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Rams COO Kevin Demoff: ‘The new uniforms are coming’, shares exclusive details and time frame
By Jourdan Rodrigue Jun 15, 2021
It’s the No. 1 question on the hearts and minds of Los Angeles Rams fans.
No, it’s not “How will new quarterback Matthew Stafford look in head coach Sean McVay’s offense?” or, “who will step up to replace (insert player lost in free agency here)?”
It’s the uniforms, man. The uniforms.
When the Rams released their brand-new threads and logos in 2020, the door was intentionally left open for an additional combination/alternate uniform outside of the two main concepts (and three colorways) worn throughout the season. But so far this spring and summer, little has been shared about the release of it. Until now.
Chief operating officer Kevin Demoff joined The Athletic’s “11 Personnel” podcast on Tuesday afternoon, and finally let loose a few tasty details about when Rams fans can expect the release of the alternates, and why there has been a bit of a holdup in doing so to this point.
“Our goal is before training camp,” he said, additionally citing a little-known rule as to the reason for the delay: The NFL, he said, only allows alternate jersey releases to be available for sale after July 1.
“Unless you are debuting a completely new primary set of uniforms, NFL rules basically stipulate (that) it’s post-July 1,” he said. “First and foremost, that’s probably an unknown NFL uniform rule. There are multiple teams this year that are all waiting to (present) an alternate, a classic, a throwback — whatever you want to call it. (Those are) coming post-July 1.”
So, the estimated window — if all goes according to plan — will be a release sometime between July 2, and when players report to camp on July 25-28.
“That is our goal. It could slide back, if some issues present,” he said. “I get asked every day on Twitter, ‘When are they coming?’ and I think someone actually has a countdown on a day-by-day basis. … Unfortunately, it’s still a little fluid …
“The new uniforms are coming. They can be worn up to three, two or three times (but we believe they can be worn up to three times) this year, and we expect to have them certainly by the start of the season, but likely training camp.”
Aside from the NFL’s own guidelines on the matter, the Rams additionally had to wait on other factors, including players’ official number changes, Demoff said.
“When the NFL voted (this spring) to allow everybody to change numbers,” he said, “most of the players we would go to market (the jerseys) with have all changed their numbers. And so you then you have to get back into the global supply chain and say, ‘All of these Jalen Ramsey No. 20 jerseys you made are now useless. When can I get Jalen Ramsey No. 5 jerseys?'”
Finally, Demoff said that certain pandemic-related economic variables also stalled some of the process in releasing the new alternates.
“Given the pandemic, factories and shipping, everything across the world is challenged,” he said. “If you’re trying to make sure that you have product available to sell, and for fans to buy — the later this year, the better, just given some of the global supply chains. I know that global supply chain was probably not a topic that we wanted to get into on this podcast, but it does factor in to making sure that someone can go get a Matthew Stafford jersey.”
The Rams looked at the possibility of releasing the alternates at the Rams’ open practice at SoFi Stadium last week, but the above variables made it next to impossible to have updated numbers for some of the alternates. They also have no fixed date just yet, again, because of the above and to help prevent any leaks of the alternate itself.
“We’re trying to make sure that we can get people the jerseys they want, with the right number on it, when they’re available,” he said. “That’s when we can actually go out and say, ‘Here’s when it is.”
The latest episode of “11 Personnel”, featuring an hour-and-a-half interview with Demoff, will be released on Wednesday, and available wherever you get your podcasts.
(Photo: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today)
