Uniforms: General observances and a few questions.

[KDubK414]

This comes from a thread I read about NHL logos and uniforms. And got me to thinking...

I'm not very old, 25 to be exact. So this is from a "maybe unique" lol, perspective since I think quite a few of you are from my generation.

When I grew into the sports landscape, and became known in the "Big Four" of North American sports, one thing was constant, THE UNIFORM. If I watched baseball, basketball , and hockey on TV I knew who the home team was and who the road team was based on the fact that the homers were in white and the roadies were in their gray(as far as baseball is) or colored jerseys or uniforms(for the rest). When I would watch an NFL game, I knew who the home team was based on Conference(colors for the NFC/whites for the AFC).

Then all of a sudden, seems like yesterday, the whole landscape changed. The MLB allowed the alternate jersey, the NBA capitalized on the hip hop throwbacks, and alternates like the MLB, the NFL and NHL allowed the teams to make the "game day decisions." I know marketing has a lot to do with all of this. But I am not "sure" if the fan is the main focus?

As a fan myself and appreciating the identity of my team(s) I'd like to know what the home gear and away gear is to prepare accordingly, if that makes sense? This goes mostly for football and hockey. I really ;-) don't have to worry myself since the Packers always wear there home greens at Lambeau. But the Admirals go with their flow as far as home and away. In the NBA a throwback might be a road themed jersey, so if it is a home game for that team, the road team gets the home white? In my city, the Brewers wore their "throwbacks" at home every Sunday. My opinion...

MLB: Home whites and Road grays

NBA: Home whites/light colors and road colors/dark colors

NFL:

AFC: Home whites/colors on road, unless at NFC team

NFC: Home colors/road whites, unless at AFC team

NHL/AHL: White at home, colors on the road.

I don't know or understand all of the rules and regulations regarding uniforms in pro sports, so here are the questions...

Besides "your team," wouldn't it be sweet again to tune in to the multitude of games on TV and KNOW who the home team or road team is based on sport or conference in said sport? (That's if you aren't a fantasy or pick em buff.)

In the NFL, where the jersey has to be tucked in. Why don't they adhere to their time honored traditions?

For the NFL again, is their brand so important that they let teams do whatever they want?

In hockey (the NHL/AHL), the same for the NFL. Why are teams now able to decide what uniforms they wear on the ice?

Why does it seem like MLB makes at least an attempt on keeping with tradition, yet the NBA/NFL/NHL focus more on the "What's hot now?" Case in point the Redskins in All White...at home...

Thanks

Kyle

[ColeJ]

i really don't worry much about it, to be honest.

you can usually tell who the home team is by the center ice/court/field logos anyway.... or look at the tv screen thing that says "Bengals @ Cowboys", to know that the cowboys are at home.

i dunno. i'm a nerd that cares about all kinds of things in sports uniforms, as everyone else here... but i don't really care much either way. i have more of a gripe as to yellow being considered a "dark" color, rather than a white equivalent, than with anything else.

preds mustard against stars whites is not what i'd like to see... dark green contrasts enough with yellow... if it's worked for the lakers for forever, why in god's name does everyone else wear yellow/mustard/gold against white?

[scoobytim]

THE NHL SWITCHED UP A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THE 3RD JERSEY, TEAMS WANTED TO WEAR THIER ALTS AT HOME QUITE OFTEN FOR MARKETING PURPOSES OR $$$$$$. IN THE NFL I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE HOME TEAM HAD THE OPTION OF WHICH COLOR THEY WERE GOING TO WEAR,E.G. THE EAGLES WEAR WHITE AT HOME 4 TIMES AND GREEN AT HOME 2 TIMES, THE BLACK ONES 2 TIMES. IMO BASEBALL LOOKS THE WORST, EVEN THOUGH I DO LIKE THE 3RD JERSEY IT LOOKS LIKE BEER LEAGUE SOFTBALL SOMETIMES. THE MIS MATCHED UNIFORMS LOOK AWFUL, WHY COULD A 3RD JERSEY NOT BE CREATED STILL USING THE TRADTIONAL ROAD GRAYS AND HOME WHITES?

[oddball]

Being 35, I can tell you that sometimes I think the alternate jersey has lost it's appeal altogether. When it first happened it was a novel concept and cool, now that everyone does it, it's like if we had Christmas or whatever you favorite holiday or food is everyday. It no longer would be special. I grew up in an era where in college football home teams wore dark, pro football it seemed the only teams that wore white were Washington and Dallas. In the NBA, white at home dark on the road. The NHL was the same white/light colors at home, dark on the road and occasionally I know out here you'd see the Kings wear darks at home against a team like once a year. It was neat when the 75th anniversary was celebrated teams wore whites at home (no other light color home jersey) and darks on the road with the original 6 having throwbacks, and then for the second half of the year the darks were home and whites road. I agree there should be consistancy. But the almighty dollar rules. If it was up to me this is what I would do:

MLB: Home white, Sunday only alternate, road one uniform whether dark jersey or grey.

NBA: Lights at home, darks on the road.

NFL: Darks at home for everyone except Washington and Dallas.

College Football: Back to darks at home and white on the road. Sorry LSU & GTech fans.

NHL: Darks at home and Alternate to be worn maybe 5 - 10 times at home only. Lights on the road. Oh and Numbers on both sleaves, none of this Altanta Thrashers crap.

[Botiger]

I have never heard of the AFC wearing whites at home and the NFC wearing darks at home. The two main teams that wear white at home (Dallas and Washington) are both in the NFC.

The thing I still can't get used to is the NHL wearing dark at home. I know it's the way they used to do it but I really like whites at home in hockey. But, who asked me??

[KDubK414]

See I'm confused, I thought that the AFC teams wore white at home and the NFC teams wore colors at home to separate the conferences or something like that. Like when the Super Bowl would come around, whoever the host city or team was (IE: the Rose Bowl could be any Cali team), was the deciding factor in what uniforms were worn on the field. That host city being designated the "Home" for what conference was representing that city?

I might need to do a bit more research on the NFL uni's.

Thanks guys, bringing some light to me, and inspiring me to delve deeper into this query.

[rhymefish]

Oh and Numbers on both sleaves, none of this Altanta Thrashers crap.

thrashers home jersey = best jersey in sports

[DrBear]

See I'm confused, I thought that the AFC teams wore white at home and the NFC teams wore colors at home to separate the conferences or something like that. Like when the Super Bowl would come around, whoever the host city or team was (IE: the Rose Bowl could be any Cali team), was the deciding factor in what uniforms were worn on the field. That host city being designated the "Home" for what conference was representing that city?

Nope. Home team has alternated between the NFC/NFL and AFC/AFL team since Supe I. NFC gets the odd bowls, I, III, V, etc.) and AFC the events. That's why it was unusual for Pittsburgh to wear its whites in Supe 40 because that was the AFC's "home" year, and the Steelers normally wear black at home. (Cowher changed it because the Steelers were on a road winning streak.)

BTW, I remember in the 60s the Browns always wore white at home. When did that change? Considering they're doing throwbacks and the like for this anniversary, shouldn't they wear white at home for at least one game?

[Fjm]

Like someone already said, the easiest way to identify who is home is the scoreboard. Team on top is away, team on bottom is home. If it's a horizontal (Fox) scoreboard, I believe road team is always on the left. Hope that solves your problem.

And as far as the NFL, it's always been up to the home team to choose its jersey color. Many teams have worn whites at home, and some teams will change their color choice during the year. There have been numerous threads about teams' jersey patterns over the years.

[woodman]

Oh and Numbers on both sleaves, none of this Altanta Thrashers crap.

thrashers home jersey = best jersey in sports

Silly Thrashers fan.

-woodman-

[DGivens87]

Well, as a 25 year old myself, I agree with you that the fact that the term "uniformity" has been lost in sports in recent years. I can't tell you how many NFL games I've watched where players don't even show the white on the their socks (Fred Smoot and the Vikes are the most notable offenders). Stuff like that irks me. Clinton Portis pretty much dictating the Redskins look irks me. The uniformity seen during our adolesence is pretty much gone.

Now, to add to that, I do like the occasional use of a 3rd jersey, especially if it's a throwback, a la the Chargers or Bills. I pray for the day the Pats adopt their Pat Patriot look as their 3rd jersey. I grew up watching them sport their red unis, so to be able to see that every so often would be a treat.

But in general, I agree with you. It seems like the players, more often than not, INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS, dictate a team's look. That in itself is kinda disturbing.

[beansdooma]

Or you could just, you know, look at the scoreboard.

[Bucks6thMan]

I remember the first time I ever got to go to Lambeau, the Packers were wearing white. The reason was apparently because they were playing the Bucs and Vinny Testaverde was color blind and would apparently have a harder time distinguishing creamsicle orange from white than hunter green from white.

[miroslav]

This comes from a thread I read about NHL logos and uniforms. And got me to thinking...

I'm not very old, 25 to be exact. So this is from a "maybe unique" lol, perspective since I think quite a few of you are from my generation.

When I grew into the sports landscape, and became known in the "Big Four" of North American sports, one thing was constant, THE UNIFORM. If I watched baseball, basketball , and hockey on TV I knew who the home team was and who the road team was based on the fact that the homers were in white and the roadies were in their gray(as far as baseball is) or colored jerseys or uniforms(for the rest). When I would watch an NFL game, I knew who the home team was based on Conference(colors for the NFC/whites for the AFC).

Then all of a sudden, seems like yesterday, the whole landscape changed. The MLB allowed the alternate jersey, the NBA capitalized on the hip hop throwbacks, and alternates like the MLB, the NFL and NHL allowed the teams to make the "game day decisions." I know marketing has a lot to do with all of this. But I am not "sure" if the fan is the main focus?

As a fan myself and appreciating the identity of my team(s) I'd like to know what the home gear and away gear is to prepare accordingly, if that makes sense? This goes mostly for football and hockey. I really ;-) don't have to worry myself since the Packers always wear there home greens at Lambeau. But the Admirals go with their flow as far as home and away. In the NBA a throwback might be a road themed jersey, so if it is a home game for that team, the road team gets the home white? In my city, the Brewers wore their "throwbacks" at home every Sunday. My opinion...

MLB: Home whites and Road grays

NBA: Home whites/light colors and road colors/dark colors

NFL:

AFC: Home whites/colors on road, unless at NFC team

NFC: Home colors/road whites, unless at AFC team

NHL/AHL: White at home, colors on the road.

I don't know or understand all of the rules and regulations regarding uniforms in pro sports, so here are the questions...

Besides "your team," wouldn't it be sweet again to tune in to the multitude of games on TV and KNOW who the home team or road team is based on sport or conference in said sport? (That's if you aren't a fantasy or pick em buff.)

In the NFL, where the jersey has to be tucked in. Why don't they adhere to their time honored traditions?

For the NFL again, is their brand so important that they let teams do whatever they want?

In hockey (the NHL/AHL), the same for the NFL. Why are teams now able to decide what uniforms they wear on the ice?

Why does it seem like MLB makes at least an attempt on keeping with tradition, yet the NBA/NFL/NHL focus more on the "What's hot now?" Case in point the Redskins in All White...at home...

Thanks

Kyle

[twi]

I'm partial to the system used in international soccer of having a primary and change kit. I would love to see this implemented in hockey.

Markings on the field and score tab are usually enough for me to distinguish between home and away almost immediately.

[Bucks6thMan]

I'm partial to the system used in international soccer of having a primary and change kit. I would love to see this implemented in hockey.

I don't see why they don't do this in all sports. As long as the colors don't clash (i.e. too similar) what's the problem?

[slapshot]

Road trips. Always having to carry multiple sets of uniforms and equipment because you'll need to carry your clash kit.

It's easier having home and road uniforms, and just wearing the alts at home.