I started really being annoyed at this when “The Gilmore Girls,” an annoying chick TV series to begin with, began featuring the single mom’s boyfriend who wore his cap like the guy in the photo. The graphic is a screen shot from a Tik-Tok video in which the guy is railing against wearing caps like that because you look like an idiot when you do. Verdict: True. In fact, I assume anyone who wears a baseball cap that way IS an idiot. It looks stupid, it defeats the purpose of the brim—there is no excuse for it whatsoever, except, in the opinion of the guy in the video, it is an attempt to look “like a ‘bad boy.'”
Oh. Well that’s all right then!
Morons.
Once upon a time, the only reason anyone would wear a cap like that would be if a baseball player was going to put on a catcher’s mask, which wouldn’t fit over a catcher’s head if he were wearing the cap properly. That was it. Then backward caps started becoming a thing in black teen culture in the Seventies, and some white teens started imitating it. But the tipping point came in the Nineties, when Ken Griffey Jr., a young, black, incredibly charismatic rising superstar with the Seattle Mariners, started affecting the look. In his case, it wasn’t an attempt to look cool; it was a habit he developed when he was a kid out of necessity.
His father, Ken Griffey Sr., was a star outfielder with the Cincinnati Reds. The son wanted to wear one of his his father’s baseball caps, but his head was too small and the cap’s brim kept falling over boy’s eyes when he was playing baseball. Young Griffey found he could wear his father’s big cap while playing if he had the brim in back. By the time he became a star in the big leagues, photos of Griffey Jr. off the field flashing his brilliant smile and wearing his cap backwards were rampant. Many young players and non-baseball fans alike, many of them black, set out to emulate the image of Griffey, Jr., by then known as “The Kid.”
Okay. But Griffey hasn’t been a kid for decades, and many of the idiots wearing their baseball caps backwards today are emulating incoherent or criminal rappers. They couldn’t tell you who Ken Griffey, Jr. is. (He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 and is 56 years old. His record is here.)
I’ll give him a pass when he wears his cap backwards, but no one else.
As for women and girls wearing caps like that? Meh, I don’t care. It’s supposed to look adorable, like wearing a boyfriend’s oversize letter sweater, or something. When I see a woman older than 25 wearing a cap backwards, I think of it as a costume. I don’t know why women and girls wear half the things I see them wear. Still, I’d like to see women play professional baseball, but if they can’t figure out even how to wear a baseball cap right, there’s not much hope that they’ll figure out how to hit a slider.
Ethics Alarms 
I recall another step in the popularization of wearing ball caps backwards. About twenty or so years ago, NFL quarterbacks began wearing them backwards when they went to the sideline and took off their helmet. It just became a thing among quarterbacks when they were not on the field.
It’s hilarious how all these goofy behaviors spread like wildfire. Monkey see, monkey do. Two more recent examples: it is now evidently obligatory for a runner or receiver who gets a first down to make a first down sign before returning to the huddle. It’s also the coolest thing on earth to wear a zero as your number. All of a sudden, every professional and college team (but I repeat myself) has a player or two wearing a zero. Which never happened until the last year or so. Now, it’s ubiquitous, because it’s cool, I guess.
But let’s face it, the backwards ball cap indicates you’re cool and sufficiently unconventional and rebellious. You’re not a square, you’re a dude (which term used to be applied to very not cool people by cool cowboys).
I’m 66 years old, and whenever I see someone wearing a baseball cap backwards, I immediately think that this person is a moron. I have a friend who just goes absolutely nuts whenever the topic is raised (I find this hilarious) and has imposed serious sanctions against his children if he ever witnesses them wearing one in this fashion.
Re: the number 0 on uniforms. I had to look it up, in 1973 the NFL established a rule prohibiting use of the number 0. It was repealed in 2023. The number 00 was only allowed to by Jim Otto, who was a long time center for the AFL/NFL Oakland raiders in the 60’s and 70’s. That number is not allowed to be used under currently league rules.
Like backwards baseball caps, I find the use of the number 0 on a uniform to be silly.
Even when it obviously relates to the players’ name? The first #0 was Al Oliver, a near HOF qualified player who played for the Pirates.Another was 80s player Oddibe McDowell, who was more famous for his unique first name than for his ability.
We’re talking football. Bigger numbers. Baseball’s different and it’s not a popular thing in baseball. It’s suddenly ubiquitous in football. And ridiculous. Plus, none of the players’ names are remotely related to “0” or “O.”
Yes, regarding Jim Otto. My brother and I watched from the end zone of the Orange Bowl when he played for the University of Miami. Crippled himself playing professionally. Very sad.
I will freely and proudly admit that I wear my ballcap backwards on a fairly regular basis. It’s often breezy where I live, and I spend a lot of time near the water. If I’m walking into the wind, I’ll spin it around so it doesn’t fly off my head into the drink.
I love that hat….
“If I’m walking into the wind, I’ll spin it around so it doesn’t fly off my head into the drink.”
Much of my (arguably) eclectic collection has likely resulted from those who’ve ignored your approach.
PWS
Sure, maybe you do have an eclectic collection of hats, but I bet you don’t have one of these…
Sure don’t; that there’s a ONE_OF_A_KIND Beaut!
PWS
Why not wear a propeller beanie, then?
Oooohhh! Oooohhh! They still make those? When can I buy one?
Seriously, I wear ballcaps to keep the sun out of my eyes. I’ll spin the brim, even when walking into the sun, if it means the hat stays on my hand. I need both hands free to control the leash of an exceptionally exuberant Lab pup.
But that is a utilitarian position. Those who do it as a fashion statement, though, are missing the entire point of a hat. They might as well wear a headband and knee high socks.
jvb
When I saw the title, I immediately thought, ” Better not watch ‘ Gilmore Girls’ then.”
Too late, I guess.
I though some of the show as charming, but the guy in the backwards hat drove me away for good.
One of my favorite memes ever is the “man too stupid to use hat” one where a man is shielding his eyes from the sun while wearing a hat backwards.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKCEMqeaC_lnhg_f8AO60fdTCXHV86GmQvHkaeztaz6w&s=10
I now can’t unsee the Texas A&M logo and I always associate the two.
Beauty. I’m going to hazard a guess that the Texas A&M logo was photoshopped onto his hat by a University of Texas, or some such, alum while fashioning the meme.
Our son just graduated from A&M. I might suggest that it is not a photoshop.
jvb
and take the damnthings off when indoors. It irks me when some guy or gal sits at a restaurant wit their capr/hat on.
In the military you only “cover” outdoors
deacondan86 wrote, “…take the damn things off when indoors.”
This is situational dependent for me and I’m x-military.
deacondan86 wrote, “In the military you only ‘cover’ outdoors”
As a general rule that’s true; however, even in the military you remained covered indoors when you’re armed, at least that was the way it was when I was in.
deacondan86 wrote, “It irks me when some guy or gal sits at a restaurant with their capr/hat on.”
I never do that, but civilian life isn’t the military, so I ignore it when others do it.
A contrary opinion on this topic.
I’ve seen this done routinely, and I’ve done this routinely:
Wearing my baseball styled brim had outdoors in bright sunlight and then head inside where the brim of the had impedes vision for one reason or another, simply turn the hat around so the brim is in the back and then you don’t have to take it off and keep track of it. Then when you head back out into the bright sunlight, simply turn the hat back around to block the sun from your eyes. I do this all the time when I head to the rifle and pistol range, sometimes the brim physically gets in the way of effective scope usage. Just know that there are functional reasons for doing this so don’t let it eat you up too much.
On the other hand; I’ve seen morons with their hats on backwards using one of their hands to block out the sun like the brim would if they had the intelligence to turn the damn thing around.
For some knuckleheads, it’s a style thing and nothing else. As my family can attest to, I don’t do style very well, I do function.
I know it’s off topic, but for anyone that’s interested in such things…
I’ve talked about range time in the past and brought it up again in this thread. Here’s a combination photo of two recent visits.
The left target is sighting in a brand new red dot on my practice striker fired .22LR pistol. This is standing and unsupported shooting at a couple of different distances, the details are noted on the target.
The right one is trying out a new trigger assembly (Christmas present to self) in a civilian version of the rifle I used in the Army. This was a rapid fire drill similar to ones I did regularly while in the Army, iron sights only drill. The point of aim is roughly as fast as you can get on the red circles, the point of impact is generally low due to the rifle being sighted in at a further distance so hitting low at this close range was fully expected. The general spread of impacts was generally expected due to the rate of fire. This rifle will make clover leaf shaped three round groups at 100 yards with a decent scope and supported rest. NOTE: I did shift the bullet strike to the left a bit after this visit to the range.
I hit both the indoor and outdoor ranges very often, it’s a perishable skill that must be reinforced routinely.
Jack,
If you’re not comfortable with a post like this, I don’t have any problem with you deleting it.
Curious: Do you do any mid or long range shooting?
Yes. I have a couple of 1000+ yard rifles, both are 6.5 Creedmoor. I’ve shot one at 1200 yards with good results. I don’t have access to a range facility that’s longer than that.
What state do you live in?
My partner (he’s the shooter not me, but apparently one of my roles in life is to listen to him talk endlessly about his passions) has regular access to a 600 yard range but nowhere to practice at 100 yards. A gripe I hear about with some regularity…
I’m in south central Wisconsin. I’m a member of a club that has an outdoor range that I can go to 7 days a week that’s only about 20 miles away, it has has a fully bermed 25, 50 & 100 yard ranges. It’s a good range setup, a great place to hone skills at your own pace.
Oops typo there — it’s a 1000 yard range he longs for. We are in Oregon. Local range (just 10 minutes away) has 50 100 and 200 that he uses for testing out loads and dialing things in.
He also belongs to a club that has access to a 600 yard range about 90 minutes away but that is only one evening a week (they don’t own the range) and it’s very structured — a certain number of sighters and then 20 shots.
The good thing is that there is a really good community here of excellent shooters … mostly they shoot F class I think it is. So he has a high bar for trying to work up to that level. And the top gunsmith around is in our neighborhood for him to consult on machining questions.
I have gone to the range to practice with my Browning 308. I thought I was doing really well until the guy in the next bay over asked me to refrain from hitting his target. I apologized, got him a new target, and promptly stowed my rifle away, hangning my head in shame.
jvb
Steve – nice shooting! I’m pretty good, but you’re great.
As for the hats – I have 3 sons and 7 grandsons. If they’re not wearing dresses these days, I’m okay with hat style and presentation. But remove at a restaurant or in Church, please.
As for the 0’s. What 0’s? All I see is a bunch of athletic manly men, running, passing, kicking, huddling, twisting and turning, often in slow motion …. in really tight pants.
Grandma Lisa wrote, “Steve – nice shooting! I’m pretty good, but you’re great.”
Thanks for the complement, but…
Great? Heck no.
Better than the average bear, maybe. I was invited to join the United Stated Army Reserve Rifle Team a long time ago, but I couldn’t make all the practices and matches. I’m sure I would have learned a few things from the real pros, but I wasn’t too fond of the idea of competing with actual trained snipers.
I know some people that don’t do any regular shooting other than preparing for deer hunting season every year and they can keep their groups about half the size of mine, some others are far, far better than I am once you get beyond 800 yards. but I’m still getting better, as long as my eyesight holds up.
I’m trying to get Henry to make me one of these…
…for me to take to the annual Quigley Match in Montana, it’s custom so it’ll be the only one there. It’s a 32″ heavy octogan barrel 45-70 Gov’t with Vernier Tang Sights. I have their stock 22″ model and the ballistics just aren’t good enough once you get out past 500 yards. I need the additional velocity that I can get from an additional 10″ of barrel and some finely tuned loads. Quigley Match goes out to 805 yards.
I figure that if it turns out that I can’t shoot that rifle for shit, it’ll make a great wall hanger while I’m still on this planet and a wonderful custom heirloom to hand down to the next generations.