Milwaukee Brewers fans certainly had thoughts about the latest round of City Connect uniforms unveiled Thursday, April 9, with the Brewers expecting to wear the new look through the weekend and primarily at Friday home games through the rest of the year.
We received 232 responses (and a few duplicates that we discounted). As with any survey asking if readers like or dislike something – particularly when aesthetics are involved – you’re far more likely to hear from those dissatisfied than satisfied. And we did.
But there’s something specific that readers most disliked about the jerseys: The use of “Wisco” as the shorthand across the front, meant to encapsulate all of Wisconsin.
Choosing from a range of 0 to 5 (five being the best), the responses averaged a score of 1.9.
Here’s the breakdown:
By far, the most common complaint was the use of “Wisco,” an item that came up on 97 surveys when asked what people disliked or liked about the jerseys.
Sixty-four of those rated the jerseys a 0 or 1, and only seven 5 ratings and four 4 ratings mentioned it as something likable.
Most insisted that nobody used the term “Wisco” to describe Wisconsin and that it was often a term used as shorthand for Wisconsin Lutheran High School (or college). Some called it inauthentic, an indication that the jersey ideas were generated by people who weren’t from the state.
Other criticisms included the color scheme, particularly the use of orange, and frustration that the uniform embraces a statewide inspiration as opposed to the City Connect concept.
The Brewers have explained they wanted to cover a broader footprint this time around after the first City Connect jerseys pulled references from Milwaukee specifically, and they’ve internally thought of these as “State Connect” jerseys.
Based on historical Brewers attendance data from a 2020 study commissioned by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, about 22 percent of ballpark event attendees are estimated to live within the city of Milwaukee, 38 percent within Milwaukee County and 86 percent within Wisconsin.
Multiple surveys felt the script “W” on the hat looked like the Washington Nationals logo.
Some respondents did like the colors, and others appreciated the statewide appeal.
What readers had to say about the Milwaukee Brewers connect jerseys
Here’s a sample of the comments included with the responses:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s what readers had to say about Brewers’ City Connect jerseys
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
