By JUSTIN KANE
Being a sports fan is easy; dressing like one is harder than it seems. Just because people wear a logo of a sports team on their shirt doesn’t mean they are fans. It takes more than just wearing a shirt every once and awhile, one has to be dedicated through good times and bad.
Here are some tips on how to dress like the biggest sports fan in the world.
Quantity not quality: So, one nice sports shirt is nice, but by no means does one lousy shirt indicate a sports fanatic. One must possess multiple shirts and jerseys of the same players as well as others on their favorite team. Make sure to have retro and special throwback attire as well as any other special limited edition attire. This will ensure that one is prepared for any game, and for baseball fans, three to four games a week. Another benefit of having different jerseys and shirts is for significant others as this can be helpful when watching a game with them as it can earn serious brownie points.
Also remember age appropriateness when choosing sportswear. Jerseys are acceptable for teenagers and young adults. Men and women in their late twenties and onward cannot show off their inner child simply by wearing a jersey.
Accessories are a must: Sports fans have to be decked in the latest gear. A shirt and jersey are nice, but they look stupid if they have nothing to match with it. If fans want to be at the top of the fanatic world, they must be prepared to put away the Sperry boat shoes and wear the obnoxious fluffy slippers with their favorite sports logo on them and top it off with the appropriate team Snuggie, at home only. Another accessory that is a must: hats. Night, day, rain or shine hats are the second most important piece of clothing on a sports fan. Big hats, small hats, brown, black, green, red, it doesn’t matter. As long as the logo and the color match the jersey, one can walk out of the house or into a sports party with pride.
Fans must be decked out from head to toe. Beaded necklaces are a nice touch and for you Packer fans, a cheese-head is certainly a must. Stickers are a bonus, as well as eye black.
Another accessory that can be of help is body paint. They are there every game, those annoying fans that paint their whole face or the unfortunate ones with the beer bellies who paint their whole bodies. Paint is a plus not a must, especially if one is 35 with a beer gut. A helpful guideline for painting is, if above the age of 30, body painting is not allowed; face painting is permitted, but only to an extent.
Accessories can make or break someone’s fanhood. There will always be ‘that one guy’ who has every possible accessory and tries to be the best dressed fan, that can not happen, load up on accessories and make sure that people will never forget you as ‘that one guy’.
Stay true to your roots: The number one rule for sports fans is to never support the opposing team, especially rivals. There are no exceptions, as a result breakups could occur, but staying true to your roots is the most loyal thing a fan can do. Say one was a Boston Red Sox fan; if he were to ever be caught supporting any sort of New York Yankee gear, Ted Williams would roll over in his frozen grave. This holds true for all sports, a true fan can never wear any apparel for a team that is considered a rival.
Other tidbits: A sports fan should look like a fan on a daily basis. A fan should never wear Abercrombie or American Eagle or any of those brands that charge $45 for a shirt that is too tight. That’s just not the style of a fan. Gym shorts and a shirt (it does not have to be brand name) is the ideal outfit of a sports fanatic.
Another rule a fan should abide by is that even if his team loses, he should always support them. Wearing a team shirt or jersey after a bad loss isn’t stupid, it shows that you didn’t just hop on the bandwagon. You were true to the team to the very end. Believe it or not, the fans of the other team will respect that.
For all you football fans, just because its March don’t be afraid to pull those football shirts and jerseys from the bottom of the closest. Start supporting early and never stop.
Following these tips can ensure one is the best dressed sports fan and will impress people from all ages and even rival fans.