Straightjackets and Gin!

The results are in. The people have spoken. And the people seem to be depressed. And mostly likely drunk to boot. Last week, we ran a poll here at FBF to see what you thought about DC United losing the three stripes across the chest on their uniforms for 2008. Apparently, the good folks at adidas decided that any potential logo superimposed over their own would constitute some sort of corporate annexation or diminishing of the brand or some such nonsense. Regardless, the stripes are dead--long live the stripes! And the final standings are . . .


Personally, I like the minimalist, unadorned look of the new shirts from an aesthetic perspective, but from a fan's point of view, both of MLS and of DC United, losing the stripes is a bitter pill to swallow. In a young league struggling to establish any semblance of tradition, United's three stripes across the chest were the type of simple symbol that came to distinguish the club and establish its individuality. Those stripes have graced cup finals, both domestic and international, and were representative of the most successful, and often most feared, team in the league. They will be missed.

Adieu, stripes! We'll miss you for the 2-3 years it takes adidas and the league to realize the mistake they made in so cruelly disposing of you. But we'll remain poised to celebrate the day of your triumphant, once-and-future-king-like return, clad in our straightjackets and trailing our intravenous gin drips.