OT: Oklahoma City's marketing department got it right this time
So I'm watching the NBA playoffs Saturday night with my wife and enjoying a very exciting and well played game between Dallas and Oklahoma City when it dawned on me that somebody in the marketing department for the Thunder got the free t-shirt colors very, very, wrong. For those that missed it they literally gave each fan in the arena the exact color of shirt of the Mavs road uni's making it appear, on TV at least, like a very pro-Dallas arena.
Tonight they got it right (fans got white shirts to match the Thunder's home colors) but Saturday night was hilarious.
Take a look at Saturday's game shots - remember, the home Thunder is in white!
April 30th, 2012 at 10:15 PM ^
I'm still waiting for the day when U of M hands out maize shirts to all the fans! I wonder if it will happen in my lifetime?
April 30th, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^
Not until a donor steps up to pay for them
They actually gave out maize t-shirts at some of the basketball games in the past. In my opinion, if you've been a fan for over a few years, you should have one by now. Hopefully, we'll finally get a maize out to work one of these days
The t-shirt thing has been done by other schools. I think we should try to get everyone to wear maize pants.
AT&T, flouting the "no advertising within Michigan Stadium" unwritten rule, handed tens of thousands of free T's (emblazoned with their logo/name) for the 2008 game against Wisconsin, during a "maize out" event.
And the color of said shirt? Old school maize, ca. mid-1990's!
Pants are over. Kilts are in. It would be the best giveaway in sports history: 100,000+ screaming fans decked out in maize kilts. Bring Braveheart to the Big House.
Could we make it navy, please? I realize that a "navy-out" wouldn't be as visually stunning or TV-friendly as a maize-out, but maize is a really bad color on 90+% of our fan base, if you catch my drift.
has already offered up the term "Blue Job" for the evolved conceptualization...
One other drawback is the on-going, raging battle of what exactly constitutes "maize" nowadays. Those of us over ~35 y/o may have a "vintage butterscotch" maize T, which may clash with those hippity/hoppity kids and their highlighter yellow T's.
(As well as the fact that there are no "maize" jackets/parkas, so the "maize out" T-shirt idea only works essentially in September.)
April 30th, 2012 at 10:16 PM ^
April 30th, 2012 at 10:23 PM ^
This has to be the best message board internet jokes I have ever seen. So original. NBA is rolling right now ratings and ticket wise. Stay out of the thread fucker if you don't like the NBA.
On an on topic note. The Thunder have some of the best NBA fans around.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:28 PM ^
what else are OKC fans supposed to do with their time? It' s Oklahoma.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:40 PM ^
Well the tornadoes and grass fires can be quite entertaining when we're not riding around in the surrey with the fringe on top.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:58 PM ^
Hey, now. Be nice. There's semi-pro hockey, AAA baseball, AND even a pretty solid zoo! Top ten even!
But seriously, Oklahoma fans are legit. The OU/OSU rivalry is very similar to UM/MSU. Oklahomans love their football and LOVE the Thunder. We sell out pretty much every game.
Also, I will say that Oklahoma City is very underrated. Including the metro, it's about 1.5 million.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:10 PM ^
There's also a lot of great people in OKC and Oklahoma in general, and the cost of living and unemployment are both lower than most of the rest of the US.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:21 PM ^
Yeah, hockey that is $10 a ticket, AAA baseball that they practically have to pay people to watch, and a pretty solid zoo that isn't even one tenth of what the Toledo Zoo is.
I'm sorry, I've lived in Oklahoma long enough to know that there is nothing redeemable about the city or the state. The fans show up for the big stuff, but they also whine and bitch about everyone being against them. It's because of the "fans" that I have developed a dislike of OU that is right on par with my Ohio hate.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:58 PM ^
First, I guess I kinda assumed the whole "semi-pro hockey/AAA baseball/zoo" thing would be taken as a joke..
Anyway, I totally agree about the OU fans. I have nothing good to say about that school in general. Dislike them with a passion. Hated them before I moved here, and I hate them more since living here. I was dragged to a few games, which I went for the experience.
And honestly, the thing that really drew me off the most was how they finish off the national anthem "home of the Sooners." I cheered for the other team after I had to listen to that. Not that I wasn't going to anyway, but still.
I have lived in Tulsa for almost 25 years and this is exactly how I feel.
Hey! You guys stole our 3-time WNBA champion team! It led to such headlines as this. ...But seriously, the year before they moved out, I was walking to a Pistons game and a guy was selling $0.50 Detroit Shock tickets, and something like $5.00 courtside seats. Rediculous.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:30 PM ^
Agree on all counts. But that's what makes the snafu with the shirt colors so damn wrong - they ARE great fans.....can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to sit there all night wearing the Mavs colors?
And for the guy below who says it doesnt really matter what color the shirt is would you wear a crimson or green Michigan shirt on game day if it were given out free?
April 30th, 2012 at 10:37 PM ^
First off, I noticed the same thing Saturday and thought it was hilarious. Secondly, crimson and green aren't Michigan colors, and blue is a color of the Thunder. I would still wear a blue michigan shirt if we wear playing Duke.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:42 PM ^
First off - you're absolutely right with your second point. But man o man if your road jersey colors are THAT close to the team your playing you really do have to go with white....
April 30th, 2012 at 11:51 PM ^
you are talking about Nebraska, its the scarlett that can not be worn on gamedays.
Sidenote: does anyone feel like less of a fan when wearing red (scarlett, crimson or whatever version)? Ever since I heard Hoke hadn't worn it, I feel shame when I see a red dress shirt in my closet and think about wearing it.
Soccer haters go on soccer threads all the time. Its not the end of the world if someone doesn't like a sport you do. Calm down.
no need for "fucker", but "nba sucks" in every thread is annoying
April 30th, 2012 at 10:23 PM ^
April 30th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
Not every NBA arena does a white-out for the playoffs, the Thunder just looked a little more foolish because their first round opponent (Mavs) were wearing pretty much the same color.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
Course, the shirts were probably ordered long before Dallas was set as the opponent.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:55 PM ^
How is that a mistake? Do you think the visitors felt more at home because the opposing fans that were screaming against them the whole game were wearing "their" colors?
April 30th, 2012 at 11:25 PM ^
It was a mistake because the fans WERE NOT screaming against them the whole game. The fans were mostly in their seat, and pretty quiet for the most part, which is not like a typical Thunder game at all. Them Okies couldn't figure out which team they were supposed to be rooting for.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:57 PM ^
Brooklyn Black Outs...
After the way that NYC abused the eminent domain process to take homes and businesses for the benefit of Jay-Z and a billionaire developer, I hope that the new Brooklyn team will suck for a long time and lose lots of money.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:22 PM ^
I have to admit, I had no idea that the NBA playoffs had started until tonight.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:23 PM ^
Semi off-topic, but does anyone else think Dallas coach Rick Carlisle looks like a gray-haired Jim Carrey?
Yes, I do.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:41 PM ^
im still confused the NBA actually had a season this year... hmm maybe they were trying to blend the crowd in with the team?
That kind of threw me off for a second. In my Vicodin and Flexiril induced haze, I asked myself why where the Mavs fan so damn excited for Durant hitting that last second shot. I have been pretty indifferent to the NBA in recent years, but I have to admit there was some pretty good games on this weekend. Bynum going all beast mode on Denver, Tony Parker looking like he was 22 yrs old, and the 27 point Clipper comeback made for some good entertainment. The there's the Rose story. Poor kid can't catch a break.
There could possibly be a benefit to this. Maybe it could make the Mavs' players blend in with the background so they'd be hard for their teammates to spot.