Not all that glitters is Mustangs gold
Nathan Hendrix/The Highlander
Marble Falls school board members fielded concerns recently over the outline color – which appears orange instead of gold – used on the Mustangs logo at midfield and in the end zone at Mustangs Stadium. Sports Editor Nathan Hendrix reveals his “true colors” on the discussion and what board members may need to do about the dilemma.
By Nathan Hendrix
When it comes to school colors, close enough is not good enough.
Marble Falls ISD has run into a conundrum with the new turf on the field at Mustang Stadium. The color of the outline on the logo at midfield and the words in the end zone is not gold. That's a problem.
The actual color that can be viewed as of today does not match the swatch that district officials picked out, and many of them were left in disbelief over the fact that it will cost them to change it.
But, as Superintendent Chris Allen pointed out to the board at the previous meeting, gold means different things to different people – or in this case different things to different schools/sports teams.
I graduated from the University of Central Florida, so this issue hits close to my heart. Our school colors are black and gold. I mean real gold: a nearly exact color to the gold on the Mustangs' football helmets.
In contrast, the Los Angeles Lakers claim their colors to be purple and gold. Hmm. Does someone want to explain to the Lakers that gold is not just a fancy way of saying yellow?
The color of the outlines on the turf at Mustang Stadium are borderline orange. We could argue about the color, but it is not gold; it is not correct.
To fans, there's a clear distinction. The guy that shows up in a bright orange shirt to Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium for the Oklahoma State vs. Longhorns game is not welcomed with open arms because bright orange is not burnt orange.
A field is home to a football team. It's a representation of the team as a host.
Having an incorrect color on the field is the equivalent of inviting guests over for a house party then explaining to them that your furniture doesn't represent your true style.
It reminds me of my excursions shopping for sports apparel in a South Korean street market. Don't kid yourself, they are finely tuned to the trends of America, but there are still trademark laws that they must follow.
It wasn't a rare occurance for me to find a silver and black hat I really liked only to notice that I've never heard of the “San Antonio Spvrs.” Nice try, Korean sales guy.
Don't be fooled, those “Nice” brand basketball shoes are quality, but the “swoosh” is more like a “shush.”
The district is exploring options for the color on the field but will not take action at this time. The fault may be their own in this case, but they can't allow the Mustangs to go on the field with the wrong colors representing their team and their town.
Complaints about “gold” aside, if you haven't had a chance to see the new turf in person, go take a look. It's nice. The purple is deep, and the green turf is lush-looking.
In the meantime, we'll all try to convince the Pittsburgh Steelers that Wiz Khalifa was right about their colors. That's black and yellow, not black and gold.
