Arizona Football : Five Ideas on How to Get Rid Of ‘Cursed’ Copper Helmets

When Rich Rodriguez became the head coach for Arizona Football in time for the 2012 season, the slick copper helmets were born.

While honoring the Arizona copper industry, the athletic department found yet another revenue stream to pull from, and I was all in because they were different, and they looked kind of cool.

It had also been awhile since a brand new helmet had been released to the Tucson masses.

T-shirts, mini helmets and all sorts of other stuff had a copper twist given to them at the Arizona Bookstore and the stadium.

I wish I had bought one of those mini helmets.

The Cats unveiled the helmets against Oregon State in 2012. 

They didn’t help.

The Cats folded late against the Beavers and lost 38-35, and the helmets were put into mothballs until the 2013 season.

How do you make sure the second time wearing the helmets will be a happy occasion? 

Play NAU. 

That night, the Cats won 35-0 over the Lumberjacks. It’s the last time an Arizona team has had a shutout.

So the helmets seemed to work just fine until the Cats decided to bust out the lids again for the Territorial Cup later in the season.

This time, the Cats were destroyed in Tempe.

2014 rolled around, and Arizona had one of their most celebrated football seasons ever, and the copper helmets were not used once.

Arizona Wildcats

There was a time when Sean Miller didn’t think very highly of the McKale ‘White Outs.’ After the Cats defeated Washington in 2011, thanks to a Derrick Williams block at the end of the game, a few of the ‘White Outs’ after that did not go as well.

I wonder if this is the same reason Rich Rod and the Cats decided to go without the copper lids in 2014?

A few weeks ago the latest Arizona uniform gimmick was brought to light. The Cats were to wear red chrome helmets against No. 9 UCLA. When asked about the helmets, Rich Rod admitted they were the old copper helmets with a nice new paint job.

The red chrome made the helmets visually pop. Then the game started, and the Cats were left in the dust.

After going 1-3 with these things, I think it’s time they are set out to pasture.

Here are five ideas I have to get this accomplished, but I still want to buy one of those red chrome mini helmets if they make them. They are pretty cool looking.

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

1. Donate Them To The School Up North

I know what you are thinking. Why should we give these things to our bitter enemies?

Because they seem to be cursed. If we put them in the wrong hands, maybe they will use them. They don’t have to know they’re from us.

Every other weekend they are having a ‘black-out’, ‘white-out’, or a ‘maroon monsoon’.

Let’s paint them all teal and drop them at their doorstep in the darkness of night.

Maybe they will have a ‘teal-out’ in honor of the Arizona Diamondbacks hideous original colors.

2. Give Them to the Ducks

Who better to give these things too, than one of our other bitter rivals?

If we gave the helmets to the Ducks, we would not have to paint over them.

The Ducks have so many uniform and helmet combinations they wouldn’t even notice and would probably suit up one Saturday and wear these cursed things.

It’s a win, win. The Ducks will lose, all while promoting Tucson’s beautiful University.

Sep 19, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Charles Nelson (6) catches the ball against the Georgia State Panthers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

3. Melt Them Down

Maybe the reason the Cats can’t seem to play in these things is perhaps they are actually made of copper, thus putting extra weight on our boys heads.

If this crazy theory is correct, let’s melt them down. A bet the university could get a pretty penny from all that copper weight.

4. Target Practice

The past few years the Cats have done an excellent job in honoring military folks at football and basketball games.

Let’s spray paint these oversized paperweights any color but red and donate them to the military to use for target practice.

5. Go Green

At the next black tie affair for big time Arizona donors these helmets should be used as a centerpiece for each table.

Instead of having them right side up, turn them upside down and put a plant in them.

These would be the coolest looking plant pots anybody has ever seen.

Do you have a better idea of what the Cats should do with these things, or do you want to keep them around for a few more tries?

Bear Down and Beat the Cardinal!