Big teams like Manchester United constantly make changes in colour or design in the hopes that loyal punters are waiting to snap up yet another new model. It's gotten so bad that the British Premiere League is considering a rule that would restrict the frequency of uniform changes. You have to wonder how many times a fan will lay down the credit card for yet another wardrobe update. But the current boom in pro sports merchandise reaches far beyond the hardcore fan. Team jerseys and hats and jackets can be seen in the schoolyard, the nightclub, in rock videos.
Sportswear is streetwear.
It's fashion, a lucrative branch of the clothing industry. Now, I don't pretend to know a whole lot about the rag trade. But anyone who has watched a couple of episodes of Fashion File can see that it's a strange and fickle business. In fact, it's already left a few sports franchises in the dust. Consider the San Jose Sharks, who joined the NHL in 1992.