Michigan Panthers Silver Helmet

[Sec19Row53]

I know this has been debated before, and I'm on the side that thinks they wore a silver helmet for their first game or two. Here's something from the Helmet Project Forum:

I was watching the recent ESPN documentary on the USFL (which was definitely interesting viewing), and some of the old old old USFL games have been airing on ESPN Classic.

Anyway, IMHO, the 1983 Panther helmets do seem to me to be a pure silver color, although even in HD, it's hard to tell in 25-year-old footage.

Maybe you can guess for yourself:

Michigan vs. Birmingham, 3/7/83:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzhSzMpMzfw

Michigan vs. Oakland, 3/19/83:

Michigan vs. Boston, 5/1/83:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFSbH0Y4ax0

[/quote Helmet Project Forum]

In watching the first clip, those helmets sure look silver to me. Another poster there says the Birmingham game was their first game.

Thoughts?

[AndrewG70]

I know this has been debated before, and I'm on the side that thinks they wore a silver helmet for their first game or two. Here's something from the Helmet Project Forum:

I was watching the recent ESPN documentary on the USFL (which was definitely interesting viewing), and some of the old old old USFL games have been airing on ESPN Classic.

Anyway, IMHO, the 1983 Panther helmets do seem to me to be a pure silver color, although even in HD, it's hard to tell in 25-year-old footage.

Maybe you can guess for yourself:

Michigan vs. Birmingham, 3/7/83:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzhSzMpMzfw

Michigan vs. Oakland, 3/19/83:

Michigan vs. Boston, 5/1/83:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFSbH0Y4ax0

[/quote Helmet Project Forum]

In watching the first clip, those helmets sure look silver to me. Another poster there says the Birmingham game was their first game.

Thoughts?

Here's my best theory as to the silver/champagne question...

I'm guessing the team had originally wanted the champagne helmets, but the team received silver helmets initially, probably by mistake -- especially since the champagne color was (and still is) unique in football (no other team wears that shade). They wore the silver helmets for the first few weeks until the champagne helmets arrived, and the team switched to those -- well in time for the first USFL title game.

Andrew

[logoman]

The game against Birmingham was the first game for both teams. It was the first Monday night gamr for the USFL. The Panthers helmets were silver for the first 2 games.I don't remember the specifics of the story but the helmets were silver for the first 2 and then champagne for the rest of the '83 season and all of the '84 season. They also went from grey facemasks in '83 to plum (or maroon) in'84.

[TruColor]

I never believed that the Panthers EVER wore Silver helmets, but I'll concede that maybe they did for a game or two.

I'd also agree that it was a temporary thing; probably due to getting the exact color (PMS 452 C) down.

I can certainly vouch for the fact that Champagne was the intended color; I actually have a Michigan Panthers Style Guide for that first year. All of the uniform elements were specified as PMS 452 C.

Officially, the color was called "Champagne Silver".

[TruColor]

The color in question:

[Old School Fool]

First video it looks silver, but in the 2nd video against the Invaders it looks Champagne.

[logoman]

The game against Oakland was the 3rd game for the Panthers. They lost to Tampa Bay the week before they played the Invaders.

[John in KY]

I think we're chasing ghosts here. In that clip against Birmingham when they go close up on the Panthers lining up the field goal the helmets look silvery-gold - i.e. "champagne" color. Granted they look mostly silver for the rest of that game clip, and the grey face masks make them look even more "silvery" in the clip.

However, Legion Field had crappy lights (lots of shadows, etc.), combined with the grainy video technology from 1983, makes it almost impossible to tell the color exactly. I would have to see a true silver helmet in a color still shot from the Tampa Bay game to say if they really did have silver helmets for the first two games.