The Coaches' Collection: Leather or Not, Here We Come!

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When it comes to leather, where do I even begin?

Okay, quite honestly, I am a personal fan of leather – to an extent. I adore my leather jackets (and I have a variety of them) and I adore my heated leather seats in my Explorer (oh yeah, that’s a different subject – sorry!); but when it comes to leather pants, skirts, shirts, etc., well that’s a different matter. Yes, I have owned a pair of leather pants (until I kept growing and they became high-waters), and recently I tried on another pair in Kohls, but again, they were too short on me. I used to own a leather skirt, too. So I really don’t have a problem with wearing and owning leather. But, I do feel there is a time and a place to appropriately wear leather. The question is – Is the sideline of a basketball court one of those places? In reality, it depends on how you wear the leather or rather what you are wearing the leather with to determine whether it is appropriate or not. Sometimes you can get by with wearing a leather skirt and a nice shirt and it looks fine; whereas other people may wear leather pants and a nice shirt and they look like…….well, I will let you fill in the gaps on that one!

So let’s examine a few occasions where I have seen some individuals wear some types of leather during basketball games, and what better place to start than with an ultimate “Duel of Leather”. There are some coaches that you just learn to expect the unexpected with their dress attire, but had you told me that in a key match-up between two “big-name” teams, that both of their head coaches would be wearing some type of leather, I would have not have anticipated that. So the “Duel of the Leather” begins…


Ladies and Gentleman, this is the main event, the one we have all been waiting for… Entering along the right sideline of the arena, hailing from Notre Dame University, weighing in wearing a black leather skirt and sea green dress shirt is the legendary head coach, Muffet McGraw! Her opponent, coming in on the left sideline of the arena, hailing from Baylor University, weighing in with python print leather pants and a beige leather jacket, is the reigning NCAA Coach of the Year and current holder of the “Gaudiest Leather” title, Kim Mulkey! As both competitors meet in the middle for the mandatory “meet and greet”, it appears our reigning champion, Mulkey, is dissing McGraw, but in the end, McGraw will win the “Duel of the Leather” whereas Mulkey will retain her “Gaudiest Leather” title. Muffet McGraw is known for wearing her leather skirt, and in all honesty, it looks really good on her because she has the stature that can carry it well and she doesn’t make it look to gaudy. She does her best to coordinate it with a decent type shirt and, of course, shoes (which aren’t shown here); so in Muffet’s case, she is fine to wear the leather because she knows how to wear it and still look fashionable. On the contrary, Kim Mulkey, who is spunky, lacks the fashion sense that Muffet has. Mulkey’s outfit is just down-right gaudy – python print leather pants, really? And then mix it with a beige/gold leather jacket? Wow, someone please help Mulkey see the light! I’ve seen Mulkey wear some other leather outfits that are passable, but this one is just plain nasty and has to go. I don’t care how many wins your team has, don’t keep drawing attention to yourself on the sideline while wearing these horrendously matched and tight-fitted outfits, just dress normal and let the talent of your team shine.

And then there is Sylvia…


Oh! dear Sylvia Hatchell, whose name we have heard countless times this season on ESPN for FINALLY getting her 900th win. We all know who you are and where you coach, but you really have to come to the ACC Tournament with a Carolina Blue leather jacket on? Granted, it isn’t the worst thing I have seen, but should someone of your age be wearing a leather jacket to coach a game? And didn’t you get hot? Oh, no, wait!, that’s right!, your team played as cold as ice that championship game as Duke literally obliterated you guys on the court. So maybe the Carolina Blue jacket helped warmed you a little more from the icy temperatures on the court. Either way, this one is a hit or miss – it just doesn’t faze me, though honestly I hate it because of the color.


Going back to Mulkey, the Queen of Leather, wow, I would just love to know where in Waco does she find such clothes or does she have to custom order them? The python leather pants and gold jacket, as I have previously stated, is just distasteful to me and way too distracting on the court. However, I will say that the pink jacket trimmed in leather-faux with black leather pants…well I am going to get some slack for this, but I actually kind of like this outfit. I still think the leather pants are a bit too tight for her to be wearing on ESPN (and we all know now how much of a distraction they caused for UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma!); but overall, this outfit isn’t one of Kim’s worst ones. (Plus, her shoes were absolutely amazing that night!) Y’all know how much I adore Kim Mulkey, and in some ways, she is bold and brave to wear this – but as I said, expect the unexpected. Mulkey has her own fashion sense – sometimes it works, sometimes it just doesn’t and sometimes it makes her look something besides a coach (just saying!). I just hope and pray that if Baylor makes it to the 2013 NCAA National Championship game again this year, that Kim will NOT wear leather – you can wear your spiked heels (which I love!) but please, refrain from wearing leather to claim the National Championship!


So with all this ghastly leather, is there anyone who can save the day and show us how to minimally wear leather and make it look good? Of course there is … the fashionista of women’s college basketball, who looks absolutely smashing in anything - she can show us how to wear leather appropriately. The title “Fashionista” belongs exclusively to her, and she is one of my most favorite coaches of this day in time. She is Chris Dailey, the Associate Head Coach of the UConn Women’s Basketball team, and it is partly her fashion style that helps to make Geno Auriemma look so good on the court. (Maybe that is why they are often referred to as the “Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani” of women’s basketball!) “CD” (as she is most commonly known) does not very often wear leather, but when she does, as exhibited in these few circumstances, she can pull it off very, very easily. Her rail-thin yet toned frame can carry almost any outfit that you throw her way, and she can always accessorize better than any other coach. UConn honored Geno, as well as CD, when they won their 800th game, and that evening she wore a very simple pair of grayish slacks with a white shirt covered by a classy leather jacket – nothing too gaudy nor out of character. During a recent battle against rival Notre Dame, The Fashionista went head-to-head against “Runner-Up Fashionista” (Muffet McGraw) – Muffet in her animal print skirt vs. Chris in her grayish skirt and half leather top. At first glance, I did not really like CD’s top, but as the game progressed and she was shown more and more on TV (thanks to Geno’s antics and CD being the ONLY person who has the supreme ability to calm him during trying times, ha!), my initial impression of her outfit began to change and I began to really develop a liking to her top. Do I think leather is Chris Dailey’s calling? Heck no! She has many other outfits (to be featured later) that are just amazing. But, of all the coaches featured here, she knows how to design an outfit that is not exclusively made up of all-things-leather!

In the end, I’m not so sure I am willing to rush back out to Kohl’s or some other store to look for another pair of leather pants for myself. I think I’ll settle for my leather jackets and coats, as well as my shoes and just try to accessorize and be like CD. Oh and yes, I will continue to enjoy my heated leather seats – you can’t even go wrong with that leather!

The Coaches’ Collection: When Pickin’ & Piggin’ Go Wrong!!

**Remember to click on the pictures for below for a closer examination!**

Imagine for a moment, you are sitting in your seat watching your favorite sports team play in a competitive basketball game; your nose suddenly has an itch or you are starving so you’re stuffing your face with food…what happens? You glance up and there on the jumbotron is your face blasted throughout the entire stadium with you picking your nose or pigging out on the massively expensive game food. How embarrassing, right? That has always been one of my absolute worst nightmares; but then again, I just don’t like being shown on the jumbotron period. (There is a reason it’s called a “jumbotron” – it makes you look freakin’ jumbo!!! ) Yet, these moments happen quite frequently, and while they can be quite humorous and embarrassing, they should also be big no-no’s for some people!

During a basketball game, while all eyes are usually on the athletes, at times your eyes also will focus on the coaches, referees and occasionally, the directors of the sports programs. Many times, even the more entertaining photographs come from those taken of the non-athletes and their actions that are made during the game. While I do often find myself scanning the entire arena during a game, it has never been my full-fledged attention to capture embarrassing photographs of the non-athletes in action. (Okay, maybe once or twice, I have glanced a little longer hoping to find something humorous but that’s not my sole purpose when I go to basketball games!) However, while I was perusing my massive collection of photographs that I have taken over the past few years at countless games, I ran across a few pictures that just really made me chuckle. Yet, the pictures also made me realize that there are some big no-no’s that these individuals should be more cautious of because eventually someone, like me, is going to come along and post these non-flattering pictures on a blog or elsewhere for all the world to see. (No harm is meant in posting these pictures; they are merely for humorous purposes and guidelines for what coaches/referees/athletes, etc. should be more aware of.)


First, ABSOLUTELY NO PICKIN’ ALLOWED!!! Quite honestly, probably the biggest no-no by anyone, particularly those in the spotlight, is the picking of or just overall playing with ones nose during a game. No one, whether watching the game on TV or sitting in the stands watching the game live, wants to see anyone with their finger up their nose. Even the occasional rub of the nose can be highly distracting and even taken the wrong way. If you’ve got something to pick, use a Kleenex or a handkerchief and turn away from the cameras to take care of business in private. If possible, wait until a timeout or when you go off the court – no one wants to see boogies hanging from the nostrils either. Bless them, but I caught UNC Women’s Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell in action a few years ago and ran across this picture and just started cackling. I have a lot of respect for Sylvia, even though I despise UNC with a purple passion; but wow, Sylvia, you need to control your urge or grab the handkerchief from one of your assistants’ pockets and honk away, as this is not the first time I have spotted you doing this – but, please, please NO PICKING!!! And one of my favorite referees (Linda & Kim know why!), Bryan Brunette, was caught in the “pick of it”, also while at UNC. (What is it with Chapel Hill and the need to pick your nose?) But really, referees should be on guard at all times – heck, run behind the stanchion during a timeout, when you go grab your drink of water, and take care of your matters there. We don’t need to see it as you’re pacing the sidelines – just gross! And yes, picking of the nose is the worst, but bless his heart, ACC Commissioner John Swofford (an alumni of guess where… UNC!) loves to keep his fingers in his mouth and make just these awkward facial expressions. Really, you’re the Commissioner of the conference, please act like you have a little decency. I guess the next time I go over to Chapel Hill, I better take a box of Kleenex to prepare myself in case the urge hits me to touch my face – they already do teach you how to properly flush the toilet, so maybe we can teach them how to properly clean out their “rooms” (as we Southern people often refer to their nostrils!)


Second, PIGGIN’ NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE STANDS OR OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW – NOT ON PRESS ROW! There is a time, a purpose and a place for everything, and while we fans are constantly stuffing food into our mouths, we are up in the stands typically out of ESPN’s or the Associated Press’ camera view. There is nothing wrong with eating while at the game – popcorn, hotdogs, candy bars, etc., but when the big meals come out, that not only is distracting but it also make those of us who are hungry for REAL food just have to sit there in torment watching you eat. Many times, during Tournament games, opposing team coaches will come and scout the games that are playing sitting along the sidelines near press row, typically across from the team benches. They are highly visible from when they walk into the arena to while they are sitting there taking notes and observing the game. However, when they walk in with food, it makes the eyes lock on to them even more. You know, it’s one thing when the coach walks in with a bag of chips and a soda and sits back snacking while taking in the game – that almost makes them appear more like one of the fans. Then there is Maryland Women’s Head Coach, Brenda Frese (who, by the way, I absolutely adore!). Coach Frese waltzed into the PNC Arena in Raleigh to watch the Notre Dame and St. Bonaventure tournament game, and not only is Brenda sitting across from the legendary Notre Dame Coach, Muffet McGraw (who is the epitome of all-things-classy), but she is sitting in-between her two assistant coaches. Okay, what’s wrong with that? Nothing! Except for the fact that Brenda walks in with a huge platter of food and begins to literally inhale the food while everyone in the entire arena stares at her, including her two assistants (who, by the way, did not get any food!) Upon first glance, we all thought she was eating Chinese food, and my first thought was “where in the world did she find that at the PNC Arena?”; but upon closer examination, it appears she is eating some type of salad. But still, is the sideline of an ESPN televised tournament game an appropriate place to eat your salad? I would think she could’ve eaten that down in the coaches’ lounge or somewhere in the underground confines of the PNC Arena rather than out on the floor of the court for the entire world to see.

Yes, I am absolutely certain there are worse things that coaches could be caught doing on camera, and I am sure that somewhere someone has caught those, as well. But for now, I thought I would just do a slight rabbit trail from the fashion do’s and don’ts, to examine some just overall etiquette do’s and don’ts that coaches could be more aware of. Believe you me, I am very conscientious of touching anywhere on my face as a fan during the game for fear of having my image frozen in time on the big screen, so you would think the coaches and officials would also give it a second thought. But I guess when you get an itch, you’ve gotta take care of business…

The Coaches’ Collection: Lions & Tigers & SWEATERS, OH MY!!!

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When I think of wearing a sweater, I think of a cold atmosphere where you need to bundle up to stay warm. Many football coaches are seen wearing them as they patrol up and down the sideline during a football game, which is quite fine as the weather outside can be fairly chilly at times. Former Ohio State Football Coach Jim Tressel is a prime example of proudly wearing his sweaters to games (did the man even own anything else?) I must say that during a football game, I would prefer seeing a coach in a sweater or a nice polo versus looking like a slob as I feel New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick does when he wears his hooded sweatshirts.

However, when it comes to basketball, I don’t often feel that is a place for sweaters to be worn. Almost all basketball games are held indoors, (with the exception of the “Carrier Classic” games) and majority of the time, arenas are not a cold atmosphere – they are usually quite the opposite. Most coaches will wear a suit or business casual attire that makes them appear very professional as they are working the sidelines with their team. That is not to say that sweaters are not business attire; sure they can be dressed up and worn to look very professional. But, if I were a coach, in an arena where the temperature is usually fairly warm and the game intense which can cause you to become heated and animated, I do not think I would want to be bundled up in a thick sweater where one is prone to sweating ‘to death’. No assistant coach is going to want to have to deal with their head coach passing out from a heat stroke caused by wearing a sweater during a game (by the way, to my knowledge that has never happened).


Thinking of coaches and sweaters, aside from Jim Tressel, the one person I always think about when it comes to sweaters is the Assistant Coach of the Duke Women’s Basketball team, Al Brown, whom I have affectionately named “Sweater Man”. Every time I go to a Duke game, I absolutely dread seeing him walk onto the court primarily because of his awful, horrendous, disgusting, ultimate lack-of-taste sweaters. I would love to ask him “What are you thinking? Are you color blind? Do you just grab something in your closet? Why in the world do you even own such hideous looking pieces of garments?” (But more importantly why does some company even make them?) I don’t know whether “Sweater Man’s” goal is to draw attention to himself (which he surely does) or whether he just has absolutely no sense in fashion whatsoever. Either way, I find them absolutely distasteful – they make me dizzy and nauseous; I can’t even bear to look at the Duke sideline during a game because of “Sweater Man” and his glowing attire. Why can’t Coach P. pull him aside and dress him more appropriately? I am sure somewhere someone out there must have told him that they think he looks good in his sweaters, but that person needs to be slapped with the smart stick because, in my opinion, they are the worst looking things I have ever seen. I don’t even think my Grandpa (who has a very unique dress himself) would wear something so appalling. For working at Duke University, from which I am sure he draws a very profitable salary, and whose campus has a close proximity to a Nordstrom, someone please save us and take the man shopping! Shock me at the next Duke game and have him in a suit or dress shirt or something, I would be immensely grateful. But until then, “Sweater Man”, carry on your tradition, and if there is a “tacky sweater party” ever again, you’re on my team!


Another thing that annoys me is the sweater vests with patterns. If you’re a coach and you’re going to wear a sweater vest, be like Tressel and wear a solid color sweater and not these pattern type sweaters. Former Wake Forest Head Coach Mike Peterson decided to come to the ACC Tournament in 2011 wearing a sweater vest. Granted, his sweater vest wasn’t the worst I had ever seen, but hello!, it’s Tournament Time and of all times that you should want to wear a suit and dress for the occasion, I would think it would be during a tournament, especially the ACC Tournament! And let me not even get started on women wearing sweater vests – I could go on a real tangent with that one, but I’ll just let you look at the picture of Anne Donovan, head coach at Seton Hall University. Wow, that’s all I can say without getting my foot caught in my mouth.


You’re probably reading this thinking that I just have an absolute distaste for sweaters, but that’s not true because I own a fair share myself. But I just feel that if you are going to wear a sweater and be a coach or assistant coach, you just need to learn to match or maybe just wear solid colored sweaters over top of dress shirts or something. For example, Geno Auriemma, the infamous Head Coach at the University of Connecticut, recently worse a black sweater overtop of a dress shirt with a pink necktie (during the Play4Kay awareness month; props to Geno for doing that!). Overall, I think this look (in comparison with those above) is very dapper. Geno really pulled this outfit off quite well. Initially he had a black suit jacket on top of the sweater – that was a tad bit too much, and obviously he realized how hot it gets in an arena as he immediately started shedding clothes. Nonetheless, I think he looks very classy in his black sweater, and when wearing his glasses, he looks very professorly!

So there you have it, my not-so-fond take on sweaters in the sporting world. I’m sorry if I have offended anyone but I do believe there is a time and place for sweaters. I just do not feel that place is on the sideline at a basketball game. ESPECIALLY, if your sweaters are so hideous that they could quite possibly glow in the dark.

PS: And, just for the record, I have just returned from the ACC Tournament, where Duke claimed the championship; and lo and behold, Al Brown aka “Sweater Man” came out looking like a human Easter egg in his latest sweater. Lord, please help that man!

The Coaches' Collection: You're in Animal Print?!?!?

When you walk into a department store of any kind, it is almost a given that no matter what you are looking for, you are going to run across something that contains animal print – clothes, shoes, purses, accessories. Animal print is one of those fads that you would think would go, come and end, but ironically, the animal print trend has gone, come and re-cycled again.

Quite honestly, I have always been a fan of certain types of animal print, yet with any kind of prints, you really have to be able to carry it yourself. Some people just do not have the body style to wear animal prints, some people just look drop-dead gorgeous in it, some people hate it, some people love it – so it is a taste that varies based on your personality.

Typically, I don’t associate many animal prints with blondes (nothing against blondes and those who wear animal prints, but typically, most animal prints, in my opinion, look better on those with darker hair). However, during last year’s ACC Tournament Semi-Finals, North Carolina State University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kellie Harper came onto the court wearing a smashing red suit that was trimmed in leopard print. Kellie rocked this outfit and also jazzed it up by wearing some amazing red shoes. Granted this was not an outfit completely covered in animal print, but the little bit of animal print that trimmed her dress-suit provided an added flavor, and props to Kellie for pulling it off! (**On a side note, while I do love the red shoes, I may would have attempted to wear some type of leopard print shoes to make the print in the suit “pop” more; but it is very hard to find matching leopard prints. Either way, Kellie looked great in this assembly!**)

One coach that I always associate with animal print is the legendary women’s basketball coach from the University of Notre Dame, Muffet McGraw. Muffet is so classy and usually no matter what she wears, she looks great in it. While most of her outfits are typically skirts and shirts, she occasionally will mix in a taste of animal print. During last year’s NCAA Tournament Super Regional, held in Raleigh, North Carolina, Muffet came onto the court wearing a smashing leopard print skirt with a pair of red pumps! At first, I didn’t really like the white shirt she was wearing (as I would usually wear black) but because the skirt had a decent amount of white in the background, the white shirt was fitting. Either way, Muffet still looks fantastic in the leopard print as she is one coach who can ultimately wear the animal print and most definitely get away with it. To top it off, Muffet is known for her infamous “squat” on the sideline, so when she wears the animal prints and is in squat mode, it just looks like she is ready to pounce on her players or the referees.

Now, on the contrary to Muffet and Kellie, we have run across some people that should NOT wear animal prints or if they are going to wear them, at least wear ones with a little more class. I absolutely HATE the snakeskin animal print, HATE, HATE, HATE, and when you mix it with LEATHER, oh my goodness, I just nearly have a spazz-out moment! I am sure there are some people who could wear it and pull it off, but honestly, if you are going to be featured on the sidelines in front of thousands of people, please, please do NOT wear the python leather attire. Yes, I understand that basketball is not a runway for a fashion show, but in some aspects it is comparable. A coach will parade up and down the sideline of the court all throughout the game (similarly with models sashaying up and down the runway during a fashion show), so in some regards, maybe you should ponder what you are going to wear before stepping out into the arena or at least consult with one of your assistants.

One such figure, who loves to get under my skin with her “unique” sense of fashion, yet is also one of my favorite coaches in the sport is the Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team at Baylor University, Kim Mulkey. Whenever Baylor has a game that is to be televised, my first thought is always “oh, no! What on earth will Mulkey wear tonight?” I adore Kim Mulkey; I have been fortunate to meet her and she is a class-act. But, her sense of fashion is well… just simple known to me as “Mulkey-wear”. Only Kim can get by with what she wears; sometimes her outfits (as crazy as they are) are terrific, others just leave me shaking my head. Sadly disappointing to me, Kim loves to wear the leather python pants, and I absolutely cannot stand them – not to mention, she wears them with a gold leather jacket that does NOT match!! So for Mulkey, when it comes to her “Mulkey-wear”, my advice to her is stick to her crazy, solid-colored, leather outfits or her suits, but please, please, quit wearing the animal prints because you cannot compete with Muffet McGraw in that regards.

So, there you have it – a brief exhibit of some of the highlights that I have witnessed first-hand of animal print in the women’s college basketball sports. And no, those white and black things that run up and down the court during the game are not zebras, unfortunately they are our referees – who sometimes I wonder aren’t crazy animals themselves.

And for the record, yes, I do wear animal print myself; and quite frankly, I think I look rather stylish in it myself – Chris Dailey (from UConn) would be proud!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Upcoming Series: The Coaches' Collection

While at a recent women’s basketball game, my friend, Linda and I were commenting on one of the visiting teams’ attire – from their shoes, to their uniforms and just their overall appearance, and then out walked their head coach, oh my goodness!!! We just looked at each other and shook our heads at the massive fashion faux-pas that was exhibited. Linda stated to me that I should start a blog on the fashion dos and don’ts of coaches these days. I started pondering the idea and thought it would be perfect, yet I also decided to put a twist on it – let’s not just focus solely on fashion dos and don’ts, but we must also include the overall dos and don’ts that both coaches, players, and yes, even referees need to be aware of while they are on the court.

As you all know, over the past few years, I have attended a variety of sporting events – from basketball to auto-racing, from hockey to baseball, from football to rodeo competitions -- I have covered a lot of ground. Yet during each of my adventures, I have realized that there are a lot of things that are overlooked that occur during these events. Some of these “moments”, I have managed to capture through my own camera lens – some are humorous, some are just questionable, some are terrific and some just leave you shaking your heads.

Before I begin this somewhat exciting endeavor (which will be broken down into numerous blogs for a variety of categories), let me just begin by stating that I do not mean to bash nor cause any harm to any of the players or coaches – I am solely expressing my own opinion as many news reporters of the day do, as well. My opinions will greatly differ from some of you, who may read my blog, but I am just pointing out some obvious things that many of us have picked up on over the years. These are players and coaches who are constantly being shown on TV or on the internet; coaches and players whom I greatly admire; and while we are to be focusing on their talents both on and off the court, sometimes, you just cannot help but see the “other” things that appear and it makes you take a step back to think “What were they thinking?” or “Are they doing this for a certain purpose?” And as you will note, I am not trying to pick on any one particular coach or team, you will see that some of my favorite players and coaches are going to be depicted in these upcoming entries.

Feel free to gather your own opinions and disagree with me if you like, but I guarantee you that the next time you watch a sporting event of any kind, you will see something that stands out (aside from the game itself) and think, hmmm….I see where she is coming from now! But for the most part, just try to have an open-mind and maybe some of them will leave you laughing, as well.

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