(PWD Note: Since we're talking about uniforms anyway, I figured I'd publish a note that Mike Floyd sent me regarding UGA uniforms)
By Mike Floyd
My memory may be faulty and it wouldn’t be the first time, but having written a feature on Georgia’s uniform history (and that of a few other schools) a number of years ago [in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal] I seem to recall that Georgia had always worn Silver Britches (straight silver – no stripes) until 1964, when Dooley came on board and revamped the whole look to include new red helmets and white pants. The Silver Britches returned in 1980, and of course you know how that turned out.
Georgia fans also have a lot of memories – both good and bad - of the red pants, but the fact is we’ve rarely actually worn them. With few exceptions, our road uniforms consisted of white tops and white pants that had an “extra wide” red stripe down each leg.[Image: Goff in white pants circa mid-70s]
Ironically, people remember the red pants so well because of Herschel’s debut game in 1980 and because the hugely popular “Wonderdog” team of 1978 wore them a bit more than usual. But, otherwise, they’ve been something we all remember seeing a lot more than we actually saw them. From what I recall from my research, the only times we actually wore the red pants after Herschel’s debut came in the 1988 South Carolina game, in which we got pasted in Columbia, and in a 20-13 win at Clemson in 1985.
Aside from 1962, when Georgia wore a silver helmet with a red block “G” on each side (no stripe), the Dawgs always wore solid silver helmets until Dooley arrived. The whole uniform, prior to Dooley, was actually rather drab.
We wore plain red or white jerseys (white number on the red and black number on the white), paired with silver pants that were probably actually closer to a dull gray. Ohio State without the stripes, basically.
Kudos to Dooley for putting together the combination we currently enjoy today.
As you correctly noted on your blog this week, any team that beats Florida is granted one free wish. Call it “The Godfather” clause, which states that Marlin Brando can’t turn down a favor on the day of his daughter’s wedding.
Personally, I think the black looks like total ass and is a bit Gamecockish for my taste, but if that’s what those guys want then I’ll dig something up from my Goth days and play along.
Unfortunately, the fact I didn’t actually have any Goth days means this will likely set me back fifty bucks. But that’s a small price to pay if the gimmick proves successful.
Mike Floyd
