Black Pants Lions vs Cowboys

[IceGator8]

I noticed the officials for this game are in the black sweat pants. Doesn't Detriot have a domed stadium? I thought the black pants were only for cold weather. Are the NFL officials finding that they prefer the black sweat pants to knickers and starting to wear them in the warmer games?

Frankly, I can see why they would like them better. Better layering options with enough extra room to move. Also there is no more dealing with referee socks or knickers. As an official with large calfs I hate the socks and knickers of my traditional uniform.

Anyway, I'm not baggin on tradition I just thought it interesting that there might be a possible trend.

[BktBallRef]

I'm 100% positive that they aren't sweat pants.

[IceGator8]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

I'm 100% positive that they aren't sweat pants.

Whether they are or not they look like them. They use the Reebok Play Dry material. I have some Reebok sweat pants that are made from the same stuff and as far as I can tell are similar to the NFL pants with the exception of the white stripe.

Maybe our definition of sweat pants are different.

[Reffing Rev.]

I'm a bigger guy. I actually highly prefer the knickers over the play dry pant which a lot of guys wear for those rainy day junior high games and recommended so I got a pair. I prefer kickers, maybe I'm just weird.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by IceGator8

Whether they are or not they look like them. They use the Reebok Play Dry material. I have some Reebok sweat pants that are made from the same stuff and as far as I can tell are similar to the NFL pants with the exception of the white stripe.

Maybe our definition of sweat pants are different.

To most of us over 50, sweat pants are made from cotton, similar to sweatshirts. They appear a little "fuzzy" and have elastic sewn inside the bottom of the leg so they "blouse" slightly at the ankle.

What the NFL officials are wearing more closely resembles what us old farts would calling running suit pants, joggin pants, warm-ups, etc. They are made from a synthetic material and definitely are not "fuzzy."

[BktBallRef]

Thanks for clarifying for the youngster.

[IceGator8]

Flippin' geriatrics! You need to get with the times. hahaha

[IceGator8]

Originally Posted by Reffing Rev.

I'm a bigger guy. I actually highly prefer the knickers over the play dry pant which a lot of guys wear for those rainy day junior high games and recommended so I got a pair. I prefer kickers, maybe I'm just weird.

You aren't weird. It's a personal preference thing. I'm also bigger and my legs are the size of an NFL running back. Even the relaxed fit knickers are tight on me and present few layering options. I love my "warm up" pants that I wear for the little guys. I wear thermals and some fleece under them and stay toasty.

I'm hoping that the NFL pants catch on for the amatuer officials.

[Ed Hickland]

[quote=IceGator8]I noticed the officials for this game are in the black sweat pants. Doesn't Detriot have a domed stadium? I thought the black pants were only for cold weather. Are the NFL officials finding that they prefer the black sweat pants to knickers and starting to wear them in the warmer games?

[quote]

Detroit is a domed stadium.

The problem with black sweats would be having a standard uniform black pant for all officials to wear. The Reebok and UnderArmour pants are nice but you can picture some guy would appear wearing the old cotton elastic at the bottom pant.

[Scooby]

I lke them and would like to be able to wear them in high school.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: Spoke to an NFL friend who told me that his referee made the recommendation to Pereira that they not limit the black pants to cold weather. Apparently Mr. P liked it...otherwise you would have seen knickers yesterday in the Pontiac Dome.

[IceGator8]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Detroit is a domed stadium.

The problem with black sweats would be having a standard uniform black pant for all officials to wear. The Reebok and UnderArmour pants are nice but you can picture some guy would appear wearing the old cotton elastic at the bottom pant.

I understand. I guess any switch would have to be regulated somehow. It would help if the major suppliers started to offer the correct brand and styles as an alternative.

If the black pants do become acceptable at lower levels I think the crew cheifs would have to be diligent in making sure their guys were equipped with the proper pant. I love the idea of the black pants but I'd never let someone on my crew show up for a game in the regular cotton sweats with the elastic on bottom.

[Texas Aggie]

Unless they've changed them since last year, they are not the microfiber Reebok (or other) material. They are the same exact material as the Honigs Elite knicker. I've seen and felt these pants.

They don't look good with a short sleeved shirt, and they especially look bad with the guy in a white hate. This was a bad experiment. They need to go back to the knickers.

[IceGator8]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: Spoke to an NFL friend who told me that his referee made the recommendation to Pereira that they not limit the black pants to cold weather. Apparently Mr. P liked it...otherwise you would have seen knickers yesterday in the Pontiac Dome.

I find the balance between tradition and new ideas interesting. When I started doing baseball the blue Elbeco postman shirts were the standard. When the Major League umpires switched to a navy polo style shirt the old school umpires in my association moaned and groaned quite a bit. Along with a few others I adopted the new style immediately much to the chagrin of the old school guys. It was easy for me to see why the new style was better. In spite of the protests of some of the more traditional umpires everyone was wearing the navy shirts within two years.

Frankly I think the old ways of doing things need to receive a hard look every once in a while just to see if things can be done better. If tradition can be maintained then I'm fine with that but if another style is clearly superior as far as performance and comfort then I think it should be adopted. I think a lot of the NFL guys are starting to find that the black pants are better than knickers and that is the reason the request was made.

Anyway, the purpose of this is not to rub anything in the face of my more experienced bretheren. I respect your contributions to our vocation and appreciate the wise advice I've received.

[Welpe]

There has been some interesting commentary about this on the various officiating forums. It seems there are a number of football officials that dislike the knickers. This surprises me a bit as I really like the look of knickers and striped socks but then I am a bit old fashioned.