NFL Too Many patches? Now 50th Anniv. HOF patch...

[jake33]

Was wodnering what people's throughts were on the number specialty patches that the NFL has done in recent years. I believe this will likely only grow. There are only 16 NFL games per team, yet it seems like some other event, or cause is being honored all the time. I am not bashing the cuases, moreso the need to do this with patches.

Now in week 14 and 15 for 2012 there are 50th anniversary HOF patches. Does the HOF really need to be honored or marketed? Perhaps it does, but to me seems like overkill.

Some LEAGUE WIDE PATCHES over teh last few years ahev been the following:

American Bowl Patch
The Patriots honored a super bowl championship on opening day one year
The Captain's patches in 2007, which I do not think is needed
BCA patches and pink accents annually in October - they need to retool think and make the pink accents more uniform, some guys do it, some don't some have pink socks, some have pink chin straps, cleats, etc.... looks like a modge podge of pepto bismol playing football every October, and on top of it, they ripped off the idea from MLB.
International Series Patch
9/11 tribute patch
The camo patches, special logo footballs in 2012 and beyond
Now the HOF patches
Super Bowl 32 started a patch on
New stadium patches - i.e. packers, giants, eagles, etc did this
I haven't even mentioned the Pro Bowl and I know I am missing others....

What's next a "post season" jersey patch for all playoff teams like MLB?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personally, I think these should be the only patches they should use:

Team logo patches - i.e. the Steelers and Jets both use a clean patch on the left side of their jersey which looks nice

Anniversary patches - i.e. NFL 75th season, a specific team's years of existence, 9/11 Tibute

Super Bowl Patch

Honoring the passing of a relevant person to the franchise or league - The Tom Landry Hat back in 2000 was very nice looking and original, the GU Gene Upshaw Patch was a little large, but overall done well.

[mad87man]

I collect Jets stuff and the only patches they have had in the past couples years was the AFL 60 years i believe in 2009, the 9/11, ,the new stadium, and the captain's patch last year. Not total overkill but enough to have something new on their jerseys and have something cool in your collection even though i never got a 9/11 jersey.

I kind of like having patches if they are from special games in shows what they are from and gives the jersey a little meaning instead of the same old jersey.

[dirkjohnson]

I don't mind the patches as long as they are done properly. I only collect Redskins gamers with patches and alternates. Especially if it was worn in only one game, it makes it more historical and rare.

[jake33]

Historic and rare, means that it is also manufactured scarcity. Not that over doing it with patches on jerseys like the same as baseball cards, but in the card market we know this is done all the time to intentionally serial number a card to create scarcity.

So in essence, by putting on a patch that too force's an item's scarcity and "historic" nature not by choice or chance of greatness, but by a marketing department.

A player's NFL debut jersey, or a 500-yard passing game jersey, or super bowl jersey, has much more of a natural scarcity to it than an arbitrary patch put on prior to a game being played.

While the super bowl itself is manufactured, the ability for a certain player or certain team to play in it on an annual basis makes those items a scarcity due to the natural frequency, or lack there of.

[captainhaddock]

It's just a matter of time before NFL game jerseys feature sponsor patches. Some practice jerseys already have them. And we're all getting numbed to the look of a variety of patches on game jerseys, as noted in this thread. Just one more small step to go . . .

[Shipp_96]

I agree this is getting out of hand. I saw those yesterday and didn't even understand the purpose of them? I could see for say, the HOF game in Canton but otherwise they were just lame.

I remember in the '83 the Steelers had 50th year patches, the original AFL teams got some cool pants and jersey patches in '84, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Cowboys had unique 25th year patches. That I can appreciate. It made them special and I still recall how cool they looked 30 years later!

The patches now? I forget them from week to week because it's overkill. It's all about marketing and merchandise in the National Flag Football League these days.

[Preston]

The one plus I see - MUCH easier to photomatch or at least stylematch