Commodification

The commodification of sports today has gotten crazy. Everything from the starting line-up to the plays of the game are owned by some corporation. It is impossible to watch a game and not be exposed to some sort of advertising. Although it can be ridiculous at times, it's not always a bad thing. Both parties benefit from the relationship... there is one place I'm glad has not been affected by the commodification bug: the uniforms.

After the most the names of all the classic stadiums and arenas have gone the way of the wind, the jerseys are really the only thing "holy" in sports that has been left untouched. 

The topic has once again been brought up by Mark Cuban who says the idea is inevitable and keeps pushing the idea in order to affect perceptions of the idea. This man is a billionaire, what does he need more money for? I guess this kind of thinking may have been what got him a lot of his riches...

Paul Lukas, writer of the Uni Watch Blog, wrote an excellent article that has alleviated my feelings on the whole issue. He goes through many points on why ad-free uni's aren't going anywhere and his logic is pretty solid. 

I just wish everyone would have kept other things "sacred" in sports, so we wouldn't end up with changes like these: