New 2009 Boise State football jerseys unveiled, now featuring shoulder flair

Orange got a raw deal.

The new Boise State Broncos football jerseys are out, and they are very white, very blue, and a little ... gray?

The jerseys now include a specialized "Bronco" number font that is gray in color and outlined in orange. 

...A closer look at the left side of the pant reveals a new twist to the uniform, with "Boise State" printed top to bottom along the stripe in a light gray.

...The use of gray in the Bronco uniform does not end there, as Boise State will dawn gray facemasks for the first time in 2009, complimenting the gray numbers and wording on the pants.

The gray touches were the biggest surprise in the new uniform design - a design that apparently got a "resounding thumbs up" from the team. The full photo gallery is available at BroncoSports.com. Look after the jump for some OBNUG opinion and more pics.

Having watched several seasons of Bravo's Project Runway, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to fashion. Seriously, none. Every time Michael Kors opens his mouth, I have already said the exact opposite of whatever he's going to say. Therefore, cut me some slack. These are the thoughts of a kid who tucked his button-up shirts into his blue jeans all through high school.

Win: Nike's new material.

According to BroncoSports.com, the new threads are made with cordura, which optimizes fit and durability. Kyle Wilson, the sole runway model for the new uniforms, says the new look is "very tight." In Michael Atkinson's case, hopefully "tight" means "hip" and not "form-fitting." That dude is large.

Seriously though, having Nike as the sole provider of uniforms is really quite an advantage, regardless of the unis' aesthetic appeal. When you take a material that wicks away moisture and doesn't tear easily, you put your team at quite an advantage over the soggy, paper-towel-like visages of the competition.

Kudos, Nike, on putting science to good use coming up with impenetrable, airy football jerseys. The swine flu definitely could have waited.

Fail: Shoulder flair.

Actual conversation between Nike employees.

Employee #1: Here are the new Boise State jerseys. What do you think?

Employee #2: Sweet! They're completely blue for home and white for away. I love monochrome! But I don't know about those shoulder pads. They seem to be missing something.

Employee #1: You mean, like, gray?

Employee #2: No, I don't think that's it. I know! Random pieces of fabric that look like inside-out clavicles!

Employee #1: Brilliant!

Employee #2: Brilliant!

Phil Knight: Back to work on those translucent Oregon uniforms!

I'm not entirely sure how else to explain the afterthought of orange and blue clinging for dear life to the front of Kyle Wilson's shoulder pads. Are they cooling vents? Pockets? Handles? Whatever they are, they don't really seem to fit or make sense from a practical standpoint, but I assume practicality went out the window when I started a 500-word review of a uniform release.

While I'm at it, the accents on the pants are necessary, albeit kind of random. If Nike wanted to accentuate leg muscles, why didn't they just go with jorts? Maybe this is why I'm not in charge of designing football uniforms.

Win/Fail: Player names?

Thanks to Kyle Wilson's luscious locks, the player name panel remained a mystery. Will they or won't they put the player's names on the backs of the jerseys? So long as they don't do the Utah State "Aggies"-in-lieu-of-names charade, I'll be happy.