Purple, as a Team Color

[StoneRaizer]

Shreveport Pirates, good god. Major props to you sir for actually remembering this team.

[DavidRJunis]

In the past, a few athletic uniform catalogs offered a color known as "Northwestern Purple," which appeared to be bluer than standard athletic purple.

Does anyone have any old athletic uniform catalogs featuring "Northwestern Purple" among the uniform color options? I'd love to see someone post the color swatch page.

Thank you.

[The_Admiral]

Though I do know the original cedar-derived purple of Roman days is not quite our idea of purple in the present, I'm not sure I agree with the Astros wearing a shade of purple. I've always thought of that shade as more of a rust.

[TruColor]

Though I do know the original cedar-derived purple of Roman days is not quite our idea of purple in the present, I'm not sure I agree with the Astros wearing a shade of purple. I've always thought of that shade as more of a rust.

No kidding. Here's the Textile color that the Astros use...looks pretty bricky/rusty to me:

[mjrbaseball]

and I forgot one of the earliest teams to ever don purple...as Chris Berman would put it...DA NEW YAWK...BASEBALL...GIANTS

yes, ladies and gents, the Giants haven't always been black and orange, it just seems like they have. anyway, above is one of the violet-hued sets they wore in the 1910's (the most unique of an already unique sartorial period for em, their 1916 plaids)

Even though Christy Mathewson is my favorite all-time player, I am so glad there aren't any color photos of him in that!

(Hey, maybe the Giants could do purple plaid as a Turn Back the Clock? Nah!)

[BallWonk]

Though I do know the original cedar-derived purple of Roman days is not quite our idea of purple in the present, I'm not sure I agree with the Astros wearing a shade of purple. I've always thought of that shade as more of a rust.

No kidding. Here's the Textile color that the Astros use...looks pretty bricky/rusty to me:

The dyes used by Hellenic and Roman civilization to make what was then called purple didn't come from cedar; it came from snail shells using techniques dating to the Minoans. The use of that pigment today produces something within a range from what we might call bright cerise to rust to what we would recognize as a shade of bright plum or eggplant purple. To our eyes, the toga and tunic stripes in a gathering of members of Roman senatorial families would have looked a lot more like a convention of Phoenix Coyotes fans than a Minnesota Vikings tailgate.

Both Homer and Pliny the Elder described purple as being the color of clotting blood, which we would call a dark red. Homer uses the comparison descriptively, to describe the color of blood and gore in a battle, while Pliny uses the comparison to describe the "best" and most sought-after variation of the color for fabric use among the Roman senatorial class. I've heard of Pantone 207C and 208C used to approximate that clotting-blood shade.

So yes, the Astros are wearing rust. And yes, that shade of rust is pretty close to what "purple" would have meant back when purple really meant something. Closer, anyway, than any of the shades used by teams that call their colors "purple." Obviously that's not what we consider purple today, but the fact that we would call Astros alt caps "brick" has no bearing on whether Homer or Pliny would have called the same shade "purple."

[jonkj]

I think if Homer or Pliny were around today, there would be many more questions of importance before, "Why do you people call THAT 'purple'?"

[TruColor]

The dyes used by Hellenic and Roman civilization to make what was then called purple didn't come from cedar; it came from snail shells using techniques dating to the Minoans. The use of that pigment today produces something within a range from what we might call bright cerise to rust to what we would recognize as a shade of bright plum or eggplant purple. To our eyes, the toga and tunic stripes in a gathering of members of Roman senatorial families would have looked a lot more like a convention of Phoenix Coyotes fans than a Minnesota Vikings tailgate.

Both Homer and Pliny the Elder described purple as being the color of clotting blood, which we would call a dark red. Homer uses the comparison descriptively, to describe the color of blood and gore in a battle, while Pliny uses the comparison to describe the "best" and most sought-after variation of the color for fabric use among the Roman senatorial class. I've heard of Pantone 207C and 208C used to approximate that clotting-blood shade.

So yes, the Astros are wearing rust. And yes, that shade of rust is pretty close to what "purple" would have meant back when purple really meant something. Closer, anyway, than any of the shades used by teams that call their colors "purple." Obviously that's not what we consider purple today, but the fact that we would call Astros alt caps "brick" has no bearing on whether Homer or Pliny would have called the same shade "purple."

Between this post, and your justification on the use of Gray facemasks, I now dub thee The Eloquent Bullcrapper.

[LogoFan]

med blue and the afore-mentioned red & orange.

IMHO, I think more pro teams need to use maroon. the NFL is totally devoid of the color...someone will use it one day and own the color.

Um, since the Lombardi redesign, the Redskins' 'burgundy' has been Maroon in all but name.

You get pretty close between colors when talking about maroon and burgandy, but I have to disagree. When I think maroon, I think a darker color than what the Redskins wear. Ex: Their "throwbacks" color is maroon (instead of burgandy), and have a darker shade than their regular uniforms.

[TruColor]

You get pretty close between colors when talking about maroon and burgandy, but I have to disagree. When I think maroon, I think a darker color than what the Redskins wear. Ex: Their "throwbacks" color is maroon (instead of burgandy), and have a darker shade than their regular uniforms.

You're correct of course, but the bottom line here is that - and I keep saying this over and over again - is that what we call a color really doesn't matter. Now that there are relative standards for representing color, we don't have to resort to silly naming conventions in order to describe a color.

The Cardinals and Redskins both used to use 202 C. The Cardinals called it "Cardinal Red", while the Redskins called it "Burgundy". Now, both teams have modified their primary color since then (the Cards slightly lightened it, while the Redskins slightly darkened theirs), but it was the same color. They called it different things. Doesn't/didn't matter.

Oh - and the Atlanta Thrashers use that very color and call it "Georgia Bronze".

[IronChefShark]

I now dub thee The Eloquent Bullcrapper.

there are plenty of those in the NFL throwback threads

[daschuck77]

I played football at Baldwin Wallace but we always got clobbered by Mount Union...I thought they always looked good.

[LogoFan]

You get pretty close between colors when talking about maroon and burgundy, but I have to disagree. When I think maroon, I think a darker color than what the Redskins wear. Ex: Their "throwbacks" color is maroon (instead of burgandy), and have a darker shade than their regular uniforms.

You're correct of course, but the bottom line here is that - and I keep saying this over and over again - is that what we call a color really doesn't matter. Now that there are relative standards for representing color, we don't have to resort to silly naming conventions in order to describe a color.

The Cardinals and Redskins both used to use 202 C. The Cardinals called it "Cardinal Red", while the Redskins called it "Burgundy". Now, both teams have modified their primary color since then (the Cards slightly lightened it, while the Redskins slightly darkened theirs), but it was the same color. They called it different things. Doesn't/didn't matter.

Oh - and the Atlanta Thrashers use that very color and call it "Georgia Bronze".

Thanks for setting me straight on that, Pantone. I didn't realize both teams use 202C. Maybe it's the yellow (I'm guessing 1235C?) that makes it look like a different color.

Keeping it in defined terms, I consider a "Maroon" as such to be like a 222C or 229C.

[TruColor]

Thanks for setting me straight on that, Pantone. I didn't realize both teams use 202C. Maybe it's the yellow (I'm guessing 1235C?) that makes it look like a different color.

Keeping it in defined terms, I consider a "Maroon" as such to be like a 222C or 229C.

Like I said, they both USED to use 202. Neither team does anymore.

And as far as "Maroon" goes, I tend to look at teams/schools like Texas A&M U.:

Ironically, this color was also Michigan Panthers "Royal Plum"...

[TruColor]

Just thought I'd demonstrate further (it's a dull Saturday night here in CO):

Here's the original color - PANTONE 202 C:

In 1994, the Cardinals changed to this:

And, in 2002, the Redskins changed to this:

[The_Admiral]

Maroon? I feel like one for getting my dye history wrong.

[mac756]

This is seeing puple used well

[TruColor]

This is seeing purple used well

I agree, except for the fact that they use TWO different Purples:

[tBBP]

This is seeing purple used well

I agree, except for the fact that they use TWO different Purples:

Thank you for confirming something I've long suspected. I knew I wasn't crazy.

Here's something else I'm sure I ain't the only one who sees: the Ravens jerseys and helmet stripes seem more of a deeper indigo, more "blueish" shade; however, the purple numbers on the white jerseys seem like a much "redder" shade of purple. Maybe it's just the lighting or the fabric used for the numbers, but that difference has always bugged the living s*** out of me.

[Gothamite]

Not only that, purple and black should never be used together, as there isn't enough distinction between them. It creates a very muddy look.

Purple needs to be paired with a light color, to set it off. If the Ravens' scheme was limited to purple and their metallic gold, it would be outstanding. Black ruins it.

I hate the bastards, but these guys use purple well:

And so do they (I know it's claret, but in the right light it can look very purple):

...as well as the aforementioned Michigan Panthers.