Look well, play well: A guide to looking good in the stands

It’s time for the big game. You’ve watched highlights, looked up stats, got your tickets and before you leave the house, there is only one question left to answer: Do you look as good as you want your team to play?

Here are a few things that will help demonstrate your fanhood, while keeping you attractive enough to be let out of the house by your lady friend, or for us single fellas, find a lady friend.

 

No. 1 – Don’t try to stand out.

Remember: You and hundreds of other people are all cramming into that stadium, arena and set of bleachers with a collective objective in mind: You are part of a team. If everyone is wearing maroon and gold jerseys, don’t wear gold footy pajamas and paint your hair maroon. No one is there to gawk at you. They want to watch the game and so should you. Being a part of a fan base means fitting in, so don’t do the opposite of that.

 

No. 2 – Leave the personalized gear at home.

Anyone who has gone to live sporting events will tell you one of the most confusing occurrences is when you don’t recognize the name on the back of your favorite team’s jersey. Even a little patch with your initials on your hoodie comes off as slightly pretentious. Again, you are not special. If you played for the Tigers, then you would be out on the field.

 

No. 3 – For the love of a higher power, wear a shirt.

No, you are not clever for painting a letter people can hardly make out on your chest. No, you are not super tough for going shirtless in sub-zero temperatures. Yes, you are going to get sick. If you want to get on television, go for the full effect and streak across the field. Keep your shirt on, bro.

 

No. 4 – You don’t have to match, but be conscious of the other team’s colors.

Whether you care who wins or not, people (especially competitive sports people) see things through a black vs. white or maroon and gold lens. You could easily become the target of verbal or even physical abuse, if you are caught wearing “enemy” colors in a major stadium somewhere. Stay safe, and know whose house you are in.

 

No. 5 – Don’t wear anything you are emotionally attached to.

Sporting events, even in the stands, are messy. So it’s probably not a good idea to wear your 15-year-old-Barry-Sanders-signed-it Lions jersey to a game, where you intend to drink beer and eat nachos. If things get really crazy, a random fan could pick you up to crowd surf or your buddy could grab a hold of you in joyous celebration after a home-team touchdown. You wouldn’t want your most precious piece of sports swag getting ripped, spilled on or somehow ruined, especially at the holy mecca of the franchise.

So whether you are going as a casual or die hard fan, make sure you are relatively aware of your appearance. A member of the opposite sex may not understand what a play-action-drop-back-flee-flicker pass is, but she knows better than to wear the same jersey you slept in the night before, to the game.

Do this and whether your team wins or loses, you will have done your part to make your favorite squad look good.

Photo | Shannon Millard, Photo Editor