Ducks unveil new football uniforms

So, Oregon has unveiled new uniforms. The full press conference can be viewed here under the Athlete Features tab, and full photo gallery of the uniforms can be viewed at GoDucks.com.

But whatever your opinion on the look of the new uniforms, Chip Kelly made clear during the press conference that while you may or may not like looking at them, that's not that point. The main ponit of the uniforms is to increase the performance of the athletes. According to the Ducks press release, the new uniforms are 28% lighter than the previous jersey's put out in 2006. The new materials do not soak up moisture, and use laminates and other materials to provide reinforcement where needed, such as the wings in the shoulder pads. This keeps the jersey's durable while not using any extra weight.

During the press conference, Will Tukuafu stated how they could feel the difference between the new and old uniforms, and that the new ones made it easier to move.

In terms of how the uniforms look, the wings are staying for a few years, and the yellow pants and helmet (along with the blasted flames) are gone. They are replaced by a new "carbon" color, which will likely be featured during away games. Here is what the university runs down the changes:

Oregon will again have green, yellow, black and white as jersey options, but adds a second white top to the mix featuring different accent colors. For pants, the Ducks will choose from green, black, white or steel, which replaces yellow for this uniform cycle. And helmet options now come in green, black, white and carbon. The black and white paint schemes are new for 2009, while the carbon helmet replaces Oregon's yellow helmet.

The reaction so far seems to be mixed, so join the fray leave your comments below.

As far as outsider perspective goes, it's gotta be a slow news day over at Doc Saturday, who devoted two whole posts to the Duck uniforms. The post summing up the changes was only margnially mocking. One thing pointed out, is that the uniforms really seem to steer clear from the bright colors we've seen before (such as the blindingly bright yellow), which is a welcome change.