Sports Jerseys: Symbols

Can anyone lose the image of Brandi Chastain honoring the U.S. soccer team's win over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup by peeling off her sports jersey and going to her knees in her completely demure sports bra? The image of that jersey flying was sent internationally and is a wonderful picture of what sports jerseys have come to stand for – talismans of the power to create joy; engage attention; tap emotions; and even to cure. Jersey wholesalers have made jerseys readily available to all, from professional athletes to kids' informal back-lot teams. But wholesale jerseys have also become a way for fans to meet their wish to be allied to well-known athletes and memorable occasions in sports history.

Jerseys have become associated with well-known wearers in the arena of famous athletes. Fans recall their heroes by jersey number alone. Who wears jersey #8 in the National Basketball Association? Maybe many guys do, but the answer from a real follower will be L.A.'s "Kobe Bryant." When the Lakers won over the Magic in the 2009 NBA Championship series, jersey wholesalers were trying hard to keep number eight in stock. Likewise, if a fan hears number seven and "Pittsburgh Steelers" -- the answer is instantaneous: Ben Roethlisberger, prevailing quarterback of the Super Bowl. Feeling close to their winners by wearing sports jerseys helps followers bond their chosen team.

Anecdotes are plentiful about the compassion of professional athletes who have given their own jerseys to individual fans, often kids who have suffered injury. Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat and a gold-medal Olympian surpassed his own one- game scoring record … and then gave the jersey he wore that night to a kid who had suffered amputation of hands and feet due to a bacterial infection. On a broader level, professional athletes often donate their signed jerseys to organizations that utilize them for fundraising and for visibility.

Many of these well-known sports figures have begun foundations of their own to parlay their fame into assistance for children and others who are ill. Lance Armstrong, famous bicyclist, has his own foundation for kids with cancer. When the baseball Red Sox were in the World Series, care-givers at a nearby children's hospital wore jerseys in support of 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 donate to such philanthropies as well.

Much could be written about the symbolism of jerseys and their place in sports and in the imaginations of the fans. Wholesale jerseys and jersey wholesalers make the dreams real to an huge number of followers who just want the number they wear to reflect the power of athletics to motivate.