Cal Game Day T-shirt

Here is a sneak peak - pre-order it here.  I like this one more than the last couple of seasons.  

Would you wear a gameday shirt like this for your favorite football team?  Let us know at welldressedsportsfan@gmail.com 

Dealing with the Rain as a Sports Fan

I'm heading out the door soon to watch a college football game.  It is raining like cats and dogs and the venue is an outdoor stadium. Something about football in the elements makes the game all the more epic.  This can add to the excitement of being a fan, but it can make for a pretty miserable prospect for being a fan.

Quick Tip: The most important thing about watching a sporting event in the rain is that everyone in your party has a positive attitude about it.  

If the sporting event you are going to may or may not get cancelled by the rain, make sure to have an alternative event planned.  If you going with your family, take them out to lunch or dinner in the town or city that you travelled to instead.  This will brighten the mood.  In the case of my girlfriend, Well Dressed Sports Gal likes going to sporting events when the weather is nice, but her fandom doesn't extend to rain, sleet or snow. Fair enough.  Take a buddy to the game instead and have a nice evening at home with the ladyfriend afterword.  

If your traveling partner is game for traveling to the event, be prepared.  A simple store bought can of waterproofing spray will go a long way.  Bring a waterproofed rain jacket.  Hopefully for you, you've already waterproofed your favorite cap just in case.  If not, shame on you, a can of this stuff is only six bucks.  

Quick Tip #2: If you plan on bringing an umbrella, check on the venue's website to make sure they are allowed in the stadium.  

What I've got my eye on: I just purchased a custom made college football jersey.  Here is hoping these become a trend. I'd go with the commemorative World Series Champions Phillies t-shirt or sweatshirt rather than a cap.  Why?  You can pass it on to your kids and it might be a while until your squad wins another world championship (or your city for that matter Philly).  

A line of vintage t-shirts at Ebbets Field Flannels is really making me salivate.  Check out this San Francisco Seals longsleeve shirt.  Also available are the Rosewell Rockets, Denver Bears, and Jersey Giants. You can wear these under an open zip up hoodie for maximum effect. 

NFL Football Pre-Season Preview

There are really two breeds of football fan -- fans who are able to go to games and fans who watch the game from afar. Unfortunately, it isn't very easy to dress casually as an NFL fan, the way you can as an MLB fan.  Going with a jersey for your favorite player's jersey is a good choice, but do you really want to spend the dough to buy an authentic jersey?  Should you wear your jersey on your second date with that hot blond from the office, or just on gamedays?  

Football, unlike baseball, does not have a low-cost casual option that looks good on most guys.  While baseball hats look natural, football caps for most NFL teams look a bit too busy -- and can often look pretty stupid.  If you have a NFL hat that matches your favorite team's jersey, you can wear it on gameday and actually look pretty decent.  The MLB and NCAA just seems to do a better job than the NFL of offering stuff to wear that is easy on the eyes.  A lot of NFL gear has HUGE logos and overwhelming colors.

Whereas the Well Dressed Sports Fan has at least a couple of great hats in his or her closet they also have at least one great NFL jersey.  Instead of dropping your hard earned money on "replica jerseys" go with authentic jerseys.  As an added tip, take a look on eBay for some great deals (another post on this later in the year).  Replica jerseys can fade and the numbers and letters can "chip" in the wash.  Authentic jerseys have sewn on letters that will last you a much, much longer time - making it worth the money.  But buyer beware, a few authentic NFL jerseys, like the Bengals, contain both sewn on and printed on elements.  The printed on elements, as with the replica jerseys, are likely to fade.

If you're able to go to a game in person, pretty much all bets are off.  If you're looking to meet a good looking girl that is also a fan of your favorite team, it is a wise idea to tone things down a little.  If you're just looking to have a good time, however, and aren't planning on going to bars away from the stadium afterword -- sure, go all out.  

If you want to show support for your team on any other day of the week than football Sunday, grab a polo shirt with your team's logo.  These shirts are more subtle than some of the other NFL gear and can look good at the golf course.  Unfortunately, some of these polos can be a bit spendy.  

Quick Tip: Wear a matching hooded sweatshirt under your jersey for cold weather.  This also works to make the jersey a bit more snug if you look like you're swimming in it.  

Avoid: Wearing the jersey of a player still in the NFL, currently playing for another team.  For example, avoid wearing your Randy Moss jersey to a Vikings game.  Snag an Adrian Peterson jersey instead.  On the other hand, you'll look like a hardcore 49ers fan if you rock your Steve Young jersey on Sundays.  

Also Avoid: Wearing your jersey other than on game day and during draft day.  If you go to watch your team practice in the fall, feel free to sport the jersey.  You also get an exemption for Super Bowl Sunday -- which is sort of like a national football holiday.  Thinking about wearing your favorite jersey to your daughter's 3rd grade graduation?  I promise you will look stupid.  

Final take: Instead of opting for a hat or t-shirt, we recommend to go with a NFL jersey.  Further, we recommend buying the authentic jersey with letters and numbers that will last a long time.  Finally, sport that jersey only on gamedays 18 times a year and special events like the NFL Draft to keep it fresh.  

Throwback or Throw It Back?

Not all jerseys are created equal. If you're a casual sports fan, you might be tempted to think they all look same, but believe me, they do not.

Swing by one of my favorite blogs, Uniwatch to learn a bit about the history of all types of sports uniforms. The main author of Uniwatch, Paul Lukas, also writes columns for ESPN.com's Page 2. Check out, for example his column on the history of Chicago Cubs uniforms.

Uniwatch points to some of the more unfortunate occurrences in Cubs uniform history. Sporting a throwback uniform to a game or the pub can really show off your dedication to your team, but I wouldn't recommend running out and snagging a jersey like the one pictured in the last link.

Some jerseys from the 1970s and 1980s were unfortunate then and they still look awful now. Others, can look very cool and stylish.

Throwbacks are typically more expensive than regular authentic jerseys, but they come with special advantages. First, they show off your ardent dedication to your favorite team. Fairweather fans, or bandwagon fans rarely own throwback jerseys. So you're jersey will set you apart from other fans at the game.

The second advantage of throwback jerseys is the fact that the players featured on the back of the jersey are nearly always retired, meaning that they will never be traded to another team, making some jerseys look out of touch.

And a tip: if you decide to drop your hard earned money on a throwback, make sure you know a thing or two about the player on the back. You might have an old timer strike up a conversation with you about Tony Oliva or Johnny Bench. I'm not saying you have to memorize statistics, just learn a little bit about who the dude was, when he played, and if he or she made the Hall of Fame of their respective sport.

Also, avoid buying a throwback two or three sizes too large. Buy the same size you normally would.

There are a couple of sources for throwback uniforms. The official sites of Major League Baseball and the National Football League feature various kinds of throwbacks. Mitchell and Ness, bills itself as a "nostalgia company," whatever that means. While a bit pricey, Mitchell and Ness jerseys are of extremely high quality.

Ebbets Field Flannels provides some amazing (and hard to find) throwbacks. These are a bit pricier than even the Mitchell and Ness jerseys, but can be pretty amazing. A Willie Mays 1951 Minneapolis Millers will really impress your hardcore San Francisco Giants fans, but it will set you back $175.

A throwback jersey can really set you apart from the crowd. Don't invest in one if your only a casual fan. Grab a throwback t-shirt from a site like Distant Replays instead. But if you're a hardcore sports fan and want to show of your undying love for your team, grab a unique flannel and your friends as well as other fans at the park, will be impressed.

Bonus tip: on a cold evening, you can slide a hoodie underneath the jersey, just make sure it matches the colors of the uniform itself.