Super Bowl Uni/End Zone Questions

[Jim Morgan]

I have a few questions which have bugged me for a while now.

1. In Superbowl XIV some members of the Rams (Wendell Tyler, Nolan Cromwell, McCutcheon, etc) wear lime green towels from their belt. Why did they wear them? Were they part of a special team within the team like the redskins special teams with special towels at the same time?

2. In Superbowl XII Broncos Returner Rick Upchurch is wearing a different shirt to the rest of the team. The Broncos appear to be wearing shirts which, on film, appear to be more Red than Orange. Whereas Upchurch is wearing a faded orange jersey with Slab serif type on the name lettering rather than the traditional Monolinial font used by the rest of the team. Why? Superstitious?

3. Superbowl XIX the Dolphin end zone is Orange as opposed to the Green it had been in their previous fout appearances. Why? Neon 80s Craze?

4. Non Uni/logo related. Why was the 1972 AFC championship game played at 3 Rivers stadium? This was the Dolphins perfect season. Surely they had the best record and, hence, homefield advantage. Did home field advantage not exist then?

5. Non Uni/logo related. In 1976, why did the Bucs play their games in the AFC West and the Seahawks in the NFC central?

Any answers would put my mind at rest and help me get some sleep at night.

[Juddley]

I can't answer the uniform questions for you, but as for the '72 Dolphins playing the AFC Title game I can help out. The NFL didn't just give home field advantage to the team with best record. They used a rotating schedule to decide where home games were being played that year. I remember watching a special on either ESPN or HBO on this one.

The Bucs and Seahawks question is a good one though. I'm sure there was a money motivated reason behind that switch.

[John in KY]

I have a few questions which have bugged me for a while now.

5. Non Uni/logo related. In 1976, why did the Bucs play their games in the AFC West and the Seahawks in the NFC central?

Any answers would put my mind at rest and help me get some sleep at night.

Jim,

Actually, in 1976 Tampa Bay played in the AFC Central and Seattle in the NFC West. Remember, these were the first post-merger NFL expansion teams. At the time, the NFL schedule was 14 games; Tampa Bay and Seattle were on a two-year expansion schedule to play every team in the NFL before being integrated into a new 16-game divisional schedule for 1978. Tampa Bay was temporarily placed in the AFC Central, but their schedule was to play the 13 existing AFC teams plus the "Expansion Bowl" with Seattle. Seattle was temporarily placed in in the NFC West, played all 13 NFC teams plus Tampa Bay. In 1977 they moved to their "permanent" homes - Tampa to the NFC Central and Seattle to the AFC West. However, they still played the expansion schedule - Tampa played all 13 NFC teams, Seattle played all 13 AFC teams, and they played each other in "Expansion Bowl 2".

In 1978 the NFL went to the 16-game schedule; at that time Tampa Bay and Seattle began playing the divisional schedule. By the time the NFL expanded again in 1995, there were no longer the deep-seated NFL/AFL rivalries so the league didn't feel the need to attempt an "expansion schedule".

[Jim Morgan]

Actually, in 1976 Tampa Bay played in the AFC Central and Seattle in the NFC West.

Cool. That clears those two up then.

I stand corrected on the Seahawks. The Bucs did play in the AFC West though.

0-14 in Raiders first superbowl season.

Gave every one a chance to give them a whuppin!

[mjrbaseball]

Actually, Tampa Bay was placed in the AFC West for standings purposes in 1976 (when they went 0-14), although it wouldn't have mattered what division they were in because, as you said, they played the special "expansion schedule."

[John in KY]

I stand corrected - I had always thought the Bucs dropped in the AFC Central, not the West - and I remember that season, just evidently not where the Bucs 0-14 was placed.

[tulanebc]

2. In Superbowl XII Broncos Returner Rick Upchurch is wearing a different shirt to the rest of the team. The Broncos appear to be wearing shirts which, on film, appear to be more Red than Orange. Whereas Upchurch is wearing a faded orange jersey with Slab serif type on the name lettering rather than the traditional Monolinial font used by the rest of the team. Why? Superstitious?

3. Superbowl XIX the Dolphin end zone is Orange as opposed to the Green it had been in their previous fout appearances. Why? Neon 80s Craze?

To answer the first one, if i may: In the 70's, uniforms matching wasn't a priority as it is now....if you look at various teams in that decade, many players wore uniforms that didn't quite match the others (71-78 Dolphins, 74-82 Oilers, and the 75-80 Broncos for example).....this was due to many different companies becoming jersey providers for individual teams, and when they got new jerseys year after year, subtle differences became noticable in earlier generations of uniforms (colors fading, different number serifs, etc.)

The second one: For teams with multiple Super Bowl appearances, the NFL wanted to change up end zone design by alternating background colors, font colors, etc. If you notice the color of the lettering for the Dolphins, it's aquamarine, not orange.....therefore, when they painted the new one for XIX, they decided to go with the coral background, to keep the aquamarine letters for the end zone, and to change up the REALLY ugly design for their 72 super bowl visit......(on a personal note, i would give ANYTHING for the NFL to go back to the field design for the Super Bowl like they had from 73-93....simple, classic, effective)