Reporters wearing local team apparel?

I have a baseball cap from the big high school here in town, and I just can't bring myself to wear it.

Maybe on the back deck this summer – that that's in another state.

 

There's no written policy at my shop. However, MY policy is: Don't wear it if you cover any of the teams.

 

I've been given T-shirts over the years from the teams I cover, and they make great night shirts and work-out shirts.

Once at the paper I used to work at, the ASE was wearing his rah-rah-fanboy shit of the college he covered ... while covering that college's men's basketball game. The SE happened to be at the game with his son. Had a meeting the next day and essentially told him, "Um, don't do that again."

 

I worked with a guy, who was our columnist, that wore the cap of the local minor league team. Not sure if he did that when covering the team, but when covering other teams for sure.

Like others have posted, I've done the shirt switch many times. The other day I was about to switch, but it dawned on me that both teams had the same dominant color, so I was in the clear. good times.

 

I always have a jacket in my car just in case I overlook the color of my shirt when I get dressed.

 

I watched this beach ball at a local weekly wear a windsuit with the colors of the team he was covering to a high school playoff doubleheader, then go down and watch the games from their dugout.

Can't wait until the all-state meeting this week when he tries to nominate 15 players from his two schools for 10 spots from teams that didnt win the state title and aren't going DI.

 

I'm sure you'll handle it with decorum and discretion.

 

Oh, if I were only going... I'll be at SEC but will have my spies to tell all...

 

I agree with everyone else on here.

While I realize the following is petty, well, so be it. The school I cover is a Nike school. Probably in the past year, I've picked up three or four adidas things to wear (a long-sleeve polo, a pullover sweater thing with a zipper and a couple of golf shirts). I love to wear those over to the school I cover.

For the record, none of said adidas gear has any team logos. Three are plain, one has a golf course logo.

 

Shit, I'm 90 percent positive I'm one of two people on my beat who don't own numerous articles of clothing with that school's logo on it.
The ones who don't? Me and the other daily newspaper guy.
I've heard rumors of the weekly newspaper guy and "autograph sessions," and one of the local radio guys is never in the press box because he's in the stands cheering (better than the alternative, I guess).

 

There have been a few really dumb, no-shit-Sherlock questions put on here lately, like getting autographs, schwag and the like.

Easy rule: if it's something a fan wouldn't think twice about doing, DON'T FUCKING DO IT!

 

I've been doing this long enough that I can wear any color I want and nobody questions my nuetrality. If I feel like wearing a dark green mock turtleneck, I don't give a damn what team uses that as their primary color, I wear it.

I have dozens of shirts I've been given by teams and they make great gifts for my friends and relatives. A few of them I wear to sleep in, jog in or play golf in.

But, just for the record, never wear another team's apparrel while covering a game and avoid similar colors as the team you are covering.

It's important to be professional ... and looking professional goes with the territory.