Lithuanian Olympic team Captain Sarunas Marciulionis
proposes the team's '96 basketball uniforms be tie-dye, according
to the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. Suns assistant coach Donn Nelson, a
longtime assistant with Lithuania's national and Olympic teams:
"The feeling is that the tie-dye look epitomizes what Lithuania
today is all about. Freedom of speech, world peace, all of those
things." There is also talk of placing a black patch on the
uniform sleeve in remembrance of the late Jerry Garcia. The
Grateful Dead helped finance the '92 Lithuanian team and provided
tie-dyed uniforms. In a press conference Tuesday in Phoenix,
Marciulionis and Nelson plan to introduce a new line of
Lithuanian Olympic clothing. The venture will be marketed by the
Suns' marketing department. The clothing will feature two styles
of T-shirts with the "familiar skeleton motif" and three others
displaying various global images (Ailene Voisin, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 2/11).
HOW ABOUT THE BALTIMORE BLUES? Following the initial
announcement of the Browns' move to Baltimore, the team's
merchandise "sold well" in the area. But "in Baltimore these
days," the SUN's Jay Apperson writes, "you can hardly give away
Browns stuff." With the team to be renamed, local retailers say
they haven't sold any Browns merchandise since before Christmas
(Baltimore SUN, 2/10).
MOVING, BUT NOT SHAKING: In Philadelphia, Claire Furia the
news of a team's relocation is the "worst nightmare" for
manufacturers of trading cards and other paraphernalia. In
addition to problems in Baltimore, Furia notes that Houston
merchants are "scrambling" to sell Oilers merchandise. And even
in Philadelphia, the Eagles new logo and color scheme will affect
retailers (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/10).
ISLES' REVIVAL: The Islanders will bring back their old
jerseys with the "circle crest with the 'NY' and silhouette of
Long Island" used by the team for their first 23 seasons,
according to the N.Y. TIMES. The move is to celebrate the team's
25th anniversary (AP/N.Y. TIMES, 2/11).
