Two weeks ago, the NFL announced that it had signed some pretty heavy hitters to endorse a new line of fan gear for women, and while it’s not as awesome as when the league did this, it’s still a hell of a statement. Based on the fact that women comprise nearly half of pro football’s fan base, the NFL has brought in some powerful female figures to introduce Jane Everywoman to the “It’s My Team” gear, and the first images hit the webs today.
Among those powerful women are Miami Dolphins 1% owner Serena Williams and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is repping her Cleveland Browns gear. Obviously she’s not a Buffalo Bills fan because Jack Donaghy eventually owns them, and he plays the flute, which is worse than the piano. Sports!
“Forty-five percent of fans are female and that continues to grow,” says Tracey Bleczinski, vice president of NFL consumer products. “We do have something for everyone, and this campaign aims to communicate that if you are living and wearing football, you can do it every day, year-round.”
Meanwhile, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson’s wife, Suzanne, is appearing in the ads and she wants women to understand it’s about infusing fashion with a lady’s gameday attire, so she can look good when the New York crowd starts chanting, “Show your t*ts!”
“The female fan looks not only at the game, but the whole stadium experience,” she says. “I have girlfriends that come with me to games on a weekly basis, and they’ll ask, ‘What are you wearing?'”
Additionally, the NFL has Dancing with the Stars, um, stars Kym Johnson and Peta “Heavens to” Murgatroyd standing in for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, respectively, and I just think the whole thing is awesome. But, still, what happened to this, NFL? What about this? Please don’t forget about those, okay?
