Nolan's goal to dress up shot down [Archive] - Marine Corps

thedrifter

05-13-05, 06:18 PM

Sent to me by Mark aka The Fontman

Nolan's goal to dress up shot down
By Skip Wood, USA TODAY

San Francisco coach Mike Nolan wanted to honor his father, Dick, who wore a shirt and tie during his 49ers coaching tenure.

Although Nolan recently expressed a desire to honor his father by dressing similar to the way Dick Nolan often did while coach of the 49ers from 1968-75, the league replied that would be a no-no under the apparel agreement it has with Reebok.

Says Reebok vice president of team properties Eddie White: "One way of looking at it is Mike Nolan is our runway model."

Toward that end, league coaches and anyone else on the sideline are required to wear garments (except pants) from Reebok, which began supplying all teams with sideline apparel in 2002 as part of a 10-year exclusive-rights agreement for a reported $250 million.

So why not wear an officially licensed sweater vest over a shirt and tie, the way some coaches have done in the past?

"Because he'd have to wear a dress shirt," White says, "and we don't make dress shirts."

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice ceased the practice following the 2003 season at the request of the league.

Although the 49ers already have this season's line of clothing designed, Reebok and the league might come up with a compromise or some other solution for 2006.

From NFL director or corporate communications Brian McCarthy: "We're exploring that, yes. We're exploring any number of options."

Adds White: "The good thing for Coach (Nolan) is that he's so good looking, he's going to look good whatever he wears."

Ellie

thedrifter

05-14-05, 06:14 AM

Sent to me by Mark aka The Fontman

Fashion police pull Niners' Nolan to the curb
By Randy Hill
The Sporting News

Mike Nolan has been credited with proposing tailor-made, NFL anarchy. Months before his first game as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Mike decided he wasn't exactly a dedicated follower of football fashion. With just a little fanfare, Nolan announced his intention to wear a suit during 49ers games. Most NFL observers thought this made sense; a suit is something to be worn at a funeral and rookie quarterback Alex Smith may not be prepared to resuscitate the Niners in his first season.

But Nolan's designs on breaking the sartorial barrier were intended to be a tribute to his father, Dick, who wore a suit while stalking NFL sidelines. That seems like a nice idea, right? Well, the NFL's fashion police have pulled Nolan to the curb. With marketing partner Reebok sitting in judgment, the league has informed Mike that - like everyone else - he's only allowed to show up for games dressed not unlike a color-coded frat boy.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sets this scruffy pace, the protective hood and play chart transforming his appearance into that of a Druid with a grocery list. And the stylish caps, shirts and jackets of (no) choice are provided by Reebok, which has paid a gazillion scoots to have its logo riding the clothing of NFL employees. Reebok big shot Eddie White explained his company's stance in practical terms. "Mike Nolan is our runway model," he said. That's nice. As Laverne DiFazio demonstrated years ago, a logo can be stylish on anything. What's that? Oh, White had another comment. "We don't make dress shirts. "For proof to back Eddie's claim, we offer top Reebok client Allen Iverson.

But what if Reebok did make dress shirts? And dress shoes? And vests? And suits? What if Reebok constructed a runway suitable for the strutting of coaches like Nolan? If that were to occur, the fashion show might go something like this:

Welcome to the first annual NFL/Reebok Fall Line Spectacular, featuring runway models providedby NFL Ltd. Each of the suits you're about to see are available for purchase in our team shops and online store. The first coach on the runway is John Fox of the Carolina Panthers. Although he's a no-nonsense, defensive-minded leader, John's Reebok original is designed to resemble a white, double-breasted lab coat. This may have nothing to do with the Panthers once employing the most chemically altered punter in league history.

The next model on our runway is Dick Vermeil of the Kansas City Chiefs. Dick is wearing a raincoat-influenced twill with a double-wide hanky pocket that comes in handy while crying tears of joy. It also can be worn while firing a defensive coordinator.

The model you now see wearing off-the-rack Spandex is Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid. This is the suit Andy may have worn had he lost that bet to Terrell Owens. Reebok refers to it as the TMI suit. Following Andy on the runway is Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman. Mike is wearing a yellow, conventionally cut Reebok classic, but the color is a bit unconventional for formal wear. Reebok reminds us that Mike's suit only looks like a huge hunk of cheddar; the mice chasing him down the runway simply lost their sense of smell during a lab experiment. Division rival Mike Tice of the Minnesota Vikings is up next in a thick-cut, polyester number made for those Minneapolis moments outside a domed stadium. To fit the client, Reebok has strapped on an apron that Mr. Tice can use to make change if he has the urge to sell a few tickets on the street.

Our next model is Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. We're not quite sure what Joe's suit actually looks like because it's covered with sponsorship decals. Fast on Joe's heels is Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos. Mike's natty Reebok original has no distinguishing features, although Shanahan does make a fashion statement with the Secret Service-caliber sunglasses. According to league insiders, Mike is afraid his crazed-looking eyes will draw favorable comparisons to the peepers of runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks.

The runway now is graced by the confident stroll of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. If the event that Bill was required to read a few lines of dialogue in his Reebok suit, the potential spray would be deflected by the attached plastic visor and overruled by the waterproof lapels. Our next style-conscious coach is Brian Billick of the Baltimore Ravens. As the confessed smartest man in the room, Brian's black three-piece is appropriately topped by a mortarboard and purple tassel. Trotting along behind Billick is Oakland Raiders coach Norv Turner, who - as instructed by Al Davis - is wearing a black suit with silver, vertical stripes. Norv is followed by Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci. Mooch looked quite elegant, if not original, until the requisite twirl. Ah, yes. Clearly visible on the back of his suit coat is the factory sticker. According to the bottom line, Steve's suit has been priced to move. Up next is first-year Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel. Although he's a large guy, Crennel is almost lost in this billowy outfit created by the Reebok design team. The marketing boys like to refer to this as the Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo suit.

Now blinding us on the runway is St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz. The blue-and-gold Rams color scheme hasn't prevented Mike from ordering a bright red suit. According to team insiders, Mike is hoping to become a human challenge flag and is prepared to demand a replay by throwing himself on the field. Putting a suit on Jon Gruden may seem as incongruous as suiting up a pit bull in pantyhose, but theTampa Bay coach is participating. To put everyone more at ease, Chucky has embraced his nutty reputation by wearing an orange jump suit.

Far behind Gurden is Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green. Until the Cardinals move into that domed stadium in nearby Glendale, Denny is content to wear a sleeveless suit with solar panels. As our modeling roll call begins to thin out, we now see Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jack appears to be wearing a flannel suit, which would seem appropriate for the coach who invites his team to chop wood in the locker room. Our next-to-last coach is Bill Parcells of the Dallas Cowboys. Bill is wearing, well, a Cowboys baseball cap and Cowboys logo sweatshirt. It seems like The Big Tuna wants to say a few words to our fashion audience. "Suits are for sissies." The last modeling coach was scheduled to be Mike Nolan, but our backstage expediter has informed us that the Niners coach has vanished.

Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent FOXSports.com contributor.

Ellie