The Retro Jersey

For as long as I can remember—well 4 years anyway—one of my personal style trademarks has been that I always wear all white Nike sneakers. Twice annually, I set out to find new white Nike sneakers that while appearing similar to many, are actually VERY different shoes. Of late, I have found that Champs Sports on the first floor of the Rockaway Mall in Rockaway New Jersey—they didn’t even pay me to say that—offers a great selection of white Nike sneakers—and white shoe polish! But this summer, when I made my semi-annual run to Champs Sports, I actually took time to look throughout the store and not just at the shoes. I had always known that the store is engulfed in sports jerseys, but what I kind of thought was odd was that the most prevalent jersey in the store was an old-time Lawrence Taylor jersey. Even though I’m not much of a football fan, even I know that LT hasn’t played a game in well over a decade. I then began to examine an unbelievable phenomenon that has been present in sports stores throughout recent years, Retro Jerseys.
Besides the numerous #56 LT jerseys in Rockaway, there were many Retro Jerseys. I mean there were Joe Namath jerseys, San Diego Charger powder blue jerseys (from the 1970s), and even ugly Houston Astro snow-cone style jerseys. I mean, more than current jerseys, the store was packed with Retro Jerseys.
I am not immune to being attracted to these old-time jerseys. I remember a night last winter when I was out at an Islander game at Nassau Coliseum and saw a retro Mike Bossy jersey up for sale. Considering that I had often worn Bossy’s #22 in tribute when I played hockey growing up, I was immediately interested in purchasing the former-sniper’s old jersey. But then when I saw the price tag! It was over $300! A non-used, non-signed jersey of a player who hasn’t played a game in over 20 years. As much of a shopping addict as I am, even I realized that this would be an insane buy which even I couldn’t make. And when looking at the LT jerseys and the Namath jerseys, I realized something very interesting; they are just as expensive, if not MORE expensive than current jerseys. Immediately, I thought to myself, “Wow, they really have found another market to make money.”
While I balked at making the alluring Mike Bossy purchase, there are many people who do spend their hard earned pay check on these old time jerseys. I mean, I wear an Islander jersey when I go to Islander games and I wear a Met jersey when I go to Mets game, but really, wearing a jersey that the team itself has not worn in years or of representing a player who hasn’t played a game in many years at least seemed a little silly to me. But then I thought again.
There are only so many David Wright or Michael Strahan jerseys that can be sold. I mean after a while, although each of these players sells millions of jerseys, eventually, people want to be a little different. Or maybe, when a fan reaches his 20s or 30s—and beyond—the players of today are not able to gain that importance to a fan that their childhood heroes had to them. Really, Champs Sports and all of these stores are not selling retro jerseys, they are selling nostalgia. I mean, on the flip side, I would get a bit of a laugh if I saw a 50-something Mets fan wearing a Jose Reyes jersey. But I wouldn’t think twice if I saw that same fan wearing a Tom Seaver jersey. And because even in the 60s, Tom Seaver jerseys were not sold—selling jerseys wasn’t yet a market—for that 50 something Met fan to wear a Tom Seaver jersey in 2007, it would have to have been made and purchased at some point in the 21st century.
I think this is a fantastic marketing campaign that allows people to honor their favorite players. But where the money wasting aspect comes into play is when people wear jerseys of players who they never even saw play. At that point, they are really just spending money on something that is apparently trendy or looks appealing in the stores. So my rant is targeted at young fans.
I am talking to the 20 something Yankee fan who wears a Babe Ruth jersey or the teenager wearing a racing stripes style Strawberry Mets jersey. I mean, act your age. You just spent a couple hundred dollars to represent a player that you never even saw play. The whole idea of retro jerseys are to allow older fans to honor their past heroes; not for a bunch of youngsters to pose as fans of players they never even saw play. I mean, that is a waste of money because quite frankly, you are not fooling anybody.
I mean, I’m thinking of buying a pin-stripe 1993-esque Bobby Bonilla Mets jersey. He hit 2 home runs in the first game I ever saw and he is still my favorite player. But if I saw a 10 year old wearing a Bobby Bonilla jersey, although that is VERY unlikely, I would be a bit ticked off. I would know right off the bat that this kid never even experienced Bobby Bonilla as a Met and I would feel that this kid was at least cheapening the righteous homage I was making to my hero.
My point is that Retro Jerseys are not complete money wasters. They can allow fans remember a time in their life which was innocent, a time in their life which they never want to forget, and I am all for that. But what is silly is when young kids wear jerseys of players they never saw play and likely know nothing of. Those people, I am afraid are just posers and based on their obvious age, they NEVER fool anybody. By wearing a jersey of a player you never saw play, well you are cheapening the tributes payed to this player by fans who did see them play and based on these facts, if you are wearing a jersey of a player you never saw play, you are not rekindling a childhood rooting interest and if you are subsequently spending significant money to partake in this practice, well you are just wasting your money. So to you youngsters, take off the Keith Hernandez jersey and go out and buy an Oliver Perez jersey or something!

P.S. Even I think wearing a Keith Hernandez jersey might be a little bit awesome!