Eye Black, Who Will Wear it Best This Season?

It’s called ‘Eye Black’, football and baseball players have worn it for years to deflect the sun, but lately, it’s used for much more.

Let’s start out with the definition of Eye Black per Wikipedia: Eye black is a grease applied under the eyes to reduce glare. It is often used by football, baseball, and lacrosse players, where sunlight or stadium lights can impair vision of an airborne ball.

UCLA got a lot of press last season. Sports Illustrated suggested the players had ‘trouble’ with Eye Black during the USC Game: “According to ESPN’s Pac-12 Blog, the war paint is a product of none other than head coach Jim Mora.”

Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats safety Jared Tevis (38) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the 88th annual territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats defeated the Sun Devils 42-35 to win the Pac-12 south title. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Bruins also used it to their advantage to intimidate the Wildcats. According to LostLetterman.com, a UCLA Assistant Coach wore face paint during the UCLA Arizona football game last season, Arizona lost 7-17:

"Against Arizona on Saturday night, one menacing UCLA assistant was wearing eye black as face paint, covering a large portion of his face under his eyes."

Greg Hansen from Tucson.com had this to say about that game and the black face paint:

"The Bruins had the hard edge and it was obvious. How hard? All of the Bruins, even the punter and place-kicker, applied “war paint,” eye black, as a show of solidarity, a psychological ploy for a desperate team."

Also last season, some fans from Arizona State took it a little too far and the school was forced to warn fans to not wear black face paint in the stands.  Some dude painted his whole face and a couple of girls covered themselves in black paint. Because of this, there seemed to be a racial overtone to the painting, so I can see why they would ban it.  Watch the news report –> CLICK HERE.

We cannot count out our Wildcats, they do a great job with Eye Black. Jared Tevis did a great job and Scooby has taken over for him.

Little leaguers have completely adopted wearing Eye Black as a way of life and even beg for it before games. I listened to an ESPN segment about this phenomena during the current Little League World Series where kids are patterning themselves after their hero Bryce Haper, right fielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball.

And who wouldn’t? This ESPN commercial was hysterical!

The funny thing is they even wear it at night!

It’s not just the Pac-12, look at this football player from Bowling Green!

So which Pac-12 team do you think we wear Eye Black the Best? I think Mora will continue his tradition, but UCLA might win, hopefully the Wildcats will be ready for them in Tucson with some war paint of their own.

For you Wildcat women out there, you could definitely join in and order and wear these Eye Black strips in Pink:

Or there is Eye Black strips for the men, which are actually black, but this fan uses them tastefully:

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; An Arizona Wildcats looks on during the second half against the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

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