Overview
Covid-19 has continued to change the landscape of our world, and it has given me time to go through my collection. Part one of at least 7 to 8.
With this being MLS 25 season, well somewhat since there have only been two games, I am going to start with the New England Revolution part of my collection. Also, it was the easiest to get to and talk about since my current unicorn kit is a Revs one but more on that later.
One thing I will say is that these are all player issues kits, and while when I first started collecting, I did not care. Now the quality difference in the material, as well as the detailing difference now seen, has brought me only to be interested in the player issues kits.
Home Kits
The first New England Revolution kit I purchased was the 2010/11 home; I bought it before the first game I went to at Gillette in the fall of 2010. At the time, I bought a short sleeve replica yet has since been replaced by a long sleeve authentic (bottom right). I then followed up with 2012 at the next game I went to, sometime in the spring of 2012 during senior week for college. This was another situation where I started with the replica, but have since replaced it in 2016. I did start with an authentic for the 2016/17, but at the same time ended up purchasing long sleeve authentic in 2018 at the same locker room sale I got the Bobby Shuttleworth, and one of the away long sleeve kits. Since then, I have gotten the short sleeves for 2018 and 2020 basically on release, and as they have gone to no more long sleeve options, if I do find 2018 in long sleeves, the short sleeve will be replaced. Something special about the long sleeve 16/17, I have never seen a loss in person wearing that kit at Gillette.
I am also slowly trying to work backward to get every home in the player issue option. One of these is my unicorn kit or current unicorn kit (saying current because my former unicorn has been purchased). An Alexi Lalas 1996 home kit, I came within ten sections of winning an eBay big for it, and I am still bitter (ask the others in this blog)
Away Kits
I do not have as many away kits, as the home ones, mainly because I enjoy the home ones more. Also, I seem to have had bad luck whenever wearing white kits to matches that I have a rooting interest in; this includes the USWNT. Both of the long sleeve kits were purchased through the locker room sales done by the Revolution in the past two years. I recently added the bottom right as it was just too good of a deal to avoid. I love the top right, the use of the flag of New England colors, and having some balance as well. I also personally prefer the shorter cuffs on the sleeves.
Goalkeeper Kits
These are the rarer pieces in my collection for the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth was a good goalkeeper in the MLS; he did help carry the Revs to the MLS Cup Final in 2014 before the loss in extra time to the Galaxy. The kit is from 2016, purchased at the 1st Revs locker room sale in 2017 right after he was traded to Minnesota. The Brad Knighton jersey is just a bit older than that. Due to the Sierra Mist patches, and when the technology is from, I think it is from 2007, though I could be wrong.