In Providence, Jack Perry notes Samuel Adams has "brewed a special beer -- Too Old, Too Slow, Still Here" in honor of Patriots QB Tom Brady's ninth Super Bowl appearance. The beer’s label "shows a goat wearing shoulder pads and a jersey, and holding a football." Fans today will "have to go to the Boston Brewery & Tap Room," where the beer "will be available on tap and the brewer will fill 199 commemorative crowlers for the first 199 fans" at the unveiling party. Brady was drafted 199th overall in '00. The crowlers cost $19.99 (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 1/31).
PURPLE REIGN: TCU football yesterday unveiled its new Nike uniforms on social media, and in Ft. Worth, Drew Davison notes they include a "black jersey, purple pants and purple helmet with black stripe; white jersey, white pants and white helmet with purple stripe; and purple jersey, black pants and black helmet with purple stripe." Each jersey also "has 'frog skin' around the collar," a "throwback of sorts to the jerseys once worn by TCU great LaDainian Tomlinson" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/31).
THE WATCHER: Fanatics launched its first esports ecommerce site today, opening the Overwatch League store at shop.overwatchleague.com. Standard jerseys and hats are available for all 20 teams, including the eight expansion franchise, and Fanatics is also selling for the first time a new “Profile Collection” for the league, which starts its '19 season on Feb. 14 (Ben Fischer, THE DAILY).
UNDER PRESSURE: In Australia, Thomas Abraham reports Nike is "facing pressure to recall one of its leading brands of sneakers after a customer launched an online petition alleging the design on its sole resembles the Arabic word for 'Allah.'" Nike in a statement said the logo for the Air Max 270 was a "stylised representation of the Air Max trademark" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/31).
