I was a bit conflicted as a Michigan football fan during last Saturday’s season opener versus Hawaii. Sure, I was thrilled for the beginning of another season, especially building off the success of Jim Harbaugh’s debut season as head coach. Big preseason expectations make me a bit nervous, but that’s natural fan anxiety.
But I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about that new jersey and those new uniforms.
That seems silly, right? Michigan took the field in the same ol’ classic maize-and-blue uniforms. Nike wasn’t going to mess with one of the iconic looks in college football, surely learning some lessons from the mistakes Adidas and former athletic director Dave Brandon made with ugly alternate uniforms that were a blatant money grab, trying to get fans to buy supposedly specialty jerseys with misplaced stripes that would likely never be worn in public.
Like all Michigan fans, I was excited about the return to Nike, knowing that the renewed partnership would result in a better product, both for athletes (i.e., jerseys that didn’t tear during games) and fans (sturdier shirts with more aesthetically pleasing designs). But then Michigan and Nike announced that its official gear and apparel would sport the “Jumpman” logo, the iconic silhouette of a leaping Michael Jordan. It’s one of the most iconic logos in athletic shoes and apparel. And Michigan would be the first school to have it on its uniforms.
I hated the idea.
First of all, I know I’m in the minority on this. I’m not claiming to speak for the Michigan fanbase at large here. Actually, “minority” might not even adequately explain how small of a contingent holds the same view. (If it’s larger, please speak up because it’s lonely out here.) In talking with my fellow Michigan fans and interacting with them on social media, I feel like I’m on an island.
Look, I get it. Michigan is earning major cool points with this. It’s another example of how Harbaugh has revitalized the program, establishing relationships that previously wouldn’t have existed or even made sense. The Jumpman logo is going to resonate with a lot of recruits, and if it helps bring in talent, how could I possibly take issue with something that sets Michigan football apart from the rest of the competition?
It’s a Michael Jordan thing with me, man. Some of my formative years as a sports fan occurred during the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” era, and though the Boston Celtics were the team that Detroit needed to overtake to become Eastern Conference and eventually NBA champions, there were plenty of clashes with Jordan and the Chicago Bulls along the way.
When the Bulls were a one-man team, the Pistons easily dispatched them in the playoffs. But it got nasty between the two teams as Detroit was trying to maintain its stronghold while Chicago and Jordan were attempting to push the Pistons off the pedestal and get to that coveted championship. The teams played a six-game series in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals. The following season, it was a seven-game series. Both seasons ended with Pistons championships, but Jordan and the Bulls could only be denied for so long.
The Bad Boys’ championship run finally ended in 1991, and it was ugly. The Pistons were worn out and the Bulls were ready to take that next step from contender to champion. Chicago swept Detroit in four games, and maybe only one of them was close. It was clear who the better team was now. But before Game 4, Jordan made some remarks that the Pistons and their fans perceived as a belittling of their championship achievements.
“The dirty play and the flagrant fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct, hopefully that will be eliminated from the game with them gone. We don’t go out and try to hurt people and dirty up the game. You never lose respect for the champions. But I haven’t agreed with the methods they’ve used. I think people are happy the game will get back to a clean game.”
Jordan followed up those assertions after the Bulls had eliminated the Pistons by saying “I never said they weren’t champions. But that doesn’t mean they’re clean champions.”
Many fellow players and NBA fans did feel the Pistons was a dirty team that brought thuggery to the game. To a Detroit fanbase accustomed to having their city insulted and frowned upon, that sentiment fed an “us against the world” mentality. The scoreboard had the final say. The Pistons won two rings. That achievement had to be respected. Except Jordan dismissed it with his comments.
Is it any wonder that Isiah Thomas led a walk off the court before the final buzzer of Game 4, refusing to shake hands with the Bulls? It was a poor example of sportsmanship and looks terrible now. But there were very few, if any, Pistons fans who didn’t understand or agree with the decision at the time.
Michigan's band forms the @Jumpman23 logo with Michael Jordan in the house. pic.twitter.com/OEMFgKz5aG
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 3, 2016
Yes, that was 25 years ago. I should have gotten over this long ago. Most of my fellow Michigan and Detroit sports fans have, though I’d argue that we’re perhaps the only fanbase that doesn’t view Jordan favorably. There were just too many hard feelings. So despite the passage of time, which presumably heals all wounds and all that, it’s difficult to accept a team playing in the state of Michigan willingly putting a logo associated with Jordan on its uniform.
Never mind that it’s another corporate logo on a college football uniform. (And a logo formed by the school marching band at halftime!) But that ship left the docks a long, long time ago. This is when I become my father and I still remember him shaking his head when that Nike swoosh first appeared on a Michigan football jersey. Dad, don’t be such a grump. This is cool. People love Nike. Besides, the logo isn’t that big. (He didn’t live to see the Adidas era, which is probably something for which to be thankful.)
More than two decades later, I’m essentially being told the same thing, albeit by many fans who are my age. But plenty more either don’t remember that Pistons-Bulls 1990s rivalry or just view Jordan with such awe (and rightfully so) that the Jumpman logo is a stamp of affirmation. How big a deal is Michigan football? Michael Jordan and Nike slapped the Jordan Brand on its uniform.
I’ll get over it. I’ll surely even eventually like that logo. I have a couple of Nike Michigan football t-shirts with the Jumpman on them, but haven’t yet worn them. It’s a process. Eventually, I’ll get to the stage of acceptance. The Wolverines fulfilling those big expectations will certainly play in a role in that. Jim Harbaugh can get me to accept just about anything.
it’s a basketball logo on a football uniform for crying out loud! put a helmet and shoulder pads on it and replace the basketball with a football and i’ll say ok.