http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/110306/jewish/Tallit-and-Tzitzit.htm

The silky looking fringe as opposed to what looks more “casual” on the boys* playing basketball – I have not seen usually a whole shawl or tallitt worn over the garment, but noticed the fringe from the waist or below a jacket is silkier maybe up close. I would actually liken it to a graduation tassel or something from fine drapery, the same kind of appearance or texture.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/530127/jewish/Techelet-Blue-Thread.htm
This explains the appearance some may have with a blue tassel or techelet. The dye comes from a rare fish that was unavailable to Jews after they were exiled, so some may use other dyes while some do without.

I think that site is rather interesting with respect to the tradition. As someone who isn’t or wasn’t Jewish and knows few Jews, if any who are orthodox – you know, the internet is great for finding out stuff you wonder about but don’t have anybody to ask when you are curious. I had been curious about this garment but didn’t have correct search terms so I was limited in what I could find – I guess it depends on how curious you are to find pages where that information is diagrammed so thoroughly.
Strangely, when I look up Jewish clothing on google now, it comes up with some information. Last time I looked, I happened across a number of vague things and a parody of J. Crew for Jews that sold hats and novelty t-shirts and buttons.

*These boys look to be about borderline Bar Mitzvah age, somewhere from 11-14 or 15, so some may be men where Judaism is concerned. I don’t actually see distinct tassels that they wear, it looks more like a flat piece or two pieces. Since I ride by on the bus, I don’t have a chance to examine whether there is still tassel, or what I would call tassels on the ends.

Ty: You don’t think that this degree of ignorance in our modern information age requires a degree of stupidity?

(jumping up and down and waving) I do!

They are not completely separate or different. Don’t be so damn quick to blur and fuzz the difference between unawareness of a fact, vs. people who muleheadedly stay extremely unaware of many facts. Don’t be so damn quick to excuse muleheaded idiocy. So what if “Ignorance can be cured; stupidity is permanent”. Stupid people stay ignorant. Permanently. They won’t ever be cured. Stupid people don’t educate themselves or seek facts. Stupid people defend what they believe instead of examining the beliefs in question. Stupid people are the ones easily led, easily whipped by emotion into accepting beliefs including entire religions, stupid people are the ones who unquestioningly swallow and spread the stereotypes like this one.

Stupid people excuse their ignorance or laziness by spouting anti-intellectual bias (”eggheads”, “snobs”), excuses (”you don’t have to learn to spell that well, as long as you communicate” – which they don’t do very well), name-calling (”I don’t want to be a professional student”), confirmation bias (”I know of no atheists in NASA”), dismissing the pursuit of competence (”perfectionists”, “kiss-up”, “anorexic”, “fanatic”, “you don’t have to be fast here” – even if you *want* to work on your speed, “everybody’s special”, “all the children are above average” [couldn't resist that one] “I should get respect” but *not* have to earn it).

Continued willful ignorance *is stupidity.

As far as I know, there’s no practical difference between the different styles, as far as what you’re supposed to wear when. The only rules I can remember is that there have to be fringes on the four corners and there should be some coloration of “t’chelet”. It’s not exactly known what color that might be in ancient Hebrew, but it’s thought to be some shade of blue. The color one probably isn’t a strict requirement, though, since plenty don’t have any kind of coloring on them.

As for the tuck vs. non-tuck to identify teams, that’s possible. I don’t think there’s a lot of significance to that either way as far as the religious rules are concerned. I do remember that there were some kids who would untuck their tzitzit and part of the undershirt cloth itself to be cooler (that they were more showy about their piety maybe?). They’d also wear their kippah a little off center and walk with a kind of arrogant strut.

I was only ever peripherally in contact with the orthodox guys growing up, though, so I may be misremembering some of the more technical rule stuff.

I don’t know what search terms I tried, but I couldn’t find out what that was about. If this sounds too ignorant, my first thought since some boys had them and some didn’t, since they were dressed alike that it was maybe to distinguish teams. Now that I think about it, they probably did have one team tuck and the other one untuck their tzitzit. Is that a possibility?

Thanks for solving the mystery!