I recall Slick Watts, the guard for the Seattle Supersonics wearing a head band back in the day. I also recall Wilt Chamberlain rocking one.
As for wristbands, I have seen many players wear them over the years; most visible was Adrian Dantley. When A.D. went to the foul line he had his routine with the ball and I always recall his.
Some coaches allow them, some don’t. I don’t let my players wear headbands; wristbands I could care less.
The New York Times has a piece on how fashionable they have become in the NFL and NBA.
“There is absolutely no benefit from a performance standpoint or a medical standpoint,” said Ralph Reiff, a certified athletic trainer and director of St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. He has seen the upper-arm bands become popular on football players from the N.F.L. down to middle school. “It’s purely a fashion statement.”
So are we running a fashion show or a sporting event?
Ronnie Barnes, vice president for medical services for the Giants, agreed. “There is no medical benefit or purpose,” said Barnes, who has about 10 players on his team wearing versions of the bands. “A lot of players wear them because they believe it enhances the muscular definition in their arms. At the end of the day, you can attribute this increasing trend to the old adage: look good, feel good, play good.”
I once heard a coach say he doesn’t allow his players to wear headbands because he thought the player was bringing too much attention to himself.
PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!
Tags: Coach, football, Fundamentals, Headbands, New York Giants, New York Times, NFL, Slick Watts, Sports, Wilt Chamberlain, Wristbands
October 1, 2008 at C:13 am
speaking of ad at the free throw line what happened to the unique free throw rituals? like dj (rip) dribbling the ball each time for the numbers of years in the league. or ad’s wiping his forehead and spinning the ball. or rick mahorn holding the ball between his legs then shooting. i know players have their own ritual but none of them are very unique.