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Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Emperor's New Clothes (2019 Edition)

 
On October 5th Georgia Tech will be wearing special adidas uniforms that only six other teams are wearing. Of course these days special is a relative term since almost every team wears special uniforms at least once a season. Tech’s uniforms will honor the kids fighting illnesses at Children’s Healthcare if Atlanta. Note logo below on the back of the neck. Yesterday Uni Watch covered the release, and I’m posting their coverage in addition to my own analysis.

The color isn’t a GT color, but a mixture of blue and grey. Mostly grey, but slightly better than the grey uniforms so many teams have been wearing lately. Adidas dug up some evidence that John Heisman created the first practice squad and dubbed them “the Grey Devils.” I’m afraid they out in the sun they will look dull from a distance. Hopefully North Carolina will wear head to toe white. Last season Tech debuted similar blue pants with white jerseys at home against Duke, who inexplicably wore royal blue pants and grey jerseys for the occasion.

Looks like the gold numbers are slightly larger than last season, which is a good thing. Hopefully the numbers on the other jerseys will be just as large. Not sure how visible the gold numbers will be from a distance, against the blue grey background. Something else I like: no names on the back. Dislike: four patches on the front of the jersey. Note the adidas patch is larger than the GT patch and the ACC patch.

There will be a special new look gold helmet as well. My bet is a shiny gold flake helmet similar to Notre Dame. Perhaps the helmet will have the Buzz logo, but that may be hard with the newfangled helmets with holes and bends all over the place. I wish Tech would wear grey facemasks, though I know it’s highly unlikely. Would go great with the grey uniforms, right? Looks like special shiny gold shoes (top photo) the team will probably want to wear the rest of the season. Better than the ugly white with too much black trim cleats they usually wear.

In Tech’s effort to improve recruiting, these uniforms are a great asset. The response on social media has been almost 100% favorable. I understand. Actually these outfits are better-looking than Tech’s regular costumes. Simpler. But now Tech is like 90% of the other college teams – mix and match unis with an odd font. Dope, in more ways than one. Except when everyone is special, then no one is. Those old Russell Athletics uniforms are looking better and better.

When you need a press release from the outfitter to tell you why the outfit is special (in this case the school’s community engagement), does that mean that only then a fan can nod and approve? Used to be uniforms stood on their own merits. I know, get off my yard.  

With blue, gold, and white jerseys and pants, plus at least two different helmets to chose from, there’s a chance Tech could wear a different outfit in every game – like Oregon and several other teams. Last time I checked the nations top three teams (Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson) almost never vary their uniform.
 
The other six adidas teams with new outfits are Miami, Arizona State, Louisville, Mississippi State, Indiana, and Nebraska. I’m not crazy about any of them, but Arizona State’s are okay.
I’m tempted to go back and change the word “uniform” to outfit or costume, to be more accurate.
 

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