Current:Home > reviewsMLB's jersey controversy isn't the first uproar over new uniforms: Check out NBA, NFL gaffes -ProfitLogic
MLB's jersey controversy isn't the first uproar over new uniforms: Check out NBA, NFL gaffes
View
Date:2025-04-14 05:44:33
Hall of Fame football player Deion Sanders once said, "If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.”
MLB players, however, are not feeling too good at the start of spring training following the release of Nike's new Vapor Premier uniform, which has been slammed by many players and the MLBPA for its poor quality.
"They cheaped it, cheap, cheap, cheap all the way down," pitcher Rich Hill said on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast last week. “The quality has just gone out the window and I think that’s unfortunate.
The MLB is the latest professional sports league in the headlines over a jersey controversy, but it is not the first uproar over new uniforms and certainly won't be the last. Here's a look at some other uniform controversies:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY:Here's a look at the worst (and best!) alternate jerseys in sports
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
MLB's jerseys, 'see-through' pants look 'cheap'
The MLB unveiled its new Nike uniforms last week and they received less than stellar reviews. The jerseys, manufactured by Fanatics, are "engineered to improve mobility, moisture management and fit," MLB said, but the threads have drawn criticism over the cheap look, small lettering and limited customization options.
"It’s something that players have earned the right to work their entire life to get to this point and now just to be kind of a jersey off of the rack," Hill added. "There’s no difference between the average consumer buying that uniform and the major league player wearing that uniform, especially when it comes to certain measurements that the player should have.”
Philadelphia Phillies veteran reliever Jeff Hoffman compared the new jerseys to “a T-shirt or a gym shirt.”
“It looks like a replica,” Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward added, per The Athletic. “It feels kind of like papery. It could be great when you’re out there sweating, it may be breathable. But I haven’t had that opportunity yet to try that out. But from the looks of it, it doesn’t look like a $450 jersey."
MLB JERSEY CONTROVERSY:MLBPA says players are 'frustrated' and want it fixed before season
MORE FRUSTRATION: MLBPA says players concerned with see-through pants
It's not just the top half of the uniform that is drawing controversy. Another layer — or lack thereof — was added when players began to sport the full uniform for photo days, where it was easy to see the tucked in part of the jersey through the pants.
"A lot of the rhetoric is confirmation that the pants are see-through," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said Thursday. "It's been an ongoing conversation where each day has yielded something new that doesn't seem to make as much sense as you would like it."
NBA's sleeved jerseys 'ugly,' 'awful,' 'not good'
The NBA rolled out sleeved jerseys in 2013, but the new uniforms didn't have the support of the league's biggest star. Lebron James said he's "not a big fan of the jerseys" because they limited his range of motion and restricted his shot.
"Every time I shoot it feels like it's just pulling right up underneath my arm. I already don't have much room for error on my jump shot. It's definitely not a good thing," James said in March 2014 following an off-night in the Heat's 111-87 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where he shot 6-for-18 from the field and 0-for-three from three.
His displeasure for the sleeved jerseys carried into the next season after he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This time, however, James didn't need words. After missing a three-point shot during the Cavaliers' home matchup against the New York Knicks in November 2015, James ripped the sleeves off his form-fitting jersey. Cleveland went on to win 96-86, but James shot 9-for-23 from the field and 1-for-5 from three.
LEBRON JAMES tears open sleeves on too-tight jersey
James isn't the only one who took issue with the sleeved jerseys.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry said they were "ugly jerseys" in 2013. Dirk Nowitzki didn't hold back on social media, writing on Christmas Day 2013, "Call me old school but these jerseys with sleeves are awful." Later that night, Robin Lopez said there "needs to be a mass burning of these sleeved nba jerseys."
The sleeved jerseys, which were created to boost merchandise sales by appealing to fans who opted for a comfortable, T-shirt feel versus a sleeveless jersey, were phased out in 2017 after the NBA's partnership with Adidas expired and the league signed with Nike.
NFL's contoured jerseys give lineman 'big ole love handles'
The NFL signed a partnership with Nike in 2012 to supply jerseys and apparel for the league following the league's deal with Reebok. Nike created a "body-contoured fit" jersey, which featured fabric with "four-way stretch capability providing players with a shrink-wrap type fit," a Buffalo Bills press release said.
Although the new jerseys were designed to increase speed, they didn't go over well with NFL lineman.
"There's not too much you can do with a tight jersey and tight pants," Green Bay Packers' DT B.J. Raji said at the time.
San Francisco 49ers guard Alex Boone added, "I hate them. They are built for thin guys. It makes me look like I have big old love handles. It makes me look fat, and I'm not fat."
veryGood! (712)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Over half of Sudan’s population needs humanitarian aid after nearly 7 months of war, UN says
- Arizona Cardinals get last-second win over Atlanta Falcons in Kyler Murray's return
- Tea and nickel on the agenda as Biden hosts Indonesian president
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Mac Jones benched after critical late interception in Patriots' loss to Colts
- Jill Stein announces 2024 presidential bid as Green Party candidate
- Missile fire from Lebanon wounds a utility work crew in northern Israel as the front heats up
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Heinz says ketchup can be a good energy source for runners. What do experts say?
Ranking
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Siblings win over $200,000 from Kentucky's Cash Ball 225 game after playing everyday
- Megan Rapinoe's Pro Soccer Career Ends With an Injury and a Hug From Ali Krieger During Their Final Game
- Translations of Vietnamese fiction and Egyptian poetry honored by translators assocation
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Heavy fighting rages near main Gaza hospital as Netanyahu dismisses calls for cease-fire
- Hollywood agent's son arrested on suspicion of murder after torso found in dumpster
- Shohei Ohtani is MLB's best free agent ever. Will MVP superstar get $500 million?
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Bestselling spiritual author Marianne Williamson presses on with against-the-odds presidential run
Father of Liverpool star Luis Díaz released 12 days after being kidnapped in Colombia
Indi Gregory, sick baby at center of legal battle in Britain, dies
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
Texas A&M fires football coach Jimbo Fisher, triggering record $77 million buyout
Worried about AI hijacking your voice for a deepfake? This tool could help
E-readers listen up! If you regret your choice, here's how to return an Audible book.
Like
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- This Week in Nairobi, Nations Gather for a Third Round of Talks on an International Plastics Treaty, Focusing on Its Scope and Ambition
- Jaguars embarrassed and humbled in a 34-3 loss to 49ers that ended a 5-game winning streak