Why All the Fuss?

The NLL Boards are being overrun with talk about jersies, game worn, used, the spelling on the back, yadda yadda.

To get the skinny on the issue, Kevin M. Neibauer decided to seek out expert advice. Who would know better than equipment manager, Mike Fox?

Our old friend sits down and attempts to clear up some questions and explain the situation.



KMN-"Mike, what's the fuss? It seems that lately there is huge clamor over jersey's, why?"

MF-"The message boards lately have been going crazy about the jerseys. This year we made major changes in adding a real third jersey, the red one. and moving from a sublimated logo to a tackle twill logo then changing the gray one to white.

Everybody has an opinion and they are not afraid to state them. That is the fun and expense of the internet.

Recently, there was a post about Merrick Thomson's jersey, or at least the spelling. Yes, I sent the order in with the wrong spelling because, when we drafted Merrick I saw his name listed somewehere as with the letter "P" in it.

That was my fault for not verifying. We offered right away to fix it but he has been playing so well that he doesn't want to change it yet on the home whites. The other two jerseys are correct.

With Jason Crosbie, I had seen his name written three different ways so I went right to Jason for the correct spelling.

Another post a person stated that he "knew" that Geoff Snider wore a size 58 jersey. I was ignoring it but a fan saw me at Spano's and asked me questions about our uniforms. It wasn't until I was reading the post that I realized who they were arguing with and asked him to stop.

The other guy in the argument is Buffalo's equipment manager and he does things differently than I do, so he made several assumptions and now he knows how I do things.

I have a good relationship with all the managers on the teams that we play and will do nothing to jeopardize that, especially over a message board post. I read the boards but will not post on them."


KMN-"Do you personalize them? Or ship them out to be done?"

MF-"This year we changed the company that letters our jerseys, we went locally instead of shipping them back to Canada for lettering. We went locally so we wouldn't have the issue like we had last year when Geoff Snider signed and we couldn't get a jersey back from Canada fast enough with his name on it. Even though it was only one game, b ut like any story, when you read the posts it seems like he never had his name on it at all."


KMN-"How long does it take for you to get them numbered and lettered?"

MF-"It takes about a week to get a complete set done. I can get shirts done in a day if I need them."


KMN-"Are there any specific limitations on game day uniforms?"

MF-"Well, all game day uniforms must be approved by the league. This year that is easy since everybody is wearing Reebok. The goalies have their own section so we will address everyone else.

All uniforms must have numbers that are 10" high on the back along with last name along shoulder height.

NO tiedowns, strapping or alterations are permitted. Any alterations for ripped for re-stitched jerseys MUST be approved by the league.

I have seen sizes from 48 to 56 and heard about 58."


KMN-"Do the goalies prefer them loose or tight?"

MF-"All my goalies wear a goalie cut size 56G jersey. The league has rules that the jerseys cannot be taped down nor tight nor over a certain length."



KMN-"Does the league impose additional penalties if the sweater comes off during a fight or scrum?"

MF-"It isn't the fact that it came off, it is how and why it came off. A jersey that was sliced to come off easier in a fight is considered an illegal alteration becomes confiscated by the league. If the league suspects anything, the officials will look at the jersey when thay can."


KMN-"Do you usually bring extra jerseys on road trips?"

MF-"I pack all the uniforms for all 23 on the active man roster. I also pack an extra jersey for Snider, you know, just in case."


KMN-"What does the team do with last years stuff?"

MF-"Well, we have some extra equipment that we hold onto in case we need it the following year. The players get to keep their uniforms."


We then switch gears to go to a few other topics.

KMN-"What's the latest with the Barrage?"

MF-"The league is looking for venues for us to play our "home and away" home games. With just e-mails floating around, most have committed but some want to see where we will ahve to play to see if they can work out the logistics with work, family,etc."




KMN-"Any more movie projects?"

MF-"I recently spoke to the guys who hired me for the three that I did, and they are waiting like everyone else because of the strike. They are at a standstill, which is fine for them since they just bought into a nice business for sports teams and film media. So this gives them time to get everything lined up for when the strike is over.

I was asked if I wanted to go to Los Angeles for a while and help them but, I left Verizon for another telecom company and I just can't leave a new job."



The Wings and Mike are currently planning a video series for the team website. It will be a series of 30-45 and 60 second videos that will outline various features of Mike's day.

Stay tuned as details become available.


Kevin M. Neibauer
Thanks Mike and the Wings


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