# NFL players wearing garters?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 10, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617 "2006-12-10T23:52:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/1 "2006-12-10T23:52:15Z")
Those thin armband things that many of the NFL players are now wearing around the arm just above the elbow–they remind me of Barbershop guys wearing garters. What the heck are they? Do they have some non-stylish function?
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/2 "2006-12-11T00:47:35Z")
I wonder about that too.
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/3 "2006-12-11T01:14:46Z")
Nope. No real function at all. It’s strictly an accessory.
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/4 "2006-12-11T01:25:42Z")
Are they black? Perhaps they’re mourning bands to mark an anniversary or something.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/5 "2006-12-11T01:25:58Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever]
Nope. No real function at all. It’s strictly an accessory.
[/QUOTE]
That just doesn’t make sense.
Your answer makes sense, the practice doesn’t. If it _were_ a (woman’s) garter I’d feel differently about it.
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### Author:  [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/6 "2006-12-11T05:06:38Z")
[QUOTE=NoCoolUserName]
Those thin armband things that many of the NFL players are now wearing around the arm just above the elbow–they remind me of Barbershop guys wearing garters. What the heck are they? Do they have some non-stylish function?
[/QUOTE]
_Supposedly_ it’s to keep the muscles near the joint compressed, to make it easier for them to hold their arms up, so they don’t get tired. I don’t buy into it one bit.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/7 "2006-12-11T13:46:13Z")
Speaking of style, do any players still wear those “breathe right” strips on their noses?
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### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/8 "2006-12-11T14:08:20Z")
They do. Many of them are flesh-colored, though.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/9 "2006-12-11T18:51:51Z")
What color flesh?
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/10 "2006-12-11T19:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=gigi]
What color flesh?
[/QUOTE]
Several, apparently. Some players also wear them in team colors or the colors of the flag. I presume they decorate the Breathe-Rights® before applying them, and I don’t know if Breathe-Right makes them in dark skin colors for the general public.
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### Author:  [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-players-wearing-garters/383617/11 "2006-12-11T19:21:44Z")
I don’t know about that but I believe they do make them in clear.