Looking the part
This week senior students Mike McGarry, Preston Pierson, and Caitlin Engelbert give their thoughts on monday’s NCAA championship game between Oregon and Ohio State.
The Oregon Ducks played the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Monday the 12th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas. The Ducks suffered a loss of 20-42 despite the large donation from Phil Knight, Nike Founder and Oregon graduate.
Since 2000, Knight has donated over $300 million to Oregon’s athletic department. Currently, Oregon has over 60 uniforms, and according to CBS News, the team has never worn the same uniform twice since 2004.
The Oregon uniforms have become the Ducks trademark. Altogether, the Ducks have roughly 500 different uniform combinations to choose from. In fact, some Journalists and NCAA officials such as Mo Rocca from CBS News say the Oregon Ducks are turning football into a fashion show.
“When the Oregon Ducks defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in 2012’s Rose Bowl, they looked less like football players, and more like comic book super heroes,” said Rocca in a News Story on CBS News.com.
Varsity football player Preston Pierson, an senior at Arrowhead, says the fact that Oregon wears something different every game is ridiculous.
“I really hate it that they have that many uniforms,” says Pierson. “I think you should only have two uniforms, a home and an away. The idea that they have different uniforms every game is ridiculous.”
Mike McGarry, also a senior and varsity football player, says he loves Oregons uniforms.
“I have been an Oregon fan my entire life and have always loved the uniforms. I’m always interested to see what they come out with next. It’s something I would want if I played college football,” says McGarry.
Senior Caitlin Engelbert, an Arrowhead swimmer says it’s fun to look good for swim and wear cool things; but in the end that’s not what defines your performance.
“If looking the part does have anything to do with performance, it’s that it helps you by keeping a positive mindset as well as positive thoughts,” says Engelbert.
“You can’t base football off of looks,” says Pierson. “It usually just comes down to who wants it more. I don’t think uniforms have any effect on the way player’s play at all.”
In a CBS News interview on CBSNews.com, sports Journalist Paul Lucas says a uniform may tell you a lot about a teams heritage, but it doesn’t have much to do with their success on the field.
“Nothing looks better on the field, at the end of the game than having more points than your opponent,” said Lucas in a interview on CBS News.com.
McGarry say’s when he plays a team with better uniforms or bigger players it encourages him to play harder.
“It’s sort of like the underdog mentality. It’s like this: ‘If you think you bigger than me I’m gonna come right at you bigger faster and stronger.’ You just have more of a drive and want it more,” says McGarry.
But according to Lucas, the largest driving factor in flashy uniforms is not the idea that it will make you play better, but that it will make you more money.
“30-40 years ago, you couldn’t go out and buy a jersey, that Market didn’t exist. They hadn’t figured out that someone would drop $200 for a polyester shirt. Now that they know people will do that, they figure you already bought this years jersey, what if we change our jersey next year? Will you’ll go out and buy another one?” Said Lucas in an interview on CBSNews.com.
