2008-09 News and Features

Harvey Pollacks 'T-shirt Crusade' reaches 2,186!

By: Lindsay Walker

Today, the floor of the Hall of Fame Room in the Wachovia Center was covered with t-shirts, all of which were worn by one man, one time only.

Director of Statistical Information Harvey Pollack sat in a chair in the middle of over 1,100 t-shirts he displayed with the help of a small army of summer interns. His t-shirt of the day read: At my age I’ve seen it all, done it all, heard it all… I just can’t remember it all. At age 86, he has been wearing a different t-shirt everyday since June 28, 2003. Today, he reached number 2,186 and did not buy a single one.

This six year journey began when Harvey wanted to see if he could make it from June to Labor Day without wearing the same shirt twice. Upon hearing about this attempt, the Sixers staff emailed all NBA teams to send Harvey a shirt. Not only did every NBA team send Harvey a shirt, but colleges did as well. Before long, teams around the country were soon on board as well. The t-shirts came piling in after the news, “spread like wildfire,” as Harvey described it. There has never been a week that the Sixers legendary statistician hasn’t been given any t-shirts.

It is Harvey’s goal to one day send his t-shirt record into the Guinness Book of World Records. There is no current t-shirt record, and the Guinness Book only accepts complete records. Harvey makes it official by having his interns enter into his computer the color and description of the t-shirt he wears to the Wachovia Center everyday. Already he has 250 more t-shirts waiting for him at his house to continue raising the grand total.

"I already have enough to last me until December!" Harvey said with a smile.