What are your thoughts on buying and showing off Rose Bowl merch?

[Larry B]

The other day on Twitter I saw a really cool picture of the Rose Bowl that would be awesome for a man cave. It showed the stadium packed with red, the end zones painted “Utah” and “Ohio State”, and at the bottom it said Utah vs Ohio State Rose Bowl January 1 2022. I was really tempted to get one for me and my dad who both attended the game. But then I started asking myself if it’s weird to get merch from a game that my team lost. It’s the same thing with the hoodie with interlocking U’s and a rose. I really like that hoodie but is it weird to represent a game that Utah lost?

[Utesbyfive]

It was a good game in all but outcome. I certainly don’t feel like anyone involved should be ashamed of it. I look back on it with fondness, and I doubt I ever won’t.

[ProudUte]

It was a great event.  It should be remembered IMO.

[UrbanLiar]

With where this team was in late September, not knowing if they were going to even want to play out the rest of the season, a Rose Bowl memento is a justified and properly cherished final closure on the incredible strength, determination and teamwork of these players and coaches. I’ll wear mine with pride!

[PlainsUte]

Might be better to have Rose Bowl merch that is not 2022 specific, so Ute fans can celebrate the 2023 Rose Bowl as well 😉

[tanute3]

I bought a shirt after the game. Utah’s first rose bowl, my first rose bowl I’ve attended, an awesome game, an incredible team. I’m choosing to remember this awesome season!

[UteThunder]

 I never buy gear that has a date on it because I tend to wear clothes for years and I don’t like advertising that my shirt is 5 years old.

[Grayshirt]

5 years old?   That’s it?!!! Come on, fess up… what’s the oldest swag you still sport?

[UteThunder]

5 years was just an example.

I have some hats that are 20+ years old that I still wear.

I know I have a Utah Polo that I wore when I got to have a semi-private dinner with Whit prior to the 2005 season. I don’t think I have any shirts older than that still in my rotation. But yeah, I pretty much wear my Ute gear until it’s just about falling off of me. 

It’s always a sad day when I have to retire a piece of apparel.

[Waybackutefan]

Outside of the TSPP fan bois, no one really gives a sh!t what Rose Bowl tee shirt anyones wearing around town. 

[EagleMountainUte]

Larger point is don’t worry about what other people think as long as it makes you happy go for it. 
It isn’t a popular thing these days but I don’t give a s**t about what anyone thinks about me other than my family. 

[UTE98]

In 2002, I remember I stumbled on a yard sale by Jeff Strohm, he was either video coordinator or an assistant coach for the 1998 Men’s basketball team. He had a ton of Utah basketball swag. I bought a Majerus sweater, and I absolutley hate myself for having given that to a friend in Virginia who was a huge UTE fan as well. Would have donated it to the U. Anyway, he had an overhead shot of the tipoff of the 1998 National Championship game. It was about three feet tall and 2 and a half feet wide. His wife took me in the house to see it. I coveted that picture like few other things I have in my life.

If the picture reminds you of the great time you had there with your dad, and all the surrounding events get it. Who cares what others think. It was a historic event for Ute fans. And a great memory of the good time you had. Whenever you look at it, you’ll think of the time spent with your Dad, not that we lost. And even that loss doesn’t really sting as much as the UNLV loss in 2007 and we all dig that up too often.

 

[GameForAnyFuss]

Broader question: How long is it acceptable to wear merch from specific games? At what point does it become “living in the past”? At what point does one start to feel like “BYU 1984”?

[UTE98]

37 years!

[dystopiamembrane]

Over the years, girlfriends have purchased a Sugar Bowl commemorative pint glass and a pair of Utah socks for me. Those are the only fan items that I have. I support teams with as little prole drift as possible.

[dystopiamembrane]

The casuals football subculture made its way into the Portland Timbers supporters group in the early 00s on the wings of FYR ex-pats. Although nothing like the historical hooliganism of european football, there were several mash-ups between Portland and Seattle supporters, and, to a lesser extent, Portland and Vancouver supporters during the early A-League/USL period. It seemed best to not show colors when traveling to opposing venues for safety, blending in, anonymity.

[Hellhound152]

It’s the Rose Bowl, who gives a rip what anyone thinks.  If you like the merch buy it and wear it, if not whatever.  If you are concerned with the other kids on the playground making fun of your shirt talk to your mom about it.

I keep shirts from every bowl I attend on the wall in a spare bedroom in my house.  I was actually in there preparing for a guest earlier this week and that Rose Bowl shirt looks pretty good next to the Sugar and Fiesta shirts.

[AlohaUte]

I bought a white long sleeved Utah rose bowl shirt and I’ll wear it frequently. It’s comfortable shirt and it’s Ute gear. It’ll probably evolve into my boating shirt.

[UTE98]

Oh, I forgot to mention the day before the Rose Bowl game all the Utah specific hats were sold out at the merchandise stand at the front of Rose Bowl, so you’re not alone in your collecting of Utah merchandise from the Rose Bowl. I had to buy two of the white hats that had the Rose Bowl emblem on the front and the OSU/UU logos on the side. But I did get one of those long sleeve Utah Rose Bowl shirts. I’ll probably wear it whenever I want for as long as i want, but might pull it out whenever my zoobie relatives are around. 2022 is more recent than 1984. As is 2004 and 2008/2009 and 1998. Though I wore my 1998 Final Four shirt out many years ago.

[tarheelute]

I will wear/use my Rose Bowl (Polo, Hat, couple running shirts, and a shot glass) with pride, happy with the 2021 championship, happy still with attending the Rose Bowl game. Money well spent all around. I have a Utah-Alabama Sugar Bowl hat that I have worn out, a Sun Bowl hat that hangs in my game room. But I don’t know where my Holiday Bowl swag went to? Pretty disappointing result there. Otherwise I have another twenty or thirty hats, shirts going back to the ’80s.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

If there were a white ballcap with the “Rose Bowl” interlocking UU on it, I’d buy it.