Timeline of jockstrap visibility

[wrestlecoach]

Mainly i am talking about football. Over this weekend i have watched a couple OLD football games on the Longhorn Network. One form 1969 and one from 1984. Plus several from many different years lately. But I was watching this weekend while browsing LPSG and reading the many curiosities and ideas about the decline of the jockstrap.
If you really pay attention to the 1969 game you can tell many are wearing a jockstrap both from the straplines and a few waistbands rising above the pants, but its not overly visible unless you really focus. In 1984 pants were thinner and jockstraps were definitely the majority as well as even more riding up above the waistline.
I was only 5 years old at the time of the 1984 game and never noticed anything about what they wore back then, and really didn't pay a lot of attention to the fact of what those lines meant til i got on LPSG.

From what i have read on here, a lot of areas of the country were seeing a decline or complete absence of jockstraps in use for PE classes by the late 80's. in my experience a decade later most all athletes and a few of their non athlete buddies still changed, showered and wore a jock for PE. And we all still wore one for sports, even soccer guys, track guys and definitely football, wrestling, basketball and the spring sports, baseball and lacrosse, which necessitated one by the need for a cup. As a coach I really didn't see jockstrap wearers become an extreme minority amongst college wrestlers until some brilliant mind decided that nude weigh in and even weigh ins in a jock should be banned.

So what do some of you guys who are older than me remember being able to see on televised games over time as far as jockstrap visibility?
Was the quality of TV and broadcasting good enough to make out those indicators of jockstrap wearers that are easy to spot with todays quality and definition?
Thinking about it which might have had a greater influence on the decline of the jockstrap? The visibility of what we choose to wear under our uniform on national TV and other venues we compete in wearing our increasingly thinner uniforms, or true locker room modesty?
Which from my experience in a real athletic locker room, unlike a PE locker room was short lived due to the MRSA issue which forced everyone back to showering regularly and immediately after practice and thus dismissed the desire for modesty en lieu of health safety?

 

[jockmaestro]

Pretty complicated questions, Coach. I am 54 and saw a sad decline of jockstraps since 1971, when I saw my first at a new school.
In college (1978-83) all the guys on my team wore school-issued Champion jockstraps. We also all wore white Jockey-style briefs. The one time a guy showed up in silky blue shorts he was laughed at. (It took some courage; he was built kind of like a hobbit.)
However, in the later 80's, jockstraps declined and they were very scarce in the 90's and 00's. I think the gay community appropriated them; they symbolize masculinity like no other piece of clothing, plus, no doubt, the exposed ass was tempting (tho not to me; I'm not an ass guy). Then the advent of "fashion jocks" (whom God reject) took over and made jockstraps gayer. It's tragic. They used to be the marker of a rite of passage for guys; your first jock was an affirmation.
I've said here repeatedly that if we could just get a famous athlete to start wearing classic jockstraps, we'd see a resurgence of them. It's all about publicity.
As for football on tv, I loved swiping football players' jocks from their lockers in hs but I didn't really watch football, so I can't comment. There are, thank God, still some player, like UT's Colt McCoy, who wear those translucent pants that clearly show classic jockstraps. ( I 'm so affixed to them and I don't even like black jockstraps; it has to be a classic Bike, Duke, or Champion in white for me.)

 

[wrestlecoach]

Pretty complicated questions, Coach. I am 54 and saw a sad decline of jockstraps since 1971, when I saw my first at a new school.
In college (1978-83) all the guys on my team wore school-issued Champion jockstraps. We also all wore white Jockey-style briefs. The one time a guy showed up in silky blue shorts he was laughed at. (It took some courage; he was built kind of like a hobbit.)
However, in the later 80's, jockstraps declined and they were very scarce in the 90's and 00's. I think the gay community appropriated them; they symbolize masculinity like no other piece of clothing, plus, no doubt, the exposed ass was tempting (tho not to me; I'm not an ass guy). Then the advent of "fashion jocks" (whom God reject) took over and made jockstraps gayer. It's tragic. They used to be the marker of a rite of passage for guys; your first jock was an affirmation.






Dang, i am shocked to hear the decline started in the 70's, i always thought that was their prime time, as i said i was unaware of the decline around my area even in the 90's when i was in school. Our school still pushed them and showering--and i think the 2 went hand in hand for a while. The guys who showered also wore a jock. On teams i coached (except wrestling were showering is always mandated) most who showered wore a jock and most who wore a jock showered, they were the one who were not afraid to do what you are supposed to do in a locker room.
In all my teams i was on or coached, never saw a champion as a team issue jock, although i have had a few over the years that i really liked. Had one that really dried fast and used to always use it when swimming.

It is frustrating when trying to encourage an athlete to wear a jockstrap that all he can find about them on the internet easily is fashion jocks gears for others besides athletes. I have seen a few of the "tamer" fashion jockstraps in the locker room over the years, especially after UnderArmour came out with one. I have seen a Cin2 Jock recently on a wrestler, I saw an AussieBum jock hanging in one of our track runners locker just last year, and a few more, but usually they are black or grey and traditional wide waist style.

Jockey briefs were still very much in use in the 90's in my school. I don't remember a time since i was early teens til now that i didn't have some jockey, either y fronts or pouch style briefs in my underwear drawer. I remember one guy on the football team who wore jockey pouch longer leg boxer briefs by day, then for practice he changed into a pair of white Y front jockeys, then put a jockstrap over them, then after practice he would strip and shower then put his jockstrap back on to wear home.

 

[wrestlecoach]

Pretty complicated questions, Coach. I am 54 and saw a sad decline of jockstraps since 1971, when I saw my first at a new school.
It's tragic. They used to be the marker of a rite of passage for guys; your first jock was an affirmation.
I've said here repeatedly that if we could just get a famous athlete to start wearing classic jockstraps, we'd see a resurgence of them. It's all about publicity.
As for football on tv, I loved swiping football players' jocks from their lockers in hs but I didn't really watch football, so I can't comment. There are, thank God, still some player, like UT's Colt McCoy, who wear those translucent pants that clearly show classic jockstraps. ( I 'm so affixed to them and I don't even like black jockstraps; it has to be a classic Bike, Duke, or Champion in white for me.)

I agree about publicity, but there are many obvious wearers on televised games, many whom you don't really have to be looking to know what they are wearing. Why don't young guys pick up on this?

UT's Colt McCoy and his brother Case obvious examples. Colt's prime receiver Jordan Shipley another. Although i don't think Jordan had the same influence on his younger brother Jaxson as Colt did on Case. Never saw any sign of Jaxson wearing a jock, which is odd it usually runs in the family. I see many time even now in wrestling if there is only 1 kid on a team who wears a jock, he is usually the youngest brother in a family and has been told or observed that he needs a jockstrap by brother who may be a decade older.
As a coach who wants the guys to wear a jock instead of some type of cotton underwear, I like the black jocks as they seem to be more acceptable to new wearers. A white jock to some of these guys has the stigma of tighty whities but worse.
If i suggest wearing a jock and put out a box of white ones i get 1 or 2 who readily comply, if i make the same suggestion and put out black ones i get over 50% who will give them a try and about half those who change their habit long term. But less than 1 in 10 of those take it upon themselves to wear one the next year until i give the same speech again.

 

[ericbear]

I think the gay community appropriated them; they symbolize masculinity like no other piece of clothing, plus, no doubt, the exposed ass was tempting (tho not to me; I'm not an ass guy)...

Well you see, if you position the straps just right, it becomes the Wonderbra for your buttocks.

But seriously, I believe one of the reasons for the decline of the jockstrap was the advent of new materials, which made various compression shorts and support shorts possible. Why wear a cumbersome combination of jockstrap plus briefs, when a single, cool, comfortable garment can now do the work of both? No twisted straps or waistband, etc. Then given the powerful marketing of such garments by Nike, Under Armour, etc., plus the youth appeal of "This is not your father's supporter," its no wonder a generation embraced these over jocks.

But returning to gayness (tongue-in-cheek): These modern garments are basically spandex worn around your butt and package, and what could possibly be, um, gayer?

 

[RICKY_27]

A white jock to some of these guys has the stigma of tighty whities but worse. [/SIZE]
If i suggest wearing a jock and put out a box of white ones i get 1 or 2 who readily comply, if i make the same suggestion and put out black ones i get over 50% who will give them a try and about half those who change their habit long term. But less than 1 in 10 of those take it upon themselves to wear one the next year until i give the same speech again.

Hey Coach,

I think the reason that your wrestlers prefer BLACK STRAPS is because they DON'T show 'MAN STAINS'!!:wink:

RICKY_27

 

[ActionBuddy]

Not to blame it on "Gay Liberation", but, I think it is all part of the general phobia going on with young men's casual wear since the early 1980's when men became quite aware that it wasn't just the girls checking them out... Like how basketball shorts might as well be below-the-knee skirts these days, how the swim teams shower wearing their swimsuits, and wearing jeans that are so baggy that you wouldn't know the guy even has a butt, let alone a bulge.

Unfortunately for us that love jockstraps, I think most guys don't like the idea of their bulges being so prominent or their butt cracks showing in the locker rooms anymore. Who is seeing them in it... other men. Not to mention that spy cams and phone cams are everywhere, even in the shower rooms.

I'd also like to add that the fabrics changed from natural cotton, to rather uncomfortable synthetics for many years. I remember my high school jockstraps being uncomfortable to wear because of the rub of the stiff, unnatural fabric on my dick. I couldn't wait to get out of it after gym class was done.

A/B

 

[jockmaestro]

Pretty complicated questions, Coach. I am 54 and saw a sad decline of jockstraps since 1971, when I saw my first at a new school.
In college (1978-83) all the guys on my team wore school-issued Champion jockstraps. We also all wore white Jockey-style briefs. The one time a guy showed up in silky blue shorts he was laughed at. (It took some courage; he was built kind of like a hobbit.)
However, in the later 80's, jockstraps declined and they were very scarce in the 90's and 00's. I think the gay community appropriated them; they symbolize masculinity like no other piece of clothing, plus, no doubt, the exposed ass was tempting (tho not to me; I'm not an ass guy). Then the advent of "fashion jocks" (whom God reject) took over and made jockstraps gayer. It's tragic. They used to be the marker of a rite of passage for guys; your first jock was an affirmation.



Dang, i am shocked to hear the decline started in the 70's, i always thought that was their prime time, as i said i was unaware of the decline around my area even in the 90's when i was in school. Our school still pushed them and showering--and i think the 2 went hand in hand for a while. The guys who showered also wore a jock. On teams i coached (except wrestling were showering is always mandated) most who showered wore a jock and most who wore a jock showered, they were the one who were not afraid to do what you are supposed to do in a locker room.
In all my teams i was on or coached, never saw a champion as a team issue jock, although i have had a few over the years that i really liked. Had one that really dried fast and used to always use it when swimming.

It is frustrating when trying to encourage an athlete to wear a jockstrap that all he can find about them on the internet easily is fashion jocks gears for others besides athletes. I have seen a few of the "tamer" fashion jockstraps in the locker room over the years, especially after UnderArmour came out with one. I have seen a Cin2 Jock recently on a wrestler, I saw an AussieBum jock hanging in one of our track runners locker just last year, and a few more, but usually they are black or grey and traditional wide waist style.

Jockey briefs were still very much in use in the 90's in my school. I don't remember a time since i was early teens til now that i didn't have some jockey, either y fronts or pouch style briefs in my underwear drawer. I remember one guy on the football team who wore jockey pouch longer leg boxer briefs by day, then for practice he changed into a pair of white Y front jockeys, then put a jockstrap over them, then after practice he would strip and shower then put his jockstrap back on to wear home.

I misspoke in the way I described it. Jockstraps were indeed the norm thru the 80's in my experience The decline did NOT start in the early 70's. In HS and college, as I said, EVERY guy wore a jock. Period. No question.
The decline started in the mid to late 80's I think.

 

[jockmaestro]

I agree about publicity, but there are many obvious wearers on televised games, many whom you don't really have to be looking to know what they are wearing. Why don't young guys pick up on this?

UT's Colt McCoy and his brother Case obvious examples. Colt's prime receiver Jordan Shipley another. Although i don't think Jordan had the same influence on his younger brother Jaxson as Colt did on Case. Never saw any sign of Jaxson wearing a jock, which is odd it usually runs in the family. I see many time even now in wrestling if there is only 1 kid on a team who wears a jock, he is usually the youngest brother in a family and has been told or observed that he needs a jockstrap by brother who may be a decade older.
As a coach who wants the guys to wear a jock instead of some type of cotton underwear, I like the black jocks as they seem to be more acceptable to new wearers. A white jock to some of these guys has the stigma of tighty whities but worse.
If i suggest wearing a jock and put out a box of white ones i get 1 or 2 who readily comply, if i make the same suggestion and put out black ones i get over 50% who will give them a try and about half those who change their habit long term. But less than 1 in 10 of those take it upon themselves to wear one the next year until i give the same speech again.

Surely it's not THAT obvious. I've noticed in the few football games I've watched on tv that it almost seems that the cameraman makes a POINT of not lingering on guys' crotches. I think it'd be hard to get many views of guys wearing jocks. As I said, it'd be much better if they were openly advertised by some famous athlete.

 

[jockmaestro]

As a coach who wants the guys to wear a jock instead of some type of cotton underwear, I like the black jocks as they seem to be more acceptable to new wearers. A white jock to some of these guys has the stigma of tighty whities but worse.
If i suggest wearing a jock and put out a box of white ones i get 1 or 2 who readily comply, if i make the same suggestion and put out black ones i get over 50% who will give them a try and about half those who change their habit long term. But less than 1 in 10 of those take it upon themselves to wear one the next year until i give the same speech again.[/QUOTE]


Interesting that black jocks are more accepted, possibly because as you say, white ones connote tight-whities.
I like the idea of older brothers telling younger ones to jock up. That's being a good sibling.

 

[jockmaestro]

Well you see, if you position the straps just right, it becomes the Wonderbra for your buttocks.

But seriously, I believe one of the reasons for the decline of the jockstrap was the advent of new materials, which made various compression shorts and support shorts possible. Why wear a cumbersome combination of jockstrap plus briefs, when a single, cool, comfortable garment can now do the work of both? No twisted straps or waistband, etc. Then given the powerful marketing of such garments by Nike, Under Armour, etc., plus the youth appeal of "This is not your father's supporter," its no wonder a generation embraced these over jocks.

But returning to gayness (tongue-in-cheek): These modern garments are basically spandex worn around your butt and package, and what could possibly be, um, gayer?

Well put. I see you and I are the same age. Did guys jock up at your school?
You're probably right about the advent of new material, tho' the phrase "Wonderbra for your Buttocks" kinda makes me wanna barf. : )

 

[jockmaestro]

Not to blame it on "Gay Liberation", but, I think it is all part of the general phobia going on with young men's casual wear since the early 1980's when men became quite aware that it wasn't just the girls checking them out... Like how basketball shorts might as well be below-the-knee skirts these days, how the swim teams shower wearing their swimsuits, and wearing jeans that are so baggy that you wouldn't know the guy even has a butt, let alone a bulge.

Unfortunately for us that love jockstraps, I think most guys don't like the idea of their bulges being so prominent or their butt cracks showing in the locker rooms anymore. Who is seeing them in it... other men. Not to mention that spy cams and phone cams are everywhere, even in the shower rooms.

I'd also like to add that the fabrics changed from natural cotton, to rather uncomfortable synthetics for many years. I remember my high school jockstraps being uncomfortable to wear because of the rub of the stiff, unnatural fabric on my dick. I couldn't wait to get out of it after gym class was done.

A/B

All too true, I fear. Guys are paranoid, and perhaps not without reason. Still, I'm not sure that's why shorts got all long (contradiction, much?) and baggy. I think that was just a style change cuz the industry knows that new is better... at least for a while.
It'd odd, isn't it, that in a culture that's SO sexualized, the clothing covers up the guys. Consider how baggy jeans are worn under the buttocks so you can see the dude's underwear... and yet this'll be the same guy who'll towel dance in the locker room. Performers, especially Rap performers, will touch their crotches a thousand times in a song, yet be afraid to undress in a group of guys.

 

[injoyinit]

When I was in school in the late 80's to early 90's, boxer shorts were just starting to get popular with many guys. The gym class had a rule that no loose boxers could be worn for class. Briefs and jocks were okay. Boxer-briefs and compression shorts had not really come around yet. Most guys would wear briefs under their boxers, take both their pants and boxers off, and then put their gym clothes on. Primarly so they didn't need to get naked in the lock room to meet the gym requirement, but still wear boxers throughout the day for appearance. ....I couldn't fathom wearing 3 layers of pants and never did it! I just went commando, but wore a long shirt that would cover me up while changing

 

[ActionBuddy]

... I think that was just a style change cuz the industry knows that new is better... at least for a while...

Nah... It wasn't just about style change, to sell new product, like it is with the lowering and raising of ladies' hemlines over the years... It is all about guys not wanting their bulges and butts being seen by other guys in the way they proudly showed them off before the 1980's... Just look at menswear catalogs of those decades and you can see the change in the dwindling lack of V.P.L.s, etc.

Hopefully, there will be a backlash against this prudishness in mens' sportswear and pants styles, and men will begin to want to proudly show off what they have again, publicly, in the future.

A/B

 

[chadstallion]

subscribing to thread

 

[wrestlecoach]

When I was in school in the late 80's to early 90's, boxer shorts were just starting to get popular with many guys. The gym class had a rule that no loose boxers could be worn for class. Briefs and jocks were okay. Boxer-briefs and compression shorts had not really come around yet. Most guys would wear briefs under their boxers, take both their pants and boxers off, and then put their gym clothes on. Primarly so they didn't need to get naked in the lock room to meet the gym requirement, but still wear boxers throughout the day for appearance. ....I couldn't fathom wearing 3 layers of pants and never did it! I just went commando, but wore a long shirt that would cover me up while changing

I noticed several both classmates, teammates and guys i was coaching over the years wear briefs under boxers, doing just as you said, avoiding getting naked in the locker room.
Even weirder is the ones who wore both then shed the boxers leaving just briefs for PE or a practice, then shed the briefs --actually being nude in the locker room!!!--and only putting back on boxers-- a couple even showered. not sure why they wanted to avoid getting naked before but didn't mind it afterward.
Went through a period that many even wore shorts under their pants, never even needing to get down to their underwear.

 

[ActionBuddy]

At the University gym and pool that I used to go to for about 15 years, I noticed a big change. I think I stopped going there in 2005, and by then the swim team was wearing Speedo style swim wear under their team swim trunks... And, they were showering wearing both!... :-(

Only a few would take them off for showering.

A/B

 

[BIGBULL29]

The young jocks sure like to take off their shirts if they're a little muscled up; but God forbid they show that dick or upper thighs.

I noticed, too, that a lot of muscled up jocks have skinny-ass legs, which you can't do much about. That's why they pump their little chests up.

 

[meningreentights]

A guy I know said their coach made all the athletes prove regularly that they had on sufficient support. He'd had one player have to have surgery for a contorted testicle. Another one of his students lost a testicle because of an injury. Maybe, if more dad's got closely involved with their sons, things might change.

 

[BIGBULL29]

Girls get a menstruation talk from mom, an aunt, older sister....boys get nothing.

The first time I creamed .... I was confused! LOL. I heard older boys talking about cumming (white, sticky stuff out of your dick), but finally figured it all out.