Too Much Black Pants?

[Frank in FL]

Watching both NFL and NCAA over the weekend one thing got to me.  Are too many crews wearing long sleeves and black pants?  There were numerous games only in the 50's and 60's with crews in LS's and black pants.  More than a few officials had their shirt sleeves pulled up around the elbow in both the NCAA and NFL.  IMHO it looks like crap and unprofessional.  Why not just wear knickers and short sleeves?  Is there some kind of push on to wear the black pants when it really isn't necessary?  I thought the rationale behind the black pants is that one could layer in cold weather, not be an automatic thing when wearing long sleeves.

[bitols]

you're right...too much sleeves pulled up around the elbow, looks like wood workers...if it is warm, wear short sleeves.

[Andrew McCarthy]

agree 100%

I was surprised to see the NFL deep guy with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

[VALJ]

Agreed.  IMO, if it's warm enough to be rolling your sleeves up, it's warm enough to just wear short sleeves.  Which means it's warm enought to wear your knickers...

[cougar729]

Why not just allow short sleeves with black pants, and if the crew wants knickers either way they can wear them.

[FredFan7]

I think this is evidence that the crews prefer black pants and would rather wear them in all instances instead of knickers - but at this point black pants must be worn with long sleeves.

Wait for about 3-10 years because I predict the knickers will be retired and black pants will be worn in all weather.

[Osric Pureheart]

Agreed.  IMO, if it's warm enough to be rolling your sleeves up, it's warm enough to just wear short sleeves.  Which means it's warm enought to wear your knickers...

Different people have different temperature tolerances.  I usually end up breaking out my short sleeves at least two weeks before everyone else that I work with, and if I switched back to long sleeves when they all do I'd overheat in about five minutes.

[jc]

Last weekend was a mix match of uniforms and looked terrible.  I saw a TX high school game where the 5 man crew was wearing plackards on the back.  In the Hawaii game, they had short sleeves and black pants.  I don't really like the black pants because to me it looks like a Y league game, but if we're going to wear them, there needs to be some guidelines and they need to be adhered to. 

[Luke]

Agreed.  IMO, if it's warm enough to be rolling your sleeves up, it's warm enough to just wear short sleeves.  Which means it's warm enought to wear your knickers...

Black pants aren't any warmer than knickers.

[Etref]

No they are not................. but they are oversized and you can layer under them without looking like the Michelin Man

[Luke]

No they are not................. but they are oversized and you can layer under them without looking like the Michelin Man

Yes, I know.  I thought he was saying that black pants were to knickers as long sleeve shirts are to short sleeve shirts.  It can never be "warm enough to wear your knickers" as pants are just as warm/cool as knickers. 

It can be cold enough to wear pants because of the layering options like you said.  But black pants aren't only for extreme cold.  In a few years everyone will be wearing pants for every game.

[HLinNC]

Got to disagree with you just a bit Stretch- the Honig's fabric is heavier than say Gerry Davis.  The Davis pant would be more comfortable for warmer weather.

I forsee a foul weather (heavy) version and a summer/tropic version down the road, particularly if Honig's can coerce states to have to buy both!

[VALJ]

Yes, I know.  I thought he was saying that black pants were to knickers as long sleeve shirts are to short sleeve shirts.  It can never be "warm enough to wear your knickers" as pants are just as warm/cool as knickers. 

Ah - I've never even seen a pair of black pants, much less worn them.  Apparently, some of our vets are reluctant to buy a new pair of pants.  Of course, a good number of our vets are wearing knickers that look like they're about 10 years old, so it seems like they're reluctant to buy knickers, too.

[TxGrayhat]

I think we could see the black pants year round. There are reasons besides just keeping you warmer if you layer under them. In the long run they will be less costly They wont stain like knickers do on muddy nights. They wont turn yellow. (However if you spill bleach on em the night before a game your in big trouble.) You don't need to keep buying the striped socks.  If its just the look of white pants people have trouble over coming get rid of knickers and make theses pants in white... Brady Bunch Style 

[110]

If its just the look of white pants people have trouble over coming get rid of knickers and make theses pants in white... Brady Bunch Style 

[LarryW60]

I agree with the thread title.  There are way too many threads here about black pants.

[Luke]

I think we could see the black pants year round.

We will be seeing then year round.  It is only a matter of time.  The only reason to wear knickers is because of the way they look.  The black pants are superior to them in every way and will soon take over as the normal uniform.  They have already taken over as the standard in college for use with long sleeve shirts.  It isn't extremely cold, it isn't raining or muddy, there really is no reason to use the pants but they are used anyways.  Pants will soon be common with short sleeve shirts also.

[elewis023]

What looks even worse with the black pants is having white socks on.  Of course, they are wearing black shoes, so all you see are these flashes of white.  Looks ridiculous.

[HLinNC]

Black socks are a must.  I prefer to wear the black baseball/soccer style socks with them instead of crew socks.

Has anyone seen the ACC officials Nike's this season?  They almost look like clown shoes- black and liberal doses of white trimming.

[InsideTheStripes]

I can't wait until knickers go the way of the dodo.  Grown men wearing knickers, for any reason, looks absurd. 

Give me my black plants and leave me the hell alone.   

[AlUpstateNY]

Perhaps I'm just a dodo, but both from the practice of watching games on the field, and watching them on TV, I find the white knickers much more visible than these black pants.  Sorry, but I just don't get the "fashion" related advantages/disadvantages of one style of pants over the other, and I absolutely do not believe anyone on the planet, aside from the officials on whatever field you may be looking at, could possibly care less, either way.

The long pants do offer advantages related to layering in cold weather, and I suspect those advantages would apply if the the pants were white, without without a black stripe.  I would like to see a tapered, or even elasticed cuff on the pants, so when they ride down, from all the running around, we're not stepping on the cuffs with the heel.

Remember, the primary purpose of the uniform is to differentiate us from the players, and recognition and visibility are the main concerns.  I've got 2 (full uniform) pictures of crews  I've worked with; one from years ago where we're all in knickers and one from this season in black pants.  Side by side the difference in visibility is startling.  These full length pants do offer some distinct advantages, but I wouldn't suggest throwing any knickers away just yet.  Fads come and go, traditional standards last a lot longer. 

[Sumstine]

What looks even worse with the black pants is having white socks on.

Not a Michael Jackson fan?

[InsideTheStripes]

Remember, the primary purpose of the uniform is to differentiate us from the players, and recognition and visibility are the main concerns.

If that's the primary purpose, we should go all black all the time.  Is your contention that black full length pants are harder to differentiate, recognize and see by players wearing (white or non-white) pants that start at the hip and end just below the knee?

[Etref]

If that's the primary purpose, we should go all black all the time.  Is your contention that black full length pants are harder to differentiate, recognize and see by players wearing (white or non-white) pants that start at the hip and end just below the knee?

Where have you been calling, most of them look like short pants.     

[Grant - AR]

Grown men wearing knickers, for any reason, looks absurd. 

While I agree that I like the black pants better than the knickers, I have to disagree with the above statement.  I was always a fan of Payne Stewart.