Sooners go gray
A reader from Alabama, Larry Inman, was fired up about the OU basketball team’s new gray uniforms, trotted out for the Wednesday night game against Tulsa. “I was rather surprised but pleasantly,” Inman wrote. “We are living in a day when teams are trying some new combos in their uniforms. Some of the uniforms have been pretty good, but who is in charge of West Virginia (all yellow), Tennessee (all orange) and Oregon (all awful,especially those metallic yellow helmets) uniform choices? Those uniforms hurt my eyes!
“I live in Alabama now having grown up in Oklahoma but I come into contact with several Tennessee Vol fans, and they have expressed to me their displease of the all orange the Vols wore against LSU. In my opinion, the uniforms were awful but kudos to them for trying something different. I know tradition is something else to contend with, but I wonder why OU hasn’t done something a little different with their uniforms? They are basically the same as when Stoops first came with the exception of the no-name jerseys of last year. I doubt the home red jerseys will ever change and that is OK with me, but those pants with the heavy double strip look like something out of the 70’s to me, or a Wisconsin Badger uniform.
“Something else I have never understood is that the school colors are crimson and cream, and OU wears white. Maybe the away game uniforms could be Cream? Or even red pants. Even OSU has tried something different in their uniforms (of course that is not going to be helpful to enter into a discussion). I suppose Stoops would never admit that he listened to someone else, particularly media, but it’s time for a little variety in the uniforms. Georgia came out with the black shirts one Saturday and whole stadium was filled with black shirts and it was just kind of fun to watch. So maybe on a slow sports day after all the bowl games, you could write an article about uniforms and stir up a little discussion.”
Thanks, Larry. Uniforms are one of my favorite topics. I don’t like messing with tradition, but I suppose going gray is about as harmless as you can get. Now, if the Sooners had come out in black, that would have been sacrilege. Anyway, I’ve written about this before, and I think I will do a video later today, but what say you, Sooner fans? Do you want more color variation? Do you want experimentation in the football uniforms? Do you want Bob Stoops to wear red polyester pants on the sidelines? Let me know.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I agree with Britton. I think OU’s look is CLASSIC aqnd it shouldn’t ber messed with. Possible exception: breaking out the 50’s-era white helmets with red stripe once a year. Maybe for homecoming if we’re honoring a “vintage” team that year.
OU is a traditional power, they do not need to change uniforms to excite fan interest. OSU and Texas Tech were never able to decide whether or not to wear black or their other color. That disturbs the feeling of tradition. I believe that has an effect on team play too. Every time Nebraska changed their color scheme, they have been losers. Like when they went to the all rde motiff. Go with what the fans and the team are both comfortable with.
OU’s football uniforms are among the best-looking, and most traditional, in all of college football. To change them to something like the “new, improved” monstrosities that OSU has trotted out this year would be ridiculous.
I’d just as soon not see gray basketball uniforms either.
Berry,
What do we tell children when they are about to touch something they shouldn’t?
NO!
Thanks!
Jeff
Berry,
thought that the sooner jerseys were attractive. I’ve liked what OSU has done with the Orange jerseys (go figure); but think that in football, it would be cool to bring back the black jersey’s. Don’t know what kind of combo, but we used to have black. I always wondered why OU’s colors were crimson and cream, but no cream whatsoever….
Jason
Berry,
OU’s colors are Red & White (or Crimson & Cream if you will), NOT gray or black or orange or magenta or what have you. It goes for all sports. I think the baseball team brought out some black jerseys and I thought they were awful. Stick with tradition. If other schools want to look like idiots that is their business, but leave OU’s tradtional colors alone!
Randy
I surrender! I know messing with tradtion is an awful thing to do. But what tradition are we talking about. Last year OU took the names off of the jerseys and people had a fit, but OU hasn’t always had names on the back of the jerseys. So much for tradition in that area. I didn’t think many people would be for a change in uniforms , but as I said I surrender and will continue to cheer OU on like I have for 54 years! Even if those pants remind me of the tradtion of the Wisconsin Badgers!
OU does not have to change their uniforms…..other teams need to do stuff like that. Plus, OU’s uniforms are classic and rich in tradition ( that’s Championship tradition )…….we don’t need gray, black or whatever……we’re red ( crimson ) and white ( cream )……..other schools that change often remind me of a high school—-not a university.
Barry, I’m with you. Don’t jack with tradition. I’m ok with Oregon trotting out with a different retina burning uni each week. In fact I look forward to seeing what they will do next. But not someone like OU. When I see OSU changing uniforms every year it makes me feel like they have NO tradition and maybe a new uni will help get them fired up for a win. One of the coolest traditions in football has got to be USC cheerleaders in their white turtleneck sweaters.