Sports team apparel has always attracted fans who love to support their teams. It was in the mid-19th century when uniforms were introduced. Today with the widespread coverage and audience backing their favorite teams, it has become a whole new phenomenon. Sports teams are not the only ones to wear sports uniforms but their support staff and coach too. Here are some exciting and fun facts about sports apparel you didn’t know.
Interesting and Fun Facts about Sports Team Apparel
- The first Major League baseball team to ever number their sports team apparel in 1916 was the Cleveland Indians.
- In 1974, Samuel Widdowson, an English soccer player, was the first person to invent the shin guard.
- In 1932 at Wimbledon, Henry Austin was the first to wear shorts. It is rumored that by introducing it, he left Queen Mary in a state of shock.
- The first and the only MLB team to ever wear shorts was the Chicago White Sox in 1976.
- Tiffany and Co. was the company behind the renowned New York Yankees’ Logo creation. In 1877, the logo was initially utilized for the NYPD’s Medal of Valor. But once the police chief of NYC took charge as a Yankees’ part-owner, the baseball team adopted the logo.
- The logo of Pittsburgh Steelers is highlighted on only their helmet’s one side.
- Due to their belief in bad luck, the Dallas Cowboys refrained from wearing blue home jerseys. Instead, they preferred wearing athletic apparel in white for one home game, but all in 1971.
- In the 1920s and 30s, baseball players were the first to wear sports jerseys. At that time, no one worried about wearing a specific number. In their whole careers, Ernie Lombardi and Chuck Klein chose ten different numbers to wear.
- Ernie Davis and Jim Brown are the two men who wore Number 44 Jersey Syracuse University. Due to this number’s popularity, every university’s phone numbers start with 44.
- Before wearing the number 17 uniform, Andy Messersmith, the Braves pitcher, wore a uniform featuring the word “CHANNEL.” He did not display his last name so that he could become a walking billboard for Channel 17, the television station of Ted Turner.
- The last NBA player to ever wear short shorts was John Stockton. As a result, the Utah Jazz player was given the nickname “king of the short shorts.”
- The pitcher’s glove of a baseball player can consist of any color except white or gray. This is because it allows the pitcher to camouflage the ball very quickly.
- In Japanese, the number 4 is pronounced as shi, which means death. Therefore, Japanese baseball players avoid wearing the number four jersey.
- Regarding vintage fashion, the initial baseball caps were created from straw.
- In 1990, Michael Jordan had to wear the number 12 jersey to avoid unforeseen circumstances. The original jersey of Michael Jordan was stolen from the visitor’s locker room.
- Pittsburgh is the only city with major sports teams like NFL, MLB, and NHL having Black and Gold colors.
- Danny Heep, in 1986 was the only player to feature World Series with the initials “D.H.” The word D.H stood for the designated hitter.
- Shaquille O’Neal did not like signing up with Nike, so he dressed entirely in Reebok apparel.
- Many running sports brands wanted to include electronics within the shoe models. But they ultimately failed in achieving the desired outcomes.
How did Tracksuits Transform into modern Sports Team Apparel?
Some Sports team apparel require track suits that consist of jackets and trousers. They were initially intended to feature in the competition. But when the sports team was on the ground, they took these tracksuits off once their match started. But in today’s day and age, the purpose of tracksuits has changed considerably.
The earliest tracksuits consisted of synthetic fibers, which originated in the 1930s. But Adidas was the first brand to officially acknowledge it as a sports team apparel in the 1960s. Several decades later, tracksuits have shifted gears from being called sports apparel to a fashion statement. During the 60s and 70s, the purpose of tracksuits was minimal. People only wore them while they were outside of the gyms. However, things changed considerably with a red striped tracksuit featured in 1971 Longstreet, the ABC TV show. The following year, Game of Death, a Kung-fu classic game, featured a yellow and black jumpsuit. It is one of the iconic clothing to this very day. However, tracksuits gained popularity in the 1975. They used various materials, including terry cloth, cotton, polyester, or a mixture.
Further, in the 1980s, the tracksuits changed for the better. The pattern followed nowadays inspires the style introduced in the 1980s. They were “shell suits” and comprised synthetic fibers initially. But when times changed, they switched to nylon, so that the person wearing them remain cool. Bruce Lee was the person responsible for introducing tracksuits as leisure suits. He was the man who initiated the cause during the mid-1970s. These stretchable and athletic wear consisted of velour, polyester, cotton, and terrycloth.