One of the few things I remember from the 1996 presidential election is the contentious issue of school uniforms. My friend argued that as things currently stood, I could easily fall victim to vicious teasing from those of my classmates who thought my Anaheim Mighty Ducks jersey looked stupid. With school uniforms, however, I would be immune from such taunts as the would-be bully would be wearing the exact same outfit as me each and every day. Failing to see the nuance of my friend's argument, I remember being most upset about the thought that someone would be picking my daily wardrobe. I didn't even allow my mom to pick out my clothes - there was no way I was letting anyone else do it either.
Although we were just first-graders at the time, who knew nothing of rights or personal freedoms - lately I've begun to feel similar emotions; this time stemming from recent developments in the world of sports. One such case involves Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who forbade first overall pick and face-of-the-franchise quarterback Cam Newton from getting any tattoos or growing his hair out long.
Now, dress codes in sports are nothing new. In 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern caused a ripple when his group became the first professional sports league to institute a dress code requiring all players to wear business attire when arriving to or departing from a game. While initially berated by players upon its inception - some went so far as to call it racism against the league's black players - recently, dressing up has become a status symbol in the league, and players actively compete to see who looks the best in their new suits.
Similarly, once he was named interim head coach of the Dallas Cowboys halfway through last season, Jason Garrett instituted a comparable rule which required each player to wear a suit whenever he rode on the team bus to practices or games. The purpose of the dress code, to my understanding, is two-fold: one, it improves the appearance of the group and two, it creates solidarity among its members - like when fraternities require all brothers to wear Brooks Brothers shirts and Ray Bans on Friday nights.
Dress codes are pretty easily defendable. For the most part, they do accomplish their purposes, and I don't think there's anything wrong with a league requiring its players to wear suits or similar attire. Most office authorities ask their employees to wear shirts and ties, or the equivalent. And since professional athletics is
Read More
No. 4 field hockey set for primetime ACC showdown at undefeated No. 2 North Carolina
By Eleanor Lynch | 1 hours agoWith a win, the Cavaliers would take control of first place in the ACC.
Virginia volleyball defeats Syracuse in a thrilling five-set match
By Victoria Blankenship | 9 hours agoThe Cavaliers continue their best ACC run since 2006.
TILOCK AND ISTVAN: We should temper post-Bennett expectations for Virginia men’s basketball
By Xander Tilock and Ben Istvan | 11 hours agoBennett buoyed Virginia in a way that legendary coaches of other programs did not.
