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58 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 f a tough situation by letting Oregon run wild like that." CONTROL OF THE HEADGEAR While programs often have little input into uniforms, that's not the case with helmets. Rather, they can do about anything they want, assum- ing they have the money — and willingness — to pay. A year ago, Purdue did, purchasing Riddell helmets, hav- ing them painted black, then putting a train track decal down the middle. It's costly to have them painted, the price depending on the style, color and scheme. Plus, the cost of decals and chin straps. Helmets go for about $225 each, plus an additional $100 to $700 per helmet for paining. On average, then, for Purdue's typical 132 helmets, it's about an $82,500 endeavor, but could be much more. Prior to last season, Indiana unveiled six variations, with differing logos on its standard red helmet, a retro cap and a multi-chromatic look. "You've got the money, you've got the control," Shan- drick said. "You can simply buy them, anything you want, pay whatever you want." Purdue can vary its stickers, too. It will for the Ham- mer Down Cancer Day game vs. Michigan State on Oct. 11 and for its Military Appreciation Day game vs. Wis- consin on Nov. 8, like it did last year with the American flag motion P. But it's Purdue's "selfie" picture idea that garnered the school some national attention. In June, after send- ing out a tweet asking students to send in portraits if they've purchased VIP cards, the idea became national news with ESPN, CNN and others featuring it. Some liked the plan — it'll combine miniature pic- tures of Purdue fans in a collage on a motion P — but others, like L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke, didn't, as he stated on ESPN's opinion show "Around the Horn." From Purdue's perspective, however, it was good to get people talking, even if the mass reaction was unexpect- ed. "I don't think anybody is ever going to do something that everyone likes," said Chris Peludat, Purdue's mar- keting and ticketing director. "But overall, it was posi- tive; we're just trying to do something relatively unique to engage our fans who are supporting us. We flushed this out and will see how it goes. The majority of (opin- ion) was positive, there's always people who weigh in on the other side of it, but you can't let that bother you too much." 'A BIG THING' Greg Hudson, Purdue's defensive coordinator, didn't have many options when he played linebacker at Notre Dame in the mid-80s. Back then, the Fighting Irish had home and road jer- seys, but only one helmet and only one set of pants. Times have changed. "How much do they like uniforms? A lot," the 47-year- old said. "I like uniforms. I think it's a big thing. But I think it's gotten out of control. "But I think you look good, you feel good, you play good. I'm into it. I like a little flash. But you can't have a flashy uniform and stink, you better play some football." Most agree. For a Purdue team coming off a 1-11 season, the Boilermaker players don't have high demands, under- standing that winning is likely the best avenue toward greater uniform swag. They've got ideas, however, like Richards' Monopo- ly-themed helmet, or receiver DeAngelo Yancey's all- white, with tiny gold trim, head-to-toe outfit. Paul Griggs likes Purdue's traditional wears, and rec- ognizes that even the Boilermakers' limited combina- tions have their good and bad. He's a fan of the Boil- ermakers' black on black, with the new black helmets, particularly because he also wears black cleats. "You don't want to type cast, but your typical Purdue fan is a pretty traditional fan," the placekicker said. "But particularly for some of the younger fans, they're not just focused on Purdue, they're aware of what's go- ing on elsewhere in college football. And they're see- ing what other teams are coming out wearing. When Purdue, not necessarily mimics that, but shows that we can do the same thing, it definitely provides a level of excitement for the fans. It might not be quantifiable, but maybe has some increase in engagement. "But the bottom line is that it doesn't matter what we're wearing as long as we're winning." j