NFL | The referees will change their stripes
From Inquirer Wire Services
JIM McKNIGHT / Associated Press
Wide white stripes are part of the new-look uniforms for NFL referees. The change was to accommodate their gear.
Coming this fall to an NFL stadium near you: fashion-forward referees.
Gone are the traditional vertical black and white stripes that have been a staple of the league seemingly since its inception. In their place will be a flashier look that features wide white stripes and thin black stripes that flare around the shoulders and upper arms.
In addition to giving their annual lecture on rules changes for this season, several referees debuted the new threads yesterday at the New York Giants' training camp in Albany, N.Y. Not everyone was enamored of the new look.
"They should be riding on a horse at Saratoga," a spectator cracked while watching the officials oversee a practice session.
Making a fashion statement was not the motivation for the change, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
First was the desire for a lightweight, more efficient fabric that would be cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather, he said. The second aim was to make the uniforms accommodate the gear referees need to carry.
Referees will wear the new Reebok-designed shirts and the traditional white knickers for most games, and will switch in cold weather to black, full-length pants that will allow more room for additional layers.
From Inquirer Wire Services
JIM McKNIGHT / Associated Press
Wide white stripes are part of the new-look uniforms for NFL referees. The change was to accommodate their gear.
Coming this fall to an NFL stadium near you: fashion-forward referees.
Gone are the traditional vertical black and white stripes that have been a staple of the league seemingly since its inception. In their place will be a flashier look that features wide white stripes and thin black stripes that flare around the shoulders and upper arms.
In addition to giving their annual lecture on rules changes for this season, several referees debuted the new threads yesterday at the New York Giants' training camp in Albany, N.Y. Not everyone was enamored of the new look.
"They should be riding on a horse at Saratoga," a spectator cracked while watching the officials oversee a practice session.
Making a fashion statement was not the motivation for the change, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
First was the desire for a lightweight, more efficient fabric that would be cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather, he said. The second aim was to make the uniforms accommodate the gear referees need to carry.
Referees will wear the new Reebok-designed shirts and the traditional white knickers for most games, and will switch in cold weather to black, full-length pants that will allow more room for additional layers.
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