I’ve always really admired the jerseys, or “kits,” that most soccer players, or “footballers,” get to don when taking the field. These uniforms are generally appealing from an aesthetic standpoint, but also seem to be both wearable and practical in an everyday sense. Unfortunately, I’ve never allowed myself to purchase one of the things, because it just wouldn’t feel right. I don’t follow the sport within any capacity, and, truth be told, I’ve often poked fun at its seemingly banal nature, and the way soccer’s most highly touted players will flop about at the drop of a hat. In the back of my mind, I know the game itself must be pretty great, considering its ravenous global following, but its kind of fun to play the role of close minded American lunk-head sometimes, you know?
Anyway, it seems that some pretty significant steps are being made in the consumer jersey market, which may one day help bridge the gap between these off-limits soccer jerseys, and a professional sport that’s near and dear to my heart. Just today, Yahoo’s Puck Daddy blog directed our attention to a series of images created by “Majupra,” which juxtaposes NHL team colors and logos with a classic soccer kit template. Needless to say, the results were nothing short of awesome. You can check out the actual gallery here, if you’re interested in viewing the entire set of these newly conceived unis.
While these jerseys aren’t actually going to be placed into production any time soon, a boy can dream, can’t he? Ever since our nation’s hipster contingent decided it was acceptable to begin wearing NBA jerseys out on the town, much of my collection of basketball apparel has lost its lustre. I fear that I can’t even leave the house in my beloved Darko Milicic jersey anymore without raising some eyebrows. Take a look at the latest installment of Deadspin’s “Look At This Fucking Hoopster” column, to truly grasp the severity of the movement. Due to this shift in the general hipster consciousness, I’ve found it to be more and more difficult to represent my affinity for organized sports out in public.
It seems that hockey-themed soccer jerseys would be the perfect antidote to remedy to this unfortunate set of circumstances. The hybrid uniforms would be wonderful to wear in most types of weather, and would also appeal to my personal sports sensibilities. These mock-ups are also a little less gaudy than many of the jerseys actual NHL teams utilize, and would probably prove to be far less expensive in the grand scheme of things. While I do have a minor problem with team sponsors being slapped directly in the middle of their gear, I suppose I could learn to live with this ugly side of the business.
As a native Buffalonian, I can say for certain that the Sabres creations would fly off the shelves upon their unveiling throughout Western New York. Being the unabashed homer that I am, I would certainly pick up one of the blue and gold garments, even though some of these other sweaters blow the Buffalo kit out of the conversation. At any rate, I was pleased to see that the Bruins jersey combo ranked among the ugliest. Although Boston may currently be in sole possession of Lord Stanley’s Cup, at the Sabres make-believe Hockey/Soccer uniforms aren’t diarrhea colored.
