Michigan Throwback Jersey for ND game
One of the writers for the freep posted this on twitter...adidas provided this sample to the freep.
"Last week, athletic director Dave Brandon told a meeting of the state's sports editors that U-M intended to hold a nighttime unveiling of the jersey this summer and that U-M hoped fans would purchase a lot of jerseys, as they did for the Big Chill last winter."
here is the link to the freep site (OMG yes its the freep)
There's partial homage paid to the 1891 team with the striped sleeves:
http://www.mapleleafproductions.com/downloads/MichiganFootballUniformPr…
I thought throwback jerseys were supposed to recreate history, not rewrite it or create something new out of whole cloth. There really is no historical precedent for the jersey being shown in the Freep article. It looks like a rough combination of the 1891 uniform's stripiing along with a traditional block M letterman's varsity sweater.
Like others, I fully expected Michigan to adopt the 1960s look with numerals on the helmets and block M on the sleeves per Brian Kelly's description awhile back. It would have made sense seeing that ND's throwbacks are evidentally based on the uniforms the Fighting Irish wore in the early 60s.
I suspect some whiz kid Adidas marketing executive came up with a series of ideas for the throwback uniform. Obviously, David Brandon would have had to sign up for this and I have to wonder what he was thinking. The only thing that makes sense to me is he and Adidas felt that the throwbacks had to be very distinctive from the present day jersey in order to generate interest from the general fan base (and sales of the jersey itself).
I'll wait on any final verdict once the uniforms are formally unveiled, but my initial impression is "ugh". I know the UM hockey uniforms for the Big Chill had stripes on the shoulders and sleeves and the hockey helmets are based on the football team's--that looked worked okay. But it just seems to me that a combination of this jersey with the standard Michigan football helmet is going to be a bit much.
If someone who made this decision can show me the historical link or relevance of this Jersey I would feel much better about accepting this aesthetically. However if this is just Adidas "interpretation" of our historic jersey I would appreciate them throwing back the throw back.
I would prefer plan B. Let everyone totally freak out expecting to see this horrible UNI and then come out of the tunnel on game day in the maize with blue number jersey and blue pants with maize stripe pant and watch the 115,000 go insane.
sell more throwback jerseys. The real purpose of throwback jerseys are to monetize the marketing potential; to extend the prossibilites of the brand-platform; to obtain better penetration of the existing market; and to make something totally irresistable for the homeys who already got six Michigan jerseys but will buy another if it is bling enough.
Marketing 101'd.
on Bentley, the stripes seem to come from the 1880's and 1890's:
1889 with stripes:
1894 with block M:
1899 stripes with vest over:
Yes they are ugly versus the purity of our home jerseys. But, if Notre Dame's are something historically similar, I think this is a pretty cool reference to the past for two programs with a very long history. Much better than a simple maize jersey.
Note the striped socks in the 1894 photo.
It also might make for a cool baseball sleeve length t shirt.
FWIW, I liked the Big Chill jerseys - the ones that the team wore, not the cheese ball bright yellow retail versions.
Those 1889 jerseys look like prison uniforms.
I could go for the long sleeve + block M look, though.
So why didn't the team all wear the same uniform back in those days?
Some are practice jerseys, or maybe you had to earn your stripes .........
I hate these jerseys
I am all set to make the trip from Arlington, Tx to A2 for this epic night of football. Everything about the game, hoopla, Desmond tribute, and such have only fueled my excitement. This is the one thing that just makes me cringe. I don't want to spend an entire night looking at these.
The game has so much with it, it doesn't need a uni change. It's going to be so annoying, b/c you know it's going to be harder to read player #'s. Just so awful.
And I do realize the point is to sell J's, and this is the perfect opp for that. But I never saw the sense in buying a throwback anyway - do you wear it to the next throwback game?
Please tell me this is a joke.
We're the last college in the universe to finally, FINALLY host a night game and THIS is what the players are going to wear?
Seriously ? I consider these Throw-Away jerseys.
C'mon DB ... remember, "This is Michigan", wtf is this as a part of tradition. Did Bo ever use a uniform as some form of incentive or trick ? uhhh No !
Send up the signal - Brady Hoke, please Save Us from this travesty !!!
Go Blue !
what kind of ugly jersey Adidas makes for ND. They've got some ugly throwbacks to work off of: http://onefootdown.fantake.com/2011/03/17/the-definitive-notre-dame-uni…
I think if we look better than ND, it might not be so bad. If they wear a better jersey than us on our own home turf though...well, at least we've got Denard right?
win the game
The players will look like friggin bumblebees!
on the chest and MOAR flames on the pants.
Holy shit these are the worst things I have ever seen. Possibly worse than the Process. Fire Dave Brandon pls.
Those are some ugly ass jerseys. No wonder they want to to show them off at night. I hope there is a power outage when they plan to do the unveiling.
WTF is this!
I'm so pumped for the ND game! I don't like the jerseys that much but the idea is good! So excited to see MIchigan Football back even if the jersey is kinda...ugly. :)
Are those jerseys f'n ugly. Please do not do it!
Go with the numbers on the helmet and call it a day.
Ehh not a fan, but what does my opinion matter? They will either do with these, something completely different, or keep our current modern jerseys.
Actually this whole thread missed the backstory.
These are NOT the retro jerseys we will wear. The Freep got confused.
These ARE Drew Sharp's pyjamas.
OK, so, relax.
Am I crazy, because I think these uni's are actually sweet. Neg me all you like.
Sorta, kinda, not really?
Is that Wil Wheaton?
I'm going to reserve judgement til after I see them on a player. I have a neutral reaction as of right now.
If we went back to the 50s or 60s, those uniforms looked good! Looks like the last time Michigan football wore striped sleeves was in the 20s. We better keep Crislers winged helmets for this game!
adidas will take every opportunity to put a stripe on something..ugh.
adidas will take every opportunity to put a stripe on something..ugh.
I KNEW NIKE WOULD DO THIS DUMB GARBAGE, GIVING US PRO COMBAT UNIFORMS THAT MAKE LESS THAN ZERO SENSE! Oh wait, we're still with Adidas. Atleast that argument has officially died.
Like others have said we need to see the entire uniform. Socks, shoes, helmet, etc...
I dont know how to react to this until I see more. But its just one game so in the long run does it really matter that much. Michigan has survived disasters before. Remember the halo on the big house?
WOW
Please don't let those be what we wear.
COMMENCE PANIC
for all the Michigan alumni in the league to drop a media firestorm on Brady Hoke for coming in and allowing our most sacred tradition to be sold out under his watch. He just comes into this job and changes everything? Doesn't he care about the MICHIGAN TRADITION? etc
I get your sarcasm / was going to post something like this myself. You probably should have posted with a /s
Clearly, we Michigan fans are an emotional lot when it comes to changing anything - even if the change is based on tradition from our own ancient past.
I don't like the Devner Bronco throwbacks either - but for just one game between the two most storied programs in college football - this will be OK. We'll live through it. It may even look really cool in the lights - especially with dreads.
am warming to it. Without seeing the entire ensemble it's not an easy call. DOES have an early football feel, and DOES invoke M's long tradition. Will be very curious about the helmets.
My thoughts on going back to old designs... there is a reason we don't wear that design anymore.
There is no design that will make everyone happy. Personally I think they look ok and at least they aren't blinged out like Oregon or tosu. They do resemble our jerseys from when we wore leather helmets with the block M on the front. It's one game, we just need to deal with it.
Maybe this is just an example of Dave Brandon getting back at the Freep.
I actually really like the stitching pattern. The stripes, not so much.
Please?
This release has all the makings of a classic Dave Brandon trial balloon ... floating it out there to see what the public thinks.
Just like "potentially" moving M-OSU and the tempest in a teapot that provoked?
If anyone associated with Michigan over the past three years "doesn't get it," it's Adidas.
"Well, it could be worse. Right?"
It's not that bad. At least we can see the players easily.
Is it at least bulky enough I can smuggle in my now contraband water under it?
Just dump the antiquing and add a small number centered under the V-neck on the front.
I also love Adidas. I feel obligated to say that because everytime it comes up on this board there is a ton of anti-adidas comments.
All blue pants with this uniform would look sweet.