CFL Jerseys unveiling today!

[Pixelboy]

white helmet is official for BC

I can't say that I agree with the CFL trend, reinforced with many of the new uniforms, of placing the small numbers on the shoulders instead of the arms. I always thought the entire point of the smaller numbers was to be able to identify players while they're in profile. Like the Lions uniforms.

[Phil]

Fired this off to the Bombers' VP of Marketing & Sales Jerry Maslowsky with a CC: to the Bombers' beat writer Ed Tait.

Dear Mr. Maslowsky,

Allow me to introduce myself. Without burdening you with too many personal details, I am a lifelong Blue Bombers fan. That's about all you need to know.

As rumours of Reebok's Extreme CFL Makeover spread, I was eagerly anticipating what sort of spin they would put on the Blue Bombers identity. Although rumours spread about the potential for NFL-influenced designs, I maintained hope that the CFL would stay true to its roots and introduce a set of jerseys that would be strong, fashionable marketing tools while maintaining the strong brand identity that the CFL has developed among its fans.

The good news is the CFL did stay true to its roots. The bad news is that they managed to dig up the roots they'd long buried, those that held onto the ideas behind having two teams having phonetically identical nicknames.

In reading the press release, I understand that as "a celebration of our 75th anniversary and our pride in the Blue and Gold... what we wanted to do was create a uniform, both home and away, that our fans can be proud of." You failed to mention that this pride in our uniform would have to be shared with fans of the Toronto Argonauts and the beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders. Although it is not unusual for football teams to have similar uniforms, to my knowledge in the modern era of marketing and design, this is an unprecedented move by a professional sports league with a significant following to use an identical, non-generic jersey cut for multiple franchises.

You also mentioned that "this didn't just happen. A project of this magnitude is a lot of work." Fair enough, so why didn't the Bombers put a little more work into acquiring the talents of a creative mind to design a unique jersey instead of just handing a skilled five-year-old a Reebok template and blue and gold crayons?

The blue and gold colours are a significant element of the Blue Bombers brand. With this introduction of what some might consider mere clothing, the Bombers have sent a message that they care very little for the unique identity of the team, and hold the dollars they saved by taking the Reebok way out in higher regard than the tradition of the team and the fans who have supported the team in building this tradition. A tradition that is our own, one that is not shared with our neighbours to the west or the dozen or so that show up even when the Argos are losing.

Thank you.

Signed

[ReginaCanuck]

how could they use the same template for 4 of 9 teams? i actually like the Riders jerseys on their own, but when they look exactly the same as Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa, it's hard to like them. Reebok :censored:ed this up.

[Suigi]

Fired this off to the Bombers' VP of Marketing & Sales Jerry Maslowsky with a CC: to the Bombers' beat writer Ed Tait.

Dear Mr. Maslowsky,

Allow me to introduce myself. Without burdening you with too many personal details, I am a lifelong Blue Bombers fan. That's about all you need to know.

As rumours of Reebok's Extreme CFL Makeover spread, I was eagerly anticipating what sort of spin they would put on the Blue Bombers identity. Although rumours spread about the potential for NFL-influenced designs, I maintained hope that the CFL would stay true to its roots and introduce a set of jerseys that would be strong, fashionable marketing tools while maintaining the strong brand identity that the CFL has developed among its fans.

The good news is the CFL did stay true to its roots. The bad news is that they managed to dig up the roots they'd long buried, those that held onto the ideas behind having two teams having phonetically identical nicknames.

In reading the press release, I understand that as "a celebration of our 75th anniversary and our pride in the Blue and Gold... what we wanted to do was create a uniform, both home and away, that our fans can be proud of." You failed to mention that this pride in our uniform would have to be shared with fans of the Toronto Argonauts and the beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders. Although it is not unusual for football teams to have similar uniforms, to my knowledge in the modern era of marketing and design, this is an unprecedented move by a professional sports league with a significant following to use an identical, non-generic jersey cut for multiple franchises.

You also mentioned that "this didn't just happen. A project of this magnitude is a lot of work." Fair enough, so why didn't the Bombers put a little more work into acquiring the talents of a creative mind to design a unique jersey instead of just handing a skilled five-year-old a Reebok template and blue and gold crayons?

The blue and gold colours are a significant element of the Blue Bombers brand. With this introduction of what some might consider mere clothing, the Bombers have sent a message that they care very little for the unique identity of the team, and hold the dollars they saved by taking the Reebok way out in higher regard than the tradition of the team and the fans who have supported the team in building this tradition. A tradition that is our own, one that is not shared with our neighbours to the west or the dozen or so that show up even when the Argos are losing.

Thank you.

Signed

*claps*

SyPhi, you are a god among men.

[DMadSport]

gosioux76 says:

It would seem the patch on the blue Argos jersey would get lost in all that blue.

Yeah, and if it weren't for the gold trim in the Blue Bombers' logo, you could say the same for Winnipeg's home blues. If I were the Bombers, I would've gone for gold sleeves (the white sleeves and neckline on their old home unis always left me turned off). Either way, it still would be better than the Rams' copycats they've introduced. But I give them props for going with a blue "W" on the gold helmets (it stands out much better).

As for Toronto, I'm not really sure about the number font; it doesn't look like it goes with the "A" letter. And yes, like several others on here, I miss the warrior logo and still wish they would've kept it on at least the helmets (now I'm really glad that I bought that Argos jersey a couple years ago). That being said, the least they could've done with the new unis was instead of the solid light blue stripe, take the wave portion of the warrior logo, make it light blue and white, and transplant it to the shoulders....

... which is similar to what the Roughriders have adopted. The white and black stripes (black and green for the road) actually don't look too bad. In fact, the shoulder stripes look better on them than they do on the Renegades, Argos, and Bombers.

Major kudos to the Eskimos and Alouettes. By not making any major changes, they stand out from the crowd. Those green alternate pants for the Esks actually don't look too bad.

Kudos as well to Hamilton. First, they give the world a wonderful logo redesign. Now, they buck the Reebok carbon copy trend by going their own way. I kind of hoped they'd go for the Tiger-Cat head as an alternate on the sleeves or shoulders, but it still looks good as is.

I have real disdain for what Ottawa has done. They should have kept the conservative look (w/o any shoulder stripes).

I don't know what to say about BC's unis. The orange homes harkens back to the throwbacks they used last year, not to mention the orange route they took 20-25 years ago. That's okay, but without a major presence of black, it seems like they just sit there on the players. A simple black stripe or two on the sleeves would have been fine. By the way, is it me or does the Lions' logo look bigger on those white helmets?

I don't know what to think about the Stamps either. I want to like them, but the Falcons-like black stripes and (for the road) red shoulders makes their unis look far too busy (so many things going on at once). The horseshoe logo for the roads is a nice touch, but if they have to be on just one set, put them on the homes.

All in all, aside from some good touches, the new unis in general don't seem to be anything to write home about. Seems like a real snooze fest from Reebok.

[Cashcleaner]

I'm not hugely disappointed with the new look the teams are having. My biggest gripe is with Toronto, though. I don't have any idea why they are using the powder blue on the shoulders, especially since that colour was dropped from the logo altogether. If anything, would silver have worked for the shoulder instead? All said, I do like the font for the numbers.

I don't think Reebok has necessarily fluffed it up on this set of jerseys. I'll admit it's not strikingly original on their part, but I like a little standardization from time to time, so I'm not terribly bothered by it. I can see both points of view, though. When all is said and done, I don't think they will sell any less because of the look. In fact, I still intend to snatch up my Argos top once I get the cash.

[Pixelboy]

My biggest gripe is with Toronto, though.  I don't have any idea why they are using the powder blue on the shoulders, especially since that colour was dropped from the logo altogether

Actually, the colour that the Argos dropped was sea foam green from the border of the old logo. Since the nickname of the Argonauts has always been "the double blue", the addition of the teal-ish sea foam to the Argo palette when they instituted the warrior logo several years ago was never fully accepted. They are reverting to their historic colours of Cambridge Blue and Oxford blue, light and dark, the colours of the famous English rowing powers that the Argonaut Rowing Club adopted as the team colours of their football team in 1873.

[wheateater]

What did Reebok do here?!? Print off the four templates from Madden 2005 and use two of them for the entire league?!? This is a heinous crime; Reebok and the CFL should be punished accordingly!

[FUNKAFIED]

That red collar looking crap on the white Stampeders jersey is ugly. it probably looks OK with pads but if you're a fan wearing that it looks really dumb on its own. I like the Stamps red jerseys and the rest of the re-makes are ok. Winnipeg's redesign was pretty uninspired. I hate the f#!@ing St. Louis Rams.

[NickNickNick]

Just as long as the Riders wear silver pants with the green jerseys instead of the hideous black...it's a good start.

[Cashcleaner]

Actually, the colour that the Argos dropped was sea foam green from the border of the old logo. Since the nickname of the Argonauts has always been "the double blue", the addition of the teal-ish sea foam to the Argo palette when they instituted the warrior logo several years ago was never fully accepted. They are reverting to their historic colours of Cambridge Blue and Oxford blue, light and dark, the colours of the famous English rowing powers that the Argonaut Rowing Club adopted as the team colours of their football team in 1873.

Yeah, I understand the history behind the colours. For me though, I would have rathered they stick to only those used in the current logo which is just currently blue, white, and silver. I usually always prefer a simple palette with sports logos, so it's just a matter of opinion, but I'm not horrified by the changes.

Wow, but how's this for arrogance? On the Argos website they have a poll for the new jereys. Check it out:

Question: What do you think of the new Argo jerseys and merchandise?

1. They look great, I've already put in my order!

2. Double blue is now the new colour in my wardrobe

3. Love the new look, especially the logos

What the?! I'm sorry Argos, but not all people are going to like the new look! I don't mind it myself, but I wouldn't answer with any of those options.

[pcgd]

I'm curious how long and how much it takes to develop a brand new template for uniforms. With an existing template (and I'm talking the cut of the uniform) you already have the manufacturing neccesary to sew the new uniforms, however changing fabric colors and such is no issue, as well as any printed stripes/numbers/logos.

But to develop a completely new unique sewing style could possibly be so much more money than we think, that only the elite programs that sell the high millions of dollars can truly afford it.

I mean, if you think about it, a majority of the NFL teams use the same probably 4 or 5 sewing patterns. However, their striping is usually different. With collge, only the Miami's or the Nike Schools that are (literally) getting the uniforms for free, can use the totally unique templates.

I don't know, maybe I'm way off. Just maybe we are underestimating the time and money it takes to have a completely unique uniform. I know there was somoene here that worked at nike and maybe he can go into that more. I'm willing to bet the income generated by uniform sales of CFL merchindice is on par with taht of mid-major US colleges. These are the schools that you rarely see with anything unique as far as jersey templates. Not a knock on the CFL, more how nuts some people are in the States about sports merch.

[BBTV]

I'm curious how long and how much it takes to develop a brand new template for uniforms. With an existing template (and I'm talking the cut of the uniform) you already have the manufacturing neccesary to sew the new uniforms, however changing fabric colors and such is no issue, as well as any printed stripes/numbers/logos.

But to develop a completely new unique sewing style could possibly be so much more money than we think, that only the elite programs that sell the high millions of dollars can truly afford it.

I mean, if you think about it, a majority of the NFL teams use the same probably 4 or 5 sewing patterns. However, their striping is usually different. With collge, only the Miami's or the Nike Schools that are (literally) getting the uniforms for free, can use the totally unique templates.

I don't know, maybe I'm way off. Just maybe we are underestimating the time and money it takes to have a completely unique uniform. I know there was somoene here that worked at nike and maybe he can go into that more. I'm willing to bet the income generated by uniform sales of CFL merchindice is on par with taht of mid-major US colleges. These are the schools that you rarely see with anything unique as far as jersey templates. Not a knock on the CFL, more how nuts some people are in the States about sports merch.

Good point, however I think that in the NFL the similarities aren't really as obvious as with these CFL jerseys. For example, the Raiders, Bills, and Eagles are on the same template (I think), but look nothing alike. The same can be said about the Steelers and Broncos. With these CFL jerseys, the piping used in many of them highlights the template enough that you can't help but notice the similarities. It's kind of like 80s hockey when nearly everyone had the Capitals style template with the colored shoulders. Only a few teams (Rangers, Flyers, LAKings, maybe a few more) were different.

[rmered]

Well, they did say "this didn't just happen. A project of this magnitude is a lot of work."

You can't say that, then go produce something that I could have done.

(Me, being the guy who gets pcgd and Gordie to do my difficult Aussie Rules jumpers, but can re-colour an existing Nike template like a star)

Some of us have got the Nike templates.

We could have come up with a better effort part time than this.

Reebok look to have done more work designing Manchester City's new shirt (posted in another thread) than the entire CFL's uniforms.

[Brian in Boston]

Lazy. Uninspired. Horrible.

[JQK]

I like the new Argos look, as well as the Lions and the Ti-Cats.

I think they kinda screwed up the rest.

And i never liked the Als uni to begin with, so not changing that is a big mistake in my book...

[Phil]

I was quoted (uncredited) in the Winnipeg Free Press today! Made to sound like an crap-disturbing activist, but hey, it's a just cause.

source

Everybody, email Ed Tait and cause a ruckus.

Then, email the Bombers, and let them know that we will not be satisfied wearing the same thing as the Roughriders... THE ROUGHRIDERS... with only the colours being different.

source (must be a WFP subscriber, but trust me, it's there)

A new blue and gold

Bombers unveil new uniforms as part of league-wide redesign

IT'S quite rare in this dodge to be called upon to discuss the weighty issue of fashion.

It is just as seldom, however, when you get a very large male mammal -- in this case a 6-foot-4, 340-pound offensive lineman -- to wax poetic about the subtle nuances of aesthetics as they relate to professional football.

"The feelings and the colours and the way they fit is spectacular," gushed Winnipeg Blue Bombers guard Matt Sheridan, while modelling one of the team's new jerseys yesterday along with teammate Wes Lysack.

Now Sheridan has the shape of a biker bar bouncer. He could twist off the head of a grown man like a bottle cap. So to hear the big dude talk about his uniform as though it was a new party dress is enlightening to say the least.

Still, Sheridan insisted that uniforms are about more than names and numbers.

"You can't put too much importance on uniform. It's like the banner," he explained. "It's how you represent yourself on that field. If the players believe in what the uniform looks like -- you look good, you play good. "You see a lot of these guys with all these extraneous things hanging off their uniforms -- writing on their tape and little footpads. If you look good... you tend to be in that mindset where you're comfortable and you're confident."

Yes, it's true: Sheridan used the word "extraneous," which -- we looked it up -- means "coming from the outside" or "not essential." It also means "not belonging to that in which it is contained" -- i.e., an issue extraneous to the debate.

But that's not all we learned yesterday, especially in terms of the new uniforms -- which were unveiled as part of a league-wide redesign in conjunction with Reebok.

"It was just a matter of sharpening them up," noted Jerry Maslowsky, the Bombers director of marketing. "It's professional sports so we need to look good."

Oh, and one other thing: sell, sell, sell.

Make no mistake, there may be some noble justification for launching a new line of CFL jerseys, but the main motivation is merchandise sales.

That's why the Bombers, about to embark on a historic 75th anniversary season, also can't wait to trot out a third jersey, said to be the colour of gold.

For the record, initial response to the jerseys was mixed at best. The cyber residents of Bombers.com were abuzz with critiques that ranged from outrage to indifference to acceptance.

"Everybody, e-mail (Free Press football writer) Ed Tait and cause a ruckus," urged one fan. "Then e-mail the Bombers, and let them know that we will not be satisfied wearing the same thing as the Roughriders... THE ROUGHRIDERS... with only the colours being different."

But another e-mailer added: "When I came into the league I never really liked Winnipeg's jersey's. I think its an improvement. I am a fan of the Rams new uniforms."

The Rams reference is to the similarity between the new Bombers uniforms and those of the NFL's St. Louis Rams -- although there is a touch of San Diego Chargers in the jerseys, too.

Regardless, it's apparent the new duds will at the very least stir up some conversation in the weeks preceding the 2005 CFL season, which is never bad for business. The Bombers have already sold 16,125 season tickets, with another seven weeks to peddle the product before the season opens. Last year, the Bombers exceeded the 18,000 season ticket mark.

As for Sheridan, the big lineman cited that the uniforms are also custom-tailored to the varied body types found on any professional football field.

"I'm not exactly built like (fleet receiver) Jamie Stoddard," Sheridan said. "So the uniform is a little different for the offensive lineman. We're a little more barrel-chested so obviously we want to have a tighter jersey over the shoulder pads so defensive lineman won't be grabbing and pulling on us." Which begged the question, "How many scientists would it take to develop a custom-built uniform for the body of fullback Wade Miller?"

Replied Sheridan: "I don't think the federal government has enough money to deal with that."

But we digress. For what it's worth, the initial response to the new uniforms can't really truly be judged until you see an entire team out under the summer sun. Although we can tell you that they looked better on the Bombers cheerleaders yesterday than Sheridan or Lysack. But that's just personal opinion.

Besides, when it comes right down to the nub, the average fan will agree that nothing looks better on a Bomber than winning. What shade of gold is Troy Westwood's pants is not often the fodder of office banter. At least not any offices we've been to lately.

Yes, the fit and colour might offer some psychological assistance to the players. And the teams will certainly reap some sort of merchandising revenue in the process. But ultimately the Bombers will be judged this season on what's inside the uniforms, not what's outside the player.

Just win, baby, and you will feel good. You will look good.

Everything else, as any offensive lineman knows, is extraneous to the debate.

There's too much fan ignorance and apathy to realize that this is putting a serious dent in the CFL's credibility and displays a disturbing ability to collect short term gains (money from Reebok) in exchange for long term pains (impaired ability to maintain and continue to develop brand identities).

A significant fan backlash would be required to encourage change, and unfortunately CFL fans aren't stepping up. However that will not stop me from hanging on to my position.

[Sec19Row53]

Props to you, SyPhi. Keep us informed if you hear back from anyone about your comments.

[JQK]

We're close to NFLCanada baby!

[gosioux76]

And i never liked the Als uni to begin with, so not changing that is a big mistake in my book...

Great point JQK. I was thinking the same thing when I saw them next to all those new designs. They're the Buffalo Bills of the CFL. Of all the teams, they were the worst before. They're still the worst now.