[EricH]

Originally Posted by gblake

If you said many people might mistakenly decide that you are representing a team, and that those people need to be reminded to avoid making that mistake, I would agree.

But a claim that you actually represent an entire team, or other organization, simply because you have one of their old shirts on ... Nope, I don't buy it.

Can someone convince me?

Blake

I can't convince you--I think the first part of the quoted section sums it up.

You are not representing that team--but you are perceived as representing that team. The difference between perception and reality can be rather fine, in some people's minds. Just as an example, it is entirely possible for a ref crew to be thoroughly unbiased (as a crew), but be seen as biased for or against a team or two because X happens and Y happens--they're completely independent events, but it happens in such a way that the refs appear biased.

"I think, therefore I am", when applied to others, becomes "I think you are, therefore you are". That's... unfortunate, in some cases. Not so unfortunate in others. (And... in some special cases, it actually becomes the truth. But that's a whole 'nother discussion.)