FSG import a crippling American model
Liverpool have copied a crippling American model.
Liverpool, in partnership with Nike, have released the new strip for the home, away and third kits for the 2020/21 campaign. By now practically everyone has seen them.
Ever the media darlings, Liverpool players have showcased the newest line of togs on social media and in the press in recent days.
Apparently everyone on the planet has been lining up, since its release, to acquire one of these coveted kits.
The pricing with add-ons such as relevant official patches and such is north of £89, making the cost prohibited to average fans and families. This has been slammed by some fans online.
But I would like to take this moment to address a long term growing problem with the costs of being a sports fan in general, and a sport participant (athlete) particularly; especially here in the States.
Team swag has always been an overpriced merchandising game/scam, once again, particularly here in the US. This is the major reason you see such a rise in the jersey and kit forgery markets that have risen up over the past 20 years or so.
Sports fans in the US play directly into the hands of these land sharks. Having an officially sanctioned jersey from Liverpool or Manchester United, Real Madrid, or the Yankees, Red Sox, New England Patriots etc is seen as a status symbol.
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Nowhere on earth is perceived status and status symbols more important than here in America, where the marketing gurus take full advantage of this. Remember in the late 80’s and 90’s where kids were literally killing each other over the latest versions of the Nike or Jordan shoes.
But the often underreported story doesn’t stop with fans. Each and every team sport in the US is under assault by this casually, arbitrarily arrived at overpricing for access to team sports and youth leagues.
Indeed, it is well beyond the means of most families to send their children to sports camps which are the only well organized youth development programs in every sport now.
Furthermore, It is even more cost prohibitive to the average family to send a child on the road with a ‘traveling team’. Which is absolutely necessary these days if your young athlete wants to remain competitive.
This has become a huge huge problem in the past two decades in the US. Just listen to Clint Dempsey describe how much his family sacrificed to get him on a traveling team. And he grew up in the 80’s! It hasn’t gotten any easier today.
This paradigm of youth sports in America threatens to eliminate all those but the financially well off from competitive team sport. And this is just sad. Once again, only the wealthy, or well off can, as fans, gain access to sports venues, or the team youth leagues that are a modern day requirement for progression in any team sport in America.
I looked into going to Chicago a couple of summers ago to watch a summer tour match between Bayern and AC Milan. The cost was a whopping $450 for the cheap seats! And most of the first team superstars weren’t even in the squad!
Needless to say, I just watched from home on the telly. But this too is ever increasingly becoming more cost prohibitive for the average fan. Streaming services, which are relatively cheap in the beginning, continue to increase fees and limit access to the matches that are most desirable.
I equate this with drug dealers who give away their product for free in the beginning to get you hooked, and then hit you up for the unforgiving cost to get their product. Drug dealers are the best capitalists to be found. They have perfected this economic model with the aplomb of a doctoral economics guru.
Legit business models are no better, this includes Direct TV, Nike, Adidas, and other streaming service packages tailored to a particular sport.
And there is no end in sight. Why would there be? There is way too much money to be made. And nothing is more important than making a shedload of money! Right?
Liverpool announce new signing and people aren’t happy. dark. Next
While this could lead to success on the field, it shouldn’t be at the expense of the fans.