The Golden Rule of the NFL

[Voodoo Child]

This is a pet theory of mine, and one I'm hoping that you'd all agree with me with: NFL teams look the best when they only have two "main" colors, that is, the helmet, shirt, and pants only have two colors between them.

A basic example: the Jaguars.

Black/Teal/White looks alright, but compared to Black/Teal/Black...

There are a lot of teams this could go for. This may be a bit of personal taste, but I think it holds true pretty much across the board. I just think that the uniform looks disjointed and "off" when three colors are used.

And sorry for the small pictures...I'm new at this whole thing.

[paynomind]

I think overall, this is simply opinion, but I see your point. I do enjoy when a team simplifies and uses as few colors in large spaces.

I also like teams that are one color + white... Jets, Redwings, Leafs, Mich State, etc.

[JQK]

I find that theory invalid.

I believe a uniform looks great based on design and using the correct colors and design. I have seen three-color combos that are some of, if not THE best in the league. There are also some that are atrocious.

Likewise with the two-color approach.

It's not about two or three color combos, it's about design and using the colors in the correct manner. Sometimes it is better to go with only two base colors, other times, three works fantasticly well.

[Voodoo Child]

just another example here, the Cincinnati Bengals...

versus

[JQK]

just another example here, the Cincinnati Bengals...

No combination will ever make those Bengals uniforms look good.

[TFoA]

just another example here, the Cincinnati Bengals...

No combination will ever make those Bengals uniforms look good.

Amen to that, those are just freakin ugly on the field. Stylish to wear to the club, but FUGLY on the field.

[O.C.D]

I see what your saying Voodoo Child. Ever since I saw the jaguars teal jersey/black pant combo, I thought they should have been made the permenent home uniforms. But, you kinda lost me when you brought up the bangels uniforms. You said that uniforms look best when the helmet, jersey, and pants have two colors between them, but the bangels have three(Orange, white, and black). But I do think that uniforms look good when they share the 2 base colors between them (Give or take secondary colors)

[darkhaha]

This adapted from a post I first made on Football Uniforms Past and Present in 2003:

Here's a theory I have regarding effective design: If you break down a uniform into four basic elements ? helmet, jersey, pants, and socks, at least two of them need to be the same color in order for there to be a cohesive effect. This is especially true for teams with three colors (in addition to white). The 2000-01 Giants road, 2000-2001 Falcons road, or Bucs red jersey/white pants combo didn't work for me ? with helmets, jerseys, pants and socks all of different colors, they just look a jumbled mess.

Conversely, though, there can be too much of a monochromatic effect (e.g. the Jags all black ensemble, which makes them look like refugees from the XFL. I expected to see "He Hate Me" on the back of one of their jerseys). The balance is the key. I'm also not crazy about dark pants and dark socks the same color (Titans road, Jags black combos, and several that just started this year or last, such as the Chargers, Redskins, Cardinals etc.). It just makes for a funny looking line when the player has the same color from the waist to mid-calf or below. The one exception I find to the "no-monochromatic" rule is the Broncos all-blue: I think these actually look kind of cool, mostly because thec orange stripes are thick enough to break things up a little.

While we're on the topic, I think we need to get a little more precise about the terms "monochrome" and/or "monochromatic," too. There is a big difference between the Ravens and Jags all-black sets, which IMHO don't work, and the Bills (red helmet-blue jersey-blue pants-red socks), Jets (white helmet-green jersey-green pants-white socks) or Patriots (silver helmet-blue jersey-blue pants-white socks), which do. Just because the pants and jerseys are the same color doesn't mean the whole uniform is monochromatic.

Here are my picks for best and worst NFL unis:

BEST

Cowboys (white)

Raiders

Packers

Jets

Steelers

WORST

Cardinals

Titans (white jersey/blue pants)

Bills (white jersey/blue pants)

Ravens (all-black)

Jaguars (any combination with black pants and black socks)

These picks have nothing whatsover to do with how I feel about the teams themselves; as a die-hard Bronco fan I despise the Raiders, and as a native Coloradoan I'm not too fond of the Cowboys. But from a design standpoint I believe they have the best uniforms (although I do agree with many others on this site that they should standardize their colors. I think a helmet in the metallic silver-blue of the pants would look way cool ? in fact, I swear they tried to more closely approximate this back in the 60s and 70s before they went to a completley different design for the blue unis). As you can tell from my picks, I'm a big fan of teams whose helmets and pants match; this produces what to me is a pleasing symmetry.

[WideRight]

OK, some comments and then a theory:

1. Are you really saying that the Jags unis with teal jerseys and black pants are the better version??? I don't see it. I hate the black pants with teal jersey--especially the stripeless pants, looks like an arena refugee.

2. It's about balance and coordinated elements, not color use. The Bills and Bengals look horrible because they are busy and disjointed. Wearing all white with their bad jerseys doesn't help.

OK, A theories:

1. Socks should never be same color as pants, and should always be white with either a color block on top or stripes (redskins).

2. When possible (see rule 1) socks should be same color as helmets. This rule

does not apply to white or metallic helmets, when main color should be used.

3. Dark jersey = white, yellow or metallic pants. White jersey and you should use

dark pants (some exceptions for white on white is ok--Indy, Miami, etc.)

4. If there is a 3rd color it should always be trim only. Good example is Seattle

using Green or Tampa using orange. Bad example is Buffalo's mosh of

roya and navy.

5. Blocks of a single color can work: Denver, Houston shoulders, etc. but

avoid mismatched blocks and complex patterns (Cincy, Bills)

6. pants should have stripes, with some rare exceptions, like Notre Dame.

Stripes on pants should have some reference to sleeve/shoulder stripe or

design. Good examples are Chargers, Colts (Double) and Broncos (the

two flow together well) bad example: Houston (A single red swoosh

would work better) or Jaguars (sometimes lots of stripes, sometimes none)

I know people will have other ideas of what works and what doesn't but for me the all dark doesn't, especially like Jags where the jersey and pants are different colors. And the lack of pant stripes, especially with same color socks, is a nightmare look.

Right now, my best, worst:

Best

Broncos--controversial, but all the pieces work together

Seattle--only on rare days when white pants with dark top, and vice versa

49ers--great update of old look

Tampa--Every combination works, with white on white my least favorite

Titans--great example of a new look used well (except all-dark combo)

Eagles--again, except dark on dark, blech

Worst

Bills--disjointed and stripes don't line up.

Falcons--some elements I love (pant stripes) some I hate (sleeves.)

Jaguars--their old combinations worked much better (teal-white, white-teal)

Cardinals--just to show that I am not just old-school, bores me to tears.

Any team wearing all red, all blue, all green, all whatever, yich!!!

[VandyDelphia Mike]

This is a pet theory of mine, and one I'm hoping that you'd all agree with me with: NFL teams look the best when they only have two "main" colors, that is, the helmet, shirt, and pants only have two colors between them.

A basic example: the Jaguars.

Black/Teal/White looks alright, but compared to Black/Teal/Black...

There are a lot of teams this could go for. This may be a bit of personal taste, but I think it holds true pretty much across the board. I just think that the uniform looks disjointed and "off" when three colors are used.

And sorry for the small pictures...I'm new at this whole thing.

Based on this theory, the Titans' alternate set does not work (the one with the light blue jersey). So would you correct this by making the pants whilte, or by making the helmet dark blue?

Just curious.

[hormone]

I agree with pretty much of what everyone is saying on here. I hate the Bills and Bengals unis. Pants should have stripes...see Jax black ones. Socks shouldn't be the same color as the pants...see Jax black, Titans blue, now the Skins, etc. Why can't the Titans use a light blue with the blue pants? It matches their color scheme and breaks the sweat pants look. I'm going to add a few things that drive me nuts too. Teams like the Skins, Phins, and Cowboys wear white way too much. I'm not even sure they need to purchase a dark set because they wear white so darn much. And here's my big one. Gray facemasks when gray isn't your color. Could someone send a memo to the Cardinals and the Colts that they could have (or return to) a team color face mask.

[Voodoo Child]

A lot more on this than I expected...its always funny to me how what I think is obviously better looking someone else completely disagrees with. Noones right or wrong, of course, but it just...is.

First of all, I sorta flipped the order of the images in my posts. I meant for the bengals orange/white/white to be the "better" version of orange/white/black. I probalby should have flipped the two images to avoid confusion, sorry.

But for more rules, I don't think that socks can really ever detract from a uniform, only add to it. I love striped socks, and I think that the Bears have the finest in the league. I also am absolutely frustrated by the Titans' uniforms. They seem like they are just missing one little thing to be perfect. I have an irrational love for their light blues, though. I photoshopped a light blue helmet for the Titans, I think it looks kind of sharp. I think that if they made their home light blue/dark blue/light blue and their roads light blue/dark blue/light blue, that would be pretty good looking. If someone would tell me how to post pictures, I would definetly put up both concepts.

Best Jerseys: either Chicago or San Fran. Thoguh I did like the bears blue/white/white more.

Worst: Arizona or Miami. Arizona just needs to scrap the entire operation, move to San Antonio, and start from scratch. Not jerseys, EVERYTHING. I just hate the Miami shade of green. I like the idea of aqua and orange, but not green and orange. I'm weird that way.

[Phil]

I also like teams that are one color + white...  Jets

But they were blue, red, and white.

Oh, you mean those other lesser-known Jets that play that silly ultra-violent "football" game. That sport will never catch on... I have full confidence President Roosevelt will see to that!

[Jezus_Ghoti]

I find myself surprised that I like the Jags' black-teal-black look. Going by my own theories, I figured I would hate it. If they just added a teal stripe to the pants and wore teal socks, I think they would have a very good look.

[andrewharrington]

i think the browns pull off a three color look well, but i also love the return of the orange pants. i dont believe there is a "pattern" to what looks good, because its different with every team. i think the bengals can pull off a black jersey and pants, and i think the dolphins pull off the all white very well. i dont like the vikings all white, i think they should bring back some purple pants. its all based on colors and their interaction. experimntation will lead to the best possible combinations.

[winghaz]

I think if something looks garish, don't use it.

The Bengals' new look looks garish. They need to go back to what worked well, the tiger stripes on the shoulder and pants stripes.

The Jaguars, I still can't figure them out. But they did look good against the Packers with the black pants.

Of course, there are classic looks that shouldn't be changed. Like the Packers, Cowboys, Raiders, etc.

[Gothamite]

I don't know that they "shouldn't be changed." Not changed a lot, but there are some tweaks that could be made.

The Packers: get rid of the Forrest Gregg neck stripe, bring back the Lombardi striping on the road sleeves.

The Cowboys: pick a silver, any silver!

The Raiders: um... well... drop the stupid "OFFICIAL NFL MERCHANDISE" tag they all wear on their necks. But you could say that about every team. I may hate the Raiders, but I have to admit that they've got the best uniforms

[RickV]

The Raiders: um... well... drop the stupid "OFFICIAL NFL MERCHANDISE" tag they all wear on their necks. But you could say that about every team. I may hate the Raiders, but I have to admit that they've got the best uniforms

Speaking of the Raiders, I really like their 1970 white jerseys with the silver numbers and black outline. They only used those for one year, I wish they would bring those back fulltime. I wonder why they discontinued them so quickly. See below for example.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5149898541

[vicfurth]

I gotta agree with J.Q.King on this one. It's not specific colors, but how you use 'em. Just look at Seattle. They use slate blue, darker slate blue, & lime, made blaher with all-blue... But it works. IMO, it wouldn't work with white pants just like Pittsburgh wouldn't work with black pants (or white). Even better, the Bills use the same two-blue approach with a different color-in this case, red-and it just looks bad.

[Dnice]

I agree about the Falcons sleeves. Everything esle is ok. It seems like the designer wanted to one-up the Seahawks.