EyeBlack grows in stature in sporting world

ROCKVILLE, Md. – One of the latest trends in sports uses an old routine to bring fans and players closer together: Wearing eye black, the patches athletes use under their eyes to blot out glare from the sun.

While watching a baseball game, former sales executive Peter Beveridge thought: Why not put team or corporate logos on those little pieces of tape? So he went to the patent office, and nine years later is the sole owner of EyeBlack, a multimillion dollar company that last year sold more than 6 million pairs.

Athletes and fans can buy black patches produced by a variety of companies at hundreds of stores. Wilson, for instance, sells eye black stickers and eye black grease in “a handy tube applicator.”

But EyeBlack owns the patent on under-the-eye tape with logos, pictures, phrases and yes, even bible verses.

When Tim Tebow listed religious psalms on his patches while quarterbacking the Florida Gators and when former Southern California running back Reggie Bush wore San Diego area code 619 on the tape under his eyes, they were treading on Beveridge territory.

“It was an infringement of the patent, but we had no intention of filing a lawsuit,” he said. “Instead, we immediately made the product and sent it to the athletic trainers of both schools.”

EyeBlack is also licensed by Major League Baseball, which is distributing patches to players this spring for use in practice, exhibition games and during the regular season.

“The product is interesting in that offers a new look and a new way for the club to show off its logo,” said Matt Bourne, an MLB spokesman.

Beveridge launched his company soon after convincing equipment managers at Maryland, Virginia Tech and the University of Miami to give it a whirl.

“I’m always indebted to these guys because they didn’t think I was insane,” Beveridge said. “So I came down, put it on these guy’s faces, and the feedback I got was stunningly good.”

At first, Beveridge set up shop in his mother’s basement. Now he’s in a 5,000 square-foot shop that appears to be getting smaller as the business gets bigger.

NFL players Brian Urlacher, Marshawn Lynch, LaMarr Woodley and Stevie Johnson are spokesmen for the product, and more than 200 colleges across the nation are licensed to wear custom EyeBlack merchandise. Other clients include Nike, Ripken Baseball and even pro wrestler Shawn Michaels.

The NFL does not allow players to put messages on eye black, so Urlacher goes with the standard black strips. The Chicago Bears linebacker considers EyeBlack to be as much part of his uniform as shoulder pads and a helmet.

“Applying it before games has become a ritual for me,” he said. “After putting it on I am ready to play.”

Not everyone is an EyeBlack customer. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis chooses grease, applying it like war paint on Sunday afternoons. It’s simply a matter of preference.

The NCAA in 2010 banned players from wearing logos or messages on eye black, so the only options are black patches or grease.

“I think that the players really do like the EyeBlack,” said Ron Ohringer, head trainer at Maryland. “It’s a lot cleaner and easier to manage than the old grease pencils we used, though a few players still like to use that.”

EyeBlack is made from high-grade medical tape manufactured in the United States.

“It drives me crazy when people say it’s a sticker,” Beveridge said. “It actually took a lot of time to find the right material. The cheek area is sensitive. The tape has to be able to withstand sweat, but it’s also got to work for the fans.”

Beveridge, 52, received a bachelor’s in economics from William & Mary and earned his master’s at American University.