http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20040506&content_id=1924&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Good stuff as always.
Company logos on European/International jerseys. Extremely tacky. Spiderman on MLB bases. Extremely tacky. Fences in minor league baseball parks covered in advertising. Extremely tacky. NASCAR race cars and driver uniforms covered in advertising. Extremely tacky. Billboards on highways. Extremely tacky. There is already enough advertising. We don't need any more. I can't believe anybody actually wants more advertising. Putting Mickey Mouse on uniforms might add "character", but it's still silly. Tino Palace may be used to seeing it all around the world, but I'm not. Too me, it is just silly. Along with NASCAR race cars, minor league ballpark fences, restaurant paper placemats filled with local advertising, highways plastered with billboards, and MLB bases with Spiderman logos. Show some character, and draw the line.
I agree with PVancouver. While I understand that advertising is creeping into every nook and cranny of our lives and can't be stopped, to actually encourage the notion is to reveal you are a sick human being.
Usually I enjoy Tino's opinions, but to ask for ads is ridiculous. I hope his email box is filled with spam and his internet page is full of pop-ups. I mean, if Europeans can increase the size of their penis by 6 full inches, why can't Tino?
I am not a proponent of the commercialization of sport - or life in general. But I have reconciled myself to the whole "brand on the front of a jersey" because Soccer doesn't (and more importantly SIMPLY SHOULD NOT) have TV time outs during play. If soccer leagues cannot sell TV time during matches they have to make up for it somewhere - and the front of the jersey is a good option. I'd rather see Toyota/Vodaphone/Seimans/Pepsi/etc. on a jersey anyday before I want to see quarters/timeouts/etc. added to increase revenue streams. I am not a fan of jersey advertising, but it financially supports the game without affecting play - I'll deal with it.
Financial reality - extremely tacky. That's exaggeration for effect. But the Green Monster used to be covered in ads until the 40's and Ebbets Field had the Hit Sign Win Suit board, among others. It's proliferated to absurd levels lately, and the Spider-Man thing was just plain stupid, stupid, stupid. But the minor league parks stuff is a necessity, as are the NASCAR advertising, given how much it costs to run a race team. And I think highway billboards are a matter that our local municipalities could have dealt with years ago and apparently chose not to. I don't even hardly see ads anymore. They're like children in a restaurant. Since having kids of my own, I have learned to tune out that which used to annoy me. Gratuitous stuff when you're the New York Yankees is unnecessary. But minor league baseball teams need that revenue source, regardless of how it might offend your sense of aesthetics. Anyone know anything about the history of soccer shirt advertising? When did it start?
If each team had some sponsor pasted on the front of their shirt, but played in their own SSS and the salary cap was raised with reserve teams introduced, would it still be that reprehensible?
MLB loss, MLS's gain. for those that didn't know, MLB cancel the agreement with the movie studio, though they would have it on billboard and stuff, just not on the bases during the game. p.s. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91200 has a poll about this sponsor logo on front jersey topic 148 in favor 89 against thus far.