Wearing USA singlet: patriotic or disrespectful?

Here's the thing. If the NGB doesn't give a $h1t why should you? I've been in the sport for almost 60 years. I once held that singlet as sacred. Times change. Now, they mean nothing more than that Jeter or Jordan Jersey.

Different sports have different traditions. Soccer has a long history of fans wearing team jerseys, exact replicas, the team "strip" as they call it in England, for both domestic and national teams. In England when they reveal the new national team uniforms before a big competition like the European Championship final tournament or the World Cup the stories often include a sidebar discussion of how much it will cost the average fan to get decked out in the strip. But they're not likely to wear it playing five-a-side on a Sunday morning in the park.Same for hockey. Dozens and dozens of fans in the stands wearing the team sweater at a game. But when I play drop in on a Friday morning (= hobby jogger hockey) you're not going to skate out wearing a full Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. That's why they sell practice sweaters.

John Clendon wrote:

This thread is stupid.

For the FIFA Women's World Cup, you can buy the exact game day jerseys as the USA team. A LOT of people did. I went to the games, it surprised me how many bought the jerseys. But no one is going to give a crap is 17 yr old Nicole wears her Rapinoe jersey at summer practice.

No one is disrespecting the value of the jersey.

Obviously, don't wear one in any decently serious meet. Track needs an influx of fans, tho. Nothing is wrong with fans, young and old, wearing a USA singlet (maybe even with their favorite athlete's name on the back) in the stands, around town or in a local fun run.

disrespectful

A Confederate singlet would be bad*ss!

Only ok if you've earned them, or if it's on an American holiday (Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th)

no one is going to give a crap is 17 yr old Nicole wears her Rapinoe jersey at summer practice.

It's no different than a kid wearing a Michael Jordan dream team jersey.

There are different standards for kids and adults. Racing in national team gear is like dressing up as Princess Elsa. A bit odd for grownups.

A Millennial wrote:

No. You have to earn your USA singlet and sweats. I hate seeing teenagers or old men wearing them. Wear it as much as you want once you earn it. It - is - disrespectful to those who have earned it.

Although I would not wear one myself, but that's because I am an ex-athlete and it more about substance than style to me. But, if they were not meant to be worn, retailers and even USATF would not sell them. Btw, my wife has one of those Ralf Lauren sweaters worn in the winter Olympics and she can't ski, skate and snowboard, etc., she simply likes they way it looks.

USTAF sells all the old extras, starting with Atlanta Olympic team uniforms (Spiderman web design). They see it as good marketing to the track world and building a brand. Around 2004, they started selling overstock AND REQUIRING the masters runners to wear them for international competition.

When I was competing in the open category in thee 70's, never could quite get to that level to earn one. But as a masters, finishing second at nationals 5,000m in my age group I decided to run world championship (2005) since it was in Puerto Rico. Had to buy one to run for the USofA in that race. Got to say, I got a big thrill walking out on that track in the singlet with all the other guys from across the globe in theirs. It was track and field fantasy camp.

A friend goes to Orioles Baseball Camp every year and at the end of the camp, they put on real Orioles uniforms and play a game versus the retired players. Same deal. I don't think he wears his to play catch with his kids and I wouldn't wear my jersey in the Turkey Trot 5K.

A Millennial wrote:

No. You have to earn your USA singlet and sweats. I hate seeing teenagers or old men wearing them. Wear it as much as you want once you earn it. It - is - disrespectful to those who have earned it.

Loosen those buttocks, dude....

what if its a speed suit and I am running a 10K in +/- 35mins? Ironic enough not to be disrespectful? also, does anyone know where I can get a team USA speedsuit?

Nothing wrong with it. I have several friends who gave away their USA singlets to hobby joggers and those hobby joggers wore them at local 5 and 10k runs.

gotta to say whether it's a USA or a Kenyan singlet, I like them better then people who wear the race day shirt.

I was on the USA Polo team wrote:

Like all Letsrun posters I played Ivy League polo before I got my $250,000 a year job at Daddy's company. Here is my trophy wife wearing my old USA OG Polo Team jersey.

http://www.ssesproject.eu/images/xxzp/Polo430/ralph-lauren-women-cotton-country-flag-polo-united-states-white-unearth-430polows110.jpg

I believe you forgot the part where you ran a sub 15k in your $2,000 Italian suit.

(Excpet like every letsrun poster, you actually broke 15 minutes)

Sometimes the jerseys are sold to support the team by bringing in funds.

As long as you don't go telling people you made a national team when you didn't (aka be a douche) there's nothing wrong with it.

So much for personal freedoms eh?

osm wrote:

Is it disrespectful to NFL players if you wear a replica jersey while playing a game of touch football with your friends?

There's literally nothing wrong with wearing a USA singlet if that's what you feel like doing, regardless of how fast you are.

It's not NFL though and not the done thing in athletics.

The USA has been an embarrassment to the world. Why would I dare honor the singlet of slavery, Jim Crow laws, genocide of Native Americans, international bullying, lack of health care, poor workers' rights, McCarthyism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transophobia, etc, etc, etc. The day Obama was elected was the first day I was even proud of my country.

Give me a Sweden singlet instead.

This is why I am embarrassed to be a fan of track and field. Every other sport does this and nobody bats an eyelash. The "fans" of running are such a bunch of pretentious, critical losers. Somebody wants to rep the national team and you are criticizing or looking down on them? Would it be acceptable to wear an OTC, Bowerman TC, Brooks Beast, Hanson's, etc. Jersey if the company sold them (Nike used to sell OTC singlets). Hop down off your high horse and learn what it is to be a fan of a sport instead of constantly cutting down everyone else involved in the sport.

So does this mean I can't wear my flag shorts anymore?

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/BOA_Mens_1inch_Elite_Split_Leg_Short/descpage-BMESPUS.html

those are cool. To op- not as much disrespectful, but self absorbent. I imagine the people who earn it wear them rarely if ever so of course people don't think that it's real. But if you're racing him and you actually care and it gets to you, then you're more of the loser imo.