Wearing team apparel on the job

Yikes ...

I hope they're hightops, then, because there's close to a foot of snow in the driveway. (Ask John Brannen about the weather up here. I doubt he misses it.)

 

Nah, they magically took him across town to a place where he can inspire college students and not worry about how he's going to have to inform hardworking underpaid professionals with college degrees that the company can't afford to keep them around any longer. ;D

 

I guess I'm in the minority, but I don't have a problem with someone wearing a college or pro cap while covering preps. I very rarely go anywhere without a cap on my head and most of the time, it's a cap of my favorite college, which incidentally is some 1,200 miles away. And on occasion, when it gets cold enough to warrant it, I may even wear a sweatshirt of that team to a high school football game. I've really never had anyone tell me anything or call me unprofessional.

I do, however, draw the line at wearing the same attire to a college or pro game. I have worn my cap(s) to practices, but actual game events, it's strictly business attire. And I have to admit, that seems to be the norm for a lot of the writers covering my beat. I see a lot of guys walking around with Cubs/Yankees/Red Sox/Notre Dame caps/sweatshirts while covering an NFL team's practice/weekly media gathering.

To take this a step further, what about conference attire? For instance, I covered an SEC team for years and it was fairly common to receive SEC swag while covering the conference media days/tournaments/etc. And I've seen a lot of people turn around and wear those polos/jackets to college events. Most of them were TV guys, I have to say, but what's the overall feel of that? For the record, I wasn't one of those guys wearing the SEC polos/jackets. The only swag I've ever worn at an event was a Cotton Bowl jacket to a game one year because the temperature dropped like 30 degrees by the time the game started and it was the only jacket I had in my car.

 

When it's 3 p.m. in Texas it's pretty hot. Everyone else is wearing a cap at the game. Doesn't bother me to wear on. Visors just don't work for me.

 

I try not to wear a hat at indoor events, but it depends on how long it's been since a hair cut. Outside in the fall and early spring, I'm usually in one because of my haircut - buzzed dome.

There really isn't a good reason to wear hooded sweatshirt to cover anything; put on a pullover, a vest or a coat.

 

That's why I asked about preps. If I was wearing a polo shirt with a logo, it was from my day job...

I did wear my Bethune-Cookman polo when I covered Grambling - Prairie View A&M game in Dallas just to see how many people thought I was a scout or thought WTF is a white guy in Dallas doing with a Cookman shirt on? It led to a couple of pleasant conversations and a reunion with a former BC coach. I'll apologize for this one-time offense.

 

Then I'm occasionally juvenile and ridiculous - and proud of it. Not when covering events, no, but I have them. Come and pry them from my cold, dead hands.

I don't take into account the colors of a school when putting stuff on. I've endured the occasional crack, but I don't have a very colorful closet and am not going to start because someone dying to load his verbal cannon for a cheap shot is ready to spew.

For high school coverage, as long as you're not blatantly wearing the high school's logo and clearly attempting to be a homer, you're fine. Same with college coverage ... those who say otherwise could easily be called petty and juvenile.

There IS such a thing as outsmarting oneself.

 

as I said, to each his own, my friend. and I know all about the southern heat ... though I tend to locate a pressbox. least you avoid the direct heat, though many are just hot boxes themselves. but even the crummiest fields that I've been to have a box for baseball - softball's another story sometimes.

 

wear 'em proud, fellas.

 

what the hell's wrong with a hoodie?! I wear one, and I'm a coaching genius! [/billbelichick]

****

but, seriously, agreed. if it's -10, I'm sure as hell not gonna be wearing a sweatshirt, anyway. I want an actual coat that provides, you know, actual warmth. that's aside from the image factor.

 

Now that I'm in news, I can go on an outdoor assignment wearing a logo-bearing ballcap and not worry about the team or colors. Nobody in Cowshitistan could recognize a single NHL logo, anyway.

But the sequined Barack Obama thong that zaogshe sent me in the mail as a love present, sadly, must wait until the work day is done.