AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear
Tire & Rubber Company is celebrating the 100th
anniversary of the Akron Wingfoots by resurrecting the team's
inaugural jersey from 1918 and producing a limited run of 100
throwback replicas for fans. The replicas are the oldest throwback
basketball jersey available to the public.
Available now through Nov. 30
through a special sweepstakes promotion on Wingfoots100.com, the
anniversary throwbacks are imprinted with the original 1918
Wingfoots logo and pay homage to Goodyear's long-standing
basketball heritage.
"Our connection to basketball over the past century is a
distinctive part of Goodyear's heritage and a source of pride for
our associates, our former players and basketball fans everywhere,"
said Todd Macsuga, general manager
of brand marketing at Goodyear. "These unique throwback
jerseys are an authentic way to honor that rich
tradition."
Founded as a recreational team by Goodyear associates to test
the rubber soles of athletic shoes, the Wingfoots became one of the
earliest professional basketball teams in America and a former
champion of the National Basketball League (NBL). The Wingfoot
remains an important symbol in basketball today as Goodyear's
official logo that appears on the Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys as
part of the team partnership.
Goodyear also celebrated the century milestone ahead of the
Cavaliers home opener on Sunday, Oct.
21, by unveiling two life-sized tire sculptures of a 1918
Wingfoots player in historic attire next to a 2018 Cavs player. The
sculptures were handcrafted by tire artist Blake McFarland, who used more than 200
Goodyear-branded tires and took more than 400 hours to complete.
The sculptures will be on display in the concourse at Quicken Loans
Arena throughout the 2018-2019 basketball season.
More information about the history of the Akron Wingfoots and
the retro jersey sweepstakes is available at Wingfoots100.com. No
purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes and it's void where
prohibited.
About Goodyear
Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT), is one of the world's largest tire
companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its
products in 48 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two
Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive
to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the
technology and performance standard for the industry. For more
information about Goodyear and its products, go
to www.goodyear.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goodyear-celebrates-100-years-of-wingfoots-by-creating-oldest-throwback-basketball-jersey-available-300735181.html
SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company