Wearing Another Team's Hat

[RobDeer 45]

When I used to wear baseball hats more often, I would buy hats based on how I thought they looked. The Brewers have always been my team, and I didn't cheer for another team if I had their hat, it was strictly based on me liking the hat. I don't see anything wrong with that. Of course I'd never wear another NFL team's gear, but I kind of think baseball hats are different.

 

I'm not sure where I fully stand on cheering for other baseball teams. I'm ok with enjoying the success of other teams. For instance, when University of Cincinnati does well, I enjoy seeing that, because I live here. But I don't follow them like I do the Badgers, or stress about their games. I've never been one to have multiple teams that I really care about. Badgers, Brewers, Packers and nothing comes close to those teams. I tried to cheer for the T-Wolves when I lived in MN but my heart was never in it, even though I don't follow the Bucks that much. The Bucks have been the hardest team for me to fully get in to because they've just not been on tv much in places I've lived.

[FVBrewerFan]

I would like to start getting hats for all of the Brewers minor league teams this year though.

 

Like others have said, I rarely wear baseball caps anymore. But those are the ones I'm buying, the minor league affiliates. I have TRats, Manatees, and Sounds so two of those aren't worn anymore. I will be getting Mudcats and Shuckers hats for sure, and refuse to get a Sky Sox hat.

[hawing]

I don't have many non-Brewers hats, but I do have a few, for specific if occasionally shallow reasons:

 

1. Cleveland Indians "C" cap. I bought it on a whim when we visited Progressive Field in 2009 because it was the least Wahoo-centric. About this time last year, a neighbor of ours passed away. He was an Ohio native and big Indians fan, so I wore the C cap periodically last year in his memory. (Sad aside: every time I wore it during the 2016 WS, at least one person - not always the same person - assumed it was a Cubs cap. At least it was people who don't really know me.)

The anniversary of his passing is this coming Sunday, so I'll probably wear it again then.

 

2. I have a T-Rats cap, which I assume isn't considered a sin in the context of this thread since they're part of the Brewers' system. I'm averse to snakes, but this cap is a nice shade of maroon, which is a color that looks good on me.

 

3. I also have a red Brewers cap that I wear to Badger sporting events that fall during baseball season. That way I can still rep my #1 team while casually fitting in at Camp Randall, the Field House or the Kohl Center.

[Patrick425]

Wear whatever you want. And don't let other people influence you--as if their definition of fandom is superior to yours...it's nonsense.

 

 

It's not up to anyone else to decide what you wear and how you display and/or declare your allegiance. I find all those unwritten fan rules silly as heck.

 

AMEN!

[davego]

On occasion, I'll wear a Cleveland Browns hat to solicit pity from others.

[pacopete4]

On occasion, I'll wear a Cleveland Browns hat to solicit pity from others.

 

 

Don't Brewers fans get enough pitty? Sure feels like we should. We've done a lot more losing.

[AKCheesehead]

Yep, do what you want. With that said, though....

1) I'd only wear another team's hat if I were desperate for a hat to wear in the sun.

2) Friends who wear other other teams' gear get all the ribbing they've got coming to them.

[Surhoff5]

I don't typically wear other teams hats, but I have bought a few of the retro ones. I owned/own a Padres brown/mustard/orange hat, a burgundy Phillies hat, and an old school Expos one.

[brewfanks]

I live in KC and have taken a liking to the royals to the point that I own a KC hat, shirts, and wear them on occasion or when I go to a game. I still cheer for the Brewers when they play each other on that rare occasion.

 

It is funny because I'm also in the same boat where I would never do that for the Chiefs, its only Packers for me. Baseball just seems different, even with interleague play.

[Warning Track Power]

After posting this topic, one of the main takeaways I have from this is that baseball is just a little bit of a different animal as a sport. Maybe it has to do with the Brewers being relatively mediocre over there existence OR people like me living outside of Milwaukee and/or Wisconsin OR this being a baseball site, but it appears that the love of the sport in general is the reason why people feel it is ok to wear another team's hat. I firmly fall in the camp of being ok with wearing my local team's hat (California-native), yet I have no desire to wear anything other than Packers gear in the NFL. After reading your responses, I am convinced that my reason for wearing these other team's hats are firmly based on my love for baseball as a sport more than football, basketball or any other sport.

[DocLuna7]

I will second many of the sentiments here that baseball is unique as a sport in a way that football, basketball, hockey etc. are not. I should have also added as a caveat to my original post about wearing other teams hats while in their stadiums (not when playing Brewers) that I would NEVER wear a Cubs or Cadinals hat. Ever. I see a big difference between putting on an Angels cap while in Anaheim watching them play a random AL team then being willing to wear the colors of one of our hated rivals.

[jimmyjeromehardy7]

I have hats from about all the stadiums I've been too. Probably about a dozen or so non-Brewer hats compared to over 25 Brewer hats. I refuse to have a Cubs hat and didn't by a Reds hat when I was in Cincy. Seems like a waste of money since most are barely worn but will likely by an Angels hat when there next month.

[Warning Track Power]

I will second many of the sentiments here that baseball is unique as a sport in a way that football, basketball, hockey etc. are not. I should have also added as a caveat to my original post about wearing other teams hats while in their stadiums (not when playing Brewers) that I would NEVER wear a Cubs or Cadinals hat. Ever. I see a big difference between putting on an Angels cap while in Anaheim watching them play a random AL team then being willing to wear the colors of one of our hated rivals.

This is a very good point...in my mind there is a definite distinction between wearing another team's hat and wearing a rivals hat.

 

To me, on March 21, 2017, I will never own a hat of:

 

1. Another NL Central team (rivals)

2. Mets (see Gomez Trade and Sandy Alderson)

3. Braves (moving from Milwaukee)

4. Diamondbacks (2011-2012 Kirk Gibson comments and current presence of Tony LaRussa)

5. Yankees and Red Sox (they don't need any more money)

 

That leaves 20 teams other than the Brewers that I would have no issue with wearing.

[Patrick425]

3. Braves (moving from Milwaukee)

 

So...still not letting that one go after 51 years? You know that they moved here from Boston, and were only here for 13 years.

[Warning Track Power]

3. Braves (moving from Milwaukee)

 

So...still not letting that one go after 51 years? You know that they moved here from Boston, and were only here for 13 years.

My grandmother, who used to listen to the Braves on the radio and was furious when they left, would climb out of the grave and strangle me. Not wearing their hat is an homage to her.

[FVBrewerFan]

I have a Cubs snapback hat from when I was a kid. It never leaves my closet, but I can't manage to part with it due to memories of coming home from school and watching them many years ago. And I'm giving myself a pass, because the Brewers were in the AL then.

[Kelbysdaddy]

As much as I despise the Yankees, I have a hat from my step grandfather who was a big Yankees fan. I never wear it, it sits in my man room. I have a 80's throwback Carlton Fisk white sox Jersey that I were when I go down to games with a couple buddies that are red sox fans when they come to Chicago. I ain't rooting for no damn red sox. Wear what you want. Pudge Rodriguez and griffey jr were my favorite non brewers growing up and I have had Rangers and mariners hats.

[Mays Hayes]

Can see maybe wearing a Marquette hat if a Badger fan or vice versa, or an AL team (not the yankees or red sox!), but NL teams seem off limits generally speaking to me.

 

I have no issues with someone that wants to wear other professional team hats, but a Badger fan wearing Marquette gear? That I can't get my head around.

[Bikeage77]

I primarily wear my Brewers hats, but I have no problem wearing another teams hats. When I was in high school my dad would travel to a different convention once a year, and if it was a baseball town, he'd bring me back a fitted hat. I have a bunch of them and wear them all from time to time. I primarily wear my Brewers hats, but I try to keep those hats looking clean. If I'm working in the yard, I'll wear my Twins hat, or if it's raining, I'll wear my Pirates hat.

 

I tend to wear my non Brewers hats a lot during the playoffs as I find some rooting interest. Wear whatever, who cares. It bothers me more when my students wear hats to match some outfit, and they can't tell me a single player of the team and just bought the hat to have it. It's especially cringing when they can't give me one Yankee, not Jeter, not A-Rod, not Sabathia, or even Mantle or Ruth. C'mon.

[rwa12]

There are a few I won't wear, but outside of that, I'm game. I live in STL, and I make it a point not to wear Cardinals gear. They're really the only team I can't stand. That being said, I have 2 young boys that are indoctrinated daily with Cardinals hype at school. They wear red on Cardinals day, etc. As much as it pains me on the inside, they both have Cardinals shirts they can wear so that they can join the fun. Neither has an interest in baseball really, they like basketball. At some point one of them will get me Cardinals gear from one of the "Santa's Village" things they have at school at Christmas (Where they can pick out gifts for family). I'll wear it, and not think twice.

[Bikeage77]

There are a few I won't wear, but outside of that, I'm game. I live in STL, and I make it a point not to wear Cardinals gear. They're really the only team I can't stand. That being said, I have 2 young boys that are indoctrinated daily with Cardinals hype at school. They wear red on Cardinals day, etc. As much as it pains me on the inside, they both have Cardinals shirts they can wear so that they can join the fun. Neither has an interest in baseball really, they like basketball. At some point one of them will get me Cardinals gear from one of the "Santa's Village" things they have at school at Christmas (Where they can pick out gifts for family). I'll wear it, and not think twice.

 

I would think it'd be very difficult to try to get your kids to become Brewers fans while living in a town like St Louis, or Chicago. If I were a parent, I don't think I would stop them either. It's their hometown team even if it's not your own, so kudos to buying em gear that all their friends wear. If I lived there I don't think I could swing my allegiance, but if I moved to San Francisco, Boston, or even Minneapolis, I would probably have rooting interest.

[yfinn6]

Can see maybe wearing a Marquette hat if a Badger fan or vice versa, or an AL team (not the yankees or red sox!), but NL teams seem off limits generally speaking to me.

 

I have no issues with someone that wants to wear other professional team hats, but a Badger fan wearing Marquette gear? That I can't get my head around.

 

Native Wisconsinite, Badger fan, and UW alum here and I'd wear a Gopher hat before I wore anything from Marquette, and I don't get into the whole "you should only wear gear of teams you're a fan of" talk.

[jerichoholicninja]

Can see maybe wearing a Marquette hat if a Badger fan or vice versa, or an AL team (not the yankees or red sox!), but NL teams seem off limits generally speaking to me.

 

I have no issues with someone that wants to wear other professional team hats, but a Badger fan wearing Marquette gear? That I can't get my head around.

 

Native Wisconsinite, Badger fan, and UW alum here and I'd wear a Gopher hat before I wore anything from Marquette, and I don't get into the whole "you should only wear gear of teams you're a fan of" talk.

 

Is there some sort of UW/Marquette rivalry that I'm not aware of?

[yfinn6]

There's an interesting rivalry between UW and MU, yes. Most it fueled by loudmouths from either fanbase who are regulars on popular message boards and contributors to various publications about the team they follow. I don't want to offend any MU fans here, but yeah I could never see myself wearing MU gear. Partly because of that silly part of the rivalry, but another just because I've never had any interest in the school, for various reasons.

[jerichoholicninja]

I guess I've never understood being a fan of a college unless you actually went there.