One man's opinion of Oregon's pink helmets.

karlchilders.sixpack

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2008
19,929
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I tend to agree

Pink belongs somewhere beside the Grid Iron.

The cause is great, but the rest don't work.

As long as opinions are being given.
 

Thexder

Redshirt
Aug 28, 2012
20
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Agree...plus, there's more than just titty cancer to worry about. Kudos to the titty marketing dept, but let's spread the love...and money.
 

KurtRambis4

Redshirt
Aug 30, 2006
15,926
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I always

get a kick out of people getting so bent out of shape over this (and uinforms, in general). Who cares? Does their team raising money to try and find the cure to a disease (by wearing a different color ONCE a year) upset these people that much?
 

Hump4Hoops

Redshirt
May 1, 2010
6,611
13
38
The more I read about Komen the more I loathe them.

They spend a million dollars of donation money per year suing dozens of other charities that dare to use the phrase "for the cure" or use the color pink. They registered the rights to hundreds of "for the cure" phrases just so other people can't use them.

So, they waste tons money of their own and other people's money in litigation, just to force other charities to close their doors.

If you want to donate to cancer research, imo, find a better way.
 

DerHntr

All-Conference
Sep 18, 2007
15,815
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Oh no! The typically self-centered 20 year old football players are being asked to do something charitable while being drooled over by 20 year old hot women in person and 40 year old fat men online. The horror of trying to do something good while wearing a girl color is just too much to handle for the old fashionistas online.
 

mstateglfr

All-American
Feb 24, 2008
15,982
5,825
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Does their team raising money to try and find the cure to a disease (by wearing a different color ONCE a year) upset these people that much?

I am not disagreeing with you or challenging your comment, but how much money is the team raising exactly? Any team, I guess? I havent paid attention to this, ever. Does wearing pink helmets or pink shoes actually raise money? Or is it like when the college basketball coaches wear sneakers- just a way to raise awareness?

Are a certain % of ticket sales donated to cancer? Are the clothing companies giving money to cancer organizations in exchange for all the free publicity the clothing companies receive for making uniforms pink? Does the athletic dept send money?


Is money directly raised by these uniforms, or is it more awareness raising?
 

seshomoru

Junior
Apr 24, 2006
5,595
275
83
No kidding right.

If only there were an organization that raised hundreds of millions of dollars that began with a guy that had testicular cancer or something. Or even better... it would be nice if ESPN, basically the face of sport in America, would put their weight behind some sort of cancer research and fundraising. Maybe find a coach that was affected by it to be the face of the campaign or something.
 
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seshomoru

Junior
Apr 24, 2006
5,595
275
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Most of it is awareness.

Oregon went a step beyond and found a way to raise some money. On the website, there are 10 helmets going from $3,500 to $10,000 with three days left to bid. All proceeds go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. And for the record, I though the unis looked kinda awesome.
 
Sep 11, 2012
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There's just no easy way of protecting copyrights without seeming like an *******. Komen is a non-profit, so all of their expenses are paid by donations, including salaries, electric bills, ad campaigns, custodial bills, snacks in the breakroom, and the always unpopular legal fees. Protecting copyrights isn't fun, but it has to be done.
 

Hump4Hoops

Redshirt
May 1, 2010
6,611
13
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Explain to me why

Why does one non profit need to "protect their copyright" (of a very generic phrase, using words they never use, and only copyrighted to hinder others) against another non profit? There is literally no profit to worry about. This is about someone's ego mattering more than cancer research.
 

jb1020

Freshman
Jun 7, 2009
1,866
87
48
All the pink bashers are gonna feel like idiots

when 10-15 years from now breast has been completely eradicated thanks to College and NFL raising the awareness.

I'll be the first dude to admit I didn't really know a thing about breast cancer a few years ago. Now I know that completely curable if caught early...thus the awareness.

Yeah, its mostly a money grab...but its also a good thing to bring to light.
 

Sutterkane

Redshirt
Jan 23, 2007
5,100
0
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"They" have been "close" to curing cancer, aids, and a variety of other things for 30 years. I could be in the dark on this, but when's the last time we had a major vaccine come out that changed the world? World War 2? Most pharmaceutical companies and government research projects are too worried about money and funding to produce actual resolutions to health problems.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
56,801
26,190
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Yeah. Because there wouldn't be much money to be made for a company that found a cure for cancer.**
 

mstateglfr

All-American
Feb 24, 2008
15,982
5,825
113
Oregon went a step beyond and found a way to raise some money. On the website, there are 10 helmets going from $3,500 to $10,000 with three days left to bid. All proceeds go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. And for the record, I though the unis looked kinda awesome.

Ah, so there actually is some direct $ being raised- thanks for the knowledge.

It seems as though this is the heavy minority and that the rest is just 'awareness'.

Awareness is great and all, but when it comes to football, it seems that cancer awareness is a far backseat to showing off a uniform for edgy design's sake.
 

mstateglfr

All-American
Feb 24, 2008
15,982
5,825
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How does raising awareness create a cure? Seriously, how? It doesnt. Awareness can lead to action, which means money being sent to research for a cure, but even then, a cure isnt a sure thing. Its still only a possibility.

Awareness is great to help reduce cancer by pushing people to get screened earlier, but that isnt a cure- its prevention and early detection.

Football players wearing pink shoes and sweatbands will not create a cure for cancer.
 

KurtRambis4

Redshirt
Aug 30, 2006
15,926
0
36
I cannot

answer the actual monetary impact made, but it's obviously an "awareness" issue, which in turn can bring in an amount that obviously cannot be quantified. Nonetheless, it brings in something, which makes it worthwhile.
 

jb1020

Freshman
Jun 7, 2009
1,866
87
48
I never said cure

But the vast majority of breast cancer can be prevented by early detection.

i can honestly say I didn't know that a few years ago. I feel certain I'm not the only one that's aware of that fact now. Was it the pink wrist bands that made me aware? I have no idea...but it's definitely lead to tons and tons of discussion on the topic.
 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,328
4,829
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Yeah. Because there wouldn't be much money to be made for a company that found a cure for cancer.**

I think you missed the point. There are places where we could get much more bang for the buck, but funding tends to go to sexy/visible projects. We spent tons of money on aids research that
probably would have been better spent on cancer research. When prevention was so easy, spending money on research for a cure was probably a fool's errand (although to the extent it resulted in information/methods that could be used against viruses generally, it's a lot more valuable than it looks). Now we spend a **** ton of money on breast cancer, which is great (who doesn't love titties) and has resulted in real advances in treating breast cancer, but the marginal dollar would probably produce much more value if spent on research for other common cancers.

Similarly vaccines can be huge as far as quality of life improvements but can be difficult to make profitable. Even for something like the flu vaccine, that are needed every year, companies have dropped out because the small margins don't justify the potential legal liability. Similarly, if I was going to pick one area to dump money into, it would be antibacterial research, whether new antibiotics or stuff like phages, because of the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria, but the potential profits to the pharmaceutical company don't justify the large amounts of R&D that would be required given the likelihood of success, even though the potential improvement to human welfare probably does.
 

ckDOG

All-American
Dec 11, 2007
10,008
5,838
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If you don't like the movement, start your own. Pink isn't hurting anything.

I used to be a little cynical to the whole pink/breast awareness thing, but then I thought, "what's the harm?". There isn't any. If you think there are better causes to support or a better way to raise awareness/action, nobody is stopping you from making that known.

Also, if you support Oregon football and you question uniform decisions, why are you still a fan?
 

seshomoru

Junior
Apr 24, 2006
5,595
275
83
You realize they are extremely close to an aids cure right?

And prevention of diseases is far easier in first world countries, but that's not always where the epidemics are. Also, breast cancer and prostate cancer are the most common forms of cancer. Breast cancer actually results in more deaths though. Lets also not pretend that since all this money/awareness is being used toward breast cancer that other cancers are getting left out. Tune into ESPN during basketball season if you don't believe me.
 

Sutterkane

Redshirt
Jan 23, 2007
5,100
0
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Flu vaccines are a joke anyway. They're what, like 50-60% effective? Plus you still get flu symptoms post vaccination. I'd rather just have the flu and get the antibodies naturally, and treat it with fluids, vitamins, rest, and nyquil.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
21,753
14,404
113
I look at it as a way to honor the women who have been stricken with breast cancer. Your mom, grandmother, sister, aunt, or daughter might not have gotten it, but I bet you know someone that has. I guarantee you that someone on the football team has been affected by breast cancer. If it inspires them or the team to play harder, then good. I certainly don't think any of them put it on and say, "this sucks. i'm going to mail this game in." The only ones thinking that are in the stands or have a clicker in their hand.

It's a way for men to honor women. And to potentially raise some money for a good cause.
Are some of the charities a racket? Probably. But some are not.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
21,753
14,404
113
The Wounded Warrior Project does the same thing. They spend millions on suing entities that pose to be or linked to The WWP.
Scam artist know its a way to make an quick dollar. Similar organizations know its a way to piggyback off an existing brand. Either way, The WWP has to protect it's assets.
 
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mstateglfr

All-American
Feb 24, 2008
15,982
5,825
113
You didnt say cure, you said 'completely eradicated'. Way to play with words there, Coach.

Awareness is great. Check out how many women overall got mammies over the last decade- ill hint you in on the results, the line graph doesnt exactly go up like you would think.

Awareness isnt action though.

The Komen group spends more than I care for on self promotion and continuing their existence. I would prefer more be spend on increasing access to screenings for women.
Also, I loathe the cause marketing that Komen has allowed. Pink m&ms. Pink 5 hour energy shots. Pink fried chicken buckets(obesity increase odds of breast cancer. come on now). etc etc etc.
Im just a pessimist, I guess.
 

Old Fart Dawg

Junior
Sep 2, 2012
1,982
273
83
orange is the new pink

 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,328
4,829
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I would question how close they really are, but regardless, even if they found a cure tomorrow, if the cure can't also be used to develop cures for other viruses, it was still probably not the best use of those research dollars. A sliver of the money towards prevention and dump those research dollars into diseases that can't be prevented and you probably end up with greater value.

As far as breast cancer, it receives more funding, both from gov't funding and donations than any other cancer, both on a per incidence and per death basis (much more on a per death basis). And because of its visibility, I would bet that there are more breast cancer related charities that have turned it into more of a profit making business than a charitable activity.

But I'm not saying anything should be done about it; I was just pointing out that I thought Patdog missed what the commenter was saying. I do think the commenter is right that the way we prioritize fundraising right now doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'm not sure there's really a way to fix it.