Ok this has been bugging me for the longest time and I cant find an answer.

What does the V on the back of there helmets stand for? Is it some sort of tribute to someone?

...or so said Pat Hill in an interview a few years back.

"When Pat Hill became Fresno State's head coach prior to the 1997 season, he wanted to reinvigorate San Joaquin Valley pride in the Bulldogs. Because Fresno State is the only Division I football program in the Valley, a 250-mile stretch in California's midsection from Bakersfield to Modesto, Hill wanted to make the Bulldogs the "Green Bay Packers of college football." As Coach Hill often states, Fresno State is not only representing Fresno, its representing the entire Valley.

This representation of the San Joaquin Valley is displayed in the form of a green "V" on the back of the Bulldogs' helmets. The green in the "V" is a symbol to the agricultural community of the Central Valley, which is the world's richest agricultural area in export dollars.

"The people of this Valley are of vital importance to the success of this football program," said Hill. "They help us fund the program, they give us unparalleled support, and they are going to be the big reason we take this program to a level where we are consistently in the Top 25."

Hill has also shown his commitment to the Valley in recruiting -- 45 of the Bulldogs' 104 players (43 percent) are from the San Joaquin Valley. "

tc3590;553864 said:

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Ok this has been bugging me for the longest time and I cant find an answer.

What does the V on the back of there helmets stand for? Is it some sort of tribute to someone?

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I think it really stands for "Valor"....LOL...not.

Here is the web page explaining it as mentioned above...

http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082801aaa.html

Reminds me of the story about the Nebraska player that was asked about the "N" on his helmet to which he replied, "It stands for 'knowledge!'"

I live in Turlock, which is only 75 miles from Fresno St., and I don't see that much of a Fresno St. influence here. Certainly there are a number of grads in this area, and some of the local athletes go there, but the orientation here is predominately to the Bay Area and Sacramento. The local TV stations are from Sacramento, rather than Fresno, so there is zero Fresno St. coverage. Out here there is a natural gravitation to larger urban areas for things not available locally, and in this area, at least the way I view it (and except for 10 years in the East Bay I have lived here 50 years) people do not look to Fresno. I think the valley influence that Pat Hill has is certainly strong in Fresno itself and the immediate area but around here I see more of a Cal presence (probably because I look for it). The top Fresno talent rarely stays in Fresno, and Cal has certainly had their share.

For the fams, at least!

Oh c'mon, guy, stop pulling tc9035's leg....everybody knows that the "V" is for the German word for beer....that is..."veer! As in, "C'mon, Hans, let's go gets some veers!"

Everyone knows that "V" stands for Vecchio.....

Quote:

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A Ranger that served with Miller and Horvath at Anzio in Italy, the diminutive Vecchio was known for walking around on his hands while singing a song about a man on a flying trapeze, and for urinating a "V" on fellow soldiers jackets to mark his initial, and as a symbol for victory.

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Larno;553897 said:

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I live in Turlock, which is only 75 miles from Fresno St., and I don't see that much of a Fresno St. influence here. Certainly there are a number of grads in this area, and some of the local athletes go there, but the orientation here is predominately to the Bay Area and Sacramento. The local TV stations are from Sacramento, rather than Fresno, so there is zero Fresno St. coverage. Out here there is a natural gravitation to larger urban areas for things not available locally, and in this area, at least the way I view it (and except for 10 years in the East Bay I have lived here 50 years) people do not look to Fresno. I think the valley influence that Pat Hill has is certainly strong in Fresno itself and the immediate area but around here I see more of a Cal presence (probably because I look for it). The top Fresno talent rarely stays in Fresno, and Cal has certainly had their share.

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As another resident of the "valley", I agree totally with Larno. Those of us who manage to look or venture outside the Modesto area (where I reside) don't look to Fresno at all for much of anything, but rather to the Bay Area and, to a much lesser extent, the Sacramento area. If Hill intends the "V" to mean the entire Valley, it is somewhat of any empty gesture.

:beer:

I like the veer story better.

DaveBear;553969 said:

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As another resident of the "valley", I agree totally with Larno. Those of us who manage to look or venture outside the Modesto area (where I reside) don't look to Fresno at all for much of anything, but rather to the Bay Area and, to a much lesser extent, the Sacramento area. If Hill intends the "V" to mean the entire Valley, it is somewhat of any empty gesture.

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What if you live south of fresno?

philbert_Cal;554162 said:

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What if you live south of fresno?

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South of Fresno...oh yeah, you mean Bakersfield??? Yeah, I guess they might look toward Fresno for influence, but Bakersfield has its own culture and identity as does Goshen, Pixley, McFarland, Tulare, Delano, and, let's not forget Weedpatch......so I dunno.

GO BEARS!

DaveBear;554180 said:

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South of Fresno...oh yeah, you mean Bakersfield??? Yeah, I guess they might look toward Fresno for influence, but Bakersfield has its own culture and identity as does Goshen, Pixley, McFarland, Tulare, Delano, and, let's not forget Weedpatch......so I dunno.

GO BEARS!

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I'm pretty sure the Bake looks to LA for TV, pro sports teams, etc.

and when Sitka returns, he'll tell you it stands for something else...

ohsooso;554224 said:

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I'm pretty sure the Bake looks to LA for TV, pro sports teams, etc.

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You mean like USC for pro football?

ohsooso;554224 said:

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I'm pretty sure the Bake looks to LA for TV, pro sports teams, etc.

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That's my understanding as well.