Hello! All 50,000 of You! Hello!
TPA hit a neat milestone over the weekend, and it's thanks to you, reader.
Hello, readers. Parker here.
Let’s start with a bit of exciting news. Over the weekend, TPA hit 50,000 free subscribers! That is just… absolutely wild to me, and I’m thankful for each and every one of you! Big thanks to Mehdi Hasan and
for adding me to the publication’s list of recommended follows on Substack. That’s definitely been a big help!If you’re new here: This is The Present Age, a newsletter where I write about whatever interests me. This usually ends up being some sort of mix of culture, media, politics, and occasionally sports (usually when sports overlaps with one of those other topics). Each Monday, I start the week off with First Five and some links to other things I’ve been reading. During the week, you can expect essays, notes, and a bit of reporting here and there. I hope you stick around!
Let’s get to it!
But first, here’s the part of the newsletter where I say The Present Age is reader-supported. If you’re new here, please consider signing up for free. If you’ve been around for a bit and like what you see, please consider upgrading to the paid version.
First Five: Stories on a Single Topic to Start Your Week
As long-time TPA readers know, I am a big fan of baseball — and specifically, my beloved Chicago Cubs. With Spring Training underway, there’s one storyline I haven’t been able to get enough of: the kerfuffle over new uniforms. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, this week’s First Five is for you.
“What Happened to Baseball Jerseys?” (The Atlantic, Amanda Mull, 2/20/24)
It’s hard to dismiss the aesthetic complaints, especially when you compare the new jerseys with those of previous seasons. The new ones look tawdry and a little swagless, like replica jerseys. Fans quickly joined the chorus of outrage. Regular people are the actual primary consumers of pro-sports jerseys, and Nike plans to offer three versions of the new uniforms to buyers, each with varying levels of fidelity to what players wear on field. The two currently available cost $175 and $395. One post on X from the popular MLB-fan account Korked Bats said the jerseys looked like players’ moms had gotten them on clearance at TJ Maxx.
The uniforms might bear the Nike logo, but in looking to assign blame, fans have largely seized on what has become a familiar villain in American sports: Fanatics, the sprawling memorabilia conglomerate that manufactured the new uniforms on Nike’s behalf. Over the past couple of decades, Fanatics (with the apparently full support of all of the major American sports leagues) has upended the licensed-sports-merch market and centralized much of the production and sale of team gear under its control. If you’re a fan who wants a T-shirt or cap with your team’s logo, Fanatics has immense power over your options. Complaints about the quality and prices of the products it sells abound.
“Nike's New MLB Uniform Pants Are See-Through and Everyone Is Furious” (, Molly Knight, 2/23/24)
The pants are so sheer that after a Giants player posed for an official portrait yesterday to be used in team promotional materials this year, his testicles made the New York Post. I was going to use what happened to Casey Schmitt as the opening photo to this newsletter, but then I realized it might be non-consensual pornography. People are making jokes all over the worldwide web, but had this happened to a young woman I doubt many people would find it funny at all.
I thought about not writing about it as I did not want to add to Schmitt’s embarrassment (how would you feel in his shoes???). But, honestly: I can’t not write about it because Nike, Fanatics and MLB need to be held accountable for the enshittification of these uniforms at everyone’s expense except for the billionaire executives they enrich.
We joked about how dumb the jerseys looked, but if players are at risk of their genitals and butts being shown on national television every time they step onto the field to do their jobs, this has become a workplace harassment issue.
“You Can Just See All The Baseball Players’ Dicks Now” (Aftermath, Gita Jackson, 2/23/24)
“Developed over multiple years, the Nike Vapor Premier jersey was engineered to improve mobility, moisture management and fit, while keeping sustainability in mind — bringing inspiration and innovation to athletes,” Nike said in a press release, where they also claim that players have responded positively to these new designs.
But fans have had the opposite reaction. My husband David, a lifelong Dodgers fan, was ecstatic when he learned that one of the greatest baseball players in the world, Shohei Ohtani, would be joining his favorite team. He was less excited at the initial picture of Ohtani in his uniform, which should have been a cause for celebration:
It’s probably obvious what the problem is but in case you don’t see it right away: you can just see through his pants. Baseball fans have a whole host of issues with the jerseys as well. The names are smaller; the numbers are smaller; the logo has been moved from the collar to the back of the jersey, which just looks weird; a lot of the fancy little details that baseball jerseys are famous for, like embroidery and complicated stitching, have just been removed.
“Nike’s MLB Uniform Rollout Reaches New Stage of Frustration — A Pants Shortage” (The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt, Patrick Mooney and C. Trent Rosecrans, 2/22/24)
Among the numerous issues surrounding the rollout of Nike’s new MLB uniform this spring is a pants shortage. Some teams are reusing pants from previous seasons — made by Nike or Major League Baseball’s previous uniform supplier, Majestic — because they don’t have enough new Nike pants for all players and uniformed personnel. The Reds have told players to plan to wear their old pants for the rest of spring training.
“The universal concern,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said, “is the pant.”
“Fanatics CEO Defends Their Role in MLB Uniform Rollout Debacle” (UniWatch, Phil Hecken, 3/2/24)
Since 2005 and until this season, MLB’s official uniforms have been supplied by Majestic Athletics. Fanatics purchased Majestic in 2017 and produced MLB uniforms out of Majestic’s factory. When Nike became MLB’s official uniform supplier in 2020, MLB uniforms were produced in the same Fanatics-owned Easton, Pa., factory where the league’s uniforms have been made since 2005, with the only change being the Nike swoosh affixed to the front of every jersey and back of every pair of pants. That all changed this year, with Nike redesigning all MLB uniforms and requiring Fanatics to make them according to the new specifications.
Although jerseys and pants had been slightly modified over the past two decades, nothing was as radical a change as the one Nike undertook for the 2024 season. Rubin believes that, even with all the supposed testing and research (and trial runs in the Minor Leagues and at last year’s All-Star game), more needed to be done to get the players’ sign-off.
What Else I’m Reading Today
“Some Quick Thoughts on that Bad NYT Poll” (The Message Box, Dan Pfeiffer, 3/3/24)
“Mitch McConnell is the Arsonist Who Set America on Fire and Ran Away” (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Will Bunch, 3/3/24)
“What to Do When You’ve ‘Got the Morbs’” (On Words and Up Words, Jack Shepherd, 3/3/24)
“Inside the Dahlia Wars” (Culture Study, Anne Helen Petersen, 3/3/24)
“Fox News' "Migrant Crime" Hysteria is a Sign of GOP Weakness” (Public Notice, Noah Berlatsky, 3/1/24)
“The Media Wants Liberals To Shut Up And Take It. Don't.” (Oliver Willis Explains, Oliver Willis, 3/1/24)
“Mitch McConnell Was Never the Problem” (Finding Gravity, Jamison Foser, 2/28/24)
That’s it for me. I’ll be back again tomorrow with another edition of The Present Age. Thanks.
Parker
Congratulations, Parker!
Congratulations, Parker! Well deserved. Everything you write is a must read.