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Matthew wrote:Yeah wearing a white t shirt really makes you a wigger. He should be wearing a golf shirt and trousers.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:53 am
Matthew wrote:Yeah wearing a white t shirt really makes you a wigger. He should be wearing a golf shirt and trousers.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:05 pm
Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:08 pm
Matthew wrote:So he should be wearing a tight tshirt instead? Oh yeah.. make it pink as well, he will be "very stylish".
Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:10 pm
Matthew wrote:So he should be wearing a tight tshirt instead? Oh yeah.. make it pink as well, he will be "very stylish".
Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:59 pm
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One of the little noticed provisions in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement is a clause that allows commissioner David Stern to impose a dress code on the troops. During a recent P.R. tour, Stern indicated he’s going to act on it.
Collared shirts and sport coats are going to be the order of the day. No blue jeans will be allowed. The linked article on Boston.com quotes Stern as saying: “We'd like to use our convening power to have people focus on this game and our great players, who they are and how they play, rather than their variance from some norm ... Being neatly attired in a certain way, that's going to be our norm."
There’s more that Stern is doing. Players will have to sign autographs before games and perform more community service. They must be available for media interviews for 15 minutes after practices. They’re expected to mingle with the fans.
I’ve never been big on dress codes. But I’ve also always believed that people should want to present themselves and their professions in a positive light. So I’ve always been a collared shirt and sport coat kind of guy. During the playoffs and on Opening Day, I throw on a tie. I figure I owe it to the profession.
You could look at the way athletes dress the same way. And, while you could say prohibiting blue jeans is a bit silly — there is no more universally worn piece of clothing in America — it’s also not unreasonable for an employer to require a certain standard of appearance. After all, if you’ve got a job in the NBA with all that goes with it, you should be happy to dress any way the commissioner wants. It’s not as if the extra laundry bills are going to bust your budget.
It’s also shows a recognition that the NBA has an image problem that needs to be corrected. I suppose a cynic could say that making the players dress up will only ensure that they look good in their mug shots. But Stern is right. The great majority of players in the league are decent people who do a lot of good. Dressing them up a bit can’t hurt, and it may do some good.
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The idea of an off-the-court dress code isn't sitting well with some NBA players.
Though it hasn't been finalized yet, players have been warned a dress code likely will be instituted this season for team functions. Players will have to wear business casual clothes -- such as a sport coat and slacks -- for all team affairs. Commissioner David Stern told The Boston Globe that the dress code would exclude jeans.
Team functions would include team flights, traveling to and from games and at public appearances. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported the dress code would be backed up by NBA fines.
"The dress code is, to me, a continuation of things," Stern told The Globe. "It's a small thing that contributes to a sense of professionalism. It's what the job entails. We've always moved to the fashion of our players. Years ago, the fashion was a jacket and tie. Now, it's a much more casual approach. But our referees are always attired a certain way based upon their job description when they come into the building. Our coaches are attired a certain way when they come on the court. We decided that it was time [for the players]."
The Hawks' Josh Childress is one of the players who thinks the NBA is "taking this thing too far."
"I understand where they're coming from. We all need to be neat and professional. But to ask us to wear suits everywhere, even at a hotel at 2 a.m. I think that's a bit much," Childress told the Journal-Constitution.
Allen Iverson told The Philadelphia Daily News he will fight any new dress code.
"I dress to make myself comfortable," Iverson told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I really do have a problem with it. ... It's just not right. It's something I'll fight for."
Childress told the Journal-Constitution that a dress code is something that should be phased in gradually.
"Listen, if they wanted to do this thing gradually I could understand that," Childress told the newspaper. "Say you want us to wear slacks and a shirt this year, and then next year add jackets and whatever. But to do it all at once is just more than I think is necessary, to just jump up and say wear suits or you get fined is nuts."
Players union president Antonio Davis told USA Today the union wouldn't be opposed to a dress code, but even he was only willing to go so far.
"I don't think it's fair for them to tell you exactly how to dress," Davis told the newspaper. "You can't say no jeans. I've seen businessmen in jeans, a sports coat and nice shirt, and you say that's classy."