What if Auburn Brought Back Orange Facemasks?
In the early 1980's, with Pat Dye at the helm, the Auburn Tigers football team, along with Bo Jackson, wore orange facemasks on their helmets. I don't know for sure, because it was around the birth of 'Blogle, but I believe this only occurred for one year. I want to say 1983. Don't believe me? Look at Bo below.
So since we've got a little time until next football season, I feel like riling up the old fogies who think that everything they remember from the last 15 years is how Auburn has always done it. I don't absolutely love the look of an orange facemask on Auburn's current helmet, but I don't hate it. And if it's good enough for Bo, then it's good enough for me, and you, and you, and yes you sir over there screaming about Auburn's "traditional" look.
2013 National Signing Day Running Post… is done
Ok, this might not be as good as years' past, but hopefully the results of the day should be. Real life (moving to Auburn for a new job) is going to get in the way just a little today and for the next few weeks. So I'm making no promises on what comes out of this post today. Auburn playing Alabama in basketball tonight throws a big kink in things as well.
I can promise that I will do my best to update the post with every new signee that Auburn receives and as quickly as I can. They will all be there by the end of the day. We may or may not have a live chat near the end of the day, maybe late tonight, as we've done before as well. But don't get your hopes up on that.
Geez, why are you even reading this anymore? This post is obviously going to be terrible. No, but really. I'll get all the information you need to know up here, including notes from Malzahn's press conference at 3pm CT, I promise.
In the next few days, I will do a full recap of the class of 2013 as well as everybody's favorite unconventional look at the class (2011, 2012). The goods will come. You'll just have to be patient. So let's get started, the most recent updates will be at the top.
Top 10 WarBlogle.com Posts of 2012
As the year 2012 comes to a close today, it's time to take a look back at 366 days worth of blogles and view the ten that piqued your interest the most. Given that this year was not kind in any way to the Auburn Tigers, I'm as ready to get to the new year as anybody. When the big three sports combine for a 45-57 record, it's hard not to look ahead, but you don't know where you're going unless you know where you've been... or something like that.
As it was last year, my uniform obsession seems to have seeped into your brains and taken a stronghold. Of the top ten most read blogles, four were uniform-related. Apparently it's not as pointless as some may suggest. It's fun, isn't it?
As far as the 'Blogle and all things 'Blogle are concerned, there was a slight drop in overall page views, but we all know that has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to read anything about Auburn after around October. Twitter followership did jump up around 9,000 sheep, uh, followers to over 25,000 in the year 2012, so there's that. As a guy that just does this as a hobby, I'm pretty proud of that. And as last year, I beg you, just give me a dollar a month. How hard would that be? I'm only slightly kidding.
Another year has passed and the 'Blogle is still here, so we can call it a success. I have many things planned for the new year, but I'll lay those out in my Resolutions post in the next day or so. For now, take a look back and feel free re-read the top 10 blogles of 2012.
Every Conversation I’ve Had About Petrino This Week
Since the middle of the season, when it first looked like Chizik wouldn't make it to next season, the Petrino bandwagon began to grow and grow each week. I tried to ignore it because I wasn't going to talk about coaches unless Chizik was gone.
Now that he is, I've thrown my two cents out on Twitter about my dislike for the idea of hiring him. With the growing minority becoming louder and louder, I've had multiple conversations with "Petrino-lovers", or PLs for short. They have all gone almost the exact same way. I'm beginning to think PLs all have some sort of checklist of points because they all use the exact same ones, almost in the same order, and exact same verbiage.
Many of these conversations have happened between friends and me, and to those guys, I respectfully disagree (except Blake Ells, I really hate that guy). To the ones I don't know that think I should quit the site or die in a fire because I don't want your guy as my school's coach, have a nice day.
So because I'm tired of typing my same points to their same points over and over, I'm just going to put it all here so that we don't continue to waste our time.
Bigger Jersey Names/Numbers and Other Fan Day Notes
If you follow me on Twitter, you've been probably seen/read all that follows in this post, but since a lot of you don't, here are a few notes from yesterday's Fan Day at Auburn Arena.
Let me start off by saying that like last year, I only go to Fan Day so that @BabyBlogle can get the experience. I have no desire whatsoever to go talk to the players, check out jersey tweaks, spend time around Auburn, etc. I just hate it. It's terrible. But I do it for the kid, and for you. Be happy. o_O
The first thing I looked for when heading up to the concourse (where the defensive non-starters are placed) was of course number and letter size on the jerseys. That sounds so stupid, but you all know that everyone hated the tiny letters and numbers last year, and I had been told that the original sizes were returning, so I had to make sure.
Monday Mailbag: Retired Numbers, Short Shorts, QB-1
Mr. Mailbag is back from his summer vacation and is looking to answer any and all questions you may have. This week, the questions ranged from retired number chatter, an inevitable question about practice shorts, the "quarterback race," and some squirrel chat.
Brice J. has an idea that would call for the un-retiring of Auburn's retired numbers...
Would you be in favor of un-retiring all the retired numbers Auburn has and using a policy like Michigan? The coaches at Michigan choose players to wear the formerly retired numbers and there's a patch on the jersey commemorating the former player. It seems like a better way to commemorate the former player AND it makes it an honor to wear the jersey for the current player. I think it's a good idea.
I'm not exactly sure what Michigan's protocol for retiring numbers is, but I'd say it's probably a little less strict than Auburn's. Officially, only three numbers have been retired at Auburn (#7 - Pat Sullivan, #88 - Terry Beasley, #34 -Bo Jackson), and we know Cam's #2 is coming next given that nobody has worn the number since he left. Michigan was most likely in the spot that they had so many numbers retired that they would run out of real numbers to wear, so they had to get back to letting current players wear them.
I do like the idea of handing out a formerly retired or honored number to certain players that should be capable of continuing the legacy, but I just don't see Auburn needing to do that. I know some hot shot coming out of high school thinks he could come in and be the next Bo Jackson or Cam Newton, but we know the chances of that are almost zero, so why chance defaming the number?
It’s Time for Auburn to Wear a Real Throwback Uniform
Whether it's about blue helmets, blue pants, mock Nike Pro Combat uniforms, completely off-the-wall uniform concepts, or orange jerseys, uniform talk is always a big pull on the 'Blogle. I don't know why, but I have always loved talking about Auburn uniforms, and apparently you love reading about them.
I remember being in my early years of college (the Tuberville era) and hearing a rumor about Auburn possibly wearing orange jerseys for a game. At the time, I thought it was awesome. As I have grown older, I realized that for the most part, I am a traditionalist. It wouldn't kill me, but the idea of Auburn wearing an orange version of their current uniform doesn't really excite me. Yes, all of the rumors from the past few years have intrigued me, but in general I'd like to see Auburn keep what they have in the uniform department.
It has almost become the norm these days for smaller or less elite schools to wear a crazy alternate uniform at some point in the season to draw attention to their programs - and in the case of Georgia, to make our eyes melt from our skulls. It's all about creating excitement and selling their brand. To some, it can look a little desperate since it appears that they've abandoned the idea of winning football games to build a program, and are focusing on marketing. But if the uniform looks cool enough, the idea works in the school's favor, at least in terms of adding a little excitement.
That being said, I've decided that it's time for Auburn to make a little change, for just one game a year, to what they wear on the football field. But wait, before you leave or tear me up in the comments, hear me out. I'm thinking of something a little bit different than what most everybody else is doing today.
An Auburn Helmet You Can See Yourself In… Literally
Ain't it pretty? Well I guess it depends on who's being reflected in it, but it's cool nonetheless. I mean, the orange facemask is even metallic. Opponents could see their expression go from intensity to fear all the way up until the boom is laid.
Before you flip your lid, here's the story: the helmet belongs to Jahmere Irvin (he's the one shining back at you in the picture), a 3-star cornerback commitment for the Tigers. Jahmere's brother is a quarterback. His quarterback coach is Steve Clarkson. At his camps, Clarkson gives out helmets to all of his quarterbacks. Since Jahmere is a DB, he didn't get one, but all it took was one request. He asked Clarkson for one of his own, and this is what came in the mail a few weeks later. He called it an early birthday present.
This will never happen, so you traditionalists calm down. It's just a fun little prototype. Just enjoy that it's something Auburn, ok?
Thanks to @AUFamily for the heads up.
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