Sports Themed Auto Accessories

• Chris Smith

• January 8, 2016

Sports fans. You know the “fan” part is short for fanatic right? The fanatic part refers to the exceptional behavior that a “fan” will manifest in the support of a favorite team or athlete.

Take football fans for example. Avid (some say rabid) football fans may paint their face or dye their hair in team colors. There are fans in Minnesota who, apparently channeling the combined effects of every concussion the Viking players have ever suffered, dye their hair, face and their entire torso which they proudly display in freezing temperatures in hopes of inspiring the team to victory.

Team apparel like jackets, hats, tees, socks and even underwear is the most popular way for fans to express their support. But for same fans this just isn’t enough.

Giving “Sports Car” a New Meaning

Some football fans, both college and professional, have gone to extremes to demonstrate their loyalty and support. What better way to tell the world of your unwavering support for the local team than tricking your ride out as a rolling tribute to those pigskin paragons.

Now we have all seen the team flags that fly from car windows but we are talking serious customization here. A few of our favorites include:

• Heel Raiser. A North Carolina Tar Heel fan was dying to show his pride for all Tar Heel teams so he bought a used hearse for $1,000, chromed everything that could be chromed and installed a horn that plays the Carolina fight song. The paint job design doesn’t point to any one sport so it’s appropriate to take it to fencing meets as well as football and basketball games.
• Baltimore Ravens. So this is a fan that had a little money to play with. He turned a used yellow school bus into a big purple tailgate tribute to the Ravens. This is actually tastefully done and comes complete with a folding awning to provide cover for the grills, coolers and other tailgate accouterments.
• Philadelphia Eagles. Did you know that Eagle fans once booed Santa Claus? Perhaps the Eagle front office wanted to ensure the fans loyalty by providing them a $300,000 bus and trailer combo decked out in Eagle colors and logos as the ultimate tailgate vehicle. It is not confined to the stadium lot. It’s available for private parties and is rumored to have catered a wedding for two Eagle fans.
• Tennessee Volunteers. This is my personal favorite and demonstrates why you should not take the team vehicle outside the demographic area of the fan base. I live in Florida and the Gators are my team. I pulled into a convenience store and noticed an older Jeep Wrangler painted entirely in Vols orange with a big “T” on the hood. As I was walking in the store the owner of the Jeep was exiting, looked at my Gator cap and said “Florida huh?” I looked at his orange cap with the big T and said “Texas right? You guys aren’t even in our conference.” He was totally deflated. When you wander out of your home area remember that not everyone will recognize much less be impressed by your enthusiasm for the team.

There are many other examples and if you live within 100 miles of a major school or an NFL town you have probably seen examples yourself. These are pretty extreme but you don’t have to commit the entire exterior of your car to the cause to display your loyalty.

Sports Themed Auto Accessories – Not as Expensive – Potentially Just as Cheesy

Sports themed auto accessories is a huge business thanks to the marketing 101 principal of making an emotional connection with the buyer.

It seems like the only limitation on who can sell these items is the licensing agreements. Sports related car accessories are sold online on by the same sites that are selling tees and sweatshirts, general merchandise sites like Amazon and Overstock, online auto parts stores and brick and mortar shops of every type. Even car dealers get in on the act particularly in towns with a team.

And football isn’t the only sport…it’s every sport including the USA Curling Association’s window stickers.

The thing is, sports themed accessories are really no different from the non-sports themed accessory except for the message. The message and the colors are everything. A floor mat is just a floor mat until it is a bright red floor mat with a huge A in the center. Then it’s an Alabama floor mat. It’s an Alabama floor mat that will probably cost you 50% more than a standard floor mat…loyalty comes with a cost.

But if cost, and taste, is no object here are a few accessories you may want to consider:

• A seemingly unending variety of fuzzy steering wheel covers in your team’s colors
• A car cover with their favorite team logo on it
• Spare tire covers for SUVs with spares mounted on the back
• Custom car seat covers that will delight fans and possibly make more sober passengers a bit queasy
• Got a truck with a hitch? You can get a hitch cover displaying your devotion to your favorite team
• If you live in a state like Florida that only requires a rear license plate, your front plate can be a mean looking Gator with his tongue sticking out
• A twin USB car charger adorned with the logo of your choice
• Hanging air fresheners with team logo
• Team logo beverage holders (you won’t have to wear your beer cap in the car)
• Decals. From little bitty ones to designs that completely cover the hood
• So much more

The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what your passion is, the NFL, SEC, MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA or USACA (curling association) there is a sports themed car accessory for you.

The only real question is just how committed you are to expressing your team loyalty and just how well you handle embarrassment when the passion of the moment passes and you realize your ride maybe looks more than a bit tacky.