Names On Backs

I would like to share with you a personal story. When I was in 1st grade, 14 years, I was my favorite Mets player, Bobby Bonilla for Halloween. Despite the fact that our differing “skin tones” made it impossible for me to really look like Robert Martin Antonio Bonilla, an integral part of my costume was my Bobby Bonilla racing stripe style Mets jersey. As Bobby is still my all-time favorite baseball player, as he was my favorite then too, to wear the jersey with his name and number 25 made me feel proud. Then a couple years later, on July 28, 1995—a very dark day for yours truly—the Mets traded Bobby Bonilla to the Baltimore Orioles. I cried. Gone was my first ever favorite player. But also, gone was the ability to use—this predated the idea of retro jerseys—my Bobby Bonilla jersey. And thus a trend began, whenever I have ever bought a jersey with a player’s name on it, the player has left my favorite team in very short order.
My next favorite—but not my all-time favorite—Mets player was Lance Johnson. Still a bit skeptical about buying another jersey, I instead bought a Mets Lance Johnson T shirt with the #1 on the back. I bought that shirt so I could go to a game and wear it proudly. I bought the shirt that day, by the time I got to the game just hours later in fact, Lance Johnson had been traded. That was 1997.
Feeling burnt, I waited 4 more years before I ever bought another jersey. In 2001, as I was an Italian descent middle school 3rd baseman, I bought the jersey of the Italian descended Mets 3rd baseman, Robin Ventura in June of that year. That October would mark the ending of Robin Ventura’s Mets career. The curse followed me to hockey as well.
With hockey jerseys, for years I had only bought jerseys with no name or number on them. I had owned dozens of jersey over the years, but I did not buy my first islanders jersey with a name on it until September 2004. I bought the jersey of my all-time favorite hockey player, Adrian Aucoin during the Lockout as an investment in the better days that surely awaited me somewhere in the future. Although the NHL would return from the Lockout 13 months later, Adrian Aucoin was then a Blackhawk and never even played a game for the Islanders while I owned his jersey.
Next, just before the beginning of the first season after the Lockout, I bought the jersey of my formerly 2nd favorite—now 1st favorite—Islander, Oleg Kvasha. 5 months later, Kvasha was traded to Phoenix.
Whew I have been burnt. Today, I wear a David Wright jersey to Mets games and a pre Reebok Edge Brendan Witt jersey to Islanders games. I cannot help but live in fear that those players will move on to new teams.
This week, I am not trying to tell you to NOT buy something. I love owning jerseys with players’ names on them and I in fact believe that they are a great investment and a great tool to be used to support your favorite team—or player. But I am advising you to be calculated before you buy a jersey.
What I am suggesting is buying a jersey that even if the player ever got traded or moved onto a new team in some other fashion, you would still feel comfortable wearing that jersey to a game. My Mike Piazza jersey that I still keep in my closet at home is an example. With this method, you can buy a jersey of a current player and even if the player were to move on, their once-held popularity was so high that it would never be seen as taboo to represent that player at their former team’s venue.
Or, if you are deadest on owning a jersey of one of your team’s current players, try to calculate which player is least likely ever to leave that team. For example, as Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro is in the 2nd year of a 15 year contract in which he receives a salary that most teams believe is too high for a goaltender of his quality, it is likely that DiPietro will not leave the Islanders until MY mid 30s and with that, buying a Rick DiPietro jersey can be regarded as a safe purchase. So could a David Wright or Derek Jeter jersey. Those players mean so much to their organizations, both on the field and off, that it really is unfathomable that they would ever leave their respective teams. Although in sports, the unfathomable often does come to fruition, there can be no sure thing and as I said if you are deadest on owning a jersey of one of your team’s current players, this I definitely the best way to go. Note: Buying a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey may not currently be a good idea.
So really, you are free to do whatever you want here but please, for your own sake, think before you act and please be careful!

I Got Dooped

I just got shafted again into buying something in a ridiculous manner. I want to share my story with all of you so you can perhaps more easily identify scams yourself in the future.
Before this hockey season, I have never played fantasy sports. For some reason, I was never open to them, learning about them, or being associated with them in any matter. I guess I was worried about becoming another fantasy sports playing/obsessed “nerd”—I apologize if you are one of these nerds. But now, the inevitable has become a reality as I have become a fantasy hockey obsessed nerd.
It all started this summer during my internship. I intern for a hockey writer and in our office, there are a number of my-age guys who all claim to know more than each other about hockey personnel—nobody is crazy enough to question my trivia prowess. But for years now, never have we had a way to settle this dispute.
Then this fall, our office’s senior intern—age not experience—decided that we should all create a fantasy hockey league for just the Fischler Hockey interns. Although I have no experience in playing any fantasy sport and although I really wasn’t even pen to the idea of playing any fantasy sport, as I take great pride in my hockey knowledge and as I am ultra competitive in these regards, I could not help but being dragged into this battle.
So about a month ago we held our fantasy draft. And not only was I determined to win our league, I was determined to do so by using non-big name players. So I went analyzed the 2006-07 stats and developed an elaborate cheat sheet to help me decide which players could best help me succeed in all fantasy hockey areas. In goal I took a first time number one goalie Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota Wild), I took second year defenseman Shea Weber (Nashville Predators), and second year forward Milan Michalek (San Jose Sharks). Although I would add a few established veteran stars, my fantasy hockey roster was sprinkled with young talent under the age of twenty-five. Then our season started an din week 1, I went 1-9-1. Not to impressive. But then in the next two weeks, as I went 9-1-1 and 8-2-1, as my “genius” began to be revealed, I could not help but begin to be obsessed with my fantasy team. Every night, I would go onto our league’s yahoo.com page to change my roster for the upcoming day and to more importantly, check my progress through checking on that day’s stats. Then a few days ago it happened.
Yahoo.com said that for me to be able to access player stats through yahoo.com fantasy sports, I would have to for 10 dollars purchase a stats tracker. I immediately bought the tracker.
The next day, I realized that I had been dooped in a very terrible way. You see, without the Stats Tracker, I would not be able to see my fantasy stats on the night that they occurred. But what I hadn’t realized was that while I would not be able to see my fantasy stats on the night they occurred, even without Stats Tracker, I could see my players and my entire team’s stats the following day. If I could just go to bed without knowing my fantasy hockey progress, I could have saved 10 dollars. And just like that, I was dooped out of 10 dollars.
You see, many times, these sucker-buys are not the couple hundred dollar jerseys or over priced ticker and season ticket packages. Sometimes, these products are marketed with the Wal-Mart mentality in that the goal is low price but high quantity. The idea is that if a person sees a product for maybe only $5 or $10 or whatever, then there is a good chance that the person would be willing to buy the product with little provocation.
I fell into the trip. With little provocation I though, “what could be the harm in spending only 10 dollars?” And just like that, my money was gone on something that I really didn’t need to buy.
That is how I got dooped. In order for you to not get dooped I have only one bit of advice, “think before you buy.” This may seem like a painfully simple concept but in reality, practicing this such behavior can go a long way. Maybe even sleep on a decision. I am not advocating putting yourself in a position where you never buy anything. I am just saying be careful and choose your spots. Or in other words, don’t be like me.

The Biggest Step Of All

Ok fellow money wasters, the time has come. The time has come for your biggest challenge to date…. and that is not purchasing something that will cause great agony deep within the confines of your bosom. But this pain, if it can be collectively ignored, then a great break through for all mankind can be made. Let me explain.
Last week I addressed the fans of the NHL teams who DID NOT modify the designs of their uniforms while this week, I will address the fans of the many NHL teams who actually DID also change their uniform designs. I happen to be one of you.
The reason that these NHL teams made these changes is to make money—and a lot of it. I mean, these teams were wise enough to see that simply adopting the Reebok Edge style of jersey would by no means be a guaranteer that jersey sales would increase. So, as in changing the style of jerseys was not enough for these teams, they change their designs in some cases so drastically that fans would be utterly compelled to go out and buy one—or two! I find myself in the boat where I am finding it very difficult to resist buying the new New York Islander jerseys. I mean, I feel left behind as the team wears new and as many fans now wear the new jerseys while I am stuck with an old and as a result, my impulse to shop is on high alert. I am that close to just dropping $400 to get me 1 new road Islander jersey and 1 new home Islander jersey also. I am trying to overcome my impulses…
The reason though that I must ignore my impulse is that if I act impulsively and buy the new jerseys, that in a way gives the Islanders permission to change their jerseys again in 5 years so that I would be forced again to spend several hundred dollars. And if millions of fans spend a couple hundred dollars on new jerseys now, then their teams may very well change their jerseys again in 5 years—or sooner. If I and other shopping addicts like me give into out impulses and buy new jerseys now, then we may be costing ourselves THOUSANDS of dollars over the next few years! The only way to avoid these damaging ramifications to our actions is to alter our actions now and take a stand now! If collectively, fans are able to resist buying an abundance of new jerseys now, then, teams will not be given an incentive to change uniforms again. Because that’s what the goal is. To prevent teams from changing their uniforms again. Because quite frankly, as much as many of us like and are attached to the old uniforms, they are not coming back. But as we become attached to the new jerseys, to avoid having them eventually replaced, for now, we must avoid buying them if that makes any sense. Because if fans buy the new jerseys gradually over the next few years instead of all at once, then teams will not be given reason to believe that every time they concoct a uniform change that they will make a huge profit.
I know in the past I have spoke in a derogatory manner about retro jerseys. But now, at least for now, I am giving my go-ahead—sort of—to wear a retro jersey. Because as it now turns out, the jersey that you wore last season is now a retro jersey. When it was bought it was modern; now it is retro. So now, wear your “new retro-fied” jersey. Remember the good times you had in at and swear to yourself that you will have many more great memories wearing that jersey even if your team themselves will no longer be wearing that jersey themselves. And gradually, in a few years, if you want—maybe in 5 years—then go and buy the jersey that your team has started wearing this season.
I understand that I may have rambled a little bit here so let me give you a bottom-line shortened version. Do not buy a new Reebok Edge jersey. Continue to wear your old one. You still look awesome in it. So you have no reason to replace it. I know your impulses may tell you otherwise, but I know what I am talking about and you can listen to and trust me. I have your best interests in mind and if we together can just avoid buying Reebok Edge jerseys, then both for the present day and in the future, we all will be saving a great deal of money and really, what could be better than that?

THE TIME HAS COME

Now, I have finally arrived on the topic which was my motivation to become a master of exposing all of the areas of the money wasting realm regarding sales of sports and sport related products; the new NHL Reebok jerseys. I had been made aware over the course of this summer that the NHL was going to switch the “style” of its jerseys as well as I was made aware that many teams would be switching the “design” of their uniforms, but now, as the hockey season is over a week old, as I have been able to observe the new uniforms in action and mull over my thoughts: I feel now is finally the time for me to speak on the subject.
First, because I know that there are a few non-hockey fans out there—I don’t forgive you—I feel compelled to explain the supposed idea behind the changing of the style of NHL jerseys and the history behind NHL upper-wear.
Originally, in the era before the 1970s, NHL jerseys were exclusively called sweaters because their material, well, it was the same as a regular sweater. These sweaters were first utilized so long ago that it was during the days in which professional hockey was played outdoors. As games outdoors during winter in Canadian cities could be quite cold, the sweaters were developed to maintain warmth and allow players to function despite their harsh climate. Even once professional hockey began to be played indoors—just before the 1920s—for many years, the tradition of the sweater material uniforms remained.
Then in the 1970s—and through the 2006-07 season—the NHL abandoned the sweater material for what had been known as the modern NHL jersey. I wish I could clarify better on what the material of those hockey jerseys was but because as viewing and wearing them had become second nature for me, for years, I would just describe the feel of those jerseys as being “jersey material.” Really nothing more specific than that. I’m not really sure exactly how even to describe them. But apparently, while for years I had functioned and while hockey fans in general had functioned quite well with these jerseys, in 2006, the powers that be—hockey marketers—came to the conclusion that these always seemingly functional pieces of equipment were no longer exactly modern. The main claims were that these jerseys did not absorb liquid well so when players would sweat or have water/ice residue brushed onto them, then their jerseys would get increasingly heavy making them no longer technology efficient.
So, despite no complaints from any hockey players or fans, before the 2007-08 season, the NHL decided to modify the style of their jerseys and sponsored by Reebok, the new jerseys are known as the Reebok edge. The Reebok edge jerseys are snug in fit and apparently better absorbers of liquid—or at least to the point where the statement is said that players can skate 8% faster with a Reebok edge jersey. But besides being marketed as the most efficient way for hockey players to have their upper-body covered, these uniforms were marketed as being stylish.
As the new style of jerseys came, apparently with the co-mission of portraying a new attitude in NHL hockey, many NHL teams modified their uniforms to cooperate with this mission of expressing a new attitude. Besides the overall style changes of the jersey, the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, AND Dallas stars—did you get them all—decided to change the design of their jerseys and in doing so, left their fans without the most modern uniforms. But I will address fans of those teams on a later date. Today, I will address the fans of the teams with unchanged designs in their uniforms: the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Atlanta Thrashers, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings—study quick, there might be a quiz on this later. Because while these teams have accepted the mandatory ruling of changing the materials of their jerseys, despite the material and supposed style change, after viewing, these uniforms look EXACTLY the same as the old ones. They look exactly the same as the old uniforms because except for the synthetics and materials that are stored unbeknownst to fans beneath the jersey’s exterior surface, they are exactly the same. So really, my statement to fans of these teams is quite simple: YOU HAVE NO NEED TO BUY A REEBOK EDGE JERSEY! Your “outdated” jersey is not outdated at all and as it functioned well for years, it will continue to function more than adequately while allowing you to maintain the same look that your favorite players sport when they skate up and down the ice. There really has been no change so avoid the words of the marketers that tell you to buy a Reebok Edge Jersey. More than anything I can think of, for you fans, sending money on a Reebok Edge Jersey that looks exactly the same as your team’s old jersey is a waste of money. You other fans, sit tight. I will address you next week. Until then, even if your instincts condone your splurging on a new jersey, just sit tight. I will take care of you!

Hating On Hockey Haters

I can’t believe it happened again. I feel like I have just been given the shaft again after making a sports-related purchase. Allow me to explain. Since I have been in Ithaca, every year, before hockey season, I subscribe to the NHL Center Ice package on my dorm-room TV. Besides gaining the access to watch “every” NHL game for the season, it ensures me that I can catch every single Islander game which for me of course is a life necessity. In Ithaca, we have FSNY (channel 69) and MSG (channel 28) and although both of those channels air Islander games, between the Sabres, Devils, Rangers, and Knicks, the Islanders become a 5th team that must share those two channels and on nights when more than 2 teams play, the Islanders usually are given the axe. In those cases, I turn to my handy Center Ice package. And considering the Islanders do not play until next Friday, my Islander hunger which is of my life necessities will be fulfilled. I am not worried about that. But as I write, I have just been given the information that my Center Ice package will not cover the Los Angeles Kings against Anaheim Ducks from London which as a game is the opening of the 2007-08 hockey season.
This is so preposterous! More than advice, this is a personal rant! Apparently, I am unable to have the access to this game. It turns out that US TV (Versus) will be in England, but although they are making the cross an ocean journey, they will only be covering the second Ducks vs. Kings game on Sunday. No opening game. CBC in Canada is doing the game. CBC is the only North American outlet covering the game. Under these circumstances, Center Ice would feed its viewers with the CBC broadcast. But not for the opening game this season! For some reason, it has been blacked out. It turns out, as I am in an Ithaca dorm room, the only way for me to watch the season opener would be if I bought HDNet channel 812.
My plans were to order HDNet today and cancel my order tomorrow allowing me to get the game and avoid most of the cost burden—my level of savvy is vast. But apparently, I can’t even do that. As my dorm room TV is not an HD TV, I am actually unable to even buy HDNet. As I am unable to buy HDNet, as Center Ice has blacked me out, and as US TV has refused to cover the game, I as a hockey fan am left out in the cold.
Unfortunately, as a hockey fan, I am used to this. This leads me back to last spring. Last May, I was in Villanova, Pennsylvania on a Saturday afternoon as part of a weekend of attending my sister’s college graduation. But also on that afternoon, the Ottawa Senators were playing the Buffalo Sabres in game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on NBC. With a win, the Ottawa Senators would advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
First let me set the stage. It is a Saturday afternoon 3:00 game in May. NBC ordered that this be a day game as opposed to the original 7:00 designated start time. NBC would only air the game if it was a day game. At 3:00 what’s more. But there were a few things that NBC didn’t account for. For one thing, the game was on a Holiday weekend in Canada and as one of the game’s two teams was Canadian, they were putting millions of Canadians ( the team from Montreal is spelt Canadiens) and Ottawa Senators fans in a precarious position in terms of being able to get themselves in front of a TV while fulfilling family obligations. Second, NBC scheduled this game at 3:00 on a Saturday which at 5:30, they would also be airing the Preakness Stakes. Does anybody think allotting 2 and ½ hours for a sporting contest with no time limit is a bad idea? I did and the inevitable came to fruition. The game went to overtime. Just minutes before overtime without announcement, NBC pulled the potentially conference deciding game for PRE-RACE COVERAGE. It took until 5 minutes into the overtime period until I found the hockey game placed on Versus. But it turns out, as Versus is based out of Philadelphia which was only 10 miles away from me, I was able to get the hockey game while many cable outlets in the US who don’t carry Versus—including Buffalo!—left their viewers out in the cold. Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa promptly scored the game winning goal to win the Eastern Conference for the Ottawa Senators. Most of the US was unable to watch this game.
Networks complain about and ESPN analysts mock hockey in every way, shape, and form. They mock its lack of popularity. But how can they expect hockey to grow if you don’t air the most important games of the season? Well, although I love the sport, I know the sport will never gain popularity in the US with this type of treatment. So my message is to US TV executives, “GET YOUR F****** ACT TOGETHER! JEEZ! ESPECIALLY YOU NBC! AREN’T YOU THE SAME NETWORK WHO GAVE US THE HEIDI GAME!”

P.S. I find it semi-ironic that as I was at my sister’s college graduation during this NBC blunder and as I now speak, my sister works for NBC.