What Would Mr. Blackwell Think? New Adidas Jerseys Draw Jeers At Big East Tourney
Published March 14, 2013
Cincinnati debuted the jerseys in its 61-44 victory over Providence at MSG
The Univ. of Cincinnati debuted adidas' new AdiZero jerseys during the second round of the men's Big East Tournament yesterday, and the response on Twitter toward the fashion choice was less than complimentary. Former Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore wrote, "Haven't a clue what Cincinnati was thinking by switching to its 'new' uniforms in the Big East basketball tournament." ESPN.com's Dan Graziano wrote, "I thought conference realignment was the worst thing to happen to college basketball... until I saw these Cincinnati uniforms. Dear god." The Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs: "Just turned on BE tournament. Don't know what new league will be called, but those Cincy uniforms must be banned before first game." The N.Y. Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano: "What the hell are the Cincinnati Bearcats wearing? Did someone spill something on their pants?" The Bakersfield Californian's Zach Ewing: "I love Championship Week, but those Cincinnati uniforms might be enough to get me to turn off the TV. Those things are HIDEOUS." NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano: "Cincinnati's uniforms for the Big East tourney are heinous. Even Maryland thinks they're ugly." The N.Y. Daily News' Kevin Armstrong: "Fashion week continues on Seventh Avenue. Cincinnati guard Cashmere Wright donning the Zubaz." ESPN's Robert Flores: "If Zubaz pants had a baby with a traffic cone, it would look like these #Cincinnati uniforms." KSTU-Fox' Rick Aaron: "Good lord. I just turned on the Cincinnati-Providence game and ESPN is airing a Living Colour concert instead." The Washington Examiner's Craig Stouffer: "Goodness, those Cincinnati uniforms. Feel like they're designed by Stefon from Weekend Update." One lone voice supporting the new apparel was CBS' Doug Gottlieb, who wrote, "Lotta criticism of Adidas Unis upon release...on TV? Cincinnati's are HOT #Bearcats love them" (TWITTER.com, 3/13). ESPN's Mike Patrick called Cincinnati's game against Providence yesterday and said in the opening moments of the broadcast, "If you are wondering, these are the Cincinnati Bearcats wearing their camouflage" (ESPN, 3/13). SI.com's Extra Mustard conducted a poll asking people their thoughts on the jerseys. As of press time, more than 75%, or 10,584 respondents, claimed to hate them, while 12.19% (1,702 people) loved them and 12% (1,681 people) did not care either way about them (SI.com, 3/13).
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN: Notre Dame also wore the adiZero jerseys last night for their second-round game against Rutgers in Big East Tournament, and ESPN's Sean McDonough said, "The problem is not in your set. That is their warm-up jersey and those are their shorts." ESPN's Jay Bilas said, "It looks like somebody had a Shamrock Shake and threw up on them." McDonough, while laughing, said, "I wish you hadn't gone there, but you have. So we're stuck with it." Later in the first half, McDonough said he was unsure whether adidas "cares that people think they look good." McDonough: "But they are definitely attention-getters. You just wonder what the traditional Notre Dame fan is thinking as he looks at this tonight." McDonough noted Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said that he is "going to wear these shorts down to his beach house." ESPN's Bill Raftery: "I hope he can fight" (ESPN2, 3/13). Univ. of Arkansas AD Jeff Long on his Twitter account wrote, "Wow, did anybody see Notre Dame's uniforms last night, talk about breaking from tradition." Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer wrote on his Twitter account, "Notre Dame's uniforms look like a rough draft for an Oregon uniform from someone who sniffed too much glue."
ONE AND DONE: The AP's Mike Fitzpatrick reported the Notre Dame women's basketball team was tapped to wear special adidas jerseys during the postseason, but it "wasn't thrilled with the new uniforms it debuted at the Big East tournament" on Sunday. The uniforms "featured a camouflage print on the shorts and bright lime green lettering on the top." Notre Dame wore the new jerseys Sunday but "went back to their regular uniforms for the semifinals and championship game." Coach Muffet McGraw, who "acknowledged she liked the lime green color, said after the victory that the team would vote on whether it would wear the special uniforms again." Notre Dame Associate Media Relations Dir Chris Masters said that the team was "contractually obligated to wear the uniforms for one game and then could decide on a game-by-game basis whether to go with them again" (AP, 3/13).
TIME TO HANG TEN: The South Florida men's basketball team was eliminated from the Big East Tournament after losing to Seton Hall in the first round Tuesday, but the Under Armour jerseys it wore drew some attention from observers. CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello wrote, "Why is South Florida wearing board shorts tonight?" The Newark Star-Ledger's Brendan Prunty wrote, "Oh cool, South Florida is wearing bathing suits designed by Abercrombie & Fitch." But ESPN.com's Eamonn Brennan wrote, "Maybe I'm just too inured to Adidas, Under Armour and Nike committing atrocities in the name of buzz, but USF's shorts aren't that bad"
This is my impression of the uniform issue.
Nike captured "cool" starting with it's Oregon Ducks football uniforms.
Adidas and UA try to copy, but you can never really be "cool" by trying to out-cool the original cool guy.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on March 14, 2013, 01:36:23 PM
This is my impression of the uniform issue.
Nike captured "cool" starting with it's Oregon Ducks football uniforms.
Adidas and UA try to copy, but you can never really be "cool" by trying to out-cool the original cool guy.
Those horrible Adidas uniforms have people talking. And these days, that's all that matters.
Quote from: Groin_pull on March 14, 2013, 01:38:55 PM
Those horrible Adidas uniforms have people talking. And these days, that's all that matters.
People, especially advertising people, love to say that. But the only thing that matters is whether the people talking about the uniforms somehow translates into more money for Adidas. Brand identity maintenance is just advertising agencies/departments conning the P&Ls into giving them money.
Quote from: Groin_pull on March 14, 2013, 01:38:55 PM
Those horrible Adidas uniforms have people talking. And these days, that's all that matters.
If you open a new restaurant and everyone is talking about how your food tastes like crap and there are rats scurrying across the tables, is that good publicity because everyone is talking??
Quote from: forgetful on March 14, 2013, 02:01:29 PM
If you open a new restaurant and everyone is talking about how your food tastes like crap and there are rats scurrying across the tables, is that good publicity because everyone is talking??
Guy Fieri certainly thinks so.
Quote from: lawwarrior12 on March 14, 2013, 01:43:44 PM
People, especially advertising people, love to say that. But the only thing that matters is whether the people talking about the uniforms somehow translates into more money for Adidas. Brand identity maintenance is just advertising agencies/departments conning the P&Ls into giving them money.
Agreed - these are a terrible move especially for a school like ND. You'd think it'd have to hurt the team's performance. There are all kinds of distractions this time of year but now one of them is that everyone talks about how ridiculous you're dressed?
Also is Brey bragging that he has a beach house with this quote?
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said that he is "going to wear these shorts down to his beach house."
Quote from: akmarq on March 14, 2013, 02:06:58 PM
Guy Fieri certainly thinks so.
http://guysamericankitchenandbar.com/guy.jpg(http://guysamericankitchenandbar.com/guy.jpg)
Quote from: sixstrings03 on March 14, 2013, 02:09:34 PM
http://guysamericankitchenandbar.com/guy.jpg(http://guysamericankitchenandbar.com/guy.jpg)
The Shamrock Shake jerseys of menus.
I liked the USF unis. Disappointed we didn't get to see the white rendition of them.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2303811/743315184.jpg)
The Addidas ones are nauseating.
Quote from: T-Bone on March 14, 2013, 02:36:11 PM
I liked the USF unis. Disappointed we didn't get to see the white rendition of them.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2303811/743315184.jpg)
The Addidas ones are nauseating.
+1
always best to have badass uniforms all year long
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ltTGHKZWcSA/R8xVlvgo4WI/AAAAAAAAADc/-bywKJDoSd0/s320/marquette)
They're exclusive.
Quote from: sixstrings03 on March 14, 2013, 02:59:18 PM
always best to have badass uniforms all year long
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ltTGHKZWcSA/R8xVlvgo4WI/AAAAAAAAADc/-bywKJDoSd0/s320/marquette)
We don't get enough credit for starting the "barber pole" craze.
Digger Phelps is just like this new ND uniform: light-weight , pastel and framed in vain affectation. This uni is plain green nonsense--just like Digger and ties-to-match magic markers.
Quote from: WarriorCode on March 14, 2013, 03:29:41 PM
We don't get enough credit for starting the "barber pole" craze.
Careful, you are giving credit to the former coach when you do that.
Quote from: WarriorCode on March 14, 2013, 03:29:41 PM
We don't get enough credit for starting the "barber pole" craze.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on March 14, 2013, 05:44:07 PM
Careful, you are giving credit to the former coach when you do that.
Schools had the stripes before the current Marquette jerseys we have. DePaul for example.
Unless you are going back to the old Marquette jerseys the new jerseys are based on. I have no idea if Marquette started it.
Quote from: T-Bone on March 14, 2013, 02:36:11 PM
I liked the USF unis. Disappointed we didn't get to see the white rendition of them.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2303811/743315184.jpg)
The Addidas ones are nauseating.
Still think the shorts look like Spring Break swim trunks.
Quote from: T-Bone on March 14, 2013, 02:36:11 PMI liked the USF unis. Disappointed we didn't get to see the white rendition of them.
The only way that could have happened is a USF/DePaul Big East final. That would have been dogs and cats living together.