Sept. 22, 2005
Ian,
My question is; why was there a change made to the football helmets? While I am for updating chairbacks and stadium facilities, I am disappointed that the traditional gold helmet with the green interlocking BU has suddenly and mysteriously been replaced.
I know that in the past slight changes have been made, but this was not a welcome change for me. To me they look less classy than the traditional Golden Dome. Guess everyone is entitled to their opinion...you now have heard mine.
Thanks for the opportunity to communicate this and congratulations of a great start to the football season.
Mark Goode
Dallas, Texas
Editor's Note: A similar question with regard to chairback seating and helmets was received by Don Mabray (Georgetown, Texas).
Mark,
Thank you for the e-mail.
The new green helmets have received a mixed reaction from Baylor fans, with a number of folks favoring the traditional gold color. Again, the green helmets will be used for only select games, similar to how Notre Dame uses green jerseys, and should return for the Texas A&M game on October 1.
The reason that the green helmets were purchased by Coach Morriss was in response to an expressed interest on the part of the student-athletes.
Ian
Ian, What a great year it has been to be a Baylor University Alumni. Thanks for your support in bringing pride back to Baylor athletics. I am assuming that at one of the women's home basketball games a banner of some kind will be unveiled recognizing their NCAA Championship.
Has a date been set as to when that ceremony might take place? My family and I would certainly enjoy taking part in that presentation. Thanks.
Phyllis D. Bevel
Dallas, Texas
Phyllis,
Thank you for the kind e-mail.
We have a banner unveiling ceremony planned for the Lady Bears home opener versus UCLA on November 18. I am sure that the entire Baylor family and Waco community will want to be a part of this historic evening.
Also, the athletic department and B Association will be hosting a pre-game reception on the 18th for former Lady Bear basketball players from the past 30 years.
It should be a wonderful evening and great celebration of Lady Bear basketball!
Ian
Ian, We are excited about being 2-0. A win is a win, and it was obvious with the big crowd the other night, even on a rainy night, and a not so well known opponent, that there is excitement here.
My question is where is the gold rush on the player's uniforms? I understand about the green helmets, even though I would hate to see the gold helmets be gone for good, since that is a well known tradition. Why is there no other gold in the uniforms?
Keep up the good work
Craig Cook
Waco, Texas
Craig,
I hope that you are even more excited about Baylor football now being 3-0!
We were pleased with the Samford game crowd especially considering the heavy downpour that occurred and the delay at the start of the game.
The football uniforms are primarily green, however, as I mentioned above the gold helmets will be regularly used by the team.
We want fans to wear gold at games since it is a primary Baylor school color and makes a strong impression in the stands.
Ian
Ian, Thanks for all you have accomplished for Baylor. We purchased season tickets for the first time this season and had a wonderful time at the game on Saturday. The appearance of the stadium was very attractive with the new color scheme and the fire works at the north end were great.
Will Baylor be spelled out in the South End Zone as it was last year? (We like it there).
We prefer the gold helmet-they have a classic look with the interlocking BU-- will they make a return for some games?
We prefer last year's video because it connected the campus and traditions of Baylor. Will the old video make a return visit with its simple message of class and unity with Floyd Casey Stadium?
Don Tarrant
Richardson, Texas
Don,
Thanks for being one of our many first-time football season ticket holders. Baylor football is on the rise and it is exciting to have so many new fans becoming involved.
The completion of the Grant Teaff Plaza has been a wonderful addition to Floyd Casey Stadium, and there will be some other noticeable improvements for the Nebraska game.
There will be a vinyl cover in the South End Zone that includes interlocking BU's along with the tag line "This Is Bear Country." We believe that this will be more attractive than having Baylor painted on cement and will also promote one of our most popular traditional themes.
Thank you for your comments and question.
Ian
Ian, I have 3 questions: I was a little confused at Saturday night's game. I thought that fans would be able to walk around the south end zone without leaving the stadium. Unless I looked at it wrong, it seemed you had to leave the gate to go to the other side unless you walked in front of the north end zone complex. Please straighten out my confusion.
By the way, I liked the green helmets. I wouldn't mind seeing Baylor wear them more often. Sometimes I think it is nice to shake things up on the overall uniform appearance. Also, has there ever been any thought to attaching a trophy to the winner of either the BU-A&M game or the Texas game similar to the way other schools do? I think it would add even more intensity to the rivalry.
John Ferrell
Hurst, Texas
John,
Thank you for the e-mail.
There will be an outside fence installed prior to the Nebraska game that will allow fans to walk around the South End Zone without having to leave the Stadium.
I am not aware of any discussions regarding a trophy for the winner of the Baylor - Texas A&M game. Baylor's victory last year was the best thing that we could have done to add intensity to the rivalry!
I appreciate your comments about the green helmets.
Ian
Dear Ian, First of all, let me say how much I enjoyed the atmosphere at the Baylor- Samford game. It was nice to see a good crowd there to cheer on the Bears. The new logo looks great (as did the stadium), the music and videos on the Jumbotron were outstanding and the fireworks were a great touch.
The Baylor Line showed very little class during the game by chanting "Samford High School." Whoever is in charge of The Line should have stopped that, as it happened more than once. Has this already been addressed?
Thanks for taking my questions and comments. Overall it was a great game night experience!
Greg Pettigrew
Birmingham, Ala.
Greg,
Thank you for the kind comments regarding the Stadium enhancements and marketing efforts. Our staff did a tremendous job completing so much during the off-season!
We have addressed the derogatory comments made by the Baylor Line. We want all of our fans to treat opposing teams and institutions in a first class manner representative of the Christian values that we hold at Baylor. This past week, Army was incredibly classy hospitable and we want to afford visiting teams and their fans a similar experience at Floyd Casey Stadium.
Ian
Ian, I was at the football game last night and I really enjoyed the pregame video showing Coach Morris and all that. Before all of that, however, was a BU with flames in the background.
I would love to be able to use that as my background/screensaver/icon. Is there someway fans can get that and other cool stuff that is shown at the various sports games? Thanks.
Tim Ring
Waco, Texas
Tim,
The new BaylorVision open was developed by our staff and was well received by fans. We do offer a variety of screensaver options at BaylorBears.com, however, that one has not yet made it to the list. I will ask our media relations staff to see if this is possible.
Ian
Ian, Great job with all of the changes we've seen in Baylor athletics. It is an exciting time to be a Baylor fan.
I was at the Baylor vs. Samford game and noticed that the concrete steps in Floyd Casey can get very slippery when wet. I saw a few people slip throughout the night. Would it be possible to place grip-tape or something on the steps to try and eliminate that problem?
Thanks again for all of your hard work! It shows.
Cameron Weldon
Waco, Texas
Cameron,
Thank you for the e-mail. We will have permanent railings on the walkways entering the Grant Teaff Plaza in place by the Nebraska game that will alleviate this issue. Speaking of Nebraska, we are expecting a great crowd for the game and anticipate a 6:00 p.m. starting time.
Be sure to make your plans to be at the game and bring your family and friends. Some good seats still remain by calling 710-1000!
Ian
Closing Comments I was recently appointed to the NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet and just returned from my first meeting with this group. This is my first direct experience within the NCAA legislative and governance process and it was both a great learning experience and valuable for Baylor to have representation in the decision-making for Association-wide issues. Faculty Athletics Representative Mike Rogers was recently appointed to the Academics, Eligibility and Compliance Cabinet which provides the institution with another voice in important NCAA matters.
We have received positive reviews from our many fans who traveled to West Point for Baylor's 20-10 victory over Army last weekend. We are exploring an extension of the Army football series and believe this is a quality opponent and institution for us to maintain in a scheduling relationship.
We have selected the Baylor Hall of Fame Class of 2006. Five truly outstanding individuals have been chosen for induction this year along with a wonderful choice for the Wall of Honor. Stay tuned to BaylorBears.com for this announcement coming soon.
Some fans may have noticed that Baylor's football game at Army was available on satellite radio. The Bears final eight games will be available to Sirius subscribers. More information will be posted in the weekly game notes provided on BaylorBears.com.
The Baylor - Texas A&M football game was selected for television by FSN for an 11:30 a.m. start on Saturday (October 1). With the Army and A&M games being television back-to-back, Baylor football will enjoy tremendous television exposure early in the season.
Our staff has spent the past couple of days taking precautions as Hurricane Rita approaches the State of Texas. Please keep our fellow citizens in your prayers and be safe this weekend.
