Corporate logos and Uniforms

[nogloss]

With the WNBA recently announcing a corporate logo agreement for their uniforms, I am afraid it is only a matter of time before we see this trend creeping into men's professional sports. Assuming we start seeing corporate logos on the men's pro team jerseys, will this impact those of you who collect game used jerseys? Would you continue to display that Jeter jersey with a Starbucks logo prominently displayed? Will discusions on this board in 2012 be comparing corporate logos on uniforms to validate years the uniform was worn?

I hope this is not a Pandora's box about to be opened, but my faith in pro sports and the owners greed, makes me think this is the future.

[skinsfan0521]

I agree... unfortunately, I think it's only a matter of time for our pro sports teams to start being sponsored. It would seem that the teams that are making tons of money wouldn't need to do it, but the European soccer teams all make ridiculous amounts of money and they all do it.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that...but I'd guess that it will eventually.

-Brian

[joelsabi]

I agree... unfortunately, I think it's only a matter of time for our pro sports teams to start being sponsored. It would seem that the teams that are making tons of money wouldn't need to do it, but the European soccer teams all make ridiculous amounts of money and they all do it.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that...but I'd guess that it will eventually.

-Brian

is it GAI or Manchester United? i cannot even tell.

Japan Baseball has been doing this for a long time.

Seems like a natural progression. The Lakers play in the Staple Center but Staples on the Jersey. Hope not. I think everything has a price. Time will tell.

[gingi79]

I collect hockey more than any other sport (although BaseBall is getting close) My beloved Vancouver Canucks have blessedly not had to wear Corporate Sponsor Logos as of yet by their minor league counterparts in the AHL, the Manitoba Moose ("ahem" who are in the Calder Cup Finals right now and just won game 5 to force game 6) have had corporate patches for a while. It's a Toyota patch on the right chest above the logo. My Bridgeport Sound Tigers has a Mastercard logo in the same place. It almost blends in and does not detract from the look of the shirt. Of course because I have never seen one without it, I may just be used to seeing it.

[sox83cubs84]

I collect hockey more than any other sport (although BaseBall is getting close) My beloved Vancouver Canucks have blessedly not had to wear Corporate Sponsor Logos as of yet by their minor league counterparts in the AHL, the Manitoba Moose ("ahem" who are in the Calder Cup Finals right now and just won game 5 to force game 6) have had corporate patches for a while. It's a Toyota patch on the right chest above the logo. My Bridgeport Sound Tigers has a Mastercard logo in the same place. It almost blends in and does not detract from the look of the shirt. Of course because I have never seen one without it, I may just be used to seeing it.

A small sponsor patch like you describe is something I could live with. What the WNBA has done, though, is shrink the team name/logo to a patch not much larger than the WNBA logo and made the company name (Life Lock for the Phoenix Mercury and Farmers Insurance Group for the Los Angeles Sparks) is make the company logo the main feature of the front of the jersey (like the NY on a Yankees home jersey or the scripted Dodgers on an L.A. home knit). This, to me, is sickening, but may end up being the future in pro sports leagues that people actually watch.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[metsbats]

Subliminal advertising on the 2009 Mets patch.

[Mr.3000]

Subliminal advertising on the 2009 Mets patch.


I dispise that patch. Reminds me of Domino's Pizza.

[nomo121]

I just checked online, and those jerseys have got to be one of the most horrible things I've seen in sports next to the Greg Norman's infamous collapse.

It looks like the LA Farmers Insurance and the Mercury Lifelock. You would have no idea of their real names. If baseball or hockey did that. I'd have to stop watching. Burn my bat collection. And sit depressed in the government work line...

[perlman9]

Living in Columbus, there has been talk on the local ESPN station of corporate logos on the Blue Jackets uniforms. The Jackets announced it has lost like $81M since its inception and wanted a tax increase to keep the team. The local hosts said hockey needs to do what soccer in Europe does, and I think with the financial difficulties on the NHL as well as the numerous corporate sponsors on European hockey jerseys, they may be the first to adopt the measure...

[perezfan]

Here is the official uniform of the Seattle Sounders (professional MLS Soccer Team). The team and uniform are immensely popular here in the Pacific NW. This is not a joke... :eek:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Content/Image/05-29-2008/Seattle-Sounders.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/121172&usg=__4XGpIvZ2giWG_EU4n5l_4ZbzuJc=&h=232&w=237&sz=26&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=vOzABga_Foxt2M:&tbnh=107&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dseattle%2Bsounders%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3De n%26sa%3DG

[both-teams-played-hard]

Corporate sponsors won't make ticket prices cheaper, it will just make player salaries higher.

[nogloss]

Well, it looks like its already happening. Green Bay is evaluating putting corporate logos on their practice jerseys, see link http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090603/PKR01/90603151/1058.

I have also heard Tampa and the Texans have already agreed to corporate logos on their practice uniforms. Lets hope in another ten years some of these teams don't look like eleven NASCAR drivers taking the field.