Adidas Jersey Issues! UPDATED & EDITED

Submitted by Fhshockey112002 on

With GR3's jersey issues today (originally reported as blood, later to be tearing) can Michigan finally get away from Adidas?   Not sure if it was widely known but the report of Michigan not having their Blue road uniforms since the Minnesota game, and would be wearing last years jerseys if the road team. 

That Minnesota game was on JANUARY 17th that is over 2 months ago, and Adidas can't get Michigan replacement jerseys? 

I know there is always a lot of complaining about the apperal that Adidas puts out but with the football jersey issues the last two seasons, and now these issues with the basketball team there has to be a change.

Edit: It appears Adidas has mad a statement about Michigan not having their road uniforms.

Adidas statement: “We have plenty of Michigan uniforms including the home white jersey they wore today. There won’t be any issues.”

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) March 23, 2013

Bando Calrissian

March 23rd, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^

Because it's probable that last year, Adidas actually gave us enough stock to hold us over and there was enough left over to repurpose. Or Adidas still had the template in stock. 

The real question is why Adidas can churn out new camo uniforms, sleeved uniforms, alternate throwback uniforms, etc. for all of its schools at breakneck speed, but can't replace our normal set within two months. 

hopkinsdrums

March 23rd, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^

I might not mind Adidas if we could wear the throwbacks (from PSU game) all season. Rips or not.

 

Bando Calrissian

March 23rd, 2013 at 3:55 PM ^

Before the Nike contract in '95, Michigan didn't have an exclusive supplier for anything. Basically, it was a mish-mosh of suppliers for everything. Nike shoes, DeLong and Russell doing a lot of the jerseys and shorts, Wilson did a lot of the football gear, hockey was all over the place (and until recently, still sort of was), Cliff Keen Athletics had some contracts (and still does the fabrication on some of Michigan's stuff in their shop)... There even used to be a separate jersey supplier just for bowl games. 

Frankly, the idea that one single company can (and should) supply uniforms and gear for every sport when they have strengths and weaknesses across their product lines is pretty ridiculous. But that's the world we live in now.

Section 1

March 23rd, 2013 at 5:26 PM ^

This is such a great comment.

The new-default option is an all-encompassing tie-in with one equipment supplier.  Everybody does it.  Why?  Why does it have to be that way?

Is the number still $7.5 million per year, plus all the free stuff we can consume?  Would it be that hard, to replace that all-inclusive deal?  Could we revolutionize the current marketplace, with a Nike deal for basketball, a Reebok deal for hockey, a Wilson deal for baseball, an UnderArmour deal for football? And an adidas deal for track, golf, etc.?

$7.5m was the 2007 number, and I understood that there was a clause that guaranteed that we'd be the highest-paid university contract for the life of our deal.  Has our $7.5m number been upped in the course of this contract?

In reply to by Section 1

Dale

March 23rd, 2013 at 6:31 PM ^

I think the value of these contracts for the apparel companies isn't just being associated with a university sport. if adidas isn't the exclusive provider for all michigan sports, they lose the cache that comes with that. why would a company pay to supply basketball uniforms just to be entitled to play second fiddle to another company supplying football uniforms?

AnthonyThomas

March 23rd, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^

Do you think going back to Nike will help with football jerseys? They'll come up with even dumber alternate jerseys and Brandon will jump at the opportunity to wear them.

Fhshockey112002

March 23rd, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^

Personally I do think switching to Nike would be a good idea, but I'm also not opposed to others.  My biggest complaint is the poor quality and what appears to be terrible "customer service" Adidas provides.  I highly doubt Nike/Under Armour/ etc would allow a team to have to wear last years jerseys due to not being able to provide them with replacements for damaged uniforms. ESPECIALLY AFTER 10+ weeks

FGB

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:06 PM ^

Also thanks for the stadium renovation, lining up the Crisler renovations, hiring Beilein, not pimping Michigan for every dollar out there.

Take a significant amoung of good with a significant amount of bad, exactly as we do with our current AD as well.

Section 1

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^

Since they are virtually all template designs with only minor modifications for each school, I keep wondering if Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska, UCLA, Kansas or Lousiville have had these issues?  I haven't heard.  Have the bloggers from those schools posted about similar issues?

One of the frustrating things about this is that no one seems to be able to do a story on it.  Are the players under orders to say nothing?  Has anybody asked Beilein?  Will no one in the athletic department say anything?  Seems like there is nothing so effective in shutting down a free press like "commercial interests."

When Magnus is doing exit interviews with football players as they finish their eligibility, and when UMHoops does the same with basketball players, it would be interesting to ask about what the players thought, and what they were told by their coaches, about the football jersey debacle at Northwestern in 2011, and what happened with the basketball jersey debacle at Minnesota.

GrindToEat

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:07 PM ^

So if we switch from Adidas after 2015, would we switch to Nike, and the pro-combat get up? Or to under armor, and something similar to Maryland's monstrosity?

In my honest opinion as long as we're winning and the helmets have maize wings on them, I could care less

Geneticblue

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^

Won't happen.  Too much money in the deal vs the Swoosh.  At least they actually fit on camera.  The stuff I order never seems to fit right...that could also be due to the fact that I dont have a bb players body...

JamieH

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^

You would think Michigan could get out of the deal due to break of contract.  I would think the contract would stipulate that Adidas actually had to provide uniforms that, well, could actually be used for athletic events. 

Adidas is such a pile of trash.  They make the ugliest, lowest-quality shit in the universe.  It's an embarassment to be associated with them in any way, shape or form.

twgolf19

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^

You people complain about uniforms like ladies. You like the money adi gives but just bitch all the time. Just enjoy the sports teams and not worry about the frickin jersey. Just enjoy the win today. These post bitching about uniforms all the time make me want to read other Michigan blogs. Fuck.

TruBluMich

March 23rd, 2013 at 8:34 PM ^

The only thing worse than a thread about Uniforms, is the guy who reads all the comments after volunteering to click (on a very detailed title) and proceeds to complain about the whole blog.  Your the one who clicked the link, your the one who read it and your the one complaining.  Its a FORUM, FORUMS are used to exchange ideas with like minded people about a topic.  The TOPIC is about Uniforms and based off the number of comments on all these uniform posts.  It is a topic that some like minded people or Michigan fans on a Michigan forum like to discuss.  SO you please quit your bitching or go read another FORUM where people only talk about what you enjoy discussing.  Other options incude, not reading topics you don't enjoy discussing, not partcipating in topics you don't enjoy discussing.  The blog is the content posted on the main page and in terms of blogs it's about the best your gonna find when it comes to Michigan athletics.

Michiganguy19

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:50 PM ^

You would think it wasn't 99% men.

1. I would think the athletic department would have QTY 10 of everything. So no offense to our Basketball equipment manager, but I assume someone puts the orders in to Adidas.

2. From the looks of our Adidas jerseys, they are incredibly lightweight, and very breathable... which means they probably are more prone to tear than our jerseys 5-10 years ago.

3. No one ever writes some about how good our Adidas stuff is, just the negatives as they crop up. So here is one, my Adidas zip up from the football season is one of the best pieces of Michigan apparel I have ever owned. I get compliments on it regularly and consistantly.

4. They pay the bills, thats how it works. If UA or Nike wants to step up next time around, I have no problem with a switch.

umbig11

March 23rd, 2013 at 4:58 PM ^

The Adidas contract is up soon (2015) and we will be negotiating with Under Armour which is a U. S. company. I am sure Brandon and the university love that aspect. I am not sure how their shoes hold up, but leave Adidas to soccer and track!