Wayyy back in the spring, when fans went to games and we were readying for March Madness and Opening Day for MLB, the social space was all a-twitter over baseball’s latest break with tradition…MLB was going to allow the Nike Swoosh to appear on the front of uniforms as part of a new ten year, $1 billion deal, obliterating the pristine look that some teams, most notably the Yankees, had enjoyed forever. Corporate excess had finally found its way between the lines.
Click here to read the story from mvpindex.com.
Discussion Questions:
- Lesson 2.7 of your textbook addresses the concept of the paradox of commercialism. What does that mean?
- How does this news story illustrate the paradox of commercialism?
- Why do you think some fans prefer not to see logos or advertisements on the uniforms and jerseys of their favorite sports teams? Do those logos bother you? Why or why not?
- Why do you think some brands want to place their logos on the uniforms and jerseys of sports teams?
- Do you think the NFL will eventually place brand logos on their jerseys? What about the NHL? NCAA? Be prepared to discuss whether you think these leagues will eventually sell jersey advertisements.