This Is It
Thursday . 29 October 2009 . 11:28 AM 
I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors will be paying tribute to Michael Jackson on Friday night. The Condors will be honoring the King of Pop with a specialty jersey.
And this is it.
;)
Bakersfield Condors' Michael Jackson jersey
I mean look at that thing. There's just so much to mock. The condor is wearing Jacko's trademark hat. The sweater numbers are laughably illegible. It even has the suspenders. The best part is that each player will also be wearing a single white glove.
Full details can be found on the Condors' web site. Here's a snippet.
Friday night is for all of those "Smooth Criminals" out there looking to honor the "King of Pop." The Condors players will be playing their part during the game, sporting specialty jerseys which will be auctioned off throughout the night.
The night will include music and King of Pop themed promotions as well, and Condors players will even wear one white glove during the game, some of which will later be available for purchase. To top it off, everyone in the house is eligible to win one of five game-worn tribute jerseys that will be raffled off during the game.
Also, anybody with the name "Michael Jackson" or "Billie Jean" will receive free entry into the game by showing your ID.
For what it's worth, the Condors are no strangers to pop culture-induced jersey designs that activate your gag reflex. Last January, they joined the Wranglers in ridiculing disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (yes, teams from California and Nevada — I don't know why). Both teams dressed up as prison inmates while the refs agreed to wear prison guard getups.
I'm dying to see what this Michael Jackson jersey looks like on the ice tomorrow night (unintentional pun). I'll post pictures afterwards. My thanks to John for the tip.
Chris | tagged bakersfield condors, echl, jerseys, specialty
Reader Comments (27)
Wow, anything to make a buck eh?
I'm starting to think that Dye Sublimation is the worst thing to ever happen to hockey jerseys. It's given us such gems as Don Cherry Night, Michael Jackson Night, Wildwing, and the Tampa Bay rain jersey.
But I have to admit, I like the hat on the condor.
Oh. My. God. :-O
Wow, wow, and wow. I think the one white glove is the worst part but it's all bad.
Did they leave room on that jersey for the logo of the nude child with the look of shame on his face?
Nothing says "hockey" like honoring a pedo, i guess....
I don't know....why is everyone so quick to shoot down new ideas....I think this is actually pretty cool, especially the white glove! It's not like they were trying to create a masterpiece. Of course it's gonna look awkward, just look at the Don Cherry jersey....al they want to do is honnor the King of Pop and I think it's a cool idea.
I love Minor League Hockey. Seriously, these one-off games provide for some hilarious fodder, and if I were a commentator for those teams, I can tell you I'd get into the act. Not something I'd ever want to see in the NHL, but it's minor league hockey for a reason.
It's ugly as sin and I LOVE IT!
I have to admit, the hat on the condor is pretty cool. Maybe they should have just left it at that...
Ok, maybe the white glove thing too. I mean, Warrior actually sells hockey and lacrosse gloves that are a mis-matched pair. One black and one white. So the white glove thing is not that far off...
Don't believe me? Here are the hockey gloves
http://www.totalhockey.net/tab3.asp?item=5836
& here are the lax gloves
http://www.lacrosse.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Ne=178&N=4294959025+787&Product_Id=510017
Warrior - bringing you bad taste since 1993...
Maybe some team will honor OJ Simpson next. The jerseys could have blood stains on it, the players gloves would be too small and the skates would be made by Bruno Magli. As a bonus, two lucky fans in attendance can be chosen to have their throats slashed with the skates of the team's captain.
I don't think it's suspenders, I think it's supposed to be his leather jacket from the Thriller video.
Yeah that being the thriller outfit makes sense, since its right up against Halloween.
But I mean, especially with the RbK templates, you could easily make a legitimate looking jersey that has that color combination and is similar to his thriller outfit.
Broad black stripe at the bottom
broad black stripe at the top and end of the sleeves
black piping down the chest
red on the sleeves and under the arms, white in the middle, white collar
yellow numbers, condor with a hat on
It wouldn't look EXACT, but if you put it next to a picture of Michael Jackson wearing that outfit in enough promotion materials, people would get the idea AND it wouldn't be a sublimated mess.
I mean really, even the Ronald McDonald jerseys could have been made to look like real hockey jerseys if they just took a look back at these - http://nhluniforms.com/Bruins/Images/Bruins03.png
So horribly Bad, it's good. The photos are going to be awesome! (Sarcasm)
PS - Please don't let your kids ever see these jerseys, let alone wear them.
They still look better than the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers!
I love any sort of tribute to the King of Pop. I have no problem with them doing this, especially if the money from the auction is charitied.
But since it's Halloween, maybe they should've gone with a uniform modeled from the zombie scene at the end of Thriller. The goalies can wear a mask based on Michael's zombie makeup.
And after the first period, instead of whatever it is they do during intermissions at minor league games (slingshot bowling is hilarious), have everybody on the team do the Thriller dance.......
LONG LIVE THE KING!!!
...oh, and Go Kings!!
Eh... why do people do stupid things like this? i mean seriously how many fucking tributes does Michael Jackson really need?
I think his epic tribute show that was all over the news is enough. can we please let the man who had a fucked up life just rest in peace already?
@Allan Caesar III
No your being ignorant, hes alive and hes a little boy and hes whte
XD
WOW, ALLAN!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? why did you run away from the smf forums?
uhm lol my friend
why do minor league teams think any design will work on a jersey??
You been hit by a smooth criminal !
Still looks better than Colorado's 3rd?
Crappy music, crappy person, crappy jersey.
Fitting.
@ Jeff..... Agreed!
This franchise will stop at nothing to make themselves look foolish..... and downright ugly.
The guy died this summer..... let him rest. One of the strangest celebrities to grace this Earth.
I love that they're honouring Michael.Jerseys could be better could be worse but i like em.People on here claiming pedo? Keep on reading the enquirer folks! Theres not one shred of evidence against him! Long live the King!
This is worse than fugly
@ John. I know it was never proven in court, but you have to damit that Wacko Jacko was a deeply unsettling whatever he was (I woould have said man, but i'm not even sure he was a man by the end)
@ Oliver...I'll admit the man was strange.I'm by no means saying he didn't have his problems.But i followed the trial from the start and it was a sham.Say what you want about him but the man was no pedo and his talent was undeniable.
Check out my blog
http://nhlfansblog.blogspot.com/
Anybody With The Name "Michel Jackson" And "Billie Jean"? HA!