By Gabriel Gamarra, Contributor
Every big game that has been held in the walls of Draddy this season has brought the students and fans of Manhattan basketball a feeling of being a part of the team. At these games, students have been given free Under Armour shirts that show what the team is all about.
The minds over at Under Armour work in hand with Manhattan’s own Tony Vecchione, the Deputy Athletic Director, to create the ideas and designs for the four shirt series. These designs are then passed through the marketing and communication department where they are approved for production.
The series started Nov. 15 as Manhattan took on Winthrop for a 7 a.m. and those that attended the game were given shirts stating “One Manhattan”, followed by the hashtag, Java with the Jaspers.
“For the ‘One Manhattan’, it [stands for] the union of the school, you know. Everyone is together, everyone is on the same page,” said Kevin Ross, the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Media Communications and Marketing.
The second shirt in the series was the “Battle of the Bronx” design which represents the rivalry game that is held every season against Fordham University. This shirt quickly became the most loved design as students all around campus can be seen walking around with the graffiti styled design across their chest.
“The ‘Battle of the Bronx’ one I do like. I just wish they did more like graffiti style… but I really do like it.” said Samantha Roth, a junior majoring in Government and Peace Science.
The “Hard Hat Manhattan” design was given out during a home game against the Iona Gaels. The manhole cover and the hashtag “Hard Hat Manhattan” represent the work ethic and dedication that every single person involved with the team, puts in. Students jokingly wore plastic yellow “hard hats” while cheering on the team in the Sixth Borough.
This past Friday’s game against Monmouth was the final game where shirts were given out for the regular season. The design on the shirts, “212 Degrees”, represents the temperature at which water boils. It was created with the idea in mind of how the men’s basketball plays on the defensive side of the ball.
“It represents the defense that Coach Masiello employs. It shows how we are always frenetic, we always try to pressure and trap. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees so it is a loose representation of the squad,” said Ross.
Thomas Amos, a facilities and events manager, is one of the people in charge of handing out the shirts to those entering the gym.
“The process [of handing out shirts] is good, we always set up a table in the front and on another table in the back for the students. They were organized and handed out according to size and enough people wore the shirts to make the whole process worth it,” said Amos.
While the “212 Degrees” was the final design made for the 2016-2017 regular season, the hope is that this will continue on for more seasons to come. Under Armour has set a standard of designs and quality that everyone that is a part of the Manhattan family loves. The expectations for the shirts next year are definitely high, Under Armour and Manhattan College are planning to deliver as always. It does not matter if we are on the sidelines or on court with men’s basketball, all we want to do is represent and support our team.