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After already facing some initial criticism from the sneak previews, Missouri officially put its new SEC uniforms on display at the spring game yesterday
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/14/3554368/missouri-unveiled-its-new-uniforms.html
The initial complaints concerning the new uniforms were about removing the block M from the side of the helmet and replacing it with a tiger logo. First, the Block M has more symbolism than one who knows nothing about Missouri would think. It's not exactly a symbol of the university, and as the Athletic department has been quick to point out, there are a lot of schools that use one form or other of an M as a symbol of their schools. The difference is that the Missouri block M is a symbol specifically of the football team. Missouri's stadium sits in what used to be a ravine. When the stadium was first built nearly 90 years ago the south end was left open, the east and west side stands were cut into the rock and the north end was dished out into a sweeping curve between the two sides of the stands. In the center beyond the north end zone, the school create a large, white crushed-rock M like was popular with colleges and high schools blessed with hills and mountains towering over their campuses. The difference was that the cheapest seats in the house for nearly 90 years have been the general admission tickets to sit on the M or if you value your backside, on the grass in either side of the M. (There are the usual tales of opponents sneaking into sabotage the M. Nebraska, with what must have been Herculean effort, managed to change it into an N one Friday night in the 1950s, only to have it undone with an equally massive effort before game time that Saturday.) The south end of the stadium has been enclosed, and I would guess that if the stadium seating is dramatically increased, the south stands will be expanded before the rock M is touched.
The rock M is special to me, but... I rooted for Missouri before there was anything on the side of the helmet. By the time I was in school, numbers on college helmets were all the rage, and white numerals looked fine. Shortly after I graduated the fad had passed at most schools and Missouri replaced the numerals with what admittedly was a silly looking skinny white M. Over the years the M on the helmet turned gold and got more stolid looking. Still for someone of my age, it's not a necessary part of the helmet.
What was the essential characteristic was the white-black-gold-black-white stripes that have been on the helmet almost since they got rid of leather helmets. There used to be a lot more importance put on all-star games like the Senior Bowl, where the uniforms were usually bizarre but the kids wore their own school helmets. Someone from Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame might be very proud of the helmets. But if you were from Michigan or Missouri you could spot *your* players instantly in a crowd without squinting or waiting for the guys to turn their heads. Even if that has lost importance I'm not at all happy the five stripes aren't going to be on the helmet next year. Don't tell me that South Carolina and Auburn wear five stripe helmets, so it isn't special in the SEC. I can show you pictures of Missouri playing against S.C and Auburn before their helmets had the stripes. They copied from us!
Okay, enough crying in the beer. The new uniforms are generally fine. Nothing looks like it was designed by the Pimp Studies program. The white jersey with the 1940s style gray blobs on the shoulders is the worst of the lot and it's not that bad. The gold jersey is the best gold one I've ever seen for a Missouri uniform; the hue of gold they chose is quite good. What appears to be the standard helmet is, I grudgingly admit, a good choice. I liked the spike-replacing-a-stripe on Cal's and Michigan State's helmet at first, but have liked it less as time has passed. Missouri's helmet is going to have two narrower ones. The effect in the front is a bit like fangs, which is kind of cool. The alternate helmet without stripes and with the large tiger logo is not so good. It looks like a helmet for a Division III team. I hope it goes away soon. It's also noticeably dull black. Mizzou, except on special occasions, has always worn gloss black which I think looks better. But I have to admit that thinking about it, the dull black may be more practical for night games, and being in the SEC means that day games may be rare from now on.
The basketball uniforms are unremarkable, but okay. One version has unreadable numbers like Oregon and Baylor have had recently. I suspect that within a year or two complaints from the TV networks will get rid of all of those, even if complaints from fans don't have much affect.
The new track uniforms are hideous, but who's ever going to see them. ;o)
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/14/3554368/missouri-unveiled-its-new-uniforms.html
The initial complaints concerning the new uniforms were about removing the block M from the side of the helmet and replacing it with a tiger logo. First, the Block M has more symbolism than one who knows nothing about Missouri would think. It's not exactly a symbol of the university, and as the Athletic department has been quick to point out, there are a lot of schools that use one form or other of an M as a symbol of their schools. The difference is that the Missouri block M is a symbol specifically of the football team. Missouri's stadium sits in what used to be a ravine. When the stadium was first built nearly 90 years ago the south end was left open, the east and west side stands were cut into the rock and the north end was dished out into a sweeping curve between the two sides of the stands. In the center beyond the north end zone, the school create a large, white crushed-rock M like was popular with colleges and high schools blessed with hills and mountains towering over their campuses. The difference was that the cheapest seats in the house for nearly 90 years have been the general admission tickets to sit on the M or if you value your backside, on the grass in either side of the M. (There are the usual tales of opponents sneaking into sabotage the M. Nebraska, with what must have been Herculean effort, managed to change it into an N one Friday night in the 1950s, only to have it undone with an equally massive effort before game time that Saturday.) The south end of the stadium has been enclosed, and I would guess that if the stadium seating is dramatically increased, the south stands will be expanded before the rock M is touched.
The rock M is special to me, but... I rooted for Missouri before there was anything on the side of the helmet. By the time I was in school, numbers on college helmets were all the rage, and white numerals looked fine. Shortly after I graduated the fad had passed at most schools and Missouri replaced the numerals with what admittedly was a silly looking skinny white M. Over the years the M on the helmet turned gold and got more stolid looking. Still for someone of my age, it's not a necessary part of the helmet.
What was the essential characteristic was the white-black-gold-black-white stripes that have been on the helmet almost since they got rid of leather helmets. There used to be a lot more importance put on all-star games like the Senior Bowl, where the uniforms were usually bizarre but the kids wore their own school helmets. Someone from Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame might be very proud of the helmets. But if you were from Michigan or Missouri you could spot *your* players instantly in a crowd without squinting or waiting for the guys to turn their heads. Even if that has lost importance I'm not at all happy the five stripes aren't going to be on the helmet next year. Don't tell me that South Carolina and Auburn wear five stripe helmets, so it isn't special in the SEC. I can show you pictures of Missouri playing against S.C and Auburn before their helmets had the stripes. They copied from us!
Okay, enough crying in the beer. The new uniforms are generally fine. Nothing looks like it was designed by the Pimp Studies program. The white jersey with the 1940s style gray blobs on the shoulders is the worst of the lot and it's not that bad. The gold jersey is the best gold one I've ever seen for a Missouri uniform; the hue of gold they chose is quite good. What appears to be the standard helmet is, I grudgingly admit, a good choice. I liked the spike-replacing-a-stripe on Cal's and Michigan State's helmet at first, but have liked it less as time has passed. Missouri's helmet is going to have two narrower ones. The effect in the front is a bit like fangs, which is kind of cool. The alternate helmet without stripes and with the large tiger logo is not so good. It looks like a helmet for a Division III team. I hope it goes away soon. It's also noticeably dull black. Mizzou, except on special occasions, has always worn gloss black which I think looks better. But I have to admit that thinking about it, the dull black may be more practical for night games, and being in the SEC means that day games may be rare from now on.
The basketball uniforms are unremarkable, but okay. One version has unreadable numbers like Oregon and Baylor have had recently. I suspect that within a year or two complaints from the TV networks will get rid of all of those, even if complaints from fans don't have much affect.
The new track uniforms are hideous, but who's ever going to see them. ;o)
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