Anyone else losing love for the alt uni craze?
I think I have had it with alternate uniforms. This wasn't always the case- when they first started coming out I was very excited and found it a good change of pace. But now I wish the whole thing would stop. Here's why:
1. Most alt uniforms suck- plain and simple. They are either too hideous (ex: Northwestern's bloody vet uniforms) or so boring its like "why bother?" (Oklahoma's white "I'm just the same as Nebraska" helmets.) The reality is that making a good uniform that is interesting is not that easy.
And lets face it- uniforms from yesteryear for the most part need to stay in yesteryear (see any of Ohio State's nighmares from the past). Putting an old color scheme on new pads and helmets that did not exist years ago usually just looks wrong- and bad.
2. Alt uniforms often make players look like clowns in some kind of Escapades on Ice show- (see Indiana's Pepperment Patty uni's). Its tough to be aggressive with sparkle all over you. Just doesn't feel like football. Helmets often don't match the jersey's - UGH - ugly clowns
3. Alt uniforms are so common now that they don't feel special anymore and just seem annoying more often than not. Its like a gag prop that gets stale from overuse.
4. Alt uniforms trash tradition- many uniforms don't even have the teams colors or emblems anymore. Tradition is one of the great unique features of CFB- it allows us to go back and watch old games and not to have to guess who is playing. Hate to say it- but the NFL seems like it has more tradition than CFB these days.
I am not entirely against alt uni's- but they seem to be bad more than they are good. Maryland's Migraine Masterpiece may visit this weekend- they are just plain hard to look at. Which kind of takes away the whole point of "watching" football. Its like staring at a disco ball for three hours- who wants to do that? (maybe the idea is to give the opposing team a headache)
To me the fun of watching CFB- is the actual play- the football. If I want a fashion show or lots of flash I'll go to a Hanna Montana concert. I just want easy to watch uniforms that are easy on the eyes- and good football.
Maybe there can be a limit on how often the uniform is used.
November 10th, 2014 at 12:32 AM ^
These just scream I'm Bozo the Fucking Clown!
November 10th, 2014 at 4:38 AM ^
It could be worse. They could scream "I'm Fucking Bozo the Clown!"
Which, of course, is a completely different message.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:22 PM ^
Never was a huge fan of the uniform gimmicks.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:24 PM ^
Mixing it up every now and then is a good thing. All-blue uniform? Cool spinoff. Motherfucking bumblebees? Over the top.
Oregon's okay because that's literally their thing.
Back in the day I used to like how Miami (YTM) could use pretty much any combination of green, orange and white, while still keeping a traditional "go-to" look.
A lot of other schools do tend to massively overdo it.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:25 PM ^
I was never on board with them in the first place. It's kinda dumb. I mean, really dumb. And a money grab. And it kills tradition. And it's dumb.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
As much as it kills me to say, OSU does the best at incorporating alternate uniforms. Their new "big game" home and away jerseys with the slightly different helmets with black facemasks are great. You still know you are watching OSU when you turn the game on, and the changes are subtle yet sharp.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:42 PM ^
Maize is better than screaming neon dayglow yellow.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:42 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^
IMO Michigan shouldn't wear alternates at home, but I'm all for changing up the road look every few years. Moving to something like the Sugar Bowl uniforms right now would be an improvement.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
Oregon was the first team to this kind of thing and at the time they were literally the only team to do it. I don't remember many teams back in 2007 wearing alternate uniforms, but I remember ESPN making a big deal about how Oregon had 200 something uniform combinations.
Now that every team does it there's nothing special about it anymore.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:49 PM ^
Since I have never had anything but unmitigated disdain for them, I guess I can't say I've lost my love for them.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:00 PM ^
As to the OP's points #1 and #4
1. Most alt uniforms suck- plain and simple.
Agreed, there are a lot more misses than hits.
4. Alt uniforms trash tradition
But many teams don't have a tradition worth retaining. For example, I like Northwestern's new home uniforms. What NU fan would want to harken back to the 80s? And Oregon's old 1990s uniforms were ugly. If the colors suck, then why would you not experiment?
November 10th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
I get that not every team has a classic, untouchable look, but every school has colors. When Oregon comes out looking like the Oakland Raiders, or Oklahoma State comes out looking like the Confederate army instead of Barry Sanders's team, or the "Scarlet Knights" decide to have a black-out, it's gotten stupid. Or when Syracuse decides to get in on the gray craze despite gray being one of the colors of their biggest rivals, it's really stupid.
Oregon wore some throwbacks a little while ago and it just looked natural. Seeing that game honestly felt a little like going from one room with a bunch of screaming attention-wanting toddlers banging on every noisemaker they can find, to another where Jimmy Buffett is playing. Even if green and gold isn't the best color combo in the world, it can still look good without resorting to attention-whoring.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^
It was started by Phil Knight to push Nike and get kids to go way out west Oregon.
My argument against it has always been that the best programs don't do it so why should Michigan. You never see Alabama do it, or Texas or LSU. Schools like Michigan don't need that to attract kids. The best players want to go to the best schools, mainly to get to the League, but they go because of the school, its history in the game the tradition and such.
I know kids don't follow Michigan because of Bo or Bear Bryant, but the success a school has, the Heisman trophy winners, the National Championships and yes the players thatmake the NFL have a bigger impact than chrome helmets and dayglo unis.
I think the tradition of a program like the Winged helmet at Michigan or the White and Blue at PSU or the red helmet with the number on the side mean more to kids that the glitz. Winning means more than anything.
The Maryland thing a could of years ago was atrocious and one of the MSU helmets looked more like Christmas ornaments than football helmets.
The whole thing is getting old. And....
Get off my lawn!
November 9th, 2014 at 11:41 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 11:47 PM ^
November 10th, 2014 at 12:01 AM ^
It really might NOT have started with Phil Knight's Fashion Laboratory at Oregon.
Some say this all started with the 1963 Kansas City A's. . . .
Or blame it on the 1960 Denver Broncos' brown and gold color scheme and their vertical striped socks
.
And maybe if and when Michigan decides that it should switch from adidas to Puma, the road jerseys might look like these.
And the socks might look like these.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^
I don't know what's wrong with wearing your team's actual colors. Not gray, not black, not pink, not bright neon whatever awareness color it is this month, not camo... Your colors.
I also really think the time is coming when the NCAA is going to clamp down on this shit and say "OK, you get three helmets, three pant colors, three jerseys. No more than that in any given season." It's getting to the point where schools bankrupting themselves to keep up with the Oregons in fear of falling behind in the 'crootin arms race is getting sad and pathetic.
November 10th, 2014 at 12:38 AM ^
Boise State is restricted from wearing their all blue uniforms when playing at home on their blue field. I think the same thing needs to be done with all green uniforms used on a green field. And that includes MSU's all green uniforms.
You need sufficient contrast so that you can see the opposition's defense when on offense.
I'm surprized that thiis has not been brought up by opposing teams and coaches.
November 10th, 2014 at 3:51 AM ^
You can't be serious...can you?
November 10th, 2014 at 12:48 AM ^
Seems like the money spent on alternate uniforms would be better spent on other things.....like maybe keeping ticket prices lower or something along those lines.
Like in the pros when they wear pink: wouldn't it better to just donate a bunch of money to breast cancer research rather than throwing it away on pink-trimmed uniforms?
Some might say that Adidas or Nike just give the alt unis for free so it's not costing the school a cent, but then why should our team, or any team, be reduced to an advertising vehicle for corporate giants? Which brand is more important? The brand of the school or the athletic wear company? Seems like the alt unis is intended to diminish the school brand.
November 10th, 2014 at 1:02 AM ^
People are just now getting sick of it?
We're at the point where the only way to actually be "different" is to wear you normal uniform. If they TV broadcasts didn't have that box telling me who the hell is playing in the game, half the time I would have no idea anymore, because no one is recognizable by uniform, helmet, or even colors.
November 10th, 2014 at 2:28 AM ^
Everybody took the trend and ran too hard with it. Somebody is wearing special uniforms every weekend. It used to grab attention but now it seems like every FBS team either wears a special uni once a year or has interchangable helmet/pant/jersey combos. It's pretty easy to not care who's wearing matte helmets or black jerseys each week.
November 10th, 2014 at 5:30 AM ^
Marketers gonna market.
November 10th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^
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November 10th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
I never loved at all.
November 10th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
Other than that, I'd have to say I'd like to see Michigan stick with the traditional uniform. other teams, too. OSU with its traditionals, Sparty, ND, USC, Rutgers, etc. Too many different uniforms, and then with players wearing different color shoes, it contradicts the very term "uniform" when it comes to the team, i.e., they should all wear the same thing. Period, amen.
And yes, the shoes should never be anything other than black.
November 10th, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^
very, very few of our alt uniforms look like anything other than a clown costume. just waiting for a chrome helmet...
November 10th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
Agreed. You know who has gotten really bad about this? Air Force! Not only have they changed their base uniform annually for the past few years, they still wear alternates to their newly changed uniform as well!
November 10th, 2014 at 2:41 PM ^
Meh. I kind of enjoy seeing different uniforms as long as it isn't Michigan flushing their tradition down the toilet. People overreact to this shit. I bet loud music and dancing bugs you too.