Grown man jersey etiquette

Back in Queens in the 80’s there was a kid we made fun of called “Mr. Sports jersey.”

We didn’t know the kid (he went to another school) but MSJ was never spotted without some sort of sports attire.

He’d rock out a full Padres uniform (Steve Garvey) or a random basketball jersey or something. Always a random “weird” team.

I wonder if I am starting to become ab adult version.

I have gone on a jersey buying kick. I now have pinless, Seaver 83, 80s blue pullover and whatever we’re calling the non-retro pinstripes with dropshadow (contest time?). Oh and I bought Junior his own and he looks great. Beloved daughter wants one now but asked for black. We’ll see.

I can’t wear any of these to work, but I have been wearing them on the weekends. Maybe the other soccer dads are making fun of “the dude that always wears a Mets jersey. At least I rotate them.

My questions for you: what’s the right situations for wearing these (non-games). Little league? Lawn mowing? Supermarket? Sitting in the yard? Both weekend days? Once a month?

Tomorrow I will ask you which Lee Mazzilli jersey I should buy. Not sure how I’ll work that in.

15 Replies to “Grown man jersey etiquette”

  1. as long as you aren’t wearing them to religious events, parties and out to dinner in nice restaurants you should be ok.

    As long as you dont get caught wearing the same jersey multiple times per week it should be ok…part of the key to this is keeping each jersey fresh and different so people dont think you are wearing the same jerseys all the time

    1. @bpalm, i do rotate the pinless, blue, pullover so it is clearly a rotation. Maybe that’s a reason for a black jersey. Osh41 says gardening is an acceptable reason as well. I take the whites off when I do the lawn.

  2. A family member got me a very nice Mets / Reyes tee shirt for Xmas. My main concern is not WHEN to wear, but IF to wear. As a grown man I feel a little silly walking around with the name of another grown man (a millionaire who I’ve never met) on my back. In this cooler weather I’ve been wearing it no problem, an open zip up lets you see the Mets logo but not the name on the back. As the summer heats up however, I’m gonna have to make some decisions.

  3. personally, I say keep it to the stadium, or watching the game at a gathering or bar. But that’s just me.

  4. I say whatever makes you happy. As long as it is not a place where dress code prohibits or it is just in really bad taste. I say go for it. Who cares what people think.

    Sincerely,
    The Degenerate Who Wears an Ollie Jersey

  5. I’ve never understood the “As a grown man I feel a little silly walking around with the name of another grown man ” statement.

    We’re all Mets fans, young and old, and there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with this.

    And besides, think about your other clothes. Isn’t Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, etc etc a millionaire you’ve never met? Isn’t Polo, or New Era or Nike a rich company which you have no affiliation with?

    So why Is Mets/Wright any different?

    1. I struggle with this one. I can wear Seaver because in my mind I am 7 and he’s 35. I can’t wear Santana because he’s a man and I’m a man. I think I could now go the other way and wear Davis because I’m a man and he’s a kid.

  6. agreed with ceetar. if you’re a fan, who cares how old you are?

    as far as when to wear, i usually follow these guidelines:
    -to a game: a necessity
    -bumming around at home watching the game: absolutely
    -going out to do chores, especially after a big win: definitely
    -most social situations (such as holidays, family dinners, going out with the gal): no

    jerseys tend to be things people are passionate about wearing. so if you’re going to make the investment, wear them as much as you like! just excerise restraint in what i would call “big boy” situations.

  7. Ceetar, you make a good point. I’m not against other people wearing shirts with names on them at all, I’m just not sure if it’s for me. My girlfriend did just mention she thinks I look good in the shirt, so I expect I’ll be wearing it more regardless!

  8. I started getting jerseys with my name on them a few years ago…i think you can get retro jerseys with childhood heroes names on them

  9. It’s fine to wear them to a game, or to watch the game at a bar. And you can certainly wear whatever you want around your house. Beyond that, I can’t think of too many occasions where I wouldn’t feel out of place wearing a Mets jersey.

  10. I have no problem with grown men wearing jerseys around town. There is a time and place for things. Little League or other sporting events is good. The supermarket is acceptable. Watching a game at home may even become tradition. I do have a problem with customized jerseys with your own name on the back (unless of course there is a pro with your last name and you have that jersey, then I think its cool). Getting a jersey with “Aguero” on the back makes it feel like I’m trying too hard to pretend I made it, when I didn’t. (To be fair, I do have 1 Aguero jersey…an ’06 Cuba WBC jersey). My preference is number on back, no name…kind of timeless.

  11. Not to take a cheap shot at Yankee fans (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but while I have no real issue with wearing a replica jersey that features the last name of a ballplayer; there’s something a little weird about going out of your way to wear the last name of a ballplayer on your back–when even the ballplayer doesn’t wear it.

    It’s a good way to seperate the real Yankee fans from the bandwagon-riders at a distance.

    1. Yankee jerseys with names are a major pet peeve. If i had had the tumblr when I last went to the stadium I would’ve gone to town on that.

      If you want to wear a name on the back you have to go t-shirt. Sorry Yankee fans.

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