A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It is found at British, Australian and New Zealand universities.

History[link]

The first sporting contest between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge was held on 4 June 1827 when a two-day cricket match at Lord's, organized by Charles Wordsworth, nephew of William, resulted in a draw. There is however no record of any university "colours" being worn during the game.^[1][2]

At the first Boat Race in 1829, the Oxford crew was dominated by students of Christ Church, whose college colours were dark blue. They thus wore white shirts with dark blue stripes, while Cambridge wore white with a pink or scarlet sash. At the second race, in 1836, a light blue ribbon was attached to the front of the Cambridge boat, probably as it was the colour of Eton. These colours — light blue for Cambridge, and dark blue for Oxford — became the official colours of the two boat clubs, and through the rivalry of the Boat Race became inextricably linked with the universities and contests between the two.^[1][3]

University of Cambridge[link]

Sportsmen and women at the University of Cambridge may be awarded a Full Blue (or simply a Blue), Half Blue, First Team Colours or Second Team Colours for competing at the highest level of university sport, which must include being in a Varsity match or race against the University of Oxford. A Full Blue is the highest honour that may be bestowed on a Cambridge sportsman or woman, and is a much-coveted and prestigious prize. In general, the Full Blue standard is approximately that of being successful at a national level of student competition, and the Half Blue standard is that of being successful at county or regional level.

History[link]

Once light blue had been chosen as the colour of Cambridge's Boat Club, the other university sport clubs followed suit, though out of courtesy would request permission from the Boat Club before awarding such a "Blue". In the 1860s the three senior sports — rowing, cricket and athletics — were awarding Blues, and the presidents of each formed an informal "Blues Committee" to oversee such awards. By 1880 a number of smaller clubs involved in Varsity matches had successfully requested the right to award "Half Blues".^[1]

Awarding process[link]

The criteria for awarding blues are different for men and women. Awards are made at the discretion of the men's and women's Blues Committees.^[4] The Men's Blues Committee is formed from one representative of each of the Full Blue sports, and the Women's from one representative of each of the Full Blue and Half Blue sports. Each committee meets frequently to discuss issues relating to Cambridge sport.

In some sports with Full Blue status, the varsity match second team is awarded Second Team Colours.

The awarding of a Full Blue often requires a person to fulfil a number of requirements in the same academic year, particularly in sports with Discretionary Full Blue status. If, for whatever reason, an exceptional sportsman or woman is of or above Full Blue standard but does not fulfil all the requirements for the 'automatic' award of a Full Blue in any given year, the committee then has the authority to grant an Extraordinary Full Blue to that person subject to scrutiny of the particular case. The individual's case must be presented to the Blues Committee in person and must be backed up by substantial evidence and references. The award is unlikely to be made unless the person is of world-class or at least international standard.

Each sport has specific criteria for each award; details of the individual criteria for women's sports can be found here, and are summarised below.

Categorisation of men's sports[link]

Categorisation of women's sports[link]

Regalia[link]

Cambridge University Half Blue blazer and bow tie.

The winner of a Blue or Half Blue is entitled to wear a blues blazer, which is one of the most recognisable and distinctive garments associated with Cambridge University. Full Blue blazers are completely coloured Cambridge Blue. Half Blue blazers have a number of different designs, depending on the wearer's sport; a typical design is an off-white blazer with Cambridge blue lapels and trimmings. There is a variety of other Blue and Half Blue paraphernalia, including scarves, ties, pullovers, bow ties, caps and squares. Such items are worn with pride.

As of May 2011^[update], the colour recognized officially by the University as Cambridge Blue actually has a slight green tint.^[5]

Hawks' Club/Ospreys[link]

Men holding Blues, Half Blues or Second Team Colours in a Full Blue sport are eligible to join the Hawks' Club. Women holding any of these awards are eligible to join The Ospreys, which was founded in 1985.^[6]

University of Oxford[link]

Administration[link]

At Oxford University the committees for awarding Blues and Half Blues works on much the same principles as the Cambridge committees. The principal difference between the two men’s committees is that at Oxford all Captains, regardless of their status as Full, Discretionary or Half Blue must attend meetings of the Committee. Until recently the voting was broken up according to Blues status with Full Blue Captains being allowed to vote on all matters while all the other Captains could only vote on matters directly relating to Half Blue Sports. In Michaelmas Term 2006 the committee finally allowed Discretionary Full Blue Captains the right to vote on matters directly relating to Discretionary Full Blue Sports. This has ended many years of inequality for Discretionary Full Blue status Captains and was largely welcomed by the committee.

The committees are administered by an elected President and Secretary who serve one year. Unlike in Cambridge where the President of Cambridge University Boat Club holds the position, in Oxford any Captain can be elected President, regardless of sport or status.

The role of the President is to call and serve as Chair of any meeting of the committee, of which there are normally 3 per year (6 for the women). They also serve as the representative of the committee and sit on the University Sports Strategy Committee and the Executive Committee of the Sports Federation. Both Presidents along with the Director of Sport represent Oxford at any meetings of a Joint Blues Committee held with Cambridge. The purpose of the Joint Blues Committee is to discuss issues of eligibility for the Varsity match and to settle any disputes between the sporting communities of the two universities.

Oxford University, Oxford University Rifle Club Half Blue blazer and tie

The current executive of the two committees are:^[7]

Oxford University Men’s Blues Committee

• President: Mark Jenner (Athletics, St. Anne's)
• Secretary: Vit Sipal (Judo, Balliol)

Oxford University Women’s Blues Committee

• President: Rhian Price (Netball, SEH)
• Secretary: Ann Hyams (Swimming, St John's)

Both Committees share a common Senior Member. The post currently being held by the Director of Sport Jon Roycroft.

Costume[link]

The colour of an Oxford Full Blue blazer is dark blue. The Oxford Half Blue blazer can be one of two designs. Either it is composed of thick vertical stripes of dark blue and off-white, as in the image to the right, or it can be dark blue, as the Full Blue blazer, with two white stripes above the club badge on the left breast.

Clubs[link]

The club for Oxford Blues is Vincent’s Club, although it is not restricted to Blues. Atalantas is a club for sportswomen at Oxford, and also is not restricted to Blues.

Other similar awards[link]

University of Bristol[link]

The University of Bristol awards 'Bristol Reds' to students who have produced exceptional performance in their respective sports at a level of achievement and commitment beyond that normally associated with University first team play. Though not absolutely necessary, this can be demonstrated by performances or honours beyond student level.

Cardiff University[link]

Cardiff University awards 'Colours' to students who play at county level (Half Colours) or a national level (Full Colours). The student must demonstrate selection/participation in a national side to be awarded Full Colours, and similar with Half Colours. Half Colours can also be awarded for an exceptional contribution to that sports club.

Durham University[link]

The University of Durham awards Palatinates to its sportsmen or women who demonstrate two or more of the following qualities: 'Ability of a High Standard' (international representation), 'Service to a Club' and 'Attitude and Commitment'. The award is called a 'Palatinate' rather than a 'Blue' because Palatinate (a shade of purple) is the historical colour of the university.

Some Durham colleges independently award College Colours, for sporting prowess at a college level.

University of Dublin[link]

The University of Dublin awards Pinks to students at Trinity College who compete at international level, as well as with their college club. A captains' committee, consisting of the captain of each club currently affiliated to the university's Central Athletic Club, meets biannually to elect new Pinks. There are no half-Colours awarded.

The Pinks scarf is plain light-pink, and the tie is navy-blue with a pattern of pink crowned harps, the design for the Blazer is currently lost.

Election to Pink status is extremely difficult, as participation on a first team is not sufficient; one must also compete at international level.

University of London[link]

The University of London awards Purples and Half Purples for competition at the highest level of university sport, in a similar way to Oxford and Cambridge Blues. These are taken to be the equivalent of Blues at other universities.

University of Manchester[link]

The University of Manchester awards Maroons and Half Maroons for competition at the highest level of university sport, in a similar way to Oxford and Cambridge Blues.

The Robert Gordon University[link]

The Robert Gordon University awards Blues and Half Blues in a similar manner to the above universities. the awards are given during the annual blues ball awards ceremony hosted at RGU: SPORT. The award of a Blue allows a medal to be worn with graduation gowns. Another set of awards, the Scarlets and Half Scarlets are awarded to students for non-sporting achievements (e.g. societies) with an equivalent standard required to achieve them.

University of Warwick[link]

The University of Warwick awards Colours and Half Colours for competition at the highest level of university sport, in a similar way to Oxford and Cambridge Blues. These are taken to be the equivalent of Blues at other universities.

University of Hull[link]

The University of Hull awards Colours and Half Colours for competition at the highest level of university sport, in a similar way to Oxford and Cambridge Blues. These are taken to be the equivalent of Blues at other universities.

'Blues' in Australia[link]

At some universities a Blue is an award given to an individual by the Sports Union or Association of the university for outstanding achievement at a national or international level. Typically the recipient must have achieved a medal winning performance at national or international university competition level or must have won a Gold medal at a regional level.

Australian National University[link]

The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia awards Blues and Half Blues in this way.

University of Canberra[link]

The University of Canberra in Canberra, Australia awards Blues and Half Blues to students that show outstanding achievement in sporting pursuits at a national or international level.

University of Adelaide[link]

The University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia awards a Blue, Half Blue and Club Letters in a similar fashion for outstanding sporting achievement.

University of Sydney[link]

The University of Sydney in Sydney, New South Wales awards Blues for outstanding sporting achievement. Blues are nominated in October at the conclusion of the annual university sporting calendar and the successful nominees are presented with their Blues at the Annual Blues Dinner. Blues earn the right to wear the Blues jacket in the traditional stripes of Blue and Gold with the Sydney University Shield.

The University of Western Australia[link]

The University of Western Australia in Western Australia awards Blues and Half Blues to students as well as club members for outstanding sporting achievement.

See also[link]

• Hawks' Club – social club for men holding a Cambridge Full Blue, Half Blue or Second Team Colours
• Rugby League Varsity Match – annual rugby league match between Oxford and Cambridge
• The Boat Race
• The Colours Match – annual rugby union match between University College Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin
• The University Golf Match – annual golf match between Oxford and Cambridge
• The University Match – annual cricket match between Oxford and Cambridge
• The Varsity Match – annual rugby union match between Oxford and Cambridge
• Varsity letter – similar award granted by schools in the United States
• Vincent's Club – social club for men consisting of Full Blues, Half Blues and others of appropriate character at the University of Oxford

References[link]

External links[link]

Cambridge University

• Blues Committees
• Cambridge University Rugby Football Club
• A history of the Cambridge Blue
• Cambridge University Hawks' Club website
• The Ospreys website (the female equivalent of the Hawks' Club)
• Cambridge University Rugby League Football Club site

Oxford University

• Oxford University Sport
• Oxford University Squash Racquet's Club
• Oxford University Association Football Club: The Varsity match
• Oxford University Vincent's Club website
• The Atalantas website (the female equivalent of the Vincent's Club)
• Oxford University Rugby League Football Club site
• Oxford University Amateur Boxing Club (OUABC)

Other universities

• Criteria for election to Pinks (University of Dublin)

Blue
— Spectral coordinates —
Wavelength		450–490 nm
Frequency		~670–610 THz
— Common connotations —
Ice, water, sky, sadness, winter, police, royalty, Hanukkah, boys, cold, calm, magic, trueness, conservatism (universally), liberalism (US), and capitalism
— Colour coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0000FF
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 255)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 100%)
Source		HTML/CSS[1]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The sky and water often appear blue.

Blue Turkish Tiles

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 450–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal mixture of red and green light. On a colour wheel based on traditional colour theory (RYB) where blue was considered a primary colour, its complementary colour is considered to be orange (based on the Munsell colour wheel).^[2]

In Modern English, "blue" is one of the basic colour terms, and one of the seven spectral colours, intermediate between violet (purple) and cyan. It comprises a considerable number of identifiable subcategories that can be identified with descriptive terms like navy blue (a dark blue), cyan blue (or "blue-green", on the boundary to the green range), or sky blue (azure).

The word itself was loaned into Middle English from the Old French word bleu, blo "pale, pallid, discoloured; blue, blue-grey", itself from an Old Frankish *blao.

Etymology[link]

The modern English word blue comes from Middle English bleu or blewe, from Old French bleu, bleve, blöe, a word of Germanic origin (Frankish or possibly Old High German blāo, "pale, wan, blue-grey").

Bleu replaced Old English blāw "blue" and blǣwen "light blue". The root of all these variations is Proto-Germanic blǣwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bhlāw-, *bhlēw- "light-coloured, yellow, grey, blue", from *bhel- "to shine, be light or bright", also the root of Old Norse blār and the modern Icelandic blár, and the Scandinavian word blå, which can also refer to other non blue colours. A Scots and Scottish English word for "blue-grey" is blae, from the Middle English bla ("dark blue", from Old Norse blār). Also related is the English word blee meaning "colour, complexion".

The same Indo-European root also underlies the English words black, blond, and also Latin flavus ("yellow"; see flavescent and flavine), Greek phalos (white), French blanc (white, blank) (borrowed from Old Frankish), Russian белый, belyi ("white," see beluga), and Welsh blawr (grey).

Many languages do not have separate terms for blue and or green, instead using a cover term for both (when the issue is discussed in linguistics, this cover term is sometimes called grue in English).

In science[link]

Pigments and dyes[link]

Traditionally, blue has been considered a primary colour in painting, with the secondary colour orange as its complement.

Blue pigments include azurite (Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂), ultramarine (Na_8-10Al₆Si₆O₂₄S_2-4), cerulean blue (primarily cobalt (II) stanate: Co₂SnO₄), cobalt blue (cobalt(II) aluminate: CoAl₂O₄), and Prussian blue (milori blue: primarily Fe₇(CN)₁₈).

Traditionally natural dyes such as woad and true indigo were used to produce indigo dye used to colour fabrics blue or indigo. These have now largely been replaced by synthetic dyes.

Scientific natural standards for blue[link]

• Emission spectrum of Cu²⁺
• Electronic spectrum of aqua-ions Cu(H₂O)2+
  6

Animals[link]

• When an animal's coat is described as "blue", it usually refers to a shade of grey that takes on a bluish tint, a diluted variant of a pure black coat.^{[citation needed]} This designation is used for a variety of animals, including dog coats, some rat coats, cat coats, some chicken breeds, some horse coat colours and rabbit coat colours. Some animals, such as giraffes and lizards, also have blue tongues.

Lasers[link]

Lasers emitting in the blue region of the spectrum became widely available to the public in 2010 with the release of inexpensive high-powered 445-447 nm Laser diode technology.^[3] Previously the blue wavelengths were accessible only through DPSS which are comparatively expensive and inefficient, however these technologies are still widely used by the scientific community for applications including Optogenetics, Raman spectroscopy, and Particle image velocimetry, due to their superior beam quality.^[4] Blue Gas lasers are also still commonly used for Holography, DNA sequencing, Optical pumping, and other scientific and medical applications.

• 

  Blueberries

• 

  Lactarius indigo is one of only a few blue-coloured mushrooms.

• 

  Dendrobates azureus

• 

  Blue Jay

In culture[link]

Symbolic language[link]

• In the English language, blue often represents the human emotion of sadness, for example, "He was feeling blue". In German, on the other hand, to be "blue" (blau sein) is to be drunk. This derives from the ancient use of urine (which is produced copiously by the human body after drinking alcohol) in dyeing cloth blue with woad or indigo.^[5] It may also be in relation to rain, which is usually regarded as a trigger of depressive emotions.^[6]
• Conversely blue, a very popular colour^[7] can represent happiness and optimism^[8] as days with clearer, blue skies tend to be considered times where these emotions are more easily expressed. Many artistic contributions have been made referencing clear days with blue skies as part of the happiness or as a symbolism of the happiness the artist felt, such as Tony Bennett's Put on a Happy Face.^[9]
• Blue is commonly used in the Western hemisphere to symbolize the male gender in contrast to pink used for females, although in the early 1900s, blue was the colour for girls (as it had traditionally been the colour of the Virgin Mary in Western Art) and pink was for boys (as it was akin to the colour red, considered a masculine colour).^[10]

National colours[link]

Flag of Greece

Coat of Arms symbol of Israel

• Azzurro, a light blue, is the national colour of Italy (from the livery colour of the former reigning family, the House of Savoy).
• Blue is the national sports colour for India, as it denotes secularism.^{[citation needed]}
• Blue is the national colour used on flags of several countries surrounded by seas or oceans such as Australia and Europe, though not necessarily with this interpretation in mind.
• Blue and white are the national colours of Scotland, Argentina, El Salvador, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Micronesia, Nicaragua and Somalia, are the ancient national colours of Portugal and are the colours of the United Nations.
• Blue, white and yellow are the national colours of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Uruguay.
• Blue, white and green are the national colours of Sierra Leone.
• Blue, white and black are the national colours of Estonia.^[11]
• Blue and yellow are the national colours of Barbados, Kazakhstan, Palau, Sweden, and Ukraine.
• Blue, yellow and green are the national colours of Brazil, Gabon, and Rwanda.
• Blue, yellow and red are the national colours of Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, Moldova, Romania, and Venezuela.
• Blue and red are the national colours of Haiti and Liechtenstein.
• Blue, red and white are the national colours of Cambodia, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, France, Iceland, North Korea, Laos, Liberia, Luxembourg, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Russia, Samoa, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Mysticism[link]

• In Hinduism, blue is used to symbolically represent the fifth, throat chakra (Vishuddha).^[12]

Politics[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• The Blue House is the residence of the President of South Korea.^[13]
• Blue has been associated with a variety of political positions, often differentiated from communist red or anarchist black. During the revolt in the Vendée against the French Revolution, blues stood for the revolutionary forces, and white for the counter-revolutionaries. Later movements like the Breton blues used the colour to signify allegiance to the ideals of the revolution.
• The blueshirts was a quasi-fascist political organisation active in Ireland during the 1930s (the name comes from the fact that St. Patrick's Blue is one of the traditional colours of Ireland).
• Blue is the colour of the Conservative Party in Britain and Conservative Party of Canada. Television coverage in the United States since the 2000 presidential election has made it fashionable to link the Democratic Party to "blue" and the Republican Party to "red" (especially in reference to "red states and blue states").^[14] In Brazil, blue states are the ones in which the Social Democratic Party has the majority, in opposition to the Workers' Party, usually represented by red.
• A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. The word blue was used in the 17th century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them, particularly in blue-stocking, a reference to Oliver Cromwell's supporters in the parliament of 1653.
• Blue is associated with numerous centre-right liberal political parties in Europe, Including the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Netherlands), the Reformist Movement and Open VLD (Belgium), the Democratic Party (Luxembourg), Liberal Party (Denmark) and Liberal People's Party (Sweden).
• Blue is the colour of, and associated with, the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico.

Religion[link]

Blue coloured Lapis lazuli semi-precious stones are prized among Muslim Cultures in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Mehrgarh.

Blue stripes on a traditional Jewish tallit.

• Blue is associated in Christianity generally and Catholicism in particular, with the Virgin Mary.^[15][16][17]
• Blue in Hinduism: Many of the gods are depicted as having blue-coloured skin, particularly those associated with Vishnu, who is said to be the Preserver of the world and thus intimately connected to water. Krishna and Ram, Vishnu's avatars, are usually blue. Shiva, the Destroyer, is also depicted in light blue tones and is called neela kantha, or blue-throated, for having swallowed poison in an attempt to turn the tide of a battle between the gods and demons in the gods' favour.
• Blue in Judaism: In the Torah,^[18] the Israelites were commanded to put fringes, tzitzit, on the corners of their garments, and to weave within these fringes a "twisted thread of blue (tekhelet)".^[19] In ancient days, this blue thread was made from a dye extracted from a Mediterranean snail called the hilazon. Maimonides claimed that this blue was the colour of "the clear noonday sky"; Rashi, the colour of the evening sky.^[20] According to several rabbinic sages, blue is the colour of God's Glory.^[21] Staring at this colour aids in mediation, bringing us a glimpse of the "pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity", which is a likeness of the Throne of God.^[22] (The Hebrew word for glory.) Many items in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness, such as the menorah, many of the vessels, and the Ark of the Covenant, were covered with blue cloth when transported from place to place.^[23]
• Blue in Islam: the colour blue is mentioned in the Quran: In verse 20:102 and is represented by the word: زرق zurq (plural of azraq, "blue"). Blue amulets made of lapis lazuli are commonly utilised to symbolise luck in some Muslim cultures. The colour blue also represents the values of liberty among Bosniaks.

Symbolism[link]

• In Thailand, blue is associated with Friday on the Thai solar calendar. Anyone may wear blue on Fridays and anyone born on a Friday may adopt blue as their colour. The Thai language, however, is one that has had trouble distinguishing blue from green. The default word for Blue was recently สีน้ำเงิน literally, the colour of silver, a poetical reference to the silvery sheen of the deep blue sea. It now means navy blue, and the default word is now สีฟ้า literally, the colour of the sky.^[24]

Sports[link]

Many sporting teams make blue their official colour, or use it as detail on kit of a different colour. In addition, the colour is present on the logos of many sports associations.

Association football[link]

In international association football, blue is a common colour on kits, as a majority of nations wear the colours of their national flag. A notable exception is four-time FIFA World Cup winners Italy, who wear a blue kit based on the Azzuro Savoia (Savoy blue) of the royal House of Savoy which unified the Italian states.^[25] The team themselves are known as Gli Azzurri (the Blues). Another World Cup winning nation with a blue shirt is France, who are known as Les Bleus (the Blues). Two neighbouring countries with two World Cup victories each, Argentina and Uruguay wear a light blue shirt, the former with white stripes. Uruguay are known as the La Celeste, Spanish for 'the sky blue one', while Argentina are known as Los Albicelestes, Spanish for 'the sky blue and whites'.^[26]

Football clubs which have won the European Cup or Champions League and wear blue include FC Barcelona of Spain (red and blue stripes), FC Internazionale Milano of Italy (blue and black stripes) and FC Porto of Portugal (blue and white stripes). Another European Cup-winning club, Aston Villa of England, wear light blue detailing on a mostly claret shirt, often as the colour of the sleeves.^[27] Clubs which have won the Copa Libertadores, a tournament for South American clubs, and wear blue include six-time winners Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires, Argentina. They wear a blue shirt with a yellow band across.

Blue features on the logo of football's governing body FIFA, as well as featuring highly in the design of their website.^[28] The European governing body of football, UEFA, uses two tones of blue to create a map of Europe in the centre of their logo. The Asian Football Confederation, Oceania Football Confederation and CONCACAF (the governing body of football in North and Central America and the Caribbean) use blue text on their logos.

North American sporting leagues[link]

In Major League Baseball, the premier baseball league in the United States of America and Canada, blue is one of the three colours, along with white and red, on the league's official logo. A team from Toronto, Ontario, are the Blue Jays. The Los Angeles Dodgers use blue prominently on their uniforms and the phrase "Dodger Blue" is may be said to describe Dodger fans' "blood". The Texas Rangers also use Blue prominently on their uniforms and logo.

The National Basketball Association, the premier basketball league in the United States and Canada, also has blue as one of the colours on their logo, along with red and white also, as does its female equivalent, the WNBA. The Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA wear blue. Former NBA player Theodore Edwards was nicknamed "Blue". The only NBA team to wear blue as first choice are the Charlotte Bobcats, however blue is a common away colour for many other franchises.

The National Football League, the premier American football league in the United States, also uses blue as one of three colours, along with white and red, on their official logo. The Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions feature blue prominently on their uniforms.

The National Hockey League, the premier Ice hockey league in Canada and the United States, does not use blue on its official logo. However, a club in the league from St. Louis, Missouri is named the Blues.

• Italia v Francia Mondiale 1978.jpg

  The Italian national football team wear blue in honour of the royal House of Savoy which unified the country.

• 

  The New Orleans Hornets, a National Basketball Association franchise from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, wear blue as an away colour.

Variations[link]

See also[link]

• Blue Flag (disambiguation)
• Blue movie (disambiguation)
• Blue ribbon
• Blue Screen of Death
• Distinguishing "blue" from "green" in language
• Engineer's blue
• List of colours
• Non-photo blue
• St. Patrick's Blue
• Shades of blue
• Turquoise

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up blue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: blue

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2010)

American Dragon: Jake Long is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It premiered on Disney Channel January 21, 2005 and became discontinued on September 1, 2007.^[1] The show currently airs on Disney XD in the United States. In the United Kingdom it originally aired on Disney Channel, but has now moved to Disney XD and airs on Disney Channel in Australia and Mexico.

Premise[link]

Set in New York City (specifically the borough of Manhattan), this animated series tells the story of thirteen-year-old Jake Long who must balance ordinary adolescent transformation with the amazing power and ability to change into the form of a dragon. When he eventually unlocks his full potential and turns into the American Dragon, he will overcome obstacles to protect the magical creatures living in the city, but as his ordinary self, Jake Long can't conquer his crush on pretty blond schoolmate Rose who, unbeknownst to Jake, has an amazing dark secret of her own. She's a natural dragon slayer named Huntsgirl. Jake navigates the city with fellow skateboarders Trixie Carter and Arthur P. Spuddinski (A.K.A Spud), and when he gets home, it's to an extended family: a businessman dad originally from the Midwest who doesn't know he's married into a family of dragons, Jake's Chinese mom, his grandfather (who recently immigrated to train his grandson in the ways of the ancient dragon), younger seven-year-old sister Haley (a nascent dragon) and Grandpa's gruff sidekick, a magical Shar-Pei named Fu Dog.

Production[link]

American Dragon: Jake Long was created by Jeff Goode. The Walt Disney Company ordered an initial twenty-one 30 minute episodes for the first season, all of which have been made. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Disney Channel January 4, 2005, in the United States on The Disney Channel on January 21, 2005, and on Toon Disney on February 2006. It has also been broadcast on Family in Canada as well as on the Seven Network in Australia. It is still being aired on Disney Channel Latin America from Monday to Friday on the animated block and Saturdays and Sundays after The Wonderful World of Disney. The show will be syndicated on Toon Disney's successor Disney XD.

Characters[link]

Main characters[link]

• Jacob "Jake" Luke Long (Voiced by Dante Basco): Jake is a proud and lazy yet kind and loyal thirteen-year-old (fourteen years old in the second season) skateboarder who is, in secret, a dragon. He uses his duties as a dragon to help defend the underground magical world of New York City, while continuing his training into becoming the first American Dragon. He's initially a very big show off and lacks in his responsibilities, but when it really matters, he always displays a strong sense of responsibility and maturity. Jake is famous for being the second dragon to survive an encounter with the Dark Dragon and the first to do so twice. Due to this and his other adventures, Jake becomes a popular and well-known figure in the magical world. His catchphrase is "Awww Man". By the end of the series, Jake graduates from Millard Fillmore Middle School and he is dating Rose, whom he has really strong romantic feelings for.

• Luong Lao Shi "Grandpa" (Voiced by Keone Young): Lao, as Jake and Haley's Chinese Dragon maternal grandfather, is a Dragon Master who teaches Jake the necessary skills in becoming a protector of magical creatures. Lao has reluctantly supported Susan's relationship with Jonathan, often calling him "daughter's husband." The two eventually work out their major differences during a family reunion. He runs the Canal Street Electronics shop, which is infamous for never having any customers (the shop's slogan is "Never had a customer, never had a sale"). Nonetheless, Lao has an intense rivalry with another electronics store. Regardless, his store is the main headquarters for all magical operations. His friend Fu Dog is his guardian who can create magical potions to assist in these missions. Lao's attempts at training Jake can, at times, cause more damage than help. However, Jake learns and puts into use the skills that are essential in becoming the American Dragon. He is the first dragon to mentor a blood relative – a break from tradition that he insisted on should Jake ever have to face the Dark Dragon. Lao is actually the first dragon to face the Dark Dragon and survive. According to Fu, Lao was very laid back (much like Jake had originally been) before this encounter, but matured immensely after defeating him. The name, Luong Lao Shi, appears to be a Romanized translation of the Chinese words for "dragon" and "teacher".

• Fu Dog (Voiced by John DiMaggio): Fu is a six hundred-year-old talking Shar Pei and Lao's only companion, who speaks with a Brooklyn accent. The two actually met when Fu was a petty thief, but (with much insistence from Fu) the two became a team shortly before Lao's first encounter with the Dark Dragon. Like many magical animals, Fu is able to walk upright, and has no trouble using his front paws as hands despite the apparent absence of opposable thumbs. He is highly skilled at brewing potions and casting spells, which constantly proves to be an asset. Despite his age, he frequently keeps up-to-date with current trends and events that will occasionally put him at odds with Lao Shi. He is somewhat lecherous, and is infamous for constantly gambling and placing bets on Jake in battles (bets that often change depending on how the battle is going); he owes an immense amount of money to many magical beings as a result.

• Arthur P. "Spud" Spudinski (Voiced by Charlie Finn): Spud is one of Jake's best human friends. Though often appearing to be slow-witted, he is actually a genius. He just preferred to keep it a secret to avoid the related pressure, but the truth came out in the second season, and he found it wasn't so bad that everyone knew. He owns a laptop computer that sports surveillance capabilities and other functions that assist him in the field. His philosophy is that he believes that all play and no work is just as bad as all work and no play and he wants to be the medium. He apparently has magical potential and may have a wizard heritage (e.g. being able to use Panderis' wand, his grandfather knowing how to seal away the genie in Taranushis Chalice and his grandfather also telling him stories about the mermaid city). In "Something Fishy This Way Comes," it is revealed that he has a fascination with the advanced mermaid city. In the episode, "Homecoming," after questions over being more than just friends, he and Trixie finally decide they are only "just friends" on a strictly platonic, friendly level and nothing more.

• Trixie Carter (Voiced by Miss Kittie): As one of Jake's human best friends, she is sassy, vivacious and is a judgmental character. Of the three friends, Trixie is usually the most level-headed and responsible. She is a fashion enthusiast. Her father being a pilot gives her access to fashions from overseas, but she usually prefers her regular clothes. In the situation of Jake and Rose's relationship, Trixie has always shown a dislike and distrust towards Rose advising Jake to be wary around her. But over time, she started to be more supportive of their relationship, and even tried to help Jake move on once she was gone.

• Haley Kay Long (Voiced by Amy Bruckner): Haley is Jake's seven-year-old younger (eight years old in the second season) sister, who is quite intelligent, talented, a bit of a perfectionist, and a goody-two-shoes (much to Jake's consistent annoyance). Haley goes to a school for advanced youths and actually tries hard to succeed. She is also quick to point out Jake's faults and make herself look superior to him. Yet, deep down, she looks up to him. Unlike Jake, she began developing her dragon powers at an earlier age. In the first season she is a purple dragon, in the second season she is pink. As his sister, she is actually next in line to be the American Dragon. Her mentor is Sun Park, though her training is quite different from Jake's. In "Being Human," Jake purposely gets a one week suspension from his dragon duties, so Haley became his replacement. Though thinking she's up to the task, she quickly realizes how hard Jake has to work and how much pressure it creates. Nonetheless, Sun praises Haley's service and feels she can start pitching in to help Jake.

• Rose/Huntsgirl (Voiced by Mae Whitman): Rose is Jake's huge crush and is also part of the Huntsclan, a clan that wants to destroy magical creatures, like Jake as a dragon. Rose is the Huntsgirl and needs to kill the American dragon to become part of the Huntsclan. Rose has a Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her hand to show that she is part of the Huntsclan, which was revealed in the episode The Ski Trip, when Jake realizes that Huntsgirl and Rose is the same person with the same tattoo, he disappointingly dumps her at the end of the episode. Later on in the series, Rose finds out that Jake is the American Dragon, and since then, she starts helping him, but still trying to show that she still "hates" him. In the episode, Dreamscape, Rose finds out that she has a mother, a father, and an unnamed identical twin sister but she was taken away by the Huntsclan because she has the Chinese dragon-shaped birthmark on her left wrist and hand, which is referred to as "the Mark of the Huntsclan." Throughout the entire series, she develops very strong romantic feelings for Jake, despite him being a dragon, and later, works as a double-agent because of them.

In order to protect her true romantic love, Jake, she destroys all of the Huntsclan though it will kill her as well, but Jake is able to save her and make it so she never was taken as a baby. As a result she loses her memory of him and moves to Hong Kong,China, with her parents. But in the series finale,"Hong Kong Longs," after seeing a photo of them at a dance with their arms around each other, part of her memory returns, and she aids Jake against the Dark Dragon, and the two apparently get back together and begin to date as a couple.

Recurring characters[link]

• Jonathan Long (Jeff Bennett): As Jake and Haley's well-meaning American father, he's a normal human who has no clue that he's married into a whole family of magical and mystical fire-breathing dragons. Though often near feats of magic, he either mistakes them for something else or is completely oblivious to them. (In one occurrence, he chalked up Haley's brief Krylock mutation to an allergic reaction to chocolate.) He has a sister. Though Jonathan often comes off as naive or goofy, it has been shown he always has his family's best interests at heart and that some of Jake's best qualities were inherited from him. Jonathan fought the Jersey Devil (mistaking it for a bear) and vampires (who were masquerading as humans) to protect Jake from harm. Even though his last name is also a valid Chinese surname, Jonathan does not appear to be of Chinese ancestry. He does, however, feel that he is because he claims to be 1/16 Navajo – rationalizing that Native Americans came to the continent on land bridges connected to Asia. In the series finale, he sees Haley's dragon form and finally learns the truth. While initially overwhelmed and full of questions, he is also completely accepting, noting that he always felt there was something magical about his family. He participates in the final battle against the Dark Dragon and destroys his Shade Demons.

• Susan Long (Lauren Tom): Jake and Haley's Chinese human-born to Dragon ancestry mother and the daughter of Luong Lao Shi. She does not appear to have inherited any natural dragon powers and abilities, saying it skipped her generation. She works as a caterer. She also has a penchant to photograph milestones in her children's lives, such as Jake's first date and Haley's first lost tooth. Throughout the series, she keeps the family secret from Jonathan out of fears that he would freak out and (possibly) leave her; yet, this does not occur. However, on the last day of eighth grade, she wrote a letter explaining her families dragon powers and abilities, but never gave it to him. In one episode, Jake went back in time, took the note and put it in his father's locker causing him to actually leave her but he solved this problem. In the last episode, her husband finally finds out of his wife's family history. While unlike Jonathan who helped Jake out unknowingly a few times, Susan never took a direct role in his missions until Hong Kong Longs when she and Jonathan join Trixie, Spud, Haley and Fu Dog in helping to battle the Dark Dragon. During the battle, Susan manages to destroy a few Shade Demons and helps Jonathan destroy the rest.

• Sun Park (Sandra Oh): She is the Korean Dragon as well as Haley's dragon master and Jake's Home Economics teacher. She appears to be a pacifist, though she is quite adept at fighting if required. According to executive producers Eddie Guzelian and Matt Negrete, Sun was originally set to die in "Homecoming", however the scene was cut for being too dark.^[2]

• Kara and Sara (Tara Strong): Twin siblings who are descended from the Oracle of Delphi, each possessing the ability to see into the future. Kara only sees good things occur but is very moody and sullen, while Sara only sees bad things occur but is very happy and cheerful. When questioned by Jake over this, Kara states foreseeing all of life's good moments renders them without meaning for her, while Sara states that only foreseeing bad moments leaves her constantly looking at the positives of things and being cheerful at any good news. In the first season, they are identical redheads. The two are part of Jake's army against the Dark Dragon and help him temporarily destroy him. In the second season, Sara is a blonde and Kara has black hair. The two are also featured in the opening credits of Season 2.

• Veronica (Tara Strong): An arachnoid human hybrid and love interest of Fu during the first season. She runs a stand in Magus Bazaar, a magical shopping district in New York.

• Silver (Kari Wahlgren): A highly intelligent mermaid and ally of Jake, first shown as one of the prisoners for the Huntsclan's Grand Equinox Hunt. Strangely, despite her species, she suffers from aquaphobia in her first appearance. She overcomes this by the end of that episode, but later suffers a relapse in Season 2.

• Dolores Derceto (Susan Blakeslee): The first principal of Jake's school. She once noted that she saw Jake more often than her own secretary. Though initially appearing to be a paraplegic, she is revealed in the second season to be an undercover mermaid detective, seeking out the Kelpie. She also developed a relationship with Lao Shi, but when her assignment concluded, she had to leave – much to the regret of both.

• Councilor Andam (Clarence Williams III): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the African Dragon and is from Kenya.

• Councilor Kulde (Jeff Bennett): One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the European Dragon and is from Norway. He has expressed particular interest in Jake's training and future, feeling he has great promise. It is noted that he is the only dragon in the series that breathes ice instead of fire.

• Councilor Omina: One of the members of the Dragon Council. She is the Dragon of Atlantis.

• Councilor Kukulkan: One of the members of the Dragon Council. He is the Central American Dragon and is from Guatemala.

• Danika Hunnicutt (Jessica DiCicco): Jake's second love interest, who wins him at their school's fund-raising Bachelor Auction. When Jake starts to act dangerously self-destructive, a siren is believed to be the cause and Danika is the main suspect. It turns out that she was actually a pawn for the actual siren, but not before she is accused of wrong-doing by Jake and friends, which deeply upsets her. She admits she later forgave Jake and the two were graduation partners.

• Bertha: (Tara Strong) A giant girl whose feet smell.

• Nigel Thrall (Adam Wylie): Millard Fillmore Middle School's new foreign exchange student from the United Kingdom who turns out to be a wizard who came to America to complete his training. He and Jake immediately become rivals, as Nigel outdoes Jake at skateboarding and rapping, but eventually settle into a competitive friendship. Nigel later helps save Jake from the Gorgon sisters.

Antagonists/Villains[link]

• The Huntsman (Voiced by Jeff Bennett): The Huntsman (referred to as "Huntsmaster" by his subordinates) is the leader of the Huntsclan and the main antagonist of the series. The Dragon Council rates him as the #4 threat to the magical community. He is fanatically devoted to destroying all magical creatures (especially dragons), viewing them as disgusting and unnatural, and has no qualms against killing any humans who get in his way. Though he typically leaves his henchmen to do the fighting for him, he has proven quite powerful on his own. When Jake travels back in time to reveal the truth about dragons to his father, he encounters a teenaged Huntsman, who (while dedicated to the Huntsclan) is shown to be quite wimpy, bullied by his peers and speaking with a cracking voice. However, after Jake knocks him into a pit with a dangerous monster, the battered Huntsman displays a new intensity that terrifies his peers and vows to destroy every last dragon on Earth. He ultimately meets his demise when Rose's wish to destroy all Huntsclan is granted. The Huntsman was originally Rose's first guardian, stealing her from her parents as an infant and claiming her parents were deceased. (He did, however, know who and where her real parents were to maintain potential leverage.) Throughout the series, The Huntsman was a masked character always wearing a dragon skull helmet with a balaclava covering his face, only showing his eyes. His face is finally shown in his final appearance when Jake kicks him into an elevator, smashing his helmet. In rage, he tears off half of his shirt and balaclava showing that he has a huge dragon birthmark on his chest and face and that he is bald. In a running gag, he is often defeated in a comical fashion, such as Jake's flaming flatulence and being humiliated in front of his peers.
  • Huntsboys #88 and #89 (Voiced by Kyle Massey and Nicholas Brendon): Two Huntsclan students that become the Huntsman's apprentices in the second season. It was confirmed, that they were admitted into the Huntsclan because of their impressive skills in a fantasy video game (killing three dragons, a giant leech and a pack of Manticores.) which the Huntsman took literally, as shown in one of Fu's "rap-ups". They both act brave and arrogant, when in reality, they are cowards who run in fear at the sight of a dragon. Other than Rose, #88 and #89 are the only known Huntsclan members that were left alive after Rose's wish for the destruction of all Huntsclan was granted due to them quickly resigning before they were eliminated (and ran off with their masks being the only part of their uniform, in their boxers). However, they made a return in "Shaggy Frog".

• Professor Hans Rotwood (Voiced by Paul Rugg): Rotwood used to be a famous professor, until his theories on magical creatures humiliated him in front of his peers, destroyed his credibility as a scientific researcher, got him fired from his job at the Hoboken Science Institute and reduced him to his current position at Jake's school. As a believer of magical creatures, he teaches a class about them. However, because his facts are all wrong, Jake is always hopelessly confused and suffering from low grades in the class. He has a noted dislike of Jake, largely due to a frequent lack of respect. Rotwood eventually develops a suspicion of Jake and keeps a close eye on him. By Season 2, he becomes principal and tricks Jake into revealing himself as a dragon to him. In Season 2's "Magic Enemy #1.", he attempts to make Jake reveal himself as being a dragon by humiliating him at school. By the end of the episode, Rotwood gets a personal look at the magical world and is quite delighted, though Jake ensures he has no proof of what he saw. Though wanting to be famous for proving magical creatures exist, Rotwood appears to have a true affinity for them. At graduation, he and Jake seem to have put their differences aside as they shake hands. In "Dreamscape," it is suggested he encountered a Chimera while a baby.

• The Dark Dragon (Voiced by Clancy Brown): The number one threat to the magical world. His human form is never seen in the series. The Dark Dragon is shown to be stronger than other dragons, as well as capable of creating and controlling shade demons. Very little is known about him or his origins, but it is mentioned that he is consumed by dark magic. Few dragons have faced him and lived; Lao Shi was the only one before Jake encountered him, and Jake is the first dragon to do so twice. He feels that magical creatures are superior to humans and should be the dominant species of Earth instead. He appeared twice in the first season, in which he tried to get Jake to join him. He was destroyed by the Tooth Fairy during a battle with Jake and his "army," but is resurrected in season 2 even more powerful than ever. The resurrection required Jake's own chi or blood to succeed. Chang also gifted him with even more power than before. In the series finale, he captured Lao Shi in order to blackmail Jake into serving the dragons of the world a mind control potion. Jake tricked him and after Haley saved Lao Shi, the dragons of the world, Johnathon, Trixie, Spud, Fu Dog and Rose battled him. In the end, he was defeated by Jake and Rose when he was sucked into a portal, where he will be imprisoned for, at least, one thousand years.
  • Councilor Chang (Voiced by Lauren Tom): A member of the Dragon Council that was secretly working for the Dark Dragon. Her cover was revealed in "Hong Kong Nights," and she was imprisoned. However, in the second season, she escapes from prison to get revenge on Jake and revive the Dark Dragon. In the first season, Chang is seen breathing lightning. During the final battle of the series, she is defeated by Haley and Sun Park and recaptured.
  • Bananas B (Voiced by Adam Wylie): The first ever "hip-hop helper monkey" who replaces Fu as Jake's animal guardian. However, when Chang escapes from prison, Bananas joins her out of fear for his life. His betrayal nearly costs Jake his life, but Fu saves him. Bananas remains as Chang's sidekick until the final battle where he decides that he doesn't want to take part as he hates violence. He is then chased off by a gleeful Fu.
  • Shade Demons: Minions of the Dark Dragon. Creatures that are basically living shadows. Act as the Dark Dragon's minions, but are easily destroyed. In the final episode, Johnathon discovers that they have a weakness to light and destroys all of them by reflecting moonlight at them.

• Brad Morton (Voiced by Matt Nolan): A bully at Jake's school. He is noticeably bigger than the other students due to the fact that he was held back twice in the third grade, as mentioned in the episode Young at Heart. He is also noticeably dim, such as taking twelve years of piano lessons and being unable to play well in the slightest.

• Eli Pandarus (Voiced by Jonathan Freeman): The Wizard of Wall Street. Pandarus desires to be the most powerful magical being. In Season 1, Pandarus is fairly cowardly, as he cowers and begs not to be hurt after he is defeated in "Eye of the Beholder." In Season 2, he appears less cowardly and is much more wicked, being more willing to kill his enemies or those who get in his way.

Notable guest stars[link]

• Corey Burton as Sigmund Brock (episode "The Rotwood Files")
• Nestor Carbonell as Cupid (episode "The Love Cruise")
• Tia Carrere as Yan-Yan (episode "Fu and Tell")
• Lacey Chabert as Jasmine (episode "Dragon Breath")
• Diane Delano as Ogelvy (episode "Fu Dog Takes a Walk")
• Will Friedle as Greggy (episode "Feeding Frenzy")
• Dee Bradley Baker as Pooka Pooka (episode "Haley Gone Wild")
• Monty Hall as Himself (episodes "Eye of the Beholder" and "A Befuddled Mind")
• T'Keyah Crystal Keymah as Trixie's mom (episodes "Professor Rotwood's Thesis" and "Hairy Christmas")
• Tress MacNeille as Queen Lilliana (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Wendie Malick as Aunt Patchouli (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")
• Ron Masak as Marty (episode "Family Business")
• Edie McClurg as The Tooth Fairy (episode "The Legend of Dragon Tooth")
• John C. McGinley as Dr. Diente (episode "The Legend of the Dragon Tooth")
• Phil Morris as Trixie's dad (episode "Hairy Christmas")
• Paige Moss as Marnie Lockjelly (episode "Bite Father, Bite Son")
• Laura Ortiz as Vicky (episode "Siren Says")
• Liliana Mumy as Olivia Meers (episodes "Fu and Tell" and "Switcharoo")
• Kay Panabaker as Lacey (episode "Bring It On")
• Rob Paulsen as Thad Rochefort-Chaise (episode "Jake Takes the Cake'")
• Daryl Sabara as Hobie (episode "Ring Around the Dragon")
• Brenda Song as Tracey (episode "Bring It On")
• Mindy Sterling as Mrs. Grumplestock (episode "A Befuddled Mind")
• David Ogden Stiers as Narrator (episode "The Talented Mr. Long")
• James Arnold Taylor as Sam Spark (episode "Family Business")
• Stephen Tobolowsky as Troll (episode "Adventures In Trollsitting")

Episodes[link]

Appearances in other media[link]

Television[link]

• Jake, Spud, Trixie, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog made a guest appearance in the Lilo & Stitch: The Series episode "Morpholomew" on July 1, 2005. In that episode, they had their Season 1 looks. Through this crossover, American Dragon: Jake Long is established to be in the same universe of the following cartoon series: Kim Possible; The Proud Family; and Recess, for all of them have characters who appeared in Lilo & Stitch: The Series.
• Juniper Lee has a lot of similarities to Jake Long, so The Life and Times of Juniper Lee is considered a near-counterpart of American Dragon: Jake Long. Both shows involve adolescent Chinese-Americans which have been given magical powers and must keep the balance between the magical and real world, something that they must keep a secret. Also, in both cases, this position was previously held by a grandparent, who now acts as a mentor. Another rather shocking coincidence is that in both shows the main character's dog can talk, and they are both of similar appearances. However even though both dogs have accents only that they have different accents and one is a pug while the other is a shar pei. They also have little siblings who also share their abilities, which at many times the main characters find them as nuisances. In addition both shows started and ended at very close dates. Both shows ran from 2005-2007.

Video games[link]

Two video games based on the show were produced, one for Nintendo DS and one for Game Boy Advance.

• Attack of the Dark Dragon (DS) — released October 12, 2006
• Rise of the Huntsclan (GBA) — released October 12, 2006

Books[link]

Jeff Goode has written two children's books about American Dragon which were released in 2003 and 2004 - before the initial TV show started airing.

• American Dragon Book 1: The Dragon Hunter, ISBN 0-7868-1926-X — released April 1, 2004
• American Dragon Book 2: The Gnome Eater, ISBN 0-7868-1927-8 — released May 1, 2004

References[link]

External links[link]

	United States portal
	Television portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: American Dragon: Jake Long

• Official website
• American Dragon: Jake Long at the Internet Movie Database
• American Dragon: Jake Long at TV.com
• American Dragon: Jake Long at JeffNet

Jake Long

Long with the Dolphins in 2009
No. 77     Miami Dolphins
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1985-05-09) May 9, 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth: Lapeer, Michigan
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight: 317 lb (144 kg)
Career information
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Debuted in 2008 for the Miami Dolphins
Career history
Miami Dolphins (2008–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
4× Pro Bowl (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) First-team All-Pro (2010) Second-team All-Pro (2009) Ed Block Courage Award (2011) PFW All-Rookie Team (2008) Jim Parker Trophy (2007) Consensus All-American (2006, 2007) Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (2006, 2007) First-team All-Big Ten (2006, 2007) Big Ten Conference Championship (2004)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2011
Games played 60 Games started 60 Fumble recoveries 1 Stats at NFL.com

Jake Edward Long (born May 9, 1985) is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. Previously he starred at Lapeer East High School in football, basketball and baseball.

In high school, Long was the first player in his high school's history to earn all-state "Dream Team" (all-class state team) honors in football from the Detroit News. He was a two-time First-team All-Metro League player in both basketball and football, where he was honored both on offense and defense. In baseball, he was a two-time Second-team All-Metro League selection. In both basketball and football, he led his team to regular and post season success that had not been seen in many years.

At the University of Michigan, he redshirted for a year and then became a starter at offensive tackle for the football team in the third game of his redshirt freshman season. He earned Second-team All-Big Ten Conference recognition and Rivals.com Freshman All-American recognition. In 2006 & 2007, he earned Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and First-team All-Big Ten Conference recognition. In 2006 he was an Outland and Lombardi Trophy watch lists selection and in 2007 he was a finalist for both awards. He was a 2006 consensus All-American and 2007 unanimous All-American.

After being drafted by Miami, he became an immediate starter and has started every game that the team has played since he has been a member. At the conclusion of his rookie season, he was selected to numerous All-Rookie teams and was a substitute Pro Bowl selection. Long followed up a successful rookie season by earning a position in the starting lineup of the 2010 Pro Bowl.

Early years[link]

The son of John and Denise Long of Lapeer, Michigan,^[1] Long attended Lapeer East High School in Lapeer where he was the first player in his high school's history to earn all-state "Dream Team" (all-class state team) honors in football.^[2] In baseball he played first base.

Long played basketball, baseball and American football in high school. Although Long was a 2001 Flint, Michigan All-Metro League lineman on both sides of the ball as a defensive end and offensive lineman,^[3] in Lapeer East's final game of the 2001 season, he rushed for three touchdowns.^[4][5] As a junior that football season, he was listed at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), 270 pounds (122 kg).^[3] In Long's first start as a varsity basketball player on December 4, 2001, he led all scorers although he only scored one first half point.^[6] That season he helped lead Lapeer East to an unbeaten 14–0 Metro League record (17–3) overall as they prepared for the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) tournament.^[7] It was the first unbeaten Metro League season by any team since 1989 and Lapeer East's first unbeaten season since 1980.^[8] Long was an All-Metro league first team selection,^[9] but his team lost in the 2002 Class A district semifinal on the road.^[10] By the end of the basketball season, he was listed at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), 290 pounds (132 kg).^[10] As a junior, he was a second-team All-Metro League baseball selection as an infielder.^[11] By the end of his junior year, he had already set the school home run record in baseball and was the fifth-ranked high school football prospect in the state of Michigan (future Michigan teammate and co-captain LaMarr Woodley was number one).^[12]

After his junior year of high school, he attended the University of Michigan football camp, which ran from June 16–21. At the conclusion of the camp, Michigan Wolverines football head coach Lloyd Carr offered him a scholarship as an offensive tackle. Long, who was a lifelong Michigan Wolverines fan, responded with a verbal commitment. At the time, Long weighed 305 pounds (138 kg) and Michigan hoped he would bulk up to 330 pounds (150 kg) by the time he arrived. Long had made official visits to Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Purdue.^[13]

In his 2002 senior season, Long helped lead Lapeer East to their first season opener win since 1995 and their first state playoff appearance since 1993.^[14][15] That season, the football team set a school record by posting a nine-game winning streak, which started after a October 6, 2001 loss the prior year.^[16] The team achieved its first state playoff win in its 27-year history that season.^[17] The team's 9–2 record was the best in school history,^[8] and Long was again chosen as an All-Metro League selection on both offense and defense.^[18] That season he became the first Lapeer East player selected to the All-state Dream Team in 2002.^[2] Although he was All-State as a lineman, Long often lined up at fullback and accumulated four career touchdowns.^[2] He finished the season as the number two football prospect in the state behind Woodley according to the Detroit News.^[19] Long led the basketball team to a second consecutive undefeated Metro League championship season,^[20] which was the first repeat league champion since 1996 and Lapeer East's first repeat championship since 1982.^[21] Long was again first-team All-Metro League,^[22] and he was selected as an honorable mention 2003 Associated Press Class A All-State basketball player.^[23] Long was again a second-team All-Metro League selection as a first baseman.^[24] Following his senior season, Long was selected to play in the 23rd annual Michigan High School All-Star Football Game on July 26 at Michigan State University.^[25]

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Jake Long OL	Lapeer, Michigan	Lapeer East (MI)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.0	Jul 8, 2003
	Scout:   Rivals:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 11 (OL)   Rivals: 21 (OT), 6 (MI), 24 (MW)
Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Michigan Football Commitments". Rivals.com. http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2003/alabama-29. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "2003 Michigan Football Commits". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=9&c=8&yr=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "ESPN". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/college-football/recruiting/school/_/id/130/class/2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=9&c=14&yr=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.  "2003 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. http://www.rivals.com/TeamRank.asp?type=0&sort=0&year=2003. Retrieved 2009-10-14.

College career[link]

2006 Michigan Wolverines football team huddle with #86 Mario Manningham, #7 Chad Henne, #16 Adrian Arrington, #72 Rueben Riley, #54 Mark Bihl, #77 Long

As a freshman, Long was on the 2003 Michigan Wolverines football team roster,^[26] but Tony Pape and Adam Stenavich were the starting offensive tackles.^[27] He was redshirted for the year as he bulked up to 330 pounds (150 kg).^[28] Long traveled with the team to the 2004 Rose Bowl, but did not play in the game.^[29]

On June 16, 2004, following his freshman year, he was hospitalized in an intensive-care unit for smoke inhalation injuries when a house rented by nine Michigan Wolverine players caught fire.^[30][31] Long landed on a teammate's automobile escaping the fire covered in soot at about 4:00 AM that Wednesday. When he awoke to the sound of fire alarms, he attempted to exit his room, but was forced back by the smoke. He exited the building by jumping two floors after knocking out the screen in his bedroom window. Long endured procedures where tubes were put down his throat to suction black phlegm from his lungs at the hospital.^[1][32][33] The tubes also performed Long's breathing while he lay unconscious for the first few days.^[34] A few hours before the fire, the Detroit Pistons had won the 2004 NBA Finals and the neighborhood experienced fireworks celebrations. Investigators concluded that the fire likely started with a couch on the front porch, possibly ignited by fireworks from the neighbors.^[34][35] He was released from the University of Michigan Medical Center and was able to spend Father's Day (June 20) back in Lapeer.^[36]

2007 Michigan Wolverines football team huddle with Mario Manningham (86), Ryan Mallett (15), Mike Hart (20), Long (77), Adrian Arrington (16), Mike Massey (83), Justin Boren (65), Carson Butler (85), and Stephen Schilling (52) against Penn State

Ryan Mallett rolls out against Penn State. Long and Justin Boren are among the visible linemen.

As a sophomore member of the 2004 Michigan Wolverines football team, Long competed with senior Dave Schoonover and juniors Mike Kolodzieg, Rueben Riley and Mike Barishaj for the starting position vacated by the graduated Pape. Long impressed the coaches by playing through a turf toe injury.^[37] The battle came down to him and Kolodzieg.^[38] Long made his Michigan debut on September 4, 2004, in a 43–10 victory over Miami University.^[39] He made the travel squad, but he did not play against Notre Dame in the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game the following week at Notre Dame Stadium.^[29] Kolodzieg started the first two games, but Michigan averaged only 85.5 yards rushing, which ranked 94th nationally among 117 Division I teams. Long became a starter in the third game on September 18 against the San Diego State Aztecs football team.^[40] Over the course of the season, he started eight games and Kolodzieg started 4 at right offensive tackle. Kolodzieg also started one game at left tackle.^[41] A week after Long was moved into the starting lineup, David Baas was moved from left offensive guard — where he had been a 2003 second team All-American — to center so that Leo Henige, Jr. could enter the starting lineup.^[42] After the move, Baas was the co-Rimington Trophy winner that season.^[43] The team finished the season as the 2004 Big Ten Conference Co-Champions and were awarded the Big Ten Conference's Bowl Championship Series Bowl game bid.^[44] By the time Michigan was preparing for the 2005 Rose Bowl, the team was averaging 156.18 rushing yards per game, which ranked 56th in the nation.^[33] Long earned a second team All-Big Ten Conference recognition from the coaches, while linemates guard Matt Lentz, tackle Adam Stenavich and tight end Tim Massaquoi were first-team selections. Baas was Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[45] Long also received honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from the media.^[46] Long and teammates Chad Henne and Mike Hart were named to Rivals.com's 2004 Freshman All-America first team.^[47] Long had post season shoulder surgery and missed 2005 spring practice.^[48] In fact, because of the large number of injured players, the team canceled the culminating spring practice intrasquad scrimmage game and instead held an open practice in which players participated in drills.^[49]

In August 2005, Long suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined as the 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team's season began.^[50] The injury had been caused in training camp when he was zone blocking alongside center Mark Bihl, who got tangled up with nose tackle Gabe Watson. The two fell against the outside of Long's leg and rolled over it.^[51] The injury required surgery.^[34] Long did not return to the lineup until October 22 on the third possession against the Iowa Hawkeyes.^[52] He was the lead blocker on the game-winning overtime touchdown.^[53] He started the game the subsequent week against the Northwestern Wildcats.^[51] Two weeks later, following a bye week, Long got injured during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers, and his foot was put in a protective boot.^[54] The second foot injury was expected to ended his season.^[55] He appeared in the subsequent rivalry game against Ohio State Buckeyes, and during the first play, he opposed Bobby Carpenter and Carpenter got a broken leg.^[56] After the game, Long appeared to need immediate surgery, which would have caused him to miss the 2005 Alamo Bowl.^[57] By the time of the game on December 28, though, he was ready to play.^[58][59] As the team prepared for 2006 spring practice, the left-handed Long was moved from right tackle to left tackle where he would be protecting the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks.^[60]

As 2007 co-captain, Long participated in opening coin tosses along with Mike Hart, Shawn Crable and Brandent Englemon.

Long entered the season for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team listed on numerous preseason conference and national teams as well as watchlists for awards such as the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy.^[61] He was on the preseason Outland Trophy watch list along with Levi Brown, Joe Thomas, Justin Blalock, and Herbert Taylor.^[62] Long was considered the heart of the Michigan offense,^[63] and his teammates voted the redshirt junior to be a co-captain along with senior Woodley.^[64] Before the season started, Carr replaced offensive coordinator Terry Malone with Mike DeBord who had previously been offensive coordinator from 1997–1999.^[65] Following the 7–5 2005 season which was the worst Michigan season since 1984's 6–6 year, there was pressure on Carr to turn things around and he sought a lighter, faster and better conditioned team.^[66] During the offseason, Long reduced his weight from 338 pounds (153 kg) to 316 pounds (143 kg) to improve his agility, speed and conditioning.^[67] Under the new coordinator and with newly sculpted fitter athletes the offensive scheme was shifted to concentrate on the zone blocking system.^[68] The system was similar to the one used by the Denver Broncos when they won back-to-back Super Bowls and by the Atlanta Falcons to help Warrick Dunn achieve a career-high in rushing yards while the team led the NFL in rushing yards in consecutive seasons.^[69] By the middle of November, Michigan had flourished under the new system with an 11–0 record,^[70] and some of the credit for the success was attributed to Long, the team captain and offensive leader.^[56] Long was recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and was selected as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[71] Long was also part of a Michigan record-setting three American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Team selections along with Woodley and Leon Hall.^[72] Long was a consensus (meaning at least half of the recognized lists, which are AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF selected him) 2006 College Football All-America Team first-team selectiton by Associated Press (AP),^[73] AFCA, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN,^[74] CBS Sports,^[75] Rivals.com,^[76] Scout.com.^[77] He was a second-team All-American selection by the College Football News.^[78] Long was the first offensive lineman who was a Michigan high school graduate selected to the first-team by the FWAA since Paul Seymour was selected to the 1972 College Football All-America Team.^[79] Long was believed to be a likely mid to high first round selection if he had chosen to declare himself eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft, but he chose to use his last year of collegiate eligibility and stay for a fifth year.^[80] His decision to stay was what convinced Hart to stay in college.^[81] Michigan opposed the 2006 USC Trojans football team in the 2007 Rose Bowl and the offensive line that had surrendered 18 quarterback sacks in the first 12 games, allowed 6 in the 32–18 loss to finish the season 11–2.^[82] Long became a member of senior honorary society Order of Angell.^[83]

Long on Senior Day 2007 against Ohio State

Long was a co-captain of the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team,^[84] and he again began the season on the Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists.^[85] He was elected to serve as tri-captain along with Hart and Shawn Crable.^[86] Entering the season, the team was picked by the Big Ten media members to win the conference.^[87] The season was eagerly anticipated with returning seniors Long, Hart and Chad Henne in key roles,^[88] but the season quickly began to fall apart when the team lost to the two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers in the opening game.^[89] The loss put Long in a position of having to defend his coach and teammates to ESPN and the nation.^[90] In the second game, the team suffered its worst defeat since 1968 and its first consecutive home losses to start the season since 1959.^[91] This presented a leadership challenge to Long as team captain.^[92] As Michigan won its next eight games, Long was described in the press as the team's most valuable player and an offensive lineman who should be considered for the Heisman Trophy since he was likely to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft.^[93][94][95] In early November, Long was named one of four finalists (along with Glenn Dorsey, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis) for the Lombardi award that Woodley had won the year before.^[96] He was named as an Outland Trophy finalist along with Dorsey and Anthony Collins.^[97] When the win streak ended the week before his final Michigan – Ohio State game, he accepted the blame on behalf of the offensive line although the teams offensive stars were injured.^[98] At the conclusion of the Big Ten Conference schedule, he was selected again as first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.^[99] Long, Michael Crabtree and Darren McFadden were the only unanimous offensive 2007 College Football All-America Team selections by AP,^[100] AFCA,^[101] FWAA,^[102] Walter Camp,^[103] Sporting News,^[104] Sports Illustrated,^[105] Pro Football Weekly, ESPN,^[106] CBS Sports,^[107] College Football News,^[108] Rivals.com,^[109] and Scout.com.^[110] In coach Carr's final game before retirement and Long's final game as a Wolverine, the team won the 2008 Capital One Bowl against the Florida Gators in a game that included an attempted Jake Long tackle eligible screen pass.^[111] Long declined an invitation to participate in the 2008 Senior Bowl.^[112] From February 21–24, 2008, Long attended the NFL Combine, where he excelled.^[113][114]

Professional career[link]

Long with the Dolphins in 2009.

2008 NFL Draft[link]

Regarded as the top offensive tackle available in the 2008 NFL Draft,^[115][116] Long drew comparisons to Ryan Tucker.^[117] His 37 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press tied Vernon Gholston for the highest total at the 2008 NFL Combine.^[118]

Miami Dolphins[link]

More than two weeks before the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, who owned the right to make the first selection in the draft determined that they wanted to negotiate with Long to be their pick and met with Tom Condon, Long's sports agent.^[120] On April 22, 2008 in advance of the April 26 and 27 draft, Long agreed to a five-year, $57.75 million deal with the Miami Dolphins. The deal included $30 million in guaranteed money and made Long the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.^[121] This made him, as of that date, the highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history.^[122] In addition to being one of eight offensive tackles drafted in the first round that year,^[123] Long is only the third offensive tackle ever to be taken with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, after Orlando Pace (1997, a 5-time All-Pro and All-Decade team for the 2000s) and Hall of Famer Ron Yary (1968, an 8-time All-Pro and All-Decade team for the 1970s)^[124] The Dolphins drafted Long's college teammate, quarterback Chad Henne, in the second round of the draft.^[125] At Dolphins minicamp on May 2, Long was assigned number 79 and he thought he would have to negotiate with Drew Mormino for the number 77 that he had worn since high school.^[126] However, after he failed his physical exam, Mormino was released from the team,^[127] and before training camp Long was assigned number 77.^[128]

Long's ascension with the Dolphins was part of an effort to overhaul the offensive line that had allowed 42 sacks and produced the 29th-rated of 32 offenses the previous season. The Dolphins hired new coach Tony Sparano and employed Bill Parcells as Executive Vice President in charge of football operations.^[129] Long was immediately slated to play left tackle.^[128][130] He was the only rookie expected to be a starter for the 2008 Miami Dolphins.^[131] According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, at the end of training camp, Long was one of three rookies listed as first-string on the depth chart.^[132] Jake Long was nominated for Rookie of the Week in the 10th week of the 2008 season, but lost out to Broncos WR Eddie Royal. Other players who were nominated for rookie of the week that same week were Matt Ryan, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, and Joe Flacco.^[133] At the end of the season, Long was selected to nine All-rookie teams by Pro Football Writers Association, Draft.com, Draftsinders.com, Draftseason.com, Sports Network, Fannation, Sporting News, Scout.com and Ourlads Scouting Service.^[134] On January 20, 2009, Long was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl, replacing Jason Peters for the AFC's squad.^[135] Long gave up just 2.5 sacks his rookie season,^[136] compared to the 11.5 allowed by Peters in 2008.^[137]

In 2009, Long yielded only 4 sacks and was ranked the second best offensive tackle. He was selected as a starter for the 2010 Pro Bowl.^[138] He was not selected to the first team All-Pro losing out to Ryan Clady, who gave up 8 sacks, and Joe Thomas, who is ranked the best offensive tackle in the NFL.^[139] Long was selected to the second team All-Pro and was named a starter for the AFC Pro Bowl.^[140][141] Long joins Richmond Webb as the only Dolphins offensive tackles to be named starters in the Pro Bowl and is the first Dolphins offensive lineman to be named to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Webb played in seven straight from 1990 to 1996.^[142] Long did not participate in the game due to injury and was replaced on the Pro Bowl roster by D'Brickashaw Ferguson.^[143] The following season Long was named as a starter for the 2011 Pro Bowl, while Ferguson was named as a reserve.^[144]

During the 2011 NFL season, Long's 61 games started streak snapped when he suffered a back ailment. Subsequently, he was placed on injured reserve with a torn right bicep for the final week of the season. The roster move came one day after he was selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl. He was named as a Pro Bowl starter for the third consecutive season.^[141] He missed the Pro Bowl for the 2011 season.^[145] However, he was named the Dolphins' Ed Block Courage Award recipient.^[146] In addition, he was listed as the 59th player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.^[147][148]

Personal[link]

After surviving the fire during his second year of college, Long got a tattoo of Saint Joseph on his right bicep. His aunt had placed a card of the saint under his pillow while he was in the hospital in intensive care. He also has a tattoo of the family name on his other arm.^[61] Long has two brothers: John and Joseph ("Joe"). In 2009, Joe was playing football in his junior year for the Wayne State Warriors.^[149] Jake Long married his college sweetheart, Jacqueline Laurian, on March 10, 2012.^[150]

References[link]