Today was suppose to be a green out but it really didnt look much different than any other day. I was watching the georgia vs lsu game and couldnt believe how much red was in that stadium. I realize that having a different color shirt every year causes a lot of different color shirts in the crowd but we should be able to do much better than that. ...
It was green. You have to keep in mind red in a much more noticeable color than green. It's no accident that RED is used for Stop Signs and Stop Lights and Green is used for Go.
Same with UGA and LSU. Think about the traffic signal RED, YELLOW, GREEN. Fire Engine Red. Arrest Me Red. Gingers. Red stands out.
The Shirt is also a problem and the Shirt Committee doesn't want to hear "GO GREEN!" when they just sanctions a blue shirt (or any color other than green).
Also keep in mind schools like Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, Bama, Tennessee, and a raft of others have promoted a color scheme for DECADES. I had realatives 40 years ago that were Arkansas season ticket holders. People where something of Arkansas's red be at hat, scarf, etc. But when they play Texas they want people in red from head to toe.
A YEAR BEFORE THE GAME the fanbase gets a notice to put it on their calendar. When tickets go on sale the order form lets you know when the RED date is. When you get your ticketes, you get a reminder. At every home game they make an announcement as a reminder. The alumni clubs remind people at local functions. AND they put banners up to remind people.
Over time it gets ingrained.
Now when did ND decide the OU game was to be green? Tuesday for the P.C.? A week ago?
Did you get a notice with your ticket order?
In a UND mailing?
Through the ND Clubs?
NO. NO. NO.
Putting it on the website a few days before the game isn't "getting the word out".
About 10 or 12 years ago on another board a mod who was a student wanted to do a BLUE OUT. I told him ND's blue is too dark. He suggested GOLD. I pointed out it would look like a sea of urine. Besides how many guys had gold clothes? I suggested GREEN. This was in the early summer. He posted it on the board where a couple hundred people read it most of whom weren't going to the game. Somebody on The Shirt Committee complained it would hurt sales.
He was a marketing major and I suggested he take this on like a marketing project. As a student it was something he could put on his resume. I sent him a list of ND Clubs around the world. I suggested he contact each dorm, as well as St Mary's and Holy Cross to others student leaders involved. And to contact the AD's office, the HC, and SID.
He did.
That was '02 when Willingham started out 8-0 and fans were wearing green to games on their own. Actually as a by product for the green out. Somebody whispered in Willingham's ear, "we should jump on board with this". And Willingham announced that the players would wear green in the next home game not to motivate the players but for the players to acknowledge the spirit the student body and the fans had been showing wearing green that season.
I was at the FSU game that year in Tallahassee. 5,000 ND fans marched in, in unison chanting, "HERE COME THE IRISH!" It was awesome!
The next game was BC. Before the game Coughlin told his players ND was afraid of BC and wore green because they needed the motivation. He was successful in using color as a motivational tool where Willingham was simply trying to recognize the fans. ND lost and the AD's office wanted to hear nothing about a GreenOut again.
Bottom line is you have to get UND on board OR get a grass roots movement organized. But it's got to be 6 months to a year ahead to plan not 6 days.
Kudo's to the fans who turned green with pride. Jeers to the "but our colors are blue and gold" crowd. They are but not the colors that Rockne's, Leahy's, Parshegian's, Devine's, and Holtz's teams wore winning national championships. The colors Faust teams wore are actually the school's colors. Sorry Jeerers, Madonna Blue isn't KickAss. (Neither was Willingham's green)
