Miami Hurricanes Game...What's with the arm bands? By Geniusofdespair

Bad game. Aside from that the people I watched the game with were wondering about those narrow elastic bands the players were wearing on their arms that looked like uncomfortable tourniquets (see photo - Not the Hurricanes). The New York Times says there is no reason to wear them, just a trend:

“There is absolutely no benefit from a performance standpoint or a medical standpoint,” said Ralph Reiff, a certified athletic trainer and director of St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. He has seen the upper-arm bands become popular on football players from the N.F.L. down to middle school. “It’s purely a fashion statement.”

They looked mighty uncomfortable, but players think they accentuate their muscles. They don't wear them in practice so it does appear to be a vanity thing although I did read that some quarterbacks find them helpful when looking for arms at a distance.