If any of your post was directed at mine, I think you may have mistaken me for GFoA
(Since you touched on a few of my points in addition to a lot of others.)
I don't think anyone in the whole debate has said that wanting to add black to the uniforms makes a person less of a fan. In fact, I suggested that maybe it should be opened up for debate if that is what the majority of fans want.
I agree with a small change for a special occasion such as the 50th anniversary of the Blackshirts (Minnesota game, 2014?). Just not every season on the anniversary of the date they were first handed out.
I don't agree we should change for other schools that have similar uniforms - it seems like we are abandoning our colors in the face of a rival. ****** Wisconsin - they can change, not us. Definitely not giving up the colors to Indiana.
To expand on that point, I also think in general that a special uniform should be to commemorate
our traditions or
our milestones,
not as a reaction to another team. We make the B1G Championship game next year? Awesome, but not an occasion for a special uniform. We play a big game with Ohio State or Michigan? Not enough reason.
Unless there is something significant about our playing the other school such as when we play Michigan in 2017 it will have been 30 years since the split title in '97 so a special uniform might make sense. The "celebrate our history with the B1G teams" games would be good occasions.
If we scheduled Oklahoma in '21, then by all means go with throw-backs to celebrate the Game of the Century. But not for Wisconsin in '12 just for a change of pace - if simply playing the game isn't exciting enough, then changing the uniforms isn't going to help.
I also think the idea of adding black solely because it is the color of the first string defense's practice jerseys, as great a tradition as it is, is not enough of a reason to do it a few times a year. If so, what about the offense? We are leaving more than half the team out. 50th anniversary of the tradition, great. Random game this October, not so much.
Changing colors is not evolutionary. Changing/deleting/moving stripes, facemask color, font of numbers or letters, evolution. Do a throw-back red helmet with white stripe, evolution. Put "NU" back on the helmet, evolution. All reds or all (surrender) whites: I object more for the way those look as opposed to because they are not traditional.
But added various other colors, revolution. Green for the hands-off QB practice jersey?
:lol:
And with regard to people whining about "it's not a school color", well, the kid whines about having to eat her broccoli but that doesn't change it being a fact.