Distressed patterns are usually created by overlaying
a pattern on your final design. If you're working in
FreeHand, for example, you import a bitmap or
greyscale tiff, make it transparent and voila, you're
distressed.

Here's a link to a few distressed files:
http://www.screenprinters.net/downloads/
(scroll down about 1/2 or 3/4 of the way down
the page.)

I think I got exactly the answers you need. The fonts you are looking for are often overlooked because they are just so common and not considered "high design" anyway, here is my list (I design athletic apparel):

Slab Serif

Athletic (cheap looking....very block like) Be sure to space this one manually)
Collegiate (complicated outlined font)

The following are thinner and almost identical (I use Yearbook the most)
Ivy League: the only one without the "middle V" on the "M" touching the baseline (this is great for designs with outlines or strokes as the outline won't descend beneath the baseline)
Princetown
Yearbook
College
Letterman (roughened version)

Sans Serif:
ITC Machine (I use this one a lot)
ITC Flat Iron

Related, but not exactly athletic:

City
Aachen

For scripts, I recommend:

Formal
Brush Script is the more common script

Obscure, but worth it:
Hoboken High (two faces, serif and non-serif; can be found at lineto.com: expensive)

This is about all I know in terms of these fonts. There could be more, but this is what I use.

If you need anymore help, email me Kmond@hotmail.com. Put something in the subject that let's me know it's not spam