Written by Gray | 03 November 2009

Mina and I had totally different reactions to the comments accompanying this article on Puck Daddy last week. I rarely read the comments on Puck Daddy because there's really no value in most of the, and I can guess what 90% of them will be bout anyway, so why waste my time and brain juice? For whatever reason, I did read the comments that morning. There were only 8 when I looked, and I was neither surprised or shocked by what I found. Mostly because it was exactly what I expected; anonymous internet asshats being asshats. Remarkable how that works out.

To be honest, the lack of jersey options in sizes to fit the female form IS an annoyance. Some ladies like pink, and more power to them. I, however, do not. Especially not pale pastel pink paired with white. I want to wear teal. If I want a white jersey, it'd be an away one, not a pink sparkly one. It's not just hockey, baseball offers me much of the same limited selections. Want something that fits you? Here, PINK! Let's get something straight here, marketers, pink does not entice or appeal to all women so can we lay off it and start offering jerseys in team colors too, please? And not just home jerseys, I'm greedy. I want the same color options men have. (Also? Shorter bathroom lines)

Unlike Mina, I don't have any aversion to the ladies cut jerseys in hockey (baseball is another story entirely), so long as they are available in home, away, and 3rd jersey styles. I'm never going to be wearing pads under this, and even if I did, women still have BOOBS to contend with, which drastically affect how things fit even if we ignore all other factors. It's not just that I have slimmer shoulders or a small overall frame. Please don't tell me to quick bitching and get back to the kitchen "where I belong." I belong where I say I do, and that's at the drawing table, not the kitchen. And no, I will not get you a sammich, dammit!

Yes, I could just buy kids jerseys, and in fact, that's exactly what I do. My A's jersey is a kid's XL and it still hangs on me like it's 2 sizes too big. Because it IS. My hockey jerseys are both boys L/XL. I could honestly probably wear a medium, but I often wear a sweatshirt under my jersey, so the extra room is a small boon in this case. And in most cases the sleeves on a medium are too short, which is really annoying. My A's sweatshirt is also a boy's large, but the sleeves are too darn short. It is remarkable how hard it is to find clothing in my team's colors in a reasonable size. A men's small (if available) will still look comically large on me. Sometimes one wishes to feel a little less diminutive.

I'm a small lass, and while not on the hunt for dates, I do want to look at least mildly attractive. It's just this general rule I have about going out in public. Unless I just came from the gym, I should look semi decent and put together. That's really hard to do when your jersey hugs you about as well as a burlap sack.When I say I'm small, I don't mean height wise. I'm a skinny. Built like a dancer. One can only guess how a men's jersey would look on me. It's not the most figure flattering look. It's figure flattening to be quite honest.

The good news is that I'm a Sharks fan, and my team has realized that pink and white are just one of many options available to the female fan. I don't have to be an "ice flirt" if I don't want to, even if I do still want a jersey that is cut to better fit my body. Which is good because I'm there to watch the game, not flirt with someone, remarkable as that may seem. I don't need to be told it's "fashion jersey" to want to buy it, either. I still occasionally covet that $300 something dollar mens XL Toskala jersey that I never bought. (back when he was a Shark. You know, before the Leafs made him look absolutely horrid?) I couldn't wear the damn thing because it's be a fricking dress on me, and I couldn't afford it, but I wanted it. And nowhere did it say flirt, be luv'd and fashion jersey. It just said "look at me. I am awesome."

Now, there are some items that the NHL has done well with. I love the fact that I can buy tank tops designed to fit a woman. Same with the hoodies. I usually have to buy mens and to not swim in fabric is wonderful. They also have some hoodies that are clearly directed at teen girls, and that's fine too. And these items come in team colors, which is fantastic.

(As a side note annoying the the NHL lumps women and baby gear together. Remarkably, I think I could find infant clothing should I have a need for it, even if it wasn't in with women's clothing. There are 104 items in the NHL's online store for male Sharks gear. Not ONE of those items is a baby item. Somehow I doubt anyone is worried that dads of newly made NHL fans won't be able to find appropraite team wear for their children.)

It boils down to something Mina said rather elqouently last week when discussing her reaction to the comments following the article. She doesn't want young girls to think that pink is ALL they can ever be. If they want that, fine, I just don't want to see outdated, in my opinion, color biases placed on girls (or boys) simply because we've all been taught that each sex can be easily summarized by a certain hue.

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