Sports Jerseys: Talismans

Who can lose the vision of Brandi Chastain celebrating the U.S. soccer team's win over China in the 1999 Women's World

Cup by stripping off her sports jersey and going to her the ground in her very modest sports bra? The image of that

jersey flying was shown around the world and is a great depiction of what sports jerseys have come to stand for - icons

of the teams to create exultation; engage interest; tap emotions; and even to heal. Jersey wholesalers have made jerseys

readily available to all, from sports figures to childrens's informal pick-up groups. But wholesale jerseys have also

become a way for followers to meet their desire to be allied to famous players and memorable moments in athletic

history.

Jerseys have become synonymous with famous wearers in the arena of famous sports figures. Followers know their favorites

by jersey insignia alone. Who wears jersey #8 in the NBA? Maybe many players do, but the response from a realfan will be

L.A.'s "Kobe Bryant." When the Lakers won over the Magic in the 2009 NBA Championship series, jersey wholesalers were

barely able to keep number eight available. Likewise, if a follower hears #7 and Pennsylvania football -- the response

is instantaneous: Ben Roethlisberger, prevailing quarterback of the Super Bowl. Feeling close to their heroes by wearing

sports jerseys helps followers become aligned with their favoriteteam.

Anecdotes abound about the compassion of sports heroes who have given their own jerseys to individual fans, often

children who have experienced injury. Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat and a gold-medal Olympian broke his own one- game

scoring record … and then donated the jersey he wore that night to a young boy who had suffered amputation of hands and

feet due to a raging infection. On a bigger level, sports figures often donate their autographed jerseys to charities

that utilize them for fundraising and for publicity.

Many of these well-known athletes have started charities of their own to convert their fame into help for sick kids and

adults. Lance Armstrong, famous cyclist, has his own charity for kids with cancer. When the baseball Red Sox were in the

World Series, nurses at a nearby children's hospital wore jerseys backing the team and Red Sox players visited entire

wards of kids to bring some amusement, energy and, yes, jerseys to their lives. Wholesale jerseys suppliers have done

their share to contribute to such charities as well.

Much could be written about the symbolism of jerseys and their place in sports and in the minds of the fans. Wholesale

jerseys and jersey wholesalers make the dreams available to an enormous number of consumers who just want the number

they wear to capture the power of athletics to motivate.