Pittsburgh Steeler Heinz Ward playing “Gotham City Rogue Heinz Ward.” It’s the part he was born to play.
I caught a showing of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises on Sunday, and thoroughly loved it. I’m a big fan of comics, a big fan of Nolan’s, and this final movie of his Batman trilogy was way better than any third movie in a franchise has any right to be.
That said, one scene definitely took me out of the world Nolan had so meticulously created: the visit to the Gotham City Rogues’ football game. What made it so jarring? Well, this time around, the movie was shot in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers were stand-ins for the Rogues…meaning that my friends and I couldn’t help but laugh when we saw Ben Rothlisberger and Heinz Ward listening to the National Anthem dressed as the fictional Rogues.
But just because the Rogues aren’t, you know, an actual football team, that doesn’t mean you can’t bring them into reality. Under Armour, maker of fine athletics gear, apparently provided the movie with Rogues jerseys, and have made said jerseys—as well as t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies—available to the masses right here.
I have to say—all of this stuff is really, really cool, and certainly looks real enough to pass muster as legitimate sports gear. I can’t deny it: I want a Rogues jersey a lot. But two-hundred bucks for a fake team’s football jersey…man. I’m a big football fan, and an even bigger Batman fan, but I’m not sure I can really justify such a high-ticket item, no matter how much I want it. The $80 hoodie isn’t much better, but at least it’s a little more possible in terms of keeping my bank account happy.
Now, if the Steelers play a game as the Gotham Rogues this season, now we’re talking a seriously cool collectible. If they do, I’ll totally root for them. Hey NFL—make this happen, please.
