ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - Adidas' "authentic" hockey jerseys it sells to fans are more like replicas, a new class action lawsuit says.
Attorney Spencer Sheehan sued the company on July 26 in New York federal court, complaining the jerseys for sale don't match what teams wear on the ice - despite Adidas' claims that they do. Sheehan's gripes begin with the so-called "fight strap" - an attachment that keeps the jersey from being pulled over the player's head during a fight.
"In the on-ice jersey, the fight strap contains a double layered reinforced base, while it is affixed through a single stitched layer in the authentic jersey sold to Plaintiff and consumers," the suit says.
It also complains that the fabric in authentic jerseys is half the thickness of on-ice jerseys and that the stitching is weaker and less durable.
"Defendant sold more jerseys at higher prices than it would have in the absence of this misconduct, resulting in additional profits at the expense of consumers," the suit says.