Michigan Football 2011

[BRice16]

Just like whitedawg said... Just because a design is copied by another team, doesn't cheapen the history or status behind the original.

I get that Michigan fans love their helmet. They should. But they have to accept that it's not original to their school as much as they try to convince themselves that it is or that it doesn't matter. Michigan can never say they have a unique helmet. That alone does indeed cheapen the helmet's history and status.

They have a unique helmet in Division 1 football. The other schools that wear it are in the FCS.

I'm far from a Michigan fan, I dislike the entire Big Ten, to be honest. But fans all over the country recognize that Michigan has one of the few great untouchable helmets in the entire country.

[GFB]

I get that Michigan fans love their helmet. They should. But they have to accept that it's not original to their school as much as they try to convince themselves that it is or that it doesn't matter. Michigan can never say they have a unique helmet. That alone does indeed cheapen the helmet's history and status.

So, with your guidelines, I guess this isn't a unique design and cheapens the history and status:

Just because a look isn't original, doesn't mean it can't be adopted and firmly rooted in history, tradition, and status.

Maybe the uninformed, Wal-Mart Wolverine fan claims that Michigan invented the winged helmet, but I don't believe anyone on this board has claimed that Michigan invented the winged helmet... And guess what, we're fine with it. Why? Because today, no matter what team wears the winged helmet (whether it be Princeton, Delaware, Oregon, or any high school team in America...), everyone recognizes that it is Michigan's helmet design.

[andrewharrington]

I think they can get a decent look together - without having plain blue and plain white jerseys. They just need to have some sort of vision and not just throw at the wall to see what sticks. Michigan deserves/needs a solid uniform, classic INSPIRED uniform. It doesn't have to be strictly a throwback uniform, but I think a classic-inspired uniform is nearly a must for Michigan.

Here is the vision:

Honestly, when you have the best helmet in college football (sorry, everyone else) why would you try to divert any attention away from the helmet and toward the uniform? This is why the home uniforms work so well... They support the helmet by being a blank canvas and allowing the helmet to be the centerpiece.

Park the homerism bias. It's a good helmet, but saying its the best in college is pompous.

I severely dislike Michigan, but I agree that their helmet is easily top 3 in the country, if not the best.

As a design professional, I can't say Michigan's helmet is a good design since it has nothing to do with Michigan or Wolverines. It looks nice and is distinctive but it's basically "fluff". Great design should have something to do with its subject matter.

I don't agree with that. Literal design can often look trite or lack a certain refined quality.

What does ABC's meatball or Nike's swoosh have to do with broadcasting or shoes? Not much, but both of those are among the best identifiers in history, for many reasons.

[ESTONES6]

I think they can get a decent look together - without having plain blue and plain white jerseys. They just need to have some sort of vision and not just throw at the wall to see what sticks. Michigan deserves/needs a solid uniform, classic INSPIRED uniform. It doesn't have to be strictly a throwback uniform, but I think a classic-inspired uniform is nearly a must for Michigan.

Here is the vision:

Honestly, when you have the best helmet in college football (sorry, everyone else) why would you try to divert any attention away from the helmet and toward the uniform? This is why the home uniforms work so well... They support the helmet by being a blank canvas and allowing the helmet to be the centerpiece.

Park the homerism bias. It's a good helmet, but saying its the best in college is pompous.

I severely dislike Michigan, but I agree that their helmet is easily top 3 in the country, if not the best.

As a design professional, I can't say Michigan's helmet is a good design since it has nothing to do with Michigan or Wolverines. It looks nice and is distinctive but it's basically "fluff". Great design should have something to do with its subject matter.

I don't agree with that. Literal design can often look trite or lack a certain refined quality.

What does ABC's meatball or Nike's swoosh have to do with broadcasting or shoes? Not much, but both of those are among the best identifiers in history, for many reasons.

Branding is different in entertainment than sports... Especially when you are talking mascots and what not. The novelty of Michigans helmet wears off when it has been done in the history of the NFL as well as numerous high school football teams for every city in the Union.

[Discrim]

I don't care what anybody says, Michigan killed it with this one. The Sugar Bowl jerseys coulda used some more maize though. Those jerseys didn't look like they were exactly thought through all the way. A couple tweaks away from being a nice road jersey though.

[CrazyAnna]

When you see that helmet, most if not all instantly think of Michigan. That alone makes it a legendary helment.

[MJWalker45]

I always think of Grove City!

[oldschoolvikings]

I don't care what anybody says, Michigan killed it with this one. The Sugar Bowl jerseys coulda used some more maize though. Those jerseys didn't look like they were exactly thought through all the way. A couple tweaks away from being a nice road jersey though.

This was IMO the best of the fauxbacks. Still, not something a school like Michigan needs to indulge in... at least not for as many games as they did this year.

One timers should be worn... oh, I dunno... maybe one time?

(And, yes, I'm aware this particular set was only worn once. I'm speaking to more of the season long parade of "specials")

[bucknut40]

I loved the sugar bowl uniforms....I wouldn't mind seeing them make a home uniform out of that...as for the durability factor, being someone who lives nike, my old high school used and still had adidas, they play a power style offense and out linemen and backs jerseys are still in fantastic shape

[Pizzaman7294]

why must they keep wearing different aspects from those throwbacks?!

[andrewharrington]

I think they can get a decent look together - without having plain blue and plain white jerseys. They just need to have some sort of vision and not just throw at the wall to see what sticks. Michigan deserves/needs a solid uniform, classic INSPIRED uniform. It doesn't have to be strictly a throwback uniform, but I think a classic-inspired uniform is nearly a must for Michigan.

Here is the vision:

Honestly, when you have the best helmet in college football (sorry, everyone else) why would you try to divert any attention away from the helmet and toward the uniform? This is why the home uniforms work so well... They support the helmet by being a blank canvas and allowing the helmet to be the centerpiece.

Park the homerism bias. It's a good helmet, but saying its the best in college is pompous.

I severely dislike Michigan, but I agree that their helmet is easily top 3 in the country, if not the best.

As a design professional, I can't say Michigan's helmet is a good design since it has nothing to do with Michigan or Wolverines. It looks nice and is distinctive but it's basically "fluff". Great design should have something to do with its subject matter.

I don't agree with that. Literal design can often look trite or lack a certain refined quality.

What does ABC's meatball or Nike's swoosh have to do with broadcasting or shoes? Not much, but both of those are among the best identifiers in history, for many reasons.

Branding is different in entertainment than sports... Especially when you are talking mascots and what not. The novelty of Michigans helmet wears off when it has been done in the history of the NFL as well as numerous high school football teams for every city in the Union.

Pretty sure the novelty of Michigan's helmet has not worn off, given that it is one of the most recognizable pieces of sports equipment in the country and always associated with Michigan before any other entity.

[ESTONES6]

I agree... It's always Michigan first, but much of the novelty wears off when you can open a newspaper in any city and see the same helmet on numerous local teams.

[PhlyBoy]

wrong thread