Sunday, October 23, 2016

Week 8: October 21, 2016



As losses mount, the complexity of the uniforms and uniform-reveals have waned a touch. This week's combo is one of the most sedate uniforms that Oregon has played with in several years. I had to go back to the 2013-14 year Alamo Bowl to find this combo of green helmet and all white uniform. Even the fact that they are wearing a green helmet with yellow O is remarkable since they have not worn more than 2 green helmets in year since the 2012 season. Before the new-helmet-every-week craze, Oregon has a dark green helmet with yellow O from 1999 to 2011. But since about 206, they have slowly put in other colors and then many other designs with wings and ducks, and throwbacks etc.




Monday, October 3, 2016

What's old is new again!

For week six (otherwise known as Washington Hate Week, or the year that the 12-year winning streak against UW ends), Oregon will be wearing a uniform that many of you may recognize from the Spring Game.

See my post from then by clicking here.
See Phil Hecken's even more detailed Uni-watch entry from April by clicking here!

 This uniform is supposed to harken back to the 1916 "Webfoots" that went to the Rose Bowl (2016 ain't going to be as good, I can tell you that) as well as honor the Oregon Fight song which dates to 1916 as well.

This time around it has a black helmet and pants instead of the pewter gold ones from April. Instead we get black pants and black helmet. The helmet has a decal that is the front of the Oregon flag. (for you vexillologists out there, you know that Oregon has a front and back, but the back has a beaver on it, and that would not do)





As with most other weeks this year, read all about this uniform while enjoying the official Oregon Spark presentation here.

In general, this is a pretty cool uniform. I really like the "Webfoots", striped sleeves with the Oregon fight song on them. The retro UO monogram and typography is cool; and I can live with the Blue/Gold color scheme since it is the state flag colors. You Cal Bear fans, try finding Blue and Gold on your flag, why don't ya! So there!

What I find a bit "meh" are the black pants and helmet paired with dark blue (at least compared to the Spring game gold) and the aforementioned flag on helmet. I am a flag-lover, but Oregon falls into the category of "blue flag with state seal" that is like 50% of the state flags out there. Now if you are Maryland, Texas, California, Arizona or New Mexico, you have interesting-enough flags to put on a helmet...all the rest not! See this graphic to prove that it you shrink most down to the size you'd see on the helmets, this could be any flag out there:


And speaking of the flag.....While I lived in Oregon for 5 years while attending UO, I never noticed how wonky the typography on the Oregon flag is. As with other state flags, it's hard to tell what the "official" type treatment is, if there is even one, but most online versions of the Oregon flag have text that looks like it was traced and cut out by a 10-year old!

This image came from Wikipedia, so it must be accurate!?

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Week 5: Saturday, October 1, 2016



For two weeks in a row, Oregon was sporting a classic look that relies on school colors and no gray (except for the very subtle gray on the shoulders) or black. For the first time all season, a helmet not colored black or white popped up. (5 weeks = 5 different helmet logos)

The jersey was the same as the one worn in the Alamo Bowl last January and the apple green pants and helmet are similar to last year, but instead of an O it's the happier version of the Nike Duck. This basic outfit is what Oregon wore last year when it visited the UW Huskies.

If this helmet had a yellow O and maybe a tad bit more yellow (maybe on shoulders or sleeves?), this would be the perfect road uniform.

Check out the school's official Adobe Spark explainer of the philosophy behind this uniform.