"I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am." This is a well-known quote from the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss published in 1960.
Throughout the book, Sam tries to encourage the first unnamed character to try green eggs and ham, though he meets with little success. The unnamed character refuses to taste the dish, insisting that he would not like it.
Sam then goes through an assortment of locations (house, car, tree, train, box, boat) and dining partners (fox, goat, mouse) trying to persuade the unnamed character to eat.
The conclusion of the tale occurs when the unnamed character, standing in shallow water after a boat sinks, surrounded by various people and beasts, finally gives in and tries the green eggs and ham on the condition that Sam leaves him alone.
Upon doing so, he realises that he does, in fact, like green eggs and ham, and would eat them in all the places and with all the dining partners suggested throughout the book.
The story closes with the character thanking Sam-I-am for his persistence.
Will Highlanders supporters thank Highlanders general manager Roger Clark for his insistence on changing the Highlanders strip to some mysterious shade of green?
It would seem the true blue, gold and maroon fans are holding tight to the colours of Otago, Southland and North Otago they see represented in the current jersey. In Dr Seuss style, they are shouting from the Carisbrook terraces that this change in hue just will not do! Clark insists that change is necessary and nothing signifies change like colour.
This transformation, coupled with a brand new venue, will give the Highlanders the breath of life they need.
Jamie Joseph's coaching approach has been a great start, and although New Zealanders tend to hate change, Clark might have a point.
A quick browse through academic journals suggests that the colour of uniforms can influence a range of things from the fan base, to referees' decisions, and perceptions about a team/individual.
In a 2008 article in the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, researchers found that fans who support distant teams in the Canadian National Hockey League do so for several reasons, and one of them is the team's colours/uniform.
For this reason, changing from the localised colours of blue, gold and maroon to a national colour of green may increase the fan base for the Highlanders.
Another study published in 2007 in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology investigated the impact colours had on perceptions of teams. Results found that teams wearing red were rated significantly higher in confidence compared with those in royal blue and yellow.
This is an interesting finding considering the Crusaders are known for their confidence while Otago and the Highlanders have had low levels of confidence until this year.
Red is also associated with long-term success and strength. If you want to be pigging out in the pantry at all hours, cover your walls and tables with red for it is also an appetite enhancer!
Research can be foolish sometimes, so now I don't know whether I want to beat or eat the Crusaders! The same study also found that teams wearing yellow uniforms were most associated with negative attributes, while teams in black were perceived to be the meanest.
This could explain why seeing the All Blacks always sends a shiver down the spine of their opposition, and why the Hurricanes seem to be self-combusting.
In my search, I couldn't find anything on what a green uniform did with regards to performance, perception, or popularity but in a study looking at emotions evoked by colours, the colour green evoked relaxation and comfort because it reminds people of nature.
Everyone knows New Zealand is associated with a clean, green image even if reality is far from the truth, and what place is greener than the lower South Island? Green is also associated with greenstone (the Maori name for the South Island is Te Wai Pounamu), paua shell, and our flora and fauna.
The designers and manufacturers of the uniform, however, better make sure they've got the right shade of green.
If it moves more towards the green-yellow mix it could evoke negative responses because this colour combination is associated with vomit and thus elicits feelings of sickness and disgust.
Many strong and heroic characters are associated with green - the Green Lantern, the Incredible Hulk, Kermit the Frog, and Captain Planet.
This could make for great dress-up days at the new venue, and I'm sure the student population would get behind the green theme.
Other than representing the colours of the provinces, what other reasons are there for wanting to stay with the status quo? Is it disrespectful to the tradition of the Highlanders? Does it ignore the loyal provincial fan base that considers the Highlanders to be theirs?Does it tamper with something that doesn't need to be fixed?
Clark believes the Highlanders are too young a franchise to have tradition. Phew, what a strong claim to make! It doesn't take long for traditions to take root.
The Black Ferns have only existed officially since 1998, and yet the act of giving players bone carvings for their tenth game and pounamu for their twentieth game is ingrained in the culture of the team already.
New Zealand as a country is very young and I'm sure other nations mock what we consider to be traditions, so suggesting a franchise has no tradition is not a wise move. Rather than trample on those who bought into the blue, gold and maroon brand wholeheartedly in the sixteen years that it has existed, Clark could have been more tactful.
He could have smoothed the way more effectively by suggesting the new colour would reflect qualities associated with the provinces, that is more inclusive than a predominantly blue jersey with a smidgen of maroon.
Clark finally suggests that the Highlanders brand is broke and broken so the timing is ripe for a drastic change of this nature.
Although local fans are up in arms about the uniform change, they obviously haven't been that supportive of a franchise that has struggled to attract crowds and sell merchandise.
Try on the green jersey and you may find yourself saying I like green Highlanders! I do! I like them, Sam-I-am! And I would watch them in a boat. And I would watch them with a goat.
And I will watch them in the rain. And in the dark. And on the train.
And in a car. And in a tree. They are so good, so good, you see!
