Jersey Boys (The Marquette Story)
When you think of Marquette University, what do you think of first? Is it that its in the middle of downtown Milwaukee? Or is it the controversial mascot change from Warriors to Golden Eagles? How about private Jesuit university? You might think of all these things, but there is one answer in particular that I get time and time again: basketball. “Oh Marquette has a good basketball program right?” “How is the team looking this year, Taryn?” are two questions that I never fail to hear when I’m around family members or friends who don’t go here. Yes, we are known for our superior basketball program (even though they haven’t been the greatest in the past couple years), but that is all because of the revolutionary 1973–77 team led by Al McGuire and Bo Ellis that paved the way for future superb basketball teams of Marquette. It wasn’t just the facts that they made 2 Final Four appearances or that they made it to the National Championship twice in those years and took home the W in 1977 that made this team so special, it was also their jerseys.
The team’s jerseys were revolutionary for their time. Marquette was a highly liberal school in the 70’s with “renegades” flooding the campus. Most did what they wanted to do and weren’t afreaid to be who they are, and I think that their jerseys were a direct representation of that. Known for their bright colors, vibrant patterns and “untucked” style, the Marquette basketball team was not afraid to literally show their true colors. Designed by Bo Ellis (1973–77) he went the extra mile in attending local Milwaukee school Mt. Mary College to attain a degree in fashion design. When eccentric McGuire found this out he jumped at an opportunity, “Bo, design our jerseys.” That night Bo and some other teammates huddles in their dorm and set out to designing these jerseys. With a teal colored pen in hand, Bo made it happen. The next morning, McGuire took a look and decided these were the new jerseys. However, the bright teal color wasn’t the only thing that made them stand out. It was that they were UNTUCKED. Yes, untucked and ON PURPOSE too!!
This untucked style was controversial for the time because every other team was known for having either white or dark jerseys and they were always tucked in. The reason that these were untucked was not just because they wanted to make a fashion statement, or because they were more comfortable but because McGuire saw it as a way of getting the most out of his players. McGuire was an eccentric guy and recruited eccentric players. Opposing audiences would often look at the team as “wild guys, undisciplined, with crazy uniforms, with a crazy coach”. But that’s just what McGuire wanted because in retrospect, they were technically one of the most disciplined teams out there. By allowing his team complete creative freedom with what they wore on the court, McGuire found that he was able to push them to levels of greatness.
When looking through the Marquette archives, I came across the 1973 and 1977 yearbooks. I don’t know what it was, but can I just say that these were 2 completely different yearbooks. In the 1973 book, there were no words, NONE. All pictures. But what I found interesting about the basketball photos was that this was a start. This was the start of an era of unique jerseys and Marquette basketball pandamonium. Although you couldn’t exactly tell by the words, you could by the photos. The first 2 rounds of creative jerseys were in full motion with the off-center numbers and teal checkered stripes on the side (similar to Marquette’s current jerseys!!).
Fast forward 4 years and its 1977 and the vibe at Marquette is ecstatic! We just came off winning the NCAA National Championship and the amount of school pride in the book is crazy. They compared Marquette to a circus led by our very own P.T. Barnum, Al McGuire. Compared to 1973’s meager attempt at documenting the basketball season, this article fealt like 1977’s own version of an ESPN 30 for 30. With in depth player profiles and plenty of pictures, it felt like I was almost transported back to the Championship game. Not only could I feel the circus effect, I could see it in the jerseys the players wore: the untucked jersey. Kind of like the bright colors and prints of a circus add to the whole aesthetic of the event, that is exactly what Marquette’s jerseys did for them. I think that it was the fact that no one else had them at the time and they were solely unique to us is what made the feel all the more special. It truly was a “circus” event for the ages.
Marquette was recently named #12 in the nation for school’s with the most team spirit. I really don’t think that this would have been possible today without the 1973–77 basketball team. They gave us a sense of pride, tradition, determination and most of all, the ability to “do what you wanna do and be who you are”.