Sports and Baggy T-Shirts

Monday 16th of August 2010 10:25:07 PM

Sports and Baggy T-Shirts

A famous U.S. football team was allowed to wear long t-shirts underneath jerseys. That may not sound like much of an event, but it sure made the team members happy. They didn’t get wear them during a game, but they did get to wear them at training camp. That was just fine with the members of the New York Giants.

Football, as the saying goes, is as American as apple pie...or is it baseball? Well, however you want to say it, training camp is when the new football season starts for fans though the first game is still weeks away. T-shirts are the favourite sports wear for teams around the world. Players enjoy the comfort and durability of the t-shirt, but during formal play the players are expected to dress alike. Dressing alike means wearing the exact same uniform and keeping shirts carefully tucked into pants.

That’s why it was such a treat when the Giants were allowed to dress casually at training camp. Many wore baggy long-sleeved white t-shirts underneath jerseys. Some of the t-shirts were so long they reached to the player’s thighs. The t-shirts didn’t have to be tucked in either. The players left their shirts flapping in the wind as they ran from base to base along with sweat towels tucked into belts.

The National Football League has a dress code that rules dress on the field of play. The purpose is the same as it would be for any dress code: to maintain professionalism and uniformity. Uniformity also builds team spirit. The rules are strict too. A player may be fined $5,000 for having a jersey that frequently comes untucked.

So far the players have kept their informal clothing fairly sedate. For example, there have not been any tie-dye t-shirts spotted yet.

Who says men are not fashion conscious? The main reason given for wearing the long t-shirts is probably not what you would expect. They wear the oversized t-shirts for style. Of course, at the risk of sounding prejudiced, only a man could consider an oversized long t-shirt with grass stains and a shredded hem as stylish!