Why Black-outs are stupid (that means you Purdue)

by NittanyBadger on Oct 1, 2008 2:35 PM EDT

The daily appearance of black-outs at schools is increasingly annoying.

Florida State started this thing a few years ago, and it was so flawed, I'm flabbergasted to actually see other schools trying to copy it.

There are two significant problems that make a black-out not nearly as breath taking as a white.

1. White reflects light. A White-out is simply going to look brighter and more spectacular because its white. Same prinicple that keeps you from wearing a black shirt on a sunny day is the same for whether you should wear it under stadium lights.

2. The majority of people who attend a college football game are white. White on white works. Black on white looks like black with a lot of tan skin mixed in. It looks silly. Big play...arms go up...black out goes away. Camera angle from above...part black out, part caucasion out.

Speaking of caucasion out...how cool would it be if a Florida school or Arizona State (or basically any school not in the MAC, Big East, or Big 10) did one of those? College co-eds at their finest, all in honor of college football fandom.

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Comments

Hate to disagree but....

Although it looked no where near as cool as a PSU white-out, (and even though they got stomped) the black-out in Athens for the UGA-Bama game looked pretty damn good this past weekend!

I thought only safeties played 15 yards off the ball?

by pic15 on Oct 1, 2008 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

I agree,

If you’re an Alabama fan.

UGA dressed for their funeral.

by MsYvone on Oct 2, 2008 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Absolutely dead on

The “Blackout” is a tragically flawed idea. Love the name, love the concept, but it’s not going to work at a school where 90+% of the student/alumni base is White. If anything, they should embrace the fact it can’t work and call it “The Black and Tan”. Of course, people might take this as a salute to fascism instead of a tip of the hat to the tasty beverage.

Going with the tan concept (FSU, Vandy, Wake, etc.), they could use a catchy name like “The Gold Club” or “Yellow Fever”. There’re tons of can’t miss names.

by All With Thee on Oct 1, 2008 3:15 PM EDT reply actions

nice post

You hit the nail right on the head.

I didn’t know that FSU started the blackout.

"Boy that student section now is up and really making a gigantic amount of noise. You see the sea of white, the white out. Well they are 2 minutes and 28 seconds away from the whiteout of the Buckeyes here tonight." - Ron Franklin

by rmcmillen50 on Oct 1, 2008 3:46 PM EDT reply actions

Remember

In 2004 after we did the first white-out we tried a blue-out for the next home game and it didn’t work. It doesn’t work with dark colors.

by whiteoutonly on Oct 1, 2008 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

i think

i think it was called “code blue”, which really is a cool name. especially now with the coors light commercials. but i could be wrong and remembering nothing. i was only 13 at the time

by Dmfsomething09 on Oct 1, 2008 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Purdue should do

a “Gold Rush” and all wear that yellow/gold color they have. It would look better then black IMO.

JoePa in '09

by JGuiher on Oct 2, 2008 8:11 AM EDT reply actions

They could call it "The Golden Shower"

Since they are piss-poor.

I bleed Blue and White.

by Horse N Buggy on Oct 2, 2008 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions

ohh snap!

by HookMania on Oct 2, 2008 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Michigan

does a maize out….it sucks!

I thought only safeties played 15 yards off the ball?

by pic15 on Oct 3, 2008 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I kinda liked what Boise State did last night . . .

They told different sections to wear orange, or blue so there was a pretty impressive checkered type look to the crowd. I think this would look pretty cool at PSU with blue and white, hower such a contrast could be distracting to the players? But I do agree that solid dark colors are not a good idea. Especially at night.

by TITCUS on Oct 2, 2008 9:04 AM EDT reply actions

I say reflective silver shirts

Have the whole student section were reflective silver shirts on the one side and then something they can pull down over when we are on offense. That way we really drive there QB up a wall.

by jetskijoe on Oct 2, 2008 2:52 PM EDT reply actions