We almost went with 'The Phantom Menace' as it is somewhat attributable to what some may think of us as well, but we are going to be possibly confused with enough existing (but completely different, so leave us be) IP, so we decided against it.
Episode One is really just what the title says - introductions to us, what we are trying to achieve with this podcast, and a few shenanigans. We enjoy beers & chatting shit about sports, what can we say. You won't always agree, we might piss some off, but we hope you see that we do it all from our own hearts, our genuine beliefs, and from a place in which we are constantly trying to evolve and grow as people. We are human, therefore we are inherently flawed & always learning. But the main thing is we just love jerseys/kits/jumpers/guernseys/fits/strips/the drip etc that make the sports we love look so damn good.
We will talk about real issues, and we'll do the best job of conveying how we feel about them. Like any discussion, it is raw and honest. But just as much as we'll talk the real stuff, we'll chat all the sports jersey love that you can handle - as well as an insane amount of pure shit. It's all about the content!
Episode One certainly contained a bit of everything. It was recorded October 31st/November 1st (we record across time zones) so Shea was enjoying a few Halloween beverages followed by a few more, whilst David was recovering from those he had consumed the night before.
Like any podcast between these two, it can quickly swing from one subject to another. We dove straight into World Series, and somewhat in the prism of jersey appreciation discussed the ongoing controversy that surrounds the Atlanta Braves imagery, particularly when it comes to 'The Chop.' Obviously, we are not here for it. These ongoing discussions are absolutely necessary for further deepening the understanding of how these images/actions can negatively affect the cultures, people, races, creeds etc in which is being depicted. We will always try to be as nuanced as possible, but we absolutely do not stand for any racism, homophobia, sexism, and bigotry of any kind.
No surprise former President Fuckwit did it, but just don't. Don't do this. Ever.
To get back on track, we then discuss a bit about what we love about jerseys and kit culture. The aesthetic appeal will be an ongoing feature of our journey here, whether it be on field/court/ice etc or simply enjoying them as a fan purchasable and wearable item for our own fashion needs. We love the colour mixes, the throwbacks, the bold choices, the simple stylings of classic kits redone, the stitching, printed vs stitched club badges, etc etc. There's so much to love and appreciate in this hobby of enjoying and collecting jerseys, and we'll cover it from the cleats right through to the helmets, and everything in between.
Shea , for an example, brought up college football - which will often feature due to a myriad of wonderful jerseys that exist at the collegiate level (certainly not isolated to football either!) The particular example that was mentioned was the "pageantry" of matchups like LSU at Ole Miss - a classic rivalry with the kits to match:
"Pageantry" - Shea, 2021.
Obviously the main point of this podcast is to chat a bit about jerseys and sports, so towards the end of this episode is when we do a bit about some of our favourite jerseys of the week. This is a segment that will be regular, though we have already decided on some slight changes to how we do this heading into Episode 3, however for this week we did our Top 3 NBA & Soccer kits for the week. This is purely subjective, we are fans at the end of the day - however we will certainly appreciate a quality kit no matter who wears it*
*Conditions Apply - namely teams in Manchester or a very specific area in Seattle's University District.
Also, a further note - we planned this podcast via text and Shea and I weren't quite on the same page as to what exactly we were doing here, and also, you know. Beers. But as we hope you'll discover, our years of doing stuff like this together means we just roll with the punches and keep it going. We are looking to slightly alter this segment going forward - it'll likely be our top kits of the week with all sports allowable rather than picking a top three in a few sports, but this is where it was at for week one. We grow, we mature, we change. Quickly.
DAVID'S NBA TOP THREE FOR THE WEEK
New York Knicks Classic Edition
An incredible way to open the season, the Knicks matched up against Boston in these simple yet ultra smooth Classic Edition Nike unis, complete with the old school Nike logo. Rocking some classic satin look shorts, the Knicks went old school in their performance with excitement barely ever matched in a season opener, winning in double-OT. Key moment for David was watching Obi Toppin SZN kick off with a slam off a D-Rose alley-top pass. Salivating.
2. Golden State Warriors Classic Edition
Going back to the Classic Edition Unis well again, the Warriors have killed it with their iteration of this kit for this season, giving us this bold blue classic kit, again with the old school Nike logo, with a boldly printed 'Warriors' in that classic Warriors red across the chest with a white drop shadow that just completes the look. With Chef Curry cooking this year and the Warriors looking competitive even before the return of Klay, this kit could get some quality highlight runs this year.
3. LaMelo Ball Charlotte Hornets Teal Kit
The Hornets are having one hell of a resurgence in the public conscious, and in no small part due to the immediate injection of flair LaMelo Ball has brought to the club. With a dizzying array of passing ability, as well as an all-round game that is lending itself to a young and energetic competitive team, there'll be plenty more highlights packages featuring this kit this season. A great start to the season means that he is hopefully avoiding that sophomore slump.
SHEA'S NBA TOP THREE FOR THE WEEK
Los Angeles Lakers Yellow Kit
Surprising the fuck out of David on the Podcast, but showing we can be objective, occasionally, Shea threw out the Lakers classic yellow with the purple numbering and white drop shadow as his number one. Besides the fact our Blazers fandom dictates a natural aversion to all things Lakers, the greatness of the kit in jersey history could not be understated.
2. New York Knicks White Kit
Showing that we both have an appreciation for the Knicks rocking MSG in the classic style NBA white kits, Shea hit the traditional kit with the orange numbering (as opposed to the all blue of the newly released Classic Editions). New York Knickerbocker basketball has long been a classic look, we just hope the continued resurgence leads to more great highlights in their kits.
3. Portland Trailblazers Black Kit
It will come up a lot on our podcast, there are just certain colour mixes which will forever be undefeated - Black, Red & White is one of those. The Portland Trailblazers have always had solid kits, but the black jersey with the white and red sash and the 'Portland' city name boldly across the chest, it will never get old. Striking and beautiful, especially with blokes like Damian Lillard pulling up from the Pinwheel in centre court on the regular.
DAVID'S SOCCER TOP THREE FOR THE WEEK
Adelaide United 2021/22 Third Kit - #27 Cavallo
Adelaide United dropped a third kit, and bloody hell did they do it well. With a super cool release video to go alongside it, this coral coloured kit pops like a motherfucker. The red detailing provides a great contrast, and it is on the inside the collar inscription of 'More Than Football' - describing the clubs values - that this really hits with the news that dropped a few days later: Joshua Cavallo, Adelaide United's #27, coming out as the only openly gay mens player in world football. The world got around Josh, and we bloody love that. We hope for a day soon in which this is simply normal and accepted as it should be, but for now we're super proud of Josh and that bravery to break the mould as it currently stands. This kit is dope, Josh is dope. Fuck yeah.
2. Liverpool FC 2021-22 Away Kit - #11 Salah
Liverpool Football Club has an illustrious history of great goal scorers having iconic performances - I actually originally started listing a bunch of examples and realised that would take up most of the space I want to use here - but Mo Salah scoring a hat trick at Old Trafford, helping Liverpool demolish Manchester United 0-5 on their turf, something that just never happens. The jersey by Nike sports a classic collared look with Liverpool red and teal trimmings, the off-white jersey simple yet effective. This performance sky rocketing this kit into some collectors minds, though not the minds of Man U fans who left in the 60th minute having watched Mo celebrate his third, and the sides 5th. Ole's at the wheel!
3. Venezia FC - Home Kit (but like, all of them also).
Venezia FC have been making some waves in recent years, sporting some incredibly stylish kits while making their way up the leagues to now be competing in Serie A among Italy's big boys, and making their presence known. With a team based in a city like Venice, it is no wonder they make sure to rock some kits that look like they could be just as comfortable on the Italian runway as they are on the pitch. Just check this shit out. Your new favourite Italian team, I guarantee it.
SHEA'S SOCCER TOP THREE FOR THE WEEK
Adelaide United 2021/22 Third Kit - #27 Cavallo.
Shea echoed the thoughts on the podcast regarding Josh's bravery and the moment for sports. Enough said, we stan #27.
2. Norwich City 2021/22 Home Kit
Shea loves waking up bleary eyed, grabbing a cold brew, and being blasted with one of the brightest kits in football existence. It is classic, it's yellow and green, and it survives and finds its way back to the Premier League time and time again despite the ups and downs. Resilience. We love that.
3. Arsenal FC 2021/22 Away Kit
It wouldn't be a debut episode without both of us showing some love to our teams, and Shea gets Arsenal into his kit list - and it is a great kit. Simple, with bold blacks accentuated on the otherwise single toned kit. The stripped back logo to just the iconic cannon of the Arsenal badge is a great touch, and with Arsenal providing a resurgence of late after a slow start to the season - it could find itself in some great memories soon enough.
Don't forget to rate & review the pod, and check it out on YouTube as well. Cheers!
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