it soon.)

[Discrim]

Active Guys Who've Left jerseys: These are inexcusable, yet you still see Red Sox No. 5 GARCIAPARRA, Braves No. 31 MADDUX and Mariners No. 24 GRIFFEY on fans who can't let go, a la Mike Peters from "Swingers." Yes, they were popular. Yes, it was fine to wear them at one time. And yes, paying $120 for a jersey of your favorite player, only to see him get traded or signed away is a bona fide kick in the stomach. But until they've retired and the jerseys achieve full retro status, one shouldn't dress like he's got numbers of married ex-girlfriends still saved on his cell phone.

So true!! *hides NYG Kerry Collins jersey*

shoot, I still wear my Ray Allen Bucks home...then again, I got it after he was traded, so heh.

come along now BS rules, follow me

[Gothamite]

If you go to shop.mlb.com to get a customized Yankees jersey, when you order an authentic jersey, it comes with number only, even if you enter in a name. If you order a replica jersey, it always comes with a name, even if you select from the player roster. It won't let you order a replica without a name.

Bingo. It's either blank, or with a name.

I hate the replicas with names on them, but I can't fault a guy for wanting to wear his colors and support a favorite player without shelling out $180.

Wearing such a jersey does not necessarily imply ignorance.

[The_Admiral]

I Like That Team! Ooh, And That One! And That One!: We've saved the worst for last, the most hideous team apparel out there. Which team, you ask? All of them! On one hat. Nothing says indecision ? and perhaps mild retardation ? like sporting a cap adorned with the logos of all 30 MLB teams. Not only is it hideous, but it completely betrays your ignorance of the sport.

It sounds terrible, but I've never seen a white person wear this particular style of sports apparel.