The College Fix

OPINION

The Northwestern University Wildcats will take on University of Michigan’s Wolverines this afternoon in a football game that’s largely a pride match between two promising teams that have struggled for wins this season. Yet the hype that’s foreshadowed this game has nothing to do with the gridiron.

Northwestern has been vilified and harassed all over the World Wide Web this week because of the patriotic “Wounded Warrior” uniforms its players will wear today.

It’s hard to imagine any effort that aims to raise money for wounded veterans being thrown under the bus, but that’s exactly what’s happened, as critics have described the uniforms as blood-splattered and inappropriate. If you take a minute to examine what exactly the keyboard warriors are complaining about, it’s easy to see that their gripes are absurd.

The uniforms feature stars and stripes adorning the helmet, shoulders, gloves, pants, socks and cleats. Instead of the players’ names on the back, the jerseys display words like “duty” “honor” and “courage.”

After the game, the company Under Armour, which designed and produced the uniforms, will auction off the jerseys, with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to the Wounded Warrior Project. Additionally, Northwestern is selling replica jerseys online, and 10 percent of those profits will help wounded veterans.

But detractors castigated both Northwestern and Under Armour over the uniforms, in large part because some people called out the splotchy red stripes embedded in white parts of the uniforms as blood. Deadspin called it “gore porn,” for example.

For one, the uniforms also include splotchy blue stripes – is that blood, too? What’s more, Northwestern and Under Armour have flat denied it’s blood.

Northwestern officials stated: “The special Northwestern University football uniforms designed by Under Armour in support of the Wounded Warrior Project feature a distressed pattern on both the stars and stripes that was inspired by the appearance of a flag that has flown proudly over a long period of time. We apologize for any misinterpretation.”

Another criticism of the uniform among some high-profile media commentators is that they contend the design is a blatant violation of the US Code because of the flag-inspired patterns. Though if you actually read the code, it’s obvious that this is not the case at all.

Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8 (j) of the US Code states: “No part of the flag should be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing…”

It clearly reads “No part of THE flag” — there’s no mention of flag patterns or flag-like images. The code refers only to using parts of an actual physical flag. Last time I checked, it doesn’t look like Under Armour stitched together old flags for today’s game.

Still others have scoffed at the mere 10 percent being donated from the replica jersey sales. Why not just scrap the cost of making them and donate all that money straight to the Wounded Warrior Project, critics say, adding isn’t this all just some big publicity stunt for Under Armour and Northwestern?

In some ways, it is. And yes, both parties could just as easily send a check to the nonprofit. But the whole point of supporting a cause like the Wounded Warrior Project is to get others involved. If they simply mailed a check, how would that rally others to contribute?

Some have also argued that Under Armour is forcing some sort of militaristic agenda on sports fans. Sports are supposed to be a place where Americans shouldn’t have to think about war and government and politics. ESPN’s Kevin Blackistone even argued against playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before sporting events, calling it a “war anthem.”

I don’t know about you, but I think we should be reminded as often as possible about what the men and women in the U.S. armed forces have done and continue to do for this country. And I think letting a college football team sport some star-spangled uniforms is the least we could do for them.

It’s not like this is a new occurrence; Under Armour has been creating these uniforms for Wounded Warrior Project since 2009. Just last year, both Hawaii and Boston College wore similar uniforms with little to no opposition.

And let’s be real: Every season it seems like college football teams try harder and harder to wear insane-looking uniforms. Whether it’s University of Oregon trotting out a completely different combination every single week, or Maryland’s “Pride” getup that looks like the lovechild between Andy Warhol and the Maryland state flag, or even Hawaii’s rainbow throwbacks they’re wearing this weekend against San Diego State, college football uniforms are crazy as ever.

So why all the commotion this year? I wish I had an answer. Personally, I think the biggest affront in this whole Wounded Warrior uniform ordeal is the fact that a mediocre 4-5 team gets to wear the jerseys. I mean, they could’ve at least chosen Alabama, right?

Fix contributor Jacob Roth is a student at Point Loma Nazarene University.

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