The Jersey Blog Week 9
As March Madness is about to crash into us like a tidal wave, I had to peel myself away from staring at my bracket and hammer away on the keys for this week’s Jersey Blog. If you want in on the blog, be sure to DM pictures of your favourite jersey to one of the Bench Life Social accounts every Wednesday night.
Jersey of the Week Submissions
Fifth Place
Edmonton Oilers 2000’s Era “Gear” Alternate
This jersey was kind of funky. Never hated the jersey, I just wasn’t a fan of Edmonton’s 2000’s jerseys in general. Why they ever went away from the Gretzky-era palate and replaced the orange with that rusty/bronze colour is beyond me. The “Gear” alternate was kind of cool because it was different, but it was such a departure from their iconic Cup-winning colours that it just didn’t jive.
Fourth Place
2009-10 Team Autographed Anaheim Ducks Jersey
Adam got cute here. This jersey was the litmus test for how high I’ll rank jerseys just for an autograph. On one hand This jersey has more autographs than any jersey that’s been submitted so far. On the other hand, it doesn’t make up for a lazy, half-assed, kind of ugly hockey jersey. It’s a crime that Scott Niedermayer hoisted the Cup in this and not the far superior Might Ducks jersey. There are definitely some nice autographs: Niedermayer, Selanne, Getzlaf, Perry, Saku Koivu, Bobby Ryan, Ryan Whitney. This ranking might seem harsh, but I’m putting my foot down to let people know that I’m not a slave to the autograph.
The Podium
Bronze Medal Jersey
Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners
The Kid. The smile. The backwards hat. Griffey gets the distinction as one of the most talented baseball players of all-time. You can count on one hand how many outfielders could hit .300 with 50 bombs, 20 stolen bases and Gold Glove defence. Seventh all-time in home runs with 630 and a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2016 getting 99.32% of the ballot which was the record at the time. Not only that, but his prime came in the midst of the steroid era, where every star had biceps the size of his head and was juiced to the gils. On top of that the guy had a million watt smile and was one of the most marketable players in MLB history.
This is a jersey that any baseball fan would appreciate. While I’m not the biggest fan of the Mariners jerseys, their teal alternate is the way to go. There are a bunch of weeks where this jersey wins the Jersey of the Week, but we have some heavy hitters atop the standings.
Silver Medal Jersey
Paul Kariya Anaheim Mighty Ducks
This jersey has been on the top f my wishlist for years. Kariya was one of my favourite players growing up, and the Mighty Ducks are one of my favourite jerseys ever. It’s a shame that when you search Kariya on Youtube, the first clips that pop up are all different angles of Scott Stevens’ vicious hit in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final that effectively derailed his career. He was injury prone to begin with, but he was never the same after that concussion. But prime Kariya was a PROBLEM. In Anaheim he and Selanne were one of the most electric duos in hockey. And if it weren’t for injuries, that 2003-04 Colorado Avalanche team could’ve been incredible. In NHL 2004 it was easily my go-to team. Just take a look at this roster:
Jersey of the Week
Christian Laettner Duke Blue Devils
Any other week of the year and the Paul Kariya jersey wins. But guess what month it is? THIS IS MARCH. With March Madness kicking off tomorrow (by the way, today’s last chance to enter the Bench Life Sports March Madness Bracket Challenge) a college basketball jersey was going to rank high this week.
And say what you want about Laettner, the guy puts asses in the seats. Duke fans love him, everybody else hates him. One of the most iconic villains in sports history, one of the best college basketball players ever and is responsible for one of the most clutch buzzer beaters in all of basketball.
People forget that he was the only college player on the iconic 1992 USA Dream team, beating Shaq out for the final spot on the team. Also, if you’ve never seen it, check out the ESPN 30 for 30 “I Hate Christian Laettner”. One of my personal favourite sports documentaries.
Jersey of the Week Standings
Ben blows past Drew and starts to chip away at Adam’s lead. Miles cracks the top five. And I just know I’ll be hearing complaints from Adam and Cameron about their ranking. And I’m sure Drew will call me a dictator.
Jersey News Round-Up
If I wasn’t so disorganized I could’ve hit the people with a best-of jersey bracket for every school in this year’s March Madness tournament.
These jerseys are as effective as a Dwight Howard post-up. Stick to what works. For the Sixers its their plethora of nicer jerseys and for D12 (39?) it’s the pick and roll.
Kind of nice. Can’t say I take notes on B1G hockey jerseys for reference.
Pictures like these scream early 2000’s.
Hard pass on these.
Give me USC, Alabama, UNC and Tennessee in the Final Four of this bracket
Here’s a heavy dose of St. Patties themed jerseys.
Bench Life Sports 