FanPost

Student Section Scarves (yes it is the offseason...)

Reading through the thread on tRCMB and the comments on TOC one thing became very clear to me: Nobody can ever agree on what the official student section t-shirt design should be.

My solution to this problem is to let people wear whatever shirt/jersey/jacket they want as long as it is a designated color (I guess we are sticking with White after the Green experiment last year).

The one thing that could make MSU unique (at least in the college athletics world) would be to ditch the student section t-shirt idea and start a student section scarf campaign.

I'll discuss the pros/cons of this idea after the jump

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via farm1.static.flickr.com


First a brief history of the scarf in the soccer world:

Team scarves first appeared in Britain in the early 1900s. They were designed to allow fans to stay warm in the winter without sacrificing their team spirit. The original soccer scarves were striped, alternating the team’s colors. This style is still the most popular in the UK and Australia. Then came the addition of the club crest and team name, followed by scarves decorated with team slogans and pictures of popular players. Now the possibilities are endless. Scarves are made for important matches, championships and rivalries.

Whether it’s winter or summer, whether the match is in Europe or Africa, scarves are essential for any soccer fan. The ultimate accessory, they are not just for function and fashion. Scarves have become a part of pre-game tradition. Fans will raise their scarves above their heads, creating a scarf wall and a sea of their club’s colors, while singing their team’s anthem. USA fans, this makes you want to put down your foam finger and get an American scarf, doesn’t it? http://www.scarves.net/blog/soccer-scarves-the-ultimate-accessory

PROS: 1. Cold Weather Accessory : Lets face it....most of the important games on the schedule happen when the weather starts turning cold. The weather negates the short sleeve student section t-shirt because people start layering up and they never seem to put the shirt over the long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt they are wearing. The "white-outs" that the single color student section shirt are supposed to display are negated due to the fact that people just want to stay warm. With the scarf there is no need to worry about what you are wearing and you can actually use them to stay warm while tailgaiting.

2. Cheer Item: Besides the obvious display like the picture above they could also be incorporated into different songs from the PA system or band.

Anti Glazer Green & Gold scarf waving at Old Trafford (via lilacredsontour)

Cons:

1. Cost: I bought a Nike MSU scarf a few years ago that is actually really nice....but it was $30. I'm not sure students would love having that added cost put on to the season ticket price. I'm not really sure Nike would give MSU a break on pricing....besides who would want a crappy quality scarf? This also brings up the point of replacing a lost or stolen scarf. I'm not sure having another accessory to carry around to tailgates is the best idea for drunk college students.

2. Warm weather games: The first 2-3 games are usually hot. I don't know if students would really want to carry around a scarf in 90 degree heat.

In closing, I know this idea might not make a lot of sense to older people who haven't had the same kind of exposure to soccer that a lot of younger fans have had. The emergence of MLS and the EPL on EPSN have exposed us to a different form of fan culture that can be adapted to our brand of football.

Any thoughts?

This is a FanPost, written by a member of the TOC community. It does not represent the official positions of The Only Colors, Inc.--largely because we have no official positions.