Arizona Football

Arizona’s new copper helmet: Should the Wildcats wear them with pride or pitch them in the mine?

By Javier Morales

Posted on May 24, 2012

My Photoshop creation of Arizona's new copper helmet that will be worn for select games starting in the 2012 season (WildAboutAZCats.net photo)

At least one scribe likes Arizona’s copper helmet, unveiled Wednesday by athletic director Greg Byrne. TucsonCitizen.com sports director Anthony Gimino, a veteran Tucson reporter, writes in his latest blog that the “copper will be distinctive in college football — if not the state, considering the indoor Arizona Rattlers use that helmet color, too — and anything the Cats can do to be distinctive is a plus.”

What do you think? Should the Wildcats wear them with pride or pitch them in the copper mine for good? Answer the poll included with this blog.

The Arizona Daily Star’s Ryan Finley has a priceless quote from Byrne in his blog. Finley apparently asked Byrne if he considered darker tones for the helmet. Byrne answered: “Anybody can do black.”

We all know who switched occasionally to black helmets last season don’t we? That would be Arizona State.

My opinion: I like the changes, first with Mike Stoops’ decision to introduce an all navy blue helmet. Arizona’s uniforms are not traditional like Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan, for example, so why not? The only thing about the copper helmet is that I hope that Arizona uses corresponding colors in the uniform or else the helmet might stick out like a sore thumb, kind of like when the Wildcats wear a navy blue helmet with a red top and bottom.

My request to Byrne is that he try throwback uniforms for a game or two during the season. I want to see the old snake “UA” helmet, either the red one worn in 1972 or the white helmets introduced by Jim Young and used from 1973-76. The “Running A” one that Tony Mason used from 1977 to 1979 (pictures of each helmet included in this blog) is OK, but not the best.

Interesting note: New coach Rich Rodriguez will be the sixth out of the last seven coaches since Young to have a new helmet mark the start of his era. Young, Mason, Larry Smith (first a red helmet with a block blue “A” and then the fat block “A” on a white helmet), Dick Tomey (academic “A” on a white helmet) and Stoops preceded him with changes. John Mackovic is the only one who stayed status quo, following Tomey’s lead.