Stickum
Stickum is a trademark adhesive of Mueller Sports Medicine, of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, United States. It is available in powder, paste and aerosol spray forms. According to the company website, the spray form is "excellent for bat handles and vaulting poles." Many vendors also promote the product for use by weightlifters, and for various other athletic applications.
Stickum, along with other adhesive or "sticky" substances (such as glue, rosin (tree sap), or food substances), were used for years in the National Football League to assist players in gripping the ball. The use of adhesives such as Stickum was banned by the league in 1981, and the resulting action became known as the "Lester Hayes rule" in association with the Oakland Raiders defensive back known for his widespread use of Stickum. Despite the ban, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice freely admitted to illegally using stickum throughout his career, leading many fans to question the integrity of his receiving records.[1][2][3] Rice's claim that "all players" in his era used stickum[4] was quickly denied by Hall of Fame contemporaries Cris Carter[5] and Michael Irvin.[6]
In recent years the NBA has also seen its players use Stickum; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard was caught using Stickum in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.[7] Howard later admitted that he had been using the substance for years, but neither he nor the Rockets were reprimanded by the league; however, they were given a warning by the NBA to not use the substance again.
References
- ^ Breech, John. "Jerry Rice admitted to cheating just days before calling Pats cheaters". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ "Who's cheating now? Jerry Rice admits to stickum use after New England Patriots comments". NJ.com. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ Edholm, Eric (2015-02-06). "Jerry Rice calls out 'cheating' Patriots but admitted to using stickum | Shutdown Corner". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ Jared Dubin. "Jerry Rice on stickum use: 'All players did it'". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ "Cris Carter says he never used stickum | ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ "Irvin strongly denies using stickum | ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
- ^ "Howard gets warning but no ban for Stickum use". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
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