Are You Holding On To Your Throwbacks

I love throwbacks! I love what throwbacks stand for,...the history,...the stories. Throwbacks are variations on a sports teams uniforms styled to resemble uniforms from that teams past. They were first promoted in the 1980's with baseball. They have proven popular in all major pro sports in the U.S. Mitchell and Ness is the premier provider of nostalgic apparel for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA. They offer jerseys, jackets, tees, hats and hoodies. I never thought about it quite like this but my closet is full of throwbacks from a women's sports era gone by. Every piece of licensed apparel I own belongs to a team or league that is no longer active. Chances are you too have hanging in your closet or folded neatly on a shelf or placed in a drawer a throwback from a WNBA team moved or disbanded. Maybe you recall when Portland, Oregon held two basketball franchises, the ABL Portland Power and the WNBA Portland Fire. Are you into soccer? Perhaps you kept a Carolina Courage tee or cap. For you pro softball fans, did you hold on to anything from the WPSL? Volleyball fans, did they even offer merchandise for the short lived National Volleyball Association?

Even today we are hearing about the disbanding of not only the Los Angeles Sol soccer team of the WPS, but also a staple in the WNBA's historical database has closed it's doors. No longer will there be a Sacramento Monarchs franchise. (I officially took my Monarchs sweatshirt out of circulation). No more free advertising for the Charlotte Sting (I have a lot of apparel, I was once a season ticket holder). No ABL, no WPSL Akron Racers and heaven forbid, the first 4 championships ever won in the WNBA by the Houston Comets is forever just a memory. All my gear is officially retired and put into limited or suspended wearing rotation. There is not a replacement for these articles, once they are worn out they are gone forever. I just can't take a chance of losing history altogether.

I'll tell you what my dream is,...
Mitchell and Ness (or someone else) would understand the importance of women's sports teams and leagues of the past and begins to offer authentic throwbacks of the various sports and era's. I would personally like to have a throwback of Nancy Lieberman's, Dallas Diamond jersey or a Cheryl Miller USC jersey. Unfortunately I never purchased a Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets jersey or a Mia Hamm jersey,...I'd like to add that to my collection. I could go on, there are more I would like to own but it just makes me sad to know I may never get the opportunity.

I'll cherish the apparel I do have and work on my collection for the future. There is Cat Osterman and Jennie Finch jerseys to explore as well as the new faces of soccer. You never know when the next team or league will dismantle. If it does at least you'll have your piece of women's history.