The Columbus Dispatch’s Ken Gordon solicited reactions to OSU’s new football jerseys (above) and claims to have received 734 comments, the vast majority in opposition to the changes.
“Scarlet and Gray! There is a serious lack of GRAY MATTER in those responsible for this decision.”
“I can™t believe this is happening. I can™t even concentrate on typing this message because I™m so angry.”
“This is classic ˜progress™ in the spirit of ˜New Coke.™ “
Many angry fans compared the new style with those of reddominant uniforms of Nebraska, Wisconsin and Indiana. But old OSU jerseys were all scarlet with one white stripe at the end of the sleeves.
In fact, Woody Hayes won three national titles ” in 1954, ™57 and ™68 ” with teams wearing three different-style uniforms.
So what is this tradition everyone speaks of, anyway?
“If you put three jerseys up over the last 10 years, I™m not sure which one we™re going out there in,” said Jim Tressel, perplexed over the outcry. “Probably in the last 20 years, we™ve had four or five different stripings and pipings and all that kind of thing.”
Former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman was skeptical of the change on his WBNS-AM radio talk show last week, even though the new jerseys look a lot like the one he wore from 1984 to ™87.
Spielman added that his problem was more with the commercial ramifications than the design.
“A little bit of it is the notion of getting exploited,” he said. “Teams change jerseys, trying to get people to buy new jerseys at bookstores. I™m wary about that. Someone might have just spent 100 bucks for a new Ted Ginn jersey last year and now it™s outdated.”