There’s been a lot of talk around the web about the new pink jerseys the NHL is putting out in another attempt to get women into the great game (“beautiful” is taken by soccer, and too hard to pronounce through broken teeth). Generally, it seems like people are more amused than anything, but there has been some pissed-offedness (I reserve the right to noun verbs and verb nouns for the sake of entertaining you or myself).

Here’s the JAHL take:

If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

That may sound like one thing, or another to various people, just like you can see a penalty call different ways depending on who you are pulling for. But this is what it means.

If there is one thing the league office understands, it’s money. Most GMs may not get the money thing, but the league sure does. They discontinue merch almost as fast as Disney. If it isn’t selling, then they get that. There is no better way to send a message to the league than to leave them with a warehouse full of these things. That’s what happened with the women’s jersey style a year or two ago, and I predict that is what will happen here. You are more than welcome to write the NHL, and tell them you don’t like the jerseys, but your money will go a lot further. If they can sell it (tickets, merch, anything), then it is a success.

What I really don’t get is why this is any different than a pink sweatshirt or t-shirt. If you don’t like pink things aimed at women, where is the rage over that? It’s a color and it’s marketing. Everyone gets marketed to, no one is immune. If it applies to a jersey, it should apply everywhere. Frankly, they don’t market jockstraps to women, so they won’t aim these jerseys at men.

BTW, what if the NHL gave five dollars from every jersey to breast cancer research? Would that change some minds? Of course, that means they would most likely raise the jersey price across the board, but I bet people would think a little differently about the whole mess.

And, Pink Wings? Pink Jackets? Not in this lifetime.
We all know there are better ways to make the game more “attractive to women,” but this isn’t about that. This is about selling some product. And this time, your wallet will speak volumes.

Personally, I reserve judgment until I see them. I’m guessing they are going to be truly ugly, but hey, even the Preds third jersey sells, so who knows?