The Golden State Warriors struck a nerve in the NBA community last season when they announced they would be playing in short sleeve jerseys for three scheduled games.
Everything from outrage to confusion to support ensued, and it was one of the most talked about off court topics of the season.
Not content with only one short sleeve jersey for 2013-14 – when most teams don’t even have one – the Warriors have unveiled a new white ‘alternate’ version.
Also joining the bandwagon of short sleeve representation are the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers with their own versions of the controversial attire.
So what’s with the short sleeve jerseys all of a sudden?
Is it just a money grab for extra jersey sales or is there something bigger going on?
Extra sales are certainly an incentive as jerseys haven’t really changed much in design for a few seasons (remember when each team looked different to each other?).
My thoughts are that teams are looking at inventive ways to make space on their jerseys for the new advertising rules the NBA has been proposing for the past few years.
Rather than garnish a big ugly logo all over the front or back of a clean design, it would make much more sense to introduce smaller logos on the sleeves of these new jerseys.
NBA traditionalists won’t be as offended with the smaller logos on a new jersey format, and teams can cash in on the corporate dollar.
Sure, the dollar amounts might not be as big as large torso based logos, but the league is in great shape financially. If a team requires an extra few million to survive then their days are probably numbered anyway.
Whether fans will take to the new short sleeve design is yet to be seen. But by introducing the short sleeve concept before any potential advertising rules are passed, the league can gauge how successful the jerseys will be before signing off on the advertising rule.
Many fans have expressed concerns about becoming walking billboards for insurance or soft drink companies like football fans are – concerns that I agree with.
Trying to figure out what team jersey someone is wearing when the predominant logo is a giant “Panasonic” or “AIG” doesn’t really advertise the sport or your team very well.
While the short sleeve jersey concept is not ideal, it is certainly better than the alternative mentioned above.
With time the designs will get better and they may start to look more natural on players, rather than resemble poorly placed shrink wrap.
What does everyone think of the new short sleeve design? Would you wear them like you wear your current NBA jerseys?
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