For those of you who may be suffering from a bit of uniform thread fatigue, I began this thread with the hope of deriving some kind of quantifiable data from the endless debate that has occurred in other threads on this topic. And, even with a limited number of precincts reporting, I believe that there are a few discernible conclusions which can be drawn:
(1) Very few contributors to Vol Nation are advocating radical change or, at least, very few perceive themselves as advocating radical change.
(2) Options 4-6 represent varying degrees of what I consider to be a traditionalist perspective on Tennessees color scheme and the possible use of alternate uniforms. They represent almost half of all votes cast and, collectively, oppose anything more dramatic than subtle stylistic change to existing color schemes and uniform combinations.
(3) The block of voters who favor at least one alternate uniform per season (ca. 44%) is the largest single segment of the populace. Unfortunately, this option is also the most difficult to define with precision. As discourse on other threads richly attests, advocates of alternate uniforms vary widely in the degree to which their proposals differ from existing color schemes and uniform combinations. In short, we are almost evenly divided between advocates of traditionalism and those who favor the addition of alternate uniforms to our existing repertoire. Based on the unending debate pertaining to the topic, this schism is hardly surprising but it is now clearly quantified.
As for my personal opinion on the matter, I will simply reiterate what I have stated elsewhere. Butch Jones has said that you can walk into any high school in the country, clad in Tennessee regalia, and they will know instantaneously who you represent. That is a profoundly strong, and accurate, example of the functional role of stylistic marker traits as an expression of group identity. Personal experience further corroborates his position. On a return trip from Montana, I walked into the airport in Kalispell and a baggage handler spotted my Tennessee orange fleece jacket. Without my saying a word, he stated "you guys are a long way from home."
Few universities in the country have a more distinctive color scheme than Tennessee. Radical change would, over time, weaken that association, both in terms of public perception and, more importantly, the Big Orange Nation. Strident advocates of change often champion Oregons ensemble of uniforms as an example that we should follow. Oregon, however, had no significant history of sustained success in football prior to the last decade or so. Therefore, a host of uniform combinations, ones that pushed the proverbial fashion envelope in college regalia, became a branding mechanism, one that set them apart as different before their onfield success really began to take root.
Finally, it should be possible to respectfully engage each other on a topic about which we profoundly disagree. Unfortunately, if there is one generalization that I believe is warranted, based on dialogue in this thread and others pertaining to Tennessee uniforms, it is that the most strident advocates of change are the least tolerant of opposing viewpoints and the most critical of a conservative or traditional perspective on the matter.
