Terrible headline. Think what you want about the Yankees but if ads on uniforms become common I'm pretty sure they will be the last major sports team to do so.

Huh? Not sure how tranferring money from the players to the owners is “more equitable”, but whatever’s clever.

Didn't rtfa. But I assume the point is that the superstars get ad revenue that is disproportionate with their on-the-field value. If the teams collect more ad revenue at the expense of the top athletes, it will lead to salary inflation, which distributes the ad revenue more proportionately according to player value.

Of course they'll end up keeping about half of it, but hey.

As Michael Sandel has noted in a recent book, we've lost the ability to distinguish between a market economy and a market society, wherein more and more activities previously (and rightfully) understood to transcend or be superior to mere commerce are sullied by commerce. This is yet another marker of that unfortunate trend.

Yesssssssss.

Terrible headline. Think what you want about the Yankees but if ads on uniforms become common I'm pretty sure they will be the last major sports team to do so.

Completely agree. How many other teams have never used an "alternate" jersey unless it was mandated by MLB?

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As Michael Sandel has noted in a recent book, we've lost the ability to distinguish between a market economy and a market society, wherein more and more activities previously (and rightfully) understood to transcend or be superior to mere commerce are sullied by commerce. This is yet another marker of that unfortunate trend.

Sure is, and the more that this godawful trend proceeds, the more that people won't even notice it. We're becoming like lobsters who don't see the flame underneath the pot that's fueling the nice warm bath that we're enjoying.

As Michael Sandel has noted in a recent book, we've lost the ability to distinguish between a market economy and a market society, wherein more and more activities previously (and rightfully) understood to transcend or be superior to mere commerce are sullied by commerce. This is yet another marker of that unfortunate trend.

Agreed; and we should keep commerce where it belongs, in the hands of filthy, usurious Jews.

Terrible headline. Think what you want about the Yankees but if ads on uniforms become common I'm pretty sure they will be the last major sports team to do so.

Completely agree. How many other teams have never used an "alternate" jersey unless it was mandated by MLB?

Eh, the Yankees also have by far the most valuable brand, certainly in MLB but probably in NA, so the most to gain. The Red Wings have never worn a third jersey, have worn the same jersey since 1932, only making minor, league-mandated changes, are arguably the premier NHL franchise...and yet they are now the Detroit Red Wings® Presented by Amway.

The Yankees would have the most to gain, but they'd also have the most to lose by going the cheesy route with jerseys. Sorry to hear that the Red Wings caved, but hockey's so marginal a sport as to not even be worth considering. I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans outside the small NHL fan base could name a single Red Wing.

Eh, the Yankees also have by far the most valuable brand, certainly in MLB but probably in NA, so the most to gain.

Who did they sell the naming rights for the new Yankee Stadium to?

Eh. Maybe it's because I'm a soccer fan, but I don't have much of a problem with this as long as it's kept dignified (not as in #4). Some small logos on the sleeve and/or the lower back could do.

I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans outside the small NHL fan base could name a single Red Wing.

Ben Revere is a Red Wing (for now). What do I win?

EDIT: OK, I'll try to add something to the discussion: I would have expected the minor leagues to enter this area ahead of the major league teams. They aren't above much, but for the most part even their jerseys have stayed clean.

The Yankees would have the most to gain, but they'd also have the most to lose by going the cheesy route with jerseys.

The Yankees were the first to put ads on their uniforms (along with Tampa) several years ago. I suspect there was a league mandated aspect to that but I think the Yankees would lose very little by going with something similar to those ads and of course a lot to gain financially.

I think we are an awfully long way from the soccer style jersey with the sponsor dwarfing the logo but I don't think the Yankees will be more or less likely to engage in the process than any other team.

Walking my kids to the bus stop the other day I saw a kid wearing an AIG jersey. My not-yet-caffeinated brain was spinning: Kids root for insurance companies now? Credit-default swaps?

Then he turned around and I saw that he rooted for Ronaldo.

no chico's bail bonds posts??

c'mon guys. it was just sitting there

The Yankees were the first to put ads on their uniforms (along with Tampa) several years ago. I suspect there was a league mandated aspect to that

The fact that those patches were used by both teams, and only for one series in Japan, should tell you the answer to that. It's been 8 years since then, and it hasn't been repeated.

but I think the Yankees would lose very little by going with something similar to those ads and of course a lot to gain financially.

I think we are an awfully long way from the soccer style jersey with the sponsor dwarfing the logo but I don't think the Yankees will be more or less likely to engage in the process than any other team.

There may be a quasi-cultural split between real Yankee fans and the sort who watch them only because they fantasize about getting a gift package from The Captain, but among the former group, there would be a huge backlash to any cheesy commercialization like that. And given that the Yankees have been among the tiny number of teams that haven't sold the naming rights to their stadium, and that they're about the only (if not the only) team that's never used "alternate" jerseys** or put names on the back of the uniforms***, I think it's a pretty fair assumption that the Steinbrenners clearly "get it" when it comes to this aspect of the Yankee tradition.

**unless mandated by MLB

***at least not on the field, though they don't mind selling those moronic looking "replica" jerseys with Babe Ruth's name above the # 3

I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans outside the small NHL fan base could name a single Red Wing.

I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans inside the current MLB fan base could name a single Kansas City Royal or Pittsburgh Pirate.

or put names on the back of the uniforms***, ...

***at least not on the field, though they don't mind selling those moronic looking "replica" jerseys with Babe Ruth's name above the # 3

Since we're talking about money-grabbing, doesn't your footnote completely invalidate your comment here? The Yankees are perfectly willing to put player names on the back of the replica uniforms that they sell because, apparently, they see more money to be made.

I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans outside the small NHL fan base could name a single Red Wing.

I doubt if 1 in 100 Americans inside the current MLB fan base could name a single Kansas City Royal or Pittsburgh Pirate.

That may be only a slight exaggeration (Bruce Chen! A.J. Burnett!), but since the Red Wings are the closest thing to being the Yankees of the NHL**, the anonymity of the Royals or the Pirates doesn't really address the point.

** Fans of Les Habs may dispute that, but I doubt if 1 in 100 non-hockey fans in the U.S. could name a single Canadien player, either.

or put names on the back of the uniforms***, ...

***at least not on the field, though they don't mind selling those moronic looking "replica" jerseys with Babe Ruth's name above the # 3

Since we're talking about money-grabbing, doesn't your footnote completely invalidate your comment here? The Yankees are perfectly willing to put player names on the back of the replica uniforms that they sell because, apparently, they see more money to be made.

Perhaps you can't see any difference between a souvenir stand and a playing field, but so far it's apparent that the Yankees don't agree with you. You can analogize your way into a prediction that the Yankees will inevitably promote an MLB Authenticated Derek Jeter Sperm Bank®, but until you start seeing evidence of cheesing up the product on the actual jerseys (or the stadium name), you might want to hold your guns for awhile.

** Fans of Les Habs may dispute that, but I doubt if 1 in 100 non-hockey fans in the U.S. could name a single Canadien player, either.

So people that aren't fans of a particular sport might have trouble naming players from that sport. Great insight. Thanks for contributing. Oh, and Carey Price.

it would be great if you could put a "for sale" sign on a player

Eh. Maybe it's because I'm a soccer fan, but I don't have much of a problem with this as long as it's kept dignified (not as in #4). Some small logos on the sleeve and/or the lower back could do.

So, yet another thing to dislike about Central American soccer.

Iceland: Can it happen here?

Perhaps you can't see any difference between a souvenir stand and a playing field, but so far it's apparent that the Yankees don't agree with you.

The thesis of this article seems to be:

1. Advertising on team jerseys would make teams money.
2. Teams like to do things that make them money.
3. Therefore, teams will eventually put advertising on their team jerseys.

You seem to be arguing that the Yankees are above #2. In what way are they showing a reluctance to make as much money as possible by refusing to put Jeter's name on the back of his jersey? The way that putting player names on the back of jerseys has a monetary advantage to the team is that they can sell more replica jerseys. The Yankees already realize this benefit by selling "replica" jerseys with Jeter's name on the back. If anything, their reluctance to put Jeter's name on his actual jersey makes them MORE money, because they can then sell Jeter jerseys to both regular fans who want the jersey to have the name of their favorite player on it as well as to pretentious fans who want to flaunt their moral superiority by buying Jeter jerseys that don't actually have his name on them.

In the case of advertising on jerseys, there's a direct monetary advantage to the Yankees of putting the advertising directly on Jeter's own jersey, so that the advertising can be seen during games. The analog to what they do now, then, to appease the morally superior segment of their fanbase would be to sell "replica" jerseys that did not include the advertising logos.