SGG Weekly: The Hat So Bad That It United NYC
Mayor Adams' MLB Cap, The Raptors Return to Purple, and Wearable Snakeoil in the NHL.
Dear friends and strangers,
It’s October and the Mets are still playing - it may be the end of days! Fall is without a doubt, my favorite time in New York. There’s the crisp weather, the changing colors, and the ability to layer without always sweating through your clothes on the subway. On top of all that - when the local sports teams are playing well - all simultaneously - that gives the city an extra, unexplainable, almost electric energy. The Mets and Yankees are both playing in the divisional championship series. The Liberty are in the WNBA finals. The Rangers are scoring before the third period (but please finish negotiating with Shesterkin soon). The Knicks are still in the pre-season but between the post-game jawing against the Timberwolves and Kat’s debut (he wore a Dipset New York jersey and Timberlands!) and Precious being a Mets fan - the vibes are high! The Nets still exist and the Jets and Giants are fine.
Given that the Big Apple is home to so many sports teams, rivalries are natural -expected even. The New York sports fanbase may not have the distinction of being the evil incarnate, like the Philly fans who booed Santa, or have a reputation for racism that precedes them (Boston dominates this category) however, it’s not an easy place to play by any means. Mets and Yankees fans are not quite at Capulet’s and Montague's level of hatred, but there’s no love lost. So, as both teams are battling it out separately - only a symbol of pure evil could unite fans in a city-wide alliance - that terrible NYM X NYY hat worn by Mayor Eric Adams.
Disgraced, endited club promoter Mayor Adams was spotted wearing this truly cursed piece of sports merchandise while at an equally cursed event, the Columbus Day Parade (it’s now Indigenous People’s Day officially - or Canadian Thanksgiving if you’re up north). The contentious cap in question is a New York Mets and New York Yankees combination hat, featuring both team logos and an “X” denoting collaboration. The hat has spurred think pieces from GQ, analysis from the New York Times fashion department, and, a Twitter firestorm turned NY Post article on the tragedy. According to Jacob Gallagher’s NYT piece, it’s a snapback hat - not a fitted - and it’s even his hat (you can tell by the odd fit and poor curving of the brim):
It’s far from the only time that Adams proved that he does not understand New York sports or fashion culture, which includes telling a reporter to stop wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers hat, mistaking it for a Boston Red Sox hat. It’s also not surprising that Adams asked for an item that played to both sides, not dissimilar to his political strategy. He seems to think it’s in his best interest to adopt a “both teams played hard” mindset instead of forming an opinion. Most New Yorkers I know are counting down the days until he either resigns or is removed from office, so he is trying to curry favor in the most awkward and ill-timed ways.
Unsurprisingly, multiple colorways and iterations of this hat have popped up all over online and in-store retail. I hate them all and each hat looks like a tourist trap item you can find amongst the logo tees and fake sneakers on Canal Street and Jamaica Ave all year round and during the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy. They’re the perfect symbol for those who want to look like they visited New York but don’t understand the culture of baseball. I don’t blame the tourists but so-called “locals” like Eric Adams and his team should know better. I can also see these hats appealing to the privileged, overly wealthy folks who get gifted tickets to playoff games and then spend the whole time yapping about their investment portfolios rather than enjoying the atmosphere. In short - this hat is a perfect example of poser wear.
What would have been more interesting is to switch between hats - a Yankee and a Mets hat - fitted, ideally - according to the game of the night or the event. They could be from the Subway series but show true allegiance.
It could have also been a good opportunity to support a local designer’s work with the MLB teams, like Awake NY’s subway series hats from 2021 (I still want a Mets one), or if he wanted to do something that would get the menswear guys’ attention - like a pine green classic Yankee fitted hat from Aime Leon Dore or Ralph Lauren Yankees collection. But this, of course, would take planning, care, and actual reverence for sportswear. I am half expecting Adams to next show up in an MLB version of Rob Lowe’s much-maligned generic NFL black hat.
But if anything, this hat choice proves Adams' phony nature - and that he will do anything to keep his name relevant and associated with anything other than all those charges.
Montreal Merch is Magnifique!
I don’t have much to say about the gameplay of the Raptors’ recent preseason stop in Montreal. Every season the Raptors play in Canada’s second-largest city; this year, the merchandise was the star.
The Raptors’ bagel logo is cute and uncomplicated, and it makes me infinitely jealous of anyone watching basketball while eating Montreal-style bagels (the supreme, sorry New York style). The branding plus the rollout of the purple alternate jersey gives me hope that soon, they will phase out the still prevalent chevron-styled jerseys and fully embrace the original 90’s color palette and design flourishes.
The Wizards went with a slightly different translation of their name en Français in Montreal - Les Sorciers. Generally, Sorciers translates to sorcerers, which makes me wonder - isn’t the Washington Warlocks a way cooler name than Wizards? This shirt looks vaguely more Capitals than Wizards in branding - which is not surprising given that it often looks like they share a style guide.
Conspiracy Jewelry Is Trending in Sports. Really.
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967 - that isn’t me being a jerk, it’s just a fact. Fans will try anything to change their luck and hockey players are notoriously superstitious. So I wasn’t shocked to see that a Maple Leaf player was touting a special totem around his neck to improve his health and by extension - the team’s chances. But I was surprised to see exactly what Captain John Tavares’ new piece claims to do:
Ah yes, the conspiracy crowd has entered the NHL chat. The Aires Lifetune Flex amulet, which is also promoted by current right-wing nutjob Russell Brand, claims to be “our most versatile protection solution that is designed to carry along with you or keep close by for constant coverage from electromagnetic radiation”. If you’re looking for more information on the “technology”, I’d suggest this Twitter thread from Evan. It costs $239 and according to Tavares’ blurb, he’s been using it since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, first as a customer. Other athletes, like fellow Canadian, and NBA player RJ Barrett, retired NFL star Tiki Barber as well as organizations like the UFC, WWE and, even Canada Basketball toute the totems as part of their official ambassadorship. It’s not rare for professional athletes to become embroiled in scams or toute “alternative” views - like Aaron Rodgers and his anti-vax messaging.
There have been wearable versions of snake oil in the past, like the balance bracelets, but these amulets are leaning more toward fear-mongering and personal protection than performance. I’m curious if these pieces will end up banned by any of the professional sports leagues, partially because a banning could give them more ammo - “we’re so effective we’re banned!”- but it could also be pushing conspiracy theories onto fans, athletes and young players that could have dangerous consequences. From purely a fashion perspective, it’s a lot of money for a clunky piece of jewelry that is endorsed by a rapist (Brand). I’d suggest getting into crystals instead from a trusted vendor - which may set you back $25, instead of $239. Personally, that wouldn’t make me feel any safer about EMF rays - but maybe I’m just too grossed out by the overall aesthetics of a brand to fall for their version of mind control.
Extra credit:
I recently read (ok, listened to because the audiobook is worth it in this case) The Cobbler, the memoir of footwear icon and wolf of Wall St. main character (in the movie, less so IRL) Steve Madden. It’s a quick, addictive listen (or read) that charts Madden’s history from undiagnosed ADHD Long Island kid to entrepreneur and later, prison reform advocate. I’ll be doing a full review in the newsletter soon, so I’d suggest checking it out now if you want to weigh in when the price goes live.
Stay safe and stay true (and #LGM),