Visiting Team's Logo on the Field?

[Gothamite]

Watching

of the first play in New Orleans Saints' history - John Gilliam's famous 94-yard opening kickoff-return touchdown - and noticed something I hadn't seen before. I tried a search, but couldn't find this.

As Gilliam scampers down the field past all the blue-and-white-clad Rams (0:06), he passes by the Los Angeles logo, painted on the field at what appears to be the 25.

Was this commonly done back in the day, something new for the home fans every game?

[OleSmokey]

Watching

of the first play in New Orleans Saints' history - John Gilliam's famous 94-yard opening kickoff-return touchdown - and noticed something I hadn't seen before. I tried a search, but couldn't find this.

As Gilliam scampers down the field past all the blue-and-white-clad Rams (0:06), he passes by the Los Angeles logo, painted on the field at what appears to be the 25.

Was this commonly done back in the day, something new for the home fans every game?

I don't know how often this occurred, but I can remember growing up watching the Cowboys play in Old Texas Stadium their first year in the playoffs, and for the playoffs, the Cowboys changed one of the end zones to the visitor's team name and graphics. I think they played the 49ers one game and the Vikings a second game.

Also, being a Browns' fan, I remember when the Browns were hosting the 1986 AFC Championship (i.e. the dreaded "Drive" game), they switched "Browns" in one of the endzones to "Broncos".

[slapshot]

You sure that's a Rams helmet? Looks like the Saints helmet to me.

[mjmatias]

The Kansas City Chiefs used to paint their helmet and the opposing teams helmet facing each other midfield in the late 60's early 70's. I believe before they moved to Arrowhead Stadium.

[Burning River]

I think in 1983, the Seahawks at Raiders did that too in the AFC Championship Game . LA Colisuem had a Blue end-zone with SEAHAWKS in it. I remember being mad at "the Broncos" because when the Browns then played at Denver for the AFC Championship, they didn't write BROWNS in one end-zone!

[Cola]

You sure that's a Rams helmet? Looks like the Saints helmet to me.

It's a Rams logo- not helmet.

It is this logo:

[MikeJones]

2005 Saints "Home" opener at Giants Stadium against the NYG. one end zone was painted with the Giants logo and the other end zone was painted with the Saints logo.

http://www.bigbluevids.com/index.php?Itemid=59&id=53&option=com_content&view=article

[slapshot]

ok, now I see it...for some reason to me it looked like a helmet rotated 90 degrees

[Buffalo]

Also, being a Browns' fan, I remember when the Browns were hosting the 1986 AFC Championship (i.e. the dreaded "Drive" game), they switched "Browns" in one of the endzones to "Broncos".

Is that the reason why I never could tell who was the home-team in the NFL Films of "The Drive" and "The Fumble"??? Or did the Browns wear white at home in the playoffs???

[BlueSky]

Can't answer as to how common it was or is, but you're right, it is the Rams logo. In fact, at Tulane Stadium in the early years, they did each team's end zone as well, as seen in this aerial shot of that 1967 opening day. I always thought that was very cool, albeit a load of work for the groundskeeping crew. The logo you saw in the video is at the 40 on the Rams' side. Sir Saint is at the 50 (hard to see in this pic but it's in the video) and the Saints' 'shield' logo (like in their end zone) is at the Saints' 40.

Note the goalposts at the goal line. It's crazy it took so long to move them out of the field of play.

[psilcosyn]

I think in 1983, the Seahawks at Raiders did that too in the AFC Championship Game . LA Colisuem had a Blue end-zone with SEAHAWKS in it. I remember being mad at "the Broncos" because when the Browns then played at Denver for the AFC Championship, they didn't write BROWNS in one end-zone!

This was done in the NFC Championship in the Early 70s also. I can certainly remember seeing a Red 49ers endzone and a Purple Vikings Endzone at Texas Stadium in the 71 and 73 NFC Championship games. Also, I'm pretty sure the same was done at the 66 NFC Championship Between the Cowboys and Packers at the Cotton Bowl.

[Ben Schwartz]

2005 Saints "Home" opener at Giants Stadium against the NYG. one end zone was painted with the Giants logo and the other end zone was painted with the Saints logo.

http://www.bigbluevids.com/index.php?Itemid=59&id=53&option=com_content&view=article

Wow the intro to that was amazing

[dirtywater11]

The 1985 AFC Championship Game in Miami had a Patriots end zone as well.

[Dedalvs]

Note the goalposts at the goal line. It's crazy it took so long to move them out of the field of play.

You know, it's still that way in the CFL. I, like you, though (if I read you right), think it's absolutely insane. A helmet cuts off your peripheral vision, after all, and in the heat of a play, what's to stop a player from running full-force straight into the goalpost? Tradition or not, that seems like something where the cons far outweigh the pros.

[cheo25]

Every Saints highlight I've ever when grass was still in Tulane Stadium had the opposing team's logo somewhere on one side of the 50, along with an opposing team end zone. That would cover Saints home games from 1967-70. They installed turf into Tulane Stadium in 1971, and the field was logoless for Saints games for the rest of their time there.

I've seen NFL Films highlights of the Chiefs at old Municipal Stadium and they used to have the opposing team's helmet to the left of the 50 if the logo was facing you. The Chiefs helmet would be on the right of the 50 (don't remember how many yards in each direction for the helmet logos).

I think the Cowboys may have done some of this too in the 1960s when the Cotton Bowl still had grass.

I've seen it in playoff games in a few instances in the '70s and '80s (San Francisco, the 1970 NFCCG at Kezar Stadium I think; Dallas -- the 1973 NFCG vs. Minnesota, maybe '71 NFCG vs. 49ers; Pittsburgh with a plain white wordmark for MIAMI and the OILERS in the 1979 playoffs; Denver, with generic fonts for STEELERS and RAIDERS with blue end zones in the 1977 playoffs). The last time I remember seeing it was the 1986 AFC Championship Game in Cleveland where the Browns put BRONCOS in one end zone, but in the Browns font, which was really weird to see.

Dallas and Minnesota (at Metropolitan Stadium) used to have field-goal base covers that would have the visiting team's name on one side. Not sure when the Cowboys stopped doing it, but I think they did it into the 1990s.

[scarsofthumper]

[Krona]

Note the goalposts at the goal line. It's crazy it took so long to move them out of the field of play.

You know, it's still that way in the CFL. I, like you, though (if I read you right), think it's absolutely insane. A helmet cuts off your peripheral vision, after all, and in the heat of a play, what's to stop a player from running full-force straight into the goalpost? Tradition or not, that seems like something where the cons far outweigh the pros.

I like the idea of it up front. I imagine a modern offense could do so crazy things using the post to set picks, but be hindered by the crossbar and uprights. at least the cfl end zone is much bigger.

[PackerBadger]

The Packers had a burgundy helmet (minus logo) for "The Defense Rests" Packers-Redskins Monday night game in 1983. ("The Defense Rests" was the Washington Post headline of the game that ended Packers 48, Redskins 47.)

There may have been a white helmet as well for the Packers-Cardinals playoff game one season earlier.

[SteveR]

The Packers were in their traditionsl yellow helmets for the 48-47 game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDAw8WoEfA

[speedy]

The Packers were in their traditionsl yellow helmets for the 48-47 game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDAw8WoEfA

He was referring to the helmets painted in the end-zone. Go to 2:55 in the video.