Shamrock Series Announced: Feathers Are Going to be Ruffled

I am a big fan of the new helmets (super shiny, no shamrock, here for a long time helmets), and thought the UTL jerseys were the best jerseys we’ve worn, well pretty much ever (sorry tradional blue guys).

For this permutation: the shamrock is a little ridiculous. Keep it a little smaller next time. As far as the green jerseys, I think we should use an inverse of the UTL jerseys (these would also match better with white shoes). Overall though, I’m glad they’re doing something different.

For the future: I hope beyond hope, that at some point in my life, Notre Dame football players will come out of the tunnel wearing black jerseys. I would lose my shit. Black jerseys, Kelly green piping, White numbers, and maybe even (GASP!) a black helmet. I am also aware I’m probably one of maybe 15 ND fans that would be up for jersey changes as wild as this one, so I completely realize this will never happen. But a man can dream.

Then it’s the shamrock that’s the wrong shade of green, not the facemask. I don’t really like the helmets, but they’re not designed for me. They’re a marketing tool and a recruiting tool, and if they are at all successful in those respects (especially the latter), then I’m all for the concept.

I liked the helmets and uniforms used against Michigan. These helmets like atrocious. It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for that awful gold coloring and texture….

I’m not traditionalist by any means, but they could have done a better job here.

I don’t even really have a problem with the green facemask…

I do not DO NOT like that giant gaudy shamrock…

Just out of curiosity, what is the difference between a cloverleaf and a shamrock?

with a smaller shamrock.

I think the inverse of the jerseys they wore vs. Michigan would be cool (at least they sound cool).

The green facemasks leave a bit to be desired. White would probably look better.

Other than that, I will have to see it all together before I pass judgment. If it gets the players and recruits excited, I am all for a bit of change now and again.

The Shamrock would look better if it had the ND logo in the middle of it. Otherwise it needs to be smaller.

But in this case the execution is definitely lacking. At least get all the green the same shade.

I thought the Michigan unis were nicely done. These not so much.

That it is nice to see some fresh blood around these parts! I was getting sick of seeing KG all the time ;)

I’m probably in the minority, but I like the helmets. Love the hunter green face masks, but they should have matched up the facemask and shamrock.

The pattern on the gold does rather look like what you see in elevators, but college dude, whatever.

And Willingham forever ruined Kelly green. I love the hunter green unis with gold lettering. Very classy.

Finally the sponsorship. If we want to stay independent AND keep up with the big boys, we may need to find new revenue sources. That Sprint is sponsoring a new uniform design just doesn’t bother me. Just keep their name off of and out of the stadium.

I’m anxious to see what the unis look like on. Maybe I’ll hate them, but as of now I like the helmets.

I can see why other people don’t, but I think it’s kind of cool.

The biggest mistake—-green facemasks. As much as people will point to other aspects, this is truly the biggest slap in the face of tradition. Notre Dame has worn nothing but gray facemasks, and the worst part is the green doesn’t even match the shamrock.

In the process I came full circle to the original reaction that I had when I first saw the Tweet this afternoon from Grooms.

Just win baby.

You heard it here first.

it looks as if they are trying to look as ridiculous as Maryland

Suddenly, the helmet looks a lot better.

Does anyone else think the helmets look like a bowling ball that Kingpin would have used?

Hopefully they will look better from a distance. The gold checkerboard pattern seems odd to me, and the green facemask doesn’t do it for me. Of course if we win in them, I am sure they will grow on me quite a bit!

I’m no veteran of this site so take my thoughts as you will. There is so much discussion and emotion over the changes to the football program, both big and small as well as real and potential. There are a lot of posts attempting to encapsulate and re-frame the arguments, and to that end mine is not unique. But here goes:

I’m a relatively recent graduate (2005) so I do not have (nor do I claim to have) the experience or historical perspective that many here do. I was five when ND last hoisted a trophy and 10 when Glenn Foley broke my heart. I mention this because that is the closest I’ve come to experiencing a dominant ND football team in my lifetime. To the many of you who lived through and were close to any number of dominant eras, I understand that our relationships to this team likely look and feel very different. How you see Notre Dame football and what makes it unique, important and special to you was crafted under an entirely different set of circumstances, one that I can vaguely picture but barely touch. I understand that you may value any number of characteristics of this program very highly due to their association with the greatness you experienced. So since I cannot step into so many of your shoes, let me tell you what I value as the most important and unique characteristic of Note Dame football:

Winning the right way.

To me, that means that following:

1. We don’t cheat.
2. We don’t tolerate a criminal culture.
3. We design and enforce an environment of academic accountability.
4. We graduate players at nationally-leading rates.

In a nutshell, we don’t break NCAA rules, we don’t house criminals, players go to class and they graduate with a real education. And we do all of this while maintaining a championship-caliber team.

That’s it. Strangely, it’s very simple. It’s not easy, but it’s simple. And here is the best part: If we do that, we will ALWAYS be unique no matter what else happens to the program. However, this is where I believe the disconnect occurs.

Jumbotrons, music, turf, new helmets, alternate uniforms…the pros and cons are all a matter of taste. A matter of preference. There is a strong sentiment that the additions and/or modifications of any of these things (a) marginalizes our uniqueness and (b) indicates a shift from leader to follower. I understand the logic, but I disagree with the conclusion.

Regarding the things in the previous paragraph, their exclusion does offer some uniqueness to Notre Dame. But it is peripheral uniqueness. A lack of a jumbotron and piped-in music does not makes Notre Dame football unique. It makes the gamewatch experience unique (or less common). Unchanging, classic uniforms doesn’t make us unique. It makes us more like certain schools and less like other schools.

If we make these changes, we aren’t followers. If we wear different uniforms, it doesn’t mean we are like Oregon. It means we do something that Oregon and other schools do. If we put in a jumbotron, it doesn’t mean we are like Texas, it means we now have something that Texas and many other schools have too. If we blast music in the stadium, it doesn’t mean we are like Michigan…you get the point I’m trying to make.

I’m not advocating for any of these changes. And not because I want to be diplomatic, but because I honestly don’t know how I feel yet. I think a jumbotron could be cool, but I also fear it would spoil some of what I love about attending home games. I think blasting music can be an advantage and can pump up the crowd, but its implementation can be butchered quite easily. I think different uniforms are cool and if the players like them, then even better. But obviously I, like everyone else, have subjective taste.

But here’s the point. I don’t believe that any of these things compromise Notre Dame football where it matters. If they make us more similar to other programs, it’s only in a superficial way. I would definitely prefer Notre Dame to be a leader in the world of college football. I would hope that people smarter, savvier and more creative than I am are the ones running the ship. I would love for those in charge to come up with visionary ideas and ways to both stay ahead of the curve and be the envy of the rest of the sport. I also believe that many of the advantages ND once had that kept it ahead of the curve have disappeared. Namely, we’ve failed to deliver a winning product. But other factors like our once-special TV contract are no longer powerful tools. The field has caught up to us, partially due to our own missteps but also partially due to the natural evolution of the sport.

Prioritize the potential changes and their impact on what makes Notre Dame unique. Ask yourself what really matters to the program and what you could never stand to give up. Everything outside of that list should become negotiable. It should be viewed in the context of advantage or disadvantage, not personal preference. For me, what matters are those four factors I listed above. Beyond that, I believe that we are in no position to reject potential advantages based on personal tastes. I am willing to consider all available options and assess their utility towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship while realizing that some may not be my thing.

Many reject the implementation of these types of changes on the basis that they are being grossly mis-prioritized and, to an end, are inconsequential if we take care of the "big" issues. I wholeheartedly agree with the first part and disagree with the second. Surely, a jumbotron and field turf are way, way down the totem pole when compared to making the right hires and properly supporting the program from the top down. We’ve screwed up the latter for longer than anyone cares to admit. But I think the sentiment that the right coach is all we need is shortsighted and has roots in a bygone era where Notre Dame had less competition. It is by far the most important factor in our success, but we are foolish (and arrogant) to think that we can still leave money on the table in other areas. Great coaches don’t always win and bad ones occasionally do. Stoops hasn’t won in over a decade. Carroll’s “dominance” netted 1.5 championships even with the aid of a notoriously dirty program. Lou got his one in ’88 and then never again. God, Les Miles has one and might very well be on his way to a second.

We need to take care of the big things and that is obvious. But beyond that, there may be a collection of little things that gives us little advantages. And these things may seem tacky or look ugly to you. But if they help, you might consider whether or not their exclusion is worth fighting for.

This may look like the trite argument of “I don’t care if we wear dresses and play on the moon as long as we win.” But that’s not what I’m trying to say. I’m trying to say that implementing changes that may or may not be advantages and may or may not offend your sensibilities does not marginalize what is unique AND important about Notre Dame football.

To me, winning the right way is what is unique and important about our program and it gives us so much. It allows us to set the standard and be the bar against which others are measured. It allows us to do many of the same things other schools do, but still stand out. It allows us to be the best, and that is the best kind of unique to be.

A tip of the cap to you, sir. Great stuff.