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Michael Rubin Believes Nike “Will Be Proved Right” Following Criticism of New MLB Uniforms
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There’s been criticism of Major League Baseball’s new Nike uniforms, which Fanatics manufactured. CEO Michael Rubin, the former Sixers co-owner, talked about it at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference:
Michael Rubin, Fanatics CEO speaks about MLB’s new Nike uniforms, manufactured by Fanatics, that have rankled players:
“A difficult position for us – we’re doing everything as we’ve been told and we’re getting the shit kicked out of us. So that’s not fun.”1/3
— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) March 1, 2024
“Biggest thing I probably learned is if we’re involved in something, we need to make sure that everybody better be on board. …
They got certain players on board, not all players on board.”Rubin spoke at MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference#ssac24
3/3
— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) March 1, 2024
Nike did the designing and Fanatics did the manufacturing.
These new uniforms have smaller nameplates and the fabric is more transparent, so critique hits on a few different things. The whole point was that they’re supposed to be lighter and more breathable and conform better to the body, so obviously only MLB players can speak to whether the comfort factor has increased.
The best article I’ve read on the topic is from Sportico, written by Eben Novy-Williams and Barry Bloom, titled THE MLB-NIKE UNIFORM UPROAR: FINDING TRANSPARENCY AND A GOOD FIT.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com