Wizards Merch (or lack of)

[dangermouse]

Is there a reason why Wizards fans get completely stiffed when it comes to fan merch? Ive just seen the Adidas Crazylight Collection, another collection of 'fashion jerseys' for most of the big teams using some new fangled jersey technology. Lawson from the Nuggs has one. But no John Wall/Wizards? Isnt this weird considering Adidas sponsors John?

But this isnt the only example. The range of merch on nbastore.com is pitiful for a Wizards fan, if you can even find something there that isnt sold out.

Anyone know anywhere better online? Im a bit of a jersey collector and i like all the 'fashion' jerseys that Adidas produces. Im also into caps but again, nbastore is understocked when it comes to the Wizards and what is there is pretty poor imo.

[Wes_Tiny_Abe_]

Try Football Fanatics or Fans Edge.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

The struggle is real. Down here in Hampton Roads you go into Lids and they've got Grizzlies, Hornets, Heat, Spurs, Bulls, etc.... no Wiz. Same applies to jerseys and alike. My NBA jerseys come from China.

[queridiculo]

I'd only buy Bullets merchandise anyway.

[keynote]

I went to the official NBA Store on 5th Ave in NYC in a few years back, looking for stuff for my then-girlfriend (now wife). I asked the clerk if they carried women's fan gear for the Wizards. He said, "naw. We only carry that stuff for the main teams."

So, on the one hand, I think the NBA and their official merch partners make select gear for the big market teams and/or contenders. Smaller market non-contending teams get the short shrift. That's why the "main teams" the Spanish-language jerseys in March, the multiple alternates, etc., and the other teams don't.

However, the Wizards are partly to blame: their official online store (not store.nba.com, but the one on the Wizards site) is *sad* compared to, say, the Brooklyn Nets' store. Fewer options, fewer sizes, fewer designs, lots of stale stuff from the blue-and-bronze era, etc.

Compare:
http://www.washingtonwizardsstore.com/source/shopnav
http://www.netsstore.com/

Adidas is "the offiical outfitter for the Brooklyn Nets." Granted, Adidas is the official outfitter for every team in the league, but they don't have a similar legend emblazoned on the Wizards store.

The Nets have 72 different items in the womens' section of their store. Shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, etc. -- all in their current black/white color scheme. My wife covets their gear.

The Wizards have "305" items in their womens' section. I have "305" in quotes, because the majority of it is either blue-and-bronze gear, unisex gadgets like sports watches, backpacks, and smartphone cases, etc. They even market yarmukles to women(!). Those "305" items really boil down to ~25 SKUs of fan clothing. And most of them are of the generic "slap the primary logo on a polo" variety -- which sucks because we know the Wizards have deemphasized their primary crescent logo and want to emphasize the secondary hands logo and monument logo instead.

And the options for men are no better. You can't even buy Wizards uni shorts (replica or authentic), except in youth sizes. But you can still buy blue-and-bronze boxer shorts.

The Wizards aren't positioning themselves to be a global brand the way the Brooklyn Nets have. But what do you expect from a team that's not even willing to pay the $500K league to officially change their primary logo during their brand overhaul? The only reason why the crescent wizard logo still exists is to save Ted $500K. But they're losing that value on the backend in sloppy branding over the past few years, e.g., having the marginalized primary logo used in ugly merch, in chyrons on ESPN (who sometimes uses the old color scheme!) and other networks, etc. It's bush league.

The Wizrds' FO thinks too small.