12/21/24
September 09, 2007
Mike Nolan scores one for the suit.: The 49ers coach has fought the NFL and Reebook since 2005 for the right to wear a suit on game day. Nolan wants to do it to honor his dad, a former 49ers coach himself, who is now suffering from Alzheimer's and prostate cancer. Nolan has the right to wear suits only at home games. Fans have started wearing suits to games to support his cause. Meanwhile, Reebok is perfectly fine with Bill Bellichick wearing hoodies with cutoff sleeves to games. Reebok's suit concession includes hiring Joseph Abboud to design NFL-themed wardrobes just for Nolan. Why don't the NFL and Reebok just go whole hog and use this as a promotion for a whole new line of NFL sports suits and accessories (Reebok dress shoes)? It'll support a good cause, bring a lot of good, free PR, probably lots of cash. Hey, perhaps it'll bring some respectability back to the game?
posted by worldcup2002 to football at 11:20 AM - 12 comments
Please stop perpetuating the Belichick hoodie thing: Belichick wears the hoodie as a Fuck You to the league. Like Nolan, he asked for permission to wear a suit. When the league said he had to wear Reebok-sponsored gear, he found the most repellent, compliant outfit he could (as best I can tell).
posted by yerfatma at 03:21 PM on September 09, 2007
I like the suit idea. It harkens back to the days of Tom Landry, a head coach who could teach a thing or two about class.
posted by FonGu at 06:03 PM on September 09, 2007
I love Bellichick.
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:55 PM on September 09, 2007
Do you guys have a link to that Bellichick story? That would make me actually change my position on his sideline attire. But untill I see proof I will continue to call him the only homless coach in the NFL. Props to Nolan for sticking this one out. And a wag of the finger to Reebok and the NFL for not letting him wear suits to all of his games.
posted by Steel_Town at 08:31 AM on September 10, 2007
"Fans have started wearing suits to th games in support." -This is why Reebok is against it. If I worked for Reebok, I would be furious. Everyone in a suit is someone not wearing a jersey. Bellichick fans wear a hoodie with cutoff sleeves, Reebok still makes money. Is this article a Reebok advertisement?
posted by Slaptastic at 10:40 AM on September 10, 2007
Do you guys have a link to that Bellichick story? No, I can't find anything online and the links I do find seem like it may be apocryphal. I had heard it on one of the local Pats TV shows in Boston.
posted by yerfatma at 11:18 AM on September 10, 2007
I can't figure out why everyone loves this suit idea so much. It's isn't going to make anyone wearing the suit or anyone watching any more classy or respectable. It's just clothes, and they should be appropriate to the occasion.
posted by bperk at 11:45 AM on September 10, 2007
they should be appropriate to the occasion. Correct. They should dress appropriate to the occasion. Did your high school coach dress up? Probably. They may have even made you wear ties on gameday. But for some reason in college and the pro's this goes out the window. The head coach who is supposed to be the leader should not look like the guy begging for change in front of the stadium. I agree that this is a minor issue but since it was posted we might as well talk about it. I don't know how much it would help the way the game is seen but I know it can't hurt.
posted by Steel_Town at 12:29 PM on September 10, 2007
Did your high school coach dress up? I grew up in Florida. It's really, really hot. Wearing a suit while standing in the sun for a few hours sounds like a recipe for heastroke. At the very least, it would be uncomfortable. Suits are not made for all-weather occasions. They are fine if it is not too hot, not too cold, not raining, not snowing, etc. Casual attire is perfectly appropriate for the environment of a football game. I don't really care if Nolan wears a suit or not, I just don't see why wanting to dress up for a football games deserves kudos.
posted by bperk at 02:49 PM on September 10, 2007
bperk, Nolan was wearing it to honor his dad (at least that's what he says). Regardless of whether it brings "class" back to the sport, this is what makes it worth kudos. That Reebok couldn't see past their contract to just let him do it whole hog (vs just at home games) is the problem. And thanks for the link, holden. I thought I'd seen a previous post on the subject. But I didn't take interest until I read this weekend about Nolan doing it for his dad, plus him being the 49ers coach (I live in the Bay Area) and his dad being a former 49ers coach. That's what made me post this. Reebok and NFL could have made it a non-issue by letting coaches wear suits. I think the issue is that they have a "no other brand" clause (rather than a "no suits" clause) in the attire section of contract. The problem is, because Reebok doesn't make suits (until Nolan pushed the issue), any suit wearer on the sidelines is in violation of contract. Reebok is probably afraid that if they make a little exception for suits (I'd love to see how they defined that in the contract in order to allow the coaches to wear them), then people will start pushing the line, until somebody is wearing Nike on the sidelines. Reductio ad absurdum. One of the best ways to stop change.
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:02 PM on September 10, 2007
They hired a real menswear designer, Joseph Abboud Apparel, which furnished Nolan with not only a suit but also an entire sideline wardrobe that includes blazers, pleated pants with cuffs, and dark suits in worsted wool and silk blends. Of course they couldn't stop there. His jackets and blazers will be lined with the team's colors, and the ties will have tiny logos embroidered into the pattern. I mean, they've already done this for Nolan. I'm sure the NFL and Reebok must see the business opportunities for expanding this. Maybe they're just biding their time until they have their whole marketing plan ready. But they sure look like stupid, blundering assholes in the meantime. They could at the least let him wear it at all games. Fans, players and coaches already support him. How could you not? I'm about ready to suit up and go to my first Niners game.