
_\*This trip occurred on March 8, 2026. _

Indoor/Arena soccer[^1] is a bit of a loaded term. For most soccer fans around the world, the term more than likely refers to _futsal_ - a form of soccer on a smaller court/field where individual skillsets are more important than in the "regular" game. Here in the United States, however, indoor soccer is basically a hybrid of soccer and hockey (similar to what [box lacrosse](2025-08-27_phiwings) is to [field lacrosse](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens)) - five "outfield" players plus a goalkeeper on an enclosed field where the walls are "in play" (generally a hockey rink covered with turf - though field dimensions can vary WIDELY).

Much like futsal, individual skillsets are rather important as controlling the ball is much more prevalent; however, the walls add a very interesting dimension, as using them for plays adds a lot of depth to what players can do. For those familiar with Nintendo Gamecube masterpiece Super Mario Strikers, it's kinda like that except that it's SLIGHTLY less violent (and features far less electrocutions - probably). One thing that makes the sport WILDLY different from other forms of soccer (including Mario): hockey-style penalties (signified by a blue card), where one team loses one player for a brief period of time. I should also mention that this version of indoor soccer is very much an INCREDIBLY niche version of soccer - especially as it is technically not sanctioned by FIFA (though it does have its own international governing body)[^2].

The history of indoor soccer leagues in the U.S. is a bit long and convoluted, but the current league was founded in 2008 as the Professional Arena Soccer League, then it became the Major Arena Soccer League after a "merger" with another top level indoor soccer league. I do find that it is a rather interesting sport to watch, but unfortunately for me...the closest team is the Harrisburg Heat in Pennsylvania's capital - some two and a half hours away (i.e. a bit too far for a day trip).

However, the MASL has not one, but TWO "minor" leagues known as MASL 2 (established in 2017) and MASL 3 (established in 2020). I'm not fully sure what the "purposes" of the leagues are, but apparently MASL 2 was developed as a chance for the sport to test and develop markets for the top league. MASL 3 has the same issue the MASL has for me in that there are no nearby teams, but in MASL 2, there's a club a (relatively) short trip away: Spice City FC.

I could NOT find a reason why the team is called "Spice City" or why they use "fútbol" in their name (and this includes me asking one of their employees, who didn't know either), but they were founded in 2024 and finished second in their division (though out of the playoffs) in their first season (2024-25). Obviously, there's not much history beyond that, but apparently they do draw fairly decently: when I looked at getting tickets for this game, I was surprised to find that only the sections nearest the ends were available, and while I wouldn't call the building "full", the crowd was fairly big. The other thing that makes the club "attractive" for this blog is that they're based in a very familiar place: the Danbury Ice Arena (though they obviously don't play on ice).

![An image of the Danbury Ice Arena in soccer configuration. The normally white ice is covered in green turf](/images/2026/0308-scfc.jpeg)

I already went over the building [not even a month ago](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks), but if you missed it: it's a local sports center which is mainly focused on hockey. The main arena features a large seating area on one side (opposite the arena entrances), "balcony style" seats on the other, and a large lobby-ish area with concessions/merch/an arcade. I did not get to see the , but it was more or less accessible this game, so I decided to take a peek.

One note about the indoor soccer field: the goals are meant to be "inside" the end walls, but there's no real way of doing that here (as the boards are seemingly "static", and goals in them would actually impede people from getting around). Therefore, the field is a BIT shorter than the hockey rink's 200 feet (but not by all that much - plus there's even shorter fields in the MASL). Another thing I heard about Danbury specifically: apparently the turf is hard to play on as its frozen (being on top of an ice rink will do that)[^3].


I first found out about Spice City when looking at images of the Danbury Ice Arena prior to my visit, and then again at the Hat Tricks game I went to - they have a flag in the lobby that I saw while eating lunch, and as I was leaving the arena, I saw their schedule in one of the windows (though I'm not sure what year it was for). I checked their schedule online to confirm things, and found that they had a few home dates that worked well for me; I was originally hoping to visit on February 22nd, but...that trip got snowed out (which is part of the reason I did that whole ["Jersey rules"](2026-02-22_jerseyrules) post). Thankfully, the team had other dates that worked for me, and not wanting to wait until **APRIL 12**, I chose to move the game I was originally planning on going to today for this (though I do plan on making that trip soon). 

Spice City billed this as one of their toughest tests yet, and with good reason: their opponent today was...the Harrisburg Heat! Apparently, the team changed arenas recently, and issues surrounding that arena change forced them to "drop down" to MASL 2 for this season. I don't know if they're still using the players who they used in their MASL time, but it would explain why they seemed to be the better team in an 8-4 win - and also how the Heat held a Spice City team without a goal in the second half (which is quite a feat given how high scoring indoor soccer tends to be).

### MERCH

After the Hat Tricks game back in February, I was wandering around a bit and ended up finding a local store that specialized in soccer (and rugby) items which also had Spice City merch[^4]! While they did have a few jerseys, none were my size - though I did end up getting a scarf. I came back to this store to check one other thing out before the game, but Apple Maps apparently doesn't know the store is NORTH of 84 now...

When looking into coming here, I thought about ordering a jersey online and picking it up at the arena as I saw that the team was offering that option; however, I could NOT figure out how to get said option, so I opted not to go for it (and also the whole "original trip getting snowed out" situation). One thing that I find interesting about Spice City jerseys: they're only available with long sleeves - unlike most other soccer jerseys which are short sleeved (though some teams/brands do offer long sleeve versions).

At this game, it seemed that they did not have most things in larger sizes - case in point: the largest jerseys they had were all size large (which is SLIGHTLY too small for me)...save for one random XL they found. Coincidentally, it's a Hummel shirt with the same tag as [the Westchester SC shirt from yesterday](2026-03-08_westchestersc#merch).

---

P.S.: [Brooklyn FC's men's team](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens) made its debut today - and won! Unlike NYCFC yesterday, I never really had any plans on going to this game - though a future game depends on what happens with the <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48127662/usl-season-starts-players-silent-protest-amid-cba-dispute" target="blank">USL strike</a>.

Also, based on results this weekend, I CLEARLY know how to pick which soccer games to go...but at least I didn't have to see the [Red Bulls](2026-03-01_rbny) get blanked by freakin' CLUB DE FOOT MONTRÉAL...

_For those who are actually curious about the subtitle, it (roughly) translates to "Ready for the hot football?" (assuming Google Translate did this right...)_

### ON DECK

[Westchester SC's](2026-03-08_westchestersc) new local rival - but whether or not they're actually "new" may be up for debate.

---

[^1]: Wikipedia does not use the term "indoor football" in relation to this sport, as that's something else entirely - and I intend to explore that later this year as well.

[^2]: I'm not going to even begin to get into the Kings League or Baller League - other indoor soccer leagues with unique rulesets. Also, one BIG rule difference between all of the indoor soccers and the "regular" version: free and unlimited substitutions.

[^3]: Six of the MASL's 8 teams share their buildings with hockey teams, so...

[^4]: This store is actually part of a "chain", with one of their other locations serving Westchester County and [Westchester SC](2026-03-08_westchestersc).


¿Listo para el fútbol caliente?

Spice City Fútbol Club (Major Arena Soccer League 2) @ Danbury Ice Arena (Danbury, CT)


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 6](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on March 7, 2026._

Westchester SC were founded in 2024 and played their first season in USL League One (the third tier of soccer in the United States) last year along with four other expansion teams. While two of the five new teams made the league's eight team playoffs, the other three didn’t - but Westchester ended up having the most "expansion club struggle" experience of the five. The team finished at the bottom of the 14 team league (though they had the league’s top goalscorer), and according to a graphic I saw during a broadcast, they dropped the most points from winning positions in league history (i.e. drew/lost games they held a lead in). That is all I really have to say about the team's history - though you should have expected that given that the team was only established two years ago.

The Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, NY was opened in 1931, but fell into disrepair over time until being extensively renovated in 2022. It’s a multipurpose stadium - Mount Vernon High School hosts football games here, and there's a running track around the field, but somewhat oddly, the only other sport I'm aware of that was played here is rugby - a short-lived Major League Rugby team played here for a bit, and there's currently a women's rugby team (as well as one other team in another sport which I am thinking about seeing - though they haven't played their first game here yet). Unlike many high school stadiums which have at least two stands, there's only one main stand here, and as you may have guessed, it’s on one of the "long" sides of the track and field. The seats here are all benches with the exception of the middle section (which is chair back seats with armrests), and they're priced based on how close they are to the center line - with the least expensive tickets being fifteen bucks (in the "far corners" of the stand).

![An image of the Stadium at Memorial Field from a corner](/images/2026/0307-stadium.jpeg)

Unfortunately, there was a MASSIVE issue with planning a visit: Mount Vernon is just north of the Bronx, and has a bit of a reputation for not being the nicest place in the world. Combine this with the George Washington Bridge's massive toll rate, the notorious congestion of the Cross Bronx Expressway, and all of the team's home games being 7 PM starts, and a visit wasn't exactly something I thought would be super feasible. However...I still felt like I wanted to do this. As it turned out, however, I felt that the area around the stadium wasn't TOO bad - the presence of big box retailers with (free) parking garages right across from the stadium's gates does help (as does quick and easy access to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which is the highway that leads out from the stadium to 95).

My original plan was actually to come here next week (for reasons that will become clearer soon), but due to schedule conflicts, this trip got moved UP to today - the team's 2026 home opener! Expectations around the team are...mixed at best (especially given their AWFUL track record of losing leads), and when the team coming in to face them is the defending regular season AND overall champions in One Knoxville SC, it's hard to expect a result.

Alas, the game went more or less as expected - Knoxville won, but mainly on the strength of a first half stoppage time goal (as Westchester got a goal with the final kick of the game to make it 3-2). Personally, I blame myself for this loss - I wore my [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc) hat for this game, and one of Knoxville's players was a former Vermont Green player who was making his professional debut - and scored the team's first two goals. There was some atmosphere from supporters, but it did seem kinda weak compared to the higher levels of soccer I've seen in this country (and also the aforementioned Green).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

One of the big reasons I wanted to come here: Hummel.

Hummel is the company that makes the team's jerseys (along with a TON of other USL teams), but their sizing is kinda weird: unlike other brands like Nike or Adidas, they use different "sizing standards" between Europe and the US - with the European sizes being smaller. To illustrate what I mean by this, I ordered a jersey from a French esports organization back in 2023 that was made by Hummel: it was listed on their website as a "2XL", but when I got it, the neck had a "size information area" (i.e. neck tag) like this:

![An image of the inside of a Hummel shirt. It contains size information which reads "EUROPE:XXL US:XL ASIA:XXXO"](/images/2026/hummelsizes.jpeg)

<figcaption>NOTE: This is a different shirt entirely - I don't know where the shirt I'm talking about is currently (sadface).</figcaption>

Since I have no way of knowing whether or not the team will use the EU or US sizing when ordering online (without contacting them directly), I figured that the best thing to do would be to "go direct to the source" and get a jersey at the game itself. However, the shirt I got was VERY different from what I expected, as this is what the "tag" looks like:

![An image of the inside of a Hummel shirt made in the US. It has an American Flag and a prominent "XL" along with "MADE IN USA"](/images/2026/wscshirt.jpeg)

One VERY weird thing about the team's jerseys: the shirt is fully sublimated including the team's badge, but there seems to be a version where the team's badge is a glued on patch. However, this version of the jersey happens to have the sublimated logo underneath the glued-on one - I'm not honestly sure how I feel about this...

In terms of other items, several fans had hats that looked interesting, but the only hats that were on sale were beanies (something I'm not that into). Also, it was surprisingly cold at the match, but given that scarves are a fairly ubiquitous part of soccer culture, the scarf I was already planning on getting ended up being much more useful than just as a "soccer fashion statement".

Finally, I should also mention that the team has partnered with a local store who also sell their merch. I thought about going there before the game (for this as well as other reasons), but their hours didn't really "fit" with my schedule (they close at 5, gate time for the game is probably 6, and I'd rather not be hanging around a place like Mount Vernon based on its reputation - even if the stadium area seemed okay...).

---

P.S.: [New York City FC](2025-08-13_nycfc) had their home opener today as well (a wild 5-0 win over fellow 2015 expansion side Orlando City SC involving a goalkeeper getting a red card). I did think about going to it, but ultimately decided not to - though I do intend to see them later this year.


Suburban Soccer

Westchester SC (USL League One) @ The Stadium at Memorial Field (Mt. Vernon, NY)


_\*This trip occurred on February 28, 2026, and also marks the debut of the "NEW TEAM" badge: I'm not counting this as a 26 in 26 stop since I've been here before (and even got to [stand pitchside](2025-10-18_gothamfc2)), but since I haven't seen the (top level) Red Bulls yet, I figured I'd commemorate them (and other teams in this situation, as there are more to come) with this badge._

First, [I visited their stadium for another team’s match](2025-09-08_gothamfc).

Then, [I went and saw their reserves team in another stadium entirely](2025-09-22_rbnyii).

Now, it’s finally time to put the pieces together and talk about ~~Red Bull New York~~ **THE METROSTARS**.

The (New York/New Jersey) MetroStars were one of Major League Soccer's original ten franchises - they debuted alongside the league itself in 1996, but were actually founded two years earlier as Empire Soccer Club (and ownership apparently contemplated naming the team the Cosmos). While they only missed the playoffs three times in their first decade or so, they weren’t really all that successful - never making it past the semifinals in that time (which they only reached once).

Like most of the rest of "MLS 1.0" (as it's sometimes referred to), the team started life in an American football stadium - in this case, the old Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands (i.e. NOT the current stadium)[^1]. While the large stadium helped draw larger crowds (they were second in attendance in 1996 at over 23,000 a game), like most other MLS in NFL situations, the atmosphere was severely lacking. To address this, in 2000 the team put forth plans to build a stadium just for them in Harrison, NJ - a town in a (then) relatively uninspiring industrial area just east of Newark (though with a significant soccer history). Delays in funding pushed groundbreaking back to 2006, then a redesign of the stadium ended up delaying construction even further - eventually, the stadium opened in 2010 as part of a plan to redevelop Harrison (which has, for what it's worth, been somewhat successful; I have friends who looked at moving there after they got married, but eventually chose another town).

What caused that redesign?

The MetroStars were sold to Red Bull GmbH (an Austrian conglomerate that, yes, is best known for the energy drink) in 2006 and rebranded to "Red Bull New York". Not only was this rebranding controversial (and also one of the first Red Bull soccer teams in the world[^2]), but looking back, the launch video they released with Alexi Lalas (one of the most hated voices in American soccer today) was pretty cringeworthy (especially as it ends with him cracking open a Red Bull). However, one thing I WILL give Red Bull credit for: their redesign for the stadium probably was for the best, as it eliminated plans for one end to have a stage instead of seats in favor of a full seating bowl. The stage was intended for concerts to allow for extra revenue (as MLS matches weren’t exactly big draws back then), but I do think it makes the stadium look a bit "cheap", as it kinda feels like they’re treating soccer as a "secondary citizen" (in fact, the last surviving stadium with a stage is being renovated, and they’re taking the stage out).

Since becoming Red Bull New York, they've been...more or less the same. They have won the MLS Supporters' Shield (the award for having the best regular season record - which in most countries means you win the league) three times, and have featured superstars such as Thierry Henry, but still have yet to win MLS Cup (finishing runner up twice). In fact, they're one of three MLS founding franchises who are still around and have yet to win the MLS Cup (i.e. the ACTUAL league championship), though they do have the most Supporters' Shields of the three. On the other hand, however, the other two have won the U.S. Open Cup (a knockout tournament that runs alongside the league season which MLS doesn't seem to like as of late), so the Red Bulls remain the only original MLS team to never win a knockout tournament.

There is one other thing to discuss regarding the team: word order. When the team was rebranded after Red Bull, they were commonly known as the "New York Red Bulls" based on how teams in North America are commonly named (including much of the rest of MLS at the time of the rebrand). However, my understanding is that, as I said earlier, the team has always officially been "Red Bull New York", and I bring this up because I've heard that the team is pushing for the reduction/elimination of the "New York Red Bulls" moniker in favor of "Red Bull New York" (similar to how [New York City FC](2025-08-13_nycfc) is pushing the full "New York City" over "NYC"). As an example of this, the aforementioned development team was almost exclusively called "New York Red Bulls II" on their website when I was reading up on them prior to seeing them, but recently, they've been called "Red Bull New York II". Notably, however, their away shirt from last season - which they're still using this season - said "New York Red Bulls" (but has yet to be seen on the pitch).

Anyhoo, with all of that out of the way, let’s talk about THIS game. I found out the team’s schedule in early December 2025, and this game - the home opener mind you - jumped out at me for two reasons:

1. This game was on a Saturday at 2:30 in the afternoon. While this isn't the most important factor, only one other game before October was an afternoon game (a Sunday game at 4:30), and I kinda prefer afternoon games (partially so that these posts can be done "on time"). More importantly, however...
2. It’s against the New England Revolution! Sure, I don’t actually know if I like them or not since they’re the Buffalo Bills of MLS (with slightly less obnoxious fans on ~~𝕏~~Twitter), but they are (technically) the Boston MLS team[^3]!

With that set, I decided to try something new for this blog: company! Several of the friends I've made in the past year are really into soccer, and I figured that trying to get a group together for this match might be fun - and it was! I ended up going to this game with four friends, and thanks to SeatGeek, I was able to get us tickets for just under 40 dollars each (and I got them the day before the game too!). For those forty bucks, we got surprisingly good weather for February (plus being in the sun made it rather warm) and seats in the upper deck along one of the "touchlines" (i.e. the side lines) - and THIS was our view:

![An image of soccer being played at Sports Illustrated Stadium](/images/2026/0228-field.jpeg)

<figcaption>It's like watching on TV, but better!</figcaption>

In case you forgot from the Gotham FC game: the stadium was originally Red Bull Arena (because Red Bull), renamed to Sports Illustrated Stadium in 2024 after the magazine...’s ticketing platform (which, from what I can tell, the stadium adopted this year), has entrances at field level, its main concourse a level above (at the top of the seating bowl), and a secondary concourse for the upper deck. What I did NOT get to talk about last time, however, was the upper concourse (as the upper deck was closed for that match); ultimately...there's not much to say. It only exists on the "long" side of the upper deck; I'm not sure if there's any upper concourses on the ends.

I also forgot to mention parking last time: the stadium is a short distance from the town's PATH station (a subway system that connects parts of New Jersey to New York City), so parking is pretty abundant (and, by pro stadium standards, not that bad costwise). However, getting out of the lot ended up being quite a hassle - it took us nearly an hour just to get out of Harrison (more on this in a sec).

The match itself was actually pretty interesting (as were the pyrotechnics used for walkouts and the anthem), but it did, sadly, remind me of why I likely can't bring myself to be a full-on Revs supporter: they were outplayed for a significant portion of the game (a lot of that being due to a relative lack of talent), yet were scrappy enough to somehow "only" lose 1-0 (though it probably should have been more). One thing my friends and I noticed was that despite the stadium being only about half full (possibly due to train issues, as the PATH wasn't running), the supporters' section was much fuller/better than I think we expected (i.e. they were much louder than you'd expect watching a match on TV); while "sitting" with them in the future is a question mark[^4], we agreed coming back was definitely something we'd like to do (though hopefully my 15-mile journey home doesn't take over an hour next time - though again, that may have been due to PATH not running).

### MERCH

There were a surprising amount of merchandise areas on the main concourse - the biggest of which is the "main" store in the "south building". This match was the first time I got to see any of the merchandise areas, as none of them were open the two prior times I was here - though I did see that the main store appeared to have a door to/from a premium lounge during [the Gotham FC Open House](2025-10-18_gothamfc2).

As RBNY is a pro-level team, however, I’ve bought most things I have from them at various other places: a jersey from an Adidas store, a scarf from a Dick’s Sporting Goods, and a hat from...I honestly don’t remember (I THINK it was DSG though). However, since this game featured them taking on the Revs (again, the team I THINK I'm supposed to like), I didn't want to show any partiality (I typically wear the home team's jersey during games FWIW), so I went in a bit of a different direction: Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio (i.e. the team that knocked Dortmund out of the Champions League a few days prior).

The merch area in the upper concourse had something I somehow didn't see on the main concourse: a black soccer ball featuring the Red Bulls' logo. I did have thoughts about getting one, but since I'm trying to pull back on this due to space constraints (and the fact that it was a full size soccer ball), I ended up opting against it.

I also had thoughts about getting a jersey, but ultimately decided not to (as it's a bit less expensive at other places outside of the stadium[^5] - though the replica jerseys in the stadium are labeled as having a different "fit" than replica jerseys sold elsewhere). I did get a scarf that I liked, however, as those are MUCH harder to find outside of the stadium.

---

One other thing I feel I should mention (that I forgot to when I originally posted this): there was a moment during the game where they acknowledged their [reserve team](2025-09-22_rbnyii), who won the MLS NEXT Pro championship last year. Their home opener was on the day this was published at Sports Illustrated Stadium (which is NOT where they usually play), and I thought about going to it before ultimately deciding not to - partially due to the fact that only five sections were made available (and I wasn't expecting the concession stands and/or merchandise booth to be staffed). RBNY II ended up winning a high scoring game which also featured a player who I recognized as a former [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc) man.

---

[^1]: I never went to the old Giants Stadium; I did have a chance to visit during my senior year of high school as our football team played here for a state championship, but I passed on it...

[^2]: I mentioned this when I visited the reserve team, but Red Bull owns several soccer teams around the world; most of them are named "Red Bull \_\_\_" (except where local rules prohibit this - though Red Bull gets creative in those places).

[^3]: The Revs have not only never won MLS Cup, but have lost the final FIVE times - far and away the most of any team (including losing three in a row in the early 2000s). Also, I won't get into their ongoing stadium situation (which may actually be close to FINALLY being resolved), but I did once got a free Revs scarf from someone on Newbury Street in Boston as part of what I can only assume was a promotion for the team’s playoff push a few years ago. Not sure if they were actually "real" or not, but hey...free merch!

[^4]: The supporters' section is standing only - both for Gotham FC and the Red Bulls.

[^5]: Speaking of "jerseys outside of the stadium", there were several "vendors" on the roads outside the stadium selling jerseys! I'm 90% sure they're fakes however...


Putting two prior pieces of this blog together

Red Bull New York (Major League Soccer) @ Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)


I had a trip planned for today and was actually quite excited about it - as indicated by the line I originally used to end my [last post](2025-02-15_dbyhattricks):

> _During the game, I found out about another team that plays in the building - in a sport I've been pretty interested in for a while._

However...there's a big snowstorm today.

Since I can't exactly head out in the middle of a snowstorm (PLUS the game I was going to go to got postponed), I figured I’d try my hand at some “side content”. I've been thinking about adding more posts like these to this blog for a bit, and while I'm still trying to figure out what types of things to write/post, it's a good way for me to keep updating this blog. Of course, this "side content" is also good for "rainy days" like today - though it's more of a "snowy day".

## Today's topic: Jerseys.

I’ve mentioned it a few times here, but I’ve been collecting sports jerseys for a while now (to the point where I have a spreadsheet to keep track of what I have). However, because there are SO DAMN MANY of them and I REALLY need to do this in moderation (for various reasons), I’ve established a set of rules that I use to determine whether or not I go for a jersey.

## RULE 1: It must be (decently) real

The thing with jerseys is that for various reasons, fake versions of jerseys have always existed. Nowadays, however, with how expensive jerseys have gotten (plus the fact that the quality tends to be...not so great), a lot of fans are turning to buying fake jerseys. Personally...I’m not a fan of it.

I won’t get into the legal ramifications of fake jerseys, but the reality is that a lot of fakes (especially back in the day) were, quite frankly, not all that great. They often featured features of lower quality, such as poorly executed front scripts/logos, lack of inner tags, and various other oddities; for example, MLB jerseys from the 2010s usually feature an ironed-on "tag" on the front of the jersey (though it was a sewn-on patch prior to this). If the jersey features this specific tag design as a sewn-on patch, it's probably fake.

To illustrate this a bit better, here's the tag from a jersey I own (which I got from a reputable seller):

![An image of the tag featured on an Authentic MLB jersey. It features the MLB logo and the words "Authentic Collection/Performance Apparel/Majestic/Size 48"](/images/2026/mlbtag.jpeg)

<figcaption>This jersey is from 2014, and it's the type of tag I typically see "faked"</figcaption>

And here's the tag from a jersey I found in a thrift store which is (very probably) fake:

![An ](/images/2026/faketag.jpeg)

<figcaption>I don't know what to make of this jersey, as it actually got MOST of the other things fakes tend to overlook "right" - I am leaning towards it being fake, however.</figcaption>

American and association football (aka soccer) seem to be the exception to this, as I’ve heard and seen quite a few stories about fake jerseys emulating real jerseys VERY WELL (to the point where folks on Reddit often have to ask if that jersey they’re looking at on eBay is real or not). For example, I saw a jersey at a vintage store once that seemed quite real: It had logos that looked pretty good, plus it had a retail tag on it. However, I checked the barcode on the retail tag and found it was for a different jersey altogether, and the wash tag inside was fully in Chinese; I can’t fully say whether or not it was in fact fake (as it TECHNICALLY could have been for a different market), but those small details made me opt against going for it[^1].

## RULE 2: It has to fit

This REALLY should be Rule 1, because it’s fairly obvious (especially as I actually like to WEAR these things): if it doesn’t fit, what’s the point?

Part of the reason this is rule two is because it’s actually one other reason I try to avoid fakes: a lot of times, they’re not the size they claim to be. Without getting too deep into the details, authentic jerseys (which most fakes try to represent) are sized on a “number” system (as opposed to S/M/L/XL). Having bought a TON of actual authentic jerseys over the years (mostly hockey and baseball), I’ve found that you can EASILY tell when a jersey is not what it claims to be: if it’s says it's, say, a size 48 baseball jersey (which is supposed to be an XL) but looks/fits like a small or medium, then it’s probably not genuine (unless it’s magical).

One thing I should note, however, is that jerseys vary WILDLY by manufacturer and sport. Some manufacturers have jerseys that run "true" to size, but in many cases, jerseys are "slimmer" than their "t shirt counterparts", which can be problematic for non-athletes like me[^2]. This mainly applies to soccer jerseys, but I actually have a bunch of Australian football "guernseys" (as they're called); while they're all listed as the same size...some feel okay, some a bit tight, and one feels so small that I can barely believe that it's the size printed on the tag.

These first two rules largely apply to retro stores, where variance is MUCH higher than at an “official” store (i.e. places that order directly from the manufacturer for retail purposes). However, there are, of course, many other places to find jerseys - so for those, these next few rules (start to) apply:

## RULE 3: Sports

While I’ve been trying to showcase a wide variety of sports on this blog, I must admit that I’ve found myself gravitating towards some sports more than others. This also applies to jerseys as well: over the course of my time collecting, I’ve found that these are the sports that I tend to enjoy more (both as a viewing experience and for their jerseys):

- Soccer: this one's a bit recent, but soccer jerseys offer a TON of design creativity and unique colors - even if they are more or less just plain shirts. In addition, there’s THOUSANDS of teams out there, so the possibilities are ENDLESS. However, with that in mind, I am trying to limit how many jerseys I get (and also debating which teams to go for) - more on this later.

- Hockey: similar to soccer, there’s a ton of design space (even if it is more “limited”, so to speak). One thing about hockey jerseys, however, is that they’re always long sleeved and tend to be heavy, so it’s hard to wear them in the warmer months.

- Baseball: among the three, I feel like baseball jerseys showcase the least “creative freedom”, as they’re typically a script or logo on the front and then MAYBE sleeve details (along with usually being white or gray). However, as most baseball jerseys are button downs, they can be easily worn with other clothing - especially if they feature either a logo over the heart (like the Detroit Tigers "Olde English D" or [REDACTED]) or a script that is neatly divided across the buttons (like the “RED SOX” or “BLUE JAYS”).

I feel that American football jerseys tend to be not very interesting design wise (due to the emphasis on the numbers), and I’ve discussed my issues with basketball jerseys in the past [on this blog](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens#merch). I do have a few jerseys in a few other sports, but my so called "big three" are where I tend to focus on the most.

## RULE 4: Needlework is important

One gripe I have with modern jerseys: they often have features (i.e. logos, lettters, and numbers) that are heat pressed on. While I feel like it does make the jersey “look” more official, it ends up feeling a bit cheap, plus I’m always scared of things peeling/falling off. There’s also the fact that a lot of old football and basketball jerseys that I find in vintage stores have lettering that, IIRC, is either ironed-on rubber or vinyl. Personally, I can't decide whether this is better or worse than the modern version, as it’s MORE prone to peeling but less prone to falling off altogether.

Because of this, I typically try to avoid these and go for jerseys where the scripts and logos are stitched on. This does, however, raise two issues:

1. Most stores (i.e. your local Dick’s Sporting Goods) only sell replicas (i.e. the versions with heat pressed letters) for the NFL, NBA, and MLB (hockey and soccer are a bit weird/varied in this regard). If you want a “stitched” jersey for these leagues (i.e. the "authentic" version), they’re usually only available at stadiums (at least in person), and they can get PRICEY[^3].

2. One telltale sign of fakes is the fact that they ALWAYS stitch on scripts and numbers, but as other details are usually a bit off (a BIG example being stitching inside the jersey), it’s generally a bit easier to detect that they’re fake.

The nice thing about THIS rule is that I’ve rarely had to “break” it. For example, I’ve been checking out <a href="https://overclocked-overthoughts.netlify.app/blog/2025-11-09_shirts_and_the_city" target="blank">this store in New York City that specializes in soccer jerseys</a> quite a bit in the last few months (as recently as this past Thursday)[^4], and I must admit: it is overwhelming seeing all of those choices. However, one thing that has helped me narrow things down: if the badge on the shirt is glued/ironed on, then it’s probably a “no” - even though most "authentic" soccer jerseys nowadays feature heat pressed logos[^5].

There do exist some exceptions to this rule, however: a few of the soccer jerseys I’ve gotten do not have “sewn” versions (mainly lower level teams), and I once did a “blind box” style thing where I bought a jersey THEN found out what it was (and it had a plastic, glued-on badge). Also, hockey jerseys specifically featured glued on logos for a long while (and in many cases still do); however, the logos are usually a lot sturdier than the letters and numbers on football/basketball jerseys, so I've tended to still like them (especially in context of the next and final rule).

## Rule 5: Usage

So, I’ve found a jersey that is real, fits me decently well, and has letters, numbers, and logos that I’m okay with, there’s one more thing to think about:

Is this something I would actually wear/want?

I don’t have infinite closet space, and with so many jerseys in my possession that I've lost count, I’ve realized recently that I should PROBABLY start downsizing a bit and learning how to “focus”.

This is also one of the reasons I’ve been kinda moving away from jerseys that feature sublimation (i.e. most Minor League Baseball jerseys nowadays). Sublimation is a technique where details such as logos and scripts are “imprinted” into the fabric of a jersey; while this is WAY better for preservation of a jersey’s details (or at least I think so), I’ve found that I really like having the “weight” of those details raised.

## Rule 6: Names and Numbers

I wasn't really sure where to put this within the "flow" of my ruleset, but to be honest, I'm kinda on the fence about whether or not I like having names and numbers on my jerseys. My main reasoning for this is because in some cases, it's a bit odd/awkward if they end up playing somewhere else (or if the player in question gets "cancelled" - such as a certain Blue Jays legend whose jersey I found in a thrift shop once). This "problem" especially applies to one particular MLS team whose jerseys are an interesting color, but are damn near impossible to find without a certain name on the back - one I am 100% absolutely NOT interested in representing.

As mentioned earlier, it's difficult to find NFL and NBA jerseys that DON'T have a name and number attached to them due to how they're designed/produced (and if you find one, there's a non-zero chance it's counterfeit)[^6]. In addition, while blank NHL and MLB (and MLS) jerseys are generally more available (and most minor league and college hockey/baseball jerseys I've seen have been blank), the NHL and MLB team stores I've been to rarely feature blanks - most of what they sell have names and numbers already on them.

\-\-\-

So those are my rules for buying jerseys. I feel like this will evolve over time (again, as I'm trying to downsize both physically and in terms of my collection), but I hope it's something I hope some people out there find interesting (especially if anyone out there is thinking of starting a jersey collection). Of course, your rules may be different from mine, but that's the thing with hobbies like this: there's no real "right" way to do it.

---

[^1]: Not to mention it was an Athletic Bilbao jersey with the name of a player who I’m pretty sure is ineligible to play for Athletic Bilbao...

[^2]: One manufacturer in particular does something fairly unusual in this regard - but I'll get to them soon enough...

[^3]: though this isn’t always the case - such as my recent visit to [a Nets game](2026-02-08_bknets) featuring zero stitched/authentic jerseys.

[^4]: This store (along with the other store featured in the linked blog post) is actually why soccer is one of the sports I've been focusing on: it's MUCH easier to find vintage soccer jerseys than other sports.

[^5]: There is one jersey I ALMOST bought last time (as well as several other visits beforehand), but for some strange reason, the badge on it is a weird mix: a sewn-on patch with rubber decorations on it.

[^6]: I have, however, bought an NBA jersey without any numbers on it from a Nike outlet. I also saw "blank" Nets jerseys at the game I went to, but I'm pretty sure those are not sold blank as they're for "customization" purposes.


My rules for collecting jerseys - because limits have to be set

The Jersey Rules


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 5](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on February 14, 2026._

Danbury, CT is an interesting place. Aside from being the birthplace of two of my cousins, it’s also been the home of a whole host of low level hockey teams, many of which have called the same place home: the Danbury Ice Arena.

![An wide-angle image of the Danbury Ice Arena](/images/2026/0214-arena.jpeg)

I won't get too in depth about any of the teams that have played here in the past, but among them were a team called the Trashers, one of the founding members of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (who have since folded), a women's team in a predecessor of the [PWHL](2025-08-28_nysirens), and, of course, the current team: the Danbury Hat Tricks (who, it should be noted, are not connected to the former team in Danbury). Normally, I don't talk about building ownership in these posts, but I have to here, because part of why the Hat Tricks exist today: a 2019 sale of the building.

The Hat Tricks were were one of three teams established in 2019 as part of the building sale, and are the third team in FPHL history to call Danbury their home (there was a second team after the original team left, but they folded as well). In their short time as a club (though not by FPHL standards[^1]), they've been at least somewhat successful - after all, they have a league title to their name (won in 2023). Unfortunately, the biggest problem with planning a trip here: no afternoon games. They only host games on Friday and Saturday nights[^2], and though it’s not SUPER far (probably an hour and a half at most), I’d rather not be getting home at 11 PM (and also the roads are kinda dark at night - don’t even THINK about the Saw Mill).

HOWEVER...

The FPHL isn't the only game in town.

As mentioned earlier, the Hat Tricks were one of three teams brought into the Danbury Ice Arena in 2019. One was the aforementioned women's team (who basically folded when their league did prior to the founding of the PWHL), and the other was a NA3HL team that lasted until 2024 when they kinda sorta disappeared without a trace. There is, however, one more team I haven't discussed yet: in 2020, the Hat Tricks purchased a NAHL team that had been around since 2010 and moved them from Wilkes-Barre, PA to Danbury. This team - commonly known as the Jr. Hat Tricks to distinguish them from the FPHL team - has a VERY DIFFERENT schedule from their parent club, but most important is the fact that they had a weekend game that started at noon - i.e THIS game. There's not that much to say about the team (Wikipedia indicates that last season was the first time the team finished above last place in their division, but they were still only 8th of 10), so let's move on.

As mentioned earlier, the Danbury (Ice) Arena opened in 1999 and was apparently the beneficiary of a renovation five years later. It's very much a community oriented building - which begs the question of whether it (and other similar venues, as I have plans for those as well) should be considered for the _26 in 26_ (though the presence of the [Westchester County Center](2026-01-25_wcknicks) on my list should, without a doubt, answer that question). Unlike the the [Middletown Sports Complex](2025-09-14_njtitans), however, there's no swimming pool here; I saw something that indicated that the main rink became a roller rink one summer, but have not seen any information as to whether or not they're still doing that.

There are, in essence, two "aspects" to the building: a lobby with your normal amenities (i.e. concessions and merchandise) plus an arcade, and the arena itself. The majority of the seats here (as in the ones that were "open" for this general admission game) are side of the ice opposite the entrances, so you have to walk around the rink to get to them - and just as a fair warning: it is COLD at ice level. If you choose to go up the seats, however, the upper rows of the seating area are warmer. There are also some seating sections on the "near" side of the ice which are "balcony style" (i.e. they end well above the ice, as they're on the same side as the lower entrances). I didn't get to see these up close, as I THINK they were meant to be for "insiders only", so to speak.

Also, I do have to give a special "shout out" to sections 108 and 109 - two of the most UNUSUAL seating sections you'll ever see in ANY arena, as they're tucked into one of the walls. Section 108 is especially weird - it only has 16 seats because the door the Hat Tricks use to access the arena is here as well!

![an image of two seating areas tucked into a wall](/images/2026/0214-seats.jpeg)

<figcaption>Diehards only</figcaption>

This building, like a lot of other lower level arenas, does not have a center scoreboard, but rather two scoreboards at either end of the ice. At one end, there's a video screen which appears to be nine monitors arranged in a grid, and at the other, a pair of horns used to celebrate goals blare rather loudly if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.

There was basically NO atmosphere for the entire game, which is a bit of a shame as the Hat Tricks withstood a 32-shot barrage and shut out the visiting New Hampshire Mountain Kings 3-0. I realized during this game what makes lower level hockey hard to watch for some: missed passes, whiffed shots, and guys falling over CONSTANTLY - which does not exactly make for the best entertainment...

### MERCH

One of the more curious things about the Hat Tricks: their FPHL and NAHL teams each have their own online stores. The FPHL team has a store run by the team, while the NAHL team has one of those "spirit wear" sites. One thing that I found interesting on the FPHL team store: game used jerseys for both the FPHL and NAHL teams.

At this game, unfortunately...the merch booth wasn't open. I guess it's only open for FPHL games, and while I DID consider sticking around for the evening contest between the FPHL Hat Tricks and the Indiana Sentinels (a game the Hat Tricks won 7-0), it didn't feel right to me for various reasons (not the least of which was the game ending just before 10:00 PM).

---

[^1]: Much like other "independent leagues", the FPHL is somewhat notorious for franchise instability.

[^2]: One game in December did get pushed to Sunday due to weather, but I didn't know about that until it was far too late.


Who doesn't *love* a little junior hockey?

Danbury Hat Tricks (North American Hockey League) @ Danbury Ice Arena (Danbury, CT)


Happy Birthday to me! I won't tell you how old I am, but instead, I figured I'd look into discussing what goes into making these posts today. It's something I've alluded to quite a bit, but I figure it'd be fun to show the people the amount of work that goes into this hobby of mine.

## STEP 1: Choosing the event

As you might expect, this involves looking at schedules and finding dates and times for their games. While I'd love to go to as many things as I could, there are a few factors I have to consider:

1. Time. A lot of these stadiums are in places with...varying reputations, so I try to make sure that I'm not somehwere I'd rather not be late at night. Also, with so many events on the calendar, you have to make sure that you don't end up creating conflicts. For example, before "settling" on this past weekend's [Nets game](2026-02-08_bknets), I considered going to [Sacred Heart](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens) before moving that trip up to the end of 2025, as they had a game at the EXACT SAME TIME as the Nets game. In addition, I need to make time for other things (i.e. friends and family), so I can't exactly be traveling around to sports venues every weekend.

2. Distance. I feel like you have to consider time driving vs. time spent at an event: for example, if it takes you an hour and a half to travel to an event you spend three hours at, then you've more or less "broken even" on time (three hours driving, three hours entertainment). Therefore, pretty much anything more than two hours gets dicey for me, as it's more time driving and less time at the event, and I don't believe that's super "worth it" - though there may be some exceptions.

For me, I like to arrive early so that I can get good parking, check out team stores, and walk around the stadium/arena, so that does shift things a bit as it usually adds an hour to the "event" side of the equation (especially in regards to certain trips I'm considering which involve 2+ hours driving). In addition, I'm looking into a few overnight trips in the near future (i.e. trips where I'll be staying somewhere nearby instead of going home).

## STEP 2: Research

Once I find a game that I think works for me, I start writing! In fact, this is a large reason why I'm able to have these posts out the day after the game: about 75% of the work is done BEFORE the event even starts[^1].

Generally, I don't want to get TOO deep into writing about history: that information is available in other places (though yesterday's Nets post may be a counter argument to that idea). However, I feel like I should provide a bit of context for what you're about to read, so I do try to have a team history section and, if applicable, an arena history section. Sometimes, I do a little bit about the city the team is based in, but unfortunately, a lot of that has, for better or worse, boiled down to "this place was fine back in the day but now it's kinda sketchy" (because those are the types of places that view sports as a potential economic boost).

Like a lot of other millennials, my primary source for information is Wikipedia. Y'see kids, before we could just ask AI chatbots to answer questions for us, we had to do research ourselves, and as someone who likes diving into things, I still do my own research. Wikipedia was (and still is) a major source of information that serves as a backbone for a lot of these posts - even if it is prone to the occasional vandal/wannabe comedian.

Once the "groundwork" for a post is done, I need to start thinking about the event itself, which means...

## STEP 3: Tickets

I realize that it SEEMS unusual to work on a post BEFORE buying tickets, but the thing is that most of the time, I start my posts before I even know what ticket prices are - and I can get away with it. Since MOST of the posts on this blog have actually been about lower league teams, tickets aren't actually that difficult to come by (or not even a thing in the case of the [Cape Cod Baseball League](ccbl_overview)). Usually, I can find something for a decent price a few days to a week before the game; this also helps avoid "wasting" money if I end up having to back out of an event last minute due to something coming up (which happens more often than I'd like in the "blog era"). In fact, there's been a few times where I've bought tickets at the venue immediately before the game; more often than not, this actually costs LESS than buying online (especially when Ticketmaster is involved). I actually DON'T typically like doing this, however, as it usually means I have less control over where I sit (as someone who doesn't like having to walk through seats).

There are some times that I do have to commit to buying tickets early as well. For example, certain things - such as the strength of the opponent/whether or not they're in conference (for NCAA games) - [can affect ticket prices](2025-09-12_onthefuture). Also, spoiler alert: I'm going to see quite a bit of Banana Ball this year, and due to [the way in which I am able to get those notoriously hard-to-get tickets](bananaball2), I have to buy those MONTHS in advance.

## STEP 4: The event itself

It's kinda weird that this is the "shortest" part of these posts, but it's true: I probably spend the LEAST amount of time at the MOST important part of these posts.

Like I said earlier, I'm one of those people who likes to arrive when the doors open, so I can walk around, see the entire stadium/arena, and (perhaps most importantly) see what's going on in terms of merchandise and concessions. Of course, this is also where I learn more about the building to write about later. I've considered using my Notes app to actually write down thoughts (as the nature of how I make these posts precludes me from editing them in the arena), but that has happened VERY rarely - the only time I can recall writing things to include on the blog was a mention of getting stuck on a train...

Of course, since half of going to a game is ACTUALLY GETTING THERE, that is another thing I tend to include in my writings. As of this point, I 've only made two overnight trips SPECIFICALLY for games (both of them to Boston - but I have other reasons for heading up there); however, I _can_ guarantee that this year will feature a game I have to fly to - hopefully (I already have a ticket for it, which should be a hint as to what it is).

It is somewhat ironic that the outcome of the game itself is the LEAST important part of posts here, but I figure that I really want to try and focus on the venue. Besides, if you want to know what happened, that information is readily available in other places online (though if anything super notable comes up, I may mention it).

One thing that doesn't usually find its way into these posts: clothing. I've alluded to it in places on this blog, but I've been collecting sports jerseys for a while now. Typically, I try to wear the jersey of the home team (or something relevant to them if I don't have/purchase their jersey at the game), but there are a few cases where I don't do this (one of which is actually coming up in a few weeks).

## STEP 5: Publishing

After the game ends, I try and apply the finishing touches to my writing: the information about the arena (and my impressions of it), plus any things related to the game I think are important.

One thing I've had issues with blogs I've done in the past: self-censoring. A lot of times, I work on a post only to scrap it because I feel like I'm just ranting and/or rambling too much, so very little actually gets posted. Thankfully, I don't have that problem here, as this is just me summarizing what a building looks like/what I think of it.

I think I've mentioned it somewhere, but this site is "self-published" - I'm using stuff I more or less "made" myself (as opposed to using a blogging platform like Substack, Medium, or WordPress). I don't want to get into how this is set up on that end as it's probably more technical than most readers would understand, but it does mean that there's a bit more work on my end than simply "typing and uploading" (though I find it does help me when I have to do all of my own formatting).

One thing I am kinda bad with (especially if you obsessively read my old posts over and over): editing. I mentioned it earlier, but I don't typically take notes on what I want to write about at a game; I mostly go off of memory. However, there are times when I either think I need to clarify something better and/or forget a detail after initially publishing a post (for example, the original version of my [Westchester Knicks post](2026-01-25_wcknicks) did not have any mention of the NBA G League's experimental rules, which I felt was important to include). The way this blog is set up makes those edits a bit more difficult to post, so more often than not, any sneak edits are usually made when a new post goes up (unless they're CRITICALLY important).

\-\-\-

And that's how things work around here. Hopefully that was interesting to read, 

I don't know if I intend to branch out like this more on this blog, but I feel like it might be a good way to make this blog a bit "fuller", so to speak. 

(Also, fun fact: I'm writing this BEFORE the NFL's "Big Game at the End of the Season since they trademarked the actual name of it", so I don't know the outcome of the game and am choosing NOT to edit it in. I also didn't really watch, as I typically DON'T 'cause I find it kinda stressful - and since the Patriots are in it this year...)

---

[^1]: It's also one of the reasons I'm not sure about trying to vlog sporting events - among other things.


Sportventures

Westchester SC (3/7/26)

Red Bull New York (2/28/26)

Da Rules

Danbury Hat Tricks (2/14/26)

The Process