Fanatics signs 10 year deal to be uniform supplier of NHL

[Oilslick941611]

You’re absolutely correct. There was some hyperbole in there for sure. I shouldn’t have commented on quality - only appearances.

My point was - some of the fakes look better, or closer to the real thing than fanatics. Fanatics actually look like knock offs IMO, I think we’ve all just been acclimatized to them now. I’m sure the actual quality and wear and tear is terrible for fakes - so will defer to you. It used to be knockoffs looked so terrible - they are upping Their game to try and look real is all I’m saying. I have never bought a fake jersey - will be interesting to see if by year 8 I’m driven to it.

Here are a couple of links that just highlight they “looks” not quality aspect.

I mean they are two different products, the DH gate is trying to copy the Adidas jersey, not the fanatics jersey. The fanatics breakaways are trash anyway, Single layer crests with a weird texture and completely different fabric than an Adidas Indo jerseys. That stuff might not matter to most people, but in the jersey collecting hobby I come from it makes them write offs. I would never buy a fanatics breakaway jersey. The DHgate jersey doesn't even have the right font for the name and numbers. The price isn't even a big factor, you can get Adidas into jerseys for 60-80 bucks all day long on places like r/hockeyjerseys and stores routinely blow out older model jerseys from the clima-lite and aero ready fabrics. The jersey line is set up like RBK ( although poorly because RBK authentics were the same jersey the players wore on the ice and the Priemers are more like the fanatics breakaway) The fanatics is the cheap low cost alternative and the indo Adidas are the "authentic"( but not really) Adidas has its own issues as well, but buying fakes is stupid. There are real jerseys available for not much more money and it will look better than a fake, and if you're around other people wearing jerseys, like at a game, its even easier to spot the fakes.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

I mean they are two different products, the DH gate is trying to copy the Adidas jersey, not the fanatics jersey. The fanatics breakaways are trash anyway, Single layer crests with a weird texture and completely different fabric than an Adidas Indo jerseys. That stuff might not matter to most people, but in the jersey collecting hobby I come from it makes them write offs. I would never buy a fanatics breakaway jersey. The DHgate jersey doesn't even have the right font for the name and numbers. The price isn't even a big factor, you can get Adidas into jerseys for 60-80 bucks all day long on places like r/hockeyjerseys and stores routinely blow out older model jerseys from the clima-lite and aero ready fabrics. The jersey line is set up like RBK ( although poorly because RBK authentics were the same jersey the players wore on the ice and the Priemers are more like the fanatics breakaway) The fanatics is the cheap low cost alternative and the indo Adidas are the "authentic"( but not really) Adidas has its own issues as well, but buying fakes is stupid. There are real jerseys available for not much more money and it will look better than a fake, and if you're around other people wearing jerseys, like at a game, its even easier to spot the fakes.

Soon DHgate will be copying fanatics….i shudder. The loss in quality, it’s like degradation when making a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy.

Everything’s gonna be garbage.

If the fanatics breakaways were priced like a hoody or sweatshirt at like 75 bucks, they would be totally fine (not from a jersey collecting standpoint but from a correctly
Priced/you know what you’re getting standpoint). 200 vs 75 makes more sense when, like you said, they are completely different products.

I actually liked that I was able to find a couple breakaways for 20/30 bucks - I’d much rather my son play Street hockey/ pick up games in those as opposed to adidas or Reebok’s. He loves his jets reverse retro 2.0 primegreen - so never wants to damage it.

Anyways - you have some great insight. Thanks for the perspective and sharing knowledge from a jersey experts POV!

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

The Fanatics replica gear is not great, but that doesn't mean the company isn't capable of making a great product if they want to. From the ESPN article about this:

"For example, Nike is the official outfitter of Major League Baseball, but Fanatics has made MLB's Nike-branded uniforms for all 30 teams since 2017, when it acquired Majestic. In total, Fanatics makes close to 100,000 MLB uniforms each season. Fanatics also makes authentic NFL jerseys that carry a Nike logo, which are sold online and in stores."

Fanatics replacing Adidas as NHL uniform partner

This aged well. lol.

 

[Ceremony]

I'm sure some teams look better than others, but Leafs knockoffs are so obvious and blatantly fake looking that it's embarrassing to me when people wear them. They are so easy to spot. The quality is horrible.


This is the play. There will likely be tons of Adidas jerseys on sale all over the place after this season.

Canes knockoffs may be the easiest to spot in the wild. I have yet to see one where the flag pattern on the bottom looks anywhere close to correct. I fully expect that to be a complete shitshow when Fanatics rolls out theirs because they just simply DGAF.

I'm going to say you're both wrong. Avalanche jerseys are the most obvious fakes. The shade of blue is never quite right, and the numbers are never in the right place.

 

[WingsFan95]

*shrugs* considering all but one of my NHL jerseys is CCM or Koho. Yeah, been out of the game a while. I got a Zetterberg Reebok jersey in 2011 I think.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Knockoffs look fine for daily wear, but they look like shit at actual games.

 

[Rob Brown]

I'm going to say you're both wrong. Avalanche jerseys are the most obvious fakes. The shade of blue is never quite right, and the numbers are never in the right place.

I guess what we're confirming is that all fake jerseys look bad. Who would have thunk it?!

Knockoffs look fine for daily wear, but they look like shit at actual games.

I would say that they are really only good for playing shinny or outdoor pond hockey, otherwise they look comically bad to anyone that knows what an actual jersey looks like.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Exactly we are the one group fanatics shouldn’t piss off.

 

[Kevinsane]

DaveART masks and Fanatics jerseys should drive a lot of fans to their radios.

 

[BB79]

*shrugs* considering all but one of my NHL jerseys is CCM or Koho. Yeah, been out of the game a while. I got a Zetterberg Reebok jersey in 2011 I think.

Even back then I felt like the Koho jerseys were slightly better quality than the CCM jerseys. Nothing will ever top the 90s Ultrafil jerseys though. Those ones were my favorites.

I haven't bought a jersey since about 2010. I'm old and never wear them anymore so I've begun selling them all off. Sad to see where the quality has gone. Once they changed from the old boxy 2007-era ones it's really sucked IMO

 

[Rebels57]

Man, I really f***ing hate Fanatics.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Fanatics is Mr. Burns, Lisa is Nike, Mitchell & Ness, etc.

 

[JMCx4]

Knockoffs look fine for daily wear, but they look like shit at actual games.

Must be the lighting.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Jersey on jersey.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

This aged well. lol.

Aged just fine. Care to tell me what I said that isn't true? I lot of people seem to think Fanatics just started making MLB player uniforms when they've already been doing it for the last 7 years.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Aged just fine. Care to tell me what I said that isn't true? I lot of people seem to think Fanatics just started making MLB player uniforms when they've already been doing it for the last 7 years.

Sadly it did not. This is not a shot at you. More so fanatics is who we thought they were.

I would encourage you to learn more about the Nike fanatics partnership though.

This is the very first year of a new deal where fanatics designs, distributes and manufactures the jerseys on behalf of nike.

Edit: I should be clear - Nike outsourced design - for them. So ultimately they are responsible for signing off on this junk - and maybe even provided some direction. At the same time, when you outsource design - you have to wonder what the options Nike had to choose from “garbage or Uber garbage - let’s go with the garbage!” Additionally - fanatics probably sold Nike on cost cutting - more profits. Deal with the devil….

The VERY first chance they had at jersey design for mlb we get this total disaster.

Anyways. Aged like garbage.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Aged just fine. Care to tell me what I said that isn't true? I lot of people seem to think Fanatics just started making MLB player uniforms when they've already been doing it for the last 7 years.

Here is the original Nike /fanatics partnership that lasted from 2020 to 2023. Fanatics purchased maverick which manufactured mlb jerseys so leveraged that to produce Nike designed jerseys - which is why they were “fine” the past few years.

hat has long been rumored is now official: Major League Baseball has announced a 10-year partnership, that starting in 2020, will see Nike as the Official Uniform and Footwear Supplier of MLB. As part of the announcement, Fanatics will also partner enabling speed-to-market capabilities and distribution of the Nike-designed MLB products online and at retail that will include products such as jerseys, postseason apparel, and other MLB branded gear.

Link: MLB Officially Partners With Nike And Fanatics; Nike To Be Official Uniform And Footwear Provider

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

Here is the original Nike /fanatics partnership that lasted from 2020 to 2023. Fanatics purchased maverick which manufactured mlb jerseys so leveraged that to produce Nike designed jerseys - which is why they were “fine” the past few years.

hat has long been rumored is now official: Major League Baseball has announced a 10-year partnership, that starting in 2020, will see Nike as the Official Uniform and Footwear Supplier of MLB. As part of the announcement, Fanatics will also partner enabling speed-to-market capabilities and distribution of the Nike-designed MLB products online and at retail that will include products such as jerseys, postseason apparel, and other MLB branded gear.

Link: MLB Officially Partners With Nike And Fanatics; Nike To Be Official Uniform And Footwear Provider

I'm glad your finally starting to google these things because I think you're starting to realize what I said earlier in this thread is true. As my initial post stated, Fanatics bought Majestic (not maverick as you said) in 2017. Since then Fanatics has been making MLB player uniforms. As I stated, they are capable of making a good jersey. I never said all their stuff is good, just making the point that as a company they are capable of making high quality stuff. The new partnership with Nike came in 2020 (not this year as you previously stated). Fanatics manufactures and slaps a Nike swoosh on it. This season Nike and Fanatics release a new design that some players have complained about and some said they like. Again, nothing aged poorly about my original post, just stating the facts then and now.

It's not like I'm a Fanatics fanboy, I agree most of their consumer stuff is absolute crap. But they are a major manufacturer that contracts the manufacturing for a lot of other brands. They are capable of making quality stuff if that's what they are contracted to do. It's not like Nike is blindsided by any of this, they would have signed off on this new design.

Original link that was shared to back up what I've said:

Fanatics replacing Adidas as NHL uniform partner

Fanatics will replace Adidas as the NHL's outfitter of on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys beginning with the 2024-25 season, the league announced.

www.espn.com

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

I'm glad your finally starting to google these things because I think you're starting to realize what I said earlier in this thread is true. As my initial post stated, Fanatics bought Majestic (not maverick as you said) in 2017. Since then Fanatics has been making MLB player uniforms. As I stated, they are capable of making a good jersey. I never said all their stuff is good, just making the point that as a company they are capable of making high quality stuff. The new partnership with Nike came in 2020 (not this year as you previously stated). Fanatics manufactures and slaps a Nike swoosh on it. This season Nike and Fanatics release a new design that some players have complained about and some said they like. Again, nothing aged poorly about my original post, just stating the facts then and now.

It's not like I'm a Fanatics fanboy, I agree most of their consumer stuff is absolute crap. But they are a major manufacturer that contracts the manufacturing for a lot of other brands. They are capable of making quality stuff if that's what they are contracted to do. It's not like Nike is blindsided by any of this, they would have signed off on this new design.

Original link that was shared to back up what I've said:

Fanatics replacing Adidas as NHL uniform partner

Fanatics will replace Adidas as the NHL's outfitter of on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys beginning with the 2024-25 season, the league announced.

www.espn.com

Haha. Ok.

 

[The Doctors Office]

Treadmill consumerism
Step 1 - acquire recognized brand, trademark or affiliation
Step 2 - produce low cost, high margin product under said brand or trademark
Step 3 - sell for original brand, trademark price point on market
Step 4 - wait out the initial consumer push back
Step 5 - profit as outrage turns to acceptance and sales return to original levels

 

[IamNotADancer]

This is simply not true. As a hardcore jersey collector no fake jersey even comes close to Adidas and in reality, even the fanatics ( as bad as they are) Fake jerseys are extremely easy to spot, the crests and numbers are bubbly, the fabric isn't the same, the cut isn't the same and most times the colours aren't close.

Im not excited for the Fanatic take over, but they will be keeping the same factory for the on ice jerseys and the jerseys likely won't change for a year or two. They'll be the same jerseys with a fanatics patch on the back where the Adidas logo used to be. The fan jerseys will suffer, but they'll still be better than DHgate jerseys.

Subjectively and objectively speaking wrong.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I've had the NHL shop experience and DHgate experience first hand.

The NHL shop in NYC offers fan jerseys and "authentic" that don't even have sewn on numbers or logos for an insane amount of money while DHgate doesn't offer any glued on crap.

DHgate is extremely inconsistent and it really all comes down to the seller. I've bought 4 Rangers jerseys there, 3 reverse retros and 1 classic. The classic is by far the best one.
The reverse retro fakes have their issues (crest too small, NHL Logo looks like a genuine knockoff, which it is), but other than that there is nothing that can justify the disparity in price between fanatics quality and value.

The knock offs are extremely low in price and you get great value for what it is.
Fanatics, not so much. You have to wrap yourself in cellophane to make sure you don't ruin your $400 jersey.
I'd rather be laughed at for my 20 bucks fake Chinese knock off than running around with an overpriced rag made poorly.

Having seen and felt the "real thing" on my body I'd much much rather have the knockoffs even with their issues.

 

[yada]

Subjectively and objectively speaking wrong.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I've had the NHL shop experience and DHgate experience first hand.

The NHL shop in NYC offers fan jerseys and "authentic" that don't even have sewn on numbers or logos for an insane amount of money while DHgate doesn't offer any glued on crap.

DHgate is extremely inconsistent and it really all comes down to the seller. I've bought 4 Rangers jerseys there, 3 reverse retros and 1 classic. The classic is by far the best one.
The reverse retro fakes have their issues (crest too small, NHL Logo looks like a genuine knockoff, which it is), but other than that there is nothing that can justify the disparity in price between fanatics quality and value.

The knock offs are extremely low in price and you get great value for what it is.
Fanatics, not so much. You have to wrap yourself in cellophane to make sure you don't ruin your $400 jersey.
I'd rather be laughed at for my 20 bucks fake Chinese knock off than running around with an overpriced rag made poorly.

Having seen and felt the "real thing" on my body I'd much much rather have the knockoffs even with their issues.

You shouldn't buy jerseys customized from the nhl shop in nyc. They do them there and heat pressing is much faster and easier then sewing them.

If you buy addidas jerseys from the nhl shop they come sewn despite whether you buy a player thats already customized or if you buy a jersey with custom name, i have a ryan lindgren hockey fights cancer jersey and it had to be made, it took a month or so but it was stitched. Ill show a picture when i get home.

I accidentally bought a rangers reverse retro 1 fake and it is definitely noticeable in quality. The logo is bubbly, the addidas logo is wrong, the nhl shield isnt secured down properly, and the numbers look wrong. It stands out as being junk

 

[WingsFan95]

Even back then I felt like the Koho jerseys were slightly better quality than the CCM jerseys. Nothing will ever top the 90s Ultrafil jerseys though. Those ones were my favorites.

I haven't bought a jersey since about 2010. I'm old and never wear them anymore so I've begun selling them all off. Sad to see where the quality has gone. Once they changed from the old boxy 2007-era ones it's really sucked IMO

I was still buying used jerseys all over the place at physical hock shops until the mid 2010s. Ebay would sometimes have a decent offer as well. It's easier to spot fakery when you've been around the block a while.

I laugh at some of the passionate hatred for fakes though, maybe the fakes market has gotten worse? I have at least a dozen or so jerseys for NFL I know for a fact are from God knows where that nobody can tell. The stitching is sublime. I remember wearing a fake to a store and talking to the guy at the counter for like an hour and he kept gushing how he knew my jersey was fake because at the time it was impossible to get Mitchell and Ness in Canada nevermind for the $80 I paid. And he kept looking it over saying how he couldn't get over how well made it was.

The reality is quality of fabric and stitching. I used to know people who made money on the side as tailors for one-off events, cosplay, halloween, concerts, etc. They made anywhere from 150-500.00 an order getting their material from Fabricland. Then I'd see stuff at shops with lesser stitch and fabric quality going for 800.00+

 

[1865]

Jersey manufacturing is a race to the bottom in manufacturing costs. We're likely only a decade away from team logos just being printed onto the shirt.

 

[IamNotADancer]

You shouldn't buy jerseys customized from the nhl shop in nyc. They do them there and heat pressing is much faster and easier then sewing them.

If you buy addidas jerseys from the nhl shop they come sewn despite whether you buy a player thats already customized or if you buy a jersey with custom name, i have a ryan lindgren hockey fights cancer jersey and it had to be made, it took a month or so but it was stitched. Ill show a picture when i get home.

I accidentally bought a rangers reverse retro 1 fake and it is definitely noticeable in quality. The logo is bubbly, the addidas logo is wrong, the nhl shield isnt secured down properly, and the numbers look wrong. It stands out as being junk


View attachment 819885

I'm talking more about the standard availability of jerseys without having to spent an arm and a leg.

I have zero doubt you can and do get great quality from Adidas, but it will cost you (a lot).

But walking into the official NHL store in New York out of all places, you should have some premium stuff hanging and sitting on the shelves if you want to convince people you are selling a good product.

I was prepared to pay they high price last year but ended up leaving the jersey hanging in the store because I simply couldn't justify shelling out that type of money on a jersey that supposedly is "top of the line" while looking at some "authentics" that looked terrible.

Going to DHgate and rolling the dice on knock offs was my middle finger to this trend where we seemingly accept to pay much more money for worse quality.

I'm happy with what I got and I don't see myself getting another jersey in the foreseeable future unless a)the price decreases or b)the quality improves dramatically.

I don't see either happening.

In the meantime I'll walk around with my knockoffs at MSG not having to worry about mustard or ketchup stains.