Enormous Smitty Logo on football shorts...eyesore!

[FranklinT]

Ordered a pair of black Smitty football shorts from UA a few days ago and couldn't believe the giant oversized "S" logo on the back belt loop.  I ordered a pair last year that were plain without this logo so I hope they aren't moving in this direction.  I noticed their new CFO shirts have a giant "S" logo on the front of them as well.  I can't remember a more ridiculous or obtrusive instance of a manufacturer placing their logo on a pair of officiating gear (other than the Japanese and Latin American umpires with advertising on their uniforms).  Ill be sending these back.  Am I nuts?  Would anybody ever wear a piece of officiating clothing with a logo this obvious and tacky?  It appears the Smitty new "tapered" football pants also have this logo on the back as well.

 

 

[The Man in Blue]

Nope, you’re not nuts.  Given the role of a sports official and the emphasis on our appearance, it is ridiculous for manufacturers to be placing advertising on uniforms.  I don’t mind a small, unobtrusive brand mark but that is advertising.  I can’t stand umpire shirts that have the company advertising on the back.

Sending them back is the best way to voice your complaint.

[FranklinT]

Thanks!

Im ok with a small, discreet placement of a manufacturer's logo.  I understand the realities of business and putting a logo out there helps drive sales and product awareness.  I get that.  Im ok with the small "H" on the back of the current Honig's shirts and jackets, the old "Honig's" script on the back of their shirts and jackets, the small "S" on the back of Smitty's shirts and jackets (baseball, football, basketball, etc.), but this logo placement on these shorts and the new Smitty football pants is ridiculous.

This forum is generally a very pro Smitty forum.  I don't get it or understand it.  I don't think their quality is that good and I remember the old days 10 years ago when Smitty was new on the scene their stuff was regarded as low level.  

[wolfe_man]

Football shirts for Ohio have this on the back between the shoulder blades now.

[yawetag]

53 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

Football shirts for Ohio have this on the back between the shoulder blades now.

If it's a required piece of clothing, then I don't have much of a problem with it. If I'm just told what to wear, with no mandatory provider or website, then I don't want the logo very visible. A small patch above the back pocket or a small stitching in the same color as the cloth - those are fine.

This white-on-black in a very obvious position (everyone checks out our back-end, right?) is too much. Had it been stitched in black or a small black patch (I think it's Honigs that does it with their umpire pants), that's perfectly fine.

I'd send them back, too, unless your whole crew has these exact same pants.

[Umpire in Chief]

Honestly, that S mark doesn't bother me too much. But I have been noticing their Logo much more prominently on umpire and basketball referee jerseys. I wonder how effective the branding is. They are the dominate uniform manufacturer in official apparel. And obviously they don't want to lose that. But the only one who will see, notice this is other officials, so while it confirms and reinforces their brand, it doesn't seem it would expand the brand IMO.

But remember quite a while ago when they first started hitting the market (at least for baseball) the ridicule of the name?

I also seem to remember I think the first Smitty thing I recall getting were a pair of ball bags and I seem to remember the bag packaging saying something like Smitty Lanyard and whistle company which I remember thinking was funny. 

 

[FranklinT]

7 hours ago, Umpire in Chief said:

I also seem to remember I think the first Smitty thing I recall getting were a pair of ball bags and I seem to remember the bag packaging saying something like Smitty Lanyard and whistle company which I remember thinking was funny. 

 

I remember an interview with former NBA referee Joe DeRosa (who owns Smitty now and owned Purchase Officials in Akron Ohio) and he talked about Smitty starting as a lanyard company and expanding.

[LRZ]

An black indelible marker might be just the thing, eh?

[Aging_Arbiter]

Seemed to work on correcting a hair cut that was against a Texas schools dress code policy.

[johnnyg08]

On 8/14/2019 at 8:03 AM, Umpire in Chief said:

Honestly, that S mark doesn't bother me too much.

I'm with you in this one.