Stickum is a trademark
adhesive
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advantage ...
of Mueller Sports Medicine, of
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, United States. It is available in powder, paste, and
aerosol spray
Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an aerosol mist of liquid particles. It comprises a can or bottle that contains a payload, and a propellant under pressure. When the container's valve is opened, the payload is forced out ...
forms. According to the company website, the spray form helps improve grip "even in wet conditions". Suggested uses include for bat handles and vaulting poles, with many vendors also promoting the product for use by weightlifters, and for various other athletic applications.
Stickum, along with other adhesive or "sticky" substances (such as
glue
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advantage ...
,
rosin
Rosin (), also known as colophony or Greek pitch (), is a resinous material obtained from pine trees and other plants, mostly conifers. The primary components of rosin are diterpenoids, i.e., C20 carboxylic acids. Rosin consists mainly of r ...
/tree sap, or food substances), were used for years in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
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", named after
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
defensive back
Lester Hayes, known for his frequent 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.
Rice's claim that "all players" in his era used Stickum was quickly denied by Hall of Fame contemporaries
Cris Carter and
Michael Irvin.
In the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
,
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
center
Dwight Howard was caught using Stickum in a game against the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
in 2016.
References
External links
Page on the Mueller Sports Medicine website
Cheating in sports
Sporting goods brands
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