Gold Facemasks

[winghaz]

Why people see grey facemasks as tradition, I don't know. 

Why wouldn't they? 

You may not happen to like the tradition, but that doesn't change it.

I don't see the point of the tradition, either. They used gray because they originally went with what color was available. That's not a tradition, that's a convenience.

You want tradition? Get rid of the facemasks, period.

[Gothamite]

So you don't like black shoes, either?

[yh]

I don't see any reason a standard steel facemask couldnt be dip-coated in rubber, to make it gold metalic-look.

I think its a style choice, rather than a 'can't do it' thing.

Here is an example of gold-look rubber:

Hey, stay out of my shoe closet.

Goddamned stalkers.

[John in KY]

Why people see grey facemasks as tradition, I don't know. 

Why wouldn't they? 

You may not happen to like the tradition, but that doesn't change it.

I don't see the point of the tradition, either. They used gray because they originally went with what color was available. That's not a tradition, that's a convenience.

You want tradition? Get rid of the facemasks, period.

I've always heard that the gray rubberized coating was developed to be less visible when the helmet was being worn than the original brown gum rubber used to cover the 1950s "cow-catcher" masks or the thick white plastic masks.

I suppose that "less visible" would be a consideration to a generation of players who were used to not wearing face masks (or wearing the banned clear facemasks).

[winghaz]

I doubt the gray facemasks are "less visible" for African-American players.

They were introduced when football was pretty much lily-white. Well, grayish-tanish white.

[EatSleepJeep]

You know Notre Dame won't try it because that would break tradition.

Why people see grey facemasks as tradition, I don't know.

Unless it's a team color all it is is dated.

Notre dame would look good with navy masks. Maybe white masks. Maybe gold masks.

Grey just looks dated.

It'd almost have to be gold masks, as ND's helmet would be identical to Navy's with a navy facemask. Baylor uses the exact same paint the Irish do for their gold helmets, which would mean a green facemask would look too much like those losers' lids. White masks...too damn generic. As I say, that would leave gold, cus no one else uses it for their masks. heh, a flat tan would do, most folks wouldn't tell the difference.

Oh really? Baylor uses liberal amounts of real gold dust in their paint? No way.

ND is the only school around that does that, that's why their gold hue is so soft. Miniature Golden Domes. Put an ND next to a Navy, BC or FSU helmet and you'll see the difference the genuine article makes.

[John in KY]

I doubt the gray facemasks are "less visible" for African-American players.

They were introduced when football was pretty much lily-white. Well, grayish-tanish white.

winghaz - sorry, I meant less visibly distracting for the player when looking out of the helmet while wearing it, not blending in to the player's face when seen by someone else looking at the player.

The color was supposed to be neutral so you could more easily train your eyes to look beyond the facemask while wearing the helmet. The story I heard was that this color was developed in response to complaints from players who started their careers before facemasks.

Of course, by the time colored face masks came out in 1974, the players were used to having a mask there so the color didn't bother them.

[powersurge]

I don't see any reason a standard steel facemask couldnt be dip-coated in rubber, to make it gold metalic-look.

I think its a style choice, rather than a 'can't do it' thing.

Here is an example of gold-look rubber:

Hey, stay out of my shoe closet.

Goddamned stalkers.

My girlfriend's got a purse that'll match that if you'd like