Are you guys still around? It's an extended holiday weekend. The Fourth of July -- celebrated as much here as in London (scoreboard, Britain, scoreboard) -- happened to fall on a Thursday, which allowed for pre-gaming on Wednesday and a three-day weekend starting on Friday. You guys could still be out celebrating the greatest, freest, besterest, country the planet has ever seen, or will ever see. USA #1.
Anyway, here are some things happening, with some discussion about them.
URBAN MEYER AND ROGER GOODELL JOINING FORCES. Urban Meyer and the commissioner of the National Football League are joining forces to hold a "safety clinic" at The Ohio State University.
It will feature several health experts in addition to Ohio State coaches who will talk with the mothers of youth football players about player safety. As football begins to outpace, or even lap, baseball as the national pasttime of the country, the dangers associated with the sport only become more visible.
To better address this issue, the NFL has been proactive in supporting these types of clinics aimed at instructing youth football coaches and youth football players about the safest way to play a game otherwise based on violent full-speed collisions.
The clinic will be on August 1st and will be held at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
B1G UNIFORM POWER RANKINGS. I'm one of those rickety old fans who gets very nervous and looks for a pitchfork and torch whenever Ohio State uniforms are discussed, especially within the context of alterations. It's why, yesterday, I was searching my supply closet for these aforementioned tools when this image surfaced. I don't mind the idea, and 11W's own Walt Keys had a similar idea, but I think this falls a bit flat in presentation.
Anyway, the Big Ten Network's website recently unveiled a "power ranking" of football uniforms in the conference. Ohio State came in second. Michigan came in first.
Worse yet, they didn't invite me. Seriously, it's like the one thing that I'm programmed to discuss in a roundtable format. So, here is what would be my power ranking of uniforms in the Big Ten if I were asked to contribute.
- Penn State: I'm quelling the homer instinct in order to put Penn State #1. There is no mistaking their uniforms for another program. One might object that their uniforms are plain, or even "ugly", but they're classically ugly. Further, recent changes to its uniforms I think actually make them better. In 2011, Penn State stopped pairing white collars on blue jersey and blue collars on white jerseys, which were always eyesores for me. In 2012, Penn State added names to the back of the jerseys, which they should keep. In terms of uniforms, I don't think Penn State has ever looked better.
- Ohio State: I have a few grievances about the uniform. I worry, very much, that Ohio State football keeps thinking black is one of its colors. It's not, and should never be. Gray should be "the new black", and not the other way around. I would keep the current road jersey but bring back the previous home jersey. The home jersey needs a gray stripe that it does not currently have. I hate when Ohio State thinks its needs a stroke/border around its jersey numbers, or that it's something other than an old money college football blue blood and should dress accordingly. Still, Ohio State's uniforms might be the most recognizable look in college football for a team whose primary color is a shade of red (I'm sure Alabama or USC fans would object, but, whatever). The gray really accentuates the scarlet. You see the uniform and know them immediately as representing The Ohio State University. That's when a uniform combination works. Plus, a helmet full of Buckeye leaves is one of the most beautiful things in college football.
- Northwestern: We don't talk enough about Northwestern's new uniforms. They're gorgeous. Black and purple are hard to put to work, and both work here beautifully. Further, Northwestern football seems torn between its blue blood university pedigree and its recent status as a forward-thinking football program (i.e. one of the birthplaces of the spread). It's current uniform pleases both masters. They should keep this for a long, long while.
- Michigan: I'd put Michigan higher, but I get annoyed (as a college football fan) with Michigan's road jerseys. In some symbolic way, Michigan football doesn't feel like it is itself in its road uniforms. Ohio State embraces its road uniforms. It's why Ohio State routinely wears road uniforms to bowl games, even when it has the option of choosing first. Programs like Alabama and Texas also present very well in their road uniforms. Road jerseys seem to make Michigan football uncomfortable (as if the program itself were anthropomorphized). Thus, Michigan's road jerseys seem to get uglier and uglier over time as Michigan football keeps trying new things when it can't wear its iconic home jerseys. See here, or here, or here. If I were a Michigan Man (and I'm not, thank goodness) in charge of the uniforms, I'd keep the road jerseys simple. White jersey, blue numbers, no maize/sun/yellow stroke, no superfluous piping or stripes. It'd be something like this, though maybe without the side shoulder M and with jersey numbers on the shoulder and not the helmet. You're "Michigan", right, Brady Hoke? Dress like it. Michigan football needs to just deal with the fact that it'll never be itself in its road jerseys. It's fine, but those 2013 Outback Bowl and 2012 Sugar Bowl jerseys are not. Also, I'd look for ways for Michigan to walk from its deal with Adidas, or maybe fire its Adidas representative, or maybe set its Adidas representative on fire. These are just ideas. I'm spitballing here.
- Wisconsin: Adidas has done so much damage to college sports aesthetics that it's hard to quantify. Tungsten uniforms aside, they've mostly left well enough alone for Wisconsin. Modern jerseys are almost tank tops, but Wisconsin's sleeve is very simple and elegant. Further, I think the subtle touches of black (on the helmet logo and in the black socks) work well for the Badgers. The Badgers cornered the use of black as an accentuating color better than Ohio State ever will, another reason why I think Ohio State should keep the use of black to the bare minimum (i.e. just the Buckeye Stripe).
- Iowa: I'm a big fan of the continued simplicity of Iowa's uniforms. There was a running joke in the 1980s that Iowa and Purdue couldn't be separated from the Steelers and the Saints when they were on the field together. Now that the Steelers have italicized their jersey numbers (more on this later), this look is basically all Iowa's. At least, I think. I don't equate the Hawkeyes as having the Steelers' jerseys. No one else is black and yellow in the Big Ten. I don't think anyone confuses Iowa's black and yellow for Purdue's black and gold, which seems less on black and more on white anyway. Not many other teams in college football have this look either. Don't change a thing Iowa, not even the "ANF" on the helmet. America does need farmers. Farm subsidies, though? That's probably another conversation entirely.
- Minnesota: Minnesota would be much further down this list if not for bringing their uniforms back to reality. The Gophers looked great during Glen Mason's tenure (though certainly not in the Jim Wacker era). They got into the "piping" fad (that the Miami Hurricanes largely introduced in the early 2000s) when Tim Brewster got the job. Now, they look like themselves. I'd ditch the black facemasks, though. I don't think I'll ever like matte helmets either, though I don't hate them (for them, at least). I'd like to see more consistency in their "maroon", and I think the matte helmet is largely responsible for that discrepancy. Further, I would never permit matching jersey and pants (example 1, example 2) if I were in charge of its uniforms.
- Indiana: Maybe it's fitting that a longtime former Oklahoma assistant is now coaching the Big Ten team that wears Oklahoma's jerseys. But, I think it works. I will likely vote Indiana down the list (and with prejudice) when I see some of its new helmets in action.
- Nebraska: Why is Nebraska so low on my list relative to Wisconsin? Don't they wear the same basic uniform? Not quite. Adidas has left Wisconsin undisturbed, but has curiously tweaked Nebraska. I can't believe we haven't brought this up more. Adidas "fattened" Nebraska's uniforms (for lack of a better term). Compare Taylor Martinez in 2010 with Taylor Martinez in 2012. Adidas basically force-fed corn syrup to Nebraska football.
- Michigan State: I wasn't a big fan of its "gritty reboot" after 2009. It seems like Michigan State's current shade of green is a bit darker than it was previously. Further, it's experimenting more with different colors, like silver and copper. When it does this, I think it makes itself less distinguishable from the rest of the conference. This is a problem because no one else in the Big Ten is green, not even close. I think Michigan State is inadvertently making itself less green. It's the same comment I make about Ohio State making itself "less gray" with use of black, though the problem for Michigan State is even greater because green is their color and their signature in the league. Fancier pointed lines, accents, and half-stripes don't help. I wish most teams would stop doing these, starting with Michigan State.
- Purdue: Ooof. Where to start here. Purdue recently underwent an image makeover for all its sports, and I don't think it's worked. That it's basically been the worst-performing athletic department in the Big Ten since then seems like some cosmic justice. Pittsburgh Steelers-styled italicized numbers don't fit well, nor do white pants and half-stripes. Here's your look Purdue, down to "Pur-don't-ing" it against Ohio State in overtime. Don't deviate from this look. If "Drew Brees also wore a Purdue jersey" is the point you want to communicate to prospective college football recruits (and it is), its current look is betraying that message.
- Illinois: I live in Champaign and want to find ways to argue that Illinois football is something of a sleeping giant, that it could be competitive in the league, that it could routinely play in January bowl games, and that some good college football talent can be recruited to Champaign-Urbana in what is otherwise a pretty good state for high school football. But, then I look at what Illinois wears and their overall look underscores why it might be a delusion to think that. Illinois' uniform problems are multiple. One, it ditched a look that I loved (down to the blue stockings and white socks) for a uniform in 2006 that was a knock-off of what Miami introduced to college football at the turn of the century. College football uniform combinations have since moved on (see: Oregon, University of), but Illinois is still stuck with that combination, and with a "Giants Illini" helmet that the New York Giants themselves ditched over a decade ago. Even then, Illinois has always struggled with helmets; that helmet is even a knock-off of the Cincinnati Bengals' first helmet. Second, orange and blue is a difficult combination and already too many college programs have it. Still, Auburn has been able to stand out. I think Florida, even with its "Sunkist Gators" helmet logo, stands out in a good way. What is Illinois? Would you know it when you see it? That's Illinois' problem. It doesn't look like Illinois; it doesn't look like an anything. I believe this is the problem that lower-tier teams encounter when they choose to go postmodern with the uniforms. They become programs without identities and concepts of self. Without solid and instantly recognizable foundations, they soon become programs without much of an appeal. I can envision why recruits would love to wear a Penn State jersey, or an Ohio State or Michigan jersey, or even a Minnesota or Michigan State jersey. Does anyone want to wear Illinois' jerseys?
As for Rutgers and Maryland? I'd probably put them around 99 and 100 — among Big Ten teams. The Big Ten just had to add two of the ugliest college football teams in the country...
Is this cap the future of concussion testing? NEBRASKA WORKING ON A "TEN MINUTE CONCUSSION TEST". In a development that is all but bound for a university programming feature on the Big Ten Network, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln is working on streamlining sideline concussion tests. Rather than the uncertainties that follow an eyeball test administered by a team doctor, or a cranial computerized tomography scan in the locker room, football players may be asked to wear an electrode-covered cap for ten minutes.
This is way beyond the expertise of my doctorate, so I'll summarize the Associated Press' summary of what the mesh cap does. If a football player takes a questionable hit or is otherwise exhibiting signs of head trauma following a play, a player can come to the sidelines and wear this mesh cap for ten minutes. The cap itself uses brain imaging to map the presence of head trauma and, if so, the extent of head trauma.
Ostensibly, this process streamlines concussion tests and takes advantage of more modern scientific research as well. The NCAA's chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, had glowing remarks for the potential of this process.
"There's no question it's going to move the dial forward," NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline said. "The big, hoped-for dream would be, let's have a biomarker in brain imaging. If you're to the left of that, you're safe; if you're to the right of it, you're not. That's probably a few years out. But functional brain imaging and blood flow are going to be a very important part of that."
Again, the science of this is beyond full commentary from me, but some questions follow. Namely, I wonder if the brain imaging process lends itself to some manipulation of those either using this process or those who have a direct stake in the result of the test. Once measurement becomes interval in lieu of binary (i.e. "yes or no"), we gain (or have the potential for) more precise estimates. Yet, this sometimes comes at the expense of understanding what our measurements tell us, at first glance.
Yes or no, 0s or 1s, on or off are all very easy to understand. Other forms of measurement require more nuanced understanding. I would imagine some type of top-down implementation would have to follow in order to prevent team doctors or coaches from getting an evaluation using this process and dismissing it as "probably fine" if the results at least hint at some mild head trauma, compounded by the problem of measurement error. Brian Hainline's comments quoted previously seem to underscore this a problem that could emerge.
All told, the team working on this project at Nebraska should be praised for being on the verge of this breakthrough in the scientific study of our brains. We are talking about it here within the context of football, given the ever-increasing salience of head trauma to those who love or follow the sport. The implications are just as important for standard medical practice.
In 1978, the neuropsychologist David Hubel (citation from this book, p. 8) said that "we are in the same state of knowledge [on the brain] as were with regard to the heart before we realized that it pumped blood." Fast forward 35 years later, and there is still too much about the brain that mystifies us. Hubel's observation isn't that far off base in 2013. His statement is still true for those interested in the philosophy of the mind and those interested in neuroscience. It matters to medicine, to our understanding of epistemics and epistemology, and, well, it matters to football.
MISCELLANY. We send our condolences to the University of Mississippi for its loss in its football family this holiday weekend... Translation: no one wants UConn for anything... Virginia Tech and West Virginia look to resume their series... Penn State and West Virginia should play each other much more. They're working on it... Nathan Horton likes Columbus (it would seem)... Maryland running back arrested for (among other things) illegal wiretapping... Dwight Howard will sign with the Houston Rockets. This is probably why... Those who stay will have smelt it.
