Not so silent E - Clothes really do make the fan
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- Published on Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Photo by Eoin Devereux
By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner
The Neepawa Natives will be sporting a brand new look on the ice this upcoming hockey season鈥︹�aybe. During the 水果视频 Junior Hockey League team鈥檚 annual general meeting earlier this year, club officials confirmed and showcased a new third jersey concept.
The alternate is similar to the throwback worn by the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2009 NHL Winter Classic. It features a block N on the chest with the name Natives written in cursive over it. A secondary roundel mark with a block N, the full team name and the year the club joined the 水果视频 Junior Hockey League is featured on the shoulders. Now, while the team didn鈥檛 confirm the new look until July, I knew about its鈥� existence since February, mainly because I鈥檓 the guy who actually designed it.
Now you may ask yourself, 鈥淲hy is a full-time news guy becoming a part time clothing designer?鈥� Well, the short answer is that the Neepawa Natives logo offends me鈥t offends me as a capitalist. Let me be clear in my argument. First off, I鈥檓 not saying one way or another that the logo or name itself is offensive to any specific culture. Many professional teams have dealt with that discussion in recent years and I can鈥檛 answer that question because I鈥檓 Irish, so I can only really answer on the name and logo of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In that case, that name and logo are not offensive to me, but if they were to ever change it to the Fighting, Drinking, Don鈥檛 Tan Well Irish of Notre Dame, then I鈥檒l probably take issue.
But back to the Natives. My contention with the current logo is that the team can鈥檛 make any substantial money off of it. There have been quite a few times when I鈥檝e seen Chicago Blackhawks hats, t-shirts and jerseys at home games as a substitute for the Natives logo. For an MJHL franchise looking for new revenue streams, that鈥檚 not very good. My second thought was that as a Winnipeg Jets fan (and a recovering Boston Bruins fan鈥on鈥檛 judge me. I was young and impetuous), I can鈥檛 bring myself to wear something that looks so much like a Hawks jersey. That鈥檚 a non-starter in my book.
So then, how do you solve a problem like Chicago? My initial suggestion to the Neepawa Natives board of directors was to change the team name to the Neepawa Fighting Neepawanians of Neepawa. The new logo could be a caricature of a well known local resident. Who wouldn鈥檛 purchase a sweater with Margaret Laurence aggressively bitting though a hockey stick? I鈥檇 buy that for a dollar. Suffice it to say, that idea was not well received from the board. Something about the name being too hard to cheer during a game and the logo being 鈥淥ne of the worst things ever... and not just for hockey.鈥� Oh well, on to plan B then, a new third jersey.
I designed the primary and secondary logos, with some assistance from Joel Whiteside of Source for Sports in Brandon, who finalized the concepts. So far, it has been very well received from everyone who has seen them. Most importantly, it鈥檚 not a replacement to the current logo, it鈥檚 simply creating a new alternative option.
Some jackets and t-shirts are currently being stitched by Annette Waldner of Promo Time and they look amazing. They鈥檒l be for order at the Neepawa Natives training camp. I鈥檝e already placed my order鈥�.No special discounts for the creator of the design, but hey I鈥檒l pay full price. It鈥檚 only fair, since I watch the team鈥檚 games for free (Thanks media credentials!)
Eventually, the players themselves will be wearing the new colours鈥�..I hope. You see, while the league itself aids with the purchase of the primary home and away jerseys, it鈥檚 the team鈥檚 responsibility to purchase its own third jerseys or specialty sweaters. There are two clubs per season that receive a little bit extra from the MJHL to buy a third jersey. Unfortunately, Neepawa along with Swan Valley were picked last year, so they鈥檒l have to wait another four or five years before they鈥檙e back at the top of the rotation. So if anyone has a couple extra thousand dollars to be the official jersey sponsor, go ahead and give the team a call. I am fearful of a game where the new colours are blanketing the stands of the Yellowhead Arena and the starting lineup for our team looks up and thinks to themselves 鈥榃ho the heck are the Block N鈥檚 and why are they so damn popular around here?鈥�
Come what may, I鈥檒l still be at every home game, whether or not it looks like I鈥檓 watching the Neepawa Blackhawks out there. Until then, go Fighting Neepawanians of Neepawa go! Go Fighting Neepawanians of Neepawa go!鈥eah, on reflection the board was right, that is too hard to cheer.
