Labour law violations, rape allegations, shitty arena deals, and now the summer outrage train has stopped at advertisements on jerseys. With the announcement that the NHL has signed an endorsement deal with Adidas, we are faced with the seemingly inevitable prospect of corporate advertisements slowly creeping onto to jerseys in the near future. (Even if it doesn't happen with this deal) Now, the hockey world doesn’t seem to be debating whether or not this is a good thing (it seems almost unanimous that it’s unwanted), but rather whether or not you as a hockey fan should be troubled about it.

Well, with all due respect, anyone claiming you shouldn’t be upset about the prospect of jersey ads is simply wrong. Here are a few short counterarguments to those who are outraged about the outrage.

1) Yes, the jersey matters more

Okay, we all know that when watching a hockey game, the fan has the choice of how they want to view the advertisements on the boards, ice, equipment, jumbotron and certain bald heads; they can a) watch it on a television on a channel that will announce whatever company is sponsoring each period, goal, and whistle, or b) they can watch it in person at Insert Corporate Name Arena.

The point is, advertisements are everywhere in hockey already, so of course the logic is, why not on jerseys too?

The answer is that we can, if we are so inclined, draw a line of distinction over jerseys. As a cheering fan, you watch a game to cheer for a team (and/or a player). You don’t particularly give a shit about the equipment or boards or even the arena. But the jersey is essentially the symbol of fandom, and while I won’t say that they are "sacred" I think it’s clear that there is something a little bit special about them. I don’t think it’s silly or overly sentimental to argue that the jersey has an emotional impact on fans that helmets and boards do not.

This also goes beyond viewer experience, and into merchandise. I don’t have a problem with endorsement deals on equipment, even if I’m starting to realize that having a Crosby curve on my stick won’t make me a better hockey player. But I have to imagine that there is no more popular way for a fan to capitalistically show their fandom then to buy a jersey, and I can promise you that while we may be comfortable wearing Bauer pads and Nike shoes, nobody wants to showcase their support for the Nashville Predators and Budweiser simultaneously.

I’m trying to draw a line in the sand on jerseys, because it seems like we’re in need of some justification to oppose jersey ads while all the aforementioned ads are already here. But that kind of overlooks the more fundamental issue here.

2) It’s okay to hate ads

I feel somewhat silly arguing this, because it seems like a general truism. But just in case it’s not already clear to the advertising industry, I’ll make it crystal. Despite what the success of Mad Men might suggest, everybody hates advertisements. Like, literally everyone. Nobody likes them or enjoys them, with the one exception of Super Bowl commercials, and that’s just a writing competition anyway. If they made jersey ads as entertaining as Super Bowl commercials, this may be a different conversation.

Yes, we know that a large amount of the culture we consume is supported by advertisements. No, we don’t feel like we are obligated to watch the ads. In fact, we have invented groundbreaking technology to make sure we can avoid those ads; there is a reason that DVRs and Adblock are extremely popular. The point is not whether or not advertisements are a good or bad thing; the point is that any given time everybody either hates them or barely tolerates them.

So you don’t need to think jerseys are uniquely sacred to hate the idea of having advertisements on them. And the argument that you should be okay with jersey ads because ads are already on every other inch of hockey is hollow, because it suggests that we’re all okay with those ads already. We’re not. We have a general tolerance or ambivalence about them, because a) there easy enough to ignore and b) there’s nothing we can do about them anyway. The same goes for the argument that other leagues (including hockey leagues in Europe) already do it; you don’t think those fans would rather the jerseys were free of advertisements? It’s not an acceptance thing; it’s a you-don’t-have-a-choice thing and for the most part people begrudgingly endure it.

Speaking of which…

3) You have no choice here, but only mostly

There are a few other good points to be made here that I'm skimming over. I personally don’t care for the discussion about the size and scope of the ads, because the difference between a shoulder patch for Adidas and the Nascar vehicles that SEL players wear doesn’t touch on the fundamental issue in my opinion. But the fact of the matter is that we as fans don’t get a referendum on this issue. There is no choice to be had, and there is no real incentive for either the league or the players to oppose advertisements. Yes, the players may have some trepidation about it, but ultimately jersey advertisements mean more money for the league and the players, which of course is their right as business partners. Who has any power in this situation that is going to say no?

Of course, that’s not an argument to sell fans on this issue; it’s not like any of that extra revenue is going to remotely translate into a better fan experience, or even prevent the 2021 lockout. It’s just a fatalistic statement of the way things are. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be upset about it if you don’t like jersey ads. Nor does it mean that you shouldn’t complain about it or make your opinion known.

First of all, public backlash, for better or worse, isn’t completely worthless, even when you’re dealing with massive organizations. You think that Microsoft just decided to make the Xbox One a little less Orwellian out of the goodness of their hearts? They did that because their customers publicly expressed that outrage that they had to put a spying machine in their living rooms. Public relations departments exist for a reason, and while nobody is going to stop watching the game over this, if there is enough public backlash over jersey advertisements it may actually impact the final decision, if only to protect jersey sales.

At the very least, if you don’t like the prospect of jersey ads, do not go gently into that good night. Rage, and if the end result is that those who get to make this decision say "we know you don’t like this, but we’re going to do it anyway," then there is still no harm in letting them know you as a fan are unhappy about it. Instead of giving them the chance to sidestep the bullshit (a favourite tactic), make it so that some good reporter gets to stand up at that press conference and ask Bettman and Daly directly "what about the legions of fans who clearly hate this idea?" No organization enjoys giving the finger to their customers, and even if the backlash doesn’t stop jersey ads or even slow the tide, at least the decision won’t be easy from a PR standpoint.

And more importantly, if jersey advertisements become a reality, then the league will not be able to label it as "enhancing the fan experience" or "outreach" or some such bullshit. If they want advertisements on the jerseys, they’ll at least have to announce them with an honest and open, "Loyal hockey fans, we’re doing this anyway. So fuck you."