I was watching the Packers in a bar in Brooklyn, following the online conversation during interminable TV timeouts. And the conversation was hopping. Fans weren't talking about the Packers' defense finding its steel. Although it was. Packers' offense getting into a groove. Although it was. Or even about Mason Crosby finding the uprights. Although he did.
They were talking about James Jones, who was wearing a team-issued hoodie under his jersey.
Here's the hoodie being worn today by #Packers WR James Jones. @TheDapperPacker @UniWatch #uniwatch pic.twitter.com/jf3Vyoxra5
— Jeff Ash (@JeffAshGB) November 22, 2015Everybody wanted to talk about it.
Anybody else notice that James Jones is wearing a hoodie? @packers #GBvsMIN
— Erik Queoff (@equeoff) November 22, 2015The Green Bay Packers WR James Jones is wearing a hoodie under his uniform. I've never seen that. Is it a Sunday edition of casual Friday?
— Matt Kona (@MattKona) November 22, 2015James Jones is wearing a hoodie. I'm not sure I've ever seen that before.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 22, 2015Only James Jones can pull off the hoodie under the jersey @packers #GoPackGo
— Brady.S. (@call_me_Brady) November 22, 2015Are you allowed to wear a hoodie under your jersey? Because James Jones is doing exactly that. #Packers
— Mike Suszek, maybe (@mikesuszek) November 22, 2015Temps in low 30s w/wind chills in mid-to-low 20s in Minneapolis. James Jones w/the hoodie! https://t.co/48qG7YEFEV pic.twitter.com/Dlg8mZBbGh
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) November 22, 2015That man jones on the packers is wearing a fricken hoodie
— Spencer Notarianni (@bostonmonsta1) November 22, 2015James Jones was so excited for his new Packers hoodie, he wore it under his uniform pic.twitter.com/B9pZnvzF30
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) November 22, 2015James jones ditching the mock turtle neck and going to the hoodie is going to be the sole reason the packers get back on track
— John Dekker (@dekkerj) November 22, 2015James Jones on the Packers is wearing a hoodie. Does that count as a horse collar tackle if you grab it?
— MlCAHKNAPTON (@KNAPTN) November 22, 2015James Jones is wearing a hoodie and it's fantastic (via @TJN3): https://t.co/d64rDJgX0I pic.twitter.com/7L9UrpXBJs
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 22, 2015When can I buy a James Jones hoodie jersey @packers ?
— Austin Eich (@Eich_AJ) November 23, 2015Don't mess with the Super Hoodie. James Jones is gonna do this himself #Packers
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) November 22, 2015By the end of the game, it was Twitter's top trend.
And it wasn't just Twitter.
I couldn't grab screenshots of the game from my barstool, but my pal Jeff Ash generously sent me his:
It reminded me of an old-timey baseball pitcher wearing a windbreaker under his jersey.
The conversation kept going throughout the game, and I suspect that had the Packers not been doing increasingly well on the field we wouldn't have been enjoying the distraction quite so much. The game even had a competing meme as a squirrel ran out on the field, but nothing could distract the fans from the Hoodie of Destiny.
During the game itself, former NFL Vice President of Officiating Mike Pereira on the Fox Sports broadcast.
Yes, the hoodie is legal. No, it does not mark him down when it hits the ground, any more than a towel scraping the turf would mark him down. And most interestingly, a defensive player could grab the hood and drag him to the ground without running afoul of the "horse collar tackle" rule.
This morning, the chatter continues.
If you start to put his name into the Google machine, "James Jones hoodie" comes up in the auto-complete.
Before the game had ended, some wag had started a Twitter account devoted to the hoodie. It was joined by a second shortly thereafter. Perhaps not surprisingly, it has also made his Wikipedia page.
After the game, Jones explained why he had worn it.
Lots of talk about a piece of sideline gear. I was frankly surprised that the Packers Pro Shop didn't send out an email blast this morning spotlighting the hoodie for sale.
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