What name should I put on the back of my jersey?

Everyone who gets a new pro-team jersey asks themselves that question.  Sounds like a simple enough question but for most people it’s a tough decision.  Teams these days don’t have just one star player. Rather, they have a few standouts who excel for various reasons or as a group (it would hard for me to pick one player on the 2014 Kings team, for example).

After speaking with a lot of clients who’ve had trouble picking a name, I came up with a few simple questions to ponder when choosing a name for a jersey.  Amazingly, these questions helped people realize who they should pick and why. I’ve also found that people are generally more excited about the jersey when they’ve put thought into the player they’re repping.  It makes sense. You wear your jersey with a sense of pride.

So here are some tips that will help you figure out whose name should go on your next treasured jersey:

1. What kind of player are you drawn to? Think about qualities or skills that you like.  Do you like tough guys like Probert or Chris Simon? Or do you prefer the goal scorer?  Snipers like Hull, Bossy, or Ovechkin?  Maybe the top all-around player is more your style (Toews) or the quick flashy impact player, like Kane.

2. Does the player have longevity with the team? You know what sucks?  Putting the name of a player on your jersey only to have him get traded next season.  Brutal. So here’s a strategy: who is the young up and comer? More likely than not he will be around for several years. It’s a safe bet to put that name on your jersey.

3. Do you want to have a little fun with it?Here’s something that I’ve come to realize:  Jersey collectors go nuts when they see the name of player on a jersey that the player never wore.  Putting Gretzky on a snazzy new Oilers jersey is like nails on a chalk board to jersey-lovers. Keener loses his mind when he sees that. The jersey is sacred like a country flag and messing with that sacrilege to avid fans. But hey, if you want to buck the system, then buck away. Who’s Keener, or anyone else for that matter, to judge?If you REALLY want to buck the system, put your own name or nickname on the back. The team can never trade you.We hope this helped. Honestly, it’s one question we get asked all the time and have come to realize that by simply thinking it through a couple of different ways you can be really proud of the jersey you throw on for game day.Jason Olson, CEO