Do you like your quasi-ancient-Greek clothes, Mr. Powers? I designed them myself.
by KJ@theonlycolors on Apr 23, 2010 9:49 PM CDT
in Michigan State Spartans News Roundup
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PrintSo this is the font the lettering and numbering on all the new jerseys will be based on:
Two things:
1. Does anyone really see this text style being something that will be a "timeless" part of MSU's brand and identity? What are the odds the university is using this font in, say, 2020? Why not just expand the use of the existing basketball "State" script that's made it 10 years now--gracing the chests of four Spartan Final Four teams along the way--without yet looking dated?
2. Why, oh why, couldn't they leave the Block S at the front of "State" alone? I'm sure it wasn't intended this way, but after the Spartan logo backlash, that sliver they've sliced out of the S feels like a poke in the fanbase's eye.
I realize we all sound like reactionary, change-hating sticks in the mud, but I truly believe there was a way for the athletic department to build a consistent look across Michigan State athletic teams using the darker green (which has a history at the school) while building on established fonts and logos.
Instead, we get something based on "inspiration from Greek architecture and the Spartan ethos of simplicity and strength." In the words of LVS:
I swear, 300 was the worst thing ever to happen to us.
We all agree, of course, that winning and losing games matters a whole lot more than what you're wearing while you win or lose those games. But these statements from Mark Hollis are over the top:
"But (the MSU community) better be receptive to change because I want to win and I want to win on levels that we haven’t before. Sometimes you have to shake the trees to have something like that fall out.". . .
"I believe in championships and I believe in Rose Bowls," Hollis said. "We do things right at Michigan State and this project is very right. It’s right for our alumni and, most importantly, it’s right for our student-athletes. We’re a sleeping giant. We’re waking a sleeping giant."
Our men's basketball team certainly isn't a sleeping giant. It's simply a giant. We're all hopeful that our football team is a sleeping giant about to rise from its slumber--but Oregonesque jerseys with quasi-ancient-Greek lettering aren't going to do the rousing. I love the aggressive and creative style Mark Hollis has brought to the MSU Athletic Department, but this particular endeavor has been poorly executed and is now being oversold.
If the MSU athletes truly like the new look, that eases my angst somewhat. But this particular alumnus would prefer not to be told that expressing discontent with what looks a lot more like the brainchild of someone in the Nike marketing department than an effort to honor the traditions of a great university is somehow an impediment to on-field success.
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They touch the Block S that Shawn, Mateen, Morris, Drew, Drew, Quise, Ray, Zeke,
well, you get my point, kissed on Senior Day, I say we get the pitchforks.
Some things are not to be trifled with.
frankly the less people who know about our football team the better
given the way they’ve been getting themselves in the media.
co-sign on the rest of the post too!
by Kurt Mensching on Apr 23, 2010 10:13 PM CDT reply actions
Not the helmets!
I don’t think you can tell from the photos posted on here, but the LSJ’s photos show a fat stripe on the helmet now.
I want to see them on the field
Especially with the helmet on before I decide.
by JadeMonkey23 on Apr 23, 2010 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions
the green on the football uniforms was baddass
I’m pissed they changed it.
Here's the thing that bugs me about it
The notion of consistent branding across sports is intended to imply some parallel, integrated grand vision of the athletic department. This of course is nonsense.
However, the new consistent uniform standards mirror events in the wider university. I work for Michigan State, and the edict has just come down from on-high that all departments and units must conform to brand standards. See:
http://www2.ur.msu.edu/resources/graphic-standards/index.html
Now, my department has a very nice logo – a compass rose evocative of Geography:
http://www.geo.msu.edu/
I’d guess it’s at least somewhat recognizable to geographers in other departments. We stand to lose our own branding with this decision. Furthermore, thousands of pages of letterhead, envelopes, business cards, notepads, etc will be rendered obsolete. In addition, web pages are expected to conform to standard color choices, fonts, etc, all in the nature of branding. This will be a costly transition.
But what’s really annoying is that the upper administration spent two years on this rebranding effort, a large amount of money, attention, etc etc. Let me break the news gently: MSU’s challenges and issues are numerous, and ensuring that the Ag school and the Business school use exactly the same shade of green does not even make the top 500. And again, what is the point of consistent branding? To imply… grand vision? But it doesn’t make the grand vision – a point Hollis at least seemed to miss. Back to athletics: do they suppose the public is dumb enough to think that the fact that the hockey and volleyball uniforms use exactly the same font implies that there is some underlying ingenious strategy carrying us into the future?
Agreed.
And I also resent Hollis’s implication that those who aren’t in favor of the wholesale changes are somehow holding back the success of MSU teams and the university as a whole. Garbage.
As an aside, I was a big fan of the MSU Geography Department. Two of my favorite undergrad classes were with Jessica Moy and Alan Arbogast. Great, great stuff.
PP-TPW.
The Only Colors
Great to hear the Dept props!
Both are really strong in the classroom (and out). And back to your first point, yes, it’s insulting to the fanbase that the AD would take a shot at the critics in that manner. Surely he doesn’t really think that the old uniforms were the problem for recent hockey teams, why the basketball team can’t win in Madison, or the reason CMU won in Spartan Stadium last fall. I wouldn’t go as far as zachjuett downthread, but I know where he’s coming from, and rook34 hits it on the head.
Wait - wasn't the block S our brand before all this nonsense?
Why screw with that?
I was fully behind the color-coordination, but the implementation of these entirely new jerseys is not only asinine, it’s counter-productive.
These jerseys remind me of the tail end of the Bobby Williams era. I am not at all a fan of anything that remotely reminds me of the Bobby Williams era.
The third sentence is obviously about football
But since I didn’t clarify it there, I might as well here.
Totally Agree KJ
The one thing I do like are the quotes about breathability and how they might actually impact performance.
I don’t like how Hollis keeps bragging that all the athletes love them…..yeah I’m sure they’d really feel comfortable voicing a negative opinion.
Hollis is a little too “YOU’RE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US” for my liking.
by RickTheBloggerMartel on Apr 24, 2010 6:23 AM CDT reply actions
An opposing view-
I guess I just don’t feel that strongly about the jerseys. I’m all for traditional, non-flashy unis that look good now and 25 years from now. We are well past any sort of tradition with our football jerseys so the next best thing is to pick something and stick to it. With the whole university on board with this, it is going to be a lot more difficult to change now. The change that is most noticeable is the color, which couldn’t have been better. I sorta like the wide stripe on the helmet. I’m 50/50 on the bronze outline. I wouldn’t have picked the font, but I can’t even tell a difference between the new and old font on some of the pictures (I need to get contacts though). I don’t like the shoulder blocks, but I’m sure that is something they will change from year to year. At least they were flexible and kept the old logo. I like the basketball jerseys too. I thought the “state” logo looked good, but in the end we aren’t “state” or “sparty”, we are Michigan State and the Spartans.
In the end, I’d be ok with pink outlining the numbers if we get to a BCS bowl. Winning>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>jersey font.
I am trying to come up with a good analogy
but i am struggling. I’ll give this a try. If someone is “cool” they don’t constantly talk about how “cool” they are or what they need to do to become more “cool”. Ok. Cool folks don’t talk about it, because if they did, they would not be cool, they would then be a douchebag. Everyone knows someone that fits both descriptions. MSU is acting like a douchbag, and they have been ever since Hollis came on board. Also, Izzo, even with his modesty, suffers from this as well. Why do we constantly talk about how we are not yet a “national program” or whatever when we are making huge strides (mostly with bball) and the main thing that holds us back is everyone at MSU making a big deal about how we are not yet there. Hollis has done a lot of good. but this sucks. and its also embarrassing
luttez pour les seuls couleurs, vert et blanc
theres a reason
theres a reason why UM has had the same logo and unis for basically all of eternity. cause they look good and its tradition. they even switched from nike to adidas with no change.
that sliver out of the block S is a mockery. and the helmet splash is a ripoff of UM’s winged helmet.
you want brand identity? win. i guarantee no one mistakes the msu bball team when they take the court. why? casue they win.
hollis you really F’d this up. Youre a total joke in my mind. and you should be ashamed of yourself. you are no spartan.
I don't think so
hollis clearly cares about one thing and that’s $. You need those sponsors to fund all sports granted. But at what point are you conceding too much to the corporation and forgetting years of tradition. I 100% feel hollis has no attachment to the university. He is no spartan. This would never happen at UM. Think about it like that.
Seriously. Sit down. Breathe slowly.
Hollis was Izzo’s roommate when Tom was a grad assistant and Hollis was a basketball team manager. The guy is a true Spartan. He has stated many times that MSU AD is his dream job.
You have to realize that there are other players in this game. We don’t know how much an impact the board of trustees (which has a history of meddlesome behavior) had on the “branding” initiative or in approving the branding initiative. If the University wanted this to happen, Hollis has no choice (if he’d like to keep his job) but to parrot the company line. I’m not absolving him of his responsibility, as I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, but rest assured, Hollis did not make the decision unilaterally.
It might not happen at UM, but make no mistake, this is not solely Hollis’s fault or success depending on your take on the uniforms.
Instead, we get something based on “inspiration from Greek architecture and the Spartan ethos of simplicity and strength.”
Frustratingly the font on the ex Football Jerseys was much simpler, and thus more Spartan.
Light a man a fire, he'll stay warm for a day.
Light a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Also
As much as I dislike these, if Oregon is the model we can count on new uniforms, fonts, et cetera in a few years.
Light a man a fire, he'll stay warm for a day.
Light a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Hollis is a bit Draconian in the whole deal.
It would seem he could have been a bit less standoffish on this. I think that is inflaming people every bit as much as the jersey designs.
Bingo
The new design is irritating enough. Being told that disliking it makes me a bad Spartan … “irritating” isn’t anywhere near a strong enough word for it.
What I don't get is . . .
If he was going to make us take our medicine, why cave on the initial logo uproar?
Peace
Ty
http://www.thelionsinwinter.com
by ty@thelionsinwinter on Apr 26, 2010 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Fight for the only colors
Green white bronze and silver!
luttez pour les seuls couleurs, vert et blanc
Congratulations
You now have the TECATE beer font on every uniform. This should be a bonus when recruiting in border towns.
Furhtermore, the “Michigan” portion of “Michigan State” now almost has half a block “M” at the beginning which brings to mind another school altogether….
The script state was really cool and always will be. Fight this.
Ugh
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Apr 24, 2010 10:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Does our athletic department know what a focus group is?
How in the hell does this keep happening? How can they keep putting forth things that 70-80% of people don’t like?
I know some people take the “well, people would hate it no matter what” angle, but 10-20% of people will hate it no matter what.
A smart AD (not Mr. Hollis) would make this an open dialog with fans, finding out what they want to keep (block S at center court, “classic” style football jerseys) and what they would like to see changed (consistant logo, better national marketing/image) and get it done. We’re not getting that. We’re getting “Hey, check out our idea.” It’s fucking bush league.
Sparty on. Gator done.
by SpartanGator on Apr 27, 2010 11:52 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
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