Second Installment of Six-Part Initiative Details How the Oregon Ducks Ignited a Fashion Arms Race Across the Sports Landscape
NBC Sports Northwest Production Features Interviews with Mike Bellotti, Tinker Hatfield, and Joey Harrington; Introduction from Mike Tirico
Original Storytelling Franchise, Which Began May 28, Explores New & Forgotten Aspects of Well-Known Sports Topics
Upcoming ‘Sports Uncovered’ Releases to Focus on Sean Taylor, Barret Robbins, the Philadelphia Flyers, and Bill Belichick
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 11, 2020 – NBC Sports Regional Networks’ new six-episode podcast anthology series, “Sports Uncovered,” which re-examines some of the most memorable and compelling storylines and events in sports history, continues today with the debut of The Uniform Craze That Revolutionized College Football from NBC Sports Northwest, which focuses on the University of Oregon uniforms. The episode is available for download here.
The second installment of “Sports Uncovered” details how the University of Oregon ignited a fashion arms race across all sports, both collegiately and professionally, by going from having Donald Duck as its mascot to trendsetting Nike uniforms that helped attract five-star recruits to Eugene, Ore. Featured guests this episode include former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti, Heisman Trophy finalist and former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, and Nike designer Tinker Hatfield.
Following are highlighted quotes from The Uniform Craze That Revolutionized College Football:
- University of Oregon Hall of Famer and NBC Sports Northwest Host Jordan Kent on Phil Knight: “After decades of irrelevance, most Duck fans were just happy to see the team end those seasons playing games in the national spotlight. But for one fan, just playing in big bowl games wasn’t enough -- he wanted to see the Ducks win. That fan is Phil Knight, an Oregon alumnus and the co-founder of Nike.”
- Hatfield on unveiling his helmet design to Knight: “I remember the very first time we showed it to Phil, and he about fell out of his chair. Normally he’s pretty stoic about new ideas, new designs, but…when he saw this helmet in this shifting color, he just freaked out.”
- Harrington on Oregon’s design: “It was just ‘wow,’ and I think it complemented what Oregon was about at that time, which was speed and explosiveness.”
“Sports Uncovered” is an original storytelling podcast franchise that utilizes exclusive, in-depth interviews with prominent participants, witnesses and experts to explore new, underreported or forgotten aspects of well-known personalities and events centered in each of the NBC Sports Regional Networks markets, but with national impact and relevance.
Upcoming “Sports Uncovered” episodes include: in-depth looks at Bill Belichick and the late Sean Taylor, the story behind Barret Robbins’ Super Bowl disappearance, and the Philadelphia Flyers’ marathon five-overtime thriller. The debut episode of “Sports Uncovered,” which launched May 28, detailed Michael Jordan’s NBA return.
NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico introduces each podcast episode and featured guests throughout the series include basketball greats Dominique Wilkins, Chris Mullin and Steve Kerr, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Gibbs and Tim Brown, agent Drew Rosenhaus, former Flyers Brian Boucher and Keith Jones, and more.
Click here for the “Sports Uncovered” series.
Podcast episodes are available for download now on all major podcast platforms, including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, NBC Sports’ Scores app, Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.
The Uniform Craze That Revolutionized College Football
NBC Sports Northwest
Description: How the University of Oregon ignited a fashion arms race across the NCAA and all sports, by going from having Donald Duck as its mascot to trendsetting Nike uniforms that attracted five-star recruits to Eugene.
Release Date: June 11
Featured Guests:
- Mike Bellotti, former Oregon football head coach
- Tinker Hatfield, Nike designer
- Joey Harrington, former Oregon quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist
Following is the full “Sports Uncovered” schedule:
| RELEASE DATE | NBC Sports RSN | TITLE |
| May 28 | Chicago | “I’m Back” |
| June 11 | Northwest | “The Uniform Craze That Revolutionized College Football” |
| June 18 | Washington | “Sean Taylor, the NFL Superstar We Didn’t Get to Know” |
| June 25 | Philadelphia | “Marathon on Ice” |
| July 9 | Bay Area | “The Mysterious Disappearance that Changed a Super Bowl” |
| July 16 | Boston | “The Bill Belichick You Don’t Know” |
- NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS -