Lose The Pro Look, Chuck

The post-Rivers mediocrity of Wolfpack football has many causes. Jay Davis wasn’t Philip Rivers and at times wasn’t Tol Avery. The team was often poorly disciplined and poorly coached. An apparent – and hopefully eradicated – “star system,�? whose poster child was the insufferably annoying T.A. McClendon, took its toll. And assistants came and went at a rate that made carnies look like stable, long-term employment prospects.

Still, one can point to an overall issue: NC State football seems to require less of an injection of talent than an adjustment in attitude. John Bunting may be a boastful toolbox and all-around no-goodnik in our eyes, but let’s give the guy some credit. He’s regularly beating our (supposedly) more talented, glitzy program by producing teams with a simple, traditional desire to kick our ass every time we meet up. You know, the way Dick Sheridan’s teams used to punk Mack Brown’s spiffy blue chippers with our “inferior�? players. It’s as if the two programs have switched places.

Worse, Chuck Amato himself led the new Pimp My Program trend. Amato can be an immensely charismatic guy, but let’s be honest. With the red shoes and sunglasses, Chuck evolved into Hurricane Clown Show last season. A sad but undeniable fact of life is that the difference between winning and losing is also the difference between being an interesting eccentric and a laughingstock.

The clown outfits disappeared as the Pack went into meltdown last season, and Amato gets huge credit for reviving a team then lurching toward historic disaster. But Amato needs to go further. It’s time to get back to basics – the let’s get it done attitude of the Rivers era. And a good way to signal a return to seriousness is: Discard the cheesy, pro-style uniforms and go back to looking like a college football team again.

A minor point, you say? Perhaps. But it’s an immensely symbolic one. Does no one else recall the seriousness, and traditionalism, signaled by ditching the O’Cain uniforms (which were left over from Sheridan anyway) and returning to a solid Block “S�? and traditional red and white ? Does no one else agree that in temporal terms if nothing else, things began to unravel at precisely the same time as the traditional uniforms were ditched for the silly “pro-style�? togs the team now uses?

Look at this picture. Look who it is. Look at the uniform:

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/ncst/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/a-rivers-092703.jpg

Now, this sadly familiar one:

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/mifl/galleries/footbl-102304/02-lg.jpg

The older uniforms are the symbol of the renaissance that marked Amato’s earlier years at State. They’re the uniforms in which Notre Dame was beaten – and UNC too, most of the time. Those uniforms said, “We’re serious, traditional, and here to play.�? The new uniforms say, “We’re a half-assed version of the Atlanta Falcons.�? I can’t imagine wanting to emulate the Falcons in any fashion, let alone sartorial.

Some, reading this, are no doubt claiming I’m making a mountain of a molehill. But seriously, this isn’t Queer Eye For The Football Guy here. Appearances say something. If you doubt me, and you are old enough to remember the great Dallas Cowboys teams of the Seventies, do you remember this picture?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000BW5C1.01-A2QUBZRFQD7A2Q._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Or do you remember this one?

http://www.kskssports.com/ksks_sports/sports_illustrated/1980s/images/si8233.jpeg

The Cowboys whipped everyone on their white uniforms and just as regularly imploded in the blue ones. Any time the Cowboys wore the blue uniforms in the playoffs, people worried – and usually with good reason. It got to the point where they were capitalized: The Blue Uniforms, as in, The Anthrax Virus.

And that makes no intrinsic sense. The team that played in white was the same team that played in blue. But, like I said, appearances mean something. Penn State’s simple blue and white means something, as does the blue and gold of Notre Dame. While the latter may do a “special uniform�? thing from time to time (and they usually seem to lose when they do), can you imagine either school getting rid of those uniforms with the goal of resembling, say, the Philadelphia Eagles or the Indianapolis Colts? Of course you can’t.

Lose the pro look, Chuck. Go back to being NC State again. Please.

General NCS Football

82 Responses to Lose The Pro Look, Chuck

  1. Flannel Avenger 08/02/2006 at 7:08 PM #

    And yet, nobody has even mentioned the Black Jerseys that the Basketball team wore a few years ago. Anybody remember those? We lost every game we played that they wore those in.

  2. TomA 08/02/2006 at 9:02 PM #

    Perhaps when you mention uniforms too much can be made as far as their impact on attitude and winning. But it is important to consider that in college football perhaps more than any other sport tradition is paramount to many fans and alumni. How many times do you find yourself watching games that have no impact on your team or conference simply because of the history of the two teams (Ohio State-Michigan, Auburn-Alabama,etc…) and realise that part of the enjoyment of the game is that with few changes the uniforms are the same as they have been for decades? I would love to see a return to NCSU’s traditional college style uniforms just because they are State’s basic design through the program’s history.

  3. BobLee 08/02/2006 at 9:25 PM #

    If TA had scored in ’04, red shoes and Oakleys would be hot sellers in every Wal-Mart and Dick’s in NC …

    If the Albuquerque Air Ball had fallen a foot shorter … Personal Fouls would never have been written.

    …. what if …

  4. Jeff 08/02/2006 at 9:33 PM #

    We ever do go back to the more traditional style…I hope to God that we wear pants with at least one stripe down the side.

    I know that a lot of fans think “solid” pants are “simple and classy”…but, they just don’t look good, particularly the solid red pants. It doesn’t matter what color jersey is on top.

    Solid pants need stripes on them for some contrast and sleekness. I’d be very happy with the “traditional” look with stripes.

  5. brown pelican 08/02/2006 at 9:45 PM #

    some of the best programs in college football today continue to sport traditional style—usc, notre dame, penn state, alabama, et al rarely if ever deviate from their own unique look/style—props to chuck for bringing back the block S on the helmet—let’s agree on a style that is ours and keep it once it’s established—my vote?—old school earle edwards jerseys with the block S helmet—and of course—white shoes for all

  6. Cardiff Giant 08/02/2006 at 9:55 PM #

    “Our big flashy pro-style press box wasn’t around in the big return to glory…”

    Precisely. I’m reminded of some local sportswriter who, after O’Cain took the Chapel Hole job, said O’Cain was “searching frantically through UNC’s new football palace, searching for the secret room that holds all the victories.”

    This program exudes one aura and one aura only – to reference a Tom Cruise movie for the first (and perhaps last) time in my life, its ego writes checks its performance can’t cash. My column suggests one small – but symbolically important IMHO – step back from flashiness in favor of substance and tradition.

  7. redfred2 08/02/2006 at 10:06 PM #

    ^BobLee

    “If the Albuquerque Air Ball had fallen a foot shorter … Personal Fouls would never have been written.

    …. what if …”

    Oh so true. Great comment!

  8. redfred2 08/02/2006 at 10:12 PM #

    I’ve read two thread headings tonight that don’t leave too much to be desired.

    Great work to whoever wrote them, and SFN!!!

  9. Glen Sudhop54 08/02/2006 at 10:13 PM #

    Of course the Rivers era jerseys look better, that is obvious. The new ones will grow on us if we ever start winning again. I always cringe when I see the Pack run onto the field wearing red jerseys and red pants because you know it’s a GUARANTEED loss. Jeez, have we ever won a game with the red on red combo?

  10. WolfdotPack 08/02/2006 at 10:23 PM #

    I like the new uniforms. It’s not like our “traditional” uniforms made us into a football powerhouse. No has even mentioned the year where we wore the red and gray uniforms and looked like Georgia.

    Amato’s shoes are being auctioned off over at http://www.gopack.com

  11. bTHEredterror 08/02/2006 at 10:38 PM #

    If the jerseys (or for that matter any clothing) you wear doesn’t matter, let’s just rock pink with orange and yellow polka-dots. Hmmmm. I agree it’s essentially unimportant, but how many of us wear flip-flops and a wifebeater to church? There’s a time and place to look sharp, and dadgummit Saturdays in front of 60,00 is one of these.

    Does a solid looking football kit increase your win total? No. But if you think that some of the kids playing ball out there don’t care how they look, you’re nuts. Remember when you were 18-22? What you wear and how you appear was pretty much the be-all-end-all. There’s a reason Notre Dame, Bama, Texas, USC, etc haven’t strayed. Tradition, meaning, if it ain’t broke, don’t monkey with it.

    I would prefer we wear the solid jerseys with the red helmets and white block S of the Ted Brown teams I loved as a kid (two stripe pants Jeff). Basically bright red ‘Bama knockoffs, but a rugged simple uniform still the same. The return to red helmets was the only good thing about those Georgia-esque O’cain get-ups.

  12. 94wolfpack 08/02/2006 at 11:06 PM #

    ““Is this a football discussion or a fashion show? Must be a SLOW day in sports.â€?

    Given this and your additional comments, I can’t say I’m shocked that you missed the point – as you clearly did. ”

    Oh I get the point. All style and no substance. Problem is that one has nothing to do with the other. Winning cures all and keeps people from complaining about things that don’t matter… like say uniforms, or Chuck’s Kangol. Its like names on the back of a jersey. If that really makes a difference then there is more of a problem than uniform style.

    If you are more concerned about the uniforms people wear than the management and execution of the game then you might like another “sport” like ball room dancing where you get points for fashion. (This was an illustration as I have no clue whether you get pts for fashion in ball room dancing.)

    The root of the short comings over the last few years had nothing to do with fireworks or player introductions or uniform choices. Many of the “big time” programs have such. The root of the problem was a weak O-line and poor game management offensively IMO.

  13. redfred2 08/02/2006 at 11:40 PM #

    They can look like a bunch of superstar wannabe’s, but they can still play like just your plain ol’ everday wannabe. Let’s revert back to the more recognizable, old style uniforms. Tuck our shirttails in, and remember we’re still kids and not in the pro’s yet. See if we can’t forget how cool we look long enough to start concentrating a little more on the reason for putting the uniform on in the first place.

    We can all start watching the WWF if we decide we want to see a bunch of phoney showboats getting their butts kicked later this fall. Let’s forget all the hype and just play football.

  14. class of 74 08/03/2006 at 7:23 AM #

    Bob Lee you must remember, at altitude the ball travels 10% further. If you had gone to State like Whit you would have known that!

  15. Mr O 08/03/2006 at 7:37 AM #

    Bob Lee is exactly right. I can understand the media going after Amato for the NC State red shoes, even though they never went after our basketball team, but I can’t figure out why our own fans go after him for them. The media as a whole doesn’t like Amato.

  16. RickJ 08/03/2006 at 8:32 AM #

    ^While I agree with Bob Lee’s general point concerning the 83 championship and the 2004 UNC-Chapel Hill – NC State football game, I would point out that if the “Albuquerque Air Ball had fallen a foot shorter”, the game would have gone to overtime. Impossible to know what would have happened but with Guy Lewis and V on each bench – I like our chances.

  17. redfred2 08/03/2006 at 8:36 AM #

    O, didn’t you always consider the vanilla nothingness of Herb Sendek as a”class act.” I think all that anyone is asking is for someone to prove that they know how to win when it matters. Then the personalities, or lack there of, could be considered part of that equation.

  18. BobLee 08/03/2006 at 10:06 AM #

    My point with “the Albuquerque Air Ball” (cool phrase, huh?) is that that improbable Cinderella story made V a national celebrity bringing with it Personal Fouls and all that followed. Lose to PhiSlammaJamma even by a point and V maybe stays just under that unforgiving spotlight … he is still Jimmy V but not on so high a pedestal. ….. but even then I say he would have eventually jumped to the glamour of an NBA city.
    All of which is off-topic of “is it the unis and/or Chuck’s eccentric behavior?” Again, TA scores in Oct ’04 … Jay Davis, TA, and Chuck all boosted by the W and who knows where it goes …. meanwhile the L totally negates John who was under tremendous pressure at that time. He still is routed by Utah and the big Miami W never happens. John (and Dickie) are canned … leaving Chuck free to harvest all of NC recruits while UNC goes into another 5 year rebuild plan under whoever.
    People who know Chuck have always told me he did not consciously set out to be the eccentric (“controversial”) sideline attraction that he became. It was never contrived to make him the focus of attention … he simply had a bizarre taste in apparel. Is/was “red shoes & Oakleys” any more a symbol than Spurrier’s visor … JoePa’s rolled up khakis … Bobby Bowden leather hat … et al. Rivals are going to magnify anything they can to deride a rival coach/player especially in this 28-mile “war zone” we live in.
    The sideline apparel did not cause the Ls … but the Ls magnified the bizareness of the apparel. Personally, I thought the addition of the bucket hat sent the ensemble over the top …. and, of course, that unforgettable photo of Chuck in the Oakleys looking up at the ref … once that hit the Internet it was Game – Set- Match.
    Heck … lets blame Mrs Amato … she should have said “You are NOT going to wear THAT on the field ARE YOU?” Haven’t we all been saved from sartorial disasters by a version of that phrase from our wives?

    BLS

  19. Cardiff Giant 08/03/2006 at 10:20 AM #

    Again, for those who claim “it just doesn’t matter” what the players wear in terms of their attitude, I have but one response:

    Unitards. 🙂

    Need I say more? I thought not?

    Also, one of the big problems with Chuck’s program, as others point out, is the flashy “pro-style” attitude. The uniforms accentuate that, along with the trash talking (and the academic and other off the field casualties, natch). Returning to the old uniforms would be a symbol – a SYMBOL, folks, not a panacea – that the “pro-style” stuff is being deemphasized.

    Changing uniforms (the Cowboy Blue Jersey Jinx being an exception) won’t in itself win us any games. Changing our attitude, however, will. And returning to the old uniforms would be a powerful symbol of that change.

  20. Cardiff Giant 08/03/2006 at 10:25 AM #

    “If you are more concerned about the uniforms people wear than the management and execution of the game then you might like another “sportâ€? like ball room dancing where you get points for fashion. (This was an illustration as I have no clue whether you get pts for fashion in ball room dancing.).”

    I really don’t know why you have such a problem getting the point, but I’ll try again: It is not an issue of how the uniforms “look.” It is an issue of the ATTITUDE the selection of those uniforms professes.

    And I’ll leave ballroom dancing to you, as you seem to be the expert on it. 🙂

    “The root of the short comings over the last few years had nothing to do with fireworks or player introductions or uniform choices. Many of the “big timeâ€? programs have such. The root of the problem was a weak O-line and poor game management offensively IMO.”

    I disagree with the “root” of the problem. If you’ll recall the very first paragraph of the column, I referenced both of those items as factors. What I also believe, however, is that the problem needs a serious attitude adjustment, and getting rid of the pro uniforms is one method of emphasizing that adjustment.

  21. RickJ 08/03/2006 at 10:25 AM #

    ^”leaving Chuck free to harvest all of NC recruits while UNC goes into another 5 year rebuild plan under whoever.”

    Most people feel like Steve Spurrier would have replaced Bunting. I wonder how many NC State & UNC – Chapel Hill fans would be willing to change the 2004 result under this scenario.

    BTW, Chuck has already secured more commitments from NC recruits this year that had offers from UNC – Chapel Hill than O’Cain had in seven years.

  22. BobLee 08/03/2006 at 11:07 AM #

    …”Most people feel like Steve Spurrier would have replaced Bunting”…..

    If you define “most people” as goggle-eyed loonies on TheTarPit or assorted other cyber septic tanks.
    That BS had about as much truth in it as Bill Cowher waiting to replace Chuck.

    BLS

  23. Cardiff Giant 08/03/2006 at 11:40 AM #

    ^ You mean he isn’t? 🙂

  24. BobLee 08/03/2006 at 12:12 PM #

    Cardiff … there are two keys phrases to watch for with wild-ass coaching speculation. One has already actually happened … “I hear he’s bought a lot at (Governors Club … Wakefield … Prestonwood … etc)” which Cowher of course actually HAS done. Spurrier NEVER did despite loon bloviation that he had.
    Two is …. “I hear “his people” are talking to “our people” …” In the case of Spurrier he never even had “a people” until the day Dan Snyder fired him and he hired an attorney to negotiate his buy-out. Dickie, of course, has no people at all. As for your Lee … he has three beautiful daughters but no “people” that I am aware of.
    BLS

  25. tvp 08/03/2006 at 12:17 PM #

    Oh man, that GT game – not only was there the aforementioned “no-sack” play, but the following other things all happened:

    -Danny Young had maybe the only low snap in his four years on a punt – when Herbert went down to field it, his knee touched the ground, giving GT the ball 15 yards behind our line of scrimmage.
    -Greg Golden dropped a gift-wrapped interception in the end zone.
    -Terrance Holt intercepted a pass, but it was incorrectly ruled out of bounds

    The chances of all those things happening have to be infintely small. People always talk about the “TA” game and Rivers’ final game, but to me the GT game was worse.

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