Has Black Saturday Lost Its Luster?

[hotrod2001]

I remember Black Saturday used to be the second-most anticipated game of the year behind the Western game. But it seems over the last several years, it's just become another weekend and usually up against some opponent who we're favored to beat by several TD's.

It just seems to be a name now. I don't see promotional material in all black and white, they don't hand out black shirts for everyone to wear so sometimes it's just another game.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, and I could be speaking out of ignorance because I haven't been to a lot of Black Saturdays recently (although I think the Wake Forest game was technically a Black Saturday). But it just doesn't seem to appear to be a lot of effort into making the game as special as it once was. Am I wrong?

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Your assessment is spot on for sure.

[biggie]

Use to be GS every other year. That helped.

[EastHallApp]

It used to be against whichever of GS and Furman was coming to Boone that year. Now GS is our only rival, and we haven't played them on a Saturday since we moved up. So yes, it tends to be an otherwise nondescript opponent and yes, it doesn't feel like that big of a deal anymore.

[TurfMonkey]

As I get older, I find a lot of things aren't what they used to be. That said, toward
the future, I feel hosting and winning the 1st SBC Title game is our birthright.
A Championship Black Saturday.

[appfanz]

Didn’t it used to be “every Saturday is Bkack Saturday”?

[Appstate88]

Appsolutely, Circa 1985.

[Appstate88]

Even had plastic cups with ice

[Gonzo]

You’re right. It was weak.

I think it’s a Stink off year phenomenon though. It was always Furman and Stink. It was an annual rivalry home game no matter the record. Since the move it’s been Stink, the biggest mid-season home opponent (Wake), or default: Ga State. No one cares about Georgia State even when it’s Black Saturday. Sorry, Coach Elliot.

I was going to suggest that we reserve that title for the biggest home game of the year, but there might be a time when that’s impractical or a time where we would waste the Black Saturday monicre on a game that was always going to be rowdy and popular.

If I were all-powerful I would arrange an annual Wake game and an annual UNCC game, then set that home game as Black Saturday every other year, the other years being Stink games obviously.

[hotrod2001]

Yeah, I mean I really don't care about who the opponent is, whether it's Georgia Southern or Savannah State, but more that the school follows through and actually makes an attempt to "blacken" the game. Give out black shirts, or black pompoms, flags, something visible from the stands (I think they had bandanas today, but they were colored. I think it needs to be all black and then lettering in either white or dark gray), or at the very least, encourage the fans to come to wear black. Everyone goes in for a white-out or a gold-out, but not for a black-out? Get the team in on it and give them glossy black "A's" on the matte black.

I see the crowd today and it looked like any other App game and no real attempt to go black.

[huskie3]

I wore my 8 year old Black Saturday shirt and BS toboggan. My wife complained about the old shirt so I had to go buy another one today.

[87ASUgrad]

I agree there should be more emphasis on Black Saturday like we used to do back in the day.

Piling on also here, a couple of other Appalachian State football traditions that need to come back ASAP in my opinion. 1) On kickoffs, we always used point in the direction our team is going. I mean the whole dang stadium did. Our whole team on the sidelines still does it and a few of us old App fans in the stands still do. What happened to that tradition? 2) 3rd Down. We used to hold up 3 fingers and get loud as hell. Some still do. I saw a few hold up 3 fingers today on 3rd down while still quietly looking down at their cell phones....others didn't even do that.

These traditions should be explained at App State orientations. I hope we bring them back

[WASU 93]

1. Black Saturday existed before every team had a “white-out”. It used to be unique.
2. Now every Saturday is a promotion (Hall of Fame, Military Appreciation, etc). We used to have Family Day (first game of year), Homecoming, Black Saturday.

It’s just not as important as it once was.

[Appstate88]

We don’t need to have our team wearing pink armbands, Ribbons or flags on helmets or camouflage patterns on uniforms. We need to promote all things App State. Stick to the basics with 4 home games being Black Saturday (all blacks) 1-Homecoming (black and gold) 1-Family Day (all gold). All whites or white and black for the 6 road games.

Black Saturday Hall of Fame
Black Saturday Heroes Day
Homecoming
Family Day
Black Saturday
Black Saturday Senior Day

[AppDawg]

From the time the schedule was announced this season, it has been my thought, so long as just 1 game is designated Black Saturday (should be all)... Troy should be it.

Saturday against Troy has the makings of all things Black Saturday meant since its revival in the 2000’s vs. the Stink/Furple.

[GregPercussion]

I agree. as a younger alum, even in the past few years I've been out they haven't promoted it as much as they used to since moving to the SB. I understand it's not always a rivalry game, but they should at least try to hype it up.

[Rekdiver]

The marketing folks are pushing the
Go 'Neers crap. We gotta stop that mess now.

[Budman2154]

Maybe we make it Black Thursday each year we play GS at "The Rock" on Thursday night and our biggest home opponent in the alternate years.

[Black Saturday]

Think I'll change my handle to BLACK FRIDAY?