BYU has a "new" color. Reporters in the barrage of news casts, articles and radio talk shows devoted to the transformation referred to the color as "bronco blue," "navy blue," "the darkest shade of royal blue," "dark blue" and even "BYU blue." All no doubt graduates of Clinton School of Semantics and Spin.
Who are we trying to kid? It was called everything except what it really is: Aggie Blue. The Aggies have dawned the color for at least 70 years. I know this because my grandfather, who turned 90 years old this summer, ran track and played basketball for the Aggies during the 1920s. The other day he sported his old letterman's sweater. Believe me, it's "the darkest shade of royal blue" you'll ever see. Or maybe it's the lightest shade of navy blue you'll ever see. Who knows? I get confused.College athletics is heavy with tradition. A school's colors are part of that tradition. Especially at Utah State University. Its mascot is even named after the color, and the Aggie chant is "Go Big Blue!" Brigham Young University took the greater part of this century to decide that it didn't like its colors and certainly has the right to change them. (The "bib" is a bit much.)
But, personally, I believe BYU would have done well to have stayed away from the "bronco blue" of its neighbor to the north. For lack of media inquiry, the reaction of Aggie fans and administration is lost from all this media attention. This is upsetting. Perhaps the reaction would range from indifferent to negative. But an inquiry, nonetheless, should have been made.
Brad Rock was the only one who attempted to make a go of it. Although it was BYU that took, errrrr . . . adopted, USU's color, I fear it will only be a matter of time until "history" tells it as the opposite. Until then, "Go Big (TRUE) Blue!"
Steve Noel
Ogden