Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Day 155



Now this is what I love; a T-shirt with a good story behind it - Cash for gold pants.

For Day 155 of my THREEHUNDREDANDSIXTEEFIVE challenge I am wearing a second donated tee from Michigan-based Ann Arbor T-shirt Company, which at first glance looks like a cheap promotional garment for a dodgy local pawn shop.
There's actually a lot more to the design and Matt at the company has given me the inside scoop.

He tells me that this tee serves as a hot bucket of mud slung in what is considered to be the biggest rivalry in American sports history. The University of Michigan and Ohio State University football teams are two groups of people who would probably take the stairs if they saw the other in an elevator. Their rivalry runs deep; deeper than the colourful language and controversial tactics on the field. Their relationship is riddled with scandals and questionable politics.
The two characters depicted on the tee are Ohio's ex-star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and coach Jim Tressel, both of whom were entangled in a financial scuffle that resulted in suspensions and resignations. It seems these Pryor had been selling off his various golden memorabilia, rings and even pants, awarded to him during his football career (an action as disgraceful as it is forbidden), as well as receiving undue discounts on luxuries such as tattoos and new cars. Naughty naughty.

Ultimately, these actions served to fuel the fire between Ohio and Michigan, blew up a storm in the press and gave Ann Arbor T-shirt Company the inspiration it needed to cook up this Pawn Stars design.

See more from Ann Arbor T-shirt Company via their Twitter account

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