Welcome to the JOUR 328 class blog. This is where everyone will get a chance to write thoughtfully on news events or issues arising throughout the semester.
The first piece will be on something on our home turf that has caputred the nation's attention: the Maryland football team's new uniforms. They made their debut in front of a nationally televised audience in prime time on Labor Day, and everyone has an opinion on them. Beautiful or ugly, unique or confusing, stately or bombastic.
What are your thoughts? We're not looking for fashion criticism, per se, but rather what these uniforms say about the team, the athletic department, the university, as well as what they can and will do for the university. And maybe also some artistic sense, as well. Think about other much-discussed uniforms at other schools - Penn State, Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, USC.
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With all the hype about the new uniforms, I have to say that the prospect of seeing the players in action in these new outfits was almost as exciting to me as the actual sports going on at the first game of the season.
ReplyDeleteBefore the game, I’d only seen pictures online of players in their jerseys and the widely talked about helmets. Personally, I was a huge fan, though I know that many others were not.
I was appalled at one point in the game to look over at my friend’s iPhone to see that LeBron James was tweeting about how ugly he thought the uniforms were, and it seems that many other analysts agreed with him.
However, to look at it in a different way, at least this new apparel is drawing attention to the football program.
With this being coach Randy Edsall’s first season, I think that this is the opportune time to unveil new uniforms to symbolize a new beginning for the Maryland football program. Though they may not be expected to be the best team in the country or the ACC, they’re not shying away from any attention, and the flashiness of these jerseys and helmets helped to prove this.
Maryland’s partnership with Under Armour and the company’s role in creating these uniforms further promotes school pride since alumni of the university founded it. Though some may say that it’s favoritism and an advertisement for Under Armour, I would argue that it shows a link between the school and its former students.
The way that the Maryland flag is displayed prominently on the helmets and jerseys is perhaps the cleverest choice of all because it draws us back to the sense of state pride at the university. This is in fact a state university, and I think that we can be reminded that players are representing the state, university and team when they’re playing. The uniforms have a mix of all of the school’s colors to create something that is recognizable for the school.
The team wore unique uniforms when they previously participated with Under Armour in the Wounded Warrior Project by wearing uniforms with things like “Commitment” and “Country” on the back of the jerseys. And I think that these new uniforms are just another way for the team to get involved in a cause, and that cause is proving that the Maryland football program is still going strong.
Flags of Our Football Team
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of the Maryland state flag. It's original. It's colorful. It's easy to identify.
That being said, I wouldn't necessarily be willing to go ahead and wear that design on my head as the Maryland football team did Monday night.
While the hoopla surrounding the new uniforms has led to some publicity for our team, I feel like this attention is the equivalent of cheap laughs received by a comedian. It's going to be hard for most people out there to take those uniforms and the team seriously.
Okay, sure, people take Oregon seriously despite the neon pajamas or duck-winged costumes they trot out in each week. Then again, they also ram the ball down the throats of any defense that's not from the upper tier of the SEC. Even then, their uniforms are hideous, let's be honest.
I would be more offended by the Maryland uniform choice if they had a traditional design that they had worn forever, a la Penn State or Alabama. But the fact is that the Terps have already gone through a bunch of uniform changes in their football history, so it's not like anything sacred has been violated.
So I don't know. I don't like the uniforms, but honestly the team could wear spandex and burlap sacks as long as they found a way to win games and challenge for the ACC title. So let's just hope that one of those things happens, preferably the second one.
Fans have been anticipating this game since the release of University of Maryland 2011-2012 football schedule. People cheered, "Let's Go Maryland!" while in Byrd Stadium. We were all expecting a good game, but we received a little more.
ReplyDeleteOur Terps came running out, debuting their new "PRIDE" uniforms, which left many of us flabbergasted. It looked like our state's flag threw up on our players. The uniform, designed by Under Armour, drew attention from many, including Miami Heat player Lebron James. James tweeted, "OH GOSH! Maryland uniforms #Ewwwwww". Everyone became a fashionista on Monday night, giving their opinion on the football team's wardrobe more than the game.
The uniform could work in our favor. It distracted me, so it probably will distract our opponent's linebackers from charging towards Danny O'Brien. The players seem to like the new uniform and that's all that really matters, but I wouldn't be caught in those shoes!
It was a good way to start the season; a win, against Miami 32-24, and national attention.
Game On: Under Armour vs. Nike
ReplyDeleteMaryland vs. Miami? How about Under Armour vs. Nike? The ultimate rivalry in college football does not seem to be between any two teams, but rather two powerhouse sports brands.
When the new uniforms for the University of Maryland’s football team were revealed on national television Monday night, fans were taken aback, some in awe, some in disgust.
Under Armour has officially made its debut for the 2011 season, challenging Nike and its infinite-combination football uniforms. In 2008 alone, the University of Oregon football team had a total of 384 combinations to choose from on game day, according to USA Today. Today, that number only increases with the new “Pro Combat” series. With Nike’s uniforms, the Oregon Ducks have “taken flight” with wings on their shoulder pads, making it to the BCS Championship Game in 2011.
At Maryland, players and coaches hope to reveal their renewed spirit with these new flashy uniforms that showcase the Maryland flag. They hope Maryland pride will swarm not only locally on the College Park campus, but nationally as well.
However, these uniforms received mixed reviews. The Terps wanted national buzz; they got it. But not necessarily in the light they wanted. The Baltimore Sun compared the Terps to the Charm City Roller Girls, whose helmets look almost identical.
The Diamondback reported that Maryland hopes to become the “Oregon of the East.” However, as a former lacrosse player at the University of Oregon and a transfer student here at Maryland, the Terps have a far way to come before they are the “Oregon of the East.” The uniforms do not make the team. The hard work and dedication of the players and coaches make the team.
Students, professors, and local residents make the Oregon Ducks their pride and joy. From my personal experience, Oregon fans are more loyal. These “PRIDE” uniforms are a good start here at Maryland, but bottom line is: the uniforms do not make the team. Let's get a winning streak going, Terps.
After four months of waiting, the buzz for Monday night's game was overwhelming. Excitement poured into Byrd Stadium along with a rolling rainstorm. New head coach Randy Edsall trotted his Terrapin squad out right before kickoff. When they breached the tunnel, the Terps thundered onto the field with the state flag slapped on their helmets and should pads. Edsall (and Under Armour) showed this is in fact the flagship university of Maryland and the rest of the country should recognize that.
ReplyDeleteI've long insisted to my out of state friends the Maryland flag is the best in the Union. Not another banner in the country is more recognizable. Settlers shaking hands, plants, animals- those are dull themes uninspiringly laid out on almost every other flag. It was about time the uniqueness of the Old-Line State was put on display and boy was it brilliantly done.
When the team burst onto the field the crowd roared, and whether it was the love of the Terps, the new uniforms or a combination of both, everyone was dripping Maryland pride.
Others in the media can rip them apart. Students can call them disgusting and lame. Even King James had a word on how repulsed he was. But it's no matter. Those doing the hating probably aren't from this state. It got people talking about UMD and that’s what’s important.
These uniforms embraced Maryland pride and put our school on the map. In a little over one week we survived Hurricane Irene and trounced Hurricane Sebastian. After all of that, I'm sure true Terps will weather a hurricane full of haters.
A Gross Reality
ReplyDeleteOn Monday night, the Maryland Terrapins football team took the field in Under Armour's new "PRIDE" uniforms. (Why capital letters? I don't know, ask the press release.) The uniforms were ridiculous. They were outlandish. They were grotesque.
But all that matters is that the state flag-addled getups did their job.
Maryland's new uniforms immediately drew unprecedented attention to a middling program playing on national television. Several different Maryland-related phrases were trending on Twitter. LeBron James was tweeting about them. They were subjects of entire segments on that night's Sportscenter.
At the fashion show unveiling all the other uniforms, I asked new head coach Randy Edsall the effect the new digs would have on recruiting. "Young men love their gear," Edsall said. He's absolutely correct.
It may be unconsciously, but recruits will be drawn to the program by the outrageously flashy swag that the Terps will be sporting now.
In 2003, Oregon dropped America's collective jaw, coming out in highlighter yellow uniforms that brought national buzz to the program. Eight years and hundreds of uniform combinations later, the Ducks have become a spectacle, with millions of viewers tuning in each and every week to see what they'll trot out. More importantly, they played in the BCS National Championship Game this past season.
Not to say that Maryland will ever reach that level or that Nike is solely responsible for Oregon's success, but the new uniforms will do nothing but good for the program, as ugly as they may be.
On another note, why does the state of Maryland have such an irrational obsession with its flag? Maybe because it's hard to take pride in my home's gem of a state flag, but these uniforms only furthered my bewilderment.
-Jesse Yomtov
Out of Their Shells
ReplyDeleteIt’s made national news, it’s been trending on Twitter and it’s been a topic of discussion for people all over the country. No, it’s not about a triple-homicide at an Ihop in Nevada, or the Jaguars’ release of quarterback David Garrard. It’s the university’s new football uniforms.
As the police and crime reporter for The Diamondback, I’m subject to some serious topics. But I received a text message from my father back home in New Jersey on Monday night that read: “I have a new story for you to write about this week: what a crime it is for Maryland to wear those uniforms!”
Sorry, Dad, but I don’t agree.
Emblazoned with the Maryland state flag from their helmets down to their cleats, regardless of how “pretty” or “ugly” fans think they were, the team had a different sense of pride that we didn’t see last year. Some say it’s the new coach, Randy Edsall, but I say it’s the new uniforms.
The players were surprised with the new digs just before their season opener on Monday against Miami. Despite an August fashion show with many different uniform choices, coaching staff chose a brand new option that even the players didn’t know about.
There were a few plays during the game that Edsall said he was angry about, one being a touchdown late in the fourth quarter where he would have preferred the Terps stop short of the end zone to ensure their win. But if you ask me, plays like that were inspired by the new uniforms. They brought a new sense of confidence, and, for lack of a better term, “swag” that has been missing.
So hate the loud, obnoxious uniforms all you want, and continue trending “#ewwww” on twitter, but with these uniforms, the Terps are out of their shells, and they’re gunning for a new, intimidating reputation.
-Erin Egan
Maryland’s new uniforms sure are getting a lot of attention.
ReplyDeleteWhether it’s from LeBron James talking smack on Twitter, the school’s football recruits praising them, or the Charm City Roller Girls telling the Baltimore Sun that their own helmet design was stolen, the discussion has been huge. And it doesn’t even matter what anyone thinks of them.
What matters is that these uniforms have managed to catch the eye of the entire sporting world Monday night as the Terrapins turned up their game and finished the Miami Hurricanes off on national television. They looked fresh, a new spin on a sport where dozens, even hundreds of teams wear trite block colored uniforms every week, occasionally exchanging certain combinations with each other.
Say what you will about the Maryland state flag’s color combinations, but there isn’t a better state flag out there. It’s made up of the coat of arms from each parent of George Calvert, who requested the charter for the state from the king of England. It certainly has its detractors, but what better way to represent the Old Line state than by celebrating what makes it unique? There’s no better rallying cry than something your target group understands, especially if outsiders despise it.
But do Marylanders appreciate it? The flag also manages to find its way onto t-shirts, shorts, and other casual wear, while both the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens feature it on their uniforms shoulder patch. The popularity seems to be rising in recent years given the uptick in these products’ production.
Given the 30-something combinations of colors Maryland can wear on their uniforms, we probably won’t be seeing this one again for a while. But that won’t stop everyone from talking about it. Mission accomplished.
-Brooks Phelps
New School Look
ReplyDeleteNot the rain, not the mud, not the grass stains and certainly not all the negative feedback could put me off to Maryland’s new uniforms.
They were loud, they were bold, and I have to admit they were sexy.
Heck, I was so desperate to see myself in one, I was half-inspired to bring out my cleats, brush off my Pop Warner days as a kicker and try out for the team.
Watch out Nick Ferrara.
But fantasies aside, what I loved most about them was that they were unique.
Regardless if you think them hideous or brilliant, disappointing or dope, you have to admit you have never seen anything like them in college football. So for that I applaud the University of Maryland, I applaud the Athletic Department and most of all I applaud Under Armour Founder Kevin Plank for putting out a product that you can’t help but talk about.
The uniforms have created such a buzz along the college football landscape that seemingly everyone has an opinion on them. When was the last time you heard Maryland football mentioned so frequently on national television? You can’t.
Yet, I think what rubs people the wrong way about them is that these uniforms are so connected to the state of Maryland. You could take any other school’s threads, change the color scheme, slap a new logo on the helmet and you could probably pull it off: not with these.
The state flag is so sacred here that only those from Maryland fully appreciate/understand these uniforms. The pride they create is immense. Imagine the feeling of wearing something that not only bears your number but the freaking state flag on it!
Of course these aren’t in the same class of Michigan’s maize-blue and yellow streaked hats or Penn State’s sacred plain white helmets, but that’s the point.
Maryland isn’t trying to capture the legacy with these uniforms like the traditional powerhouses, we are creating our own. College football isn’t what it was 50 years ago, let alone ten years ago.
It’s a new age and that requires a new look.
So I’ll take the flag theme, I’ll take the sleeves, the cleats, the turtle print, all 32 uniform combinations, and yes, I’ll even take all the negative comments. Because at the end the day, judging or not, the nation will be watching.
-Chris Trevino
Tradition be damned
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to tradition?
Before major networks like ESPN adorned our screens with moving-sidewalk-style news crawls, ads and strategically placed logos, when you turned on a football game how did you know who was playing? No, back in the day the score wasn't always plastered on the screen from start to finish.
It was the uniforms.
Michigan's maize and blue, Miami's orange and white, Penn State's blue and white, Nebraska's red and white, all immediately identified who was playing.
If Nike and the University of Oregon's psychedelic football uniform's opened the door to this new world a few years ago, the University of Maryland and Under Armour just blew it right off the hinges.
The school and the apparel giant unveiled a new look for Monday’s match-up with a scandal plagued, suspension depleted Miami squad, who the Terps still struggled to dispatch 32-24.
Admittedly, the Terrapins’ new look isn’t as bad as Oregon’s plethora of putrid paraphernalia, but some say there maybe some marketing method to their madness.
"I don't think they're uniforms, I think they're costumes at best," said Paul Lukas, founder of uni-watch.com and a columnist for ESPN.com, according to the NY Daily News
"At worst, they're a marketing scheme [from] Under Armour, which is now as synonymous with Maryland as Nike is to Oregon," he said.
Nike founder Phil Knight and Under Armour founder Kevin Plank both attended the school’s their companies now clothe.
But for a sports and business culture obsessed with “branding,” how does having more uniform combinations than Miami University football has players suspended identify your brand?
How does the absence of a uniform your school can be identified with make that team more recognizable than all the rest?
Don’t be fooled by the Twitter bomb that exploded during and after Monday’s game. Winning is the only brand that brings great recruits.
-Aaron Carter
New Uniforms are Exactly What Terps Needed
ReplyDeleteThe Terrapins football program welcomed a new era Monday night when it defeated an undermanned Miami squad, 32-24.
But by the time kicker Nick Ferrara secured the Terps’ win with a 32-yard field goal, commentators and pundits were no longer buzzing about the new coaches patrolling both teams’ sidelines.
Even the eight Hurricanes suspended for receiving improper benefits had drifted deep into the recesses of viewers’ memories.
And why is that? Uniforms.
The Terps used their spot on ESPN to send the country a message: “Whether you like it or not, Maryland has a football team and we’re not going to let you forget it.”
For decades, this university has been considered a basketball school. The names of Len Bias, Gary Williams and Juan Dixon can be heard throughout campus on a near-daily basis.
Shawne Merriman and Ralph Friedgen don’t get that kind of love.
But the Terps’ new coach, Randy Edsall, is intent on changing that. He desperately wants to take a seat at the table of the ACC’s elite football programs.
And, to be honest, he’s not as far away from achieving that goal as many people may think.
His program posted a 9-4 record, and finished No. 23 in the AP Top 25 last season. He returns one of the nation’s premier defensive players in linebacker Kenny Tate. And perhaps most importantly, he has a trusted quarterback in sophomore Danny O’Brien.
But entering into that “upper echelon” with the Virginia Techs and Florida States of the world requires more than wins. It requires hype. And that’s exactly what Maryland’s new “PRIDE” uniforms accomplished Monday night.
Who cares if they were a little obnoxious? Does it really matter that those gaudy yellow, red and black helmets could induce seizures in the wrong lighting?
No and no.
Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser had an open debate over the uniforms on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” Tuesday. Freddy Adu and LeBron James tweeted about them. In fact, at one point Monday night, "Maryland," "Terps" and "Under Armor" were all trending nationally on Twitter.
Those are the realities Terps fans should ponder.
So let’s stop worrying about how these new threads look, and start embracing something this program has sorely missed: attention.
-Connor Letourneau
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ReplyDeleteThe Terrapins have a new look and everybody's talking about it.
ReplyDeleteThe coaching staff's decision to have Terrapin footballers take the field in uniforms modeled after Maryland's state flag got a lot of attention from sports commentators, professional athletes and from fans tweeting during the game. Some have even jokingly attributed the University of Maryland's 32-24 win over Miami on Monday night to the distractingly ugly uniforms.
Over the last 50 years, there have been nearly a dozen redesigns of the Maryland football team's uniforms but none have ever broken away from the traditional look of uniforms so much. Those novice football watchers who look at team colors to figure out who's playing were probably a little confused by the change up.
As a neutral party not bogged down by a longing for traditionalism I say, "Go Terps!"
Maybe it was the national attention or just the great feeling you get wearing a new outfit but I think the team had a different more confident swagger Monday night. Not only did the uniforms show a since of pride in the state of Maryland but they helped create a bigger buzz about the team going into a new season with a new coach.
There hasn't been much hype surrounding the team in recent years so these new uniforms, whether you hate them or love them, are a chance to re-brand the team. All press is good press and a controversial uniform is better than having members accept controversial benefits ( …cough, cough Miami!).
- Kandyce Jakcson
It’s like a tree grinder got a hold of the Maryland flag, devoured it, and then hurled the shredded pieces onto the uniforms of the Maryland Terrapins. Pardon me, not just the jerseys, but the helmets, pants, even the cleats.
ReplyDeleteThanks to national coverage on ESPN, the apparel of an un-intimidating group of athletes became the talk of the nation. Hundreds of people aired their thoughts on the uniforms via Twitter. Lebron James tweeted “OH GOSH! Maryland uniforms #Ewwwwww!” Chad Ochocinco tweeted, “I love them.”
Love them or hate them, the uniforms provided the spark Maryland football desperately needed to start the 2011 season. And that spark can be found in the name of the jerseys themselves, pride. The Under Armour “Pride” uniforms gave the Terps some confidence, some fight, some swagger.
That swagger was evident when defensive back Cameron Chism intercepted Miami quarterback Stephen Morris with :47 seconds on the clock and returned it for a game-clinching touchdown.
Winning 32-24 in dramatic fashion, and I’m not just referring to the uniforms, the Terps alerted the nation that it isn’t the just the jerseys that people should be talking about.