Rant of the Week: Colors

Can you hear me now?

It’s that time of the week again. I’m about to go on a rant that no one else agrees with/cares about and yet I won’t care less. To me, it’s the small things that are important; the little things that can make a big difference for my fan experience. And that small thing is colors.

I consider Pittsburgh the greatest sports town in America. Why? It’s not because they have had the most success of any other NFL city in America (Sixburgh); although that certainly helps. It’s not because they immortalize their players: did you know they have two statues inside the Pittsburgh International Airport – George Washington and Franco Harris. It’s not because their professional franchises are some of the oldest in the country: the Steelers were founded in 1933 as the Pirates, the Pirates were founded in 1882 as the Alleghanys, and the Penguins have always been the Penguins since 1967 when the NHL expanded (whatever happened to that sport?). And it’s certainly not because of those ugly yellow washcloths they wave around their heads like buffoons; although it’s getting closer.

The reason I consider Pittsburgh the best sports town in America is because all their professional sports teams have the same COLORS! When Wiz Khalifa did those obnoxious lyrics “Black and Yellow,” he could have been referring to any or all of the sports teams in Steelville. The black and yellow Pirates, the black and yellow Steelers, the black and yellow Penguins. Heck, even the Arena Football League’s Pittsburgh Power is black and yellow. And if they had a Lingerie Football League team, I’m sure they would be scantily and suggestively clad in black and yellow as well.

If you don’t see the significance in this, think harder! You could wear a Pirates hat to a Steelers game; a Roethlisberger jersey to a Penguins game; a Crosby jersey to a Pirates game. And it wouldn't even be weird!

I first came upon this realization while at a Pirates game. It was like walking into a Dick’s Sporting Goods, with about every sort of fan apparel you could imagine within the stadium. But with the colors all being the same, you couldn't tell the difference, nor was it even noticeable to anyone other than myself I’m sure. Where else can you do this?

Certainly not Kansas City.

For Chiefs fans that are also Cardinals fans, or Cardinals fans that are also Chiefs fans, I’m sure they are quite content with their color coordination. But for Royals fans that are also Chiefs fans, there is no carry over from one sport to the next. I've always thought wearing a Royals hat to a Chiefs game was odd, and a Chiefs jersey at a Royals game even odder. And it’s just not fair!

That means, for your average Kansas City sports fan, we have to spend twice as much as the average fan in Pittsburgh because they can buy one hat or one shirt and be set for all seasons. But we, and our teams with colors on the opposite ends of the spectrum, have to suffer at the checkout lane year after year.

I hope if Kansas City ever gets a basketball team its colors are either red or blue; because Lord help me if it’s purple. It might be the combination of both colors, but it’s still a whole new color Kansas City fans will have to account for when purchasing gear. That’s just more than my wallet and I can take.