Nike Pro Combat Uniforms: New Michigan State Jerseys Rip off Oregon's Design

The new Nike Pro Combat Uniforms that have been ushered in throughout the college football season have been met with mixed reviews. Some of the jerseys have a great retro feel to them and enhance the viewing experience for casual football fans. Others look like someone was designing them while smoking some funny cigarettes endorsed by Ricky Williams.

But in the case of the new Michigan State uniforms, it looks like someone merely copied the design that was used for Oregon's uniforms and adjusted the colors slightly to fit the Spartans' colors.

Here is a portion of the description on Michigan State's website describing the new uniforms.

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...When the gates lift for their battle against archrival Michigan on Oct. 15, the Spartans will sport a unique design with bronze colorways, honoring the heroic armor of their historic namesake. Bronze is visible throughout the uniform, adding an authentic strength and durability synonymous with the Spartan name....

Echoing the cry of King Leonidas, the back of the collar is inscribed with the words "Molon Labe," the Spartans' defiant challenge to the competition to "come and get them!" Gloves complete the traditional Spartan headdress look.

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The Spartans' new uniforms certainly are different from the usual green and white ones that we are accustomed to seeing, but I am not so sure that is a good thing.

Part of what made college football so special to so many people was the history and tradition wrapped up in the game, which includes the uniforms. By incorporating these new jerseys into the game, it can take away from the magic that we used to feel while watching these games.

Because these new uniforms are so vastly different from what we are used to seeing, fans are left doing double- and triple-takes to make sure that they are watching the right team.

But if these new uniforms somehow help player performance on the field, then I suppose that they do serve some purpose. It is too bad, though, because some of these uniforms are hard on the eyes.