HOMAGE’s Ryan Vesler talks return of Elevator Ernie Johnson shirt: ‘It was just such a classic moment.’

WBD Sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. to be inducted into Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame

Ernie Johnson Jr., the famed broadcaster for WBD Sports, will be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Tuesday. He joins a notable class of nine inductees, including NBC Sports analyst Cris Collinsworth, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman, and long-time CBS producer Lance Barrow.

In honor of Johnson’s induction, apparel company HOMAGE is bringing back a classic Elevator Ernie Johnson shirt. This shirt pays homage to a dunk contest Johnson participated in against Craig “Skywalker” Sager many years ago.

HOMAGE founder Brian Powell wrote about the iconic moment in 2009. He noted how seeing Johnson wear the shirt on TV was a truly unique experience. Now, it’s exciting to see the shirt return, with HOMAGE once again working with Johnson to make it available online ahead of his Hall of Fame induction.

In an interview with AA, HOMAGE CEO Ryan Vesler expressed his admiration for Johnson’s career and explained why the Elevator Ernie Johnson shirt is the perfect tribute.

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“Ernie Johnson is a legend in his own right,” Vesler said. “From the moment I heard he would be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, I knew we had to bring back the Elevator Ernie Johnson tee that is an homage to the original shirt Ernie wore in the Dunk Contest with Craig ‘Skywalker’ Sager.”

Vesler went on to say that the original dunk contest clip stands out as a fun and memorable moment in sports history.

“Ernie was wearing incredibly short shorts that were all the rage in the 1980s, and dramatically dunking on a miniature kiddie hoop while being cheered on by the crowds. It was just such a classic moment in basketball history, so much so that clips of the content continue to follow Ernie to this day.”

Vesler also recalled how a shoutout from Johnson on-air in 2009 had a profound impact on his business.

“I had no idea and certainly no expectation that Ernie was going to shout out to the shirt, let alone mention me and the company by name,” Vesler said. “If you watch the clip, he even goes so far as to spell out HOMAGE just to make sure viewers understood. That was in the very early days for us and it really put us on the map. “HOMAGE clothing” became a trending search on Google. It seemed everybody was trying to find out more.”

Vesler concluded by sharing how the positive impact of Johnson’s gesture extended far beyond a simple shoutout, even causing their website to experience temporary overload.

The “Elevator Ernie Johnson” shirt is now available for purchase on the HOMAGE website. It’s a perfect way to celebrate Ernie Johnson Jr.’s incredible career and his upcoming induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.