Uniform Discussion

[OrangePA]

Feeling the need to belabor the issue.

Last night I tried to watch the Jaguars-Titans game.

Besides the fact that both teams are pretty bad, I found it difficult to watch in part because I could not recognize either team.

They both looked like something out of the Arena League. It did not look like an NFL game because the teams were unrecognizable.

Recognition and identification are part of the fun of watching.

When I go to Yankee Stadium, I go in part so I can see the Pinstripes. I would feel cheated if I were to show up and see the Yankee players wearing a monochrome blue uniform.

When I go to Ohio State I go in part to see the classic silver helmets, silver pants, buckeye decals and scarlet jerseys.

I would never buy a "Jim Brown" jersey or a "Floyd Little" jersey that is yellow or red or some other generic color. I would only buy a jersey if it were closely linked to the team for which the player played.

The brand uniform is part of the event. If the uniform is unrecognizable, that detracts from the product.

And that is part of why, for me, the ever-changing looks that many college teams are now presenting doesn't work.

And that's why I want a return to the classic Coach Mac uniform.

 

[elimunelson]

Feeling the need to belabor the issue.

Last night I tried to watch the Jaguars-Titans game.

Besides the fact that both teams are pretty bad, I found it difficult to watch in part because I could not recognize either team.

They both looked like something out of the Arena League. It did not look like an NFL game because the teams were unrecognizable.

Recognition and identification are part of the fun of watching.

When I go to Yankee Stadium, I go in part so I can see the Pinstripes. I would feel cheated if I were to show up and see the Yankee players wearing a monochrome blue uniform.

When I go to Ohio State I go in part to see the classic silver helmets, silver pants, buckeye decals and scarlet jerseys.

I would never buy a "Jim Brown" jersey or a "Floyd Little" jersey that is yellow or red or in some other generic. I would only buy a jersey if it were closely linked to the team for which the player played.

The brand uniform is part of the event. If the uniform is unrecognizable, that detracts from the product.

And that is part of why, for me, the ever-changing looks that many college teams are now presenting doesn't work.

And that's why I want a return to the classic Coach Mac uniform.

I have no problem w the Jags/Titans trying something like this because frankly they don't have any history. May as well appeal to the future.

Schools that hold themselves out there as tradition based need to wink to the history of the program. Best way to do that is through the look on the field. I have no doubt that Coyle recognizes the idiocy that our program has slanted to in terms of its look.

It would be one thing if these uniforms brought on a run of unparalleled success like the Flying Elvis uniforms the Patriots wear. I think they are not 1/10 as dynamic as the Pat Patriot vintage. But the team can't go backwards now b/c the Pat Patriot era symbolizes the past (which was not as successful) vs the Elvis look which is success.

 

[TheCusian]

Feeling the need to belabor the issue. Last night I tried to watch the Jaguars-Titans game. Besides the fact that both teams are pretty bad, I found it difficult to watch in part because I could not recognize either team. They both looked like something out of the Arena League. It did not look like an NFL game because the teams were unrecognizable. Recognition and identification are part of the fun of watching. When I go to Yankee Stadium, I go in part so I can see the Pinstripes. I would feel cheated if I were to show up and see the Yankee players wearing a monochrome blue uniform. When I go to Ohio State I go in part to see the classic silver helmets, silver pants, buckeye decals and scarlet jerseys. I would never buy a "Jim Brown" jersey or a "Floyd Little" jersey that is yellow or red or in some other generic. I would only buy a jersey if it were closely linked to the team for which the player played. The brand uniform is part of the event. If the uniform is unrecognizable, that detracts from the product. And that is part of why, for me, the ever-changing looks that many college teams are now presenting doesn't work. And that's why I want a return to the classic Coach Mac uniform.

I think the key statement is "for me"... I'd bet that younger fans won't have any hang ups about rooting for teams with changing uni's because it's what they'll be used to.

I agree with you. But I think it's okay to acknowledge that we see things through a prism where teams didn't change looks that often and that gets tangled up in "what we think it right" ...

 

[NineOneSeven]

I'd give up two wins a year to get dat dere old school uniform back.

....

You need to get over it, man. It's so minor, imo. You can go to games to see whatever you'd like, that's your freedom, but I watch football to watch football.

Do you refuse to get rid of the flip phone too?

 

[NineOneSeven]

That said- I too enjoy the classic orange pants/helmet look, but I don't lose sleep over jerseys.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I was not a big fan of the uniforms last night but I had no trouble telling which team was which.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Shenexon]

I'd give up two wins a year to get dat dere old school uniform back.

...

You need to get over it, man. It's so minor, imo. You can go to games to see whatever you'd like, that's your freedom, but I watch football to watch football.

Do you refuse to get rid of the flip phone too?

Hey now...I liked the flip phone...I gave it up but under duress...

 

[Scooch]

I think the key statement is "for me"... I'd bet that younger fans won't have any hang ups about rooting for teams with changing uni's because it's what they'll be used to.

I agree with you. But I think it's okay to acknowledge that we see things through a prism where teams didn't change looks that often and that gets tangled up in "what we think it right" ...

Yeah, this.

There's a difference between disliking uniforms because they are ugly in-and-of themselves, and disliking uniforms because they're simply not what they once were.

I don't love our new uniforms, but that's because I don't like the design. I think the slanted lines are silly, and that the orange numbers on the blue jersey are hard to read without a white outline.

But I don't hate all new uniforms. I think some of the futuristic ones on display each week are pretty cool.

I don't hate the Jags helmet, as an example, because it isn't their "classic look" from all the way back in 1998. I hate it because the two-tone color fade is ugly as sin. If they had a different design that wasn't stupid then I'd like it.

Just think this discussion gets too caught up in a false dichotomy of old=good, new=bad.

 

[OrangePA]

I'd give up two wins a year to get dat dere old school uniform back.

...

You need to get over it, man. It's so minor, imo. You can go to games to see whatever you'd like, that's your freedom, but I watch football to watch football.

Do you refuse to get rid of the flip phone too?

No disrespect to you, but I suspect that you don't really watch football just to watch football.

If two teams wearing all black and all white with no names on the back of the jerseys and no program rosters were to play a game in the Carrier Dome I suspect that you would not show up simply because you had the desire to just watch some football.

We watch because of the context of the game - or the vast majority of us do.

I remember when the NFL players were on strike and they split into two teams and held a game at RFK Stadium.

And nobody came to watch. That's because it meant nothing and had no context - no loyalties - no identification. It was just a bunch of players out there in generic and meaningless uniforms.

Branding, context, tradition are not "minor" things at all.

They are what makes the competition attractive.

 

[NineOneSeven]

No disrespect to you, but I suspect that you don't really watch football just to watch football.

If two teams wearing all black and all white with no names on the back of the jerseys and no program rosters were to play a game in the Carrier Dome I suspect that you would not show up simply because you had the desire to just watch some football.

We watch because of the context of the game - or the vast majority of us do.

I remember when the NFL players were on strike and they split into two teams and held a game at RFK Stadium.

And nobody came to watch. That's because it meant nothing and had no context - no loyalties - no identification. It was just a bunch of players out there in generic and meaningless uniforms.

Branding, context, tradition are not "minor" things at all.

They are what makes the competition attractive.

Wow. Talk about taking the extreme side of an argument.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I've come to terms with the idea that Syracuse will likely never wear a uniform I like. I have accepted it and moved on. Bad uniforms have had no impact on my enjoyment of the game.

 

[TheCusian]

No disrespect to you, but I suspect that you don't really watch football just to watch football. If two teams wearing all black and all white with no names on the back of the jerseys and no program rosters were to play a game in the Carrier Dome I suspect that you would not show up simply because you had the desire to just watch some football. We watch because of the context of the game - or the vast majority of us do. I remember when the NFL players were on strike and they split into two teams and held a game at RFK Stadium. And nobody came to watch. That's because it meant nothing and had no context - no loyalties - no identification. It was just a bunch of players out there in generic and meaningless uniforms. Branding, context, tradition are not "minor" things at all. They are what makes the competition attractive.

Yeah - you're arguing in black and white when the whole deal is way more gray.

We follow sports for the story. Removing the context a little (recognizable uni, familiar players, etc) makes it hard to get into the story. For us the context is recognizable uniforms (and for Syracuse fans - to a time we were proud of it) - younger fans are not tied to this as tightly. And that's fine. There really is no right or wrong position. It's the ultimate opinion topic.

As I've stated previously - television tech and the Internet help with understanding the context more fully. It offsets some on the uni sillness.

 

[Chip]

I've come to terms with the idea that Syracuse will likely never wear a uniform I like. I have accepted it and moved on. Bad uniforms have had no impact on my enjoyment of the game.

I think the # of people who didn't like the uniforms in 2012 were few and far between. It was a modern take on a classic SU uniform and color combo.

But then they decided we no longer needed to be able to read the numbers, and that we needed more blue and gray.

 

[OttoMets]

Hey now...I liked the flip phone...I gave it up but under duress...

It keeps a charge like none other!

 

[Oakland]

This is a tangent opinion, it would be appropriate, interesting, and good business, if the team wore the appropriate throw back uni during the game, any time a player's uni was honored/retired.

Feeling the need to belabor the issue.

Last night I tried to watch the Jaguars-Titans game.

Besides the fact that both teams are pretty bad, I found it difficult to watch in part because I could not recognize either team.

They both looked like something out of the Arena League. It did not look like an NFL game because the teams were unrecognizable.

Recognition and identification are part of the fun of watching.

When I go to Yankee Stadium, I go in part so I can see the Pinstripes. I would feel cheated if I were to show up and see the Yankee players wearing a monochrome blue uniform.

When I go to Ohio State I go in part to see the classic silver helmets, silver pants, buckeye decals and scarlet jerseys.

I would never buy a "Jim Brown" jersey or a "Floyd Little" jersey that is yellow or red or in some other generic. I would only buy a jersey if it were closely linked to the team for which the player played.

The brand uniform is part of the event. If the uniform is unrecognizable, that detracts from the product.

And that is part of why, for me, the ever-changing looks that many college teams are now presenting doesn't work.

And that's why I want a return to the classic Coach Mac uniform.

 

[Stern]

Ohio St wore ALL black uniforms this year with a black helmet and the earth is still spinning and moving along just fine. Florida St is wearing all black this weekend. Even Notre Dame has gone nuts some games and broke out funky odd uniforms. Nobody is safe, it happens everywhere. The days of teams/schools just having a simple home and away uniform are dead and buried (minus the Yankees probably.) Everyone else has multiple uniform combinations or soon will. Penn St and Alabama will be having the funky combinations soon enough, they are on the way there. Just a matter of time.

The game of football has changed in many ways and the uniform aspect is a small part of it. Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point in regards to uniforms. Schools and Pro teams have all and will continue to have multiple uniform combinations and get all weird and funky with them. I for one don't get worked up over it or really care that much.

 

[tipphill]

Feeling the need to belabor the issue.

Last night I tried to watch the Jaguars-Titans game.

Besides the fact that both teams are pretty bad, I found it difficult to watch in part because I could not recognize either team.

They both looked like something out of the Arena League. It did not look like an NFL game because the teams were unrecognizable.

Recognition and identification are part of the fun of watching.

When I go to Yankee Stadium, I go in part so I can see the Pinstripes. I would feel cheated if I were to show up and see the Yankee players wearing a monochrome blue uniform.

When I go to Ohio State I go in part to see the classic silver helmets, silver pants, buckeye decals and scarlet jerseys.

I would never buy a "Jim Brown" jersey or a "Floyd Little" jersey that is yellow or red or in some other generic. I would only buy a jersey if it were closely linked to the team for which the player played.

The brand uniform is part of the event. If the uniform is unrecognizable, that detracts from the product.

And that is part of why, for me, the ever-changing looks that many college teams are now presenting doesn't work.

And that's why I want a return to the classic Coach Mac uniform.

agree with all that u said except the last sentence---i prefer the ben s era ---particularly the home white with orange pants--i do miss sitting in archbold, although this part of my comment is more related to sentimentality rather than common sense and logic. game days back then(60's) were so much more exciting, festive and fun.

 

[OrangePA]

Ohio St wore ALL black uniforms this year with a black helmet and the earth is still spinning and moving along just fine. Florida St is wearing all black this weekend. Even Notre Dame has gone nuts some games and broke out funky odd uniforms. Nobody is safe, it happens everywhere. The days of teams/schools just having a simple home and away uniform are dead and buried (minus the Yankees probably.) Everyone else has multiple uniform combinations or soon will. Penn St and Alabama will be having the funky combinations soon enough, they are on the way there. Just a matter of time.

The game of football has changed in many ways and the uniform aspect is a small part of it. Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point in regards to uniforms. Schools and Pro teams have all and will continue to have multiple uniform combinations and get all weird and funky with them. I for one don't get worked up over it or really care that much.

Yes, the world was not destroyed.

But friends of mine who went to that Ohio State game felt cheated - they didn't recognize their own team.

That's one of the examples that came to mind while watching the Jags-Titans.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Did we retire the platinum unis? I dont recall the team wearing them this year.

 

[SWC75]

I'm very much in favor of tuning in and knowing who is playing who based on the uniforms.When players come to play for your team they should have the feeling that they are becoming a part of something with a history, not that it's year zero. The uniform changes are ostensively done to entice players because a new look is "coo" but tit's really done to sell jerseys to the fan, most of whom prefer things the way they were. And the "brand" put on the field is that of Nike or under-armor or whoever. Our white uniforms look like a couple dozen other schools out there: it's Nike's uniform, not ours.

That said, I don't know how "classic" the Jags and the Titans uniform are, (they basically inverted the same colors last night.) The classic uniform of the franchise the Titans represent isn't this:

it's this: