uniform changes

[bchong]

It's actually very simple to dismiss this as a fad, rather than a trend - by NOT PARTICIPATING IN IT.

Osborne isn't going to let it happen, and it's unlikely that any who will succeed him will, either.

Lastly, no other "traditional power" has gone far beyond throwbacks, and none have ditches their school colors in favor of head-to-toe black.

If the uniforms are the deciding factor for a prospect, his priorities are hopeless, and NU should be glad they went elsewhere.

And along those lines, name ONE top-flight recruit who has declared that the selected a school based on the "edginess" or "hipness" of their uniforms - just one.

Choosing not to participate in it when so many others are doesn't negate the fact that it's a trend. It just makes it a trend we're not participating in.

I realize that Osborne isn't going to participate in it. I respectfully disagree with him as well. Osborne's not all-knowing or infallible and I think his take on this is wrong.

Plenty of traditional schools have incorporated elements that go beyond throwbacks. They recognize that changes can be made tastefully and conservatively. I generally favor that approach too, with the one exception of incorporating some black or even all black into a uniform we wear once a season or even once in awhile. I think black and red with a little white would look really cool if done right. I also think it would be very appealing to recruits, players and fans. Plus with the Blackshirt tradition, black may as well be a school color.

Here's a good article I posted before about the appeal of different uniforms. In it they discuss the impact they have on the perception and appeal of a program. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/the_bonus/12/28/uniforms/index.html

And there are a ton of articles like this one, from those who follow recruiting, who make clear that the uniforms do make a difference. http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1265545

I agree!  I think it would be fun to see a different uniform once in a while.  I think everyone knows our tradition(s),  if the players want it...why not?

[Cdog923]

An all-Black uniform once a year, with the same style as our current unis, would not be a major change.

Other than Black not being one of the school's colors.

Other than the monochromatic look that pretty much always looks like crap.

Other than compromising both good taste and established tradition for a flash-in-the-pan fad.

Everyone take a deep breath, and read what Osborne said: IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

Black not being one of the school colors didn't stop the basketball and volleyball teams from using it, has it? And it certainly hasn't prevented the university from marketing and profiting off the name BLACKshirts for years.

[Cdog923]

It's actually very simple to dismiss this as a fad, rather than a trend - by NOT PARTICIPATING IN IT.

Osborne isn't going to let it happen, and it's unlikely that any who will succeed him will, either.

Lastly, no other "traditional power" has gone far beyond throwbacks, and none have ditches their school colors in favor of head-to-toe black.

If the uniforms are the deciding factor for a prospect, his priorities are hopeless, and NU should be glad they went elsewhere.

And along those lines, name ONE top-flight recruit who has declared that the selected a school based on the "edginess" or "hipness" of their uniforms - just one.

Choosing not to participate in it when so many others are doesn't negate the fact that it's a trend. It just makes it a trend we're not participating in.

I realize that Osborne isn't going to participate in it. I respectfully disagree with him as well. Osborne's not all-knowing or infallible and I think his take on this is wrong.

Plenty of traditional schools have incorporated elements that go beyond throwbacks. They recognize that changes can be made tastefully and conservatively. I generally favor that approach too, with the one exception of incorporating some black or even all black into a uniform we wear once a season or even once in awhile. I think black and red with a little white would look really cool if done right. I also think it would be very appealing to recruits, players and fans. Plus with the Blackshirt tradition, black may as well be a school color.

Here's a good article I posted before about the appeal of different uniforms. In it they discuss the impact they have on the perception and appeal of a program. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/the_bonus/12/28/uniforms/index.html

And there are a ton of articles like this one, from those who follow recruiting, who make clear that the uniforms do make a difference. http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1265545

Agree completely. This, coupled with a matte-black helmet would be full of win.

[skrzfan]

fugly.

[Hort]

LOL...as if the uniform determines the outcome of games.   

There are actually some who think they may, at least, affect the outcome.   

Black jerseys (hockey) = more penalties? http://spp.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/09/14/1948550611418535.abstract

huzzah to science geekery

[MadRat]

Luke, don't give into the dark side....

[Red Said Ted]

Tfree, you make legitimate points, and the majority of players would be for it.  Of course, they'd like to have iPods installed on the sidelines, too.  Some fans would like it, most of the younger fans and even a few older fans.  But I much prefer it if Nebraska continue to be different by remaining the same.  The trend across the country appears to be to forgo tradition in many areas of our culture, not just football.  I am hopeful that Nebraska football holds on to tradition, myself.  Just one man's opinion, and wish.  

[Valiantsailor]

This trend was set by BIll Moos AD at Oregon who had access to the Nike Billions.  They had crummy football at the time so they offset it with outlandish unis simply to attract kids to the program.

I do not wanna see all red, all black, all white or modern rat helmets.  All I want is red and white or white and red. 

[AlbqHusker]

This trend was set by BIll Moos AD at Oregon who had access to the Nike Billions.  They had crummy football at the time so they offset it with outlandish unis simply to attract kids to the program.

I do not wanna see all red, all black, all white or modern rat helmets.  All I want is red and white or white and red. 

Your initial statement about Oregon says it all.  They went from a crummy football program to being one of the elite in the nation, head and shoulders better than the NU program right now.  All of this primarily because they wore outlandish unis that attracted better recruits than they were getting in the past.  If Oregon was still wearing Green Bay Packer colors with that stupid looking duck on the helmet, they would still be mired in mediocrity, battling New Mexico and Utah St for talent instead of USC and Oklahoma.  Change is good.  We must embrace change, else we get left behind.  Oklahoma has made subtle changes to their uniform.  Anyone notice the metallic paint job on their helmet the last few years?  Much different than the flat crimsom of years gone by. 

By the way, that video of Ohio Bobcats was absolutely awesome.  You are lying to yourself if you think the uni has no impact on how a young athlete feels about their "look."

[skrzfan]

Oh yeah, oregon became good because of uniforms.  Bellotti and chip kelly had nothing to do with it as coaches or with their shaddy recruiting tactics.  Are we serious here?  

[Solly]

Still waiting for someone to cite just one top-flight recruit for whom the damned uniforms were the deciding factor.

[AlbqHusker]

Oh yeah, oregon became good because of uniforms.  Bellotti and chip kelly had nothing to do with it as coaches or with their shaddy recruiting tactics.  Are we serious here?  

Seriously, cuz I don't follow recruiting that closely, what "shaddy recruiting tactics?"  Are they, or have they been on probation because of these tactics?  Have they been caught paying players?  Changing grades?  What up?

[tfree32]

Isaac Dixon freely admits it.

A “big reason” the former Monsignor Pace High football player chose University of Oregon over a handful of other suitors was the Ducks’ futuristic, neon-trimmed uniforms, with flashy accessories and multiple mix-and-match combinations as unpredictable as the team’s high-octane offense.

Dixon fell in love with the uniform the first time he tried it on during his recruiting visit to the Ducks’ luxurious $3.2 million two-story locker room (resplendent with three 60-inch plasma TVs, Internet ports and private ventilation systems in each wood-paneled locker). The Miami Gardens native never pictured himself living in Eugene, Ore., until he saw himself in the mirror wearing that Ducks ensemble.

“The uniforms definitely played a big part,” Dixon said by phone last week. “Oregon’s uniforms blow every other school’s uniforms away. It’s something new, a surprise every week. I think the younger generation likes cutting edge. Some guys still like tradition, but I like change. Of course, you want to play for a good team, but if you can look good, too, you’ll feel better and play better.”

Tacoi Sumler, a former Gulliver Prep and Columbus High wide receiver from Miami, also chose Oregon. The school’s highly touted sports marketing program and wide-open offense (in that order) were his primary reasons, but the uniforms were an attractive bonus.

“I love the whole concept, the idea that we’re not afraid to try something new,” Sumler said. “The whole tradition thing is outdated in our generation. Kids today want to dress fresh and be trend-setters.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/15/v-fullstory/2407685/for-many-programs-being-seen-is.html

[Solly]

OK, so a 3-star LB calls it "a big part", and a 4-star WR calls it "a nice bonus". (Let's see if we ever hear anything of either of these players - both 2011 freshmen)

Where is the one for whom it was the deciding factor?

And if Oregon was 5-7, does anyone believe the god-awful uniforms would make a rat's backside's difference?

Please.

Oh, and again: OSBORNE HAS SAID IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AT NEBRASKA.

[Capn Krunch]

A lot of Nike money went into the Oregon program, not all of it is used for wardrobe. Look at where OSU is with all of T. Boone's $$$. It is not like you can buy a championship in the direct manner the Yankees do, but you can make yourself better.