The sports business beat at Crain's is as spacious as the yardage between Ford Field goal posts, thanks to Bill Shea's definition of what's in bounds.
"Sadly, these are sold out for Lions fans." (NFL photo)
He now adds something new -- occasional posts on "bizarre sports merchandise."
I’m launching a blog feature that highlights some of the more amusing, unusual or downright stupid officially licensed items that cross my path (especially merchandise for the Detroit teams). ...
The lust for money sometimes overtakes common sense, and the result is that some real goofy products are being peddled with a team logo stitched on the side. . . . American sports fanatics [will] buy some amazingly strange junk as long it has the logo or mascot of “his boys” emblazoned upon it.
First in Shea's "Sports Merch" blog cross-hairs are “Gridiron Classic Jeans” with the home team's leaping lion, price-slashed to $23.99 from $58.95 at the NFL merchandise site. Shea's headline leaves no fuzziness about his take: "Would you wear Detroit Lions 'dad jeans'?"
Sadly, these are sold out for Lions fans. . . .
Don’t worry, ladies, the NFL would never forgot to market to you.
For the same price, you can get “Ladies Bootcut Cheerleader Jeans.” They’re 98 percent cotton and 2 percent Spandex, just like Jim Schwartz’s ego. . . .
I don’t see NFL licensed jorts, but I fear it may be only a matter of time.
-- Alan Stamm
