NBA’s Decision to Allow Uniform Advertising is Not a Good One

It was announced recently that the National Basketball Association has decided to allow advertising on the uniforms of the players beginning in the 2017-18 season. It is a move that will generate at least $100-million annually. The NBA is the first major sport to make this move and I for one hope it is the last one to do so.

Unfortunately, formerly pristine ballparks, stadiums and hockey arenas already have sponsor advertising adorning their facilities, but to see it on the sleeves and backs of players is going too far for my liking especially for professional athletes. Where will it all stop.

Will we someday be seeing a deflated New England Patriot football with a flattened Pepsi logo on it? Or perhaps a basketball with the CBS Eye on it? Or how about a Curad Band-aid across the stitches on a baseball?  The drivers in NASCAR already look like human billboards with dozens of company logos.

I am just not ready to see those birds on the bat with a can of Budweiser resting on it or the Brookfield Zoo logo next the Cubby Bear on the shoulder of the Cubs third baseman.  I can hear the Bull’s P.A announcer now saying “And now your starting “Billboards” for your Chicago Bulls!!!  I can only hope the other leagues will see the light and refrain from uniform advertising.