I guess this is the part where we say “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to”.

Posted by deb on 09/18/07 at 01:07 AM ET

Just be thankful they haven’t tested positive for lead.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/18/07 at 06:00 AM ET

This is the downside of having a “form-fitting” jersey--tight fit = something has to give when you’re being pulled and tugged, and that’s the jersey in this case. 

While these jerseys make obstruction very, very apparent, the “space-age” fabrics only have so much “stretch” because they’re very tightly wound.  Having actually <s>groped</s>, I mean examined an authentic “Edge” jersey, I can tell you first-hand that the jersey fabric isn’t that resilient.  The authentic jersey I saw had very noticeable deformations from people who tried to see how far the material could stretch.

It’s pretty logical if you think about it--the previous nylon jerseys were porous enough to hold water and sweat, and anybody who’s bought a pair of water-repellent dress pants or polo shirts knows that one of the main reasons those fabrics work is because the thicker, tighter fabrics have fewer holes for liquids to seep into--but that means a little added bulk here and there, and fabric that’s more likely to deform when it snags or is stretched.

Despite Reebok’s claims that these jerseys have been perfected over several generations, the honest truth is that they’re in their first “actual in-game use” iteration, and I fully expect that the fabrics used will be refined, and, in some cases, replaced with more resilient materials.  Players will also wear larger-sized jerseys as time goes on so that they can get a roomier fit.

While there is a reduced drag coefficient on these jerseys, I believe that the biggest factor in players “feeling faster” relates to the amount of sweat that these jerseys repel--the jerseys don’t get as heavy and don’t feel as “hot,” which reduce late-game fatigue from overheating. 

In other words, and, long story short, if you want to buy an “authentic” jersey that doesn’t reveal “pull marks” and deformations from everyday use, save your $250 for the updated “authentics” that make their way to the retail racks toward the end of the season.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/18/07 at 08:00 AM ET