I want to goof on this, but I also actually think it’s not a terrible idea: a company that will allow (pseudo-)sports fans to rent jerseys, instead of buying them.
The very first thing that comes to mind when I read about this is that it’s basically Rent-A-Swag from Parks & Rec, but for people who want to pretend like they’re in to sports. But instead of Tom Haverford renting out his overly-metrosexual wardrobe to primarily teenaged boys, it’s a company that will rent sports jerseys to people to go to a game, or a sports party or event to be appropriately accessorized.
The Parks & Rec correlation is definitely laughable, but the logic behind the show’s store as well as this seemingly real jersey rental service is justifiably sound: sports apparel is always a risky investment, because players come and go at the drop of a hat these days, and it’s always entirely possible for fans to have sunk $40-100+ on player apparel only for it to be invalid and obsolete in a matter of time. The Braves-Jason Heyward shirt in my closet most certainly agrees with that notion.
However, this is also an idea that holds a substantial sense of insufferable, because it’s a service that basically fishes out fake and/or fairweathered sports fans, because it’s directly catering to the flip-flopping nature of those types who want to support a player/team while they’re popular, but don’t want to commit to the fandom to actually buy something and support said player/team. It’s almost too perfectly fitting that among their initial wave of available teams are the 49ers and the Seahawks, because their fanbases are amongst the most fairweathered and fickle; all aboard when they’re good, but nowhere to be seen when they’re not.