The popular sports uniform website Uni-Watch.com recently asked its readers to name their biggest uniform pet peeves.
While many of the hundreds of responses dealt with tiny details or features that are rare, many of the pet peeves are actually uniform elements that are not only growing more common but appear to be here to stay whether the fans like them or not.
Here are some of the trends that were mentioned as pet peeves most often.
"FOOTBALL MONOTONE/LEOTARDS"— When football teams wear the jerseys, pants, and socks that are all the same color it can appear as though they are wearing leotards.
"PINK/PINKTOBER"— Many teams in both college and the NFL wear pink during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Some feel the pink craze has gone too far and is now more about fashion and less about breast cancer.
"CAMO"— Many people think camouflage uniforms are patriotic. Other consider it jingoistic or even inappropriate for non-military members to wear what is an imitation of a military uniform.
"ALL ADVERTISING ON UNIFORMS" —While advertising on uniforms is the norm on other continents and other sports, they are still taboo on the uniforms of the major North American professional sports leagues.
"NBA SLEEVED JERSEYS"— While sleeved jerseys are likely an attempt to find a product fans will want to purchase, it could also be a prelude to advertising on jerseys in the NBA.
"TOO MANY UNIFORM VERSIONS" —The Oregon Ducks are the school best known for wearing different uniforms every game, but the multiple combinations trend has spread to many other schools with multiple jerseys and helmets.
"PAJAMA PANTS"— Most baseball players wear their pants down to their shoes these days which has led to the near-extinction of baseball stirrups. On top of that, players often prefer pants without elastic at the bottom, giving a pajama pants appearance.
"FANCY/HARD TO READ NUMBER/NAME FONT"— One common theme among the new Nike uniforms in the NFL has been the unique number fonts given to the teams that have had complete overhauls (e.g. Bucs, Vikings).
"BLACK FOR BLACK'S SAKE"— "Black for Black's Sake" or BFBS is a term coined by Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch.com and refers to teams that wear black jerseys or uniforms even though black is not one of their main colors.
"GREY FOR GREY'S SAKE"— While teams have been going to black jerseys for many years now, grey jerseys are a more recent trend.
"SWEATBOX"— On some football uniforms, Nike uses a different material in the stomach area that changes color when it becomes wet. This creates a "sweatbox" that can be seen on some players and not others.
"HOCKEY SWEATER FAUX COLLAR LACES"— It is becoming more common to include an element on the collars of hockey jerseys that looks like laces in place of actual laces.
"LATIN NIGHTS"— When the NBA honors Latin heritage with their "Noche Latina" games, the teams often change the names on their jerseys by simply adding the article "Los."
"TRUNCATED SLEEVE STRIPES"— As football sleeves have become nearly non-existent, it has become nearly impossible to keep stripes on sleeves and stripes on the shoulders are now truncated.
