Time to break in a new uniform thread - 2022 edition

[g0lftime]

Dabo's approach to the transfer portal may bite him more than he thinks. May need to change his attitude on that but he has definitely out recruited the rest of the ACC and hired good coordinators. Has the budget to do that and sending guys to head coaching jobs which attracts good replacements.

 

[CEB]

It's the coaches job to help eliminate distractions (no matter how small they are) and have their guys focused on the game.

This right here 100%!
It’s not for us to say how profound the impact is. eliminating anything perceived to be counterproductive should be on the table.

 

[DaDodd]

it just really comes across like you’re minimizing the work these kids are putting in and it sounds pretty insulting to suggest that they can’t handle the concept of new uniforms without running amok.

what do you have to say about oregon? they have, for the last decade or so, been a fixture in the top 15 or so of college football. even playing in two national championships plus several Ny6 bowls. they are the most extreme example of uniforms and they seem to be doing ok.

i don’t disagree for a second this team has had some discipline problems (david curry celebration penalty against citadel likely cost us that game), but i think complaining about uniforms is just really misplaced and a little too much old-school-1950s-football-guy rhetoric.

Hahaha I knew Oregon would come up. Yes Oregon is an exception and maybe a few others. I understand your point about the players effort. But I'm just quoting back what a college head football coach observed about his team. If a head coach observed that his players were distracted by what uniform combo they wearing that week, then I would take his word for it. He sees and knows his players way more then we do. Most top tier successful teams (with the exception of Oregon and maybe a few others) don't even talk about uniform combinations. I am not trying to undermine the players. But to think that kids ages 18-23 are not info fashion and how they look is ignorant. If anything a special uniform combo should be a reward that must be earned.

I'm not saying that getting rid of of crazy uniform combos will fix everything. Obviously the field play and coaching needs to be a billion percent better. But I think it can be a small piece of the puzzle to better the team. At this point we need to be trying everything.

 

[TooTall]

Hahaha I knew Oregon would come up. Yes Oregon is an exception and maybe a few others. I understand your point about the players effort. But I'm just quoting back what a college head football coach observed about his team. If a head coach observed that his players were distracted by what uniform combo they wearing that week, then I would take his word for it. He sees and knows his players way more then we do. Most top tier successful teams (with the exception of Oregon and maybe a few others) don't even talk about uniform combinations. I am not trying to undermine the players. But to think that kids ages 18-23 are not info fashion and how they look is ignorant. If anything a special uniform combo should be a reward that must be earned.

I'm not saying that getting rid of of crazy uniform combos will fix everything. Obviously the field play and coaching needs to be a billion percent better. But I think it can be a small piece of the puzzle to better the team. At this point we need to be trying everything.

What does this look like? Miss a blocking assignment? Drop a pass? How is that shown that a player is distracted by a uniform color? Not denying, just looking for an example.

 

[Buzztheirazz]

There's a difference in organically hyping up your teammates and manufacturing some "juice crew".

So are we going to be seeing “money down” again this year? Because it surely hasn’t paid off. Yuck yuck yuck

 

[CEB]

What does this look like? Miss a blocking assignment? Drop a pass? How is that shown that a player is distracted by a uniform color? Not denying, just looking for an example.

No hard proof but we can all appreciate the context...
UGA coworker years ago was telling me all about the Dwags rolling out black unis for a game (against UF I believe). It was a pregame “surprise” to players. Dwags got whacked and the pretty well accepted rumor was that kids were fighting over mirrors in the locker room before the game and worried more with what they looked like...
Maybe they just got outplayed, maybe they weren’t focused for other reasons, but I’ll throw it out an example we can all appreciate...

 

[TooTall]

You sure Nick Saban had nothing to with it? 31 to nothing at the half and final was 41-30. Did Bama get ew uniforms at the half? I mean I'm happy any time the mutts get embarrassed but it just seem stupid to blame the kids when it's your job as a coach to have them ready. Now, we have to understand that I can tell a kid 50 times to do something and he doesn't do it but all this over a jersey reveal just seems shaky. (I was a D2 player and D3 & NAIA coach, and its just a flimsy argument all the way around)
Same excuse is given when a P5 teams is upset in a non-top tier bowl, "Well, we just didn't want to be there." "Well, you know we broke out new uniforms. Kids were distracted."

 

[CEB]

You sure Nick Saban had nothing to with it? 31 to nothing at the half and final was 41-30. Did Bama get ew uniforms at the half? I mean I'm happy any time the mutts get embarrassed but it just seem stupid to blame the kids when it's your job as a coach to have them ready. Now, we have to understand that I can tell a kid 50 times to do something and he doesn't do it but all this over a jersey reveal just seems shaky. (I was a D2 player and D3 & NAIA coach, and its just a flimsy argument all the way around)
Same excuse is given when a P5 teams is upset in a non-top tier bowl, "Well, we just didn't want to be there." "Well, you know we broke out new uniforms. Kids were distracted."

Further back. Richt coaching and as I said, I think against UF. If he had blamed losses to Bama on unis I would’ve laughed for other reasons.

 

[CEB]

I mean I'm happy any time the mutts get embarrassed but it just seem stupid to blame the kids when it's your job as a coach to have them ready.

I missed the edit opportunity but specifically with regard to this, I agree 100%. Coach needs to have them ready and focused. Period. Whatever he perceived as a distraction, be it uniforms, pregame meal, blue power ade day, whatever, it’s his job to manage that and focus the team. How he manages it is up to him but if I believed something contributed to us not playing our best, you can be assured that I would eliminate it. To paraphrase Crash Davis, if you believe you’re playing well because you’re wearing garters or getting laid or not getting laid... then you are.

 

[yeti92]

No hard proof but we can all appreciate the context...
UGA coworker years ago was telling me all about the Dwags rolling out black unis for a game (against UF I believe). It was a pregame “surprise” to players. Dwags got whacked and the pretty well accepted rumor was that kids were fighting over mirrors in the locker room before the game and worried more with what they looked like...
Maybe they just got outplayed, maybe they weren’t focused for other reasons, but I’ll throw it out an example we can all appreciate...

Don't think they wore them against UF. Auburn was the first in 2007 where it was a surprise, then they wore them against Louisiana Lafayette and Hawaii, then the beatdown by Bama @TooTall is referring to.

 

[CEB]

Don't think they wore them against UF. Auburn was the first in 2007 where it was a surprise, then they wore them against Louisiana Lafayette and Hawaii, then the beatdown by Bama @TooTall is referring to.

Must’ve been... I try not to give them any undue attention... or any attention really. I just remember my coworker describing being all fired up until they got stomped and then blaming the black Jersey hype.
By the way, TooTall, don't paint me into a corner of defending any dwag here... just relaying what was a funny example at their expense. Excuses are for losers, not doing that... but my overall point is that you eliminate anything that takes focus away from your goal

 

[TooTall]

Must’ve been... I try not to give them any undue attention... or any attention really. I just remember my coworker describing being all fired up until they got stomped and then blaming the black Jersey hype.
By the way, TooTall, don't paint me into a corner of defending any dwag here... just relaying what was a funny example at their expense. Excuses are for losers, not doing that... but my overall point is that you eliminate anything that takes focus away from your goal

Not on my worst enemy would I say that. The argument was directed at the original scrape goat of different color jerseys being the cause for a tail whoopin' vs Saban

 

[DaDodd]

What does this look like? Miss a blocking assignment? Drop a pass? How is that shown that a player is distracted by a uniform color? Not denying, just looking for an example.

I think like CEB said its can just be something that distracts their focus before the game. If what they wear is mostly the same every game or it is well known in advance then the players won't even think about it. Collins has let the players decide the uniform combinations for each game since he's been here. That means players are focusing on that instead of the game. It may not be the biggest of distractions but it is still a distraction none the less.

I am curious. When did you play D2 football and when did you coach? I ask because I think kids today are just more entitled then past generations. I don't say that as a negative knock on them, just a sign of times. As a millennial I can say that my generation is more entitled then past generations. So you being around the game more than I have, I wonder if you think there is a different player mindset in generations as well as from D1 to D2 even down the NAIA. Correct me if I am wrong but I would think that an NAIA player would jbe more grateful that he gets to play college football then compared to a D1 player would have be little more entitled and could take it a little more for granted. I'm not saying he's not grateful to be playing D1 ball, just if compared to a NAIA player.

I think just wonder if what Lou Holtz says is right when he says "Today's athletes talk about rights and privileges. And the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities."

 

[CEB]

I think just wonder if what Lou Holtz says is right when he says "Today's athletes talk about rights and privileges. And the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities."

IMO, this part is not unique to athletics. I’m not nearly old enough to speak for 50 years ago, but I think the needle has moved significantly in the last decade or two... let alone five!
I have a LOT of respect for successful coaches these days because “motivation” looks very different now. I’m not taking anything away from the commitment the players make but I feel like coaches (and teachers, and various leadership roles) these days have to do a lot more appeasing than mandating.
Edit to add that it’s probably less pronounced in athletics than other areas of society but still notable IMO.

 

[JacketFan137]

I think like CEB said its can just be something that distracts their focus before the game. If what they wear is mostly the same every game or it is well known in advance then the players won't even think about it. Collins has let the players decide the uniform combinations for each game since he's been here. That means players are focusing on that instead of the game. It may not be the biggest of distractions but it is still a distraction none the less.

I am curious. When did you play D2 football and when did you coach? I ask because I think kids today are just more entitled then past generations. I don't say that as a negative knock on them, just a sign of times. As a millennial I can say that my generation is more entitled then past generations. So you being around the game more than I have, I wonder if you think there is a different player mindset in generations as well as from D1 to D2 even down the NAIA. Correct me if I am wrong but I would think that an NAIA player would jbe more grateful that he gets to play college football then compared to a D1 player would have be little more entitled and could take it a little more for granted. I'm not saying he's not grateful to be playing D1 ball, just if compared to a NAIA player.

I think just wonder if what Lou Holtz says is right when he says "Today's athletes talk about rights and privileges. And the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities."

that lou holtz quote is insanely problematic good lord

 

[TooTall]

I think like CEB said its can just be something that distracts their focus before the game. If what they wear is mostly the same every game or it is well known in advance then the players won't even think about it. Collins has let the players decide the uniform combinations for each game since he's been here. That means players are focusing on that instead of the game. It may not be the biggest of distractions but it is still a distraction none the less.

I am curious. When did you play D2 football and when did you coach? I ask because I think kids today are just more entitled then past generations. I don't say that as a negative knock on them, just a sign of times. As a millennial I can say that my generation is more entitled then past generations. So you being around the game more than I have, I wonder if you think there is a different player mindset in generations as well as from D1 to D2 even down the NAIA. Correct me if I am wrong but I would think that an NAIA player would jbe more grateful that he gets to play college football then compared to a D1 player would have be little more entitled and could take it a little more for granted. I'm not saying he's not grateful to be playing D1 ball, just if compared to a NAIA player.

I think just wonder if what Lou Holtz says is right when he says "Today's athletes talk about rights and privileges. And the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities."

I finished coaching about a decade ago and playing about 2 decades ago. It is a different game today than it was then. (I played basketball) I say I had 3 college coaches: 1 who recruited me and was fired before I got there, and 2 more during my 4 years. We had ups and downs of course. Being at a small college (800+-students) there was a lot of trouble to get into along with partying and such, but we always knew that when we stepped inside the white, all distractions, worries and any animosity was deleted for the next 2+ hours. We would see our new uniforms each year at the beginning of the season and that was that. I have to believe that any coach who allows the players to choose uniforms does so during the dog days of summer. You know call in the seniors/captains and let them suggest/pick the combos and it takes 30 minutes of their rest period during 2 a days. The reason I believe this is if you go back to CGC first season, the player on the season tickets mirrored the uniform for that game.
As for NAIA and being grateful and all that, most of them are too dumb to realize it. NAIA stands for Not at All Interested in Academics. All kidding aside, the school I worked at was poor, I had to be a substitute teacher in 3 local school systems to make ends meet. My pay from the school was use of a gas card, but I had to be recruiting to use. Luckily there was a school near a bar that was across the street from a gas station. I recruited as much as possible that year! They players were decent, but coaching was really hard because of 2 reasons: they couldn't do what we asked because they just weren't talented enough and game discipline wasn't their forte. They wanted to win and gave 100%, it just wasn't laser focused.
For distractions, I think the team running out to a sea of red in their home stadium was a distraction. Just from my experience, when a gym is empty, you don't play as well. Being able to hear a fart ripped in the layup line is a bad indication. But so is seeing your home stadium almost fully against you, even if it's directed at the coach or admin. Kids aren't yet mentally developed enough to handle that. They are thinking that the coaches/admin are being booed because I'm not doing my job.
Fan is short for fanatic so we're not rational (see my belief that we will be 15-0 Natty Winners!), but when we release anger or frustration publicly, it really does effect the kids. I hope the recruits handlers (parents/guardians/coaches) keep them away from message boards, because nothing good comes out of here. And that is why I try to stay as positive on here. It's easy to kick a team when it's down. It's easy to be doom and gloom. My life journey has led me to believe that you can always take positives and negatives from any situation, but why would you want to feel like a POS? The belief that we will go 15-0 is why I'll be in sec 121 every home game. It's why I drive 3+ hours one way to get to my section. It's why I give to the GTAA, as small as the gift may be. And IF we lose a game, I believe that we will win the next one!

 

[MidtownJacket]

I finished coaching about a decade ago and playing about 2 decades ago. It is a different game today than it was then. (I played basketball) I say I had 3 college coaches: 1 who recruited me and was fired before I got there, and 2 more during my 4 years. We had ups and downs of course. Being at a small college (800+-students) there was a lot of trouble to get into along with partying and such, but we always knew that when we stepped inside the white, all distractions, worries and any animosity was deleted for the next 2+ hours. We would see our new uniforms each year at the beginning of the season and that was that. I have to believe that any coach who allows the players to choose uniforms does so during the dog days of summer. You know call in the seniors/captains and let them suggest/pick the combos and it takes 30 minutes of their rest period during 2 a days. The reason I believe this is if you go back to CGC first season, the player on the season tickets mirrored the uniform for that game.
As for NAIA and being grateful and all that, most of them are too dumb to realize it. NAIA stands for Not at All Interested in Academics. All kidding aside, the school I worked at was poor, I had to be a substitute teacher in 3 local school systems to make ends meet. My pay from the school was use of a gas card, but I had to be recruiting to use. Luckily there was a school near a bar that was across the street from a gas station. I recruited as much as possible that year! They players were decent, but coaching was really hard because of 2 reasons: they couldn't do what we asked because they just weren't talented enough and game discipline wasn't their forte. They wanted to win and gave 100%, it just wasn't laser focused.
For distractions, I think the team running out to a sea of red in their home stadium was a distraction. Just from my experience, when a gym is empty, you don't play as well. Being able to hear a fart ripped in the layup line is a bad indication. But so is seeing your home stadium almost fully against you, even if it's directed at the coach or admin. Kids aren't yet mentally developed enough to handle that. They are thinking that the coaches/admin are being booed because I'm not doing my job.
Fan is short for fanatic so we're not rational (see my belief that we will be 15-0 Natty Winners!), but when we release anger or frustration publicly, it really does effect the kids. I hope the recruits handlers (parents/guardians/coaches) keep them away from message boards, because nothing good comes out of here. And that is why I try to stay as positive on here. It's easy to kick a team when it's down. It's easy to be doom and gloom. My life journey has led me to believe that you can always take positives and negatives from any situation, but why would you want to feel like a POS? The belief that we will go 15-0 is why I'll be in sec 121 every home game. It's why I drive 3+ hours one way to get to my section. It's why I give to the GTAA, as small as the gift may be. And IF we lose a game, I believe that we will win the next one!

you owe me $20 of sheetrock for the wall I just ran through. The bolded part for me is such a succinct encapsulation of my feelings as well. I would rather be hopeful and wrong, than pessimistic and right. I think most of us feel that way - and it is good to remember that.

 

[DaDodd]

I finished coaching about a decade ago and playing about 2 decades ago. It is a different game today than it was then. (I played basketball) I say I had 3 college coaches: 1 who recruited me and was fired before I got there, and 2 more during my 4 years. We had ups and downs of course. Being at a small college (800+-students) there was a lot of trouble to get into along with partying and such, but we always knew that when we stepped inside the white, all distractions, worries and any animosity was deleted for the next 2+ hours. We would see our new uniforms each year at the beginning of the season and that was that. I have to believe that any coach who allows the players to choose uniforms does so during the dog days of summer. You know call in the seniors/captains and let them suggest/pick the combos and it takes 30 minutes of their rest period during 2 a days. The reason I believe this is if you go back to CGC first season, the player on the season tickets mirrored the uniform for that game.
As for NAIA and being grateful and all that, most of them are too dumb to realize it. NAIA stands for Not at All Interested in Academics. All kidding aside, the school I worked at was poor, I had to be a substitute teacher in 3 local school systems to make ends meet. My pay from the school was use of a gas card, but I had to be recruiting to use. Luckily there was a school near a bar that was across the street from a gas station. I recruited as much as possible that year! They players were decent, but coaching was really hard because of 2 reasons: they couldn't do what we asked because they just weren't talented enough and game discipline wasn't their forte. They wanted to win and gave 100%, it just wasn't laser focused.
For distractions, I think the team running out to a sea of red in their home stadium was a distraction. Just from my experience, when a gym is empty, you don't play as well. Being able to hear a fart ripped in the layup line is a bad indication. But so is seeing your home stadium almost fully against you, even if it's directed at the coach or admin. Kids aren't yet mentally developed enough to handle that. They are thinking that the coaches/admin are being booed because I'm not doing my job.
Fan is short for fanatic so we're not rational (see my belief that we will be 15-0 Natty Winners!), but when we release anger or frustration publicly, it really does effect the kids. I hope the recruits handlers (parents/guardians/coaches) keep them away from message boards, because nothing good comes out of here. And that is why I try to stay as positive on here. It's easy to kick a team when it's down. It's easy to be doom and gloom. My life journey has led me to believe that you can always take positives and negatives from any situation, but why would you want to feel like a POS? The belief that we will go 15-0 is why I'll be in sec 121 every home game. It's why I drive 3+ hours one way to get to my section. It's why I give to the GTAA, as small as the gift may be. And IF we lose a game, I believe that we will win the next one!

Thank you for sharing that. I can tell you've been around the game much more than I have. I come at this as someone whose volunteered with church youth groups for over 10 years and spends a lot of time around young people. I totally agree that we should never put down or release public anger at a player. I think we can and should discuss our frustrations (in a respectable manor) about the coaches, AD and administration publicly because they are highly paid mature adults and it can incite change. I am afraid though with players now getting paid people will use that as an excuse to public express their anger at them. Like you said they are not mentally developed enough to handle the negativity. I do think it's the coaches job to prepare them for that in life though.

I'll be honest, I use to be real optimistic about our team and I still am about the players. But watching the coaching the past three years have made it really hard to believe we have a change to win that next game. I don't like being pessimistic but losing can make you pessimistic. The only time I felt optimistic last year was after the UNC game. Then after that it was really hard to think the coaches were putting the players in positions to be successful. Look at the regression of the veteran secondary. I was honestly sad to see the coaches take players like Carpenter, Swilling, and Thomas who are really talented and coach them (almost decoach them) in a way where they were not successful. They were better players under CPJ. When player regress it's a bad sign because it means your coaches are not doing their jobs well and it's a disservice the to student athletes.

 

[DaDodd]

Just randomly found this. Even Oregon has a uniform schedule. Yes they have a lot of uniform combos but they are well planned out and let the fans know what to expect and wear.

 

[SteamWhistle]

Just randomly found this. Even Oregon has a uniform schedule. Yes they have a lot of uniform combos but they are well planned out and let the fans know what to expect and wear.

View attachment 12888

Tech announces their Uniform every Tuesday of a game week.