New Oregon Helmets!?!?!

[IceCap]

Its funny reading all of the negative reactions to the new Oregon unis designs over the past few years. Regardless of the reactions, when its all said and done what other team is pushing the envelope of design? If it weren't for Oregon we'd be still obsessing over the mismatching Cowboy unis. Seriously though, what other team is doing something different and new on a consistent basis like Oregon?

I think uniform design is progressing way too slow. Fabrics and materials are getting better, but designs are for the most part stagnant and unimaginative. At least Oregon is trying to push boundaries. I'll give them credit for that.

You have a legitimate point, or you would if Oregon's designs were progressive as opposed to outlandish. They seem to be going more for shock value than aesthetic appeal.

As for pushing boundaries, the boundaries they're pushing were pushed in 1975. Their uni's always make me think of...

But to be honest with you, the 70's was the last true era that was really interesting and innovative in uniform design IMO. I would rather see teams borrowing from the 70's and improving upon it than trying to do the crap that we see now.

Hey look, I'm not saying the Oregon look is great, but I'm not saying its bad either. I'm simply saying that they are trying new or different things, while not being predictable and boring. What I think might happen, is that we'll see the boundaries of what is acceptable and tasteful, and HOPEFULLY designers will pull back a bit and create something that is really nice......HOPEFULLY.

There's a difference between innovative and unnecessarily ugly. The Broncos unis are innovative. So are the Falcons, Cardinals, Vikings, Bengals, and Bills. While some of them are in deed ugly, they are at least using elements that progress football uniform design in a positive way, they're just either using them wrong, or are using to many of them. I'd even say the Miami Hurricanes template with the striped across the back is pretty innovative.

What the Ducks do is just ugly though. Diamond plating? Piss yellow/puke green helmets with ghost flames? That's not innovative. That's ugly and unnecessary.

Look at it this way:

The Broncos uniforms have inspired copycats from the highest university level down to pop warner.

The elements of the Bills, Bengals, Falcons Cardinals, and Vikings uniforms can all be used in a positive fashion, like shoulder yokes, side panels, the logo above the name on the back, different colour sleeves then the rest of the jersey, unique sleeve striping. All of these elements can be used to a positive effect, most of these teams just use to much of them. Even the Miami back stripe can work if done right.

Seriously though, how many teams are going to start incorporating the diamond platting look into their uniforms? My guess would be almost none. Why? Because the design isn't progressive, it's ugly and unnecessary for a football uniform.

If anything I would say the NY Jets did more in terms of innovative uniform designs with their different coloured sleeves then Oregon is doing with a random pattern slapped all over their uniform.

The helmet, I admit, could work for some teams, like the Rhein Fire. Still, the helmet would have to be a solid colour (either maroon or black) not a combination of the two.

As far as UO is concerned, why does a team named the Ducks need a helmet with flames on it? The colour is also messed up. The team colours are yellow and green. Pick one, not a vomit-inducing combination of both.

[harperdc]

for those of you saying "what does a team in green, black and yellow with diamond plating have to do with the ducks?", answer this:

what does a team in all-white with blue trim have to do with lions? or a team in yellow and blue with a wolverine? Red, black and silver with a freaking nut?

so long as we stay predominantly in green and yellow, I say we're in the same category as those more mainstream-uniformed schools: WE WEAR SCHOOL COLORS. when have you ever seen a blue and yellow wolverine? exactly.

what makes me more uncomfortable, though, is that the players like - and will lobby to continue to wear - black. UGH. Black is not a color of the university of oregon...btw that was in the Oregonian article.

and don't worry, there'll be plenty of the nike O logos on the jerseys - have we forgotten about the pants?

I've said it once and I'll say it again here: my official stance is that our usual helmets are good, our uniforms would be brilliant without the diamond plating and that this new helmet in the current photos and without being in a game look stupid. I withhold ability to say they look cool after the bowl game next Thursday.

[-Helix-]

I like them. Unfortunately they'll probably just look gold from a distance.

I like that Oregon tries to be different and creative. Sometimes it may look horrible, but at least it's not always the same old boring "traditional" look that everyone is so obsessed with.

[dunford]

I understand that people don't like the diamond plating. However, I think it's genius. Here's why. As the last couple of decades has progressed in the world of football, jersey design has changed radically. Sleeves have essentially disappeared. For better or for worse, one of the things that has always separated football jerseys from other types of jerseys has been sleeve design - especially sleeve striping. As jerseys have lost their sleeves, striping on jerseys has changed radically. Teams have redesigned their jerseys so that either they've moved to shoulder stripes, or different sleeve color, changed the sleeve stripe to an odd-looking half armpit stripe (see picture below)

Ultimately, the diamond plating is an attempt to think outside the box. It might not 'fit' the Oregon team name, but it's at least better looking than an armpit stripe.

The font on Oregon jerseys does suck, though.

[cappital92]

It looks like a crystal ball,almost. <predicts future>Excuse me, I need to make some bets in Vegas.

[BigShoop]

My question is this... diamond-plated uniforms, ghost flamed helmets... what does this have to do with the school's nickname of DUCKS?! I could see this on Jeff Gordon's uniform with Gladiator Garageworks on his uniform, but the Oregon Ducks? I would have no problem with these flames on Arizona State, it would work Sun Devils, but the Ducks? It's like seeing spinners on a beat up old pinto. You just look and ask yourself, "Do you have any common sense?" I guess not, it's Oregon who has got some sort of little man complex with the rest of the Pac 10 and college football. I think they think if they could be as stupid and rediculous as possible that the rest of the nation will finally pay attention to them.

EXACTLY my thoughts. What does a DUCK have to do with diamond plating and flames?!

[IceCap]

for those of you saying "what does a team in green, black and yellow with diamond plating have to do with the ducks?", answer this:

what does a team in all-white with blue trim have to do with lions? or a team in yellow and blue with a wolverine? Red, black and silver with a freaking nut?

The examples you used have to do with colour. No one's saying the Ducks should give up green and yellow.

It's the diamond plating that doesn't make sense.

I like them. Unfortunately they'll probably just look gold from a distance.

I like that Oregon tries to be different and creative. Sometimes it may look horrible, but at least it's not always the same old boring "traditional" look that everyone is so obsessed with.

What's wrong with these?

They're certainly not traditional. I would say they are creative and different without being ugly like piss yellow/puke green helmets with ghost flames and diamond platting.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

whats in the water up there in oregon? What ever it is they need to pass that around.

[harperdc]

whats in the water up there in oregon? What ever it is they need to pass that around.

it's not the water, it's the water pipes.

----

I don't agree with the diamond-plating look, either. I've gotten a bit used to it, and I'm glad I got the best of the replica jerseys (black civil war jerseys from '05, which are more game-style than the basic replicas) in this style. I think somebody earlier in the thread was calling out green and yellow for the Ducks.

and if you remove the diamond plates you get something that looks very similar to the Joey-era first-Nike-revamp Duck jerseys, minus the side striping.

I really, really, really hope our men's basketball and football teams stop wearing black. It is not a UO color, no matter how decent it may look on the Joey jersey.

[buckeyes]

i think that if you could combine oregons past 3 uniform sets that it wouldnt look that bad

[winghaz]

Let's be honest, gang. This is Oregon football we're talking about. We should expect the weird.

[leedsunited]

Um, flames?

Just another example of Nike using UO as their personal lab-rat, guinea pig, sacrificial lamb for whatever nonsense their art and design team can cook up after a night of popping mushrooms and e.

Really, there's nothing good about this. There's no respect for team nickname, team history, anything. Hey, FLAMES! Cool! Metallic grid pattern? Throw it on there! Roboduck? Sure, why the hell not? WE OWN THIS UNIVERSITY, lock stock and barrel.

Embarassing.

[CityOfWalrus]

if they dropped the ghost flames... they'd have an amazing helmet... maybe more defination to the O but still I love it.. I jsut love Oregon's yellow color and thier green...

[hecticbro]

They might not even get to wear them. Only half of the helmets arrived so far. Either way, it could look kind of cool (maybe?) with the black or green shirt and yellow pants, and the flames don't show up that well from afar. I wonder what insanity they'll come up with after this season.

[hecticbro]

By the way, I've seen the template for the 2007 home uniform:

[BRM_PTX]

Oh my God. My eyes just exploded.

[therookiesensation]

I guess the Ducks' shtick is anti-traditionalism. It looks like they're just saying screw all the schools who have classic jerseys every season we're just gonna wear crazy uniforms for the hell of it.

[rcb05]

I think we've all come to accept that every year Oregon is going to come out with something new and radical, nothing wrong with that. But my question with this is, why flames? You are the ducks, last time I checked, fire and aquatic birds don't mix very well. Why not do a splash of water or something like that? It would make a lot more sense.

[hecticbro]

I think it's just another step in the radical shift from "Oregon Ducks" to "Oregon Outlaw Bikers"

[hawk36]

Ultimately, the diamond plating is an attempt to think outside the box. It might not 'fit' the Oregon team name, but it's at least better looking than an armpit stripe.

Why not a feather pattern or a claw pattern. Both would look fine and both would at least have something to do with the mascot. Even the Oregon "O" pattern was very nice.