(Editor’s Note: Former manager, buyer and sales trainer at the " Original" Mitchell & Ness , sports apparel "Guru" Ray Jannelli offers some thoughts on Independent Specialty Retailer Pro League Authentics, LLC, located in Mid-Town Village Philadelphia (13th and Walnut).
By Ray Jannelli
When fans are going to the game they "gotta have the gear, the right gear, authentic gear".
That was the impetus that began the concept of Pro League Authentics. Our customer/friend wants to purchase THE Pro Cap that their favorite baseball player wears on field. A PLA consultant helps with the customer's selection of the right cap and makes sure the PLA customer/friend chooses the right size. It’s all about customer service.
The PLA staff member genuinely wants to make sure that the customer is ecstatic with their purchase. Sports are fun; shopping for sports apparel should to be fun as well.
With a combination of 60 years in the sporting goods business, the PLA crew hand-picks the best sports apparel products from the greatest sports apparel manufacturers. PLA researches and develops products of its own as well, like t-shirts, caps and jerseys for the World Hockey Association and various defunct leagues.
Sometimes yours truly will drive by the old Centrum in Cherry Hill (originally Cherry Hill Arena renamed Centrum in 1975) on Brace Road, to be exact, to see if the Jersey Knights might be coming back. Good luck with that!
That manufacturer plus retailer mindset is carried over from our years at the "Original" Mitchell & Ness, when we were on Walnut St. We were part of the original think tank of throwback products. I believe the "right" hemisphere.
It is great to see many of our former M&N customers frequent our PLA store; it's like a reunion of sorts. A club, if you will.
We carry mostly current authentic sports apparel, but don't be surprised to see a Bob Rigby Atoms jersey, or a Rejean Lemelin Firebirds sweater.
Nike, New Era, Majestic, Puma, 47 Brand, Junkfood, Reebok, Zephyr, Philly Xpress, Ruberti Lettering, American Needle, Wright & Ditson, Russell Athletic, etc.
Quite simply, we carry the best. “The #1 Authority in Sports Apparel” has to.
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Authentically Speaking Trivia Time: What year did the New Orleans Saints adopt black pants as part of their standard uniform? Answer on Wednesday.
Monday’s answer: The Brewers after 21 seasons of play (one as the Pilots in 1969), put names on the back of their road jerseys only in 1990, and finally placed them on their home uniforms as well in 1994, a year they made a major change from Royal blue and gold to Navy blue, gold and green trim.
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A Reminder: For more news about Pro League Authentics and thoughts on the world of sports uniforms, Like our Facebook page, converse with us @PLAphilly, and visit our YouTube page.
