SPORTS Hing The Bling NBA Players required to follow a dress cote Brian McLennon, Sports Editor For the first time in history, the NBA has instituted a dress code policy for its players...and it has been long- time coming. On Monday, October 17, NBA commissioner David Stern sent a memo to every NBA team indicating the mandatory Dress Code policy that will be effective with the start of the 2005—2006 season on November 1, 2005. This new policy will make the NBA the first pro- fessional sports league organization to implement such a regulation. The dress code stipulates, “Players are required to wear business casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business.” The definition of the league’s "business casual’ is a long or short-sleeved dress shirt, and/or a sweater. Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans. Appropriate shoes and socks, which include dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots. In addition to the implementation of a new dress code policy, the league has gone as far as to clearly out- line what not to wear. Included on the list of what not to wear are sleeveless shirts, shorts, t-shirts, jerseys or sports apparel, headgear of any kind, chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player’s clothes, sunglasses while indoors, and headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team locker room). The new dress code (as expected) was met with mixed reviews by players, coaches, and the media. But what exactly is this new dress code trying to establish? Some critics have argued that the issue of the dress code is racially motivated, but is that necessarily true? Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, Steve A. Smith who is an African-American wrote, “... Indeed, there’s a racial element here. But since there are 60-year-old black par- ents and grandparents just as appalled by some players’ attire, there is a generational element too.” Smith continued by supporting the NBA dress code. “When you are selling a sport overwhelmingly populat- ed by young black males to an older white audience, the reality is that impressions, first or otherwise, often determine your product’s success.” Ever since the Pacer-Piston melee that occurred last year in Detroit during the final minutes of a game, the NBA has been under pressure to clean up its image. In the late 80’s and 90’s, sport legends such as Michael Jordan, Ervin “Magic” Johnson, and Larry Bird person- ified the NBA with success on and off the court. Their exceptional athletic abilities, charming personalities, and professional images made the NBA the media darling of the professional sport organization around the globe. However, with the retirement of these basketball statesmen, the NBA was in search of a new group stars that could continue their media success. By the late 90’s, a new breed of younger stars. such as Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson exploded on to the NBA scene. They were younger, received more media attention, and were paid hig ser salaries than most previous NBA players earned 4 entire careers. The birth-of mega stars had arrived.at with it, they brought in a culture that was hitting the mainstream America in full stride, Hip hop. ‘es Hip-hop culture was nothing new in the black com- munities across North America. It was an in your face attitude that boasted of a lavish lifestyle of expensive jewelry, luxury cars, and tattoos combined with a casual fashion of sneakers, baggy jeans, jerseys, and baseball hats. It showed opposition to the stereotypical “you need to act like this” to be rich. Hip-hop embodied everything that these new breed of stars were...young, black, rich, and famous. The NBA was hesitant at first, but they jumped on the bandwagon and embraced the hip-hop culture when they noticed hip-hop fashion had become Fashion. Hollywood stars and blue-eyed mid-America kids started mimicking Hip-hop entertainers by “sportin”’ NBA apparel, such as jerseys and baseball hats to “rep- om resent their home team. The whole phenomenon erupted into a multi-million dollar industry as the NBA tried to link its players to what was becoming “Pop” Hip-Hop. However, the endorsement of Hip-Hop became an issue when its culture began to infiltrate the NBA image. It was like the players damn well lost their minds! They didn’t draw the line between “at play” and “at work.” I’m sorry, you can call me old school, you can call me old fool, but I know my momma raised me right. There is a time and place for dressing “street” and a time and place where you dress professionally. When » reflect that image. = mclennonb@douglas.bc.ca you're making $8 million a year and you are in the national spotlight at media event...you dress profes- sionally! From wearing mega-huge headphones hanging from their necks and multi-karat diamond studs drip- ping from their ear lobes, to baseball hats cocked off to one side; players were blurring the lines of what was acceptable presentation. But is this a racial issue or really a business issue? NBA TV ratings have declined in recent years and many critics believe that the middle-aged white viewer who got hooked on basketball back in the clean cut Jordan era, now can not relate to the current NBA play- ers who don tattoo covered arms and large chain pen- dants. Face it; even though the teens are soaking up the rebellious images, the parents with the money are not. With TV ratings at an all-time low, the NBA is losing revenues where it really counts. With fewer corpora- tions willing to share their image with the questionable images portrayed by players, the NBA needed to address the problem. Current MVP and Victoria-native Steve Nash is opposed to the dress code policy. Often dressed down in faded t-shirts and worn jeans, his look is often viewed as “West coast, laid back” and “casual,” but never “thug.” Steve says he believes the league is “over- stepping its bounds,” but also says he is willing to abide by the new rules. » .s Elton Brand ofthe LA Clippers believes that the players are involved in professional business and should Stern, however, has sent a strong message to the NBA players. “I don’t think there will be a problem unless somebody wants to make a problem,” he explained to the media reporters in New York. “If they really want to make a problem, they’re going to have to make a decision about how they want to spend their adult life in terms of playing in the NBA or not.” Ouch!