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Friday, October 21, 2005
Please step away from the bling bling You've probably heard by now that the NBA has put a dress code in place for all players whenever they appear at any NBA affiliated event. I understand that certain jobs require their employees to dress in a professional manner, but is pro basketball player really one of these jobs? I mean these guys are being paid to play a game. Ok sure, you might be saying 'I'd wear a pink tutu in after-game press conferences if I could be making a couple mill a year', and thats a fair reaction, but is it really necessary? Was anyone so put off by seeing Allen Iverson 'thugged out' that they decided to stop spending their disposable income on NBA merchandise? Is putting him into a suit going to bring these people back? What purpose can this dress code acomplish? Can I use a couple more question marks in this paragraph? Can any of you stop me? The NHL has had a dress code for players in place for as long as I can remember, requiring them to be in a suit upon their arival to the arena before the game and in one for post-game interviews. That must be the reason that hockey is so popular in the US, of course the average fan watching a game wants to see their favorite (and not so favorite) players in suits. It makes them seem more fan-friendly. "Hey did you see that Armani suit KG had on after the game last night?" "Hells ya I saw it! I'm going out today to pick one up." "Right on, I grabbed one last week and was wearing while watching the game on my couch. I was like 'no way, we're both rockin the same gear!' How cool is that shit?" "Yeah man, totally" Not only do I think the NBA should stay away from the dress code, I think the NHL should toss theirs out too. I'd much rather see Aki Berg interviewed about his nightly bonehead plays wearing a ripped Iron Maiden t-shirt and a pink tutu then in a designer suit. And really, who wouldn't? - posted by Mike @ 12:31 PM 
Comments:
i actually disagree with you on this one, possibly for superficial reasons that i cannot properly articulate.
but i think that with the 'progression' of fashion these days, the problem of what is appropriate attire is posed. denim is being mixed with 'classy' tops or accessories. the 'boho-chic' look is in. everyone looks like trash, but they paid a gajillion dollars to look homeless. just because you bought your juicy couture sweats for $1000 or your oversized sean john shirt for the same price doesn't mean it's classy. appearance is everything.
I think the problem is with saying that one form of clothing or another is 'appropriate'. Appropriate for what? talking to the media about scoring a game winning 3-pointer or for scapping a goon because he ran one of your players into the end boards. If you look like Trump or you look like a hobo no one is going to care as long as you produce for your team.
Appearance is everything, but that doesn't mean it should be regulated.
i hate to say this but "it is what it is".
seriously, no one ever sees the whtie collar fuckers who keep the economy going. but they keep doing their job and all the while wear their pressed and pleated dockers slacks. pharmacists and doctors dress up for work. why? i dunno, but that's the uniform. nba are professional athletes, and technically professional celebrities and despite how i feel about status and money, i just think things like being dressed well should be upheld.
So people wear their garb according to their role. I think Mike is right, the role doesn't justify garb.
There are all kinds of fans to any particular sport. A suit shouldn't help as an identifier. They are set apart with their role as professional athletes when we see them in their jerseys. Like a policeman to his uniform. It's an inappropriate way to legitimize something that appeals to everyone. Just because you see 'suit' shouldn't mean you should see 'importance'. We're all naked underneath and that's what counts, that we're all fucken naked!
but they're dressed like thugs...when they're not.
like i said before, i'm not one to label class, status, etc. but you just need to look presentable, and not like you're going to go kill someone.
I'm a believer in the dress code, but not because of any status or anything that clothes mean. It's more like... I have to wear certain clothes when I represent my job, so why shouldn't these fuckers? Kids at McDonalds have to wear certain clothes whenever they're doing company business - why should the people that are getting paid millions?
It's hard enough for me to accept that they get to play ball for a living, and make more in a single game than I do in a month. It's even harder for me to accept that there's no stipulations with that job either. They work a few months a year, doing something they were going to be doing in their spare time anyway. I don't think it'd hurt them to at least try and make the common man (who funds their salary) feel like he has something in common with them. I don't care if the uniform is just an Adidas tracksuit... gimme something!
i'm for the suits. i can't really justify my position in any way, i just think that its more professional.
Its not that I'm against the wearing of suits, I'm against forcing someone to wear a suit. In the case of the NFL I'm against this guy being denied his suit wearing.
In other professions where a dress code is enforced it is usually because there is an economic benefit to the company to have such a rule in place. I just don't see the benefit of it in pro sports. For the record I was also against wearing a uniform in high school, so maybe that has made me unreasonably biased.
But there is an economic benefit with the enforcement of a dress code where the only acceptable wear is a suit and tie. You have to realize that basketball does not have the same pull with the rich, white Americans anymore. By allowing the players to get all thugged out, do you not think this deters "Mr. Wall Street, I have two kids with perfect teeth" man from turning on the TV and watching a sport that makes him feel alienated? Personally, I take issue with Iverson using his celebrity status to say 'it's ok if you want to dress in a way that makes you look ready to terrorize the streets of Scarborough.'
The NBA is a business, do you really think team owners sleep well at night knowing LeBron was wearing a throwback jersey of another team? How much money do you think the owner loses because every Cleveland fans all of a sudden feels the urge to buy Gervan's Spurs jersey? Same thing goes for the NFL. It's only natural for a team to want anyone and everyone affliated with the team to be branded with the team's colours. Why else do you think players immediately put on a team cap after taking off their helmets? Emit Smith probably had a huge Nike contract back in the day but it was a Cowboy's hat he put on while on the sidelines-not his shoe logo. I can't think of anything else to say... # posted by
 : 2:11 AM
I would expect Mr. Wall Street to continue to turn on the tv and watch basketball, because what the players wear off the court in no way affects what happens on the court.
Is seeing Lebron in a suit going to help sell Cavs gear either? Its all about the product that is put on the court, that is what motivates merchandise sales. I want to buy a Kevin Garnett jersey, not because I saw him in a FUBU tracksuit after the game, but because of the things he does during the game. As long as they don't start making players wear suits to play the game I don't think it would hurt team merchandise sales one bit.
I respect your opinion about the issue and it made me think of something. The reason why we differ in opinion is very must rooted in the fact that you embrace the hip hop culture. I see thugged out high schoolers on the bus and can't help feel ashamed of the entire human race. It is for the same reason that seeing NBA stars dressed the way they are make me cringe. Yes, it is an expression of their personality which has nothing to do with their performanace on court, but I still can't help being turned off to the sport when I see them like that. They represent the league in a manner very similar to how those little thug wannabes do of Scarborough. Quite frankly, I hate it. It is for this reason why I no longer watch the NBA-and believe me, basketball was my life.
On the other side of the argument, you yourself are part of that hip hop culture-you buy the CDs, you talk the talk, you watch the videos...you are it. I know I'm going on and on...forgive me, I haven't slept with midterms. But what I'm getting at is this: you see the players wear what they wear and have no problem with it. You don't see that people like Mr. Wall Street, or even people like me, who believe that glorifying everything about hip hop, including attire, is ridiculous. I respect your opinion, but I guess what I'm trying to say is it's not my cup of tea and maybe it's not a stretch to think that David Stern put the dress code in to attract people who share my opinion. # posted by
: 6:55 PM
i don't think the dress code is meant to attract an audience. i think it's just about respect and being tasteful.
I understand what you're saying, but I don't think its just about my connection with hip-hop culture (I think the 'thugged out' kids in Scarborough look rediculous too). I'm against the dress code in the NHL, and I'm sure if it was removed the hip-hop influence would only be seen in a handful of players.
I'm sure that when the time comes that I'm working in the real world if I'm at a place requiring me to be in a suit daily I'm going to be against that too. Not that I'd be wearing oversized jerseys and outrageous spinning jewlery, but sometimes I just want to wear my fuzzy pants or a pair of shorts and a golf shirt. Is my wearing a tie making me do my job any better? Of course not, if anything it'll make it worse because I'll be thinking about how much I hate wearing ties. So do you expect the dress code to renew your interest in the game? I just don't understand how what the players dress like would change someones opinion of the on-court product. Hate the player, don't hate the game.
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