Random Thought/Suggestion: New Unis for the Diaco Era

[RioDog]

Believe me, you will never get an argument against the block C from me! I don't even need the B1G comparison to tell me that. But we also have to be realistic with the fact that there is almost no chance we will ever go back. We would need the head coach to really demand it, and the HC would have to be someone that wanted to tap back into our history (albeit, recent history). Most of these marketing decisions, I'm guessing, happen above the coach on the ladder of hierarchy. You would need Warde, or possibly even Susan, to force that change...

Sadly true. And I know its all about brand consistency across all sports, but why that should preclude a block C really eludes me. I guess I'm just simple. Hoops and soccer and field hockey and baseball and badminton and hockey etc etc etc couldn't adopt the visual that works best for football, upon which all of their collective existence in a big time conference depends? Everbody always says football drives the bus, but because we have to standardize the brand cross-sport we end up with the clown "Kilroy the Dog was here" helmet we have now? I know "UConn" is associated with our success in hoops- its a national brand. But for cryin out loud it doesn't work for football. Its our 1AA handle, looks small time (in the context of football) and is nothing like anything you find on any P5 state flagship schools' helmets. Totally frustrating given that we already had, IMO, the perfect design for the program. ARGH!

 

[ktuck911]

If we went back to a block C the look like this Kentucky helmet would be badass:

 

[BugsyCT]

Sadly true. And I know its all about brand consistency across all sports, but why that should preclude a block C really eludes me. I guess I'm just simple. Hoops and soccer and field hockey and baseball and badminton and hockey etc etc etc couldn't adopt the visual that works best for football, upon which all of their collective existence in a big time conference depends? Everbody always says football drives the bus, but because we have to standardize the brand cross-sport we end up with the clown "Kilroy the Dog was here" helmet we have now? I know "UConn" is associated with our success in hoops- its a national brand. But for cryin out loud it doesn't work for football. Its our 1AA handle, looks small time (in the context of football) and is nothing like anything you find on any P5 state flagship schools' helmets. Totally frustrating given that we already had, IMO, the perfect design for the program. ARGH!

Just because a helmet logo is a school name or a mascot, and not one single initial (or two) doesn't make it small time. Check out the helmets for Florida, Ole Miss, LSU, Cal, UCLA, Pitt - all P5 programs that have names or abbreviated versions of their names on the helmets. Granted that's not a lot of teams, but if it's around long enough and the program has a period of success with them, they get accepted and associated with that school.

Personally I'd be fine with going back with the block "C", but it's not going to happen.

 

[RioDog]

Just because a helmet logo is a school name or a mascot, and not one single initial (or two) doesn't make it small time. Check out the helmets for Florida, Ole Miss, LSU, Cal, UCLA, Pitt - all P5 programs that have names or abbreviated versions of their names on the helmets. Granted that's not a lot of teams, but if it's around long enough and the program has a period of success with them, they get accepted and associated with that school.

Personally I'd be fine with going back with the block "C", but it's not going to happen.

Re: your examples- Ole Miss is a weird one, don't know how to respond to it- I think we can call that one an outlier.
Pitt and UCLA aren't state flagship schools, which was more the focus of my comments (if thats unclear then apologies for bad writing on my part). Florida's lid is OK- some decent version that said "Huskies" on the side for UConn would be alright- heck use the same font as the Gators in a Blue and White scheme would be light years better than what we have currently. Cripes put a white dog paw on a blue helmet a la Clemson and there you go (I know theirs is feline). No problems with more than 2 letters like Cal (though "Con" has some inherent problems) or LSU- any school that is called "Name of State" State University needs 3 letters.I really liked the early interlocking UC helmet we sported in Edsall's early tenure. I thought it was really nice. Could work for all sports.

I completely agree with your notion about the effect of time on an icon. But 2 thoughts on that. First, I think that people will make a quicker and stronger association if an image "fits" what people already associate with the broader category, i.e., a college helmet that stylistically resembles other college helmets they already know rather than an NFL or XFL or CFL helmet, or worse yet the unassociatable mess we have now. Second, if we're gonna start with something new, could it at least be of some reasonable quality? Can we fans have a little input? What we've got now is a poor attempt at something slick and "high design" that fails utterly and just comes off as cartoonish. Heck, if you want to go the cartoon route then at least really do it. Everybody knows Fresno States helmet- sure the dog is a cartoon but that what its supposed to be. I like it.

If UConn's helmets were even marginally passable I wouldn't say a word about it, but I stilll can't for the life of me understand the choice that was made, nor how it was made. Translation: What the duck* were they thinking?

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

We need a chrome lid... and a matte black lid w/ white husky logo inside of the state of CT outline (ie: my avatar)- think Old Dominon's logo or ECU. "Connecticut Blackout"

 

[sub legacy]

Red versions of the fade look.

 

[sub legacy]

And...