Vikings Throwbacks

[BallWonk]

I predict these coming back in whatever time allotment they can.

Man, I hope so. I might be the only one here who actually likes the new uniforms -- I grade the jersey a B-minus, a really good idea that just isn't executed as well as it could be -- including the helmet logo. But the old uniforms just work. I wish the stripes on the sleeves and pants matched in form, but they're close, and that's really the only thing that I think can be improved on the old set. And the simpler, more old-fashioned look of the throwbacks is just a better fit with the team's identity and the character of the fan base. I really like the new unis, in fact I think they're better designed than the old, but if I owned the Vikes I'd bring back the old unis in a heartbeat.

Speaking of the helmet logo, I noticed that the old helmet logo is simply too big and spread at a bad angle for several more recent helmet styles. One player with one of the newer helmets, the throwback horn seemed to disappear under the edge of his facemask. The more compact, more horizontal shape of the new horn logo avoids this problem, and so should probably be kept even if the team moves back toward its classic uniform style and colors.

[Epiphanic]

I strongly disagree that they look better in the throwbacks. The "sleeve" stripes look horrible, as do the gray facemasks. The current set would be great if they lost the gimicky number / nob font, and fixed the side panel / pants stripes so that they could more freely mix and match. There is no good reason they shouldn't be wearing purple pants on the road.

You mean other than the fact that it looks ridiculous right?

The Vikings looked like an NFL team tonight. If they could find a way to make their jerseys the same color as the helmets those throwbacks would be off the charts great.

I think you meant that it would look awesome, Infrared.

Interestingly, when the Vikings introduced their new uniforms, they did have purple pants to go with the white jersey. That was the biggest improvement over their former set (followed by a purple facemask). Let me introduce Adrian Peterson to model the different road looks. The purple pants are vastly superior to the white pants.

[BBTV]

Yeah, those purple pants look great.

If a team plays on turn under a dome, I'm not sure why they should wear traditional 50's style uniforms.

[Sport]

I strongly disagree that they look better in the throwbacks. The "sleeve" stripes look horrible, as do the gray facemasks. The current set would be great if they lost the gimicky number / nob font, and fixed the side panel / pants stripes so that they could more freely mix and match. There is no good reason they shouldn't be wearing purple pants on the road.

You mean other than the fact that it looks ridiculous right?

The Vikings looked like an NFL team tonight. If they could find a way to make their jerseys the same color as the helmets those throwbacks would be off the charts great.

I think you meant that it would look awesome, Infrared.

Interestingly, when the Vikings introduced their new uniforms, they did have purple pants to go with the white jersey. That was the biggest improvement over their former set (followed by a purple facemask). Let me introduce Adrian Peterson to model the different road looks. The purple pants are vastly superior to the white pants.

Well the photoshop on the right actually solves all the problems the current uniforms have. With that set you could even have a mix-match pair of purple pants. The current uniforms with the purple pants would look so much better if they had some white socks with modern purple and yellow striping. As is, I think purple is not a color I like to see from waist to mid calf (or ankle in some players' cases).

[cheo25]

This is exactly what I don't like about how the NFL handles alt uniforms. It's a big game for the Vikes, against a rival, on national TV, so the Vikings should wear their best uniform. If your best uniform is an alt or a throwback, then the team should wear it all the time. What's the point of the Vikings updating their uniforms and helmet if they don't wear them when the rest of the country might actually see them? That's pretty much the opposite of what you'd do if you were a profit-making business trying to build brand awareness and loyalty.

They did wear their best uniform. Their current set is a trainwreck.

[infrared41]

I strongly disagree that they look better in the throwbacks. The "sleeve" stripes look horrible, as do the gray facemasks. The current set would be great if they lost the gimicky number / nob font, and fixed the side panel / pants stripes so that they could more freely mix and match. There is no good reason they shouldn't be wearing purple pants on the road.

You mean other than the fact that it looks ridiculous right?

The Vikings looked like an NFL team tonight. If they could find a way to make their jerseys the same color as the helmets those throwbacks would be off the charts great.

I think you meant that it would look awesome, Infrared.

Interestingly, when the Vikings introduced their new uniforms, they did have purple pants to go with the white jersey. That was the biggest improvement over their former set (followed by a purple facemask). Let me introduce Adrian Peterson to model the different road looks. The purple pants are vastly superior to the white pants.

No, I'm pretty sure I meant ridiculous.

[BlueSky]

I only saw a few minutes of the game but what struck me was that the Vikes' helmets looked almost black.

It was pretty cool though seeing these two teams pretty close to what they looked like when it was Tarkenton vs. Bart Starr.

[Buster]

This is exactly what I don't like about how the NFL handles alt uniforms. It's a big game for the Vikes, against a rival, on national TV, so the Vikings should wear their best uniform. If your best uniform is an alt or a throwback, then the team should wear it all the time. What's the point of the Vikings updating their uniforms and helmet if they don't wear them when the rest of the country might actually see them? That's pretty much the opposite of what you'd do if you were a profit-making business trying to build brand awareness and loyalty.

They did wear their best uniform. Their current set is a trainwreck.

Agreed, their throwbacks are FAR superior than the current, horrible uniforms.

I'd love to see these full-time, or maybe even a move to the old uniform design with the new purple color. The sleeve stripes are much better and the simplicity makes them look great.

Maybe some of the naysayers here aren't old enough to remember the mismatched purple, but the nostalgia outweighs the design "flaws".

[Saintsfan]

Its not so bad in this case, because the Packers have a fairly traditional set, but I think it looks bad when one team is in throwbacks and the other is in their current set.

I understand their desire for consistency, but I do think the Vikes newish uniforms are a HUGE downgrade. Even with the inconsistencies between the normal home and roads, to me the Vikes had a great set. Now to my mind they have an average set.

[Jezus_Ghoti]

If the Vikings can fit those sleeve stripes on even the linemen's jerseys, why can't the 49ers fit theirs?

[Bmac]

I would like to see new unis that are a combination of the current and the throwbacks. Sleeve stripes, but also modern elements. Match the purples and use the new horn logo on the helmet. As for purple or gray facemask, I just can't decide. I say purple, but gray looks cool every now and then. And I love the purple pants on the road. I am a huge supporter of that look. They wore purple pants at the beginning of play and looked good, and I think they look good now. Mor purple pants on the road!

[BBTV]

This is exactly what I don't like about how the NFL handles alt uniforms. It's a big game for the Vikes, against a rival, on national TV, so the Vikings should wear their best uniform. If your best uniform is an alt or a throwback, then the team should wear it all the time. What's the point of the Vikings updating their uniforms and helmet if they don't wear them when the rest of the country might actually see them? That's pretty much the opposite of what you'd do if you were a profit-making business trying to build brand awareness and loyalty.

They did wear their best uniform. Their current set is a trainwreck.

Agreed, their throwbacks are FAR superior than the current, horrible uniforms.

I'd love to see these full-time, or maybe even a move to the old uniform design with the new purple color. The sleeve stripes are much better and the simplicity makes them look great.

Maybe some of the naysayers here aren't old enough to remember the mismatched purple, but the nostalgia outweighs the design "flaws".

[img removed]

So then Volvos should just look like this, but maybe with modern engines?

We all have a certain yearning to see things as they were when we were young, but at some point, it's important to realize that our "nostalgia" isn't some 10-year-old kid's nostalgia, and that kid is the future fanbase of the team.

[gosioux76]

This is exactly what I don't like about how the NFL handles alt uniforms. It's a big game for the Vikes, against a rival, on national TV, so the Vikings should wear their best uniform. If your best uniform is an alt or a throwback, then the team should wear it all the time. What's the point of the Vikings updating their uniforms and helmet if they don't wear them when the rest of the country might actually see them? That's pretty much the opposite of what you'd do if you were a profit-making business trying to build brand awareness and loyalty.

They did wear their best uniform. Their current set is a trainwreck.

Agreed, their throwbacks are FAR superior than the current, horrible uniforms.

I'd love to see these full-time, or maybe even a move to the old uniform design with the new purple color. The sleeve stripes are much better and the simplicity makes them look great.

Maybe some of the naysayers here aren't old enough to remember the mismatched purple, but the nostalgia outweighs the design "flaws".

I was there for the mismatched purple days. But nothing can make me nostalgic for mismatched purples like this:

I love the Vikings current throwbacks, but I'm no longer in the camp that thinks these should be their full-time uniforms. I was just as quick as others to call their new sets "clown suits" when they came out, but they've since grown on me. Now, I prefer them, despite owning an Adrian Peterson replica throwback.

[The_Admiral]

Are you saying that the Minnesota Vikings are the Volvo of the NFL? Please elaborate and extrapolate this intriguing analogy.

[Buster]

This is exactly what I don't like about how the NFL handles alt uniforms. It's a big game for the Vikes, against a rival, on national TV, so the Vikings should wear their best uniform. If your best uniform is an alt or a throwback, then the team should wear it all the time. What's the point of the Vikings updating their uniforms and helmet if they don't wear them when the rest of the country might actually see them? That's pretty much the opposite of what you'd do if you were a profit-making business trying to build brand awareness and loyalty.

They did wear their best uniform. Their current set is a trainwreck.

Agreed, their throwbacks are FAR superior than the current, horrible uniforms.

I'd love to see these full-time, or maybe even a move to the old uniform design with the new purple color. The sleeve stripes are much better and the simplicity makes them look great.

Maybe some of the naysayers here aren't old enough to remember the mismatched purple, but the nostalgia outweighs the design "flaws".

[img removed]

So then Volvos should just look like this, but maybe with modern engines?

We all have a certain yearning to see things as they were when we were young, but at some point, it's important to realize that our "nostalgia" isn't some 10-year-old kid's nostalgia, and that kid is the future fanbase of the team.

Nice try, but Volvos have always been ugly, but esecially in the past. The Vikes' uniforms looked better in the past.

[Buffalo]

These Viking throwbacks are a joke.

The helmet is a downgrade and doesn't match.

Not that the current set are amazing but at least the helmet matches the jersey.

I hate to say it, because I usually love grey facemasks, but this is just awful.

[CDixonDesign]

Call me crazy, and I believe the throwbacks looked great last night, but I actually like the current uni set, I guess the traditionalist within me isn't as strong as I thought...

[Red Wolf]

Normally, sleeve stripes that don't go all the way around don't bother me, but the way the Vikings' stripes would curve like an arch upwards rather than remaining horizontal really bothered me. Other than on Favre and a few others who had longer jersey cuts or whatever.

[BBTV]

OK, if you don't like the Volvo analogy, here's another one.

When I was a kid, my friend's mom used to drive us around in an '80s Honda Accord. I have fond memories of those days. But in no way do I think that

This:

looks better than this:

Just in case it isn't clear: Minnesota throwbacks == '80s Accord.

[oldschoolvikings]

OK, if you don't like the Volvo analogy, here's another one.

When I was a kid, my friend's mom used to drive us around in an '80s Honda Accord. I have fond memories of those days. But in no way do I think that

This:

looks better than this:

Just in case it isn't clear: Minnesota throwbacks == '80s Accord.

Hmmm... a carefully chosen analogy. How about compairing a '67 Mustang to the current variety?

For the record, despite my screen name, there is nothing other than nostalga that could make you believe these throwbacks should be taken as is for an everyday uniform. Use the current helmet, match up all the purples, trim the numbers in gold... then, maybe.