twoeightnine's "Franchise Quarterbacks - Buffalo Bills" shirt. (Photo: TwoEIghtNine)

Featured several times on Yahoo Sports’ Puck Daddy (the pantheon of hockey blogs, if you will), twoeightnine Design’s t-shirts have become a hot commodity for hockey fans all over. With shirts featuring those always present allegations of diving towards Sidney Crosby, and an Shepard Fairey-esque salute to the single man who turned around Washington (hockey, that is), the online shirt shop struck a chord with fans that wanted witty and intelligent fan t-shirts.

Of course, once I found out Matt Johnson, the founder of twoeightnine, was running his business out of Western New York, and that he features the following “Franchise Quarterbacks – Buffalo Bills” shirt in his store, I had to feature him on the blog. Besides talking t-shirts, I of course had to ask Matt’s thoughts on the always depressing state of the Buffalo Bills.

Kat: How long have you been designing shirts? How did you get start up twoeightnine?

Matt: I think I’m at 2.5 years now? Maybe three? The last few years have been a strange trip for me and I really have no sense of time anymore. I got my start designing a t-shirt for Deadspin. It was back when the site was still “underground” but starting to make a name for itself. There was a small loyal group of commenters who joked about the start of a revolution. I took a sketch I did of Will Leitch as Che Guevera down to my neighbor in Philly who was a screen printer and twoeightnine was born.

Kat: Your designs run the gamut of sports, teams, and regions. Do you come up with all of the design ideas, or are some ideas submitted by fans of that particular sports or team?

Matt: They’re all mine. I tend to gravitate towards the Sabres and Bills because those are my teams and I prefer to work on ideas that I’ll enjoy working on. I’m in the process of expanding from that while killing some older designs at the same time. Right now I know I have limited periods where I do most of my sales. Mainly NFL training camp and Christmas. Plus most of my sales come from the Upstate NY region. It’s something that I want to break away from.

I’m always open to anyone’s ideas but the fact of the matter is that 99% of the time they suck. It’s a very inside joke or something that has no staying power past a week or two. As much as I love designing shirts at the end of the day I have to sell them too in order to make it worth my time. Something that only sells a handful of shirts isn’t going to do that.

Kat: What has been your best selling design?

Matt: The Beast Mode shirt for Marshawn Lynch, hands down. It’s not even close. Even with the suspension and the down year people were still buying it. Unfortunately I still haven’t sold enough to make a dent in those “lovely” I ♥ Buffalo sports shirt. If you’re a guy and you wear one of those please check your balls at the door.

Kat: As a Bills fan, I thought the Bills Franchise Quarterbacks design was depressing…until I saw the new Browns Franchise Quarterbacks one. Then I felt just a twinge better. Personally, which franchise do you think has a better chance of escaping their QB woes sooner?

Matt: Can I vote for neither? I guess if I had to choose I’d pick the Browns. I trust Holmgren and Co. more than I trust Ralphy and his crew. I’m not sure what happened this season in particular as opposed to the last ten but the switch finally flipped for me. My diet is now koolaid free. I need results before I get any sense of hope up. Unfortunately those results this year look like they’ll be even more losses.

twoeightnine's "Beast Mode" homage to Marshawn Lynch

Kat: Marshawn Lynch (subject of your Beast Mode shirt): lost cause or a risk to continue taking by the Bills organization?

Matt: The second one, by far. I don’t understand the “cut or trade him now before he screws up again people” at all. Nothing he’d bring back in a trade is worth it; he’s still a talent on a team seriously lacking it. And frankly anyone who says cut him is an idiot. I’m not sure what the real risk is. If you cut him now you don’t have him, if he gets suspended you don’t have him. But if he doesn’t get suspended you have a pretty good one two punch with Jackson and Lynch. It’s not like if he gets his third strike the Bills are going to have to forfeit the rest of the season or people are going to think that they’re a poorly run franchise that only has a future in Toronto and is one of the laughingstocks of the league.

twoeightnine’s shirts are available for sale on their website, and Matt is also active on Twitter.

Given that both BC and BU have combined to win the last two NCAA Division I Championships, their tradition-laced rivalry has started to receive additional national attention. Sure to add to this national spotlight will be the November release of The Battle of Comm Ave, a documentary on the rivalry by Utah-based Rival Films. The film will premiere on NESN, with an DVD release following. Rival Films’ Matt Fults agreed to answer some questions about the film, the company’s use of social media, and about his own favorite sports documentaries.

Kat: You are a film studio based out of Utah – given your geography, what made your company want to produce a film about the Boston College – Boston University rivalry?
Matt: Utah is our base camp. A majority of our work is done elsewhere. We’ve filmed in Austria, Switzerland, Chile, Germany, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, California … the list goes on. So what we look for are compelling stories. I’m a big hockey fan, and while the BU-BC rivalry is well known in Massachusetts, it’s not as well known in the rest of the country. Plus my mom is from Reading, MA. That’s a plus.

Kat: I know you don’t want to give away a lot about the film yet, but is there any one part that you can mention that will excite fans of these teams (for example, any new information, a story no one has heard before, etc)?

Matt: I think there’s a couple of good stories that maybe haven’t been told. One involves former BU captain Jack O’Callahan, coach Parker and a coin. There aren’t a lot of secrets when it comes to these schools. What you’re going to see is the origins of the rivalry, how it became so intense, what drives it today, and finally just some terrific anecdotes and stories from players, coaches and others.

Kat: Do you see The Battle of Comm Ave spurring national interest in this storied rivalry, given that college hockey seems to be growing in popularity right now?

Matt: I hope so. One of the reasons we decided to do this was the belief that college hockey is undersold and undertold. It’s a great sport with strong traditions and true powerhouse programs.

Kat: Rival Films is quite active on Twitter and Facebook.  How are you using social media to promote this film and engage with the fanbases of the respective schools?

Matt: Being active doesn’t mean we’re successful. Our Twitter following isn’t impressive! Social media as a tool is new to us – literally within the last couple of weeks. Given the subject matter and the audience, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor. Our hope is to build an early buzz that will translate into greater interest when Fall rolls around, and ultimately the start of college hockey season. We are going to use Facebook and Twitter for contest giveaways and more importantly to announce a DVD presale. Sometime in October you’ll be able to find a link that will enable you to preorder the DVD at half price. So if you’re not following us on Twitter @RivalFilms or not a Fan on Facebook, that’s one less Christmas present for your brother.

Kat: Since you are in the business of creating sports films, what qualities do you think make a great sports documentary? What are some of your personal favorites?

Matt: You mean other than my own? Just kidding. To me, it’s all about storytelling. The quality of the story – and its storytellers – make or break any movie. In the end, the subjects of your film need to be the best storytellers. Narration is there to fill in the gaps. If your subjects aren’t compelling, you better hope the underlying story is or you’re done. One of my favorites is “Step into Liquid” by Dana Brown. On the surface, it’s a surfing movie. But it’s more than that. It examines a culture and a lifestyle. Visually, it’s gorgeous. I’m also a Bud Greenspan fan. He’s a master storyteller.

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Keep up-to-date with The Battle of Comm Ave by following the company on Twitter (@RivalFilms), becoming a fan of the film on Facebook, or checking the company’s website.

No R Lifestyle's Green Champions Shirt

Kat: Why did you found No R Lifestyle?

Buddy: While the general idea of Boston apparel is not novel, we wanted to give the people of Boston and its surroundings something different to wear. We’ve all heard the term Masshole and seen shirts with mispronounced phrases on them, and we wanted to do something different. We set out to create a brand that points to the common attitude and demeanor with which Bostonians live their lives. There really is a lifestyle common among all of us although we come from many different walks of life. The lifestyle is centered on the deep pride people have in Boston, and the whole New England area, and the most common identifier of this shared lifestyle is the No R accent. I’ve heard many say that people from the Northeast are cocky and arrogant; I say it’s more of a confidence and comfort. That’s the feeling we are going for with No R Lifestyle.

Kat: You have a goal of selling a shirt in all 50 states, and you have 10 states down. That’s a lofty goal for a business only 18 weeks old! Why did you set such a goal?

Buddy: When we first launched the website in January, we expected all of our sales to be local and concentrated our “marketing” in Massachusetts alone. We became excited when we quickly received orders from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine in addition to Massachusetts and also realized that this brand is identifiable to anyone who has ever lived in or visited Boston, as well as those who are simply fans of the accent or the city itself. Because the ‘No R’ accent is probably the most recognizable in the world, we think it is a reasonable goal for No R Lifestyle to appeal to someone from each of the 50 states. The first year or so of No R Lifestyle is about establishing the name and idea behind it, and this is just another way to encourage growth and expansion.

Kat: What does being a Boston sports fan mean to you? Why is it different from other cities/regions?

Buddy: Boston is a sports town in the truest sense of the phrase. The city’s mood depends on how the Celts, Pats, Sox, or Bruins (Revolution, Cannons, and Blazers for some) did last night. I’ll never forget walking around Boston after the Superbowl loss to the Giants. Everyone I passed looked like they were attending a funeral. On the flip side, most Boston fans’ joy lasts only a day or so before its time to be “disappointed” by the next game, team, or season. This negativity is more applicable to the last generation of Boston fans. The last decade has really shaped a new breed of fans—fans with optimism. It will take some getting used to, but I think it will be good for the overall well being of New England.

Kat: You’ve obviously embraced your “No R” accent. What is your favorite word/phrase to say with that accent? (For example, I have a slight Canadian accent and I love saying the word “sorry” because of it.)

Buddy: For some reason I said two hours a lot while coaching baseball at Emerson College, whether it be two hours until game time, two hours of practice, or a two hour bus ride. All of these future television and radio personalities are quick to point out mispronounced words. “Two Owiz” quickly became a common phrase among the players who like to mock my Boston accent. I’m pretty sure they mimic the accent out of pure jealousy. A side note on the topic of the accent itself: I’m hoping with a lot of Boston based movies coming out in 2009 and 2010, that they finally get the accent right. I never understood why Boston actors absolutely overdo the accent that they grew up speaking, and other actors just completely butcher it (watch The Perfect Storm and you’ll know what I mean). It’s a pretty simple accent to nail; leave R’s off the end of words and add them on to words that end in A.

Kat: What’s next for No R Apparel? I see that you have added bumper stickers to the line – do you have any plans to add additional items, or have the items carried in retail locations?

Buddy: Ideally, at some point down the road we will have hundreds of different products ranging from onesies for babies to tire covers for jeep wranglers. In the immediate future, there are plans for hats to be released, and designs are being bounced around for hoodies to be produced in the fall of ’09. We are also contacting Boston area colleges in the hopes of doing some custom shirts with the University or College names on them. This whole experience is a learning process, and we love to hear feedback from customers and fans about what they want to see.

Most retail companies have already completed their apparel purchases for the year, so we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to get our products in stores this summer. If there are any retailers out there who would like to feature No R Lifestyle apparel, please let us know!

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Thanks, Buddy, for taking the time to talk. Buddy would like to giveaway shirts to a few readers of …On Being a Sports Girl. If you know the answer to the following Red Sox trivia question, email the answer, your name and email address to me at sportsgirlkat@gmail.com.  The first three correct answers will be sent to Buddy to receive a free shirt!

Trivia question: What former Boston Red Sox player is the only person in Major League Baseball history to turn an unassisted triple play and hit for the cycle during his career?

Update 6/1/2009: The contest is now closed! Big ups to our winners!

I had a great phone conversation with Gentry a few weeks back, and he agreed to be one of my first “Five questions with…” subjects. Here’s the interview!

Kat: Why did you found CPR Gear?

Ryan: I always wanted to have something to do with sports in New England. I’ve been a personal trainer for fourteen years, but haven’t had the chance to work with any of the professional sports teams. A friend and I had been toying with the idea (for the line) for a few months, and my son’s birth was the impetus for the creation of the company.

I wanted to pass onto him that being a New England sports fan is more than loving a team – it’s like a religion or family. Players always change, but the one thing that always stays the same are the fans. They are always there. Being a Boston sports fan is a real uniting factor – I have been in Machu Picchu and have met people with Red Sox gear on, and have been able to spark a conversation with them because they were wearing their Sox gear. I have been in a bar in the Caribbean and made a connection with the owner because he too was a Boston sports fan from my hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts.  You can make a lot of connections with complete strangers because of the devotion of Boston sports fans all over.

I started to type a creed of what it means to be a Boston sports fan taking all of that into account, and that is what appears on the inside tag of all of our shirts. The acronym “CPR”  is just the acronym – there’s no slight intended to anyone, because at the end of the day, it’s about all New England sports, including Olympic and college athletes.

CPR Gear's Boston Bruins women's t-shirt - I'm giving one away (see the end of the interview!)

Kat: Like you, I am a fan of my hometown teams away from home. Living in California, how do you stay connected? Do you take pride in keeping up your devotion living so far away?

Ryan: I absolutely have more pride (living away from New England.) I can’t stand not being at home when big events go on in Boston sports. I rarely get to see any of the Boston sports teams live – I will go down to Anaheim to see the Sox, LA to see the Celtics, and sometimes I get to see the Patriots. I rarely get to see the Bruins here in California. When one of my hometown teams are playing here in California and I get to see them, it feels like one of those nice early spring days – you get all excited.

When New England teams are playing outside of California, I’ll go down to Sonny McLean’s to connect, which is a big sports bar for all Boston fans. At one point, I definitely went there once a week for four years.

Kat:  You talk about a “go to” shirt on your web site – your favorite shirt, the one you must wear to watch any of your favorite teams. What is your “go to” shirt now? What was it growing up?

Ryan:  Right now, it is a Patriots Vince Wilfolk jersey. You do not see a lot of Wilfork jerseys in New England, let alone in California. I really like him as a player. I also have a green Red Sox jersey that I wore during every important game in 2004. Growing up, I had a green Celtics shirt with all the 1980s players and numbers on it that I wore all the time. And then, I had these solid white Celtics warm up pants – 1980s style. They probably would be considered atrocious now!

Kat: CPR Gear has some awesome women’s fan wear, both in traditional team colors and in pink. What has been the response? With all the criticism around the “pink hat” fans, why did you choose to design some pink shirts?

Ryan:  Fan wear for women needs to be less cheesy. For the longest time, women were regulated to too oversized crusty jerseys that just didn’t fit their shape and were not flattering. CPR Gear is making shirts that are more refined and stylish, and that fit people, particularly women, well.

As for the pink question, before we designed the line, we polled women in Boston about what they were looking for in this line. Many voted for pink, so we included pink shirts in our line. But we have traditional team colored items for women as well.

The entire line is higher quality than normal fan gear. The t-shirt fabric of is a very high quality, very vintage and soft. The design isn’t loud. You can wear the shirts to dinner before or after the game without looking out of place. We are looking to make more of a lifestyle brand – fan wear that could go anywhere. I think women will appreciate that.

Kat: Where will you be taking the company in 2009?

Ryan: We will continue to sell CPR Gear online. I like the online aspect – it is like you got a shirt custom made just for you. You know you can’t just get these shirts anywhere.  We may expand into boutique stores, because of the lifestyle nature of the brand. This will help reach out to local Boston die-hard fans. I recently had a chance encounter with Jonathan Kraft (son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft) and gave him some shirts, and hopefully something may come of that. I hope to keep getting the word out and spreading the fan base, and uniting the Boston sports community.

The First SportsGirlKat Contest!

Thanks, Ryan, for the fun interview! I definitely enjoyed our phone conversation. CPR Gear has graciously provided me with three of their shirts from their women’s line to give away to my readers. I’ll give them away to those of you with the best comments surrounding the following question – What is/was your go-to sports fan wear item? Comment before Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at noon Eastern time to have your answer considered to win!

Adam Sherlip during his work in China.

Adam: India happened on accident.  This all started from a random email sent to me by Angela Ruggiero of a conversation she had with someone from the organization SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh).  I finished reading the email, looked up SECMOL, read up on the amazing community they have established, like their solar-powered village, their bio-sustainable/organic farming, their Buddhist traditions, and then the clincher: they were requesting volunteers to teach them hockey.

A big thank you to Adam for the interview! Adam needs to raise a significant amount of funding in order to embark to India in January. He is currently accepting donations and sponsorships, as well as holding a Ebay auction of autographed items from the NHL. You can learn more about his trip, fundraising and auctions at his website, http://hockeyvolunteer.blogspot.com.