Grey shirts

[Texas Aggie]

Really, the only benefit of gray shirts from an official's perspective is wear. It will likely not fade as fast as the whites and blacks on the traditional shirt will. And if you wash carefully (i.e., cold, no dryer), the stripes will hold up well anyway. However, with the material OC has on their shirts (and Cliff Keen, from what I hear, being much the same) it doesn't matter as far as comfort.

I don't think Texas will make the change anytime soon, and the NCAA still mandates the stripes. If Texas did allow the change, I would hope they would allow the option.

[zebraman]

It's interesting to me to see the resistance to the gray shirts. Here in Washington State it's optional (we can wear stripes or gray as long as everyone is the same), and I've never, ever had a partner want to wear stripes.

Z

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by zebraman

It's interesting to me to see the resistance to the gray shirts. Here in Washington State it's optional (we can wear stripes or gray as long as everyone is the same), and I've never, ever had a partner want to wear stripes.

Z

Me too!

The gray shirt made by OC is the same material as the microsofter shirts. This does not wear like anything except the microsofter shirts. The gray shirt made by Kliff Keen is not the same. Things could have changed recently.

[jkjenning]

Originally posted by Bad Zebra
I have yet to find anyone who can give me a good reason as to why we changed. The stripes are almost universally recognized regardless of the sport. Why the heck change 'em? Are they broke? Do they evoke a negative mental reaction in players? As far as comfort/wear? It's the same material...they wear the same...cliff keen mesh stripes feel exactly like the cliff keen mesh greys. I personally feel this was just something to change for the sake of changing. We'll probably be back in stripes in the next five years or less. Never has made any sense to me.

Best post so far, imo. I also bought plenty of stripes when they had a 2-for-1 deal

Let's see, if the greys are approved in Texas, I would need to show up at games with how many shirts??? If stripes are an option and one official shows up without a grey shirt [got ripped, lost, or whatever] and the others don't have greys yet - how bad is that going to look? Having officials on the floor in a mixture with/without flags and high/low flags is barely noticeable, but why risk putting officials on the floor who are going to be so badly mix-matched?

Seems to me like it should be either stripes or greys and I don't really want to put out more $$s just for the sake of changing. It ain't like Texas is one of the higher paying states - and we rack up alot more travel miles ($$) than the east/west coast [I used to service equipment in Montana/Wyoming, so I "feel your pain" with regards to what you must have to travel!]. It sounds like grey shirts probably started because somebody was too focused on what they were wearing, had the extra money so cost wasn't a problem, and found themselves in a position to effect that change... wasteful change for the sake of changing, imo.

What would Tevye say?

[stripes]

I've worn the grays for about 3-4 years in a JUCO league. There is nothing wrong with them, I just prefer the stripes. Call me old fashioned, but I think they look better and no matter what we are wearing, people know who we are while we're on the court.

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by jkjenning

Best post so far, imo. I also bought plenty of stripes when they had a 2-for-1 deal

Let's see, if the greys are approved in Texas, I would need to show up at games with how many shirts???

Honestly, the sky is not falling. Around here, we bring both gray and stripes to our games. That way, we're matched even if someone hasn't bought a gray shirt yet. Not that big of a deal.

Z

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by zebraman

Honestly, the sky is not falling. Around here, we bring both gray and stripes to our games. That way, we're matched even if someone hasn't bought a gray shirt yet. Not that big of a deal.

Z

Hey Z, this reminds me of a few years back when the pleated pants came out and people started wearing them...some had a problem with that, but how many people do you see now that DON'T wear them? The "newness" of the gray shirts will blow eventually blow over...pretty much everyone around here wears them fot the Varsity games now...

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Hey Z, this reminds me of a few years back when the pleated pants came out and people started wearing them...some had a problem with that, but how many people do you see now that DON'T wear them? The "newness" of the gray shirts will blow eventually blow over...pretty much everyone around here wears them fot the Varsity games now...

Change is hard and painful. When you've dressed up like a safari zebra for so long, it's hard to accept that you will walk into the floor without looking like a zoo animal.

Z

[26 Year Gap]

Here in Vermont the gray shirts are an accepted alternate. But we are instructed to keep a zebra in our bag at all times just in case our partner only has zebras. Of course there have been plenty of 2 on 1 jokes where 2 zip down their jackets just before show time and the 3rd guy has to change real quick. I have even seen one guy victimized 3 times before one game.

Jokee: What are we wearing tonight?

Joker1: Stripes.

Jokee [after the unzip occurs]: Hey you said stripes!

Joker2: They ARE stripes. Just very thin ones.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by zebraman

Change is hard and painful. When you've dressed up like a safari zebra for so long, it's hard to accept that you will walk into the floor without looking like a zoo animal.

Z

So, if we wear the grey shirts, how long before some smart-*** in the stands starts calling us hippos?

Being a zoo animal is my lot in life.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

So, if we wear the grey shirts, how long before some smart-*** in the stands starts calling us hippos?

Being a zoo animal is my lot in life.

Or elephants if you happen to roll in with a trunk instead of a duffel.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Being a zoo animal is my lot in life.

Well, just like Chuckie reminds everyone of a squirrel, maybe it will be your lot in life to gain similar recognition...only greater (or larger).

[Forksref]

I think they look cheap. Like the old AFL officials' uniforms. Looks like you are officiating a picnic volleyball game. I don't see anything broken that needs to be fixed.

[oc]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

As far as comfort/wear? It's the same material...they wear the same...cliff keen mesh stripes feel exactly like the cliff keen mesh greys. I personally feel this was just something to change for the sake of changing. We'll probably be back in stripes in the next five years or less. Never has made any sense to me.

I agree completely. Changing color of a shirt wont change the material.

The only reason I see for the change is the uniform providers are pushing for them to increase sales. And they are the same people who will push us back to stripes in 5 years.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by oc

I agree completely. Changing color of a shirt wont change the material.

The only reason I see for the change is the uniform providers are pushing for them to increase sales. And they are the same people who will push us back to stripes in 5 years.

I don't see it so much now, but a couple years ago (when I was much more interested in checking out all the new gear that could be had), the uniform guys were pushing the grey with unbridled gusto. The uniform guys are definitely one of the driving forces behind it; they're trying to pry a few bucks from the clenched fists of the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" crowd!

There will always be a certain percentage of the population for whom changing fashion trends are important. And who doesn't like the feeling of showing up in the latest gear?

As fashion goes, basketball is behind the curve. Look at what's happened with baseball. What have they got now, like 14 approved colors? Razzle dazzle shiny fabric? That's a pretty radical change from a wool suit and tie, even from the old Elbeco mailman shirts that used to hang in my closet.

And soccer refs get even wilder. Long gone are the black with white cuffs there. I've seen some with what look like designer jerseys.

Wild and crazy for us was transitioning to pleated slacks. Innovative was inventing a whistle without a pea. Bold and daring is not having entirely black shoes (or maybe just those hideous rubber toes!). Let's really go for broke and try wearing shorts. Heck, if players shorts get any longer, we'll have to adopt the old short shorts just to be different

Now the guys who are really stuck in a time warp are the football officials. The only change I've noticed there in the past couple decades is a new style of stirrup.

The grey shirt seems destined for widespread, if grudging, acceptance. It's a fashion thing. But in five years, I don't think it'll be back to the stripes. I think it'll be on to other colors. I do think the stripes will always be an option, maybe even the least common denominator, like the powder blue in baseball.

That's my prediction