I'm at the point where I really don't even care anymore. Every year, it's the same thing.
"Oh, when is Bo going to handout the blackshirts??! OMG"
Then after a couple weeks of good football against lackluster squads, the blackshirts get handed out and we all get our hopes up that, somehow, this year will be different and the defense will play inspired, passionate and fundamentally sound defense. Maybe we play alright defense for at least another week or so, but whenever the games that matter the most are played and the lights are shining the brightest, the defense gets gashed repeatedly. Mind you, I'm not pinning any of the blowout losses on the defense because during these spectacular meltdowns, the offense generally plays with the precision of a drunken hobo.
So, after the annual romping or two, the blackshirts either get taken away again, players elect to no longer wear them in practice, folks speculate if Pelini might take them away, etc. The whole thing is rather silly and it just waters the tradition down. Does anyone really think that this will make a damn?
Give the blackshirts out at the beginning of the year to the starting defense and just be done with it.