 Mike HlasHi, I'm Gazette/TheGazette.com sports columnist Mike Hlas. This is the Hlog. We will meet here, discuss things, and then go [...] |
|
Email the author
Rate the Big Ten’s football helmets
ESPN.com is currently asking its readers to rank the helmets of the 32 NFL teams.
My vote there would require some thought. More than I care to give it, actually. Off the top of my head, I like the Saints, Raiders, Dolphins, Chargers, and lots of others. I like the Cardinals only because I like that bird. I’m not big on the Browns because I don’t like one-color helmets with no logos.
Which tells you how I feel about Penn State’s and Ohio State’s, though Ohio State’s looks a lot different and better when players have earned some of those buckeye stickers to slap on them.
OK, what about the Big Ten’s 12 helmets? It seems to be universal in college football circles that Michigan has one of the best, if not the very best helmet. Do you agree? How would you rank the 12?
I say: 1. Michigan, 2. Iowa (I’ll take a distinctive logo over a block letter almost anytime, and the yellow Tiger Hawk simply works on a black background), 3. Michigan State (I really like that color), 4. Indiana, 5. Ohio State (the striking gray is the best color of the bunch, and not just because it happens to be my hair color), 6. Nebraska, 7. Minnesota, 8. Penn State, 9. Purdue, 10. Northwestern (like the color, don’t like that ‘N’), 11. Wisconsin (the ‘W’ swallows the whole helmet), 12. Illinois (the combination of the clutter with the full name ‘Illinois’ and a line underneath combined with bright orange … not for me.)
What do you say? You don’t have to go 1 through 12 unless you want, but give us what you think. And try to judge each helmet on its own merit, not by who wears it.
I was going to put Nebraska’s 12th just to get half of that state’s people crossing the Missouri River into Iowa with torches and pitchforks, but you can overplay that card. It’s only May.
By the way, the first of you who says the ‘N’ on Nebraska’s helmet stands for ‘Knowledge’ loses voting privileges. That joke’s been done to death. (By the way, why did the chicken cross the road?)
-u20042.png?1366232523)
#1 Um
#2 Iowa
#3 MSU
#4 OSU
#5 Wisconsin
#6 Minnesota
#7 IU
#8 NW
#9 Purdue
#10 Nebraska
#11 PSU
#12 Illinois
————
funny thing about this list is if asked to rank over all uniforms i would go-
Iowa,UM, OSU,Neb,PSU,MSU,Wis,IU,NW, Minn,Purdue,Illinois.
something about that Michigan State helmet, I just can’t put my finger on it…………….
PSU
Iowa-only with ANF sticker
Mich
Neb
NW
Then everybody else tied for last.
I’d put Ohio State’s and Penn State’s last just because, well, they’re just plain helmets – no logo. A lot of people praise Michigan’s, but after hearing “We’ve got the biggest stadium, we’ve got the most wins in the NCAA, we’ve got the greatest fight song, we’ve got the winged helmets” umpteen hundred times, I just don’t like it. When Hayden and his staff came up with the Tiger Hawk, it was a thing of beauty. Gotta admire the Sparty look too.
1. Iowa
2. Michigan
3. Nebraska
4. OSU
5. PSU
6. MSU
7. IU
8. Purdue
9. Minnesota
10. Illinois
11. Wisconsin
12. jNW
I find it really hard to not bring my biases about particular schools/teams into this, so I will not vote per se. But I do think I actually like Michigan St.’s the best. Cool logo, plus I like green also.
Love the line about Nebraska, Mike.
After Lawrence Phillips, the “N” means “no.”
Hopefully I’m not being biased; I do really like how the Iowa helmet looks, regardless of the fact it’s Iowa’s helmet.
1. Michigan
2. Iowa
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. Penn State
6. Ohio State
7. Minnesota
8. Indiana
9. Purdue
10. Wisconsin
11. Northwestern
12. Illinois
I HATE “hero stickers.” Football is a team sport: hence, Ohio State is at the bottom, along with Michigan State, Northwestern, and any other school that clutters up its player’s helmets.
Hlas, plain helmets are best because they show off battle scars. Iowa’s “baldhead” helmets (no stripe, no Tigerhawk, just the player’s number on the back) are the absolute BADDEST hats in the country.
1. Iowa with the ANF sticker
2. Iowa without the ANF sticker
3-12. Every other helmet
1. Michigan – simple – stylish – unchanged?
2. Penn State – simple – no nonsense – unchanged?
3. Iowa – gold on black, the absolute best color scheme
4. State – Non Lettered – descent icon for football
5 – 10. All Helmets with letters (except Northwestern)
11. Northwestern – The font is non-conducive to football
12. Ohio State – because they are Ohio State
In the 1960s, Penn State players’ numbers were displayed on the helmets, like Alabama.
I would say (like most everyone here) that it is hard to offer an unbiased opinion as I have to put the Hawks helmets at the top. So, I’ll take a page from your prior polls and not include the Hawks in my ranks:
1. Michigan (like the winged look even if I have no love for Michigan)
)
; they would be better off with a new look)
2. Michigan State (good thing they didn’t change it too much)
3. Penn State (sometimes less is more as they say)
4. Purdue (can’t explain this but I kind of like the “P” logo)
5. Illinois (another one that I don’t have an explanation for except that maybe it’s because I like the font)
6. Minnesota (the block M makes me hungry for a Big Mac)
7. Indiana (this logo is growing on me as it matures)
8. Ohio State (I actually like it sans buckeyes but they make too many plays so I really only like it before the season starts
9. Nebraska (simple yes so you would think I would like it but boring…does nothing for me)
10. Wisconsin (I guess this is recognizable but I wish they would go back to the old W http://onfield-productions-inc.amazonwebstore.com/19781980-WISCONSIN-BADGERS-Riddell-TK-Suspension/M/B0037C4U9A.htm)
11. Northwestern (I hate this font; I only see a “Z” since their players are usually laying prone on the ground
If Northwestern players are usually “laying prone,” why have they given the Hawks such fits!?
Merely wishful thinking Jeff.
Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald put up the following post on Wednesday, a day after this one was posted.
http://sports.omaha.com/2011/05/18/ranking-big-ten-helmets/
He has Nebraska second, Iowa fifth, Wisconsin 12th.
Mike,
I saw that. I made sure all the B1G fans on ESPN blog knew you did it 1st.
Plus, that guy has Purdue as #4! a giant P beats the Tiger Hawk? I don’t think so.
Thanks, Beau. I’m not suggesting there was any ripping off done. I saw the ESPN thing on the NFL, and if I can come up with transferring the idea to the Big Ten, anyone can.
I’m just glad there weren’t any Nebraska fans who thought I got the wrong impression of their team’s helmets.
Tied for first: MSU and Iowa – neat logos
Third: Wisconsin – best initial helmut
Tied for fourth: All the initial helmluts – at least proud of school
Tied for ninth
& tenth: OSU and PSU – simple helmuts confident in their traditions
Eleventh: Michigan – always hated those homely winged helmuts.
Twelveth: Illinois – no logo, not confident anyone would know them
by their initial, not sure anyone would know them by their
their traditions, and lost their mascot.
My opinion: 1. Iowa, 2. Wisconsin, 3. MSU, 4. jNU, 5. Nebraska, 6. Minnesota, 7. Indiana, 8. Purdue, 9. Michigan, 10. Illinois, 11. Ohio State, 12. Penn State.