The Heat Are Honoring Dwyane Wade By Selling All His Merchandise For $13, A Buck For Every Year In Miami

CBS-  The Miami HEAT will recognize Dwyane Wade's unforgettable 13-year career tomorrow, July 8, via a series of activities. Throughout the day, all HEAT digital and social media platforms will feature Dwyane Wade photo galleries, graphics and videos, including "13 Moments" -- a series of vignettes that pay homage to Wade's remarkable Miami HEAT career. The MiamiMediaMesh, the 3,400 sq. ft. LED marquee on the exterior of the AmericanAirlines Arena will exclusively feature Wade images all day long. Full-page color ads featuring Wade and the iconic "This is My House" image will also be placed in the three major South Florida newspapers. In addition, all Dwyane Wade merchandise will be sold for $13.00 at all The Miami HEAT Store locations while supplies last.


Now this is the exactly what comes to mind when I think of honorary displays to celebrate the accomplished career of a professional athlete. Online photo galleries, projected highlight videos, intricate newspaper ads, discounted merchandise with said player's name and/or likeness on it. Wait, what? Tip of the hat to the Miami Heat marketing team, because I am pretty sure they just sold a Dwayne Wade clearance sale as a day long commemorative fan fest. "Hey guys, come on down to the arena and look at big shiny screens and get persuaded into buying shirts and jerseys that you would have no interest in purchasing if they weren't half price!" Seriously though, Dwyane Wade isn't even going to be there, right? The whole 'This Is My House' theme falls a little flat when the homeowner isn't in attendance. Credit where credit it due for finding a creative way to push obsolete products, but this is like asking people to bring gifts to a going away party after the  person has already moved. 

Anyway Dwyane, congrats on your 13 highly successful years and 3 championships in Miami, but the team/city you called your own for over a decade is going to have to get rid of some of your stock if they want to make room for the shipment of 'Whiteside' inventory. Nothing personal, it's just retail. If you want to look on the bright side I suppose you should just be glad that they found a more effective way to get rid of them than by drowning them in gasoline and holding a citywide bonfire.