The design has been a hit with players and fans over the past two seasons.
YORK, Pa. — It’s a good time to be a York Revolution fan.
They won the championship earlier in the season and clinched a playoff berth, boasting a franchise-record winning percentage during that span and scoring 80 more points than the next-place team in the Atlantic League.
But the Revs know that to earn the community’s support, win or lose, they must reflect the community.
“I started with the community, with the arts,” Revolution creative director Cody Bannon recalled. “I wanted to bring a little bit of downtown art into Revolution and collaborate.”
And the Revs envisioned a piece of art for all to see throughout the match, so they brought in local artist Dez Gavins.
“I’ve always been interested in fashion and always made my own clothes, but then I started drawing,” Gavins says. “I didn’t come up with the name Drip Gaud – someone told me it online and then people just started using it.”
You may have seen his work, ranging from small to very large.
“I was actually designing mock-ups for the Ravens and Orioles and I posted them online and Cody reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, can you make one for us?'” Gavins recalled.
“He said he’d been waiting for this opportunity, because he’d already made his own twist on the Revs design but hadn’t made it public,” Bannon recalled.
“I didn’t know they were watching,” Gavins laughed. “They were already watching. They were already hip.”
The end result was the “Dripped Gawd” logo and jersey, which was requested by players and fans alike.
“It’s been tough keeping Drip Gaud’s designs on the shelves. We sold out of the hats three or four times last year. Right now, the replica jerseys are out of stock.”
“I bought the last hat. Yeah, I didn’t know they were sold out,” Gavins said. “Just knowing that people are going to see it and see the other stuff and think, ‘Oh man, I want that one,’ it feels good.”
The real win continues to be the blend of cultures: whether you’re a sports fan, an arts advocate or both, the unique combination showcases something truly York every time you step on the diamond.
“They may not know the context of why it’s there, but to me, looking at it and looking at the people in the community, we were able to make this work and kind of blend two different worlds together,” Bannon argued.
“Looking good, feeling good, playing good,” Gavins said with a smile. “‘Drip Gawd’ is ‘GAWD’. It stands for ‘Great At What I Do.’ So at the end of the day, we’re all ‘Drip Gawd.’ It’s about what you put into it and what you put into it for the rest of your life. A week from now, a day from now, keep your passion alive, keep your hopes alive, keep your dreams alive.”
The Revs are starting the second half of the season with a goal of winning the Atlantic League. Diz’s latest designs can also be seen on the tour jackets for Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” and in a collaboration with New Balance.
So either way, the possibilities are endless.
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