USFSA Team Jacket- Would you buy one?

[kATYDID411]

For years I've wanted (and actually BEGGED) USFSA to seel replicas of the USFSA Team jacket to fans. I've always been told they are only for Team USA members. I don't think this is fair since baseball, hockey, football, basketball fans, etc can buy their team's jackets/jerseys to show their fan support.

Anyway, when I was looking at this year's FOFS membership rewards, I noticed an Official Team Jacket was listed as one of the reqards for Gold membership. $10,000+ is too high a price for me, but I wish they'd sell the jacket to fans now.

My question is: If the Official Team USA jacket were sold to fans, would you buy one??

Katy

[misskarne]

No. It is to be earnt.

If ISA announced tomorrow they were selling Team Australia jackets I wouldn't buy one. I don't even have one of the jackets that my state association sells even though some of the skaters at my rink's SIBLINGS (non-skating) wear them. It has the state name on it, it's for earning not buying.

JMHO.

[mgobluegirl]

Absolutely not.

[Cherub721]

Would Johnny Weir buy one?

[lulu]

Would Johnny Weir buy one?

Only if they come with a bedazzler.

To answer the original question, personally, I wouldn't buy one.

[Garden Kitty]

No. I think the skaters probably look at getting a team jacket as a real accomplishment and it might make it less special for them if the same jackets were sold to anyone who wanted to buy one. Most of the federations sell other team merchandise that people can wear to show their support if they want, but it's sort of a nice reward to the skaters to have something special that they've earned.

[mkats]

I vaguely remember Nike planning to sell versions of the gray jackets that US Olympic athletes wore on the podium this year. Does anyone know if the versions sold to the public were different in any way from the athletes' version?

[MacMadame]

I might buy them if they weren't exactly the same but just were similar. Except I don't tend to buy stuff like that so I probably wouldn't.

[Jayar]

I agree with everyone else. The skaters are always so excited to be given their first (and successive) Team USA jackets. I say let them have that. They put in the time and effort-- I think it's an honor to wear it. Or for any skater wearing his or her team jacket. I love going to international events and seeing how proudly the skaters wear their team jackets.

[kATYDID411]

Do you think it's wrong for USFSA to give them as a gift to the Gold members of FOFS? Does it take away from baseball players or other team spoets when replicas of their jackets (or full uniforms for that matter) are sold? After the Cardinals won the World Series last year, at a game early this season, they gave awy replica rings to the first 15,000 fans. The rings obviously weren't as nice, but I don't think that takes away from the Cardinals accomplishments last year.

[ioana]

Does it take away from baseball players or other team spoets when replicas of their jackets (or full uniforms for that matter) are sold?

Those uniforms are what players wear day in and day out. There's no special sense of accomplishment associated with them -other than making the team to begin with. You only get a team jacket in skating once you get an international assignment. USFSA already sells warm-ups and similar attire (last I checked, at least) to anyone who wants to buy them, but I agree team jackets themselves would be better off left for the athletes alone.

[gingercat]

A team jacket from any nation is something that comes with years of hard work, not a credit card.

[hanca]

A team jacket from any nation is something that comes with years of hard work, not a credit card.

I disagree. You can buy Russian team jacket in a shop (at Bosco)
http://boscosport.ru/ru/#/en/238/arc...ian/category59

[leafygreens]

I thought there were "replicas" of team jackets in the USFS store? Why is this even an issue?

I don't think there's anything wrong with obtaining them, especially if they are being given to "high level donors."

The Nike Gray Olympic jackets (same that athletes wore) were for sale for $450 in the NBC store. I might have bought one, except they were sold out. And no, I wouldn't feel like I was ripping off an athlete who put in "years of hard work" by wearing one.

It's in the same vein of saying that it's "wrong" for a collector to purchase an Olympic medal that they didn't earn. It's not like they're saying "I won this in the Olympics!!" by having it in their collection. Even if they wanted to go around wearing it like jewelry, it's not fraudulent unless they are saying they won it themselves.

Is it wrong for staffers on the football team to get Superbowl rings like the players have? They weren't on the field.

There is "Team USA" memorabilia everywhere, for every sport. If I see someone wearing a "Team USA" item, I sure don't get indignant and think "How dare they, they obviously weren't on the team." The jackets are fashionable and patriotic. Let people pay for them, wear them, and show their support if they want to.

IIRC, Johnny Weir was wearing a "Russia" jacket to his competitions, while representing the U.S. Some people got offended, but it's what he wanted to wear. There may have been talk about it not being patriotic, but was anyone really confused and thought he was pretending to be a member of the Russian team? Or offended because he didn't put in the work to be a member of the Russian team?

[Oz_sk8ting_mum]

No. It is to be earnt.

If ISA announced tomorrow they were selling Team Australia jackets I wouldn't buy one.

JMHO.

Team Australia have to buy their own jackets anyway as well as earn them

[BittyBug]

IIRC, Johnny Weir was wearing a "Russia" jacket to his competitions, while representing the U.S. Some people got offended, but it's what he wanted to wear. There may have been talk about it not being patriotic, but was anyone really confused and thought he was pretending to be a member of the Russian team? Or offended because he didn't put in the work to be a member of the Russian team?

What Johnny wore in Torino was a jacket with CCCP on it ("USSR" in Cyrillic), which was a fashion jacket. The jackets were fairly popular at the time and widely available in ordinary department stores and fashion boutiques; it was not a Team Russia jacket.

(Johnny does have a bunch of Bosco Sport Team Russia stuff, but after the flak he took for the Torino incident I don't think he ever wore anything at a competition other than his Team USA gear.)

[Otterpop]

Absolutely not. These kids have worked their backsides off for years to EARN these coveted jackets. Regardless of what some countries do it would be morally wrong. Give these athletes a pat on the back not a slap in the face.

[misskarne]

Team Australia have to buy their own jackets anyway as well as earn them

Why does that not surprise me?


Anyway, I look at the pics of Josh and Jason in their USFSA jackets and I think about how hard they've worked to earn the right to wear them. I haven't worked anywhere near as hard. It would seem wrong to be able to just buy one.

[kATYDID411]

I honestly didn't mean this to become so contentious of a debate. I only want a jacket to show SUPPORT for USFSA, which they clearly need based on tv viewship (and I like the jackets since 2008-present). I would never want to take anything away from Team USA members. When USFSA said they wouldn't sell them for the reason you're all using, I disagreed with it, but understood. But, if letting me buy a jacket would take something away from skaters, then SURELY, letting high-rollers buy them just because they have the most money, downgrades it worse, IMO.

[PDilemma]

I honestly didn't mean this to become so contentious of a debate. I only want a jacket to show SUPPORT for USFSA, which they clearly need based on tv viewship (and I like the jackets since 2008-present). I would never want to take anything away from Team USA members. When USFSA said they wouldn't sell them for the reason you're all using, I disagreed with it, but understood. But, if letting me buy a jacket would take something away from skaters, then SURELY, letting high-rollers buy them just because they have the most money, downgrades it worse, IMO.

I didn't think it needed to be contentious, either, Katydid.

If my $50 or $90 or however much they could be sold for would dishonor the meaning of the jacket, then someone else's $10,000 does as well. If the reason for not marketing them is because they are to be earned by team members, giving them to the wealthy donors is hypocritical.