Two Sides of Black

Obviously this isn't the new black UT jersey, I didn't want to violate any current of future N.C.A.A. or S.E.C. policy. It's a great movie that featured a new black costume.

Something spooky was going on in Knoxville (TN) on Halloween night. The Big Orange took the field at Neyland Stadium in black jerseys against the South Carolina Game Cocks.

When it was over I had look at the black jersey decision like the coin used in the opening toss.

One side of the coin

It was hard for me to focus on the game or win, not because of the sloppy video on ESPN360, but those black jerseys. Seeing the Volunteers run on the field in black jerseys was like an episode of Punk’d where hard-core UT fans were the target. I thought Lane Kiffin should get his third suspension for even wanting to break from the traditional color scheme of orange and white.

It was reported later that the players wanted to change jerseys because the game fell on Halloween and was a night game. They went to UT athletic director Mike Hamilton to get the new threads. Kiffin said “It’s a player’s game.”

Spider-Man picked up a black uniform once. Black didn’t work out so well did it?

The Other Side

After the game and as Game 3 of the World Series was winding down I thought about an article I read by Sahar Sarid earlier in the day.  Sahar wrote a post on his blog, The Conceptualist, about the isolation, risk and rewards of operating outside the comfort zone. His story was told from his experience a successful entrepreneur, not as a football coach or athletic director in the South Eastern Conference.

Starting a new Internet company or changing jersey colors are both moving well outside the safety of everyday life. Both take on huge consequences and rewards.

The Volunteers picked up black uniforms and they won the game 31-13, Worked out OK for them.

The  next question will be how much will the University make off licensing of the UT black apparel. Maybe a little entrepreneurial juices were flowing the Athletic Department when the choice to go black was made.