Dress Up

I was thinking about writing 20 paragraphs about David Stern's misguided attempt at fashion policing, but then I read this quote from Jason Richardson of the Warriors, which summed up my entire range of emotions.

"You still wear a suit, you still could be a crook. You see all what happened with Enron and Martha Stewart. Just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you're that way."

Look, Stern's right in that his employees are scaring a certain percentage of his customers by wearing the clothes and accessories they wear. In that same token, however, those same employees are attracting a far greater number of new fans. Furthermore, the NBA has had no problem backing advertisements, in print and on television, that accentuate the "playa" image he now seems to detest. Do I even need to mention the "street ball" games-within-a-game that permeate every NBA video game sold?

I'm sorry, but there is only one word to describe what Stern has done, and it isn't racist.

It's hypocrite.