Most mornings, I read both The State and The Wall Street Journal over breakfast. This morning, I was struck by a certain contrast.
The WSJ had, teased from the front and filling most of a section front, a feature on the coming fashion season.
The State had a fashion spread, too. But it was football fashion. That says a lot about who we are, don’t you think? The fashion thing may have seemed odd to old-time readers of the Journal, but the football stuff looked right at home in the hometown paper.
Here’s a thought: The new Maryland unis looked pretty good. They’re sharp, innovative, and yet invoke tradition, really telling you where they’re from.
Wouldn’t it be great (and I’m bracing myself as I say this, at the height of Garnet and Black Fever time) if the Gamecocks wore solid indigo blue uniforms with white lettering, and the Palmetto tree (in white) on one shoulder and the crescent moon on the other? That would say so much about this being the University of SOUTH CAROLINA.
It would also, politically, position the school as THE flagship university in an indelible manner.
And it would look really, really sharp.
But I’m not holding my breath for that to happen.
What? They got a FASHION season, too?
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Yeah, I know those photos look a bit unusual. My iPhone didn’t quite capture what I was seeing. The strong, slanting morning light across the papers looked good in real life, not as good in the photos… But I still like them better than if I had scanned the pages…
Indigo Blue is about the same as the colors for the University of Kentucky or Duke. That may look sharp but it’s not proper on a gamecock uniform.
A matter of personal taste. At some point over the last 40 or 50 years, I sort of reached garnet and black overload. And there is no color combination I like better than dark blue with white. I think we have, partly because of the colors but also because of the design, the most beautiful of state flags.
Maryland’s uniforms make them look like Crash Test Dummies.
Maryland’s uniforms looked like an Alice in Wonderland acid trip. Put me firmly in the camp of not a fan of the Maryland uniforms.
As for going “state flag” with the Gamecock uniforms, it’s an interesting idea, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that. You’re not going to see blue on the uniform ever.
On a level that is possible, the trophy for the Carolina/Clemson winner every year is horrible and should be replaced with a palmetto trophy of some sort. The “Hardees Trophy” is so lame and Hardees isn’t even a SC company. Get a “palmetto-esqe” trophy, and forget about the uniform changes.
For me, the introductions of the Weekend Journal section, and then the Personal Journal section in 2002 or so showed a weakening of the Journal — it went from being a serious financial newspaper mostly read by financial folks to being a general national newspaper with a conservative bent. It’s financial news is no longer reliable, and there’s alot of fluff. To see a headline of “Mix of Fun and Sport” in the venerable WSJ is kind of depressing.
(I like the new Maryland uniforms, too).
Look, there’s a #$%^ Sports section every day and sports has colonized the pitiful news sections pretty heavily already. Can’t the two pages of actual content that isn’t comics on the days they still have a features section PLEASE not have sports, too?
Just shows that Under Armour can design as ugly of a uniform as Nike can.
I had a tough time watching the Boise State – Georgia game.
If Texas A&M joins the SEC practically the entire conference will be dressed in some shade of burgundy. I’m assuming it’s because the colors are all complimentary to Confederate Gray – or some such subliminal regional yearning. Whatever, don’t get it and would think indigo blue would be awesome for USC. And then they could loose the Gamecock name and go with swamp foxes or something… Anything…
Glad you agree with me on the colors. But while “Swamp Foxes” would be awesome, it’s taken. And “Gamecocks” is a pretty good name, since it comes from Thomas Sumter being called “the Carolina Gamecock.”
FYI, the Gamecocks will be going with military-themed pattern jerseys against Auburn to benefit the Wounded Warrior foundation. They need to make this an annual tradition. Pick one game every year and do a Wounded Warrior benefit.
Also, didn’t think about TAMU’s colors, but Mark makes a good point there. USC, MSU, UGA, “Bama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss all have a red or dark red in their uniform. Interesting relating it to the Confederacy. Maybe there’s something to that.
Also, on the Confederacy, you know the current SC State flag is a secessionist flag, right? The NAACP would probably get upset if USC wore it as part of a jersey in a game.
While the current flag design dates to 1861, it evolved from one (a blue one, with white crescents) first seen in 1765. And everything about it invokes and honors the SC role in the Revolution. Everything about this flag would be coherent and relevant and historical without the Confederacy ever having existed.
Also, I don’t know if I follow the connection between red and the Confederacy. But I could see how you might connect it to the Redshirts, the insurgent successor to the Confederacy, which employed terror during Reconstruction.
I was thinking more along the lines of the deep red sashes the officers wore with their dress uniforms – and into battle early on I think.
The redshirts were just that; red. Blood red.
The SC state flag is a great flag. It was “revolutionary” in 1861. But so what? It works and it’s not devisive.
I know USC’s mascot inspiration was Thos. Sumter. But really, a chicken? The cockfigjting baggage is a bit much. Wouldn’t bother me if it didn’t give cover to those who still promote that odious pursuit. But it does.
I love our SC flag. It’s unique, attractive, instantly recognizable and doesn’t have the baggage that other flag has. And I’ll honor the gentlemanly tradition it represents, and forgive you for suggesting we abandon Garnet and Black. And it’s not “some shade of burgundy.” It’s garnet.
Georgia looked hideous. I was offended. I like the classic Georgia uniform. Maryland…eh. It’s Maryland.
I think Norm might be in a dueling mood. I should have said “garnet and various shades of burgundy for those other schools.”
The school colors don’t bother me; they are historical. Garnet has probably been the hood color of the University’s academic robes since the schools founding.
But celebrating fighting Gamecocks in a state where too many people still think cock and dog fighting are sports is something that does send the wrong signal. I’d be happy if the state would seriously address these noxious activities – so we can get back to football.
@Mark
No duels today–I’d hate to miss tomorrow’s game. I’m with you on the barbarism of cock and dog fighting. I would never condone either in any form. I would report both immediately. But I also like being one of very few teams that claim the gamecock as their mascot. Jacksonville State is the only other university program I’m aware of.
Interesting observation, you like the uniforms and on the football forums the vast majority, if not overwhelming majority think they suck.