I'm sorry, but these uniforms make me feel like I'm watching a Pop Warner game.
It has gotten totally out of hand, this infatuation that professional sports teams (primarily football and baseball) have with "alternative" and "throwback" uniforms. Bears fans were forced to shield their eyes last Sunday as the Seahawks unveiled hideous slime-green jerseys. The Bears, of course, subject us to orange jerseys a couple of times each season.
In an "Afternoon Sports Club" essay on our Web site Tuesday, Dan Cahill asked readers to vote on the all-time worst sports uniforms. As of 10 p.m., the 1976 White Sox uniforms (complete with short-pants option) led the way with 25 percent of the vote. Click on the accompanying photo gallery for a taste of some really bad taste in sports attire.
What I can't stand are hideous "throwback" uniforms that are supposed to evoke nostalgic feelings for bygone eras, such as was the case with the Tennessee Titans-New York Jets game Sunday (done in honor of the 50th anniversary of the AFL). Memo to NFL marketing department: There's a reason why the uniforms worn by those pioneering teams of yesteryear didn't catch on: They were ugly!
I recently read that, according to a survey of NFL ticket prices, it costs more than $400 to take a family of four to an average game. Well, if I am plunking down that kind of coin to watch the Jets play the Titans, I want the teams to be wearing their actual uniforms, not clown costumes. I want to feel like I'm attending an honest-to-God National Football League game, not watching a couple of low-rent semi-pro teams.
Another thing: The Titans (formerly Oilers) franchise abandoned Houston in 1997 to drill for bigger bucks in Tennessee, and now they want to pay tribute to the Oilers' legacy by putting a derrick on their helmets?! What's next? Will the Ravens display the Colts' horseshoe on their "throwback" helmets, celebrating the night in 1984 when Robert Irsay snuck the franchise out of Baltimore under cloak of darkness and moved it to Indianapolis? Or maybe they can wear orange helmets in honor of Art Modell, who heartlessly left Cleveland without an NFL team in 1995 when he moved the Browns to Baltimore and redubbed them the Ravens.
"Atmosphere" is such a big part of the spectator experience at a professional sports game, and I want to feel like I'm getting what I paid for. If I shell out big bucks to go to Soldier Field and watch the Bears, I want them wearing their regulation garb, not those hideous 1920 Decatur Staleys suits (see the photo gallery).
Agree or disagree? I know there must be plenty of fans who enjoy the "throwback" experience; otherwise, teams wouldn't keep doing it. They must be getting positive feedback, so if seeing these old-fashioned uniforms makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, tell me why. (And yes, I realize that these "classic" uniforms usually are auctioned off afterward for charity, which I applaud ... but is there no other way to make that happen without cheapening the NFL viewing experience for everybody?)
I liked the throwbacks the first time that they wore them but it is getting old now.
Some of these are just god-awful and I can’t imagine why anyone would want to buy them.
I hated the Bears orange jerseys at first but now I don’t mind as much.
I would still hate them if they had not actually worn orange jerseys at one point in their history (1930s) so at least they have a connection to their past.
I always liked the all white uniforms the Bears wear on the road.
I guess it is because that is what they wore while I was growing up and remember players like Payton, Sayers and Butkus wearing them.
The Titans wearing Houston Oilers uniforms was a slap in the face to the Houston fans that were screwed for no fault of their own.
The Patriots should go back to their original uniforms. The current ones look like an expansion team or something from the Arena League.
Both New York teams going back to their old uniforms was the right thing to do. Those 80s uniforms were so boring and generic looking.
The Bengals are a mess. Keep the tiger strip helmets and go back to a real football uniform already.
The Vikings totally sold out and went with their Atlanta Falcons look. Why throw away 40 years of tradition just to sell a few jerseys to 15 year olds? Just ugly.
The Seahawks can go back to their original look and no one would miss those ugly all dark uniforms they wear now.
At least Tampa made an improvement after they ditched that sissy looking Buccaneer thing they had on their helmets and the creamsickle colors.
Stu, you nailed this one out the park.
When they put on the throwback jersey's it honors these greedy franchises who often times has ripped the heart out of die hard fans by moving from their cities. I know it's a different sport, but what's next, the Oklahoma Thunder bring out the old Supersonic jerseys!?
You also hit on another point of how ugly they look. Man, I hate watching throwbacks. Ultra simplistic color pattern, boring logo, and just overall cheap looking design. And what's up with the frequency? It seems like every week they do this "throwback" jersey garbage.
If they want to honor their team's history, what's wrong with just honoring the players that used to play there? Retire their numbers, have a ceremony, throw up some clips on the jumbo-tron, create a statue (yeah, I'm referring to the Chicago Park District clowns), that's what they should be doing. Instead, what we're getting is a darn' commercial. Log onto to NFL.com and buy your authentic NFL throwback jersey! And if they really want these jerseys to be authentic, they should add a huge wad of cash and a tissue for the all the tears of the broken-hearted fans.
Slow news week? What a completely stupid article. You sound like a guy who "doesn't like fun."
"Wah! Sometimes they wear different uniforms! I hate nostalgia and it confuses and frightens me when a team decides to change something up for the sake of variety and fun."
What are you, 90? Are you so cynical that all you can see in throwback uniforms is the marketing aspect?
I guess guys who have antique car hobbies are ridiculous, too , right? Why the heck would anyone *ever* put a "throwback car" on a street? What's the point?
Oh brother. The articles people write when they have nothing to report... Next week: "Why I'm Tired of White Goal Posts".
greatest throwback NFL jersey (in addition the the chargers throwback) is the early 70s LA Rams blue & white. why don't they bring that back...?
My God, what could be more ironic than having sportswriters comment about someone else's attire?
Stu responds: Touche´, Seedy ....
Good ones, Seedy and Terry!!Do these comments give you the message, Stu? I suppose something can be said about uniforms, certainly the Prince Fielder look bears some commentary, but sticking to the game and the players' performances seems the best move here.Orange stripes for the officials and correspondingly orange and black goal posts would be appropriate for those games when the officials rather than the players determine the winner.
Stu responds: Point taken, Paul. It's just a pet peeve I needed to get off my chest. We now return you to our regularly scheduled Bears, Cubs, Sox, Hawks, Bulls, etc. etc.
Well played, Terry.. good form...
You should have mentioned the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs will be wearing Dallas Texans uniforms this year when the Dallas Cowboys play them... And they will be sporting a map of Texas on their helmets.
How's that for going overboard?
There is nothing worse than going to a game to see your favorite team and finding out that they are wearing the most horrific looking uniforms ever. Throwback uniforms are terrible. There's a reason that the teams do not wear them anymore...because they are disgustingly ugly.
The Chiefs' helmets will have the Texas map on only one side of their helmets. On the other will be a picture of Jerry Jones, who is laughing all the way to the bank while the league promotes his $1B shrine to runaway egos and smaller than normal male appendages. (I mean, the guy MUST be compensating for something!!!!!)
I was hoping the Cowboys would open 0-2 at the stadium so fans would start blaming the stadium for putting a hex on the team.
I mean, if you are going to attend a game so you can watch it on the world's largest TV screen, why not just stay at home?
Here's betting the Cowboys/NFL/Cities of Dallas/Ft.Worth/Austin end up in bankruptcy within 10 years -- all because of Jerry's Juggernaut.
tend to agree with ya, Stu...The Oilers uni's ticked me off for the reasons you stated...and...I still have my Earl Campbell jersey
and yeah, The Baltimore Brown Colts
The Bear's Orange jerseys are freaking stupid, but the all white uni's are my favorite...maybe if they wore the blue and white
I guess it's subjective...I like the Bills old ones, Da Raidahs, the Chargers, the Patriots, the Rams
maybe it's how far these teams 'throwback'....go back and wear the old uniforms that people who are still alive remember, and don't allow Baltimore or Tennessee to play along...because they have no tradition....maybe the Texans should wear the Oilers jerseys
I really don't know where I'm going with this other than maybe I should make the rules on who wears what
I watched the game wearing my own throwback uniform.
I still look great in my yellow leisure suit, and with the platform shoes on I can finally reach the ice cube bin without standing on a chair.
I love nostalgia.
It takes a big man to admit he blundered, Stu, and I can sympathize about externalizing pet peeves.I aired one of those on the hockey blog.
What's this I hear about "Oh these uniforms are hideous, these uniforms look ugly, etc." what are you women? Who cares about the uniforms, just watch your team score and go on with your lives.