The NBA Dress Code: C/D

I'm against the dress code, but I see Stern's point. I agree with Stephen Jackson that there are racist overtones, but that is because I am insane.

(That kinda makes sense in the context of this discussion. If you're drunk.)

1) the dress code (wearing dress pants, sports coats, etc.)
2) the no bling rule

I can tolerate 1), but 2) appears to cloak discrimination in more palatable language.

Recall the UK's Criminal Justice Act, in which

"no repetitive beats" ... translation: we don't like ravers

similarly,

"no chains in NBA" ... translation: we have a problem with the way black people dress

But Stern should really compromise on the dressing up on airplanes. Four hours in a suit when players flying overnight is kind of silly.

The idea that an on-court and in-arena dress code stifle individuality, or some manifestation of hip-hop culture in a discriminatory fashion is just ludicrous. Sartorial cultural messages don't come from those silly postgame chats or the arrival shots of dudes walking to the locker room.

Jay-Z can still wear what he wants when he sits courtside.

And A.I., Rasheed, whoever, can still appear in dozens of print and television ads for clothing companies, the kind kids tear out of XXL and put on their walls. They can still go on Rap City and hang with Tigger, they can still invite MTV over for Cribs. I think the culture of the NBA manifests itself into the media in so many more ways than postgame interviews.

The objection among the athletes is the objection of a millionaire boys club that has been long pampered and allowed much leeway as long as production on the court is up to snuff.

And let's be honest: the "millionaire boys club" is being told what to do by a billionaire men's club.

There's still a lot they can wear. They can still wear jeans and tucked in shirts or sweaters to the arenas. Sportcoats are only essential if they're on the bench on IR or not in uniform.

I'm hard pressed to think of a job where there are so many rules about personal behavior, such high pay, such enormous television exposure, that don't have dress codes.

And yeah, rich white men own everything. Including the NBA. But I think "the man" trying to reign in an avalanche of thuggishness isn't the reason this is happening.

I hope there's some cabal of players who are so dead-set against this they're willing to just eat the fines as a group, so, say A.I. can just wear whatever he wants. Or someone's smart enough to get the Roc to dress them and pay their fines in exchange for the publicity.

And in the end there's some truth to the anti-hip-hop stance, but that's a far cry from saying that the dress code is racist. The NBA is simply a business and very aware of the need to control its marketing and image. Which is probably why the players are going to go along with it. They know it was a business decision, plain and simple.

The way I figure it, if anyone's looking for double standards, those are the obvious places to start.

As for next topics... We need to do our preseason predictions soon.

GET ONE S&K MENSWEAR!

I actually didn't know it was separately owned. I guess this makes sense cf. every other pro minor league. Duh.

What about MLB? Or the NFL?

In baseball, the dress codes used to be set by each club's manager. I'm not sure how it works now, though.