Dusty, it's a challenge, that's why. The winner, Adam, felt it should be exactly 32 colors, so that's the rule. I don't think someone told you to shove it, just that it was the winners decision to make the rules. In my opinion, 32 colors in a piece isn't so bad, and not so hard. After all, most challenges with color restrictions usually like to keep it below 16 colors, so this kinda' gives some extra room. Plus the other rule is it being over the subject of a fictional sports. Most team sports have some type of individual colors, making this exact color rule, not so bad. IE, if a piece were about two fictional teams going against each other, one could be red other could be blue. So to fit the restrictions, each team could have their own 16 bit palette, to differentiate between the two. Could work something like this:
>>Team 1: 4 red ramps + 4 skin ramps + 4 earth ramps(browns, darks, etc) + 4 white ramps(numbers, eyes, light)=16 colors
>>Team 2: 4 blue ramps + 4 skin ramps + 4 earth ramps(browns, darks, etc) + 4 white ramps(numbers, eyes, light)=16 colors
>>total 32 colors(and if set in a field, you could use some existing colors to make the ground, like the given earth ramps, and white ramps)
Again, this is just a simple take, as there are other options you have here, as one team could primarily be made up of 8 individual colors, as well as the other team, making 16 in total, while the other 16 colors can be set for a background. Or one can go wild on a piece, do a color count and find what he needs to add, or take away, if not the anal type. Really, I don't see the fuss in this, or why the need to bring it up on a different forum, unless you really feel color count of a challenge should NEVER be a certain number, if it's just for a retarded giggle.
But if you still feel strongly against the rules, then that's the opinion I guess. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, I just wish you'd talk it over with the people at Pixeljoint a little more, so it can be cleared up if possible. Make the lovez, not the warz, man...z..