Interesting article on NO. Saints colors

[WideRight]

I have to disagree. I hate the loss of stripes (mostly in college ball). I understand that old-school sleeve stripes are not going to work with the new cut, and shoulder stripes like the Colts have just don't work anymore either, but do something. I hate monochrome pants like the Saints use. Their gold pants with the black stripe are infinitely better than the all black pants. Just because you cannot really get something like Cleveland's 5-stripe pattern to work doesn't mean you give up on all piping/stripe color contrasts. A lot of teams do it well. And death to the unitard!!!! If a team has 2-3 colors you should see 2-3 colors throughout the uniform.

[Chawls]

Good thing they went with black, eh? I love their colours. As for the whole colour/logo/stripe thing we have going, I made this, and never posted.

As a Saints fan, I especially this concept. It's VERY close to perfection. But if I may make some suggestions:

- make the belt on the black pants black as well. While it looks great in a concept, it won't translate quite as well on the field. Same for the gold socks.

- make the white numbers black on the gold jersey. White does not contrast well enough with gold to be legible from a distance.

- Add a Saints wordmark below the collar.

As for this article, as a relatively young Saints fan, I NEVER knew of this. Mecom blue and gold?! The thought of that turns my stomach as blue and gold make me think of the St. Louis Lambs...er I mean Rams. *chuckles*

[navywhitestripes]

Good article.

Every time this comes up, I am obliged to say how much I prefer the original colors:

"In the first uniforms, the gold was more antique looking," recalled Becknell, who still represents Mecom. "It wasn't a bright gold."

There was one little thing that seemed odd, coming from a team source:

"There was one season when we wore black helmets," Becknell recalled. "Some people liked them, some people didn't."

Not quite a season there, Mr. Becknell. Try a couple of preseason games. Wonder what kind of reaction they really got from the fans.

i think those unis are more "brass" looking which also would go with name.....as the headline states

[Saintsfan]

I do think the gold the Saints wear at the moment is a touch too light. I thnk a darker gold would go with the black better and would look a little fiercer!

[BlueSky]

Good article.

Every time this comes up, I am obliged to say how much I prefer the original colors:

"In the first uniforms, the gold was more antique looking," recalled Becknell, who still represents Mecom. "It wasn't a bright gold."

There was one little thing that seemed odd, coming from a team source:

"There was one season when we wore black helmets," Becknell recalled. "Some people liked them, some people didn't."

Not quite a season there, Mr. Becknell. Try a couple of preseason games. Wonder what kind of reaction they really got from the fans.

Man, was I asleep at the switch? I'm usually the first one to beat the drum for the original 'copper' gold and to drag out that old SI cover. Thanks for having my back, Gothamite. Weird that the helmets have a single white stripe.

Here's what it looked like on the field. Note the mismatched number fonts between Jim Taylor (31) and C Joe Wendryhoski (54). Even Merlin Olsen (74) gave that uni a thumbs up.

It's even nice in B&W. They got Jimbo on the same page font-wise too. Wow, the Falcons were in their throwbacks that week!

The original gold numbers on the black jersey. I am verrrrrrry tempted to get Home Run Derby to make me one of these.

This is from '69. The helmet doesn't really seem to match then either, does it? Wonder if they'd changed the helmet color intentionally? Note the original font is gone too.

"In the original sketches for the team in 1966, the colors were blue with gold and white. But the league felt they were too close to other teams, particularly San Diego, so they never went with them."

Would love to see those. Wonder if they still exist somewhere? As for preliminary sketches, it's always interesting to contrast Dave Boss' 1966 painting (the year before the Saints debuted) with what they ended up wearing. It's pretty close but there are significant differences - helmet stripe & FDL, and the sleeve stripe colors are reversed (they wore W-G-W-G-W). Ironically, the stripe situation in the painting is exactly the opposite of today: single solid black stripe on helmet (now on pants), B-W-B on pants (now on helmet).

One last uni-related note: in the 'clashing helmets' segment of the MNF opening, the boneheads still had the Saints' logo in gold, like they did a few weeks ago vs. Atlanta:

[Gothamite]

Whoa - that's very strange.

I'm sorry, but you have that backwards. The Saints need to go back to uniforms that match their helmets.

I couldn't agree more. It's the one thing about the uniform set that has consistently "worked," and consequently the one thing they have never tinkered with (excepting the aborted black helmets).

Start there, and build to match.

[BallWonk]

Let's face it fellas, we're making up these "rules" out of the clear blue sky. A uniform should only need to accomplish one thing; looking good. The rest is just message board fodder.

Actually, "looking good" is not the only thing a uniform should accomplish. It's not even a particularly important item on the list of things a uniform needs to accomplish. As the philosophers say, "Pretty ain't good enough." A list of the things a uniform needs to accomplish would look something like this:

1. Serve the function of clothing an athlete for his particular sport.

2. Clearly identify the wearer as a member of a particular team.

3. Differentiate the wearers from members of any opposing team.

4. Communicate a team identity with which players and fans will want to identify.

5. Look good. (Optional)

Also, all human rules are just made up "out of the clear blue sky." This is as true of the Constitution of the United States as it is of Paul Lukas's "no purple" agenda. Just like "that's just your opinion," it is a statement that is always true, and therefore never useful to say.

[chickenhead]

I noticed the gold logo on MNF yesterday as well, and didn't get it. Has that ever exitsed on the helmet? But it's not like errors aren't commonplace. It took a lot of sites a few years to finally update the Cardinals logo.

As for the color scheme, blue would look quite good in this one. And if they did move to LA, we might see it in practice. (Not trying to stir the pot here: I'm an old Expos fan and am not suggesting it should happen). Although, now that I think of it, despite the blue and gold associated with CA, there are a lot of Raiders fans to win over as well. Probably for another topic...

I do agree with the old adage that black can be tough on TV, though. It often looks faded, and under the lights the Saints looked a bit muddled from a distance. I usually prefer them (and the Raiders) in their white jerseys, which are some of the nicest in sports--both now and in the historical photos above.

[BlueSky]

I noticed the gold logo on MNF yesterday as well, and didn't get it. Has that ever exitsed on the helmet? But it's not like errors aren't commonplace. It took a lot of sites a few years to finally update the Cardinals logo.

As for the color scheme, blue would look quite good in this one. And if they did move to LA, we might see it in practice. (Not trying to stir the pot here: I'm an old Expos fan and am not suggesting it should happen). Although, now that I think of it, despite the blue and gold associated with CA, there are a lot of Raiders fans to win over as well. Probably for another topic...

I do agree with the old adage that black can be tough on TV, though. It often looks faded, and under the lights the Saints looked a bit muddled from a distance. I usually prefer them (and the Raiders) in their white jerseys, which are some of the nicest in sports--both now and in the historical photos above.

It's never been gold on the gold helmet. It was gold on the 1969 pre-season black helmet but that one was never worn in a regular season game:

I'm sure it's because the FDL is under the flash and the stripe isn't, but it sure looks like the golds don't match.

On the field:

As for stirring the pot, there's no more pot to stir, at least until 2025. There's a deal in place to keep the Saints in New Orleans until at least then.

[BBTV]

A royal, or just-slightly-lighter than royal jersey, with old gold numbers, and white and black as trim, would look great. I kind of wish this happened, or wish that some team would try it.

[Mingjai]

A royal, or just-slightly-lighter than royal jersey, with old gold numbers, and white and black as trim, would look great. I kind of wish this happened, or wish that some team would try it.

Yeah, a look similar to the old Oakland Invaders or Pitt Panthers but with a metallic old gold and some black trim would be nice.

[chickenhead]

I think the color scheme we're dancing around here is...this.

[BallWonk]

I think the color scheme we're dancing around here is...this.

You know, I was pretty strongly in the "Saints must wear black and gold" camp. But when you bring Ponch and John into it, it becomes impossible to object to the medium blue and gold color scheme. It is by definition an improvement for anything to be made to look more like Poncherello.

[Chawls]

According to an interesting little article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune today, rather than the familiar Black and Gold, the Saints might have been the Blue and Gold. As the article explains, blue and white and gold

*snip*

... The Texas tycoon had an affinity for a certain hue. Everything in his empire -- from high-end hotels to offshore oil rigs -- was swathed in a color falling somewhere in the spectrum between Carolina blue and royal blue.

"Mecom Blue. That's what it's called," said Bill Becknell, a Metairie attorney who started as a ball boy in 1967 and worked his way up to the front office, serving as general counsel for the Saints under Mecom's management. "In the original sketches for the team in 1966, the colors were blue with gold and white. But the league felt they were too close to other teams, particularly San Diego, so they never went with them."

Instead, the oil man found another way to wink at his business dealings: black gold, Texas tea.

more in the full link: Power Colors

There is also the fact, as reported in the book The Saga of the Saints and in the media around 1987, that shortly after Tom Benson bought the team he thought about changing the color scheme and possibly even the name, and it was said that he also had a preference for blue....

Like this?

I googled Mecom Blue and found that. Pretty much fits the description if you ask me. Anyone else agree?

[BlueSky]

According to an interesting little article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune today, rather than the familiar Black and Gold, the Saints might have been the Blue and Gold. As the article explains, blue and white and gold

*snip*

... The Texas tycoon had an affinity for a certain hue. Everything in his empire -- from high-end hotels to offshore oil rigs -- was swathed in a color falling somewhere in the spectrum between Carolina blue and royal blue.

"Mecom Blue. That's what it's called," said Bill Becknell, a Metairie attorney who started as a ball boy in 1967 and worked his way up to the front office, serving as general counsel for the Saints under Mecom's management. "In the original sketches for the team in 1966, the colors were blue with gold and white. But the league felt they were too close to other teams, particularly San Diego, so they never went with them."

Instead, the oil man found another way to wink at his business dealings: black gold, Texas tea.

more in the full link: Power Colors

There is also the fact, as reported in the book The Saga of the Saints and in the media around 1987, that shortly after Tom Benson bought the team he thought about changing the color scheme and possibly even the name, and it was said that he also had a preference for blue....

Like this?

I googled Mecom Blue and found that. Pretty much fits the description if you ask me. Anyone else agree?

I agree. I also respectfully suggest you consider adding Mike McKenzie's jersey to your sig.

How are making the jerseys btw?

[infrared41]

Let's face it fellas, we're making up these "rules" out of the clear blue sky. A uniform should only need to accomplish one thing; looking good. The rest is just message board fodder.

Actually, "looking good" is not the only thing a uniform should accomplish. It's not even a particularly important item on the list of things a uniform needs to accomplish. As the philosophers say, "Pretty ain't good enough." A list of the things a uniform needs to accomplish would look something like this:

1. Serve the function of clothing an athlete for his particular sport.

2. Clearly identify the wearer as a member of a particular team.

3. Differentiate the wearers from members of any opposing team.

4. Communicate a team identity with which players and fans will want to identify.

5. Look good. (Optional)

Also, all human rules are just made up "out of the clear blue sky." This is as true of the Constitution of the United States as it is of Paul Lukas's "no purple" agenda. Just like "that's just your opinion," it is a statement that is always true, and therefore never useful to say.

Well, you really told me didn't you. Perhaps I was wrong in assuming most people would understand that the statement "A uniform should only need to accomplish one thing; looking good" was written with the context in which we discuss uniforms in this forum in mind. In other words, when I said it I was talking about aesthetics and nothing more. I think we can all agree that the first four rules of your little smackdown are a given when discussing uniforms around here.

And yes, all human rules are indeed just made up "out of the clear blue sky." All the more reason to ignore the really stupid ones.

[BallWonk]

Well, you really told me didn't you. Perhaps I was wrong in assuming most people would understand that the statement "A uniform should only need to accomplish one thing; looking good" was written with the context in which we discuss uniforms in this forum in mind. In other words, when I said it I was talking about aesthetics and nothing more. I think we can all agree that the first four rules of your little smackdown are a given when discussing uniforms around here.

And yes, all human rules are indeed just made up "out of the clear blue sky." All the more reason to ignore the really stupid ones.

I did not mean to "really tell you." Apologies if you felt that I was attacking you; that was not my intention.

But I understood the context of your comment just fine. I believe that even considered within that context, your comment is wrong. Further, I believe you are mistaken about the nature of the context in which you wrote. The name of this board is not "Uniform Aesthetics," it is "Uniform Design." And it is an important practical and philosophical question whether "looking pretty" is either a necessary or sufficient virtue of design in any field. Also, I assumed that you wrote the bit about uniforms only need to look pretty at least somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and so I really didn't intend to stomp you down. Rather, I meant to use your specific comment as a starting point for more clearly explaining my own thinking on an abstract matter than I had done previously.

Perhaps I need to make clear here that when I say I think something you wrote is "wrong" or "mistaken," I am not drawing judgments about you as a person, and I'm fully aware that my own statements and arguments are fundamentally matters of (my own) opinion.

[powersurge]

Every time this comes up, I am obliged to say how much I prefer the original colors:

Now those are some football uniforms. I'd always rather see striping patterns match between pants, helmet, and shirt, but that pet peeve aside, that's easily among the five best football uniforms ever. Just exactly the hues and balance of colors that the Saints ought to wear. The black is there, but that shade of gold is exactly right to stand by itself as a dominant uniform color. Thanks for re-posting that pic.

I prefer the older gold as well. I also love the number fonts with the thick black outline. I wish they'd try that again. Didn't they try that for a season or two recently before going to the black numbers on the aways?

The Saints make me wish that the NFL would allow teams to use alternate helmets. I would love to see them sport a Black helmet with gold FDL from time to time. All of this talk about alternate helmets "diluting the brand" is ridiculous. Teams are basically wearing alternate helmets all year long...they just call them "throwbacks" So are you saying that they don't "dilute the brand" as well?

Other teams that would look great with an Alt helmet IMO: Falcons (red helmet) Seahawks (silver) Rams (would love to see them in Gold with Navy horns) Chiefs (white with red arrowhead) and the Buccaneers (Black)

[Chawls]

I agree. I also respectfully suggest you consider adding Mike McKenzie's jersey to your sig.

How are making the jerseys btw?

Though I respect your opinion as a fellow member of the WHO DAT Nation, I will respectfully decline your suggestion. I won't add him for the same reason I don't have Reggie Bush's jersey in my sig - a good player at times but woefully inconsistent. I can't invest emotion into a player who is not a consistent contributor to the team. but if you'd like to make a sig with McKenzie's jersey, you can make one here.

[Needschat]

Personally, I wished the Saints used the Mardi gras colors of Justice purple, Faith green, and Power gold. But, Brass and Black work well.