NFL Weekly Uniform Notes

[STL FANATIC]

I completely disagree with the idea that the Bears should go white/orange/white on the navy pants. I think it tends to look goofy with white is the outside color on your standard tri-stripe pants (and helmets). It beings to work when the middle stripe becomes thicker and the outter ones thinner (almost piping).

[TBGKon]

I also noticed that Seattle had non-painted endzone backgrounds. Just the plain green fieldturf. IDK if this is new for this year, but I recall them filling it in blue as recently as that Tony Romo game...

It was like this last season, I think Seattle got new turf last year.

[Lee.]

The Raiders, from the waist up, are pure sexy.

And they just got jobbed on that incomplete call. Possession of the ball, both feet down, ground caused the ball to slip out of his hands, incomplete? Bunk.

[tajmccall]

The Raiders, from the waist up, are pure sexy.

And they just got jobbed on that incomplete call. Possession of the ball, both feet down, ground caused the ball to slip out of his hands, incomplete? Bunk.

Seriously, what do they expect receivers to do? Hold the ball above their head for 3 seconds while reciting the pledge of allegiance?

[andrewharrington]

I completely disagree with the idea that the Bears should go white/orange/white on the navy pants. I think it tends to look goofy with white is the outside color on your standard tri-stripe pants (and helmets). It beings to work when the middle stripe becomes thicker and the outter ones thinner (almost piping).

Agreed to a point. What's with all these steadfast uniform 'rules' that people have. That's crazy talk, and it makes for boring-a$$, cookie-cutter uniforms. Matching all the stripes on a uniform isn't the be all end all of a perfect uniform. In fact, I'd argue that it's the easy way out in most cases.

The pattern on the Bears' jersey and socks is read (presumably) as three positive stripes (the figure), with white negative space between and around them (the ground). Those blue pants that the Bears have, that pattern is (presumably) also read as three positive stripes (the figure) with the only negative space being the blue ground outside the stripes. These stripes are also very thick while the jersey stripes are relatively thin. The two are thus read and interpreted by the brain as independent patterns and are wholly different from each other. For that reason, I don't think changing the order to white orange white would make these two patterns appear any more unified because they aren't comparable, that is, they have few common visual properties, like scale, rhythm, figure/ground relationship, etc. They are there to complement the sleeve and sock striping, not to match it.

[Jarred Revolver]

I also noticed that Seattle had non-painted endzone backgrounds. Just the plain green fieldturf. IDK if this is new for this year, but I recall them filling it in blue as recently as that Tony Romo game...

The field at Qwest looked horrible on tv, just gross! I guess that's what happpens when it's also used for the Sounders.

[infrared41]

I completely disagree with the idea that the Bears should go white/orange/white on the navy pants. I think it tends to look goofy with white is the outside color on your standard tri-stripe pants (and helmets). It beings to work when the middle stripe becomes thicker and the outter ones thinner (almost piping).

Agreed to a point. What's with all these steadfast uniform 'rules' that people have. That's crazy talk, and it makes for boring-a$$, cookie-cutter uniforms. Matching all the stripes on a uniform isn't the be all end all of a perfect uniform. In fact, I'd argue that it's the easy way out in most cases.

The pattern on the Bears' jersey and socks is read (presumably) as three positive stripes (the figure), with white negative space between and around them (the ground). Those blue pants that the Bears have, that pattern is (presumably) also read as three positive stripes (the figure) with the only negative space being the blue ground outside the stripes. These stripes are also very thick while the jersey stripes are relatively thin. The two are thus read and interpreted by the brain as independent patterns and are wholly different from each other. For that reason, I don't think changing the order to white orange white would make these two patterns appear any more unified because they aren't comparable, that is, they have few common visual properties, like scale, rhythm, figure/ground relationship, etc. They are there to complement the sleeve and sock striping, not to match it.

Thank you. I was about to make a similar post. All that should ever matter on a uniform is whether or not it looks good. The Bears have a great uniform. Period. Someone else mentioned "striping inconsistencies" on The Bills throwbacks. Who cares? That Bills throwback set is a damned fine looking uniform. Period. Who gives a damn what order the stripes are in or how many of them there are as long as it looks good? "Striping inconsistencies." You gotta be -ing kidding me. Based on what exactly?

[PackerBadger]

- Baltimore should go with the all-white look at home, not the white on black.

Wrong.

Yep. Rams look . . . pretty good white on white.

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

[PackerBadger]

Not necessarily a "uniform" note, per se, but a note all the same.

You see where we got throwbacks for the Patriots...throwbacks for the Bills...heck--even the officiating crew done went throwback. (By the way, I applaud the NFL for going at least almost all-out for this.) We got all this throwback flair going on in Gillette Stadium tonight. Lovely.

One thing they were missing: ABC was the first network to carry the AFL. Since ESPN is part of ABC (or vice versa), the announcers tonight could have worn early '60s throwbacks. Was ABC Sports using the banana blazers then, or was that a later invention?

[PackerBadger]

The Bears should always wear their navy pants with their white jerseys

Agreed.

Speaking of the Bears.... Did anyone else notice Jay Cutler had on long sleeves last night? The game-time temperature was 79°! Dick Butkus would be so proud.

Perhaps Cutler threw four picks because (1) he looked like a thin Michelin man or (2) his arms were too hot. (I see everyone in Chicago is spraining their ankles jumping off the Cutler bandwagon.)

[infrared41]

- Baltimore should go with the all-white look at home, not the white on black.

Wrong.

Yep. Rams look . . . pretty good white on white.

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

Looks like we have another graduate from the Stevie Wonder school of uniform reviews.

[BlueSky]

The Raiders, from the waist up, are pure sexy.

And they just got jobbed on that incomplete call. Possession of the ball, both feet down, ground caused the ball to slip out of his hands, incomplete? Bunk.

Seriously, what do they expect receivers to do? Hold the ball above their head for 3 seconds while reciting the pledge of allegiance?

Calls like that one really make me question what the hell the NFL is thinking. What that receiver did would be a legal catch from the time they legalized the forward pass and should have been ruled a catch last night. That was absolutely ridiculous.

There was a crazy sequence in the Lions-Saints game too where it appeared they mistakenly ruled Calvin Johnson had stepped out of bounds before scoring. The Lions were going to challenge but found out that's non-reviewable, which is ludicrous. It soon became blatantly obvious that the refs were determined for Detroit to get that 'lost' TD. Trent Green, in the booth, actually said something like, "There's a term for this: makeup calls." The refs called penalties on the Saints that kept giving the Lions the ball at the 1, then ruled a Lions RB's forward progress had been stopped before a Saint stripped the ball (it hadn't), then they gave Stafford a TD on QB sneak when he CLEARLY was stopped before the goal line (check the highlights for yourself). I'm not complaining because Johnson scored on his play so it's not like Detroit got something they wouldn't have had, but I'm not sure in 40 years of watching football that I've ever seen multiple penalties/rulings that were so obviously a make-up. It was really weird to watch.

Getting back to unis, didn't the Patriots' helmets, and to a lesser but still noticeable degree the Bills', have a kind of cream-colored or off-white look?

It's not as evident in the still pics - more so in the bottom one when you compare the helmet color to the pants. Anybody else notice it on TV? And what was up with the lighting at the Oakland stadium? Looked like a low-budget football movie.

BTW, if Pat Patriot had a thought bubble in that first pic, he'd be looking at that hair out of the corner of his eye thinking "What the HELL is THAT?"

[Saintsfan]

Not necessarily a "uniform" note, per se, but a note all the same.

You see where we got throwbacks for the Patriots...throwbacks for the Bills...heck--even the officiating crew done went throwback. (By the way, I applaud the NFL for going at least almost all-out for this.) We got all this throwback flair going on in Gillette Stadium tonight. Lovely.

One thing they were missing: ABC was the first network to carry the AFL. Since ESPN is part of ABC (or vice versa), the announcers tonight could have worn early '60s throwbacks. Was ABC Sports using the banana blazers then, or was that a later invention?

Not sure that banana blazers would have had much point in black and white days, but it would have been a neat touch for the ESPN guys to do that! Also would have been cool for ESPN to have had throw back style on screen graphics!! Ah well!!

Incidentally I would be a big fan of the Pats going back to something similar to the red outfit full time (I know about the paradox of Patriots wearing a red uniform, but it looks so much better than what they have now!)

[leopard88]

The pattern on the Bears' jersey and socks is read (presumably) as three positive stripes (the figure), with white negative space between and around them (the ground). Those blue pants that the Bears have, that pattern is (presumably) also read as three positive stripes (the figure) with the only negative space being the blue ground outside the stripes.

THANK YOU for that description. I thought I was the only one who finds it odd when people describe the base color of the piece of a uniform as another stripe (Example -- "The Bears' white jersey has five stripes -- blue-white-orange-white-blue."). In my mind, I picture that pattern as three stripes (blue-orange-blue) with spaces in between them. I've just never been able to articulate my thinking as well as you have.

[Lee.]

The pattern on the Bears' jersey and socks is read (presumably) as three positive stripes (the figure), with white negative space between and around them (the ground). Those blue pants that the Bears have, that pattern is (presumably) also read as three positive stripes (the figure) with the only negative space being the blue ground outside the stripes.

THANK YOU for that description. I thought I was the only one who finds it odd when people describe the base color of the piece of a uniform as another stripe (Example -- "The Bears' white jersey has five stripes -- blue-white-orange-white-blue."). In my mind, I picture that pattern as three stripes (blue-orange-blue) with spaces in between them. I've just never been able to articulate my thinking as well as you have.

And you're a lawyer? I think we can officially take the "Hutz" mantel off of Yale and give it your own fine self.

[njmeadowlanders]

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

The Jets and Colts beg to differ...

[logoman]

BlueSky, both the Patriots' and Bills' helmets are impregnated white shells instaed of painted. That is why they have an off white look to them. If you take a close look at some game photos, you will see the rivets for the jawpads are silver. This is only the case when a shell hasn't been painted.

[jc...]

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

The Jets and Colts beg to differ...

And...

The Browns, Panthers and Seahawks.

[oldschoolvikings]

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

The Jets and Colts beg to differ...

And...

The Browns, Panthers and Seahawks.

Um... actually agree up to the seahawks. They need to wear the dark pants on the road, and wear the white at home... in other words, stop looking like a low rent arena team.

[Cujo]

Also wrong. Other than possibly the Dolphins, white-and-white looks good on no one:

The Jets and Colts beg to differ...

For a modernized team, the Broncos also look pretty slick in their all-whites.