On Saturday, two top-10 teams, both from the nation's top conference, will go head to head under the lights at Georgia's Sanford Stadium in a contest that has the potential to be the best game of the season. Yet all anyone seems to be capable of talking about is what the teams are going to be wearing.
Don't misunderstand me -- I'm not making value judgments about the blackout itself. If Georgia wants to wear some sweet-looking black jerseys and convince their fans to buy some new clothes, more power to 'em, but should that really the central storyline?
I'm looking forward to seeing of John Parker Wilson can continue to avoid the stupid decisions that plagued his 2007 campaigns against one of the top teams in the nation. I want to see if A.J. Green can repeat his break-out performance from last week. I want to see Julio Jones face his first real secondary. And, of course, I want to see if The Legend of Terrence Cody can stop the already legendary Knowshawn Moreno.
But the thing that seems to be on everyone's lips is the blackout. Seriously?
Listen, this is college football not What Not To Wear.
I don't care what color shirt Nick Saban wears to a press conference or the frequency with which laundry gets done around his house. I don't care that Alabama (almost) never changes their uniforms in gimmicky ways to sell apparel (but thanks for sharing, Mike). I don't care that an Alabama assistant mentioned the blackout while trying to pump his guys up at practice.
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That the blackout seems to be the first question in every interview and press conference is more than a little absurd.
I like that Georgia is donning the black jerseys because it will make the atmosphere in Athens that much more electric on Saturday night, but it's just decoration, and it has already been run into the ground.
Note to bloggers and reporters everywhere: we get it. Georgia's going to be wearing black jerseys and that's, like, totally a big deal because, like, what color shoes are they going to wear with that? And how can Alabama even possibly beat them -- they're 2-0 in those jerseys, y'all!
We understand. Really. Now can we talk about football?
