Comments on: “Prove It” Works http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/ The rantings and commentary on Pitt football and basketball ... and anything else from a distracted mind Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:49:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Dave in Orlando http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104283 Dave in Orlando Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:45:11 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104283 The links you post are insightful, but I did not claim that the script was "the main historical logo." I do believe, however, that it is "the most historically significant logo." People outside the program and fan base identify with that script logo and color scheme. Many of the players and much of the fan base prefer it. And it was featured on the cover of SI (when that was more relevant) during the Dorsett and Marino years. In my opinion, what we can take from this discussion, is that the Pitt administration has failed from a marketing perspective. Programs like Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, USC and Texas have distinctive, well-recognized logos/uniforms/color schemes that have changed little over the years. This stimulates brand recognition (aided mightily by successful programs). Pitt's current look is neither distinctive or well-recognized. The links you post are insightful, but I did not claim that the script was “the main historical logo.” I do believe, however, that it is “the most historically significant logo.”
People outside the program and fan base identify with that script logo and color scheme. Many of the players and much of the fan base prefer it. And it was featured on the cover of SI (when that was more relevant) during the Dorsett and Marino years.
In my opinion, what we can take from this discussion, is that the Pitt administration has failed from a marketing perspective. Programs like Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, USC and Texas have distinctive, well-recognized logos/uniforms/color schemes that have changed little over the years. This stimulates brand recognition (aided mightily by successful programs).
Pitt’s current look is neither distinctive or well-recognized.

]]> By: ChrisA http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104282 ChrisA Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:22:20 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104282 Dave in Orlando, I'm the troll?!? Funny. Nice to see fans for script keeps their page current. I'll tell you one thing, the message they put forth on that site is a profound tall tale. Let me be clear here, the script is a damn cool logo, that's not debatable. What I don't like about this fascination with the script is that it is held up as if it is the first, best and only Pitt logo and that's just not true. It is revered so highly among Pitt fans that we'll manufacture backlash against anything that isn't mustard and royal. Case in point, your fav. page- Fans For Script panned the gold unis when Pitt wore them against Louisville in '06. If they don't like the gold- fine, that's their opinion -but to compare the gold incarnation of the unis as inferior to the ever popular script Pitt only shows that the historical context of Pitt's uniform choice is already lost on today's Pitt fans, and I'm against that. I'm not at all against the script, but this hype of putting the script Pitt on some kind of historical pedistal is insanity. For the record the gold uniforms were used as a change of pace scheme for several seasons in the 1930s and 1940s - several seasons... just like all of Pitt's uniform schemes. 1932 Stanford @ Pitt http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1170/1043617876_4b65bb3871_o.jpg 1932 http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1311/1043617840_a75974cb67_o.jpg You will see why they wanted to 'change pace' when you check their abominable 1932 main jerseys - horrible. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1043617790_65308a39fb_o.jpg To me (and I'm pretty sure I'm the sole person with this view) the modern all-gold getups are the classic Pitt throwback. I don't care at all if you love/hate the color scheme, if you love/hate the logo, or the monochrome thing, or the jersey #'s- that's your right as a fan. What I'm getting tired of are the historical falsehoods that accompany praising the script as somehow Pitt's main historical logo. In essence I'm trying to get forth the point that in this case coolest looking and most popular scheme does not automatically equate to historical significance. That's what I believe in and that's why I'm ranting posting this. I do hope they bring back the script in the future - for a few seasons at a time - and I also hope to enjoy watching the continued evolution of Pitt football through time. Pitt Baseball 1938 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2740185592_414c069350_o.jpg Pitt XCountry 1922 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2740195936_de16c5818c_o.jpg Hail to Pitt Dave in Orlando,
I’m the troll?!? Funny.

Nice to see fans for script keeps their page current. I’ll tell you one thing, the message they put forth on that site is a profound tall tale.

Let me be clear here, the script is a damn cool logo, that’s not debatable. What I don’t like about this fascination with the script is that it is held up as if it is the first, best and only Pitt logo and that’s just not true. It is revered so highly among Pitt fans that we’ll manufacture backlash against anything that isn’t mustard and royal.

Case in point, your fav. page- Fans For Script panned the gold unis when Pitt wore them against Louisville in ‘06. If they don’t like the gold- fine, that’s their opinion -but to compare the gold incarnation of the unis as inferior to the ever popular script Pitt only shows that the historical context of Pitt’s uniform choice is already lost on today’s Pitt fans, and I’m against that. I’m not at all against the script, but this hype of putting the script Pitt on some kind of historical pedistal is insanity.

For the record the gold uniforms were used as a change of pace scheme for several seasons in the 1930s and 1940s - several seasons… just like all of Pitt’s uniform schemes.
1932 Stanford @ Pitt
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1170/1043617876_4b65bb3871_o.jpg
1932
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1311/1043617840_a75974cb67_o.jpg
You will see why they wanted to ‘change pace’ when you check their abominable 1932 main jerseys - horrible.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1043617790_65308a39fb_o.jpg
To me (and I’m pretty sure I’m the sole person with this view) the modern all-gold getups are the classic Pitt throwback.

I don’t care at all if you love/hate the color scheme, if you love/hate the logo, or the monochrome thing, or the jersey #’s- that’s your right as a fan. What I’m getting tired of are the historical falsehoods that accompany praising the script as somehow Pitt’s main historical logo. In essence I’m trying to get forth the point that in this case coolest looking and most popular scheme does not automatically equate to historical significance. That’s what I believe in and that’s why I’m ranting posting this.

I do hope they bring back the script in the future - for a few seasons at a time - and I also hope to enjoy watching the continued evolution of Pitt football through time.

Pitt Baseball 1938
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2740185592_414c069350_o.jpg
Pitt XCountry 1922
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2740195936_de16c5818c_o.jpg

Hail to Pitt

]]> By: Stoosh http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104279 Stoosh Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:48:06 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104279 I don't mind the current uniforms as much as some of the more recent versions of them. I actually like the PITT block letter scheme on the jerseys and the helmet. And it sure as hell beats some of the schemes we rolled out with the cat logo and that number font that was damn near unreadable sometimes. I guess my biggest gripe about them is that they just look...I don't know...ordinary and generic. That was one thing I do like about the throwbacks...it was an easily recognizable color scheme. In fact, it was almost iconic in the fact that you looked at it, saw royal blue jerseys, mustard-colored helmets and automatically thought "Pitt". You didn't need to see the script logo on the side of the helmets. And while I don't think the uniforms will ever really be the determining factor in getting a kid now, at some point, they were also saying the same things about Michigan's maize and blue, Notre Dame's blue and gold and even that other school's blue and white. There are some kids who still pick schools because they - for lack of a better term - have always wanted "to wear the uniform". I don’t mind the current uniforms as much as some of the more recent versions of them. I actually like the PITT block letter scheme on the jerseys and the helmet. And it sure as hell beats some of the schemes we rolled out with the cat logo and that number font that was damn near unreadable sometimes.

I guess my biggest gripe about them is that they just look…I don’t know…ordinary and generic.

That was one thing I do like about the throwbacks…it was an easily recognizable color scheme. In fact, it was almost iconic in the fact that you looked at it, saw royal blue jerseys, mustard-colored helmets and automatically thought “Pitt”. You didn’t need to see the script logo on the side of the helmets.

And while I don’t think the uniforms will ever really be the determining factor in getting a kid now, at some point, they were also saying the same things about Michigan’s maize and blue, Notre Dame’s blue and gold and even that other school’s blue and white. There are some kids who still pick schools because they - for lack of a better term - have always wanted “to wear the uniform”.

]]> By: Dave in Orlando http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104278 Dave in Orlando Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:13:39 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104278 ChrisA - Either you're trolling or you didn't read what I wrote. "Obviously not the primary reason for choosing a program over another..." As for your comment: "The block letter PITT is the most historically significant logo we have..." That's crazy-talk. http://www.geocities.com/fansforscript/index.html I reiterate that I don't think the uniforms make any real difference in a how a team plays. However, I do believe the current incarnation is hideous and I do believe players care how they look (as petty as it may seem). BTW - I never said anything about the script, but... Would I like to see the return of the script? Hell yes (although I don't think it will happen under Pederson or Nordenberg's watch). Would I be satisfied if it didn't look like our uniforms were designed with a crayon and a cocktail napkin on the dashboard of Ronnie Yinzer's IROC? Most definitely. ChrisA - Either you’re trolling or you didn’t read what I wrote.

“Obviously not the primary reason for choosing a program over another…”

As for your comment:

“The block letter PITT is the most historically significant logo we have…”

That’s crazy-talk.

http://www.geocities.com/fansforscript/index.html

I reiterate that I don’t think the uniforms make any real difference in a how a team plays. However, I do believe the current incarnation is hideous and I do believe players care how they look (as petty as it may seem).

BTW - I never said anything about the script, but… Would I like to see the return of the script? Hell yes (although I don’t think it will happen under Pederson or Nordenberg’s watch).

Would I be satisfied if it didn’t look like our uniforms were designed with a crayon and a cocktail napkin on the dashboard of Ronnie Yinzer’s IROC? Most definitely.

]]> By: ChrisA http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104273 ChrisA Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:16:38 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104273 Right... Terrelle Pryor would be enrolled if we had the script Pitt. Like I said, nonsense. It will really be tough going in the next few years with all these bad recruiting classes... get real. The block letter PITT is the most historically significant logo we have; I'll just leave it a that. Right… Terrelle Pryor would be enrolled if we had the script Pitt. Like I said, nonsense.

It will really be tough going in the next few years with all these bad recruiting classes… get real.
The block letter PITT is the most historically significant logo we have; I’ll just leave it a that.

]]> By: Dave in Orlando http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104271 Dave in Orlando Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:26:19 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104271 Nonsense to you ChrisA, not so much to incoming recruits who don't want people confusing them with Barney. Obviously not the primary reason for choosing a program over another, but I have no doubt that it plays a factor in their decision-making process. Nonsense to you ChrisA, not so much to incoming recruits who don’t want people confusing them with Barney. Obviously not the primary reason for choosing a program over another, but I have no doubt that it plays a factor in their decision-making process.

]]> By: ChrisA http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104270 ChrisA Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:57:16 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104270 Here we go with the uniforms nonsense.. Here we go with the uniforms nonsense..

]]> By: mjb http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104268 mjb Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:46:38 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104268 Hey, at least the jerseys say "Pitt," not "Panthers" or Heaven forbid, "Pittsburgh." Let's just take that as a minor victory. But hopefully we end up in the old royal blue and mustard before too long. Hey, at least the jerseys say “Pitt,” not “Panthers” or Heaven forbid, “Pittsburgh.” Let’s just take that as a minor victory. But hopefully we end up in the old royal blue and mustard before too long.

]]> By: Joshua http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104267 Joshua Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:36:55 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104267 As Elvis sang, "It's now or never." As Elvis sang, “It’s now or never.”

]]> By: mark in NJ http://www.pittblather.com/2008/08/05/prove-it-works/#comment-104265 mark in NJ Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:35:26 +0000 http://www.pittblather.com/?p=5258#comment-104265 Dave, Could not agree more - we look like Navy and Tulsa combined. Dave,

Could not agree more - we look like Navy and Tulsa combined.

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