As a diehard sports fan, I often notice the hats of teams that people rep throughout the day. On several occasions, I’ve been excited to talk to someone for wearing the hat of one of my favourite teams. More often than that, I get a buzzkill response such as ‘I just like the hat.’
I never understood why sports team hats became mainstream enough that people that have no interest in sports simply rep them for the colours. Don’t you think this is kind of weird? I mean you could simply buy a yellow hat, but people will instead buy a New Era Pittsburgh Pirates instead, despite not knowing the difference between a fastball and a flashbulb.
sam: i really like those baseball hats you know the ones where they curve at the end?
me: you mean a regular baseball hat— jennieā” (@jennierao) April 11, 2015
After years of engaging folks based on their hats, I’ve noticed that there are a few tells that can indicate if they are indeed a sports fan or not.
Brand new flat brim, with possible sticker still left on = No chance they’re a fan
The folks that buy a hat and place it on their head raw are the biggest problem I’ve found. The chance that they are a fan of the team they are rocking is basically 0%. Hip-hop culture made this look popular, but usually those artists would at least be wearing a hat from their hometown. Maybe since we don’t have many teams in Vancouver, people just pick a random hat instead? I don’t know, but at any rate, I now know better than to ask if these people caught the game last night.
Slight to moderate curve = Flip a coin
Folks that wear their hats with a slight bend vary quite a bit. They could easily be a big fan, or have no clue whatsoever about the team they are wearing on their head. I definitely fit into this category, as I have a slight to moderate bend on my hat. Unless I’m at a game or amongst sports fans, I almost never receive comments from anyone about my hat. Granted, I’m usually wearing an Atlanta Braves hat, which is a notorious hat that people wear exclusively for fashion reasons only.
Aggressive curve = Bonafide fan
If you see someone sporting a hat with a curve that looks like a semi-circle, you can bet your bottom dollar that you have found yourself a sports fan. Usually you will also see some serious wear on a hat like this. Chances are, this person has had this hat for years and probably has a story or two to go along with it. Feel free to confidently approach this person with your hottest takes about their team.