Hokies debuting matte helmet for Russell Athletic Bowl
Virginia Tech has (at least) one more uniform switch in the bag this year. The Hokies will wear a maroon matte helmet for the Russell Athletic Bowl, according to the equipment room’s Twitter account.
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I have to admit, it’s a solid look. The question is what logo Virginia Tech will use on it?
If it’s a straight-up VT logo of any color, it’ll look pretty good. If it’s the turkey tracks or the Foghorn Leghorn look, they probably won’t look so hot. A reader suggested white numbers or a simple VPI logo. I have to admit, the VPI baseball jerseys Tech has is probably the best look the school has.
Thoughts on the new look? (And spare me the “they should be focused on the preparing for the bowl game!” comments. It’s a helmet. And it’s put together by the equipment staff. Have a little fun with it.)
December 19, 2012 - 10:55 AM
Definitely doesn’t need the Cheetos on it. The standard white VT with a white pinstripe outline would look good.
Either the old T inside the V in white or the old school white fighting gobbler.
Finally, a classy looking helmet. The old gobbler would look good.
Bad arse. Love the matte finish. Best helmets we’ve had we’re the Pro Combat blacks for the Boise game (also matte). I’d also be happy if we unveil a door mat as play caller and OC for this game.
I just know that the bowl game uniform is going to disappoint folks. They have made a mockery of all thing Virginia Tech this season with the stupid idea of having turkey tracks and then that cartoonish helmet that Foghorn Leghorn would have clubbed himself to death if he saw them. No brand that makes Tech stands out.
Yet, schools like Alabama and Texas stuck with their uniform designs for year with some minor alteration, Texas in honor of Royal. If the football equipment managers cared about what fans thought, and they don’t, they would have stuck with two basic designs and the special uniform design for Military Appreciation Day.
I guess the equipment managers are too busy foaming at the mouth at the dollar signs that Nike hands to them.
How about the atheltics department save the money on uniforms by hiring comptent offensive coaches? That would be brilliant.
It all depends on what new version of uniforms they’ll be wearing. Are we considered the ‘home’ team?
Use the standard VT, but actually I HATE the changing from game to game. VT has no identity and no one West of Blacksburg knows who the Hokies are.
I’ll wait until I see the whole effect of helmet and uniform together.
And Andy. Really. Don’t you understand that the importance of this decision can never be overstated? Who wants to play at a school with ugly uniforms?
A wireframe orange standard vt logo..burnt orange, not the crappy blaze orange they usually use
I think the white VT would look good. I know they don’t have them but these would look good with all maroon uni’s. Go on Youtube and look at some hightlights. The all maroon looks good. Hopefully they’ll go back to it next year.
That officially makes it 11 uniform combinations in 13 games. We are a joke.
The old state of Virginia with Tech in the middle of Virginia
I say put a want ad on the side that says looking for new offensive coaches.
A simple white, traditional VT would look fine…
matte orange jersey numbers on the helmets on one side, silhouette of the state of Virginia on the other side, also in matte orange. Or just the words “Virginia Tech” in the same font, in matte orange, as the VPI font on the throwback baseball jerseys used this year (or this: http://www.hokiesports.com/SIPhotos/images/mbasketball/Delaney_M_11MB_va_0488S.jpg)
For the defense use the old school T inside the V. For the offense leave them blank then maybe no one will know who they are.
Sorry, the devil made me do it.
The best look the school has is the high gloss maroon (almost burgundy) helmet with the bold white VT. Not a better looking helmet in the country – college or pro – I guess that’s why we hardly ever wear it anymore.
I’m glad you pointed out the baseball uniform. About 6 years ago I asked the school about the possibility of seeing retro sweatshirts, etc. for sale. I was told that there was no demand for them. I didn’t believe it then and don’t now.
I would like an Burnt Orange VT or old Fighting Gobbler logo on both sides of the helmet. I wish they had wore more maroon and orange than they did this year. Not sure why so much white this season.
And VT is considered the “Home” team this year.
old school white fighting gobbler. clean. simple.
I’d stop the uniform changes.
Go with the VT and white pants and Maroon Jerseys and go to our regular helmets. The Turkey/Gobbler feet looked dreadful. The Orange doesn’t look either.
If we have to go with this, then White Pants, Same color jersey as the helmet and put VPI on it since they are changing it up again. Although, I still would prefer the VT or the T inside the V, but VPI would look good also.
I agree with the other comment that the high gloss maroon helmet with the VT looks the best. I also liked the black jerseys we played with against Boise State (I think that was the team).
Tech ought to stop from switching every game or it least seems like that.
If I were in charge of it, we would leave the regular helmet all the time and wear all white for away games and with pants and the maroon jerseys for home games.
John
This is what it has come to at Tech, discussions about helmets that should never be worn, or even considered.
Use the traditional helmets with the VT and move on to more important things like getting the program improved, but Weaver and Beamer think everything is about money.
Do you know what a bowl of pot and vt have in common? They both get burned in a bowl! Let’s just get this over with.
Why do they need a logo on the helmet? It looks pretty sharp the way it is.
A white VT with burnt orange trim is sufficient. Next year lets just wear white on the road and maroon at home. Two color choices in pants is also sufficient, maroon and white. The helmet can stay maroon too. If we feel like getting crazy maybe we could wear all maroon or all white one game, but for the most part the uniform should be opposite depending on if we are home or away. Orange is used as an accent so we are not confused with uva, Clemson, Miami, or Syracuse.
Now that the uniform is settled we can focus on winning more than 6 games?
Players number nothing else, I expect from the jersey the opponent will know the team
You an change the helmet every time there is a game but it doesn’t change the outcome of the game. Rutgers 28 – VT 3
Why not just put “WIN” on both sides of the helmet!
The fighting gobbler in white , with vt logo front and back. Yea that’s the ticket! Also like the old t inside the v, in white. If all else fails, the standard V touching T. Any thing except the turkey head on only one side.
I like the matte finish too. That way if someone over runs a play and hits Coach B in the back, the yellow wont show as badly. The uniform changes, the poor coaching…… someones got to be a leader and get control of this train wreck!
Grow a pair, Coach!! Fire those two nimrods up in the booth! Get a little tired of watching that pair flipping coins on what flanker screen they will call next offensive series. Incorporating a decision making coin flip and calling that innovation, is just dumb luck when it does work. Take a dump of these two wastes of skin, and lets move on!!
Simply stinks to draw all that money in salary from a school you claim to love Beamer, build it, see it grow, and then watch it go in the toilet, all on your watch. Accountability, what a pain in the tail!!! O thats right…… there is none at VT!!! Cant wait till the bowl game to see the marvelous play calling that will loose the game for Tech this time. Those tickets are selling great aren’t they? You know maybe if you kept to your promise when you got to VT you would be OK. You know when you said that you would play exciting football was that promise only good for the first 5 years you were there? What the heck happened to you Beamer? Its going to take more that a stupid helmet to anything for this team. Until the coaches get their act together and make sure what is in the helmet this team will continue to be a joke!
I have 2 daughters and do not think they play “dress up” as much these guys do. I guess we finally figured out who redesigned the hokiesports page….
That being said, these are definitely the best helmets of year (pending stickers or course).
I am pretty sure this is the helmet as it will be worn in the game. No logos. All season, when the Equipment guys have posted a helmet or full uni on Twitter, it is the final product. I don’t think this is any different. Has the feel of a retro/military style to it (if it does indeed stay plain as shown).
Hey Barry, what’s the score of the ga tech, USC game? Be nice to see how your predictions pan out for the record.
Put “Wag the dog” on it!
Georgia Tech is 0-7 in its last 7 bowl games. That’s 0 Wins and 7 Losses
hey mike at 6:17 pm.. ease up a little. Number 1, sounds like you have some emotional problems going on. Number 2, you don’t have a clue as to what you are ranting about.
Wow Georgia Tech really sucks! I did not know that. And VT beat them too. Wow.
Matte BLACK helmets looked the best. Even the BSU game helmet had a stripe down the middle though. Next time go with matte black helmet no logo and all maroon uniforms. Serious intimidation factor. Well at least on defense.
Yeah you get it Mike so why can’t Barry. I wonder if he uses denying reality as a defense mechanism with other parts of his life besides football?
J B Grimes was hired as the offensive line coach at Auburn. He is a former coach at Virginia Tech, and while he was there we had some good lines.
Newsome is a joke as a coach. Stiney and Newsome need to be shown the door, and tell them not to let the door hit them in the read end on the way out.
Shane Beamer is a joke as a coach also. He got the job because of his daddy.
Beamer is letting the program slip into a bad place. He might turn it around, but it will be difficult to do with these coaches, and without a change in philosophy.
A helmet or uniform is not going to intimidate a good football team. It might intimidate the fans. I still like the all maroon look. Leave any white helmets at the Nike factory.
Geez Since The Game In Played In Fla. Why Not Go With A Nice Sun Dress And Pumps For All Of Us Old School Fans Go Back To Maroon Helmets All White On The Road Maroon Jersey At Home That’s All You Need Start Playing And Coaching Better Before Dressing Up Pretty!!!!!
Rather see a new game plan
From what Andy wrote the helmets will be maroon not black. That will effect the color for logos, white would be fine. Va Tech will be ready for this game. I expect them to pay well, and win by 10. Still waiting on Barry to give us the final score of the gt USC game.
They should put a picture of maroon pants on it, since we never actually get to see the team in those anymore.
Hey Andy – has the school/Weaver given any sort of update on bowl game ticket sales? The last I heard was “less than 3,000,” so I’m wondering if that has changed much since the announcement. Thanks.
Ticket sales usually shoot out of the gate, then taper off. So the “less than 3,000″ figure probably hasn’t grown too much. I haven’t checked lately, but I don’t think it’s too much higher than what it was last week.
Showed my wife the picture and she wanted to know why Tech was wearing black helmets. She also said the team should quit changing uniforms every game and concentrate on actually playing and winning. Very perceptive woman.
These uniforms reflect the way tech has played, when you look like crap you tend to play like crap. Put more attention on off. coaching leave unis alone.
Not sure if Georgia Tech will be changing the design of their helmets for the Sun Bowl, I think they understand that really doesn’t help their production and efficiency; that only seems to work for the Hokies. USC is probably a much more talented team than Rutgers, especially if Barkley plays….which would make it a more competitive game against the Jackets. With Barkley, GT wins 28-21. Without Barkley, GT wins 24-10. The 0-7 record doesn’t mean anything for GT, it would probably mean a lot for the Hokies past performance. That will be obvious in the Rustle Bustle Bowl. Yuse Hokie fans that travel to Orlando need to make sure you get to enjoy Disneyworld and Seaworld because that may be about all you actually get to enjoy on the trip.
Andy, doesn’t the changes in uniform design have sonething to do with the Nike contract? Similar reason the U. of Oregon seldom wear the same uni’s twice.
I think Nike has a lot of ideas. I don’t think Virginia Tech often says no. Or ever for that matter.
I hope they retire the white helmet with the muscular Hokie Bird on the left side. That was the worst helmet since the white one with the orange state of VA on both sides that they wore during the Charlie Coffey years (1973-74), my first two at Tech. When they built the Burger King behind MacDonald’s near the upper quad, all of the light fixtures had those state of VA helmets as shades. It looked horrible.
How very convient of you, Barry, to overlook that when Barkley connect with two of the nation best receivers, they torch defenses, no matter who they play. Beside, Paula “I Suck on Lemon” Johnson have lost all bowl games coaching the Jackets.
USC wins.
Our unis have been an embarrassment week after week this season. Not sure who comes up with the color/helmet ideas and who approves them, but they’ve really been cringeworthy in recent years (this year the worst). The matte helmet looks great, but trends re our unis this season suggests they’ll find a way to make it look cheesy/ugly by gametime. This has been a rough year, and the unis have been a great iconic representation of it. I need never see the turkey tracks or cartoon again …
I wish we would go to shiney finish like Oregon does with their silver helmets with green/yellow feathers. We are a bird too, so maybe some abstract maroon feathers on a white shiney helmet
#47 RW, This week on TTL, Jim Weaver said that bowl ticket sales through VTTO are still ‘about 3000′. So, it sounds like we’ve sold only a few hundred in the last week. Those numbers, of course, do not reflect sales via sources other than the VTTO. Even with all that, I’d be really surprised to see more than 12K Hokies in the stands. The performance during the season has just killed fan enthusiasm or even interest.
C’mon folks, give Barry a pass. He’s great for comic relief. I will relay that after the infamous Lightening Bowl non game, my vehicle had some magnetic stickers stolen in a fast food parking lot. Bunch of GT fans inside…I understand that theft at away games is one of their traditions.
Never had anything stolen during tailgates or anywhere else football related, just the GT game.
since we already had the cheetos cheesy look, what about a burnt orange frito or dorito on the side? Or maybe an image of one of those large turkey legs that they sell at lane?
Gt stole one of the letters off the stadium sign when they came to the first game. The gt pres had it returned, along with an apology . The only thing they couldn’t steal, was a win. Bad Barry bad, no! No!
Just leave it without a logo – maybe it will help reduce the damage to our rep caused from a 6-6 season and playing Rutgers in a lower-tier bowl.
No, that wasn’t VT on television last night.
If uniforms are so important why not break out the Nike Combat uniforms again? They looked better that any other combination they’ve come up with. That or all maroon.
Maybe they could put a picture of the “Lunch Pail” on the helmets. Maybe it will inspire the offense.
A white VT would look good. I honestly think just the plain maroon with no logo would look good too. Doesn’t matter what we look like if we don’t get new offensive coaching. Seriously, get rid of OC.
White VT with orange outline. I would say orange VT with white outline but don’t think that would be very visible.