it is about deserving the blackshirts. you shouldnt just be handed a blackshirt because you have STARTED a game or two you should be given the blackshirts because you have DOMINATED every game.
Nice thought...
But it started out simply as a way to differentiate the Offense and the Defense in scrimmages..
Then it became a unique way of letting the starters know they were starting.
Now it's either bait..or a symbol of an unobtainable perfection..
Not completely true. Every player knows exactly where they stand on the depth chart and yes, the blackshirts were first distributed to the starters to differentiate them from the 2nd and 3rd and 4th strings. Over time, the blackshirts became a SYMBOL OF DOMINANCE. It may not be tradition, but the tradition is evolving. I'm not against this because I don't look at it like destroying a tradition, I look at it like evolving it to be something that is a great honor to get. I'm not saying it wasn't an honor to be a starter in the past, but the defenses under Callahan were absolutely DREADFUL and to say that they deserve the blackshirts because we shut down Missouri in a MONSOON which benefits the defense anyway.... well I can see why Bo hasn't given them out yet. If we shut down Texas Tech, and by shut down, I mean dominate (not just statistics), then they will get their blackshirts. I think Bo wants to see how they do against a potent offense in FAIR weather.
I don't see why everyone is getting so bent out of shape. Red, White or Black shirts in practice... I mean hell, yellow, orange, it doesn't matter. If the defense is dominating, I don't care what color they are wearing in practices. If Bo can get them to play with passion and fire, then it's irrelevant. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the Blackshirts being handed out and I believe the D is significantly improved and it isn't just a fluke game against Mizzou in the rain (I think we would have shut them down anyway). But some people on this board are freaking out like it's the end of the world. Don't worry so much guys.
This isn't tearing down tradition like what BC did. This isn't shunning alumni players like Steve Pederson did or taking down all the pictures of past years, this is doing something that all coaches should do. Making the players EARN things. They will get the Blackshirts sooner than later.