Notre Dame Football Uniforms: Some Shamrock Series Complaining

NCAA Football: Syracuse at Notre Dame — Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings.

I know I should use my life to spread positivity, but no one has time to be a ray of sunshine 24/7. While I love the excitement of a new Shamrock Series uniform about as much as I do the the tradition of the classic Irish uni, Notre Dame alternates have a tendency to bring out my petty side. I’ve tried meditation apps, running, and more, but I don’t think anything will alleviate my frustration with a select few Shamrock Series alternates than a good, old-fashioned complaining session.

2018: Yankee Pinstripe Overload

I will preface this by saying I easily place the Yankees’ unis somewhere in my top five MLB uniforms, even as a Cleveland sports fan. The pinstriped jersey and pants are bold yet clean. The NY logo is simple and timeless. A lack of names on the backs of the jerseys keep the uniform as clean as possible and parallels Irish unis, for a few bonus points.

These sleeves make the uniform look more like a costume than a tribute. The Irish may have been better off keeping the sleeves navy blue, sticking with the standard gold helmet, and incorporating slightly thinner, more subtle pinstripes on the Yankee tribute pants.

2015: Too Much Green

If you’re going to go for gold, green, and blue all at once, then you’re going to have to put proportion at the top of your list of priorities. There is just too much green here. The navy details in this uniform successfully keep a school color in the mix, but they just don’t work next to all of that green.

Some gold numbers and gold pants with a green stripe at the side would have complemented the bold green of the jersey more effectively. Take away the navy stripes at the shoulders. The Celtic-inspired script at the chest, and leprechaun helmet with a shot of navy can stay. I’ll allow it.

2012: Proportion is Way Off

The Mayan calendar predicted the world would end in 2012 because the Mayans envisioned the 2012 Shamrock Series helmets. The blue-to-gold ratio on this helmet is making me twitch. Make it all blue, all gold, half and half, or nothing.

I love the script at the chest and the golden dome gold numbers with white trim, but the proportion on this helmet is unacceptable. What’s with the gold swirl pattern, too? It looks like it belongs on some kind of epoxy-finished restaurant table. Either keep the gold of the classic lids or don’t bother.

Make the navy stripe at the side of the pants a bit thinner, move the leprechaun from the side of the pants to the shoulder, make up your mind on a helmet, and you have yourself a solid Irish alternate.

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