The next Griz uniforms?
I know the Montana Grizzlies just got new football uniforms but with a few very small changes, these new Cal uniforms would look pretty slick.
Portland State unveils new uniforms
It's Vikings Day here at the Grizzoulian. Portland State officially announced the arrival of their new uniforms and it's not pretty. The helmet design is original, but doesn't look great. The jerseys look decent at best but are far from original.
Some quotes and images:
Todd Van Horne, Creative Director for Nike, led a team that created the stylized and Viking-inspired spear logo and uniforms. The Viking uniforms lean heavily toward Glanville's favored black color scheme, while the helmets will have the new spear logo running over the crown.
"When Coach (Glanville) came to town it was an opportunity for inspiration," Van Horne said to the media. "We (at Nike) huddled together and said 'there's energy here'. We needed to bring that energy very visually to the field. So we came down, had a nice conversation with coach and said 'hey, we've got a different point of view.'
"Coach describes black as not a color but an attitude, and we thought 'well, there it is.' Let's bring a new attitude and show a visual difference where Portland State University is now," said Van Horne. "I think you will see the very distinct difference of color, and the distinct difference of spear design that is much more aggressive, fitting into that new attitude."
I like the idea behind the spear. The way it runs up the helmet is something we haven't seen much of on a football uniform. The problem is, it looks like a retarded tatoo.
I don't like the jerseys. The plain black and white color is somewhat original but the jerseys are the same thing we've seen countless places. It looks like Nike just swapped out the colors on the Montana template.
Glanville has obviously brought attention and attitude to Portland State. I was hoping the new uniforms would match the enthusiasm. Nope, just another gimmicky Nike design.
Where to find Griz jerseys...in Seattle
I spotted this on my way from the office to Starbucks. I managed to take a quick picture with the cell phone. This is the first time I've seen the new Griz jerseys in a brick and mortar store. Also the first time I've seen any Montana apparrell at a store in Seattle. This store is down in Pioneer square, on First Ave on the way to the Seahawks Stadium/Safeco Field Area.
Notice who we got a spot next to. No, not the Mets. Other side. Yeah, not too bad.
Portland State getting new uniforms as well
You can add the Portland State Vikings to the list of teams getting new Nike uniforms this season. Word of this first came from Ian Ruder's Vikings Blog, but it looks like a new Portland State uniform can be found at the same site where the Griz jerseys first surfaced.
Ian's description of what he saw differs a bit. It sounds like he saw a schematic of the road uniforms during his interview with Jerry Glanville.
The Nike helmets opt instead for a gray spear running straight down the top-center of the helmet, coming to a point above the face hole. The spear is stylized with a feather-like gray tail at the back of the head. The rest of the helmet is black, the overall look being very minimalist.The jerseys follow suit. The majority of the uniform is white with the shoulder pad area black. There is no green and as far as I could tell no lettering. That could change I guess.
The uniforms are not flashy but evoke the understated-seriousness that many associate with the Oakland Raiders. Whether fans will miss the green and Viking logo mainstays remains to be seen, but the new unis would seem to be in line with Glanville's emphasis on black and the hard-hitting image he wants for the team.
After Ian's description, it's hard to say how close these will be to the final product. The site's depiction of the Griz jerseys wasn't exactly the same as the final product but it was very close.
My opinion on this:
- It's great that Jerry Glanville made an effort to design a uniform. So what if he didn't 'design' a uniform so much as take another logo and alter the colors. Just try to imagine Bobby hearing that Nike was designing a new Griz uniform then stomping into his office yelling "F that, I'll design the damn jerseys."
First off, the Vikings have to get it done on the field. And if they do, Jerry has to stay. But if both of those fallsinto line, Glanville is just the type of coach to push for some major change at PSU. He has the charisma to demand and maneuver for a move to the FBS. I've mentioned this before: from an off-the-field perspective, this is an excellent hire.
- It's good to see a majority -- well at least two -- of Nike's new designs moving towards a simple look. 'Clean and simple' is in. Training bras and metal plates, not so much.
Saw your post on the jersey redesign. The photo you posted is definitely not the new jersey. My understanding is that Nike only designed one new jersey and it is VERY different than anything psu has ever had – ditching the green for a mainly white look with black and a totally new spear logo on the black helmets. I think the photo you posted is an old replica jersey nike makes. I’ve seen people wearing those in the past. Based on my conversations, even Glanville hasn’t seen the new jersey outside of drawings, so I doubt Nike (or anyone else) would be selling it on line. Look for an official press release in the next 2 weeks.
Still hoping they stay away from a fancy redesign. PSU had the trendy, elaborate, newfangled jerseys before so something VERY different should be more of an old-school look.
New Griz football unis will be unveiled at Great Griz Encounter
I exchanged emails with Jim O'Day on Friday and he said the new Griz football uniforms will be on display Thursday, August 23 at the Great Griz Encounter.
Actually had a chance to see the new uniforms, and they look pretty close to the replica jerseys --- except maybe the sleeves. Looked good … both white and maroon.
At first glance, the new jerseys looked pretty lame but the more I see them, the more attractive they get. If basic uniforms like these are good enough for Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and the Indianapolis Colts then we should be fine.
O'Day says new replica isn't the exact same as final product
For all the Griz fans that already ordered their replica jerseys, it might be time to panic. University of Montana AD Jim O'Day says he's not sure the new replica posted last week is the exact same as the new official uniforms.
Don’t believe the uniforms have been sent yet. Equipment Manager Steve Hackney has also been on vacation – so they may be packed away at this time. However, they do not look exactly like the version I say (saw?) when ordering. For example, don’t know if the number has been put on the sleeves… although that could have been a late change. Lettering, etc., also look different… so no, I don’t think this is a replica of the exact jersey.
Now this may be a little fib to keep us on our toes and give the actual announcement a bit of excitement. Then again, it could be completely true and a bunch of people ordered jerseys that will never be worn by UM. If anyone did this and bought Orlando Magic tickets after Billy Donovan was hired, you win a prize.
UPDATE: The new uniforms have arrived but have not been unpacked yet. O'Day has not seen the pants yet but can confirm that the helmets are not changing.
New Griz football uniform?
The above uniform is selling on these two sites. At $58.00 and a title of 'Montana Grizzlies #37 Maroon Replica Football Jersey' this is probably what the Griz will be wearing next year.
I'm not sure what to say. I guess old school is in and Nike bibs are out. The outlined numbers look pretty cheesy but it might be OK. The uniforms could've been better but they definitely could've been a whole lot worse.
It's a good move for Nike, who will sell a whole new batch of $60 uniforms only two years after producing some new ones. However, UM just spent money on commercials and an introduction video for the football team, which now may look a bit out of date.
