The Shield at the Show

I received a surprising letter today from the NFL via Reebok’s ad agency. Those of us in the gun world know the league’s official attitude toward firearms is abysmally ignorant. It tells players that guns will only get them into trouble and they should never be around guns, much less own them. It should offer firearm safety classes to players so they would know where guns are legal to own and/or carry and know not to, say, carry a Glock without a permit, in your sweatpants, in New York City.

That said, the letter invites me to the SHOT Show introduction of officially licensed NFL apparel and gear “for the NFL fan who has a passion for outdoor sports.” The NFL is going camo, with camo jerseys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, decals, banners, pennants, etc., along with blaze orange gear as well. The new line is called the “Open Field Collection.”

I think this is a great step forward for a league that has ignored a substantial part of its fan base. Just watch a game at Lambeau field—the entire stadium is packed with folks in blaze orange winter gear (in August, because it is friggin’ cold in Green Bay). I always wear my hunting stuff to games from November through the end of the season because, well, hunting and watching football both involve sitting in a seat for several hours in the bitter cold, among other similarities.

Chad Pennington and Chris Cooley are slated to be on hand for the introduction, though Pennington will probably hurt his shoulder and need a backup to step in for him. I’m a Jets fan, so trust me, I know.