I’m leaving for a mini vacation tomorrow. 3 days hiking in North Carolina, with one of ’em being used to try and get to the top of Mt. Mitchell. I’ll be around for tomorrow’s Mini Pony of the Day and possibly something else in the late morning, but we’re cuttin’ outta Queens around 2, and I won’t be around a computer until probably late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
But fear not, as I have other stuff planned to run Wednesday afternoon and Thursday and Friday as well. I’m just that generous. It’s a feature I’ll tentatively call, Great Moments In Unlicensed Pittsburgh Sports Merch.
I was born in McKeesport, but grew up in the cut about 10 minutes south of there. My town only had about 550 people or so. You sometimes gotta get your Steelers, Pirates and Penguins gear at the $4.99 rack at World of Values a few towns over. Like this:
Or if you’re in the city, you find all sorts of generic, unlicensed Pittsburgh sports merchandise in the Strip District. However, most people need that officially-licensed sticker, to let them know their purchase is legit and it’s supporting your team. Everyone did it after the recent championships, to feel like you’re decked out in the same stuff the guys on the team were wearing. Here’s my officially-licensed Super Bowl XL hat, with parade-day signatures by Verron Haynes and Chris Hoke:
My aunt always hooks me up with something Steelers-related for birthdays, Christmas, or any other random time she finds something. A lot of the times, it’ll be unlicensed, sometimes with hilarious results. The vendors can’t make money off the actual team logos or images, so they try to make it as close as possible. But it’s never truly the real deal.
So while I’m out, I’ll feature a different unlicensed Pittsburgh sports item that I own (most likely a piece of clothing), and tell you why it is hilarious, or if I have reason to defend it. And you can join in, too. Send me pics of your unlicensed Pittsburgh stuff, and if I get anything, it’ll turn into a regular thing. If not, then it’ll die when I come back from vacation.
