Hot Topics: Should Michigan Put The #GoBlue On The Field?

On a regular basis, our writers will break down a "Hot Topic" among the Michigan fans and express their personal opinions regarding the issue. Topics cover everything from major athletic department decisions to team apparel. Writers have their own opinions and readers and their views may not necessarily represent Hoke's Mad Magicians as an entity.  Readers are welcome to comment below or contact our writers via Twitter with their own thoughts.





Kyle Curtiss - For Michigan Putting #goblue On The Field

1) I wrote about this in my earlier post this week here, and I have no issue with it at all. I wrote that it isn't breaking a tradition like most would fear, and it could very well be gone for next season. And if it only lasts for one season, and Twitter will exist for a long time after that, then what's the harm?

2) Say what you want about tradition at Michigan. Trust me, it means more to me than I can express. But what it comes down to, really....is paint on the field. I'm not paying attention to that. I'm paying attention to our guys on the field. I want to see the action, not try to get my tweet up on the scoreboard and be giddy about that. Is part of it money? It could be. It's also keeping up with the times. It's trying to show the public that even though Michigan is firmly entrenched in our traditions, that maybe we can be modern too. Maybe we can try something new here without having the destruction of RichRod to go with it.


Thomas Beindit - Against Putting #goblue On The Field

1)  I get it, Twitter is the new "thing".  Even I use it all the time.  However, having said that, let's not confuse Twitter or a "hashtag" with something that's tradition to Michigan.  The Big House and the Michigan football team are all about tradition.  Yost, Crisler, Schembechler, and now Hoke just swell with tradition and the legacies of Michigan's football program.  Twitter does not fit in with those things in any fashion.  Now, I realize that things update and change over time and I'm fine with that, but we need to be cautious about making long-term changes to things like the football field.  Twitter is huge right now, but so was Myspace a few years ago and look at it now.  For all we know, Twitter could be a shell of itself in five years.  How will that make Michigan look?  It will look like the athletic department "sold out" to a new craze with no concern for its long-term legacy.  Imagine if Michigan had put symbols on the field for crazes that swept the nation in the past.  I do think Twitter will be long-lasting, but I think this is pretty short-sighted since Michigan has not really done anything like this in the past.

2) The #goblue symbol may no non-traditional, but what could be even worse is that it just doesn't look good.  People constantly complain about having too many symbols on both the uniforms and the fields in numerous scenarios.  I'm sure we all remember Ohio State's basketball court having a huge Value City sign.  The #goblue symbol is nowhere near that tacky, but come on.  Nobody can look at that symbol on the field and think it adds aesthetically to the look of the field.  It decreases on the overall look of the field and almost gives the impression of advertisements.  I'm aware that this is not an advertisement for anything except the slogan of the team and of the athletic department, but it still looks like an ad and feels like an ad.  Michigan's football field has always looked fantastic to spectators on both in person and on TV.  I think this is really going to challenge that image in the future.  The field will never look as bad as MSU's "Trash Tornado" of last season, but it's certainly a downgrade in my opinion.

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Final Points


Kyle - I might agree that some aspects of this could be considered tacky. And no, Twitter has no guarantees. But, think of it like this--Twitter will be around a lot longer than MySpace. I know you all remember MySpace. Now what is it used for? Local bands to show their stuff maybe? Twitter is king of the social world (sorry FB). Michigan has always been considered a more blue-collar, traditional program. I embrace that, and I know most Michigan fans do. Yet there is nothing wrong with showing some interest in the 21st century. So yes, put the hashtag on the field. I saw it during the spring game and I didn't mind it all. And as far as how it looks, can it really beat Maryland's helmets from last season? Nope. #goblue

Thomas - I agree that the main focus should be on the players, not the field, scoreboards, or fans.  However, I don't think that's a fair argument because the same could be made for advertisements in the Big House, which I'm sure nobody wants.  Somebody could argue that it really doesn't distract from the players and they should be the main focus.  Personally, I don't think we should allow stuff just because it doesn't impact what is the true "product" on the field.  Plus, like I said, there's no guarantee on the life of Twitter.  The organization is still pretty new and Michigan's just trying to jump onboard too much, too fast.  Look at last season's basketball season t-shirts, which also have the #goblue on them.  I loved the look of the shirt, except that.  Obviously, a shirt bothers me less than the field, but it really does look tacky and distracts from the aesthetic features.  Putting the #goblue on the field is a mistake.

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All writers are entitled to their own opinion and those may or may not represent the held beliefs of Hoke's Mad Magicians as an entity. Readers are welcome to comment below or contact the writers via Twitter with   their thoughts