NFL 2023 Changes

[Bmac]

The Texans have some of the best uniforms in the NFL.  The logo is great for what it is. The custom number font is perfect. The shoulder design is perfect - modern yet timeless. The color balance is solid, especially when the red socks are worn with the white jerseys and navy pants. The ONLY gripe I have is with the pants, which should just mimic the shoulder design of the jerseys (red tapered stripe on navy, navy tapered stripe on white).

[⋔ 4 ℞ ℞ $]

13 hours ago, Blast_Brothers said:

 

They're the only team with a navy helmet and navy facemask.

 

12 hours ago, TruColor said:

 

*cough*Bears*cough*

See also: Seattle Seahawks & Denver Broncos

 

[Edit: @WSU151 beat me to the punch. "Great minds think alike."]
 

[8BW14]

The Texans uniforms get me vote for being very good, red alt helmet and color rush non-withstanding. @Bmac took the words right out of my mouth. That is the correct opinion regarding the Texans. Everyone wishing for something new won’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone

[DCarp1231]

I’ve said it a few times, but mark me down as in favor of the Texans moving the branding in-line with the Rockets and Astros as being space themed.

[PlayGloria]

It's pretty tough to make a dynamic brand when your team is named the Houston Texans. I mean, right from the hop, their branding couldn't be any more lifeless. Pair that with a red white and blue color scheme that has been used by countless teams in all of sports and you get a super generic product. 

[FinsUp1214]

To me, the Texans have a modern classic of a uniform. It follows some general principles of one type of a classic football uniform - shoulder stripes, untapered pant stripes, legible number font - and it’s honestly rather straightforward in its composition, yet applies enough modern touches to keep it interesting and current without overdoing it. To have especially straddled the line between restraint and progress all the way back in 2002 was very impressive then, and has led to a uniform that - to me at least - has never dated and still works very well. The look is somehow all thier own too, I’ve never mixed them up for anyone and they are instantly recognizable. They are not, and have never been, in any position where they need to change in my book.

 

In a weird way as well, the modern touches the uniform does have give it a very slight but noticeable “space” look to it. Maybe it’s the dark navy base, red trims, star within the logo, and a healthy mix of curved and pointed elements between the logo, shoulder stripes, and number font, but I’ve always noticed at least a hint of space there, intentional or not.
 

All in all, the Texans nailed it out of the gate. I think it’d be a shame for them to bail out of a good thing.

[henburg]

The current Texans uniforms are fine and good, and I even understand labeling them as modern classics in the vein of the Panthers, but they lean far more into boring and generic territory for me than anything else. Will these new uniforms they roll out next season be a strong overcorrection? Almost certainly, but I hardly think this current identity is untouchable. 

[tBBP]

I'll say this for the Texans, now that we're in full-on Texjack territory: from a technical perspective (inasmuch as anything aesthetic can be technical), yes, the Texans do have a contemporary classic on their hands—or would if someone on their equipment staff would remind them that it is indeed not an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to wear red socks with their navy pants for away games—and they do have one of they very best logos in all of sports...BUT, the big issue with said contemporary classic is the utterly drab colorway itself.

 

Had they come out in, oh, I don't know, some shade of orange, preferably more vibrant, and something closer to stonewashed denim, we'd be having a different colorway conversation. 

 

(Aaaannnd I might've just told on myself by divulging that last part )

[Germanshepherd]

The Texans going away from red socks on the aways will never make sense to me

[MrAstrodome]

13 minutes ago, Germanshepherd said:

The Texans going away from red socks on the aways will never make sense to me

 

They were on a losing streak at the time and changed things up for the sake of it. And stuck with yoga pants since. 

[GriffinM6]

I think the only thing I would dislike the Texans getting rid of is their number font. It's legitimately a perfect custom font. 

 

Everything else in their brand I can take or leave despite the fact that I do like their current uniforms. 

[sky1324]

The uniforms are good, well-designed, and don't have any major flaws. The logo is great, well-designed, and has no major flaws. The brand, as a whole, is a very nothing brand. There's nothing really unique about it, it doesn't say "Houston", it's more so a "Texas" brand, but that's not a concept I think they should've gone with, because the Cowboys own Texas (and a good chunk of the country), even when the Oilers were in Houston. Trying to get that broad appeal led to a set that, on its face, doesn't have anything wrong with it and is even one of the better sets in the league, but I'd still like to see them go for a more Houston-centric design.

[GoGreenGoWhite]

Imagine if the Texans wore their red pants with the white and blue jerseys.

[gosioux76]

2 hours ago, FinsUp1214 said:

To me, the Texans have a modern classic of a uniform. It follows some general principles of one type of a classic football uniform - shoulder stripes, untapered pant stripes, legible number font - and it’s honestly rather straightforward in its composition, yet applies enough modern touches to keep it interesting and current without overdoing it. To have especially straddled the line between restraint and progress all the way back in 2002 was very impressive then, and has led to a uniform that - to me at least - has never dated and still works very well. The look is somehow all thier own too, I’ve never mixed them up for anyone and they are instantly recognizable. They are not, and have never been, in any position where they need to change in my book.

 

In a weird way as well, the modern touches the uniform does have give it a very slight but noticeable “space” look to it. Maybe it’s the dark navy base, red trims, star within the logo, and a healthy mix of curved and pointed elements between the logo, shoulder stripes, and number font, but I’ve always noticed at least a hint of space there, intentional or not.
 

All in all, the Texans nailed it out of the gate. I think it’d be a shame for them to bail out of a good thing.

 

This is such an interesting discussion, because I can't disagree with anything in @FinsUp1214's post, but at the same time find the Texans look to be completely forgettable.

 

Looking back, it was unveiled in an era of relative design restraint, right before Reebok got high on piping and side panels. I think about the Eagles and Patriots redesigns at the tail end of the '90s as being in a similar class: lacking in gimmick, simple in execution, not flashy, but following much of the traits of traditional football uniforms with small touches of panache. 

 

The big difference is that the Eagles and Patriots actually won things in their boring uniforms. Save for the heroics of JJ Watt, there's almost nothing memorable about the 20-year history of the Texans other than the fact that they have nice, but boring uniforms. 

 

Is that a case for changing it up?  I'd argue that it can't hurt. We've seen teams change their look for worse reasons. 

 

[MrAstrodome]

1 hour ago, GoGreenGoWhite said:

Imagine if the Texans wore their red pants with the white and blue jerseys.

 

o

[GFB]

Oops

 

[Indigo]

1 hour ago, GFB said:

Oops

 

Sooo... what does this mean?

[tBBP]

1 hour ago, GFB said:

Oops

 

 

Okay, so wait—hold up. Somebody help me understand this...does this mean they played a whole dang season, went through two drafts and started op OTAs under that nickname and the thing was still pending application in trademark court?? And somehow the league let that pass?? Or am I missing something here (which I'm sure I am)?

 

The comedy show in DC just writes its own jokes at this point, doesn't it?

[MDGP]

16 minutes ago, Indigo said:

Sooo... what does this mean?

 

They'll likely eventually get the trademark. The denial was based on the Army-Air Force game called the Commanders' Classic and a Trademark Squatter who has claimed he'll give them up for free to the team.

 

They'll have their lawyers argue that the Washington Commanders won't be confused with a single college football game. That should be persuasive, though when it comes to soft IP in the US the logical outcome doesn't always occur. The other trademarks will either be abandoned or turned over to the team for free or they'll pay the guy to obtain them.

[gosioux76]

19 minutes ago, tBBP said:

 

Okay, so wait—hold up. Somebody help me understand this...does this mean they played a whole dang season, went through two drafts and started op OTAs under that nickname and the thing was still pending application in trademark court?? And somehow the league let that pass?? Or am I missing something here (which I'm sure I am)?

 

The comedy show in DC just writes its own jokes at this point, doesn't it?

 

I'm not sure it's all that unusual. I'm no expert, but it seems like trademark applications can take a long time to process, and in most cases it's either a formality or creates obstacles that can easily be overcome, which seems to be the case here.

 

If you continue following that tweet thread, the author says these trademark rejections aren't likely to become major obstacles for the team.