Butkus throwback jersey

A while back I decided that my very modest collection of football jerseys needed an addition. I’ve always been partial to the defensive side of the ball and one of my favourites growing up was Dick Butkus. All my jerseys are replicas of current players and I really wanted a throwback. So I started looking around the internet for a Butkus jersey. After a bit of searching my choice came down to some cheesy inaccurate e-bay offerings, a horribly overpriced Mitchell and Ness, and a Reebock Throwback series jersey for sale through the ESPN zone online store. The Reebock model was going for 124 bucks while the Mitchell and Ness went for 250 and up depending on who was selling it.

The 250 price made my jaw drop and my blood pressure rise and even though I still thought 124 was too much for a shirt, it looked reasonable by comparison. I decided that there was no way I was going to shell out that much for a jersey and decided to wait and see if the price would come down or if I could find someone selling it for less, or even a decent replica version.

There were differences in the higher end offerings of course. The MnN was made out of the materials used during the time frame of the player’s career, which I loved. Attention to detail is big. The Reebok had an NFL logo at the yoke of the neck which looked nice but is a feature of today’s jerseys. It also had shiny tricot fabric on the shoulder panels which again, looks nice but never graced the shoulder pads of Mr. Butkus. He also never sported a Reebok logo over his shoulder numbers.

Months went by and my occasional searches for a better option or price yielded nothing. I continued to go to the sites of the high end offerings oogling and poring over whatever details were available. Eventually my resistance weakened and one night I bit the bullet and ordered the Reebock version. I awaited it’s arrival with great anticipation. When it finally arrived my reactions to it were decidedly mixed. On one hand I finally had it and knew I’d enjoy wearing it for years. On the other I felt a bit cheated. The website had touted sewn on tackle twill numbers and lettering on the nameplate. This is, of course, one of the main differences between a 60 dollar replica jersey with screen printed numbers and this “twice the price” jersey. Since the Bears uniform of the time had orange borders around white numbers I assumed it would be the two layer twill of an authentic. Wrongo… ! What I found myself looking at and feeling was not the twill of numbers the real jerseys of my youth but some “plasticy” feeling hybrid. On top of that there was no double layer of twill. In fact the inside white of the numbers and letters was printed on the orange complete with printed fake white stitching at the borders. I had spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at the details of the jerseys using the best zoom functions available on the respective sites and was convinced that while the Reebok one wasn’t as authentic as the MnN, at least it had the sewn on double layer twill of an authentic. I was pissed.

I made this purchase a while back and in subsequent checking of the ESPN website there seems to have been an update and clarification and the wording describing the numbers specifying single layer twill. I can only guess that a lot of other people felt mislead. I was almost disappointed enough to send it back…. almost. In the end I decided that since, short of a lottery win, I was never going to shell out the MnN price and there were no other visible options I’d have to learn to live with and enjoy the product for what it was… something in between a replica and an authentic. Now, some 9 months after purchase, it has seen moderate use and gone through several wash cycles with two results of note. One, the twill has lost some of its “plasticy” feel and started to feel a little more like real tackle twill. The other is that the screen printed Reebock shoulder logos have begun to peel off. This does not bode well for the shoulder striping which is also a kind of screen printed rubber compound.

The verdict? Thumbs down. I am happy to have it since I put so much thought, time, money and consideration into its purchase that I’d hate to come out of that process empty handed. However, had I known what it was from the beginning I would have decided against purchase. Also I would point out that I had a Tarkenton jersey that lasted 15 years and might have lasted longer as it was lost, not worn out or discarded. I also had a Bo Jackson Jersey that lasted just as long before meeting its end through no fault of its own. This one, in comparison, is showing signs of wear after 9 months and, in my book, no football jersey should have anything on it that feels like plastic. Sorry Reebok. My opinion is that they should make it quality or make it replica. The “in between” is wholly unsatisfactory.