Minnesota Uniform Week is not complete without a staff roundtable

I just want to thank everyone for an excellent UNIFORMS WEEK here at TDG. There were some truly ELITE sartorial discussions had in the comments. To close us out, it seemed fitting to ask questions of the TDG staff to get their final thoughts about this most important of topics.

1) What is your favorite all time Minnesota Golden Gophers uniform?

wildcat00: You all will hate me, but I actually really like the darker maroon and dull gold combo from the mid-90s (without the extra random Ms, that is).

dvits14: Do I answer this honestly and get absolutely killed for it or do I play it safe and choose my second favorite to not get raked over the coals? Decisions, decisions. Well, we’re here to spark a conversation, so I’ll take whatever heat is thrown my way. (Deep breaths, 3, 2,1, here we go) My favorite all-time Minnesota uniforms are the Jim Wacker era uniforms minus the weird M piping thing around the shoulders. (Ducks away from the chair that was just thrown at my head).

HipsterGopher: I agree with dvits14! (Hipster didn’t participate, but this is what he would have said. Probably.)

GoAUpher: The early 1960’s look with the white helmets with the stripe would be my fave “historical” choice. Honestly though I really love the gold, maroon, gold combo the team has right now. It makes me sooooooooooo happy.

DarkKnight5: Yellow tops, maroon shirt, yellow pants. The yellow helmets are my favorite part of the current set and I like the pants to match the hat. So maroon gold maroon is a close second for me. Also, the Mason-era maroon jerseys with the gold collars are my favorite single piece of uniform.

GopherNation: JUST WIN.

2) What is your favorite current combo (or, combos)?

wildcat00: Matte maroon helmet, maroon jersey, maroon pants.

dvits14: My favorite current combo is the maroon helmet, gold top and maroon pants look. I absolutely love this combo! When Tim Brewster broke this look out for the California game I about cried it was so beautiful. I’ve wished ever since that it was their main combo. Welp, I just gave Tim Brewster credit for something. (Who just threw their shoe at me? Honestly, who throws a shoe?)

GoAUpher: As already noted, the gold/maroon/gold combo is straight FIRE. That said, I’m also a big fan of maroon/gold/maroon just like dvits14 is. I would also like to take this opportunity to say NO WHITE PANTS AT HOME PLEASE K THX BYE.

DarkKnight5: Already answered above, so that's some quality blogging on my part.

GopherNation: Personally I like the current uniforms. They have some cool details like the bricks in the numbers, Ski U Mah on back of helmets and I'm a big fan of matte helmets. I'm sure they will change for the sake of change but I'm not the target demographic.

Also, JUST WIN.

3) What are your favorite elements of the current uniforms?

wildcat00: I like the brick motif in the uniform numbers, but I'm guessing we're not going back to that.

dvits14: I was skeptical of the matte finish helmet when they were first introduced, but now I don’t think I would ever go back to the gloss look. I also really like the brick design in the numbers as an ode to the Brick House and the Brick by Brick mantra. The bricks are a nice touch, but I would lose them in the next design thanks to Tennessee. (There was nothing controversial with this, why are you throwing tomatoes at me?)

GoAUpher: Matte maroon helmet is the best maroon helmet. No one ever tell me the sparkles maroon that Brewster implemented was a good idea. My death glare will make you regret it. I was a big fan of the brick pattern in the current gold uniforms when they came out but honestly...no, I’m ready to move on from that. The addition of the gold helmet was an ELITE design choice IMO. I’m down with tweaking the stripe a bit but having that helmet option is great.

DarkKnight5: See above, since I like to crap on the order of your questions, the gold lids are the best, but I also love the maroon helmets in the matte finish. Maroon and matte were made for each other.

GopherNation: JUST WIN.

4) If you could design the perfect Minnesota uniform what would it look like?

wildcat00: I would go with a less-fuschia shade of maroon than we currently have, and a less yellow shade of gold. See also my answer to #1.

dvits14: I’m an old fuddy duddy, so I tend to like more simple designs which sum up the Mason era uni’s. So I’d probably go with something along those lines with a couple tweaks here or there. (Really, a duck? You just threw a duck at me? I’m not even mad. That’s impressive.)

GoAUpher: I wrote this question and then realized I didn’t want to answer it as written. So here are uniform elements I’d like to see:

• I’d look for a way to incorporate a chrome base helmet. Not full chrome, but chrome base where the logo or image on the helmet appears chrome and the rest is a different finish. I’d especially like that if it used Goldy in a fashion similar to this:

• I’d put the outline of the State of Minnesota onto the back of the helmets again (single best thing Brewster ever did besides commission a team rap song).
• I’d have more throwback uniforms.
• MORE RETRO GOLDY
• I swear, if there was a cool way to do a Goldy version of this uniform I would be ecstatic:

DarkKnight5: Perfect uni includes a gold helmet with no stripe down the middle to match the hockey team. I'd keep most of the current maroon jersey but add the gold collar and maybe even a gold cuff on the sleeves. Gold pants with a classy maroon stripe.

It would also be coated with a frictionless spray to make it impossible to tackle.

GopherNation: JUST WIN.

5) If you could steal an element of another team's uniforms, what would you bring to Minnesota?

wildcat00: Why are we borrowing from other schools? I HATE THEM ALL.

dvits14: I’d go full on Oregon Ducks and have 843 different combos with 843 different shades of maroon and gold. That’s not an exaggeration either; it has to be precisely 843 different combos. I’d also introduce a new alternate helmet with some type of iteration of Goldy instead of the Block M. Oh who am I kidding? Instead of Goldy on the helmet I would go with something completely obscure and garish. Something along the lines of a gray duck with a gray duck signature underneath. All born and bred Minnesotan’s will get the joke while the rest of the country says to themselves there’s no such thing as a gray duck. (Oh come on, your other shoe now? Well the joke is on you buddy, it is 8° outside).

GoAUpher: Repeating myself a bit, but more combo options (that didn’t involve white pants at home), a “Color Rush” option besides ALL MAROON or ALL BLACK, chrome lids in some form, THROWBACKS, crazy one off uniforms (I’ll live to regret asking for this).

DarkKnight5: I would steal Wisconsin's uniforms so they wouldn't be able to play or would have to go thrift store shopping and play in sweatpants and mumus.

GopherNation: JUST WIN.

6) Should Minnesota have a special uniform designed to make Pat Reusse's head explode?

The TDG staff is in total agreement on this question...

Best summary came from DarkKnight5: “The Gophers should do everything in their power to make his head explode. If he's ever spotted on campus, a coach needs to follow him around constantly explaining H.Y.P.R.R. without pausing to let Reusse get a word in.” His design for the uniform? “I guess in terms of uniforms, I would create a word cloud of the Fleck lexicon and just screen print it all over the uniforms. In all sorts of other colors.”

Also, I think dvits14 might internet fight anyone who says no. Be aware.

7) Is this uniform debut video elite, ELITE, or :fire: eLITe :fire:?

wildcat00: Can we just retire ELITE already? I break out in hives every time I hear it now.

dvits14: FIRE eLITe! (What's with all the ducks?)

GoAUpher: I am also team FIRE eLITe, all the way. And the answer is wildcat00, We’re just getting started.

DarkKnight5: The video is ELITE but I'm extra tingly for the unveiling of the next set because I expect them to be BURNING HOT ELITE.

GopherNation: JUST WIN.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWERS BE?*

*answers supportive of Reusse on this matter will be booed per protocol