# Wimbledon underwear obsession. Isn't that a bit silly and pretentious ? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 13, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193 "2017-07-13T20:38:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/1 "2017-07-13T20:38:07Z")
We’ve had lots of underwear police jokes at work today. Mostly at the expense of the Wimbledon tournament. I think it’s the most hilarious example of anal retentiveness imaginable. I find the ever so somber umpire the most hilarious. Underwear inspector extraordinaire , he’ll never let a pink thong slip by on his watch! LOL I guess the cup has to be white too? What’s your take on this delicate subject? Perhaps players should go Commando? > **[Umpire actually forces young boys to change underwear at Wimbledon](https://metro.co.uk/2017/07/13/watch-umpire-actually-forces-young-boys-to-change-underwear-at-wimbledon-6776370/amp/)** > > They were wearing black pants... > [@](#): > > Piros and Yibing went on court in black underwear, which weren’t visible over the all-white outfit, but could apparently be seen slightly through their shorts. > > So, of course, as Wimbledon does in its own Wimbledon way, they insisted on both players changing their underwear and instead putting on some fresh, clean, white garments provided by the All England Club. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/2 "2017-07-13T20:52:47Z")
Amazing what some people will do for free tea. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/3 "2017-07-14T19:11:58Z")
I find the “all-white” rule to be annoyingly classist. In my fantasy world, the top ten seeds would wear whatever they wanted in their first match and then walk out when the umpires complained. Forfeiting as necessary. Let’s see the All England make money without the best players. Alas, the money is too much, so the rule will continue. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/4 "2017-07-14T19:15:31Z")
Thread relocated from IMHO to the Game Room, likely due to some antiquated rule. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/5 "2017-07-14T19:15:48Z")
Good thing the NBA didn’t have that rule when Michael Jordan played. (He always wore his lucky North Carolina boxers under his uniform shorts.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/6 "2017-07-14T19:55:38Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I think it’s the most hilarious example of anal retentiveness imaginable. I’d hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/7 "2017-07-14T20:09:26Z")
I don’t think it is an obsession. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this happening in 30+ years of watching. Most sports have a dress or uniform code and Wimbledon just happens to specify white. All sports are an artificial construction and limit free expression, dress, equipment and behaviour to a greater or lesser extent. Don’t like it? feel free not to attend. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/8 "2017-07-14T20:28:27Z")
Well, in soccer, basketball, and quite a few other sports there are very good reasons for "uniformity " among athletes…it is very helpful to be able to tell at a glance which players belong to which teams. Tennis, not so much. Of course no one has to watch Wimbledon if they don’t want to, but that misses the point, which is that policing underwear in this manner is serious overkill and makes officials look petty and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/9 "2017-07-14T20:34:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > We’ve had lots of underwear police jokes at work today. _Good for you._ > [@](#): > > LOL I guess the cup has to be white too? You what ? > [@](#): > > What’s your take on this delicate subject? I am as interested in tennis as in designing tiny stethoscopes to monitor tiny fish heartbeats; but every discipline has to maintain rules and standards otherwise you end up with Rodney Dangerfield styled vulgarians in day-glo pink outfits playing with motorized rackets. > [@](#): > > So, of course, as Wimbledon does in its own Wimbledon way, they insisted on both players changing their underwear and instead putting on some fresh, clean, white garments provided by the All England Club. Well, at least they weren’t pre-worn. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/10 "2017-07-14T20:42:04Z")
The problem has been a lack of enforcement so far. The players should henceforth be required to enter the courts in their underwear which can be examined by the judges. After approval they can don their traditional garments (which look pretty much like underwear already). Then they may play their silly game without fear of corruption by pigments in fabric. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/11 "2017-07-14T21:56:46Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Well, at least they weren’t pre-worn. Pre-worn women’s underwear can cost a lot. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wimbledon-underwear-obsession-isnt-that-a-bit-silly-and-pretentious/791193/12 "2017-07-14T23:32:58Z")
I find it weird that people can’t accept the basic rule of Wimbledon: Thou Shalt Wear White. If you don’t think that makes sense, then there’s an easy way to help The All-England Tennis Club stop mandating that: stop watching Wimbledon. As for the underwear, if they don’t police something like this, how soon before someone decides to use their underwear to spice up their attire?