Like polo shirts, I thought rugby shirts had no place in my life. I’m the least athletic person I know. Asthma (Judaism) pretty much took care of that. But Sam Malone makes them look not half bad. And, like Carla and her Nike sneakers, Sam is a devoted Nike rugby shirt fan.
As it turns out, there are more than a few palatable options of rugby shirts being made today:
If you recall from the first Sam’s Women post about Season 1, Episode 2, Diane believes that Sam only dates big-breasted airheads. This is the blonde bombshell (in a cashmere sweater dress) that leads her to that conclusion:
Sam: Do you think there’s a chance you and I could go somewhere and laugh together? Brandee (“with two e’s,” she said): My mother told me to watch out for guys in bars. Sam: Well then let’s get out of this bar so you don’t have to work.
(Apparently that was a good line in 1982.)
What my mother always told me, wherever I was headed, and especially if I was wearing a dress, was to “bring a sweater.” Thus, the sweater dress:
This is the first installation of what I have named the “Sam’s Women” series. Coincidentally, when I went back to find out which episode his ex-wife appeared in, it turns out Season 1, Episode 2 was actually called “Sam’s Women.” True story.
If you don’t know, Sam “Mayday” Malone is the owner of the Cheers bar and an ex-Red Sox relief pitcher. But those two titles pale in comparison to his status as a busy Boston bachelor. Woman after woman, he is cheered on by all his Cheers regulars and staff except for Diane, who is, against her own will, in love with him. In this episode, Diane believes that Sam only dates big-breasted airheads, so Sam tries to prove he can date intelligent women by asking his ex-wife to pretend they went to a play. A clip:
Sam’s ex-wife:
You might think that turquoise and pink dip-dye ombré effects and flutter-sleeve dresses would not exist today in any form you’d want to wear. But you might be wrong: