Yesterday's Eastern Michigan University vs. SUNY Buffalo game

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Sunday Morning Uni Watch
BY PHIL HECKEN, ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2019



By Phil Hecken and the SMUW Crew

@PhilHecken

Anyone ever see the movie Pleasantville? You know, the one where it’s like half black & white and half in color? Yeah.

That’s pretty much what yesterday’s Eastern Michigan University vs. SUNY Buffalo game looked like.

For those who are not aware, EMU plays on a gray field, which is, in and of itself, both stupid and annoying, but it is what it is. They normally wear kelly green uniforms on said field, and their opponents are normally attired in white jerseys, so at least there is plenty of contrast on said gray field.

Well, yesterday, for some reason, EMU’s opponents — SUNY Buffalo — chose to wear gray jerseys on that gray field. That was bad enough in still photos, but on TV and in live action, the Bulls were nicely camouflaged basically invisible:

Fooled Ya!

@UBFootball | #MACtion

Link to tweet

It wasn’t just one play either — it was basically that way for the whole game:

MOVE. THAT. PILE.

@MarksKevin powers his way to the end zone.

ESPNU | #MACtion

Link to tweet

Take a look at the splash photo once again. Notice anything? Look closely. Yep — the unis, being the same color as the field, actually had ESPN’s graphics running right through them:



Not only did the Bulls wear gray tops, they also went with black hats and britches, rendering their entire outfit the equivalent of a walking black-and-white tv image. Playing on a gray field only made it worse. I don’t want to say this was easily the worst looking game of the season, but if it’s not, it’s pretty damn close. I write these intro’s before I get Terry’s part and Memal’s 5 & 1, so if this ISN’T the “AND 1” I’ll be shocked.

Who approved SUNYB going black/gray/black anyway? They’ve got a perfectly decent blue/white/blue uni that would have been fine (they also have a mono gray uniform, which would have been even worse). They should be required to wear some combination of white and blue, not black and gray. I mean, at least in Pleasantville, they knew how to use gray to bring out the color, not hide behind it.

I’ll go back to screaming at the clouds now (OK Boomer). Here’s TJ:

{snip}

[underpants]

1. I'm guessing Buffalo didn't try to hide a player on the field as U Washington did

I just happened to see this play live. Great trick but it’s against the rules.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/10/washington-oregon-unsportsmanlike-kick-hide-lie-down-mcclatcher-video


The Ducks got on the board first, scoring on the opening drive. And then on the kickoff return, Washington tried to hide a player on the field to deceive Oregon and was flagged.

With Washington wearing purple uniforms, wide receiver Chico McClatcher was deep on the goal line for the kick and eventually, he was lying down on the field, blending in with the purple end zone. The whole point here was for him to be behind the ball and receive a pass, which he did and then took off down the sideline.

ESPN’s rules expert Bill Lemonnier explained the rule, as officials appeared to do the same for Washington coach Chris Petersen:

“One of the things they put in a year or two ago was you cannot take a player and lay him down to decoy like he’s not on the field. And he laid down in the end zone to blend in with the end zone, so the kicking team couldn’t see him. Then he got up, and he’s the guy that caught the backward pass. That’s why it’s an unsportsmanlike conduct foul.”