This is a basketball poster created in 1991 advertising the JMU Dukes Men’s basketball team and their games from November 1991 to March 1992. This advertisement is for an experience for JMU students as well as a revenue source for athletics. The top left corner of the poster features the schedule of the games in a purple lined square so JMU students can attend the games. It includes the dates of the games and their location, either “Home” or elsewhere but does not include a time for the event. Away games are written in black while home games are written in purple to attract students. The creators of this poster use the word “Home” to indicate a certain attitude of feeling at home at JMU which supports an inclusive family-like community or attitude on campus. A phone number for students to contact for ticket information is located at the bottom of the games.
In the top right corner of the poster the words “The Excitement … OF THE JMU SEASON” are displayed. In this one statement there are three different fonts but it encourages a feeling of thrill for these sporting events. Excitement in a sporting event is an escape from the academic work load students face throughout the semester.
Two male African American basketball players are featured in the bottom half of the poster standing by the yellow basketball lockers of T. Bostic and J. Chambers, which one can assume are the lockers of the individuals featured. JMU paraphernalia is displayed within the lockers, including a cup, two hats, white towels, jackets, shoes, a towel featuring the Duke Dog, and their uniforms. This encourages the mindset that they are members of a broader community of JMU outside of their basketball team. In their uniforms and looking stern, they hold or stand on paraphernalia of their opposing schools. Bostic holds an orange Auburn University hat and sits in a JMU chair while Chambers holds a bent Georgia Tech metal trash bin with his foot propped on a JMU chair with a University of Las Vegas Nevada t-shirt on it. A trash bin from Penn State University and a white jersey from Brigham Young University are strewn on the ground. Their stance makes them look powerful and glorifies JMU athletics. The way they hold and treat the items of other schools makes it seem like they will physically crush their competition and the other schools clothing is not worthy of being placed in a locker. These schools had accomplished basketball teams so this looks like the Dukes are confident against their toughest opponents. Humans often bond when competing against a common enemy. In this case, JMU students are bonded together in competition against opposing school’s basketball teams.
The school colors of purple and gold are featured throughout this poster. The other schools paraphernalia is contrasted to the reoccurring purple and gold colors which makes the other schools seem like outsiders. The school colors encourage a common identity among JMU students.
Sports posters do not begin advertising sponsors, like CFW Cellular, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Jeep, and Hardee’s until 1993. The first time the official stamp of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is featured on a men’s basketball poster is in 1998, while JMU joined the CAA in 1983. The CAA is the athletic conference on the east coast that JMU athletics is a participant in. While it governs 22 sports, it became well known through basketball.
1991-1992 Men’s Basketball Poster, 1991, Folder 2, JMU Sports Posters Collection, 1976-2000, SC 5033, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
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