By Sean Deveney

updated 4:20 p.m. ET Oct. 20, 2005

Sean Deveney

On the issue of the NBA dress code, there is an impulse on my part to be curmudgeonly. You know, to be stubborn and state the obvious about the continuing decline of polite society. These are millionaires, who make, on average, $5 million. They represent franchises, they represent cities and fans. It should not be too much to ask them to put on a sweater when they’re leaving the stadium, or a sport coat when they’re injured and sitting on the bench.

I almost spit out my Cheerios when I read Marcus Camby telling Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News that if the league wants to introduce a dress code, players should get a stipend. To buy a shirt? To buy a pair of pants that are presentable to the rest of the world? Last year, Latrell Sprewell needed to feed his family. Now, Camby needs to clothe himself.

I nearly started zooming down the curmudgeon’s road when I typed the following: “In nearly every business in this country, employees are expected to dress like professionals and ...” Well, and then I stopped.

And, for a moment, I closed my eyes. I transported myself back to the press box here at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Or press row at the United Center. Or any press row during the playoffs.

And, though I surely did see some dress shirts and the occasional pair of pants that was not made of denim, I saw a lot of T-shirts there on press row. I saw very little that was tucked in. I saw shirts stained with mustard. I saw sweaters so garish that they would make small children cry. Sneakers were everywhere, as were white socks. There were sandals, on men. Yick. I am a firm believer that the male foot was made to be covered. I saw sportswriters and radio folks, and we were like a collective vision of Oscar Madison. It wasn’t pretty.

NBA's new dress code Policy goes into effect Nov. 1 Pacers' Jackson: dress code is racist TSN: Dress professionally? What about media? Dahlberg: Welcome to your daddy's NBA Borges: This won't solve league's woes Vote: What is your take on it?

Back at the home office of TSN in St. Louis, I know it’s the same deal. I know because I have worked there, as an editor, and few were the days that my get-up went beyond shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. Now that I work from home, I am sometimes in my pajamas till noon. The rest of the time, it’s till 4.

So, commissioner David Stern has put those of us in the fourth estate in a pretty tight spot. If you look at the dress code he has issued, it’s really not that stiff—many players already dress well, and some teams have their own dress codes. Problem is, those of us who are opining on whether NBA players should be required to be spiffy have to look in the mirror. I’m betting many of us would be eligible for a fine ourselves.

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