Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Dressed to Code

The things athletes will say. The National Basketball Association is trying to "dress up" it's image in the corporate world. So, Commissioner David Stern has set down a new rule: Players travelling with the team are to wear shirts with collars, blazers and dress slacks. Maybe even a necktie. Gone are the baggy pants, t-shirts or throwback jerseys at the post-game press conference. Apparently the hip-hop image of the league is hurting it's chances at corporate sponsorship.

This has brought about many stupid remarks by the players. Philadelphia's Allen Iverson claims, "It sends a bad message to kids. If you don't have a suit when you go to school, is your teacher going to think you're a bad kid because you don't have a suit on?" Apparently the do-rags and gangsta clothes must impress the teachers. Right.

But my favorite comes from Marcus Camby, center for the Denver Nuggets. It seems Camby is pleading poverty: "I don't see it happening unless every NBA player is given a stipend to buy clothes." That's right. He thinks the teams should shell out the money so the players can afford to buy dress clothes. The average salary of an NBA player is $4 million a year. This year, Marcus Camby is making $8 million. Maybe he should check the Goodwill Store.

The good news is that this week's Christian Carnival is "come as you are." The 91st edition is up at Matt Jones' blog. Enjoy. No stipend needed.

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