I watched a good chunk of all the great football action this past weekend. Usually I watch a ton of NFL action but I rarely get a chance to sit back and watch the college game.
Which reminded me of one of the sports cliches I hate. Many college teams like Penn State, Notre Dame and USC don't put the names of the players on the back of the jerseys. That's fine -- to each his own. But please ... oh please ... don't give me that crap about "it's about the name on the front of the jersey that counts!"
Because you're right.
Except that I don't see Penn State written on the front of their jerseys. I do see Nike, however. Same goes for Southern Cal. I don't see Notre Dame's name on the front of the Irish's jerseys, but I do see their logo ... and Adidas' logo.
To be traditional and all about team are great things, but please don't use it to get high and mighty about anything. After all, these "amateurs" or "student-athletes" you love to make innocent are walking billboards for apparel companies.
I'm not trying to seem high and mighty about pointing that out or even questioning the irony of it all. Just remember that little tidbit before you do, too.
Which reminded me of one of the sports cliches I hate. Many college teams like Penn State, Notre Dame and USC don't put the names of the players on the back of the jerseys. That's fine -- to each his own. But please ... oh please ... don't give me that crap about "it's about the name on the front of the jersey that counts!"
Because you're right.
Except that I don't see Penn State written on the front of their jerseys. I do see Nike, however. Same goes for Southern Cal. I don't see Notre Dame's name on the front of the Irish's jerseys, but I do see their logo ... and Adidas' logo.
To be traditional and all about team are great things, but please don't use it to get high and mighty about anything. After all, these "amateurs" or "student-athletes" you love to make innocent are walking billboards for apparel companies.
I'm not trying to seem high and mighty about pointing that out or even questioning the irony of it all. Just remember that little tidbit before you do, too.
2 comments:
Those teams that don't put names on their jerseys don't get me to watch their games. I can't even remember the numbers of the teams I follow closely.
But the real issue is that sportscasters and the press should respect the decision of these teams to omit names.
"Number 10 takes the ball, drops back, fakes a pass to number 47 in the flat, throws over the middle to number 82 who spins and with the aid of a beautiful block by number 54, moves the ball to the 43 yard line and a first down."
It comes down to who's paying the bills. If the sponsor of the team--and this includes the high school teams in my area, which are sponsored by Coke or Pepsi--only wants its logo and the player's number, that's how it has to be. He who has the gold makes the rules, and Coke's more interested in their name being known than some college kid's.
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