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The uniforms that Nike contributes to college football are
over the top. False. The uniforms that Nike puts out are all unique. Wrong
again. Before I explain that behind all the glitzy photo shoots and martial
wording Nike uniforms are very much similar; lets all agree that the University
of Oregon’s un-uniform costumes are not a fair representation of Nike’s touch
in College Football aesthetics.
Remember
five years ago when your school hosted a black out and your team came running
out in uncharacteristic black jerseys? You felt special right? Until the rest
of the country was doing the same exact thing the next week. You should feel
the same today, but since Nike has stepped up their game, you don’t.
I won’t lie:
many Nike collegiate football uniforms are sick. I will; however, point out
that many of them are extremely similar. (Resist immediately shaking your head)
Nike uniforms all exhibit numerous identical characteristics, but are covered
up by few traits that are customized to fit the individual customer, in our
case, the individual college football team. Years ago it was the 1)Nike fly-wirethreads that teams sporting on the jersey’s shoulders, now 2)Nike jerseys are
secured by a particular collar of leather webbing. 3)When the players put theirtwo gloves together it makes an image? Get out! next you’ll claim Notre Dame isn’t
relevant or some complete nonsense like that! 4)Matte helmets started out
cool but will be a thing of the past within two seasons. 5)Nike uniforms incorporate
undershirts as an extension of the jersey, a new element to the tradition
uniform. Check the inside of your 6)team’s collar, I bet there’s a phrase stitched
that’ll send shivers down your spine. I didn’t guess that because your alma
mater is unique, I know that because Nike does the same for a majority of their
squads. Lastly, don’t give the folks up in Eugene, OR credit for supplying a
team with 7)two or more helmet choices, isn’t that the logical thing to do when
you run out of ideas?
Besides
inserting intimidating, war-like words to each of their products, the area
where Nike excels and its competitors fail is personalized identification. For
example, Nike took Rutgers: a squad who donned the brand’s usual outputs (matte
helmets, an alternate jersey, flywire etc.) and produced a look that is
recognizable and personal to Scarlet Knight fans. The jersey and pants currently
still follow the usual Swoosh template, but is tattered with random ‘battlescars’, a tribute to the team’s medieval mascot. It is the small details like
this one, like the faint tiger stripes revealed for Mizzou’s new SEC-worthy garb,
like the sand colored footwear the Army black Knights run around in to tribute
their service in desert warfare. The list is endless, chances are if you claim
your team’s look is different than all the rest, it’s because Nike does a
marvelous job at taking a quality but basic uniform and making it inimitable…just
like the school the team represents.
Where Nike
produces highly recognizable products for the gridiron, its competitors do the
exact opposite. Under Armour, the company based in Baltimore and known for
creating those groundbreaking costumes Maryland wore last season, made steps in
the right direction with the new look it applied to Northwestern last month. Byemphasizing the Northwestern stripe, a design that originated with the
Wildcats, a non-Nike brand had finally put together a look that is different
from the rest. Not so fast my friends, before I could even catch my breath after
celebrating this accomplishment, UA leaked Maryland’s new uniforms for theupcoming season. Not only did they revert to the same Maryland state flag
pattern of last season’s debacle, but the new look completely does away with
the terrapin-inspired garb worn by the players a year ago. Back to square one
as far as non-Nike schools go. Stick with a look guys: Notre Dame is blue and
gold, with occasional green. So why last week did I see the “traditional”
dynasty reveal multi-colored helmets to complement an overall gaudy look for
their game in Chicago? Nebraska wearing black, Michigan altering therecognizable winged helmet? “What the Hell’s Goin’ On Out There!?” You’re
killin’ me, underdogs.
Nike is Dr.
Jeckell, the Oregon Ducks are Mr. Hyde. When Nike returns to it’s crib in
Eugene after producing respectable get-ups for collegiate football squads, the
Swoosh that we all know morphs itself into a circular shape. From there, all Hell
breaks loose: mirrors are added to helmets, colors are renamed after weather occurrences
and uniform combinations are thrown together without second guesses. The swoosh
started experimenting with the O long before the Ducks blinded us with theirhelmets at last year’s Rose Bowl Game. In fact it was architect and right hand
man to Nike chairman Phil Knight, Tinker Hatfield, who first played the role of
Hyde in creating outlandish products, then staining them with the Nike swoosh
of approval. Hatfield, who also constructed the most groundbreaking footwear of
the late 20th century, the Nike Air Max, was asked in 1996 by Knight
to help better attract athletes to the University. The O was born, and with it,
the false identity of the world’s most dominant athletic brand.
Since the
turn of the century, the folks up at Nike have used the University of Oregon as
their very own lab rat: not only can the Ducks sport over 300 different uniform
combinations on any given gameday, but it has become a tradition for Nike
products to be debut by the company’s gem. It is crucial to observe that no
other Nike school (or any other school for that matter) is comparable to Oregon
when it comes to uniforms, because no other school is backed in the way that
Nike supports the Ducks. Most importantly, it is this relationship that has
broadened the gap between the look of Nike teams and the rest of the NCAA aesthetically,
not even Maryland’s bond with Nike-rival Under Armour is comparable. What’s to
come? I believe the next big thing to be overused and poorly duplicated will be
both shiny helmets and ‘color-changing’ jerseys or pants. Have no fear, fans
whose team doesn’t look ‘unique’ on Saturdays, as long as the Ducks flaunt
around in obnoxious fashion, they’ll be enough Nike sparkle to trickle down.