Pretty in Pink
I was thinking the other day how Luongo as a goalie is a lot different from other goalies and that he speaks up for what he believes in. The thought then crossed me mind of Luongo doing something absurd to stick out from the rest of the league, make himself not just unique, but do something that made him infamous in a positive way.
Now before this I had just had a conversation with some friends about pink jerseys. Naturally the two conversations melded and the first thought that came to mind was Luongo wearing hot pink pads.
This all started because I was rather frustrated at the number of pink jerseys I had seen while out and about. I completely understand selling pink jerseys in order to raise money for breast cancer, or donating monies raised from said jerseys to cancer research, but I can’t stand that there are teams that now market pink jerseys as “women’s apparel”.
Never has a team every had an official jersey, look at the Canucks, they’ve had their share of crazy jerseys, but there hasn’t been a singly drop of pink in any of them. (For those that want to argue it, the ’96 jerseys were red, not pink). I think the fact that teams are trying to market pink jersey’s as “women’s apparel” in an attempt to bring in a larger female fan base and make it seem ‘inclusive’ is actually counter productive. When you look at any of the fans, male or female, wearing normal jerseys of any vintage it makes the people in pink jersey’s stick out. When you Google “Women’s Hockey Jerseys” the first hit that comes up is a picture of a pink jersey. (http://is.gd/tlkH)
Marketing pink jersey’s as women’s apparel is playing on a large stereotype that many female fans (I base this on the fact that not a single female fan I know would caught dead in a pink jersey) just don’t fit into. If you want to argue stereotypes, the female that is all about being pretty in pink isn’t traditionally the female that falls into the sports fan category or hockey fan category. The female fans I know wear the team’s colours with pride. If the team colours included pink then I’m sure they’d wear pink, but until the Canucks pick pink as a colour in their jersey they’re proud to wear the team’s real colours!
At first when the jerseys were put out as a fund raising initiative for cancer research I was alright with that. A little. But now to see teams selling them as a marketing tool it frustrates me.
All that aside though, wouldn’t it be awesome to see Luongo in hot pink pads?
Believe in Blue!
I obviously don’t have any perspective on what sells to and attracts woman to the game, but those I’ve spoken to are more concerned about the cut of the jersey than the colour. Not only that, but to me the pink jersey just doesn’t have the same appeal as one in blue (or white – not that I’d pick up a white one). Special meaning to fund breast cancer resarch – no problem. But a game-by-game thing just doesn’t make sense.
I believe they’ve come up with new fitted womans jerseys. I’m fine with that. I just see other teams using pink jersey’s as their selling point and I don’t agree with it.
You are so correct. I am a female fan and I don’t like the pink jersey. I thought they target to sell to baby and kid girls. If I remember correctly, the Canucks once played with a pink hockey stick for charity. That I strongly support. But I hope I won’t see a pink goalie pads.