Innocence lost - Ads on Jerseys a slam dunk?

[coco]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nba-ads-jerseys-slam-dunk-144913985.html

Ads on NBA jerseys.  What a turn off.  So why am I paying almost $200 for NBA League Pass?  Isn't that enough?!?!?

I don't know fellas.  I am really losing it here.  I lost interest when my home team in Puerto Rico, started wearing ads on jerseys.  It's like Deja-Vu all over again.  I am afraid I might lose interest on my beloved NBA/Celtics.   

Back in the Island, it became so pathetic that I couldn't even find the name of my team on the jersey because it was so crowded with ads.  A total turn off.  Lost interest and never came back.


I'll certainly re-think about renewing NBA League Pass in the future.

What's your take?

[AshyLarry]

Drew Margary tweeted a very funny idea, regarding this.

Drew Magary ‏@drewmagary

"You could also tailor logos to specific players. Delonte West's jersey NEEDS a Valtrex logo. "

hahahahaha

[arambone]

stern would do anything to make a buck, including rigging games or ensuring star treatment to pump up the stats of the money makers.

Really starting to tick me off. I dont think stern has much love for the game. Not surprising considering hes probably never made 5 layups in a row in his life.

Celtics, sponsored by exxon, Blackwater, Prozac, and call of duty 9.

[hpantazo]

If they stick to the proposed small 2.5 x 2.5 inch patch on the left shoulder of jerseys, then I'm ok with it. If they start splashing big ads across the front or back, then no.

[CelticHooligan3]

This is beyond tacky to me. I will never ever buy a Celtics jersey with an ad on it. Red would roll over in his grave before he ever let the Celtics partake in this. It's a shame. But really nothing surprises me with Stern. It's all about the money to that creep. He forgot a long time ago that there are many fans who just want to watch the purest version of a great sport. It's sad now it's all about "the bottom line".

[Finkelskyhook]

Innocence ended when Jordan became the brand and officiating integrity went out the door as a result.

[arambone]

Innocence ended when Jordan became the brand and officiating integrity went out the door as a result.

Agreed. Just like baseball when they ignored McGuire and Sosa juicing up to break records and make more money for the league. They also changed the baseballs to become more HR friendly.

[CelticG1]

Ads on jerseys wont steer away fans but he officiating embarrassment and could.

If I wasn't a Celtics fan I wouldn't watch the NBA.  It is so painful to watch NBA games with th refereeing

[Green Hell]

[33_Larry Legend_33]

Personally I do not like this at all...  I'm kinda old school, and I wish this wasn't the case.  It will open the door for all sports to eventually go this route, and I'll wake up one day thinking I'm living in a European soccer dream...

[guava_wrench]

This is professional sports. If you want innocence, watch rec leagues. College and pros are heavily monetized.

It will be the same players playing the same game on the court. I find it really cheesy, but whatever. If you really don't like it, start a boycott of all the brands sponsoring jerseys.

[freshinthehouse]

This is professional sports. If you want innocence, watch rec leagues. College and pros are heavily monetized.

It will be the same players playing the same game on the court. I find it really cheesy, but whatever. If you really don't like it, start a boycott of all the brands sponsoring jerseys.

QFT

[Bean_town fan]

If ads deter you from watching an NBA game, maybe basketball isn't your thing! We have had ads on jerseys here in the NBL in Australia forever, same with our Aussie Rules Football game and to be honest I'm watching the basketball.....not the jerseys!

[GreenEnvy]

If ads deter you from watching an NBA game, maybe basketball isn't your thing! We have had ads on jerseys here in the NBL in Australia forever, same with our Aussie Rules Football game and to be honest I'm watching the basketball.....not the jerseys!

I don't know, it should be optional, not mandatory. If a team doesn't want to sell out for an extra few million a year, they don't have to.

It's all about money, and it may open a Pandora's box. Why stop on the front? Slam another company logo on the back, more room so it can be bigger than 2.5x2.5. With all that extra space on jerseys, why stop at just one on each side?

And of course the other sports will follow (NHL soon, followed by NFL, then MLB).

Will jersey prices in turn go down? Advertisements should bring down the retail price, no? But we all know it won't drop a dime. I'm sure the Adidas logo will be back on the authentic jerseys as well.

Again, just like naming rights to a stadium, it's up to the team. Forcing the Yankees to put an ExxonMobile or Wal-Mart or Apple logo is going to disgust me just as much as slapping one on the classic Celtics uniform will. Why not rename Fenway Fannie Mae Field? Yankee Stadium... Let the bidding begin.