Flag Patch - Black & White vs Red, White & Blue

[Velho]

Thoughts on the black & white patches being appropriate for our umpire uniforms?

[BLWizzRanger]

Personally, I like the color ones. It goes better with any color, including navy, that we wear. The grayscale or subdued ones look more appropriate for a military uniform, IMHO.

[834k3r]

Though I really like the monochrome look (note:  I really want one of the MLBU game hats) I agree with @BLWizzRanger.

I think a more interesting question (no offense, @Velho) is gold border or silver border? Some of my peers say a gold border is for veterans, silver is for everyone else. I can't find an authoritative ruling one way or another. As a veteran, I personally don't care, but I have standardized all my shirts to have the gold border.

[JSam21]

I would check with your association for your uniform standards.

I have never seen the subdued flag on a uniform, other than camo.

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, 834k3r said:

Though I really like the monochrome look (note:  I really want one of the MLBU game hats) I agree with @BLWizzRanger.

I think a more interesting question (no offense, @Velho) is gold border or silver border? Some of my peers say a gold border is for veterans, silver is for everyone else. I can't find an authoritative ruling one way or another. As a veteran, I personally don't care, but I have standardized all my shirts to have the gold border.

Never heard of the gold border for veterans thing.

[MadMax]

If it’s for an (specific) association / conference / league uniform, you have to go by the standards (ie. colors, tints, treatments, placement, etc.) of that organization for logos and patches. For example, our leagues (plural) place a national flag (nationality of the umpire wearing the uniform) on the yoke of the shirt (or jacket, or plate coat), the league patch is placed on left chest, and 3 of the 5 leagues we cover use 3” numbers on the right sleeve. My boss keeps it simple – the national flag is full-color, no alternate tint treatments. As such, we’ve used predominantly “plain” USA 🇺🇸 and Canadian 🇨🇦 flags. However, my boss also acknowledges and endorses (military) veterans… 

1 hour ago, umpstu said:

Never heard of the gold border for veterans thing.

So yes, veterans may (and some do) wear gold-bordered, full-color national flags. 

On a legal aside, the gold border – called an adornment – is simply that, an embellishment that honors military veterans. However, the courts have determined that it does not convey or carry any legal authority, additional or otherwise, in-and-of itself. 

As such, my plate coat and jackets each have Velcro “landing pads” on the yoke and on the right sleeve so I can place a flag and/or sleeve numbers as needed. I loan out my plate coat and jackets often, so I carry velcro’d flags for USA, USA veterans, USA LEOs (thin blue line), USA Fire (thin red line), Canada, and Mexico, and a complete set of numbers 0-9. Of course, for high school and college, we don’t use sleeve numbers or other embellishments, so I need to be able to remove them – hence, the Velcro landing pads. 

If it’s for “general” games, or for local / regional leagues and tournaments, then my opinion holds you can wear what you want – shirt color, style, and embellishments – provided they do not besmirch or misrepresent the/an organization or institution. My 2010 Vertical-stripe shirt in olive-drab not only has an olive-&-tan number 6 on the sleeve, but it has a monochrome USA flag on the left sleeve. 

I also have a 2010 VS shirt in black w/ pink trim, and pink w/ black trim; neither of them have (my) 6 on them, but they do have monochrome w/ “thin pink line” USA flags on their left sleeves. 

While I own a gold-trimmed flag patch, I only loan it out to colleagues who may “need” it… I don’t wear it, as I don’t want to misrepresent. I have LEOs and Fire service members in my family, so there are times I’ll wear them to acknowledge or represent them, but I’m not at liberty to do so for associations, conferences, or leagues. 

Edited August 13 by MadMax
Added legal discussion regarding gold-bordered flag.

[Kevin_K]

Patches that resembles the design of the American flag are not flags. Including color schemes that deviate from the proscribed specifications in Executive Order 10834 make those items specific to a singular group/cause and are exclusive of every other group or cause. Blue lines, red lines, monochromatic renditions, or anything else of the ilk should not be used as patriotic props. Executive order that clearly states this on page 3. 

Groups seeking support, elevation, separation, or any other distinction should stand on the merits of their actions and use emblems that are specific to them like the pink ribbon, which has become the universal symbol of breast cancer, illustrating the cause, raising awareness and bringing together people in solidarity. 

While I understand that this opinion is unpopular, the American flag is for everyone and should not be adorned or modified to promulgate anything other than unity under a common symbol that Americans recognize.

 

[The Man in Blue]

Unpopular opinion warning . . . 

3 . . . 2. . . 1 . . . 

The more you feel the need to drape yourself in flag accoutrements and flag-themed paraphernalia, the less you understand what it really stands for

(I am not talking about a proper flag patch on a proper uniform.)