Shouldn't We Support People Wearing "Team" Gear? (USA, NOP, OTC)

Yes, people that wear professional team gear look like tools. Yes, wearing team gear promotes the sport despite them looking like a tool. Yes, having the athletes name on the back is a great idea. No, wearing track team gear is completely different from wearing NBA or NFL team gear.

I completely agree with the OP. I wish more teams sold gear online like the Oregon Project. I buy tons of stuff from their site. More companies really should consider it (and nike for their other teams).

A Bowerman Track Club t-shirt in black and red? Yes please.

Oh, and putting the athletes names on the back is genius OP. Honestly the best suggestion on how to improve the sport I've heard since Nike decided to split OTC into OPJT, OTC, and BTC.

Nike, take my money wrote:

A Bowerman Track Club t-shirt in black and red? Yes please.

Oh, and putting the athletes names on the back is genius OP. Honestly the best suggestion on how to improve the sport I've heard since Nike decided to split OTC into OPJT, OTC, and BTC.

I completely agree, the names on the back would be great.

Also the BTC has a sick logo, they probably have the best looking uniforms out of all, although I do really like the OTC white.

Could you explain how it's completely different?

Is it also different from wearing FIFA team gear?

Because I see it as "I wear this piece of clothing to support (insert athlete) and the (insert team)".

Maybe the team is the Cavaliers and Lebron.

Maybe the team is BTC and C. Derrick

or USA and Manzano.

How is this different than me wearing a Tim Howard or Clint Dempsey jersey during the World Cup last year?

Cultural recognition for one and wearing the US kit while watching the world cup would be different than wearing it in a soccer game, to use your example.

There is no difference between wearing an NBA, NFL, or track jersey.

If you wear a pro jersey, you are a loser. You wear a Cavaliers jersey, you are a loser, just as much as when you wear an OTC jersey.

I saw Colin Kaepernick in Home Depot today. I was approaching him from behind to wish him well in the upcoming season, then he turned around and I realized it was just a fat redneck in a Kaepernick jersey.

and yes, people who wear Tim Howard or Clint Dempsey jerseys are losers.

Also, last weekend, I played basketball with Steph Curry. Odd thing was that in the off-season, Steph Curry is six inches taller and a better dunker than he was during the NBA season.

I am a member of the OTC. Anyone can be - just join the club. They cater to all abilities - from elite to penguin. I wear the OTC singlet when I race, and different OTC shirts and jackets when I'm out and about. I was proud to wear their colors when I was competitive, and still am even though I would now be classified as a hobby jogger here. Does this make me a loser?

If you are currently on the team, of course it is fine. After...

Does Michael Jordan wear Bulls gear when he goes grocery shopping? Of course not, and somehow Jordan wearing a Bulls jersey to go shopping would be odd, but according to the OP, other people wearing Jordan jerseys is normal?

When I was a kid, I had tons of Raiders gear from the Sears catalog. When I was in high school, I realized that only losers wear gear from teams of which they are not a member.

I may be misreading the original post, but it seems the OP thinks that wearing a $33 baseball cap for a basketball team is a good look that no one has a problem with. That is the sort of delusion that I am looking to squash.

I disagree, I don't see anything at all wrong with wearing the cap of your favorite team. I also don't think it's bad to wear a jersey while watching that team play, but wearing it in any other setting is pathetic.

I wear Hansons gear all the time. I could sell it at every event I go to as people are always asking where I got it.

Wearing team gear to advertise the sport is one of the worst things you can possibly do to distance running.

Running used to be better when every runner was an amateur.

Shoe companies' sponsorship of pro runners destroyed what's great about distance running.

Anything that promotes "professionalism" of distance running should be strongly discouraged.

I really see the OP point and in many ways agree with what he is saying.

I think the big difference is when you see 99.9 % of these wearing pro NFL/NBA/MLB or even NCAA game jerseys you can pretty much tell right off they are NOT really on the team nor are they trying to pass themselves off as it.

But I think many can agree that average Joe runner who wears a USA top or NOP project top at his local 5k is in many ways either trying to pass himself off as somebody who was on a national team or in NOP or is living in a dream world.

So Phil Fondacaro,

I can see why you don't agree with the replica team gear. I just don't agree with it. Difference of opinions, whatever. I respect that.

But whats wrong with wearing a a hat with your favorite team on it?

It's not team gear.

Or are you just against team merchandise in general?

(bumper stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, wristbands, lawn-chairs, mugs, flags etc)

Totally with you! A teammate of mine has an NOP singlet, and I have an OTC one (which can be ordered online on their website), and they're always a big hit with other teams we run into at some of the more popular training locations in the area. I definitely will BTC had some gear available, since they're awesome and have great looking stuff. Hansons-Brooks ODP singlets and shorts are available for only $30 online, which is also awesome even though they're the old ones.

Personally, I think the greatest exposure from team gear is to more casual runners who participate but don't follow the pro scene, which is at the very least a good start.

I would even go so far as to expand this to college team gear. It's been well recorded that people aren't always happy about casual racers representing college teams, and apparently the problem is that they are claiming to compete for that team, in some people's eyes, even if it's at a low-key local 5K. I don't think anyone has a problem with guys showing up in a Minnesota sweater to a beer league hockey practice, which is essentially the same thing, more or less.