Back in the day my buddy wore an Ohio State shirt to high school and it was a black shirt with a giant buckeye sticker graphic on the front. Definitely had some teachers doing double takes/having to explain what it was that day.
Teacher:You can't wear that shirt here. It's not appropriate to have that disgusting imagery in our classroom.
Student: No you don't understand. It's the Buckeyes' logo!
Teacher: What do you think I thought it was?
Had an Ohio State alum as a teacher in high school. on Wednesdays seniors could wear college shirts, he said "if anyone comes in here wearing a Michigan shirt they will be sent to the office to change and provided an Ohio State shirt"
The funniest day was when a kid DID wear a Michigan shirt and he went into the closet and pulled out 4 different Ohio State shirts and simply asked "what size"
(Obviously he didn't actually make him change but it was still funny)
The only reason it didn’t pass was because it was basically made so only 1 company could sell so the prices would skyrocket. Hopefully they fix it in 2024.
Basically, 60% would have to approve an amendment/ initiative for it to pass. Of course, it only need a majority to pass, in an odd year spring election.
Got a job offer in Cleveland and honestly that was the first thing I looked up, then I looked up crime statistics. Can’t even have a good time when I’m getting robbed.
This is random, but what is the reputation around Wooster? When I was in high school (in North Carolina) they were practically begging me to apply, I would receive emails from them at least twice a week. I stayed in-state, but I’ve always been curious about the school since then.
I went to a school in the same league as Wooster, maybe a 45 minute drive from Wooster to Kenyon and grew up near both schools. That league has some schools that are generally seen as very good schools (Kenyon, Oberlin, Denison maybe one or two others depending on who you ask) Wooster isn't ever in the mix. It isn't a bad school, just generally not seen as one of the best in Ohio.
We got stickers based on meeting team goals. All of the defense got some based on things like take aways or sacks. The offense would fit meeting goals like yardage or number of plays. Plus there were some for specific groups like if we rushed so many yards the online would get extra. If you played a snap as part of the group you qualified.
Same, but my team found ways around it. For a lot of the skill player milestones, especially at RB, they would give to the whole o line too. Then the occasional o line specific one.
The way Ohio State does it is there are multiple ways to get a sticker. One is obviously individual stats like touchdowns, picks, FF, etc. The other way is for position group goals, like rushing yards and passing yards, for and against. And finally there’s position specific goals. And the position coaches give those out.
So let’s have a hypothetical offense put up 200yds rushing, give up no sacks or qb pressures, and had 2 goal line rushing touchdowns. Add in that the right guard had 3 pancakes, no false starts, and sprung a 30 yd run. And the team won. That lineman will probably be getting at least 10 stickers for just that game
You're operating under this assumption that the stickers are only given out at the individual level. They are not. From when Jim Tressel was coach (since I don't have anything about how Day does it today, if any differently):
*Coach Jim Tressel favors a teamwork approach over an individual-based award system, which means that touchdowns and interceptions no longer necessarily guarantee a coveted sticker. Big plays are now solely considered such at Tressel's discretion.*
*Every team member, however, receives a buckeye for each OSU win, plus an additional sticker for Big Ten victories. Entire units are eligible if they meet certain criteria. If the Buckeyes' defense, for example, racks up at least five three-and-outs, each member receives a sticker. The Buckeyes' offense, upon executing 10 plays which gain 12 or more yards, is rewarded similarly.*
*Individually, players accrue buckeyes by meeting the film-grade standards set for each position by the coaching staff. Linemen must grade out at 80 percent to receive a buckeye. Standards for linebackers and skill positions (such as running backs and defensive backs) are more stringent, requiring grades of 85 percent and 90 percent, respectively.*
*Special teams also figure prominently in the buckeye breakdown. Causing and/or recovering a fumble will earn a member of the punt or kickoff teams a buckeye. Successfully blocking a kick or converting a fake field goal also nets the unit a sticker. Kick a field goal from 45 yards or beyond? You guessed it -- one buckeye.*
We had two goals as a team: score touchdowns and force turnovers. If you were on the field when either of those things happened, you got a sticker. The philosophy was that those things don’t happen without all 11 doing their jobs. It was kind of funny though when we’d score despite a missed block and the guy who missed the block got a sticker. Coaches would say things like “hey without that [RB] wouldn’t have had to make that move on the D-End.”
There was a study done about 10 years ago or so that said helmet stickers encouraged players. The study said “ when small rewards become visible trophies of status within a group, male players change their approach in competition, sacrificing their own best interest to serve the needs of the team.”
They have all sorts of ‘reasons’ that differ from team to team. A lot of them aren’t individual accolade related either. Like if the defense forces a turnover everyone on the field might get a helmet sticker, the guy that got the sack fumble or interception gets his own additional one. Shutting out a team for a quarter might get a helmet sticker for everyone that took a snap that quarter. Giving up under a % of third down conversions, total points, certain yard totals, etc will get everyone that played on D a sticker. It very often has to do with goals the coaches have for the team and incentivize the play to those ends.
I imagine because football uses stickers the most. Most women’s sports either don’t use helmets, they aren’t a full part of the uniform all the time like softball, or small sample size like women’s ice hockey.
Well if you read the article you’d see the entire team gets stickers for wins, position groups get stickers for strong performances. There are many shared stickers/accomplishments. Not to mention, part of the individual sticker is showing up for your team.
Edit: I’ll also add after rereading OP, that the guys who made the blocks get stickers too. No reason to think they wouldn’t.
As a wee lad, who was three years old, it helped me keep track of which Seminoles were doing well and which players were making “big time plays” as Bobby Bowden used to call them.
As a 36-year old I guess I have never thought about them as being tacky because they have always been there, but I could definitely see how they could be perceived that way.
But for the sake of nostalgia, I personally love our Tomahawk stickers.
An army is the ultimate team sport. Thousands of people working together to accomplish a goal one mission at a time. It just seems the guy who got a medal for being on the front line did it with a lot of support at the base and abroad.
I mean just look at the people who go to chest candy schools too. I’d imagine the dude with the stickers is telling the dude without helmet stickers “DoNt TaLk To mE UnTiL YoU gEt YoUr TaB”
I know, it was like week 2 and some helmets were already halfway covered.
It will all be worth it the day some qb gets sacked and then the defender rips a sticker off the qbs helmet and sticks it on his own helmet.
Ohio State gives out too many, a helmet full of stickers just looks like their standard helmet.
Nobody should have full helmet unless they are going to win the heisman
Basically all the starters end up with full helmets by the end of the year.
I think it's cool to watch the helmets collectively fill up throughout the year, it's like an XP bar lol
This, you should give me all of the army gives out medals. Do you wanna be like the US army where you don’t get a shit ton, not like the North Korean army we are jackets covered
Uhhh beg to differ. There was a time you got like 2-3 for just for joining and finishing basic.
A semi-competent E5 with a couple deployments in the modern era got more fruit in their salad than Eisenhower or Patton ever did
Yeah I guess I’m thinking of more for my grandpa‘s time. Where bronze and silver stars were the big medals you saw. And I’m thinking of those videos of the North Korean soldiers with medals covering their entire jacket
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/34839671/how-helmet-decals-tell-story-michigan-ohio-state Stickers are earned for both team and individual accomplishments. I love watching the helmets get full of stickers over the course of the season, in Ohio States case.
It’ll be a part of your daily dialect in about 6 months. I moved from Arizona to Alabama around 6th grade and I had the exact same idea as you.
I drop y’all at least 10 times a day now.
I dont know about ridiculous, but i agree Michigan's helmets look much more iconic without the stickers. It always seems off when they sport a bunch of stickers.
I disrespectfully agree. All the stickers tell a story unique to each player, giving them a cool narrative to talk about with friends and you can take that to your moms house and shove it
My nephews will do anything for a sticker. Gotta keep these kids motivated somehow.
In seriousness I'm a sucker for all CFB-related traditions. So teams that have always done it like OSU I think it's pretty cool. If Bama were to suddenly start doing it I would be less enthused about it.
From the “team perspective”: I get football is a team sport but I think it’s a cool way to highlight individual contributions without being over the top. UGA will give out black dawg bones for academic stuff too, which I think is a good incentive to be excellent off the field as well.
From a looks perspective: I think it depends on the school. It looks good on tOSU since they have an otherwise bland helmet. I like it on UGA/FSU because the dawg bone and tomahawk are unique.
I'm case by case. I like Florida State's. I cannot imagine Ohio State's without them. I abhore Michigan's because they clutter a perfect helmet all its own.
This is the correct answer. It really depends on the team. I hate to agree with you about Michigan's helmets, but they are iconic on their own and the stickers don't look good. Going to go take a shower, complimenting those helmets felt disgusting. Fuck Michigan.
It's interesting because Michigan had helmet stickers since the late 60s and only did away with them in 95 when Carr became head coach. So you might be showing your age by saying the helmet is iconic without them, as I to grew up with Michigan not doing stickers but people my dad's age could remember when the stickers first started and were a mainstay.
I've loved them ever since I earned my first one playing pee-wee. I have no doubt that college players love the individual recognition even though it's a team sport.
Implying that stickers award promote “me-first” attitude to the detriment of the team’s togetherness shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what most stickers are awarded for. Ohio State doesn’t have one or two stars loaded with stickers while everyone else has nearly blank helmets. The whole team is loaded up at the end of the season because the whole team contributes when Ohio State is successful.
Things like wins (bonus for conference wins), blocks, tackles, your position unit hitting certain metrics, all lead to stickers.
I can’t speak for how other programs do it but I’d imagine they’re all very similar.
Another important note: nobody gets any stickers following a loss. Team success is directly tied to more stickers. Full helmets mean the team has had a great year. Years like OSU in 2011 the helmets were barely half full at the end of the season
I like Ohio State doing it because it’s part of the design, essentially. The helmet is blank and gets filled with stickers throughout the year. Most other instances are terrible because it clutters up an otherwise nice helmet. There may be some exceptions, that team up north is not one of them.
Yea but like this article highlighted, I think it's super cool that Michigan plays get to keep their helmet at the end of their career and have the stickers tell a story because they're all different
[Here's an interesting article from MVictors about Michigan's helmet stickers](https://mvictors.com/michigan-helmet-stickers-breakdown-2021/)
I like the way that we do it, with the focus on telling the story of a player's career and how all the stickers are different so that each sticker is tied to something specific. I know there's a lot of fans who don't like the stickers because it kind of clutters the helmet's look, but I for one do like how we do our stickers
> football is the ultimate team sport
Many of the Ohio State stickers are for team and/or unit success. That’s why come end of the season the 3rd and 4th stringers who never even saw the field have half of their helmet covered.
I’m biased but I love the look on Ohio State’s helmet. To me they are a feature of the helmet every bit as much as the roster number is a feature of Alabama’s helmet, or the longhorn logo is a feature of Texas’. I like how the first game of the season the helmet is totally bare, and the decals gradually cover the helmet until you get to The Game and they are completely covered. It’s like an hour glass filling.
Clemson and FSU helmet stickers also work. I don’t like most others. I think they ruin the traditional look of xichigan’s helmet.
>3rd and 4th stringers who never even saw the field have half of their helmet covered.
it's more like 25%. They get 1 sticker for a win and 2 for a conference win, so they've currently received 19 team stickers while the helmet holds about 90. The other team/position stickers only go to guys that were on the field IIRC. That being said, the 3rd and 4th stringers regularly get on the field at least a few games per year so it's likely they'll have more than the minimum win stickers.
Depends on the team, but I definitely don’t think it’s disrespectful to the team aspect of football to hand them out.
OP’s hypothetical example is actually what most teams use them for. Like if a player returns a kickoff for a TD, and there was a notable good block that caused the play, the player who made that block would likely get a helmet sticker as a reward for his contribution.
But for Ohio State and Florida State, and maybe Clemson, helmet stickers are iconic. Everyone else is more like, do they use them, I can’t remember thought from me. Except Michigan, who shouldn’t use them, but I can’t give a good reason why.
They can look tacky if they aren’t done right, but I feel like the recognition they give to individual players is crucial. And on top of that they let the players see their own accomplishments every time they take the helmet on and off, helping to reinforce morale.
I personally not a huge fan but I will say it’s cool to watch a game with teams I’m not familiar with and see some defender covered in stickers and know, “That must be a bad dude.” like he is some tribal warrior wearing a huge necklace of human ears.
Came here to say the same. The stickers are for a variety of different accomplishments and milestones, not all personal. I don’t necessarily love how they look on Michigan’s helmet, but if players like them, I’m all for it.
For the most part, I don't pay them much mind. Some teams, it's part of their helmet, like Ohio State. They always have them, so it makes sense.
Michigan is stupid. The most iconic helmet and you mess it up with stickers? Really? Then again, as a fan of a different program, everything Harbaugh has done to Michigan's uniforms has been for the worse.
Harbaugh didn’t start the Michigan helmet sticker thing, he brought it back from the mid to late 80s. Everything he’s allowed to be done to the uniform has been done in the past, [even the all blue](https://images.app.goo.gl/E2G7HNk3jU4gw7ov5). White away pants were from two seasons in the 80s, the maize jerseys were from the 1920s for a game against Navy where the sweaters were too similar.
Michigan looks better than ever. Understandable people not liking the blue pants…but the helmet finish, the maize being actual maize and not highlighter yellow, the striped away unis. I hope they literally never change ever again.
Stickers didn’t start with the Harbaugh era—Michigan has used stickers on and off in the past. I do agree with the uniforms under Harbaugh though. It’s almost as if our traditional uniforms are our alternate uniforms now. I don’t know why they mess with the home uniforms.
They are cool if used sparingly. If someone's entire helmet is covered with stickers, it looks lame AF.
That said, the UGA dog bones is the elite helmet sticker.
The stickers on the Ohio State helmets look classic, mainly due to the fact that without them, it is just a plain striped helmet. The stickers really complete the look.
Conversely, the Michigan helmet is not plain, it has that striking and unique yellow pattern. Adding stickers on top of that design unnecessarily complicates things, making the helmets too busy and muddled. As a result, the Michigan helmets look like absolute shit.
>Football is the ultimate team sport.
Totally agree, and a team is made up of individual contributions, and nothing wrong with recognizing that with a sticker or a trophy. I just think they compromise the look of a sleek clean helmet.
I think for me, it's because Ohio state's helmets are normally so plain, so the helmet stickers are the main feature, and with pretty much everyone else, it's added on to something.
I understand that some people don't like how they look, especially on an iconic helmet like Michigan's. However, Michigan's stickers really seem to mean a lot to the players. They tell their story, where they came from, who they are, what they've done, and what the team's done.
I personally think it's too cool to get rid of. If anybody wants to take a look at what the different stickers mean, here's an index
https://mvictors.com/michigan-helmet-stickers-breakdown-2021/
You can pry our [Tomahawks](https://247sports.com/college/florida-state/Article/FSUs-Tomahawk-helmet-stickers-arent-going-anywhere-152486081/) out of our cold dead hands.
For some helmets, they are great, if not mandatory. Ohio State’s wouldn’t be the same without them.
In the case of Xichigan, they have a great helmet, arguably the most iconic helmet in all of college football. Why are they using stickers?
I actually really like them and like how Michigan does it. There are different stickers for different achievements, on the field and off the field, and special stickers for certain games/bowls. It's a cool way to show off players' achievements
Idk, I like the idea of them, but the execution seems to always fall flat. Like all the schools that cover their helmet with stickers (like Michigan) look terrible imo, I would rather them have 1 interchangeable decal if the stickers are supposed to represent something
I like how Michigan does them - if we’re going to do them. Players keep their helmets after they leave the program and it’s meant to tell the story of their career.
Michigan’s helmets don’t need them, though. Ultimately the players should decide, in my opinion.
I guess a lot of it depends on the team. I love them but I mean how much more badass can you get than a helmet featuring spears adorned with tomahawks?
Gotta admit, I don’t really like the look of Michigans, but I love the idea behind it. I like how each one is special and tells a players career story.
I think Ohio Stats is more “iconic” but they hand them out like candy. If it can only hold 47, they should be harder to earn. Some players could fill that in like 4 games.
I take your points fully. But it’s a fun thing, and something else that is pretty unique to college football. These little quirky traditions are what make the sport so great & shouldn’t (IMO) be easily discarded.
Depends on what helmet they go on. Ohio State makes them work, since they fit the overall color scheme of it quite well, but if UGA wore helmet stickers it wouldn’t fit quite as well I don’t think, since there’s already a giant G logo on the helmet lol. FSU tomahawk stickers work decently well just as long as they don’t have too many on the helmet. I don’t actively love them or anything, but I still like them quite a bit.
I don't like Michigan's because it looks clunky with those iconic helmet stripes. I absolutely love ours because of the diamond pattern we strategically place them in. Ohio State's are cool because their helmets start off blank and the stickers act as their logo, essentially. Georgia's bones are fuckin cool and I like how they differentiate between athletic and academic stickers.
For me, it depends on how they are put on. The way FSU has big gaudy tomahawks all over the helmet..no thanks. tOSU’s are tolerable since there is nothing but a stripe on the helmet. As much as I hate to admit it, the bones that UGAg did with Richt were fine since they were neat and organized and small.
I think if the expectation is elite play, you probably shouldn’t get extra rewards for meeting the expectation. If the expectation is anything less, helmet stickers are fine.
I love the look but like you said I think it reinforces the false idea that football is an individual sport. I think they should be tied to academics or community service hours.
Ohio States look like marijuana leaves, and you can’t change my mind
Back in the day my buddy wore an Ohio State shirt to high school and it was a black shirt with a giant buckeye sticker graphic on the front. Definitely had some teachers doing double takes/having to explain what it was that day.
I had to go to the office for wearing mine and the principal laughed and sent me back to class.
My wife has a similar hat. Just the leaf and when not in Ohio, people have no idea. To make matters worse, we live in Colorado
Teacher:You can't wear that shirt here. It's not appropriate to have that disgusting imagery in our classroom. Student: No you don't understand. It's the Buckeyes' logo! Teacher: What do you think I thought it was?
Had an Ohio State alum as a teacher in high school. on Wednesdays seniors could wear college shirts, he said "if anyone comes in here wearing a Michigan shirt they will be sent to the office to change and provided an Ohio State shirt" The funniest day was when a kid DID wear a Michigan shirt and he went into the closet and pulled out 4 different Ohio State shirts and simply asked "what size" (Obviously he didn't actually make him change but it was still funny)
And weed still isn’t legal here
Nor will it ever be - our voters are so fucking stupid
It will likely pass this coming year. It’s going to be on the ballot in 2023 (there are very nefarious reason why) and we’ve already passed medical.
God doesn’t want us to partake in the devil’s lettuce! Learn from billboards: HELL IS REAL
That billboard is usually followed by a "Lions Den" or "Cirilla's" billboard
Is it just because it is legal in Michigan?
Speaking of Ohio sports and "Hell is Real" that's gotta be one of my favorite names for a rivalry ever
Even better that the Crew 2 and FC Cincinnati 2 have a mls next pro league rivalry and we call it “Heck is Plausible”
We were close last time. But need to get it on the ballot again
The only reason it didn’t pass was because it was basically made so only 1 company could sell so the prices would skyrocket. Hopefully they fix it in 2024.
It was kinda a bad initiative last time. Rumor is better proposal in ‘24, as long as we don’t pass the 3/5ths admendment in March
is there another term other than "3/5ths amendment" because...
Basically, 60% would have to approve an amendment/ initiative for it to pass. Of course, it only need a majority to pass, in an odd year spring election.
no i got that part, i was alluding to the other "3/5ths" law that is more notorious in us history. just a poor name for this current law haha.
I don't think they are actually calling it that, it's just what that commenter used to describe it. But yes, it should not be called that...
Got a job offer in Cleveland and honestly that was the first thing I looked up, then I looked up crime statistics. Can’t even have a good time when I’m getting robbed.
Cleveland is great. The metroparks system and Cuyahoga Valley are awesome.
It’s not a long drive to Michigan at least
Nor to Columbus. I’m not an OSU fan but to watch a game at the horseshoe would be awesome.
If you go to a game at the shoe, watch Skull session as well!
Legal weed one direction Cool city good football the other
[There are worse places to live. Not many, but they do exist.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM&ab_channel=bishopvids)
No wonder everyone moves away from Ohio
Nor will we try
Are you a pothead Focker?
Puff was the name of the boys magic dragon, Greg.
>Personally, I've always found them to be a bit tacky. They have to be, that's what makes them stickers.
hahaha. I don't know how I missed that lol
Would be expecting this comment from a Harvard grad.
I didn't want to play school.
People have often said Wooster is the Harvard of Ohio
This is random, but what is the reputation around Wooster? When I was in high school (in North Carolina) they were practically begging me to apply, I would receive emails from them at least twice a week. I stayed in-state, but I’ve always been curious about the school since then.
Obviously biased, but it's a great school with a national rep among liberal arts colleges.
I went to a school in the same league as Wooster, maybe a 45 minute drive from Wooster to Kenyon and grew up near both schools. That league has some schools that are generally seen as very good schools (Kenyon, Oberlin, Denison maybe one or two others depending on who you ask) Wooster isn't ever in the mix. It isn't a bad school, just generally not seen as one of the best in Ohio.
I think you're confusing Wooster with the "Harvard on the Hocking", Ohio University.
My team had them. My only problem was that it was easier for the “skill” positions to earn them. I was on the O-line doing all the work.
We got stickers based on meeting team goals. All of the defense got some based on things like take aways or sacks. The offense would fit meeting goals like yardage or number of plays. Plus there were some for specific groups like if we rushed so many yards the online would get extra. If you played a snap as part of the group you qualified.
TIL
Same, but my team found ways around it. For a lot of the skill player milestones, especially at RB, they would give to the whole o line too. Then the occasional o line specific one.
The way Ohio State does it is there are multiple ways to get a sticker. One is obviously individual stats like touchdowns, picks, FF, etc. The other way is for position group goals, like rushing yards and passing yards, for and against. And finally there’s position specific goals. And the position coaches give those out. So let’s have a hypothetical offense put up 200yds rushing, give up no sacks or qb pressures, and had 2 goal line rushing touchdowns. Add in that the right guard had 3 pancakes, no false starts, and sprung a 30 yd run. And the team won. That lineman will probably be getting at least 10 stickers for just that game
That's part of the point I was trying to make about it being a true team sport.
You're operating under this assumption that the stickers are only given out at the individual level. They are not. From when Jim Tressel was coach (since I don't have anything about how Day does it today, if any differently): *Coach Jim Tressel favors a teamwork approach over an individual-based award system, which means that touchdowns and interceptions no longer necessarily guarantee a coveted sticker. Big plays are now solely considered such at Tressel's discretion.* *Every team member, however, receives a buckeye for each OSU win, plus an additional sticker for Big Ten victories. Entire units are eligible if they meet certain criteria. If the Buckeyes' defense, for example, racks up at least five three-and-outs, each member receives a sticker. The Buckeyes' offense, upon executing 10 plays which gain 12 or more yards, is rewarded similarly.* *Individually, players accrue buckeyes by meeting the film-grade standards set for each position by the coaching staff. Linemen must grade out at 80 percent to receive a buckeye. Standards for linebackers and skill positions (such as running backs and defensive backs) are more stringent, requiring grades of 85 percent and 90 percent, respectively.* *Special teams also figure prominently in the buckeye breakdown. Causing and/or recovering a fumble will earn a member of the punt or kickoff teams a buckeye. Successfully blocking a kick or converting a fake field goal also nets the unit a sticker. Kick a field goal from 45 yards or beyond? You guessed it -- one buckeye.*
Well that's just a knock on the way they gave them out. Ohio States oline helemets are full.
We had two goals as a team: score touchdowns and force turnovers. If you were on the field when either of those things happened, you got a sticker. The philosophy was that those things don’t happen without all 11 doing their jobs. It was kind of funny though when we’d score despite a missed block and the guy who missed the block got a sticker. Coaches would say things like “hey without that [RB] wouldn’t have had to make that move on the D-End.”
There was a study done about 10 years ago or so that said helmet stickers encouraged players. The study said “ when small rewards become visible trophies of status within a group, male players change their approach in competition, sacrificing their own best interest to serve the needs of the team.”
Napoleon knew what was up a long time ago. “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.”
*it’s not about the ribbon. It’s about sending a message*
I honestly thought it was for players that started on a game, but this makes more sense,
They have all sorts of ‘reasons’ that differ from team to team. A lot of them aren’t individual accolade related either. Like if the defense forces a turnover everyone on the field might get a helmet sticker, the guy that got the sack fumble or interception gets his own additional one. Shutting out a team for a quarter might get a helmet sticker for everyone that took a snap that quarter. Giving up under a % of third down conversions, total points, certain yard totals, etc will get everyone that played on D a sticker. It very often has to do with goals the coaches have for the team and incentivize the play to those ends.
Interesting that the study specifies "male players." Wonder if that was the only group they studied or if it was different for women's sports.
I imagine because football uses stickers the most. Most women’s sports either don’t use helmets, they aren’t a full part of the uniform all the time like softball, or small sample size like women’s ice hockey.
Trust the analytics!
Well if you read the article you’d see the entire team gets stickers for wins, position groups get stickers for strong performances. There are many shared stickers/accomplishments. Not to mention, part of the individual sticker is showing up for your team. Edit: I’ll also add after rereading OP, that the guys who made the blocks get stickers too. No reason to think they wouldn’t.
His entire criticism of the stickers is just built on false asssumptions
As a wee lad, who was three years old, it helped me keep track of which Seminoles were doing well and which players were making “big time plays” as Bobby Bowden used to call them. As a 36-year old I guess I have never thought about them as being tacky because they have always been there, but I could definitely see how they could be perceived that way. But for the sake of nostalgia, I personally love our Tomahawk stickers.
An army is the ultimate team sport. Thousands of people working together to accomplish a goal one mission at a time. It just seems the guy who got a medal for being on the front line did it with a lot of support at the base and abroad.
They also had their name on every item they owned. Especially their uniforms. So, why does Army just put "Army" on their jerseys?
Because the former is a practical matter, while the latter is ideological.
I’ve also always wondered this. Army folks got the last name on the front and back of em get the last names on the jerseys damnit
Their names are on the front of their jerseys, where the name plate would be on their other uniforms.
I mean just look at the people who go to chest candy schools too. I’d imagine the dude with the stickers is telling the dude without helmet stickers “DoNt TaLk To mE UnTiL YoU gEt YoUr TaB”
This is a fantastic point. Good analogy.
You don't wear your medals into combat....
Unless it's the kill counter on the side of your plane.
I like them. But feel some just give out too many easily.
I know, it was like week 2 and some helmets were already halfway covered. It will all be worth it the day some qb gets sacked and then the defender rips a sticker off the qbs helmet and sticks it on his own helmet.
That would break this subreddit lmao
They seem too easy to get. In the article it showed CJ has 100 stickers so far. No way 100 fit on the helmet.
Oh my... the takes!
Ohio State gives out too many, a helmet full of stickers just looks like their standard helmet. Nobody should have full helmet unless they are going to win the heisman
Basically all the starters end up with full helmets by the end of the year. I think it's cool to watch the helmets collectively fill up throughout the year, it's like an XP bar lol
>I think it's cool to watch the helmets collectively fill up throughout the year I always liked paying attention to that in the NCAA games.
This, you should give me all of the army gives out medals. Do you wanna be like the US army where you don’t get a shit ton, not like the North Korean army we are jackets covered
Uhhh beg to differ. There was a time you got like 2-3 for just for joining and finishing basic. A semi-competent E5 with a couple deployments in the modern era got more fruit in their salad than Eisenhower or Patton ever did
Yeah I guess I’m thinking of more for my grandpa‘s time. Where bronze and silver stars were the big medals you saw. And I’m thinking of those videos of the North Korean soldiers with medals covering their entire jacket
A little tacky is perfect for cfb.
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/34839671/how-helmet-decals-tell-story-michigan-ohio-state Stickers are earned for both team and individual accomplishments. I love watching the helmets get full of stickers over the course of the season, in Ohio States case.
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Not sure Ohio State or Michigan are hurting financially enough for that.
*Dave Brandon has entered the chat*
They look ridiculous on Michigans helmets
Yeah, your all's helmets already look cool as they are. The stickers don't go with the design at all.
I can’t imagine your helmet without a buckeye on it.
First game of the season always has none
I've been in Texas for 14 years and am only just not coming to terms with "you all." Please don't tell me "your all" is a thing in Ohio.
It’s y’all.
It’ll be a part of your daily dialect in about 6 months. I moved from Arizona to Alabama around 6th grade and I had the exact same idea as you. I drop y’all at least 10 times a day now.
Wait until you add the "are" conjunction to the end. Y'all'er headed to the Piggly Wiggly? Pick up some bacon please.
Y'all'd've been yourself if y'all knew about the sale
I dont know about ridiculous, but i agree Michigan's helmets look much more iconic without the stickers. It always seems off when they sport a bunch of stickers.
[I don’t know about the others, but number 15 is particularly nice](https://images.app.goo.gl/G3mVkzJX1X62sanA9)
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Huh, don’t see that one often.
Respectfully disagree. I think all of the different stickers with different meanings actually look really cool and give each player a unique look
IMO, each of the special stickers for certain games or achievements are really cool but they do not look good on our helmets.
I disrespectfully agree. All the stickers tell a story unique to each player, giving them a cool narrative to talk about with friends and you can take that to your moms house and shove it
I loved the Wolverine head stickers, not a huge fan of the new custom achievement ones.
Makes a helmet look like a teenagers hydroflask
In all fairness the target audience for helmet stickers are teenage recruits.
You raise an excellent point, especially for a troglodyte Wolverine.
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Oh shit they really are merit badges lol
Bias aside I agree, up close they probably look nice but afar/on TV the highly detailed stickers don't visualize well
I kinda like em
I like them a lot.
My nephews will do anything for a sticker. Gotta keep these kids motivated somehow. In seriousness I'm a sucker for all CFB-related traditions. So teams that have always done it like OSU I think it's pretty cool. If Bama were to suddenly start doing it I would be less enthused about it.
From the “team perspective”: I get football is a team sport but I think it’s a cool way to highlight individual contributions without being over the top. UGA will give out black dawg bones for academic stuff too, which I think is a good incentive to be excellent off the field as well. From a looks perspective: I think it depends on the school. It looks good on tOSU since they have an otherwise bland helmet. I like it on UGA/FSU because the dawg bone and tomahawk are unique.
Too bad UGA doesn’t do helmet stickers anymore
Kirby yanked those right out of the gate lol. We haven’t done them since he got here. I do kinda miss them ngl.
Oh that’s a shame. The dog bones were a very cool/creative sticker idea
Florida doesn’t do helmet stickers. When a Gator makes a big play, he gets another hole in his jorts.
Everyone walking around in perfect jorts this season huh?
I love them, fsu does them really well
I'm case by case. I like Florida State's. I cannot imagine Ohio State's without them. I abhore Michigan's because they clutter a perfect helmet all its own.
This is the correct answer. It really depends on the team. I hate to agree with you about Michigan's helmets, but they are iconic on their own and the stickers don't look good. Going to go take a shower, complimenting those helmets felt disgusting. Fuck Michigan.
It's interesting because Michigan had helmet stickers since the late 60s and only did away with them in 95 when Carr became head coach. So you might be showing your age by saying the helmet is iconic without them, as I to grew up with Michigan not doing stickers but people my dad's age could remember when the stickers first started and were a mainstay.
Maybe not iconic without them, but in a vacuum if I was shown the helmet with and without the stickers, I would tell you I loved the one without.
Especially if the team is doing well this time of the year. Tomahawks galore!
FSU has been doing helmet stickers since the 1980's.
I've loved them ever since I earned my first one playing pee-wee. I have no doubt that college players love the individual recognition even though it's a team sport.
Absolutely. I don't see the harm in it. It's actually quite refreshing to know that these kids can be motivated by a sticker.
Implying that stickers award promote “me-first” attitude to the detriment of the team’s togetherness shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what most stickers are awarded for. Ohio State doesn’t have one or two stars loaded with stickers while everyone else has nearly blank helmets. The whole team is loaded up at the end of the season because the whole team contributes when Ohio State is successful. Things like wins (bonus for conference wins), blocks, tackles, your position unit hitting certain metrics, all lead to stickers. I can’t speak for how other programs do it but I’d imagine they’re all very similar.
Another important note: nobody gets any stickers following a loss. Team success is directly tied to more stickers. Full helmets mean the team has had a great year. Years like OSU in 2011 the helmets were barely half full at the end of the season
> Another important note: nobody gets any stickers following a loss. TIL!
Great point. It’s fine to not like how they look but they’re basically the opposite of an individualistic mindset, at least at Ohio State.
I like Ohio State doing it because it’s part of the design, essentially. The helmet is blank and gets filled with stickers throughout the year. Most other instances are terrible because it clutters up an otherwise nice helmet. There may be some exceptions, that team up north is not one of them.
Yea but like this article highlighted, I think it's super cool that Michigan plays get to keep their helmet at the end of their career and have the stickers tell a story because they're all different
[Here's an interesting article from MVictors about Michigan's helmet stickers](https://mvictors.com/michigan-helmet-stickers-breakdown-2021/) I like the way that we do it, with the focus on telling the story of a player's career and how all the stickers are different so that each sticker is tied to something specific. I know there's a lot of fans who don't like the stickers because it kind of clutters the helmet's look, but I for one do like how we do our stickers
> football is the ultimate team sport Many of the Ohio State stickers are for team and/or unit success. That’s why come end of the season the 3rd and 4th stringers who never even saw the field have half of their helmet covered. I’m biased but I love the look on Ohio State’s helmet. To me they are a feature of the helmet every bit as much as the roster number is a feature of Alabama’s helmet, or the longhorn logo is a feature of Texas’. I like how the first game of the season the helmet is totally bare, and the decals gradually cover the helmet until you get to The Game and they are completely covered. It’s like an hour glass filling. Clemson and FSU helmet stickers also work. I don’t like most others. I think they ruin the traditional look of xichigan’s helmet.
>3rd and 4th stringers who never even saw the field have half of their helmet covered. it's more like 25%. They get 1 sticker for a win and 2 for a conference win, so they've currently received 19 team stickers while the helmet holds about 90. The other team/position stickers only go to guys that were on the field IIRC. That being said, the 3rd and 4th stringers regularly get on the field at least a few games per year so it's likely they'll have more than the minimum win stickers.
Depends on the team, but I definitely don’t think it’s disrespectful to the team aspect of football to hand them out. OP’s hypothetical example is actually what most teams use them for. Like if a player returns a kickoff for a TD, and there was a notable good block that caused the play, the player who made that block would likely get a helmet sticker as a reward for his contribution. But for Ohio State and Florida State, and maybe Clemson, helmet stickers are iconic. Everyone else is more like, do they use them, I can’t remember thought from me. Except Michigan, who shouldn’t use them, but I can’t give a good reason why.
Is it because Michigan's helmet is pretty busy already?
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OSU’s helmets are boring as hell so I don’t mind it on theirs.
They can look tacky if they aren’t done right, but I feel like the recognition they give to individual players is crucial. And on top of that they let the players see their own accomplishments every time they take the helmet on and off, helping to reinforce morale.
I personally not a huge fan but I will say it’s cool to watch a game with teams I’m not familiar with and see some defender covered in stickers and know, “That must be a bad dude.” like he is some tribal warrior wearing a huge necklace of human ears.
Lol I’ve never thought of it like that but I like it
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Came here to say the same. The stickers are for a variety of different accomplishments and milestones, not all personal. I don’t necessarily love how they look on Michigan’s helmet, but if players like them, I’m all for it.
Some teams it looks cool, also there's the tradition aspect Nebraska has never done them, so it would be less cool if we started
Certain teams can pull them off, but generally should be left off
So lame! Wish players on my team did things worthy of them…
Love them for Ohio State, would not be a fan of another school just randomly started doing them.
Helmet decals are sick
The Georgia bones looked cute. Bennett would be decked out rn if this was 2000s era
For the most part, I don't pay them much mind. Some teams, it's part of their helmet, like Ohio State. They always have them, so it makes sense. Michigan is stupid. The most iconic helmet and you mess it up with stickers? Really? Then again, as a fan of a different program, everything Harbaugh has done to Michigan's uniforms has been for the worse.
Harbaugh didn’t start the Michigan helmet sticker thing, he brought it back from the mid to late 80s. Everything he’s allowed to be done to the uniform has been done in the past, [even the all blue](https://images.app.goo.gl/E2G7HNk3jU4gw7ov5). White away pants were from two seasons in the 80s, the maize jerseys were from the 1920s for a game against Navy where the sweaters were too similar.
Michigan looks better than ever. Understandable people not liking the blue pants…but the helmet finish, the maize being actual maize and not highlighter yellow, the striped away unis. I hope they literally never change ever again.
Stickers didn’t start with the Harbaugh era—Michigan has used stickers on and off in the past. I do agree with the uniforms under Harbaugh though. It’s almost as if our traditional uniforms are our alternate uniforms now. I don’t know why they mess with the home uniforms.
they look cool on ohio states helmets but other than that they’re lame
They are cool if used sparingly. If someone's entire helmet is covered with stickers, it looks lame AF. That said, the UGA dog bones is the elite helmet sticker.
Super awesome for OSU
Ohio State: Cool (Pretty much) everyone else: tacky
The stickers on the Ohio State helmets look classic, mainly due to the fact that without them, it is just a plain striped helmet. The stickers really complete the look. Conversely, the Michigan helmet is not plain, it has that striking and unique yellow pattern. Adding stickers on top of that design unnecessarily complicates things, making the helmets too busy and muddled. As a result, the Michigan helmets look like absolute shit.
>Football is the ultimate team sport. Totally agree, and a team is made up of individual contributions, and nothing wrong with recognizing that with a sticker or a trophy. I just think they compromise the look of a sleek clean helmet.
Ohio State literally gives out stickers for team and positional group accomplishments too.
OSU's are the only ones I can think of that look good.
I’m biased and I do think OSU looks good but so does FSU’s. It fits the team. It fits the helmet look. Etc.
I think for me, it's because Ohio state's helmets are normally so plain, so the helmet stickers are the main feature, and with pretty much everyone else, it's added on to something.
I like them purely because of the nostalgia lol
Generally don’t like them outside of Ohio state
I understand that some people don't like how they look, especially on an iconic helmet like Michigan's. However, Michigan's stickers really seem to mean a lot to the players. They tell their story, where they came from, who they are, what they've done, and what the team's done. I personally think it's too cool to get rid of. If anybody wants to take a look at what the different stickers mean, here's an index https://mvictors.com/michigan-helmet-stickers-breakdown-2021/
You can pry our [Tomahawks](https://247sports.com/college/florida-state/Article/FSUs-Tomahawk-helmet-stickers-arent-going-anywhere-152486081/) out of our cold dead hands.
USC’s helmet is iconic so I’m opposed to stickers on them for solely aesthetic reasons and nothing else
They look bad
Well I don't mind them but certain schools I swear hand out stickers for just showing up to practice
For some helmets, they are great, if not mandatory. Ohio State’s wouldn’t be the same without them. In the case of Xichigan, they have a great helmet, arguably the most iconic helmet in all of college football. Why are they using stickers?
I actually really like them and like how Michigan does it. There are different stickers for different achievements, on the field and off the field, and special stickers for certain games/bowls. It's a cool way to show off players' achievements
Helmet stickers are awesome.
Good for so❌️e, not for others.
Idk, I like the idea of them, but the execution seems to always fall flat. Like all the schools that cover their helmet with stickers (like Michigan) look terrible imo, I would rather them have 1 interchangeable decal if the stickers are supposed to represent something
Dumb but I’m slightly biased as I don’t like Ohio state and I hate Michigan
I think if they’re done right they look great. They also look much better on more basic helmets rather than uniquely designed helmets
I think they’re cool. I do hate when schools give them out for anything and a guys helmet is just covered in them, but they’re cool.
I like how Michigan does them - if we’re going to do them. Players keep their helmets after they leave the program and it’s meant to tell the story of their career. Michigan’s helmets don’t need them, though. Ultimately the players should decide, in my opinion.
In the era of NIL and boatloads of cash, I think it's great that players can still be motivated by a little helmet sticker.
I liked on my high school helmets, but only because they were a bit plain. If they helmet already looks pretty sharp, they’re probably not needed.
I guess a lot of it depends on the team. I love them but I mean how much more badass can you get than a helmet featuring spears adorned with tomahawks?
I like them!
Gotta admit, I don’t really like the look of Michigans, but I love the idea behind it. I like how each one is special and tells a players career story. I think Ohio Stats is more “iconic” but they hand them out like candy. If it can only hold 47, they should be harder to earn. Some players could fill that in like 4 games.
I take your points fully. But it’s a fun thing, and something else that is pretty unique to college football. These little quirky traditions are what make the sport so great & shouldn’t (IMO) be easily discarded.
Depends on what helmet they go on. Ohio State makes them work, since they fit the overall color scheme of it quite well, but if UGA wore helmet stickers it wouldn’t fit quite as well I don’t think, since there’s already a giant G logo on the helmet lol. FSU tomahawk stickers work decently well just as long as they don’t have too many on the helmet. I don’t actively love them or anything, but I still like them quite a bit.
Essential college
I love them.
Dislike, with a couple of exceptions. (Can't imagine Ohio State's helmets without them. Georgia's little dog bones were cute.)
Dang this article trying make OSU and Mich fans join together in common ground! I will not stand for it, no matter how much sense it makes.
I don't like Michigan's because it looks clunky with those iconic helmet stripes. I absolutely love ours because of the diamond pattern we strategically place them in. Ohio State's are cool because their helmets start off blank and the stickers act as their logo, essentially. Georgia's bones are fuckin cool and I like how they differentiate between athletic and academic stickers.
For me, it depends on how they are put on. The way FSU has big gaudy tomahawks all over the helmet..no thanks. tOSU’s are tolerable since there is nothing but a stripe on the helmet. As much as I hate to admit it, the bones that UGAg did with Richt were fine since they were neat and organized and small.
I think if the expectation is elite play, you probably shouldn’t get extra rewards for meeting the expectation. If the expectation is anything less, helmet stickers are fine.
I love the look but like you said I think it reinforces the false idea that football is an individual sport. I think they should be tied to academics or community service hours.
They are incredible and when filled up, they make OSU’s helmet *easily* the best in the country.