News The AFL want names on jumpers

[AFLQLD]

Bauhaus!

Wingdings. That is all.

 

[QS]

I have lived here my entire life (I'm probably older than your parents) and always been a sports fanatic. I'm 100% certain that none of our major professional sports leagues in the USA have ever had sports sponsors on game jerseys. That's zero sponsors on game jerseys in our 4 major sports, in the history of, oh I don't know, how about: ever. I do know what is and isn't the case here, so don't argue like you know better, please.

And when I say our 4 major sports, don't bring up MLS, because I don't mean "soccer" when I say major sport. MLS is only 2 decades old, so trust me when I say, soccer is NOT a major sport here, since that pro league has only existed for one generation. Baseball is about 150 years old, pro football and hockey are somewhat less than a century old and professional basketball is the baby of them all, at 67 yrs old. That's the only one, the NBA, (the "new" kid on the major American sports scene), that's even seriously considering sponsors. So how is that "already happening" here when it hasn't ever happened in our 4 major sports and hasn't even been seriously discussed as being viable until recently? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way, much like the one I asked the other time I replied.)

And, I don't know where your info is from, but there is no reasonable facsimile of a quarterback or any equivalent in footy. When forward passes become legal, then I'll agree (and also probably stop watching footy, if that happens). Honestly, if you want to grasp at straws to somehow make a point that our nation is somehow a problem when it comes to innovation in your sport, then you may as well say our football is "Australianized" because we have "half backs" and "full backs" and "centers", since footy is older than gridiron, and those terms were in use in Oz with regard to footy long before there ever was an NCAA or NFL.

Oh, and regarding the "terrible comparison": that was the whole point. That's how vacuous your argument sounds. I was simply mirroring your comment to show you how ridiculous it is. But, if you didn't understand that I was showing you how facetious your first comment was, I doubt you'll get the point this time, either.

Cheers.

But your major sports have names on shirts.. Right?

All I did is say that was an Americanism (which appears to be close to the mark), you've taken offence and found one thing (sponsors) that the US sports have not embraced, deciding to run with that as proof that names on shirts is not a limb of the Americanism occurring in our sport.

If those types of comparisons bother you then I'd suggest you stay away from some of the media threads deriding some of the 'adopted' commentary terms we hate as it may upset you. I have a few good American friends who think the sport is heading the way of NFL, NHL where the focus is on 'entertainment' rather than the game itself.

Do you not think Vlad and the media have turned AFL into somewhat of a spectacle rather than a sport?

 

[Greater Gattsby]

I'm led to believe that we get most of the game changes from Europe.

Think about all of the sponsors on their basketball and soccer jerseys. The goal review system comes from rugby. And the names on the back come from, well, basically in every other sport around the world.

 

[QS]

I didn't say it to try and convince you what I was saying was correct or because of some offense, but rather the reason I made that comment about sponsors was to show you how silly your argument sounds. You've admitted that it's silly when you hear it the other way around. Sponsors on jerseys don't have anything more to do with Oz than name on backs of jumpers has to do with the USA. You can't say we started NOB's, therefore is "Americanizing", because I can go back further and show that something started somewhere else. All of it, including your first statement, sounds ridiculous. Put an American flag on it, include forward passes in footy, then you have a legitimate argument. Otherwise, it's just a slam on USA. To me, it's less about being offended than it is that you seem to be trying to offend.

No offense intended, merely pointing out our game seems to be heading the way of most sports in the US, where it less about sport and more about revenue. I do not like it.

By the way, I know a lot more about footy than a lot of Aussies I've met. I fully understand that Demetriou has spoken with NFL on how to market the AFL. If it were EPL instead, that doesn't make it "Europeanizing". It's still marketing, which is capitalism. I am not the least bit offended that Americans are better at marketing than anyone else in the world. Apparently Demetriou understands that too. He's looking toward successful marketing/expansion/financial strategies.

So Vlad speaks to the NFL about marketing which one could be fairly confident in saying is advice from an American brand? Thus if heading in the same direction then it could reasonably thought to be 'Americanising'. That's not a negative connotation generally, just an observation of what seems to be happening to the AFL. Many people are not happy with the expansion into areas to generate revenue whilst ignoring other areas (that would not perhaps generate the same revenue but are genuine footy heartlands).

But that has little to do with why NOB's are being pushed. It's not to sell more jumpers to Vics, it's to make it easier to get people beyond the Barassi line to embrace the sport. No one will become so familiar with players that they don't need a scoresheet or NOB's unless they embrace the sport first, which means making it as easy as possible. NOB's weren't first used here to sell jerseys. It was because our AFL in the early 1960s used them to make the game easier to watch on TV, which made it less complicated for the viewers they were reaching out to, and turned them into AFL (American Football League) fans. Gridiron wasn't the giant of sport then that it is now, and one of the biggest reasons NFL is so big now is because of the old AFL here.

Names on jumpers won't help in AFL. It's too fast, which is largely to do with Vlad using the sport as his plaything.

Just because NOB's originated here (if it indeed did, I'm not certain), that still doesn't make it "Americanizing". It's a common sense strategy that has worked in the past, and AFL wants to be successful throughout Australia and the world, otherwise it would still be VFL.

So I take it you're in favour of names on jumpers? Fair enough; but we have our own game which is slowly losing its identity so you can probably understand why these types of prima facie insignificant changes manage to annoy.

 

[QS]

I'm led to believe that we get most of the game changes from Europe.

Think about all of the sponsors on their basketball and soccer jerseys. The goal review system comes from rugby. And the names on the back come from, well, basically in every other sport around the world.

Most European soccer clubs did not start having names on shirts until the early 90's. Instant replay was used in gridiron as early as the mid to late 80's.. didn't start until mid 90's for rugby league (which came from Europe). In the 60's Sam Huff (gridiron) was miked up as a player and the dude tackling him late said he just wanted to be on TV. Kiss cam, hug cam, jumbotron...

 

[Stromageddon]

Just posted on the MB about this in the thread there. Changed my mind; hate the idea. Why? Reeks of Americanism or following other sports, and very soon we will have little left to call our own.
Make people work to recognise players and numbers.

Dude. Judge things on their merit not on their origin. I hate the idea of names on jumpers too, but I don't hate it because it's American, I hate it coz it looks shit.

 

[QS]

Not a negative connotation to Aussies, I'm sure, but I would say that it comes across that way to people who are not, and I'm not even a "p.c." American. The ones who would take offense are likely people from nations where things have been.

When the rest of the world says we're Americanizing, it usually has to do with sending our troops and/or corporations, etc., to actually set up (what our govt. considers) a democracy with a constitution based upon our own, or McD's or WalMart something. American brands forced upon the population by Americans. That's Americanizing. I'm pretty certain there's no forward pass being brought into your game against the will of footy supporters, neither are we adding a dime to its existence except on a supporter-by-supporter basis, in which case it's not worth the advertising it costs to promote it here, because USAFL is fail when it comes to making Americans aware of footy (one of their "goals").

But (some) Aussies seem to have this idea that if Australians decide to do something in footy that happened/happens also in the States, even if it was just once upon a time, that's Americanizing. That's a pretty long stretch of that word. We didn't send troops in, or flood your country with money. NFL did something here. AFL officials did so there, long after that. And it's not in an effort to become more like us, but to become as successful in QLD and NSW as NFL has become in other countries where gridiron is king.

Americans are not changing AFL. Australians are imitating NFL. NFL does not = America. Big difference. If NFL wanted to Americanize footy, NOB's would be one of the last things to worry about. The push for NOB's comes from clubs NSW and QLD, not USA.

Ah. Interpretation difference. Americanising to most Aussies I know means mimicking and adopting American ways of doing things (bigger, flashier etc). I'm not against it in most things, just not footy. Nothing to do with colonising

 

[QS]

I've noticed that in Aussies, as I said. To me: imitating our society is flatter. Americanizing is when we do it for you.

There's a reason why I'm adamant about that and it has nothing to do with you personally, but with the USAFL, and I don't like the condescending way that word was used in a book regarding USAFL History (written by Aussies). One of my problems with the organization within that entity (USAFL) is that they (Aussies who run it) like to define "Americanization" for us. If/when we Americanize footy here, you'll know. And you'll know that Americans are running the show. It seems presumptuous (nice way of saying it) to me for someone who isn't American to define what makes something American. How could anyone but an American know?

But, I see your point, and this is definitely just another one of those things where one thing here means something else there.

Bananna/Banarrrna

 

[Mero]

I've noticed that in Aussies, as I said. To me: imitating our society is flatter. Americanizing is when we do it for you.

There's a reason why I'm adamant about that and it has nothing to do with you personally, but with the USAFL, and I don't like the condescending way that word was used in a book regarding USAFL History (written by Aussies). One of my problems with the organization within that entity (USAFL) is that they (Aussies who run it) like to define "Americanization" for us. If/when we Americanize footy here, you'll know. And you'll know that Americans are running the show. It seems presumptuous (nice way of saying it) to me for someone who isn't American to define what makes something American. How could anyone but an American know?

But, I see your point, and this is definitely just another one of those things where one thing here means something else there.

So, if I understand correctly, you're saying you misunderstood the generally accepted Australian use of the word "Americanised" and you're suggesting that because it means something else to you, we all need to recognise that. That's probably the best stereotypical 'American' response I've seen.
Maybe it's because you've never invaded us, we've always been on pretty good terms.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

AFL will trial players' names on guernseys for the North -v- Geelong game - Rd19! Might help BT with Geelong players' names, but it's a crap idea!

 

[Greater Gattsby]

AFL will trial players' names on guernseys for the North -v- Geelong game - Rd19! Might help BT with Geelong players' names, but it's a crap idea!

f***ing hell

 

[Zouz Kitty]

What an accolade, for our teams NM Design!!!

 

[Mero]

AFL will trial players' names on guernseys for the North -v- Geelong game - Rd19! Might help BT with Geelong players' names, but it's a crap idea!

So Geelong will be wearing their Clash jumpers with names.

 

[SJ]

AFL will trial players' names on guernseys for the North -v- Geelong game - Rd19! Might help BT with Geelong players' names, but it's a crap idea!

Source?

 

[Stromageddon]

[user]Mero[/user], I ask very nicely, incredibly nicely, - in fact I'll even donate $20 to a charity of your choice - if you can write "STORMY" above the 22 for these guernseys. (as opposed to whoever actually wore the 22)

 

[Mero]

[user]Mero[/user], I ask very nicely, incredibly nicely, - in fact I'll even donate $20 to a charity of your choice - if you can write "STORMY" above the 22 for these guernseys. (as opposed to whoever actually wore the 22)

Well, let's say we're starting the bidding at $20.
Anyone else?


PS No, I won't be doing anything more than PLAYER or NAME. Perhaps SURNAME even.

 

[Craegus]

Well, let's say we're starting the bidding at $20.
Anyone else?


PS No, I won't be doing anything more than PLAYER or NAME. Perhaps SURNAME even.

I bid 1 Bajillion dollars, to be paid through a post dated cheque.


p.s. PLAYER is the best option.

 

[Greater Gattsby]

AFL will trial players' names on guernseys for the North -v- Geelong game - Rd19! Might help BT with Geelong players' names, but it's a crap idea!

sauce?

 

[QS]

sauce?

Here

 

[TheBug]

The names across the top would look funny with the GPS pouches in the way.

 

[E92_]

Here

****stick.

 

[Greater Gattsby]

Here

Nope, here:

 

[Mr Eagle]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-07-28/chief-backs-jumper-names

Vlad likes it, but others within the AFL executive do not.

 

[E92_]

Vlad needs to go.

 

[Riccardo11]

It's like when the AFL changed the logo to incorporate all the letters - supposedly that was to appeal to an international market (no idea how they figured that one)!
This move is designed to do the only thing the AFL cares about any more: raise revenue and market the game to the 17 people outside of Australia who actually give a crap about AFL. Like the current marketing campaign - if any of those people aren't trained actors, I'd be very, very shocked!