A Carolina Hurricanes blog with occasional news about the rest of the NHL.

Friday, November 18, 2005

more on sweater etiquette

I know this is something that's been beaten into the ground lately, but I'll throw in my two cents about sweater etiquette.

I have some opinions regarding this that may rub people the wrong way. If I directly or indirectly use you as an example, try not to be offended.

Michael Fedor of Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic wrote about it to some extent here.

Jes Gölbez came up with his own rules of hockey sweaters, taking yet another shot at the poor defenseless Swedes in the process.

I know someone else(I'm thinking Christy at behind the jersey) wrote about jersey etiquette, but I can't recall off the top of my head.

I've gone to lengths to express my likes and dislikes in team sweaters, specifically the third sweaters. I haven't, though, written about fan etiquette concerning the sweater.

Here are my rules:
  1. DO NOT wear your sweater to your pre-game meal. Leave it in the car, hanging in the left side rear window, team crest facing out. Wearing the sweater into the restaurant unnecessarily exposes the sweater to the possibility of getting mustard stains. In the special case of the Preds third sweater, the hue of which would conceal mustard stains, you still need to leave the sweater in the car. You might (and should) get your ass kicked for owning one of those monstrosities and wearing it anywhere besides the game.
  2. DO NOT wear the sweater of a team who isn't in the building that night. What are you trying to prove? Ballcaps, t-shirts, sweatshirts are okay, but don't wear a Devils sweater to a Kings-Ducks game. Special provision for, in the above example, a Scott Niedermayer sweater. I think you get the point there. Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense. You might has well wear a football jersey.
  3. DO NOT attempt to customize your sweater yourself. It will look horrible. If you need after-market customization or modifications, have it done at your team's gift store. Your iron-on job looks like crap, and you know it.

    .... here's the one that might cause waves....

  4. DO NOT put your own name on the sweater. I know, I know. It makes you feel closer to the team. If you really must do this, though, you should use your name and the digits 00. You have to know that certain numbers are off limits. Obviously, only a jackass would get the number 99 and put his own name with that. In my opinion, you should also respect the list of retired numbers for your team and the numbers of the captains. Actually, I think that any number belonging to a significant player on your team should be avoided. I suggest 00 because the NHL does not recognize zero as a first digit for a sweater number, nor do they recognize a zero on its own. Generally, numbers in the 50's or above are safe, but do some research just to be sure. I think it's slightly disrespectful to breach this. It also looks goofy when you have (as one Hurricanes fan does) the name "Williams" going with the number 17. 17 is off limits, and we actually have a Williams.
  5. DO continue to wear the sweater of a player even if he has been traded. Unless, as Jes suggests, the player has disgraced your city.
  6. DO NOT under any circumstance wear your sweater in conjunction with short pants. Try to wear it only with blue jeans, but anything other than long pants is unacceptable.
  7. DO treat your sweater as if it is a very nice article of clothing. Don't ever wad it up and throw it in the back seat of your car. Don't fold it up and shove it in a drawer. Allow it to hang up, and give it some space in your closet.


There are plenty of other rules I believe in, some of which have already been touched by Jes and/or Michael. This'll do for now.

10 comments:

greatwhitebear said...

yahoo's nhl site said Staal left the game last night with an injury, Any thing serious?

d-lee said...

Yeah, about the Staal thing....
I already wrote about that in a previous post. The word from the room was "upper body injury". Coach Peter Laviolette doesn't think it's serious, but I haven't heard a word today. I didn't even notice anything watching the game in the arena, and even the tv replays don't indicate what happened. He caught his heel in a rut and went tumbling backwards over the goal. He landed a little awkwardly, but skated off on his own power. Once on the bench, though, he was having a hard time with the sitting thing. Based on that, I'm sort of guessing it's a tailbone thing. Hopefully nothing serious, as the word on Josef Vasicek went from bad to worse. ACL tear for him. He's probably lost for the season.
If you have Staal on your fantasy squad, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Unless it's REALLY serious, he'll play on Saturday afternoon. We're already without Vasicek and Brind'Amour on the #2 line.

Bill Purdy said...

OK, look, in my defense: I don't own a Canes sweater. I have a red SLU Saints' home sweater, and a couple of Avs sweaters -- Forsberg and Roy. I couldn't bring myself to wear a Forsberg sweater to a Canes game under any circumstances (consider it officially retired, at least until Peter does the same), but I felt OK about wearing the Roy sweater because 1) he's the greatest goalie of my lifetime, and wearing the sweater is a fitting and proper tribute; and 2) the guy's retired.

As for the Saints sweater, 1) it's cool, and 2) it's red. Give me a break on Rule 2 until I score that sweet Erick Cole sweater for Christmas / Billmas, OK?

As for the rest of your rules, you're spot on (and I'll be happy to agree with you on Rule #2 after I get my own sweater). There is nothing dorkier than putting your own name on sweater with any number besides '00.'

Bill Purdy said...

btw... I plan on breaking Rule #2 on Monday night in Denver, too. I'll be wearing the Canes sweater I bought my buddy when the Whalers moved to Greensboro, and he's wearing an old Whalers sweater. Does that make up, at least in part, for my flagrant violation of Rule #2? FWIW, I'll be wearing jeans...

Stormbringer said...

Damn. I guess I belong in sweater-prison...and I'm not even going to say what rules I have broken.

d-lee said...

In my original version of the post, I made specific apology to you, Stormbringer. I'm quite aware of which of my rules you violate, but it's okay. It doesn't mean I think you're an imbicile.

Anonymous said...

I want to add a clarification on rule #2. DO NOT wear the sweater of a team in the same league who isn't in the building that night.

If I am visiting a location that has a team for which I do not have a sweater I will usually wear my UNH or All-Star sweater (or something like that). If I'm going to a hockey game then I am wearing a hockey sweater.

One thing though, I wouldn't recommend wearing a sweater of a lower level league. I go to lots of minor league games and many people wear NHL sweaters and that is fine. I would not, however, wear a Knoxville Ice Bears sweater to a Preds game!

d-lee said...

Wow. A clarification of my rule coming from an outside source.

However, point is taken. I agree, but there would have to be some crazy rules on the appropriateness of certain specific sweaters.
For now, I'm willing to modify my rule only in saying that it is perfectly okay to wear the sweater of a national team to a hockey game at any level. It would also be okay to wear the NHL team sweater of a player participating in an international contest.

Stormbringer said...

In my original version of the post, I made specific apology to you, Stormbringer. I'm quite aware of which of my rules you violate, but it's okay. It doesn't mean I think you're an imbicile.

No, I know you don't think I am an imbicile. ;)

It's just that when I see these lists, it shocks me how many of the rules I'm breaking when it comes to my jersey. But then, I also take solace in the fact that it's *just a list*. ;)

For the record, I'm planning to wear a jersey with "Francis" and a "10" on Ron Francis Night instead of my "Stormbringer" one. BTW, if you or anyone else knows anyone selling such a jersey in red and size Large, please let me know. :)

d-lee said...

Hey Stormbringer,
They announced that Ron Francis Night will feature "fan giveaways". I would have to assume that for such an occasion they'll do more than the usual. I'm guessing (hoping) that we get a #10 t-shirt.

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