NFL 2023 Changes

[ManillaToad]

Houston changing their uniforms is gonna be like the Titans where everyone got bored of their long-lasting set and was excited to see something new, then the redesign was a disaster and we all wish they never changed in the first place because the original was perfectly fine

[FiddySicks]

7 minutes ago, ManillaToad said:

Houston changing their uniforms is gonna be like the Titans where everyone got bored of their long-lasting set and was excited to see something new, then the redesign was a disaster and we all wish they never changed in the first place because the original was perfectly fine

Yeah I don’t necessarily think the Texans uniforms are all that awe inspiring, but considering they picked a generic ass name like the Texans, they kinda nailed the uniforms out of the gate. 
 

A lot of times uniforms stick around because they get that whole “iconic” label for representing successful eras. Just look at the Cowboys. Their uniforms are objectively a total mess, but are seen as untouchable due to the links it has to their past success. Had the Texans not been a tire fire for most of their existence, their uniforms would’ve probably been on that level, too.
 

IMO, any way you slice it, the Texans just have a better, more cohesive set than the Cowboys. But because it’s linked to an era (re: their entire existence) that’s been mostly terrible play, they’re seen as “stale” and expendable. The issue with the Texans isn’t the uniforms, it’s literally everything else. The uniforms aren’t “stale”, the entire organization is. New uniforms aren’t gonna fix those problems. 

[8BW14]

1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

If the Titans had kept the old Oilers look, while using their current designs I think the fan base would have less to talk about. But since the Titans are a predominantly navy blue team now, Houston fans stuck in nostalgia want the Texans to take the colors. I'd almost rather they go the city of Pittsburgh route and copy the Astros than try to look like a revamped Oilers team. And just to be clear, I don't want that. But now I may just have to mockup a design based on it. 

I guess I just don’t understand that line of thinking regarding wanting the old color scheme back. It’s a fine color scheme but it sure isn’t the hill I would die on. I know this comparison isn’t quite apples to apples, but if a new team came to San Diego, it would be ridiculous for San Diegoans? to be clamoring for powder blue and yellow. Wouldn’t you want something totally different from the team that up and left Houston 30 years ago. The Titans are the Oilers and that history belongs to them. The Texans have been around for 20 years now and have their own distinct brand. Why muddy that pretending to be another franchise that still kinda, sorta exists. I agree with you about the Pittsburgh thing, that would be preferable, not that I’d actually want that either.

45 minutes ago, HopewellJones said:

Powder/Red is simply a better color scheme than Navy/Red. Don't care about history. 

For the Oilers/Titans, sure. For the Texans dark blue/red makes more sense, given the tie in to the Texas flag.

[DCarp1231]

I’d rather the Texans move in-line with the Rockets and Astros branding. Go to a space themed set. They can still keep the logo as well.

[gosioux76]

It's interesting that this is coming up today, because apparently the Texans hosted some local media last week to give them a sneak peek at some of the changes.  Here's a link to a story about it on the team's website on Friday. And below are some reaction tweets. 

 

 

 

[rorinator]

If any NFL team were to use that font I'd imagine it'd be the Ravens. Looks way too gothic for a team called the Texans to pull off. I'm sure the Love Ya Blue is going to go over really well with most fans though and if they do change that's the direction they'd go in, at least as an alternate/city jersey. Not a good secondary mark imo, at least the classic bull head is still there on the side.

[DCarp1231]

Houston leaning into the “H-Town” is worrisome.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

It is going to get awkward in the AFC South if the Texans try to reclaim the old Oilers colors at the same time Titans fans are clamoring for Oilers throwbacks with the new helmet rules. 

[tBBP]

3 hours ago, 8BW14 said:

I guess I just don’t understand that line of thinking regarding wanting the old color scheme back. It’s a fine color scheme but it sure isn’t the hill I would die on. I know this comparison isn’t quite apples to apples, but if a new team came to San Diego, it would be ridiculous for San Diegoans? to be clamoring for powder blue and yellow. Wouldn’t you want something totally different from the team that up and left Houston 30 years ago. The Titans are the Oilers and that history belongs to them. The Texans have been around for 20 years now and have their own distinct brand. Why muddy that pretending to be another franchise that still kinda, sorta exists. I agree with you about the Pittsburgh thing, that would be preferable, not that I’d actually want that either.

For the Oilers/Titans, sure. For the Texans dark blue/red makes more sense, given the tie in to the Texas flag.

 

It's not so much thinking as much as it is emotion. That says, I'll sum it up for you in one phrase: "nostalgia is a helluva drug." 

 

1 hour ago, gosioux76 said:

It's interesting that this is coming up today, because apparently the Texans hosted some local media last week to give them a sneak peek at some of the changes.  Here's a link to a story about it on the team's website on Friday. And below are some reaction tweets. 

 

 

 

 

Houston Texans: "share no details of our future branding with the public."

 

Also Houston Texans: allows tweet sharing details of their future branding with the public.

 

This whole thing is gonna become one big comedy show, isn't it?

 

Now, that said, what I write next is purely conjecture...but it's somewhat educated conjecture inasmuch as such is possible, so here's my wild-behind conspiracy theory behind what I think is happening/could happen...

 

First, I get the distinct feeling this next branding era is gonna be über-Houstocentric*, more so than anything Texan aside from possibly their current logo—so much so that they may as well rename themselves the Houston Houstonians. Why do I feel that vibe? Between Nike's current run of devising metrocentric* team identities (reference both the NBA's and now MLB's "City" programs) and the increasing cross-sectioning of lifestyle/streetwear brands with pro sports branding, it just sets up too well, especially for a place like H-town. And speaking of that, and getting back to the streetwear thing, check the font used for the letters on that cap. Where else do you so often see blackletter-inspired type? Yup, streetwear, especially in  Houston—in fact it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out Paul Wall was in on this. 

 

Now, last thing (for this post). The colors used for those caps are fueling what's been a growing suspicion of mine the past three or four years: Mr. NcNair, Ms. Adams Strunk and the league may have been/may be brokering some kind of deal to either license or outright sell the intellectual property of the old Oilers colors back to Houston...if enough money is involved, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ms. Adams Strunk jumped on it (and mind you, there's still the matter of a new stadium to pay for in Nashville, though i have no idea how much of a cut a sale of IP rights would contribute to that).That said, I will laugh hysterically if either a/ Tennessee and Houston essentially end up trading colorways with each other or b/ both franchised end up with essentially the same colorway used two different ways. 

 

 

*If neither of those were actual words before today, they [un]officially are now...

[Carolingian Steamroller]

3 hours ago, 8BW14 said:

I guess I just don’t understand that line of thinking regarding wanting the old color scheme back. It’s a fine color scheme but it sure isn’t the hill I would die on. I know this comparison isn’t quite apples to apples, but if a new team came to San Diego, it would be ridiculous for San Diegoans? to be clamoring for powder blue and yellow. Wouldn’t you want something totally different from the team that up and left Houston 30 years ago. The Titans are the Oilers and that history belongs to them. The Texans have been around for 20 years now and have their own distinct brand. Why muddy that pretending to be another franchise that still kinda, sorta exists. I agree with you about the Pittsburgh thing, that would be preferable, not that I’d actually want that either.

For the Oilers/Titans, sure. For the Texans dark blue/red makes more sense, given the tie in to the Texas flag.

 

For the record, the Oilers were in Houston for 36 years and departed 26 years ago with the Texans arriving 20 years ago.

 

I think part of the motivation (beyond pure nostalgia) is that the Oilers look, specifically the 1975-1996 look, achieved a degree of iconic status in its own time while the current Texans set has fallen more into the category of underappreciated modern classic. The Texans design, while very good has never reached the same appreciation (probably unfairly).

 

I think the equivalent might be if the LA Chargers switched to a version of the navy blue color rush as their primary (unlikely but here me out). With an opening in the league color pallet, you might see San Diegans push for a new team featuring powder blue.*

 

*I actually think if a team does move into San Diego, you'd be more likely to see navy or azul references to the Seau or Fouts era, since both of those uniforms really defined the team's time there.

 

 

 

[Carolingian Steamroller]

I will reserve judgment until we do get new uniforms from the Texans but I will say this:

 

Be careful what you wish for.

[sky1324]

Luv ya blue returning to Houston is a good thing no matter how you slice it. There's nothing more Houston football than the Oilers and the Texans should've been able to claim that from day one. Besides, if the Titans aren't gonna use it properly, the Texans might as well.

[gosioux76]

From looking at those hats, my bigger concern would be the team ending up with sort-of a split personality. One is in the old Oilers colors. The other is is only navy and white.

 

There's been a pattern lately of sports franchises going too far in a push for simplicity. So I'd be wary of a team that tried to go Navy/White as its primary colors, then used powder blue as a City Connect-esque alternate. 

 

The best scenario, if these colors are legit, would be a Powder/Red look with navy as tertiary. Similar to the Titans, yes. But if applied with the right color balance, it could still be unique.  

[tBBP]

10 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

The best scenario, if these colors are legit, would be a Powder/Red look with navy as tertiary. Similar to the Titans, yes. But if applied with the right color balance, it could still be unique.  

 

That's actually exactly what I believe they may be planning to try to pull off...

[AgentColon2]

Pick two colors please. There is no need for a third here.

[HOOVER]

The Navy/White hat is also interesting.  Could they be moving to a simplified Yankees-style look, with just very slight touches of Red?  That would be like Jacksonville all over again.

 

Powder Blue/Red is great, but only if the Titans sell the identity to Houston outright.  Can't have two teams wearing those colors, even if Tennessee was the only one that retained Navy.

 

This should not be difficult:  Red/White/Navy and you are the Texans, with a solid enough logo.  Just put together a balanced, iconic uniform that will stand the test of time, and throw in a Powder/Red alternate to satisfy fans a few times per year.

[HOOVER]

2 hours ago, gosioux76 said:

It's interesting that this is coming up today, because apparently the Texans hosted some local media last week to give them a sneak peek at some of the changes.  Here's a link to a story about it on the team's website on Friday. And below are some reaction tweets. 

 

 

 

 

Worth noting that all of the tweets/interviews at that link state that new branding & uniforms will not debut until April 2024.

[gosioux76]

Just now, Volt said:

 

Worth noting that all of the tweets/interviews at that link state that new branding & uniforms will not debut until April 2024.

 

Yeah, it's a bizarre choice to use local media as a focus group for a brand you don't intend to debut at least another year. I presume the local print media steered clear because something like this would have almost certainly required participants to sign a nondisclosure, or at least a very long-term embargo,  which any credible news media wouldn't agree to. 

[SailorOfSilence102]

I am kinda confused at the timing of all thing, to be honest. If they decided to lean into the Oilers colors around the time they had those really good teams with Schaub, Foster and Andre Johnson, that'd make sense, or even after they drafted Clowney. The franchise was young, and well the branding was solid, it was young enough to where it wouldn't really matter. But 20 years into the league where they've fully been established ? I don't know, that feels off to me. 

[WestCoastBias]

Can the NFL work some deal with the Titans and just give Houston the Oilers name and logo back?