North Carolina State has managed to commit multiple uniform fouls with their new “Pack in Black” helmet, and thus should be punished appropriately. The number of fouls committed in one design is astounding. First, here is a look at the guilty party…
NC State’s “Pack in Black” helmet. Photo via NC State
And now a list of the violations…
1. Alternate black.
NC State may feel like suiting up in black is fashionable, but really it is a played out fad that has been overdone at this point. There is nothing unique about suiting up in black anymore. It is nothing short of gimmicky and stale. If you have to resort to this measure, your program has some work to do.
2. Two-toned helmet
I blame Syracuse for this, but whoever gave a two-toned football helmet a stamp of approval needs to be removed from the position. Pick a color and stick with it. If you want a black helmet and a red helmet, fine, whatever. But keep them separate.
3. Pattern on helmet
I admit this is not a major violation, and had NC State stuck with the pattern all over the helmet instead of going with a two-tone direction, then perhaps this gets a pass. In the end this just makes things look a little too busy. Cincinnati managed to make something like this work, but thisjust looks poorly thoughtout when put together with the rest of the design.
4. Wolf eyes in the back
It is like somebody at NC State saw what UConn did and wanted to improve on the concept. Except they put the intimidating design in the back of the helmet, where nobody on the field will see it. Yeah, nice thought, but better luck next time. What’s the point of having wolf eyes on the helmet if nobody is going to see it?
5. Wolf eyes, in general
In fact, forget the having the wolf eyes in the back. This helmet has wolf eyes on it and that alone is enough reason to call foul on the concept.
Final Analysis: To be fair, a final judgement on this helmet will be put off until we see what the full uniform looks like. Given this is an alternate helmet and the theme is “Pack in Black,” it would be fair to assume NC State will wear the all-black uniform. But the odds are the Wolfpack will not be receiving a high grade from this particular uniform critic.
As usual, it is not my opinion that matters in this situation. It is that of the players (and recruits). Here is what the team thinks…
What do you think about the new helmet? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
