why are Michigan football helmets painted the way the are?

Answer 1

Michigan was the first college team to employ a helmet any other color than drab brown. In the early days of football, all teams wore brown leather helmets. Michigan painted the yellow stripes on their helmets to make their receivers more noticable. They have stuck with the same design over the years, and just about every other team has followed their lead.

Answer 2

After winning national titles in 1932 and 1933, Michigan had gone four years without a winning season and team morale had suffered accordingly. Coach Harry Kipke left a core of veterans and some very promising sophomores, but one of Crisler's first tasks was to instill a new attitude in the team. Known as a wily tactician and motivator, Crisler introduced the new helmet and changes in the Wolverine's uniform to mark the beginning of a new era. As 1938 captain Fred Jahnke recalled in 1987, "Just before the opener, the old black helmets were replaced with a wing type of today's style; form fitting wool pants allowed freer movement and the old "M" jersey became the tear away kind." In Crisler's recollection, "Michigan had a plain black helmet and we wanted to dress it up a bit."


The distinctive helmet would also have practical advantages on the field. Crisler figured the helmet would help his quarterbacks find receivers downfield. "There was a tendency to use different colored helmets just for receivers in those days, but I always thought that would be as helpful for the defense as for the offense," Crisler recalled.


In any event, the new helmet made a successful debut in the 1938 season opener against Michigan State. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 14-0 behind two touchdown runs by sophomore Paul Kromer to gain their first win over Michigan State in four years. Whether the helmet helped the passing game is hard to say, Michigan completed four of eight attempts for 46 yards with no interceptions. The game certainly marked a change in Michigan's football fortunes. The Michigan Alumnus commented, "Michigan has a fighting gridiron outfit once more; a team that knows how to do things and a burning desire-and considerable ability-to do what it wants." Oddly, none of the newspaper accounts of the game make mention of the new helmet.
Crisler's first team went on to compile a 6-1-1 record and tie for second in the conference. Whether attributable to the new helmet or not, the passing game improved significantly over 1937's final statistics; total yardage nearly doubled, interceptions were cut nearly in half and completion percentage was up by nine percent.

Some accounts of the actual design of the new helmet have sometimes suggested Crisler came up with the idea out of whole cloth. In fact, the previous year Crisler had introduced a helmet at Princeton that should look remarkably familiar to Wolverine fans. The winged design simply took advantage of features of a helmet the Spalding sporting goods company first advertised in the 1937 edition the Official Intercollegiate Football Guide. Crisler's 1938 innovation at Michigan was to paint the helmet maize and blue. His predecessor, Harry Kipke, had also experimented with special markings on the helmets in 1937. Fortunately, though, his designs did not catch-on.

Answer 3

Well, being from Minnesota, we've found Michigan can't paint to save their scam college football team...GO GOPHERS!!!!!

Answer 4

Because they represent Wolverines. the same way the kids from that movie represent "the lolypop KILL". Hope this helps.