Illinois Football Uniforms

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#126      
Illinir1
Ander1345 said:
I actually like the idea of keeping the helmet consistent and agree with him there.
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And I like that Coach Bielema likes the color Orange. As Coach B has said, orange is a unique color among college sports teams (unlike the scores of red and white teams like the one visiting this Saturday) and we should highlight it. Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall (SFC) always look(ed) great and add an element of intimidation when it's an "Orange Out". I suspect for marketing reasons these days, navy blue is the large majority of tshirts, sweatshirts, jersey's being sold (everyone already has a wardrobe of orange, so let's switch to selling navy blue).
 
#129      
ChiefGritty
mattcoldagelli said:
I've always thought the spirit is much better than the execution. It's borderline impossible to have a good look that uses none of your school colors.
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Even if it was a good look, it still wouldn't be because it's not your school colors.

I dunno, it was clever when it started because it was the peak of the gray fad and we had a spin on it that was more true to our program than most.

And IF that win over Wisconsin had been the springboard to durable success under Lovie, then of course all questions of tradition and aesthetics fall by the wayside, because that's how these things work.

But wearing a non-school colors gimmick uniform for one of 6-7 home games every year until eternity was always going to take an awful lot of justification which is clearly no longer present and it's the right decision to move on.
 
#133      
Chief512
The best was during the 80’s when they would come out in blue jerseys and orange pants and then come back out in blue pants right before kickoff.
 
#134      
Illini_05
BZuppke said:
Nope. I disagree. The gray ghost uniforms were a unique and cool tradition. One game a year out of orange helmets won’t ruin our branding.
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In fact, the gray ghost uniforms gave us a very favorable identity within social media. I've come across a lot of people who absolutely LOVED the grey ghost uniforms. Only gripe I've heard about them have come from this board.
 
#138      
Ander1345
Homecoming 2019 said:
I always just assumed grey is a color associated with ghosts, or that the only pictures we have of his playing days are various shades of gray.
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Well the name itself comes from when he had 262 rushing yards and 4 touchdown runs in the first quarter vs Michigan in 1924.

We've worn the O&B since 1894 though...

I don't know I kinda sort of go back and forth on it but Orange and Blue is pretty unique and I want us to have the iconic helmet that Bert thinks we have.
 
#139      
skyIdub
I would like the Grey Ghost uni's more if they swapped the blue numbers/trim with our orange, like Tennesse in 2015.....

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...or even last years

RTI-Uniforms-New-grey-2-768x765.jpg
 
#140      
ILL_INI
skyIdub said:
I would like the Grey Ghost uni's more if they swapped the blue numbers/trim with our orange, like Tennesse in 2015.....

CI2FO0MWcAAHrpw

...or even last years

RTI-Uniforms-New-grey-2-768x765.jpg
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But that's just an ugly gray uniform. You lose the ghostly appearance, as if coming out of a fog, which sets the Gray Ghost uniforms apart. Harold "Red" Grange was better known as "The Galloping Ghost" than a gray ghost, so the ghostly appearance should be the driving factor if we're keeping this as a tribute and something special.
 
#142      
skyIdub
ILL_INI said:
But that's just an ugly gray uniform. You lose the ghostly appearance, as if coming out of a fog, which sets the Gray Ghost uniforms apart. Harold "Red" Grange was better known as "The Galloping Ghost" than a gray ghost, so the ghostly appearance should be the driving factor if we're keeping this as a tribute and something special.
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I mean, I don't totally disagree? I just like orange more than blue! Not a huge fan of the grey.
 
#144      
BZuppke
Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice tabbed Grange as a “gray ghost” following the Michigan Performance:

A streak of fire, a breath of flame
Eluding all who reach and clutch;
A gray ghost thrown into the game
That rival hands may never touch;
A rubber bounding, blasting soul
Whose destination is the goal.
Red Grange of Illinois!
— Grantland Rice, 1924

www.thesportsbank.net

Illini Gray Ghost Uniform, Red Grange Anniversary Approaching

Sunday marks the 96th anniversary of the 1924 Red Grange game, the 6th anniversary of the Gray Ghost uniforms debut and more.
www.thesportsbank.net www.thesportsbank.net
 
#146      
The Galloping Ghost
BZuppke said:
Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice tabbed Grange as a “gray ghost” following the Michigan Performance:

A streak of fire, a breath of flame
Eluding all who reach and clutch;
A gray ghost thrown into the game
That rival hands may never touch;
A rubber bounding, blasting soul
Whose destination is the goal.
Red Grange of Illinois!
— Grantland Rice, 1924

www.thesportsbank.net

Illini Gray Ghost Uniform, Red Grange Anniversary Approaching

Sunday marks the 96th anniversary of the 1924 Red Grange game, the 6th anniversary of the Gray Ghost uniforms debut and more.
www.thesportsbank.net www.thesportsbank.net
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Yup, but that's not his nickname:

Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown nicknamed Grange "The Galloping Ghost". When asked in a 1974 interview, "Was it Grantland Rice who dubbed you the Galloping Ghost?" Grange replied, "No, it was Warren Brown, who was a great writer with the Chicago American in those days."[6]
en.wikipedia.org

Red Grange - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Full interview with Red, in case anyone is interested:

The Galloping Ghost

web.archive.org web.archive.org

And top college nicknames of all time:
www.sportingnews.com

CFB 150: Top 10 player nicknames in college football history | Sporting News

www.sportingnews.com www.sportingnews.com

And Pro Football Reference also lists "The Wheaton Iceman" as another nickname, which is pretty dope, too.
www.pro-football-reference.com

Red Grange Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Red Grange. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.
www.pro-football-reference.com www.pro-football-reference.com
 
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#147      
KevinC
the juiceman cometh said:
We just shouldn't be wearing something that looks like it should be a Penn St. alternate uni, is my opinion on the grey ghost uniforms. Nothing about that look says "Illinois"
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Well, we are wearing Indiana helmets. IJS.
 
#148      
Cook
I'd like to see how a large front to back block :illinois: on the center line would look. And then change up the side view to something else of course. Sort of like:


Screen Shot 2021-10-08 at 9.23.54 PM.png
 
#149      
orange100
Marketers: "New All-Red Unis for Illinois to honor Harold 'Red' Grange!" And BP will have a coming out game v Wisconsin because this post is on-topic.
 
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