NFL Ref pants

[jkrdevil]

I'm watching the Seattle-Denver game and notice the Refs are wearing different pants than usual. They are black with a white stripe on the side and go down to the shoes. The look like cooperalls and the pants that hockey refs wear.

I'm waiting for them to make a hooking call.

[Squeaks4]

I am pretty sure that is their new "cold weather" get up they have this year.

[wman]

They are. They look horrible. I got used to the new ref shirts and like them, but the pants are ridiculous. The white stripe I think makes them worse..

[slapshot]

They look like track pants. It looks especially bad on the rare occasion one of the referees has his hands in his pockets.

Referees should be wearing white knickers (yes, I said knickers) with plenty of striped sock showing. You can easily dress for warmth with the old uniform.

I can accept the proprietarily-striped jersey. But the pants have to go.

[NJTank]

Yes stick with teh slacks and wear long underwear these are terrible

[ROCHitman]

The officials in the SD@Buffalo game also were sporting the black slacks.

I like them. They make the officials more athletic in nature.

It will certainly take some getting used to though.

[averyj]

photos anyone?

[MrAsterisk]

This just in: Killing time during an injury break, Al Michaels says they "look some guys who are... uh... preparing for the luge". John Madden says they look like "they're going bowling" and "I guess they're okay".

Presonally, I hate them. They look like a bunch of garbage men in winter, especially when they're picking apart a fumble scrum. I especially hate the checkerboard effect created by the white stripe on the black pants that lines up with the black side panel on the shirt.

A side note: The referee (that's the one with the white hat who does the talking) in tonight's game looks a lot like Gary Sinise, if you ignore his bulkier frame.

[TheOldRoman]

It looks like the pants are a dark navy, not black.

[Squeaks4]

photos anyone?

This is the best I could do so far...will look a little later for a full picture

(The Ref is right behind Jay Cutler...can't see much but you can see a little bit of both legs)

[ohryan]

You have got to be kidding me.

[seattlefan68]

There has to be something better than warmup pants for the cold.

[Captain Apollo]

I had a pair of snow pants just like that when I was 4.

[Squeaks4]

Here are a couple more pics.

[cmm]

To me, it looks like they're BASEketball refs, not NFL ones.

[EatSleepJeep]

To me, it looks like they're BASEketball refs, not NFL ones.

My sentiments exactly. During last night's game I asked "Where are their rollerblades?"

[Braden]

I really don't think they're all that bad. I think these initial reactions are because we're not used to them.

They still look like refs, and if it helps them keep warm in the cold weather let them wear it. The baggier black pants sure as hell look better than if they were white.

[budbowl77]

should we come to the aid of our referees and start a petition to the NFL to save our zebra brothers from there new uniforms? This could take on a scale like the NHL Reebok jerseys!! FIGHT ON!!

[TFoA]

I hated it. I thought that the black pants just threw it all out of whack, not because they were black, but because of the white stripe, and the fact that they were baggy. Like someone said before, they'd look better with the knickers, even if the knickers were black.

But, on the flipside, my ma and my girl both said that they looked "cute." SO yeah, really can't argue with that.

[jfurdell]

Speaking as a high school referee...

Blecch.

We kind of depend on being as anonymous as possible, so any crazy uniform stuff that draws attention gets a thumbs down from me. (E.G. In high school ball, we're told to wear shoes that are all-black... no white manufacturer's logos can be showing.)

Of course, Reebok runs the NFL's wardrobe now, and the referees were the only ones left unclothed by them; based on the results, I'm assuming they didn't get much of a say.