I think the 82 ones even had a 100 on them to commemorate Cal Football’s centennial. It doesn’t look like these have a white outline like the 85 ones did either, so more like the 83-84 versions.
I prefer our standard helmets/unis when we have a national audience, for brand recognition. Granted this game is on at 10:30pm eastern.. But at least we should have the regular helmet on the stage for the College GameDay broadcast. I feel like throwbacks and alternates are more a nice change of pace for fans and players.
Define “regular”. This year they’ve worn the Mike White era helmets, Roger Theder era helmets and the late 80’s-early 2000s navy blue wjth script Cal helmets. I honestly love it. Maybe we’ll get Block C helmets another week.
As someone who is a career marketer, albeit tech software, I agree with your points on the branding with a national audience. Script Cal seems to be the football brand and should be prominent always.
Yeah. I’m torn honestly. If you had asked me even a few years ago, I was the crotchety old man that wanted solid gold pants and solid navy blue jerseys with solid blue/gold script Cal helmets at all times and screw that alternate uniform nonsense. I never liked the swoopy stripes thing that seemed to be all the rage in the 2000’s, but the kids like the mix and match stuff, and the fact we’re doing it while incorporating our existing history and tradition without going all weird like Oregon is kind of the best of both worlds for me.
I like the occasional variety to spice things up. The special Axe unis from the Big Game a couple years ago were my favorite. My only point was when you have a branding problem to begin with, and suddenly you get center national stage in front of new audiences, that probably isn't the right time to do a funky one off retro look that is lost on even a good chunk of your own fans. Or at the very least make it something exciting that you don't need historical context for. Opinions can vary on that of course, but id rather we go with our modern standard look, and then let the GameDay atmosphere, campus, fans, and players on the field do the talking.
If it’s a GOLD OUT, why not Gold helmets? Go full banana suit with plenty of blue elements , or at least gold helmets and jerseys with blue breeches. I do like the bear paw helmet. Just flip it to a blue paw on gold field for this game.
It definitely needs to be larger, so the Cal script is same as the standard size, and the claw would just be a neat background accent. Instead of you know, making it so small the Cal script is largely covered by the chinstrap.
Classic Cal athletic dept. They rolled out this gold out like some sort of covert spy operation. Also the bulk of Cal merchandise is not gold, it's blue. If you actually want fans to comply you need to give out gold t shirts.
They forced me to buy gold (yellow) t shirt for the Auburn game last year so I have it, but I agree that they should give out free tshirts if we want to Gold Out the stadium.
Bear Basics on the corner of Telegraph and Durant should have some. I was looking for a replacement gold walking bear shirt but they didn't have my size.
Reminds me of freshman year and Joe Kapp who was still coach at the time. If the rest of the unis hold true it will be a dark navy jersey with gold pants, no stripe. 1982 was a good year for Cal football including the Big Game win with the Play. 1985 was more forgettable. Luckily Bruce Snyder was hired after the '86 season and he got the Bears to the Copper Bowl pretty quickly.
The dark navy solid jerseys and solid gold pants are still the best looking uniform combination of all time in my opinion. Simple. Clean. Just wish we had better teams that had worn them.
I hope Cal fans get the message of the Gold Out, we are notoriously poor at these events. More importantly we will need the Bears to play like throwback teams, preferably Pappy Waldorfs. We will need to run the ball effectively if we are to have a chance to compete, though a JJ Arrington performance would be welcome.
I remember these helmets from 1982 when things seemed to be on an upswing with Coach Kapp's return, Gilbert to Lewis, The Play, and the Texas A&M safety in '83. Most of the period after that with those helmets was just a huge beatdown. Have to disagree with the choice for the team on its biggest stage in quite a while.
Blue helmets with gold Cal script is an enduring image.
Giving out Gold Tshirts is the way to make this gold-out happen. I had the same problem for last year’s Auburn gold-out too. Can #Calgorythm work its magic for the gold t-shirt giveaway?
I saw the announcement maybe 1 hour before the END of the big merch sale on the calbears.com website. Brilliant timing. 54 years as a fan and I own no nighttime gold top. Who does? This lame-ass effort never works. How 'bout we make sure the stadium is FULL first?
Might be a reminder for future photos to have Mendoza, or any Cal player, hold the ball so the "Cal" is right side up rather than upside down. . . just a suggestion.
I think I remember a screen shot of Desean running a punt back for a TD and it had the Cal logo on the football right there. Couldn't have been setup any better.
Love the throwback helmets! I should note, though, that the bear paw appeared on the helmets in 1982, Joe Kapp’s first season as head coach. Go Bears!
I think the 82 ones even had a 100 on them to commemorate Cal Football’s centennial. It doesn’t look like these have a white outline like the 85 ones did either, so more like the 83-84 versions.
I prefer our standard helmets/unis when we have a national audience, for brand recognition. Granted this game is on at 10:30pm eastern.. But at least we should have the regular helmet on the stage for the College GameDay broadcast. I feel like throwbacks and alternates are more a nice change of pace for fans and players.
Define “regular”. This year they’ve worn the Mike White era helmets, Roger Theder era helmets and the late 80’s-early 2000s navy blue wjth script Cal helmets. I honestly love it. Maybe we’ll get Block C helmets another week.
blue helmet with gold Cal script of a consistent size is what I think of as our modern football brand
As someone who is a career marketer, albeit tech software, I agree with your points on the branding with a national audience. Script Cal seems to be the football brand and should be prominent always.
Yeah. I’m torn honestly. If you had asked me even a few years ago, I was the crotchety old man that wanted solid gold pants and solid navy blue jerseys with solid blue/gold script Cal helmets at all times and screw that alternate uniform nonsense. I never liked the swoopy stripes thing that seemed to be all the rage in the 2000’s, but the kids like the mix and match stuff, and the fact we’re doing it while incorporating our existing history and tradition without going all weird like Oregon is kind of the best of both worlds for me.
I like the occasional variety to spice things up. The special Axe unis from the Big Game a couple years ago were my favorite. My only point was when you have a branding problem to begin with, and suddenly you get center national stage in front of new audiences, that probably isn't the right time to do a funky one off retro look that is lost on even a good chunk of your own fans. Or at the very least make it something exciting that you don't need historical context for. Opinions can vary on that of course, but id rather we go with our modern standard look, and then let the GameDay atmosphere, campus, fans, and players on the field do the talking.
Brand building means recognition of the Cal logo and present color scheme. That said I understand doing it for old time's sake once in awhile.
If only we would invest money and a special task force to figure these things out
If it’s a GOLD OUT, why not Gold helmets? Go full banana suit with plenty of blue elements , or at least gold helmets and jerseys with blue breeches. I do like the bear paw helmet. Just flip it to a blue paw on gold field for this game.
Love the paws. They just need to be oversized to allow the script to pop. Then these would really be sick.
It definitely needs to be larger, so the Cal script is same as the standard size, and the claw would just be a neat background accent. Instead of you know, making it so small the Cal script is largely covered by the chinstrap.
Get this voice be heard, and hope they can fix it before the game.
Yeah, over casing the whole helmet with a claw, perhaps, like the Memphis Tiger helmet.
Right, though I detest the claw, the logo is totally out of scale.
BIG PAW to smush that Miami stork or whatever that thing is!
Sebastian the ibis
Classic Cal athletic dept. They rolled out this gold out like some sort of covert spy operation. Also the bulk of Cal merchandise is not gold, it's blue. If you actually want fans to comply you need to give out gold t shirts.
They forced me to buy gold (yellow) t shirt for the Auburn game last year so I have it, but I agree that they should give out free tshirts if we want to Gold Out the stadium.
I can't even find a gold Bear Paw shirt online anywhere
I can’t find a gold T-shirt anywhere either. Hoping to find one when I arrive in Berkeley on Friday!
Bear Basics on the corner of Telegraph and Durant should have some. I was looking for a replacement gold walking bear shirt but they didn't have my size.
Thank you!
Reminds me of freshman year and Joe Kapp who was still coach at the time. If the rest of the unis hold true it will be a dark navy jersey with gold pants, no stripe. 1982 was a good year for Cal football including the Big Game win with the Play. 1985 was more forgettable. Luckily Bruce Snyder was hired after the '86 season and he got the Bears to the Copper Bowl pretty quickly.
The dark navy solid jerseys and solid gold pants are still the best looking uniform combination of all time in my opinion. Simple. Clean. Just wish we had better teams that had worn them.
The paw should be as big as it can be on each side of the helmet.
Agreed. I love that we are wearing this but I wish they would make the paw bigger.
I can’t decide if the proportions are off or not. The paw looks bigger in some of these pictures and smaller in others. http://www.helmethut.com/College/California/CAXUCB8386.html
I hope Cal fans get the message of the Gold Out, we are notoriously poor at these events. More importantly we will need the Bears to play like throwback teams, preferably Pappy Waldorfs. We will need to run the ball effectively if we are to have a chance to compete, though a JJ Arrington performance would be welcome.
My favorite Cal T is a Beast Mode gold T. But it's gonna be chilly and I don't have a gold sweatshirt or jacket. I'll be wearing my blue Bear jacket.
Currently wunderground shows on Sat in Berkeley, 94 at noon, 84 at 7 pm, 77 at 10 pm.
I'm thinking I won't need anything more than shorts and my gold walking bear t-shirt.
That’s what I’ll have under my gold sweatshirt. Might invest in a gold Oski hat too.
I remember these helmets from 1982 when things seemed to be on an upswing with Coach Kapp's return, Gilbert to Lewis, The Play, and the Texas A&M safety in '83. Most of the period after that with those helmets was just a huge beatdown. Have to disagree with the choice for the team on its biggest stage in quite a while.
Blue helmets with gold Cal script is an enduring image.
Giving out Gold Tshirts is the way to make this gold-out happen. I had the same problem for last year’s Auburn gold-out too. Can #Calgorythm work its magic for the gold t-shirt giveaway?
Love that helmet. That bearclaw was my first tattoo back in ‘96.
I saw the announcement maybe 1 hour before the END of the big merch sale on the calbears.com website. Brilliant timing. 54 years as a fan and I own no nighttime gold top. Who does? This lame-ass effort never works. How 'bout we make sure the stadium is FULL first?
Might be a reminder for future photos to have Mendoza, or any Cal player, hold the ball so the "Cal" is right side up rather than upside down. . . just a suggestion.
I think I remember a screen shot of Desean running a punt back for a TD and it had the Cal logo on the football right there. Couldn't have been setup any better.